Dawn Rivera's Fremont & East Bay Real Estate Blog » Fremont Real Estate

(EHLP) Emergency Homeowners Loan Program

Dawn Rivera — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 02:29:34 +0000

I was reading a news letter today written by Broderick Perkins and he was writing about a new program to help distressed home owners. The “Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP)” There is a deadline to sign up for the help of 7/22/11 so if you are a distressed home owner, hurry and complete a “Pre-Application Screening Worksheet” by July 22, 2011 to earn eligibility for a spot in a random lottery.

Read the entire article here: http://www.mortgagematch.com/news/mortgage-types/ehlp-helps-distressed-homeowners-1443/

Go to the government website here: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/hcc/ehlp

How Much Will it Cost to Drive

Dawn Rivera — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:12:51 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Trying to decide how to get to your next vacation? Should you fly, drive, take a train etc.? Which one will be more cost effective. which mode of transportation will leave a bigger carbon footprint? Now you can go to www.cost2drive.com to find out! First, you enter where you are leaving from and where you will be going. Then you put in the year make and model of your car it will calculate the cost. You can even compare it to the cost of flying if your vacation trip is far away.

Fly or Drive? I can’t decide. Now I don’t have to (gadling.com)
Summer Travel: What’s the Cheapest Way to Go? (bargaineering.com)

The Home Water Filtration Apparatus

Dawn Rivera — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:50:17 +0000

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The Water quality Association estimates that 4 out of 10Americans use a home water treatment unit. Even though ACWD delivers high quality drinking water that meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards,many individuals in the service area use their own water treatment units at home. One of the most commonly used home water treatment units is the point-of-use filter. These filters are commonly utilized inside a water pitcher, installed under the sink, attached to a facet or on the water/ice line for the refrigerator.

In general, home water filters can be effective at improving the taste of water, and some will also reduce lead and other contaminants. Home water filters are made by numerous manufacturers and use a variety of filter materials. The most common material is activated carbon. Activated carbon is extremely porous; the pores enable the carbon to bond with contaminants and trap them. It is important to remember that activated carbon filters must be replaced periodically because the can become plugged; once the filters adsorptive capacity is used up, no further contaminant removal occurs. Think of it as a parking lot: once all the spots are taken no one else can park there.

As with any water treatment unit, activated carbon cannot remove all possible drivking water contaminants. Because activated carbon systems are limited in the types of compounds they can effectively remove, it is essential that you determine what you are trying to remove before purchasing such a system. To help determine what contaminants a given water treatment unit will remove. look for a certification from the California Department of Public health (CDPH). CDPD certification means that the deivce has been tested to:

1. verify the manufacturer’s health-realted performance

2. ensure the materials used within the device do no add contaminants.

This information came from the Alameda County Water District news letter.

Search for Properties Like a Pro

Dawn Rivera — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:49:53 +0000

I have just received a new tool from my MLS provider Bay East and it allows me to invite friends, clients and future clients to listingbook which allows you to search for homes with a platform that is updated every 30 to 60 mins. Realtors pay a yearly fee to be able to access the MLS (covers Alameda and Contra Costa counties) and now I can invite you for free. So what that means for you is you can search for homes like a pro, and not have to worry that the home is already pending or sold. Feel free to contact me if you are interested and I will send you an invitation.

Two Weeks Left to Cash in on Both Tax Credits

Dawn Rivera — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:49:04 +0000

The Federal tax credit is nearing an end, and the state tax credit is just begining. You have to be in Escrow by 04/31 to receive the Federal tax credit. You have to close escrow after 05/01/10 to receiev the State credit. The homes in alameda county have gone up 28% , One of my homes went from a value of 380,000 to 480,000 in the last year. So to everyone who is waiting and sitting on the fence I say you better get on the ball and get off the fence. The prices of homes are going up and so are the interest rates. Don’t miss the boat on the low rates and low prices!!

First Time Buyers Basic 101

Dawn Rivera — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:17:08 +0000

I have been answering a lot of questions from uninformed first time buyers on websites Like Homeresearch.com and Trulia.com, these sites have realtors who will answer real estate questions. The majority of questions are regarding if one house or another is available. They do not have a Realtor nor are they pre-approved……So I am writing this for the benefit of the many first time home buyers who do not know that their first step should be to find a Realtor they feel comfortable with. The buyers Realtor is paid by the seller and so the expert help of an experienced Realtor comes at no cost to them.

Their next step should be to obtain a pre-approval from their bank or other lender. Without a pre-approval, any offer they submit will likely be ignored. If they do not have a particular lender or bank they want to do business with their Realtor can help them with that as well.

New FHA Rules

Dawn Rivera — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:28:15 +0000

The FHA has come up with some new rules when it comes to their loans.

Beginning April 2010, the up front mortgage insurance will increase from 1.75% to 2.25%

There will be no more spot appraisals. So it will be harder to get an approval on a condo.

This is a big one. Effective for all case numbers issued on or after February 1 of this year, all previous FHA condo approvals will be eliminated and condominium projects must be recertified by HUD.

You can pretty much forget about buying a condo until the project has been blessed by HUD or one of HUD’s approved lenders.

Going forward there will be two approval methods for FHA Case numbers ordered after February 1, 2010;

Hud Review and Approval Process (H-RAP)

DE Lender-Approval and Review Process (DEL-RAP)

On another note>>>
For all purchase contracts dated after February 1st, 2010, FHA has waived the flipping rule.
Private Sellers & Investors can now sell their properties to FHA buyers without having to wait 90 days.

Smart Consumers are Boosting the Economy

Dawn Rivera — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:42:38 +0000

Smart consumers, taking advantage of the historically low interest rates, the very good home prices and also, the extended and expanded tax credit, are helping to water a housing market growth. This is in turn helping the economy in general. According to several surveys, most of the current home owners say they would use the tax credit money to pay off existing debt, do home improvement, or invest it, or put it in savings.

Helping to energize the housing market is the reason behind the homebuyer tax credit and the recent extension and expansion. Consumer spending is, of course, the real water for the nation’s economic growth, and a lot of consumer spending is fueled by the growing housing market, along with new jobs, and confidence in our country’s rebound from the recession.

King Tutankhamun in San Francisco

Dawn Rivera — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:03:29 +0000

Living in the San Francisco Bay area is wonderful for many reasons. The City has many wonderful Restaurants, Hotels, and the night life is awesome as well. On this past Thursday I went to the De Young Museum and saw the King Tut exhibit. It was an ultimate experience. I can not believe the wonderful craftsmanship of the artifacts. I am talking about stuff that is over 3500 years old and looks like modern tools were used. I was not allowed to take pictures (of course) but I have added some I found on google, just to wet your appetite. The exhibit will only be here for a couple of weeks and will not be back for at least 35 years. If there is any way you can go see it you should make the effort. Our wonderful state has the best weather, wonderful diversity, also some of the best museums around. No wonder there is a housing shortage in California, that continues to raise the price of homes even in this slow economy. Home prices have risen 2% in the last 12 months. Looks like we have hit the bottom and are on the way back up.

FHA 203K Loan Program gives you Money to Remodel a Fixer

Dawn Rivera — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:18:15 +0000

Been out looking at started homes? Finding out that the nicer, lower priced, homes are getting so many offers, its hard for you too get your offers accepted?

Well there is a FHA loan called a 203K that will allow you to get money to fix up a fixer. You know, the homes where you go in and the carpets are filthy and the kitchen and bathrooms are a mess?

So,l now instead of passing them up (as others are doing) you can make an offer on one that is basically sound and only needs cosmetic work. Get the extra money and have it remodeled. You will have an easier time getting your offers excepted as everyone is looking to buy the homes that are already remodeled. Also you can pick your carpet, tile and counters and will be able to move into a clean newly revamped home……

For more information on the 203k loan program, visit www.hud.gov or www.re-buildusa.com.