Posts Tagged ‘Title Company’

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Expectation vs. Value in Real Estate

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Hey, guess what? In case you didn’t know the economy is bad. There, now we are all caught up and on the same page. In spite of that, most of us still have bills to pay and need to put food on the table. It doesn’t matter if the economy is good or bad, there are some things that never change, there will always be people buying homes and there will always be people selling homes. For people in real estate it is important to be part of that process, even in a “Bad” economy.

 

I do not believe people are good at “cutting back” in a poor economy, I do believe that people expect their money to do more. They are working harder to make it, they expect us to do the same! As the housing market improves, the realtors who realize this are the ones who are surpassing the client’s expectations and giving them more value for the dollar. Exceeding a client’s expectation is completely voluntary, there is no formula, or book, or class it is just a decision one needs to make. The important thing to remember is not to stop. Today’s excellence is tomorrow’s norm. 

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

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How To: Clean the Garage

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Because I am down one marketing rep this week, I get to write a blog. Recently I looked around my garage and shop and thought about how much it needed a good cleaning. This is extremely pertinent to people selling their home. For one the house needs to show well, and also the new owners don’t want your old tennis racquets, or camping set. This particular subject hits home to me, because when we moved into our current house, the previous owners left us a neon green child’s bedroom set and a trunk full of broken toys. I remember telling my wife, “I didn’t realize we could just leave the stuff we didn’t want”. I soon figured out why, the garbage company refused to take it (must have been the color) so for almost a year I had a corner full of “stuff” sitting in the garage. You wouldn’t know it, because I parked a non-running car in front of it and took the wheels off, which in my mind was better. I had every intention of leaving it for the next owners, but as the subdivision was developed I was able to dump small portions of the pile in my future neighbor’s giant trash bins. I was tactical about it, dropping pieces of the bed each week in multiple dumpsters. I imagined the man at the dump anticipating this week’s neon green piece of furniture.

So at this point in the game you have realized the need to clean the garage, now it is time to plan (I wanted to say plan ahead, but that is redundant as there is no other way to plan). You should set aside 12 – 18 hours depending on the severity of the garage. If you’re like me, you wait until it is impossible to actually do work or even start a new project. For those of you that actually park a car in the garage you can skip down a few paragraphs. I generally send my wife away on a “girl’s trip” so that I can actually get this task done. The gulf coast works well, because you get a 2 hour warning call when she is own her way home, so that you know you need to stop admiring the technology of an old carburetor you found and get back to cleaning.

I have seen medically spotless shops that look more like surgical centers than garages. These places are mysteries to me, I am not sure I would be able to find my tools in a place like that, Plus you would miss the surprise when you find something. These people have never used a rusty spring to fix the return on a riding lawn mower, or asked their wife to standby with a fire extinguisher while testing the make shift gravity fed fuel tank on an old motorcycle (I wonder what on earth she is thinking while standing there waiting to see if her husband goes up in a brilliant blue flame as the house gets filled with the smell of un-burnt fuel and screams),  But back to the task at hand.

  1. I have found it is best to work from the top down, first hang the various flags and posters back up. They tend to fly off the walls when the garage door opens.
  2. Next use a shop vac to suck the cobwebs, and bug bodies out of the corners. Clean the nozzle first or you will leave oil stains on your walls. Be careful around those flags, or you’ll be pulling them out of the shop vac.
  3. Take down the bicycles hanging off the ceiling hooks and blow them off with compressed air, fill up the tires while the air compressor is out. (No one expects you to ride anytime soon, but flat tires on a hanging bike means you have completely given up on being healthy.)  
  4. Now it is time to focus on the work bench, this becomes time consuming but essential. Don’t get side tracked by anything shiny. This is usually where I lose focus and start cleaning brake calipers, or rewiring an electric winch.
  5. Be honest about spare car parts, are you really going to need that radio out of a mid 90’s mustang. Go ahead and toss it, and get rid of that VW hubcap you found on the side of the road (unless you actually own/ed a VW, then there is sentimental value there)
  6. Stack various race tires, and wheels in a corner. These are great conversation starters when the neighbors visit.
  7. Next I like to rearrange the various vehicles, this does two things, allows access to the piles of dirt and rust that have accumulated under the vehicles, and gives a feeling of accomplishment. Be creative, I tend to sort by fun factor. Atv’s and Motorcycles to the front, lawn mowers and cars to the back.
  8. This is also a good time to wipe down the motorcycles, unless there is a lot of chrome involved. (polishing can eat up time)
  9. At this point a neighbor will show up (because the heavy work has been done) use this time to catch your breath, enjoy a beer, and catch up on current events.
  10. Pick up the fishing tackle and various rods and reels that get stuck in a corner, you can hang up a small amount of fishing equipment (in my opinion this adds a touch of class, especially fly rods) The rest can be stored in the trunk of an unused car.
  11. Collect all the old motorcycle, and car batteries and place in a cardboard box for recycling (5$ each) keep the dogs away, don’t rub your eyes and try to keep acid burn holes symmetrical on your shirt.
  12.  Sweep up all the dirt, rust, dead bugs etc, if you feel the need you can mop at this point, but that seems snooty to me. I prefer to hose out the garage, with scrub brush and all green detergent.
  13.  Sit back, admire your work and wait for comments from visitors.

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

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Are we lucky or what?

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

“There’s blind luck, dumb luck and then there’s get up every morning at 5:30 and sweat the details luck.
Few people actually stumble into wealth. It takes persistence, tenacity and a tireless work ethic. In the end, luck has little to do with success. It takes experience and hard work. Pure and simple.” – SmithBarney CitiGroup (from their website)

I was going to take the easy way out and just post a link this week, but then thought better of it. I realized how lucky I was to be employed at a job I enjoy, in a market that was not the pits, among people that have some of the best work ethics I’ve ever witnessed. And being a farmer’s daughter, I’ve seen some pretty good efforts.

I watch you, my friends and colleagues, show up early, work late and weekends. Go out of your way to be kind and generous (with both your time and money) just to make sure folks get in the home they love. That of course, in turn, makes you successful, some might even say lucky. I say you’re determined. Determined to do your best and be your best.

The realtors have had to find creative ways to connect with a public that is more elusive every day. You put yourself out there on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twillow, ActiveRain and heaven only knows what others. You’ve learned to be faster, smarter and more knowledgeable than ever. The lenders have had to endure more rule changes, mortgage mergers and underwriting snags than ever before in your industry. Yet, every day, I see a smile, hear a kind word or a suggestion of another program that might get that young couple into a home. Or a better way for the fella to get his home sold so he can take that new job he just got….that’s somewhere else. Or sell her the perfect home, in a great neighborhood that she had no idea was there because she just got transferred here from out of state.

The changes we’ve seen since Hurricane Katrina, and the boom that followed, I think lulled us into a momentary sense of plenty. It may seem like hell now, in comparison, but remember….

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill

 

We’ll eventually come out the other side and most will be the better for it.

Louisiana is gaining ground on many fronts and our area is gaining more than most. We have plant expansions, NuCor, port expansion and more construction than we’ve seen in a while. Keep up the great work my friends and great success will follow. Aren’t we “lucky”??

Mitzi Anthony is the Marketing Rep for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact her directly mitzi@choicetitle.com  

 http://twitter.com/choicetitle

 Her weekly Blog can be found here.

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Are Rentals the New Hot Market

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

With the number of foreclosures increasing and new downpayment requirements should your investors be looking for property to add to the rental inventory? Should you be looking for clients that want to rent out properties? At least until our market recovers some more of it’s value? Check this out, I found it interesting: http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/30/real_estate/rental_property_investing.moneymag/

Mitzi Anthony is the Marketing Rep for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact her directly mitzi@choicetitle.com  

 http://twitter.com/choicetitle

 Her weekly Blog can be found here.

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Attitude – Do you Need an adjustment?

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Any of you that know me and have talked to me for any length of time know that I am a country girl from upstate New York. And yes, I had a wise and wonderful grandmother that lived to be 104 that imparted lots of sage advice and witty sayings.

One of them was, “No matter how you feel, smile, it’ll work its way in.” . The strange thing is, she was absolutely right. Attitude is everything, not just a big part or an important part, EVERYTHING.

You can work long hours, read more books and get more designations, but if your attitude is negative, well, it rubs off on folks. Your attitude can have an impact on life in ways you may not have even considered. Adjusting your attitude may sound simple, but it’s not necessarily easy.

You may think that you’re being “realistic”, but are you just letting doubt cloud your goals? Sometimes it can even push you into being such a pessimist, even other pessimists will avoid you! Perhaps you are “over cautious” (read fearful) and don’t want to make mistakes, but if you don’t make any mistakes are you really doing anything? Have you really put yourself out there?

Which brings us to indecision….. If you can’t decide where to start or what direction to head in, aren’t you really just letting yourself follow someone else’s decisions, good or bad? Try polishing your decision making skills with deciding quickly what you’ll order for lunch. Then when you go shopping, just get it, without going to ten stores to compare prices and get on with your day. Keep practicing and you’ll get more comfortable and confident, even with the big decisions.

Worrying and complaining tend to be a by-product of attitude in need of adjustment. Worry only about those things that you can do something about. Some things are out of your hands and just need to run their course. Complaining often sounds like whining, but if you simply are honest about your feelings and thoughts there is often a solution at hand. Especially if you come to the conversation with one in mind, focus on the solution not the problem. It can make the world a better place.

Indifference is probably the harshest and most insidious of all attitude killers. Many times we have all heard someone utter “Who cares?” or “Whatever!”, that not only dismisses our feelings or needs, but sometimes our very existence. This causes you to disengage from life itself, nothing to contribute, no solutions or progress. To quote Edmond Burke “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

So put a smile on your face and go conquer the world….it awaits you with wonderful possibility!

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New Agent Training/ Mock Closing

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

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Investment opportunities in 2011?…Look in the Mirror

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

 As we approach 2011 with every tick of the clock, pundits, experts, and laymen’s (like myself) try to look into crystal balls and forecast what next year will bring in the Real Estate Industry. Guess what? No one knows. We can look at trends, but with so many variables why try, why not wait 2 weeks get the actual numbers for this year and be a bit more certain? So that is what I will do, my prediction for 2011’s outlook will be … I will tell you in 2011. There now that’s out the way; let’s talk about what we know. People will buy and sell houses next year, maybe more than this year maybe less but I know people will move from one house into another. More importantly they will need expert services from professionals who know the market and there will be less of those professionals than in the past. (Wait, was that a forecast)

            Between 2007 and 2008 LAR membership showed a 10% reduction in membership, between 2008 and 2009 a 7% reduction in membership was recorded, and as of October LAR membership has seen a 2% loss in it’s rank and file*. So what does that mean, well if you’re a realtor who is just waiting around for the market “To Turn”, absolutely nothing. But if you’re a Professional Expert Realtor who is willing to take the time to gain knowledge, who isn’t afraid to get back to basics while still looking toward new ways to give better service, than you must be feeling pretty good about 2011, because there is less competition and more opportunity this year than in the last few years. For Lenders the challenge is different, how to stay competitive with unknown changes come April (or maybe not),  and for the rest of us in the real estate industry the goal looks like doing more with less. The good news is Louisiana is showing growth (gradual, but growth still the same) in employment, consumer confidence is increasing and if I was one of those people who tried to forecast where to work in the real estate industry, Louisiana would be one of those places that showed the most promise.

            So you ask, “If I work in the real estate industry, how do I take advantage of 2011?”, Well over the next few weeks we will outline what to do, where to go, who to know and how to make it all work together to make 2011 a successful year for all of us. Welcome to the second decade of the new Millennium, one thing is for sure it will be different than the last. 

*Sourced from National Association of Realtors

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

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Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Fed Releases Updated Appraisal Guidelines
The Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Office of Thrift Supervision and the National Credit Union Administration jointly on Thursday released the latest and what is expected to be final version of property appraisal guidelines.

The new guidelines set a standard for appraisal independence. Lenders can exchange information with appraisers, but they cannot “directly or indirectly coerce, influence, or otherwise encourage an appraiser or a person who performs an evaluation to misstate or misrepresent the value of the property.”

Among other rules:

· Banks cannot tell the appraiser of any expected or qualifying estimate of value.
· Banks cannot specify a minimum value requirement for the property that is needed to approve the loan or as a condition of ordering the valuation.
· Banks cannot tie an appraiser’s compensation to loan approval.
· Banks can’t blacklist an appraiser if his valuations fail to meet expected thresholds.

The agencies also clarified that broker price opinions (BPOs) don’t comply with the minimum appraisal standards.

Source: Housing Wire, Jon Prior (12/02/2010)

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

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Why Have Clients, When You Can Have Fans?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

I have been dwelling on whether or not to Post on this subject, but I think it is fitting right now. First we will work on identifying current Fans, and keeping them, then we will start work on transforming clients into our Company Fans. In recent years we have all seen a shift in the real estate industry from efficiency, and speed to service and assistance. While the 10 day process from contract to closing still occurs, it is now the exception not the rule. I don’t believe this is a bad thing, but an opportunity to make some life long clients instead of customers who get in and out as quickly as possible and develop no real relationship, and no real loyalty. While this process is not an easy one, it is something we can all do with no specific skills, or classes, it is something that takes time more than anything else.

What is a Fan?

 

Well it seems silly to ask this question in South Louisiana right now, because we see evidence of it every day. Whether it is the Saints Flags fluttering above car windows or LSU decals on every single car’s back glass (My European relatives thought that all the cars came like that from the factory). Baton Rouge is the only city I have been in, where it is perfectly natural to see grown men wearing bright Purple and Gold from head to toe on a daily basis. Fans by definition are supporters, enthusiasts even, in some aspect of your business or company. There is something about the way your company works or a specific employee that is essential to that fans business. Identify what that trait is, or why your current fans became fans in the first place.

Products don’t make fans, service does.

While I agree with about 90% of the above statement, there are some people who this does not apply too. MAC heads come to mind, not the guy who has the Ipad and the Iphone, but the guy who has the pad, the phone, 9 different Ipods, a Mac top and an Apple Tattoo. If you sell PC’s, don’t talk to this guy. But for the “normal” people service is where it starts, and in today’s economic outlook, it is a good place to concentrate on as well. But you will need to expand your search from just “customer service”.

Service doesn’t make Fans, Individual Service does!

We tend to group people, especially in business. It makes life tidy and easy to organize. This is something I am trying to break from in my own work day. Realtors, Brokers, Lenders, Agents, Bankers, Developers, FSBO’s, these are all groups that are made of individuals, who want and require different things. It is impossible to look at that list and imagine making Fan’s out of them. Does every Lender want 24/7 access into our online GFE calculator. I doubt it, there are some Lenders that I could say, “if you use the GFE calculator I will give you a Buick,” (which I wouldn’t because that would be a RESPA Violation) and they still wouldn’t trust the computer to give them accurate numbers. And that is Okay, we have processors to give that information as well. Don’t force the Fan into the Process, adapt your process to the Fan. Then educate Fans on why your company uses that process. A Fan will trust you, and allow you to serve in his/ her best interests. Make sure as your business grows, you don’t leave out the Fans who got you there.

Fans Can Be Profiled.

Profiling has gotten a bad rap here recently, but when it comes to gaining Fandom, it is essential. You might know a client likes coffee, but a fan will know where the pot is, and know how you take your cup as well. As a sales rep, it is a good idea to share your fan’s profile. Whether you store it in the company contacts database or just tell others in the office, the important thing is to let everyone know when a Fan is coming in. It is an opportunity to share a fan, it is a lot of work to maintain a client let alone a Fan, so share the load with the office. The more relationships the Fan has, the less likely that Fan is to stray.

Fan Tracking.

 

If it sounds like Fans are a commodity or an asset, well lets be honest they are. Keep them YOUR commodity. I promise you the competition is eyeing your fans, and why wouldn’t they? If a Builder only uses one realtor for all of his properties, there are several other agents waiting for a mistake to be made. Track your fans happiness, and give some appreciation when needed. If your fans start using the competition, find out why, IMMEDIATELY. Don’t wait 6 months, and then wonder why you didn’t get invited to the Christmas party. When a fan makes a switch, they tend to get very vocal about it, they want everyone they know to use their “NEW GUY”, they need to know they made the right decision, and will work to prove it. This is great if you’re the “NEW GUY”, not so much if you’re the one without the Christmas Card.   

Internal Fans!

Make sure your sales force has internal Fans, those people in the office who work hard to actually deliver the product or service on time and correctly. This isn’t always easy, communication, respect and appreciation is Key. If the sales force doesn’t have fans in the office, it is difficult to develop new ones outside the office. Just as No one wants ME processing closing documents, most processors have no desire to give a presentation to a room full of agents. But we can’t deliver the service fans require without the trust that our fans are being taken care of.

Treat office/ admin employees well. Those fellow employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. It sounds silly, but I used to walk into each office and give a small round of applause, what started as silliness turned into me just letting the people who made my paycheck know I was thinking about them. Treat them with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for your fans. Appreciation stems from the Outside In and from the Top to the Bottom. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.

Next: Turning New Clients into Fans!

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

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Provision Extends Flood Insurance Program to the End of May

Friday, April 16th, 2010

A few weeks ago, the Senate left town for the Easter recess without voting on extending the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program), thereby resulting in the program’s expiration. The House had previously approved, by unanimous consent, a $9 billion measure containing one-month extensions of several programs including unemployment insurance, COBRA subsidies for health benefits and flood insurance. Senate leaders of both parties hoped to have their chamber approve the same bill before the Easter break, but Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to the House bill saying it was not funded. A similar scenario occurred in early March. Congress approved legislation last night that reinstated the National Flood Insurance Program. President Obama signed the measure into law within an hour after the House passed the measure.

The provision is effective until May 31. It is retroactive from March 28, when the fourth temporary extension since the program’s authorization originally ran out on Sept. 30, 2008. This will rectify and lapse in coverage and allow people living in flood prone areas to move on with their lives.

Officials of the American Insurance Association said the goal of congressional leadership is to finish work by May 31 on a so-called tax extender’s bill, H.R. 4213, “thus precluding the need for another short-term extension of the NFIP.” This Bill will extend and fund NFIP thru Dec 31, 2010.

According to officials of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, “in theory, the NFIP will now return to normal operations and since the extension is also retroactive, any new policy applications or renewals that were signed and submitted during the hiatus will be effective from the date of application (or in the case of waiting periods, the waiting period will start from the date of application).”

At the same time, the House Financial Services Committee plans to unveil legislation today providing long-term reauthorization and reforming of the program.

Understandably agents are “frustrated by these repeated one-month extensions and the periods of expiration that sometimes result from them.” The NFIP is meant to provide a level of stability and protection “for homeowners and businesses against dangerously unpredictable and costly flooding events, not to be an unpredictable ‘here one minute-gone the next’ program subject to monthly congressional action. The IIABA strongly urges Congress to pass a long term extension of this critical program,” Charles Symington, IIABA senior vice president of government affairs said.

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