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Thursday, April 26
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 26, 2007 02:53PM (PDT)
Avenue One condominiums built by K Hovanian are one of the newest high-rise developments located in the heart of the Irvine commerce area and entertainment area. It's one of the more affordable developments and has generated a lot of excitement. The first units were completed in early 2006' and new condos are still being built to this day.
Avenue One is located by the intersection of Jamboree and Dupont just west of the 405 Freeway at the 1,000 to 2,000 block of Scholarship road. Avenue One comprises of two condominium buildings, 2 large parking structures and the common area facilities. Avenue One offers 8 well designed floor plans as follows: - One A - 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 725 square feet
- One AL- 1 bedroom and 2nd story loft, 1 bath, 846 square feet
- One B - 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 602 square feet
- One C - 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 738 square feet
- One CL - 1 bedroom and 2nd story loft, 1 bath, 923 square feet
- One D - 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 738 square feet
- Two A - 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,037 square feet
- Two AL - 2 bedrooms and 2nd story loft, 2 baths, 1,213 square feet
- Two B - 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,318 square feet
- Two BL - 2 bedrooms and 2nd story loft, 2 baths, 1,538 square feet
- Two C - 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,044 square feet
- Two CL - 2 bedrooms and 2nd story loft, 2 baths, 1,207 square feet
- Three A - 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,340 square feet
- Three AL - 3 bedrooms and 2nd story loft, 2 baths, 1,525 square feet
All of the above floor plans come standard with modern two panel interior doors, natural granite kitchen and bathroom counter tops, dual glazed energy efficient windows, and much more. The common area facilities offer a resort like lifestyle including: Gated entrance, elegant Clubhouse w/plasma TV, Olympic sized pool, spa, high tech fitness
center, indoor half basketball court, Bar-B-Que area and more. Avenue One is located close to world class shopping, night clubing,
museums, theaters, great dining, UCI and the beach. Avenue One is serviced by the Santa Ana Unified School district.
The grade school classes are conducted at Monroe elementary school and
the Junior high school is McFadden middle school. The upper grades are
serviced by Century High School. There are re-sale and brand new condos available for sale at this time. They range in price from a low of $369,990 for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 602 square foot condo on the first floor, on up to $735,990 for the largest 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,538 square foot floor plan. The average price per square foot for the condos currently for sale is $584/SqFt and the average days on market is 66 days. Below is the complete list of the condos currently for sale are Avenue One.
| Address |
Bdrms |
Baths |
Stories |
Garage |
SqFt |
Price |
| 1231 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
602 |
$369,990 |
| 1150 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
725 |
$376,990 |
| 2119 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
G |
1 |
602 |
$429,999 |
| 2310 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
725 |
$437,000 |
| 2302 Scholarship |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1,037 |
$568,000 |
| 2406 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
923 |
$615,000 |
| 2402 Scholarship |
2 |
2 |
T |
2 |
1,213 |
$654,900 |
| 1418 Scholarship 295 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1,538 |
$725,990 |
To date, there have been a total of 7 re-sale condos that have sold and closed escrow at Avenue One as listed below:
| Address |
Bdrms |
Baths |
Stories |
Garage |
SqFt |
Price |
Days on Market |
| 1125 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
725 |
$402,990 |
34 |
| 1117 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
725 |
$405,990 |
5 |
| 1138 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
725 |
$409,913 |
23 |
| 1224 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
725 |
$412,990 |
15 |
| 1414 Scholarship |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
846 |
$503,633 |
26 |
| 1334 Scholarship |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1,037 |
$545,990 |
40 |
| 1328 Scholarship |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1,037 |
$579,990 |
76 |
The average price per square foot of these sold units is 482/SqFt, and the average days on market was 31 days.
There are two other high-rise condominium projects in the commerce area of Irvine that have also been popular with buyers. One is named Watermarke condos and the other is Marquee Park Place. If you would like to view all condos listed for sale in Irvine, visit our website at: Irvine Real Estate.
If you would like a private showing of any of the condos for sale in Avenue One, Watermarke or Marquee Park Place, please feel free to call us at: 949-388-3396 or email us at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com Since you found us via the Internet, we are offering a 1% rebate from the purchase price if you allow us to show you and represent you in the purchase of a brand new Avenue One condo. This offer is valid for as long as the builder is offering new homes for sale.
Monday, April 23
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 23, 2007 02:12PM (PDT)
 The desirable Rainbow Ridge Condominiums are located in North Mission Viejo by the
intersection of Marguerite Parkway
and Santa Margarita Parkway.
These sought-after townhomes are located within walking distance of the local
high school, shopping, dining, and just
around the corner you will find the magnificent Mission Viejo Lake
where you can enjoy beaches, fishing, boating, and summer concerts. The Rainbow
Ridge subdivision was built in the mid to late 1980’s by the renowned builder -
The Mission Viejo Company. This friendly,
tightly nit community consists of 312 townhomes comprising of 39 buildings, with an
assortment of models and styles assured to fit most buyers needs. The 4 diverse
floor plans are as follows:
- Plan A - Cobalt – 2 bedrooms, 1 bath,
840 sqft, 1 car garage
- Plan B - Coral – 2 bedrooms, 1.25 baths, 993 sqft, 1 car
garage
- Plan C - Crystal
– 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,221 sqft, 1 car garage
- Plan D - Crimson- 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1,308 sqft, 1 car
garage
Each spacious condo includes a fireplace. The home owners’ association dues are
approximately $220 and includes a community swimming pool, spa, trash service,
landscape maintenance, exterior of home maintenance, and property insurance. There is no Mello-Roos in Rainbow Ridge.
Currently, Condo prices in Rainbow Ridge in Mission
Viejo range in price from $320,000 to $370,000 for the 2 bedroom –
1 bath floor plan. For the 2 bedroom, 1.25 to
2 bath models, the price range varies from $375,000 to $430,000. For the largest 3 bedroom, 3 bath floor plan
the prices range from $475,000 to
$550,000
The street names that make up the Rainbow Ridge community
are as follows: Amber, Aqua, Auburn,
Chestnut, Cinnamon, Cobalt, Crimson, Fuchsia, Hazel, Ivory, Jade, Lavender,
Magenta, Mauve, Persimmon, Rose, Tangerine, Teal, and Violet.
The Rainbow Ridge Community is located within the award winning Capistrano Unified School District.
The grade school classes are administered at Montevideo
Elementary School, the intermediate
school is La Paz Middle
School and the upper grades are conducted at Trabuco Hills
High School, a short walk
away. If
you would like to view all Condos for sale in Mission Viejo, please
visit our website at: Mission Viejo Condominiums. If you would like
more information about Rainbow Ridge community, or if you would like
to see the inside of any Condo for sale, please feel free to contact us
at: 949-388-3396 or by email at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com
Sunday, April 22
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 22, 2007 01:20PM (PDT)
 The Orange County CA. MLS called SoCalMLS recently merged with the MLS that services much of the San Fernando Valley, called CrisNet MLS. This merger in February now makes the SoCal MLS the second largest MLS in the country. Currently there are over 13,140 attached condos listed for sale on SoCalMLS and 31,250 detached homes listed for sale, with over 50,000 licensed members comprising of real estate agents and brokers, mortgage lenders, appraisers and other support professionals. SoCal MLS uses the TEMPO MLS system software technology that is owned and operated by First American MLS solutions, a division of First American Title Company. This additional size, now gives SoCal MLS much more clout and capital funds in which to acquire additional technology services for it 's Realtor members and the Public. Some of the many important and useful technologies added to the SoCal MLS in the past several years have been: - MongoFAX - turns ordinary FAX machines into PDF scanners.
- eNeighborhoods - provides neighborhood and school information to Orange County home buyers and Realtors.
- MLS Alliance - allows Orange County Realtors to perform home
searches for their buyer clients throughout the greater southern
California region.
- Multiple photos which allow Listing Agents to add up to 30 photos to every property they list for sale.
- Home Video tours - Listing Agents can add Video Tours from most every 3rd party vendor, to any listing in SoCal MLS.
- Aerial Maps - shows Google Earth type satellite images of most every property listed for sale.
- Lightning CMA Plus - a sophisticated software service that assists Listing Agents in provided Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) for their clients.
- Tempo Client Gateway - a web based home searching, capture, sorting and comment Internet software service that let's Realtors to set up an automated search for their buyer clients, that only captures new listings of homes for sale that meet the buyers pre-defined criteria (ie: price, size, location etc). This service saves these new listings on a custom website and allows to Buyers to Sort, Prioritize and even comment on each listing.. One of the more powerful tools added to Tempo for the use of prospective home buyers.
There are many new and exciting technologies in the development pipeline scheduled to be added to the Tempo MLS system for this year and next, which will make SoCal MLS one of the most robust and use friendly MLS in the Nation. If you would like to search for any home for sale on the made for Public version of the SoCal MLS system, please visit our website at: Orange County CA. MLS
Saturday, April 21
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 21, 2007 11:53AM (PDT)
 The popular Valmont tract in the Terramor Village in Ladera Ranch offers a wide variety of 1 and 2 bedroom, two and three level townhomes. Valmont is located in south west portion of Ladera Ranch close to the intersection of O'Neil Dr. and Narrow Canyon Rd. 142 condominiums were built in Valmont by the distinguished builder, D.R. Horton. Construction began in 2003' and the townhomes were completed in the years of 2004' and 2005'. 7 distinct floor plans were developed to satisfy a wide cross section of home buyers, and these floor plans are as follows:
- Plan 1 - 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 926 Square Feet, 2 Car Garage
- Plan 2 - 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 994 Square Feet, 2 Car Garage
- Plan 3 - 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1,240 Square Feet, 1 Car Garage
- Plan 4 - 1 Bedroom, 1.5 Baths, 1,093 Square Feet, 1 Car Garage
- Plan 5 - 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 1,227 Square Feet, 2 Car Garage
- Plan 6 - 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1,230 Square Feet, 2 Car Garage
- Plan 7 - 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1,350 Square Feet, 2 Car Garage
Each home includes an interior laundry area, dining area, and central heating and air conditioning. Plans 6 and 7 included a fireplace, and many of the plans include walk-in closets, separate tub and shower . The 2 associations total to approximately $310 per month and include: community swimming pool, spa, tennis courts, property insurance, exterior home maintenance, landscape maintenance and usage of all of the many wonderfaul parks, fields, clubhouses and trails throughout the Ladera Ranch community. These townhomes are currently priced in the range of $380K to $400K for the 1 bedroom floor plan, and $415K to $485K for the 2 bedroom floor plans.
We are featruing a newer listing in the Valmont community located at 38 Valmont. This 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage Townhome is perfect for the those who would enjoy the resort style ammenities that Ladera Ranch has to offer, for a very affordable price of $479,900. For more details of this fine home for sale, you can view a Video Tour @; 38 Valmont Video Tour
Valmont is serviced by the award winning Capistrano Unified School District. The grade school classes are held at Oso Grande Elementary School and the intermediate school is Ladera Ranch Middle School. The upper grade classes are conducted at Capistrano Valley High School. There are also several private schools in the area and the respected Saddleback Valley College is just a short drive away.
The streets that comprise of the Valmont subdivision in Ladera Ranch are as follows: Valmont Way, Hinterland Way, Triad Lane, Mansart Court, Benarville Lane, Bremender Lane, and Calvados Court.
Ladera Ranch is a recently developed master planned community located in the south portion of Mission Viejo and has met with great success. It is comprised of 8 unique villages each containing a mix of distinct attached condominiums and detached homes. These award winning architectures are intermixed with a wide variety of recreational opportunities such as swimming pools, spas, tennis courts, basketball courts, play grounds, soccer and baseball fields, hiking trails and much more. All of which are nestled within the rugged and natural beauty of the Rancho Mission Viejo lands surrounding the community.
If you would like to view all homes and condos for sale in Ladera Ranch, please visit our website at: Ladera Ranch Real Estate. If you would like to see the inside of any of these homes for sale, please feel free to contact us at: 949-388-3396 or email us at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com
Friday, April 20
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 20, 2007 03:38PM (PDT)
Here is some of the more important Mortgage and Financial news that happened this week ( April 16th - 20th), that affects our real estate market here in Orange County California.
- The NAHB housing market index fell to 33 in April from 36 in March. This is the second month homebuilder sentiment has dropped 3 points. Homebuilders lowered their ratings of present single-family home sales, sales six months from now while foot traffic through model homes decreased significantly. The level of the index suggests the downturn in housing will continue through the spring selling season and summer with possible adverse affects on the economy.
- New residential construction starts gained unexpectedly in March, boosted by warmer weather. Housing starts increased 0.8% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.52 million, the highest level this year. Nevertheless, housing starts have tumbled 38.2% over the past twelve months, the largest year-over-year decline since 1991.
- The MBA mortgage applications index fell 2.5% to 630.6% for the week that ended April 13. This was the fifth straight decline in the index. The purchase index dropped 4.2% last week while the refinance index fell 0.3%. Rising mortgage rates over the past few weeks have cut into application activity. Even with the string of declines lately, mortgage application volume remains 10.7% above year ago levels.
- Freddie Mac announced plans to purchase as much as $20 billion in sub-prime mortgages as a way to curb rising mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures in that market. The plan will need to be approved by OFHEO. Freddie Mac will work with originators to develop new products which will include more stable financing through longer fixed rate periods. Mortgage backed securities are the largest fixed income market at $6.5 billion compared to $4.3 trillion in U.S. Treasuries and $5.4 trillion in corporate debt.
- Mortgage rates fell in Orange County for the first time in six weeks on tame core inflation data released recently. 30-year fixed rate mortgages averaged 6.17% this week compared to 6.22% last week according to Freddie Mac's mortgage market survey. Economists at Freddie Mac said that lower rates should help to stabilize the downturn in housing market activity.
- Jobless claims dropped 4k to 339k for the week that ended April 14. The elevated level of claims suggests some slack in labor market conditions with a higher rate of layoffs and a slower pace of hiring. The outlook is for initial jobless claims to trend moderately higher in the next several months as cyclical, housing-related construction and seasonal, auto manufacturing layoffs increase.
If you have any questions regarding your mortgage loan here in Orange County, or if your thinking about buying a home and would like to receive a no obligation quote from the areas most cost effective lender, please feel free to contact us at: 949-388-3396 or email us at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com
Thursday, April 19
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 19, 2007 03:11PM (PDT)
 Laguna Beach CA. offers some of the most desirable estate properties in the country... and no wonder given the spectacular ocean views, pristine beaches and near perfect weather that one finds in Laguna Beach. New homes for sale are hard to come by, for there if very little buildable land remaining, and the building department of Laguna Beach is very demanding regarding permits. Currently there are only 12 homes for sale ranging in price from $1,085,000 to up to $38 Million. Below is a list of all homes for sale that were built in the years 2006' or 2007' as follows:
|
Address
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Area/Tract
|
Bdrms
|
Baths
|
# Gar
|
SqFt
|
Price
|
|
355 Pearl St
|
Laguna Village
|
2
|
1.5
|
1
|
853
|
$1,085,000
|
|
1275 Cerritos
|
The Village
|
4
|
3.5
|
2
|
3,000
|
$1,850,000
|
|
988 Acapulco St
|
Arch Beach Heights
|
3
|
3.5
|
2 D
|
3,000
|
$2,150,000
|
|
756 Bluebird Canyon Dr
|
Woods Cove
|
4
|
3.5
|
2
|
2,650
|
$2,425,000
|
|
2800 Terry Rd
|
Laguna Village
|
3
|
3.5
|
4 A
|
2,331
|
$2,695,000
|
|
2938 Rounsevel Ter
|
Upper Victoria Beach
|
3
|
3.5
|
2 A
|
2,600
|
$2,995,000
|
|
2626 Victoria Dr
|
Victoria Beach
|
3
|
3.5
|
2 A
|
2,690
|
$3,500,000
|
|
591 Balboa
|
Laguna Village
|
4
|
4.5
|
2 A
|
?
|
$4,950,000
|
|
1360 Moorea Way
|
Mystic Hills
|
5
|
6.5
|
4 A
|
7,947
|
$6,900,000
|
|
11 Camel Pt
|
South Laguna
|
3
|
3.5
|
2 A
|
?
|
$9,500,000
|
|
31897 Circle Dr
|
South Laguna
|
4
|
4
|
2 A
|
2,559
|
$12,000,000
|
|
171 Emerald Bay
|
Emerald Bay
|
6
|
6.5
|
10 A
|
11,961
|
$38,000,000
|
Due to the hillside topography and beach close location, many of the above new homes offer panoramic ocean and catalina island views. The homes on Emerald Bay, Circle Dr, Camel Pl., and Victoria Dr. are still under construction and are scheduled to be completed this year or in 2008'. The estate property on Emerald Bay for $38 Million, is a 4 Story home, with each level offer a breath taking ocean view. Per the seller, this is one of the most remarkable oceanfront properties in the world. It boasts of 11,961 square feet of living area and a 10 car garage. The property on Circle Drive offers unmatched coastline views and easy beach access. The Camel Pl. estate is located in Camel Point and is situated on it's own private bluff. The Victoria Dr. home features 3 levels with ocean and coastline views. The little Cottage on Pearl St. is a rare find at just $1,085,000. It is situated on a smaller 3,750 square foot lot and only offers a small peek-a-boo view, but is in a very desirable down town location. None of the above new homes have association dues except for the Emerald Bay property. Also, there is no Mello-Roos tax in Laguna Beach. If you would like to view all home for sale in Laguna Beach, please visit our website at: Laguna Beach Homes for Sale. If you would like additional information about these new homes for sale, of if you would like to see the inside of any home listed for sale in Laguna Beach, please feel free to contact us at: 949-388-3396 or email us at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com
Tuesday, April 17
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 17, 2007 01:01PM (PDT)
 Let's hear a round of applause for the Applause townhomes in Aliso Viejo... (pardon the cheesy pun).
The Applause tract is located by the
intersection of Aliso Creek Rd.
and Pacific Park Dr.
and just a block away from the Aliso
Viejo Town
Center, an enormous
dining, shopping and entertainment complex. With access to the community pool
and spa, and just minutes from the toll road and beaches, Applause is a great
place to call home. These beautiful Townhomes
were built by Epac Builders in the early 1990’s, and are kept in remarkable
shape. Built with a variety of styles and models, the spacious Applause condominiums are sure to have
something to fit everyones' needs. The 3 different floor plans are as follows:
- Plan A - Chorus
Line – 2 bedrooms 2.5 baths, 1,327 sqft.
- Plan B - Swan Lake
– 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, 1,636 sqft.
- Plan C - Elton
John- 2 bedrooms 2 baths, 1,563 sqft.
Each home includes a fireplace, 2 Car garage and balcony.
The homeowners association dues are approximately $270 per month and includes association swimming pool, trash service, exterior maintenance and landscape maintenance. There are currently 5 townhomes for sale in Applause, ranging in price fro $519,900 for the 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,563 square foot floor plan, up to $585,500 for the largest 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1,636 square foot plan. In the past 90 days, there have been 3 Condos that have sold in Applause ranging in price from $450,000 for a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1,327 square foot model, up to $505,000 for the 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,563 square foot plan. Our featured model for sale, is at 3 Theatre Lane, which is a spacious and very private 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage model with 1,636 square feet of living area, for an asking price of $578,000. This is my listing and due to personal reasons, the seller is very motivated to sell.
The design of the community was inspired by the musical industry
and the streets were named accordingly as follows: Applause Ave., Bravo Ln., Encore Ln., Front Row, Matinee Court, Music Ln., Opera Ln., Orchestra Ln., Ovation Ln., Overture Ln., and Theater Ln. Applause townhomes are located within the award winning
Capistrano Unified School District. The grade
schools classes are conducted at Foxborough
Elementary School, the intermediate
school is Don Juan Avila Middle School, and upper grades are conducted at Aliso Niguel High School.
To view all Condominiums for sale in Aliso Viejo, please
visit our website at: Aliso Viejo
Condos. If you would like to see the
inside of any of these homes for sale, please feel free to contact us at: 949-388-3396 or by email at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com
Monday, April 9
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 9, 2007 01:59PM (PDT)
 Laguna Beach, CA. offers some of the most spectacular Ocean View properties in all of southern California. The city slopes slightly in from the beach, and then ascends into hills and local mountain tops, thus providing many home-sites with majestic ocean and coastline views. The beaches in Laguna are some of the most scenic in southern California due to the many white sandy beach coves, rock jetty's, crashing waves and steep cliffs. Due to the hilly terrain and some landslides over the years, the Laguna Beach building codes makes home construction very challenging and expensive. Permit costs, construction costs and land costs all add up to some of the most expensive real estate in the Nation. Relatively more affordable detached homes priced less then $2 Million that offer sweeping ocean views can be acquired in Arch Beach Heights, Summit Ridge, Top of the World, Temple Hills and even in Upper Victoria Beach areas to name a few. These homes range in price from $1,250,000 for a 4 bedroom, 2 bath (actually 2 cottages on one lot), on a 4,770 square foot lot on Top of the World Drive. The ocean views from this property are marginal but do exist. A smaller home in Temple Hills with unobstructed whitewater view of Main Beach currently has an asking price of $1,799,000 . The home has 2 bedrooms. 1.5 baths, 2 car garage with 1,392 square feet of living area and many fine upgrades.... and a killer ocean view. These homes range in age from 1929 to 1997 and everything in between. Some of the older and smaller homes with nice ocean views are basically priced for their land value.
Click here to read the entire article ---> more »
Thursday, April 5
by
Vincent Bindi
on April 5, 2007 03:14PM (PDT)
The last time Orange County CA. experienced the current level of Short Sale properties for sale was in the mid 1990's. Back then, Short Sale and Foreclosure activity was due primarily to massive job losses and a glut of new and existing homes for sale. Today, the main culprit is a correction in local home prices coupled with many highly leveraged, adjustable rate mortgage loans that were made in the past 4 years. Using a Short Sale to sell you Orange County home is a difficult transaction, but is a much better alternative then out-right Foreclosure or Bankruptcy. A Short Sale occurs when a homes sales value is less then the outstanding mortgage debt plus sales costs (sometimes called an "upside down Mortgage"), and the mortgage bank(s) has agreed to write off a portion of the outstanding loan debt in order to consummate the sale. For example, if a home sells for $600,000 with $20,000 in total sales costs, and the total outstanding loan balance is currently $620,000, then the lender(s) would have to agree to reduce the mortgage loan debt by $40,000 in order to close the deal. Lenders often entertain such an option for in the long run, they will usually receive a higher percentage of their principal back as compared to forcing the property into Foreclosure and run the risk of property neglect or damage, and additional delays and costs, and the possibility of property owner bankruptcy. Today, the "upside down Mortgages" in Orange County are due mostly to the risky, highly leveraged loans in which the home buyer purchased the home with little or nothing down, with an interest-only or worse yet, negative amortization loan in which the loan balance gets higher every month. Combined with the softening of Orange County home prices that have now decreased by as much as 12% in some areas. These factors are causing many home owners to consider a Short Sale to solve their financial crisis, but this is a difficult real estate transactions that requires additional paperwork and intricate negotiations between the real estate agent and the mortgage banker(s). Basically, the real estate professional must prove to the mortgage bank(s) that the homeowner has a financial hardship. In other words the home owner is unable to keep up with the current mortgage payments, and has minimal bank account savings, or other investments. This financial duress can be due to job layoffs, illnesses, divorce, or even the unexpected large increase in mortgage payments due to interest rate resets. Many lenders today in Orange County, won't commit to a Short Sale until their is a valid and firm purchase offer in hand from a qualified new buyer, and a knowledgeable broker/agent who can negotiate the deal. It's imperative to work with an experienced real estate agent for they will need to prepare a professional and complete Short Sale package. This package includes the purchase offer contract, buyers detailed loan qualifications, a realistic and detailed analysis of the fair market value of the home, current local real estate market conditions, and financial information and hardship letter from the homeowner. In addition, there may be income Tax consequences if the home was refinanced. Technically, the difference between your home's value and the balance on the mortgage is considered a forgiveness of debt and this amount may be considered taxable income if the loan(s) were not purchase money, but were refinanced. If one can prove financial insolvency, then this tax consequence may be forgiven. It is imperative that one consult with a Tax accountant regarding these matters. This potential Tax issue is the same regardless of whether the property was sold via a Short Sale or taken back in Foreclosure, so a Short Sale is still a much better choice then Foreclosure. As a side note, Congress recently passed a bill ( Mortgage Cancellation Relief Act of 2007 ) that essentially eliminates this tax issue for purchase money mortgages, and is awaiting Senate approval.. If you are a home owner that is falling behind in your payments, or potentially facing foreclosure, or a prospective home buyer who is entertaining the purchase of a home that is in Foreclosure or a Short Sale, please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have at: 949-388-3396 or email us at: Info@SearchOCHomes.com , or visit our website at: www.OCShortSaleTeam.com
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