This Month in Real Estate April 2010

Federal Housing Administration to Accept DocuSign for Real Estate Contracts Nationwide

Buyers, Sellers, Agents and Lenders Will Save Significant Time and Money on Mortgage Document Approvals with DocuSign eSignature Services

SEATTLE – April 8, 2010 - DocuSign®, the leader in on-demand electronic signature solutions, today announced that e-signed third-party documents, including real estate contracts, are now being accepted by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). DocuSign spearheaded an industry-wide effort to move the FHA to formally recognize e-signed third-party documents. The April 8, 2010 dated FHA mortgagee letter is the first in what is expected to be a series of responses to this initiative. With this policy statement from the nation's largest mortgage insurer, real estate professionals can use DocuSign to get real estate contracts, addenda and other documents signed electronically, and their buyers can apply for FHA insurance with confidence. The FHA mortgagee letter can be found at http://nhl.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/files/10-14ml.pdf.
"We commend FHA's action today. By clarifying its position on electronic signatures, the process of buying, selling and financing of homes across the country will be greatly improved," said Ken Moyle, chief legal officer at DocuSign. "Buyers, sellers and agents can use DocuSign's online process to eliminate the time, expense and environmental impact of printing, delivering and signing large stacks of paper documents, and mortgage lenders can take comfort in knowing that DocuSign's e-signature process is designed for legal compliance in all 50 states and is fully evidenced by a comprehensive audit trail."
Real estate agents can quickly access the DocuSign e-signing service from any laptop with Internet access, drag and drop familiar yellow StickEtabs® onto the contract and send the envelope. The recipient immediately receives an email notification that can be accessed through a computer or any Web-enabled mobile device, including Apple® iPhone®, RIM® BlackBerry®, Google® AndroidTM, Windows Mobile®, adopts an e-signature and signs the document. Once completed, an email notification is sent to all parties with a link to the final executed document. The result is a legally binding, fully ESIGN-compliant document supported by a comprehensive audit trail.
As on-demand software-as-a-service (SaaS), DocuSign requires no additional software or hardware purchases and no downtime for training. DocuSign eSignature service offers users one of the easiest, most simple to use and safest electronic signature experiences available today. For more information on DocuSign, visit www.docusign.com

Time is running out on the federal tax credits...

Time is running out on the federal tax credits for first-time and repeat buyers. First-time buyers who enter a binding contract by April 30 and close escrow before July 1—and meet the income limits—are eligible for the full $8,000 credit (maximum, or 10 percent of the sales price, whichever is less) on their federal tax returns. The first-time home buyer credit applies to homes purchased for $800,000 or less, and does not require repayment if buyers live in the residence for three or more years.

Existing homeowners may be eligible for a tax credit (10 percent of the purchase price, not to exceed $6,500). To be eligible for this credit, homeowners must have lived in their current home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years and must enter a contract to purchase a new or existing home by April 30, 2010. Existing homeowners do not need to sell their current home to qualify for this credit, but must close escrow before by June 30, 2010