Unfortunately, many agents find themselves in the unenviable position of the latter - spending out a lot of money every month with nothing to show for it but a growing balance on your credit card.

I was there once too, so I know how difficult it is shelling out hundreds of dollars a month in MLS fees, office dues, advertising expenses and miscellaneous costs when you aren’t earning anything.

However, you can turn things around with an expired listing system and generate more leads and listings than you are right now. And now is a good time to start increasing your inventory, because there are arguably more listings expiring in today’s market than ever before.

Why? Because the collapse of the real estate industry under the weight of over a million foreclosures has made it very difficult to sell regular home listings. So they go unsold and expire from the respective MLS.

A recent report indicated that there are approximately 1200 foreclosures per week in Broward County, Florida and more than 1,000 per day in the state of California. And these are just two isolated examples.

These alarmingly high numbers serve to point out how difficult it can be to sell average home listings in an ultra competitive market. But it’s understandable when you think about it. Whose going to pay full price for a home when they can buy the home next door at a steep discount?

Still listings are the name of the game, and even though you’ll never sell all of the ones you have the more you have the more secure you’ll be when the market turns around and it becomes a seller’s market again.

Yes, the the real estate market is eventually going to turn around and agents with a sizable inventory of homes will prosper. And one of the best ways to generate more real estate leads is with a good real estate marketing system.

My vote is for an expired listing system. It’s still one of the best lead generation strategies going and once it’s up and running you’ll be able to keep it humming with as little as 30 minutes of your time a day adding new names to your growing list of prospects and printing and mailing letters.

So, how many leads and listings do you want? Or as a good friend of mine would say; whatcha gonna do?

Check out Real Estate Marketing Talk for more on how to generate an abundance of real estate leads that convert to paying customers.

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And just as the real estate market has evolved, so has the virtual tour.

In the early days of the Internet a virtual tour of real estate consisted of a couple of photos and a description of the property.

As technology improved real estate listings began taking advantage of panoramic photos “stitched” together by software to give the illusion of a virtual tour. This has worked well for a number of years and many agents with an online presence are now offering their clients this service.

The typical real estate video for can be shot in about 15 minutes and, depending on the extras, be edited and placed on a Web page ready for a virtual tour in as little as 30 minutes.

The serious real estate agent is aware of the effectiveness of modern technology in the performance of the best possible job for their clients. They are aware that when people utilize a real estate Web site, more than 70 percent of them will drive by or view a home and more than 50 percent of them will tour the house.

The very serious agent will take advantage of video real estate virtual tour to bring the home to the buyer.

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This brochure, a picture into the realtor’s service, is a summarization of the realtor’s experience, credentials,, and sales message put into a pamphlet for people to review. These brochures are meant to be given to prospects, clients, and hot leads to encourage them to go to that agent for their services. The bonus to brochures is that they cost under a dollar to print, can generate leads worth thousands of dollars in commissions, hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. Even if the brochure does not return many leads they easily pay off for themselves with just one. Better brochure designs yield better returns and sales. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating a personal brochure.

Realtor Brochure Design

The brochure should include four basic elements. A recent photograph(s) of the Realtor, the sales copy writing, the company logo, and the contact information. A photograph of the agent helps people to recognize the agent and in concert with the brochure’s marketing message, the sales copy writing, associates the Realtor with the brand and services detailed in that brochure. The business logo is your company brand.

In many cases a Realtor may have other services to market to their prospects once they have bought a home. The company logo on the brochure reinforces that message that you and your company can provide those services in a professional manner. The sales copy writing, the slogans and product offering messages, help generate familiarity with your company services, frame the problem that your company solves for the customer, and creates the ultra compelling promise that you are the best solution for that problem

Realtor Brochure Printing

You can save a buck or two by not printing on all sides of the brochure in many cases. Resist the temptation. The entire brochure should be printed in full color on the appropriate special paper with items of interest on all sides. It is also helpful to have cuts in the brochure for a business card if you can swing it. Business cards are another important part of marketing a real estate agent as they get handed around to other people. They provide the contact information, and well done cards can be tools to help clients remember who the agent is.

Keep the colors, contact information, and overall designs of the different items consistent with each other. It will reflect on your professionalism in a positive manner if you do and a negative manner if you don’t.

Brochure Sales Message

What is printed on the Realtor brochure and how it is phrased is critical to the effectiveness of the brochure. Often when a Realtor creates an initial draft of a personalized brochure it tends to center too much around the agent and what they have accomplished. Mom may like to read about your full biography, but everyone else should hear about your services and products. Don’t turn it into a ‘me wall’ or ode to your ego. Include the necessary elements to build your professional credibility.

Like ‘#1 Sales Producer in the State for 2001-2008.’ Certified for ‘x’. Member of ‘y’. Include the information in a way that shows the agent is skilled and more than competent in the profession. Dedicate the rest of the brochure to your sales message. When a prospect is looking for an agent they want to find someone who is credible, interested in helping others, and who doesn’t portray themselves as a salesperson.

Realtor Brochure Distribution

The only way the Realtor brochure is going to be useful is if it is distributed out to the public as widely as possible. Give your brochure to anybody and everybody if they talk with people in your target market on a regular basis even if they are not quite in your target market themselves. Even if someone won’t use it, the brochure may always be passed on to another person, or be put away until a later time.

Patrick Cannon is the CEO of BusinessCardGenius.com, a business card printer that provides branded marketing collateral solutions for sales professionals that need the absolute best marketing materials. Specialized in realtor marketing materials likeRealtor Brochures, BusinessCardGenius.com providesBusiness Card Designwith Free Delivery and Easy Online Ordering.

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In a recent survey major UK estate agents and lenders were asked to make predictions for property sales and valuations in 2009. The bad news for home owners is that there is little hope that house prices will recover over the next twelve months. On average it is expected that property values will drop a further 10-15 percent this year. None of the property experts questioned predicted a general increase in prices. For number of property sales predictions were a little more optimistic. Whilst some experts estimate that the number of house sales will fall others more confidently predict that sales will increase by as much as 10 percent.

The above predictions represent the UK housing market as a whole. Of course the market is much more complex and diverse than this. Although the overall picture may not be great there are some sectors and locations where significant signs of recovery are expected. For example there is some confidence that the property market in London will ‘bottom out’ in 2009 and begin to recover by the end of the year.

Similarly it is hoped that the number of first time buyers in the market will increase. The rising property prices of the last decade have left many first time buyers unable to afford to get a foothold on the property market. With prices now falling and a high number of people waiting to buy it is predicted that this sector of the housing market will contribute to a large part of sales in 2009.

Overall although house prices and sales may not increase this year the general consensus from property experts is that 2009 will see the market stabilising. This stabilisation should then pave the way for a housing market recovery in 2010.

WOW Property are a national firm ofUK online estate agents. Visit our website toadvertise your home for saleand to search property to buy online.

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Interview licensed architects! Three if possible to get a good range of fees and services. Architects should provide the following services (if their firm is experienced and well rounded):

Zoning and Site Analysis:

This step tells you how much building you are allowed on the property, where it has to be located on the property, what it can be used for and how much parking is required to name a few.

Programming & Preliminary Design:

Using the results from the Zoning Analysis this step provides design sketches based on your needs and budget. The drawings should include floor plans and perhaps one elevation (to scale) to name a few.

You may be asked to write a program of your needs i.e. How many bedrooms/bathrooms etc.

Design Development:

Once Preliminary Design is approved (by you) the next step is to finalize the design process. Room and building dimensions,door swings, locations of windows, interior finishes and a variety of the building’s systems that are relevant to the design ie. HVAC, Elect, Mechanical Equipment.
Some architects limit these meetings and then charge you if you go over the allotted amount. Be sure this is defined in the written contract.

Construction Documents:

These are the drawings that address both local and state codes,provide detailed dimensions and specifications, detailed drawings for the contractor to bid the job and get building permits.

Correspondence throughout the process:

There is always the need for correspondence between the architect,contractor,building department and sometimes the trades. You should ask the architect how he/she charges for these items.

Expediting:

All jobs require building department filing,permits and certificate of occupancy. Ask your architect what services he/she provides relating to this step.

FEES:

Architects charge basically three ways:

1. Percentage of Construction Cost
2. Lump Sum
3. Hourly Rate.

1. Percentage of Construction (usually 6%-10% on residential and 10%-13% on commercial) is calculated by establishing a preliminary budget at the beginning based on squarefoot construction/finishes/demolition/stuctural changes etc… The percentage is taken from that number. So if you estimated preliminary budget is $100,000 the architect’s fee would be about $7,000. Be sure the architect outlines, in a written proposal, what is and isn’t included. Be sure he/she breakdown the hourly rate beyond what is included in the percentage.

2. Lump Sum:This is when the architect gives you a lump sum fee based on his/her experience with your building type. I am not comfortable with this unless a guarantee is provided or a “not to exceed” promise in writing. It has been my experience that owners become frustrated with extra charges from the architect.

3. Hourly Rate:Architects may estimate how many hours they think the project will occupy their office and give you a list of charges relating to the hourly rates of the Principal, Project Architect, Draftsman, Administration.

Once again you may want to get a “not to exceed” clause in this type of contract.

Once you have this information, IN WRITING, with proof of insurance, license (in your state) and a solid look at a port folio and/or website, it is time to ask for a reference list and phone numbers. You must feel comfortable with your architect. He/She will spend many months, and sometimes years, with you depending on the complexity of your project.

Visit our featured architect; John Anthony Ferraro PC Architects at http://www.johnferraroarchitect.com

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On the other hand, if you have wallpaper or very vivid colors or haven’t updated your color scheme in a while, you may want to think about replacing these with a new coat of paint. When you put your house on the market the goal is to make it as broadly appealing as possible, which is why real estate agents always tell you to go with a neutral color. That way, people notice your house and all of its great features, instead of being distracted by the paint color. But how do you pick the right neutral from among the thousands that are available? Here are some fail- safe options.

White vs. color: You might think that painting everything white is the safest way to go, but white is not the ideal neutral in most cases. White tends to be cold, harsh and not very inviting as a wall color. It does work well as a trim or woodwork color and makes a nice contrast to walls with more color. Some great whites for trim:

• Benjamin Moore White Dove (a warm white that’s not too gray, not too yellow)
• Pratt & Lambert Designer White (clean & bright )
• Behr Swiss Coffee (taupe undertones- blends well with muted wall colors)

Warm vs. cool neutrals for walls: Even neutrals like beige or tan have either warm or cool undertones, which is a key consideration depending on which room they are being used for. Warmer colors stimulate the senses (and the appetite) so they are best used in the kitchen and the main “social” areas of the house. Cool colors like blues, greens and grays tend to soothe and relax. They work well in bedrooms and bathrooms.

Recommended warm neutrals:

• Benjamin Moore Lenox tan (mid-tone neutral from the Pottery Barn collection)
• Restoration Hardware Saffron (a warm, buttery beige)

Recommended cool neutrals:

• Restoration Hardware Cappuccino (a cool taupe)
• Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (a creamy gray, fresh and airy)
• Benjamin Moore Mesquite (a light mossy gray-green)
• Benjamin Moore Atmospheric (a darker gray blue from the Pottery Barn collection)

Anne West is owner of Redesign Doctor, a full-service, one-stop-shop home staging and redesign firm in Wilmette, Illinois. Redesign Doctor specializes in helping homeowners prepare their homes to sell quickly and for top dollar by “packaging” them to stand out from the competition and appeal to the widest pool of potential buyers. Visit http://www.redesigndoctor.com

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The Current Law

Currently, the law excludes up to $250,000 ($500,000 if married filing a joint return) of gain realized on the sale or exchange of a primary residence. The sale of a home qualifies for this exclusion if the home was the primary residence of the tax payer for at least two of the five years ending on the date of sale or exchange. The exclusion applies even if the home was originally purchased as a second home.

The New Law

Rethink your strategy because on January 1, 2009, the rules will change. President Bush signed The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (H.R. 3221) on July 30, 2008. The tax law name of this same law is The Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008. This law will generate tax revenue by reducing the home sale exclusion, but it also provides a friendly transition for taxpayers.

The law does not allow a taxpayer to claim exclusion for any period of time after December 31, 2008, in which the home is not the main home of the taxpayer. The available exclusion is apportioned in the ratio that the period the home was the primary residence (qualifying use) bears to the period of ownership after December 31, 2008. Any nonqualifying use that occurred prior to January 1, 2009 is ignored. The maximum excludable amount remains at $250,000 or $500,000, depending on your marital status.

An Example

If a homeowner purchased a house in 2009 for their main home, turned it into a rental property in 2012 and sold it 2014, the property would not have been used as a primary residence for 2 years of the five years it was owned (or 40% unqualified use). Under these circumstances, 40% of the gain realized from the sale would be subject to capital gains tax. The remaining 60% of the gain would be excluded up to the maximum amount allowed.

Temporary Absences

Being absent from the property for temporary periods of time that are not greater than two years will not threaten the status of a home as a primary residence. A home can still be the primary residence of the taxpayer when he/she is absent because of a change in employment, health conditions or other unforeseeable circumstances.

Time Remains To Do Tax Planning

Because the new law uses a test period of January 1, 2009 to the date of sale, the highest tax advantage is gained by using the home entirely as a primary residence during this period of time. Taxpayers who are planning to sell a vacation home, a second home or a rental home, may want to discuss with their tax advisors whether to move into the home on or before January 1, 2009, to accumulate as much qualifying use as possible before the home is sold. There is still time to do some planning to gain a tax benefit from this change.
This article is intended to be a general discussion of the topic area and is not to be considered as legal or tax advice for your specific circumstance. Always seek and rely upon the advice of a reputable accountant, tax advisor or tax attorney before taking any action about your personal situation.

This post is intended to be a general discussion of the topic area and is not to be considered as legal or tax advice for your specific circumstance. Always seek and rely upon the advice of a reputable accountant, tax advisor or tax attorney before taking any action about your personal situation.

Ralph G. Martinez is a real estate and business attorney in Laguna Hills, California. He is the founder and principal of Martinez Law Group, Inc. Mr. Martinez writes a blog to entrepreneurs and businesses that can be found on the law firm website,http://www.martinezlawoffice.com

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To get negative information on your credit report concerning a foreclosure, the homeowner must not have paid his mortgage or loan payment for 30 to 90 days. So to begin with, his score is decreased by the late payments. Usually, the homeowner is also late on other bills because of his financial crisis and has additional late payments, collections, or judgments. So if he had his credit pulled on a specific date before he started his personal financial decline, he would have seen one score (i.e. 680). The next time he pulls his credit report, after he has been served with his foreclosure notice or even after the foreclosure is completed; he sees his new score (i.e. 450). He is probably shocked and dismayed, especially when he realizes how much more interest the lenders want because of his low credit score. For example, an auto loan to an “A ” credit customer could be 0% interest while for a “D” credit customer, it could be 11% or higher. What does that actually mean? It means that the “D” credit individual will pay $5,500 to $8,000 more for the same car as the “A” credit buyer! The collateral for the loan is the same car, so the “D” credit person is unfairly penalized for his credit situation.

Your credit score “before and after” the foreclosure is no conclusive answer as to how much the foreclosure has hurt your credit report, but it is an indication. Homeowners tend to believe that once they have had a foreclosure they can never buy a home again. This is absolutely untrue, as we see people buying homes within a year of losing their previous home. They will have to pay a higher interest rate unless their down payment is substantial, usually 15% to 20% of the purchase price. But this sizable down payment is often obtained from friends or family members and carried as a second lien on the property. Also the credit score reduction for the foreclosure is reduced as time goes on, until it settles at a minimal number after a few years.

The foreclosure’s immediate impact on an individual’s credit report is estimated to be about 100 to 140 points. The bigger impact is from the late payments on other bills which quickly mount up. Doing a “deed in Lieu of Foreclosure” with the lender reports the same as a foreclosure. It is generally believed that a foreclosure stays on your credit report for seven years, but it can stay on longer because it is part of the public record, which could be open for 20 years. So make certain when you do your credit restoration you have it taken off, if it isn’t removed automatically.

Author: Dave Dinkel is the author of “32 Ways to Quickly Stop Foreclosure” and has been helping foreclosure victims for nearly 33 years. If you are facing foreclosure, visit http://www.StopMyForeclosureMess.com. The author also teaches homeowners how to get the most money for their home - visit www.FSBOautopilot.com for more information.

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Most people find the foreclosure hardship letter the most difficult aspect of loan modification or short sale packages. It can be quite challenging to express the circumstances which caused you to fall behind on your mortgage payments.

Foreclosures are handled by the Loss Mitigation Department of your lender. Employees of this department are known as Loss Mitigators. When you are facing foreclosure, the bank will assign a Loss Mitigator to oversee your account. This individual can make or break your deal, so treat them with respect and provide them with the information they are seeking.

Your hardship letter will be read by your assigned Loss Mitigator. Keep in mind these individuals receive dozens of hardship letters every day. It’s important to keep your letter short and to the point, while including pertinent facts.

The foreclosure hardship letter can either be handwritten or typed. If your handwriting is difficult to read, it’s best to type the letter. The hardship letter is crucial to a successful transaction; therefore, it is imperative the Loss Mitigator can easily read it.

A business format should be used when composing your foreclosure hardship letter. Your name, address, city, zip and phone number should be placed at the top of the paper. The Loss Mitigator’s name, lending institution and address is placed under your contact information. The next line should include the current date, then your loan number placed underneath the date. The body of the letter should be between four to six paragraphs. Close the letter with by signing and printing your name.

Below is an example of the foreclosure hardship letter format:

Joe and Jane Doe
123 Anyplace Avenue
Anytown, State 12345

Sam Jones
USA Lender
123 Anywhere Street
Anytown, State 12345

Current Date

RE: Your Loan Number (include either Loan Modification or Short Sale)

Dear Mr. Jones,

We are contacting you today to explain the circumstances which have caused us to become delinquent on our mortgage payments. Although we have done everything possible to improve our financial situation, we are still short on the money owed to you. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to obtain a loan modification (or short sale).

The main reason we have become delinquent in my mortgage payments is (explain the reason here). Since we do not have enough income to pay our regular monthly mortgage payment, we are falling further behind and are concerned we will not be able to pay what is owed. We truly want to pay what is owed, but at this time do not know how to accomplish this. Therefore, we are turning to you for assistance.

We are asking for consideration to temporarily reduce or suspend our mortgage payments for a few months (or allow us to sell our home via a short sale). Doing so, would help us get back on track. Our home means a great deal to us and we desire to work with you to keep it out of foreclosure. Please advise us of all options available to stop foreclosure (or initiate a short sale) at your earliest convenience. We are anxious to reach an agreement and appreciate your prompt response.

Respectfully yours,

Print name of Borrower(s)
Signature of Borrower(s)
Loan #
Address
Phone
email address (if applicable)

Send the foreclosure hardship letter via certified mail with a return receipt requested. This will ensure you have proof you sent the letter. The return receipt must be signed by someone at the lending institution and the signature card will be returned to you in the mail.

Author: Simon Volkov is a private Real Estate Note Investor who provides solutions to individuals facing foreclosure, short sales and other hardships. If you need to sell your house fast, present a foreclosure hardship letter or looking for alternatives to help you avoid foreclosure visit www.SimonVolkov.com today.

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A Zero-Carbon Home needs to have energy efficiency in three areas, including heat loss, dwelling CO2 emission rate and net CO2 emissions. If they meet the requirements an accredited assessor will inspect the dwelling and issue a certificate.

To receive the actual ‘Holy Grail’ of Zero Carbon is difficult at the best of times, as it requires a building to have a net production of carbon into the atmosphere of zero. At Fairglen in Hayle the houses are almost uniquely efficient for this sort of development, but in addition would need a wind-turbine to achieve the last bit of balancing electrical generation. Because of the sheltered valley location that the site is in the turbine could not have been efficiently done.

With the help of John Peapell Sustainable Solutions, a specialist consultant in this area, Percy Williams & Sons were prepared to pay for a turbine on an existing site elsewhere and then pass the ownership of this to the residents’ management company. It would be just as economically feasible in that the savings in Stamp Duty Land Tax could be spent on this, and the house owners would continue to benefit into the future from income from the turbine and green offset credits. Overall an economically and environmentally sound solution.

Unfortunately on examination of the detail of the legislation Percy Williams & Sons found it stipulated that the generation had to be ‘hard-wired’ to the development, not just owned by it.

‘I did rather feel that the goalposts were not where one might expect them to be on this one; hardly any houses will achieve this at the moment without huge arrays of photo-voltaic panels or on-site wind turbines which of course restricts their locations to windier and less energy efficient sites. So it is quite safe for the Treasury to offer it’ said Simon Williams.

Percy Williams and Sons are continuing to develop state of art designed and environmentally friendly houses as this is where their passion lies, maybe the government will reward the public who choose to live in these house and the developers one day?

Anna Barrington writes for Percy Williams and Sons. For more information about this development please visitEco Homes in Cornwall. For latest news and happenings in the area please visitthe eco homes blog.

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