al maxwell: US Real Estate Services - Anybody use these guys?
- 02/27/08 01:17 AM
US Real Estate Services I heard about this company: US Real Estate Services...also called USRES from another agent. They request a BPO or BMA on REO properties. You complete the report and it's my understanding that if they like your work, you will get the listing. There are no promises...you do the report, which must include several exterior photos, and submit it the reviewers. You do not get paid for the work. You just have the chance to possibly get the listing. I'm curious if any of you have or currently use this service. Can you share with me your experiences, Good or bad,.... … (1 comments)
al maxwell: There's no second place in a listing competition
- 02/25/08 01:52 PM
In many sports events, the winner is applauded and given the Gold; second place gets the Silver and third gets the bronze. Even the losing team in the Super Bowl gets a HUGE ring and a bonus check for making it that far. When it comes to your listing presentation, you need to be buttoned up, because there is no second place prize. Your potential client may interview you, and several more agents in making their choice and sign your listing agreement on the dotted line. It's truly a "winner takes all" situation and you should approach it as such. Prepare, prepare and … (0 comments)
al maxwell: What are considered "Closing Costs" in Georgia
- 02/22/08 12:37 AM
With the new 2008 GAR Contract in force, you need to be aware of what constitutes closing costs. Of this list, the contract designates that the seller pays some of these and the buyer pays some of these.The list is long and as a seller, if you commit to a sum to contribute to the buyer, understand that any and all of the money can be used for the list below. Costs considered to be "closing costs. Georgia Transfer taxAll costs, fees and charges to have the closing attorney search title and prepare: The Warranty deedThe owner's affidavitBuyer's Power of Attorney All … (1 comments)
al maxwell: If at all possible, leave the young ones at home
- 02/13/08 11:35 PM
I primarily deal with families in the North Atlanta area. Many are relocating and some are just moving to a different part of the metro. For the families with young children, I encourage the parents to try and have a sitter or family member to watch the kids while they are out looking for a home. Now I know what you're thinking - that I'm doing this for my own benefit of not wanting the deal with kids. The truth of the matter is, I love kids. I have three of my own and really enjoy them very much. Sometimes the kids … (6 comments)
al maxwell: See how your website is doing versus the other guys!
- 02/12/08 07:28 AM
There are several sites that allow you to compare the activity on your website versus other companies. One is www.compete.com amd the other one is www.alexa.com. They both allow you to type in several websites and get a line graph comparison of the number of page views, hits, etc. You can change the time frame, the style of the graph, and the display parameters. Both are also FREE...check it out.. … (7 comments)
al maxwell: Do you say upfront that your home has POWER LINES in the back?
- 02/11/08 08:30 AM
I was looking at a listing that my buyer wants to go see. In the listing the agent says.."Yes, we have the large power lines in the back yard." I was very grateful that she was willing to admit this up front. It saved me a showing, because I know that the buyers don't want large power lines. If you say upfront that you have power lines, or a steep driveway, or LP siding, etc., etc. is it better for all involved. Or perhaps it's better to let them discover this on their own. I would think that it might reduce the number of … (5 comments)
al maxwell: Do you have an I-Phone?
- 02/11/08 05:15 AM
I have a family member who really wants an I-Phone. I have read several reviews on line and the feedback is very mixed. Some say it needs improvements and others say that they could not live wirthout it. Because this is such a great community, I'm curious if any of you have one and what you think. I will be glad to accept negative or positive comments. Either is fine. I know that you are very busy and I appreciate your time with some feedback... Thanks!!! … (1 comments)
al maxwell: Save money when you fly - get the lowest fares
- 02/10/08 04:05 AM
Now there's a website that will help you get the best prices for airline tickets. Even if you have already bought the tickets, they will monitor the fares and alert you if there's a price drop. When prices drop, they help you a get a voucher for a refund from the airlines.
Also, if there is a specific destination that you want to travel to, they will watch the fares and alert you when there's a great deal available. It's been written up by Time, The Wall Street Journal and Travel and Leisure magazine...
Here's the site: http://www.yapta.com/ … (1 comments)
al maxwell: Trade in those gift cards for cash or other stuff!
- 02/10/08 03:58 AM
If you are like many people, you have probably received at least one GIFT CARD in the past year from a friend or relative. They are increasingly more popular and every retailer sells them. But let's say that you don't realy shop at the retalier on the card. Maybe you would like to get cash for it, or maybe something else. Well now there' a place for this: SWAP A GIFT! swapagift.com You can get cash, Exchange it for Visa, donate to charity or sell it to someone else. Check it out..pretty neat concept!! … (0 comments)
al maxwell: Save on Gas with Mapquest Gas Saver
- 02/09/08 12:24 AM
Since we all spend a lot of money on gas these days, Mapquest has come to the rescue. They now show the different gas prices in your area, and rank them by lowest to highest. You can plug in your address or zip code, and many of the gas stations will pop up and show you where you can save a penny or two. But hey, a few cents here and there adds up after a a while. Here is an example: Mapquest Gas Prices
To check your area, go to Mapquest and click the ICON in the upper right hand corner. Hope … (4 comments)
al maxwell: Getting into more REO business
- 02/07/08 11:49 PM
Does anyone know a contact at Bank of America in the REO department? I was talking to an attorney yesterday who specializes in REO sales, and it seems like a good time to pursue this side of our business. She recommended going to REOMAC.COM, which is an interesting site that you may want to look at if you would like more REO listings. There is a cost and you do have to have some REO experience. So it's back to another catch 22. As mentioned above, I'm looking for contact info at Bank of America specifically. I have heard that their REO dept … (10 comments)
al maxwell: Will 2008 be your best year EVER?
- 02/07/08 11:43 PM
We had our annual kick-off conference for Coldwell Banker Atlanta yesterday at the Georgia Aquarium. What a great place to have a large meeting. I would guess that over 1,000 people were there. The point of this post is to share with you that MANY AGENTS HAD THEIR BEST YEAR EVER LAST YEAR...Yep, EVER! While we know it was hard for many, some people beat beat all of their previous numbers, and I'm not just talking about rookies or new agents. Some have been in the business for a long time. So, be aware that having a good year is possible. Making 2008 … (2 comments)
al maxwell: Keeping track of passwords
- 02/05/08 06:43 AM
It gets increasingly harder to keep track of passwords. If you are like most people, you have a single "favorite word" that you use as your generic password and it's the one you use all (or most) of the time. Then, when it expires, maybe you just add a number to the end. Say for example that your "favorite word" is SELLHOME. That becomes your password that you "default" to and use over and over for your many web stops. Then when they require that you change it! Gadzooks! You simply change it to SELLHOME1. On the next change, you make it SELLHOME2, … (9 comments)
al maxwell: When will we hit 100,000 members?
- 02/04/08 12:03 AM
We are on the verge of hitting 70,000 Active Rain members. That is huge. When I joined last summer it was half of that. I know that many of you will make comments when we hit 100,000 members, because you comment alot when you hit 100,000 POINTS! So here's my challenge...when do you think we will hit 100,000 members? I predict that we will be at 100,00 members on May 1st, 2008. (I was going to say April 1st, but then you'd think I was fooling) Do you want to make a prediction. Just say WHAT DATE THAT YOU THINK WE'LL HIT 100,000... … (1 comments)
al maxwell: David Copperfield wouldn't make it in real estate
- 02/02/08 04:41 AM
I was talking to a friend of mine who is thinking of moving back to the Atlanta area. In the discussion about getting a Realtor in his home state, he said.."You know the last agent we had was so impressive in her presentation. Very professional and buttoned up. Then after she listed our home, WE HARDLY EVER HEARD FROM HER!" It hurts me deeply when I hear these kind of stories. This type of business conduct is just not acceptable. Part of our overall responsibility is as agents is...COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE. I know that this can be hard, especially when there's not much to report. … (9 comments)
al maxwell: Watch out for flaming beds!
- 01/29/08 01:19 AM
Robert Fulghum, author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, also wrote THE BED WAS ON FIRE WHEN I LAID DOWN ON IT. So the story goes, a fire department was called to a woman's home who claimed that her bed was ablaze. When asked how the bed caught on fire, she said, "I think that the bed was already on fire when I laid down on it." I think that this is a great analogy for realtors. How often do we go ahead and take that listing that just didn't feel right, or work with that buyer that we … (3 comments)
al maxwell: Is the silence deafening?
- 01/29/08 12:05 AM
I called a Realtor friend of mine, who works for another broker last week, around 3:00 in the afternoon. He answered, said hello and told me that he was glad that his phone was working. I said, "What?" and he said that I was the first incoming call that he had gotten all day. The truth of the matter is, don't just wait for the phone to ring and don't PLOM (Po' little old me) sitting around with other Realtors talking about how bad it is out there! You're on ACTIVE RAIN, so be ACTIVE and make some RAIN! You really do know … (4 comments)
al maxwell: Be Wary of GUARANTEED HOME SALES
- 01/24/08 12:12 AM
You may have seen the ads..."IF I CAN'T SELL YOUR HOME, I'LL BUY IT!" It sounds like a great offer and certainly worth checking out, right? Well, most ads that sound TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, usually are. This sell line is used to get their foot into the door (and your living room) and then lay out the many strings that are attached to this. Here's a basic scenario and rules for this program: 1. YOU MUST BUY ONE OF THE AGENTS OTHER LISTINGS: Odds are you probably won't want to buy one of his/her litsings. Most agents carry 3-12 listings. … (5 comments)
al maxwell: The attraction of "Foreclosure"
- 01/23/08 11:51 PM
I'm amazed, well not really, that people think that Foreclosures are the way to go. The media makes one think that there are incredible pristene mansions available for pennies on the dollar. The homes are just sitting there, waiting for a new owner to take over the payments. Most don't realize the difference in buying a home PRE or POST foreclosure. It's like the difference in baseball and basketball. Both sports use balls, and that's about the only similarity. PRE foreclosre means that you will bid on the property at the courthouse steps. You must show up early in the morning and wait … (2 comments)
al maxwell: Balancing too much follow up with not enough
- 01/22/08 07:32 AM
One thing that I have learned about this business is that people only move as quickly as they want to. It was hard for me to adjust to the fact that some like to take months, or even years when buying a home. Then there are others who want to have "action" as soon as humanly possible. I attempt to get their feedback regarding their time frame to buy or sell, but I've found that sometimes humans do not know their own needs and/or desires. I think that we have all lost a client along the way, because they felt like we did … (5 comments)
Marietta,Vinings,Roswell,Atlanta,Kennesaw,Sandy Springs,East Cobb, Cobb County,Real Estate,Realtor,new home,new homes,new construction,property, Walton High School,Al Maxwell,Pope High School,Lassiter High School, Real Estate,Marietta Realtor,Marietta Homes,Marietta House,Marietta Schools,Marietta new homes,Marietta New construction,Marietta property,East Cobb Real Estate,East Cobb Realtor,East Cobb Homes,East Cobb House,East Cobb Schools,East Cobb new homes,East Cobb New construction,East Cobb property,,Cobb County Real Estate,Cobb County Realtor,Cobb County Homes,Cobb County House,Cobb County Schools,Cobb County new homes,Cobb County New construction,Cobb County property,Atlanta Realtor,Atlanta Real estate,Atlanta homes,Atlanta houses,Best Atlanta Realtor,Best Atlanta real estate agents,top georgia realtors,top atlanta agents
US Real Estate Services
;)
;)
