Even better news for Kansas City first time home buyers in 2009, as of yesterday the government is going to allow first time home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit as a downpayment on FHA (Federal Housing Administration) financed loans! No more waiting until next year’s tax return to collect on the money. Buyers will be able to capitalize on this tax credit at the closing table.

Since the FHA requires a minimum 3.5% down payment from buyers, having up to $8,000 would mean buyers wouldn’t have to immediately dip into their savings for the downpayment.

Buyers need to act fast though, this program ends December 1, 2009.  Sign up today for Papa’s FREE First Time Home Buyer’s Seminar to cover this topic in depth. Seminar is held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Click here to register online now! 

Click here for the full story from realtor.org

 Click here for the full story from the  Wall Street Journal online

Click here for more information on Papa’s Free First Time Homebuyers Seminar

Brad Papa
RE/MAX State Line
913-526-4985
bradleypapa@remax.net
www.PapasInTheHouse.com
Come to Papa For All Your Real Estate Needs!

Brad Papa | RE/MAX State Line | 913-526-4985 21135 Millridge Street, Spring Hill, KS Rare End Unit 3BR/2.5BA Townhouse offered at $131,000 Year Built 2006 Sq Footage 1,426 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking Unspecified Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $75 per month DESCRIPTION Rare end unit in pristine condition! Barely lived in townhome with many upgrades: granite counter tops, frieze carpet, ceiling fans, upgraded fixtures, iron spindles & tile fireplace. Exterior maintenance provided, pre-wired for security system. So much space with this 3 bed/2.5 bath. see additional photos below ADDITIONAL PHOTOS End Unit Living Room Kitchen Open Floor Plan Master Bedroom Master Bath Contact info: Brad Papa RE/MAX State Line 913-526-4985 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: May 12, 2009, 4:25pm PDT

RE/MAX State Line real estate agent, Brad Papa has been helping people achieve their real estate goals for over five years and specializes as both a buyer’s or seller’s agent. Brad has resided in the Kansas City/Olathe area for his entire life and is an expert dealing with all areas of the metropolitan area.

Brad Papa

RE/MAX State Line

913-526-4985

bradleypapa@remax.net

www.PapasInTheHouse.com

First Time Home Buyer’s Need A Real Estate Agent

One of the most common mistakes I see with first time home
buyers is being distracted with the sellers decorating style, or lack thereof. Many buyers
cannot visualize how a home would look with different paint colors and/or
carpet, or even how it would look with their own furniture.

In addition, buyers often
cannot look past the decor to see the structural elements such as age of the roof, HVAC or windows. First
time home buyer’s are often used to a
landlord taking care of the property and thus they don’t look, or forget to care,
about these bigger ticket items.

This is where a real estate
agent that is experienced with dealing with first time home buyers can give them a friendly
reminder to keep things in perspective. It’s part of my job to ensure that first
time home buyers don’t just purchase a “pretty”
home that will cost them an extra $10,000 over the next few months because they
didn’t realize that these bigger ticket items needed attention. In short, first
time home buyers need to remember that “looks” are not everything! Their
pocketbooks will love it!

Click here to register for a Free First Time Home Buyers Seminar online
now! 

Brad Papa
RE/MAX State Line
913-526-4985
bradleypapa@remax.net
www.PapasInTheHouse.com
Come to Papa For All Your Real Estate Needs!

It’s time! You are ready to buy or sell in the
Olathe real estate market, but you are now wondering how to you find a
qualified, professional Olathe real estate agent?

Here are some common ways people find
agents:

• Word of mouth/referrals
• Family/friend in the business
• Someone You Know Is A Part-Time Agent
  
• Agent Who Sold Your Neighbor’s House
  
• At An Open House

A real estate agent should not just be just handed the job, they should have
to earn it. Before you got your current job, you had to complete a resume with
your qualifications, interview for the job and make a great impression on the
hiring agent and demonstrate why you were the best solution for the position. It
should be the same when hiring an Olathe real estate agent.

As a client, you deserve to have the best
representation. When you receive a referral or if you have a friend that is an
agent, make sure that they are your best solution. A friend, family member or a
referral can cost you thousands, if the agent does not fit your needs. I suggest
identifying three to four agents in your area and interview them. Ask them
similar questions such as:

• Are you a full-time or part-time agent?
  
• How long have you been in the business?
  
• Can I call your previous clients for references?
  
• How do you differentiate yourself form other
  Olathe real estate agents?
• Why should I hire you?

Make up your own list of questions! Then consider
other factors important to you such as: experience, communication style, areas
of experties etc. You deserve the very best representation! For more information
on Olathe real estate agent, Brad Papa follow the below links!

Brad Papa Buyer’s Agent FAQ

Previous Clients Testimonials

 

Brad Papa
RE/MAX
State Line

913-526-4985

bradleypapa@remax.net


www.PapasInTheHouse.com

Brad Papa | RE/MAX State Line | 913-526-4985 21016 W 118 Terrace, Olathe, KS Fabulous home in Foxfield Village w/3 car garage! 4BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $235,000 Year Built 2001 Sq Footage 1,676 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors Unspecified Parking Unspecified Lot Size 10,569 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Fabulous home in Foxfield Village w/3 car garage! Gorgeous master suite with spa-like bath & walk-in closet. Gleaming hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, tiled bathrooms, ceiling fans, bay window, two living areas & great appliances. Backs to greenspace w/walking trails. Five minutes from everything. Amazing neighborhood pool! see additional photos below ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Home Sweet Home Kitchen Living Room Master Bedroom Walk Out Basement Master Bath Contact info: Brad Papa RE/MAX State Line 913-526-4985 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Apr 15, 2009, 10:00am PDT

Brad Papa | RE/MAX State Line | 913-526-4985 6414 Chouteau Street, Shawnee, KS Fabulous Shawnee home in pristine condition! 3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $193,000 Year Built 1991 Sq Footage 1,496 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 6,001 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Fabulous Shawnee home in pristine condition! Open floor plan. Gleaming hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, tiled bathrooms & upgraded light fixtures. Great room with tiled fireplace & large windows. Double walk-in closets in master. Finished basement for second living area & plenty of storage. Five minutes from everything. see additional photos below ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Front Kitchen Living Room Finished Basement Master Bedroom Master Bath Contact info: Brad Papa RE/MAX State Line 913-526-4985 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Apr 23, 2009, 7:04pm PDT

RE/MAX State Line real estate agent, Brad Papa has been helping people achieve their real estate goals for over five years and specializes as both a buyer’s or seller’s agent. Brad has resided in the Kansas City/Olathe area for his entire life and is an expert dealing with all areas of the metropolitan area.

Brad Papa

RE/MAX State Line

913-526-4985

bradleypapa@remax.net

www.PapasInTheHouse.com

Why hasn’t my home sold? Are there secrets to getting my house sold in today’s market? I hear these questions many times from sellers and while there are some things you can control, there others you can’t. It’s best to focus on what you can change! Click here for more information on Brad Papa’s free seminar – How To Get Your Home Sold Fast

Some things you can control:

Price: Pricing your home over the market value is the number on reason that a home does not sell. The most important factor to consider is that if a home is overpriced it won’t even show up in a buyer’s search! Buyer’s won’t even have the chance to fall in love with your home because it is just out of their range and they won’t even see it listed in their search. 

Condition: Is your home move-in ready? Has it been recently remodeled in a neutral color scheme or are there a lot of fix ups that are needed? The condition of the property can dramatically increase or decrease the price of a home. Check out my other articles for some great tips: Top 5 Tips For Getting Your Home Ready For A Showing or Top Tips For Getting Your Home Ready To Sale  

Availability: You control if a buyer has access to your property, so make sure that when an agent or showing company calls for a potential appointment, you make every effort to rearrange your schedule to accommodate them.

Appliances: Which ones are staying and which ones are going. This is especially important for first time home buyers who may not have certain appliances.

 

Some things you can’t control, but do affect how quickly your home sells:

Location: Is it in a good neighborhood that is highly desirable? Do you back to a busy street, are you near the train tracks, how close is the nearest grocery store.

Layout: Unless you plan on doing major renovations, the layout is something you cannot change. Here are some of the things that potential buyers might have on their “must have” lists: open floor plan, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms and their location, size of rooms and closets  

Yard: A lot of people look for a larger yard, and some are looking for a fence. Others require a deck or patio

Contact Olathe real estate agent, Brad Papa for more tips on how to get your Kansas City home sold fast! Click here for more information on Brad Papa’s free seminar – How To Get Your Home Sold Fast or Register online now!

 

Brad Papa
RE/MAX Stateline

913-526-4985
bradleypapa@remax.net
www.PapasInTheHouse.com

 The lender is primarily looking at two factors in evaluating your qualification for a home loan.

·  The funds you have available for a down payment

·  Your continuing income for paying the monthly housing expenses

The lender will want to know if you have cash available for paying the down payment and other up-front closing costs. They are interested in your long-term debt, defined as any debt that will take more than 10 months to pay off.

Lenders look at two ratios of your debt and income. They calculate your percentage of debt by dividing the amount of money you pay each month to creditors by your monthly income. Remember that low ratios do not always lead to approval and high ratios don’t always lead to denials. Other factors such as payment history are evaluated along with the debt ratios.

Bottom line is that you must be comfortable making your monthly payment. Prior to talking with your lender you should review your monthly expenses and income and determine what total monthly payment you are comfortable making. Then, take this number to your lender and they will help you work backwards to come up with a purchase price that supports that monthly payment.

 

Brad Papa
RE/MAX State Line

913-526-4985
bradleypapa@remax.net
http://www.papasinthehouse.com/