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Updated: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Incentives for Going Green
Are you thinking green this Spring? Not only can energy efficient windows, doors and skylights reduce energy bills they can also reduce your federal tax load Visit Energystar.gov to see how you can save These incentives are rewards for making your home more efficient and consuming less energy.
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Ask the HOA Expert
Our governing documents describe allowable signs as either for sale or for rent. Since no other types of signs are described, some interpret to mean no others are allowed. This seems overly restrictive. What about open house, garage sale and political signs? How about holiday decorations and flags?
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Pressure Proofing Your Business
We are all under the gun every day in real estate sales. Most of us get up every morning unemployed. We need to go out and find a person to buy and sell with everyday. How do we 8220;pressure proof8221; our business?
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CFPB Proposes New Form For Mortgage Statements
It is regrettable that the recently-created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau CFPB doesn8217;t have an easily-pronounceable acronym like HUD or RESPA. That is too bad because the CFPB is a government entity that people in the real estate industry are going to be referring to -- and dealing with -- over and over again in the coming years. Would that its name rolled easily off the tongue.
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Real Estate Outlook: Sales Rise
The latest quarterly report from the National Association of Realtors shows that many metro areas are now seeing more balanced conditions. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the figures of this report reflect greater home sales activity at lower price points. Sales have risen strongly in lower price ranges from one year ago, while sales at the upper end remain sluggish, he said.
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Taxing Misconceptions
Five key misconceptions about RRSPs and income may hold people back from year-round commitment to keeping more of their earnings and building their savings into financial security. PJ Wade zeros in to help break down knowledge barriers and get out of a rut.
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Agents: Attracting Business to You Every Time You Leave the House
Most real estate prospecting strategies focus on the pursuit of business, or going out there and actively looking for targets to prospect. Fair enough. But you can also generate a significant amount of business for yourself using attraction-based strategies that dont require you to pursue anyone.
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Average 30-Year Fixed-rate Mortgage Unchanged From All-time Record Low for 3rd Consecutive Week
In Freddie Macs results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the average fixed mortgage rates remained unchanged amid mixed consumer sentiment data. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been at its all-time record-breaking low of 3.87 percent since the first week of February, below 4.00 percent for the past 11 weeks, and below 5.00 percent for the past 52 weeks.
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Make Your Home Appealing to Buyers
Buyers often make a decision within just seconds of seeing your home about whether or not they want to buy it. So picture your home through the eyes of your potential buyers. What do you see in about 10 seconds?
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Maintaining Existing Fire Safety Equipment
In the midst of economic uncertainty, there is one constant within the real estate market: safety. More to the point, the only thing separating a residential home or commercial property from devastation is the right protection.
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Upgrading Your Referral
Implementing a strategy to upgrade your referrals can really explode your referral business. Most salespeople get the name and contact information and try to get off the phone immediately to call the prospect. That is a significant mistake. Follow these steps to increase the odds of your success.
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Refinances Increase as Low Mortgage Rates Remain Consistent
Current mortgage rates have become dependent on news from here and around the world that influences market changes according to investor sentiment. With little economic news released here last week, the long lasting financial troubles in Greece have continued to be a major factor in worldwide markets, including ours. In times of trouble, investors prefer safe assets such as bonds which affect mortgage rate pricing.
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Nation, Economy, Homeowners Need More, Improved Foreclosure Mediation Programs
In a few short years, successful foreclosure mediation programs could head off many of the forecast 10 million foreclosures, fix the broken housing market and help rebuild the economy. Unfortunately, most states dont offer foreclosure mediation, some states offer temporary programs and still others offer programs that dont work as well as they should.
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Be a Staging Star
If youre an HGTV junkie then chances are youve tuned in for some of the networks home improvement shows, nearly all of which have stressed the importance of staging your home for sale.
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A Weekend Project: Newly Painted Walls
You dont have to hire a professional painting crew to get a professional paint job You have all the tips and tools you need to turn dull rooms into beautiful escapes.
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Real Estate Marketing Strategies: Hate to Make Cold Calls? 5 Tips to Make it Easier
Have you often avoided making those dreaded cold calls? Do you dream of how much better your business could be but just cant bring yourself to pick up the phone?
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HOA Annual Reserve Study Updates
A reserve study is a homeowner association8217;s essential long range planning tool. It charts a schedule for the board to follow for major repairs and replacements paint, roofing, etc. and forecasts a budget for each event so the board can set aside money reserves each year so adequate funds will be available when the various events come due.
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