If the Listing Agent is 450 Miles Away … Run … Do Not Walk … To the Next Listing! (edit/delete)

If the Listing Agent is 450 Miles Away … Run … Do Not Walk … To the Next Listing!

It closed!

Thanks to the Real Estate gods and a very patient buyer … our, “Must Close in 30 Days” Bank Owned Home in Carson City, Nevada finally crawled to a screeching close 89 days after our offer was accepted.

• Nothing from the initial showing to the final close was user friendly in this transaction!
• No Code! Can’t get into the house because no one at the “Service Number” knows the procedure and the Listing agent doesn’t belong to our MLS so he doesn’t need to comply with our Lock Box standards. How hard is it anyway to put the code into MLS? We made three trips to see the house before we got in!
• Next … the pleasure of presenting the offer on a special website that doesn’t function and won’t update.
• Goody … A listing agent, 450 miles away, who has no idea what is going on because everything is handled through a “Servicer” 3,000 miles to the east of both of us.
• Every phone call to the listing agent is answered by an obnoxious voice mail that gives me 49 steps to solve every problem except the one that I’m actually calling about.
• A "Never Ending" three week procedure to turn on the utilities so that we can get the inspections that we only had 7 days to complete in the first place.
• Extension #1 … Need to extend the closing due to the giant "Pad Lock" on the Garage door to “Secure” the property. No one remotely connected to the “Lock” has a clue to the location of the key. My solution … I cut it off! Three week extension done!
• Extension #2 … Seller fails to send the Power of Attorney to the Title Company so that the new lender will approve the loan! Two weeks of intense email and phone communication to get this accomplished. The “Servicer” actually called me one morning to inquire … “Why is the Buyer not ready to close?
• DUH!!! The Buyer is NOT the problem!
• Loan Approved! Yeah! Almost!
• Buyer’s lock is ticking. They are anticipating a wonderful “move in” experience ... finally! Docs are signed, funding is poised … All we need is the Seller’s Escrow instructions and deed!
• Drum roll please! … We Wait … and We Wait … and We Wait!
• Extension #3 to our 30 Day Close! No Docs! … No Close!
• Two days after the second 10 extension expired we got a email from the Servicer that the “Closing Documents” had been sent and that we should expect them the following Monday. (Kind of a "Fib") ... to put it nicely ... they were never sent!
• Surprise … not really … On Thursday of the following week ( three days after our extension EXPIRED) we finally got a tracking number for Fed Ex that showed the closing docs were picked up THURSDAY Morning for Friday delivery (not to mention 3 days past our expired extension)! Ok, as Long as they get here we can live with that!
• Friday … full of anticipation after 89 days of trying to buy a house with a 30 day close … the Fed Ex Arrives … the deed arrives … the escrow instructions … DO NOT ARRIVE!
• OMG!
• Another flurry of frantic emails and phone calls! How the heck can we close without the escrow instruction? Well … due to the herculean efforts of a fantastic Escrow Officer, Rischell Thompson of First American Title … we got them via email, we closed, and the Buyers got their house!

My final email of the day from the listing agent … “The Signed Extension for Closing This Home Next Week Attached."

Give me a break! We deserve battle pay! Our business has gone beyond reality to insane.

If the Listing Agent is 450 Miles Away … Run … Do Not Walk … To the Next Listing!


When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs ... Experience is Priceless! Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-5472 carsonvalleyland@hotmail.com, www.carsonvalleyland.com

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When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs ... Experience is Priceless! Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-5472 carsonvalleyland@hotmail.com, www.carsonvalleyland.com

Here are a few of our blog posts ... please enjoy!

The Unsinkable Volunteer Spirit in Northern Nevada Equals A Continued Demand In Our Local Real Estate Market!

The Weeds Keep Growing in Carson Valley, Nevada

Back to School in Lyon County Nevada

Back to School in Carson City, Nevada

Back to School in Douglas County Nevada

Skunks and Chickens ... A Lesson in Private Property Rights!

Passion ... Inspiration ... What Is Your Why?

The Nevada Homestead Exemption Act

Douglas Pop Warner Little Scholars Awards Three Scholarships to Graduating Seniors in Carson Valley

You Really Don't Have to Be A Jerk! ... More Tales From The Trenches!

Maximizing Your Price As a Home Seller In Today's Market!

How To Be A Good Real Estate Buyer

What is You "Investional" Fortitude?

Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine are the authors of this blog. Lisa, Jim and Jessie are experts in Carson Valley , Carson City and the tri-county area of Douglas County, Carson City and Lyon County. Call our team anytime at 775-781-5472 or 775-781-3704. To Search for Homes go to: Carson Valley Listing Book or visit our website at www.CarsonValleyLand.com

Northern Nevada Short Sales vs. New Short Sale Rules

Northern Nevada Short Sales vs. New Short Sale Rules

New Short Sale guidelines were just released for the Homes Made Affordable, HAFA, program. They take effect on February 1st, and loan servicers have been encouraged to implement them as soon as possible. The HAFA program was originally instituted to help expedite the Short Sale process, but the results have been abysmal. The new changes are intended to change those results.

The new guidelines are quite varied, each addressing a weakness in the system. Interestingly, the Loan Servicers are no longer required to verify a borrower’s financial information to determine if the total monthly loan payments exceed 31% of the borrower’s monthly gross income, but they must verify the borrower’s hardship. Each Servicer may include a requirement on their own that borrowers provide updated financial information. Another significant change is that there is no longer a minimum distance requirement for how far a Borrower moved to cause a problem holding the property. Also, the Borrower’s reason for relocation does not need to be connected to re-employment or transfer of employment.

The property must be or must have recently been the Borrower’s primary residence. Now a property that has been vacant or rented to a non-borrower for less than 12 months prior to the date of the Short Sale Agreement is eligible. The 6% cap for payments to each subordinate lien holder has been removed. The Servicer can determine the amount or percentage of the unpaid lien that will be paid to each subordinate lien holder up to a point where a $6,000 aggregate cap has been reached.

The lender must communicate an approval, disapproval, or counter within 30 days of receipt of an executed sales contract. This should help reduce the number of Buyers that walk away out of frustration with past delays. The Servicer may not charge vendor fees against the listing broker’s commission. Also, the real estate commission paid shall be the amount indicated on the listing agreement, not to exceed 6%.

The HAFA program does not apply to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, or USDA (Farm Home Loan) loans. Servicers are not required to implement the new terms to any loan reported via the HAMP Reporting Tool, or for a borrower already determined ineligible for HAFA, but they are allowed to reevaluate borrowers using these guidelines.

Our Advice: Short Sales constitute 30%, or more, of the Northern Nevada Real Estate Market right now. Short Sale nightmares are real, but many go through just fine with minimal hassle, just a lot of hard work on the part of your agent. Don’t decide whether or not you are going to sell or buy a home that is selling short based on what you’ve read or heard. Take your specific situation to your agent and discuss it thoroughly. Many factors come in to play including the lender involved, the property value perceived by the investor, the Sellers circumstances, Buyer’s circumstances, and more. These new changes will have a positive impact on the success probability of many potential Short Sale properties. Check it out – you might find great results for your situation, both Buyers and Sellers.

More rule changes to make things better? Time will tell. We’ll see if the fine tuning gets the job done. When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs … Experience is Priceless! Lisa Wetzel & Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-5472. carsonvalleyland@hotmail.com, www.carsonvalleyland.com

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Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine are the authors of this blog. Lisa, Jim and Jessie are experts in Carson Valley , Carson City and the tri-county area of Douglas County , Carson City and Lyon County. Call our team anytime at 775-781-5472 or 775-781-3704. To Search for Homes go to: Carson Valley Listing Book or visit our website at www.CarsonValleyLand.net or www.CarsonValleyLand.com

Measuring Square Footage

Measuring Square Footage

Homes in Northern Nevada are generally sold on the basis of Square Footage. In other areas emphasis is put on “rooms”, how many rooms are in a house. We feel that can be misleading as room sizes differ with the property. You can have different sized bedrooms or dining rooms offering dramatically different utility of the home. The total Square Footage under roof, however, gives one a good idea of the extent of the living area improvements. If there is enough minimum square footage the Buyers can look at the floor plan, how the home is laid out and how it will work for their intended use.

With square footage being so important, it is critical to get accurate measurements. This can be easier said than done on some properties where the property can be measured by the Assessor, Agent, Owner, Appraiser, or Buyer and you may end up with five different measurements. The difference isn’t always in the math, it can be a sag in a measuring tape, a fraction that is treated differently, a mistaken interior garage wall location determination, etc.

Understanding how a home is measured is critical. All measurements are from the outside of the house. When determining Square Footage the agents are seeking to establish the “Living Area”. Living area is space intended for human occupancy, a definition which helps to understand why there are minimum height requirements, requirements for a finished interior, that it be directly accessible from other living area, and that it be heated by a conventional, permanent heating system.

It sounds simple, but there will be discrepancies on how a tape measure is read, conversions from inches to decimals, how to treat a bay window (to be included it must have a floor and a height of 7 feet according to some standards), and bonus rooms over garage with sloped ceiling (slope can’t meet the floor, height at least 5 feet, at least half of room with minimum height of 7 feet), and second story of a two story open foyer (should be excluded from square footage – is good cubic footage which applies to utility and aesthtics, but not square footage.) Beware, too, of above and below grade value differentiation, separate guest quarters being included in the main dwelling Square Footage, and the “bonus” room language. Commonly called a bonus room because it isn’t a family or living room and is extra Square Footage of good utility, a bonus. It is not a true “bonus”, however, as in “something in addition to what’s expected”- you are paying for it.

Our Advice: It is important to understand this as in our area Square Footage is second only to Location as a contributing factor in making a home buying decision. Not only does Square Footage assist in the preliminary determination of a home meeting a Buyer’s space needs, it also provides an easy means to estimate a home’s value using comparable property sales. Make sure you understand where the Square Footage you are relying on came from. Many local agents use Assessor’s Office figures when listing properties. Those were measured by professional appraisers and are usually accurate unless the home has been modified. If the size is being determined from plans understand that the as-built product can differ from the plans. One should always measure for peace of mind.

Confused? Hire an appraiser to measure, not appraise, your home. Have some fun – measure your home and do the math. See how close you get. Good luck!

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs … Experience is Priceless! Lisa Wetzel & Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-5472. carsonvalleyland@hotmail.com, www.carsonvalleyland.com

New How-To Home Buying Videos were just release at the National Association of Realtors

New How-To Home Buying Videos were just release at the National Association of Realtors

Three new how-to home buying videos were just released at the National Association of Realtors Convention in New Orleans. HUD produced the three consumer education videos in coordination with NAR. The videos help educate the consumer on shopping for a home they can afford, a mortgage they can sustain, and what to expect when its time to close escrow.

“Educating consumers about the home buying process is at the heart of what Realtors® do,” said 2010 National Association of Realtors® President Vicki Cox Golder at the video release announcement. “Informed home buyers create the conditions necessary for responsible, sustainable home ownership, and we’re very happy to be a part of this project.” Here’s a summary of the three videos:

Shopping for your Home – The home buying process begins with finding a place you’ll want to call home. This video instructs viewers on assessing how much of a home they can afford, how to work with a real estate agent and what happens once they find the home they want to buy.

Shopping for your Loan – Once you’ve found the right home, the next step is to shop for a loan. This video helps consumers use the good faith estimate (GFE), a form that spells out the terms of a loan offer, to shop for the best loan for them. Consumers learn how to use the GFE to determine how long an interest rate is available for a particular loan and how to identify key loan terms and costs of a particular loan offer.

Closing the Deal – This video walks consumers through the actual closing process including how to make sure the loan they were offered closely matches what they receive. Of particular interest, HUD will walk the viewer through the HUD-1 Settlement Statement and demonstrate ways for the consumer to compare their actual costs with those on their Good Faith Estimate.

The videos are accessible from both HUD and NAR’s websites. Additionally, HUD has a youtube site that is easy to use, www.youtube.com/HUDchannel. They are free, informative, and could make a difference to you in your home buying process. Check them out. All it takes is one good bit of information that helps you in your home buying undertaking to make the time worth your while.

Our Advice: First time home Buyers will find these videos informative and helpful. During the release announcement, a HUD spokesman said, “These videos go a long way in identifying key aspects of the home buying process that a consumer should be aware of. Our goal is help make the process more transparent through educating consumers who in turn can make informed choices about their home purchase. We partnered with NAR because a real estate agent is often the primary point of contact for homebuyers and we believe real estate agents are in a great position to provide these videos to their clients as they move through key areas in the home buying process.”

Between the videos and your good agent you’ll have a more informed and therefore a more confident, pleasing experience. So pop some popcorn to watch the videos with, and get ready to buy a house! Prices and rates are great! These are the good ole days – don’t miss out.

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs… Experience is Priceless! Lisa Wetzel & Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-5472. carsonvalleyland@hotmail.com, www.carsonvalleyland.com

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Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine are the authors of this blog. Lisa, Jim and Jessie are experts in Carson Valley , Carson City and the tri-county area of Douglas County , Carson City and Lyon County. Call our team anytime at 775-781-5472 or 775-781-3704. To Search for Homes go to: Carson Valley Listing Book or visit our website at www.CarsonValleyLand.net or www.CarsonValleyLand.com

As A Home Buyer in Northern Nevada ... Keep Your Eye On The Goal !

As A Home Buyer in Northern Nevada ... Keep Your Eye On The Goal !

Real estate is personal, it's about what your wants and needs are. Despite what you read, see, or hear in the media, or at the water cooler, be sure to understand that those comments may, or may not, apply to you. What do really want? If we all had the same wants we'd all drive the same car, wear the same clothes, and live in the same two story home.

Your real estate endeavors are really about you ... and only you. It doesn't matter what your neighbor did, or what somebody in Timbuktu did, it's about your wants and needs and your ability to achieve them. Think about it - you meet with your agent and tell them what you want. Sometimes you tell them what you need, but do you ever tell them what you really want ... your dreams? Isn't your goal to live your dream? Share your optimum goals with your agent, how you envision your life in your new home, and how your life will be. You will be amazed how much quicker your dreams will become reality.

This applies to Sellers as well as Buyers. As you contemplate your sales process, consider the probability of your sale, how your move will go, and the benefits afforded to you by the sale of your property. Forget the price that you didn't get four years ago, what counts now is what you are doing now. If your goal was to sell then you would have. If your goal is to sell now ... you will. Look past price ... to your real goal in selling. The bigger/smaller house, new neighborhood, or the debt relief. Whatever it is, it will be, if you focus on what it is you really want to result from your sale.

Your agent will find you a property, or get yours sold, in accordance with your desires. It is important that you know what those are and that you convey them to your agent. A good mix of your input with the services and perspective of a good agent can produce miracles. Think about the details of your vision - the dog pen, the color of the granite, the neighbors, the flowers, cash in pocket before you move out, clean inspections, friendly counterpart in the transaction - Buyer or Seller, etc. Don't get paralyzed by the minutia causing you to miss a good opportunity, but likewise, don't be surprised if it becomes a reality in your life because your had it as a goal. If you have twenty specific items that you want in your new home, or in the sales process of your present home, and you get eighteen of them, you are much better off than if you had three and got two. You are truly getting much more of what you want in your life, achieving more of your personal goals.

Our advice: The only thing that counts in a real estate transaction is you ... your wants and needs. As you look at the real estate market, be sure to consider what you are looking to achieve before you respond to rumors, media goings on, and your neighbors' experience or philosophy. Despite the many media stories, neighbors' hype, or any other influencing factor that may cause you to make an emotional decision, be strong and steady in your decisions for your real estate benefit. Your agent will help you with perspective, but your agent isn't living in the house you are buying or selling. Take the information, process it, and live for you.

There are many factors that affect your ultimate happiness. Prioritize them and work towards those most impactive on you. Decide accordingly and you'll be happy with the results.

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs... Experience is Priceless! Lisa Wetzel & Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-5472. carsonvalleyland@hotmail.com , www.carsonvalleyland.com

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Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine are the authors of this blog. Lisa, Jim and Jessie are experts in Carson Valley , Carson City and the tri-county area of Douglas County , Carson City and Lyon County. Call our team anytime at 775-781-5472 or 775-781-3704. To Search for Homes go to: Carson Valley Listing Book or visit our website at www.CarsonValleyLand.com