I've Learned My Lesson.... Generate Your Own Leads - 06/30/08 12:26 PM
Well finally I'm starting to see some activity from generating my own leads.  Instead of buying leads from companies and wasting my time, I'm finding out ways to get leads for myself.  There's nothing like going out there and doing it for yourself while saving money.  Some of the things that have been working for me in terms of generating leads are:  1)  Conducting Classes for 1st Time Buyers   2)  Giving A Quick Mortgage Q&A  3)  Using the phone to cold call. 
Seems simple enough and it is.  The more of a impression you can make on someone, the more likely … (3 comments)

HUD Registered Agents - 06/26/08 08:45 AM
A while back, I registered my office as a HUD agent.  Unfortunately, HUD homes, ie foreclosures, are the worse houses I've ever seen.  Not only are they usually in such bad shape, I'm usually afraid I'll fall through the floor and get hurt.  Does anyone out there work with HUD homes?  Are you having any kind of luck?
… (3 comments)

Any Alternatives To Zillow Home Valuation? - 06/26/08 08:41 AM
I was wondering if there were any other web sites out there that would give a more accurate valuation of a house value.  I've tried housevalues but of course the mls, but was just hoping someone could provide additional web sites just so that I have them available to me.  Let me know.  Thanks.
… (23 comments)

A Certified Letter Addressed To ME! - 06/26/08 08:37 AM
Well after a lot of complaints, the county has finally gotten around to sending a letter to my client to cut the yard.  They sent a certified letter and sent me a copy also.  So they're going to handle the yard maintainence and put a lein against the house if the home owner doesn't do the work himself. 
… (4 comments)

LegalZoom - 06/26/08 08:34 AM
I was taking a look at this web site and it looks pretty good.  The fact that you can cut out the attorney and not pay as much money is a great idea.  I already incorporated myself for free but if I wanted to do that, they also provide that service.  Have any other realtors/lo's tried out this service yet?
… (2 comments)

It Pays To Do Your Homework - 06/25/08 01:12 PM
I just had a homeowner return my phone call.  I didn't leave a message so she had no idea who I was.  I talked to her about her home that she wants to sell.  By doing my homework, I knew about the layout, number of bedrooms, baths, pools, ect.  So not only did I impress her with my knowledge of her property, i emphaised how close I was to her property.  I could walk to her house to do showings since she really didn't want anyone to know it was empty.  I'm pretty sure she was interested because she gave me … (2 comments)

1 In 50 Loan Apps Are Good - 06/25/08 09:12 AM
I've talked to other LO's and it seems that a lot of people are processing a lot of non qualified people.  For me personally, I have to go through about 50 loan apps just to find a qualified person.  Other people that are LO's have been talking about getting out of the business because the businesses are going belly up or it will soon.
… (4 comments)

My Investment Seminar - 06/25/08 09:07 AM
Last night I attended a seminar for investing in real estate.  I was thinking that I wouldn't learn anything but I was really surprised when I picked up some great tips when looking for an investment property.  While sitting in the seminar, I realized that I could have purchased one of the properties for my client and let them rent to own the property.  The very next slide on the screen was a property that I had showed my client and I had pushed him to get it.  It was listed for $140K but the presenter said he purchased it for … (3 comments)

Wow... 100,000 Mark On AR! - 06/24/08 11:44 AM
Yesterday was my birthday and today I'm surpassing the 100,000 mark on Active Rain.  This is really a good week for me.  I remember starting AR and not knowing how to do anything.  Now, I'm above the 100k mark.  I've only managed to snag 1 client from AR.  I knew real estate wasn't going to make me rich, so i'm at least I have realistic expectations.
… (12 comments)

Finally A Peaceful Birthday - 06/24/08 11:41 AM
Yesterday was my birthday and I decided to take the day off and not take any phone calls, emails, complaints, ect.  As a real estate agent and loan originator, I really needed the break.  I did receive a few calls on the golf course as I was playing with my partner on the golf cart and it actually felt really good to let it go to voice mail.  Turns out the call could really wait because it wasn't anything important.. someone inquiring about a rental.
I ended the day by going to Cheesecake Factory to meet up with some co-workers and … (4 comments)

Tapping Into Former Clients Pool - 06/20/08 08:11 AM
Last week I decided to call one of my previous clients from last year.  I wanted to check up on him and make sure things were going well.  He said that he was planning on calling me later that week.  He informed me that he was happy but he was going to sell and get a bigger place.  So I told him I could also do the loan now.  I potentially have 3 deals here, a listing, a buyer, and a mortgage.  My lesson learned?  Call your previous clients and stay in contact with them!
… (8 comments)

Gay Marriages and Divorce - 06/19/08 03:00 PM
After the news in California that the GLBT community will be able to participate in marriage, I was happy to hear that they're taking steps in the right directions in terms of treating people fairly.  But on the other hand, I wondering if this would significantly raise the divorce rate.  Whenever I hear of a gay relationship, they usually last for less than 6 months.  I'm not saying that all relationships are short, but it seems the majority of them are.  I guess this could be good for find properties and listing properties.
So I have more questions with these new … (2 comments)

Disclosing The Presence of a GHOST - 06/18/08 02:52 PM
After taking a class, the instructor told me about a disclosure in California.  You have to disclose to the prospective buyer if you suspect that you have a GHOST!  Can you believe that?  I believe in spirits and ghosts and the after life, ect... but I never thought you would ever have to disclose the presence of one in your own home.
I did have a spirit in my home about 3 months ago.  The ghost followed the painter into my home.  This ghost had a sense of humor because he would tap me on the shoulder at 3am in the … (4 comments)

Home Inspection Classroom Time - 06/18/08 02:40 PM
Last night I had a class at one of the community colleges around town.  The class talked about home inspections and the top things that every home inspector will look for.  Armed with this information, I will be able to help my clients in the listing process by having them fix these issues very quickly.  The instructor, named Derrick, said that if you wait until closing, those same items can turn into a lot more money.  That's why its better to take care of the problems before the closing.
… (3 comments)

My Agent Friend Selling Cars - 06/17/08 01:56 PM
Well I just received a call from one of my agent friends.  She's in her 60's now.  Anyway, she took a job selling cars to help ends meet.  She called me to let me know that she needs a job.  So she must have been fired from the dealership.  The real estate market is slow and now with the interest rates going up, that's not going to help business either. 
So how are some of you dealing with this really bad market?  I personally have a number of things going on.
… (12 comments)

How Do You Attract First Time Buyers? - 06/17/08 09:46 AM
As a real estate agent and loan officer, I realize how important it is to attract good business.  The best type of business is a first time buyer.  There's no property to sell.   There's none of the common problems associated with people buying a 2nd home or investment property.  So I'm trying to market to 1st time buyers in my area.  I created those road side signs red/white in color focused on the 1st time buyer.  Unfortunately, I haven't received a single call.  Well I got 1 call from the police saying its against an ordinance to put the signs up and … (5 comments)

We're Calling The County On Your Property! - 06/16/08 08:12 AM
I've been receiving calls from angry neighbors about the condition of the property that I'm listing for a client.  This particular client has about 3 properties that I'm listing.  They all are just in really bad shape.  Anyway, I'm getting calls from neighbors and they think that I own the property!  I think its kind of funny but I'm like, "I'm just a real estate agent".  I can't force the owner to do anything.
I've told the owner a number of times but to no avail.  What am I to do?  Threaten to cancel the listing?  I feel really badly for … (15 comments)

My New Business... Thoughts? - 06/16/08 08:05 AM
Its kind of funny, but one of the best businesses to get into is the business of purchased leads.  I can pull names out of a phone book and charge people money.  Sounds like a great idea but there's a lot of companies out there doing just that.  I had posted about buying leads and a lot of people told me not to waste my time.  Well, they were 100% right.  People say that the best way to learn a lesson is to live it.  I've done that and I'm not going back there again.
… (3 comments)

Purchased Leads... Results - 06/16/08 08:01 AM
Well after trying the purchased leads from a company that promised results and no charges until I get a closing, I've come to the conclusion that it is a pile of shi#.  Pardon my french.  I could have had better luck by picking up the phone book and just calling people at random.  I'm not a negative person so I'll take that $575 as a good learning lesson.  I've learned that I can generate my own leads and not have to pay anything at all.  That seems to be the best way to do anything.  Now that I've wasted $575, I … (15 comments)

Streamwood Area Market Report - 06/10/08 08:22 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Schaumburg Market Report - 06/10/08 08:21 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Rolling Meadows Market Report - 06/10/08 08:21 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Palatine Market Report - 06/10/08 08:20 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Northbrook Market Report - 06/10/08 08:19 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 housing market in your area.


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Hoffman Estates Area Market Report - 06/10/08 08:19 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 housing market in your area.


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Elk Grove Village Area Market Survey - 06/10/08 08:18 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Barrington Market Report - 06/10/08 08:17 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Barlett Market Report - 06/10/08 08:17 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Arlington Heights Market Report - 06/10/08 08:16 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 housing market in your area.


… (0 comments)

Ed McMahon Part II Foreclosure - 06/05/08 10:25 AM
Just a followup of my other post about Ed McMahon fighting off foreclosure.  Wanted to let you know that Larry King is having Ed on tonight to talk about his situation.  I am going to try to watch this episode because I find it very interesting.  It comes on tonight. 
 
 
The web site info is at: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/larry.king.live/ … (2 comments)

Looking Around Las Olas Area - 06/04/08 03:51 PM
I am looking to purchase a foreclosure, REO, bank owned condo in the Ft. Lauderdale area as a vacation and rental property.  I'm looking to spend around $200,000 and would like 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.  I also would like to have low assessment charges.  I would like to work with an agent that can send me listings to my email address as these properties become available.  If you can help and know the area and property values, then please let me know.  Greg
… (0 comments)

Could Some Please Explain This Scam? - 06/04/08 11:19 AM
I'm starting to see this over and over again. And I was wondering what this actually entails. What I normally see is something like this : "Ask me how you can pay off your 30 year mortgage in 7 to 10 years without changing your spending habits. The best part about this is that the information is totally FREE!" So how does this work? Maybe its not a scam but just a simple way to tell people to pay more on their principal. … (13 comments)

Wow.. McMahon Facing Foreclosure - 06/04/08 08:34 AM
I'm reading this story about Ed McMahon facing foreclosure!  Talk about a surprise.  I've watched him on tv for years.  Hes $644,000 behind on his $4.8 Million dollar mortgage from Countrywide.  It just blows my mind that someone with so much money could ever be facing foreclosure.  I've paid my house off in full years ago along with my car.  So I have no debt.  I'm not a movie star with millions of dollars.  Why can't people manage their money?  It just blows my mind.
The story is at: http://news.aol.com/entertainment/story/_a/ed-mcmahon-faces-home-foreclosure/20080604072809990001 … (8 comments)

Volunteers Needed?? - 06/04/08 08:09 AM
I am wondering about how many people volunteer their time and what activities they volunteer for. As a realtor and mortgage loan originator, I feel that its important to get visability by volunteering my time to various organizations. It seem that volunteers are hard to come by and that donations to various charaties are drying up, while the need for services is on the rise. … (6 comments)

Declining Zip Codes - 06/04/08 08:05 AM
It seems to be getting more difficult to get approved for a loan these days. I had a client that couldn't get Fannie Mae to approve her mortgage because Oak Park was a "declining zip code." The couple apparently had great credit and had 6% to put down. Working with loans, I'm finding this pretty surprising. Here's an article on the subject. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/04/18/fannie_mae_rules/ … (4 comments)

Crime Reports - 06/04/08 07:56 AM
I have clients asking about crime in certain areas of Illinois. Now I have a nice web site that keeps track of this type of information. The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was created by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to meet a need for reliable, uniform crime statistics for the nation. The FBI eventually was tasked with collecting, publishing, and archiving those statistics. Thankfully, there are several statistical publications where people can view the statistics. The web site is located at: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm … (3 comments)

Illinois Real Estate Market Oak Lawn - 06/04/08 07:50 AM
I was browsing the internet and came across this interesting link about Oak Lawn. It contains a snapshot of real estate sales, based on deeds transferred and it basically gets compiled from public records. Median Price means that half the homes sold for more and half for less. The location of this information is at: http://chicagotribune.public-record.com/realestate/marketpulse/details/cook/oak-lawn … (0 comments)

Cook County Tax Rates - 06/03/08 08:23 AM
I have a few clients asking about tax rates in Cook County, Illinois. I've found a pdf that has information on the taxes from the cook county clerks office. Now when I get clients, I can refer them to this link and hope that it answers their questions. Take a look and maybe you can use this information for your clients. http://www.cookctyclerk.com/upload/news_108.PDF … (1 comments)

Could You Mow The Lawn Please? - 06/03/08 08:15 AM
I received an interesting call yesteday.  A neighbor called about a listing that I have.  The grass hasn't been cut in over a month or so.  Anyway, she saw my sign and name and decided to call me.  Let me see if I can quote this lady exactly.  She said "Could you please tell the owner to mow his yard because it looks like Sh#t and its making the other properties look bad as well as bring down property values". 
I can't force the owner to mow his yard or even to keep up the property.  He isn't doing any work … (13 comments)

 

Greg Wilson

Schaumburg, IL

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1st Cornerstone Realty

Office Phone: (630) 891-9003

Cell Phone: (630) 707-4734

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My blog is written to help other agents become better. By including my every day experiences, I hope that other people can learn from my adventures. I love being a real estate agent and I hope that I can help as many people as possible.


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