Chance Gates' Blog

The question that keeps arising when a client approaches me about buying a home is “what information should I have ready for when I apply for a loan?”.

So to help people out who are getting ready to enter the Reno/Sparks real estate market here is a checklist for you.

Your Residence History:

_____  Your previous addressed for the past two years

_____  The length of time you’ve lived in each place

_____  If you currently rent, your landlord’s name and address (12months)

Your Employment History:

_____  The names and addresses of all your employers for the last two years

_____  The dates you worked at each place of employment

_____  If there have been any gaps in your employment and why

All Outstanding Loans and Credit Cards:

_____  The creditor’s name and address

_____  Your account number

_____  The current total balance you owe and months left to pay

_____  The amount of the monthly payment

Savings, Checking or Investments Accounts

_____  The name and address of each financial institution

_____ Your account number

_____  The current balance or value

Real Estate You Currently Own ( For Each Property)

_____The property address

_____  The estimated market value

_____  The outstanding loan balance(s), the name and address of  the                     mortgage company(s) and your account number(s)

_____ The amount of the monthly payment ( including taxes, insurance and                    HOA dues)

_____  The amount of your monthly rental income (if applicable)

Personal Propert You Own:

_____  The net cash value of your life insurance

_____  The make, year, and value of your automobiles

_____ The value of your furniture, jewelry, or other personal property

Read more at http://chancegates.com/tag/mortgage/

Current homeowners buying a house between Nov. 7, 2009, and April 30 and who have used the home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight can qualify for the $6,500. It seems less is known about the repeat buyer credit. This incentive was added when the original $8,000 tax credit for qualified first-time buyers, which expired Nov. 30, was extended.

Houses purchased for $800,000 or less are eligible for repeat buyers. Single buyers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples up to $225,000 may receive the maximum tax credit for both repeat and first-time purchases. The credit decreases for buyers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000 for single buyers and between $225,000 and $245,000 for home buyers filing jointly. The amount of the tax credit decreases as his/her income approaches the maximum limit. Buyers earning more than the maximum are not eligible for the credit. If a binding written contract to purchase is in effect April 30, the purchaser will have until July 1, 2010 to close.

The 2009 credit for first-timers helped jump-start the sagging home market in the summer and fall, data show. Walt Molony, a National Association of Realtors (NAR) spokesman, said two million existing-home sales in 2009 could be attributed to the $8,000 first-time buyer credit. Although it is too early to measure the credit’s effect on sales so far this year, Molony said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun believes it will add 1.5 million sales to the tally.

The repeat-buyer credit was added to appease builders, who said the original did not offer enough time to purchasers of new houses, which take at least six months to build, to close on them. New homes accounted for only 7% of the tax-credit-based sales, Molony said.

The National Association of Homebuilders’ Donna Reichle said, “We hear builders saying they are getting inquiries, but that’s all so far. According to our economists, it’s way too early,” Reichle said. “If you look back at the passage of the original $8,000 credit and impact on housing starts, it took a couple of months, and that was in the spring as well.”

Moody’s Economy.com chief economist Mark Zandi says the credit will boost sales “modestly,” however, by 300,000, with one-third trade-up buyers. “I don’t expect the credit to be extended again,” Zandi said. “Each time it is extended, it becomes less effective and thus more costly.”

David Krieger, senior vice president and general manager of Coldwell Banker Preferred in Philadelphia, says he believes that “a very large increase in our listing inventory in January is a result of the $6,500 credit.” Still, the $8,000 first-time credit remains the chief reason his company’s home sales were 33% higher last month than in January 2009, he said.

Typically, repeat buyers are better off financially than first-timers, so a lot of repeat buyers realize from the start they don’t qualify for the credit, Weichert Realtors agent Alec Schwartz said. “What they do realize, and what is getting more sellers to list, is that they understand that there are plenty of first-time buyers who qualify for the $8,000 credit out there, and they have a much better chance of selling their house and buying a new one than before,” said Schwartz, Liv Mansfield’s agent.

This is also true in the region’s new-home market, said Wayne Norris, regional sales manager for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence. “Builders have experienced increased activity in recent months” attributable to the $6,500 credit and “the fact that many potential buyers were able to sell their houses” to those taking advantage of the first-time buyer credit,” he said. The sense of urgency to make the tax-credit deadline and fears of rising interest rates will push new-home sales higher in the spring, Norris said.

(c) 2010, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the Reno/Sparks real estate market, I’m finding most of the  houses being sold for less than $200,000  are getting multiple  offers submitted on the property.

Hidden Valley is located in the Southeast Area of Reno.  It is strictly a residential community with a few condos around the Golf Course, otherwise all single family dwellings. A down side is there are no services, such as grocery stores, gas stations,  within the boundaries of Hidden Valley.  The upside is traffic into the area is mainly residents.

A major shopping center is located about just minutes away. The area does have two golf courses

:Rosewood Lakes - a public course

Hidden Valley-  private course.

Hidden Valley does have an elementary school as well as County Park which was recently outfitted with all new play equipment. There are equestrian trails and a gazebo with a BBQ which you can reserve to hold private picnics or gatherings.  The dog park is fully fenced, and comes with  plenty of water and doggie bags.

Many of the homes in Hidden Valley are constructed on large lots, close to .50 acre. Many have RV access and parking.  Some of the homes in Hidden Valley  have no HOA dues. Some of the newer homes built surrounding the original Hidden Valley development do have HOA fees but are what I call reasonable – $45 month or so for now.

Hidden Valley does host several annual events:  An Easter Egg Hunt, a community picnic, a pumpkin growing contest, a holiday Christmas Parade of lights and a winter dinner and dancing social which is held for residents at the Country Club.