Set some lofty goals for 2008
It’s the start of a new year, the only 2008 we’ll ever have.
What are you going to be doing this year? I suggest you find
yourself a computer (the library will have one if you don’t) and
look at this link:
http://www.walkthetalk.com/the212movie.php?refsource=vm212prairie
It could be the start of something fabulous for you!
Set some lofty goals for 2008
It’s the start of a new year, the only 2008 we’ll ever have. What are you going to be doing this year? I suggest you find yourself a computer (the library will have one if you don’t) and look at this link: http://www.walkthetalk.com/the212movie.php?refsource=vm212prairie
It could be the start of something fabulous for you!
The whacky world of real estate enters a new chapter. We Realtors have no idea what’s in store for us. There will be fewer Realtors, and lenders, and title personnel. We saw that at the end of 2007. Unfortunately, we as an industry didn’t get to vote on which ones remain. The Realtor code of ethics does not allow us to say bad things about one another. This is a good policy, minimizing back-stabbing and name-calling totally inappropriate to a professional group.
But the flip side is it makes it hard for Realtors with true ethics and morals to blow the whistle on an individual or company they KNOW sucks the scum off the bottom of the pond.
The best way to find a good Realtor is to get a referral. Unfortunately, in the past few years hundreds of people jumped into the market, both as buyers and as real estate agents. So someone would buy a house, seemingly too good to be true, and their friends said, “Who helped you get that house?” So off they went to the same agent and lender. And you know what? It was too good to be true.
In simple terms, a real estate transaction and a loan need to make sense economically. But even beyond this, the transaction needs to work for the person – for their goals, their lifestyle and their needs. Whenever I send one of my clients off to a lender for a loan pre-qualification or pre-approval, I always counsel, “Just because you can afford a certain house doesn’t mean you want that house.”
You might be a person who enjoys spending nights sitting in front of the fireplace reading during winter or on the back porch sipping iced tea during summer. You might be willing to forgo dining out or lattes in the morning in order to stretch into a bigger home. But you could be someone who likes skiing weekends and trips to Europe. Well, you’re going to need to factor those things in when you decide how much you want to pay each month towards a mortgage. Your real estate transaction needs to reflect your lifestyle.
You also need to carefully check the terms of the loan. Too many people were so anxious to sign on the dotted line and move into that new house they didn’t bother to see that the loan was never going to work from them. From Day One they were walking the pathway to foreclosure. Ask questions of your lender and of yourself: Is there a prepayment penalty? Is there an impound account for taxes? How long am I going to live in this house? What impact will this mortgage amount have on my lifestyle? What will happen if I split my mortgage payment in half and pay it twice per month?
Because I include my contact information at the end of this column, dozens of people have contacted me with questions regarding their foreclosures or their mortgage woes. If you’re in difficulty, contact your lender. Oftentimes they are willing to negotiate with you if there’s any daylight in the situation at all. That’s your first and best course of action. Many people are in your situation. You are not alone. You are not a loser. Learn whatever lesson you needed to be taught, and move on with your life.
And speaking of moving on with your life (have you looked at the link from the beginning of the article yet?), if you have made resolutions for the New Year Tom Tognoli, the chief operations officer of Intero Real Estate Services, has tips for keeping them vibrant:
Get specific. Take time to narrow vague ideas down into crystal-clear paths of action.
