Stuart Shienfeld Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Stuart Shienfeld Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR® Expertise in Distressed Sales



Las Vegas, NV 12/05/2010 — Stuart Shienfeld with Easy Street Realty has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.



According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.



“As leading advocates for homeownership, REALTORS® believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results,” said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it’s extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a REALTOR® who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases.”



The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

Stuart Shienfeld

Easy Street Realty

702-406-2382

realestateinvegas@gmail.com

www.stuartshienfeld.com

A Few Bright Spots In The Las Vegas Housing Market

The time has finally come when we realtors can question and possibly correct a low appraisal says, realtor Stuart Sheinfeld. The July 21st passage of Obama’s Consumer Protection legislation included a host of RE-Related topics, but none was more important to our immediate needs than the language regarding appraisals. It allows realtors, mortgage bankers/brokers, consumers, and “any other person with an interest” to ask an appraiser to consider additional information such as comps, details, substantiation, and/or explanations to support an appraisal. In other words – you’re allowed to offer evidence and have it considered by an appraiser.
The number of new home sales nearly doubled month over month, jumping from 515 to 983. That 983 total, incidentally, was more than double the same month one year ago (105%). It was also the highest total of any month since September 2008. The part of the market that is pushing the new home figure upward are Hi-Rise sales led by City Centre’s Vdara and Veer condos.
Las Vegas now boasts the lowest number of subdivisions in this decade at 223. Reflecting new home sales totals, new home permits hit 423, a small increase over last month but a 23% year over year increase. At the same time, MLS inventory increased slightly, from 10,126 in May to 11,234 in June. It seems like the first wave of foreclosures has passed now we wait for the second wave says realtor Stuart Sheinfeld.

Las Vegas Housing Market is Showing Signs of Recovery

Cash continues to be king when it comes to buying a home in Las Vegas & Henderson says local realtor Stuart Sheinfeld. Cash buyers accounted for over 50 percent of all home purchases. In April, sales were strong, inventory fell slightly and prices remained relatively stable. Existing home sales fell slightly from last month (348 units to 4,323). However, that number is still 3.6% ahead of last April. And for the first four months of the year, existing home sales are 2.488 units or 18% ahead of last year. Strong sales are the first element in a recovery. MLS inventory continued its slow steady decline, slipping to a total of 9,400 units, the lowest total since July, 2004. At current sales rates, that represents just 2.7 months of supply for the market. Existing home prices rose to $126,000 - the highest point this year - and the highest level in 13 months. The average price per square foot jumped more than $2 to $81.61 - a 4% increase over last April. New-home sales are on the rise because buyers are getting frustrated with short sales & multiple offers on REO’s say realtor Stuart Sheinfeld. Another positive economic sign is the Tivoli Village in Summerlin, a mixed-use, retail, office, condo and dining center plans to be completed(first phase) by March 2011. With new federal programs in place to expedite short sales, HAMP & HAFA, we should see the Las Vegas housing inventory continue to decline, Sheinfeld says.

Las Vegas The Short Sale Capital

Las Vegas and the state may be changing from the nation’s foreclosure capital to the nations short sale capital say realtor Stuart Sheinfeld
Short sales averaged about 8% of total existing-home closings last year, but averaged 25% of the market by the end of the year and in early January
Short sales are becoming the trend as banks try to find ways to avoid letting homes go into foreclosure.
The most undervalued market is Las Vegas where homes sell for 41.4% below fair market.
The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas in Henderson will close its doors May 2.
Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas will close at midnight March 14.

SALES:
--->Resales are up BIG!
The number of existing homes sold in 2009 was 48,075, a 57% increase over 2008 and the third highest total in history. The 4,502 sales in December's made it the 3rd highest month of the year.


INVENTORY:
--->All inventory elements continue to decline.
The number of foreclosures in inventory slid to 11,248 in December. That's the lowest total since March 2008. The reason that inventory is declining is simple:
In six of the last eight months, the number of foreclosures sold was larger than the number of foreclosures created.
The 10,262 homes in resale inventory in December represents just 2.6 months of supply. December's resale inventory is the second lowest total since March, 2005.
PRICES:
--->Resale prices declined in December
Resale prices remained in their narrow range, dropping from $125,000 last month to $120,000 in December. Existing home prices have bounced between those two numbers since April.

High-rise condo stats
• Allure — 190 of 427 units unsold; 40 in default; 10 bank owned.
• Juhl — 309 of 344 unsold.
• Newport Lofts — 23 of 168 unsold; 51 in default, 12 bank owned.
• One Queensridge Place — 85 of 219 unsold; 8 in default.
• Panorama Tower 3 — 334 of 372 unsold.
• Sky Las Vegas — 79 of 405 unsold; 50 in default; 5 bank owned.
• Streamline Tower — 248 of 275 unsold.
• Turnberry Towers West — 255 of 318 unsold.
• MGM Signature 3 — 84 of 576 unsold; 105 in default; 17 bank owned.
• Palms Place — 204 of 599 unsold.
• Trump International — 977 of 1,282 unsold.

Realtor Stuart Sheinfeld has been using his new Apple IPAD to show more listings while out with clients.


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Las Vegas & Henderson Housing Inventory is Declining

Las Vegas housing inventory is declining. Investors in Las Vegas & Henderson don’t seem to be going away. Some buyers are facing a daunting task of 30, 50 even 100 offers on bank owned properties, says a local real estate agent Stuart Shienfeld. The public property records show that 45 percent of the Las Vegas buyers in August purchased homes with cash. This has forced most buyers to start putting offers on short sales which can take up to 6 months to close. Short sales in Las Vegas are making up more than 50% of homes on the market; nearly 7,800 short-sale units are under contract, either contingent or pending lending approval.
With so much competition for Las Vegas real estate, new homes are becoming a viable option again. For home buyers that qualify for the $8000 tax credit new homes could be the only option. If a buyer wants to take advantage they need to be under contract within the next 30 days. The tax credit is set to expire on November 31,2009. A $8,000 tax credit is huge when the median existing home price is less than $130,000. The Realtors association has lobbied Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., and U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and they have lobbied for an extension of the tax credit in to 2010.
• Current Supply stays at 2.9 months
• REO inventory is DOWN
• Interest rates are averaging 5%-5.50%
• 2 months left to take advantage of the $8000.00 tax credit. Needs to close by 11/31/09
• 5 straight months of 4000+ home sales
• Over 55% of ALL NEW LISTINGS last less than a month on the market
The lack of foreclosure inventory, which is declining in Las Vegas could keep sales low & competition high. People buying in this market could look like geniuses in the next couple years.

Short Sale Frustration

Purchasing a short sale property which requires the seller’s lender approval is very complex situation. Even if you are working with the seller, however, the lender must approve the final numbers. We are asking them to accept less than what may be currently owed to them on the property.

If you submit an offer on a short sale property they usually should be submitted to the bank as they come in. This is not always the case since some real estate agents wait to submit groups of offers at once. This can delay an offer for at least a week to 10 days. Once it is submitted, it will take at a minimum 30-90 days to get a response, all depending on the institution that holds the note. Hopefully the seller has received approval for the short sale. If not, this process will take at least 45 days longer. You will need patience with this process!!!

Short sales, may change in the negotiation process in getting a final approval for the sale. The buyer will most likely have to pay for any reports, inspections &/or repair items. The buyer may be responsible for ordering & paying for the HOA documents; should a fee exist, to satisfy any and all due diligences per the CCR’s requirements to purchase a property in an association.

The lenders provided closing date is firm. The actual selling price of this transaction will be determined upon getting an acceptable “net proceeds” required notification from the seller’s lender and adding the lenders acceptable costs to that bottom line.

Short sales are time sensitive and agents must understand that extensions are usually not honored by loss mitigation departments; especially if there is a bank sale date scheduled.

Short sales can be a very frustrating transaction for most buyers. You may fall in love with a property and submit a generous offer on it compared to the comps in the area and still not get it. The worst part is not knowing for months if your offer was accepted or not and not even getting a chance to submit a counter-offer.

I always explain this scenario to my clients. With the numbers showing that foreclosures have doubled in Las Vegas from a year ago and the next wave of adjustable-rate mortgage resets could deepen the misery for an already severely depressed housing market. Almost 1.5 million loans, representing more than 40% of the outstanding loans of subprime ARMs, are scheduled to reset this year, according to the Federal Reserve.

For more information on short sales, foreclosures, reo’s, & Las Vegas real estate contact Stuart Sheinfeld at www.elitevegasrealestate.com