- Image by FotoRita [Allstar maniac] via Flickr
Okay, so the truth can be ugly. I get that. I grudgingly read the real estate news every day. Not because I want to hear how dreadful things are (because I don’t), but because it’s my job to keep my fingers on the pulse of the industry that I have committed to represent. Mostly, I want to be able to give my clients the best direction possible. As we all know, this here American Dream of ours (home ownership), has a big stinkin’ dent in it.
We can’t deny that money is tight. We’ve got something like 19 million vacant homes across the country, a bad-bank-property management set up, tons of people outta work, and still others struggling to keep their heads above water. Oh, and of course that doesn’t negate the regular crappy stuff that goes on….sick kids, bills that need to be paid, people starving, self-serving politicians and all those people who cut me off on the freeway. Anyway, I decided to come up with some tips, depending on your situation, that might help reverse the dent in your own little piece of the American Dream Pie:
Tips for future buyers:
(Even if you have to do a short sale on your current home,I hope you put yourself in this category, because really, you too can take advantage of these ever-increasingly low prices)
- Clean up your credit…check your scores, whatever you do, don’t rack up the credit cards unless you have to
- Pay your bills….it’s easy when times are tough to slack off, but if you ever want to qualify for a piece of the American Dream Pie, you won’t want a bunch of collection agency notices on your credit.
- Save money. I know, a what a joke, right? But seriously, think about how much you spend on fast food and Starbucks, and that if you just did that a little less, in several months you could have collected enough to cover some of your closing costs!
- Remember, the dent in your dream is that it’s harder than ever to qualify for a loan. But the good news is that housing prices have never been SO AFFORDABLE. You need a good lender. Call Sheri Schmitz at 916.367.7111. Even if you aren’t qualified now, she can help you clean your credit up and tell you exactly where you stand so that you CAN get your hunk of pie sooner than you think!
Tips for Homeowners in Trouble:
(this is the worse kind of dent in the American Dream. Here you are, trying to get by, and then BOOM, you can’t afford to stay in your home. This sucks….hopefully these tips will help)
- Don’t let the banks take your home. You have options. If you can no longer keep up with your house payments, a short sale is the least damaging alternative. Really.
- Don’t trust any loan mod companies…most are crooks, and sorry to say this, but to date, not ONE loan mod through the bank has gone through to the satisfaction of the homeowners…this is why I stopped doing them, and I am certified! (I may get flack for saying this, but I’m just telling you what I’ve seen)
- Keep up on your property taxes and HOA dues. Being late on these guys can be a deal breaker when you short sale your home.
- Protect your credit. I know right now it seems like the last thing on your mind, but trust me YOU CAN OWN again, and sooner than you think, so PLEASE read all the things I wrote for buyers above and follow that.
- Don’t stick your head in the sand. I have people call me EVERY DAY who put off a short sale and now, with the auction date two weeks away, they want to do a short sale. Sadly, I have to turn these folks down—it’s just too late to list, advertise, get an offer in and do all the darn hoop-jumping these under-staffed banks are demanding. As soon as you figure out you need to sell the home….call me, or any other short sale specialist!
If you’re in neither situation above, then bless your beautiful heart! However, chances are excellent that many of your friends and family are, so please, no matter where they live, share this post with them, or at least the ideas it contains. We need to support one another and get that damn dent out of our rightful American Dream.
God Bless,
Tamara
PS– Home Buyer FREE SEMINAR from the comfort of your own home or office! Just tune in at 10 AM PST on Sept. 8th to www.InLoveWithSacto.com (or catch the podcast afterward) and we’ll tell you EVERYTHING you need to know to buy a house (and beat that ugly October 4th FHA tax law).
