Blog - Sandra Meranda

May 30, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Confidence in Home Values and the Economy Increasing

According to Fannie Mae in April, both the expectation for home prices and the percentage who think the economy is on the right track is the highest it has been in the last 2 years.

Americans expect home prices to go up
Nearly 3out of 4 Americans think it is a great time to buy a home
37% of Americans think the economy is on the right track
23% reported significantly higher household incomes

A top real estate agent can help you make an informed decisions about how to buying a home in St. Charles. My team specializes in St. Charles County and St. Louis County.

The busy Spring real estate season is here! This is the time of year for buying and selling real estate in St. Charles. There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering below 4% !! The home sale numbers have been increasing every month since June of 2011. It is never too early to start getting your home for Spring also. Contact me for details today!

May 12, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Buying a St. Charles Home Won’t Get Much Cheaper

This is a fantastic time to buy a home, and the market is great in St. Charles. There is a lot of activity in the St. Charles housing market, and there has never been a better time to buy a home in St. Charles County!

CNN Money posted a good article that explains why now is the time to buy a new home:

Home prices are down 34% nationally since 2006. Mortgage rates at historic lows. Owning a home has never been more affordable.
Home prices are expected to flatten out by the third quarter and start climbing by next year. In fact, in some markets home prices have already started to increase.
Foreclosures are starting to decrease according to key indicators like the percentage of mortgage loans 90 days or more late.
Home Buying is much cheaper than renting.
Mortgage rates aren’t expected to stay below 4% by the end of the year.

A top real estate agent can help you make an informed decisions about how to buy a home in St. Charles. My team specializes in St. Charles County and St. Louis County.

April 30, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Real Estate Tip – Kitchens Sell a House

One of the most important rooms in the house, the kitchen can definitely help sell a home. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and still serves as the focal point for the family and for entertaining. It’s a room that is used every day, and seen by most visitors. So it is a room that many buyers will want an up-to-date kitchen.

Remodeling and updating a kitchen can be expensive, with plenty of choices in counter tops, cabinets, floors, appliances, so many buyers want the kitchen ready when they move in.

An experienced real estate agent can help you determine how much to invest in the kitchen renovation based on the market research, understanding the area, and how it should be staged.

Carla Hill has written an excellent article about how a kitchen can sell a home. You need to research what updates make the most sense to help sell your home. As a top real estate agent in St. Charles, MO, I can help you sell your home by updating the kitchen to what buyers want in the price range.

The busy Spring real estate season is here! This is the time of year for buying and selling real estate. There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering below 4% !! The home sale numbers have been increasing every month since June. It is never too early to start getting your home for Spring also. Contact me for details today!

April 19, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

6 ways to save your underwater home

Being a distressed homeowner is a very difficult situation. Understanding your mortgage situation and the options available to you is important. Here are some ways to save your underwater home and your upside-down mortgages. Working with an experienced realtor who knows the St. Charles Home market and the St. Louis County Home market can really help.

Factor in all the variables — legal, financial, credit, tax, personal, lifestyle, family, etc. Consult with a reputable real estate broker, mortgage broker, local attorney and local tax professional — at minimum.

Here are six alternatives to walking away from your mortgage

1. Get rid of your credit card debt. Call your creditors and make an effort to settle your debt; many will take a lump sum payment much lower than your balance. While this might have tax and credit score implications, it might also help you keep your house. Or work through steps No. 2 and No. 3, below, to just eliminate those balances, by any means necessary.

2. Get a second job. Take pride and emotional defeatism out of the equation. Taking a second job can help you bring down debt and catch up on mortgage payments.

3. Start a side business. Monetize spare time, quirky hobbies and special skills buy using sites like Etsy.

4. Rent a room out. There are plenty of places to post to rent short or long term.

5. Apply for everything. Applying for everything for which you might possibly qualify, and don’t make assumptions about what programs might work for you, including the federal HARP program and the Home Save program.

6. Short-sell it. If you list your home for sale with a local agent who has experience closing these transactions right this moment, your chances of selling it and having the short sale complete in time to qualify for the income tax exemption that expires Dec. 31, 2012, are actually better than your chances of qualifying for the exemption if you stop making your mortgage payments right now.

Work with professionals to help you make the right decisions as anything you do might impact your ability to qualify for various programs.

Fortunately, your options for avoiding a foreclosure are not so limited as they might seem at first glance.

Read the complete article 6 ways to save your underwater home by Tara-Nicholle Nelson.

This is the time of year for buying and selling real estate. There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering below 4%!! The home sale numbers have been increasing every month this year since June. It is never too early to start getting your home for this Spring also. Contact Sandra Meranda for details today!

April 6, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

What Does the $25 Billion National Mortgage Settlement Mean For Homeowners?

The federal government and attorneys general have announced agreement on a landmark joint state-federal settlement with the nation’s largest loan servicers, including Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. The Settlement, estimated at $25 billion, will provide payments to distressed homeowners and to both the federal government and individual states. It is the largest multistate settlement since the Tobacco Settlement in 1998.

The settlement provides assistance for homeowners in need of loan modifications; borrowers who are current in their payments but “underwater;” and borrowers who have already lost their homes through foreclosure. The Settlement requires servicers to work off up to $17 billion in loan modifications and up to $3 billion in refinancing relief. $1.5 billion is earmarked for payments to foreclosed borrowers.

But don’t look for any immediate relief. Negotiations to settle on an administrator to handle the settlement will likely take up to 60 days. Then it will take from six to nine months to identify who may be eligible. Those in line for relief will then receive such notification. The actual payouts will take up to three years.

Here are some links where detailed information can be found:

News: Read the national news release and find links to your state Attorney General’s Web site for state-specific news.

About the Settlement: Learn about the settlement, who is affected and what claims may still be pursued against the banks. Find links to your state Attorney General’s Office to find state-specific information and contacts.

Help for Borrowers: Learn how to find out if your loan is affected by this settlement, the timeline for relief, how you will know if you are eligible. Find links to your state Attorney General’s Office to find state-specific information and contacts.

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