February already? are you 1/12th of where you wanted to be this year?

1) Showing Homes to a Buyer: What They Want to See. – I feel like I could have written this post. I have said most of these words myself at one time or another. Another thing I would add is when showing them a home, show them what they want to see, not something that is priced 20% higher so maybe they will like it and spend more. That is one of the reasons I got into the business.

2) A Housing Fix or a Jobs Fix? Chicken or Egg? – I think we need to fix the housing market to fix the job market. We need to make it easier for people to be mobile again, to make it so they can pick up and travel to the new job if they need to. Now it is difficult because we do not have a mobile workforce who can quickly sell their home and just up and leave for a new job.

3) The Appraisal System Blows. Especially Non-Local Appraisers. – Oh the joys of HVCC and appraisers. I have been ranting about this since last June.

4) What will the FHA 90-Day Flip Rule Suspension Mean? – (and a related one FHA 90-Day Flip Rule Suspended: Lenders Hesitant To Change) – This is interesting to hear, I talked with the two lenders I most often use after reading this and they both said they are now doing loans on homes they did not do so before because of the 90-day rule.

5) It’s not what you say, it is how you say it – Wondering how to best help your client? Ask questions and listen, really listen.

6) How Can We Increase Our Closings From Our Sites? – If I were a betting man (oh wait I am) I would bet the answer for most people is in the 5th answer here.

7) Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Sellers – If you are an investor there is not reason to be scared of sellers… well of course that assumes you are doing nothing illegal or unethical.

8) On the ethics of “strategic default”… – I understand where Scott is coming from, but I wonder if he lived in Arizona where is $600k house was now literally worth $350,000 if he would feel the same. And it is easy to say yes, until you are actually looking at the hard math. If you did a strategic default and sold it could literally save you more than $500k over the next 30 years. That is a lot of college education. I am not saying to stop paying your mortgage, I am just saying it took me a while, but now I understand.

9) How Long Do Short-Sales Take? – This is a great piece to show your buyers if they are looking for a short sale. It is one thing for you to tell them it is going to take months, it is another when they can read it themselves.

10) Effect of foreclosures on Arizona home prices – This is not a top 10 post because of how amazing the information is, this is a top 10 because of what he did with the information. Click the graph, watch the video. Well done John Wake.