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- Letting Go, Finding the Right Fit and Taking the Time to Train15 March 2010, 12:46 pm
Last week, I defined a TEAM as any two or more people working together to accomplish more together than one person can accomplish alone. Since there are so many examples of teams, I am not focusing on one way but the principals involved that will…...
- How You Can Make A Video Blog – cheap, quick & easy15 March 2010, 12:08 pm
A while ago I decided that I wanted a web site that was just for my videos. I have video embedded in blog posts on my main real estate site, but I wanted a clean looking page where people could go and just watch my content.…... - Listing Icons: Is Adopting Abandoned Buyers Stealing or Smart?15 March 2010, 8:13 am
Does Closing and Running = Abandonment I decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. We both know the truth. I don’t need to share charts, survey percentages or statistical bona fides, do I? The truth is plentifully self-evident. The average and ordinary majority of selling agents, DO…... - HUD Secretary Donovan on the Importance of Broadband to Housing14 March 2010, 11:47 am
Like highways in the 20th century If you’re in your feed reader, you may need to visit the site to see the below video. Imagine my utter delight to see the housing policy and tech policy worlds collide this week when HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan…... - Imagine There Was No Government (Apologies to John Lennon)14 March 2010, 8:11 am
OK. In the spirit of fellow AG columnist Fred Glick, this will be a short one. It seems from my last post (and I may be wrong) that there are a lot of people who think that the best type of Government is No Government…...
- Facebook traffic surpasses Google's16 March 2010, 4:00 am
Realtors are making the most of social networkingread more... - No money back for remorseful buyers16 March 2010, 4:00 am
From The Real Dealread more... - Sizing up purchase deposits16 March 2010, 4:00 am
Different markets have different customsread more... - Mortgage payoff in a divorce16 March 2010, 4:00 am
Can split trigger due-on-sale clause?read more... - Do play with the new toys16 March 2010, 4:00 am
Content producers should experience the iPad, emerging technologiesread more...
- Rental Scams on Craigslist – Landlords Beware15 March 2010, 9:51 am
If you thought the scams being run on Craigslist were just on ripping off prospective tenants as we talked about before here, you are missing the other side of the coin. Landlords are in just as much danger. The new scam involves renters sending fake cashiers checks and money orders. The landlord is thrilled to [...]Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published.Rental Scams on Craigsl... - Spring Real Estate Talking Points – An Article Full of Positives15 March 2010, 9:29 am
You and I both know that this site has taken a tough look at the real estate market. I think it has been objective, but I am sure that others will disagree. My perspective has always been from the consumers point of view, not the industries. As such, I am concerned how the real estate industry [...]Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published.Spring Real Estate Talking Points – ... - The Foreclosure Tsunami That No One Is Talking About14 March 2010, 10:28 am
If you are working in the real estate business this sentence should scare the hell out of you. About 5 million to 7 million properties are potentially eligible for foreclosure but have not yet been repossessed and put up for sale. It scares me. This overhang is so big the rounding error is 2 million [...]Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published.The Foreclosure Tsunami That No ... - Top 10 Cities For Tornado Activity10 March 2010, 9:43 am
I don’t know about you but I hate tornadoes. Seriously. So it does not warm my heart to realize I live between the 2nd worst and the 9th worst cities in the country for tornado activity. Ugh… Give me a hurricane any day of the week. You know you are going to get clobbered with a hurricane [...]Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published.Top 10 Cities For Tornado Activity ... - CitiGroup Selling Real Estate Division to Apollo10 March 2010, 9:34 am
A sign that the big banks are focusing on core fundamentals and not esoteric investments happened today. Citigroup is selling their Citi Property Investors division to Apollo Management. The reasons for the sale are 2 fold. One, these investments are tanking. They are not performing and are a drag to the company. Better to divest [...]Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published.CitiG...
- Listed: Elegant Comfort In Ski Country10 March 2010, 6:00 am
This wintry cabin offers plenty of amenities, but without the showiness of some of its neighbors.... - Homes Of The Billionaires9 March 2010, 8:00 am
Where the world's richest people unwind after a long day.... - The $50 Million Price Point4 March 2010, 6:00 pm
There's an art to selling a ridiculously expensive piece of real estate. It starts with getting the buyer to think of a big number....
- Snow, foreclosures hit homebuilder sentiment15 March 2010, 2:32 pm
The National Association of Home Builders says its housing market index slipped in March, as harsh winter weather and competition from foreclosed properties hurt builders' sales prospects. National Association of Home Builders - Home Builders - Real estate - Foreclosure - Business... - Luxury apartments to test renters’ confidence15 March 2010, 7:43 am
For its coming out party, the Sunset Vine Tower threw a glitzy bash worthy of a Hollywood opening, complete with free food, booze and live music. Apartment - Hollywood Los Angeles California - Business - Travel and Tourism - Oceania... - Mortgage relief aid reaches few homeowners12 March 2010, 5:05 pm
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners are in limbo waiting to find out if they will be accepted for the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention program. Mortgage - Presidency of Barack Obama - United States - President - Business... - Homeowners take ‘cash for keys’ to escape debt12 March 2010, 3:15 pm
Owners of bad loans are increasingly making deals with borrowers to avoid a foreclosure. Lawmakers are more accepting of these solutions even if they mean the borrower loses the home. Foreclosure - Loan - Business - Real estate - United States... - New wave of foreclosures threatens market12 March 2010, 5:52 am
Swelling ranks of homeowners who are seriously delinquent but haven't yet lost their homes may soon lead to a new round of foreclosures. Foreclosure - Real estate - Business - RealtyTrac - United States...
- Barclays: Foreclosure Backlogs Are Worst in Florida, New York15 March 2010, 1:02 pm
A recent report from analysts at Barclays Capital sheds light on how court procedures and efforts to delay foreclosures have swelled the backlog of busted home mortgages in some of the nation's hardest-hit housing markets.... - Navigating the Mortgage Minefield15 March 2010, 12:36 pm
Even if a borrower has good credit, there may be other stumbling blocks on the road to your 30-year fixed. Here's what you need to know:... - Mortgage Fraud Declines but Remains Virulent15 March 2010, 1:00 am
First American CoreLogic, a real estate information supplier, compiles an index of the rate of fraud on home mortgages. A version of the index that excludes subprime loans peaked in 2007 at about 112 (on a scale that equates the early-2005 level to 100). It has since dropped to 84.... - Yes, Virginia, There Is a Spring Selling Season12 March 2010, 2:27 pm
After polling builder communities in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Texas and California’s Inland Empire, Ticonderoga Securities Analyst Stephen East says the spring home-selling scene is coming along nicely.... - Friday Diversion: Sarkozy’s Ex-Wife Buys; Pete Sampras Sells12 March 2010, 11:34 am
Tennis star Pete Sampras lists a 20 acre property in the gated Lake Sherwood community in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for $25 million....
- Mortgage help: 170,000 get aid12 March 2010, 2:12 pm
More than 170,000 troubled homeowners are breathing a lasting sigh of relief now that they've received permanent modifications under the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention program.... - The three-figure kitchen makeover12 March 2010, 5:57 am
Living with an undersize, outdated kitchen? If so, a sledgehammer may feel like the only solution. But these days you're probably not up for spending the $50,000 or more -- maybe much more -- it would cost to demolish the space and build a new state-of-the-art room from scratch.... - Foreclosures leveling off11 March 2010, 12:04 pm
The national foreclosure rate fell 2% in February from a month earlier, according to an industry report released Thursday, the latest sign that the pace of foreclosures is slowing.... - Green homes face a red light10 March 2010, 4:38 am
Lots of people, especially those trying to battle high utility bills, believe in energy-efficient homebuilding.... - Can't make your mortgage? Get an emergency loan8 March 2010, 4:37 pm
Erin and Robert Smith had no problem handling the $2,000 monthly payment on their home ... until they lost their jobs....
- Real estate technology: think food, not forks11 March 2010, 9:41 pm
Yesterday I participated in a session at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World conference on “The future of technology.” I thought about this a lot before the event and decided I didn’t want to talk about technology, for two reasons: First, technology is – in the real estate broker’s world – thoroughly paradoxical. That which [...]Sign up for the 1000watt Spotlight e-newsletter and keep up with the ideas, apps and people that are changing real estate. ... - Infographics as a cure for marketing sameness10 March 2010, 10:58 pm
Edward Tufte is a statistician, author, lecturer and graphic design legend. His seminal work, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, is considered by many to be the go-to book on data visualization and has been described by Amazon.com as no less than one of the ”best 100 books of the 20th century”. Pick it up. If you’re a visual design nerd [...]Sign up for the 1000watt Spotlight e-newsletter and keep up with the ideas, apps and people that are changing real estate... - Brokers: embrace difference, love the eccentric9 March 2010, 10:53 am
In a recent post I waxed on about the type of agents I would recruit if I started a brokerage. As someone who believes branding results from the conscious decisions you make about what you want the world to remember about you, well, I’d create something memorable. And a brokerage filled with salespeople isn’t memorable. It’s commonplace. So why duplicate [...]Sign up for the 1000watt Spotlight e-newsletter and keep up with the ideas, apps and people that are changing real es... - The passion of the Realtors Property Resource4 March 2010, 12:36 pm
I find it hard to discuss the RPR these days without a certain wistfulness. Conversations slip into the past tense. Which is a funny thing because the product hasn’t even been released. It is also a sad thing, because the basic idea, and its early manifestation, is so appealing. Am I nuts? Or has the launch of [...]Sign up for the 1000watt Spotlight e-newsletter and keep up with the ideas, apps and people that are changing real estate. ... - As Estately grows, so does consumer choice2 March 2010, 6:04 pm
DC residents now have a virtual panoply of real estate search sites to choose from. Estately, the IDX-powered online brokerage, just moved into DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia today, adding 60,000 new homes and condos to their database. In addition to Estately, lucky Mid-Atlantic residents can thaw themselves with dreams of warmer springtime home searching by [...]Sign up for the 1000watt Spotlight e-newsletter and keep up with the ideas, apps and people that are changing real estate. ...
- The Source of Confusion13 March 2010, 2:17 pm
I love this new post by Brian Boero over at 1000watt blog. Go read it in its entirety, right now. I’ll still be here. Back? Okay, I don’t have a lot of time today to do one of my traditional 9,000 word essay, but this post raises such a set of good points that I had [...]... - Do We Believe in the Millenials?10 March 2010, 9:00 am
Starting a few years ago, I’ve been hearing a lot about how the Gen-Y or Millenials (people aged anywhere from 18 to 30 today) are going to change everything — but particularly in real estate. A random sampling of opinions about how the Millenials will affect real estate, from a Google search I just ran, turned [...]... - Real Entrepreneurship8 March 2010, 6:41 pm
There is a viral YouTube video going around right now, a “parody/spoof” of Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys. Here it is, in case you haven’t seen it: I understand that the people behind the video, one Pantless Knights, were making a parody. I hope to God that they’re ridiculing the people being held [...]... - A Musical Review of Inman’s “To Be A Broker” Study5 March 2010, 1:31 am
There is an interesting little dichotomy in the results of the survey that Inman ran recently, and published as a Special Report: “To Be A Broker: Charting a Course for Recovery“. It’ll cost ya some money, unless you’re an Inman Premium subscriber, but I think Inman did a great job here in putting the information [...]... - Brief Personal Note: MRIS1 March 2010, 12:11 pm
Last week, a couple of folks were speculating about my employment status. Apparently, I had taken a job at MRIS as the Director of Marketing, and so on. As flattered and grateful as I am that people take an interest in my ability to pay income taxes I thought it might be time [...]...
- MySpace Employees Speak Their Mind. Lots Of Yelling Going On, Apparently.16 March 2010, 3:33 am
We've had lots of emails from MySpace employees with their response to our most recent post about the crumbling mid level management structure. "If you’re a MySpace employee and feel differently, please contact us anonymously," we said. And they did contact us. But they don't feel differently. There was also a great discussion in the comments section to that post where a few MySpace employees chimed in both pro and against the company. But the emails were most telling. One wasn't anonymous an... - Uh Oh. Not Another “Don’t Be Evil” Company16 March 2010, 2:18 am
Long ago Google unofficially abandoned the Don't Be Evil mantra and replaced it with, no kidding, an "evil scale." Sometimes you have to chose between the lesser of two weevils, as Patrick O'Brian would say. And frankly, just staying this side of decent is enough for most companies. So when Twitter CEO Evan Williams said earlier today that one of Twitter's operating principles was to “be a force for good” I cringed a little. One of the most important lessons I've learned in business, and a... - NSFW: ‘Tis Pity We Called Her A Whore – And Other Ineffectual Digital Apologies15 March 2010, 11:44 pm
Having now written two books about my failures in work, life and love, I think I'm qualified to say that the only difference between a memoirist and a prostitute is timing. A prostitute sells sex for money - that money being payable either immediately before or immediately after the act. A memoirist also receives money for having sex - but our payment comes via a publisher, months or years later, once we've recounted the amusing or titillating details in print. In the final analysis, reall... - Magento Scores $22.5 Million For Open Source E-commerce Platform Play15 March 2010, 7:47 pm
According to a regulatory filing, LA-based Magento Commerce, which develops an open source e-commerce software suite, has recently received a $22.5 million capital injection in an equity funding round. Magento was originally a product developed and marketed by Varien, a 9-year old company that also delivers e-commerce business consulting and other services, but has now effectively been incorporated as a stand-alone venture. It's unclear whether the financing of Magento comes from Varien, or if... - PayPal Launches Revamped iPhone App, Teams With Bump For Phone-Tapping Money Transfers15 March 2010, 7:20 pm
PayPal has just launched an upgraded iPhone application that adds new features and includes a facelift that's meant to help instill a greater sense of security. And it also brings with it big news for Bump Technologies, the startup that lets you exchange information simply by tapping smartphones together: Bump is now prominently featured in the PayPal iPhone application as a quick way to initiate transactions. You can download the free app here. PayPal has offered a free application for the i...
- Sony shows what an epic game really is with God of War III16 March 2010, 3:50 am
Sony’s role in video games seems to be to remind us every now and then what an epic game is all about. It is doing so again today with the launch of God of War III for the PlayStation 3. It’s been three years since God of War II came out on the PlayStation 2, and this game is absolutely worth the wait for fans who favor mature-rated video games where nothing is sacred and bone-crushing, rip-the-head-off violence is built into every scene. In the game, the bloodthirsty Kratos, the god... - Arkadium scores a million players for its first Facebook game16 March 2010, 3:02 am
Lots of casual game companies are trying to adapt to the popularity of social games on Facebook. They’re busy adapting games from casual game web sites to run on the social network, often without success. But Arkadium has scored a hit with its very first Facebook game: Mahjonng Dimensions. Since its launch on Jan. 15, the game has generated more than 1 million monthly active users. About 4.6 million games are being played every day, making it the most popular mahjong game on Facebook. That... - BrightEdge lands $6.5M more for SEO management platform16 March 2010, 3:02 am
BrightEdge, a search engine optimization management platform, today announced that it has secured a second round of funding for $6.5 million. The new funds will be used to expand engineering and operations for a growing customer base as well as to ramp up marketing and sales. BrightEdge is an online search engine optimization (SEO) platform that helps customers manage their SEO programs — programs to improve the quality and volume of website traffic from search engines. The platform lets ... - Intel launches new generation of server chips to make the cloud more efficient16 March 2010, 2:59 am
The racks and racks of servers in Internet data centers are about to get more efficient. Intel is launching a series of new server chips today that deliver a lot of bang for the buck. The new Intel Xeon processor 5600 series chips have as many as six cores, or computing brains in a chip. They have other features that, taken together, allow a server with just one Xeon 5600 chip to replace 15 single-core servers from five years ago. The investment in the new chip can pay off in as little as five... - Intel’s new game processor gives artificial intelligence in games a boost16 March 2010, 2:59 am
Graphics chips provide the biggest gee-whiz performance in a game computer. But Intel argues that the microprocessors that it makes make their contribution as well. The company is making that case with its latest processor, the Intel Core i7-980X processor Extreme Edition. The new chip is based on Intel’s 32-nanometer manufacturing process, which produces chips that are faster, smaller and cheaper than prior versions. It has six processing cores, or computing brains, and each core is capab...
- Links For Real Estate Geeks12 March 2010, 5:12 pm
I’ve decided to carry on with Drew’s “Links for Geeks” feature. I’ve identified a few gems from my feed reader that perhaps you haven’t seen in the past week. How To Set Up a Self Hosted WP Blog Steve at Zeek Interactive (The Company Behind Real Estate Shows) has a concise and simple outline for hosting your [...]... - Ya’ll Come On Down. RE Barcamp Austin – Featured Tech Event10 March 2010, 1:51 pm
What the heck is a Barcamp? I’ve been helping answer that question for a couple of years now. Luckily enough, you will find a plethora of information on the REBC web site. The short of it? It’s a free event where people show up and set up the topics of discussion and those who will [...]... - How To Snatch A Killer Real Estate Domain Name6 March 2010, 10:52 am
We all know the benefits of a killer domain name, but the online real estate market is so crowded and competitive it seems that all the great names are taken. Instead of just placing a backorder for a domain and hoping, take a look at Mike Davidson’s post: How To Snatch An Expiring Domain. He thoroughly [...]... - Line2, the First Dual Mode Cell/VoIP Calling App for iPhone5 March 2010, 1:50 pm
Perfect for busy, on the move real estate agents – Line2.com adds a second line to your iphone and allows you to make calls over 3G, Wifi and Cellular. From their website: “Line2 adds a second number to your iPhone that works over 3G, WiFi or Cellular networks using the same number… an industry first. [...]... - Wordpress 101: Expanding Text Plugin3 March 2010, 3:36 pm
I’ve started putting together a few Wordpress tutorials and thought I would share. This is a fantastic plugin that allows you to show introductory text, and the user can expand the text (on the same page) if they want to read more. This way, you can keep your listings higher on the page for users [...]...
- Is “Free” MLS Finally Here?26 February 2010, 3:24 pm
Over ten years ago, I recall being in a presentation at NAR’s mid-year conference and hearing Gregg Larson from Clareity Consulting predict that MLS services would soon be “free”. I don’t recall all the details, but I believe Gregg was predicting that advertising would replace the per member per month revenue model pervasive in most [...]... - New RPR Draft License Agreement Includes Right to Resell Listings, Just Not to Moving Companies22 February 2010, 4:36 pm
RPR has posted the latest draft of the license agreement they are proposing to MLSs. The draft attempts to address some of the concerns that have been discussed publicly and privately. From my review, the draft still does not live up to earlier statements that RPR would not disclose listing-level information. Instead, 1.w attempts (I [...]... - Conflicts Between RPR’s Public Statements and Proposed License19 February 2010, 4:02 pm
Brian Larson does an excellent service to the MLS industry presenting on his blog his analysis of the RPR license agreement, which he concludes: RPR has been making promises about how data will be used (on its blog, in presentations, etc.) without incorporating those promises into the license agreement. MLSs that want to be [...]... - FBS’s support for IE6 is coming to an end30 January 2010, 12:14 pm
We’re about to release a new customizable dashboard for flexmls Web, but the upgrade won’t be available to users of IE6. Why is this? Because IE6 is eight years old and is so limited in its support for web standards that it’s impractical, if not impossible, to develop web applications that take advantage of the [...]... - Northwest Montana Association and MLS Is Seeking Corporate Executive Officer29 January 2010, 2:37 pm
Kathleen Shulte from the Northwest Montana Association of REALTORS is retiring this coming summer after a long and illustrious career as NMAR’s Corporate Executive Officer. Kathleen was awarded the 2009 Terry McDermott Community Leadership Award from NAR and has led NMAR to be one of the premier Associations and MLSs in the country. Whoever takes [...]...
- How You Can Make A Video Blog – cheap, quick & easy15 March 2010, 12:08 pm
A while ago I decided that I wanted a web site that was just for my videos. I have video embedded in blog posts on my main real estate site, but I wanted a clean looking page where people could go and just watch my content.…... - FINALLY – You Can Add Pictures and Video to Foursquare!!10 March 2010, 11:02 am
One of the biggest lacking functions of the ever growing in popularity Foursquare check-in app was the inability to add pictures as you checked-in. A glaring missing and fundamental element, one might even say. Finally, things have changed. Pickchur and 39 Inc. have paired up…... - Google Maps Finally Allows Flickr and Picasa Photos3 March 2010, 7:07 am
Google has finally opened up their geo-tagged photo source for Maps and Street Views from the irritating and cumbersome Panaramio to Flickr and Picasa. (official Google Release). Geo-tagged photos are tagged by you (automatically or manually) with the location of a photo. Google takes that…... - How To Get Your Picture To Show Up in Comments on Agent Genius27 February 2010, 7:00 pm
This will only take a second… Ever wonder why some people comment on Agent Genius (and other websites) and there is a picture of them next to their comment? It’s not because they gave anyone money, because they have any superpowers or because they’re…... - Bing Maps Just Made Me Snap My Head Up and Say “WOW”!17 February 2010, 11:11 am
Bing’s announcement last week of their latest and most sophisticated augmented reality integration into Bing Maps was very exciting in both the mapping and augmented reality circles. Yet, real estate professionals, especially those with local blogs and or websites will find as much to drool…...
- Home Builder Confidence Falls. Foul Weather and Distressed Sales Cited as Reason15 March 2010, 3:17 pm
The National Association of Home Builders released their monthly Housing Market Index today. Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for more than 20 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” &l... - Loan Mod Conversion Rate Improves in February. True Success Depends on Job Creation15 March 2010, 2:40 pm
The Making Home Affordable Program (HAMP) , a joint effort by the Departments of the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development to prevent foreclosures, is reporting that 168,708 homeowners have now graduated from the HAMP trial modification program and have active permanent modifications by the end of February. This works out to a 12.4 percent conversion rate, a modest improvement from January when the permanent modification conversion rate was 9.2 percent. The program, which began last spring,... - The Week Ahead: FOMC Meeting, Housing Data, Inflation, Industrial Production15 March 2010, 8:01 am
Equity markets are mostly lower across the globe Monday, leading US stocks to open sharply lower ahead of a moderately busy schedule. Two hours before the bell sounds, Dow futures are off 30 points to 10,543 and S&P 500 futures are down 4.50 points to 1,142.00. Commodity prices are mixed as WTI crude oil is trading down 58 cents to $80.66 per barrel but Spot Gold prices are up $2.37 to $1,104.27. Key Events This Week: Monday: 8:30 ― The Empire State Manufacturing Index is expected to expan... - Fitch Ratings: Expiring Housing Incentives Likely to Increase Loan Losses this Year12 March 2010, 12:51 pm
Fitch Ratings is warning that the expiring homebuyer tax credits, the end of the Fed's MBS Purchase Program , and the growing maturity of various government loan modifications programs are likely to increase loss severities on distressed mortgage loans later this year. The report says that these factors as well as low interest rates and the Federal Reserve's $1.25 trillion mortgage-backed securities purchase program have led to an improvement in both home prices and loss severities since... - USDA Rural Housing Funds to Run Dry by April. Lenders Already Dropping the Program12 March 2010, 12:04 pm
USDA Section 502 loans are primarily used to help low-income individuals or households purchase homes in rural areas. Funds can be used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites, including providing water and sewage facilities. There is no required down payment. The lender must determine repayment feasibility, using ratios of repayment (gross) income to PITI and to total family debt. John Rodgers called my attention to the following bulletin released by the ...
- When the Fed Stops Buying MBS, How Will Rates Be Affected?15 March 2010, 2:33 pm
The Federal Reserve’s purchase of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) is scheduled to end on March 31st. A few weeks ago I wrote that there was some talk of extending this program. It seems as though most signs are pointing to the market stepping in and taking the place of the Fed in these purchases. The [...]This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. When the Fed Stops Buying MBS, How Will Rates Be Affected?... - A Changing Trend in the Foreclosure Capital?15 March 2010, 7:00 am
Southern Nevada has been ground-zero of the foreclosure crisis for a long, long time. Home sales have actually been very strong for months but the majority of the real estate sold has been foreclosures. There has been an influx of investors buying homes for cash and many agents in that arena talk about bidding wars [...]This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. A Changing Trend in the Foreclosure Capital?... - Can SMS Real Estate Marketing Attract more Home Buyers?14 March 2010, 3:48 pm
SMS Real Estate Marketing is a creative way of marketing a home through the use of text messaging. Statistics show that billions of text messages are sent per month. In fact, the number of text messages sent from a cell phone can easily out number the amount of phone calls made in a single month. With the [...]This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Can SMS Real Estate Marketing Attract more Home Buyers?... - How Long Did It Take You to Get Your First Real Estate Deal?14 March 2010, 10:46 am
How long did it take you to get your first deal? It took me a little over four months. And an investor I know just got his first deal after almost a full-year. Also, this guy was actually doing marketing and trying to get a deal the entire time. But he is one of the [...]This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How Long Did It Take You to Get Your First Real Estate Deal?... - How To Succeed in Anything in Life – Don’t Do This And You’ll Fail… Every Time!14 March 2010, 6:04 am
A couple of days ago, I was watching a presentation by a very successful business building consultant and he said something that prompted me to write this article. Why? Because the very same success tip he talked about has allowed me to be where I am at right now in my business. I want to [...]This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How To Succeed in Anything in Life – Don’t Do This And You’ll Fail… Every Time!...
- No room for error on U.S. debt16 March 2010, 6:06 am
The United States isn't in jeopardy of losing its gold-plated credit rating, though by one measure America is closer to the ratings-downgrade danger zone than Spain.... - Dodd: Time to reform Wall Street is now16 March 2010, 4:51 am
The head of a key banking panel on Monday released a draft bill of sweeping regulatory changes aimed at warding off future collapses in the financial system.... - How to craft a (toothless) bipartisan bill15 March 2010, 6:14 pm
Washington insiders are all pumped up by Sen. Chris Dodd's pending financial reform bill. They say that it seems to have a real chance to garner bipartisan support. Yippee! That sounds great on the surface, but ask yourself WHY it seems more popular than, say, Obama's health-care bill? Reason is that Dodd's dang thing's got no teeth! Sure the bill has a measure to create a consumer protection agency within the Fed, (even that's controversial) and it would ban bank execs from being on the New Yor... - Census: Help save Uncle Sam $1.5 billion15 March 2010, 1:40 pm
The Census Bureau estimated Monday that Americans could save the federal government $1.5 billion by mailing their 2010 census forms instead of waiting for a census taker to show up at the door.... - Senate takes a stab at financial reform15 March 2010, 9:58 am
The head of a key banking panel is expected Monday to release a draft bill of sweeping regulatory changes aimed at warding off future collapses in the financial system....
- Wanting A USDA Loan? Better Hurry. Maybe.15 March 2010, 10:47 pm
USDA loans have become a popular option to finance a home (when the property qualifies) because with a USDA loan, there is no mortgage insurance and no down payment requirement. Yes, you read that right - you can still get 100% financing when you finance an eligible property with a USDA loan. It seems that pretty much [...]... - Renovation Financing: Would you invest $2,500, if in 6 month you would be handed $29,000?12 March 2010, 10:05 am
I don’t know about you…But I would… That has been the average return on the additional closing costs associated with a renovation 203K loans that I have closed in the last quarter. By no means am I saying that buying a home is a can’t miss investment…but if you are in the market for a home [...]... - VA Loans and the Home Buyer Tax Credit for Veterans10 March 2010, 12:49 am
The one thing I’ve always loved about VA loans is how every unique guideline is designed to benefit the veteran. More information regarding these benefits can be found on a related blog post here. Many of my colleagues who do home loans prefer not to do VA loans due to the complexity of the guidelines. [...]... - Choosing the RIGHT Realtor Before the Tax Credit Ends9 March 2010, 11:17 am
As the First Time Home Buyer tax credit comes to an end, it seems as though home buyers are taking longer to find a home that suits their needs. One may call it an issue of supply and demand, however, most are calling it “My Realtor sucks!” Just like early 2007, real estate [...]... - Mortgage Insurance Guides Loosen9 March 2010, 10:37 am
What a long strange trip it has been, indeed. Not the least of which included the evaporation of mortgage insurance coverage for loans above 80% loan to value (LTV). Further crippling the already dazed market mortgage insurers began eliminating coverage plans for the majority of loans, not only non-coventional (aka sub-prime) , but for stronger [...]...
- Governator Pushing New Homebuyer Tax Credit For Californians12 March 2010, 4:05 pm
Well, he’s hitting the road again with some pretty hard hitting talk about making the $10,000 homebuyer tax credit a reality for potentially 20,000 California home buyers. Following is the video posted on the Governor’s website as well as all of the important excerpts regarding the credit from his speech….if you’re a “cliff notes” person like [...]... - Pacific Northwest Housing Summit – March 18-1910 March 2010, 9:23 pm
2010 Pacific Northwest Housing Summit and Real Estate Bar Camp are coming to Seattle on March 18-19. The Pacific NW Housing Summit is an opportunity to bring together professionals from all aspects of the real estate industry with the intent to evaluate the current market conditions, forecast the coming years prospects and plan for the resurgence of the housing industry here in the Northwest.... - Making Some Design Changes On Lenderama.com8 March 2010, 4:15 am
You may notice a few changes on our blog over the next week or so. I realize that there are a few missing links and contributors, but this is still a work in progress. Just didn't want anyone thinking we were sitting around on the job.... - Enhancing Your Social Media Presence Through Email5 March 2010, 3:29 pm
One simple step everyone can take to make their mortgage marketing email efforts more compatible with their social media efforts is to link all of your emails to your social networking profiles or blogs. Most of us already have email signatures, so why not add these links right there with the rest of your contact [...]... - Two Examples of What’s Right With the Mortgage Industry13 February 2010, 2:16 pm
Example #1: Embrace Home Loans Foregoes Annual Sales Rally - Instead Conducts Employee Auction and Raises $20,000 for Haiti By the way, I love the website on which I found this little nugget. Do yourself a favor and visit them at www.nationalmortgageprofessional.com. But here’s the point… our elected officials seem to blame everything that’s wrong with the [...]...
- Twitter Will Be Available in China…Someday16 March 2010, 4:38 am
While most of the world happily enjoys Internet’s free services such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Google, in China these are either inaccessible or might become so in the following months.And, as shown by Google’s recent squabble with the Chinese government, it can be very hard to operate in the world’s most populous country. But Twitter’s Jack Dorsey has faith that Twitter will be able to operate in China, although it’s currently blocked by the government.At a... - Project Natal Sacks PlayStation Move in Reader Vote16 March 2010, 12:37 am
Last week, Sony announced the PlayStation Move, a new motion-based controller to compete with both the Wii and, more importantly, Microsoft’s upcoming Project Natal full-body motion controller.That’s why we made the topic of the latest edition of our Web Faceoff about Sony and Microsoft’s upcoming next-generation gaming controllers. We asked you to tell us which excited you more: Microsoft’s Natal or Sony’s Move. After over 2000 votes……Project Natal em... - Pete Cashmore Talks Twitter, Location and Mashable on Time.com [VIDEO]15 March 2010, 10:27 pm
It seems that the question on everyone’s mind over at SXSW this year is: What will be the next Twitter? Well, as our own Pete Cashmore said the other day during an interview with Bloomberg, and during a recent interview with Time.com’s Dan Fletcher: It’s all about location.Twitter still remains a SXSW legend, even though some point to stats demonstrating that Twitter’s web traffic has been leveling off as of late. Still, the microblogging site asserts that it’s goin... - Chatroulette + Improv Piano Player = Love! [VIDEO]15 March 2010, 8:48 pm
Chatroulette has had its share of stormtroopers and Jon Stewart parodies, but now there’s a new star on the block: the Chatroulette improv piano player.The webcam network has quickly ascended to become one of the web’s biggest phenomenons. The anonymous webcam network, estimated to be made up of 71% males, 15% females, and 14% perverts, has gained huge traffic that has attracted venture capital interest and, of course, funny viral videos.The Chatroulette improv piano player, who we ... - “Earth Days” PBS Documentary to Premiere on Facebook15 March 2010, 7:52 pm
Feature-length documentary film Earth Days will premiere on Facebook with a live video stream and a chat at 8 PM EST on April 11, more than a week before the over-the-air PBS television premiere at 9 PM EST on April 19.The film chronicles the history of Earth Day in the United States and investigates issues related to the today’s American environmentalism movement. It has been playing the festival circuit and in select theaters for months, leading up to its PBS American Experience premiere...
- DeanOuellette: New video from @rl8rgal and me from this week, yes new out takes at the end @phxreguy ^^6 March 2010, 7:11 pm
New video from @rl8rgal and me from this week, yes new out takes at the end @phxreguy http://new.deansellsaz.com/008 ^^... - DeanOuellette: New video up with me and @rl8rgal on FAQ in real estate ^^6 March 2010, 1:24 pm
New video up with me and @rl8rgal on FAQ in real estate http://new.deansellsaz.com/008 ^^... - dpatricklewis: If you own a #palmpre or #pixi there is an outstanding app in the catalog detailing all the #CactusLeague games, schedules, stadiums, etc ^^5 March 2010, 12:43 pm
If you own a #palmpre or #pixi there is an outstanding app in the catalog detailing all the #CactusLeague games, schedules, stadiums, etc ^^... - DeedStreet: RE NewsRoll 3/3/10: Articles from @CraigsArizona @rerockstar @mySeattleblogs @travisegan @missycaulk ^^5 March 2010, 11:15 am
RE NewsRoll 3/3/10: http://bit.ly/cLATum Articles from @CraigsArizona @rerockstar @mySeattleblogs @travisegan @missycaulk ^^... - McAchran: Tax Tips for Homeowners Preparing 2009 Returns: ^^5 March 2010, 9:17 am
Tax Tips for Homeowners Preparing 2009 Returns: http://bit.ly/9Iif51 ^^...
- How You Can Make A Video Blog – cheap, quick & easy15 March 2010, 12:08 pm
A while ago I decided that I wanted a web site that was just for my videos. I have video embedded in blog posts on my main real estate site, but I wanted a clean looking page where people could go and just watch my content.…... - FINALLY – You Can Add Pictures and Video to Foursquare!!10 March 2010, 11:02 am
One of the biggest lacking functions of the ever growing in popularity Foursquare check-in app was the inability to add pictures as you checked-in. A glaring missing and fundamental element, one might even say. Finally, things have changed. Pickchur and 39 Inc. have paired up…... - Google Maps Finally Allows Flickr and Picasa Photos3 March 2010, 7:07 am
Google has finally opened up their geo-tagged photo source for Maps and Street Views from the irritating and cumbersome Panaramio to Flickr and Picasa. (official Google Release). Geo-tagged photos are tagged by you (automatically or manually) with the location of a photo. Google takes that…... - How To Get Your Picture To Show Up in Comments on Agent Genius27 February 2010, 7:00 pm
This will only take a second… Ever wonder why some people comment on Agent Genius (and other websites) and there is a picture of them next to their comment? It’s not because they gave anyone money, because they have any superpowers or because they’re…... - Bing Maps Just Made Me Snap My Head Up and Say “WOW”!17 February 2010, 11:11 am
Bing’s announcement last week of their latest and most sophisticated augmented reality integration into Bing Maps was very exciting in both the mapping and augmented reality circles. Yet, real estate professionals, especially those with local blogs and or websites will find as much to drool…...
- 'Self-Executing Rule' Could Pass Health Care Through House Without A Vote16 March 2010, 5:57 am
After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate's health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt...... - Richard (RJ) Eskow: An Act of Dodd: Draft Bill Would Let Pols Duck the Question, "Are You For Consumers or Banks?"16 March 2010, 2:09 am
Democracy requires vigorous public debate in an open forum, conducted by leaders willing to take a public stand and face the consequences. Today's proposal on...... - Ari Melber: Why 62 Million Bleeding Heart Liberals Back Health Care Reform16 March 2010, 1:16 am
A flood of national surveys show that Americans are divided about health care reform. Why? Moving beyond vague, binary polling questions ("for or against reform"),...... - John McCain And Sarah Palin To Reunite16 March 2010, 12:53 am
PHOENIX — John McCain and Sarah Palin are scheduled to campaign together in Arizona next week for the first time since they conceded the presidential...... - J.D. Hayworth Doubles Down On Men-Marrying-Horses Claim (VIDEO)15 March 2010, 10:58 pm
Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) is not backing off his claim that a six-and-a-half-year-old same-sex marriage ruling in Massachusetts could conceivably pave the way for......
- Wavering Dems in Obama's Sights on Health Vote16 March 2010, 4:57 am
The president is wooing freshman Democrats in the Oval Office, holding at least two one-on-one sessions in the past few days that never appeared on his official schedule, aides say.... - U.S. Envoy Cancels Mideast Trip Amid Israel Feud16 March 2010, 4:11 am
Washington notified Israel early Tuesday that envoy George Mitchell had put off his trip. The visit will be rescheduled at an undetermined time, officials on both sides said.... - U.S. Criticism of Israel Ignites Firestorm16 March 2010, 1:08 am
A bipartisan parade of influential lawmakers and interest groups has taken aim at the Obama administration's decision to publicly condemn Israel for its housing announcement.... - House Democrats Short on Health Care Votes, Clyburn Says15 March 2010, 11:43 pm
House Democratic leaders still do not have enough votes to pass health care reform, the chamber's top vote counter said Sunday, even though the administration is aiming to have the bill passed this week. ... - Waxman Disputes Claim He Said He Wanted Government to Fund Abortions15 March 2010, 10:17 pm
One of the chief architects of the health care reform bill now moving through Congress is disputing a fellow lawmaker's claim that he said Democrats want federal funding to pay for abortions...
Red Eye- C-Span Puts Its Full Archives on the Web16 March 2010, 1:56 am
Researchers, political satirists and partisan mudslingers, take note: C-Span has uploaded virtually every minute of its video archives to the Internet. ... - Obama Takes His Pitch for Health Care Overhaul to Ohio16 March 2010, 1:36 am
At a seniors’ center in Ohio, President Obama talked about a cleaning woman who had dropped her costly insurance plan, only to discover she had leukemia. ... - News Analysis: Array of Hurdles Awaits New Education Agenda16 March 2010, 12:40 am
The challenges of implementing a new education policy for the Obama administration are political and practical. ... - National Briefing | West: California: Petition Drive Fails16 March 2010, 12:40 am
Advocates for medical marijuana have failed to gather enough signatures for a ballot measure challenging a new Los Angeles ordinance that will close hundreds of marijuana dispensaries. ... - Netanyahu Offers an Apology, but No Shift in Policy16 March 2010, 12:04 am
An ill-timed housing announcement has left a politically embarrassed Israeli government scrambling to respond to a tough list of demands by the Obama administration. ...
- Colorado race tests party elites16 March 2010, 5:41 am
Insurgent challengers threaten to rebuke establishment in Senate Caucuses Tuesday.... - GOP says Brunner was snubbed15 March 2010, 8:28 pm
Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner attended the president’s final pitch for a health care overhaul but her opponent Lee Fisher did not.... - Specter gets SEIU nod15 March 2010, 7:44 pm
Sen. Arlen Specter racked up another union endorsement Monday as the Pennsylvania chapter of the Service Employees International Union said they will back the five-term senator in his Democratic primary battle with Rep. Joe Sestak.... - AFSCME backs Bennet15 March 2010, 5:52 pm
The Colorado chapter of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gave its nod to appointed Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, one day before Bennet faces off against former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in the statewide precinct caucuses.... - Wildlife action fund targets Pombo15 March 2010, 5:28 pm
The environmental group Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is targeting a familiar foe: former California GOP Rep. Richard Pombo....
- Supporting the War instead of the troops
Last week, Congress debated a resolution directing the President to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan no later than the end of this year. The Constitution gives the power to declare war to the Congress, so it is clearly appropriate for Congress to assert its voice on matters of armed conflict. In recent decades, however, Congress has [...]... - Politicians not feeling the pinch, spending thousands on cars
Federal bureaucrats are not exactly cutting back during these uneasy economic times as spending on luxury rentals cars continues to reach into the thousands, according to a report by Politico. “At least 10 House members are spending more than $1,000 a month in taxpayer money to lease cars,” the news outlet wrote. Representative Emanuel Cleaver is [...]... - Paul’s Federal Reserve audit under consideration in Senate
In legislation that Texas Representative Ron Paul has attempted to get through Congress for a number of years, his proposal that would require an GAO audit of the nation’s Federal Reserve is pending inclusion into a financial reform bill in the Senate. Paul’s D.C. office said they are hopeful that the bill will be officially included [...]... - Could this ad be Reid’s downfall?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will soon be facing a public-relations nightmare in his bid for re-election: a TV ad campaign produced by the same strategist whose “Willie Horton” commercial spoiled Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential hopes. Floyd Brown, author and president of the Western Center for Journalism, created the infamous “Willie Horton” commercial accusing then-Massachusetts [...]... - Government rebuked over global warming nursery rhyme adverts
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the adverts – which were based on the children’s poems Jack and Jill and Rub-A-Dub-Dub – made exaggerated claims about the threat to Britain from global warming. In definitely asserting that climate change would cause flooding and drought the adverts went beyond mainstream scientific consensus, the watchdog said. It noted [...]...
- HUD Secretary Donovan on the Importance of Broadband to Housing14 March 2010, 11:47 am
Like highways in the 20th century If you’re in your feed reader, you may need to visit the site to see the below video. Imagine my utter delight to see the housing policy and tech policy worlds collide this week when HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan…... - Imagine There Was No Government (Apologies to John Lennon)14 March 2010, 8:11 am
OK. In the spirit of fellow AG columnist Fred Glick, this will be a short one. It seems from my last post (and I may be wrong) that there are a lot of people who think that the best type of Government is No Government…... - Should Minimum Home Sizes Be Illegal?9 March 2010, 11:40 am
We live in a consumption based society. We want it all, and we want it bigger, better, and faster that those who came before us. Whether you consider it the “American Dream” or simply “keeping up with the neighbors’”, new home sizes have more than…... - Dear Mr. President, I Can Rescue the Economy!7 March 2010, 7:02 pm
I have an answer the foreclosure crisis and a way to turn around the economy at the same time. First, an outline of the problem: The old way of doing things with foreclosures have not changed. That’s the problem. After a property is foreclosed, the…... - Consumers Are Not Getting Enough Credit in Today’s Market7 March 2010, 11:53 am
Between oversupply, bank failures and countless other reasons we all have our opinions as to the problems of today’s housing market. We’re also aware of challenging issues in the credit market but have we really considered the cost? It’s not just a little consumer and…...
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