Archive
AZ Mortgage Buyer Checklist as provided by the Arizona Department of Real Estate
AZ Mortgage Buyer Checklist as provided by the Arizona Department of Real Estate
In researching some information through the Arizona Department of Real Estate, I found a handy Buyer Checklist!
You can find it here: http://www.re.state.az.us/PublicInfo/PropertyBuyerChecklist.aspx
This checklist has infomation on:
New homes in a Subdivision…….specifically to reading the contract completely (builder contracts can vary greatly from the typical purchase contract), how to get the public report, and notes on what to do BEFORE you sign the contract.
Previously Owned Homes……..specifically to the realtor’s representation, getting a home inspection, termite inspection and what to do BEFORE you write an offer.
Undeveloped Land…….. specifically to advise regarding asking for the ” Arizona Department of Real Estate Disclosure Report “(Public Report), reviewing the Arizona Department of Water Resource, and parcel requirements, if intent to build.
The checklists are kept up to date by the Arizona Department of Real Estate and have all of the important information for each category that you or your buyer might forget!
Although dry, the department can be a wealth of information. The more we know the better off we are.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
602.294.9288(O)
602.294.9830(F)
MB#0902810 NMLS #162494
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
5 tips for First Time Home Buyers!
First, Congratulations on wanting to buy your first new home! NOW, is definately the time! This is not only an exciting time but a stressful one as well. Here are some tips to help you through the process:
1. Ask questions. Ask questions of everyone you can find. I mean EVERYONE! Chances are, they asked or experienced the same question at some point in their own lives. No question is a stupid question.
2. The first question to ask is: “Can you give me a referral to a good mortgage loan officer?” Your GOOD loan officer is going to be as valuable to you as your physician. Once you choose one, apply for your new home mortgage:
* How much do you WANT to spend?
* How much do you QUALIFY for? (these could be two radically different numbers)
* How much money will you need for your down payment?
* What, if any, issues will you need to deal with in order to qualify?
* What is the current interest rate and how much tolerance do you have for interest rate movement?
3. Once you have your qualified magic purchase price number, you need a GOOD realtor. Again, ask your sphere for a realtor referral. Interview them like they are applying for a job with you. They are! The will be “working” for you until you find your new home. You need to like them! They need to be clear about your needs/wants, available to take you out looking on your schedule and be someone you want to spend time with.
4. Start shopping! Hit the streets. What do you find? Does your price point accomodate your needs? Stay in contact with your loan officer. Do you need to tweak your pre-qualification in order to make the homes you are seeing work with your budget? What are mortgage interest rates doing?
5. Make an reasonable/realistic offer! It is a buyer’s market! You are in the driver’s seat here but be realistic. Listen to your realtor. Use their advice and make a reasonable offer!
Watch for future blogs to elaborate on each of these items. Again, buying a home can be in the top 5 most stressful things you will do in your lifetime. If you fill your sphere with knowledgeable and helpful professionals you can take a tremendous amount of stress out of the equation.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner/Broker
Proudly mortgage lending in Arizona since 1999!
First Class Financial Services
602.294.9288 www.fcfs.net mortgagedr@fcfs.net
NMLS#162476 / MB#0902810
Thank you to all of you tenacious realtors!
Here are some highlights from the recent member survey from NAR:
(read the full article here —>)
http://rismedia.com/2011-05-18/nar-member-survey-shows-focus-on-training-commitment-to-profession/
These were among the ones that surprised me:
- The typical NAR member has 12 years of experience; nine out of 10 say they are certain they will remain in the business.
- NAR members in the business for two years or less earned a median of $8,900, while those in the business for 16 years or more earned $47,100. Sixteen percent earned a six-figure income, reflecting the entrepreneurial aspect of REALTOR® businesses.
- Fourteen percent of REALTORS® work fewer than 20 hours per week, 30 percent work 20 to 39 hours per week, 41 percent work 40 to 59 hours and 15 percent work 60 hours per week or more.
- Half of the respondents use social or professional networking sites and 10 percent have a blog.
So basically the key to a successful realtor is committment, training and putting in the hours… WOW! Who knew?
I am also surprised that only half use social media and only 10% have a blog… something to think about… could that be a niche that you are fully missing out on?
Again, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU TENACIOUS REALTORS. I love you!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
602.294.9288(O)
602.294.9830(F)
MB#0902810
NMLS #162494
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
To Condo or not to Condo?
Ugh. Condo’s. I don’t want to be a big downer on condo’s but… here it comes. Specifically to Arizona, condo’s are increasingly more and more difficult to lend on. There are several reasons for this but primarily the lenders make a distinction between whether the condominium project is warrantable or non-warrantable. Simply put, lendable or not?
Conventionally the project needs to meet a miriad of restrictions: (this is the short list.. there are more)
* 70% of the units need to be owned and occupied as primary residences.
* The HOA cannot be in any litigation with the homeowners.
* One owner cannot own more than 10% of the units.
* The HOA cannot have more than 15% delinquency.
* The HOA has to be turned over to the owners.
* In a new construction project, 90% of the units have to be delivered.
* The HOA has to carry a minimum of a $1million dollar liability home owners insurance policy and carry an employee dishonesty rider (Many other insurance requirements but this tends to be a big one)
For FHA, the project needs to have received its NEW FHA approval (all FHA approved condo projects needed to get reapproved in 2010)
Given the above restrictions, you can see why I would be a big downer on condos. With the amount of default we have seen in the state of Arizona, most projects have a higher than 30% investor occupancy. Many investors have gone in and bought several units and made the projects ineligible OR the current owner is in default/ delinquent on HOA dues.
I understand the draw to the condo projects as there are many that are priced too low to pass up. Ask the right questions initially in order to determine if it is eligible for lending. On a conventional loan, the HOA MUST complete a “Condo Questionaire”. Most HOA’s do not hand complete them any longer. They are typically done through HOA Questionaire Services for a fee.
My last question? How difficult will it be to re-sell given the difficulty today?
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
602.294.9288(O)
602.294.9830(F)
MB#0902810
NMLS #162494
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
YAY! Lender LOWERS FHA credit score requirement to 580!
I ask you… IF you can get a mortgage with:
1. A 580 credit score
2. Your grandmother can gift you the 3.5% down payment
3. The seller can pay ALL your closing costs
4. (You can have ZERO contribution of your own money)
5. You do not need reserves to qualify.
6. You can get an interest rate below 5%
7. You have more inventory to choose from than eggs at an easter egg hunt.
8. You can have a new mortgage payment less than you are paying in rent.
9. You LOVE your realtor.
10. You LOVE your loan officer.
11. You HATE your roommate.
What is everyone waiting for?
Spread the word. Life is good. We need to take advantage of it!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner/Broker
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999.
602.294.9288(p) mortgagedr@fcfs.net www.fcfs.net
MB#0902810/ NMLS#162494
How does the new Loan Officer Compensation affect your buyer/seller?
First, did you know there WAS new loan officer compensation?
There is. Basically (although unbelievably convulated and confusing) the new legislation says that borrowers have 2 options. EITHER to pay their loan origination fee OR to accept a higher interest rate and have the lender paid the loan origination fee. Seems simple, right?
Here’s where YOU, as their realtor, come in. Does the loan officer that your buyer is obtaining their loan from, even have TWO options? Many lenders are adopting ONLY the lender compensation and ONLY offering the higher rate option to your client. IF you buyer is unaware that their are two options available to them, they may not know to ask or search for another loan officer (me).
Keep in mind, many times a lender paid, higher rate option works best. My job is to ensure that BOTH are presented to the borrower so, through analysis, we can determine which is best.
Also, on the lender paid option, most lenders have adopted a MINIMUM amount in order to ensure the loan officer receives adequate compensation regardless of the loan amount. HOWEVER, the lender may have to increase the interest rate, considerably, in order to pay the minimum compensation to the loan officer, again dramatically impacting the quality of the loan for the borrower.
On another note, the new Loan Officer Compensation does NOT allow for ANYONE to pay for ANY additional costs associated with the loan OTHER than the borrower. This typically comes up under lock extensions. IF a loan needs to be extended at a cost, the buyer is the ONLY one that can pay that expense. NOT the loan officer. NOT the realtor. Regardless of WHY the lock needs to be extended AND given that this is a new expense, the buyer will need to re-disclosed this expense (with mandatory disclosure times) which could affect your close of escrow date.
Just be aware. Ask questions. If your business is referral based as mine is, it is critical we are advisors for our clients not just transactional.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
602.294.9288(O)
602.294.9830(F)
MB#0902810
NMLS #162494
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
Kids and Money… The 3 C’s
Critical. Control. Credit. Critical is #1. Control is 1.1. Credit is #1.2. (All close in line is what I am trying to say)
I have talked to my son about all of these since he was a toddler. Little did he know when we were talking about how inappropriate it was for him to be throwing a fit while begging for candy at the grocery store, that we were really talking about his credit report. “You cannot get future great stuff without doing the right thing right now”
Critically think first, practice some control and know that credit is like breathing. Re-read that last sentence. If we all jumped out of bed, said “Goodmorning Day” and adopted that as our new mantra… where would we be?
So many clients come to me with the dream of home ownership only for me to tell them that their credit score it too low to qualify. They have worked their butts off, they have spent years saving the down payment money, they have changed their lifestyle to handle the new dream mortgage payment but skid…… no dream home for you. Their credit score is too low because last December, when they bought a new big screen TV instead of making the credit card payment, they forgot… “You cannot get future great stuff without doing the right thing right now” I have to also remind them that their credit score plummets and is like climbing Mount Everest to get the score back up again. THAT conversation is why I write this blog. Although titled “Kids and Money”, sometimes my 44 year old clients need to be reminded of the lessons they should have learned with they were 4.
Critical. Control. Credit. Start with YOUR kids when they are 4.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services www.fcfs.net mortgagedr@fcfs.net
602.294.9288 (p)
MB#0902810 / NMLS#162476
Kids and Money…It doesn’t grow on trees!
The money may not grow on trees but it does come from gifts! I encourage my son’s family members to gift in the form of CASH. I know. I know. Most gift givers do not want to give cash but it feeds to the rest of my story. #1 He loves the cash. Most family members now give him the gift in the form of individual dollar bills. Admit it, it just seems like more. #2 We practice control. How much to keep? How much to deposit? #3 We make another trip in the “dream car” to the bank. With “whats my balance?” being the next thing out of his mouth. Music to my ears! #4 Once the whole journey is over, he is reminded just how important it is to think first, deposit second, spend third.
My parents have also started contributing directly into his 529 college fund. They will send him something small and a note that they have contributed towards his college.
This morning we had the “How can I make more money?” conversation. He is seeing his goal looming on the horizon. He turns 16 in 310 days, 8 hours and 23 minutes. Not that either of us are counting.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services 602.294.9288 (p) www.fcfs.net mortgagedr@fcfs.net
MB#0902810/ NMLS# 162476
Kids and Money… Goals. New Account. Compounding Interest!
What is more exciting to talk to your kids about than the magic of Compounding Interest? Ok so maybe thats just me!
My son and I started by talking about what he wanted to spend his money on. Initially it was small things he could buy immediately. The more we talked about it, the bigger his “dreams” got. He ultimately decided he wanted to save for his first car. On that note, we drove his “new dream car” to the bank and opened an account. Ask your local bank about accounts specfically designed for kids.
Over icecream, to celebrate, we talked about compounding interest. The conversation is radically different over ice cream and with his own money. Once he figured out that the bank would GIVE him money, his sense of urgency to get money into the account compounded as well.
Now every time he makes or is gifted money, he holds out a portion for himself and the remainder is deposited into his account. He has a picture of his Jeep posted above his desk, right next to his bank statements.
Might be a good time to think about your own goals (home ownership or upgrading, of course), open an account and master the power of compounding interest! You can thank me later!
Over a glass of wine tonight, I’ll decide my new goal for all the money I saved not having to buy my kids first car!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services
602.294.9288 (p)
www.fcfs.net mortgagedr@fcfs.net
MB#0902810 / NMLS# 162494
First Class Financial 