Joe's Blog

When somebody says they are thinking about doing "realty" part-time it give me the goose bumps. All over. The hair on my toes stand up and tie themselves in a knot. It's 9:34 p.m. and I left my house at 8:00 something this morning & I'm still not done "working." This blog is my mini-sabbatical before I begin the grave yard shift of emailing back 2.3 billion people, some of which still think they are the ONLY person that has emailed me since the birth of the Internet.

Yesterday & the day before weren't much different.

Nothing is ever what it seems, especialy in REALTY. People in this business don't refer to it as REALTY by the way. And we're not "listers." We're Listing Agents. Part time agents can,  and in some rare cases do service their clients well, sometimes. I can't imagine pulling a full shift as an engineer then coming home and taking on my second career as a Real Estate Agent.

Wait!

I know! A high percentage of the public assumes we do nothing more than write contracts and conduct Open Houses. In between, we deposit GOBS of high paying commission checks. I wonder if my Benz is back from the detailer? I have a t-time at the local country club and don't wanna be late!

Hasty, just hasty to assume anything about our day's in the life of real estate.

************************************************************************************

Greg Nino is Licensed Real Estate agent & Team Leader for GT & Associates. We proudly serve all of Harris, Montgomery, Brazoria & FT. Bend County. Our expertise & professional services are available 7 days a week.

This blog and its content is copyright of Greg Nino and GT & Associates 2010. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:  you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only. You may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge Greg Nino as the source of the material You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system without obtaining Greg Nino's permission.

 

Sam Miller | RE/MAX Stars Realty | (740) 397-7800 18423 Mishey Road, Butler, OH Country Ranch on 1.483 Acres 3BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $87,500 Year Built 1995 Sq Footage 1,120 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 1.483 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Country ranch home situated on 1.483 acres, roomy 3 bedrooms design with a large and open living room, cabinet filled kitchen with eat-in area, large master bedroom with huge walk in closet, convenient main level laundry area, relaxing rear deck overlooking the private back yard, big 2 car garage with paved circular driveway, full basement for added storage and could become future living space, low maintenance and easy care vinyl siding, it is rare to find a nice country home like this for under $100,000, this home is price for a quick and smooth sale. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central heat - Walk-in closet - Living room - Dining room - Basement - Laundry area - inside - Balcony, Deck, or Patio - Yard ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Street View of Mishey Nice Pole Barn / Garage Huge Vaulted Kitchen Nice Eating Area Vaulted Master Bedroom Huge Living Room Contact info: Sam Miller RE/MAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Feb 8, 2010, 1:00pm PST

View additional listing details, photos and virtual tour at 18423 Mishey Road in Butler, Ohio

Call Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  SamMiller.com

Google offers Blogs, Yahoo offers Blogs, and now ActiveRain offers RE Blogs!!  I am so excited that I get to announce this!  ActiveRain is pulling all the stops and releasing the "BIG" storm today.  It's been a long time coming, and now it's finally here! STOP HERE!

UPDATE 4/10/2009 -  Please see this new post for details regarding the NEW OUTSIDE Blogs offerred on ActiveRain.  How to Create and Maximize your AR Outside Blogs  and  5 Tips For Your Outside Blogs.

ActiveRain "Outside Blogs" are launched today.  You're going to love the ability to create one post, and then with the check of a box, send it to your Outside Blog.  That's right, one post, syndicated in three locations.  You can choose to have your post on ActiveRain, Localism, and now your own personal "Outside Blog" too.

Here's just a few highlights of the "" Outside Blogs:

* Host your Blog on your own domain name.  (You must own name)  ie: BestHomes.com
* Customize the look and feel of your Outside Blog.
* Set up in 10-15 minutes max.
* Build your posts in ActiveRain, no need to learn a new Blogging platform.
* Publish your posts to AR, Localism, Outside Blog, or all three, it's your choice.
* Benefit from the SEO power of ActiveRain.
* Brand your own Blog and yet stay connected with the AR community.
* Comments are syndicated between your ActiveRain Blog and your Outside Blog.

This is only the beginning, as the community jumps on these, each individual's exposure doubles. 2X the POWER!  That's Exciting!!  Imagine the possiblities with these Blogs...

Here's how to setup YOUR Outside Blog.  The sample below is a screen shot of my Outside Blog. I'll demonstrate how I used ActiveRain to create it.

 

SETTING UP YOUR CUSTOM OUTSIDE BLOG:

1. To Start, click on the link "Outside Blogs" from "My Home" page.

2. On the next screen, give your Blog a "Title". It will already have the same name as your current ActiveRain Blog.  You can change it.

3. Meta Keywords are the next option, don't panic What's a Meta Tag?

4. Next, you can customize or modify your Blog description. This text will appear underneath your Blog Banner.

5. Now give your Blog an ActiveRain Subdomain:
ie:  ActiveBrad.ActiveRain.com

6. You can also use custom domain names. (advanced users only)
You must already own your own domain name. If not, you can see if the domain you like is available, click here.

 

Here's a screen shot of the options that are mentioned above:

7. Next, keep your current photo or add a new photo to your Blog. Your Outside Blog photo will NOT replace your existing AR photo.  Here's your chance to update that picture from 7 years ago. lol~

8. Select one of the Templates or Themes from the ActiveRain Library:  These can be customized. More templates will be available in the future.  This is just the launch period, expect enhancements for sure.

 

 

9. Setup the colors for your fonts and for different areas of your Blog page.  Here's a color chart.

10. Now, add custom created headers and images to your Blog.  There are multiple posts on how to create and edit images, you'll find them in the Help/FAQ group.  We have some very artistic and talented members who share valuable tools and resources there.

11. Under the Advanced options, you can display multiple Blog posts, up to 100 if you like.
(I suggest 20 posts max, or the page may load slowly, especially if you have video and large graphics)

Use the Syndication options to select which posts to pull, or add ALL from your primary ActiveRain Blog.  Members Only posts will not appear on your Outside Blog.  If you have concerns about Duplicate Content on your Blogs, read this post called "Duplicate Content and Outside Blogs."

 

12. The FINAL STEP, Click on Save Changes

YOU'RE DONE!
Go to the ActiveRain Subdomain URL you created
and there's your new outside Blog!

Here's A Sample Of Mine

*Note: When creating posts on ActiveRain, just check this box
to place them on your outside Blog.

 

If you do choose to use your own existing Domain name, please read the advanced information and instructions below. You'll need to know the following:  You can also find this information located HERE.

Here are the STEP-BY-STEP instructions for setting up an Outside Blog using your own domain name.
Also be sure to check out some of the other members outside domains as ActiveRain Blogs Evolve.

 

 

That's It!  We are finally launched!!.  WOOHOO!!  You will no longer have to search for a place to have an outside Blog.  You won't have to start from scratch to create your own, or cut and paste, or duplicate efforts, or try and manage your time running two or more Blogs.

I really am excited about this.   It's like watching the birth of a baby being born, and I feel somehow emotionally and personally attached to it.  ActiveRain is moving onward and upward, and everyday, becoming more of a powerful source in this great industry.  I'm honored to be the carrier pigeon of this exciting and community changing news.  As always, if you get stuck, don't get MAD, call Brad.

For Outside Blog status updates and known issues being addressed:  CLICK HERE!
  

"RainMaker" Special - Signup Here for New Member Discount
Real Estate RainCamp™ - "Because The Way We Do Business Has Changed!"
ActiveRain University - "Where teachers were once pupils, and students become teachers!"

ActiveRain Channels - Technology and Tools - It's A "Discovery Channel"

Everyone knows how excited I get about all the new, cool, and useful technology that's available here and out on the web. Turns out, and it's no surprise, that I'm not the only one who loves to share tech tips and tools with others.  Many of us create posts on AR, sharing our findings and information with others in hopes that it will be helpful to them in their business.  We add them to  channel, give them a topic, submit them to our Blog, then we go on about our day.

Today I saw a post by member Jim Lee sharing Wordle, a cloud tagging tool that was very interesting. Then I saw he added his post to the Technology and Tools Channel on ActiveRain.  Curiosity always gets the better of me, so I clicked on the Channel and was "Blown Away" at all the members who had written posts about various Technologies and tools they had discovered too.  Want some Tech and Tools?

Here's what I discovered, there is a ton of content covering...

Technology | Twitter | Google | Websites | Photography
 Video | Facebook | Social Networking | SEO

Each of these links within the Channel will take you even deeper where you'll find even more focused content on each subject matter.  There is an alphabetically sorted "Topic" index at the bottom of the Channel that you can search through in detail. There's even a "Most Popular Topics" index on the right hand side of the Channel page.  As you click on specific topics, you'll notice a "Top Contributor" section within that Sub-Channel.  This Channel Navigation structure applies to EVERY ActiveRain Channel.  Did you know this?

Holy Cow! I work here everyday and didn't even realize how much the Channels have grown.  It's awesome!!

Just out of curiosity... again,  I used the search tool on AR and searched for "TIPS and TOOLS."  WOW!  More than 800 posts have been written just using these two keywords.  For me personally, this will save me a ton of time looking for exactly the kind of stuff I love and that I'm always searching for.  Talk about discovering a goldmine, I'm feeling like a 49er today!! lol~

There are so many areas to find great content on ActiveRain: The feature board, the Blogrolls, inside the groups, subscribed bloggers etc., just don't forget to grab your remote control once in a while and skip through some of the ActiveRain Channels. It's just like your television, you never know what you'll discover until you start flipping through some of the channels.  Also, make sure that you're adding your content to the proper channels so you'll get additional exposure to those looking for your specific topics. 


The Technology and Tools Channel IS My new "Discovery Channel!"

"RainMaker" Special - Signup Here for New Member Discount
Real Estate RainCamp™ - "Because The Way We Do Business Has Changed!"
ActiveRain University - "Where teachers were once pupils, and students become teachers!"

 

Fresh off the presses....new information for you that reinforces our belief that the Obama Administration is about to open the flood gates for short sales.

In other words, as we have been advocating for well over 3 years now...and as many of you will agree...

Short Sales are THE solution!

Here is what we have just learned:

Seth Wheeler, Senior Advisor to the Treasury Department discussing the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program, (which isn’t working at the level needed or intended) indicated that the Obama Administration may be shifting focus from modifications to another program which simply gets troubled borrowers out of their homes as quickly and cleanly as possible.

In other words, Short Sales are the solution.

Wheeler, “Short sales, deeds in lieu are other ways to prevent foreclosures to help achieve stability [in housing],”  “Modifications are only for a certain subset of distressed homeowners.” Translation: not many want to mod their loans or can mod their loans.

As you will recall last November  the Treasury launched the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program which specifically targets short sales and deeds in lieu of foreclosure.

Watch the video about HAFA Now.

So, here is how it works….’troubled borrowers’ are sent to the HAMP program first. In other words, the first thing the lenders will do is offer mortgage loan modification. Next, if the borrower can’t or won’t do a loan mod…then…they are directed to the HAFA program. Here is an overview of this process: (Note: expect changes to this program)

Servicers must consider HAMP eligible borrowers for HAFA within 30 calendar days of the date the borrower:

- Does not qualify for a Trial Period Plan;

- Does not successfully complete a Trial Period Plan;

- Is delinquent on a HAMP modification by missing at least two consecutive payments; or

- Requests a short sale or DIL. This last point is interesting. You need to be aware that when your client calls their lender and the lender attempts to ‘force’ them to their loan mod department under these new guidelines the borrower can request to go directly to the short sale department. Kind-a confusing but, you get the idea.

Here is what you need to know about HAFA. Remember, the video that we created for you last year about HAFA is HERE.

- The HAFA program offers incentives in this program “upon successful completion of the short sale” or Deed in Lieu.

- Borrower receives  relocation assistance of $1500. Yep, seller/ borrower will receive $1500 for doing the short sale. Oh, how things are about to change!...but, it gets better....

- Servicer incentive of $1000 to cover administrative and processing costs and investor reimbursement of $1000 for subordinate lien releases. That’s when the investor allows up to $3000 in short sale proceeds to go to subordinate lien holders.

- Participating lenders can NOT pursue a deficiency judgment post short sale (or DIL) closing. This will be the end to all the mickey-mouse lenders try to get borrowers to agree to post closing. Like, paybacks.

- Commissions....6%, thank you very much!

Bottom line, expect the HAFA program to be front and center starting this April once the new guidelines are in full effect. Its our believe that these new guidelines will usher in what we have been advocating for years…the streamlined short sale! Agents, 2010 IS the year of the short sale. Watch the FREE Harris Real Estate University Agent Short Sale Secrets CDPD video and download the FREE BOOK NOW!

.

 

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How To Use ScribeFire to Enhance Your ActiveRain Blog Posts  

Scribefire.com is a great 3rd party add-on to the Mozilla Firefox Browser.  Lately, the emails and calls have been coming in about how to setup AR Blogs, get API's, and how to use Scribefire with ActiveRain Blog posts.  First off, the reason I mention Scribefire is that it is one of the few third party apps I have found that works well and doesn't conflict with the AR Network HTML format. 

Really Important

Some members on AR use MS Word, Publisher, Front Page and other sources which often times (but not always) has hidden HTML codes, tables, and formatting that is incompatible with ActiveRain.  You've seen them, you know the ones, these are the posts that show funky looking codes, push the sidebar half way down the page, and make Blogs look like "you know what" when they load on your computer screen.

Why Use Scribefire?

Though the AR Blog Post editor may seem somewhat simplified and to some, a bit archaic, it still does a great job for creating great text content, adding images, photos and links, and producing search engine friendly creations.  However there are many who want to customize and create larger fonts, add color to their fonts, use a different style of font etc. This is where Scribefire does a great job and works well with AR.

THE MAIN REASON FOR POSTING THIS

Where most of our members get hung up is when downloading Scribefire as their Firefox add-on. Somewhere in the process, Scribefire asks for your Blog URL, API, and other information that IS NOT NECESSARY to begin using the Scribefire tools on ActiveRain. The requested and "perceived as required" information is ONLY for use on Blogging Platforms where you plan to use ScribeFire as the total replacement tool for creating your Blog posts. IE: Wordpress, Blogger, Self-Hosted Blogs etc. NOT ON ACTIVERAIN.

Here's the Scoop on How It Works

Go to Scribefire.com, download it and add to your Firefox Browser.  BYPASS all the additional questions and other stuff they want you to enter. (unless you are using scribefire on another blogging platform) To begin using the Scribefire tools and options, just press the "hotkeys" FUNCTION + F8 while in the edit mode of a Blog post, and the Scribefire Window (shown below) will open up in the lower section of your computer screen. Now you will have two areas to work in, your AR Blog post, and the Scribefire editing window.

Create your text, change your font color, select a larger sized font, use a variety of different style fonts, have a field day, and when you're done, just highlight the section you've created in the Scribefire window, copy it (CTRL+C) and then paste it into your AR Blog post body (CTRL+V)  You can do this using the ActiveRain WYSIWYG tab.  Save your post in "draft" mode to be sure everything looks just as you want it, then make the necessary changes you want before making your post public.

DISCLAIMER.. I mean Warning.. NO... A QUICK TIP!

One thing to be careful of is that you don't go CRAZY with Font Colors and sizes.  Sometimes the colored fonts and multiple sized text can make your Blog Post hard to read and unpleasing to the eye. Yellow font colors are difficult to read, Big Fonts can take away from the message in the little fonts, and multi-colored Blog post (for some) can and will cause nausea. (IMO)

SUMMARY and PURPOSE

The Scribefire add-on tools will allow you to enhance your AR Blog posts to your liking, give you a bit more versatility, and keep the AR network and your Blog clean of those Hidden and incompatible HTML codes.  Many of these outside third party apps can and will make Blogs on AR look like "you know what" and frustrate AR members beyond your wildest imagination.  I'm not kidding, you should see and hear some of the emails and calls I get. lol~ NOT!! :-)

Scribefire

For my next trick, we'll look at how to insert iFrames and tables into your Blog post without completely blowing out your Blog. This is one of the more common errors I see on ActiveRain by members that not only affects your AR Blog, but does even worse things to your Localism and Outside Blogs.