This is a true story of a family that relocated from Toronto to winnipeg, some three years ago. Real estate was booming in Toronto. So people opting to sell their houses ensured a tidy sum for themselves! When our family decided to sell our town home, prices were sky high; we ended up with a reasonably good profit margin. More than that actually, since we were able to shell down hard cash for a wonderful four-bedroomed house in Winnipeg. The new house is large and exhibits character, plus demands no mortgage. Though parting from friends and family was difficult, the change was well worth it!

When we bought this house, it needed renovating and so the old owners demanded only $65,000 for it. Since then, some repairs have been carried out on the house. Of course, some more work has to be done. Like for instance, installing a solid hardwood floor over the entire living area. But these minor problems can be sorted out. A comforting factor is that the same house would have fetched huge dividends in the Toronto real estate market, and so was well worth it! The house is on a sprawling estate and it seems as if the property is almost double in size. Winnipeg real estate prices go up by 20% every year. So the new home would fetch at least $300,000 in the Toronto real estate market. If renovated completely, the price would go up to $500,000. The location also has a say in the price.

Toronto prices have shot up so much that people who want to buy a house have to shell out $250,000! Others have to forget about settling in a nice neighborhood or a place with good amenities, the condition of the place, etc. They can only live in town homes or condominiums. The house could be in any condition–the price would not change. The real estate listings of the city of Toronto therefore prove to be quite mind-boggling for someone who is not prepared for it!

Obviously we’re thrilled that we made our move when we did. We no longer battle through gridlock to and from work. Road rage is virtually non-existent in our city. There are tons of actual houses for sale well below $100,000 in a variety of neighborhoods to choose from. Manitoba Hydro offers several incentives for homeowners, so even if you buy a fixer-upper, you have options for installing brand new windows and high efficiency furnaces, without having to worry about high interest rates on your loan payments. And yes, we even have townhomes and condominiums for sale, but the maintenance fees are a fraction of what is demanded in Toronto’s real estate market.

Thus, all types of people can adjust to Winnipeg, for the real estate prices are within affordable range unlike the city of Toronto.

This place is a boon for our children who are enjoying the big and open spaces. The family has learned to lead life at a slower pace, giving enough time to each other. Family and friends are far away, but not so far that we cannot keep in touch. This place came as a blessing three years ago, and we pat ourselves on our backs for making the right decision at the right time!

Greater than 30% of homeowners before the housing slump are foreclosure casualties now and experts predict that that figure will worsen beyond 50% over the next two years. Apart from those which were uncontested, many affected homeowners had fought and lost. If only they had the benefit of the rescue programs that are in place nowadays, a great many of them would have come through.

It is nevertheless a daunting task to stop a foreclosure in the wake of the housing market instability and credit squeeze. That is why the whole exercise must start with a concerted evaluation of the entire financial situation of the threatened homeowner. It may even turn out to be more desirable to forgo the subject property. For or against foreclosure, it is critical that you come out of it in the best possible terms as it will have undeniable bearing on your financial standing thereon.

The decision to fight or let must be based on methodical and comprehensive evaluation of all options that are available at this point. Fortunately, help is found all around and extensive information on foreclosure rescue and mitigation programs is readily available: lender negotiation, relief program, alternative funding and refinancing, disaster benefits, scam artists and predatory lenders, financial advice and counseling, respite service and so forth.

Most beleaguered homeowners would strive to stop a foreclosure if at all possible. Once that decision has been formed, it’s a race against time right away as options run out as the clock ticks. On the other hand, never allow yourself to be overcome with panic. There are two basic approaches to deal with a foreclosure in a calculated manner namely third-party representatives and DIY (do-it-yourself). The choice is rather individual as each has its merits and price.

Either way you go, or it could jolly well be a combination of both, a few fundamental steps must be taken: -Take charge immediately and assume the Commander-in-Chief position. -Identify the scams and cons and steer clear. -Research all options and focus only on those that are applicable. -Stay positive and never presume ineligibility without enquiring.

The internet and other media are flush with information to help you do that. There are also many guides and handbooks retailing very competitively to initiate the layman to stop foreclosure.

While the overall situation remains grim, the horizon seems to have cleared up a little. Consumer confidence index (Conference Board, June 2008) actually improved, albeit marginally and in a symbolic twist, home prices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis and Portland increased month-on-month over April (S&P/Case-Shiller, May 2008). Meanwhile, the government is now even helping lenders to help their mortgagers with their latest bill (Housing and Economic Recovery Act 2008), on top of continually bringing more rescue channels to defaulting homeowners.

The mortgage market has changed but for many, it has gotten better. Most folks don’t know this. Interest rates have come down. Tell your friends and neighbors and be happy. Now, for those of us currently without jobs, or those that have some credit issues and no money down, the approval requirements have become a bit stricter as they should. On the flip side, new first time buyer programs have evolved that are absolutely fantastic and even offer below market interest rates. Even with all these good things happening, we find that there are many folks out there right now paralyzed by the negativity of the press. We term this analysis paralysis! Folks want to buy or refinance a home, or investment property but are scared. They don’t realize how good we have it here, especially in the RTP area which is really a bright light in the USA right now. This is a great market here. People think “I am not sure I want to sell my home right now but I really do want to buy a new home..” They may not really realize they can buy that bigger home and get a really good deal on the next house and the mortgage right now. The home they are buying is more expensive than the home they live in currently, this can be a good leverage advantage. The other thing to consider here in the RTP area is consider keeping your home, renting it and buying another home. We do have a strong rental market here. Don’t be too fearful of making a move, if you wait until everyone else makes a move, then the laws of supply and demand kick in and prices go up as demand goes up.

Here is more good news; Mortgage rates really have come down quite a bit. Most folks are not aware of this at all. Mortgage rates are at 12 month lows. It is a GREAT time to refinance, look at mortgage options and get out of adjustable rate loans. Many families are considering equity repositioning and taking cash out of their homes to buy other properties and taking advantage of the real estate market. Many investors are sitting on the sidelines waiting to pounce on every good deal they can get their hands on. There have been some excellent new loan products that have come out in the market, particularly for first time home buyers to help them get into homes. Here are a few: down payment assistance programs, bond programs with below market interest rates, programs that are 100% financing with no mortgage insurance (even if you are not a first time home buyer)! Folks are just not aware of this good stuff because the media is showing more bad things than good things right now. This scares people. Have the courage to step outside of what the press is telling you and examine what our geographic market offers. It could be huge opportunity for you.

What has changed? You want to know the facts:

1. If you have credit issues, it will be more important now to get a formal preapproval with a lender that you meet with. Allow your mortgage planner to help you get a better deal/rate by helping give you tips to increase your credit scores. We do this at no cost for our clients. Look for our credit improvement workshops on line.

2. No doc loans- These are loans where no income or no assets are verified. These have become much tougher to do in the current mortgage market. If you need this type of product, talk to a certified mortgage planner in advance of purchasing.

3. When buying investment property, you need to put down approximately ten percent. There are no PMI options only with 10% down. This is a good thing and makes more of the payment tax deductible.

4. As with all things in our world, business cycles as does everything. This is normal and expected and necessary. We as lenders are not giving zero down loans to folks who do not have enough income or who do not have decent credit any more. It is my opinion that the mortgage market was in a way a microcosm of our economy. The market was/is looking ways to make money and just became too lenient w/ some practices. This is why the mortgage correction happened. This is a natural cycle and happens in every business. For the many of our customers there is a big opportunity to buy now. We are in a great market and many families are finding ways to take advantage of moving up, renting their existing homes and cashing in on these low rates. There is a lot of information on Real Estate Investing as a wealth building tool and you are welcome to check our website for upcoming workshops.

Talk to your real estate agent about your current situation they are great partners and can give you an accurate idea about both your current property situation and your new property scenario. They know the market better than anyone.