Taking Advantage of a 1st-Time Buyer (Or Trying To) First-time Buyers may not know prevailing lender fees — but experienced Realtors do. In that vein, a colleague recently reported that, to his chagrin, he discovered that the lender he referred his client to quoted her lender fees (origination, underwriting, appraisal, etc.) easily double the industry...Read More
“Who Ya Gonna Call?” (When an Offer Comes In) As a Buyer’s agent, how can you tell if the listing agent (representing the Seller) is taking your client’s offer seriously? They call the Buyer’s lender — specifically, the lender on the Buyer’s Pre-Approval letter — and verify key information. Like, whether they’ve previously worked with the...Read More
A: When it’s a short sale You’d think that a Seller who received a full-price offer on their home would automatically say “yes,” and the Buyer and Seller would be well on their way to a consummated deal. And in most situations, you’d be correct. However, with a short sale — that is, a home...Read More
“You Know One When You See One” [Editor’s note: this post is a companion to “Unserious Buyers: Top 10 Signs” and “Is the Buyer Serious? Here’s One Clue“] “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong — but that’s the way to bet.” –Ecclesiastes (with an assist from Damon Runyon)....Read More
Interest Rate Level as Regulator Valve Anyone in the market for a new mortgage — or trying to refinance an existing one — can attest to how volatile interest rates are today. Certainly, one key ingredient is the unprecedented uncertainty in the credit markets. However, another, more recent factor is understaffed lenders. According to local...Read More
Pursuing a Short Sale? Better Be Patient One of the reasons that a “short sale” can be so protracted is all the decision makers involved. For those who aren’t familiar, a short sale is when a listed home is worth less than the mortgage against it. Rather than foreclose, the lender can often do better,...Read More
