Start here! No-pressure, No-obligation First Time Homebuyer Seminar, Thursday, July 21st, 2011 from 6:30-8PM at 436 Gateway Boulevard in Burnsville.

Carrie Guarrero, Cornerstone Mortgage Company Senior Vice President and Regional Manager along with Steve Howe, expert first time homebuyer Realtor, walk you through the home buying process in a way that gives you a thorough overview and informs you about the availability of first time homebuyer assistance programs and various important pieces of the home buying process.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

· First Time Homebuyer Programs for Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance and reduced 30-year Fixed Rates

· Minnesota Housing Programs

· Dakota County Bond Program

· City Living Program

· 203K Loans

· Current Housing Environment, Bank Owned and Short-sales

· Writing and Negotiating Home Purchase Offers

· Appraisals and Inspections

· Closing Costs

Register today, remember this is free, no pressure, no obligation. Its an education that will prove priceless!

2011 First Time Homebuyer Seminar Dates:

July 21, August 18, September 22, October20, November 17, December 15

Announcing the 2011 Real Estate Symposium presented by MN Wealth Builders. This all day seminar will provide the information needed to successfully invest in, manage and build wealth through real estate.

Join the seminar on Thursday, June 2, 2011 from 8:30am to 4:30pm. .

• Expert Panel On Hand In All Things Real Estate
• 6 Hours of Real Estate Continuing Education
• Lunch will be provided

Real Estate Symposium is being held at the Olsen Thielen CPA Office at 2675 Long Lake Road in Roseville, MN 55113.

You can pre-register by May 15th for a reduced admission fee of $10.00. After May 15th, the full admission fee of $20 will be collected. Due to limited seating, event-day registration does not guarantee admission so register now by clicking here.

“I strongly encourage real estate agents to attend this outstanding event. Plugging in with these experts, really the best of the best, allows us the chance to grow in knowledge and provide more value to our clients in the process. Investment property is certainly a great niche that can propel your business even more in 2011! Sign up for this Don’t Miss event today!” – Ryan O’Neill, The Minnesota Real Estate Team of RE/MAX Advantage Plus, The #1 Real Estate Team in Minnesota, #2 in the U.S, #6 Worldwide with RE/MAX.

Topics will cover Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines for real estate investors, Rehab loans, Portfolio Loans, Accounting, Tax Deferral, Insurance, Property Management, Leases, Cash Flow, Investing, Evictions, Home Equity Lines of Credit, Top Tips as well as Pitfalls to Avoid. From start to finish, Real Estate Symposium will cover all the bases.

Click here for a printable .pdf of the Real Estate Symposium Seminar info and agenda.

Join our own Elizabeth Vaughan and Nelson Valenzuela at the 2011 South Minneapolis Housing Fair!

When: Saturday, February 26th from 10am to 3pm

Where: South High School, 3191 19th Avenue South.

A Fun Home Improvement Event for the Whole Family

Whether you are giving a room a “make-over” or starting from the ground up, you’ll find answers to all of your questions at the 17th annual South Minneapolis Housing Fair.

FREE and Open to the Public

This event is FREE and open to the public and will be held Saturday, February 26 from 10 AM to 3 PM. With its convenient location in the expansive commons area of South High School, centrally located in South Minneapolis, the Housing Fair is easy to find.

There will be nearly 100 amazing exhibitors and vendors to make your dreams come true with expertise and advice on home remodeling, basement finishing, kitchen and bath transformation, landscaping and much more.

All exhibitors are from the Metro area and provide the highest level of professional services. In addition, you’ll enjoy making connections with real estate agents and a broad range of community experts in a low-key conversational setting. The perfect place to learn about all the down-payment and closing cost assistance programs available for Minneapolis home buyers!

Ask an Experts: answers to your questions!

Take a workshop – kids build a birdhouse!

Learn how to save energy and money!

We will see you at the South Minneapolis Housing Fair!

You’ve decided to buy your first home! Congratulations! Now what?

Join us for a very informative FREE 90 minute home-buying course where you will learn everything you need to know about buying your first home.  We’ll show you the importance of getting Pre-Approved for a Loan, how to Search for Properties Online, and how to become an Expert Negotiator in the process.

Our two presenters - Carrie Guarrero  and Steve Howe– have teamed up to give you the low-down of buying your first house in the Buyer’s Market today right here in MN.  Knowing the basics can save you Thousands of dollars a year.

Some of the topics we will cover include:

• Credit Score Ratings
• Down Payments and Loan Qualification
• Special Mortgage Programs for First Time Buyers
• Writing and Negotiating Offers
• Closing Process
• and Much More

If buying a home is in your plan next week, next month or next year, we would love to answer your questions and help you make a solid home purchase, without paying too much.  Any potential First Time Home-buyers in Dakota County or Scott County should come on down to one of our monthly seminars.

Here’s the info:

• What - First Time Home Buyer Class
• Where - Cornerstone Mortgage; 436 Gateway Blvd, Burnsville, MN
• When - Thursday November 18th, 6:30-8:00pm

Future Dates in 2010 are: Dec 16

Space is limited so please REGISTER HERE.

IMPORTANT: All attendees will receive a free copy of their CREDIT REPORT and CREDIT SCORE courtesy of Cornerstone mortgage.  You must attend the class to receive your report.

It should also be said that this is NOT the Home Stretch course needed to qualify for some of the local first time buyer programs and grants.  Our suggestion is that you get educated about the process first, then get pre-approved and figure out if you will, in fact, be eligible to receive some sort of assistance that would require you to go to the Home Stretch Class.  That class is 8 hours long and there is a fee to attend.

We are pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Cornerstone Mortgage Company, Savage Office!

Located just off Highway 13, north of County Road 42, this new Cornerstone Office is convenient to our Realtors working in Scott County area.

Please join us on November 4th from 4-6pm to meet the amazing staff.

Cornerstone Mortgage Company in Burnsville, along with Denae Frampton from RE/MAX Advantage Plus are offering a free informational seminar on short sales. We hear this so often nowadays that it almost sounds like a buzz-word. Unfortunately short sales are a complicated reality in today’s real estate market.

Join us this Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8pm in Burnsville for information to help you make the decision on whether a short sale is the right move for you. You will learn about the short sale process, short sale pitfalls to watch out for and then life after the short sale.

Although the seminar is free to those attending, we ask that you register ahead of time so we have enough print materials for everyone. You can register by clicking here.

If you can’t join us this month, please note that we host the Short Sale Solutions seminar every 1st Thursday of the month.

Join Ryan O’Neill, RE/MAX Advantage Plus and Rob Bonahoom, Cornerstone Mortgage Company for a free informational seminar Tuesday, September 21st from 6:30pm to 8pm.

From Ryan’s experience with owning numerous rental properties, he will teach you how to build wealth through real estate. The seminar includes information on the real estate investing process, how to get pre-approved, what type of loan product to choose, and step by step information on how to choose properties that will be great rental homes, as well as getting the home rented once you invest in it.

This information is coming from tried and true real estate investors with experience in real estate investing. Ryan, owns 15 rental properties and Rob owns 20. They will share what to watch out for, and tips on how to make your investments successful. The great thing about these seminars is they are packed with valuable information and absolutely no pressure. As all of our public seminars, there is no cost to attend, however if you would like to bring a non-perishable food item for CAP Agency food shelf, it will be gladly accepted.

It may be taboo to talk about fall during this summer heat-wave, but let’s talk about it anyway.

MN Home Loan Partners of Cornerstone Mortgage Company cordially invites you to the Fall Festival Client Appreciation. This year we will be hosting the event at our office, 436 Gateway Boulevard in Burnsville, MN. The festivities will take place between noon and 4pm on Saturday, October 2, 2010.

Join us for the fun-filled afternoon! There will be pony rides, a petting zoo, pumpkin painting, giant bouncers and more!

Each year we collect non-perishable food items along with winter clothing and blankets for CAP Agency. Please be sure to bring your children’s gently used winter coats and clothes that they have out-grown! Our goal this year is to collect 900 clothing items along with 1,000 pounds of food.

Everyone who attends will receive a chance to win some amazing door prizes! We have some very dedicated sponsors who donate the goods that range from photography sessions to electronics!  

Again, be sure you bring your gently used winter items (boots, hats, mittens, coats), blankets and/or some canned food goods to help us reach our goal for CAP Agency.

Bring the whole family, there is plenty of fun! Plus you will walk away with a great photo from our Photo Station. We will see you on Saturday, October 2, 2010!

For more information, or sponsorship opportunities, click here.

 *** CLICK HERE TO JOIN US FOR AN INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR ON 203K LOANS***

A 203k loan is a type of mortgage loan that will allow you to purchase a home and rehabilitate the home right away.  The FHA 203k loan program allows home buyers to repair aspects of the home after closing, holding the funds designated for the repair at closing. The funds are held in escrow until the contractor has completed the work, the property inspected and the contractor is then paid out of the  escrow rather than out of the home owner’s pocket. This loan program truly does offer options to home buyers who would not be able to afford the repairs otherwise.

Qualifying for a 203k loan is similar to qualifying for a FHA mortgage. The minimum down payment will equal 3.5% of the total of purchase price plus the cost of the repairs/rehab. The maximum purchase price is $365,000.  Minimum credit score is 640 unless you qualify for the CASA program as well, which would allow for a minimum credit score of 620.  Down payment assistance and closing cost assistance programs for first time home buyers can be used in conjunction with the 203k loan if the first time home buyer meets the guideline requirements. First time home buyers could be eligible for up to $15,000 in closing cost assistance and down payment assistance through additional programs.

To learn more about the 203K loan process, Cornerstone Mortgage Company hosts a monthly seminar to inform prospective buyers about the process. It is a free, no-obligation informational meeting that takes place on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8pm.

To register for the seminar, please click here.