About Me
Rebecca "Reba" Haas has been in corporate sales, high level B-2-B contract negotiation, marketing and real estate for over 18 years with a reputation as an excellent communicator and top sales performer. This reputation has helped Team Reba become a top producer in the region working with both investor and residential clients in the Puget Sound area.
Attention to detail is particularly important in a large transaction such as the purchase or sale of a home and/or investment property and Reba helps make the transaction a successful one. Reba and her team strive to help Buyers and Sellers achieve satisfaction with the outcome of the transaction and provide protections against legal and financial exposure. Reba's success is reflected through: 1) High rate of referrals, 2) Return clients, and 3) Excellent service ratings.
Reba is a of REALTOR(R), member of Commercial Broker's Association (CBA) and an Associate Member of the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound (RHA). She has earned the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) and Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designations along with completing the Accredited Home-Staging Professional designation complementing her early career experience in retail furniture merchandising.
Reba is also actively involved in community (member of Phinney Neighborhood Association) as well as charitable organizations having co-founded the non-profit FEAR Project http://(www.FEARProject.org). It is her belief that "we only gain by giving" which is why a portion of her commissions each year are donated to charity. A list of charities Team Reba gives to annually can be found at: http://www.TeamReba.com/teamgiving.htm
Team Reba also developed real estate investment seminars such as the "No Fluff" series currently taught at DiscoverU by her partner, Michael Lindekugel.
Attention to detail is particularly important in a large transaction such as the purchase or sale of a home and/or investment property and Reba helps make the transaction a successful one. Reba and her team strive to help Buyers and Sellers achieve satisfaction with the outcome of the transaction and provide protections against legal and financial exposure. Reba's success is reflected through: 1) High rate of referrals, 2) Return clients, and 3) Excellent service ratings.
Reba is a of REALTOR(R), member of Commercial Broker's Association (CBA) and an Associate Member of the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound (RHA). She has earned the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) and Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designations along with completing the Accredited Home-Staging Professional designation complementing her early career experience in retail furniture merchandising.
Reba is also actively involved in community (member of Phinney Neighborhood Association) as well as charitable organizations having co-founded the non-profit FEAR Project http://(www.FEARProject.org). It is her belief that "we only gain by giving" which is why a portion of her commissions each year are donated to charity. A list of charities Team Reba gives to annually can be found at: http://www.TeamReba.com/teamgiving.htm
Team Reba also developed real estate investment seminars such as the "No Fluff" series currently taught at DiscoverU by her partner, Michael Lindekugel.
My Q&A
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Reba Haas's Questions (0)
Reba Haas's Answers (9)
Reba Haas answered:
Some attorneys are also able to answer the tax questions so you may be able to get advice from one person rather than having a herd of contacts, but you will need to narrow down your options soon since you mention the NTS is likely to be put in place by mid-Feb. Bankruptcy may make it more difficult to sell the home, but it all depends on how the bankruptcy is done and if the property is handled in or out of the proceedings.
You've got much to sort out and I hope you've already started taking the good advice that is posted here to sort out your situation. I do work with an investment group that purchases homes in short sale position, you can learn about them at this website if it seems that it is a good fit for you to consider once you've talked with other professionals: http://www.donedealsolutions.com
Your headline didn't say if this was your primary residence but the comments below about the Mortgage Debt Relief Act are correct and so far this will expire at the end of 2009, although there are discussions about extending it. This and the Dept of Revenue's (DOR) recent switch to not require payment of Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) on the forgiven debt amount is a one year, I believe, situation that could change later so now is a good time to consider this option if it is right for your situation.
You've got much to sort out and I hope you've already started taking the good advice that is posted here to sort out your situation. I do work with an investment group that purchases homes in short sale position, you can learn about them at this website if it seems that it is a good fit for you to consider once you've talked with other professionals: http://www.donedealsolutions.com
Your headline didn't say if this was your primary residence but the comments below about the Mortgage Debt Relief Act are correct and so far this will expire at the end of 2009, although there are discussions about extending it. This and the Dept of Revenue's (DOR) recent switch to not require payment of Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) on the forgiven debt amount is a one year, I believe, situation that could change later so now is a good time to consider this option if it is right for your situation.
Reba Haas answered:
Do get an attorney (a condo attorney would be best) to understand your specific situation more clearly. It is possible that a foreclosure of the developer could lead to the unwinding of closed transactions if the association has not yet been turned over to the current owners in the occupied units. There are too many possible elements that will affect your situation so an attorney - not a website or blog - is your best solution right now.
Reba Haas answered:
Traditionally for many agents this time of year gets to be slow partly because of sellers that are reluctant to put their home on during the holidays. Many people find they are too busy to want to think about selling a home although it can still be a good time to buy or sell, depending on your circumstances.
I'd have to say the main reason that activity drops off is the segment of the market where families are involved and the choice to move is an open one versus a requirement causes this big fluctuation. Most families with children are reluctant to move mid-year particularly if children are of school age. The properties I see being bought or sold right now are mostly our clients that are single, or couples with no kids (or kids out of home), or kids that are too young for school yet. It's not an absolute, but that is the majority. We also find a lot of investors are active at this time of year because of either timelines to meet for tax purposes, or to meet a certain plan. Also, many investors hope to find better bargains at this time of year when fewer other competing buyers are around.
Personally, I've got 5 closings set up for this month already so we're staying pretty busy here at Team Reba and this final quarter of the calendar year is just as busy as last year was for us. We expect to come into the new year with a pretty strong book of business as well.
I'd have to say the main reason that activity drops off is the segment of the market where families are involved and the choice to move is an open one versus a requirement causes this big fluctuation. Most families with children are reluctant to move mid-year particularly if children are of school age. The properties I see being bought or sold right now are mostly our clients that are single, or couples with no kids (or kids out of home), or kids that are too young for school yet. It's not an absolute, but that is the majority. We also find a lot of investors are active at this time of year because of either timelines to meet for tax purposes, or to meet a certain plan. Also, many investors hope to find better bargains at this time of year when fewer other competing buyers are around.
Personally, I've got 5 closings set up for this month already so we're staying pretty busy here at Team Reba and this final quarter of the calendar year is just as busy as last year was for us. We expect to come into the new year with a pretty strong book of business as well.
Reba Haas answered:
I agree with Kip to a degree but I would take that a step further and ask if the previous insurance company was involved in the remediation because if they were then you are hopefully going to get a much better assurance that the problem was handled correctly.
There are also companies that can do mold testing with infrared type meters that will let you know definitively if the mold is gone. The good thing about mold is that once you remove the source (water) it generally will stop growing - but you still have to make sure all the mold is removed to limit any exposure to mold spores in the air. There will always be some forms of mold in the air, but it's understanding what levels and types are appropriate. I would find a mold expert in your area to help you.
There are also companies that can do mold testing with infrared type meters that will let you know definitively if the mold is gone. The good thing about mold is that once you remove the source (water) it generally will stop growing - but you still have to make sure all the mold is removed to limit any exposure to mold spores in the air. There will always be some forms of mold in the air, but it's understanding what levels and types are appropriate. I would find a mold expert in your area to help you.
Reba Haas answered:
Given that many people don't spend as much time in their yards nowadays this home could work well for someone although being next to the highway certainly isn't the best option. The same could be said for many of the houses that are being put into new developments that are 2500 sqft on a 3500 sqft lot. Since people's time is at a premium there are tradeoffs and we've seen nationally that the average US home has stretched from around 900 sqft in the 1960's to 2500 sqft as today's standard. Apparently we've all collected so much stuff that we need bigger houses more than we need yards to enjoy.
However, there is a new trend growing just in the past year or so where the architects and builders are starting to consider smaller, more organized building spaces. Personally, I'm a big fan of this concept. In areas like Puget Sound where density is growing we need to be softer with our human footprint but I can tell you that in places like the mid-west where there are few boundaries to stop development and building size you'll see this mindset come along much later. It's true of most major metropolitan areas. Look at places like NYC, Paris, London - you don't see lots of McMansions on every street because they can't afford the space for it.
However, there is a new trend growing just in the past year or so where the architects and builders are starting to consider smaller, more organized building spaces. Personally, I'm a big fan of this concept. In areas like Puget Sound where density is growing we need to be softer with our human footprint but I can tell you that in places like the mid-west where there are few boundaries to stop development and building size you'll see this mindset come along much later. It's true of most major metropolitan areas. Look at places like NYC, Paris, London - you don't see lots of McMansions on every street because they can't afford the space for it.
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