PrimeBenefit is Dedicated to Unions

The PrimeBenefit team of PrimeLending is committed to helping union members save money every time they buy or sell a home, refinance their current home, and more.  We have partnered up with www.Unions.org to offer special pricing that is exclusive to union members.  First let me tell you a little about us and how the program works.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, PrimeLending is a leading residential mortgage lender that provides homebuyers mortgages without obstacles. Established in 1986 by Chief Executive Officer Roseanna McGill, PrimeLending has grown from a staff of 20 individuals producing $80 Million in annual closed loan volume to a family of over 1,500 members producing in excess of $2.45 Billion annually.

In addition to the corporate office located in North Dallas, PrimeLending has expanded to over 150 branches across the United States including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington and is licensed to originate and close loans in 49 states.

The goal at PrimeLending is to provide unsurpassed quality service and support throughout the entire mortgage process for every client and referral source. This proactive sales and operational philosophy simplifies and accelerates the loan process at all levels. The company’s knowledgeable mortgage professionals are dedicated to making every customer’s home loan experience a positive and successful one.

PrimeLending decided they could take it one step further and develop a complete PrimeBenefit program which would help union member save money throughout the entire buying process of a home.  This is why the PrimeBenefit program is so powerful.

I would like you to first watch the following 30 second commercial and then I will go through the savings in detail. Commercial The PrimeBenefit Program is broken down into 5 parts:

1)      Real Estate Rebate – Every time you buy or sell a home your will receive a 20% rebate check from your Realtor commissions for using one of our network realtors.  You don’t have to worry.  We only use the best and have to be proven producer and they work for large companies like Caldwell Banker and Chapman Richards for example.

2)      Lender Discounts – Just for participating in the PrimeBenefit program you get 20% off of all lender fees.  In addition to that you will receive an extra .25% off your origination fee.  PrimeLending as we have already covered is one of the nation’s leading lenders and when it come to rate and price we will make sure you get the best rate and program for your needs.  Every loan is a little different as everyone’s situation is a little different, but know this; we are not just here to earn you business today but to be your lending partner for life.

3)      Insurance Discounts – The next discounts you receive are through Liberty Mutual on your homeowners and auto insurance.  For first time home buyers, homeowners insurance is a new thing so we will make sure that you have this option for getting a good deal on insurance.

4)      Moving Discounts – We have partnered up with different moving services such as Van Lines and SAMS to offer you discount on moving when it comes time to move into your new home.

5)      Home Warranty – Finally we have partners with one of the leading home warty company companies to offer you a great price on a home warranty that will cover more for less.  This company will cover item most item that other warranties exclude like roof leaks, washers and dryers, and more.

As you can see this is a pretty inclusive package.  As a union member there is no reason you should not take advantage of it.  I know you have wondered; how much does this cost?  The answer to your question is NOTHING.  That’s right it’s free.  It’s our way of saying thanks for all the work you do for us.  To register for the program click here.  Make sure to email me if you have any questions or call (877)835-5588.

Sam Ashton

PrimeBenefit Specialist

(877)835-5588

sashton@primelending.com

By M.P. MCQUEEN

As buyers ease back into the battered real-estate market, they’re often hitting a stumbling block: fibbing by home sellers.

Eager to unload their abodes, some sellers exaggerate the size of their lots or their houses. Others minimize their property-tax or utility bills, conveniently forget about pests, or downplay flooding problems or noise.

Real-estate experts say that while such misrepresentations aren’t new, the tough market of the past few years has made buyers more wary, partly because they can’t expect rising home prices to bail them out of costly mistakes. As a result, deals are taking longer, and more of them are falling apart as buyers find properties sometimes aren’t all they’re supposed to be.

More than 30 states have disclosure laws requiring sellers to tell prospective buyers and agents about leaky roofs and other problems, according to the National Association of Realtors. But there’s often a gray area involving the disclosure of problems the seller may not know about, such as a long-ago flood or hidden mold.

States are also increasingly passing laws requiring homeowners to disclose environmental issues, such as the presence of radon gas, a contaminant linked to lung cancer, and underground fuel tanks. In California, the checklist of required disclosures is so long that a cottage industry has sprung up of firms that help sellers prepare the forms.

Given the complexity of disclosure laws, it’s not surprising that potential buyers don’t hear about every problem in a house. Besides the issue of fibbing, sellers may genuinely not know about problems. And even if they do, the laws generally don’t apply to bank-owned homes transferred in foreclosures, which now constitute a larger share of sales.

Buyers need to do their own due diligence and not rely exclusively on what sellers and agents say. They should hire an independent home inspector or home-inspection engineer, one not referred by the seller—and be aware that real-estate agents typically represent the seller.

Here are some of the common misrepresentations and white lies that buyers may hear as they shop for a house, according to real-estate experts and state regulators:

• “This house is on two acres.” Disputes about property dimensions—how many square feet in a house or condo, or its exact boundaries—are common. Sometimes buyers don’t learn the exact dimensions until the lender’s appraisal. 

Listing agents usually accept a seller’s word on property dimensions, says Diane Saatchi, a senior vice president at Saunders & Associates, a real-estate firm in Bridgehampton, N.Y. “We tell everyone to verify,” she says. Smaller dimensions also can cause an appraisal to come in lower than the agreed-upon purchase price. Low appraisals are a leading cause of ruined deals in today’s market. A properly worded appraisal contingency in the purchase contract would allow you to scuttle the deal or find other financing if the appraisal comes in low, says New York real-estate attorney Michael Xylas.

• “We don’t have pests.” A basic home inspection generally doesn’t include a peek inside walls or underground for termites and mold, which are among the top complaints. Inspections for mold and radon gas also generally aren’t included; usually buyers must order these inspections separately. Other inside-the-wall problems include faulty wiring and old plumbing, which also may require specialists.

James Holtzman, a financial adviser at Legend Financial Advisors Inc. in Pittsburgh, says sellers of the 1901 house he bought in August 2006 said its electrical wiring was completely upgraded, yet an electrical inspection revealed only one of three floors had been totally upgraded. The seller then knocked $6,000 off the sales price before they went to contract so Mr. Holtzman, 35 years old, could pay for the necessary work.

• “This place never floods.” Even arid states such as Arizona and New Mexico have occasional flash floods, and water and drainage problems aren’t always obvious. June Walbert, 52, a certified financial planner at USAA, a financial-services company, says her San Antonio house received a clean bill of health from a home inspector before she bought it six years ago. But 10 days after she moved in, the sewer backed up, flooding the house, and she had to fork over $2,800 for repairs. “It was a rude surprise,” says Ms. Walbert, who adds she asked her home inspector and the seller for compensation, but didn’t get it.

Bill Richardson, outgoing president of the American Society of Home Inspectors, says a general home inspection wouldn’t catch that unless the sewer line was visible from the basement or water backed up into sinks and tubs or toilets.

• “Taxes and maintenance costs are low.” Home buyers often gripe about tax and utilities bills that are higher than sellers said they were. Homeowner association and condo dues and assessments are also common complaints. Sometimes sellers simply underestimate the bills, or forget to include recent or expected increases, agents and brokers say. Taxes can also be deceptively low because of unrecorded improvements like decks and finished basements. Ask to see recent bills, and check with the tax assessor’s office for up-to-date information.

• “This is a quiet neighborhood.” Sellers may play down distractions that could drive you crazy, such as barking dogs or idling buses. A charming park by day could be a teen hangout at night. Your best bet is to view a property at different times of the day. “I can’t tell you how many times in my career buyers didn’t go there in the night time, even though I told them to. You spend more time in the house at night than during the day,” says Ms. Saatchi, the New York real-estate agent. Talk to neighbors and peruse the local newspapers and blogs to get a feel for a place, and check with police for crime.

• “There’s going to be a golf course, a pool and a party room.” Builders of many developments that broke ground during the housing boom ran out of money before the project was completed. Many homeowner and condo associations also are strapped because of delinquencies and defaults. Some states require upfront disclosures about this, but you should also ask neighbors, not just sellers, about any promised facilities. Also, check titles to be sure that specific parking spaces, storage units or other facilities are included in a property sale

“RealtyTrac.com” shows that almost 4 million filings – defaults, foreclosure auctions, and bank reprosessions- took place in 2009 on a national basis.  This is 21% higher than 2008 which was previously the high.  That figure has gone from 885,468 in 2005 to the current figure.  Ironically, it could have been higher had not been for federal action as well as delays in bank processing.  Unfortunately, relief doesn’t look like it is in the immediate future.  Four states accounted for 50% of the 2009 total:  California, Florida, Arizona, and Illinois.

However, for Missouri homeowners, the picture is more encouraging.  Missouri experienced a 8.75% decrease in foreclosures.  One of the reasons being that Missouri never experienced the large swings in home pricing that other states experienced.   I haven’t seen figures on short-sales but will report them when I see them.

Don Davis Ph:360 652-9994 email: dond@htlnw.com

The Housing Market

Washington State has a Growth Management Act (GMA) that restricts the amount of new housing for any county depending of projected growth.  This is why we have never seen 600 or 800 home developments like in California or Las Vegas or Arizona.  The county will only issue permits to developers based on the projected growth in that area in a certain period.  This is why we were not overbuilt when the slowdown occurred.  Several years ago, in the height of the boom, developers did pay too much for land, but the demand existed at the time. 

 The cost of the land is the biggest variable in the price of a house.  If it costs $100 per square foot to build a house, it doesn’t matter where it is located.  A 2000 sq ft home would cost $200,000 to build regardless if that house is in Edmonds or Arlington.  The difference is the price of the lot that house sits on.  If the lot cost $150,000 then that house would be a $350,000 home if the lot cost $50,000 then it would be a $250,000 home for the same house.  This is also why a housing market would bottom out.  The cost to replace or build a new home can only go so low.  If existing homes sell for substantially less than it would cost to build a new one, no on would ever build another new home. One of the biggest reasons that few new homes are not being built right now is the fact that most of the banks the builders would get their financing from are under cease and desist orders from the FDIC.  If the builder can’t get funding to build, then nothing gets built.  Once the inventory of homes decreases and the prices once again appreciate, the banks will free up capital and the builders will get back to work.

What makes the Puget Sound region so unique is that we can really only go north, south and up (high-rises) to build new homes (east is mountains and west is water).  There is virtually no buildable land left in most of King, North Pierce and South Snohomish Counties.  Essentially if any new homes are going to be built the developers need to go to south Pierce or North Snohomish County.

 Unfortunately the news media doesn’t report any detail about our own housing market.  This seems really stupid to me.  We have local newspapers, TV and radio stations and they seem to cite the worst statistics available for the housing market.  They will report on national statistics and default rates.  I defy you to send me a detailed report from the news sources that cite our own local market statistics.  It is not newsworthy.  They aren’t going to be able to sensationalize this market because there is nothing to sensationalize.  While we have seen a modest decline in home prices from the unrealistic highs in late 2007, we have plugged along this year selling down the inventory from an almost nine months supply to almost a four month supply.  At this rate by this time next year we should be under two months supply with few new homes being constructed.  What does 2011 hold in store?  We just might be out of home to sell.  If you own a home you will be very happy, if you are trying to buy a home then you might be kicking yourself that you didn’t buy when the availability and the prices were within your reach.

 If you have ever though about buying a home, you might look hard at doing it soon.  Home prices are low and inventories are high, meaning you have a great selection to choose from.  Interest rates are currently at historic lows.  There is up to $8,000 tax credit.  When any of these things change it could cost you substantially more to buy a home.

Below is a TEN year history of home sales for Snohomish, King Pierce and Kitsap County collectively

While all the news medias would want you to believe that all is doom and gloom, we have outsold last year and are about average for the decade.

source: NWMLS

For Immediate Release

GENERATION MORTGAGE COMPANY BECOMES BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU ACCREDITED, EARNS A+ RATING

ATLANTA, Dec. 15, 2009-Generation Mortgage Company™, America’s largest privately owned reverse mortgage retailer and wholesaler, recently became a national Better Business Bureau Accredited Business. In addition, the business has earned an A+ Rating from the BBB.

“While those of us who work for Generation Mortgage know that we offer top quality service to our business partners and our boomer and senior homeowners nationwide, the rigorous Better Business Bureau accreditation process is one more way to prove that treating our clients fairly and honestly is the primary goal of our organization,” said President and CEO Scott Peters, Generation Mortgage Company. “We’re incredibly proud to have achieved the highest rating possible upon accreditation.”

Better Business Bureau ratings are determined by a proprietary formula. The organization grades from A to F with pluses and minuses. A+ is the highest grade and F is the lowest. The grade represents the Better Business Bureau’s degree of confidence that the business is operating in a trustworthy manner and will make a good faith effort to resolve any customer concerns. Details as to any issues identified by the Better Business Bureau are contained in each organization’s Reliability Report.

Businesses that apply for Better Business Bureau accreditation undergo a detailed review and commit to abide by a set of ethical standards for marketplace conduct. After accreditation, each business is monitored for continued adherence to BBB standards.

Licensed in nearly 50 states, Generation Mortgage offers FHA-insured HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) loans. The company is an Equal Housing Lender and a member of the National Reverse Mortgage Association.

About Generation Mortgage
Generation Mortgage Company is one of the nation’s leaders in reverse mortgage lending, and a member of NRMLA (National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association). With its sole focus on reverse mortgages, Generation Mortgage Company offers seniors “A New Generation in Reverse Mortgages™” and pledges to deliver outstanding customer service, as exemplified by its loan Servicing – Generation services all its reverse mortgage loans and does not outsource them. For more information, visit www.generationmortgage.com.

Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #1319; Arizona Mortgage Banker License #0909296; Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #22292; 3 Piedmont Ctr, 3565 Piedmont Road NE, Ste 300, Atlanta, GA 30305; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; In CT, licensed and DBA as Generation Reverse Mortgage, Inc.; Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee # MB.6760368; Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company License #MC.0001660; Massachusetts Mortgage Lender-ML3240; ME License #SLM9169; Licensed by the Mississippi Department of Banking & Consumer Finance; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department as Generation Mortgage Company d/b/a Generation Mortgage Company, Inc; Licensed at 51 JFK Parkway, Suite 114, First Floor West, Short Hills, NJ 07078, Phone # 973-218-2418 by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance; NV – 800 N Rainbow BLVD, Ste 170, Room 164, Las Vegas, NV 89107, Phone #702-948-5031; Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking; Rhode Island Licensed Lender; TX SML License #68405, 27030 Masters Pkwy, Spicewood, TX 78669; Licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission #MC-4832; Also conducts business in AL, AR, CO, DC, DE, FL, HI, IA, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WV, WY. Not all products and options are available in all states. Terms subject to change without notice. ©2009 Generation Mortgage Company. All Rights Reserved.

###