I was just checking out two new features The National Association of Realtors(R) is now featuring and they seem to be too good to pass up on! The first is a new consumer oriented website named Houselogic.com. Pretty much, what Houselogic.com is is a resource center for homeowners with articles to protect, maintain, and help to enhance the value of their homes. No information like that is bad information, so I will be featuring articles from Houselogic here at this blog.. Check it out at your convenience, at www.houselogic.com. You can have a free account there and do all sorts of stuff...
The other new feature, Real Estate Today Radio, is simply a new widget you'll be able to go to on this blog here and my websites. Real Estate Today is the nation's fastest growing real estate program, exclusively from the National Association of Realtors(R). You'll be able to log in whenever you'd like and listen to the latest "broadcasts"...
JUST added THIS page .... Gotta get the word out for Short Sales..
Short Sales are Pre-Foreclosures ...
In a short sale situation, the seller owes more on the mortgage than
the home will sell for. Many times the bank would rather lose some
money now to avoid losing a larger amount later if they have to
foreclose.
Foreclosure should be the last resort, when all other options fail.
Many homeowners can successfully complete a short sale if they:
1. Begin a soon as theyare about to go delinquent on the loan
2. Complete the necessary paperwork and ...
3. Hire a competent real estate agent to handle the sale.
Some agents charge an upfront fee to take on the task of a short sale. We do not. What's the point of a Short Sale?
Primarily, to protect your credit. If
you simply pack up, walk away, and abandon both your property AND the
obligation to make your payments, you are inviting the foreclosure
process to come into your life. While both the short sale and
foreclosure will affect your credit, a foreclosure will greatly impact
your ability to purchase a home in the future.
Fannie Mae has announced changes that went into effect August 1st, 2008.
You cannot purchase a home under the following guidelines and time frames using Fannie Mae Conventional financing:
* Pre-Foreclosure (short sale of home); 2 years
* Deed in lieu of foreclosure; 4 years
* People who FORECLOSE will have the following Fannie Mae restrictions placed on them:
5 year time period from date of foreclosure completion in which you cannot obtain
financing, after which you can finance with a minimum of 10% down and a credit scoreof 680.
7 year time period from completion to finance a second home or investment property.
7 year time period from completion to take cash out of a refinance on any property
regardless of occupancy.
Additionally, some employers will not hire or retain an employee who has foreclosed on a home.
In a "nutshell" , the actions of a short sale may cause your credit to get "bruised" ... In the actions of a "foreclosure process" your credit will probably get "ruined" ...
The emotional impact
to borrower who has a foreclosure cannot be underestimated. Despite
the time and potential stress involved in doing a short sale, there is an emotional benefit to doing the “right thing".
Also, where a homeowner has continuing liability for a loan (such as a Home Equity Line of Credit) after foreclosure, the borrower can take some measure of control and mitigate the loss with a short sale. For
More Information, including a complete list of frequently asked
questions on the short sale process, options to KEEP your home, Scam
Avoidance, and the necessary papework involved in beginning the short
sale process please download our "Mortgage Emergency First Aid Help Kit" PDF Format File. Notice: Text based in part from content featured on http://www.nohasslelisting.com. Used with Permission 2009.
I will be hosting an interactive live seminar on beginning a real estate blog entitled "How to Blog for Fun & Profit", September 16th at the Westborough Keller Williams Realty Office. The location is at 276 Turnpike Road, Suite 221, Westborough, MA 01581 and it will be between 1:15 to 2:15 pm..
This is an open event: the general public is invited although this event is geared towards real estate agents.If you know me personally I promise you an informative and humorous event, my style tends to be on the "flippant" side...
So, if you're looking for a new, low cost, EFFECTIVE way to Network? … a new way to connect and re-connect with your SOI and Clients! … a new way to define your “niche” and get all those “nichers” to come to you!
… a new INNOVATIVE WAY TO create a “KNOCKOUT” and EFFECTIVE Newsletter!
Then THIS event's for you! Please log into Facebook and go to THIS LINK to register for the event.
This comes from an email a friend of mine sent me last night. Now, I don't know, but we're pretty much close to seeing this become reality right now...
Ordering
a Pizza in 2012
A lot of people think the following is what will happen if President Obama has his way with Socialized Medicine and Digitalized Medical Records..
Me? I don't know what to think yet.
Click
the link and see.
Turn
up the volume, listen closely and watch the pointer!
I was just "roaming" through Seth Godin's blog (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/) and I found this above video I just want to share. For those who don't know, Seth Godin is pretty much a premier business and blogging expert. His book "Permission Marketing" really influenced a couple of practices I have about the real estate business, and I use Typepad as my platform in small part to Seth's advice.
I'm contemplating to move this blog to Google's BlogSpot. Aside from the fact it will be free, versus paying for the service, Google offers many advantages, including integration with the other services from Google, that I use. Any thoughts?
The finished product is, of course, with rounded corners. Thanks to my good friend John Miller for inspiring my slogan, last week, as we were hashing ideas around, and I did in fact, use Overnightprints.com. It took me around 10 hours to design the finished product, using their online designer (very cool tool). I've bought 1000's of business cards before but I have to say, yes, I REALLY got involved in the making of this card, but it was also a verry enjoyable experience. The support at OvernightPrints.com is great! Very very polite, very helpful.
I did, in fact, decide to put my photo in the card, but I can easilly "knock" that out in a subsequent order. Everyone I asked said it would be better if I put my picture. I like to think of it as a means of identification to someone that doesn't know me and is meeting me for the first time. I pretty much do look like, oh, I'd say, 73% like my picture... (just kidding)...
Overall though, this card was inspired by Seth Godin's post about business cards; I've been reading up on my Seth Godin and he's always just "made sense" to me.. You'll be seeing a LOT of little changes and tweaks forthcoming in my business approach here and there; a good amount of these changes are partly inspired by Seth.
There you go, I "give" you my card. You like? Dislike? I don't mind hearing from you. If you'd like a real copy, email me and I'll send a couple out. No obligation, of course.
Now that I'm back at Keller Williams, can you believe I'm "stuck" on ordering business cards?
The main issue I have is whether or not I should put a picture on the card or not...
I've heard arguments on both sides; "Pictures look cheesy" ... "You real estate agents think you're movie stars!"... "Why don't you update your photo? When was the last time you took a picture, Gatos? High School?"
LOL...
Then I hear from the "other side of the camp"... "Your picture is your Identification"... "You need a picture as a way to 'brand' your business'... (what happens when my hair gets grayer faster than I can have the 'portraits' made?).. "You should have your picture in your card as a way for people to 'associate' your face with your name; they'll remember you better.. "People who don't know you personally will 'warm up' to you with your picture", and of course, my favorite...
"Everyone does it"...
"Everyone does it".. Hmmmm..
I want to be different...
That's why I'm posting about the woes of deciding what to do with my impending card...
That I'm going to get a card; there's NO doubt about that... I need one for new clients. I need one to mail to "out of area" owners.. although I doubt they really care if I look 4 years older in person than what they get in their hands.
Let's get real. Some of these business cards REEK with "cheesiness.." I swear, if these folks look so good, why are they in real estate? They should be making movies with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie..
The cost of putting a picture is minimal, so THAT'S NOT the issue.. I want someone to hold on to my card; if not for me, then maybe 'cause they at least like the card... The trash can's a lonely place to be...
The closest I've found to interesting cards is two companies; Moo cards and Overnight Prints. The interesting thing about Moo cards in particular that I like is that every card is different. I would customize each card with individualized pictures. Again, like I'm saying, it's NOT the cost I'm concerned about. If I spent 3 or 4 times what it currently costs me and people thought it was a cool idea, and actually hung on to the cards and actually used them, the cost would be well worth it...
Plus it would be a lot morefun...
I'm really hoping I'll get some good response here, but if I don't get it, I suppose I'll have to go with my gut feeling. I'd rather get feedback. I want to hear from you... Agents, past clients, everyone, I'd like to hear from. Let's have it. I'm taking THIS one public! Consider this a poll of sorts!...
"Cause I can't wait much longer. I'm placing an order as soon as I can.
Maybe even Friday or Saturday...
Then you can call or email me.. If I can't come over due to the storm, at least I'll send you a card...
This week, I left my Coldwell Banker office in Worcester to return to the Keller Williams office in Westborough, the first Keller Williams office in New England. The Keller Williams office I first joined back in 2004.
Coldwell Banker Worcester - Park Ave is a great office. everyone in that office are all super and they are true professionals. Having been both a Coldwell Banker and a Keller Williams agent, I wasn't intentionally comparing, but that's what happened. I just had to go back to Keller Williams.
What it is for me is philosophy. With Keller Williams, my business is mine, not the company's.
I couldn't take the feeling of "corporate" anymore...
I was affiliated with Coldwell Banker from 1997 through 2004, and then I changed to Keller Williams. I was with both the Westborough and Worcester office through 2006, changing back to Coldwell Banker in April 2006. I suppose you may say I've "been around"...
Keller Williams is THE MOST AGENT CENTRIC COMPANY I've ever seen. It's all about the agent, not the company. The agent is the one communicating with the buyers and sellers. The agent is the one doing all the running around, the driving, the work. The agent is the one taking care of the business.
The Keller Williams model understands that real estate is a local, people to people business. National ads don't matter to me. My clients are all local. I do my best to service them, not my company.
Simply put, the Keller Williams model is the only one that I'm aware of that an agent can enter into and come closest to running their own business without actually opening their own business, and STILL have the support of a major real estate franchise behind them. I'm sure their are other models; I either am unaware of them or my opinion may beg to differ.
I can run my business MY way, without having a "corporate" shadow behind me. That alone was a problem for me. There is a feeling of "togetherness" with Keller Williams I haven't seen elsewhere. It really is unique. Of course, there are restrictions everywhere you look, and Keller Williams is a corporation, too. For someone like me, who's been in real estate for over 26 years, I prefer an environment where I am allowed to be more of a business owner. I'm talking "the little things" here.. More flexibility to design and buy business cards. An ACTUAL Website (Not Webpage), with Keller Williams, with an IDX from Wolfnet. Wolfnet is a great IDX. These "little" things make a big deal to me. Even when I bought my signs, they were MY signs; my phone number. Price? Around $240 or so for 5 signs, with a couple of riders. Less than $50 a house.. Reusable...
"Revelation" in the sense if it's "corporate", that doesn't necessarily mean it's right. "Revelation" in the sense that "corporate" at times may tend to think a little bit much too much of themselves.
Of course, this is MY opinion. Everyone's entitled to theirs...
The books are open at any Keller Williams office, The agents really do have a stake in the success of the company. I couldn't grasp that concept at first. It was just a mind boggling concept that I couldn't get into and had to leave and come back to appreciate. Knowing you are business partners with the agency you're affiliated with can have the potential to "bring:" you to a new level. The agents actually have a say in the management, the everyday operations, and the general direction of the company. Profit sharing may be available and although it shouldn't be depended on, it's a nice potential bonus. When agents recruit agents, they do it from their heart. When some agents take turns running training classes, they do it from their heart. At least they're supposed to. At least I always did.
Of course, "corporate" isn't normally keen on that...
I am an independent contractor. I like to "feel" that way. "Corporate" and "Independent Contractor" seem like a contradiction to me. They can't mix well, at least for me...
The support services from Keller Williams are the best I can find. Every company has it's unique features. So does Keller Willams. The training," oh my God!" At Keller Williams, there is SO much training available. On a daily basis. Free. Sure, you can also get advanced stuff like coaching and materials you may pay for, but believe me, most of it is free. In a market like this, training and support are necessities, not luxuries. Repetition is the key to success in learning. That's Keller Williams' strongest asset. The best way to learn and master a topic is by teaching it. I used to love public speaking, and I REALLY missed it. Nobody likes to be "muzzled" after a while.
How about the client's needs? Well, if you know me personally, you know how fanatical I can be about that.
The internet is the portal to market homes today. With "KWLS", a listing is added in all the important websites; ie., Googlebase, Trulia, Zillow, etc...
I get an "instant notification" via email from any website anywhere, including my website and other websites via my smart phone.
My own signs. All the calls go to me.
In March, Openhouse.com, owned by Realogy, will allow any agent or company to DIRECTLY input listings for open houses. Right now, it can be done, through an "FTP". The system will be infinitely easier in March. It costs the agents NOTHING. Zip, Nada. Not a flat penny..
I haven't read any other book or been able to even find another book that comes even close to what this book does.
This book helped me because as a real estate agent in tough times, I needed a guidebook on what to know. For my clients, it explains to me and gives me the information I need to provide data to buyers and sellers about what they should know about today's market. You have NO idea how I felt after reading this book. This book was 100% information. I met Gary Keller and Dave Jenks a couple of years ago and I can tell you, they both are two of the most "down to earth" guys out there; they seem to truly care about their agents concerns and are only interested in helping everyone succeed. They left a lasting impression on THIS guy.
What else can I say? I want my past clients to know that I'm always there for them; that I will never change improving or "tweaking" what I can, and through my return to Keller Williams I am looking forward to providing the very best I can of myself. I am in the Westborough office at 276 Turnpike Road.
My address is as follows;
Keller Williams Jim Gatos, Agent Partner 276 Turnpike Road Suite 221 Westborough, MA 01581 508-365-3581
Primarily, I am at the Westborough office because through Westborough, I can be accessible to my Metrowest clientele through Route 9 and 495. I can be accessible to my Millbury - Grafton clientele through Route 20. I can go to Worcester through Route 9. Clinton through Route 135 to I-290 or "the back roads"... Hudson-Marlborough, and even Sterling - Lancaster are within driving distance. Of course, Auburn and Oxford - Webster - Dudley, Leicester, and Spencer are accessible too. The location is an added "plus"...
The services both the Worcester & Westborough offices give to their agents are top notch; I spoke to both the Worcester and the Westborough office but for my needs, Westborough won out. Both offices are great. Both have "super" "Team Leaders" and I can say from experience Kathleen Goneau, the Team Leader (manager and trainer) at my office is UNBELIEVABLE! I don't have the 5 plus hours of typing I need now to type how great she is! Maybe another time...
Through this blog, I will be showcasing in the forthcoming posts the many great features of Keller Williams and what I can do to better service my clientele. I welcome any and all questions, as always.
Here's a video from Keller Williams Realty concerning the "Shift" book I was talking about. If you're interested in obtaining any of Gary's Books, including "Flip!" and "The MIllionaire Real Estate Investor", let me know... Contact me Here...
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