Zaida Patel, Realtor —– Blog Website

The New York Times

Program will pay homeowners to sell at a loss
In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration has been trying to keep defaulting owners in their homes.  Now it will take a new approach: Paying some of them to leave.

To read the full story, please click here.

Los Angeles Times

Many borrowers in default stay put as lenders delay evictions
Despite being months behind, many strapped residents are hanging on to their homes, essentially living rent-free.  Pressure on banks to modify loans and a glut of inventory are driving the trend.

To read the full story, please click here.

The Wall Street Journal

What home sellers don’t tell buyers
As buyers ease back into the battered real-estate market, they’re often hitting a stumbling block:  Fibbing by home sellers.  Buyers should do their own due diligence and not rely on agents and sellers.

To read the full story, please click here.

Daily Breeze

State and national foreclosure filings continue to rise
Even as the economy and real estate market show signs of stabilizing, foreclosure filings continued to grow in California and nationwide last year.

To read the full story, please click here.

Congress has passed new legislation to extend the First Time Homebuyer credit of $8000, until April 30, 2010.  e  In addition, existing homeowners who has lived in their primary residence in the last five years, qualifies for a $6500 tax credit.  For more info, click here.

According to the California Association of Realtors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are offering financing incentives for buyers of foreclosed homes owned by Fannie and Freddie.  Home buyers have until Oct. 30 to apply for Freddie Mac’s SmartBuy program, which started in July, and offers up to 3.5 percent of a home’s sale price to help cover closing costs.

To qualify, the home must be a principal residence and must be selected from Freddie Mac’s HomeSteps Web site (www.homesteps.com/homeshoppers.htm) for its foreclosed properties. Loans must close by year’s end.  The HomeSteps properties also include two-year warranties on major appliances and electrical, plumbing, and air-conditioning and heating systems.

Fannie Mae’s HomePath program (www.homepath.com) is an ongoing program and offers more incentives than Freddie Mac’s.  Through participating lenders, Fannie will offer mortgages to buyers who make a down payment of 3 percent.  The buyers do not have to secure private mortgage insurance, a common practice with nearly all lenders.  Home buyers also can negotiate for Fannie Mae to offer closing-cost assistance.  Unlike Freddie Mac’s program, Fannie’s assistance level is not capped.  Under the HomePath program, the average participating homeowner has received payments equivalent to 3.75 percent of the loan’s value.

To read the full story, please click here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/realestate/11mort.html?_r=1&ref=realestate

We receive lots of questions about tax liability of short sales and foreclosures.  As real estate brokers we are not licensed to give advice on this topic however we can lead you to the information that may answer your questions.

On December 20, 2007 the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 was enacted. Usually, debt that is forgiven or cancelled by a lender must be included as income on your tax return and is taxable. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 allows you to exclude certain cancelled debt on your principal residence from income.  More information regarding the Mortgage Debt Relief Act can be found on the IRS website below:

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=179414,00.html

Or the California Association of Realtors, Legal Department has put together an FAQ regarding the taxation of Foreclosures, Deeds in Lieu of Foreclosure, and Short Sales. This is more detailed and specific to California.      For more information, please click here.

According to the New York Times, sales of previously owned homes surged in July as buyers stormed back to the market, taking advantage of falling prices, lower interest rates and a tax credit for first-time homeowners, an industry group reported on Friday.  For full story, click here.

According to the California Association of Realtors, qualified, first-time home buyers using a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgage now can apply the $8,000 federal tax credit toward their down payments, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced.

Currently, borrowers applying for an FHA-insured mortgage are required to issue minimum down payments of 3.5 percent. Buyers still must issue the mandatory 3.5 percent down payment, but the tax credit now can be used as an additional down payment, or for other closing costs, which can help lower principal balances and monthly payments.

To read the full story, please click here

On February 1, 2009, I  listed  the model home (previously sales office),  and leased by John Laing Developer.    Every week-end, 30-40 homebuyers, came asking about the status of the John Laing builder.  Because the home I listed is owned by a private owner, I did not have any information about the builder’s status.

Therefore,  I called the John Laing Headquarters  in February and I was told that they are not going to continue building or complete the Villa d’este community in Fremont.   It’s up to their lender to decide on the future of this community in the Ardenwood area.

However, since this is the only floorplan and home available, there is no competition.  Unfortunately, the asking price is not attractive to home buyers and timing is wrong,  due to the current economic trend.  The owner bought the model home for $1,400,000.   It is currently listed for $1,275,000 which is still a loss for the seller.    The property does have over $200,000 of upgrades with high end appliances.

Recent article about the John Laing company, please click here.

Article on Timeline of John Laing’s pathway to Bankruptcy, please click here.