Does anyone use and can recommend an e-newsletter 3rd party vendor I can use.  I would like it to be fully customizable with text photos and video.  It would be nice if it didn't break the bank either.  Thoughts?

• You are the listing agent on a short sale home. 
• There are two liens on the home  both with the same bank.  The bank has given you the standard line of, "don't call us until you have offers."
• You price the home well and have two offers within a week.  Both are for full list price, but differ slightly on other terms.
• You agree on one of the offers and submit it to the bank.  You do not submit the second offer right away. 
• After 2 months the bank has not given you a letter of their acceptance or terms.  They have not even given you the name of the person in charge of the decision.  Meanwhile, the first offer is rescinded by the buyer.  You contact the second offer and they are still interested at the same terms. 
• The home is within 2 weeks of the foreclosure date.

Here is the dilemma.  Do you submit the rescission to the bank? 

Do you Simply submit the new offer and hold off on submitting the rescission until the bank gives you a letter stating what they will accept?

Do you wait for the extension of the foreclosure?

????????????????

Your thoughts?

For those of you not aware of WAHmeowners.com, you should be.  They create easy to understand videos describing a lot of interest to your clients.  Even if you are not working in WA state. For example, I currently have a video about the extension of the first time home buyer tax credit on my site.  Here is a link to their site and also a link to my site so you can see what the video looks like.

WAHomeowners.com

Example of using video from my site

Have fun

Rob

Hey gang a little help?  I am considering a new web site.  Has anyone used RealtySoft and care to share there opinion of them. 

Are there other web site providers I should consider?

Thanks,

Rob

One of my resolutions is to blog more frequently.  Toward that end, I thought I would kick off the new year of blogging with a note to myself.  Where better to list my real estate resolutions for the year then right here so I can frequently refer back to them and laugh at myself.  Read it as upgrades to a business plan or just musings on hoe to improve my business this year.  Whatever.  Here is my plan. 

1.  Create a list of those I need to take better care of.  I am aiming for about 50 to start.  I'll keep you posted.  These folks will start to receive more communication, love and support.  Also, occasional gifts.  The Top 50 (as I am calling them) will need to be close friends, and past clients that I genuinely enjoy spending time with and will refer business to me throughout the year. 

2.  Start studying for my brokers license.  With the rules changing in July I thought I would get my brokers license this spring.  I have already started studying.  So far I am about 11 units into the 84 I need to complete before I can sit for the exam.  With sample testing and classes I hope to be a broker by mid spring.

3.  Improve my web site.  I currently have a company site.  Its awful.  Nothing distinctive about it.  I would love to have one site that is the nexus of my RE world.  I would like it to have links to twitter, Facebook, show blog posts and have a kick ass (can I say that on AR?) search feature.  Instead of having multiple blogs and a web site, I would like it all in one place.  (any suggestions for great web designers would be greatly appreciated)

4.  Commit to separation of work and home.   As much as possible, I want to devote a complete work day at the office and be able to walk away when I am home.  Easier said then done in our business, but I as least need to do a better job of trying. 

5.  Brand myself.  I would like to come up with a logo and look for all my marketing and web site.  I'd ultimately like it to be seemless between all my marketing, cma's and web presence.  One look one goal.

Ok, that's enough for now.  Feel free to leave me your own comments on what you hope to accomplish this year.  I'd love to hear them. 

Talk to you soon,

Rob

Stick with me a sec.  I'm going somewhere with this.

Fishing is an interesting pass time.  Some days are absolutely beautiful.  The sun is rising.  It's peaceful.  There are others on the lake but plenty of room for all.  The fish are lively and active.  You take a second to soak in what a great day it is and you cast your line.  You just barely get settled in and something grabs your line.  Thrilled with the prospect, you reel it in.  There it is a beautiful fish.  Just what you were hoping for.  It was a fighter but all the good ones are and with your skill you were able to get him in the boat with an average amount of effort.  The day passes much like that.  You take a break a few hours in to enjoy a snack and by noon you have caught your limit and you head home content and refreshed.

Seriously, I'm going somewhere with this.

Other days don't go so well.  It is dark when you leave the house so you don't see the storm clouds brewing on the horizon.  You get to the lake and it is crowded, hardly room to cast your line without hooking another fisherman.  The fish seem to be asleep.  snoozing on the bottom with little motivation to even pay attention to your bait.  You cast your line and wait...and wait...and wait...  Finally you get a strike.  It isn't a big one but a strike is a strike.  You reel and reel but after a long struggle the fish ducks behind a log.  Your line gets snagged and then breaks.  Nothing to do but reel in the line, get more bait and cast again.  The day goes much like that.  You catch nothing, your coffee goes cold, the rain soaks right through your clothes.  Maybe even at one point you cut yourself setting your line.  By the end of the day you are dejected and head home with nothing.

What's my point?  Many of us remember the good old days, where deals used to fall in your lap.  Big paydays and an average amount of work.  Buyer's were motivated and sellers were gidddy.  If you got to mutual acceptance it was nearly a sure thing that it would close. Problems that came up had everyone involved makeing concessions to see the deal through.

Now, not so much.  Transactions are down somewhere in the neighborhood of 50% with most of the agents still out there slugging away.  Buyers are like scared bunnies, with the smallest problem on inspection scaring them off or asking for ridiculous compensation.  Seller's are scared out of their minds.  Still believing that their homes are worth what they were several years ago and not willing to price at current market value.  If you manage to get through the inspection, now you have to worry about appraisal.

I swear I am doing twice the work for half the commissions.  (Not an exaggeration)

Here is my point.  I know you are all in the same boat. (pun intended) But hang in there my friends.  A wise man once said, "A bad day fishing is still better then a good day at the office." (Translation - Being a Realtor is still better than answering to some jerk!)

The sun will rise again.  The waters will calm.  The fish will get hungry, and we will all start reeling in the deals once again.  Don't loose hope.  Cast your line and know you will be rewarded.

Footnote:

As of this writting Rob is being treated for excessive optimism at the OB Jacobi home for the professionally insane.  Please send contributions of coffee in leu of comments.

I got a hair cut this morning and as I was leaving the barber shop I had the same thought I always have when I leave the barber shop.  "Wow that is one God awful haircut, but I love my barber".    

I have been going to the same barber for over seven years now and he is quite possibly the worst in Seattle.  I won't tell you his name for fear of angering a man who wields sharp objects near my head.   Suffice it to say he is a Lebanese born man in his mid 50's. 

Keep in mind, cutting my hair is not all that difficult of a process.  You slap a #2 attachment to a pair of clippers and go to town, and yet still he manages to make a mistake or two each time.  Sometimes it is a clump of hair over my ear that was missed, sometimes he takes a chunk out of the back leaving a small but noticeable divot.  Once he actually clipped my ear and made it bleed for a few minutes.

So why do I go back?  I love the guy.  He is fascinating.  Grew up and lived in a war torn middle eastern country.  Has stories that would make your hair (pun intended) turn white.  Culturally he is dramatically different from me.   We talk endlessly about the difference he sees between America and his home land.  We talk about his children and the struggles he has to raise them in a foreign culture.   He is endlessly good natured and friendly.  He knows me, my life and my business.  I have also gotten to know him, met many members of his family and remember and bring up issues he is having with them, and his business.   In short, we have become friends over time. 

Why?

Because the guy is friendly and interesting.  He genuinely seems happy to see me each month, listens and shares stories and advice open and honestly.  He is a great guy, and month after month year after year I go back.  I risk the minor nicks and cuts.  Endure having to go home and reshape certain spots he overlooked, all because I cherish the experience.  He is comfortable familiar and I like going to him.

So what's the point.  As I left today a thought occurred to me.  What am I doing in my business that fosters the same feeling of loyalty and, dare I say it, love, from my customers?  What am I doing to make them so loyal that even if I miss trim their bangs from time to time, they will keep them coining back.

Here is my list of things to do.

•1.        Take a genuine interest in everyone in front of me.  Clients friends, family, acquaintances and strangers alike. 

•2.       Never treat anyone like a client.  The closing is secondary and they will come if you treat people correctly.

•3.       Truly make their interests mine.  That includes telling a client that now is not the best time to sell their home, or that that they can't afford the house they truly desire.

•4.       Take the time to get to know them.  Understand their needs, wants and dreams, before I ever act on their behalf.

•5.       Listen intently.

•6.       Share honestly.

•7.       Ignore the outcome.  Paychecks are temporary.  Loyalty is forever.

If you build it.  They will come. 

So good by for now my friend.  I'll be back next month.  But don't worry even if you take another chunk out of my ear, I'll still come back.  Some things are more important than perfection. 

----------------

Feel free to check out my Seattle Home Buyer's Blog at www.seattlehomebuyingguide.com

OK AR help me out.  If I have a post on AR and remove it but post the same post on a different blog, can I be penalized for dupicate content?  The post is original content created by me. 

Any ideas?

Dear Active Rain,

This is one of the hardest letters I have ever written, but I want to be honest with you.  AR you have meant so much to me and I owe you the truth.  You have no doubt noticed that I have been a little absent the past few months and not paying very much attention to you. 

The fact is that I have been having an affair. 

I have met someone who has changed my life.  Her name is Word Press.  Starting this past fall I guess I was feeling a little restless and my eye began to wander.  I do truly love you, but there was something missing in my life.  WP and I have a number of friends in common, who suggested we get together.  Well, one thing led to the other and we have created something that I think is quite beautiful.

Seattle Home Buying Guide

I hope we can still be fiends.  I want us to keep in touch, but things can never be the same as they were before.  This past 9 months with you have been extraordinary.  I learned more then I could have ever hoped.  You showed me how to connect with others, how to reveal my inner real estate agent.   You have introduced me to some amazing new people who have truly changed my world.  I will stay in touch with you and all the wonderful people you have introduced me to, but I need more.  I need to be free to explore this crazy thing we call the "internet".  

I need to keep in touch with my sphere through FaceBook. 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=584838653&ref=name

I need to be able to twitter when I can't decide between going to Jack in the Box

or Taco Del Mar for lunch.

http://twitter.com/RobGraham

I want to answer questions on Trulia when Midge in South Carolina can't

decide what to do with her cats when she lists her Duplex.

Understand that it's not you it's me.  I need to be free right now.  I need to be able to adjust my permalinks and metatags on a moments notice.  I need to obsess over long my long tail keywords at 2:00 am in the morning when I can't sleep or change my theme all together to match my mood. 

I know this must all sound selfish, but I have to be honest with you and myself.  I will always love you and stay in touch, but right now I just can't be tied down to just one blog format.  Please try to understand.  I owe you more then I can ever repay. 

I wish you nothing but the best,

Love,

Rob