Marketing Is A Long-Term Investment
"Dig your well before you're thirsty" is the title of a wonderful book by Harvey Mackay. It is smart advice for investing your money, "Save your money before you need it", or growing your business, "Market today for tomorrow".When times are tough some businesses stop marketing. They reason, 'No one ... more...

Reinventing Real Estate, Part 1: Online and Empowered Consumers Are Taking Charge and Paying Less
For decades, the real estate world turned in a predictable manner. The roles of buyers, sellers and real estate professionals were fairly well defined and transactions followed a predictable path of yard signs, newspaper ads, open houses and miles of paperwork.Recently, online and empowered ... more...

The Top 3 House Hunting Resources Other Than Your Realtor To Help You Find Your Dream Home!
If youre ready to start house hunting, its a good idea to come up with a plan for finding your dream home.The first step is to find a good realtor to help you through the house buying process. There are lots of little details, and having someone to help you remember all of them is a great idea ... more...

Blame It On the Rain: Protect Your Home With Hurricane, Wind, and Flood Insurance
Choosing the best insurance policies for your home can cause a lot of confusion. Many homebuyers are not fully educated about the coverage needed to protect a home or real estate investment. Many difficult situations can be caused by natural disasters. If you purchase real estate in or ... more...

Focusing Your Marketing Efforts
One of my favorite quotes is often used to describe goal-setting -- but it applies equally well to your marketing efforts. We start with Alice lost in the woods in Wonderland, where she comes upon the Cheshire-Cat..."Cheshire-Puss," she began rather timidly, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ... more...

How to Sell Your Home by Owner And Double Your Profit When You Sell
When you want to sell your home, you are probably looking for someone who can qualify for a bank mortgage to buy your home, right?Assuming you are successful in finding such a buyer, the costs of the sale will probably wipe out your equity, or profit on the sale.The National Association of Realtors ... more...

Stop Debating it -- LeBron James is the Best Basketball Player on the Planet!
Sports fans love to debate. This is part of the excitement of sports, arguing about what players are best at their respective game or position. One that has become surprisingly popular pits second-year star LeBron James against various other greats, such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and others. ... more...

Be Careful When Choosing A Credit Counselor
When you find yourself in a bad credit situation it is easy to find hope in credit counseling agencies. You feel safe when someone says that they are a non-profit organization. But often, those that are offering help are only helping themselves.Federal and state regulators are warning consumers ... more...

Inspecting Home Inspectors - Examining the Quality and Consistency of Home Inspections
In real estate transactions, some things never change. Sellers usually feel theyve given their house away, buyers believe theyve paid too much and Realtors fear neither side will ever get to the closing table. There is however, one thing that has been inconsistent in real estate transactions: the ... more...

Realtors: Inspecting Home Inspectors
Examining the quality and consistency of home inspections. Province of Ontario, June 2005 UpdateIn real estate transactions, some things never change. Sellers usually feel theyve given their house away, buyers believe theyve paid too much and Realtors fear neither side will ever get to the closing ... more...

Purchase Your First Home with Confidence
If you are making the transition from renter to homeowner, you're not alone. In 2004, 40 percent of homebuyers were purchasing for the first time, according to "The 2004 National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers."With interest rates at all-time lows and a booming real ... more...

Filling Out The Loan Application
1. Property information. The application begins with a section on the property. Questions as to the type of loan sought, the terms of the loan, location and legal description of the property, the property's value, and the manner of taking title must be completed. This information is used to ... more...

Real Estate Rookies Need to Work Smarter, Not Harder!
The housing boom has attracted a flood of newcomers to the real estate profession. Those that have been downsized, retirees and even people who just want a better life style see real estate careers as exciting, less stressful and offering high rewards.But they soon discover that the real estate ... more...