Archive for the 'vermont real estate' Category

If you have ever tried to sell your home without a house stager you know the difficulty that comes with it.  In our area, more and more people are hiring professional house stagers to assist with the marketing of their home.  It makes sense when you think about it. You get to get an objective opinion from a professional that will enhance the saleability of your home. It doesn’t cost that much and most of the time pays for itself in reduced time on the market for your home. I have some great connections when it comes to this. Drop me a line and I can help in all areas of the real estate transaction. Brian

Have you ever wondered  what it would be like to have a huge variety of homes to choose from when it is time to go house shopping? And historically low interest rates? Well welcome to reality. If you are contemplating looking for a home, now is the time to do it. It still is a buyer’s market and if you are in control. You might be thinking that you won’t get as much for the sale of your home, and you are right. But, you are not going to have to pay as much for your new one. So it all even’s out and with the interest rates this low, you win. Let me help you through the process, and have some fun doing it. Brian

 

Â

Â

 

  Step inside this beautiful Vermont home in Essex Junction 

It is not often that you get a chance to purchase a home in such a desirable area in such great condition, at such a great price. But this could be your opportunity. This 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home is ideal for the growing family. Wonderful school system in a quiet neighborhood makes this home a unique opportunity. Enjoy the fenced in pool, or the large family room on the first floor. Cathedral ceiling in the living room and finished area in basement that used to be used as a dance studio.  $319,000.

Â

Â

 

  Step inside this exquisite North Willard Street Victorian

Recently, I have been working on a few short sales that have been extremely frustrating. A short sale is when the person selling a home owes more than what it is currently worth and the bank is willing to sell the property without them recouping the full amount owed. It is a long and difficult process that sometimes does not work out and the bank ends up foreclosing on the property. Normally, you would think that the banks would rather lose some money than gamble on reselling it once they have gone to the expense of foreclosure but that is certainly not the case.  Like I said, I have been working on a number of these cases and have tried to get a couple of banks to respond to offers that have been presented on these properties. In one case, I have had 6 offers for over 3 months and the bank still has not responded to these offers. It is costing them, the consumer, and the tax payer lots of money each and every day that goes by without a closing taking place. In one instance, the United States Government bailed this bank out which is even more frustrating to me, because it is our tax money they are gambling with. A few weeks ago, I wrote our representatives in Washington, only because I don’t know what else to do to speed up this process. It is agravating to say the least. In other parts of the country this process is happening much quicker, i Just wonder why it can’t be the same in Vermont. What do you think? Brian

It has been awhile since we talked about the real estate market in Burlington Vermont, only because there wasn’t much to talk about until now. June was a fantastic month for people putting homes under deposit. Interest rates bumped up this past month, but have slowly worked themselves back down under 5.5% in most cases. We have closed the gap for closings -time homebuyer tax rebate has helped our economy and more and more people are taking the plunge into home ownership by purchasing their first home. There are lots of deals out there if you know where to look and I can help you out with it. Just drop me a line. Brian French

There is an article today on the internet that states that the Government is predicting that the Recession has started to subside.  Expectations are such here, that we are hoping that things will noticeably change by the end of the summer. I was talking to another business owner yesterday and he said that the glacier has started to move slightly in reference to the economy, and I for one, think he may be right. We are starting to experience more phone calls and more showings on our listings which is the first sign of more activity. Yes our numbers are far behind last year’s but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. The price decline that we have been experiencing has slowed dramatically which means we may be at the bottom of the market. It is a great time to buy before the interest rates take a hike on potential inflation discussions. If you would like to make a move, let me know. I can help. Brian

Mortgage Reform is a must. I am currently dealing with two potential short sales on properties that have loans larger than what a buyer has offered on the properties. It becomes a short sale if the bank agrees to take a loss on the property and convey it to the new buyer. The current process of trying to get answers from the mortgage company is incredibly frustrating and totally inefficient. In order for the mortgage company to talk to an agent a letter from the Seller needs to be sent to the mortgage company authorizing them to communicate with their agent. No problem there. I understand the privacy issues at stake. If the mortgage company does not lose the document, you need to give them 3 days before they will talk to you if it is faxed. Now that is efficient. Once they have the authorization and you have sent them a contract they have up to 14 days to let you know that they have received it. At least in my case, that is what they told me. At that time, they will let you know if they received it, and only, if they have a complete short sale packet. Of which, there are not standard forms that they supply agents, but apparently you need to have ESP to figure that one out. If you don’t, they will not respond to your offer. The complete short sale packet includes, but may not be limited to, seller’s last two year’s tax returns, last two months bank statements, a letter of hardship if they are not working and a whole list of more items that seem pretty standard to me. Unfortunately, they don’t supply this standard list? Why I ask. For each day that goes by, the bank is losing money and it is costing the borrower more money. There is no urgency to this process. Deals get lost because buyers don’t want to wait the 30-45 days before they really know if their offer is going to be accepted or not. It is a ludicrous system and needs to be changed. The people that got us in this mess, are dragging their feet to help get us out of it. The longer it takes, the more that is lost. Where can we go and who can we turn to for help in this situation? Not long ago banks wanted to get in the real estate business and were turned down. Thank goodness for congress recognizing that it could lead to huge problems. Oh wait, it was their lending problems that did lead to huge problems in the real estate market and our global economy. Now who is going to change the rules to make sure they don’t make things worse than they already are. Someone needs to take control and institute new regulations that will expedite the process. Based upon my experience it won’t be the mortgage companies.

      

Jeanie Gracey, Broker

       

Kelly Farr, Realtor

 

Jeanie and Kelly Sales Associates with CENTURY 21 Advantage in South Burlington, were named the office’s top sales associate in the month of February.

               

We are pleased to recognize Jeanie and Kelly with this honor.   Their competitive intelligence, professionalism and dedication to homebuyers and sellers have made them a valued and trusted real estate resource for the Greater Burlington community and a major contributor to the overall success of our office.

Click here for more details

This Vermont Colonial has just been listed with in the week – don’t miss this one!
Wonderful serene riverfront setting. Quiet private location perfect for fishing and kayaking. Enjoy the summer from your screened-in porch overlooking the river. Lower level finished for game room. Open floor plan, woodburning FP in living room w/woodstove insert. Built-in cedar chests in bedrooms, lots of natural woodwork. Formal DR, master BR w/3/4 bath. Great neighborhood. This home offers a lot!