1/22/2019

Get Your Offer Accepted


 Why was your offer rejected?

Low ball price

Too long of escrow time frame

Unflexible on closing time frame

Unwilling to release contingencies

Contingent sale of another house

Unknown lender

Unknown Realtor

Unpleasant parties of any sort

You reveal you are an attorney

You reveal negative information


How to fix this:

Have a printed pdf copy of your Pre- approval with few or no conditions with fast close
time frame written as guarantee. Mine say I can close in fifteen days if they need it.

Don't go looking at houses or properties twenty percent higher than what you are pre-approved
for, it will only make you unhappy.

IF prices are too high, expand your expectations, expand the location, shrink up the square footage.

Work with lender and Realtor who are respected in the community.

We can often bridge the loan without making a contingent offer, ask how

Have your polished, sweet, smart Realtor make the offer in person

Make the offer fast and be available to answer counters quickly.

Open your emails, answer texts and phone calls promptly.

Don't fall in love with one house.

Call me (949)  784- 9699

C G

NMLS #324982
CMG Financial

1/16/2019

Down Payment Assistance

v
uyer Guide: Down Payment Assistance

Description

DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE | 
Down payment assistance programs help borrowers who may be unable to afford a down payment secure mortgage financing for a new home. Such programs distribute funds to qualified borrowers to cover the down payment or closing costs. There are over 2,400 homebuyer assistance programs available throughout the United States. Many prospective homebuyers may not be aware of the down payment assistance programs in their local market. As of 2015, RealtyTrac and Down Payment Resource reported that 87% of homes and condos can qualify for down payment assistance. 

Programs vary on a state-to-state and county-to-county basis and provide different repayment options based on the type of loan. Down payment assistance programs are offered by state Housing Finance Agencies (HFA), cities and counties, housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, and even employers. Like other assistance programs, down payment assistance programs may have debt-to-income ratio requirements, income limits, and other variables to qualify. Down payment assistance is not limited to first-time homebuyers or borrowers with low cash reserves. Qualifications vary from market to market. 

While some borrowers, such as first-time home buyers, may benefit from down payment assistance programs, other borrowers are better suited for programs like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and their down payment options. Grants do not usually have to be repaid if the borrower is in the home for a designated period of time. Some down payment assistance programs require repayment, while others have repayment periods that expire. 



What's stopping you from owning a home? 
Introducing the Home in Five Advantage Grant

The Home in Five Advantage Grant is designed specifically for home buyers financing home anywhere in Maricopa County, including the city of Phoenix. Qualifying home buyers can receive a non-repayable down payment/closing cost assistance grant up to 3.5% of the loan amount AND never need to repay this money. 

Home buyer must also qualify for a USDA, FHA, or VA loan. Contact me for a safe, 30 year fixed rate loan with NO prepayment penalty. 

Up to 3.5% of Loan Amount
-2.5%-3.5% of loan amount for qualifying home buyers 
-For a primary residence only
-Must occupy the home within 60 days of purchase
-Home can be anywhere in Maricopa County and Phoenix
-Minimum credit score of 640
-Maximum income of $88,340
-Maximum purchase price of $300,000
-Must attend an 8-hour home buyer education course

1/10/2019

Sell Your House For Top Dollar

how your castle looks





Tips To Sell Your House

Get Top Dollar

DIY the work



Before you list with a Realtor.

Before you think about price this spring. 

It’s time to get your ducks in a row, or flying

into someone else’s clutter pile.
        

             Pick up used cardboard wine boxes or clean used boxes from Bevmo or local liquor store. These are less likely to have an odor or critters that vegetable boxes might carry. Initially you need 10 per room.       
           In my area Amvets and Saint Vincent De Paul picks up donations curbside or in front of your garage. You may also call Salvation Army, Goodwill, Vietnam Vets and Habitat for Humanity for pick up information. Call and schedule pick up for about ten days from today. Give yourself a weekend for the first load. 
          This is a process of loads.
   https://satruck.org/donate/choose  https://goodwill.org https://pickupplease.org/california/ donationtown.org/charity/veterans/        
            Make three piles of everything in each room: a) would die without b) might use it c) don’t know where the other part is/ it is too small/ has a hole I never fixed/ is worn/ is ugly. Take the C piles out to your garage or staging area. Place all the C piles into boxes labelled for pick up outside and let them go.     
How buyers see your house

            You may want to go through the time and effort to plan a garage sale; but expect to sell each of your items for less than a dollar. This is a good way to get rid of furniture and large items you are hanging on to in the garage.  Run a free add in Craigslist – no phone number, do not say you are moving. Run a free ad in whatever you might. Make 15 cardboard signs which have direction arrows and brief address. The purpose of the garage sale is to recycle items. Take any offers they give you. If you have the item ready to sell it’s better to get fifty cents than donate as our tax donations are now deeply limited. DO NOT allow anyone in your home. Do not tell them personal information.  Have twenty+  one dollar bills and a roll of quarters for change. Don’t take any bills over twenty dollars. Wear clothing with pockets and keep change on your body.               
           Okay now you removed a little bit of the clutter. Don’t put everything back yet.

        Get painting quotes to repaint the walls all one neutral color. I’m not saying Navaho White but a cream/ beige/ off white/ dove gray or such that blends with your flooring.

        Scrub inside of everything. You now have clothing and pots and pans in the middle of the room. Start the deep clean from inside out. Scrub behind the refrigerator. Use de-greaser on the stove and under the stove. You need a gallon of cheap white vinegar, a couple big boxes of baking soda, a gallon of no drip bleach, 40 rags half of which should be microfiber rags, two 5-gallon buckets, a squeegee, Mrs. Meyer's vegetable-protein-based Clean Day Countertop Spray or Siege Premium Kitchen Degreaser.  You might prefer a product that cuts through faster but make sure you have all the windows open and a fan running as old-fashioned oven cleaner gets the gunk off but is not good for your lungs. Every surface should be clean. Wait to do mirrors, windows and glass surfaces last. Vacuum twice. 

            Rent a carpet cleaner the big blue commercial one from Home Depot but plan this in advance it’s a whole day ordeal. Since you are renting by the hour get the house set up Before you rent. Move or stack furniture on the not carpeted areas. P the store brand.

Clean all areas once. Rinse the gross water out of the machine. It’s a good idea to set up some box fans to speed the drying process. The fumes from the wet carpet are not healthy. Imagine that brown water evaporating. Now time to rinse the carpet. Clean out the carpet cleaner get all the gunk out of it. Fill with very hot water and a cup of white vinegar. Clean all the carpet a second time as a rinse load. Allow to dry. Put old towels down on walk ways. Did it come clean enough or must be replaced?          


           Second purge. No not as gory as the movie series. The house is getting into shape. Return clothing you wear for work and important daily wears neatly into to closets and drawers. Shirts are folded in threes with the chest up. Hangers all face the same way. Think military creases.

           Okay now we have the B items. Put these in boxes. 
           
           Get the painter in or take on this job yourself. Paint is cheap but the most vital improvement you can invest to sell your house. Every man who came into my house frowned at the girly French country sentimental feeling (which I loved). Your wallpaper choice, your purple child’s room or sunny yellow kitchen triggers is a decision maker. Do I hate on this flocked gold wallpaper? Do I despise the boho chic lamps? This is where their mind goes. Strip and steam off the wallpaper. 

         Next is repairs. Make a list. You know where the rusty hose bib sits, the musty closet, the broken hinge waits; but, after a while it all becomes a project for later or character of the house. Time to get the ticker list and a handyman to order all the parts and spend a day repairing all the visible imperfections and things you put off fixing. If you are brave start watching YouTube videos on how to replace or rewind your garbage disposal. Even if you start and leave it to the handyman, you learned something. 

          Okay now you are going to sort the B items. Some will be mementos, photographs, holiday ornaments, religious items, and costume jewelry. Box those up for storage. Box up all your jewelry except what you will wear every day and medications for storage as well. Only keep the thirty-day supply of medication y below one percent a year, or something better you are getting your load light to move and maximizing price of your home. 

          Do you have a creative friend? The friend whose house looks perfect and they always have their outfit right. Invite them for dinner and free advice. He/she may tell you to discard some more items. Go put them in the garage. Surfaces of counters should have three items. What you say – what about my collections? The collections go into storage. My son had a collection of 400 match box cars dating from 1953 and many were stolen during open houses and heaven knows by whom during the last home sale I went through.  

          Power wash the exterior of the home. Power washing may reveal you need to paint the exterior. can you get away with only painting the front door? 

          Yard clean up, Trim back everything. Clean out dead branches. Open views and light to windows. Order a load of mulch (cheaper direct from yard by a truck than by the bag but dragging the bags is easier than a wheelbarrow -you decide) The mulch will come in a week or so after you finish the clean-up. Did your do g leave holes in the grass? Buy a bag of rye grass or suitable grass seed for your climate zone and lawn type and re-seed all the holes. Scratch the dirt surface, sprinkle seed, cover with a little dirt and mulch and keep it wet. Every new spot you will be patching up. Where  I live there are two wholesale plant supply depots. Find yours. Plan to plant one color to accent the exterior color of the home.

          I didn’t say you must repaint but how does it look? I can’t tell you the magic flower bed color, this depends on what is available, season and color of your exterior. Send me a photo of the front of your home, I’ll tell you the colors. Spruce up yourself. Go to a mortgage banker and have them run your credit and income to see what you can buy down or up. 
           Call me I do this for free and help you get that FICO higher to get the best rate.
           You have time. Let’s do this. 
           Call me (949) 784- 9699

          Next stage is another post. After you got the house all pretty how to search for the best Realtor, how to save money on closing, how to find your next home.

                       

1/03/2019

Mortgage Interest Rates Down Time to Refinance

Mortgage Interest Rates are Down
Overall lower from 2018
Let's save you money on your monthly payments

Call to find out how or apply on my website 24/7
(949) 784- 9699

Stock Market Volatility is a Wild Card

Get your information ready and save some money


MARKET NEWS
  • The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed a 1.7% increase in job openings in October, still near August’s record high. Job openings reached 7.079 million, hirings are also up 3.4% to a level of 5.893 million.
  • The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) small business optimism index declined 2.6 points to a level of 104.8, a seven-month low. No components increased, only two were unchanged, and eight declined. The drop in sentiment was driven by negative outlook on expectations of the economy to improve.
  • Mortgage activity reacted to the recent drop in mortgage rates again for the week ending 12/7. New purchase applications are up 3.0% and refinance applications are up 2.0% for a composite increase of 1.6%.
  • In November, the consumer price index was unchanged month-over-month and up 2.2% year-over-year. The softer reading may be due to falling gas prices. Excluding food and energy costs, the index was up 0.2% month-over-month and up the same 2.2% annual rate.
  • For the week ending 12/8, initial jobless claims fell 27,000 to a level of 206,000. Continuing claims increased to a level of 1.66 million, still near the lowest level since 1972.
  • Retail sales are up 0.2% month-over-month, driven by spending at e-commerce and traditional big-box retailers. Excluding gas and auto spending, retail sales are up 0.5% month-over-month.

C G Barbeau
NMLS #324982
CMG FINANCCIAL

California