Listing new foreclosed homes is hazzardous enough but now there is something else you need to look out for. I had a new listing where someone shut off the main breaker, took all the lights fixtures from the house and then twisted the hot and ground wires together and tucked them up.Because a national provider comes in to manage and service the house for this bank, they turned on the power but did not have anyone there to check it, they had turned on the main and when the electric company turned on the meter on the outside... poofIt smothered for a little while but it is a good thing the the breakers eventually popped cutting off juice.The moral of the story is listing agents should now check or have checked the wires before getting the power turned on.Updated January 10, 2011 01/10/2011

Recently my Active Rain seems to be running at a snails pace with some pages freezing. I am not sure if it is me or for everyone, after last night trying to restart my computer and even switching laptops, i think the site is getting overloaded at night. I wanted to know if anyone else is experiencing the same problems. 01/10/2011

TIPS TO AVOID FORECLOSURE!!! What you need to know, tips and advice...   There is help and there are opportunities to avoid foreclosure. It starts with you "The home Owner" though. There is no quick fix and no magic formula however, you will need some faith and persistance.#1. Avoid being Scammed...First thing is do not be scammed, do not sign your deed over to anyone, do not pay anyone with a boatload of promises of quick results and big promises, chances are they are not realistic or true. Real and genuine companies do not charge anything upfront.#2. What got you behind? Different reasons mean different solutionsIf you find yourself behind becuae of a high interest rate, you lost your job, illness or divorce. You need to take the first step for assistance. What is available to you wil... 01/10/2011

I have seen alot of blogs with tips for short sales, but none that warn you of what not to do.TOP 5 SHORT SALE "WARNINGS"#1. DO NOT SELL TO A RELATIVE. The number 1 myth of a short sale is it can be used to sell the home to a relaitive, child, spouse, cousin or other person and you will be able to re-buy  your home at a cheaper price. The reality is the bank who holds your loan will require you to sign an affadavit you are not selling to a relative under penalty of perjury.#2. DO NOT USE AN IN-EXPERIENCED AGENT OR TRY TO COMPLETE YOURSELF. A short sale is hard ennough for an agent highly experienced in short sales, an agent who is not experienced or trying to do it yourslef will virtually asure a negative result. You can hire an experienced agent and a professional negotiator to work on... 01/08/2011

If you are looking to rent to own a home, here are some tips to get you started.# 1. Get Prequailified for a mortgage...It is a good idea as the first step, to get prequailified. Meet with a local and trusted bank or mortgage company. Stay away from internet lenders. You need to find out how long it will take you to get a mortgage so you know how long of a lease your need. As well as what you will need to do to be quailified by the time that lease is up. You can get prequailified at no cost at most trusted lenders. Then you need to know what price range you will be able to purchase in. you do not want to lease a home out of your price range as you may never be able to purchase it. #2. HIRE A BUYER BROKERYou may not have the resources to find the properties that are not being offered as ... 01/07/2011

PRE FORECLOSURES ARE SIMPLY THAT, A HOUSE ENTERING INTO THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS... The home owner is usually gets to the 60 day late window and the process starts.THE TOP 5 MYTHS AND TIPS "getting a deal on a pre-foreclosure". 1. Most houses in pre-foreclsoure are not even on the market for sale2. Most home owners in pre-foreclosure owe more than the house is worth in todays market. 3. If they are in foreclosure and a foreclsoure date has been set, there is not enough time for them to complete a short sale.4. Most home owners in foreclosure are not going to invest their time, what resources they have left or their emotions for someone else to get a deal on their home they are losing.5. The Reality is working pre-foreclosures is a long and stressful task, you need to have a strong will w... 01/07/2011

One of the most asked questions is how to purchase a bank owned home. I deal with alot of bank owned homes throughout New Hampshire. The basic premise though will appy to anywhere in the USA as all banks virtually operate the same way.TOP 5 TIPS FOR BUYING A BANK OWNED HOME#1. Where to start?The first thing you need to do is be pre-approved for a loan. No bank will look at your offer without it. There is a difference between prequalified and preapproved. A pre qualification looks at your credit score, your income and liabilities you state and gives you a sales price you should be searching in. however a pre-approval will confirm you are able to get the loan by verifying your income, assetts and liabilities. #2. What is being sold "as is"?The second thing you need to know is the house yo... 01/06/2011

One of the most asked questions and most common call soliciting my business is from people who want to get into the foreclosure business., Either cleaning them, maintaining them, lawn care, snow removal, emergency services and changing the locks and yes other agents looking how to get the bank owned listings i get.....TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE FORECLSOURE BUSINESS1. BE PREPARED: With contractors...there is nothing worse than an unprepared person coming into my office looking for work. I wanted to write this to give not only people in NH but throughout the USA tips of what banks and what agents look for when looking for people to complete work.2. SET UP YOUR BUSINESS: The first step is to make sure your business is registered and you have obtained liability insurance... 01/04/2011

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IF NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOUR HOUSE. #1. CHECK YOUR PRICE: The first thing you should do is get a new brokers price opinion or appraisal completed to see where your house is priced in the market. If your house is priced above market value, with the increase in listings, your house my be priiced too high to attract buyers. You want your house priced at or below market value, most often no lookers comes from too high of an asking price. #2. TALK TO YOUR LISTING AGENT: The second question to ask your listing agent if anyone is calling, Where is the agent directing their marketing. Ask the agent why they think there is no lookers. Are they marketing in the right places? #3. IS YOUR HOME READY FOR A SHOWING? Make sure the exterior of your home is neat and clean, most people... 01/04/2011

One of the most debated questions is how some short sales are getting approved while others sit for 6 months or longer unapproved. There is no law that states the bank has to complete a short sale, they only lose money and make it as hard as possible. While it may be on purpose or may not be, the fact is, it is not easy. 5 TIPS TO ASSIST IN GETTING YOUR SHORT SALE APPROVED.1. BE PREPARED BEFORE ASKING FOR A SHORT SALEIf you owe more than your house is worth in todays market and NEED to sell, you are on the right track. The seller will need to show a financial hardship such as you can no longer afford to make your monthly payments or you are forced to sell becuase of a job transfer, marriage, death, illness or such...Wanting a a short sale becuase you owe more than it is worth today will... 01/03/2011

One of the most common questions i have been asked recently is, WHERE DO I IS START IF I WANT TO GET A MORTGAGE?The mortgage industry seems to be changing daily, the requirements continue to change and can differ greatly from bank to bank and mortgage Company to mortgage company. MY TOP 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET A MORTAGE1. FIND A LOCAL AND TRUSTED LOAN OFFICER: The first thing any potential buyer needs to do when they start thinking they want to buy a home, is to contact a local and trusted mortage broker, bank or credit union. STAY AWAY from the internet lenders. You really want to be able to put a face to a voice and have a local source to be able to get information and drop off any paperwork or financials. 2. GET PRE-QUALIFIED: A good local loan officer will pre-q... 01/03/2011

I started out the day with the best layed plans. To get up early, check some of my foreclosure listings to see if the occupants moved out over the weekend, i took pictures of 3 houses for some BPO's and met a buyer to view a couple of houses. With everything done by noon. I was to head home in time for lunch and the Patriots vs Miami football game. I left the office phone forwarded to my cell phone. Just after 1pm just in time for kick off the phone rang, thank god for the "live pause" button on the DVR.  As i answered the voice on the other line was estatic, puzzled i said Hello again. They then said wow, a live person, has everyone in NH closed for the weekend, i replied not me, what i could do to assist her. The gentle voice introduced herself as an asset manager from a "large bank",... 01/02/2011

I wanted to thank all of my new and old friends from Active Rain for a great 2010. I am glad i could share my experiences, help out a few people and gain some knowledge from everything you all have shared.Wishing you a Happy New Year and a great 2011 01/01/2011

I just got back from showing my last house of the year. The potential buyers children headed for the backyard and dove into the snow. The parents did not seem to mind the kids getting all wet... before i could even think that most parents would be shouting for teh kids to get out of the snow... they told me they were from Florida moving to NH. The kids had never seen snow so they were going to let them go wild. As we spoke one of the children came up to me and said " You know it was cold enough to snow in Florida but it didn't. You folks here in the north were nice enough to share your cold with us, but we just could not get it to snow for Christmas."  He told me kids here are lucky to have "snow days". As i spoke with the buyers we shared the fact It is lucky for the kids, but not so m... 12/31/2010

Having been in Real Estate for 24 years i have garnered alot of different experiences working with customers buying and selling property. I wante dto share a touching story that happened recently.I had a customer call who wanted to meet me to see a house, she told me though that before she would hire me as her buyer broker i needed to meet her partner. I said ok. It turns out that her partner is a small dog. Before we went into the house she wanted me to meet her dog. The dog warmed right up to me and she kept saying "Hmmm". i am allergic to dogs so i dont cozy up to them but do like and respect them. I thought for sure our showing was done before it began.  I asked her if everything was ok and she said, well yes, that her dog is a fine judge of character and as she did not bark at me, ... 12/30/2010

This Evening's question is; "SHOULD YOU LOWER YOUR ASKING PRICE??"Unfortanately in this market it is a common question. The first thing you have to do is get a new brokers price opinion completed to see where your house is priced in the market. If your house is priced above market value, with the increase in listings, your house my be priced too high to attract buyers. You want your house priced at or below market value, most often no lookers comes from too high of an asking price. The second question to consider is if anyone is looking at your house. Is anyone calling, where is the agent directing their marketing. Ask the agent why they think there is no lookers. If your price is at or below market value and no lookers why is this happening and try and solve it.WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?The... 12/30/2010

I receive quite a few questions regarding how to make an offer and how to purchase a "Bank Owned" home. Today i was called by a reporter writing a story asking me to single out the most important thing to know when buying a bank owned home. I began by saying there was not just 1 item but a list of 5 items that are all as important as any one of them.MY TOP 5 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN BUYING A BANK OWNED HOME1. GET PREQUAILIFIED Prior to making an offer get pre-quailified with a local and trusted loan officer. No bank will look at your offer without it. A pre qualification looks at your credit score, your income and liabilities you state and will give you a sales price range you should be searching in.2. KNOW WHAT TYPE OF MORTGAGE YOU ARE GETTING. You need to know if the house is in a conditio... 12/30/2010

As a broker who lists alot of bank owned property i get to see some great houses both in reality and sarcasim. This one unfortanately is in a sarcastic note. This particular house in unusual to find in winter. I though t i would share it with you. Now isn't that pretty? Not really... it is a dissapointment.... another home that lacked proper preservation. 12/29/2010

If you are a buyer, you want the best possible deal. Everyone has their advice how to get the best possible deal, but what is the right way and what is the wrong way?As a buyer, your goal is to get the a property at the best price and terms possible. If you can get it under market value your are getting a "a deal" and will be real happy.Some buyers and their agents use a "the low ball offer". By using this term, a low ball offer is when a buyer makes an offer "way" lower than current market value. FINDING THE RIGHT PROPERTYBefore you can even make an offer, you need to find a property to make an offer on. The first thing you need to do is choose which properties to see then which properties to make an offer on. There are other buyers doing the same thing as you, if you have ever got out... 12/29/2010

Updated Dec. 28, 2010Blog Written by: As i am driving around the city today, the amount of traffic has slowed down my travel enough to sit and ponder a few thoughts. Everyone that did not go out yesterday is out today Snow looks better on the branches of trees than in the road How do so many people forget how to drive in the snow since last winter It was nice that so much of the East coast could share in some snow instead of keeping it all up here in NH. Maybe they could share some warmth and sunshine when they get warm  As i was out showing houses today i was thinking there was some agents who needed to get a shovel as most of the homes had unplowed driveways and unshoveled walks. If i cant get to it to show it, it can not be sold. Have a great day everyone 12/28/2010