Is This the End of the McMansion Era?

According to Inman news, as well as the National Association of Realtors, the housing slump has led to a reduction in new nome sizing as well as pricing" "The cost of furnishing a bigger house, heating and cooling the structure, and even the commutation between it and the place of employment was always imposing, but now there is no longer the appreciation factor that in the past made the situational sacrifice worth it."

Why January is the Best Time to Buy

If you are looking to buy a home, then you probably want to get the best deal. January is the best time to be purchasing a home. Let me explain why.

A lot of people put their homes on the market in January. In addition, there are very few people looking to buy a home in January. This is because most of the people transferring for a job have already bought a home. Their companies want them to have purchased by the end of the year so they can write it off on the corporate tax bill.

The remaining buyers are usually waiting until Spring to go house hunting again. This gives you 2-3 months of prime negotiating time.

It is more than likely that you will be the only offers most sellers will see until Spring. But, guess what happens in Spring? All of the other buyers start looking at homes and making offers. Those home sellers now have other options. Your offer isn’t the only one they have on the table. As a result, the seller might pass on an offer that they would have accepted in January. So, if you are looking for a home, get out there and start looking. Don’t let the cold stop you from finding a great deal.

You probably won’t find home prices this low for a while. Everyone is expecting the economy to finally pick up in 2011. This will drive home prices higher..

10 Ways to Start Saving Energy at Home

If your New Year’s resolution is to save energy, money, or both: pay attention. You don’t need major investments in solar panels or wind turbines to start cutting energy use and costs. Instead, look for places where you can make small improvements that, collectively, add up to big savings on your monthly bills, while improving your home’s environmental picture. Here are 10 home energy improvements that aren’t out of reach.
1. Beef up insulation: There are quick ways to gauge whether your insulation is up to par, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. For example: if your home was built before the 1980s, if you find yourself shivering/sweating profusely inside your home on a regular basis, or whether your neighbor’s Pomeranian sounds like it’s barking in your living room. Putting the right level of insulation in your walls and ceilings can reduce your heating bills by 20% to 30%
Emagazine wraps up tips 2 through 10 here:

How To Lower Your Mortgage Payment Without A Refi

Yes, You Can Beat The System!

A lot of people in today’s lending market are stuck. They locked in their interest rate when rates were higher. Now, they are barred from refinancing because they are upside down on their house. Whenever they apply for a new loan, the first thing the lender says is, “The current property value is less than what you owe. We can’t lend you enough money to pay off your old lender.” Do they have any options?

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. Their best option is probably a loan modification. Their lender is more than likely to work with them since their home dropped in value.

They may have to stop making payments before their lender will approve a loan modification. But, some lenders are even modifying loans that are current.

Some Bloomfield homeowners are stuck with a loan where the payments are going to gradually increase over time. Their current interest rate is 6%. But, it is going to increase by 1% a year until it hits 9.5%.
They can afford the home at the current interest rate. But once it goes higher, they will have to do something. Why not do it now? Take the onetime credit hit and lock in a reasonable interest rate. Some people have been able to get their interest rates on jumbo loans reduced to between 4% and 5%.

Many loan modifications will even reduce your interest rate as low as 2% for 5 years. But, stick to your guns and lock in a reasonable rate for the remainder of the loan. You don’t want to have to apply for another loan mod in 5 years. (Most people don’t see how interest rates could possibly go any lower.)

We offer a loan modification guide to consumers. Here is what we cover in the Stop Foreclosure Institute's Loan Modification Insider Secrets Guide.

* An easy to understand, Step By Step Guidebook.

* How to write a Hardship Letter that gets your loan modification approved.

* Three big loan modification mistakes and how to avoid them.

* Loan Modification from the lenders point of view.

* How the Making Home Affordable Program can help you.

* What not to do so you don't risk being carted off to jail.

* How to calculate your budget properly to increase your chance of success.

To request this kit, please click here to request a copy.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your NJ property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at geoffgove@gmail.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 (973) 748-1475

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