The St. Jude 2008 Chico Dream Home will be located in Aspire Homes McKinney Ranch community at the southwest corner of Eaton Road and Godman Avenue, specifically, on Desiree Lane. Map of Eaton Rd & Godman Ave Chico, CA 95973, US

Don’t need a house in Chico? Search to find one in your area here.

The estimated value of the second St. Jude Dream Home built in Chico will be $400,000 for 2060 square feet.

Approximately 11,000 tickets will be available for sale at Tri Counties Banks or by calling 800-847-8573, a 24-hour toll-free hotline with additional information. Each $100 ticket is eligible for a chance to win the house or one of many other prizes. In addition, tickets purchased by April 4 are eligible to win an early bird prize valued at a minimum of $1000. One out of every 500 buyers can win a bonus prize.

The goal this year? Raise $1.1 million!

Winners will be announced June 15 during a live St Jude television special on CBS 12, NCB 24 and CW 10.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the world’s premier pediatric cancer research center. They were the first to cure the most common form of childhood leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), helping to drive the cure rate from 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today. Doctors send their most difficult, and most vulnerable patients to St. Jude, with the confidence they will be receive the most up-to-date and aggressive care available.

All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family’s ability to pay.

I would like to introduce Tori Hopkins, age 2. Please read her story here.

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Looking to buy or sell Chico CA Real Estate? Need a Top Producing Chico CA Realtor? Call Sandi Bauman 530-864-5407 or email sandibauman@sbcglobal.net. Specializing in REO, residential, relocation, investment & ag property.

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I recently had a client tell me that I was a “black and white” Chico CA Realtor.
“Of course I am!” was my first thought.
“Why would you want me to be any other way?” was my second thought.

I wouldn’t want my lawyer, or accountant or doctor to sugar-coat the truth for me. Why would a buyer or seller not want their Realtor to be straight up? We had a very interesting, light-hearted debate over lunch as to the virtues of “telling it like it is” versus “sugar-coating” (my term, not his). Given the excellent company, great Mexican food and a couple of Coronas, the discussion was enjoyable and thought-provoking, to say the least.

In my opinion, the contracts that we utilize to transfer Chico CA Real Estate ARE pretty “black and white.” An entire team of lawyers worked together to ensure they were as accurate and airtight as possible. They constantly review and adjust them. I believe it is in my client’s best interest to respect the contract and the authority it has, rather than test the system and jeopardize the possibility of realizing his real estate goals. Not to mention the issue of opening himself up to other possible negative consequences (IE: loss of deposit, delay in obtaining a property, loss of prime interest rate, etc.)

For instance: if the contract specifies that the good faith deposit is to be deposited into escrow within 3 days, I recommend that the client deposits it within 3 days. Period. There is no wiggle room. The buyer has defaulted if he chooses NOT to deposit within 3 days, and the seller can cancel the contract should he wish to do so. To me, this is very black and white, and I will explain it as such. You either follow the rules, Mr. Buyer, or risk losing the house to a buyer who does.

As a Chico CA Realtor representing a client, I will call it as I see it, because it’s my job to protect my client’s interests. Oftentimes, I find the client simply does not understand the contract or the possible repercussions of not following it, and therefore behaves in such a way that he risks the very goals towards which he is striving. I simply don’t have it in me to sugarcoat the negative possibilities. For most people, a real estate purchase is one of the largest and most important of their lives. I feel they deserve to understand the full scope of the situation.

I of course respect my clients opinion, and ultimately their course of action, even if the client makes decisions contrary to what I am suggesting.

My only concern is that they are properly informed prior to doing so.

My valued client’s take on it was that a Chico Realtor should only offer feedback with a soft touch, even if it means watching the client shoot himself in the foot. My problem with “sugarcoating” is that I think it’s a mistake to not give a client all of the facts with which they can weigh their decision.

Realtors that will tell their clients what they want to hear in order to secure their business are unfortunately a dime a dozen. The sad thing is, the client is done a disservice when they aren’t told the entire truth, and they aren’t being properly represented.
Looking forward to more posts like this?

Subscribe to: Chico CA Real Estate Blog and MLS Listings Search!

Looking to buy or sell Chico CA Real Estate? Need a Top Producing Chico CA Realtor? Call Sandi Bauman 530-864-5407 or email sandibauman@sbcglobal.net. Specializing in REO, residential, relocation, investment & ag property.

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Are you facing foreclosure on your Chico Home?

If you have fallen behind on your mortgage payments, you need to be acutely aware of the “foreclosure rescue schemes” being played out all over the United States. As a Chico homeowner in distress, you are more likely to be more vulnerable to mortgage fraud.

Freddie Mac is working hard to get the word out on mortgage fraud. You can read their recent article in full here “Avoiding Mortgage Fraud.”

Stay informed, and avoid signing any documents without first consulting your lender.

After all, the last thing the bank wants to do right now is foreclose on your property! They will most likely counsel you thoroughly on your legal options, and work with you to find a solution. Please protect yourself, and guard against talking with strangers or anyone who can’t clearly identify himself as your actual lender.

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Looking to buy or sell Chico CA Real Estate? Need a Top Producing Chico CA Realtor? Call Sandi Bauman 530-864-5407 or email sandibauman@sbcglobal.net. Specializing in REO, residential, relocation, investment & ag property.

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by guest writer, Mike Wiegert- broker, Chico Homes Real Estate

If you are worried about keeping up with your Chico CA house payments or you’ve received a letter from your mortgage lender, take a moment to read this article.

The problem won’t go away by itself!

1. Don’t ignore your lender. They want to help you and will discuss the problems you are having. They have options to help you through these financially hard times. They can offer great advice to prevent you from getting into foreclosure. “I didn’t get the mail” or “I didn’t read it” are not valid excuses in foreclosure court. Disregarded mail usually turns into notices of legal actions.

2. Read your mortgage documents. Remember all those papers you signed when you bought your house? Dig them out of whatever hole you put them in and read them. You need to understand what your rights are and the procedures your bank will take to protect their interest in your property. Research other valuable information about foreclosures besides the information offered to you by your lender. An excellent source? Try: www.fha.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm.

3. Get some credit counseling. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) offers free or very low cost housing counseling and information. A HUD counselors will outline options for you, help you organize your finances and even assist you in negotiating with your lender.
For more information call (800)569-4287.

4. Watch out for foreclosure prevention companies and foreclosure recovery scams. Although there many legitimate companies that will offer to assist you for a fee ranging anywhere from two to three months mortgage payments, most of their information and assistance is available to you through HUD as mentioned above. Don’t waste your money at this critical time. NEVER sign your home over to an individual or company that claims it will act on your behalf. As always, enlist the help of an attorney or trusted real estate professional before signing any document conveying the title to your home.

Lastly, if you can’t continue to make your payments consistently, contact a local real estate professional to help determine the actual market value of your property in todays market. Engage the services of a competent and trusted Realtor. Don’t allow yourself to be lured into a listing agreement by an exuberant agent or broker claiming he can get you much more than the others simply because of his extraordinary talents. Ask the agent to provide you a detailed Competitive Market Analysis showing actual, recently sold properties in your neighborhood with similar features and in like condition to your home. The California Department of Real Estate not only allows agents and Brokers to negotiate their commission, but encourages it. Share your extenuating circumstances with your agent. Trusted friends and relatives can be a good source of recommending a Realtor that served them well.

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Looking to buy or sell Chico CA Real Estate? Need a Top Producing Chico CA Realtor? Call Sandi Bauman 530-864-5407 or email sandibauman@sbcglobal.net. Specializing in REO, residential, relocation, investment & ag property.

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Don’t mess with your credit or change employment until your Chico escrow closes!

While perusing a fellow blogger Janis Gagliardi’s recent post it occured to me that the message bears repeating for potential Chico CA buyers.
Here is the full story, courtesy of PortOrangeJuice.

I myself have had two different buyers in the past year or so that were stopped cold in their path to purchasing a new home. In a nutshell, the escrows had progressed to within a day or two before the closing. In both cases, the lenders re-checked the buyers credit and employment status just minutes prior to funding the loan.

1. The first couple had just charged new appliances to their credit card the day before. In doing so, they knocked their qualifying ratios out of whack just enough to destroy their loan package.

2. My second buyer either quit her job or was fired on Wednesday.When the lender checked with her employer on Monday, all bets were off! No job, no loan.

Apply Janis’ tips to ensure you close escrow on your Chico dream home!

DO NOT increase your credit card balances and or loan balances

• DO NOT apply for additional or new credit, or put balances on a paid credit card
• DO NOT ignore late payments and/or collection notices that during the course of your loan
• DO NOT purchase anything that is “the same as cash” – it will show on your credit report as a debt
• DO NOT buy furniture, cars, or appliances until after closing. What good is furniture if you don’t have a new home to put them in!
• DO NOT lend money to family members, friends, etc. if you need it for closing.
• DO NOT store your money at home. Place it in a bank account so that it can be documented as savings throughout the loan process.
• DO NOT have overdrafts on your checking account.

Subscribe to: Chico CA Real Estate Blog and MLS Listings Search!

Looking to buy or sell Chico CA Real Estate? Need a Top Producing Chico CA Realtor? Call Sandi Bauman 530-864-5407 or email sandibauman@sbcglobal.net. Specializing in REO, residential, relocation, investment & ag property.

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Welcome to Sandi Bauman’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in Chico.