QR Codes- What are those Bar- Codey Things?

Best practices for QR codes.
What to know about potential uses vs. problems











QR code.


I just couldn't resist it any longer. Every time I go to a conference or open my Twitter stream someone is talking about them. You know what I'm talking about: QR codes. Sometimes the conversations about them get really involved.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, QR codes (QR stands for "quick response") are those square "bar-codey" things you see popping up on business cards, signs and other printed real estate materials. These things were designed for use in warehouses and look like it, too.
When you run into someone who has just blown a wad of cash implementing some sort of QR code solution, he or she usually starts with something like, "These are really big in Japan."  They are cool and catching on. 
Here's the basic breakdown of how QR codes work in a typical real estate setting:
·         Real estate professional pays someone for a bunch of QR codes to print on printed stuff like business cards or signs.  Tami Winbury is a Real Estate Techi who is able to create her own QR Code for each of her Listings.  The QR Code is uploaded to each Brochure and posting for easy access.  Though QR Codes have not become main stream, they are catching on and Tami is leading the way.
·         A customer sees the QR code -- in the real world, away from their laptop -- and scans it.
·         A Web page opens on the customer's phone.
Please note that the following must be true for the customer to scan and interpret a QR code:
·         Customer possesses a Web-enabled phone.
·         Phone has a camera.
·         Phone is capable of running apps.  DROIDS have a free QR Code App and it takes about 2 seconds to download.  When you see a code very simply go to the QR app and snap a picture.  You will IMMEDIATELY have all the information you need.  You do not need to text yourself a phone number, address or name.  It will all be instantly uploaded to your phone for you.  If your phone does not have the app available then you NEED a new phone!
·         Customer has downloaded a QR code-reading app to the phone.
·         Customer knows that there's a QR code on the printed stuff.
Lighting is such that scanning the QR code is possible (example: if the code is on a sign this is all happening during bright daylight hours).
Visit http://www.liveojai.com/
or http://www.venturacountyhomesforsale.net/

  

Repost By Gahlord Dewald, Tuesday, March 29, 2011.
Inman News™

Traditions, Customs and Pranks on April Fools Day!

Traditions and Customs on April Fool's Day
On 'All Fools' Day' or 'April Fools' Day', people play practical jokes and pranks on each other, crack jokes on the expense of victims and gift each other gag gifts and then when the victims are taken in by surprise, all the witnesses shout 'April Fool' at once. The innocent pranks such as prompting somebody that their shoelaces are undone or that they have something on their faces are quite common. Children love to use the opportunity to prank their classmates and even their schoolteachers.

At some places, one is only allowed to play jokes until 12 noon for the jokes played after that time are supposed to bring bad luck to the perpetrator. Similarly, the victim is advised to endure the tricks with a smile on their face, exhibiting tolerance or amusement or they may suffer bad luck, It is said that those fooled by a pretty girl can expect marriage or at least friendship with her. Men are advised not to marry on this day or their wives will rule them forever. Children born on 1st of April are considered lucky generally, except in gambling where they will fare badly.

At some places, afternoon on 1st of April is called as 'Leggin'-down-day' and the people try to trip up any unsuspecting victim. Brish media, normally considered serious and sober, give in to the excitement and tomfoolery of the day and consider hoaxes on this day as a fair game.

Pranks For The Day
The soul of April Fool's Day lies in the funny pranks that are played on that day. The real good prank is the one that makes the victim laugh and enjoy as much as the other people who witness it. It's not nice to harm someone while pranking people and keep it safe. It is also necessary not to go overboard. However, small revengeful pranks that may be pardonable can be used to get back at someone who really deserves it. So let out the latent spirit in you with these devious hilarious pranks.

• Put half a bowl of cereal and milk in the freezer the night before. In the morning, volunteer to prepare the breakfast for everybody and put more cereal and milk in the frozen bowl. Watch adults and children trying to eat it.
• Rearrange somebody's drawers or file cabinets in a different order and see them baffled.
• Hard boil an egg and place it in the regular egg carton the night before. In the morning, ask someone to help you make breakfast and beat the egg to make omelets. Hand them the hard-boiled egg and watch them trying to crack it!
• On the other hand, you may just glue the eggs to the carton and ask someone to hand them to you in the morning. As the victims struggle to take the eggs out of the carton, they break.
• There are lots of fantastic tricks for heavy sleepers. Some of the popular ones are:
• Draw funny eyebrows and moustache on their faces while they are asleep.
• o Place some whipped cream in their hands and tickle their nose with a feather.
• o Placing someone's hand while they are asleep in a bowl of cold water is a sure way to make them wet their beds.
• Go to office early by half an hour on April 1 and tape down the ball at the bottom of everybody's mouse. See everybody surprised to find out that nobody's mouse is working. Works only on scroll mouse.
• This one is to play Dr Dolittle. Tape a little walky-talky on your pet or hide it somewhere near where it is laying. Walk off to a safe distance where you can keep yourself hidden from others with the other piece. As soon as another family member tries to pick up or pat on the back of your pet, say in a gruff voice, "I hate you doing this to me." See them jump with fright and shock.
• Late at night, fill the hair-dryer with baby powder. Catch the expression of someone who has just washed his or her hair and turned it white by using the hair dryer.
• This can be done in class, office or home. Ask your friends, colleagues and siblings to perform particular actions together at the same pre-planned time like dropping their pencils at the same time, to tie shoelaces, to reboot their computers, to drink water or any such innocent actions. These synchronized actions are sure to surprise anybody who will wonder about what is happening.
• Good for teachers. Tell your students that you are just going to note the scores that they have got on their tests or exams and will hand out to them after an hour. Go to the room and them keep running out looking like very scared and tell them that the principal has just spilled coffee or ink on the test/examination papers and they will have to take them again. Note their reactions and exclamations. You can bet that the dullest of all students will loudly claim that they had done their best this time and it is not fair to them. Then you can tell them how much they have really scored.

Have Fun and be sure your pranks will not result in anybody getting hurt!  Tami Winbury Keller Williams Realty.  Ojai and Ventura
http://www.liveojai.com/
http://www.venturacountyhomesforsale.net/

Homes Have Never Been More Afforable!

Homes have never been more affordable!
For individual home buyers, there are only a few facts that really matter:
• Can I afford this home?
• Is it a good investment?
• Does it meet my family’s needs?

So it’s a bit surprising that the most important housing statistic has gone largely unreported: homes have never been more affordable. Affordability, measured by the median mortgage payment on the current median
priced home ($182,400) as a percentage of the median household income ($64,400), is lower than it’s been in a generation. Contact Tami Winbury for the chart which tracks housing affordability for the past 10 years, shows incredible improvements in affordability since the height of thereal estate boom in 2006.

“Home buyers over the past year got a great deal, and buyers for the balance of this year have an edge over sellers. Affordability could reach a generational high in the second half of this year because of rock-bottom mortgage interestrates, helped partly by the Fed’s very accommodative monetary policy.”-Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist The National Association of REALTORS®

Now is the opportunity to purchase short sales and help the current home owners from being foreclosed on by the banks.  Buyers who are in the market have the power to help!  Once the homes are foreclosed on Buyers are given the opportunity to purchase a home at a price the bank decides is the homes true value. Call today for more information.

Ask yourself:  Do you want to live in Ojai or Ventura?  Ventua County is a friendly,  family, beach community.  Search http://www.venturacountyhomesforsale.net/  for information and to view homes for sale in Ventura and surrounding cities.  Search http://www.liveojai.com/ for information about Ojai speficially and to view homes for sale in Ojai

Is Social Media Killing Confidentiality?

Is Social Media Killing Confidentiality?

One of a real estate agent's main fiduciary duties to a client is confidentiality. I don't think anyone could dispute how important this is. So why then do so many people breach it on Facebook and other social media?
I have seen a ton of agents do it every day on Facebook, posting things like:
"My listing on __________ just got a showing for the first time in over month."
"Just sold my new listing in 10 days! Now sellers need to buy quick...does anyone have something coming up in the _________area?"
"My first-time buyers are negotiating on yet another home, hope the third time is a charm."

Before I discuss what is wrong here ( Note: I am NOT an attorney and nothing here should be construed as legal advice or interpretation of the law ), let me share this from the Ohio Revised Code 4735.51 regarding the definition of confidential information:
"All information that a client directs to be kept confidential or that if disclosed would have an adverse effect on the client's position in the real estate transaction, except to the extent the agent is required by law to disclose such information, and all information that is required by law to be kept confidential."
All of the examples above may seem fairly harmless, but could very well be deemed a breach of client confidentiality. Sure, this information may be irrelevant to many people on Facebook, but what if a local agent who you are "friends" with happens to see your posts. Could any of this information hurt your clients' position if in the wrong hands? I know if I were buying or selling a home, I wouldn't want my agent sharing anything about my situation on Facebook.
I'm not saying that agents are committing major crimes on Facebook and Twitter, I am merely suggesting that people think long and hard about their fiduciary duties before posting things. Just use common sense. I realize that everyone wants to tell the world how busy they are with buyers and sellers, but just be careful what you are sharing.
Tami Winbury's believes Confidentiality is owed to our buyers and sellers, so let's not let our exuberance over social media overshadow our sacred duty to our valued clients.
http://www.liveojai.com/
http://www.venturacountyhomesforsale.net/

written by Dan and Amy Shuman

Step-by-Step Real Estate Transaction

Real estate transactions require involvement from several entities from contract to closing. Because of this, real estate transactions are typically complicated and require high levels of understanding about the process from start to finish.  Tami Winbury in Ojai and Ventura is a Family Realtor who will help you through the transaction.  Knowing what to expect in a real estate transaction can take a lot of the stress and guesswork out of the process for buyers and sellers alike.

1. Finding a Property

   • The first step in a real estate transaction is finding a property that you would be interested in purchasing. This can be aided with the professional guidance of a Realtor to help you determine location, past property values, and price ranges that would fit within your buying power. Proper research on any property prior to scheduling a viewing of the home will save you time and money in the long run by narrowing down properties that you will have the highest level of interest in, and weeding out properties that will not meet your needs.
     A real estate agent has a vast array of resources available to them in order to scale your search criteria down to meet the closest level of expectation in regard to all of your home buying questions. They will be able to help you by preparing a complete market analysis of any and all homes within your area and provide professional guidance on which properties would be a good fit and why.

   Submitting an Offer

   • A good real estate professional will guide you on making an aggressive offer, but one that will not insult the seller's of the property into giving you an abrupt "no" as an answer. Realtors will evaluate items like, cost of the property, property condition, title policy and other aspects of the property that might not be in order when submitting a proposed offer on the home of your choice.
     The Realtor will prepare an agreement to purchase the home, based on your criteria and buying power, ask you to sign it and submit it to the seller's agent for review. The seller's agent will then prepare an estimate of settlement costs for their seller and submit the offer along with the estimated charges and profits that a seller will receive. This estimate will often be the determining factor on whether or not the seller accepts the offer on the property as is, or if they would like to counter.

   Counter and Acceptance

   • Expect to receive a counter offer on the property. With an aggressively placed offer, the seller will often counter back at their best price as well as the best deal on the property in question. Once you have reviewed this with your Realtor, you can begin the next phase of the purchase which is acceptance of the counter offer.
     Once acceptance of the offer is received, the contract will be taken to the pre-selected title company to open up escrow on the property. This begins the transfer of ownership from the seller to the buyer. The contract is also presented to the lender for the buyer to begin the final work up of the loan and make necessary closing preparations.

   Inspections and Appraisals

   • In most areas, a buyer has ten days from the date the contract is accepted to have inspections and appraisals performed. This is more commonly known as the option period. Based on the results of the inspection and appraisals, adjustments can be made to the property amount, or specific repairs requested. If the seller is unwilling or unable to make adjustments based on this information, the buyer is not obligated to complete the purchase during the option period and can walk away from the purchase at any time. If the buyer does not perform these required steps, they become obligated to the transaction regardless. At the end of the option period, if all aspects are agreed upon and accepted, the transaction will move forward.

   Pending and Closing

   • Once repairs have been agreed to and other items addressed from the inspection and appraisal reports, the transaction moves into a pending status. During this time, the lender is processing all finalized requested documents for the transaction and is preparing those for the title company. The title company will act as a disinterested third party to the transaction and will prepare all of the deed and finalized loan documentation for the buyers and sellers of the property. Once all documents have been received by the title company, the buyer and seller are issued a clear to close on the property and can schedule a closing appointment.
     Closing appointments will take between one to three hours in length, depending on the details of the transaction. Once the closing is completed, the lender will wire the funds to the title company to complete the purchase, and the title company will disburse the amounts accordingly to the seller and to the new owner of the property or her lender. At this point, the home has now transferred ownership from seller to buyer and the buyer will receive their keys, and the transaction is considered closed.

Ojai Kids Club Saved My Sons 6th Birthday Party!!!

Ojai Kid's Club is located at 106 Park Rd. in Ojai, Ca. 
On March 19th it rained in Ojai.  It was also my little boys 6th Birthday Party Day.  We had planned an event in our large backyard- a Carnival Theme with a live Magician for 100 people. And then the forecast on Monday called for dundundun...RAIN!  What is a stressed out mother who loves her little boy to do? Well, first I called all the community centers in Ojai and every hall I could think of.  All full or charged over $450. to use.  I had already spent a bundle and I was ready to throw in the towel and cancel the party.  I called the owner of the Ojai Kid's Club to see what we could work out and if there was availability. She was not open  and she had a prior personal engagement.  But she dropped everything, called her staff and opened her doors... for my sons 6th Birthday Party!!
It was the best party we have ever had (and we have had a lot of parties!)  I had stressed all week about the rain and all the children who had RSVP'd.  Unbelievably we had 55 children and over 40 parents attend.  It did not feel crowded or stressful.  Infact, I got to talk to friends and family and watch my boy have the best party ever.  I couldn't believe that I had wasted so much energy being stressed out over the week.  I wish I had called Christa at Ojai Kids Club to begin with. 
The staff is professional yet warm and engaging.  The facility was extremely clean, provided an indoor and outdoor space for the kids to play.  Some how the skies cleared and the rain held up during the party hours.  This was the largest party she had ever hosted and probally ever will, but I am so grateful and appreciative for the Ojai Kid's Club who saved the day on my little boys very special 6th Birthday!  Thank you Christa and everyone at the Ojai Kid's Club!!!  http://www.ojaikidsclub.com/     

ABOUT THE OKC FOUNDER

Christa Hastie Waydo writes" I was born and raised in Ojai. My family and I live in the house my father built when I was a little girl. I graduated from Nordhoff in '96, then double majored in chemistry and political science at UC Irvine and graduated in 2000. During college, I became a published researcher for Lyme Disease in the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics department at the UCI School of Medicine. It was also during that time I learned to love computer science. I turned an internship at Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment into a full time career programming PHP, Perl, mySQL and Oracle. I left Sony after 5 years after I was cast on the CBS hit show, Survivor: Pearl Islands, lasting 33/39 days! I started a fashion line and several businesses, was featured in several magazines including Entrepreneur, People, Parents and have done a lot of TV hosting, media, event and charity appearances, & speaking tours across the country the last 7 years. My husband and I have been happily married 7 years, & he works as a senior mechanical engineer on the Mars Rovers for NASA's JPL. I started the Ojai MOMS Club in 2006 and had dozens of members over the years. My two special girls Mischa and Mila and I love to cook, craft, and play. We have dreamed and worked hard this last year at the OKC so we can continue to share our special Ojai Kids Club with you and your family! Thanks for your support & welcome! -Christa

Why Join The Ojai Kids Club?

---

UNLIMITED Drop-In Play For The Entire Family FOR ONE LOW PRICE - $55
Our monthly membership enables you and your children (up to 2 kids) to take part in unlimited drop-in play! Additional siblings can be added for $15 each.

Anytime Free-Choice Drop-In Play Learning Center
Hands-on themed areas around the club are designed to allow open-ended, imaginative play and allow the child to be the master of his or her own experience. Come play in our cool: You Can Build It! Workshop, Dream Dress-Up Lounge, Arts n' Crafts Corner, New Orleans Farmer's Market, French Quarter Music & Puppet Stage, Giant Puzzle & Game Wall, Two Bouncy Houses, Two Climbing Walls (children's wall -and- adults only wall), Gymnastics Zone & Outdoor Picnic & Playzone -plus- Free coffee/tea/H2O, wi-fi, elliptical and treadmill for adults!

Drop-In Play Activities - All Day, Everyday, For All Ages (including parents!)
All our drop-in play activities are open-ended and designed to be scaleable for kids of all ages. Activities are parent-led or facilitated by fun educators. We always provide handouts to give you some great ideas to continue the learning at home!

One Free Guest Pass Per Month
Kids get one pass per month to bring family and friends as a guest to THEIR club!

Discounts on Classes, Camps & Birthday Parties
Members get $10 off all OKC birthday parties! Plus Members get an automatic $5 off classes under $65, and $10 off classes $65 and up!

http://www.ojaikidsclub.com/

Rates Ease but Buyers Still Weary

Mortgage rates eased this week as economic uncertainty over the crisis in Japan and turmoil in the Middle East had investors seeking safety in bonds, including those that fund most mortgages.
Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.76 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending March 17, down from 4.88 percent last week and 4.96 percent a year ago, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey.
Rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans have retreated in recent weeks after hitting a high for the year of 5.05 percent during the week ending Feb. 10. The 30-year fixed-rate hit an all-time low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1971 of 4.17 percent during the week ending Nov. 11.
Rates on 15-year fixed-rate loans averaged 3.97 percent this week with an average 0.7 point -- the best rate since December -- down from 4.15 percent last week and 4.33 percent a year ago. The 15-year fixed-rate loan hit a low in records dating back to 1991 of 3.57 percent in November.
For 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loans, rates averaged 3.57 percent this week with 0.6 point, down from 3.73 percent last week and 4.09 percent a year ago.
Rates on 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 3.17 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from 3.21 percent last week and 4.12 percent a year ago. The 5-year ARM hit a low in records dating to 2005 of 3.25 percent in November.
Looking back a week, a separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association showed borrowers were taking advantage of low rates, but mostly to refinance.
Demand for purchase loans was off 4 percent during the week ending March 11 when compared to the week before, and was down 15.5 percent from a year ago.
Applications for refinancings were up 0.9 percent from the previous week to the highest level since December, and requests for refinancings accounted for 66.4 percent of all mortgage applications.
Although many economists expect mortgage rates to rise this year, some have pushed back their timelines.
MBA economists in a March 15 forecast said they expected rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans will average 5 percent during the first and second quarter of this year, rising to an average of 5.3 percent in the third quarter, and 5.5 percent in the final three months of 2011. Just last month, MBA economists were forecasting that rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans would hit 5.5 percent in the second quarter.
The most recent MBA forecast projects rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans will continue a gradual rise next year, climbing to an average of 6.2 percent in the final three months of 2012.
The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee, which sets targets for short-term interest rates and sets policies for programs that also influence long-term rates, this week signaled that it's not concerned about inflation.
The committee announced Tuesday that it will continue to buy Treasurys through the second quarter of 2011, until it reaches a target of $600 billion. That program has been dubbed "QE2," as it is the second round of "quantitative easing" implemented by the Fed to keep rates low and encourage borrowing.
As the economic recovery has picked up steam, some analysts have speculated that the Fed might abandon or scale back QE2 to ward off the threat of inflation.
Although commodity prices have risen "significantly" since last summer, and turmoil in the Middle East has contributed to a sharp run-up in oil prices in recent weeks, "longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable, and measures of underlying inflation have been subdued," the committee said.
The economic recovery "is on a firmer footing," the committee said, but the housing sector continues to be depressed, and unemployment remains elevated.
In addition to maintaining QE2, the committee said that for now, it will keep its target for the federal funds rate -- the rate banks charge each other for overnight loans -- at zero to 0.25 percent.
If it is time for you to purchase or sell your home call Tami Winbury 805-798-3412 or got to http://www.venturarealtor.org/ or http://www.liveojai.com/  Tami is an Ojai and Ventura Realtor who specializes in Short Sales and Foreclosures. 

What is a Short Sale?

What is a short sale?

A real estate short sale is a form of agreement between the seller of a home in the

beginning stages of foreclosure and their lender, allowing the home to be sold for less

than the existing loan balance outstanding. The mortgagee would accept less than

the loan amount in order to avoid a foreclosure proceeding. This short sale would

result in a substantially discounted purchase price for the buyer of the home. The

buyer would then proceed with the purchase of the home much the same as in any

conventional real estate transaction.

Why would a lender agree to a short sale?

Lenders are in business to make money and keep down losses. When a borrower

gets behind on their loan payments, the lender has the right to take the property to

pay off the debt. However, in the current real estate market, many properties cannot

be sold for the amount owed against them. It is possible to persuade lenders to take

less than the full amount owed if the lender believes that it will make more money

through a short sale than through a foreclosure.

How long does it take to close a short sale?

This is totally up to the lender. Some lenders take as little as two weeks, some over

six months. The only way to know is to start the process. The key is making sure that

your short sale package is complete, and that you follow up daily with the lender.

I want to do a short sale and have a 2nd mortgage,

does this make me ineligible?

No. Both of your lenders will need to be satisfi ed in some way to complete the short

sale. If your fi rst lender will be paid off by the sale, then you just negotiate the terms

with the second lender.

Will a short sale destroy my credit?

Yes and no. The short sale may not show up on your credit. In fact, most mortgage trade lines report “Mortgage Paid” after a short sale. Any late payment history will still appear, as will any Notice of Default fi lings. What won’t report is an actual foreclosure. A promissory note may prevent the lender from reporting the mortgage as a loss. In today’s credit market, a foreclosure may prevent you from obtaining a mortgage for at least 5 years, longer than a bankruptcy.

What is a Hardship?

Some examples of a hardship include:

• Reduced income or unemployment.

• Inability to work due to health reasons.

• Separation or divorce.

• Medical bills.

• Business failure.

• Death of a spouse.

• Adjustment in mortgage payment or

unforeseen increase in your monthly expenses.

• Any other circumstance that cripples your ability to repay your mortgage.

What is the effect of short sale on the seller?

The seller’s debt is cleared. Some lenders may mark the transaction as a settlement, which will hurt the seller’s credit score.

Are there tax implications in short sales?

Much like the issue of credit reporting, the circumstances are individual to the lender. As a short sale represents a loss for the lender, they can report the amount lost a debt forgiveness to the seller. If a formal tax form 1099 is filed, the seller may be responsible for paying taxes on the amount

of debt forgiveness.  As of Jan. 1,2011 there are no tax implications on the first loan. Verify with your lender.

Can investment properties be short sold?

Most defi nitely. Any type of property can be sold through a short sale.

For more Information go to: http://http://www.venturarealtor.org/  or http://www.liveojai.com/

Call Tami Winbury Keller Williams Realtor 805-798-3412

Which ipad is Right For You?

Which iPad is right for you?Apple offers iPad in two colors and three capacities in either a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G model. That gives you two different ways to connect to the Internet to download apps, check email, surf the web, and more. So which iPad model should you choose? Here's some information to help you decide.Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G?

 iPad with Wi-Fi is ideal if you have a wireless high- speed Internet router in your home, or if you'll be using your iPad near a wireless hotspot — in a café or a school library, for example.

iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G includes Wi-Fi connectivity as well as 3G connectivity. 3G uses cellular signals — the same signals your cell phone uses — to connect to the Internet.

Choose an iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G if you’ll be spending time in places without Wi-Fi hotspots, such as outdoors or on your morning commute. 3G service is sold separately.

See AT&T or Verizon for rate plan information.16GB, 32GB, 64GB?If you're going to surf the web, download some apps and books, watch an HD movie or two, store your favorite music, and check email on your iPad, the 16GB model should offer enough storage for you.If you plan to do all those things, as well as keeping lots of music on your iPad, a few more HD movies and TV shows, a larger library of books, and your favorite photos, opt for the 32GB model.And if you want to store as many songs, movies, TV shows, photos, books, and apps as you can on your iPad, the 64GB model is your best bet.

I have a Droid smartphone which has Wi-Fi.  My ipad will not have Wi-Fi... Why pay twice for the same service?

Ventura and Santa Barbara Apple Stores are running low on ipads already! 

Tami Winbury 

www.LiveOjai.com

What Constitutes Closing Costs?

What Constitutes Closing Costs? Closing costs are expenses that cover fees associated with the transfer of property ownership, fees paid to state and local governments, and the costs of obtaining a mortgage loan. Some of these fees are negotiable, and could be paid by either the buyer or the seller. Some costs are one-time fees (non-recurring closing costs, such as title search, termite inspection, appraisal, etc.); while other fees such as homeowner's insurance or property taxes are things you will expect to continue to pay on a regular basis as a homeowner in Ventura and Ojai along with all of California.

As part of the loan selection process, your mortgage consultant should be giving you some idea of how much money you should have in reserve to cover your end of these costs. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) requires the lender to provide you with a Good Faith Estimate within three days of the submission of your loan application.  Tami Winbury will help find the home to make an offer.

RESPA also states that as a home buyer, you have the legal right to request a copy of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement 24 hours before your closing is scheduled. The HUD-1 clearly defines all closing costs, including those that are to be paid by the buyer and the seller. It's a good idea to have both of these forms before your closing so you can compare the estimated costs to the actual costs before you finalize your transaction. Mortgage Interest Rates for Fixed Rate Mortgages*Rates as of Monday, 7th March, 2011: TermConformingAPRPayment per
$1,000JumboAPRPayment per
$1,00030yr Fixed (0pt)3604.75%4.836%$5.225.625%5.690%$5.7630yr Fixed (1pt)3604.625%4.711%$5.145.375%5.439%$5.6015yr Fixed (0pt)1804.25%4.398%$7.525.000%5.108%$7.9115yr Fixed (1pt)1804.0%4.147%$7.404.75%4.857%$7.78*Rates are subject to change due to market fluctuations and borrower's eligibility.CALL TODAY TO LOCK IN YOUR RATE BEFORE THEY GO BACK UP! Rates are subject to market conditions and other pricing factors. DRE #1205152, NMLS #277768  Tracy Tradeau   tracy@tracytradeau.com

6 Big Time Homebuyer Turn-Offs!

Here are 6 big-time homebuyer turn-offs that make buyers cringe at the thought of your home, and action steps you can take to prevent your home from being an offender:
1.  Stalker-ish sellers.  I know you think you’re being helpful, walking the buyer through your home and pointing out the wagon-wheel light fixture you made with your own two hands, the custom mural of a stingray you paid top dollar to have painted across your living room wall and the way the sounds of happy schoolchildren running across the front yard of your corner lot to get to the school in the next block lifts your spirits.  However, the buyers might be trying really hard to ignore, minimize or figure out how to undo the very features of your home you hold dear.  They also may want or need to have personal space and conversations with their mate or their agent while they’re viewing your home - you being there, especially walking right alongside them while they’re in your home, prevents them from being comfortable about doing this, or discussing all the things they would change if the home were theirs. In my experience, the more nitpicky a buyer gets about a house and the more detailed their list of things they would change, the more serious they are about considering making an offer on this place.

What’s a Seller to do? Call Tami Winbury Ventura Realtor. Let your home be shown vacant, or leave the house when people come to see it.  If you need to be there, at least walk outside or go sit at the coffee shop down the way while prospective buyers view your home.  If the buyers have questions, their people will contact your people.

2. Shabby, dirty, crowded and/or smelly houses.  You already know this one. Yet, buyers constantly marvel. The buyers who come to see your home are making the decision whether to choose your home for the biggest purchase they’ve ever made during the worst economic conditions most of them have ever experienced.  Your job is to get your home noticed – favorably – above the sea of other homes on the market, many of which are priced very, very low.
What’s a Seller to do?  Other than listing your home with Tami Winbury a Ventura Realtor at a competitive price, the only tool within your control for differentiating your home from all the foreclosures and short sales is to show it in tip-top shape. Pre-pack your place up, getting rid of as many of your personal effects as possible. Do not show it without it being completely cleaned up: no laundry or dishes piled up, countertops freshly washed, smelly dogs (I have a couple who smell on occasion – no judgment – but don’t show your house with pet odors) or litter boxes cleaned and/or out of the house.

3.  Irrational seller expectations (i.e., overpricing).  Buying a house on today’s market is hard work!  On top of all the research and analysis about the market and situating their own lives to be sure they’ll be able to afford the place for 5, 7, 10 years - or longer, buyers have to work overtime to separate the real estate wheat from the chaff, get educated about short sales and foreclosures and often put in many, many offers before they get even a single one accepted.  The last thing they want to add to their task lists is trying to argue a seller out of unreasonable expectations or pricing.  And, in fact, there are so many other homes on the market, buyers don’t have to do this.  When they see a home whose seller is clearly clueless about their home’s value and has priced it sky-high, most often they won’t bother even looking at it.  If they love it, they’ll wait for it to sit on the market for awhile, hoping the market will “educate you” into desperation, priming the pump for a later, lowball offer.

What’s a Seller to do? Get real. Get out there and look at the other properties that are for sale in your area and price range. Get multiple agents’ take on what your home should be listed at, and don’t take it personally if their recommendation is low. If your home has much less curb appeal or space or is much less upgraded than the house across the way, don’t list it at the same price and expect it to sell. If you owe more than your home is realistically worth, you may need to reexamine whether you really want or need to sell, or consider a short sale, if you simply have to sell.  Don’t be tempted into testing your market with an obviously too-high price, unless you’re prepared to have your home lag on the market and get lowball offers.  Ojai Homes For Sale.

4.  Feeling misled. Here’s the deal.  You will never trick someone into buying your home. If the listing pics are photo-edited within an inch of their lives, or your home is described as an “approved” short sale when, in fact, the bank approved another offer, now withdrawn, but will require a new offer to go through any sort of approval process (even a truncated one), buyers will learn this information at some point.  If your neighborhood is described as funky and vibrant, as code for the fact that your house is under the train tracks and you live in between a wrecking yard and a biker bar, prospects will figure this out.  If the detailed information about your home, neighborhood or even transactional position (e.g., short sale status, seller financing, etc.) is misrepresented, the sheer misrepresentation will turn otherwise interested buyers off.  If you authorize your agent to “verbally approve” the buyer’s offer, don’t go back the next day demanding an extra $5,000. In cases where the buyer feels misled, whether or not that was your intention, running through the buyer’s mind is this question: If they can’t trust you to be honest about this, how can they trust you to be honest about everything else? 
What’s a Seller to do?  Buyers rely on sellers to be upfront and honest – so be both.  If your home has features or aspects that are often perceived negatively, your home’s listing probably shouldn’t lead with them (like the ad I recently saw with the intro line: “this place is a mess!”), but neither should you go out of your way to slant or skew or spin the facts which will be obvious to anyone who visits your home.  Make sure you know what the listing of your home reads like, before it’s published to the web, and that a prospective buyer will not feel misled by it.

5. New, ugly home improvements.  Many a buyer has walked into a house that has clearly been remodeled and upgraded in anticipation of the sale, only to have their heart sink with the further realization that the brand-spanking-new kitchen features a countertop made, not of Carerra marble, but brand-new, pink tiles with a kitty cat in the middle of each one (I saw this once, people – no joke).  Or the pristine, just-installed floors feature carpet in a creamy shade of blue – the buyer’s least favorite color.  New home improvements that run totally counter to a buyer’s aesthetics are a big turn-off, because in today’s era of Conspicuous Frugality, buyers just can’t cotton to ripping out expensive, brand new, perfectly functioning things just on the basis of style – especially since they’ll feel like they paid for these things in the price of the home.
What’s a Seller to do?  Check in with a local broker or agent before you make a big investment in a pre-sale remodel.  They can give you a reality check about the likely return on your investment, and help you prioritize about which projects to do (or not).  Instead of spending $40,000 on a new, less-than-attractive kitchen, they might encourage you to update appliances, have the cabinets painted and spend a few grand on your curb appeal.  Many times, they will also help you do the work of selecting neutral finishes that will work for the largest possible range of buyer tastes.
6.  CRAZY listing photos (or no photos at all).  Here at Trulia, we’ve seen listing photos that have dumpsters parked in front of the house, piles of laundry all over the “hardwood” floors touted in the listing description, and once, even the family dog doing his or her business in the lovely green front yard.  Listing pictures that have put your home in anything but its best, accurate light are a very quick way to ensure that you turn off a huge number of buyers from even coming to see your house!   The only bigger buyer turn-off than these bizarre listing pics are listings that have no photos at all; most buyers on today’s market see a listing with no pictures and click right on past it, without giving the place a second glance.
What’s a Seller to do?  Check your home’s listing on Trulia and make sure that the pics represent your home well.  If not, ask your agent to grab some new shots and get them online (and say pretty please, pretty please!). Tara @ Trulia
Call Tami Winbury http://www.venturarealtor.org/ 805-798-3412