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Florida grants real estate licenses to felons
Florida grants real estate licenses to felons - Letters - BradentonHerald.com. The link is to a letter to the editor.  In NM we have to be fingerprinted and have a background check.Florida grants real estate licenses to felons originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 08:31:05.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Are You Alienating Friends & Social Contacts?
Social media use by business, and definitely by real estate professionals, is growing by leaps and bounds.  And, if you read here much, you know that I'm a big fan of Google+, the new social spot on the Web.  However, there's a lot of disagreement about how much to engage our prospective customers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+.  Some would say, and they practice it, that if a little works then a lot must work better.  I do know that when I connect with a real estate professional in Google+, if I start getting multiple posts/day, especially if they're mostly promoting every tiny feature of their listings, I just disconnect.  After all, I'm in Taos, NM, and have very little interest in their new listing in Detroit.  (Another reason to learn to use Google+ Circles properly.) Research recently published by ROI Research and Performics might shock some of us.  They asked consumers and users of social media how often they considered "often enough" for business connections to communicate with them in social media.  The top two response groups were 28% saying once per month or less, and 26% saying once per week was enough. I know I'm doing more than that at times, as my blog posts here are fed to a Twitter account.  I do the same with my personal real estate site.  However, I don't think that it's about absolute numbers.  I think it's more about content and quality.  And, I definitely think posting up every one of your listings more than once is way too much.  First, if you're doing Social right, you're building a large number of long term relationships.  How many people who buy a home on average once every eight years want three listing posts every week for that eight years?  That's around 1200+ posts they endure that will have absolutely no value to them. However, if at least half or more of your posts are market reports, sold property data, local and regional news and views, then it's more like a magazine or ezine of local information.  Your self-serving marketing posts can blend in without overpowering your contacts.  Think about your social media strategy and how you would perceive it as the acquaintance on the receiving end. Are You Alienating Friends & Social Contacts? originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 11:41:48.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Don't Call an Inspector an "Idiot" in Email!
What have you called an inspector lately?  Or, how about an appraiser?  It's probably best that we do this in a room alone, not in a mass email. 'Idiot' comment spurs lawsuit.Don't Call an Inspector an "Idiot" in Email! originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 at 14:54:43.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Google+ Shakes Up the Search World
Just this week, Google+ became an integral part of Google Search results with "Personal Results."   It's creating quite a stir, some negative.  Twitter is in a snit because they think Google has an unfair advantage, and others just think it's not going to be useful. I think it is just fine, and it allows a searcher to display partial or total results of posts, video and images posted to Google+ by people in their circles.  I've written about it and included an image here.  Check it out.  There's also a new feature in that article about recording video into a Google+ post.Google+ Shakes Up the Search World originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 at 12:14:47.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Is a Handout Better Than a Bailout - If We're Paying for It?
The latest plan hatched by the government to help dig out of the housing mess is to sell government owned properties in bulk to large investors.  It's refreshing to see the more mainstream media like CNBC express doubts about this latest scheme.  Where there's enough smoke for the major media to smell it, there just may be some fire around somewhere. The taxpayers are probably going to foot the bill to back loans and subsidize very rich and large investors in buying up foreclosure inventory in bulk and profiting from converting the homes to rental use.  Some of the smoke includes the statements of how much more expensive it is to manage properties that are spread out in location.  Then there's the statement that banks will not want to finance these purchases due to the lack of precedent and experience. The foundation is being laid for another infusion of taxpayer funds into private enterprise.  Technically, it isn't a bailout yet, but it's certainly looking like it could be a handout to those who least need it.Is a Handout Better Than a Bailout - If We're Paying for It? originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 at 12:17:31.Permalink | Comment | Email this

If You're Still Ignoring Google+ ... Don't
If you're still trying to compare Google+ to Facebook, you shouldn't be doing that either.  It isn't a Facebook clone, and is only a competitor in some ways.  The fact is that Google Plus is growing, and it's providing businesses with a whole new way to communicate with prospects and customers.  I've set up several business pages, a very fast and easy process, and I'm slowly building a following on a couple of them. I've written a summary article and set of article links about Google+ here.  You should be getting involved in Google Plus now, but only if you're going to do more than set up a page with no photo, About information or links.  The few steps that are required to make the most of your Google+ business page and personal profile will be well worth it as Google rolls in their other services and begins to give more value to Google+ pages in their search algorithms.If You're Still Ignoring Google+ ... Don't originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 at 09:15:29.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Real Estate News This Week
Daily News Articles | Realtor Magazine realtormag.realtor.org1/5/12 Several real estate professionals say cash-back incentives that some lenders are using to tempt delinquent borrowers to do a short sale over a foreclosure are not very effective because it's not clear on who qualifies for the ... Real Estate News: Refinancing Gets Even More Attractive ... blogs.wsj.com1/3/12 Here is a look at real-estate news in the weekend's and Monday's WSJ: Real Estate News: Mortgage Rates Hold Near Lows | Best Rate ... bestratemoney.com1/6/12 Real Estate News: Mortgage Rates Hold Near Lows. Here is a look at real-estate news in todays's WSJ: Read more from the original source: Real Estate News: Mortgage Rates Hold Near Lows ... Real Estate News: Big Funds Build Case for Housing ... blogs.wsj.com12/29/11 Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ: Big Funds Build Case for Housing: Hedge funds have been buying housing-related investments, betting on a rebound. Bulls have been burned in the past, but optimistic ...Real Estate News This Week originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 19:52:39.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Is a Bailout Coming for FHA?
The FHA, Federal Housing Administration, just issued a performance report that could indicate the need for a taxpayer bailout in the next three to five years.  A spike from 8.4% to 9.3 percent this month for mortgages delinquent three months or more has generated concern. The FHA is mandated to maintain a reserve fund of at least 2%, which is a measurement of funds in reserve in relation to total insured loan value.   The November report shows that the reserve fund is now down to only 0.24% of outstanding loans.  While the FHA states that loans since 2009 are of a higher quality than those before and should help to bring up the value of the reserve fund, there are those who disagree. Since many loans after 2009 went to those taking advantage of the first time homebuyer tax credit, there is a concern that they are going to become a problem.  Many of those borrowers are said to have been cash poor, needing the tax credit to make their down payment.  They are also as a group mostly underwater on their mortgages since they had such a low equity in the first place.  There is a concern that they will become a problem and default in the future. While the FHA seems to think that things are going to get better, many analysts expect just the opposite and a bailout from taxpayers in the neighborhood of $30 billion to $50 billion.  I love reading this kind of stuff right when I'm doing my tax stuff!Is a Bailout Coming for FHA? originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 19:41:45.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Unethical Action by a Homeowner Considered Good Corporate Strategy
Since the beginning of the housing crisis, "jingle mail" has been increasing.  That's the practice of a homeowner who is underwater on their mortgage, owing more than the home is worth, mailing in the keys and intentionally defaulting.  This is in spite of the fact that they can continue to pay their payments.  In an article titled The Chaotic Consequences of Being Unethical, the author comes down clearly on the side that this is a damaging unethical action by homeowners. Then pop over and read the PBS site article titled Exploring the New Corporate Bankruptcy Strategy.  There we're treated to interviews that show there is a strategy employed by corporations to file for bankruptcy as a business strategy, and some who do this are celebrated as sharp business people and "turnaround experts."  Of course, in many of these bankruptcies some lenders are left holding the bag while many times it's investors and pensioners who lose their shirts. Interesting divergence in ethics.Unethical Action by a Homeowner Considered Good Corporate Strategy originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Monday, December 26th, 2011 at 09:41:15.Permalink | Comment | Email this

$25 billion Opinion from Retired Wells Fargo Exec
The SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, has charged six former Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives with securities fraud.   It is alleged that they misled investors about the extent of the exposure of the mortgage giants to risky subprime mortgage debt.  You can get the details at the link, including the names of those being sued by the SEC. More interesting is a CNNMoney article titled Fannie and Freddie must go - here's how written by former Wells Fargo Chairman Richard Kovacevich.  It's full of advice for how to fix things and get rid of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  You'll need to read it for two reasons.  First, it's possible that there may be some good information.  Second, you paid dearly for it, as indicated in this CBS News article entitled Following the Bailout Money to Wells Fargo. Note that the quote about the buyout of Wachovia is from Richard Kovacevich, then still chairman of Wells Fargo.$25 billion Opinion from Retired Wells Fargo Exec originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at 12:28:11.Permalink | Comment | Email this