Chance Gates' Blog

Nearly 70 percent of buyers and sellers say they believe the housing market and property values will recover in the next year or two, according to a new survey by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services Inc.

What’s more, 86 percent of the more than 1,000 buyers and sellers surveyed believe real estate is still a good investment despite the souring market conditions in many areas the past few years.

Those surveyed said they also are ready to buy: Six in 10 respondents say they are more interested in buying real estate and 59 percent say they are optimistic about buying now with recent momentum from the economic recovery. They also believe they can get a better deal now because of lower prices.

But many survey respondents said that buying a home relies on them being able to sell their existing home. About 67 percent respondent said they are concerned about getting a fair price for their existing home.

“This survey clearly demonstrates that Americans continue to be optimistic about the real estate market and believe that home prices will rise,” says James Mallozzi, chief executive officer of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services. “A key take away from the survey is although consumers recognize that it is a good time to buy, they are concerned about their ability to sell their homes. This is one of the reasons the market is still struggling to recover.”

Source: “Americans Confident in Recovery of Real Estate Market,” RISMedia (March 14, 2011)

Logging in allows you to save your favorite properties and get instant updates (price changes,  new pictures and open houses on the property.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

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Banks and mortgage servicers are taking more time to foreclose on defaulting home owners–a process that can take up to 2 years now, USA Today reports.
A backlog in foreclosures has occurred within a number of the nation’s banks, triggered by the large number of home owners defaulting on loans, a lengthy review process for loan modifications, and recent lawsuits that have accused banks of improperly filing foreclosure documents .
Meanwhile, defaulting home owners are being allowed to stay in their homes longer. In December 2010, the average borrower in foreclosure went 507 days without making a mortgage payment, according to LPS Applied Analytics. (Prior to the housing crash, the norm was considered 250 days in default.)
Diane Pendley, managing director of Fitch Ratings, estimates that delinquent borrowers stay in their homes an average of 19 to 20 months before they’re evicted. She expects that average to grow to 22 to 23 months by the end of the year–the longest on record.
The delays in the foreclosure process are expected to lead to less inventory of foreclosed homes for sale and higher prices for these homes, in some markets, experts note. However, the longer wait also means foreclosures could weigh on the real estate market much longer, they say.
Source: “Home Loans in Default Drag On,” USA Today (Feb. 21, 2011)

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

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Applies Only to Purchase Loans

I’m using this loan program now for clients how would not originally qualify.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

source http://rismedia.com/2011-02-16

RISMEDIA, February 17, 2011—In a landmark study examining the home buying and selling preferences of consumers in the Mid-Atlantic region, 95% reported that working with a real estate professional is just as important, if not more important, than it was just a few years ago. The survey results were released in a new research paper entitled Keepin’ it Real, by MRIS, the area’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and a leading developer of real estate information technology.

According to the report, which can be found on www.MRIS.com, today’s consumers recognize this is not the time to complete a real estate transaction on their own, and are placing a stronger emphasis on the agent’s professional skills. As such, trustworthiness was ranked as the most critical factor in choosing an agent, followed by experience, willingness to look out for a client’s interest, expertise in negotiating contracts, responsiveness, familiarity with contracts and knowledge of the local community. These requirements are evidence that consumers are seeking more than simple guidance, they are looking for an expert they can trust to execute a step-by-step process throughout the entire transaction.

“In today’s housing market especially, this is no time to go it alone,” noted John L. Heithaus, Chief Marketing Officer of MRIS. “With 95% of all buyers and sellers reporting that working with a professional real estate agent or broker is important, it is evident that consumers understand how vital they are to the process. A real estate professional has the industry knowledge, networking ability and expert guidance on home buying and selling to deliver top notch customer service and advice, and provide a successful experience for consumers.”

Additionally, the Keepin’ it Real report reveals that 68% of buyers and sellers rated their agent with a six or seven, on a 7-point satisfaction scale. This high level of consumer confidence reinforces the credibility of the real estate professionals in the Mid-Atlantic area. Nearly half of the consumers surveyed, or 48%, found their agent by way of referral. Moreover, 80% of consumers stated that they would recommend their agent to a friend or family member, especially those that purchased or sold a home in the past twelve months.

Whereas in years past, the agent was the first step in the home buying or selling process, today, Internet-savvy consumers can gather information and educate themselves, long before contacting an agent. The Internet empowers consumers to search for homes and neighborhood information, compare pricing and explore financing options on their own. Yet, despite all of the tools and resources available, when it comes time to actually buy or sell a home, there is nothing more valuable than the industry knowledge, expertise and guidance a real estate professional brings to the table.

The Keepin’ it Real research paper is confirmation that today, more than ever, a real estate professional is an invaluable resource in the home buying and selling process.

For more information, visit www.mris.com.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

Three out of four home owners — or 78 percent — say their homes are the best investment they ever made, according to Trulia.com’s biannual American Dream survey, which has tracked attitudes toward home ownership since 2009.

Despite foreclosures and underwater homes continuing to batter the real estate market, about 70 percent of Americans say they still view home ownership as being part of their American Dream, according to the survey.

“Contrary to popular belief, the American Dream of homeownership has not turned into an American nightmare,” says Pete Flint, CEO of Trulia.

The millennial generation is expected to drive the housing recovery. Eighty-eight percent of 18-34 year old renters say they want to be home owners one day, according to the survey.

“Millennials are now today’s most serious home buyers,” says Tara-Nicholle Nelson, consumer educator for Trulia. “Unjaded and largely untouched by the effects of the housing crash, this new generation of buyers will no doubt lead America from its current housing slump towards true recovery.”

The survey also showed that in some of the country’s hardest-hit regions of foreclosures and underwater homes, buyers are not being deterred by the sour market. In particular, in Southern and Western regions of the United States, 79 percent and 70 percent of renters say they plan to purchase a home.

Source: “Trulia Survey: 70 Percent of Americans View Homeownership as Part of Personal American Dream,” Trulia.com (Feb. 9, 2011)

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

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The Obama administration announced on Friday plans to reform the housing finance market, including winding down government-controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and turning most of the market over to the private sector, as well as requiring larger down payments. The White House proposed three approaches to replacing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rather than offering up one final plan.

The administration’s proposal is expected to reshape the way Americans buy and own homes.
Among the plans outlined in the administration’s “white paper”:

▪ Shrinking the size of the portfolio of mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by at least 10 percent a year.
▪ Creating an insurance fund for mortgages, supported by premiums paid by lenders.
▪ Winding down government subsidies of mortgages by raising the fees charged to cover the risk of default.
▪ Raising fees for borrowers and requiring larger down payments for home loans.

The administration also recommended measures to make government-backed mortgages more expensive in order to allow the private-sector to better compete in the mortgage market. For example, it called for reducing by this fall the size of mortgages Fannie and Freddie may purchase from $729,750 to $625,500.

Raising Rates?

Some critics of the proposal are concerned that the administration’s overall plan would raise mortgage rates.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that mortgage costs likely will rise in the coming years, as government support is withdrawn and the private sector takes on a bigger role. Credit Suisse has estimated that rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage may rise as much as 2 percentage points if the government withdraws its backing of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Higher borrowing costs could be a thorn for a recovering housing market, since interest rates greatly affect how much buyers can afford, experts say.

“Reducing the government’s involvement in the mortgage finance market is necessary for a healthy market, but should not be done at the expense of the economy or home buyers,” NAR President Ron Phipps said in a public statement in response to the Obama administration’s plan. “Any proposal for increasing fees and borrowing costs beyond actuarially sound levels will only make it harder for working, middle-class individuals to achieve home ownership, and only the wealthy will be able to achieve the American dream.”

NAR’s economists estimate that a retreat of capital from the housing market will negatively impact the economy too. For every 1,000 home sales, 500 jobs are created for the country, NAR notes.

Geithner estimates that reducing the government’s role in the mortgage market may take five to seven years for the transition.

“Most people in Congress understand that this is a very political, contentious issue,” says David Berson, a former Fannie Mae chief economist. “It’s going to be a very volatile ride as we move toward what ultimately will be the future of Fannie and Freddie. It’s hard to know what that’s going to be.”

Source: “NAR: Secondary Mortgage Market Needs Improvement,” National Association of REALTORS® (Feb. 11, 2011); “Winners and Losers in the Obama Housing Plan,” Reuters News (Feb. 11, 2011); “White House Wants Fannie, Freddie to Go,” MSNBC (Feb. 11, 2011); and “Obama Report on Fannie, Freddie Plan May Boost Mortgage Rates,” Washington Post (Feb. 11, 2011)

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

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All men make mistakes, but married men find out about them sooner.

Any kid will run any errand for you, if you ask at bedtime.

Congress: Bingo with billions.

Exercise? I get it on the golf course. When I see my friends collapse, I run for the paramedics.

God’s children and their happiness are my reasons for being.

His death was the first time that Ed Wynn ever made anyone sad.

I left home because I was hungry.

I personally believe we were put here to build and not to destroy.

I’m nuts and I know it. But so long as I make ‘em laugh, they ain’t going to lock me up.

If by chance some day you’re not feeling well and you should remember some silly thing I’ve said or done and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled.

Live by this credo: have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situation.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

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While renting offers zero tax breaks, buying a home offers several tax benefits that can make homeownership more affordable. Real estate professionals need to be careful in providing detailed tax advice to clients to avoid lawsuits, but you can ensure clients have the information they need to understand the all of the tax benefits of home ownership.

The following is a few of the tax benefits to home ownership, according to Stephen Fishman, an author and lawyer who specializes in small business, tax and intellectual property law.

▪ Home mortgage interest deduction: Home owners can take an itemized deduction on interest paid on a mortgage or mortgages of up to $1 million for a principal residence and/or second home. This deduction could potentially reduce the cost of borrowing by one-third or more.
▪ Property tax deduction: Home owners can deduct from their federal income taxes the state and local property taxes that you pay on the home.
▪ Deductible home buying expenses: Several closing costs in a home purchase are also deductible, such as loan origination fees (points), prorated interest on a new loan, and prorated property taxes paid at settlement.
▪ $250,000/$500,000 home-sale exclusion: Home owners who have lived in their home for two of the prior five years prior to its sale do not have to pay income tax on the majority of their profit — $250,000 for single home owners and $500,000 for married homeowners who file jointly.
▪ 14 days of free rental income: Home owners can rent the home up to 14 days during the year and pay no tax at all on the rental income.

Source: “The Tax Benefits of Homeownership,” Inman News (Feb. 4, 2011) (log in required)

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates . You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates . If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my blog titled “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or to request a modification. If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home. To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/making_home_affordable_servicer

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What Should You Do If You Think a Servicer Isn’t Following the Making Home Affordable Program Guidelines

Members have called NAR asking what to do if they think that servicers are not following the guidelines for the Obama Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program for modifying eligible mortgages and refinancing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages. Here are the recommended steps to take:

1) First, go to www.makinghomeaffordable.gov, the official Treasury website for the Making Home Affordable Program. At the site, determine whether the loan is owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac by clicking “Loan Look Up” on the ribbon on the top of the home page. Only the holder of the loan is allowed to perform this , so do in the presence of your client or after obtaining their written permission.

If the loan is a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan, call (1) 1-800-7Fannie or (1) 1-800-Freddie, as appropriate, describing the specific inconsistency. Do this whether the issue relates to the refinancing or the loan modification program.
2) Next, if the loan is not owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac you can determine if the servicer is participating in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) by going to the website and clicking “Contact Your Mortgage Servicer” on the top ribbon. To date, 16 servicers are participating, covering more than 80% of all mortgages.

If the servicer is participating, the first step is to contact the servicer using the phone number or email address listed on the site so you can appeal the issue to a supervisor. Be sure to identify the specific provision of the guidance that you believe is not being followed. If the supervisor cannot or will not correct the problem, call 1-800-7Fannie to report the disagreement. Fannie is administering the program for the Treasury Department and will work to resolve the issue.

Making Home Affordable Program Website (consumer friendly)
www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov

Site for Detailed Information on Making Home Affordable and Other Government Programs
www.FinancialStability.gov

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

www.nevadawolfpack.com

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RENO, Nev. - The University of Nevada women’s tennis team (1-4, 0-1 WAC) will travel to take on two opponents this weekend, playing at UC Irvine (1-2) Saturday and at No. 42 Long Beach State (2-1) Sunday.  Both matches will take place at 11 a.m.

The Wolf Pack dropped its last contest and first conference match to Fresno State Sunday, February 6 by a score of 5-2.

Fighting back from an ankle injury suffered at last season’s WAC Championships in Fresno, Calif., Sophie Stevens has played well for Nevada in recent matches.  Stevens, who is 2-2 overall in dual play, has won her last two singles matches. Her victories have come against No. 50 ranked Arizona’s Debora Castany, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 and Fresno State’s Olga Kiripcheva, 6-4, 7-6.

UC Irvine got its first win of the year in their last outing, defeating Hawai’i 6-1 on Sunday, February 6.  The Anteaters fell to San Diego State and Pepperdine in their first two matches.

Long Beach State, ranked inside the top 50 by the ITA, has won its last two matches.  Most recently the 49ers defeated Loyola Marymount University 6-1.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates . You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates . If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my blog titled “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or to request a modification. If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home. To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.