Frisco Texas Mortgages, Real Estate, Events, and more

Thinking outside the box

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:43:39 -0400

Do you have clients that are not quite 'Credit Ready' to buy a home?

Michelle Gibson - Realtor in Wellington Florida, shares a GREAT idea to help your 'future clients' into a rental.

Do you have some other great ideas to share?

Via Michelle Gibson REALTOR® Wellington Florida Real Estate (Hansen Real Estate Group Inc.):

Thinking outside the box

Writing a personal letter to a prospective landlord isn't common in my area, but it's something I have every one of my prospective tenants do.

Why? A personal letter is just that, personal, an introduction to who they are.

How many landlords base their decision solely on credit reports and deposits? I can tell you a lot.

So how is a person with horrible credit and/or little money suppose to find a home? Over the years I've placed countless clients into a rental home due in part to the personal letter they wrote.

A letter that introduced them, a letter that explained why their credit wasn't perfect, a letter explaining why they short saled their home or claimed bankruptcy.

I have found landlords will look past the numbers on the paper and focus more on the person, IF the person takes the time to introduce themselves.

If you are working with a prospective tenant regardless of how they appear on paper I highly recommend including a personal letter with their offer, it can go along way.

Michelle Gibson REALTOR®
Hansen Real Estate Group Inc.
561.333.0446

Wellington FL Real Estate

Wellington FL Real Estate Blog
©2010 All Rights Reserved

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Are you are looking to buy or sell a home in Frisco Texas or another city in North Texas? Perhaps you love your home but would be interested in refinancing to a lower interest rate? If so, then I can help.

I'll help you get pre-approved for your a new home loan in Texas and even suggest some very knowledgeable and professional Real Estate Agents in your area of choice. If you are available to talk, I am available to listen. Give me a call any time or visit my website for more details.

Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

My P90X Experience Thus Far... it was time and my Austin buddy motivated me

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:34:11 -0400

A short while ago, Mr. Jason Crouch wrote a post about his diet. If you have kept up with his posts or twitter updates, you may know that he has already lost 30+ pounds. Well, we were talking about 2 weeks ago about what he was doing and the different iPhone Applications that helped him acheive this goal (and he is not done yet).

Well, after talking with him about it and talking with my friend about an infomercial I was watching (P90X), I decided I needed to do something about my weight as well. As it turns out, my friend has this system in his house and only lasted the first week. He claimed it was a tough program and his schedule just became too busy.

I did a little research and asked if I could borrower it for at least 30 days (its a 90 day workout program for those of you that are not familiar). If after 30 days, I have stuck with it (which I COMPLETELY intend on doing) then I will purchase my own.

To keep me honest, I am stealing Jason's idea about going PUBLIC with my weight loss goal. This will keep me focused and accountable for my goal. My goal is to be around 205 pounds. As I get closer to this goal I may adjust it accordingly, which will depend on my muscle mass compared to fat percentage.

So, on Sunday morning I jumped on the scale. Although I was not happy with the initial reading, I was not surprised by it either... in other words, the scale was not kind to me...

Sunday evening I started the first day of my P90X program. As I mentioned, its a 90 day program, which for me will run from August 1st to October 30th. In addition to the workout program, you have to watch your diet. They have a recommendation, but I am currently watching what I eat, how much I eat, and ultimately counting my calories like a modified Weight Watches program.

Today is Day #4 ... YOGA. :-) I have not completed this exercise yet, but can imagine it will be tough. Its 92 minutes long. In previous years I have teased my wife about how easy Yoga is... although I had never taken a class. So, I imagine she will get a good laugh at me after this evenings workout.

The program is designed to have a 'Weight Lifting' day, then a 'Cardio' day. What do you think about Yoga? Is it tougher than it looks? I'll know for myself in about 4 hours, but wondered what you thought and how many AR members are Yoga fans.

To date, I have lost 3 pounds... and Im sore ALL over. Seems like a small number, but its only been 3 days. I dont expect to lost a pound a day, but a few pounds per week would be great.

If you have ever thought about P90X, I would certainly consider it. The only time I would not suggest investing your money is if you have back or knee problems. Some exercises may irritate an existing injury you have in those areas. It can be tough, but feels well worth it so far. I'm sure I'll keep you posted with the results as I go.

p.s. Did I mention that some how I got Jason Crouch to do it as well? It works out really well because we compare notes on the exercises and push each other. Besides going public with my weigh loss goal, one of the biggest motivators is that I have an accountabiity partner that checks in on me to keeps me honest.

See you later in the Rain!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Bill H.R. 5981 passes - FHA Mortgages to increase it's annual mortgage insurance premium

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:14:41 -0400

Recent changes to FHA. This was well written and provides some great examples. Figured I would share it with you.

Via Jeff Belonger-The FHA Expert - FHA Loans - FHA mortgages - USDA loans - VA Loans ( - FHA Home Loans - Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc):

FHA first proposed the monthly mortgage insurance changes in the beginning of 2010. Bill H.R. 5981 was first passed by the House in the spring and was just passed by the Senate the other day. What does this bill do for FHA mortgages? They have projected that it will yield approximately $300 million per month to the FHA insurance fund.

So what are the new FHA changes? - For terms greater than 15 years -

LTV's <= 95% will increase the monthly fee by 85 bps

LTV's > 95% will increase the monthly fee by 90 bps

And lastly, it will reduce the Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium, UFMIP, from 225 basis points to 100 basis points.

The plan is to go into effect by September 7th, 2010 on all FHA case numbers. FHA gives it's reasons to this new plan. FHA letter from David H. Stevens

So what do the actual changes mean to the average borrower that will rely on FHA loans when purchasing a new home or refinancing?

                - The Old Plan -

LTV's <= 95% will increase the monthly fee by 50 bps

LTV's > 95% will increase the monthly fee by 55 bps

Example of the changes regarding the FHA monthly mortgage insurance known as MMI or annual mortgage insurance premium and the FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium known as UFMIP.

As you can see, it would be much cheaper monthly with the old plan, even though you pay $3,317 more upfront, on top of your loan. This can also be a tax write off since it's included in your principal. You break even point on this type of scenario is 47 months, which is roughly 3.9 years. After this break even point, you would have started to spend more money in reality. This is how FHA will increase it's mortgage fund. As you can see, it won't be increased as quickly upfront, but over a longer period of time. So if you held onto this mortgage for 7 years, you would have spent approximately $2,522.

Now, there are several other factors to consider when reviewing this kind of information. Just for the fact that your original balance on the loan will be $3,317 lower and in 7 years, still be that much lower. And as I mentioned, you would have a little more of a tax advantage on the higher balance though.

All I wanted to do was to present the basics of FHA loans and not get into the extreme details on how one could show either side. What could this do to a potential home buyer? It could reduce your purchasing power. In this scenario, if you had originally qualified for a $275,000 loan with qualifying ratios of 31/43, what would your new purchase price be.

- New Purchasing Power after September 6th, 2010 -

With the new FHA monthly mortgage insurance and the FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium changes, your purchasing value would drop approximately $10,000, a purchase price of $265,000. Now, these are just averages, because this will all be based on the actual purchase price. Meaning if values are higher or lower, the total amount could change some. But this should give you a good understanding of what changes lie ahead for FHA mortgages in the near future.

UPDATE : Travis Newton did a similar post, using a $200,000 purchase price and as you can see, the mortgage payment inceased by $45.29/month.   Notice *** FHA Changes

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For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags!

For information about FHA myths & FHA rumors, please read : FHA Myths & Rumors

Copyright © 2010 by Jeff Belonger of Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

"Facebook for Business" - Class I'm Co-teaching on August 16th

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:16:00 -0400

Have you attended one of these classes yet? Its well worth it. Many use Facebook, but are still not sure hot to do it for business. This one hour class will be filled with great information.

Hey... if you are going to be on Facebook already, you should learn how to use it effectively for business and pleasure.

Via Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC):

As part of our continuing effort to educate at 210 Consulting, we are offering an encore version of "Facebook for Business". Jeremy Blanton and I will be the instructors.

Date: Monday, August 16th

Time: 1pm Eastern (noon Central, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific)

Duration: One hour (with time allowed at the end for extra questions you may have)

Cost: $24.99

Essentially, this class is a beginners guide to using Facebook effectively. By the time you finish this course, you will know the following:

What is the difference between Facebook Pages & Profiles

The basic elements to running a successful Facebook business page

What types of things to post on your page

The importance of choosing the right title

How to get fans to your page and, more importantly, how to get them interacting on your page

If you have been hesitant using Facebook for your business or think it only about catching up with friends or playing Mafia Wars, this is the class for you.

Event Registration Online for Facebook for Business powered by Eventbrite
If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com. If you're interested in social media training, visit 210 Consulting. Thanks!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Wordless Wednesday... well...maybe a few words... "Bad Hair Day"

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:00:02 -0400

This was a photo taken last last year while we were on a Disney Cruise. We were all standing in the front of the ship checking out the open sea. As you will see , its quite breezy up there. Luckily for me, I keep my hair short. My son had a little movement because he keeps his hair slightly longer than mine... but my daughter... poor thing kept trying to keep it together.. and as you can tell from her posture, she had just given up trying.

Enjoy!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

10 Easy Ways to Have Better Communications With Your Customers.

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:34:00 -0400

You may have seen this post due to the 'FEATURE', but I wanted to share with those readers that do not follow features each day. Great information for keeping in contact with your customers.

Via Bryant Tutas-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc:

Hi folks. Today I want to talk a little bit about communication. In my opinion, lack of good communication skills and/or systems is the number 1 reason why Sellers and Buyers complain about their agents. In fact, just about every time I go meet with a Seller who has just had their listing expired "lack of communication" is what they complain about.

"They listed my property and I never heard from them again."

"I always had to call them if I wanted an update."

"It would take them days to return my phone call."

"They never answer their phone and their voice mail is full" and on and on and on.

Hopefully this post will help you with some systems. If you want to be a "lister" then you need to master these two things.

Price it right.

Keep the listing until it sells. This is done by constant communications with your seller.

If you can master these two then you will have no problem getting and keeping listings. I've written many times about pricing so I'm not going to touch down on that one again. I'm also not going to talk about being a good communicator. This post is about communication systems. This is what I do once I get a listing.

Send the Seller a thank you card when you get back to the office.

Set them up on auto property alerts so as soon as a property similar to theirs or on their street is listed, goes pending or is sold the Seller receives an alert from the MLS. You may want to set up several of these.

Make a Picasa Web Album with as many pictures of their property as you can. Invite them to the album. Every time an agent goes to show the property send the agent an invite to the web album and cc the Seller.

As soon as the property is entered into the MLS email the Seller the MLS listing.

Set up a video tour and online flyer. Send the link to the "tracking report" to the Seller so they have it. These are usually live reports and will update automatically. The Seller can then click on the link and see how many people are looking at the flyer online. Syndicate the flyer to as many sites as possible.

Create a Google Calendar for the property. Invite the Seller to share the calendar. Every time you take an action on the property enter it into the calendar. The Seller will automatically receive an email with the update. For example: "Had a sign call and sent them the web album. Will follow up tomorrow to see about arranging a showing."

Any time you send out an email related to this listing cc the Seller.

Prepare a new CMA every 30 days and send it to the Seller. ALWAYS suggest a price reduction if needed.

Have your Seller "friend" you on Facebook and Twitter.

Hook them up with a RSS feed (feedburner) for your blog so every time you write a post they get it in their email.

Now folks if you utilize these systems you will rarely have to call your Seller. BUT... they will "hear" from you constantly. You will have no problem keeping the listing until it sells.

In fact, the Sellers will be contacting you for price reductions and listing changes because they are constantly being informed of market conditions. And the beauty is........it's all automated!!! How sweet is that?

***I am NOT an Attorney nor do I play one on TV. Click the button below for my Bio.

Copyright © 2010 http://www.brokerbryant.com/ | All Rights Reserved

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Do you read a post and spread the word? Or do you do your own homework?

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:46:26 -0400

Do you read a post and spread the word by either creating your owner post or reblogging the post? Or do you read a post, do your homework to confirm the accuracy, and then create your own post?

In today's AR Newsletter, a post was shared written by Lenn Harley called "Are Mortgage Loan Origination Fees Deductible....."

Within the post, Lenn points out that Loan Origination Fees ARE deductible. The fact of the matter is that not ALL situations are the same. To her credit, Lenn does provide the IRS website and instructs her readers to check it out for more details. She even states to not listen to your Realtor or Loan Originator, but to contact a CPA or Tax Expert for clarification.

I too suggest contacting a CPA, but I wanted to share some helpful tips for when a Loan Origination is Tax Deductible and when it is not.

In today's market, the Loan Origination is more often the fee paid to the lender/loan originator for doing business with that company. The "Discount Point" is typically the fee that is applied towards getting a "below PAR" interest rate. In essence, paying a fee specifically to lower the rate from XXX to XXX. This is typically called a Discount Point or Discount Fee.

According to the IRS Site, a 'POINT' is defined as:

The term "points" is used to describe certain charges paid, or treated as paid, by a borrower to obtain a home mortgage. Points may also be called loan origination fees, maximum loan charges, loan discount, or discount points.

As you can see, a POINT could be called many things. The first thing you ask your Loan Originator is 'Does this CHARGE (no matter what the name) Lower The Interest Rate?'. If the answer is YES, then this is step one to writing off this charge on your taxes. Why? Because the fee is a direct result of a Lower Interest Rate. If the charge is just a charge paid to the Originator, then the fee is NOT deductible. You can not always tell by just looking at the Fees Breakdown.

In some cases the buyer (or homeowner that is refinancing) will pay a Loan Origination Fee AND a Discount Fee. In this scenario, it is very clear that you are paying a fee to drop the rate... although its not always obvious which is which. Ask your Loan Originator, make a note of it, and then discuss it with your CPA when the time is right.

What is extremely helpful for buyers today is that the new GFE (Good Faith Estimate) clearly states "Borrower Pays a Charge Of XXXXX.XXX For This Interest Rate Of XX.XX%". This was placed on the new GFE to make it very clear and helpful to buyers. As long as the buyer has received the GFE (which they always should) then it should also be clear that the paid a FEE to get the lower rate (Discount Fee).

My overall point to this post is to be sure to do your own homework before Reblogging a post OR before you spread the word to your buyers. Sometimes a post has all the information you need and other times the post is stating facts (or what they consider to be facts). Check it out for yourself!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Why is it Common Sense to me, but not Common Sense to you?

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:16:23 -0400

My question for today... Why is it Common Sense for me, but not Common Sense to you?

A recently loan I closed was delayed last week when the Underwriter noticed that the 'Lead Based Paint Addendum' was checked on the sales contract (page 7). This would make a ton of sense, except the home was built in 2004.

It is required by Law to disclose to a buyer/renter when a home uses Lead Based Paint, but only for those homes built on or before 1978. This is what HUD states about the law:

Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, also known as Title X, to protect families from exposure to lead from paint, dust, and soil. Section 1018 of this law directed HUD and EPA to require the disclosure of known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978.

Basically, its required by law that the seller or landlord must disclose how to identify and control lead based paint hazards. In addition, the seller/landlord must tell the buyers/renters how to treat the area, provide any historical records, and also allow the sellers a 10 day period to do some thorough research about Lead Based Paint.

Two questions are asked when I receive this type of 'condition' for the loan.

1 - Why didn't we catch this before sending it to the underwriter? In this case, we had reviewed the document completely, but because it was a 'docusign' contract the lender asked for a new 'wet signature' contract. The sellers and buyers signed a docusign version, which we assumed (and you know what they say about assuming) was the same contract. Turns out that when it was reprinted, the agent accidentally clicked the addendum.

2 - Why is the underwriter making this a condition 'Prior To Docs' instead of 'prior to funding'? I understand wanting to have an updated version, but you KNOW the home does not need the addendum. Why delay the documents from being generated when it is much easier to make this a Funding Condition.

I asked the Underwriter to make this a 'Funding Condition' rather than 'prior to docs'. Since they will both be at the closing table, its much easier to have them sign it on closing day. When asked this to the underwriter, they replied that they would need 'MANAGEMENT OVERRIDE'.... WHAT?!?!

Management Override took 2 days. Why can an Underwriter not make that 'judgement call' instead of holding up the closing of the loan?

Perhaps that just makes sense to me. Does it make sense to you?

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

The first sign that your mortgage application is going wrong... no one is answering the phone

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:26:05 -0400

Over the past two weeks, I spoke to three new clients with similar situations... their Loan Officer was not returning their calls all of a sudden.

When I receive these calls, it is music to my ears. I'll be happy to pick up the where someone else dropped the ball. Not because these loans are easy - In most cases they are quite opposite. Actually, 75%-85% of the time the client has some real credit or financial issues that need to be addressed. They were just unfortunately to find someone that didn't want to take the time to explain it.

My biggest question to those previous Loan Officers is 'why not just tell the client what the issue is and how they can resolve it?'

Trying to jumping right in, I know that these clients may need a few months of hand holding (perhaps even for up to a year). The key is to explain to them what the main concerns are, point them in the right direction, and set them up with local professional that will help them further.

A local professional could be a Credit Counselor, Real Estate Attorney, Financial Planner, etc. Depending on their current situation, have them contact a professional. Sure, I can direct them on their credit to a certain point, but credit correction is not my expertise. If its something we can work on together, GREAT! Otherwise, they need to speak with someone who can really focus on the improvements needed, who have the time, and supporting staff to see it through correctly.

I'll give you an example... two weeks ago I received a call from a client that received a Pre-Approval Letter. Not just a Pre-Qualification Letter (which is still ridiculous) but an actual Pre-Approval Letter. She then placed an offer on the home and was planning her relocation from Virginia to Frisco Texas. Well, after making arrangements, and getting things packed, she found she was having a hard time reaching the Loan Originator and the Realtor. When she finally did reach the Loan Originator, he told her that she would need some work on her credit.

Keep in mind, this was almost a month later. The 'soon to be' Homeowner's credit scores were low 500s to high 400s. In a panic, she contacted me (Thanks to Activerain and Google.... ranked #1). Unfortunately, I was unable to help with financing today and explained to her why. A few years back she had some issues that were never resolved. None of her credit history was due to recent activity, which tells me that the Loan Originator should have explained this during the very first call and not waited for the customer to TRACK THEM DOWN.

I immediately called Loreena Yeo of 3:16 Team Realty. Explained the situation and that the buyers were coming into town within the next 2 days. She called and spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Buyer to gather some information on location, size, etc. She found some great Lease Options for these buyerss. As a matter of fact, they are working on a Buyer Financing deal while the buyers continue to work on their credit. Actually, while they were all in my office, the buyers called the Credit Repair company I suggested right then to get things started.

So, they will not be able to move into their home as quickly as they would have liked, but at least they have found a home in our wonderful city of Frisco. And although this scenario was not 'financially' beneficial for me, it was well worth it. She is moving pased a bad experience and into something very positive. Besides, in a a few months to a year from now they will be ready to refinance the home to a much lower rate. On top of that, who will they think of the next time someone asks mentions Real Estate or Mortgages? It's all about the relationships you build!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Are You Up for Selling Your OWN Real Estate?

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:39:17 -0400

I do not typically have this many 'ReBlogs' but have you read Deb's post for why a Homeowner should not sell a property on their own?

These are some fantastic reasons that a homeowner should hire a Real Estate Professional. Homeowners usually only consider the money they are saving, but there is much more to it than just the 3% commission.

Via Debe Maxwell - Search Charlotte Homes for Sale - Charlotte NC Neighborhoods (Helen Adams Realty):

Are You Up for Selling Your OWN Real Estate?

As I’m sure you are aware, the real estate industry is experiencing one of its worst down markets in history—at least locally it is. The last thing you want to do is pay commission to a real estate agent, right? Not to mention the fact that you’re nearly positive you can sell your own home just fine without having had any experience in doing so—it’s EASY!

Before sticking a “For Sale by Owner” sign up, however, you’ll need to make sure that you’re ready for the work and headaches entailed in doing so.

Time. Yes, you absolutely can sell your real estate on your own without the help of an agent but, it takes a lot of preparation and time. How much is your time worth to you? How much time do you have to spend preparing, pricing, marketing, procuring a buyer, showing and quite possibly even selling your home? Before you set out on your own, make sure you can afford the time and energy investment requirements.

Service and value. Going it alone, you’ll lose out on a wide variety of services offered by Realtors®. For example, many agents now provide home staging services as well as extensive advertising and marketing services both online and off.

Exposure. You also need exposure to buyers—real estate agents work together to help their sellers procure buyers for them. Realtors® also belong to various organizations which allow sharing of listing information among other Realtors® and the public—your buyer. As well, real estate marketing is our business—we do this full-time and we realize that 87%+ buyers find their homes online—on our sites.

Legalities. Selling a home involves contracts, closings and a multitude of legal issues that can make or break a real estate sale. Real estate transactions have occasionally led to outcomes that were unexpected, including lawsuits. A professional helps ensure that the contracts are legally sound, binding and carried out to the letter of the law.

Market knowledge. Realtors® have instant access to current market information. We are able to establish an accurate selling range within minutes after viewing your property. Since the real estate market is in constant fluctuation, it’s important to have a complete knowledge of the market before pricing your own home. Otherwise, your risk underselling or overpricing your home. Public online sites’ estimates and comparable sales are NOT accurate and can cause you to make a costly mistake right out of the gate with your pricing.

You will also need experience with legal contracts and excellent negotiating skills. Recent NAR reports that only 2% of homeowners who market their home for sale are actually successful—and many times, the buyer is a family member or a friend.

Unless you have your finger on the pulse of the market, chances are a costly mistake can and will be made.

Can you sell your own real estate? Absolutely—but, can you really afford to?

If you’re trying to sell your Charlotte NC home and need the expertise of a professional, I can help. Call me at (704) 491-3310 or email me at Debe@DebeMaxwell.com for more information.

Search Charlotte Homes for Sale
Search Charlotte Neighborhoods

Homes for Sale Charlotte NC on Facebook

Disclosure of material contained within.

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

How to Use Twitter (in my humble opinion) - Tip #1 - Start or Join a Conversation

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:15:59 -0400

I receive lots of questions about how I use Twitter and what the advantages/disadvantages are with having a twitter account.

Jason Crouch wrote a useful tip for Twitter... Joining/Creating Conversation! Twitter is a tool to share your links, but its not a place for Your computer to talk with MY computer. You still need to be a Real Person.

Its a good read, check it out.

Via Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC):

When I started using Twitter back in the fall of 2008 (I had joined many months earlier, but barely used it up to that point), I was a little stumped by all of the lingo and the fast pace of the platform:

What is a "retweet"? Why do I have to use an "@" symbol in front of everyone's name to talk to them? Is anyone really listening?

Over time, I became much more comfortable with the platform, and it has been invaluable to me as a business tool. I connected with my radio co-host there. I recruited some people to work for our company. I had real-world dollars in my pocket because of the things that I learned there and the people I met, some of whom I got to know in person as well.

In an effort to share some of the things that have worked for me, I am starting a series of posts about Twitter and its usage. If you're looking to learn how to use Twitter as a legitimate tool to grow your business and your base of connections, you will probably want to follow along.

Today's tip (as you probably noticed in the title above) is this:

START OR JOIN A CONVERSATION

One analogy that I've heard and used to describe Twitter is that it's much like a big party. If you are hanging out at a party, you will probably be part of many conversations throughout the event. Sometimes the conversations get a little more in-depth, and sometimes they even get private. Other times, you're just kidding around with friends and having a good time. Most things that you can do with regard to networking in person can be done on Twitter as well, although I am not suggesting that Twitter or any other social media tool should replace face-to-face meetings.

HOW TO START A CONVERSATION

I know that this seems really rudimentary, but we've had so many clients ask this that I thought it would be pertinent to include here. Think of how you start a conversation in person. Do you mention a blog post you just wrote? Well, maybe, but only if you describe it somehow and then chat about it afterward. The same applies with Twitter. Simply broadcasting your posts to the tweetstream with no commentary is valueless, in my humble opinion. You can include them, to be sure, but only as part of a larger plan.

Try these ideas:

Mention a cool article or video you have seen

Take a poll

Ask a question of any kind ("what is your favorite TV show/movie/80′s song?")

Say something funny - anything truly funny will usually get a good response

Promote others by retweeting stuff you find interesting or wise

HOW TO JOIN A CONVERSATION

Unlike being at a real-life party, Twitter offers you the opportunity to join conversations with little chance of personal rejection.   If you spot something of interest, respond to it, as in, "Me, too. That book changed my outlook on life in general." If you see something funny, respond accordingly, "I laughed so hard just now that milk came out of my nose."

If you see a discussion about something that looks interesting or about which you can converse, just jump in and participate. The worst case is no response at all, and you haven't really risked much, right?

Again, I recognize that this is pretty basic stuff, but I'm trying to illustrate that Twitter isn't mysterious or difficult. It can facilitate things if you use it the right way.

I hope this is helpful for you. I would love to hear your input below.   Thanks very much for reading!

Next Twitter tip (coming soon): Promoting others
If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?



If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com. If you're interested in social media training, visit 210 Consulting. Thanks!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

As a Marketer and Professional, your target client should be close to home

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:15:32 -0400

As a Marketer (which you are) and a Real Estate Professional your target client should be close to home!

One of the greatest reasons a sales person does not succeed (especially in todays market) is that they try to market to the WORLD. You do not have the resources to effectively market the world and therefore you must pick the targets that are the most effective. There is no target more effective than your close personal contacts.

Why are personal contacts so effective? Selling is a relationship business. This category of contacts is comprised of those with whom you have the closest relationship. Many new to sales are reluctant to call upon those who are close to them. This form of call reluctance negates the time you have spent building up what Steven Covey refers to as "emotional bank accounts." Is this how you see your relationships? Think about it. If those who are closest to you will not help you get your business off the ground, who else will?

The personal category of your sphere of influence is comprised of neighbors, relatives, and other friends. For those who are native to the community and very social.... you may have a hundred or more contacts within this category. Those new to the community, and not as social... may be have less then twenty.

Either way, this is the place to start your marketing efforts. Make sure everyone you know well knows what you do for a living and how he or she can help. Do not ASSUME they will help .... ask specifically for what you would like them to do. Personal referrals come from asking.

Of course, having contacts here on Activerain helps. This is another avenue where your personal contacts will send you referrals... but only after they get to know you. Once that happens, they learn to trust the person you are and will trust their referrals to you in your specific market.

Good luck and see you around the rain!

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

The Pledge of Allegiance by Red Skelton - Happy 4th of July to You All!

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:03:09 -0400

I have not seen this video before. Its pretty darn awesome. I'll certainly be sharing it with my kids because its powerful when broken down the way that Red Skelton does it.

The video is 4 minutes long. Be sure to check it out.

Thanks Wanda Kubat-Nerdin

Via Wanda Kubat-Nerdin (Prado Real Estate, St. George, UT 435.632.9374):

Mr. Skelton was an amazing comedian in his own right but there were times when he would become solemn, especially when he wanted to express something of great importance. This is one of those times and wanted to share this with all of you for this 4th of July weekend. This is a reminder of why we celebrate this great day in honor of those who fought and continue to fight for our freedoms. It still chokes me up when I listen to it. Enjoy!

<<<0>>>

Looking for an experienced REALTOR® in southern Utah? Click here

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I am responsible for my opinions expressed in this blog. Information herein is deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed and may change due to market conditions. Please do not take my pictures or artwork and use them as your own, they are my property, other than the photos from Microsoft Publisher. Copyright ©

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Tax Credit Deadline Extended to September 30th 2010

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:58:07 -0400

**** The below information was posted prior to June 30th. Since this time, the Senate and House have voted on Extending the Home Buyer Tax Credit until September 30th. **** Last step is for the President to sign off and make this official. ***

In case you have not heard, the Senate has approved the First Time Home Buyer (and Move Up) Tax Credit deadline. We still have a few more steps before this will become "official" but they are one step closer to making it happen.

Recently, the Senate has approved this extension to ensure that the First Time Home Buyers and Move-Up Buyers that are under contract will close/fund their loan and receive their tax credit. Based on reports, it showed that over 180,000 home buyers would miss out on their extension if the tax credit deadline is not extended.

Now, this does not mean that any 'new' contracts would be honored. This extension would only benefit those home buyers that had a contract signed by April 30th, 2010 and will not be able to close on their loan until after June 30th 2010, which was the original tax credit deadline date.

I was shocked at the number of loans that could not close within that original 60 day window, but was not as shocked after I heard how many of these purchases were Short Sales or Bank Owned property. Those transactions do tend to take much longer, especially when the Lender and/or Realtor are not familiar with the process.

So, if you have been under contract since April 30th, there may still be time to take advantage of the tax credit, up to $8000.

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Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.

A "simple" home staging consultation in Plano,TX does NOT have to cost upwards of $600!

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:43:49 -0400

Karen Otto wrote a great article about some garbage she read from a local Realtor. The Realtor states that it costs a LOT for Home Staging Consultations.

Karen is a fantastic Home Stager and knows her business. If you are looking for a Home Stager in Plano and surrounding areas, you should make Karen your first and last call for a Home Stager. Realtors know their job and Stagers know theirs. For a 'True' understanding of the process and pricing, contact Karen today.

Via Karen Otto, Home Stager, Plano, TX 469)964-0516 www.homestarstaging.com (Home Star Staging):

While "Googling" words pertinent to home staging in Plano, TX I came across a Plano, TX Realtor's website which claimed the following:

"Unfortunately, home staging pricing for a simple consultation can run from $200 to upwards of $600, and for larger homes, home staging can cost as much as $10,000."

This is not only misleading but it is not true at least for my company, Home Star Staging.

The statement above was part of a section of the website that offered a FREE home staging consultation from the Realtor. I do not take issue with this personally or professionally. If the agent has the time, desire and skill set to successfully guide their clients to stage their homes and offer this as an incentive to secure a listing, that's great! However, I don't think using sweeping claims as to the costs of a home staging consultation to discourage a seller from seeking the advice of an independent home staging professional is necessary.

I would describe a "simple consultation" as a walk through that I complete with many home owners in 2 hours or less that encompasses what they need to know in order to stage the home themselves. Time permitting we also do some "hands on" moving around so they can actually see the difference simple changes can make. The investment in this service is $125 and each additional hour is $50. Most homes under 2,500 square feet are completed within 2 hours.

Honestly, this kind of misleading information is offensive to me .

I don't make claims as to what a Realtor's fees should be or are but I do know that a good Realtor earns their fees. It's information and scare tactics like this that keeps the staging industry from growing in many areas.

A good home stager earns their fees and makes the job of a Realtor easier and the home seller less stressful, we can actually save and make people more money!

Here's a sample of comments from recent clients whom I've completed 2 hour home staging consultations for. The homes ranged in prices from $159,000 (1,800 sq. ft) up to $750,000 (4,800 sq. ft) and all consults were complete in 2 hours for $125.

" My home looked nice before but now it looks like a model"

"Wow! Thank you. What a difference this is going to make. I had the list (my husband sent to me) on the changes you suggested, but to see how much you and he got done today in the short time was amazing. We wanted your professional opinion on how to help our house look the best possible so it would sell, so we were open to any & all suggestions!"

"No one told me before about the things you saw" (home 60+ days on market)

" Now I understand the difference"

"You actually saved me money"

To the Plano Realtor who has this on their website, please do some research on home staging before you make a statement like this.

I would never tell my clients not to hire a good Realtor based on the commission they make, you rightfully earn your fees, I rightfully earn my fees too and they are not as high as you may think.

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Are you selling a home in Plano, Murphy, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson or Dallas, TX? Do you need help and expert advice on preparing a home for sale ?

Home Star Staging is a qualified, insured home staging company and we are always here for you North Texas!

Pre-listing property consultations

Post list "trouble shooting" property consultations

Owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)

Vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)

Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask!

Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com

*********************************************************

Do you want to know all of your mortgage options? Call me today and let's discuss them further.

Always available for your Texas Mortgage needs!

John Cannata LegacyTexas Mortgage p#972.325.4912

www.TexasLoanGuy.com

Frisco Texas Mortgage Consultant

Frisco TX Mortgage

The views expressed on this site are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer.