Real Estate Information

Special pricing through November 1! It’s a great time to build your dream home in the country! 2 to 20 acres, ranging in price from $48,900 to $159,900. Dream home sites for the hunter or naturalist just off pavement. These lots are directly across the street from Lake Ahquabi State Park. Tons of wildlife in the area - with close access to the park trails for snowmobiling, hiking, plus fishing, boating, and more at the 770 acre park. Also, only 1/2 mile from Annett Nature Center, 160 acre County Park with wetlands, trails and fishing. Rare rural access to natural gas - no need for propane tanks! Just 6 miles South of Indianola, with other lots available from 2 to 20 acres - whether you are ready to build today or want to save towards your future, this type of location doesn't come every day!  www.TheLotsAtTimberviewEstates.com

Summerset Winery is a "best kept secret" for a great place to go on a Sunday afternoon - they feature different artists throughout the summer, in a great setting!  This week's featured artist is "Ashanti".  www.summersetwine.com

I am so glad to see that it is Farmers Market time again - the Indianola Market, at the Warren County Fairgrounds, features produce, baked goods, kettle corn, and more!  Every time I go I am glad to see what kinds of items are featured - be sure to check it out!

For the 3^rd consecutive year, RE/MAX Innovations is excited to sponsor pilot Gene Elsasser from Omaha, NE, bringing the RE/MAX balloon.  Flights will be at 6:30am and 6:30pm every day, weather permitting. 

If you have any interest in General Admission tickets, or would like to help crew for the balloon, give me a call or send me an email!

Fair time is here!  Whether it is the animal barns, horse shows, fairway, or 4-H building, there is a lot to see and do at the Warren County Fair!  Check out the complete schedule at: www.warrencofair.com

Backers of amendment cite backlog of 180K homebuyers

By Inman News, Wednesday, June 16, 2010.

Inman News

The Senate has amended a bill to give homebuyers who were under contract on a home purchase by April 30 an additional three months to close the deal and claim the federal homebuyer tax credit.

Extending the deadline for closing from June 30 to Sept. 30 would allow lenders more time to clear a backlog of 180,000 homebuyers nationwide, said amendment sponsor Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The amendment to HR 4213, the "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010" -- which primarily extends unemployment insurance benefits -- was approved in a 60-37 vote Wednesday. The vote was mostly along party lines, with only four Republicans in favor and one Democrat opposed.

"While I am disappointed that more Republicans did not support this common-sense measure to strengthen the economy and reduce the deficit, I am committed to ensuring that more Nevadans and Americans can become homeowners and that this amendment becomes law," Reid said in a statement.

The House passed an earlier version of the bill in December, and the Senate approved its own version in March. The Senate is currently working on resolving differences between the two bills.

The National Association of Realtors supports the amendment, saying Realtors have reported that as many as one-third of qualified applicants have been told by lenders that their loans will not close before June 30 because of the sheer volume of loan applications in the pipeline.

The amendment does not extend the deadline for homebuyers to qualify for the tax credit, NAR said in urging lawmakers to approve it, but simply extends the deadline for closing transactions already in contract.

"Since these applications were already in the pipeline and figured into the program's cost, the extension of the closing deadline should not incur any further government costs," NAR President Vicki Cox Golder said in a statement.

There has been some speculation that some homebuyers will attempt to submit fraudulent claims for the tax credit by backdating documents showing they were under contract by April 30, and that extending the deadline for closing would expose the government to more fraudulent claims.

Summerset Winery is a "best kept secret" for a great place to go on a Sunday afternoon - they feature different artists throughout the summer, in a great setting!  This week's featured artist is "Big Daddy Blues".  www.summersetwine.com

I am so glad to see that it is Farmers Market time again - the Indianola Market, at the Warren County Fairgrounds, features produce, baked goods, kettle corn, and more!  Every time I go I am glad to see what kinds of items are featured - be sure to check it out!

Come check out this truly unique and spectacular gem – on nearly 6 acres with a beautiful pond – over 320 acres around it available for sale as well.

I will have market info and tips for buying and selling your home, stop by and visit!

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR^® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Indianola, Iowa, May 10, 2010 — Misty Soldwisch with RE/MAX Innovations has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS^® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS^® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS^® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

“While our area is fortunate enough to not have been affected like more volatile housing markets, declining market values and economic factors have put many central Iowans in the position of negative equity and foreclosure risk.” says Soldwisch.  “Banks prefer to negotiate sales when a homeowner is still living in the home, rather than to take the home into their inventory and risk the deterioration that comes from vacancy and lack of care.  I am glad to have the tools to lead people through these situations – it is not something that every REALTOR^® likes to do, but I find it very satisfying to help community members attempt to preserve their credit and move on.”

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS^® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.