The 3 Most Important Things for Getting Your Home Sold
- PRICE - must be in line with recent comps of sold similar homes in the area
- EXPOSURE - property must be properly marketed
- ACCESSIBILITY - serious, qualified buyers must be able to get inside the property
Might you need to SHORT SALE your home??
- Do you owe "considerably" more on your home than it's worth?
- Are you having trouble making your monthly payments?
- Are you already behind on your mortgage payments?
- Have you received a Notice of Trustee Sale ("foreclosure") notice? If so, what's the auction date?
- Do you have a qualifying "hardship"?? (loss of job, forced transfer, divorce, medical bills, pay reduction, etc)?
- Would you like to avoid the potential credit or employment-threatening effects of a "foreclosure" on your record?
- Have you unsuccessfully attempted loan "modification" through your lender(s)?
- Are you aware that by simply letting the home go into foreclosure, you may be pursued by banks later?
- Are you willing to disclose any and all financial information to your lenders in order to achieve an agreement?
- Are you aware of the potential legal and tax effects of a foreclosure vs a short sale?
- Have you or are you considering filing for bankruptcy?
- Have you consulted an attorney about short sale vs foreclosure vs bankruptcy decision?
- Are you willing to meet with an attorney for a low-cost consultation to discuss your options and their potential legal, financial & credit ramifications?
- Are you willing to consult an accountant or CPA regaring the potential tax effects (could be significant) before proceeding?
- Are you familiar with the various programs (MHA, HAFA, HAMP, HARP, MFDRA 2007, etc) that could affect your options?
http://www.aaronline.com/documents/ssseller_advisory.pdf
Steps to Getting Your Home Sold
- Discuss the property listing / selling process and complete the listing questionnaire (over the phone)
- Normal sale? "Comps" are pulled to determine fair market value before listing presentation
- Short sale? Meet with an attorney and/or tax professional to discuss your options (STRONGLY recommended)
- Listing presentation, home tour and signing of listing documents (marketing restrictions are discussed here, if any)
- Short sale? Get "authorization letter", and other documents as needed to begin the process
- Property is entered into the MLS, yard sign installed (if allowed), lockbox added (if allowed)
- Begin title "prelim" work
- Property listing info is "pushed" to many websites (Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow, Yahoo RE, and many others)
- A qualifiied buyer(s) is(are) found, offer(s) are made, and the seller(s) select the offer they like best
- Escrow is opened with a preferred title company
- Short sale? Offer is submitted to lien holders and, once a negotiator is assigned, negotiations begin
- Agent guides the seller through necessary disclosure (SPDS, BINSR, CLUE, etc) and keeps both parties informed
- Home will typically be inspected and appraised by the buyer - seller should have utilities on, if possible
- Buyer(s) prepares to close, signs closing documents, and brings closing amount to title company
- Seller(s) signs closing documents and brings closing amount (if any) to title company
- Seller(s) is typically out of the property BEFORE "close of escrow" unless special arrangements are made
- The transaction "closes escrow", the seller(s) and lien holders are paid, buyer(s) gets the keys.
How much house COULD you buy with the RENT you now pay??
- $500/month rent = $100,000 house!
- $1,000/month rent = $200,000 house!
- $1,500/month rent = $300,000 house!
- $2,000/month rent = $400,000 house!
- Assumptions: Principal & Interest only ; 5% interest ; FHA 3.5% down ; 30 yr fixed ; M.I., taxes, insurance, HOA fees not included
- Above figures approximate
HUD foreclosed homes can save you over $1,000!!!
- A HUD home is a foreclosure owned by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
- The previous owner had an FHA loan - which defaulted
- HUD homes already have a home inspection completed (saving you $300+)!!
- HUD homes come with a clean termite report (saving you $50-$500+)!!
- HUD homes already have the appraisal done (if using an FHA loan - saving you $400+)!!
- HUD homes come with 3% closing cost assistance!!
- Short on Funds? HUD may be the BEST foreclosure "deal" for you!!
- HUD homes are located throughout the Valley at VERY affordable prices!!
- Many HUD homes are newer homes in great condition!!
- Click the "HUD" links (above) to see them!! (HUDHomestore.com links are more accurate)
- Call me when you're ready to qualify and go buy a HUD home!!
Problems with HUD home bidding process for FHA loan buyers
- Be aware of the "comps" on the target property (esp when considering the next three options)
- Cover (some or all) of your own closing costs
- Overbid on the price (and be ready to pay difference out of pocket)
- A combination of the two above (if combining both options can get you close to the "comps" value)
- Use another type of financing (other than FHA) - i.e.: 5-20% down Conventional, VA, USDA (if applicable), cash, etc
- Avoid HUD homes altogether - focus on bank or privately-owned homes
- PIck a less-desirable property (smaller, older, further away, missing some items, minor damage, "dirtier", etc)
- Just get "lucky" (I've seen it happen - but it's rare for a property in great condition in a desirable area)
Multiple-bid/offer ("bidding war") strategy & considerations
- Find out how many offers are on the property, and how soon the seller will decide (if possible)
- Has the seller already accepted another offer? Are they at the countering stage? Highest & Best?
- Note property location, size, condition, age, 1 or 2 floors, lot size, upgrades, amenities, missing parts (if any), etc
- Does the property back to a major street or some other "undesirable" factor?
- Pull "comps" when considering an offer/bid; take the above factors into account
- Be aware of the "appraisal contingency" in the contract, and use it to your advantage
- Consider days-on-market and price drops (more important if you're the only offer/bid)
- Understand that days-on-market alone may be a VERY deceptive factor
Buying a home that needs some repairs
- If the repair amount is less than $5,500 (missing A/C, for example), you may be able to do an "escrow hold back"...
- ...if you are purchasing a HUD home, or using a "conventional" loan
- You can NOT do an "escrow holdback" with using an FHA loan and buying a non-HUD home (i.e.: bank or privately owned, etc)
- For HUD homes, you can also do an FHA 203k (streamlined or standard) for amounts over $5,500
- The "escrow holdback" is simpler, faster, and cheaper - if it's an option in your particular situation
FHA / VA (loan) "lender required" items
- All HVAC heating and air conditioning equipment functional
- All internal plumbing functional (toilets, sinks, faucets, shower heads, etc)
- All smoke detectors present and functional
- No exposed electrical wiring
- No missing electrical socket covers
- Range/stove must be in place
- No obvious safety hazards
- Termite checks (possibly, maybe not - definitely req'd for VA loans)
- Water heater needs to be functional
- Pool may need to be filled and pool equipment must be functional (if applicable)
- Septic tank (if applicable) will need to be certified operational (AZ state law), just an FYI...
- Well (if applicable) may need to have water tested
- Other items (see article below)
- If you have NOT had a bankruptcy in the last 24 months...
- If you have NOT had a foreclosure in the last 36 months...
- If you have NOT had a "short sale" in the last 36 months...
- If you have current collections that you ARE willing to pay off or catch up...
- ...then you MAY be able to qualify for a mortgage! Call me TODAY and let's find out!!
"First-time Home Buyer" considerations (down payment, closing costs, etc)
- Definition - "first time home buyer": someone who has NOT owned a home in the last 3 years
- (if they ever had one, they sold it AT LEAST 3 YEARS ago - that's 36 months)
- If a buyer already has a home, he/she will be considered an "investment" or "second" home buyer
- Investment & 2nd-home buyers will usually be required to put more money down (often 10% - maybe more)
- Investor & 2nd-home buyers may have slightly higher interest rates than first-time buyers, all else being equal
- Most banks and HUD may NOT pay 3% closing cost contributions for these buyers
- Some sellers (banks/HUD) may require these buyers to wait severals days (after the property hits the market) before making offers
- There may be other "concessions" that some sellers (banks/HUD) will not offer
- Private sellers (i.e.: "real people", not banks/HUD) MAY be willing to offer concessions that banks won't
Various ways to "qualify" to purchase a home (incl down payment requirements)
- FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan - 3.5% down payment (CAN be gifted from family) - ($1,000 earnest deposit is part of this)
- VA (Veterans Administration) loan - 0 down payment, military personnel ($1,000 earnest deposit still required)
- USDA (U.S. Dept of Agriculture) loan - "0 down" like VA, but can be used by anyone (who qualifies) in certain "rural" cities (Buckeye, Maricopa, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Anthem, Apache Junction, western parts of Goodyear & Litchfield Park, Wittmann, etc)
- Conventional loan - 3-20% down payment ($1,000 earnest deposit is part of this)
- Cash - may require a larger down payment (up to 20%); you'll need to produce recent financial statement(s) - without account numbers - showing that you have the funds (i.e.:"proof of funds")
Down payment vs Closing costs
- Down payment (discussed above) and closing costs are separate...
- Earnest deposit ($1,000) is part of the down payment - and is pledged to get the property off the market
- The balance (remainder) of the down payment is paid at closing (4-6 weeks later for a "loan" buyer; 7-10 days later for "cash" buyers)
- Closing costs for a "loan" buyer of a typically-priced home (under $150,000) are about $4,000 (rule-of-thumb)
- Note: closing costs for "cash" buyers are a LOT less
- Banks often contribute up to 3% of the agreed-upon sales price to cover these buyer's closing costs; HUD also contributes up to 3%
- Note: for homes OVER $133,000, a 3% seller (bank, HUD, etc) contribution is enough to cover the buyer's $4,000 closing costs
- For a home UNDER $133,000, a 3% seller contribution is NOT ENOUGH to cover the entire $4,000 buyer's closing costs
- Unless the seller (bank, HUD, etc) will offer MORE than 3% for a home UNDER $133,000, the BUYER will need to make up the difference at closing
- This is IN ADDITION to whatever remaining amount of down payment the buyer will need to bring in
- Also, the greater the competition for (more offers on) a given home, the LESS "concessions" the seller will offer
- Generally, the LONGER the property has been on the market, the MORE the seller will offer to get it sold
- I always make every effort possible to negotiate full closing costs for my buyers, but this cannot be guaranteed
- Applying the $1,000 earnest deposits to cover the buyer's closing costs may make the DIFFERENCE for the buyer!!
- It MAY be possible to re-structure the buyer's LOAN to help cover some of these, if necessary
- Some of these funds may be GIFTED (given to the buyer from a family member) if the buyer is short on funds
- fyi: "0 down" (VA / USDA) programs usually get cash back at closing for the buyer
The Home buying process (in a nutshell)
- Get qualified - get me a copy of the loan Pre-Qualification Form (PQF) or proof of funds, showing that you CAN buy and for how much
- Determine the search parameters (city/cities, # beds/baths, square footage, year built, max price, "wants", "needs", etc)
- Consider the monthly HOA payment (some subdivisions in Anthem, Maricopa & Queen Creek are at $80/month or more, for example)
- Watch out for one-time HOA "transfer / disclosure / working capital / enhancement / reserve fund / preservation / etc.." FEES (neglible most times, but can be HUNDREDS of dollars with some subdivisions)
- Certain Buckeye subdivisions (i.e.: Sundance, West Park, etc) may have Community Facility District (CFD) "assessments" (approx $600/year - another $50/month ABOVE monthly HOA dues) that buyers will also need to pay (through June 2022, for example) and should be aware of (see "Miscellaneous Links" below)
- I'll set up a custom property search "web portal" for you to view/select all homes matching your specs
- You select your favorite 5-10 homes matching your specs
- I'll screen the list for possible problems
- We'll make an appointment to go view these homes (5 max per day, unless all homes are close together - then we can see 7 per day)
- Yes, there are MANY homes out there - but once you've NARROWED the search by SEEING them, there will be FEW that'll REALLY match what you want
- Select your 1st FAVORITE home (think about a 2nd & 3rd choice as well)
- It's VERY LIKELY that your 1st choice will already have other offers on it, and MAY be SOLD already - so you'll need to be READY to MOVE to the 2nd or 3rd choice
- If your 1st choice is still available, we'll write an offer on the property (HUD process slightly different)
- Negotiate and (ideally) get the offer accepted (depending on the competition and other factors - HUD differences)
- Escrow is opened with a title company, and the earnest deposit made out to that title company ($1,000 - cashier's check may be required)
- WARNING!! DO NOT make any MAJOR financial purchases (furniture, cars, large credit card charges,etc) during this time!! Do that AFTER you close escrow!!
- Property is inspected (NOT required, but STRONGLY recommended) - $300+ for property inspection & $50 for termite check (VA loan only)
- Note: property inspections are the buyer's responsibility and at the buyer's expense, and bank/HUD properties are sold in "AS IS" condition
- Banks often turn on utilities (not gas) for inspections; HUD does not (but HUD does provides a basic free inspection)
- If termite activity is found AND IF the buyer is using a VA loan, property will need treating ($450+) (about 20% of homes in my experience)
- If the property has a septic tank ($500+ inspection) and/or well (& water quality), these may have to be checked (at buyer's expense)
- Most properties in subdivisions do NOT have septic tanks, but public sewers instead (properties with 1+ acre lots often do have septic tanks)
- If major problems are found, we can re-negotiate or back out and get the $1,000 earnest deposit back
- Property is appraised ($400+) (HUD homes already appraised - list price is appraised value if buyer is using an FHA loan)
- If the property appraises for AT LEAST the agreed-upon sales price, then continue working with loan officer. If not, we can re-negotiate or back out and get $1,000 back
- If buyer ultimately can NOT qualify (after a good faith & diligent effort), buyer can still back out and get $1,000 back
- Buyer will not, of course, be re-imbursed for any inspection expenses (none of these were ever seller-required)
- Just before signing final paperwork (4-6 weeks for "loan" buyers) after escrow is opened, final walk through is done to verify no change in property condition
- If the buyer is buying "all cash", the final signing is typically 7-10 days after escrow opening
- Final paperwork is signed at the title company (closing amount necessary, if any, is brought to the final signing as a cashier's check made out to the title company)
- Most Bank/HUD owned deals offer up to 3% of sales price toward closing costs (any remaining down payment or closing costs are due at this time)
- Banks/HUD/sellers may not be willing to pay closing costs for "investors" (non-owner occupieds)
- Bank/HUD deals usually will NOT pay HOA transfer fees and/or assessments (FYI)
- Your lender "funds" (releases the funds); deed is "recorded" in your name; escrow "closes" (could be up to 3 days after signing)
- CONGRATULATIONS!! You get the keys (and can now change the locks)
Types of "deals" out there (for buyers)
"Bank-owned" vs "HUD-owned" vs "Short sales" vs "Investor flips" vs "Traditional" seller
Auctions, owner/seller-carry, rent-to-own, lease-options/purchases, etc.
Miscellaneous links
- Buyer Advisory document (AZ Dept of Real Estate)
- YourWayHomeAZ loan program (main page)
- YourWayHomeAZ ("Press page" - program summary)
- USDA ("rural", 0 DOWN) loan program & property locator
Check to see if a given home address qualifies for this loan here
- Buckeye-Sundance CFD fees/info
- Buckeye-West Park CFD fees/info
- Mortgage Calculator (Bankrate.com)
- Arizona Fissures info (AZ Geological Survey)
- Septic tank search request (Maricopa.gov)
Request to locate septic tank for homes that have one (often homes with "acreage")
- Phoenix Crime Statistics (by city)
Provided by AZCentral.com
- Google Earth
Use Google Earth to view homes and subdivisions from the air
- Arizona Landlord-Tenant Act
Be aware of your rights and responsibilities as either a tenant or a landlord in the state of Arizona.
- Arizona Residential Lease Agreement (sample)
- KEYTLaw.com
Awesome resource for real estate related legal issues and education in Arizona
- KEYTLaw's Free Email Newsletters
TONS of interesting real estate related topics (browse them for yourself) sent directly to your email
- FHA-approved CONDO list (buying a CONDO? look here first!)
Enter the zip code; select "all" for status; choose "both" for Search Type; click SEND button to see results
- What is a "good" credit score? Look here:
- Annual Credit Report (FREE) website
Do you know what's in your credit report? You SHOULD. Find out here FREE (once a year no charge)
- Credit Repair - do it yourself!!
Lexington Law's credit repair site (great resource!!)
- Credit Repair Info (Federal Trade Commission's site)
Learn how to "repair" your credit on your own for FREE here
- Eight credit-repair tips after bankruptcy
Great article on how to start rebuilding your credit after BK
- Capital One (Secured Mastercard)
Great for rebuilding credit - apply online
- HSBC/Orchard Bank (Secured Mastercard)
Another great card for rebuilding credit - apply online
- Arizona Central Credit Union (Secured VISA Card)
Another good one - find the nearest branch and apply within
- Water fountains (tiered & other types) for homes
- Short Sale seller's addendum (AZ Assoc of Realtors)
Short Sale info for sellers
- Pebbletec POOL finishes
- HOA regulations & considerations
- Maricopa City (Pinal County) water rate increase agreement (Aug 2010)
- AZ Residential Pool Safety Notice
NEVER leave children unattended around pools!
- More on Mortgage Fraud
Other things to watch out for
- Office of Pest Management
Termite report search by address
- Seaton & Associates, Inc (FHA 203K Compliance Inspector)
Kathy Seaton, FHA Inspector & FHA "escrow hold-back" contractors
- Seller's Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) for for sellers
Required to be filled out to disclose any/all known issues with residential properties for sale
- Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA)
- Making Home Affordable program
HOA fee discussion (not all apply to every HOA)
- Transfer fee (one-time; unexpected community repairs, common area maintenance, approved improvements)
- Disclosure fee (one-time)
- Working Capital fee (one-time)
- Assessments (infrastructure - ongoing)
- Monthly/Quarterly/Semi-annual/Annual payments
- 2 months upfront reserve (sometimes)
- Community Enhancement fee?
- Reserve fund fee?
- Capital preservation fee?
- Other?
Vendor List
- (DISCLAIMER: I do not personally guarantee the services of any vendor on this list)
- Harry Dietz, WIN Home Inspections, 602-909-7600
- Sean, Hummingbird Home Inspections, 602-312-6266
- Pillar 2 Post, Home Inspections, 623-825-6160
- Ajax Septic Pumping, 602-278-0075
- AAA Locks (locksmith, rekeying), 602-697-4691
- U.S. Pest (termite inspections/treatments), 623-486-0083
- Action Termite, 623-780-3132
- American Home Shield (home warranty), 800-776-4663
- Old Republic (home warranty), 800-282-7131 x1346
- Bob Eastman (well & water testing/certification), 623-826-7048
- Maricopa county septic permit, 602-506-0952
- Molly Maids (home clean up), 623-340-4586
- Mr Jeff (locksmith, rekeying), 623-826-0260
- Farmer's Insurance (Emily), 623-581-8200
- State Farm Insurance (Dennis Blair), 480-860-1111
- Christian Brothers (A/C, Heating, Plumbing), 602-222-3535
- All Bright (carpet cleaners, etc), 623-853-0619
- AAA Landlord (tenant background checks), 480-668-5953
- Kathy Seaton (FHA Consultant/Inspector, FHA 203k projects), 602-841-3166
- Julio LaBoy, www.laboylaw.com, 602-635-1394
Utility companies
- APS, 602-371-7171
- SRP, 602-236-8888
- (Arizona) American Water, 800-383-0834
- Southwest Gas, 602-851-1999
- Surprise, City of, 623-222-7000
- Glendale, City of (water & trash), 623-930-3190
- Peoria, City of (water & trash), 623-773-7160
- Goodyear, City of (water & trash), 623-932-3015
- Parks & Sons, trash (Surprise, etc), 623-972-6120
- US Postal Service (local post office, mail box location & new key), 800-275-8777
- Cox Communications (cable, high-speed internet), 623-594-1132
Committed to Education: my real estate related certifications
- Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI)
- Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
- Certified Short Sale Negotiator (CSSN)
- e-PRO (use of technology in real estate transactions)









