What We Can All Learn From Halloween - 10/30/10 04:20 PM
First, a very short history.
You probably already know that Halloween began as a pagan holiday. It was called Samhain (prounounced sah-win) and it marked the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter. In the earth-based religions, November 1 marks the beginning of the Wheel of the Year, so this is actually a new year's celebration.
Samhain was a time to give thanks for the bounty of the harvest, to pray for strength in getting through the coming winter, and to “let go.”
It was also a time when pagans believed the veil between earth and the spirit world … (8 comments)

How to Create Blog Posts and Marketing Materials People Will Read - 10/28/10 04:28 PM
We see a lot of comments or posts here on Active Rain asking “Why doesn’t anyone comment on my posts?”
There are many reasons.
Poor timing could be one – the writer posts at a time of day when few people are browsing. Boring titles could be another – they simply don’t attract attention. Forgetting to join groups could be another.
But in many cases, the reason is that the writer either rambles on or forgets about visual formatting.
How it looks does matter!
One of the “rules” of copywriting is that no paragraph should be more … (15 comments)

This Entrepreneur Was a Genius! - 10/23/10 06:02 PM
After noticing the ad on TV a few times, this morning I decided to see what www.beezid.com was all about.
You may have seen it - they shout about getting brand new merchandise for pennies on the dollar. I thought that sounded pretty unlikely. The old "if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't true." 
If you haven't been there to check it out yourself, here's what I found:
Yes, you really can buy things like $1,000 big screen TV sets for $40 - and $100 Target gift cards for $8.
BUT... the people who are behind that website … (16 comments)

Did the Law of Attraction Cause This? - 10/22/10 01:07 AM
The Law of Attraction fascinates me.
Until about ten years ago I was aware of its negative effects - although I'd never heard the phrase "law of attraction." I just knew that people who focused on illness and hard luck always got more of it.
As a result, I grew up learning nothing about any kind of disease because I firmly believed that thinking about them caused them to appear.
I also observed people around me who were always poor. But I attributed that to prefering unemployment to work and to not taking care of the things they owned.
Now I'm … (21 comments)

Bank of America Will Resume Foreclosures in 23 States - 10/21/10 04:37 PM
In addition to the news Carla brings us below... I just read that Fannie Mae is telling loan servicers to "stop unnecessarily delaying foreclosures." They want this done, and they want it done now!
In e-mails to short sale specialists, Wells Fargo stated that extensions of foreclosures will only be honored if they were granted on or before September 14.This is in response to the Fannie Mae edict.
I'd say this is bad news for homeowners who have been trying to short sell... and whose transactions have been unnecessarily delayed by the loan servicers.
The hidden agenda is that they want … (3 comments)

No Wonder Countrywide Went Under - 10/20/10 03:33 AM
A few days ago Angelo R. Mozilo, founder and former CEO of Countrywide Financial, agreed to pay a $67.5 million settlement in a civil fraud case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Why? Because the emails he exchanged with other Countrywide executives proved that he knew the loans they were making were toxic and he hid the risks from investors. On top of that, he was using “insider trading” to amass an extra $140 million in profits for himself between November 2006 and October 2007.
It’s sad that the company he and a (now deceased) partner built from nothing to … (12 comments)

Protecting Yourself From Mortgage Fraud - 10/19/10 04:13 PM
It's a shame that fraud is so rampant in our society, but since it is, the only thing we as consumers can do is be very careful about signing documents.
Had home buyers understood the paperwork when they purchased their homes, the whole mortgage meltdown might have been avoided. Now they need to consult with an attorney before signing yet another damaging contract.
Thanks to Maria for brining us this video...
Via Maria Marriott, Mortgage Advisor 916.606.0349 - MySacramentoMortgage.com (Executive Mortgage, a branch of First Priority Financial Inc):
Protecting Yourself From Mortgage Fraud
According to the FBI, mortgage fraud is still on the … (2 comments)

Should you Pay a Little More for a Non-Distressed Home? - 10/19/10 02:53 AM
I believe the answer is yes.
Buyers across the U.S. have been lured by the promise of low, low prices on foreclosed homes. They’re told that the banks really don’t want to keep these houses in inventory and they can get them for “cents on the dollar.”
To begin with, that’s not entirely true.
The presence of foreclosures has lowered prices across the board, so in most cases, foreclosed homes aren’t significantly lower priced than non-distressed homes.
But there’s something else that home buyers should be aware of. Foreclosed homes are often in poor condition and therefore worth far less than … (26 comments)

Another Marketing Copy/Blog Entry Word Usage Glitch - 10/18/10 03:36 PM
I've written about word usage glitches before, but a new one has been jumping out at me, so I have to mention it.
Lately I've been seeing more and more agents here on AR - and on their websites - who either get "lose" and "loose" mixed up or who forget to proofread their work before sending it out.
I'm sure everyone knows the difference. But just in case...
"Lose" refers to something you've lost. You lose the deal. You lose your car keys. You lose your patience dealing with agents who don't present your offers in a timely fashion.
"Loose" … (13 comments)

Vintage Ads: Thank Goodness We Do Not See These Anymore (except this blog entry)! - 10/18/10 01:16 PM
I sure wouldn't want to go back to those days, but do think it's fun to look back at what seemed normal to us just a few years ago.
I wonder which of today's ads will be totally not PC twenty years from now?
 
Via Colleen Lane (The Lane Real Estate Team):
These are too funny! As real estate agents, if we so much as give any hint of bias in our advertising we are doomed.
My favorite is the Chesterfield ad. Never considered gift wrapping cigarettes as Christmas presents before now. Hmm, maybe a closing gift, eh! Enjoy these...

… (6 comments)

Are the Borrowers to Blame for The Glut of Foreclosures? - 10/17/10 06:57 PM
The crisis caused by millions of foreclosures has caused enough finger-pointing to last most of us a lifetime, and despite it all, there is no one “culprit” that can be blamed for everything that happened.
I’ve seen enough diverse opinions here on Active Rain to fill a book or three.
Some blame the loan originators, some the appraisers, some the Real estate agents, some the government, some the banks. Others blame the homebuyers for the foreclosures – saying that people shouldn’t have purchased homes knowing that they couldn’t pay the payments.
I for one don’t think a whole lot of those … (5 comments)

Communicating With Clients - Just a Thought - 10/15/10 02:42 PM
Sometimes I wonder about my mind. I'm not even an agent any more, but I woke up the other morning thinking about Active Rain discussions.
Several discussions lately have touched on the problem of clients being upset when they can't reach you, clients calling in the middle of the night, etc.
My thought was "Why not make it both easy and clear for them?"
Why not send each of your clients an email and ask them to keep it handy for easy contact information. (If your clients don't use email, give them the same information in a hard copy.)
In that … (53 comments)

Make a Marketing Splash This Halloween - 10/14/10 02:50 PM
You know that part of marketing is just being noticed - so why not plan ahead and do something for Halloween that will get you noticed?
Wear a costume to work. If you don't have the nerve to wear a whole costume, paint your hair hot pink for the day. Or just dress up in the clothes you wear while pursuing a favorite hobby. Baseball uniform, anyone? How about the clothes you wear when competing in a horse show - or a dance contest?
Dress up and go door to door in your farm area handing out tiny pumpkins - or … (9 comments)

Include this in your marketing materials... - 10/13/10 05:18 PM
Most agent websites are missing something that I believe is important to convey to listing prospects: Assurance that you "play well with others."
You can't say it in quite in that manner, of course. (Well... maybe we should think about that? Maybe you can.)
Anyway... Just reading a few posts a day tells you that agents who don't play well with others are hurting their clients.
Failing to return phone calls and refusing to work with agents who are trying to schedule showings are just two of the ways that listing agents destroy their client's chances of selling their homes.
Another … (15 comments)

Some Provisions of the CARD Act Are Not What they Seem - Beware - 10/10/10 07:03 PM
Along with writing for real estate professionals, I write blog posts for a credit report site - so almost every day finds me reading the latest news on mortgages, credit scoring, credit cards, etc.
What I read today was a shocker, because it appears to be completely different from what we've been led to believe.
The final provisions of the CARD Act went into effect on August 22. One of those provisons is that credit card issuers may not raise the interest rate on your existing balance unless you're 60 days late with a payment, or unless you had a promotional … (6 comments)

I rescued a human today - 10/09/10 07:11 PM
As one who has been rescued more than once, this poem brought tears to my eyes.
If your life is lacking in unconditional love, or companionship, or acceptance without conditions, visit your local animal shelter today, and allow yourself to be rescued...

Via Kristin Johnston,Realtor,Waukesha County WI Real Estate (Remax Realty Center 414-254-6647):
A fellow animal loving friend of mine forwarded this to me...I have seen it before but it really is so good, I know you will enjoy it too :-) I rescued a human today This is so true ............ I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY Her eyes met mine … (6 comments)

Does your "Web Guy" Dictate Your Presentation? - 10/09/10 06:31 PM
A few months ago a friend and fellow copywriter called me in a panic. She needed help with "paring down" the web copy she had written for a real estate client.
Sometimes clients don't tell us copywriters the whole story - and this time her client had failed to tell her that his web designer insisted that his "about me" page be limited to 400 words.
Had she known, she could have decided what details to use before she started to write. But it still would have been difficult.
I had read her original copy. It was fantastic, because her … (2 comments)

Old-Fashioned Marketing Tactics for Today - 10/09/10 03:27 AM
Sometimes we get so caught up in all the gadgets and electronic communications that it's easy to forget about the simple tactics that slowly and steadily grew real estate businesses in the past.
Here are a couple that I learned from a Tommy Hopkins book at least 20 years ago:
Hand out 10 business cards every day.
Mr. Hopkins said that it didn't matter if you handed the card to someone you handed one to last week - just do it. If anyone asked why, you were to tell them that it was so they'd have an extra to give away … (15 comments)

Questions about Active Rain - 10/08/10 12:37 PM
Since I've only been active here for a few months, I'm still learning more about Active Rain every day, and it seems like the more I learn, the more questions I have.
But this morning's first question is just a puzzle and I wonder if anyone else has experienced the same thing.
For a long time, I haven't had to log in. I read the daily drip, click on a blog post and when I comment I find that I'm automatically logged in.
Last night I clicked on a post that had apparently been removed, but the pop up told me … (14 comments)

Toss the Trash, Polish What's Left - 10/06/10 07:23 PM
The challenge to write about something under my kitchen sink and then relate it to my business left me puzzled for all of about 45 seconds.
While I hadn't thought about it at all before, the things under my sink fit perfectly. Two in particular: The garbage disposal and the jar of silver polish.
As a writer, my method is to get it all out there on paper, then start editing.
Once the first draft is finished, the next step is to cut and slash - and toss anything that doesn't fit with the main idea or doesn't add … (8 comments)

Thinking of Quitting or Going Part-time? - 10/05/10 02:13 PM
It seems like I've seen a lot of posts lately from people who are questioning their career as real estate agents. Some just don't enjoy the business, and that's understandable. There are those who feel more secure with a regular paycheck, and those who just don't like dealing with the many hats you wear each day.
But what about the others? The ones who love real estate and want to stay in, but the market in their area is in such a turmoil that they aren't making enough money.
The first thing I'd say is that someone is always buying and … (2 comments)

Marketing Tips #6, What it takes to market YOU and YOU!!!!!! - 10/05/10 12:36 PM
Staying in touch with past clients is so important... And yet so many agents fail to do it.
I didn't do it either, when I first got into real estate, because no one pointed out the importance. It took me a few years to figure it out on my own.
There are 2 reasons to stay in touch. The first is repeat business, the second is referral business.
The sad truth is, sometimes people who liked you a lot and would like to use you again or refer you to others have lost your contact information. And, sometimes they've even … (4 comments)

The Eerie Quiet When the Power Goes Off - 10/04/10 11:54 AM
Have you ever noticed it? That eerie quiet when the power goes off and everything in the house stops humming?
Last night I woke up to a loud beeping noise. At first I thought it was morning and my husband had failed to shut the refrigerator door properly. It happens all the time with that "french door" refrigerator and since he's hard of hearing, he doesn't notice.
But I woke up and looked around and saw no light coming from anywhere. He can't be up and not have any lights on, can he?
Then I remembered. A planned power outage in … (6 comments)

How Do You Prospect - and How Often Do You Do It? - 10/03/10 07:54 PM
A study by Thomas publishing co reveals that 80% of all business comes from the 5th contact.
In other marketing studies, gurus say that it takes an average of 7 “touches” to convince a new prospect that it’s in their best interests to contact you. Those touches can be mail or e-mail, phone calls, or in-person visits.
And yet, other studies reveal that only 10% of sales people reach out to prospects more than 3 times.
Is it any wonder that so many sales people think that prospecting is a waste of time? If they send one or two letters … (11 comments)

Bank of America Now Delaying Foreclosures in 23 States - 10/02/10 04:02 PM
Yesterday I reported that  Bank of America had "nothing to say" about the fraud in foreclosure proceedings... but later in the day they joined JP Morgan Chase and GMAC in suspending foreclosures for 60 days.
Yahoo News has an eye-opening article about what's been happening in the banking industry - and just how far the practice of "sloppiness" in banking has gone.
The creepy part is that they seem to feel justified in being sloppy.
B of A says they will delay foreclosures in 23 states for 60 days to give them time to review all the paperwork. I think … (11 comments)

Will This Discovery of Lender Fraud Hurt or Help? - 10/01/10 05:32 PM
You've probably heard the news... JPMorgan Chase and GMAC financing have put a hold on foreclosures in 23 states because they've been caught using fraudulent procedures. For Chase, that amounts to about 56,000 loans. GMAC hasn't revealed a number.
In their hurry to complete foreclosures, they've been filing affadavits for summary judgment against homeowners without first reviewing the documents to verify the facts. They say they "just didn't have time" to do it right, because they had about 10,000 documents to sign each month.
Unfortunately for them, that's not a good enough excuse. Members of Congress can get away with signing … (10 comments)

 
Forar Rainmaker_large

Marte Cliff

Priest River, ID

More about me…

Marte Cliff Copywriting

Address: 1794 Blue Lake Road, Priest River, ID, 83856

Office Phone: (208) 448-1479

Email Me

Author Bio: Marte Cliff is a freelance copywriter who specializes in writing for the real estate profession.

Thoughts, ideas, insights, and tips on real estate copywriting and real estate marketing.
Locations of visitors to this page


Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog