Florida Foreclosures

Foreclosures happen in Florida when an individual or group is severely delinquent in payments or can no longer make payments on their mortgage. Any number of situations can contribute to the foreclosure process beginning: an injury preventing work, the loss of a job, a divorce or other financial strains. Foreclosure is the process of the bank or lending institution getting the property back and reselling it to recoup their money.

Florida is a judicial state. This means that all foreclosures must use the court system for processing. Since banks differ and the courts are involved, the foreclosure process timeline varies slightly between individual cases. The average time frame is five to six months from the beginning steps until the finalization of a foreclosure.

Steps Taken to Foreclosure

The first steps fall under the pre-foreclosure period. The mortgage holder is late with payment, but remain in the property while the foreclosure proceedings progress.

Notice of Default

The Notice of Default is the first indication of late payment. It is a written notice sent to the mortgage holder by the mortgage lender. It will state how much money is owed and how late the payment is. A Notice of Default will state what you need to do in order to become current on your payments and prevent foreclosure from happening.

Lis Pendes

Lis Pendes is paperwork filed by the mortgage lender in the county courthouse. It states their intention to sue the property owners if they do not receive the mortgage monies. The court then creates the paperwork that notifies all parties involved about the upcoming lawsuit and the terms.

Action

Notice of Action is the next step in the foreclosure process. When a mortgage holder cannot pay the terms stated in the Notice of Default and goes further in delinquency, a Notice of Action is posted in the local newspaper. It states the mortgage lender's written demands to be paid on their loan and their intent to take back the property if the payment is not made.

Once the Notice of Action is posted, the formal foreclosure process takes place.

Foreclosure Action

A foreclosure action, which is a lawsuit filed under the county where the property is located, is made. This states the intent of the mortgage company to evict the residents and take over ownership of the property. They will post the date and time of the auction where the property will be sold, anywhere from three to six weeks in the future.

Redemption

At any time before the auction of the property, the mortgage holder can take back the property if they can pay off the mortgage in full. If they can pay for the mortgage in full, the proceedings are halted and the mortgage holders can move in and re-assume ownership of the property.

Sheriff's Sale

The last step of the foreclosure process is the Sheriff's sale. This is where the property is auctioned off to the highest bidder at the county courthouse. The price is low to begin, but can escalate if it is in a hot location. Once another bidder has won the auction and the property, the former mortgage holder has terminated all of their rights to the property. Within ten days of the successful sale, the title is transferred to the winning bidder.

Marty Orefice is the president of USLeaseOption.com a successful real estate company that specializes in rent to own homes for sale by owner. You can advertise your owner financed homes online, and have buyers contact you directly.

Homeowners just like you might be able to get a mortgage loan modification under Obama's federal plan. Most banks and lenders are ready and willing to process all applications for this program, the beauty of which is its aggressive nature when it comes to loan negotiations and powerful incentives to motivate the lender to approve applications. Know all there is to know about this plan before you start calling or writing your bank so you will maximize your chances of approval.

$75 billion has been put aside for this program, an amount that will hopefully help almost 5 million homeowners in the United States. This article lists some important and helpful tips that will increase your chances of getting approved for a lower monthly mortgage payment.

This new plan was created for the purpose of qualifying as many homeowners as possible. The guidelines for approval are very clear-cut. The secret is preparing properly so your application is considered and possibly approved. Here are the basic qualifications:

* You must have negotiated your mortgage before 2009
* You loan must be for $729,750 or less (some plans have a higher limit)
* You must live in your home
* Your monthly payments must be over 31% of your income (including all taxes, insurance or dues)
* This must be your first mortgage

If you meet these requirements, you have a very good chance of being approved under Obama's new loan modification plan. Lending institutions are not required to participate in this program, but most are. There is a very high incentive payment for each loan modification that is approved. Homeowners who make their payments on time will get a $1,000/year payment, applied directly to their mortgage principal, for up to five years.

Interested homeowners must complete an application and prove their income. A financial hardship letter is also a required part of the package as is a statement of all your current expenses. How you fill out your application has a lot of influence in getting a modification. It is vital you complete it well so work carefully, slowly, asking questions if needed and be very thorough.

Qualifying homeowners will have their new mortgage payments reduced to just 31% of their income. The interest rate may be reduced to as little as 2% and the term of the loan can be extended to 40 years. Some principal might be deferred.

The federal terms are one of the most aggressive mortgage loan modification options for homeowners today. These terms were created to give homeowners a manageable monthly payment during this time of economic crisis. If you want to apply for this plan, you need to complete your loan modification applications correctly. To improve your plans of being approved, read the forms carefully, ask questions of you need to know something not matter how small. This is a second chance for homeowners who are trying to avoid foreclosure. Being well prepared can make the difference between approval or rejection.

For essential tips and facts about how to get approved for a Loan Modification, Visit our simple, no nonsense loan modification guide and resource: http://MortgageModificationLoan.net/

Whether in California, Texas or Florida, the much needed boost in the real estate market may very well come from foreigners ready and equipped to buy homes and property lined up for foreclosures. Federal property laws vary from state to state, but most do allow foreigners or non-resident US aliens to purchase real estate property in the United States.

The European market as well as residents from the United Kingdom are popular targets of real estate agents. Other foreign nationals including thoes from the Middle East like Dubai, Kuwait and UAE are also popular buyers of US homes.

Dubai and other Middle East nationals and residents who have gone vacationing in the United States will most likely find the US real estate market a very lucrative investment.

For the businessminded and for the wise investor, the right time to make a real estate purhase is when there is a huge supply in the market. The economic slump that the real estate market has found itself in has led to a huge supply of homes at values that are as low as it was three to five years ago. This is most especially true in Califonia, Florida, Nevada and Texas.

There are several foreclosed homes in the market as well as several homeowners who are finding it difficult to keep up with payments. Lately, many homeowners would like to let go of mortgages and loans and are opting to shortsell at bargain prices. Chances are, motivated buyers, especially foreign nationals, would be getting a good bargain for their dream homes.

DataQuick Information Systems in the Unnited States revealed that in the second quarter of 2008 or from April to June of the current year, over 118,020 default notices have been sent out . This is a substantial 125% increase compared to the same period of last year. Moreover, this is the highest numebr of default notices issued since 1992.

Because of the economic situation, banks and lenders have become more open and lenient in giving out loans to non-US residents and foreign nationals. Foreign nationals can aquire loans in the same way that an American investor can get a hard money loan without showing much credit information. All that is necessary is to show substantial collateral and interest.

Foreign nationals looking to invest in the United States real estate market do not need any green card, good credit standing, credit card records or even a visa. In most states, foreign nationals, icluding those from the Middle East or Dubai need only to put forward a least 35% of the home purchase price as a down payment. However, if investors put in as much as 50% of the purchase price as down payment, a much lower interest rate and flexible payment schemes will be offered.

For foreign nationals who would like to invest in the United States real estate market, indeed the possibilities are endless and the opportunities, very much enticing. Whether you live in Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Dubai or Asia, go right ahead and consult with a licensed real estate agent now and open the door to a real estate investment of your dreams that you will not regret.

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The free foreclosure info you find online can be extremely valuable at least at the beginning of your self-education on foreclosure. You will feel much more confident talking to banks or other lending organizations.

Free foreclosure info related to mortgage contracts

A mortgage or deed of trust is an agreement or contract between two parties: the money lending institution and the borrower. Once the contract is entered and signed, the financial company has to hand the agreed money to he borrower in order to buy the specified house or property.

The borrower signs then a promissory note where he/she agrees to repay back the money lent to him/her in its entirety. The agreement also specifies the lien placed on the property. This means that the lending organization has the right to claim and repossess the house if the borrower does not repay back the loan on schedule and does not meet all the obligations stipulated in the contract.

It is at this point when the foreclosure process might begin to threaten you and you will be thankful for all the free foreclosure info you can locate online.

How the judicial foreclosure process works

Foreclosure is a legal process established in legal contracts that refers to tangible immovable properties purchased with a mortgage. They can be a house, farm, real estate or land that goes into foreclosure when the mortgagor or borrower holding the mortgage has stopped making the stipulated payments.

Judicial foreclosure is available in all the American states. When a borrower does not satisfy his/her mortgage repayment obligations the home or real estate goes into foreclosure and thus it is put up for sale. There is no shortage of free foreclosure info on this part of the process on the Internet and libraries.

The benefits from the sale of the immovable property will be distributed as follows: First, to pay off the balance on the mortgage. Next, to any other party that holds lien legal rights. Third, all the rest of the proceeds, if there are any left, go to the borrower. Each one of these transactions is done according to law and inside the legal court system.

What is a non-judicial foreclosure?

In certain cases, the mortgage contract contains a clause regarding the foreclosure by power of sale. It stipulates non-judicial foreclosure proceedings without court intervention. As you may have guessed, non-judicial foreclosure proceedings are quicker because they do not involve any legal court.

Should you ever need free foreclosure info we recommend a search in Google or another major search engine as a starting point. Once you have read five or six foreclosure information sites you can start delimiting your search and distilling the free foreclosure info. This approach will help you judge if you need to buy foreclosure e-books, reports or hard copy books without wasting money.

Click the link to see all the free foreclosure info we offer at http://foreclosureprocesstoday.com Mei Fontana writes and publishes extensively online.

In New York state, a bank can use either judicial or non-judicial foreclosures.   If a power of sale clause is written into the mortgage or deed of trust, this enables the bank to save the time and expense of filing a lawsuit with the court in order to proceed. A power of sale clause is wording that preauthorizes the bank with the option of selling the home without court approval.  Most deeds of trust or mortgages do contain a power of sale clause.  Even though time and money can be saved by using a non judicial process, most banks in the state of New York use judicial foreclosure.

In the absence of a power of sale clause, judicial or in court foreclosure begins in this state when the bank files a complaint against the home owner.  The purpose of this action is to obtain a decree of sale from the court.  When the court finds the home owner in default, the homeowner will then be given a period of time in which they are allowed to pay the amount that is past due, plus costs.  If they can accomplish this, then the sale of the house will be stopped, and the foreclosure on the credit history is avoided.  If, during this time, the home owner cannot come up with this money, then the house will be sold to the highest bidder by the county sheriff or a referee.

The sale date, time, and terms must be advertised in a newspaper with circulation in the county where the home is located for four to six weeks prior to the sale.  Anyone may bid at this sale.  After the winning bid has been accepted by the sheriff or referee, this officer is required to execute a deed to the person making the highest bid at the sale.  The sheriff or referee is further required to pay the bank and receive a receipt of that payment from the bank.

Sometime in the thirty days following the executing of the deed to the purchaser, the officer must file a report of the sale.  This report needs to include the receipt of the payment to the bank.  This report must be filed with the clerk of the court.    Generally, the sale cannot be confirmed for three months following the filing of this report.

Foreclosure in this state usually runs its full course, in 120 days.  The state of New York does not allow any rights of redemption to the borrower who loses their home to foreclosure.  That means the state does not give the former home owner anytime frame in which to regain ownership to the home by matching the winning bid plus costs and or interest.  Deficiency judgments are allowed.  This enables the bank to seek more money than was generated by the sale from the former home owner.  If the bank feels that the funds from the sale are not large enough to satisfy the loan they can seek more money from the homeowner.  Deficiency judgments only allow for the difference between what the house sold for and what was owed on the loan. 

Most people who lose their home at foreclosure, do not have any other resources from which to pay the bank any additional money.  Banks understand this.  So, unless they have reason to believe that the former home owner does have other properties or other resources to pursue, they will most likely not attempt a deficiency judgment.  It would be a waste of time, money, and energy.

Integrity 1st Consulting is your Foreclosure specialist- Kathy Swift

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Integrity 1st Consulting is your Foreclosure ebook specialist- Kathy Swift

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Foreclosure Laws in New York

By definition, a Notice of Default is the letter that is filed by the lender against the borrower when they fail to pay their monthly mortgage obligations, even after being given a grace period to repay delinquencies. It is filed in the public records department where the property is located. This will jumpstart the foreclosure procedures, where lenders seize the property held in the mortgage.

In some states, for example in California, the Notice of Default is usually issued when the borrower is over 60 days late. When this happens, a 90-day period shall be given to the borrower to catch up with their delinquencies and file for reinstatement. A Borrower's failure to do so will prompt the lender to initiate the notice of default by filing and publishing it in the local newspaper for 20 days. After which, the property will be put up for sale on its fair market value, either by judicial foreclosure or by power of sale to a trustee. The money raised will be used to pay the lender the outstanding principal balance of the loan. If there is still enough to pay the liens and other debts, they too will have their fair share. However, if nobody buys the property, the trustee will transfer it to the lender.

A notice of default officially starts the foreclosure process. At this time it is important to really be proactive in your efforts to save your home. The clock is ticking so to speak, and its very important that you contact your lender as soon as possible to try and work something out. Even if you cannot afford to repay the amount you are delinquent, most banks will have additional options available to you. The bank doesn't want to sell your home, but you need to speak to them as soon as possible to devise a plan to get you back on track.

Please keep in mind that during this time you may be contacted by numerous companies offering you their "help". It's important to be aware of loan modification scams and fraudulent companies. They know that a homeowner who has just been served with a notice of default may be more vulnerable to their tactics. A common foreclosure scam these companies use is when they ask you to transfer your property over to them and they will allow you to rent it from them until you can repay the debt owed. Do not fall for this! More often than not they will strip all the equity left in your home, and you will be left with nothing.

If you need to speak with a professional about your situation, consider contacting a HUD Counselor at (800) 569-4287 or visit our government foreclosure help page for more resources that may be available to you.

Learn more about Mortgage Notice of Default & Get your Free Do It Yourself Loan Modification Kit. This loan modification kit includes everything to Stop Foreclosure and Save Your Home with a loan modification. Includes Loan Modification Worksheets, Loan Modification Forms, detailed instructions, lender Rolodex, 50 bank specific forms, And Much More! Absolutely Free!

Visit our website for How to articles, mortgage calculators, free sample hardship letters, foreclosure timelines, and dozens of informative articles on loan modifications and foreclosure. Stop by to check out our growing library of free financial kits. We currently have bankruptcy kits, credit repair, and loan mod with more on their way!

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In Foreclosure

Power of Sale Foreclosure vs. Judicial Foreclosure, how fast can the bank foreclose?

First of all, most lenders will not begin foreclosure proceedings until a borrower is 3-6 months behind on their payments. Although missing a single payment is a default under the terms of most loan documents, lenders have neither the time nor the desire to foreclose on borrowers who have missed one payment. The process will be initiated when it becomes clear that the debt can no longer be serviced. This post deals with the timing of a foreclosure once your lender has started the process and has instituted a foreclosure action against your property.

The speed with which a bank can foreclose on a borrower varies based on state law. There are basically two different types of jurisdictions for foreclosure purposes: power of sale jurisdictions and judicial foreclosure jurisdictions. In over half the states, the prevailing method of foreclosure is non-judicial power of sale foreclosure. What does this mean? If you have entered into a deed of trust with your mortgage lender, your deed is held by a Trustee pending full payment of your note. In the event you fail to make your mortgage payments the trustee has authority to sell your home at auction. Power of sale foreclosure can occur much more quickly than judicial foreclosure because the trustee vested with the power of sale does not need court oversight to sell the property. The trustee will give Notice of a public foreclosure sale and then sell the distressed property to the highest bidder. A court will usually not oversee the process. If a default has occurred the trustee is permitted to go through with the

foreclosure sale after a relatively short notice period (usually two to three months from the date foreclosure proceedings are instituted). If you live in a power of sale Jurisdiction, your mortgage lender can complete the foreclosure process in two to three months. Today, 29 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming) allow foreclosure by the power of sale

Judicial foreclosure is available in every state and is the required method of foreclosure in many states. Judicial foreclosure jurisdictions require a court to oversee the foreclosure process. Like power of sale jurisdictions, all interested parties must receive notice of the foreclosure sale. Judicial foreclosure proceedings can take a year or more to be completed . The requirement that the lender foreclose through the court system slows down the process considerably. While either method of foreclosure can be successfully challenged by an attorney, the court oversight of judicial foreclosure allows more procedural leverage to slow down aggressive lenders.

It is important for consumers to understand that they have rights in the fight against foreclosure. Power of sale jurisdictions allow for your property to be sold outside of court supervision but they still require you receive adequate notice of the sale and that your property be sold for a reasonable price. Hiring an experienced foreclosure defense attorney in a judicial foreclosure jurisdiction could buy you months while you fight back against the bank. Bankruptcy, although a last resort, will stop a foreclosure dead in its tracks due the Automatic Stay that freezes all creditor collection actions the minute a case is filed. I have filed many bankruptcy cases for clients the night before their home was scheduled to be sold at auction and had the process stopped. Chapter 13 bankruptcy may allow you to stay in your home while getting caught up on mortgage arrearages that have spiraled out of control. You have options and there is help available, but remember if you are in a power of sale jurisdiction and have

executed a deed of trust with your lender, the foreclosure process can be completed in a matter of months.

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While auctions could carry with them the greatest financial rewards in comparison with other modes of buying a foreclosed home, auctions still remains to be the most risky business in this type of investment. You can make as much as 30% to 40% if you acquire a property in foreclosure but first you must know what you are doing. There are a lot of pitfalls in here and these are the kinds you don't want to find yourself into. Consider the following risk factors before buying a foreclosed property at auction.

No previews , there is no way you can get a preview of a house or a block property that is being auctioned. A foreclosed house is bought "as is" and unseen.

Properties being auctioned are not in pristine conditions. Trashing the house and even destroying the interior are unacceptable practices but are rather common , unfortunately However, during an auction you won't be able to see the damages inside the house. The exterior could look fresh and reconstructed because the brokers or the sellers have to package it the best they can but, these are good assurances that the interiors are well maintained. In an auction, you have to bid on the house according to your intuition (and of course a little research could go a long way).

Added costs ,  chances are, you will be paying a much higher price than you were first prepared for. During an auction, the starting price includes all the mortgage defaults and all other charges that are owed against the property such as liens and delayed or unpaid bills. However, there are cases when the auctioneer's fee or other uninvited expenses such as taxes are not included in the starting price. These may sound insignificant when considering the initial price of the house but these charges are enough to spoil the deal.

Potential  losses , you may have won in the auction and have already started investing in the house. Then here comes the previous owner with a proof that he was able pay off all the debts against the house within the specified redemption period. What would you do? In cases like this, the home buyer can't do so much. If the previous homeowner was able to cure all defaults then he is still entitled to the house and could redeem his property back.

Buying a house through an auction could be especially rewarding when all things are set in their proper places. But if something unexpected happens, your investments could be wasted , but like all investments the greater the risks the greater the rewards and managing these risks is what all successful investors do.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Mortgage Fraud Examiners

Phone: 800.540.EXAM (3926)

http://www.MortgageFraudExaminers.com

 

LOAN AUDITS THE LATEST “FORECLOSURE RESCUE†SCAM

Mortgage Fraud Examiners, the investigative firm who warned the public about loan modification scams and the “criminal loan modification trap†is now warning the public of this latest scam.

November 18, 2009 (Ashburn, Virginia) – When the mortgage crisis hit American homeowners full-force, companies offering “foreclosure rescue†and “loan modification†companies sprouted like weeds.  Most promised troubled homeowners quick-fixes for high fees, and failed to deliver after collecting their money, leaving families poorer and closer to homelessness.

The new flood of loan audit companies is fueled by the spread of loan modification companies in an attempt to side step the upfront fees that the states have prohibited these companies from charging. They’re the proverbial “wolf in sheep’s clothing.â€

Mortgage Fraud Examiners is a project of Lex Consulting http://www.instantlawpartner.com. For over 30 years, Lex Consulting has provided litigation support to attorneys, helping them break into new areas of practice, or providing specialized advice for complex cases requiring novel approaches to the law.  Due to the recent housing crisis, Mortgage Fraud Examiners, a team of specially trained attorneys, was created to provide lawyers with comprehensive assistance to help them keep their clients in their homes.

Mortgage Fraud Examiners CEO Storm Bradford explains: “Although forensic examinations of mortgage transactions can be of substantial value to a homeowner, regrettably, most companies providing these so-called ‘loan audits’ are nowhere near qualified to do so. They are performed and sold by persons with no legal training, such as, former real estate agents, mortgage brokers, or loan processors, who input data into some software program. The “audit†is a useless checklist of the documents provided to the “auditor,†with no information about the legal implications of the documents. It's that old adage on computer software: 'Garbage-in, garbage-out.' We do our forensic examinations mostly for attorneys and their clients.  Knowledeable attorneys are going to spot a scam ‘audit’ a lot quicker than a layperson.  We have to provide services that withstand the scrutiny and demands of a trained legal eye. You need a specific and unique legal knowledge to do a forensic examination of a mortgage transaction; a ten-minute software audit is no substitute for three years of law school. We’re legal professionals looking for things that software can't find, besides, we know what to look for!â€

“A true forensic examination inspects the homeowners’ appraisal, mortgage and supporting documents, in the context of the dealings surrounding the creation of those documents, so legal experts can discover legal defenses a homeowner can use to avoid foreclosure.

Daniel M. Gray, an attorney in Northern Virginia specializing in foreclosures, employs the services of Mortgage Fraud Examiners explains, “I’ve reviewed several of these so-called ‘audits’ from different companies using auditors with no legal backgrounds, and found them to be totally unsatisfactory and legally insufficient. Mortgages are contracts, nothing more, nothing less. The examination must be able to identify contract defenses, torts, regulatory violations and all other types of legal anomalies. I made the choice to use Mortgage Fraud Examiners versus ‘audits’prepared by these non-lawyer audit firms, because they give me the evidence I need to get my client a positive outcome.â€

How does a consumer spot a legitimate loan auditor from an untrained one?  “Ask the right questions,†Bradford advises.  “Ask how they do they conduct the audit- is it software, or are there specifically trained attorneys spending real time examining the documents looking for contract defenses?  If they’re not performing a forensic appraisal that should be a clue. We find appraisal fraud in four out of every five mortgage transactions we examine. Be wary if they tell you something vague like, 'Attorney backed,' or they’re ‘certified loan auditors.’ Either legal professionals are performing the examinations, or not, and there is no schooling or certification process to becoming Joe the Auditor. Someone could have been a ditch digger last week and doing ‘audits’ this week. Homeowners need to be careful. You even have attorneys doing loan modifications instead of doing what they are paid to do—that’s looking for contract defenses.â€

"There really are many legal options available to homeowners facing foreclosure," Bradford concludes.  "But there are no shortcuts to finding them.  Every claim has unique facts, every claim has different applicable law, and only a legal specialist is going to find the answers to help each individual borrower stay in their home."

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - LOAN AUDITS THE LATEST “FORECLOSURE RESCUE†SCAM

A critical part of selling a home is the appraisal. HereÂ’s how to plan for it.

You have a contract to sell your home and now the appraiser is coming. The appraisal needs to come in at a good price in order for your buyer to get his loan. What should you do?

The Appraiser Says

Appraisers typically tell people not to do anything special before they come. They tell the owner they see lots of houses and they can look past a little clutter and dust. “Don’t be nervous,” they counsel. Appraisers are sincere people. I’m sure they mean what they say.

I Say

On the other hand, appraisers are human. They respond to cleanliness and order and to good maintenance the same way buyers do. If you’ve let your hair down, get your home back into “show” condition before the appraiser comes.

Everything you know about a tidy approach to your home, well mulched flower beds, door knobs that are attached firmly and work smoothly, lack of finger prints, lack of clutter, and all the rest applies. Take a look at a “Uniform Residential Appraisal Report” form if you doubt me. The age of the home and the “effective age” are asked for under the “General Description.” Don’t you think how well your home appears to be cared for affects the number that appears under “effective age?”

The Uniform Appraisal Report requires information about materials (and their condition) used for floors, walls, trim and finishing elements, bathroom floors and wainscots, and for interior doors. Appraisers train themselves to notice these details. If yours are dusted, polished, and free of scratches and fingerprints, donÂ’t you think you might be giving your appraisal a nudge in the right direction?

The Report also asks about kitchen equipment (refrigerator, range and oven, disposal, dishwasher, fan and hood, microwave, and washer and dryer). Do you think itÂ’d be a good idea to have them clean and purring?

The Report asks about amenities such as fireplaces, patios, decks, porches, fences, pools, and sheds. If an appraiser is going to take special note of such things, shouldnÂ’t they be swept, cleaned, and have paint in good condition? Also, clean out the gutters if they need it. If it should be raining on the day your appraisal is done, you want your house to handle the rain water well.

Let me share the “comments” section of an appraisal which got the owners what they wanted. I think it’ll give you a good feel for what you need to do. “The subject is well maintained and no physical, functional or external inadequacies were noted. Marketability is enhanced by hardwood flooring throughout a majority of the home, an updated kitchen, fresh interior and exterior paint, transom windows, built-ins, a front porch, a rear patio, a large storage shed, 4 fireplaces, etc.”

The appraiser is a human being. Make sure you do everything you can to appeal to them and youÂ’ll get a good appraisal.

Raynor James is with the FSBO site - http://www.fsboamerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our "sell my home" page -http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm - to sell your house yourself with a free 1 month listing.