How To Master Social Media

Social media isn’t going anywhere. Oh wait, yes it is… it’s going everywhere! Social media is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to share your brand with a large audience. Data suggests that a rising number of real estate agents are leveraging the power of social media to connect with their clients and
expand their professional networks.

In fact, the California Association of REALTORS® found that agents cited the following reasons for using social media in an effort to grow their real estate businesses:
67 percent staying in touch with clients
54 percent be more accessible to myclients
50 percent respond to clients faster
44 percent market my business to a younger demographic
The study also found that while 66 percent of California REALTORS® consider social media an “integral tool in a marketing plan,” a full 62 percent of respondents deem themselves social media beginners. So let’s change that, shall we? Today we’ve rounded up a handful
of social media dos and don’ts for real estate that will have you socializing (and building
your brand) like a pro in no time at all.

DO

Pick Your Poison
Be wary of spreading yourself too thin. There are literally hundreds of social media
platforms out there. It’s better to be good at a few than to be bad at all, so choose one or
two places to start and focus on posting consistently. You can always expand your presence
later. Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn are great options for real estate because
they have a critical mass of users and a good mind share of the general public.
Stay Positive
No one wants to follow a Negative Nancy. We all have bad days and tricky clients from time
to time, but it’s important to project a positive image of yourself and your business. Instead
of sharing what’s going wrong for you, focus on what’s working in your favor. Share good
news, inspiring photos and helpful tips. And never miss an opportunity to publicly say ‘thank
you’ via social.
Interact
Interaction is key to creating a social media personality that attracts connections and
referrals. If someone tweets you, reply promptly. If you like a post, let the author know by
taking the time to share it or leave a thoughtful comment. What goes around comes around
in the world of social media. The more you reach out to others now, the more likely they are
to reach out to you in the future.

DON’T

Only Post Listings
Many agents see Twitter and Facebook as exciting new avenues for sharing listings – and
they’re right to a degree – but don’t forget the bigger picture. If you only post listings, you’re
not being social, you’re being a salesman, or even worse, a bulletin board. And, like all
other obvious advertising, it won’t be long before your intended audience tunes you out.
Overshare
On the other end of the social media spectrum is the agent who overshares – broadcasting
every moment of his or her day, whether it’s real estate related or not. Remember that you
are communicating with potential clients every time you post. The topics of your public
posts, and the language you use, should be similar to what you would say in the workplace.
Give Up
Even if you follow all of these pointers, if you’re charming and consistent and you share
useful content, you probably won’t gain thousands of followers in the first week. But don’t
quit! Slow and steady growth builds a strong and loyal network. Review your history to see
which posts on which platforms created the most engagement and tweak your future social
media actions accordingly.
Geneva Ives is the marketing writer for Point2

The Top 5 Mistakes Sellers Make

There are so many things that need to be done before listing your home for sale.  Unfortunately, many sellers are making the same costly mistakes.  Mistakes that could have saved them thousands if they had only known "what not to do".  Let's talk about the top five mistakes that cost sellers thousands.

1.  Do not put your home on the market before it is ready.  Make sure that the painting is done, the carpet has been replaced and everything is clean and organized.  If you show your home to potential buyers while you are in the middle of renovating, this will lower the perceived value of your home in the minds of your buyers. Presentation is everything- so get the work done before marketing the property.

2.  Do not over improve your home versus the norm for your neighborhood - you will not recoup this money .  Do not spend money on something that you think your buyers will insist on.  Every buyer is different and has different wants and needs.  So you will only be throwing your money into the wind. Don't start adding absurd renovations, not every buyer wants/needs these upgrades, plus it will most likely not increase the value of your home.

3.  Do not over price your home because of what you "need" to get for it - otherwise it will sit and then become an aged listing in the minds of your potential buyers.  Your market should always control the sale price. Never price your home based on what you want to net, this strategy will always end in failure. Although you can control the asking price the market should always control the sales price. The price should be determined by the black and white, matter of fact reality of the market.

4.  This one should probably be number one - don't get emotionally involved in the sale of your home.  Most sellers have lived in their homes for years and have become quite attached.  What you like about the home is not necessarily what your buyers will like about it.  So don't get offended if your buyer wants to change something or says something negative about your home.  Once you sell it - it is not your home anymore.  Think about your new home and all of the potential it has to offer.

5.  Don't try to cover up or hide the homes problems.  Most states have and require a property disclosure form.  You must disclose the homes problems to your potential buyers.  If you don't, that does not mean that you cannot be sued for it later on down the line when that problem surfaces for the new owner.

6. Do not hire just any Realtor, based on non-business factors. Make sure you hire a professional with a proven track record. Check there website, read reviews, have a meeting to see if you and the Realtor are on the same page. Make sure you both have the same ideas and expectations.


Before listing your home, talk to your Realtor about the pitfalls that can occur when selling your home. Take advantage of your Realtors years of knowledge and the next thing you know you will be moved and enjoying your new home!

Things To Consider When Designing Your New Construction Home

t is very exciting to have a new home built.  But in all of that excitement there are things you should consider before finalizing your plans.  You will need to look to the future needs of your home and family then plan accordingly; rather than just thinking about your current lifestyle and how you want your home to perform for you now - in the present.

Here are a few things that you may not have thought about when starting the beginning phases of building your new home.

1.  When deciding whether to go with the large open spaces, less walls etc.  Think about your life now and in the future.  Currently you may have a toddler and need those wide open spaces to keep an eye on them.  However, remember that they don't stay toddlers for long.  Before you know it that toddler will be a teenager and you will then need as many separate rooms / spaces as you can get.  Because once you have some teenagers on your hands, you will quickly learn that everyone is going to want their own space.

2.  Don't downsize a room or a closet to make a space for a newborn or toddler.  Once again, they do not stay newborns for long and you will be left with little or no space.  Downsizing a room or eliminating a closet just doesn't make sense in the whole scheme of things.  Remember, your newborn is only going to be a newborn for a little while.  But you will more than likely live in your home much longer than that.

3.  Don't give up kitchen cabinet space for a pass through bar just so you can keep an eye on your kids.  Your small children will grow quicker than you can blink an eye but once your home is built your kitchen will have to stay that way forever.  And before long your children will be grown and you will no longer need that pass through bar but you sure could use that extra cabinet space.

4.  Consider a downstairs den that could be converted into a bedroom in the future as your family grows.

5.  Think about having your attic roughed-in with plumbing and electric for a future bedroom or living space.

6.  Perhaps adding a bathroom and kitchenette to your basement for possible future living quarters.  This will also add value to your home when it comes time to sell.

7.  Think ahead to when your toddler turns 16 and gets a car.  You will need more garage space.  So consider having a three car garage included with your home building plans.

8.  It is always a good idea to have grab bars installed in all of your bathrooms.  These are not just for seniors.  These are great for kids and for adults who have over extended themselves and need a little assistance getting in and out of the bathtub or shower.

It is hard to know exactly what you are going to need in the future.  But try a little forward thinking and build your house according to what you think you will need.

If you have built a house that is no longer suitable for you and your family.  Call your realtor and ask them to help you find a home that fits your new lifestyle.  Your realtor would be more than happy to assist you in any way they can.

The Future of Mortgages

The current trend in real estate has been quite positive. For an extended period of time, we have seen pretty consistent growth in sales and home prices. After years of dealing with poor market conditions, we are all breathing a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, the industry must be vigilant in ensuring that nothing is done to impede or reverse the housing recovery, particularly by Congress and the regulators in Washington. Despite the improved sales numbers, however, mortgage credit remains tight. Nowhere is this more evident than in the consistently high percentage of cash purchasers in the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) monthly existing home sales numbers. While sales are improving overall, it is those with cash who seem to be driving the numbers higher, even though interest rates remain historically low.

We have seen the tightening of credit through higher effective minimum credit scores for FHA and conventional conforming loans. Lenders are already avoiding risk, begging the question: What will happen when numerous Dodd-Frank rules take effect? What will happen if major changes are made to the FHA program? What will happen if the role Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play in mortgage financing is fundamentally changed or even eliminated? With so much change and potential change on the horizon, it is at times overwhelming, even to industry experts. In talking to many industry experts, one gets the sense they are simply living for today until truly confronted by tomorrow. That is the wrong strategy because bad outcomes tomorrow can be prevented by action today.

Here are some of those actions:
• Tell your Congressman to support HR 1077, The Consumer Mortgage Choice Act, which
will prevent reduced access to Qualified Mortgages (QM) for many consumers.
• Tell them to oppose major changes to FHA, such as reduced loan limits, increased down
payments, limiting to first-time homebuyers, or people of certain income levels.
• Tell them to oppose efforts to do away with the function the Government Sponsored
Enterprises play in establishing a securities market for mortgages.
• Tell them to oppose Basel III capital rules that discriminate against mortgages as secure
instruments.
• Tell them to oppose a Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) that establishes a down
payment standard and extremely tight debt-to-income and credit standards.
• Tell them to support equal treatment for condos under the FHA program.
• Tell them to support opening FHA 203K for investors to help rebuild communities one
home at a time.
These are a few of the actions you can take to keep the housing recovery going. While you
are telling Congress these things, you should also weigh in with the regulators, such as the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB). HUD plays a key role in the QRM and FHA rules, while CFPB is
responsible for the QM, RESPA, TILA, Loan Officer Compensation, and a host of other
rules. Congress, the regulators, and the administration can all help to ensure a sustained
housing recovery, but only if they do the right things.
This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

Homeowners Insurance

Owning a private home in a residential community subjects you to pay the Homeowners Insurance (HOI). For some homeowners, they see it as an added expense on top of the recurring mortgage they have to pay in the next 10 to 20 years. It can be devastating as some communities require all homeowners to pay the HOI. But despite the extra expense, this type of insurance is proven to be beneficial.  Let me explain.

What is Homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners Insurance is a type of insurance that is used to protect the homeowner’s property from various damages. There are also cases that homeowners’ insurance policies offer liability coverage against damages or injuries on the property. Generally, there are different forms of standardized homeowners insurance that can be chosen which will also depend on the needs of the homeowner. The following are types of HOI standardized by the Insurance Service Office

HO1 – Basic Form Homeowner Policy

HO2 – Broad Form Homeowner Policy

HO3 – Special Form Homeowner Policy

HO4 – Renter’s Insurance

HO5 – Premier Homeowner Policy

HO6 – Condominium Policy

HO8 – Older Houses

Read the complete description of each policy here.

Who needs it?

Whether you own or rent a home, condo, or apartment, you will need to have homeowners insurance. Indeed, you are not legally required to have homeowners insurance; however, it is one of the requirements when applying for a mortgage. It satisfies lenders. Almost all lenders are requiring borrowers to secure satisfactory insurance before they consider borrowers from qualifying for a loan.

In an insurance, there are policies that a home owner can choose from aside from the basic ones. The basic policies usually cover damages or accidents caused by fire, hurricane, vandalism, or lighting. Some other policies might cover damages due to theft too. To determine the policies that are applicable to you, an insurance agent or specialist can do the inspection beforehand.

The cost of the insurance will usually depend on:

1. Building costs
2. Crime rate in the neighbourhood
3. Heating, electrical system,  and plumbing condition
4. Materials and style layouts used for the home construction
5. The probability rate of accidents or damages from hurricanes, flood,  and hail storms

One common issue of homeowners is the disaster brought about by flooding. Standard policies for most insurance do not cover damages caused by flood. You have the option to add it from the standard policy. You can get it directly from your insurance agent.

In times of disaster or accidents, an uninsured homeowner may end up losing his or her home. You cannot just risk your largest asset because of the high premium costs of insurances. One common and easiest way to lower your premium costs is by increasing the amount of money you have to spend to cover the damage/loss before the insurance company starts the responsibility to pay the claim which is also known as deductible.

Insurance is not an option for homeowners, rather a necessity. At first, an insurance maybe an intangible product but it is actually one of the best things that you can have