Beautiful and rare brick end unit townhome in Greenes Crossing! Gorgeous new flooring throughout the main level! New microwave! 1 yr old refrigerator! Gorgeous new vanities in the bathrooms! Move right into this lovely townhome-even the paint is fresh! Crawl space construction! Close to Battle ground park! Water heater 1 yr old per seller! For more information please call 1-866-251-6419 and enter code # 3641

Solid duplex priced way below tax value for quick sale! Currently rented! Buyer to verify all information. Foreclosure. Sold "as-is" addendums required.

Full unfinished basement! 2 full baths! laminate floors in the living room! Foreclosure. Buyer to verify all information. Sold "as-is" addendums apply.

Foreclosure. Appears in good condition. Gas heat. Buyer to verify all info. Sold as-is, addendums apply.

Close to school! Gas heat! Central air! Foreclosure. Buyer to verify all info. Sold as-is, addendums apply.

Priced well below tax value. Barn included. Foreclosure buyer to verify all systems. Sold "as is" Addendums apply.

3 Bedroom home on almost an acre! Foreclosure buyer to verify all info. Sold "as is" addendums apply.

All three banks have admitted to problems in the processing of foreclosures, including the use of so-called “robo-signatures,” employees who job it is solely to sign foreclosure docs, without reviewing the paperwork.

Experts say that most of the major banks have plenty of problems with foreclosures. That comes as no surprise to the tens of thousands of CBS MoneyWatch readers who have closely followed and commented on my many “Loan Modification Hell” blog posts. If you read the comments, it’s clear that these three banks are not the only ones with a problem.

Today, Ohio’s Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner asked federal prosecutors to investigate foreclosure irregularities in her state. Ohio has been pushing lenders to do better. On September 17, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced that the state court had affirmed its case and legal strategy of holding loan servicers accountable in the foreclosure crisis. (Check the comments on the “Loan Modification Hell Lawsuits” post.)

So, will Chase’s and Ally’s foreclosure freeze ultimately fix the housing market? That’s one theory put forth in today’s New York Times. But, I’m not so sure. What will happen in the short run is that all of the banks will put a moratorium on the foreclosures. Law firms that have become foreclosures processing machines in places like Florida, will have a lot of extra time on their hands.

I suppose, in the best of all worlds, slowing down or freezing foreclosures might actually force lenders to take a harder look at ways they might keep folks in their homes, like doing more loan modifications. That would reduce the so-called “shadow inventory” and keep housing values from crashing again.

Again, that’s the best possible scenario. I think it’s too soon to tell. And, there’s a lot that’s going wrong with the economy right now (jobs, anyone?) which could complicate the view in your rose-colored glasses.

Right now, those who have Chase and GMAC on the top of their loans are getting a reprieve.

I read an interesting article today.  It said that housing analysts are taking a gloomier view of the housing market in August.  Only “21% of the economists surveyed by MacroMarkets LLC expect home prices to post an annual gain this year, down from 48% in May.” (By Nick Timiraos Wall Street Journal)

“As in previous months, the most bearish forecast for 2010 is from economists Gary Shilling and Dean Baker, who are predicting a 10% decline for the year. The most bullish forecasts are from John Silva, chief economist at Wells Fargo, and economist Joel Naroff, who call for a gain of 4.6%. The median forecasts sees a 2.1% decline in 2010, and a gain of 0.8% next year.”  (By Nick Timiraos Wall Street Journal)

The good news?  Greensboro never truly saw the “boom” that the rest of the country experienced.  We have typically seen a 3-4% rate of appreciation.  Yes, that’s over and we are now seeing slight levels of depreciation for the first time in many years but considering the rest of the nation had seen up to 50% appreciation rates, Greensboro is going to be ok.  We simply don’t have as far to bounce back as our neighbors in Florida, Texas, Maryland, New York, Arizona and California (just to name a few). 

So what does it all mean?  If you are thinking about selling and feel that waiting until next year would benefit you and your family more than selling today, think again.  We will probably see prices continue to drop until at least 2012, at which point (if the analysts are right) we will start to see a rise in prices once again.  Of course, as I mentioned, it won’t be a rise like we have seen in other areas of the country in the past.  It will be a modest 3-4% appreciation that Greensboro can hang it’s hat on.  

All that being said, it is still a very good time to buy!  Rates are low and we all know they won’t stay that way forever, so if you’re on the fence keep that in mind along with the potential rise of prices in 2012.

Call us if you have any questions!  We stand ready to improve your quality of life through real estate!

~Ashley Kearnes

VP of Operations

Jeff White Realty Group

 Make sure you choose a REALTOR® who will provide top-notch service and meet your unique needs.

1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate — like many other professions — is mostly learned on the job.

2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS® — which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training — are held by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.

3. How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the practitioner has.

4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market?
The REALTOR® you interview should have these facts on hand, and be able to present market statistics from the local MLS to provide a comparison.

5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the REALTOR® is at pricing homes and marketing to suitable buyers. Of course, other factors also may be at play, including an exceptionally hot or cool real estate market.

6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? You don’t want someone who’s going to put a For Sale sign in the yard and hope for the best. Look for someone who has aggressive and innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that your REALTOR® is responsive.

7. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and the seller in the transaction? While it’s usually legal to represent both parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the practitioner’s obligations lie. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.

8. Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage, make home repairs, and help with other things I need done? Because REALTORS® are immersed in the industry, they’re wonderful resources as you seek lenders, home improvement companies, and other home service providers. Practitioners should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the providers.

9. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to you? Having resources such as in-house support staff, access to a real estate attorney, and assistance with technology can help an agent sell your home.

10. What’s your business philosophy? While there’s no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business embody your own.

Size does matter when it comes to the perception of space in a home. That’s why it’s important to make sure you show off every square foot of your listing so that buyers can visualize enough room for all of their belongings.

However, home owners often crowd spaces with oversized furniture, bulky accessories, and piles of clutter that wind up making a room look much smaller than what it really is, says staging pro Jennie Norris, president of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals.

So how can you show off that space in your home? Besides the obvious of removing clutter, try these simple ideas from Norris.

1. Scale down the furniture: By having too many large pieces of furniture in a small room, a space can feel more cramped, Norris says. Select smaller-scale furniture over large, chunky options. A good choice: furniture with wooden legs or unskirted chairs, so that you can see through the furniture to the floor underneath to open up a room.

2. Beware of overly busy patterns: Too many bold patterns in a room with fabrics and accent pieces can make a room feel smaller, Norris says. Big prints, bold plaids, and large floral patterns can be too busy for a small space. Stick to solids and use texture in fabrics to add interest.

3. Lighten Up: Dark colors absorb the light making small rooms look even smaller. “The general color rule for small spaces is lighter is better,” Norris says. Lighter colors on walls — such as creams, light blues, light greens, tan, and soft yellows — help expand the room. Plus, softer, cooler tones are soothing and relaxing, she adds.

4. Add height: Bring in anything that is tall to show off the height of the space. Whether it’s a piece of furniture such as a bookcase or an object like a tall tree, the height of the object will draw the eye upwards. Also in a house where you want to show off the height, hang the curtains above the normal window top level, Norris says. To widen the window, tie the curtains back with a rope tieback to show off the windows.

5. Use the reflection: Hang mirrors on walls to help add visual space. “When the room is reflected in the mirror, it can make us feel like there is more space as we see ‘another room’ in the mirror,” Norris says. “Mirrors can also reflect light and views, which will help lighten up the room and make it feel open and airy.”

posted at Greensboro News and Record

Homeowners who want to sell but don’t have a lot of cash to spruce up their properties might consider these tips from Bankrate.com for upgrading a property without spending a fortune.

Polish up the kitchen. Add new cabinet door handles, replace lighting and update the faucet set. Unless the cabinets are mica, give them a fresh coat of paint. Order new doors for kitchen appliances.

Tidy up the bath. Replace the toilet seat. Clean up the floor with vinyl tiles or sheet vinyl applied over the old floor. Re-grout the tub and, if the tub is dingy, add a new prefabricated tub and shower surround.

Paint the walls.

Add closet systems to all the bedrooms, pantry, and entry closets.

Hire a plumber and an electrician to fix anything that is loose or that leaks.

Clean the carpets or, if they are worn, cover them with area rugs.

Replace ceiling lights with inexpensive but attractive fixtures.

Refinish or repaint the front door and replace the hardware.

Mow the lawn, edge the sidewalks, mulch all the beds and put two big planters at either side of the front door.

Source: Bankrate.com (07/14/2010)