But before we get into all that, let’s think about what a relocation company is at its very core.  It is a company that attracts people who are relocating, engages those clients, and then places them with real estate professionals.  Finally, a

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Anyone who has ever invested in real estate started somewhere, from the 9-5er who owns a second home and rent it out to pay for their gym membership, to the world-famous toupee-wearer Donald Trump himself. Perhaps the most common question asked among potential real estate investors is “how do I get started” and as with most basic questions there is no simple answer.

First you have the old-school, hardcore, Nike motto quoting gunslingers yelling “just do it already!” On the other side you have the analytical, bow-tie wearing scaredy cats cautioning “be careful, you are going to get burned.” So, what is the right way…trial by fire or careful planning? While I lean

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I know I sure do, and this weeks installment of Watch-It Wednesday is sure to be the most informative three minutes of your day.

Quicken Loans Chief Economist Bob Walters sat down with our very own Jordan Fylonenko to talk about three very strong reasons  to buy a home in 2012 in another episode of the critically acclaimed Markets and Musings.

Bob explained, there are some unique things happening right now that people should be aware of and take advantage of. One is mortgage interest rates are at 50-year lows.

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We all remember what it was like to ask our parents a million questions about the world we were growing up in. We were curious, wild-eyed and willing to learn. We battered our parents with a barrage of questions because our inquisitive nature begged to be satisfied.

While our childhood years might be behind us, as sales professionals we must remain eager to learn and willing to ask prospects the important, but often times uncomfortable questions.

Asking Strategic Questions

Although we might be more selective in our line of questioning as adults, it is possible that we are not discriminating enough.

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The first letters should be arriving in mailboxes this week, with most mailed by the third quarter of this year.

The principal reduction program is part of the national foreclosure settlement, which was finalized back in February. It called for at least $10 billion to go toward reducing mortgage balances.

The other big banks will need to get on board as well, since that settlement also involved Ally/GMAC, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo.

[See the latest mortgage rates from dozens of lenders, updated daily.]

Are You Eligible?

This program isn’t for those with a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, or VA loan. S

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A high quality moving firm would adhere to certain conditions that are expected to be fulfilled for it to be called the same. Firstly, it would provide clarity to the customers on how it would go about moving the belongings. It would answer every single question raised by the customer. Read full post…

“We like the old-town style here,” said Jon Sundock of the couple’s house in Rosemary Beach, a master-planned housing development on Florida’s Panhandle.

Although the beach town dates from 1995, it was created to look much older. Based on the principles of new urbanism and traditional neighborhood design, the community is reminiscent of yesteryear, long before automobile-powered suburban sprawl.

“It’s great to park the car, and bike everywhere, even to restaurants,” Sundock said.

While the Sundocks are enthusiastic fans of the old-fashioned lifestyle, is this a community-planning model that will continue to flourish in the 21st century? Read full post…

Home prices in the index of 20 major U.S. cities showed a monthly decline of 0.8 percent in January, dropping to their lowest level since the beginning of 2003. All told, average home prices are now down 34.4 percent since peaking in 2006.   The continued deterioration in home prices comes despite other recent positive trends in the housing market and the economy in general, including stronger home sales compared to one year ago and increasing consumer confidence.   I Read full post…

Simply go at the website and fill the quote form. Read full post…

Understanding the mindset of your high net worth clients is a high priority when you are marketing luxury real estate.  The ability to temporarily step out of your own mode of thinking and see the world through they eyes is one of the keys to becoming a market leader. It is essential to maintaining any great relationship.

People take different routes to arrive at the same place.  They solve problems from different angles.  They see the world through different paradigms or frameworks of thought. Yo

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If you’re not clear on what a short sale is, check out this article. If you’ve already put an offer on a short sale, know that you are not alone. In 90 days your hair will have grown three inches, and you may or may not have approval on your short sale.

To stay sane, decide three things:

Don’t put your life on hold.

Don’t lose sight of your personal goals despite the waiting process. Don’t s

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Let me make this brief and straight to the point. Real estate investors . . . your time is your most precious asset. You CAN invest in real estate without money but you cannot invest if you do not have time to find, evaluate and consummate deals.

Now, we all know that quite the little cottage market has popped up with people pedaling real estate education. Yes, education is important absolutely critical. However, I’ve noticed that many real estate classes are about 75% filler and 25% usable information. We need to change that from within.

I’m a seasoned investor. I a

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The recent conviction of a Delray Beach, Fla., loan officer for his participation in a scheme to persuade seniors to refinance their reverse mortgages should serve as a warning to the friends and relatives of elderly people about the surprising ease with which senior homeowners can be exploited.

That the loan officer and his co-conspirators, including a title agent, were creating false loan applications and pocketing the money casts a pall over the lending business. And with good reason, according to the National Council on Aging, which ranks homeowner/reverse mortgage scams as the eighth most prevalent scam specifically targeting seniors.

Yet rogue mortgage professionals aren’t the chief perpetrators of such elder abuse.

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Does this mean we should stock up on water, dry goods and ammo, and crawl into our respective bomb shelters?

Not exactly. While mortgage rates aren’t as low as they once were, they’re still at rock-bottom levels.

This week, troubled mortgage financier Freddie Mac said the 30-year fixed averaged 4.08%, up from 3.92% a week earlier.

[See the latest mortgage rates from dozens of lenders, updated daily.]

While that may be a sizable jump, it’s only slightly higher than the all-time low, which was 3.87%, seen just about a month ago.

[Will mortgage rates drop any lower?]

However, it’s the first time mortgage rates on the popular 30-year fixed have averaged higher than 4% since October 2011.

Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft attributed it to mortgage rates “catching up with increases in U.S. Treasury

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Guest Post by Marc Roth, Director of Learning and Development with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

As I watched my little girl recently turn six years old, it fascinated me to see not only how much she has learned, but how quickly she is learning.  Before my very eyes, my flesh and blood is the true epitome of a living, breathing sponge that soaks up everything including the kitchen sink. If I sound a little envious, it’s because I am.

I get tremendous pleasure in learning something new.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to happen as often as I would like. As I

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