Hi there. It’s Kenton again. I want to share something with you, something that you may not be aware of. It may even be something you have never heard of until now. Is your bank or loan officer qualified to work with you? Now, some of you may immediately say, “Yes, but my credit is shot; I don’t have a down payment and so on”. My next question is, “who told you your credit is shot, who told you that you don’t have enough down payment?”
I’m guessing the bank or loan officer told you this. So how do you really know if your bank or loan officer is qualified to work with you? Not all loan officers and banks have the same access to programs, and these programs (that you may not be aware of) can help you get into a home today, rather than go through a lease option.
I deal with many clients that come through our lease option program convinced that they are unable to qualify for financing and honestly for some of them that may be true. But I also find that there are many that fit a variety of loan programs that we offer. Now, I must admit, I am a loan officer and I do work for a Bank / Brokerage but the difference between us and them, is the variety of service that we can offer our clients. Seriously…we can help everyone from the “really” qualified conforming loans, to the FHA government loans, VA loans, 1st time homebuyer state regulated loans…and yes, if you can’t get financing, the lease options. In fact there are not too many clients I come across that we can’t help.
So based on this information, have you really given your credit a shot, or your down payment. Did you know that there are loan programs out there that have less than $500 down payment (did your loan officer tell you that?) Or how about no credit score requirement? These are all different tactics that I use to help each of my clients achieve home ownership.
So don’t take “no” for an answer. Make sure you explore all your options before you settle with a solution. Remember, if you have any questions I’m here to help, I think you will find that I am more than qualified.
Dedicated to Your Financial Success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Land Home Financial Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Rent Vs. Buy – is that a question?
Each new client that I first meet always raises the question, “does it make more sense to rent or buy a home”. Now just so were clear, when I say “buy” I am also talking about Rent to Own; I view it the same way. The answer is that each client doesn’t get the same answer.
So how do you determine in buying vs. renting, which one is a better deal. Well, there are many factors that change each person’s scenario. From a financial stand point I have found a great website that may help you determine financially which way to go is better. Go to http://www.eloan.com/s/rentvsown/input, this is a very easy to use and understand calculator that factors in many different numbers.
Now, with finances aside, I have said it before and I will say it again, there is so much more to home ownership than finances. If you look at homeownership from just a financial standpoint, you may or may not find the answer that you were looking for, but if you look at the whole picture, each time homeownership will win hands down.
I just finished a four part series on the benefits of lease options and one of the greatest benefits was the fact that you own the home! I will bet that most of you who run the calculator will find that financially it makes more sense to own a home…but I can guarantee that homeownership will meet the needs of your family more than renting.
So go to the calculator and plug in your information, you can also play with the numbers on the right side of the page. This will give you the ability to see how each number will be affected by the outcome. Check it out and let me know what you came up with.
Dedicated to Your Financial Success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Land Home Financial Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
So how do you determine in buying vs. renting, which one is a better deal. Well, there are many factors that change each person’s scenario. From a financial stand point I have found a great website that may help you determine financially which way to go is better. Go to http://www.eloan.com/s/rentvsown/input, this is a very easy to use and understand calculator that factors in many different numbers.
Now, with finances aside, I have said it before and I will say it again, there is so much more to home ownership than finances. If you look at homeownership from just a financial standpoint, you may or may not find the answer that you were looking for, but if you look at the whole picture, each time homeownership will win hands down.
I just finished a four part series on the benefits of lease options and one of the greatest benefits was the fact that you own the home! I will bet that most of you who run the calculator will find that financially it makes more sense to own a home…but I can guarantee that homeownership will meet the needs of your family more than renting.
So go to the calculator and plug in your information, you can also play with the numbers on the right side of the page. This will give you the ability to see how each number will be affected by the outcome. Check it out and let me know what you came up with.
Dedicated to Your Financial Success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Land Home Financial Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
Friday, April 11, 2008
My Favorite Benefit…It’s YOUR Home! Fourth Benefit of Lease Options.
Well, I have saved the best for last in this 4 part series. In my opinion and also most of our clients, the greatest benefit to lease options is that the home is YOURS! When you are living in a rental, subconsciously you know that the home is someone else’s, your landlords to be specific. But with a lease option, you picked the home, you negotiated the price of the home…and you move into the home.
The home ownership mentality is so powerful that once you experience it…there’s no turning back. Just talk to any homeowner that has had to rent in the past and they will tell you that there’s nothing like it. So you don’t like the color of the walls…paint them. You want a new kitchen…remodel it. When you own your own home you have the ability to make these decisions.
Now, here’s the other nice thing about being in your own home. How many of you have ever been kicked out of a rental by the landlord? It happens all the time, the landlord needs to sell the house or they just want to get a new tenant. I have even seen landlords change the terms on the lease just to tick off the tenant enough that they would want to leave. With lease options you won’t need to worry about that happening. Since you have the option to buy this home within 2 years; this gives you exclusive rights to it. And no landlord can take that away from you.
So if you have only dreamed about homeownership, its time to start making it a reality. All of the other benefits that have been mentioned are great and on a financial level very attractive…but this is the only one that hits on an emotional level. Provide the home that your family has always wanted.
Reply to this email, give me a call or visit our website at http://www.empireoptions.com/, if you have any questions about how our program can help you and your family get into a home today.
Dedicated to your financial success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Lakemont Mortgage Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
The home ownership mentality is so powerful that once you experience it…there’s no turning back. Just talk to any homeowner that has had to rent in the past and they will tell you that there’s nothing like it. So you don’t like the color of the walls…paint them. You want a new kitchen…remodel it. When you own your own home you have the ability to make these decisions.
Now, here’s the other nice thing about being in your own home. How many of you have ever been kicked out of a rental by the landlord? It happens all the time, the landlord needs to sell the house or they just want to get a new tenant. I have even seen landlords change the terms on the lease just to tick off the tenant enough that they would want to leave. With lease options you won’t need to worry about that happening. Since you have the option to buy this home within 2 years; this gives you exclusive rights to it. And no landlord can take that away from you.
So if you have only dreamed about homeownership, its time to start making it a reality. All of the other benefits that have been mentioned are great and on a financial level very attractive…but this is the only one that hits on an emotional level. Provide the home that your family has always wanted.
Reply to this email, give me a call or visit our website at http://www.empireoptions.com/, if you have any questions about how our program can help you and your family get into a home today.
Dedicated to your financial success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Lakemont Mortgage Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Rents Are Increasing…Has Yours? Third Benefit of Lease Options.
Rents are increasing nationwide…have you been affected yet? If you haven’t you will. Come on, is it really that hard to imagine, its all about supply and demand. With the mortgage crunch more and more individuals are turning to rentals rather than home ownership. This creates a great demand for rental properties and landlords know this! So now they can charge more and get away with it.
Well don’t be a statistic anymore. Just in case your wondering what the numbers look like…here they are.
Last year, the average rent in King and Snohomish counties for all apartments rose 8.6 percent, reaching $1,012 in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the most recent report from Seattle-based Apartment Insights Washington, which surveys 150,000 apartment units on a quarterly basis. Over the past two years, since the first quarter of 2005, rents have climbed 16.7 percent.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
When I look at that, I am shocked! I don’t understand why so many people continue renting when it costs so much. Now some of you may be thinking $1,012 per month is pretty cheep…but their talking about apartments. If that were a Single Family Home at $1,500 per month, it would have climbed $250 to $1,750! That’s amazing!
It’s time to stop renting and start putting your money to work. Lease options are a great tool to do this. Your payment is fixed the whole time you are in the home and just like a mortgage it is applied to paying off the balance each month. I don’t know about you, but I would rather put my money into something that is mine rather than putting it in the landlord’s pocket.
Some of you may think, “Well I can’t qualify”. I would bet that most of you are paying rent close to what you would pay for the same home in our Rent to Own program. If you don’t believe me, just give me a call and we can run the numbers to find out.
Hopefully I will hear from you soon and we get you into the home that you choose for your family.
Dedicated to your financial success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Lakemont Mortgage Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
Well don’t be a statistic anymore. Just in case your wondering what the numbers look like…here they are.
Last year, the average rent in King and Snohomish counties for all apartments rose 8.6 percent, reaching $1,012 in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the most recent report from Seattle-based Apartment Insights Washington, which surveys 150,000 apartment units on a quarterly basis. Over the past two years, since the first quarter of 2005, rents have climbed 16.7 percent.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
When I look at that, I am shocked! I don’t understand why so many people continue renting when it costs so much. Now some of you may be thinking $1,012 per month is pretty cheep…but their talking about apartments. If that were a Single Family Home at $1,500 per month, it would have climbed $250 to $1,750! That’s amazing!
It’s time to stop renting and start putting your money to work. Lease options are a great tool to do this. Your payment is fixed the whole time you are in the home and just like a mortgage it is applied to paying off the balance each month. I don’t know about you, but I would rather put my money into something that is mine rather than putting it in the landlord’s pocket.
Some of you may think, “Well I can’t qualify”. I would bet that most of you are paying rent close to what you would pay for the same home in our Rent to Own program. If you don’t believe me, just give me a call and we can run the numbers to find out.
Hopefully I will hear from you soon and we get you into the home that you choose for your family.
Dedicated to your financial success,
Kenton Becker
kentonb@empireoptions.com
Managing Partner / Lakemont Mortgage Specialist
License # 510-LO-36929
http://www.empireoptions.com/
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