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RESPONSE FROM FL ATTORNEY GENERAL COMPLAINT:Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi received your email regarding your  concerns with Evaluation Solutions.  Attorney General Bondi asked that I  respond.  I am sorry for your difficulties.

 The Attorney General's Office is concerned with all potentially unfair and  deceptive trade practices. Our office uses complaints such as yours to  identify patterns of questionable business activities which may indicate  the need for formal investigation or action by our office to protect the  broad public interest. We will keep your correspondence for future  reference. However, our office does not generally mediate individual  consumer complaints, and we are not at liberty to give legal opinions or  advice to private individuals or businesses. I hope the following  information proves helpful.

 I encourage you to review the following websites for information about  contract issues, small claims and civil procedures, which may help you  decide whether or not to pursue a judicial remedy and, if so, how to  proceed:

 Legal and Binding Contracts  http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBConsum.nsf/0a92a6dc28e76ae58525700a005d0d53/6a653200b74c8a2085257405007a3ac3!OpenDocument

 Court Is Your Last Resort  http://www.800helpfla.com/court_text.html

 A Civil Case Or A Criminal Case?  http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBConsum.nsf/0a92a6dc28e76ae58525700a005d0d53/2f68b2079b9f4ce48525760e00519436!OpenDocument

 The Florida Rules of Civil Procedure  http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBLegalRes.nsf/basic  +view/E1A89A0DC5248D1785256B2F006CCCEE?OpenDocument

 Another helpful resource for you to contact is the Florida Department of  Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Consumer Services (DACS).  DACS is the clearinghouse for consumer complaints and has a voluntary  mediation program to assist individual consumers.  You may contact DACS  at:

 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services  Division of Consumer Services  2005 Apalachee Parkway  Tallahassee, Florida  32399  Telephone: (850) 410-3800  Toll-free within FL:  (800) 435-7352  Website:  http://www.800helpfla.com/

 As you seek further assistance, you may also wish to contact the following  consumer organization:

 Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida  Phone:  (904) 721-2288  Email: info@bbbnefla.org  Website:  http://northeastflorida.bbb.org/

 While I hope this information proves helpful, by law our office cannot  give legal advice, statutory interpretations, or legal opinions to private  individuals or businesses.  Please consider consulting a private attorney  if you need any legal assistance.  The Florida Bar offers a Lawyer  Referral Service which you may contact toll-free at (800) 342-8060.  The  address is 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, Florida  32399-2300.  The Florida Bar's website is at:

 http://www.floridabar.org

 Thank you for contacting Attorney General Bondi's Office.  I hope this  proves helpful.

 Sincerely,

 George Martin  Office of Citizen Services  Florida Attorney General's Office  PL-01, The Capitol  Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050  Telephone:  (850) 414-3990  Toll-free:  (866) 966-7226  Website:  www.myfloridalegal.com

 PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL. THIS ADDRESS IS FOR PROCESSING ONLY.

 To contact this office please visit the Attorney General's website at  www.myfloridalegal.com and complete the on-line contact form.  Again,  thank you for contacting the Office of the Florida Attorney General.         FILE YOUR COMPLAINTS!

REI Free Classifieds Opens Virtual Doors to REO Pro Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

UNITED STATES, MAR. 8, 2012 – ReiFreeClassifieds.com answers a demand for niche marketing within an online classifieds industry, which is dominated by general public sites. Comprehensive REI-specific categories accommodate real estate investors, real estate agents and real estate investing support services, including contractor services, construction specialty services, investor funding, property management, legal and tax professionals, title and escrow services, REI education and various networking and Internet resources.

REI's flagship investment property categories offer free online listings with detailed information, links, photos, slideshows and videos. The real property categories on REI include the "Investor Deals" category specifically for real estate investors and for sale by owner (FSBOs), but only for properties with specific investor interest. Deal types include wholesale, turnkey, multifamily and commercial, to name a few.

The "Realtor / Agent Deals" category provides investor-friendly real estate agents a place to market investor-type properties, such as, REOs, HUD Homes, short sale prospects and commercial properties, directly to the real estate investing community. REI free Classifieds' investment-property-only approach offers a specialized retreat from the more consumer-oriented housing categories found on virtually every other mainstream listing site.

REI's property categories also include a "Purchase Options" category for lease-purchases and owner financing as well as a "For Rent" category, primarily for buy-and-hold investors to market their rental properties. New construction professionals and pre-construction opportunities are also included in the investor mix. In addition to 40+ real property categories, REI Free Classifieds offers well over 100 REI-specific categories for those REI-related products, services and resources, which help support the real estate investing community.

"It's time," explains REI's founder. "As a niche community, do we really want to share the same sites with boats, cars and casual encounters? Our effectiveness is choked by our own dependency on the current regimes in online classifieds. We are seduced by volume, yet stifled by it at the same time. We are slaves to the perpetual 'general public' status quo of the early pioneers. It's time to break the chains."

REI's founder also sends a special message to contractors and the entire home service industry, "With the online trend of 'review' sites and the inherent potential for pay-to-play games of extortion, blackmail and coercion, REI Free Classifieds understands the door swings both ways. REI welcomes contractors and home service specialists to connect with real estate investors throughout all phases of construction or rehab. REI encourages responsibility on both sides of the fence where investors should already be familiar with the term, due diligence, and contractors earn their reputation through character, conduct and performance, and not by random reviews."

# # #

SEO:

We may be new, but our Search Engine Optimization is phenomenal. We have cracked the code and bottled up the magic SEO juice. Your individual ads trigger impressive search engine results by listing title, ad description and keyword tags. Try us and see.

(Content may be reproduced publically.)

John Lydic, Founder
REI Free Classifieds

The real estate market in the Silicon Valley is very heated up this days, but there are still plenty of short sales being offered. Many of these short sales are in higher price ranges that have previously not seen a lot of short sale activity. What that means is that agents who do not have a lot of experience with short sales are making offers. Because the inventory is so low, most of these short sales are getting multiple offers. So if you are an experienced agent but not with short sales, or a buyer here are some things you need to know:

1. Don't low ball. The bank won't accept it and you will have plenty of competition from buyers wanting to pay market value.

2. Follow all of the instructions the agent gives on the MLS. If they say email instead of call, SEND AN EMAIL. Do not pester the agent with multiple calls a day. Your pre offer behavior is a sign of how you will act during the long short sale process.

3. Fill out the short sale addendum carefully. The addendum allows for the deposit and contingency period to start after bank acceptance unless you change it. CHANGE IT!!!!  At a minimum you should put the deposit in escrow immediately. If you really want the home I would also recommend offering to do the inspections right away instead of waiting for bank approval. It is a risk to the buyer in case the bank does not approve, but it is better than waiting 1-3 months for an approval and then finding out the home has more repairs needed than the buyer is willing to make.

4. The home is being sold "As-Is" Don't ask for repairs.

5. Don't ask for buyer credits unless it is an FHA loan. Banks are most likely going to reject the request for credit and if your buyer needs to have it or they walk it does not put you in a good position.

6. Don't change the title and escrtow company. The seller's company has already done a lot of work and has a relationship with the listing agent.

7. Give at least 90 days for approval on the short sale addendum.

8. Present a great case on why your client is able to wait for short sale approval.

If you have any questions about short sales in San Mateo or Santa Clara Counties please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

D.R.E. 01191194

Been converting the list-to-sold charts into a more user-friendly SPC format creating an easier to read and interpret chart. Clarity was greatly improved allowing me to resurrect the original daily list to sold ratio chart.  It shows some fantastically high variation back in early 2007 when our market was screaming, largely unheeded to us of change.  It wasn’t until 2008 when the Feds declared (admitted) that we had been in a recession for a year, did the general public begin to reluctantly believe our Real Estate market was headed toward a correction.

The list-to-sold ratios appear to be telling us of significant change again and have been for several years now. Following this shift, price depreciation slowed down dramatically, flattened and prices even appreciated slightly in 2011. Who knows what will happen tomorrow or the next day in our modern world, full of volatility. We do know where we have been with some very long and sustained trends that will certainly affect us tomorrow. See price charts.

The past 14 months have been pretty close to flat with a slight uptick in this first quarter. Compared to past years though, this uptick is quite insignificant.

Based on past and current list to sold ratios, my bet on the next 6 months will be continued price firming with an equal chance of slight appreciation or depreciation. Just a hunch based on what I see in the list to sold ratios…

I’ll be posting inventory levels in a week or two and based on list to sold ratios, expect flat to decreasing volume of active properties.

Follow the red and you will see the trends; past being drastic and present looking like we may be headed to some semblance of predictability.

http://www.centralorproperty.com/Central,ORTrends.html

Also now on:

http://centralorhomesales.com/inventory.asp

I just got approval on a Wells Fargo Short sale in San Jose. It was both a long and short road.

The long road first:

Town home put on the market in October of 2011 at $575,000. After one week we received an offer for which the seller accepted and it was sent to the bank.

Sellers were not behind on payments but are getting divorced and neither one can afford the home alone or afford to buy out the spouse.

Bank orders BPO which comes in a little under accepted price. I do not under price my short sales because I want them to get accepted by the bank. Also I knew this would be a popular property.

Negotiator immediately rejects the short sale saying the investor will not approve short sales where the seller is not behind in payments. Keep in mind this is not a Wells Fargo policy, it is the investor who bought the loan's policy.

Seller stops making payments and we plan on going back on the market in Jan of 2012.

Before we go back on the market a buyer makes an offer which is accepted by the sellers on Jan 16th.

Offer goes to Wells Fargo and this time is accepted on Feb 29th, 6 weeks after submission. 

On March 2, 2 days later the approval from the second which is a Wells Fargo HELOC arrives.

We are all happy with the results!

If you have any questions about short sales in Santa Clara or San Mateo County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

D.R.E. 01191194

Homebuyers Can Use a FHA Loan to Purchase Property from an Investor

FHA has been the most popular mortgage used by Wisconsin residents looking to purchase their first home. The relaxed credit standards lower down payment requirement and higher debt ratios has allowed many people to purchase a home through this type of loan. However, investors who were in the business of buying a home to simply turn around and sell it for a profit, called flipping, always steered clear of FHA borrowers. FHA had a rule stating a home could not be sold a second time within 90 days of its last purchase. But that has all changed.

Original Intent

The primary reason for this “anti-flipping” rule was discourage fraud on mortgages. However, as time marched on it became apparent that deserving FHA buyers were being denied a home. Many homes have been bought after foreclosure by investors and repaired to make them ready for resell. The FHA ruling prevented the investors from selling and the market has struggled.

Some Rules to Keep in Mind

Although the FHA administration has decided to lift this rule, there are still other guidelines that must be followed when dealing with one of these investment homes.

• The seller of the home and buyer cannot have any type of pre-existing relationship. This could be as simple as a relative selling to a family member or as complex as a business owner selling to a partner or employee.
• In the event that the new sales price is 20% or more than the price paid at acquisition by the investor the loan may be inspected more closely to ensure the value of the property was not artificially raised.

Keep in mind that the original rule was put in place to prevent fraud. In addition, the original rule only came in to effect when a home was bought by an investor and then resold within 90 days. If the investor waits beyond the 90 day window to sell the home most of these issues will not be present.

Protection against Future Fraud

Most lenders are well aware of the abuse that has taken place in the mortgage industry over the past few years and have stepped up their lending standards to catch fraud and illegal practices. Because of the heightened scrutiny, many high ranking managers among the top lenders do not feel that this change in FHA rules will lead to a sudden burst of bad loans. The tighter appraisal restrictions, along with the general awareness of potential problems, should allow banks and mortgage companies to move forward with new FHA loans without falling victim to a scam artist.

Original Post - Using an FHA Loan to purchase from an Investor

If you’ve been tracking the list-to-sold and inventory charts and tables you are very aware that inventory trends have been moving down for a long time. Even so, prices continued to decline, albeit at a slowing pace. Even so, it seemed that if this trend continued, surely price firming and possibly price increases were on the horizon, right?

It’s finally beginning to look that way as price direction is looking pretty flat which is a vast improvement over the cliff-like looking trends of the past.  In fact when measuring price in sq ft we had a slight uptick 2011 over 2010 and 3 quarters of appreciation in 2011. Comparatively speaking, January is off to a strong start and we only have 10 months to go before we really know how 2012   performs J

Variation is taming down but is still too high and lots of uncertainty still persists locally, nationally and globally but we certainly have a long track record of improvement behind us.

Quick Summary:

Chart 1 The monthly sales chart is choppy as ever reminding us why taking serious month over month results is frivolous but a few important developments are right in front of us. 1.  Compare this Januarys values to those in 2010 and 2011 and you will see a big difference. 2.  Take a look at the trend from 01/2010 to today.

 Chart 2 Quarterly home price values in $/sq. ft. If you believe one quarter performs better or worse than any other, this is the chart to look at to find out.

Chart 3 Number of sales rose steeply from 2008 to 2009 and rising slowly from 2009 through 2011. It’s nice to see some stabilization. Hopefully it will last.

Chart 4 Number of sales by quarter. If you believe more sales occur in one quarter than another, this is the chart to view to find out.

Chart 5 After a big rise in home size we are now witnessing a big fall. This is one reason why I am now reporting home values in price per sq ft, instead of just average sale price.

Chart 6 This is the appreciation chart. As you can see we actually had positive appreciation from 2010 to 2011.   2012 is down a bit but it is early in the year and performing better than the past 2 Januaries.

Chart 7   Home values in price per sq ft have been nearly flat for three years. That’s a huge contrast to the three years previous to this trend!

In a nutshell, we have lots of positive trends behind us, some of which such as list to sold and inventory trends indicate we should see some definite price firming; assuming of course demand remains constant or grows. The $64,000.00 question though is our local and national economy. I have lots of thoughts about that, but will stick to what I know most about; local Real Estate J

http://www.centralorproperty.com/Central,ORTrends.html
Also now on: http://centralorhomesales.com/price-trends.asp

Home Prices in Wisconsin are Stabilizing

Amidst the turmoil and problems of the year, there was some good news about Wisconsin home values in the year 2011; prices have stabilized. Based on a year-end report conducted by the Wisconsin Realtors® Association (WRA), the number of homes sold was slightly better than for the year 2010. And the price drop from 2010 to 2011 has been minor, signaling that we may have found the bottom of the price bubble.

Not Unexpected

However, this trend is not a surprise to seasoned real estate agents. The Federal Homebuyer credit that was so popular during the year 2010 was projected to have a negative impact on the first six months of 2011. This prediction came true. Even more importantly, the latter half of 2011 saw a strong increase in home sales that were higher than the same point from 2010.

Small Signs of Economic Improvement

The best news is the fact that the number of homes selling has increased. While different parts of Wisconsin have seen varying degrees of improvement, the entire state has benefitted from improvements made in the economy. While government has shown a loss in jobs, the private sector is increasing enough in new jobs to offset the government loss. This has led to a drop in the total state unemployment number, down from 7.6% to 7.1%

Lower Prices Main Reason for More Sales

Obviously, when the price of goods drops it usually signals more buying from consumers. The same is true for homes across Wisconsin. Historically low mortgage rates, paired with lower home prices, have enabled more families to buy that first elusive home. While the average home price is roughly 25% to 30% lower today than it was in 2006, the recent trends are promising. Prices will rise with increased demand. As long as unemployment continues to drop and people continue to purchase homes, the prices will eventually rise again.

Everything moves in Cycles

Keep in mind that the state economy is like a giant organism. When something affects one part, another part is affected as well. Case in point, apartments are beginning to see a good recovery. A large number of people have chosen to rent a place for the short term while they make their plans to buy a home. As this trend continues, the price to rent an apartment or single family home will rise. When the price to rent becomes higher than the monthly payment on a typical mortgage, more people will look to purchase a home.

The last few years have been tough on a lot of people. Loss of jobs, drop in home prices and a general feeling of despair have been quite common. However, times are improving, if only slightly. Now is the time to get our financial houses in order and push forward to take advantage of the great home ownership opportunities that lie before us.

Original Post - Home Prices in Wisconsin are Stabilizing

Hey there, thanks for the comments. Brokerpriceopinion promptly paid me all the money they owed me because I filed suit and they do not use me any longer and I do not use them. I did get a call from them that they needed help with an order. I asked the rep "Are you new to your company?" And then I briefly told her about what happened. She thanked me and said she'd call me back after she confirmed whether or not the company wants to use me. She never did call back and I never received anymore calls. By the posts, I'm dumbfounded that brokerpriceopinion.com has not changed their business practice. I'm also amazed that agents are not following suit to get paid and/or are continuing to work for them for free. If you sold a house and didn't get paid your commission, would you just forget about it? That's just plain dumb as dumb can be. Un-freaking-believable!!!! You are entitled to get paid for your work. Whoever has worked for this eValuation (thanks for the tip) company needs to file a complaint with Better Business Bureau first, as I have previously explain, and the Attorney General's office. These out-sourcing/"middleman" bpo companies are getting these bpo orders from financial institutions, who have federal laws/guidelines they have to follow. I'm not sure of the legalities but I think it is against some federal law to conduct business with these fraudulent bpo companies over the internet and these financial institutions are putting themselves at risk. Who do you think is ordering the bpos anyway. GMAC? Wells Fargo? Fannie or Freddie? It would certainly be bad for their business to be involved with companies who withhold payment to agents who complete their bpos. What about using the National Association of Realtors as a source to help you get paid for your work? Didn't you pay dues last month? Stand up for yourself, file suit and get paid for your work or do yourself a favor and get out of the business. My intention in this post is not to be disrespectful to anyone but to annouce your paycheck wake up call.

Increased Mortgage Activity

Although the winter months have traditionally been a slow time in the real estate market, business has seen significant improvement across Wisconsin. While it may be premature to proclaim that the recession is ending, these signs do point to an improvement in the overall economy.

Starting Off 2012 with a Bang

Across the state the number of home purchases increased by 11 percent in January 2012 in comparison to the number of homes sold in January 2011. This is a continuation of the trend that began in October of 2011. Although the average home price is still down from the levels of 2006, the improved activity is a good sign.

Refinancing is Hot now

Along with improvements in home sales, refinancing has been quite popular lately. The record low interest rates have caused quite a few people to investigate refinancing their home. Recent reports show that as much as 80% of mortgage applications have been for refinancing.

Primary Key to Fuel Home Sales and Price Improvements

The majority of economists agree that it is too soon to determine if the surge in home sales will last. However, they all agree on one point. A steady, stable growth in the number of people able to return to full time work will drastically help the housing market.

Still a Buyer’s Market

The good news for buyers is the available inventory makes it possible for a buyer to review multiple homes and find the one that is best for their needs. The recent statistics show that the current inventory of homes for sale is quite large, but the numbers are moving down. Along with the incredibly low interest rate this marks a great time for new homebuyers to get in their first home as well as for current homeowners to consider selling for either a bigger property or a home in a better area.

Short Sales and Foreclosures add Properties to the Mix

While home prices have declined in recent years due to the struggling economy, some of the best deals can be found in the case of foreclosures and short sales. It is common for a short sale to be in a much better condition than a foreclosure. Most of these owners were living in the home right up until the time they sold the property and moved on. This means that a home that was part of a short sale has a good chance of being in move-in condition. For the do-it-yourself type of people, a foreclosure could be a way to get a home at a tremendous discount and have the option of adding paint, carpet, and fixtures to customize the home to their liking.

Original Post - Increased Mortgage Activity in Wisconsin

What are your thoughts on this article from DSNews?  In my area this was not true in 2011 - we saw short sales become much quicker to close and sale prices well below market value.  Our Foreclosure properties generally are receiving multiple offers and going at or over list price.

New Employment Numbers has Negative Impact on Mortgage Rates

The recent good news for the job market had a less than desired effect on mortgage rates. Thanks to signs of an improvement in the economy the recent reports stating more people are back to work had an almost immediate impact on trading in the stock market. For years economists have pointed out the inverse relation between home mortgage rates and the general health of the economy. Usually, when investors are worried about risk, they will avoid the stock market and invest more money in to bonds and mortgage backed securities. This flow of cash makes the rates drive lower. However, when times are good and investors rush to the stock market, the opposite effect is felt.

But the Sky is Not Falling

However, this does not mean that any improvement in the stock market will automatically push mortgage rates up. And it also does not mean that the mortgage rates will move dramatically one way or the other. For example, back in the year 2007 the average 30 fixed rate hovered between 6.325% and 6.625%. Now, for the past 3 months, the average rate has moved between 4.345% and 3.875%. This shows roughly a 2% change in rates over the course of 5 years. Mortgage rates do move with the ebb and flow of the economy, but it is rare to see drastic jumps or drops.

What Does this Mean for Homeowners and Potential Homebuyers?

If the economy continues to slowly improve, this means that we may indeed have seen the lowest rates ever. Homeowners that have been wavering between refinancing and hoping for a slightly better rate would be well advised to lock in a rate suitable for their needs.

At the same time, potential homebuyers who are wondering if rates could possibly get any lower may wish to go ahead and put out a contract on a home. Locking in a good rate now for 30 or 60 days could provide a small cushion against any small uptick that will likely come in the next few weeks.

Locking in a Loan

Fortunately, the costs for doing a mortgage loan are still relatively low. Combined with the modest amount to lock in a loan, this is a great time to secure a solid rate. Most lenders are seeing quite a bit of pressure to keep the costs down so it is highly unlikely that the expense of ate locking will jump any time soon. Keep in mind that the current rates are around 3.875%. Rates cannot go to zero because that would mean the lenders are not making any money. Sooner or later, rates will go back up. How high will they go? That is the proverbial “big question” that no one really has an answer for at the moment. Better to get in on the low rates while you can rather than kicking yourself for waiting and missing out.

Original Post - Mortgage Rates Rise on new Employment Numbers

Here recently, my business has been going well enough that I am now at the point that I need to start looking at expanding the task I complete to another agent.....a co-list agent. In thinking about this, I did have a agent in mind however, I am not exactly sure he is a good fit for what it takes to do the things I do. That got me to wondering, what exactly do I do? Yes, that may seem like a silly question but, it got me to wondering even further about what exactly it takes to be a REO Listing Agent and thus, this blog.

So, before we get to talking about the day to day task, let's talk about some larger concepts that need to be realized by any REO Listing Agent.

First off, let's talk about commitment. Yeah, yeah, you know what commitment means but, how many of you actually put it in to practice daily. I suspect that many of us have so many commitments that sometimes we feel overwhelmed and can't actually get to all of our commitments in a day. In these cases where we put our commitments off till tomorrow because today was so busy, I have to stop and ask you, is what you put off till tomorrow really a commitment? To me, it sounds more like a obligation but, nothing like a commitment. The way I distinguish a commitment from an obligation is by using a time line. More specifically, if my Asset Manager gives me a task and says they need it completed in 48 hours or less, I am committed in that I no longer have the option to complete the task in 48 hours and 1 second later. This is different to me from an obligation because in my mind, an obligation doesn't have a timeline...a deadline. I am obligated to do something but, I can do it in my time....hence, my difference between a commitment and a obligation. In other words, are you committed to doing the task at hand in the time provided, regardless of other obligations you may have? If you are not because of priorities, ie.....I can't complete the assigned task because I have to pick up my child from school, then I would tell you that you may want to reconsider being a REO Listing Agent. At least my Asset Managers are looking for commitment from me and that means when they tell me at 3pm on Friday that they need a monthly marketing report completed no later than 4pm the same day.....it gets done because I am committed.

Secondly, let's have a discussion about priorities. Once again, I know you know what a priority is however, do you prioritize daily? Of course you do, we all do however, the better question is, are you prioritizing your commitments correctly. You see, many of us don't and it's not because we don't know how, it's because in many ways we have too many obligations. For example, I have a priority in my life to spend more time with my family however, that priority doesn't out weight my priority to my clients. Yeah, you heard me correctly, I said it, my family isn't a greater priority than my clients. Pick your jaw up off the floor and breathe. If you are going to be a REO Listing Agent, you need to know that your clients needs and priorities are more important than yours. As such, your clients priorities will always trump yours. For many of you, this is a problem because when I said that my client takes priority over my family, I am sure a lot of you bristled at the idea and some of you may have even said, HELL NO! It's for this very reason that you will not make a great REO Agent. Why? Because people like me will be ready to pick up your slack, show your Asset Manager that we are committed and that they are a great priority in our daily lives. Now, put yourself in your Asset Managers shoes, who would you want to work with? That's what I thought.

Thirdly, let's talk about balance. Believe it or not, you can be fully committed and, have proper priorities and still keep your life in balance. It's not easy....let's be real, it's almost impossible but, it can be achieved. You can give your client all they need....and more, as well as complete the task of other commitments, obligations , and or priorities. What does it take on your part? An incredible amount of attention to details, planning ahead, open dialogue with others, understanding your own limitations and most importantly, knowing when to ask for help. For me, balance is achieved by having the right people around me who share in the heavy burden that being a REO Listing Agent is. Team work is the only way a single person can achieve being a REO Listing Agent who close multiple millions of dollars in deals a year. Now, not all of us have the inventory on hand that would require us to have a team but, if you aren't there yet in your business, trust me, when it comes, this may be the most important thing you take away from this blog and that is Team Work.

Finally, I could go on with this blog and talk about trust, task, following instructions, etc...etc...etc... however, I have a sneaking suspension that for many of you, you never got past the second point I made....lol

With 50 + listings in 2011 year's end and 50 + sales in 2011. I have received the following award.

I am now a 50/50 member with Coldwell Banker and have won the International President's Elite award for 2011.

COLDWELL BANKER REAL ESTATE LLC 1 CAMPUS DRIVE PARSIPPANY, NJ 07054-0642

February 2, 2012

Congratulations! You achieved impressive results in 2011 that entitle you to the use of the President’s Elite designation within the Coldwell Banker brand during 2012. As a member of this distinguished group, you are among the top three percent for President's Elite, for all Coldwell Banker sales associates, depending on the designation you earned. Wow!

The group this week hit a milestone I wanted to welcome all the new members and thank the first members for their posting of comments and keeping the group active and growing.

This group is to discuss Fannie Mae properties with Fannie Mae and to share solutions to getting more business with Fannie Mae or getting in the door with Fannie Mae and to stay up to date on their requirements.

Website: http://reopro.ning.com/group/fanniemae Members: 271

The group this week hit a milestone I wanted to welcome all the new members and thank the first members for their posting of comments and keeping the group active and growing.

This group is to discuss Bank of America properties with Bank Of America and to share solutions to getting more business with Bank of America or getting in the door with Bank of America and to stay up to date on their requirements.

Website: http://reopro.ning.com/group/bankofamerica

Members:                            169

Here is today's market update for Active single family foreclosure and bank owned home MLS listings located in Madison Wisconsin. This information was pulled from the South Central Wisconsin MLS on 2/15/2012 at 10:45 A.M.

• 42 total Foreclosure|REO|Bank-Owned home listings in Madison, WI
• Low listing price: $58,000
• High listing price: $340,000
• Average listing price: $152,235
• Median listing price: $149,500
• Average days on the market: 57

There are some fantastic deals available right now! Of the 42 foreclosure listings in Madison, 21 of them are listed for under $150,000. These numbers change on a daily basis, so to obtain the most up to date information, please contact us directly at 877-774-7625 or email us at Info@RockRealtyWI.com. If you are looking to buy a discounted home in Madison Wisconsin, we would be happy to customize the search further for you to find the home that is just right for you.

As an extra benefit to Rock Realty home buyers, we offer a 1% broker commission rebate after closing. This could mean $2,000 back on a home purchase of $200,000. We love to hear how these rebates help our clients. Some use them for home improvements, while others simply put it in savings for future needs. It is a great option that we are happy to offer. Contact us for further details and limitations.

Original Post - Foreclosures in Madison Wisconsin

Here is today's market update for Active foreclosure and bank owned home MLS listings located in Janesville Wisconsin. This information was pulled from the South Central Wisconsin MLS on 2/14/2012 at 2:50 P.M.

• 26 total Foreclosure|REO|Bank-Owned home listings in Janesville, WI
• Low listing price: $45,500
• High listing price: $679,900
• Average listing price: $118,167
• Median listing price: $84,000
• Average days on the market: 82

There are some fantastic deals available right now! Of the 26 foreclosure listings in Janesville, 19 of them are listed for under $100,000. These numbers change on a daily basis, so to obtain the most up to date information, please contact us directly at 877-774-7625 or email us at Info@RockRealtyWI.com. If you are looking to buy a discounted home in Janesville Wisconsin, we would be happy to customize the search further for you to find the home that is just right for you.

As an extra benefit to Rock Realty home buyers, we offer a 1% broker commission rebate after closing. This could mean $2,000 back on a home purchase of $200,000. We love to hear how these rebates help our clients. Some use them for home improvements, while others simply put it in savings for future needs. It is a great option that we are happy to offer. Contact us for further details and limitations.

Original Post - Foreclosure Listings - Janesville, WI

Recently I read a post on the ActiveRain about being qualified to be a buyer's agent and it centered around an inspection item that apparently the buyer chose not to do.

I have however found that listing agents perhaps create more issues and I wonder what some of them told the seller to get the listing.

First off, is your listing accurrate?  If listing income property, are you listing ALL of the financials so the investor can make a good decsion?  IE rents charged, expenses, cap rate,etc?In a residential setting, are you also listing the SCHOOL DISTRICTS, the HOA contact information, all the ameneties,etc?  Is your listing description more than a few words?   I want to know about the property, etc. Also, flyers and a yard sign, at least...are they present?

What kind of photo do you have?  I still cannot believe the amount of listings that have no photo, despite it is MLS policy to have them. Why is the photo of the inside?  What is wrong with the outside that I do not want to see it?  Make sure your listing status is accurrate.  If it says active that means you are receiving offers!  Promptly acknowlege all offers even the bad one!

Are you able to coordinate all showings and inspection needs wth the seller? Do you have an electronic lockbox and do you follow up with every showing?

If a short sale, did YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK and price it along with the area comps?  The bank will do its own evaluation and the truth will be told.

Have you counseled your seller on how the house should look prior to sale?  It should look ready for company every day!

Of course do you ANSWER YOUR PHONE? Don't try to say "text me or email me". THIS IS NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE.  Make sure your number is not disconnected.

What should we expect in the first quarter of 2012. We just heard the big news the banks settled with the federal goverment and have to pay money to some homeowners whom they foreclosed on. Does this mean they have green light to foreclose? Or is it more complicated than that? Also, we just heard more news on the robo- signing recently, the top 5 servicers have reached an agreement to settle for 25 billion dollars. Are the Reo flood gates about to open soon? We have yet to see. If anyone can add anything to this topic it would be greatly appreciated.