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.

Top 5 reasons to choose RE BlogWorld

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.

More on what BlogWorld can offer attendees.

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.

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.

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.

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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

Jupiter, Fla. (PRWEB) August 16, 2008 — The Fed has been driving the cost of money down in an effort to spur more lending. But many banks have instead reduced their exposure to various business lines and eliminated some loan products altogether.

Every quarter, the Fed releases a report called the “Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices.” It quantifies how many banks are tightening standards, and on which types of loans. The third-quarter survey was conducted in July; 52 domestic banks and 21 foreign banks with operations here in the U.S. responded.

The figures are reported in terms of net tightening/loosening. The Fed adds up the percentage of banks that say they either tightened considerably or tightened somewhat in a given loan category and nets that out against the percentage of banks that eased somewhat or eased considerably. A positive percentage figure means more banks tightened than loosened; a negative percentage figure means more banks loosened than tightened.

The latest survey showed that:

 - Residential mortgage credit was tougher to get all around. The Fed began breaking out separate figures for three sub-categories of home mortgages in the second quarter of 2007. And more recently banks are tightening standards across the board.
 - The trend is spilling over into commercial real estate. This is no longer just a subprime mortgage crunch.
 - Consumer credit is tougher to come by. The story is the same for credit cards, auto loans, boat loans, and other forms of consumer credit. Some 66.6% of lenders said they were tightening standards on credit card borrowers. That was up from 32.4% a quarter earlier and the highest since the Fed began collecting data in 1996. 67.4% are making it tougher to get other consumer loans, up from 44.4% and another record.
 - Lastly, banks are tightening standards and raising the cost of the loans they do make for commercial and industrial customers. A net 57.6% of banks are tightening standards for large and medium sized borrowers, up from 55.4% a quarter earlier and the highest since the first quarter of 2001. More than 80% said they were raising the spread over their cost of funds that they charge large and medium sized borrowers for access to money. That was up from 71% a quarter earlier and the most ever.

We have record-high percentages of lenders tightening standards on residential mortgages, commercial mortgages, credit cards, and consumer loans. Businesses are also finding it tougher and costlier to borrow.
Corporate America will get hit particularly hard with sales and earnings slumping. That’s bearish for the stock market.

“As for the financial industry, it’s yet another sign that the worst is not over.
Banks are the stingiest ever because they went overboard during the housing bubble, leaving them vulnerable to large losses on previously issued home mortgages. Unfolding downturns in other sectors, like autos and commercial real estate, are starting to drive up delinquencies in other parts of their loan portfolios, too,” Larson states.

To read this issue online, please visit:
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/Issues.aspx?NewsletterEntryId=2090

About Mike Larson and Money and Markets:
Mike Larson joined the company in 2001, and has more than 10 years of experience researching and writing about personal finance, investing, and the housing and mortgage industry. In 2003, Mr. Larson was named associate editor of the company’s monthly Safe Money Report. In this role, he is responsible for writing and editing as well as analyzing trading opportunities for clients. Mr. Larson is also a regular contributor to the company’s daily e-letter, Money and Markets.

Before joining Weiss Research, Mr. Larson was a personal finance reporter for Bankrate.com, where he wrote extensively on mortgage lending, banking, residential real estate, and Federal Reserve Board policy. His responsibilities included analyzing economic data and interest rate trends for a weekly column and developing rate forecasts for a regular index feature. Previously, Mr. Larson held positions at Bloomberg News and the Boston Herald.

Recognized as an interest rate and mortgage market expert, Mr. Larson’s views have been quoted in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Dow Jones Newswires, Reuters, Sun-Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post. He has also appeared as an investment expert to discuss the housing market on CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg Television. His writing has been acknowledged by both the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the Massachusetts Press Association.

Among the first analysts to call the housing slide, Mr. Larson’s new policy paper, “How Federal Regulators, Lenders and Wall Street Created America’s Housing Crisis: Nine Proposals for a Long-Term Recovery” has received broad media coverage following its July 2007 submission to the Federal Reserve and FDIC. Mr. Larson holds B.A. and B.S. degrees from Boston University.

Money and Markets (www.moneyandmarkets.com) is a free daily investment newsletter from Dr. Martin Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Weiss Research, Inc. is located in Jupiter, Florida. For more information about our editors, or to set up an interview, please contact Jennifer Moran at 561-627-3300 or visit www.moneyandmarkets.com.

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Chapel Hill, NC (PRWEB) August 16, 2008 — With the current subprime meltdown taking place within the US Economy, many people are losing their homes and millions more are worried about how they are going to make their mortgage payments. In his recently released book, Subprime Meltdown: From U.S. Crisis to Global Recession, Charles Brownell addresses how the subprime mortgage was created, how it works, and what factors led to the current subprime mortgage crisis.

In 114 pages, Brownell succeeds in providing a comprehensive understanding of how a number of different sectors contributed to this crisis which has resulted in far more world wide implications. Brownell explains how the Federal Government and Congress instigated the current crisis between 1975 and 1980 when they passed legislation that forced financial institutions into the subprime market stating that it was discriminatory not to give loans to low and moderate income people. He details how the financial institutions could not afford to give loans that were considered high risk so they came up with clever ways to profit. A number of the ways that he describes were very shady and ended up costing mortgage holders much more than they thought. As well, he shows how practices of financial institutions resulted in what is known as predatory lending.

People lacking knowledge on subprime mortgages will find the book very easy to understand. Brownell provides clarity on a very confusing subject. Not only does he explain how mortgage lenders work with financial lenders to ensure the best profit for them, he also provides an account of all those hidden fees that people often don’t know about. As well, he offers solutions on how to reduce the chance of another subprime mortgage crisis from recurring. For those seeking advice on how to make sure they choose a mortgage that they can afford, helpful tips on managing your money and what to look for when choosing a mortgage are provided.

The book is a very educational read for those trying to make sense of the subprime mortgage market. Although it is about a serious situation, it is very optimistic with an important message of the need for consumer education.

Book Ordering
Subprime Meltdown, ISBN 1438236611 (paperback), is distributed through Ingram Distribution and can be purchased online at Amazon.com and many other online bookstores.

About the Author
Charles Brownell has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, and has been involved in the real estate business for more than 25 years. He purchased his first real estate property in 1982. Since that time he has owned a total of 17 residential units. he has also bought and sold a few single-family properties: a home for rehab, a teardown for new construction, and a vacant lot for new construction.

If you are interested in reviewing Subprime Meltdown: From U.S. Crisis To Global Recession, or arranging for a talk and book signing, or interview, please Charles Brownell at CharlesBrownell @ Live.com or by phone at 919-923-8864.

# # #

Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) August 16, 2008 — Freedom Debt Management (”FDM”), a 501(c)(3) non-profit provider of financial literacy and budget counseling will host a free “Foreclosure Prevention Workshop” for residents of Palm Beach and Broward Counties on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 at 6:30PM. It will be held at FDM’s headquarters located at 941A Clint Moore Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33487

FDM has refocused a substantial part of its counseling resources to the housing crisis as South Florida is one of the hardest hit areas. Mr. Darish Still, Director of Education for FDM and author of their financial literacy guide entitled Your Money states “The biggest mistake people make is not communicating with their lending institution as soon as they recognize their ability to make the payments is threatened.”

President Bush signed the “Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008″ on July 30th, making this workshop quite timely. Referenced as the “Hope for Homeowners Act” by many; FDM’s goal is to help people position themselves to take advantage of the program when it takes effect October 1st, 2008. “It all starts with a budget” Mr. Still continued, “people need to begin tracking their income and expenses closely and if needed, seek help from a financial counselor to develop a workable budget or spending plan.”

Attendees will learn what it takes to qualify for the new aid, along with any other options that currently exist for those struggling with mortgage payments.

For Further Information or to receive a free copy of FDM’s Financial Literacy guide please call:

Darish Still
Director of Education
Freedom Debt Management
561-362-3011

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Mansion builder to share success tips at Leaders in Luxury event

August 12, 2008 (Prweb.com) — Frank McKinney, “the Maverick Daredevil Real Estate Artist,” has been chosen as a keynote speaker for Leaders in Luxury (LIL), an invitation-only special event for 100 of the nation’s leading real estate professionals who work in the upper-tier market. Hosted by The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing (ILHM), this year’s LIL event will be held in South Beach (Miami) at the luxurious new Gansevoort South Hotel and Spa.

“Frank McKinney’s personality is as big as the 60,000+ square foot mansions he builds,” said The Institute’s Founder Laurie Moore-Moore. “The story of his life is inspiring and he has many ideas to share about how to maximize one’s success, despite today’s market conditions. If anyone understands branding, promotion, and how to succeed, McKinney does.”

At age 18, with $50 in his pocket and without the benefit of higher education, McKinney left his native Indiana for Florida in search of his profession. In his first Florida job he earned $180 a week, waking at 4:00 a.m. and digging sand traps by hand on a Deerfield Beach golf course. On May 19, 1986, at age 22, Mr. McKinney founded his first real estate investment company and bought his first $50,000 fixer-upper, selling it a few months later for a $7,000 profit.

Today, Frank McKinney is known around the globe as a real estate “artist,” and the creative building force behind some of the world’s unique mansions. A true maverick with a charming flair, he is a daredevil in the risky world of speculative high-end real estate. McKinney is nearing completion of “Acqua Liana,” an opulent eco-friendly “green” mansion priced at $29 million and “Crystalina,” a $30 million Polynesian green home.

Although McKinney builds new dream mansions, he lives with his family in an historic 3000 square foot home, offices in a 150 sq. ft. tree house, and is committed to his Caring House Project Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating self-sufficiency by providing housing, food, water, medical support and opportunity for the desperately poor and homeless around the world.

Another current McKinney project is a $135 million spec home, The Manalapan Residence. This three-story 67,670 square foot home includes 14 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, an 18 car garage, a 6,140 sq. ft. master bedroom suite, lavish Grand Rotunda room for entertaining, dual water walls, aquarium ceilings and walls, movie theatre, casino and club room with stunning aquarium wet bar, oceanfront gourmet family kitchen, catering kitchen, outdoor summer kitchen, his/her offices, 10 wet bars, two wine rooms (one for red, one for white), gymnasium with beauty salon, two swimming pools (classical lap and grotto waterfall/waterslide), shark tank, two elevators, bowling alley, tennis court with pavilion, archery range, 1/4 mile jogging/go cart track, butterfly gardens, Italian and Floridian gardens, sculpture gardens, citrus orchard, guest house, staff house, back-up generator, full home automation, and more.

“McKinney is a speaker who makes audiences smile, challenges them to be more successful and leaves them wanting more. His presentation will add excitement and spice to the Leaders in Luxury meeting,” predicts Institute President Waco Moore. “As part of our agreement with Mr. McKinney, The Institute is also pleased to fund the construction of two houses in Haiti through his Caring House Project Foundation.”

About The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing
The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing trains real estate agents who work in the luxury market and awards the prestigious Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) designation to members who meet strict performance standards. Based in Dallas (TX), The Institute has an international membership.