Assisted Projects
To donate or request assistance, please go to http://www.arborcsf.org.
Please Call Steve Young, Chairman for more info at 817-276-5149 or steve@steveyoung.pro 
There are many sources of contributions within our membership who will give outside of faith-based commitments through the real estate industry they work and love. To maximize the community service effort of our association, the Arlington Board of REALTORS authorized the establishment of a “tax-exempt, charitable foundation” named the Arlington Board of REALTORS Community Service Foundation (ARBOR CSF) in 2007. It is the Foundation’s goal to use 100% of funds raised or donated to go to important programs and projects within our local community.
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MISSION STATEMENT |
| “The purpose or purposes for which the corporation is organized are to support and strengthen the community through charitable donations, volunteer work, education, and charitable housing initiatives. The corporation is specifically authorized to develop and implement grant and/or loan programs to rehabilitate, repair and beautify real property, including privately owned real property, provide disaster and relocation assistance programs for natural disasters and displaced persons, and other programs consistent with such purpose.”
Steve Young Chairman |
Here is a good site to see the pros & cons regarding the 11 propositions on the ballet: Texas Eagle Forum.
They are all important and props 2, 3, 5 & 11 are extremely important as they deal with ensuring fair and uniform tax appraisals for property owners.
The Republican Party of Texas, endorsesProps 2,3,5 and 11 and urges voters to approve them on Nov 3. The Texas Farm Bureau has also endorsed Prop 11.
The Texas Association of Realtor’s has come out in support of Props 2,3 & 5.
For home and property owners that are having a hard time making ends meet and paying their mortgage, don’t give up, there are several opportunities for you if you’ll just try. I am seeing lenders doing things today that I’ve not seen in my 20 years of real estate. Oh, sure there have been programs to assist in the past, but not like the different ways of assistance the market is realizing now. “Short sales” (simply a real estate transaction in which the seller sells their property with the agreement and consent of the lender to accept less than a full payoff of the outstanding mortgage balance.), loan modifications (including refinance, adjusting the interest rate, etc) and a deed in lieu of a foreclosure (owner transfers the property to the lender) are some of the scenarios. Call or email Steve Young with RE/MAX to discuss alternatives that might be available to you. Remember, don’t give up! http://www.steveyoung.pro & steve@steveyoung.pro
WASHINGTON (Mortgage Bankers Association) – The Mortgage Bankers Association released its Market Composite Index Wednesday, recording a 16.4 percent increase in mortgage loan application volume between the week ending Sept. 25 and the week ending Oct. 2.
The Refinance Index increased 18.2 percent during the same time period.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hung below 5 percent for the third consecutive week, falling from 4.94 percent on Sept. 25 to 4.89 percent on Oct. 2.
The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased from 4.34 percent to 4.32 percent.
The average contract interest rate for one-year adjustable rate mortgages increased to 6.56 percent from 6.40 percent.
Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University http://recenter.tamu.edu/
After several testimonials this year from realtor’s and prospective buyers, and again yesterday another horror story, makes the picture I’ve chosen apropos (does the word “predatory lending” mean anything?).
Here it is: Buyer’s hire an agent to represent them in finding and purchasing a home. The professional agents will get the buyer pre-qualified with a reputable lender, usually one the agent has done business with and knows the lender and mortgage officer to have a good track record of not only knowing their business but being honest as well, and in this case, did just that. Lender tells buyer that at this time they can not obtain a loan based on credit, job history or maybe both. Buyer wants a home so they go out and, are you going to be surprised at this?…they are able to find a lender (many times it’s over the Internet) that tells the buyer, why yes, we can do the loan for you.
Understandably the potential purchaser is very excited, figures the first lender and the Realtor don’t know what they are talking about, and proceeds with the contract to purchase the home they’ve picked out. In this last case, as with most of the others I’ve been hearing, the buyers now have an accepted contract, they pay the lender another $65-80.00 for loan application, put up earnest money-lets say $1,000, they paid the seller $100.00 option fee, paid approx. $350.00 for their inspections and had already paid the appraisal fee of $350.00. Then one week (most of time it’s several days) before the scheduled close, lender says oops, sorry, can’t do your loan. All this could have been avoided if they would have done a little more homework. At least get the opinion of another local lender that came highly recommended.
Call or email me for the article on predatory lending. I’ll be glad to send it to you. My work #817-276-5149 & email is steve@steveyoung.pro\
Mortgage lending is complicated and confusing and that is why historically Realtors and honest mortgage lenders have always worked together. A professional Realtorwho holds the lender accountable to working in your best interest is always a great defense against the Predatory Lender. Not all buyer’s who are turned down for a loan are the victims of predatory lending. It is the ones who are promised a loan when chances are the lender knew all along they could not do the loan but were glad to take the buyer’s money upfront and hope that it somehow might work.Also check out Lonnie Coffey’s blogs on the mortgage industry!
RE/MAX-Childrens Miracle Network
Mortgage lending, appraisals, longer closing dates, tenants renting a home that just got foreclosed, short sales, etc. http://texasrealestate.com/What’s really going on with TX RE?
And the changes go on and on. In my opinion, and not just because I’m in the business, whether your selling or buying, better have representation to guide you through the new maze! Things have been changing so fast that myself along with the mortgage, title, appraisers, etc. that I use are constantly trying to keep up.
The pros will do this, the part timers in this industry will not. So when you are looking for an agent to represent you, better do some quality background checking! I don’t always have ALL the answers but I do align myself with other experts in their field, IE. mortgage, insurance, title, etc.
Call me to discuss your real estate needs or just to get some answers that you might have. 817-276-5149 or Steve Young.pro
According to the Real Estate Center at TexasA&M http://recenter.tamu.edu/, The Texas economy is predicted to begin a slow, steady recovery in 2010, according to BBVA Compass’ U.S. Regional Watch third-quarter report. You may click on th link for full report and how Texas cities fared in August ’09.
The National Association of Realtors® http://www.realtor.org is calling upon its 1.2 million members to urge Congress to extend the successful homebuyer tax credit into next year.
Realtors®, the leading advocates for homeownership and housing issues, will be writing to their Senators and Representatives to tell them of the successes with the tax credit thus far and to press them to extend and expand it now.
Call Steve Young with RE/MAX Associates or email steve@steveyoung.pro regarding your specific neighborhood or areas you might have an interest in.
Adding Cara’s pic reminds me that her friend Haley passed away this last week. Lung transplant lasted about 3 yrs I believe. Like Haley said…it was worth it to know how it feels to breath like normal folks.
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