Real Estate and Beyond Blog

PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM THIS MAILING LIST

Have you even notice the number of SPAM Emails that one receives on a daily basis? Now, many of us love SPAM when it is made by Hormel. However, I have grown tired of receiving pointless Emails that I have no interest in clicking. Furthermore, we open our computer open to security threats by opening the so much innocent Email. SPAM Email continues to increase because it is inexpensive to reach a large group of people in the shortest amount of time. Direct mail becomes to expensive during the current economy.

DEFINITION: Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately.

TOP 5 WAYS TO PROTECT AGAINST SPAM EMAIL

1. Never use your full name in a screen name or Email address
2. Do not use your Email address in public places
3. Ask Internet provider about their SPAM tools
4. Purchase anti-virus software for further protection
5. Unsubscribe to SPAM Emails

I would like to explore option number 5. I have been noticing the number of Spam Emails in my inbox. Where are they getting my Email address? So, I have been hitting the "UNSUBSCRIBE" button for the last four weeks. I began to see the decrease in Spam Email in the third week. Wow, it is making a huge difference. Many messages state that is will take a couple days to remove you from the list. That is fine with me. If I see the same Email, then I hit the "UNSUBSCRIBE" button. Now, I have only hit this button five times this week. It does work.

I RAN OUT OF ITEMS TO BLOG ABOUT TODAY BLOGGING CAREER IS OVER

Good Morning America and to the rest of the World. It is another morning to blog. However, I bet many of you run out of items to blog about. How many of you look like this lady in the picture to the left of us? Biting fingernails is not healthy for people. It is much better to have a cup of coffee in my opinion. However, I attended a Raincamp last week. It seems to me that people have two hurdles when it comes to blogging: CONSISTENCY AND CONTENT

How many of you would agree with this statement? I had many people ask me how long I spend on blogging. Personally, I spend between 60-90 minutes per day when it comes to social media. I prefer to do this early in the morning while I am fresh and while my little kids are sleeping. It works for me.

CONSISTENCY

Again, I have decided to blog early in the morning because that works for me the best. That does not mean it will work for you. I had other people at RainCamp inform me that they do it later at night. Hey, that is fantastic. One has to decide when the best time for them to blog. I would advise you might have to schedule time to just blog. Think of it as part of your Marketing plan.

CONTENT

Personally, I have never had a problem with coming up with ideas to blog about. I blog about what I do on a weekly basis. Also, I have my camera/video with all the time because you never know what might come up while driving in the car for that day. I would advise to shadow three or more top bloggers to view what they write about. Also, I would advise to attend a RainCamp. This will blow your socks off. There is endless topics to write about to make you the local expert.

REAL ESTATE IS A TEAM SPORT. WE ARE HERE TO ASSIST ONE ANOTHER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

BEST TO EVERYONE! TIME TO WRITE ANOTHER BLOG

HOW TO PREPARE FOR REAL ESTATE AND BEYOND RADIO SHOW PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Here I am on a Saturday morning preparing for my popular Saturday morning radio show called "REAL ESTATE AND BEYOND RADIO." I consider Saturdays to be my fun days because I get to talk real estate on the air waves. I have been doing radio for well over four years. Yes, I love it. I have a co-host who is the mortgage professional on the radio. We make a great team when we get on the air. Yes, it is a live radio talk show with real callers. Have I ever been stumped on air? No, I take every question that comes to me. I have learned to go with the flow over the last four years on the radio. I have had people cry on the show when they explain their story about loan modifications and being foreclosed upon.

One of the favorite questions people ask me "How much time do you prepare for the radio show? That is an excellent question to ask me. It takes me about four to six hours of research and preparation per show. I research the latest statistics and stories that people want to hear about. Here are some topics we have discussed on air

• Loan modifications
• Arizona short sale www.ArizonaShortSaleAndBeyond.com
• Phoenix Fix and Flip www.FixAndFlipAHouse.com
• Purchase homes at Arizona Trustee Sale www.BidForeclosuresAndBeyond.com
• Lease purchase www.JustRentToOwn.com
• Buy and hold strategies www.ASURealEstate.com
• Refinancing
• Private money

People want to know about the local real estate market. Is it really getting better? I have experienced that people take real estate education classes for thousands of dollars. Yet, they have not one investment property. Why? The do not know who to call to implement their new techniques. I developed the Real Estate and Beyond Team to assist real estate investors to take advantage of the Phoenix real estate market. We are here to assist real Americans.

I have only been blogging for about sixteen months. This is just another extension of my mission. This allows me to write about my personal experiences and thoughts on real estate. I very much enjoy blogging because it gets the word out on the Internet. I have developed all of my own content. Currently, I have seven web sites on different niche markets that are hyper linked back to me. It did not happen over night. However, I continued to develop content because Google loves it.

HAVE A GREAT SATURDAY!

WHY WOULD ANYBODY WASTE THEIR TIME GOING TO AN ACTIVERAIN RAINCAMP? COME ON AND GET REAL

I have been telling everyone I know about the RainCamp coming to Prescott, Arizona on August 26, 2010. I am very excited to be attending this Raincamp for several reasons. However, I was speaking to another Realtor about this exciting opportunity. He asked me, "Why would anybody waste their time going to this event? Come On!" I was not surprised by his response because this person is stuck in time. Most Realtors will not change unless they see the dollars. I explained my continued success after sixteen months of daily blogging.

I was explaining this event to another Realtor friend of mine. They did not see the need for me to attend the RainCamp since I have close to 500,000 points. Surely, you know it all after this point. Wow, I was surprised at this answer. I informed her that I will be the first person that does not know it all. I always want to continue to learn. I am a great student.

RainCamp is a full day Conference packed with valuable content, presentations, and the most useful and applicable ideas and processes that you can implement immediately into your Social Media, Networking, Blogging Strategy, and Business Plan. RainCamp was created and developed for anyone in the Real Estate Industry looking for successful methods and tools to maximize and grow their online business in today's modern Real Estate Market.

TOPICS BEING DISCUSSED AT THIS EVENT

• Modern Day Real Estate Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing
• Networking Breakout Session #1
• 5 Reasons Top Agents Blog + The Power of RainMaker
• The Essential IDX
• Becoming the Online Mayor of Your Community
• Local Panel: Sharing Methods for Success
• Networking Breakout Session #2
• The Facebook & Twitter Gold Rush
• Town Hall Discussion
• The Future: Agent Ratings & Building Culture

ATTEND RAINCAMP PRESCOTT, AZ AUGUST 26, 2010 Platinum ticket for $99 instead of $139

I forgot to mention one more item for this day. There is a VIP Party at the end of the day. Real estate is a team sport. I love networking with other real estate professionals. We are here to serve one another. I look forward to seeing you at RainCamp.

BANKS CONTINUE TO SHUT DOWN EACH WEEK TOTAL COUNT 110 IN 2010

I have been slowly keeping track of the number of banks that continue to fail in the news. The FDIC shuts down the bank on Friday and has a new name Monday morning. This is a true fix and flip in less than 48 hours. The Government has this down to a science. The Big Banks are swallowing up the Small Banks one week at a time. They are like vultures picking flesh from a dead body. The name of the game in today's business is "CASH."

Total number of bank failures by year

• 2007-3
• 2008-25
• 2009-140
• 2010-110 to date

LIST OF BANKS SHUT DOWN IN 2010

Here are the major contributors why banks are closing

• Collapse of housing market
• Increase mortgage delinquencies
• Credit crisis
• Residential home foreclosures
• Commercial
• Inadequate capital to lend
• Tighter credit

We are not out of the woods. The unemployment rate on a national average is hovering at 10%. There are 35 million Americans out of work. We have 11 American households under water when it comes to their mortgage. Loan modifications are not working and homeowners continue to walk away from their home. Arizona is experiencing people walking away from their home due to continued immigation enforcement.

Where is the real estate business? I see the following areas to focus as a Realtor for more business

• Offer Short Sale Services to homeowners
• Bank foreclosures
• Purchase homes at Trustee Sales
• Private Money accessible to real estate investors
• Property Management
• Rent to own
• Seller carry back financing

STARBUCKS TO OFFER FREE WI-FI SERVICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS

I was happy to hear that Starbucks to offer free Wi-Fi service to all customers. I knew it was going to be a matter of time before they offer this service. Most coffee shop owners do not like when customers take advantage of this service and stay hours at the coffee shop. There are times when the coffee shop fills up with people only using the Internet. Hello? We are in the Internet age. It seems Starbucks is looking past this negative to make things work for customers. It works for me when I am with real estate clients. I always offer my clients a cup of coffee.

 A manager at one of the local Starbucks informed me that they will have their own network named "Starbucks Digital Network." They will offer free content to major newspapers and magazines. Then, they will offer subscriptions to clients in exchange the companies will give Starbucks a cut to generate extra revenue. This is thinking outside of the box. This is an example of how big retail stores are adapting to the culture. Starbucks wants clients with their laptops at their coffee shop.

I am a very happy customer with free Wi-Fi service.

READ MORE ABOUT DIVORCE AND PHOENIX, ARIZONA REAL ESTATE

Divorce is happening at record levels during these tough economic down times. Divorce is not a pretty picture for anyone involved in it. How does one divide up the money and real estate? I have been contacted several times to list a home involving a divorce. Many times the home represents equity to be split among the couple.

There are 3 types of listing agreements available to divorce couples when listing a home:

1. Exclusive Right to Sell - This gives a real estate agent a commission regardless if the broker sells your house or not in the sale. If you sell your house, then the real estate agent still receives a commission. However, the real estate agent invests time and money to market the property to best sell it in a timely manner.  
2. Exclusive Agency Agreement - This is almost the same thing as right to sell. However, the owner is allowed to sell the home without legally paying a commission to the broker. It sounds like a great deal. However, the broker will not invest the time and money if the broker is competing with the owner. It is best to hire the best real estate agent in order to obtain highest and best price for the house and follow it to close.  
3. Open Listing - Most agents do not like this type of listing because the first broker that sells the house is entitled to the commission. Agents will invest little time and money on this listing.

Here is an Interview Checklist

Code of Ethics and Professionalism-Realtors uphold code of ethics on a national level. Furthermore, look for a Realtor that comes across professionally and confident. That is the person you want to sell your house. Ask the Realtor if they are a member of National Association of Realtors and their local board of Realtors.  

Market Presence

• Local Market Expertise
• Look for an agent with five or more years of experience
• Full time professional is a must while listing your home
• Ask for number current listings
• Do they know the neighborhood statistics in the last year
• Ask for the number of closings per month to show their activity

www.ArizonaShortSaleAndBeyond.com

References-Ask the Realtor for references to follow up on. Plus, Google the agent's name to search for information on them. Asking questions is important

Experience-Ask the agent if they have experience with divorce situations in real estate. If yes, please ask them about the outcomes of each transaction.

Broker Commission-Discuss and negotiate listing commission. Discuss what the agent will do to earn the commission. Ask the real estate agent for a final marketing plan before listing house.

Divorce is happening in your marketplace. Are you tapping into this market? People divorcing need a Realtor to sell their home to fulfull the divorce decree. Are you that professional?

http://www.realestatedivorcespecialist.com/shop/realestate/

The link above allows you to obtain a designation as REAL ESTATE DIVORCE SPECIALIST

Be different and set yourself up as the expert when it comes to Divorce and Real Estate

ECONOMISTS PREDICT VALLEY HOUSING PRICES HIT THE BOTTOM OF THE MARKET

I have always believed that they two best jobs to have in America would be a weather person and an economist. Why? If what they say does not come true, then they say it was only a prediction. How many times has it rained when the weather person said it was going to by sunny? How times have economists been wrong? Who can really predict the future? We are still getting out of this real estate bubble for the last three years. There are fears of a double dip in the economy. Why does this infomation come out now?

Here is my prediction. I announced in Februrary of 2009, on my radio show that Phoenix real estate prices would hit the bottom of the market on August 24, 2009. It was just a guess. Well, the local newspaprer printed that Phoenix real estate prices have hit the bottom of the market. I was loving it on my radio show. I had many phone calls on that show. Why did I guess my date? It is very simple. I believe the Government and Big Business want everyone to start feeling good about the economy so that they will start spending their money. They want the American consumer to feel good about the economy to spend money at Christmas time. Voila, we receive the same information the following year.

That is my predcition. Do you hear the same news in your local real estate market?

TOP 5 C'S TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL ACTIVERAIN BLOGGER AND TO OBTAIN MORE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

They say every journey starts with the first step. However, my blogging journey started with the first key stroke on my computer. I have been blogging since April of 2009. I thought of every excuse in my mind not to blog such has no time, topics to blog about, and no time to learn a new form of media. Now, I have been doing radio for for years. Did I know everything about radio? No, I decided I will learn as I do it. So, I did the same with blogging. I have been blogging every day since April of 2009. I devote ninety minutes per day on social media. ActiveRain is a vital component of my social media plan.

How does one become a great blogger? I have people ask me this question when they find out that I have my own blog. It is a fair question.

TOP 5 C'S TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL ACTIVERAIN BLOGGER AND TO OBTAIN MORE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

1. CONTENT-Google loves new content. Google feeds off new content. So, I am constantly writing new content on a daily basis. Plus, I link other posts and web sites so everything comes back to me. I own "PHOENIX FIX AND FLIP" thanks to ActiveRain. I have learned to blog for business. It is a skill that has been developed over a period of time. I blog about what I do on a daily basis. People love photos in blog posts.
2. CONSISTENCY-"Be in it to win it." Consistency plays a major role in my success in blogging. I devote 90 minutes per day towards my social media plan. This has been my personal decision. The only advertising I currently implement include Internet, blogging, radio and word of mouth. It is working for me.
3. COMMITMENT-I decided on the first day to commit to blogging because I have seen it work in other real estate businesses. Commitment means the act of pledging/obligation that restricts ones freedom of action. Are there other things that I would love to do? Yes! However, blogging makes my phone ring.
4. CREATIVITY-Blogging has allowed my creativity to flourish by putting my thoughts into words for other people to read. I never run out fo things to write about. I am always learning from other bloggers on ActiveRain. They say "Iron Sharpens Iron." I am simply one blogger of many on ActiveRain that makes it a great site for consumers. Here to serve.
5. COFFEE-It makes me a better blogger. The secret is out.

I believe any person can be a successful blogger by implementing my TOP 5 C' TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL ACTIVERAIN BLOGGER AND TO OBTAIN MORE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS. I would advise everyone to join ActiveRain and start blogging ones way to success. I wish everyone much success.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!

TOP REASONS TO INVEST IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA PHOENIX FIX AND FLIP

We are running out of homes priced $150,000 and below. Investors are putting 25%-30% down on the home. Then, rent the home out that will cash flow. I am seeing more and more people take money out of Wall Street and invest in Main Street. Why would you not invest in real estate at these great prices? A bank just accepted an offer on a four bedroom house with close to 2,300 square feet for $81,000. It was built in 2003. That was a smoking deal. The investor is paying cash for the house. People are starting to purchase real estate as an alternative investment.

• Consistently in top 10 when it comes to population growth and jobs. The great combination of Baby Boomers, low interest rates, plenty of inventory, and low unemployment make Phoenix an ideal location for people to relocate
• Phoenix is expected to grow by 40% over the next decade according to Arizona Department of Commerce-120,000 plus new homes scheduled to be built to keep up with the demand for housing needs by new comers to the Valley
• Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities in America. Currently, we are ranked the 5^th largest city.
• Phoenix offers a diverse economy along with an educated workforce.

Here are the main reasons for investing in Real Estate:

• Appreciation leads to increase value
• Cash Flow-leads to residual income
• Tax deductions
• Principal reduction by reinvesting the cash flow
• Risk level low since asset is insured
• OPM-use other people's money
• Leverage assets to purchase more assets
• 1031 exchange into commercial properties
• Assists in paying college
• Great way to retirement planning

Let me know if I can be of any assistance to anyone looking to investing in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. I have created the Real Estate and Beyond Network for out of state investors to make it easier for investors to invest here in Phoenix, AZ. Please visit my web site at www.DeliaTeam.com.