Hi April:
I saw this question and your other question and wanted to address both. I am both a Realtor and Mortgage broker - a kind of hybrid if you will, and a one stop place to help people with real estate.
On your question about safe places, there are a lot of areas that are great in San Diego. Each has its own unique appeal and you really need to come down to visit and get a feel for the different communities to help you zero in on an area. I nor any real estate agent can tell you where you should live - only you know you and what you like. We can help you find it and give access to various options and provide ideas and thoughts, but what an agent prefers may not be the same as what you prefer and it is wrong for any agent to impose their preferences on buyers like that.
As far as lending... its a game of smoke and mirrors. The trick is to find someone you can trust. There is no guaranteed way to do that.
What I can tell you is that because I can help you in both purchase and lending, I can also help cover costs that others will not cover, saving you money. I want the best for my clients and do everything I can to get them the absolute lowest rates i can.
I am not interested in selling property or mortgage products. My interest is that of a consultant or advocate who gets you to exactly the answers to the questions you are asking...which means I tell you like it is and provide you with a wide array of ideas, insights and options so that you can make informed decisions on what is best for you. In the end, your best interest is what is most important.
If you are serious about coming to San Diego, I encourage you to call or email and I can provide more specific information and assistance. You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose by calling. I am happy to tell you if I can beat your lender's rate, which I expect I can, because I always do.
Talk soon.
BeachBrokerBill
DRE 01775528 l NMLS 980076
(760) 525-8698
bill@coastalhomesofsandiego.com... more
Since they are both underwater, there is no reason for them to go after your CA home.
To qualify to Short Sale you need to prove that you have a hardship that is putting you in danger of defaulting. Hardships include finances, but they also include life changes such as new babies, job changes, moves, etc.
One thing you may not be aware of, and that you would want to explore, is this: the housing inventory is extremely low and the prices have swung upward in the last 5 to 6 months. Some homes going on the market as short sales in Sonoma County have actually gotten so many offers that they've gone far enough over asking not to be a short sale any longer.
My point is, if the market in OR is the same, depending on how far under water you are, you may be able to do a regular sale. If you don't have to short sale, you save yourself a credit problem and might even make some kind of profit. Since OR is your current primary residence (I'm assuming you've lived there for at least 2 years.) any profit you make is tax free up to $250K for a single or $500 for married couples.
If you are too far under for a regular sale, but want to try and hold on to the house, find out if the loan is a Fannie Mae or a Freddie Mac loan (80% of loans are backed this way). If it is, you could qualify for the HARP2 program (Home Affordable Refinance Program) and may be able to lower your payments enough to be able to hold on to the house. Then just rent it out and move.
If all else fails and you have to do a Short Sale, call your lender and tell them your situation in OR and ask about Short Selling. You are also going to need the advice of your tax person, a real estate attorney to review any non-standard correspondence you get from the bank during a short sale that your agent is not qualified to interrupt, and you will need a good agent schooled in short sales. Look for a CDPE qualification. That is usually a good indication that they can handle your transaction properly. Or, you can call me and I can research who might be good and send you the name of a couple of agents to interview.
For CA you can look at my blog http://www.shortsalenotes.net There is a resource page on the site with names and numbers for tax preparers and real estate attorneys.
Good luck with this!... more
Hi Jill and Alex,
Here are the current search results using the parameters you provided:
http://www.trulia.com/for_rent/Sebastopol,CA/2p_beds/
I also recommend checking in with a local pro to see if they may be of assistance:
http://www.trulia.com/voices/directory/Sebastopol-agent--33623
Hope that helps get you started!
-Kim, Community Manager... more
Bryan, as a result of the recession many people have credit problems today. The advice by Craig to seek property owned by an individual is spot on. In addition, you should write a letter of introduction to submit with your applications. Tell the owner about your family who will be living in the home and explain why your credit is bad and what you're doing to improve it. Landlords are people too so if you can show them that yes, you've had credit problems in the past, but explain why this won't affect your ability to pay rent and care for their home, they may be willing to rent to you. Sometimes offering to pay a larger security deposit may be helpful too.... more
Hi,
It is a manufactured home and the floors appear to be a laminate. Would you like to make an appointment to see this home? I would be happy to show it to you.
Thank you,
Patty Marken
Pacific Union International
707-934-2314... more
You can contact the listing agent who will be able to help you learn more about that specific property (and probably will know a lot about similar properties in the area). To find an agent, just click on the yellow button on the property's Trulia listing and you will be able to start a dialogue.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can help with anything else. I am happy to be a resource for you. Good luck with the search!
Best,
Ali, Trulia Voices Community Manager... more
Hi Allison,
While it doesn't look like there are any listings that meet your criteria, I recommend you continually check to see if anything new comes up:
http://www.trulia.com/for_rent/Sebastopol,CA/2p_baths/3p_beds/
I would also suggest that you reach out to some local pros and see if they do rentals:
http://www.trulia.com/voices/directory/Sebastopol-agent--33623
Hope that helps get you started!
-Kim, Community Manager... more
At one point earlier in the year in Sonoma County in a 13 month time frame roughly the under 500K range was up 23%. Santa Rosa only I would say is over the 4% taking all price ranges due to the over 500K range in the same time frame as my earlier comment was up around 3% at one point.... more
I would suggest you try the usual sites like Apartments.com, Trulia, Zillow, & Craigslist. That should get you started in the right direction. You can also elect to hire a realtor to send you everything currently available since you are not local. Best of luck with your move.... more
Hi Claudia,
The other way is to go FHA and have someone (a family member is best - parents, grandparents, etc) 'gift' you the 3.5% down payment. We (Redwood Realty, located in Sonoma County, near Rohnert Park) work with a lot of buyers that use this program. You do not need to be a first time buyer to take advantage of FHA loans. I can recommend lenders that handle FHA loans in the Rohnert Park area. 707-584-9682
If you have other Real Estate questions, I would be happy to help you. We have been helping Buyers & Sellers since 1984!... more
Hi Again Pat:
I'm a former resident of Sonoma Greens and know the properties well. Also have an inside track to upcoming listings. I suggest you talk to at least two agents...preferably three...before you chose who to work with. It's wise to shop for agents...to find the right fit.
Whatever your decisions, good luck. I think you need to know that we are at an eight year low for listing inventory.
Best,
Kirsten Lindquist
Pacific Union International
135 West Napa Street
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-337-1182
CA DRE# 0131359... more
Dear William, This is a real Estate website, not a personals column which you can find in your local newspaper! If I can help you with the sale of your house please let me know, or if you have friends that would like to buy in the area I would be happy to help them. If you are new to the area, there are many ways to meet your neighbors! Forestville is a cute town, that has the benefit of enjoying all the great activities of the River, but much closer to Santa Rosa if you need to work there. I love the way they remodeled the town and updated it so it looks so quaint and charming! You can enjoy the great restaurants, parks and beaches. Back in the olden days, I used to live down the road near Korbel Winery and know a lot of the beauty of the area. Don't be a recluse! There are so many activities out at the River, the great festivals in the summer in Guerneville, the wineries, my kids used to play jazz in some of the Guerneville restaurants. Take the winery tours at Korbel! Check out all the local restaurants for fabulous dinners, and support your local business folk! You're in a great town, support it with your local dollars!... more
Hello Ruth,
I not sure what specific rentals you were asking about but someone who can definitely answer your questions is Jonathan Teeter of Task Property Management. He's a great guy and oversees many, many Sonoma County rentals. His phone # is (707) 579-2013.
Best, Lynn
Owner-Realtor/Flipper Chick... more
No fences on the Golf Course .... can you imagine what it would LOOK like ... IF everyone built fences with no control. However ... if you find a larger home with a large SIDE yard ... it would be pefect for your loving dog. If you have other questions ... fell free to phone me at home in Oakmont (707) 843-4626 .. or my cell (707) 328-5920. Yours truly, ~ Ron Albright ~ McBride Realty Santa Rosa, California ... in the world-famous wine country of Sonoma Valley.... more
Actually all things are negotiable.
Be sure you ask for a termite inspection and repairs up front if it is at all possible that your lender will require these repairs. In other words unless you are paying cash or getting a hard money loan.
These lenders are a real pain, they want to hold you to the letter of the contract, while expecting to not have to live up to anything on the contract themselves.
As far as other repairs, the problem is that the realtor many times has to pay for those up front with no assurance that they will get their money back anytime soon. If the listing expires it becomes very difficult for t he realtor to get his money back and can be thousands of dollars.
So many realtors deep six the offers. This has been a major factor in suppressing property values over the last few years. If there are cash offers with no repair requests the other offers seem to get lost.
There are special loan programs with FNMA to address this.... more