A News Cafe dot com » Lara Wells Osborn

Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension

Lara Wells Osborn — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:56:35 +0000

Just in case you were not aware, I wanted to let you know that the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit has been extended.

The great news is that now there is a TAX CREDIT UP TO $6,500 FOR REPEAT BUYERS!!!…

Leadership Redding - NVCSS Tour Amazing

Lara Wells Osborn — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:00:15 +0000

Each and every time I participate in Leadership Redding activities, I am amazed at the outpouring of generosity from so many in our community, and the dedication of those trying to make Redding (and the world) a better place.

I am…

Planets Align for First-Time Home Buyers

Lara Wells Osborn — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:00:13 +0000

Do you know a first time home buyer? Help spread the word.

What a great time to buy a house. For anyone who is waiting for the “planets to align” to finally make the move forward and purchase a home, that…

How to Understand Tax Credits & Loan Modifications

Lara Wells Osborn — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:36:06 +0000

So much information is out there about tax credits, loan modifications, etc., that it is tough to keep up. If you feel you can take advantage of any of these programs, contact your tax adviser, lender or real estate agent…

Can We Fast-Forward to the Good Times Again?

Lara Wells Osborn — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:14:29 +0000

2008: a year that many are glad to have over. It seemed like the bad news never stopped flowing. Fires, gas prices, the stock market, unemployment and, of course, real estate. I’m sure I’m not alone in my hopes that…

How to Stay Up in a Down Market

Lara Wells Osborn — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:00:08 +0000

I don’t like to be negative. I don’t like to create anxiety or frustration. So it should come as no surprise that these days I have trouble bringing myself to write about real estate.

I absolutely love being a real estate…

Daylong Project Gives Lifetime Perspective

Lara Wells Osborn — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:04:15 +0000

                                                                   Photo source: www.edb.utexas.edu

What if you wake up one morning and have to face the fact that you’re a single mom, have only $15 left, three kids to feed, a mother who’s moved in with you, and by the way, she’s starting to show…

Leadership Redding: Helping Small Businesses

Lara Wells Osborn — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:00:30 +0000

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been in my own little world with my kids and work since returning to Redding that I hadn’t heard about all the programs here in Redding for small business owners. Or, after talking with many people…

Long tale of a short sale

Lara Wells Osborn — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:07:16 +0000

While everyone is spending a lot of time pointing fingers and talking about how we got into this housing mess, I feel compelled to tell the tale of this short sale.

A short sale is where the house is being sold…

Leadership Redding journey continues

Lara Wells Osborn — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:28:25 +0000

Do you ever wish you could get a do-over on your elementary school field trips now that you actually care about the information being taught? I am so lucky because as part of our first class for Leadership Redding on Culture…

Leadership Redding starts with inspiration

Lara Wells Osborn — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:59:32 +0000

A group of 35 classmates from all different parts of the community – the publisher of Enjoy magazine, City of Redding employees, people in the health-care arena, employees of Northern Valley Catholic Social Service, just to name a few, along…

Tight financing Market? Think outside the box

Lara Wells Osborn — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:42:40 +0000

Do you remember the days when, in order to buy a house, you scrimped and saved until you had a big enough down payment to go out and find your dream home?

How about the days when you could buy a…

The real estate market: A matter of perspective

Lara Wells Osborn — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:25:57 +0000

No matter which way you turn you are hearing about the downturn in the real estate market. Everyone is talking about how much money they have “lost” on their home since things took a turn for the worse.

But is…

Realtor relationships

Lara Wells Osborn — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:28:27 +0000

Q: Dear Lara, we were thinking of putting our house on the market eventually, so we invited a realtor over to look it over and give advice about the market and the best time to list it. We didn’t fill out…

Crazy real estate market

Lara Wells Osborn — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:23:53 +0000

What a wacky market! What else can you say? Longtime real estate agents and appraisers alike are saying, “I’ve never seen a market like this before.” Appraisers call me regularly, asking about houses I’ve sold, trying to find out if…

Come clean about flaws

Lara Wells Osborn — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:55:47 +0000

Q: Last winter our roof had a very minor leak. We repaired the leak and repainted where it leaked, and no one would ever know it happened. Do I need to disclose this to a potential buyer?

A: By law (California…

Seller Beware!

Lara Wells Osborn — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:43:51 +0000

Even if you are living under a rock you can’t help hearing about the real estate market and how crazy it is.

Perhaps if you are a seller, though, it has taken a little bit longer to realize that it no longer is a seller’s market where you get to call the shots.

Lara Wells Osborn, Realtor City vs. Country

Lara Wells Osborn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:26:37 +0000

Someone recently asked me whether Realtors specialize in country versus city and/or locales. When this person visited the area some years ago, she said Realtors tended to steer her east of Redding rather than west. And when her country home was for sale in 2006, she was told seller’s Realtors don’t show the homes they’ve listed.

Right price plus exposure sells houses, By Lara Wells Osborn

Lara Wells Osborn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:41:53 +0000

Q: I’ve had my house listed for six months and it has only been shown twice. I have a beautiful home and I just don’t understand why no one is interested. Do you have any thoughts of why there is no activity?

A: There are a lot of factors that could play into this, and without knowing everything about your personal situation I cannot give a specific answer. In my opinion, though, a lack of activity on a listing is usually a result of one (or both) of two things: price and/or exposure (marketing).

Where’s my Realtor? By Lara Wells Osborn

Lara Wells Osborn — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:05:58 +0000

“After all that excitement of listing the house, the agent put the sign in the ground and I basically never heard from them again.”

This is something I hear all the time from frustrated sellers. Real estate agents jump through hoops…

Lara Wells Osborn Q&A Expert Real estate

Lara Wells Osborn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:57:40 +0000

Q: We are buying a house and opened escrow last week. The home inspector did the inspection today and found that there are termites. We’re not sure we want to go through with the sale, but will we lose our…

Lara Wells Osborn Q&A Expert Real estate

Lara Wells Osborn — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:50:49 +0000

Q: Is this a good time to downsize, and could you explain the impact of Proposition 60 on retirees contemplating downsizing?

A: In my opinion, now is a great time to buy. Interest rates are still historically low and there is…

Lara Wells Osborn Q&A Expert Real estate

Lara Wells Osborn — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:17:29 +0000

Note from Doni: As with all our Food for Thought Q&A experts, I invited Lara Wells Osborn to write this column because I know her, trust her, respect her and can personally vouch for her. Bruce and I first became…