Zillow Mortgage Marketplace Petitions To Eliminate Annual Percentage Rate - 07/23/09 02:44 PM
Zillow has added a very useful feature to their Mortgage Marketplace.  True Cost Calculation as described by Mary Miller:
When comparing mortgage quotes, most borrowers focus on two factors: interest rate and upfront fees. But it’s difficult to determine whether it makes more sense to choose a loan with a lower rate and higher fees, or a loan with higher fees and a lower rate.  The best combination depends on how long borrowers will have the loan.
….Once they narrow down to a few quotes, they can check out the lender profiles, reviews, and ratings, and then select a couple of lenders to … (7 comments)

Defining a Brand and Realizing Success Through Business Strategy - 07/13/09 05:48 PM
Comparing real estate to companies from very different industries (like Apple) when referencing how branding or marketing should be done is very en vogue and very misdirected.  Highly successful ‘Big Brands’ are created in tightly controlled environments that have been developed over many years and are almost always backed by superior products or services.
The industry of real estate doesn’t quite lend itself to those conditions.  Its generally a loose, revolving door, part-time hobbyist infected environment that yields a highly uncontrollable and thus poor product.  As a result the biggest Brand in the space, ‘Realtor’, is currently in epic fail mode.  … (6 comments)