2338 SAN RAFAEL COURT, SANTA CLARA – SINGLE FAMILY SANTA CLARA HOME REO
Send to a Friend	Single Family Res Type: Detached Single Family Status: Active List Date: 05/17/09 Price: $474,500 Last Modification Date: 05/18/09 Location: 2038 SAN RAFAEL CT, Santa Clara, CA 95051 (map) Area: 008 – Santa Clara Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms Full: 2 Bathrooms Half: 1 Approx. Sq. Ft.: 1534 Approx. Lot Size: 5,795.sf Approx age: 51 MLS#: 80924264 Old MLS# (6 digit): 80924264

This bank owned home is a great buy in Santa Clara. Its the popular 3 bedroom 2.5 bath Windsor floor plan in Darvon Park. The home is in move in condition. The kitchen was remodeled some years back, both bath rooms are very client and have new vanities with granite countertops. The back yard is very good sized, the home has expansion options which leave plenty of space in the back yard.

Downsides are that there has been some settling which is typical for these older homes, but this one has a bit more than typical. The roof needs replacement, the windows are old, and the back yard and front yard need some attention. Overall for a price of $475K, this is a good Santa Clara home at a very good price.Similar Posts:

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This townhome is located in the Palomar complex of Midtown/West San Jose. Right off of Stokes and Bascom about a quarter mile from the Pruneyard. These units are about 5 years old, and although they have some floor plan drawbacks this particular unit is a phenominal deal for the price. 1800 sqft. 3 bedrooms 3 baths. If you are looking for a townhome unit to rent out to renters this is a good deal.

Property Summary Report

1420 ALEGRIA LP     MLS Num: 80918190 Status: Active Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Square Feet: 1811 Lot Size: 0.030acres List Date: 4/13/2009 Org. List Price: $394,900 List Price: $394,900 Year Built: 2002       Public Remarks Beautiful 3 story condo with central A/C and heat. On the ground floor it has indoor laundry, one BD and BA, and access to the garage. Upstairs has the kitchen with granite counters, tile floors, 1 BD and BA, and a balcony. The top floor has the master bedroom with walk-in-closet, and dual sink vanity in the bathroom.

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With the number of foreclosures skyrocketing in California in recent years, there is a lot of interest from would be buyers in purchasing bank owned properties which are also known as real estate owned or REOs.
What is a short sale?

What is a Short Sale?

Short sales occur when the value of the property is less than the encumbrances or liens on the property.  The property is still owned by the owner and not the bank.  It is being sold with the understanding that the total liens on the property will not be satisfied by the proceeds of the sale.  Therefore the owner will need the lien holders approval to be able to sell the properety.  This can take months to get approved, and may not end in a successful sale.

What is Foreclosure?

When a property is in foreclosure, the owner has stopped making payments and the lender has given the borrower a written Notice of Default that the payments must be brought up to date or the property will be sold off. The notice is a public document (which is why so many websites offer foreclosure lists). It normally takes about two missed payments for a lender to issue a Notice of Default, but not always.

Notice of Trustee’s Sale, after receiving a Notice of Default, the owners of a property allow their home to be foreclosed, then a Notice of Trustee’s Sale gets posted by the trustee. This is usually the trustee holding the primary note. In California, it’s not the bank that forecloses, it’s the Trustee.

Once the trustee decides to foreclose, it goes to a Trustee’s Sale. This sale is held on the courthouse steps in the applicable county. Usually, the bank buys its’ own property from the trustee for the full amount owed on the primary mortgage. In the current market, the price the bank pays to obtain the property is often more than market value. Any subsequent mortgage holders get nothing. The “courthouse steps” is typically not a good place for a potential end-user to buy the property – it’s geared towards investors who buy many properties at wholesale prices. In fact, it can be a downright unfriendly environment if you don’t know how the game is played.

What is an REO?

Once the bank has purchased the home, it is now foreclosed and is called an REO (Real Estate Owned). The bank will then usually list the property at or near full market value and place it on the local MLS.

Finally on the Market. At this point, it shows up on the MLS as an REO and your Realtor can show it to you. Once the bank purchases the home at the Trustee’s Sale and it’s now an REO, the bank tries to get as much for it as possible. The price usually goes back up to at or very near market price.

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This is the latest in a multi-part post dedicated to recording my experiences working with a buyer to purchase a REO or bank owned home Santa Clara.  After submitting 4 offers where we were out bid each time we finally got  a contract accepted.  The property is 716 Kiely Blvd., in Santa Clara. It is in the Mariposa Gardens neighborhood of Santa Clara.  It also sits on Kiely Blvd. which is a fairly busy street.

The Santa Clara 3 bedroom 2 bath listing has been active for over two months and fell out of contract one time previously.  It was currently listed for $440,000 which had been dropped down from $475,000.  The home needed quite a bit of work and would not qualify for a FHA buyer.  As an investor it really benefits you to look for the homes that typical buyers of single family homes may not qualify for or could not get financing for. 

I called the agent to see if there were any current offers on the property and there were none.  We came in at 10% under asking expecting some negotiation.  The listing agent wanted to see the contract, pre-approval by a direct lender, and be pre-qualified under their lender, also proof of funds was required.  After submitting all these documents we waited for 3 days for a response from the owner or the asset manager and they accepted our offer.

I was surprised that we got an outright acceptance, and was expecting a long and hard negotiation.  After the acceptance the listing agent forwarded us the owners addendum stipulating the new terms of the deal which we had to accept.  We are now waiting to get the fully signed contract back from the agent and have property and termite inspections scheduled. 

From this experience we can easily see that the best deals to be made in acquiring these distressed properties are to find the ones that have been sitting a while on the market and just make an offer.  You never know if they will accept it.  I will keep you updated on the further developments as they develop.

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With so many bank owned properties you would think it should be easy to snag one of these properties for yourself.  The problem is that you are not the only one thinking that way.  Here in Santa Clara County we experience about 40 REO properties a day.  Most pertain to areas like Alum Rock, South San Jose, Gilroy and Morgan Hill.  More often then you would think a few will sneak in from Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Cambpell.  These are the rarer of the bunch and generally tougher to get.

Last week I put in 4 offers for clients who are attempting to buy an REO property in Santa Clara and in Alum Rock, San Jose.  Three properties were very well priced and offered a good value, the other required so much repair that it was sitting on the market for some weeks.

The 3 well priced homes 3635 Machado AVe., in Santa Clara, 3226 San Juan Ave., in Santa Clara, and 3755 Mondigo in San Jose, were all multiple offer situations with ten plus offers.  Machado countered everyone back highest and best while the others just took highest and best offers.  The other 716 Kiely Blvd., has not yet responded.

When offering on REO properties, you certainly need to make sure your Realtor has produced a good file for you.  This is going to be reviewed by the bank and not anyone that your Realtor can try to persuade.  You should make sure you are fully pre-approved with the typical underwriter conditions, provide sources for down payments, and write a clean and aggressive offer.

On the plus side these homes are not selling for much higher than their offering price.  Machado sold for $426,500 from $400,000, the others I have no confirmation on the sale price yet. 

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So you are interested in buying a REO, here’s what you should consider:

Get Pre-Approved and Be Ready to Act

In the REO market, expect the competition to be fierce especially in the bay area where investors or homebuyers like yourself are anxious to take advantage of these prices. It’s not uncommon for there to be multiple offers on bank-owned properties. Just as you are looking for a bargain, so are many other buyers.  In the areas that you are considering the fewer the number of REO’s the higher likelihood that you will encounter stiff competition when it comes to buying.  To ensure your chances of buying an REO in cities like Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Saratoga, yes I said Saratoga.  You should be financially prepared to make a down payment and you should have a pre-approval letter from a lender in place before making an offer.

Know Where and How to Look

In Santa Clara County most if not all REOs are  listed on the Multiple Listing Service and can be found on the majority of websites that feature properties for sale. There are also several websites that specialize in foreclosed properties. You can get a head start and see which properties are in the process of foreclosure on RealtyTrac.com or find homes that have already been foreclosed upon by checking sites like CaliforniaMoves.com, Trulia.com and Zillow.com. Many lenders also have their foreclosed properties listed directly on their websites.

Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst 

In all likelihood, you will not be “wowed” when walking through the door of an REO. Most are sold “as is.” In the months leading up to foreclosure, the homeowner may have disregarded maintenance and let the condition of the home deteriorate. Do not be surprised if you see homes stripped of appliances, light fixtures and any other items that can be sold. In the worst case scenarios, homes fall victim to vandals and transients who take advantage of a vacant property. It’s not always a pretty sight, but for buyers who are looking for a challenge, or who can afford the time and effort involved in buying an REO, these types of properties may be right for you.

It May Take Longer Than You Expect

Each bank/lender works a little differently, but they all have similar goals. They want to get the best price possible; they have no interest in “dumping” the real estate they own cheaply. Generally, banks have an entire department set up to manage their REO inventory, and in this current market, with the increased number of bank-owned properties those departments are often back-logged for days, if not weeks and thus cannot always respond quickly to offers or other inquiries.  In Santa Clara County these banks or asset managment companies work with only a few brokers or agents who can have anywhere from 10 to 50 listings at a time.  Sometimes getting a timely direct response from these agents is not always possible.

Once an offer to purchase is made, banks generally present a “counteroffer.” It may be at a higher price than you expect because the bank has to be able to demonstrate to its investors, shareholders and auditors that they attempted to get the highest price possible. You are then free to accept, reject or counter the bank’s counter-offer.

Your offer or counter-offer will probably have to be reviewed and approved by several individuals and/or other companies. As such, this process may take several days to complete.

It is important when purchasing a bank-owned property that you understand that the timing can sometimes be longer and drawn-out than a typical resale.  However, do not confuse an REO transaction with a short sale which can often take upt o 3 months to complete.

Understanding the Property Condition

Banks typically sell a property in “as is” condition. Some banks will agree to provide a Section 1 Pest Certification, but not unless that requirement is included in the final contract. Banks will usually allow you to get all the inspections you want (at your expense), but they probably will not agree to do any or all repairs. Offers to buy REO property may include an inspection contingency period that allows you to terminate the sale if the inspections reveal defects that the bank will not correct and that you might not want to accept. Be aware that some banks require use of their own contract forms which do not include the same types of provisions as standard Realtor forms. In those situations you should review the bank’s purchase contract documents with your own agent and understand the unique terms that the lenders are creating. Even if you have agreed to buy the property “as is,” you may request that the bank make repairs or give you a credit after you have completed the inspections. Some banks will re-negotiate to save the transaction instead of putting the property back on the market, but that possibility should not be taken for granted. Some banks may not provide financing on their REOs but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Making the Offer

Before making an offer, have your Agent contact the Listing Agent and ask the following questions:

• Are there any inspection or repair reports?  This answer is usually no.  However if the home has been in contract before the previous buyer may have done inspections and they agent is obligated to disclose those inspections.
• What work has the bank performed and/or what work will the bank agree to perform? Usually no again.
• How long do you anticipate that it will take the bank to accept an offer?  Typically in Santa Clara County I have come to expect the same day or up to 3 day lag times on responses.

Offers are usually faxed or uploaded to the bank. The Listing Agent needs your originals. There is generally no formal presentation. Keep in mind: nothing happens on evenings and weekends as banks are closed. The keys to remember are: You should have sufficient money available to put down a reasonable deposit; you need to be pre-approved by a reputable lender; your offer should contain reasonable, straight forward contingencies and the offer should specify a closing date that is within a reasonable amount of time. There should be no unique wording outside the parameters of a normal contract or your offer may be rejected.  Remember "as is" and highest price, thats what the bank is looking for.

What are Some of the Pitfalls to Watch Out For with REOs?

Determine all fees associated with purchasing the property.

• There may be hidden fees like liens, unpaid taxes, penalties, etc. to contend with.
• How low will they go? Lenders may not be willing to negotiate the price down from market or close to market. This is especially true in areas where home values have fallen further than lenders want to acknowledge.
• Be prepared for a counter. Because the sale of bank-owned properties are becoming increasingly popular and therefore, competitive, we are seeing cases in which banks are countering at an amount that is above the original list price. These actions can discourage some buyers.

There Are No Guarantees in Buying REOs
 
On the surface, it might sound like a bank-owned property is a steal but if the bank wants to sell its inventory on the open market for the amount of money that was once owed to the bank, it may not be as good of a deal as one might think. Couple that with the fact that bankowned properties are not always left in the best condition; a great deal of work and money may be needed after escrow closes to improve the property.

When considering the purchase of an REO, you need to look closely at comparable sales in the neighborhood and be sure to take into account the time and cost of any repairs or remodeling that may be needed. In most cases, banks do not want to indefinitely hold on to their inventory as it isn’t in the bank’s best interest to let the property sit. Therefore, some banks have incentives to price a home for less than market value just to get rid of it. However, while it is true that banks are typically anxious to sell bank-owned property quickly, they are also strongly motivated to get as much as they can for it.

The bottom line is that although bargains with bank-owned properties exist, it is important to understand the pitfalls that may also exist in buying REO property. That is why it is imperative that when you do decide to explore the purchase of a bank-owned property that you do so with the aid of a professional, experienced Realtor, like myself, who will guide you through the intricacies of this type of transaction.Similar Posts:

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3265 MACHADO AVE, SANTA CLARA

Beds: 3
Baths: 2
List Price: $399,900
List Date: 1/28/2009
Lot Size: 5000.00 SF
SqFt: 1078
Age: 54
Year Built: 1955

Neighborhood: Bowers Crest
School District: Santa Clara Unified

Another great deal that being offered by the bank.  $400K will get you a simple 3 bedroom 2 bath home in a nice quiet neighborhood.  This same home sold for around $650K three years ago.  Not much has been done to it, but these homes are relatively inexpensive to update.  They feature small bathrooms, but adequate room sizes.  The 3rd bedroom works well as an office.  The living room is large, and kitchen is a medium sized galley kitchen.  A 2 car garage, and some back yard space make it a simple and functional single family home.  At $400K don’t expect to see this on the market for very long.

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