http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Medina_County_OH-255809/The latest answers submitted by Art Hotes to questions asked on Trulia Voicesen-ushttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/What_is_the_value_of_this_home_Woodling_Way_Me-176560Answer by Art Hotes: Lana, Rather than an open forum like this, please contact me via email to discuss this. I'd be happy to give you an opinion "remotely" or in-person. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Art@ArtHotes.comWed, 4 Nov 2009 14:36:37 PSThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/WHAT_DOES_A_SHORT_SALE_MEAN_DO_YOU_RECOMMEND_IT_-174651Answer by Art Hotes: Heather... A Short Sale means that the Seller owes more than the home is worth. I only recommend pursuing a Short Sale for purchase as long as you have no time constraint with your current situation. Short Sales can take 2 to 6 months to close, or not at all! Short Sales can be a good situation for both the Buyer and Seller, because they could result in a discount to the Buyer while helping the Seller out of their bad situation. But regardless, they are not for the timid. There is kind of a saying with Short Sale properties: Just because they are offered for a certain price on the market, that doesn't mean the bank or banks behind the scenes will accept your offer even at full price. You first negotiate your purchase with the Seller, but because the bank(s) are involved they have to finally agree on what was negotiated. And all the while, months could pass by with them coming back and saying "no". I hope this helps. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAXTue, 27 Oct 2009 08:25:19 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/I_will_be_a_st_time_home_buyer_and_able_to_buy_in_-169793Answer by Art Hotes: If you already own a home, you are not eligible. The only way you'd be eligible is if you hadn't owned within the past 3 years.Wed, 7 Oct 2009 10:48:31 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Selling/Our_agent_is_not_getting_the_job_done_Can_we_get_-169673Answer by Art Hotes: Yes, you can look to get a Mutual Release from your listing agreement. Ask the agent and if you get nowhere with that, contact the office manager or broker in charge. It behooves them to let you out of your agreement, as they do not want the bad publicity! Good luck, and please let me know if I can assist! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX ClassicTue, 6 Oct 2009 21:11:32 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/Mortgage_Pre_Approval_Question-168110Answer by Art Hotes: You only need one pre-approval! It should encompass whatever amount you wish to spend on a home or whatever amount you are comfortable in paying. As a negotiating tactic, try to have the lender write your pre-approval letter/certificate with No Dollar Amount mentioned on it - You do not want to show "your hand of cards while playing poker." As an example, if you are pre-approved for $200k and the home you're negotiating on is $79k and you offer $70k on it, the seller may be less likely to compromise in their price knowing that you are qualified for a vastly larger amount. I hope this helps! Good luck to you!! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Certified Negotiation ExpertWed, 30 Sep 2009 15:50:25 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/I_am_looking_at_buying_a_bank_owned_house_and_the_-168059Answer by Art Hotes: It sounds like the home has electrical issues which may prohibit turning on power to the home. And, because they say that they will only accept cash or 203k tells me that the home is in need of some major work which would cause an FHA or Conventional loan appraisal to fail. I have not heard of a lender denying your pursuit of a 203k because the utilities are not on. Perhaps talk to a different lender that does 203k's. If you need a referral to one, let me know. Best of luck! Art ~ RE/MAXWed, 30 Sep 2009 12:07:34 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/Is_this_property_owned_by_a_real_estate_company_an-165626Answer by Art Hotes: Brenda, The home at 1031 Archmere is Contingent, which means that it has a contract on it with some type of contingency or contingencies (financing, inspections, home sale, etc.). I hope that helps! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Serving Northeastern OhioMon, 21 Sep 2009 17:14:25 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/who_is_the_listing_agent_on_this_house_-164330Answer by Art Hotes: Meagan, That house is currently off the market. Sorry. Art @ RE/MAXWed, 16 Sep 2009 18:37:35 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/how_much_would_the_down_payment_be_and_how_much_wo-164285Answer by Art Hotes: Per FHA, your minimum down payment is 3.5%. So if you purchase this home for List Price, that would be $6,816.25. I'm not sure what the property tax is for that particular home, but if I estimate it at say $3000 a year (a guess) and estimate home owner's insurance and a hypothetical interest rate (as it constantly changes), you are looking at a payment of around $1,400 a month. That may be on the high side, so it's best to consult with a local lender to give you a more definitive answer. Good luck to you!!Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:04:42 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/Thinking_about_buying_a_short_sale_home_Any_advic-160840Answer by Art Hotes: I agree... I'm not a proponent of Short Sales... You can negotiate a fair price with the homeowner, then wait forever for the bank(s) to respond - all the while "time's a-wasting!" There's kind of an unwritten saying with Short Sales: they're not guaranteed to sell Short, even at full asking price. And because of the fact that they take longer than normal to close them (if they do close), they are not as attractive as the list price that lured you in. Regardless though, if this is the home that's calling you then I truly wish you well on your endeavor to purchase it!! Art ~ RE/MAXThu, 3 Sep 2009 15:55:01 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/This_house_is_SOLD_why_is_it_still_not_updated_and-160066Answer by Art Hotes: Third Party sites, such as Trulia, Yahoo R.E., Zillow, Realtor.com and the like all have data feeds from the MLS. The difficulty with those data feeds is that it's not always up-to-date as is the MLS. I always suggest that if you are just starting out in your real estate search, then those sites are fine. But if you are getting close to needing to make your purchase, you should obtain the assistance of an Agent to set you up with a tailored MLS search. I hope this helps, and please let me know if you need assistance. Art Hotes, CNE, e-PRO Certified Negotiation Expert RE/MAX Classic ~ Serving Northeastern Ohio Direct: 330-242-4640 Art@ArtHotes.comTue, 1 Sep 2009 07:44:55 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/has_this_home_sold_-146104Answer by Art Hotes: That home is currently Pending Sale (listed at $34,900). Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Serving Northeastern OhioThu, 16 Jul 2009 10:38:07 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/This_house_was_listed_for_sale_several_months_ago_-146084Answer by Art Hotes: Oddly enough it is Neither. The listing has been Withdrawn from the market. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Serving Northeastern OhioThu, 16 Jul 2009 10:17:45 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/When_will_these_be_finished_Does_the_buyer_have_a-144922Answer by Art Hotes: The prices from that builder come finished, however they do not include the cost of the lot, and if required, septic & well. Any other questions, please let me know. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Art@ArtHotes.com http://ArtHotes.comSun, 12 Jul 2009 13:11:54 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/Trying_to_find_a_listing_agent_on_the_property_to_-133439Answer by Art Hotes: B... That property is NOT on the market. Please note that when you search for properties on 3rd party websites (away from the MLS), some properties don't get cleared out - as in this case. If you need any assistance, I'd be glad to help you further - please feel free to contact me! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Classic Certified Negotiation Expert, ePRO Art@ArtHotes.comFri, 5 Jun 2009 13:51:30 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/Down_Payment_Assistance_in_Cuyahoga_County_Ohio-121473Answer by Art Hotes: The only community that I've heard offering assistance is the City of Parma. Check the official websites of the cities that you're interested in - they may have something there. Good luck Patricia! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAXFri, 8 May 2009 09:35:33 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/is_this_for_sale_and_if_so_how_much_-121120Answer by Art Hotes: That home is now Pending Sale. It's list price is $235,000. Anymore questions, just let me know! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAXThu, 7 May 2009 10:45:31 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/why_are_there_no_address_on_these_homes_I_would_l-117991Answer by Art Hotes: Sites like Realty Trac exist to "hook" you as a lead into their system, then they turn around and sell your contact info, etc. to agents who will pay. There are no properties on Elm Drive in Avon for sale for $160k. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAXThu, 30 Apr 2009 11:24:09 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/Does_this_home_have_an_open_house_How_long_has_-112129Answer by Art Hotes: As of today, this home has been on the market for 76 days. I imagine that the roof & furnace are original, given that the home was built in 1989. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX Art@ArtHotes.comFri, 17 Apr 2009 06:55:02 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/how_do_you_find_pre_foreclosure_without_paying_a_f-111097Answer by Art Hotes: Ask a REALTOR. Short Sales are very common in the MLS these days (unfortunately)! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX ClassicTue, 14 Apr 2009 19:07:52 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/What_is_the_cost_per_square_foot_of_houses_in_Brec-110759Answer by Art Hotes: Of the 38 homes that have transacted in the past 6 months, the average is about $98 per Sq.Ft. That includes distressed properties too. Hope this helps. Art Hotes ~ RE/MAX ClassicTue, 14 Apr 2009 06:38:07 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Foreclosure/I_have_placed_an_offer_on_a_REO_property_within_h-110440Answer by Art Hotes: At this point, it's a gamble on how you will stand against any other offer on the table. If you feel that the offer that you have out there is your best, then feel good about it... and feel better about it if/when you get notice of you being the winning bid! Good luck to you on your home purchase!! Art ~ RE/MAXMon, 13 Apr 2009 12:34:36 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/General_Area/I_am_currently_a_full_time_student_interested_in_b-110245Answer by Art Hotes: Sure - You call your own shots. You take as much or as little business as you want! Good luck to you! It's a great time to get into the business in my opinion!! Art Hotes ~ RE/MAXMon, 13 Apr 2009 06:13:41 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/we_put_an_offer_on_a_house_the_seller_rejected_it-100728Answer by Art Hotes: Consult an attorney! Good luck!!Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:36:22 PDThttp://www.trulia.com/voices/Property_QandA/how_long_has_this_condo_been_on_the_market_-97316Answer by Art Hotes: That property has a contract on it as of 3/4/09. It has been on the market, though, for 256 days (as of 3/10/09). If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Art Hotes RE/MAX ClassicMon, 9 Mar 2009 21:54:00 PDT