With so few houses for sale today and   low   mortgage rates driving buyer activity, bidding wars are becoming more common states Mike Eastwood Chief Executive Officer of West USA Realty of Prescott. Multiple-offer scenarios are heating up, so it’s important to get   pre-approved   before you start your search. This way, you can put your best foot forward – quickly and efficiently – if you’re planning to buy a home this season. Javier Vivas,  Director of Economic Research  at  realtor.com,   explains : “COVID-19 has accelerated earlier trends, bringing even more buyers than the market can handle. In many markets, fierce competition, bidding wars, and multiple offer scenarios may be the common theme in the weeks to come.” Here are three things you can do to make your offer a competitive one when you’re ready to make your move. 1. Be Ready A recent  survey  shows that  only 52% of active homebuyers obtained a pre-approval lette...

  You may have heard that pre-approval is a great   first step   in the homebuying process. But why is it so important? States Mike Eastwood Chief Executive Officer of West USA Realty of Prescott. When looking for a home, the temptation to fall in love with a house that’s outside your budget is very real. So, before you start shopping around, it’s helpful to know your price range, what you’re comfortable within a monthly mortgage payment, and ultimately how much money you can borrow for your loan. Pre-approval from a lender is the only way to do this. According to a recent  survey  from  realtor.com,  many buyers are making the mistake of skipping the pre-approval step in the homebuying process: “Of over 2,000 active home shoppers who plan to purchase a home in the next 12 months,  only 52% obtained a pre-approval letter before beginning their home search , which means nearly half of home buyers are  missing this crucial piece of paperwork. ”...

  Finding the right home to purchase today is one of the biggest challenges for potential buyers states Mike Eastwood Chief Executive Officer of West USA Realty of Prescott. With so few homes for   sale   and construction of newly built homes   ramping up , you may be wondering if you should consider   new   construction in your search process. It’s a great question to ask, and one to look at from the pros and cons of what it means to buy a new home versus an existing one. Here are a few things to consider when making the best decision for your family. New Construction   When buying a new home, you can often choose more energy-efficient options. New appliances, new windows, a new roof, etc. These can all help lower your energy costs, which can add up to significant savings over time. With programs like  ENERGY STAR , your home also helps protect the environment and reduces your carbon footprint. Lower maintenance that comes with a newer home is an...

  Cowboy Mike is Michael Eastwood, CEO and Chairman of the board for Pony 4 Precious. Cowboy Mike rescued Winston a miniature pony in 2016 and has since developed this amazing charity Pony 4 Precious. This charity was developed for one reason: To educate children on miniature ponies and horses through free online education and training programs. Today Cowboy Mike and Winston launch a children's book on Amazon. The Tails of Pony 4 Precious. 100% of the proceeds are donated to the Pony 4 Precious charity. To learn more about the charity go to   www.pony4precious.org How many times has someone special in your life asked you for a pony of their very own, especially with the pony craze all over the internet and TV? Now you can make all their dreams come true and support a charity at the same time. With this special offer you can purchase one adoption share of Winston, the miniature pony you see on Pony4precious.org. What makes this offer so special? You don...

  Michael Eastwood has written a fun book on the compilation of short stories of businesses that were passed down to the next generation. Unfortunately, those who inherited these successful businesses were not cut out for the responsibilities that came with it. Soon these carefully built empires started to crumble under the mismanagement of their newly appointed CEOs (Children Employed by Owners). This is a fun and light-hearted read for anyone in a management position. This book also serves as a guide for what not to do when it comes to running a business and is perfect for team building and open discussions amongst managers and employees. This is perfect for your CEO as a gift of learning.   To Pre-Order click here https://www.amazon.com/dp/ B08FXSQHMJ?ref_=pe_3052080_ 276849420    --

  Today, Americans are moving for a variety of different reasons. The current health crisis has truly re-shaped our lifestyles and our needs state Mike Eastwood Chief Executive Officer of West USA Realty of Prescott. Spending extra time where we currently live is enabling many families to re-evaluate what homeownership means and what they find most important in a home. According to  Zillow : “In 2020, homes went from the place people returned to after work, school, hitting the gym or vacationing, to the place where families do all of the above. For those who now spend the majority of their hours at home, there’s a growing wish list of what they’d change about their homes, if possible.”  With a new perspective on homeownership, here are some of the top reasons people are reconsidering where they live and making moves this year. 1. Working from Home Remote work  is becoming the new norm in 2020, and it’s continuing on longer than most init...

  Originally, some housing industry analysts were concerned that the mortgage forbearance program (which allows families to delay payments to a later date) could lead to an increase in foreclosures when forbearances end states, Mike Eastwood Chief Executive Officer of West USA Realty Of Prescott. Some even worried that we might relive the 2006-2008 housing crash all over again. Once you examine the data, however, that seems unlikely. As  reported  by Odeta Kushi,  Deputy Chief Economist  for  First American : “Despite the federal foreclosure moratorium, there were fears that up to 30% of homeowners would require forbearance, ultimately leading to a foreclosure tsunami.  Forbearance did not hit 30%, but rather peaked at 8.6% and has been steadily falling since .” According to the  most current data  from  Black Knight,  the percentage of homes in forbearance has fallen to 7.4%. The report also gives a decrease in raw numbers: “The ov...