By: Maria Hass
March 19, 2010
Here are five things homeowners considering a short sale of their home should be wary of when selecting a Realtor or agent:
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My family went to the 22nd Annual Ostrich Festival last weekend. There were thousands of people engaging in various activities including shopping, eating, strolling, watching the shows or getting onto the rides. We even saw a little girl who was about 6 ...
By : Maria Hass
March 11, 2010
The 2nd Annual Springfield Lakes Neighborhood Garage Sale which I helped organized was a great success. Cars rolled by our neighborhood before 7 a.m. from bargain hunters out to get the best items at the best price. Over 30 homes participated in the annual ...
March 8, 2010
Dealing with Bank of America on short sales is such a pain in the you-know-what... even with the new Equator online system they recently contracted with to upload the short sale documents. Here are some reasons I've found out this Equator.com system is a major hassle to deal with:
1. There is NO online tutorial on the website to explain how this quirky, "gee...
Feb. 26, 2010
Feb. 21, 2010
On Feb. 20, National Public Radio reported President Barack Obama&rsqu...
Feb. 18, 2010
State Treasurer Dean Martin has been highly visible in the media lately -- in case you didn't know, he is running for state governor. Recently, Mr. Martin made a media statement that in order to expedite the housing market's recovery, the clog of Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] IS CALLING THE LISTING AGENT TO SHOW THE HOUSE A GOOD IDEA? By: Maria Hass Feb. 11, 2010 I had a call from a buyer who would like to see a house that I have listed. After determining that the buyer was qualified for this house and was told that he did not have a Realtor, I arrange to meet him at the property. The buyer went around the house, we talked and then I found out he had a Realtor after all and he had made a previous offer with this Realtor on another home of which it failed to close.<... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A SHORT SALE SAGA By: Maria Hass Feb. 4, 2010 Negotiating a short sale is complex. Every transaction is custom- Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Foreclosure Forum Educates the Public Jan. 18, 2010 By: Maria Hass A power cast of speakers were put together in a seminar dubbed “Avoiding Foreclosure” held on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the Downtown Chandler library. The panelist included Tracy King - Wachovia short sale manager, Tim Hensley - HUD certified cou... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Realtors to Avoid By: Maria Hass Jan. 9, 2010 n the world of Real Estate, every Realtor is DIFFERENT! The difference Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Short Sale - A Warning About High-Cost Third Pary Negotiation Fees By: Maria Hass Realty Executives Sellers who are thinking of selling their homes short should be carefu... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] It's a Great Market for Investors By: Maria Hass Nov. 30, 2009 Investors are making good in today’s market. Buyers who are frustrated about being outbid on lender-owned properties, don’t have reserves to do repairs or cannot wait for a short sale approval end up turning to investor-owned "fix-and-flip" properties. These investor properties are remodeled and often look like new. It is an easy and simple transaction for... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What is the Future of Short Sales in the Greater Phoenix Real Estate Market? Nov. 21, 2009 I was fortunate recently to be in the same room with Mike Orr, author of the Cromford Report, a widely-respected publication with current real estate market analysis information. Mr. Orr was one of the guest speakers at a class that focused on "The Future of Short Sales in Real Estate." Based on compiled data based heavily on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Mr. Orr observed the following regarding the Greater Phoenix real est... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What Does the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension Mean for the Economy and Our Future? By: Maria Hass Nov. 1, 2009 It looks like the Congress is on the verge of extending first-time home buyer tax credit of $8,000 through April 30, 2010. The Obama administration has said they support an extension. In addition, repeat buyers who have owned a home for at least five years and buy a new house will receive a $6,500 tax credit under the Senate version of the bill. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Breaking News - Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended by: Maria Hass October 28. 2009 Democrats agree to extend and expand home buyer tax credit. Do you think this is a good move? I don't know where our government is getting all this money to hand out to home buyers. It seems to me like our lawmakers work without any budget and that money falls from the sky. Our country has trillions in debt and is giving away more money. This government spends way more than what it has. Home... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What will it take for Metro- Phoenix's Home Values to Rise Faster? By: Maria Hass October 23, 2009 1. Job creation and stability: Buying a home is not only about location, it is also about financing. People need decent jobs that they can hold onto in order to buy homes. The state’s jobless rate dropped slightly to 9.1 percent in September, the Arizona Department of Commerce reported this week; the rate was 9.2 percent in July. That improvement, wh... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Canadians Take Advantage of Arizona Real Estate Market By: Maria Hass October 10, 2009 Earlier this month, a story in a prominent newspaper in Canada reported how many Canadians are taking advantage of the incredibly low prices of homes in Phoenix while the Canadian dollar is really high. Prices on houses in some areas of Metro Phoenix are 50 percent lower than they were in 2005. Canadians can purchase a home in Arizona for an average 35 perc... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] First-Time Homebuyers Rush to Benefit from $8,000 Tax Credit September 30, 2009 By: Maria Hass The Arizona real estate market is very hot as many first-time homebuyers scramble to purchase a home by November 30 to receive the $8,000 tax credit. Just a few days ago, my client and I went on a rush to see a starter home with a pool in Chandler that was bought recently and fixed up by an investor. This home was 0 days on the market and cars of buyers and Realtors are lining u... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] 8 Ways to Buy a House in Today's Arizona Real Estate Market By: Maria Hass Sept. 24, 2009 The Arizona real estate market may never have been better than it is right now. Homes are selling quickly. First-time home buyers rush to buy a home before November 30. In today’s real estate market, it is interesting to note that home buyers have many options. In a normal market, traditional sales are where majority of the sales come from. However, in t... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[3] Arizona Republic Front Page Story on First-Time Homebuyer's Tax Credit Running Out September 19, 2009 I was quoted in today's Arizona Republic in a front-page story on the 1st-time home buyers' tax credit. Article: http://tinyurl.com/azrep919 Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) Complaints - Is it Reasonable? Sept. 9, 2009 By: Maria Hass The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) was implemented in May 2009 to eliminate undue influence from Realtors or lenders on the outcome of property appraisals, thereby establishing appraisal independence. This policy applies to any mortgage that will be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Federal Home Lo... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] When Does the Arizona's Anti-Deficiency Law Apply? By: Maria Hass August 26, 2009 There’s been a lot of misinformation going around about the modified Anti-Deficiency Law in Arizona. Many homeowners are unsure whether their bank will sue them for deficiencies after a short sale or a foreclosure. Below are a few things to help clarify this law. These are general guidelines. It is best to seek legal and tax advise p... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Seven Reasons for a Real Estate License Denial in Arizona By: Maria Hass August 15, 2009 I attended a real estate class recently as part of my continuing education. And would like to share with you valuable information that is interesting for anyone to know. Seven Reasons for Real Estate License Denial in Arizona 1. Unlawful possession of drugs. 2. Failure to disclose a prev... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] The Anti-Deficiency Law is Changing By: Maria Hass Aug. 10, 2009 The anti-deficiency law is changing. These changes are incoporated in SB 1271 and effective September 30, 2009. The National Board of Realtors (NAR) is making an effort to repeal this law. The change was intended to limit the type of borrowers that will qualify for anti-deficiency treatment. A borrower may be subject to a deficiency action or sued on its note following a foreclosure or short sal... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] How Do You Know if the Real Estate Market is Getting Better By: Maria Hass Aug. 4, 2009 How Do you Know if the Real Estate Market is Getting Better 1. Mortgage Application is rising 2. Retail, restaurants and shops are busy 3. Realtor Applications Increase 4. Title Companies are busy 5. Open House signs increase 6. More visitors show up for open houses 7. New construction per... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] First Time Home Buyer Loan Products and Incentives by: Maria Hass July 29, 2009 FIRST TIME HOME BUYER LOAN PRODUCTS AND INCENTIVES Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] City of Chandler Does it Again! By: Maria Hass July 26, 2009 The City of Chandler once again received the "Playful City USA" designation for putting children’s well-being first. A national non-profit organization called KaBOOM selected Chandler as one of the 67 communities across the country. Chandler was one of the 22 cities that made the Playful City list for the third time. The city of Chandler continuously provides a... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Buyers' Options to a Foreclosed Home By: Maria Hass July 20, 2009 A July 20 Arizona Republic article reports on the buying frenzy that is going on in the Metro Phoenix real estate market. Buyers are finding themselves in a bidding war on foreclosed homes, finding prices going up as a result. The buyer’s market has turned into a seller’s market. If you are looking to buy a home, patience and persistence are keys to getting a good deal on a house. Cash buyers ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Housing Market Stirs Economic Forecast By: Maria Hass July 13, 2009 "Be greedy when everyone else is fearful. Be fearful when everyone else is greedy." The statement above pretty much s... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Attendance at Trustee's Sales Grows as Investors Hunt for Bargains By: Maria Hass July 2, 2009 After a week’s vacation with the family, my work welcomes me with hundreds of emails to sort out and voicemails to get back to not to mention a couple of listings I have yet to put on the market. Just an hour prior to my anticipated road trip to San Diego, I received a phone call from a nice man who wanted to find a list of properties to be auctioned at the Trustee sale. ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Lender Rules! By: Maria Hass June 26, 2009 It is hard to understand why the industry that put all of us in this bad state of recession is getting the most money from people they victimized. The lending industry, despite the bad mistakes they’ve committed in the past, was awarded billions of government dollars to recover. I wonder what would have happened if they were left to reorganize on their own. That would teach a careless child a l... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tips on Moving from a Foreclosure to a Rental By: Maria Hass June 21, 2009 The rental market in greater Phoenix is fast becoming a refuge for homeowners whose houses were recently foreclosed on or sold on a short sale. The most common question asked by displaced homeowners is, "Will I be able to rent a home if I have bad credit from a foreclosure or short sale?" The answer is "maybe," depending on the location, landlord’s flexibility, t... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Real-life Advice About Rent-To-Own Properties By Maria Hass June 12, 2009 I recently came across a renter who was looking for a "rent-to-own" property. The renter wanted a home with specific features, including at least four bedrooms and three baths in within a specific two- to three-square-mile area. My initial reaction was, "you’re not going to find anything." Not only is it rare to find a seller that ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Business Week Provides Faulty National Scope on What's Really a Local Story By: Maria Hass June 9, 2009 The title of an article in the June 15th edition of Business Week, "Foreclosure Goes Upscale," is typical of tactics used by many forms of media – it catches attention because it takes a negative spin on what is not necessarily a negative subject. The article itself cites research conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reporting &q... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] FREE HOMEBUYERS' SEMINAR AND CREDIT SURVIVAL TRAINING by: Maria Hass June 4, 2009 People considering a home purchase in the current market can learn tips on how to improve their credit, save money by using Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Five Ways the New Housing Law Benefits Home Owners Courtesy of Glen Barnett CMPS The Platinum Group Mortgages and Loan Modifications Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Creative ways to buy a home after a foreclosure or short-sale By: Maria Hass May 18, 2009 Homeowners who were foreclosed upon or did a short sale of their home are now finding creative ways to get back into home ownership. One way of easing their way into a lifestyle that they are familiar with is called a lease-to-own or lease purchase. What is a lease-to-own/lease purchase or lease option agreement? These terms are synonymous with each other and interchang... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Metro Phoenix Enters a Seller's Market By: Maria Hass May 14, 2009 Recently, the Arizona real estate market has seen a tremendous increase in home sales. The demand for homes has been triggered by low prices, low interest rates and generous home buying incentives. The inventory of homes dropped significantly from 49,000 homes to 37,350 in less than two months. The Valley is entering a seller’s market as demand for homes continues. If you are looking to sell your home soon,... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE METRO PHOENIX REAL ESTATE MARKET - APRIL 2009 May 9, 2009 Preliminary April 2009 Report Published by Cromford Report April 6, 2009 established a bottom for $/SF sales pricing across the Greater Phoenix area. This does not mean that prices will not go lower in certain areas - they will. But the overall average price per square foot put in a convincing low on April 6 and has been moving sideways to slightly up ever since. The increasing sales ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Can a Buyer Look at Homes without a LSR? By: Maria Hass May 5, 2009 A buyer emailed me recently to ask if he could go ahead and see homes for sale without a Loan Status Report (LSR). My answer was no, and I gave him a brief Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Short Sale Seminar A Success By: Maria Hass May 1, 2009 Buyers and sellers wanting to know more about the short sale process filled the room during the short sale seminar conducted by Maria Hass of Realty Executives. Ms. Hass informed attendees of what to expect in buying a short sale or selling the home short. Maria Hass conducts regular seminars on different aspects on real estate to better serve her clients and the public. Her next seminar will be about credit a... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] My Meeting with the President of Blandford Homes By: Maria Hass April 29, 2009 I recently visited the trailer where the temporary sales office at Chandler's new Portello Community to get a price list for future homes in the community. I Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Who is Eligible for a Refinance or Loan Modification? April 21, 2009 There is so much information going around about foreclosure alternatives available to homeowners who are facing foreclosure limbo. The things homeowners hear may be conflicting or confusing by the time the information reaches them. Borrowers are asking more questions about exactly what lies in their future three or five years down the road. Here are some simple questions you should ask yourself to determ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Foreclosures Are Up Again! By: Maria Hass April 16, 2009 Foreclosures Are Up Again CNBC reports nationwide foreclosures are up 24 percent for the first three months of this year due to the lifting of the moratorium by big lenders who were awaiting the Obama loan modification plan. It will be interesting to find out how the surge in buying activity that we’ve experienced recently will be affected by the increase in foreclosure rate. Under the Oba... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] ONE MORE REASON CHANDLER IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE By: Maria Hass April 13, 2009 The Chandler School District is hiring new teachers for the 2009-2010 school year. This welcome news is in contrast with many other school districts. Scottsdale, Kyrene, Mesa, Higley, Gilbert school districts will be trimming down their work force due to the economic crunch. Chandler was spared from the budget cut owing to the increase enrollment this school year. Many people find Chandler Sch... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Published Interview on Maria Hass - Talking Real Estate By: Maria Hass April 8, 2009 I’m looking forward to a 2 mile run/walk this Saturday with my family to benefit at-risk youths in Arizona. If you are interested in participating in the event, you may contact Sun Tan News at (480) 732-0250 to sign up or get more information. My views and opinions on the changing real estate market is available on page 16-17 of the April 2009 issue of Chikka magazine. Please click on the link bel... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Did We Hit Bottom Yet? By: Maria Hass April 5, 2009 Here's an interesting and comprehensive article about the current Real Estate Market in Arizona. Click on http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/04/04/20090404housing0404-CP.html for the complete story. People have varying opinions about the article. All I can say is, we are making a tremendous improvement on our local real estate that every homeowner should be happy about. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Scammers Find Opportunities via Stimulus Package By: Maria Hass March 31, 2009 Be alert and be aware -- here is some recent information from Kiplinger on how scam artists have found ways to trick people out of their money in connection with the Obama stimulus package, including real estate foreclosure scams: CNN video Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Should I Modify My Loan or Short Sale My Home? By: Maria HassMarch 26, 2009Many people are facing a tough decision about whether to modify their loan or list their home as a short sale. To find out what is the most suitable option for you, begin by answering these ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] How do you know if you qualify for a loan modification? By: Maria HassMarch 20, 2009How do you know if you qualify for a loan modification? One of the key things that your lender will be looking for is your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. Normally, they would look for a range between 30 to 40 percent DTI. So, if your are making $6,000 a month in gross income, you should be looking at paying no more than 40 percent of your income towards house payments, which amounts to $2,400. A DTI ratio below the min... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A Positive Turn in the Arizona Real Estate Market By: Maria HassMarch 15, 2009CNN reported an increase in mortgage application by 11.3% ending for the week ending in March 6, 2009. The demand was sparked by very low interest rates and low home prices. Mortgage applications included refinance and purchases.MLS reported an increase in home sales of existing homes in Arizona from 4,726 in January, 2009 to 5,457 in February, 2009. Pending sales which is indicative of future sales increased sharply to 7... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] BUYER'S MARKET TURNED SELLER'S MARKET By: Maria HassMarch 12, 2009Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the cities being hammered by declining home values. There are many foreclosed homes being offered at amazingly low prices -- some are even priced below building cost. But once you get serious about making an offer on any of these homes, you’ll find that getting the home you'd like is harder than you thought. Why is this so?Banks and Realtors listing REOs have gotten smarter. ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Homebuyer's Seminar a Great Success By: Maria HassMarch 9, 2009First-time homebuyers taking advantage of the current low prices and low interest rates got all of their questions answered at the homebuyer’s seminar hosted by Realty Executives Re... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Fulton Homes to Sell Cheaper Homes in South Chandler's Expensive Community By: Maria HassMarch 5, 2009A story published in the March 4 edition of the Chandler Republic reported that Chandler’s City Council unanimously approved Fulton Homes’ request to build less-expensive homes in South Chandler’s tony community of Fulton Ranch.The decision to allow Fulton Homes to build cheaper homes is meant to save the already struggling home builder from abandoning the posh deve... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Watch a Video on the Details of the Revised $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit By: Maria HassMarch 3, 2009The $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit will affect ALL home buyers. This incentive along with historically low home prices and low interest rates can result to a surge in home buying which will eventually translate to higher home prices and higher interest rates. Click below to watch a video of the details of the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit revised on Feb. 17, 2009 courtes... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tax Credit for Home Buyers Feb. 26, 2009 First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] TWO DOZEN FAMILIES TO HOST HUGE SPRINGFIELD LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE ON FEB. 28 in Chandler By: Maria HassFeb. 21, 2009 Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Chandler Homeowners Block Builder from Building Cheaper Homes By: Maria HassFeb. 20, 2009A Feb. 18, 2009, story from The Chandler Republic tells about homeowners in Fulton Ranch, an affluent community in South Chandler, at least temporarily stopping the builder from building and selling homes that would be significantly lower in price than their homes. The current homeowners argue that Ful... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers February 19, 2009Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers (Text of Release) Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Obama’s recovery plan to impact home buyers and home owners By : Maria Hass February 14, 2009The National Association of Realtors (NAR) on Saturday, Feb. 14, reported the following changes in the housing stimulus package of President Obama’s economic recovery plan:1) Loan limits will be raised to $727,000 in high-cost areas2) The first-time home buyers tax credit will be raised from $7,500 to $8,000 with NO payback (a true credit).3) Interest rates have come down 125-150 basis p... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] $789 Billion Stimulus Package on the Housing Market By: Maria HassFebruary 12, 2009The Senate and the House reached an agreement on the Stimulus Package totaling $789 billion(a figure I have not seen in a long time and money I didn't know we had). While minor details are in the works, below is the most recent information on how the stimulus package will affect the housing market.The tax credit is $7,500.The tax credit does not have to be repaid.Income limits to $75,000 for... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Free March 7 Home Buyers' Seminar By: Maria HassFebruary 9, 2009FREE HOME BUYERS' SEMINAR Hosted by Maria Hass of Realty ExecutivesSaturday, March 7, 2009, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.Realty Executives Chandler Office920 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite 1 (NE corner of Alma School and Chandler Blvd.)Chandler, AZ 85225Learn How to: * Save money using government down pay... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Expanded First-Time Home Buyer Incentive By: Maria HassFeb. 9, 2009First-Time Home Buyers’ Incentive NewsThere has been much talk recently about modifying the current $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit by making it available to any home buyer and increasing it to $15,000. This change to the home buyer incentive is in the works – it is not a LAW.In my opinion, if and when the doubling of the incentive is approved by Congress, this is going to stimulate home buying – es... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What Kind of Realtors Should You Avoid? By: Maria HassJanuary 25, 2009Finding a Realtor can be a difficult task. There are many to choose from and they all appear eager to help you. But how do you know which Realtor will best serve your interests best? When considering the purchase of a home today, there are so many to choose from – but how do you narrow your choices to only 10 or fewer? It’s called the process of elimination, and it’s wise to... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tips on Getting a Good Deal on your Loan by: Maria HassRealty ExecutivesJanuary 21,2009Many times when purchasing real estate, unless it’s a cash transaction, a borrower will require a loan officer to process a home loan through a lender. The loan officer or consultant gathers the needed information and presents the documents to the underwriter in order for the lender to fund the loan.However, the over-hyped real estate market in 2005-2006 demonstrated that the mortgage indus... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Generous Home Buyer Incentives By: Maria HassJanuary 18, 2009Today’s real estate market offers amazing opportunities for home buyers. Interest rates are at historic lows and the prices of homes are incredibly d... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tip on buying a newly built home By: Maria HassJan. 16, 2009We had an office meeting yesterday to plan our monthly meetings for the new year. Interesting ideas and experiences of Realtors on their transactions were shared. One transaction that I thought was worth sharing was an experience shared by Realtor A. Realtor A cautioned against builders who promote deep discounts on the purchase price of a ne... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] New Do-It-Yourself Loan Modification Software By: Maria HassJanuary 13, 2009Last week in Phoenix, I witnessed the launch of a new software program called "Loan Mod Exposed". For much less than what a home owner would normally pay a professionally negotiator, one can purchase this do-it-yourself software. The software is able to determine if your financial situation is a strong candidate for a successful loan modification or if you are a candidate for denial. The soft... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] The Times Says the Time is Now By: Maria HassJanuary 7, 2009An article published by The New York Times a month ago provides home buyers several reasons for purchasing a home now instead of holding off. First, today’s real estate market offers great buying opportunities. Interest rates are historically low and home prices are affordable. If you have a good credit score, enough money for a down payment, don’t need to sell another home and plan to hold on to your new home long-term, there should ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Metro Light Rail Musings By: Maria HassJanuary 3, 2009I am proud to be a part of history today. I rode on the Phoenix area’s first ever light rail line from Mesa to Phoenix. Dec. 31, 2009, was the last of five days to ride for FREE on what’s been dubbed "Metro." I wanted to experience the benefits resulting from our tax money and also explore real estate opportunities along the light rail transit route. I saw many apartments along the line in the town of Tem... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Happy Short-Sale Story By: Maria HassDecember 22, 2008I went in for my regular annual check-up this week. To my surprise, my doctor still remembers me even though I have not seen her for almost a year. Thank goodness for staying healthy and fit. During my doctor’s visit, I came across a nice lady named Karen who works at the check-out desk of the office. She told me about her short-sale story with a wonderful ending. Karen felt the need to move out of her mobi... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Chandler Rocks! By: Maria HassDecember 16, 2008If you are looking for a place to invest your hard-earned money, look no further than Chandler, Arizona. Chandler was recently reported as the one place in the state of Arizona that has continually increased home sales this year. KPHO-5 reported on Sunday that Chandler home sales have increased seven months in a row, including 28% in August, 67% in September, 12% in October and 8% in N... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Cash Back Deal - True Good To Be True? By: Maria HassDecember 14, 2008Cash Back: Too Good To Be True?I came across a first-time home buyer the other day. He has indicated to me that a real estate agent from a prominent online real estate company promised him $1,500 cash back in the form of a check after buying a home with him. My initial reaction was, that doesn’t seem right. By that, I mean, it doesn’t seem legal. So, I went ahead and di... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Metro Phoenix 2008 Real Estate Statistics and Interesting Short Sale Revelations By: Maria HassDecember 10, 2008Metro Phoenix StatisticsDid you know that …..· The average number of days on the market for homes to close was 108 days in January 2008 and 75 days in October 2008? · Homes sold for 94% of their list price in January 2008 and 96% in October 2008? · The number of homes sold via MLS was 2,900 in January 2008 and 53,008 in October 2008? · The median price for a ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays - What's the Difference? By: Maria HassDecember 6, 2008I was doing a Google search today and found myself not knowing the best keywords to choose to find a list of community programs for this season of giving. I wondered, should I be searching under "Christmas" community programs, or should I search under "Holiday" community programs?It was just a few years ago when the game of "political correctness" reached widespread proportions threatening to change the ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Proposition 100 Wins! By: Maria HassDec. 1, 2008It is with great gladness that I share with you the victory of Proposition 100. Arizona voters sent a strong message to legislators against any kind of real estate transfer tax. A real estate transfer tax is like a sales tax on any home, land or property that is purchased. With the victory of Proposition 100 on the November 4, 2008 election, we are keeping our equity in our wallets and protecting o... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Federal Housing Aid - What Does It Mean To Potential Home Buyers and Home Sellers? By: Maria HassNovember 28, 2008As part of the Federal housing aid package approved in July, nine cities across Metro Phoenix are devising a plan on how to use the federal aid money to resurrect the housing market and stimulate the economy. Among the cities awarded with federal aid are Mesa, Avondale, Phoenix, Tolleson, Chandler, Surprise and Glendale. In addition, Tucson and fellow Pima County communities Queen Creek and the City of Maricop... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Home Buyer Deals and Incentives By: Maria HassNovember 27,2008Today’s real estate market offers many incentives for home buyers. These incentives are aimed at stimulating the housing market by increasing home sales. Let’s take a moment to find out what the details are.1. HUD Homes - A buyer can purchase a government-acquired home, called Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homes, with only $100 down payment on a FHA loan. HUD will pay upto 3 % of the buyers c... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Holiday Relief from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for Distressed Homeowners By: Maria HassNovember 23, 2008The Washington Post Friday reported a relief plan to halt foreclosure proceedings on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac homes from November 26, 2008, until January 9, 2009. This is all well and good -- it at least makes it look like the two largest wholesale mortgage backed giants, recently taken over by government, care about the customers they didn’t care about in the past. Hopefully, the foreclosure f... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] NAR Suggests Four Point Plan to Revive the Housing Market By: Maria HassNov. 17, 2008The National Association on Realtors (NAR) has proposed four key points to be included in any future stimulus package to help stabilize the housing market and, in turn, improve the economy.The four-points put forth in NAR's Housing Stimulus Plan are:1.... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] How Accurate is Zillow.com? By: Maria HassNov. 10, 2008By now most people have heard of Zillow.com – a website where home buyers or home sellers can go to find out the worth of a property. But is it really accurate? My answer is a resounding NO! In fact, there is usually a huge difference between the home value calculated on Zillow.com versus the true market value of the home.Why is Zillow.com not Accurate? Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[6] What's the Difference Between Living in Chandler versus Gilbert? I recently came across an interesting blog post, in which a woman who is relocating from New York to Arizona wanted to know the difference between living in Gilbert and Chandler. Her inquiry prompted me to find a fuller answer to her question. I decided to go and ask some local residents what they thought. I would like to thank the generous people who contributed their opinions and time. Your thoughts and insight will help future home buyers looking to buy in these areas. I’ve also adde... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[2] Great News for Our Economy Nov. 1, 2008I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: The housing market is the fuel that will drive our economy forward. The sooner we decrease the number of foreclosures in the Valley of the Sun, the sooner home values will stabilize. People will develop a better perception of the housing market and start buying and selling homes again. To make this come to fruition, lenders need to seriously look at modifying loans of distressed home owners to a monthly... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Recent Obervations on Investing in Arizona's Real Estate Nov. 1, 2008It doesn’t really matter what the media is reporting -- what matters is what I see daily in the industry that I breathe day in and day out. Here are a few of my recent observations:1. A Great Market for Investment - Today’s market offers a great opportunity to buy homes at deep discounts. Arizona homes are selling at clearance prices - 50 to 60 cents on the dollar. This is a historic time. "Buy Low, Sell ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Helpful Formula for Buying a Home in a Volatile Real Estate Market October 29, 2008by: Maria HassThere’s no doubt that today’s real estate market offers tremendous buying opportunities to investors and home buyers. A huge inventory of homes are being sold at 40 to 50 cents on the dollar -- sometimes even 10 cents on the dollar in wholesale purchases. Home builders are selling homes for less than the building cost. Banks are being forced to sell lender-owned homes or pre-foreclosed homes at incredible prices and a... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Is Race a Factor in the Upcoming Nov. 4 Election? October 25, 2008I was watching CNN late last night. Anderson Cooper's popular news program reported what people think about race as a factor in the Nov. 4 election. Seven out of 10 Americans questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday said the race of the candidates will not be a factor in their vote for president this year. That 70 percent figure is up 9 points from July, when the same question was asked. Only 5 percent of those polled said rac... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Buying Another Home Before Foreclosure - Can it happen? October 24, 2008I received a call from a homeowner who wanted to keep his house, if he could get the bank to modify his loan. During the course of our conversation, he asked if it would be okay for him to buy another home at a much better price, while his credit is still good, and prior to being foreclosed on.Let's take a look at what he would need to do to qualify for both loans. Aside from good credit, our caller has to ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] New Plans for Downtown Chandler By: Maria HassRealtorOct. 22, 2008 The City of Chandler, AZ, a vibrant and wonderful place I called home for over three years, is a booming town nestled by the City of Tempe on the North, City of Mesa on the NorthEast side, the Town of Gilbert and City of Queen Creek on the East and City of Phoenix on the West. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What really happens at the Maricopa County public auction? By: Maria HassRealtorOct. 17, 2008It's just another day at the steps of the Maricopa County Courthouse located at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Phoenix, AZ. The third session of the trustee sale also known as the public auction starts at 2 p.m. About a dozen investors wearing shorts, t-shirts, tennis shoes, flip flops and baseball caps gather around the youthful-looking auctioneer seated at the corner of the o... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[4] What you need to know before doing a short sale? By Maria HassRealtorOct. 17, 2008A nice woman called me last week to get information about the short-sale process on behalf of a family member. She wanted to find out if I charge an upfront fee to do a short-sale. My answer was "NO. I don't get paid by the bank until the short-sale is approved and closed."Sad to say, there are many companies mushrooming around claiming to be short-sale gurus and charging an upfr... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] The National Assn. of Realtors (NAR) proposes four key points to stabilize the economy By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 17, 2008Below is the full article of the NAR proposal to Congress, to revive our economy. The sooner Congress addresses the housing crisis, the sooner our economy will recover. The housing market is the fuel that drives the economy. When home values stabilize and people remain in their homes and more homes are bought, housing... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What is the future of the rental market in Metro Phoenix? By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 12, 2008 Many homeowners are choosing to rent their homes versus selling their homes because of the perceived "bad real estate market." They believe it currently would be hard to sell their home or get the price they want for their home. In some cases, it may be justified to hold off Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Is a Great Depression like that of the 1930s in our midst? By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 5, 2008Today's front page story in the East Valley Tribune entitled "Shadows of Depression: Lessons for Today's Crisis" (http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/127440) made me wonder if this historic catastrophe could once again happen because of our present economic crisis. The article suggested strong similarities between wha... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[2] City of Chandler voted 100 best communities for young people By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 1, 2008The City of Chandler was once again selected as one of the 100 Best Communities for young People by America's Promise Alliance. A distinction the City has enjoyed for the third time since 2005.Having been a Chandler resident for over three years, there are many good reasons why the City of Chandler deserves such recognition. The Chandler school district perform... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tax credit for first-time home buyers - What does it mean? By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 28, 2008To attract more buyers to purchase homes in a soft real estate market, a new law was created providing $7,500 "tax credit" to any Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Go Out and Vote on November 4! By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 24, 2008There is no better time to vote than in this year's election. There are many important issues impacting our once great nation called America. Our financial market is on the brink of collapse and congress is working on a plan to bring back stability in our financial system. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Financial Bailout - Is it good or bad? By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 21, 2008The Bush administration’s plan to rescue the financial market with a whopping $700,000,000,000 (pardon the zeros) bailout using Americans’ tax dollars is morally wrong, irresponsible and appalling, with no guarantees in sight for the American people.It is morally wrong for lawmakers to withdraw such a large amount of money from our nation’s account without our approval or say on ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] SEVRAR Realtors Expo - How was it? By: Maria HassRealtorSeptember 18, 2008I attended the South East Valley Regional Association of Realtors (SEVRAR) Realtor Expo yesterday. For those of you who are not familiar with SEVRAR, it is the local association for Realtors who (usually) work in the Southeast Valley area of Metro Phoenix; namely Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert & Mesa, to name a few. This Expo is held once a year at the Mesa Convention Center and is free ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Calling All Voters! By: Maria HasRealtorThere was a low turnout of voters in last week's September 2 election. I'm proud to say that I was one of the few American citizens who exercised her right to vote. Many did not even know there was an election going on. Despite a busy schedule, I went to the polling place to vote to influence the future of our nation and the City of Chandler, where I am a resident. I was particularly interest... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] List of Home Builders Facing Bankruptcy!! The Arizona Department of Real Estate has posted a list of home builders who have filed bankruptcy or are in financial trouble. Please click on the link below to view the list.http://www.azre.gov/PUBLIC_I... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Do You Want a Real Estate Transfer Tax? Do You Want A Real Estate Transfer Tax? Arizona voters will decide. on a new initiative called "Protect Our Homes" on the Nov. 4, 2008, ballot. This initiative is an important measure that will constitutionally prohibit your home from real estate transfer taxes (RETT). Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Who is the winner of the 2008 Olympics? By: Maria HassRealtorI will divert from real estate for now. Knowing well that the summer olympics is played only once every four years. The next one is scheduled for 2012 in London. So, who do you think was the winner of the 2008 summer olympics? If you were to go by medal count, USA had the most medals with 110. China was second with 100 . Third is Russia with 72. However, if you go by the number... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Two Real Estate Initiatives Make it to the November Ballot! Two real-estate related initiatives will be on the ballot come November. The first is the "Homeowners Bill of Rights, Proposition 201" which aims to provide legal protection to homeowners dealing with construction defects and deceptive sales practices.The second is called "Our Homes, Proposition 100", would amend the state constitution to ban the creation of a real-estate transfer tax.Getting these propositions to the ballot is a step towards the right direction. Read ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What's with lender-owned properties? A buyer called me yesterday about a property I have listed. One of the questions he asked is "is it a lender-owned property?" My answer was no. He appreared disinterested and said he would call if he would like to see the home. Realistically, he would never call.What's with lender-owned properties?The positives are:1. These are homes that MUST sell.2. They are priced upto 20% below market... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- A good primer Despite all the news coverage about the potential failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and possible federal government bailouts, the media hadn't seemed to have time to explain the basic principles behind the two agencies. However, a good Associated Press story that does just that finally ran in the Tuesday, July 22, edition of The Arizona Republic. The article is available at this link: Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Join me for a FREE Home Buyers' Seminar at Chandler's Sunset Library on Saturday, July 12 A free home buyers' seminar, hosted by Chandler Realtor Maria Hass of Realty Executives, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, July 12, 2008, at the Sunset Library Meeting Room, 4930 W. Ray Rd. (NE corner of Ray and Rural Road) in Chandler.The seminar will include information for home buyers on how to:* Use government money for your down payment* Improve your credit to... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Foreclosure auction frenzy: Worth it? By: Maria HassRealtorLike any other human being looking for a bargain, I was curious for myself and for my clients to find out what a foreclosure real estate auction is all about. So, I recently decided to attend one of Arizona’s largest foreclosure auctions of lender-owned homes. The auction attracted a standing-room-only crowd in a huge ballroom at a prestigious hotel – about 5,00... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Planning to buy a home soon? Please RSVP for our free seminar! If you’re considering buying your first home in the current buyer’s market, you can learn tips on how to save money using special finance options or government grants during a free one-hour seminar I’m pleased to be hosting soon in Ahwatukee with Mike Huberty of Mesa, Vice President of Suburban Mortgage, Inc. The seminar will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5, 2008, at the Ahwatukee Realty Executives office, the Realty Executives offices, 4435 E.... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A positive turn in real estate sales - Has the market hit bottom? Somewhat surprisingly, The Arizona Republic published a positive front-page story this week about an upswing in real estate sales. Click here to read article in full. The article is optimistic that a continuing increase in home sales and decrease in invento... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] You can help block future real estate taxes… Arizona is one of 14 states that does not impose a “Transfer Tax” on a Real Estate transaction — and given the current status of the economy, it certainly would be wise to keep it that way. Yet, the state legislature has previously floated proposals to establish such a tax in Arizona. The negative effect on a real estate market already taxed (pardon the pun) by a weak economy would probably limit the amount the state could raise if s... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Misconceptions About Commissions By: Maria HassRealtorI had a conversation with a seller over the weekend which brought to light a couple of misconceptions about broker commissions and agent commissions. This seller, who had canceled a listing twice with two separate agents and was now selling his home by himself for almost 12 months at this point, wanted to know if I was a broker. I said, “No.” His reply was, “then you can’t b... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Subscribe to this feed
Feb. 11, 2010
I had a call from a buyer who would like to see a house that I have listed. After determining that the buyer was qualified for this house and was told that he did not have a Realtor, I arrange to meet him at the property. The buyer went around the house, we talked and then I found out he had a Realtor after all and he had made a previous offer with this Realtor on another home of which it failed to close.<...
By: Maria Hass Feb. 4, 2010
Negotiating a short sale is complex. Every transaction is custom- Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
Jan. 18, 2010 By: Maria Hass
A power cast of speakers were put together in a seminar dubbed “Avoiding Foreclosure” held on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the Downtown Chandler library. The panelist included Tracy King - Wachovia short sale manager, Tim Hensley - HUD certified cou... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1]
A power cast of speakers were put together in a seminar dubbed “Avoiding Foreclosure” held on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the Downtown Chandler library. The panelist included Tracy King - Wachovia short sale manager, Tim Hensley - HUD certified cou...
By: Maria Hass Jan. 9, 2010
n the world of Real Estate, every Realtor is DIFFERENT! The difference Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Short Sale - A Warning About High-Cost Third Pary Negotiation Fees By: Maria Hass Realty Executives Sellers who are thinking of selling their homes short should be carefu... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] It's a Great Market for Investors By: Maria Hass Nov. 30, 2009 Investors are making good in today’s market. Buyers who are frustrated about being outbid on lender-owned properties, don’t have reserves to do repairs or cannot wait for a short sale approval end up turning to investor-owned "fix-and-flip" properties. These investor properties are remodeled and often look like new. It is an easy and simple transaction for... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What is the Future of Short Sales in the Greater Phoenix Real Estate Market? Nov. 21, 2009 I was fortunate recently to be in the same room with Mike Orr, author of the Cromford Report, a widely-respected publication with current real estate market analysis information. Mr. Orr was one of the guest speakers at a class that focused on "The Future of Short Sales in Real Estate." Based on compiled data based heavily on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Mr. Orr observed the following regarding the Greater Phoenix real est... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What Does the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension Mean for the Economy and Our Future? By: Maria Hass Nov. 1, 2009 It looks like the Congress is on the verge of extending first-time home buyer tax credit of $8,000 through April 30, 2010. The Obama administration has said they support an extension. In addition, repeat buyers who have owned a home for at least five years and buy a new house will receive a $6,500 tax credit under the Senate version of the bill. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Breaking News - Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended by: Maria Hass October 28. 2009 Democrats agree to extend and expand home buyer tax credit. Do you think this is a good move? I don't know where our government is getting all this money to hand out to home buyers. It seems to me like our lawmakers work without any budget and that money falls from the sky. Our country has trillions in debt and is giving away more money. This government spends way more than what it has. Home... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What will it take for Metro- Phoenix's Home Values to Rise Faster? By: Maria Hass October 23, 2009 1. Job creation and stability: Buying a home is not only about location, it is also about financing. People need decent jobs that they can hold onto in order to buy homes. The state’s jobless rate dropped slightly to 9.1 percent in September, the Arizona Department of Commerce reported this week; the rate was 9.2 percent in July. That improvement, wh... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Canadians Take Advantage of Arizona Real Estate Market By: Maria Hass October 10, 2009 Earlier this month, a story in a prominent newspaper in Canada reported how many Canadians are taking advantage of the incredibly low prices of homes in Phoenix while the Canadian dollar is really high. Prices on houses in some areas of Metro Phoenix are 50 percent lower than they were in 2005. Canadians can purchase a home in Arizona for an average 35 perc... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] First-Time Homebuyers Rush to Benefit from $8,000 Tax Credit September 30, 2009 By: Maria Hass The Arizona real estate market is very hot as many first-time homebuyers scramble to purchase a home by November 30 to receive the $8,000 tax credit. Just a few days ago, my client and I went on a rush to see a starter home with a pool in Chandler that was bought recently and fixed up by an investor. This home was 0 days on the market and cars of buyers and Realtors are lining u... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] 8 Ways to Buy a House in Today's Arizona Real Estate Market By: Maria Hass Sept. 24, 2009 The Arizona real estate market may never have been better than it is right now. Homes are selling quickly. First-time home buyers rush to buy a home before November 30. In today’s real estate market, it is interesting to note that home buyers have many options. In a normal market, traditional sales are where majority of the sales come from. However, in t... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[3] Arizona Republic Front Page Story on First-Time Homebuyer's Tax Credit Running Out September 19, 2009 I was quoted in today's Arizona Republic in a front-page story on the 1st-time home buyers' tax credit. Article: http://tinyurl.com/azrep919 Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) Complaints - Is it Reasonable? Sept. 9, 2009 By: Maria Hass The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) was implemented in May 2009 to eliminate undue influence from Realtors or lenders on the outcome of property appraisals, thereby establishing appraisal independence. This policy applies to any mortgage that will be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Federal Home Lo... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] When Does the Arizona's Anti-Deficiency Law Apply? By: Maria Hass August 26, 2009 There’s been a lot of misinformation going around about the modified Anti-Deficiency Law in Arizona. Many homeowners are unsure whether their bank will sue them for deficiencies after a short sale or a foreclosure. Below are a few things to help clarify this law. These are general guidelines. It is best to seek legal and tax advise p... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Seven Reasons for a Real Estate License Denial in Arizona By: Maria Hass August 15, 2009 I attended a real estate class recently as part of my continuing education. And would like to share with you valuable information that is interesting for anyone to know. Seven Reasons for Real Estate License Denial in Arizona 1. Unlawful possession of drugs. 2. Failure to disclose a prev... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] The Anti-Deficiency Law is Changing By: Maria Hass Aug. 10, 2009 The anti-deficiency law is changing. These changes are incoporated in SB 1271 and effective September 30, 2009. The National Board of Realtors (NAR) is making an effort to repeal this law. The change was intended to limit the type of borrowers that will qualify for anti-deficiency treatment. A borrower may be subject to a deficiency action or sued on its note following a foreclosure or short sal... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] How Do You Know if the Real Estate Market is Getting Better By: Maria Hass Aug. 4, 2009 How Do you Know if the Real Estate Market is Getting Better 1. Mortgage Application is rising 2. Retail, restaurants and shops are busy 3. Realtor Applications Increase 4. Title Companies are busy 5. Open House signs increase 6. More visitors show up for open houses 7. New construction per... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] First Time Home Buyer Loan Products and Incentives by: Maria Hass July 29, 2009 FIRST TIME HOME BUYER LOAN PRODUCTS AND INCENTIVES Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] City of Chandler Does it Again! By: Maria Hass July 26, 2009 The City of Chandler once again received the "Playful City USA" designation for putting children’s well-being first. A national non-profit organization called KaBOOM selected Chandler as one of the 67 communities across the country. Chandler was one of the 22 cities that made the Playful City list for the third time. The city of Chandler continuously provides a... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Buyers' Options to a Foreclosed Home By: Maria Hass July 20, 2009 A July 20 Arizona Republic article reports on the buying frenzy that is going on in the Metro Phoenix real estate market. Buyers are finding themselves in a bidding war on foreclosed homes, finding prices going up as a result. The buyer’s market has turned into a seller’s market. If you are looking to buy a home, patience and persistence are keys to getting a good deal on a house. Cash buyers ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Housing Market Stirs Economic Forecast By: Maria Hass July 13, 2009 "Be greedy when everyone else is fearful. Be fearful when everyone else is greedy." The statement above pretty much s... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Attendance at Trustee's Sales Grows as Investors Hunt for Bargains By: Maria Hass July 2, 2009 After a week’s vacation with the family, my work welcomes me with hundreds of emails to sort out and voicemails to get back to not to mention a couple of listings I have yet to put on the market. Just an hour prior to my anticipated road trip to San Diego, I received a phone call from a nice man who wanted to find a list of properties to be auctioned at the Trustee sale. ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Lender Rules! By: Maria Hass June 26, 2009 It is hard to understand why the industry that put all of us in this bad state of recession is getting the most money from people they victimized. The lending industry, despite the bad mistakes they’ve committed in the past, was awarded billions of government dollars to recover. I wonder what would have happened if they were left to reorganize on their own. That would teach a careless child a l... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tips on Moving from a Foreclosure to a Rental By: Maria Hass June 21, 2009 The rental market in greater Phoenix is fast becoming a refuge for homeowners whose houses were recently foreclosed on or sold on a short sale. The most common question asked by displaced homeowners is, "Will I be able to rent a home if I have bad credit from a foreclosure or short sale?" The answer is "maybe," depending on the location, landlord’s flexibility, t... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Real-life Advice About Rent-To-Own Properties By Maria Hass June 12, 2009 I recently came across a renter who was looking for a "rent-to-own" property. The renter wanted a home with specific features, including at least four bedrooms and three baths in within a specific two- to three-square-mile area. My initial reaction was, "you’re not going to find anything." Not only is it rare to find a seller that ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Business Week Provides Faulty National Scope on What's Really a Local Story By: Maria Hass June 9, 2009 The title of an article in the June 15th edition of Business Week, "Foreclosure Goes Upscale," is typical of tactics used by many forms of media – it catches attention because it takes a negative spin on what is not necessarily a negative subject. The article itself cites research conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reporting &q... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] FREE HOMEBUYERS' SEMINAR AND CREDIT SURVIVAL TRAINING by: Maria Hass June 4, 2009 People considering a home purchase in the current market can learn tips on how to improve their credit, save money by using Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Five Ways the New Housing Law Benefits Home Owners Courtesy of Glen Barnett CMPS The Platinum Group Mortgages and Loan Modifications Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Creative ways to buy a home after a foreclosure or short-sale By: Maria Hass May 18, 2009 Homeowners who were foreclosed upon or did a short sale of their home are now finding creative ways to get back into home ownership. One way of easing their way into a lifestyle that they are familiar with is called a lease-to-own or lease purchase. What is a lease-to-own/lease purchase or lease option agreement? These terms are synonymous with each other and interchang... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Metro Phoenix Enters a Seller's Market By: Maria Hass May 14, 2009 Recently, the Arizona real estate market has seen a tremendous increase in home sales. The demand for homes has been triggered by low prices, low interest rates and generous home buying incentives. The inventory of homes dropped significantly from 49,000 homes to 37,350 in less than two months. The Valley is entering a seller’s market as demand for homes continues. If you are looking to sell your home soon,... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE METRO PHOENIX REAL ESTATE MARKET - APRIL 2009 May 9, 2009 Preliminary April 2009 Report Published by Cromford Report April 6, 2009 established a bottom for $/SF sales pricing across the Greater Phoenix area. This does not mean that prices will not go lower in certain areas - they will. But the overall average price per square foot put in a convincing low on April 6 and has been moving sideways to slightly up ever since. The increasing sales ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Can a Buyer Look at Homes without a LSR? By: Maria Hass May 5, 2009 A buyer emailed me recently to ask if he could go ahead and see homes for sale without a Loan Status Report (LSR). My answer was no, and I gave him a brief Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Short Sale Seminar A Success By: Maria Hass May 1, 2009 Buyers and sellers wanting to know more about the short sale process filled the room during the short sale seminar conducted by Maria Hass of Realty Executives. Ms. Hass informed attendees of what to expect in buying a short sale or selling the home short. Maria Hass conducts regular seminars on different aspects on real estate to better serve her clients and the public. Her next seminar will be about credit a... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] My Meeting with the President of Blandford Homes By: Maria Hass April 29, 2009 I recently visited the trailer where the temporary sales office at Chandler's new Portello Community to get a price list for future homes in the community. I Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Who is Eligible for a Refinance or Loan Modification? April 21, 2009 There is so much information going around about foreclosure alternatives available to homeowners who are facing foreclosure limbo. The things homeowners hear may be conflicting or confusing by the time the information reaches them. Borrowers are asking more questions about exactly what lies in their future three or five years down the road. Here are some simple questions you should ask yourself to determ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Foreclosures Are Up Again! By: Maria Hass April 16, 2009 Foreclosures Are Up Again CNBC reports nationwide foreclosures are up 24 percent for the first three months of this year due to the lifting of the moratorium by big lenders who were awaiting the Obama loan modification plan. It will be interesting to find out how the surge in buying activity that we’ve experienced recently will be affected by the increase in foreclosure rate. Under the Oba... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] ONE MORE REASON CHANDLER IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE By: Maria Hass April 13, 2009 The Chandler School District is hiring new teachers for the 2009-2010 school year. This welcome news is in contrast with many other school districts. Scottsdale, Kyrene, Mesa, Higley, Gilbert school districts will be trimming down their work force due to the economic crunch. Chandler was spared from the budget cut owing to the increase enrollment this school year. Many people find Chandler Sch... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Published Interview on Maria Hass - Talking Real Estate By: Maria Hass April 8, 2009 I’m looking forward to a 2 mile run/walk this Saturday with my family to benefit at-risk youths in Arizona. If you are interested in participating in the event, you may contact Sun Tan News at (480) 732-0250 to sign up or get more information. My views and opinions on the changing real estate market is available on page 16-17 of the April 2009 issue of Chikka magazine. Please click on the link bel... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Did We Hit Bottom Yet? By: Maria Hass April 5, 2009 Here's an interesting and comprehensive article about the current Real Estate Market in Arizona. Click on http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/04/04/20090404housing0404-CP.html for the complete story. People have varying opinions about the article. All I can say is, we are making a tremendous improvement on our local real estate that every homeowner should be happy about. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Scammers Find Opportunities via Stimulus Package By: Maria Hass March 31, 2009 Be alert and be aware -- here is some recent information from Kiplinger on how scam artists have found ways to trick people out of their money in connection with the Obama stimulus package, including real estate foreclosure scams: CNN video Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Should I Modify My Loan or Short Sale My Home? By: Maria HassMarch 26, 2009Many people are facing a tough decision about whether to modify their loan or list their home as a short sale. To find out what is the most suitable option for you, begin by answering these ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] How do you know if you qualify for a loan modification? By: Maria HassMarch 20, 2009How do you know if you qualify for a loan modification? One of the key things that your lender will be looking for is your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. Normally, they would look for a range between 30 to 40 percent DTI. So, if your are making $6,000 a month in gross income, you should be looking at paying no more than 40 percent of your income towards house payments, which amounts to $2,400. A DTI ratio below the min... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A Positive Turn in the Arizona Real Estate Market By: Maria HassMarch 15, 2009CNN reported an increase in mortgage application by 11.3% ending for the week ending in March 6, 2009. The demand was sparked by very low interest rates and low home prices. Mortgage applications included refinance and purchases.MLS reported an increase in home sales of existing homes in Arizona from 4,726 in January, 2009 to 5,457 in February, 2009. Pending sales which is indicative of future sales increased sharply to 7... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] BUYER'S MARKET TURNED SELLER'S MARKET By: Maria HassMarch 12, 2009Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the cities being hammered by declining home values. There are many foreclosed homes being offered at amazingly low prices -- some are even priced below building cost. But once you get serious about making an offer on any of these homes, you’ll find that getting the home you'd like is harder than you thought. Why is this so?Banks and Realtors listing REOs have gotten smarter. ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Homebuyer's Seminar a Great Success By: Maria HassMarch 9, 2009First-time homebuyers taking advantage of the current low prices and low interest rates got all of their questions answered at the homebuyer’s seminar hosted by Realty Executives Re... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Fulton Homes to Sell Cheaper Homes in South Chandler's Expensive Community By: Maria HassMarch 5, 2009A story published in the March 4 edition of the Chandler Republic reported that Chandler’s City Council unanimously approved Fulton Homes’ request to build less-expensive homes in South Chandler’s tony community of Fulton Ranch.The decision to allow Fulton Homes to build cheaper homes is meant to save the already struggling home builder from abandoning the posh deve... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Watch a Video on the Details of the Revised $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit By: Maria HassMarch 3, 2009The $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit will affect ALL home buyers. This incentive along with historically low home prices and low interest rates can result to a surge in home buying which will eventually translate to higher home prices and higher interest rates. Click below to watch a video of the details of the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit revised on Feb. 17, 2009 courtes... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tax Credit for Home Buyers Feb. 26, 2009 First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] TWO DOZEN FAMILIES TO HOST HUGE SPRINGFIELD LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE ON FEB. 28 in Chandler By: Maria HassFeb. 21, 2009 Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Chandler Homeowners Block Builder from Building Cheaper Homes By: Maria HassFeb. 20, 2009A Feb. 18, 2009, story from The Chandler Republic tells about homeowners in Fulton Ranch, an affluent community in South Chandler, at least temporarily stopping the builder from building and selling homes that would be significantly lower in price than their homes. The current homeowners argue that Ful... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers February 19, 2009Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers (Text of Release) Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Obama’s recovery plan to impact home buyers and home owners By : Maria Hass February 14, 2009The National Association of Realtors (NAR) on Saturday, Feb. 14, reported the following changes in the housing stimulus package of President Obama’s economic recovery plan:1) Loan limits will be raised to $727,000 in high-cost areas2) The first-time home buyers tax credit will be raised from $7,500 to $8,000 with NO payback (a true credit).3) Interest rates have come down 125-150 basis p... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] $789 Billion Stimulus Package on the Housing Market By: Maria HassFebruary 12, 2009The Senate and the House reached an agreement on the Stimulus Package totaling $789 billion(a figure I have not seen in a long time and money I didn't know we had). While minor details are in the works, below is the most recent information on how the stimulus package will affect the housing market.The tax credit is $7,500.The tax credit does not have to be repaid.Income limits to $75,000 for... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Free March 7 Home Buyers' Seminar By: Maria HassFebruary 9, 2009FREE HOME BUYERS' SEMINAR Hosted by Maria Hass of Realty ExecutivesSaturday, March 7, 2009, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.Realty Executives Chandler Office920 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite 1 (NE corner of Alma School and Chandler Blvd.)Chandler, AZ 85225Learn How to: * Save money using government down pay... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Expanded First-Time Home Buyer Incentive By: Maria HassFeb. 9, 2009First-Time Home Buyers’ Incentive NewsThere has been much talk recently about modifying the current $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit by making it available to any home buyer and increasing it to $15,000. This change to the home buyer incentive is in the works – it is not a LAW.In my opinion, if and when the doubling of the incentive is approved by Congress, this is going to stimulate home buying – es... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What Kind of Realtors Should You Avoid? By: Maria HassJanuary 25, 2009Finding a Realtor can be a difficult task. There are many to choose from and they all appear eager to help you. But how do you know which Realtor will best serve your interests best? When considering the purchase of a home today, there are so many to choose from – but how do you narrow your choices to only 10 or fewer? It’s called the process of elimination, and it’s wise to... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tips on Getting a Good Deal on your Loan by: Maria HassRealty ExecutivesJanuary 21,2009Many times when purchasing real estate, unless it’s a cash transaction, a borrower will require a loan officer to process a home loan through a lender. The loan officer or consultant gathers the needed information and presents the documents to the underwriter in order for the lender to fund the loan.However, the over-hyped real estate market in 2005-2006 demonstrated that the mortgage indus... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Generous Home Buyer Incentives By: Maria HassJanuary 18, 2009Today’s real estate market offers amazing opportunities for home buyers. Interest rates are at historic lows and the prices of homes are incredibly d... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tip on buying a newly built home By: Maria HassJan. 16, 2009We had an office meeting yesterday to plan our monthly meetings for the new year. Interesting ideas and experiences of Realtors on their transactions were shared. One transaction that I thought was worth sharing was an experience shared by Realtor A. Realtor A cautioned against builders who promote deep discounts on the purchase price of a ne... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] New Do-It-Yourself Loan Modification Software By: Maria HassJanuary 13, 2009Last week in Phoenix, I witnessed the launch of a new software program called "Loan Mod Exposed". For much less than what a home owner would normally pay a professionally negotiator, one can purchase this do-it-yourself software. The software is able to determine if your financial situation is a strong candidate for a successful loan modification or if you are a candidate for denial. The soft... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] The Times Says the Time is Now By: Maria HassJanuary 7, 2009An article published by The New York Times a month ago provides home buyers several reasons for purchasing a home now instead of holding off. First, today’s real estate market offers great buying opportunities. Interest rates are historically low and home prices are affordable. If you have a good credit score, enough money for a down payment, don’t need to sell another home and plan to hold on to your new home long-term, there should ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Metro Light Rail Musings By: Maria HassJanuary 3, 2009I am proud to be a part of history today. I rode on the Phoenix area’s first ever light rail line from Mesa to Phoenix. Dec. 31, 2009, was the last of five days to ride for FREE on what’s been dubbed "Metro." I wanted to experience the benefits resulting from our tax money and also explore real estate opportunities along the light rail transit route. I saw many apartments along the line in the town of Tem... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Happy Short-Sale Story By: Maria HassDecember 22, 2008I went in for my regular annual check-up this week. To my surprise, my doctor still remembers me even though I have not seen her for almost a year. Thank goodness for staying healthy and fit. During my doctor’s visit, I came across a nice lady named Karen who works at the check-out desk of the office. She told me about her short-sale story with a wonderful ending. Karen felt the need to move out of her mobi... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Chandler Rocks! By: Maria HassDecember 16, 2008If you are looking for a place to invest your hard-earned money, look no further than Chandler, Arizona. Chandler was recently reported as the one place in the state of Arizona that has continually increased home sales this year. KPHO-5 reported on Sunday that Chandler home sales have increased seven months in a row, including 28% in August, 67% in September, 12% in October and 8% in N... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Cash Back Deal - True Good To Be True? By: Maria HassDecember 14, 2008Cash Back: Too Good To Be True?I came across a first-time home buyer the other day. He has indicated to me that a real estate agent from a prominent online real estate company promised him $1,500 cash back in the form of a check after buying a home with him. My initial reaction was, that doesn’t seem right. By that, I mean, it doesn’t seem legal. So, I went ahead and di... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Metro Phoenix 2008 Real Estate Statistics and Interesting Short Sale Revelations By: Maria HassDecember 10, 2008Metro Phoenix StatisticsDid you know that …..· The average number of days on the market for homes to close was 108 days in January 2008 and 75 days in October 2008? · Homes sold for 94% of their list price in January 2008 and 96% in October 2008? · The number of homes sold via MLS was 2,900 in January 2008 and 53,008 in October 2008? · The median price for a ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays - What's the Difference? By: Maria HassDecember 6, 2008I was doing a Google search today and found myself not knowing the best keywords to choose to find a list of community programs for this season of giving. I wondered, should I be searching under "Christmas" community programs, or should I search under "Holiday" community programs?It was just a few years ago when the game of "political correctness" reached widespread proportions threatening to change the ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Proposition 100 Wins! By: Maria HassDec. 1, 2008It is with great gladness that I share with you the victory of Proposition 100. Arizona voters sent a strong message to legislators against any kind of real estate transfer tax. A real estate transfer tax is like a sales tax on any home, land or property that is purchased. With the victory of Proposition 100 on the November 4, 2008 election, we are keeping our equity in our wallets and protecting o... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Federal Housing Aid - What Does It Mean To Potential Home Buyers and Home Sellers? By: Maria HassNovember 28, 2008As part of the Federal housing aid package approved in July, nine cities across Metro Phoenix are devising a plan on how to use the federal aid money to resurrect the housing market and stimulate the economy. Among the cities awarded with federal aid are Mesa, Avondale, Phoenix, Tolleson, Chandler, Surprise and Glendale. In addition, Tucson and fellow Pima County communities Queen Creek and the City of Maricop... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Home Buyer Deals and Incentives By: Maria HassNovember 27,2008Today’s real estate market offers many incentives for home buyers. These incentives are aimed at stimulating the housing market by increasing home sales. Let’s take a moment to find out what the details are.1. HUD Homes - A buyer can purchase a government-acquired home, called Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homes, with only $100 down payment on a FHA loan. HUD will pay upto 3 % of the buyers c... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Holiday Relief from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for Distressed Homeowners By: Maria HassNovember 23, 2008The Washington Post Friday reported a relief plan to halt foreclosure proceedings on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac homes from November 26, 2008, until January 9, 2009. This is all well and good -- it at least makes it look like the two largest wholesale mortgage backed giants, recently taken over by government, care about the customers they didn’t care about in the past. Hopefully, the foreclosure f... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] NAR Suggests Four Point Plan to Revive the Housing Market By: Maria HassNov. 17, 2008The National Association on Realtors (NAR) has proposed four key points to be included in any future stimulus package to help stabilize the housing market and, in turn, improve the economy.The four-points put forth in NAR's Housing Stimulus Plan are:1.... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] How Accurate is Zillow.com? By: Maria HassNov. 10, 2008By now most people have heard of Zillow.com – a website where home buyers or home sellers can go to find out the worth of a property. But is it really accurate? My answer is a resounding NO! In fact, there is usually a huge difference between the home value calculated on Zillow.com versus the true market value of the home.Why is Zillow.com not Accurate? Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[6] What's the Difference Between Living in Chandler versus Gilbert? I recently came across an interesting blog post, in which a woman who is relocating from New York to Arizona wanted to know the difference between living in Gilbert and Chandler. Her inquiry prompted me to find a fuller answer to her question. I decided to go and ask some local residents what they thought. I would like to thank the generous people who contributed their opinions and time. Your thoughts and insight will help future home buyers looking to buy in these areas. I’ve also adde... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[2] Great News for Our Economy Nov. 1, 2008I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: The housing market is the fuel that will drive our economy forward. The sooner we decrease the number of foreclosures in the Valley of the Sun, the sooner home values will stabilize. People will develop a better perception of the housing market and start buying and selling homes again. To make this come to fruition, lenders need to seriously look at modifying loans of distressed home owners to a monthly... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Recent Obervations on Investing in Arizona's Real Estate Nov. 1, 2008It doesn’t really matter what the media is reporting -- what matters is what I see daily in the industry that I breathe day in and day out. Here are a few of my recent observations:1. A Great Market for Investment - Today’s market offers a great opportunity to buy homes at deep discounts. Arizona homes are selling at clearance prices - 50 to 60 cents on the dollar. This is a historic time. "Buy Low, Sell ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Helpful Formula for Buying a Home in a Volatile Real Estate Market October 29, 2008by: Maria HassThere’s no doubt that today’s real estate market offers tremendous buying opportunities to investors and home buyers. A huge inventory of homes are being sold at 40 to 50 cents on the dollar -- sometimes even 10 cents on the dollar in wholesale purchases. Home builders are selling homes for less than the building cost. Banks are being forced to sell lender-owned homes or pre-foreclosed homes at incredible prices and a... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Is Race a Factor in the Upcoming Nov. 4 Election? October 25, 2008I was watching CNN late last night. Anderson Cooper's popular news program reported what people think about race as a factor in the Nov. 4 election. Seven out of 10 Americans questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday said the race of the candidates will not be a factor in their vote for president this year. That 70 percent figure is up 9 points from July, when the same question was asked. Only 5 percent of those polled said rac... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Buying Another Home Before Foreclosure - Can it happen? October 24, 2008I received a call from a homeowner who wanted to keep his house, if he could get the bank to modify his loan. During the course of our conversation, he asked if it would be okay for him to buy another home at a much better price, while his credit is still good, and prior to being foreclosed on.Let's take a look at what he would need to do to qualify for both loans. Aside from good credit, our caller has to ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] New Plans for Downtown Chandler By: Maria HassRealtorOct. 22, 2008 The City of Chandler, AZ, a vibrant and wonderful place I called home for over three years, is a booming town nestled by the City of Tempe on the North, City of Mesa on the NorthEast side, the Town of Gilbert and City of Queen Creek on the East and City of Phoenix on the West. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What really happens at the Maricopa County public auction? By: Maria HassRealtorOct. 17, 2008It's just another day at the steps of the Maricopa County Courthouse located at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Phoenix, AZ. The third session of the trustee sale also known as the public auction starts at 2 p.m. About a dozen investors wearing shorts, t-shirts, tennis shoes, flip flops and baseball caps gather around the youthful-looking auctioneer seated at the corner of the o... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[4] What you need to know before doing a short sale? By Maria HassRealtorOct. 17, 2008A nice woman called me last week to get information about the short-sale process on behalf of a family member. She wanted to find out if I charge an upfront fee to do a short-sale. My answer was "NO. I don't get paid by the bank until the short-sale is approved and closed."Sad to say, there are many companies mushrooming around claiming to be short-sale gurus and charging an upfr... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] The National Assn. of Realtors (NAR) proposes four key points to stabilize the economy By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 17, 2008Below is the full article of the NAR proposal to Congress, to revive our economy. The sooner Congress addresses the housing crisis, the sooner our economy will recover. The housing market is the fuel that drives the economy. When home values stabilize and people remain in their homes and more homes are bought, housing... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What is the future of the rental market in Metro Phoenix? By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 12, 2008 Many homeowners are choosing to rent their homes versus selling their homes because of the perceived "bad real estate market." They believe it currently would be hard to sell their home or get the price they want for their home. In some cases, it may be justified to hold off Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Is a Great Depression like that of the 1930s in our midst? By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 5, 2008Today's front page story in the East Valley Tribune entitled "Shadows of Depression: Lessons for Today's Crisis" (http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/127440) made me wonder if this historic catastrophe could once again happen because of our present economic crisis. The article suggested strong similarities between wha... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[2] City of Chandler voted 100 best communities for young people By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 1, 2008The City of Chandler was once again selected as one of the 100 Best Communities for young People by America's Promise Alliance. A distinction the City has enjoyed for the third time since 2005.Having been a Chandler resident for over three years, there are many good reasons why the City of Chandler deserves such recognition. The Chandler school district perform... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Tax credit for first-time home buyers - What does it mean? By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 28, 2008To attract more buyers to purchase homes in a soft real estate market, a new law was created providing $7,500 "tax credit" to any Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Go Out and Vote on November 4! By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 24, 2008There is no better time to vote than in this year's election. There are many important issues impacting our once great nation called America. Our financial market is on the brink of collapse and congress is working on a plan to bring back stability in our financial system. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Financial Bailout - Is it good or bad? By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 21, 2008The Bush administration’s plan to rescue the financial market with a whopping $700,000,000,000 (pardon the zeros) bailout using Americans’ tax dollars is morally wrong, irresponsible and appalling, with no guarantees in sight for the American people.It is morally wrong for lawmakers to withdraw such a large amount of money from our nation’s account without our approval or say on ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] SEVRAR Realtors Expo - How was it? By: Maria HassRealtorSeptember 18, 2008I attended the South East Valley Regional Association of Realtors (SEVRAR) Realtor Expo yesterday. For those of you who are not familiar with SEVRAR, it is the local association for Realtors who (usually) work in the Southeast Valley area of Metro Phoenix; namely Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert & Mesa, to name a few. This Expo is held once a year at the Mesa Convention Center and is free ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Calling All Voters! By: Maria HasRealtorThere was a low turnout of voters in last week's September 2 election. I'm proud to say that I was one of the few American citizens who exercised her right to vote. Many did not even know there was an election going on. Despite a busy schedule, I went to the polling place to vote to influence the future of our nation and the City of Chandler, where I am a resident. I was particularly interest... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] List of Home Builders Facing Bankruptcy!! The Arizona Department of Real Estate has posted a list of home builders who have filed bankruptcy or are in financial trouble. Please click on the link below to view the list.http://www.azre.gov/PUBLIC_I... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Do You Want a Real Estate Transfer Tax? Do You Want A Real Estate Transfer Tax? Arizona voters will decide. on a new initiative called "Protect Our Homes" on the Nov. 4, 2008, ballot. This initiative is an important measure that will constitutionally prohibit your home from real estate transfer taxes (RETT). Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Who is the winner of the 2008 Olympics? By: Maria HassRealtorI will divert from real estate for now. Knowing well that the summer olympics is played only once every four years. The next one is scheduled for 2012 in London. So, who do you think was the winner of the 2008 summer olympics? If you were to go by medal count, USA had the most medals with 110. China was second with 100 . Third is Russia with 72. However, if you go by the number... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Two Real Estate Initiatives Make it to the November Ballot! Two real-estate related initiatives will be on the ballot come November. The first is the "Homeowners Bill of Rights, Proposition 201" which aims to provide legal protection to homeowners dealing with construction defects and deceptive sales practices.The second is called "Our Homes, Proposition 100", would amend the state constitution to ban the creation of a real-estate transfer tax.Getting these propositions to the ballot is a step towards the right direction. Read ... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] What's with lender-owned properties? A buyer called me yesterday about a property I have listed. One of the questions he asked is "is it a lender-owned property?" My answer was no. He appreared disinterested and said he would call if he would like to see the home. Realistically, he would never call.What's with lender-owned properties?The positives are:1. These are homes that MUST sell.2. They are priced upto 20% below market... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- A good primer Despite all the news coverage about the potential failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and possible federal government bailouts, the media hadn't seemed to have time to explain the basic principles behind the two agencies. However, a good Associated Press story that does just that finally ran in the Tuesday, July 22, edition of The Arizona Republic. The article is available at this link: Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1] Join me for a FREE Home Buyers' Seminar at Chandler's Sunset Library on Saturday, July 12 A free home buyers' seminar, hosted by Chandler Realtor Maria Hass of Realty Executives, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, July 12, 2008, at the Sunset Library Meeting Room, 4930 W. Ray Rd. (NE corner of Ray and Rural Road) in Chandler.The seminar will include information for home buyers on how to:* Use government money for your down payment* Improve your credit to... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Foreclosure auction frenzy: Worth it? By: Maria HassRealtorLike any other human being looking for a bargain, I was curious for myself and for my clients to find out what a foreclosure real estate auction is all about. So, I recently decided to attend one of Arizona’s largest foreclosure auctions of lender-owned homes. The auction attracted a standing-room-only crowd in a huge ballroom at a prestigious hotel – about 5,00... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Planning to buy a home soon? Please RSVP for our free seminar! If you’re considering buying your first home in the current buyer’s market, you can learn tips on how to save money using special finance options or government grants during a free one-hour seminar I’m pleased to be hosting soon in Ahwatukee with Mike Huberty of Mesa, Vice President of Suburban Mortgage, Inc. The seminar will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5, 2008, at the Ahwatukee Realty Executives office, the Realty Executives offices, 4435 E.... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] A positive turn in real estate sales - Has the market hit bottom? Somewhat surprisingly, The Arizona Republic published a positive front-page story this week about an upswing in real estate sales. Click here to read article in full. The article is optimistic that a continuing increase in home sales and decrease in invento... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] You can help block future real estate taxes… Arizona is one of 14 states that does not impose a “Transfer Tax” on a Real Estate transaction — and given the current status of the economy, it certainly would be wise to keep it that way. Yet, the state legislature has previously floated proposals to establish such a tax in Arizona. The negative effect on a real estate market already taxed (pardon the pun) by a weak economy would probably limit the amount the state could raise if s... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Misconceptions About Commissions By: Maria HassRealtorI had a conversation with a seller over the weekend which brought to light a couple of misconceptions about broker commissions and agent commissions. This seller, who had canceled a listing twice with two separate agents and was now selling his home by himself for almost 12 months at this point, wanted to know if I was a broker. I said, “No.” His reply was, “then you can’t b... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Subscribe to this feed
By: Maria Hass Realty Executives
Nov. 30, 2009
Investors are making good in today’s market. Buyers who are frustrated about being outbid on lender-owned properties, don’t have reserves to do repairs or cannot wait for a short sale approval end up turning to investor-owned "fix-and-flip" properties. These investor properties are remodeled and often look like new. It is an easy and simple transaction for...
Nov. 21, 2009
I was fortunate recently to be in the same room with Mike Orr, author of the Cromford Report, a widely-respected publication with current real estate market analysis information. Mr. Orr was one of the guest speakers at a class that focused on "The Future of Short Sales in Real Estate." Based on compiled data based heavily on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Mr. Orr observed the following regarding the Greater Phoenix real est...
Nov. 1, 2009
It looks like the Congress is on the verge of extending first-time home buyer tax credit of $8,000 through April 30, 2010. The Obama administration has said they support an extension. In addition, repeat buyers who have owned a home for at least five years and buy a new house will receive a $6,500 tax credit under the Senate version of the bill. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
by: Maria Hass
October 28. 2009
Democrats agree to extend and expand home buyer tax credit. Do you think this is a good move?
I don't know where our government is getting all this money to hand out to home buyers. It seems to me like our lawmakers work without any budget and that money falls from the sky. Our country has trillions in debt and is giving away more money. This government spends way more than what it has.
Home...
October 23, 2009
1. Job creation and stability: Buying a home is not only about location, it is also about financing. People need decent jobs that they can hold onto in order to buy homes. The state’s jobless rate dropped slightly to 9.1 percent in September, the Arizona Department of Commerce reported this week; the rate was 9.2 percent in July. That improvement, wh...
By: Maria Hass October 10, 2009
Earlier this month, a story in a prominent newspaper in Canada reported how many Canadians are taking advantage of the incredibly low prices of homes in Phoenix while the Canadian dollar is really high. Prices on houses in some areas of Metro Phoenix are 50 percent lower than they were in 2005. Canadians can purchase a home in Arizona for an average 35 perc...
September 30, 2009 By: Maria Hass
The Arizona real estate market is very hot as many first-time homebuyers scramble to purchase a home by November 30 to receive the $8,000 tax credit. Just a few days ago, my client and I went on a rush to see a starter home with a pool in Chandler that was bought recently and fixed up by an investor. This home was 0 days on the market and cars of buyers and Realtors are lining u...
By: Maria Hass Sept. 24, 2009
The Arizona real estate market may never have been better than it is right now. Homes are selling quickly. First-time home buyers rush to buy a home before November 30. In today’s real estate market, it is interesting to note that home buyers have many options. In a normal market, traditional sales are where majority of the sales come from. However, in t...
September 19, 2009
Sept. 9, 2009 By: Maria Hass
The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) was implemented in May 2009 to eliminate undue influence from Realtors or lenders on the outcome of property appraisals, thereby establishing appraisal independence. This policy applies to any mortgage that will be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Federal Home Lo...
By: Maria Hass August 26, 2009
There’s been a lot of misinformation going around about the modified Anti-Deficiency Law in Arizona. Many homeowners are unsure whether their bank will sue them for deficiencies after a short sale or a foreclosure. Below are a few things to help clarify this law. These are general guidelines. It is best to seek legal and tax advise p...
By: Maria Hass August 15, 2009
I attended a real estate class recently as part of my continuing education. And would like to share with you valuable information that is interesting for anyone to know. Seven Reasons for Real Estate License Denial in Arizona 1. Unlawful possession of drugs. 2. Failure to disclose a prev...
By: Maria Hass Aug. 10, 2009
The anti-deficiency law is changing. These changes are incoporated in SB 1271 and effective September 30, 2009. The National Board of Realtors (NAR) is making an effort to repeal this law. The change was intended to limit the type of borrowers that will qualify for anti-deficiency treatment. A borrower may be subject to a deficiency action or sued on its note following a foreclosure or short sal...
Aug. 4, 2009
How Do you Know if the Real Estate Market is Getting Better 1. Mortgage Application is rising 2. Retail, restaurants and shops are busy 3. Realtor Applications Increase 4. Title Companies are busy 5. Open House signs increase 6. More visitors show up for open houses 7. New construction per...
July 29, 2009
FIRST TIME HOME BUYER LOAN PRODUCTS AND INCENTIVES
July 26, 2009
The City of Chandler once again received the "Playful City USA" designation for putting children’s well-being first. A national non-profit organization called KaBOOM selected Chandler as one of the 67 communities across the country. Chandler was one of the 22 cities that made the Playful City list for the third time. The city of Chandler continuously provides a...
July 20, 2009
A July 20 Arizona Republic article reports on the buying frenzy that is going on in the Metro Phoenix real estate market. Buyers are finding themselves in a bidding war on foreclosed homes, finding prices going up as a result. The buyer’s market has turned into a seller’s market. If you are looking to buy a home, patience and persistence are keys to getting a good deal on a house. Cash buyers ...
July 2, 2009
After a week’s vacation with the family, my work welcomes me with hundreds of emails to sort out and voicemails to get back to not to mention a couple of listings I have yet to put on the market.
Just an hour prior to my anticipated road trip to San Diego, I received a phone call from a nice man who wanted to find a list of properties to be auctioned at the Trustee sale. ...
June 26, 2009
It is hard to understand why the industry that put all of us in this bad state of recession is getting the most money from people they victimized. The lending industry, despite the bad mistakes they’ve committed in the past, was awarded billions of government dollars to recover. I wonder what would have happened if they were left to reorganize on their own. That would teach a careless child a l...
June 21, 2009
The rental market in greater Phoenix is fast becoming a refuge for homeowners whose houses were recently foreclosed on or sold on a short sale. The most common question asked by displaced homeowners is, "Will I be able to rent a home if I have bad credit from a foreclosure or short sale?" The answer is "maybe," depending on the location, landlord’s flexibility, t...
By Maria Hass
June 12, 2009
I recently came across a renter who was looking for a "rent-to-own" property. The renter wanted a home with specific features, including at least four bedrooms and three baths in within a specific two- to three-square-mile area. My initial reaction was, "you’re not going to find anything." Not only is it rare to find a seller that ...
June 9, 2009
The title of an article in the June 15th edition of Business Week, "Foreclosure Goes Upscale," is typical of tactics used by many forms of media – it catches attention because it takes a negative spin on what is not necessarily a negative subject. The article itself cites research conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reporting &q...
June 4, 2009
People considering a home purchase in the current market can learn tips on how to improve their credit, save money by using Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
Courtesy of Glen Barnett CMPS
The Platinum Group
Mortgages and Loan Modifications
May 18, 2009 Homeowners who were foreclosed upon or did a short sale of their home are now finding creative ways to get back into home ownership. One way of easing their way into a lifestyle that they are familiar with is called a lease-to-own or lease purchase. What is a lease-to-own/lease purchase or lease option agreement? These terms are synonymous with each other and interchang...
May 14, 2009
Recently, the Arizona real estate market has seen a tremendous increase in home sales. The demand for homes has been triggered by low prices, low interest rates and generous home buying incentives. The inventory of homes dropped significantly from 49,000 homes to 37,350 in less than two months. The Valley is entering a seller’s market as demand for homes continues. If you are looking to sell your home soon,...
May 9, 2009
Preliminary April 2009 Report
Published by Cromford Report
April 6, 2009 established a bottom for $/SF sales pricing across the Greater Phoenix area. This does not mean that prices will not go lower in certain areas - they will. But the overall average price per square foot put in a convincing low on April 6 and has been moving sideways to slightly up ever since. The increasing sales ...
May 5, 2009
May 1, 2009
Buyers and sellers wanting to know more about the short sale process filled the room during the short sale seminar conducted by Maria Hass of Realty Executives. Ms. Hass informed attendees of what to expect in buying a short sale or selling the home short. Maria Hass conducts regular seminars on different aspects on real estate to better serve her clients and the public. Her next seminar will be about credit a...
April 29, 2009
April 21, 2009
There is so much information going around about foreclosure alternatives available to homeowners who are facing foreclosure limbo. The things homeowners hear may be conflicting or confusing by the time the information reaches them. Borrowers are asking more questions about exactly what lies in their future three or five years down the road. Here are some simple questions you should ask yourself to determ...
April 16, 2009
Foreclosures Are Up Again CNBC reports nationwide foreclosures are up 24 percent for the first three months of this year due to the lifting of the moratorium by big lenders who were awaiting the Obama loan modification plan. It will be interesting to find out how the surge in buying activity that we’ve experienced recently will be affected by the increase in foreclosure rate. Under the Oba...
April 13, 2009
The Chandler School District is hiring new teachers for the 2009-2010 school year. This welcome news is in contrast with many other school districts. Scottsdale, Kyrene, Mesa, Higley, Gilbert school districts will be trimming down their work force due to the economic crunch. Chandler was spared from the budget cut owing to the increase enrollment this school year.
Many people find Chandler Sch...
April 8, 2009
I’m looking forward to a 2 mile run/walk this Saturday with my family to benefit at-risk youths in Arizona. If you are interested in participating in the event, you may contact Sun Tan News at (480) 732-0250 to sign up or get more information.
My views and opinions on the changing real estate market is available on page 16-17 of the April 2009 issue of Chikka magazine. Please click on the link bel...
April 5, 2009
Here's an interesting and comprehensive article about the current Real Estate Market in Arizona. Click on http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/04/04/20090404housing0404-CP.html for the complete story. People have varying opinions about the article. All I can say is, we are making a tremendous improvement on our local real estate that every homeowner should be happy about.
March 31, 2009
Be alert and be aware -- here is some recent information from Kiplinger on how scam artists have found ways to trick people out of their money in connection with the Obama stimulus package, including real estate foreclosure scams: CNN video
By: Maria HassMarch 20, 2009How do you know if you qualify for a loan modification? One of the key things that your lender will be looking for is your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. Normally, they would look for a range between 30 to 40 percent DTI. So, if your are making $6,000 a month in gross income, you should be looking at paying no more than 40 percent of your income towards house payments, which amounts to $2,400. A DTI ratio below the min...
By: Maria HassMarch 15, 2009CNN reported an increase in mortgage application by 11.3% ending for the week ending in March 6, 2009. The demand was sparked by very low interest rates and low home prices. Mortgage applications included refinance and purchases.MLS reported an increase in home sales of existing homes in Arizona from 4,726 in January, 2009 to 5,457 in February, 2009. Pending sales which is indicative of future sales increased sharply to 7...
By: Maria HassMarch 12, 2009Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the cities being hammered by declining home values. There are many foreclosed homes being offered at amazingly low prices -- some are even priced below building cost. But once you get serious about making an offer on any of these homes, you’ll find that getting the home you'd like is harder than you thought. Why is this so?Banks and Realtors listing REOs have gotten smarter. ...
By: Maria HassMarch 9, 2009First-time homebuyers taking advantage of the current low prices and low interest rates got all of their questions answered at the homebuyer’s seminar hosted by Realty Executives Re...
By: Maria HassMarch 5, 2009A story published in the March 4 edition of the Chandler Republic reported that Chandler’s City Council unanimously approved Fulton Homes’ request to build less-expensive homes in South Chandler’s tony community of Fulton Ranch.The decision to allow Fulton Homes to build cheaper homes is meant to save the already struggling home builder from abandoning the posh deve...
By: Maria HassMarch 3, 2009
The $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit will affect ALL home buyers. This incentive along with historically low home prices and low interest rates can result to a surge in home buying which will eventually translate to higher home prices and higher interest rates.
Click below to watch a video of the details of the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit revised on Feb. 17, 2009 courtes...
Feb. 26, 2009 First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] TWO DOZEN FAMILIES TO HOST HUGE SPRINGFIELD LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE ON FEB. 28 in Chandler By: Maria HassFeb. 21, 2009 Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Chandler Homeowners Block Builder from Building Cheaper Homes By: Maria HassFeb. 20, 2009A Feb. 18, 2009, story from The Chandler Republic tells about homeowners in Fulton Ranch, an affluent community in South Chandler, at least temporarily stopping the builder from building and selling homes that would be significantly lower in price than their homes. The current homeowners argue that Ful... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0] Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers February 19, 2009Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers (Text of Release) Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
By: Maria HassFeb. 21, 2009 Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
By: Maria HassFeb. 20, 2009A Feb. 18, 2009, story from The Chandler Republic tells about homeowners in Fulton Ranch, an affluent community in South Chandler, at least temporarily stopping the builder from building and selling homes that would be significantly lower in price than their homes. The current homeowners argue that Ful...
February 19, 2009
Obama Housing Plan Questions and Answers (Text of Release)
By : Maria Hass February 14, 2009The National Association of Realtors (NAR) on Saturday, Feb. 14, reported the following changes in the housing stimulus package of President Obama’s economic recovery plan:1) Loan limits will be raised to $727,000 in high-cost areas2) The first-time home buyers tax credit will be raised from $7,500 to $8,000 with NO payback (a true credit).3) Interest rates have come down 125-150 basis p...
By: Maria HassFebruary 12, 2009The Senate and the House reached an agreement on the Stimulus Package totaling $789 billion(a figure I have not seen in a long time and money I didn't know we had). While minor details are in the works, below is the most recent information on how the stimulus package will affect the housing market.
By: Maria HassFebruary 9, 2009FREE HOME BUYERS' SEMINAR
Hosted by Maria Hass of Realty ExecutivesSaturday, March 7, 2009, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.Realty Executives Chandler Office920 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite 1 (NE corner of Alma School and Chandler Blvd.)Chandler, AZ 85225Learn How to:
* Save money using government down pay...
By: Maria HassFeb. 9, 2009First-Time Home Buyers’ Incentive NewsThere has been much talk recently about modifying the current $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit by making it available to any home buyer and increasing it to $15,000. This change to the home buyer incentive is in the works – it is not a LAW.In my opinion, if and when the doubling of the incentive is approved by Congress, this is going to stimulate home buying – es...
January 25, 2009
Finding a Realtor can be a difficult task. There are many to choose from and they all appear eager to help you. But how do you know which Realtor will best serve your interests best?
When considering the purchase of a home today, there are so many to choose from – but how do you narrow your choices to only 10 or fewer? It’s called the process of elimination, and it’s wise to...
by: Maria HassRealty ExecutivesJanuary 21,2009Many times when purchasing real estate, unless it’s a cash transaction, a borrower will require a loan officer to process a home loan through a lender. The loan officer or consultant gathers the needed information and presents the documents to the underwriter in order for the lender to fund the loan.However, the over-hyped real estate market in 2005-2006 demonstrated that the mortgage indus...
By: Maria HassJanuary 18, 2009Today’s real estate market offers amazing opportunities for home buyers. Interest rates are at historic lows and the prices of homes are incredibly d...
By: Maria HassJan. 16, 2009
By: Maria HassJanuary 13, 2009Last week in Phoenix, I witnessed the launch of a new software program called "Loan Mod Exposed". For much less than what a home owner would normally pay a professionally negotiator, one can purchase this do-it-yourself software. The software is able to determine if your financial situation is a strong candidate for a successful loan modification or if you are a candidate for denial. The soft...
By: Maria HassJanuary 7, 2009An article published by The New York Times a month ago provides home buyers several reasons for purchasing a home now instead of holding off. First, today’s real estate market offers great buying opportunities. Interest rates are historically low and home prices are affordable. If you have a good credit score, enough money for a down payment, don’t need to sell another home and plan to hold on to your new home long-term, there should ...
By: Maria HassJanuary 3, 2009I am proud to be a part of history today. I rode on the Phoenix area’s first ever light rail line from Mesa to Phoenix. Dec. 31, 2009, was the last of five days to ride for FREE on what’s been dubbed "Metro." I wanted to experience the benefits resulting from our tax money and also explore real estate opportunities along the light rail transit route. I saw many apartments along the line in the town of Tem...
By: Maria HassDecember 22, 2008I went in for my regular annual check-up this week. To my surprise, my doctor still remembers me even though I have not seen her for almost a year. Thank goodness for staying healthy and fit. During my doctor’s visit, I came across a nice lady named Karen who works at the check-out desk of the office. She told me about her short-sale story with a wonderful ending. Karen felt the need to move out of her mobi...
By: Maria HassDecember 16, 2008If you are looking for a place to invest your hard-earned money, look no further than Chandler, Arizona. Chandler was recently reported as the one place in the state of Arizona that has continually increased home sales this year. KPHO-5 reported on Sunday that Chandler home sales have increased seven months in a row, including 28% in August, 67% in September, 12% in October and 8% in N...
By: Maria HassDecember 14, 2008Cash Back: Too Good To Be True?I came across a first-time home buyer the other day. He has indicated to me that a real estate agent from a prominent online real estate company promised him $1,500 cash back in the form of a check after buying a home with him. My initial reaction was, that doesn’t seem right. By that, I mean, it doesn’t seem legal. So, I went ahead and di...
By: Maria HassDecember 10, 2008Metro Phoenix StatisticsDid you know that …..· The average number of days on the market for homes to close was 108 days in January 2008 and 75 days in October 2008? · Homes sold for 94% of their list price in January 2008 and 96% in October 2008? · The number of homes sold via MLS was 2,900 in January 2008 and 53,008 in October 2008? · The median price for a ...
By: Maria HassDecember 6, 2008I was doing a Google search today and found myself not knowing the best keywords to choose to find a list of community programs for this season of giving. I wondered, should I be searching under "Christmas" community programs, or should I search under "Holiday" community programs?It was just a few years ago when the game of "political correctness" reached widespread proportions threatening to change the ...
By: Maria HassDec. 1, 2008It is with great gladness that I share with you the victory of Proposition 100. Arizona voters sent a strong message to legislators against any kind of real estate transfer tax. A real estate transfer tax is like a sales tax on any home, land or property that is purchased. With the victory of Proposition 100 on the November 4, 2008 election, we are keeping our equity in our wallets and protecting o...
By: Maria HassNovember 28, 2008As part of the Federal housing aid package approved in July, nine cities across Metro Phoenix are devising a plan on how to use the federal aid money to resurrect the housing market and stimulate the economy. Among the cities awarded with federal aid are Mesa, Avondale, Phoenix, Tolleson, Chandler, Surprise and Glendale. In addition, Tucson and fellow Pima County communities Queen Creek and the City of Maricop...
By: Maria HassNovember 27,2008Today’s real estate market offers many incentives for home buyers. These incentives are aimed at stimulating the housing market by increasing home sales. Let’s take a moment to find out what the details are.1. HUD Homes - A buyer can purchase a government-acquired home, called Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homes, with only $100 down payment on a FHA loan. HUD will pay upto 3 % of the buyers c...
By: Maria HassNovember 23, 2008The Washington Post Friday reported a relief plan to halt foreclosure proceedings on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac homes from November 26, 2008, until January 9, 2009. This is all well and good -- it at least makes it look like the two largest wholesale mortgage backed giants, recently taken over by government, care about the customers they didn’t care about in the past. Hopefully, the foreclosure f...
By: Maria HassNov. 17, 2008
By: Maria HassNov. 10, 2008By now most people have heard of Zillow.com – a website where home buyers or home sellers can go to find out the worth of a property. But is it really accurate? My answer is a resounding NO! In fact, there is usually a huge difference between the home value calculated on Zillow.com versus the true market value of the home.Why is Zillow.com not Accurate? Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[6]
I recently came across an interesting blog post, in which a woman who is relocating from New York to Arizona wanted to know the difference between living in Gilbert and Chandler. Her inquiry prompted me to find a fuller answer to her question. I decided to go and ask some local residents what they thought. I would like to thank the generous people who contributed their opinions and time. Your thoughts and insight will help future home buyers looking to buy in these areas. I’ve also adde...
Nov. 1, 2008I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: The housing market is the fuel that will drive our economy forward. The sooner we decrease the number of foreclosures in the Valley of the Sun, the sooner home values will stabilize. People will develop a better perception of the housing market and start buying and selling homes again. To make this come to fruition, lenders need to seriously look at modifying loans of distressed home owners to a monthly...
Nov. 1, 2008It doesn’t really matter what the media is reporting -- what matters is what I see daily in the industry that I breathe day in and day out. Here are a few of my recent observations:1. A Great Market for Investment - Today’s market offers a great opportunity to buy homes at deep discounts. Arizona homes are selling at clearance prices - 50 to 60 cents on the dollar. This is a historic time. "Buy Low, Sell ...
October 29, 2008by: Maria HassThere’s no doubt that today’s real estate market offers tremendous buying opportunities to investors and home buyers. A huge inventory of homes are being sold at 40 to 50 cents on the dollar -- sometimes even 10 cents on the dollar in wholesale purchases. Home builders are selling homes for less than the building cost. Banks are being forced to sell lender-owned homes or pre-foreclosed homes at incredible prices and a...
October 25, 2008I was watching CNN late last night. Anderson Cooper's popular news program reported what people think about race as a factor in the Nov. 4 election.
Seven out of 10 Americans questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday said the race of the candidates will not be a factor in their vote for president this year.
That 70 percent figure is up 9 points from July, when the same question was asked. Only 5 percent of those polled said rac...
October 24, 2008
I received a call from a homeowner who wanted to keep his house, if he could get the bank to modify his loan. During the course of our conversation, he asked if it would be okay for him to buy another home at a much better price, while his credit is still good, and prior to being foreclosed on.
Let's take a look at what he would need to do to qualify for both loans.
Aside from good credit, our caller has to ...
By: Maria HassRealtorOct. 22, 2008 The City of Chandler, AZ, a vibrant and wonderful place I called home for over three years, is a booming town nestled by the City of Tempe on the North, City of Mesa on the NorthEast side, the Town of Gilbert and City of Queen Creek on the East and City of Phoenix on the West. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
By: Maria HassRealtorOct. 17, 2008It's just another day at the steps of the Maricopa County Courthouse located at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Phoenix, AZ. The third session of the trustee sale also known as the public auction starts at 2 p.m. About a dozen investors wearing shorts, t-shirts, tennis shoes, flip flops and baseball caps gather around the youthful-looking auctioneer seated at the corner of the o...
By Maria HassRealtorOct. 17, 2008A nice woman called me last week to get information about the short-sale process on behalf of a family member. She wanted to find out if I charge an upfront fee to do a short-sale. My answer was "NO. I don't get paid by the bank until the short-sale is approved and closed."Sad to say, there are many companies mushrooming around claiming to be short-sale gurus and charging an upfr...
Realtor
October 17, 2008
By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 12, 2008 Many homeowners are choosing to rent their homes versus selling their homes because of the perceived "bad real estate market." They believe it currently would be hard to sell their home or get the price they want for their home. In some cases, it may be justified to hold off Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 5, 2008Today's front page story in the East Valley Tribune entitled "Shadows of Depression: Lessons for Today's Crisis" (http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/127440) made me wonder if this historic catastrophe could once again happen because of our present economic crisis. The article suggested strong similarities between wha...
By: Maria HassRealtorOctober 1, 2008The City of Chandler was once again selected as one of the 100 Best Communities for young People by America's Promise Alliance. A distinction the City has enjoyed for the third time since 2005.Having been a Chandler resident for over three years, there are many good reasons why the City of Chandler deserves such recognition.
By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 28, 2008To attract more buyers to purchase homes in a soft real estate market, a new law was created providing $7,500 "tax credit" to any Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 24, 2008There is no better time to vote than in this year's election. There are many important issues impacting our once great nation called America. Our financial market is on the brink of collapse and congress is working on a plan to bring back stability in our financial system. Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
By: Maria HassRealtorSept. 21, 2008The Bush administration’s plan to rescue the financial market with a whopping $700,000,000,000 (pardon the zeros) bailout using Americans’ tax dollars is morally wrong, irresponsible and appalling, with no guarantees in sight for the American people.It is morally wrong for lawmakers to withdraw such a large amount of money from our nation’s account without our approval or say on ...
By: Maria HassRealtorSeptember 18, 2008I attended the South East Valley Regional Association of Realtors (SEVRAR) Realtor Expo yesterday. For those of you who are not familiar with SEVRAR, it is the local association for Realtors who (usually) work in the Southeast Valley area of Metro Phoenix; namely Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert & Mesa, to name a few. This Expo is held once a year at the Mesa Convention Center and is free ...
By: Maria HasRealtorThere was a low turnout of voters in last week's September 2 election. I'm proud to say that I was one of the few American citizens who exercised her right to vote. Many did not even know there was an election going on. Despite a busy schedule, I went to the polling place to vote to influence the future of our nation and the City of Chandler, where I am a resident. I was particularly interest...
The Arizona Department of Real Estate has posted a list of home builders who have filed bankruptcy or are in financial trouble. Please click on the link below to view the list.
http://www.azre.gov/PUBLIC_I...
Do You Want A Real Estate Transfer Tax?
Arizona voters will decide. on a new initiative called "Protect Our Homes" on the Nov. 4, 2008, ballot. This initiative is an important measure that will constitutionally prohibit your home from real estate transfer taxes (RETT).
By: Maria HassRealtorI will divert from real estate for now. Knowing well that the summer olympics is played only once every four years. The next one is scheduled for 2012 in London. So, who do you think was the winner of the 2008 summer olympics? If you were to go by medal count, USA had the most medals with 110. China was second with 100 . Third is Russia with 72. However, if you go by the number...
Two real-estate related initiatives will be on the ballot come November. The first is the "Homeowners Bill of Rights, Proposition 201" which aims to provide legal protection to homeowners dealing with construction defects and deceptive sales practices.The second is called "Our Homes, Proposition 100", would amend the state constitution to ban the creation of a real-estate transfer tax.Getting these propositions to the ballot is a step towards the right direction. Read ...
A buyer called me yesterday about a property I have listed. One of the questions he asked is "is it a lender-owned property?" My answer was no. He appreared disinterested and said he would call if he would like to see the home. Realistically, he would never call.What's with lender-owned properties?The positives are:1. These are homes that MUST sell.2. They are priced upto 20% below market...
Despite all the news coverage about the potential failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and possible federal government bailouts, the media hadn't seemed to have time to explain the basic principles behind the two agencies. However, a good Associated Press story that does just that finally ran in the Tuesday, July 22, edition of The Arizona Republic. The article is available at this link: Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[1]
A free home buyers' seminar, hosted by Chandler Realtor Maria Hass of Realty Executives, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, July 12, 2008, at the Sunset Library Meeting Room, 4930 W. Ray Rd. (NE corner of Ray and Rural Road) in Chandler.The seminar will include information for home buyers on how to:* Use government money for your down payment* Improve your credit to... Continue Reading | Permalink | Email to Friend | Comments[0]
Like any other human being looking for a bargain, I was curious for myself and for my clients to find out what a foreclosure real estate auction is all about. So, I recently decided to attend one of Arizona’s largest foreclosure auctions of lender-owned homes.
The auction attracted a standing-room-only crowd in a huge ballroom at a prestigious hotel – about 5,00...
If you’re considering buying your first home in the current buyer’s market, you can learn tips on how to save money using special finance options or government grants during a free one-hour seminar I’m pleased to be hosting soon in Ahwatukee with Mike Huberty of Mesa, Vice President of Suburban Mortgage, Inc.
The seminar will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5, 2008, at the Ahwatukee Realty Executives office, the Realty Executives offices, 4435 E....
Somewhat surprisingly, The Arizona Republic published a positive front-page story this week about an upswing in real estate sales. Click here to read article in full.
The article is optimistic that a continuing increase in home sales and decrease in invento...
I had a conversation with a seller over the weekend which brought to light a couple of misconceptions about broker commissions and agent commissions. This seller, who had canceled a listing twice with two separate agents and was now selling his home by himself for almost 12 months at this point, wanted to know if I was a broker. I said, “No.” His reply was, “then you can’t b...
