Sandpoint homes for sale that appear on the Sandpoint foreclosures list may benefit from the renewed and expanded first and not-first time homebuyers tax credit.

The Senators say it’s a done deal.    They have talked it to death but now all the fence sitters have come to an agreement. 

It still has to get signed off in the House and Senate but lawmakers expect to have President Obama’s signature by tomorrow night or beginning of next week.

Here’s what it will do:

1.  Extend the $8,000 tax credit until 30 April 2010.

2.  Add a separate $6,500 credit for other not first-time homebuyers.

3.  The $6,500 credit for primary residences only.

4.  Raises the ceiling on qualifying income.

5.  New limit for single taxpayers to be $125,000

6.  New limit for joint taxpayers to be $225,000

7.  Buyers must have sales agreements in hand by April 30, 2010.

8.  Buyers will have until June 30 to go to settlement. (60 Days)

Sales took a dive as the clock was running out on the current first time homebuyer tax credit.

This costly program riddled with fraud will continue.   By 2012 we may look back and say it was worth the expense.

The cost has been about one billion dollars per month.

Do you have questions about the Sandpoint foreclosures scene?  Do you want to know how to use the first time homebuyers tax credit to purchase a home on the Sandpoint foreclosures list?

Are you a seller with a home on the Sandpoint foreclosures list that wants to attract a buyer using the expanded tax credit?

If its time for your confidential conversation about Sandpoint foreclosures you know what to do today.

Probably don’t need the cone of silence or a locked door discussion.   Let’s just meet for a cup of coffee.

That’s his position concerning Sandpoint foreclosures.

The notice of default is one of the first signposts on the road to ruin and leads to a parking spot on the Sandpoint foreclosures list.

The end of the road for homes on the Sandpoint foreclosures list is the property auction.  This can be tricky turf for the first time home buyers.   More of them are showing up at auctions instead of just cash carrying investors.

You registered.  Filled out the proper paperwork.  You bid half what it was listed for and win.  Or did you win? If you are going to bid at an auction you must be prepared.

For the people who lost a home to the Sandpoint foreclosures list, the auction is finally the time when all their hopes for a miracle flat line.   Here is a sample of homes that will have auction dates in November, December, and January.

A.  3 bed, 3 bath, 1,480 sqft home built in 2001, on acreage 15 miles south of Sandpoint.

B.  3 bed, 2 bath, built in 1998 about 15 minutes north of Sandpoint.

C.  Beautiful home in Syringa Heights hits the auction block in November.

D.  4 Bed, 3.5 bath, 4,413 sqft home on acreage, 10 years old goes to auction in February.

Do you want to consult with a professional about how to best approach the auction process of Sandpoint foreclosures?   Do you need help developing a checklist before you attend the auction of a home on the Sandpoint foreclosures list?

Call or email me for a confidential consultation regarding your real estate plans and together we can construct a strategy that will help you realize your goals.

You know what to do.

A story of scandalous behavior, lies, and deception by “reputable” people and agencies.  Scams and scoundrels are identified in a new tell-all book by Idaho’s Attorney General, Lawrence Wasden.

At 60 pages it’s a good read for folks that want the straight scoop on loan mortgage modification and federal help on avoiding foreclosure.

It’s titled “Foreclosure Prevention and Foreclosure Scams:  How to Tell the Difference”.  It is a must read for anyone associated with Sandpoint foreclosures.

You may remember that I applauded AG Lawrence Wasden’s team for going after Apply2Save in Cda because they were ripping off distressed homeowners.

Arm yourself with knowledge that you can use and share with your neighbors to help confront Sandpoint foreclosures.

I mentioned that my daughter wanted to know if there is a prize for the 100th bank failure of the year.  It happened yesterday. FDIC sells bank assets and feeds bucks from the insurance fund to cover customer deposits.

The FDIC pinata has dropped $25 billion on closed banks.  More banks falling through the ice will cost about $100 billion by the end of 2013.

People buying or selling Sandpoint homes are curious about the Sandpoint foreclosures list.   Are you?

Do you know what leads up the notice of default and how it relates to Sandpoint foreclosures?   Do you know how many homes on the Sandpoint foreclosures list are scheduled for auction right now?

Call or email me today and we can schedule a confidential conversation over a cup of coffee downtown.  No papers to sign.  No listing agreement.  Just the help you need.

Ask Ray

1-877-Forclosure

(1-877-367-3256)

ray@sandpointforeclosures.com

(P.S.  This is why Betsy and I have a Dog – Cat’s are Just to Sly)

Bob Johnson and the Vets march the American Flag

At 7 pm all over America, football fans gather to celebrate their hometown team.  It is exciting and reassuring to be part of this tradition.  It is a few hours that we put our cares and concerns on the back burner.

Then comes the weekend and people visiting and the talk will certainly include Sandpoint foreclosures.

At least one source reports 3,972 active foreclosure listings in the Gem State.  Sandpoint foreclosures in Bonner County were at 86 and counting.

61 auctions were reported.  16 Bank Owned properties (REOs) and 9 Government foreclosures.

Older than great Grandma, this 2 bed, 1 bath, in Sandpoint has an asking price of $108,000 with the benefit of walking or bike riding at your door.

Snowboarders and skiers can cook, bath, and crash in 400 sqft, in this 1973 townhouse/condo at Schweitzer Mountain Resort at an affordable asking price of $119,500.

What is a 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 4,674 sqft, home in Sandpoint worth to you.  Let’s talk it over before the auction date in mid-December.

Sandpoint foreclosures can be a bargain for the buyer that is willing to purchase and wait.  There is no magic ATM, cash cow, or flipping feature to these homes.

Sandpoint foreclosures are in town and out of town.  Some are on lots and some are on acreage.

Here is a 4 bed, 2 bath, small town home, close to public beach, miles of bike trails and built in 1970, that will hit the auction block just before Thanksgiving. What would you bid on a Sandpoint foreclosures list home?  What are the checklist steps you should take when planning a purchase from the Sandpoint foreclosures list?

These are tough times.  Betsy and I have been encouraged and inspired by countless stories of folks reaching out to each other.  We are fortunate to share so much with one other in our little town.

Email, call me, or let’s get together over coffee downtown and kick your situation around instead of your situation kicking you around.

A 4 year old successfully applied for the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit (FTHBTC).

Art Linkletter proved it.  Kids really say (and do) the darndest things.

TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) is not getting the job done to curb Sandpoint foreclosures.  HAMP is not helping slow Sandpoint foreclosures and congress wants an accounting right down to the specific congressional districts.

Congressional Budget Office estimates extending and expanding the FTHBTC would cost one billion dollars per month.  Per Month!!!!   Meanwhile Ways and Means Committee met to discuss one-half billion dollars in fraud with FTHBTC.

Hundreds of millions of dollars was paid to people not qualified for program.  The Sandpoint foreclosures list grows.  More painful is that many have already lost everything.

IRS employees defrauding the government through first time buyers program, outrageous salaries and extravagant bonuses paid to executives.  In companies that the American taxpayer owns a majority share.

If your home wound up on the Sandpoint foreclosures list in 2009, you most likely got an overload of despair and frustration.   Every glowing announcement about programs that would rescue us turned out to be a dud.

But in this twisted carnage of failed promises and programs, there is a four year old that successfully applied for the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit.   Amazing.

You and I can “childproof” our homes.   The IRS does not know how.  48,000 tax credit users were under the age of 18.

Are you in danger of default? Is there a chance you may be headed for the Sandpoint foreclosures list?   Now is the time to email or call for a confidential conversation about Sandpoint foreclosures in the specific context of your situation.

Oh yeah, star buck-naked.  In his own home.

So why was Eric arrested?   A woman and her 7 year old son were trespassing on his lawn and got a good look at his mug through the window of his own home.  Cops were called.  Busted.

Thank heavens we nailed this criminal instead of the ones that are making a buck off families in foreclosure.   People in Sandpoint homes are probably breathing easier, right?

There are more Sandpoint foreclosures that are part of the national picture.  Here’s the snapshot.  There are 14 million vacant homes in the USA and many of them are on the Sandpoint foreclosures list.  16 million homes are worth less than what is owed.

Government programs are not providing solutions. Unemployment has not been this high in 26 years.  No job.  No mortgage payment.  No money.  No loan modification.

Sandpoint foreclosures will grow like Jack’s magic beanstalk in 2010.  Unemployment, no small business capital, lender tightened loan criteria, ARMs resetting, and commercial foreclosures will be the headlines in 2010.

Sandpoint foreclosures can slow if we can work together with state and local agencies to match up qualified buyers and investors with sellers that have not yet defaulted.

State and local housing agencies are getting a shot in the arm from the Obama administration this week with a new program they hold will help hundreds of thousands of people.

Banks repossessed 88,000 homes in September 2009.  The July-September quarter saw the highest foreclosure rate in 1) Nevada 2) California 3) Florida and 4) Idaho. How can a largely rural state of 1.5 million people wind in the top five?

Who would have thought in 2005-2006 that Sandpoint foreclosures would be a runaway real estate industry tumor or that Idaho would rank 4th in foreclosures nation-wide?

Do the stats startle you at all?  Are you feeling the pressure of job loss?  Do you believe you may be headed toward a default on your mortgage?   Are trying to make sense of the Sandpoint foreclosures scene, either as a seller or a buyer?

Are you ready for a confidential conversation with no papers to sign and no attempt to list your property?   Let’s grab a cup of coffee (in public) and talk it over.  I’m here to help you.

Ask Ray

1-877-Forclosure

(1-877-367-3256)

ray@sandpointforeclosures.com

The $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit expires in 40 days. Will it be modified and extended?  Should it?  Has this tax credit helped people buy homes that were headed for the Sandpoint foreclosures list?

IRS says 1.4 million taxpayers used the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit in 2009. The IRS says it is investigating more than 100,000 suspicious claims.  IRS has identified 167 “criminal schemes” applied to the tax credit.

Again, should it be extended if it will help reduce the number of Sandpoint foreclosures and provide relief around the nation?

The estimated cost is 16.7 billion over 60 months. (That’s about what it cost to keep my car running in high school.)  U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson points out that extending and expanding the 8,000 dollar tax credit amounts to less than 3% of the stimulus.

The dark days of winter are coming on the heels of Halloween.   Many of our neighbors have lost their homes and are renters.  Some have moved away for better jobs and more financial opportunity.

The number of Sandpoint foreclosures and area north of Sandpoint may grow with all the jobs lost at Welco.  Where will those mill workers find employment?

Do you want to team up with a caring professional to learn about Sandpoint foreclosures?   Do you need help navigating the information ocean to determine if purchasing a home on the Sandpoint foreclosures list makes sense for you?

You know what do to next.

Ask Ray

1-877-Forclosure

(1-877-367-3256)

ray@sandpointforeclosures.com

These headlines chalked up the most hits on msn.com this morning.   I did not see any headlines about Sandpoint foreclosures.  But, a 3M dollar bra?

Barry lost his home 18 weeks ago.  He said the time his home spent on the Sandpoint foreclosures list passed him like a Japanese bullet train.

Sandpoint foreclosures are not about to stop.  There are stories that break your heart.  Barry told me that people have heard so many sad tales that they just accept it.   It’s like hearing that X number of soldiers died today … on the news.

You flip the channel and move on to a sitcom.  You accept the news as routine. Sandpoint foreclosures are homes that continue to be lost to our community because those families are gone.

I looked at cure amounts due on the Sandpoint foreclosures list.  I divided 3 million dollars by that amount.

Victoria’s Secret has offered bras with precious stones for 5-15 million dollars.  I keep thinking that if I could get my hands on a couple of these bras, I could cure every default on the Sandpoint foreclosures list.

Kathleen is only asking $204,700 for her 2,300 sqft home with 3 beds, 2.5 baths, bonus room above the 2-car garage, veggie garden, fenced backyard, one off-street parking space, and mud room off covered rear porch.

If she gets her price, she estimates walking away prior to her notice of default with just under $4,000 in her pocket.  She is not greedy – she just wants to end the stress.

These are frustrating times for many of us.   Emotional responses outpace the good in us sometimes and has spurred public discussion of reaching for the best in all of us.

No matter where you fit into the Sandpoint foreclosures scene — buying, selling, assisting, counseling, or consolidating information — I can help.  You know what to do.

Ask Ray

1-877-Forclosure

(1-877-367-3256)

ray@sandpointforeclosures.com

At 16 , Jessica Watson is sailing around the world.  Jessica, a 16-year old Aussie took her Mary Kay cosmetic colored yacht out of Sydney Harbor today.  No young men assisting her as she leaves on a 23,600 mile trip around the world expected to take about 8 months.

In 8 months the list of Sandpoint foreclosures will grow faster than dead pirates’ fingernails.   Several homes have made the list in October that defaulted over less than 30,000 dollars in back payments.

Some of the homes on the Sandpoint foreclosures list could have been sold this summer.  Why didn’t they sell?   Because the mortgage company holding the note is not the lender that provided the loan to the homes on the Sandpoint foreclosures list.

I met with an exasperated cash buyer two weeks ago that attempted to learn all that he could about a home on the Sandpoint foreclosures roster.   He detailed his frustrating efforts to pull enough information together to make an offer either before the auction or at the auction.

Now in an attempt to purchase yet a third home he identified on the Sandpoint foreclosures list, he has learned that it is now a bank-owned property.

Sailing through the ocean of questions surrounding Sandpoint foreclosures is easier with a crew.  Are you navigating these dangerous waters solo?  Are you anchored in frustration and helplessness?  Do you have questions about Sandpoint foreclosures?    You know what to do.

Ask Ray

1-877-Forclosure

(1-877-367-3256)

ray@sandpointforeclosures.com

The Sandpoint Teen Center has a budget of $15,150 for this year. With that we provide an (after school) home away from home, a meal, mentoring, tutoring, fun and games, arts, and camaraderie with other adults and kids 3-4 days a week (averaging about 100 kids a month).

We pay a director, pay rent, buy food, craft supplies, etc. The kids visit Assisted Living, cut wood, rake leaves and learn to be involved in their communities in all sorts of productive ways.

We have raised about $8,000 to date and are in need of at least another $8,000 to sustain operation through the year. We hope to raise at least $4,000 at this event with a bank match of $4,000 (THANK YOU, PSB!)

Teen Center Auction at PSB

SPONSORED BY PANHANDLE STATE BANK ADMINISTRATION

Additional sponsor: TANGO CAFE

DATE: SAT, OCTOBER 17, 2009
TIME: VIEWING SOCIAL; 5:00 P.M.
DINNER: 6:00 P.M. DINNER:
CATERED BY THE TANGO CAFE $20/Ticket  TEENS MAKE HALF!! THANK YOU, TANGO!!
AUCTIONEER: JEFF SATER
AUCTION AT 7:00 P.M.
The Teen Center – A Home Away From Home

Mission: The Sandpoint Teen Center is committed to providing a safe, positive and enriching environment where Sandpoint area teens are able to relax, socialize, and participate in both supervised and self-directed activities as well as have the opportunity to contribute to the community.

List of auction items for the Teen Center Night:
1. Two nights at Schweitzer for up to 16 people
2. Five soy candles w/driftwood
3. Air Hockey table
4. Antique Fishing Reel (1970) – Garcia Mitchell 300 “World’s Smoothest Most Versatile Spinning Wheel.” Never opened, make in France
5. Autographed Jersey by Jake Plummer, former Denver Broncos quarterback
6. Baked Goods
7. Themed baskets
8. Bicycle tune-up or skateboard tune-up from Sandpoint Sports
9. Boat Ride and Dinner
10. Buckle from Gov. Butch Otter
11. Coat rack from Robert Payne
12. Scott Kirby concert – for your next function!
13. Driftwood side tables
14. Festival at Sandpoint tickets for the 2010 season
15. Fishing Trip
16. Gift certificates from Kandy’s Tanning, Northwest Wellness Center, Eve’s Leaves, Mica Tsongas (acupuncturist), North Idaho Spine Clinic, Mark William Cochran D.S. chiropractic, Windsong Gifts, Shamantic Arts Life Coach
17. Glass Art by Colleen Rust
18. High Tea Party w/10-minute tea discussion, as well as view and learn about Asian artifacts and Decor
19. Integrated Energy Therapy Session
20. Round leather keep box for fishing flies
21. Jewelry piece by Judy Bauscher
22. Jewelry piece by Darlene Pfahl
23. Edgewater Best Western lodging
24. La Quinta lodging – one-night stay.
25. One-week stays in condo for 3 people in Stockholm, Sweden, plus guided day in Stockholm and train ride (airfare not included). At right is a photo of the Drottningholm Castle, a must-see attraction during a visit to Sweden.
26. Friday-Saturday night stay at Rose’s Bed and Breakfast in Mukilteo, Wash. Queen-size room overlooks Mukilteo Lighthouse and Whidbey Island (breakfast included)
27. Metalwork’s Decor (handmade)
28. Navaho Dress
29. Painting (watercolor) by Diane Zahner
30. Painting or other by Holly Kroegar
31. Pend Oreille Pasta & Wine Market
32. Pend Oreille Winery
33. Photograph from Denmark (with driftwood frame) by Swedish photographer Linda Anderson
34. Photograph of Morton Slough by Gordon Ormeshire from We the People Art Gallery
35. 1894 Piano
36. Piano Tuning (one standard) by Jim Payne
37. Picture Frame by Robert Payne
38. Print by Barbara Janish
39. Quilt (Handmade)
40. Silverwood tickets or pass
41. Tea Party
42. Wall Hanging (w/metal) from Coldwater Creek
43. Wood project by Dave Rogers
44. Haircut by Heidi Rickard
45. Nemadji Earth Pottery. Two pottery pieces (photo at right) made of the clay left after the Glacial Ice Age melted 25,000 years ago, and left clay in various shades and composition. The colors of Nemadji Earth Pottery allows no two pieces to be alike. The warm rich hand-painted colors recall the colorful arts of our Ancient Americans whose spirit lives forever.
46. Fishing Trip. Fishing day for steelhead and salmon, for two people, on a jet boat in Orofino ($400 value). Visit GuideShop.com for more details.
47. Four-hour private drawing class with artist Diana Chappell (library mural artist)
48. Print by Diana Chappell (originally sold for $10,000)
49. St. Croix 3-piece spinning rod – This three piece is referred to as a travel-type rod. 7 feet, medium power, fast action, 8-17 lb. line (Cabela’s sells this rod for $200-$240)
50. Gary Loomis GL3, Model STR 1263 C casting rod, 10′ 6″ in length, medium, fast action, 6-12 lb. line. (Suggested retail value – $360)
51. Gary Loomis GL3, Model STR 1143C, 9′ 6″, casting rod, medium, moderate-fast, 6-12 foot line.

Contact person: Monica Hansen, Chairman, and Teen Center Auction
208-265-3335 or X 2304 Cell:  (208) 610-0512  monicab@panhandlebank.com

Hope you can get out and enjoy yourself for a really good cause tonight.

Ask Ray

1-877-Forclosure

(1-877-367-3256)

ray@sandpointforeclosures.com