Now is the time to buy

by admin on May 15, 2012

The economy is finally back on the up-and-up. It is the time to buy. Mortgage rates and housing prices are low. The preliminary sentiment index for May climbed to 77.8%, its highest point since January 2008, according to Thompson Reuters/University of Michigan. Also from April to May there has been a 1.4% increase, being the ninth consecutive month that the index has risen.

Over the last 30 years, mortgage rates have averaged 8.32%. Today’s rates are almost half of that—making now a great time to purchase or refinance your home.

Call Waterstone Mortgage today: (480) 635-3000


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A Regular P. Diddy in the Real Estate World

by admin on March 13, 2012

Photo provided by Todd Talbot

Sean Combs, Puff Daddy, P.Diddy, etc., truly made his name—whichever one it is at the time—being an enterprising entrepreneur through various media and fashion formats.

Todd Talbot—or T.Talb, as we like to call him—creator and owner of iBidForAcent.com, is taking a Diddy-like approach to the auctioneering and real estate world. While owner/creator of iBidForAcent.com, Talbot also bought a $81,000 foreclosure then completely remodeled it, bringing its current appraisal value up to $125,000.

In most likely the first-ever auction of its kind on the Internet, Talbot launched a real estate penny auction for the 4-bedroom, 2-bath Glendale, Ariz. home.

Talbot explains that at 5 p.m. today, “Open bidding will end, and 20-second extended bidding will begin. At that point a 20-second timer clock will start a countdown. If someone bids during that time, the clock automatically re-sets for another 20 seconds. This will happen until no one bids during the 20-second period.”

After the 20-second period ends, the auction ends; the last registered bidder is then declared the winner.

The minimum for which the house can sell is $2,750. Talbot suggest that the winning bid could be as low as $5,000.

To keep the bidding from stalling due to the reserve, Talbot gave incentives. The person with the highest number of bids during the reserve period automatically gets $15,000, while the second highest gets $5,000.

For the house, a bidder will pay a fee of 60 cents per bid.

If this first auction proves to be a success, Talbot is considering expanding to other cities. Could penny auctions take the real estate world by storm? Voice your opinion.


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Scottsdale Home for Sale

February 29, 2012

Arizona has many wonderful places to live, but none are quite as picturesque as Scottsdale. Are you looking for a beautiful home in Scottsdale, AZ? Scottsdale has a tranquil and scenic home waiting for you. This 5,490 sq.ft. home for sale is set deep within the the exclusive gated community of DC Ranch Country Club [...]

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Is your home underwater? Answer: HARP 2.0

February 27, 2012

Due to personal economic situations, you may be underwater on your home. You’ve been searching for options but haven’t found the refinance help you need. In March, HARP 2.0 will be fully operational to help underwater homeowners. Though you may have been turned down before, guidelines have changed. Talk with a professional today to help [...]

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Four Percent Was So Last Year

January 16, 2012

It seems like only yesterday people were clamoring to get a 4.71 percent interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage. That makes complete sense; it’s a steal of a deal. But that wasn’t just yesterday, it was last year. And just like Skechers’ Shape Ups, those rates were so last year. The first two weeks [...]

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How HARP can Help YOU

January 11, 2012

For years we’ve been hearing about the housing crisis and the issues with affordability since the market crashed. Many homeowners are upside-down but don’t want to walk away from their home. With the interest rates at historic lows, many are wishing they could refinance. We’ve been searching for ways to help you refinance and take [...]

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Cash-out Refi with the Delayed Financing Rule

November 30, 2011

With cash-out refinances, there has been a standard six-month waiting period. Due to the new Delayed Financing Rule, that seasoning has been eliminated. As part of Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide update, the Delayed Financing Rule allows real estate investors to pay cash for a home; instead of having to wait six months, an investor can [...]

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November 23, 2011

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Shadow Inventory’s Impact on the Housing Market

November 23, 2011

Standard & Poor’s released their Third Quarter 2011 Shadow Inventory update on November 21. Standard & Poor’s is a worldwide leader of financial market intelligence. We figured they had a pretty good idea of what was going on in the market. Shadow inventory has a slightly different definition in various companies; Standard & Poor’s defines [...]

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WSJ and Forbes Say it’s Time to Buy

November 7, 2011

We believe very strongly that now is the time to buy a home. Some will say we are just saying this to create real estate transactions and commissions. Because of that, today we will quote what those outside the real estate profession are saying to the people who look to them for financial advice. The [...]

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