Kristin's Blog

I have found myself on hold with BofA quite frequently in the last 3 weeks.  Twice my hold has been under 10 minutes which has left me staring at the phone in awe but MOST TIMES, it's well over 30 minutes.  So, just for fun, here's some things to do while on hold with everyone's friend, BofA.

1. Snooze.
2. Eat your lunch.
3. Take a poll around the office of how long i might be on hold this time.  Hand out prizes.
4. Chair dance to the lively "hold" music.
5. Talk back to the gal that say's "Please stay on the line, we'll return to assist you momentarily"
6. Check your spam folder & delete as necessary.
7. Have someone in the office stand by your phone while you run down the hall to the ladies room.
8. Count your commission if the short sale get's approved.
9. Head over to twitter to see what your friends are talking about.
10. Complain about BofA to anyone who will listen in your office, on twitter & facebook.
11. vow to never take another short sale.
12. Count the wrinkles BofA has given you so far.
13. Eat girl scout cookies.
14. Wonder aloud if they will answer their phone prior to your next appointment?
15. Memorize the loan # of the short sale you are working on.
16. Record the answers to all the redundant questions they ask you when they FINALLY answer.
17. Consider getting a "hands free" headset to alleviate your aching ears.
18. Write a blog post to commemorate your hold time.
19. Take your blood pressure meds so you don't have a heart attack.
20. Breathe in & breathe out.  REPEAT.

Photo courtesy of:  Flickr.com

OF COURSE this post was created FOR FUN & the actual events above may or may not have occurred (repeatedly).

Morgan's Wonderland ~ San Antonio's newest special amusement park!

Morgan's Wonderland is the baby of Gordon Hartman who has done so much for our community with The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation & now Morgan's Wonderland.  Morgan's Wonderland is the first of it's kind in San Antonio, how exciting is that for this community?  The inspiration behind Morgan's Wonderland comes from Hartman's daughter Morgan!

This $30 million dollar, state-of-the-art park will be the largest of its kind in the world.  Morgan's Wonderland will be serving as a blueprint for others across the country and paving the way for ultra-accessible recreation across the globe, how cool is that?  The park is designed specifically for children as well as adults with special needs and has over 25 acres!

Morgan's Wonderland opens to the public April 10th and it's mission is to set a new standard for excellence in providing outdoor recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.  If you get a chance to go, you should check it out.

Staging your home to sell in San Antonio, Texas ~ OCD Real Estate staging & ReDesign

HOMEOWNERS - Do you feel your home could use a little professional touch?  Whether you are looking to sell it or live there for a couple more years, do you want your home to say "I'm well organized & my owners love me!?" 

REALTORS - Have you received feedback on one of your listings that the home "isn't staged well", "Seems to be too cluttered" or "Needs a little love?"

RENTERS - You really should buy a home.  Have you thought about buying a home?

If you said yes to any of the above, you need a stager.  I found a spectacular one, Susan Ramey with OCD Real Estate staging & ReDesign, she knows exactly what she is doing, buys the "accessories" herself so you can take the guess work out of "what do i buy???"" & even uses what you already have in your home.  Paint, color, accessories, paintings, knick-knacks, trust me when I say, she's amazing! 

Here are some before and after pictures to prove how amazing Susan Ramey & her team are:

1st Living area:

2nd Living area:

Master Bedroom:

The changes are dramatic, much needed & makes a world of difference.  It's amazing what some paint, a good eye for knick knack placings, the right accessories & a few bucks can do!

A few changes are sure to make a world of difference when you put your home up for sale!

This was a much anticipated event, we heard ActiveRain was setting up a Raincamp for Texas in 2010 & we had to be a part of it!

It's always exciting when you meet folks you have met online & you feel like you know them already!  It was no different at Raincamp yesterday in Dallas, Texas...

The day started packed full of great information with presentations by Ben Kinney, Bob Stewart & Brad Andersohn, our heads were spinning as we furiuosly took notes. 

Some great websites were thrown our way as well as tips & tricks to make our blog posts stand out & get noticed by google & complete our goal of getting found by folks looking to buy or sell Real Estate.  By the end of the day we were so chocked full of information, ideas & tricks it was time for a break!

We were sooooo excited to meet everyone in person & chat face to face with those we have chatted with online for so long!  It was so nice meeting everyone! 

Here's Brad Andersohn sharing everything he knows!

After lunch there was a panel of great minds sharing what they know about blogging & how they use it in their businesses, Jason Crouch, Debe Maxwell, Josh Harley.

When Raincamp ended we all headed over for some mingling where we got to know folks better & of course take pictures with them!

Russell Lewis, Gary Woltal, Amanda Hall, Bob Stewart, Sheila Moran, me & Jeanna Martinez

 Jason Crouch, Debe Maxwell, Sheila Moran, me & Jeanna Martinez

It was great to finally meet John Cannata & Wayne Warshawsky

Us and Brad Andersohn

AND FINALLY!  We were delighted & happy to meet the man himself, who made Activerain come to life & provide such education, entertainment & networking, Jonathan Washburn!

We had a blast, we learned a ton & we met some folks we have been dying to meet.  Now we're tired, overwhelmed with info & headed back to San Antonio! See you at the next Raincamp!

I've said it before, you know i'm gonna say it again....choosing a lender in San Antonio, Texas

I had the unfortunate experience today of getting yelled at by a buyer who chose their own lender.  I'm not proud of it, i'm by no means happy BUT, I can honestly say, I didn't do anything wrong...

I'm not saying you have to use the lender I refer to you by any means, but PLEASE do not yell at me when your lender fails you.  I will honestly say to you "I'm sorry!"  Do you expect more?  Why?

I work with lenders everyday.  I don't get a "kickback" from any of them, I don't get a commission, I don't get a new buyer, I don't get a steak dinner, I don't get a trip to the Caribbean, that's not the way I work. 

So, what do i get for referring a lender to you, Mr. & Mrs. Buyer?

I get peace of mind.  That's enough.  TRUST ME!  I get peace of mind that you will be taken care of by someone I have done business with before, someone I trust, someone that works on commission & is hungry for your business, wants your business & appreciates your business.  Someone that you will want to do business with AGAIN and AGAIN, in the words of Paris Hilton, "that's huge...."  I agree with her, it's HUGE!

I know some folks don't know the questions to ask of a potential lender, so start with these:

1. Are you in the same city as me?
2. Will all the individuals I work with (processors, underwriters, etc. ) be in the same city?
3. Can we meet face to face?
4. Do you work on the weekends?
5. If I were to call on a Friday evening @ 5:00, how long would it be before I got a return call?
6. If you request paperwork of me, what's the average turn around time to review it?
7. How many loans has your company closed ON TIME this month?

Ok, that's plenty, enough to get you started at least.  The above is what get's things delayed in a loan & when I say delayed, I mean DELAYED!  Delayed to the point of everyone involved in the transaction (besides the lender who's 5 states away) frustrated beyond belief, the buyer's anxious, the seller's frustrated & the agent baffled...

 What to do, what to do, what to do????  I'll tell you what to do!!  Listen to your agent!

We are proud to announce that Marcy Gonzales has joined RE/MAX Access!

Marcy Gonzales is a seasoned real estate agent with outstanding bi-lingual skills.  She loves helping buyer's find their dream home as well as helping seller's with getting their homes sold in San Antonio as well as the surrounding cities.  

Marcy is a native of San Antonio, she is married and the mother of three children.  When not selling Real Estate Marcy loves spending time with her family & friends. 

Think of Marcy when looking for a spectacular buyer's agent or a listing agent in San Antonio!

 Welcome Marcy!  RE/MAX Access is so excited you are here!

Each week in Real Estate brings something new.  Learning something new helps me keep on top of what's going on in my profession & helps me learn from my experiences. 

So, what did I learn this week in Real Estate?  Quite a few things I feel like sharing!

• There are lenders out there that don't work on commission & don't have a sense of urgency when it comes to processing your loan.
• Working with family to purchase a home can be challenging but it keeps you on your toes & let's you get to know your family members better!
• If you approach a task head on & don't look at it as daunting it won't be so hard.
• You never know who your next referral is going to come from so make sure everyone knows what you do.
• You can't force the neighbors at your listing to stop talking to potential buyers.
• If you set the alarm off at a home, the police don't always come.

And lastly

• 1099's aren't fun to prepare.

So there it is, what I learned this week....I felt it was a ton to learn & I had fun doing it...for the most part.  I am glad 1099's only happen once a year and that there is still Real Estate to be bought and sold in San Antonio, Texas! 

Now, what will next week bring me?  

Moving up San Antonio? How can YOU get your tax credit for purchasing a new home?

During the first round of the government's homebuyer tax-credit program only new homebuyer's could walk away with $8,000.  Now many current homeowners can put cash in their pockets as well. 

I've been taking a poll, it's been very unofficial.  Basically, after I talked to about 7 folks who didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned the "Move up" or "Repeat home buyer" "Long time homeowner" tax credit and WEREN'T in Real Estate I realized it was my duty to help try & spread the word. 

So, here goes my attempt at explaning how you might be eligible for up to $6500 if you decide to sell your home in the next couple of months & buy a new one.....

Does it have to be my 1st home ever?

No, the home doesn't have to be your first home purchase.  However, to get the credit homeowners must have owned and used the home as a primary residence for at least five years with an eight year time time period. The eight year period starts from the closing date, going back eight years.  Easy enough, right? 

When does this credit end?

You must purchase a new home before getting the credit, you have to be under contract by April 30th and be set to close by June 30th, 2010. This means that long-time homeowners must sell there current home and close on a new one in this time frame.

Is there a limit on the amount of home I can purchase?

Yes, the sales price of the home must not exceed $800,000. 

Are there any income limits to who can get the credit?

Of course there is.  Single folks can't make an adjusted gross of over $125K, & joint filers are under $225K.  If you have a singe income of up to $145K & joint up to $245K you might be eligible for partial benefits.

Ok, Ok, so I did all of this & meet the requirements...where's the form I file to get MY $!?

$ Form