Twittering fool

Hello again everyone. It's Wednesday and it's almost time for Mr. Keen himself to start contributing and letting you know about himself! Ohhh I'm excited to see what he has to say!

But enough about him, it's still my turn. I'm going to list some of my favorite places in the city that I specialize in: Lakewood!
Favorite restaurant in Lakewood: Eastside Marios (Papa's Parmigiana-Fettuccine Alfredo/Lasagna/Chicken Parmigiana)
Favorite sports bar in Lakewood: Glory Days (TV's, beer on tap and GREAT food!)
Favorite Golf Course in Lakewood: Lakewood Country Club (That darn #6 gets me every time)
Favorite sport to watch in Lakewood: Lakewood High School Girls Volleyball (I used to coach the boys here, and the girls just won the D-1 State Title in 2007)

Now for a common real estate question and answer:

Q: When will the market turn around?
A: It is! Home prices are leveling out, home sales are increasing, revenue is increasing for home improvement companies (for the first time in years) and things are slowing down. Don't get me wrong, as it will take plenty of time to get through this foreclosure mess, but things are not in a free fall anymore! If you are interested in buying, now is the best time! Great prices: CHECK! Low interest rates: CHECK! Minimal money down: CHECK! Tons of places to choose from: CHECK! What else do you need?

If you're a first time buyer, please see our post that is directly for you! HERE

Until next time,

FIGHT ON!
Kyle

Oh and if you want to follow me directly on twitter, click here!

We're looking for REO agents and foreclosure agents! If that's you, contact us so we can start a joint venture!

More about Kyle

Hello everyone. It's another great week in SoCal! USC beat ohio st. this weekend and it was the first weekend of NFL! It's the most wonderful time of the year, for me! I'm going to keep short and sweet today and give you just a slice about me and then answer some common real estate questions.

I think I stated that I'm a HUGE USC fan already, but this past weekends game was AMAZING! It rivals when I was on the sidelines at the 2005 USC vs notre dame game where we came marching down from 4th and 19 with 1:07 left! That, by far, will be my most memorable USC moment, if not sports moment ever! As for my golfing, my dad and I played our second round better ball golf match yesterday and lost! Our opponent shot 7 under his handicap though, making it pretty tough to beat! Some other interests of mine, are wine and beer! My dad brews his own and it's really quite good. And if you're looking for a great wine for about $5, check out Barefoot brand wines. Both the reds and whites are great. I prefer the Zinfandel though! I better save some good stuff for the rest of the week, so I'll move on to today's common real estate question for today's market!

What are my options for a lender?

The first step in purchasing a new home is finding the money to buy it. Here is a breakdown of the types of lenders and the pros/cons of each:

Today's choices include banks, mortgage brokers, home builders, and Internet lenders. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and rates vary from lender to lender.

Types of Mortgage Lenders

Type	Advantages	Disadvantages
Banks	Regulated by state and federal agencies Current banking relationship can get you a reduced mortgage rate Numerous branches provide you with face-to-face access	Limited to products only the bank has to offer May not have the best rates May lack negotiation leverage when it comes to publicized rates
Mortgage Brokers	Access to a variety of mortgages and lenders Can save you money by shopping for the best rates Can quickly find another lender if your loan initial application is turned down	Some function as the lender's agent and have the lenders best interest at heart Free to set their own pricing and may mark-up wholesale rates to whatever they want Service may vary from broker to broker
Home Builders	Good way for the first-time home buyer to qualify The buyer does not take title to the property until the home is completed	May favor certain lenders who offer higher rates Can pressure you into getting their loan instead of using a different lender
Internet Lenders	Allows you to shop for competitive rates online	A greater learning curve for the borrower to understand the lending process

Typically, most lenders do not keep money on hand but instantly sell conforming loans to third parties like the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). The most common source of home lending is a retail financial institution or credit union. They offer specific loan products and handle their own direct financing by taking consumer deposits and lending them to home buyers.

Mortgage brokers, on the other hand, act as the middleman and don't fund the loans themselves, but handle the mortgage financing for the borrower. Most earn their fees directly as a percentage from the lender and some from the borrower, or a combination of both. Since mortgage brokers have access to a wide variety of lenders they are usually on top of the latest rates, fees and lending practices.

Home builder financing is common in new developments where there is a single builder. The builder carries the construction costs until the homes are built. The builder works with a lender to set-up financing for the buyer and finances the construction costs. The buyer doesn't make mortgage payments until the property is finished.

The popularity of finding a mortgage on the Internet mortgage has grown in recent years. Many lenders offer competitive rates and the convenience of tracking your application through the approval process. Some can save you a significant amount in closing costs, since everything is automated and the time to get approved can be shortened.

Provided by: Yahoo!

Getting to know KYLE!

What's up everyone? This week you will get to know me, Kyle. I am co-owner with Scott at Keen Agents and a real estate broker in Lakewood, CA! I have lived within 2 city blocks in Lakewood for over 24 years. I know the city better than the back of my hand, but that's not saying too much because I don't really look at the back of my hand. Bad example. Maybe better than my slightly offset nose? Great, now you all know about that!

Moving on...

I love to golf, current handicap is 9.8, and play volleyball. I also play the trumpet, since 3rd grade, and was a member of The Greatest Band In The History Of The Universe, aka The USC Trojan Marching Band! Fight on!

I was the first in my family to go to college, but I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and inventors, mostly in the manufacturing field though.

I'll leave y'all with this, and give you a little more each day over the next week. Who knows, maybe I'll even throw some real estate related news in! ;) Until next time,

Fight on! beat the buckeyes and buy a home!

Kyle

It's a gorgeous day. 86 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Off to show some properties!

First Time Home Buyers

People often ask us what steps they should take as first time home buyers. Here is my advice.

1. I recommend that you pick the area that you'd like to move to.

2. Find a lender in that area to get you pre-approved. There's no point in driving around and looking at Open Houses, if you can't get the money to buy it. A lot of people have their dreams shot down and get frustrated with the home buying process because they look at open houses, then decide they want it, only to find out they can't get the money for it. Another little bit of info: Usually, open houses are already sold or have offers, but it's a way for agents to find home buyers that don't already have an agent!

3. Find a great agent. First time home buyers need an agent that will be there for them, as there are a LOT of questions, since you've never done this before. Visit us and we will connect you with a highly qualified, pre-screened agent who will guide you through the process. There are so many agents out there, and a lot are very difficult to work with! It's very important to have a great agent, and our service is free.

4. GOOD LUCK and ENJOY.

PS. Even if you're not ready now, or your lender says you will probably get qualified in the near future, just not today, get connected with an agent anyway. They can put you on an email list so you receive updates when new listings pop up, so you will know what's out there when it's your turn to buy! You might as well have everything in place, right?

Don't delay, contact Keen Agents today!

Back from vacation

Hello everyone. We took a little vacation, but now we're back and ready to ROCK N ROLL N REAL ESTATE! How cheesy!

Quick update on how the mortgage rates are doing:
Interest rates decreased slightly with the conforming 30 year fixed dropping to 5% and FHA to 5.25%. There is another huge auction of Treasury Securities and if there's a good participation, then the rates should remain steady or lower. If not, then up they go!

I won't get too business-ee with this post as getting back to work after a vacation is somewhat like waking up to a bright light; it's shocking and you have to ease into embracing it! :)

If you're interested, please follow us on twitter @keenagents or follow the founders @SCOTT and @KYLE!