Happy Holidays

What I really wanted to say in the title above was Merry Christmas! I didn't want to be offensive in any way, though, so I stuck with Happy Holidays. What a joke - I'll leave it at that.


I am going to spend what is probably my last post of 2007 plugging my business and the service it provides. I talked a lot about what my mission statement means in my last post. I didn't talk much about what it is that my business actually does. Here it is, hold on, fasten your seatbelts because this is profound. We help good people find good houses and help them out of bad situations. I'll wait a moment for you to pick yourself up off the floor.


O.K. that was pretty deep wasn't it. That's my 30 second "elevator pitch". O.K. it's more like 3 seconds. You know the theory that you should be able to tell a stranger in an elevator what you do and why it matters in 30 seconds or less. I want to make sure they have time to tell me how they can help me :)


Through our Preferred Lease Option Program, we help folks with less than perfect credit move into homes without needing bank financing. For a small option fee, typically 3%-5% of the purchase price, a lease option buyer can secure an exclusive right to purchase the home at some point in the future. The option period is normally 2 years, but could also be 1 or 3 or any number of years the seller and buyer agree on. During the option period, the buyer (tenant) makes rent payments to the seller (landlord). At the end of the option period the buyer must qualify for some type of mortgage financing in order to purchase the home and payoff the seller / landlord.


The reality of the situation is that the tenant / buyers typically can't qualify for a mortgage right now so they are forced to rent. With a lease option - compared to a rental - the tenants are actually working toward purchasing the home they are living in. During the option period we work diligently with our clients to repair their credit score through aggressive techniques for correcting their credit reports and having erroneous, negative entries legally removed. We also work closely with our mortgage professionals to regularly monitor progress toward qualification for a mortgage. We keep open lines of communication during the entire process to help ensure successful completion of the lease purchase transaction.


Unlike many investors we work closely with clients to find the house that best fits their situation. Most investors keep an inventory of houses and try to find people to take them over on a lease option or rental basis. While we also maintain an inventory of properties, we work best when we work with our clients to find the right house. There are several reasons for this. Working so closely with our clients gives us an opportunity to counsel them about the mortgage process, the real estate market, the purchase process, budgeting and a whole host of other items. This counseling helps create more informed consumers of real estate services as well as loyal clients who show us their gratitude by referring their friends, relatives and co-workers. Further, folks who have had a hand in the selection of their lease option home are more likely to work hard toward the end goal - purchasing the house.


It is gratifying to know that you have helped someone reach a milestone in their life or maybe turn their life around. As we reflect on 2007 and plan for 2008, we realize that making a difference is what it's all about.


Until next time, Make It Happen - whatever IT is in your life. (Let's all include making a difference part of IT for 2008)