Our choice of words in conversations does matter. Word selection becomes increasingly relevant as we present our views on-line in blogs and other forms of social media.
From the post, words to avoid include:
As well as
And/or
Value added
Net-net
Out of pocket
We might all agree that certain words, terms, and phrases, including those cited above, have been overused to the point of invoking a certain feeling of doubt or distrust when we hear them. Simply said: the words we choose are determinants of real emotions felt be others based on their personal experiences. For example, I've learned to question the motives of anyone who offers a product or service for free, but then adds the words: a $ _ _ _ value. Do you agree?
There are other words whose meanings have been diluted by overuse that aren't included on the list. The expression "Paradigm Shift" has been overused to the point of being ridiculous, as has"price point."
Why not say that something costs $ _ _ _ ? It's less stuffy and more direct than saying that it has a price point of $ _ _ _.
"Consultant" is another word that's been abused through overuse. By definition, a consultant is guaranteed a fee, not a commission, for rendering advise or judgment. The vast majority of self-proclaimed consultants are in fact salespeople.
Is that so bad?
I'm thinking that "social media strategy" and "google juice" are "on the path" (another overused expression) to becoming inappropriate due to excessive use. Can you think of any other words that should be avoided because they've been spoken or written to the point of making others uncomfortable?
The Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce and Jos. A. Bank are co-hosting a "Dress for Success" seminar.
Place: Jos. A. Bank, 850 Kenilworth Drive (The Shops at Kenilworth) Towson, MD 21204
Date: March 13, 2009
Time: 7:30am - 9:30am
If you haven't attended one of these seminars, it's time you did. Dress in the workplace has become increasingly important as a competitive edge in uncertain times.
Let me know if you want to attend, if you would like schedule a seminar for your company, or if you want to discuss your professional wardrobe.
Last night, my son and I drove to the Conowingo Dam located just above Havre de Grace, the Maryland town in which we live. We were greeted by a crowd that included news teams and other curiosity seekers.
Storms in New York state have swelled the Susquehanna River to flood levels forcing authorities to open the flood gates at the dam.
I happen to live near the imaginary line where the river converges with the Chesapeake Bay. The river continues to rage this morning while water levels appear to climb slowly.
Havre de Grace is in no immediate danger, but I understand that a small town on the opposite shore, Port Deposit, has flooded.
I plan on contributing a significant number of short posts featuring links to facts and opinions about mortgage fraud, foreclosure statistics, the housing meltdown, etc. that you won't find aggregated in any other place. BusinessWeek had an article last week that bashed the Clinton administration for abusing public policy, visa vie HUD, to intentionally inflate domestic housing statistics.
It's an interesting perspective when you think about it. We know that the housing mess had it ugly origins in the mid 1990's. It's also safe to assume that failed public policy somehow initiated the mad rush to make every American a homeowner regardless of qualification or sustainability.
The article offers a plausible explanation that's not easy to discredit.
The photos on the sideboard were taken at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, located north of Tucson, where I spent several wonderful days this past week.
I was invited by my new friends at TitleServ National to give a presentation on leveraging the power of relationships. It was a great opportunity and a great time.
The use of photos in my blogging efforts is a new direction for me. I've noticed that Tom Peters does it and decided to experiment with the concept on Title-opoly. I'm thinking that photos from my travels might personalize the site making it more interesting for readers. We shall see!
I heard from Lola Audu, my friend from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who shared the link to her exciting new Squidoo Lens. Great job Lola! I hope that everyone is taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities offered by Squidoo. I'm assuming that Seth's newest project Mayor of your zip code is common knowledge to all of you. It's a powerful tool designed specifically for real estate agents.
Last week, I posted about title theft, an obviously growing category of crime that often targets the elderly. Long story short, fraudsters take title to vacant properties using forged deeds. The properties are then quickly resold or stripped of equity visa vie mortgages originated using falsified identity documents.
The reported cases are becoming to numerous to list, but a scenario presented in NapaValleyRegister.com serves as a representative example.
John and Anita Greerty used stolen identification documents to, in turn, steal the title to an 11 acre tract in California's lush and pricey wine country.
After entering into three separate sales agreements with legitimate buyers, the criminally motivated duo was able to successfully close on two of the deals before the scheme was revealed. Their take was roughly $745,000.
Scott Perry has been doing a tremendous job explaining the nexus between automated land records and the startling rise in crime statistics relating to real estate fraud that requires identity theft. Pay close attention to his message. Scott knows what he's talking about.
I've received and accepted a kind invitation from Gene Wunderlich to join a new group with an emphasis on mortgage fraud and real estate crimes that prey upon the elderly. I hope you'll consider joining Mortgage, Foreclosure & Elder Abuse Housing Fraud as well.
I have access to a lot of information that will be made available to the group as time permits.
Finally, this week will find me poking around Active Rain quite a bit. I'll be hosting the Mortgage Week in Review which is of course the brain-child of our very own FHA expert, Jeff Belonger.
I spent the day fine tuning my talking points for a presentation that I'm giving in Tuscon next week. For the first time, I've decided to include fraudulent deed transfers to the ever growing categories of real estate fraud that I discuss with audiences.
The decision was based on information gathered from three different sources that I encountered this past week.
First, I received an e-mail from Dave Wirsching containing a link to a Philadelphia Daily News article portraying title theft as a minor epidemic in the City of Brotherly Love.
An alarming "122 stolen properties" were reported in Philly in 2006 and it's believed that many cases go unreported. Local authorities are concerned about having adequate staffing to handle the investigations and convictions.
Finally, my research uncovered an online service launched by McHenry County, Illinois to alert homeowners if documents containing their names are submitted to county clerks for recordation. Subscriptions are available for $12.99 for one year or $29.99 for three years.
The elderly are particularly vulnerable to this heinous form of fraud when their homes sit vacant. Using quitclaim deeds and forged signatures, fraudsters transfer title to properties into another name. The stolen properties are then quickly resold (flipped) or mortgaged to strip the rightful owner of any equity.
It's interesting to note that a number of accused offenders in Philadelphia were stupid enough to use their own names.
Fraudulent deed transfers are something to think about if you have elderly parents or loved ones whose homes are sitting vacant for any reason. You might consider asking your title company to periodically verify title or do it yourself using online records.
All in all, it's a frightening and sophisticated type of criminal activity that's best prevented by legislation that promises tough prosecution and lengthy prison sentences for offenders and accomplices. Think about it: a notary has to be part of the scheme.
Needless to say, Fran dignified the title industry by commenting intelligently and honestly about a very complicated dilemma with far reaching implications.
I found this photo of Fran and myself taken roughly a year ago at the presentation where we met.
The Library of Congress has generously made a collection of 3,100 photos available on Flickr. Photos were selected that "have long been popular with visitors to the Library." Best of all, the photos have no known copyright restrictions and can be copied and distributed at will.
I spent several enjoyable hours viewing this remarkable photographic trek through history. My father, who died when I was a high school freshman, served on a Coast Guard transport during World War II. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my father sharing his wartime experiences in the South Pacific. A fair number of the photos in the collection are from those ominous times during the 1940's when brave Americans risked their lives to preserve the freedoms that we cherish. Others represent the face of rugged determination. Others are simple representations of everyday life like the one below of a car leaving Romney, WV.
Hopefully, some aspect of this priceless historical compilation will spark a memory of something special from your past. Enjoy!
The credit for the link provided in this post belongs to Joe Ferrara of the Sellsius blog.
I work with visual presentations almost every day. I'm always on the prowl for innovative ways to deliver messages effectively. GoldMail is a product that you need to look at closely if you want to communicate with authority.
The presentation below was crafted (from scratch) using the free version of GoldMail. I didn't upload a previously prepared Powerpoint file. It represents my first experiment with the product and took roughly 30 minutes to complete. I'm now a believer. The presentation can be emailed to clients or seamlessly added to web-sites or blogs. GoldMail is downloaded to your computer with a thorough tutorial making it possible to immediately start making powerful slide shows. Best of all, you get to add your own voice to the slide show and control the transition of images to coincide with your spoken message.GoldMail offers a remarkable opportunity to connect with others in a big way.
Make sure your computer's speakers are turned on.
GoldMail offers a professional package with enhanced features for $10 a month.
For now, I'm going to continue toying with the free version which seems a nearly perfect tool without any use restrictions or expiration date.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Posted by 
Place: Jos. A. Bank, 850 Kenilworth Drive (The Shops at Kenilworth) Towson, MD 21204
I heard from 
An alarming "122 stolen properties" were reported in Philly in 2006 and it's believed that many cases go unreported. Local authorities are concerned about having adequate staffing to handle the investigations and convictions.
;)
;)
