Mortgage Executive Magazine Releases Top 100!

"30 Years old and still on top! Sierra Pacific Mortgage has been named as one of the top Mortgage Companies in America by Mortgage Executive Magazine! #SPM30YearsStrong"

We are Number 1

Being #1 Helps Your Clients

The branch that the Easterbrook Team is a part of at Sierra Pacific Mortgage Corporation and has consistently ranked at the top company-wide.  We assisted our branch in achieving the highest production in 2015.  This has not gone unnoticed at SPMC.  We are currently able to provide special pricing to your and our clientele.  If you know someone that can benefit from our special pricing, please contact us.

We sincerely care for our customers and real estate partners.  In appreciation for our 30 Year Anniversary and $100 Billion in loan volume, we are giving you the best rates in town.  Give your clients the best possible rates and we’ll provide them the best service possible.  Call, text, or email us to request today’s rates. 

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Get Things Done

Keep Yourself Busy for a Better Chance of Getting Things Done

 

Ahh, the list – that nagging piece of paper or software that keeps reminding you of how you haven’t ordered that inspection yet or delivered that closing gift to your latest closing.  A new article, however, suggests that there is a better way to approach your “To Do’s” and that the busier you are, the more likely you are to complete tasks, particularly those whose deadlines have been missed, found Keith Wilcox of Columbia University and his team.  In our business, it is so important to stay positive.   Getting behind is demoralizing, but Professor Wilcox discovered that busier people are better at bouncing back from a missed deadline and are more likely to get the task done — and more quickly. The theory is that while you may have missed one deadline, with other tasks completed and with others on the go, you feel that you are still winning the productivity war.  He suggests being busy (i.e., having a large number of tasks to complete) helps the negative impact of missing a deadline on productivity.  People do not view missing a task deadline as a personal failure when that are busy, and therefore remain motivated to compete it.  This article provides a valuable window into the psychology of productivity.  I might suggest you add reading it to your To Do List – CLICK HERE (sorry, couldn’t resist).  

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Don't Be Invisible

”In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.” - Seth Godin

 

When is the Best Time to Post on Social Media for Maximum Exposure?

 

For those of you that know us, you know that we are very big on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.  Social media is one of the best ways to amplify the great content you’re creating. But it isn’t enough to just post content to social whenever you feel like it. Some times are better than others. So … When’s the best time to post content to social media?  CLICK HERE for a great infographic.

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

What's in a Plan?

What’s the Plan, Man?

 

Developing a real estate business plan is critical to forming a healthy and sustainable business, defining and measuring your sales goals, and growing your business holistically and proactively. This post will show you how to create a great real estate business plan that helps you organize and grow your real estate business, and provides a free business plan template you can customize.  GET YOUR  FREE PLAN

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Down Payment Savings

New Study on Down Payment Savings

 

Hanley Wood’s Data Studio recently assessed Metrostudy and Census data to determine how long it would take each generation to save for a 10% down payment. (Results were based on the median household income and median home price for each age group.)

The study found that Millennials and retirees generally take the most time to save for a down payment. Meanwhile, Americans ages 45 to 54 need the least. Here are the complete results:

• Ages 18 to 24: 8.77 years
• Ages 25 to 34: 7.34 years
• Ages 35 to 44: 5.45 years
• Ages 45 to 54: 3.54 years
• Ages 55 to 64: 3.72 years
• Ages 65 and over: 7.37 years

Setting aside enough money for a down payment is one of the most challenging steps in the home buying process. However, on the Easterbrook Team, we have some very helpful strategies can be utilized to make saving easier. We’ve also got an arsenal of strategies to create down payment funds, from 401K’s to the Bank of Mom and Dad. If you know anyone who could benefit from a savings discussion, count on us to help.

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

FHA Streamline

The FHA Streamline Mortgage                                                              no verification of income, assets, debt, or appraisal

The FHA Streamline is a refinance mortgage loan available to homeowners with existing FHA mortgages. The program simplifies home refinancing by waiving the documentation typically required by a bank, including income verification, asset verification, and an appraisal of the home. Homeowners can use the program to reduce their FHA mortgage insurance premiums (MIP).  Rates on MIP have been reduced on mortgages funded after 1/1/2015. 

 

If one of your past clients or family members has an existing FHA, do them a favor and have them call the Easterbrook Team.  Chances are, we will be able to save them some money and make the process very easy for them. 

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Calculate Your Future

Real Estate Investments – Calculating Future Value

When determining what a property is worth, there are two major considerations: what it will rent for and how it will appreciate.  Determining what it will rent for can usually be done by comparing a sampling of rents from nearby rentals for sale in the MLS.  Property managers are also a good source for this information.  Some will even offer to provide a free analysis of the property for you.  For determining the future value of real estate, however, it’s a simple calculation.

Let’s assume that you do not have a crystal ball.  Real estate has historically appreciated at a rate between 3% and 5% per year.  The U.S. House Price Index shows that residential homes have risen at a rate of 3.4% per year on average since 1991.  3.4% is a safe bet for this purpose.  3.4% will be represented as .034 for the purposes of our calculation. 

For the calculation, add one to the growth rate (1 + .034) and raise this to the power equal to the number of years that you are projecting. 

Future growth =

For example

Your investor want to buy an investment property worth $200K and wants to know what the approximate historical value will be in 10 years.  Using a 3.4% average rate, we can calculate the future growth factor as follows:

Future growth = = 1.4

 

Multiplying this factor by the current value of $200,000 gives us the potential future value of the property.

Future value = 1.4 X $200,000 = $280,000

Or you can cheat by going to this online calculator of future value CLICK HERE.  Calculating future value is not an exact science and should be used as a tool, but not the rule.  Some markets are hot and appreciate at much faster rates and some are cool and values have been known to depreciate.  The longer you project out in the future, the more accurate (based on historical average) your prediction will be.

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Refiance for your Dream Vacation

If a Democrat is elected in November, I’m leaving the country.  If a Republican is elected in November, I’m leaving the country.  Oh, it has nothing to do with politics; I just like to travel…

Refinance Today to be able to Travel Tomorrow!

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Marketing Strategies

Stuck In A Rut? 4 Marketing Strategies to Try Now

On the Easterbrook Team, we are always looking for new material to share with you.  We came across this excellent and unique site called Point2, filled with great tips, humor (essential in our business), and resources like the best real estate apps and this one – 4 great marketing tips that you can use right now to jumpstart your business.  CLICK HERE for ARTICLE

 To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Who's Buying?

Housing is Back!  Who’s Buying?

 

Realtor.com has an article that claims the US is right on track and has by and large recovered from the housing crisis.  On the sales front, there were more sales of both existing and new homes in 2015. Judging from the data reported through November, new-home sales were up 13% and existing-home sales were up 7%. That higher volume of sales was supported by strong household formation (1.4 million households formed in the past four quarters ending in September) and another year of solid job creation (an average of 210,000 jobs per month through November). Normal, non-distressed sales increased among first-time and repeat buyers, and buyers who were relocating and/or changing jobs. CLICK HERE for ARTICLE

 

Here’s the kicker though: Most of the new households forming are renting households, and that’s where the demand-supply imbalance is most acute. Apartment vacancies are at multiyear lows, and correspondingly, rents are now rising faster than home prices. While it may sound like a real estate agent’s dream to say that it’s cheaper to buy than rent in more than 75% of the country, that sound bite doesn’t bode well for the future.  When renting households are so burdened by making rent payments, they’re less able to save up to own.

            To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Bye Bye Foreclosure Hell

We’re Finally Out of Foreclosure Hell!

It actually wasn’t all bad, was it?  At least you didn’t have to make appointments to show properties – they were all vacant.  Remember? The problem was that you couldn’t find anyone that could afford or qualify to buy one.  The numbers have been tabulated and foreclosures are at their lowest level since the housing crisis began.  Foreclosures plummeted almost 27%, from 603,028 in 2014 to 476,000 in 2015, according to CoreLogic.  CLICK HERE for ARTICLE

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Insurance Claims that Affect Premiums

5 Insurance Claims that Affect Premiums

One of the necessary evils in life is insurance – without you aren’t getting your loan and you could leave yourself exposed to a catastrophic expense.  But should you make a claim and risk rising premiums or just pay out of pocket and suck it up, potentially saving you money over the long haul?  Not all claims are created equal.  This article breaks down for you and your clients, the best way to utilize your insurance policy. CLICK HERE for ARTICLE

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Personal Touch

5 Ways to Communicate the Personal Touch

We are big fans of The One Thing by Gary Keller.  He is constantly coming out with material that relates to the power of focus and how it relates to business.  In this article, it talks about connecting with the personal touch.  This is a great way to connect with people in an era of digital “hands off” communication.  CLICK HERE for ARTICLE

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635

Standout Showstopping Home!

What Does Love Got to Do With It?

Want to make your house a standout showstopper?  According to the Wall Street Journal, homes for sale with ‘sexy’ and ‘seductive’ in the property description have higher listing prices than homes with ‘love’ and ‘loving,’ an analysis finds.  So, should you use these terms in your listings?

An analysis of roughly 1.6 million home listings found that lower-priced homes were most likely to have the word “love” in property descriptions, while homes priced in the millions of dollars were most likely to have “sexy” and “seductive” in the descriptions.

“Love is basic,” said Javier Vivas, an economic researcher for Realtor.com, which analyzed the data. “It’s a pre-canned pitch to generically describe something beautiful.”  CLICK HERE for the FULL ARTICLE

To make your dreams come true, Call The Easterbrook Team for your refinance and purchase needs.

916.850.6050 easterbrookteam@spmc.com 

John Easterbrook NMLS#226555

Patty Aguon NMLS#994635