http://blog.savingstreet.com How to save money in the world of buying and selling homes Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:29:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I just recently read of another example of a well-intended attempt to help us help ourselves in the midst of this cranky, fragile economic climate. Credit card companies are slashing credit limits.   This, you see, will keep us from spending more than we can ever hope to pay off, right?  ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/07/04/watch-that-credit-score/ Have you cleaned out your closet lately? Ditched that stuff with the price tags still in tact from a clearance rack circa the Reagan Administration? It feels good to update, doesn’t it? Clear out the old – create a vacuum for something new and fresh.   Now, take that spunky attitude ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/06/27/style-check-closets-and-kitchens/ I am a real estate agent - in the business of selling homes. You’ve heard of my type. Back before ARMs adjusted upward to Jupiter and folks had something called equity in their homes, we used to actually help people sell houses.   But here’s the deal. The foreclosure tsunami has left ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/06/19/hey-longmont-homeowners-sit-tight-%e2%80%a6/ Who pays full price in this market? Many would ask, what buyer (who isn’t somehow chemically or cognitively impaired) is going to come to the table at asking price and still be smiling? Or is something interesting happening out there in this big fat buyer’s market? It is my most humble ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/06/02/a-full-price-offer-in-this-market-%e2%80%93-go-figure/ My first closing as an agent (I’ve been to many as a seller/buyer) was initially scheduled for 9:30 am on Thursday, May 22nd. It got pushed to noon to give time for documents to get to the title company. No big deal except it meant that my employing broker wouldn’t ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/05/28/is-closing-scary-reflections-from-the-eye-of-a-colorado-storm/ Short sale, pre-foreclosure, REO – very familiar terms in today’s real estate market. In fact, recent statistics reveal a 23 percent increase in foreclosure filings from the last quarter of 2007 and a 112 percent increase from the first quarter. This translates to the reality that one in every 194 ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/05/16/foreclosure-investing-in-today%e2%80%99s-market-first-timers-beware/ Your property value has already taken a hit in this troublesome housing market - can you really afford an agent commission to get your home sold? Interestingly, now more than ever might just be when you need that expertise to navigate your way to a front yard SOLD sign in ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/05/09/can-i-afford-a-real-estate-agent-in-this-down-market/ There are a few vital questions you need to ask yourself as a potential seller in a buyer’s market: 1) Do I NEED to sell now?? If the answer is “yes” and you must sell your home due to job transfer, change in marital status, retirement or the like, then you must ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/05/06/when-youre-a-seller-in-a-buyers-market/ The short sale market is picking up speed. A nationwide survey of real estate agents conducted by Campbell Communication, Inc. just last month found that 20% of completed home sales in the fourth quarter across the country were short sales or pre-foreclosure sales.  For home owners in distress over declining property ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/04/24/is-it-time-to-consider-a-short-sale/ In the past 12 months the inventory of unsold homes in the seven counties that comprise the metro area has grown from around 23,000 to over 27,000. Along with growing inventory of housing, the rate of foreclosures is also growing.  In March, the State of Colorado reported 5392 homes entered the foreclosure ... http://blog.savingstreet.com/2008/04/18/higher-inventories-and-increases-in-the-rate-of-foreclosure-is-a-looming-threat-to-home-prices/