Greg's Blog - Archives May, 2008

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Streamwood Area Market Report - 05/29/08 08:42 AM

Are you buying, selling, or just curious about the real estate market? Check out my weekly market report on the local housing market. Don't make the mistake of not understanding market conditions when buying or selling a home. Take a look and the report for the current market and start understanding … (2 comments)

Schaumburg Market Report - 05/29/08 08:40 AM

Palatine Market Report - 05/29/08 08:39 AM

Hoffman Estates Area Market Reportv - 05/29/08 08:37 AM

Hanover Park Area Market Survey - 05/29/08 08:25 AM

Elk Grove Village Area Market Survey - 05/29/08 08:23 AM

Deerfield Market Report - 05/29/08 08:22 AM

Barrington Market Report - 05/29/08 08:14 AM

Barlett Market Report - 05/29/08 08:11 AM

Arlington Heights Market Report - 05/29/08 08:08 AM

Showing Feedback - 05/21/08 08:39 AM

If you have a few listings, one of the things that you really should do is to keep in constant contact with your clients. I've been able to find a few internet sites that will do a lot of the work for you. From scheduling, feedback collection, and providing the listing … (5 comments)

Buying More Leads - 05/21/08 08:35 AM

I had a conversation with a loan originator yesterday. We discussed a few marketing ideas. He did have a good suggestion for me in order to get more leads. He suggested that I take a look at buying internet leads. He said that he had some luck with a few of … (2 comments)

Finally A Few Days Off - 05/20/08 08:09 AM

As a mortgage loan originator, its really important to take some time off. I finally am taking Thursday, Friday, and Monday off. I plan on having time to myself. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy cold calling, putting up signs, and finding new clients. What do I plan on doing? Well … (4 comments)

Tire Kickers - 05/20/08 08:03 AM

Having worked in the mortgage area now, I'm starting to pick up the lingo. I've heard the expression "tire kickers". Those are people who are out shopping for a great deal but don't really have any intention of buying. Yesteday, I had a "tire kicker" call me. He nailed me down … (1 comments)

What Kind Of Agent Are You? - 05/20/08 08:00 AM

Yesterday, I was playing my tennis partner of about 3 years. We are very competitive and hit the ball really hard. Both of us are advanced players. He played through high school, college, and not to mention many tennis lessons. He usually beats me but that's not important for me now, its … (1 comments)

What Do You Think Of Foreclosures? - 05/19/08 08:32 AM

I had a client call me and ask me what I thought of foreclosures. I don't want to seem jaded or anything, but I told him foreclosures are difficult to work with. I told him that he should be willing to wait anywhere from 1 month up to 4 months in … (2 comments)

The Magic Mass Mailer - 05/19/08 08:24 AM

Since I've been in this industry, I've seen so many ads for "secret" or "magic" marketing techniques. The latest one I've seen is a "magic letter". Some guy had a video online where he produced a spreadsheet of his mortgage pipeline and he netted over $70K. He then offered to sell he … (7 comments)

The Classic Bait And Switch in Mortgages - 05/19/08 08:18 AM

Since I've been working with mortgages, the one thing that a lot of other agents will do is to pull the old bait and switch. They offer these low ball quotes and at the closing table, the client gets surprised by another rate. None of these guys can give an accurate quote … (4 comments)

What Really Happens When You Really Run Someone's Credit - 05/18/08 05:20 PM

Whenever you are going to apply for a loan, one of the things that has to happen is that your credit gets checked by the 3 major reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Whenever someone runs anyone's credit, it creates something called a Trigger Lead. The borrower's information is sold as … (4 comments)

I'm Looking For An Investment/Vacation Condo in Hollywood or Plantation - 05/18/08 05:11 PM

I've decided to purchase a vacation condo in Florida so I wanted to start the search for a realtor that works with foreclosures in the Plantation or Hollywood area. I just need a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit at a great price. I'm looking to probably rent the unit out and only … (3 comments)

How Sweet It Is.. Mortgages and Real Estate - 05/13/08 08:29 AM

Today I finally see that my application has went from a pending status to an active status for the loan originator. YES! Finally, they finished the background checks, finger printing, exam scores are all finished. Seeing my information listed on the web site is so exciting. I'm giving advice to people … (4 comments)

Multiple Marketing Campaigns - 05/13/08 08:23 AM

I've started a few marketing campaigns that I've recently started. I finally received my new business cards for real estate and mortgages. Now that I can double market both jobs, I should be able to attract more business in the future. One of my marketing campaigns is buying leads from a … (7 comments)

A Listing, A Seller, and A Loan - 05/12/08 10:27 AM

Last week I wrote an offer on a property that I was listing. I also did a pre-approval for the loan. So not only did I have to do the dual disclosure for the property, but also a disclosure for the loan. What are the odds of having a client off … (3 comments)

Tool To Compare School Districts in Chicagoland - 05/12/08 09:33 AM

A nice tool for comparing school districts. The Daily Herald has produced a chart of the different school districts. It shows the percentage of graduating high school seniors who are academically prepared to succeed in first year college courses. The info is listed by county, so it makes it easy to … (0 comments)

Comparing Chicago School Districts - 05/12/08 09:31 AM

A lot of my clients are always asking about school districts. I was very happy to see a tool for them to use in the Chicagoland area. The Daily Herald has produced a chart of the different school districts. It shows the percentage of graduating high school seniors who are academically … (1 comments)

Click Smart Call From Rep - 05/12/08 08:47 AM

I got a call from someone from Click Smart the other day. I had posted an article about how I found the service to be not worth while. I've never been contacted by a representative from a company before. So I had to ask myself, why would he be so concerned … (3 comments)

Why Are Doing Loans Easier Than Selling Homes? - 05/12/08 08:26 AM

Since I've been doing loans, it seems a lot easier to do than trying to sell a house. Selling a house or finding a home is a long process. Selling a loan is paperwork. I hope that the loans will lead to more real estate work for me in the future. … (1 comments)

Why Do I Hate Cold Calling? - 05/12/08 08:20 AM

I've tried cold calling and it seems like a lot of hard work along with a lot of wasted time. The number one reply I get is... "Could you take me off your calling list!" I shouldn't say I hate calling people, I just prefer not to do cold calls. So … (8 comments)

Purchased Leads... Another Try - 05/12/08 08:17 AM

I finally found a company worth dealing with in the Illinois area. This company is unlike the other lead companies wanting a large amount of money up front. This company requires only $500 to start. They promise you will close and you don't pay anything else until you do close. From … (7 comments)

Another Successful "Marketing" Party - 05/12/08 08:14 AM

Well my barbaque is over. It was a great day for having everyone outside. I ended up spending around $200 for food and misc items. I had a grand total of 30 people show up. My party start with the first guest arriving at 12pm and ended when the last guest … (1 comments)

The Deal That Wasn't A Deal - 05/07/08 09:53 AM

I was talking to friend a few weeks ago and he told me how bumbed he was about a house that was on the market that was already under contract. I told him that the contract could fall through and he should watch for it. Something was telling me the deal … (6 comments)

Listing Rentals - 05/06/08 09:32 PM

I was contacted by a client to list his townhome for rent for about $1500. I was wondering what agent usually charge for this type of service. I've heard people charge 1 months rent. So i'm thinking thats a good place to start for now. But I would love to hear … (6 comments)

Good News For Existing Home Owners - 05/06/08 02:21 PM

The Schaumburg area has seen a lot of changes in the last couple of years. As a result, property taxes have risen. The cost of keeping a house can be pretty expensive. Home owners can refinance now and lower their monthly payments. If you're interested in lowering your payments, please fill … (0 comments)

Is Refinancing Right For YOU? - 05/06/08 02:07 PM

If you live in the Illinois area and are considering refinancing but aren't sure if its worth the trouble, then please allow me to offer my services. I will let you know right away if you should refinance and why. Furthermore, I'm confident that you will be completely happy with making … (0 comments)

Comparing School Districts - 05/06/08 03:03 AM

A lot of my clients have questions about school districts in the suburbs of Chicago. Well now there's a nice place that I can point them to to view information about graduating students and other statistics. There a really nice tool out that compares suburban school districts. The website is below. … (3 comments)

Friend of 8 Years Uses Another Realtor - 05/05/08 09:52 AM

I have a friend that I've been sending listings to for about 4 months now. He's getting married and looking for a place in the $200,000 price range. Anyway, he called me this weekend and left me a message. He said that his fiance/future wife has decided to go with a … (16 comments)

Winning At The Marketing Word Game - 05/05/08 09:20 AM

A co-worker introduced me to a system of winning words to use in my marketing. I now have the list memorized. Its basically word phrases you should use when interacting with clients. These words help to get the client confidence and hopefully help you get the job. I wanted to share … (7 comments)

Lots Of Open Houses This Weekend - 05/05/08 09:09 AM

While I was out this weekend, I noticed a large number of open houses in the Northwestern suburbs. The weather is finally nice out, but it still has some strange swings between cold and hot. Hopefully with the pickup in weather, the real estate business will pickup in my area. I … (1 comments)

My Marketing Barbaque May 10th - 05/05/08 08:36 AM

Well its almost here. My party/marketing barbaque at my house this weekend. I'm excited to have friends and clients come over. Everyone will know for sure that I do mortgages and real estate. So if they didn't know it before, they will at the party.
I'm just going to pull out … (5 comments)

My Free Trial of Purchased Leads - 05/05/08 08:30 AM

I decided to try some new marketing. So I decided to purchase some leads. The company I used had a free 2 day trial. I was very excited about the idea of having customers already screened for me. The first day, I ended up getting 4 prospects. I was very happy … (8 comments)

My First Loan.. Realtor/LO - 05/05/08 08:20 AM

Well after taking the Loan Originator test 2 weeks ago, I snagged my first loan. It is a refi for a neighbor. He said that he had been approached by a lot of different people but he never accepted. He loved my sales pitch once I took the time to explain … (0 comments)

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