Assist-2-Sell Franchise

Help for mortgage holders in trouble

By Stephanie Armour, USA TODAY

Deede Wockenfuss in front of a Chandler, Ariz., home that is listed with her company.  Lately, she's gotten a lot of calls from homeowners in dire straits.

In and around Gilbert, Ariz., the mortgage crisis has hit hard. New homes sit abandoned to foreclosures, their windows broken and yards overgrown.  Deede Wockenfuss, with Assist-2-Sell, a realty brokerage, sees the fallout up close. She lives near neighborhoods with vacant homes, and her office regularly fields calls from homeowners who can no longer pay their mortgages.

"I have people saying, 'I can't afford this; I'm upside down,' " Wockenfuss says. "They can't refinance, and they can't move. They say, 'Please, tell me what to do.' "  Rising payments from adjustable-rate mortgages, mounting job losses and an epidemic of unaffordable loans have thrown more homeowners into a dire situation: They're no longer able to pay.

So what should you do if you absolutely can't pay your mortgage?

It can be hard for a confused homeowner to cut through a thicket of conflicting advice, some of which may be unreliable. Here's what experts recommend for homeowners at risk of being unable to make their loan payments: 

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Hamilton, N.J., Assist-2-Sell Office Experiencing Unprecedented Growth

Since implementing several new marketing programs and back office systems earlier this year, the Hamilton, N.J., Assist-2-Sell office has experienced tremendous growth.

Hamilton, NJ, May 22, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Local real estate broker Michael Sinton has found a way to beat the slow housing market. Since implementing several new marketing programs and back office systems earlier this year, Sinton’s Assist-2-Sell® office has experienced tremendous growth. The Hamilton Assist-2-Sell office is now expanding and hiring additional buyers’ agents to handle the increased workload.

To expose their listings to as many potential home buyers as possible, the Hamilton Assist-2-Sell office is enhancing all of their listings on REALTOR.com® and posting video home tours on YouTube. Assist-2-Sell is also utilizing a call capture and response system, as well as a Web-based showing application, to make it easier for interested buyers to learn more about homes for sale in central New Jersey.

“For the first time since opening, we’ve been able to establish a strong foothold in the local real estate market. Sellers are excited about the additional exposure we can offer their homes, and buyers are responding positively as well,” says Sinton, owner and principle broker of Assist-2-Sell Buyers & Sellers Edge. “The number of home buyers calling us has increased substantially. We’re receiving more than 200 ‘warm’ buyer leads each month.”

Assist-2-Sell is now looking to add a few additional buyers’ agents to help Sinton and his team better service their growing customer base.

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Make your home stand out, sparkle and sell

written by: Quynh Nguyen , 9NEWS Reporter/Producer   
reported by: Mark Koebrich , 9NEWS Consumer Reporter   


KUSA - Gone are the days when a house was sold in a day and at or above the asking price. Today, competition is stiff. Simply sticking a "for sale" sign in your yard isn't enough when you put your house on the market.

"Presentation is everything. As an artist, presentation is everything and I understand that," said homeowner Dave Ryan, who recently put his Castle Rock house on the market.

Before it was for sale, Ryan spent six weeks transforming his house back into a marketable commodity.

"It felt like a nightclub in South Beach," said Ryan.

He had originally turned his home into an art studio and installed black vinyl flooring in the middle of the living room for a stain proof surface. His creativity didn't stop there.

"I had black walls and crazy colors all over the place," added Ryan. "But that was for me and I knew that eventually when I sold, I'd have to turn that around."

Experts say sellers must aggressively plan and prep their homes because there's a lot more competition. According to the latest numbers from Metrolist, more than 20,000 houses are for sale today compared to about 7,000 in 2000.

Houses are taking a lot longer to sell. Eight years ago, a house sat on the market for about a month. Today, it's taking nearly four months.

In addition, sellers may have to lower the asking price. In the Denver Metro Area, the average sales price for a single family home peaked last August at $316,000. Ever since then, prices have been steadily dropping. The average sales price was down to $267,259 in April.

"You want to be the house that people want to go back to and remember when they're seeing many houses at a time," said Dan O'Meara, a realtor with Assist2Sell.

Dave Ryan's house is on the market for $422,000. There are five other homes for sale on his block alone. Hoping his property will standout, he spruced up both the outside and inside.

"My desire is for them to come in and it feels like a show home," said Ryan.

He began by repainting the walls a neutral color. He replaced the bright red couch in the living room with lighter furniture from his basement. He also changed out that black vinyl floor with new carpet. He also cleaned and declutttered each room.

"I'm showing off this as though I would a piece of art. The house is your art," said the artist.

A few other tips to prepare your house for sale:
*Rent a storage unit. Most homes show better with less furniture.
*Remember that your home must be ready to show at all times, so continue with ongoing daily cleanings.

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