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I just read an interesting article on DSNEWS, the article explains that major lenders are giving their borrowers insentives for short sales, and some are trying to streamline the process.

The article states that Wells Fargo has been giving relocation assistance up to $20,000 in Florida for if the borrower chooses to go do a short sale or deed in lieu. Chase is also offering up to $20,000 if the borrower doesn't qualify for a loan modification and up to $30,000 in CA. Citi has insentive average is $12,000 for a short sale.

Bank of America is just trying to streamline the process and cut some of the red tape and now allows for backups offers.

I guess these are good news for Short Sale, a step in the right direction for the bank, the borrowers and the real estate agents.

I just read an interesting article on DSNEWS, the article explains that major lenders are giving their borrowers insentives for short sales, and some are trying to streamline the process.

The article states that Wells Fargo has been giving relocation assistance up to $20,000 in Florida for if the borrower chooses to go do a short sale or deed in lieu. Chase is also offering up to $20,000 if the borrower doesn't qualify for a loan modification and up to $30,000 in CA. Citi has insentive average is $12,000 for a short sale.

Bank of America is just trying to streamline the process and cut some of the red tape and now allows for backups offers.

I guess these are good news for Short Sale, a step in the right direction for the bank, the borrowers and the real estate agents.

The J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Home  Buyer/Seller Study is off the press, and some interesting marketing statistics were revealed. In addition to studying consumer sentiment towards real estate brands, J.D. Power dug deeper into the inner workings of real estate, finding some big changes that have taken place over the course of a year.

Among their findings, the study revealed something that would come as no surprise to readers - REALTORS are hustling more than ever before. In 20011, 60% of buyers and sellers surveyed reported that their agent reached out to the them for a referral, a 28% spike from a year earlier. It seems the "I'm never too busy for your referrals" stamp isn't sufficient anymore, as more agents are proactively seeking recommendations digitally and face to face.

These findings validate what we all know - that the real estate market is changing, and amplifies the need for agents to change with the market by proactively seeking new business.

In an earlier blog post on the importance of marketing your real estate business in a recession, I argued against conventional wisdom that it is even more vital to spend marketing dollars in a down market in order to differentiate your realty from others. In fact, the marketers who spent the most advertising dollars in the great depression not only survived the depression but rose above it to thrive, among them Procter & Gamble, Chevrolet and Camel Cigarettes.

Likewise, an agent can thrive in today's real estate environment by amping up their marketing efforts and focusing less on real estate, and more on prospecting. Real estate prospector king Hoss Pratt articulates the importance of prospecting in today's market in this YouTube video. "If you don't prospect 3 hours a day, you'll be extinct in this market", he says.

Many subscribers of our 30-60-90 day late data grasp this principle by reaching out to distressed homeowners that are behind on their payments and through a series of of pre orchestrated mailings, phone calls and personal visits drive home their message of hope and solutions. This level of tenacity and hunting mentality has led to big, predictable results that have put them ahead in this fiercely competitive climate.

To learn how many struggling homeowners are in your area that need to get from underneath their homes, you can request a free area analysis byentering your criteria on a quick form.

Banks Day of Reckoning Cometh..for Fraud filled foreclosure, Robo-signers? (Video)

July 24, 2011 · 

Hi everyone,

 This is Nicole Ocean of the BPO Automation Group. I, along with Tim Ventura started the BPO Automation Group in April of 2009. In case you aren't familiar with what we as a company do, let me mention quickly that we are the industry leaders in BPO automation software for BPO & REO professionals nationwide.

 After talking with Jesse Gonzalez, the founder of this wonderful forum a few weeks ago, he mentioned that it would be a good idea to touch bases with everyone and let you know more about where we as a company are going,etc.

 As 50/50 partners of the company, Tim and I have spent the last 2 years literally in the 'trenches' working side-by-side our clients. We listened to their needs, wants and desires and took all of their feedback and applied it enhancing and improving our products as much as possible.

Everyone who has been involved with the BPO Automation Group has really poured so much of themselves into our cause these past few years, so you can imagine that as I write this, our company has come SOOO far in the past few years!

 After reaching a critical point both professionally and personally about one month ago, I purchased Tim's 50% share of the BPO Automation Group. It was a well thought out move and a difficult one to make and in the end it has proven to be a great decision for everyone involved, even for Tim himself. Like all good things in life changes is inevitable and I intend to do the best I possibly can with this change for the betterment of our clients, the industry at large and for everyone else that we effect by what we do.

 Tim helped our company in countless ways and we are an organization are forever indebted to him, his efforts and his dedication. Let me point out that BPO Automation Group is still in very good hands! I intend to make sure that BPOA continues to thrive, as well as evolve into an even better industry network and respected organization then it was under different management.

 BPO Automation Group is continuing in our mission of always moving forward despite internal changes of company ownership. In the last month our staff has been working diligently to make things even better than they were under different management while Tim was a part of the company.

 Here is a short list of priorities and things that clients and potential clients can expect to see from us as a company:

 * Increased levels of customer service (Example: Clients can now call our dedicated tech support line during business hours to receive help over the phone.)

*  AutoFill as a monthly subscription will soon be available for $59 for 2 users (or 2 computer setups with our AutoFill software) along with a $49.00 one-time MLS setup fee. Addt computer setups will be just $10 a piece per month.

* All monthly AutoFill clients will receive all of our Add-on products as well as many new ones like our free Excel-based 'BPO Payment Log.' (This is HUGE!!!)

* More Companies added to our popular 'Order Central' Auto Accept software.

* More Research and Development in all of the free resources we offer like our BPO Companies list.

I'd love to hear any feedback, comments or suggestions you'd like to see with our products too! Feel free to reply to this posting or reach out by emailing or calling me.

Here's to everyone's continued success for as long as we are able!

Warmly,

Nicole Ocean

Founder

BPO Automation Group

nicole@bpo-automation.com

360-223-2482 ext 2

Seems like a bizarre question doesn't it? Well guess what, it is not.  If you are selling your home as short sale the bank may have the right to send a property preservation company to the house and "secure it" if they feel the house is vacant and abandoned. But it is still my house, right?

Yes, it is still your house, even if you have stopped making payments, but here is the catch. Many loans contain clauses that say if you abandon your home the bank has a right to secure the property to preserve their interest in the home while they are waiting to re-posses it.

So here is the typical situation.  Owner has a home that they need to short sell.  They have already left the home, often to take a job somewhere else, but maybe for some other reason.  The short sale is initiated and the bank finds out the property is vacant. They do not want any damage to the property so they send out a property preservation company to secure the house.  The company changes the locks and may even board up windows. There are even some instances where the property preservation company employees help themselves to some things that were "abandoned" in the home that do not belong to them. The realtor listing the property may not be given the key and other agents may not be able to get in until the mess is straightened out.

What is the solution?  There is no fool proof solution but there are some things you can try.  If you are selling an empty home for what ever reason the best thing to do is to hire a realtor who can stage it for you. (I do this for all my listings) Once the home is staged, or even if that is not possible, take pictures. Show the bank the house is being cared for by the realtor, that the windows are not broken, and that there are locks on the door.  Take pictures of all the fixtures to show what is in the house.  Send these pictures to the bank along with the initial short sale authorization and then again with the short sale package to show that the home is not abandoned and in case there is any question about things going missing.

This may not stop the the bank every time from "securing" an un-abandoned house, but it should help.

If you have nay 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

The reality is, there is no magic pill when marketing your services to distressed homeowners. The biggest determinant of success, in my view, is repetition and the number of "touch points". Familiarity builds credibility, which in turn builds trust. Remember, all of the news media has told homeowners that if anyone contacts them with the offer to stave foreclosure, they are probably vultures looking to swoop down and profit from their misery. Repetitive marketing goes a long way to overcome this distrust. 

The adept agent or investor that can empathize with the homeowner's situation and help them navigate through this difficult period will undoubtedly be successful.

In addition to constantly exposing your message to these financially troubled borrowers, it's important to speak to the homeowner in terms of benefits, not features. That you've "saved 28 homeowners from foreclosure last month" is a feature. Are you a CDPE or SFR or have another designation? That's another feature that doesn't answer the distressed homeowner's fundamental queswtion: "What's in it for me?" They want to keep their children in school... move on to build better memories... get a good night's sleep for the first time in six months... restore normalcy to their day to day affairs, etc - these benefits resonate more with distressed homeowners than your credentials. 

There are several marketing vehicles to carry your message of hope and solutions: 

Postcards: These are popular because they are cheap to print and cheap to mail and they stare homeowners in the face. The headline, the copy, the call to action, are some factors that determine effectiveness. Yet a post card will not close the sale. This tiny billboard is best used to continue the conversation that the postcard started, like sending the homeowner to a website. > Read more about mistakes to avoid when sending postcards. 

Letters: A handwritten envelope/letter will beat postcards any day. Let's face it, we all judge a book by it's cover, and so will distressed homeowners that see you took the time to hand write an envelope. This has a high open rate because of the look and feel of personal correspondence. > See an example of letters that have worked well (pdf). 

Dimensional Mail: Think inside the box, literally. Anything in a package is guaranteed to get opened. We work with one agent that actually sends a fortune cookie to distressed homeowners. Inside the cookie is a clever slip - "Save your home. Call me." While this can get expensive, the ROI is phenomenal. 

Door knocking: While it takes a special kind of person to do this, delivering your message in person has the most impact. > See a door knocking script that has worked for other agents

Calling: In our view, the phone is best used as a follow up device after you have communicated with them through other means, but you can use the HAFA program as the thrust for a cold call. 

. 

There are other considerations when marketing to homeowners in pre foreclosure which go beyond the scope of one blog post. To bounce some other ideas around, get in touch with us at www.preforeclosuredata.net

The yellow letter is a handwritten, usually brief message on old school yellow ruled paper. Yellow letters are a tried and true marketing vehicle to reach motivated home sellers. The magic of the yellow letter is in its personal touch, look and feel. 

 With today’s savvy consumer, any mail that looks commercial gets chucked in the waste basket. Anything that looks like personal correspondence will smash through the clutter and is practically guaranteed to be opened. In fact, the national average of direct mail is abysmal – it’s less than half of 1% Yet with yellow letter campaigns, response rates of 5% to 15% or better are not uncommon.

To see a digital copy of what an effective Yellow Letter looks like, get a pdf copy here. 

Of course, the biggest success factor in direct mail is the quality of the list. While NOD/Lis Pendens lists are inexpensive or sometimes free, the drawback to these sources is the fierce competition since everyone else has access to these public records. By using credit bureau data, you get a distinct early advantage over the bulk of your peers.

Like this post? Follow us on Twitter @shortsaledata for the latest blog posts, tips, and news in the distressed property industry. 

In what’s good news to agents working with distressed property owners, the FTC issued a statement on Friday that it will no longer enforce most stipulations of the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services rule. This onerous rule required short sale agents to make a handful of disclosures when assisting distressed homeowners in staving foreclosure by obtaining a short sale.

This rule also prohibited upfront fee collection as well as false or misleading statements, two reasonable requirements in my view.

The subscribers to our pre foreclosure data were required to place prominent disclaimers on the mail pieces they were sending to financially troubled homeowners, disclaimers that occupied an inordinate amount of space and, based on the feedback that I received, was oftentimes confusing because it addressed services provided by loan modification companies, not REALTORS.

Now, it seems this feedback that I’ve gotten from agents is validated.

“As more and more American homeowners seek short sales, it is especially important that the Rule not inadvertently discourage real estate professionals from helping consumers with these types of transactions,” the FTC stated.

At preforeclosuredata.net, we provide early, accurate and exclusive data on homeowners 30, 60, 90 or 120+ days late on their mortgage payment.

Hello,

Would like some help here....I received a call from Advent REO, saying they have possible listings in my area, however they want me to pay a $295 fee first to join and then get the listings... Have any of you worked with them before?? if so, what was your experience? Any input would be greatly appreciated

I have not heard this topic brought up much when taking REO courses and online discussions on how to grow your businees. I have read talks of failed banks on post and names of banks along with a direct link to US Treasury in various places but not how it relates to growing your REO business. I have to think there are numerous ways to use this list to help to gain new listings after all these banks have assets they are holding and if the bank is closing this would most likely direct you to think they may be toxic assets.

FDIC: Failed Bank List  here is a link to find the official list.

The FDIC has released the financial statistics on the banking industry for the of 2011 to date 116 .

As of May 20, 2011, the FDIC has participated in the closing of 116 banks this year.

With the first two quarter results now available we can observe the actual shrinkage in the number of banks in the United States.

On March 31, 2011 there were 6,453 banks in the United States, 77 less than existed on December 31, 2010.

There were 6,773 banks in existence a year earlier.

At the start of the recession in December 2009, there were 7,284 banks in the banking system.

The largest drop in banks in the first quarter was in the smallest institutions: there were 51 fewer banks with assets of less than $100 million at the end of the quarter than at the end of 2010.

Banks between $100 million in asset size and $1.0 billion in asset size dropped in number by 34 units.

This is HUGE!

A few days ago short sale sellers in California got great news!  Governor Brown signed a bill which prohibits lenders and investors of junior loans to pursue a deficiency judgment on most approved short sales.  First lien holders are already prohibited from deficiency judgments, but second mortgages and HELOCS were not previously exempted. As of July 15th, they are included. So, if a bank approves your short sale, then they have to give up all rights to going after the borrower for any deficiencies. So if the second lender says they will take $6000 for an $85,000 HELEC, that is all they get. After close they can not come back to the borrower and say we still want more money.

This is great news for short sale sellers in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.  Certain exceptions apply if the bank can prove fraud, but for most sellers, this is the last piece they need to be able to transition out of their homes and have a chance to start over.

Since California has had such a large percentage of homeowners who owe more on their homes than they are worth, and of those people there are always going to be those who need to sell, this is a welcome relief for huge numbers of homeowners.

If you have any questions about buying or selling short sales please feel free to contact me!

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

D.R.E. 01191194

Federal Government Disclaimer (MARS): 1. You may stop doing business with us at any time. You may accept or reject the offer of mortgage assistance we obtain from your lender [or servicer]. If you reject the offer, you do not have to pay us. If you accept the offer, you will have to pay us commission as agreed to in listing contract for our services.
2. Marcy Moyer of Keller Williams Realty is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender; and 
3. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.

FROM THE DESK OF THE MORENOWORKGROUP:

A new law signed by Jerry Brown in California has now made it easier for Californians suffering from the Real Estate dip to short sell their homes. The new law prevents the second lein hold nor the investors behind them, including any insurer to seek any type of deficiency judgement against the seller once the deal is closed. 

HERE IS THE LAW FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT SLEEP AT NIGHT (like me).

http://ca.opengovernment.org/system/bill_documents/001/221/782/original/sb_458_bill_20110516_amended_sen_v96.html?1310498614

BILL NUMBER: SB 458 AMENDED
BILL TEXT

AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 16, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 4, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 21, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Corbett
   (Principal coauthors: Senators Correa and Vargas)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Blumenfield and Skinner)

                        FEBRUARY 16, 2011

   An act to amend Section 580e of the Code of Civil Procedure,
relating to mortgages, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take
effect immediately.



LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 458, as amended, Corbett. Mortgages: deficiency judgments.
   Existing law prohibits a deficiency judgment under a note secured
by a first deed of trust or first mortgage for a dwelling of not more
than 4 units in any case in which the trustor or mortgagor sells the
dwelling for less than the remaining amount of the indebtedness due
at the time of sale with the written consent of the holder of the
first deed of trust or first mortgage. Existing law provides that
written consent of the holder of the first deed of trust or first
mortgage to that sale shall obligate that holder to accept the sale
proceeds as full payment and to fully discharge the remaining amount
of the indebtedness on the first deed of trust or first mortgage.
Existing law specifies that those provisions would not limit the
ability of the holder of the first deed of trust or first mortgage to
seek damages and use existing rights and remedies against the
trustor or mortgagor or any 3rd party for fraud or waste if the
trustor or mortgagor commits either fraud with respect to the sale
of, or waste with respect to, the real property that secures that
deed of trust or mortgage. Existing law makes these provisions
inapplicable if the trustor or mortgagor is a corporation or
political subdivision of the state.
   This bill would expand those provisions to prohibit a deficiency
judgment upon a note secured solely by a deed of trust or
mortgage for a dwelling of not more than 4 units in any case in which
the trustor or mortgagor sells the dwelling for a sale price less
than the remaining amount of the indebtedness outstanding at the time
of sale, in accordance with the written consent of the holder of the
deed of trust or mortgage if the title has been voluntarily
transferred to a buyer by grant deed or by other document that has
been recorded and the proceeds of the sale are tendered as
agreed. The bill would also provide that, in other circumstances,
when the note is not secured solely by a deed of trust or mortgage
for a dwelling of not more than 4 units, no judgment shall be
rendered for any deficiency upon a note secured by a deed of trust or
mortgage for a dwelling of not more than 4 units, if the trustor or
mortgagor sells the dwelling for a sale price less than the remaining
amount of the indebtedness, in accordance with the written consent
of the holder of the deed of trust or mortgage . The bill would
provide, following the sale, in accordance with the written
consent, the voluntary transfer of title to a buyer, as
specified, and the tender of the sale proceeds, the rights, remedies,
and obligations of any holder, beneficiary, mortgagee, trustor,
mortgagor, obligor, obligee, or guarantor of the note, deed of trust,
or mortgage, and with respect to any other property that secures the
note, shall be treated and determined as if the dwelling had been
sold through foreclosure under a power of sale, as specified.
The bill would prohibit the holder of a note from requiring the
trustor, mortgagor, or maker of the note to pay any additional
compensation, aside from the proceeds of the sale, in exchange for
the written consent to the sale. The bill would provide that
these provisions are inapplicable if the trustor or mortgagor is a
corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or
political subdivision of the state. The provisions would also be
inapplicable to any deed of trust, mortgage, or other lien given to

secure the payment of bonds or other evidence of indebtedness
authorized, or permitted to be issued, by the Commissioner of
Corporations, or that is made by a public utility subject to the
Public Utilities Act. The bill would provide that any purported
waiver of these provisions shall be void and against public policy.
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated
local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 580e of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended
to read:
   580e.  (a) (1) No deficiency shall be
owed or collected, and no deficiency judgment shall be
requested or rendered for any deficiency upon a note secured
solely by a deed of trust or mortgage for a dwelling of
not more than four units, in any case in which the trustor or
mortgagor sells the dwelling for a sale price less than the remaining
amount of the indebtedness outstanding at the time of sale, in
accordance with the written consent of the holder of the deed of
trust or mortgage. mortgage, provided that
both of the following have occurred:
   (A) Title has been the voluntarily transferred to a buyer by grant
deed or by other document of conveyance that has been recorded in
the county where all or part of the real property is located.

   (B) The proceeds of the sale have been tendered to the mortgagee,
beneficiary, or the agent of the mortgagee or beneficiary, in
accordance with the parties' agreement.
   (b) Following the
   (2) In circumstances not described in
paragraph (1), when a note is not secured solely by a deed of trust
or mortgage for a dwelling of not more than four units, no judgment
shall be rendered for any deficiency upon a note secured by a deed of
trust or mortgage for a dwelling of not more than four units, if the
trustor or mortgagor sells the dwelling for a sale price less than
the remaining amount of the indebtedness outstanding at the time of
sale, in accordance with the written consent of the holder of the
deed of trust or mortgage. Following the sale, in accordance with the
holder's written consent, the voluntary transfer of title to a
buyer by grant deed or by other document of conveyance recorded in
the county where all or part of the real property is located ,
and the tender to the mortgagee, beneficiary, or the agent of
the mortgagee or beneficiary of the sale proceeds, as agreed, the
rights, remedies, and obligations of any holder, beneficiary,
mortgagee, trustor, mortgagor, obligor, obligee, or guarantor of the
note, deed of trust, or mortgage, and with respect to any other
property that secures the note, shall be treated and determined as if
the dwelling had been sold through foreclosure under a power of sale
contained in the deed of trust or mortgage for a price equal to the
sale proceeds received by the holder, in the manner contemplated by
Section 580d.
   (b) A holder of a note shall not require the trustor, mortgagor,
or maker of the note to pay any additional compensation, aside from
the proceeds of the sale, in exchange for the written consent to the
sale.
   (c) If the trustor or mortgagor commits either fraud with respect
to the sale of, or waste with respect to, the real property that
secures the deed of trust or mortgage, this section shall not limit
the ability of the holder of the deed of trust or mortgage to seek
damages and use existing rights and remedies against the trustor or
mortgagor or any third party for fraud or waste.
   (d) (1) This section shall not apply if the
trustor or mortgagor is a corporation, limited liability company,
limited partnership, or political subdivision of the state.
   (e)
   (2) This section shall not apply to any deed of trust,
mortgage, or other lien given to secure the payment of bonds or other
evidence of indebtedness authorized, or permitted to be issued, by
the Commissioner of Corporations, or that is made by a public utility
subject to the Public Utilities Act (Part 1 (commencing with Section
201) of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code).
   (f)
   (e) Any purported waiver of subdivision (a) or (b)
shall be void and against public policy.
  SEC. 2.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order to mitigate the impact of the ongoing foreclosure crisis
and to encourage the approval of short sales as an alternative to
foreclosure, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.

There is a vacant house in my neighborhood that is driving all the neighbors crazy, it has been vacant since October of last year, I am sure if it hasn't foreclose yet it is about to. grass is 5 feet tall, weeds are growing very tall, ivy wraps around the house. broken fence etc.

I was driving home last night and I saw a hand written sign on the front lawn, I stop to read it and was very surprised to read " Froclosure $55K Needs work and the phone number"

It makes me wonder if the listing agent ran out of signs and decided to do this sign, forgetting the broker's information, equal housing  and realtor logo, or it is one of those investors trying to sell an assignment.

I don't know if it is my luck, but lately I have several settlement delayed due to title issues. I know with REO properties usually we have these delays, because the ratification of foreclosures and deed recordations. But lately I have found some crazy things.

I have two properties that have been under contract since April and May, both have title issues.

Property one is bank owned. It has been undercontract since April, they are waiting for previous foreclosure recordation, that is the foreclosure in 2004 before the investor who just got foreclose purchase the property. Now we are waiting for the seller's and buyer's title copanies to get it right this time, but it has taken too long.

Second property, is a short sale, the title problem is that the transaction in 2000 the title company only have one of the previous owner's sign deed and title documents no the couple that used to own the property. Now the current owner is trying to short sale and the buyer's title company has not been able to find the previous seller to get a signed affidavit or get the previous documents signed correctly.

What is wrong with these title companies not doing a  good job at their title research. These are really dumb mistakes. I know in the previouse 4 years, several title companies have gone out of business in the area, some owners are either in jail or have taken their lives because of the imbecilments and other iregularities with their business practices. 

I hope in the near future the insurance commission takes more control and do better audits on the title companies to avoid these type of issues in the future, it is not fair for the seller, buyers lenders, agents and other title companies.

I am currently reading The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor. Which asks the questions: Are successful people more happy or are happy people more successful? I highly recommend the book.

Principle number 3 is the Tetris Effect. This occurs when people devote sufficient time and attention to an activity that it begins to overshadow their thoughts, mental images and dreams. It got its name from a study done on people playing the video game Tetris. After playing for a prolonged amount of time, they may find themselves thinking about different shapes in the real world and how they can fit together. Everywhere they go they see the shapes. It is what they focus on.

In short, we see what we train our minds to see, and, what we focus on is whats most prevalent in our world. Another analogy he used is this: When you get a new red car all of a sudden everyone seems to be driving a red car.

The same is true with negative and positive outlooks on life. If we focus on the negative, we see the negative. If we focus on the positive, we see the positive. One example Shawn gives of this is when he was in Australia for a lecture. He stepped outside during one of the breaks and over heard two men talking to each other. One man said that it was nice that the sun was out. The other replied that it was too hot. Both men were in the same place, yet one saw the sun as a positive and the other saw it as a negative.

In my line of work there are a lot of time sensitive task and cost associated with the business. The more business, the more task and cost. This can be overwhelming, and If I’m not careful, I can find myself focusing on this as a negative. But more business is a good thing, right? If I didn’t have business, I would really be in a negative mood. It is funny how we can take something positive and turn it into a negative.

So how do we break free from this? We have to train our minds to start thinking positive. Scientist state that it takes 3 positives to erase 1 negative. Shawn recommends that everyday we right down or say out loud at least 3 good things that happened to us over the last 24 hours. Sounds simple. What this does is causes our brains to scan over the last 24 hours and find the positives, which will eventually train our minds to see the positives in everyday life. I just started doing this with my wife at the dinner table. I will let you know how it goes.

For more recommended reading, visit my blog: www.nicksbusinessjournal.com.

When a buyer makes an offer on a Mountain View, or any Silicon Valley Short Sale they ocassionally want to purchase some of the furniture in the house.  Sometimes there is a couch that fits perfectly in the family room, or a dining room table that is too big for the seller's new house and they want to sell it. It's ok to do that, right?

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!

Should I say it again?  Ok, NO DO NOT DO IT!!!!!

Here is why.  The seller is not allowed to have any gain from the sale of the home.  The bank gets all the money from the buyer in exchange for allowing the loan to be written down so the seller can get out of his/her obligation. If the seller sells furniture to the buyer it can be considered by the bank to mean that the seller has received money from the buyer. So, if the buyer wants a big table they will have to go to Ikea and buy one.  If the seller does not want a couch, put it on Craigslist, but do not sell personal property to the buyer.

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

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcyoyer.com

650-619-9285

D.R.E. 01191194

Federal Government Disclaimer (MARS): 1. You may stop doing business with us at any time. You may accept or reject the offer of mortgage assistance we obtain from your lender [or servicer]. If you reject the offer, you do not have to pay us. If you accept the offer, you will have to pay us commission as agreed to in listing contract for our services.
2. Marcy Moyer of Keller Williams Realty is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender; and 
3. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.

Set your DVRs! My son Dan and 3 other members of his theatre company www.shelbycompany.org are going to be on Cash Cab NY.  It was filmed last fall but finally will air tomorrow.  This is a not to missed show. I promise you all a great time.

It comes on at 6:30 on the east coast. Direct TV will show it at 3:30 and 6:30 on the west coast.

It is on the Discovery Channel for those of you living under a rock and have never heard of the show.

Marcy