Choosing A Mortgage Broker

Just some advice for when your choosing a mortgage broker to purchase your new place. I would strongly suggest getting a referral either from your agent (me) or a friend. I would strongly suggest not to do an online deal with a person who you have never meet and hasn't even set foot in the state your wishing to purchase a home in. I have seen people go online get approved for a loan and the broker gave them a preaproval letter with the hopes that he could actually get it done. This broker has nothing to lose if he can't follow through on his commitment to you so he just crosses his fingers and hopes for the best. You see if he is in California for instance and your here in Kentucky and he messes your deal all up its fine for him. Because he has no ties to Kentucky and you can tell everyone you know that Joe in California did a terrible job on your mortgage.

However if you choose to use someone local they depend on your referrals and have a knowledge of the local market. They know who all the good closing attorneys are (Colleen Balderson) and can even give you directions to her office. They know if they do a poor job for you then that could really hurt their business to have a local agent and a local home buyer telling all their friends about their poor performance. Not so with some stranger in an entire different time zone.

Its Warming Up!

Its no tropical heatwave outside or anything but the snow has melted and the sun has been out some and houses are starting to move! The weather is finally bearable and people are getting out and looking at houses. I have four buying clients right now that are keeping me busy and I really think that they will all be in their new homes in the next couple of months.

Traditionally summer and spring are the hot times for Real Estate but with the government issued tax credits I think late winter should be a big hit. Before we knew the tax credit would be extended we really saw a busy fall with people rushing to beat the November 31st deadline. Now that it has been extended on to April 30Th I can see another big push coming shortly. You may want to consider listing your house before you miss out on this buying frenzy!

Preferred Vender's

In the upper left hand corner I will be posting links of preferred vender's. I'm still working it out but it should be a big help to some of you clients and make the closing of your home go much smoother. Sorry about the lack of post lately but I plan to be picking up the slack soon.

Lease Option

I have an exucutive home listed in a the highlands area that is offered for $399,999 or you can lease the property for $2,300 a month. It has five bedrooms and 3,650 square feet of living space the kitchen has been refinished and its move in ready.

To List or Not to List.

Lots of people I have talked to are waiting until the holiday season is over before they put their house on the market. The mindset is that the next month or two of the calender year is just a dead period that no one ever buys or sells in. But I'm here to tell you that, that's not always the case. I have sold several houses this season and know people are still out looking. Lots of times people that are thinking of moving to the area are doing so to be closer to family. They are often out looking at houses while they are in town visiting family for the holidays. With the $6,500 tax credit for home sellers ending in April, time is of the essence. So my advice to you is get your home ready for the market and get it listed before you miss out on the tax credit and miss out on a rare market that has a selling season extending on into the holidays.

Doing Fine in 2009

Even though 25% of Realtors have left the business during the recession, I'm still doing fine. I am on pace to match last years sells and am building my business more and more every day.

I'm really excited about the new tax credits and think that they could really help move some houses. This could be the best time in history to buy a home. With the combination of low rates, free money and tons of deals to be had.

Tax Credit Info

This guy couldn't be more pumped about Obama wanting to hand out everyone free money. The are three different tax credits that you may qualify for if you are considering purchasing or selling a home in Kentucky.

• The $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, this bill has been extended until April 2010 so if you weren't able to take advantage of it first time then here is your chance at redemption.
• Now if you are selling a home that you have lived in for 5 years or more than you are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit when your home sells.
• The one very few people know about is the $5,000 tax credit for anyone who purchases a house that has never been lived in. This offer comes from the state of Kentucky's revenue department and can not be used with the $8,000 from the U.S government.

If you have any questions about the credits or want to buy or sell a home. Please give me a call at any time!