Many people mistakenly think if they owe too much they have to lose the house in foreclosure. The recent talk in the media of short-sales have educated many people, but if you are not aware of a short-sale or how they work you should get educated on the process.

Now some people also mistakenly believe a short-sale is a cure for all their problems when in fact it's not. A short-sale is not always better than foreclosure in the case of a 2nd home in a non-deficiency state, and in such a case it's better to consult with a real estate attorney who specializes in that field because the real estate laws are always changing.

I recommend you watch this video made in 2007 on what a short-sale is and how you can benefit from them. In full disclosure I'm not a realtor, nor am I connected to anyone in this video.

This is a wonderful article on painting. Now I've painted my share of houses but I was never very good at explaining the process, enjoy!!!

House painting /home interior and exterior.   by Vic Nagy

House painting /home interior and exterior.

It's easy to think of interior decorating as a low cost minor renovation to your home. Of course everyone thinks they know how to paint, and some do but most don't. There's a lot of little things (knowledge of paint, paint colors, types of wall paint whether it be acrylic paint or oil paint, brand of paint-preferably Benjamin Moore, ways to apply, etc. etc.)

Paint home - it's a good time to paint interior of your home when you start getting mildewy looking blemishes over the surfaces of your home. I have seen mildew on both inside and outside. And another good reason to paint is when your color starts fading. You want to do some alterations to your room. Peeling paint is even worse than color fade since no one knows really what the color was but they know it shouldn't be peeling. You just bought some new furniture and you want the room to have the fresh look again. You change the use of the room from for example a bedroom to an office, obviously you might now want a bedroom color in this office.

Wall paint - this is where most people start painting, it gives you the biggest bang for the buck when you change the color of a room you have changed the looks of the room. And this is a part of interior decorating because the wall colors greatly affect the rooms atmosphere and can either in enhance or take away from the furniture you put in there. And that would be part two of your interior decorating process choosing your furniture. This is an interesting point most people would pick the furniture they decide they want to use and then choose a wall paint color to match or complement the new furnishings. Just for example you might take some brand-new white furniture for your room and now you might take that exact same white and paint your trim (doors, windows, baseboards and/or moldings ) to really bring out your new furniture.

Interior decorators - if you're at a loss on choosing paint colors for the home interior you might want to consult with a interior decorator, you can show him the home interior and the rooms you would like to paint or decorate and the furnishings that you will be using and they can assist you in selecting the appropriate paint color. And the two of you can discuss different decorating options by them asking you questions on what you like. With this knowledge the interior decorators experienced know how can come up with some home interior decorating ideas that you might choose from. Generally though with a good home interior decorator especially when you are staging your home for sale would be a great asset to sell your home because they know what the public wants.

Ultimately - it is your decision since this is your home what to do about your paint colors on your walls and trim and even your ceiling. But sometimes some outside opinions could spur some great ideas that you wish you would've thought of before.

This is really worth watching especially if you don't know what you are doing in this confusing world of selling your house

If you want to save your house this a great article I ran into. I highly recommend reading it as it applies to just about every loan.

How to Get a Countrywide Loan Modification Under New Federal Loan Guidelines by Lindsy Emery

This article tells you what you need to know in order to apply for and qualify for a Countrywide loan modification under President Obama's new Federal Plan. This mortgage lender is now taking applications from mortgage holders who face financial hardship. If you feel you need to lower your mortgage payments in order to avoid foreclosure on your home, read on to learn how to qualify.

First, you will need to gather certain paperwork for Countrywide loan modification. The Treasury Department has proved Countrywide to offer its borrowers loan modification, featuring the following terms:

– reduction in interest rates down to as low as 2%; — extension of loan terms to as long as 40 years; — deferral of principal.

The federal loan modification plan is designed to provide homeowners who qualify with a new monthly payment, equaling just 31% of gross monthly income. This target payments includes all monthly costs: principal, taxes, interest, insurance, and any homeowner's dues. President Obama's plan allows for a first mortgage modification, as well as for a second loan, but there is a separate plan for loan modification of second loans. The federal plan offers cash incentives to lenders, in exchange for lowering the monthly payments on all qualifying loans.

You need to be the following terms in order to qualify for a Countrywide loan modification through President Obama's plan:

– the loan must have originated prior to January 1, 2009; — the current mortgage payment must exceed 31% of your monthly gross income; — the loan must be for under $729,750 for single unit properties; the rate is higher for two to four unit properties.

Here is where the paperwork comes in. You will need to prove that you can maintain payments under the loan modification terms, by submitting a financial statement of your current expenses, along with your proof of income. Start by collecting your bank statements and pay stubs, along with your latest IRS tax form. If you can complete the paperwork properly, and meet the basic approval guidelines, you stand a good chance of receiving a Countrywide loan modification. There is no need to feel overwhelmed by the paperwork process, if you take things one step at a time, use a loan modification guide to help you work through the steps, and ask any questions you may have along the way. The main point is to take your time and do it right, since this is a one-time opportunity.

Someone asked me to help them "sell my houses" and frankly it's quite easy.

You have to prepare your houses first before even thinking about selling them. You have to look at the condition objectively and try as best you can to realize that if you are selling one or multiple houses it doesn't matter if you try to package them as a cash-flow or as a residence. If they don't show nicely they are worthless to the average buyer.

So for the guy asking to "sell my houses" that's the first step. The next step would be to get a nice clean sign that people will see. People underestimate the use of signs when selling a house. They usually go very cheap on this part. You want a clean red and white sign. People think "stop" from stop signs and they usually do.

Next, you have to give it the right price. You can't sell the house for more than it's worth, especially in this market. You are going to have to sell it for a fair price quickly and not try to get ever nickel out of it. You should probably spend a good deal of time looking at your neighbor's houses for sale and also drive around other neighborhoods and look for the pattern of what houses look like and if yours is comparable.

I told that "sell my houses" guy he probably needs a home-stager if he wants to sell single-family houses, like his, that he was renting as a place to live. You will want someone to make it look like a home rather than a house. That's extremely important.

How about open houses? Yes they work and yes they are effective. If you have something worth showing off nothing is better than an open house. Make sure you use enough signs to direct and attract people. That's the #1 mistake people make when doing an open house is not having enough signs. You should have at least 10 of them.

Lastly if you need any help I offer an entire course on how to do this from A-Z. Just look for the link to the site and I'm looking forward to working with you.

Sell Own Home

If you thinking about selling your own home there are a lot of factors to consider. There are pros and cons that you should take into consideration. Many of the cons are easy to overcome with some basic knowledge. Honestly, selling your own home is the best thing you can do as you are in control of what happens and you can control the outcome from different ways, from marketing to negotiating.

Here are some of the pros and cons of doing it yourself.

Pros to sell own home:

1st: You try harder than anyone else to sell the house. No one is going to try harder than you. Many people can't or won't understand the pressures you are going through to sell a house, from a job transfer, to just wanting a better school or bigger home… no one will try as hard to sell your house.

2nd: There is no real estate commission and that can be a huge savings, especially when you factor in possible negotiations

3rd: You know when and how to show your home at the best times for you and your family and you aren’t inconvenienced at odd times that don’t suit your life (within reason)

4th: You control the negotiations and know what you want without pressure from an agent who may want to sell your house for the commission rather than your best interest

5th: You will probably pay more to advertise your house than an agent will. Most agents, especially in a down market, put very little money into their listings.

Cons to sell own home:

1st: You feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the process. Selling a home can seem very intimidating. Many people just "give it to a real estate guy" for that reason alone. This really shouldn't be a con, but for many people it is because the process seems so hard. In all actuality it isn't, but many people feel that pressure.

2nd: You don’t know the process to sell your own home and it can be confusing. Being confused is common. Do you think you're the only person who feel confused by this process?

3rd: It might take more time than you initially thought and don’t have the time to invest to show the house yourself. Right now you don't know when your house is going to sell because the market is so unstable.

4th: The paperwork, to many people, seems overwhelming. The quantity of papers can seem so daunting, but trust me, it's not hard if you read it. It's most filling out information you know already about yourself or the house.

5th: Many homeowners over-estimate the value of their house. They think they understand pricing but fail to understand the real value based on subjective understandings of the market

To sell own home effectively you can do both the for sale by owner method and use realtors. I have a great course that I’m putting out shortly (but not out yet) that teaches you everything you want to know. I have free videos to help you do this so please click here to get your free videos on how to sell your house from A-Z.