Lake Geneva Real Estate Market News and Information Guide » Uncategorized

Merry Christmas

bwebster — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:00:55 +0000

Do You Have Trouble Remembering Your Passwords? Check This Out..

bwebster — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:59:42 +0000

Write a comment about this article.

http://goo.gl/QAKmH

Fall Photos

bwebster — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:36:14 +0000

http://bo.st/qbK0Pb

Are you a tried and true leaf-peeper? Did you take great photos on your last hike? Or maybe the leaves in your backyard have started to turn and you just bought a new camera? Show us fall in your corner of New England.

Bernanke calls for more housing help from Washington

bwebster — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 06:58:01 +0000

http://bit.ly/ofTb5W

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered a speech Wednesday afternoon on emerging market economies, but it was his remarks about the state of the still-ailing U.S. economy in a Q&A after the speech that garnered the most attention.

Who’s got positive equity? You might be surprised.

bwebster — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 06:55:47 +0000

http://wapo.st/nY8hp6

Negative equity and underwater homeowners are frequently in the headlines, but what about positive equity in Americans’ homes?
Is there much of it left after the wealth-killing recession and real estate bust? Where is it? Who’s got equity? You might be surprised.

Bob Webster in the kayak on the Wisconsin River in The Dells

bwebster — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:13:34 +0000

I’m normally out in the kayak on Lake Geneva whenever I have any spare time but this time I’m in the Dells for real estate meetings for the next two days. I brought the kayak up here with me and had an opportunity to spend a couple hours on the Wisconsin River. There are some beautiful rock formations in this area. My kind of “Happy Hour”.

Making Simply Beautiful Photographs

bwebster — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:00:04 +0000

If you’re into photography, check out this video from National Geographic.

How Can Every Real Estate Property Owner in Lake Geneva Save Money Everyday Next Year?

bwebster — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:30 +0000

Real estate property owners in Lake Geneva Wisconsin have an opportunity to save money everyday next year with this great suggestion from Ted C. Jones of Stewart Title. If you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity, contact Bob Webster of Keefe Real Estate and we’ll be happy to take the time to provide you with the sales data Mr. Jones is referring to and the name of the local assessor to enable you to save money on your next real estate tax bill.

You can go to www.LakeGenevaProperty.com for all your real estate needs in the greater Geneva Lake Area.

Is a Bank Foreclosure a Good Way to Purchase Real Estate in the Lake Geneva Area?

bwebster — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:23:00 +0000

View of Lake Geneva

I have potential Buyers frequently ask me if I know of any bank foreclosure or short sale property available on or near Lake Geneva that can be purchased at substantially discounted prices from the going market value. There is a web site that is available to the public listing all property up for sheriff sale in Walworth County, which is the County where Lake Geneva and all the surrounding communities are located including Fontana, Williams Bay and Linn Township.

I attended a seminar today where a representative of the Sheriff Department who handles these types of sales indicated that 97% of the sales are purchased back by the bank or lender initiating the foreclosure action, leaving only about 3% being purchased by the public. The reasons for this are many but mostly have to do with the dangers and pitfalls of acquiring a property that may have undisclosed liens, taxes or other special assessments that the potential purchaser could be responsible for after the sale. More importantly, virtually all these sales are considered to be “As Is” with generally no opportunity for the potential Buyer to inspect the property ahead of time and no obligation on the part of the lender to make any disclosures of any defects or problems with the property. Add to that the requirement to have 10% to put down immediately at the time of the sale with no opportunity to have a financing contingency or any time to arrange and secure the financing, essentially making these outright cash deals.

Short sales are somewhat different in that the owner is usually still in control of the property, but is attempting to sell the property for less than the amount they owe against the property, requiring approval by the underlying lender in order to be able to consummate the transaction. In many cases it is next to impossible to get that approval from the lender on a timely basis. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon for a potential Buyer to be asked to wait weeks or in many cases months for an answer while the property owner tries to find someone at the lending institution willing to and in a position to give them a direct answer as to some partial right off or forgiveness of the loan.

So the bottom line to this is the old saying, if it sounds too good to be true, there is probably a catch and when it comes to short sales and bank foreclosures there can be many pitfalls making the pursuit of that great deal not the best way for a serious Buyer to find a good real estate value today.

Contact Bob Webster of Keefe Real Estate if you have any questions about a short sale or bank foreclosure in the Lake Geneva area.

Price Reduced to $2,395,000 for this Immaculate Lake Geneva Lakefront

bwebster — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:48:44 +0000

Impressive 4 bedroom, 3 bath Lake Geneva lakefront in immaculate condition with ideal level frontage. Beautiful kitchen with granite counter tops, hardwood floors, two fireplaces and spacious family room in walkout lower level. Large deck with panoramic views, extensive landscaping and a large pier. The home is up to date and in absolute move-in condition. Take a look, you won’t be disappointed.