HUD Homebuyer's Seminar in Hixson, TN

Here are the Ws:

When: Thursday, June 30th, 2011.
Where: Northgate Title Escrow - Conveniently located behind the Post Office beside Northgate Mall.
What: HUD Homebuyer's Seminar Who: Anyone interested in buying a home as a residence or an investment. Hopefully YOU!
What Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM or until all your questions are answered.
Why: Because buying a home in the current economy should be an informed decision - Arm yourself for success.


The focus of this session will be "How to Buy a HUD Home in Tennessee." HUD homes are listed properties that are owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a Federal agency. These homes can be purchased by either Owner Occupants or by Investors. You will learn all about HUD Homes and why they can be such a great value to you as your next home or as an investment property.

This Seminar is completely FREE

At the Seminar:

...You can talk with representatives of Northgate Title Escrow to answer any questions you have about Title Insurance, closing costs, the closing process, etc.
...You can talk with representatives of Community Mortgage about your financing questions, loan applications, underwriting process, and what is currently happening in the mortgage world.
...You can talk with representatives of Old Republic Home Protection about any home warranty questions you have.
...And you can talk with me about the current real estate market, agency questions, and the home search and buying process.

This is your opportunity to get a lot of valuable information quickly from the real estate industry professionals that are in the market everyday. We will also have some fun with light refreshments and some door prizes from our sponsors.

You can register on-line at my company website: www.UpwardRealty.com, or you can register by email at Info@UpwardRealty.com, or you can call my office at 423-847-8001 and ask to be registered.

Again, there is no charge or obligation created by attending this seminar.

Chattanooga Tennessee Broker Earns CDPE Designation

Chattanooga, Tennessee (Grassroots Newswire) February 18, 2011 --Raymond Warren, Broker/Owner of UpwardRealty.com has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process.

Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

In the Chattanooga area, there are thousands of homes currently in danger of foreclosing. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune.

“This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales,” said Warren. “It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure.”

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as Raymond Warren with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys their credit rating. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online. The CDPE is the premier designation for Realtors® helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales.

“Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible,” Charfen said.

For more information about UpwardRealty.com, please call 423-847-8001. UpwardRealty.com is located at 6726 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343.

Have you been thinking about a career in real estate? If so, check out this video.

HUD Homebuyer's Seminar in Chattanooga, TN

If you are considering buying a home and would like to learn more about the process, you have a great opportunity coming up shortly. You are invited to attend a HUD Homebuyer's Seminar on March 3, 2011 right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The seminar will begin at 6:00 PM (EST) and end around 8:30 PM.

This seminar will be sponsored by Peoples Home Equity and Upward Realty.com. The location is the Peoples Home Equity office at 6650 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421. Reserve your seat now by calling Shannon Lunn @ 423-591-9801 or by email to SLunn@ChattMortgage.com.

This is a great chance for you to get all your questions answered by local mortgage and real estate professionals who work in the current market everyday. There are lots of myths circulating in the marketplace and in the news. You need the facts and that is the purpose of this seminar. Before you venture into the current real estate market, arm yourself with the facts so you can be a knowledgeable consumer. Mistakes in the current market can be very expensive.

Raymond Warren of UpwardRealty.com is a Local Listing Broker for PEMCO, Ltd. and markets HUD Acquired Properties in the Greater Chattanooga Area and 12 counties in Southeast Tennessee. The real estate industry has been an ever changing environment for the last 4 years, this is your chance to get your questions answered by an experienced Broker who is in the local marketplace full-time everyday.

Lori Dodd of Peoples Home Equity will be discussing the current mortgage market and answering your home loan questions. You will also be able to talk with Peoples Home Equity about your personal mortgage needs and get pre-qualified. Being pre-qualified is a requirement for HUD and banks selling distressed properties. Property owners like to know that a buyer is able to complete the deal.

Sponsors:
Peoples Home Equity, 6650 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421, 423-591-9801.
UpwardRealty.com, 6726 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343, 423-847-8001.

For Sale By Owner...Really?

A few years ago, a fellow Realtor® bought a new car and instead of trading in her old car, she decided she would sell it herself. After all, she was a professional salesperson, how hard could it be? And, she could make more money that way...

Well, she went to the hardware store and bought the little "red and black" signs that would tell the world that her car is "for sale". She called the newspaper and placed the ads - of course she paid extra for the heavy borders, "New Listing" headings, and bold type. She put her phone number on the signs and taped them to her car windows. In 2010, she would have surely put an ad on Craig's List.

She was ready to pocket her pending financial windfall. After all, why should the dealer make all that extra money anyway. Anyone can sell a car and she knew that car better than anyone. Right?

If you have ever tried to sell a used car, you know what followed. Her life became selling that car. She soon was talking to everyone who ever thought they might want a car like hers (and many who just needed to be entertained). Most of the calls were from nice folks. But, those little signs and those bold ads do produce, they are like magnets in the world of crazy. There really are "tire kickers" out there, people who will look at and test drive lots of cars but seldom buy.

Some of the "not so nice" folks felt it was their obligation to see the car, drive the car, point out every flaw, educate her on the "current market", and basically tell her that she was crazy (a point she soon began to agree was right.) For some reason a few felt that they needed to point out to her that they had CASH! Somehow they felt that their cash was better than the dollars another person could bring from their bank or credit union. Therefore, she should take less because they had CASH.

Soon, she began to hate that car and wished she had left it with the dealer when she had the chance. Then in reflection one day the Realtor® in her came out, and she asked, "Why would anyone ever try to sell their own home?"

Selling your own home is much like selling a car, but with a lot more at stake. You do open your life to the world. The process can consume your life, because your are emotionally invested in your home. And, you have basically taken on a new full-time job. The longer the process takes, the more desperation sets in and the less firm you become in your resolve. And you begin to wonder about the safety of your family and yourself as you continue to allow strangers into your home and your life. You also realize some of these "buyers" are almost professional at negotiating. Also, everyone wants a good deal for themselves - not you.

Good Realtors® know how to deal with the different aspects of society, that is what we do everyday. We work to know the people we bring into your home. If we are smart, we only bring you qualified buyers, we don't introduce "tire kickers" into your home and your life. We recognize these characters and we don't waste your time or ours.

Our goal should always be to serve you, allow you to continue to live your life, and help you achieve a happy sale of your home. We are the buffer between you and them. We negotiate for a living and we do it on your behalf. We know what your home is really worth and we tell you, plus we tell the buyer when he wants to "steal" your equity.

If you are considering selling your home as a do-it-yourself project, all I can say is "For Sale by Owner...Really?"

I am in the market full-time, everyday, if you want to talk further then just contact me. Or, just give me a call at (423) 847-8001, just ask for Raymond.

Raymond Warren named HUD Listing Broker for PEMCO

PEMCO, Ltd. a contractor for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has named Raymond Warren, SFR of Upward Realty.com in Hixson, TN as a Local Listing Broker (LLB) for eleven counties in Southeast Tennessee.

Mr. Warren and UpwardRealty.com will be a listing agent for HUD acquired homes in the Counties of Van Buren, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn, Bradley, Polk, Monroe, Roane, Hamilton, and Marion in Tennessee. As an approved listing broker for this region, UpwardRealty.com will be responsible for marketing HUD homes in this area. The local brokerage will also be a resource for buyers interested in purchasing one of these homes. Selling agents interested in selling HUD homes will also be able to use Mr. Warren and his office as a resource for questions about these homes as well as the purchase process.

"We are excited about this opportunity to be a local resource for homebuyers and selling agents in the Greater Chattanooga Area and throughout Southeast Tennessee." stated Mr. Warren. "Our commitment to PEMCO includes not only the marketing of HUD acquired properties, but also conducting training for both interested homebuyers and sales training for licensed real estate agents throughout the region." Classes are expected to begin in the last quarter of this year. Information about the classes will be regularly posted on the company website (

Hixson & Chattanooga, TN Real Estate For Sale - Tax Credit Reminder - April 30th is coming --- SOON!

If you are remotely considering buying a home in the next year, or even two years, can you use an extra $6,500 to $8,000 to sweeten the deal? If so, you need to revise your time table --- Say like RIGHT NOW!

At present our Federal government is making you a limited time offer. How's this? Agree to a binding home purchase by April 30, 2010 and then close the sale by June 30, 2010 and you might just get the money for asking.

Here is the deal, you can get up to 10% of the purchase price as a tax refund check from the IRS. For a first-time homebuyer the max is $8000 and for a move-up buyer the max is still a nice $6,500. What can you do with that?

We are now in the countdown to April 30th and it looks like this may not be extended again... so lets get busy. Take a few minutes now and read the limits and guidelines, I'll even link you to a good site with a click right here. Just promise to come back.

Are you now ready? We can help make it happen at UpwardRealty.com, give us a call now at 423-847-8001. Or pick an agent from our experienced sales team and contact them today.

Pat Branham Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Chattanooga/Hixson, TN - Pat Branham with UpwardRealty.com 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.

“As leading advocates for homeownership, REALTORS® believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results,” said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it’s extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a REALTOR® who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases.”

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.

For more information about Upward Realty.com, 6726 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343, please call 423-847-8001. You can also contact Pat Branham by calling 423-304-5597.