AGBeat Columnist: Ben Goheen
As the son of two music teachers, Ben spent his first 21 years trying to make a living with his slightly above average trumpet playing. After no return calls from Dizzy Gillespie and then a failed attempt at becoming a fly girl on "In Living Color," he switched gears and finally found his nichè in real estate. He's a Minnesota appraiser and also a Realtor with his better half, Stacia.
Labeled “one to watch” from an anonymous source (thanks mom), Ben is smart, good looking, athletic and a rock star inside his own head. He also never passes up a chance to write his own bio. Find him online at twitter or selling Stillwater Real Estate.
How healthy is your bank?
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation expects more banks to fail in 2010, increasing the operating budget 35% to $4 billion dollars. Over 1,600 new staff members will also be added to the payroll.
Christmas Comes Early For Some FHA Borrowers
The Federal Housing Administration repealed the second appraisal requirement for loans exceeding $417,000 in declining markets, and for cash-out refinances. The two appraisal mandate initially went into effect on April 1, 2008 and was strongly opposed by the National Association of Realtors. The second appraisal requirement will remain when a property is re-sold between 91 and 180 days following acquisition ...
Obsolescence- What Real Estate Classes Fail to Teach
Many properties can exhibit some form of obsolescence – either functional, external or both. Don’t know what that term means? You’re not alone. Real estate classes often dart past these terms because real life situations that occur nationwide are difficult to cite. Yet as an appraiser I encounter homes with one or more of the following examples every week.
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Technology Tip: Google Apps Combine Your Business Tools
Nerd alert This post contains technical information on how to setup Google Apps for your domain. The process isn’t extremely complicated – fairly similar to setting up a website. Another Google product? Not exactly. Google Apps combines several business related tools that you may already use (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs & Google Sites) for use on your website. If ...
StreetLinks $1M Guarantee is as Useful as Crap in a Box
Indianapolis based appraisal management company StreetLinks has established a $1,000,000 fund to pay a performance guarantee to its clients, saying that it ensures their appraisals are consistent and accurate. Of course with any guarantee you have to read the fine print. A lender simply has to stick to the following rules: Minimum volume: 50+ full conventional and/or FHA products per ...
Tech Tip: Xobni
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used email clients around. It also comes with it’s limitations, like trying to quickly find an old message or client’s contact information. This is where the add-in called Xobni (inbox spelled backwards) really shines. Fast Email Search The dual-purpose search box finds people and email messages. Start typing the contact’s name or ...
FHA Default Rates by Lender
The amount of FHA loans has skyrocketed in the last few months, primarily because they require lower down payments than conventional loans. I’ve mentioned that this increase is possibly due to the fact that lenders can bypass the HVCC, thus still influencing directly contacting the appraiser. HUD now has a list of FHA lenders with high default rates in every ...
FHA says “no” to HVCC
Since May 1st the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) has caused chaos with real estate transactions. Talk to any Realtor or mortgage broker and you’ll hear stories about unqualified out-of-area appraisers killing deals with low values. On the other hand, appraisers will talk about cut-rate fees and impossibly fast turn-around times from appraisal management companies (AMCs), forcing many to ...
Help the Appraiser Kill Your Deal
Recently the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) has been blamed for being the main reason appraisal values are low. It definitely hasn’t helped the situation but doesn’t hold true for every home. There are other ways to negatively impact the appraisal: Let There Be Light Having a home show well isn’t only for buyers. Open windows to let in ...
My Name is IRL
Tweet-ups seem to be the latest rage with kids these days. I’ve seen it mentioned a couple times in my area but the trend hasn’t really hit the Midwest in full force yet. But just this week I’ve had 3 in real life (IRL) meetings with people I only knew online.
I’m no expert
Yeah I said it – I’m no expert … when it comes to photography. Besides a home’s asking price, good marketing will help set your listing apart from the pack. And there’s nothing better than having professional photos to show it off. Another photo article? I know this topic has been discussed again and again, but I’ve seen listings with ...
Is MBA telling the full story?
According to a recent press release from the Mortgage Bankers Association, government insured loan applications (FHA & VA) dramatically increased to 35.9% for the month of June. That’s more than a 10 percent increase from last month. Since the survey’s inception nearly 20 years ago, the lowest recorded share of FHA & VA applications was 5.8 percent in August 2005. ...
Benn Rosales
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Tara Steele
Marti Trewe
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