Posted by: tnileblanc | November 15, 2009

The Edgewood Homes in Orcutt, CA – Market Update

Private Park at Edgewood

Private Park at Edgewood

The Edgewood Homes in Orcutt are a delightful collection of one and two story homes just west of Bradley Road and north of Union Valley Parkway, adjacent to the Oak Knoll neighborhood and St. Joseph High School. These homes are located in the Orcutt school district and are a 20 minute drive to Vandenberg AFB. They were built in the mid to late 1980’s and range in size from 1300 sq. ft. to 1800 sq. ft. The development includes a private park that is gated and for the use of residents only. Homeowners association dues are approximately $100 per quarter and ensure that the park and common areas are maintained. In the past six months, 4 homes were reported sold in the Edgewood development. Selling prices ranged from $275,000 to $305,000. The two most recent sales occured within the last week. On November 13th, a two story 1579 sq. ft. home on Bridgeport Rd. sold for $305,000. And on, November 10th, a 1300 sq. ft., short sale listing on Breezy Glen Drive closed for $275,000.

If you would like a list of homes available in the Edgewood development, or in Orcutt generally, send an email to me at tni@mintprop.com, give me a call at (805) 878-9879, or feel free to search for homes on my website: www.iLoveOrcutt.com.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLoveOrcutt.com
www.SellMyOrcuttHome.com
www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

*Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Prospective home buyers should always check with the local school boards for updates to school boundaries.

Posted by: tnileblanc | September 30, 2009

CAR HAF Announces the Mortgage Protection Program

The California Association of Realtors Housing Affordability Fund announced the creation of a Mortgage Protection Plan for first time home buyers. This program was developed to give first time buyers some incentive to buy homes in an uncertain economy. Although buyers don’t seem as if they need any further incentive to buy right now, with bidding wars and multiple offers the usual situation in the Santa Maria and Lompoc markets, when this program was conceived buyers were very hesitant to enter the housing market. So, this program was meant to give some assurance to those on the fence about buying.

Eligible buyers who enter into a contract for purchase after April 2, 2009, and close before December 31, 2009 can apply for the program. It provides limited assistance to buyers who buy their first home and then lose their job. Buyers who have not owned a home in the past 3 years can receive up to $1500 per month for 6 months, and co-buyers are eligible for up to $750 per month, to assist in making mortgage payments. The buyer must be a W-2 employee (not self-employed), the property must be located in California, and the buyer must use a Realtor in making the purchase. Most importantly, the program is completely free, and Mint Properties assists its eligible buyers apply for the program.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLoveSantaMaria.com
www.SellMySantaMariaHome.com
www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

Posted by: tnileblanc | September 15, 2009

Short Sale Seller Tip – Purchase Price Still Matters

Short sales are not typical sales by any stretch of the imagination. In a short sale, the seller asks the bank to allow a sale even though they owe more on the mortgage than the property is worth. Accordingly, the seller is not permitted to take any proceeds from a short sale. In a “normal” sale, sellers have a vested interest in getting the highest price for their home. A higher offer means a bigger net for the seller.

In a short sale situation, sellers tend to be more concerned with relieving their financial pressure by finishing the short sale, rather than obtaining the highest possible offer. Indeed, since some banks take 2 -4 months to process a short sale, just getting to the finish line with any interested buyer is quite an accomplishment. However, short sale sellers should still be concerned with obtaining the highest price for their property for the following reasons:

1. The bank may not accept a low offer. Presenting a low offer may delay the short sale’s completion, If you submit too low of an offer to the bank for consideration, they may simply reject that offer, close the file and require you to start the process all over again with a new offer. That may mean beginning a 3 month process all over again. Or, if you are close to the auction date, they may choose to simply foreclose. The bank will order a broker price opinion and/or an appraisal to determine the market value of the property, they will not simply accept the offer you submit. So, it is important that the offer represent the market price for the property.

2. You could be responsible for the deficiency. The deficiency amount is the difference between the amount owed on the mortgage(s) and the amount that lender received in the short sale. So, if $500,000 is owed on the property and only $250,000 can be obtained in a sale, the deficiency amount would be $250,000 plus the transaction costs of selling, including commissions. Sellers should keep in mind that not every bank will forgive the deficiency with a short sale. Indeed, some will explicitly reserve the right to pursue the deficiency amount, leaving the short sale seller to negotiate a settlement with the bank, or in some cases with a collection agency. The bigger the deficiency, the more you will owe and the higher the settlement amount will probably be.

3. Tax debt forgiveness is limited. You may be responsbile for taxes on the amount of the loan that was forgiven. Under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, federal tax forgiveness is limited to $250,000 for one person (or $500,000 for married joint filers). Deficiency amounts exceeding those limitations would be subject to federal tax. In addition, if the home you are short selling is not your personal residence, you may be subject tax on the entire deficiency (or forgiven amount). The larger the deficiency, the more tax liability you may have.

I specialize in helping people buy and sell short sale properties. If you are considering a short sale of your property, please feel fee to give me a call at (805) 878-9879 and set up an appointment for a consultation.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLoveSantaMaria.com
www.SellMySantaMariaHome.com
www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

    * Those considering a short sale are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice, and their tax professional for tax advice prior to entering into a short sale listing agreement — this blog does not offer legal and tax advice.

Posted by: tnileblanc | August 30, 2009

Cal STRS Home Loan Program for Santa Maria & Lompoc Teachers

Local teachers in Santa Maria & Lompoc may be eligible for the home ownership loan programs available through the California State Teachers Retirement Program (“Cal STRS’). Eligible participants can apply for several different loan options which can increase borrowing power and lower down payment requirements. Currently, Cal STRS offers a zero down option using a two loan 95% and 5% structure, as well as a low down option using a two loan 80% and 17% structure. These options helped one teacher couple I worked with increase their loan qualification by an additional $50,000, and allowed them to buy the home of their dreams now. Only certain local lenders are experienced in the Cal STRS program. The Cal STRS website lists lenders in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

If you are looking to buy using the Cal STRS home loan program, I would be happy to work with you and your lender to help you find a great deal in this market. If you would like to sign up for email listing alerts, please send an email request at tni@MintProp.com If you have questions about a specific property, I can be reached at (805) 878-9879.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLoveSantaMaria.com
www.SellMySantaMariaHome.com
www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

  • Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
Posted by: tnileblanc | August 15, 2009

Are Short Sales Never Ending Bidding Wars for Buyers?

Are short sales never ending bidding wars? Yes, they can be. In general, short sales are some of the most frustrating transactions for sellers and buyers. And, it is almost inevitable in this market that buyers will consider a short sale while looking for a new home. The market is simply loaded with short sales, and sometimes they sit there for months awaiting bank approval. So while buyers wait for the next bank owned listing to pop on the market, they tend to hash and rehash the short sale inventory.

For buyers without all cash or big cash downpayments, the short sale market may allow them to effectively compete for a home. Typically, when bidding on bank owned properties (REOs), bank sellers prefer buyers using conventional financing to those who are using FHA or VA financing – and often they will accept an offer that is lower if the offer is cash or uses conventional financing (which in general requires at least a 10% downpayment). The short sale market is a little different with sellers wanting to bring the short sale lender the highest net offer they can without as much regard paid to the type of financing. Indeed, I would argue that an FHA or VA buyer is preferable for a short sale given that they are more inclined to wait on the short sale since they have fewer options in the marketplace.

In this market of low inventory and high demand, once a short sale listing hits the market, the listing agent will typically collect offers over a period of a week or two and then present all those offers to the seller. The seller then selects the highest and best offer and submits that offer to their lender in a short sale package along with a hardship letter, statement of financial condition, and other supporting documents such as pay stubs, etc. Then the waiting begins. But during that period, the property continues to be offered for sale as a “contingent” listing on the MLS; and if the sellers cooperate, it continues to be shown to buyers. Because short sales take so long to gain approval, market conditions can change during this wait period, and a listing agent can begin to receive offers that are higher than the previously submitted highest and best offer. What then?

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules for how listing agents must treat short sales. Often the policy of the short sale lender will dictate how the short sale will be handled. Some short sale lenders demand that ALL offers be presented to them. And in that case, the agent will submit every offer. However, I’ve found that most lenders do not want to weed through 10-15 offers and simply want to see the current best offer, and then a better offer if one comes in. Other banks will only consider one offer at a time, so if a better offer is received, an agent would not have a way to present it to the bank anyway.

It is in the seller’s best interest to present the highest possible offer as it will affect the amount of the deficiency that will be assessed against them, either as a collectable debt that can be pursued by the lender or as the amount that will be assessed as a forgiven debt, and thus taxed. If the seller has already decided that the short sale is in their best interests after consulting with their tax advisor and attorney, the goal should remain to complete the sale in a timely manner and that will require closing the gate to additional offers at some point. But at what point? Two weeks? Two months? This is where things can get even more uncertain for the short sale buyer – when will the bidding stop? The answer may be never – because even if your offer is the only offer submitted, the bank may still choose to counter it.

Navigating the world of short sales and REOs is a difficult process. You need an experienced agent that can help you through it. If you are considering buying a foreclosure or pre-foreclosure in Santa Maria or Lompoc, please feel free to contact me for a consultation. I can be reached at (805) 878-9879.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLoveSantaMaria.com
www.SellMySantaMariaHome.com
www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

  • Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

Of all the delays that REO buyers must endure, this tends to be the most difficult to swallow. After you’ve crossed the finish line, the loan funded, and you’ve waited the additional day for the transaction to record, NO KEYS! I’ve had this happen about 3 times, but it is beginning to be a trend on REO purchases that buyers cannot get the keys to their new home until the day AFTER the transaction closes. Banks centralize their escrow and title work on foreclosures, so you are almost always dealing with an out-of-town escrow company that is overburdened with work and often doesn’t care about your individual transaction. The usual practice is for the escrow company to record the transaction, and then confirm the recordation. In a “normal” sale, using a local escrow company, the new deed is recorded and confirmed on the same day many times before 10am. However, as with anything else on an REO purchase, this now takes longer.

I was actually getting used to the fact that on most REOs, confirmation is generally not available until the very end of the day. However it appears that, rather than hire a few more people, escrow companies handling REOs are contracting out recording documents and also confirmation of recording to third party companies. So, now buyers are being told that their transaction cannot be confirmed, and keys cannot be handed out until the following day. And it seems to me that the time these escrow companies spend fending off irate buyer’s agents, could easily be spent making phone calls to confirm recording. When discussing the lack of customer service at these escrow companies, one of my buyers asked me recently “am I really paying for people to treat me this way?” My answer could only be – “unfortunately you are.”

My first two experiences with this happened on the same Friday when buyers were rightfully expecting keys. I called one of the escrow companies right before close of business expecting confirmation, and they claimed that confirmation was generally not available in Santa Barbara County until the following day. Needless to say, no one appreciates being lied to, but especially not on Friday at 5pm. What is unusual is that the local offices of these same escrow companies function in a completely different way. Unfortunately, it is impossible to direct the transaction to a local office. There is some controversy surrounding this point, as I am told the law in California requires that buyers have choice about their escrow company — and REO buyers effectively have none. Like almost all of the other terms of the REO contract, if buyers do not agree, they are passed over for another buyer.

I do believe that this issue of late confirmation will ultimately be resolved either by a statement from a regulating agency, or by litigation. It is beginning to get out of hand. It is not hard to imagine that a buyer would incur damages from this, and my past experience as an attorney tells me that with damages comes litigation. Many times, boxes are packed, moving trucks are in motion, and painters are scheduled. Not to mention the simple fact that the buyer is paying for a property they can’t access. Because of this and other possible delays, I try not to schedule REO closings for Fridays; however, many times the REO seller chooses the closing date in their addendum. Also, I advise buyers that REOs often close late due to seller and escrow delays. This is just another delay to watch out for when buying an REO.

I specialize in helping people navigate the process of purchasing foreclosed properties here on the Central Coast. If you would like a list of bank owned properties (REOs) in the Santa Maria, Lompoc, or surrounding areas, send an email request to me at tni@mintprop.com. Or give me a buzz at (805) 878-9879 and I will set up a personalized tour of homes for you.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLoveLompoc.com
www.iLoveSantaMaria.com
www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

*Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. The Association, the Multiple Listing Service, nor Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Buyers are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice — this blog does not offer legal advice.

pics 038Recently, Mint Properties joined the Coastal Housing Partnership, an organization set up to help deal with the issue of affordable housing in Santa Barbara County. I am proud to be a part of the work that the Coastal Housing Partnership performs in educating member employees on home buying and helping make the process more affordable overall. Mint Properties offers real estate services in the three valleys: Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc Valley, and the Santa Maria Valley. And, I specialize in helping people buy short sales and foreclosed properties on the Central Coast. If you would like a list of foreclosure properties currently offered for sale, send me an email at tni@mintprop.com, or give me a call at (805) 878-9879.

tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
(805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
www.iLovetheCentralCoast.com
www.SellMyCentralCoastHome.com
www.BuyCentralCoastForeclosures.com
www.CentralCoastRealEstateSearch.com

  • Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
  • Posted by: tnileblanc | July 15, 2009

    Where Have all the Houses Gone in Santa Maria – Orcutt?

    Santa Maria City Hall

    Santa Maria City Hall

    When I searched the MLS for active properties this morning, I came up with 158 single family homes or condos for sale in the Santa Maria and Orcutt areas. 29 of those listings are short sales, and 35 are active REO listings. There are 234 contingent listings, and 222 of them are short sales. In the last 30 days, 131 homes have sold, with an average price of about $250,000, average price per square foot of $150, and averaging about 75 days on market. 28 of those sold homes were closed short sales, and 61 were REO (bank owned property) sales. Average days on market for short sales was about 120 days (this reflects the time period to obtain bank approval), and average days on market for REO listings was about 53 (this includes the time it takes to get the contract finalized by the bank). So, all in all, this market is light on houses and full of a bunch of hurry up and wait for buyers.

    Due to the lack of inventory, I’m seeing a willingness from buyers to bid up REO listings so that they can get in a home now. However, even short sale listings are being bid up competitively. It is a very difficult market overall for buyers. I spend a lot of time telling buyers that the inventory they see online isn’t truly available. Or, many times after I describe market conditions to potential buyers, they decide to stay on the sidelines. Shopping for contingent short sales doesn’t pay off the way it used to because buyers are staying put with their short sale offers as there are not many other options for them. It is a great market for sellers because of buyer demand, except that this market has been declared as declining and appraisers are reflecting that in their reports.

    I have heard the theory that the banks are waiting to dump a bunch of inventory on the market and that this will happen in August or September. I have heard this theory about every month beginning in March of this year. I don’t know if it is true, but I would welcome the inventory and right now I feel like I could sell it all myself! If true, this would mean that the window for sellers to sell easily is closing, and buyers should wait for more bargains and selection. However, I don’t understand why the banks would do this after we (and many other markets) have basically had a drought of inventory for months. Why then dump a bunch of inventory when the market naturally slows in September? Makes no sense — but I am pretty far from believing that banks will do what makes sense!

    If you are looking for a home in this market, it is moving so fast that the only way to keep up is to receive automatic email alerts. If you would like to sign up for them, send me an email request at tni@MintProp.com You can also search for properties on my websites: www.iLoveSantaMaria.com, www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com, & www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com (map based search). If you have questions about a specific property, or would like to set up an appointment to consult about a possible short sale of your property, I can be reached at (805) 878-9879.

    tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
    Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
    (805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
    www.iLoveSantaMaria.com
    www.SellMySantaMariaHome.com
    www.BuySantaMariaForeclosures.com
    www.SantaMariaRealEstateSearch.com

    • Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
    Posted by: tnileblanc | July 14, 2009

    Buying Central Coast REOs (Foreclosures) & Market Trends

    Appraisal Fears. It appears that banks are beginning to fear appraisals. In the last two months, twice I had banks come back and make my buyer agree that they would stick with the offered purchase price even if the home did not appraise. Frankly, I think this stinks. Buyers are forced to bid up on popular properties, and now they must risk that if the appraisal doesn’t come in, they will have to walk away from the property or pay the difference out of pocket. For buyers without a large pool of cash, this in effect will keep them from buying the property. I do understand that some buyers are overbidding and then hoping that the appraisal saves them from their own bad judgment, or sometimes overbidding is just a strategy to win the bid and the buyers try to use the appraisal to bring the price down. And, I believe this is what the bank sellers are trying to curb. But moving the burden onto the homebuyer and away from the large multinational bank seems a little heavy handed to me. Almost everything about buying REOs is already slighted in favor of the banks, so this is just another thing to be concerned about.

    Cash Offers REO sellers do things that ordinary sellers would not usually do. Twice this week I’ve been beat out by substantially lower cash offers. It could be in response to appraisal fears that asset managers are going for the low cash offers. It seems they are either going for the highest or for cash lately. I don’t see the same disadvantage to FHA/VA vs. conventional as I was seeing. Although there are properties where REO sellers say upfront that they don’t want FHA/VA due to condition, etc. This tends to work in the consumers favor though because then they are only bidding against other cash heavy buyers who tend to be more conservative in what they will offer. I did beat out an all cash offer with a slightly higher offer last month, so the jury is still out on this one. And of course, every asset manager makes their decisions differently.

    Closing costs. I’ve seen more banks countering on seller credit for closing costs. This goes hand in hand with their appraisal fears. They see bidding up the price to pay for closing costs as a risk, because if the price is ultimately reduced by an appraisal, the closing cost credit will likely still be there digging into their net. This also places more of a burden on first time home buyers who tend to be cash strapped and need closing cost credit to get into a home.

    Heavy handed REO sellers. Believe it or not, not all REO sellers are horrible. Some actually make repairs and give reasonable contract deadlines. Certainly all the contract addendums are slanted in favor of the REO seller, but not all REO sellers wish to strike an unreasonable deal. Many times, my advice to clients when they get a heavy handed counter offer from an REO seller is to walk away because it shows how the rest of the deal is going to run. Recently, I’ve received counter offers where the REO seller demands various heavy handed measures such as a 3% of the purchase price as a good faith deposit (and for an FHA buyer this is almost their entire minimum down payment amount!), only 5 days for inspections, or a flat out refusal to pay for FHA/VA required repairs. And even though deals are hard to come by in this market, I do believe it is worth leaving unreasonable sellers alone. Each deal is different, but buyers should remember that not every bank will be awful and unfair about lender required repairs or inspections. You can always look for another deal.

    I specialize in helping buyers navigate the REO market. If you would like a list of bank owned properties (REOs) in the Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach or surrounding areas, send an email request to me at tni@mintprop.com. Or give me a buzz at (805) 878-9879 and I will set up a personalized tour of homes for you.

    tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
    Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
    (805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
    www.iLovetheCentralCoast.com
    www.SellMyCentralCoastHome.com
    www.BuyCentralCoastForeclosures.com
    www.CentralCoastRealEstateSearch.com

    *Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Buyers are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice — this blog does not offer legal advice

    I would like to announce a new foreclosure property search on my website: www.BuyCentralCoastForeclosures.com. Potential buyers can search for pre-foreclosure, auction, and bank owned properties. So, you can find information on properties throughout California once they have a Notice of Default (the first step in foreclosure) filed. Some of these properties are already listed as short sales on the local MLS. In some of the cases, the owners are still trying to work out terms for a deed in lieu of foreclosure, catch up on payments, or get a loan modification from the lender. And, if they are successful in working out a loan modification those properties will not hit the retail market for homes. Those that complete the foreclosure process at auction (trustee’s sale) will come back as bank owned properties.

    I specialize in helping people buy short sales and foreclosed properties. If you would like a list of foreclosure properties currently offered for sale, or are interested in listing your home as a short sale, send me an email at tni@mintprop.com, or give me a call at (805) 878-9879.

    tniright_logo1Tni LeBlanc, JD, M.A., e-PRO
    Broker/Owner, Mint Properties
    (805) 878-9879, tni@MintProp.com
    www.iLovetheCentralCoast.com
    www.SellMyCentralCoastHome.com
    www.BuyCentralCoastForeclosures.com
    www.CentralCoastRealEstateSearch.com

  • Based on the information from the Central Coast Regional MLS. Neither the Association, the Multiple Listing Service, or Mint Properties guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
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