Is the Reverse Mortgage the next instrument of easy profiteering for the sociopaths looking to line their pockets at the expense of others?
Now, don’t get me wrong – the reverse mortgage will make sense for some and will be the right choice. But, when we get the same over-the-hill celebrities that encouraged consumers to use their homes as ATM’s pushing the reverse mortgage – it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Blame my outburst today on the Contra Costa Times for this article.
Since then, we have noticed more air time for “Fading Stars with NO Conscience.” It sickens me how these celebrities, whose futures are more secure than the elderly they prey on, can continue to move from one fleecing program to the next with no apparent loss of sleep.
I can hear them now – I’m just advertising a product. It’s up to the consumer to use their head, their attorney and accountant to see if a reverse mortgage is right lfor them. How many time have we all heard that?
It’s true that people need to use common sense, seek good advice and be accountable for their decisions and actions. But this “Old Crow for Lunch Bunch” is, in my opinion, once again abusing the public’s trust for personal gain.
Did you notice how slim the Real Estate section was in today's Times (8 pages)? Is it the holidays, abandonment by Realtors now placing ads online, a combination of both, or something else?
2008 Real Estate Forecast for the East Bay of California
The East Bay real estate market has many micro-markets. We will post separate forecasts on some of the I-680 corridor communities over the next few days.
In general, we can say that the forecast for real estate in 2008 is going to be relatively flat. Short-term flippers and investors have left the market. The investors now entering the market are those wanting to snatch up foreclosures and short sales. Investors will have to hold on to these properties for 12 to 18 months which will have an impact on the rental market.
Here is our short 2008 Real Estate Forecast presentation.
Teresa Boardman has some fun today with integrating customer service into her real estate business. Teresa has a wit and business sense I can resonate with.
Real estate is a personal business. Always has been and always will, regardless of how much technology we try to integrate into it.
Most Realtors will tell you that 50% to 70% of their business comes from referrals. I know several agents that only work referrals. If a call comes in from an unknown person, they give it to someone else in their office.
Referrals won’t happen with poor customer service.
We recently merged our team with the Mees team. Part of the value in this for our clients is increased customer service. Even though both teams placed customer service high on their list of priorities, combining the teams allows us to bring even more personal contact into our client relationships.
One reason is that we have a full time Tech/Internet Marketing person. He’s writing this very post. This frees up the other four team members for more client contact.
The same is true for our Escrow Coordinator, Renee. Renee works soley for our team. There is an escrow coordinator in our Danville office who works with the other 190 agents in the office. We feel it is better service for our clients to have an escrow coordinator dedicated to the needs of just our clients.
The escrow process can be very complicated and with all the changes happening in the lending industry, everyday can bring unforeseen surprises.
We talk about “client focused team support” on our site and we walk the talk. It’s all about the client and every client brings us a unique situation. It’s personal to them and us.
The temperature today will hit about 80 degrees. The real estate market is also hot. Of course, the other piece of info we need to make sense of these two statements is where. AND that is the drawback of listening to national housing market reports and applying the message to your market.
We hear a lot these days about foreclosures and the down market, but last I checked there wasn't a foreclosure happening in Blackhawk and there are still some micro-markets in the East Bay where houses move quickly and prices are still rising. So, the message is still – Real Estate is a Local Market and the only market that mattes is YOUR local market.
BUYERS – Trying to time the market is taking the wrong approach. Staying on the sidelines is the surest way to miss the deal you are hoping for. This market lends itself to helping YOU create the deal YOU want. No matter what the market is, there are good buys and bad buys.
Sellers – Here is something to note in regards to pricing your home for sale in many of our local markets – the last sale in your neighborhood is going to set the pricing ceiling. Which means if you want your house to move quickly, you need to set the price below the ceiling not above or at the ceiling. Thinking that with enough time, the right buyer will come along is a sure bet to losing money in the long run.
Now, don’t get me wrong – the reverse mortgage will make sense for some and will be the right choice. But, when we get the same over-the-hill celebrities that encouraged consumers to use their homes as ATM’s pushing the reverse mortgage – it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
The evolution of the human race suffered another setback yesterday with the assassination of 
Teresa Boardman has some fun today with 
