TUCSON, AZ, June 26, 2009 – The flavor of real estate foreclosure web sites changes dramatically with the launch of

“WhyteSmoke.com signals the beginning of many changes in our world, our nation and especially our community,” said Ryan. Both Ryan and Brule-Fisher are accomplished REALTORS in Tucson’s Real Estate Community and they pledge to blend their experience and proven talents to breathe new life, a higher level of professionalism and renewed compassion into an industry itself in the midst of sweeping changes. It is no coincidence that we launch this site in June, when we celebrate National Homeownership Month.

“As REALTORS, we see the sweeping impact of the housing market and it’s translation of pain in a down market to members of our community. We are here to move in a new, healthier and meaningful direction. We wish to revive and renew our community. Our mission is to help homebuyers and sellers understand what it is they can do to green those properties. This will be a new and fresh look at restoring our community and our homes, our dwelling. This is a bright new look at what we can all do, collectively, to reduce our impact on our environment AND live more comfortably, more simply along the way,” they said. 

“Further, as a significant commitment to our community, we wish to SHARE the needed help and attention with those homeowners that wish to remain in their homes by supplying information and support and guidance to those entities who can truly help.

“Alternatively, we are also equipped to help those homeowners choosing not to stay in their homes,” they continued.

“WhyteSmoke.com is here to assist owners of property, including lenders and their facilitators, (i.e. asset managers, etc.) in creating expedited sales of their properties while assuring the buying public professional and authoritative care,” said Brule-Fisher. “WhyteSmoke promotes our intention to share ideas in Greening up our homes and communities to insure a safe and caring environment for all.”

“WhyteSmoke.com is built on a platform for change. We invite the public and guest bloggers to share their gifts. We will offer time sensitive resources to consumers from those ‘in the know.’ Watch for the continued signals of change!”

Contact: Kate Ryan or Nicole Brule-Fisher

Realty Executives of Southern Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Phone/KR 520-979-2098   Phone /NBF 520-465-5770

I will be teaching the following classes in Tucson this month.

Monday, JUNE 15 (9 – 12 and 1 – 4pm)- HUD Homes for Sale (TWO CE classes, 3 hours contract law, 3 hours fair housing.)  HUD Homes are government owned properties available to consumers with a special set of rules and tools. There are two classes – one covers the contract and transaction management, the other explores consumer outreach and marketing. Upon registration, students will receive copies of two e-books: HUD Homes for Sale – Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents ($39.95 value) and  HUD Homes for Sale – Complete Buyer’s Guide ($19.95 value) Advantage Group Solutions LLC Real Estate School.  $25 for one class/$40 for two classes. Register:  520-616-2896 or http://HUD Homes.eventbrite.com  
Location: TSA, 6390 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715

Wednesday, JUNE 17 (9 – 12) and Monday, JUNE 22 (9 – 12) - Social Media Mastery 101: Facebook, LinkedIn and Trulia. There are THREE social media sites most important in a Real Estate Social Media Business Plan. We will spend time learning how to leverage these sites and establish a social media cornerstone as part of a carefully designed strategy for social media success. $25 for one class/$40 for two classes
Register: http://SocialMediaMastery.eventbrite.com or 520-616-2896
Location June 17: TSA, 6875 N. Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85714

Location June 22: TSA, 6390 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715

Monday, JUNE 22 (1 – 4 pm) - Social Media: Tips to Avoid A Risk Management Nightmare. Social media offers diligent agents opportunity to establish dollar productive relationships with consumers. Less diligent agents find themselves and their brokerages at risk for faux pas in Fair Housing, contract law, and other areas. CE Class with 4 hour legal issues. Advantage Group Solutions LLC Real Estate School.  Cost: $25
Register:  520-0616-2896 or http://SocialMediaClass.eventbrite.com     
Location: TSA, 6390 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715

Wednesday, June 24 (1 – 4 pm) - Facebook Strategy and a Plan for Real Estate Success. There is a social media phenomenon brewing at Facebook as more than 200 million users ENGAGE, EDUCATE, and EMPOWER each other in a passionate online community. Join a nationally known social media diva and put Facebook to work according to PLAN! You are welcome to tote your laptop and air card and participate in a social media lab. Pen and paper are OK, too! Come, let’s ENGAGE, EDUCATE, and EMPOWER! $25 for one class/$40 for two classes
Register: http://FacebookMaster.eventbrite.com or 520-616-2896  
 Location: TSA, 6875 N. Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85714

Real Estate Social Media Mastery 101:
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Trulia
(9 am - 12 noon)

There are THREE social media sites most important in a Real Estate Social Media Business Plan. We will spend time learning how to leverage these sites and establish a social media cornerstone as part of a carefully designed strategy for social media success.

1.  Trulia

Learn 5 Tips for Social Media Success on the fast growing real estate web site … learn the secrets of designing a powerful profile page, create a free blog, and learn the best ways to engage buyers and sellers looking for your help in Trulia Voices.

2.  Facebook

Facebook has 200 million users … more than some countries! Learn how to harness the viral power of the Facebook community in your market area … it’s FREE and it’s easy (when you know how!).

3.  LinkedIn

LinkedIn is fertile ground for building an online reputation, scouting business opportunities, vetting business partners and new hires, and creating new alliances with group creation tools and numerous other cyber gadgets.
 

Why should you attend:

Brokers and agents are using social media – you need to understand the culture to achieve success.

SPECIAL PRICING

Our special relationship with Title Security Agency lets us offer you this class for $25.
You can attend TWO of our social media classes for payment of $40.
Location: Title Security Agency, 6390 E Tanque Verde Rd.,Tucson, AZ 85715
 

REGISTER BELOW FOR ONE OR BOTH CLASSES

http://facebookmaster.eventbrite.com

http://socialmediamastery.eventbrite.com

Real Estate Social Media Mastery 102:
Facebook Strategy and a Plan for Success
(1 - 4 pm)

There  is a social media phenomenon brewing at Facebook as more than 200 million users ENGAGE, EDUCATE, and EMPOWER each other in a passionate online community. Join a nationally known social media diva and put Facebook to work according to PLAN! You are welcome to tote your laptop and air card and participate in a social media lab. Pen and paper are OK, too! Come, let’s ENGAGE, EDUCATE, and EMPOWER!

• Understand the culture of Facebook, where there are 200 million members.
• Who are your friends? REALTORS? Family? Friends? Clients?
• Create a Facebook Business Plan.
• Learn about Profile Pages, Fan Pages, Business Pages, and Events Pages.
• Develop a Facebook strategy for your niche.
• Should you mix personal and business "friends"?
• Create groups for your niche, your church, and your civic organizations. 
• Learn the art of photos: tagging, creating albums, and sharing.
• Have a blog already? Learn how to feed your blog content to Facebook automatically?
• Learn how to use Facebook video to engage your market! It’s easy and fun!

BONUS: Twitter for Fun AND Profit.

Why should you attend:

Brokers and agents are using social media – you need to understand the culture to achieve success.

SPECIAL PRICING

Our special relationship with Title Security Agency lets us offer you this class for $25.
You can attend TWO of our social media classes for payment of $40 at ticket above.
Location: Title Security Agency, 6390 E Tanque Verde Rd.,Tucson, AZ 85715

REGISTER BELOW FOR ONE OR BOTH CLASSES

http://facebookmaster.eventbrite.com

http://socialmediamastery.eventbrite.com

Instructor: 

Frances Flynn Thorsen

… … got her real estate license and became a REALTOR® in 1985. She was an early adopter of real estate technology on the Internet .Frances was one of the first real estate bloggers to receive national attention early in 2005, with interviews in Investors’ Business Daily, BusinessWeek Online, Inman News, REALTOR® Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She was founding editor of RealTown.com and worked as Community Manager of Trulia.com. She is CEO of Socialebb Strategies and Solutions and offers an ecumenical approach to blog and social media coaching and consulting services. She appeared on the 2008 list of 50 Most Influential Women in Real Estate in the U.S.

Take heart! Join us in historic Williams, Arizona for a social media retreat with a leading blogger, writer, and social media advocate Frances Flynn Thorsen. Bring your laptop (we have wireless) and spend two full days creating a social media business plan, and put the plan into effect! By the time you leave Williams, you will have a strategy and plan for the most important social media sites on the Internet.

There are FOUR social media sites most important in a Real Estate Social Media Business Plan. We will spend time learning how to leverage these sites and establish a social media cornerstone as part of a carefully designed strategy for social media success. Facebook, LinkedIn, Trulia, and Zillow.

• Evening clinics - video and Twitter.
• Law of Attraction Blogging
• Understand the culture of Facebook, where there are 200 million members.
• Who are your friends? REALTORS? Family? Friends? Clients?
• Create a Facebook Business Plan.
• Learn about Profile Pages, Fan Pages, Business Pages, and Events Pages.
• Develop a Facebook strategy for your niche.
• Should you mix personal and business "friends"?
• Create groups for your niche, your church, and your civic organizations.
• Learn the art of photos: tagging, creating albums, and sharing.
• Have a blog already? Learn how to feed your blog content to Facebook automatically?
• Learn how to use Facebook video to engage your market! It’s easy and fun!
• SPECIAL CE CLASS - Social Media: Tips to Avoid A Risk Management Nightmare (4 hours real estate legal issues, Arizona real estate licensees.)

SPECIAL EARLY BIRD PRICING: $250   (price changes to $325 June 1)

Two Breakfasts *  Two Lunches  *  Downloadable Handout  *  Admission to All Sessions  *  Pre-Event Planning Webinar  *  6 Post-Event Mastermind Webinars 

Accommodations:

Sheridan House Inn

Retreat location and additional hotel information will be posted later this week.

Photo Credit: Grand Canyon Railway

Frances Flynn Thorsen obtained her real estate license and became a REALTOR® in 1985. She was an early adopter of real estate technology on the Internet .Frances was one of the first real estate bloggers to receive national attention early in 2005, with interviews in Investors’ Business Daily, BusinessWeek Online, Inman News, REALTOR® Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She was founding editor of RealTown.com and worked as Community Manager of Trulia.com. She is CEO of Socialebb Strategies and Solutions and offers an ecumenical approach to blog and social media coaching and consulting services. She is listed on Stefan Swanepoel's 2008 list of 50 Most Influential Women in Real Estate.

1.  Are you a foreclosure "expert"? "Almost overnight, companies have sprung up offering you the chance to become “certified” as a specialist in short sales or REOs. Although some of the programs might provide good training, you can invite trouble if you go overboard and market yourself as an expert," said Chuck Kasky, director of legal affairs for the Maryland Assn. of REALTORS at the Mid-Year Meeting of the National Assn. of REALTORS this week.

Certified Distressed Property Experts is a new designation with an educational curriculum focussed on short sales and REO sales. There is scant attention paid to home retention solutions. Are REALTORS with good intentions about helping consumers opening the door to lawsuits for themselves and their brokerages? Mission statement: "To provide education to licensed real estate agents that will allow them to efficiently and effectively help homeowners in distress avoid foreclosure and sell their properties."

2.  Adding loan modification services as ancillary service. "...giving advice to homeowners about seeking a loan modification before they try a short sale ... [a] practice that might be challenged as either unauthorized practice of law or otherwise outside the scope of sales associates’ license." Kasky said.

"If you help home owners navigate a loan modification, be aware that your E&O policy might not cover your actions if you’re sued", said Michelle Lind, general counsel of the Arizona Assn. of REALTORS. Providing such help is considered the business of housing counseling agencies, not brokerages, she said.

3.  Flipping and Double-Dipping. Investors and investor networks are partnering with real estate agents and brokerages. The following scenario was outlined at the RealTown Short Sale Srtategies Group by Dr. Keith Allison, a Tennessee real estate licensee:

"The Realtor refers the potential short sale to Quick Cash. Quick Cash arranges the short sale with the lender and pays for the home. (In his example he used a home valued at $200,000 .. .paying the lender 130,000 and the Realtor's commission for the referral. Next, he turns around and puts the home back on the market listed with the Realtor and sells it for 160,000.) The Realtor never touches the paperwork, yet collects commissions on two transactions."

Think the bank has a cause of action here? How about the homeowner? Maybe the real double dipping is going to happen in court!

4.  Selling Bank Properties (REOs). Lenders are shifting liability of REO (real estate owned) sales to listing and selling agents with addenda that pose greater risk than ever before for buyers of bank owned properties, according to Holly Eslinger (shown at right), broker of Exclusive Homes and Land, and 2009 president-elect of the Arizona Assn. of REALTORS. (Eslinger spoke to REALTORS at the group's Winter Conference in Prescott in March.)

Lind concurs with Eslinger about REO liability: "If you handle REOs for a lender, be sure your E&O policy covers property management activity," she said. "Many of your tasks in selling REO properties are property management functions: getting utilities turned on, keeping the property secure if it’s vacant, even evicting people."

5.  Commissions and Antitrust. Real estate agents complain mightily about an ever popular custom of banks cutting commissions, sometimes right before settlement. The discussion raises their ire in online communities and foot-in-mouth pandemic is growing. Consider the following remark from a Massachusetts REALTOR who bills himself as a Loss Mitigation Certified Specialist:

"I always submit for 6% and so far, have always gotten 6%. When the lenders even breathe the notion of cutting the Realtor commission, I tell them that the Realtor commission is non-negotiable. Plus I suggest alternatives as the situation presents."

The commission is "non-negotiable." Really? Tell that to the DOJ! (Brokers, Do you know what your agents are saying online?)


7.  Does your marketing cost people their homes? Consider the postcard at the right. "Avoid Foreclosure and Save Your Credit. Curious About Short Sales?" There is a web site address on the card, AvoidForeclosureInAustin.com. Is it any surprise that home retention is not a major focus of this agent's web site?

When a distraught and financially strapped consumer receives a postcard from a certified expert and pursues a short sale option without speaking with an attorney or a HUD Certified Counselor, is the real estate agent and brokerage at risk?

I recently attended a Foreclosure Fair in Tucson where a leading attorney in Arizona told attendees that credit profiles are often better served by bankruptcy in many cases. This postcard and web marketing campaign are designed by Pro-Step Marketing. Here is a recent pitch by that company to REALTORS at Facebook:

" .. we are offering a LIVE webinar on "How to Market To Sellers Facing Foreclosure". Special guests will be attending including the instructors for the National Certification Course for Short Sales (they are speaking on the NAR lpanel at MidYear conference) as well as agents who have learned how to take a marketing strategy to their market and generate business from this niche ... "

The instructors for the National Certification Course for Short Sales had center stage at a conference for the National Assn. for REALTORS in Washington, DC this week. Their consumer facing web site is called America's Home Rescue. I wonder how Kasky and Lind would weigh in on agents wearing expert status to hawk commissioned short sales.

Is fiduciary served in the absence of HUD Certified counseling and expertise?

Tom Teece, a REALTOR in Florida, weighed in on Facebook this week:

"Agents should protect themselves by advising the homeowner to get their hardship qualified by a HUD-approved counselor. This should be done before discussing any possible sales transaction. If the homeowner can stay, then the agent is not wasting their time with a listing. If the homeowner must sell, it must be listed with an agent, the hardship ... Read Morewill already be qualified, and the bank will accept the 3rd party verification from the HUD-approved counselor.

"Is NAR not encouraging this responsible action?

"Agent don't need to be foreclosure counselors. They just need to to know how to direct homeowners to the pros. The counserlors become part of the agen't team. Don't try to do everything yourself!"

1. Trulia
   
   Learn 5 Tips for Social Media Success on the fast growing real estate web site … learn the secrets of designing a powerful profile page, create a free blog, and learn the best ways to engage buyers and sellers looking for your help in Trulia Voices.
   
   
   
2. Facebook
   
   Facebook has 200 million users … more than some countries! Learn how to harness the viral power of the Facebook community in your market area … it’s FREE and it’s easy (when you know how!).
   
   
   
3. LinkedIn
   
   LinkedIn is fertile ground for building an online reputation, scouting business opportunities, vetting business partners and new hires, and creating new alliances with group creation tools and numerous other cyber gadgets.
 
Santa Cruz County Board of REALTORS, 1103 Circulo Mercado, Rio Rico, AZ 85648-6248
Phone: (520)377-9613 | Fax: (520)377-9614

Homemade Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly

Prickly pear cactus fruit grows wild in Arizona's Southwest Sonoran Desert. Each pear is hand picked and processed naturally to collect the precious juice of this exotic, delicious fruit. Each jar of cactus jelly is handmade with loving care. Only 1,000 jars of this precious jelly will be made ... and purchasers will receive their jelly in time for Father's Day 2009. The price includes shipping and handling.

Payment Button On This Page

Calculating profits: The following are the costs associated with the sale of this gift package. Existing prickly pear cactus juice, all labor associated with production, and all cooking gas and other resources are donated and not part of the basic cost calculation.

• 8 oz. canning jars
• Pectin
• Sugar
• Lemon Juice

The costs associated with producing each jar of jelly amounts to approximately $2.50, not including shipping and handling ($10-16 per gift package). Projected profits from this fundraising event is $3,000 - $5,000. There are ways to increase our profits and perhaps you can help!

1. Donations of jars, pectin, sugar, and lemon juice in amounts sufficient to product 1,000 jars of jelly will add $2,500 to the donation.
2. Local Arizona delivery will add over $10 per order and increase the donation to CARE considerably!
3. Send me an e-mail if you want to help us secure donations or volunteer to help.

Social media offers diligent agents opportunity to establish dollar productive relationships with consumers. Less diligent agents find themselves and their brokerages at risk for faux pas in Fair Housing, contract law, and other areas.4-hour CE Class April 30, 2009.

• Social Media:  What is it?
• The Social Media Sandbox – Where consumers meet licensees
• Benefits of successful Social Media planning
• Fertile Ground – Is that real estate agent planting daisies or poison ivy?
• Property Listings – How do you deliver your listing data?
• Do you know where your agents are placing their listings and what other listings they are claiming?
• Blogs and copyright law
• Logos and company names – who has the authority to start an online group using a registered trade name?
• Is there a pot of gold at the other side of the discussion thread or is that real estate licensee at risk?

Why should you attend:

Brokers and agents are using social media – you need to manage the risks involved.

CE 4 Hours Real Estate Legal Issues

Instructor: 

Frances Flynn Thorsen, e-PRO, SRS

… got her real estate license and became a REALTOR® in 1985. She was an early adopter of real estate technology on the Internet .Frances was one of the first real estate bloggers to receive national attention early in 2005, with interviews in Investors’ Business Daily, BusinessWeek Online, Inman News, REALTOR® Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She was founding editor of RealTown.com and worked as Community Manager of Trulia.com. She is CEO of Socialebb Strategies and Solutions and offers an ecumenical approach to blog and social media coaching and consulting services.

School: Advantage Solutions Group, Tucson, AZ. 520-744-8731

This class will also be offered

April 27, 2009 - Broker University, Arizona Assn. of REALTORS, Phoenix.

HUD Homes are government owned properties available to consumers with a special set of rules and tools. There are two classes – one covers the contract and transaction management, the other explores consumer outreach and marketing. Upon registration, students will receive copies of two e-books:

• HUD Homes for Sale – Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents ($39.95 value)
• HUD Homes for Sale – Complete Buyer’s Guide ($19.95 value).

Class Dates:

• May 4, 2009  Oracle State Park, Kannally Ranch House, 3820 Wildlife Drive, Oracle, AZ 85623.

• May 6, 2009 Comfort Suites Tucson at Tucson Mall-AZ, 515 West Automall Drive, Tucson, AZ 85705

Class 1: HUD Homes for Sale – The Transaction (morning class 9 am - 12 noon)

CE 3 Hours Contract Law

• What Is A HUD Home?
• Who Sells HUD Homes?
• The MLS  Is NOT the Best Place for Information about HUD Homes.
• Does the Agent Represent the Buyer or HUD? 
• How Much Should the Buyer Offer?
• Complete A HUD Contract Line by Line.
• Bid Results – Win or Lose?
• Play by the Rules – The Fact that Rules Are Routinely BROKEN Is NOT an Excuse to Break Them Yourself!

Class 2: HUD Homes for Sale – Sales&Marketing (afternoon class 1:30 - 4:30 pm)

CE 3 Hours Fair Housing

• Design a Business Plan.
• HUD Homes = ? Percentage of Your Business?
• Allocate Resources to HUD Homes Outreach.
• Convert Existing Buyers to HUD Homes Buyers.
• HUD Homes Advertising Guidelines
• Print Campaign and Telephonic Outreach
• Webinars – Harness 21st Century Technology.
• Syngergy – Build on Existing Resources.
• Internet Marketing Strategies and Tools
• Weave HUD Homes Evangelism in Social Media.
• Track Your Results.

.

Instructor: 

Frances Flynn Thorsen, e-PRO, SRS

…… got her real estate license and became a REALTOR® in 1985. She has been featured in Investors’ Business Daily, BusinessWeek Online, Inman News, REALTOR® Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She was founding editor of RealTown.com and worked as Community Manager of Trulia.com. Frances has written numerous articles about HUD homes and foreclosures,  and she wrote two books that are part of these classes. She is CEO of Socialebb Strategies and Solutions.

Also see:

Social Media: Tips to Avoid A Risk Management Nightmare

School: Advantage Solutions Group, Tucson, AZ. 520-744-8731

• Crisis Budgeting (11 am - 12 noon)
• Foreclosure Timeline and Options (12 noon - 1 pm)
• Bankruptcy and Scams (1pm - 2 pm)
• General Closiing Session - Economic Concerns and Renters Issues, Presentation by Pima County Interfaith Council

Prizes and refreshements  *  Come early for free Foreclosure Prevention Workbook.


Presented by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church

in partnership with

Pima County Interfaith Council
Pima County Foreclosure Prevention Coalition
Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force
Don't Borrow Trouble Pima County

(1) 5 Tips for Social Media Success with Trulia! (2 hours)

(2) Real Estate Social Media Top Three Tools - Facebook, LinkedIn, and Trulia (2 - 3 hours)

(3) Creating Online Meetings and Explosive Spotlight Ads for Trulia, Zillow, and Facebook (2 hours)

(4) Solving the Puzzle about Online Real Estate Advertising (2 hours)

(5) Use Single Property Sites to WOW Bomb Your Market (2 hours)

(6) Secret Tricks Using Social Media to Capture the FSBO and EXPIRED markets. Shhhh... (2 hours).

... and more!

• HUD Homes are owned by the federal government, NOT banks!
  
  
• Real estate agents represent the buyers, NOT a bank, and NOT HUD.
   
•  There are inspections performed before a house is put on the market.

Join me for a discussion about HUD homes ... use the TELEPHONE option instead of computer audio if you want to take part in the conversation!

1:30 pm EDT
12:30 pm CDT
11:30 am MDT
10:30 am PDT

REGISTER HERE

Learn how to apply the technology of human beingness for maximum results ... broadband and wireless issues, PCs and Macs, and other cyber tech are secondary matters.

No Blogger Left Behind marries human beingness technology with cyber tech. Law of Attraction Bloggers speak to people, not search engine spiders.

Join us!

Enjoy Blogging IN JOY!

I will show you a step-by-step plan to create on online Home Buyer Seminar. A spotlight ad is a perfect tool to draw attendees to  your event, teleconference, or Webinar. Learn how these two Web 2.0 tools can maximize your online presence in the real estate Net!

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
 
 
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

FHA offered the first low-down-payment loan program in the country, opening the door to home ownership for the working class Americans with limited savings. The Federal Housing Administration was established in 1934 with a mission to raise housing standards and design a home financing system with a federal mortgage insurance program that would lessen the risk for lenders. The program made home ownership possible for families who were otherwise excluded from the housing market. It continues to serve that mandate today.

In the 1940s FHA programs were designed to help financing military housing and for returning veterans and their families. In following years, through the 1970s, FHA stepped in to help galvanize production of millions of units of private apartments for elderly, handicapped, and lower income citizenry. When high inflation and runaway energy costs threatened the economic viability of private multi-family housing units, FHA stepped in with emergency financing to help property owners keep their heads above water.

The 1980s recession offered special financing challenges to homebuyers when private mortgage insurers left oil-producing states. FHA stepped in and helped stabilize declining home prices and designed programs to help homebuyers obtain mortgage financing.

In 1995 FHA placed increased emphasis on minority and first-time homebuyers and implemented the National Homeownership Strategy to provide increased marketing and outreach to those groups.

Advantages of FHA Financing

There are numerous FHA “wannabe” conventional loans and 100% loan products. FHA has certain advantages over conventional financing:

The total down payment for an FHA loan is only 2.25% of the sale price.
Income-to-debt ratios are generally higher with FHA loans. Buyers can
qualify with 29% front-end ratios and 40% ratios on the back end, compared
with similar conventional products that limit borrowers to 33-36% on the
back end. Borrowers have more borrowing power with an FHA loan.

Front End Ratio: Monthly Income x 29% = Maximum PITI (principal,
interest, taxes, and insurance. For a monthly income of $3, 000, that means that
$870 is the maximum mortgage payment for qualifying purposes UNLESS THE
BACK END RATIO NUMBER IS LOWER.

Back End Ratio: Monthly Income x 40%- other debt = Maximum PITI
(principal, interest, taxes, and insuranc)t. For a monthly income of $3, 000, that
means that $1,200 minus other monthly debt is the maximum mortgage payment
for qualifying purposes. (This reflects other revolving debt such as charge cards,
student loans, car loans, etc.)

FHA lets the buyer negotiate a 6% seller assist toward closing costs. In many cases, a borrower needs no more than 3% of the total sale price as a total cash-out-of-pocket investment. There are other alliances and programs that will let the seller pick up the whole tab. Some of these plans are under close scrutiny by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Developments in this
arena will be updated on this book’s blog at www.HUDhomeSaleBook.com .

FHA is much more lenient with credit issues than conventional lenders.

Even bankruptcy discharges a year old can work with FHA if good credit follows the discharge. FHA underwriters give much credence to letters of explanation about credit recitals. (See Chapter 5 Confronting The Credit Gremlin.)

HUD Homes offered with FHA financing offer special incentives to buyers. HUD Homes that are eligible for FHA 203(b) financing have reduced closing costs because there is NO APPRAISAL fee. Lenders are required to use the appraisal that HUD has on file.

Keep in mind an important fact about FHA financing of HUD Homes for Sale: FHA will only finance a maximum loan amount that corresponds to HUD’s asking price. If a buyer is inclined to ‘bid up” a property and finance that property with FHA financing, he will have to make up the difference between the asking price and the bid amount with additional down payment monies. This can put an FHA buyer at a serious disadvantage in the bidding process. It is advisable under these circumstances to have alternative financing in place to maximize bidding potential.

For instance: A buyer expects that there will be competing bids for a house at 123 Main Street. HUD’s list price is $85,000. The buyer is confident that the real value of the property is closer to $100,000. He bids $90,000. His down payment will increase from 2.25% of $85,000 ($1,912 down payment) to that amount PLUS an additional $5,000 ($6,912 down payment).

FHA LOAN CHECKLIST

• Address of your place of residence (past two years)
• Social Security numbers
• Names and location of your employers (past two years)
• Gross monthly salary at your current job(s)
• Pertinent information for all checking and savings accounts
• Pertinent information for all open loans
• Complete information for other real estate you own
• Approximate value of all personal property
• Certificate of Eligibility and DD-214 (for veterans only)
• Two most recent pay stubs
• W-2 forms for past two years
• Personal tax returns (past two years), current income statement and business balance sheet for self-employed individuals.

(Frances Flynn Thorsen is author of HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide and HUD Homes for Sale - Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.)

Twitter is described as a microblogging platform.Twitterers use the tool to push product, build brand awareness, instant message their friends, acknowledge and share links about trends and events and their most personal moments.

The book includes real estate tips and tweets from the Inman Connect Conference and elsewhere in the Twitterverse.

Twitter is a mashup of brilliance, idiocy, art, confusion, hyperbole, and prayer in 140-character-or-less sound bytes.

I think Twitter is even more ... Twitter is a reflection of the human soul. I've been Twittering since Sept. 8, 2007. Everything you need to know about me is contained in a bank of content there within a growing stream of some 1,749 140-character-or-less posts. My Twitter address is

http://twitter.com/FrancesFlynnTho.

Welcome to my soul.

Twitter is a mashup of brilliance, idiocy, art, confusion, hyperbole, and prayer in 140-character-or-less sound bytes.

I think Twitter is even more ... Twitter is a reflection of the human soul. I've been Twittering since Sept. 8, 2007. Everything you need to know about me is contained in a bank of content there within a growing stream of some 1,749 140-character-or-less posts. My Twitter address is http://twitter.com/FrancesFlynnTho.

Welcome to my soul.


Self Discovery and Inspiration

Sometimes I read quotes that sound like they were written just for me and I share them ... they fit my self image ...














It all started many years ago ... we never know what the Universe has in store for us.

Transparency Gets to My Core

I aspire to be the most transparent person in the Twitterverse.

Life's journey sees me coming to new conclusions about the way I embrace the notion of "reasonableness."





Cyber Alerts, Calls to Action, and Consciousness Raising

Recent changes in Facebook Terms of Service ignited a firestorm and new conversation about intellectual property. A simple "Retweet" (RT) shared a nugget proffered by a respected member of the television press.




Shameless Promotion

Twitter is an abbreviated press release.

Shared Passion and Advocacy

Twitter is a place where you can make a difference. You never know how many eyes will scan your text in the moments following a post, and those words are part of a massive data bank that others will visit and revisit over time.

Foreclosure and distressed homeowners.

While many real estate agents are chasing short sales and trying to carve their own slice of the loan modification pie, giants like Ralph Roberts are actually helping people who want to remain in their homes because it is the right thing to do. It gives me joy and satisfaction to be able to share some viralocity with Ralph.

I had a chance to share my two cents at a real estate confab at Harvard recently (from my warm desert digs in Tucson).

Child slavery and poverty ... advocates find their voice in blogs and Twitter. One day a volunteer Twitter Corps Retweeted messages on this theme, initiated by Jeff Turner of Real Estate Shows.

Poetry and Song

Twitter acknowledges the song in Tucson early morning light.






... and joyful innocence

I Am a Writer and a Journalist

... who used to use a manual typewriter ... these days I cover meetings and conferences in bursts of Twitterese.

I am looking forward to a release that lets me spell check!

#icny is a hashtag for the Inman Real Estate Connect Conference in New York. The conversation continues even though the live event closed in mid January.

Political Action

... and celebration

Social Media Evangelism


I can track my Trulia Evangelism on Twitter to December 17, 2007.

... my evangelism is more ecumenical these days. I think there is great value in working across multiple platforms to leverage online voice.

Twitter Showdowns and Boot Hill

Troubled souls gather at Boot Hill in Tombstone and remember Wyatt Earp and the Clantons. Today we have showdowns on Twitter, not at lonely corrals.

... and then I engaged in a showdown with Zillow. I can chew gum and Twitter at the same time ... and I can debate at the same time, too!

Prickly Pear Evangelism

I yearn to be the High Priestess of Prickly Pear. That is my true calling!








Web 2.0 and prickly pear are the ingredients for a joyful, transparent life and success!

1. Trulia Pro spotlight ads are part of an exciting new wave of online marketing. (Sign up now and get TWO FREE MONTHS with this coupon code: F44NN.)
   
   
2. Differentiate your real estate marketing with online meetings and seminars. I will show you how to plan and set up your own online meetings with FREE and low cost Webinar options.

We will use an interactive Webinar program to walk through a step-by-step plan to create on online Home Buyer Seminar. A spotlight ad is a perfect tool to draw attendees to any event, teleconference, or Webinar. Learn how these two Web 2.0 tools can maximize your online presence in the real estate Net!

REGISTER HERE

Relevant link:

15 Topics to Get the Most Clicks with Your Trulia Pro Ad

Join me this month for a brainstorming session ... Leverage your strengths and maximize your online exposure at the fastest growing real estate site on the Internet, Trulia.com. Add real estate listings and engage with consumers on blogs, and Trulia Voices -  a complete suite of Web 2.0 tools.

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration
with information you need to join the Webinar.

There are three components of a Trulia Pro advertising campaign - Spotlight Ads, Featured Listings, and Enhanced Statistics reporting for seller clients. The trick to success in online advertising is the same as the trick to success anywhere - Differentiate Yourself!

Discover what most agents are doing, then do something different!

In real estate spotlight advertising, most agents are constructing ads featuring their profile picture and a link to their web sites. With few exceptions, there are more click throughs on ads without agent photos than on ads with agent photos.

The following topics will attract click throughs on your Trulia Pro spotlight ad:

1. Advertise a Listing- Use a photo of a listed property, and write a descriptive title in less than 35 characters that evokes an emotion, NOT the property address. Use words in the description that entice and engage. Link the ad to a page that is devoted solely to this property, the Trulia listing page or another page containing your contact information. Do NOT link to your profile page or the home page of your real estate web site.
   
   
2. Foreclosures - Buyers are looking for bargains, and foreclosures generate lots of click throughs. If you list bank properties, consider featuring one in your spotlight ad. See example at right, a Trulia Pro spotlight ad created by Arizona REALTOR Yvonne Coelet. If you do not have a current bank owned listing, consider designing a landing page that features HUD homes or other information relative to the purchase of bank owned homes.
   
   
3. Auctions - Construct an ad for a property available at auction or for a group of properties. Include the date of the auction in the descriptive text to create a sense of urgency attached to the ad. Remember to replace the ad following the auction date.
   
   
4. Losing Your Home? - Consider running an ad that is a Public Service Announcement with a link to resources that will help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. Alternate that ad with others in the course of a month. Distinguish yourself for community service and outreach.
   
   
5. Buyer Agent - A spotlight ad is a terrific vehicle for a buyer's agent. Consider writing an ad that explains the importance of sole representation in the home buying process. Establish yourself as a sole agency evangelist.
   
   
6. Historic Properties - Vintage homes are the stuff of wonderful eye candy. Couple a photo with a great title and text and link to a page rich with photos and delicious property details.
   
   
7. Home and Neighborhood Tours - Explore homes and neighborhoods and let your creative muses soar. Design virtual tours or videos as target links from a super ad.
   
   
8. Open House - Run a spotlight ad to feature an Open House, and include the date in the text. Don't forget to replace the ad when the Open House is over.
   
   
9. Horse Properties - Let your imagination run wild with imagery and write text to appear the inner cowboy and cowgirl hiding in buyers everywhere.
   
   
10. Vacant Land - Spotlight ads are a great way to promote vacant lots and land. Where are the buyers? Experiment with out-of-area locales to market your listings.
    
    
11. Investment Properties - Do you have a listing with a good cap rate? Use it in the headline or text!
    
    
12. Real Estate Staging - Do you have staging credentials? Create an ad about an service highly important to sellers, and link it directly to a page that spells out the value proposition of a well staged home.
    
    
13. Mortgages and Lending - Was there ever more concern and confusion about mortgage lending? First-time home buyer programs, FHA financing, jumbo loans - there is no limit the appetite buyers and homeowners have for information in these troubled times.
    
    
14. Special Reports- Do you have special reports for buyers? Some premier template web sites like Point2 Agent have built-in report content. Use a screen shot of the cover of a report to illustrate the ad. Link to a sign-up page to collect contact information prior to delivering the report.
    
    
15. Home Buyer Seminar- Do you offer seminars? A spotlight ad is a perfect tool to draw attendees to  your event - in person, on a teleconference, or to a Webinar. (Stay tuned for a future blog post about conducting teleconferences and Webinars for real estate buyers and sellers. Send me an e-mail and I will send information when I schedule the next FREE online event.)

(Sign up for Trulia Pro and use this coupon for TWO FREE MONTHS: F44NN)

The Contenders:  In one corner, Sara Bonert (right) representing Zillow.  And in the other corner Frances Flynn Thorsen, (left) Social Media Evangelist formerly with Trulia.

The Venue: Good Morning Real EstateTele-Event

The Time: Feb 12, at 8:00 pm EST (you can have the recording sent to you afterwards if you register)

The Cost: FREE!  Just register and the call details will be sent to you.

The Rounds:

• How agents use online Q/A to win buyers!
• The difference between a community v. portal!
• When Blogging works out and when it doesn't!
• Which site is #1 in real estate traffic!
• 3 easy steps to upgrade your online marketing!
• What the future holds for online real estate marketing.
• These are some ideas of the topics that will be covered. If you have specific questions you want addressed, you can ask them when you register.

In all seriousness, it should be a great call and a great opportunity to compare and contrast the two sites and learn how to use both of them more effectively.

Register Here

2009 is the year of the cloud. Cloud computing is service based tech hosted offline.

Cost Saving Sites

Run an office on the Web. Online tools do the work of expensive desktop applications at the same time that it creates a collaborative working environment.

docs.google.com

zoho.com

Edit Photos On The Web.

Ninety-five percent of everything you do with photos can be handled with free and low-cost Web-based solutions.

fotoflexer.

picnik

Store Everything Online.

Never worry about lost files or where you put a document again. Move your file storage to the cloud, including PDFs and movies.

box.net

carbonite.com


Reduce Cost. Talk Using Voip.

One of the most cost effective tools on the market is Skype. You can talk for free to other Skpe users via chat, voice, and video. Google now allows similar features.

skype

tokbox

Reduce Costs. Meet On The Web.

Face to face is always best, but sometimes it is not cost effective.

GoToMeeting

yugma

dimdim


Think Differently About E-Mail.

Time is money. One of the biggest time wasters is our e-mail inbox. These products provide a look at how to manage your e-mail.

zenbe.com

otherinbox.com


Become More Social.
You're Already Networking. Do It Better.

You've been social networking your entire life. The tools available now via Web 2.0 simply provide another way to connect with people you want to meet.

The big difference: speed and reach.

You will see your sociograph as never before. Be present without working so hard.

LinkedIn

Facebook

Flickr

Twitter

Special Mention: Utterli

Be Remembered.
Be Creative to Stand Out from the Crowd.

Combine Awesome Highlighter and Eyejot to present information in a way that you're remembered.

AwesomeHighlighter

eyejot.com - record a video of your face talking about highlighted material.

Communicate Better.  Use Social Messaging.

The benefits of social networks are not confined to personal networks. You can use social messaging within your organization for efficiency and monitoring.

yammer.com

present.ly

Yonkly

socialcast

Don't Forget The Basics.
Some Of The Best Tools Are The Old Tools.

handwritten letter

telephone

Have you received a handwritten note recently? How did it make you feel?

And the phone is a ubiquitous form of interactive technology. When in doubt, pick up the phone.

• The most stunning and dramatic event of the year occurred in October when Alex Perriello, chairman and CEO of the Reology Franchise Group, issued a clarion call for help in a letter to all of Realogy’s affiliated brokers and sales associates to announce a “Save the Dream initiative “to help our neighbors and local communities by trying to prevent as many foreclosures from occurring as possible.” Perriello followed with an announcement on the blog at newly launched Better Homes and Gardens.
• RealtyTrac, the nation’s leading foreclosure search engine, provided data feeds to nonprofits and local government authorities to facilitate outreach programs to homeowners in default on their mortgages.
• Trulia launched Surviving the Housing Crisis microsite featuring blogs and questions and answers from the Trulia Voices community.
• Manhattan attorney and leading real estate blogger Joseph Ferrara proposed that the National Assn. of REALTORS add a pro bono provision to the REALTOR Code of Ethics. Joe and I presented this concept, coupled with foreclosure outreach, at the first Real Estate Barcamp in San Francisco in July.
  
  Voluntary Pro Bono Public Service
  
  Every Realtor who is able has a professional responsibility to provide real estate related services, without compensation, to those unable to pay or of limited means. Every Realtor should aspire to render pro bono service on at least one (1) real estate transaction per year.

Petition To Help SAVE THE DREAM

I invite you to fill out the form PETITION: The Million REALTOR March To Save The Dream.

I hereby pledge to help at least one distressed homeowner KEEP his/her home in 2009 in the spirit of service. NOTE: REALTORS and non-REALTOR licensees are invited to participate in the march, as well as lenders, vendors, and others.

We have a choice in 2009. We can surrender to a troubled market or we can be agents of change.Change may have good traction this year. Let's give it a shot!

1. "Real Estate Dough" by Bernice Ross, Ph.D. (Rossdale Press, Austin, TX) Bernice Ross hits another home run out of the park with the best book in real estate since her "Waging War Against Real Estate Discounters" was published in 2005. Ross is my favorite real estate author. She presents recipes for success based upon a collaborative business model, smart use of online technology, and a plan of action based upon personal strengths and skills. She eschews outmoded, cookie cutter I-did-this-and-if-you-can-duplicate-my-results training techniques. "Real Estate Dough" was the best selling book at the National Assn. of REALTORS confab in Orlando. If you read only one real estate book in 2009, make it this one. If you are a broker, buy a case of "Real Estate Dough," share the wealth of Ross' wisdom with your agents, and let the magic happen.
   
   
2. "House Lust" by Daniel McGinn (Doubleday, New York) A veteran Newsweek reporter offers entertaining insight into the mania that drove home buyers from boom to bust. McGinn's personal journey as a real estate consumer finds him enrolled in real estate school and buying an investment property online, sight unseen. His tales and anecdotes are reminders of the pitfalls buyers can avoid in normal and boom markets.
   
   
   
   
   
3. "Shift" by Gary Keller (McGraw Hill, New York) Gary Keller says, "Shift happens," and outlines 12 Tactics for Tough Times in the latest book in his best selling The Millionaire Real Estate Series. Shift offers skill building ideas for mastering short sales and foreclosures, clearing buyer reluctance hurdles, expense management ideas, lead management direction, and creative financing.
   
   
4. "Conversations On Success" featuring Joeann Fossland, Tom Hopkins, and Dr. John Gray (Insight Publishing Company, Seierville, TN) Read a series of interviews about personal and business success, relationships, and salesmanship with 11 leading speakers by David Wright, president of the International Speakers Network. This book is charming, inspirational, and sweet.
   
   
   
   
   
5. "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferris (Crown Publishers, New York) Brilliant! The author says, "Escape 9 - 15, live anywhere, and join the new rich." Measure the 10% of your output that is responsible for 90% impact and do MORE of that. Figure out what is productive activity and what is distraction. Eliminate activities that do not offer a large measure of impact. I read this book as a recovering workaholic. I am reading it again. I am still in recovery. I rarely read a book twice!
   
   
   
   
6. "Confessions of a Subprime Lender - An Insider's Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance" by Richard Bitner (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York) An ex-lender from Dallas tells all in a candid expose of the mortgage industry. He charges that 75% of subprime mortgages were misleading or fraudulent, and how mortgage brokers and appraisers deliberately inflated home prices.Bitner covers every step in the food chain, from borrowers and loan originator, to appraiser, to the credit scoring agencies and Wall Street. 
   
   
   
7. "Save My Home - 10 Steps to Avoiding Foreclosure" by Tom Geller (Kaplan Publishing, New York) This is a simple guide for distressed homeowners and people who want to help them remain in their homes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. 2009 Awesome Year Plan - Joeann Fossland offers an inexpensive business planner for real estate agents that marries core values to goals and numbers. I have been using this planner since 2005. You can take it up a notch with a FREE workbook, 30 Days to Turn Your Life Around With The Law of Attraction.  [DISCLOSURE: Joeann Fossland is my coach, a personal friend, and colleague. Her materials and guidance are responsible for a large measure of my personal growth and success since 2005.]
   
   
   
9. "Real Estate The Rome Way" by Margaret Rome (Silloway Press, Columbia, MD) Another reviewer (who lent me her copy of this book) says it better than I can: "If you haven’t had the opportunity to know (and be touched by) Margaret Rome personally, this book is the next best thing! This amazing woman shares the secrets and systems that have made her one of the best agents in the country. Whether you are a new agent or an experienced one, the gems and straight forward advice this book gives will help you succeed faster. With 11% of agents doing 89% of the business, you want to know what they know!"  - Joeann Fossland, Advantage Solutions Group.
   
   
10. "Tribes" by Seth Godin (The Penguin Group, New York) This is a small book with big ideas about leadership. The Internet has created a new definition of leadership. Buy this book and share it with a friend or colleague. (Thanks to Jeff Turner for sharing!) 

Your portrayal of a religious with a "weapon", however, is found to be totally tasteless. I am a [Catholic School] alum. We were never subjected to corporal punishment, and there are thousands and thousands of students who had relatively pleasant experiences in religious based schools. Unless you are currently a member of a religious order, I strongly suggest that you remove this from the web. It is very inappropriate at this very professional site.

The photo appears at right. I removed it from the blog post and replaced the illustration. My response follows:

Frances: There was no intention to offend anyone when I placed the photo in the blog post. You are probably much younger than I am … the Sisters at my grade school dished out corporal punishment to students on a regular basis in the 50s and early 60s.

The photo depicts the Sister with a yardstick, not a weapon 8-)

Still, I am concerned that anyone would connect me with sentiments any less than loving and supportive of the teachers I had in grade school and high school. I acknowledged them recently on Facebook (Dec. 18) in conjunction with this same post.




I will remove the post and issue an apology.

Our Trulia Voices member responded:

Trulia Voices Member:. I am not a lot younger than you are ... a one day post acknowledging how wonderful the religious are is not seen by everyone (like me) on days after.  All we see is the post of the photo (and yes, I know it was a yardstick).

I just get tired of people repeatedly using only certain stereotypes as humor ... You see, I hope that a lot of this will stop in the new year.  I hope that we can all recognize each other for the good that we have done, or do, and stop mocking these persons. 

Sorry if I am waxing antagonistically – not intended.  Maybe it’s too much holiday stress. Anyway, I wish you all the best for 2009 and hope that it will bring good things for you and your family.

What Is the Moral Of This Story?

I understand that much of the SPAM and offense that exists on the Net is unintentional and/or uninformed. Education is infinitely more valuable than strict enforcement.

I apologize for any offense I have caused with this post or with any other blog post here or on other blog platforms. I heartily thank this valuable and treasured Trulia Voice for raising my consciousness about online community in a significant and eloquent manner. This will make me a better Community Manager.

I truly LOVE the Trulia Community.

1. Bernice Ross, Ph.D. draws a packed house and it is no wonder. Visionary, author, Inman News columnist, and CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, Bernice delivers a home run every time she steps on stage. Her most recent book, Real Estate Dough, was the best selling book at the recent National Assn. of REALTORS convention in Orlando. Her Real Estate Dough card game replaces Monopoly in my personal list of favorite games. Bernice hosts an invitation-only event each year that draws the top women in real estate for several days of brainstorming and collaboration. Bernice does everything in world class fashion.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Raleigh Pinskey is a international business speaker and best selling author whose mission is to Promote and Prosper. Raleigh is a leading PR, branding, and publicity expert who gets a solid A plus in the WOW !! department. She is on tap to deliver the keynote address, "How to Maximize Your Biz-Ability with Your 8-Second or Less Pitch" at Bernice Ross' high level women's conference in Savannah in April.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Joeann Fossland, Master Certified Coach, is an iconic master of delivery in every venue - on stage, teleconferences, and Webinars. She is a perennial favorite at Women's Council of REALTORS events and she teaches WCR PMN classes, she teaches the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) class, and Arizona GRI classes. Joeann is the Co-Creator of No Blogger Left Behind blog coaching and Webinar series where attendees learn quickly that blogging is more about people than it is about technology. Joeann has a project underway for 2009 that will rock the real estate industry. [DISCLOSURE: I am the Co-Creator of No Blogger Left Behind and I will be a Special Guest in the next Webinar series.]
   
   
   
   
4. Amy Chorew is the hands down favorite technology speaker in many quarters. Amy is a regular at Women’s Council of REALTORS meetings and associations around the country. She has a large repertoire of tech topics and real estate agents leave her presentations better informed and raring to go. Amy is fun, down to earth, and practical.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Ilyce Glink is a respected real estate writer, syndicated columnist, television correspondent, and radio talk show host. She is a moderator at Inman Connect conferences and a fierce consumer advocate. Real estate professionals need to hear more of this perspective!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Blanche Evans is a household name in the real estate industry. She is a best selling author and a no-nonsense reporter and editor who is not afraid to rustle feathers. Blanche was the popular editor of Realty Times for 11 years. She launched EvansEzine in late 2008 to help REALTOR associations "take charge of their local media." 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Paul Chaney is a social media and blog evangelist with all the vim and vigor of the Baptist preacher that is Paul in another life. Paul is the founder of International Blogging and New Media Assn. Co-author of Realty Blogging, the first book about real estate blogging, Paul is a favorite among the Kool-Aid drinkers in real estate – diehard bloggers and social media geeks. He preaches to the choir … and it’s the masses of unconnected real estate professionals who need to hear his message.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Jeff Turner is my personal favorite tech guru in the real estate industry. He is the CEO of Real Estate Shows, and a leading authority on real estate technology. He is a strong advocate of easy-to-use technology aimed at the masses, not just the Kool-Aid drinkers. Jeff has proved himself as a thoughtful moderator on Inman Connect panels and he is widely liked and respected. Jeff is not afraid to take a contrarian position at Kool-Aid functions and he tells bloggers to talk to people, not spiders!
   
   
   
   
9. Byron Van Arsdale brings something to the table that the real estate industry needs desperately – training for teleconference and Webinar delivery! Byron is a highly credentialed coach who shares his online meeting management expertise with large companies and associations that serve other industries. I have not seen anyone with his breadth of knowledge and skillset in this area on a real estate platform anywhere. Smart real estate meeting planners who catch on in 2009 will bring their online meetings to a new level.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Al Heavens is the consummate media master. He is a popular author, real estate writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, past president of the National Assn. of Real Estate Editors, and one of the first real estate journalists to embrace blogging. He teaches at Temple University and he is a an excellent choice for presentations about all real estate matters.

1. Read the WHOLE question before answering it.
   
   The first part of the question appears in bold face type. Often there is additional information in light typeface below it. One of the most common mistakes I see real estate professionals make is miss important points of the question. There seems to be a rush to answer questions first ... many first answers are hastily written and thin on content. Take your time, read the whole question, and respond with a thoughtful answer.
   
   
2. Read the Trulia Community Guidelines.
   
   Trulia Community Guidelines are designed to create a Web presence that nurtures online participation and information and knowledge gathering. If you have not read them yet, read them NOW! Here are some other thoughts about Netiquette that are more general in nature:
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. NEVER say, “call me” in an answer.
   
   That is the surest, quickest way to turn off a consumer and create a contentious setting with fellow real estate professionals. "E-mail me" is equally offensive. When consumers read answers that contain rich answers they will click the profile link for additional contact information.
   
   
4. Sign up for e-mail alerts in your market area.
   
   Answering questions in your locale will give greater weight to your profile when consumers search for real estate professionals in your area. Sign up for additional e-mail alerts in your niche areas of expertise - financing, going green, rent vs. buy. Many of these questions originate in other areas but advice may be just as valuable from a real estate professional across the country.
   
   
5. Use caution responding to questions in other states and market areas.
   
   Avoid answering questions governed by state regulations that vary widely. Example: Agency Questions - buyer agency, seller agency, dual agency, transactional representation. Real estate rules and regulations concerning agency and representation are good questions to address in your market area, but do not assume that your state’s direction applies elsewhere.
   
   
6. Respect other business models.
   
   The real estate industry offers a variety of business models. There are full service brokers, discount brokers, limited service brokers, MLS-only brokers, buyer agents, real estate consultants, and other business models. Consumers have many choices in real estate. Respect and honor all business models.
   
   
   
7. Avoid sarcasm.
   
   Sometimes humor can be misinterpreted as sarcasm. Be careful with edgy humor that others might find offensive.
   
   
8. Answer the question directly.
   
   Cover all points in the question. Do not use canned responses that are the same from one question to another.
   
   
9. Do NOT answer the question if you do not have sufficient expertise.
   
   Don't give in to the temptation to weigh in on a question if your level of expertise required in an answer is not excellent. Strive for excellence each time you post! Read your answer twice and ask yourself, "Is this an excellent answer?" If the answer is, "No," do not post it.
   
   
10. NEVER use profanity.
    
    
11. Be generous with praise.
    
    If another poster makes a good point, click the Thumbs Up button and feel free to acknowledge good answers with online praise. How do you feel when someone compliments you on a job well done? You can share good energy online with personal acknowledgment. This creates a feeling of warmth and solidarity within the community. You can accomplish this in Trulia Voices Q&A and in blog comments.
    
    TIP: Make it a practice to say something nice about someone or another person’s question or blog post each time you visit the community.
    
    
12. Be patient when real estate professionals make errors.
    
    Contact other realty pros personally and let them know when they make a mistake, and flag answers so the moderators at Trulia can take action. The best response to a poorly worded or uninformed post is a post that is well written and contains useful content. A good answer speaks for itself.
    
    
13. Proofread your answer before you post.
    
    Check spelling and grammar and read your answer completely for sense and completeness.
    
    
14. Check your tone and tenor.
    
    Do not chide, insult, demean, or attack another member of the community. When you have a difference of opinion with another member, outline your points on the merits of fact and experience. Do NOT make it personal.
    
    
15. The GOLDEN RULE is equally important online as offline.
    
    Behave online as if you were face-to-face with other people on the discussion thread.

“Many agents don’t do much to market properties,” says REALTOR Mark Ryan in Dayton, OH. “Business has been slow and many consumers think that all real estate agents are the same. Preparation of the house and staging are important to consider.” Ryan is an Accredited Staging Professional and uses staging expertise to counsel sellers how to ready their properties for sale.

Christine Willard is a 27-year veteran associate broker and a leading agent in Greensboro, NC, where expired listings have been a major part of her business for most of those years. Greensboro is located in The Triad area of North Carolina, a region that has seen major economic setbacks with downturns in the tobacco, apparel, and furniture industries.

Willard is a listing agent who concentrates her efforts on listings management and marketing. She only works with buyers who are interested in seeing one of her own listings.

“You may never see me showing this house,” she tells them. “I concentrate on marketing my listings. I do not drive buyers around town on the weekends showing them properties. How can I market you home if I am busy with buyers?”

Buyers do not have to fall into low-income categories.

HUD homes range in price, but most are affordable for low- and moderate-income Americans.

HUD homes buyers fall into two distinct categories:

1. Owner Occupant buyers and
2. Investor buyers.

One of the primary objectives of the program is to provide home ownership opportunities to owner occupant purchasers.

Therefore, owner occupant purchasers have priority over investor buyers in the first ten days that a property is on the market. Investors may not bid on a HUD property during the first 10-day listing period.

An owner occupant purchaser is defined by HUD as a buyer who will live in the property as a primary residence for at least 12 months. There is an Owner Occupant Certification Form that the buyer must sign as part of the bid package.

U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development  (HUD) employees and relatives of HUD employees are eligible to buy HUD Homes, but must receive written approval from the Director of HUD's Office of Single Family Asset Management in order to purchase a HUD-owned single-family property

Relevant Links:

What Is A HUD Home?

Who Sells HUD Homes? Tips to Select A Real Estate Agent

BUYING A HUD HOME: Tips on Working With A Real Estate Agent


(Frances Flynn Thorsen is author of HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide and HUD Homes for Sale - Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.)

1. Become Intimately Familiar With the Trulia Blog Entry Editor.
   
   
   The Blog Entry Editor is the Blogger's best friend. How many buttons do you use when
   you are constructing a blog post? I usually use at least SIX  buttons to format my blog
   posts. The Blog Entry Editor lets you format text and insert graphics. It lets you marry
   text to graphics with tools that wrap, size, pad, and color the words that frame your
   thoughts and message.
   
   
   
2. Use CLEAN Text That Is Not Coded.
   
   Do NOT insert text formatted in Word or other word processing software. The button on
   the far right in Font Style group of buttons removes code from blog text.
   
   Blog software likes clean text and you will have better results if you format your text in the
   Blog Entry Editor. I often create my blog posts in the Blog Entry Editor and occasionally I
   create my posts in Word. When I have a blog post created in Word I use the following steps:
   1. Copy the text from Word and paste it into Notepad.
   2. Copy the Notepad text and copy it into the Blog Entry Editor.
   3. Format the text in the Blog Entry Editor.
   4. Insert a line space between paragraphs.
      
      
       
3. Format Text Font Name and Size.
   
   Arial 13 pt. type is a good typeface to use as
   default text. It is easy to read and it is a
   nice match with the other typefaces on the
   Trulia page. You have several typefaces from
   which to choose. I recommend the same
   typeface in a larger size for heads and
   subheads, and occasional use of mixed
   yypefaces works well. It is not wise to mix more than two typefaces in a single blog post,
   and savvy Webographers will limit type sizes to a maximum of three in a blog post.
   
   
   
4. Use Font Styles to Enhance Your Text.
   
   Tools for Bold and Italic text can be used singly or
   together to highlight headlines, titles of newspapers
   (italic), lead-in text following bullets and numbered
   items, and other text. They key to successful
   formatting is to avoid overuse of these tools.
   Underlined text is rarely used because readers are
   trained to recognize underlined text as hyperlinked text, and they expect that a click on
   underlined text will open to a new page of relevant subject matter.
   
   
   
5. Apply Color Sparingly for Maximum Impact. [This is a subhead]
   
   Use the 4th button on the Font Style toolbar with great
   discretion. Resist the urge to colorize large blocks of
   text and never colorize all the text in a blog post. I
   experiment with color and sometimes I think colored
   headlines are too much. Compare the blog post you
   are reading currently, featuring 16 pt.black subheads
   with a blog post I wrote a couple of days ago featuring green subheads. I am increasingly
   less drawn to color headlines.
   
   
   
6. Lists Are A Secret Tool for Blog Sucess.
   
   Consumers love to read lists and headlines that contain numbers are
   popular with online readers. There are two types of lists - bulleted lists
   and numbered lists. Depress the button for bullets and start typing ...
   here is an example of a bulleted list of articles I wrote about using Trulia:
   
   
   • 3 Best Tools for Social Media Marketing
   • 7 Steps to Amplify Your Trulia Voice With Your Trulia Blog
   • 10 Ways to Use Trulia to Enhance Your Online Presence

This blog post contains a numbered list ... there is another good example at 13 Steps to
a Successful Open House.



7. Link With A Strategy and A Plan for Visual Appeal.
   
   
   The button on the left in the graphic is a link. Use this button to embed a hyperlink in text. Follow this procedure:
   
   
   
   
   1. Highlight the text you want to link.
   2. Example: Avoiding Mortgage Fraud.
   3. Insert the URL into the box Link URL
   4. Check the box, Open In A New Window
   5. Use specific words that apply to the link in Description.
      
      
8. A Photo Is Worth 1,000 Words.
   
   Nothing is more boring or uninviting than a wall of unformatted text
   without any graphics. The center button of Insert Item toolbar is
   the photo insertion tool. You can upload a photo from you hard
   drive using the "Browse" button or insert the URL of a photo that
   resides online. Click More Options next to select wrapping,
   padding, and link options.
   
   [NOTE: I used two types of photo software for this blog post. I used Snagit screen capture
   software for a single toolbar image and Picnik Web-based photo editing software to crop
   sections, resize photos, add color and a postage stamp effect.]
   
   
   
9. Join the Ranks of Vloggers When You Add Video to Your Blog.
   
   The third link on this bar is a video link. You can easily create
   YouTube videos with a webcam at your computer, a video
   camera, or an inexpensive Flip video camera and insert those
   videos into your Trulia Blog.
   
   The following is a real-life video exercise that you can use to learn
   this technique. When you are finished you will insert a Freddie Mac video titled "Protect
   Yourself From Mortgage Fraud."You are welcome to leave it on your blog and share it with
   consumers in your market area and across the nation.
   
   
   
   YouTube videos have embed code located in a box to the right of the video. It is shown in the box on the left in the Embed field. In this case the embed code is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Copy the embed code and insert in the Embed Code field in the open window.
   
   The final results of your efforts will look like this:
   
   
   
   
   10. Spell Check Each and Every Blog Post!
   
   It never ceases to amaze me that real estate professionals publish so many
   blog posts that are filled with misspelled words and grammatical errors.
   Proofread you post and run a spell check before you hit that Publish button.
   
   
   
   Happy Blogging!

1. Trulia
   
   Trulia is the largest active online community in the real estate industry. Trulia offers a complete suite of FREE Web 2.0 tools and Trulia Pro, an inexpensive online advertising solution for increased listing exposure and spotlight ads that you can direct to 20 market areas or zip codes.
   
   Set Up A FREE Trulia Profile (57 seconds)
   
   
   
   7 Steps to Amplify Your Voice With Your Trulia Blog
   
   10 Ways to Use Trulia to Enhance Your Online Presence
   
   3 Ways to Get Noticed by Consumers on Trulia
   
2. LinkedIn
   
   "Your professional relationships are key to your professional success." LinkedIn is comprised of 30 million professionals in 150 industries. Profiles contain employment history, career objectives, educational background, and testimonials and recommendations. It is fertile ground for building an online reputation, scouting business opportunities, vetting business partners and new hires, and creating new alliances with group creation tools and numerous other cyber gadgets.
   
   After you set up your profile, you are welcome to connect with me and join the Trulia Group on LinkedIn.
3. Facebook
   
   Facebook is the most rapidly growing social network on the Web. There are presently 120 million users worldwide and Facebook is growing at more than 250,000 a day. You can connect with friends and family and real estate clients and colleagues. It's fun and chock full of educational tools and dollar-productive marketing reach tools. Set up your profile this week and follow me on Facebook for consumer outreach tips.
   
   After you set up your profile, become my Facebook friend and join the Trulia Group.
   
   Are You Suffering From the Facebook 'Crazies'?

1. Step One - Create A Blog Post
   
   10 Things to Know Before Buying a Foreclosure is a blog post that follows numerous consumer inquiries about the foreclosure process.
   
   BLOG COACH TIP: Titles with numbered lists draw consumer eyes. Use the numbered bullet function on the blog entry editor for maximum text readability.
   
   
   
2. Step Two - Move to Trulia Voices Question and Answer Platform.
   
   Use the horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page and select Q&A Home to reach the home page for questions and answers.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Step Three - Do Keyword Search to Match Blog Content.
   
   In this instance I designed a search for "buy foreclosure" to coincide with the theme of the blog post. There are 4,807 results!
   
   
   
   
   
4. Step Four - Select A Question from Search Results.
   
   
   
   
5. Step Five - Read the Question Fully
   
   
   
   
6. Step Six - Answer the Question and Leave a Blog Link
   
   
   
7. Step Seven - Repeat Steps 1 - 6 to Magnify Your Expertise and Savvy!

1. Enter the Trulia Holiday Challenge.
   
   Whether you celebrate the season by stringing up colored lights or lighting candles on the menorah, we want you to submit your best holiday home photos to Trulia Blogs. In return, Trulia will select our four favorite photos and donate $100 to each winner’s favorite charity on his or her behalf.
   
   Here’s how you can enter:
   
   Step 1: Take a photo of the holiday décor on or in your home or in your neighborhood.
   
   Step 2: Post your photo in a Trulia Blog. No writing is required but feel free to include a description or your favorite Holiday story.(I posted photos I took in Historic Bethlehem (PA) and Edgeboro Manor, Bethlehem.)
   
   Step 3: Choose the ‘In My Neighborhood’ category for your post.
   
   Step 4: Publish your post.
   
   Step 5: Repeat! You can enter as many posts as you like to increase your chances of winning.
   
   The Trulia Holiday Challenge ends Sunday, December 28, 2008.
   
   
2. Issue Gratitude to People Who Inspire You
   
   Acknowledge friends, family, and others who support you and bring joy to your life. Consider a list, "25 People Who Inspired Me In 2008."
   
   
3. Gather Support for Your Favorite Charity
   
   Many people are generous with charities during the holidays. It's a good time to remember groups that address the human condition in ways that make a difference. I blog about CARE humanitarian relief efforts as a member of the Web Women Giving Circle.
   
   
4. Be Transparent About Your 2009 Business Planning
   
   Share some of your personal insights with your blog readers about business planning. Each year I attend a business planning retreat and take stock of my personal goals and ambitions. Earlier this year I shared a very personal Be/Do/Have List for My Lifetime with the readers of my Fat Lady Blog.
   
   
5. Carry Your Camera Everywhere!
   
   Take photos of holiday displays ... re-shoot interiors of listings that are dressed in their Yuletide finery ... shoot in restaurants where you dine ... and take all those photos and BLOG, BLOG, BLOG!
   
   
6. Flip Out and Have Fun!
   
   Treat yourself to an inexpensive Flip video camera and play with it. Point and shoot and plug it into your computer and join the ranks of the real estate professionals Flipping out on their blogs. Plan a one-minute video at a listing or in a neighborhood ... plug your Flip into your computer USB port  and upload the video to YouTube. Have fun. Be festive. You will be surprised how quick your are up and Vlogging (not a typo - Vlogging is Video Blogging)!
   
   
7. Share Secret Holiday Recipes and Photos
   
   Take photos of your Gingerbread House and Christmas Cookies. Publish your favorite "secret" recipe and share the link with family, friends, and clients.

What Does Foreclosure Mean to the Distressed Homeowner?

Some 60% of homeowners who lose their homes never call their lenders. Financial distress arises from personal circumstances involving illness, job loss, and fiscal decisions and missteps. Many homeowners find themselves facing increased mortgage payments for adjustable rate loans they did not fully understand when they purchased their homes.

The emotions of a distressed homeowner include fear, anger, humiliation, confusion, and embarrassment. Too often these emotions lead to inaction, surrender, and financial paralysis.

Families are displaced. Children are uprooted from their homes and schools. Marriages collapse under the weight of wretched personal circumstances.

It can take years for distressed homeowners to regain their financial footing following a foreclosure.

What Does Foreclosure Mean to Investors?

Buyers enjoy discounted rates on housing with properties that are priced for quick sale below market rates. Investors who are capitalized and practice savvy due diligence will reap the rewards of a market downturn.

What Does Foreclosure Mean to the Bank?

Banks and lenders suffer monumental losses stemming from loose underwriting standards and poor lending practices.

Predatory lenders enjoy profits when they take advantage of homeowners with a high equity stake.

What Does Foreclosure Mean to the Neighborhood?

Vacant homes fall into disrepair that is in dark contrast to pride of ownership of other properties in close proximity. In urban areas, vacant properties attract rodents and illegal drug use. Home values in the area decline as a result of disrepair and/or discounted sales prices. 

What Does Foreclosure Mean to the City?

Cities and towns across the country struggle with increasing numbers of vacant homes that are not maintained to meet code requirements. They become health and safety hazards for the general public. In many cases, cities must dip into their financial coffers to assure the safety of their citizenry. In the meantime, city treasuries are unable to collect delinquent taxes on numerous properties as banks and asset management companies play a fearsome game of "catch-up” with limited human assets and resources.

What Does Foreclosure Mean to the Country?

Recessionary times and increasing foreclosures pose challenges to the federal government. A myriad of factors contribute to an economic quandary that begs for creative, intelligent leadership. Will the nation surrender to economic circumstances or will the populace be inspired to an actionable plan that will heal the economy and Save the American Dream?

What Does Foreclosure Mean to the You?

You are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Frances Flynn Thorsen is author of HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide and HUD Homes for Sale - Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.)

1. Identify your reason for purchasing the property.
   
   Do you intend to owner/occupy the property? Do you plan to flip (resell) the property with or without repairs? Do you plan to rent the property? Each of these questions presents different cost requirements and a different strategic plan.
   
   
   
2. Document financial readiness.
   
   If you are using cash to buy a foreclosure, obtain a Proof of Funds letter from your bank showing sufficient funds available for the purchase. If you are using financing, a Pre-Approval or Pre-Qualification letter will be the order of the day. A Pre-Approval letter has increasing weight as it spells out the loan process and your progress. A strong Pre-Approval letter will state that credit is satisfactory, deposit monies and closing cost funds are verified, and employment is verified.
   
   
   
3. Plan a property inspection.
   
   Utilities are usually shut off when a foreclosure property goes on the market. Banks may arrange for utility turn-on for a two- or three-day period after the property goes under contract. Sometimes buyers must pay for re-winterizing the property. There are often unpaid bills from the previous owner of the property that must be paid prior to a turn-on and some banks are unwilling to make these payments until escrow closes. Be clear and upfront about your property inspection requirements at the time you write an offer.
   
   
   
4. Establish property market value.
   
   A fee appraisal is the most accurate and reliable means to discover the market value of a property, but the cost of an appraisal could be several hundred dollars. A REALTOR-prepared Comparative Market Analysis is often the best bet to determine real market value. Ask for a report that contains information on:
   1. Recent sold properties similar to the one you are considering,
   2. Properties on the market currently (with notes about property history and days on market),
   3. Properties under contract (with notes about property history), and
   4. Properties that were withdrawn from the market or expired (with notes about property history).
      
      
       
5. Calculate repair costs.
   
   Many foreclosures are in a state of disrepair ranging from mild cosmetics to major rehab candidates. How much of the work will you do yourself following settlement? Get multiple estimates of cost to restore the property to habitable and/or saleable condition. For properties with small repairs, set aside a 10% contingency reserve for unknowns. Increase the contingency reserve to 15 – 20% when property repairs are more than $20,000.
   
   
   
6. Choose a real estate professional with foreclosure savvy.
   
   Real estate agents who list numerous bank properties are often the experts with the most to share about behind-the-scenes workings of banks and asset management companies. They represent the banks’ interests, however, and may not be the wisest choice to represent your interests as a buyer. Interview real estate agents and ask for statistics, have a discussion about their business practices, anecdotes about previous transactions, and personal references.
   
   
   
7. Foreclosures comprise a large share of the listing pie in many areas.
   
   Nevada, California, and Arizona lead the nation in the ratio of foreclosure listings to resale listings on the Trulia database. Take some time to analyze the market. What are current trends? How many properties are in pre-foreclosure? What is the short-term and long-term outlook for real estate in your market area and how does that factor in your personal real estate plan? Speak with financial planning and tax professionals.
   
   
   
8. Government owned homes have special forms and sales procedures.
   
   Each government agency with a property disposition department has a unique set of forms and policies. Foreclosed homes available through the Veteran’s Administration (VA) are displayed in local multiple listing services, but special forms and rules apply to these sales. HUD Homes from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development are also listed in the MLS, but information there is highly inaccurate, underscoring the importance of working with a real estate professional who is schooled and experienced in this type of property transaction.
   
   
   
9. Many foreclosure properties are sold via portfolio sale vs. single unit transactions.
   
   Investors buy multiple properties directly from the banks at substantial discounts. Some of these portfolios have price tags of $50 million and more. These investors often flip the sales to consumers, becoming middle-man in the process between the bank and the consumer.
   
   
   
10. Patience pays.
    
    Many banks and asset management companies are understaffed and there are numerous unskilled workers handling large caseloads of properties. The road to settlement may be slow and very bumpy as they deal with title issues, property maintenance concerns, and other matters leading to escrow.

(Frances Flynn Thorsen is author of HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide and HUD Homes for Sale - Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.)

People are putting themselves into debt to establish a credit score that did not recognize the payments that they were already making. Pay Rent, Build Credit, Inc. (PRBC) is a web-based self-help service that enables consumers and small business owners to build their credit scores through timely rent, mortgage, and other recurring bill payments.

"The PRBC Data Network enables users to build an historical credit file using multiple payment accounts such as rent, mortgage, mobile home, utilities, student loan, auto, insurance, phone, self-storage, etc... Users can build an accurate credit file with rent and other bill payments in real time when made online, by phone, credit or debit card, ACH (automated clearing house), or by other means that can send a date-stamped electronic "receipt" to PRBC.

"PRBC users can build historical credit files based on up to three years of prior payment records that can be manually verified by independent sources, like banks, REALTORS®, accountants, and credit counselors. But most importantly, for future payments, the PRBC Data Network enables consumers and small business owners to build an accurate credit file automatically.

"The results for consumers can be staggering. Without going into debt, a renter can prove they are ready, willing, and able to handle a big financial obligation, like repaying a mortgage. The PRBC Data Network will provide a greater number of loan applicants with an equal opportunity to access prime rate mortgages, auto loans, and other financial products...This is a significant development for borrowers and lenders alike because until now, credit reporting and scoring technologies have not been able to account for the timeliness of most rental, sub-prime loan, utilities, and other household or businessrelated bill payments as a measure of credit worthiness.

"The PRBC Data Network will accept...rental and other bill payment input from landlords, mortgage lenders, and other creditors who want to use the PRBC Data Network to report timely, as well as late payments, to reward their customers who pay on time, not just penalizing those who are late."

(Frances Flynn Thorsen is author of HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide and HUD Homes for Sale - Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.)

Dorothy Hicks lived in that home for 39 years. She raised five children there and helped raise six grandchildren.  Three of her grandchildren are in college and she is helping them get a good education.

"I wanted to start a small business making school uniforms. That's how I got into this mess," she said.  She borrowed against the equity in her home to start the business. "I was a victim of predatory lending. I took out a loan to refinance my house. When it was time to sign papers I saw that the numbers were different than the numbers on the application. I told them, 'Wait, I cannot afford this.' They told me to sign the papers that day and that they would get me out of that loan in three to four months. Three months later I couldn't find them."

In the summer of 2007 Dorothy Hicks began receiving foreclosure notices. She called her mortgage servicer who told her she was crazy to think she could afford her house. She scoured local resources and found the ACORN consumer advocacy group. She met three other homeowners there who shared similar experiences with predatory lenders and they formed a coalition to take the case to the California State Senate in Sacramento. Legislators heard Dorothy Hicks' eloquent plea: "We are senior citizens. We need help."

Lawmakers crafted a bill designed to stem the tide of foreclosures in a state with record breaking numbers of distressed homeowners and foreclosures.  Hicks offered inspiration and guidance to local Oakland officials and they met the press in front of her home, with a week left before the auction, to announce a series of initiatives to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure.  A new coalition formed and offered a Help Hotline in the City Attorney's office, a Foreclosure Prevention Workshop at City Hall, and a public education campaign to give borrowers information they need to stay out of trouble.

Sixty percent of U.S. homeowners lose their homes without making a call to their lenders. Fear and frustration paralyze homeowners. Dorothy Hicks is no friend to fear and frustration. Dorothy Hicks fights back. "Some people are afraid to let people know they have fallen down in the wayside. I was not afraid to say I was in trouble and I needed help. I even sent President Bush a letter to tell him that banks are taking advantage of people," she said.

Dorothy Hicks received help from family and found a lender to avert the auction. She saved her home and she offers a beacon of hope to other homeowners who find themselves at risk. "Don't give up," she says. "Ask for help."

1. Cite the entry or inquiry first with the creditor name, the amount of monies involved, and he date(s).
   
   
2. Explain the history of the problem. Don’t be timid about sharing the details of personal challenges.Be honest about the circumstances that led to your financial problems. If circumstances were beyond your control, give a brief history of the events leading to you inability to meet your financial obligations. Life impacting personal events and the emotions attached to them are important factors that an underwriter considers. On the other hand, if you were remiss in your obligations, and the problems were due to your own negligence, be candid and admit your mistake. Follow this admission with a statement that you understand the importance of establishing a good credit profile and emphasize that you now place a priority on paying your bills on time. Remember, this letter is written for HUMAN eyes, not for a computer.
   
   
3. Describe the steps you took to correct the problem. “I paid the amount owed,” or “I entered into a payment arrangement” are good starters, especially if you can provide documentation for your claims.
   
   
4. Close the letter with a paragraph that pulls it all together and describes a pattern of improved financial health habits. Project creditworthy loan performance and give the underwriter an “A” right here for approving your loan application! A sample letter appears on the following pages.
   
   
5. Supply documentation to buttress your narrative.

• Divorce matters can be documented with either divorce decree or separation agreement, court ordered documents for child support, tax documents for most recent year filing jointly, paperwork pertaining to arrearages in child support, and printout from domestic relations court showing either satisfactory child payment history or arrearages.
  
  
• Job Loss claims can be supported with layoff notice, Unemployment Office records, and other proofs of dismissal.
  
  
• Injury Resulting in Inability to Work can be shown with proof of Workman’s Compensation and letters from doctor or employer about the injury.
  
  
• Spousal Abuse can be documented with police reports, medical records, and Protection from Abuse orders from the court.
  
  
• Business Failure is best illustrated with tax returns for the most recent year or proof that the borrower is no longer self employed (i.e. current pay stub from employer).

SAMPLE LETTER OF EXPLANATION
FOR CREDIT CHALLENGED BUYERS

Re: FHA Mortgage Application

Dear Sir or Madam:

This letter provides explanations for each item listed in my credit report obtained in
connection with my mortgage application.

1. Unpaid Student Loan Collection Balance Due $1,224. Pennsylvania State University. Dated 11/02 and 04/04

These are duplicate items on the credit report. In May 2002, I graduated from Penn State. At this time I moved in with a friend at 123 Hamilton Ave. in State College because I was not able to find a job. I found a job four months later and moved into an apartment at 334 College Avenue.

My loan deferment period expired at that time and I commenced payments on a regular basis. I was under the impression that the loan that I received for prior education at Lock Haven University was included in these payments because I never received a bill from Lock Haven University.

In 2005 I received a note from a former roommate at Lock Haven that contained unopened mail that she kept for me. There were bills from Lock Haven University totaling $3,200. I immediately sent them $1,000 and additional monies in the following months. I will pay this loan in full before closing.

2. Late Payments Dated 10/02, 11/02, and 12/02 and 04/03 with Current Student Loan Balance $14,224

When I moved in September 2002 I inadvertently missed a payment on my student loan. Each of the payments I made in the following months was logged as 30 days late. I caught up as soon as it was brought to my attention.

In March 2003 my brother suffered an injury at work and was unable to make his rent and some other obligations. I tried to help him meet some of those expenses, and missed one or my own as a result. I brought my account up to date shortly thereafter and have paid this bill on time each month ever since.

3. Late Payments Dated 01/02, 03/03, 04/03, and 05/03 With Credit Card Bank. Current Balance Zero

In January 2002 there was a charge that appeared on my credit card bill that I did not authorize. I did not pay the bill because I did not order the product. That amount was removed from my bill the following month. From a period of March through May 2003 I made large payments to bring my student loan up to date (see above) and I was short of funds as a result. I should have balanced my payments so that nothing else suffered. I know that paying my bills is important for my future and for the future of my family.

4. Late Payments Dated 02/00 – 05/00 With Universal Bank Group. Current Balance Zero

I believe tha t this is a mistake on the credit report. I have never had an account with this bank I am disputing the entry with the credit reporting agency.

5. Late Payments With US LEC

I always contested this bill. US LEC was charging me for services associated with my web services that I did not use. These charges were attached to legitimate charges and when I became aware of the fact that I had already paid for these services for two years I tried to persuade them that it was unfair to charge me for services I did not use. They did not agree and in the end I paid the $325 bill to restore my credit and then I cancelled my account with them.

6. Why Five Banks Checked My Credit in the Last Three Months

I spoke with several lenders in the last three months to compare rates and terms to find a mortgage.

I appreciate the opportunity to share information about the circumstances leading to some entries on my credit report. My credit rating is very important to me and I am striving to meet all of my financial obligations in a responsible manner. I am excited about owning my own house and I look forward to building a strong relationship with you as a lender. You will see that I will make all of my payments on time and I promise that you will be happy that you approved this loan.

Yours truly,

Fiona Murphy


(This blog post is an excerpt from the author's book, HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide.)

uyers must have their financing ducks in a row before placing an offer on a bank owned property or a HUD Home. Selecting a good lender is an integral part of the loan process. A lender will take a careful look at a buyer’s financial circumstances and tell him how much mortgage he is qualified to receive. This is important to know and it is an important number to weigh against another number that is even MORE important, the maximum monthly mortgage amount that the buyer is comfortable with.

What is the buyer paying in rent or toward another mortgage right now? Is that a comfortable number? What is the difference between the lender’s Qualifying Number and the buyer’s Comfort Zone Number?  If the Comfort Zone Number is lower than the Qualifying Number, see how that number translates into a mortgage amount and use that number as a cap on a mortgage.

After determining the maximum mortgage amount, work according to a strict guideline in terms of the buyer’s price caps. Don’t even show properties that exceed that level. Don’t even be tempted. There are two dangers in looking at properties with price tags that exceed a buyer’s Comfort Zone Number:

1. He may want to extend his financial reach. Buyers should be careful not to stretch their resources so much that they will be “house poor,” devoting too many monthly dollars to housing expenses. Counsel them to not sacrifice too much in other areas of your life to meet a high monthly mortgage obligation. Many people make this mistake. That is a primary reason there are so many foreclosures and HUD Homes for sale.
   
   
2. More expensive houses have more to offer than less expensive houses in terms of location and amenities. Lesser-priced houses may pale by comparison with higher priced properties. Offer this advice: “Be kind to yourself. Keep your sights focused on a price range that you can afford right from the beginning. You will avoid having to ‘scale down’ a search and ‘settling’ for less than you want. Keep your stress level low.” Trends to maximize purchasing power leave homeowners with debt loads that add a measure of stress to their lives that stifles the ability to enjoy the fruits and the joy of homeownership.

NOTE: Not all lenders finance HUD homes. The best lender to work with in these circumstances is one who has a proven track record of financing foreclosures and HUD Homes.

The best way to determine this is to ask point blank: “How many foreclosures and HUD homes have you financed in the last two years?”

If a lender is not up to speed on processing HUD Home loans there can be processing delays that extend past the 45-day deadline for settling the property, and the buyer may incur additional costs for contract extensions. The contract may be extended for 15 days for a per diem fee; HUD may cancel the contract after that if the paperwork is not completed.

(Frances Flynn Thorsen is author of HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide and HUD Homes for Sale - Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.)

In announcing HUD's final changes to the regulatory requirements of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), HUD Secretary Steve Preston said that changes in the housing market and increases in home foreclosures demands action.

"It has been a long road but today we can finally announce a better way to buy homes in America," said Preston. "Consumers need and deserve to know what they're getting themselves into before they sign on the dotted line. After carefully considering the concerns of consumers and the different businesses in the housing sector, we have developed an approach that empowers the average family to shop for the most appropriate loan to meet their needs."

• Prohibited Fees. It is illegal under RESPA for anyone to pay or receive a fee, kickback or anything of value because they agree to refer settlement service business to a particular person or organization. For example, a mortgage lender may not pay a real estate broker $250 for referring a buyer to the lender. It is also illegal for anyone to accept a fee or part of a fee for services if that person has not actually performed settlement services for the fee. For example, a lender may not add to a third party's fee, such as an appraisal fee, and keep the difference.
  
  
• Permitted Payments. RESPA does not prevent title companies, mortgage brokers, appraisers, attorneys, settlement/closing agents and others, who actually perform a service in connection with the mortgage loan or the settlement, from being paid for the reasonable value of their work.
  
  
• Penalties. It is a crime for someone to pay or receive an illegal referral fee. The penalty can be a fine, imprisonment or both. You may be entitled to recover three times the amount of the charge for any settlement service by bringing a private lawsuit. If you are successful, the court may also award you court costs and your attorney's fees.

(This blog post is an excerpt from the author's book, HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide

• Repair/replacement roofs, gutters and downspouts
• Repair/replacement/upgrade of existing HVAC systems
• Repair/replacement/upgrade of plumbing and electrical systems
• Repair/replacement of existing flooring
• Minor remodeling, such as kitchens, which does not involve structural repairs
• Exterior and interior painting
• Weatherization: including storm windows and doors, insulation, weather stripping, etc.
• Appliances - when at least $3,000 of basic home repairs are involved.
• Appliances may include freestanding ranges, refrigerators, washers/dryers, dishwashers and microwaves and may not exceed $2,000 in total cost.
• Improvements for accessibility for persons with disabilities

• Major rehabilitation or major remodeling, such as the relocation of a loadbearing wall;
• New construction (including room additions);
• Repair of structural damage;
• Repairs requiring detailed drawings or architectural exhibits;
• Any environmental mitigations including modifications involving disturbance of painted surfaces in pre-1978 properties or any lead based paint abatement;
• Landscaping or similar site amenity improvements;
• Any repair or improvement requiring a work schedule longer than six months; or rehabilitation activities that require more than two payments per specialized contractor.

What is radon and how does it cause cancer?

"Radon is a radioactive gas released from the normal decay of uranium in rocks and soil. It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that seeps up through the ground...Radon decays quickly, giving off tiny radioactive particles. When inhaled, these radioactive particles can damage the cells that line the lung. Long-term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer … proven to beassociated with inhaling radon," according to the National Cancer Institute.

Some years ago when residential radon came on the health radar screens, federal guidelines were developed that recommended residential remediation at levels that were substantially lower than levels in Canada and Europe. Critics cried "foul" and accused the government of pandering to radon remediation companies who were likely to reap more dollars from more stringent guidelines. Time, however, has proven the critics wrong on all counts. Recent studies published in The American Journal of Epidemiology point to higher incidents of lung cancer occurring even in households where the radon levels are at the low end of that scale.

A British report goes even further with the potential for radon risk: "... calculations suggest that
the dose to the basal layers of the skin may also be high, with a consequent possible risk of skin cancer. Unless countermeasures are taken, a smaller number of people may also run a significant risk of stomach cancer from radon ingested in drinking water." (UK National Radiological Protection Board, published in Journal of Radiological Protection 2002

I encourage real estate agents to counsel buyers to have their homes tested for radon. The best way to beat lung cancer is to take a preventive approach.

1. Earn credentials as area expert.
   
   A complete suite of Web 2.0 tools lets real estate agents show market expertise with up-to-the-minute statistics and reports that you can use in your blogs and on the Trulia Voices question-and-answer platform. You will achieve an increasing level of expertise as you answer more questions and blog.
   
   
2. Brand your listings.
   
   The most consumer-friendly property detail sheet is not complete without your name, your contact information, and a link right to your web site. Trulia receives listings from real estate companies, multiple listing services, and other online publishers. If your listing is here, brand it and it will appear on your profile page.
   
   
3. Build your reputation proactively. 
   
   Construct an online profile that includes a record of your accomplishments and lists your affiliations. There’s plenty of room, so include memberships in organizations that fuel your passion even if they are not real estate related (i.e. CARE National Advocacy, Big Brothers and Sisters, Turning Point).
   
   
4. Showcase your testimonials on the Trulia profile page.
   
   What better way to build a reputation than with the kudos of past clients and colleagues? As you are building this page, take a few moments to contact some past clients and ask them for a few words that you can use on this important page. Here is a great example.
   
   
5. Drive quality leads to your web site.
   
   Trulia delivers more traffic to agent and broker web sites than any other web site. The more tools you use, the more traffic you will drive to your web site. And consider the qualitative value of visitors who have researched the real estate market and read the answers to the questions that you post, and visitors who read your blog.
   
   
6. Attract your ideal client.
   
   Put the Law of Attraction to work for you and let your personality shine on your Trulia Blog. Share your thoughts and successes, share your joy as well as your frustration. Be real. Be you. Watch the magic happen as you establish an online kinship with like-minded consumers. What a great way to kick off a formal business relationship.
   
   
7. Use widgets and mobile applications to share market stats and listings.
   
   Use a Trulia profile badge in your e-mail signature that keeps your online presence ever ready. Trulia market stats widgets and mapping widgets are FREE tools that drive consumer engagement on your personal web site. A TruliaHomeroll lets you customize a widget to match your web site and show properties for sale. A TruliaSearchbox widget lets your site visitors search for homes right on your web site.
   
   Trulia iPhone and SmartPhone applications bring maps and property information to your mobile devices and car.
   
   
8. Trulia Pro broadens your reach and exposure.
   
   Trulia Pro offers exposure beyond organic search. Featured listings appear at the top of search results, and you can aim your exclusive Spotlight ad at 20 market areas or zip codes. Trulia Pro is easy to use, easy to modify, and the perfect way to upgrade your suite of FREE tools and services at Trulia. (Sign up for Trulia Pro and use this coupon for TWO FREE MONTHS: F44NN)
   
   
9. Convert more inbound and outbound referrals.
   
   Use the Member Search on Trulia Voices to find a real estate professional in other market areas to find the right match for your family, friends, and clients. Read agents’ answers to consumers to gauge their market savvy and select an agent or several agents to interview for a chance to work with a buyer or a seller.
   
   
10. Carve a niche in your local market.
    
    What is your special fancy? First-time homebuyers, historic homes, equestrian properties, luxury homes? Spend energy and have fun sharing insights and information about the market you know best. Use the keyword search tool to find conversations other agents and consumers are having and lend your voice to the discussion on Trulia Voices. Leave a trail of footprints that buyers and sellers can follow to find their perfect agent.

Social media is fun ... it is also time consuming if you are playing or woking there without a plan. A dear friend who is new to Facebook sent me an e-mail this morning :

Help! I need your help in sorting through all these friend requests on Facebook. I've said, "Yes" to everyone I know who is in real estate. I find it's chewing into my writing time and clogging my e-mail. Do you have any thoughts on how to manage this?

Lemerisse squeaked by to qualify for a monthly $1,000 payment. A loan adjustment that increased her monthly debt to $1,700 ate up most of her net income.

"I did everything I could to keep up with the payments. I sold my car to make a few mortgage payments," she said.  "I thought I was paying an interest-only mortgage. Instead, I found out that I was losing equity in my house every time I made a payment. After two years of paying a mortgage, I owed $7,000 more on the house than I originally owed."

She said the mortgage broker was underhanded. "He called me three days after I signed to the mortgage documents and told me that there were some papers that they forgot and that I had to sign them right away," she recalled. Those papers contained Adjustable Rate Financing Disclosures that spelled out the true nature of the loan.

It was time to look for help.  Her children were in a good school system and Lemerisse was determined to keep them there. She called local housing authorities and county agencies. My problems fell outside the province of local government agencies. "They told me, '˜This is a nonprofit agency that has been helping people.' They put me in touch with ACORN."

ACORN had a class action lawsuit against their lender and fortunately for Lemerisse, the lender had a foreclosure assistance program to help keep people from losing their homes.

"People don't usually contact lenders before they go into foreclosure.  They locked in a low fixed-rate mortgage for me with a monthly payment that is manageable. I am very relieved. The kids are doing great. I don't want them to find themselves in the same situation I was in. Education is important. I want them to attend good schools and now they have an opportunity to stay here and take advantage of the excellent school system here. I'm glad we don't have to leave.'

There’s a better approach, one designed to maximize the effectiveness of the Open House that’s designed to pull out all the stops and actually sell the property! Prepare for the Open House as if it is a trade show!

1. Counsel Sellers About Staging the Property.  Don’t be shy about discussing the condition of the property with the sellers prior to the Open House. The property should be immaculate and tidy and its best features should shine. Remove all jewelery and expensive gadgets as well as all prescription drugs. Depending upon the house and the circumstances, consider asking an associate to co-host the event so that all guests can tour the property in the company of an agent.
   
   
2. Send Invitations, Advertise in Newspaper, Internet, and MLS.  Send an invitation early in the week preceding the Open House to the seller’s neighbors. Send another invitation by mail or fax to local real estate professionals with a promise that their clients and customers will be honored in terms of commission entitlement. Newspaper ads should always contain the property address and excellent driving directions. Input Open House information in the multiple listing service if that option is available.
   
   
3. Place Multiple Signs to Direct Traffic to Home.   Place an Open House sign or rider on the property a full week preceding the event, and place multiple directional arrows on the day of the Open House. An additional sign at the property with a unique URL containing the property address (www.123MainStreet.com) will direct buyers to the Internet for a glimpse of coming attractions before the Open House event.
   
   
4. Prepare Virtual Tour CDs and Handsome Jewel Cases. A virtual tour burned to a CD is the prize takeaway from an Open House. For added “zap” to the presentation, apply an illustrated CD label and serve it up in a matching jewel case with agent contact information printed on the label. A companion CD business card highlighting an agent’s personal marketing approach is the perfect complement to the virtual tour.
   
   
5. Design a Full-Color Illustrated Flyer.  Most agents are still using flyers generated by the multiple listing service. Stand above the crowd with something classy and elegant. There are numerous real estate template flyer programs and services that agents can use with minimal experience to produce high quality flyers.
   
   
6. Prepare A Professional Looking Home Book. If “location, location, location” is the mantra of real estate, then “photos, photos, photos” is the mantra of effective real estate marketing pieces. Chances are that Open House visitors will visit several properties on the same day. By the end of the afternoon they will be wondering which house has the fireplace or hardwood floors, and which yard has the stone patio. Offer a keepsake home book that offers a visual walk through of the property room by room, with dimensions and features, and large, clear photographs in full color.
   
   
7. Compile a Comprehensive School and Demographic Report.  Subscribe to a service that offers school reports and demographic information. This data generally includes narrative, tabular data, and charts and graphs with statistics on local, county, and state levels. One copy is enough if it is handsomely bound with a cover and placed on the presentation table with a tag saying, “Please do not remove this book from property.”
   
   
8. Create A Catalog of Additional Properties. Buyers will often have questions about competing properties. Be prepared to answer those questions. A list of competing properties at fingertips accomplishes two goals: (1.) Enhance the competitive posture of the Open House listing; and (2.) Offer alternative properties for purchase if the listing does not meet a buyer’s criteria.
   
   
9. Set Up A Presentation Board.  A 36-inch presentation board can be a handsome Open House showcase on a dining room table or other focal point. Use straight pins or glue stick to affix 8x10 sheets: “This property appears on the following Internet sites…”, “The property is advertised in…”, and lists of some of the outstanding features of the house. Additionally, vendor flyers from home inspectors, mortgage lenders, and home warranty companies can be affixed to the board. Photos of the exterior of the property during different seasons adds another nice touch, especially flowering gardens during a frigid winter Open House event.
   
   
10. Invite A Mortgage Professional to Attend and Prequalify Buyers.  A mortgage lender can play a key role as a strategic partner in an Open House setting. Lenders will often prepare financing sheets and closing cost estimates in advance of a showing. An on-site lender equipped with a laptop and an ability to generate a prequalification letter upfront goes a long way in increasing a buyers’ comfort level.
    
    
11. Create a Guest Register  that includes only one prospect’s name and information on each page. Buyers appreciate the privacy and are inclined to offer more information. Ask for name, address, phone, and email address, and invite the prospect to subscribe to a newsletter. Include a line to identify another real estate agent if the prospect already has a relationship with another agent. Docubind the pages or use a three-ring binder and turn to a new blank page after each prospect signs in.
    
    
12. Create small feature signs  and place them in rooms to add narrative to the tour. For instance, “This pellet stove is used as a primary heat source. Last year’s cost for pellets was less than $600!” 
    
    
13. Home Book contents can include notices and disclosures, financing sheets from lenders, and other pertinent information.

What You Need

• Guest Register – Collect Name, Address, Phone Number, and Email Address
• Business Cards and Business Card Holder
• Copies of Consumer Notice in States Where That Is Applicable and Appropriate
• Flyers and Upright Flyer Stand
• Copies of the Seller’s Disclosure
• Home Inspection Flyers
• Homes Warranty Details
• Personalized Novelty Giveaways – Pens, Calendars, Magnets
• Company and Agent Brochures
• Comparative Market Analysis Cards
• Financing Sheets and Closing Cost Estimates Based on Three Mortgage Types

1. Complete your Trulia profile.Add your photo, tagline, and location to your Trulia profile page.
2. Answer questions on Trulia Voices. Sign up for e-mail alerts that will tell you when consumers in your market area are asking questions. If your local consumers are quiet, answer questions in other market areas that tap into your expertise. All of your answers will appear in a bank of content right on your profile page!
3. Put Trulia Voices on your daily business planner. The more questions you answer, the more premium placement you receive in the Member Search feature! Answering a question on Trulia takes no longer than writing a simple e-mail to a client. Answer just one question a day and you will have 50 answers on your profile page in two months.

• Looking for a foreclosure expert in Phoenix?
• Need some savvy advice about real estate in Detroit?
• Want some tips about staging?
• Do you have questions for a local expert about short sales in Miami?

Put the magic of synergy to work for you!

Maximize your presence and make it EASY to be found: Update your profile ... answer some questions ... and blog!

Let the magic happen.

He called his bank and tried to set up a repayment plan for money that he owed them. "The bank wanted an astronomical figure," he said. "They were unwilling to take payments or enter into a forbearance agreement."

All signs pointed to foreclosure. "I went to bed and pulled the covers over my head. The pressure was overwhelming," recalled Day about the early days of his ordeal.

"I went to one counseling agency after another, but all they could do to help was offer budgeting advice. They did not offer direct help with a lender," he said. "I was in foreclosure for six months. The Lord works in wondrous ways and I got another list of numbers to call.

"Two days before the sheriff sale I called ACORN.  In 24 hours they worked with the bank and told me that the lender would cancel the sheriff sale if I could come up with $3,000. In less than a day we made a deal. I felt like a ton of bricks was lifted from my shoulders. I kept my faith that would be OK.

"It brought tears to my eyes. My prayers were answered," said Day. " put my faith in God. When you are in depression, you push your faith," reflected Day. " knew God had a plan. I just had to find it."

• Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity web site from U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
• The National Assn.of REALTORS offers a  Field Guide to Fair Housing.
• The Miami Valley (OH) Fair Housing Center has published  Fair Advertising Word and Phrase List.(Revised 08/24/07
• Craigslist's Fair Housing Is Everyone's Right

A lending institution, such as a mortgage company, bank, savings and loan association, funds the mortgage loan; the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), insures the mortgage. The mortgage insurance protects the lender from financial loss in the event the borrower defaults. When an FHA homeowner defaults on FHA loan and the bank takes the house back in foreclosure, the lender has two choices about the disposition of the property. The lender may decide that there is sufficient equity in the house to turn a profit; it may keep the property and sell it as part of its Real Estate Owned (REO) inventory. Or, the lender may "cash in" on its FHA insurance policy and turn the property over to HUD. HUD adds the property to its pool of properties in the HUD Homes For Sale Program.

HUD's regional Marketing and Management (M&M) Contractor prepares the property for sale and markets the home according to HUD guidelines. HUD is presently the single largest owner of single-family homes in the country.

Preparing the HUD Home for Sale

The M&M Contractor performs various tasks prior to placing the home on the market:

• Ascertain that the title to the property is in HUD's name.
• Clean the home and remove debris.
• Hire a pest control company to inspect for insects and rodents and order extermination if necessary.
• Order an FHA appraisal.
• Perform a damage assessment of the property.
• Secure the property and be responsible for overall maintenance including minimum lawn care services.

Marketing the HUD Home

Responsibilities of the M&M Contractor include:

• Disseminate information about the property to a Listing Agency that will place information about the property in the local multiple listing service database.
• Advertise the home on the M&M Contractor's web site when it becomes available for inspection and open for bids.
• Take bids on the property.
• Select and award a winning bidder.
• Review original sales contract for accuracy.
• Sign sales contract on behalf of HUD.
• Authorize utility activation for inspections and appraisers.
• Review and approve extensions to the sales contract.
• Approve the HUD 1 settlement sheet.

New properties are listed on the M&M Contractor web sites in most areas of the country on Friday mornings. The opening screen page featuring a list of cities that have HUD Homes for sale appears below.




When the property is offered for sale important property details appear on HUD's web site. The "appraised value" of the property is displayed as a benchmark for bidding purposes.

The web listing property detail page (shown above) on the M&M Contractor web site contains the following information about the property:

• Property address and HUD Case Number
• Price
• As-is value
• Appraisal date
• Number of bedrooms and baths
• Square footage
• Year built
• Type of property (i.e. attached, duplex, multi-unit, etc.)
• Type of financing offered
• Eligibility for FHA 203(k) financing
• Listing date
• Property condition reports

The listing is assigned to a real estate office that puts information about the property into the local multiple listing service (MLS) when the property becomes available for sale. That information contains additional information with room sizes, lot size, details about mechanical systems and appliances, and other information that is customarily found in the MLS database.

The M&M Contractor has 180 days to sell the home. The contractor's performance is constantly scrutinized and measured in dollars and market time. If the home is not sold in that period, it becomes available for sale to the local municipality for $1. The M&M Contractors will likely pursue price reductions and consider all offers when the listing passes the four-month mark.

Property Condition Reports

The M&M Contractor will hire inspectors to complete a Property Condition Report and post the report to the web site with a link from the property listing detail sheet. The Property Condition Report contains information about structural and construction details as well as mechanical systems in the property. The web site also features an Environmental Compliance Report and a Lead Based Paint Initial Inspection Report.

Relevant Links

Who Sells HUD Homes? Tips To Select A Real Estate Agents

BUYING A HUD HOME - Tips On Working With A Real Estate Agent


(This blog post is an excerpt from the author's book, HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide.)

Paul Chaney

Meeting cyber friends in person and reconnecting with older friends in an informal educational setting sets a tone for lots of sharing and brainstorming.

It was great to meet Trulia Voices Stephanie Edwards-Musa  (Houston), Jason Crouch(Austin), Russell Lewis  (Austin), Erion Shehaj  (Houston), Lisa Heindel  (New Orleans), Ken Brand  (The Woodlands, Houston), Amanda Hall  (Fort Worth), James Wheelock  (Houston), Jill Wente  (Spring, TX), Rick Ratchford  (Spring, TX), Kimberly Fowler  (Waco, TX), Diana Hurt  (Austin), and Teresa Kennedy  (The Woodlands, Houston).






Jeff Turner of Real Estate Shows is known in the Twitosphere as @ResPres. He is shown at left downstreaming live video of the BarCamp event via his iPHONE and Qik.

We shared lots of valuable tidbits, including the fact that there is a name for one of my favorite twitteration pastimes:

• A twoosh is a full 140-character twitter.
  
  I twooshed as soon as I got online this morning and it set a positive tone for the rest of the day!

Shortly after that, a BarCamp buddy noticed my twoosh. She counted my characters and twittered back! This is the first time in my life someone has acknowledged my twoosh online and I was very touched, notwithstanding her spelling error. Imagine someone taking time early on a Sunday morning to count characters in quest of a twoosh! I responded with another twoosh correcting her spelling, of course!

More Digital Memories of the Houston RE BarCamp Confab










ActiveRain's Community Evangelist Brad Andersohn captures Paul Chaney's remarks on digital celluloid.
































Organizer Mike Price (below) offers opening remarks.

HUD Homes For Sale

Brokers must complete paperwork yearly to maintain their status as HUD certified brokers. The certification process used to be valid for longer time periods and HUD certified brokers or agents who are not up to date with their paperwork may be unable to submit a bid for a buyer until that paperwork is completed.

Check the HUD web site to be sure that the agency you choose to help you find a house is eligible to submit a bid.

Just because an agency is registered to sell HUD homes does not mean that the agency or agent does a good job. When it comes to selling HUD homes there are three classes of agents:

1. There are those who excel at the job. They are easy to spot. They will have lots of stories about the HUD homes that they have sold. They will know right off the tops of their heads exactly what HUD homes are on the market at any given moment, which properties are under contract, sale prices, and other pertinent information.
2. There are numerous agents who are mediocre at best. They get most of their information from a REALTOR operated multiple listing service rather than the HUD web site. Many of these listings appear to be available for a week or longer when they are already under contract.Sometimes listing agents wait until they receive a formal notice from HUD that the paperwork is in order. This may postdate actual bid acceptance by a week or more. Checking HUD listings on a local MLS service is the least reliable method of determining what is available. The best way to verify availability of a property is to check the actual HUD listing site. (Bid results are posted each weekday.)
3. The vast majority of real estate agents are generally clueless about the process altogether or terribly out of date. Ask the agent when and if he ever submitted a bid. If he has to think about that question for more than several seconds, the answer is obvious.

It is extremely important to work with a capable agent since paper work is critical in these transactions. In the early days of a new listing under contract there may be a grace period for making corrections to contracts that are incomplete or incorrectly drafted. There are times, however, when M&M Contractors are faced with numerous canceled agreements. Sometimes they will issue a zero-tolerance policy and refuse to accept or sign contracts that are not 100% correct and complete at time of submission.

By the time a buyer is finished reading this book he will find it easy to recognize an agent who can handle a HUD sale expertly and confidently and he will have the means to navigate the HUD Homes for Sale process with clear direction and a plan.

Tomorrow: Tips on Working With A Real Estate Agent.

(This blog post is an excerpt from the author's book, HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide.)

“We are entering the fourth year of a so-called national housing correction, where home prices have ceased escalating on a median basis, and home buyers all over the country are sitting on the sidelines. They’re being frightened into making any sort of move by a relentless national press that repeats misinformation without confirming their facts,” says Blanche.

Blanche was the hugely popular Editor of Realty Times for 11 years and author of five books.  She left Realty Times to develop the EvansEzine for REALTOR associations and local multiple listing services as the “go-to” place for real estate news.

“While it’s true that many areas are in deep trouble with housing prices rolled back to 2003 prices, and inventories rising with as much as one-third in short-sales and foreclosures, it’s also true that local real estate markets vary widely,” says Blanche. 

She claims that the national media has created a “fear factor” that scares people into financial distress and points to Dallas as an example of a fear paralyzed real estate market.

“Dallas is the number one job market in the country,” says Blanche. “Median home price is an affordable $150,000, yet more than 25% of consumers surveyed there blame media reports for reluctance to buy real estate.”

“The Dallas Morning News just published an October 10, 2008 editorial by its real estate editor, Steve Brown. Stating the obvious, Brown claims that the ‘fast and loose real estate market is history’ and that there will be a ‘fundamental shift in how people look at real estate’,” declares Blanche. “He goes on to say that 25 to 30 percent of peak demand for housing ‘is gone and won’t be coming back.’ Buyers who are left will have to ‘make true down payments and show real repayment ability’ resulting in fewer home sales, fewer home starts and less appreciation.

“What Brown fails to mention is that Dallas didn’t participate in the bubble. Home prices in Dallas have been below the national median for over 17 years. Further, he fails to relay the good news about the area,” says Blanche.

“If the local real estate editor writes that he does not want to buy a home, what is a reader to think?” asks the feisty editor. “Dallas recently added 20,000 people to employment rolls. Do we really want to tell 20,000 people not to buy homes?”

Blanche says print publishers have a financial motive to create consumer fear: “Their job is to get people to look at news on a local level, scare them to death, and get them to buy magazines.

“We’re coming out swinging! We are here to defend the industry,” she says.

“Any market is good or bad for somebody”, adds Blanche, “Our EvansEzine will bring a balanced perspective to the housing sector.

“There are still good programs for first-time home buyers and anyone who qualifies for an FHA loan can get one,” she says. “People are losing good opportunities these days because they are paralyzed with fear."

Blanche promises to work online with social media and Trulia to provide the industry with a balanced perspective that is reasonable and not fear-based. She tells agents and brokers to stop spending advertising dollars at newspapers and magazines that are bad-mouthing the real estate industry. “Use media like EvansEzine and Trulia for balanced stories about the real estate market,” she says.

(Blanche Evans is the co-founder of evansEmedia, inc., publisher of The Evans Ezines. She is a nationally known journalist, author of five real estate books, and a popular keynote speaker for associations and brands.  For more information on evansEmedia and The EvansEzine, please contact her at , or call 214-686-4202.)

 Real Estate Dough is a new card game that is destined to replace Monopoly as the national favorite real estate tabletop past time! You can say you heard the prediction FIRST right here at Trulia Blogs. Real estate visionary, author, and Inman News columnist Bernice Ross, Ph.D (shown second from right) developed this ingenious card game for three to six players. Bernice is shown with REALTORS who played a few hands at the California Assn, of REALTORS Expo in Long Beach, CA.




Also on hand was Real Estate Dough Chief Cook and Laughmaker, teleconference and uber online meeting coach Byron Von Arsdale (shown at left).

Are you ready to make your business profits soar? If so, play Real Estate Dough™!This lively card game gives you the face-to-face experience doing the number one money making skill you need—negotiating. Whether you are a real estate or other sales professional, your negotiation skills will make or break your sales career. Real Estate Dough™ hones your negotiation skills while helping you to master the art of win-win negotiations.

I have my own game, hot off the presses ... I played a few beta games with REALTORS in Albuquerque and Washington, DC earlier this year and I am packing the game for real estate events coming up! I'm looking for someone to join me in Houston next week and at the National Assn. of REALTORS convention in Orlando! Who wants to play?

is coming to Houston Wednesday, October 22. Trulia is proud to be a sponsor of this event following the July REBarCamp genesis in San Francisco. I can't wait to be there and have a chance to connect with Houston REALTORS!

I am especially excited to meet up with Trulia Voices and Trulia Bloggers! In-person connection is fun and exciting!

Houston Assn. of REALTORS is very progressive. HAR was the first MLS in the country to upload its listings to Google .. it has the most impressive consumer facing REALTOR web site in the country ... and HAR's Bob Hale was declared Inman Innovator of the Year this summer at the Inman Connect Conference in San Francisco. What a GREAT place for a Real Estate BarCamp!

This is a full-day educational event that is FREE for attendees. All costs are borne by the sponsors and there will be an impressive roster of experts coming from all areas of the country.

"BarCampis an international network of user generated conferences — open, participatory workshop-events, whose content is provided by participants.  “RE BarCamp takes the traditional conference model usually focusing on early-stage , and related technologies, social , and open , and focusing in on real estate technology and trends."

If you haven't signed up yet, do it today!!!

The good news for these people is there’s an alternative to foreclosure – short selling – when lenders are willing to take less than the balance owed on their homes. The tactic is gaining traction in a muddy market.

Banks like it because it keeps them from having to sell a foreclosed home, plus they get the current market value which is a lot higher than a foreclosed property.

Realtors, too, are beginning to tap the short sale market. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports 54 percent of members were involved in a short sale in the last 12 months.

True, all of this is not a particularly pretty side of real estate, but it’s a needed service. And, I might add, an appreciated service – especially for those facing foreclosure.

So how do you capitalize on short sales?

My first piece of advice is to work with someone who already does short selling. It can be fairly complicated, there’s clearly a learning curve and negotiations can take weeks or even months.

There are plenty of those companies around -- one is the Short Sale Company. Michael Hellickson is its CEO and he works with about a thousand agents around the country on short sales to make it easier for them to enter the niche.

Hellickson says his company charges one-third of the overall commission or half of the listing office’s commission. And not surprisingly, he’s bullish on the short sale market. “I really believe we’ll see the most short sales in history during 2009,” he says. “Agents will have to embrace short sales or find another line of work.”

But if you do decide to go after short sales by yourself, I suggest networking with lenders, title companies, appraisers and real estate attorneys to learn the ins and outs.

Hellickson agrees and says you have to spend a lot of time developing relationships with the key players. They can help uncover any problems with a new listing at an early stage. For example, ensuring there’s not a second mortgage on the property with another lender.

Then, after (and only after) you’ve become very familiar with the process, consider holding seminars for the public. Promote them by sending out press releases and using community calendar listings and neighborhood newsletters.

And avoid using the phrase “short sale” in your promotions; most people have never heard it. Instead, use headlines that describe their situation: “Can’t make your mortgage payment?” or something like that.

To find prospects, consider newer housing developments that went up in the last four or five years. These are the folks who likely have little or no equity in their homes.

Then, remember the goal of the seminar: turn attendees into customers. Get people to sign in with their contact information, and give them a take home sheet that summarizes the benefits of short sales along with your office number, e-mail, etc. And be sure to follow up with them after a few days. 

Yes, this may not be the area or niche you saw yourself in when you first started real estate, but as I said earlier, it’s clearly a needed service and it’s an opportunity for you to grow and develop yourself and your business.

And I wish you the best of luck!

Evergreen

• Staging tips
• Title insurance
• Going green (eco friendly)
• Remodel and renovate
• Schools
• Professionalism in real estate
• Buyer agency
• Fair housing law
• Local and demographic information
• Home warranties and insurance
• List of real estate services

Here are some examples of content that is dated:

• News and controversy
• Election debates
• Day-to-day stock market tribulations
• Interest rates going up or down
• Notice of events

Weigh your blog content. Your blog will be a more valuable resource to consumers six months from now if you plan your content wisely. Devote at least 80% of your content to evergreen material and reap the bounty in days ahead.

Happy Blogging!

If I had a nickel for every house I sold to buyers who said that to me at an initial meeting or over the phone in the last 23 years, I'd probably have enough money for a spa weekend.

There are numerous buyers who suffer financial hardship stemming from life events that are beyond their control. Unemployment, illness, death, and divorce can introduce financial misfortunes that seem overwhelming. Feelings of desperation and hopelessness compound the problem when the buyer adopts an attitude of resignation to his plight.

Credit reports are mathematical tools that quickly measure the negative impact of these challenges as a predictor of a person's willingness and ability to pay future debt. Credit reporting agencies are slow to correct mistakes and to measure improvement in quantifiable terms. They do not measure more human prognosticators of creditworthiness.

FHA mortgage underwriters are trained to weigh human circumstances. Even buyers with histories of bankruptcy and foreclosure have opportunities to avoid the subprime lending corridors where lending predators prowl. Many of those predators have gone out of business, and FHA mortgages remain a good source of funds for credit-challenged borrowers.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: When a Chapter 7 bankruptcy was caused by circumstances beyond the borrower's control (such as the death of the principal wage earner or serious long-term uninsured illness, etc.), the borrower may be eligible for FHA financing after a minimum of 12 months.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: A borrower paying off debts under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Act may also qualify if one year of the payout period has elapsed and performance has been satisfactory. The borrower must receive court approval to enter into the mortgage transaction.

Foreclosure: An applicant who has gone through foreclosure proceedings or given deed in lieu of foreclosure on a previously owned property may be considered for loan approval if the foreclosure occurred three years preceding the application date and was a result of extenuating circumstances that were beyond his control (i.e. a serious long term illness, death of the principal wage earner, or loss of employment due to factory shutdown, etc.), and if he has since re-established good credit and demonstrated the ability to manage financial obligations.

Compensating Factors Can Make a Difference

FHA underwriters may use compensating factors to counterbalance deficiencies in credit, high debt-to-income ratios, and other antecedents in the loan process. Some of those factors include:

• The borrower has successfully demonstrated the ability to pay housing expenses equal to or greater than the proposed monthly housing expense for the new mortgage.
• If the borrower over the past 12-24 months has met housing obligations as well as other debts, there should be little reason to doubt the borrower's ability to continue to do so despite having ratios in excess of those prescribed.
• The borrower makes a large down payment toward the purchase of the property.
• The borrower has demonstrated a conservative attitude toward the use of credit and has shown an ability to accumulate savings.
• Previous credit history shows that the borrower has the ability to devote a greater portion of income to housing expenses.
• The borrower receives compensation or income not reflected in effective income, but directly affecting the ability to pay the mortgage, including food stamps and similar public benefits.
• There is only a minimal increase in the borrower's housing expense.
• The borrower has substantial cash reserves after closing.
• The borrower has substantial nontaxable income (if no adjustment made previously in the ratio computations).
• The borrower has potential for increased earnings, as indicated by job training or education in the borrower's profession.
• The home is being purchased as the result of relocation of the primary wage-earner, and the secondary wage-earner has an established history of employment, is expected to return to work, and there is reasonable prospect for securing employment in a similar occupation in the new area. The underwriter must address the availability of such possible employment.

(This blog post is an excerpt from the author's book, HUD Homes for Sale - A Complete Buyer's Guide.)

1. There are lots of bargains. Buyers can purchase homes today they could not buy three years ago at greatly reduced prices.
2. Buying at the bottom of the market gives purchasers the opportunity for maximum potential for appreciation over time.

• What qualification criteria will be used for distressed homeowners? Recent FHA Secure program was touted as an answer for property owners facing foreclosure. However, stringent and very restrictive underwriting guidelines limiting the program to borrowers delinquent on adjustable rate mortgages disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of homeowners at risk of losing their homes due to job loss, medical issues, and other problems.
• Will family members have an opportunity to co-sign notes in cases where homeowners do not qualify for a workout?
• Which federal department will administer the program?  Will the program be administered by the Treasury Department or the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development?
• How will the government dispose of properties taken in foreclosure?
• Will owner/occupants have first priority to purchase foreclosed properties?

]]>Trulia's new Surviving the Housing Crisis page is designed to offer Trulia Voices and Trulia Blogs enhanced exposure in a special content niche!  Take advantage of a chance to reach growing numbers of visitors with shared concerns about a troubled and difficult market.

This is a new page that aggregates internal Trulia content with selected external links to provide consumers and realty pros with a forum about financial concerns from Wall Street to Main Street.

Here are some tips to help you address the concerns in a changing financial landscape:

1. Blog about real life stories. Do you know someone who is facing foreclosure? Someone who has been dealt that awful blow? Someone who has managed to escape foreclosure? Do you fit into one of these categories? Real life stories are compelling. Share them with your readers.
2. Blog about properties.Have you seen an interesting bank property or HUD home? Do you take photos or videos? Share your experiences on the blog ... or ask a question at Trulia Voices.
3. Financing Tips and Questions. What's happening in the real world of mortgage financing? What are loan officers asking for today that they were not interested in a year ago? What's working and what is not working on a personal level?
4. Investor Opportunities. Are bank properties priced low enough to entice investors? Realty pros: What percentage of an agent's buyer clients are investors? How has this number changed in the last year?
5. Short Sales. How do you separate the short sale specialist from the short sale shark? Drill down to a single story ... the tale of a short sale ... How long did it take to process the short sale? What are the emotions connected with a short sale?  ... frustration? ...anger? ...relief?  ...confusion? 

Select Foreclosure or Market Conditions category for posts slated for Surviving the Housing Crisis consideration. Feel free to send links to other stories at other sites. Today's "On The Web" section includes links from CNBC, The Washington Post, Business Week, Huffington Post and CNET.

Happy Bloggging!

]]>Tom Geller is the author of Save My Home.Tom and I were recently panelists at a Foreclosure Bootcamp at the Inman Connect Conference in San Francisco, He has graciously shared this article with Trulia Blogs.

By Tom Geller

Over 200,000 homeowners will receive a foreclosure filing this month.

But despite government and lender-sponsored programs to help homeowners in distress, few people know where to turn -- or whom to trust. An online search for "foreclosure" overwhelmingly provides advice on how to buy foreclosed properties, and most books are similarly aimed at investors.

Fortunately, more help is starting to arrive. One source is the new book, Save My Home: 10 Steps to Avoiding Foreclosure, which outlines many things you can do to stop the foreclosure process. Among its tips:

• Look foreclosure square in the eye. Like a bad tooth or leaky plumbing, financial problems only get worse when you ignore them, and often problems are easy to avoid if you face them head-on.
• Figure out your finances. You probably know how much you make every month. But do you know how much you spend, and where it goes? When you write it all down and review it at the end of the month, you'll expose hidden flaws in your budget and might lead a way out of the foreclosure mess.
• Find out how much your home is worth, and how much of it you actually own. If you bought your home before 2004, there's a good chance it's worth more than you paid for it. That information will help you decide whether to sell, refinance, allow foreclosure to continue, or declare bankruptcy.
• Be open about your situation. A family member might offer assistance, an investor might relieve some debt, or a lender might prepare a workout plan -- but the worse the problem gets, the less likely you'll find such a savior.
• Watch out for scams.Even out-of-work homeowners with mountains of bills could have thousands of dollars in home equity -- a tempting target for scammers who know how to work the system. Be wary of anyone who offers a suspiciously good-sounding deal, tries to rush you, requires you to pay for anti-foreclosure services, or suggests you sign papers that you don't fully understand.
• Review your loan.While most people know how much they send to the mortgage company every month, relatively few understand how much of that goes to interest, or how the amount could be lowered. Running alternative loans through an online mortgage calculator might show you ways to improve your situation, either by suggesting a refinancing or by giving your ammunition to take to your existing lender.
• Consider all your options. Can you sell now and walk away with some money? Are your problems so great that bankruptcy is appropriate?
• Could you rent out a room or take another job to pay the bills? If any of these are true, you have a way out, even if it's an unhappy one.
• It's better to make a difficult decision yourself than to be forced to make it by someone else.
• Get help. Several organizations offer advice and financial planning for free. Many of them have become overwhelmed as foreclosure volumes have increased, though, so expect to have to wait in line and be persistent.
• Learn from others who are in foreclosure. One place to connect is savemyhomebook.com, which also publishes useful tips, news, and commentary.

I have a long background in real estate and in online publishing and print publishing. I've been a licensed REALTOR for 23 years, a real estate blogger since January 2005, and the first managing editor of RealTown.com, home of the oldest real estate community on the Web.

I have been writing about social media for real estate pros and consumers. You will find me on Facebook, Twitter, RealTown, ActiveRain, Inman Community, LinkedIn, and numerous other social networks and communities.

Trulia has assembled an outstanding group of talent that is destined to make this community the most vibrant, the most productive, and most collaborative group in the real estate space on the Internet. I am thrilled to be part of a team that is committed to listen to its community, respond to its needs, and provide a fertile place for growth and FUN! Considering recent events in housing and finance, these objectives are compelling, to say the least.

Here are some of the things I am working on:

• A new Surviving the Housing Crisis page features hand-picked Trulia blogs and Trulia Voices questions and answers.  Ask the experts for advice, share tips, and read what locals in your community have to say.
• Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs! I will offer tips and advice every week for bloggers. If you have a question, send me an e-mail at Frances @ Trulia.com.  
• I am helping manage The Hidden Gems Contest. Blog about the best hidden gems in your neighborhood and win a Dash Express GPS!
• Webinars and teleseminars will give out community members a chance to learn how to use all the great tools at Trulia.

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I am very honored to be counted among the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Real Estate.

With 3,460 respondents casting 6,099 votes, the real estate professional community has decided who the Top 100 Most Influential Women are. And what an incredible list of powerful women this list represents.

Nine months ago when the 2008 edition of the Swanepoel TRENDS Report was published, the demographics that included women, youth and minorities were identified as key drivers in the future of the residential real estate brokerage industry. In the Trend titled "Shattered Glass" it was detailed how many women had reached leadership positions at national levels.

This trend lit the match to initiate a nationwide flame in search of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in leadership roles in the Real Estate Industry. Though the survey was not billed as warranting scientific rigidity, the tremendous response rate and distribution of over 6,000 votes speaks to a strength in collective wisdom about the relative placement of the most influential women in the Top 100 list.  Hence the results are being presented in alphabetical order within three group rankings.  The Top 25, Top 50 and the Top 100. 

THE RESULTS

Top 25

The top 25 Most Influential Women include a power list of Who's Who in real estate such as former National Association of REALTORSВ® Presidents, Dorcas Helfant-Browning (1992) and Sharon Millett (1999); co-founders of large real estate franchises and companies such as Gail Liniger (of REMAX International), Ebby Halliday (of Ebby Halliday Realtors) and Barbara Corcoran (of Corcoran in NY).  Also featuring prominently are current presidents and senior executives of large real estate firms such as Helen Hanna Casey (of Howard Hanna Real Estate), Michael Saunders (of Michael Saunders Real Estate) and Virginia Cook (of Virginia Cook Realtors).

The top 25 list, however, also comprises a variety of interesting female leaders that deal with all different walks of the industry such as Avis Wukasch (Board member of the Texas Real Estate Commission), Susie Hale (Frogpond Publishing) and Leslie Appelton-Young (chief economist of the California Association of Realtors). For a photo and full details of all of the Top 25 Most Influential Women click on each person's name in the list.

Here are the Top 25 in alphabetical order (names hyperlink to bios and photos):

Ann Defries
Avis Wukasch
Barbara Corcoran
Blanche Evans
Bonnie Mays
Danielle Kennedy
Dorcas Helfant-Browning
Ebby Halliday
Gail Liniger
Helen Hanna-Casey
Joeann Fossland
Judy Ladeur
Kelli Todd
Laurie Janick
Leslie Appleton-Young
Margaret Kelly
Mary Frances Burleson
Mary Tennant
Michael Saunders
Mo Anderson
Niki Rapattoni
Rita Santamaria
Sharon Millett
Susie Hale
Virginia Cook

Top 50

The next group of 25 women rounding out the top 50 includes numerous household names in the industry featuring esteemed authors such as Carla Cross and Bernice Ross and well known speakers and trainers such as Laurie Moore-Moore, Barb Schwartz and Dianna Kokoszka. The list is also adorned with numerous presidents of large real estate companies including Kaira Sturivant Rouda (Real Living), Sherry Chris (Better Homes&Gardens) and Dottie Herman (Prudential Douglas Elliman), Former NAR past presidents Cathy Whatley (2003) and Pat Vredevoogd Combs (2007), as well as incoming president for 2010, Vicki Cox also made the top 50 list.

Here are the Top 50 in alphabetical order (names hyperlink to bios and photos):

Adorna Carroll
Amy Chorew
Andy Capelluto
Ann Bailey
Anne Randolph
Barb Schwarz
Bernice Ross
Carla Cross
Cathy Whatley
Darity Wesley
Dianna Kokoszka
Dottie Herman
Frances Flynn Thorsen
Kaira Sturdivant Rouda
Kim Ades
Laurie Moore-Moore
Lenn Harley
Marilyn Wilson
Pam O'Connor
Pat Vredevoogd Combs
Patti Kouri
Shari Chase
Sherry Chris
Terry Murphy
Vicki Cox

Top 100

Rounding out the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Real Estate Leadership (in alphabetical order by first name) are:

Betty Graham, Beverly Faull, Bonnie Erikson, Brenda Casserly, Brenda Shipplett, Carmen Multhauf, Carol Clarke, Claudia Wicks, Darlene Lyons, Debbie Campagnola, Debra Ashwer, Donna Lee Laue, Edith Lank, Frances Martinez Myers, Ilyce Glink, Janet Branton, Jennifer Cummings, Joyce Bea Sterling, Joyce Paron, Judy Moses, Judy Stark, Karel Murray, Kimberly Gorsuch-Bradbury, Laurie Keenan, Lee Pappa, Lois Weis, Lorna Borenstein, Margaret Dixon, Maria Patterson, Mary Doyle Kimball, Mary Umberger, Maureen Mccabe, Nina Cottrell, Pamela Alexander, Pamela Geurds Kabati, Pamela Leibman, Pat Jensen, Patricia Choi, Robin Mueck, Ruth Ann Pepple, Sarah Shoemaker, Sharon Simms, Shelia Bair, Stacey Moncrieff, Sue Doerfler, Susan Johnson, Sylvia Shelnutt, Tami Bonnell and Tara-Nicholle Nelson. Bios of many of the finalists are listed at www.realestatewiki.com 

Incredibly impressive list of great women.

]]>President Bush signed an historic bill that will be the framework for preventing disaster across financial sectors. The legislation wears a $700-billion pricetag and boasts bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers took a scantily written three-page proposal from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and added provisions to make the bill more palatable for general consumption by an enraged citizenry: Congressional oversight, limited pay and severance for top-level execs, and equity sharing for profits that may acrue in the future.

There are no corresponding protections for millions of homeowners at risk of losing their homes. In fact, critics of the bill charge that a government takeover of assets may de-incentivize lenders to negotiate workouts with borrowers, resulting in an escalating foreclosure surge.

Last night's vice-presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin left few cues about the direction of a new Administration beyond broad promises of eliminating corruption and restoring faith in the financial markets.

Distressed homeowners heard a single glimmer of hope with Senator Biden's suggestion that federal bankruptcy judges should have the discretion to rewrite residential mortgage terms with recalculated interest rates and principal amounts. Similar attempts in recent months to introduce bankruptcy reform legislation were unsuccessful. Perhaps there is opportunity for redemption for distressed homeowners following the bailout.

Let's keep our ears open for positive news as our representatives try to fashion a solution that works equally well for homeowners as it does for the corporate beneficiaries of a very expensive solution.

]]>I confess that I have an acute case of prickly pear fever. The Sonora Desert boasts an annual end-of-summer harvest of cactus fruit from the bountiful prickly pear cacti that grow everywhere. The little pears are a delicacy -- they are used for jellies, juices, sauces, and margaritas.

My good friend Joeann Fossland shared her prickly pear jelly recipe with me last year and I have spent the last few weekends putting up a year's worth of prickly pear juice to get me through the next year.

]]>Are you a homeowner in financial crisis who believes that foreclosure is your only option?
 
Are you hearing advice to sell your home and come to a "short sale" agreement with your lender because the value of your property is less than the amount owed?
 
Most online real estate chatter centers around foreclosure bargains for buyers and short sale options for sellers. This is the chatter in the "sales' world that relies upon commission dollars for income.

The chatter in the nonprofit service sector is more hopeful. Property owners at risk of losing their homes often have a 65 - 75% chance of success in negotiating an outcome that will protect their ownership interest and let them remain in their homes.

PIMA County Resources

The following is a list of resources in Pima County, Arizona, for homeowners at risk of foreclosure. ACORN 1924 S. 4th Ave. South Tucson, AZ 85713 520-623-9389 PIMA County & Don't Borrow Trouble U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Family Housing Resources (se habla esapanol) 520-318-0993 Tucson Urban League 2305 S. Park Ave. Tucson, AZ 85713 520-791-9522 Arizona Dept. of Financial Institutions 602-255-4421

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