Assist-2-Sell Blog

A2S Talk

  • June 15th Is Short Sale Day -
    April 30, 2012 3:19:29 PM

    Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation's two largest mortgagebackers, will implement their new short sale guidelines on June 15. The changes require mortgage servicers to make a decision within 30 days of receiving a short sale offer. They also must consider requests for pre-approved short sales within that same timeframe. If the lender needs more than 30 days, it must give borrowers weekly...
  • Pending home sales up 4.1% in March to 23-mo. high
    April 27, 2012 1:30:17 PM

    An index of pending home sales climbed 4.1% in March to reach the highest level since April 2010, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. The index rose to 101.4 in March from an upwardly revised 97.4 in February, which represents a 12.8% gain from March 2011. February's pending home sales index was initially reported to be 96.5. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been...
  • Home Clearance Sale- 10 yr. Price Reductions
    April 24, 2012 11:54:26 AM

    How many things can you buy today at 2002 prices? Certainly not gas, groceries, and many other staples. The good news is you can buy houses, in many cities, at 2002 prices. Better yet, in some cities prices are back down into 1990's levels.

    This according to a report out Tuesday. The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 cities recorded a decline of 3.5% from 12 months...
  • Tax Day Has Passed- What To Do With Your Records Now.
    April 18, 2012 5:54:54 PM

    Managing Your Tax Records After You Have Filed

    Keeping good records after you file your taxes is a good idea, as they will help you with documentation and substantiation if the IRS selects your return for an audit. Here are five tips from the IRS about keeping good records.

    1. Normally, tax records should be kept for three years.

    2. Some...
  • Top 6 Things You Don't Want To Do When Trying To Get A Mortgage
    April 12, 2012 11:41:18 AM

    A few things to keep in mind when you are buying a home and getting a mortgage. Don’t deposit cash into your bank accounts. Lenders need to source your money and cash is not really traceable. Small, explainable deposits are fine, but getting $10,000 from your parents as a gift in cash is not. Discuss the proper way to track your assets with your loan officer. Don’t make any large...
  • Home Sales - Best February In 5 Years.
    March 21, 2012 11:49:43 AM

    The National Association of Realtors said sales in February fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.59 million, compared to an upwardly revised 4.63 million in January. January sales initially were recorded at a 4.57 million annual rate. These were the best January and February levels in five years, the NAR said.

    Compared to a year ago, sales were up 8.8%. Lawrence Yun, the...
  • Median List Prices On The Rise
    March 19, 2012 1:29:57 PM

    Median list prices nationwide increased 6.82 percent in February compared to February 2011, according to the latest data from Realtor.com, tracking 146 markets.

    “The nation’s housing market as a whole are in better shape today than at any time since the 2009-2010 tax credits,” according to Realtor.com’s monthly housing summary. “While higher list prices do not always translate...
  • Underwater borrowers eligible for settlement write-downs
    March 8, 2012 3:20:53 PM

    A calculation by a Brookings Institution economist narrowed down a pool of underwater homeowners to 500,000 who could qualify for principal reduction from the $25 billion mortgage settlement. Using the parameters of the settlement, Ted Gayer found just 5% of the nation's 11.1 million underwater borrowers could get the principal reduced on their mortgage, first reported by The Washington Post....
  • Short Sales On The Rise
    March 2, 2012 11:35:06 AM

    During the three months that ended December 31, homes that were either bank-owned or going through the foreclosure process accounted for 24% of all home sales, up from 20% in the previous quarter and down only slightly from a year earlier when foreclosures accounted for 26% of sales, RealtyTrac said. In total, 204,080 distressed properties were purchased during the fourth quarter, down 2% from...
  • January Pending Homes Sales Climb -
    February 27, 2012 6:48:57 PM

    Pending home sales climbed 2% in January to the highest level since April 2010, when buyers were taking advantage of a now-expired tax credit. The pending-home-sales index rose to 97.0 from a downwardly revised 95.1 reading in December, the National Association of Realtors reported Monday. Even without the revision, the index would have shown growth, as December's index initially was reported as...