Should Google+ Be Part of Your Marketing?
According to one tech guru, Google+ is "the most misunderstood social network ever introduced," and he insists that real estate...
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Should Google+ Be Part of Your Marketing?
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Meeting Promises Productive Relationship with Fannie, Freddie Regulator
Meeting Promises Productive Relationship with Fannie, Freddie Regulator
NAR President Steve Brown in a meeting yesterday with new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mel Watt shared REALTORS®’ concern over the continued availability of safe and affordable mortgage financing and thanked the director for postponing a decrease in the size of loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can back. Watt also postponed an increase in the guarantee fees the companies charge lenders, a position NAR shares.
FHFA Director Mel Watt with NAR President Steve Brown
“Director Watt listened carefully to our concerns and took the prudent step of delaying any changes to loan limits and the guarantee fees,” Brown said after the meeting.
NAR supported the nomination of Watt, a former U.S. representative from North Carolina who was a senior member of the House Committee on Financial Services. It was Watt’s first meeting with a professional trade group since his confirmation.
“Based on our very productive meeting, it’s clear Director Watt understands the crucial role of residential real estate to the economy,” Brown said. “We are eager to work with him and promised to keep him apprised of what our members are seeing in markets across the country.”
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
The 5 Biggest Credit Myths
-Paying bills on time will improve my credit
score - While it is definitely a good start, it is not the only thing that
needs to be done. Since 35% of your score is based on your payments being on
time, it is essential but it will only continue to raise your credit score
slowly over time. Remember that if payment history only accounts for 35%, there
is still 65% of your score that has nothing to do with missing payments.
-Cancelling credit cards that you haven't used in a while will increase your credit score - Cancelling unused credit cards can actually hurt your credit score. Since 10% of your score is based on the length of your credit history, it is a good idea to keep the oldest credit card open.
-When you get a divorce, your accounts automatically divorce with you - This couldn't be further from the truth. If you have a joint account and one of the parties on the account is late, you are both late. With some types of loans, such as a mortgage or a car loan, the lender may not accept a letter asking you to be removed from the account after a divorce even if that property is going to your ex-spouse. They will need to qualify for the loan on their own before you will be removed from the account. Take this into consideration because if they don't refinance, and then have late payments, you may find yourself with some credit issues. When possible, close all joint accounts and refinance any debt separately. If it is not possible, maintain some type of control, whether it is an escrow account or at least access to information to make sure the accounts are paid on time. Don't assume.
-You have to make a huge financial mistake for your credit score to be negatively affected - You don't have to be fielding collection calls at all hours for your score to suffer. In fact, one late payment can be detrimental, sometimes upwards of 110 points off your credit score. For one late payment!! Also, something as simple as opening up a few store credit cards for the promotional discount can make you look like a credit risk.
-Short sales are better than foreclosures - the assumption is that a short sale is actually better for your credit score than a foreclosure. But in reality, they have the same effect. It is certainly better for the neighborhood housing prices than foreclosure, but from a credit score perspective, there is no difference.
- Do not dispute items with the bureaus online. This is the worst thing you can do when trying to help your credit score because when the user signs up, they are agreeing to the disclaimers (which everyone does NOT read) stating that once the information comes back, they are agreeing to whatever results the bureaus decide. There is no going back and disputing again.
-Cancelling credit cards that you haven't used in a while will increase your credit score - Cancelling unused credit cards can actually hurt your credit score. Since 10% of your score is based on the length of your credit history, it is a good idea to keep the oldest credit card open.
-When you get a divorce, your accounts automatically divorce with you - This couldn't be further from the truth. If you have a joint account and one of the parties on the account is late, you are both late. With some types of loans, such as a mortgage or a car loan, the lender may not accept a letter asking you to be removed from the account after a divorce even if that property is going to your ex-spouse. They will need to qualify for the loan on their own before you will be removed from the account. Take this into consideration because if they don't refinance, and then have late payments, you may find yourself with some credit issues. When possible, close all joint accounts and refinance any debt separately. If it is not possible, maintain some type of control, whether it is an escrow account or at least access to information to make sure the accounts are paid on time. Don't assume.
-You have to make a huge financial mistake for your credit score to be negatively affected - You don't have to be fielding collection calls at all hours for your score to suffer. In fact, one late payment can be detrimental, sometimes upwards of 110 points off your credit score. For one late payment!! Also, something as simple as opening up a few store credit cards for the promotional discount can make you look like a credit risk.
-Short sales are better than foreclosures - the assumption is that a short sale is actually better for your credit score than a foreclosure. But in reality, they have the same effect. It is certainly better for the neighborhood housing prices than foreclosure, but from a credit score perspective, there is no difference.
- Do not dispute items with the bureaus online. This is the worst thing you can do when trying to help your credit score because when the user signs up, they are agreeing to the disclaimers (which everyone does NOT read) stating that once the information comes back, they are agreeing to whatever results the bureaus decide. There is no going back and disputing again.
From Kevin Harrison - www.kevin-harrison.net
One of L.A.'s Priciest Plots is in a Cemetery
One of L.A.'s Priciest Plots is in a Cemetery
Location is everything, and for $10,300 per square foot, you could be buried just a few yards away from Marilyn Monroe.
Monday, February 10, 2014
How to Find the Best Real Estate Specialist in the Issaquah Region
If you want to buy a residential property or need to sell
one, you can actually do everything yourself. However, it would take you a long
time to do it, especially if you don’t have any background with real estate
matters. This is where residential real
estate services in Issaquah are essential. You can get help from a single
real estate agent or get the help of an entire realty firm to work with you.
But how do you find the best one in town?
Before finding the right realty specialist to help you, you
should look into some important things. If you are buying a house, be sure that
you have all the details you want in a property. This will help you and your
agent as soon as you work together in looking for a property. If you are
selling, you would also want to list some important information about the
house, the documents for ownership and the like.
If you get to know your preferences pretty well, it would
then be time for you to find the best realty specialist to help you with your
needs. First of all, you need to get help from a person who knows the place
very well. If you can, find an agent who is also a resident of the place. In
case of an Issaquah real estate agent, it would be best if she has been living
in the area for a long time. Her stay in the region will make it easier for her
to locate properties that are for sale.
Also, it is very important that an agent is experienced in
the real estate industry. Proper education and the skills are also very
essential for an agent to have. However, an agent with the experience of
serving the real estate clientele with excellent feedbacks is just remarkable.
You can look into the history of a certain real estate company or their
employees. Choose the ones that have proven to be very credible in their job.
If you do, you can rest assured that your transactions will be purely
professional.
Residential real
estate services in Issaquah should be done by agents or specialists that
have the license to operate in the region. The real estate professional should
also be dedicated to his or her job and would put your preferences to top
priority. In looking for a good real estate specialist, you should consider
your comfort in working with one as well.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Survey: Most Facebook Users Don’t Post A Lot
Survey: Most Facebook Users Don’t Post A Lot
Only 10 percent of Facebook users update their status daily, Pew Research finds.
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