Wow! Where did the summer go? It feel like just yesterday winter had finally ended and the warm sun of summer was making its way into our hearts Now, it's chilly and the leaves are starting to turn. Fall is truly beautiful! If you're looking for some fun ways to decorate your new house try using felt and embroidery thread to make fun fall leaf banner. Just cut out leaf shapes from various colors of felt and then hand stitch it together using the thread. Or, if you don't want to go through all that, hop over to http://www.etsy.com/ and search for some fall decorations! If you're selling your house, adding these extras touches might make a buyer feel right at home and give you that little edge they need to say yes to the house!
So, grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte & a good book, and enjoy your newly decorated house!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Please excuse my absense.
My birthday was last week, so I have been away from the blogging world celebrating! I'm sorry to have left you for so long. It won't happen again until Christmas! :)
Here's something exciting that my mom, Nancy McDonald- Real Estate Extraordinaire, wanted me to share with you: http://realestate.aol.com/article/experian/_a/underwater-borrowers-get-a-lifeline-on-september-7/201009020001
It's an article discussing what to do if you owe more on your house than it's worth. Starting on September 7th, you may be able to qualify for a FIXED RATE Federal Housing Administration loan with principle reduction! The program lasts until December 21, 2012 and requires that the banks cut down at least 10% of the unpaid balance for qualified home owners.
The article says that there are about 20 MILLION homeowners that are underwater or will be by 2011. That's a lot of people, and I'm personally glad to see that something is being done to help. Here is word for word what the article says you need to be qualified for this FHA Short Refinance Option:
"To qualify for this FHA refinance opportunity, you must be current on your mortgage, and your lender or investor must be willing to write off at least 10 percent of the original first lien on the mortgage. The big hitch is that you must have the consent of your current mortgage lien-holders, so if your lender refuses to participate, you won't be able to take advantage of this refinance program.
For your loan to qualify, you must meet these conditions:
- Your mortgage must be in a negative equity position.
- You must be current on your mortgage to be refinanced.
- You must occupy the subject property (one to four units) as your primary residence.
- You must qualify for the new loan under standard FHA underwriting and your FICO score must be greater than or equal to 500.
- Your existing loan must not be an FHA-insured loan.
- The existing first lien-holder must write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal balance.
- The refinanced FHA-insured first mortgage must have a loan-to-value ratio of no more than 97.75 percent.
- If you have other subordinate mortgages (such as an equity line) they must be re-subordinated and the new loan may not have a combined loan-to-value ratio greater than 115 percent.
- Your total monthly mortgage payment, including the first and any subordinate mortgage(s), cannot be greater than 31 percent of gross monthly income. And total debt, including all recurring debts, cannot be greater than 50 percent of gross monthly income.
- You cannot use the new FHA mortgage to pay off existing debt obligations in order to qualify for the new loan."
If you have any questions about this new lon, please refer to the article or contact Nancy McDonald (click her name and it will take you to her personal contact website)! She's always happy to answer any home buying/selling/living questions! Plus, she has a vast network of LENDERS who can help you with any lending concerns you may have!
Here's something exciting that my mom, Nancy McDonald- Real Estate Extraordinaire, wanted me to share with you: http://realestate.aol.com/article/experian/_a/underwater-borrowers-get-a-lifeline-on-september-7/201009020001
It's an article discussing what to do if you owe more on your house than it's worth. Starting on September 7th, you may be able to qualify for a FIXED RATE Federal Housing Administration loan with principle reduction! The program lasts until December 21, 2012 and requires that the banks cut down at least 10% of the unpaid balance for qualified home owners.
The article says that there are about 20 MILLION homeowners that are underwater or will be by 2011. That's a lot of people, and I'm personally glad to see that something is being done to help. Here is word for word what the article says you need to be qualified for this FHA Short Refinance Option:
"To qualify for this FHA refinance opportunity, you must be current on your mortgage, and your lender or investor must be willing to write off at least 10 percent of the original first lien on the mortgage. The big hitch is that you must have the consent of your current mortgage lien-holders, so if your lender refuses to participate, you won't be able to take advantage of this refinance program.
For your loan to qualify, you must meet these conditions:
- Your mortgage must be in a negative equity position.
- You must be current on your mortgage to be refinanced.
- You must occupy the subject property (one to four units) as your primary residence.
- You must qualify for the new loan under standard FHA underwriting and your FICO score must be greater than or equal to 500.
- Your existing loan must not be an FHA-insured loan.
- The existing first lien-holder must write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal balance.
- The refinanced FHA-insured first mortgage must have a loan-to-value ratio of no more than 97.75 percent.
- If you have other subordinate mortgages (such as an equity line) they must be re-subordinated and the new loan may not have a combined loan-to-value ratio greater than 115 percent.
- Your total monthly mortgage payment, including the first and any subordinate mortgage(s), cannot be greater than 31 percent of gross monthly income. And total debt, including all recurring debts, cannot be greater than 50 percent of gross monthly income.
- You cannot use the new FHA mortgage to pay off existing debt obligations in order to qualify for the new loan."
If you have any questions about this new lon, please refer to the article or contact Nancy McDonald (click her name and it will take you to her personal contact website)! She's always happy to answer any home buying/selling/living questions! Plus, she has a vast network of LENDERS who can help you with any lending concerns you may have!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Inspiration Day! Happy 8-9-10!
What does Nancy McDonald currently have as her Facebook status?
"When we were young and fast and invincible, the Road Runner was our hero. Impervious to danger, the Road Runner ran without tiring, scooted without fear and beep-beeped coolly like a blue James Bond. But as I look down now from this creaking tower of years, I see it was the Coyote who deserved my admiration. That TV show was never about the Road Runner. It was always about the Coyote. The Coyote was determined." This quote comes from The Wizard Academy in Austin Texas.
Determination is key when buying or selling a house, just like it is in most things. If you want something enough, stick with it and the right thing will happen!
If you just bought or house, or sold one, and want to have a fun Welcome Home/or Going Away party check out this website: http://www.drawpilgrim.com/category/birthday-month-2010/ It's a whole month's worth of everything you need for a great party! It was designed for birthdays, but you can adjust the designs to fit your needs! Everything from invitations, to recipes, to games, to decorations! Check it out and enjoy the last few weeks of summer! It's gone so fast!
Love Where You Live!
"When we were young and fast and invincible, the Road Runner was our hero. Impervious to danger, the Road Runner ran without tiring, scooted without fear and beep-beeped coolly like a blue James Bond. But as I look down now from this creaking tower of years, I see it was the Coyote who deserved my admiration. That TV show was never about the Road Runner. It was always about the Coyote. The Coyote was determined." This quote comes from The Wizard Academy in Austin Texas.
Determination is key when buying or selling a house, just like it is in most things. If you want something enough, stick with it and the right thing will happen!
If you just bought or house, or sold one, and want to have a fun Welcome Home/or Going Away party check out this website: http://www.drawpilgrim.com/category/birthday-month-2010/ It's a whole month's worth of everything you need for a great party! It was designed for birthdays, but you can adjust the designs to fit your needs! Everything from invitations, to recipes, to games, to decorations! Check it out and enjoy the last few weeks of summer! It's gone so fast!
Love Where You Live!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hmmm... Florida or California?
According to this article, now is a GREAT time to buy a house in Berkley, California! On average homes in Berkley sell for about 107% of the asking price! This is happening RIGHT NOW. You may be asking yourself, "If people are buying houses for more than the asking price, why is it such a good time to buy?" Well, over the last three years home prices have dropped, as they have all across the country. So, now is the right time to get in on a good investment. It's highly plausible that the pendulum is going to swing the other way and house prices will rise again. When that happens you'll be ready to sell your home for more than you paid for it, plus you'll probably get offers over your asking price! Amazing!
How does Florida fit in to this? Florida is on the other side of the scale. Their offers are usually under the asking price. So, this is another great time to buy in Florida! I mean, who hasn't wanted to live on or by those beautiful white sand beaches? Maybe you love the Midwest, so you don't want to move away, but you would like a place to get out of this ridiculous humidity? BEACH HOUSE! Now's a great time to find the perfect vacation house for you and your family... plus, it might be a great rental! More money and a bigger investment for you!
If you have a questions about purchasing in a state outside of Missouri, call Nancy McDonald anyway! She can find a great realtor for you anywhere in the country! Contact her directly here.
Love where you live!
How does Florida fit in to this? Florida is on the other side of the scale. Their offers are usually under the asking price. So, this is another great time to buy in Florida! I mean, who hasn't wanted to live on or by those beautiful white sand beaches? Maybe you love the Midwest, so you don't want to move away, but you would like a place to get out of this ridiculous humidity? BEACH HOUSE! Now's a great time to find the perfect vacation house for you and your family... plus, it might be a great rental! More money and a bigger investment for you!
If you have a questions about purchasing in a state outside of Missouri, call Nancy McDonald anyway! She can find a great realtor for you anywhere in the country! Contact her directly here.
Love where you live!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Bonjour, Home Buyers and Sellers!
It's hot outside. Here in Springfield, MO it seems like every day there is a new heat index warning. Stay inside! Stay inside! It's even hot at 6:30 in the morning! So, what can we do about the heat when we are following the Weather Person's advice about staying indoors without running up the A/C bill? If you don't have central air, the answer is the two fan system! Here's a great article that gives you the details about this system, but basically you put a box fan (or standing fan if you don't have a box fan) in one window that blows air in and a fan in a second window to blow air out! That way you have air moving quickly through the room and it feels a lot cooler! Plus, the article tells us, that 2 fans are cheaper than a new A/C window unit! You'll be cooler, and anyone touring your house will be cooler. Keep in mind that while it isn't the only factor that will convince someone to buy your home, the temperature of your residence could make a big difference. You want buyers to know they will be comfortable in the new home they're choosing for themselves and if they see that you've done it while keeping the utility cost down, they'll be more likely to consider buying!
If you're looking for a house in the Kansas City area here are of few of Nancy's listings that you may be interested in:
This beautiful 3 story, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath house is located on Harrison Street in Kansas City. Click here to view more information on this home!
$72,000 with all new paint and carpet on the inside! 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, with a basement! Check it out!
If you're looking for a house in the Kansas City area here are of few of Nancy's listings that you may be interested in:
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Hello!
Welcome to Your KC Realtor! This blog is dedicated to helping you with all of your home purchasing needs. This site will guide you in finding a GREAT Real Estate Agent (Nancy McDonald), help find you the perfect home to buy, give you advice through interesting articles on various home buying/selling topics, and tips for what's next for you as a new home owner, whether it's your first home or your 30th this blog is here to help you! Please leave any feedback that you may have so that we can give you all the information you're looking for!
Who are we? Nancy and Brianna McDonald. Brianna (that's me) will be writing the actual blog posts and designing most of the elements of the blog. Nancy (I call her Mom) will be guiding me to the information that she wants you to know. She'll also be taking care of any of your Real Estate needs if you choose her as your agent. Together we will discuss what topics to add to the blog and what articles and information might be the most helpful for you!
What are we doing when we aren't talking about the housing industry? We like to go to movies. Whenever my mom and I have a chance we're at the theatre watching whatever movie we can! We love them! Our favorites of the summer have been Letters to Juliet, Shrek 4, and Knight and Day! What do you like to do in your free time?
Well, we hope you enjoy this blog! If you have any questions or comments we'd love to hear from you! If you'd like to talk to Nancy directly please contact her here.
Who are we? Nancy and Brianna McDonald. Brianna (that's me) will be writing the actual blog posts and designing most of the elements of the blog. Nancy (I call her Mom) will be guiding me to the information that she wants you to know. She'll also be taking care of any of your Real Estate needs if you choose her as your agent. Together we will discuss what topics to add to the blog and what articles and information might be the most helpful for you!
What are we doing when we aren't talking about the housing industry? We like to go to movies. Whenever my mom and I have a chance we're at the theatre watching whatever movie we can! We love them! Our favorites of the summer have been Letters to Juliet, Shrek 4, and Knight and Day! What do you like to do in your free time?
Well, we hope you enjoy this blog! If you have any questions or comments we'd love to hear from you! If you'd like to talk to Nancy directly please contact her here.
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