KOGO AM 600 show sponsored by San Diego Association of REALTORS covers Baja California life and real estate for US citizens (RECORDING)

Posted December 7, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Baja California real estate, San Diego real estate

Tags:

Real Estate Today, the weekly on-air talk show hosted by George Chamberlain and sponsored by the San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR) president Erik Weichelt, addressed the facts and myths about real estate in Mexico on Sunday, December 6, 2009 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on KOGO AM 600 radio.

Special guests on the show included three US citizen real estate professionals: Larry French, Roy Warfield, and Brian Flock. The three are realtors, with two of them practicing in both San Diego County and Mexico.

The relative strength of the dollar and US retiree desires for coastal living have caused many to consider real estate south of the United States border, in Mexico. Yet controversy invariably touches this southern neighbor, particularly over the past few years.

The conversation in its entirety can be heard at the following link:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/695529041000bde9/

San Diego Association of Realtors to Host Show on Baja California Real Estate

Posted November 30, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Baja California real estate, San Diego real estate

by Brian Flock (Mexidata.info contributor and San Diego Real Estate Examiner)

December 6 – KOGO AM 600 radio program to cover facts and myths of life in Mexico

Real Estate Today, the weekly on-air talk show sponsored by the San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR) and hosted by SDAR president Erik Weichelt, will address facts and myths about real estate in Mexico on Sunday, December 6, 2009 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on KOGO AM 600 radio. A live online simulcast also will be available at the following web address: http://www.am600kogo.com/mediaplayer/?station=KOGO-AM&action=listenlive&channel_title=

Special guests on the show will include three US citizen real estate professionals: Larry French, Roy Warfield, and Brian Flock. The three are realtors, with two of them practicing in both San Diego County and Mexico.

The relative strength of the dollar and US retiree desires for coastal living have caused many to consider real estate south of the United States border, in Mexico. Yet controversy invariably touches this southern neighbor, particularly over the past few years.

Topics will include the state of the “Baja Boom”; the war on drugs; legal distinctions between the US and Mexico; health care and costs; details about property ownership in Mexico; and expectations for the future.

——————————

Brian Flock, a contributor to www.MexiData.info, is a licensed California broker (01870163), as well as a degreed and certified broker in Mexico. He is a Realtor and a member of both SDAR and AMPI Rosarito.  Mr. Flock may be contacted at Flock Dream Homes (www.flockdreamhomes.com ), brian@flockdreamhomes.com , or (619) 793-5224.

Home tax credit almost certain to be extended and expanded

Posted November 5, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Home tax credit, San Diego homes for sale, San Diego real estate

$8000 BillFirst time home buyers in San Diego get $8,000, others up to $6,500

US Senators yesterday voted yesterday to approve bill HR 3548 which was primarily intended to extend unemployment benefits. However, as with most bills, a variety of other legislation was bundled in the bill including an anticipated extension of the first time buyer tax credit and extensions of the credit to certain, existing homeowners as well.
Although President Obama has line item veto rights on the tax credit, official positions of the White House have generally been supportive and industry lobbyists have been working hard to press forwarding on the extension. The House may approve the bill as soon as today.
Ergo, this is fully expected by most experts to become law very soon.
 

First time buyers
The extension of the tax credit for first time buyers (i.e. those who haven’t owned a home in at least three years) is fairly straightforward.
Instead of a November 30 deadline for real estate closings, the new law would allow for purchase agreements as late as April 30, 2010 and closings as late as June 30, 2010 for the maximum $8,000 credit.
Maximum income limitations have been expanded making the program available to even more buyers. Individuals may now make up to $125,000 and married couples may have income of up to $225,000. (Higher income individuals may receive reduced credits.)
Existing home owners
As for existing home owners that have been in their home for at least five years of the last eight years, they will be eligible for a $6,500 tax credit with a maximum home price of $800,000. This provision is intended to spur home upgrade purchasing for those who are still likely to have some equity in their homes.
Military personnel from San Diego
Members of the military who have served overseas for at least 90 days between January 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010 will receive one year extensions on the credit deadlines.
Tax payers who complete a transaction in 2010 but before their 2009 tax filing deadline will have the option to apply the credit to their 2009 taxes instead of their 2010 taxes.

For more info: Brian Flock may be contacted at www.flockdreamhomes.com , brian@flockdreamhomes.com , or at phone  (619) 793-5224.

Five myths about the US Government’s home loan modification “bailout”

Posted September 26, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Making Home Affordable, San Diego foreclosures, San Diego homes for sale, San Diego real estate, San Diego short sales

Very few home owners in San Diego have access to the Making Home Affordable programVery few home owners in San Diego have access to the program

by Brian Flock

There are a number of myths in the market about US government programs intended to address the traumatic economic situation in housing market, including our local market in San Diego County. At least five common myths in the mind of the consumer public should be dispelled and addressed with action on the part of homeowners with burdensome home loans.

MYTH #1: “The government will save my home.”

FACT: The US government is fighting very hard to salvage the economic engine of the country and certainly housing factors into that as the largest single purchase of most peoples’ lives. Further, a home is the symbol of the American dream.

However, in the end, only the homeowner/borrower has the power to and can decide to save their home. The government simply provides a vehicle of lower interest and an extended payment term but no debt forgiveness.

There is no “free money” in the Government proposals for distressed homeowners.

MYTH #2: “The Making Home Affordable (MHA) modification program rewards my good credit history.”

FACT: Although the program does include extra incentives for participating lenders to help distressed borrowers with a good payment history, the program also provides incentives for borrowers who are well behind in their payments.

It is essential for home owners to understand that the Making Home Affordable program keeps borrowers in their homes only by lowering monthly payments.

The MHA does not lower the principle of the loan, even for those who have never been late on their loan.

Therefore the MHA is more akin to a pain reliever or band-aid than it is a solution to the financial dilemma of owing much more than the market value of a home.

MYTH #3: “Obama’s MHA program will eliminate my excess loan debt.”

FACT: As stated previously, the MHA program is simply intended to give certain qualifying people the opportunity to keep their home. However, the program itself does not forgive any debt or accrued penalties or fees.

What the program does is to lower monthly payments by applying a lower interest rate of 2% and an extended loan term of up to 40 years which does lower the monthly payment. However, the fact is that all principle and accrued interest or penalties must be paid back over time.

The following is an example of before and after an MHA modification:

  Current, distressed home loan After an MHA modification
Market value of house $250,000 $250,000 (no change)
Loan balance $300,000 $300,000 (no change)
Homeowner equity -$50,000 (-16.7%) -$50,000 (-16.7%)
Interest rate 5.5% 2.0%
Term 30 years 40 years
Monthly payment $1,703.37 $908.48

Clearly the modification of this loan would result in a huge reduction in the monthly mortgage payment. Yet the loan balance and owner’s equity position are unimproved making the home unmarketable until housing prices recover.

MYTH #4: “All home loans are eligible for the MHA modification program.”

FACT: Most loans on homes in San Diego are not eligible for the Making Home Affordable modification program.

In order for a borrower to be eligible for the MHA modification program, all of the following must be true:

  1. The home must be the borrower’s primary residence
  2. The loan must be less than $729,750
  3. The loan balance can be no more than 25% higher than the market value of the home.
    1. Example: A $300,000 loan on a home that is now worth $200,000 would not qualify because the loan is 50% higher than the house.
    2. The borrower has a bona fide financial hardship
    3. The loan was received before 2009
    4. The current loan payment must be more than 31% of the borrower’s monthly gross income.
    5. The loan is a “conforming” Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan

Therefore, these qualifications exclude:

  • San Diego home owners whose loans exceed their home value by more  than 25%–possibly the majority the home owners who have purchase between 2002 and 2007
  • Borrowers who don’t have a bona fide hardship or who qualify for a regular refinance
  • Jumbo loans and other non-conforming loans
  • Investment properties

In these cases, homeowners are wise to proactively face their alternatives of refinancing, short sales, foreclosure, or even bankruptcy, thereby getting a fresh start from an incredibly difficult time in the economy.

MYTH #5: “All lenders that received Government bailout money are obligated to offer the program.”

FACT: The MHA modification program is a voluntary program whereby the Government tries to encourage lenders to perform modifications through modest financial incentives. In reality, the independent lenders are not highly motivated by the MHA incentives and many don’t actively participate.

Borrowers who don’t qualify for the MHA modification or whose lender doesn’t participate should consult with a licensed real estate and tax accounting professional to understand their options. They should also avoid predators who promise “clean solutions” yet charge exorbitant, up-front fees for what can be obtained for free or at low cost.

San Diego distressed home buying requires special knowledge and patience

Posted September 13, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: San Diego foreclosures, San Diego homes for sale, San Diego real estate, San Diego short sales

San Diego distressed home buying requires special knowledge and patience

San Diego distressed home buying requires special knowledge and patience

by Brian Flock

If it’s not common knowledge already, I’ll announce it now: short sales and foreclosure home purchases in San Diego County require a special tact and patience in order to purchase successfully. Full stop.

This truism applies to both buyers and the agents that represent them in a home purchase.

The National Association of Realtors reports that these distressed properties have been accounting for about a third of national sales recently and this percentage is significantly higher in San Diego County where a dizzying number of homes have more negative equity than the national average.

Commercial tools for tracking troubled properties are available to consumers and agents starting at fees of around $50 per month. Yet there is a distinct difference between having loads of data and successfully purchasing a home in the complex world of real estate.

Distressed short sale and foreclosure properties differ from a typical real estate listing in several ways:

  • The majority of these distressed properties are the feared “shadow inventory that has banking and government officials scrambling to find measured solutions—along with wringing their hands in private.
  • The real estate often arrives into the market by non-traditional methods. Banks have asset managers and loss mitigation experts to manage and dispose of properties.  These managers are so overwhelmed that it is currently impossible to predict how a particular distressed home will be released to the market. Managers only talk to a handful of real estate brokers and virtually zero consumers.
  • There is little (or no) room to negotiate non-cash concessions (such as repairs) from the seller. This can rule out VA loans, non-conforming loans, and buyers without substantial cash. (One notable exception is buyers who utilize an FHA 203K loan.)
  • The southern California multiple listing service (MLS), SANDICOR, recently added a special listing status for short sales and foreclosures. (Yet recall that the vast majority of distressed properties are NOT yet in the MLS.)

The good news is that the government is taking notice and realizes that the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program (i.e. simply refinancing at lower interest rates) will not work for many situations.

The Federal Housing Administration’s commissioner, David Stevens, recently commented that “… the MHA program will not reach every at-risk homeowner or prevent all foreclosures… the Foreclosure Alternatives program that will provide incentives for, and encourage, servicers and borrowers to pursue short sales and deeds-in-lieu (DIL) of foreclosure.”

Forthcoming proposals from the US Treasury may motivate lenders to streamline the short sales process.

How is a buyer to identify appropriate distressed properties?

One way is to go solo, paying the $50 per month to companies such services as ForeclosureRadar.com and RealtyTrac.com. With some experimentation and configuring, you can get alerts on changes in specific properties. Note that these alerts almost never include photos other than satellite images of the neighborhood so don’t expect to know the current condition of the home or its décor.

Another option is to form a relationship with a trusted agent who understands the inner workings of these tools and have that person set you up for alerts conforming to your needs at their expense. That person can also do the leg work of photographing the property, interpreting the data, and getting additional facts from local title companies.

Either way, you’ll find yourself making an offer to a real estate professional when the property ultimately comes to the open market.

Veterans Administration (VA) home loans honor San Diego’s military tradition

Posted September 4, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Mortgage, San Diego real estate

Tags: , , ,

VA loan limits for San Diego County

VA loan limits for San Diego County

Yet many veterans and home sellers are unaware of the benefits of VA real estate loans

 

Military bases in San Diego include the largest concentration of naval facilities in the world; Marine Corps bases such as Camp Pendleton that encompass over 125,000 acres; and Coast Guard stations. With a strong military history dating since World War II, the VA home loan program in San Diego honors the commitment and sacrifice on the part of the Country’s service men and women. Yet the qualifications and benefits of this program meant to assist our military members are a mystery to many veterans and most homes sellers in San Diego County.
Veteran home buyers in San Diego
The primary benefit of the VA program to veteran home buyers in San Diego is that they can get a no-down-payment loan at competitive interest rates with no need for additional private mortgage insurance. VA loans are available through traditional lenders subject to more liberal terms such as lower credit scores and higher debt-to-income ratios.
In general, eligible veterans are those who served in the US military as follows:
·         World War II until 1980 : At least 181 days of continuous active duty; or
·         1980 until 1990: 24 months of active duty (or the full period of at least 181 days for which ordered or called to active duty); or
·         August 1990 up to present (i.e. the Gulf War period): 24 months of active duty (or the full period of at least 90 days for which ordered or called to active duty).
·         Reserve or National Guard members without sufficient active duty after 6 years of service.
Service times less than those above can also be approved for a VA home loan in the case of a service-related disability.
The quickest way for a veteran to verify their eligibility is to contact a participating lender to get their “Certificate of Eligibility” via the “Web LGY” system. This modernized system launched by the VA in 2006 can provide eligibility confirmation in seconds.
San Diego home sellers—No military service required
San Diego home sellers (including home owners, banks, and even real estate professionals) have been historically cautious about VA-loan-based offers in periods of high real estate demand or, conversely, low inventory.  This is due to the VA loan’s particular requirements that health and safety issues be addressed prior to closing; the 45- to 60-day closing period for loans; and the limitations on closing costs paid by the veteran buyer which may require credits from the seller.
However, since the current inventory situation is thought by many experts to be an artificial, and since many “cash” home offers are falling out of escrow, the day of the VA loan may have arrived.
The VA loan is best suited to moderately priced homes in good condition (as opposed to foreclosed properties in disrepair) since critical health and safety repairs must be completed before closing. As with FHA loans and other home loans programs, formal pre-approval is a prerequisite for an offer to be taken seriously; pre-qualification letters simply won’t suffice in most situations these days.
Veterans may have more success with moderately priced homes that are currently the target of fewer offers than the lowest priced, entry-level homes.
As more shadow inventory of delinquent and foreclosed homes are offered for sale on the San Diego real estate market, the strength of the VA program and its low down payment may be a boon for both vets and motivated home sellers.
For more info: Brian Flock may be reached at brian@flockdreamhomes.com, (619) 793-5224, or www.flockdreamhomes.com. He is the proud father of two US Marines.

Polish your “5 C’s of credit” before you buy a home

Posted August 13, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Appraisals, Credit score, Mortgage, San Diego real estate

Tags: , , ,
by Brian Flock
Market conditions require better preparation before making an offer
Buying a home in San Diego is more complex than ever. Yet responsibility for navigating the lending process remains squarely on the shoulders of the borrower. The lending “game” may have been easier in the past but home buyers have no choice but to play by today’s more challenging standards.
I regularly hear stories of frustrated borrowers that are experiencing pain with today’s stringent lending requirements. Gone are the days of easy money with no-documentation and subprime loans; and “appraisal shopping” to match or exceed an offer price. In fact, most lenders are being more restrictive on conforming loans than what conforming loans regulations require.
Alas, borrowers’ need to adapt to the changed circumstances by polishing their “5 C’s of credit,” ideally before seeking and loan. Borrowers also need to stay flexible with the extensive requirements that they will experience from loan underwriters (i.e. credit risk reviewers) who are the primary judges of a given loan application.
Character
Underwriters evaluate the borrower’s “character” (i.e. integrity) for paying back the loan. This typically starts by looking at the middle FICO credit score from the three major reporting agencies. Options for those without a “good” FICO score (i.e. 700-750 or more) have been reduced substantially as a result of the lending market crisis.
Borrowers should take immediate action to any erroneous reports of late payments, bankruptcies, collections, and judgments as these can have a dramatic affect on FICO scores.
Credit report errors can be contested and removed from each of the reporting agencies. This requires patience and up to 30 to 45 days of processing but can be done online at:
·         Experian Credit Dispute
·         Equifax Credit Dispute
·         TransUnion Credit Dispute
Capacity
Sufficient cash flow is what defines the buyer’s “capacity” to repay a loan. However, items in the past that were taken based on written statements will now likely require extensive documentation. Self-employed individuals will need to provide at least two years of tax statements with all requested supporting documentation, no matter how onerous.
Whereas some loans in the “boom” period allowed debt ratios to be over 40% of gross income, current conforming guidelines are back to maximum housing obligation of 28% with all debt needing to be less than 36%.
Some types of income will likely not be considered at all such as secondary income that will continue for less than three years (e.g. grants); non-cash benefits; inheritances; and lawsuit settlements. Only a portion of rental income will be considered, usually 75% (or 90% in the case of FHA loans).
Capital
Net worth—especially liquid assets such as bank accounts, stocks and bonds—will be considered as available “capital” to help ensure that you will repay the loan. Capital, if substantial, can also be a somewhat compensating factor for other deficiencies in an application.
Collateral
“Collateral” (i.e. the assets to secure the debt) has become one of the greatest sources of loan frustration in the current San Diego housing market. This is because (artificially?) low housing inventory has resulted in many offers that exceed appraisal values. Further, new regulations have taken great strides to eliminate “appraisal shopping.”
Lenders simply cannot reasonably be expected to lend where their exposure is increased by an offer that exceeds the appraisal value.
Know the value of homes in the area before you make an offer and have a strategy with your real estate agent on how to handle the common scenario of “low” appraisals. (Read a recent article on low appraisals in San Diego.)
Conditions
“Conditions” is a catch-all phrase for the lender’s view of the borrower and the general economy. Conditions are really internal policy guidelines and vary by lender.
There is little value in fighting an underwriter’s view of your borrowing conditions if your situation is against internal policy.
 Instead, seek out a lender who may be more attuned to your situation.
 
Play by the new lending rules and polish your “5 C’s of credit” before you need them to shine.
For more info: Brian Flock may be reached at brian@flockdreamhomes.com, (619) 793-5224, or www.flockdreamhomes.com.

The hidden curse of FHA loans in San Diego’s topsy-turvy housing market

Posted August 4, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: San Diego real estate

Tags: ,

by Brian Flock
The US government stimulus programs were in part designed to increase home ownership and to decrease home foreclosures. In support of this, Federal Housing Association (FHA) loan limits have nearly doubled to nearly $700,000 in San Diego County (see graphic) and yet still require less than a 5% down payment. Lending requirements have required a modest FICO score and two years of verifiable employment.
So why are so many would-be-home-buyers in San Diego expressing frustration over their offers being ignored when they are based on FHA loan contingencies?
With foreclosure (aka REOs) and short sale properties being the majority of housing inventory, the answer comes down to the unique health and safety requirements of FHA loans, plus the myriad of documentation requirements.
According to the FHAs own website that documents the program, an FHA loan requires the “timely cooperation of up to 53 different parties.” Any misstep by any one of those parties can easily result in a day to four weeks of delay in the closing. Lenders in control of REOs and short sales often don’t view those extra hurdles as worth the risk when they know that they are already going to lose a lot of money on the sale.
However, on July 9, 2009 the Mortgage Bankers Association said that FHA loans had risen to a full 35.9% of all loan applications, an increase of nearly 530% since August 2005 at the height of the real estate boom. There is clearly demand for these loans and the market will need to find a way to accommodate them, especially with an expected wave of short sales and REOs to hit the market this fall.
What can FHA buyers do to improve the chances for an FHA offer despite t he hurdles for sellers of distressed properties?
Here are some tips:
1.       Get pre-approved for an FHA loan from a ”top-tier” bank. Listing agents and sellers (such as banks) of distressed properties will usually ignore “pre-qualification” letters and even pre-approval commitments from second tier banks.
2.       If the house has obvious health or safety issues, be sure to make the offer contingency based on an FHA 203(k) renovation loan. For a description of this home renovation program read the previous Examiner.com article here.
3.       Be sure to do a good comparison of recent sales within the past 6 to 12 months within a one mile radius of the home of interest before making an offer. The offer will need to be in the ballpark of these homes since FHA appraisals will likely use the same homes in their appraisal.
4.       Target properties that have already fallen out of escrow. The sellers will be more motivated to get such homes moving.
5.       Make the offer based on a realistic closing timeframe of 45 days, not the historical standard of 30 days. Although this may seem to make your offer less attractive at face value, it shows the seller that you understand the realities of delay in the current financing market.
6.       For condos, have your real estate agent make sure that the condo building in question is already FHA approved.
For more info: Brian Flock offers free referrals to FHA 203(k) specialized mortgage brokers without obligation. He may be reached at brian@flockdreamhomes.com, (619) 793-5224, or www.flockdreamhomes.com.
FHA loan limits in San Diego County have risen in 2009

FHA loan limits in San Diego County have risen in 2009

Plus tips to make your FHA offer stand out

Realize the American dream by purchasing a fixer upper with help from the Government

Posted July 29, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: San Diego real estate

Tags: , , ,

Distressed properties receive a “blight bailout” from Government-backed “renovation loans”

Most first-time home buyers in San Diego have been looking for the perfect starter house. Yet in a market full of distressed properties from short sales to foreclosures, the ideal starter home can be hard to acquire. Frustrated by bidding wars due to artificially low inventory, many would-be buyers have made a dozen or more offers on starter homes just to be frustrated by (lower) cash offers, or by property problems that result in low appraisals, thereby making a traditional loan impossible.
 
Distressed properties in decent locations are fetching multiple offers and traditional, conforming loans for under-maintained homes are virtually impossible to get in today’s stringent lending environment. The solution for determined home buyers could be to buy a less-than-perfect house in a desirable neighborhood and to renovate it using a FHA 203(k) loan.
 
Conforming loans often don’t work for distressed properties
 
Conforming loans (including standard FHA, non-203(k) loans) generally require that all structural, health and safety issues be remedied prior to closing of the sale.
 
However, short sale properties and foreclosures (aka REO sales) are often neglected and vandalized properties that don’t qualify for a standard loan without substantial repairs by the sellers. Unfortunately, sellers—often banks—with negative equity simply aren’t willing to make the investment and have tended to seek out cash buyers, most of whom are investors who plan to instead buy the home as-is, perform minimal repairs, and rent out the house.
 
The effect of government moratoriums on foreclosures can’t last forever and we will soon find ourselves back in a period of high inventory. A tendency towards the buyer’s market is heading at us with no substantial relief in delinquencies and joblessness. So what is to become of the expected increase in short sale and foreclosure properties that are already becoming eyesores in their respective neighborhoods?
 
Solution can be the FHA 203(k) loan
 
For good-credit buyers with vision and patience, the answer to realizing their American dream may lie in the FHA 203(k) loan which is designed to renovate neglected properties. Never has this 35 year old program been more necessary or appropriate than in the current, San Diego home market crisis.
 
How the program appraises a San Diego home’s value
 
Simply put, the FHA 203(k) loan is a loan guarantee to traditional lenders that encourages them to lend money on run down properties subject to the following appraisal criteria:
·         First, an appraisal determines the current, as-is home value in its less-than-ideal state.
·         Second, FHA guidelines, overseen by a certified HUD consultant, authorize repairs and upgrades to improve the value of the property according to guideline amounts by region.
·         Finally, the lender sums up the as-is home value plus the value of the repairs/upgrades and factors in a buffer amount. In other words, the lender can offer somewhat more than the sum of the as-is value of the home plus the authorized cost of the repairs and upgrades.
 
The program recognizes that many buyers don’t want to live in a loud and dusty construction zone so the loan allows the buyers to finance up to six (6) months of mortgage payments during the repair work. (This feature has offered the additional benefit of saving more than a few relationships!)
 
The program also addresses multi-unit buildings up to four (4) units or even up to eight (8) units if the number of units will be reduced to the maximum four (4) dwellings with goal to make the property more marketable. Although one of the units must be owner-occupied, there is no requirement that the owner occupy the largest dwelling. As an added bonus, the FHA counts resulting rental income at 90% of rent (instead of the traditional 75% for conforming loans) making the qualification for multi-unit properties manageable.
 
FHA 203(k) program is also benefit for real estate agents/brokers       
                                   
Real estate brokers should also be more supportive and knowledgeable about this program in the current environment. Brokers that list foreclosures (i.e. REOs) are often relegated to pay for repairs before sale and can wait months for reimbursement from the seller. The FHA 203(k) program defers such maintenance until after the close of escrow which should delight most agents who only get paid at closing.
 
The hyped “streamlined (k)”
 
There has been some level of “buzz” lately of the relatively new Streamlined (k) loan and substantially more lenders offer this program that the regular FHA 203(k) loan. However, practical uses of the streamlined program have been hard to find here since the program is limited to total repairs of $35,000 and distressed houses in San Diego often exceed that amount when reviewed prior to closing.
 
Most generally, the standard FHA 203(k) loan (i.e. not the streamlined one) is the most widely applicable renovation loan. The reality of both loan 203(k) programs is that they take about the same amount of time and the streamline loan may only save a couple hundred dollars in HUD Consultant fees which later need to be spent on a standard FHA 203(k) loan.
 
Increased loan limits in 2009
 
One historical barrier for home buyers with FHA loans in San Diego County have been the relatively low loan limits. Up to March 2009, the FHA 203(k) loan limits were $362,790 (single family home); $464,449 (duplex); $561,411 (triplex); and $697,696 (4-plex) with a 3.5% down payment.
 
However, this years’ stimulus program increased those limits by nearly 100% resulting in maximum loan values of $697,500; $892,950; $1,079,350; and $1,341,350 respectively with only 5% down. Further, buyer down payments and closing fees can count the new $8,000 tax credit (for first time/new buyers) and other seller credits up to 6% of the purchase value.
 
San Diego home buyers with vision
 
Buyers with a penchant to look past a rough exterior and see a vision for their future home have a exciting way to purchase short sales, foreclosures, and other homes with deferred maintenance through the FHA 203(k) program.
 
Not all loan brokers offer loans for the FHA 203(k) so buyers are encouraged to find a lender with years of experience in these loans.
For more info: Brian Flock offers free referrals to FHA 203(k) specialized mortgage brokers without obligation. He may be reached at brian@flockdreamhomes.com, (619) 793-5224, or www.flockdreamhomes.com.

UPDATE: Detailed housing sales trends for each city in San Diego County (Exclusive)

Posted July 29, 2009 by flockdreamhomes
Categories: Uncategorized

By Brian Flock

The state of housing in each area of San Diego County

As a service to Examiner.com readers, the following price trends are provided for every city in San Diego County (and in alphabetical order).

Would you like more details on a specific ZIP code within a particular city? Simply request automated reports from the form at the bottom of this column.

All the market trend charts on this page are ‘live’ meaning that the data is always updated no matter when you return to review this Examiner.com news article.

Would you like many more details for a particular part of the market? Subscribe to Brian Flock’s Real-Time Market Report at the bottom of this column. It’s all about what’s going on right now and it’s free to you as a reader of this Examiner.com news article.

For more info: Brian Flock may be reached at brian@flockdreamhomes.com, (619) 793-5224, or www.flockdreamhomes.com.

   

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CARLSBAD Real Estate Market

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CHULA VISTA Real Estate Market

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CORONADO Real Estate Market

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DEL MAR Real Estate Market

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EL CAJON Real Estate Market

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ENCINITAS Real Estate Market

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ESCONDIDO Real Estate Market

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FALLBROOK Real Estate Market

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IMPERIAL BEACH Real Estate Market

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JACUMBA Real Estate Market

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JAMUL Real Estate Market

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JULIAN Real Estate Market

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LA JOLLA Real Estate Market

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LA MESA Real Estate Market

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LAKESIDE Real Estate Market

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LEMON GROVE Real Estate Market

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NATIONAL CITY Real Estate Market

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OCEANSIDE Real Estate Market

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PALA Real Estate Market

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PAUMA VALLEY Real Estate Market

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PINE VALLEY Real Estate Market

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POWAY Real Estate Market

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RAMONA Real Estate Market

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RANCHO SANTA FE Real Estate Market

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SAN DIEGO Real Estate Market

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SAN MARCOS Real Estate Market

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SAN YSIDRO Real Estate Market

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SANTA YSABEL Real Estate Market

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SANTEE Real Estate Market

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SOLANA BEACH Real Estate Market

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SPRING VALLEY Real Estate Market

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VALLEY CENTER Real Estate Market

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VISTA Real Estate Market

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WARNER SPRINGS Real Estate Market

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