ATLANTA REAL ESTATE
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DISTRESSED DEBT INVESTORS TURNING TO REAL ESTATE
A survey of 100 distressed debt investors found that this year many will increasingly devote their money to real estate. The survey polled investors from companies such as hedge funds, private equity firm, bank props or trading desks. The study showed that respondents allocated 26 percent of their investments to real estate in 2010, and plan to allocate 48 percent of their investments to real estate this year
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www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

The Legends are coming! Check my FaceBook pages daily for more details. You will not want to miss this.............

Atlanta Real Estate
Pending Sales of Existing Homes Rise 2%
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The number of contracts signed for purchases of previously owned homes rose again in December, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors (NARThursday. The trade group’s pending home sales index increased 2.0 percent compared to its November reading, which was revised downward.
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Atlanta Real Estate:
WEEKEND RATES:
www.markspain.com
30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.625% FHA: 4.625% Jumbo: 5.0%
15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.0% FHA: 4.0% Jumbo: 4.25%
5-year ARM: Conventional: 2.75% FHA: 3.0% Jumbo: 3.625%
Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000

Atlanta Real Estate
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Job Growth Expected in Real Estate in 2011
From National Association for Business Economics (NABE) released the results of its latest quarterly survey this week, which polls member firms to assess their upcoming hiring strategies and gauge expectations for economic growth.
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Atlanta Real Estate
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WEDNESDAY'S RATES:
30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.75% FHA: 4.75% Jumbo: 4.875%

15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.0% FHA: 4.5% Jumbo: 4.25%

5-year ARM: Conventional: 3.0% FHA: 3.0% Jumbo: 3.5%

Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000

Atlanta Real Estate
Mortgage Delinquency Rates Decline in December!
A “first-look” report issued by Lender Processing Services, one of the countries largest loan servicers and aggregators of loan performance data, is somewhat encouraging as it shows the U.S. mortgage delinquency rate for December was 8.83 percent which is a decrease of 2.1 percent from November’s rate of 9.02 percent.
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ATLANTA REAL ESTATE
WEEKEND RATES: www.markspain.com
30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.75% FHA: 4.75% Jumbo: 5.0%
15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.125% FHA: 4.0% Jumbo: 4.25%
5-year ARM: Conventional: 3.0% FHA: 3.0% Jumbo: 3.625%
Wells Fargo can do a FHA loan with a credit score down to 500
Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000

Atlanta Real Estate
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Existing Home Sales Soar to Seven Month High!
Sales of previously owned homes surged 12.3 percent in December, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors
Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

Atlanta Real Estate
www.markspain.com
WEDNESDAY'S RATES:
30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.625% FHA: 4.625% Jumbo: 4.875%
15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.0% FHA: 4.5% Jumbo: 4.25%
5-year ARM: Conventional: 3.125% FHA: 3.125% Jumbo: 3.5%
Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

Atlanta Mortgage News:
Income and expense data released by the Federal Reserve this week shows the central bank is earning a pretty penny from its investments in mortgage securities.
The Fed began buying mortgage bonds from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae in November of 2008 to help prop up the nation’s deteriorating mortgage markets and provide a boost to the ailing economy.
In 2009, Fed officials reported that these efforts, combined with the central bank’s purchases of Treasury securities, yielded a $46.1 billion profit. In 2010, earnings on those investments jumped to $76.2 billion, based on the Federal Reserve’s preliminary estimates.
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Atlanta Real Estate

Call Mark Spain Today for your Atlanta Real Estate needs 770-886-9000

www.markspain.com

WEEKEND RATES:

30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.625 FHA: 4.625% Jumbo: 4.875%

15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.0% FHA: 4.0% Jumbo: 4.25%

5-year ARM: Conventional: 3.0% FHA: 3.0% Jumbo: 3.625%

Facing Foreclosure go to www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

DID YOU KNOW:

Interest rates are better by 0.25% to start the new year vs. the same time last year.

Atlanta Real Estate
The unemployment rate in the United States slipped to 9.4 percent in December, as employers added 103,000 jobs to their payrolls, according to figures released by the Department of Labor Friday.
Call Mark Spain today 770-886-9000
www.markspain.com
www.greatatlantaforeclosurehelp.com

Atlanta Real Estate Mortgage Rates

WEDNESDAY'S RATES:

30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.625% FHA: 4.625% Jumbo: 4.875%

15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.25% FHA: 4.5% Jumbo: 4.25%

5-year ARM: Conventional: 3.125% FHA: 3.125% Jumbo: 3.5%

Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000

www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com
www.markspain.com

Atlanta Real EstateHow to Avoid Foreclosure

While the economy is slowly improving, foreclosure is still a very real risk for many people. In fact, Georgia continues to rank in the top 10 for most foreclosures. However, if you or someone you know has gotten behind on your mortgage, options do exist.

A big first step is to contact your bank or mortgage loan servicer and explain your situation. Perhaps you were unemployed, but just started a new job and need to work out a payment plan for past due payments and penalties. Or your financial situation may continue to be challenging. Either way, your mortgage company needs to know and may have a few options to suggest to you.

The term “short sale” is also becoming increasingly popular. Five years ago, very few people were selling their home via short sale. Google the term “short sale” now and you get around 168 million hits! A short sale involves selling your home for less than what is owed to the bank. Both you and the bank must agree to the terms and amount.

Having a Realtor experienced with short sales is essential in the complicated negotiation stage of a short sale, particularly if you have liens on your property or a second mortgage. Georgia is also a deficiency state, meaning you could be made to repay the deficiency between the original mortgage note and the amount the home sells for now. An experienced short sale real estate agent can work to sometimes get these deficiencies waived in your short sale.

Short sales result in less long-term damage to your credit score. And, when your life is later more financially on track, you can buy another home far sooner than if you had a foreclosure in your credit history. Simply walking away from or abandoning a property is also discouraged. It will lead to foreclosure in the end and you are relinquishing all control to the bank in a foreclosure.

A short sale can take several months so don’t delay beginning the process. Loan modifications are another option I will cover in a future column. These, too, can take many months to complete. Be aware that applying for a loan modification often stops the short sale approval process completely (i.e. they cannot be done concurrently).

For more information on short sales, visit
http://ping.fm/nT6eW (a HUD site)
http://ping.fm/mswgC (free report there)
http://ping.fm/fjU2Y

Mark Spain is a Realtor with RE/MAX Greater Atlanta, is one of the top 20 RE/MAX agents in the world and the top RE/MAX agent in Georgia for closings. He is Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) certified by the National Association of Realtors and earned his Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation. He is a native Atlantan and graduate of the University of Georgia. To get answers to your real estate questions, visit www.MarkSpain.com or call 770-886-9000. For details on considering a short sale, visit www.GreaterAtlantaForeclosureHelp.com

Atlanta Georgia Real Estate
January normally marks the seasonal low point for home sales, new listings, and closings, as weather and holiday celebrations keep buyers and sellers from the market, and this year is the same! Both home prices and inventory are down for the lion’s share of the nation’s regional markets.
Call Mark Spain Today for all your Real Estate needs 770-886-9000
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com
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Atlanta Real Estate:
Fewer mortgage-related firms closed their doors during 2010 than in 2009, according to industry data released last week.
Need a n Atlanta Real Estate expert, call Mark Spain today 770-886-9000
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com
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Atlanta Real Estate
The unemployment rate in the United States slipped to 9.4 percent in December, as employers added 103,000 jobs to their payrolls, according to figures just released by the Department of Labor. That’s down from a rate of 9.8 percent in November.
Call Mark Spain for all your Atlanta Real Estate needs 770-886-9000
www.markspain.com
www.greateratlantaforclosurehelp.com

Atlanta Georgia Real Estate
WEEKEND RATES:
30-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.75% FHA: 4.75% Jumbo: 5.0%
15-year fixed loans: Conventional: 4.125% FHA: 4.5% Jumbo: 4.375%
5-year ARM: Conventional: 3.125% FHA: 3.125% Jumbo: 3.625%
Call Mark Spain Today for any Atlanta real Estate Needs 770-886-9000
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com
www.markspain.com

Atlanta Real Estate
The number of contracts signed for purchases of previously owned homes climbed again in November, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) late last week. The organization’s pending home sales index rose 3.5 percent based on contracts signed in November.
Call Mark Spain Today for your Atlanta real Estate needs 770-886-9000
www.markspain.com
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

Atlanta Real Estate:
Home construction nudged up in November after two months of declines. The Commerce Department says builders broke ground last month on a seasonally adjusted 555,000 units, a 3.9 percent rise from October. All the activity last month came from building single-family homes.
Call Mark SpainToday 770-886-9000 for your Real Estate needs.
www.markspain.com
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

Atlanat Georgia Real Estate:
Retail sales are rising, boosted by the best month for department stores in two years. Inflation remains tame. Businesses are restocking their shelves in anticipation of more consumer demand. And a survey of CEOs at America's biggest companies suggests hiring will pick up in the next six months.
Call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000 for all your Real Estste Needs
www.markspain.com
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com

Atlanta Georgia Real Estate Shott Sales Information.
According to a recent update to the real estate market forecast from Veros Real Estate Solutions, select markets in the United States can expect 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent appreciation in home values over the next 12 months.
For expert assistance with Atlanta Real Estate call Mark Spain Today 770-886-9000
www.markspain.com
www.greateratlantaforeclosurehelp.com