OC Realty Blog

Just Listed – Private, 1-Story Patio Home $449,000

JoJo — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:15:12 +0000

Private, 1-story patio home! Located in the quaint community of Lake Park, this home is situated on a cul-de-sac street. This Foxglove floor plan features:

. 2BR/2BA + Den w/Wine Rack & Wet Bar
. Large Kitchen w/Recessed Lighting, French Doors
. Remodeled Master Bath w/Travertine Walk-in Shower
. Dual-sided Fireplace (LR/Den)
. Front & Rear Patios
. Open Floor Plan w/Vaulted Ceilings
. Inside Laundry
. Patio Cover
. 2-Car Garage
. No Mello Roos

This home is located in the heart of Laguna Niguel, adjacent to Yosemite Park, just blocks to Laguna Niguel Elementary School, 1/2 mile to Laguna Niguel Regional Park, and a few minutes to the 73 toll road & I-5 freeway. In 10 minutes you can see the ocean at Laguna Beach and in less than 30 minutes you’lll be at Disneyland. What a GREAT location!

Just SOLD – 23412 Pacific Park, Aliso Viejo, CA

JoJo — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:16:22 +0000

Here’s what JoJo’s client had to say:

JoJo is without a doubt “As Good As It Gets!” She is a master at her craft. JoJo knows everyone and everything about Real Estate and what she doesn’t know she finds out accessing her bountiful supply of connections. She is very well respected by her peers. JoJo sold our home in Laguna Niguel 3 years ago during a difficult time as we were going through a divorce. It was so bad that my ex and I could not be in the same room together. JoJo handled our situation with compassion and professionalism. I was so pleased with JoJo’s work, I asked her to help me with the purchase of my short sale condo. Once again, I am so pleased to have her by my side. She is making the biggest purchase of my life so stress free. JoJo keeps me updated, is easily accessable, a very savy business woman who is friendly, kind and clearly a woman of integrity. SO ORGANIZED. SO DETAIL ORIENTED. SUCH A HARD WORKER. And I’m thankful to say, my ex and I are now at peace with our divorce which makes moving on into my new condo so much more rewarding. Yes, JoJo, YOU ARE AS GOOD AS IT GETS! THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. YOU ARE SO APPRECIATED! . . . . Lori Sue

Loan Modification Tips: How To Gain A Negotiating Edge Over Your Lender

JoJo — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:36:43 +0000

Thinking about a loan modification. If you can afford to, then order an appraisal. Or, do your own appraisal.

Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure.

Ask your realtor “Hey, what are houses in my area selling for?” I’ve seen people who bought a house for $500,000. Guess what’s it selling for today? $300,000.

If your house has had a 40% drop in value, then you shouldn’t be paying a mortgage payment based on a value of $500,000. You should be paying a mortgage payment based on a value of $300,000. Make sense?

Here’s how to find calculate you should be paying. Google “amortization calculator.” Type in what your home is currently worth. Enter the interest rate you were originally paying.

Look at the example numbers below.

* A $500,000 mortgage at 6% interest is a monthly payment of $2,997.75.

* A $300,000 mortgage at 4.5% interest is a monthly payment of $1,520.06. Remember, interest rates have dropped a bunch lately.

It looks to me like this person is overpaying by $1,477.69 a month. Ouch!

Run the numbers for your house. If your lender forecloses on your house, then it’s not necessarily going to sell for the market value. Most foreclosed houses often sell for 85% to 95% of the value today.

Remember, knowledge is power. When you have this information you have a much better negotiating position with your lender.

You can say “Hey guys, foreclose on my house. But, be prepared to lose a ton of money.” Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (949) 244-0719

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our 1 loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, JoJo Harmon.

JoJo is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Realty ONE Group. 1 Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (949) 244-0719. jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com.

Call Me – I’ll Help You Make the Right Move!

View My homes for sale at www.HarmonHomesRealty.com.

JoJo Harmon specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Laguna Niguel California. Laguna Niguel Loan Modification Help, Laguna Niguel Short Sales. Laguna Niguel Short Sale Realtor 1 CA Short Sales. 1 Realtor.

Important Notice

JoJo Harmon, Realty ONE Group, and the Stop Foreclosure Institute are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the government. Our services have not been reviewed or endorse by the government or your lender. Most lenders willingly work with agents on short sales.

OC Metro Minute – Changes at United & US Airways at JWA Eff. 4/25/12

JoJo — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:25:48 +0000

With Home Prices Dropping, In Many Areas It Is Cheaper to Own Than Rent

JoJo — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:44:32 +0000

The good news about the housing bust is that home prices are now more affordable. It is now cheaper to buy versus renting in many areas.

Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure.

“At the peak of the real estate bubble, cities like Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas were not affordable for many. Now the opposite is true,” said Pete Flint, co-founder and CEO of Trulia.com.

“Home sellers in these hard hit areas are forced to lower their prices to compete with all the foreclosures on the market. As a result , these unattainable markets are so affordable it makes better financial sense to buy than rent.”

Here is how to calculate whether it will be cheaper for you to buy versus rent.

First, add up what you are paying for rent now. Add together your rent payment and what you pay for renter’s insurance. That is the monthly cost of renting.

Now, let’s add up the cost of home ownership. First, you have the monthly mortgage payment. Add in Home Insurance, Property Taxes, and any Homeowner’s Association Fees.

Now, subtract out the tax savings. To calculate that, take what you will be paying monthly for interest and property taxes. Multiply that by your combined state and federal tax rate.

That is your projected tax savings. Now you have the cost of homeownership and renting side by side to compare. This is good news if you are a home owner. Why? It means that we are closer to a real estate recovery.

Are you or someone you know looking to purchase a home? I will work to help you get the best deal. Send me an e-mail for a list of the 10 best deals in today’s market.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (949) 244-0719

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our 1 loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, JoJo Harmon.

JoJo is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Realty ONE Group. 1 Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (949) 244-0719. jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com.

Call Me – I’ll Help You Make the Right Move!

View My homes for sale at www.HarmonHomesRealty.com.

Important Notice

Should I Short Sale My Home or Rent It?

JoJo — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:13:18 +0000

The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Sergio. Here was his question.

“I have owned my house since 2006. My employer reduced my salary by 30% and now I have to move out of state where I have found a new job.

The house is a problem. Since 2006 my house price has dropped by about $40,000. That means I have a $40,000 deficiency, which I don’t want to pay.

I have option to rent the house, but I am still considering a short sale. Any advice? Sergio.”

Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure.

Here was our answer to Sergio’s Question: Sergio, I would attempt a short sale. Depending on your situation and the type of loan you have, more than likely you will not have a deficiency.

I can give you a better answer after I get more information from you. I wouldn’t recommend renting the house. How hard is it going to be to manage when you are out of state?

What if the tenants stop paying? What if a pipe breaks and floods the house? I’m not saying don’t rent the house. I just know from past experience that managing rental property from a distance is super tough.

I knew a real estate investor who targeted what he called “tired, out of town landlords.” He would offer to buy their property below market.

Surprisingly, many of them accepted his lowball offers because they were so tired of dealing with the property. Here is the other downside on renting.

You will probably have negative cash flow every month. I don’t know what your house will rent for. But, if you are upside down on your house value, then you are likely also upside down on the rental value.

That means you will almost certainly lose money on the rent every month. With your precarious financial situation, recent 30% salary cut, and move out of state, the last thing you need is another bill each month.

With a short sale you can walk away owing nothing, with no tax liability, and be eligible to buy another house in 3 years.

That sounds a lot better to me than being stuck with a money losing house 2 years from now. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (949) 244-0719

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our 1 loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, JoJo Harmon.

JoJo is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Realty ONE Group. 1 Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (949) 244-0719. jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com.

Call Me – I’ll Help You Make the Right Move!

View My homes for sale at www.HarmonHomesRealty.com.

Important Notice

Pros & Cons Of Buying Rental Property

JoJo — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:34:25 +0000

The Pros of Rental Property.

The tenant pays your mortgage payment. You won’t make a lot
of money while you have a mortgage. But, where else can you have someone buy and pay off something for you?

Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure.

You start to make real money after the mortgage is paid off. In addition, some properties are so cheap that the rent will pay offa 15 year mortgage. So in 15 years you have a free house.

Rentals are a great hedge against inflation. Notice how gas prices are going up again? The prices of everything else increase with gas prices. Food, clothes, electricity, and everything else goes up.

That means your house will go up in value over the long term. But, you locked in the price when you bought it when prices were lower.

I don’t want to make it seem like rental properties are a no brainer. There are some risks involved. No one should buy a rental property unless they are prepared and understand the risks.

The Cons of Rental Property

Problem #1: Leaky toilets. This is the first thing you should be aware of. We have seen that most problems are not emergency problems.

Many landlords work around these problems by hiring good help in the beginning. They find a good handy man and negotiate on the price before he does any work.

Problem #2: Management. You can find a good property management company to handle everything for you. But, you still have to manage the management company.

If you do not have extra time to manage problems, then rental property is probably not for you. Some people like this buy larger properties and hire better managers.

They meet with their manager once a month and let them handle everything. This works for them because they bought a larger property with better numbers. That extra money can be used to pay a better, more competent manager.

Problem #3: Collecting Rent. This is where many people mess up. You have to be persistent and firm. If you are a sympathetic person, and prone to give people a “break, then rental property is not for you.

Problem #4: Evictions. This is the bad side of the rental business. Most evictions occur because you didn’t pre-screen a tenant well enough.

You must budget enough so that you can afford an eviction when it happens. An eviction will cost you 2-3 months of rent. That is why you must have a rainy day fund for situations like this.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (949) 244-0719

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our 1 loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, JoJo Harmon.

JoJo is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Realty ONE Group. 1 Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (949) 244-0719. jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com.

Call Me – I’ll Help You Make the Right Move!

View My homes for sale at www.HarmonHomesRealty.com.

Important Notice

OC Metro Minute – Housing Market Strongest Since 2005!

JoJo — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:53:42 +0000

Will I Wipe Out The Debt When I Short Sale?

JoJo — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:38:29 +0000

The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Kevin. Here was his question.

“I am upside down on my house. I owe over 700k and I have been told that it is now worth under 400k. I just hate to think how much it will cost me over the long term when you add in the interest I will repay.

I am wondering if my bank will forgive the entire debt in a short sale. What do you think? Kevin.”

Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure.

Here was our answer to Kevin’s Question. Most of the short sales we are doing have results in the complete forgiveness of the upside down debt.

There are many different factors involved, such as the law in your state, the bank who has your debt, whether or not you have mortgage insurance, and a number of other factors.

But, in most cases the short sale results in the forgiveness of the debt. In other cases, we have negotiated a 100k debt down to a 13k promissory note.

It’s not fun to repay that, but it’s much better than repaying the entire debt. I can give you a better answer when I discuss your situation with you. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (949) 244-0719

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our 1 loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, JoJo Harmon.

JoJo is a Real Estate Broker Associate at Realty ONE Group. 1 Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (949) 244-0719. jojo@harmonhomesrealty.com.

Call Me – I’ll Help You Make the Right Move!

View My homes for sale at www.HarmonHomesRealty.com.

Important Notice

Because most short sales are beneficial to a lender. If you accept our offer to help you on a short sale, your lender may not agree to a short sale or to modify your loan. We do offer a loan modification kit.

However, the likelihood of negotiating a modification is like everything else in life. It takes work and persistence to convince your lender to modify your loan. No matter what you or we do, your lender may not approve a loan modification.

We do not recommend that you stop paying your mortgage, because this will cause damage to your credit and could cause you to lose your home. Because we know avoiding foreclosure is so important to any homeowner, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate legal or tax advisor before making any decision.

This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing.

You have the option to reject a short sale or loan modification from your lender if it does not meet your approval. If you decide not to go thru with the short sale, then you do not have to pay us our fee. We normally make a real estate sales commission for helping you on a short sale.

The views expressed here are JoJo’s personal views and do not reflect the views of Realty ONE Group.

This information on 1 Short Sale Question: Will I Wipe Out The Debt When I Short Sale? is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Just Listed: Private, 1-Story Patio Home $479,900 – Laguna Niguel

JoJo — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:33:11 +0000

Upgraded, 1-story patio home! Located in the quaint community of Lake Park,
this home is situated on a corner lot on a cul-de-sac street. This expanded Foxglove floor plan features:

. 2BR + Den
. Large Kitchen w/Corian c’tops, Recessed Ceiling, French Doors
. Upgraded Bathrooms
. Dual-sided Fireplace (LR/Den)
. Vinyl Windows and Doors
. Open Floor Plan w/Vaulted Ceilings
. Inside Laundry
. Vinyl Patio Covers w/Built-In Lighting
. Above Ground Hot Tub included
. 2-Car Garage
. No Mello Roos

For more information and Virtual Tour: www.24355BorregoCourt.info