A short sale is often used as an alternative to foreclosure because it mitigates additional fees and costs to both the creditor and borrower; however both will often result in a negative credit report against the property owner.

What a short sale is not is a transaction short in transaction time, which some mistakenly assume “short” means.

Welles Bowen has several Short Sale Experts who can assist you in finding a short sale property.  Certified Distressed Property Experts can also quickly assess a homeowners situation to see what might be the best possible course of action when homeowners have  run into trouble with their home.

The best thing that a short sale buyer can do is to work with an agent who has experience with dealing with the short sale process. Call a Welles Bowen office today and ask for a short sale expert. Looking for a Short Sale Property, look in the menu above and click short sale for a list of current available properties.

Buyers prefer that both are clean and in move-in condition. They want to unpack their dishes and glassware as well as their toiletry bag and feel comfortable in their new home right away.

Many homeowners, however, don’t have the time, energy or financial resources for major kitchen and bathroom renovations. Perhaps during their time in the home, the seller focused on turning the basement into a media room or making necessary roof and siding repairs. When it’s time to sell, how can a cash-strapped seller appeal to buyers who want — even expect — an upgraded kitchen and bathroom?

Here are three affordable, quick, easy tips for sprucing up your kitchen and bath right before going on the market. To Read the Rest of the Article click this link to Zillow Blog

Affairs of the heart always are hard to fathom. But a new survey provides some insight, revealing how your home affects your love life.

If you’re an adult living with your parents, the only Valentine you probably got is from your nobody-will-ever-love-you-as-much-as-your mother. A new survey shows that only 5% of unmarried U.S. adults would prefer to date someone living with their folks.

For the sake of your love life, move out already, the Trulia survey of 1,000 adults shows.

If you’re a guy, get a house in the suburbs — 37% of women want that white picket fence. And if you’re a gal, get a snappy one-bedroom in the city — 32% of men want a city-dwelling woman.

And, to stack the odds even more in your favor, buy — don’t rent: 36% of women surveyed found home ownership a turn-on.

Did your love life pick up after you got your own place?
By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Published: February 14, 2012

Kam Warner, Realtor

Kam Warner, Realtor
Office: 419-891-0888
Cell: 419-345-5170
Fax: 419 891-1092
VM: 419-897-2700 ext. 239
kamwarner@wellesbowen.com

You can find Kam’s website by clicking here.

Congratulations Kam!

We also added a blog feature to go along with our weekly Featured Agent posts. We hope you enjoy the information in the blog and if you have suggestions for future articles please email us at mail@wellesbowen.com.

We’ve also added social media share buttons on listing details pages. If you find a property you want to share on Facebook, Twitter or many others just click the button to share it. If you want to email the listing information there is a button for that too.

We hope you enjoy the changes and will let us know if there is something else you want to see. Thanks for using wellesbowen.com!

Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous weather-rodent, weighed in this morning and forecasts six more weeks of winter.

What’s that groundhog smoking? Many parts of the country haven’t had six weeks of real winter yet. My daffodils already are sprouting — a month ahead of Virginia’s usual spring.

On the off-chance that old Phil is correct — he’s right about 39% of the time — here are some ways you can still button up your home for six more weeks of this freaky winter with these home repair tips:

Caulk air-leaking cracks around windows and doors.

Clean or replace furnace filters.

Clear gutters of debris to prevent ice buildup.

Gas up snow blowers in case of a big storm. (Like that’s going to happen.)

If you’re still enjoying April weather in February, don’t forget to water your garden. This heat is confusing it, too.

Do you believe Phil and think we’ve got six more weeks of winter?

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon
Published: February 2, 2012

Lynda Collins, Realtor

Lynda Collins, Realtor
Office: 419-535-0011
Fax: 419 535-7571
VM: 419-539-2700 ext. 189
lcollins@realtyagent.com

You can find Lynda’s website by clicking here.

From CNN Website-
1. Don’t buy if you can’t stay put.

If you can’t commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner – even in a rising market. When prices are falling, it’s an even worse proposition.

2. Start by shoring up your credit.

Since you most likely will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.

3. Aim for a home you can really afford.

The rule of thumb is that you can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary. But you’ll do better to use one of many calculators available online to get a better handle on how your income, debts, and expenses affect what you can afford.

To Read More Click Here.

Reasons You Need a REALTOR

1. A real estate transaction is complicated. In most cases, buying or selling a home requires disclosure forms, inspection reports,  mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page government-mandated settlement statements. A knowledgeable guide through this complexity can help you avoid delays or costly mistakes.

2. Real estate has its own language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with someone who speaks that language.

3. REALTORS have done it before. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. And even if you’ve done it before, laws and regulations change. That’s why having an expert on your side is critical.

4. REALTORS provide objectivity. Since a home often symbolizes family, rest, and security, not just four walls and roof, homeselling or buying is often a very emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you keep focused on both the business and emotional issues most important to you.

5. REALTORS are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, a trade organization of more than 1 million members nationwide. REALTORS subscribe to a stringent code of ethics that helps guarantee the highest level of service and integrity.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a REALTOR

1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? (While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate, like many other professions, is mostly learned on the job.)

2. What designations do you hold? (Designations, such as GRI and CRS, which require that real estate professionals take additional, specialized real estate training, are held by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.)

3. How many homes did you and your company sell last year?

4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market?

5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices?

6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? (Look for someone who has aggressive, innovative approaches, not just someone who’s going to put a sign in the yard and hope for the best.)

7. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and the seller in the transaction? (While it’s usually legal to represent both parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the practitioner’s obligations lie. A good practitioner will explain the agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party. It’s also possible to insist that the practitioner represent you exclusively.)

8. Can you recommend service providers who can assist me in obtaining a mortgage, making repairs on my home, and other things I need done? (Keep in mind here that real estate professionals should generally recommend more than one provider and should tell you if they receive any compensation from any provider.)

9. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to you? (Having resources, such as in-house support staff, access to a real estate attorney, or assistance with technology, can help a real estate professional sell your home.)

10. What’s your business philosophy? (While there’s no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the real estate practitioner-fast sales, service, etc.-and determine how closely the practitioner’s goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.)

11. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? Using what media? (Again, this is not a question with a correct answer, but that one reflects your desires. Do you want updates twice a week or don’t want to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit?)

12. Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most recent clients?