Mother & Daughter Blog

Blogging can help your business!

In my search to figure out how blogging really can help me as a real estate agent.  Since it does take up allot of time I wanted to make sure I wasn't just getting into another hobby and something to relax me but might not be something that will help me generate business. 

These are some of the reasons that got my attention and I wanted to share/refresh/remind you of these reasons and ask you to tell me why blogging is good for you.

• lead generation (i.e., meeting prospective buyers and sellers)
• Alternative income source
• Free marketing
• Increases credibility
• brand awareness
• competitive advantage over competing agents
• competitive intelligence and increased knowledge base 

Added benefits

1. when you link your blog to your website. 
2. frequently provide quality local content to your market on hot button issues

You build your credibility as an expert in the field.  People like to do business with experts, therefore you generate more leads than non blogging competitors.

You can clearly watch your traffic statistics and comments increase with frequent blog posts, but if you stop or become inconsistent with your posts, your traffic will drop off rather quickly.  You need to flex your blogging muscle frequently to drive and maintain the results you are looing for..."

Tell me how blogging has helped your business!

In my search to figure out how blogging really can help me as a real estate agent.  Since it does take up allot of time I wanted to make sure I wasn't just getting into another hobby and something to relax me but might not be something that will help me generate business. 

These are some of the reasons that got my attention and I wanted to share/refresh/remind you of these reasons and ask you to tell me why blogging is good for you.

• lead generation (i.e., meeting prospective buyers and sellers)
• Alternative income source
• Free marketing
• Increases credibility
• brand awareness
• competitive advantage over competing agents
• competitive intelligence and increased knowledge base 

Added benefits

1. when you link your blog to your website. 
2. frequently provide quality local content to your market on hot button issues

You build your credibility as an expert in the field.  People like to do business with experts, therefore you generate more leads than non blogging competitors.

You can clearly watch your traffic statistics and comments increase with frequent blog posts, but if you stop or become inconsistent with your posts, your traffic will drop off rather quickly.  You need to flex your blogging muscle frequently to drive and maintain the results you are looing for..."

Tell me how blogging has helped your business!

Be Safe, Be Alert!

Be Safe, Be Alert!

I thought I would pass this on to the readers.  It was posted on Metrolist on 5/22.  This is something that we all need to be alert to and be very watchful of what is going on around us.  This is not the first time I have seen alert of foul play - there was a molester that lived in San Jose, got out of jail and started right back to the same behavior and he was visiting real estate offices as if he was a potential buyers!  Talking about scary.

Although, I work with my daughter and that makes me feel a little safer, but some days we each have to do it alone and the thought of safety is never out of my mind.

Follow the safety tips that is suggested to you.  What I would like to do is start a safety list to share with the AR readers and maybe we will all practice being safer and more alert.

I will start the list off, please add to it with your comments:

1.   Keep an eye out for suspicious behavior and trust your instincts.

2.   Use the buddy system

3.   Let someone (especially family) know when and where you are holding your open house.  If possible leave directions, time and any other information that you deem necessary so if they need to come looking for you, they will have this information handy.

4.   Check the house to be sure you are there alone,

5.   lock doors until you have a visit and then re-lock when they leave.  Maybe except for the front door - depending on the surroundings.

6.   set you showings in the mid day - no evenings or after dark

Please add to this list and bookmark the blog for future reference and reminder.

Stay safe!

Rosemary

Lets talk Real Estate - Down Payment Assistance Program  

Nehemiah Program: Been around since 1997

This program is great for buyers that do not have a down payment and the seller is willing to participate.  There are two main factors to this non profit program.   Nehemiah will allow the seller to gift to buyer between 1-6% for down payment assistance.   The average down payment contribution is 3%.  Credit is not a factor for this program.  

• No repayment of the gift funds
• No income, asset or geographical restrictions
• Free nationwide training and marketing support
• Free online homeownership education

Advantages:

1. Ability to sell at full market value
2. Increase buyer pool
3. Reduce marketing time
4. Simplify negotiations
5. Fast Processing

Requirements

1. Buyer must pre-qualify and it can be with any lending institution, however, the buyer must let the loan office know up front that he is looking to participate in the Nehemiah program.   Qualify for an eligible loan product that will ermit charitable organizations to provide gift funds to be used toward a buyer's downpayment and closing costs.

2. The Seller must participate by contributing from the seller's proceeds the amount (between 1-6%) to help the buyer with the down payment. Prior to close, funds are wired to escrow and escrow will close.  After closing the seller must agree to pay Nehemiah from the seller's proceeds.  The seller is essentially reimbursing the Nehemiah program for paying upfront.  Remember the proceeds are coming from the seller's concession of the sale.   Nehemiah has a class that the seller can participate and complete if they like and they also certify real estate agents with Webinar training online.  Training is free.  Nehemiah offers sign writers and has a listing system for properties that are participating in this program.   Any type of sale is allowed to participate in this program - even short sale if Seller and seller's Lender agree.  

This contribution can be a write off for the seller.

For more information on this program give Nehemiah a call at 877-634-3642 or visit their site at http://www.getdownpayment.com/.   Nehemiah gift funds can be requested using the Nehemiah online processing system (OPS) or with a standard paper form.  Online gift funds requests are processed same day.   When you visit the site go to lenders section for the latest forms and guidelines.  They offer 200% guarantee -

Hope you find this useful.

Rosemary

Lets talk Real Estate - Down Payment Assistance Program  

Nehemiah Program: Been around since 1997

This program is great for buyers that do not have a down payment and the seller is willing to participate.  There are two main factors to this non profit program.   Nehemiah will allow the seller to gift to buyer between 1-6% for down payment assistance.   The average down payment contribution is 3%.  Credit is not a factor for this program.  

• No repayment of the gift funds
• No income, asset or geographical restrictions
• Free nationwide training and marketing support
• Free online homeownership education

Advantages:

1. Ability to sell at full market value
2. Increase buyer pool
3. Reduce marketing time
4. Simplify negotiations
5. Fast Processing

Requirements

1. Buyer must pre-qualify and it can be with any lending institution, however, the buyer must let the loan office know up front that he is looking to participate in the Nehemiah program.   Qualify for an eligible loan product that will ermit charitable organizations to provide gift funds to be used toward a buyer's downpayment and closing costs.

2. The Seller must participate by contributing from the seller's proceeds the amount (between 1-6%) to help the buyer with the down payment. Prior to close, funds are wired to escrow and escrow will close.  After closing the seller must agree to pay Nehemiah from the seller's proceeds.  The seller is essentially reimbursing the Nehemiah program for paying upfront.  Remember the proceeds are coming from the seller's concession of the sale.   Nehemiah has a class that the seller can participate and complete if they like and they also certify real estate agents with Webinar training online.  Training is free.  Nehemiah offers sign writers and has a listing system for properties that are participating in this program.   Any type of sale is allowed to participate in this program - even short sale if Seller and seller's Lender agree.  

This contribution can be a write off for the seller.

For more information on this program give Nehemiah a call at 877-634-3642 or visit their site at http://www.getdownpayment.com/.   Nehemiah gift funds can be requested using the Nehemiah online processing system (OPS) or with a standard paper form.  Online gift funds requests are processed same day.   When you visit the site go to lenders section for the latest forms and guidelines.  They offer 200% guarantee -

Hope you find this useful.

Rosemary

I am looking for a local company that provide real estate poles, signs, namebadges, etc.  I am in the California Central Valley.  If you know of a good company that you'd like to share with me and others, please provide information on them in your comments.

Someone told me about the plastic ones are least expensive but I don't know where to get them and who to call to put them in the ground for me.  I am losing my help and need to know of someone else to help me out.

Also, I was reminded how important having your name tag or badge on can be at the oddest times so I need to order a few.  Also, if you know of a company that is good with the signs but not so expensive, please share.

Thanks in advance.

Happy Monday!

We have been researching the many ways as to get my listings out to as many viewers as we can.  Afterall, this is what we promised our sellers in with our new and improved marketing plan.  My daughter and I work as a team and I promise you, we have listed with several FREE listings and have even used a couple of the FREE websites and it feels good to do -- especially when its FREE and it is fulfilling our promise to our sellers.  We also feel we are making it easy on the potential buyers!! Which has to be a win-win situation for us in the long run - right?

I am writing this for us to list, list, list as many as we have used so that others can start this Monday off with some new resources to use and hopefully to pull in some sales and leads for other transactions.  Of course these are in addition to AR and Localism- which I like the most because of people I have met on the sites. (love ya'l)

so LET GO!  I'll start it off.

1.   epage.com is a great one.  They not only list but will update you weekly on hits and the status of your listing. I like that.  Put it in once and they keep you updated.

2.   postlets.com - feeds out to google, vast, hotpads, lycos, truila, craigslist, backpage, edgeio, oodle, livedeal and prosmart.  Saves you from entering all these times and it has a great look about it.

3.   Point2homes.com - great concept and I have not heard one bad thing about this site. I recommend it highly. sends out to: Point2nls.com, propsmart, oddle and some others.  So you see your information is being shared with other listing companies and you don't have to do the entering.

4.  Vflyer.com - this is a flyer creator and it is great to have.  Easy to enter the information, pick your style and the rest is history.  There is no limit to where your flyer can be useful.

5.   Onlyopen houses.com - a place to enter you open house schedule and easy search and print for potential buyers.  I love it.

6.   Domesticsale.com - great one.

7.    Local.com - try it out, I think you will like it.

8.    gururealestateflyers.com is another one for flyers.

Your comments are welcome and please share at least one of your "secret FREE or low cost resources" include listing sites, websites or tools -- so we can keep this going until we are sure everyone has something to check out and work on to add value to their marketing plan for this week!

Rosemary - oursite

Tonight must be I like the tools that the title companies have for realtors, night!

Have you tried Realnet offered by a couple of the title companies.  It is really a good source and it is a one-entry download to (they say 31 of the top listing sites).  But there is one thing that is hard to get from them is the list of the 31 sites!  They will only share the top 3 or 4 (Yahoo.com classifieds, Googlebase, Lycos multistate).

Realnet allows you to download photos, make flyers to either print out or email, and they have elistings FREE reports that your visitors can order from you.  I put the link on mysite(http://motheranddaughterrealty.com) and this is a way of getting leads too. I have received a few hits with this offer. 

In going the next step I also signed up for appraisal.com which is a good tool to have handy.

OK I have shared my title resources with you, do you have any to share with me??

Happy Monday!