Girls just wanna have fun?

Hmm. Someone likes to par-tay!! I couldn't help but notice this fine assortment of platform 6-inch heels in the closet of a condo I showed today in Citrus Heights. These aren't exactly my style. Not only are they not my style, but darn they look like they would be so uncomfortable. Since I am a runner, I really value comfy shoes.

Real Estate Statistics -- Sacramento Median Price October 2011

The median price in Sacramento County looks pretty darn flat over the majority of 2011...this year has been insane. I have closed some of my smallest transactions EVER. In fact I recently closed a transaction for a house in Oak Park for $30,000. No I am not missing a zero. I have another listing for $55,000 in South Sacramento that is closing next week. There are some great opportunities out there for investors. And first time buyers...and move-up buyers.

What I can tell you is that most of the transactions I have been representing for both buyers and sellers, (in all the price ranges, short sales, foreclosures, and "regular transactions with a traditional sellers") are still often times met with multiple offers if the home is priced correctly. Buyer demand is extremely high, and the market is pretty competitive. To top it all off, interest rates are insanely low right now - like in the low 4% range in you have a stellar credit score and documentable income.

If you would like me to email you the Facts and Trends graphs for specific zip codes in Sacramento County, just shoot me an email and I am happy to provide them.

Bank of America is conducting a "Borrower Outreach" event in Sacramento -- you MUST register in advance!

Bank of America will be holding a "borrower outreach" event this week at the Sacramento Convention Center starting Thursday, November 17th - and going through Saturday, November 19th. Hours of the event each day are from 8am - 8pm. They are encouraging their borrowers to register online and schedule an "appointment" time rather than just dropping in.

Their goal is to help Sacramento Bank of America mortgage customers who are experiencing hardships to find alternatives to foreclosure -- such as loan modification, short sales, etc.

There is a list of documents you must print from their website and bring with you:

• A "Request for Modification & Affidavit" --
• A Hardship Letter -- explains your hardship and why you are seeking assistance
• An IRS Form 4506-T -- this allows Bank of American to request your income tax information from the IRS.
  
• A Dodd-Frank Certification form -- this certifies that you have not been convicted of a financial crime in the last 10 years (among other things, be sure to read it before signing)

There are also other financial documents they want you to bring:

• Recent Utility Bill
• Copies of your 2009 and 2010 tax returns
• Copies of your most two recent bank statements for all accounts
• A summary of your monthly expenses
• Recent HOA bill (if applicable)
• Copies of your most recent two months of paystubs (or profit and loss if self-employed)
• Copies of your rental lease (if property is tenant occupied)

In order to register for your appointment time for the Sacramento Bank of America Outreach Event, visit the Bank of America Events Registration page on their website by clicking here. If they advise you to consider a short sale as an alternative to foreclosure, I am happy to provide you more information regarding the process and assist you as well.

Yep...I ran 20 miles, and I can still walk today!

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will already know that I am training for the California International Marathon (yep, that 26.2 miles) that takes place next month in December.

This weekend, as a part of my training, I participated in the Clarksburg Country Run -- a 20 mile run. I am elated to report that I finished in roughly 4 hours and 5 minutes. If you are a hard core runner, that time probably sounds pretty slow (I have a runner friend who finished in 2 hours and 49 minutes), but for me just finishing that distance is amazing. My finishing time equates to just over a 12-minute mile on average (or, about 5mph). Let's just say I was also elated when my sweet significant other met me at the finish line and brought me a pizza and beer. I'm a little sore today, but otherwise holding up ok.

I just started running about this time last year when I challenged myself to complete a half marathon (13.1 miles) before my 33rd birthday...I completed three of them before my birthday in August, and decided to further challenge (or torture, I haven't decided which is more appropriate yet) myself with the full marathon.

Just under three weeks and counting until CIM!

Quoted in a Comstock's Magazine article about the use of technology and the internet to sell Sacramento real estate...

A couple months ago, I was interviewed by a journalist for Comstock's Magazine regarding the use of the internet for marketing in Sacramento real estate. The article, entitled "From Reel to Real Estate" was published in the November 2011 edition of Comstock's and can be found starting on page 92...my quotes are used on page 94.

Gone are the days where an agent can just put a sign in the ground and expect the house will be sold. In order to set listings apart from others, many agents (myself included) are turning to social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, video, blogs, individual property websites, and more...I tend to think my clients appreciate the extra internet kick I offer their listings in addition to some more "traditional" types of marketing. I have been recognized locally and nationally for my blog and use of the internet to sell homes in Sacramento...

I think it is safe to say that the internet and technology are here to stay, and Sacramento real estate agents who do not embrace its use for selling real estate are missing the opportunity to sell homes in fewer days on the market.

Sacramento Residents - Check Before You Burn!

Brr! It seems that we went straight from summer to winter this year! Where are our mild autumn days? With our overnight low temperatures in Sacramento heading south, you may be tempted to light a cozy fire in your fireplace tonight. BUT, be sure to "Check Before You Burn." For the last few years around the beginning of November, I have posted information regarding the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District's designated "Spare the Air" days where you can not burn wood in your fireplace...this program has been in effect for a few years now and has been very successful!

Their "Check Before You Burn" days are in effect this cold season from November 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012. Burning will be restricted or prohibited in Sacramento County when fine particle pollution is elevated.

You can actually sign up for email alerts from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. If you do not want to sign up for their daily emails, you can "Check Before You Burn" each day by calling 1-877-NOBURN-5, or by just visiting their website.

Check Before You Burn is in effect in Sacramento County and all its cities including Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento. Area residents AND businesses are prohibited from using indoor or outdoor fireplaces, wood stoves, firepits and chimineas that burn wood, pellets, manufactured logs or any other solid fuel, when fine particle pollution is forecast to be elevated. It is your responsibility to "Check Before You Burn." First time violations will result in a $50 fine, or a requirement to complete and pass a wood smoke awareness course. Fines for subsequent violations will result in more expensive fines.

Did you know that the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District offers an incentive of up to a $1,500 voucher to replace or upgrade your older wood-burning / polluting units with cleaner-burning, USEPA certified or equivalent units? In order to be eligible, you must be a Sacramento County resident, and you must be replacing an existing uncertified wood stove, insert, or open hearth fireplace. Funds for are still available via this program, but are running out. If you are interested I suggest you contact a participating retailer of the replacement units asap.

I love having a cozy fire on cold nights, but I definitely pay attention to the daily alert emails I receive. It is extremely important that we all pay attention to this before lighting a fire...we all have to breathe the same Sacramento air!

Quoted in a Sacramento Business Journal article about folks purchasing homes after doing a short sale...

Over the last couple months I have written a couple posts about the general qualifications to and waiting periods to make a home purchase after a short sale, foreclosure, or bankruptcy. Different types of loan have different requirements. For example, the requirements are different for FHA loans vs Conventional loans.

Well last week I was contacted by journalist Michael Shaw with the Sacramento Business Journal for an article he was writing about folks who have returned to the Sacramento real estate market to make a home purchase after completing a short sale. You can read the article from October 28th's edition of the Sacramento Business Journal "Owners who lost homes try buying again" here.

Yes - if you completed a short sale on your home, in many cases you can be eligible to qualify for a new mortgage loan within a couple years. OR if you did not miss any payments leading up to your short sale (yes I have completed short sales where the seller hasn't missed a single payment!) under certain circumstances you regain your purchasing ability almost immediately. As mentioned in the article, if you sold via a short sale and are thinking about purchasing in the next year or so -- start the planning process now. Meet with a trusted loan officer who can run your credit. Aside from the short sale, the rest of your credit must be pretty clean. By clean, I mean no late payments for the last year, few or no open collections, no liens, judgments, etc. Be proactive and make sure you can present the best financial scenario possible when the time is right to buy.

I have worked with clients who purchased again after a short sale...and I am helping others get ready to purchase next year. Also while the article specifically addresses buying after a short sale, you also have purchase options after bankruptcy and foreclosure. If you need a referral to a great loan officer as you prepare to give home ownership another try, just email me.