Overnight Oatmeal
I found this recipe for overnight oatmeal when searching online. I made it on a Saturday night to wake up to on a Sunday morning before church. It smelled delicious in my entire kitchen! It was a very hearty breakfast and I cannot wait to make it again!
The following info is taken from a blog called "Mommy's Kitchen"
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Survey: Sellers Fare Better With Agents
Daily Real Estate News | February 24, 2011
Sellers have a better chance at getting their house sold by using a REALTOR® than opting for the do-it-yourself approach, according to a survey of 1,000 home owners by HomeGain.com, an online real estate resource. Nearly 60 percent of home owners who used a REALTOR® to sell their home were successful compared to 39 percent of FSBOs, the survey found.
In the survey, 83 percent of home owners said they used a REALTOR® to sell their home, whereas 17 percent said they tried to sell it themselves. This corresponds to results from NAR's 2010 Profile of Buyers & Sellers, which found 88 percent of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent. (Additionally, 83 percent of buyers bought their home through an agent.)
“It is especially striking that home owners fare significantly better in selling their homes using a REALTOR® than selling on their own,” says Louis Cammarosano, general manager at HomeGain. “Due to that relative success, the level of satisfaction in the home selling process is also higher for home sellers utilizing the services of a REALTOR® than those who try to sell their homes on their own.”
Among the findings in its For Sale by Owner vs. REALTOR® survey:
Survey: Sellers Fare Better With Agents
Sellers have a better chance at getting their house sold by using a REALTOR® than opting for the do-it-yourself approach, according to a survey of 1,000 home owners by HomeGain.com, an online real estate resource. Nearly 60 percent of home owners who used a REALTOR® to sell their home were successful compared to 39 percent of FSBOs, the survey found.
In the survey, 83 percent of home owners said they used a REALTOR® to sell their home, whereas 17 percent said they tried to sell it themselves. This corresponds to results from NAR's 2010 Profile of Buyers & Sellers, which found 88 percent of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent. (Additionally, 83 percent of buyers bought their home through an agent.)
“It is especially striking that home owners fare significantly better in selling their homes using a REALTOR® than selling on their own,” says Louis Cammarosano, general manager at HomeGain. “Due to that relative success, the level of satisfaction in the home selling process is also higher for home sellers utilizing the services of a REALTOR® than those who try to sell their homes on their own.”
Among the findings in its For Sale by Owner vs. REALTOR® survey:
- 88 percent of home owners who sold their homes using a REALTOR® said they would use a REALTOR® again.
- 24 percent of FSBOs eventually contacted a REALTOR® to help sell their home.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
FSBOs Vanish, Sellers Turn to Real Estate Pros
Daily Real Estate News | February 15, 2011
For-sale-by-owners are rare nowadays. In fact, the number of FSBOs dropped to record lows over the past year.
Unrepresented sellers make up just 11 percent of the market, down from 13 percent in 2009, according to the 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
With today’s more complex transactions--such as with short sales and foreclosures and frequent changes in mortgage lending--more sellers are finding comfort in the help of real estate professionals to guide them through the process.
FSBOs once were lured to try to sell themselves because they thought they could save on commission fees, but now sellers are realizing that if they don’t use an agent, it’ll likely cost them more in the long run, experts say.
"Selling by owner does not guarantee the seller will put 5 [percent] to 6 percent more in his or her pocket in trade for doing all the work and taking on potentially costly liabilities,” Margaret Woda, associate broker with Long & Foster in Crofton, Md., told The Washington Times. “On the contrary, prospective FSBO buyers have their eyes on that 5 percent to 6 percent as well. It's more likely the buyer will win this negotiation in a buyer's market with a huge price reduction--probably even larger than the saved commission."
Some FSBO sellers also often make the mistake of listing their home at a higher price than the market warrants. But even if they do find a buyer for that price, unless it’s a cash purchase, the home has to be appraised and many deals can then fall apart.
Source: “Fewer Sellers Going Do-it-Yourself Route,” The Washington Times (Feb. 11, 2011)
FSBOs Vanish, Sellers Turn to Real Estate Pros
For-sale-by-owners are rare nowadays. In fact, the number of FSBOs dropped to record lows over the past year.
Unrepresented sellers make up just 11 percent of the market, down from 13 percent in 2009, according to the 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
With today’s more complex transactions--such as with short sales and foreclosures and frequent changes in mortgage lending--more sellers are finding comfort in the help of real estate professionals to guide them through the process.
FSBOs once were lured to try to sell themselves because they thought they could save on commission fees, but now sellers are realizing that if they don’t use an agent, it’ll likely cost them more in the long run, experts say.
"Selling by owner does not guarantee the seller will put 5 [percent] to 6 percent more in his or her pocket in trade for doing all the work and taking on potentially costly liabilities,” Margaret Woda, associate broker with Long & Foster in Crofton, Md., told The Washington Times. “On the contrary, prospective FSBO buyers have their eyes on that 5 percent to 6 percent as well. It's more likely the buyer will win this negotiation in a buyer's market with a huge price reduction--probably even larger than the saved commission."
Some FSBO sellers also often make the mistake of listing their home at a higher price than the market warrants. But even if they do find a buyer for that price, unless it’s a cash purchase, the home has to be appraised and many deals can then fall apart.
Source: “Fewer Sellers Going Do-it-Yourself Route,” The Washington Times (Feb. 11, 2011)
I really see this a lot in my market. For-Sale-By-Owner houses are pretty much nonexistent. It's true that there are a lot of factors going into deals nowadays and there are plenty of ways things can go wrong. As an agent, I deal with these factors on a daily basis, so I can easily deal with things and diffuse certain situations. Know someone looking to sell their home? Now is an ideal time to get it on the market to beat the spring rush. Have them contact me today at 708-307-9616 or sales@ashleywydra.com.
Ashley
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Landing Mortgage More Stressful Than Finding a Job?
Daily Real Estate News | February 9, 2011
Getting a mortgage in today’s lending market isn’t easy and can be a complicated, stressful process for borrowers, according to findings from a national survey by MortgageMatch.com of 1,000 adults.
About 70 percent of Americans say access to affordable mortgages is a serious problem, and that understanding the mortgage process and lenders’ requirements is even more difficult and stressful than getting the mortgage itself or even negotiating the sale price on the home.
Nearly 80 percent of recent home buyers, particularly those earning $50,000 a year or more, say getting a mortgage was much more difficult than they had expected. And nearly a quarter of home buyers said waiting to hear if they were approved for a mortgage was even more stressful than waiting to hear if they landed a job.
Among the survey’s other findings:
Source: “Survey Shows Access to Mortgages Seen as a Serious National Problem,” PRNewswire (Feb. 8, 2011)
Landing Mortgage More Stressful Than Finding a Job?
Getting a mortgage in today’s lending market isn’t easy and can be a complicated, stressful process for borrowers, according to findings from a national survey by MortgageMatch.com of 1,000 adults.
About 70 percent of Americans say access to affordable mortgages is a serious problem, and that understanding the mortgage process and lenders’ requirements is even more difficult and stressful than getting the mortgage itself or even negotiating the sale price on the home.
Nearly 80 percent of recent home buyers, particularly those earning $50,000 a year or more, say getting a mortgage was much more difficult than they had expected. And nearly a quarter of home buyers said waiting to hear if they were approved for a mortgage was even more stressful than waiting to hear if they landed a job.
Among the survey’s other findings:
- 10.8 percent report their lender gave them a higher interest rate than what they were originally quoted.
- 22.9 percent said applying for a mortgage was challenging because documentation requirements from their lender kept changing.
- 21.6 percent of borrowers said their lender used too much technical jargon.
Source: “Survey Shows Access to Mortgages Seen as a Serious National Problem,” PRNewswire (Feb. 8, 2011)
It's super important that you work with a lender that you can trust and who takes the time to help you understand the process. Email me or call me and I would be happy to give you the contact info for my mortgage professional whom I work with all the time! sales@ashleywydra.com 708-307-9616
- Ashley
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Addicts Snatch Drugs From Homes for Sale
Daily Real Estate News | February 2, 2011
Addicts are posing as home buyers and cleaning out medicine cabinets in homes for sale, according to recent police reports.
"It's commonplace – more common than you think," Detective Dennis Luken, vice president for the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It's everywhere."
In one recent case, a man showed up to an open house and while the real estate agent was distracted with other customers he went through the home owner’s medicine cabinet. The agent overheard the man going through the drawers, and he was later questioned by police officers. He admitted that he went to the house looking for pain pills and that he learned the trick from peers at a drug treatment program.
Authorities say some criminals also copy information off the home owner's prescription label and then call to have the drug refilled so they can pick it up later.
Carol Woodard, chair of the Cleveland Area Board of REALTORS®, says she advises clients who have a house on the market to have a filing cabinet or locked drawers to stow away any medicine, personal records, credit cards, mail, and any identifying information on their children.
Source: “Addicts Pose as Homebuyers, then Nab Prescription Drugs From Houses That Are Up for Sale,” Cleveland Plain Dealer (Jan. 31, 2011)
Addicts Snatch Drugs From Homes for Sale
Addicts are posing as home buyers and cleaning out medicine cabinets in homes for sale, according to recent police reports.
"It's commonplace – more common than you think," Detective Dennis Luken, vice president for the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It's everywhere."
In one recent case, a man showed up to an open house and while the real estate agent was distracted with other customers he went through the home owner’s medicine cabinet. The agent overheard the man going through the drawers, and he was later questioned by police officers. He admitted that he went to the house looking for pain pills and that he learned the trick from peers at a drug treatment program.
Authorities say some criminals also copy information off the home owner's prescription label and then call to have the drug refilled so they can pick it up later.
Carol Woodard, chair of the Cleveland Area Board of REALTORS®, says she advises clients who have a house on the market to have a filing cabinet or locked drawers to stow away any medicine, personal records, credit cards, mail, and any identifying information on their children.
Source: “Addicts Pose as Homebuyers, then Nab Prescription Drugs From Houses That Are Up for Sale,” Cleveland Plain Dealer (Jan. 31, 2011)
Honestly, as if sellers in this market don't have enough to worry about. It's very important that you work with an agent that you can fully trust to at least protect your home during Open Houses!
- Ashley
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