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HAMP Revamp?
26 March 10 07:27 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
A US Department of the Treasury press release today announced a series of enhancements to the Home Affordability Modification Program (HAMP) aimed at helping some of the 11 million households whose homes are worth less than the full value of their loans. Read More...
Short Sale Frequently Asked Questions
24 March 10 04:56 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
If you are an Arizona homeowner with negative equity and are considering a short sale, you probably have a lot of questions. The answers to the most commonly asked questions vary widely based on each person’s unique circumstances and it i s important Read More...
Is loan modification realistic?
15 December 09 07:24 AM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
Loan modification may be the best option if your monthly payments are more than you can afford, but you do not have significant negative equity in the property. Most loan modifications involve a temporary reduction in the monthly payment amount, called Read More...
What is a Short Sale?
14 December 09 02:41 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
Definition of a short sale: A short sale is the process of selling a property for less than what is currently owed on the loan(s) and negotiating with the lien-holder(s) to accept the proceeds of the sale and forgive or settle the remaining debt (deficiency Read More...
SB 1271 Repealed - Good News for Arizona Homeowners with Negative Equity!
09 September 09 01:18 PM | Christie Giannetto | 2 Comments   
Governor Jan Brewer recently signed HB 2008, which repeals SB 1271 and the changes to the anti-deficiency statute that were set to take effect at the end of this month. This is good news for Arizona Homeowners, especially those with negative equity who Read More...
First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit . . . Act Now or Go Double or Nothin'?
03 September 09 06:36 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
For all those apartment dwellers, roommate haters and those who just haven't been able to cut the cord, NOW is the time! But time is running out . . . in fact, there about four weeks left to find a home, make an offer and have it accepted in order Read More...
SB 1271 - Serious Changes to Arizona's Anti-Deficiency Statute*
20 July 09 01:21 PM | Christie Giannetto | 5 Comments   
As a REALTOR ® specializing in short sale negotiations, some of the most common questions I’m asked by clients considering a short sale include “Will I have to pay back the difference?” and “Can the bank come after me later?” Read More...
Short Sale vs. Loan Modification; Weighing the Options
27 May 09 06:38 PM | Christie Giannetto | 1 Comments   
As a REALTOR® specializing in negotiating short sales for homeowners who owe more than their property is worth in today’s market, I am often asked if loan modification is an option. The answer in short, is YES , albeit with a few caveats. Negotiating Read More...
Government Offers $1500 Incentive to Homeowners who Pursue Short Sales Instead of Foreclosure
26 May 09 05:25 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
The Obama administration recently unveiled updates to the Making Home Affordable program to make it easier for home owners who owe more than the current market value of their homes to sell those properties at a loss via short sale and have the remaining Read More...
Has consumption gone out of style?
16 April 09 09:48 PM | Christie Giannetto | 2 Comments   
A recent article on TheDailyBeast.com reported that Kathleen Fuld, wife of the former CEO of the now defunct Lehman Brothers, was seen exiting the Manhattan luxury purveyor Hermès with her goods in a plain white bag instead of a signature orange Read More...
Are your property taxes fair?
24 March 09 11:34 AM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
Given the dramatic changes in property values over the past few years, you may be wondering if your property tax rate is fair or accurate. In Arizona, property taxes are based on the Assessed Value, which, for owner-occupied residential property, is ten Read More...
If you are injured by an uninsured driver and disabled for the rest of your life, what are you worth? Is your *#! covered?
05 February 09 11:12 AM | Christie Giannetto | 2 Comments   
When I moved to Arizona in 2001, I purchased my auto and homeowner’s insurance through American Family Insurance . . . and didn’t think about it again for seven years. You would think after being a customer for that long and insuring three Read More...
Today Show Video: Myths on Buying and Selling Your Home
27 January 09 10:34 AM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
If you didn't catch the Today Show yesterday morning, you might be interested in taking a look at this video. The Realtor featured makes some excellent points. She does say that it's not the "worst" time to sell and I'm not sure if I agree with her on that one. It may not be the "worst" time, but it's definitely not a good time! Over 50% of the homes that are selling in the current market are foreclosures or short sales and those are tough to compete with. For sellers who have negative equity and need to get out of a home, a short sale is an excellent option and, in many cases, a way to avoid foreclosure. People with equity in their homes, however, may want to consider waiting a year or two (or longer) before they sell. The big exception to this (as the agent in the video points out) is for sellers who plan to "move up." The savings from buying a bigger home in the down market will more than compensate for the lack of profit gained on selling a smaller home in the same market. Read More...
Consequences for 'Walk-Away' Borrowers
28 May 08 12:18 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
The government and the lending industry are taking aim at “walk-away” home owners who stop making payments and months later send the house keys back to their lender. Such borrowers will not be able to get another mortgage through Fannie Mae Read More...
Home Sales, Prices Seen Rising in Late '08
16 May 08 05:43 PM | Christie Giannetto | 0 Comments   
Daily Real Estate News | May 16, 2008 Home Sales, Prices Seen Rising in Late '08 First, the good news: home sales have stabilized over the last seven months and should increase slightly in the second half of 2008, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun Read More...
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