Recent content by Adam Ginsberg_IHB

There has been considerable chatter on this message board about people walking away from their homes, stopped paying on their mortgage even when they can afford the payments, etc. Several here have voiced their opinion that it's not right, morally, ethically, for a homeowner to do that...

Regarding short sales - does a potential buyer, with a valid written offer, have the ability to talk to the bank holding the note on the property? Is there a federal or CA state law prohibiting it? If the seller and buyer talk to the bank together, sans REA's, is there anything, legally...

Out of curiosity, where are you getting 4.25% fixed @ 15 years? That's a damn smoke'n rate.

Thanks for the update, zovall. The market has been strange here over the past few months. Homes in our price range ($500k and under) that are in very good/move in condition get MO's, and are regularly bid up (eh...yeah, like I'm going to get into a bidding war...f'that). Inventory is a...

Something I've noticed after moving back to CA - lots of people use bicycles for transportation much moreso than I ever saw in TX. It might be more noticeable to me, as we now live in a beach community (Ventura, about ~1 block from the beach), vs the 'burb area we previously lived in in TX...

From experience - bad credit will haunt a person for several years. The key is understanding the ramifications, being prepared, and making good decisions. Back in the CA RE dump of the early 90's, we lost our house (not to foreclosure, we filed bankruptcy instead....I don't think that...

We went to an open house several weeks ago, and were basically asked to leave. Several signs and flags out front saying, "Open House", so we stopped, as we've admired the place since moving to Ventura. We went inside, and were stopped within 5ft of the front door - she asked if we were...

Today, I learned about the FHA 90 day "seasoning" requirement. If a home has changed hands within a 90 day window, a potential buyer cannot get an FHA loan for that property. The intent, as explained to me, is to stop/prevent/slow flips. It was waived until 8 June 2009, so we're clearly...

If you get the opportunity, try The Great Outdoors sandwich shop. Also very good.

<blockquote>5. ?Sometimes I forget whose side I?m on.? The past 15 years have seen the proliferation of the buyer broker, agents who are supposed to work strictly in the buyer?s interest, helping him get a fair price on a home as well as avoid pitfalls along the way. Unfortunately, things...

For the past 10+ years, I've traveled for business, obviously doing so primarily from DFW, now LAX/BUR. Probably 90%+ is with AA. Everyone has their reasons, but I prefer AA - they've always treated me well. Being a Gold club member certainly helps. If you are in the NW Dallas area, DFW...

My only frustration with the recent $8k tax credit is the simple fact the .gov is <strong>only</strong> looking at first time home buyers. My TX home sale in Feb, and eventual home purchase in CA (date TBD) will generate more revenue than a first time home buyer. <strong>ANY</strong> home...