hesperia: A Cluttered Desk is the Sign of a Cluttered Mind
- 05/22/07 10:37 PM
As the saying goes, "A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind." How can prospects or clients have any faith in your ability to work on their behalf, if they see a desk overflowing with paper? Or, in this computer age, if they visit your office and watch you spend valuable time sifting through emails and folders, trying to locate pertinent information regarding their account? To the client, a lack of organization projects a negative image. It symbolically waves a distress flag, which could cause them to run in the opposite direction. Take some basic steps to alter the appearance … (9 comments)
hesperia: Buying A Primary Home
- 05/22/07 12:47 AM
There are many pitfalls you can avoid when you are in the market to buy a new home. Here are just a few tips and strategies to help you prepare for success: Know your credit score! You may be able to get a better mortgage rate and more favorable loan terms by restructuring some of your balances on credit cards, car loans, etc. The Caylor Mortgage Planning Team can help you correct errors on your credit report and determine which balances to restructure or pay off in order to improve your credit score. Know how much you can spend and determine how … (1 comments)
hesperia: Asking for Referrals
- 05/22/07 12:32 AM
Too often, people are frightened of asking for referrals. Is it the fear of rejection, or are they concerned about annoying their prized clients? If you're providing truly exemplary service, you shouldn't be ashamed to ask for the opportunity to provide that same service to other people your clients know! In fact, it should be the next natural step after asking a client how the service was. The way you ask this question, however, is very important. Open-ended questions help people to brainstorm, instead of giving them the chance for a simple "Yes" or "No" answer. Instead of asking, "Do you know … (4 comments)
hesperia: Saving Money On Taxes
- 05/21/07 01:04 AM
There are many mortgage and real estate equity planning strategies that can really help you save money on taxes whether you are buying, refinancing or selling a primary home, vacation home or investment property. The Caylor Mortgage Planning Team brings a team approach to your situation by working with qualified CPAs, CFPs and attorneys. In doing so, the Caylor Mortgage Planning Team will help you: Improve your after-tax cash flow Save money by understanding the impact of the "gift tax" when gifting or receiving real estate property and/or down payment funds Save money by understanding the benefits and limitations of mortgage … (0 comments)
hesperia: Type A vs Type B: Buyers versus Browsers
- 05/21/07 01:00 AM
Type A: A tendency towards tenseness, impatience, and aggressiveness. Type B: A tendency towards a relaxed manner, patience, and friendliness. Both of these personality types have their merits, and both tendencies exist in all of us to some degree. But when it comes to homebuyers, Type As are the ones you want to be working with. Kathi McLean, a real estate superstar who, with her husband, averages more than $40 million per year in volume, says their turning point was when they decided to seek one type of customer over another. "We had spent an inordinate amount of time on people who drained a … (2 comments)
hesperia: A Strategy for Success: The Weekly Review
- 05/20/07 02:06 AM
In today's business world, information comes at you rapidly and from all directions. It's far too easy to become overwhelmed and find yourself in a reactive rather than a proactive mode. How can you regain a sense of balance and control? Each week, as work winds down, make an appointment with yourself to assess how you've been doing. David Allen, the best-selling author of Getting Things Done, calls this a weekly review, which he believes is critical to achieving the results you desire. The weekly review is more than a chance to step away from the distractions of the office, it's also a … (3 comments)
hesperia: Twenty Terms You Must Know and Understand Before You Sign Off On Your Mortgage!
- 05/19/07 12:40 AM
Buying a home is a major achievement in most everyone's life. Pride of ownership, tax breaks, equity and the ability to increase your wealth and net worth are just a few of the many benefits you'll enjoy with your new home. Your home purchase may also be one of the largest you will ever make. During the emotional excitement of buying a home, you may encounter terms with which you are unfamiliar. For some, it can be a bit embarrassing to ask what they consider too many questions. Others may make a note of their questions but simply forget to revisit … (0 comments)
hesperia: Giving to Receive
- 05/18/07 11:17 PM
Information marketing infuses free information about a product or service along with the regular sales pitch. Unlike the decoder ring in a box of Cracker Jacks, info-marketing provides the free prize before any purchase has taken place. It appeals to consumers much more, because they don't feel as though they are being approached by a pushy salesperson. For this reason, info-marketing can be a great vehicle for cementing new relationships. Here are some examples of information marketing that will inspire the potential client to think of you as a credible resource, even before they meet you in person. The How-to-Sell-Your-Home Booklet Real Estate agents … (2 comments)
hesperia: RESPA
- 05/17/07 10:50 PM
In many states, Real Estate licenses are granted without close examination of an applicant's knowledge of RESPA guidelines. As a result, many Real Estate Agents go into business unaware that certain practices are prohibited via Federal statutes enacted by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. RESPA stands for the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. Introduced in 1974, RESPA law is designed to protect consumers in the process of purchasing a home. RESPA requires lenders to provide consumers with disclosures (Truth-in-Lending Disclosure Statement) at various stages throughout the loan process, and also prohibits kickbacks and referral fees that would increase the … (0 comments)
hesperia: Are You Creating The Proper Image?
- 05/16/07 11:11 PM
Before your next meeting with a prospective client or potential referral source, take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself, "If I was a prospect, would I want to do business with this person?" The image you create, and the way people perceive you, has a tremendous impact on your long-term success. What you say, how you dress, your level of preparation, and your enthusiasm all influence your potential customer's perception. The old adage is true, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Evaluate your image and ask yourself a few simple questions: When your client calls, how … (5 comments)
hesperia: The Truth About Appraisals: Knowing the Guidelines Solves the Mystery
- 05/16/07 12:25 AM
The appraisal process often baffles consumers. They may feel their home is worth a higher dollar amount, and the appraised value doesn't always make sense to them. It is important to know that appraisal guidelines are dictated by the lenders, and in some states, it is a requirement to also disclose what the appraisal will be used for because there are different rules to follow depending on the purpose. In effect, lender guidelines force appraisers to put a fair market value on homes based on comparable sales in the same area, and the home must be bracketed in size and value. For … (0 comments)
hesperia: Success is a Numbers Game, but Discipline Drives the Process
- 05/15/07 11:37 PM
Since the early 1990s, Mike Ferry has conducted over 5,400 seminars and presentations on the subject of what it takes to succeed in real estate. In an interview I recently listened to, Ferry focused on the need for real estate professionals to go back to the basics of setting goals and tracking their results. Goal setting means going beyond what it takes to merely get by, Ferry claimed. The real estate professional must first determine what it takes to break even and have a concrete idea of where they would like to be financially to have a more comfortable lifestyle. For example, … (4 comments)
hesperia: Be the Gate Keeper: Take Control of the Lead
- 05/14/07 11:12 PM
The Law of The Gate Keeper states: The business professional that refers out the most business will create the most reciprocal referral relationships in return. Translation: The business professional who controls the lead WINS! Regardless of your vocation, there will always be other business professionals that you should seek to align yourself with because they represent a potential increase in business for you through referrals. The easiest way for you to develop relationships with the people you want to work with is to start off the relationship by referring new business to them. This is The Gate Keeper concept in its truest … (3 comments)
hesperia: Pass Your Assets to Loved Ones...Not Uncle Sam
- 05/14/07 01:30 AM
If you don't have an estate plan in place, don't worry...the IRS has one for you. But you may not like it, so it's always a good idea to get your finances in order and avoid incurring tax penalties and hefty estate taxes. Knowing the value of your estate and becoming familiar with several exemptions and tax benefits can help you hand your assets over to your loved ones...without handing a portion of your hard earned assets over to Uncle Sam. Some good news-the new Federal estate tax exclusion increased in 2006 to $2 million per person. In the past ten … (3 comments)
hesperia: Marketing 101: How to Stand Out from the Crowd
- 05/14/07 01:20 AM
The purpose of marketing is to obtain mental real estate. Competition is fierce these days, as consumers are bombarded with distractions from every direction. How can you make sure that your message is heard and remembered? Communication is Key Whether it's a company brochure, a newsletter, or a flyer, the idea is the same. You are trying to attract the reader's attention! When you create a company brochure, produce something that's compelling. Remember, your brochure will be competing with a mountain of magazines in the waiting room. Don't hand out a standard overview of your company, with a look and feel that mirrors … (3 comments)
hesperia: Successful People
- 05/13/07 04:16 AM
1) Successful people are those who do the things other people are either unwilling or unable to do - or both. (2) Successful people don't focus on the things they want, they focus on the things other people want and then supply those wants to them. (3) When you work and you bring your service to the greatest number of people in the best possible way at the highest possible degree, you will become successful. Successful people don't drop out of the sky. Behind every success there is a story and most all of them entail taking some skill, practicing … (16 comments)
hesperia: Congress Makes PMI Tax Deductible: Millions of Borrowers Will Benefit
- 05/13/07 02:57 AM
The federal government's Private Mortgage Insurance legislation is great news for the Real Estate Industry! Enacted on January 1st, 2007, the bill makes Private Mortgage Insurance tax deductible for potential borrowers whose personal adjusted gross income is less than $100,000. For millions of home buyers, the bill creates an amazing opportunity to finance a more expensive home or potentially obtain a lower payment for the same-priced home, while reducing annual income taxes by hundreds of dollars. What is PMI? Designed to protect lenders from defaults and foreclosures, Private Mortgage Insurance is required for loans exceeding 80% of the property's value or sales price. … (0 comments)
hesperia: Making Dreams a Reality: Shaping Your World by Thought
- 05/13/07 02:48 AM
There's no end to the number of motivational speakers and self-help "gurus" who make a name for themselves by re-hashing old ideas. But there is truth to these ideas, and I especially wanted to share one of the ideas from the great-grandfather of self-help, James Allen. Allen's treatise, As A Man Thinketh, was first published at the turn of the twentieth century. His central notion is that our thoughts are under our control, and that they in turn determine our emotions, our health, and even our circumstances. "Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. No such conditions can exist … (8 comments)
hesperia: The Perfect Purchase Transaction!!
- 05/12/07 08:10 AM
Have you ever wondered what the Perfect Purchase Transaction would look like? Close your eyes and dream about it for a minute... Few inbound phone calls. Your cell phone never rings. Clients leave so ecstatic with your service that they hand you three names of people they know who are ready to sell their homes or want to buy in your area. You enjoy shorter workdays during the process because everything clicked. Okay, WAKE UP! The dream has ended. Yet, that dream is possible. Although you work in an innately reactive business, it is possible to be proactive and stave off the … (1 comments)
hesperia: THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN’!
- 05/12/07 02:33 AM
But we're not talking about the latest top 40 hit by Mariah Carey!! It's the FED. The Federal Reserve Board has hiked rates seventeen consecutive times over the past two plus years...and while they've paused in their hiking cycle for the time being, the hits they've given to rates have added up fast. While an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) or Home Equity Line of Credit may have saved you a bundle over the past several years of low interest rates - times have changed, and it's likely time to give your whole financial picture a once over and see if any adjustments … (0 comments)
As the saying goes, "A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind." How can prospects or clients have any faith in your ability to work on their behalf, if they see a desk overflowing with paper? Or, in this computer age, if they visit your office and watch you spend valuable time sifting through emails and folders, trying to locate pertinent information regarding their account?;)
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