Diane McMahon & Jimmy Crawley
Windermere Prestige Properties
Direct Phone: 702-204-0210 :: Email: dimcmahon@aol.com
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Diane Earns Certification

Posted on March 9, 2010
 
 
Diane McMahon Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification
Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR® Expertise in Distressed Sales
 
Diane McMahon with Windermere Prestige Properties has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.
 
According to a recent N A R Survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new "traditional" transaction. REALTORS® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.
 
The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.
 
Diane McMahon, CRP®, GMS™, SFR®, ABR®, SRES®, GRI®

HOME AFFORDABLE FORECLOSURE ALTERNATIVES (HAFA)

Posted on February 24, 2010
The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative will launch on April 5, 2010.   Homeowners struggling to sell their homes in a short sale are getting some relief, thanks to the federal government's HAFA program. 
 
Up until now, many short sales - in which the lender accepts a sale of the property for less than the full amount owed - have taken months to complete.  Sometimes, the complex and lengthy process has failed, resulting in foreclosure.
 
Prior to the HAFA program, homeowners listed their homes for sale without any idea if the lender holding their note (or notes) would accept the short sale. 
 
Under the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative program, borrowers receive the preapproved short sale terms from the lender prior to putting the home on the market.  The updated short sale guidelines establish easy to understand process with pre-defined steps that make it easier for everyone to understand.
 
Eligibility Requirements
 
The HAFA guidelines apply to lenders who voluntarily participate in the HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program).  The Department of Housing and Urban Development says more than 100 servicers have signed up to participate in HAMP, covering more than 89 percent of mortgage debt outstanding in the country.
 
To be eligible for HAFA, homeowners must first apply for a loan modification through the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP. Owners who do not qualify for a loan modification or miss payments during the initial loan modification period qualify for HAFA.
 
Property and Homeowner Requirements.
  • Property is principal residence.
  • Mortgage originated before Jan. 1, 2009.
  • Mortgage is owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
  • Borrower is delinquent or default is foreseeable.
  • Homeowner demonstrates hardship.
  • Borrower's total monthly housing payment exceeds 31 percent of gross income.
  • Unpaid principal does not exceed $729,750.

 According to HAFA rules, lenders now must offer a short sale in writing to the borrower within 30 days if the borrower does not qualify for or complete a loan modification. Borrowers then must respond within 14 days to the lender's short sale agreement.

 When a purchase offer is made, borrowers must submit the sales contract to the lender within three days, along with the buyers' mortgage preapproval and the status of negotiations with other lien holders on the seller's property.

Finally, lenders must approve or deny the contract within 10 days.

HAFA rules also state that lenders must release borrowers from the obligation to repay the difference between the sales price and the loan amount. No deficiency judgments are allowed for a first or second loan.

In the past, short sales were especially difficult for homeowners with more than one loan on their home, since the home sale typically repaid only the first mortgage. HAFA's financial incentives include a payment of up to $3,000 for second mortgage holders.

 

Other HAFA financial incentives include $1,000 to loan servicers to cover administrative fees, up to $1,000 for mortgage investors who agree to share short sale proceeds with second lien holders and $1,500 to the homeowners for relocation.

The moving expense allocation acts as an incentive for them to stay in the property until the short sale goes through.  

Short Sale approvals by banks increase dramatically while foreclosures slide

Posted on February 10, 2010
Las Vegas and Clark County lead the country in Short Sales.  In January of 2009 approved short sales were less than 200 properties.  By January of 2010 approvals were over 700 a month. 

In early 2009 Short Sales averaged 7 to 8 percent of the total home closings.  By end of year that percentage had increased to nearly 25% of the total market of closings.

There has been a dramatic decrease in foreclosure activity in Las Vegas.  With the Federal Treasury putting pressure on Banks to either offer loan modifications or approve short sales, banks are foreclosing on fewer properties.  The Treasury Department is offering incentives on short sales by providing a $2,500 subsidy, $1,000 to the servicer and $1,500 to the seller for moving expenses.  In addition investors can get $1,000 by allowing subordinate lenders to get $3,000 in proceeds from the sale.  The program is effective April 5th but servicers can implement it earlier.

It is costly for lenders to go through the legal process of foreclosing.   Short Sales are so much better for neighborhoods.  Sellers selling their home on a short sale are generally still living in and caring for the home during the marketing and closing process.  This enhances the neighborhood because that Short Sale is one less foreclosure in the community.

Banks have really gotten organized in the past year to more effectively process and handle these Short Sales.  Many Banks have pulled Asset Managers from their Foreclosure departments and moved them to their Loss Mitigation (Short Sale) departments as Negotiators.  In addition Banks have moved the entire process from a pen and paper system to the same on line transaction systems that they are using to process their Foreclosures. 

In general a Short Sale is a more acceptable solution to most lenders than foreclosure.   Working with the bank to find a solution through Short Sale rather than walking away from the property demonstrates  higher level of cooperation.

Homeowners should consult their attorney and Certified Public Accountant to review the potential consequences of Short Sale and Foreclosure.  Windermere Real Estate has partnered with Distressed Property Consultants an attorney backed Short Sale processing firm that works in concert with the professional Windermere agent and provides attorneys to represent the homeowner to advise the seller and negotiate with the lender to minimize and/or alleviate deficiency judgments and promissory notes. 

For more information go to:   www.choosewindermere.com/Nevada/Short Sales 
 
 

Looking for analytics to track data on your Windermere Platinum website?

Posted on January 21, 2010
All that a GraphicalData website user needs to do is create an account in Google,  sign up for Google Analytics and paste a snippet of code into an appropriate field in your admin center.

This is very easy to do…just go to Google Analytics and if you already have a Google account for some reason, just use it. If not just follow the steps for creating an account and you are on your way.

Once you have created an account, you can then sign up for Google Analytics. Just a few more steps…and you will be done! Once signed up a small snippet of code wil be displayed. You will need to copy the account number within this script of code and insert it into the appropriate place in your admin center…which will activate it.


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WHAT IS EARNEST MONEY? HOW DO I GET IT BACK IF THERE IS A DISPUTE?

Posted on January 19, 2010
Well, earnest money is the money you would put down to demonstrate your seriousness about buying that home. In order to prove your seriousness the earnest money must be large enough to demonstrate good faith and is usually between 1-5% of the purchase price (though the amount can vary with local customs and conditions).
  • If your offer is accepted, the earnest money becomes part of your down payment or closing costs
  • If the offer is rejected, your money is returned to you
  • If you back out of a deal, you may forfeit the entire amount
  • If either party refuses to execute the nessecary documents required to release the earnest money (See NRS645a.175 3.(a) very interesting )

*** NRS 645A.175  Duty to execute documents necessary to release money deposited in escrow; exception for good faith disputes; recovery of damages for failure to execute; award of attorney’s fees.
      1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 or in the escrow agreement between the parties and the holder of the escrow, upon the close of an escrow for the sale of real property or on the date the escrow is scheduled to close if it has not closed, each party shall execute the documents necessary to release the money deposited in the escrow.
      2.  A party may refuse to execute a document necessary to release the money deposited in the escrow only if a good faith dispute exists concerning that money.
      3.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 645.8701 to 645.8811, inclusive, if a party refuses to execute a document necessary to release the money deposited in the escrow within 30 days after the holder of the escrow makes a written request for the execution, the party injured by the failure of the other party to execute the document may collect from that party:
      (a) Actual damages of not less than $100 nor more than 1 percent of the purchase price of the real property for which the money was deposited in the escrow, whichever is greater;
      (b) The money deposited in the escrow which was not held to resolve a good faith dispute concerning the sale of the property; and
      (c) A reasonable attorney’s fee.
      (Added to NRS by 1995, 1527; A 1999, 1180)

Take Back your Power!

Posted on November 26, 2009
  

It is time to let go of the economy and take control of your existence. You can either give away your power to; the economy, the market or the story of the day. Giving away personal power is giving away your control, hope and happiness. There is always a story for why things aren't going well. Today, this moment, take your power back!

 Personal power is the ability to achieve what you want. More than anything else, it is personal power that brings you success and happiness. There have been some that have felt powerless in the economic climate of the past months.

 Power is a multi-faceted concept. You experience a sense of personal power when you feel in control of your life. Power is the ability to achieve goals. It is also the ability to influence others. Considerable power comes from the ability to communicate. Power includes enthusiasm and optimism. Your energy level is related to your power. You have personal power when you are the master of your destiny. Power is related to self-esteem and confidence. The freer you are, the more you tend to experience your power.

         ·        We give away our power - people can't take it without our perrmission
   
         ·    
    We allow people and things to have an unhealthy level of control and influence in our life

·        Getting angry, bitter and/or resentful at others will fix nothing.

·        Positive change starts with awareness, understanding and acknowledgement

·        The situation will change when you change. 

 

Take back your personal Power by following these steps:
 
1.      Challenge Yourself.  All too often our desire to live a comfortable, painless, easy and safe existence (all things driven by fear) is the very thing that kills our potential, our productivity, our ability to develop and ultimately, our spirit. In order to take back your power you will need to be courageous. Being courageous is a choice. Be prepared to be uncomfortable and understand that is part of the growth process and part of taking back your power.   Personal power is doing what you need to do to make your dreams come true. Many times this means doing something different than you are doing now!  Otherwise you will keep getting the same results!
 
2.      Face your fears. You can never take back your power until you confront the things that scare you. Being fearful does not represent weakness but rather humanity. Fear is something we can use for our personal development. Fear is personal. We all have our own personal fears. Today choose two of those fears to face. These fears can range from learning a new technology to bungee jumping. 
 
3.      Substitute gratitude for envy. There is always someone or something that is bigger and better. This is a losing game. Focus on gratitude for all that you have been blessed with; health, friendship, professional associates and peace. The only antidote for envy is appreciation.

 4.      Take control of your health. Exercise. The kind of exercise that empowers you is the kind that lets mind and body sing together as one. Find the exercise that induces a positive mental state and that is enjoyable to you. Maybe walking is empowering to you because you are expanding the scope of your surroundings. Yoga can bring tone and strength to mind and body. For some it is a game of tennis or golf. 

 5.      Get Inspired and Inspire others. Surround yourself with others who inspire and challenge you. Working together with like minded committed and inspired individuals is exciting and productive. 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, It is the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead
 
6.      Enhance and protect your brand   Associate with people, organizations, situations and products that enhance your reputation and that are visionary.   In the professional world your brand is your power. Your company brand should empower you with the latest tools, technology and marketing to enhance your business. 

7. Keep re-inventing yourself. Being stagnant and inflexible in a dynamic world is a sure-fire way to become redundant, unnecessary and powerless. While your core values, beliefs and standards might remain constant, it is important that you continue to adapt

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. "
Oprah Winfrey

 

More Blog Entries
The Phone Every Real Estate Agent Should Buy! - Posted on October 5, 2009
Google Analytics - Must Have!!! - Posted on August 31, 2009
SHORT SALES - WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW - Posted on August 30, 2009
Prudential California CEO... Joins Windermere as New President - Posted on June 19, 2009
A Special Message From Robyn Yates - Posted on June 17, 2009
Windermere New Email System Info - Posted on June 11, 2009
Short Sale Lender Submission & Processing Guide for Windermere Agents - Posted on June 4, 2009
Las Vegas - Obama Signs Measures to Help with Troubled Mortgages - Posted on May 27, 2009
Listen Up Las Vegas... Use your $8,000 Tax Credit as Your Down Payment! - Posted on May 14, 2009
Las Vegas Listing Inventory Shrinks - Posted on May 8, 2009
4 Ways to Court International Investors - Posted on May 4, 2009
Slight Help for Underwater Homes Las Vegas - Posted on April 15, 2009
Marco... Polo... Marco... Polo... - Posted on April 15, 2009
Do We Really Need to Use Technology... - Posted on April 13, 2009
TOP 6 MOBILE/CELL PHONES for Business Professionals - Posted on April 13, 2009
Las Vegas Home Closings on the Rise! - Posted on April 7, 2009
Is Las Vegas Good for Investors? - Posted on April 6, 2009
Short Sale, Deed-in-Lieu or Foreclosure Las Vegas - Posted on March 31, 2009
What is Web 2.0? - Posted on March 31, 2009
Windermere Services Nevada Quarterly Meeting Recap - Posted on March 26, 2009
 
Windermere Prestige Properties :: 9406 West Lake Mead Blvd., Suite 101 Las Vegas, NV 89134 :: Office Phone: 702-586-1400