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We would like to introduce you to our home buyer specialist, Bethany Alexander, Realtor® serving the Oregon, Wisconsin area!

Getting through to distressed homeowners can be tricky. Many of these homeowners have their heads in the sand. How does an agent galvanize them into action?

From our experience, the answer lies in presenting yourself not as an opportunistic REALTOR that stands to profit from listing a home, but as a compassionate real estate professional that provides solutions to problems with real estate loans, including (but not limited to) selling the property. In fact, many of our successful clients "lead in" with a loan modification. Once the loan mod is disapproved, the conversation can be shifted to other options such as a short sale.The quintessential point is position yourself as a problem solver, not a real estate agent.  

When getting your message out to troubled homeowners, postcards have been a popular vehicle because they are cheaper to print, cheaper to mail, and there is no barriers to entry. Yet a postcard will not close the homeowner - this small canvas is best used to send the recipient to a landing page to download a report or access some other snippet of information. > Read our blog on the best practices when sending postcards to distressed homeowners 

Handwritten letters smash through the clutter because it looks like a wedding invitation or birthday card and in our view, will beat a postcard any day of the week. We take this subject on in this post. 

Although it takes a special kind of person, door knocking has been an effective way to communicate with homeowners. The key is in the soft sell approach and using the verbiage, "I'm not sure if this applies to you but I'm sure you know someone" and then providing a free resource. We've put together a sample door knocking script with verbiage that has worked extremely well for other agents. Get the script here. 

I've only scratched the surface here. We'd be happy to bounce some other ideas around and share some hard-won advice and insights we've gotten from other agents. You can call me at 866-490-3459 or for a more comprehensive discussion on marketing to distressed homeowners, you can download our complimentary eBook. Get your PDF here. 

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"This was a great effort from Mike Collins. He did a super super job with the selling of our home in Wisconsin. I could not ask for more from him as he kept me well informed of things going on and we are 1200 miles apart. He did more than a 110 percent job on everything. Even removing snow and whatever it took to have our home ready to show. Again, THANKS Mike for everything. Great Job!!!!!!"

Phyllis Pearson (Rock River, WY)
Rock Realty Seller Client

Thanks for the compliments, and Congratulations on your closing Phyllis!

Short Sale Real Estate Agents in Fitchburg, WI 53711 Are you looking for a Fitchburg Wisconsin Short Sale Realtor®or real estate agent? Rock Realty is a real estate brokerage that specializes in Short Sales and Bank Owned Foreclosures in the Fitchburg WI area.   My name is Michael Collins, broker for Rock Realty. I have completed the Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource training and have been given the SFR designation through the National Association of Realtors®. Feel free to contact me directly at 608-921-8536 for help with any of your short sale questions. I have helped many Fitchburg home owners with their distressed property needs.

• What is a short sale?
• Is a Short Sale right for my home?
• Half of Homeowners Underwater on their Mortgage
• Buying a Wisconsin home after a Short Sale or Foreclosure
• Benefits of Buying an Owner-Occupied Wisconsin Short Sale
• Tips for Buying a Wisconsin Short Sale

There is a new trend in the horizons of real estate management that has been blooming in the past years. It’s called virtual assistance. The name “virtual” alone means that a Realtor will have someone working for his or her office through the internet. Virtual assistants, who are not in the office and will work as part of the team to assist with every possible task or position that a Realtor may have.

Real Estate Virtual Assistants can alleviate a Realtor's work load so he or she can focus on their business by taking care of daily tasks such as:

• Buyer Broker & Real Estate Owned Reports – manage the assignment to submission to the bank.

• HOA / Utilities – research and collect all information that is necessary to update the bank.

• Property Preservation – Research and collect all information that is necessary to update the bank. Communicate with contractors to provide safety and security of the bank's asset.

• Accounting - Reimbursements can be a hassle with all all the changing policies.

• Marketing – Assist with registrations so you can start receiving work based on your area and credentials. Can also assist with FSBOs, tax searches, and mailers, etc.

• Transaction Coordinator – Assist with all tasks from Bank assignment to closing.

The use of a Real Estate Virtual Assistant Services such as Pam's VAS you will get a team of professionally trained assistants who can handle all necessary tasks or position that you need. The use of a real estate virtual assistants can make the life of a Realtor easier. The Realtor can focus more on clients and showings and not worry about all the mundane day to day paper work.

Not only can Real Estate Virtual Assistants help you be more productive and achieve your goals, they can save you money thus generating you more income! What are some ways a Real Estate Virtual Assistant can save you money:

• You won't need any additional office space or equipment.

• You won't need to pay employee benefits.

• Virtual Assistants can work on weekends.

• Virtual Assistants are experts in their field which will increase efficiency and productivity.

In the world of a fast pace Real Estate industry, vast technology and the demands of time and outputs, Realtors are faced with the challenge to keep up in order to make it in the industry. Why do it all when there are people who are willing to do it for the Realtor's behalf. The helping hands are just one call or click away! Make your life and business more efficient today!

WASHINGTON – April 11, 2013 – Effective July 1, mortgage servicers must offer eligible borrowers at least 90 days delinquent an easy way to lower their monthly payments and modify their mortgage without requiring financial or hardship documentation. The loans apply to those owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)

The new Streamlined Modification Initiative eliminates administrative barriers. It becomes effective July 1, 2013, and expires on Aug. 1, 2015.

If eligible borrowers show a willingness and ability to pay by making three on-time trial payments, the mortgage will be permanently modified. However, documenting income and financial hardship could result in additional savings.

“This new option gives delinquent borrowers another path to avoid foreclosure,” says FHFA Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco. “We will still encourage such borrowers to provide documentation to support other modification options that would likely result in additional borrower savings.”

Frequently asked questions

1. Why is FHFA directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to launch the Streamlined Modification Initiative?
Throughout the financial crisis, one of the biggest challenges in assisting troubled homeowners has been the administrative challenge of document collection. Since the inception of the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program, FHFA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been measuring and monitoring borrower and servicer responsiveness to borrower assistance programs to understand why many borrowers are not able to get a loan modification. Removing the administrative barriers associated with document collection and servicer evaluation should enable significantly more borrowers to access the available options for home retention.

2. When will the Streamlined Modification Initiative be available?
The Streamlined Modification Initiative will begin July 1, 2013, and end Aug. 1, 2015. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are currently issuing guidance to their mortgage servicers to implement the Streamlined Modification Initiative.

3. What are the eligibility requirements?
The loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Homeowners must be 90 days to 24 months delinquent, and have a first-lien mortgage that is at least 12 months old with a loan-to-value ratio equal to or greater than 80 percent. Loans that have been modified at least two times previously aren’t eligible.

4. How is the Streamlined Modification Initiative different from other Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage modification options?
The key difference: Borrowers don’t need to document their hardship or financial situation. They can accept a Streamlined Modification Offer by simply making the trial period payments and agreeing to the terms of the modification. However, their modification terms could be more beneficial if they do document their financial situation and work with their servicer.

5. How does the Streamlined Modification Initiative differ from the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)?
Borrowers can take advantage of HAMP as soon as they run into financial troubles, but they must provide financial, income and hardship documentation to their servicer to be considered. The Streamlined Modification Initiative is only available for borrowers at least 90 days delinquent and it doesn’t require documentation. HAMP allows servicers to evaluate the borrower for modification terms based on an affordable payment that is 31 percent of the borrower’s gross monthly income, and could provide a more affordable monthly payment than the Streamlined Modification Initiative. In addition, borrowers may be eligible to receive financial incentive payments under HAMP.

6. Will all delinquent borrowers with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgages receive a Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan after July 1 if 90+ days delinquent?
As of July 1, 2013, servicers must identify eligible borrowers who are 90 days to 24 months delinquent and send them an offer letter that states the terms of the modification, including the monthly payment required for a Streamlined Modification. These eligible borrowers can accept a Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan by sending the specified payment to the loan servicer.

7. How long will the trial period last?
Similar to the Standard Modification, the Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan will last three months. If the borrower makes on-time payments during the trial period and meets necessary criteria, the borrower will be asked to sign an agreement making the terms of the mortgage modification permanent.

8. What happens if a borrower misses a payment during the Streamlined Modification Trial Period Plan?
If the borrower misses a payment, he/she won’t be eligible for a permanent Streamlined Modification. However, the borrower may submit a Borrower Response Package to the servicer and be evaluated for other alternatives to foreclosure, including other modification options.

9. Should struggling borrowers wait until the Streamlined Modification takes effect on July 1, 2013 to contact their servicer when they miss a payment?
Borrowers struggling to make payments should call their servicer as early as possible to be evaluated for the most appropriate alternative to foreclosure. A call to the loan servicer doesn’t exclude a borrower from receiving the Streamlined Modification solicitation.

10. When should I expect a letter from my servicer?
Servicers will be required to begin evaluating borrowers for a solicitation on July 1, 2013. Depending on the volume of delinquent borrowers and servicer capacity and systems, letters should be sent within a timely period.

11. What if I stop paying my mortgage for three months so I can get the modification?
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have proprietary screening measures to prevent strategic defaulters from taking advantage of a Streamlined Modification. Additionally, only borrowers with loans more than 12 months old with a mark-to market loan-to-value ratio greater than 80 percent and not had two or more previous loan modifications will be solicited for participation.

12. Why limit eligibility to borrowers who have missed three or more monthly payments?
Many borrowers who miss one or two payments have a temporary hardship and often reinstate their mortgage to current status. Borrowers who are current or less than 90 days delinquent and have a permanent hardship should contact their servicer to submit a Borrower Response Package so they can be evaluated for a mortgage modification or other alternative to foreclosure.

13. Does the Streamlined Modification cover borrowers with delinquent Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae mortgages secured by second homes and/or investment properties?
Yes. Delinquent borrowers with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgages secured by second homes or investment properties are eligible to participate in the Streamlined Modification Initiative and may receive trial period plan offers, provided they also meet other eligibility criteria.

By Michael Humphries - Compass Roads Realty, Inc. |                       

8 Steps to a Successful Short Sale Purchase- Part 2

Here we will conclude the process of successfully buying a short sale with the final four steps. If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.

5. Under Priced Listings: Don’t get trapped in the under priced listing dilemma. If the price looks too good to be true, it is. Remember, it’s very possible the bank isn’t even aware that the property is listed and hasn’t had a chance to review or approve the current list price. The initial list price is determined by the seller and listing agent, neither of which have the actual authority to approve the final sales price. 

Listing a short sale below market value– often way below– is an old tactic to find out where the bank is in terms of price acceptance. Many enchanted buyers have fallen head-first into this all too common predicament. It could take months to learn that your offer was rejected or beat out by another buyer. In the mean time you could be at risk to rising home prices and higher interest rates.

6. Valuation: Once you’ve decided on a home to make an offer on have your realtor run a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) to determine market value. This valuation should be the baseline in establishing your price and will be used to substantiate your offer to the bank. 

The CMA should consist of three to five comparable homes that have sold within the past 3-6 months, usually within a 1 mile radius and three or more similar homes currently listed.

7. Offer Price: Your offer should be based on fair market value– not asking price – if you want to be considered by the bank. Deep discounts on short sales are fading quickly. Banks expect, and are holding out for fair market value. 

List price on a short sale has little to no influence on what the bank will actually accept in terms of your offer and should not be weighted in determining your price. 

Although negotiations and real estate sales historically go hand and hand, many prospective buyers are passing on the attempt to get the best deal possible. After being beat out by other purchasers on previous properties, schooled buyers are basing their offer on a careful valuation analysis and coming in with their best price from the onset.

Multiple offers on the same house are common so it usually pays to make yours your highest and best going in.

8. Offer Approval: Once the offer is accepted and signed by the seller, the offer is submitted to the bank. The seller’s acceptance does not have any authority or control on whether or not the bank will accept your offer. The bank is the deciding factor for approval.

At this juncture the bank will order a BPO (Brokers Price Opinion) from an independent broker to determine the value of the property. Based on the results of the BPO the bank will accept, reject or counter your offer.

Keep in mind - The BPO will be based on the same criteria as your realtor’s CMA. Hence, fair market value estimates should be very similar for both valuations which will put you and the bank on the same playing field.

Once you have an accepted offer in your hands you can continue with standard procedure; home inspections, title search, finalization of mortgage, etc. The actual closing of a short sale is similar to a traditional sale with exception that the seller rarely, if ever, attends the closing.

Despite the challenges, any added inventory– even from short sales – will help balance the historical lack of homes for sale across the country.

For a FREE list of short sales in Miami-Dade or Broward County;

Email “FREE SHORT SALE LIST” to: compassroads@compassroads.com.  Include a list of Zip Codes or City Names of interest.

Visit us at: http://www.compassroadsrealty.com/default.html

Does anyone know why Chase is blacklisting agents? The asset companies are notorious for changing reports to what their clients want so it cant be the reports. If its not the reports can doing a lot of short sales get you blacklisted? Has anyone that did work for Evaluation Solutions do work for Old Republic and has now seen a drop in Old Republic BPOs since Eval went bankrupt? If you do get blacklisted how do you find out why?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          For more information, please contact:

Michael Collins, CDPE, SFR, BPOR
608-921-8536
Mike@RockRealtyWI.com

Local Agent Provides Alternatives for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

Online report outlines alternatives to foreclosure for distressed homeowners in Dane & Rock County Wisconsin, including Janesville, Madison, Milton, Stoughton, Oregon, Monona, Edgerton, McFarland, Evansville, Verona, Fitchburg, Brooklyn & .

Janesville, WI – (3/19/2013) – Local CDPE-designated agent, Michael Collins of Rock Realty, has developed a website providing information describing several opportunities for homeowners to avoid the negative financial impact of foreclosure.

This community resource is available at www.WIShortSaleHomes.com and defines foreclosure alternatives including short sales, loan modifications, and forbearance.

“It’s a concern to me that so few in our community know their options when they start to fall behind on mortgage payments,” Collins said.  “If they act quickly and get informed, they can make informed decisions to find financial stability.”

Foreclosure alternatives such as short sales—which now make up over one-third of real estate closings across the nation—are an increasingly popular way for both homeowners and lenders to minimize their losses in this tough economy.

“More lenders are realizing that they can save money in a short sale versus a foreclosure, and are more likely than they were three years ago to approve a short sale offer.” Collins said.  “This is good news for homeowners because they now have more options than ever.”

The CDPE designation Michael Collins has acquired provides real estate professionals with specific understanding of the complex issues confronting distressed homeowners.  Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPE-designated agents are able to provide solutions for homeowners facing financial hardship in today’s market.

For more information about the CDPE Designation, visit www. CDPE.com

By Michael Humphries - Compass Roads Realty, Inc. |

8 Steps to a Successful Short Sale Purchase

In this two part post I will layout eight steps to follow that will walk you through a successful short sale purchase from search to closing.

Short sales are gaining market share again and are expected to make up nearly 35% of our inventory during the next 12 months. According to RealtyTrac, who charts real estate activity across the country, completed short sales are expected to exceed the 2012 number, which will likely be around 1 million for 2013. Forty percent more than the 600,000 foreclosures expected this year.

So like it or not if you’re in the market to buy a home this year you are going to be very limited in an already limited supply of inventory unless you consider short sales in your search.

A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the proceeds from selling the property will fall short of the balance of debts secured by liens against the property. This type of sale requires a third party approval of price, terms and whether or not the seller is eligible to short sale their property. A bank, lending institution or mortgage servicing company plays the third party role.

It has taken the industry a long time to adapt to the short sale complexities. These waters were unchartered prior to the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

It’s like the “Ten Thousand Hour Rule”– the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master any skill– that Malcom Gladwell writes about in his book Outliers. We’ve certainly put in the hours and have finally subjugated the madness and mayhem associated with this type of sale. Or, at the least, we’re able to keep it to a minimum.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have recently implemented new procedures to help expedite the process that it takes to complete a short sale– these transactions can take up to three times longer to close than a traditional sale and often never make it to the closing table. The new changes are proving effective so far in reducing completion times and are expected to increase closing ratios significantly.

If you play your cards right, you can look forward to a more practical 90 day timeframe. And if you learn how to navigate through the red-tape associated with a short sale, you can greatly increase the odds of successfully completing your purchase.

Here are four of the eight steps you can follow to minimize the bureaucracy and maximize your Success Story.

1. Find a Realtor: Find a realtor that has hands on experience working with short sales. This is the most important step– period. This type of real estate deal really requires the help of an experienced agent or attorney.

Your realtor should have at least three completed short sale transactions under the belt to qualify as “experienced”. The difference will make or break your deal.

2. Mortgage Prequalification: If you plan on financing your new home you will need a Prequalification Letter from a reputable mortgage company, bank or credit union. The seller’s bank won’t even look at an offer that contains a financial contingency without a prequalification letter attached. Not having these credentials upfront will cause pointless delays submitting your offer.

The majority of lenders will provide a letter at no cost and it only takes a 10 minute phone conversation or a quick online application to complete.

3. Short Sale Search: In addition to traditional listings, ask your realtor to include the short sales in your search criteria. A lot of agents have gotten into the habit of excluding them. There are two types of short sale listings: Approved and Unapproved.

• Approved - simply means that the seller has qualified for and has received approval from their bank to short sale the property. In some cases the bank has approved the list price.

Approved short sales will have a higher yield in terms of potential, especially those with list price approvals. These listings should be considered first before betting on the unapproved– wildcard listings. Although price approvals are subject to change, particularly in markets experiencing rapid price appreciation, these listings are far better to work with than the unapproved deals.

• Unapproved - most short sales are listed as unapproved when they first go on the market. This status means that the seller hasn’t received the banks approval on price, terms or seller eligibility and in some instances, all of the above. In most cases the bank is not even aware that the property is on the market.

Unapproved listings should be left to the specialist, the few and far between agents that have been successfully working short sales for 3 plus years. They have developed ways to quickly indentify whether or not an unapproved short sale listing has a breathing chance for approval.

4. Listing Alert Notifications: Ask your realtor to set you up on an automatic listing alert system that will email you new listings as they hit the market. This will put you in-front of the market and give you an advantage over your buyer competition.

In Part 2, I will outline how to formulate an offer price that will get the banks attention, the valuation process and how to avoid the most common short sale pitfall.

Watch the blog next week for Part 2 – 8 Steps to a Successful Short Sale Purchase

Many partners including the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Fannie Mae, HOPE NOW, HUD, and NeighborWorks America will host "Help for Homeowners" Community Events on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at the Paradise Event Center - Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

For a FREE list of short sales in Miami-Dade or Broward County;
Email “FREE SHORT SALE LIST” to: compassroads@compassroads.com. Include a list of Zip Codes or City Names of interest.
Visit us at: http://www.compassroadsrealty.com/default.html

Want to promote your ActiveRain, Twitter, WordPress or other blog on REO Pro? Want to do it automatically? Here's how:

You can build readership for your ActiveRain or other blog by adding the RSS feed to REO Pro. It'll automatically get posted on all of your REO Pro blog & discussion posts, which is good for the search engines and also great for building readership. Also, it will update automatically with your latest stories as soon as you post them!

First, find the RSS feed you want to add. In this case, since the URL for my ActiveRain blog is "http://activerain.com/blogs/timventura", then my RSS feed for ActiveRain is "http://activerain.com/blogs/timventura/rss".

Feeling confused? Here's an easier way to find it: You've got an ActiveRain user name, right? Mine is "timventura". Well, replace the capital letters in the following url and that's your ActiveRain RSS feed: http://activerain.com/blogs/USERNAME/rss

Test this URL to make sure it shows a valid page, and then copy URL for your RSS feed to notepad, or write it down so you don't forget it. Don't use ActiveRain? I'll give you some more example feeds you can use below.

Second, login to REO Pro, then go to the "My Page" link in the main menu bar. This takes you to your profile page - this shows your picture & vital stats on the top left hand corner of the page, and shows all your user profile info in the middle of the page. My profile page is here: http://reopro.ning.com/profile/TimVentura - so you're looking for a page that looks similar to this one.

On your profile page, scroll down, down down - and look for a box called "RSS" on the left-hand side of the page. It's right above the "Gifts Received" Box, and looks like the picture below. Click the "Edit" button once you find it.

Third, enter a name for your feed into the "Title" box, and then paste your RSS feed URL into the "URL" box. Click "save" and you're done! It may take a moment to show up, but if it doesn't show up with a list of stories, then you might want to test your RSS feed here. If the stories DO show up, then congratulations - you're all done!

Here's a bonus: AFTER you've clicked save, you can click the "+Add RSS" link again and add a second feed to your profile! That might require showing a fewer number of stories per feed, but it lets you add stories from multiple sources to build readership for all your writing.

Some Useful RSS Feeds:

Replace the capital letters with your own specific information, and make sure to test your feed here if it doesn't seem to be working.

Twitter: https://api.twitter.com/1/statuses/user_timeline.rss?screen_name=USERNAME

ActiveRain: http://activerain.com/blogs/USERNAME/rss

YouTube: https://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/USERNAME/uploads

WordPress: http://www.MYWEBSITE.com/feed

Other Feeds: Click here to see directions for lots of other feeds, including Facebook.

Is The Real Estate Market Really Rebounding?

I have been asked by both my own clients, members of REOPro and the Mather Network, as well as my vendor partners about my thoughts on the real estate market rebound.

My first reply is always to remind people that real estate is directed correlated to unemployment and therefore, as long as unemployment is high, we will NOT have a rebound in real estate.

Normally, I get a lecture about how local real estate prices are on the rise and inventories are down so, isn't that proof enough that we are in a rebounding real estate market?

Sure, real estate markets, like any market, is a servant to the law of supply and demand and yes, when supply is down and demand stays the same, prices go up. Yes, that is happening so, if that is all you measure a rebound against, sure we are rebounding. The problem is, it's foolish to not ask why. Why is supply low?

With a continually high unemployment rate, shouldn't we be seeing the same amount of foreclosures? Sure we should but, why aren't we? I checked with my own local Sheriff's department to see how many foreclosures they did in 2013 so far. I was told, "We have done more foreclosures in 2013 than we have any time before." So, where is all the inventory....why do we have a inventory shortage. In fact, how is that possible when unemployment is at 2008 levels, the height of the housing crisis and when the Sheriff's department is reporting record evictions?

These are all important questions and really need to be answered because, from what I can tell, it appears housing is going through another bubble of sorts. Obviously something is artificially holding inventory off the market to manipulate the law of supply and demand but, for what purpose, what end game?

So, I had to look and see who are the largest holders of default property, HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FDIC, VA, and Bank of America. Well, what do we know about these companies / quasi government entities......all controlled by the Federal government. I had an insider over at Freddie tell me that they have all of these different programs now....namely, deed-in-lease, to keep homeowners in homes and therefore, avoid the foreclosure all together. She went further to tell me that even though they are avoiding the foreclosure, it has no...ABSOUTELY NO, reflection on the ability or inability of the previous homeowners, now renters capacity to pay a mortgage or any of the actual debt due on the mortgage.

She was just speculating but, she went on to tell me that in her opinion, it's likely that 85% or more of those in the deed-in-lease program and others like that, are just buying time because they will never be able to buy the home back, pay off any of the debt or be able to go out and purchase another home any time soon. She and I agreed, it was just a way to keep property off the market even though, without any intervention, it would have been on the market months, if not years ago.

Why would this be happening, why would the government want to artificially inflate prices by keeping property off the market?

1. Raise Property Values: It's not even a question amongst the minds of those in the know, the government wants to inflate prices. The reason is because they are losing so much money through Fannie and Freddie because of foreclosures and short sales that, it's just simply best for them to hold the property, decrease inventories, manipulate the law of supply and demand, raise prices and trickle the REO holdings back on the market so that they can sell for more than the debt owed.

2. Elections Have Consequences: Whichever political party can go out to voters and say that they are responsible for housing prices being on the rise, they will get re-elected....at least that it the thought.

All in all, the housing rebound isn't real, it's artificial for a variety of reasons, not just the two I gave above. The truth of the matter is, many feel this heavy handed control by the government of housing markets is absolutely necessary to prevent the further collapse of the US economy. Others see it as a prolonging of the inevitable and a violations of the free markets. Either way, with increasing debt, increasing unfair manipulations of the market, higher taxes, higher cost of living and higher energy and commodity prices, housing will begin becoming more and more volatile. I believe the days of housing being a safe investment are over. So many outside factors are now playing in the market, regardless if they are suppose to be there or not, it's just not as simple as it was just 10 years ago. Buyers are going to have to be much smarter before the purchase and understand that a minimum of 20% down and staying in the home for a minimum of 5 years might be the only way to get your money back, let alone make any money.

Sincerely,

Tim Ventura Marketing Director Harris Real Estate University Real Estate Insider News

Since 1999, Titanium Solutions has provided In Person Outreach Services to the Mortgage Industry.  We have helped Mortgage Servicers, Insurers and Investors reconnect with severely delinquent borrowers in an attempt to work out their delinquency in a dignified fashion.  Over the years we have engaged over thirty thousand professionals who have served our business well.  We have reached out to hundreds of thousands of borrowers, assisting them with their difficult financial situation.  The benefits we have delivered are countless.  For many, we have enabled loan modifications that have kept them in their homes, for others we have assisted with a Short Sale while others have benefitted from Deed in Lieu of foreclosure assistance we have provided.  Scores of families across the country have benefitted directly from the In Person Services offered by Titanium Solutions.  For our clients, we have helped them realize hundreds of millions in loss avoidance enabled by our professionals reaching out to their borrowers, who have helped rekindle relationships that would otherwise have gone straight to foreclosure.  And while this service has delivered such overwhelming success to our clients and their borrowers, the use of face to face outreach has seen precipitous decline in the market.  This decline in demand can be attributed to improving mortgage delinquency rates, declining foreclosures and improved servicer processes, all positive signs for the mortgage industry; unfortunately not beneficial for the long term growth of Titanium. As a result of these changes in the marketplace, we have decided to cease operations effective March 13, 2013.

We at Titanium would like to express our deep appreciation to all of our Home Retention Consultants who have worked tirelessly over the years providing such a professional service for our clients to their customers.  You have been the face of Titanium.  It has been your work that has lifted the burdens of so many who have suffered greatly due to the financial crisis this country has experienced.  You were the face at the door delivering the good news of opportunities that existed as we worked to reconnect them with their financial institutions.  You were the hope for many when there was no hope.  The good work you have done is greatly appreciated by the team here at Titanium Solutions and we hope that the contacts you have made and relationships you have established with these homeowners will continue to bear fruit in years to come.

Effective immediately, all work outstanding assignments are being closed and returned to our clients. Should you have any updates that have not been entered into the system, please forward those updates to contact@titaniuminc.com.

I had a bad experience last year - I won't go into details, but I took a great job with a respected company, but the executive leaders were rotten and myself and a few others quit because of it. You know the drill - when you work for people you can't trust, it's only a matter of time. It hurt to leave, but staying would have been worse, and it gave me a lot to ponder.

"Who can I trust?"....that's the question, isn't it? In corporate America, it's a tough question to answer - and in Real Estate, it's even harder. The problem is that the industry has so much independence, and such a focus on production, that "bad apples" can easily sneak in & set up shop without anybody noticing.

I trust Jesse Gonzalez, the founder/administrator of the REO Pro Agent Network. Jesse's been a great friend over the last few years, and he's always been straightforward with me - even when it's not in his best interest. He's honest, and that's a rare thing. I do volunteer work for him every now and then - not because it does anything for me, but because he's a good person trying to make a difference for agents, and that means something.

Another person I trust is Tim Harris, of Harris Real Estate University. I did some work for him last year - before I took the "great corporate job" - and found him to be friendly, honest, and having true integrity. A year later, that hadn't changed, so I started doing volunteer work for him, and it led to a role at the University.

Trust matters in life, and we all value it more now because I think we've all been burned. Between "fix & flip" schemes, mortgage-backed securities scandals, and "hot new lead-gen" packages, we've probably all put ourselves into one idea or another that failed miserably, and usually involved somebody selling us a dream that simply wasn't true.

Let's face it: the last few years have been tough for real estate - for agents and the entire industry in general. Sometimes it's been a tooth & nail struggle just to pay the bills, but somehow we've survived, and we're stronger, wiser people for it. If all that pain & struggle had some purpose to it, though, let's hope that it was to make us wiser people, and part of that wisdom is knowing who to trust - and who not to.

Now it's your turn: who do you trust? Who are some of the people in your life who've made a difference, kept their word, and been honest with you even when it might not be in their best interest? Integrity matters, and I think it's more important to give credit to the people who have it than it is to complain about the folks who might not...

Sincerely,

Tim Ventura Marketing Director Harris Real Estate University Real Estate Insider News