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CO - Wholesaling with investors

Michael Hall — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:40:37 +0000

I'm a real estate investor in Philadelphia Pa. I would like to receive listing from you. Can you please put me on your buyers list, it doesn't matter what you have and were info@aswinvestorsllc.com. Thank you

Looking for funding

Michael Hall — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:25:37 +0000

With
thousands of real estate transactions
nationwide and 50 million dollars worth
of real estate transactions under our belt, we’re the expert in evaluating investment opportunities from both the
borrower and the lender's side.

http://cashcoordinator.com/michaelhall/

Mortgage Payment Assignment

Richard — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:25:08 +0000

The best way to sell a property FAST, where the property either has a little equity or is not more than 20-30% under water, is through a Mortgage Payment Assignment sale.

A Mortgage Payment Assignment sale (also called an Assignment of Mortgage Payment Sale) is the sale of a property in which the deed (ownership of the property) transfers to an investor or buyer in exchange for their legal agreement to take over the payments on the current mortgage(s). It’s important to note that although virtually no loans are assumable, anyone can assign their payments to another borrower along with ownership.

Guide

Assignment of Mortgage Payment Homeowner Guide

Mortgage Payment Assignment Sale Example

- Current Appraised Property Value: $200,000

- Existing loan(s) payoff: $225,000

- Sales price: $225,000

In this example, the property is transferred to the investor or buyer subject-to the existing loan(s) that the new owner is then responsible for making the payments on the loan(s).

The sales price is the balance of the loan(s),which may even be a premium above the current appraised property value. Typically when a property is sold with financing, as in this example, it will sell faster and at a premium price, because the buyer is getting the financing. This is because loans are currently difficult to get, and because in general, buyers are buying based more on the terms of the loan (monthly payment and money needed at closing) than the price of the property.

Mortgage Payment Assignment Sale Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantage to selling a property through a mortgage payment assignment sale is that it will typically sell much FASTER and even at a premium sales price because it comes with financing, even if the property is worth less than the total amount owed.

The disadvantage to selling a property though a mortgage payment assignment sale is that the seller’s name remains on the loan. It is somewhat analogous to having a seller co-sign for a loan on behalf of a buyer. Obviously this is not as desirable as a not having to remain on the loan, however, it is usually a better alternative to a short sale, traditional listing (where the seller will have to bring money to the closing), foreclosure, etc. For many sellers, living in areas where hundreds or thousands of properties are available on the market, the most valuable thing they have to offer the market place, is their loan itself, and the mortgage payment assignment program allows these sellers to sell, and to sell FAST.

Obviously, for most people they would prefer to sell FAST and at a PREMIUM PRICE and without leaving the loan in place. Unfortunately, no such options exist.

Common Questions about a Mortgage Payment Assignment Sale

Question: Can I stay in the property?

Answer: Yes, it’s your property until you sell it. You are expected to stay in the property until a buyer is found and the sale is completed, although you are not required to. When you complete the sale, you are expected to move out.

Question: Should I make the payments until the property is sold?

Answer: We would prefer to assign mortgage payments that are current. If you are behind, a mortgage payment assignment may still be possible, however, the more behind, the more a buyer would have to bring to closing to make the loan current – and the less likely it will be that a buyer can be found to buy the property.

Also, as the loan goes into default, a foreclosure becomes possible.

Generally if you are not able to keep a loan going, WE CAN HELP by doing a short sale on your property. Often we can start a short sale and mortgage payment assignment program together (a COMBO PLAN) and if a buyer can’t be found in time for the mortgage payment assignment program, we can fall back to the short sale to avoid a foreclosure. For more information Contact Us

Question: Are there other alternatives to doing a Mortgage Payment Assignment?

Answer: In general, if a property has little or no equity, the only way to sell the property is to do a short sale or mortgage payment assignment. Otherwise you would have to bring (potentially a lot of) money to the closing table in order to cover the closing costs, commissions, and payoff shortage.

If you don’t want to sell your property, you may consider negotiating a forbearance or loan modification agreement with your lender. These agreements generally allow a property owner to agree to a schedule to “make up” missed payments that resulted from a temporary interruption in income and/or reduce the payments going forward. If your situation is more permanent than temporary, you will likely not be approved for forbearance, in which case a short sale or mortgage payment assignment is probably a better option. Also, the majority of loan modifications are not approved by lenders and many property owners that pursue this option ultimately end up in foreclosure.

Question: How long does my name need to remain on the loan?

Answer: Until the buyer ultimately re-sells the home, refinances the loan or pays the loan off. If you want to place a time limit on the loan you are assigning, you CAN put a balloon term on the loan, making the loan expire after 3, 4, or 5 years (or any amount of time you desire) at which point the buyer will be required to refinance.

Question: How does this program affect my credit?

Answer: It depends. If you are behind in making your payments and/or have a spotty payment history, at the time that a buyer buys the property, through the mortgage payment assignment program, your payments will be brought current and this will generally improve your credit.

For many sellers, as payments continue to be made monthly, and in a timely fashion, their credit will continue to improve or remain unchanged. Obviously, if payments are late or missed, your credit will decline.

In most cases, although the loan(s) remains in your name these loans are treated by the credit bureaus as cash neutral accounts (a debt with an offsetting credit). However, each person is treated individually so check with someone you trust.

Question: How do I know the payments are being made?

Answer: The best way to monitor the payments is to have a loan servicing company collect the payment from the buyer and make the payment to the underlying lender(s) while sending the buyer as well as you, the seller, a statement each month. We can arrange this automatically as part of the closing for the mortgage payment assignment program. You can also usually check the status of the loan using your lender’s online system.

Question: Will I make any money?

Answer: In most cases, if the property has little, no, or negative equity, there is no money to be made by the property owner.

In cases where the property has a significant amount of equity, the property owner may receive money through an alternative strategy such as the wrap-around mortgage sale or owner financing sale.

Question: Will I have to pay anything?

Answer: Depending on the property, situation, and buyer’s resources, the property owner may or may not be asked to pay some closing costs. Typically, the owner will pay their portion of the closing costs only.

One of the great benefits of this program is that most of the closing costs, assignment fees, and commissions (if any) are paid by the buyer.

Also, the property is generally sold as-is and repairs are generally the responsibility of the buyer.

Question: How long does this process take?

Answer: FAST! There is no guarantee, but normally 2-10 weeks, but it could be less than a week! Most of this time is used showing the property to a list of buyers that have already been found that are looking for properties, like yours, offered for sale with financing.

As with any sale, you can negotiate the closing date with the buyer.

What are the odds of success?

Good! Of course many factors affect the odds of success – most notably, would anyone want this property with this payment?

It has always been true that offering a property with financing, as is done with the Mortgage Payment Assignment Program, allows a property owner to sell a property FASTER and with a higher loan balance than any other method of selling a property.

What if the buyer stops making the payments?

If payments are missed, you have the right to foreclose on the property and get it back. In most cases it would be preferable, however, to call the buyer (or let the loan serving company do this) and try to resolve the situation, by telling the buyer to deed the property back using a deed-in-lieu, so that a foreclosure on them (and the destruction of their credit) is not necessary.

In all cases if there is trouble with the buyer, call Real Estate Source Inc. and we will be happy to help resolve the problem and/or get the property back so that we can quickly sell it again.

Question: What if the buyer trashes the property?

Answer: The advantage of SELLING a property through the Mortgage Payment Assignment Program is that the buyers are actually buying the property and not renting. In most cases buyers have a pride in property ownership and care more for the property than renters.

Additionally, these buyers are bringing their hard earned money to closing when they buy. So unlike renters who are just putting down a small deposit, the buyers have much more skin in the game, in the form of their down payment. They may even make substantial improvements to the property after they buy it as is the case with many homeowners.

Finally, if you threaten to foreclose on a buyer, you can also often negotiate the terms under which the buyer will return the property to you, in exchange for you treating them more fairly in a foreclosure proceedings. For example, you can offer to allow them to stay in the property for an extra so many days in exchange for them cleaning and make-readying the property for a new buyer and deeding the property back to you so that you don’t have to foreclose.

Regardless of the condition of the property, it can always be offered to a new buyer as-is.

Question: What if I have multiple loans or liens against my property?

Answer: No problem. All loans/liens against a property can all be consolidated and assigned to the buyer going forward. If a loan servicing company is used (Real Estate Source Inc. can arrange this), all of the underlying loans can be automatically combined into a single new loan and escrow account on behalf of the buyer.

Question: If I can’t afford this property, should I declare bankruptcy?

Answer: Some people facing payments on a mortgage they cannot afford consider bankruptcy as an alternative. The truth is that bankruptcy does not prevent a property from still being foreclosed on – it just delays the process briefly.

If selling the property through the Mortgage Payment Assignment Program (or a short sale) would leave you financially solvent, it is probably a far better alternative to bankruptcy.

Question: What happens if I do declare bankruptcy?

Answer: A property cannot be sold or foreclosed on (auctioned) while in bankruptcy (Ch 7 & 13).

When a property owner declares bankruptcy, the lender will file a motion with the bankruptcy court to have the property removed from the bankruptcy so they can foreclose.

Bankruptcy is a common strategy to avoid foreclosure, but the reality is: bankruptcy only DELAYS the foreclosure temporarily, and does not prevent it.

Fees and missed payments pile up during bankruptcy making foreclosure more likely and less preventable, which can usually leave property owners with a bankruptcy AND a foreclosure on their credit.

If a property owner’s financial problems can be mostly resolved by selling the property, a Mortgage Payment Assignment Sale or short sale is often a much better option than a bankruptcy.

If bankruptcy is inevitable, timing the Mortgage Payment Assignment sale or short sale with the bankruptcy is critical. It’s often better to do the sale first, or if that is not possible, to coordinate the sale during bankruptcy so that it can be started as soon as the property is removed from the bankruptcy.

Real Estate Source Inc. has experience working with bankruptcy attorneys while negotiating property owner’s short sales or coordinating a mortgage payment assignment sales. If you are considering a bankruptcy, we will need your bankruptcy attorney’s contact information.

Question: What about the interest deduction and the 1098 Interest statement I get every year?

Answer: Your lender will continue to issue a 1098 interest statement with your name on it each year.

However, because you are no longer the owner of the property, and the one paying the mortgage, you are no longer entitled to take the interest deduction.

The new buyer is entitled to take the interest deduction. Therefore, they will disregard your 1098 statement and have their CPA generate a new one for them. If a loan servicing company services the loan (we recommend this and can arrange for this), then a 1098 with the proper name on it will be generated and sent to the new buyer.

Question: Can I buy or rent another property after selling using the Mortgage Assignment Program?

Answer: There is no rule that says you can’t have more than one mortgage, and, for example, most landlords have many mortgages.

If your goal is to rent, having someone responsible for the payment of the mortgage payment on your last property will likely help your credit situation (versus the alternatives of a short sale or foreclosure) and improve your ability to rent a home.

If your goal is to buy another property, you may have to explain to your new lender (when asked about the old loan still on your credit report) that you sold the property through a Mortgage Payment Assignment Program. In some cases, the underwriter will ask the new buyer (or loan servicing company) to send a brief letter verifying that the property was sold through a Mortgage Payment Assignment Program and a new party is responsible for the payments going forward.

Note: in some cases, although someone is making the payments on the loan, and the amount of the payment covers the expense of the payment, having the loan will affect your debt to income ratios. This can push some buyers below the current lending thresholds. Each individual is treated differently and getting another loan on a new property is certainly not guaranteed. So you’ll need to check with a mortgage banker to find out how your individual situation will be treated.

Another option, if you would like to buy another property is to ask us, Real Estate Source Inc., to find you a property that is also available through the Mortgage Payment Assignment Program.

Question: What kind of buyer will buy the property?

Answer: Possibly a person with less than perfect credit, but with an income sufficient to make the monthly payments, and enough up front cash necessary to pay most of the fees and closing costs associated with the Mortgage Payment Assignment Program. Possibly a self-employed person that can’t get a conventional loan in the current lending environment. In some cases a buyer with excellent credit and income that simply can’t get a loan because of current underwriting standards, or simply does not want to put down the very high down payment required in the current lending environment.

Question: Do my neighbors have to know I’m selling my property?

Answer: Not necessarily. When a property is sold through the Mortgage Payment Assignment Program it is usually marketed to an existing list of pre-qualified buyers. If it’s OK with you, it is preferable to also put a For Sale sign in the yard.

Looking for cash investors for San Diego properties

Chris — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:56:59 +0000

If you are a cash investor and are interested in properties in San Diego, please shoot me an e-mail. I have both buy and hold and fix and flip. Let me know your criteria and I will send you what I have.

Buy-to-Let Deals Are Fast-Tracking UK Recovery

Robert Eisenstein — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:52:47 +0000

Good Morning !

We have just posted in our Blog with the topic, "Buy-to-Let Deals Are Fast-Tracking UK Recovery", which discusses how the Buy-to-Let arrangement is stoking the UK Housing Market.

For more information, please see our Blog at http://blogging.lease2buy.com/2012/03/buy-to-let-deals-are-fast-tracking-uk.html, and as a reminder, our main website is http://www.lease2buy.com

Happy Rent to Own & Real Estate Investing !

Regards,
Robert Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes
Web: http://www.lease2buy.com
Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
Public Speaking Appearances: http://www.lease2buy.com/speak.php
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/homerunhomes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/homerunhomes

The Very Lazy greenhouses's Strategy To Achieve Success

Brandon Robertson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:38:01 +0000

A recession, like we have today, has sent the number of greenhouses for sale sharply skyrocketing. There has never been a time like this, with so many greenhouses for sale. Sales brochures are advertizing a whole collection of greenhouses for sale, including small greenhouses, large greenhouses, commercial and hobby greenhouses, fixed and portable greenhouses. And the reasons for these greenhouses for sale are not difficult to understand. There is an ongoing recession, and no one can deny that. In these difficult times, individuals and communities see self-farming as a means to meet some of their agricultural needs. Small greenhouses are ideal to cultivate basic vegetables and fruit, in community green belts, as a means of sustenance. The growing cost of farm produce has forced individuals to make use of portable greenhouses in their backyards and terraces, to meet their bare agricultural requirements.

Another reason you see more advertisements for greenhouses for sale , is because of national awareness around greenhouse gases and eco-friendly living. Like-minded groups turn to portable greenhouses and have started small scale farming initiatives. Less prosperous neighbourhoods are turning to small greenhouse projects, as a means to reduce their carbon footprints, and sustain the green revolution. Green initiatives have even got the support of farming cooperatives, who use large greenhouses, and even commercial greenhouses, in support of the eco-friendly groups. The message that is being delivered is very clear.

By growing your own food in greenhouses, you reduce the use of environmentally harmful chemicals, eliminate the need for fume-emitting transportation, and abolish major carbon-producing food processing activities. And affordable greenhouses for sale are drawing even more focus to the eco-movement. An increasing number of nurseries and gardening suppliers are taking advantage of this momentum, and putting greenhouses for sale. For the urbanite, looking to tend to the needs of his small family or neighbour, a small greenhouse is ideal. And for multi-purpose land owners, gardening stores are offering portable greenhouses for sale. With portable greenhouses, you may use the land to cultivate produce for some time, then easily pack up and use the land for another designated purpose. Big grocery chains, and well financed farmers markets have switched to year-round cultivation using commercial greenhouses to grow their hot selling products.

Crops produced in commercial greenhouses get the advantage of weather control, heating, cooling and irrigation, unlike most of the outdoor crops. Image consciousness and branding is yet another reason that large grocery chains are turning to commercial greenhouses. Commercial greenhouses, unlike portable greenhouses however, are usually situated away from urban hubs, and constructed in rural farming communities. When you see greenhouses for sale, you must avoid your impulses to immediately purchase one. Learn about all of the rules and regulations, in the area where you wish to build a greenhouse, first. Urban authorities will most probably not approve constructing a commercial greenhouse in the center of a city. And like any building structure, large greenhouses may require building permits to build. Even portable greenhouses and small greenhouses, ideal for urban or indoor settings, might require building inspectors approval, before erecting them on your property.

Cash Investors NEEDED!

Calvin Peoples — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:57:24 +0000

I looking for all cash investors to purchase my REO homes that my offer has been accepted. I deal in only 3+ Bedrooms and 2+ Bathrooms... Renovations will run between $0 - 7,000. Your resale margin will be around 20% to 30% if you have any other questions or updates on the properties I have feel free to contact calvin at 407-792-8111 thanks

Short Sale Caveats for Realtors

Robert Eisenstein — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:08:35 +0000

Good Morning !

We have just posted in our Blog with the topic, "Short Sale Caveats for Realtors", which puts up some caution alerts for Realtors, in relation to Short Sales and Foreclosures.

For more information, please see our Blog at http://blogging.lease2buy.com/2011/11/short-sale-caveats-for-realtors.html, and as a reminder, our main website is http://www.lease2buy.com

Happy Rent to Own & Real Estate Investing !

Regards,
Robert Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes
Web: http://www.lease2buy.com
Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
Public Speaking Appearances: http://www.lease2buy.com/speak.php
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/homerunhomes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/homerunhomes

Foreclosure Settlement Falls Short, Still Worth the Wait:

Samuel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:41:29 +0000

In any out-of-court
settlement for alleged wrongdoing, the test of whether prosecutors got a good
deal rests on the answers to three questions: Does it hold the miscreants
accountable? Does it make victims whole? And does it prevent similar misconduct
in the future?

Thursday's $25 billion
agreement by five banks to end a 16-month investigation of abusive foreclosure
practices fails on the first two counts. And we won't know for some time whether
it is successful on the third. Nonetheless, the deal is in the country's
interest because it clarifies the liabilities of banks that filed bogus court
documents to speed up repossessions. That could clear the clogged foreclosure
process and, more importantly, help bring a moribund real-estate market back to
life.

The banks -- Bank of
America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc.
and Ally Financial Inc. (the five largest home-loan servicers) -- have committed
to spend the bulk of the $25 billion on reducing the principal owed by at-risk
homeowners. Smaller amounts will go to people who already lost their homes or
are in the foreclosure process. The settlement could help as many as 2 million
borrowers, including many whose mortgages are underwater. Cash payments of up to
$2,000 will go to those whose homes were repossessed from September 2008 to
December 2011.

11 million owe about
$750 billion more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. Even taking
into consideration that some borrowers acted irresponsibly and don't deserve
compensation, the settlement amount is a pittance.

As for holding the banks
accountable, several state attorneys general thought the deal would come up
short. Before signing on, they fought to narrow the banks' liability releases,
and won substantial concessions. California's Kamala Harris retains the right of
her state and its large public-pension funds to sue banks that packaged bad
mortgages into securities and sold them as safe investments.

New York's Eric T.
Schneiderman, who recently was named co-chairman of President Barack Obama's
mortgage fraud task force, played a similarly positive role. He won the right to
keep going with a Feb. 6 lawsuit that claims banks used a dubious electronic
mortgage database to skirt the public recording system and submit false
documents to courts, speeding repossessions.

The deal does have
teeth. It calls for an outside monitor and for heavy penalties if banks don't
make good on their commitments. More important, banks will be given credit only
for what they actually accomplish for homeowners -- and not for any refinancing
offers that borrowers refuse. This rightly gives the victims some leverage.

If a bank falls short of
its agreed benchmarks, it must pay the difference plus a penalty. And it must
meet all its obligations in three years.

The settlement also reverses the banks'
incentives to foreclose on families rather than keep them in their homes with
loan forgiveness. Until now, banks had been loath to reduce principal amounts
because it meant recognizing losses on their balance sheets. This deal awards
more credit for principal reduction and less for lowering interest rates or
extending payment terms.

Banks have calculated
that the settlement is in their interest, even though it means they may have to
continue paying huge mortgage-related litigation costs. The deal enables them to
predict their legal exposure.

Even better, it could
help the housing market recover. Banks own outright almost half a million homes
and have 2 million more in various stages of foreclosure. Such so-called shadow
inventory has been a drag on the market, which after six years remains
depressed, holding back the overall recovery.

With this settlement, banks can clear out their
backlog of stalled foreclosures. In the short run, that may drive prices down
even more, but it will also help the housing market find its natural bottom
faster. Only then can home prices, which have fallen by more than a third since
2007, begin to rise again. Borrowers can finally start to rebuild equity.

Once banks reduce their
real-estate inventory, and their balance sheets recover, they'll be able to
loosen up home-lending standards to create new mortgages. If this is the result
of a less-than-satisfactory legal settlement, it will have been worth the
wait.

"Huge Real Estate Settlement As TheySaid"

Samuel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:29:41 +0000

The news is abuzz with this “historic” settlement that gives the big banks a big break and does little for consumers. As we’ve seen in the past, the claims in the press releases and sound bites are rarely close to the reality.

Over the next several weeks I expect to dig into the actual agreement in this column and point our reality vs. political statements. For now, it looks like the main site to get less-filtered and self-congratulatory information from polticians seeking re-election or to bolster their favorite incumbent is

ARTICLE

P.S. http://www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com/

At this moment the Executive Summary isn’t even posted — so it’s anyone’s guess what press releases are based upon. At some future time the actual agreement is to be posted at this site.

At this time the “Servicing Standards Highlights” are posted (probably not final, as they appear to be a reference from the State of Washington). In short, they say: “banks should obey the laws rather than acting as if they are above them.” They can be found at:

P.S. http://www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com/

Please be sure to register as a member of this site and to “Like” my Facebook page in the box along the right margin (with all the smiling faces) or at http://www.facebook.com/Homes4AllIncPremierInvestments to receive the REAL story about the TRUE content in the settlement agreement.

Samuel Rodiguez

Breaking News Banks are Pumping Shortsales OFF their books

Samuel — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:58:24 +0000

http://www.CreateWealthInRealEstateToday.com

Join Sam’s Facebook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/samrodriguezbiz

Follow Sam on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/samrrueda

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Banks ramping up short sales

Banks, accelerating efforts to move troubled mortgages off their
books, are offering as much as $35,000 or more in cash to
delinquent homeowners to sell their properties for less than they
owe. Banks are nudging potential sellers by pre-approving deals,
streamlining the closing process, forgoing their right to pursue
unpaid debt and in some cases providing large cash incentives,
said Bill Fricke, senior credit officer for Moody’s Investors
Service in New York. Losses for lenders are about 15% lower on
the sales than on foreclosures, which can take years to complete
while taxes and legal, maintenance and other costs accumulate,
according to Moody’s. The deals accounted for 33% of financially
distressed transactions in November, up from 24% a year earlier,
said CoreLogic Inc., a Santa Ana, California-based real estate
information company. A mountain of pending repossessions is
holding back a recovery in the housing market, where prices have
fallen for six straight years, and damping economic growth.
Owners of more than 14 million homes are in foreclosure, behind
on their mortgages or owe more than their properties are worth,
said RealtyTrac Inc., a property-data company in Irvine,
California.

Short sales represented 9% of all US residential transactions in
November, the most recent month for which data is available, up
from 2% in January 2008, according to Corelogic. Bank-owned
foreclosures and short sales sold at a discount of 34% to
non-distressed properties in the third quarter, according to
RealtyTrac. As lenders shift their focus to sales, they are
finding that some borrowers would rather risk repossession while
they wait for a loan modification, according to Guy Cecala,
publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade journal. In a loan
modification, the monthly payment, and sometimes principal, is
reduced to help prevent seizure. Homeowners facing foreclosure
may live rent-free for years before they are forced out.
“That’s why the banks have got to pay the big bucks,” Cecala
said. “The real question is why is the bribe so big? Is that
what it takes to get somebody out of their home?”

Obama returning money, better late than never…
Two American brothers of a Mexican casino magnate who fled drug
and fraud charges in the United States and has been seeking a
pardon enabling him to return have emerged as major fund-raisers
and donors for President Obama’s re-election campaign. The
casino owner, Juan Jose Rojas Cardona, known as Pepe, jumped bail
in Iowa in 1994 and disappeared, and has since been linked to
violence and corruption in Mexico. A State Department cable in
2009 said he was suspected of orchestrating the assassination of
a business rival and making illegal campaign donations to Mexican
officials. As recently as January of last year, one of
Cardona’s brothers in Chicago, Carlos Rojas Cardona, arranged
for the former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party to seek a
pardon from the governor for Pepe Cardona, according to
prosecutors in that state. Last fall, Carlos Cardona and another
brother in Chicago, Alberto Rojas Cardona, began raising money
for the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The
Cardona brothers, who have no prior history of political giving,
appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the world of Democratic
fund-raising, Democratic activists said.

The money Alberto Cardona raised put him in the upper tiers of
fund-raisers known as bundlers, according to a list released last
month by the campaign. He and Carlos Cardona each gave the
maximum $30,800 to the Democratic National Committee, and a
lesser amount to a state victory fund. A sister, Leticia Rojas
Cardona of Tennessee, donated $13,000 to the national committee,
and another relative in Illinois gave $12,600, records show.
There is no record of Pepe Cardona making a donation. Although
the two brothers live and work in Chicago, they maintain ties to
Pepe Cardona in Mexico. Alberto Cardona operates an advertising
agency in Mexico that has worked for political candidates backed
by his brother, according to public records and Mexican news
reports. Public records also show that the domain name for the
Web site of a restaurant Pepe Cardona owns is registered to
Alberto Cardona. When The New York Times asked the Obama
campaign early yesterday about the Cardonas, officials said they
were unaware of the brother in Mexico. Later in the day, the
campaign said it was refunding the money raised by the family,
which totaled more than $200,000.

Olick - 40 states sign on to robo-deal

“After more than a year of negotiations, attorneys general from
more than 40 states signed on to a proposed settlement agreement
with five of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers over
‘robo-signing’ foreclosure processing abuses, according to the
lead negotiator, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. ‘This enables
us to move forward into the very final stages of remaining work.
Federal and state officials, as well as representatives from the
banks, continue to address matters that they must complete before
finalizing any settlement,’ Miller said in a statement released
late Monday. The deal with Bank of America, Wells Fargo,
Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Ally Financial will reportedly
total $25 billion. Some $17 billion of that would go toward
writing down mortgage principal for an estimated 850,000 troubled
borrowers, $3 billion could go toward restitution payments of
$1,500 each to borrowers who lost their homes to foreclosure, and
the rest could go to state funds for foreclosure relief,
according to reports and estimates by Inside Mortgage Finance.
The total could be less, however, if California does not sign on.
As of late Monday, officials there said Attorney General Kamala
Harris had not agreed to the proposal.

New York did not sign on to the deal either, according to sources
in Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office. Schneiderman had
said he would not sign, but reports earlier in the week suggested
he was reconsidering, given his new roll as co-chair of a Justice
Department task force to investigate mortgage-related abuses.
Attorneys general from Delaware and Nevada also have reportedly
not agreed to the deal. Despite the Feb. 6 deadline, states can
still sign on and the expectation is that more will. So-called
robo-signing, where thousands of foreclosure documents are signed
by one employee without proper verification, came to light in the
fall of 2010. Miller formed the coalition of attorneys general to
investigate major bank servicers in October 2010. Allegations of
forgery and abuse in the documentation process ground
foreclosures nearly to a halt for much of 2011, as servicers
reviewed and changed the way they process foreclosure documents.
They are just now ramping up again in states where foreclosures
are not required to go before a judge, or non-judicial states. In
judicial states, foreclosures can now take up to three years.
Miller’s office would give no details as to the agreement, or
the states that committed to it.”

After pipeline rebuke, Canada turns to Asia

Speaking ahead of Canada’s most high-powered trade mission to
Beijing for almost 15 years, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said
that Canada must focus on markets that are growing, regardless of
the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is proposed to carry
crude from the Alberta oil sands to Texas refineries. The US
State Department blocked Keystone last month, saying they didn’t
have time for a thorough environmental review. Harper told
Reuters in an interview: “I think we need to be clear. As much as
I want to see that Keystone project proceed, I think this
incident … underscore(s) the fact that it is in this country’s
national interest to be able to sell products beyond the United
States. And I don’t think a reversal of an American decision can
change that fundamental reality. So I think it is absolutely
essential that we find ways of being able to sell our products to
the biggest growing markets in the world, and those are in
Asia.”

Canada — the largest supplier of energy to the United States
— was profoundly disappointed by Washington’s decision to veto
TransCanada’s Keystone project. The United States — which is by
far Canada’s largest trading partner — is unlikely to look at
it again until after the election. At 170 billion barrels,
Canada’s oil sands are the third-largest crude deposit in the
world, and Canadian exports to bigger markets will be a focal
point of Harper’s meetings in China, where he will be accompanied
by five cabinet ministers and the heads of major corporations
seeking business. China has already made clear it would like to
import Canadian oil to help power its rapidly expanding economy.
It’s not clear to most people why the Obama government would
rather import oil from the Middle East than from its own
backyard.

MBA - Q4 2011 commercial/multifamily up 13% from 2010, but….

Commercial/multifamily originations during the fourth quarter of
2011 were up 13% over the fourth quarter of 2010, but fell 7%
from the third quarter of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers
Association’s (MBA) Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily
Mortgage Bankers Originations. “MBA’s Commercial/Multifamily
Mortgage Bankers Origination Index hit record levels for life
insurance companies in the second and third quarters of 2011,”
said Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s Vice President of Commercial Real
Estate Research. “In the fourth quarter, multifamily
originations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac hit a new all-time
high. While the CMBS market continued to be held back by broader
capital markets uncertainty during the past year, others – like
the GSEs, life companies and many bank portfolios – increased
their appetite for commercial and multifamily loans.” The 13%
overall increase in commercial/multifamily lending activity over
the fourth quarter of 2010 was driven by increases in
originations for industrial and multifamily property types. The
increase included a 43% increase in loans for industrial
properties, a 31% increase in loans for multifamily properties,
an 8% decrease in loans for retail properties, a 24% decrease in
loans for health care properties, a 29% decrease in office
property loans and a 44% decrease in hotel property loans.

Among investor types, loans for commercial bank portfolios
increased by 122% compared to last year’s fourth quarter. There
was also a 17% increase in loans for Government Sponsored
Enterprises (or GSEs – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), a 13%
decrease in loans for life insurance companies and a 50% decrease
in loans for conduits for CMBS. Fourth quarter 2011 commercial
and multifamily mortgage originations were 7% lower than
originations in the third quarter of 2011. Compared to the third
quarter, fourth quarter originations for hotel properties saw a
52% decrease. There was a 39% decrease for office properties, a
24% decrease for retail properties, a 29% increase for
multifamily properties, a 51% increase for industrial properties,
and a 153% increase for health care properties. Among investor
types, between the third and fourth quarters of 2011, loans for
conduits for CMBS saw a decrease in loan volume of 26%, loans for
life insurance companies saw a decrease in loan volume of 23%,
originations for commercial bank portfolios decreased 16% and
loans for GSEs increased by 34%.

Greek problems escalate

Greek party leaders face crunch talks on Tuesday to secure a new
international bailout and avoid a chaotic debt default, caught
between European Union (EU) demands that they accept painful
reforms now and a national strike against more austerity. Prime
Minister Lucas Papademos negotiated through most of the night
with Greece’s European Union and IMF lenders, ending at 4 a.m.
(0200 GMT) when the 24-hour strike was about to begin, closing
ports and tourist sites and disrupting public transport.
Papademos, a technocrat parachuted in to lead the Greek
government late last year, must persuade leaders of the three
parties in his coalition government to accept the EU/IMF
conditions for the 130-billion-euro ($170-billion) rescue. An
official said the government was preparing a text to put to the
leaders for their approval, suggesting some movement in the
process.

With Greece’s future in the euro zone in question, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel said time was of the essence and there
are growing signs that euro zone officials have lost patience.
They say the full package must be agreed with Greece and approved
by the euro zone, European Central Bank and International
Monetary Fund before February 15. This is to allow time for
complex legal procedures involved in a bond swap deal - under
which the value of private investors’ holdings of Greek debt will
be cut radically in value - so Athens can get rescue funds before
March 20 when it has to meet heavy debt repayments or suffer a
chaotic default.

Better inventory levels, fragile prices

Home prices and sales remained fragile in January even as housing
inventory levels and foreclosure starts improved during the same
month, the Obama administration said in its latest Housing
Scorecard Report. Inventories of existing homes for sale
declined from 3.2 million in the second quarter of 2011 to 2.4
million in the fourth quarter, according to data from the US
Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Treasury.
Overall, housing results were a mixed bag, the scorecard said.
Inventory levels improved in the last two quarters while the
number of housing units held off market fell from 3.9 million in
the first quarter to 3.6 million in 4Q, the scorecard said.
Foreclosure starts also fell in December, suggesting some signs
of improvement.

Still, home prices are weak and foreclosure completions edged
higher. Home prices hit $138,500 on average for November 2011,
compared to $140,300 in October 2011, according to Case-Shiller
data cited in the report. New home sales hit 25,600 in December
2011, down from 27,600 a year ago. Meanwhile, the number of
existing home sales hit 384,200 in December 2011, up from 370,800
in the year-ago period. First-time homebuyer numbers grew to
204,900 in December 2011, up from 196,000 in November 2011,
according to the scorecard. Foreclosure starts fell to 58,300 in
December 2011, from 71,700 in November 2011. Foreclosure
completions declined during the same period hit 61,800 in
December 2011, up from 56,100 in the month before that. While
mortgage originations for the purchase of new homes declined to
431,500 from 498,000 in the year-ago period, but refinance
originations rose to 1.3 million in 4Q from 950,000 during 3Q.
Mortgage delinquency rates were mostly falling, dropping to 4.4%
in December from 4.7% in the year-ago period.

See you at the top!
Samuel Rodriguez

/////////////////////////////

http://www.TheHomes4All.com
http://www.PartnerWithHomes4All.com
http://www.Sell48Hours.com
http://www.CaliforniaIdealHomes.com
http://www.youtube.com/samuelrodriguezisai
http://www.BargainProperties4All.com

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

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* Join my Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/samrodriguezbiz

Local Community Trends Influencing the Rental Home Market

Robert Eisenstein — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:46:12 +0000

Good Morning !
   We are proud to share an article with you from Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine, in which I was quoted a few times. The article, "Look for Community Appeal", which was written by Teresa Bitler, appeared in the Trends in Rentals Section (in the November - December 2011 issue).

   From the vantage-point of our website, Lease2Buy.com, I was asked to comment on the market trends that I have seen over the past 10 years of running the site, and more specifically, over the past few months.

   A copy of the article can be found here: http://www.lease2buy.com/PersonalRealEstateInvestorMag_November - December 2011_Look for Community Appeal.pdf.

Happy Rent to Own & Real Estate Investing !

Regards,
Robert Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes
Web: http://www.lease2buy.com
Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
Public Speaking Appearances: http://www.lease2buy.com/speak.php
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/homerunhomes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/homerunhomes

2012 Real Estate Investing Tigers Blood [Cody's Secret Formula]

CleverInvestor — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:53:09 +0000

[CAUTION] DON'T READ THIS IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, PREGNANT, OR A MEMBER OF AL QAEDA

Everyday I get asked by people "How do I get started in real estate investing?" They see the freedom I have to take off work whenever I want (as of the time of this article I only work 25 hours a week), go on any vacation I want, and buy whatever I want. Let's face it, I am a nerdy guy that somehow landed a smoking hot wife. It's either my amazing sense of humor, or she can sense the real estate "Tigers Blood"!

But my success didn't happen by accident. My first few years investing I wondered around aimlessly trying to find good deals (hard as hell), or find some money (even harder). I did all the things you would expect from a newbie investor. I joined the local REIA, I started going to networking events, I read Rich Dad Poor Dad and Donald Trump books. I even got myself a fancy little business card. When people asked what I did I would say proudly "I am a real estate investor!" The problem was I had no idea what I was doing. In fact I actually lost money on the first two real estate transactions that I ever attempted (buy me a beer and ask me about it sometime).

Then something awesome happened. I was invited to a Jack Miller seminar and for the first time I was surrounded by hundreds of very successful investors. I could just sense that something was different about this group. They cared deeply about each other and seemed to follow a common profit formula. The principals I learned from hanging out with some of the "old school" guys that I met there have changed my life and allowed me to break through the daily grind and live a financially free lifestyle.

Principle #1 - Live Debt Free

These guys didn't drive fancy cars, or wear three piece suits with nice watches. In fact, they took the oposite approach. They prided themselves on driving a car they horse traded a shitty property for and have been driving for 10 years. They drank box wine and made fun of young guys like me that were out perpetrating and pretending to be successful. They stressed being debt free and only spending money on investments that produced cashflow.

Principle #2 - Cashflow Is King

While some members of the "inner circle" were wholesalers like myself, most of them invested for long term wealth. They were patient investors that understood that the only way to break out of the rat race and build some real wealth was to own tenanted rental properties that they eventually would own free and clear. They structured deals to have ammortizing loan structures and stuck to the fundamentals of investing. They never got emotional and focused on "the numbers" of a transaction. If it didn't positively cashflow, they didn't do the deal.

Principle #3 - Stay Laser Focused

Real estate investors by nature are entreprenurial. And entreprenuers are by nature oportunist. While this is a great traight to have when first getting started in a new business, it can be difficult to not get "shiny object syndrom". My personal mentor Lyle Wall (whom I met at this particular event and have been great friends ever since) tells me to "keep artriculating the ball down the field and eventually you will score a touchdown!" Basically what he is saying is to stop worrying about every great idea or investing strategy that comes into your world and STAY FOCUSED on the principals of investing. In the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell he talks about his 10,000 hours theory. What he states is that in order for you to become in the top 5 % of any given field you have to put in at least 10,000 of practice. This is also true for being a real estate investor so if you want to become the best at what you do...then you must be patient, stay focused, and put in the time needed to master your craft.

Principle #4 - There Is No Free Lunch

If a deal sounds too good to be true...it probably is. This holds true with Gurus pitching you the latest and greatest investing education, to a real estate agent telling you "this deal is guaranteed to be a winner". Like Warren Buffet, run towards a market when everyone else is running away. Wake up everyday with the mindset of a hunter and don't get caught up in the latest investing trends. Stick to the priciples of investing (stay off government / attorneys radars, buy low, get cashflow, and sell when you can make a solid profit) and you will retire wealthy and live finacially free.

Principle #5 - Your Network Is Your Net Worth

The last thing I want to share with you today is the importance of a solid network. I have been fortunate enough to build an amazing network of very successful investors, but more importantly just all around great people. My network brings me deals, lends me money, and buys me pizza and beer. I can call them with any business / personal problem and I know I will always get solid advice. I am a member of an elite mastermind of the top 40 residential real estate investors in the country and each year I still attend a couple of seminars to keep up my educations and hang out with my friends. Jack Miller's group showed me the importance of surrounding yourself with successful, like-minded people that put friendships first over money. I can guarantee that not a single one of your real estate deals will go according to plan, but if you have the right power team and network in place there is no hurdle you can't handle.

Well I am done rambling...I hope that if you are reading this right now you take my advice to heart. These principles changed my life and if you live by them, you will end up the same place I am (minus my wife)

To help you get a jumpstart as a real estate investor, I have 7 free training videos that you can watch. You can watch the real estate investing education at http://www.StartClosingDeals.com.

To your continued success,

Cody Sperber a.k.a The Clever Investor

Investors

T Smith — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:44:45 +0000

Are you a $Cash Buyer looking for good Property Deals? DID THE BANK SAY NO? Let us know what you are looking for so we can help you find your dream deals for years to come. TERSMT1@YAHOO.COM

Steal This House From Me TODAY.!!!

PropertyGods — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:05:53 +0000

http://propertygods-buyers.com/p/13370

Steal This 4-BR House for ONLY $79,800

4 BR/ 2 BA attached garage, finished basement, double corner lot, beautiful landscaping & curb appeal, new kitchen cabinets. Eppraisal is $135,360. Tax appraisal (2010) $148,900. Turn-key ready for you to move in or rent it out immediately! Personally however, I would get rid of the green walls LOL. Don't miss out on this deal! CALL ME TODAY!!

http://propertygods-buyers.com/p/13370