Hi, Jessica. You must be confused with all these answers, and the tangents some of the answers went off on. If you're ready to get serious about looking, go back to the first answer you got at the bottom of this l...o...n...g list of answers =- MINE! Please give me a call and we can discuss this. I'd love to help! Bonnie

In my experience when this type of thing happens it's because the buyer is under financed for the market they wish to purchase in. Is that the case? You might have to consider looking at condo's instead of homes if they are priced too high for your budget.

You shall put on your buyer's hat when you price your home for sale, would you buy your home at current price compare with other homes on the market???
Have a stager look it over and staged it for you, get the price right, lower than other homes, 5% lower than others, a Feng Shui consultant can energized it when you get the price right, they can help it sold fast.
Energy is the most important part of your home..
Rebekah Blevins
ReMax Leaders
rebekah_blevins@yahoo.com

Hi Jessica,
YES! You need a more aggresive agent like myself. I'm an ABR. Jessica, don't get frustrated or discouraged. There is house waiting for you as we speak. My last client was working with someone for a year. One of her friends. Once I know what you need and want, I will search continuously daily for you. I also preview what I show my BUYER'S . Were in July right now and there is a good inventory of homes. I'm not sure what your price range is, but I will show you all the listings available in your price range. I will give you the "Personal Service You Deserve". I can take you out as soon as possible and also have you Pre-Approved by my lender that is honest, ethical, and will get you the best rate availble. If your not in a contract with an agent please call me now so we can get started. My number is 626.321.7448.

Before your agent submits an offer, he/she should run comps for the area to determinie the fair market value of the property. That is what you should tailor your offer on. An appraisor will use similar comps to value the home. If the agent provides the comps she used with the offer, the seller's agent can use them to educate the seller on market value. Some houses are overpriced, but sellers basically are looking for a fair price at market value for the house. If your offer is well under this value, that is probably why they are not getting accepted. A pre-qualification letter sent with the offer would also help show that you are a serious and worthy buyer.

Hi Jessica,

Just a bit of hope.....I have a couple who have been writing offers for several months and were finding the same thing you are, that FHA loan offers were difficult to get accepted. Yesterday we wrote offers on 2 different homes, both sellers with equity. One at full-price and the other $15,000 less than full-price. We just heard both were accepted.

Neither was over asking price.....over the past 2 weeks, I am finding things have slowed down. So don't be discouraged, this is just one story, but I hope it gives you some hope! :)

K

Chances are that it is not your agent's fault. It is more than likely that the sales price is not being reached.
Now if your agent is forcing you to make offers for less than it sells for then yes...change to someone that will hand over a contract for what you want to offer, but if it is you, that is impeding the price point and not offering enough money for homes you like, then look in the mirror to find change.

Hi Jessica (again:)),

Just a quick follow-up....prices are increasing right now, but this is also a typical cycle over the summer. Normally the fall does give you better deals in pricing...plus if the rumors are true and there are foreclosures being held, they are going to increase the supply and thus put more downward pressure on home prices. We are all just guessing.

The one thing to consider is the $8000 tax credit, as Bob mentioned, if you have not owned and occupied a home for 3 years, you do qualify. The current credit requires that you close escrow before the end of November....but I really think they will extend this. None-the-less at this point, we are still guessing.

I find a lot of my post here requires me to "disclose" that I'm guessing. But that is the truth, educated guesses, but guesses all the same. I have been investing in real estate for over 15 years, and I think I have a good track record of my guesses. But as Steve mentioned....don't let panic buying cause you to over pay, there are many ways to secure a home and not over pay. In fact with short sales the main thing is to have a buyer who will wait out the process, price is often secondary.

If I can help in any way....please let me know?

Karen

Bob,

The blog you're linking to in your posts:
http://bobphillipsblog4coto.thewrittenblog.com/
... is nothing more than:
http://realestatedemo.thewrittenblog.com/

$57/month and bringtheblog.com adds all your content. Perhaps you have a few unique posts littered about in there, but I didn't see any at a quick glance.

Disabling comments on "your" posts probably makes sense, given you didn't even write them to begin with. Perhaps you don't even agree with what's being attributed to you.

I've said my peace with regards to the original posters question. You are right, we're getting off topic.

Honestly, you should really consider taking a step back from the market for now. Maybe start looking again in 6-12 months -- with a new agent if need be.

Frustration can lead you to overpaying in order to get any old house, rather than paying a fair value for "THE" house.

I am assuming that you are going FHA because of amount you have for down payment. Have you checked out the CalHFA program to see if you qualify for that. It can give you another 3% of price for costs.

Hi Jessica,

If you have owned a house in the last 3 years, you don't qualify for the $8000. tax credit. If you haven't, you probably do qualify. Your agent may not be up to speed on a number of such issues.

You MIGHT consider finding houses on the internet, and approaching the listing agents to deal with you directly - they would have a vested interest to get your offer accepted, if they're earning the entire commission.

Below is a link to a free MLS search.

Thank you

I try putting 5 to 10 thousand over the asking price...The my agent says cuse i only have 12,000 for my down thats why were having a hard time and she says im not getting the 8k ether...is that lies?????

Hi Jessica,

It's a very competitive market right now....but there are things your agent can help you with to put you in a better position.

First....make sure that your agent talks to the listing agent! Sounds simple, but people still like to work with people they like and who sounds knowledgable. I think that it's important for us not just to sell our buyers to the seller's agent...but ourselves as well. If the home is a short sale, it would make sense they would like to work with an agent who has been successful getting them closed, and knows how to help. In talking to the listing agent, you can often get a feel for what your offer should be as well. Again, in a short sale....price is not as important and having a buyer who will wait for approval and the agent.

Next...present a strong offer and strong package! Always include all the needed material. Pre-qual, copy of check and proof of funds. Make it easy for the listing agent to compare you to others. I also always include a cover letter discussing myself and my buyers. If there is a special reason why you like this home, I include this too.....if for instance you have family near-by, or work down the street. Again it shows that you have a vested interest in this home and are going to be there through the process.

Finally....offer the strongest financing you can. If you can offer 10% down? or 20% down....do it! Try and take the lending challenges off the table.

It's definately a funny market, but it can be done! Don't give up and try some of the great suggestions you've gotten today.

Good luck....if I can help in any way, please let me know.

Karen

REOs and short sales are hard but each bank or agent will tell your agent exactly what the bank wants with the offer. All the i's dotted all the t's crossed, making sure to give them everything they ask for. Houses are going for more than the asking price so my hope is that you aren't putting in offer below the price. Find the value and go as high as you feel is right for the property and don't feel bad if you don't get it.

Jessica,

Are you making reasonable offers? Are your expectations realistic? It may be surprising how little luck is involved with successful transactions and how much success depends on solid information, a realistic plan, and the ability to execute the plan.

Unless your expectations are realistic, you can change your RE agent hundreds of times and get the same disappointing results. Prior to changing your agent it may be helpful to review your personal plan and expected results.

Good luck

Hi Jessica: There is a positive for you on this matter if you have not been able to buy a home for the past year. That positive is that home prices in Anaheim have come down between 15 - 25% depending on the area you are focusing in.

Now the negative side: You and many other buyers are experiencing how difficult it is to get your offer accepted. One key reason is that due to the lower prices for a single family home, this has brought into the game investors who have cash to spend and who wish to invest.

Without knowing what your agent is or is not doing I need to put that aside. What I can mention to you is that if you plan on using a FHA Loan to buy your home, right off the bat you are in third place. The sellers and banks are looking at cash first, conventional loans second, and FHA financing third. If you are asking for closing cost within your offer...That is a strike against you also. So the answer is not as simple as it might seem, but a seasoned REALTOR can stress what must be changed or ironed out.

Jessica just don't give up!!!! The real estate market is perfect right now for buyers based on pricing and interest rates. Stay in the game and do not quit until you have an accepted offer.

Good luck and be patient.

Possibly. What kind of guidance is your agent giving as far as offer price? Based on what information? Try looking at overpriced homes that SHOULD be priced in your range. these folks haven't even had many lookers, much less offers because they are overpriced. Also stay away from the ones that come on the market at ridiculously low prices that just invite bidding wars.
Hope this helps.

Nothing against your agent, but if after so many tries you are not having any luck, it is time to try something new.

" Don't expect different results, by doing the same things over and over again."

Contact me and I will show you what I do deifferent. I just closed on 2 buyer side escrow, and YES, there were multiple offers on both deals, but my clients got the deals!! They have already moved in.

Happy 4th of July!

Here is my website: http://www.mikepatel.com http://www.houseoogle.com

Mike Patel
mike@mikepatel.com

It is really a hard time right now fror people in your price range -- It can be very discouraging. I would be happy to help you by ID'ing the areas you are interested in and sending a personal letter to residents there. Some might be short sales or equity sales, but if they're interested in selling and willing to do a "one-party" show (which doesn't require them to actually put the home on the market), we might be able to put something together. I would be happy to help you if you don't already have a signed exclusive representation agreement with your agent. One of my dear clients was going through that, and finally we decided that unless I had the listing, we couldn't get them anything - so I did and they're in escrow. It's worth a shot! Ours is the #1 Broker in No. OC for 11 years, I'm an award-winning REALTOR(R) and I'd love to help you. I love working with first time homebuyers. Just give me a call and we can talk. If you need help with a loan, I have great contacts. Also, you don't want to miss out on the $8K from Obama (if you qualify), so let's get working on this right away!
Bonnie Scribner
Century 21 Discovery
714.296.0513 http://www.BonnieTheRealtor.com