Laurel Starks's Blog

What’s all of the hullabaloo about short sales? One the one hand, they are a nightmare and on the other hand, they are a saving grace. Both statements are absolutely correct. Here, I’ll attempt to provide a Realtor’s perspective on the what’s, why’s and how’s of short sales. By definition, a shor...

As this year winds down, we remain in the thick of a turbulent real estate market.  Just as many questions and uncertainty abound as there were same time last year.  We are still standing, and we have survived - but the work goes on. In my Divorce Real Estate practice, I have seen several trends ...

Meeting after meeting with "distressed homeowners" has me begging the question:  Why should they keep their house? And this is not about a *payday* for me; it's about a business decision for the homeowner. Picture this:  A 40-something couple, bought their house near the top of the market with 1...

These past few weeks have been busy times in the real estate world.  I’ll try and summarize a few of the nuggets & tidbits that I feel are worth noting:   Deed-for-Lease:  Fannie Mae came out with an announcement that they have launched a new program which allows folks who are losing their homes ...

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Berrios, President of Integrity Home Finance on my radio show that airs today.  He answers questions on lending, interest rates, the tax credit, and purchasing after a foreclosure or short sale.  Be sure to tune in today, Saturday, October 24 at 1:30pm, PST...

Earlier this week, Governor Schwarzenegger passed SB94, which prohibits any person from charging fees upfront in all matters concerning real estate loan modifications.  For months now, many California homeowners, whose homes were under water, sought out the help of professionals, hoping to get th...

In an effort to keep everyone updated on the goings-on in the real estate world, I will be sending out monthly "nuggets and tidbits" that I feel are newsworthy.  If you have any questions or would like to engage in further discussion, please feel free to reply to this email!SB 94 was signed into ...

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Davi, the DRE Commissioner for California.  The interview will play on my radio show this Saturday.  Some highlights of the show are as follows: The Obama Plan What banks are doing about modifications Loan modification scams Short Sales vs. Foreclosures The...

As some of you know, I have a talk radio show that airs every Saturday here in Southern California (KTIE 590-AM) called "Real Estate Matters with Laurel Starks." This week, I will have DRE Commissioner, Jeff Davi, on the show for the 1/2 hour, and I am preparing questions to send to him today.  I...

If I had a penny for every American’s sleepless night since this housing fiasco began, I could retire a wealthy woman. We’re all in survival mode. My clients, colleagues, friends and family members are coping as best as they can with the unbearable stress and agonizing fear about their homes, job...