Think your credit score is killing you?

So what is your credit score? Have you been scared to look? Made some mistakes in the past? Would you like to move forward in your goals of home ownership and lower interest rates on other types of credit?
Contact us, we might be able to help guide you towards that goal. We have found that many clients, to their surprise, could actually be pre-qualified to purchase a new home since there are many different loan types and credit conditions that fit their situation. Other clients have seen that even if they have a few marks against their credit with a few simple strategies they could purchase in as little as 3-6 months. Even clients that have experienced bankruptcy or foreclosure have chosen to form a game plan that allows them to purchase on the "seasoning date" of their particular credit challenge. No matter what the situation, with a good game plan you can always start over and move toward your future goals. We love to assist people with those goals and if you know of anyone thinking about buying or selling a home in the Grand Junction or surrounding area's we would love to chat with them.

Keller Williams Realty #1 in the Nation!

We wanted to take a moment on our blog to recognize Keller Williams Realty International. It was recently announced that it is the largest real estate franchise in North America. Keller Williams Realty continues to grow every year and has recently launched real estate firms across the Globe. This continued growth is a direct result of the culture, training, and vision of the leadership at the national ,regional, and local levels. The Harris Group at Keller Williams Realty is proud to be associated with this great company. We are grateful that we can network with the top agents across the globe and provide real estate referrals to our friends and family that are buying or selling real estate outside of the Grand Junction Area. Please contact us if you are looking to buy or sell real estate even if it might not be in the Grand Valley, because we know the best agents in markets all across the globe!

FHA relaxes guidlines to get a loan after a short sales & foreclosures!



FHA has moved to relax its guidelines for borrowers who “experienced periods of financial difficulty due to extenuating circumstances”.  It is called the “Back to Work – Extenuating Circumstances Program”.

Ex-Homeowners, who lost their homes to a short-sale, deed-in-lieu, foreclosure, and/or had to claim bankruptcy because of an extenuating circumstance, or circumstances, are now eligible to purchase a new home in as little as 12 months after a one or both of these events, and FHA has confirmed that they will waive their waiting requirements of 3 years for a foreclosure related (short-sale and deed-in-lieu) event, and 2 years for someone who discharged their debts via a bankruptcy.

With this new program, FHA is evaluating mortgage applicants who have experienced periods of financial difficulty due to extenuating circumstances.  FHA is now allowing for the consideration of borrowers who have experienced an “Economic Event” and can document that:

• certain credit impairments were the result of a Loss of Employment or a significant loss of Household Income, beyond the borrower’s control;
• the borrower has demonstrated full recovery from the event; and,
• the borrower has completed housing counseling via a HUD approved housing counseling agency.

FHA mortgage insurance is now available for any loan which meets two conditions:

1. The loan must be made by an approved FHA lender
2. The loan must meet the minimum standards of the “FHA Mortgage Guidelines”

You may be eligible to qualify for the “Back to Work” exception if:

• You experienced a 20% loss of household income for a minimum 6 month period
• Your loss of income created an economic event such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, short sale, or loan modification.
• You can show a (timing) correlation between the loss of income and the hardship
• You can show that you have recovered from your hardship with 12 months of timely payments

You must also have satisfactory credit:

• You credit history is clear of late housing or installment debt payments, and major derogatory credit issues on revolving accounts;
• Any open mortgage is current and shows twelve (12) months satisfactory payment history.  Mortgages that have been brought current through loan modifications, which may be “temporary” or “permanent”  so long as all payments have been documented as being received in accordance with the modification agreement(s); and
• You meet all other HUD requirements for qualifying for an FHA insured mortgage

You must have housing counseling:

A requirement of establishing Satisfactory Credit following an Economic Event, boomerang buyers looking to use the Back to Work Extenuating Circumstances exception must complete Housing Counseling from a HUD approved housing counseling agency.

Please contact us if you are looking to make a real estate sale or purchase in Grand Junction or would like more details about this program

Come visit Glade Park!

Glade Park CO is a great little community about 15 miles outside of Grand Junction CO. It is a spectacular drive up the Colorado National Monument to access Glade Park and that access is free through the monument as long as you don't make any "pit stops". You do gain quite a bit of elevation so the temperatures are around 10-15 degree's cooler which is nice if you are looking to escape the heat of the summer. Once you reach Glade Park there is a little general store that offers the staples of gas, snacks, and gifts. If you head south from the store you will have access to camping at Mud Spring's campground and primitive camping and fishing at Enoch Lake. If you head west from the Glade park store you will find a great little hiking trail at Miracle Rock. A fun activity for the family is the volunteer fire department's movie under the stars and the best part is that admission is free, just be sure to order some food to support the fire department. If you would like more information please feel free to contact us or visit the local Glade Park website.

Did you also know that there is some awesome properties on Glade Park for sale? This one in particular is my favorite!

We would love to help you discover Glade Park. Contact Josh today at 970-261-2014.

Multiple Offer Time!

With the recent upswing in Grand Junction's real estate market we are beginning to see situations where our buyer's and seller's are seeing  multiple offers on properly priced properties in certain price points. Historically low interest rates and low inventory are a part of the equation that makes this happen. We have some advise for both buyers and sellers. We first advise all of our buyers to get pre-qualified with a reputable lender for their financing before we even get started looking at homes. This will allow us to immediately act should you find your dream home. If this first essential step isn't followed you won't be even in the running should there be a multiple offer situation. Second you need to put your best foot forward with your offer. You may only get one shot so make it the most attractive as you can with the offering price and seller concessions should you need any. A good agent should also have you write down a few reasons why you would be a great new owner of the home. Some things you might include is that you would take care of the property, be a good neighbor, or other reasons why the property is a perfect fit for you and/or your family. Don't forget that the seller might have an emotional attachment to the property and sometimes the bottom line isn't the only thing that will affect their decision. We work closely with our buyers in Mesa County to educate and counsel them on the process of purchasing a new home. For home sellers we recommend pricing the property correctly. If it is priced correctly it will create urgency and the possibility of multiple offers increases. With multiple offers there will be various factors that will affect the contract that you select. Price, seller paid concessions, closing date, deadlines, if financing is involved, or if it is a cash deal are examples. We as listing agents review all of this information with you so you can make the best decision with regards to which purchase contract to select or counter. Your agent should also thank and encourage the buyer's who's offers weren't selected to be in a back up position in case something should happen in the future with the contract that was selected. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions about buying, selling, or investing in Grand Junction!

Grand Junction Real Estate Apps for Iphone, Ipads, and Droids

The Harris Group at Keller Williams Colorado West Realty is proud to announce the arrival of our hyper local property search app for IPhone, Ipad, or Android Devices! We know that the consumer wants a access to properties in real time even when they are on the go. Our app utilizes GPS location based software that will pull the property details around you so you will always know the price of the neighborhood or area you are in. You may also view mobile enhanced photo galleries, set and save search criteria, and have one touch access to schedule showings or contact us with questions. Simply click HERE to get started! We are always striving to deliver excellent customer service along with the most cutting edge tools available for our clients. If you know of anyone buying, selling, or investing in real estate around Grand Junction CO please contact us! If you have a QR Code reader you can also scan the following for more info.

Home Inspections in Colorado

So you have been prequalified for your financing,  found the property with your Buyer's Agent, negotiated price and terms of the home sale. Now what? One of the most important items within the dates and deadlines of the contract is the period where you have the opportunity to inspect the property. Some people wish to complete the inspection on their own, while others hire professional home inspectors. We always recommend the use of a home inspector. Home inspectors can do a thorough walk through of the property and let you know if there are items that are or could pose a problem in the future. Typically the home inspection should be completed within the first 10-15 days after the contract is signed depending upon how long the contract period until closing is. We recommend that our clients do the home inspection as quickly as possible after title review because if potential items come up we want to be able to address them in a timely manner to make best use of both the Buyer and Seller's time. If items do come up we will execute a notice to correct. These items are presented to the seller and then they have 1 of 3 options. They can agree to do all the items, none of the items, or present an alternative resolution. Depending on how the seller responds to the inspection items will determine the next step. If they agree to correct the items great, no other action is required. If they refuse to complete the items or offer an alternative resolution the buyer will then need to respond that they are either terminating or accepting the terms of the sellers response. The Colorado contract to buy and sell real estate has two different dates that deal with inspections. The first is the inspection objection and the second is inspection resolution. The inspection objection date is the latest date you can object to the items under the terms of the contract. The inspection resolution is the date that all parties to the contract must agree to the terms of the inspection resolution. If no resolution is reached by that date the contract automatically terminates. If you have questions regarding this process or are in the market to buy, sell, or invest in homes in Grand Junction Colorado please don't hesitate to contact us at 970-261-2014 or visiting us at our website.