Realtor Choice

Just sharing the cards and requests for listing appointments.
Blue seems to be the predominant print color for real estate
branding. Head shots for women vary but for men it's a
three quarter view in a dark suit.

Four agents mailed multiple personalized letters which
arrive weekly. A few dropped notes on my doorstep.
The most effective were those who asked if they
could make an appointment.

Since I am in a related business for now thirty years,
as a mortgage banker and loan officer I
know many agents on a personal level.
What I wanted from a listing agent:
One with largest internet presence
One who will pay for and run advertisements
One who has large social media platform to share
One who is honest, clear, kind, and smart.
One who likes dogs (I have an elderly Golden Retriever
dog, Great Pyrenees and a naughty chihuahua).
One who won't put a lock box on the house, I have
valuables and I want some monitoring of who goes in.
One who will do a large broker preview and one open house.
One who writes a perfect contract, or has staff who can.
One who will negotiate and represent the property as
if it was their own.
Communicates timely, doesn't text, knows the market,
doesn't gossip, has joyful heart, and sells this property
for full price

Bank of America

number one complaint: offers low rate that they don't deliver

Client goes into B of A to wire escrow deposit (earnest money), the cost of $30 dollars for the wire is waived if they speak with the B of A loan hack. 

Kept the loan after a long talk, where client felt they couldn’t leave the branch, felt cornered by this young guy.

Moral, have them set up a wire without going into the bank.

MY answer:

Listing agent won't accept an offer from Bank of America

because they never close on time, the appraisal comes in

low, and they don't answer the phone when things go wrong.

Even in this market where lenders are fighting for deals and

laying off processors we close deals in fifteen days. 

Bank employees don't have a full set of products. 

Pack for Hiking

Going hiking?

Be prepared
Be a good
boy scout
girl scout
adult hiker
pack smart

1.compass
as GPS doesn't always work
2. Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen,
3. first aid that includes a knife,
a heavy bandage, antiseptic
4. flashlight and extra batteries
5. fresh water
6. backpack that's water resistant
7. extra dry light weight foods
8. GREAT boots
9. extra socks and layers
10. knife/ hatchet
11. water proof matches and a flint

Iceland view

Community Property States

For property located in community property States, we don’t pull credit and include liabilities for the borrower’s non purchasing spouse, and we don’t have to.  Where the subject is in a community property State, you do.  But, there’s a catch.  If a married non-occupant co-borrower lives in a community property state, even though the subject property is not in a community property state, you do need to pull the non-occupant borrower’s non purchasing spouse’s credit and also include those liabilities in the debt to income ratios.

Here is a list of the 9 community property States:

Arizona.

California.

Idaho.

Louisiana.

Nevada.

New Mexico.

Texas.

Washington.

Wisconsin

Other things to know 

In community property state the non borrowing spouse has to sign and be notarized that they acknowledge they are not part of the real estate transaction, for cash out refinance, for rate and term refinance or purchase transaction.

Marriage is a blanket over real estate in community property states. Do not assume that you can buy, sell or refinance without his or her verified signature. Lenders have ways to verify your marital status. Don' get stuck after you released contingency on a real estate transaction only to find you need your spouse to cooperate. 

wishing well