1) Stated Income Loans: The Unexpected Victims – With stated income loans virtually disappearing, the victims are those who it was initially intended to help.
2) Fair Housing’s One Thing, Common Sense a Close Second – Jonathan makes a good point. We are not allowed to say if we would live in a neighborhood or not, but even if we could, that does not make it a good or bad neighborhood because everyone has different personal taste.
3) The New Normal for Luxury Real Estate Buyers – While the number of luxury homes selling may be down, they are still moving. This post takes a look at how they are buying homes these days. I personally am finding in the luxury home market cash is involved more often than not lately.
4) Required VS Voluntary Sign Ups – Do you require people to sign up on your IDX to view homes? I personally was a believer of allowing free search, after all my Mom told me I needed to keep it open. Then I went to requiring registration. My only question is why didn’t I do it earlier.
5) Smile! You’re Showing Skills Are On Candid Camera. – Interesting discussion, now about video taping the home while being shown. I agree that agent feedback is next to worthless, this would provide much better feedback and give the seller a greater sense of security.
6) Finding a Home Online: The Do’s and Don’ts of Online Real Estate – Some good advice of what to do and what not to do when looking for houses online.
7) Learn to Communicate with Your Clients! – Agents, how do your clients want to hear from you? Do they want email, calls, text, DM’s? Find out what they are doing and make them feel comfortable.
8) Obama Announces $1.5 Billion in Housing Aid – Oh Really? – If throwing $75 billion at a problem does not fix it you can always be creative and try something different, like throwing another $1.5billion at it :-/
9) Can I get proof of a competing offer? – If you are asked to raise your price because there is a higher offer can you get a copy of that offer as proof? Generally not? BUT I have seen it happen where I use an escalator clause and if the escalation is needed then the seller needs to show me proof with page one of the contract that an escalation was needed.
10) Here Comes the Corner – Are You Going To Be Ready? – This brings up some interesting questions, will the housing stimulus programs be extended when later this year. If you would have asked me last fall I would have said no way. Now I am not so sure. After all, remember, it is an election year.
