Shawn Dodson's - Let's Get Real...Estate!

$193000 / 4br - BEAutiful Log Home - Foreclosure Property (Diamond)

2009-06-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

BEAUTIFUL! LOG HOME - ACREAGE

The deals keep coming!!

Get your hands on this 4 bedroom / 3 bath / 1 part bath --- enormous and beautiful log home foreclosure with approximately 3725+ sq.ft. of living space with 1100 sq.ft. of finished basement. It sits on over 5.5 acres of land. This log house is awesome. Call...Call...Call me!

First-time home buyers...get an $8000 check from the government just for buying this home. This is one of THE best bargain in the area!!

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION

1. Call or Email
2. Request the custom flyer for this property

Also check my website for even more great foreclosure properties!!

Best Wishes…Talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

2009-06-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Get out and enjoy your summer. According to top vacation companies here are some great spots.

The top 10 summer road-trip destinations are:

1. San Diego. This sun-soaked city in Southern California boasts some of the best beaches and includes the world-famous San Diego Zoo.

2. Philadelphia. The city of brotherly love is home to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall where the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed.

3. Houston. The fourth-largest city in the U.S. is home to NASA mission control and an up-and-coming Museum and Theater District.

4. San Francisco. Leave your heart in the city by the bay, which is home to the famous Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf.

5. Dallas. Two-step your way around the Big D with visits to its dozens of theme-parks including Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor.

6. Los Angeles. With celebrity sightings abound, the city of glitz and glamour offers Hollywood, the beaches of Malibu and the world-famous Disneyland.

7. Boston. The unofficial capital of New England, this northeast city gives travelers a taste of colonial America with historical sites such as the Boston Tea Party and a chance to catch a game at the fabled Fenway Park.

8. Phoenix. This desert city boasts world-class golf courses, spas and resorts.

9. Saint Louis. The “Gateway City” offers a variety of attractions for road-trippers, including the Gateway Arch and plays host to the Anheuser-Busch brewery.

10. Washington D.C. Check out the historical sites and monuments that dot the nation’s capitol, including the White House, Smithsonian and Lincoln Memorial.

$149900 / 4br - FORECLOSURE - Historical Mansion! (Joplin)

2009-06-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

BEAUTIFUL! HISTORIC MANSION! #1 BEST DEAL IN THE AREA!

Here I go again!

Get your hands on this 4+++ bedroom / 4 bath / 3 part bath --- enormous and beautiful victorian foreclosure with approximately 4425+ sq.ft. of living space and 1800 sq.ft. of unfinished basement. This house is awesome. It has a basement and three additional stories of house. Two of the stories are currently usable and the third was in the process of renovation. If the third story was finished it would yield several more bedrooms / bathrooms / whatever! Call...Call...Call me!

First-time home buyers...get an $8000 check from the government just for buying this home. This is THE best bargain in the area!!

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION

1. Call or Email
2. Request the custom flyer for this property

Also check my website for even more great foreclosure properties!!

Best Wishes…Talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

Neosho Bargain - Seriously

2009-05-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

As promised...you guys are the first to know!!

This house is not on the MLS yet. If you are interested call me ASAP before it is on for everyone to see.

916 Riverside Dr. - Neosho

3 bedroom / 1.5 Bathrooms
1124 sq. ft.
New Everything! (Carpet, Vinyl, Attic Fan, Paint, Heating System, Hot Water Heater, Lighting, Etc...)

Remodel almost finished. Buy it before they are done and get a great deal. All that's left is minor cosmetics. Less than $1000 worth of remodel left!

Finished...this house is valued at $69,000+

It's ON SALE right now for $57,900 (Did I mention it comes complete with all appliances included!)

Don't need a house right now. BUY IT...FINISH IT...SELL IT for a $10,000 profit!!

CALL ME!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
shawndodson@charlesburt.com
www.ShawnDodson.com

Grant Funded Through ‘The Recovery Act’ to Increase Jobs and Provide Boost to Local Housing Economies

2009-05-14T21:21:00.001-07:00

As part of an innovative partnership aimed at job creation and easing the pressures on the housing market, the Department of the Treasury and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) jointly announced programs that will provide billions of dollars in recovery funds to spur the development of thousands of affordable housing units in states around the country. Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (The Recovery Act), the programs together will provide approximately $5 billion for states to finance the acquisition and construction of affordable housing for working families.

Through the Recovery Act, the Treasury Department will now for the first time provide state housing agencies resources from which they will in turn provide cash assistance to developers of qualified affordable housing developments to fill the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LITC) gap. The program will increase the supply of newly constructed or recently renovated affordable housing units for families - affordable housing that otherwise may not have come to market due to current economic conditions.

“Affordable housing is key to every American’s economic security,” said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. “As the recession has worsened, unemployment has risen, and working families have suffered a loss of income, which has caused a downward economic spiral for too many American families and made it more difficult for those families to find affordable housing. With this new program, we are not only creating new jobs through new construction, we are ensuring the availability of affordable housing, which is good for the nation’s economic stability and the economic security of millions of American families.”

The economic and financial crises have presented significant challenges for the construction industry, particularly residential construction. Housing starts have fallen 80% from the peak level seen at the beginning of 2006. Houses currently under construction are at a 12-year low, down 60% from the peak in the first quarter of 2006. This collapse has led to severe job losses in the residential building and specialty trades sector related to housing, with employment down by nearly one-third - a loss of close to 1 million jobs. Such losses not only indicate the significant problems in the residential construction sector, but also suggest that the need for affordable housing has risen markedly during the recession.

In addition to Treasury’s new program, HUD will be awarding $2.25 billion in grants to state housing credit agencies through the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) to complete construction of qualified housing developments. The TCAP program will ultimately provide affordable housing to an estimated 35,000 low-income households.

“The intended purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to jumpstart the nation’s ailing economy, with a primary focus on creating and saving jobs in the near term,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “These programs are an important step in achieving the goal of putting American people back to work while at the same time providing quality, affordable housing options for low-income families. We are proud of the collaboration between Treasury and HUD that enabled us to announce these programs together.”

One of the by-products of the economic crisis has been the freezing of the investment in Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the federal government’s program for the development of affordable rental housing. Tax credits provide an incentive for investors to participate in the program, which in turn provides equity to developers to build multi-family rental housing for moderate and low income families across the nation. Developers depend on the equity generated as a result of the incentive provided by the tax credits to fill project financing gaps. In the current financial crisis, credit is tight, and as a number of traditional equity investors have left the market, the value of tax credits have plummeted. The result is that as many as 1,000 projects containing nearly 150,000 units across the country are on hold.

The Treasury and HUD programs will help jumpstart the market for construction of affordable housing by providing these combined $5 billion in funds for states to finance the acquisition and construction of buildings for affordable housing, which will create thousands of jobs in the construction and specialty trades sectors, from laborers to architects and engineers around the country. The funds will also provide housing for a broad cross section of individuals and families affected by the downturn of the housing market.

For more information, visit www.treasury.gov or www.hud.gov.

3021 Perkins - New Listing

2009-05-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Great New Listing!!

Check it out: http://www.postlets.com/res/2183191

You can also find it at my website: www.ShawnDodson.com

NAR: Pending Home Sales, Affordability Rise

2009-05-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Pending home sales rose with many first-time buyers taking advantage of historically good housing affordability conditions, according to the latest report by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in March, increased 3.2 percent to 84.6 from a level of 82 in February. It is 1.1 percent higher than March 2008 when it was 83.7.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says it should take a few months for the market to gain momentum.

“This increase could be the leading edge of first-time buyers responding to very favorable affordability conditions and an $8,000 tax credit, which increases buying power even more in areas where special programs allow buyers to use it as a down payment,” he says. “We need several months of sustained growth to demonstrate a recovery in housing, which is necessary for the overall economy to turn around.”

By Region

Here is a breakdown of pending home sales by region:

South: rose 8.5 percent to 93.2 in March and is 7.7 percent above a year ago.
West: increased 3.9 percent to 93.1 and is 1.7 percent higher than March 2008.
Northeast: fell 5.7 percent to 59.5 in March and is 24.1 percent below a year ago.
Midwest: slipped 1 percent to 82.3 but is 8.2 percent higher than March 2008.

NAR: Affordability Remains High

Meanwhile, NAR’s Housing Affordability Index remained near record highs.

The affordability index was 166.7 in March – down from an upwardly revised record of 174.4 in February due to higher home prices in March. The index remains 30.8 percentage points higher than a year ago.

The HAI is a broad measure of housing affordability using consistent values and assumptions over time, which examines the relationship between home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income; tracking began in 1970.

NAR President Charles McMillan says the increase in buying power is quite remarkable.

“Compared to a year ago, the typical family can pay much less in mortgage costs for the same home, or buy a better home without necessarily increasing their monthly payment,” he says. “For buyers who’ve been on the sidelines and have good jobs, the market has never looked more favorable. Homeownership has always offered immediate benefits and long-term value, but the advantages in today’s market are unique.”

A median-income family, earning $61,100, could afford a home costing $291,600 in March with a 20 percent down payment, assuming 25 percent of gross income is devoted to mortgage principal and interest.

Affordability conditions for first-time buyers with the same income and small down payments are roughly 80 percent of that amount. The affordable price was notably higher than the median existing single-family home price in March, which was $174,900

5 Maintenance Issues Owners Shouldn't Ignore

2009-05-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Consumer Reports magazine advises home owners not to put off important maintenance projects, noting that waiting until the economy rebounds could end up making the repairs more costly while putting a family's health at risk.

The magazine identifies five crucial maintenance issues:

1. Check the gutters: Clogged gutters, broken fasteners and separations where the gutters meet the fascia board will lead to roof leaks if they haven’t already.

2. Inspect the roof: Cracked, curled and mussing shingles mean a roof is nearing the end of its useful life. Cracks around chimneys, skylights, and roof valleys can also suggest the roof might be leaking.

3. Look for bugs: Termites and carpenter ants can bore through a home in a few short years. Probe the sill plate on top of the foundation with a screwdriver to check for rotten wood. Also look for carpenter ants and termites along windowsills and walls.

4. Avoid mold: Mold and mildew can cause musty odors, dank air, and make residents sick. Check under carpets and around windows for visible mold or mildew.

5. Don’t ignore cracks: Foundation cracks wider than 3/16 of an inch can be a problem. These require examination by a structural engineer.

FORECLOSURE - WEBB CITY - LOG HOME

2009-05-10T00:20:00.001-07:00

AMAZING BARGAIN!! I"LL HELP YOU MOVE IN!!

I've put this out there before when the price was excellent. That was $10,000 dollars ago!!

Beautiful log home with sauna in the Webb City area has now been reduced.

First-time home buyers...get an $8000 check from the gov't for buying this home. Everyone else...get the best bargain in the area!!

If you are ready to buy you need to email me. I will send you a custom flyer describing this property in detail. You can also request a custom list of other foreclosures in the area as well as being placed on my exclusive foreclosure hot list. The hot list will automatically email you the greatest bargains in the area so you know before anyone else does.

Talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

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Your Home Sold – Guaranteed – Or I Will Buy It!!

FREE Home Selling Tips!!

Hot List - Joplin Foreclosure

2009-05-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.ShawnDodson.com

HOT LIST! If you’re looking for a bargain in the Joplin area and are in this price range, don't wait another second...deals like this don't come around very often. This property is a newer home with over 2000 sq.ft. 2-story with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and room to enjoy the outdoors with a nice large lot. Finish the remodel and you have an amazing house. Schedule to see it.

You can pick it up for $99,000 or better! Seriously...call me now and get this one before it's gone! Want more information? Email or call me for more information. I will send you a flyer directly to your email for you to review.

Also...email me ASAP and get your custom list of foreclosure properties in the area emailed directly to you with information and pictures for your review. The more details you give me about what you are looking for...the better list I can send!

Serious buyers and investors are contacting me everyday to help them purchase their new homes and investment property. They do this because they know what others don't. They know that they always need a buyer’s agent on their side for every deal they do. They know that I am a foreclosure and distress sell specialist. They know that I offer all of my real estate and negotiation knowledge to them for FREE! Can't beat them odds!

Put the odds in your favor...contact me TODAY!

Best wishes...talk to you soon!!
_____________________________________________________________________

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Looking to sell your home soon? Find out how I my marketing system will get your house at top dollar and faster than the competition. Also receive the best seller tips to sell in today’s market by requesting a FREE comparative market analysis.

Buying soon? My “buyer’s plan of action” service will get you into your dream home faster than you hoped possible. The service is FREE and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Ask about my buyer’s guarantee today.

Also, get great buyer, seller, and investment tips from my blog at http://shawndodson.blogspot.com/

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

New Foreclosure - Neosho

2009-05-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.ShawnDodson.com

HOT LIST! If you’re looking for a bargain in the Neosho area and are in this price range, don't wait another second...deals like this don't come around very often. This property is a newer home with over 3000 sq.ft. with 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and room to expand. It sits on close to 5 acres.

You can pick it up for $129,900 or better! Seriously...call me now and get this one before it's gone! Want more information? Email or call me for more information. I will send you a flyer directly to your email for you to review.

Also...email me ASAP and get your custom list of foreclosure properties in the area emailed directly to you with information and pictures for your review. The more details you give me about what you are looking for...the better list I can send!

Serious buyers and investors are contacting me everyday to help them purchase their new homes and investment property. They do this because they know what others don't. They know that they always need a buyer’s agent on their side for every deal they do. They know that I am a foreclosure and distress sell specialist. They know that I offer all of my real estate and negotiation knowledge to them for FREE! Can't beat them odds!

Put the odds in your favor...contact me TODAY!

Best wishes...talk to you soon!!
___________________________________________________

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Looking to sell your home soon? Find out how I my marketing system will get your house at top dollar and faster than the competition. Also receive the best seller tips to sell in today’s market by requesting a FREE comparative market analysis.

Buying soon? My “buyer’s plan of action” service will get you into your dream home faster than you hoped possible. The service is FREE and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Ask about my buyer’s guarantee today.

Also, get great buyer, seller, and investment tips from my blog at http://shawndodson.blogspot.com/

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

Fight Inflation: Buy a Home

2009-05-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Some economic analysts say that the possibility that the economy will go into overdrive and inflation will skyrocket is a much more frightening possibility than the current recession.

One inflation hedge nearly all of them point to is real estate. Owning it outright is the best scenario, but if that’s not possible, a low-rate, 30-year fixed mortgage is the next best thing. As inflation drives up salaries, mortgage payments will stay the same, analysts point out.

Contact me today to go buy a home. When inflation occurs...you can benefit and not be a victim.

www.ShawnDodson.com

Bank of America Drops Countrywide Name

2009-05-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Bank of America, which bought Countrywide Home Loans last year, has officially changed the lender’s name to Bank of America Home Loans.

The name change recognizes the merger of Countrywide and Bank of America’s previously existing mortgage and home equity lending operation.

At the height of the housing boom, Countrywide was the country’s largest mortgage lender and had major involvement in subprime lending.

The name change will coincide with the beginning of what has traditionally been the busiest home buying season. The move comes after the two company merged their back-office operations, says Barbara Desoer, president of Bank of America Home Loans.

www.ShawnDodson.com

Housing Analysts Predict the Bottom Is Near

2009-05-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

The bottom of the housing decline is near, predicted analysts and home builders attending the National Association of Home Builders’ semiannual Construction Forecast Conference last week.

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, facetiously picked a date when home prices would stop falling: Dec. 15, 2009. Other observers weren’t so precise, but they did generally agree that the federal government’s efforts to shore up the market would take effect by the end of 2009 or early in 2010.

Analysts also predicted that consumers will spend less on remodeling. Eric Belsky, executive director at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, predicted that spending on remodeling would fall 12.3 percent by the end of this year compared to last.

Analysts project that the credit crisis will loosen, although people with blemished credit records may continue to have trouble getting mortgage loans.

www.ShawnDodson.com

Homeownership at Lowest Level Since 2000

2009-05-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

According to the Census Bureau, the rate of U.S. homeownership slipped in the 2009 first quarter to the lowest level since the start of the decade.

The U.S. homeownership rate dropped to 67.5 percent from 68 percent a year earlier, driven largely by a sharp decline among younger buyers as well as among African-American households.

Loose credit pushed up national homeownership levels in recent years, but the trend is now being reversed by the recession and a foreclosure epidemic.

DO NOT WAIT!! AHHH! Call Me!

2009-04-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

SENECA - FORECLOSURE HOME - $69,000

Seriously...call quick!!

This house is 3 bedroom / 1 full bath / 1 part bath --- 1900 sq.ft. living area --- 600 sq.ft. Basement! --- 1 acre --- IN-GROUND POOL!

Somebody is about to own a BARGAIN!!

Seriously, just call me to go get this purchased.

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What kind of house are you looking for? Let me know some details and I will send you some flyers of properties you may be interested in.

Best wishes...talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Also, get great buyer, seller, and investment tips from my blog at: http://shawndodson.blogspot.com/

Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

Garage Sales Provide Opportunity to Make a Little Money, Have a Little Fun

2009-04-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Garage sales are no longer seen as a money-making opportunity anymore, they are seen as an event. Now that the good weather has arrived, homeowners across the country are taking the opportunity to clean out the house and get rid of unneeded items. Not only are garage sales a good way to put a little extra cash in your pocket, they serve as a great opportunity to enjoy the weather and catch up with neighbors.

Here are some tips for hosting a successful garage sale:

Set the date

Timing can affect a sale’s success. Many homeowners who have hosted garage sales in the past find that it is better to hold them in March or April, instead of during the summer. Not only is there less competition during March and April, but people are excited to get out of the house and enjoy the weather. In addition to the time of year, the time of week is important as well. Wednesdays and Thursdays often draw the biggest crowds as the weekends are full of family responsibilities.

Check community calendars for events that might keep people from your sale - or conversely, draw people to your area. It’s also a good idea to check whether your community requires permits or has sign restrictions or other regulations.

Recruit

Bigger sales attract bigger crowds, so offer to sell your friends’ and neighbors’ stuff. If more than one family is participating in the garage sale, each seller should price their own items and initial the price stickers so that items can be tracked.

Recruit several helpers, so plenty of people are around to greet customers, answer questions, straighten merchandise and make sales - and, of course, to make the event fun.

Advertise

Advertise in the local publication where you see the most garage sale ads, because you can bet that’s the place avid buyer’s check. Include the days, times and location, along with directions if the house is hard to find and highlight items that appeal to a range of buyers.

Don’t forget to advertise in free places such as Craigslist and bulletin boards in libraries, community centers, grocery stores and the like. And make sure you tell everyone you know about your sale.

Prepare

It is important to make sure the items you are selling are clean before the sale starts. Give yourself time before the sale to clean the garage, launder clothes and get other items in top condition.

Make sure the sale area is safe, too, with no loose cords or sharp objects within reach. Repair electrical items if you can, which makes them more appealing to customers and allows you to charge more. If you can’t fix them, mark them as broken.

Keep in mind that most shoppers are looking for things they can buy cheaply. You’ll probably get more money for antiques and higher-priced items by selling them through such means as classified ads or eBay.

Price to sell

If you don’t have experience with garage sale pricing, you might check thrift stores, classified ads, other garage sales or online sites such as Amazon.com, Half.com and eBay for pricing guidance. An eBay check can also flag items that are more valuable than you’d thought.

Set up

Take a cue from stores, and display like items together. People can see things more easily if they’re on tables rather than on the ground. Display clothes on hangers if you can, maybe even grouped into outfits. Display electrical items near an outlet or extension cord so shoppers can test them, and display books on tables or in boxes with the spines up. Furniture, bikes, TV sets and other big items should be placed near the street, where they’ll catch the eyes of people driving by and lure them into stopping.

Focus on service

Garage sales are social events, so it’s nice to make your shoppers feel welcome. Nice items to have on hand are a tape measure, wet wipes or tissues, scrap paper and pencils for customers’ use, a calculator, plastic grocery bags and newspapers for wrapping breakable items. If you have a cordless or cell phone, keep it outside with you in case it’s needed. Make sure you have plenty of change on hand as well.

Stay safe

Keep an eye on the cash box, or wear a fanny pack or carpenter’s apron so you can keep the cash on you. Display valuables at a table that’s always staffed. Don’t change big bills. If the customer says he has nothing smaller, direct him to a bank or store where he can get change.

Lock the doors to your house, and don’t let anyone inside - or if you do, make sure the person is accompanied. You might even make copies of directions to a nearby public bathroom so you can hand them to people who ask.

Plan for leftovers

Even the best garage sales won’t rid you of everything, so it’s smart to have a plan to get rid of what doesn’t sell.

10 Steps to Building Wealth by Investing in Real Estate in Any Economy

2009-04-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

There’s no question that America is in a tight spot. Every day seems to bring a new wave of recession-related bad news. But stop panicking for a second, tune out the negative chatter, and listen closely. The recent financial and housing crises have actually led to some serious opportunities for level-headed investors who want to get rich the right way rather than get rich quickly.

The grand irony is that the financial and housing collapses actually create a favorable environment for real estate investing. Interest rates are down, property values are depressed in many parts of the country, and real estate is still a great long-term investment. That hasn’t changed. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re in the right place financially and can afford to invest in real estate, there are plenty of opportunities out there.

My core advice is as true today as it was before the recession. The fact is, there’s a right way and a wrong way to invest in real estate. The wrong way led to the recent real estate crisis. The right way can lead to great financial gains for long-term investors.

Here are ten tips for the savvy investor:

1. Save, save, save. All real estate investors need a nest egg. That means even as you develop additional sources of income, you should hold steady on or preferably even cut current expenses in order to build up your savings. Even if you can find properties where the seller provides all the financing, you can’t escape certain out-of-pocket expenses or the opportunity cost of lost income as you expend your time and energy tracking down properties and performing due diligence.

2. Get your credit sparkling clean. The best opportunities and the most options are available to the real estate investors who have both cash and good credit. Sellers and lenders aren’t going to provide financing to a buyer with a poor credit history. Because the purchase of real estate virtually always necessitates the borrowing of funds, make sure that your credit report is as accurate and as favorable as possible.

3. Buy property in the path of progress. It’s usually a good idea to buy in areas that will continue to improve through new investment and economic activity. After you locate the best cities or neighborhoods, look for two types of underachieving real estate assets: Income properties that are tired and worn and have deferred maintenance, or those that are physically sound but poorly managed.

4. Buy the right property at the best price possible. Sounds like a no-brainer, especially in the current environment, right? Unfortunately, it’s often easier said than done. To be successful, you’ll have to follow certain guidelines. Get-rich-right investors rarely buy new or fully renovated properties unless they’re in the path of progress or a prime location. Why? Because the value-added or appreciation has already been taken by the current owner.

5. Don’t fall into the do-it-yourself trap if the “time” factor doesn’t make sense. Yes, doing the work yourself may be cheaper if you know what you’re doing. But it makes no sense to have a rental property off the market for three weeks while you spend evenings and weekends painting in a misguided attempt to save the $1,000 that a contractor would charge for painting that would take two days.

6. Keep abreast of market rents. One of the biggest challenges for most rental property owners is determining the proper rent to charge tenants for newly renovated rental units. But finding the right rental rate simply requires some homework and research. The best indications of the market value of your renovated property can be found through a market survey of comparable properties.

7. Recover renovation dollars through refinancing. A key element of the get-rich-right strategy is to keep your capital working and use leverage reasonably while maintaining sufficient equity to weather the ups and downs of local real estate cycles. Acquiring and renovating your rental property required cash, but you also have increased the income, which has created additional value. You can now use this increased value to refinance the property to cover your initial costs. While you should avoid borrowing too much and overleveraging your investments, you also don’t want to be too conservative and underestimate your cash needs. Borrow extra money or have an untapped line of credit available to allow for reserves.

8. Reposition property with better tenants. One of the best ways to increase the income and value of your newly renovated real estate investment is to reposition the property with new, more financially qualified tenants. Look to upgrade your tenants by marketing to a new target tenant profile and re-leasing the property. After all, the current tenants may be the reason that the previous owner sold the property.

9. Refinance or sell and defer again. Notwithstanding the decline in property values in most areas in the late-2000s, long-term rental property owners find that they have a considerable amount of equity tied up in their property because of the appreciation that has occurred over the decades throughout much of the country. Having some equity in the property is good and keeps you from faltering should the local real estate economics take a hit, but too much equity just sitting in a property lowers your overall returns.

10. Consolidate holdings into larger properties. Most long-term real estate investors find that they reach the point where their management responsibilities and duties no longer conform to the lifestyle that they can afford. They decide to simplify their lives and hire professional property managers to deal with tenants, turnover, toilets, and trash. But finding and paying for a qualified property manager for a diversified portfolio of small rental properties isn’t easy or cost-effective.

In my experience, successful real estate investors tend to be savvy, hard working, conscientious individuals who enthusiastically perform comprehensive due diligence before buying a property. They don’t reinvent the wheel with each deal, because they know their market niche, personal skills, and available resources. They have a vision and use their tried-and-true game plan for each property. If you develop these skills, you can uncover unique properties with value-added potential that are often missed by others. So, take advantage of today’s buyer’s market, and get started now.

Call Me: 417.782.1234

Visit my website: www.ShawnDodson.com

Housing Messages Mixed

2009-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Housing messages mixed

The Obama administration keeps telling us things are looking up, but the real players in both the economy and real estate are all over the map in both results and predictions. The National Association for Realtors has pulled together some of those confusing housing indicators from last week:

- The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, reported that home prices rose 0.7 percent from January to February 2009.

- The February 2009 RPX Monthly Housing Market Report said home sales increased month over month in 22 of 25 key metropolitan statistical areas and 13 of these areas posted the largest gain in February 2009 since 2006.

- The National of Association of REALTORS® reported that existing home sales dropped in March 2009, and median prices fell 12 percent from a year earlier.

- First American CoreLogic announced that national housing prices declined 12.2 percent in February from a year earlier and have been in decline for 24 straight months. It predicted that home prices would continue to decline through 2010.

Clarification or more mixed messages?

Just to keep up the confusion by trying to explain it, The National Association of Home Builders reported that production of single-family homes is unchanged, despite falling housing starts. "Today's numbers are right on target with NAHB's forecast, which anticipates that housing starts will bottom out in the second quarter, after new-home sales have stabilized," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "Single-family starts remained virtually unchanged over the past three months, indicating that we are closing in on a bottom. Multifamily starts - which tend to bounce around from month to month -- were responsible for the decline in total starts as they readjusted following a substantial gain in February." But he warned, "A substantial recovery in housing of the kind that's required to help get the national economy back on its feet will not happen until the logjam in acquisition, development and construction financing has been broken.

Swine Flu hits the market

World stocks tumbled after seven weeks of gains, and both oil and the euro fell on Monday as concerns intensified the spread of swine flu would hit the global economy. Mexico seems to be the center of the outbreak, although cases have spread to countries around the world. As many as 103 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by swine flu, CNN reported. In the United States, the largest number of cases has been reported in New York City. "The swine flu seems to be one of those 'Black Swan' events that has caught the market by surprise. This is a concern as to whether it might impact any potential...recovery chances," said Martin Slaney, head of derivatives at GFT Global Markets. The MSCI world equity index fell 0.7 percent. The U.S. government plans to issue a travel warning later Monday urging Americans to avoid all "nonessential" trips to Mexico because of an outbreak of swine flu, a U.S. official said.

GM slashes jobs, debt, and dealerships

In its latest bid to stay out of bankruptcy, General Motors announced plans to drop Pontiac, cut 23,000 U.S. jobs by 2011, and slash 40% of its dealer network. GM is also offering bondholders 225 shares of its stock for every $1,000 it owes the bondholders in principal. GM's first plan was turned down by President Obama's auto industry task force in February, but this restructuring announcement goes much further.

The company had announced many of the job cuts in February, but Monday's news that GM would have about 38,000 hourly U.S. employees by 2011 represents an additional reduction of 7,000 to 8,000 jobs beyond what GM disclosed in its previous viability plan. The Obama administration's task force said today that the new plan "reflects the work GM has done since March 30 to chart a new path to financial viability," but added that it "has made no final decision regarding the treatment of its current loan to GM or with respect to any future investments in the company." Not exactly a rousing endorsement, is it?

Wall Street Journal explodes at regulators

In perhaps its harshest language yet, the Wall Street Journal takes a crack at mismanagement by Paulson and Ben Bernanke. Here's how the article opens: "The cavalier use of brute government force has become routine, but the emerging story of how Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke forced CEO Ken Lewis to blow up Bank of America is still shocking. It's a case study in the ways that panicky regulators have so often botched the bailout and made the financial crisis worse. In the name of containing "systemic risk," our regulators spread it. In order to keep Mr. Lewis quiet, they all but ordered him to deceive his own shareholders. And in the name of restoring financial confidence, they have so mistreated Bank of America that bank executives everywhere have concluded that neither Treasury nor the Federal Reserve can be trusted."

Now on to our real estate investing education section...

Derivatives - The Next Shoe to Drop?

About the time short sale investors have started to grow weary of watching the evening news a new economic threat is beginning to rear its ugly head - derivatives. While most of the media has been content to talk about falling real estate prices (which are beginning to look good in comparison to other investment options), faltering currencies, corporate bankruptcies and bail-outs only the most fearless dare to mention what is on everyone's mind...the dreaded derivative market.

To get a perspective on the situation consider these startling facts:

The total value of residential real estate in the United States is estimated to be roughly $10 Trillion.

The annual GDP of the USA is roughly $15 Trillion.

The global GDP for the entire world is roughly $50 Trillion.

The total value of all real estate in the entire world is roughly $75 Trillion.

The derivative market is roughly $516 Trillion...excluding private transactions between non-reporting entities.

Obviously the problem is huge which is one reason big banks are eager to settle the real estate related problems as soon as possible in order to position themselves - with cash in hand - for the next stage of the economic playbook. By now there should be one burning question on the minds of every savvy short sale investor; "Which banks are heavily invested in derivatives?"... well, that is a good question and one in which we have an answer. In order of shock and awe are the derivative investments of some of the biggest names in the banking industry as of the end of 2008 as represented by a percentage of their risk based capital is as follows:

Wachovia: Approximately 53 percent

Bank of America: 194 percent

Citibank: 258 percent

JPMorgan Chase: 430 percent

HSBC: 595 percent

Scary isn't it? This means that for every dollar of capital held by HSBC, they have nearly $6 of exposure to the derivative market however, all of these banks are above the suggested maximum of 25 percent exposure so at what point does it even matter? This type of scenario is what has many economic experts calling for the end of the historic strategy of buying and holding stocks, bonds and even dollar based currency for the foreseeable future as one bubble after another continues to burst.

Remember, the entire global GDP is only $50 trillion...which would not even be enough to "bail-out" Citibank alone should the derivative market collapse. Now ask yourself, where do you intend to park your hard earned money over the coming years? Stocks? Bonds? Currencies backed by governments forced to bail-out one bad investment after another?

How about putting it into the one tangible asset that provides the fundamentals required for a great return, flexible financing, long term tax breaks and a historical precedent unlike all others...real estate. The choice is yours - listen to the same media pundits that lead you down this path and believe the rhetoric about the market moving upward or cash out while you still can and invest in something safe for the long haul. Just remember, when the derivative shoe finally does drop...you heard it here first.

See you at the top!

Also visit my website: http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Featured Foreclosures: Antique Historical Homes at Deep Discounts

2009-04-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

With real estate foreclosure inventories reaching historical levels, those shopping for a piece of history to call home are in luck. The current market cuts across all regions, neighborhoods, and styles of architecture in the USA, and includes some gorgeous and elegant older houses that are more than 100 years old.

I have an example of a vintage home listed at old-fashioned price. It represents a huge discount, but this lovely property is far from typical because it captures and reflects the charm, craftsmanship, and attention to architectural detail of a bygone era.

Just click this link to view this great home.

CLICK HERE

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

Follow my Blog: http://shawndodson.blogspot.com

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/joplinrealtor

Why Foreclosure Buying is on the Rise

2009-04-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

There are several reasons as to why foreclosure buying is on the rise. If you are interested in knowing more about these reasons you should be able to find all of the information that you could ever need. Since this sector of the real estate industry began to take off, more and more information has popped up all over the place. You can find information on foreclosure buying by reading the newspaper, industry publications, the internet, and by talking with others who are involved. Simply put, you will never be at a loss for information.
The number one reason that foreclosure buying is on the rise is that people have seen the potential that lie within. When you buy a foreclosure you have a very good chance of turning it into a lot of money if you know what you are doing. Of course, this is not always the case but it works out like this for a lot of people a lot of the time. The fact of the matter is that foreclosure buying can mean big money for you in the end.
Another reason that foreclosure buying is increasing is because the number of properties that fit this mold are also on the rise. After all, as more foreclosures hit the market it is only natural that more and more of them will be purchased. In today's day and age more people than ever before are buying homes that they cannot afford. They want to be in the upper crust of society, and they will do pretty much whatever it takes to get there. But the problem with this is that they often times cannot pay their mortgage, and foreclosure is soon to follow.
If you are interested in foreclosure buying make sure that you take your time learning about how to get started. You do not want to make the mistake of thinking that you can simply buy a foreclosure, and then resell it for gobs of cash. This is never the case because you will have to put in some level of work if you want to be a success.
All in all, foreclosure buying is on the rise. Although this is sure to peak sooner rather than later, for the time being you should look into how you can make this work for you.
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If you are looking to buy a foreclosure property send me some information on what you are looking for. I can get you information on the newest foreclosures on the market.

Best Wishes...Talk to you soon!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

States Contemplate Loans for Home Buyers

2009-04-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

The $8,000 first-time home buyer mortgage tax credit, which is part of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is a great boon. But, it doesn't help people who don't have money for a down payment and closing costs.

Now some states are contemplating offering an $8,000 loan to home buyers before they close on the condition that they repay the loans as soon as they get their federal tax credits.

The idea has been adopted in Missouri, which advances the money to those who take out first mortgages offered through the state's housing finance authority. The New York State Builders Association is lobbying the State of New York Mortgage Agency to adopt a similar strategy.

"A lot of states are trying to get through the technical aspects of this," says Gregory Brown, an assistant vice president for government affairs at the National Association of Home Builders. "I feel very confident they'll find a way to make it work."

Meanwhile, some home builders are taking matters into their own hands, offering programs that purchase the tax credit from borrowers prior to closing.

"This is a legitimate monetizing program that actually works," says David Abrahamson, vice president of S.E. operations for American Home Key Mortgage Company, which makes the loans for many participating builders in the southeast.
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If you are looking to buy a home soon...contact me. I can help you throughout the buying process.

Talk to you soon!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

Huge House - Little Price - FORECLOSURE!

2009-04-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Wow! Huge house...AND...now it's cheap! If you're looking for a deal and are in this price range, don't wait another second. This property is approximately 2700 sq.ft. with 4 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms / 2 car garage. Call me and get this one before it's gone! It is located in the Neosho area.

Email or call me for more information. I will send you a flyer directly to your email for you to review.

Also...email me ASAP and get a list of other foreclosure properties in the area emailed directly to you with information and pictures for your review. The more details you give me about what you are looking for...the better list I can send! It's easy...just click the email link above.

Serious buyers and investors are contacting me everyday to help them purchase their new homes and investment property. They do this because they know what others don't. They know that they always need a buyer's agent on their side for every deal they do. They know that I am a foreclosure and distress sell specialist. They know that I offer all of my real estate and negotiation knowledge to them for FREE! Finally, they know I provide the areas only buyer protection gaurantee (for my clients). Can't beat them odds!

Put the odds in your favor...contact me TODAY!

Best wishes...talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Also, get great buyer, seller, and investment tips from my blog at http://shawndodson.blogspot.com/

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

7 Tips to Avoid the Vacant Home Look

2009-04-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

Selling a home that is vacant can be harder than selling a lived-in home, experts say. Here are some ideas from me to you on things you should consider to protect an empty property and get it sold.

1. Give the house a lived-in look. Get a neighbor or family member to make the house look occupied by parking a car in the driveway, opening and closing the drapes and taking in any mail.

2. Groom the yard. Use a lawn service during the summer to keep the grass cut and a snow removal service in the winter to scrape the walks and driveway.

3. No outstanding nicks. Hide the effects of missing furniture. Paint and replace rugs so there are no faded spots or blemishes on the walls. Cover accent paint that alone looks odd.

4. Leave some furniture. A few chairs, tables, lamps and beds (or empty mattress boxes with spreads) give buyers a sense of space.

5. Keep the utilities on. Set the thermostat at a comfortable level during the winter and summer.

6. Hire a maid. Make sure the home remains spotless.

7. Check the homeowner's policy. Understand the coverage when the home is vacant.
Protect you home or investment while you are trying to sell.

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If your looking to sell your home...give me a call. I will create a great marketing strategy just for you. I'll get your home sold quickly and at a great price.

Talk to you soon!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

Be the first to know...follow me on Twitter! www.Twitter.com

Abandoned Properties: Empty Houses = Full Pockets

2009-04-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Driving through just about any neighborhood, you will find homes that have overgrown, unkempt lawns, a stack of freebie newspapers on the front steps, no curtains in the windows, and basically just a "nobody lives here" feel to them.

These are the properties that you are looking for. Once you find one, you need to act quickly to seize your profits!

When you locate a property that you feel is vacant, the first thing to do is attempt to locate the owners of the property. First and foremost, go to a neighbors home and ask if they know anything about the home and its former occupants. Many times a neighbor will be a gold mine of information, and they probably love to talk!
When they start talking--listen up!

Take out your notepad and begin taking down all of the information they care to share. Do understand that much of this info may be speculation and gossip, but there may indeed be a nugget of truth in there somewhere.

If they indeed say that the property is vacant, you may want to sneak a peek at any old mail that may have been delivered and not forwarded. It is illegal to take mail out of the mailbox, but you can sneak a peek, get the name off of any old mail. This in itself will aid you in locating the owner.

Now that you have armed yourself with as much ammunition as you could find at the property, you will want to set out to investigate further. Depending on the size of your city, you will want to go to the city hall or county building and simply ask to whom you should speak in order to locate the owner of a certain property.

They will direct you to the office or offices that will give you the best information. I personally have found that the tax recorders office has the best records because they collect the taxes every year.

In my town, they tell me if the property was classified as a single-family or multi-family home and the name and address of the last known owner. Between what I find out at the property itself from the neighbors and my sneaking around and the city and county buildings, I set out to contact owners.

Try to talk to a former tenant first

Before I actually attempt to get to the owners of the property on the phone, I try and talk with the person who actually lived in the property last. Many times this was a tenant. Why would I want to talk with a tenant?

Simple: You want to find out the truth about what is wrong with the place! Again, you want to try and get the previous tenants on the phone if possible.

If you have the name and address, you can do a quick search using an Online phone directory. You simply input the information and hopefully you will come up with a contact number.

A quick call to the tenant explaining that you are doing research on the property located at "xyz address," and that you need information on the property "before our offices contact the owner" and you will get every bit of dirt the home has to offer!

You will know which lights are burnt out and which hinges squeak on which doors. Of course, we want all this information to gain the control we need when speaking to an owner.

The final step is to contact the owner directly. You want to have extreme confidence when speaking with them. The way to gain this confidence is to remember that you hold all the cards:

You know what is wrong with the home

You know that it is costing the owners money either in payments, insurance, taxes, or all three

You know that they do not have a ton of interest in the property, or they would be doing something with it

Remember, YOU hold all the cards

Get the owners on the phone if you can and tell them that you are an investor who purchases and renovates homes in that community.

Tell them that you are working with neighbors (You are because you spoke with them, remember?) in an effort to revitalize their neighborhood, and that you may be interested in buying the property IF the repairs are not too extensive.

At first the owners may try to play hardball and state that the home is great, and they were planning on fixing it up, but they will consider any offers. Be friendly and upbeat and explain that that would be great.

Tell them that you had already figured that they would be looking to fix it up, and that you have a list of needed repairs from an exterior inspection and speaking with the former tenant (give them the tenant's name).

At this point, they will know that you have them, and their attitudes will change. Make your low ball offer and see if they bite. Sometimes you get lucky and they say that they want to get rid of it and basically ask YOU what you want to pay. Again, low ball is the key phrase. The bottom line is to acquire the property for as little money as possible.

What if I cannot find a former tenant or the owner? Well, if I cannot find a former tenant, I visually inspect the neighborhood and the exterior of the home. I still contact the owners with an air of confidence, as I know that they still have a vacant property that is costing them money.

If I cannot locate the owner? Make them call you! Place a big, bold hand-printed FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the yard with my number on it. More often than not, the owner, a relative of the owner, or a friend of the owner will call me. Most of the time, it is the owners themselves.
If they do, I apologize for the sign stating that an assistant must have gotten their house confused for another empty home in the neighborhood, "but since I have you on the phone, what are you going to do with the house?" The air of confidence comes rushing back!

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If you are in investor and are looking for the "DEAL", call me! I help investors all the time and would love to help you too.

looking to learn real estate investing? I have classes forming soon!

Best Wishes...Talk to you soon!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
www.ShawnDodson.com

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Helping More Homeowners - Loan Modifications Increasing

2009-04-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac modified nearly 24,000 loans during the fourth quarter of 2008, an increase of 76% over the third quarter. The modifications, along with the suspension of foreclosures that began November 26, reduced the number of foreclosures by nearly 27% during the quarter, according to data released by James B. Lockhart, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as part of the Foreclosure Prevention Report for the fourth quarter for 2008.

The FHFA report details the actions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have taken to prevent foreclosures and keep people in their homes. It analyzes data provided by the companies with adjustments to account for the impact of the foreclosure suspension. The suspension, originally set to end Jan. 9, 2009, was later extended to Jan. 31, 2009.

“Fewer homeowners are losing their homes as a result of the foreclosure prevention efforts,” said Director Lockhart. “We expect the numbers of those getting relief to grow further as the Making Home Affordable program picks up speed in coming months.”

The foreclosure prevention options include forbearance plans, payment plans, delinquency advances and loan modifications. Workout options that led to resolution of delinquent accounts, which means the account was either reinstated or removed from the portfolio, increased 15% in the last quarter of 2008.

The report shows that as of Dec. 31, 2008, of the Enterprises’ 30.7 million residential mortgages:

• Modifications represented 34.0% of fourth quarter loss mitigation actions up from 22.2% of the third quarter.
• Completed payment plans represented 19.0% of fourth quarter loss mitigation actions compared to 24.2% of the third quarter.
• Short sales represented 8.9% of fourth quarter loss mitigation actions compared to 7.7% of third quarter.
• Deeds in lieu represented 0.8% of fourth quarter loss mitigation actions compared to 0.7% in the third quarter.

As a result of increased loss mitigation efforts and the foreclosure suspensions, the overall loss mitigation performance ratio (loss mitigation actions as a percentage of mortgages for which foreclosure was likely) for mortgages serviced on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, increased from 55% during the third quarter of 2008 to 65.7% in the fourth quarter. For prime loans, the ratio increased from 45.1% to 54.2%, and for nonprime loans from 64.7% in the third quarter to 75.3% in the fourth quarter.

Suspensions gave servicers more time to work with borrowers in foreclosure who were eligible for the Streamlined Modification Program introduced in early November 2008. The impact of the suspensions caused December 2008 numbers for completed foreclosure and third-party sales to decline and for total loans, 60-plus, and 90-plus-days delinquent loans to increase.

When adjusted to account for foreclosure suspensions, the month-over-month change in the delinquency rates decreased. The month-over-month change in the 60-plus-days delinquency rate from October 2008 to November 2008 was an increase of 14.39%. The month-over-month change from November 2008 to December 2008 was an increase of 9.31%.

For more information, visit www.fanniemae.com or www.freddiemac.com.

5 Things You Need to Know Before Buying Renters’ Insurance

2009-04-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

It is, unfortunately, an all-too-familiar news image: An apartment building smolders in the hours after a major fire. The traumatized residents have gone off to put their lives back in order. In all likelihood, they have lost most of their possessions.

Some of those tenants will find financial support for their losses through their renters’ insurance policies. However, a majority of renters probably don’t have coverage, either because they believe they can’t afford it or because they don’t even know such a thing exists, according to a 2007 survey by Apartments.com.

The average renters’ insurance in the U.S. is about $200 annually. A lot of people don’t think about purchasing it because they think their landlord is responsible, but in reality, it’s the tenant that’s responsible for their own belongings.

And the value of those belongings can add up, even in the households of many young adults just starting out on their own: Computers, stereos, plasma-screen televisions, etc., are part-and-parcel of many an urban lifestyle these days.

Insurers say beyond personal property, renters may need to consider another possession - protection from liability lawsuits in this litigious age.

Here are five things renters should know about insurance:

1. What’s the real cost? That $200 annual cost is a generalization, though it’s generally regarded as a reliable one. It depends on where you live and how much property you’re insuring. It also depends on the size of the deductible and other coverage.

A $250 deductible (an amount the insured party pays out-of-pocket before coverage kicks in on a claim) is probably most commonly found in the standard wording of renters’ policies, but you should take the highest deductible you can afford, maybe a $500 one, because it’s going to lower your premium cost.

2. Two forms of coverage. Policies usually cover property in one of two ways, providing either the “actual cash value” or the “replacement value” of the household objects in paying out a claim.

Actual cash value policies pay what a possession is deemed to be worth at the time of the loss. In other words, if, your laptop cost you $800 a few years ago, its value would be less today, an amount the insurer would calculate in determining how much to pay you for the loss.

Replacement-cost coverage is just what it sounds like - it pays out the equivalent cost if you were to go out and get a similar laptop today. Such coverage, because of the higher payout, carries a higher premium.

3. Beyond property. Policies cover more than lost property. For example, they also provide payment for living expenses if you’re displaced from the unit for covered events, such as fires.

Another major area of coverage is liability. If somebody comes into your apartment or rented home and trips on a rug, that’s still a liability issue.

Generally, policies include up to $100,000 liability coverage, however, experts recommend that you purchase at least $300,000 of protection.

4. Talking about catastrophes. The list of catastrophes and circumstances that are likely to be covered by renters’ insurance is a long one, ranging from “typical” events such as fire, vandalism or theft to things such as damage from frozen pipes or even riots. What often isn’t included is damage from flooding, and insurance experts suggest if you live in a flood-prone area, you’ll need separate coverage.

5. Other things affecting costs. There may be ways to keep your premium costs down. Or drive them up.

Some policies, for example, may give you a discount if your building has a security system - especially if you have it connected to a central station alarm. And then, there’s a lifestyle consideration that might make your coverage pricier - that is, having a dog. Some companies are concerned because of the additional liability of certain dogs that are aggressive in nature.

Additional dog-related insurance costs and whether you get coverage or not depend on the company. Some won’t write a policy if you have a certain type of dog; others will take a look at the risk and evaluate it differently.

Play it safe...If your going to rent, buy insurance.

http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Federal Housing Rescue Plan Launches

2009-04-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Obama Administration’s program to rescue distressed home owners got off the ground this week. The program was announced on Feb. 18, but it took several weeks to put the bureaucracy in place.

Six of the nation’s largest banks signed up to participate, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday. They are JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, GMAC Mortgage, Saxon Mortgage Services, and Select Portfolio Servicing.

Treasury says it is allocating $50 billion to the program. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide the rest.

The plan calls for loan servicers to reduce interest rates so a family’s monthly mortgage obligation is no more than 38 percent of its pre-tax income. Loan servicers also can reduce loan balances. After the loans are modified, the government then provides enough money to reduce payments to 31 percent of income.

Participating servicers get $1,000 a year for each modification and another $1,000 a year for three years if the borrower remains current. Servicers get an extra $500 if they do the modifications before the borrower falls behind in his payments—and the borrower gets $1,500. Also, homeowners get $1,000 a year for five years if they remain current on their payments. The money must be used to reduce their principal balances.

Foreclosure Activity Increases 9% in First Quarter

2009-04-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

RealtyTrac®, one of the leading online marketplaces for foreclosure properties, released its U.S. Foreclosure Market ReportTM for Q1 2009, which shows that foreclosure filings - default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions - were reported on 803,489 properties in the first quarter, a 9% increase from the previous quarter and an increase of nearly 24% from Q1 2008. One in every 159 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the quarter.

Foreclosure filings were reported on 341,180 properties in March, a 17% increase from the previous month and a 46% increase from March 2008. The March and Q1 2009 totals were the highest monthly and quarterly totals since RealtyTrac began issuing its report in January 2005 despite a decrease in bank repossessions (REOs), which were down 13% from the fourth quarter of 2008 and 3% from February totals.

“In the month of March we saw a record level of foreclosure activity - the number of households that received a foreclosure filing was more than 12 percent higher than the next highest month on record. Since much of this activity was in new foreclosure actions, it suggests that many lenders and servicers were holding off on executing foreclosures due to industry moratoria and legislative delays,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “It’s also likely that the drop in REO activity can be attributed to these processing delays, rather than to any of the foreclosure prevention programs currently in place. It’s very likely that we’ll see the number of REOs increase again now that most of the moratoria have been lifted.”

“On a positive note, it appears that demand is up in some of the harder-hit areas, particularly on bank-owned REO properties that first time homebuyers and investors see as bargains,” Saccacio continued. “But it’s unlikely that this increased demand will be enough to offset the growing number of foreclosures in the pipeline, accelerated by rising unemployment rates.”

Nevada, Arizona, California post top state foreclosure rates in first quarterNevada continued to document the nation’s highest state foreclosure rate in the first quarter, with one in every 27 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing - more than five times the national average. Foreclosure filings were reported on 41,296 Nevada properties during the quarter, an increase of 19% from the previous quarter and an increase of nearly 111% from Q1 2008. Bank repossessions in Nevada were down 3% from the previous quarter, but defaults increased 27% and auction sale notices increased 35%.

Arizona posted the nation’s second highest state foreclosure rate for the first quarter, with one in every 54 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing, and California posted the nation’s third highest state foreclosure rate, with one in every 58 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing.

Other states with foreclosure rates ranking among the top 10 in the first quarter were Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Idaho, Utah and Oregon.

Five states account for nearly 60% of nation’s first quarter totalCalifornia, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Illinois accounted for nearly 60% of the nation’s foreclosure activity in the first quarter, with 479,516 properties receiving foreclosure filings in the five states combined.

With 230,915 properties receiving foreclosure filings during the quarter, California accounted for nearly 29%% of the nation’s total. The state’s foreclosure activity increased 35% from the previous quarter and 36% from Q1 2008, and the first-quarter total was state’s highest quarterly total since RealtyTrac began issuing its report in the first quarter of 2005.

Despite a 12% decrease from the previous quarter, Florida’s first quarter total was still second highest in the nation. Foreclosure filings were reported on 119,220 Florida properties, a 36% increase from the first quarter of 2008. The state posted the nation’s fourth highest state foreclosure rate during the quarter, with one in every 73 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing.

Foreclosure filings were reported on 49,119 Arizona properties in the first quarter of 2009, the third highest total among the states, and 41,296 Nevada properties received a foreclosure filing in the first quarter of 2009, the fourth highest total among the states.

Illinois posted the nation’s fifth highest total, with 38,966 properties receiving a foreclosure filing during the first quarter - a 32% increase from the previous quarter and a 68% increase from the first quarter of 2008. With one in every 135 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing, the state’s foreclosure rate also ranked fifth highest among the states.

Rounding out the states with the 10 highest foreclosure activity totals in Q1 2009 were Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Virginia.

For more information, visit www.RealtyTrac.com

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

$102000 / 3br - Newer Log Home - Sauna - Acreage - FORECLOSURE!

2009-04-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

shawndodson@charlesburt.com

http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Wow! This is a great house...AND...now it's cheap! If you're looking for a deal and are in this price range, don't wait another second. This property is over 1700 sq.ft. with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This home sits on almost 2 acres and has a working sauna...not to mention it's a really cool home. Call me and get this one before it's gone! It is located in the Webb City area. Email or call me for more information. I will send you a flyer directly to your email for you to review.

Also...email me ASAP and get a list of other foreclosure properties in the area emailed directly to you with information and pictures for your review. The more details you give me about what you are looking for...the better list I can send! It's easy...just click the email link above.

Serious buyers and investors are contacting me everyday to help them purchase their new homes and investment property. They do this because they know what others don't. They know that they always need a buyer's agent on their side for every deal they do. They know that I am a foreclosure and distress sell specialist. They know that I offer all of my real estate and negotiation knowledge to them for FREE! Finally, they know I provide the areas only buyer protection gaurantee (for my clients). Can't beat them odds!

Put the odds in your favor...contact me TODAY!

Best wishes...talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Also, get great buyer, seller, and investment tips from my blog at http://shawndodson.blogspot.com/

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

Retail Sales Fall & Much More!

2009-04-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

Retail sales fall

The US Commerce Department said total retail sales fell 1.1% last month, even though Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had been expecting an increase of 0.3% in March, compared with February's revised gain of 0.3%. Even without auto sales included, sales fell a surprising 0.9% compared to a revised 1% increase in the measure for February. February ex-auto sales were originally reported to have increased 0.7%. Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics for Moody's Economy.com said economists are surprised: improving sales both in January and February "gave us reason to believe that retail sales were starting to head in a positive direction...we're not sure yet how much of the [sales] weakness is real and how much is based on the Easter shift. There are still lots of weights on consumer spending. The housing market is still weak and we're losing 600,000 or more jobs every month."

Deflation?

The Producer Price Index (PPI), which tracks the changes in selling prices for domestic producers, decreased 1.2% last month - more than expected. A consensus estimate of economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast that the index would remain flat on the month. The main driver pushing down the PPI number was the decrease in food and energy prices. The index that measures energy prices plunged 5.5% in March, on the heels of a 1.3% increase in energy prices in February and a 3.7% increase in January. Applying a bit of lipstick to the pig, Anika Khan, economist at Wachovia Economics says, "This report does not put us firmly in the deflation camp. This was a huge drop, clearly, but one month does not necessarily make a trend. What it does tell us is that inflation is not a near-term worry." That sounds to me a bit like the captain on a sinking ship pointing out that he won't have to worry about low flying aircraft anymore.

Economy bottoming out this year?

White House adviser Christina Romer said today that the economy will probably bottom out this year, when the stimulus package starts to kick in: "That stimulus package has just started. We expect it as we go through to 2009 and 2010 to be a big job creator." Asked if she fears a double-dip recession, in which the economy seems to recover after the first dip only to fall again, she said "in terms of the double dip I very much have the sense that policy has been really good in this downturn." I have no idea what that means, and I doubt she does either, but it sounds like a slippery way of saying "if it works, give us the credit, but if it doesn't, it ain't our fault." This stimulus package may be a big job creator and it may not, but I don't see a lot of value added jobs coming out of it, do you?

Who is it that leaves sinking ships again?

CEOs are leaping off the ship in record numbers, according to new data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. 1,484 CEOs headed for the exits in 2008 -- which works out to an average of six every business day, the most since Challenger first began the survey in 1999. "CEOs are under intense pressure," says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray, in just a bit of an understatement. While high profile firings make the news, Challenger's research shows that resignation was by far the biggest reason for an empty corner office this year, with 623 either retiring or "stepping down." CNN speculates that while some of the resignations are probably veiled firings, it also may be that a lot of CEOs just don't know how to deal with the economic downturn and just want out. CNN cites a report on the economy from consulting firm BCG, called "Collateral Damage":

"In a study in early December 2008 of about 60 major companies worldwide - long after the creation of TARP and the clear collapse in consumer confidence, mind you -- more than half of the companies had not made any significant changes to their strategic plans. On average, they were assuming no more than a 5% reduction in volume in a year that was already shaping up to be disastrous. "What is striking," the report reads, "is that, outside of the construction and auto industries, many companies are assuming that the crisis will have a very modest impact in 2009."

Now on to our real estate investing education section...

The Role of Lady Luck, Real Life Lessons and Learning in Short Sales

There are three types of investors in every market segment; those with true knowledge and know-how, those with the wisdom to recognize what they don't know and make it a priority to learn from others and those that get lucky once in awhile. Learning how to distinguish one from another is the key to true, lasting success.

Let's face it, more often than not lady luck is often responsible for the majority of profits - and losses. Research indicates a few interesting trends about human nature; most people tend to attribute positive results to their own keen knowledge and know-how while blaming negative results to "luck". In fact, both positive and negative outcomes are equally represented by "luck" including some larger than life fortunes. So, how can a new short sale investor determine if their mentor is truly knowledgeable versus just lucky? Start with these simple clues:

Repeat Results. Luck is just another word for probability - in any given scenario some outcomes are more likely than others. Anyone can get lucky once in awhile but that isn't the same as true knowledge. Think of it like buying a lottery ticket; the probability is x that you will win some type of prize. Sometimes the jackpot is huge and life-changing while other times it is modest. While it might be tempting to think of the jack-pot winner as possessing some type of specialized insight the fact is, they just got lucky. Following the lead of luck rarely yields the same results twice. Savvy short sale investors should search for mentors with a proven - repeated - track record of success.

Investing in Success. True investors rarely shy away from investing in their own success. They clearly understand the risk/reward ratio and constantly use calculations to support their moves and positions in the market. This is not the same as taking unwarranted risk - instead, they have learned to invest in their own success by carefully analyzing each situation and taking proactive steps to maximize outcome and results. The result is a trend toward growth. Look for mentors that are growing their business not downsizing...especially during tough economic times.

They Have a System - Not Secrets. Nearly every successful business prospect of modern history is built on a system - not secrets. That is not to say the system itself doesn't contain proprietary information but it is not the core of the business strategy. Everything from Henry Ford building a better automobile to Google's infamous algorithms demonstrates the importance of a system. Even the success of the fast food industry center around consistent results due to the systematic routine of building the same eating experience and locking in the same prices throughout the nation. Systems can be reproduced - secrets lose their value once shared. Search for short sale mentors with a proven system rather than elusive secrets.

See you at the top!

Bargain Foreclosure Property

2009-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Wow! I have put this out there before...now it's cheaper! If you're looking for a deal and are in this price range, don't wait another second...deals like this don't come around very often. This property is over 3200 sq.ft. with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was initially offered at a great deal for $167,500. You can pick it up for $159,000 or better! I'm telling you...call me now and get this one before it's gone! It is located in the Hickory Hills area. Email or call me for more information.

I will send you a flyer directly to your email for you to review. Also...email me ASAP and get a list of other foreclosure properties in the area emailed directly to you with information and pictures for your review. The more details you give me about what you are looking for...the better list I can send!

Serious buyers and investors are contacting me everyday to help them purchase their new homes and investment property. They do this because they know what others don't. They know that they always need a buyer's agent on their side for every deal they do. They know that I am a foreclosure and distress sell specialist. They know that I offer all of my real estate and negotiation knowledge to them for FREE! Can't beat them odds!

Remember...the name that is on the sign in front of any house or property you want to buy is the agent of the SELLER. Are YOUR best interests on their mind? Put the odds in your favor...contact me TODAY!

Best wishes...talk to you soon!!

Shawn Dodson
Charles Burt Realtors
417.439.7816
http://www.ShawnDodson.com

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JoplinRealtor

How Some Can Avoid Foreclosure

2009-04-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

A total of 3.2 million foreclosure filings from default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions were reported on 2.3 million U.S. properties during 2008, a 225% increase in total properties from 2006, according to HUD statistics.

The challenge to everyday families who typically pay their home payment on time is overwhelming. Double-digit unemployment rates coupled with ever-worsening economic conditions are leaving American families tapped out. Now is the time to implement a strategy because good solutions exist.

So what should homeowners do when they start falling behind on mortgage payments? The most important step to take is to get help early from their mortgage lender. They should be prepared to provide details about their household, such as how much money they earn, all the bills and household costs, such as food, electric, water and even pet expenses.

Some options a lender may offer include:

Deferment-If the problem is short-term they may bring the homeowner’s account up to date and “defer” late payment expenses to the end of your loan. This usually still requires a partial good faith payment.

Repayment Plan-You may be able to catch up on missed payments by creating a schedule for repaying the past-due amounts.

Refinance-Fixed 30-year rates are very low and often can provide the lower payment relief and fresh start that some homeowners need.

Modification-In some cases, mortgage loan terms can be changed on a temporary or permanent basis to make the payment more affordable. This could include extending the term of your loan up to 40 years, reducing your mortgage interest rate and reducing or deferring your principal balance.

Living Life for Less - Get out of Debt and Back in Control

2009-04-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Take Charge of Your Money and Start Saving:

On average, Americans spend $1.22 for every dollar earned according to a recent Federal Reserve study. Budgets provide the financial boundary for us to live within our means. Establishing a household budget to track your monthly spending is the first step in taking charge of your money. It’s empowering to be in charge of your spending instead of sliding further into debt.

Find a system that works for you:

There are many tools and techniques to track expenses. A simple worksheet with sections to track monthly income and expenses is all you need to take charge of your money.

Track it:

Write down everything you spend, so you know where your money is going. Then, you can make smart decisions about what you really need to spend money on and where you can save.

Start a savings cushion:

Start small with a goal of saving five percent of your paycheck in a traditional savings account and another 10% of your paycheck in an emergency fund for unexpected expenses. If you’re getting a federal tax return this tax season, consider using the money to start an emergency fund.

Get the Most Out of Your Money:

Creating a lifestyle that fits your budget is easier once you know where your hard-earned dollars are going every month. Find ways to cut back where you can by reducing everyday expenses and get the most out of your money.

Slash your electric bill by running major appliances like the dishwasher and washing machine during off peak hours.

Save on groceries by planning meals and making a shopping list before you hit the store. Purchase foods that are in season to take advantage of lower prices. Visit discount grocers and try store brands to save even more.

Dine and divide. Seek out less expensive eateries that are more in line with your budget. Split over-sized portions, and the cost of the meal, with a friend. Cut back on dining out and prepare more meals at home.

Downsize Debt:

A recent Gallup poll reports that 50% of consumers intend to reduce their total debt over the next six months. Last year, Americans reached a record of $951 billion in credit card debt with the average household carrying $9,000 in debt.

Eliminating a substantial amount of debt takes time and discipline, but it can be done with the right strategy in place.

Create a debt domino. Focus on the credit card with the highest interest rate and pay as much as you can on that card first, while making at least the minimum payment on your other debts. When one card is paid off, add that amount to the next highest credit card and so on and so on. You’ll pay off your debts faster because you’re applying larger and larger payments. You’ll save on interest, too. Always make more than the minimum monthly payment and make your payments on time to avoid late payment penalties.

Recognize when you need help. Many people ignore the signs of financial distress, not wanting to admit when they need help. Look out for red flags that signal you may have a problem. Paying bills late; transferring balances from one credit card account to another to obtain lower interest rates; depending on overtime at work to cover minimum monthly bills; borrowing from friends and relatives to cover basic living expenses; writing checks and hoping they don’t clear the bank before payday are all signs that you may need to evaluate your financial situation.

There are many options for consumers dealing with debt. The most important thing is to do something about it. If you don’t feel you can tackle the process yourself, there are professional services available to get you back on track.

Seeking Professional Help:

More and more consumers are reaching out to credit counseling professionals to help with their financial woes. Consumers have several options when considering professional credit counseling services, but they should check their providers against certain criteria before seeking their help.
Reputation - Check with the Better Business Bureau to verify that the provider you plan to work with is accredited by the bureau. Also make sure your provider is licensed or authorized to do business in your state. Open book - Your provider should clearly state the services you will receive. Informative - Provides free budget analysis, as well as financial and money education. At your service - Offers one-on-one customer service available with multiple contact methods to meet your needs (online, phone, email). Affordable - Charges limited fees for debt management services, no more than $50 per month, with a minimal upfront fee of no more than $50.
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Want some info on buying and selling real estate? Go to my site at http://www.shawndodson.com/

Today's Review!

2009-04-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Mortgage rates up, but still low

Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) today. For the week ending April 9, 2009, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.87 percent, up from last week when it averaged 4.78 percent. Mind you, last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.88 percent. Homeowner affordability should stay at record levels according to Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's vice president and chief economist: "Mortgage rates rose slightly this week but still remained historically low," he said. "Given these low rates, housing demand has strengthened. Conventional mortgage applications both for refinancing and for home purchases have increased over the past five consecutive weeks ending April 3.

"Oil demand to drop and stay low

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said world oil demand will drop by 2.4 million barrels per day in 2009, blaming a growing consensus that economic recovery won't take place until next year. It said demand for this year was expected to be 83.4 million bpd, around one million bpd less than in its previous monthly report, a rate of oil demand contraction last seen in the early 1980s. The IEA's report said expectations of a collapse in fuel consumption were not "solely conjecture," and cited early indications of "much lower" demand in developed and non-developed countries for the first quarter of this year. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has agreed to reduce supply by 4.2 million bpd since September, but in last month's report, the IEA said even with strict adherence with OPEC supply cuts already in place oil stocks in developed nations won't shrink until the middle of the year, and demand is already expected to contract further.

Goldman Sachs buying out of TARP?

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Goldman Sachs is considering a new stock sale to repay the $10 billion loan it received from the government last year under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Goldman could announce the offering to investors as early as next week, the report said and it is expected to be several billion dollars. It's really no wonder, since along with the money came an inquisition, all sorts of obligations, and public humiliation from the same politicians who set the stage for the problem in the first place. If there's one thing worse than bankers with their hands on our money, it's politicians.

Stress Tests pass, and fail

The "stress tests" the administration is conducting on the banks to see how well they would hold up if the recession deepens is under wraps for now, since President Obama asked the banks not to reveal the results until sometime around the end of April. The surprise profit announcement for Wells Fargo may have kicked off a rally yesterday, but the results of the stress tests will probably show that the banks will still need more bailout funds. Regulators say all 19 banks undergoing the exams will pass the tests, but add that no bank CAN fail them, since taxpayers will make sure they stay liquid. And in spite of the recent rally, some analysts say that with the recession, banks are likely to record further large losses on credit cards, corporate loans and real estate. Obama will meet today with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Chairman Sheila Bair to discuss the stress tests.

What does $11 Trillion look like?

CNBC has a series of graphics giving viewers a visual of just how deep in a hole we are - or in this case how big of a stack we are. The national debt is shown as a huge stack of greenbacks dwarfing the Dubai Tower (tallest building in the world) and accompanied by the following caption:

US National Debt...$11,046,247,657,049.48 (According to US Treasury Direct, 3/26/09)

The mounting US National debt, growing by billions every day, has recently topped the $11 trillion mark. If denominated in $1 bills, the cash would stack as high as the tallest building in the world, the 2683.7 foot Burj Dubai skyscraper... 1,474,918 times. At this height, it would create a block of bills with a base approximately twice the size of the Empire State Building, which is just under the size of three American football fields. It is also interesting to note that this number is approximately 13 times the amount of US currency in circulation, according to the Treasury bulletin, which lists the amount at $853.6 billion as of December 31, 2008.

Now on to our real estate investing education section

How to Irritate Lenders- Short Sale Newbie Mistakes

With all the benefits to be derived from approving a short sale offer, you might wonder why any bank would rather risk long vacancies, vandalism, months of no mortgage payments and the eventual cost and uncertainty associated with a home going to auction or other foreclosure sale. Believe it or not, most short sale investors simply don't have the know-how to get the job done right. To put it plainly, the lack of professionalism and irritating actions dramatically decrease their odds of obtaining a great investment property.

Badgering. Let's face it, nobody likes to be badgered. Yes, you might be excited by submitting your first short sale offer but resist the urge to call too often or otherwise badger overworked staff. Maintain regular contact and put a system into place.

How Low Can You Go---Not that Low! While lowball offers are expected, don't waste everyone's time by submitting something excessively below the current market value. Keep it realistic and plan to justify the reasons why you think the offer is fair.

Requesting Repairs or Refunds. Although there are exceptions to every rule, short sales are sold 'as-is'. The price should reflect needed repairs - including time and labor. Don't expect the bank, lender or current homeowner to fix or repair anything. Problems that arise after the sale are also your problem so be sure to add in a bit of wiggle room especially if the homeowner plans to occupy the house for some time during or after the sale.

Bad Credit. Yes, they will look. Get your own finances in order and make a point of presenting them in the best light possible.

Threats. Threatening to walk away from a deal, sue or other tactics rarely result in anything more than frustration for everyone involved. Unless a gross degree of misconduct was perpetuate against you related to a federal issues such as discrimination or other similar point, regular day to day mishaps are part of learning how to play the game. It's essential to have a tried and true system in place that maximizes profit while minimizing time.

Homeowners with Assets. Homeowners have to demonstrate their need an inability to pay before a lender will agree to take a major loss. If your homeowner has other assets that could be turned into cash or compensate the lender for a loss then there is a high likelihood your offer will be rejected. Do your homework before blaming the bank - make sure the deal is win-win for all involved or you will likely just waste everyone's time.

See you at the top! Also check out my site at www.ShawnDodson.com

Economy Beginning to Turn?

2009-04-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

Banking sector improving -- hmmmm.

In a glimmer of hope for the banking sector, Wells Fargo shares soared nearly 32% in early market trading on Thursday on news that it had a better-than-expected profit of approximately $3 billion in the most recent quarter. Wells Fargo attributed the latest results to strong performances in its traditional banking and mortgage businesses. The news sent bank stocks higher across the board -- including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley -- driving the Dow up over 200 points in early trading.

Economy beginning to turn?

According to the Wall Street Journal, there's a growing body of evidence that the economy is beginning to make a cyclical turn: wholesale inventories fell by the largest increment on record, and the inventory-to-sales ratio, the most direct measure of supply and demand in the economy, showed that the latter is gradually catching up with the former. Treasury prices declined, with the 10-year note sliding 16/32 to yield 2.921%, oil prices gained and gold prices fell, while the dollar strengthened against the yen and the euro.

Unemployment numbers slow, but unemployment stays high

If jobs were dollars, this would sound a lot like the national deficit, except that unfortunately the president can't just print more jobs to make up for it. The number of people filling for unemployment benefits dipped to 654,000, but continuing claims hit a record high. In the week ended April 4, a total of 654,000 people filed initial jobless claims, lower than the previous week's upwardly revised 674,000, the Labor Department reported. The 4-week moving average of people filing initial claims for unemployment benefits was 657,250, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 658,000. A consensus estimate of economists polled by Briefing.com expected 660,000 first-time filers last week.

Trade deficit shrinking

A new government report reveals that the U.S. trade deficit shrank in February by 28.3% to its smallest level since November 1999 as imports slowed and exports grew slightly in the face of shrinking global demand. The monthly trade gap dropped to $26 billion, down more than $10 billion from the revised $36.2 billion deficit in January, and about $10 billion less than Wall Street economist polled by Reuters had forecast. The February percentage drop was the steepest since a 34.9% fall in October 1996. Overall world trade is expected to fall this year for the first time since 1982 as businesses and consumers cut back on spending in response to growing job losses and a continuing credit crisis. Imports fell across all major categories, with crude oil imports falling to $39.22 from $39.81 the prior month. Exports increased slightly across all major categories: food, feed and beverages, industrial supplies, capital goods, automotive and consumer goods.

What to do with toxic assets?

As part of its plan to sell toxic assets, the Obama administration is encouraging several large investment companies to create bailout funds, not unlike the war bonds sold to finance WW II. Well, except that one was for a noble cause and the other is for banks... The idea is to share the risk, and give ordinary Americans a chance to profit from the bailouts that are being financed by their tax dollars. Or lose, and there's the rub. If, as some analysts suspect, the banks' assets are worth even less than believed, the funds' investors could lose.

Berkshire Hathaway downgraded

Tell me it ain't true! Berkshire Hathaway, the legendary company owned by Warren Buffett, has lost its coveted top-level credit rating from Moody's Investors Service. Moody's downgraded Berkshire by two notches to Aa2 from Aaa, claiming that severe stock price declines and the U.S. recession have weakened National Indemnity Company -- an important Berkshire reinsurance subsidiary. Moody's says the outlook for its rating is now stable and says it has no plans to make further cuts over the next 12 to 18 months. Before we all panic, hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson said that the Moody's downgrade will have no effect on Berkshire's holdings, and only a very small potential impact on its earnings. It may face slightly higher borrowing costs, but Tilson notes that Berkshire has lots of cash and doesn't do much borrowing anyway.

Now on to our real estate investing education section...

Delays - Why the Long Wait Just ask any real estate or short sale investor about the most frequently overheard complaint would be and you are certain to receive the same answer - long waits. Lenders tend to take their time when reviewing and approving a short sale offer. Some are certainly better than others but as the short sale arena goes into overdrive, savvy short sale investors would do well to understand what is taking place behind the delays and how to address the most common causes.

1. Multiple offers. One of the main reasons for a lender to take their precious time before approving a short sale is to consider multiple offers. Homeowners are increasingly entertaining several short sale offers in an attempt to get the best deal and maximize the likelihood of sealing a deal on their own timing. Ask homeowners if they are currently entertaining other offers or plan to do so in the future. Many short sale investors require contracts stipulating they are the only current offer on the table.

2. Lack of staff. Many banks are simply short on staff and unable to keep up with growing demand. Make it easy on overwork workers in every way possible; not only will they appreciate the reduced work but it certainly helps to present your offer in the best light possible.

3. Failure of the homeowners to prove financial hardship. Keep the lines of communication open and help the homeowner provide the appropriate paperwork in a timely manner. While it might seem a bit obvious, don't expect every homeowner to have the motivation required to follow-up even on something that is likely to help their own situation. Many people simply shut-down when overwhelmed.

4. Lack of other offers. While entertaining multiple offers is more frequently the cause of delays when processing short sale offers, the lack of any other offers especially on an otherwise, "attractive" property may also result in longer approval times or outright procrastination on the part of the lender. It's not uncommon to encounter a lender that rejects a short sale offer only to receive a lower net when a property goes to auction. Depending on your personal level of chutzpah, you may opt to date an offer then return with even lower offers until the property is accepted or rejected but don't expect threats to make any appreciable difference in the responsiveness - or lack thereof - of the lender. In fact, rather than speed things up you are probably more likely to get on the last nerve of some overworked bank employee. Either way, remain analytical and don't fall in love with any one house or property...remember, it's a numbers game.

See you at the top...or at my website www.ShawnDodson.com !

Mortgage Applications Up

2009-04-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Mortgage applications upThe Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released the results of its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, and announced that the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 4.7 percent for the week ending April 3, 2009 from the week before on a seasonally adjusted basis. The four week moving average for the seasonally adjusted Market Index is up 13.3 percent. The four week moving average for the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index is up 4.2 percent, and the Refinance Index is up 16.0 percent. The MBA survey covers approximately 50 percent of all U.S. retail residential mortgage applications, and respondents include mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts.

Mortgage rates heading lower?

Borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, excluding fees, averaged 4.73 percent, up 0.12 percentage points from a record low reached the previous week, but Bank of America-Merrill Lynch economists Gary Bigg and David A. Rosenberg claim the 30-year mortgage rate could fall to nearly 4 percent by the end of the year as both the economy and housing market make a slow recovery: "We expect that disinflationary forces combined with overt quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve will push the 30-year fixed rate mortgage down from the current 4.85% rate to 4.2% by year-end...however, sales are expected to remain sluggish and may not be sufficient to absorb the inflow of the supply of foreclosures..." Housing has shown some modest signs of recovery lately, but foreclosures remain high, prices continue to drop, and unemployment rates in excess of 10 percent could hamper a recovery.

Reality check

CNBC's Diana Olick sees a building wave of foreclosures, citing a new report by Equifax showing 7% of homeowners were at least 30 days late on their payments in February -- up 50% from a year ago -- and close to 40% of subprime borrowers are late, up from 23.7% a year ago. Further, banks have been holding off on foreclosures, but now that Obama's plans are confirmed, foreclosure proceedings are going "into overdrive," with foreclosure start (NOD) and Trustee Sale (NTS) notices at the highest levels since mid 2008. Olick points out, "With job numbers getting worse, more and more borrowers are going to end up missing payments, and no matter how much the banks and the Obama administration would like to help these folks, you can't modify a loan down to a zero monthly payment."Nations biggest homebuilderThe nation's biggest homebuilder has just been created. Pulte Homes Inc. is buying Centex Corp. for $1.3 billion in stock, combining Pulte's strength in active-adult and retirement housing with Centex's hefty market share of first-time homebuyers. The new company, which will keep the Pulte name and headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., will have cash reserves totaling $3.4 billion and pay off $1 billion in debt by the end of the year. "We believe the combined companies will allow us to return to profitability quicker than a standalone. Secondly, the cash position allows us to pay down debt while at the same time provide ample liquidity for the future," said Richard Dugas Jr., Pulte's president and chief executive, who will retain those titles over the combined enterprise.

TALP modifications

The real-estate industry is lobbying the Federal Reserve to begin offering some five-year loans under the government's Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF. That is longer than the three-year loans being offered, and the industry hopes it will avert a wave of commercial-property defaults. Real-estate investors say the longer-term debt is critical to saving the commercial real-estate business, which faces a record amount of debt coming due in the next three years. Industry observers are expecting the delinquency rate to double by the end of this year and go higher next year. Problems could be magnified if the credit drought continues and owners of even healthy properties are unable to refinance.

Now on to our real estate investing education section!

Public Private Partnership - Big Deal or Bad Idea?

The recently proposed public/private partnership where private investors are able to partner with the federal government in order to buy toxic assets has generated a lot of interest and confusion. Can short sale investors benefit? Will it be open to individual investors or only larger concerns? Many of the most important questions remain to be sorted out - like the majority of recent initiatives, the media seems to be in a hurry to report good news but has little of actual substance to go on since the administration has yet to actually put the plan on paper. However, the initial details of the plan seem to indicate the following:

1. Dollar per dollar match. Investors wishing to purchase toxic assets in order to remove them from the bank coffers will be given a dollar to dollar match by the government. It is expected the toxic assets will be offered via bid or auction.

2. Low interest loans. Investors will be given low or ultra-low interest loans in order to finance the purchase of these toxic assets for up to 97 percent of the price paid...ie, 3 percent down payments!

3. No repayment at first. If the rumors are to be believed, the government match will not need to be paid back -at least until the property becomes profitable or investors "break even" on their three percent risk.

4. Non-Recourse Loans. To further sweeten the pot, only non-recourse loans will be used. Essentially this means the house or property serves as its own collateral and no other assets of the buyer may be earmarked in the event of a loss or foreclosure.

In a nutshell, ultra-low interest rates, low down payment, a dollar to dollar match and non recourse loans sound like a major win-win situation....except for one big catch...it doesn't apply to individual investors. At this point, it appears the government is only to focus on large private investors such as hedge funds or private equity firms. In its current form there appears to be three main steps or stages to be revealed:

1. The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) will establish an investment partnership specifically to fund the loans.

2. The Treasury, in collaboration with several (as yet un-named) private investment management firms, will match the private funds on a dollar to dollar basis with government money.

3. The Treasury and the Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility in combination with the Federal Reserve, will expand lending.

So, will short sale investors see a big benefit in the public private partnership proposed by the government? Probably not; it is meant for big private hedge funds and investment firms - not individuals. On the other hand, it also is unlikely to hurt short sale investors. Despite plans to package toxic assets and sell at auction, don't expect banks to jump for joy.

Traditionally private firms have only been willing to pay as little as 30 cents on the dollar for bad assets...certainly less than what most short sale offers come in at. Give the choice of accepting a short sale offer versus a toxic asset sale - most lenders will be more than happy to entertain the short sale offer instead. However, short sale investors would be wise to keep in mind the two most likely early targets; Citgroup and JPMorgan Chase.

Stop by my website at www.ShawnDodson.com

Selling your home? "Wow" the buyers!

2009-04-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

As the all-important spring selling season is here, sellers need to do all they can to market their home - and that includes staging it to attract and “wow” potential buyers.

You must know just the right moves to take a house from bland to grand and bring home the biggest return on investment. Attention to detail throughout the home can make the difference between a house that sells and one that sits on the market. In particular, improvements to the kitchen and bath - the two rooms that sell a home - will always help bring in the buyers.

Here are a few more of my quick tips for getting your house ready for the big sell!

Curb appeal: First impressions are everything, and this has never been truer than in today’s market. To leave a positive impression on buyers, take care of any exterior maintenance issues before buyers arrive, such as power washing walkways and patios, cleaning your gutters, touching up peeling paint, replacing broken light bulbs, edging and mulching beds, and adding fresh annuals. Some free things you can do include polishing your front door hardware and sweeping away pesky cobwebs.

Kitchen: Give your kitchen a mini facelift on a budget by repainting your cabinets instead of replacing them. For a more contemporary look, consider a semi-gloss espresso brown. For a more traditional look, opt for a semi-gloss creamy white. Complete the makeover by adding new hardware. Considering professional help? Ask your local painter if they can spray a lacquer finish on your cabinets. This treatment is more expensive than painting the cabinets yourself but the result looks like a factory finish.

Bathroom: Give an outdated bath a pick-me-up by replacing your existing lighting, faucets and hardware with updated styles.

Bedrooms: Take your bedroom from lived-in to luxurious by creating a headboard that gives your room a more complete look. Measure the width of your bed and determine the height you prefer. Purchase a ¼ inch piece of plywood fitting these dimensions (ask the store to cut if for you) and cover it with 2 inch foam that fits the dimensions you selected. Wrap the foam and plywood with batting that can be purchased from a craft store. Finally staple gun a fabric of your choice around the headboard you’ve created. You can then hang the headboard behind the bed on the wall as if you were hanging a piece of art using “D” rings and hooks or attach it to your bed frame using bolts and washers.

Family room: Make your fireplace or great view the selling feature, not your entertainment center. Chances are your family room is currently centered around the things you do everyday, such as watch TV. Before showing, rearrange your room to showcase the architectural focal point of your family room.

Dining room: Keep the dining room de-cluttered and streamlined so buyers can imagine how they can enjoy this space with their families. Before showing, make sure to remove any knick-knacks and extraneous items from your china cabinet or sideboard. A rule to follow: pack up any items that are smaller than a softball such as salt and pepper shakers, wedding cake toppers, and small figurines.

Living room: Make sure you are selling your space, not your stuff. Before showing, remove any family photos from the mantle, end tables and bookcases. Give this space a less cluttered look by keeping no more than three items per surface. For example, go with a piece of art and a pair of candle sticks on the mantle instead of your favorite collection.

It’s important to complete all your improvements before your home goes on the market because as the saying goes…you never have a second chance to make a first impression. Once the sign goes up, you need to keep up the clean, de-cluttered look because you never know when you’ll have a showing. It just takes one buyer to sell your home.

As always...I'm always here to help. Hopefully these tips will help you be well on your way to getting that house SOLD!

Check out my website: www.ShawnDodson.com

Mortgage Refinances Up!

2009-04-06T15:31:00.001-07:00

Mortgage refinances up

Fannie Mae said on Friday that its mortgage refinancing volume nearly doubled in March from the prior month to $77 billion. Tom Lund, executive vice president of Fannie Mae's single-family mortgage business, said "A majority of our business volume in March was in refinanced loans, and we anticipate that volumes will increase even more as millions of additional homeowners become eligible to refinance under the President's Making Home Affordable plan." Under the program, Fannie Mae can refinance loans up to 105 percent of a home's value, allowing borrowers, some of whom owe more than their home is worth, to refinance.

Treasury Department extends deadline for PPIP

The Treasury Department says it will extend the deadline by two weeks, until April 24, for private fund managers to participate in the administration's Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP), to purchase distressed assets from banks. Department officials also say fund managers will not have to satisfy all three criteria released last month to participate in the program, which provides government capital and guarantees to spur purchases of the toxic assets.Bailout goes surrealOk, this is getting weird. Now several U.S. banks that have already been bailed out by the government because of toxic assets, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, are thinking about buying more toxic assets -- the assets about to be sold by rivals under the Treasury's $1 trillion plan. John Mack, Morgan Stanley's chief executive, told staff his bank was considering how to become "one of the firms that can buy these assets and package them where your clients will have access to them," according to the Financial Times. Spencer Bachus, the top Republican on the House financial services committee, said it would mark "a new level of absurdity" if financial institutions were "colluding to swap assets at inflated prices using taxpayers' dollars." For some reason the banks have declined to comment.

GM Speaking of gaming the system

GM's new CEO Fritz Henderson keeps changing his mind about bankruptcy, depending on the day of the week, or the weather, or whether he needs taxpayer money or not. Last week it was bankruptcy, this week it's not. Henderson said on CNN's State of the Union that there would be more job cuts and plant closings, but that bankruptcy was not inevitable. GM has already received $13.4 billion and requested an additional $16 billion. Says Henderson: "We are planning to get the job done. Our preference would be to do it outside of the bankruptcy process, [but] if it cannot be done outside a bankruptcy process, it will be done within it." Thanks Fritz -- good to know you have a plan.

Chrysler and Ford

Chrysler has also asked for a new round of aid. David Axelrod, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said, "We want these to be going concerns -- not wards of the state." Is it just me or is decorating the nursery and offering billions of dollars worth of baby food NOT the best way to encourage independence in potential wards of the state? The only bright spot in all of this is that Ford says it completed a tender offer and reduced its debt by $9.9 billion. The auto maker says an offer to purchase notes from its financing arm produced $3.4 billion in securities tendered. Ford Motor Credit will use $1.1 billion to purchase that debt. But don't start jumping up and down quite yet -- U.S. auto sales fell by 37 percent in March, the 17th month in a row of declines.

Now on to our real estate investing education section...Big Bank Losses & the Future of Short Sales

Recently released data by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reports commercial banks lost well over $3.4 billion in interest rate derivatives during the last quarter. This is an especially unsettling number when you realize this is the first time in the history of the USA that bets on interest rates have failed.

To understand the significance of this it is important to first realize the CDO or credit default swaps represent less than 8 percent of the derivatives market...with over 80 percent of the remaining portion of the derivative market represented by interest. To date, most of the banking crisis has been concerned with bad mortgage loans and even a few credit default swaps...together they comprise only a small portion of the total derivative market which represents an estimated $200 Trillion (yes, trillion!).

So, how does this relate to short sales and other investments? In plain language...Banks are losing money from betting on interest rates. If banks and other lenders can't make money from current business practices what is the likely outcome? Change of course. Change is likely to come in the form of higher rates, tougher lending standards and more stringent down payment or other requirements...it won't happen overnight so savvy short sale buyers will recognize the writing on the wall to take action now.

The current national (and even global) financial melt-down is likely to grow worse before getting better. Yes, the Federal Reserve was put into place to prevent a major banking crisis from wrecking havoc on the nation in a 1929 style run but keep in mind, despite the stabilizing efforts of the Fed, inherent differences also place the system at risk. For example, derivatives were all but non-existent. According to the Office of the Comptroller, the five biggest banks in America control 96 percent of the total derivatives. This means a new round of failure, bail-outs and banking crisis could hit the nation at any moment should even one of these banks be exposed to major losses. Remember, banks must "make good" on those losses but with only 10 percent or even less of the capital required to pay out a claim, banks are simply unable to do so; creating the risk of a domino like default scenario. This is another reason banks are not lending - they are frantically attempting to hoard as much cash reserve as possible in order to hedge against the risk of a default looming in the future.

Again, savvy short sale investors should recognize the ongoing threat of tighter lending standards far into the future -without government intervention (and even with it), purchasing a home for decades into the future may simply be out of reach for many Americans.

Make sure you are doing business with a solid bank. Short sales investors have two options; deal with small local banks that have strong bottom lines, didn't engage in derivatives or other risky investments and are able to work with you personally...or, work with one of the A rated big banks. To find out how your bank is rated, visit www.TheStreet.com or www.MoneyandMarket.com which publishes a list of the best and worst banks across the nation.

Also check out my website! www.ShawnDodson.com

See you at the top!

Choose when to claim your tax credit!

2009-04-04T20:04:00.001-07:00

With the deadline for filing federal tax returns fast approaching, here is some information for qualified home buyers about how and when to claim the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit.

The basic eligibility requirements for the credit are: the home must have been purchased on or after Jan. 1 and before Dec. 1, 2009; the buyer may not have owned a home in the three years prior to the purchase; and the buyer must have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) less than $95,000 for single tax payers or $170,000 for married filers.

Two factors affect the amount of credit qualified buyers can claim: it can only be equal to 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to a maximum of $8,000; and it is reduced for buyers with a MAGI between $75,000 for single taxpayers ($150,000 for married filers) and the upper income limit.

To claim the credit, buyers must complete IRS Form 5405 to calculate the amount of the tax credit, and enter it on line 69 of the IRS 1040 income tax return.

Qualified buyers have several options for when to claim the tax credit, but they can claim it only after the purchase of the home is complete, which in most cases happens when the title of the property transfers.

Buyers who complete their home purchase prior to April 15, 2009, can claim the credit on their 2008 income tax return. If the qualifying home purchase will be completed shortly after April 15, buyers can file an extension for tax year 2008 and claim the credit when they file their 2008 return, which must be done by Oct. 15. Or home buyers can claim a qualified purchase on their 2009 income tax return, which they will file in 2010.

Some things qualified buyers should take into consideration when deciding whether to claim the credit on their 2008 or 2009 returns include how quickly they need the refund and their expected income for 2009. There are no restrictions on how home buyers use the money, but they may want it quickly to pay for expenses related to the home purchase such as moving costs, furniture or remodeling. If homeowners expect their income to change next year due to factors such as retirement or a salary bonus, they should calculate how the income limits will affect their credit amount.

This information is provided to familiarize consumers with the first-time home buyer tax credit, and is not intended to serve as tax advice or as a legal opinion on tax status or consequences. Individual tax considerations will vary, and it is recommended that a tax professional be consulted to determine how this information applies to particular circumstances.

For more information, visit www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com.

Also check out my site at www.ShawnDodson.com.

Learn all you can...now!

2009-04-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

We've seen the residential market implode, but that's still only about 37% played out.

Here's what's far worse: the coming meltdown of industry.

Everyone knows about the big 3 bailout, but few talk about what it means. It's not just the big 3. Honda and Toyota are closing down plants, too. Industry everywhere is in huge trouble, from American steel makers to General Electric, to Hewlett-Packard.

Does this mean you should run and hide? No, it means you should do the following ... or 2009 will be your worst year yet...

#1: It always comes back to the human level. It comeshome to roost at residential real estate. In 2008, 60% ofhomes still sold conventional, believe it or not. And westill had a horrible market. Expect this figure to plunge to 30% in 2009, with multiple foreclosures on every block. The moral of the story: you MUST learn all you can about foreclosure, bankruptcy, and tax implications.

#2: The two biggest ways to make money with foreclosuresand pre-foreclosures are 1) Short Sales, and 2) REO. Even if you are a wholesale investor, you need to know about #1 and #2 -- that's where the money is.

#3: Prepare for the biggest money making year you've had yet!! This sounds out of character, with all the doom and gloom we've been talking about. But here's the reality: in 2009, it's either/or. Do or die. There's not going to be much of a middle ground.The virtue of this is that it presents a clear choice.Either learn foreclosure strategies and become wealthy, or apply for a bridge card.It's your choice. But either way, know that a choicewas involved. It wasn't fate or karma. It was a choice.

As always...I'll see you at the top!

www.ShawnDodson.com

Dow going to 14000???

2009-04-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Dow expected to hit 14,000 within 2 months.

In a surprise announcement, President Obama announced that he plans to widen the bailout to include the Dow Jones and all major American stock indices. European leaders are outraged ahead of the G20 meeting, calling the move "the worst protectionism since a bunch of ragtag colonials declared independence from their betters in 1776."

Ok, so maybe this is not all true, or even partly true...in fact not one word of it is true...but hey, it's April Fool's Day. Besides, with the money being printed up and spread around these days, would it really surprise you if it WERE true?

Job-losses up

The private sector lost more than 700,000 jobs in March, according to payroll-processing firm Automatic Data Processing, even though a separate report released Wednesday suggested the pace of job cuts may be slowing. The ADP report, based on payroll data from 500,000 U.S. businesses, said the private sector eliminated 742,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in March. That's up 36,000 from last month's revised figure of 706,000. Joel Prakken, an ADP spokesman and chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, LLC, wasn't very optimistic about the future: "We don't see anything in the data that we examined that suggests a glimmer of hope." The Labor Department's monthly jobs report is due Friday, and according to a consensus estimate of economists complied by Briefing.com, is expected to show that the economy shed 656,000 jobs in March, more than the 651,000 reported for February. The unemployment rate is forecasted to rise to 8.5% from 8.1%.

Where are job cuts the worst?

The sharpest declines were among small and medium-sized businesses, but the financial industry accounted for 8,651 job cuts, down 36% from February. I didn't know there were any more financial jobs left to lose, but John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, says, "The good news is that job cuts appear to be stabilizing in the financial sector." Just to make sure we don't get too excited, he adds, "Unfortunately, other sectors are seeing an increase in cuts as the recession works its way through the economy."

GM bankruptcy?

President Obama gave General Motors 60 days to come up with a more aggressive plan to cut costs and debt, but new GM CEO Fritz Henderson said the company might be in bankruptcy even quicker than that if negotiations with creditors and the United Auto Workers union don't go well. Under one of the restructuring plans being considered for bankruptcy, GM would try to move its most profitable units into a new company, dropping unprofitable units like Saturn and Hummer. But even if the company goes into bankruptcy, it ain't over yet: consumers, auto workers, investors, dealerships, suppliers, and taxpayers would be in for a world of trouble. Taxpayers, you ask? Yep -- GM has estimated that it would need $45 billion in additional federal help for even a quick trip in and out of bankruptcy.

Madoff madness

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin is charging the Fairfield Greenwich Group -- a feeder fund that put billions of dollars into Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme -- with fraud. Not because it knowingly committed fraud, but because it misled its investors about the level of diligence it did on Madoff. The state's Sentry Funds had placed about 95 percent of assets totaling $7.2 billion into Madoff's Investment Securities. This action comes a day after Madoff's two sons and top executives who ran portfolios that funneled money to Madoff were prohibited from selling houses or moving their money around.

These pesky money changers...Now on to our real estate investing education section...Can a Mortgage Be an Asset? The Hierarchy of ReturnsWhile most real estate and short sale investors simply think of a mortgage as a necessary evil that requires mounds of paperwork and documentation, there are a few savvy investment types with a different perspective. In their minds, a mortgage is actually a major asset! Think it sounds a bit "over the top"? Well, may you are right and maybe not. In the past it was typical to hear of "good debt" versus "bad debt" when discussing the financing of productive or income generating investments versus non-revenue generating assets (or worse, depreciating assets!). This leads to the first consideration - the Hierarchy of Returns:

Top Tier - Revenue Generating Assets with Strong Appreciation Value

2nd Tier - Revenue Generating Assets (remember the present net value of money)

3rd Tier - Appreciation Value

4th Tier - Preservation Value (essentially saves money but does not make money over time)

5th Tier - Depreciating ValueOnce you identify the proper purpose of the mortgage it is time to compare the anticipated return (including revenue and appreciation or other applicable level) against the current and/or future value of money. Given today's ultra-low interest rates combined with drastically reduced selling prices, a mortgage used to fund the purchase of short sale real estate may indeed be a major asset once all calculations are concluded.

Consider this, how did the bank make the loan in the first place? They borrowed money....whether from the deposits on hand or from the Federal Reserve, the bank is using OPM (other people's money) while profiting from the "spread" or difference in the rate they charge you for the loan versus what they paid.

During periods of economic upheaval, asset classes change. Value changes. The value of money itself changes. Learn to use it to your advantage the same way bankers, brokers and money lenders have throughout modern history. Yes, a mortgage can be an asset if you understand how to use it wisely. Remain liquid, keep enough operational cash on hand to meet unexpected emergencies and carefully crunch the numbers to determine the maximum use of available cash - today, not tomorrow. The current cash value of $1 today is worth far more than it will be at some pre-determined time in the future...including the mortgage itself.

See you at the top!

Foreclosures Spike Again!

2009-03-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.shawndodson.com

Foreclosures spike again in February.

It was starting to look like the problem was easing before January, when foreclosure starts declined to 69,000 in November from 77,000 in October and then dropped again to 56,000 in December. But in January the number of started foreclosures jumped to 217,000, and now February's numbers have leaped up again to 243,000. 87,000 homes were repossessed (foreclosures completed) by banks during February, a 28% jump from the 68,000 foreclosures completed in January. Since the mortgage meltdown hit in July 2007, 1,395,044 homes have been lost. In February, nearly 250,000 homeowners received either mortgage modifications or repayment plans from their lenders, according to Hope Now, the coalition of lenders, investors, and community advocacy groups put together by the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention initiative.

AIG back in the news.

American International Group (AIG) has cut or delayed payments to some of its real-estate ventures, potentially leaving the developers and their bankers in the lurch. AIG had previously been sued by Mitchell L Morgan Management Inc for missed and delayed payments, and the latest victim is Alabama shopping-center developer Alex Baker. The action puts 15 banks at risk of exposure to soured loans. AIG Global Real Estate, an arm of the insurance company, has interests totaling more than $23 billion across 53 million square feet of real estate. The Federal Reserve is monitoring AIG's spending closely after committing $180 billion in bailout funds, but whether that's helping or harming is still anyone's guess.

Detroit failed.

The Obama administration gave General Motors and Chrysler LLC failing grades Monday for their turnaround efforts. It promised a sweeping overhaul of the troubled companies, but also threatened a "structured bankruptcy." Prior to the announcement, CEO Rick Wagoner announced his resignation, saying it came at the request of the Obama administration. GM will get 60 more days and Chrysler 30 more days in which to make a final push toward proving they can run viable businesses. If Chrysler succeeds -- probably by merging with Fiat -- it will receive a $6 billion loan. In GM's case, the officials would not specify how much the carmaker might receive, but we can all guess it'll be a lot.

Stocks slide on banking troubles.

Bad news from the auto sector was bad enough, but Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's announcement that more banks would need help caused stocks to tumble, with the Dow opening 202 points lower, the S&P 500 index lost 21 points, and the Nasdaq composite lost 39 points. As Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co put it, "We were starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, but it's beginning to look oddly like a train." That pretty much captures investor sentiment this am. Would it be an understatement to say the week isn't off to a good start? Especially if you own auto or banking stocks.

Now on to our real estate investing education section...Understanding the Time Value of Money

- Why Short Sales Still Make SenseDeflation or Inflation? Chances are whichever side of the debate you happen to be standing on at the moment you are in good company. The government experts are readily printing money out of thin air...and actually admitted as much in recent weeks...while financial analysts, other governments around the globe and those with fixed incomes fear the rise of inflationary pressures. How could so many smart people have such a strong disagreement? It comes down to the time value of money. A topic of such importance it will have profound implications on the way you structure investments throughout your lifetime.

There are two primary methods used to determine the time value of money - Present Value and Future Value. Present value is what a dollar today is worth rather than the value compared to receiving it as some point in the future. For example, let's assume you have an option to sell or hold a modest property purchased via short sale. To keep the calculations and comparisons simple, we will further assume the property is paid in full. You are reasonable positive you could pocket $100,000 by selling the property outright but wanted to know if this was your best option. Typically, future dollars are worth less than present dollars due to inflationary pressures.

The entire purpose of the Federal Reserve is to assure a steady supply of funds including controlled inflation (defined in the 1-3 percent range). So for example, if the rate of inflation was rising at 3 percent annually the value of $100,000 would be only $74,400 in only ten years. Wait 20 years and that same $100,000 is only valued at $55,000. Bump up the rate of inflation to 5 percent and $100,000 drops to only $61,000 in ten years and only $37,000 in 20...now you know why lottery ticket discount so much if you take the lump sum payment up front! Ditto for insurance companies.

Short sale investors should immediately realize money printing combined with the ability to use leverage in the form of loans can dramatically increase the ability to generate cash today - not ten or twenty years into the future. In fact, the more excess cash (above what is needed to pay your bills and service debts) you generate today, the better especially during times of inflation. If inflationary pressures hit the levels seen in the 70's take a look at what happens...$100,000 turns into $42,000 within ten years and only $14,000 by year 20. What originally would pay for a modest home will eventually only be enough to buy a used car without taking steps to preserve your wealth.Rarely, a reversal takes place where future dollars may become more valuable than current dollars as is sometimes seen during a deflationary cycle. That is what the government fears most since it would make it more costly to pay back all the loans and debt obligations - a cost so high it could jeopardize the foundation of the nation. However, the current deflationary concern is a temporary one at best. The Federal Reserve has repeatedly stated they expect the deflationary aspect of this current crisis to cool by the end of 2009 to 2010...listen carefully - unlike what many "think" they hear...the government and Fed Reserve is not claiming the pain will be over...only that the current deflationary spiral will come to an end. The lack of investment grade returns is unlikely to resume its former hay-day for quite some time while employment continues to lag. Both add up to very real pain as Americans are unable to make a profitable investment or keep pace with their standard of living from lagging wages. Bottom Line: This is a once in a lifetime buying opportunity unlikely to last forever. Act before it is too late.

See you at the top!

Website is now available!

2009-03-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Blogs are great. I think they are just as good as going to a shrink (no offense). Seriously, you can vent or try to reach out about anything you think or feel or whatever! Well here's what I need to get off my mind!

Go check out my website. http://www.ShawnDodson.com and look around a little. If your looking for real estate stuff in the Joplin, Carl Junction, Webb City, Carthage or any other area in Southwest Missouri...contact me.

Also I have a great list of foreclosures from all over our area. If you are looking for the list nobody else has...you should definately contact me for it.

Well, I hope to be keeping everyone updated with all kinds of cool and interesting stuff in the future. I offer buyers, sellers and investors great tips. I also ramble about the state of the economy or politics or whatever comes to mind.