This upcoming weekend, my daughter Megan, the eldest of our four children is graduating from Binghamton University. When these type of life events happen, I like to reflect upon both “How did we get here?” and “What are the best actions I can take to make sure things stay on the right path?” As I [...]

Many of our readers have asked whether or not we believe the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 will be extended past its current expiration scheduled for the end of the year. As a reminder, the legislation ensures that homeowners who received principal reductions or other forms of debt forgiveness on their primary residences [...]

We believe the housing market is recovering. We believe that sales will be robust through the rest of the year. However, we also believe that the increase in demand will not impact prices in a big way as we think there will also be an increase in the supply of homes coming to the market. [...]

This week, we have spoken about the importance of using an agent trained in the short sale process when selling or buying a home as a short sale. Today, we want to address how to identify those agents who are truly qualified. There are many local instructors who have done excellent work in this field. [...]

Back in 2005 and 2006, everyone thought they were experts in real estate, just like this nosy neighbor. Today, being an expert means truly understanding what is happening in the market and why it is happening. To better understand those two things, be sure to register for a free webinar we’re doing this Thursday at [...]

A key component to the success of a short sale involves working with a Mortgage Originator who is well versed in the short sale process. The short sale negotiation process is a patience testing task. The complications are many, however if the buyer is securing mortgage financing and is working with an originator that understands that [...]

It’s likely you’ve heard the term “short sale” thrown around quite a bit. But what, exactly, is a short sale? A short sale is when a bank agrees to accept less than the total amount owed on a mortgage to avoid having to foreclose on the property. This is not a new practice; banks have [...]

It seems that there is a significant amount of confusion when it comes to purchasing a short sale. There are many misconceptions when it comes to this type of transaction, so below I have provided some information to potential buyers of short sales. If you are looking to purchase a short sale, understand that it [...]

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We believe that short sales will be a major part of the real estate market in 2012. That is why we have dedicated this entire week to posts exclusively on this subject. We hope that by the end of the week you have a better handle on the need for short sales and a better [...]

The past week has been a whirlwind for me. Last Thursday, I had major surgery. I tell you this only as an explanation of how I came to write this week’s blog. I have been in a rehab facility for a couple days and what is most impressive is how the other patients are so [...]

We often discuss the difference between the PRICE and the COST of a home. We want buyers to realize, in many ways, the cost of a home is more important to them than the actual price. Obviously, price is part of the cost equation. The other piece, available financing, is also crucial. Soon, there will [...]

Every day there seems to be more positive news about the real estate recovery. We attempt to give you two things in this blog: The actual data that indicates where the housing market is headed Quotes from analysts who have scrutinized this data Today, we want to give you a quote by Ivy Zelman which [...]

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