Brainerd Lakes Real Estate News

Exterior painting can really help sell a house quicker and for more money!

How much more value do you Real Estate Professionals think this paint job adds to the home below?

What a difference a little paint can make. Check out these Before and After photos of a Melbourne, Florida exterior repaint. After we pressure washed this Melbourne home we repaired all of the staircase stucco cracks, applied a clear sealer (due to chalkyness), and applied two coats of Sherwin Williams A100 satin exterior paint.

Before Pressure washing and exterior painting of soffits and stucco walls:

After Pressure washing and exterior painting of soffits and stucco walls:

 

Before Pressure washing, concrete staining  and exterior painting:

After Pressure washing, concrete staining  and exterior painting:

(Lots of iron from the water sprinklers) Before Pressure washing and exterior painting:

 

(Lots of iron from the water sprinklers) After Pressure washing, exterior priming and painting:

 Melbourne, Fl  Before exterior painting:

 Melbourne, Fl  After exterior painting:

     

www.PeckPainting.com     www.PeckDrywall.com

Peck Drywall and Painting serving all of Brevard County and  surrounding areas: Melbourne-Melbourne Beach-Indialantic-Indian Harbour Beach- Cocoa Beach-Satellite Beach-Viera-Rockledge-Merrit Island- Cape Canaveral- Port St. John-Cocoa-Titusville-Palm Bay

 

Don't let one of these dangerous myths land you and your family in foreclosure ...

A short sale can be an excellent solution for homeowners who must sell and owe more on their homes than they are worth. Unfortunately, a number of myths about short sales have developed, and it is important to understand the reality of this process should you find it meets your current needs.

Myth #1 - The Bank Would Rather Foreclose than Bother with a Short Sale
This is one of the most common misconceptions. The reality is that banks do not want to foreclose on your property because the foreclosure process is incredibly costly. Banks, investors, and even the federal government have all publicly stated that if a person is qualified for a short sale, the deal needs to be considered. Overwhelmingly, banks receive more on their investment through a short sale than a foreclosure. The qualifications for a short sale include:

1. Financial Hardship - There is a situation causing you to have trouble affording your mortgage.

2. Monthly Income Shortfall - "You have more month than money." A lender will want to see that you cannot afford, or soon will not be able to afford your mortgage.

3. Insolvency - The lender will want to see that you do not have significant liquid assets that would allow you to pay down your mortgage.

Myth #2 - You Must Be Behind on Your Mortgage to Negotiate a Short Sale
While this may have previously been the case, today lenders are looking for verifiable hardship, monthly cash flow shortfall, or pending shortfall and insolvency. If you meet these three requirements and believe that you soon may be unable to afford your mortgage, act immediately. Any delay could limit your options. Do not wait until the countdown clock to foreclosure has started and you have even less time left.

Myth #3 - There is Not Enough Time to Negotiate a Short Sale Before My Foreclosure
This is a myth that probably hurts homeowners the most. Many do not realize that foreclosure is a process, and that there is time to make decisions that may result in better outcomes. The foreclosing party-in most cases a lender-can stall a foreclosure up to the final day of the process. Today, many lenders will stall a foreclosure with as little as a phone call from you explaining that you are trying to sell, and almost all lenders will stall a foreclosure with a legitimate contract. For real estate professionals who understand foreclosures and short sales, there is time available until the foreclosure process is complete.

Myth #4 - Listing My Home as a Short Sale is an Embarrassment
It is understandable to have reservations about letting the world know that you owe more on your home than it is worth. However, according to recent estimates, more than one out of eight homeowners in the U.S. is in the same situation. You are to be congratulated for admitting you need help, taking action, and finding a professional who can work with you toward a solution. With recent estimates showing 40-60% of U.S. sales will be short sales or foreclosures, you are not alone.

Myth #5 - Short Sales are Impossible and Never Get Approved
This is a complete falsehood. Are short sales more difficult to execute? Yes. Do you, as a homeowner, need to learn about a new process? Yes. Are they impossible? Absolutely not. For example, agents with the Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) Designation receive thousands of short sale approvals on a monthly basis. These professionals have undergone extensive training in methods to help homeowners in distress and process short sales. While there are no guarantees in any transaction, more and more short sales are being approved regularly. This is far from an impossible process.

Myth #6 - Banks are Waiting on a Bailout and Not Accepting Short Sales
You may have heard this, but the reality is that banks (and the U.S. government) are trying to do anything they can, within reason, to avoid foreclosing on properties. It is preposterous to believe they would deny a short sale in hopes that some future legislation would pass and pay them for losses. Today, more banks are aggressively pursuing short sales and working with agents who understand how to process them. Freddie Mac recently hosted a national training Webinar for real estate agents where they expressly stated the organizational goal of "eliminating distressed assets through modification or short sale."

Myth #7 - Buyers are Not Interested in Short Sale Properties
This is a myth that potential sellers hear all the time. Thankfully, this is just not true. In fact, many agents are getting calls from buyers who say they only want to look at foreclosure and short sales. For buyers, short sales and foreclosures have become synonymous with "good deals." More specifically, international buyers are targeting these properties. Listing with an experienced agent who is educated in the short sale process will provide you with a great chance of quickly seeing a contract on your property.

If you are in financial distress, help is just a phone call away.

Donn Rasch
Real Estate Broker
CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert)
RE/MAX Equity Group, Inc.
9200 SE Sunnybrook Blvd., Suite 100
Clackamas, Oregon 97015
503-658-5000
http://www.equitygroup.com/drasch
Donn's Real Estate Blog
Clackamas River Front Home Tour Link

Myths courtesy of the CDPE organization.

This post is in remembrance of all the who fought so valiantly 66 years ago so we could live in freedom today.

On June 6, 1944, 66 years ago, approximately 160,000 US, British and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, in a concerted push to defeat Hitler and Nazi Germany. 10,000 American men died on the beaches of Normandy after a perilous crossing of the English Channel.

I was saddened to see that there was no mention of this being D-Day in the Los Angeles Times or the Pasadena Star News, only an AP article about efforts to protect one of the locations from the effects of erosion.

A few statistics:

• 160,000 Allied troops took part in the assault
• There were 10,000 American casualties in one day
• 5,000 ships crossed the English Channel on the morning of June 6 to deliver troops and supplies
• 800 planes dropped 13,000 paratroopers behind enemy lines. Many were shot out of the sky as they drifted to earth

These maps are part of a display at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer

A couple of years ago, my husband and I made a pilgrimage to Normandy, France. Neither one of us had family members who participated in D-Day (my father was a defense plant worker and his father served in the Pacific), but we felt it was an important part of our American heritage to stand where so many had died fighting so we could live free.

We booked a tour with Overlord Tours out of Bayeaux, France due to reviews we had read on-line. We signed up for Tour #2, a tour of Utah and Omaha beaches and surrounding areas.

 

Our guide, Laurent, at the start of the tour

Our tour guide, Laurent, was very knowledgeable and passionate about all things D-Day. He, like many other people we met on our trip, love Americans and frequently expressed their appreciation of the sacrifices the American people made to help defeat Nazi Germany and expel them from France.

The tour inspired both sadness and awe. Standing on Utah and Omaha beaches, looking up at the German gun emplacements, it was hard to believe that anyone survived landing on the beach that day. The American troops were caught in a horrific cross-fire from German guns on a very deep beach with no cover for hundreds of yards.

2 movies worth watching are The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan. Both accurately depict what the Allies were up against landing on the beaches of Normandy.

 

Normandy Beach landing in Saving Private Ryan







Pont-du-Hoc landing in The Longest Day



Another remarkable must see is the mini-series Band of Brothers.

Here's some photos from the American Cemetery at  Colleville-sur-Mer:

Some facts about the American Cemetery at Colleville:

• The cemetery sits on 172 acres on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach
• It holds 9368 graves of soldiers killed during the assault on Normandy
• 307 graves are marked "unknown"
• 1557 names are listed in the Garden of the Missing, those who's remains were never found
• The cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monument Commission

There are 4868 British soldiers buried at Bayeaux Cemetery. There were also 946 Canadian casualties as a result of the assault on Normandy.

Map of Normandy Beach assaults as seen from the American Cemetery

View of Omaha Beach with map in the foreground from the American Cemetery. American soldiers had to run across that wide expanse of sand while being fired upon by German soldiers and gun emplacements.

If you only get to make one overseas trip in your life, or are wondering where to go on your next vacation, I highly recommend making a pilgrimage to Normandy. You will be welcomed with open arms by the locals. You will see some beautiful countryside and eat some delicious food. And you will be paying homage to true American (and British and Canadian) heroes, who richly deserve our admiration and respect.

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2010 RESA Professional Stager of the Year

Michelle Minch, owner of Moving Mountains Design, is one of the most successful home stagers in Los Angeles, CA.

Michelle measures her success by the speed in which her staged homes sell, often with multiple offers above listing price. She works with home sellers, listing agents and asset managers to prepare homes for sale.

Some of Moving Mountains Design's services include vacant home staging, occupied home staging, color consultations, corporate and executive relocations, move organization, redesign, and interior design. We also stage model homes, REOs,foreclosures and auction properties.

For more information about our home staging services, contact Los Angeles home stager, Michelle Minch (626)441-8975 or by email.

Click here to see our Los Angeles home staging portfolio

Click here to go to our Los Angeles home staging blog

Click here for more information about home staging in Los Angeles and how we can help sell your home faster and for the best price

   

There didn't seem to be much mention of it yesterday. With so much ekse in the news, a little event like D-Day can easily get overlooked.

Two-thirds of a century have passed since that morning in Normandy, June 6, 1944.

That's when the invasion and ensuing battles that would change the complexion of World War II and lead to the Allied victory in Europe were launched.

The ranks of the men who participated in that event and survived are dwindling. Someone just  18 at the time would be about 85 now. Most would be older than this.

This was a day that represented tremendous planning, strategies, and secrecy. Then it represented tremendous timing and coordination to execute it to perfection. Then it took courage and valor to storm that beach as a storm of gunfire rained down. This was how we were successful in shortening the war and preserving the rights and freedoms we enjoy today.

We must not forget the bravery that the world witnessed on this day.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com, or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

Steve Hoffacker - Consultant, Coach, Author, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Teacher, & Strategist - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entreprenuers, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.

 © Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.