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Posts Tagged ‘property’

Special Contribution Article

We see them all the time with these great lists of investment properties for sale. The prices appear to be good values and, hey - the seller will finance it for you. No credit check! All you need is a small down payment and the property is yours for 10% 12% or 14% interest.  And here is a real money saver - you don’t even need to pay for the closing costs because they are built in and THE APPRAISAL IS INCLUDED. Read the rest of this entry »

Alan Wastler, an analyst on CNNMoney.com attempts to explain how ARMS will rest and the impact that will have on the economy.   Read the rest of this entry »

Purchasing a distressed property is a great way to purchase a larger home for money and pick up some instant potential equity.  However, there are many mistakes that buyers of REO properties make that can can leave you feeling like you’ve bitten off more than you bargained for. Read the rest of this entry »

With only three homes to show today, I phoned the appointment numbers yesterday to get the showings scheduled and was ready by noon for today’s tour…

All I lacked were the appointment confirmations from the listing agents on all three homes. Here’s what happened next: Read the rest of this entry »

When applying for a mortgage loan, one of the major considerations is the value of the home. After all, a lender will not want to lend more money on a home than it is worth. So to establish its value, a licensed appraiser will be normally required to perform an appraisal of the property.

Typically, an appraiser will visit and inspect the property, take measurements and photos and then do research on similar homes in the area. What the appraiser is looking for are fairly recent sales of similar properties within a close proximity to your home (known as the “subject” property.) These homes that are used for comparison (known as “comparables” or “comps”) should be similar in design, function and size. Where there are discrepancies, the appraiser can determine the difference in value of such discrepancies.

When all the research is done, the appraiser should come to a conclusion as to the value of the property. Two things to keep in mind about this value:

1. It is an opinion and appraisers have the flexibility to interpret the market place as they understand it. A good appraisal should be within a reasonable range of value with another reputable appraiser and to be very solid should have few adjustments in value between the subject and the comps. (The adjustments in value are to account for the discrepancies between the subject and the comps.)
2. An appraisal is not to be considered a replacement for a qualified property inspection. While the appraiser does inspect the property, their inspection is limited and broad, typically seeking obvious defects that would affect overall value. Examples would be holes in the wall, missing fixtures, lack of flooring, etc. And inspector, however, will dig deeper into a property to uncover any defects they can find. They will find issues with wiring, HVAC, roof leaks (that are not so obvious), foundational and mechanical issues… and much more. And while they do inspect for issues, they can not assess value for the home.

Once an appraisal is completed, it is sent to the lender for review and approval. The lender will have many tools to validate the value of the appraisal. Some of these tools include a simple “desk” review in which someone looks over the appraisal report of red flags. A field review may be ordered in which someone would drive out to check out the home, but may not do a full review including measurements and inspection. And there are Automated Value Models (AVM’s for short) that use data from the Internet to help determine a range of value. If the lender has used their tools and determines the value is ok, then the loan can move forward.

However, if the lender sees a problem, they can request a second appraisal or even “cut back” the value of the appraisal to what they feel is reasonable. While this is not a common practice, it can happen.

In most cases, especially in regards to a purchase, an appraisal is not that big a deal. They normally come in as expected with the value that is needed. On a refinance, it could be hit or miss depending on what the expected value is.

Either way, an appraisal will typically be done on 99% of all loans originated today. It not only protects the bank, but it can protect you as well from making a bad financial decision.

For more information on the loan process, or to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan, call me at 704-248-8694.

Let’s get real here. Buying a house is a big decision. But not necessarily a risky one. One of the largest concerns for most people is losing the house. What happens if something comes up and income goes away and we can’t make the payment? Don’t let this concern stop you from homeownership. Think about the situation here…

Scenario: You just lost your job, and don’t have enough income to make the payments. If you are renting, this becomes a major problem. Did you know that most rental companies will begin the eviction process if you are as little as 10 days late on your rent? If you can’t pay them, they figure they will kick you out and get someone in your place that can. Then you are forced to find a new place to live… but now we have a different problem. No job and no income and an eviction makes it hard to find another apartment. If you do find one, might need a large deposit… of course if you had that kind of money you would not have been evicted in the first place!

As a homeowner, things are different. You see, the mortgage company does not look to foreclose on a home right away. Actually, they are much more inclined to work with you. Why? Well, it comes from the fear of major financial loss. When a lender forecloses on a house, they no longer make money on interest, which is why they are in business. They have to turn around and sell the house, usually for far below market value… They don’t have time to wait for it to sell for profit! So if you owed $150,000 on the home and they sold it for $128,000, they have lost $22,000 plus real estate agent commissions. Their total loss would be over $29,000! With that in mind, lenders will work with you while you try to recover. Many lenders won’t start foreclosure proceedings until you are several months behind! And if you ultimately can’t get back on track, you can still sell your house and maybe even make a profit!

So you see, buying a house will give a tremendous amount of security where renting can’t. If you ended up 3 months behind, it may affect your credit, but you still have a place to live. And if you get evicted from an apartment, you better believe that will hurt your credit too!

Give yourself and your family something they can feel secure in.