tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396Mon, 07 Oct 2024 03:24:11 +0000fsboAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Buyer BewareCaveat EmptorFirst Time Home Buyer Tax CreditFirst-Time Homebuyer Tax CreditHome Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives ProgramIRS guidelinesadvice for home buyersfor sale by ownerhow to find a real estate listing agentshort saleThe blog created by Jim Johnson, a REALTOR with Century 21 Smith & Associates in San Antonio, Texas.http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-3834336285042614236Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:03:00 +00002011-10-11T13:08:07.454-05:00If you want to sell your home without a REALTOR, you will need a marketing plan that can help overcome the odds against you. If the following sounds like it was intended to discourage you, don't let it. They are just statistical facts, and the more you know, the more likely you will succeed.The success rate for FSBOs is inversely proportionate to that of real estate agents. Overall, http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2011/04/sell-your-home-without-realtor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-401570816860051639Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:51:00 +00002011-04-05T18:06:08.249-05:00how to find a real estate listing agentI'm pondering how to close out this blog without waxing into cliched aphorism, so I'll just say that I wan never truly inspired by this blog. I'm not leaving the real estate business, or giving up the idea of blogging. In fact, I have a new blog and Web site that better fit the way my business has evolved.If you are reading this, you might be interested in my first blog entry on how to find a http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2011/04/adios.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-7387325780374524511Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:49:00 +00002010-04-17T13:55:28.719-05:00Buyer BewareCaveat EmptorfsboWhile researching for sale by owner (FSBO) properties on a popular FSBO Web site, I got curious about one of the listings with a "sold" sign on it. $184,500 Estimated Savings: $8,302 ?? Ferris Creek San Antonio, TX 78254 At first, I thought, "did the seller really save that much?"—so I decided to do a comparative market analysis (CMA) on the property. While doing the CMA, I discovered that thehttp://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2010/04/caveat-fsbo-emptor-buyer-beware.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-1634116315192990335Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:31:00 +00002010-04-17T14:00:33.385-05:00If you are a determined do-it-yourselfer, you may think you can find that special bargain by shopping the FSBO dot coms, or driving around looking for a FSBO. You need to know that over 2 in 3 FSBOs price their homes over market value, some by as much as 20%—or more—in the San Antonio market. Some examples are:A 1448 sf 3/2/2 in a bedroom community NE of San Antonio—$144,900.—Its value according http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2010/04/fsbo-shoppers-guide.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-3610920383636619787Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:46:00 +00002009-12-05T12:52:33.589-06:00Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Programshort saleEveryone who has heard the nightmare scenarios about how long it takes to close on a short sale, and avoided them, can take heart in the new guidelines set by the Treasury for the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program. Participating banks (and there are plenty of incentives for them to participate) are now required to give a response to an offer within 10 days.For more info about this http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2009/12/short-sale-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-1853739826673712913Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:46:00 +00002009-11-12T14:21:36.049-06:00First Time Home Buyer Tax CreditSome of the highlights of the new Home Buyer Tax Credit that differentiate it from earlier bills are:Move-up buyers who have owned a principle residence for 5 of the last eight years are eligible.The maximum amount of the tax credit is $6,500 (or 10%)Qualifying modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) limits have been increased from $75,000 for individual taxpayers and $150,000 for joint filers to http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2009/11/home-buyer-tax-credit-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-3138169260862158573Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:14:00 +00002009-11-04T09:59:29.459-06:00If you are waiting for lobbying efforts to expand the first-time home buyer credit to $15,000, don't! It appears unlikely that anything that generous will happen. There is hope however for move-up buyers though and first-timers who have tarried.There should be little doubt that the single most potent element in the recent spate of economic stimulus programs has been the first-time home buyer tax http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2009/10/extended-home-buyer-tax-credit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-3576629270916045957Sun, 24 May 2009 13:43:00 +00002009-05-24T08:43:35.244-05:00<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> The profit motive is the driving force in our economy, but cutting their losses is sometimes the motivating force when business is faced with a hopeless cycle of lost revenue. When the media reports "glimmers of hope" for our ailing economy, the glimmers associated with foreclosure are reported as reductions in the rate of http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2009/05/foreclosure-alternatives-program.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-3189678376639140641Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:22:00 +00002009-06-01T21:16:06.261-05:00American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009First-Time Homebuyer Tax CreditIRS guidelinesWould-be home buyers who have been holding off buying a home have little reason to continue to wait—assuming that they feel reasonably secure in their jobs. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 now offers first-time home buyers—defined as anyone who has not owned or held an interest in real estate over the past three years—an $8,000 tax credit. This time, it is an actual tax credit,http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2009/03/american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-5276720859059334110Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:51:00 +00002008-10-27T09:38:04.914-05:00The confusion caused by the way the media has reported the issues affecting the housing and credit markets has resulted in far too many people who want to buy a home deciding to wait. Others are sitting it out because they believe their credit rating is too low. Most could not be making a more egregious mistake. Those who live in markets beset by declining home values may have been justified in http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/10/right-time-to-buy-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-2949697614081562292Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:55:00 +00002008-10-27T09:29:38.003-05:00Just what is the new first-time buyer $7,500 tax credit, and how beneficial is it? It is part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, and was included to provide benefit to the consumer to offset the appearance of the bill as being nothing but a bail-out for financial institutions. Calling it a tax credit is also something of a misnomer, because it is in actuality an interest free 15 http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/09/new-7500-tax-credit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-8817390784972078109Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:34:00 +00002008-07-30T13:33:09.534-05:00The number of buyers who do not understand buyer agency is truly shocking. So many believe that forming an agency relationship will cost them more, or that they can somehow save money or do a better job of finding a home or negotiating price without an agent. These erroneous assumptions cannot be more out of touch with reality.In example, I recently responded to a post on Trulia.com which asked, http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/07/buyer-agency-myths-and-misconceptions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-5154203983492422664Fri, 02 May 2008 16:37:00 +00002008-06-12T16:08:42.880-05:00advice for home buyersfor sale by ownerfsboPeople who sell their homes by owner (FSBOs) should likely not be stereotyped as being greedy or dishonest any more than real estate professionals should. There are some cautions about dealing with a FSBO that home buyers should be aware of though. There are also a few differences between the two that make dealing with a FSBO through a buyer's agent much less risky than dealing with a FSBO http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/05/caveat-emptor-beware-of-fsbos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-2870536658684025966Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:47:00 +00002008-05-07T17:08:58.457-05:00Figuratively speaking, too many home owners wait on the tracks for the foreclosure freight train to run them over. In every instance—yes, every instance—foreclosure can be avoided. What's more, there's a chance that the right action at the right time can save their credit rating. Very often, home owners facing potential foreclosure can even avoid the loss of their home as well! They simply need http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/03/loss-mitigation-take-action-now-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-745977791898833733Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:16:00 +00002008-02-13T14:26:42.994-06:00Selecting the wrong agent is likely the biggest mistake a seller can make. The wrong agent can cost a seller thousands of dollars in net proceeds and needless months of frustration. Both are almost always related to a seller's lack of familiarity with the market, and poor pricing practices on the part of the agent.While researching home values in the neighborhoods I have chosen to focus my http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/02/sellers-biggest-mistake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-4919594014269162783Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:38:00 +00002008-02-01T07:39:41.696-06:00In a measure to relieve enrollment at Ronald Reagan High School and leave room at Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson High School for future growth on the east side of U.S. 281, the North East ISD Board of Trustees approved new attendance boundaries for Johnson High School. The decision affects students currently enrolled in Reagan and Douglas MacArthur high schools. The boundary changes go into http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/02/san-antonio-neisd-redraws-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-5272757040777090483Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:34:00 +00002008-02-01T07:37:44.893-06:00At the end of 2007, the San Antonio real estate market remained one of the stronger markets in the US. It was not significantly affected by the backlash from the sub-prime lending fiasco, and held true to the forecasts for population and job growth--and appreciation in home values. Forecasts for future growth and steady appreciation in housing values appear good for 2008 as well. The forecasts http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/02/where-does-san-antonio-real-estate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-8540425524290390472Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:33:00 +00002008-01-17T15:17:19.645-06:00Over about the last decade, the issue of radon gas infiltration has become a concern that is becoming increasingly addressed in real estate transactions. The Environmental Protection Agency recently published the "Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon" (PDF download y En Espñaol) and "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction" (PDF download), and the National Association of REALTORS® brought the http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/01/radon-gas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-6483288750753454844Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:58:00 +00002008-01-01T10:48:57.592-06:00While listening to "Talk of the Nation" on National Public Radio yesterday, I was again reminded of the all to often poor insight given to issues by the media. One of the topics was the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) report on the upsurge in home sales in November, about which the commentator could say only that NAR has "a reputation of being a cheer-leader for the industry."Well maybe, http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2008/01/whats-really-happening.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-7482838674992687759Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:50:00 +00002007-12-26T15:58:33.218-06:00The power of positive thinking can't turn away the the tsunami created by the plunge taken by lenders when the sub-prime fiasco imploded on them. But, ask yourself, "who does this really affect?""Well, "yourself should answer, "it primarily affects lenders who held on to their own loans, and investors in the secondary market who bought those loans from the originating lenders."The fact of the http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2007/12/self-fulfilling-prophesy-how-not-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-7249164025736523305Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:11:00 +00002008-01-17T15:45:06.508-06:00I have six years experience developing and promoting Web sites for literary non-profits, and have placed three of the four sites I created on the first page of a Google search for their most relevant keywords. And I even had "link pages" show up as high as the second page!All that "page rank" stuff that the "experts" tout befuddle most site owners. The simple truth of the matter is that page rankhttp://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2007/12/seo-that-works-whats-missing-from-your.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998465494607382396.post-6317599230653522703Fri, 07 Dec 2007 05:15:00 +00002007-12-07T08:14:59.610-06:00I feel like I have a lot for which to be thankful, despite my getting stuck in a 170 mile long traffic jam over the Thanksgiving Holiday. I know it's a bad time to travel, especially by car, but I had to go see my new grand daughter, Mya, and youngest daughter, Jennifer.I got the news that Mya had been born late Friday, and was on the road by 5:00 Saturday morning. The traffic wasn't bad until http://mysanantonioassociate.blogspot.com/2007/12/giving-thanks-despite-170-miles-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0