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The Wisconsin housing statistics are now in for June of 2012. Here is an excerpt from what the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA) had to say:

“Wisconsin home sales continued to grow at a robust pace with sales of existing homes up 19.3 percent in June over June of last year... June median home prices increased 1.4 percent to $142,000 relative to the same month last year which is the fourth straight month of increasing median prices."

“In a national economy that has not yet seen the kind of growth rates that typify most economic recoveries, it’s encouraging to see such strong growth in home sales over the last 12 months,” said Rob Keefe, Chairman of the WRA Board of Directors.

Below are the number of Home Sales and Median House Prices for the state of Wisconsin, Rock County, and Dane County. These stats include Janesville and Madison. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions pertaining to these figures. As you probably have heard, home sales have been increasing substantially all year. Both Dane and Rock counties are showing marked improvements in the number of homes sold.

If you would like some insight into how much your home is currently worth, I would be happy to provide you with a free comparative market analysis. This is a report that gives a close estimate to what your home might sell for in your current local Wisconsin real estate market. Has your home value fallen below what you currently owe? A short sale may be right for your situation. Visit the following page on Wisconsin Short Sales.

In East Palo Alto  from Jan 1, 2012 until June 30, 2012 there were:

36 closed short sales

20 closed bank owned homes

Total sales during this time period were 96

Total % Short Sales: 37.5%

Total % REO Sales: 20.8 %

Total Percentage  East Palo Alto Distressed Properties: 60.7%

60.7% of all East Palo Alto sales being distressed is enough to still have major effect on the overall market. However, as inventory is still so low unless these homes are truly physically distressed, which is more common with bank owned homes at this level, it probably will not have a long lived effect. It is interesting to see there are almost twice as many short sales as bank owned sales which has also happened in other cities. 

If you have any questions about short sales or foreclosures in San Mateo County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

DRE  01191194

After receiving the counter addendum signed by the buyer you will need to send the following to your asset manager:

 POF( proof of funds if cash)

 Pre qual letter.

 RPA, ( residential purchase agreement)

 Counter offer,

 Seller disclosures,

 Copy of the Deposit Check.

There is a difference between the assignment instructions and the listing agreements.

Here are some tasks once listing agreement has been signed and submitted to your asset manager.

Input in the MLS, of course! ( The lender may want you to add their own wording to the MLS so make sure to read the instructions carefully)  Don’t make a mistake on the commission this might end up costing you.

Install Sign, this is a must!

Install Supra Box, you don’t want to be penalized, CA has strict rules on this, so make sure to check your MLS for installation guidelines. ( Always keep copies of key by obtaining from your locksmith sometimes keys end up missing from the lockbox)  Each bank has there own key code and it typically stays the same and does not change.  You should find this on your Listing instructions.

Make sure the utilities are still turned on. At times accidents are made and the breakers are not switched on.  You want to make sure the property has running water and electricity when viewing.  This definitely makes the home sale faster for several reasons. Also it is mandatory for all REO listings, no exceptions unless it poses a safety hazard which would have to be addressed.

I hope you enjoyed these things to consider before taking a listing.

By,

Susan Flowers

Century 21

When completing your CMA for the BPO do not forget to note the number of homes that are REO and Short Sale.  Also make sure to note the price ranges in the neighborhood.  This way you do not have to go back to do research as the BPO will likely ask you for this information.  Also after I have selected the comps I then save the comps photos in the same order I selected comps.  I use the following  names when saving the comps- A1, A2, A3(A= Active)  and S1, S2, S3(S=SOLD).  This makes it easy when uploading the photos to the BPO form. 

By,

Susan Flowers

Selecting comps for the broker price opinion may be difficult at times.  Why? The property may be non- conforming to the neighborhood- it may be that the property a new construction amongst old construction in the area or it may have been unfinished.  Therefore if this is the circumstance you will need to find similar like properties by extending your search criteria possibly outside of the distance boundaries.  You will need to note this on your BPO if this is the case.  In the event that you are unable to find comps even by extending the search you will need to use the properties that do not conform to the subjects but make adjustments to the non conformities accordingly.

Sample comments that I use when completing a BPO if you’d like to share please add to the post.

I use something similar to the following when commenting on my properties in the BPO's.  Please share any of yours!

Subject is a   _____ Bedroom ___ Bathroom with _____ sq ft of living space. Neighborhood comprised of mostly new construction and single family dwellings.  The neighborhood reflects good employment stability, upkeep, and repair. There are no adverse living conditions which affect the livability of the property. The area is noted for major thoroughfares which provide good access to schools, parks, shopping, and civic facilities.

All comparables are considered substitutable for the subject property and all are given equal emphasis. All are located in similar neighborhoods. All are considered cash equivalent with few adjustments which were _______________________________________

There were additional adjustments made for variance in various amenities.

The property conforms to the neighborhood in terms of functional utility, style, condition, and quality of construction.

Market Notes

The market value appears to have stabilized , supply and demand appear to be in balance. We are seeing motivated sellers typically paying some of the buyers non-recurring closing cost.

Direct sales comparison approach given most weight it best reflects actions of buyers and sellers in the market place.

Topography is level there is normal utility easements. There are ne adverse encroachments noted.

Site is located next to busy street.

Property sits adjacent to an apartment complex, noise is a nuisance adjusted variance to property lot size.

Hope you enjoyed,

By,

Susan Flower

The real estate industry is just like any other major industry segment. The people that work within the industry use specific phrases and words that are not too common in other types of work. Understanding some of the common jargon will help first time buyers feel a little more comfortable with the process.

Mortgage – This is a loan that provides the financing for the purchase of a home. Buyers will sign a promissory note that explains the terms of the loan. The interest rate, amount borrowed and number of payments required to repay the debt are all laid out in this document. A mortgage is different from a car loan or a credit card since a piece of property is used as collateral for the loan.

Appraisal – This is a report that explains the home's value. A professional appraiser will inspect the home and then compare it to other similar homes in the nearby area. Based on common criteria such as location, square footage, age and amenities the appraiser assigns a market value to the property. This is slightly different from a home inspection. A home inspection is designed to point out any areas in need of repair or replacement. An appraisal simply decides how much a home is worth as it currently stands.

Contingency – These are requirements spelled out in the real estate contract that must be completed or met in order for the sale to go through.

For instance, most contracts will have a contingency concerning the appraisal. If the home is not worth the sales price then the buyer may be able to get out of the contract.

Escrow – This refers to the funds, assets or securities being held by a third party separate from the buyer and seller. The buyer will place funds in escrow as proof that they wish to go forward with the sale. Once the seller has met the conditions of the contract the funds will be released.

Disclosures – The buyer must be informed of various details by the seller prior to the purchase. Each area will have slightly different requirements for the disclosures in their location. An example would be the location of a home in a known flood zone. This would affect the homeowner's insurance and could affect the buyer's ability to pay.

Closing – This is the last phase of the property purchase. All parties involved in the transaction will meet at either an attorney's office or an escrow agent's office (title company). The seller, buyer, and any attorney will typically attend the closing. At the closing the seller will receive funds for the transaction and the buyer will sign the necessary documents for the loan. The deed will be transferred from seller to buyer. Finally, the closing costs will be paid based on the agreed terms in the contract.

In Sunnyvale from Jan 1, 2012 until June 30, 2012 there were:

58 closed short sales

32 closed bank owned homes

Total sales during this time period were 447

Total % Short Sales: 12.9%

Total % REO Sales: 7.1%

Total Percentage  Sunnyvale Distressed Properties: 20%

20% of all Redwood City sales being distressed is enough to still have some effect on the overall market. However, as inventory is still so low unless these homes are truly physically distressed, which is more common with bank owned homes at this level, it probably will not have a long lived effect. It is interesting to see there are almost twice as many short sales as bank owned sales.

If you have any questions about short sales or foreclosures in San Mateo Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

DRE  01191194

In Redwood City from Jan 1, 2012 until June 30, 2012 there were:

46 closed short sales

22 closed bank owned homes

Total sales during this time period were 363

Total % Short Sales: 12.6%

Total % REO Sales: 6%

Total Percentage  Redwood City Distressed Properties: 18.6%

18.6% of all Redwood City sales being distressed is enough to still haves some effect on the overall market. However, as inventory is still so low unless these homes are truly physically distressed, which is more common with bank owned homes at this level it probably will not have a long lived effect. It is interesting to see there are twice as many short sales as bank owned sales.

If you have any questions about short sales or foreclosures in San Mateo Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

DRE  01191194

I have been working on a Redwood City short sale with Chase since last September. Now if this were 2009 this would be more like dog bites man rather than man bites dog. But it is 2012 and most short sales do not take so long. However, this one has a 3rd loan for a lot of money and it slowed the process down.

Selling the property at market value was not that hard, despite being on a fairly busy street. We got an offer for $510,000 and a BPO for $510,000 so it started out ok. By December I had approval on the first and second with a payoff of 6K to the third who had previously owned the home and had a $120K note on the property.

Third lender said no way. He wanted 65K as a note from the seller or cash from the buyer.

Buyer and seller said no. Buyer walked.

House went back on the market and we got another offer right away. This was February.

Chase did a new BPO and said the value had increased to $560,000. New buyer agreed to pay the 3rd loan 50K plus $560,000 to chase. After several months Chase said no, they were not going to allow the third lender to get so much money. That was May.

We were then told to try submitting a new offer to see if we could get a different answer. Well that sounded like the definition of insanity to me, but we tried. So we submitted a new offer of $562K plus $50K going to the third lender. Keep in mind that every month during all of this we had to get Chase to postpone the trustee sale.

So several weeks ago the new offer for the Redwood City Short Sale got to the new negotiator who ordered a new BPO. She said the BPO's value had not changed again and the offer was fine as it was. I asked about the issue of the third lender getting so much money and she said she thought it would be fine.

I was doubtful, but she was right. Today we got a Short Sale Approval Letter!!!!!  I never believed this would happen but I persisted anyway and it was worth it.

So now my Redwood City Short Sale has Chase Approval, my sellers can get on with their life, the buyer has the home of his dreams, the third lender who is a human, not a big bank has at least a good portion of his money back, and Chase can get a bad performing asset of their books as well as market value for the home. We all won on this one.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a short sale in San Mateo or Santa Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

D.R.E. 01191194

Anybody having any problems getting paid by them? They always were slow pays, but this is ridiculous....they suppossibly have formed a special dept to fend off the irate emails and phone calls....anybody have any luck? Secured Lending is hooked up with them but I don't have a bit of problem with them, they're terrific. I was told by this other group that the higher ups look at the list each week and determine who gets paid !! I am super ticked. I want to remain a professional but it's becoming very difficult.....HELP!!

Anyone with experience in short sales and REO's know the bank requires proof in writing that the buyer has the necessary funds for the purchase of the property. If the buyer is paying cash I have always advised them to obtain a letter from their bank stating they have the necessary funds for the transaction.

In a recent short sale where I had the listing, the buyer submitted a letter from his bank signed by the Vice President of Banking which included his contact number and email.

The negotiator with the bank would not accept the letter as proof of funds and asked for a copy of the buyer's account statment. His reason was the wording "access to cash currently on deposit". He said the buyer could move these funds from this account into another account at any time. I responded by saying the buyer could still move funds from an account after he gets a copy of the bank statement. He simply said "A bank statement would be different".

I understand an actual copy of the bank statement is a harder proof of funds, but if there is any issue, the negotiator could call the Vice President and get clarification. If the letter was truly a fraud then what would be the end game? Not closing? I don't understand why banks are making the process more difficult than it has to be. In this case, it ended up being an acceptable offer and went to closing.

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"Mike Collins helped us sell our home, he was a very nice guy and always there when we had any questions or concerns! Mike went above and beyond and even helped paint the house when there was a time crunch for the inspection. We appreciated all that Mike did!"

Katy K.(Janesville, WI)
Rock Realty Client

****BREAKING****

This just in, a REO listed by Jesse Gonzalez makes the local news.

So, as the headline says, yes...it's true, a pre-list REO of mine made it on the local news last night. The scary part, I had no clue till a friend of mine who happened to see it last night told me about it.

Now, while watching this vide (be sure to hit the "watch video" option) keep in the back of your mind, I knew nothing....nothing till almost 24 hours later.

http://m.fox17.com/news/Hazmat_Called_to_Residential_Street_-_Eric_Alvarez

NOTE: My sign isn't in the yard because I was waiting for the grass to be mowed before I put it out, thank GOD because could you imagine them showing my name, sign and calling me for comment on their story?

In Menlo Park from Jan 1, 2012 until June 30, 2012 there were:

9 closed short sales

9 closed bank owned homes

Total sales during this time period were 227

Total % Short Sales: 4%

Total % REO Sales: 4%

Total Percentage  Menlo Park Distressed Properties: 8%

8% of all Menlo Park sales being distressed is not enough to have any effect on the overall market. This is evidenced by the appreciation and high activity level of the market.

If you have any questions about short sales or foreclosures in San Mateo Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

DRE  01191194

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"My first listing contract (with another agency) expired without a single showing. I contacted Mike Collins hoping to get some straight advice about whether he thought the property would ever sell versus letting the lender foreclose on the property and save my mortgage payments for legal counsel. He was upfront from day one. He told me that it would take a while and that I'd probably have to hold it through the winter (I called him in September) but it would probably sell in the spring. His honesty made me immediately willing to hire him. He found a buyer in May and worked with my lender to close the sale in record time."

Drew V.(Marshall, WI)
Rock Realty Client

It's time for the short sale/vs REO round-up for the first half of 2012. Today I will do the entire county, and then will break down the numbers by city.

So, in Santa Clara County from Jan 1, 2012 until June 30, 2012 there were:

1783 closed short sales

1099 closed bank owned home

Total sales during this time period were 8201

Total % Short Sales: 21.7

Total % REO Sales: 13.4%

Total Percentage Santa Clara County Distressed Properties: 35.1%

This is still a significant number in terms of percentages and at this percentage they are bound to have an effect on the overall market.

If you have any questions about short sales or foreclosures in San Santa Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

DRE  01191194

We are happy to announce that last week we had another successful Wisconsin short sale closing, this time in Marshall. As you have likely heard, short sale transactions can be complex, and an experienced Short Sale Realtor® is a must.

This was a great home that the new owner is sure to enjoy! If you are thinking of selling or buying a short sale home in Wisconsin, our short sale specialists would be happy to assist you. Give Rock Realty a call at 877-774-7625.

Or, if you are considering a short sale for your home, feel free to fill out our no obligation

Short Sale Home Evaluation Form