By Tom Branch, on April 4th, 2012 Another short sale closed! The sellers avoided foreclosure, the buyers purchased a nice home at a discount, and the lender did not have the losses involved with a foreclosure.
Many people feel that the nation’s economy rises and falls with the housing market. While this is often true, we believe the current housing crisis is a direct result of the economic downturn and massive job loss across the nation.
In the Short Sale community, the vast majority of homeowners did not get a bad loan or buy more house than they could afford; they’re just good, hardworking Americans who fell on bad times.
All indicators point to Short Sales being on the real estate horizon for the foreseeable future, at least through 2012, and maybe longer.
We encourage homeowners across the United States to get educated on the options available should they become financially distressed. Short Sales are a great tool, providing relief to all parties.
Just remember to choose a REALTOR® with a proven Short Sale track record to negotiate on your behalf. Making the right choice can mean the world of difference to your financial future.
Photo Copyright Imaged2Sell
By Tom Branch, on March 31st, 2012 
We closed three sales yesterday. That’s the good news. The bad news is two of them did not fund and there are two very unhappy buyers. I represent the sellers on both of them and while they did not fund on time, I had prepared my sellers that this could happen.
What’s the moral of the story? Not all lenders are created equal!
I’ve originated mortgages as a mortgage loan officer with a mortgage brokerage, as a mortgage banker, and at an FDIC insured bank so I’ve seen all three sides of the mortgage business. Locally I know a number of good lenders who know how to get mortgages completed and can get them done on-time. Lenders like Joe Boggs with Integrity First Home Loans always deliver. Sadly Joe is the exception in the business rather than the rule.
The two sales that did not fund were the fault of the lenders not managing the process or simply over-promising on what they could deliver.
Buyers need to carefully screen any lender before they decide to use them for a mortgage. Many brokers, bankers, and even large regional/national banks cannot deliver on-time. Personally, I only recommend lenders who deliver time and time again.
As agents, we want our clients to be happy with their home selling or buying experience and we surround ourselves with vendors who help us deliver that level of service.
Looking for a good lender? Talk to your agent.
Click here for our list of good lenders in the north Dallas area.
Photo licensed from iStockPhoto
By Tom Branch, on March 31st, 2012 
Turning 50 was no big event for me. Gina organized a big birthday party to celebrate the milestone. I felt like I was still 35.
I went in for my annual physical that year. Along with all the usual tests, my doctor ordered a colonoscopy. Call me naive but I had to go look that one up. All I knew was it involved my colon and a camera! After reading about the process, I put it off and put it off some more. It took over two years for me to get the test scheduled.
All the horror stories are completely wrong. The preparation day was the worst part for me. Without going into all the details, you have to take some time off to be near a bathroom. Since I have a home office, it was not that big of a deal.
The day of the test was a walk in the park. Go into the hospital at 7:45, get into a “fashion gown” (I had visions of Jack Nicholson in Something’s Got To Give), start an IV, and try to relax. At 9:15, they rolled me into a small room. The anesthesiologist injects something into my IV and I went down for the count.
I woke up about 30 minutes later in the recovery room. The good news is that they removed two small polyps that will be sent off for testing and I don’t need to do another one for 5 years.
The test was painless and only took a few hours of my time. I left the hospital at 10:15 and was back in my office answering voicemails by 10:30.
Waiting those 2-plus years could have been a huge mistake! I got lucky. Cancer is not a fun thing to go through and it’s always best to catch it early. Don’t put it off… Just do it!
Photo licensed from iStockPhoto
By Tom Branch, on March 30th, 2012 
3 Bedrooms | 2.1 Baths | 2 Car Garage | 1634 SF/Building Plan
Beautiful new construction townhome. Kitchen boasts granite counters, upgraded Maple cabinets, and stainless appliances. Relax in the upgraded master bath and enjoy the fenced back yard. Great location with restaurants, shopping, and movie theaters within walking distance. Ready April!
Click here for more details, photos, virtual tour, status, and pricing on this Plano TX Townhome For Sale.
Click here to see all townhomes for sale in Plano TX.
Contact us at 214-705-2470 for more information or to schedule a showing.
Photo Copyright 2011 Imaged2Sell
New Home Rebate
Purchase a new home through us and we'll help you with your closing costs! We'll give you a credit of 1.5% of the price of the home at closing to use towards your closing costs.
Click here for our New Home Rebates page.
By Tom Branch, on March 27th, 2012 Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about getting that home sold.
Many homes built prior to the early 1990’s have wallpaper in many of the rooms. While it was trendy at the time, it’s not in-style today. Many buyers simply cannot see beyond the wallpaper.
Below are pictures (click the photos for larger views) of a kitchen being remodeled. The white-washed cabinets have been refinished, the wallpaper has been removed, and the walls have been retextured and painted.
 
The good news is that the cost of removing the wallpaper, retexturing, and painting is relatively inexpensive. The owners of this property paid less than $2500 to refinish the existing cabinets, remove the wall paper, retexture, and paint the walls. What a difference it makes!
Selling in today’s market can be challenging. Homes that are in good condition, show well, and are priced right still move quickly. While spending several thousand dollars to remove the wallpaper from a home seems like a large expense, I submit to you that it will be far less than your first price reduction!
Photos: Copyright Tom Branch
By Tom Branch, on March 26th, 2012
3 Bedrooms | 2.1 Baths | 2 Car Garage | 1634 SF/Building Plan
Beautiful new construction townhome. Kitchen boasts granite counters, upgraded Maple cabinets, and stainless appliances. Relax in the upgraded master bath and enjoy the fenced back yard. Great location with restaurants, shopping, and movie theaters within walking distance. Ready April!
Click here for more details, photos, virtual tour, status, and pricing on this Plano TX Townhome For Sale.
Click here to see all townhomes for sale in Plano TX.
Contact us at 214-705-2470 for more information or to schedule a showing.
Photo Copyright 2011 Imaged2Sell
New Home Rebate
Purchase a new home through us and we'll help you with your closing costs! We'll give you a credit of 1.5% of the price of the home at closing to use towards your closing costs.
Click here for our New Home Rebates page.
By Tom Branch, on March 25th, 2012 
I was recently selected to take part in the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Program (TRLP). TRLP offers participants the opportunity to meet other motivated leaders and to share an intensive learning experience that focuses on community issues and leadership skills. The program provides participants with lectures, seminars, guest speakers, group discussions, and leadership exercises that address vital issues affecting REALTORS®.
Along with the other 19 members of Class 7, I attended a kick-off retreat at the Lakeview Camp and Conference Center in Waxahachie, Texas. This two-day retreat was packed with team building exercises and some solid information about the REALTOR® family and leadership.
The highlight for me, was the High Ropes Challenge Course. In many ways it reminded me of going through the Air Force Basic Training Confidence Course except this course required total teamwork to complete the challenges. It was fun to watch a group of strangers come together as a team to accomplish the tasks.
Of course I was 18 when I went through Air Force Basic Training, I’m over 50 now and slept very well after spending about 5 hours on the High Ropes course!
Photo Credit – Chellie Feathers
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