Ask Phyllis

Merry Christmas

pstaines — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:57:47 +0000

George Bailey worked for little money, helped people buy and stay and in their homes, and contributed to his community. Hurray for George Bailey…he must have been a Realtor!

FHA Home Buyer Changes

pstaines — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:24:37 +0000

One in four pre-qualified buyers are denied financing once loan application is made. This number is expected to rise when FHA changes come into effect in 2010. Experts are recommending buyers meet with their lender to get pre-approved, not pre-qualified, and monthly renewals of the pre-approval, especially due to th…e long delays in closing short sales and REO’s. Visit bit.ly/FHA120709 for more information.

Cost vs Value Report – 2010

pstaines — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:36:07 +0000

Planning on doing any home improvements in the new year? Remodeling Magazine’s 2010 Cost vs Value report is out for Jacksonville: http://bit.ly/costvsvalue

Buyer/Selller Profile

pstaines — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:36:14 +0000

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2009 profile of buyers and sellers is out: http://bit.ly/nar2009

Home Search

pstaines — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:13:19 +0000

Working on new IDX public home search – what information do you want to see when searching for homes? http://bit.ly/2XtFn2

And don’t worry, we still are one of the only real estate websites that lets you search for homes without registering!

Mortgage Fraud

pstaines — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:45:15 +0000

Great website to get the specifics of the breaking news on mortgage fraud: http://www.mortgagefraud.org/.

Water Shut Off

pstaines — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:16:51 +0000

New lawn watering rules are in effect today with daylight savings time – one day per week until 3/14/2010 http://bit.ly/irrig

Crush-It

pstaines — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:20:26 +0000

Great read http://bit.ly/trWq1. If you a looking for a book to get you on track for 2010, check out Crush-It. Author Gary Vaynerchuk will be in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 17th at the TU Center.

Interest Rates

pstaines — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:38:45 +0000

Mortgage rates are at their lowest levels since spring according to Bankrate.com. Great way to start the week, and a great time to buy a house. $8000 tax credit expires December 1st, not much time left to find your first home. Check out www.westbeacheshomes.com, great home for first time buyer…and NOT a short sale!

List During the Holidays

pstaines — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:38:52 +0000

Should you list your home during the holidays? Check out my column in the Florida Times Union http://bit.ly/TU-Oct3