The monthly meeting of the Women Homeowners Network of Santa Cruz County met on November 12th. It was a fact filled event with information presented by all in attendance.
Theresa Robinson, Certified Finincial Planner stated that starting in 2010 you may be able to roll traditional IRA’s and 401K’s into Roth IRA’s. Theresa can help you compare costs and determine what to do with regard to Tax Free Income. Consultations are billed by the hour and she is a true financial planner and analyst. She does not sell any products.
Jeanette Anderson, CPA mentioned the tax credits for the Obama First Time Homebuyer program have been extended and expanded to include homeowners who have owned and lived in a primary residence for 5 of the last 8 years. For more details check out this site: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq2.php
Deborah Cypert, Interior Designer mentioned there are lots of new green flooring products now available. Hunter Douglas is offering rebates on energy efficient window treatments. Many of her vendors are limiting deliveries meaning buyers will need to plan for a longer time between purchase and installation dates. Deborah and her team can still deliver and install in-stock items by next day in most cases.
Linda Murphy, Senior Loan Consultant gave us an update on interest rates as they are still in the low 5’s. Due to the new disclosure requirements, she recommends a 45-60 day escrow period for home purchases to insure the loan can be funded on time to meet the purchase contract. She has also had several clients who have had short sale transactions that fell through or have been seriously delayed. She recommends using an agent who specializes in short sale transactions.
Andrea Robinson, Organizer offers a variety of services including Interior Design for the home, office, staging for properties on the market and event design. She can provide organization options to help de-clutter your space or create systems for organizing everything from paperwork to your family schedule. Finally, she offers business and personal coaching. For details, visit : www.roomwow.com.
Diane Flowers, Gardener extraordinaire told us it is just about the end of the planning cycle for most types of plants. It is almost time to plan some bulbs. Hold off on cutting back your roses until Dec and the temp drops. Capitalize on the rain by feeding your lawn and garden with Harvest Supreme Soil Amendment. If you need soil or other ground cover, check out Craigslist for free stuff.
Carol VanAusdal & Micah Fox, Realtors advised that some banks are starting to help homeowners with short sales and even offering to give the homeowner $2500+ to help with moving expense. Overall more are closing than earlier this year. When representing a buyer in a short sale, the agent must so their homework to insure the listing agent knows how to negotiate with the bank to get the deal done. Fannie Mae announced its new Deed-for-Lease Program (D4L) that allows eligible borrowers facing foreclosure (or their tenants) to stay in their primary residences. Carol and Micah are still working with banks to help homeowners qualify for free loan modifications. Unfortunately, some homeowners are still paying for services they could get for free and often the after paying $2500-5000, the service provider does nothing. Watch out for fraud.
