Market Trends

November Listing Exchange

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Listing Exchange 004

We are experiencing short sale success!  One agent got a short sale approved with
clients being current on their mortgage, another one was approved in 3.5 weeks,
many are being approved with the commission negotiated with the sellers, and
one agent got one approved while sitting in the exchange – 6 months after
submission but it was still approved. 
Bank of America is now retaining the right to pursue a deficiency
judgment and letting the seller know that the MI Company may also pursue the
deficiency.  More banks may follow suit –
stay tuned!

Inventory is dropping all over Northern Virginia and the
market continues to be extremely price sensitive.  A home was listed at $275,000 received 3
contracts and the price was escalated up to $300,000 and appraised close to the
sales price.  As luck would have it, the
loan was denied due to fraudulent tax returns being submitted.  Property was relisted for $300,000 because of
the appraisal and 27 showings occurred with no contracts in 2.5 weeks so price
was reduced to $275,000 and two offers are coming in – price properties
correctly and they will sell.

At a recent Buffini
conference he noted:  in 2010 be a Go
Getter or be a Go Goner;   Be a stay
puter and be a bankrupter;  be a do
nothinger and be an out of the businesser! 
What are you going to be next year?

4 million foreclosures expected in 2010 – filings are
slowing down after 6 consecutive months of increases in foreclosure filings.        

Rates are at near low rates for the year.  MBS being purchased by the government will
stop in March – what will happen to rates? 
Who will be a buyer of mortgages at that time?  Right now, we are in a high 4’s market will
probably be in a high 5’s market now.  Again,
now is the time to buy a house!

FHA has reserves of .5% because of demand on their
insurance…what will happen?  Will we need
higher down payments?  Will upfront
mortgage insurance be higher?

In a recent survey of buyers, they felt that on a scale of 1
– 10, 10 being difficult to obtain a loan, getting a loan today ranks as an
8.1.  Lenders are requiring more
paperwork, analyzing loans more and are more difficult to get through.

As most of us know, the tax credit has been
extended…but most REALTOR’s and lenders are not explaining it correctly.  Take advantage of the opportunity and explain
it to your clients and ask for new business!

Upcoming events:

Food Bank ends Friday – please contribute

December 4th is our Quarterly meeting featuring
Dave Stevens – please register!

Breakfast with Santa is December 5th in the
Chantilly office – invite all of your clients!

At our events, the education is great, the food is plentiful
and the networking is awesome – you need to attend.  Get it? 
Got it?  Good!

Now go sell
something!

Tips for Time Management

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I was recently interviewed for the NVAR
Update magazine about time management tips here is what was said!

First you must have goals – daily, weekly, monthly and
yearly.  We have an exercise where you
take a chart, put 5 year goals, 3 year goals, 1 year goals, 270 day, 180 day,
90 day, 60 day and 30 day goals and work backwards  to determine what steps  you need to take to accomplish them within
the timeframe set for yourself. 

Schedule these activities on your calendar and prioritize
them so you work effectively throughout the day.  Also, make sure you schedule family time; fun
time and friend time into your calendar to give you balance in your life.   Treat these activities as appointments like
any other appointment.

When you are at work – work – don’t waste time socializing
or hang around with others that do.  Be
focused on your activities to ensure they get accomplished.

Create task lists to keep you on track for accomplishing
your goals.

On your schedule, have a complete understanding of the
timing of events – if you don’t know ask someone.  You should know how long it takes to get
places, how long your listing appointments should last, home inspections, etc.

Develop a routine in your schedule.  Set your schedule to do certain tasks at the
same time every day.  As an example:   prospect first thing in the morning, return
emails and phone calls next, visit properties, conduct showings and listing
appointments in the afternoons, etc. 
Make your schedule a habit and you will see results.

Close your door at the office to minimize distractions.

As a general rule, delegate. 
Stay focused on what you do best and delegate the rest of the activities
that are not revenue generating activities.

Have an agenda for meetings to keep on track and not waste
time by getting off topic.

Utilize tools such as phonetag and blackberries to handle
phone calls and emails.

It is more important today than ever before to get organized
to get ahead in the business.  Get
it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!

Platinum Group – November

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PG1

Don’t wait to put houses on the market – multiple contracts
at $875,000 in Lansdowne – needs work but 7,500 sq ft on three levels – people
waiting in line to buy

Reasons to list today – you know what prices are today, you
know inventory levels, you know what  rates are today, buyers who are looking this
time of year are serious buyers

Where do you price properties and why – psychology of buyers
or internet strategies of being on the number for search engines – when market
is hot, it doesn’t matter – analyze DOM and number of showings in first week in
same area at same price

Agents continue to be agitated over short sales when
expectations are not set up front.  When
expectations are communicated from the beginning agents are easier to work
with…also, don’t burn bridges with agents who pester you – don’t blow off agent
because they are keeping your feet to the fire.

CDRS – America’s Home Rescue Short Sale process is the
program to work with when dealing with short sales

Write addendum to contract outlining your process for
handling the short sales – communication the time frame, your communication
frequency and type, who communication is with and when and why then have buyer
sign.  Are you committed?  Are you sure this is the right house for
you?  Are you prepared for the process to
take several months?  Will you be ok with
not hearing from me, as the listing agent for sometimes weeks at a time?

The foreclosure report: 
sense from Kent Eley and Fannie Mae is 2nd quarter of
2010.  Administration is trying to be
gentler on folks and not kicking them out in winter and around holidays as well
as push loan modifications.  Also, money
given in stimulus package, banks were told not to foreclose by try and work the
loans out.  Other agents feel that it is
the ignorance of the bank and no one moving fast enough because no one is
giving them direction on what to do as banks are overwhelmed.

Is anyone specifically marketing to get move up buyers into
the market?  What are you doing to get
the word out because most people don’t know or understand what was in the
extension.  Email campaigns, newsletters,
phone calls – just do it. 

Quick analysis: 
Market on upswing, foreclosures coming in second quarter, MBS are going
to stop being purchased by the government in March, tax credit ends on April 30th
even though you have to close by June 30th – therefore you will make
a majority of your money in the first quarter of next year and you need to get
busy today to take advantage of the future market.

What happens to Fannie and Freddie moving forward?  Who will absorb the secondary market funds?

PG2

RPAC

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  • President has signed the Tax Credit.  It passed by a vote of 403
    to 12 in Congress and by a vote of 98 to 0 in the Senate.  Woohoo, it’s already done!  All the politicians in attendance broke
    bones over this – they broke their arms patting themselves so hard on
    their back voting to get this through when it was a no brainer to begin
    with in my opinion.
  • $6500 credit to people who have
    lived in their house 5 of the last 8 years.  $225k combined income on properties up to
    $800k
  • These measures will spur growth
    but credit needs to be easier to obtain to boost rest of the economy
    nationally
  • Commercial Real Estate and
    retail is a concern – Federal government is only real lessee in town
  • Raising funds for Metro Rail is
    and will be a challenge
  • Must be CRS to appraise
    properties over $1,000,000 – I hadn’t heard this before
  • Questions to ask appraisers
    • Do you have contact
    • Do you have comps
    • Do you know the neighborhood
    • Where are you located
    • How long have you been
      appraising
  • One agent has not had a local
    appraiser in listing for 6 months – take on at State level
  • HVCC sunsets in June 2011 – I had
    not heard this before
  • Must deal w/ deficit issues
    head on and match our deeds to words to stay ahead of China
  • Leading Nations in the
    corresponding centuries
    • 16th – Spain
    • 17th – France
    • 18th – Britain
    • 19th – Britain
    • 20th – United
      States
    • 21st – ???  (Let’s hope it’s not China!!!)
  • Local economy grew 3% Q3
    unemployment is less than 5% in our area
  • Stimulus $$ will benefit Tech
    and R&D industries in our area
  • Knowledge based economy has
    helped our area – no smoke stacks,  plants or factories
  • Heath care is a tremendous
    concern if you’re lucky enough to live long enough we will all have a pre-existing
    condition – things need to change
  • Analyzing how the politicians
    throw around Billions, ½ trillions and trillions like it’s not real money
  • Loan limit rate increase was
    extended through end of 2010 so it will remain at $729,750

Demand Success Today

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As you know, RE/MAX officials were in town yesterday. 
Here is what was shared!  Click on the link for the presentation.

Demand
Success Today

 

The Economy –

Right now our recovery is considered to be a jobless
recovery because we continue to lose jobs yet; the economy is pulling out of
the recession without creating jobs. The nation’s jobless rate won’t be back to
4.5 % until 2014.

 

Most companies have cut back and will not rehire people they
let go.  The car business most definitely won’t hire their people back –
everything is cheaper in China and a lot of production is being exported there.

 

Housing will have a hard time helping economy get out of
recession because new home sales have plummeted so far down.

 

America is responsible for 27 % of the world’s GNP China is
7% within 30 years China will lead world in production.

 

Foreclosures –

Build your resume, contact the right people and give right
presentation to get REO business

 

There are 3.5 million foreclosure filings per year expected
in 2009 and 2010

 

25 % of homeowners with a mortgage are underwater

 

A huge number of commercial loan maturities are coming due
in 2011 and 2012 which will put pressure on this sector.

 

Savings rate is 7 % today as a result of people’s fear over
job loss, their property values being down, and they can’t use their house as a
piggy bank anymore plus their 401K’s are down so consumers have become less
likely to spend.

 

You can’t use yesterday’s business methods to make money in
today’s market and expect to be in business tomorrow.

 

Number of Realtors –

800,000 in 2000

1,400,000 in 2006

1,100,000 in 2009

Need 900,000 for more agents to be successful

 

LIFO last in first out is a great rule for real estate when
referring to Realtors

 

9.7 million Distressed properties right now,  4.7
million will sell over the next few years – many will renegotiate to stay in
their properties.

 

RE/MAX has 6 % of agent total and handles 26 to 28 % of REO
sales

 

Systemized and standardized process for short sales is
expected to be announced within 2 business days.  This is coming from the
government and discussions with Liniger.

 

NAR has a new designation to handle short sales – SFR. 
RE/MAX agents can get discount on Mainstreet – contact me for details

 

Rebuild USA 203k specialists

 

There is a new foreclosure tab on remax.com.  Don’t
forget to register as well as update your profiles email address, education,
designation, specialties to get leads.  You must have a designation to
receive leads for short sales and foreclosures – don’t delay, do it today!

 

Know your market and its dynamics –

 

Our market is predominantly 1st time buyers and
investors  – get into these business arenas.

 

Generations –

Baby boomers 3 more moves downsizing selling buying selling
smaller house moving in with their kids or family members

 

Generation X –

50 % not married yet and most have no kids.  They are
just now beginning to buy houses skeptical but loyal

 

Millennials –

Very different on line, no high pressure, knowledgeable,
instant everything

 

 

When dealing with online leads, have the shot gun approach –
send out response to 5 agents and the first to respond gets the lead.

 

80 % of Americans have nothing to retire on assisted living
or nursing homes or moving in with family

 

Social media will take you to the next level take pictures
of clients after settlement do portraits get busy getting involved with it
today – don’t delay it is not going away.

 

The crowd was enthused – you should be too!  Get
it?  Got it?  Good!

 

BrettandDave

 

Breakfast with Dave Liniger and Krisi Graning

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The purpose
of the breakfast was to encourage open dialogue on our region to take back to
policy leaders. Looking to get pulse on market to show congressman and
governors what is happening in the trenches. 
According to Dave, NAR has lost credibility with the government. 


BreakfastDST

 

One agent
has 11 properties under contract and all have appraisal issues.

 

Inventory
levels are low. Foreclosure process has been slowed by Obama’s policies on
occupancy rules and how people who are living in properties are treated.  If a tenant can produce a lease, they can
stay in the property until the lease term ends. 
Issues are – who gets the rent and how can the lease they produce be
validated – this is a bad policy people!

 

The media
still creates problems by sending mixed messages to viewers which continues to
wan consumer confidence on all levels.

 

Appraisers
don’t understand market and understand reality of our pricing and trends.  It appears that too many are under qualified,
unprofessional and unfamiliar with areas they are appraising.

 

Under
$400,000.00 market is strong – upwards of 18 contracts on houses.

 

HVCC has
lead to incompetent people appraising our property resulting in low appraisals

 

All real
estate is local agents and appraisers need to be local.

 

Agent
quality is low with REO’s across the board agent professionalism and ethics is
not up to par with what the consumer demands.

 

Take new HUD
1 to your asset managers for a training session to build better relationships
and get more assets to sell.

 

No FHA or VA
contracts has hurt many first time home buyers trying to take advantage on
$8,000.00 tax credit.

 

Extension of
unemployment benefits was to be voted on last night the first time tax credit
may be attached to that bill – stay tuned. 
Tax credit extension would be the tiered down version.

 

Get up to
speed with the market, understand its challenges and become a success – Get
it?  Got it?  Good!

 

Now, go sell
something!