Real Estate Lake of the Ozarks

For Immediate Release Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Court Win is Victory for Voters: Missourians Will Have Opportunity to Vote "YES" to Stop Double Taxation Media Contact: Attorney Chuck Hatfield Office: 573-636-6827 573-636-6827 E-Mail: chatfield@stinson.com (Jefferson City, Mo.) – In a court victory for the rights of voters, Missourians will have an opportunity this fall to Vote "YES" to Stop Double Taxation. Cole County Circuit Judge Paul Wilson ruled Tuesday that the proposed state constitutional amendment barring transfer taxes on real estate received enough petition signatures from registered voters to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot. "There is no dispute that enough registered voters signed the initiative. The Vote 'YES' To Stop Double Taxation Committee showed conclusively in court that thousands of valid voter signatures were incorrectly thrown out by election authorities. We stood up for the rights of these voters to be counted, and the court has suppo...

It's that time of year again, and for Lake of the Ozarks the Shootout is just about as good as Christmas! Fran Campbell Team wishes to welcome all of the Shootout Fans and wants you to enjoy your weekend with us. If you haven't already, click HERE for the most up to date schedule of events. If you are coming to watch the races, here a few tips to keep you having a great time and safe! *The two-mile bluff-shaded stretch of the Lake that makes up the Shootout course will be designated with a racing channel, a buffer zone and a viewing area, with a local traffic channel along the shore. But note, none of these areas are very wide. *If you're really interested in the racing, watch how they start. Last year, the course had a slow start. This year it's going to be faster. That is telling of the ultimate finish time. *Also, get out and look at the boats up close. The boats will be parked at Captain Ron's and most of the drivers relish showing off their high-powered watercr...

My House is Worth What? August 19th, 2010 — Categories: Selling a home http://www.francampbellteam.com/ Weigh the options to find your home’s value Guessing the value of hand soap on a game show isn’t all that dicey, but throwing a random number on your “for sale” sign is risky if you’re trying to sell. Before you settle on a price, try one or more of these valuation methods: Automated Valuation Methods The Process: Automated valuation methods (AVMs) are online programs that use public home sale records, demographics and property characteristics to find your home’s value. You key in your home’s information, like the location, square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the software returns with an estimated value. Pros: AVMs are quick and easy, and many are free. AVMs are a great way to watch trends in value, because they gather statistics from public records. Cons: “It’s just software, so if you have a home that’s next to the freeway, or if your neighbor painted his ho...

These are the "Good Old Days" that we will remember. Did you read that correctly? Yes. Although there is still high unemployment, dissatisfaction with elected officials at every level, and concern about global debt, these will be remembered as the "good old days" to purchase a home. The combination of historically low (and artificially maintained) mortgage interest rates, and the incredible price of most real estate, has never been seen before. We have had low interest rates before, but housing prices were high. We have had lower housing prices, but interest rates were above 10%. This is the only time we have had the "perfect combination." Lower interest rates give a buyer a type of instant equity in a home, even though the price of the house is lower than it had ever been before. Remember, when interest rates go up, you can buy less house (you qualify for a smaller loan amount). If you have any interest in moving up to a newer, or larger home, please don...

http://buyandsell.houselogic.com/articles/negotiate-best-house-buy/

UPDATE 1-U.S. Congress backs home tax credit extension 10:56pm EDT WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Wednesday approved a bill extending the closing deadline for homebuyers trying to take advantage of a popular tax credit. Homebuyers with contracts signed by April 30 who failed to go to closing by the June 30 deadline will now have until September 30 to complete their purchases. The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the bill and it now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. The $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers and $6,500 credit for others purchasing a new primary residence was a highly popular temporary measure by the Obama administration to jump start home sales during the economic recession. Real estate agents said thousands of homebuyers would miss the June 30 deadline because banks and settlement offices were struggling to deal with the volume of people rushing to close on their deals. "In addition to helping thousands of fam...

GSEs Adopt HAFA Guidelines Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now allowing struggling homeowners with loans backed by the government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs, to sell their properties through a Short Sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure if they can't get a loan modification, officials announced this week. GSE loans were excluded from the Treasury's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program's guidelines, which went into effect in April. HAFA, which streamlines the Short Sale process, was created to help both homeowners and banks avoid foreclosure. To be eligible for HAFA, Fannie and Freddie loans must first qualify for and enroll in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). GSE loans are eligible for HAFA only after HAMP and other home-retention options have failed. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae servicers must comply with the new HAFA procedures by Aug. 1; the program expires Dec. 31, 2012. Here's an excerpt from a DSNews article detailing the new GSE ...