'Tis the season where giving is on the mind. If you are interested in helping those that are truly in need here are a few local organizations requesting your help:

  1. KUTV/SALVATION ARMY ANGEL TREE: Requesting donations of holiday gifts for needy children and seniors. Angel Trees can be found at the following locations:
    • Shopko
    • Burt Brothers Tires
    • Village Inn at the District
    • Cyprus Credit Union
    • Ancestry
    • Les Olsen Company
    • The Daybreak Community Center also has a similar program to the Angel Tree though not affiliated with KUTV/Salvation Army. 
    • For more information visit: KUTV Angel Tree
  2. THE FOOD BANK: Thousands of Utahns struggle for even the most basic needs such as food. Whether you donate time, money, or food it will…

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I want to make sure all our wonderful Veterans are aware of these opportunities associated with their VA loans. Since 1944, over 20 million Veterans and Service Members have purchased a home through the VA Home Loan program. Over the past 5 years VA home loans have had the lowest foreclosure rate than any other type of home loan.

The VA's Home Loan Program Benefit is not a one-time benefit. It can be reused. Veterans may reuse their VA benefit to purchase another residence, or to refinance to a lower rate. Refinancing a VA loan is referred to as an Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL). No appraisal or credit underwriting is required.

One average, Veterans saved more that $200 a month after an IRRRL. You can read more about the program…

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Do you remember a few years ago when you could get up to $26,000 in free grant money to buy a home? What about the other program that offered $30,000 free money to short sell your home? It seemed like everyone else was getting free money but you right?

I know the feeling.

I make sure I know when there's free money available. That way I can make sure my VIP clients score all the extra cash possible when buying a home.

You could get $5,000 to purchase a home. This money is kind of like standing in a Cash Cube. There's a time limit, and you have to grab it quick before the time runs out.

This is not an area-restricted grant. The $5,000 can be used to buy a home anywhere in Utah.Your time starts on March 1st! However, unlike the Cash Cube…

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I found an interesting article about Loan modifications at HousingWire.com

Bank of America took 100 random mortgages which were delinquent on their loans. They tracked these loans through the path to loan modification to see how successful the HAMP program is working. What did they find? Out of 100 loans how many do you think successfully navigated the HAMP path?     The HAMP Path Before anything can be processed the bank must contact the owners of the delinquent loans. After trying to make contact with these 100 owners, Bank of America had to mark 28 of them as unreachable. They made 110 phone calls to each owner and delievered eight customized letters to them; but received no response. With no response from the owners they were unable…

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Here's a quick video for my Listings.

For more information and graphs check out my earlier report comparing the home sales along the Wasatch Front, with those of the rest of the nation.

As well as my reaction to the July statistics: Double Dip?

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It has finally happened. We have passed the dealine for the $8,000/$6,500 tax credit. However, there is still time for "qualified service members" to take advantage of the program. The government has extended the tax credit to April 30, 2011 for any "member of the uniformed services of the U.S. military, a member of the Foreign Services of the U.S., or an employee of the intelligence community."

This extension is to honor and respect the sacrifice and services these individuals have provided for our country. It is also in consideration of the possibility that these individuals were stationed oversees during the tax credit and have had no opportunity to take advantage of the program.

Because of the nature of their service there has been an additional…

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I see advertisements all over the Internet trying to get me to take advantage of the government mortgage relief plan by getting a Loan Modification. It got me curious about the success rate of this program and what the chances are of having a successful Loan Modification.

Alan Zibel, a Real Estate writer for the Associated Press, wrote a report a few days ago that looks at these questions. He made some interesting discoveries. You can read his full report here: Loan Modification So Far. He found that only 4% of homeowners who have attempted to get a loan modification have succeeded. Of course your odds of getting a loan modification largely depends on who your lender is.

To explore this Mr. Zibel looks at the numbers for Bank of America. He first…

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The First Time Home Buyer Tax credit was scheduled to end December 1st of this year. However, due to the success of the program, and it’s positive effect on the economy, the Government has voted to extend the program and make more Free Money available.

What does this mean for you?

First time home buyers, who weren’t able to get a home this year, still have a few months to get up to $8,000 to assist with the purchase of their home. The income limit has beenincreased making the credit available to some home buyers who may not have qualified for the previous grant. Perhaps the biggest improvement of this program is extending the credit to all home buyers! Home owners who have been living in their home for 5 consecutive years also qualify for Free Grant…

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The First Time Home Buyer Tax credit was scheduled to end December 1st of this year. However, due to the success of the program, and it's positive effect on the economy, the Government has voted to extend the program and make more Free Money available.

What does this mean for you?

First time home buyers, who weren't able to get a home this year, still have a few months to get up to $8,000 to assist with the purchase of their home. The income limit has been increased making the credit available to some home buyers who may not have qualified for the previous grant. Perhaps the biggest improvement of this program is extending the credit to all home buyers! Home owners who have been living in their home for 5 consecutive years also qualify for Free…

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Yes you can! Get $8,000 from the government to help buy your new home!

It was announced earlier this week that some changes have been made to the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gave authorization to allow first-time buyers to use their $8,000 UPFRONT. This means it can be used to cover closing costs, to increase your down payment, or buy down your interest rate.

This first-time homebuyer tax credit started last year to help buyers purchase their first home. More details about the loan itself are available here: $8000 Tax Credit. The original tax credit was more like a government loan that had to be repaid. It was improved earlier this year making it so it does not have to be repaid!

This latest…

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