Most organizations, people and teams like to come first, but when you are top of the league in the foreclosure division stakes, it’s not a medal your team will be proud to wear. This is the wooden spoon prize, the unwanted accolade and a position not to be proud of.

CoreLogic is a leading provider when it comes to real estate charts and data, and it places poor old New Jersey at the top of this league for foreclosures. At 5.5 per cent, New Jersey has the highest percentage of foreclosures among mortgaged homes. And what makes that figure sound even worse is that in second place came New York and Florida, which both tied for the runners-up spot with 4.1 per cent. That’s quite a big difference!

Moreover, it seems to get worse when the figures released for the state’s delinquency rate is the highest of them all in the United States at 9.1 per cent. That figure is well in excess of both Florida and New York once again. Yet these figures come as the country as a whole seems to have falling rates of foreclosure.

Last October 2013, there were some 875,000 homes registered as in some form of disclosure across America. But overall things have gotten better because the rate of homes in some form of foreclosure in October 2014, exactly a year later, had dropped by a staggeringly impressive 30 per cent. Currently there is slightly more than 600,000 homes under the threat of foreclosure.

So what is behind the science and under the hood of these higher than average foreclosure rates in New Jersey? Well, for starters the entire process of foreclosure (from the very first payment missed to kicking the occupants right out of their home) takes much longer in New Jersey than it does anywhere else in the U.S. And it is this long drawn-out process that has contributed to a backlog in the county courts that get to ultimately deal with the foreclosure.

Many mortgage lenders in New Jersey decided to freeze the foreclosure process for thousands of households in the state. This meant many homes were effectively frozen in the foreclosure status, but Hurricane Sandy also helped to play a huge part in the process of adding new homes to the foreclosure lists, although this would have affected New York State just as much. The good news is that the process is moving swiftly along now.

Pamsvas.com  -  Real Estate REO and BPO Virtual Assistant Services

After completing  a 2014  P&L this is what became apparent:

1,000 BPOs completed

$30,0000 expenses to complete BPOs including a part time assistant.

That means, just to be in business to complete BPOs  we need to budget $30 per BPO.

Therefore at $50 per BPO, on average -

we net $20 per BPO before social security taxes and health insurance.

Anyone who completes BPOs for $35 or $40 cannot possibly be making a profit.

The Wisconsin housing statistics are in for this November of 2014. Here is an excerpt from what the Wisconsin Realtors® Association (WRA) had to say:

~~~~~
Existing home sales in Wisconsin fell in November compared to the same month last year, but home prices increased over the same period, according to the most recently released analysis of the state’s housing market by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). Existing home sales in November were down 6 percent whereas median prices rose 6.6 percent to $145,000 between November 2013 and November 2014.“The last couple of months have been a bit of a roller coaster in terms of sales,” said Dan Kruse, chairman of WRA board of directors. “October sales were up over last year but sales in November were down” Kruse said. Comparing year-over-year sales for the two months, October sales rose 658 units compared to October 2013 while November sales declined 288 units relative to November 2013. “Putting these numbers into perspective, our housing market remains strong in Wisconsin,” Kruse said. “We had the strongest September to November sales period since 2006, before the Great Recession began”
~~~~~

Below are the number of Home Sales and Median House Prices for the state of Wisconsin, Dane County, and Rock County. These stats include Janesville and Madison. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions pertaining to these figures. This month both Dane & Rock County's home prices increased significantly. On a year over year basis, Dane County's total number of homes sold was up while Rock County home sales slipped.

Thinking of purchasing a home before prices or rates rise any further? I'd be happy to show you any homes currently listed for sale. Feel free to visit either site below:

Real Estate Listings in Janesville, WI 

Real Estate Listings in Madison, WI.

With the recent home price increases, now might be the right time to sell your Wisconsin home. Take advantage of your increased equity! Feel free to take a look at our cutting edge Rock Realty Marketing Plan! If you would like some insight into how much your home is currently worth, I would be happy to provide you with a report that gives a close estimate to what your home might sell for in your current local Wisconsin real estate market. Click below:

What's My Wisconsin Home Worth?

Has your home value fallen below what you currently owe? Have you experienced a hardship like divorce or job loss? A short sale may be right for your situation. Visit our distressed property page for more information.

Wisconsin Short Sales

Housing Statistics for the State of Wisconsin:

November 2014
Home Sales: 4,542
Median Home Price: $145,000

November 2013
Home Sales: 4,807
Median Home Price: $136,000

Housing Statistics for Dane County, WI:

November 2014
Home Sales: 431
Median Home Price: $225,000

November 2013
Home Sales: 425
Median Home Price: $210,000

Housing Statistics for Rock County, WI:

November 2014
Home Sales: 131
Median Home Price: $113,000

November 2013
Home Sales: 147
Median Home Price: $108,000

View my report from last month. Wisconsin October 2014 Housing Statistics

The Real Estate scene will change ..

From Inman News

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Real estate disruption won’t be what you think

Real estate disruption is inevitable, and the industry eventually will experience a massive overhaul. However, disruption may come in a form far different from what most people expect. Looking at the current state of the real estate business, there are a handful of major players at the corporate level that own pretty much everything in the industry, from brokerages to mortgages. The only thing that these conglomerates do not own is the agent and client relationship.

Currently, large companies allow real estate brokerages to operate on slim margins with the goal of incentivizing agents to push their clients to purchase ancillary products. In this scenario, the real estate agent acts as the lead pipeline for financial and transactional products. These ancillary products come in the form of appraisals, mortgages, title insurance, home warranties, home inspections and an endless number of fees associated with every transaction.

For example, Bank of America owns the appraisal company it uses. How is that even legal? (See for yourself here: www.landsafe.com.) Although many think that disruption to the industry will come in the form of eliminating the agent, a more likely scenario is that disruption will come in the form of real estate agent empowerment as agents transition into homeownership experts.

Empowering agents with the information and tools to help consumers save money at the point of close and sell their homes for top dollar brings relevance back to the agent. Disrupting the status quo will come in the form of decreasing closing costs, increasing the effectiveness of agent marketing and empowering the agent and consumer with the tools necessary to decipher an infinite amount of real estate information.

Ultimately, the market will decide the future role of the real estate agent. However, one fact remains clear: Consumers continue to demand a real estate professional to guide them through the property transaction.

Here are three additional insights into the future of real estate industry disruption:

1. The number of agents will decrease

Technology eventually will appeal to a portion of consumers who want to conduct their entire transaction online. Some savvy consumers will handle their own marketing, financing and closing, so fewer agents will be needed. However, agents able to prove their worth will continue to thrive because a majority of consumers will value the insights of a real estate professional.

2. Technology will put downward pressure on transaction costs

There are countless fees associated with every transaction: closing costs, loan origination, inspections, title fees — the list goes on. The growing role of data analytics will allow companies to make smarter and more cost-effective decisions regarding all aspects of buying, selling and owning a home. Increased efficiency will pressure companies to reduce cost to stay competitive.

3. Consumer behavior will continue to support the agent commission structure

Without drastic legislation and a sheer drop-off in consumer demand for real estate agents, there is no clear indication that the current commission structure will change. Consumers will continue to need a real estate professional to open the door, talk their ear off and handle the negotiation process when emotions fly high. Real estate is a relationship-based business, and until the relationship is taken out of the equation, technology will struggle to find mainstream adoption to replace the real estate agent entirely.

Will Caldwell, a San Diego resident, is the CEO and co-founder at Dizzle, a mobile real estate tech company that helps Realtors generate more word-of-mouth leads

Discover the newest form of BPO automation to hit the market. Turbo BPO is no longer just an outsourcing destination, we now empower agents to work on their own orders more efficiently.  This web software is built upon the trial and error of tens of thousands of outsourced orders to make the system as flexible, yet error free as humanly possible.  Our products take an innovative approach to form fill automation by recreating your MLS grid in our system, uploading your MLS data, automatically calculating nearly every possible data field to generate a "Data Driven BPO", and then transferring the final data into the valuation forms.  Theoretically you can complete up to 100% of a valuation form without even opening the company form, although you would still want to check the special instructions!  Invest less than 30 minutes seeing an iForm demo (25 Minutes) and iFill demo (2 Minutes) and this product may just change the whole way you've ever looked at completing a BPO more efficiently and more importantly, of quality.

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- A web browser extension which enables 100% data transfer from the iForm into valuation company forms.

Compatible Companies

BPO Fulfillment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWME37Q1pZU

Clear Capital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY0DMR7P8Hc

CoreLogic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCuKhEyGgIE

Emortgage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjYgv4MfCD0

Equi-Trax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSFz5YYKgAY

iMortgage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3FHDl2W5Do

LSI/ServiceLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_TI6AKIZhI

Ocwen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pujy-Ql43_4

Old Republic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpysYnCH2T4

Proteck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm3nukxRrCk

Realty Pilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiAYmNbBJHE

Real Estate Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRl4HKzfH3o

Single Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8fXIl6CDX8

Solution Star: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dg2Zu_ncEE

Specialized Asset Management: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNITNLNLqKk

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Regards,

John Gattinger

Turbo-BPO.com

First-Time Homebuyers Discounts through FHA

People in the market for their first home can take advantage of a new offer from FHA. This new initiative aims to provide more information to buyers though classroom education and will reward them with a reduction in the premiums paid towards mortgage insurance.

HAWK to the Rescue

The name of the new initiative is called Homeowners Armed with Knowledge (HAWK). The borrowers are asked to complete a series of classes prior to buying the home as well as a few courses scheduled after the home has been purchased. At the time of this writing the classes are broken down in the following ways

* 1st class to be completed before the buyer completes a purchase contract

* 2nd class will be completed after a contract is signed and before the loan is finalized

* 3rd class will be completed within 12 months after the loan is finalized

Goals of the Program

Simply put, the HAWK initiative is hoping that people buying their first home will have a better understanding of the overall process thanks to the counseling and will be in a better position to make wise financial decisions in the future not only in regards to their housing but also to their other needs.

Monetary Benefit

Once the customer has completed the necessary classes their upfront mortgage insurance premium will be reduced along with the monthly premium that is paid as part of the mortgage payments. In addition, if the customer has no delinquent mortgage payments within the first 2 years of the loan the monthly premium will be reduced again.

Some Limits and Expiration Dates

Since this is a new program with no history to review the FHA is rolling this out with limits. The program is currently scheduled to only last for 4 years. In addition, not all FHA loans are going to be accepted under this program. At this time there is no news about how many loans will be allowed to use HAWK but FHA has stated that there will be a maximum number each year.

Class Time Requirement

For the class completed before the contract signing the prospective buyers will need to finish at least 6 hours of counseling and education.

The class that is conducted after the contract signing is a one hour class as well as the class that comes after the loan is closed.

Each class will issue a certificate to the students indicating that the course has been successfully completed. These certificates will be necessary in order to get the reduction in mortgage insurance premium.

In general, this is a great program that FHA is offering. It provides critical information to potential home buyers in order to better prepare them for a prosperous future and it rewards them by reducing the amount paid on their mortgage.

Take a look at --> Madison, WI Homes for Sale or browse through --> Janesville, WI Real Estate Listings!

Should newly-minted real estate licensees be required to go through an apprenticeship period?

This is the question being discussed among real estate professionals across the county.

The topic in question is whether or not an initial license alone is sufficient for a person to practice the business of real estate. The solution suggested by professionalism advocates is to adopt legislation requiring an apprenticeship phase. Providing structured supervision and training to new licensees in an effort to elevate the character and professionalism throughout the industry.

In spite of the ongoing apprenticeship debate, most do agree that our industry is due for a "new development of professional consciousness and  a higher standard of professional service",  towards both consumers and practitioners alike.

How many of you think our industry lacks professionalism amongst its peers?

In a recent article written by Realty Times—California Real Estate Commissioner discusses "what makes a real estate practitioner a professional". 

Read it here and honestly ask yourself how many of the 7 professional attributes  you possess. 

http://realtytimes.com/todaysheadlines1/item/31818-20141202-real-estate-commissioner-seeks-greater-industry-professionalism

So, how many of the 7 did you claim?

Michael Humphries, designated broker for Compass Roads Realty, Inc. and writer for iOn real estate covers local and national real estate news, industry trends and market analytics. Read more of his work here.

Search for thousands of homes in South Florida with direct access to the MLS. http://compassroadsrealty.com/

The Wisconsin housing statistics are in for October of 2014. Here is an excerpt from what the Wisconsin Realtors® Association (WRA) had to say:

~~~~~
Wisconsin’s home sales rose significantly in the month of October, and median prices continued growing at a solid rate, according to a recently released analysis of the state’s housing market by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). Existing home sales in October 2014 were 9.6 percent higher than October 2013 while median prices were up 4.2 percent over that same period, growing to $148,000. “This was a strong bounce in home sales in a month where sales activity is typically winding down as we approach winter,” said Dan Kruse, chairman of WRA board of directors. “In fact, this is the strongest October sales we have seen since 2005 when the WRA began using the current data collection system.” Kruse said. Median prices continued to rise statewide in October, growing at a 4.2 percent annual pace. On a year-to-date basis, home prices in Wisconsin were up 2.5 percent compared to the first 10 months of 2013, which more than outpaces the annual national inflation rate, which stood at 1.7 percent as of September.
~~~~~

Below are the number of Home Sales and Median House Prices for the state of Wisconsin, Dane County, and Rock County. These stats include Janesville and Madison. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions pertaining to these figures. This month Dane & Rock County's home prices increased significantly. On a year over year basis, Dane County home prices were up 3.7% and Rock County prices are up 13.8%!

Thinking of purchasing a home before prices or rates rise any further? I'd be happy to show you any homes currently listed for sale. Feel free to visit either site below:

Real Estate Listings in Janesville, WI 

Real Estate Listings in Madison, WI.

With the recent home price increases, now might be the right time to sell your Wisconsin home. Take advantage of your increased equity! Feel free to take a look at our cutting edge Rock Realty Marketing Plan! If you would like some insight into how much your home is currently worth, I would be happy to provide you with a report that gives a close estimate to what your home might sell for in your current local Wisconsin real estate market. Click below:

What's My Wisconsin Home Worth?

Has your home value fallen below what you currently owe? Have you experienced a hardship like divorce or job loss? A short sale may be right for your situation. Visit our distressed property page for more information.

Wisconsin Short Sales

Housing Statistics for the State of Wisconsin:

October 2014
Home Sales: 6,366
Median Home Price: $148,000

October 2013
Home Sales: 5,748
Median Home Price: $142,000

Housing Statistics for Dane County, WI:

October 2014
Home Sales: 501
Median Home Price: $225,000

October 2013
Home Sales: 517
Median Home Price: $216,796

Housing Statistics for Rock County, WI:

October 2014
Home Sales: 206
Median Home Price: $122,950

October 2013
Home Sales: 165
Median Home Price: $108,000

View my report from last month. Wisconsin September 2014 Housing Statistics

Recently, surveys show that there is a growing demand for upscale rental apartments. This presents a potential opportunity for real estate investors all over the country. Plan holders of Solo 401k accounts can also capitalize on this latest real estate trend, as it is also an opportunity to invest and grow their retirement funds.

Latest study shows that young professionals nowadays prefer renting to buying their homes. The reason is that credit market is now tightened and it is harder to qualify for a home loan. The shifting job market and the likelihood of changes in personal life such as marriage and divorce are also reasons for which young people are more hesitant to commit to a property purchase. Plus, upscale rental apartments can offer high-end amenities, such as a swimming pool or a gym. If a young professional were to buy her first home, it would be unlikely that she would be able to afford a property with such luxury.

Because of this growing trend, investors are now looking at this demand as a great investment opportunity. This demand can be capitalized by plan holders of Solo 401k accounts as well. A Solo 401k account, also known as an Individual 401k, is allowed to invest in real estate, including rental apartment buildings.

Investing in real estate with a Solo 401k, plan holders will enjoy many benefits over other retirement plan. The first benefit is the high Solo 401k contribution limit, which allows account holders to stash away up to $52,000 per year as of 2014. Plan holders who are over 50 years old can also make an additional catch-up contribution of $5,500 per year. The total annual limit for this group is $57,500. Since account holders can contribute more into this tax-deferred account, they can gather enough funds faster to invest in real estate.

If account holders do not have enough money in their retirement account even with the high contribution limit, they will still have other financing options. Unlike a traditional IRA account, a Solo 401k is allowed to use non-recourse financing for real estate purchases. If an IRA account obtains financing for their purchases, it will trigger an Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT). This doesn’t apply to a Solo 401k, however, and account holders can certainly leverage their investment. This is definitely a powerful advantage for upscale rental properties, which requires intensive capital up front.

Investing in rental properties is a good way to create steady passive income. The return is also more predictable, especially after the lease is signed. Not only that, with the introduction of the Solo 401k plan, now investors can use rental properties to diversify their retirement portfolio and capture the opportunities presented by this newest trend.

Real estate professionals have squandered a lot of money on bad "leads". That term - leads - has been burned into the vernacular of real estate agents because there are so many lead providers, and it's become an ugly term for far too many agents. 

Consider working a reliable set of data to generate your own leads. 

What's the difference between "leads" and data? There is more than a subtle difference. 

The common denominator among leads companies is they have some sort of lead capture device, where someone responds to ad ad, visits a landing page, fills out something, or otherwise raises their hand, thus becoming a so-called "warm lead". 

The problem with this, in our view, is three-fold: 

1. The company does 90% of the work for you, and you end up paying an exorbitant fee for marketing tasks you can do on your own. Our philosophy is you can paddle your own canoe and generate your own leads, by designing and implementing your own lead capture systems, rather than outsourcing this. 
2. From my experience and feedback I've received, leads are oftentimes not qualified. A good leads provider will separate the serious from the curious, but there's little economic incentive (in the short run) to qualify the lead. Better to sell the name of anyone that raises their hand, regardless of whether they are genuinely interested or have the ability to buy or sell. Thus, you can spend a lot of money on a warm prospect that is no prospect at all. 
3. Once these leads are generated, irrespective of their quality, they are oftentimes sold to multiple agents that cannibalize themselves and irritate the prospect, who is inundated with calls. 

Enter data, the building blocks to generate your own leads.

Unlike "leads", data is merely information on a group of potential buyers or sellers you want to reach. It is building a profile of the ideal prospect you want to reach. These people have a set of characteristics that give them a propensity to buy or sell. Some common examples are owners of luxury homes, absentee owners, ownersof vacant land, expired listings, homeowners with 2nd notes, homeowners in bankruptcy or divorce, and so on - there are nearly infinite possibilities. 

One set of data that has been very responsive has been a list of probate filings. The executor is often motivated to liquidate the property in order to pay for tax liabilities and estate-related expenses, satisfy creditors and distribute the remaining proceeds to the heirs. These heirs, by and large, don't want the house... they want the cash in the house. 

Unlike "leads", data is not a group that has responded to an ad or clicked somewhere, and thus is much more affordable than so-called warm leads. Armed with data, you can reach out to people that match your criteria and generate your own leads in-house. 

As a data provider, the analogy I like to use is we are like a hardware store. We give you the tools to build the house - or in this case, buy, sell or list the house. We don't pick up the hammer and build the house for you. But we give you the tools to build your own house, by identifying your best prospects. 

Who is it exactly that you are trying to reach? Perhaps we can find your needle in a haystack. To bounce some ideas, call us at 800-307-9124 or send us an e-mail. 

Ironically, the only constant in business is change. 

Perhaps you've seen shrinking inventories, or found that it's taking longer to get a paycheck as banks hold onto REO's longer. With the housing market on the rebound, discounted deals are harder to come by. 

Against this backdrop, every serious investor or agent owes it to themselves to seriously consider probate marketing. 

Probates are unpublished. Unlisted. Unknown. 

With an aging boomer population, there will be an unprecedented transfer of wealth in the coming years. Literally trillions of dollars will pass from one generation to the next, and yes, that's trillions with a "t". Each and every year, over 2 million probate cases are opened, a number that will only increase with aging boomers.>View more numbers here.

Although there is a vast and ever increasing inventory of probates, these properties are "under the radar", and the executor of the estate is often motivated to sell them at a discount to cash out in order to pay for significant estate related expenses and pay the heirs their equitable share of the estate. 

Is Probate Marketing Ambulance Chasing? 

Some real estate are hesitant to working a list of probate filings for fear it strikes of ambulance chasing. This is a myopic view. The reality is, the executor oftentimes has an urgency to sell. Ironically, the only two certainties in live occur at the same time, and Uncle Sam wants their piece of the pie. In addition to the tax liabilities, there are other expenses that must be paid, be it funeral, medical, ongoing mortgage payments, utilities - every expense that a household incurs, must also be paid in a probated property. The preponderance of executors do not live in the county where the probated property is situated, so they do not want to be bogged down with property maintenance issues or playing landlord. 

In future posts, I'll delve more into the niche probate market and provide some ideas as to capturing your share of this low hanging fruit. Curious about working a list of probates in your area? Enter your criteria here and we'll go to the drawing board to see what's available in the counties you service. 

If you fail to keep up your homeowners’ association fees or complete the annual assessments, the HOA could end up foreclosing. Its par for the course these days that when you purchase a home, condo or town house, that happens to be a communal development, then you will most likely have to pay fees to a housing association.

Now what would happen if you simply ignored these fees or failed to meet the annual assessments? The Housing Association would apply to get a lien on your home and this then leads into foreclosure (assuming you still fail to settle up with your housing association).

The Homeowners’ Associations are a body that sets up to look after the communal garden areas, essential repairs in stairwells, cleaning, lighting for communal hallways and exterior electricity bills. All this maintenance costs and it recovers its cost from the lease holder. Failure to pay up means a service is being provided to you and you are essentially not paying for it.

Other work that the housing association must carry out includes removing snow, landscape gardening, fitting new communal windows and repairing roof tiling.  Some of the more-modern condo complexes have swimming pools, gyms, clubhouses and tennis courts which can be used by the residents. All of these amenities need regular maintenance and cleaning, so the fees required by the association are likely to be higher in these luxury blocks.

The housing association also has to enforce the rules within the community; if one resident happens to be playing music loud late at night and making life a misery for all the other members of the community, the association must act and the administration work to remedy anti-social behaviour can mount up in both time and money.

HOA fees can often spring a surprise one-off fee for those complexes that need work carried out on a one-off basis. An example of this would be that a condo complex may need new exterior windows and fascia repairs following a wild storm or even hurricane; these “special assessment fees” are an unfortunate but necessary payment that will land in the lap of the resident – but not as a regular payment but as a one-off fee and comes in addition to regular payments being made.

Before taking out a homeowner association property you should read the terms and conditions on payment of fees should you default at any time, as some associations may charge interest on late payment as well as collection cost fees (if an agency was involved in the fee recovery).

Source: www.pamsvas.com

Real Estate REO and BPO Virtual Assistants

The Wisconsin housing statistics are in for September of 2014. Here is an excerpt from what the Wisconsin Realtors® Association (WRA) had to say:

Wisconsin’s home sales in September were nearly identical to one year ago, but prices were higher, according to the most recent analysis of the state housing market released by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). Existing home sales in September were just 0.2 percent lower than September 2013, and median prices were 3.1 percent higher to $148,700.

“Although our home sales are slightly lower than last year, it’s important to recognize how far we’ve come since emerging from the Great Recession,” said Dan Kruse, the newly installed chairman of WRA board of directors. “Sales this quarter may be 2.1 percent below a very strong third quarter last year, but they are 20.7 percent higher than they were just after the recession ended in the third quarter of 2009,” Kruse said. Kruse noted that other housing indicators also paint a picture of a stabilizing housing market in the state. Seasonally adjusted housing inventories have ranged from about 49,000 homes to nearly 53,000 homes since December 2012, which is a far cry from the nearly 72,000 homes on the market in March 2010.

Below are the number of Home Sales and Median House Prices for the state of Wisconsin, Dane County, and Rock County. These stats include Janesville and Madison. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions pertaining to these figures. This month both Dane and Rock Counties showed increases in year over year home prices, approximately 3.3% in Dane County and over 11% in Rock County!

Thinking of purchasing a home before prices or rates rise any further? I'd be happy to show you any homes currently listed for sale. Feel free to visit either site below:

Real Estate Listings in Janesville, WI 

Real Estate Listings in Madison, WI.

With the recent home price increases, now might be the right time to sell your Wisconsin home. Take advantage of your increased equity! Feel free to take a look at our cutting edge Rock Realty Marketing Plan! If you would like some insight into how much your home is currently worth, I would be happy to provide you with a report that gives a close estimate to what your home might sell for in your current local Wisconsin real estate market. Click below:

What's My Wisconsin Home Worth?

Has your home value fallen below what you currently owe? Have you experienced a hardship like divorce or job loss? A short sale may be right for your situation. Visit our distressed property page for more information.

Wisconsin Short Sales

Housing Statistics for the State of Wisconsin:

Americans seem to push back their retirement further and further, and sometimes not by choice. Especially for self employed small business owners and independent contractors, many dedicated all their wealth and effort to grow their business. At the end of the day, however, people still need to figure out a way to be able to retire. Self employment retirement plans and rental income can be a viable solution.

What are self employment retirement plans?

Self employment retirement plans, or often called Solo 401k plans, are created for self employed individuals. Unlike traditional retirement plans, a Solo 401k allows investments in assets other than stocks and bonds. That means rental properties, among many other options, are allowed.

Rental properties to provide income during retirement

Plan owners of self employment retirement plans can certainly look at rental properties as an income source during their retirement. Rental income is also known as a source of passive income, which means investors do not have to keep working on the investment to generate profit. This allows them to earn income when retired.

This long term investment offers good passive income that can also guard against inflation. As landlord, you can adjust the rent every year to overcome inflation rate.

To ensure a good return, here are a few things to look for in rental properties:

- Location: As true with properties, a good neighborhood will attract more buyers and renters. As a retirement investment, however, it is also wise to choose a place closer to where you live. This way, managing and maintaining the property is not too much of a hassle.

-Size and build: Decide if you would like to start with a single family home, a duplex, or larger. The size and layout of the properties need to fit with your needs. Also try to invest in newer houses, to avoid high repairing and maintaining cost and hassle.

How to finance a rental property

Start contributing to the self employment retirement plans as soon as possible. By doing so, you can take advantage of the high Solo 401k contribution limit, enjoy tax-deferred benefits, and to save up funds to finance the rental properties. Even if you don’t have enough in the Solo 401k account or do not want to pay cash up front, there are financing options available. With an IRA, the use of financing to fund a real estate purchase could trigger Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT). A Solo 401k, however, allows the use of non-recourse financing, tax-free.

Simple Things to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

Getting ready to sell a home involves a lot more than just the home. There are also emotions, schedules and other things to consider. Here are some tips to help you in getting ready for the day you hand over the keys to the new owners.

Remove Old Items

Over the course of time most people accumulate lots of things that are no longer needed. It is fairly common for folks to have clothes that they no longer wear, old books and magazines and other items. Go through the closets, cupboards and other storage areas to get ride of all the unnecessary items. Make sure to get things off the kitchen and bathroom counters too.

Separate Yourself from The Home Emotionally

Now is the time to make the decision to say goodbye to the home. It is important to realize that the memories and emotions you have from living in the home will always be a part of you. Moving away from the home is merely separating yourself away from the structure. Imagine how the new owners will enjoy the home and be able to make their own happy memories.

Get Things Organized

Since potential buyers will be coming through the home and inspecting every possible area it is a good idea to get everything as organized as possible. If you need some ideas, here are a few suggestions:

* Put spices in alphabetical order

* Arrange all coffee cups to face the same direction

* Put shoes in order

* Place dishes in nice stacks

Remove Personal Decor

Remove the photographs and items that may have your surname or initials. People who will potentially buy the house want to be able to imagine their own belongings and decorations in the new home. By having generic items in the house it will be easier for people to see themselves enjoying their new abode.

Take Care of the Little Repairs

Give potential buyers a great first impression by making sure all of the little items are handled. This includes

* Replacing light bulbs

* Applying oil on door hinges

* Add new filters to the air conditioner

* Tighten or repair any water leaks

* Fix any holes that may be present in windows, doors or walls

Add More Storage Space

It can be a good idea to find a nearby storage rental agency and get a contract on a small unit. The extra space can help you remove some of your belongings to make the home seem larger. Removing empty bookcases, taking out extra leaves in dining tables and extra chairs can free up space throughout the entire home. It can also be handy for storing seasonal items that you may not need when you are ready to move.

Once you have cleaned up the home and organized everything it will be much easier to sell and start your new life in a fresh new home.

The consolidation of information in the real estate market is ever increasing as we have noted with the Zillow/Trulia consolidation .. The next to come along is the Costar / Loopnet merger.

Imagine my surprise yesterday when I clicked the"Subscribe to Property Comps"

Get full Access for $74.95/Month and got "Thank you for your interest! To learn more or to make a purchase, please contact one of our associates"  Well I dutifully call wondering why I need to call .. I end up getting a call back saying o no we have changed that you must now sign a contract for 12 months at $169 a month .. Like I explained I'm just doing a 4 Commercial BPOS at $100 a pop I don't mind paying the $74 to get access to the comps whichis all over your website  I dont need a $2000 a year plan ...  and secondly there is not even a mention of this anywhere on their site. But the answer was well we have to change the website but this is OUR PRICE take it or leave it

Costar now effectively owns Commercial data period .. We don't allow airlines to merge like this without going through hoops to prove its not "anti trust" from my 10ft level this is the same.  The small guys will continue to be pushed out of every Real Estate market it seems...

The net net .. You cant afford to accept commercial bpos ... Its not cost effective .. so these are my last I will battle through and get them done without Costar ...

In business and commerce circles, the big news just days into October is the buy-out of Move Incorporated by the newspaper and media giant News Corporation. So who are Move Inc and why did News Corporation decide to splash out an eye-watering $950 million for the business? In the United States, Move Inc stands as the third biggest online real estate listing firm. It helps home buyers and sellers to purchase a new home by providing them with tools, guides, information and professionals from the real estate industry to make that purchase run as smooth as possible.

News Corporation is essentially a newspaper publisher which began its business from South Australia and later moved into New York to become the second-largest newspaper and media organization in the world. It now want to increase revenue and expand its business beyond just selling papers and promoting a media front and real estate is seen as a pretty good sector to get the turnover and extra revenue it now seeks.

As for Move Inc, the buy-out could see the online real estate listing agency become a real giant and a major player in the U.S. online home retail market. Robert Thomson is the Chief Executive Officer at News Corporation these days and he predicts Move Inc will soon become the United States’ biggest online real estate listing firm, thanks to News Corp’s influx of cash and support.

News Corp needs a change after the scandals of 2011 when the company was forced to close down its best-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK, News of the World. Allegations of phone hacking seriously depleted the organization’s reputation both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Mr Thomson also believes that online home buying and internet real estate business is a growing market that has not yet taken off to the heights he believes it could reach. News Corp are convinced this sector is still in its infancy and is at the early stage of development. If it is right then the prospects for extra revenue could be huge in years to come.

There is no doubt that more and more people are now using the internet to buy their next home. Many Americans have actually purchased real estate by using self-help tools and become their very own real estate agent, just like many have booked their vacations online without using a travel agent.

Only time will tell if this was the best move for News corp and to see what direction Online Real Estate Listing Services will take.

pamsvas.com - Real Estate Virtual Assistant Services

The Power of a Comparative Market Analysis When Selling Your Home

Most of the general public has access to various price lists when trying to sell an object. Online automobile databases offer average prices for used cars, auction sites can list recent sale of various electronics and even boats have a value listing guide. However, when selling a home it is better to get a comparative market analysis (CMA) from a local real estate agent or Realtor®. Here are some of the ways a CMA can help you.

Price Trends

The most obvious benefit is the ability to see current price trends. The CMA report will list out homes that have sold in the past 12 months in your immediate area. By organizing the transactions by date it is possible to see if home prices are on the rise or falling.

Value Placed on Square Footage

Since the homes will be listed with the square footage of each home sold, potential sellers can find out how much their home is worth based on the usable square feet in the property. In addition, if any of the sold properties had a basement or attic that was finished then sellers can also determine how the market values additional square footage. While it is common for basements to have a slightly lower price per square foot some areas may place it higher than others due to demand.

Value of Accessory Items

Most people usually feel that particular features of their home will bring more value to their home than the market will warrant. For example, expensive hardwood floors, custom paint finishes and high end bathroom fixtures may be quite expensive when purchased but their overall impact on the price of a home is not as high. Instead, things that improve usable square footage, more lighting or outdoor items like pools and decks will do more to bring up the price of a home.

Expected Time of Sale

A comparative market analysis will also show when a home was listed for sale and when an offer was made on the property. This gives prospective sellers a realistic expectation for how long it will take before receiving an offer and how long it takes for the home to actually sell once the offer is accepted.

Avoiding Unrealistic Prices

Along with homes that have sold your real estate agent can also provide a list of homes that either withdrew from the market or the listing simply expired. If the home did not sell within a time period that multiple other properties sold then there are a couple of explanations. Obviously, the most common issue is the price was too high for that particular market. Another common problem is the presence of a major repair issue with the home that the seller is unwilling to fix prior to sale. Having this information should help you do a better job of picking a price for your home.

Getting a detailed CMA report from your real estate agent will provide you with the best source of realistic information to help you decide if your can sell your home for your anticipated price and if it might sell in the amount of time you had hoped for.

Original Blog Post: What's a CMA? Comparative Market Analysis