Ok, I have contacted three sign post companies that I was told service Lewis county, more specifically Ashford. But, to no avail...the most recent was B & R Poles. No Luck...So does anyone know a post companny I can contact? Next Day will go out there for a elevated fee. I know there's someone covering that area because there are signs up there....AGH! Help!

Well another twist in the foreclosure market of late. For those of us specializing in this niche, it may seem like another item to deal with, yet another hoop full of fire and obstacles to negotiate. Is it not enough to spend hours a day, trying to get in touch with the financial institution? Then as the offers role in wait and wait and wait for seemingly my hair to grow thinner and grayer? Is this really necessary?

I say ABSOLUTELY!

We've already been through the washing machine with the whole prededtory lending fiasco that has homebuyers causious of everything, including the poor real estate agents (yeah, poor us). However, I belive this law coming into effect in Washington June 12th, labeled HB-2791, Distressed Property Law, will open opportunities for us to regain the level of integrity and respect our profession deserves. The amount of money we stand to aquire in this industry can be phenominal! Here's our chance to prove ourselves!

 This law requires us as agents to identify ourselves as a Distressed Home Consultant even if we are representing the buyers! now the NWMLS and Washington Realtors Assoc are trying to get the Attorney General to clarify and provide us with litrerature to supply our sellers, which will help re-enforce the fact that we are here to help. We, as agents, aren't, or shouldn't be there solely for ourselves. Especially in the foreclosure market. These people have probably been beaten up enough.

Here's what is written on WAR and NWMLS sites as to why this law has been entered:

     The Distressed Property Law was passed during the 2008 Legislative session and signed into law by the Governor on March 30 for the purpose of protecting vulnerable property owners from scam artists who seek to steal the property owner's equity. For example, assume a property owner has $100,000 in equity in their home but loses their job and cannot make their mortgage payments. The property owner does not want to sell because they will be unable to buy another home, or maybe even rent a desirable home, because of the poor credit they have acquired since losing their job. After the notice of foreclosure is filed in the public record, a buyer/scam artist approaches the property owner and offers to take over the property owner's payments in exchange for a quit claim deed to the property. The buyer/scam artist offers to let the property owner stay in the property on a rental basis until the property owner can buy back the property from the scam artist. In reality, the scam artist knows that property owner will not be able to make the rent payments and will never be able to afford to buy the house back. Eventually, the scam artist evicts the property owner, who is now just a tenant, and sells the house, pocketing property owner's $100,000 equity. The law was intended to stop that type of transaction.

YEA! I say!

I'd like to hear what everyone else has to say about this law, and if it is nationwide or just here in Washington state.

Here's a link to WAR's site and further explanation: (click here)

Thanks everyone!

So I'm a few days out of the Lead Generation class with Jack Miller, Coach Extrodinaire from Keller Williams, MAPS and I must say how ...whats the right word...inspiring, encouraging, exciting, overwhelming,? There are so many ways to describe it. For those of us a bit familiar with the Internet and what it can do for us, it was a snapshot in to generating leads in real estate, or specifically for me, the foreclosure market, in a new precise way, with how to track your clients, whether there in Washington or basically worldwide. It's a connection to agents we can interview and refer to nationwide, by actually getting to know them through real estate blogs, par-per-click advertising, keywords, meta tags etc.

So here's the tough part of the class, especially for those who are not in the know of real estate on the world wide web, knowing what the heck is all this stuff? Where to start? And what is a Meta Tag, really? How can I use Google Analytics to track my leads? How do I make everything better? I look back and say, alright, I'm in, I want to generate and drive my foreclosure and short sale clients to my website where they'll find the info want to get the help they so desperately need! Now what?

Don't get me wrong, Jack Miller is a phenomenal, teacher and interesting to listen too. Being in his class for a day and a half actually enticed me into considering his coaching program. He was available after class and actually went over our personal programs, briefly, for those who took advantage of his generosity. He offered up his website www.jackmillerconsulting.com(a little plug for himself, but very rarely did he plug himself, refreshing in our industry) as a tool and "how to guide" to setting up and maintaining our ILG (Internet Lead Gen.).

 In short, this class excited enough of us to put together a ILG accountability group, held in our office on a regular basis. We haven't met yet but the specifics are forth coming. I know for myself, it's an exciting time to be in real estate, having entered the biz during the "'05 craziness", know it's time for the cream to rise and really take a hold of some market share. I'll keep you posted! My site is in the works, as I'm not spending tons of $$ on it but rather taking what is given to us and maximizing it's potential. Give us a visit and watch our progress! http://www.thehubbardsrealty.com/

Thanks! Bobby