I think “Making Home Affordable” the title and the name of the web site have it all wrong, it’s supposed to be “Buy a Home You Can Afford” but most things right now in the world are either upside down or just plain wrong.
I checked out the Obama led web site “Making Home Affordable”. The standard Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline mantra with the HOMES of HOPE 888-995-HOPE number in red to get you to call for urgent help. This government has hijacked the word HOPE from day one and probably won’t stop until they’ve moved on. Which is HOPEfully soon. Not that the next elected group of thugs and profiteers will do much better … I’d settle for doing nothing than the direction we’re heading now.
It was the HOPE of homeownership for many who should never have qualified for the loan that drew them into this burden that now is destroying their lives …. THE MORTGAGE PAYMENT. A HOPE fueled by GREED that lent money to anyone with a faint heartbeat with little regulation and little to no verification of the homeowner’s real ability to pay it back after the ARM would readjust. Lenders were making money hand over fist and could sell the note quickly on Wall Street to a sea of buyers, so why should they care to verify or tighten up on their lending practices. Now the banks and mortgage holders are losing money hand over fist as taxpayer’s bailout them out as well as our government and their buddies…… hand over fist.
The printing presses ($100 machines) are rolling at the Department of Treasury and the money going in every direction imaginable except to where it needs to go. The cost “PAYBACK” is left to our children and their children and so on….. while the baby boomers will have their nest eggs refilled with government pork, $4,500 car buying credit and free healthcare. WHOOOOPI. One of the saddest parts of this whole mess is putting the burden of this generation’s foul-ups on the children and their children. Well I guess they’re doing what they like to do, borrow and spend and expect someone else to pay or somehow get out of it. Their best answer is to pin it on the kids because they don’t have a voice, YET!
HOPE. I used to think HOPE was something like a wish, a dream that you wanted one day to be fulfilled, something in your life or in another’s life that would happen to bring joy into it. Now HOPE is a slogan, a word used by agenda pushers to play on people’s emotions and to get them to go in a specific direction. After all, who doesn’t want HOPE? Right?
Back to the web site …….
On the home page of this web site it asks
Are You Eligible? Please use the self-assessment tools provided on this websiteto see if you are among the 7 to 9 million homeowners who maybe able to benefit from Making Home Affordable.
Right below this is a “Find out if you are eligible” button.
The next web page will ask you to choose if you want to see if you are eligible for “Home Affordable Financing” or “Home Affordable Modification”. Select the one that best fits your desire.
Under “Home Affordable Financing” you have to answer YES to every question to be eligible. That means that you own a 1 -4 unit home, your loan is with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, your current on your mortgage payments and “the kicker”- you believe that the amount you owe on your first mortgage is about the same or less than the current value of your house. Remember that last question asked about first mortgage only, not first and second. If you answered yes to all of these cross your fingers and toes and HOPE.
Under “Home Affordable Modification” you also have to answer YES to every question to be eligible. That means your home is your primary residence, the amount you owe on your first mortgage is equal to or less than $729,750, you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, you got your current mortgage before January 1, 2009, and your payment on your first mortgage (including principal, interest, taxes, insurance and homeowner’s association dues, if applicable) more than 31% of your current gross income? HOPEfully you can answer YES to all of the questions and then there’s HOPE.
I don’t want to give a sense of false HOPE to troubled homeowners so I want to be clear about this. Please try and use this web site to see if they can help you. From what I have seen in the San Diego area including Chula Vista is that most homeowners that purchased a home in the past 1-4 years can’t truly answer YES to all of the questions in either category. The ones that can are still only eligible for the Making Home Affordable program.
Most of the homes in many neighborhoods in San Diego County are short sales. This means that there was no loan refinancing or loan modification for the homeowner that allowed them to successfully stay in their home. If there was they would not be short selling the home, and many are short selling their homes and condos. Some truly just didn’t try, shame on them. Most are just way upside down in property value and can’t make the monthly payments since the ARM readjustment or loss of job.
Its simple math, let me show you;
Paid $800,000 for home … worth $500,000 – why do I want this home?
or
Monthly income $5,000…. house payment jumped to $4,900 – need to eat!
These short sale listings will either be sold short or be taken back by the bank through a foreclosure and end up on the market as a Bank Owned REO. I have spoken with many homeowners who just want to get out their homes or condos and just move on. They want to close that door in their lives and open the next one. The choice of keeping a home that has decreased in value 40% in 3 years and a monthly mortgage payment that is just not possible to pay is destroying families.
I have met many that have said “enough, I’ll take the credit hit and short sell my home or let the bank foreclose on it” and they have. I will always ask them if they contacted an attorney and a CPA to go over all of the ramifications of both. This is essential if the path of short sale or foreclosure is in any ones future.
I HOPE this review of the Making Home Affordable web site helps you.
CAR Revises San Diego Real Estate Sales Numbers Due to MLS Data Glitch
This blog post is in reference to an article in the Wall Street Journal by James R. Hagerty. The WSJ reported that:
“The California Association of Realtors expects to make sharp downward revisions in its recent monthly reports of soaring home sales in the San Diego area, Robert Kleinhenz, deputy chief economist of the trade group, said in an interview. The problem resulted from a glitch in data from a multiple-listing service in San Diego, Mr. Kleinhenz said. He said a change in computer systems used there resulted in incorrect data being sent to the Realtor association over the past year or so. Thomas Lawler, an independent economist in Leesburg, Va., who tracks home sales nationwide, raised questions about the San Diego data in a report last week. Mr. Lawler noted that the numbers reported by the Realtors vastly exceeded those from MDA DataQuick, a research firm in La Jolla, Calif., and other sources. The California Realtors have reported that San Diego sales in April were up about 63% from a year earlier. Mr. Kleinhenz said that is expected to be revised downward to a gain of about 20%. For May, the group reported an 89% increase in sales in San Diego; that will be slashed to about 6.5%, the economist said. As a result, he said, the state-wide sales gain for May — reported last week as 35% — also will be revised down, though it probably will remain above 30%, Mr. Kleinhenz said.”
I use the San Diego MLS as a Realtor in San Diego. There have been some changes to it over the past year and just recently. Fields have been added and things have been changed around. It took Listingbook quite a while to finally come into San Diego as a tool for agents and their buyers and sellers to view real estate for sale in the MLS. It has been frustrating for me as well because the IDX solution for my San Diego real estate web site has been changed several times because of the adjustments in the San Diego MLS. This has also made many of my search links invalid and error codes pop up when clients do searches with prior created links. It has forced me to remove the links. I also understand that the MLS not only in San Diego but other areas of the country change from time to time and will always have to be modified with new fields and updates. It is a part of technology and changing times.
The old adage “GIGO – Garbage In Garbage Out” – doesn’t apply either because it wasn’t “Garbage In” it was just “Garbage Out”. Because of the Changes in the MLS I can see how the sales calculations can be different from what they were in the past because of the added fields that are now in play. I’m glad the mistake was caught and I’m sure more caution will be used in the future when doing these calculations. It can also affect the Median Home Price data as well. If fields change and new categories are created someone with an understanding of all this needs to be overseeing the operation to make sure the reporting is correct. DataQuick got it right ….. Why not hire them.
Ashlon Langley Writer and Director of The Car a 1970’s film starring James Brolin was interviewed on Shameful Cinema. I write many Blog posts about San Diego and San Diego Real Estate and after reading the Ashlon interview about this 1970 movie I thought I would deviate and write about something out of the ordinary. I like the 1970’s low budget movies without all of the special effects and outspoken actors of today’s Hollywood. Ashlon responding to a question from the interviewer Andy about the car design he said;
Ashlon: The under-cranking was reminiscent of the Adams Family and The Munsters television series, making that quality silly to me. However, the design is choice! I love that one of the confusing points for the cops in the movie is that they can’t tell what make or model the beast is. And… it has no tags! If only they could get a license plate, the bungling cops could stop all the mayhem, yeah right!
I wrote about this movie and this interview because things are also reminiscent of the 1970’s even though it’s 2009. We are now like in the early 70’s in a recession and inflation is due to rise. America has taken a hit in the pride department due to the media’s constant attack on the good things America stands for and good things the United States does for so many around the world. The 70’s brought about the 80’s and the economy started gaining ground again and Americans had a lot of good things to feel good about. Watch The Car if you can and read the Ashlon interview. It’s truly entertaining.
If you need help buying a home, condo, Bank Owned REO, Foreclosure or Short Sale in the San Diego area including Chula Vista make sure you contact us we’re your San Diego Realtor.
The San Diego Housing Commission or SDHC has several home buyer assistance programs for San Diego home buyers. Some of the different home buyer assistance programs include deferred loans, grants for down payments and closing costs, tax credits, and opportunities to purchase homes at below market rate prices. This San Diego home buyer assistance program allow a home buyer to purchase a home anywhere in the City of San Diego. This means that the area must start with the Zip Code 921. This encompasses a huge area of San Diego and includes thousands of homes currently for sale.
Most of these home buyer assistance programs in San Diego are for first time home buyers except for the For Sale Affordable Homes Program. A San Diego First Time Home Buyer is defined as a buyer that has not owned any real estate in the previous 3 years. There are also maximum purchase price limits and area median income restrictions as well.
Some of the programs are:
* 3% Interest Deferred Loan
* Grants for Down Payments and Closing Costs
* Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC). Can be used for San Diego bank owned properties.
* For Sale Affordable Homes
This $10,000 tax credit in the state of California only applies to homes that have never been occupied and purchased between the dates of March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010. The California home buyers must also reside in the home as their primary residence for at least 2 years from close of escrow.
A qualified home buyer is:
A taxpayer who purchases a single-family residence, whether detached or attached, that has never been occupied, that is purchased to be the principal residence of the taxpayer for a minimum of two years, and that is eligible for the homeowner’s exemption under California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 218.
A qualified principal residence – new home is:
-A qualified principal residence means a single-family residence, whether detached or attached, that has never been occupied and is purchased to be the principal residence of the taxpayer for a minimum of two years and is eligible for the property tax homeowner’s exemption.
- Types of residence: Any of the following can qualify if it is your principal residence and is subject to property tax, whether real or personal property: a single family residence, a condominium, a unit in a cooperative project, a houseboat, a manufactured home, or a mobile home.
- Owner-built property: A home constructed by an owner -taxpayer is not eligible for the New Home Credit because the home has not been “purchased.”
The State of California has set aside $100,000,000 in tax credits for new home buyers. This program is on a first come first serve basis and once the allocated new home tax credit money is gone it’s over. Make sure if your California real estate agent is unfamiliar with this tax credit you let them know about it. You should also contact your accountant. Some details include that the tax credit amount is equal to either five percent of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is less. Taxpayers must apply the total tax credit in equal parts over 3 successive taxable years which is a maximum of $3,333 per year beginning with the taxable year of when the new home is purchased. This can also be used in addition to the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit in the Stimulus Package.
If you are interested in applying you will need to:
- Do the following within 7 days of close of escrow on your New California Home.
- The seller must complete Part I of Form 3528-A which is the Application for New Home Credit and certifying that the home has never been occupied as well as provide a copy to the buyer or escrow person.
- The buyer will complete Parts II & III of Form 3528-A.
- The escrow person on behalf of the seller and buyer will fax the completed Form 3528-A to FTB at 916.845.9754, and provide a copy to the buyer.
- Fax is the only delivery method that will be accepted and considered for credit allocation by FTB, as the date and time stamp on the fax will determine the order in which credits are allocated.
- Fax only one completed application per residence with all qualified buyers listed. Do not include information on nonqualified buyers. An incomplete application may delay or prevent credit allocation.
- Do not fax the application to FTB before escrow closes.
- Do not fax the application to FTB more than once. We will process the applications in the order received as quickly as possible.
- Escrow companies should only send one application per fax transmission.
- The buyer keeps a copy of the completed Form 3528-A for their records.
- The State of California Franchise Tax Board will have a fill able Form 3528-A online soon. In the meantime, if you fill out the form by hand, please print numbers as clearly and neatly as possible using CAPITAL LETTERS and staying between the lines. The faxes can be very hard to read.
I’m Dawn Lewis and I’m a San Diego Realtor. You have just found the best San Diego Real Estate web site for searching for San Diego Real Estate. I hope it helps you with your San Diego home or condo search and answers questions you have about San Diego real estate. Please use the tools and features like the San Diego MLS with its great maps and community information.
My Experience:
Realtor® in San Diego Since 1989
SOLD well over 1,500 Homes
San Diego Top Producer
San Diego Relocation Expert
Top Real Estate Negotiator
San Diego New Home Sales Expert
San Diego REO Listing Agent
San Diego Foreclosure Expert
Short Sale and Foreclosure Expert
Winner of many Real Estate Awards in Sales and Customer Service
As you can see I have been a real estate agent in San Diego for quite some time. Please put my experience to work for you and give me a call today.
The San Diego Real Estate Blog is a Web Log about Real Estate in San Diego County California. Posts about buying real estate in San Diego and Selling Real Estate as well as all aspects of the market are presented daily to interested Blog readers. This San Diego Real Estate Blog is considered one the most detailed and accurate in the Blogosphere. When reader want information on real estate related information in the San Diego area this is the Blog they click to.
The foreclosure filings rose 81% nationwide in 2008 and 2.3 million homeowners received a foreclosure or auction notice in that year. The 2009 foreclosure filings should be as gloomy or even more gloomy than 2008. This data is from RealtyTrac Inc. and shows the dire reality of how many families are loosing their homes. There was 1 in every 54 households that received either a foreclosure or auction filing. 2009 should bring more bad news in the mail for many homeowners struggling to make their house payments. Many are just throwing up their hands and walking away. The economy now in a recession won’t help matters and with the unemployment rate on a sharp incline it will only fuel this foreclosure pattern.
Homeowners in San Diego have been hit with some of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. The past real estate boom in San Diego is now in complete coloration to the downturn that has San Diegans feeling blue. San Diego has always been known for the great weather and sunshine which is free. This is a bright side to the malaise that has gripped most areas of the country in that San Diego is a great place to live whether you own or rent. It is still truly Americas Finest City ….. it’s just a little more affordable. O.K. a lot more affordable.
My name is Dawn Lewis and I am an REO Listing Agent in San Diego County with 20 years experience. Asset Managers when your ready to sell your assets in San Diego County California make sure you contact me. I have personally sold over 1,500 homes in San Diego County. I am one of the fastest growing REO Listing agents in San Diego County including the Chula Vista area and would like to offer you my services in selling your companies assets. I currently have a team of 7 in my REO division and my REO’s are serviced by the 70 agents that work within my company. We sell REO’s fast with extreme efficiency through systems that my team and I have perfected with my 20 years experience as a San Diego Realtor and REO Specialist.
I would like to prove myself to you by having you interview me by phone or email. I would also appreciate listing 5 to 10 of your assets so that you can experience how good my services are. I know what your goal is; to sell your assets as quickly as possible for the most money and the least amount of problems.
I have several web sites and Blogs where I promote my REO’s for fast and efficient sales. These web sites currently come up on page 1 on Google for San Diego Foreclosures which gives me 10 to 20 leads for REO buyers and investors per day. Please take advantage of the systems that I have created to sell your assets fast, efficiently and for top-dollar. I look forward to speaking with you further regarding your REO’s. Some of my qualifications include:
REOMAC-Mortgage Default Industries Top Service
5 Star-Golden Member
REOTrans, ResNet, REO Maestro
Real Estate Agent/Salesperson License since 1989
Over 200 Hours of REO & BPO Education on file
I would appreciate the chance to work with you and selling any assets that you have in the San Diego County, California area.
If you are considering buying a home in 2009 you might want to consider starting your home shopping during the Christmas Holiday. Over the years I have noticed that there are far less buyers looking to buy a home during the winter holidays. Most people and families are way too busy during the holidays to even consider looking at buying a new home or condo. Because of this there are far less offers on real estate during the winter months than any other time of year. Sellers start getting very anxious when fewer and fewer buyers come through there home the deeper we get into the holiday season. In high foreclosure and short sale areas like San Diego County the banks looking to get some assets off the books before 2008 is over will be looking at all offers.
I personally purchased a home several years ago during the Christmas Holidays and paid about $30,000 less than market value on a home in the low $200,000 range. The sellers were anxious and had already purchased a home in another state and were more than willing to accept my low offer. It was gain and worked out very well. If you considering buying in 2009 in the San Diego area you should consider looking now in 2008 and buying your home for Christmas. I couldn’t think of a better present.
Please use the links below to help you with your San Diego Real Estate Search and Information from your San Diego Realtor.
no verification of the homeowner’s real ability to pay it back after the ARM would readjust. Lenders were making money hand over fist and could sell the note quickly on Wall Street to a sea of buyers, so why should they care to verify or tighten up on their lending practices. Now the banks and mortgage holders are losing money hand over fist as taxpayer’s bailout them out as well as our government and their buddies…… hand over fist. 
expect someone else to pay or somehow get out of it. Their best answer is to pin it on the kids because they don’t have a voice, YET! 
before January 1, 2009, and your payment on your first mortgage (including principal, interest, taxes, insurance and homeowner’s association dues, if applicable) more than 31% of your current gross income? HOPEfully you can answer YES to all of the questions and then there’s HOPE.
and end up on the market as a Bank Owned REO. I have spoken with many homeowners who just want to get out their homes or condos and just move on. They want to close that door in their lives and open the next one. The choice of keeping a home that has decreased in value 40% in 3 years and a monthly mortgage payment that is just not possible to pay is destroying families. 
buyers looking to buy a home during the winter holidays. Most people and families are way too busy during the holidays to even consider looking at buying a new home or condo. Because of this there are far less offers on real estate during the winter months than any other time of year. Sellers start getting very anxious when fewer and fewer buyers come through there home the deeper we get into the holiday season. In high foreclosure and short sale areas like San Diego County the banks looking to get some assets off the books before 2008 is over will be looking at all offers.