North Idaho Janna

Coeur d'Alene Idaho MLS Real Estate 30 Day Municipality Stats

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:42:35 -0600

Here's a snapshot of the real estate market activity in different North Idaho municipalities. The first three columns are the stats as of November 21, 2009. The next twelve columns show the activity over the past 30 days. Exp is Expired, DOM is Days on Market, Pend is pending which means under contract and waiting to close, BOM is back on the market. Call me if you would like the stats for an area not included here. (208) 651-9700

As of 11/21/2009 10/21/2009 to 11/21/2009


City	Active	Volume	Average List Price	Active	Volume	Average List Price	New	Pend	Sold	Average Sold Price	Average Sold DOM	Expr	With- drawn	BOM
Athol	92	$ 27,522,585	$ 299,159	108	$ 31,600,870	$ 292,601	7	7	6	$ 211,000	139	11	0	1
Bayview	26	$ 8,761,000	$ 336,962	32	$ 9,888,500	$ 309,016	5	1	0	$ 0	0	5	0	0
Coeur d'Alene	858	$ 458,490,339	$ 534,371	1091	$ 565,917,127	$ 518,714	107	68	99	$ 219,787	141	96	5	21
Dalton Gardens	28	$ 12,665,400	$ 452,336	34	$ 15,292,300	$ 449,774	2	2	1	$ 255,000	41	3	0	0
Harrison	92	$ 108,428,299	$ 1,178,568	113	$ 132,763,499	$ 1,174,898	5	1	5	$ 449,000	277	16	1	0
Hayden	326	$ 119,281,860	$ 365,895	406	$ 151,110,430	$ 372,193	33	15	34	$ 217,895	127	46	1	4
Hayden Lake	16	$ 7,471,500	$ 466,969	21	$ 12,860,450	$ 612,402	1	0	1	$ 235,000	63	4	1	0
Post Falls	506	$ 178,085,786	$ 351,948	615	$ 210,698,270	$ 342,599	109	33	67	$ 193,335	119	61	2	11
Rathdrum	258	$ 82,510,339	$ 319,808	312	$ 98,987,199	$ 317,267	24	10	10	$ 172,552	132	26	0	2
Spirit Lake	88	$ 22,623,950	$ 257,090	107	$ 28,428,130	$ 265,683	9	2	6	$ 112,133	114	6	0	1
Subtotal	2,290	$ 1,025,841,058	$ 447,966	2839	$ 1,257,546,775	$ 442,954	302	139	229	$ 211,879	133	274	10	40

Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Twenty Four Months of Coeur d'Alene MLS Market Stats: New, Active, Sold, Sold ,DOM

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:24:41 -0600

Something to keep in mind when you look at DOM (Days on Market) stats is that a great number of Realtors will take their listing off the market periodically and relist it so as to set the counter of Days on Market back to zero. When the DOM are tabulated as of the Sold date, the DOM of the previous listing period aren't counted. So quite often, the DOM is significantly higher that the stats reflect for certain homes. But the fact remains, homes that are SOLD are the homes that are priced correctly, and those homes sell significantly FASTER than the average DOM. You can see that the average DOM of the SOLD homes is about 4 to 6 months. Call me if you would like to find out what the average DOM is for homes in your price range and town! (208)651-9700

New Units Active Units Sold Units Sold DOM

Oct/2009	853	8,390	363	151
Sep/2009	966	8,748	339	134
Aug/2009	1,050	8,871	313	119
Jul/2009	1,283	8,778	360	127
Jun/2009	1,540	8,448	303	133
May/2009	1,557	7,878	270	135
Apr/2009	1,445	7,338	237	130
Mar/2009	1,251	6,864	192	130
Feb/2009	1,093	6,500	135	131
Jan/2009	1,266	6,213	121	154
Dec/2008	569	7,483	200	135
Nov/2008	775	7,739	185	127
Oct/2008	1,026	8,365	291	123
Sep/2008	986	8,692	339	128
Aug/2008	1,265	8,809	345	132
Jul/2008	1,536	8,524	323	131
Jun/2008	1,513	7,992	327	119
May/2008	1,426	7,470	278	127
Apr/2008	1,680	6,727	305	122
Mar/2008	1,407	6,114	260	139
Feb/2008	1,035	5,878	205	147
Jan/2008	1,365	5,592	180	132
Dec/2007	556	6,399	253	145
Nov/2007	760	6,774	287	142

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Twenty Four Months of Coeur d'Alene MLS Real Estate Stats: Volume/Average List & Sold Price

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:58:21 -0600

If you're a numbers person, here is the chart for you. The List to Sold Price ratio is always interesting. This chart shows the AVERAGE of the entire MLS area and all price ranges. The REAL story is when you see that ratio broken down by price range, and by town. The List to Sold price ratio is always very high, usually 98% or better, in the entry level priced homes. It also varies from town to town within the price ranges. It is usually much lower, mid-80's, for the high end homes over $1 million. Call me if you'd like me to email you a specific report for a particular town or price range!

(My goal for next month is to learn how to turn these stats into beautiful charts and graphs that look fabulous and hold their format on ActiveRain! Wish me luck!)

The column headings going from left to right are: New Volume; Active Volume; Sold Volume(list price);
Sold Volume(sale price); New Avg List; Active Avg List; Sold Avg List; Sold Avg Sale; SP/LP Ratio

Oct/2009	$261,861,924	$3,072,435,248	$78,136,394	$74,067,111	$306,989	$366,202	$215,251	$204,041	94.8
Sep/2009	$293,657,164	$3,216,738,932	$74,275,329	$69,131,923	$303,992	$367,711	$219,101	$203,928	93.1
Aug/2009	$351,331,545	$3,280,370,625	$67,209,293	$62,765,084	$334,601	$369,785	$214,726	$200,527	93.4
Jul/2009	$407,597,309	$3,212,199,997	$83,475,791	$77,949,116	$317,690	$365,937	$231,877	$216,525	93.4
Jun/2009	$522,746,663	$3,084,305,546	$69,175,752	$64,266,605	$339,445	$365,092	$228,302	$212,101	92.9
May/2009	$513,912,580	$2,863,069,614	$63,576,358	$59,150,633	$330,065	$363,425	$235,467	$219,076	93
Apr/2009	$459,253,643	$2,654,583,708	$49,456,619	$46,079,427	$317,822	$361,758	$208,677	$194,427	93.2
Mar/2009	$393,879,094	$2,512,367,921	$36,624,440	$34,759,865	$314,851	$366,020	$190,752	$181,040	94.9
Feb/2009	$359,319,400	$2,372,139,237	$26,977,771	$25,603,228	$328,746	$364,944	$199,835	$189,653	94.9
Jan/2009	$462,327,610	$2,253,871,795	$39,510,492	$35,246,133	$365,187	$362,767	$326,532	$291,290	89.2
Dec/2008	$186,849,759	$2,803,949,244	$48,671,338	$45,347,533	$328,382	$374,709	$243,356	$226,737	93.2
Nov/2008	$238,111,876	$2,981,449,373	$40,059,368	$37,351,532	$307,241	$385,249	$216,537	$201,900	93.2
Oct/2008	$356,024,410	$3,252,591,078	$63,793,152	$60,085,812	$347,002	$388,833	$219,220	$206,480	94.2
Sep/2008	$306,153,909	$3,427,366,173	$86,949,979	$83,447,738	$310,500	$394,312	$256,489	$246,158	96
Aug/2008	$507,612,510	$3,460,228,910	$99,063,629	$91,460,024	$401,274	$392,806	$287,140	$265,101	92.3
Jul/2008	$561,544,606	$3,322,554,192	$91,079,330	$86,143,081	$365,588	$389,788	$281,979	$266,696	94.6
Jun/2008	$573,132,394	$3,092,263,777	$75,214,304	$72,443,945	$378,805	$386,919	$230,013	$221,541	96.3
May/2008	$540,006,402	$2,861,630,940	$74,365,683	$70,895,509	$378,686	$383,083	$267,502	$255,019	95.3
Apr/2008	$626,863,570	$2,534,714,869	$77,267,857	$74,345,389	$373,133	$376,797	$253,337	$243,755	96.2
Mar/2008	$514,785,757	$2,325,079,568	$69,054,645	$65,348,363	$365,874	$380,287	$265,594	$251,339	94.6
Feb/2008	$377,431,095	$2,238,889,674	$57,674,740	$55,191,770	$364,667	$380,893	$281,340	$269,228	95.7
Jan/2008	$547,377,202	$2,123,503,637	$54,742,891	$52,712,682	$401,008	$379,739	$304,127	$292,848	96.3
Dec/2007	$208,669,235	$2,430,084,309	$65,832,715	$62,199,430	$375,304	$379,760	$260,208	$245,847	94.5
Nov/2007	$246,494,246	$2,583,867,626	$87,053,874	$80,841,508	$324,334	$381,438	$303,323	$281,677	92.9

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Twenty Four Months of Coeur d'Alene Idaho MLS Real Estate Stats

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:26:05 -0600

These stats cover the entire Coeur d'Alene MLS which takes in all of Kootenai County and surrounding Counties. You can see that current inventory levels are significantly lower than last year. If you could see the break down by price range, you'd see clearly that it is the sales in the starter home price ranges that have fueled a lower inventory this October over last. It is interesting to me to see how similar this September was to last September.

And I happen to know that there were at least 364 homes that sold this October, because the listing agent for a home my Buyers purchased on October 12 still hasn't found time to change the status in the MLS from pending to SOLD!

If you'd like more information on the real estate market in Coeur d'Alene Idaho and the surrounding areas, just give me a call, I'd love to chat! (208)651-9700

New Listings Active Sold Months Inventory

Oct/2009	853	8,390	363	23.11
Sep/2009	966	8,748	339	25.81
Aug/2009	1,050	8,871	313	28.34
Jul/2009	1,283	8,778	360	24.38
Jun/2009	1,540	8,448	303	27.88
May/2009	1,557	7,878	270	29.18
Apr/2009	1,445	7,338	237	30.96
Mar/2009	1,251	6,864	192	35.75
Feb/2009	1,093	6,500	135	48.15
Jan/2009	1,266	6,213	121	51.35
Dec/2008	569	7,483	200	37.41
Nov/2008	775	7,739	185	41.83
Oct/2008	1,026	8,365	291	28.75
Sep/2008	986	8,692	339	25.64
Aug/2008	1,265	8,809	345	25.53
Jul/2008	1,536	8,524	323	26.39
Jun/2008	1,513	7,992	327	24.44
May/2008	1,426	7,470	278	26.87
Apr/2008	1,680	6,727	305	22.06
Mar/2008	1,407	6,114	260	23.52
Feb/2008	1,035	5,878	205	28.67
Jan/2008	1,365	5,592	180	31.07
Dec/2007	556	6,399	253	25.29
Nov/2007	760	6,774	287	23.60

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

A Coeur d'Alene Idaho Short Sale VICTORY ~ but no smiling photos this time....

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:47:33 -0600

A Coeur d'Alene Idaho Short Sale VICTORY ~ but no smiling photos this time....

On my drive home to North Idaho from a spring break trip to Colorado I began a journey I couldn't have even imagined. Somewhere along I-25 in the middle of Wyoming I received a call from Boise agent Brian Brumpton.

"How do you feel about short sales?" he asked.

That call lead to a referral of a California woman who had two investment properties in Coeur d'Alene Idaho that she needed to short sale. She was wiped out financially - every dime she had saved for retirement.

And thus my incredible journey began.

In my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagined what would unfold over the next 8 months. Like layers of an onion, one bit at a time, a story unraveled of a con artist and scammers. I went about my business of simply trying to get two homes sold for my client before they were lost to foreclosure. But people, details and circumstances would appear before me, unsolicited, and peel another layer off an onion that I never asked for and wasn't interested in peeling.

The houses were a mess. One had burst pipes and inoperable plumbing, the other no functional heating system. Yet she had paid top dollar for them in their undisclosed condition of disrepair, in 2008. In fact, it is unbelievable to me that they could have appraised for what she paid for them. Unbelievable that the real estate agent that did a lousy job of looking after her best interest didn't know what was going on. Unbelievable in that I simply don't believe it. (A strong claim, I know, and I stand by it.) This particular con artist is a master of what he does. My client is no dummy, she has a PHD.

I found buyers. Lots of them. We lost them to delays for one reason or another. I posted about one withdrawal here. I lost count of how many would-be buyers moved on down the road. Times two. And every time I would turn around another piece of onion skin would fall away and the bogus lease option scam would come more into focus. Ah ha! My client was just the patsy they needed to buy the houses so they could skim the equity from the Sellers!

As the months dragged on, the saga of these homes took on a life of its own. It drained me and emotionally exhausted my distraught client. Associates of mine would advise me to wash my hands of the whole mess. She should just let the houses go into foreclosure. It's not worth how much of my time and energy it was sucking up. Just not worth it. And maybe it wasn't.

But here's the deal. I had told my client that she would finally have someone she could trust to protect her interests. That I would be there for her and see her through to the end, come what may. She had her reasons for wanting a short sale and not a foreclosure. I also had an obligation to Brian, who had referred this client to me, to do everything in my power to get these homes closed and get a referral fee to his little family. If it were just ME, was it worth it? No question, no.

Today has been an emotional day as we closed on the first house. An incredible 8 month journey that has involved a really bad dude; a large cast of complicit characters; a judge; the sheriff; phone calls to the executive board at PMI Insurance Company; frivolous accusations against me to my broker; a request from my broker for me to cancel the listings; me defying my broker and not canceling the listings; a lis pendens; grand theft; tears behind closed doors; the sheriffs department; judicial eviction of squatters; a crumbling foundation; rotted sill plate & floor joists; failed septic inspection; last minute lien; threats; obsenities and protection order discussions. Honestly, I have just scratched the surface. It's big and ugly, and it's not over.

Finally, after a series of last minute delays out of left field, including a disapproval of the final HUD, we closed on the first house. This time, there won't be any happy pictures of my client at the closing table. Today was a huge victory against overwhelming odds, but it is really no cause to celebrate. Somehow, Congratulations just doesn't work. But she is one giant step closer to closure of this horrible chapter of her life, and for that I am grateful.

We hear daily the war stories and rants about the dreaded Third Party Creditors. This story wouldn't be complete without my mentioning just how fabulous it has been to work with Wells Fargo Loan Adjustor Specialist Monique Spenard. Monique was assigned as the negotiator of the first offer I submitted. Buyers and negotiators came and went as months dragged on. When we had reached a seemingly hopeless dead end, disapproval of a short sale by the mortgage insurer, I tracked down Monique with a plea for her help. She personally took on the files for both houses, kept in communication and I can only imagine all she has done behind the scenes to bring about the impossible.

Sandy Watts is our buyer's agent and I marvel at how she has kept these buyers in the game, one contract extension after another, and another, and another, and another.... I lost count. Sandy, you are my hero!

While I am giving credit where credit is due, Heidi Simon at Pioneer Title has been a trooper. How many estimated HUDs has she done for these houses? I don't know, I lost count! I called her the other day, for a new HUD to submit with a new offer on the other house and we both burst out laughing! How is it POSSIBLE to lose so many buyers? Well, it's kind of hard for a buyer to overcome an issue like an inoperable in-floor radiant heating system when trying to get loan approval. Just sayin... We have a good offer, I expect to hear a response from Monique tomorrow. I will keep beating this horse until it's dead. The funeral foreclosure sale date is December 15, but don't count us out yet!

Today was a good day.

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Delayed Reaction! Local Business Challenge 4 months later...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:07:16 -0600

I opened my email this morning and found a note that left me puzzled for a minute.

LOL you so had me freaked out that day!! I'm sorry i didn't get this until today. We just had our internet re-installed in our new house and we had actually been living in our camp trailer since July. I am so thankful and amazed about this. Please send me a stack of your cards. We meet over 1000 customers a year and would be more than happy to hand them out.

Matt Surplus
The Gutter Guys

What? Who? OH!

Back in August, I was participating in the Local Business Challenge on ActiveRain, writing a series of posts about local businesses. It was a great challenge, and I really had to scramble to get the required number of posts done according to schedule. I don't think I got them all done, but I had fun doing the ones I did complete, and met some great people in the process of promoting their businesses on my blog.

On August 7th, while stopped at a red light, I whipped out my camera and took a photo of The Gutter Guys Truck in the lane next to me. The guys in the cab had very puzzled looks on their faces and I got a chuckle thinking of them trying to figure out what I was up to! After I posted their story on my blog, I sent off this email:

Hey Matt,

Sorry I didn't have time to chat before the light turned green the other day! Check out my post, hope you like it. When I get back to town next week I'll add more and better photos, hopefully a nice one of your truck since the one I took stinks! If you Google gutter guys you come up on the first page out of all the gutter guys in the world! Not too bad. Haven't had time to see where you are on other phrases.....
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1185542/the-gutter-guys-for-rain-gutter-installation-and-service-in-hayden-idaho

Janna

Better late than never! Unfortunately, it's been more than four months since that post and The Gutter Guys in Hayden Idaho aren't still coming up on the first page out of all the gutter guys in the world for Matt to see and enjoy. I'll have to work on that for my new friend.

Hmmm. Do you think I really should send him 1000 cards to hand out?

The Gutter Guys

The Roosevelt Inn Bed & Breakfast

MJs Fresh Market

Valentinos

The Enaville Resort Snake Pit

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

A Tragic Story Unfolds. With help comes hope, please don't suffer in silence...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:55:37 -0600

My sister Kerri keeps a police scanner on in her kitchen. Last night I received this email from her:

I don't always "hear" things on the scanner in the background but for whatever reason picked up on this right away jotting notes from the initial call about 10:15 p.m. by a 15-year-old saying his father had shot himself. He and his 11 year old brother and 13 year old cousin were in a back bedroom waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive. The mother was out of town. I jotted down the address and then Googled it. Came up as a listing of a gorgeous log house on the market for $800,000+. It was weird to be looking at pictures of this beautiful home overlooking the lake and picturing those frightened boys in the house. The dispatcher said the boys' grandpa was on his way from the "Coeur d'Alene area." Then the dispatcher said neighbors were on the scene and were with the boys in their car in the driveway. The neighbor had gone into the house and "saw blood and the gun but didn't touch the body."

Just a very sad real life drama. Those boys' lives will forever be marked by what life was like before their dad and uncle killed himself and after. So say a little prayer for the boys, they've been through more trauma in the last 90 minutes than anyone should ever see.

When I read the email, my first thought was that this was possibly another distressed homeowner who had come to the end of his rope. I looked up the home and saw that it was built at the height of the upswing in prices, and it's current assessed value was half of what it cost new. That's a tough spot to be in.

A wise man once told me to treat everyone I come in contact with as if they are distressed, and more than 50% of the time I will be correct. That was 5 years ago, I bet today I'd be right a much higher percentage of the time. The holiday season is especially hard for those struggling and feeling beaten down by life. Let's all be sensitive to those around us.

I recently had a client of mine tell me that she thought everyone would be better off if she were dead. That she just couldn't take the financial pressure anymore. Please learn to recognize the warning signs and how to help.

A good resource for help is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Are you in crisis? Please call 1-800-273-TALK

Are you feeling desperate, alone or hopeless? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.

Call for yourself or someone you care about
Free and confidential
A network of more than 140 crisis centers nationwide
Available 24/7

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Short Sale Q&A: If it sells for full price, does the seller still make a little money?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:50:45 -0600

Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Short Sale Q&A: If it sells for full price, does the seller still make a little money?

I regularly feature my blog posts on my Facebook page, and sometimes the comments they bring come in the form of questions.

Last week I posted a link to my post, Coeur d'Alene Real Estate Short Sale Heart Warming Moment. It was a story about some of my current clients who had just received an approval from their lender to short sale their house. I mentioned that we got their house under contract at full listing price. Then came the question as to whether or not those sellers would then make a little money since it sold for full price. The answer, no.

The home price was set at its value today in the Coeur d'Alene real estate market, not at what the sellers needed to pay off the mortgage.

The definition of a Short Sale is the sale of a home for less than is needed to pay off their mortgage(s). So if it's a short sale, it goes without saying that the seller will always be short of enough proceeds to satisfy their mortgage and/or closing costs. In a short sale, the lender will usually cover all closing costs. The lender's stipulation is that the seller doesn't receive any of the money from the sale of their home.

So then, what does it mean that it sold for full price if it wasn't enough to pay off the mortgage and closing costs?

A seller can be in a short sale situation for a number of reasons. It always has to do with the CURRENT market value of the home versus what they owe on the home.

Anyone who bought a home in 2005-2007 in Coeur d'Alene, at the top of the price run-up and feeding frenzy, has seen their home value decline. Let's use two of my clients as real life examples:

One bought a new home for $200,000 in 2006. It is now worth only $160,000. When he purchased it, he put $50,000 down and currently has it for sale at $160,000. It's not a short sale because he will be able to sell it for enough to pay off his mortgage, pay his closing costs and be done with it. A traditional sale, not a short sale. Although, this seller will still have lost his $50,000 down payment.

Another client purchased a home for $200,000 with 100% financing at the top of the market. That home is now only worth $160,000. Not having put any cash down, it's not possible for him to sell it for enough to pay off the mortgage. In order sell it, his lender will have to agree to take less than is owed. As with the guy in the example above, SOMEONE is going to lose $50,000 to sell it now - in this case the lender who loaned $200,000 to mortgage the house. In the other, it's the homeowner.

That's why two houses built and sold at the same time for the same price, can be For Sale side by side today for the same price, with one being a short sale and the other a traditional resale.

(Someone who bought a house at the top of the market, no matter how much they put down, isn't necessarily in a bad situation if they can afford to make their payments and don't have to sell right now. History has always shown that home values appreciate over time. After this rough market correction, they will rise again. It's just going to take some time, but values will come back.)

In this crazy market, you are bound to have real estate related questions from time to time. Don't hesitate to call or send an Email if there is something you would like help understanding. Knowledge is Power!

Links to recent posts of mine dealing with Coeur d'Alene Idaho Short Sales:

What does a short sale Realtor do?
Can I Short Sale My House To Avoid Foreclosure if I Have an IRS Tax Lien?
Coeur d'Alene Short Sale Success Story~ Today was a good day!
Is the FDIC killing short sales and loan modifications in Coeur d'Alene Idaho?
The Joy of Short Sales ~ Today was a GOOD Day

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Home For Sale ~ 3512 W. Thorndale Loop, The Landings, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:56:51 -0600

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Description

This lovely home is located in popular The Landings subdivision less than a block from the fabulous new park. Designed with a light and open floor plan and vaulted ceiling in the living room. The master bedroom is located on the main level. There is a sliding door from the informal eating area to the back yard patio. The laundry room is conveniently located on the main level and the washing machine and clothes dryer are included in the purchase. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, each with a cable hook up and telephone jack. All windows have vertical blinds. You can be in this home by Christmas, and if you haven't owned a home in the past 3 years, Uncle Sam will pay you $8000 to buy this one! Call me for more information and a personal showing!

Features

Bedrooms:	4
Bathrooms:	2
Year Built:	2004
Subdivision:	The Landings at Waterford
Lot Size:	0.17 Acre
Garage Size:	2 Car
School District:	CDA-271
Square Footage:	1528
Agent Name:	Janna Rankin Scharf
Broker:	Keller Williams Realty
MLS #:	09-11882

Location

3512 W. Thorndale Loop Coeur d'Alene ID 83815

vFlyer Id: 2943720

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Holiday Mail for Heroes is back! Send some holiday Cheer to a service member!

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:02:15 -0600

I wanted to pass along this great opportunity to send some holiday cheer to a service member. For the cost of a card and a stamp, you can make a difference!

In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to "send a touch of home" to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.

Take a look at what people are saying about the program:

How Holiday Mail works

Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7*.

First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.

Do...

Sign all cards
Entitle cards "Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran"
Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes

Don't...

Send letters
Include personal information such as home or email addresses
Use glitter - excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

Please join me in this simple project. Let's put a smile on the face of of our hometown heros, wherever they may to be this holiday season.

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Coeur d'Alene Leaf Fest 2009 Has Begun!

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:07:54 -0600

Some of my happiest childhood memories involve huge piles of leaves under the ancient poplar trees that framed our house at 9th and Sherman. They're all gone now, our home and those trees. But each fall as the leaves pile up around town they live on in my memories.

The city's annual leaf pick-up program has begun. Residents are asked to rake their leaves and pine needles into the streets, about a foot out from the gutter line to allow for water drainage. Please do not put bagged leaves, branches, rubble or refuse in the street. There is no cost to you.

City crews will be moving fast, beginning south of Sherman and working their way north. Once an area has been cleared they won't return, so if you're too late you're just out of luck. City crews are unable to provide an exact schedule but there will be morning updates on the KVNI 1080 radio morning show.

Please note that there is no charge to residents to haul leaves, pine needles, limbs, branches, or debris to the landfill. Waste Management WILL charge to haul bagged leaves.

For more info you can contact the Street Maintenance Department at 769-2233. And thanks to my sister Kerri Thoreson for the great photos!

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Coeur d'Alene Real Estate Short Sale Heart Warming Moment

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:12:45 -0600

Coeur d'Alene Real Estate Short Sale Heart Warming Moment - It's not often I have a chance to use the terms "heart warming" and "short sale" in the same sentence!

There are so many distressed homeowners right now. They are embarrassed, ashamed and they tend to suffer in silence. Frozen in fear. Not knowing what they can do, not realizing how many others there are that are living the same financial nightmare. Afraid of their friends finding out. Wondering what the neighbors will think. In many cases a short sale is a good solution to get you onto the next chapter of your life.

On September 17th I opened my email and found this message:

You've received a contact message from your Contact Form on the ActiveRain network. Message details: From: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxxxx@aol.com
Subject: Short Sale (Sent via Activerain)

My wife and I are interested in a short sale of our home. I'm wondering what we need to do to get started with this process, with you as our Realtor. We have researched a little bit and you seem to be very experienced in this area....

I made an appointment with this local police officer and his wife to discuss their situation. It was a an awful story of being harassed for most of the past year by their mortgage company following a successful loan modification. There were discrepancies in payment amounts, payments received, the modification details - and these homeowners who had been trying to get this resolved for the better part of a YEAR were getting no help with the resolution. They were getting up to nine hostile calls a day from the lender's collection department. But no one would LISTEN to them, or help them.

They were both fighting back tears while we talked. They had accepted the reality that they were going to lose the modest home they built 8 years earlier, and loved. They didn't have the means to pay what their lender claimed they needed to bring their mortgage current, although they have records showing they had paid what they had been told they needed to pay. They had come to the end of their emotional ropes and couldn't hang on any longer. They were hopeless, which is not a good place to be. They had found a rental and were making plans to move out. Hoping to avoid foreclosure and make the best of a bad situation, we listed their house as a Coeur d'Alene short sale.

A week later we had a solid offer for full listing price. A good start. Nothing left to do but find out if their lender would approve them for a short sale, and at what price. After their grueling and frustrating experience trying to get someone to sort out their mess this past year, they were realisticly expecting the worst. A process that drug out forever. Short sale terms and conditions that they couldn't meet.

Today I received the approval letter. Accepted offer. No harsh terms or conditions, just a request for a notarized Arms Length Transaction form and a closing within 30 days.

I made the call to my Seller. As I told her the news, she broke down on the other end of the line. She was overcome with a huge flood of relief after such a prolonged period of mental exhaustion.

I may not have found a cure for cancer today, or pulled someone from a burning building. But to this frazzled homeowner I was a hero. A hero, because I had simply helped her find a resolution to her nightmare. Because FINALLY someone was willing to listen, and help.

Please, if you just can't keep up your mortgage payments and think you have no option but foreclosure, contact me! I can help you explore your options, whether it be a loan modification, short sale or something else, and advise you as to a course of action to bring the best possible outcome to a bad situation.

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Coeur d'Alene Real Estate Short Sale Q&A ~ Can I short sale my house to avoid foreclosure if I have an IRS tax lien?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:30:13 -0600

Coeur d'Alene Short Sale Q&A ~ Can I short sale my house to avoid foreclosure if I have an IRS tax lien?

I received this question from someone who was trying to decide what their best course of action was to avoid foreclosure:

Our small business failed and as a result we had a lot of business bills that we were personally responsible for. Now we have an IRS tax lien and a judgment filed against our house. We can't afford to pay those debts off right now. We owe more than our house is worth. Is short selling our house to avoid foreclosure even an option?

First of all, let me say that I am not an attorney and can't give legal advice. But I can tell you what has been my experience with this situation.

In general, creditors who have placed a lien against your home will release that lien to allow your short sale to go through with the stipulation that YOU are not receiving any proceeds of the sale. This even holds true for the IRS.

The creditors place the lien on your home for the express purpose of being paid off with your equity if you sell your home before you have paid the debt. If there is no equity above what you owe on your mortgage for them to claim, then it is fruitless for them. They have no interest in blocking your sale just to be mean and vindictive. Yes, even the IRS!

Each creditor will have to issue a release, and this will take some time and diligent effort to make happen. A savvy Realtor working with a sharp escrow officer will be your best friends in this situation.

If you are short selling your home to avoid foreclosure, then you are unquestionably in a situation where you will not receive any proceeds from the sale. This is the perfect environment for creditors to agree to release their liens. This doesn't mean that you don't still owe them on the debt. Just that you can short sell your home to avoid foreclosure.

Please call me if you would like to discuss whether a short sale is a good option for you. Knowledge is power!

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Coeur d'Alene Real Estate ~ Long-Term Interest Rates Fall to Lowest Level in Five Weeks

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:51:36 -0600

Coeur d'Alene Real Estate ~ Long-Term Interest Rates Fall to Lowest Level in Five Weeks

According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.91% with an average 0.7 point for the week ending November 12, 2009. Last week, it averaged 4.98%, and a year ago it was 6.14%.

"Mortgage rates eased further over the week, helping to promote an affordable home-purchase market and stimulate refinance," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist.

"This comes at a time when house price declines are moderating and consumer demand for prime mortgages at commercial banks has picked up."

With declining interest rates and an extension and EXPANSION of the first time homebuyer tax credit, renters just might be surprised to find that they can qualify for a home purchase for the same payment they are making in rent. And move-up buyers who have been sitting still now have a $6500 incentive to explore their options!

To read the complete Realty Times article click here.

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Holiday Toy Drive ~ Join me to make a difference in a child's life!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:45:53 -0600

Holiday Toy Drive to benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
November 2 - December 4

Join me and the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors
as we collect unwrapped toys and gift cards for Kootenai County
children and teenagers this holiday season.

Make a difference in a child's life!

There are over 600,000 abused, neglected children in the U.S. Over 260 of these children are in Kootenai County. CASA volunteers represent these children in court, focusing exclusively on the child's best interest. They research their background & serve as fact finders for the judge. Volunteers continue to monitor during the life of the case, helping to ensure that the child makes it to a safe, permanent home as soon as possible.

Click on the link to the CASA website to find out more information about the organization and volunteer opportunities you can become involved in.

If you would like to join me in making a difference, please consider a donation of toys for children to age 12 or gift cards for teenagers, with a $15 value. Gifts should be unwrapped, gift bags are appreciated. Call me if you have questions or need more information. You can drop off toys and donations to me at my office. I'd love a chance to shake your hand and thank you personally!

Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene
1044 Northwest Blvd. Suite F
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
208-651-9700

Thank you for whatever you can do to
bring a smile to a child's face this holiday season!

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700