Outstanding Month of June, 2008 for Trademark Real Estate, Inc., of Hot Springs, Arkansas
August 25, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Paulia Kennedy
Trademark Real Estate
Ph: 501.655.6247
Fax: 501.318-3201
Paulia@bestofhotsprings.com
www.BestofHotSprings.com
(Hot Springs, AR, August 2008) - The Kennedy Team – Jeff & Paulia Kennedy & Debi Jones, REALTORS with Trademark Real Estate, Inc. are pleased to mention that their sales for the month of June of this year broke several records. The Kennedy Team sold a little over $10 million in real estate transactions in June, 2008 in spite of the “slowing economy” that seems to make the headlines on a continuous basis these days. Not only did the Kennedy Team excel in sales during this month, Trademark Real Estate was very pleased to have several top performers during this month, which resulted in $23.5 million in total sales for the month of June … breaking many records for the leading real estate firm in Hot Springs.
There’s no denial that the real estate market today is much tougher than ever before, however, the Kennedy Team and Trademark Real Estate, Inc. are full-proof that it’s possible to get things done.
The Kennedy Team contributes their success to a combination of factors. They are true believers in continuous education in the real estate market, and they have earned over a dozen awards and designations for their specialized training in the real estate market. They also believe in good old-fashioned “hard work”. This belief is what lead them to expanding their team to a total of five members that they have today … Jeff & Debi are the licensed Sales Consultants who are always on the ground working in person with their clients, while Paulia is also a licensed agent and does all the “behind the scenes” work with all the marketing and working with their internet clients. They have also added two other part-time non-licensed assistants to their team, who help with all the other many details of marketing the clients’ homes from custom sign building to preparing virtual tours.
Not only is hard work and education key ingredients to a successful team, the Kennedy Team believes that working for the best real estate firm in Hot Springs is mandatory! Trademark Real Estate, Inc. continues to be the leader in the real estate industry year after year in Hot Springs, and also ranked Number 9 in Arkansas last year. Lorna Nobles, Broker/Owner of Trademark Real Estate seems to focus on all the right things. She made one of the best decisions a few years ago when she made the decision to purchase the ground where Trademark now sits. She chose a high-profile location right smack in the middle of the popular “7 South” area on the highly-traveled Central Avenue. She then built an upscale Mediterranean-style commercial building. Lorna has a few other philosophies that are always visible in her beliefs. She believes, “It’s extremely important to give back to the community that gives to us.” Lorna leads her whole team by participating in many community philanthropies and expects all of her agents to help. Trademark earned the “Small Business of the Year” award from the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce in 2004 & 2006 for their continuous involvement with community philanthropies. Lorna makes no exceptions to another rule - “Trademark only accepts experienced top performers who work full-time or more”. She also believes strongly in “hard work”, and believes it’s absolutely necessary to give it your all, with no distractions.
As the marketplace becomes increasingly competitive, the leading edge approach is proving vital to achieve the sales results clients expect. Always introducing innovative ways to increase the effectiveness of their service, Trademark Real Estate, Inc. is definitely your choice. For information, call 501.318.3200 or visit their website at www.TrademarkRealEstate.com
About Us: The Kennedy Team, of Trademark Real Estate is Jeff Kennedy, Paulia Kennedy and Debi Jones. In 2007, The Kennedy Team sold over $9 Million and is still ranked #1 in total sales in Hot Springs, AR.
-End-
HutHound.com
August 24, 2008
The real estate market in Michigan is troubled to say the least. Property values have declined considerably.
In many areas, the property values have declined by 6% and more. This decline has created a buyer’s market. If you are a property owner and would like to sell, there are still ways to keep more of your equity. A seller can’t change the general real estate market, but now a seller can control the cost of the actual sales transaction.
My three sons and I have started an absolutely free real estate website called HutHound.com. We decide to develop HutHound due to the Michigan real estate values declining. Typically, home owners hire realtors requiring a signed agreement to have their property listed for a specific time. Realtor compensations range, but the usual commission is 6%. While most homes in the market have included the 6% realtor’s commission in the sales price, homes listed on HutHound.com haven’t had to include this cost of the commission. When the home owner decides to sell their property without using a realtor, the seller can list their property for 3% less than the property’s market value and still close the deal with 3% more than if they had used a realtor. The buyer will also benefit, they will purchase the house for 3% less than if they had purchased a house from an owner using a realtor. This win-win situation is being called the “HutHound Way.”
Naturally, when a seller offers their property for 3% less, more buyers become interested. And after an accepted offer, the seller retains more of their hard earned equity, while the buyer has acquired less of a financial burden.
When we designed HutHound.com, we understood that the typical transaction has a realtor involved. Most realtors post their home listings on the MLS (multiple listing service). Most realtors (working for the home buyer) search the MLS for homes for their clients. To help get the best of both worlds, the users of HutHound.com can get their homes listed on the MLS for free as well. Many internet sites offer home owners the opportunity to get their homes listed on the MLS for a flat fee.
We have found that some clients don’t require the use of an attorney (although we recommend sellers and buyers retain legal advice). HutHound.com has real estate forms that can be downloaded for free to help avoid additional costs.
HutHound.com is funded by service providers linked to HutHound.com. These service providers are the reason there is no cost to post your home on HutHound.com. These service providers are associated with real estate transactions. The use of these service providers is not required, but home sellers can hire a vendor to provide a service desired.
SunTitle is HutHound.com’s vendor for providing title work. After the seller and buyer have an accepted offer, just click on the SunTitle link and they can set up the closing and handle the paperwork.
We also offer a HutHound.com yard sign to help market the homes. The benefit of the signs is that a potential buyer can see the HutHound Listing ID and visit the site to see the details. The majority of the homes sold on HutHound.com had a HutHound yard sign. There is a fee to purchase a sign, but buying a sign is not required.
The bottom line – You can sell in this market, it just requires a little effort which can save you thousands of dollars by using HutHound.com.
BULK FORECLOSURE INTRODUCTION
August 23, 2008
Several individuals who make up bulkinvestorclub.com have over 40 years of real estate experience. With expertise in rentals & flips to real estate education, I guess you can say that we’ve been around the block a time or two. Therefore we understand what it takes to make it in real estate. We also understand a good opportunity when we see one.
There are a lot of individuals out there claiming to have direct connections to bulk foreclosures, either buying or selling. We have found however that most companies & individuals making these claims are nothing more than middlemen. The same packages seem to be shopped repeatedly by these imposters promising this or that. Therefore, we know how difficult it is for buyers to find credible and genuine packages. We strongly discourage and hope to help rid this rapidly growing industry of these imposters.
THE BANKER’S NIGHTMARE HAS TURNED INTO THE SAVVY INVESTOR’S DREAM
Banks have already tried to sell these homes several ways, listing them with local realtors and through public auctions. It’s important to remember however, that banks are in the money business, not real estate. Banks often borrow money from other banks at low interest rates and then lend it out to people like you and I on credit cards, auto loans and mortgages at slightly higher interest rates making their profits on the difference.
When banks have a high rate of homes sitting vacant, accruing tax and insurance liabilities it not only makes their books look bad, often making it impossible for them to borrow more money, it also means they are no longer making any profits on the money they have already lent out. This forces banks to make decisions they otherwise would not, they often have to act quickly or go out of business. While banks are struggling to stay afloat, they are forced to offload tremendous amounts of inventory in bulk packages through approved buyers.
A MILLIONAIRE’S GAME NO LONGER
We are an approved buyer with 4 of the nation’s top 10 lenders and banks. Most packages are so large that it can cost from hundreds of thousands of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars. Therefore it is generally cost prohibitive for the average investor to get involved.
BulkInvestorClub.com has three major areas of focus:
1. Obtain packages, clean up any title issues, for example, back taxes & utility bills. Then we break that package down into individual homes and offer them for sale, as is, to the average investor.
2. Do all that has been stated above but in addition to offering individual properties, we also offer our management service to help get your homes occupied with either a tenant buyer or ‘Section 8′ renter. (more details on our recommended management process can be found by fill out your application at www.bulkinvestorclub.com)
3. Since we are already an approved buyer for several large banks let us be your foot in the door to gain access to full bulk packages.
S. California Foreclosures Increase In Second Quarter Of 2008
August 22, 2008
Riverside, San Bernardino Have Alarming Number of Households Entering Foreclosure
Mt. Pleasant, PA (PRWEB) August 21, 2008 — Default Research, the premier provider of preforeclosure real estate data in Southern California, is reporting that Notice of Defaults and Notice of Trustee Sales, compared to the first quarter of 2008, were up 20 percent in the second quarter. Los Angeles County foreclosures lead the area with 24,968 Notice of Default and Notice of Trustee Sales followed by Riverside (24,968) and San Bernardino (19,829) counties.
“The percentage of households entering foreclosure in the area was almost as shocking a number as the Notice of Default and Notice of Trustee Sales,” said Serdar Bankaci, founder of Default Research. “In Riverside County 9.54 percent of the households entered foreclosure, while the number was slightly lower in San Bernardino at 7.45 percent. Considering that the national average is 2 percent, it is clear this area is still getting buried by foreclosures.”
The news was worse for Riverside which was also one of the top cities in the region for foreclosures, along with Los Angeles and San Diego. All over the region, inventories are increasing while median home prices are decreasing. However, as Bankaci points out, there is some positive news for people looking to invest.
“A volatile market ushers in the ability to make money,” said Bankaci, who offers foreclosure lists two to three weeks ahead of the competition. “Three words: Buy and rent. Rental homes are in demand due to the credit crunch in the area. There are literally thousands of deals out there for properties at discounted prices to be turned into rentals.”
The hardest hit counties with the largest number of documents per household are Riverside (9.54%), San Bernardino (7.45%) and San Diego (4.07%)
Below is a unique and accurate local look at how the Default Research foreclosure statistics affect your area:
Los Angeles Foreclosures - Hardest hit cities are Los Angeles (2423), Palmdale (952), Lancaster (920), Long Beach (572) Pomona (292), Santa Clarita (284) and Compton (268)
Orange County Foreclosures - Hardest hit cities are Santa Ana (689), Anaheim (508), Garden Grove (272), Orange (178), Fullerton (157)
Riverside Foreclosures - Hardest hit cities are Riverside (1304), Moreno Valley (1078), Corona (934), Perris (579), Murrieta (548) and Hemet (468)
San Diego Foreclosures - Hardest hit cities San Diego (1951), Chula Vista (763), Escondido (492), Oceanside (464) and El Cajon (290)
San Bernardino Foreclosures - Hardest hit cities are Fontana (953), San Bernardino (874), Victorville (693), Hesperia (508), and Rialto (455)
Default Research is California’s leader in foreclosure research, reporting Notices of Default and Trustee Sales Notices only days after being recorded. More information about Default Research foreclosure information can be found at its Web site: http://www.defaultresearch.com. For more detailed California foreclosure statistics listed by county, please visit http://market.defaultresearch.com.
Inc. Magazine Names GetMyHomesValue.com 16th Fastest Growing Real Estate Company
August 21, 2008
GetMyHomesValue.com tops the charts as the 16th fastest growing real estate related company in the United States and makes the 386th spot overall on this year’s Inc. 500 list, featured in the September issue of Inc. Magazine. The list is based on privately held companies with the highest percentage of revenue growth over a 4-year period.
Lancaster, PA (PRWEB) August 21, 2008 — Soaring upward through the ranks of successful companies after only 4 years in business, GetMyHomesValue.com is the 16th fastest growing real estate company in the United States, according to Inc. Magazine. September’s issue of Inc. features the coveted 2008 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S., called the ‘Inc. 500′. GetMyHomesValue.com comes in as the 386th fastest growing company in the United States with a 786% growth in revenue since 2004.
So what sets GetMyHomesValue.com apart from the other companies on the list? For one, founders Dave Conklin, Rory Wilfong and Steve Young began the company with no venture capital and were profitable from day one. It started as just another way to generate leads for their real estate team, but when leads from all over the U.S. started pouring in, they realized it was time to take it to the next level by offering the service to real estate agents nationwide.
The truly amazing part of this success story is that the company continued to see remarkable growth even in an industry that, to hear the media tell it, has totally tanked in the past 3 years. Enough growth in fact, to not only make the Inc. 500, but to be named the 16th fastest growing real estate company nationwide!
“You hear so many people moaning about how the real estate market is crashing and the housing bubble is bursting…but we’ve said all along that after the huge boom of the early 2000s, there was bound to be a leveling out. Agents and consumers became so used to an abnormally great market that when it starts to normalize again, they panic,” explains real estate agent turned tech-junkie Dave Conklin.
Wilfong chimes in, “Our sales and customer support department have had their work cut out for them, trying to keep agents from giving into the panic of the ’supposed’ market crash. But they never gave up, and it’s because of our amazing team of employees that we’ve been able to achieve this kind of success.”
By the end of 2005, the guys decided it was time to take GetMyHomesValue to the next level and expand their business offerings. Today the company provides real estate agents nationwide with all the tools they need to successfully grow their business: lead generation, client relationship management (CRM) software, strategic coaching and internet marketing. Their hard work paid off as company revenue skyrocketed 786% within 4 years.
“It’s just amazing to be recognized for growing a business we’re so passionate about. We knew going into this that if we put our minds to it, we’d be successful in a big way. And the fact that we’ve grown so much justifies what we’ve believed all along: there’s still plenty of money to be made in real estate - agents just have to be willing to work hard for it!” says Steve Young.
The Inc. 500, featured in the September issue of Inc. Magazine, is an annual ranking of privately owned companies based on their percentage of revenue growth over a 4-year period. Each company must be privately owned and independent (not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies) as of December 31, 2007. Inc. Magazine also releases an expanded list on their website, the Inc. 5000. The top 10% of the Inc. 5000 are chosen for special recognition to make the Inc. 500 in the September issue of the magazine.
GetMyHomesValue.com is a Lancaster, PA based real estate marketing company that utilizes the internet to connect consumers who have real estate needs to real estate professionals. At the same time, GetMyHomesValue.com provides real estate agents nationwide with prospective clients, CRM products, strategic coaching and internet marketing services.
For more information call or email media contact Ashley Lichty at 717-406-1883 or alichty@prospectmx.com.
###
RE BlogWorld Real Estate and Mortgage Convention September 19 - 21 in Las Vegas
August 21, 2008
The real estate and mortgage Industry’s largest blogging and new media event, RE Blog World will be in Las Vegas, NV September 19 - 21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Produced by Todd Carpenter, RE Blog World has an all star cast of top mortgage and real estate industry presenters that will show how they have successfully integrated blogging, technology, and new media into their daily marketing routines.
This three day event features more than 50 seminars, panel discussions and keynotes from iconic personalities on the leading-edge of online technology, and Internet-savvy business.
Hundreds of the top bloggers, SEO experts, and innovative real estate technology leaders will be sharing their strategies. View complete schedule HERE.
Pricing is $100 off for registrations prior to August 22.
Event Schedule
Day 1 - RE BlogWorld Conference
A full day of seminars, panels & workshops focused on the nuts & bolts of leveraging social media tools like blogs to enhance the marketing efforts of real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and anyone working within the field of real estate.
Days 2 & 3 - BlogWorld & New Media Expo
The worlds largest blogging & new media trade show opens along with dozens of seminars on blogging, social media, search engine optimization, podcasting, video-casting, online journalism, small business strategies and more.
Special opportunities for beginners
Don’t wait for RE BlogWorld to start blogging. Click hereto find out more about our blogging for beginners pre-conference program.
10 creative ways to help sell your house faster in a slow market
August 19, 2008
1) First Impressions…..add curb appeal and make them want to come inside!
a. Clear away leaves and add inexpensive wood chips
b. Refresh the landscaping - add color with inexpensive but well placed flowers
c. Does your exterior paint need a touch up?
2) Weekend bathroom renovations
a. Switch out the faucets and the shower head and re-caulk the bath and sink
b. Update the hardware – New handles and towel rails
c. Add a new shower curtain, a new rug and towels for style and color
3) Go Neutral
a. Create a blank canvas that prospective buyers can personalize
b. Choose a light, inoffensive color scheme – No Primary colors
c. Convert kids rooms to “anyone” rooms, remove posters and cartoon wallpaper etc
4) Light up your life
a. Add carefully placed lights to small rooms to give the appearance of spaciousness
b. Warm lighting can cast a comforting glow in lifeless rooms
c. Let natural light do its job…remove coverings on windows and doors
5) Less is more – Remove the clutter by renting a storage unit
a. Remove all kids’ toys, or it gives the appearance your home lacks storage space
b. Stage the living areas with minimal furniture; try to make your rooms look larger
c. Put personal items away; remember your things are your style not theirs, so get rid of them until you sell, including photos
6) Know what its worth – be realistic
a. Find a good Real Estate Agent that knows your neighborhood for advice
b. Do your own research on the internet
c. Don’t try to over value and leave it sitting on the market for months
7) Use Mobile marketing – use any advantage you can get over the competition
a. Every lead is vital. Capture their contact information every time someone enquire about your house for easy follow up
b. Don’t rely on an empty flyer tube or an unavailable agent to satisfy someone who wants information about your house
c. Saves you time and money and results in a faster sale
8 ) Money to spend? Do it wisely.
a. Updated kitchens and bathrooms are the first place to put your money
b. Give your home the right upgrade for its age and the neighborhood
c. Think about holding some money in reserves for repairs after an inspection
9) You’re out of there
a. People will feel more comfortable looking around your house without you there
b. Take all pets with you and clean up any evidence of them in the house and the yard
c. Mentally detach yourself from the house; it’s no longer your home, it’s a product to be sold
10) Cleanliness is next to sold-liness
a. Try to make everywhere look fresh, just like you would expect a hotel to be
b. Make sure to dust furniture and clean all windows inside and out
c. Light some scented candles to create a pleasant aroma
Brought to you by www.mycityphone.com
Visit us to learn more about the latest ways to use technology to separate your home from the rest and sell your home faster.
Montana Luxury Waterfront Ranch Owners Get Creative to Market Property Online
August 19, 2008
Reaching Trophy Home Buyers and Conservation Property Investors in the Internet Age
Hamilton, MT (PRWEB) August 19, 2008 — In today’s market, luxury property buyers are relying more and more on the Internet to search for that special dream property to call home. With this in mind, high-end sellers in Western Montana have launched an aggressive online marketing campaign to sell their historic waterfront Hamilton, Montana home and ranch on 40 acres sitting at the foot of the Bitterroot Valley. Visit estate ranch video at http://www.realestateshows.com/show.php?id=312009&code=cf8b04c9.
The one-of-a-kind completely restored home with a tree-lined creek cascading though the property for over one-quarter mile is located between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. While the owners engaged well-respected Montana real estate broker, John Payne of Montana Prime Properties, to offer their pristine Western Montana estate home, they didn’t stop there. They created a web site to highlight the fully restored historic craftsman home with wraparound porches, breathtaking 360 degree mountain views and a private stream.
The sellers have taken advantage of the ease of using the Internet to get the word out about offering the estate ranch by posting a dream retreat video to showcase the monumental beauty of the surrounding Bitterroot Mountains, professionally landscaped grounds and original wood restored floors. After spending six years meticulously restoring this lodge with everything from a wine cellar, to fine finishes and energy-saving measures, they want to share its beauty and convenience with as many people as possible.
“This property is one of the most desirable and largest undeveloped tracts of land located close to Hamilton, Montana,” said John Payne, expert real estate broker in the Bitterroot Valley region. “This beautiful home on a trout stream with 40 acres with its approved septic sites and its preferred treed building sites along the stream has enormous development and conservation potential. The bonus factor is that the owners are offering a separate 20-acre parcel, including irrigation. Now that’s the approach if a buyer wants ultimate privacy,” he noted.
To get the word out efficiently, they listed the home on key real estate web sites such as Landflip and published press releases about the dream home offering.
Prospective buyers can tour the large one-of-a-kind Western Montana home and request information by visiting Montana Dream Property Web Site or contacting John Payne at (877)-666-8262.
###
SHORT REFINANCE FHA SECURE, HOW TO GET THE BANK TO DISCOUNT YOUR MORTGAGE
August 16, 2008
Tucson AZ – In Arizona we have been seeing record numbers of foreclosures, record numbers of bank repos and record numbers of short sales. Homeowners are faced with rising mortgage payments when their once low adjustable rate mortgages reset and climb. A short sale has been a common answer to losing a home through foreclosure.
But now there’s a new answer; the short refinance FHA Secure. The short refinance works exactly the same as a short sale with the exception that the homeowner remains a homeowner. In a short sale, once an offer comes in it gets presented to the bank along with an application package from the seller to the bank asking to take a discount on the current mortgage. Once the bank accepts the offer for less than what the seller owes the bank they have agreed to a short sale. A short refinance works in much the same way as a short sale only in the case of a short refinance the “offer” presented to the bank is actually a copy of the homeowner’s brand new short refinance FHA Secure approval. The short refinance approval, along with all the supporting documentation, is then submitted to the bank requesting a discount. Once the bank accepts the discount, they have accepted a short payoff and agreed to a discount on the loan allowing for the short refinance.
A major benefit of the short refinance is that it allows borrowers to keep their homes. The short refinance delights homeowners because they get a new start with a lower mortgage payment and a lower mortgage balance.
Why would the bank agree to a short refinance and not just foreclose on the property? Simply put foreclosing on a property requires large amounts of legal fees and then the home is typically sold at a substantial discount off of the fair market value. The short refinance allows the bank to avoid the majority of the legal fees and let’s the new lender make its largest loan based on the fair market value.
To read about how the Short Refinance FHA Secure Helps 200,000 families.
To apply for a Short Refinance FHA Secure loan visit Short Refinance Application.
For more information on the Short Refinance FHA Secure contact:
Paul Dunn
FHA Lending Specialist
First Priority Financial
520-225-0380
tucson-fha-loans.com
usdaruralhomeloans.com
REO News
August 16, 2008
REO brokers wishing to work with lending institutions are often frustrated by not being connected with REO Asset Managers. The best way to give you exposure is to be listed in a place where the asset managers can have fast access to listing brokers. ReoAllstars.com is a new site run by a REO manager who has been in the business for several years and you can sign up free. Many popular REO referral sites charge over $1,000 annually to be listed at the bottom of their lists where you may never get called. In order to promote ReoAllstars the manager has asked his co-workers to use the brokers listed there and the first brokers in each county will naturally get the most business. Try it…it’s free…you’ll love it.
60-Day Notice to Terminate Tenants: Effective July 8, 2008, a tenant or subtenant in possession of a rental housing unit that has been sold through foreclosure is generally entitled to a 60-day written notice to quit, not just 30 days. However, a borrower who remains on the property after foreclosure may be served a three-day notice to terminate. This law does not affect, among other things, rent-controlled properties with just-cause evictions. Effective on or about September 8, 2008, the lender, trustee, or authorized agent posting a notice of sale must also post and mail a specified notice of a tenant’s right to a 60-day eviction notice from the new owner, unless other laws apply. This requirement to notify tenants of their rights applies to loans secured by residential real property where the borrower has a different billing address than the property address.
