Sept 9, 2013 – jeffpalmer.com is back up and running

Dear BlogPost by email WordPress.com Post by Email : We had occasional problems over the weekend with accessing our shopping cart on the website. If you were on line while those problems were happening, they are now fixed! The calendar sales are off to a brisk start. Remember, we are offering a discount of $5.00 off the publisher’s price PLUS when you buy from the website directly you are actually supporting Jeff’s ability to continue photographing beautiful men! So visit the website today… order one for yourself and maybe one or two as gifts! http://www.jeffpalmer.com Also, there is only one copy remaining of the special offer very unique hard-cover book. Click on the Special Offers link from the main page or the drop down menus… While you’re on the website take a minute to look at the books, posters, and cards selections as well! Have a great day. Joe for jeffpalmer.com

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

It’s Time. 2014 Jeff Palmer Calendar Available

Hello BlogPost by email WordPress.com Post by Email It’s that time of the year again! Time to order your 2014 Jeff Palmer Calendar for your home and for holiday gifts. (I know, I know… the holidays seem forever away! But they’ll be here before we know it!) Once again this year we are offering a discount when you buy directly from us — save $5.00 on each calendar ordered. You pay just $19.99. Designed to better feature the beautiful and sensual black and white images by photographer Jeff Palmer, the 2014 calendar is 11 3/4 by 16 3/4– large fine art images that will take center stage in your home or office! Also be sure to check the VERY LIMITED special offer on a 160 page hard-cover book that features a few of Jeff’s very unique images. There are just three copies of the book available… follow the link to the Special Offer page from the What’s New page at jeffpalmer.com Also be sure to see the images of Jeff’s latest handsome model – Franceso – on the Recent Shoots page. Be careful, he could steal your heart! Help us get the word out about the calendars… post something on your Facebook page, tell your friends, pass this email along. It all helps! Thank you very much. Jeff http://www.jeffpalmer.com

Read Full Post »

July 2012 Market Trends

For your reading enjoyment….

I’ve attached the latest articles on some real estate trends.

I’ve also researched detailed local trends and included those.

This market shows no signs of falling back. Our local market, as well as many other markets are experiencing an unusual phenomenon. First the investors came back to the market. Properties started getting multiple bids. Seeing this movement – buyers who had been waiting for the bottom to hit and those sitting on the fence – jumped in. This caused our inventory to reach lows it hasn’t seen in years. And the inventory looks like it might remain low due to what has happened during the last 4-5 years. There are many would be sellers who would like to sell their homes but will experience a considerable loss because they owe more than their home is worth. They are not in any danger of losing their home, but they want to not lose money.

So they are waiting for prices to rise.
The result is that the inventories will remain low. And with that old law of supply and demand – prices have and will continue to rise. Driven by a too many buyers for too few properties.
I know many of my clients who want to buy — need to wait for their homes to sell in order to purchase a home. That has to be frustrating. But for those of you that are sitting on the fence – I would urge you to look at the listings as I send them. The choices will probably not be as plentiful as you wish and that “perfect” property might not appear so look at the listings and see if a home can be modified or your wish list can be modified to fit your plans.I think the days of a large inventory with plenty of homes to choose from is gone. There might be a small spike as the season gears up but the number of buyers will also increase as it always does.

So look at the articles and graphs and let me know if you have any questions.

Jeff

Read Full Post »

Your “To Do” for Buying a Home….

This market requires being prepared and taking quick action.

So here is a “to do” list to allow you to be ready to make an offer

in this competitive market.

Cash Buyers

Have a Proof of Funds ready

Have a copy of a bank account or investment account current and ready.

You can black out any identifying account numbers — they just need to

see the amount and your name.

When you are making a cash offer — most sellers now require a

Proof of Funds when you submit your offer.  Bank owned properties and

Short Sales demand it.

Buyers who will get a loan

Get Pre-approved… not pre qualified.  No one accepts being pre-qualified any more.  Pre-qualified is a simple phone call to a lender where very little information is given and then the lender writes a pre-qualified letter.

• Pre-approval is more involved and usually requires an appointment.In this step, the lending institution gathers all the information it requires to offer you a loan, and your credit report will be checked.  You’ll need to bring some items with you to document your identity and your assets:
  1. A copy of your most recent bank statements (this includes your daily checking account as well as any money market, savings or other accounts)
  2. Your most recent W-2 (or entire tax return if you’re self-employed)
  3. Proof of IRAs or retirement accounts and their current balances
  4. Ditto for any stocks or mutual funds you own outside of retirement accounts
  5. Your driver’s license
  6. The most recent month’s paystub(s) from your job
  7. An application fee (this depends on the lender)
  8. You are not committing to this lender — you can still use whomever you want.

And once again, have Proof of Funds ready

For those obtaining a loan — this will the same as for a cash buyer but you would just need to show where the downpayment is coming from.

Canadian Buyers

Establish a US bank account.

When your offer is accepted, it is much easier to deal in US currency.  With an accepted offer — you have 3 days to send Escrow earnest money (usually 3% of the purchase price).  It’s much easier to either write a check on US funds or wire it from a US bank.

You can obtain a loan.

There are now some lenders that will loan to Canadians with 30% down.  If this interests you — I can give you that info.

OK — there’s your homework!  If you have the necessary items ready — when we see a property you want to make an offer on — you will be able to get that offer in to the listing agent and considered in a very short time.  And in this market which is getting multiple offers on some properties — that’s the difference between being considered or being too late.

Hope this helps.  Get back to me with any questions.

Read Full Post »

New Credit Ratings?

Is the New Credit Score Model Helping Home Buyers?

Credit Expert Eddie Johansson believes the improved FICO 08 credit scoring model will increase the credit scores of a significant segment of borrowers, but it’s not helping home buyers. According to Johansson, president of Credit Security Group, a leading nationwide credit analysis and rescoring firm, that’s because the largest sources of home financing, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have not yet approved it.
“When Fannie and Freddie approve it, it has arrived- but not until then,” he said. Neither organization has provided its schedule or intentions for approving the FICO 08-based credit scores available from two major credit bureaus. Credit scores help lenders determine whether a mortgage loan is approved and the interest rate offered. In general, the higher the score, the easier it is to get a mortgage loan and the lower the interest rate.
Johansson said his analysis predicts the new model- if approved- will have the most impact on the current refinancing boom and mid-to-higher-end home sales. Speaking to 150 bank executives at the Independent Bankers Association of Texas Leadership Conference in San Antonio and to banking educators attending the Financial Literacy Summit at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Johansson said, “If it’s implemented as expected, it is a great opportunity to boost the housing market.” Johansson believes the new model will be a more accurate measure of credit risk. “It takes into account more of the borrower’s history and penalizes them less for a single unusual event,” he said. “It also has more score card levels, allowing finer adjustment of credit scores.” He said it will reduce the power of unscrupulous credit collectors too, since a single bad event- reported in error- will have less impact on scores.
FICO 08’s developer, Fair Isaac Corporation, predicts it will help lenders reduce default rates on consumer loans 5 to 15%.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own or guarantee almost 31 million home loans worth about $5.4 trillion, which makes it all the more important that they approve the new score model.

Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-09-08/is-the-new-credit-score-model-helping-home-buyers/#ixzz0QblwNFHv

Read Full Post »

Terra Lago Development – Indio California

Welcome to the Baugh Family and their friends! This video is a progress report about the Baugh’s new home being built in the Coachella Valley. We’ll take a little tour of the development as well as go through the house itself — no hard hats needed!
Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Jeff Palmer
760-218-8030…….jeffpalmer@windermere.com…..www.JeffPalmerRealtor.com

Read Full Post »

Palm Springs Named #2 spot for Retirees!

The city of Palm Springs was ranked No. 2 in CNNMoney.com and Money Magazine’s list released Tuesday of the top 25 best places to retire in the U.S.

It will be featured in Money Magazine’s October issue, which hits newsstands this month.

The list looks at the perks and “bang for your buck” that retirees could expect to find. It factors in local amenities, home prices — including the drops in prices after the recent housing bust — state income tax rates and the percentage of population over 50 to help determine the rankings.

Palm Springs was the only Coachella Valley city on the list, which put the typical price of a Palm Springs three-bedroom home at $250,000 — down some 44 percent in the housing burst. The list released Wednesday also estimated 42 percent of the city’s 48,000 residents were above the age of 50.

“It’s easy to see the appeal of living in the desert town beloved by Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack,” Money Magazine’s editors wrote. “Residents get 332 days of annual sunshine, 360-degree views of the mountains, and as much culture and design as they can pack in.”

Maureen Gessel, associate manager with Palm Springs-based The Gaffney Group,  which represents seven homeowners associations in the city, wasn’t surprised Palm Springs scored so high. “The city is so friendly and welcoming,” Gessel said “It doesn’t matter what your background is.“Being listed nationwide, it’ll definitely generate more interest around the country” in Palm Springs, Gessel said.

Last year, Where to Retire magazine listed La Quinta as one of the top eight places in the nation to retire for music and art lovers.

Read Full Post »

THE WACKY WORLD OF REAL ESTATE!

New York: Narrow Home Lists for $2.7 Million
Reduced real estate prices don’t seem to be affecting the sale of the house billed as the narrowest in New York City.

The three-story, red brick house in Greenwich Village, which measures 9.5 feet wide and 42 feet long, is on the market for $2.7 million. It last sold in 2000 for $1.6 million.

Practitioner Alex Nicholas, senior vice president of the Corcoran Group, who listed the property, predicted it would sell for the listed price because it is unique, has an interesting history, and is well located.the outrageousness of real estate!!

Read Full Post »

CREDIT CARD COMPANIES TO REDUCE THEIR LIMITS BY $2 TRILLION

They’ve got US by the proverbial….

Ray Robinson thought he had a really good credit score, but then he applied for an auto loan and the panic set in. His once very good 758 score had dropped to 692. The most widely used credit scores run from 300 (very poor) to 850 (immaculate). First, Robinson rushed to assess what triggered the change- he pays his home loan on time, all the credit cards and the other auto loan are kept up to date too. He wasn’t using his credit cards more than usual, so what happened?

Well, the economy continues to take its toll in more ways than one. As banks and lenders continue their ongoing effort to stabilize their portfolio risk they are closing a record number of credit card accounts (over 50 million were announced last week alone) and reducing millions of dollars in credit lines. This pull back reflects an unprecedented amount of credit-up to $2 trillion on cards alone by 2010.

As the credit lines tighten up, even some consumers with excellent credit and spotless payment records are seeing their credit scores reduced because of the diminished credit lines. Yes, our friend Ray with the once 758 score hasn’t changed the way he manages his credit or makes purchases but the credit limits he once had to support those purchases have changed. By dropping his credit limits it would “appear” that he is using a higher percentage of what credit he has available. He might even incur a “over limit fee.” Credit card providers collect around $15 billion in penalty fees each year.

So what does a few points on your credit score really matter? It’s always mattered a lot. Almost all banks, home lenders, credit card providers and even insurance companies now use your credit score to decide how risky you are for their products. If you have anything less than a 730 – 750 credit score, you typically will pay varying degrees more in the way of higher fees and interest rates. How much more? In a recent survey at bankrate.com, a consumer with the best credit could get a credit card interest rate below 8% (not including promotional/teaser rates) while those with the worst credit could see rates over 23%. It’s estimated that the typical household could pay as much as $300,000 in extra interest over a lifetime based on situations like this. This is just one of many examples that are changing the landscape of consumer credit management.

So what do you do about it? Experts will tell you to review your credit report at least once every 90 days or so and watch for any changes in your profile. But just watching and waiting is not enough. The need to proactively manage your credit profile to assure you are aware and prepared for situations like Ray’s has never been greater. Additionally, having direct access to a trusted advisor who can address all your questions about your credit report as well as provide you guidance on building a plan to more effectively manage your credit and debt profiles is of the upmost importance. Let’s face it, if you are Ray and you just realized what has happened to your credit scores, you may end up either paying a higher interest rate or not being approved for your car loan if you haven’t taken the proper steps to reduce this risk.
Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-08-26/credit-card-limits-to-be-cut-by-2-trillion-by-2010-how-does-this-impact-you/#ixzz0POb3y3GV

Read Full Post »

Welcome!

This is my first blog entry.  It is a typical summer’s day — 104 degrees (but it’s a dry heat…) in Palm Springs CA.

My hope with this blog is to introduce prospective buyers to the incredible village of Palm Springs and keep local up to date on what’s happen in the world of real estate in their town.

I’m am one of the few people actually born here.  I was born in Indio 20 miles “down valley” because there were no beds available in the tiny Palm Springs Hospital.  I lived here until I went away to college (San Diego State) and came back with my Joe (my life partner of 21 years) 10 years ago.

I have seen the Coachella Valley grow from a collection of tiny towns hugging the coves to a vibrant mix of places and people.

I will share more of this in later entries.

Please do not hesitate to email me or call if you have any questions regarding real estate in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

Read Full Post »