Open House in Wausau West on Saturday

February 2012
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
29	30	31	1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10

Wausau West, Wausau  -  We invite everyone to visit our open house at 1719 Lenard Street on February 11 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

Property information

Foreclosure - Marathon County - 1/29/12 Agent Tim Hagedorn - www.thagedorn.com

1		1106340	Wausau	$19,900	415 CALLON	Wausau	WI
2		1200416	Wausau	$21,000	235 JOYCE STREET	Wausau	WI
3		1107349	Wausau	$21,500	15537 1ST AVENUE	Ringle	WI
4		1107476	Marshfield	$24,900	309 W MAIN STREET	Spencer	WI
5		1106995	Wausau	$27,000	928 PLUMER STREET	Wausau	WI
6		1106993	Wausau	$31,900	507 N 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
7		1107831	Medford	$34,900	5968 ORIOLE ROAD	Dorchester	WI
8		1105571	Wausau	$35,900	805 2ND STREET	Marathon	WI
9		1200268	Wausau	$39,900	1221 S 11TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
10		1105036	Wausau	$39,900	829 LINCOLN AVENUE	Wausau	WI
11		1104070	Wausau	$40,900	409 N 6TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
12		1107474	Marshfield	$43,900	3688 COUNTY ROAD A	Dorchester	WI
13		1107685	Wausau	$44,000	1025 S 4TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
14		1107403	Wausau	$44,900	110 ALEXANDER AVENUE	Rothschild	WI
15		1200474	Wausau	$47,000	290 MAPLE DRIVE	Eland	WI
16		1100946	Wausau	$47,700	1102 N 8TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
17		1200329	Wausau	$47,900	2516 OAKWOOD BOULEVARD	Wausau	WI
18		1200009	Wausau	$48,000	835 S 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
19		1200282	Wausau	$48,900	7395 WHITESPIRE ROAD	Schofield	WI
20		1107607	Wausau	$48,900	7380 WHITESPIRE ROAD	Schofield	WI
21		1107221	Marshfield	$49,500	S2515 FREY AVENUE	Marshfield	WI
22		1104858	Marshfield	$49,500	H4539 COUNTY ROAD F	Colby	WI
23		1104580	Wausau	$49,900	1019 STEUBEN STREET	Wausau	WI
24		1200524	Wausau	$50,000	3625 N 6TH STREET	Wausau	WI
25		1101221	Wausau	$50,000	P4129 PINE VIEW ROAD	Birnamwood	WI
26		1106452	Wausau	$51,000	3100 N 100TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
27		1105514	Wausau	$51,000	1219 S 12TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
28		1107797	Wausau	$54,700	920 N 6TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
29		1200269	Wausau	$54,900	1509 N 13TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
30		1107220	Wausau	$54,900	716 LAKEVIEW DRIVE	Wausau	WI
31		1107727	Wausau	$55,000	213 N 10TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
32		1106432	Wausau	$55,900	611 BERTHA STREET	Wausau	WI
33		1107022	Wausau	$57,500	717 OAK STREET	Rothschild	WI
34		1107832	Wausau	$59,900	2403 COUNTY ROAD C	Mosinee	WI
35		1200318	Wausau	$62,500	303 S 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
36		1107017	Wausau	$62,500	7987 COUNTY ROAD II	Eland	WI
37		1200183	Wausau	$63,900	829 CHICAGO AVENUE	Wausau	WI
38		1200151	Wausau	$64,900	2215 N 7TH STREET	Wausau	WI
39		1107778	Wausau	$64,900	T775 MARSHALL HILL ROAD	Wausau	WI
40		1106613	Wausau	$64,900	8083 COUNTY ROAD F	Merrill	WI
41		1107626	Wausau	$68,000	12720 N 12TH AVENUE	Merrill	WI
42		1105818	Wausau	$68,500	1914 EMERSON STREET	Wausau	WI
43		1105079	Wausau	$69,000	268 GRAND AVENUE	Schofield	WI
44		1200178	Wausau	$69,900	118 KURTH STREET	Schofield	WI
45		1107622	Wausau	$69,900	2418 MIDWAY BOULEVARD	Wausau	WI
46		1107214	Wausau	$69,900	1509 RANDOLPH STREET	Wausau	WI
47		1106730	Wausau	$69,900	1323 S 13TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
48		1105445	Wausau	$69,900	4411 ALDERSON STREET	Weston	WI
49		1105176	Wausau	$69,900	718 E WAUSAU AVENUE	Wausau	WI
50		1200059	Wausau	$72,500	1008 CEDAR STREET	Wausau	WI
51		1107245	Wausau	$74,500	2260 MARBELLA DRIVE	Mosinee	WI
52		1107544	Wausau	$74,900	1210 BROWN STREET	Wausau	WI
53		1105928	Wausau	$74,900	2062 WEST ROAD	Mosinee	WI
54		1107845	Wausau	$75,000	807 15TH STREET	Mosinee	WI
55		1107777	Wausau	$75,000	311 S 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
56		1200063	Wausau	$75,900	5607 CHERYL DRIVE	Weston	WI
57		1106038	Wausau	$75,900	715 EDWARDS DRIVE	Mosinee	WI
58		1107598	Wausau	$76,500	6006 ROGAN LANE	Schofield	WI
59		1107787	Wausau	$79,900	231 N 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
60		1200201	Wausau	$80,000	813 S 3RD AVENUE	Edgar	WI
61		1200479	Wausau	$80,900	H8475 HEMLOCK LANE	Wausau	WI
62		1104871	Wausau	$83,000	1444 CORNER ROAD	Wittenberg	WI
63		1200452	Wausau	$84,900	1105 MOSINEE AVENUE	Mosinee	WI
64		1200216	Marshfield	$85,000	211 MEADOW STREET	Stratford	WI
65		1107112	Wausau	$85,000	T7436 COUNTY ROAD W	Wausau	WI
66		1107000	Wausau	$89,500	P3735 EAU CLAIRE RIVER ROAD	Aniwa	WI
67		1105304	Wausau	$89,900	219 RESERVOIR AVENUE	Wausau	WI
68		1006310	Marshfield	$89,900	602 S LA SALLE AVENUE	Spencer	WI
69		1107737	Wausau	$91,100	1902 N 120TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
70		1107826	Stevens Point	$92,900	601 18TH STREET	Mosinee	WI
71		1103588	Wausau	$94,900	4006 E MONTEREY AVENUE	Weston	WI
72		1107199	Wausau	$97,900	1667 COUNTY ROAD S	Edgar	WI
73		1105455	Wausau	$99,900	802 6TH STREET	Mosinee	WI
74		1102536	Wausau	$99,900	7103 EVERGREEN STREET	Rothschild	WI
75		1107830	Wausau	$104,900	918 CLEARVIEW COURT	Edgar	WI
76		1200351	Wausau	$109,900	1601 GRAND AVENUE	Schofield	WI
77		1105260	Wausau	$114,500	4602 FULLER STREET	Weston	WI
78		1200021	Wausau	$119,900	1980 JAMES STREET	Mosinee	WI
79		1200531	Wausau	$124,900	808 13TH DRIVE	Wausau	WI
80		1200422	Wausau	$124,900	104 EDDY ROAD	Edgar	WI
81		1107674	Wausau	$124,900	2283 FALCON CREST COURT	Kronenwetter	WI
82		1200492	Wausau	$129,900	132 WILLIAMS STREET	Schofield	WI
83		1107719	Marshfield	$129,900	C2474 SHORT ROAD	Auburndale	WI
84		1107441	Wausau	$129,900	3704 RIVER MEADOW DRIVE	Weston	WI
85		1200232	Wausau	$139,900	512 OAK STREET	Rothschild	WI
86		1107267	Wausau	$144,900	7080 PLOVER RIVER ROAD	Hatley	WI
87		1107799	Wausau	$145,000	1095 PINERY ROAD	Hatley	WI
88		1107857	Wausau	$149,900	530 GRANT STREET	Wausau	WI
89		1107760	Wausau	$152,000	1934 FORSYTH ROAD	Mosinee	WI
90		1107665	Wausau	$153,500	1031 WESTON AVENUE	Wausau	WI
91		1200219	Wausau	$172,900	7407 FEITH AVENUE	Weston	WI
92		1200255	Wausau	$178,900	2501 CHICKADEE LANE	Wausau	WI
93		1107715	Wisconsin Rapids	$189,900	1051 MOUNT VIEW ROAD	Mosinee	WI
94		1106871	Wausau	$209,900	818 S 17TH STREET	Wausau	WI
95		1107785	Wausau	$241,000	2702 SWALLOW LANE	Wausau	WI
96		1106916	Wausau	$255,000	10206 STANDING OAK DRIVE	Weston	WI
97		1006074	Wausau	$275,000	1808 BUCKHORN AVENUE	Rothschild	WI
98		1107505	Wausau	$320,000	504 FRANKLIN STREET	Wausau	WI
99		1104723	Wausau	$399,900	1815 WOODBURY PARKWAY

Short Sales Wausau WI - West & East Side - Agent Tim Hagedorn - www.thagedorn.com

1		1105667	Wausau	$50,000	613 MC CLELLAN STREET	Wausau	WI
2		1103203	Wausau	$50,000	1320 PROSPECT AVENUE	Wausau	WI
3		1100131	Wausau	$56,656	3837 N 6TH STREET	Wausau	WI
4		1106391	Wausau	$59,900	906 MCINTOSCH STREET	Wausau	WI
5		1105658	Wausau	$59,900	1235 S 11TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
6		1105300	Wausau	$59,900	920 S 8TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
7		1104415	Wausau	$62,900	1011 N 6TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
8		1106853	Wausau	$64,000	810 N 4TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
9		1106892	Wausau	$69,900	908 N 10TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
10		1104821	Wausau	$74,900	2205 MIDWAY BOULEVARD	Wausau	WI
11		1008043	Wausau	$82,000	4015 TROY STREET	Wausau	WI
12		1107419	Wausau	$99,900	712 ROSS AVENUE	Wausau	WI
13		1105398	Wausau	$99,900	1409 N 3RD AVENUE	Wausau	WI
14		1105097	Wausau	$99,900	1212 CHERRY STREET	Wausau	WI
15		1104328	Wausau	$99,900	124 ETHEL STREET	Wausau	WI
16		1106518	Wausau	$110,000	124 WESTON AVENUE	Wausau	WI
17		1200521	Wausau	$115,000	530 FRANKLIN STREET	Wausau	WI
18		1106736	Wausau	$149,000	103 S 56TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
19		1103112	Wausau	$154,900	2209 MIDWAY BOULEVARD	Wausau	WI
20		1104299	Wausau	$229,900	3311 N 10TH STREET	Wausau	WI
21		1106706	Wausau	$499,900	3903 ASHLAND AVENUE	Wausau	WI

Foreclosure Listings Wausau WI. - West & East Side 1/29/12 - Agent Tim Hagedorn - www.thagedorn.com

1200416	Wausau	$21,000	235 JOYCE STREET	Wausau	WI
2		1106995	Wausau	$27,000	928 PLUMER STREET	Wausau	WI
3		1106993	Wausau	$31,900	507 N 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
4		1106340	Wausau	$19,900	415 CALLON	Wausau	WI
5		1200268	Wausau	$39,900	1221 S 11TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
6		1105036	Wausau	$39,900	829 LINCOLN AVENUE	Wausau	WI
7		1104070	Wausau	$40,900	409 N 6TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
8		1107685	Wausau	$44,000	1025 S 4TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
9		1100946	Wausau	$47,700	1102 N 8TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
10		1200329	Wausau	$47,900	2516 OAKWOOD BOULEVARD	Wausau	WI
11		1200009	Wausau	$48,000	835 S 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
12		1104580	Wausau	$49,900	1019 STEUBEN STREET	Wausau	WI
13		1200524	Wausau	$50,000	3625 N 6TH STREET	Wausau	WI
14		1105514	Wausau	$51,000	1219 S 12TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
15		1107797	Wausau	$54,700	920 N 6TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
16		1200269	Wausau	$54,900	1509 N 13TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
17		1107220	Wausau	$54,900	716 LAKEVIEW DRIVE	Wausau	WI
18		1107727	Wausau	$55,000	213 N 10TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
19		1106432	Wausau	$55,900	611 BERTHA STREET	Wausau	WI
20		1200318	Wausau	$62,500	303 S 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
21		1200183	Wausau	$63,900	829 CHICAGO AVENUE	Wausau	WI
22		1200151	Wausau	$64,900	2215 N 7TH STREET	Wausau	WI
23		1105818	Wausau	$68,500	1914 EMERSON STREET	Wausau	WI
24		1107622	Wausau	$69,900	2418 MIDWAY BOULEVARD	Wausau	WI
25		1107214	Wausau	$69,900	1509 RANDOLPH STREET	Wausau	WI
26		1106730	Wausau	$69,900	1323 S 13TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
27		1105176	Wausau	$69,900	718 E WAUSAU AVENUE	Wausau	WI
28		1200059	Wausau	$72,500	1008 CEDAR STREET	Wausau	WI
29		1107544	Wausau	$74,900	1210 BROWN STREET	Wausau	WI
30		1107777	Wausau	$75,000	311 S 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
31		1107787	Wausau	$79,900	231 N 9TH AVENUE	Wausau	WI
32		1105304	Wausau	$89,900	219 RESERVOIR AVENUE	Wausau	WI
33		1200531	Wausau	$124,900	808 13TH DRIVE	Wausau	WI
34		1107857	Wausau	$149,900	530 GRANT STREET	Wausau	WI
35		1107665	Wausau	$153,500	1031 WESTON AVENUE	Wausau	WI
36		1106871	Wausau	$209,900	818 S 17TH STREET	Wausau	WI
37		1107505	Wausau	$320,000	504 FRANKLIN STREET	Wausau	WI
38		1104723	Wausau	$399,900	1815 WOODBURY PARKWAY

Wausau Real Estate - Year-To-Year Comparison Report 2011- 2012

YEAR-TO-YEAR COMPARISON REPORT

Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012

Qty Sold % Chg Volume Sold % Chg Average Sale % Chg Median Sale % Chg Qty Active % Chg Residential All Areas Wausau Current Period 1,089 139,393,527 128,001 110,000 3,800 One Year Ago 1,237 165,472,185 133,768 116,000 4,364 Increase / (Decrease) (148) -12% (26,078,658) -16% (5,767) -4% (6,000) -5% (564) -13% Sub Total - Residential (All Areas) Current Period 1,089 139,393,527 128,001 3,800 One Year Ago 1,237 165,472,185 133,769 4,364 Increase / (Decrease) (148) -12% (26,078,658) -16% (5,768) -4% (564) -13% Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012 TOTAL - Residential (All Areas) Current Period 1,089 139,393,527 128,001 3,800 One Year Ago 1,237 165,472,185 133,769 4,364 Increase / (Decrease) (148) -12% (26,078,658) -16% (5,768) -4% (564) -13% Land All Areas Wausau Current Period 114 7,523,224 65,993 38,000 1,719 One Year Ago 135 10,738,808 79,546 40,000 2,015 Increase / (Decrease) (21) -16% (3,215,584) -30% (13,553) -17% (2,000) -5% (296) -15% Sub Total - Land (All Areas) Current Period 114 7,523,224 65,993 1,719 One Year Ago 135 10,738,808 79,547 2,015 Increase / (Decrease) (21) -16% (3,215,584) -30% (13,554) -17% (296) -15% Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012 TOTAL - Land (All Areas) Current Period 114 7,523,224 65,993 1,719 One Year Ago 135 10,738,808 79,547 2,015 Increase / (Decrease) (21) -16% (3,215,584) -30% (13,554) -17% (296) -15% Commercial/Industrial All Areas Wausau Current Period 42 10,684,000 254,380 217,500 494 One Year Ago 33 9,428,036 285,698 93,000 549 Increase / (Decrease) 9 27% 1,255,964 13% (31,318) -11% 124,500 134% (55) -10% Sub Total - Commercial/Industrial (All Areas) Current Period 42 10,684,000 254,381 494 One Year Ago 33 9,428,036 285,698 549 Increase / (Decrease) 9 27% 1,255,964 13% (31,317) -11% (55) -10% Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012 TOTAL - Commercial/Industrial (All Areas) Current Period 42 10,684,000 254,381 494 One Year Ago 33 9,428,036 285,698 549 Increase / (Decrease) 9 27% 1,255,964 13% (31,317) -11% (55) -10% Multi-Family All Areas Wausau Current Period 56 5,499,000 98,196 88,500 351 One Year Ago 54 4,697,430 86,989 62,366 350 Increase / (Decrease) 2 4% 801,570 17% 11,207 13% 26,134 42% 1 0% Sub Total - Multi-Family (All Areas) Current Period 56 5,499,000 98,196 351 One Year Ago 54 4,697,430 86,989 350 Increase / (Decrease) 2 4% 801,570 17% 11,207 13% 1 0% Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012 TOTAL - Multi-Family (All Areas) Current Period 56 5,499,000 98,196 351 One Year Ago 54 4,697,430 86,989 350 Increase / (Decrease) 2 4% 801,570 17% 11,207 13% 1 0% Farm/Agriculture All Areas Wausau Current Period 1 171,000 171,000 171,000 8 One Year Ago 1 175,000 175,000 175,000 6 Increase / (Decrease) 0 0% (4,000) -2% (4,000) -2% (4,000) -2% 2 33% Sub Total - Farm/Agriculture (All Areas) Current Period 1 171,000 171,000 8 One Year Ago 1 175,000 175,000 6 Increase / (Decrease) 0 0% (4,000) -2% (4,000) -2% 2 33% Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012 TOTAL - Farm/Agriculture (All Areas) Current Period 1 171,000 171,000 8 One Year Ago 1 175,000 175,000 6 Increase / (Decrease) 0 0% (4,000) -2% (4,000) -2% 2 33% ALL CLASSES All Areas Wausau Current Period 1,302 163,270,751 125,399 105,000 6,372 One Year Ago 1,460 190,511,459 130,487 109,900 7,284 Increase / (Decrease) (158) -11% (27,240,708) -14% (5,088) -4% (4,900) -4% (912) -13% Sub Total - ALL CLASSES (All Areas) Current Period 1,302 163,270,751 125,400 6,372 One Year Ago 1,460 190,511,459 130,487 7,284 Increase / (Decrease) (158) -11% (27,240,708) -14% (5,087) -4% (912) -13% Statistics for: Class=RE, LD, CI, MF, FA AND Status=SLD AND Date Range=01/01/2011-01/31/2012 AND Area=WAU AND Grouping Selector=3; As Of: 1/29/2012 TOTAL - ALL CLASSES (All Areas) Current Period 1,302 163,270,751 125,400 6,372 One Year Ago 1,460 190,511,459 130,487 7,284 Increase / (Decrease) (158) -11% (27,240,708) -14% (5,087) -4% (912) -13%

Refinancing Borrowers Choose Shorter Term Loans

News Facts

• Freddie Mac found that in the second quarter of 2010, refinancing borrowers overwhelmingly chose fixed-rate loans, regardless of whether their original loan was an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) or a fixed-rate.

• While 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are still the most preferred product chosen for the new loan, 15-year fixed-rate mortgages gained favor among refinancers who previously held 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, balloon mortgages and ARMs. Overall, fixed-rate loans accounted for more than 95 percent of refinance loans.

Quotes

Attributed to Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist

• "Average interest rates on 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgage loans fell pretty consistently through the latter half of the quarter, hitting 50-year lows in June according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey®. The ability to lock in a principal and interest payment at below 5 percent for 30-years is rare enough. The fact that a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage can be obtained for 4.5 percent or a 15-year mortgage for 4.0 percent is an amazing opportunity for borrowers.

• "The share of borrowers shortening their amortization terms is at its highest level in six years. In the second quarter of this year, 30 percent of borrowers who originally held a 30-year fixed rate loan refinanced into a 15- or 20-year FRM. If the borrower had a 30-year fixed rate loan at a 6.5 percent interest rate and a $200,000 principal balance, they could refinance and cut their payment by about $250 a month with a new 30-year fixed-rate loan or for about the same monthly payment as their old loan they could save some $70,000 in interest over the life of the loan with the shorter 20-year term loan."

These estimates come from a sample of properties on which Freddie Mac has funded at least two successive loans and the latest loan is for refinance rather than for home purchase. Some loan products, such as 1-year ARMs and balloons, are based on a small number of transactions. In the first six months of 2010, the ARM share of applications was 6 percent in Freddie Mac's monthly survey, which includes purchase-money as well as refinance applications.

Freddie Mac was established by Congress in 1970 to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the nation's residential mortgage markets. Freddie Mac supports communities across the nation by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible for one in six homebuyers and more than five million renters.

Watch this Video To See How The Most Devastating Financial Collapse Happen - Housing Bubble !

CNBC presents the defining story of our time. Correspondent David Faber investigates the origins of the global economic crisis and the events leading to the most devastating financial collapse since the Great Depression.

This video may make you mad, may make you sick, may say I told you so, may even make you cry....  when you gather all the information from this video you have to scratch your head and wonder are we even close to the bottom yet?

Simply amazing....  and you know what... if you were a Mortgage Broker, a Banker, an Appraiser, a Title company, a REALTOR®, a Wall Street broker or anything Real Estate related whether directly or indirectly, you had something to do with this...  Watch Video
"http://plus.cnbc.com/rssvideosearch/action/player/id/1145392808/code/cnbcplayershare"
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Did you KNow : Reasons People Move, Choose New Location

According to U.S. Consumer Moving / Relocation: Attitudes and Behaviors June 2010 Survey conducted by Relocation.com, Texas and Florida are once again the leading destination states. The same trend was found in national surveys conducted in 2009. When compared to the same survey done in February 2010, 20 percent fewer movers are now moving to California. Texas and Florida showed an increase of 50 percent and 42 percent respectively since the February 2010 results.

Before You Make an Offer, Inspect the Home

The best way to protect yourself is to hire an experienced home inspector to check the house's structure and systems, including the roof, heating, plumbing, electrical and air conditioning systems.

The cost of a home inspection ranges between $250 to $500. If you can, have the home inspected after you agree on a price, but before you sign the contract and put down a deposit. If you are in a rush to go to contract to lock in the deal, make sure your contract states that the terms of the purchase are conditioned on the approval of a professional home inspector.

Just because you need to hire a pro, doesn't mean you can't do some checking around yourself before you make an offer. Check for soft spots in the flooring and look for freshly painted patches on the ceiling or walls that could be hiding water damage. Turn electric switches and water faucets on and off. If it's summer, turn off the air conditioning and turn on the heat to make sure it works. Likewise, if it's winter, test out the air conditioning. Tour the basement looking for water on the floor and see if the hot water heater looks rusted or cracked. A little diligence before you start negotiations could save you a lot of time, effort and disappointment.

Bathrooms Help Sell Homes !

The two rooms that benefit most from even small renovations are the kitchen and bathroom.

To really amaze home buyers, apply the following suggestions:

Bathroom Fixtures
Get rid of outdated bathroom fixtures like pink toilets, seashell sinks and old light fixtures. This includes colored tubs. Buyers love white toilets, tubs and sinks; so do research on local reglazing companies to come in and reface your bathroom. This will save the day when buyers come in the bathroom.

If you have any extra money to spare, consider replacing an outdated vanity, old plumbing and dated tile.  As with a kitchen update, a bathroom remodel will guarantee a lot of bang for your buck and give your home an updated, modern look.

Tips for selling now:
De-clutter your bathroom! Remove everything from the counter to give the illusion of space; this includes toothbrushes, hairbrushes, soaps, etc. Invest in décor towels and decorative baskets to give a spa like feeling. Don’t forget the senses; include a small plug in fragrance to keep fresh smelling aromas. It’s imperative to create an oasis for home buyers to desire.

 

Five Steps To Buy A Home !

Buying A Foreclosure

For better or for worse, there are a lot of foreclosures hitting the housing market right now.

While it may seem like an ideal situation, purchasing a home for less than it’s worth; you need to make sure you take the proper precautions before taking that leap. Here are a few tips:

1. Choose realtor wisely. The realtor you choose to represent you is a personal choice, but make sure you think about your decision from all aspects. Not only your comfort level with the individual but also his/her knowledge in the area, experience in industry, successful track record and of course, familiarity of the foreclosure market. 
2. Budget carefully! A foreclosure can be a great deal, but it can also be a huge expense. Know ahead of time that if you fall in love with a foreclosure that you’ll be able to invest the finances necessary after the home inspection.
3. Get home inspected. My realtor, and any good realtor would, advised us to get a home inspection of the property. It wasn’t a deal breaker should we find out anything needed to be replaced but it was good to know what was needed in the near future (in our case a new HVAC unit and hot water heater).
4. Check surrounding area. If you’re not familiar with the neighborhood, be sure to research the area. Check out local parks or community gathering places as well as school districts (for children and resale value). While in the neighborhood, glance at neighboring houses to make sure the vicinity has been kept up. This would include landscaping of your property and others, as well as conditions of the houses.
5. Time on market-how long has the house been a foreclosure? Was it properly taken care of (i.e. winterized)? You don’t want turn on the utilities until you know the condition of the pipes. The pipes could have cracked during a cold spell, water could start leaking into the walls, and mold could take hold when you turn the water back on. In addition to plumbing issues, time on the market also affects other things such as bugs and rodents getting into the home.

When shopping for a house, do your homework, especially in the case of purchasing a foreclosure. My recommendation would be to purchase a home warranty from companies like AHS, to help you with any surprises along the way. On top of the home meeting your aesthetic standards, it also needs to be a financially sound decision.

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Tips For Time Buyers

First: Pay Off Your Debt
It's a common mistake for home-buyers-to-be: They focus on saving as much money as possible for a down payment instead of paying off other debts. A better approach is to use extra cash to eliminate credit-card and other high-interest consumer debt � even if that means you can put down less on your future home,

Why? First, credit-card debt is expensive and limits your ability to save. The average interest rate on credit cards now stands at 13.8%, or more than double the 5.33% national average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, according to Bankrate.com. Second, credit-card debt will limit how much you can borrow. That's because lenders won't allow your total monthly debt service � which includes payments for credit cards, student loans and car loans, as well as homeowner's insurance, property taxes and a mortgage � to exceed 40% of your gross income.

How Much Can You Afford?
The answer to that is a function of two things: How much you can borrow and how much of a down payment you can muster. As a rule of thumb, your annual mortgage payment, taxes and homeowner's insurance shouldn't exceed 28% of your gross income. Then determine how much cash you have for a down payment, leaving yourself enough left over to pay those pesky closing costs, which can add up to 3% to 5% of your total home's value (plus a little something extra for emergency repairs once you move into your new home).

Still having trouble figuring it all out? Click here for SmartMoney.com's home-buying worksheet.

Types of Loans
Now you're ready to start shopping around for the right loan. As we said, a first-time home buyer with a steady job and good credit can put down as little as 3% these days. These loans are more available, and more reasonably priced, now that they're acceptable to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (The two so-called government-sponsored agencies purchase mortgages worth up to $333,700 on the secondary market � $500,550 in Alaska and Hawaii � absorbing the original lenders' financial risk. And both will now buy 97% mortgages.) While rates vary, such a low-down-payment mortgage will run a half-point higher than a conventional loan, says Steve Majerus, senior vice-president of capital markets for E-Loan, an online lender. On our hypothetical 97% mortgage of $178,286, that extra half-point of interest adds $57 to the monthly payment.

But the more money you can muster for a down payment, the more options you will have. For example, Fannie Mae's new "start-up mortgage" allows borrowers who can put down 5% to qualify for a loan on a smaller salary than with a 3% down payment. You will need to find a Fannie Mae-approved lender to take advantage of this program. Click on Fannie Mae's Web site for a list of all of its products and approved lenders.

Private lenders are also coming up with their own programs to tap into the first-time home buyers' market. Washington Mutual, for example, offers a program for buyers with a 10% down payment: Instead of charging for mortgage insurance, the savings-and-loan builds the cost into the interest rate, making it tax-deductible (which mortgage-insurance premiums aren't).

And if you really want to get creative and avoid paying mortgage insurance altogether, you can do as Mullarkey did and take out two piggybacked loans. These are also referred to as 80-10-10s. First, you need to put down 10% of the home's value. Then, you take out a primary loan, usually a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, for 80% of the home's value. This interest rate should be competitive. For the remaining 10%, you'll need to take out a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage at a far less competitive rate � as much as two points higher than the market. Combine the two monthly costs to come up with your total mortgage payment. Due to the complexity, a piggybacked loan is a bit more expensive than a traditional mortgage and carries higher closing costs. Still, they tend to be cheaper than paying private mortgage insurance.

Questionable Credit
Worried you don't have perfect credit? Thanks to Fannie Mae's "expanded approval" program, consumers with slightly blemished credit can also qualify for mortgages at competitive rates that are as much as two percentage points lower than alternative financing. "These are people who might not qualify for fair-market value rates from traditional lenders," says Liz Bayless, director of single family product development at Fannie Mae.

If your credit's still not good enough for one of Fannie Mae's loans, you may yet qualify for a loan insured by the Federal Housing Authority, or FHA. These government-insured loans are issued with even more lenient credit criteria. You can also put down as little as 3% for an FHA loan, and can wrap your closing costs and fees into the mortgage. Interest rates are typically less than a quarter of a point higher than those in the conventional market. To get a government-insured loan, make sure you find a HUD-approved lender or a mortgage broker who works with one.

There's no income limit to qualify for an FHA-insured loan. However, since these loans are geared toward helping first-time home buyers and low- to moderate-income families, there's a limit to how much you can borrow. The amount varies from region to region, but it's capped at $290,319 in high-cost areas ($403,750 in Hawaii), says Laurie Maggiano, a HUD spokeswoman. To check your area's ceiling, click on the FHA mortgage limits page.

Down-Payment Assistance Programs
Still having trouble coming up with that down payment? Each year HUD gives states and municipalities money to distribute to low- and moderate-income families for housing. Much of it is put toward down-payment assistance programs. Many young prospective home buyers may qualify for a $3,000 to $5,000 grant (or in some cases a loan that's forgiven if a home buyer stays in the home for at least three years) to put toward their down payment or closing costs.

To qualify for a down-payment assistance program, a consumer typically can earn no more than 80% of a region's median income. Call a realtor for help.