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Gifts and Grants can be considered towards borrowers funds on certain 3% down conventional loans
Yes, you read that right. I just got an email today from a leading mortgage insurance company that is willing to underwrite this loan. You will need at 740 or better score. But, what an opportunity. In many ways, this is like FHA, but with a little higher credit threshold. The KEY difference, besides credit score, is the lack of an upfront MI (mortgage insurance) premium and as well as a smaller... [Read more]
Purchase 80/10/10 and 80/5/15 STILL exists
As of this post, the 80/10/10 and 80/5/15 can still be done. While underwriting has allowed it, it has been very difficult to find a second mortgage product that would write a 5 or 10% second mortgage. Well, after many phone calls, we have sourced two lenders who at this time are willing to offer the second mortgage. One is a bank and the other is a credit union. As with EVERY program, the rules... [Read more]
What Is Your Home Worth Today?
I found a cool resource at http://www.FHFA.gov. If you go there, in the middle of the page you will find something called the Home Price Calculator. You input your home purchase information in terms of State, quarter in which you purchased and the quarter in which you’d like to get the valuation. Next, you hit calculate, and it will show you a chart. While it isn’t specific to YOUR... [Read more]
Did you know-Current & Future Housing Data
Watch this video-then call me to help you buy or sell a new home or investment property. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
8 Tips For Finding Your New Home
A solid game plan can help you narrow your homebuying search to find the best home for you. House hunting is just like any other shopping expedition. If you identify exactly what you want and do some research, you’ll zoom in on the home you want at the best price. These eight tips will guide you through a smart homebuying process. 1. Know thyself Understand the type of home that suits your personality.... [Read more]
4 Tips to Determine How Much Mortgage You Can Afford
By knowing how much mortgage you can handle, you can ensure that home ownership will fit in your budget. Here are six surefire ways you can get your finances in order before you buy a home. Homeownership should make you feel safe and secure, and that includes financially. Be sure you can afford your home by calculating how much of a mortgage you can safely fit into your budget. Instead of just taking... [Read more]
Two Special Twin Cities Home Buying Programs
One program is called FPP-Foreclosure Partnership Program, and the other is NSP2 Homebuyer Assistance Program. Both programs offer incentive money for a purchase. I can use these financing programs with one of our mortgage investors. Consider checking them out to see if they’d work for you. HennipenCounty-Non-forclosedHomes-overview HennipenCounty-Nsp2-overview Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Relocation To Minneapolis Or Saint Paul
Check out this very cool video by Positively Minnesota. They highlight just some of the reasons to relocate here. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Rebuilding Credit To Get A Mortgage
Often, especially in this market due to the recession, we find potential home buyers who have had a life event or “bump in the road” that affects their ability to obtain a new loan. If you want to buy a home, you will have to have a certain number of reporting trade lines and for certain length of time. MOST mortgage programs require 3-5 trade lines and a minimum of two years of reporting.... [Read more]
Buying Rental Property In The Twin Cities
Have you ever wanted to own rental property, but were unsure where to start? I teach a class on the topic. I’ve decided to make the outline into a PPT. I cover the information in my class in much more depth and breadth, but this will give you a lot of useful information. If you are interested in discussing purchasing a rental property as an investment, just give me a call and we can set... [Read more]
Mortgage Insurance May Still Be Deductible For Some Buyers
Yipee-It looks like mortgage insurance will remain deductible for some home buyers. When we look buying a home, you need to consider all aspects. One main one is mortgage financing. There are ways around mortgage insurance by doing split loans-like and 80/10/10 for example or LPMI-which stands for lender paid mortgage insurance-which means the interest rate is higher. Rather than confuse the matter... [Read more]
Is There An Opportunity Right In Front Of YOU
I just watched an amazing video which I’ve posted below called the Money Tree. There are so many different interpretations. One that struck me was that people are oblivious to opportunity that is right in front of them. How many of us are looking for something that we already have or is within our reach? How many people are NOT buying real estate today when they could be looking at this... [Read more]
Learn About Waconia Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City Website : http://www.waconia.org/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Medina Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City website : http://www.ci.medina.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Spring Park Minnesota
Here is their city site: http://www.springpark.govoffice.com Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Mound Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City website : http://www.cityofmound.com/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About St Michael Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City website : http://www.ci.st-michael.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About New Brighton Minnesota
Learn About New Brighton Minnesota Here is a Link to the City website : http://www.ci.new-brighton.mn.us/index.asp?Type=NONE&SEC={9AB8D9BF-8CC1-4BA5-B53B-9B882C4BB2D3} Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn about Buffalo Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City Website : http://www.ci.buffalo.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
December Is The Time To Reflect
Are each of us doing all we can to make the world a better place? Many of us have our favorite charity and organizations we support. RE/MAX is a very large sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network. Many people don’t realize how much has been given. Each time I sell a home, I automatically donate a portion of my commission to this organization. Other RE/MAX agents like myself contribute... [Read more]
Learn About Apple Valley Minnesota
This site provides information about demographics, the parks, a link to the school district websites, a link to the Minnesota Zoo website, and other links that would be useful to a new resident. The website is www.cityofapplevalley.org Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Prior Lake
Prior Lake has grown by leaps and bounds. It has rural properties and major developments. It has beautiful land and home to major parks like Murphy Hanrehan Park. Here is a Link to the City of Prior Lake website : http://www.cityofpriorlake.com/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Shakopee Minnesota
While you are there, don’t forget to stop out at the casino for the buffet and a chance to win some money Here is a Link to the City of Shakopee website : http://www.ci.shakopee.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Excelsior Minnesota
Here is a Link to the city of Excelsior website : http://www.ci.excelsior.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Oakdale Minnesota
Here is a link to the City of Oakdale website : http://www.ci.oakdale.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Deephaven Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City of Deepaven Website : http://www.cityofdeephaven.org/index.htm Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn More About So St Paul Minnesota
I lived there when I was a young lad. Nice town, solid people. My grandparents lived there for 85 years until he passed. Here is a Link to the City of South St. Paul website : http://www.southstpaul.org/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Chanhassen Minnesota
Home to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater and much more! Here is a Link to the city of Chanhassen website : http://www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn More About West St Paul MN
Right next to So St Paul and St Paul is West St Paul. Some of the best Mexican food can be found there. One of our favorite restaurants is a place called Boca Chica. Mighty Tasty and highly recommended. Here is a link to the City of West St. Paul website : http://www.ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Minnetonka MN
Here is a link to the city website: http://www.eminnetonka.com/about_minnetonka.cfm Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Eagan MN
Here is a Link to the City of Eagan Website as well as some shortcuts they have made available. http://www.ci.eagan.mn.us/live/default.asp Friendly URLs/Shortcuts: www.cityofeagan.com/AdultSports www.cityofeagan.com/BuildingInspections www.cityofeagan.com /CedarGroveRedevelopment www.cityofeagan.com/CedarGroveRFP www.cityofeagan.com /CityCouncil www.cityofeagan.com /Commissions www.cityofeagan.com... [Read more]
Learn About Brooklyn Park MN
The link for the city website is http://www.brooklynpark.org/ Here is a link for a Video Tour of the City http://www.elocallink.tv/clients3/mn/brooklynpark/tourplay.php?movie=broomn10wel_rev2_iwd&spon=welcome Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Hopkins MN
Here is a Link for a Video Tour of the City of Hopkins http://www.elocallink.tv/clients3/mn/hopkins/tourplay.php?movie=homn_wel_rev2&spon=welcome Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Plymouth MN
Plymouth has lots of parks and a wide variety of housing. http://plymouthmn.gov/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn about Savage Minnesota
Savage is conveniently located just across the river. Visit http://www.cityofsavage.com to access their city website information. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About St Louis Park
St Louis Park homes are pretty affordable and offer a good value within the marketplace. Here is a Link to the City of St. Louis Park website : http://www.stlouispark.org/ Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Learn About Chaska Minnesota
Here is a Link to the City of Chaska website : http://www.chaskamn.com/ Here is a Link for a video Tour Guide of the City http://www.elocallink.tv/clients3/mn/chaska/tourplay.php?movie=chamnwel_rev1_iwd&spon=welcome&type=wh&flver=10&brver=6 Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Getting Ready to Sell Your House
While most experts see little good news in 2011’s housing market, economic downturn is no reason to neglect maintenance on a home or lose sight of future plans to relocate. The critical issue is planning intelligently for what spending you do now to make sure it’s worth your money later. And even if your plan to sell your property is more than a year away, it’s not a bad idea to get your finances... [Read more]
Learn about Richfield Minnesota
Richfield is one of the best values in the Twin Cities. Central to everything, Richfield is a progressive and very affordable community. Here are some links provided by the city that will help acquaint you with Richfield Minnesota. http://www.facebook.com/CityofRichfield http://www.facebook.com/RichfieldFarmersMarket http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richfield-Liquor-Stores/177460913700 http://www.facebook.com/RichfieldMetroSewerProject http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richfield-MN/Richfield-Parks-and-Recreation/169593283056441 http://www.facebook.com/RichfieldMunicipalCenter http://cityofrichfield.org/Recreation/index.htm http://www.cityofrichfield.org/index.htm ... [Read more]
Learn About The City Of Edina
The City of Edina, MN does a great job of keeping current and future residents informed. Here are some of the resources. The City of Edina keeps its residents informed through a variety of methods. Start with a visit to the city website at: www.CityofEdina.com · Also, through a “City Extra” email alert system (users must sign up at: http://cityextra.cityofedina.com · On Twitter... [Read more]
Learning About New Hope Minnesota
Visit the city of New Hope at their website http://www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/ and click on About New Hope You will find a lot of information about the community. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
HUD Has A YouTube Channel-Here Is There Vid On Buying A Home
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Google lets you create cool templated websites
Just an idea for anyone who wants to set up something quick and easy: https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?continue=http%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2F&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2F&service=jotspot&passive=true&ul=1 Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Song About The Twin Cities
How cool is this. I had no idea the band Everything But The Girl produced this video. Makes me wish for a warm summer day fishing by a lake. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Can Home Ownership Contribute To Your Wealth?
Based on the implosion of equity in the past few years, one begins to wonder. At the same time, if you look back from a historical perspective, home ownership and home equity have contributed to the net worth of many. Recently, there was a study/survey done by the Federal Reserve. NAR presents and interprets the resultshttp://www.realtor.org/research/economists_outlook/didyouknow/dyk111610dh Powered... [Read more]
Minnesota Foreclosure And Distressed Home Fact Sheets PLUS Twin Cities First Time Buyer Special Programs
I have mentioned it before, but I really am impressed with the Minnesota Home Ownership Center. I frequently get calls from people who need to find information about how best to deal with a distressed real estate situation. You must visit their website and bookmark it for future reference. Here are just some of the links you need to look at: Foreclosure & distressed property fact sheets http://hocmn.org/en/fp-factsheets.cfm Counseling... [Read more]
Twin Cities Foreclosure Update
Here is our latest newsletter that has updates on foreclosures in the Twin Cities. Also, watch the video below Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Minnesota First Time Home Buyer Tips
A buyer in Minnesota, and specifically the Twin Cities area-Minneapolis/St Paul, should consider visiting the board of Realtors site at http://www.MplsRealtor.com On the tab regarding market activity, they will be able to click through and find out aggregated information that is compiled into city specific reports. For example, Minneapolis real estate will be broken down into the various areas of... [Read more]
Top Seven Tips For Home Buyers
Recently I was asked to create a list of top tips. Here is my list. I have been selling homes for over 25 years. I hope these help you make better choices and improve your real estate making decisions. 1) Before you begin to search for a home, always get prequalified FIRST. Seek out an experienced mortgage broker to arrange your financing. Even if you think you want to use a large bank, at least see... [Read more]
Data.gov – A Cool Site With Lots Of Great Info
http://www.Data.gov I just found this site and wanted to share it. It has a ton of info and reports. If you have a project or just an “inquiring mind”, this is sure to be a hit. Check it out and get the data you need. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Saint Paul Homes Gives People a Fresh Start
By Scott Ficek Saint Paul is famous for being the other half of the Twin Cities and one of the most livable cities in the United States. Many people looking for a home choose this city as a starting point for all it offers. St. Paul homes are known for their beauty and design and affordable pricing for families. This city continues to be a drawing card for the many things that the city offers its residents... [Read more]
Saint Paul Minnesota Home Insurance – Ways To Lower Your Rate In Minutes
By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba 1. A higher Deductible will guarantee a lower Saint Paul Minnesota home insurance premium. A deductible is an amount a policyholder is bound to pay before his/her insurer becomes duty-bound to fulfill the terms of their policy. The lowest deductible usually in home insurance is around $250. By increasing your deductible to $500 you’d likely realize savings of... [Read more]
Check Out Energy Rebates
EnergyStar.gov – Check Out Energy Rebates This is a government site that offers lots of energy saving tips as well as explains what energy saving grants or credits might be available. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Foreclosure Trends Newsletter
Here is the latest issue of my foreclosure trends newsletter. As you can see, the trend is not our friend, in the sense that the housing market has not recovered. Until jobs come back and people are employed and feel safe in their employment, they will tend to avoid making a committment. ForeclosureTrends.pdf Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Twin Cities Foreclosure Trends-From our MLS & Realty Trac
Besides the board of realtor sites: http://theThing.mplsrealtor.com and market data posted elsewhere at http://www.MplsRealtor.com I have a subscription to Realty Trac. My subscription gives me additional data about foreclosures and trends within certain zip codes. This is in addition to my daily subscription to Finance & Commerce (a business newspaper that prints all the foreclosure information... [Read more]
Real Estate Information
These are a couple of my newsletters that have a ton of valuable information. Go check them out. Foreclosure Market Trends Newsletter http://www.realtytrac.com/MarketTrends/NewsLetter.aspx?guid=131bd355-1b69-4bd1-99cd-2f0c9a936810 Real Estate Cyber Space Tips http://www.REcyber.com/cybertips/r11627 Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Minnesota Children’s Museum
One of our favorite family places in the Twin Cities is the Children’s Museum. If you haven’t been there, take a look at their website at http://www.mcm.org/ and sign up for an event. Also, close by is the Science museum. Which is also very cool. Minnesota has a lot of excellent “quality of life” attractions. The museums are just one more reason to consider a move to Minneapolis... [Read more]
Minnesota
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Commercial Real Estate 2010 – Recovering Or Declining?
Commercial Real Estate 2010 – Recovering Or DecliniBy Arnie Seltzerand Anna K Murray Like much of the US economy, the commercial real estate market has been down the last few years. However, according to Moody’s Investor Service, US commercial retail prices have made modest increases from November 2009 through January 2010. This is from an all time low in October 2009. Is this the start... [Read more]
Metro Lofts Condo For Sale
This outstanding loft is priced to sell. Not a short sale or foreclosure-just a great deal. Visit the link below and check out the virtual tour. http://www.obeo.com/Public/Viewer/Default.aspx?ID=613257 Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Outstanding Video-An Inspiration To All-Be The Best You Can Be!
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Twin Cities Home buyer book
Thinking about buying a home but don’t know where to start? Why not start by reading the home buyer hand book that we have provided below. It is a great place to start to get the information you need. When you’re ready, we would love to help you find and finance a new home. MN Home buyers handbook View more documents from John Mazzara. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Your CLUE Insurance Report Matters
Article From HouseLogic.com By: Mariwyn Evans Published: August 28, 2009 Your CLUE insurance report keeps your homeowners insurance claims alive for seven years–and that could cost you on your premiums. A tree falls on the roof of your house. You file an insurance claim with your agent, collect a settlement from the insurer, and fix your roof. End of story, right? Not quite. Every claim you make... [Read more]
Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Check-Up
Article From HouseLogic.com By: G M Filisko Published: August 28, 2009 An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook. It’s time for your annual check-up. The good news is that for this one, you won’t have to don one of those revealing hospital gowns-and you may walk away with a healthier pocketbook. We’re talking about... [Read more]
Create a Home Emergency Preparedness Kit
Article From HouseLogic.com By: Wendy Paris Published: August 28, 2009 Having a home emergency preparedness kit could be the key to your family’s safety if disaster strikes. Preparing a home emergency preparedness kit you hope never to use may seem like a waste of time and money. But when disasters happen that are beyond your control, you can take charge of how you respond. “What became... [Read more]
Appeal Your Property Tax Bill
Article From HouseLogic.com By: Barbara Eisner Bayer Published: October 08, 2009 To successfully appeal your property tax bill, you first need to do a bit of sleuthing into your real estate assessment. Owning a home is an expensive proposition. There’s maintenance, landscaping, utilities, renovations, and, of course, taxes. It’s your civic duty to pay the latter, but it’s also your... [Read more]
A Financial Plan for Your Home
Article From HouseLogic.com By: Richard Koreto Published: August 28, 2009 Your home is probably the biggest investment you’ll ever make. Create a financial plan that takes into account repairs, upgrades, mortgages, insurance, and taxes. You probably already have a financial plan for yourself in place. Most likely you sat down with an adviser at some point to set up a budget and diversify your... [Read more]
Open Source Documents-Unbelievable Resources-Find YOUR topic of Interest
If you’ve never visited http://www.Archive.org, you are missing a wonderful site. From this site, you will find many resources that are out of copyright and you can download and use them as you wish. You will find all the classics and some fun things as well. Just for fun, I have the download of a book called “Little Gardens” which is a book about setting up a garden on a city... [Read more]
Sell Your Home Faster-Learn The Home Selling Secrets Of Successful Sellers
Here is a special report that outlines over 450 ideas on how to sell your home faster. This report is just one of the many home buyer, home seller, and investor reports that I can make available to you. Read this report and call me to arrange a time to see how I can help. Download Now Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Extension And Expansion Of Home Buyer Credit-4/30/2010
A Big WOW!! The credit has been expanded to include homeowners who have owned their home for the past 5 years. No longer do you need to be a first time buyer. The dollar limit is $8000 for first time buyers and $6500 for move up buyers. This GREAT news. Combine this with 50 year lows in interest rates, and you’d be crazy not to consider making a move. If you feel secure in your job,... [Read more]
Why Foreclosure Is Often Preferred By The Loan Servicer Instead Of Offering A Loan Modification
Have you ever wondered why a foreclosure occurs when a better solution might have been a modification? Would you like to read the facts and figures and see how mortgages are bundled, sold and serviced? You will soon see it is isn’t pretty, we are in the midst of a crisis, and it is likely to get worse before it gets better. That being said, you can probably guess why-it’s about the... [Read more]
Home Buyer Tax Credit Information Update
It’s now official!! The tax credit has been extended and expanded. YOU NEED TO HURRY! You now have until the end of April 2010. The following summary of the credit is provided by the National Association Of Realtors. The following two documents cover the changes in the new law. Now get out there and buy a home!! NAR FAQ: Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes NAR Issue Brief: Homebuyer Tax Credit... [Read more]
Neighborhood Stabilization Program- Hennepin County Redevelopment Tool
We work within the parameters of this program. One of our lenders will accept this form of funding. READ more about it and see if it might work for you. We would love to help you find and finance a home within the areas that qualify. http://www.hennepin.us/neighborhoodstabilizationprogram Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Down Payment Assistance Programs (DAP) Lender Approved In MN
On of our lenders has pre-approved various down payment assistance programs. These programs MAY have changed and MAY be out of money when you contact them. Things change all the time. With that being said, we can use these programs in conjunction with FHA, My Community and the Home Possible loan programs. We are a Minnesota mortgage broker and may be able use these programs for YOUR transaction.... [Read more]
YOUR DAILY COMMUTE: What’s it REALLY Cost?
Sometimes what we have is better than we think. Before you consider leaving the metropolitan area and moving to the suburbs or beyond consider the costs and quality of life. Specifically, consider the extra cost in terms of gas and time. Once you do the math, you may indeed decide that staying within the mpls first tier suburbs is the way to go. Powered By WP Footer Read More →
What is Happening in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Real Estate Market?
Would you like to find out what is happening in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul real estate market? Look no further than http://www.mplsrealtor.com/the100.aspx All you have to do is enter the city you would like information about. You will get a one year synopsis and year to date information. There are other great statistics too-simply explore the links to the left on the Navigation bar. Compliments... [Read more]
First Time Home buyer Loan Programs & Other Special MN Loan Programs
Here is a matrix that is very helpful explaining just some of the mortgage programs and their guidelines. There ARE more loan options than these as well. MN loan options are constantly coming and going-guidelines change. We don’t work with all the programs, but we do work with many of them. Call us to help you navigate through the home purchase process and select the right loan for you. ... [Read more]
Minnesota Real Estate Newsletter Gives Access To Great Computer & Life Tips
I maintain a number of real estate sites, blogs, and newsletters. One newsletter that provides a number of computer tips to help you function better with a computer is http://www.REcyber.com/cybertips/r11627 The site is full of cyber space tricks and great places to visit. We have link to this site on the list of MN Real Estate links, but I wanted to highlight this particular newsletter because... [Read more]
Make The Right Home Improvements & Increase Your MN Home Value
Are you ready to sell your Minnesota home for the highest dollar with the least amount of hassle? I have helped hundreds of MN homeowners get their home sold. Can I help you? Powered By WP Footer Read More →
Minnesota Home Seller Secrets
Are you ready to sell your Minnesota home for the highest dollar with the least amount of hassle? I have helped hundreds of MN homeowners get their home sold. Can I help you? Powered By WP Footer Read More →
