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Casa Latino International Enters Global Expansion Phase

(ORLANDO, FL) -- Casa Latino International, an Orlando-based multicultural real estate firm, has launched a global development initiative to expand the Casa Latino brand into select markets in South America and Europe, further strengthening the real estate franchise brand beyond the U.S. territory.

The expansion of Casa Latino International into the worldwide marketplace will establish partnerships with foreign real estate professionals, agencies and brokerage firms to create an access point to the U.S. realty markets, including access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Sonny Buoncervello, president of Casa Latino International, is spearheading this global marketing initiative with the support of Dream Factory Productions, a multicultural marketing and advertising agency with experience in the development of brands in global markets.

"Casa Latino International is creating ambassadorial-style partnerships with real estate professionals to enhance their business with residential and commercial MLS inventory from the American market in their language," said Buoncervello. "We are launching boutique real estate centers abroad to serve the interests of their citizens in popular destinations within the U.S."

Buoncervello has over 35 years of experience in the real estate business and played a pivotal role in the development of two of Central Florida's most beautiful resort communities, Celebration and Reunion, which gives him a unique advantage in real estate market development. In his desire to expand the Casa Latino brand internationally, Buoncervello recently brokered a Master Franchise Agreement with Eros Spinozzi, President of Italico Srl, to develop the Casa Latino brand throughout Italy.

During the first quarter of 2010, Casa Latino International plans to expand the real estate brand to Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil, all countries that offer excellent market potential given the established travel routes to U.S. airports with a constant flow of tourists and business travelers.

Through the establishment of partnerships with agents and brokerage firms in the Latin American territory, as well as in Spain and Italy, customers will benefit from the opportunity to purchase real estate in many of the most popular destination cities in North America--a growing trend in countries with strong middle class segments.

Since many are likely to be unfamiliar with real estate transactions in the U.S., Casa Latino International's offers foreign real estate brokers the value-added benefit of making available a full range of resources, including MLS inventory, financing options, title assistance and bilingual support.

February Market Review

New and Resale Levels Fall

After a rising surge from September through November,
existing-home sales fell as expected in December after
first-time buyers rushed to complete sales before the
original November deadline for the tax credit. However,
prices rose from December 2008 and annual sales improved
in 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes,
condominiums and co-ops – fell 16.7 percent to a seasonally
adjusted annual rate1 of 5.45 million units in December
from 6.54 million in November, but remain 15.0 percent above
the 4.74 million-unit level in December 2008.

For all of 2009 there were 5,156,000 existing-home sales,
which was 4.9 percent higher than the 4,913,000 transactions
recorded in 2008; it was the first annual sales gain since 2005.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there were no surprises
in the data. “It’s significant that home sales remain above
year-ago levels, but the market is going through a period of
swings driven by the tax credit,” he said. “We’ll likely have
another surge in the spring as home buyers take advantage of
the extended and expanded tax credit. By early summer the
overall market should benefit from more balanced inventory,
and sales are on track to rise again in 2010. However, the
job market remains a concern and could dampen the housing
recovery – job creation is key to a continued recovery in
the second half of the year.”


Sales of new one-family houses in December 2009 were at a
seasonally adjusted annual rate of 342,000, according to
estimates released jointly January 27th by the U.S. Census
Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is 7.6 percent (±14.6%) below the revised November
rate of 370,000 and is 8.6 percent (±15.2%)* below the
December 2008 estimate of 374,000.

The median sales price of new houses sold in December 2009
was $221,300; the average sales price was $290,600. The
seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at
the end of December was 231,000. This represents a supply
of 8.1 months at the current sales rate.

An estimated 374,000 new homes were sold in 2009. This is
22.9 percent (±2.9%) below the 2008 figure of 485,000.

NCLR and Freddie Mac Partner on Innovative Effort to Help Latinos Avoid Foreclosure

RISMEDIA, January 29, 2010—In an effort to keep more families from losing their homes, NCLR (National Council of La Raza), one of the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organizations in the United States, and Freddie Mac announced their partnership on a program that will provide personalized credit counseling free of charge to Hispanic homeowners who are more than 90 days behind with their mortgage payments.

“NCLR’s partnership with Freddie Mac on this program means that distressed minority homeowners can access effective, personalized housing counseling from trusted community organizations. This effort will strengthen our ability to replicate best practices and succeed in helping more Latino families stay in their homes,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR president and CEO.

According to the organization, the Borrower Help program consists of pilot programs in Phoenix, Chicago, the District of Columbia, and the Riverside/San Bernardino, California area, as well as a nationwide phone campaign that offer struggling minority homeowners the opportunity to review their credit status and options with trained, bilingual housing counselors from nonprofit organizations. Southwest Housing Solutions in Detroit and New Economics for Women in Los Angeles—community-based organizations that are members of the NCLR Homeownership Network (NHN)—are providing families with counseling through this program.

“NCLR is a trusted and tested organization with a track record for helping borrowers regain their financial footing and avoid unnecessary foreclosure,” said Dwight Robinson, senior vice president for Corporate Relations and Housing Outreach at Freddie Mac. “As part of Freddie Mac’s Borrower Help Network, NCLR will provide our delinquent borrowers with a strong and reliable guide to navigate the workout process.”

Freddie Mac is partnering with 13 nonprofit organizations in the Borrower Help Network and Borrower Help Center. The program’s goal is to reach people who may be reluctant to communicate with lenders and help them find a viable way to keep their homes by providing access to third-party counselors who can take a holistic approach to their credit picture. By working with trusted nonprofit organizations, Freddie Mac offers an alternative—one that borrowers may feel more comfortable with—to speaking directly with the lender when they are facing financial difficulties.

“An estimated 400,000 Latino families lost their homes to foreclosure in 2009,” said Murguía. “As foreclosure rates continue to grow, it is important for the Latino community and our nation that we create more innovative programs to help people keep their homes. The Borrower Help program offers a fresh approach to homeowner credit counseling.”

For more information, visit www.nclr.org.

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Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA)

Realtor.org
On November 30, 2009, the Treasury Department released guidelines and forms for its new Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA). HAFA is part of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). HAFA provides incentives in connection with a short sale or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure (DIL) used to avoid foreclosure on a loan eligible for modification under the HAMP program. Servicers participating in HAMP are also required to comply with HAFA. A list of servicers participating in HAMP is available at MakingHomeAffordable.gov.

HAFA applies to loans not owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which will issue their own versions of HAFA in coming weeks.

HAFA is a complex program, with 43 pages of guidelines and forms, designed to simplify and streamline use of short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure. HAFA:

••Complements HAMP by providing a viable alternative for borrowers (the current homeowners) who are HAMP eligible but nevertheless unable to keep their home.
••Uses borrower financial and hardship information already collected in connection with consideration of a loan modification.
••Allows borrowers to receive pre-approved short sales terms before listing the property (including the minimum acceptable net proceeds).
••Prohibits the servicers from requiring a reduction in the real estate commission agreed upon in the listing agreement (up to 6 percent).
••Requires borrowers to be fully released from future liability for the first mortgage debt (no cash contribution, promissory note, or deficiency judgment is allowed).
••Uses standard processes, documents, and timeframes/deadlines.
••Provides financial incentives: $1,500 for borrower relocation assistance; $1,000 for servicers to cover administrative and processing costs; and up to $1,000 for investors for allowing a total of up to $3,000 in short sale proceeds to be distributed to subordinate lien holders (on a one-for-three matching basis).
••Requires all servicers participating in HAMP to implement HAFA in accordance with their own written policy, consistent with investor guidelines. The policy may include factors such as the severity of the potential loss, local markets, timing of pending foreclosure actions, and borrower motivation and cooperation.
The program does not take effect until April 5, 2010, but servicers may implement it before then if they meet certain requirements. The program sunsets on December 31, 2012.


If you want to be successful on 2010, you need to learn how to do shortsales....

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Walk Away Even if You Can Pay?

Lenders are getting a growing pressure on their need to do more to help homeowners facing foreclosure, from the current administration to non-profit groups all are trying to see alternative to foreclosure. One of this alternative is ShortSales, it will cost less to lenders compared to a foreclosure and it will allow homeowners to buy another home after 2 years or repair their credit report. Click on the link below to see a report an "Strategic Walk Away From Your Home"

Walk Away Even if You Can Pay?

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Invitation to the 2010 Multicultural Real Estate & Policy Conference

Join the nation's three largest minority real estate trade associations and hear first-hand perspectives on policies that will create sustainable housing opportunities.

Grow your business by meeting top leaders dedicated to the multicultural housing market.

Sessions include:
*REO Market
*Short Sales
*Doing Business with the Federal Government

Limited number of hotel rooms reserved, register today!

AREAA, NAHREP and NAREB are non-profit professional trade organizations dedicated to promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities in underserved communities. Visit the organizations online at www.areaa.org, www.nahrep.org and www.nareb.com

Latinos Still Passionate about Homeownership

RISMEDIA, October 27, 2009—Fifty-four percent of Latinos that participated in a phone survey conducted on behalf of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), expressed a strong interest in homeownership and plan to buy a home in the next five years.

The poll was conducted among Latino renters living in the foreclosure-ravaged markets of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix and coincides with a national survey of Hispanic real estate professionals announced during its annual member convention in Las Vegas. The survey findings reinforce what many of the 16,000-member Hispanic trade group’s members report – a strong consumer interest that could further fortify the first-time homebuyer market.

“Despite the losses that many families suffered in the mortgage crisis, there remains high interest in homeownership among those families that stayed on the sidelines and didn’t buy during the boom,” says Tino Diaz, chairman of NAHREP. “Our members report that the appeal of stability and personal freedoms that come with homeownership are top motivators.”

A survey of 500 NAHREP members including opinions from real estate agents and mortgage professionals revealed the following:

-Seventy-six percent of respondents said that stability of family ranked first or second as the primary reason why clients want to buy a home. Thirty percent said utility and the freedom to create a home that suited their personal or cultural style was the top one and two reasons why their clients want to purchase a home;

-Only 18% of practitioners polled viewed financial investment as the primary reason for buying a home;

-Fifty percent of members that answered the poll said that wasting money on rent ranked first or second as the primary motivation for their clients to become homeowners;

-Forty-nine percent of members said that tighter lending standards remain the biggest barrier to homeownership for their clients; while 44% ranked first or second the competition from cash investors as the main obstacle to homeownership of their buyers. Thirty percent of respondents ranked lack of down payment as one of the top two challenges for their buyers.

-Sixty-three percent of members polled say they have six or more mortgage-ready clients that are ready to buy a home;

-Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said that today’s buyers are more sensitive to purchase price and mortgage payment, more apt to want house payments that include taxes and insurance and prefer a 30-year fixed-rate loan;

-Sixty-five percent of Hispanic real estate professionals that participated in the poll said that some form of consumer education would be most useful to enabling Latinos to achieve homeownership

Nearly half of the nation’s 14 million Hispanic households currently rent. If half of the renter pool follows through and is able to achieve homeownership during the next five years as they plan, the nation’s fastest growing minority group could be the next big wave of first-time buyers. Based on the median home price of $174,900, this could create more than $600 billion in home sales over the next five years, the Hispanic trade association estimates.

“An infusion of new homeowners that want to stay put and build nests for their families is exactly what the housing market needs,” said Craig Nickerson, project director for the National Community Stabilization Trust, an organization that assists local communities to acquire, rehab and sell foreclosures back to homeowners. “Once the pendulum swings back to the middle, a whole new group of buyers will be ready to buy homes. This is promising news especially for foreclosure-ravaged communities.”

For more information, visit www.nahrep.org.

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What to ASK when meeting with your potential lender

The following are some good questions to discuss with your lender when applying for a home loan. If you go into the interview with your lender with the aptitude that you are hiring a services rather that the loan officer is doing you a favor, you might be able to get the best deal for your mortgage.

1.Are both fixed-rate and adjustable mortgage loans available?
2.What is the interest rate?
3.How long can I "lock-in" the financing at the current interest rate?
4.Is a float down lock available in case rates drop after I have locked in?
5.What are the other fees a lender may charge me in conjunction with my loan?
6.Are funds for a second mortgage available?
7.On adjustable loans, how often will the interest rate be adjusted?
8.Is there a maximum limit on each rate change?
9.How often will the monthly payment be adjusted?
10.Is there a ceiling on payment adjustments?
11.Can the term of the loan be extended?
12.What is the maximum rate that can be charged over the life of the loan?
13.Is there any potential for negative amortization?
14.Is there a pre-payment penalty clause? This involves extra charges for paying off the loan before maturity. About 80% of all loans in the United States are paid off early.
15.What is the "grace" period?
16.How late can a monthly payment be made before a late charge is assessed?
17.What will happen if a payment is missed?
18.If you sell your house, will the new buyer (if he/she qualifies) be able to assume your mortgage at the same interest rate?
19.Do you have to pay "points" to get your new mortgage?
20.Usually lenders charge points for the cost of giving you a mortgage loan. A "point" is 1% of the loan.
21.Will the lender require mortgage insurance?
22.Is the loan serviced locally or is the servicing sold? Ask for a written "good faith deposit".

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Como Se Determina El Valor De Tu Casa

Saber el valor de tu casa nunca ha sido más fácil. Ahora con la ayuda de los expertos en bienes raíces certificados por RealEstateLatino.com te podemos ofrecer un servicio personalizado y lo que es mejor aun, gratis. Si deseas vender tu casa, piensas refinanciar o simplemente estas curioseando el valor de mercado contáctanos hoy para un servicio sin compromiso.

¿Qué es el reporte de mercado CMA?

El CMA no es más que un reporte donde se compara tu propiedad con otras propiedades similares que estén en la misma área. El reporte se puede comparar con el que hacen los tasadores profesionales y que cuestan cientos de dólares.

¿Cómo funciona?

¡Muy fácil! Al recibir tus datos con tu pedido le encargamos a nuestro agente certificado en tu área que visite tu casa, tome los datos referentes a esta y después de corroborar toda la información con una base de datos para agentes te entregue el reporte (todo el proceso puede durar solo un par de días).

¿Por qué este servicio es gratis?

Este servicio lo ofrecemos gratis a la comunidad Latina como parte de nuestro compromiso para mejorar la experiencia de compra-venta.

Si estas interesado en resibir este servicio sin costo alguno, Haz Un Click Aqui!

Como Prepararce Para El Cierre De Tu Casa

Por Bill Arce: La compra de su casa es solamente el comienzo de un largo camino que le asegurar la construcción de su patrimonio familiar. Una vez realizado el cierre se habré ante usted una vida nueva y llena de responsabilidades. Aquí les dejo algunos consejos para que tengan una mejor idea y se preparen.

Realizando la mudada

10 Semanas antes del gran día

1.Contacte a tres compañías de mudanza para un estimado gratis.
2.Realice un plano de la casa nueva y determine donde va cada cosa.
3.Contacte a un Realtor de la ciudad para recibir información sobre el área.

8 Semanas antes del gran día

1.Haga un inventario detallado sobre sus pertenencias. Decida que quiere mudar, vender o simplemente donarlo a una entidad caritativa.
2.Llene el formulario correspondiente para el cambio de dirección, envíelo a las entidades que crea pertinentes.
3.Pida el historial médico, dentista, legal, contabilidad y veterinaria de toda su familia y mascotas, guárdelos en un lugar que pueda recordar con facilidad.
4.Realice los trámites pertinentes para enviar los record de una escuela a otra.
5.Pregúntele a su consejero de impuestos sobre posibles deducciones de impuestos y como afectará la mudanza con sus impuestos.
6.Haga una lista de posibles costos que deberá enfrentar en la mudanza.

6 Semanas antes del gran día

1.Prepare una venta en la yarda (garage sale) para que se deshaga de lo que no quiere o necesita en la nueva casa.
2.Si usted decidió contratar a una compañía profesional de mudanzas y ellos harán el empaquetamiento, haga una cita con antelación (1 o 2 días antes de la mudada)
3.Si usted piensa realizar el empaquetamiento, compre las caja adecuada, los materiales para empacar como tapes y plástico protectores de cristal, etc. Si piensa que necesitará un almacén para guardar objetos antes o después de la mudada, haga los arreglos con una compañía de (storage) unas semanas antes del día de la mudada.
4.¿Tienes mascotas? Si la respuesta es sí, haga arreglos con antelación, tenga a mano el record medico, las vacunas de inmunización, etc.

5 Semanas antes del gran días

1.Asegurase de que cuenta con suficiente material para empacar y tiene los equipos necesarios para la mudada.
2.Empiece por empacar las cosas que no necesitara inmediatamente o que piense guardar en un almacén.
3.Contacte a las compañías de utilidades e infórmele sobre cuando desea interrumpir los servicios en la vivienda vieja y para cuando piensa que necesitara los servicios activos en su nueva casa.
4.Confirme todos los arreglos para el viaje de su familia y mascotas.

3 Semanas antes del gran día

1.Prepare el auto (s) para el viaje. Haga el chequeo pertinente (si lo necesita) antes de mudarse. Si tiene servicios de periódicos, revistas o servicios dirigidos a su vivienda vieja, termínelos o haga los arreglos para que se lo envíen a la vivienda nueva. Confirme que todo está en orden con su cuanta bancaria.
2. Si compro objetos nuevos como muebles, cocinas de gas/electricidad o refrigeradores para la casa nueva, confirme el día que piensa recibirlos con las compañías.

2 Semanas para el gran día

1.Ya es hora de empacar las cosas que necesitará inmediatamente en su vivienda nueva. Tómese unos días libres para recoger, pintar y dejar lista la casa vieja.

1 Semana para el gran día

1.Recoja los papeles importantes y colóquelos en una caja fácil de recordar, si tienes una caja de seguridad con objetos valiosos envíelos como cargamento protegido a su nueva casa.
2.Déjele saber a los vecinos, amigos y familiares la dirección nueva y como contactarlo en caso de necesidad.
3.Si usted tiene un bebe, planee su mudanza para que le sea más fácil y agradable.
4.Notifique a sus amigos el día de la mudanza para que le ayuden a cargar el camión.

El gran día

1.Deje limpios y desconectados los equipos eléctricos en la cocina. Regale la comida congelada que no necesitará.
2.Prepare para ese día una comida sencilla y asegúrese de tener una hielera con agua y abundante bebida para todo el día.
3.Tenga dinero en efectivo para el viaje y un cheque del banco para pagar a la compañía de mudanza en caso de utilizarla.
4.Empaque las cosas más cercana a usted y que necesitara en cualquier momento.
5.Cuidadosamente marque las cajas para saber cual debe de desempacar primero y cual no.
6.Si utiliza una compañía de mudanza asegúrese que le dé al chofer su número de teléfono y dirección en caso de emergencias.
7.Antes de “despedirse” de su casa de un pequeño recorrido para asegurarse de que no se queda nada olvidado

Durante el Cierre

En el cierre asegúrese de que si debe traer algún dinero para pagar o un servicio, este de ser en forma de un cheque certificado por su banco, téngalo listo antes del cierre. SI no sabe la cantidad total que debe traer, en la oficina del titulo encargada de su caso o su abogado de bienes raíces se la podrán facilitar.

Sepa lo que vas a firmar antes de hacerlo, si tiene dudas pregúntele al representante de titulo o a su abogados hasta que este pueda aclarar las, recuerde que bajo ningún concepto usted debería firmar algo que no entiende. Pídale, a su agente que le ayude con la traducción y explicación de los documentos a firmar.

Después de firmar todos los papeles legales requeridos por su banco, preste mucha atención a las instrucciones de la persona que lo esta asistiendo, especialmente cuando este le haga referencia a su primer pago. Por lo general las instituciones bancaria le envia el primer pago por correo, pero si por alguna razón este falla o se retrasa usted sigue siendo responsable de enviar el dinero completo antes del día 15 de cada mes. Adjunto a su paquete de cierre usted contara con una copia de lo que representa su primer pago para que lo envié al banco sin importar si el pagare original es recibido o no.

Después del Cierre

Una vez terminado el cierre tenga presente que guardar todo sus papeles en un lugar seguro, lejos del fuego o agua. Haga copias de los papeles más importantes y manténgalos en casa para cualquier legalidad que tenga que resolver. Asegúrese de que mantendrá la información de contacto de todos los que le han ayudado para referencia futura.

Mantenga el crédito limpio, esto le dará la posibilidad de refinanciar su casa o extraer valor liquido en caso de necesitarlos. Haga un presupuesto y mantenga por lo menos 6 meses de ahorros guardados en caso de una emergencia.

Mantenga la casa en buen estado y realice reparaciones periódicas para evitar daños mayores y de esta forma logre adquirir más valor líquido. Mantenga el seguro contra fuego y huracanes en todo momento. Recuerde es mejor evitar que tener que lamentar.

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