Arizona Real Estate News» Flipping Homes

Broker vs. a Realtor | What are the differences?

Daniel Reynolds — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:02:48 +0000

A broker is real estate agent that has passed the state license requirements to receive a broker’s license. A normal agent is a considered a Sales Person by definition of the Arizona State Law. We’ll refer to a sales person as an agent in this article. Once an agent obtains their license, they must join a local association to receive access to the MLS and the electronic key to open properties. Once they join a local association, their given the title, Realtor. In the southeast valley of Arizona, we have the South East Valley Association of Realtors. Any members of this group, are able to use the title, Realtor. A Broker can also be a Realtor. A Broker is a higher designation of a sales person. It’s equivalent to a salesperson having an associates degree and broker having a bachelors degree. That many not be the best metaphor but the difference of experience by state definition says the following:

You must have at least 3 years of actual experience as a salesperson or broker during the 5 years preceding your application. Each broker who employed you in the previous 5 year period must complete a Broker Candidate Experience Verification Form (LI-226) (included in the informational brochure). Submit the completed forms to the Department to establish the date through which your experience is valid (your “valid through” date)If applying for a real estate broker’s license, you must complete 90 hours of pre-licensing education and pass the examination at a Department approved real estate school, college or university. The completed Certification Questionnaire and disclosure and documentation concerning your background are required Each active-status designated* broker must attend a broker management clinic once every Continuing Education period (every 24 months).* A self-employed broker is a designated broker pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-2101(20).** See A.R.S. § 32-2136(C).

To clarify, there are two types of Brokers. Associate Brokers and Designated Brokers. Designated Brokers are in charge of supervising Associate Brokers and Sales Persons to a Real Estate Company. Each Real Estate company is required to have a Designated Broker. Only one Designated Broker can be assigned per company. Any agent that has a broker license that is not a designated broker is considered an associate broker. An associate broker if they choose, can start their own real estate company but are considered Associate Brokers as long as they are under the supervision of a Designated Broker.

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Broker vs. a Realtor | What are the differences? was first posted on May 24, 2009 at 7:02 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

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Average time to find a tenant in AZ

Daniel Reynolds — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:52:34 +0000

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The average time to find a renter should not exceed 2 weeks in the East Valley. This is fact when it comes to single family homes; however, if you own a condo, this could go from 2 weeks to 4 months depending on the type of Condo you have available.
We’ve been assisting renters find rentals for over 3 years. We’ve seen the upsides and the downsides to the rental market. I can tell you that from March- August, the rental market is hot. Most leases are renewed during this time which is why. This is the best time to own a rental because most tenants are willing to bid on the rental prices to contract a property for lease. Your average 3/2 home in Gilbert should lease for around 1100-1200 per month. Once the rental season in AZ picks up, you can count on tenants bidding a longer term lease or an increase on the monthly rent to successfully bid for your home. While the bidding is important for investors, it’s crucial to take a steady tenant and not a tenant that can pay the highest amount. An easy rule of thumb for investors, is the back end ratio of a client. The max your tenants DTI should be is 50%. This is a rule of thumb used by property managers and major property management companies. Any increase in the debt to income ratio and you could find yourself evicting a tenant for nonpayment.

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Average time to find a tenant in AZ was first posted on May 21, 2009 at 2:52 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

Seller Carryback trust deed in Arizona

Daniel Reynolds — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:32:23 +0000

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Arizona offers owners a chance to become lenders as they offer financing for buyers. Buyers looking for seller carryback financing can look at homes that offer Trust Deeds.

Search Seller Carrybacks | Owner Financing Homes in AZ

First Deeds of Trust is a form of a Seller Carryback

Properties offering Trust Deeds give the buyer all the legal rights someone would have if they obtained a loan from a bank. They can refinance, sell the property, take a 2nd mortgage and lease the property if they choose. What buyers need to be aware of is the difference between a first deed of trust and an agreement for sale. Both appear to be a seller carry but only the first deed of trust offers true ownership of a property.

The Trust Deed is important but the mortgage note is just as important. Even when you finally find an owner with a seller carry back offering a deed of trust, you need to review the mortgage note document to ensure there are no balloons or adjustable rates that could increase. The title company you service the trust deed with should examine the deed and the note for you and advise you anything that could be of importance. If you are interested in a seeking a seller carryback, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

How a seller carryback in AZ works

Most AZ seller carrybacks require a minimum down of 10%. This allows the seller to pay for closing costs, escrow costs and real estate costs accrued in selling the home. Once a buyer has found a seller carryback, it’s a matter of coming to an agreement of terms with the seller. In most cases, a seller financing home will have a couple options the seller can execute for the seller financing. Those options include a land contract also known as an agreement for sale or a deed of trust seller carry. There are two options the seller has when it comes to offering seller financing.

Land Contract | Agreement for Sale

Not the best option for the buyer, because the seller can foreclose on the buyer much faster for nonpayment. The buyer also does not hold title to the home, which can present to be a problem for tax purposes and tax credits. And since they do not hold title to the home on an agreement for sale, they cannot sell the property through the MLS or refinance the home. This is the worst type of seller carry.

First Deed of Trust | Deed of Trust

This is the strongest type of ownership for a seller carryback. This type of seller carryback is equivalent to a buyer obtain a loan from a bank and purchasing the home. The term Deed of Trust is the type of title the buyer is receiving and is a common term used on any sale when title is being transfered.

Common reason why a seller would not offer a deed of trust in a seller carryback

-They owe a mortgage on the home
-The current lender has a due on sale clause preventing title from being released to the new buyer without the current lender being paid off
-The owner is skeptical of the buyer defaulting and needs an option to foreclose quickly

Lease Options vs Seller Carrybacks

A lease option is dangerous because the money put down can easily be lost if the seller defaults on the mortgage payments. A seller carryback will allow the buyer to make payments directly to the lender which will always put the buyer at a better advantage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKw23Dw_gLw

Seller Carryback Financing | Owner Financing Homes

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Seller Carryback trust deed in Arizona was first posted on May 19, 2009 at 7:32 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

Length of short sales

Daniel Reynolds — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:51:06 +0000

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Short sales take anywhere from 8-12 weeks from start to finish. The process can be very long not always as easy as the listing agent might say it is. The fact is, there are many items that must be completed by the owner for the lender to start a short sale file. First the owner must complete a short sale packet and mail it into the lender with financial statements proving the owners cannot afford the property. Next they must List the property with an agent.

An Agents job in a Short Sale

The agent must then complete a Broker Price Opinion on the property. Once that’s done, the lender has to sign off on the listed purchase price. The lender can say no and request another BPO or cancel the listing agent and request another agent list the property. We advise all our buyers to stay away from short sales, unless they can wait 3 months to receive the first initial response from the lender.

Short Sales are not always accepted at the listed price

Even if the owner accepts a short sale price, the bank has the final say so on selling it for that price. Investors, and buyers should be looking at bank owned properties instead. These properties can close fairly quickly and most are listed at below market prices.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMZZD4kuWcA

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Length of short sales was first posted on May 19, 2009 at 12:51 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

Investors Picking up 20k properties in Phoenix

Daniel Reynolds — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:56:18 +0000

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Many of our clients are looking at homes in this price range. Some our experienced with buying these and others are buying as their first investment property. What you need to be aware of to win bids on these homes is what the lender likes in a contract. Lenders prefer no inspection period or waiving your inspection period, cash offers and a quick close. A quick close is considered less than 3 weeks. Waiving your inspection period helps, because the lender knows you’re buying the property as is condition and will not even consider backing out of the transaction if something is wrong with the property. 401k funds may also be used to buy properties, but lenders prefer to see liquid cash. Cash that can be used to close on a property within weeks not months.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VjRuG4q2go

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Investors Picking up 20k properties in Phoenix was first posted on May 19, 2009 at 9:56 am.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

For sale by owner flyer template

Daniel Reynolds — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:49:21 +0000

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FSBO flyer templates should include the following:

Financing options for the buyer, such as Conventional only, FHA or seller financing if available.

Lease Option if applicable

Potential payments for a first time buyer

The details for a potential buyers agent if the buyer is being represented by a Realtor

Email contact information-Most buyers prefer this method for keeping track of properties

The closing costs or down payment assistance you can offer buyers.

Paper quality for FSBO flyers should not be any high glossy thick expensive paper. Because the sometimes it’s easier to fold the paper and store it for future reference. If something is too thick or seems to nice to fold, buyers may not have a place easy to place your flyer for future reference. Color is helpful but the cheaper the material is the less costly it will be to replace it. Flyers go fast when they are placed on listing signs.

If you would like assistance with listing the property, please contact us. We have several programs available to assist owners wanting to sell their home without paying a commission; including our EA Listing Agreement.

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For sale by owner flyer template was first posted on May 17, 2009 at 4:49 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

Arizona court records regarding soon to be forclosed homes

Daniel Reynolds — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:09:08 +0000

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This is the old fashion way to find foreclosures and can be time consuming. In todays market, a foreclosure is the worst type of home on the market. From an investors point of view, every foreclosure on the market is over priced. Some homes have balances as high as 200% LTV. Meaning the owner owes twice as much as the home in worth. If the home in foreclosing, you as the investor would need to pay the mortgage balance off to retain title. Why would you want to pay off a mortgage balance that is over market value? In the 2009 real estate market, investors are picking up homes that have already foreclosed and are listed in the MLS. This makes purchasing the home much easier because the bank has already bought the home back and are wanting to get it off their books. If you are new investor trying to get into the real estate market do not research foreclosures, and do not place any offers on short sales.

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Arizona court records regarding soon to be forclosed homes was first posted on May 17, 2009 at 11:09 am.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

List your home without an agent

Daniel Reynolds — Sun, 17 May 2009 06:02:00 +0000

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There are many sites available to Owners to sell a home themselves without the assistance of an agent. Here are a few of the sites most commonly used by owners:

FSBO.com

Zillow.com

Owners.com

There are many other sites, but according to Alexa.com these sites provide the most traffic on a daily basis. Other FSBO sites rank in the millions, which is fairly low when considering advertising a home to a web based audience. Another important factor when selling your home is listing it within the MLS. Arizona has it’s very own MLS called ARMLS. Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service is how 95% of homes are sold. If you are seller considering a For Sale by Owner, you should also consider negotiating with a local real estate broker to list the home as an Open Listing. Meaning the property would be listed on the MLS but commission would be paid to only the buyers agent that provides you a client. An open MLS contract can also protect you from paying a commission if you sell the home yourself. This practice of listing is not common and very rarely spoken of. Almost all open mls contracts are based on flat fees to list it in the MLS. Average costs for an Open MLS Contract ranges is based on the listing broker. Anti Trust Laws prohibit brokers from setting any type of bench mark or standard fee structures for selling homes.

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List your home without an agent was first posted on May 16, 2009 at 11:02 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

Sell your home and carry financing

Daniel Reynolds — Sat, 16 May 2009 01:51:30 +0000

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There are several ways to sell your property. In a market where there are homes flooded with foreclosures and potential buyers are walking away from properties only to have a recent foreclosure, it become difficult to sell a home. The best option to sell your home is to offer seller financing. There are several ways to arrange this and easily sell the property to a future qualified buyer. An Agreement for Sale gives the owner the option to sell to a buyer and relinquish title once the balance has been paid in full. This can be setup through a title company and is used most often because most owners still owe a mortgage on their property. However, this type of financing is not always preferred by buyers because the foreclosure time is greatly shortened in an agreement for sale, also known as a land contract. This method is also not preferred by buyers because they do not hold title to the property, therefore cannot refinance to pay the note off, which in this case is the owner.

The most preferred method to offer seller financing is to arrange a deed of trust. This gives the buyer a warranty deed and makes the owner the Trustee to the property. This gives the buyer a chance to refinance the home when they can qualify. The owner can have a title company service the note and even create a note stating the new buyers must pay the entire note off within 5 years, called a balloon. Time frames can vary, but what should be remember in this type of financing is the risk associated with it. If the owners current note stipulates the title cannot be transferred or conveyed without the current lender being paid off then you may not want to proceed with this method of seller financing. Simply because the lender can “call the note due.” Because you have transferred the title without paying the lender off. This is very rare and I would think not even being enforced due to the high volume of short sales on loan modifications being done by lenders.

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Sell your home and carry financing was first posted on May 15, 2009 at 6:51 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)

Short Sales vs. Bank Owned Homes

Daniel Reynolds — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:04:03 +0000

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Short sale properties take a lot of time to close. Most lenders are backed up for months on Short Sale Packets and Loan Modification Request. If you are planning on buying a short sale home in AZ, make sure you can play the waiting game. The time frame to receive a response from a bank on a short sale averages 4-6 weeks. That’s if the listing agent has already ordered a Broker Price Opinion on the property. If no BPO has been ordered and no Short Sale Packet has been submitted by the owner, then a response time can take as long as three months. Unless the owner has spoken with the Loss and Mitigation department and requested short sale assistance, it is unrealistic for a buyer to contract this property within a reasonable amount of time. This is why Realtors advise clients to stay away from short sales. There’s too many other properties on the market to even consider short sales at this time. If you are lucky enough to receive a response an asset manager in charge of the short sale, they could decline your offer.

I should also mention Short Sales are properties owners are selling for less than what is owed on the home. Most short sales average a 60% Home to Loan Ratio, which means the lender is at a 40% loss if they do short sale the home. Short sales are better than bank owned homes in that, the buyer may request items to be fixed or replaced in the property. Bank Owned homes, are As-is. Meaning the lender will not make ANY repairs on the home.

Bank Owned Homes are properties that have already been foreclosed and bought back by the bank. These homes are ideal for buyers because the asset managers for these homes can turn a contract within 72 hours. If you are a cash buyer, the property can close as fast as the title company can execute the title. This usually takes two weeks, but can be done in a sooner time frame if the lender has already executed the deed.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMZZD4kuWcA

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Short Sales vs. Bank Owned Homes was first posted on May 15, 2009 at 2:04 pm.

Designated Broker: Daniel Reynolds | Office:623-252-EXEC (3932)