MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE SOLD HOW COME MY HOUSE HASN’T?

There may be several reasons your home is not getting attention. 1st DON’T try to sell your home by owner unless you have a strong marketing strategy. A yard sign and a craigslist ad are not going to cut it! You have to aggressively market a FSBO with online marketing, print ads, and I recommend you list the property on a Multiple Listing Service in your area. When placing online ads please make sure you upload multiple photos. Whose going to consider your property without photos? PEOPLE NEED A VISUAL! Make sure you take good photos. Are you wondering what are good photos? Well, let me tell you what not to do.
DO NOT!
Only photos of the exterior; no photos of the interior
No kitchen and bathroom photos
People and pets in the photos
Only one photo
House not clean in the photo
Outdated and distorted photos
The very first thing people look at when searching for homes online is the photos. PICTURES ARE NOTICED BEFORE ANY WRITTEN WORDS! Most do not read the description unless they like the pictures and of course the price. Don’t lose a potential person of interest because you didn’t have any photos.
If you’re not familiar with real estate contracts, negotiating, or creative ways to market your property, please list your property with a good realtor in your area. It will make the process much easier.

2nd – Is your home priced too high? Don’t just pick a number out of the sky when pricing your home. Verify the comparables in your neighborhood. This is a buyers market. It’s going to be difficult to resale your property at retail price when most buyers are purchasing properties at wholesale prices.
If you’re house is not worth your loan balance, which may be the case, then your faced with some important questions. Why are you selling? Is the mortgage unaffordable?
If your mortgage is unaffordable there are many options available for you.
You may want to consider a loan modification or a short sale. If your reason for selling is not a finance issue, you may want to consider renting. Renting may be a good choice. Place a tenant in your property for a few years and let the market catch-up.

3rd - How does your home interior rate? Important things to remember:
•Decor - Are your walls purple and orange? Purple and orange may be beautiful but you might want to consider changing your paint to neutral colors. It’s amazing the slightest things that can turn people away. Although, paint cost is only $30 a gallon.
•Do your kitchen appliances look like this →
If your kitchen appliances are anything similar to this photo, please UPGRADE.
•Make sure your home is thoroughly cleaned. Hire a cleaning professional if necessary. A stack of papers or boxes piled up neatly in the corner is not considered clean; its still clutter.
•Landscaping – Does your yard look like a wilderness. Please cut the grass and trim the hedges. Everyone will appreciate the effort even your neighbors! Consider planting flowers, fix cracks in the driveway, and if the mailbox is falling over REPLACE IT!
The point is you can’t expect to sell your home without putting in some effort. If you don’t put forth effort people can tell and no one is going to purchase your home especially in this market with so many options available. Please remember these important tips when selling. Make it very presentable. You want people to fall in love with your home. That’s the only way there going to buy it!

Is NOW A Good Time To Buy An Investment Property?

Yes, its always a good time to purchase investment property. The problem is over the past ten years, people were purchasing investment properties like cars. Just because you qualify doesn’t mean you can afford it. A car is a depreciated item; a house is an appreciated asset and all assets must be protected. If you are considering purchasing an investment property whether cash or acquiring a loan there are five imperative things you MUST have in place.
1. Reserves - If you have a mortgage, you should have a minimum of 3 months of mortgage payments on reserve plus repair expenses and utilities.
2. Plan – before you purchase have a plan in place. (Renting/rehab/owner financing/lease purchase/hold) What are you going to do with the property? Old rule “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”
3. Do the math - Will more money be going out then coming in? Make sure you crunch all the numbers and expenses. If an investment property doesn’t cash flow, then it’s not a good investment; it’s a liability.
4. Location – make sure you purchase in a good location. What is a good location? Well, a good location is where people want to live. If your purchasing in the suburbs, make sure the property is located near a good school district. Most families’ first priority is the school district. Secondly, if your buying in the city find a property located within close proximity to your cities central business district, cafes and restaurants, retail shops, and all the good stuff your city has to offer. The main reason people live in the city is for convenience.
5.Management - If you plan to rent, have a management company in place especially if you have more than one property. Most owners try to work a full-time job and landlord properties as well; IT DOESN’T WORK. In order to be an effective landlord, hire professionals to assist you with your property. The last thing you want is to be in court with your tenant on a workday using vacation time. LESS HEADACHES!
If you follow these five golden rules, then you're on the right track to getting a good return on your investment. YOU MUST DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE!! A bad investment can really affect your credit and/or your liquid.

Property for RENT 5bd/3ba (Ellenwood, GA)

RENT $1600
Spacious two-story home located in quiet subdivision in Ellenwood. Over 3000 sq ft, this home has hardwoods, granite counter tops, open-foyer, formal dining/living room, media room/office, family room, large master suite and bath, 2-car garage, alarm system, fenced yard.
(404) 931-8848

Are You Upside Down and Frustrated!

Is your mortgage upside down? Don’t be discouraged, you’re not alone! If your mortgage has become unaffordable, there are options available for you. Many organizations have created programs to assist homeowners in your situation. The economic crisis has increased the amount of foreclosures, which as a result has decreased the value of your home.
Programs available to YOU:

*Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was created by the Obama Administration to assist homeowners avoid foreclosures by modifying home loans to a level that is affordable. CHECK IT OUT! https://www.hmpadmin.com/portal/index.jsp
HAMP eligibility requirements:
Borrower eligibility is based on meeting specific criteria including:
1) Borrower is delinquent on their mortgage or faces imminent risk of default
2) property is occupied as borrower's primary residence
3) mortgage was originated on or before Jan. 1, 2009 and unpaid principal balance must be no greater than $729,750 for one-unit properties.

*Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative (HAFA) was created for homeowners who don’t qualify for HAMA with other alternative such as short sales or deed-in-lieu.

*NACA Home Save Program is one of the largest and the most effective organizations assisting homeowners fight lenders to adjust mortgages and interest rates to an affordable mortgage payment. https://www.naca.com/index_main.jsp
All of these programs are viable options to assist you in saving your home.
Some may wonder why not short sale? Well, a short sale impacts your credit the same as a foreclosure. You will not be able purchase another home for three years.
So, before you decide to short sale try to modify your loan.

Definitions
Upside down – the value is lower than your current principal balance
Short sale – the mortgage company allows you to sell the property for less than the principal balance and accepts the payment as paid in full.
Foreclosure – the legal process where the bank/lender takes possession of the property for non-payment.
Loan Modification – when the bank/lender reduces the principal balance and/or interest rate to a more affordable payment for the homeowner.

Verify WHO owns your loan?
FANNIE FannieMae.com/loanlookup or call 1-800-7FANNIE (7 am to 7 pm CST)
FREDDIE https://ww3.freddiemac.com/corporate/ or call 1-800-424-5401