Roanoke, Salem, Vinton and Botetourt County Short Sale Team is Receiving a Positive Response! After only a few weeks of having our team of professionals in Roanoke assembled for Roanoke Valley residents seeking to avoid foreclosure and looking for answers as to short sales, we have had a tremendous results and very happy homeowners who actually leave us with smiles on their faces.  It is amazing how much better everyone seems to feel once they can sit down with me and my attorney and explain their situation and what their goals are.  Roanoke Virginia residents, we are here to help you and we have had a great response from you.  Please note that, you DO NOT HAVE TO PAY me or the attorney.  We don't get paid if the Short Sale is not successful.  Even when the Short Sale is successful, you... 05/21/2010

Roanoke Virginia Short Sale Listings, avoid Roanoke VA Foreclosure! As Short Sales are becoming more prevelant in Roanoke, Botetourt, Salem and Vinton, more and more real estate agents are beginning to work with Roanoke VA Short Sale prospects.  While there are over 1,400 real estate agents in the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS, the CDPE website (as of today's date of May 21, 2010) shows that only two (2) Real Estate Agents in the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS had taken the Certified Distressed Property Expert Class and successfully passed the test.  While the website says there are only two, in the interest of honesty, I think there are actually twelve.  While many Real Estate Agents are attempting to do short sales in Roanoke, Botetourt, Franklin County, Salem and Vin... 05/21/2010

Lemonade Anyone?  I had the pleasure today of receiving a visit from Erin Hildreth with the Roanoke VA Childrens Miracle Network. Erin was stopping by because RE/MAX is a major National supporter of the Childrens Miracle Network and our office, RE/MAX 1st REALTY, tries to support them as much as possible.  It appears that the 9th Annual Anthem LemonAid event is coming July 16-18, 2010 and Erin needs our help to make this a success!  It is really easy, all you have to do is call 804-228-5929 or log onto www.anthemlemonaid.com and register.  Erin needs 200 LemonAide stands in and around the Roanoke Virginia area to be considered a success.  The Childrens Miracle Network provides the lemonade and the cups....all you have to supply is water and good will.  The charge is $1.00 per cup for th... 05/20/2010

The newest "scam" in the lending world is also one of the oldest.  Some lenders, when quoting on the phone, tend to intentionally mislead the consumer in regard to closing costs and pre-paids and/or interest rates. Here is the way it works:       In house lender quotes $10,352 in points, pre-paids and closing costs at 5.375 % for 30 years.      Outside competing lender quotes $8,900 closing costs and 4.875% for 30 years.      We get to closing and the total amount needed to close is almost $12,000 and the interest rate is 5.5%!      When I dig into this a little deeper I find out that the purchaser went to the lender based on the phone conversation and promise of lower "closing costs" and "lower interest rates".  Once the purchaser gets to the application the Lender charges an applicati... 05/17/2010

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra presents, A NIGHT AT WOODSTOCK - May 22, 2010   8 p.m. Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Band, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and many more... The RSO with David Stewart Wiley, Music Director, announces a special concert event, A Night at Woodstock - The Magic, The Moment, The Music.   Devoted to a defining moment in music history, A Night at Woodstock includes the RSO and an all-star lineup of rock vocalists and band from Jeans 'n Classics. 8 p.m., Saturday, May 22, 2010 - Salem Civic Center.   05/16/2010

Virginia Tax Holiday: May 25-31, 2010: Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness Equipment. During this seven-day period, purchases of items designated by the Department of Taxation as hurricane preparedness equipment, including portable generators, will be exempt from the Virginia sales tax. Portable generators must be priced at $1,000 or less, and other eligible items must be priced at $60 or less for each item.   HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS SALES TAX HOLIDAY The following hurricane preparedness items may be purchased exempt of the Retail Sales and Use Tax during the "Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday," provided that such items have a selling price of $60 or less per item. • Artificial ice, blue ice, ice packs and reusable ice • Batteries (excluding automobile or boat batteries), includi... 05/16/2010

Update to blog-Roanoke County Virginia Foreclosure by MRF 3, LLC. The client met with my attorney last week and the attorney has written a letter to MRF 3, LLC mandating that the MRF 3 honor the Loan Modification that GMAC had agreed to. We will see how this plays out and keep you posted but this is another Roanoke Virginia Foreclosure candidate who is being proactive and taking advantage of the help that is being offered.  We are here to help you, life happens and nothing is prefect in this world. People lose jobs, people get sick, people get divorced, people get married, people get transferred....life happens to all of us. When life happens and you owe more on your Roanoke Virginia house than it is worth, when you can't afford to sell your home but you HAVE to because something in you... 05/15/2010

Home sales in the Roanoke Valley rose 14 percent in April, while buyers rushed to sign housing contracts to meet the deadline for federal tax credits. Buyers snatched up 328 homes during the month, compared with 287 last year. That's according to the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors, which tracks sales in Roanoke and Salem, Roanoke, Botetourt and Craig counties, and parts of Bedford and Franklin counties. The average price of a house also increased last month. It was $182,471, up from $176,964 in April 2009, the association said. Additionally, buyers signed contracts for 548 Roanoke Valley houses, the highest monthly total in about three years, the association reported.   05/12/2010

    Here is our Schedule of events: 11:00 a.m. Parade of Nations led by the City of Roanoke Color GuardOpening CeremonyNational Anthem: Leis WallinAssembled Dignitaries: Roanoke Mayor David Bowers / Delegate Onzlee Ware /  Festival Emcees: WFIR's Bob Clark, "Cooking Cheap's" Larry Bly, Cox Communications, Craig Wright, Jay Saunders, and our own Pearl Fu Founder/Executive Director of Local Colors.Announcers: Bob Henderson, Jay Saunders11:45 a.m Virginia Gentlemen (will sing patriotic song) 11:55 Bangladesh - performing 2 dances12:05 Lauren Waldron, Miss Smith Mountain Lake's Outstanding Teen -- sings12:10 Korean Fashion Show (Korean Baptist Church)12:20 Katelin Waldron, the first Miss Teen Roanoke Valley in 2006 - sings12:25 Polynesian Dancers (Hula) - Maka12:35 Bill Carder - sings12:50 ... 05/12/2010

Many REALTORS and Sellers often wonder how to tell if the price of the listing is correct or not.  There is a secret to pricing, unfortunately the secret is not usually revealed until after the house has been exposed to the market!  The secret is this, If the house is being shown on a regular basis but there are no offers, the house is over priced or there is something about the house that the buyers in general do not like.  It is the Real Estate Agent's job to figure out what is keeping buyers from making offers.  If it is something that the seller can remedy, than we need to address it promptly.  If it is something that the seller cannot remedy, the only way to compensate is with price. If the house is not being shown, the market is rejecting the price and the only way to compensate i... 05/11/2010

Roanoke Virginia Market Report, Post Tax Credit! A lot of people have asked me in the past week or so, "what is the market like since the tax credit expired?".  My answer?  "It is life as usual".  I really didn't see many people making decisions that they would not have normally made.  I had a couple of buyers who moved their purchase date up a month or so but other than that the spring market is moving along as expected.  I truly think that many Roanoke Virginia Home Buyers are smart enough to realize that you don't buy or sell a house for a tax credit, and I am happy they realize this.  Some Roanoke Virginia Sellers are a little disappointed that their homes did not sell that last week of the market.  Some of these sellers were unreasonable in their asking prices and actually walked b... 05/10/2010

Roanoke Virginia Short Sale and Foreclosure help is now official!  I feel that I have now solidified the only "Team" of professionals in the Roanoke Valley able and capable of servicing the Roanoke Virginia area homeowners who are facing Foreclosure and need to do a Short Sale or a Deed In Lieu of Foreclosure.  We now have an Attorney, a Loan Modification Expert and a Lender, in addition to myself, the REALTOR. We have assembled the most capable, professional team in the Roanoke Virginia area to advise the short sale or foreclosure candidate in regard to the processes and the paperwork necessary to sell your home by way of short sale instead of facing foreclosure.  We have the ability to work with you and help you decide whether you need to explore bankruptcy, Deed In Lieu, Foreclosure ... 05/10/2010

Roanoke VA Seafood.....BBQ Shrimp Anyone? Awful Arthurs Seafood Restaurant, Towers Mall, Roanoke VA. After work last night I walked next door to Awful Arthurs Seafood Restaurant next door to my office at Towers Mall in Roanoke VA.  Awful Arthurs Seafood Restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants for many reasons and food happens to be one of the.  I have failed to mention in some of my earlier blogs one of the main reasons I love Awful Arthurs Seafood Restaurant at Towers Mall.  This reason?  Six reasons wrapped up in one actually, Whitney, Amber, Ivy, Brooke, Travis and Barry.  You see, Awful Arthurs Seafood at Towers realizes something that most business don't anymore.  They realize that I have many choices of where I will spend my money.  They realize that I spend my money at their... 05/07/2010

Roanoke County Virginia Foreclosure by MRF 3, LLC.  I am in need of some help from my Active Rain Community!  Who has some experience with this company?  I have homeowners in Roanoke County VA who had a mortgage with GMAC, husband lost his job and fell behind on mortgage, worked out a modification and before he could even pay his first loan modification payment lost his new job.  It took him another 6 months to find a job.  When he found his new job he worked out a Forbearance with GMAC.  1st payment was to be November 24, 2009 I believe.  Made this payment and days before his second payment was to be made was notified that GMAC had sold the loan to MRF 3, LLC.  MRF 3, LLC refused to credit the payment to the account unless the Roanoke Homeowners paid the ENTIRE balance that they were b... 05/04/2010

"We still have to live here!"  Those fateful words that are uttered by almost every seller. Every time I hear those words I cringe deep inside!  I know that you have seven people crammed into a house built for four.  I know you didn't know your mother in law was going to get sick and move in when you bought your home.  I know you didn't plan on triplets this last time.  I know you had no idea your husband had to have three different video game systems or that he would pick up golf AND paintball.  I know you had no clue your wife would want to collect Longaberger baskets, Boyd's Bears AND keep her Barbie Doll collection from childhood.  Nobody would ever think that your child would HAVE to keep the four foot tall stuffed bear you won her at the local Carnival.....nobody plans on out grow... 04/27/2010

Bank of America Customer Service is horrible.  I am so frustrated today.  I have been working several Roanoke VA Short Sale files with Bank of America for over 4 months now and Bank of America is still playing it's game.  If any Roanoke VA home owner wants to know who to thank for their property value falling, if any Roanoke home owner wants to know why they are being foreclosed on, there is a good chance that Bank of America Customer Service has something to do with it.  Bank of America bought Countrywide and they are now servicing all of Taylor Bean & Whittaker's old loans. Bank of America is 100% incapable of servicing the business that they currently have.  I would urge any Roanoke VA resident to not bank with Bank of America at least until they can learn to handle the business that... 04/27/2010

Roanoke VA/ Botetourt VA Short Sales and Roanoke VA/ Botetourt VA Foreclosures on the upswing? Yes, the Roanoke and Botetourt Virginia's Short Sales and Foreclosure numbers are still on the rise even with the increased activity over the past month.  More and more Roanoke and Botetourt Home Owners are realizing that a Short Sale is the way out over a Foreclosure and they are starting to list the properties and sell their houses before a foreclosure can occur.  If you, or anyone you know is unable to make their mortgage payment, please call or email today.  Please don't wait until a foreclosure date is made by the bank on your Roanoke or Botetourt Home.  04/26/2010

Great Roanoke VA Loan Officer, Joel Balsely with Atlantic Bay Mortgage. I just closed two of the roughest deals in my career!  They were both loaded with issues and it seemed that as soon as we cleared up one issue there was another one just waiting to fall on us.  Joel Balsley with Atlantic Bay Mortgage kept attacking the issues one by one and never gave up on either client.  In the end we closed on both loans and we now have two new happy home owners. I just felt I needed to post this publicly since we all seem to forget to praise those who make our successes possible. If anyone needs a loan, call Joel Balsley at 540-278-1430. 04/25/2010

Community School Strawberry Festival The Annual Community School Strawberry Festival is one of the Valley's most popular and well-known events. This two-day family-oriented festival is run entirely by Community School parent volunteers, alumni, and school staff. All proceeds benefit Community School. The Strawberry Festival draws approximately 30,000 visitors to downtown Roanoke during the first weekend of May. In addition to delicious strawberry desserts, there are arts and craft vendors, children's activities, and live entertainment at the Elmwood Park amphitheater. General admission to the Festival is free, but patrons are encouraged to purchase homemade strawberry shortcake, strawberry sundaes, chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry slushies, or strawberries and cream. Parents an... 04/25/2010

Tips for getting your finances in order before looking for a mortgage in Roanoke,Va.       If you are considering shopping for a mortgage in Roanoke, Va then these tips can assist you in securing the best rate possible.        Develop a household budget. Instead of creating a budget of what you'd like to spend, use receipts to create a budget that reflects your actual spending habits over the last several months. This approach will factor in unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, as well as predictable costs such as rent, utility bills, and groceries.       Reduce your debt. Lenders generally look for a total debt load of no more than 36 percent of income. This figure includes your mortgage, which typically ranges between 25 and 28 percent of your net household income. So you need to... 04/25/2010