Building Wealth Through Homeownership

Blog Contributor Being a REALTOR®, Buyers, Consumer Leave a Comment

By John Blom I’m often asked why I spend as much time as I do volunteering with the state (Washington REALTORS®) and National Association REALTORS®. There are many reasons, but perhaps the greatest is that I truly believe in the importance of  homeownership advocacy at every level. I believe in the value of owning a home, and that this opportunity …

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3 Tips for Preparing Buyers

Blog Contributor Buyers, Customer Service, Sales & Marketing 1 Comment

By Andrew Janos As the real estate market continues to be fast-paced, the need to prepare your buyers is growing exponentially. Making sure buyers have a grasp on the market conditions and purchase process will allow you to manage expectations through the entire purchase. Here are three tips: Get pre-approval: Preparing a buyer financially ensures that they do not fall …

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FHA’s ‘Back To Work’ Program

Blog Contributor FHA Programs, Helpful Tools 6 Comments

By Derek Sandoval Through FHA’s “Back To Work – Extenuating Circumstances Program,” borrowers who have gone through bankruptcy, foreclosure, deed-in-lieu, or short sale, may be eligible for an FHA-backed mortgage sooner if they can prove their financial hardship was the result of an economic event, such as job loss or a significant decrease in income. In this video, Noel Brownell …

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New FHA Mortgage Premiums: Game Changers or Just a Change?

Blog Contributor Business Challenges, FHA Programs 2 Comments

By Jennifer Klein and Derek Sandoval FHA mortgage insurance premiums rose on April 1, 2013. Placer County Association of REALTORS® YPN members Jennifer Klein and Derek Sandoval discuss exactly what has changed as well as what these changes mean for real estate professionals and those applying for a loan. Jennifer Klein is a REALTOR® in Northern California who is experienced …

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Help Your Clients With Their Credit Scores: It Could Save Them $253/Month

Blog Contributor Financing & Credit, Helpful Tools, Homeownership Education & Counseling, Sales & Marketing Leave a Comment

By Marc Guzman We all know how important your credit score is when it comes to borrowing money for credit cards, auto loans and home loans.  But how many of us really take the time to educate our clients on the benefits of preparing their credit score before they buy a home? Buying a home can be very exciting and …

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Time to Brush Up on the Fees and GFEs

Blog Contributor Being a Broker, Business Challenges, Code of Ethics, ethics 6 Comments

By Nobu Hata With the down market and the inevitable mass exodus of “those” loan officers, you’d think we could rest easy knowing that the loan officers left would be – for lack of a better word – decent. Holy Hannah, would we be wrong. In the last couple weeks, I’ve had various buyers shop their loan around, including those …