The 1965 Boeing 727 airplane, was converted into a two bedroom, two bath hotel retreat at Costa Verde Resort, located in Quepos, Costa Rica.  The views must be spectacular, as the plane is perched 50 feet above the beach, on the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park.

In its former life the plane served passengers at South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines.

One of two master suites with separate baths.  Hand carved teak paneling and furnishings throughout.

Do you want more?  They’ve got it.  The suite has a full kitchenette, flat screen TV’s, terrace with breathtaking ocean views, indoor and outdoor, eating and gathering area’s.

Did we mention the views and gorgeous beach?  Awe…a little slice of recycled heaven.

To Read About Faulty Appraisals that are Derailing Home Sales, CLICK HERE

To Learn What You Can do if Your Appraisal is Low, CLICK HERE

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In March, Fannie and Freddie announced that they would no longer underwrite mortgages on condo’s located in buildings where less than 70 percent of the units were Sold.   Their previous policy required that 51 percent of the units be Sold, before loans were guaranteed.

In addition, the mortgage giants announced that they will not purchase mortgages in buildings that have more than a 15 percent deliquency on association dues, or those in which one owner owns more than 10 percent of the units in the complex.  

In a letter to both companies, Frank and Weiner warned that …70 percent occupancy…”may be too onerous” and the rules could have a “real chill on the ability to get these condos sold”.  The two law makers asked the two companies to “make appropriate adjustments” to their underwriting standards for condos.

Is the tail wagging the dog, yet again???  On one hand, Fannie and Freddie have done their research on past loan failures and determined that their new underwriting criteria is essential in avoiding future financial trouble.   On the other hand, Frank and Weiner fear the restrictions may stop condo sales in new developments where they are desperately needed.

Fannie and Freddie could not be reached for comment, but according to the Wall Street Journal, both are preparing a response to the lawmakers.

What do you think about relaxing the new loan standards for condo’s??  Thousands of our readers would love to know.

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Home prices in the United States dropped another 6.8 percent in April from the same period only one year earlier.   The housing crash has now erased 26 percent of the equity in the median priced home, since the peak in July 2006.  The silver lining for renters is that home affordability is at near record levels.

Economists predict that the market will continue to see more home price declines, despite $8000 tax incentives and $275 billon in funding to keep some owner’s in their homes.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank said US home prices may fall another 14 percent before they stabilize.  Like sentiment was expressed by Robert Shiller, who co-founded the respected S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index.   Many predict the worse declines could be even worse in New York and Orange County, CA.

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Market your home to millions of home buyers each month with an MLS and Realtor.com listing.  The price is only $399.  Why pay 6 Percent??

Mr. McMillan began his real estate career in Ft. Worth, TX in 1983, one year after the Texas real estate market crashed in 1982.  Although McMillan did not address it, Texas home prices have not recovered to pre-1982 levels over the past 27 years.

Highlights from the speech include:

1. Consumers will buy houses if two conditions are met.  The home and financing costs must be at a bargain, basement price levels.
2. Keeping interest rates low and stable are necessary to stabilize the housing market.
3. The tax credit is working.  43 percent of all property sales have been first-time buyers.
4. Thanks to distressed property price declines of up to 52 percent, sales of existing home inventory has increased in CA, NV, AZ and FL.
5. The two biggest issues facing the real estate industry going forward are appraisal issues and healthcare.  Half of all real estate agents have no insurance.

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We would like to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit and low interest rates, so we are in a hurry.  Should we buy this unit?  Your thoughts and expertise would be a big help. 

Dear First Time Buyer:  You don’t say where you live, but bankrupt builders are common in this market.  The fact that the builder is insolvent doesn’t mean that the construction was sub-standard.   But, it does mean you won’t have the builder backing up his work.  Keep in mind that all warranties for appliances, roofing, flooring, etc. are backed by the manufacturer, not the builder, anyway, then make sure you have a very good home inspection before moving forward.

The issue of the unsold and unfinished development should probably be of more concern to you than construction or inspection problems.   There are issues that you need to discuss before considering buying into a paritally vacant, multi-family development.

1. How much do you want to live through??  Since the development is unfinished, it could take years before the project is completed.  And, you will have to tolerate construction noise and dirt while the work is done.
2. How long do you plan to live there?  You need to be aware that prices may drop subtantially on the completed unsold units before everything is said and done.  This means that you may lose your equity and owe more than the people who buy later for less money.  Also, when the remaining new buildings are finished, you will face a lot of competition from new or newer units than the one you own.  If you decide to buy here, make sure you can stay until everything is complete and the market has stabilized.
3. What about the Homeowners Association?  Unsold and vacant units mean that the association will need to cover their expenses.  If the development is large and has ammenities such as pools, tennis courts, greenbelt area’s, etc. you may have only a few owners splitting the costs of insurance, maintenance and upkeep.  This situation can dramatically raise dues beyond what most people are willing to pay.  Verify the financial situation of the HOA and make sure you understand the by-laws before jumping into a situation with no real ceiling on future expenses.

I would offer you one piece of advise for any property you are considering, never buy a home because of tax incentives.  Although the $8000 credit is very enticing, make sure you buy a home that is located in a good neighborhood and suits your families needs.  Low interest rates, and the tax credit are strong motivators, but make sure you are buying the right home, in the right spot and at the right price.

Thank you for writing to InfoTube.net homes for sale and lease website.  I hope I have answered some of your concerns and if you need more information, please let me know.

The home features 1800 square feet of living space with a sexy, circular interior.  The home was sited with a southern exposure to provide natural lighting and solar gains in winter.

The floors are covered with rubber tiles, finished with a shiny finish.  Simply, damp mop and go.  Rubber tile also allows solar gain into the slab, which assists the radiant heat floor mats in warming the room.

Cool bedroom for the kids or guests.

Kitchen and circular stair case.

Master Bath

Other Green Features and Benefits:

• Design fits in rural or urban settings perfectly, offering an edgy, new technology feel with a touch of the familiar.
• Exterior metal body and rubber floor tiles are made from recycled materials.
• Radiant in-floor heat mats are used to effectively heat the home, along with a propane stove for back up heat.
• The rear second story deck provides shade from the summer sun.
• The house is heated by solar power.  The builder pre-wired for extra solar panels, for possible additions to the home in the future.

InfoTube.net loves the creative design and green features of this home.  The home is innovative, sexy and smart.  In addition, it looks like something peaceful and rural while also being very modern and cutting edge.  If you want to learn more about this home, click here to visit the owner’s site.  Thank you for stopping by InfoTube.net, a homes for sale and lease FREE website!

Unoccupied, these homes would be defenseless in a storm; there will be no one to put up shutters, batten down garage doors, and otherwise secure homes. But that’s not all. Nearby homes and their residents would also be at risk from wind-propelled debris.

Lehigh Acres and other communities at the epicenter of the nation’s housing crisis are coming to realize that this year’s hurricane season, which began this month, represents yet another pitfall. Hurricanes could make hazards of thousands of foreclosed-upon houses, and their diminished value could decrease even more.

“Here’s your choice,” said Julie Rochman, president of the Tampa-based Institute for Business and Home Safety. “Spend a little bit of time and money to secure the properties to withstand wind and water, or not do the right thing and have the homes become damaged and are valued less.”

The Associated Press Economic Stress Index - a month-by-month analysis of foreclosure, bankruptcy and unemployment rates in more than 3,000 U.S. counties - confirms that some of the areas most likely to be struck by a hurricane are suffering the most in this recession.

In March, there were 281,691 homes in foreclosure in Florida and coastal counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

Lee County, where Manikchand lives, is among the hardest-hit counties in the country. A 22-year-old pharmacy student, he took advantage of a dismal housing market and bought a foreclosed duplex for $36,000.

In coming months, he and millions of others along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts will dutifully track tropical weather forecasts and stockpile batteries, flashlights, and tins of tuna, hoping that hurricanes blow harmlessly out to sea.

But who will secure all the foreclosed homes if a storm does approach? No one really knows.

In some cases, a property-management company hired by the bank could do the work. Or it could be a real estate agent, a homeowners’ association, or even resourceful neighbors who clear debris from yards and board windows.

Yet no state laws mandate who prepares buildings before a hurricane; even officials from the Florida Division of Emergency Management say that securing foreclosures isn’t a concern.

“It’s not an aspect that we really deal with,” said John Cherry, the agency’s external-affairs director. “Our No. 1 concern is life safety.”

Quick evacuation, not securing vacant homes, will be the priority if a major storm looms, others say. But shutterless homes can be a major safety hazard in a hurricane. And a region full of destroyed or heavily damaged homes would depress real estate values even further.

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While most people believe that seniors have no mortgage on their homes, the reality is that hundreds of thousands of retiree’s owe money on their homes.  Even for those lucky enough to own their house outright, the unprecedented drop in home values means they have less equity to live on or exchange for a move to retirement housing or health care facilities.

• According to the AARP, 25.5 million people over the age of 50 have a mortgage on their home.  More than 680,000 (which represents 30 percent of all distressed property) baby boomers are deliquent on their mortgage or are in the process of foreclosure. 
• Many seniors have little saved, other than the equity in their homes.  36 percent of all retiree’s state that their savings and investment nest egg is less than $25,000, excluding home equity and benefit plans.
• Seniors banked on rising home prices and leveraged their primary asset through equity loans and reverse mortgages.   Those that leveraged assets to afford retirement owe an average of $150,000 on their houses.
• Retirement communities and long term care facilities are suffering from the housing market, too.  Seniors usually sell their homes to finance admission into senior housing facilities.   Dire market conditions often mean no sale at all, or one at substantially discounted prices.  Many people are left with no choice or options, forcing them to cancel plans to move to housing that fits their changing needs.

Although seniors and retiree’s are often overlooked in the news, the housing and stock market crash have taken a huge toll on their lives and well being.   Most have worked all their lives to build secure nest eggs for their golden years, only to discover that half a lifetime of work and savings vanished in the blink of an eye. 

Click Here to Read More from USA Today

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When the city of Minneapolis evicted Joe Poetsch from the home he had lived in his entire life, they actually boarded the poor owner up inside the home, then drove away.  Mr. Poetsch, like millions of other Americans, admited he made a few mistakes that caused him to lose the roof over his head.   But, talk about kicking someone when they are down…Imagine losing the only home you ever had, and then suffering the humiliation of being boarded up inside, then abandoned. 

Although hard to believe, it’s all true.  Read the story from the Star Tribune Newspaper below. 

Cane in hand, he lurched around, throwing a few things in bags, putting Kitty in the carrier. He heard the contractor outside starting to drill into the door frame.

Poetsch made his way down his narrow stairway, resigned to the end he had resisted for three years, through personal financial missteps, the false promise of a foreclosure“rescue” and a court victory that gave him short-lived hope.

He came to the door and realized that he was too late. A truck had driven away from the house, prompting those outside to think the tenants were gone. Poetsch had been boarded up inside his house.

City officials say Poetsch had ample warning that they were coming that day, but they say his brief incarceration was an unprecedented mistake. In many ways, Poetsch’s experience is emblematic of the forces that have fastened plywood over so much of the North Side and urban neighborhoods across America.

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After years of succumbing to pressure to inflate appraisals for greedy lenders, anxious to make loans, it seems that appraisers have done an “about face”.  Now, the biggest obstacle to selling a home or refinancing one is the appraisal.   Like with all back lashes, it seems that the recently lax appraiser has now “over corrected” the problem to the determent of the housing market.

To read more about how to address low appraisal issues, Click HERE.

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Recent reports find that nearly one in every four current home sellers (not seller’s of bank owned property) have dropped asking prices an average of 10.6 percent from their original listing price.   In dollar terms, that is equal to another $27.4 BILLION, yes BILLION, slash in the equity of  US homes.  Ouch!

The good news for home seller’s is that higher interest rates and a rapidly approaching deadline for an $8000 tax credit is creating urgency among buyers.   A recent uptick in sales proves that homes priced aggressively are selling very fast.  But, homes priced above the competition continue to sit and languish on the market for months on end.  Simply put, there is great demand in the market now…at the right price.  Seller’s may need to sharpen their pencils, but buyers are actively purchasing homes.

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1. Interest rates are soaring, as the dollar falls.  Economists predict that the low rates we saw only a month ago, aren’t likely to return anytime soon.   In April, 30 year fixed rate mortgages averaged 4.5 percent.  Last week, rates hit 4.98 percent.  And, this week, Bankrate.com is quoting 30 year fixed rates for prime borrowers at just over 5 percent.  Note: An increase of only 1/2 percent in interest rates raises the mortgage payment for a $170,000 loan by $52/month, $624/year or $18,720/over the life of the loan.
2. The deadline for qualifying for an $8000 tax credit is rapidly approaching.   Although, the December 1st deadline may seem a long way off, in real estate terms it really isn’t.  A lot of people are sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see if prices will drop another 1 or 2 percent over the next 6 months.   Lenders are already warning us that when all those buyers rush into the market in August or September, the backlog in loan applications will mean a wait of 60-90 days to close an average loan.  Note:  Given that the average buyer in this market looks at over 30 homes, over a 3 month period, buyers who don’t want to miss the boat on their $8000 gift, should get serious now.

For those buyer’s hoping to time the market perfectly, we think their ship may be sailing by.    Home inventories are dropping, prices are stabilizing, interest rate increases erase potential gains made by a further fall in prices and $8 grand is on the line, if the December 1 closing deadline can’t be met.   Serious buyer’s should jump on board now, before they find out that the ship has sailed and they missed the boat!!

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Made in California, the Zero is fast, agile and a joy to ride.   “People have waited decades for these things to be practical”, said Neal Saiki, inventor and founder.  “We make every part of the bike”, said Saiki, “It’s very light and half the weight of a normal motorcycle.”  In addition to being pollution-free, the street and dirt versions of the bike are silent when running. 

One limitation for consumers may be the bike’s range and price.  It runs between 40 and 60 miles, before it needs to be re-charged.  And, the price is a bit steep at $13,500, which is about double the cost of a gas powered equivalent.

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Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, said “Today we are announcing a new program component to help homeowners obtain modifications in areas suffering from price declines.  If a modification is not possible, we are announcing steps to encourage the quick private sale or voluntary transfer of property, which will save homeowners money and protect their financial future.”  Geithner went on to say that, “These are critical steps in stemming the foreclosure crisis and stabilizing the housing market, both of which are critical to your economic recovery”

The Program in a Nutshell:

1. Foreclosure Alternatives:  The program increases the odds of closing a short sale by streamlining the process and offering incentives to lenders for participation.  The program is designed for homeowners who are eligible for a loan modification, but can not qualify for one.  Under the new program, lenders may receive compensation up to $1000 for completing a short sale.  Borrower’s may receive up to $1500 for relocation expenses.  Holders of 2nd mortgages will receive up to $1000, if they agree to the terms of a short sale.

Why This New Program May Help:

1. A short sale is the last step before foreclosure, and is far less costly for lenders and borrowers.   Selling short is less damaging to the homeowners credit and they are less costly for banks and lenders.   Survey results show that losses from short sales average 19 percent versus losses of 40 percent in the case of foreclosure.
2. Currently, more than 75 percent of short sale contracts fall apart, despite sometimes heroic efforts on the part of the borrower.  Lenders have for the most part been uncooperative when responding to offers on short sales, which means the properties sit vacant and pull down values in the entire area.
3. The new program may provide a much needed boost to the current Making a Home Affordable program.  Despite good intentions, the program has only helped 55,000 homeowner’s modify their loans.   In comparison, there were 342,000 foreclosure filings in the month of April, alone.

  Stop The Sinking Feeling.   If you are struggling to pay your mortgage or you are falling behind on your payments…CALL YOUR LENDER TODAY!!   Don’t procrastinate, the problem will only become larger if you wait.   You may also waste valuable time in stopping a foreclosure on your property, which is the worst case scenario for borrower and lender alike.

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Goats, What’s Not to Love?  In addition to being very cute and smart, goats are great at clearing brush and weeds without using gasoline, polluting the air or disturbing the peace.  Mowing by goat means less work for busy people, it is chemical free and the little darlings automatically fertilize as they work. 

Even Silicon Valley and other metro area’s are looking to the environmentally, friendly goat as a non-tech means of maintaining their grounds and property.  Google “hired” 200 goats to maintain the grounds at its Mt. View, CA headquarters.  Yahoo, located just a stones throw away, must have loved the idea because they also rented goats to cut their grass.  Even cities are joining in the goat movement.  Mesa, AZ has used goats to maintain the land around their water reclaimation plant for quite some time.

All “Kidding” Aside….  If Rent-A-Goat appeals to your lazy and green side, renting one is as easy as locating your nearest goat farm.  Or, you can visit GoatFinder.com, which has a directory for goat rentals for 10 states.  But beware before you rent, using goats has risks, like a deep attachment.  Goats are so cute and friendly, it can be very hard to say Goodbye when the work is done. 

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Cluck, Cluck…Do the funky chicken

Not just a hobby for hippies.  Today, urban Chicken farming has caught fire in some of the most sophisticated cities from coast to coast.  Madison, WI was among the first cities to allow limited numbers of chickens.  New York city has allowed chickens for years.  Other major metro area’s which give a thumbs up to fresh eggs from suburban back yards include:  Chicago, IL; Albuquerque, NM; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and many other major area’s.

• Don’t Run Afowl of the Law:  If raising cute little chicks appeals to you, make sure you know the laws in your area before you buy a cool coop.  Many cities, or nosy neighbors, may take issue.  For example, in Kansas City, MO, the birds can’t roam or be raised within 100 feet of a home or business.  No Crowing Roosters in Madison, only layers are allowed.  Some cities limit the number of chickens on residential property to 5 or 6.  So, please check the law before you get too excited about raising your own omelet.

Birds Eye View:  After looking into the new trend, we give a thumbs up for the chickens coming home to roost.   With Americans ripping up sod to grow victory gardens, aren’t chicken’s a natural next step?  And, who doesn’t think fresh eggs are better for your family and better tasting?  What do we have to lose?  Chickens are cool and advocates for urban chickens say that they are quieter and cleaner than dogs.  And, children of all ages love feeding them and gathering their own breakfast eggs.  

Chickens are a Good Thing.  For more information about raising chickens in your backyard, visit BackYardChickens.com, which boasts 30,000 members or urbanchickens.org.

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Taking great pictures of your home is easy for the most novice do-it-yourselfer, if they follow these tips from the pro’s.  

1. Staging the Shot is Critical:  No People and no pets in the picture help the buyer imagine themselves in the room.  Flowers always help.  Remove all clutter and evidence of anything personal.  Move furniture to look good in the picture, even if you don’t live that way.
2. Lighting:   Turn on all the lights, but leave the fluorescents off because they distort colors.  Light candles in the fireplace (shown top left) to punch up ambience.  Shoot one exterior shot at twilight (shown below) with all the interior and exterior lights on.

     3.  Camera Angle:  Stand in Corners of the room and aim the shot toward the other corners.  The room looks bigger, if there are no more than 2 walls in the picture.   Crouch down and take the shot from a kids height (may explain why houses get smaller as we get older) to make any space appear larger.   Try to keep the back of the camera parallel to walls or doorways to make the room feel taller.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale or rent website.   If you are serious about selling a home, remember that a picture paints a thousand words and each one should motivate buyer to take a look inside for themselves.  If you aren’t using 20 good photo’s in your InfoTube.net home ad, please do yourself a favor, grab your camera and upload some new ones.  You will be very glad you did!

Although, Realtors love the phrase and evidentally believe it to be  a powerful message, PRICE REDUCED, means only one thing…the listing was overpriced.   It doesn’t mean it still isn’t.

So, why do Realtors hang banners advertising that a price has been dropped?  Do they believe that buyers care that an asking price was reduced from $250,000 to $200,000, if comparable homes in the neighborhood are priced at $175,000?   

Maybe, the hoopla is all about the agents themselves.  Maybe, it is a secret way of gloating to one another that they finally got their unrealistic seller to drop their price.  Woo Hoo, We Were Right. 

In any case, I find signs with swinging distress messages very unmotivating, somewhat negative and kind of sad.  They are the antithesis of salesmanship.  And, when I see these type of signs, my mind immediately conjures images of a stale listing, a probably dated interior, repair issues and a difficult seller.   

In my opinion, a good salesperson, who works on behalf of the seller, would post signs that gave buyers important, exciting news about the property.  “Seller Financing”, “Zero Down”, “Lowest Price in Area”, ”Free Appliances” or “Special Financing.  Positive messages, such as these, are informative and helpful to buyer and seller, alike.

Before Realtor’s spends any more of their hard earned money on negative messages, or homeowner’s allow another one to be posted, I hope they stop and ask themselves, “Why are we doing this and Who really cares???  

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.  We have been helping buyers and sellers for 20 years and we are here to help you sell and market your home.  Please visit our site to post a Free Property Listing or Search for Great Deals from the Privacy of Your Home.

Don’t Panic.  It’s Not the End of the World.  Read this helpful article about how to keep the deal alive.

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Today, we outline the issues and target in on facts about the specific problems in housing and real estate in the U.S.  

1. Real estate markets are Local:   The University of Virginia studied foreclosures in all 50 states; 35 metro area’s and 236 counties.  They found that 85 percent of the lost value in homes occured in only 4 states - Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada.
2. Nevada, California, Arizona and Florida rank 1,2,3 and 4 in all foreclosure activity.    Combined together, these 4 states account for 55 percent of all foreclosures in the U.S.
3. The 4 sunbelt states, representing 55 percent of all foreclosed property, were also the playing grounds of investors, second home buyer’s and “flippers” who rode the out the bubble in search of riches.
4. 19 million homes are now vacant in the United States.  
5. Lenders forecast another 2.5 million home foreclosures before the end of the year.
6. The average value of a home today has fallen to less than $170,000, which is now well within the budget of the majority of workers in the country.  At the top of the bubble, the average home price in the US was $220,000, and hit $300,000 in California.
7. Uptrends:  Home sales have increased dramatically in California and Nevada in recent months.  Discounts of 50 percent or more are bringing the inventory of unsold homes to their lowest levels since the crash began.

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In the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder’s meeting, Warren Buffett, the oracle of Omaha, predicted that inflation will hit the US economy due to the financial crisis.  Buffett told shareholders, “I haven’t had my taxes raised.  My guess is the ultimate price will be paid by a shrinkage of the value of the dollar”.  

If Warren is right, and he usually is, the average person can use his wisdom to profit with a smart real estate investment.    

• To invest safely, a home buyer should put 20 percent down and take out a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, locking in an interest rate around 4.5 percent.   If you haven’t owned a home over the past 3 years, you can cash in immediately with the $8000 tax credit.   When inflation hits, your mortgage costs will remain the same, as your salary increases.  This means that you have even more money to save and invest later on.
• If you are currently renting, there is another compelling reason to invest.   During periods of inflation, rents will rise.  If you don’t own a home, your monthly rent obiligations will soar. 
• Another reason to invest in real estate is that during times of inflation, home prices appreciate, if even at a slower pace.  History shows that during inflationary periods, real estate appreciation tends to beat inflation by 2-3 percentage points.
• Leveraged assets, such as real estate, outperform other asset classes.  Leverage magnifies gains because as your income rises, your debt payments will not.   You’ll be able to pay off the mortgage with money that is worth less than it was when you borrowed it.
• With home prices and interest rates hovering at historic lows, now may be the perfect time for investor’s to withdraw the cash they have sitting in savings accounts that is paying only a 2-3percent and buy a piece of property.   If you buy a property where the tenant covers the expenses and costs of ownership, then the investor can relax and wait for inflation to move up rents and home prices.

InfoTube.net and Warren Buffett agree that inflation, over the next 5 years, is a sure bet.   And, when we get rampant inflation, real estate is the perfect hedge.   Throw in low prices, cheap money, ridiculously low returns on cash investments and thousands of dollars in tax savings, and you have a powerful case for buying a home now.   

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.  Seller’s can place a Free Property listing on the site or add an MLS listing to their by owner strategy with the click of a button.  Bonus:  Buyer’s can search for thousand’s of homes in complete privacy.  We do not sell or distribute user information and there are no pop up’s or dead links anywhere on our site.

Here are some of the most common scams seen in the housing industry and tips about how to protect yourself and your family.

Promise to Stall or Halt Foreclosure

Foreclosure scammers are the worst of the worst.  Like vultures, they swope down to pick at the flesh and bones of weak and vulnerable.   These companies promise to stall, avert or stop the foreclosure process.  Many families which are facing the loss of their homes interupt their “pitch” as an answered prayer.   Don’t Fall for It. 

Homeowner’s can identify these companies because they always ask for an upfront fee for their service.   In addition to losing thousands of dollars to these con men, the victims also waste precious time in working with their lenders, which means that this scam can actually speed up the foreclosure process.

Homeowner’s are advised to check with the Better Business Bureau, their lender and the Hope Now organization, before doing business with any company promising the stop a Foreclosure.  

Loan Modificiation

The state of California issued permits to real estate agents for loan modifications.  The state now has almost 600 Realtors, so far, that can collect upfront fee’s for negotiating loan modifications and short sales with lenders on behalf of the homeowner.

We have heard reports that some of these companies charge $2500-$3000 to negotiate with lenders, saying they provide more service and expertise than overworked non-profits do.

Consumers should ALWAYS be on High Alert if they are ask to pay upfront fee’s to anyone, especially when the service provider can not guarantee results.   There are a lot of starving real estate agents out there, so beware and always verify credentials before paying for any upfront service.

Where to go for Real Help.

1. Homeowner Preservation Foundation.  1-888-995-4673 
2. Hope Now    Website Link
3. Making Home Affordable. gov   Website Link
4. Your Lender
5. Beware:  Don’t be fooled into working with companies because they have official sounding names and copy cat websites.  The government recently shut down 5 companies and issued warning letters to 71 others who are operating under names that sound legit, but aren’t. 

Thank for for visiting InfoTube.net homes for Sale and Rent Website.  The website where Property Owners can place a Free Listing and Home Shoppers can Find thousands of properties seen no where else on the web.

What we’ve Heard on the Street about Using the Zillow App for Real Estate.

• Hours of tinkering with your smart phone are required to get the application to work at all.
• Even in area’s with full cell phone reception, 3G networks are unreliable.  After data is finally loaded, users find themselves staring at blank screens, forcing them to start all over.
• Loading a basic map takes over a minute.  So, user’s must have a lot of time to waste while househunting.
• No matter what area the user was in, the prices for homes appeared and disappeared at random.  Sometimes they would reappear after a while, sometimes they never did.
• A lot of the Property information is outdated or does not display at all.
• Zillow estimates of home value, which they call “zestimates” are unreliable, outdated and data is unavailable for a lot of regions in the country, making this feature nearly worthless for determining sales data.
• There is no feature that allows “bookmarking” of the homes you look up or see.  So, tech users will have to write down addresses on a piece of paper or pull an information sheet from an InfoTube or InfoBox, anyway.
• Only properties listed on the MLS by real estate agents appear in searches of Zillow home listings.   iPhone user’s won’t see thousands of great properties that are listed for sale by owner, builder or investor, or lender.

While the new Zillow iPhone app maybe a great concept, it is far from being a killer software application for real estate.   Unreliable and missing data, coupled with the lack of 3G reception, make using an iPhone to access real estate data a frustrating, hair pulling experience, even for the most diehard tech fan.  

Our Conclusion:  If you are seriously in the real estate market, forget about using an iPhone or any phone to learn about homes for sale.   For true, instant wireless communication, jump out of the car and pull an information sheet from an InfoTube or InfoBox.   If you are serious about real estate, sometimes, Low Tech is the Best Tech. 

Reasons to have a Home Inspection before the Sale.

1. 1.  Pre-Inspections are a Great Selling Point.   Providing a Pre-inspection report puts the buyer at ease and gives them confidence that the seller has nothing to hide about the home or its condition.  By being upfront, sellers put the Buyer at ease so they can better vizualize themselves living in the home, versus searching for problems at every turn.  
2. Pre-Inspections Give the Seller a Head’s Up.   A home inspection gives sellers the opportunity to fix any necessary repairs and put the house in better condition before the sale.   By pre-inspecting, the seller can also address unknown problems with the property that might have resulted in a canceled sale, if a timid or scared buyer discovered them first. 
3. An Good Offense Beats a Good Defense.   When the buyer sends in their inspection team, they may be looking to save money.   Often, a bargain shopper will use the inspection report to get a better deal on the house by inflating the costs of repairs or threatening to cancel the contract, if they don’t get their way.   By providing a licensed inspection report upfront, sellers deter ‘would be’ re-negotiator’s and increase the chances of a smooth transaction.
4. Show and Tell.   Ask your home inspector for several copies of your inspection report.   Hand the reports out to prospective buyer’s, when they tour the home.   The report reflects pride of ownership and handing the report to the buyer keeps your home in the buyer’s mind for a much longer period of time.   (The inspector shouldn’t mind the request because it is good for the inspector, too.  His name and contact number on is on the report.  Even if the buyer doesn’t buy your house, they might call him for their own inspection.)
5. Beat the Competition.   Buyer’s have heard horror stories about victims who have purchased a money pit and found themselves living in a nightmare of endless bills, contractor’s and life interupting problems.  Set your home apart from the foreclosures, short sales and poorly maintained homes on the market and reassure the buyer that your home is a hassel-free home they can be proud to call their own.

In conclusion, while it’s sometimes tempting to cut corners to save money, a home inspection is a worthwhile investment.  A pre-inspection lessens the chance of buyer’s remorse, reduces the chance of a surprise or scare, and frequently keeps a deal from falling apart altogether.   In today’s buyer’s market, the best defense is a great offense. 

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale or rent website.  Seller’s can place Free Property Listings and Buyer’s can Search for great deals on Real Estate.   If you are a seller, ask us about an MLS listing with uploads to Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo, MSN, Google and More for $399.

Stay Calm.  Don’t Freak Out.

In slow markets, seller’s have every reason to panic when they learn about inspection problems.  First, they have no idea how the buyer will react to the report.  If the report is really bad, they know it is likely that the buyer will back out of the deal.   In the best case scenario, they know that more rounds of negotiations and repair requests lists are back in play.   Uncertainity, helplessness and frustration make it easy to freak out, but it is crucial that seller’s stay focused and remain calm.

The first thing the seller must do when they hear about a problem is to keep quiet.  They should resist the natural urge to curse the inspector and they should say absolutely nothing, until the buyer presents a request for repairs.   Some buyer’s aren’t surprised at all that a home might need some repairs.  Also, they may not view the repairs as negatively as the seller does.  Best advise is to not borrow trouble.  Wait for the report, before jumping to conclusions.

Keep Your Head.  Negotiate.

The good news is that if you receive a repair request list, the buyer didn’t walk and they are still interested in the purchase.   Plan to review and discuss the list with an open mind.  Chat with your Realtor, if you are using one.  Talk the situation over with a repair professional.  Get bids on big ticket items, before you go back to the buyer, or you agree/disagree to anything on the list.

Many times, seller’s find that they can get repairs done for less than they think.  Or, sometimes, the seller can make the repair themselves.   If cash flow is a problem, many contractors will agree to wait until the closing to be paid.  The goal is to create a win-win atmosphere and don’t hate the messenger, no matter how bad the news is initially.

Reassure the Buyer.  Stay Focused on Closing the Deal.

Reassure the buyer that you want to fix any major issues with the house.  Get multiple bids from legitimate contractor’s for major repairs.  Multiple bids are powerful because many times the buyer (especially the first time buyer) is scared about the costs of future problems, so they increase the numbers a bit.    Sometimes, after the see that the repair isn’t urgent or may not be as expensive as they thought, the buyer will relax a bit, setting the stage for better negotiations.

Remember that everything about repair requests is negotiable and the options are endless.   The seller can fix all the items on the list, they can agree to fix any real problems and ignore cosmetic issues, they can offer the buyer a cash credit at closing, reduce the sales price, or do absolutely nothing at all, depending on the value of the contract and what they can afford to do.  

In Conclusion.

If you receive a bad home inspection, please remain calm and cool headed.  Focus on a win-win compromise with the buyer.  And, gather all the facts and figures before commenting, if you want to keep the deal alive.  In the long run, honest communication is always key and addressing the problems eliminates the likelihood of lawsuits later.  

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.   The website where Seller’s can place a Free for Sale or Rent Property Listing and post their property on the MLS and Realtor.com.  And, buyer’s can search for thousands of great properties with ease and privacy.  

Home prices are 40 percent or more off peak in some area’s of the country, so “Real Estate doesn’t always go up.”  Selling by Agent or Owner??  Actually, the Banks sold more property last year than either.   Dinner conversations now focus on “How can we get rid of this house??” Instead of “Flip this House”.  Our worries aren’t about capital gains.  Now, we worry that we owe so much, that we can’t afford to sell the house or live in it.

In today’s market, one thing is certain.   There is little money to make and every dollar counts.   So, if you need to sell, you have 3 options.  By Agent; By Owner; By Auction.  Should you Pick Door 1, 2, or 3????  

By Agent Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s:

• Real estate agents provide a comparative market analysis to justify price strategies and make recommendations about staging, showing and the condition of the property.
• Agents develop a comprehensive marketing program for your property that includes the MLS, photographs, virtual tours, internet website distribution and Open Houses.
• Agents handle the showings, contract negotiations, they offer legal-type advise and they are objective about the property and its condition.
• In a slow market with a lot of inventory, agents may possibly do a better job than a do-it-yourselfer.  Many seller’s feel that penny pinching in this market may not be a smart move.

Con’s:

•  Costs for brokerage services are extremely high.  The typical fee is 6 percent of the sales price of the property.   Many seller’s find that after they pay 6 percent of the gross price to the agent, then pay off the mortgage, they have no money left from their sale or worst case, they actually lose money on the home.
•  The agent may have little experience.  They may be difficult to reach or contact.  They may not market your home as you want.  
• Agent’s work for their own benefit and may have a conflict of interest with their seller’s.  They may advise the seller to price their home for a quick sale, not the best price they can get.  And, agents make double the money if they sell their own listing.  This means if they have a buyer that is interested in their own listing, they work for the buyer, too, not just the seller paying their fee.
• Agents often give short notice or no notice of showings, which is a problem for busy seller’s.   In addition, your listing agent is not the person who will typically show your home.  This means that the best features and benefits of your property may not be pointed out.

For Sale By Owner Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s

• The biggest reason to sell your own home is the money.  Agent’s fee’s are steep (6-7 percent off the top of the sale) wiping out thousands of dollars in profit from the bottom line.   For the average homeowner, real estate commissions erase a huge chunk, if not all, of their entire equity in the home.
• By Owners control their sale.  Many seller’s have bought and sold a lot of property in their lives.  They know how to price their home, show their home and negotiate the sale better than a stranger could.  
• Today, ‘For Sale by Owners’ have the marketing power that agent’s do.  Gone are the days that “By Owner” marketing options were limited to throwing up a yard sign, hoping that a buyer stumbles upon it.  Sellers now have access to all the tools that agents use to buy and sell property.  Homeowners can purchase access to the MLS, Realtor.com, and other major real estate portals for a few hundred dollars, they can have an attorney draft the contract, leaving many to ask “Why pay 6 percent?”.
• FSBO’s have a Price Advantage.  They don’t have a 6 percent tarriff to pay on their sale, which gives them an advantage when working with buyer’s or pricing their home below their “listed” competition.
• Many seller’s don’t trust real estate agents.  They don’t want to place  their most valuable asset in the hands of a commission sales person, who may or may not, be operating in their best interests. 

Con’s:

• The biggest problem for ‘by owner’ seller’s is that people love their homes and it is hard to be objective.   Emotional attachments make pricing, negotiating and showing the home difficult for a lot of people.
• Seller’s aren’t realistic about the need for a marketing program that will attract enough attention to draw buyers.  Agent’s don’t spend money placing property on the MLS, Realtor.com and major websites because they enjoy it.  They do it because those are the only methods that work to efficiently reach buyers and sell property.   Throwing a sign in the yard or running a classified ad won’t work in this market.  If you aren’t willing to use all the marketing tools that the agent’s use, your chances of succeeding are small.
• Showing the Property.   If you live out of town, travel for your job or are unable to show the property with little notice, then selling by owner is not a viable option.  
• The Work and the Time.   When you list with an agent, all the work is done.  The marketing, advertising, showing, negotiating, inspections and closing are handled by the agent.  When you sell property yourself, you have to be prepared for the work and the time it takes.

For Sale at Auction Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s: 

• It’s Fast and Easy.  Property auctions are quick and simple.  The entire process only takes about 28-30 days from start to finish.
• Avoid Random Buyer Tours of your Property.  When you sell by auction, there are usually one or two days for all buyer’s to tour the property at a set time and date.  Seller’s do not have to endure months of random strangers calling to walk thru their home with little to no notice.  Other than the posted showing times, seller’s can live normally in their home without having buyers constantly disrupt their lives.
• No Negotiations.  Once the gavel falls, the price is set and the deal is over.  The frustration of and time wasted on lowball offers, counter offers, repair negotiations are eliminated.
• More Money.  The true definition of market value is defined by what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to sell for.   This is the beauty of the auction process.  In good markets and good locations, buyer compete for their dream home in real time.  Sometimes, the nature and urgency that is created in an auction environment will yield a higher sales price than a listing agent would recommended.

Cons:

• The biggest con is that your home might not sell.   Although we picture auctions as busy places, with huge crowds frantically bidding and waving their paddles in the air, that isn’t always the case.  In slow markets with a lot of inventory, there are times when few people show up and the auction day is a bust.
• The Final Sales Price:   If your opening bid is low and only a few buyer’s show up, you might sell the home for a lot less than you hoped or thought.   If you are considering an auction, you may want to set a Reserve Price, which dictates that no sale will occur below X amount of dollars.
• The Buyer may not Meet the Terms.   Although auction buyers should be pre-approved, and will forfeit their deposit if they don’t close the deal, deals do fall through, just like in conventional sales.   For people who chose auctions for a quick sale, it could be a big issue, if the buyer is unable to meet their closing date.
• The Cost:  The cost of an auction is often as expensive as listing with an agent.  Sometimes, the seller will owe fee’s to the auctioneer, even if the sale fails to happen or the reserve is not met.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net and for looking with us behind doors one, two and three.   If you need to sell, the method is your choice.  Just consider the pro’s and con’s of all three, considering your lifestyle, budget, time and expertise before you make a final decision.  

Foreclosures and loan delinquency’s wreck havoc on the budgets of Homeowner’s Associations (HOA’s) across the country. 

Many condominium communities are glutted with nonpaying units that swamp their operating budgets, force cutbacks on promised services and increase monthly dues for owners who are paying their mortgage and association dues.

Crisis In Florida:

In Florida, the land of the condo dweller, things are spinning out of control for HOA’s and property owners.  As a result, Florida constituents are turning to legislators for an help they can provide.

Under the current system in Florida and other states, lenders can avoid paying homeowner’s fee’s until they foreclose and become the owner of the unit.   Lenders face a continuing avalanche of foreclosures and loan defaults, which means that up to 2 or more years can pass before the property transfer gets through the court system.  

During the lengthy legal process, homeowners often continue living in the units, using the ammenities and facilities for free.  Some even rent the units for income, after they have stopped making payments on the property.  Many associations are forced to cover the costs of water, cable, laundry, lawn and pool maintenance and garbage collection for paying and non-paying owner’s alike.  To make up for the added expenses, paying unit owner’s have to foot the bill or the entire association goes down.   

And, things get even more complicated.  Some banks stall on taking title to units because they have a cap that limits the amount of past-due fee’s they have to repay to 6 months or 1 percent of the original loan amount.   Some luxury condo associations report that some units have as much as $50,000 in unpaid fee’s by the time the bank takes ownership.

Downward Spiral:

Lenders are also denying financing for financially unstable buildings, which essentially means the property can not be sold, even if a buyer is found.  In January, mortgage giant Fannie Mae said it would no longer fund loans in buildings if more than 15 percent of the units were 30 or more days past due with their association fee’s.  

The problem has reached a crisis point for many HOA’s that are struggling to cover basic utilites such as water and electricity.   If they raise fee’s on paying owners for the shortfalls, they risk pushing even more residents into delinquency.  Most owners are already upside down on the property and they simply can not afford a higher payment.

Renting out units could offset loses, but rentals are usually prohibited or they are limited to a very small percentage of the number of units in the complex.  Furthermore, lenders such as Fannie Mae also deny funding for buildings that are less than 51 percent owner occupied.   So, raising money with rent income does not appear to be a viable solution, nor does it maintain the quality of life for the paying residents.

The housing crisis has uncovered many problems that we have never encountered before, but the number of failing HOA’s is an imminent crisis.   Unfortunately, it isn’t simple and if solving it isn’t done correctly, more permanent damage may occur.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.   Search our database for thousands of great deals on property across the USA.

In a slow housing market dominated by bargain shoppers, correct pricing determines which house sells and which one sits on the market.  Pricing too high is the kiss of death.  Or, price the home too low and risk leaving thousands of dollars on the table.  

Home Pricing Strategies for Today’s Market

1. 3 Factors that Sell Houses:  The condition and price of your home are critical factors in its saleablility.  They are also factors that the seller can control.  The homes that sell have 3 things in common.  They are in good locations, they are in good condition and they are priced right for their market.
2. Get the Highest Price by Listing for Less than Market Value:  Some sellers believe that they can sell their home faster and for more money by listing low to sell higher.   They bank on creating multiple offers and giving buyer’s a sense of urgency that the deal is too good to pass up.  This strategy does work in hot markets, with limited inventory in ideal locations.   It will not work if there isn’t much sales activity in your area or price range.  The best strategy for most seller’s is to price the home competitively, but do not set a price below what you will accept, if you don’t receive multiple offers.
3. How to Price Your Home Right:   In order to sell a home in an unmotivated market, it has to be the best house at the best price.  To determine the ideal price, seller’s need to do their homework.  Look at new home prices in your area and price below them.  If everything is equal, buyer’s will always chose a new home over a used one.  Attend Open Houses every weekend to objectively look at your competition and scrutinize the home through the buyer’s eye’s.   Access the data for recently sold homes through a real estate agent, online tax databases or your local courthouse.   Home Sales data can also be found on websites such as Zillow.  Know how much your home is priced per square foot.  Price per square foot is the valuation method appraisers use.  To determine the average asking price per square foot in your area, divide the asking prices by the amount of air conditioned square footage the home has.  Take the average price per foot in your area and multiple it by the square footage in your home to see if you are priced “in the market”.  Note: This formula only works in a simplistic way, if lot costs and sizes for comparable homes are similar.
4. Marketing is Key in Making the Most Money:  There is only one key to selling a home for the most money possible.  Comprehensive marketing exposure.  Must Do’s: Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Internet advertising with multiple photo’s and Open Houses for the public and real estate agents.  The MLS is THE DATABASE of homes for sale.  If your home isn’t on the MLS, you are missing millions of buyers, period.   An MLS listing is also the only way to expose your home on dozens of high traffic websites.   According to Hitwise, the traffic to MLS affiliated websites is around 12 million shoppers every month.   Remember it doesn’t matter how great your house is or how low it is priced, if no one can find out that your home is For Sale.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.  Start increasing your marketing exposure by taking advantage of a FREE home listing on our heavily trafficked website.   You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

ProLogis, who owns more rooftops than anyone in the world, announced  plans to develop the rooftops (equal to 10,000 football fields) of their existing buildings, and lease the space to power companies to install solar panels.

From the press release:

Headquartered in Denver, Colo., as a manager and developer of real estate, ProLogis is actively seeking out electric utilities to lease out its rooftops as a way to earn extra income with no capital investment, while meeting the company’s goal of contributing to global sustainability.

As a real estate investment trust, ProLogis isn’t interested in owning the solar installations, but rather in engaging utilities as a renter of its space. Utilities make solid tenants that will enter long-term leases, as most power-purchase agreements for solar power generation are for 15 to 20 years.

ProLogis manages more than five hundred million square feet of industrial space and they are putting all of it to good use on three continents. Actually, ProLogis owns more rooftops than anyone in the world – they have available space in twenty-four countries across the globe. The amount of space is equivalent to approximately 10,000 football fields.

 Although Prologis continues to develop new buildings on virgin land, their plan to put solar panels on their rooftops is a win-win for ProLogis, power companies and the environment.  It makes good use of existing, undeveloped real estate, feeds the electrical grid and generates cash flowAdded Bonus:  In addition to increasing cash flow for ProLogis, adding the solar roof panels also insulates their buildings, reducing their operating costs and their carbon footprint, simultaneously.

Kudo’ to Prologis for thinking “out of the box” and on the grid.  Maybe it will encourage other developers to do the same.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.   The purpose of our products and our job is to connect home buyers and sellers.  Please search our website for thousands of properties for sale or rent.  Or, place a Free Property Listing on our Website, with our compliments.

Dispute Between

Neighbors - this is a

true story…

A city councilman in Utah , Mark Easton, had a beautiful view of the east mountains, Until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home.

The new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance.

The new neighbor had to drop the roof line, at great expense.

Recently, Mark Easton called the city, and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home.

When the city went to Mark’s

to see what the vents

looked like,this is what they

found…

Sorry, but we had to chuckle and thought our readers might enjoy this, especially on tax day.  We’ve heard about neighbors who use spite fences to communicate their feelings about their neighbors, but this was a new one for us.   

Distressed properties now make up 25 percent of all homes for sale.   Many foreclosed homes have been vandalized, neglected and cause a blight on otherwise good neighborhoods.  Selling these properties would help stabilize house prices and remove inventory from the market, but the banks simply can’t keep up with the paperwork.

Take the case of the Collins family, who in January, rushed to buy a foreclosure on a picuresque, tree lined street in southern California.   They immediately obtained their financing, paid for inspections, appraisals and completed other paperwork the lender required from them.  It is now mid-April and the Collins family finds themselves still sitting in limbo.  They have yet to receive confirmation of a closing date or signed paperwork.

While common sense tells us that the housing market can not recover until the foreclosures are sold, the reality is that the banks can not keep up with the paperwork required to transfer the property.   There are a lot of layers and people, with varying degree’s of work ethic, that are involved with the sale of any bank owned property.  Further frustrating to “would be” buyers, is that they can’t just call the bank and ask what is going on.  There is no one to ask for help, as there is when buying from a real owner.

As the nation’s banks anticipate owning another 1.5 million foreclosed homes in 2009, things will likely get worse in terms of getting rid of them quickly.   Maybe outraged buyers, and the neighbors who tolerate these blights on our communities, should all cry out to their congressmen for help.  Perhaps, they can force the banks to step up their management of foreclosed homes, and force the agents and servicers to do their jobs.

Thank for you for visiting InfoTube.net.  If you need an InfoTube or InfoBox for your “for sale sign”, we are the manufacturer and we do it all in the USA.   Please feel free to shop on our site, place a Free Property Listing or Search our database for thousands of great homes for sale or rent. We also provide MLS listings for “by owners” for a one-time fee of $399.

One thing we can learn from this study is that one of these groups is certainly wrong.  Either home owners are unrealistic about what their houses are worth or agents are too pessimistic about what the home will sell for.  

On one hand, agent’s have more knowledge about the market than the average home seller does and they do talk with buyer’s every day.   Yet, real estate agents have an incentive to push prices lower.  The lower the price, the faster the sale, the quicker they can ring the cash register and move on to the next deal.   So, what should a home seller do???

1. Ask 3 real estate agents what they would list your home for.  Ask questions and understand the reasoning behind their different price recommendations.
2. Know your competition.  Check out every house that is for sale in your area, price and size range.  Visit Open Houses to verify the condition and ammenities being offered by the competition.  Use InfoTubes and InfoBoxes on for sale signs to gain helpful insight about homes for sale in your neighborhood.   Explore property MLS listings on Realtor.com.
3. Visit New Home Subdivisions.  All things being equal, most buyers would chose a new home over a pre-owned home, if everything was equal.   Find out how builders are pricing new homes that are similar to yours.   Keep in mind that builders also offer thousands of dollars in incentives or special financing, and they include these things in their asking prices.   Try to learn everything you can from the builder and deduct the incentives and specials that you can’t match from their asking price to get a realistic look.
4. Visit your county property tax database.  Most counties provide sales and comparable home information online.  Your local taxing department is the final authority about what homes actually sold for.

Remember that homes are selling every day, if they are priced right.  While seller’s want to hold out for the best offer, agents want to make quick sales.  The real truth about asking versus selling prices lies somewhere in between, so home seller’s need to check their facts, first.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.  Please search our site to learn about thousands of great deals on real estate or if you are selling or renting a home, place a Free Home Listing with our compliments.

Entry Way and Stair Case

Kitchen and Living Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bath with Walk in Shower

Doesn’t this home seem very modern?  Perhaps, something you would see in a swanky highrise condo in a big city????

SURPRISE:  HERE’S THE INCREDIBLE PART I LOVE

The one bedroom, one bath loft apartment was built inside a 1940’s grain silo.

The old grain silo was recycled into this upscale apartment, after it was purchased and relocated to the grounds of the Homestead Inn, located in New Braunfels, TX in 2007.

If this isn’t an example of creative craftmanship, I don’t know what is.  Love those Texan’s!!!

Thank you, Pat for forwarding this wonderful property information to me.  Hopefully, it will encourage others to think “out of the box” when it comes to creating affordable housing and perserving our resources.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.  Feel free to place a free property listing, or search our database for thousands of great deals on real estate from coast-to-coast.  

If you know of a unique or smart piece of property, please send us the details and pictures.  Our readers love real estate and we love sharing the resourceful and creative spirit of the American people with our readers.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website. Place a free property listing on the site or search our database for thousand’s of property listings.

Villa Maggio, Frank’s desert hideaway, located 30 minutes from beautiful Palm Desert, CA is up for sale.  Mr Sinatra named the gorgeous estate after the role he played as Private Angelo Maggio in the movie “From Here to Eternity”.

Some more interesting facts about Sinatra’s Villa Maggio include:

• Old Blue Eye’s built his desert hideout in the 1970’s.  He used it as a getaway for his family and friends.
• The property sits on 7+ acres and is perched over the valley at an elevation of around 4300 feet.
• The estate includes a main house, two guest houses, swimming pool, heliport and lighted tennis courts. 
• The Rat Pack traveled on the Pines to Palm Highway to reach the mountain top hideaway, or they they flew to Palm Springs, then Sinatra helicoptered them to the property.
• Sinatra owned the property for 12 years, then donated it to Loyola Marymount University, which sold it for $1.4 million in 1989.
• The property is presently owned by a celebrity.
• Sinatra designed the kitchen in the home himself.  He loved to cook, especially pasta dishes.  His kitchen has remained unchanged through the years.
• Photographs of the famous hideaway are fantastic.  Click Here to check out the wonderful slideshow of Villa Maggio.  (One picture features the original telephones with 50 lines).

Thank you visiting InfoTube.net.  We hope you enjoyed taking a wonderful walk down memory lane with us.   Please accept our invitation to place a Free Property Listing on our website, or search our database for thousands of great deals on homes for sale or rent.

But, before you throw the ‘for sale’ sign in the yard, please educate yourself about the common mistakes you should avoid, if you want to sell your home.  Decades of real estate experience have proven again and again, that making these mistakes, even once, will stop any sale in its tracks.

1. Pricing:  Setting an unrealistic price is the biggest mistake home seller’s make.  The home MUST be initially priced at or under its competition, or you are simply wasting time and money.  Some seller’s toy with the notion of “low balling” their asking price, hoping for bidding wars and a quick sale.  While this strategy sometimes works on lower priced property, it doesn’t work in higher price ranges.   Buyer’s in a higher price range simply think that the seller is desperate, which always results in even lower offers, not bidding wars.   We won’t address overpricing, because there is nothing to say.  The truth is no one will overpay for your home, it won’t appraise anyway, so please keep it off the market, until you are ready to be realistic. 
2. Property Condition:  Know as much as you can about the condition of your property, fix everything that will stop a sale, and disclose everything you know about the property condition to the buyer.   If you don’t, when the problematic inspection report is revealed, the buyer will cancel the contract and walk.   Afterward, the seller will find themselves in a much worse position because they lost momentum, valuable time on the market, and the cancelation signals that something was wrong with the house.  The seller will also be required by law to disclose everything found on the prior inspection report, so there is nothing to gain and a lot to lose by hiding the facts.  
3. Working with Today’s Buyer’s:  It is a mistake to not entertain any offer, no matter how low the inital offer is.  Buyer’s in this market make low ball offer’s first, to test the desperation of the seller.  You will never know what price a buyer may be willing to pay for your home, if you don’t negotiate with them.
4. Potentially Unqualified Buyer’s:  NEVER get into a contract with a buyer who isn’t financially qualified for a loan.  A letter of prequalification is not enough to take a home off the market.  First, know who the lender is and require full underwriting approval within days of the acceptance of the offer.  Be sure to write this loan approval (not prequalification) provision into your contract.  Maintain your Active Listing Status and DO NOT indicate that your home is Contract Pending until the buyer has verifiable loan approval.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale or rent website.  Feel free to post a Free Listing.  Or, Upgrade to a Featured Home Ad which provides buyer’s all the information, video’s and pictures they are looking for.  A Featured Home listing costs only $19.95 and the listing stays active until you sell or cancel.

“We expected vacation home sales to fall given the impact of a declining economy”, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the NAR.  “A steady share of investment-home sales results from buyers taking advantage of deeply discounted prices in many areas, with a smaller portion of new homes in the sales mix”, state Yun.

Vacation and second home sales mirrored the sales for primary residences in terms of price declines.  The median price of a vacation home dropped to $150,000 in 2008, down from $195,000 (or, 23 percent) from 2007 levels.

Other Findings from the March Survey are:

• Who was the “Average Buyer” of Vacation Property in 2008?  The average age of a vacation home buyer was 46 years old.  They purchased a property that was generally 316 miles from their primary residence.  Their median household income was $97,200.
• Who was the “Average Investment Home Buyer in 2008?  The average age of an investment buyer was 47.  They earned a median income of about $85,000 and purchased investment property nearby their primary residence.  The median distance for an investment purchase was 19 miles from their home.
• What type of Property was purchased for a Vacation Home?  70 percent were detached, single family residences; 18 percent were condo’s; 5 percent town or row houses; 7 percent other.
• Types of Property Purchased for Investment:  64 percent were detached single family homes; 22 percent condos; 8 percent town or row houses; 6 percent other.
• Where did Vacation Home Buyers Shop?  26 percent bought in small towns; 23 percent rural areas; 23 percent resorts; 20 percent suburbs; 8 percent cities or urban areas.
• Where did Investment Buyers Shop?  28 percent purchased in the suburbs; 20 percent in a city or urban area; 23 percent rural area; 8 percent in a small town; 6 percent in resort areas.

Hopefully, the survey results will help home sellers picture who the likely buyer of their vacation or investment property may be.  Picturing who the customer is likely to be is important when target marketing to their needs.

Please visit InfoTube.net to place a FREE property listing, or search our database for thousands of great deals on homes of all types.   Thanks for visiting and let us know if you have any questions or comments in the space below.

Despite the slowdown in the housing market, buyers and sellers have increased their use of the internet when buying or selling a home.  “The internet is a very important tool in today’s real estate market”, said Tommi Crow, CEO of Crow Erickson, Inc., the company that manufactures the InfoTubes and InfoBoxes found on real estate signs from coast-to-coast.  “Home sellers know that they can use the power of the internet to reach millions of home shoppers as effectively as a real estate agent would”, said Crow, and, they can save themselves thousands of dollars in the process”, said Ms Crow.  “Americans are successfully buying and selling real estate without using agents, and that trend continues to grow”.

Home seller’s who want to maximize their online exposure use InfoTube.net, combined with the services of Why 6 Percent.  The combination of the two marketing programs provide home seller’s with a home listing on their local MLS, Realtor.com, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, Infotube, Homes for Sale Live and other major web portals, which attract millions of home buyers each month.

Where a Home Buyer Found the Home Purchased*
2001 vs. 2008
Source		2001		2008
Real Estate Agent		48%		34%
Internet		8%		32%
Yard Sign		15%		15%
Friend, Relative or Neighbor		8%		7%
Home Builder or their Agent		3%		7%
Print Newspaper Ad		7%		3%
Directly from Sellers / Knew the Sellers		4%		2%
Home Book or Magazine		2%		1%
Other		3%		N/A

* Source: National Association of Realtors

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.   Sellers can place a Free Home Listing on InfoTube.net, which advertises their property listings to tens of thousands of home buyers each month.

In a press release statement, Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move, Inc had more encouraging news. “It’s not all doom and gloom” said Berkowitz.  “We found Americans are optimistic about homeownership despite concerns.”  He blamed the surge in first time buyer interest on the housing crash…”has created significant demand for homeownership especially among first-time buyers,” Berkowitz continued.

Home seller’s, builders and real estate agents can use this information to their advantage when marketing property.   For example, half (50%) of the first time buyer’s polled had not heard about the $8000 tax credit, so be sure to make them aware of it.  Every little bit of information helps, as most first timers are scared about timing.

Some more interesting facts about marketing to First-Time Buyer is:

• Most prefer more space, or more house for the dollar, over all other amenities.  Be sure to price your home to be the best house for the money.
• Other options that appeal to first time homeowners are energy saving features, such as energy star appliances, insulation, home improvements and upgrades; a bigger yard or outdoor entertaining area; updated amenities.   Emphasize the features in your home that address these popular “wish list” items.
• A better location was also on the wish list for first timers.  If your property is located in a convenient, safe and social area of the city, be sure to let them know what is nearby.   You may want to visit walkscore.com and post your walkscore rating on your advertising.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net home for sale website.  Sellers can place a free property listing on the site.   The site is loaded with freebies, advise and helpful features.   At InfoTube.net, Buyers can search the for fantastic deals and seller’s can do homework on the competition.

If you are selling a home and would like to advertise on the MLS and Realtor.com, click HERE. Our special “by owner” program places your property listing on all major real estate websites for a $399 one time fee. Why Pay 6 Percent?

Sales of existing homes rose to their highest levels since 2003.   Watch the short video from CNBC for a synopsis of the latest housing numbers from across the nation.

The average interest rate for a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 4.79 percent on Wednesday, after the Fed announced that it would begin buying up bonds and mortgage-backed securities.

The real estate market has recently seen a pick up in activity due to the $8000 tax credit for first-time buyers. And, the huge drop in lending rates yesterday, put a huge layer of icing on the cake for home seller’s. When people, who can qualify for a loan to buy a home, see the combination of tax incentives, low interest rates and dramatic price drops, the ones that are sitting on the fence, jump in and buy. Urgency to buy and refinance is also important when rates fall this low, as often the drop is temporary, as it was in January 2009.

The convergence of ecomonic stimulus does benefit some Americans more than others, however. People who do not have a down payment or good credit are less likely to benefit from the postive news, as are the 14 million Americans who are upside down (owe more on their home than it is worth) or face foreclosure. More than 13,000 struggling homeowner’s are calling the Homeownership Perservation Foundation each day. The hotline for help number is 1-888-995-HOPE.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube. net homes for sale website. Spring is here. Rates are Low. House Prices are Fantastic. Tax Incentives Abound. Buyers, Get off the Fence and Lock in the Deal of Your Lifetime. The fact is you have to live somewhere, and if renting was so great, ask yourself why your landlord owns??

Much like the “overlooked” loopholes that allowed bonus payments, in excess of $160 million, to be paid to employee’s of Goldman Sach’s and AIG, the Obama loan modification program sets up the same windfall profit situation, without regulation, for the financial institutions who modify loans.

Under the guidelines for the loan modification program, lenders are being offered taxpayer incentives (money) to modify loans.   These cash incentives provide a huge Boom to the mortgage lending business, but unfortunately for taxpayers, some crucial regulations are missing.  Does this sound familiar?

One immediate loophole that needs to be closed is the issue of how the borrower will qualify for their new, reduced loan.   The Obama plan gives lenders incentives (ie: taxpayer money) to bring a borrower’s monthly payments down to 31 percent of their gross income.  However, the plan totally ignores the amount of other debt that the borrower can have. 

Why is a borrower’s debt important?  If a homeowner has excessive credit cards, car notes, college loans or other debt, with substantial monthly payments, they may not be able to afford even 31 percent of their income for a modified mortgage payment.   Under the present program guidelines, lender’s would be still be paid to modify a loans for borrower’s who would not qualify for a loan, if their debt was considered.

In order for the Obama housing plan to work, changes must be made.  If not, taxpayers should expect another fiasco, like the ones we a discovered after AIG, Goldman Sachs and the automakers used their taxpayer bailout money for bonuses, trips, jets and office remodeling.

To date, over 50 percent of all modified loans have fallen back into default and the foreclosed homes are showing up on the market.   Before the taxpayer’s pay out billions of dollars to unregulated lenders, as an “incentive” to modify loans to keep people in their homes, let’s make darn sure the borrower doesn’t have so much debt that they can’t repay their loan, again.   After all, how much debt a borrower has is a standard measure used to qualify for a typical loan.  Why is the borrower’s debt ratio being overlooked, when taxpayer’s are on the hook?

If you agree, write to your congressional representative.  There is still time to “modify” our guidelines for lenders.  Hopefully, with a little public outcry, this loophole will be eliminated before we hear that billions have been paid for modified loans that fall back into default in record time.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net, a FREE home listing website for everyone.   Please feel free to search our database for thousand’s of great deals on real estate.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.

On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of irish bacon and cabbage.

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Today, cities around the world turn green and join together to celebrate St. Patty’s Day.   Check out the photoslide show from National Geographic for some fun unusual celebrations from around the world.

Happy Saint Patrick’s day from InfoTube.net homes for sale website.

If you had to find one single group of people to blame for our economic crisis, you’d definitely have to consider the financial products division of AIG.

They made huge, bad bets on the housing market that have cost taxpayers $170 billion…so far.¹

But get this: The Washington Post just reported that these people are receiving $450 million in bonuses—and they got their first installment on Sunday.² They destroyed our economy, and now they’re being rewarded for it with our bailout money!

President Obama has instructed Treasury Secretary Geithner to use “every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole.” But AIG isn’t budging—they claim that even after hundreds of billions of dollars and a direct request from the President, their “hands are tied.”

We need to turn up the heat.

Tomorrow, AIG’s executives are appearing before a House subcommittee, and we’ve got a chance to give them a piece of our minds.

Can you sign our petition and submit a question for the heads of AIG? Or better yet, an idea for how we should get our money back? If you do before 5 p.m. ET today, we’ll make sure it gets to the committee in time for tomorrow’s hearing.

Click HERE to add your name and submit your comment.   Thank you for participating.  It is our money!!!!

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website. Please feel free to search our database for thousands of great deals on homes for sale and rent.

Tax Perks of Homeownership

1. 100 percent of the mortgage interest you pay is tax deductible, which can add thousands of dollars to your bottom line each year.   Click Here to FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOU CAN DEDUCT, if you own a home.
2. Property taxes (real estate taxes) paid to state and local governments are 100 percent deductible on your federal income tax return.
3. Up to $500,000 ($250,000 for singles) in profit is tax free when you sell your home.

2009 Housing Stimulus Increases Tax Savings of Ownership

1. Deduct $8000 from Your Tax Bill.   To qualify for the $8000 tax savings you must be a first-time (have not owned in the last 3 years)homebuyer earning less than $150,000 (married, filing jointly) per year.  You must live in the home for 3 years after purchase.
2. Go Green and Take a $1500 Tax Credit.   The requirements for energy tax credits have eased.  Take advantage of a $1500 Tax Credit for home improvements such as energy-efficient windows, doors, insulation, appliances and mechanical systems.  
3. Save 30 percent on Alternative Energy for your Home.   Earn a 30 percent tax credit for each dollar spent on things like solar heating, heat pumps or fuel cells.
4. Save up to $2 million on foreclosures and short sales.   Taxpayers get a free pass on mortgage debt forgiveness until 2012.   Filers can exclude up to $2 million in forgiven mortgage debt, where the home sold for less than the amount owed on the loan.

Owning a home certainly has its privileges, both emotional and financial.  And, real estate is still the granddaddy of tax deductions.   Buy a home and save thousands of dollars, or rent and pay thousands to Uncle Sam.   If in doubt, ask your landlord why they own???

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.   Place a Free Property Listing or Search our Database for Thousands of Homes for Sale.  

To see the survey questions with more data and information CLICK HERE.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.   Feel free to place a free property for sale or lease listing or Search our database of thousands of homes for sale or lease by owner.

If you don’t think that video can help you sell your property, just take a look and see what the numbers for January 2009 tell you.

• 14.8 Billion (yes, Billion) video’s were viewed in January 2009.
• 147 Million (yes, Million) people watched internet video’s during the month.

If you didn’t think you need video before, these numbers should change your mind.  And, I am not just talking about home virtual tours.  Virtual tours or 360 room views are fine, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.  Homeseller’s can add a lot of variety to their video’s and increase user interest dramatically.    Video tours are fantastic for area’s such as:

• Subdivision and neighborhood drive thru’s.
• Parks, greenbelts and nearby outdoor recreation area’s.
• Shopping Centers that are conveniently located near the property.
• Schools that serve the area.
• Churches or government centers such as libraries and public transportation systems.
• Museums and cultural sites of interest.

All of these local highlight area’s are of high interest to someone looking for a home to buy.  The internet is a world wide web, so seller’s can’t assume that their buyer will be familiar with their town or city.  Make a lasting impression and use video to show buyer’s what your location has to offer.

InfoTube.net automatically uploads all home video’s to Google and Youtube, the number one search engine for video.   You may not know that Google also searches video descriptive text, so your home listing will show up, even if the word “video” isn’t mentioned in the search term or keyword.

If you don’t use video to assist you in marketing your home, you are falling behind your competition every single day.   But, thankfully spring is coming and it’s not too late!!   Grab your digital camera and give the world a look at your home and location today.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.  Click here to learn how to create an internet website for your property, showcase your home with Video Tours and attract thousands of home buyers today!!

Stanford Kurland

If you aren’t bothered by morals or ethics, it is so easy to make money.   If you don’t think so, just ask the executives who ran Countrywide Financial.   

Countrywide, in case you forgot, is one companies responsible for the financial crisis.  The huge, subprime lender, that was once a Wall Street darling, made billions of dollars by putting people into home loans that they knew the borrower could not afford, then resold these bad loans to unsuspecting investors. 

It seems that Stanford L. Kurland, former President of Countrywide, along with his ex-Countrywide team of executives, are back to making money in the lending and real estate business.  They opened a brand new company called PennyMac.   PennyMac is located in spacious headquarters, in the same Los Angeles suburb where Countrywide once flourished.  (Obviously, these smug operators don’t even feel the need to leave town…)

So you ask, what kind of business is Kurland and PennyMac into now??   Surely, they would never be allowed to profit from the slimy mess they helped create???    Wrong.  Their new business buy’s delinquent home mortgages for ”pennies” on the dollar, that the US government took over from failed banks and lenders.  They are also busy snapping up foreclosures at cents on the dollar, and then reselling them for big profit.

In case you are wondering how well PennyMac and the old Countrywide team are doing… Mr. Kurland is happy to inform you that his new business is “off-the-charts good??”, as he leaned back in his leather executive chair, while the financial markets plummeted.

Are you mad?  We sure are.   I would love to give Kurland and his team a “A Penny of our thoughts!!!    If you have something to say, you can send an email to service@pennymacusa.com or call Toll-Free (866) 545-9070.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net, a Free Homes For Sale Website for owners, builders and real estate professionals.   Click here to view thousands of home listings seen no where else on the internet.

The Guidelines for Qualifying for this Program are as follows:

Eligiblity and Qualification:

1. Loans must be originated on or before January 1, 2009.
2. $729,750 is the maximum loan balance.
3. The property must be Owner Occupied.  Investor-owned, Vacant and Condemned properties are Excluded.
4. Borrowers must FULLY document income by providing their last 2 paycheck stubs, tax returns, and must sign an affidavit of financial hardship.
5. Owner occupancy status will be verified through credit reports and other documentation.
6. Incentives will be given to lenders who modify loans for risky borrowers, who have not missed payments yet.
7. Loans can be modified only once.

Loan Terms and Procedures:

1. The modified monthly mortgage payment can not exceed 38 percent of the borrower’s gross (Earnings before taxes) monthly income. 
2. Lenders must follow steps to reduce montly payments to 30 percent of gross income.  First, the initial interest rate can be lowered to a floor of 2 percent;  Second, the lender can stretch the loan term to a maximum of 40 years;  Then, principal debt can be forgiven, but only if the lender agree’s to do so.
3. Monthly Payment Calculations must include principal, interest, taxes, insurance, flood insurance and homeowner’s or condo dues.
4. Monthly Income includes wages, salary, overtime, fees, commissions, tips, social security, pensions and other sources of taxable income.

Incentive Payments to Lenders and Borrowers:

1. Lenders will receive $1000 for each loan they modify.  They will also receive $1000 per year on performing modified loans.
2. Homeowners who pay their modified loan on time will receive a yearly $1000 principal reduction for 5 years.
3. The lender receive a one-tine bonus of $1500 on each loan they modifiy for borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments.
4. Similar incentives and bonuses will be paid to Hope for Homeowner refinances.
5. Incentives will be given to lenders who extinguish 2nd mortgages on modified loans.

Accountability and Loan Transparency:  No More Liar Loans

1. Measures to prevent and detect fraud, such as documentation and auditing requirements, are a central point of the program.
2. Lenders are required to collect, maintain and share records for verification and review.  Records include borrower eligibility, underwriting, property verification and other documentation.
3. In some cases, property appraisal will not be required. 

To verify eligibility or check requirements, the goverment has a question and answer website.  Visit Financial Stability to learn more about qualifying.

Thank you for visiting a href=”http://www.infotube.net”>InfoTube.net homes for sale website.   Go to InfoTube.net to place a Free Property Listing, or Search our database for thousands of great homes for sale.