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You are so busy...how do you have time to blog?

Via HomeRome Realty Author:Real Estate the Rome Way 410-530-2400:

 

 

  You are so busy...how do you have time to blog?  My answer: "maybe I am so busy because I make time to blog."

"ActiveRain is a place where real estate professionals can network with their peers and discuss industry insider topics. It is also a public forum where consumers can pull back the curtain and see what the real estate industry is really about."

Last year I sold one of my listings and the represented buyers started following my blog.  They came to one of my open houses and invited me to their open house..all through ActiveRain. Again  We tried to get their agent involved in ActiveRain. I talked about the benefits, about the business opportunity and offered to get her set up with some private sessions. I encouraged her to post her clients home for sale.

Being a dual career agent, her time was limited and she did not want to engage and never took me up on my invitation to join.

Her clients  continued following my daily posts and frequently commented. They tried to convince her to blog. It one of the first times that I've seen the public encourage blogging.  

After seven months, I received  an email through my ActiveRain  account. These same people had already  terminated the listing and asked me if I would consider representing them. They knew I would not discuss their home while still listed with their friend and agent.

  You are so busy...how do you have time to blog?  My answer: "maybe I am so busy because I make time to blog."

 

                                                              

                                                            

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Author of Real Estate the Rome Way

www.HomeRome.com

410-530-2400

See My Baltimore Homes for sale

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Groundhog Day, Groundhog Day: Changing the Course of Your Real Estate Career

Via Bob Stewart - Community Evangelist - ActiveRain (ActiveRain):

6am: Groundhog Day. I'll assume you remember the movie. Bill Murray wakes up each day to repeat the same day over and over again. No matter what he does, he can't make any significant changes to his future...........because tomorrow he will wake up and it will be the same day all over again.

(If you have never seen this movie, stop what you are doing and immediately rent it, find it on Netflix, download it, buy it on Comcast.......do whatever you do to make sure you watch this movie.....it's a classic. I'm going to bet many of you have seen it though)

Does this sound familiar to any of you? Do you feel like each day in your real estate business you are doomed to repeat the same things over and over. In some cases, this might not be so bad. Maybe you have something working for you that you are glad to wash, rinse, repeat. But many of the things we repeat over and over in our business are not productive and can lead us to attaining results less than what we hope and plan for.

So many real estate agents reach a plateau in their business. Often, this plateau is the result of doing the same things over and over again. Heck, some of us do the same things over and over again and expect different results (you know what this is the definition of, I hope). But how do we actually attain different results?

On Thursday, February 2nd at 9am Pacific Time(yep, Groundhog Day) Ben Kinney is going to join me at ActiveRain University for a one hour class for anyone that feels like their real estate career is a bad remake of the movie Groundhog Day. We are going to discuss:

Why did your 2012 business plan hit the trash can already?

How should you allocate your time during the day?

Is your marketing making any kind of impact?

How are all these 'new agents' blowing past you?

What are the most common ruts agents get stuck in?

 

(click the little button above to register for the webinar)

If you read my blog, or you've joined us for any of the previous classes Ben has hosted here at ActiveRain University, you know why I love having Ben join me. He's someone that is selling a lot of real estate. In fact, his team was one of the top 100 producers in all of the country in 2011. He doesn't share things you should be doing.....he shares things he does in his business that are working for him. He's a real estate agent doing these things to have more success, not just talking about doing them.

Basically this will be one hour about the changes you can make in your business to get more done.

Ben and I would love to have you join us. This webinar is being brought to you for free by our friends at IMSD and by ActiveRain. There is only room for the first 1000 people that make it to the webinar on Feb. 2nd. Because nearly 50% of people that sign up for webinars never actually attend, the registration will be open for anyone to sign up. However, on the day of the class, only the first 1000 people to access the webinar will get in. That means you might need to show up 5-10 minutes early.

So many real estate agents reach a plateau in their business. Often, this plateau is the result of doing the same things over and over again. Heck, some of us do the same things over and over again and expect different results (you know what this is the definition of, I hope). But how do we actually attain different results?

(it's the definition of insanity and I put it in there twice to make sure you are paying attention)

 

  Friends, followers, and connections are the way of the future. 

 Make sure you check out some of our Facebook Fan Pages Too!

 

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What is your internet presence is for marketing and selling yourself? Are you on 1000, 2000, 3000 or more web pages? "Google Your Name" to find out.....

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Westerly, RI a beach community, has become known as a community with strong support for the arts

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SHORT SALES have ruined our country. SHORT REFINANCES could save our country.

Via Ann Sabbagh, Sr. Loan Officer (Seacoast Mortgage Corporation, RI, MA, CT & FL):

Short refinances should be the norm.  They keep the homeowner in their home AND they reduce losses for the lender AND they improve the economy since home ownership stimulates economic growth.

A short refinance keeps the homeowner in their home, thus reducing the supply of homes on the market .  Short sales result in the homeowner losing their home; the loss of the American dream and creates economic disaster for everyone.

A short refinance entails the current lender or lenders forgiving debt based upon the current market value of the home.  The homeowner then refinances the remaining debt into a new mortgage.  For example, a home is currently appraised at $200,000.  The homeowner owes $275,000.  95% of the current value is $190,000.  The difference between $190,000 and $275,000 is $85,000.  The current lender(s) forgive the $85,000, enabling the homeowner to refinance the remaining $190,000 into a new mortgage.

As you can see, a short sale does the SAME action as a short refinance: a forgiveness of debt, BUT with a short sale, a stranger buys the home and the homeowner loses their home AND the supply of homes increases.  Lenders suffer larger losses, as well, with a short sale since they are typically sold for less than 95% of current value.  A short refinance keeps the homeowner in their home.

Now, we could take this one step further and SAVE the lenders their losses by doing the following along with a short refinance.  We could place a silent 2^nd mortgage on the home after the refinance to allow the former lender(s) to salvage their loss upon any sale of the property in the future.  In this way, it is a win-win-win for both the homeowner, the lender and the economy.

So, I as I have been asking myself for years now, who came up with the SHORT SALE transaction idea and ignored the OBVIOUS benefits of the SHORT REFINANCE transaction?  Homeowners have been told to be late on their mortgages to obtain loan modifications, which have failed miserably.  The homeowner then becomes so far behind, even if they hear of a short refinance, it then is too late.  Short refinances are not discussed in the media and the lenders do not speak about short refinances.  WHY?  Short refinances are available and the BEST option for everyone's sake.

Is it too late for short refinances to now be the norm?  NO!  It is never too late, but no one is listening.  I have gone to our senator and approached other politicians.  They all love the idea, but no one has made it their platform.

I will keep promoting this until someone does listen AND enacts this better solution to KEEP HOMEOWNERS IN THEIR HOMES AND START TO BRING THIS ECONOMY BACK!

Ann Sabbagh, Vice-President

"The BEST compliment is a client referral: Thank YOUUU!"

Seacoast Mortgage Corporation

401-305-6906 or 508-243-1190

Residential & Commercial Financing

MLO10920

RIAR: teacher for "The Mortgage Course"; "Valuation of Commercial/Investment Real Estate"; "Reading Financial Statements"

 

"When you choose me as your mortgage consultant, you also choose a financial planner who cares about YOUR financial strength."

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I Worked So Much, I Went Broke

Via Terri Camp, GRI, REALTOR® DFW Homes Sales and Property Management (DFW Texas Homes, LLC):

When I first began working in real estate, I would go into the office every day, often staying until 2 or 3 in the morning. Since I was new, there was a lot of work I needed to do. I had to get a website up and running. I had to work on marketing pieces. I had to create my magazine ads. There was also much that I had to learn so I would pour over the Realtor magazines, take online courses, etc.

I got a lot of work done. The office was small. A lot of times, I was the only one there. No phones ringing, no people walking in through the door. Basically, no distractions. I worked and worked and worked. 

After a few months I felt so disconnected from my kids (I'm a single mom with a bunch of kiddos) that I decided to forgo the office and work from home. I wanted to be available for my kids when they needed me. I wanted them to know that I was there for them. And I wanted them to feel safe.

The only office space available for me in my house was in my bedroom. I had a fax machine, copier, laptop, and a TV tray. I was in business! 

I worked in this environment for three years. I would often take my laptop to bed, set it down on the other side of the bed, roll over and go to sleep. Only to wake up in the morning, roll over, pick up the laptop and check my email. I worked every waking hour. Or so I convinced myself.

I spent a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites. I called this work - and to be honest, I built myself a nice little community. (12,000 followers on Twitter - 1800 friends on FB) I immersed myself in social media. I was building my business, working 15 hours a day. I didn't have any energy because I was "working" so much. I didn't have any money because I was "working" so much. (Does that make sense?) I was convinced that social media was where I would get my clients. And i did get some from friends of friends. What happened though is that I neglected the other aspects of being in real estate. I neglected prospecting. I neglected getting out with people. I was too busy "working" to go meet people face to face. 

At one point I decided that real estate wasn't working for me. Hmmm... maybe I wasn't working for it? I started doing everything but real estate prospecting. I wrote an ebook. I created info products. I worked my tail off! But, I wasn't building my business. 

It was like I fell asleep at the real estate wheel. What finally woke me up? I was going to the food pantry at our church just to feed my children! Yea, that's a big wake up call! 

I blamed the economy and other outside influences. What I didn't do was blame myself for working too hard, on the wrong things. I realized that being a professional real estate agent requires that I work full-time AS a professional real estate agent. This means, prospecting! Did I say prospecting? YES! Not just "doing" social media waiting for the clients to come to me, but going to them. That was the mind shift change.

Then came the environment shift change. I had to do something about my work environment. In the summers my room would be 85 degrees with the A/C on. I decided it was time for a major change. Sometimes moving forward requires major changes. 

I made a major change by moving to a different house and it has made all the difference in the world for me. It has a separate dedicated office space. I stil have my chair and TV tray, but now I no longer sleep with my laptop on my bed. I get up in the morning then "go to work." I find myself making lists of things to do for prospecting, rather than just winging it. 

This is not a business that you can do well by just winging it. 

I made the changes needed. What changes have you had to make to keep yourself out of the food pantry?

 

Ta-Dah! 

Terri Camp, GRI

DFW Texas Homes, LLC

http://dfwhomesrealty.com

817-914-4987

I love to connect!

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Westerly, RI, house, Yacht Club, Marina, Beach, Appraised $375K and selling for $330K

Experience the beauty of Westerly's many wonders at the historic Roger Williams Inn. Located downtown by Wilcox Park and a half-mile from the AMTRAK Railroad Station, we are a leisurely stroll to Shakespeare In The Park and summer concerts. Westerly is also home to the annual Westerly Art Festival, concerts on the beach and the Boston Pops at Wilcox park. A 5 mile bike ride brings you to beautiful Misquamicut Beach and wondrous sunsets of Watch Hill Harbor. Nearby Charlestown hosts the Annual Seafood Festival, the Rhythm and Roots Festival & the Big Apple Circus. The Roger Williams Inn's central location makes it the perfect starting place for exploring Southern New England.

 

How about the Ocean House in Watch  Hill, from coquet to Bocce and horseshoes are waiting for you on the back lawn after a full day at the beach, biking or kayaking.

 

Are you aware of Westerly's draw?  with The New Ocean House and beautiful beaches...   http://www.oceanhouseri.com/  midway to Boston and New York, the train leaves on the hour, every hour.....Did you know that Westerly is one of the 12 most distinctive destinations in the Country??  Read in South County RI magazine........  

 

http://www.southcountyri.com/PDFs/StyleMagazines/2010/index.html    

 

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Turn Key business opportunity is knocking in Pawcatuck CT, along the river........Antonio's Grinders etc

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192, 194 Shore Road, Westerly, RI at the 10th hole at Winnapaug Golf Club, unobstructed waterviews!

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In Cranston, RI for sale Self Storage Units- Assessed Value $1,7M For Sale - $1,250,000