Thursday, November 1, 2007
Affiliate Marketing Tips To Help You Earn More
Affiliate marketing is not very difficult. However, there are certain guidelines that you can follow if you want to increase your chances of success.
1) Keywords- keywords are a very necessary part of affiliate marketing. It is what people use to find your site and ultimately become a customer. There are a lot of sites on the Internet that can offer software to assist you in finding the right keywords for your product. Some of the sites have a fee; others offer their software at no cost. By doing a simple search, you will find plenty to choose from.
2) Autoresponders may not seem like they are needed, however, they are an intricate part of how to set up leads from your website visitors. With an autoresponder, you can place forms on your site for your visitors to fill out for more information regarding your products or services. You can also give them a free subscription to your newsletters, flyers, e-books, and anything else you can think of to get their business. After they have subscribed, you can send them information weekly, biweekly or monthly regarding your business. Just like traditional shoppers, online shoppers need to see what you are offering and what type of marketing you are using.
Note: It is also very important that you check your autoresponders to make sure that they are working properly. There is new technology created every day to stop the flow of Spam mail, email filter may not allow your email to be delivered.
3) Dont go it alone- It is important that you do not feel alone. Talk to someone who can assist you in your affiliate marketing. There will always be someone who knows more than you, and their assistance may be the difference between success and failure.
4) Talk to your customers- it is great when you have a steady customer base. However, it is important that you not only email them, you should also call them once in a while so they are reassured that you are a real person. Sending out seasonal greetings is a great way to show that you appreciate their business.
5) SEO- It is critical that you are up to date with the latest search engine optimization (SEO). Popular SEO sites contain the most up to date information on every aspect of online business. So search for them in your favorite search engines, subscribe to their ezines and apply what you have learned to your own websites.
It is a sure thing that your competitors are doing everything they can to get your customers. So you should do everything you can not to let them!
By Diana Barnum, Editor of Moving Ahead Weekly Ezine, "Helping You Advance with Business Support Service Info." For help with your projects, visit http://movingaheadcommunications.com & http://www.ohiohelpgroup.comMortgage Lead Programs
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Top 10 Tips For Buying Property Abroad
Buying a second home is no small purchase so be clear in your mind why you are doing it. Are you looking for a holiday home, a place to retire to or an investment opportunity?
2. Do your research
Never buy a property without first checking that the location suits your needs. Spend some time there and consider transport links and facilities.
3. Choose a reliable agent
Most property agents are on your side but word of mouth recommendations from friends are a good starting point when choosing a reliable agent to assist you in finding your overseas home.
4. Be financially realistic
Follow your head and not your heart when deciding on your budget and remember to add on approximately 10-15% to the asking price to cover taxes, fees and other costs. When searching for a property, always have access to enough money to pay a deposit so that when you find the right one you can secure it immediately.
5. Consider mortgage options
A number of UK banks will organise mortgages in pounds or euros for overseas purchases, but you should also consider using a local bank in the country of your purchase. A euro mortgage will be lower interest rates but may leave you open to exchange rate fluctuations.
6. Get a survey
It is not seen as essential in many countries but if you are considering a second hand property get a survey done as you would in the UK. It will give you peace of mind and may save you both serious heartache and thousands of pounds.
7. Always use an independent lawyer
Choose an independent, bilingual lawyer who has good knowledge of the legal system in the UK and the country in which you are buying. Never sign any documents that have not been checked by your lawyer who should make all the necessary checks on the status of the property.
8. Pay your taxes
With a new property come new taxes: find out which taxes you are liable for, how you pay them and keep up to date with payments.
9. Take out the correct insurance
Every property needs to be insured for its intended use. For example, if you let your property, make sure it is adequately covered for any damage caused by tenants. Holiday homes left vacant for long periods of time also need a special type of cover.
10. Make a local will
It sounds morbid but while it is fresh in your mind, draw up a local will as soon as you take possession of your new property. This will cut out time consuming and expensive legal problems for your heirs and should mean they pay less inheritance tax than if dealt with through the UK system.
http://www.britnett-carver.co.uk/carasolproperties/
Bob Galloway - Ex Royal Marine married for 28 years with 3 children, worked in retailing but now joined the real estate industry.Live Mortgage Leads
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Six Tips For TARGETING Your Prospects
1. Laser Target Your Potential Prospects
You must target people who want what you are selling. You don't want to sell your program or products to a very general audience. If you are too general, your response rate will be very low and of poor quality. If you are in a health food MLM, you don't want people that are interested in selling cell phones looking at your opportunity, you want people who are interested in selling health food products.
2. Get The Best Bang For Your Buck
Learn how to properly advertise on pay-per-click search engines. Don't be too general - you need specific keywords that apply to what you are offering. If done properly, this is one of the best ways to bring qualified prospects to your site.
3. Test, Test & Test Again
You can always improve on your advertising copy. Different ad copy, with some changes to your ads, can make a big difference to your click through rate. Test many keywords with changes to your ad and see what works best. Promote the ads that receive the most click throughs to get the targeted prospects to your site.
4. Other Options
You know Google is one of the biggest, but they are certainly not the only search engine out there. If you are just starting out or have a limited budget, look at some other options like GoClick and Search-World. There are so many places online that offer pay-per-click advertising that it could make your head spin...but stay focused and just start small with one or two ads.
5. Have A System And A Plan
You would be surprised to realize how many people get into MLM and Network Marketing that just sign up to a program and then sit there and do nothing. So, will it surprise you to find out that the reason they are doing nothing is because they don't have a clear plan of action?
6. Your Website & Follow Up
Your website needs to be your sales page. If you are getting website traffic but no signups, there is a problem with your website design. You need to have a way to "capture" your prospects name and phone number when they come to your site.
When you start getting prospects to your site, make sure you contact them and say something like, " I see you visited my site. I would just like to introduce myself to you and see if you have any questions." This is what will set you apart from everyone else.
How many times have you recieved personal support from your upline? Sure, sometimes you may get lucky, but the majority would say, "Once I got in I was on my own."
For assured success: Make sure you follow up with everyone and make sure they have a plan of action and goals.
Just support your new members like you would like to be treated yourself. You need a "system" that they can follow, and give your new business partners a day by day, step by step plan of action that they can follow. If you do it right, you will have a true MLM system that works. A traffic system will allow you to drive more qualified prospects to your website, assuring that you can make money online instead of wasting your time and money on useless advertising.
James Shutt has been in the network marketing industry since 1990. As an Excel Communications representative, he built a large organization and had a flourishing business until the company went bankrupt.Live Mortgage Leads
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Lessons for Life: FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Every family needs activities for physical, mental, and spiritual health. Here are some suggestions:
Go swimming.
Go to a museum.
Visit your library together.
Go to the park & teach your dog to catch a frizbee(tm)
Take a hike.
Play touch football like the Kennedy's.
Go horseback riding.
Go to the fair, rodeo, band concert.
Have a big birthday party.
Visit an older relative. Take a gift.
Visit an old folks home or care center. Talk to the patients. Sing them a song.
Clean the church grounds. Work in your yard together.
Clean the garage. Then go out for pizza.
Play golf with the children that are old enough.
Go fishing.
Take a short weekend vacation.
Drive to the city and stay overnight at a hotel, swim in the pool, visit the exercise room, tour the city.
Go to a baseball came.
Start a baseball or softball game in the park.
Clean an older persons yard.
Go on a day trip with the cub scouts.
Have a water balloon fight.
Slide down a hill on blocks of ice.
Play hide-go-seak or kick the can.
Go to the planetarium.
Visit a theme park.
Bake cookies and take them to your friends.
Have a hot dog roast (weenie roast)
Put a flag pole in the yard. Fly the colors. (I sell them at my ecommerce site)
Build an outdoor barbecue or fountain.
Hop on the bikes and take a long ride.
Go to a movie.
Rent a movie and make popcorn.
Buy some fish and set up an aquarium.
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How to Double Your Sales Appointments in Half the Time; Part 4
In Part 3, How To Double your Sales Appointments in Half the Time, we reviewed and remedied the first 3 sales prospecting errors that start us down the Slippery Slope to low Sales prospecting conversation ratios.
So lets continue to address the final 3 sales prospecting errors, discuss some proven solutions that will head us toward our worthy goal of spending Less time to achieve more targeted Top-down sales appointments.
Sales Prospecting Error #4
We fail to develop an effective Call to Action; strategic words and phrases that create a positive 'visual' reference to the Prospect of what happens during the initial appointment and how long it takes.
Develop your Call to Action communication as a visual block of time in which a Step-by-step process occurs with the objective of having your Top-down prospect inform you they perceive enough of a potential benefit to take the next step in your evaluation process.
How long does it take to run your 1st appointment in your current sales process; 30, 45, 60 minutes? Id estimate in the small to medium size B-to-B arena the average 1st appointment timeline is about 35 minutes. That is to re-cap why you are there, to inquire about their current state of the union, to overview your solution offering and to gain commitment for the next step in your sales process.
But if you ask a business person with fiscal authority for more than 15 minutes of their time initially, your closing ratios on a sales prospecting call will go down dramatically.
I dont know the scientific reason why, but I do understand the logical explanation. These business people are busy. Its that simple. Every minute of the day is accountable to moving closer to their business objective. There is No room in the Inn for distractions that are not in line with their business objectives.
Especially the idea of Meeting with some stranger that is only interested in selling me something that I dont need just so they can make a living.
Because in their minds, if they knew something was broken, theyd already have gone in and fixed it.
Ultimately your key objective for the 1st appointment is to Gain Commitment to Take the Next Step in your sales process, whether that step is a diagnostic survey, a demo, a site visit or a proposal. But when your sales prospecting methodology is a Top-down approach, these C-level prospect contacts do not get into the nitty-gritty of your evaluation process. They wont walk you through the office opening up closet doors to evaluate telephone systems or help you pull current service invoices from file drawers. They want to understand whats in it for them from a financial aspect, what your diagnostic process looks like in order to see if the solution fits and what timelines there are to see the results. And they dont like major change.
But if your 15-minute Call to Action communication is effective, they will delegate these tasks to a lower level to effectively conduct the evaluation to qualify if your solution offering will help them with their business challenges. By them delegating down, it will help you minimize any service bias within the organization with non-decision makers. And that lowers sales cycles and increases sales closing ratios.
In summary, frame up your Call to Action under the theme of The Business Reason to Meet and visually communicate the steps in your diagnostic process, the potential benefits (Along Economic terms in line with Business challenges) and what they will get in return for the time invested in the 15-minute face-to-face appointment.
Sales Prospecting Error #5
We dont support our Call to Action with 3rd party valuators parallel to the Prospects business objectives; valuators like business statistics, appointment performance ratios, ROI figures and relevant success stories.
Heres a hard-knock lesson on sales prospecting conversations and one you need to put to memory.
A targeted Business prospect does not care what you think. I repeat; they do not care what you think or what you personally want. After all, they dont know you yetand thats fair. Thats the reality of the moment. After they get to know you, they will respect youre personal perspective on what you feel is good for them, but not now. Its too soon. Got It?
Heres my point. How many times have you heard someone talking to a prospect and communicating the words, Heres what Id like to do, or I think you should have me come in to meet and , or In my experience, heres what Ive seen.
Get my point? We already realize we are perfect strangers to this target prospect, so why should we reference what WE think or what WE have found to work. Its not valid data. So heres the golden rule:
Avoid 1st Party references when communicating on a sales prospecting call.
Replace 1st Party references with 3rd Party Valuators.
When you communicate the Business Reason to Meet, back it up with real numbers; business data like your own conversion ratios of helping prospects become clients or your overall companys ratios. What about condensed case studies of current customers that hold the same title of responsibility in the same industry? Or how about accumulating business ROI statistics in relevant modules in line with prospect business issues and challenges?
3rd party references to support the Business Reason to Meet should be specific and applicable to your Prospects world, and not visually project a one-sided salesperson view or a marketing brochure.
Sales Prospecting Error #6
We fail to document all possible Objections and develop Powerful communication templates to negotiate 3rd Solutions.
There are only a finite amount of scenarios in any selling process and if you identify, train to and measure each and every one, you are on your way to excellence.
That statement I coined some years back is especially true in a sales prospecting conversation.
It means there are only a finite number of objections you encounter over the telephone when attempting to set a 1st appointment with your Target contact.
Statements like, Send me some information, and I dont handle thatso and so does.
Or what about the popular, Im happy with my current Vendor and Im under a Contract?
Identify all of them and develop Powerful communications templates in line with each one.
Perception is Reality.
Your target sales prospects initially will put you into a Perception bucket you do not belong in and you can't afford to be in. They want to fit you into a past experience, good or bad. It's up to you to differentiate yourself from the very beginning when directly responding to concerns and objections spoken, unspoken, or implied.
Systemize your Sales Prospecting System into individual Components and Elements and Practice before you Preach.
Youre only as good as the intellectual capital you share throughout your sales organization. That will keep you ahead of the competition.
Understand the 6 errors that have been discussed in this article series and decide to do the opposite. Develop best practices and business communication paths parallel to each possible scenario. Because best practices are techniques that through experience and measurement more often than not lead to the desired result.
Then invest in the technology to bundle it up into a learning system that you can become certified to, adopt it and adapt it over time.
We understand why Professional athletes practice prior to the event. Professional sales people need to do the same.
Because if you can double the amount of targeted sales appointments and spend half the time achieving it, it will save you a bunch of valuable time, make you more money and get you the recognition you deserve.
And thats a worthy cause indeed.
Jeff Hardesty is a National sales speaker, Sales performance improvement consultant and the Developer of the X2 Sales System, a blended sales prospecting training system that teaches sales professionals the competency of setting targeted C-level business appointments. Mortgage Lead Programs
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Tips For Planning A Perfect Fishing Trip
Planning a perfect fishing trip isnt as easy as loading your tackle box into the car and setting off in the direction of water. You need to really define what exactly you want in your fishing experience and plan accordingly.
Theres lots to consider when planning your trip and even more so if you are planning a trip with buddies or for your family. Not everyone has the same idea when it comes to the perfect fishing trip and a little bit of planning can help make it a trip everyone can enjoy.
Heres some things to consider for your next fishing trip:
Catching That Perfect Fish
Before you can catch the perfect fish you have to decide which species of fish you want to go for. While some people love trout others might be avid bass fisherman. Since bass are found in warm waters and trout in cold waters, someone might be disappointed if you did not consider the type of fish before picking a location.
Deciding on what type of fish you want to catch narrows down your destinations for you a bit which can help in further planning. Dont worry though, theres plenty of places to go no matter which type of fish you are angling for!
Size Or Quantity?
Some anglers like to catch fish after fish after fish. They arent happy unless they are reeling them in and size isnt really that important, although theres always that hope that the next nibble could be a big one. Others are only interested in catching the big fish in the pond and will sit patiently all day waiting for him to give a nibble.
While there are many places that offer an opportunity for both types of fishing, this should be discussed beforehand so that each member of the trip can be sure they are getting the type of fishing they enjoy.
Fishing Style
One other thing to consider is the method you will use to catch the fish. Will you be wading into streams? Trolling? Deep sea fishing? Each one is a different experience and many people have their preference. Make sure your group agrees on a method of fishing and that the destination you are thinking about offers that type of fishing.
Cost
As with anything, what you can afford will largely impact what you can get for your fishing vacation
You need to get together with your group and decide what you can spend. Perhaps you will have to make some compromises such as sleeping in a tent instead of a cabin so you can afford a couple days with a good local guide.
The hard part here is getting everyone in the group to agree on how much to spend and where to put the bulk of the money. One way to save money is to do your own cooking or have everyone in the group bring a frozen dish along (enough to feed everyone) and youll have free meals for several nights.
When planning your trip, dont forget about shower and bathroom facilities - especially if this is a family trip. If you have opted for camping, the showers and bathrooms will be community so you will have to share. A cabin on the other hand will provide some privacy.
So, if you really want a great fishing trip, start by planning just exactly what you want out of the trip and how much you are willing to spend. Do it right and you can have the fishing trip of a lifetime.
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The Pitfalls of Selling Your Home without a Realtor
Buyers:
o Contact a realtor, who elicits from them what type of property they wish to purchase.
o The realtor shows them several properties, until they make an offer on one and it is accepted.
o They go with the realtor to the mortgage lender, that the realtor may have lined up for them and set the appointment. The buyers provide any information the lender needs and signs the appropriate paperwork.
o The buyers and realtor meet at the closing to sign all the papers, get the keys, and go to their new home.
Sellers:
o Contact a realtor, who discuss with them their pricing preferences and timelines for the sale.
o Realtor does a walk-through of the property, suggesting things that should be done before listing the property.
o Sellers make the repairs or renovations.
o The realtor lists the property.
o The realtor, as well as other realtors, shows the property to potential buyers until an offer is made and accepted.
o Inspectors and appraisers show up, then leave to make their reports, and the realtor gives the results to the sellers and buyers agent.
o Once the realtor tells them everything is complete, the sellers move out before the closing.
o Sellers and realtor meet at the closing to sign all the papers, sellers and realtor receive their checks, and they hand over the keys to the property.
This is very simplistic; yet when a realtor is handling your buying or selling needs, this is pretty much how it appears.
Of the homes sold across the nation, 20 percent are sold by the owners, without a realtor. Surveys show that the primary reason is money; the sellers wish to save the cost of a realtors commission, which usually ranges between five and seven percent of the purchase price of the home. Unfortunately, many of these owners end up regretting their decisions, because it costs them that five-to-seven percent or more due to unexpected pitfalls in the sale.
First, there is a lot involved in the sale of a home. Realtors assist with the before-listing preparation; help you set a starting and deal-killer selling price (the price level you will not accept); setup and hold open houses; set up and coordinate all home inspections and appraisals; and set up and coordinate a real estate attorney and the closing. Realtors market your home to a broad base of interested buyers and other realtors, show your home or coordinate with you for other realtors to show it, negotiate offers, and close the sale. They even coordinate the timing of the sale, when you are buying other property that is dependent upon the sale of your home.
For buyers, realtors first help you to determine just how much you can afford to pay for a home it is generally more than most people believe. They then weed through the myriad of homes that are on the market, matching potential homes to your purchase specifications. They arrange to show the homes to you, assisting in what to look for, what questions to ask, and after-showing discussions with you on possible problems or good points of the home. Realtors assist you in making an appropriate offer. They do all of the negotiations for you, representing your best interests especially important when a seller has a professional representing them. Once your offer is accepted, the realtor may even suggest mortgage lenders and accompany you to your first meeting. Your realtor then works with the sellers representative to ensure all inspections, appraisals, title searches, and permitting is properly completed, negotiating for you resolutions to any bad inspections. Again, working with the sellers representative, the realtor coordinates a real estate attorney for you, as well as the closing.
Realtors know the right questions to ask it is their job as professionals to keep abreast of the real estate market for their area. They handle any problems that arise, protect you as the buyer or seller, know what to avoid in real estate and during negotiations, and know what is/is not covered by the home warranty of the sale. They also ensure that all compliance and disclosure issues are dealt with properly, making sure that nothing is overlooked that could cause you a legal problem in the future.
Most importantly, a realtor maintains objectivity during an event that can be emotional for both buyers and sellers. Your realtor remains objective during negotiations, executing the best deal possible for you.
To avoid the pitfalls of selling or buying property, use a realtor, who may save you a lot of money in the long run.
John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more on San Diego Homes for Sale visit http://www.twtrealestate.comMortgage Leads
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Thanks for the Memories Coach Alvarez
As someone who never cared much about college football growing up, when Barry Alvarez was hired to coach my state's largest (only) Division I football program in 1990, I was only mildly interested. After 116 victories, and 3 Rose Bowl victories, I am now a convert: I love Badgers football!
As of yesterday, things will be different at UW-Madison: Head Coach Barry Alvarez coached his las college football game at Camp Randall stadium. Sure there is 1 more game, at Hawaii, and 1 more bowl game to play and win. And yes, Coach Alvarez is thankfully staying on as athletic director to help recruit and run our programs to ensure we stay top notch in all we do, but things will be different, that's for sure.
I just wanted to say thanks for being such a great leader, Coach Alvarez. You innovated your way into my heart with a new brand of college football, and you made your way into the hearts of so many others in the state of Wisconsin. Thanks for bringing respectability back to 'Sconsin Football! It's been a great ride, what with a Heisman trophy winner (Ron Dayne), 3 Rose Bowl victories, and a beautifully remodeled Camp Randall to watch the games at. I went to Camp Randall this year to watch the Badgers defeat Michigan, and the place was electric!
Thanks for all of that, and so much more Coach Alvarez! Making it great never looked so easy as when you coached, so thanks for inspiring so many Wisconsin kids to believe that our little state college is so much more than just a place to learn!
Now let's go win at Hawaii and win your last bowl game! On Wisconsin!
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Propper Betting
Half the fun in Super Bowl wagering these days is betting on and cheering in props.
"The propositions are huge," said the MGM-Mirage's Robert Walker, who oversees 13 Nevada bet shops.
"We've gotten to the point where the money we take in on propositions equals the game handle," said the Palms' Rich Baccellieri. "There's too many to keep track of."
Likewise, "Whatever we put up, they want more," he said.
"Right now we have a bunch out linked to Tiger Woods (the world's No. 1 golfer who was tied for the lead going into the fourth round of the Dubai Desert Classic)."
Caesars Palace's Chuck Esposito pointed out this is the 20th year of the city's first Super Bowl proposition, which was a simple "yes" or "no" on whether Chicago's William "The Refrigerator" Perry would score a touchdown againt the New England Patriots.
He recalled how crestfallen the city's bookmakers were when the Fridge lumbered across the goal line in a Bears' rout.
"We had to rethink the situation and our decision was to put up a hundred props, only in our case to link them all to the game," said MGM-Mirage's Robert Walker, who was at the Stardust then. "There were no hook-ups to other sports."
Meanwhile, within a few years, an innovative young bookmaker named Jay Kornegay, now of the Las Vegas Hilton, was beginning to establish a niche at the Imperial Palace.
One Super Bowl, Kornegay posted about 150 offerings; he immediately became known as Sin City's king of props.
This year, the Hilton hung more than 300, many linked to other sports such as college and pro basketball, pro hockey and soccer.
Word behind the scenes is that rivals at other bet shops repeatedly have tried to pilfer Kornegay's scepter, but the crown and title still stick -- even though some books claim 400, 500 or more propositions this time around.
"I don't know what the big deal is, but it seems important to have more propositions and to get them up faster than Jay Kornegay," said one Strip ticketwriter.
The Palms' Baccellieri rembered that propositions became known as "the game within a game."
"There are so many places for bettors to pick their spots," he said.
Kornegay observed that props have become such an important part of the overall Super Bowl betting picture that after accommodating bettors at the windows, bookmakers spend half of the first quarter holding their collective breath to see how between 20 and 30 props will fare.
"Then," he said, "we can take a little break before we start on the second half betting lines," Kornegay said.
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How To Help Your FSBO Set The Right Price For Their House
Of all the problems our FSBO will encounter, pricing their house correctly and accurately is by far the most crucial. The wrong price could cost them thousands of dollars any way you look at it.
Here's why: A price that is "too low" will result in a "net" that is thousands less than they could have gotten with a little research. A price that is "too high" will cause the house to stay on the market for a longer period of time and quite possibly...never sell!
Not selling means paying more mortgage payments, taxes and, insurance until the FSBO lowers the asking price to what the market may have supported in the first place. In addition, if the house sits on the market for too long it will get "Shopworn". The FSBO will get discouraged and think about giving up altogether.
You've probably already been confronted with some of these classic FSBO pricing philosophies:
1. What they paid for the house originally plus some magical percentage they read about in the local newspaper. The price could be higher or lower depending on what the market is doing.
2. What their neighbor "told them" he paid for his house. People tend to exaggerate when they are talking about what a "deal" they got. It makes them feel better...but honestly, misinformation doesn't help price a house.
3. What other houses in their neighborhood are currently "sitting" on the market for. A lot of other houses sit on the market because their asking price is too high or there is some other problem that is preventing the sale. Asking prices and getting prices are two separate things.
4. What their "Tax Assessment" shows, plus some "rule of thumb" percentage. Tax Assessments are much different than true "market value" of a house. Don't even let your FSBO go there.
5. What they "need" because of some personal circumstances. Buyers don't care about what a FSBO "needs" to get out of the deal. They will only pay what the property is worth to them.
6. A CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) prepared by Aunt Martha who is a Realtor/Agent. Yes, this is the best method on our list thus far. But today, CMA's are expressed in "price ranges" and not absolutes. Providing an estimated price of plus or minus 10% just isn't good enough for your FSBO.
As Mortgage Professionals, we all know the only way to determine the correct price for a house is what comparable houses have recently sold for and been recorded for. (i.e., houses nearby and similar to this one that have recorded sales prices at the courthouse).
The sale prices that are recorded are the prices the local real estate market will bear in connection with this house. There is no other reliable benchmark with which to base a good pricing decision.
That's it...end of story! No magic answers, and no exceptions to the rule. The price that your FSBO will receive for his/her house is going to be about what others have gotten in the recent past for similar properties. Without a doubt, a full blown appraisal done by a Certified Real Estate Appraiser is the best way for arriving at a price to sell your house.
A full appraisal involves a property inspection by the appraiser. He will look for defects and benefits and will complete written report with pictures of your house and the houses used as comparisons.
Here are a few advantages to your FSBO of using an appraisal:
1. They have irrefutable evidence as to how they arrived at their price. They have in their hands a written appraisal complete with pictures, measurements, and, information on their house and on comparable sales.
The FSBO will have this report to show everyone who comes to look at your house. Every buyer will see in black and white the appraised value of the house as arrived at by a professional appraiser.
2. Buyers will feel more assurance that they are not paying too much for the house if they decide to buy. Often, buyers get "Buyer's Remorse" because they feel there are still some unknown variables in the transaction.
The number one concern a buyer has, other than the structural soundness of the house, is that they are paying too much for the house and being ripped off. Having an appraisal helps set their minds at ease and makes negotiations easier on everyone.
3. A written appraisal gives the FSBO some piece of mind and assurance that their asking price for the house is right where it should be. Now they have the facts when they are faced with a "Bargain Hunter" who is trying to steal their house at the lowest possible price and at the most favorable terms for himself.
OK...As a Mortgage Professional, here's your opportunity to step-up to the plate and help your FSBO with the pricing of their house. The following may help you...
For many years I have had an agreement with Bill that does a lot of appraisals for me. When my FSBO agrees, I have Bill do an abbreviated appraisal to set the value of the property and to give the owner documentation that shows that value.
Since this is less than a full appraisal he will do these for me all day long (and very quickly) for a heavily discounted rate that we previously negotiated. When the house sells and I originate the mortgage, Bill knows I will use him for the "buyers" full appraisal. Bill then charges his normal everyday full price.
So, the result is this...Bill gets additional business...I get fast response so that I can quickly help set the selling price of the FSBO property and impress the FSBO...and, the FSBO gets to sleep well at night knowing that their asking price is totally accurate. This is a win-win-win situation for everyone!
Establishing yourself as a FSBO expert and profiting from it, is not difficult to do. By solving and working through the problems that all FSBOs experience is an important first step. Providing good advice and solutions to those problems and then presenting your information, sets you apart from the majority of mortgage folks.
By helping a FSBO succeed you also help yourself and definitely help fill your Mortgage Pipeline.
Tom Domin is the author of "101 Ways to Originate Mortgages" and publisher of "Tom's Mortgage Tips" a twice monthly Mortgage Newsletter geared for Mortgage Professionals. Put your mortgage career on the fast track and sign-up for FREE at http://www.MortgageMarketingToolKit.com/ Exclusive Mortgage Leads
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Funerals - Eastern Star Service
In this article we're going to briefly discuss an offshoot of the Masonic service, one for women called the Eastern Star Funeral Service.
The Eastern Star organization is an offshoot of the Masons for women. The reason for this is that a woman can't become a Mason. The reasons why, at least for this article, are unimportant. However, there is an organization for women who want to be a part of the Masonic community. That organization is the Eastern Star. The only requirement for becoming a member of the Eastern Star is that the woman has to be the descendent of a Mason. Yes, there is a catch. Your father or grandfather or husband or somebody in your family has to be a Mason himself. If this one condition is met and you then become a member of the Eastern Star you are then entitled to an Eastern Star memorial service.
So how does one qualify for an Eastern Star funeral service? Well, when a member of the Eastern Star in good standing, dies, they are entitled to this service. Good standing means that their dues are paid up in full and have no Masonic charges filed against them.
When an Eastern Star member dies the chapter to which they belong sends a floral arrangement to the funeral home. This arrangement is in the shape of a five pointed star and with the mystical colors of the order.
Before the actual service takes place however, the members of the chapter meet at their chapter building for what they call a draping ceremony. At this ceremony their alter is draped in black and a special opening of the chapter is then performed. This is, in many cases, done just once during the year to commemorate all the members who have died that year. After the draping at the chapter the members then proceed to the funeral home.
At the home there is a special Eastern Star service. It is very similar to the Masonic service in some respects but very different in others. For one thing, where the Masonic service is memorized, the Eastern Star service is read from what is called a book of ritual. This book contains the entire Eastern Star funeral service and must be read word for word.
In a Masonic service one person does the reading, but in an Eastern Star service there are many readers. The readings are done by various members of the fraternity who occupy specific stations as officers. Each officer reads a part assigned to their station. Each individual part is rather short but putting them all together the actual service can run 15 to 20 minutes.
After the service is over the members of the chapter pay their final respects to the deceased and process out of the funeral home room. Afterwards they will meet with the family and friends of the deceased, many who are probably Eastern Star members themselves of other chapters.
The Eastern Star funeral service is one of the most beautiful services of any kind that a person could attend. It is something of which the order of Eastern Star can and should be very proud of.
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Of Brothers, Power and Genes
Its ended now, hopefully, but until a while ago they were squabbling - like dogs? Children? Enemies? Or what?
What makes a brother fight brother, I wonder! What makes one brother treat another like the biggest of enemies?
If at all there is anyone in the world who can truly understand one, it is a brother or a childhood friendand, yes, a sister in the case of a girl, with exceptions, of course! Yet, brothers fight brothers and have been doing so for centuries. Some have gone to the extent of exiling their brothers or even stopping them short with a well-directed knife in the heart, from behind!
I know, there are theories of all sorts sibling rivalry et al. But, is that all? I mean, even when the brothers are not kids any more and therefore, are not really fighting for their parents love (what with many of them having already departed for their unearthly abodes and so on), they keep at it. And, sometimes, they fight over trifles. Mostly over inheritance rights, even when there is more than they can use in a lifetime or seven. Everyone saw the recent bigfight on TV, newspapers etc. The inheritance in question was a mindnumbing sum running into tens of thousands of crores. If one of them had agreed to even a mere one percent of the sum in question, he would have had enough to last many lifetimes except, of course, that the one with 99% would have all the power and the one with 1% very little - in comparison. So, I guess, its all about power.
Yes, power that is the one thing all men (or shall I say, most) desire most. Power means wealth, influence, the ability to spread ones genes far and wide, just as the crafty Chenghiz Khan did some hundred years ago (I forget the actual dates). Yes, he was powerful, wealthy, conquered and controlled large territories and most importantly, sowed his oats with wild abandon, becoming in the process, the most successful man ever in the spread-my-genes-far-and-wide stakes.
I wonder, how many brothers today who squabble with their kin and stab them in the back and front, have the balls to do what Chenghiz did. If they cant do so, their best bet would be to let their brothers, with a similar gene pool, continue to prosper and do well and spread their collective genes.
Boy! I have come a long way from brotherhood to fatherhood! I think I ought to stop this rambling right here, before my brother reads this and gets a peek into my mind, claiming all my share of paternal property (or at least, 99%of it).
Is it better to take less and live happily or is it better to fight over the smallest crumbs and spend ones life paying lawyers, picnicking in courts and filing false accusations against each other? I wonder!
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What Should You Do If Your Home Isn't Selling?
It can be very frustrating to put your home on the market, expecting a fast sale, only to find that after six months youre still waiting for an offer. What can you do?
First, determine if its a result of timing. You may have started worrying too soon. If it has been only a month and you havent gotten a bite, not to worry. The time a home stays on the market is related to the markets strength, which varies regionally. According to The 2003 National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, two-thirds of all homes sold in the United States in 2003 sold within two month, with the average sale taking place within five weeks. However, homes in the Northeast and West sold slightly faster (four weeks) than those in the Midwest and South (five weeks).
Of course, other factors may be responsible for your home not selling.
Inaccurate pricing. A house priced at market value piques the interest of real estate professionals and buyers, while overpricing chases them away. Even if the seller adjusts the price later, its difficult to recapture peoples interest.
Because its only natural to overestimate the value of ones home, homesellers should depend on factual reference points, such as an appraisal and comparables (Comparable Market Analysis or CMA) to help estimate market value. Real estate professionals prepare comparables by examining similar properties that recently sold in a neighborhood. This practice is the best way to arrive at a realistic asking price.
Insufficient exposure. If youre selling your home on your own, you may want to consider using a real estate professional. As reported in the previously mentioned NAR study, buyers were most likely to learn about the home they purchased through a real estate professional. Sales professionals develop comprehensive marketing strategies to sell a home. They generally use open houses, yard signs, MLS, newspaper ads, the Internet and brochures to give a property maximum exposure. Limited interest and thinly attended open houses may indicate a need for more exposure.
Condition and appearance of a home. Sellers shouldnt rely on buyers to use their imagination; they need to capture it. Remember that buyers may see seven or eight homes in a single day. The most memorable home will be the one that seemed the brightest, the most spacious, the most cheerful. This invariably means rearranging and eliminating furniture, removing excess knickknacks and so on, to create an open, uncluttered look. Outside, do a visual check of the front of the house from across the street. Does it have curb appeal? It should look inviting, with a trimmed lawn and a freshly painted front door. A real estate professional can offer some guidance in this area.
Terms/conditions. Even if the home is accurately priced, and the buyer is delighted with what he or she sees, if the buyer cant live with the terms of the sale, he or she may walk away. What sort of terms or conditions have you placed on the sale? Evaluate how this may be affecting a potential sale.
Less-than-desirable neighborhood. Normally, theres not much a homeowner can do about the surrounding neighborhood. But if your home is not selling and youve examined every other factor, this may be something to consider.For homeowners who can postpone selling and are aware that certain issues need to be addressed on the neighborhood level, now is the time to join or organize a town beautification group. By the time youre ready to sell, todays eyesores will have been eliminated.
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Greatest Super Bowls
There have been a number of great games over the years which makes finding one of the greatest super bowls out of this list a difficult task. Over the nearly 40 year history of this big game there have been a number of blowouts, but the close ones have given us something to remember for years to come.
5. Super Bowl XXIII (1989, 49ers 20, Bengals 16)
This was San Fran's 3rd Super Bowl of the 80s and was won in thrilling fashion. The 49ers led in net yards 452 to 229 but still was down 16-13 after Jim Breech kicked a 40-yard field goal with a little over three minutes remaining.
In comes Joe Montana, driving 92 yards and ending with a 10 yard TD pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left.
Rice was named the Super Bowl MVP after gaining a Super Bowl record 215 yards on 11 catches. Montana had a Super Bowl record 357 yards passing.
4. Super Bowl XXV (1991, Giants 20, Bills 19)
The Giants won their 2nd Super Bowl in 5 years by controlling the ball for 40 minutes in this game. The Bills scored 95 points in their two other playoff games that year, but only had their offense on the field for 8 minutes in the 2nd half.
But this game is known for only one thing, and that's Scott Norwood's missed field goal with seconds remaining, as it sailed wide right. That missed field goal basically set the tone for the Bills over the next four years, as they only found disappointment in the Super Bowl.
3. Super Bowl XXXVI (2002, Patriots 20, Rams 17)
As Norwood's miss set the tone for disappointment with the Bills, Adam Vinatieri's 48 yard FG to win the game help guide the Pats to Super Bowl wins in 3 of the next 4 years.
The Pats were 14 point underdogs who were outgained 427-267 in total yards. There were several turnovers in this game that let the Pats stay in it, the first being Ty Law's return for a TD, then Terrell Buckley's fumble recovery, and an Otis Smith interception. These three big plays let New England jump to a 17-3 lead.
After the Rams struck back to tie it up at 17, Brady moved the ball easily with 1:30 left in the game to help Vinatieri drill a 48-yarder as time expired. Brady ended up the MVP despite going 16 of 27 for 145 yards.
2. Super Bowl III (1969, Jets 16, Colts 7)
The guarantee by Joe Namath basically makes this game great. The AFL hadn't even been competitive in the Super Bowl before this and they beat a Baltimore team that had only lost once in 16 games.
Namath backed up his claim by completing 17 of 28 for 206 yards and earning the MVP honors. This game put the AFL on the map.
1. Super Bowl XXXIV (2000, Rams 23, Titans 16)
This game ended with Mike Jones being tackled by Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line as time expired, giving the Rams their first Super Bowl title.
The Titans defense really stepped up as the Rams took it into the red zone on their first 6 possessions but were held to 3 field goals and a TD.
The Titans finally got their offense going by scoring a pair of touchdowns on two seven minute drives, but a missed 2-point conversion made the score 16-13. Then with only 2:12 left in the game Al Del Greco tied the game up with a 43-yard field goal. It didn't take long for the Rams to strike back as on the first play Isaac Bruce went deep for a quick TD with 1:54 left. The Titans wouldn't quit and drove downfield to Tennessee to the 10 with only six seconds remaining. Without a timeout left, McNair attempted a quick pass to Dyson, who caught it at the 3 but was stopped at the 1 by Jones as time expired. Warner was the MVP with a Super Bowl record 414 yards and 2 TD. Holt and Bruce both had big games, the former with 7 catches and 109 yards with the latter going for 162 yards on 6 grabs.
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Frugal Living Tip - Giving Yourself a Reason to Save Money
This would be true, at least partially, if making more money allowed us to have more money in the bank. However, each raise in pay also raises our desire to spend, so a promotion at work can actually put us farther into debt. How many people do we know who bring in over $100,000 a year who are still living paycheck to paycheck? How many lottery winners end up in bankruptcy court, wondering where all the money went and how they managed to make such a muddle of this windfall that should have set them up for a lifetime of financial security?
An option to spending as much or more than you make every month is to live frugally - and it's refreshing to see the increase in interest in the voluntary simplicity movement. Being intentionally frugal can actually bring you the financial security that a high-paying job cannot. In fact, if you go one step further to voluntary poverty, as I have, you may be able to quit that job and actually do something that could really make you feel fulfilled.
The one frugal living tip that makes the biggest difference is to simply keep track of everything you spend for at least a month. You probably won't keep it up for much longer than that, but it will give you an idea of where your money is going, and whether or not the money you spend on each item is really giving you the satisfaction you're paying for.
However, just keeping track won't help much unless you have a vision of another way of life that would really give you pleasure or contentment. Saving money for it's own sake feels like a sacrifice, but saving money so you can retire early and start that little farm you've always wanted would be a goal worth working for. Creating that goal may take some true soul searching and many deep conversations with your family.
When you come up with a goal you all agree on, decide how much time it will take to get there - this time frame is important, and you should be as realistic as you can. Do you want to own your own home without a mortgage? Will it take 5 years of frugal living? Or 10? Would you like to retire all your credit card debt? How long will it take?
Once you have that goal in mind, the best way to start putting money in the bank is to notice where you're spending your money now.
One thing most people discover is that the simple act of jotting down the $3 you spend on coffee every morning, plus every other small or large expenditure, will magically cause you to have money left over that you ever had before. Keeping track causes us to be mindful of our choices, and even without adding up any numbers or making any deep decisions, we save money by spending more consciously.
Once you have at least a few weeks' worth of figures, you're ready to get out the calculator. Divide the items on your list into any categories that seem reasonable - such as lunch at work, utilities, dog food... Then add up the columns to see how much you really spend.
Then, go one step further to give yourself a true shock - multiply the amount you spend on each unnecessary category, like your morning coffee at Starbucks, by the number of months you think it will take you to reach that long-term goal.
If you spend $3.50 each working day at the local coffee shop, it doesn't seem like a very big deal. Multiply that by the average of 20 working days a month, and you may be startled to realize that you spend $70 a month on coffee that you could make yourself in your own kitchen. But the real eye-opener comes when you multiply that $70 times the number of months you need to reach your goal of financial security.
If you are willing to spend 5 years in frugal living to pay down the mortgage on your house or pay off all your credit cards, multiply your monthly coffee money by 60 months, and you'll see $4200 on your calculator screen. That 's enough money for a down payment on a reasonably priced house, or to buy a good used car for your teenager. It's also enough to pay at least several month's mortgage payments, or to put in the bank for a medical emergency. $3.50 isn't an important amount of money, but to almost anyone I know, $4200 is a serious amount of cash.
Do the same calculation for everything on your list that isn't truly necessary, and you may discover that you can reduce the amount of time you need to reach your long-term goal by several years or more. If your credit card debts are weighing you down and causing daily stress, this simple frugal living tip could lead to a complete elimination of debt in just a year or less. In my mind, that's more important than a fancy cup of coffee.
Jonni Good is the author of the new ebook that shows exactly how she went from being flat broke to owning her own home in just 5 years. Learn how to buy a house without going into debt at http://www.BuyAHouseWithCash.com.Live Mortgage Leads
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There Is More Than One Way To SkinA Real Estate Deal With Seller Flexibility In Selling Property
Jack and Mary counseled with the local real estate ace that had long been the resident expert Realtor for their community. They had been in their home for six years and with the past real estate surge they had lots of equity now. Because this was happening so fast, Mary moved to a small apartment near her new job. The relocation price offered by the company was way too low for what they felt they could command in the market. This option was rejected. With ongoing brain storming with Tyler the Realtor, the scenarios included, lease options, lease purchase, and a seller held second. The lease scenarios would be the iffiest of the three. Jack and Mary instructed Tyler to hold the price and offer to pay the selling Realtor a selling fee plus a bonus of $2,500 and agreed to pay the closing costs and prepaid expenses (pre-paid interest, tax and insurance escrows) up to an offered $14,000. Likewise, Tyler was instructed to offer through the MLS selling terms to include a seller held second of 5% to 10% of the purchase price. The list price of $475,000 would mean that the Jack and Mary were willing to hold a second mortgage of 5% Loan To Value (LTV) or $475,000 x 5% = $23,750 or 10% LTV at $475,000 x 10% = $47,500.
Tyler, the listing Realtor, had been in discussion with a mortgage broker active in their area and had some clients that could only get a 90% to 95% LTV first mortgage. They had some credit dings, which were holding them back. Each had fully documented income and was making good money. There were valid reasons for their rocky credit history and both needed time to rebuild their credit. Tyler showed the home to both the prospective buyers who had credit challenges. The first couple didnt like the kitchen layout or the back yard size. The second couple liked the house and had similar reservations but with the flexible financing they figured they could live with it and make changes and improvements down the road when they could refinance down the road and get sufficient monies to do some home improvements.
Jack had closed up the house and had moved with the furniture in tow to join Mary at her new location. The furniture was put into storage in hopes that it wouldnt be there long with Realtor Tyler on the case. Jack had been actively working on his job hunt in the new city for two weeks now. Tyler was now on the phone presenting the offer from the buyers who needed seller help. The buyers would need Jack and Mary to pay $15,000 in closing costs and prepaid expenses. Tyler was making the deal himself so there was no bonus involved. The offer was based on a seller held second mortgage of $47,500 with an interest rate of 10% with a 30-year term and a three-year balloon. The payments would be $416.85/month. At closing, Jack and Mary would payoff their first mortgage of $200,000 and would get somewhere around $188,000 in cash at closing and the seller held second of $47,500.00 paying $416.85/month. Tyler went on to explain that the buyers were putting very little of their own money in the deal and explained the downside risk involved if the buyers defaulted. The only way they could protect their 2nd mortgage equity would be to buy in the first mortgage or just take the loss. Tyler and the mortgage broker, with the buyers permission, indicated that Jack and Mary were in essence underwriting the 2nd mortgage loan on part of the buyers. It was up to them to pass or deny.
On weekends Jack and Mary were looking at new homes, which might meet their needs. One in particular, due to the soft market, the builder was offering major concessions and sales inducements including paying all the closing costs and prepaid expenses. With potentially $180,000 cash available for any purchase they were looking at a builder deal loaded with incentives for a home worth $750,000, which they could now buy for $650,000. The nagging fear was what would happen if the 2nd mortgage payer defaulted. Since, it was up to Jack and Mary to pass on the buyers credit worthiness, with the buyers permission, they went over their entire credit package and personally interviewed them on the phone to find out something of the character of the buyers and the back ground of the of how the credit dings had taken place. It turns out it was a temporary medical problem that had put them behind the eight ball and precipitated their credit dings. Jack and Mary decided to take the deal. Since the buyers had been already pre-qualified, the sale took place in two weeks.
Jack and Mary, with closing funds in hand, closed moved into their new home. Six months had passed and the buyers of their prior residence had made their second mortgage payments on time as agreed. The home had everything they wanted in a home except a pool and spa. The dilemma for Jack and Mary, even though they had got an incredible interest rate in the soft market they were reluctant to incur any additional debt with the 2nd mortgage paying off in now 2.5 years. Jack received a letter in the mail from an investment note buyer who was offering to buy the note at a discount since the note now has some seasoning. Running the math, with the investor getting a 15%+ yield on a 10% face rate ballooning in the next 30 months were offering to buy the note for $42,900 cash. Just for grins, Jack being the super salesman and dealmaker had been working on construction quotes with a pool contractor. He had managed to negotiate a $5,000 reduction and could put everything they wanted for $40,000. Pool contractors were slow right along with the rest of the real estate market. Jack and Mary showed the documentation to the note buyer that indicated six months of on time payments together with copies of the note and mortgage. The note was sold netting out $42,000 in cash. The pool was built the following week. Life was good.
Soft markets can lead to flexible terms which can help complete real estate deals. Keep and open mind. There is more than one way to skin areal estate deal.
Dale Rogers
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http://www.brokencredit.com
Dale Rogers is a thirty-year mortgage veteran and frequent contributor to the Broken Credit Blog. The BCB is a free website created to assist the general public with information about credit repair and responsible mortgage lending.Mortgage Lead Programs
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