https://activerain.com/blogs/crumbien How to Build Your Real Estate Business Using Social Networking. en-us https://activerain.com/blogsview/1117535/attention-realtors--hartfordgrapevine-com-is-allowing-50-realtors-the-opportunity-to-list-their-homes-for-free- ~~ATTENTION REALTORS~~ For a Limited time only! HartfordGrapevine.com is allowing 50 Realtors in Hartford County the opportunity to list their homes for FREE... Regularly the price is $25 per listing for 30-days. HartfordGrapevine.com will allow you to post unlimited video, slideshows, and images of your listing.  Listing will be selected randomly to be featured on the homepage and in our e-newsletter. We accept postlets codes as well. Don't miss this opportunity to post your listings on the up and coming social media site, Hartford Grapevine, for FREE! Limited to first 50 Realtors only, so sign up today at www.HartfordGrapevine.com! Offer ends July 31,2009 Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:40:14 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1117535/attention-realtors--hartfordgrapevine-com-is-allowing-50-realtors-the-opportunity-to-list-their-homes-for-free- https://activerain.com/blogsview/1023784/credit-bureaus-should-share-the-blame-for-the-economic-meltdown There is plenty of blame to go around for the downturn in the economy but the bulk of it should be placed squarely on the unregulated credit bureaus. These agencies  have absolutely no incentive to maintain accruate information on consumers.  The more inaccuracies in a credit file the more credit monitoring subscriptions they can sell.  It's like having the "fox guarding the hen". When a credit report is disputed the credit bureaus are pretty much useless. All they do is forward the dispute to the reporting creditor.  They may or may not research your issue but is more than willing to respond to the credit bureaus that the current reporting is accurate and should remain unchanged.  Of course the credit bureaus don't care to question the due deligence of the creditors or lack there of.  So now...what do you do?  They oblige you with the option of including a statement in your credit report stating that the issue has been disputed.  So what? That doesn't change a thing.  Your score is lowered, the credit bureaus get to sell another credit monitoring subscription, and the predatory lenders get to charge you higher interest rate and put you in unaffordable mortgages and consumer loans. In the words of T. Harv Eker, the roots create the fruits (results).  Now let's imagine a tree.  Let's suppose this tree represents the tree of a credit bureau.  Hanging from this tree are the fruits (struggling consumers).  So we look at the struggling consumers and because they are not doing so well we tend to put more attention and focus on them.  But what is it that actually creates those particular bad fruits? "It's the seeds and the roots that create those fruits".  It's not complicated, if the struggling consumers are to be saved,  first the credit bureaus (roots) and the creditors (seeds) must be regulated for change. I say, regulate those credit bureaus, force the creditors to report responsibly, and there will be little or no need for predatory lending. N'Marie Crumbie Director of Public Relations crumbz@ctgrapevines.com www.ctgrapevines.com Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:22:34 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1023784/credit-bureaus-should-share-the-blame-for-the-economic-meltdown https://activerain.com/blogsview/897416/4-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- MISTAKE #4: Thinking that listing your home with a realtor will get your house sold fast and solve your problem.Most people think that the person with the real estate license an "expert" at selling houses and can get it done quickly. Maybe you even think the only way you'll ever get your home sold is to list it with a realtor. Nothing could be further from the truth.Fact is, realtors are NOT required to receive any formal training on HOW to market and sell a home quickly. Getting a real estate license is basically a matter of passing a couple of tests about the laws and requirements for home sales in your state. That's all. For all you know, they barely squeaked by on their final tests, and now they're in business.Your house is just another listing to them. The sum total of their effort to sell may be putting a sign up in your front yard. And in the meantime, if you come up with someone who would be willing to buy the house from you and stop the Foreclosure, you're still obligated to work through your real estate agent, and pay them a hefty commission.That means if you've lowered the price to get it sold, you may have to come up with thousands of dollars you don't have, to pay the realtor! This could actually prevent you from selling your house, and stopping the Foreclosure.Even worse, the chances are slim to none that the deal would go through BEFORE your Foreclosure auction date. Escrows typically run 40-60 days to closing. You simply do not have the luxury of that kind of time.This problem can be overcome by working with an experienced Foreclosure Prevention Realtor Professional like House Everything. You benefit from the working relationships that we have established with lenders. These lenders are willing to work quickly with us to stop the Foreclosure. In other words, we'll take the risk and put up the money to buy enough time to negotiate with the lenders. You will NEVER find another real estate agent who is able to do this for you. Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:57:43 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/897416/4-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- https://activerain.com/blogsview/897413/3-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- MISTAKE #3: Thinking the lender will work with you to get you out of this mess.Sometimes the lender offers you a way to delay your payments. It's called forbearance. They'll act like it's a reasonable solution. But guess what? It's never going to be reasonable or fair for YOU. It's only going to stall things for a little while, and put even more money in the bank's pocket.You see, the way the bank works this in their favor is to tack on hundreds or thousands of dollars MORE to your monthly payment. After all, they want their money paid back and you've gotten behind in your payments. This means your payment will be MUCH HIGHER than it was before. If you can't afford your payments now...how are you supposed to afford higher payments as a way to "help" you? If you decide to go with this kind of arrangement, you should insist they spell out in writing exactly what the new payments will be.You must understand this...Statistics show that approximately 85% of homeowners in Foreclosure do NOT make even the second payment with a forbearance plan. The lender already knows the odds are AGAINST you with this arrangement right from the start, and your problem will be back more ferociously than before. But they want as much as they can get. You'll end up burning through every last penny you have, and STILL lose your home.But that's not all... The bank may tell you that if you sign a document called a DEED IN LIEU, you won't have a Foreclosure on your record. This is probably one of the worst things you can do in your situation. Why? Because what they are really asking you to do is VOLUNTARILY FORECLOSE.Don't be fooled by this seemingly harmless suggestion. Your credit report and personal record will clearly read DEED IN LIEU, a creditor's secret code for VOLUNTARY FORECLOSURE. This will NOT help you. It is strictly for the lender's benefit because it effectively eliminates the cost of them having to go after you with a formal Foreclosure proceeding. All is well and good for the bank, but YOU will still lose your home, PLUS your credit record will be permanently scarred.And sadly, do not for an instant think the lender will care if you are disabled, ill, or have a house full of kids who need a roof over their heads. The unfortunate harsh reality is the lender owes it to their share holders, to focus on the bottom line and recouping their investment.In most states, once the house goes into Foreclosure, the sheriff will show up at your home and order you and your family to vacate the property immediately. The good news is, we are here to make sure this doesn't happen to you! Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:52:54 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/897413/3-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- https://activerain.com/blogsview/897411/2-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- MISTAKE #2: Thinking your friends, family, or attorney know what's best for your situation, and will give you sound advice.Maybe you're already thinking that the smartest thing you could do is sell your home, stop the Foreclosure once and for all, and make a fresh start. Getting from under your debt and restructuring your payments and living situationBut your friends, family, or attorney are in an uproar over this idea. They're on the phone or stopping by, urging you to "hang in there". But tell me this... · Are they there with the money you need to stop the madness you're caught in? · Are they ready to step up to the plate and bail you out, no matter what it takes? · Can they immediately send enough cash to your lender to bring the Foreclosure machine to a grinding halt? I'd be willing to bet the answer to these questions is "No." No matter how well-meaning they may be, they are simply not equipped to give you the kind of urgent assistance you need right now.Remember, this is all about you, not them. We urge you to understand your options, and make an educated decision that works best for you and your family. Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:51:19 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/897411/2-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- https://activerain.com/blogsview/870768/1-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- MISTAKE #1: Thinking it's too late. There's nothing you can do anyway, and you're "only one or two payments behind" so you may as well wait and see what happens.It's easy to sink into depression and come to a grinding halt when you feel like things are closing in on you. But this is the worst possible mistake you could make. You've got something working against you that no amount of effort can bring back: TIME. The longer you wait to "see if things will work out", the greater the chance you will be left with FEW or NO options at all. Don't wait until the sheriff is literally pounding on your door to throw you and your family on the street. Don't watch a bad situation turn into a public humiliation you (and your family) will never forget.IF YOU TAKE ACTION NOW, THERE'S AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OUR PROFESSIONALS CAN HELP YOU.It's just that simple. Make one simple decision to take action, and one of our professionals can find the smartest solution for your particular situation. Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:13:30 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/870768/1-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-make---and-how-to-avoid-them- https://activerain.com/blogsview/868463/how-to-build-your-real-estate-business-using-social-networking-sites RISMEDIA, January 6, 2009-Realtors know that today's real estate prospects and consumers are using the Internet in ways that are revolutionizing the industry. By the time a prospect or customer contacts a Realtor, they have been looking at real estate on the Web anywhere from 10 to 40 hours. And so today, savvy Realtors are getting ahead of the information curve-using the power of the Internet to attract qualified prospects to them. Getting Started The attraction of social networking sites for most small businesses is cost, or lack there of. Setting up an account on any of the social networking sites out there is free, but the range of services they provide rival the abilities of costly, full-fledged media advertising campaigns. With a low-cost video camera and a laptop or desktop computer, any Realtor can become a community reporter and post valuable content on the Web. Becoming a Local Expert Placing your knowledge of a particular area on a high visibility social networking site can lead prospects to your door. But first, in order to do so, you need to be willing to set yourself apart from the pack-as an expert in a particular area or niche. This requires both a commitment and desire from you. Lack of information is the biggest frustration most Internet users have. Except for a few major sites, most of the information on the Internet is fluff, or flat out advertising. More and more, people are growing tired of that, so any content that actually fills a void makes an impact. If that content is yours, they'll remember you when it's time to select a Realtor. Thinking Like a Prospect The basic marketing concept you're using with social networking is the same as it has always been in real estate. Think like the prospect and then show them what they want to see. Realtors have been doing business this way for over a hundred years, as it's the basic premise of real estate marketing. The difference now is how you're getting your message across. If you don't think you can make an impact using social networking sites, do this. Go out to YouTube and search anything real estate related in your community. You'll probably notice that there is not a lot going on. It's a gap. It's a gap you can fill easily and inexpensively. Using any of the social networking sites provides you with an incredible opportunity to carve out a market niche for your business. When you consider what it actually costs you to take advantage of what's available, it's hard to consider not using the tools to build your business. Peyman Aleagha is the founder and president of RealtySoft.com. RealtySoft provides Realtors with Real Estate Web Design (http://www.realtysoft.com), Real Estate Print Marketing and Free IDX (http://www.realtysoft.com/freeidx.php) solutions. CTGrapevines.com The http://www.ctgrapevines.com is a business and social networking local community Website that offers so much more. In a nutshell, members can do a lot with its own network of members. People can join the ctgrapevines community, create a webpage, put a bunch of cool stuff on it (videos, photos, music, blogs, live chat, background screen shots) and then invite friends within the ctgrapevines community to join them on their webpage. Realtors can can create their very own customized listing with unlimited photos, virtual tour, video tour, and an extensive description of their listing. Realtors are not limited at the ctgrapevines community like they are at the MLS.  At ctgrapevines, Realtors can really showcase the great features of their listing and can combine the same concept as YouTube by creating a video that highlights the features of that signature home they're so proud to sell.   They can also create a series of videos that capture the lifestyle and quality of living in their community.  Realtors are able to really showcase it all at the Grapevine. Members can also find local restaurants in the business directory (just as one example of the use of the Business Directory for members), spend hours playing over 700 games in the arcade, find local, national, world and offbeat news, sell or buy stuff in the classifieds, find things to do in the calendar of events, get strategies to play the lottery in any state in the country, print out grocery store coupons, post and find recipes, and much more. A www.ctgrapevines.com social networking website in your local community will provide you with incredible opportunities to carve out a market niche for your business, your expertise, or just for fun. N'Marie Crumbie is the Public Relations Manager for the www.hartfordgrapevine.com and www.newhavengrapevine.com. Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:06:14 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/868463/how-to-build-your-real-estate-business-using-social-networking-sites https://activerain.com/blogsview/841602/2-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-in-foreclosure-makes---and-how-to-avoid-them-- MISTAKE #1: Thinking it's too late. There's nothing you can do anyway, and you're "only one or two payments behind" so you may as well wait and see what happens.It's easy to sink into depression and come to a grinding halt when you feel like things are closing in on you. But this is the worst possible mistake you could make. You've got something working against you that no amount of effort can bring back: TIME. The longer you wait to "see if things will work out", the greater the chance you will be left with FEW or NO options at all. Don't wait until the sheriff is literally pounding on your door to throw you and your family on the street. Don't watch a bad situation turn into a public humiliation you (and your family) will never forget.IF YOU TAKE ACTION NOW, THERE'S AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OUR PROFESSIONALS CAN HELP YOU.It's just that simple. Make one simple decision to take action, and one of our professionals can find the smartest solution for your particular situation. MISTAKE #2: Thinking your friends, family, or attorney know what's best for your situation, and will give you sound advice.Maybe you're already thinking that the smartest thing you could do is sell your home, stop the Foreclosure once and for all, and make a fresh start. Getting from under your debt and restructuring your payments and living situationBut your friends, family, or attorney are in an uproar over this idea. They're on the phone or stopping by, urging you to "hang in there". But tell me this... · Are they there with the money you need to stop the madness you're caught in? · Are they ready to step up to the plate and bail you out, no matter what it takes? · Can they immediately send enough cash to your lender to bring the Foreclosure machine to a grinding halt? I'd be willing to bet the answer to these questions is "No." No matter how well-meaning they may be, they are simply not equipped to give you the kind of urgent assistance you need right now.Remember, this is all about you, not them. We urge you to understand your options, and make an educated decision that works best for you and your family. BE SURE TO CHECK BACK DAILY FOR REMAINING MISTAKES...CAN'T WAIT...THEN LOG ONTO WWW.HARTFORDGRAPEVINE.COM FOR MORE IMMEDIATE INFO.  THANK YOU.                                          www.ctgrapevines.com Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:17:07 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/841602/2-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-in-foreclosure-makes---and-how-to-avoid-them-- https://activerain.com/blogsview/839690/1-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-in-foreclosure-makes---and-how-to-avoid-them- MISTAKE #1: Thinking it's too late. There's nothing you can do anyway, and you're "only one or two payments behind" so you may as well wait and see what happens.It's easy to sink into depression and come to a grinding halt when you feel like things are closing in on you. But this is the worst possible mistake you could make. You've got something working against you that no amount of effort can bring back: TIME. The longer you wait to "see if things will work out", the greater the chance you will be left with FEW or NO options at all. Don't wait until the sheriff is literally pounding on your door to throw you and your family on the street. Don't watch a bad situation turn into a public humiliation you (and your family) will never forget.IF YOU TAKE ACTION NOW, THERE'S AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OUR PROFESSIONALS CAN HELP YOU.It's just that simple. Make one simple decision to take action, and one of our professionals can find the smartest solution for your particular situation. BE SURE TO CHECK BACK DAILY FOR REMAINING MISTAKES...CAN'T WAIT...THEN LOG ONTO WWW.HARTFORDGRAPEVINE.COM FOR MORE IMMEDIATE INFO.  THANK YOU. N'Marie Crumbie (Crumbz)House Everything Reatly Group, Brokerwww.houseverything.comcrumbz@houseverything.com                                             CTGrapevines, Public Relations Manager www.ctgrapevines.comcrumbz@ctgrapevines.com Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:27:27 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/839690/1-of-8-most-common-mistakes-homeowners-in-foreclosure-makes---and-how-to-avoid-them- https://activerain.com/blogsview/772496/ctgrapevines-real-estate-daily-news Hello Fellow Realtors, have we got a new and improved http://www.hartfordgrapevine.com and http://www.newhavengrapevine.com for you. The new site has many features including a "Click to Print" coupon section. What is a "Click to Print coupon" you ask? At http://www.hartfordgrapevine.com and http://www.newhavengrapevine.com you can create your very own customized listing with unlimited photos AND you can insert a "coupon". The coupon can be for anything that you desire! Say "Click here for your FREE Home Inspection" or "Click here for your FREE gift card" or click here to donate to a charity in your client's name. At closing you give them what you advertised. It's that simple! check it out now at http://www.hartfordgrapevine.com and http://www.newhavengrapevine.com. We have a great calendar of events area for you to enter all of your upcoming open house dates, FREE. We also have a business directory, school and church section, news, recipes, free music, and so much more. We even have a live chat robot named Kristin! She's fun to talk to and she's not dirty, we are family friendly. I am so excited and pleased with the new layout that I invite all of you to swing by and be the eyes and testers as you surf the http://www.hartfordgrapevine.com and http:www.newhavengrapevine.com. You could be awarded bonus reward points just for reporting a bug or two. Also, if you own a business and would like to have a product added to the rewards area for some FREE advertising just email ads@ctgrapevines.com. Thanks again for supporting the http://www.hartfordgrapevine.com and http://www.newhavengrapevine.com and have a Grape day! Paul & N'Marie Crumbie, TeamCrumbz, Everything We Touch Turns to Sold! (HomeSmart Premier - Team Crumbz) Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:22:51 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/772496/ctgrapevines-real-estate-daily-news