Relocate to Wisconsin

   We know a realtor who we consider to be responsible for a home that went into foreclosure....he said they were "friends" when we said "Gee Joe"  we know that neighborhood,...don't you think that house is listed $50,000 too high ?  Friends...oh yicks...now there is a good reason to list a house too high !

     I was at a meeting and heard a lender say that she had tried to do short sales...interesting trick...maybe she was a realtor in a previous life.

       I read on Active Rain...,how hard it is to do short sales and how much people don't know that are "trying to do them"....Pulllllleez,,,,Realtor community....if you are trying without training you are gambling with your seller's foreclosure...is money that important to you ?

                           Short Sale Rule Number 5

 Know what you don't know...refer the business to someone who has learned and successfully done short sales....as a realtor...be ethical,...don't gamble your seller's future.

   As a seller or potential seller....call a short sale expert...Call us...wherever you are in the country, we will refer you to someone with successful experience.

   The credit you save could be your Sellers !

                                                                2320 Brookstone Lane, Waukesha, WI

    We have a beautiful 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home....just built in 2000 but the best news is the whole interior has new flooring...carpet and kid friendly laminant...all new paint...attached 2 car garage...master suite and a HUGE backyard. That's not the best news....the very best news is that you can have this "next to new" home for $254,977    !!!!

      Get in line this Sunday....for the open house....12:30 -2 p.m.  It's my husband David's birthday...he says he wants an offer for a present !      

   We recently sold a house to a young couple ver unfamiliar with the area. They didn't know anyone and the husband works very long hours. The wife decided to take some perceived "plumbing fix its" into her own hands rather than call us....the only people she knew in the area.  I had told her over and over again during our home search, if she ever had any questions about contractors to hire...call us. She assured me her husband was very handy and that was almost never necessary.

          Their second day in the home she had called a plumber notorious for over charging and replacing things that may not be brand new...but still full functional. She called AFTER authorizing $3000 in replacement of fully functional equipment. One of the things that the plumber told her...was the copper was discolored and that of course meant there was a problem. The discoloration was at the points where the plumbing had been soldered....

             Tears rolled, voices cracked....they called and said they had spoken with "people who know real estate" and they told them that they give the house back....they had 3 days after closing to do that. I explained to the woeful buyers that that is called "the right of recission" and does apply to some purchases and loans in Wisconsin...but not to single family homes.

          They left a message on the lender's voice mail (she just called us) to say they would meet her at the bank Sunday morning to recind the loan........

               If calmer heads prevail today, we will give them the areas that we believe the seller may have answered untruthfully on the condition report...we will give them the contact information for the listing agent and they can pursue legal action.

   When you have come to the reality that "life got in the way" whatever hardship has befallen you...illness, divorce, job loss, adjusted mortgage rate...some combination of those problems or others, one of the hardest things to do is look toward a sunnier future. Like Annie in the musical, Annie, "Tomorrow, Tomorrow....It's Only a Day Away".  If you have listed your home as a short sale with a real estate  short sale expert, you have made the first step toward getting on with the rest of your life.

    As your short sales expert told you, this kind of action will "ding" your credit.  The credit damage will not be as great as if you had allowed the property to go into foreclosure, but there will still be some work to be done to repair your credit. We can refer you to a credit repair person who can get your score back up to  a money saving number !  Increasing your score can save you HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS....the time to start repair, consultation...credit help is now !

                                      SHORT SALE RULE NO. 4

        Seek credit counseling as soon as possible from a qualified credit professional.

    Markets across the country are not moving with the greatest of speed...how well many  of us know...we hear about people leaving the business who have been in it for decades, agents who quit before they really get started because they can't pay the continual expenses without a paycheck. Continual expenses...oh yes....Not all sellers or consumers understand the role of an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

   INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR means that an agent pays all their own expenses. There may be computers to use and a desk to sit at....and the other charges vary from brokerage to brokerage...some agents pay "desk rent" of four figures or more besides other things like copies, long distance, signs, charges for putting signs on lawns, advertising - (some are involuntary and charged by the brokerage), website and technology fees, MLS monthly dues, health insurance, gas and car insurance, local association dues, national association dues...the list continues....it is the price we pay for a business we love and for some agents these days, they find savings dwindling, their own homes are "upside down", they have been drawing on home equity loans for living expenses, cashed in investments and retirement accounts....all because....no bad cycle lasts forever and things will get better....but I digress.

    Has your agent been advertising your home ?  Has she or he gone through the house with you and made sure it looks the best cosmetically and mechanically ? Have they suggested a staging company or done staging for you ?  Is your home really ALL DRESSED UP AND READY TO SELL  ?

 As Important.....Have you reviewed the pricing of your Home ?Is it the MOST EXPENSIVE.... ? Is it just part of "the pack" all bunched together with lots of other homes so that a buyer has lots of to choose  from at the same price ?

            Have you been cooperative about showing regardless of how much notice was or was not given to you ? Was the house clean and fresh and yard in good shape ?

           If your realtor is advertising...holding opens, keeping the price in line with the market ?

            Threatening her/him with extinction probably won't make the realtor work harder....or the property sell faster....know that the frutration is not unique to you....And offer suggestions to help...Take the listing to work, church, school, the grocery store... Talk about it to friends and relatives, neighbors, co-workers...It only takes one buyer and it sure helps to have a TEAM to make the sale successful.....Supportive is better than combative.....Ya Think ?

             Not every realtor has the experience, education, patience, understanding....to handle a short sale.  When you think about....you don't go to the same doctor, lawyer or contractor for everything if they don't have the expertise to deal with the situation...it is no different in real estate. Without SHORT SALE experience.....you may be getting some very bad advice that could hurt more than HELP you !

              What we have noticed with listings recently in this category, is that sellers have gone to realtors and told them the dollar amount that they had to have and then the realtor has agreed to list the property for that amount.  This completely ignores the realities of the marketplace.....which include what the property will appraise for based upon similar properties sold in the market. If for example, all similar homes with 3 beds and 2 baths have sold for $250,000 because the seller owes a first mortgage of $275,000 and a second of $50,000....putting a price tag of $325,000 plus commission, title, and "a little extra to start over" not only is not going to get the house sold....it will bring the seller's foreclosure date more quickly while the over priced property that is priced to SIT, NOT TO SELL.

                      When you have missed mortgage payments and have circumstances that indicate you will not be able to meet your mortgage obligations....Call a Short Sale Expert.

You cannot care about the price that the property is listed for....you will not realize a profit....regardless of the price.

No matter where you are....no matter how impossible things may seem...please call us, we have a short sale team and can connect you with someone ANYWHERE in the country....Residential OR Commercial that can help you.

       I spoke with an attorney today about a soon (she hopes) to be divorced client that would like to list her home as a short sale.  Since Wisconsin is a marital property state...the decision is not hers alone.  The house was listed for what we believe is six figures over the market value by the previous realtor who listened to the husband who was trying to cover the indebtedness of a first and second mortgage and then of course add a little so they could "start over".  That's how you determine a sale price in any market...based upon what you NEED and WANT...not what the market indicates, hmmmm ?

           The woman is in charge of paying the mortgage with the support she gets from her husband which also supports their children. The home is old, no insulation, windows with rotted frames...less than energy efficient and with the warning of winter not far behind...it will be more expensive than ever to heat. I asked the attorney if he was aware of the dire straights his client was in financially...did he know that she was borrowing money from relatives to put gas in the car and food on the table and paying the mortgage at the expense of not paying other bills. Did he understand what a Short Sale is ?  He sort of skirted the question....well yes, he did understand that the market was not what it was...that home values had fallen. But that did not mean, according to the lawyer, that she should not pay the mortgage...I guess until she ran out of relatives. 

                              DO NOT BORROW MONEY TO MEET MONTHLY EXPENSES             

       This is the reality of a short sale...the mortgage(s) have become more than can be paid...the living expenses for the family exceed their income and are causing financial hardship. Pulllleez if you find yourself unable to pay your mortgage....give us a call...we will try to find a remedy first,....and if there is none, a short sale is a consideration...not using relatives as lenders. Inquiries are confidential, call us...no matter where you are in the country and we will refer you to someone who can help you. You are not alone....and we do understand that sometimes "life gets in the way" and it seems very overwhelming and you need to "stop the bleeding" financially. Let us help you - locally: 414-525-0563; outside the area:877-525-0563.

   This charming Cudahy Cape has special meaning for me....it's a very special listing for a number of reasons.  The next house to the west was my Grandma's house,...we lived there while my Grandfather and my Dad were building the house I called home until I left for college....Soooo from infancy to age 3...this was MY neighborhood.  All the ladies were "Aunt" or "Grandma"...the men Uncle or sort of shirt tale cousins.  My "real" aunt, uncle and two cousins lived just a block away.  This brick cape was initially built by the Venus Family....for long time residents...Venus Ford was THE car dealership in this southeastern suburb.  They moved to another house a couple blocks away and the Ploetz family bought the house. Mr. Ploetz was the Superintendent of Schools in Cudahy, his wife Theresa, a Mom to daughter Susan, a librarian in the Milwaukee Public Library system and daughter Ann, now a software executive in Richardson, Texas.

      As a child...the house always seemed to me to carry a sort of dignity about it....When we staged the house, I tried to imagine how Mr. and Mrs. Ploetz and their daughters would like it to look if they were living there now.

     One of my "Aunt" neighbors across the street...Aunt Joyce...describes Mrs. Ploetz as having been the Angel of the neighborhood....delivering homade goodies and staying with Aunt Joyce's Mom, my Grandma Margie so Aunt Joyce could go to church and not worry about her ailing mother.

    We did the living room in soft beiges and blues.....books on the bookcase for Susan...I just thought Mr. Ploetz would have liked a globe...(later learned he really did have one in his home office) I could see Mrs. Ploetz on the couch...now with blue pillows and throw. The master bedroom has a majestic gold spread, cafe ole walls and soft puddling window treatments....

     The kitchen is accented in red with a chef's theme....if only they had chocolate chip cookie air freshener !

  
  Up the stairs to Ann and Susan's bedrooms. Ann, who I saw recently after not having seen her for a a few well,....for quite a well....looks exactly the same as she did in high school....no pounds gained, a friendly smile and good word....and a self assured command about herself....Her room, a very soft almost not there green....bright bedspread with hot pink pillows and puddling curtains trimmed with bright plastic ties that match the spread.  Mr. Bear is a fixture "holding court" next to the bed in his Packer jacket.

 
Across the hall is Susan's room. A pale blue enhanced by the bedspread in shades of blue, beige and purple and a couple purple bouquets. It has a calmness about it. I can imagine her sitting in bed reading...I know she loves reading,....what librarian doesn't ! Her quiet sense of humor has been a welcome addition to this listing.

   We feel lucky and honored that Susan and Ann chose us, a childhood neighbor, to give their childhood home the attention it deserves and the marketing exposure it requires to find the next family to call this charming cape, home. The daughters have been a joy to work with and I hope their parents are watching because they would be proud of how they have handled the listing. I hope too that they approve of the globe on the bookcase and chef's kitchen and soft gold master bedroom....

  Enjoy this house at 3969 East Van Norman Avenue in Cudahy... the Ploetz Family did....and some family will be lucky to call this wonderful 3 bedroom, 2 bath Cape cod their own....a block from the park and the lake...Call us, we'll be happy to show it to you....Or call us at: 414-525-0563 for our open house schedule ! See you there ~

 If You or Someone You Know is Headed Upside Down On Your/Their Mortgage.....Read On....

       While staging a house in my grandmother's old neighborhood, I had a chat with some of the neighbors, and they asked me to explain what a Short Sale was....they had heard about them on the news. It occurs to me that because it is a term we use all the time, we make assumptions about what consumers know and understand.

       We are doing short sales....supported by a Team, special education and mounting experience. I am going to write a series of different scenarios we have seen to illustrate Short Sales. Both buyers and sellers will have a better understanding of the topic, Readers and realtors may learn about different situations and recognize someone they know in a similar situation. Putting that seller in touch with a Short Sale expert will enable them to go on with the life more rapidly..to lessen the credit complications for the future...give them some benefits they are not aware of...avoid foreclosure...etc.

     Sellers....IF you are upside down on your mortgage ....that is, you owe more than you can realize from the net sale of your home...DO NOT go to a realtor who is your friend, sister, neighbor UNLESS they have short sale experience.  You do not want to not only trust your largest asset, but also your credit future and liabilities you may not know about to someone who has not ever done a short sale but "heard about them" in a blog, sales meeting, at the office, on the internet....experience is everything !

       Our team has a nationwide network of realtors with Short Sale experience...if you live in Alaska, California, New York, Texas or Florida...call us....we can help you...Locally...414-525-0563.  Nationally, call us toll free 8a-9p central standard time: 877-525-0563. Let us help relieve the financial stress and get on with life as it is meant to be....enjoyable.

   We recently listed a house in Brookfield. We were very complimented as one of the owners of the  home is a licensed realtor but was recently had surgery for removal of a cancerous brain tumor and isn't practicing real estate at the moment.  Her brother and parents had lived in the home.Her parents passed away and her older bachelor brother lived in the family home.  His health also became compromised and with a huge yard and a home just a bit under 2,000 square feet, it has become more than he wishes to deal with.....and so, on the market it went.

    It had been a " guy house"....lots of things done right....newer furnace, central air, windows, roof, updated kitchen and baths....and then there were the cosmetics....not so much....Sooooo enter the Hansons....New outer doors, paint the interior, new carpet.....cleaning.....yardwork....the house just sparkles and at a price no buyer can resist !  It is priced to sell, not to sit....I e-mailed the seller who is a smoker....we had to have the "no smoking in the house" discussion and as a reformed smoker of over a dozen years...I know how hard it is.....I thought he may hate me...but it was "for the good of the cause" in getting the house sold.

      This is, in part, his return e-mail:

Glad to hear things went well today. You're right I'm hating you more & more each day. Can't smoke in the house, have to sleep in the garage, and it's starting to get cold out at night. We used to have a birdbath in the front yard, wish we still had it so I could wash up.

I had already vacuumed & shampooed the carpet Sunday but it was so dirty I'll probably have to do it a few more times before the open house on Sunday and I'll try to get the garage more organized. I promise not to smoke in the garage and have moved the ashtray out of the garage, next you'll probably want me not to smoke anywhere in Brookfield. If nothing else you got me to cut down.

Let me know if there is anything else you think needs to be done. Thank you so very much for all the help and effort you & David have put into this. I appreciate it more than I can say.

    We are soooo lucky.....and we know with this great seller on board and the house sparkling....clean, stage, paint, price it right...and they will come and better than that BUY !

   We got this GREAT BROOKFIELD RANCH all dressed up and ready to show....

                                           It has a newer:  Roof, Furnace, Central Air

                                     BRAND NEW - Carpet and Fresh Paint, Doors

                                          1 Year Old:  Windows

              Enjoy an entertainment and family friendly LOT and LAYOUT....Almost enough for a football field with limited seating...ok....how about a volleyball court  ?  Eat in Kitchen overlooking a cement patio...just waiting for you to expand the "outdoor room" possibilities....a canopy....chiminea ?

                 The HUGE newly carpeted, freshly painted family room has a gas fireplace....

                FIRST FLOOR LAUNDRY....how coool is that ?

                 Updated Bath and a half..

   Eat in UPDATED Kitchen/Dinette with Island...built in oven, cooktop..NEW garbage disposal...Dining room with china cabinet...HUGE living room.....3 bedrooms and Lots of closet space....You have to love it...you'll want to buy it....JUST $199,999 !!!!!!

                   Call the Hansons for a private showing....OR an open house schedule: 414-525-0563....This is the coolest property around....with a BEST VALUE HOT PRICE....!

We are getting a short sale listing....it is a beautiful, beautiful custom designed home. It is owned by a couple who found each other "the second time around."  He is a highly skilled custom craftman and the house is just outstanding. It reflects his craft....truly more than a trade....and the loving care and part of himself that he put into the home he had hoped to retire to.....and welcome his grandchildren to play in the acres surrounding his perfectly designed "castle."  It was not to be.

     Serious multiple health problems prevented him from giving the attention to his business that self-employment requires. His mortgage adjusted....his health and finances both crippled at the same time.

       The sellers' friend in the real estate business knew his situation and listed the house to cover his debts...and leave him enough money to start over....and he trusted and believed the friend....someone who should know real estate..... but clearly did not. 

                           Did the price have anything to do with what the home would appraise for?

                                                                It did not. 

                            Was the price competitive with homes that had sold in the area ?

                                                              It was not. 

             Does it help to list a home to cover debts and provide "start over" funds and ignore the market ?

                                                             It did not.

        Sellers.....when you are between a rock and a hard place with your home and or with your business...your mortgage has adjusted, you can't make ends meet, health problems, job loss or other combined hardship have no longer made it possible for you to continue to make mortgage payments.....Please call a short sale expert, not just a realtor...someone who has experience in short sales....not just real estate.  Someone who can actually help you....OR you will try to sell your home.....and you will not.

  We do short sales and have to date, had them all come together and everyone both residentially and commercially has lived happily ever after.  We are probably 30 days away from closing on a tiny condo that was a referral from a past seller. It's a tiny place and we were fortunate to get an offer. The seller was very nervous....we have been there no less than 10 times to calm her fears...help her with other housing lists for assisted housing....and now we needed the time to close and we called and called and called....to no avail for 4 days, Well, it was a holiday weekend and perhaps she was gone for the weekend. Ahhhh....today she finally decided to return our call.

     Well, she knew it was probably not the right thing to do...but she heard that the government was helping people in foreclosures....surely she would be one of them. They would pay her back payments and condo fees and renegotiate the loan for what would have to be over 100 years for it to affordable for her.....she knew it didn't sound right....but the media said it so it must be true....and then she wouldn't have to move and we had told her she would....we must be wrong.

           And....if things don't work out....she will call us back and we can re-list it....oh not.....we're all done...a dinner, 10 visits....un-returned phone calls for days....What we CAN do for people who want and need help with a short sale....is deliver the best possible service.....and relieve them of the burden of uncertainty and the longer lastinc credit stigma of foreclosure. Deciding you "don't want to move" and that "you heard the government has programs for foreclosure candidates" is not going to stop your lender who has not been paid all year from having you leave when THEY decide the time is right....Be smart, call people who know their business...not what you wish was true.