Home Buyer Tax Credit

The new-and-improved version of the First-Time Homebuyer Credit offers rookie home buyers (or those who simply haven't owned a home in the past three years) a chance to get a federal income tax credit of up to $8,000. Thanks to this year’s Stimulus Act, you don't have to repay the credit like you did with last year’s version.

Even better, the IRS says unmarried individuals can team up on a home purchase and then share the credit. If you're thinking of going this route, here's what you need to know to get the best tax-saving results:

How Much You'll Get
The updated First-Time Homebuyer Credit can be applied to purchases of homes that occur between Jan. 1, 2009, and Nov. 30, 2009. The maximum credit equals the lesser of 10% of the purchase price of a principal residence or $8,000. Or, in the case of married individuals who file separately, $4,000. (These amounts are up from the $7,500 and $3,750 limits for purchases that occurred between April 9 and Dec. 31 of last year.)

There are some catches, however. The credit is phased out (reduced or completely eliminated) if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is too high. (For this purpose, MAGI means the adjusted gross income figure reported on the last line on page 1 of your Form 1040 increased by certain income from outside the U.S. that is exempt from taxation.)

For married joint filers, the credit is phased out when the MAGI is between $150,000 and $170,000. For unmarried individuals and married individuals who file separately, the credit is phased out between MAGI of $75,000 and $95,000.

You can use the credit to offset your entire federal income tax bill, including any alternative minimum tax (AMT). Since the credit is refundable, you can collect any amount left over after your tax bill has been reduced to zero in cold, hard cash.

Eligibility
The credit is only available to buyers who have not owned a principal residence in the U.S. during the three-year period that ends on the purchase date for the home. That home must serve as the new principal residence.

If you’re married, both you and your spouse must pass the three-year test (whether or not you file jointly). If you’re unmarried, and you team up with another person to buy a home that serves as the new principal residence for you both and you both pass the three-year test, then you can share the credit. If only one of you passes the three-year test, only that person can claim the credit.

Unmarried Buyers Can Share the Credit
Say two (or more) unmarried individuals buy a home together that serves as their new principal residence. Assuming each person passes the three-year test and they jointly own the property as tenants in common or as joint tenants, they can pretty much share the credit any way they choose, according to IRS Notice 2009-12. However, the total credit is still limited to the lesser of 10% of the purchase price or $8,000. And the credit allocated to each person is still subject to the phase-out rule, based on MAGI. Although the IRS doesn’t actually say so, it appears you can’t claim a credit that exceeds your share of the purchase price (including your share of any mortgage debt). Here’s an example to illustrate the possibilities.

Example: Say you and your significant other jointly buy a home for $150,000 in June of this year and you both pass the three-year test. You pay 60% of the cost, and your partner pays 40%. The available credit for this purchase is $8,000 (lesser of 10% of the purchase price or the $8,000 credit ceiling). You and the other person could agree to share the credit 60/40 to reflect your shares of the purchase price. But if the other person's MAGI is too high to claim the credit and yours is not, then it makes good tax-saving sense to have the entire $8,000 allocated to you. On the flip side, if your MAGI is too high, the entire $8,000 could be allocated to the other person. Or you could split the credit 50/50, or 75/25, or 25/75, or whatever allocation suits the two of you best. Anything you decide is OK with IRS.

Word of Caution: Credit Must Be Repaid in Some Circumstances
Under last year’s version of the First-Time Home Buyer Credit, those who bought homes between April 9, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2008, were generally required to repay the credit over 15 years. The Stimulus Act eliminated the repayment rule -- in most cases. However, the repayment rule can still hit you if you sell the home you buy in 2009 within three years of the purchase date or stop using the home as your principal residence during that time. If either of those events occurs, you generally must repay your entire credit when you file your Form 1040 for the year during which the triggering event occurs (no 15-year repayment deal for you).

Deciphering Mortgage Types

Deciphering Mortgage Loan Types

Home loans got your head spinning? You're not alone. We all need a clear explanation of mortgage types before we take the plunge into the home buying market. Get help understanding types of mortgages here before you go shopping for your own home loan. We've compiled a solid list of resources to consider when understanding mortgage types.

There are four basic types of mortgage loans: fixed rate loans, adjustable rate loans, convertible mortgage loans and balloon mortgage loans. Learn more here. Walletpop: Types of Mortgage Loans

You may have heard of FHA or VA Loans. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is part of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). An FHA loan usually requires a lower down payment and must not exceed the statutory limit. Similarly, VA loans, backed by the Department of Veteran Affairs can offer lower down payments and terms if you qualify for one.

Conventional loans may fall under the category of conforming or non-conforming. Conforming loans are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who set terms as to how much the loan may be for, what kind of credit requirements are involved and amount of down payment. Jumbo loans, above the maximum amount established by Fannie and Freddie can have higher interest rates.

Need more help with explanation of mortgage types? We have a simple explanation and list of some of the more popular loans. See which loan is right for you.

What is Negative Amortization?

Negative amortization happens when a loan payment schedule has increasing amounts each year because the scheduled monthly payments do not fully cover the amount of interest due. The unpaid interest builds up and is then added to the principal of the loan, resulting in you owing more on the loan balance each year instead of chipping away at the principal balance.

Graduated payment loans allow you to buy a home with a larger loan and a smaller payment up front. However, the payments go up at pre-determined times throughout the loan, and keep accelerating into larger payments toward the end of the loan life to catch up for the earlier lower payments. During this time, especially the early years, they are building up negative amortization, thus you are owing more each year on your loan balance than you started with.

Option ARM loans have become popular during the boom, as they allow you to buy a home with a large loan, yet pick which payment you want to send in monthly. In good times, you may choose the lowest payment, which would accrue negative amortization. In good times, you may want to bump it up to an interest only or even a fully amortized payment. These loans may be beneficial to someone starting out in a career that needs a lower loan payment option, but as you progress in life you can pay the higher amount, thus combating or making up for the early negative amortization.

Fixed Rate or Adjustable?

With a fixed rate loan your payment generally stays the same through the life of the loan. You can get a lower interest rate for shorter term loans, for example if you chose a 15 yr. vs. a 30 yr. You'll get a lower payment with a longer term however you'll pay a lot more interest, and therefore more on the total loan throughout the loan life.

Payments on adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) change through the life of the loan. Adjustments are made to the interest rate of the loan based upon the defined index the loan uses, such as a Treasury Bill (T-Bill) or Cost of Savings Index (COSI) or many more. Arm Indexes Explained

If you really want some heavy reading on ARM loans, check out the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Loans.

Fixed or Adjustable? See which loan is right for you from Bankrate.

Glossary of adjustable rate mortgage terms:
Federal Reserve ARM Glossary

2 in a Row

2 In a Row?
That's right, 2 months in a row Eddie Kefalas has earned the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Agent of the Month Award. With the stacked roster of top agents CENTURY 21 JRS Realty employs this is a tremendous accomplishment. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has some of the hardest working, well trained agents in the Union & Middlesex County area. For Eddie to be the Agent of the Month for April and May of 2009 is a great accomplishment. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is very happy for Eddie and would like to wish him even more success moving forward. This market will not stop CENTURY 21 JRS Realty from reaching their goals, and it will not stop Eddie either.

Congrats to our Hot Rods & Harley Day Winnners

Saturday May 16th, 2009 turned out to be a beautiful day after all. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty spent the day out side at the annual street fair in down town Rahway New Jersey, Hot Rods & Harley Day. This year CENTURY 21 JRS Realty gave away 5 bicycles, temporary tattoos, bouncy balls, and many other free items to the public. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty was the only Real Estate company to attend this years street fair, and they made the most of it. Pictured above are some of our winners and hard working agents attempting to help the crowds of people.

Selling in Spring

Spring is the optimum time to sell a home. Regardless of whether it's a buyer's market or a seller's market, inventory almost always rises in the spring. Why? Because the largest number of buyers are actively searching for a new home during the months of April, May and June.

Tip: If your home has been languishing on the market since the holidays, take it off the market. Give it a chance to "cool down" for a few weeks before putting it back on the market. Nobody is going to look at your home in the spring if the DOM show it's been on the market for several months. Buyers gravitate toward fresh, new listings!
Here are 15 things you can do to improve the odds that your home will stand out among the sea of new listings flooding the spring-time real estate market:


1) Wash windows inside and out / polish all mirrors
Sparkle is free, and sparkle sells homes. A potential buyer may not realize why your home seems so inviting but will feel drawn to it if the windows are spotless and your mirrors reflect sunlight. Cleaning is the first step to preparing your home for sale.


2) Rake the yard / trim back bushes
Clean out dead leaves and debris in your lawn. Don't let overgrown vegetation block the windows or path to the entrance. Cutting bushes and tree limbs will let the sun inside and showcase the exterior of your home.


3) Mow diagonally and edge lawn along driveway / sidewalks
Artfully manicured lawns are edged and tell buyers you pay attention to small details. Diagonally mowed lawns make your yard appear larger.


4) Transplant tulips and daffodils or buy flowers in containers
Yellow flowers stimulate buying urges. After a long winter, everybody is anxious to see the first signs of spring. Yellow tulips and daffodils induce feelings of happiness and contentment. Arrange containers in groups of three or five near the entrance.


5) Clean drapes, curtains & blinds and open every window
Send your window coverings to the dry cleaners or wash, dry and press. Toss blinds into a soapy bathtub for a quick wash. Get rid of all accumulated dust and spider webs. Crisp linens and a spring-time breeze through the windows invites the season inside.


6) Set out fresh-smelling flowers such as just-clipped lilacs branches or peonies
Why not flatter your neighbors and ask if you can borrow flowers from their yards? Natural scents are more appealing than artificial and trigger fewer allergies among those susceptible. Peony vases are designed to hold peonies upright, but wash the flowers first to avoid carrying ants inside. Clever home staging brings color and fragrance indoors.


7) Polish floors to a high gloss
Your hardwood floors should be refinished, if necessary. Make your ceramic and linoleum floors twinkle and shine. Bleach dull grout. Thoroughly clean all area rugs.


8) Utilize towels, throws, pillows in light colors – yellows, pinks, pale blues, lavenders
Even if it means replacing items, towels, linens, throws and sofa pillows are inexpensive accents you can buy. In soft spring colors, they will light up a room. Layer towels on bathroom towel racks and place rolled wash cloths on the counters in a fashionable pyramid.


9) Offer an outside mat for cleaning shoes & put umbrella stand at entrance
No matter where you live, spring weather is often unpredictable. In some states, it can be 72 degrees one day and snowing the next. If it's raining, give buyers a place to stash umbrellas and wipe their feet before entering your home. Some sellers lay down plastic runners across floors for protection, but that tends to ruin the effect of a glittering polish job.


10) Buy brightly colored helium balloons
Stationery and party-supply stores sell helium balloons for about a dollar each. So, there's no reason not to pick up a couple dozen balloons to tie to your open house signs. Balloons build excitement and will get your home noticed by home shoppers.


11) Set out four-color flyers & financing options
Don't skimp on your marketing materials. You want home buyers to select your flyer among the dozens they pick up. Color sells better than black and white. Show home buyers how easily they can afford to buy your home by giving them two or three financing options. The first thing on buyer's minds when considering a home purchase is the monthly mortgage payment. Don't make them guess.


12) Use a color photo for display advertising
Spend a little more on newspaper and online advertising by including a color photograph in your ad. Remember: a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Look through your photo galleries for a seasonal photograph that flaunts your home to its best advantage.


13) Mail four-color postcards with UV coating
Call a local title company to obtain a free direct-mail list of your surrounding neighbors. Print four-color oversized postcards and include a UV coating to give the marketing oomph. Use first-class postage.


14) Fill sink with ice to chill bottled water for guests
Put a couple dozen bottles of water in a sink of ice for buyers. You can also tape labels to the bottles, printed from your computer, with your phone number, a photograph and address of your home.


15) Set out treats, individually wrapped in cellophane & tied w/ribbon
Touring homes makes buyers hungry. Give them a snack. It will give buyers an opportunity to linger in your kitchen and marvel at its elegant appointments, which might otherwise be overlooked.

Prepping and staging a house. Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Does that sound good to you? Well, it's not luck that makes that happen. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send home buyers scurrying for their checkbooks. Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an irresistible and marketable home.


1) Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.
Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!
Say goodbye to every room.
Don't look backwards -- look toward the future.

2)De-Personalize.
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."

3)De-Clutter!
People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it.
If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
Remove all books from bookcases.
Pack up those knickknacks.
Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

4)Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.
Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:
Alphabetize spice jars.
Neatly stack dishes.
Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
Line up shoes.

5)Rent a Storage Unit.
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"

6)Remove/Replace Favorite Items.
If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

7)Make Minor Repairs.
Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
Patch holes in walls.
Fix leaky faucets.
Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
(Don't give buyers any reason to remember your home as "the house with the orange bathroom.")
Replace burned-out light bulbs.
If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

8)Make the House Sparkle!
Wash windows inside and out.
Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
Clean out cobwebs.
Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
Clean out the refrigerator.
Vacuum daily.
Wax floors.
Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
Bleach dingy grout.
Replace worn rugs.
Hang up fresh towels.
Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

9)Scrutinize.
Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?
Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
Make sure window coverings hang level.
Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?
Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.

10)Check Curb Appeal.
If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside.
Keep the sidewalks cleared.
Mow the lawn.
Paint faded window trim.
Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
Trim your bushes.
Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

Agent of the Month-Eddie Kefalas

Congratulations to Eddie Kefalas on being the Agent of the Month for April 2009
Eddie Kefalas brought his Real Estate career back to the office that gave him his start 12 years ago, CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. We are very happy that was the course of action Eddies career path drove him in. Now after being with the company for about a year, Eddie has won the Agent of the month trophy for the first time. In April 2009 Eddie listed 3 homes in the area, and his career is rolling at this point. The transition from his other office was a tough one at first, but after the first few months he started right were he left off. Month after month Eddie registered multiple listings, and finally now Eddie has been recognized as Agent of the Month. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is very pleased to have Eddie as a family member once again.

Sellers Deserve the BEST Service

Help From Your Listing Agent

From A-Z, there are literally dozens of things that need to be considered, handled and resolved in the course of selling your home. Certainly that's why you've engaged a professional real estate agent as your partner.

From placing your home on the market to signing the final closing papers, here's how your listing agent can help:

Price and Prepare Your Home for sale
Market to Other Agents
Market to Potential Buyers
Negotiate, Handle Paperwork and Close the Deal
Prepare Your Home
A good agent will help you prepare your home for sale. From offering advice on how to spiff-up your living space to helping you decide on your asking price, here are a few things you can expect from a Century 21 JRS Realty agent. Contact us for more information.

Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). Your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent can generate a report that compares your home to the other homes currently being sold in your area. It may also show other homes that have sold recently, or expired from the market before selling. This data will help you and your agent decide together on the most realistic asking (or list) price for your home.
Interior and exterior improvements. Your home should "smile a welcome" to prospective buyers. The exterior's curb appeal will get them in the door; the interior will seal the deal. Your agent will tour your home with you, offering objective advice about which improvements that should or could be made. Learn how to prepare your home for sale.
Market to Other Agents
A good agent also knows the value of spreading the word about your home to other agents. A Century 21 JRS Realty agent will widen your audience of potential buyers using these techniques.

Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS lets real estate agents show and sell each other's listed properties as "cooperating brokers." It's an electronic database promoting large and small brokers' listings. The more agents who know your home is for sale, the faster it's likely to sell.
Brokers' Open. Your agent will host this tour (usually held on a weekday morning) and invite local agents to see your home; agents who will preview it for their buyers.
Hot List. Century 21 JRS Realty sales associates are able to quickly broadcast new listings within the real estate community, via computerized "hot sheets" that announce your home's arrival on the market. The faster agents and brokers know your home is for sale, the sooner their buyers will take a look.
Lockbox. Your agent will provide an electronic key or numeric combination to open a door-hanger, which holds your house key. Agents will be able to show prospective buyers your home, even when you're not there. If you're away from home a lot, or if you're house is off the beaten path, this is a great convenience.
Market to Potential Buyers
For every home, there's a buyer. Let your Century 21 JRS Realty agent connect you to "the one" with these tactics.

Yard Sign. Yard signs are an awareness-generating tool, notifying neighbors and drive-by buyers that your home is for sale.
Web Listing. The Internet is a popular choice for home "shoppers." Nationally, more than 80 percent of people in the market for a new home use it. It's especially valuable for people relocating to your area. Your Century 21 JRS Realty agent will provide you with real-time listings, online open houses and plenty of photos that showcase your home to Web surfers. Plus Century 21 JRS Realty guarantees that every one of our listed properties will be promoted on multiple Web sites.
Community Newspaper Ads. This most basic marketing tool is still important in many areas. Your agent will advertise your home in the real estate pages of your local newspaper (and tell you how often), with a brief description, asking price and contact information.
Home Book or Magazine. Free of charge and available just about everywhere that potential buyers shop, home books are another popular marketing tool among sellers (not to mention a very useful catalog when you're buying you're next home).
Showings. Your Century 21 JRS Realty sales associate will set up showings to accommodate the schedules of qualified buyers and their agents – without inconveniencing you and your family.
Open Houses. Your potential buyer may still be around the corner, but open houses can bring them to your door. Ask your Century 21 JRS Realty agent if s/he will hold them and if you should be away from the house when they occur. Consider a weekday open house – they're not just for Sundays anymore! And don't forget to ask your agent to market your open house online!
Direct Mail. Promotional postcards and other written materials about your home can be sent to targeted market areas and the potential home buyers who live there.
Home Warranty. Century 21 JRS Realty offers a home warranty program: a one-year plan that assures prospective buyers that your home's systems (electrical, heating/air conditioning, plumbing, appliances, etc.) will be functional during that time. Such a warranty will protect you and reassure your buyer that your home is of solid value and in good condition.
Close the Deal
It may seem ceremonial, but closing the deal is often the hardest part of a real estate transaction. Your Century 21 JRS Realty agent will start working for you even before the final sale.

Qualification/Pre-Screening. Prospective buyers visiting your home should be financially able to purchase it. Your listing agent can work with the buyer's agent to assure that the people who see your home can afford what you're asking. You may wish to require pre-qualification (or more complete pre-approval) by a qualified lender.
Inspections. City code, general home, and pest and radon inspections. Your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent can represent you (and your interests) during these appointments so you don't lose time from work or school.
Evaluating and Negotiating the Offer. It takes a certain finesse to navigate the ins and outs of a buyer's offer. Is the offer acceptable? What closing date works for you? Are you willing to repair the roof in exchange for your full asking price? Helping in shaping your decisions is why you'll want a trusted, objective professional like a Century 21 JRS Realty sales associate as your partner.
Contract Acceptance. Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions of your life. Rely on the guidance and objectivity of a trusted professional. Your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent can make sure that details are remembered and your interests protected.
Legal and Other Documents. A real estate transaction can involve listing and purchase agreements, multiple disclosure statements, addenda, amendments and contingencies. Do you work with real estate-related legal documents every day? Your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent does. Rely on his/her familiarity with the language, timelines and requirements that lie within these legal documents.
Dispute Resolution. Even the smoothest, simplest real estate transaction involves two parties, with needs and objectives that may differ. The right real estate agent can provide skilled negotiation and mediation and conflict resolution. Let your agent deal with the sticking points that can sometimes offend a seller.
Facilitate Closing. The old adage, "the devil is in the details," is no less true at closing. Once you've accepted an offer on your home, your Century 21 JRS Realty agent will work quietly and efficiently to keep things moving smoothly and according to plan. Broker, lender or title examiner. Everyone needs paperwork, signatures, verifications and certifications. From opening escrow to title transfer, it's another area where the right agent can make the difference.
Transfers. The number one irritant of home buyers is running into unanticipated difficulties in gaining possession of their new (your former) home. Your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent will make help the transition go smoothly by handling everything from finalizing the transfer of utilities to handing over the house keys and ownership to the new owners.
Pre-sale Repairs and Upgrades. Got a leaky roof that requires a certification? Or perhaps you've agreed to remove an unsightly tree stump. Your Century 21 JRS Realty agent can create a tickler system that will remind you to fulfill your obligation in a timely fashion to prevent breach of contract.
Title Services. Creditors' claims, undisclosed heirs and mistakes in public records. These are issues that could stall your closing. Century 21 JRS Realty offers title service as part of our "one-stop shopping" service.
Contingency Resolution. Contractual contingencies are terms that must be met before an agreement is binding. The written contingency, therefore, must also be removed in writing, by a specified date, before the contract can be fully in effect. Whether it's financing, inspection or any other item your agreement is subject to, your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent can assist you in understanding and fulfilling these contractual conditions.

Web Tools To Make Life Easier

10 Free Web Tools to Make Life Easier
These range of Web tools can be good resources for you in your real estate business.

1. Mint.comThis secure financial management tool pulls data from your checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and other loans to help you track expenses.

2. Zenbe.com Have multiple e-mail addresses? View all your mail in one inbox, and check in with Facebook and Twitter from the same screen.

3. GetDropBox.com Back up your important documents and e-mail messages. This tool syncs with your computer to save documents and allows you to access them via the Web from any computer.

4. Everyscape.comThis alternative to Google Earth lets you view three-dimensional images of streets and cities at eye level.

5. Inhabitat.com For home owners who want to go green, this eco-friendly design blog provides tips and inspiration.

6. Yelp.com If buyers are new to the area, send them here. Neighbors review local restaurants, spas, doctors, plumbers, and more.

7. Billshrink.comDiscover hidden fees in your credit card accounts and cell phone bills, and get recommedantions for lower-cost alternatives.

8. GasBuddy.com Do some comparison shopping before you fill up. Get a listing of what the gas stations in your area are charging per gallon.

9. FotoFlexer.comTouch up your photographs, create effects, and adjust lighting to create high-quality images worthy for marketing materials.

10. DesignSpongeOnline.com Do-it-yourselfers on a budget will love the easy home decorating projects and gift ideas.

Rahway Street Fair

Hot Rods & Harley Day here again

Wow, the years go by so fast. I can't believe that another year has come and gone, and we are getting ready for another Hot Rods & Harley Day festival in down town Rahway. Every year at this even CENTURY 21 JRS Realty gives away thousands of dollars worth of promotional items to the public. We do this not to get business from it, but to be one of the few Real Estate companies that gives back to the public. Most people don't even appreciate what we do, let alone use our company because we gave away a Todo pad. We know these events will not bring us business. No, we do them because it is our way of saying thank you to the community with balloons and televisions. Every year we give away some large and small things for the adults and the children in the area. This year we will give away 5 bicycles to 5 different lucky winners. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty will give away 1 bike an hour starting at 1PM and ending at 5pm. We will also have face painting from 2:30pm to 5pm, as well as agents with Todo pads for all the adults. We hope to make this years event as successful as years past.

Agent of the Month

Congratulations to Joe Piizzi-AGENT OF THE MONTH

I am happy to report that Joe Piizzi is the agent of the month of March 2009. Joe is by far the hardest working Realtor I have known in my 13+ years in the business. In a time of crisis like we are in right now, a hard working agent can breath life into an office by himself, that is what Joe is doing. Joe has put the office on his back and carrying them to the finish line. Joe makes hundreds of calls everyday to past and present clients, strangers, and anyone that will listen. Joe knows that is the name of the game. Nothing worth having ever comes easy, and this Real Estate market is no different. Joe is a model of the perfect Realtor and we feel fortunate to have him as a member of our company. Congrats to Joe on his accomplishment.

Watch Your Words

The words that you think and speak have a direct connection to your sales skills and subsequent sales results. This revelation has been revealed through many sources, consider using these words as a sales professional in your ongoing efforts to expand your business network and increase sales.

#1: Potential Qualified Customers - Replace the word prospects with this phrase. When you use the word prospects, you have turn those individuals into objects instead of realizing their worth as individuals. Read the book Leadership and Self Deception to learn more.

#2: Qualifying - Is not the desired result of marketing is to qualify your potential buyers? So, exchange the word prospecting for qualifying. Again, this helps you as the sales professional to see the person across the table or the room as an individual as not as a hunk of rock with some veins of gold.

#3: Agree - This word has 100 times more emotional marketing value than the word Yes. The only person who wants to truly hear the word Yes, is you as the sales professional. Agree implies a contract has been established between you and your potential qualified customers.

#4: Earn - Take the word close out of your vocabulary. To close means to shut off. Way in heaven's sake would your salespeople want to shut off their potential qualified customers.

#5: Statement of Work - Unless you are involved in an open bid process such as one issued by governmental, educational or not for profits, consider using this phrase instead of proposal. The word proposal is what all those other salespeople use and places you in the Sea of Sameness. However, Statement of Work implies that you will be doing business with this qualified potential customer. Also, this sets a psychological tone in your mind and possibly one in the mind of your potential buyer.

#6: Educating - The traditional sales based approach simply is not as effective in the 21st information heavy society where benefits can be easily found with the click of the mouse. By employing education based marketing (EBA), your actions demonstrate the value that your solutions bring to the table.

#7: Ask - Even though this word is a verb, to be able to ask is a powerful word that does increase sales. Ask for referrals from existing loyal customers to centers of influence. Ask to speak at local civic to not for profit organizations. Ask how you can help a new contact even if the person is not a qualified potential customer.

Goal Setting Results

Getting Results from Goal Setting

You've established your goals for the year. Now how do you make them happen? Start with a plan of action and follow it through - all the way to celebrating your success!


Start with the end in mind.
Develop a clear picture of what you want to accomplish. State the end results in one sentence that even a child can imagine, understand and remember. Consider the power of President Kennedy’s goal "to send a man to the moon and bring him safely back home within this decade." Thousands of people did very detailed work and spent billions of dollars based on this simply stated goal.

Develop a written plan.
Get it on paper (or in the computer). Make the plan as specific as possible, in terms of what will be done and by when. A timeline will help you keep on track as far as providing a written outline of your accomplishments to date and what remains to be done.

Enlist support of others.
Let them know what you are doing, and how they and others will benefit from the results you want to produce. Invite them to lend their support however they can.

Set up milestones and reporting systems.
Break the job down into segments, and set target dates for completing each segment. Develop a reporting system on paper or via a good software program. Communicate often with all those who have a need to know to avoid unwanted surprises.

Have a support system.
Set up the supports you need in your work and in your personal life. Have one or more advisers that you meet with regularly to report progress, and get advice and encouragement. Your personal coach can be one of these key people.

Monitor progress and make adjustments.
Realize that even the best plans need to be adjusted in the heat of the battle. Make adjustments quickly and respond to new opportunities or short cuts along the way that help you reach your destination faster. If you find it difficult to get around or through certain roadblocks, get help and advice promptly.

Form mutually beneficial alliances with others.
Find out what other people or groups are natural allies and team up with them so you can help each other reach your objectives more easily and effectively.

Work your plan regularly and continuously.
Maintain a high focused activity level yourself, and get help when you need it. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Delegate as much as you can, and follow up with those to whom you delegate work.

Keep your allies on your side and your enemies at bay.
Inform your allies about progress you are making and problems you are having. Thank them for their help. Protect yourself from important enemies by setting up and maintaining boundaries between yourself and your enemies. Recognize that enemies can be within you as well as about you. When you find that you are doing things that impede your own progress, replace that activity or habit with a better one. Ask your advisers what you personally can do better. Then put the corrections in place.

Celebrate progress along the way and at the completion of your work.
Share the glory. Recognize and thank the people who have helped you produce results.

What makes Goal Setting Successful

Seven Principles to Successful Real Estate Goal Setting

Your ability to plan, set goals, and create action plans to accomplish your goals is the mark of someone who is truly successful. This skill to set goals is a life-long endeavor. It is a habit that must be cultivated daily for a lifetime. This single activity will have the greatest impact on your life over any other achievement skill.

To be disciplined in setting goals is to sit down with paper and pen and make a list of things you want to acquire, attract or accomplish in the next several years. Earl Nightingale said, "The problem with people is not achieving the goals we set, it is actually the process of setting them in the first place." We are all goal seeking organisms. Your subconscious mind will work on the goal you give it until it is accomplished. You must only set this vast powerful computer in motion by setting the goal.

To achieve a well rounded, joyous life we need to be working toward our goals. When it comes to goals the journey is almost better than the destination. Success was defined by Nightingale as the progressive realization of a worthy goal. You become successful once you set the goal and work towards it. Success is not found only at the attainment level, but also in the striving toward attainment.

You need goals in all areas of your life. It is not good enough to set your sights on your business or commission earnings, transaction sides. You need goals in family, spiritual, physical, financial, and mental areas of your life. This is the only way to achieve balance.

Organize your goals in all areas based on priority. Put the most important ones on the top.

Our overall goal for our life should be to be a continuous goal setter. We need to become so focused and clear on what we desire that every hour and every day we are doing the things that are moving us in our direction of choice and toward our goals.

Studies have shown that you will save ten minutes in execution for every minute that you invest in planning or goal setting. What an incredible return on your investment of time. How often would you invest in an investment that you put in a dollar and got ten dollars back?

Seven Keys of Goal Setting


Your goals must be specific, detailed, and clear. You must invest the time to put them in written form. There is a direct link between your writing the goal, seeing it being written, and burning it into your subconscious mind. The goals you desire must be specific, not vague. To set a goal to be rich or be happy will not draw you to it. Well-written goals are like magnets they will you to your desired result. Your goal must be concrete and tangible. Highly defined goals are attained fuzzy goals are forgotten.

The goals you set you must be measurable. How can one truly measure happiness? You have to be able to analyze and evaluate your progress and your results in a tangible way. Many people have a goal of being rich. You need to know specifically how much money rich is. Your need to know the specific time period you want to achieve it by. Now that's a goal.

The best goals have deadlines. They have a time by which you need to accomplish them by. They also have interim steps along the way that can be monitored. These sub-deadlines or schedules are critical to success. There are no unrealistic goals; there are merely unrealistic time frames.

Goals need to challenge you to capacity or beyond. They will stretch you and mold you into a new person. Jim Rohn wisely said, "It's not the money that makes the millionaire successful; it's what he had to become (as a person) to earn a million dollars." If you took the money away from that millionaire that millionaire, would make it back twice as fast as before, because he learned the skill to make it in the first place.

Your goals need to possess congruency with your values and beliefs. You goals also have to be harmonious with each other. Let me give you an example, I want to lose 40 pounds, but I also want to eat Dreyer's Rocky Road ice cream every night before I go to bed. One of these goals will need to give way to the other. They are not congruent with each other. There is no way I can achieve both at the same time. You can not achieve goals that are actually contradictory.

Your goals must have balance. Just as a wheel needs balance to rotate properly; we need balance to get anywhere in life. Make sure you are balanced between your personal life, family, financial, spiritual, physical, mental, and business goals.

The largest most difficult goal in life is to define your purpose goal. We all have one goal that is at the core of our being. Our life moves to greatness when we decide upon a definite purpose or focus for our life.
I can speak from personal experience. When I determined my "core purpose" was to make meaningful impact in people's lives for all the people I come in contact with, my perspective changed dramatically. My enjoyment of my day to day "work life" increased.

Capital Gains Tax

Capital Gains and You
Congratulations! You now have a "sold" sign in your front yard. The sale of your home is complete and, hopefully, you netted a profit. If you did, be aware that you may be subject to capital gains tax. That simply means that you sold your home (a capital asset) and made a profit (gain), which could be subject to taxes.

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 changed the tax laws concerning capital gains on primary residences. In years past, when you sold your home you could delay paying tax on your profit if you purchased another home within two years of selling. (There were also restrictions on the price of the home you had to buy.)

Today, you don't have to purchase another home to receive capital gains tax relief and you only pay taxes on any gains over $250,000 ($500,000, if filing jointly).

Here's how the IRS recommends figuring the gain (or loss) on the sale of your primary home:

1. Subtract your expenses from the selling price to obtain the realized amount.

Expenses typically include:

o Commissions,

o Advertising fees,

o Legal fees, and

o Loan charges, such as points.

2. Subtract the adjusted basis you made to the basis of your home from the realized amount to get the gain (or loss). (The basis is the amount you paid if you bought it or built it.)

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you do not have to report the sale of your home on your tax return unless:

You have a gain and you do not qualify to exclude all of it, or
You have a gain and choose not to exclude it.
Otherwise, you must report the gain on Form 1040, Schedule D.

As with any tax information, your personal situation (including such things as divorce) can have major tax implications. And since IRS tax rules change often, you'll want to be sure to consult with a qualified tax specialist.

Disclaimer: These are general guidelines and provided for information only. Other IRS rules may apply. Consult with your accountant, CPA or tax attorney for professional advice.

For more information on this topic or any other Real Estate matters feel free to e-mail JR at c21jrs72@aol.com

For Buyers

Loan Process
Loan Application
If you're like most people, you'll probably need to secure a mortgage loan for your new house. Application for a home loan can take as little as one week and up to a month, depending on the type of mortgage.

Your lender or mortgage broker will be able to give you a better idea of the actual time it will take from application to approval. However, in general, conventional loans are processed more quickly than FHA or VA home loans.

Read more about types of mortgage loans.

The following is a step-by-step outline of what to expect during the loan application process:

1. Application
Bring all required documentation. (Also, see the Application Checklist.)
Good Faith Estimate of Closing Costs
Truth-in-Lending statement

2. Processing
Verification of employment
Verification of deposits
Credit report

3. Underwriting
Clear conditions

4. Purchase Homeowner's Insurance

5. Escrow
Determine funds needed for closing
Schedule appointment for closing
Prepare deed and mortgage note
Closing and Title Transfer

Application Checklist

To speed up the application process, bring the applicable following items to your loan application appointment.

Signed copy of Purchase Agreement plus all Addendums.
Tax and Legal description on subject property.
Residence addresses for the past two (2) years.
Past two years' W-2 statements or 1099’s.
Computer generated paycheck stubs for last 30 days.
Names, addresses and phone numbers of Employers for past two (2) years.
Past two (2) month’s statements for all Checking, Savings, IRAs, 401Ks, Money Markets, Profit Sharing and evidence of Stocks and Bonds. Document all recent large deposits.
In income received for commissions, bonuses, partnership(s), corporation(s), or if self-employed, requires two (2) year’s Personal Federal Tax Returns with all Schedules along with a current P&L Statement and Business Balance Sheets and past two (2) years’ Partnership and/or Corporate Returns, if applicable.
Cancelled checks from rent or mortgage for the last 12 months, and name and address of any landlord(s) within the last 12 months.
Names, addresses, account numbers, monthly payments and balances on all open loans and revolving credit accounts.
Copy of Bankruptcy Petition listing all creditors and copy of Bankruptcy Discharge Papers (if applicable). Please provide letter of explanation as to why the Bankruptcy occurred.
Copy of Driver’s License and Social Security Card (VA Loans Only).
Certificate of Eligibility and DD214 Discharge Paper (VA Loans Only).
Application fee (check or money order).
Copy of divorce decree and/or separation agreement.
A "Friend of the Court" letter stating the amount of any alimony/child support payments and notification that the account is current.
1040 tax forms (if you’re self-employed) for the past two years, 1120 Corporate Tax Returns (or Form 1065 for Partnerships) for the previous two years, year-to-date profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet signed by your accountant.
1040 tax forms for the past two years (including schedules) if you own income properties or if your income is based on commission or bonuses.
Fortunately, as you work one-on-one with your chosen home mortgage consultant, he/she should be able to offer valuable lending expertise and advice and answer all your questions while ensuring that your loan application process progresses as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Century 21 JRS Realty is affiliated with Century 21 Mortgage, LLC

Buy or Sell First?

Buy or Sell First

Which Comes First: Selling or Buying?

Like the proverbial chicken and the egg, the question of "which comes first?" – in this case, the sale of your existing home or the purchase of your new home – can leave you scratching your head.

The answer to that age-old question depends on you and your individual situation. Evaluate each of your alternatives, taking into consideration the effect each scenario will have on your (1) finances, (2) negotiating position and (3) moving-day timeline.

Buying before selling
If you choose to buy a new home before you sell your current home, you may have to pay on two mortgages until your former home sells. A bridge loan can ease the strain of double mortgage payments; however, you generally must have sufficient equity in your current home to qualify.

Of course, you could make the purchase of your next home dependent upon the sale of your current home, and your Century 21 JRS Realty agent can write this contingency into your purchase agreement.

A strong housing market may mean that the seller will not be as likely to accept such an offer. The advantage of buying a home before you sell your current one is that you have more time to look for your new home – without the added pressure of moving.

Selling before buying
You may be in a stronger bargaining position for your new home if you put off serious home shopping until after you've accepted an offer on your current house. If you wait, you'll have a better idea of how much equity you can put into your next house and, more importantly, you won't have to make the purchase of that home contingent upon the sale of your old one.

Of course, there's the added pressure of needing to find a new home quickly. You may not be able to negotiate a lower purchase price if the seller knows you have time constraints.

In the end, only you can decide. Be sure to talk with your Century 21 JRS Realty agent. S/he's trained and experienced in helping you explore and narrow your options, as well as understand the "why and wherefore" of most home-related dilemmas, including buy first/sell first.

Neyland's Football Maxims

GENERAL NEYLAND’S
MAXIMS OF FOOTBALL
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
2. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your
way - SCORE.
3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, don’t
let up...put on more steam.
4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.
5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang
tackle... for this is the WINNING EDGE.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are
made.
7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60
minutes.

Learn & Earn from Lost Listings

Learn & Earn from Lost Listings

If you do this you can make much more money over the long haul then you think. For 13 years in the business I have not found anyone that does this consistently or correctly.

OK here we go. In a given year you will not sign up every listing that you do a cma for, but there is still a huge potential for 2 things to happen. First, you can learn from your appointment, better yourself, and sign up the next listing appointment you attend because of what you learned. Second, you can make an impression on the sellers so that if they do not sell through the Realtor they chose you will certainly sign it up when it expires. If you do enough prospecting, like 80% of every day as you are supposed to, you will go on many listings appointments in your career. If you are a top agent you will sign up 80% to 90% of them, that's if you are a top agent. Statistically most agents are not TOP agents. So this means in a given year there are a number of listings you do not sign up, and some of them will not sell with the Realtor you lost out to. This number gets very large when added up over an entire career. How can you make sure to sign them up after they do not sell the first time around?

Here is all you have to do. You need to learn, and improve from every appointment...but how? The first way is by calling the seller and asking what made the difference, is there anything you could have done differently, what do you need to improve on, wish them luck with the sale, and extend an invitation to them to call you if they have any questions along the way. This needs to be done in a very polite, humble way, because you are trying to better yourself in your career and learn from every experience and you need their help to do that. Next, you follow up your call with a hand written thank you note and two business cards inside. You will write inside what you said over the phone, you wish them the best, and let them know they can call you at anytime for anything. Simple right, here's why it works.

First of all, not many agents will make this type of follow-up phone call for the purpose of learning and improving. If an agent did make a follow-up phone call it would be a bitter call that probably would not be handled in the right way and might go south because of emotion. Second, if you are polite and humble enough you will make an impression on the seller that is positive, and who do you think they are going to think of if they are not happy or they expire? Finally, if you can show their home or get a listing in their area during the time their home is on the market, you have the opportunity for another contact with a just listed post card and a showing appointment. Then, when your listing sells before their home sells you will have yet another contact with a just sold card. If you follow these steps you can sign up many homes on the rebound and continue to service your area and become the local leader in your market. For more information on this system please feel free to e-mail me at c21jrs72@aol.comor visit my company website and read one of the many guides we have posted for sellers and buyers, just visit www.c21jrs.com.

Will This Help Our Industry?

Mortgage Bailout to Aid 1 in 9 U.S. Homeowners
By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS and RUTH SIMON
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration announced details of a housing-rescue plan it said would help as many as one in nine homeowners, from low-income Americans struggling to avoid foreclosure to well-off borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth.
The announcement came two weeks after President Barack Obama said he would spend $75 billion on the housing component of an emergency economic plan that includes a financial-system bailout and a $787 billion spending-and-tax-cut package.
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Some Win, Some Lose
See how new measures will affect some homeowners across the country.
Homeowners Size Up Housing-Aid Plan
Q&A: Guide for Homeowners
Summary: Treasury guidelines, fact sheet
Question of the Day
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Join the discussion.
The package represents an effort to tackle the political challenges inherent in any housing rescue. While the administration wants a sweeping program that would prevent millions of foreclosures, it doesn't want to be seen as rewarding the greedy or reckless.
"It is imperative that we continue to move with speed to help make housing more affordable and help arrest the damaging spiral in our housing markets, just as we work to stabilize our financial system, create jobs and help businesses thrive," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a written statement.
The administration, which was criticized for its rollout of its financial-sector rescue last month, got a generally warmer reception for the details of the foreclosure program. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 149.82 points, or 2.2%, snapping a dismal losing streak in recent days.
It remains uncertain how successful the administration will be in overcoming one of the biggest problems to forestall private efforts to fix troubled mortgages: the objections of investors who own mortgage-backed securities.
The administration estimates the new plan will cover as many as nine million mortgage holders. It has two main components.
First, the government will offer financial incentives and subsidies to persuade mortgage-servicing companies to ease up on borrowers who are in financial straits so severe that they risk losing their homes. Borrowers will have to sign affidavits attesting to their financial hardships. In return, they will see their interest rates drop to as low as 2%, their payment periods lengthened, and other modifications aimed at bringing their monthly payments to 31% of their income -- commonly considered a reasonable ratio. This program will be limited to first-lien mortgages with outstanding principal balances that don't exceed $729,750, in the case of single-family homes.
Welsh for The Wall Street Journal
POTENTIAL WINNERS: Nelia Price, with her son Ralph, in front of their home in Modesto, Calif., could be eligible for a loan modification.
Loan-servicing companies will receive up to $3,500 from the government to participate, with the government also matching a portion of the lenders' costs, dollar-for-dollar. Homeowners will get as much as $5,000 apiece in federal money to reduce their outstanding balances, as a way to encourage them to stay current on the modified mortgages.
Administration officials made a point of noting that the loan-modification program will not aid people who bought homes merely as investments; the program is designed for those who live in their homes.
In coming weeks, the administration plans to announce how it will help servicers persuade creditors holding second loans on the same properties to extinguish those debts. Roughly half of delinquent subprime borrowers also have second mortgages, according to Credit Suisse Group. Thus far, that has proved an impediment to modifying mortgages.
The second main component of the plan calls for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage giants, to refinance loans for millions of borrowers who may owe more than their homes are worth, even if they are wealthy enough to afford their current payments. There is no income ceiling for beneficiaries. But they must have mortgages held or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and they cannot owe more than 105% of the current value of their home.
That raises the possibility that homeowners considered well-off by national standards may qualify for public aid.
A Treasury spokeswoman said that there are benefits to helping some well-off homeowners. "The recent decline in home values has left many responsible borrowers, through no fault of their own, in a position where they can't take advantage of today's low rates through a refinancing," she said. "It is in the best interest of American homeowners to be able to refinance to lower-rate mortgages. And this, in turn, is good for home prices, for consumer spending during a downturn, and for liquidity in our mortgage markets."
At the end of last year, an estimated 13.6 million U.S. borrowers owed more on their homes than their properties were worth, according to Moody's Economy.com, up from 11.8 million at the end of the third quarter.
The release of the government's new guidelines will likely accelerate efforts already under way at the nation's largest banks all have unveiled loan-modification efforts over the past few months. They instituted foreclosure moratoriums after the government announced that it, too, was preparing to tackle the issue. They will likely soon resume foreclosing on properties that they have determined aren't eligible for loan modifications.

Many banks, which had worried about possible hits to earnings when the plan first was announced, welcomed it on Wednesday. "The plan appropriately balances the interest of homeowners, mortgage servicers and investors," said Jamie Dimon, chief executive of J.P. Morgan Chase.
Some investors who own mortgage securities, however, remained skeptical.
Under the loan-modification plan, a hypothetical borrower earning $4,000 a month, with a $225,000, 6.5% loan with 28 years remaining, could see the rate fall to 2.73%, and the monthly payment drop to $1,240, from $1,737, according to Thomas Lawler, an independent housing economist. The government would cover about $155 of the $495 payment reduction. Principal payments and federal subsidies would reduce the outstanding balance to $193,000 after five years. Without the federal program, the principal would have fallen to $208,000, assuming the borrower kept current.
Mortgage Bankers Association President John Courson said that the Obama program, by setting an industry standard, will help servicers, who are hired by investors to collect mortgage payments each month, defend themselves against complaints that they aren't acting in investors' interests by modifying loans. But Mr. Courson added that servicers might be reluctant to act without congressional protection from lawsuits.
Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified Wednesday in front of the Senate Finance Committee.
The administration is "not going to see eye-to-eye" with some investors, said a senior Treasury official. "Our role is not to use taxpayer resources to bail them out."
Citigroup will apply the new program to all loans held by investors, "unless there's a contractual obligation that specifically prohibits us from doing that," said Sanjiv Das, chief executive of the bank's CitiMortgage unit.
Bank of America "will work with our investors to allow these programs to be extended for borrowers whose loans they own," said spokesman Dan Frahm.
Calls from borrowers interested in loan modifications "really spiked" on Wednesday, said Barbara Desoer, Bank of America mortgage president.
Administration officials acknowledged that it could take time for troubled borrowers to move through the system. "People need to be patient and understand that servicers are likely to get lots of telephone calls and lots of inquiries," a senior White House official said.—Robin Sidel and James R. Hagerty contributed to this article.

Who is responsible for your SUCCESS?

Who Is Responsible for your Success?
This isn’t a trick question.
Certainly you know the answer—the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now: YOU.
Everything about you is a result of your doing or not doing... Your income. Debt. Relationships. Health. Fitness level. Attitudes and behaviors.
I think everyone knows this in their hearts, but often times people convince themselves into thinking that external factors are the source of their failure, disappointment, and unhappiness.
External factors do not determine how you live. YOU are in complete control of the quality of your life.
When I hear people complain about the state of their life (be it their problems with personal finances, weight, their jobs, or general dissatisfaction) I like to help them see things differently.
If they feel “stuck” and unable to move forward for whatever reason, I ask them to scrutinize both what is working well and what isn’t working well in their life and see how they’ve arrived at where they currently are.
For example, if a woman tells me she’s unhappy with her weight—she travels frequently, and has no to time to exercise or seek healthy foods—I point out that her weight is not a result of her travels and schedule. It’s an outcome of what she chooses to eat and how she chooses to move, regardless of her daily agenda. Why not make a conscious effort to pre-plan healthy meals and snacks, even if it’s on the go, and sneak in 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there to be physically active (hey, I know some frequent flyers who make it a habit of running through airports!).
If you’re frustrated with any area in your life, then it’s time to take a little inventory. Certainly there are wonderful things happening, whether it’s your job, your romantic relationship, your children, your friends, or your income level. Your accomplishments are just as important as your missteps.
First, congratulate yourself on your successes; and then take a look at what isn’t working out so well. What are you doing or not doing to create those experiences?
Watch out! If you find yourself beginning to complain about everything but the choices you’ve made, then you need to take a step back. See if you can stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you—and only you—create your experiences, you’ll realize that you can un-create them and forge new experiences whenever you want.
How empowering is that!
You must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times.
All too often we choose to claim the successes and blame the failures on others or other circumstances. When you stop blaming, however, you can take that energy and redirect it to focus on shaping a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy. Imagine roping all the energy into a positive effort.
Some ideas to make this happen:
Believe, Believe, Believe! Have unwavering faith in yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to accept the fact that you create all your experiences. You will experience successes thanks to you, and you will experience pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a little strange, but accepting this level of responsibility is uniquely empowering. It means you can do, change, and be anything. Stumbling blocks become just that—little hills to hop over.
Take no less than 100% responsibility. Successful people take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images they visualize, and the actions they take. They don't waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Stop complaining. Look at what you are complaining about. I’m fat. I’m tired. I can’t get out of debt. I won’t ever get a better job. I can’t stand the relationship I have with my sister. I’ll never find a soul mate in life. Really examine your complaints. More than likely you can do something about them. They are not about other people, other things, or other events. They are about YOU.
Make an immediate change. Are you unhappy about something that is happening right now? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable for you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or makes you feel bad about your decision. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain?
You can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Pay attention. Looking to others for help and guidance is helpful, but don’t forget to stay tuned in to yourself—your behavior, attitude, and life experiences. Identify what’s working and what isn’t. If you need to, write it all down. Then…
Face the truth and take action for the long term . You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want. If you’ve already taken an initial step in the right direction, now’s the time to plan additional steps to keep moving you forward, faster.
Isn’t it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn’t it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
So if you need just one thing to do different today than you did yesterday, make it this: Commit to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you’ll discover it's much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
-Jack Canfield

What should my Budget for a Home be?

Figuring Your Housing Budget
Have you ever shopped for clothes, furniture or gifts without a budget and later found that you'd overspent? It's easy to do especially when looking at so many great houses with your agent. Obviously, staying on budget is very important when house hunting.
That's why you'd probably like to have a ballpark idea of how much house you can afford - before you start looking and even before meeting with your mortgage broker or lender.
To get a rough estimate of how much you'll qualify for, do what the lenders do – plug your budget numbers into a basic mortgage calculation formula.
Lender FormulasLenders typically use one of two formula guidelines; although most will require that you meet both sets of guidelines. Even if you don't meet the guidelines, talk with your chosen home mortgage consultant. S/he can provide additional details specific to your situation, and since there are other formulas that exist, you may qualify under another standard. For example, VA loans are calculated on a single ratio that's based upon mortgage payment and all debts. If you have very little debt, this formula may allow you to qualify more easily for a more expensive home.
Of the two usual formulas, the first compares income-to-housing costs (without including long-term debts), while the second includes all debts.
28 Percent Formula
Total monthly housing costs (P.I.T.I.) = 28 percent (or less) of gross monthly income.
36 Percent Formula
P.I.T.I. + all monthly debts = 36 percent (or less) of gross monthly Income.
So, if you're a family with a monthly gross income (before taxes) of $3,500, you would multiply $3,500 by 28 and 36 percent. The result shows that you might qualify for a home mortgage with monthly payments between $980 and $1,260 a month.
Note that these percentages may be slightly less if you have long-term debts (more than eight months) or alimony/child support payments. The number and ages of your children as well as household budget items may also have an impact.
Now that you have a better idea of what your approximate housing budget may be, learn more about:
Types of Loans
Mortgage Strategies
The Loan Application

Doom & Gloom.....Fact or Fiction?

We Must Get Ratings!!!!!!
That is the way I see our media outlets, we must get ratings at all costs. I would have to be a moron to say the economy is not down. We all have seen the latest unemployment rate over 8%, we know that in the last year over 4 million jobs have been lost....and we know ONE more VERY important thing.......THINGS WILL GET BETTER!!!!!! Whether you voted for our president or not, as an American, you must have blind faith and trust the people in charge of our country. We have to have faith that they have the country's best interests in mind with every decision they make. The media wants to shock us with sensationalism and big bold headlines that make us watch their channel just to be more depressed by the DOOM and GLOOM they spew. We don't need the media to tell us the economy has gone in the crapper, just talk to your friends that have lost their jobs. We just went through one of the most prosperous periods of gluttony and excess our country has ever seen. Should we not pay the price now? Yes, we are now paying the price for the excess of living off your homes equity, evil mortgage companies that cared only about "loan the money", and sell it to someone else.I am writing this post because in my company I just had 4 agents go up against multiple offers on homes in Union and Middlesex County New Jersey. So how bad is Real Estate? Yes, now banks are not just going to throw bad money out the window if you have a pulse.Yes, the prices of homes have fallen. Yes, you have to be worth the risk in order to be loaned money. When my parents were growing up, they knew only one way to buy a home..save 20% for a down payment and qualify for a conventional loan. You were made to care about your home because you WORKED to earn the RIGHT to purchase a piece of the AMERICAN DREAM. You appreciated your home because you earned it. The generation after the baby boomers only knows excess and should be called the "I must have it NOW!" generation...and I am a part of that generation. But I also have the courage to take responsibility for my actions and stand up for what I believe in. How is a generation of kids supposed to survive in this America, when all they see every day are sports stars, and actors, and rappers making more then teachers and our own President. A half a billion dollars to play baseball, are you kidding me? What does that say to our young people about what is important in this world? I know only Real Estate sales. It has been in my family for 40 years and it is the only thing I know. Accept for this...if you are given something for nothing it will mean NOTHING to you.Place the Blame for this economic crash in the right place. Who was president when the no money down loan came to be? Who was president when 3% down and 5% down loans came to be? Not George W Bush, that's for sure.All I am saying is as a country we got our selves into this mess and we WILL get ourselves out of it...TOGETHER. For all the Realtors out there struggling, just keep on making the contacts daily, meeting people daily, and working a little bit harder everyday. Remember, the contacts you make in these lean years will turn into $$$$ when things turn around. Don't listen to the news, tell people about the positives. Rates are low, there are more homes to choose from, you are able to buy a home cheaper then your neighbor did just a few years ago. Those 3 things sound like potential for a good market. The daily activities of a successful Realtor have not changed, make contacts everyday. That task does not change with the rise and fall of the economy. The only thing that changes is the value of homes and the time it may take for your listing to turn into money in your bank account. Listings will always and forever be the name of this game, and the amount of contacts you make everyday will determine the amount of listings you sign up.
For more information from JR Sangiuliano of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty feel free to E-mail him at c21jrs72@aol.com or visit his Company Blog at http://www.century21jrsrealty.blogspot.com/

How to get a Mortgage

The Loan Application
If you're like most people, you'll probably need to secure a mortgage loan for your new house. Application for a home loan can take as little as one week and up to a month, depending on the type of mortgage.
Your lender or mortgage broker will be able to give you a better idea of the actual time it will take from application to approval. However, in general, conventional loans are processed more quickly than FHA or VA home loans.
Read more about types of mortgage loans.
The following is a step-by-step outline of what to expect during the loan application process:
1. ApplicationBring all required documentation. (Also, see the Application Checklist.)Good Faith Estimate of Closing Costs Truth-in-Lending statement
2. ProcessingVerification of employmentVerification of depositsCredit report
3. Underwriting Clear conditions
4. Purchase Homeowner's Insurance
5. EscrowDetermine funds needed for closing Schedule appointment for closing Prepare deed and mortgage note Closing and Title Transfer
Application Checklist
To speed up the application process, bring the applicable following items to your loan application appointment.
Signed copy of Purchase Agreement plus all Addendums.
Tax and Legal description on subject property.
Residence addresses for the past two (2) years.
Past two years' W-2 statements or 1099’s.
Computer generated paycheck stubs for last 30 days.
Names, addresses and phone numbers of Employers for past two (2) years.
Past two (2) month’s statements for all Checking, Savings, IRAs, 401Ks, Money Markets, Profit Sharing and evidence of Stocks and Bonds. Document all recent large deposits.
In income received for commissions, bonuses, partnership(s), corporation(s), or if self-employed, requires two (2) year’s Personal Federal Tax Returns with all Schedules along with a current P&L Statement and Business Balance Sheets and past two (2) years’ Partnership and/or Corporate Returns, if applicable.
Cancelled checks from rent or mortgage for the last 12 months, and name and address of any landlord(s) within the last 12 months.
Names, addresses, account numbers, monthly payments and balances on all open loans and revolving credit accounts.
Copy of Bankruptcy Petition listing all creditors and copy of Bankruptcy Discharge Papers (if applicable). Please provide letter of explanation as to why the Bankruptcy occurred.
Copy of Driver’s License and Social Security Card (VA Loans Only).
Certificate of Eligibility and DD214 Discharge Paper (VA Loans Only).
Application fee (check or money order).
Copy of divorce decree and/or separation agreement.
A "Friend of the Court" letter stating the amount of any alimony/child support payments and notification that the account is current.
1040 tax forms (if you’re self-employed) for the past two years, 1120 Corporate Tax Returns (or Form 1065 for Partnerships) for the previous two years, year-to-date profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet signed by your accountant.
1040 tax forms for the past two years (including schedules) if you own income properties or if your income is based on commission or bonuses.
Fortunately, as you work one-on-one with your chosen home mortgage consultant, he/she should be able to offer valuable lending expertise and advice and answer all your questions while ensuring that your loan application process progresses as smoothly and quickly as possible.
Century 21 JRS Realty is affiliated with Century 21 Mortgage, LLC.

What service do I Deserve?

What to Expect from a Full-service Agent

What can you expect from your agent? Plenty! (Or at least you should.)No doubt about it. Buying or selling a home is right at the top of the list of major (and exciting) life changes. It's also one of the most important financial transactions of your life. From making initial buying or selling decisions to closing (and everything in between), you should definitely know how an agent will turn your dream into a reality.That's where full-service agents come in. You don't want to trust one of the most important decisions of your lifetime to an agent who's more focused on cutting corners than on making sure needs are being met – and exceeded.Here's a list of what you should expect from a full-service agent. This is just a general list – you should review it and determine what other important needs you have. Make sure that your prospective agent is willing to provide you with the full suite of services you deserve.
Buyers
We work to make the home buying process easier for you by providing the ultimate convenience with these services:
* Assistance with loan pre-approval
* Needs assessment
* Fast home-buying assistance
* Online tools to make the process easier and more convenient
* Expert negotiation
* Mortgage
* Title
* Warranty
* Relocation services Connect with a buyer's agent for more information.
Sellers
We've perfected the home-selling process, too, by providing full-fledged service including:
* Pricing your home to sell
* Innovative marketing
* Home preparation advice
* Showing your home
* Expert negotiation
* Real communication – on your terms
* Finding your next home fast With the best Web site in the real estate industry, and the best marketing tools in the business, our agents reach a wider audience of potential buyers, making it easier for them to find your home once it's been listed. And, when the time comes, we can help you find your next home, too.
Connect with a listing agent from CENTURY 21 JRS Realty for more information at www.C21JRS.com.

How to Choose your Listing Agent

Listing Agent Interview Questions
Choose Your Selling Agent with Care
If you're interviewing a listing agent at your home, pay attention to how s/he reacts to talk about your home during the discussion. Choose someone you feel comfortable with. Someone who genuinely believes in your home as much (or more!) than you do. Someone who sees its potential and will work hard to represent it. And, someone who has an innovative marketing plan that will make sure that all potential buyers are exposed to your home.All Century 21 JRS Realty agents are highly trained professionals with the skills, abilities and resources to sell your home. So, when you're choosing a Century 21 JRS Realty agent, all you need to do is find the one that fits your personality and preferences.Formulate a list of questions, and then set out to find your agent. Here are some questions to get you started:Q. If I list my house with an agent, can the same agent represent me in the purchase of my next home?A. Most likely, yes. Ask the agent to explain the agency concept and how it works in your state. The agent who lists your home can usually become your buying agent, too. Just be sure to ask what limitations, if any, your agent's representation will have.Q. If you're my agent, what happens when you're not available?A. Find out how each agent handles the time they're unavailable. Do they use an assistant? Do they have a partner? Whom should you call and when? Can you reach the agent by cell, pager or e-mail? Find out what the contingencies are for all what-if scenarios. Make sure to partner with an agent who will ensure that your needs can be met – all of the time.Q. When did you last sell your own residence? What did you like and dislike about that experience?A. Experience is a great teacher. Selling a home is an emotional experience, and empathy is one of the most powerful emotions. Does your agent understand first-hand what it's like to sell a home? Can s/he provide some lessons learned to help in your experience?Q. What advice would you give me to prepare my home for sale?A. Some agents will suggest that you neutralize your décor, while others may feel they know just the right buyer for your intense (or subdued, as the case may be) color scheme. Should you tear out old carpeting? What about major repairs? Be sure to choose an agent who can analyze your home's strengths and weaknesses – and who can help you know how to accentuate its best features when preparing to sell.Q. What would you tell a buyer who's considering my home?A. Real estate agents should be skilled in discerning the positive features and benefits of any home. Is your home especially appealing because of its floor plan? Because of it's location in a great neighborhood? Or because of a unique kitchen or master suite? Be sure you're comfortable with how s/he plans to represent your home – and that s/he can accurately describe and promote your home's best attributes.Q. What's your personal philosophy of what really sells a home? Is it direct mail marketing, Internet exposure, promotion to other real estate agents or something else?A. Your Century 21 JRS Realty listing agent will build a marketing plan based on his/her answer to this question, and your specific property. Make sure you understand and agree with the agent's perspective.Q. How will you or your company protect me from the general public in the areas of safety, convenience and eliminating unnecessary showings?A. Make sure your agent is willing to operate in a way that makes you feel comfortable and safe – and in a way that makes the selling process as convenient as possible. Discuss whether you would like potential buyers to be screened prior to scheduling showings, and whether you'd like your address to be kept private in marketing efforts. Have this discussion in advance to make sure your agent's philosophies are in line with your preferences.Q. What sold the last three properties you listed?A. Because the answer to this question can differ by market and by home, what's more important than the actual answer is that your agent is able to explain in simple, direct terms which factors contributed to his or her recent sales. If the agent hasn't already addressed it, ask him/her what strengths they see in your home that will help it sell.Q. What advice would you give to a buyer who's considering my home?A. You won't likely be present when your agent talks to potential buyers, so make sure you feel comfortable with how s/he talks about your home – whether the emphasis is on getting the best offer or selling the house quickly.Q. What distinguishes your real estate company from the competitor(s)?A. Is a company large because it reinvests in innovation? Does the agent's real estate firm promise to provide sellers with the best online exposure to sellers? Each organization should have a business philosophy that your agent can easily articulate to you.Q. What distinguishes your personal service from other real estate agents?A. Listen to how the agent describes his/her communication skills and willingness to be there for you – when you need them, in the way you need them. Think about how often you want to communicate, as well as when and how you'd like to receive updates on the sales process. Choose an agent who gives you a confident response to communicating on your terms.After each interview, ask yourself: * Do you feel like the agent is trustworthy and honest? * Does s/he seem realistic when talking about your home or your anticipated home purchase? * Do you communicate well with the agent and vice versa? * Do you feel that the agent sees things from the same point of view? * Would you describe him/her as committed, motivated and experienced? For more information visit our website at www.C21JRS.com

10 Steps for Marketing Success

10 STEPS FOR MARKETING SUCCESS
Reading all these stories of success may have you dreaming of your own future. Yet you may not be sure how to jump start your own production. Then may I give you my proven marketing methods discovered over my twenty eight years in the mortgage industry. These steps have taken me and my staff to top producer and top income earners in every management and sales position I’ve held.
You may notice, it doesn’t say the ’10 Easiest Steps for Marketing Success’. The mortgage industry is a fabulous industry, but like most things in life ‘it doesn’t come easy’. Yet with effort and focus the mortgage industry is one of the most rewarding careers. Just remember to save money in the busy years, to get you through the slow years.
Use these well worn steps as your road map to marketing success.
1. Define your client or target market?
There are many mortgage business sources, which require a loan originator to focus their efforts to improve their marketing response. That’s not to say you’re so focused you miss an opportunity. Marketing efforts often cost money, and having your marketing focused will improve your chances of attracting prospects. You should also focus on a source you have a passion for. When you have a true interest it will show in your presentation.
A loan originator should have one main marketing focus, or target market, with two or three side sources. The target market is your main focus for marketing material and advertising. This source will need to be developed into your main source of generating production.
The side sources are generally relationship based and generally are a good source for stable reliable business. These sources feed you referral business. The benefit for this source is your professional handling of their client or referral. No one wants to make a recommendation that will cause them to hear the person complain or worse yet lose that person’s business themselves.
2. Review the 32 opportunities?
When you are first entering this industry your sphere of influence starts with friends, family, and anyone you know enough to call and ask for business. These are also the best to make mistakes with while you learn the system and pitfalls of the mortgage business. People who already know you will be more patient with mistakes, and you can learn how to handle the issues without someone yelling at you (hopefully). You will need to be sensitive to the confidentiality of the information you will learn and gain their trust.
The other markets are your choice. Real estate agents are not suggested when first starting out as this group will be the least forgiving, as real estate agents have a tendency to not forget the botched closing that cost them their commission.
The list is not all inclusive, so don’t be afraid to look outside this list.
‘3’ FOOT RULE – Be sure to give everyone that comes within three foot of you your card. Give it to everyone you tip, or meet. Have your card in an easy to access clean place so you can get to them quickly. Do not pass out damaged or dirty cards as that would reflect poorly on your professionalism.
BANKS/CREDIT UNIONS – Many Banks and Credit Unions are limited in their home loan programs which allow for referrals. Reciprocate by referring people that need car loans or other types of loans you do not offer. A reciprocal agreement for services is great networking.
BUILDER ACCOUNTS – It may be hard to get the account of the big builders, but smaller custom builder accounts may be open to a professional mortgage person. Builders are special in that they will have specific demands, and the builder becomes your client over the borrower. Weekly status reports and constant availability and reliability are a must. This type of client is very demanding in that they expect perfection with little room for mistakes, and are very critical of the amount of income they will allow you to make on a loan. The benefit is the business is reliable and consistent, until the subdivision is sold out. It takes six to twelve months for the property to close, but when you are in the builder’s flow of business the closings are reliable which allows you to charge fewer fees. The builder is also doing your marketing as they are the ones recommending you for the loan on the new property.
CLUBS or ORGANIZATIONS – Join. People like to work with people they know even if indirectly through club affiliation. If they have a newsletter, get your business information in the newsletter some how or write an article. Sponsorship can also help you get your name out to the members. Don’t forget the ‘3’ foot rule. Chamber of Commerce may be effective if you can get on the committee to welcome newcomers to the area.
COLD CALLS – Practice makes perfect with cold calling. The more calls you make the more confident you will become. In your presentation, have a script that identifies the benefit points for your target market, and remember you are trying to qualify the prospect to determine if they will be worth bringing in for an appointment. The mind set is you have to hear ‘no’s’ to get the ‘yes’. When cold calling a real estate agent, have your benefit for real estate agent presentation ready and your response to ‘I have a lender I use already’. Make this response sincere with the true benefit to your potential new client.
COLLEGE STUDENTS - College students may be a good market as they may get an FHA loan when parents can qualify for their new home purchase. Parents can benefit by purchasing a home for their college student, instead of paying for dorm fees. After the student graduates they can sell the home. Possibly the equity growth can cover the cost of the student loans. Check FHA or other loan program guidelines for loans with this feature.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES – Try teaming up with an adult education instructor in Real Estate, Finance, etc… that would welcome a mortgage professional to do a short presentation on something applicable to their class or current market – great free advertising.
CONTRACTORS – Home repair specialist often need financing for the improvements or repairs they are proposing to the homeowner. When house prices are raising this is a good market as homeowners decide to improve their current home instead of moving up. Give the contractor flyers or brochure they can pass to their homeowners. The flyers will need to identify the benefits of 1st or 2ND mortgages for home improvements. Major improvements of ‘fair condition’ properties may need an FHA 203k rehabilitation loan or FNMA Renovation type programs.
CONVENTION or SEMINAR ATTENDEES – You can get lists of attendees to real estate home tours, home shows, garden shows, etc… You may need to pay and attend the seminar yourself to get access to the list. Do a mailer to solicit their business, as well as at the convention.
COURTHOUSE RECORDS, FEDERAL & STATE TAX LIENS – Go to the county Recorder’s Office, Federal Courthouse, or County tax collector and get the name of everyone with Federal, State, or County tax liens. County property taxes are best as generally this ensures they own property. Mail an offer to refinance their home to pay off the liens.
CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION/ARCHITECT – Team up with a builder to develop seminars that educate the consumer on ‘How to build their Dream Home’. Custom construction and architects have unique problems with the size of the loan amount. Limited lenders will do big jumbo loan amounts, so ensure you have a lending source.
DEAD LOAN FILE – Going through the cancelled loans “dead loan” files in your office can generate business. Guidelines and programs change, and new products become available. Get permission from your manager before attempting.
FACTORY or PLANT POSTER BOARD – Go to a large factory or assembly plant, and ask the human resource department if you can put a “Still Renting?” or “Need to Consolidate Your Bills?” poster on their bulletin board. Explain to them how you can help their employees. Your ‘angle’ with HR is that a homeowner makes a better employee and may be a more stable worker. Also an employee who is not worrying about paying their bills does a better job at work, and has no wage garnishments. Offer discount loan fees for employees. Placement near the time clock or in the break room works great. An insert in their pay envelope works well too. Make sure the action for the employee is clear and easy to follow, such as an easy phone number to remember or tear off sheets with the number to call.
FARM LEADS – Farm leads are a list of potential borrower that you telemarketer to or do mass mail marketing campaigns. If telemarketing, have a scripted approach. Most title companies will give you a qualified list free in exchange for you using their office services when doing a refinance loan. Farm leads will target an area specified by the parameters you set. Common parameters are loans closed two years ago (gets you the non-prime 2/28 programs, and possible equity built up in the home for cash out); home prices between $150,000 and $250,000 (or what ever range you prefer such as within FHA loan limits); and zip code parameters. Work with your title company rep for all the details available and try to get a list that will reach your chosen target market. Farm lists for renters may also be available. Always remember to ‘scrub’ the list, remove “Do Not Call’ registered numbers.

FLOOR DUTY – The Company you work for may do advertising. Floor duty is when the prospect calls are coming in to the company from their advertising. Floor duty allows you to handle the incoming sales calls. Luck of the draw on this one, but morning is usually the best as people will generally take care of important issues like buying a home first thing in the morning.
FOR SALE BY OWNERS – Teach them how to sell their own home. Sell how you can qualify the borrower, and get them their financing. Open house kits (explained later in this section) can also be used for this market.
HOME BUYER SEMINARS – develop a seminar to educate first-time home buyers on how the mortgage lending process works, and what to expect. Mortgage Trainers of North America has a Home Buyer Seminar already complete for your use. For more information and the cost, check the website http://www.mtgtna.com/. After the seminar, invite the attendees for a quick prequalification.
JUST CLOSED REAL ESTATE – Get a farm list or county recorders records of recently closed loans from a specific area or price range. Solicit these leads for 100% and 125% LTV second mortgage programs for home improvement. Many new buyers have improvement projects or yards to complete.
KIOSK – These stands in the Malls can be affective ways to meet people. Placement would depend on your target market and where they are likely to shop. If you have a wireless laptop computer, you could do quick pre-quals on the spot.
MARKET TRENDS – Catch the Wave – Look for trends in the market or new hot product offerings. Title companies may offer a newsletter service that can keep you informed of market trends along with information on local house sales prices statistics. Watch the trends of hot products with wholesale lender flyers or go to the lender’s web sites. Set your target market based on who will benefit from the new hot product offering. Here are some examples of trends.
When house prices soar, start a campaign to remodel their current home to make it what they want. Many homeowners will not be able to move as the price of a better house will be outside their budget. Therefore they will choose to do a ‘cash out’ refinance or Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to cover the costs of remodeling or room addition projects. Teaming up with a contractor (make sure they are licensed) can help reach these borrowers.
When the economy slows, farm your past clients for leads. Market for debt consolidation loans is very helpful for people with heavy debt burdens. January is always a good month for debt consolidation loans as people want to payoff last years and holiday debts. January through April is good for new home buyers with income tax refund money.
June is a big wedding month, so hook up with a bridal shop to offer free home buyer qualification. Set up a Kiosk in a mall during the spring outside a bridal shop, or set up a table inside a bridal shop. Many wedding couples get thousands for their new start. They in turn may want to purchase a home. Many will even close on the house before the wedding, so this marketing campaign for wedding planners can be offered all year long.
Sometimes the easiest approach to marketing can be to jump on the wave of business and ride it. Look to see what the hot new markets are, and focus your efforts on that business. Option Arm programs were the last market trend. What is the trend today? It’s important to pay attention to trends. When the market moves, if you’re not watching the industry indicators, reading the industry magazines, newsletters, etc… you could miss an opportunity.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, FIREMEN, POLICE OFFICERS, OR TEACHERS – There are special programs available for professionals in your community. FNMA and FHLMC both have high LTV programs. Get details of the loan programs on their websites. You can find links at www.mtgtna.com/links. These programs allow for less down payment or down payment assistance programs. When approaching this market, advertise in areas these professionals would read or circulate. Professionals are use to making referrals to their friends and collages, so be sure to ask for referrals.
MILITARY PERSONNEL – Present the benefits you can do for military people. Promote “free pre-qualifications” or “zero down financing” to compete with VA loans. When National Guardsmen are called to active duty, they will generally get eligibility for VA home loans. This is unique to war times, and a good niche to sale when VA loans are available to you.
OPEN HOUSE – Real estate agents may want for safety reasons to have someone sit with them during an open house. Beyond safety reasons, having the ability to qualify any potential buyers there on the spot is a plus. Here is an opportunity to meet a potential new client who is in the market to purchase a property. You could pull their credit and interview them on the spot. If they do not purchase the property, maybe they will purchase another property.
Open house kits can be prepared in advance. The kit gives the person two or three scenarios on payments, down payment requirements, qualifying income needs, house amenities or special features list. Open house kits can also include information on nearby amenities such as schools, popular stores, local highlights of interest, chamber information, and other information useful to a potential purchaser for the home.
You could drop-in to an Open House, and talk to the real estate agent. Open houses don’t have a ‘gate keeper’ like the real estate office. Treat as you would a cold call. If agent is not busy, it’s a good time to pitch your services.
PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS – Bankruptcy attorney, financial consultants, divorce attorney, CPA or Bookkeeper, and other professionals that work with clients that need the equity of their home or understand the value of home ownership. These professionals need a qualified mortgage professional to refer their clients. A financial planner may want a homeowner to refinance and use the equity for investments with higher rate of return. An accountant may advise a client they need to purchase a home for the tax write off. Bankruptcy attorney may advise a different path from bankruptcy. Such as a debt consolidation when a client has excessive home equity, or paying off the chapter 13 bankruptcy early with a home equity refinance.
PUBLIC INFORMATION SOURCES – There are public announcements for marriage licenses, job promotions, bankruptcy filings, divorce filings, or other filings that would give you a reason for approach.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS – The goal of having a steady stream of real estate agent business is the dream of most loan originators. The relationship between the real estate agent and loan originator is difficult to keep consistent. Often the relationship is only as good as the last loan transaction. Real estate agents have many loan originators contending for their business, all offering better products, better service, and who knows what. Keep in mind that it is illegal according to RESPA to pay a real estate agent for a lead.
So if you cannot buy the real estate agent’s loyalty how do you keep the relationship? Excellent customer service is the best way. Don’t miss a close of escrow date, EVER! Keep the real estate agent informed with weekly status reports. Communication is Key! Keep in mind the Privacy Laws governs your actions as to the amount of information you may share with the real estate agents involved in the transaction.
Listing Agents – When you have a purchase transaction, keep the listing agent well informed as this is an opportunity for a new source. By keeping them in the information loop, you may just earn their business. Introduce yourself when you get the purchase contract. Let them know when the appraisal is being ordered and ask how they want to give access to the property. Call and inform them when the appraisal is received and the appraised value, and when closing docs are ordered and at title. After you call the listing agent to let them know the transaction has funded, let them know you’d like to work with them. Give them your quick scripted presentation for new business, and ask for an appointment to discuss how you can help them close loans. Maybe show them the ‘Open House Kits’ you use for listing agents, and your willingness to sit at open houses.
Real estate agents can give referrals to other real estate agents and purchasers, but only if they trust you to get the loan closed. Best way to get past the ‘Gate Keeper’. Ask the agents for referrals to other agents in their office. Meet the real estate agent at their office so they can introduce you around to the other agents personally.
REAL ESTATE INVESTOR – Develop a seminar educating consumers on how to use the equity in their current properties to buy more properties. Some companies may even go further by lining up renters with a leasing agent for their investment property clients.
RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES – Get lists of all college graduates from your local colleges and vocational-tech schools. These people often have just gotten new jobs, received graduation money, and may be looking to purchase a home or condo.
REFERRALS – This is the key to success. This is the best source of business for any business. A warm lead to call, and repeat customers keep the commissions stable more than any other source of business. Just doing a good job may not generate a referral. Marketing follow up systems work well to stimulate referrals. If you feel you deserve the business, ASK FOR IT! Give the borrower many opportunities to give you referrals, ask often, and give them more than one card so they can pass them out. You don’t want to be pushy, but asking politely is expected. Some top producers operate on a “By Referral Only” basis. Once the flow of referrals start you may never have to worry about where your business is coming from, even in hard times.
RENTERS – This market can have different approaches, such as rent vs. purchase argument. Solicit the rental market and educate them on the cost of not purchasing a home. A large percentage of the current renters, do not believe they will qualify. They may not know how much money it takes, or whether they have good credit or not. They are afraid to purchase, as their parents were renters, and they truly feel homeownership is for someone else. How can you tap this market and let them know they may qualify? Target the renters with new home buying seminars, or mail campaign to apartment complexes telling them “Renting is Hazardous to Your Wealth”.
REVERSE MORTGAGE MARKET – Solicit retirees that have equity or free and clear properties. Reverse mortgages is a niche as not everyone will want this type of loan. But for those elderly homeowners, it can be a great relief of extra money for medical expenses. This may also be the next wave of business, as the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation turns 62 this year.
WEB SEARCH ENGINES – Once you have a website, you can purchase services from search engines to drive business to your site. Prices vary for this service and are called website optimization. There are ways to make your web site rank high in the search engines without paying for a service. You will need to do your homework to learn how to use key words in your home page that will give your site priority consideration with search engines.
3. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET MARKET
Your first step is to identify who you want to have as a client or target market. What are your strong points or personal desires? If you like working with first time homebuyers and overcoming their challenges, then this can be your target market. Pick a target market that you understand their true needs and desires, or research to find out what they need. Maybe you remember your first experience in buying a home, and feel you could do better with communication to the buyer on the expectations of the process. Put your mind set in the new first-time homebuyers mind, and determine what issues and fears they may have. Make a list of first-time homebuyer concerns and possible issues. Then work on the loan features and benefits to assist with these issues.
Setting production goals are a great start in making a marketing plan. Preparing goals for your market approach saves time and frustration. If you don’t have goals sheets for planning your marketing approach, you may access free Sales Goal Sheet Templates at http://www.mtgtna.com/. Goals allow you to focus your efforts and budget.
4. REACHING YOUR MARKET
Your budget may determine your approach? Build into every client transaction a percentage of income for the marketing budget. Marketing does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Referrals are the cheapest as they generally just take an effort to ask for the referral, and then follow up with the lead. It is also courteous to send a thank you for the lead received. Due to privacy rights, you cannot disclose any details of the referrals business. Follow the laws required in your state and federal advertising regulations, and focus your presentation on your target market. Do not attempt the ‘shot gun’ approach that attempt to hit every prospective borrower. Your message will be lost in the maze of information. Also your advertising should not deter protected groups from accessing your services. Keep in mind that generally your first approach to any market is to get them to ‘call you’. So that is your focus.
BROCHURES – These can be nice for hand outs, and make the company look more professional with a brochure that outlines their services. Professional services and templates on the internet can help with development. When approaching professionals and human resource departments, a brochure works well to let them know the benefits of using you, your service, and your company. Benefits outlined in the brochure will need to be for your target market, and again not the shot gun approach of everything you have ever done.
E-MAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – Although there are costs and work involved in setting up an e-mail marketing campaign, there are clear benefits. You can purchase a data base if you do not have one, but the norm is to be invited to use someone’s email. The point is that once you get started, you will find e-mailing to be cost-effective.
FLYERS – Do not make a flyer that will attract all possible prospects. Do not let the flyer become too busy or misleading. The flyers should have a message that will meet the marketing goal, generally to generate action by the targeted market. The flyer will need to hit on the estimated motivation of the target market. What specific services will the potential borrower want from you, the mortgage professional?
GIFTS – There are gift baskets, wine with customized company name labels, plants, seed packets, fruit baskets, new home welcome baskets, and many other ways to spend your marketing dollars. There are also regulations on gifts from people in the mortgage business, so keep gifts under $50. If you give a present to one client, you should give a present to all. Excessive or expected gifts may be considered an illegal inducement or referral fee.
MAILING CAMPAIGN – There are costs involved in this approach, and the return is estimated at 2-3% being a good response. There are marketing services for a fee that will handle the mailing for you. These services make mailing campaigns easy as long as your database is up-to-date and accurate. Data bases can be purchased, but may not be current or may be over-used by other loan originators. Farm lists from title companies can also be used for your data base. What type of mailer will you use?
POSTCARDS – An effective mailer as most people will read the postcard before they throw. Postcards also cost less to mail. You have a very brief area to get your target market to take action, so make sure the message is simple and action requesting is clear. Call me!
GREETING CARDS – Holiday cards, birthday cards, and thank you's are all great to keep in touch with past clients. It also gives you another chance to ask for referrals, keep your data base current, and just basically keep your name in the fore front of their mind.
INVITATION – Invite past and potential clients to special events, “Homebuyer Seminar”, open house at your office, or holiday party. Have a door prize (less than $50 in value). Your client will get one chance in the drawing for every person they bring. How about a welcome to the neighborhood party you throw for your new client and their neighbors.
NEWSLETTERS – Newsletters can maintain communication between you and your clients. Marketing service companies can develop a newsletter for you, or you can write them yourself. Keep in mind that most newsletters are informational and do not normally ask for the business like marketing material.
NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE PRINT-ADS – These can be expensive, but if your target market reads the paper or magazine the cost may be off set by the amount of applications it generates. Ask for a Media Kit to determine circulation and demographics of their readers. Ads should not be too busy. Keep it simple as you are just trying to get the phone to ring. Sometimes doing the ad in black with white writing can help it stand out from the other newspaper print ads.
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS – Pens, calendars, pads, rulers, game schedule charts, magnets, key chains, go more for useful rather than unique although both are great. Recipe cards are unique and often kept. T-shirts, polo shirts, hats, and bags are nice, but can be expensive and are considered inducements which are illegal. Why are you giving them the promotional item? The answer may help you decide what to use, if anything.
RADIO ADVERTISEMENT – Radio advertising on your local station is not too expensive, especially sponsoring the weather or traffic reports. You’ll need to run the ad at least six months. What radio station will your target market listen too? What time?
FREE ADVERTISING – there are many sources of free advertising. The following is a small list.
Word of mouth, referrals is the best.
Newspaper article written about you, or a press release.
Speeches and programs for civic groups.
Teach a course on home financing at the community college.
Business card on bulletin boards at stores and community centers.
Write newspaper article or column
Speak at Real Estate meetings.
Speak at high school career day programs
Three foot rule, anyone within three feet gets your card and presentation.
What more can you think of?
5. COMPLIANCE WITH ADVERTISING
Make sure all your marketing materials meet state and federal requirements. Federal laws require advertisements to be clear and not misleading. Per the Truth In Lending Act (TILA), any rate quotes or implied payment amounts will require an annual percentage rate (APR) disclosure. When advertising, the posted APR cannot be any less conspicuous that the rate quoted.
Types of discrimination identified by the courts are:
· Overt evidence of discrimination, “When a lender blatantly discriminates on a prohibitive bases.”
· Disparate Treatment, “When a lender treats an applicant differently based on one of the prohibited factors.” This is the most concern in pricing. For example, you find your Hispanic clients harder to work with due to credit or employment issues, so you price their loans higher than your 800 credit score white clients. This is not a rate issue. This is a fees being charged to the borrower issue – pricing. It may not be directly intentional, but will your excuse hold up in court?
· Disparate Impact, “When a lender applies a practice uniformly to all applicants, but the practice has a discriminatory effect on a prohibited basis and is not justified by business necessity,” which hurts all parties involved with the lending transaction. For example, a company has all their advertising in Spanish with Spanish Magazines. This may be disparate impact to other protected groups such as some blacks that may not speak or read Spanish.
Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994
The Federal Reserve Board published its Truth-in-Lending Final Rule with Advertising standards that require additional information about rates, monthly payment, and other loan features. The final rule bans seven deceptive or misleading advertising practices and strengthens the clear and conspicious standards for advertising disclosures. The following is brief review of the prohibited factors:
1. Advertisements that state ‘fixed’ rates or payments for loans but rates can vary with only a limited fixed rate period.
2. Advertisements that compare an actual or hypothetical rate or payment obligation unless the advertisement states the rates or payments that apply over the full term of the loan.
3. Advertisements that characterize the products offered as ‘government loan programs’ even though the advertised products are not government-supported or sponsored loans.
4. Advertisements that display the name of the consumer’s current mortgage lender, unless prominently discloses that advertisement is from a mortgage lender not affiliated with the consumer’s current lender.
5. Advertisements that make claims of debt elimination if the product advertised would merely replace one debt obligation with another.
6. Advertisements that create a false impression that the mortgage broker or lender is a ‘counselor’ for the consumer.
7. Foreign-language advertisements, such as a low introductory ‘teaser’ rate, while the required disclosures are provided only in English.
These final rules will be phased in and took affect 10-1-09.
Fair lending laws require advertisements going to the public to disclose the equal opportunity housing symbol ( Equal Housing Lender.) Fair lending laws require you to not discriminate against any protected groups and comply with Fair Lending Laws. Be mindful of the image your advertising is taking. Most state laws require advertising disclose the complete name and address of the mortgage company and not just the loan originator. If the advertising is for ‘real estate professional’s only’ this statement must be on the advertisement or flyer. Supervisors should review all advertising to the public.
6. CHOOSING YOUR APPROACH
Next Step is to determine what form of advertising you will use to reach your market. What approach will give you the best possibility of reaching this target market? The first approach may not work initially. Repetitive advertising is ideal as people will normally need to see something three or more times before they act. Maybe do a repeating ad in the paper, or radio. Send a mailer more than once. The ad or mailer can vary each time, but keep the heading or company logo or slogan so they can recognize the advertisement. Plan out your marketing for the year or at least six months, then track your responses and fine tune your campaign as you go.
7. DEVELOP AFFECTIVE MATERIALS
Next step you will need to develop marketing to get the phone to ring. What ever approach you choose, you will need to make sure you identify how you will overcome the issues identified for your target market. Not so much loan program as much as solutions (benefits) adapted to those clients. Now communicate in the material that you are available, and what are your solutions.
Be creative but keep the focus on the target market. What will get them to pick up the phone and call you? Create effective direct response advertisements by including these key marketing tips.
Grabber – The ad needs to grab the readers’ attention. Ask yourself, “What is it I do that really benefits the borrower?”
Interest – Having the reader answer “Yes” to questions works well and makes it easy for them to say yes to your call to action or services.
Conviction – You must create a belief that you can help them achieve their goal. Testimonials and success stories work well.
Call-to-action – Somewhere in your ad you need to instruct the prospect what action to do next. Call, email, complete response card, or so on. Creating a fear of loss with limited time offer will also motivate action.
Easy – It should be easy to reach you. Use toll free phone number, website address, and email.
You have to believe in what you’re selling. You are selling yourself, your company, and your services. You need to believe you will give the best service for the borrower, and not just close the loan for commission. When the focus is on the borrower, the money in your pocket will follow.
Selling yourself should be easy. Wouldn’t you do business with you? If your answer is no, we offer an ethics and law course. If the answer is no because you’re new, then focus your sales efforts on selling your company. It’s OK to be new and learning the business. Just make sure you have a mentor to review the information you are telling the borrower.
SIX BUYING MOTIVATORS
What motivates a person to purchase? Their desire for gain, fear of loss, comfort and convenience, security and protection, pride of ownership, and satisfaction of emotion. The loan originator must peak the interest and inspire the prospect to proceed with the loan and make a decision to proceed with the loan triggering one of these motives in the prospect. What will motivate your target market?
TYPES OF ADS
There are two main types of advertising and a method to combine both ads.
Brand or Image marketing promotes name recognition, and gives you the opportunity to sell your reputation or your company’s mission. This type of ads goal is to build awareness and interest.
Call-to-action or product marketing promotes the reader to do something or act on the offer. The ads goal is to present an offer and prompt a person to act.
Whole or Total approach ad incorporates both goals. Uniformity of advertising will allow brand or name recognition. Ads may use the same layout, font, logo, and/or slogan, picture, or other repetitive feature to the ad which will allow the reader quick recognition of who is the advertiser. Beyond the repetitive advertising features the ad is designed to meet your advertising strategy goal.
An advertising strategy should include the answers to the following questions:
Who is your target market?
What do I want the target market to know about me, my services, and/or my company?
Present one clear idea. Clear single focused communication will be understood the best.
Convey benefits not features. When you think of feature, ask yourself – “which means” what?
Why am I better than the hundreds of other loan originators?
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS
Stay in compliance with advertising and lending laws. I would suggest a law class if you do not know an advertisement implying a rate or payment requires an APR, or that Fair Lending Laws require no discrimination and the display of the ECOA house symbol. There are also laws that prohibit you from not taking an application for a borrower that wants to make application for a home loan. Always ensure all advertising meets the federal and state law requirements to avoid fines and un-professional approach to the market.
8. THE BUYING CYCLE
The phone rings. You’re in the buying cycle. Now is the time to sell. What are you selling? First you are selling yourself, then your services (money), and your company. Don’t over sell with this initial contact. Remember this is for building interest to come in for an appointment. If needed, have your script ready so you don’t stumble and sound incompetent on the phone. Give a short pitch, and then ask if you can ask them a few questions. Screen the calls to determine viable prospects, and set appointments to meet the prospects that are serious about purchasing or refinancing. Make the decision if they should be brought in for an appointment, set up in future follow-up for a call back, or cut loose.
STEPS IN THE BUYING CYCLE
1ST step-Awareness – Get the phone to ring. You’re not trying to close the sale, just get a call. Do not make your marketing so busy that the message to call you is lost in the information. The message to call will need to touch the motivation of the target market.
2nd Step–Peak Interest–Screen the call and get the appointment, build rapport.
3rd Step – Inspire action to use you for their loan. At the loan application, convey value.
4th Step-Decision to close the loan
Then the cycle starts back to awareness. You expect referrals, and for them to use you again in the future. Your clients will react to your advertising in steps. People do not work with you because you make them understand every step; they work with your because they feel understood and trust you. No one wants to be sold; they want to make an informed decision to buy.
9. MARKET TRACKING
All marketing material should be tracked. If you receive no calls from a flyer you’ll know to not use it again, or you may want to reuse one that was successful. There are many ways to track. Some use an extension, code word or name for prospects to ask for such as Fred, even though there is no one in the office named Fred. The code word will let you know which marketing material generated the lead. You can also just ask how they heard about you and note on feedback worksheets. Feedback worksheets work well, and make analyzing results easier. Having a 1-2% return on a mass mailing is average. After analyzing the results of a marketing campaign, evaluate and make adjustments for future marketing campaigns.
10. DEVELOP A PROSPECT INTO A CLIENT AND REFERRAL SOURCE
The last step in marketing is the appointment, make sure you listen. Listen to what their concerns and fears are and then focus your presentation based on their personal needs. You need to create desire to use you for their home purchase or refinance. If you convey value and instill trust, they may not shop you. Testimonials and other success stories may help if they relate to issues the borrower is also facing.
A problem with many sales people is they talk themselves out of the sale. They are too busy talking, and they forget to listen. Experts have proven the best communicator is a LISTENER! How do you show them you are listening? Meet or address their needs or concerns they have told you they have. Good luck with your 2008 marketing campaign.

Linda Williams is the VP of Marketing and Trainer for Mortgage Trainers of North America where ‘Knowledge is power, power to drive your business and your success’. She has been a Mortgage Professional for 30 years and a Trainer for 15 years. For more information on Linda or training opportunities, visit http://www.mtgtna.com/ or email linda@mtgtna.com.

Does the MArket Change what an agent must do to Succeed?

by JR Sangiuliano
YES, GET OFF YOUR ASS and work. Everyday in a good market, bad market, up market, down market, it does not matter you have to work 40 to 60 ours a week. If you want to make an above average income you must put in above average hours at you trade. Realtors think just being in the office they are working or better yet fooling their broker into thinking they are working. A realtor must spend his or her time meeting new people and calling on friends and family and family of friend and friends of family EVERYDAY. Add to that calls to past and present clients, some prospecting of businesses, calling strangers, attacking For Sale By Owners & Expired listings, and working with buyers for only 10% of your day and you have the make up of a successful real estate agent. But here is a news flash...IF THAT DOES NOT WORK DO SOMETHING ELSE TO MAKE IT WORK, hand out flyer's, blanket the parking lot of you local shop rite, DO SOMETHING. The most successful agents do as much of this prospecting face to face as possible because that is the most affecting method. This does not change with the changes in the market. The only thing that changes with the market is how hard you have to work, the time it takes for money to hit your pocket, and the prices of the homes you sell. But as for the daily activities of the full time agent in this career your duties and responsibilities to your fellow team members and your company do not change. Every agent that spend 80% of each working day prospecting, self promoting, and generating leads will not feel any drop off in production. The problem is that most agents fall pray to the crap they hear on the news and that affects their CONSISTENCY everyday. That is the key: to be consistent with your activities. Well that is my lesson and thoughts of the day

Who is responsible for your success?

Who is responsible for your success?

This isn’t a trick question.
Certainly you know the answer—the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now: YOU.
Everything about you is a result of your doing or not doing... Your income. Debt. Relationships. Health. Fitness level. Attitudes and behaviors.
I think everyone knows this in their hearts, but often times people convince themselves into thinking that external factors are the source of their failure, disappointment, and unhappiness.
External factors do not determine how you live. YOU are in complete control of the quality of your life.
When I hear people complain about the state of their life (be it their problems with personal finances, weight, their jobs, or general dissatisfaction) I like to help them see things differently.
If they feel “stuck” and unable to move forward for whatever reason, I ask them to scrutinize both what is working well and what isn’t working well in their life and see how they’ve arrived at where they currently are. For example, if a woman tells me she’s unhappy with her weight—she travels frequently, and has no to time to exercise or seek healthy foods—I point out that her weight is not a result of her travels and schedule. It’s an outcome of what she chooses to eat and how she chooses to move, regardless of her daily agenda. Why not make a conscious effort to pre-plan healthy meals and snacks, even if it’s on the go, and sneak in 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there to be physically active (hey, I know some frequent flyers who make it a habit of running through airports!).
If you’re frustrated with any area in your life, then it’s time to take a little inventory. Certainly there are wonderful things happening, whether it’s your job, your romantic relationship, your children, your friends, or your income level. Your accomplishments are just as important as your missteps.
First, congratulate yourself on your successes; and then take a look at what isn’t working out so well. What are you doing or not doing to create those experiences?
Watch out! If you find yourself beginning to complain about everything but the choices you’ve made, then you need to take a step back. See if you can stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you—and only you—create your experiences, you’ll realize that you can un-create them and forge new experiences whenever you want.
How empowering is that!
You must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times.
All too often we choose to claim the successes and blame the failures on others or other circumstances. When you stop blaming, however, you can take that energy and redirect it to focus on shaping a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy. Imagine roping all the energy into a positive effort.
Some ideas to make this happen:
Believe, Believe, Believe! Have unwavering faith in yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to accept the fact that you create all your experiences. You will experience successes thanks to you, and you will experience pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a little strange, but accepting this level of responsibility is uniquely empowering. It means you can do, change, and be anything. Stumbling blocks become just that—little hills to hop over.
Take no less than 100% responsibility. Successful people take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images they visualize, and the actions they take. They don't waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Stop complaining. Look at what you are complaining about. I’m fat. I’m tired. I can’t get out of debt. I won’t ever get a better job. I can’t stand the relationship I have with my sister. I’ll never find a soulmate in life. Really examine your complaints. More than likely you can do something about them. They are not about other people, other things, or other events. They are about YOU. Make an immediate change. Are you unhappy about something that is happening right now? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable for you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or makes you feel bad about your decision. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain?
You can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Pay attention. Looking to others for help and guidance is helpful, but don’t forget to stay tuned in to yourself—your behavior, attitude, and life experiences. Identify what’s working and what isn’t. If you need to, write it all down. Then…
Face the truth and take action for the long term . You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want. If you’ve already taken an initial step in the right direction, now’s the time to plan additional steps to keep moving you forward, faster.
Isn’t it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn’t it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
So if you need just one thing to do different today than you did yesterday, make it this: Commit to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you’ll discover it's much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!

Marketing Tips for Realtors

Marketing Success in Any Market
1. Define your client or target market?
There are many mortgage business sources, which require a loan originator to focus their efforts to improve their marketing response. That’s not to say you’re so focused you miss an opportunity. Marketing efforts often cost money, and having your marketing focused will improve your chances of attracting prospects. You should also focus on a source you have a passion for. When you have a true interest, it will show in your presentation.
A loan originator should have one main marketing focus, or target market, with two or three side sources. The target market is your main focus for marketing material and advertising. This source will need to be developed into your main source of generating production.
The side sources are generally relationship based and generally are a good source for stable reliable business. These sources feed you referral business. The benefit for this source is your professional handling of their client or referral. No one wants to make a recommendation that will cause them to hear the person complain or worse yet lose that person’s business themselves.
2. Review the 32 opportunities?
When you are first entering this industry, your sphere of influence starts with friends, family, and anyone you know enough to call and ask for business. These are also the best to make mistakes with while you learn the system and pitfalls of the mortgage business. People who already know you will be more patient with mistakes, and you can learn how to handle the issues without someone yelling at you (hopefully). You will need to be sensitive to the confidentiality of the information you will learn and gain their trust.
The other markets are your choice. Real estate agents are not suggested when first starting out, as this group will be the least forgiving, as real estate agents have a tendency to not forget the botched closing that cost them their commission.
The list is not all-inclusive, so don’t be afraid to look outside this list.
‘3′ FOOT RULE - Be sure to give everyone that comes within three foot of you your card. Give it to everyone you tip, or meet. Have your card in an easy to access clean place so you can get to them quickly. Do not pass out damaged or dirty cards as that would reflect poorly on your professionalism.
BANKS/CREDIT UNIONS - Many Banks and Credit Unions are limited in their home loan programs, which allow for referrals. Reciprocate by referring people that need car loans or other types of loans you do not offer. A reciprocal agreement for services is great networking.
BUILDER ACCOUNTS - It may be hard to get the account of the big builders, but smaller custom builder accounts may be open to a professional mortgage person. Builders are special in that they will have specific demands, and the builder becomes your client over the borrower. Weekly status reports and constant availability and reliability are a must. This type of client is very demanding in that they expect perfection with little room for mistakes, and are very critical of the amount of income they will allow you to make on a loan. The benefit is the business is reliable and consistent, until the subdivision is sold out. It takes six to twelve months for the property to close, but when you are in the builder’s flow of business, the closings are reliable which allows you to charge fewer fees. The builder is also doing your marketing, as they are the ones recommending you for the loan on the new property.
CLUBS or ORGANIZATIONS - Join. People like to work with people they know even if indirectly through club affiliation. If they have a newsletter, get your business information in the newsletter some how or write an article. Sponsorship can also help you get your name out to the members. Don’t forget the ‘3′ foot rule. Chamber of Commerce may be effective if you can get on the committee to welcome newcomers to the area.
COLD CALLS - Practice makes perfect with cold calling. The more calls you make the more confident you will become. In your presentation, have a script that identifies the benefit points for your target market, and remember you are trying to qualify the prospect to determine if they will be worth bringing in for an appointment. The mind set is you have to hear ‘no’s’ to get the ‘yes’.
When cold calling a real estate agent, have your benefit for real estate agent presentation ready and your response to ‘I have a lender I use already’. Make this response sincere with the true benefit to your potential new client.
COLLEGE STUDENTS - College students may be a good market as they may get an FHA loan when parents can qualify for their new home purchase. Parents can benefit by purchasing a home for their college student, instead of paying for dorm fees. After the student graduates, they can sell the home. Possibly the equity growth can cover the cost of the student loans. Check FHA or other loan program guidelines for loans with this feature.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES - Try teaming up with an adult education instructor in Real Estate, Finance, etc… that would welcome a mortgage professional to do a short presentation on something applicable to their class or current market - great free advertising.
CONTRACTORS - Home repair specialist often need financing for the improvements or repairs they are proposing to the homeowner. When house prices are raising this is a good market as homeowners decide to improve their current home instead of moving up. Give the contractor flyers or brochure they can pass to their homeowners. The flyers will need to identify the
benefits of 1st or 2nd mortgages for home improvements. Major improvements of ‘fair condition’ properties may need an FHA 203k rehabilitation loan or FNMA Renovation type programs.
CONVENTION or SEMINAR ATTENDEES - You can get lists of attendees to real estate home tours, home shows, garden shows, etc… You may need to pay and attend the seminar yourself to get access to the list. Do a mailer to solicit their business, as well as at the convention.
COURTHOUSE RECORDS, FEDERAL & STATE TAX LIENS - Go to the county Recorder’s Office, Federal Courthouse, or County tax collector and get the name of everyone with Federal, State, or County tax liens. County property taxes are best as generally this ensures they own property. Mail an offer to refinance their home to pay off the liens.
CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION/ARCHITECT - Team up with a builder to develop seminars that educate the consumer on ‘How to build their Dream Home’. Custom construction and architects have unique problems with the size of the loan amount. Limited lenders will do big jumbo loan amounts, so ensure you have a lending source.
DEAD LOAN FILE - Going through the cancelled loans “dead loan” files in your office can generate business. Guidelines and programs change, and new products become available. Get permission from your manager before attempting.
FACTORY or PLANT POSTER BOARD - Go to a large factory or assembly plant, and ask the human resource department if you can put a “Still Renting?” or “Need to Consolidate Your Bills?” poster on their bulletin board. Explain to them how you can help their employees. Your ‘angle’ with HR is that a homeowner makes a better employee and may be a more stable worker. Also, an employee who is not worrying about paying their bills does a better job at work, and has no wage garnishments. Offer discount loan fees for employees. Placement near the time clock or in the break room works great. An insert in their pay envelope works well too. Make sure the action for the employee is clear and easy to follow, such as an easy phone number to remember or tear off sheets with the number to call.
FARM LEADS - Farm leads are a list of potential borrower that you telemarketer to or do mass mail marketing campaigns. If telemarketing, have a scripted approach. Most title companies will give you a qualified list free in exchange for you using their office services when doing a refinance loan. Farm leads will target an area specified by the parameters you set. common parameters are loans closed two years ago (gets you the non-prime 2/28 programs, and possible equity built up in the home for cash out); home prices between $150,000 and $250,000 (or whatever range you prefer such as within FHA loan limits); and zip code parameters. Work with your title company rep for all the details available and try to get a list that will reach your chosen target market. Farm lists for renters may also be available. Always remember to ‘scrub’ the list, remove “Do Not Call’ registered numbers.
FLOOR DUTY - The Company you work for may do advertising. Floor duty is when the prospect calls are coming in to the company from their advertising. Floor duty allows you to handle the incoming sales calls. Luck of the draw on this one, but morning is usually the best as people will generally take care of important issues like buying a home first thing in the morning.
FOR SALE BY OWNERS - Teach them how to sell their own home. Sell how you can qualify the borrower, and get them their financing. Open house kits (explained later in this section) can also be used for this market.
HOME BUYER SEMINARS - develop a seminar to educate first-time home buyers on how the mortgage lending process works, and what to expect. Mortgage Trainers of North America has a Home Buyer Seminar already complete for your use. For more information and the cost, check the website http://www.mtgtna.com/. After the seminar, invite the attendees for a quick prequalification.
JUST CLOSED REAL ESTATE - Get a farm list or county recorders records of recently closed loans from a specific area or price range. Solicit these leads for 100% and 125% LTV second mortgage programs for home improvement. Many new buyers have improvement projects or yards to complete.
KIOSK - These stands in the Malls can be effective ways to meet people. Placement would depend on your target market and where they are likely to shop. If you have a wireless laptop computer, you could do quick pre-quals on the spot.
MARKET TRENDS - Catch the Wave - Look for trends in the market or new hot product offerings. Title companies may offer a newsletter service that can keep you informed of market trends along with information on local house sales prices statistics. Watch the trends of hot products with wholesale lender flyers or go to the lender’s web sites. Set your target market based on who will benefit from the new hot product offering. Here are some examples of trends.
When house prices soar, start a campaign to remodel their current home to make it what they want. Many homeowners will not be able to move, as the price of a better house will be outside their budget. Therefore they will choose to do a ‘cash out’ refinance or Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to cover the costs of remodeling or room addition projects. Teaming up with a contractor (make sure they are licensed) can help reach these borrowers.
When the economy slows, farm your past clients for leads. Market for debt consolidation loans is very helpful for people with heavy debt burdens. January is always a good month for debt consolidation loans as people want to payoff last years and holiday debts. January through April is good for new home buyers with income tax refund money.
June is a big wedding month, so hook up with a bridal shop to offer free home buyer qualification. Set up a Kiosk in a mall during the spring outside a bridal shop, or set up a table inside a bridal shop. Many wedding couples get thousands for their new start. They in turn may want to purchase a home. Many will even close on the house before the wedding, so this marketing campaign for wedding planners can be offered all year long.
Sometimes the easiest approach to marketing can be to jump on the wave of business and ride it. Look to see what the hot new markets are, and focus your efforts on that business. Option Arm programs were the last market trend. What is the trend today? It’s important to pay attention to trends. When the market moves, if you’re not watching the industry indicators, reading the industry magazines, newsletters, etc… you could miss an opportunity.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, FIREMEN, POLICE OFFICERS, OR TEACHERS - There are special programs available for professionals in your community. FNMA and FHLMC both have high LTV programs. Get details of the loan programs on their websites. You can find links at www.mtgtna.com/links. These programs allow for less down payment or down payment assistance programs. When approaching this market, advertise in areas these professionals would read or circulate. Professionals are use to making referrals to their friends and collages, so be sure to ask for referrals.
MILITARY PERSONNEL - Present the benefits you can do for military people. Promote “free pre-qualifications” or “zero down financing” to compete with VA loans. When National Guardsmen are called to active duty, they will generally get eligibility for VA home loans. This is unique to war times, and a good niche to sale when VA loans are available to you.
OPEN HOUSE - Real estate agents may want for safety reasons, to have someone sit with them during an open house. Beyond safety reasons, having the ability to qualify any potential buyers there on the spot is a plus. Here is an opportunity to meet a potential new client who is in the market to purchase a property. You could pull their credit and interview them on the spot. If they do not purchase the property, maybe they will purchase another property.
Open house kits can be prepared in advance. The kit gives the person two or three scenarios on payments, down payment requirements, qualifying income needs, house amenities or special features list. Open house kits can also include information on nearby amenities such as schools, popular stores, local highlights of interest, chamber information, and other information useful to a potential purchaser for the home.
You could drop-in to an Open House, and talk to the real estate agent. Open houses don’t have a ‘gate keeper’ like the real estate office. Treat as you would a cold call. If agent is not busy, it’s a good time to pitch your services.
PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS - Bankruptcy attorney, financial consultants, divorce attorney, CPA or Bookkeeper, and other professionals that work with clients that need the equity of their home or understand the value of home ownership. These professionals need a qualified mortgage professional to refer their clients. A financial planner may want a homeowner to refinance and use the equity for investments with higher rate of return. An accountant may advise a client they need to purchase a home for the tax write off. Bankruptcy attorney may advise a different path from bankruptcy. Such as a debt consolidation when a client has excessive home equity, or paying off the chapter 13 bankruptcies early with a home equity refinance.
PUBLIC INFORMATION SOURCES - There are public announcements for marriage licenses, job promotions, bankruptcy filings, divorce filings, or other filings that would give you a reason for approach.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS - The goal of having a steady stream of real estate agent business is the dream of most loan originators. The relationship between the real estate agent and loan originator is difficult to keep consistent. Often the relationship is only as good as the last loan transaction. Real estate agents have many loan originators contending for their business, all offering better products, better service, and who knows what. Keep in mind that it is illegal according to RESPA to pay a real estate agent for a lead.
So if you cannot buy the real estate agent’s loyalty how do you keep the relationship? Excellent customer service is the best way. Don’t miss a close of escrow date, EVER! Keep the real estate agent informed with weekly status reports. Communication is Key! Keep in mind the Privacy Laws governs your actions as to the amount of information you may share with the real estate agents involved in the transaction.
Listing Agents - When you have a purchase transaction, keep the listing agent well informed, as this is an opportunity for a new source. By keeping them in the information loop, you may just earn their business. Introduce yourself when you get the purchase contract. Let them know when the appraisal is being ordered and ask how they want to give access to the property. Call and inform them when the appraisal is received and the appraised value, and when closing docs are ordered and at title. After you call the listing agent to let them know the transaction has funded, let them know you’d like to work with them. Give them your quick scripted presentation for new business, and ask for an appointment to discuss how you can help them close loans. Maybe show them the ‘Open House Kits’ you use for listing agents, and your willingness to sit at open houses.
Real estate agents can give referrals to other real estate agents and purchasers, but only if they trust you to get the loan closed. Best way to get past the ‘Gate Keeper’. Ask the agents for referrals to other agents in their office. Meet the real estate agent at their office so they can introduce you around to the other agents personally.
REAL ESTATE INVESTOR - Develop a seminar educating consumers on how to use the equity in their current properties to buy more properties. Some companies may even go further by lining up renters with a leasing agent for their investment property clients.
RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES - Get lists of all college graduates from your local colleges and vocational-tech schools. These people often have just gotten new jobs, received graduation money, and may be looking to purchase a home or condo.
REFERRALS - This is the key to success. This is the best source of business for any business. A warm lead to call, and repeat customers keep the commissions stable more than any other source of business. Just doing a good job may not generate a referral. Marketing follow up systems work well to stimulate referrals. If you feel you deserve the business, ASK FOR IT! Give the borrower many opportunities to give you referrals, ask often, and give them more than one card so they can pass them out. You don’t want to be pushy, but asking politely is expected. Some top producers operate on a “By Referral Only” basis. Once the flow of referrals start you may never have to worry about where your business is coming from, even in hard times.
RENTERS - This market can have different approaches, such as rent vs. purchase argument. Solicit the rental market and educate them on the cost of not purchasing a home. A large percentage of the current renters, do not believe they will qualify. They may not know how much money it takes, or whether they have good credit or not. They are afraid to purchase, as their parents were renters, and they truly feel home ownership is for someone else. How can you tap this market and let them know they may qualify? Target the renters with new home buying seminars, or mail campaign to apartment complexes telling them “Renting is Hazardous to Your Wealth”.
REVERSE MORTGAGE MARKET - Solicit retirees that have equity or free and clear properties. Reverse mortgages is a niche as not everyone will want this type of loan. But, for those elderly homeowners, it can be a great relief of extra money for medical expenses. This may also be the next wave of business, as the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation turns 62 this year.
WEB SEARCH ENGINES - Once you have a website, you can purchase services from search engines to drive business to your site. Prices vary for this service and are called website optimization. There are ways to make your web site rank high in the search engines without paying for a service. You will need to do your homework to learn how to use key words in your home page that will give your site priority consideration with search engines.
IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET MARKETYour first step is to identify who you want to have as a client or target market. What are your strong points or personal desires? If you like working with first time homebuyers and overcoming their challenges, then this can be your target market. Pick a target market that you understand their true needs and desires, or research to find out what they need. Maybe you remember your first experience in buying a home, and feel you could do better with communication to the buyer on the expectations of the process. Put your mind set in the new first-time homebuyers mind, and determine what issues and fears they may have. Make a list of first-time homebuyer concerns and possible issues. Then work on the loan features and benefits to assist with these issues.
Setting production goals are a great start in making a marketing plan. Preparing goals for your market approach saves time and frustration. If you don’t have goals sheets for planning your marketing approach, you may access free Sales Goal Sheet Templates at http://www.mtgtna.com/. Goals allow you to focus your efforts and budget.
4. REACHING YOUR MARKETYour budget may determine your approach? Build into every client transaction a percentage of income for the marketing budget. Marketing does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Referrals are the cheapest as they generally just take an effort to ask for the referral, and then follow up with the lead. It is also courteous to send a thank you for the lead received. Due to privacy rights, you cannot disclose any details of the referrals business. Follow the laws required in your state and federal advertising regulations, and focus your presentation on your target market. Do not attempt the ‘shot gun’ approach that attempt to hit every prospective borrower. Your message will be lost in the maze of information. Also your advertising should not deter protected groups from accessing your services. Keep in mind that generally your first approach to any market is to get them to ‘call you’. So that is your focus.
BROCHURES – These can be nice for hand outs, and make the company look more professional with a brochure that outlines their services. Professional services and templates on the internet can help with development. When approaching professionals and human resource departments, a brochure works well to let them know the benefits of using you, your service, and your company. Benefits outlined in the brochure will need to be for your target market, and again not the shot gun approach of everything you have ever done. E-MAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – Although there are costs and work involved in setting up an e-mail marketing campaign, there are clear benefits. You can purchase a data base if you do not have one, but the norm is to be invited to use someone’s email. The point is that once you get started, you will find e-mailing to be cost-effective.
FLYERS – Do not make a flyer that will attract all possible prospects. Do not let the flyer become too busy or misleading. The flyers should have a message that will meet the marketing goal, generally to generate action by the targeted market. The flyer will need to hit on the estimated motivation of the target market. What specific services will the potential borrower want from you, the mortgage professional?
GIFTS – There are gift baskets, wine with customized company name labels, plants, seed packets, fruit baskets, new home welcome baskets, and many other ways to spend your marketing dollars. There are also regulations on gifts from people in the mortgage business, so keep gifts under $50. If you give a present to one client, you should give a present to all. Excessive or expected gifts may be considered an illegal inducement or referral fee.
MAILING CAMPAIGN – There are costs involved in this approach, and the return is estimated at 2-3% being a good response. There are marketing services for a fee that will handle the mailing for you. These services make mailing campaigns easy as long as your database is up-to-date and accurate. Data bases can be purchased, but may not be current or may be over-used by other loan originators. Farm lists from title companies can also be used for your data base. What type of mailer will you use?
POSTCARDS – An effective mailer as most people will read the postcard before they throw. Postcards also cost less to mail. You have a very brief area to get your target market to take action, so make sure the message is simple and action requesting is clear. Call me!
GREETING CARDS – Holiday cards, birthday cards, and thank you's are all great to keep in touch with past clients. It also gives you another chance to ask for referrals, keep your data base current, and just basically keep your name in the fore front of their mind.
INVITATION – Invite past and potential clients to special events, “Homebuyer Seminar”, open house at your office, or holiday party. Have a door prize (less than $50 in value). Your client will get one chance in the drawing for every person they bring. How about a welcome to the neighborhood party you throw for your new client and their neighbors.
NEWSLETTERS – Newsletters can maintain communication between you and your clients. Marketing service companies can develop a newsletter for you, or you can write them yourself. Keep in mind that most newsletters are informational and do not normally ask for the business like marketing material.
NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE PRINT-ADS – These can be expensive, but if your target market reads the paper or magazine the cost may be off set by the amount of applications it generates. Ask for a Media Kit to determine circulation and demographics of their readers. Ads should not be too busy. Keep it simple as you are just trying to get the phone to ring. Sometimes doing the ad in black with white writing can help it stand out from the other newspaper print ads.
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS – Pens, calendars, pads, rulers, game schedule charts, magnets, key chains, go more for useful rather than unique although both are great. Recipe cards are unique and often kept. T-shirts, polo shirts, hats, and bags are nice, but can be expensive and are considered inducements which are illegal. Why are you giving them the promotional item? The answer may help you decide what to use, if anything.
RADIO ADVERTISEMENT – Radio advertising on your local station is not too expensive, especially sponsoring the weather or traffic reports. You’ll need to run the ad at least six months. What radio station will your target market listen too? What time?
FREE ADVERTISING – there are many sources of free advertising. The following is a small list:
Word of mouth, referrals is the best.
Newspaper article written about you, or a press release.
Speeches and programs for civic groups.
Teach a course on home financing at the community college.
Business card on bulletin boards at stores and community centers.
Write newspaper article or column
Speak at Real Estate meetings.
Speak at high school career day programs
Three foot rule, anyone within three feet gets your card and presentation.
What more can you think of?
5. CHOOSING YOUR APPROACHNext Step is to determine what form of advertising you will use to reach your market. What approach will give you the best possibility of reaching this target market? The first approach may not work initially. Repetitive advertising is ideal as people will normally need to see something three or more times before they act. Maybe do a repeating ad in the paper, or radio. Send a mailer more than once. The ad or mailer can vary each time, but keep the heading or company logo or slogan so they can recognize the advertisement. Plan out your marketing for the year or at least six months, then track your responses and fine tune your campaign as you go.

Congrats to Punit Shah agent of the month 3 of the last 4 months

Punit Shah has done something amazing
In a company filled with great Realtor Punit Shah has found a way to stand out above the crowd. Punit is now the agent of the month for the second month in a row and 3rd time in 4 months. This is an amazing accomplishment in these market conditions. Punit is very had working and is setting the pace for all other agents to follow. Punit has spent much of his time prospecting for sellers that have a need to sell in this market. The mortgage company's has raised their standards for lending but that does not mean they are not lending money. Buyers just have to have a better track record then in recent years. If an agent does what they are supposed to do, when they are supposed to do it, and the way they are supposed to do it, any agent can have success in this or any market. Punit Shah is an outstanding agent that has been with CENTURY 21 JRS Realty for many years, and we are honored and privileged to have him as a member of our family.

Congrats to Team Clark & Team Rahway

Congrats to Team Rahway & Team Clark earning National Rankings in 2008
National Rankings
Century 21 Real Estate LLC December 2008 Team Producers by AGC . These rankings reflect 2008 transactions with a close date of 12/31/2008 and a paid date of 01/05/2009 . For production or spelling corrections, please contact Real Estate Operations at (800) 345-2972

1 Marty Rodriguez Team / CENTURY 21 Marty Rodriguez
2 The Smith Team / CENTURY 21 Smith and Associates
3 LOWE TEAM / CENTURY 21 Sussex & Reilly

44 Team Success / CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Rahway, NJ

45 Team Excel / CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Clark, NJ

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has not one, but two teams ranked nationally. Team Rahway finished 2008 ranked number #44 in the U.S. Team Clark also finished 2008 nationally ranked, coming in at #45 in America. CENTURY 21 corporation only lists the top 100 teams in the nation, so to finish any place on the list is a great accomplishment. Finishing in the top 50 teams in the entire nation is absolutely amazing. Team Rahway and Team Clark each finished in the top 50, Rahway at #44 and Clark at #45. Everyone is aware what the Real Estate market and the economy were like in 2008, but CENTURY 21 JRS Realty and its agents have kept their service standards high, and these rankings prove we are doing things the right way. Congratulations to both teams, you deserve all the success in the world. For more information about our agents please feel free to visit our company web site and read some testimonials from real people about real good agents. www.C21JRS.com

Two Months in A Row

Congratulations to Punit for Agent of the Month two Months in a row
Punit Shah has become agent of the month for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty for the month of December 2008. Finishing the year off right with 3 listings in the month of December Punit is ready for an even better 2009. Listings and seller has and always will be the name of the Real Estate game. Listings are the most reliable clients, they get signs out and show market share, and listings are the source of your best buyer calls because they are calling on a house the listing agent already knows inside and out. Punit Shah has been with CENTURY 21 JRS Realty for many years and knows this to be true better then anyone. Punit is a hard worker and always keeps his clients best interest in mind. If you would like more information on Punit feel freet o call him at the office or visit him on the web at www.c21jrs.com

Agent of the Month for November 2008

Congratulations to Punit Shah, Agent of the Month for November 2008.

Ending the year with a BANG, Punit Shah of CENTURY 21 JRS REALTY was Agent of the Month once again. November is historically a month when agents start to slack off and making excuses about people not wanting to do business around the holidays. Well, someone has to be working in November and December because there are always people looking for home in our area no matter what time of year. Punit registered 4 listing in November, marking the 8th multi-listing month this year. Punit has set himself up for an outstanding 2009 because he puts his clients need ahead of his own needs. That is the main reason Punit has an 85% referral rate, meaning he has received a referral from 85% of his customers and clients. This is an outstanding number, and we are honored and privileged to have Punit as a member of our company. Keep up the Good Work!!!!

Real Estate Market Expected to Improve with New President

Real Estate Market Expected to Improve with New President
RISMEDIA,Nearly half of all home buyers (44%) believe the housing market will improve once the new President takes office in January, 2009, according to a new survey recently released conducted by Harris Interactive® and commissioned by Move, Inc., operator of Realtor.com®.Forty-eight percent of women and 41 percent of men who plan to buy a home in the current market said they think the housing market will get better once the new President is in office.
At the same time, 81% of home buyers are still nervous about the current housing market and report the existence of barriers between them and home ownership. Today’s home buyers perceive the cost of a down payment (28%), their annual income level (20%), lack of confidence in the economy (26%) and high home prices (31%), especially in the Western states (39%) as barriers to buying a home.
Despite these reservations, the survey indicates underlying demand for home ownership is healthy. While nearly half (41%) of current homeowners do plan to purchase a home again, 80% of all renters plan to purchase a home someday with 47% planning to purchase a home within the next five years. More people who plan to move will do so for space-related (26%) and life-stage change reasons (17%), such as having children (2%) or downsizing to a smaller residence (9%), not financial ones including an increase in rent (2%) or an expensive mortgage (less than 1/2%).
Most home buyers (78%) are also willing to make sacrifices to save and earn extra income for down payments and will compromise on neighborhood features and residential amenities in order to buy a home in the current market. Many of their choices may reflect changing values, including a growing concern over the environment, the importance of community features and the rising cost of fuel.
“These findings show that despite the difficulties home buyers face in the wake of the sub prime crisis and their concerns about economic uncertainty, underlying demand appears relatively strong. Consumers see better times coming,” said Lorna Borenstein, president of Move, Inc. “This is great news to us and our colleagues in the real estate industry. As the leader in online real estate, we pay close attention to consumer perceptions and behaviors. This important feedback enables us to identify ways in which we can enhance the search experience so it meets the needs of today’s consumers who will become the home buyers of tomorrow.”

Go Team Rahway

The updated rankings are out and once again we have moved up 1 position to the #23 Company in NJ & Delaware. More exciting then that is that for the first time in the history of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty we have a NATIONAL RANKING. IF you look down this NATIONAL list you will see TEAM RAHWAY is the # 83 TEAM in THE NATION. Congrats to everyone that has contributed to this amazing accomplishment, and as you can see these rankings only reflect closings through November 4th. So we still have a chance to move up.
National Rankings
Century 21 Real Estate LLC October 2008 Team Producers by Units . These rankings reflect 2008 transactions with a close date of 10/31/2008 and a paid date of 11/04/2008 .
For production or spelling corrections, please contact Real Estate Operations at (800) 345-2972

83 Team Success / CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Rahway, NJ 59.5

Tips to Make Your Home More Salable

Top 21 Ways to Improve the Chances of Selling Your Home
1. Make the Most of that First Impression-A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted – or at least freshly scrubbed – front door. Rake leaves in the Fall. If it’s winter, shovel the walkways.
2. Clean Clean Clean-Here’s your chance to clean up in real estate. If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, consider some minor redecoration. Fresh wallpaper adds charm and value to your property.
3. Check Faucets and Bulbs-Dripping water causes stains and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract from what’s right with your home.
4. Don’t Shut Out a Sale-If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect’s mind. Don’t try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing.
5. Think Safety-Clean away potential disasters: roller skates on the stairs, festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights.
6. Spacious Living-Potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They’re looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of unnecessary items.
7. Bathrooms Help Sell Homes-Make bathrooms sparkle. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. Enhance your bathroom with flowers, guest towels, and your best mats and shower curtains.
8. Pay Attention to Detail-Loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, pushed-out screens and other minor flaws can detract from your home’s value.
9. Dream Bedrooms-For a spacious look, remove excess furniture. Hang fresh curtains and use attractive bedspreads.
10. Warmth of the Sun-Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is.
11. Sweet Scents-The old trick of delicious scents still makes homes appealing. Bake cookies, pies, or other delectable treats. Or use potpourri as long as the scent you choose is not overwhelming.
12. Coloring the Night with Light-Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights - both inside and outside - when showing your home in the evening. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.
13.Garage Neat-Organize the garage. This is often a place that becomes cluttered.

14. Closets Are Important-Closets look their best when they are orderly and not too full. Be sure the lights work and pack away items unused to make them look more spacious. Great time to box up unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.
15.Control the Music-When it's time to show your home, it's time to turn down the stereo or TV.
16.Keep a Low Profile-CENTURY 21® Sales Associates know buyers - what they need and what they want. Your CENTURY 21 Sales Associate will have an easier time articulating the virtues of your home if you stay in the background.
17.Don't Turn Your Home into a Second-Hand Store-When prospects come to view your home, don't distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all.
18.Expert at Hand-When prospects want to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, let them speak to an expert - your CENTURY 21 Sales Associate.
19.Make it Inviting-Be sure the front entrance is clean and inviting. Paint the gutters, downspouts and the front door. Also sweep the walks, steps and driveway.
20.Touch Up-A small investment in paint for the inside and outside helps. Remember to choose neutral colors.
21. Avoid Crowd Scenes-Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they're likely to hurry through. Keep the company present to a minimum.

Punit Shah Agent of the Month of October 2008

Punit Shah Agent of the Month of October.
Congratulations to Punit Shah as his efforts have earned him the prestigious "Agent of the Month" award for the month of October as a member of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. If you recall Punit was also the "Agent of Month in May as well. Punit continues to work extremely hard this year for all of his customers and clients. Punit registered an amazing 5 listings and 2 sales in the Month of October to earn this honor. With more than 3 years experience in this industry Punit has the knowledge and work ethic to rise above the present market trends, and help sellers and buyer achieve their dreams. We are all very proud of Punit for his accomplishments and CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is honored to have him as a member of their family. Punit is a huge part of the reason CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is the #24 CENTURY 21 in New Jersey and Delaware. For more information on Punit or any other CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agent please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/ or for information on owning a home or selling your existing home in the Union, Middlesex, Essex, or Bergen County areas please feel free to Call 1-800-831-0681 or E-mail the Broker at C21JRS72@aol.com.

3 Months in a Row????

3 Months in a Row?

Yup, you heard right, Khem Persaud has done something no agent in the history of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has ever done. September marked the 3rd month in a row that Khem Persaud has won the Agent of the Month award for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. The news about the financial industry did not slow Khem down at all. In fact, Khem has just used the news to motivate him to succeed even more and to greater heights. September Khem listed 2 homes and sold 4 more to his buyers, proof that people can still get mortgages and buy homes. Agents just need to have their values of Trust, Honesty, and Hard Work at the top of their minds at all times. Congratulations to Khem Persaud on his wonderful accomplishment.

Fear and Focus

Putting Fear in It’s Place
As you move forward on your journey from where you are to where you want to be, you are going to have to confront some of your fears. Fear is a just a natural part of living.
Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there’s usually some fear involved. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.
Confronting your fears is a very necessary step in achieving success.
There is simply no other way.
Fear can be a helpful emotion, as it tells you when you need to be extra careful, keenly aware, and cautious. Fear is not an emotion that is telling you to stop. In fact, it’s telling you just the opposite!
Acknowledging your feelings of fear helps you know when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. It points your awareness to areas where you could improve and grow.
Successful people also feel fear. Yet they don’t let it get in the way of anything they want to do-or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests in her must-read book, to “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway®.”
(Susan has been a friend of mine for twenty years now, and her work, which is very powerful and transformational, has helped millions of people overcome their fears and move forward to create success in their lives. I highly recommend her as a resource: www.SusanJeffers.com)
You see, fear is more of a signal that we should stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway.
Think of fear as a 2-year-old- child who doesn’t want to go grocery shopping with you. Because you must buy groceries, you’ll just have to take the two year old with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don’t let it keep you from doing important tasks.
Also realize that so many of our fears are self-created. We might frighten ourselves by fantasizing negative outcomes to any activity we might peruse or experience. Luckily, because we are the ones doing the fantasizing, we are also the ones who can stop the fear and bring ourselves into a state of clarity and peace by facing the actual facts, rather than giving in to our imaginations.
If a fear is too great for you to overcome, try breaking it down into smaller challenges.
Try starting out doing the parts of the project that don’t scare you so much. You need to give a speech in front of a large group? Try giving your speech in front of a small group of people who care for you. Work your way up until you are able to feel the fear but still move forward. As you do you will build your confidence and eventually you won’t feel fear surrounding those issues because you’ll have done them enough to count it as a skill.
As you move toward your goal, don’t attach yourself so much to the outcomes.
Keep moving toward your dream doing everything you can to create what you want, then let it go and see what shows up. Sometimes the universe will have a better idea in mind for you and present a better opportunity when you were expecting something completely different. Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. Even if the horrible outcome that you imagined happens, the universe will always provide for you another way to succeed. So be on the look out!
Trust that no matter what occurs, you are smart enough and strong enough to keep looking for, and attracting, opportunities.
If you are willing to try new experiences in spite of your fears, then more new experiences will present themselves for you to try. And the more you try, the more you are likely to succeed!

Company Leader Coaches Winners on the Football Field as Well

Bergen Catholic 27, Southington (Conn.) 6 by JOHN RUYZAM, FOR THE STAR-LEDGER
Friday September 12, 2008, 8:19 PM
Bergen Catholic, No. 6 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, is implementing a new offense and defense this season, and the squad from Oradell came through for coach Fred Stengel with a 27-6 victory over Southington of Connecticut last night at the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium.
Bergen Catholic (1-0) switched to a spread offense to take advantage of its skilled position players and went from a 4-4 to a 4-3 defense because of a talented secondary and linebacking unit. It made the changes to compete more closely with Don Bosco Prep, winner of The Star-Ledger Top 20 Trophy as the state's No. 1 team the last two years.
"I had an opportunity to hire two great assistants, Tom Falato (a former head coach at Ridge) as my offensive coordinator and Mike Katz as my defensive coach. And I changed both the offense and defense," Stengel said. "Also, because of my personnel, I have more secondary and linebacker type kids and skilled players on offense. I went to my strengths. Did I do that to close the gap with Don Bosco? One hundred percent."
Stengel said when he had to debut his new offense in the rain he was concerned.
"But I was very pleased with the way the offense played under the conditions," Stengel said. "I wasn't happy with the defense in the first half, we missed a lot of tackles and that helped them score. But we did better in the second half."
Southington was 9-2 last year and lost in the semifinals of the LL playoffs, the largest public-school division in Connecticut.
Running back Nick Gerst carried 26 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Rob Eckrote completed eight of 15 passes for 103 yards and ran for two scores for Bergen Catholic.
"This was a start," Stengel said. "We're still a work in progress and have a lot to do."
Southington scored on the opening drive of the game as it marched 78 yards on 14 plays with quarterback Josh Lamson throwing a 2-yard TD strike to Ryan Borawski. The kick was blocked.
Bergen Catholic came right back as Anthony Marino took the kickoff and raced 20 yards to the Southington 44. Five plays later, Gerst ran 17 yards for a score and Zack Kovalovsky's kick gave the Oradell team the lead for keeps, 7-6, with 3:08 left in the first quarter.
Bergen Catholic forged a 14-6 lead with 9:52 remaining in the second quarter. Runs of 32 and 26 yards by Gerst advanced the ball to the Southington 2, from where Eckrote sneaked over.
Bergen Catholic made it 20-6 at the intermission. The Southington punter went back to kick and, on a low snap, his knee touched the ground, presenting Bergen Catholic with the ball on the Southington 16. From the 9, Gerst went over left tackle for the touchdown. The kick failed.
Bergen Catholic scored its final touchdown with 6:33 left in the game, going 57 yards in 10 plays. Passes of 14 and 18 yards to Tanner McEvoy and Marino helped push the ball to the 4. After a run by Gerst, Eckrote punched it in from the 1.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bergen Catholic (1-0) 7 13 0 7 27
Southington (Conn.) (0-1) 6 0 0 0 6
First Quarter
Southington (Conn.): Borawski 2 pass from Lamson (kick failed)Bergen Catholic: Gerst 17 run (Kovalovski kick)
Second Quarter
Bergen Catholic: Eckrote, Rob 2 run (Kovalovsky, Zack kick)Bergen Catholic: Gerst 9 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
Bergen Catholic: Eckrote, Rob 1 run (Kovalovsky, Zack kick) Southington (Conn.) Bergen Catholic

Have No FEAR

Putting Fear in It’s Place
As you move forward on your journey from where you are to where you want to be, you are going to have to confront some of your fears. Fear is a just a natural part of living.
Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there’s usually some fear involved. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.
Confronting your fears is a very necessary step in achieving success.
There is simply no other way.
Fear can be a helpful emotion, as it tells you when you need to be extra careful, keenly aware, and cautious. Fear is not an emotion that is telling you to stop. In fact, it’s telling you just the opposite!
Acknowledging your feelings of fear helps you know when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. It points your awareness to areas where you could improve and grow.
Successful people also feel fear. Yet they don’t let it get in the way of anything they want to do-or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests in her must-read book, to “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway®.”
(Susan has been a friend of mine for twenty years now, and her work, which is very powerful and transformational, has helped millions of people overcome their fears and move forward to create success in their lives. I highly recommend her as a resource: www.SusanJeffers.com)
You see, fear is more of a signal that we should stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway.
Think of fear as a 2-year-old- child who doesn’t want to go grocery shopping with you. Because you must buy groceries, you’ll just have to take the two year old with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don’t let it keep you from doing important tasks.
Also realize that so many of our fears are self-created. We might frighten ourselves by fantasizing negative outcomes to any activity we might peruse or experience. Luckily, because we are the ones doing the fantasizing, we are also the ones who can stop the fear and bring ourselves into a state of clarity and peace by facing the actual facts, rather than giving in to our imaginations.
If a fear is too great for you to overcome, try breaking it down into smaller challenges.
Try starting out doing the parts of the project that don’t scare you so much. You need to give a speech in front of a large group? Try giving your speech in front of a small group of people who care for you. Work your way up until you are able to feel the fear but still move forward. As you do you will build your confidence and eventually you won’t feel fear surrounding those issues because you’ll have done them enough to count it as a skill.
As you move toward your goal, don’t attach yourself so much to the outcomes.
Keep moving toward your dream doing everything you can to create what you want, then let it go and see what shows up. Sometimes the universe will have a better idea in mind for you and present a better opportunity when you were expecting something completely different. Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. Even if the horrible outcome that you imagined happens, the universe will always provide for you another way to succeed. So be on the look out!
Trust that no matter what occurs, you are smart enough and strong enough to keep looking for, and attracting, opportunities.
If you are willing to try new experiences in spite of your fears, then more new experiences will present themselves for you to try. And the more you try, the more you are likely to succeed!

Believe in The Right Person

Success Begins with Believing
In a previous edition of Success Strategies, I talked about how in order to be successful, we must first define what success means to us, and that means getting CLEAR about what you want, writing it down, and thinking BIG!
If you are going to be successful in creating the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you are capable of making it happen. You have to believe you have the right stuff, that you are able to pull it off. You have to believe in yourself. Whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence, or self-assurance, it is a deep-seeded belief that you have what it takes - the abilities, inner resources, talents, and skills to create your desired results.
Ultimately, you must learn to control your self-talk, eliminate any negative and limiting beliefs, and maintain a constant state of positive expectations.
Control Your Self-Talk-Researchers have found that the average person thinks as many as 50,000 thoughts a day. Sadly, many of those thoughts are negative - I’m not management material… I’ll never lose weight… It doesn’t matter what I do, nothing ever works out for me. This is what psychologists call victim language. Victim language actually keeps you in a victim state of mind. It is a form of self-hypnosis that lulls you into a belief that you are unlovable and incompetent.
In order to get what you want from life, you need to give up this victim language and start talking to yourself like a winner - I can do it… I know there is a solution… I am smart enough and strong enough to figure this out… Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight.
You Are Always Programming Your Subconscious Mind. Your subconscious mind is like the crew of a ship. You are it’s captain. It is your job to give the crew orders. And when you do this, the crew takes everything you say literally. The crew (your subconscious) has no sense of humor. It just blindly follows orders. When you say, “Everything I eat goes straight to my hips,” the crew hears that as an order: Take everything she eats, turn it into fat and put it on her hips. On the other hand, if you say, “Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight,” the crew will begin to make that into reality by helping you make better food choices, exercise, and maintain the right metabolism rate for you body.
This power of your subconscious mind is the reason you must become very vigilant and pay careful attention to your spoken and internal statements. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize they are committing negative self-talk, which is why it is best to enlist another person - your success partner - in monitoring each other’s speaking. You can have a signal for interrupting each other when you use victim language.
Use Affirmations to Build Self-Confidence-One of the most powerful tools for building worthiness and self-confidence is the repetition of positive statements until they become a natural part of the way you think. These “affirmations” act to crowd out and replace the negative orders you have been sending your crew (your subconscious mind) all these years. I suggest that you create a list of 10 to 20 statements that affirm your belief in your worthiness and your ability to create the life of your dreams.
Of course, what to believe is up to you, but here are some examples of affirmations that have worked for others in the past:
I am worthy of love, joy and success.
I am smart and make wise choices.
I am lovable and capable.
I create anything I want.
I am able to solve any problem that comes my way.
I can handle anything that life hands me.
I have all the energy I need to do everything I want to do.
I am attracting all the right people into my life.
Believing in Yourself is an Attitude-Believing in yourself is a choice. It’s an attitude you develop over time. It’s now your responsibility to take charge of your own self-concept and your beliefs. It might help to know that the latest brain research now indicates that with enough positive self-talk and positive visualization combined with the proper training, coaching, and practice, anyone can learn to do almost anything.
You must choose to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to - anything at all - because, in fact, you can!

Success is for EVERYONE

Success is for EVERYONE

By Doug Smith September 5, 2008
We've all heard the saying: " do success.
If we know this, what are we waiting for? So many mortgage loan originators are waiting. They are waiting on the market to change, waiting for the rates to come down, waiting for the weather to warm. Others are waiting for some new product, waiting until the new computers are in, waiting for summer, waiting until they feel more confident in their skills. Waiting, waiting, waiting. While they are waiting they're losing opportunities, losing momentum, losing loans and losing money.
Would you classify yourself as a bit of a procrastinator? Are there things you want and need to be doing but are putting off?
We human beings are an optimistic sort. We believe that tomorrow will always be better and that things will improve. We become victims of circumstance, rather than masters of our future. Perhaps that is why so many in this business are not having the fun and success they should be having right now. If you are one of them, read on!
Are you tired of waiting for success to happen to you? Then let's do something about it!
1. Make a list of three things you have wanted to do but have not yet done. These might be:
Weekly sales calls
Start a database
Learn a new loan program
Attend a seminar
Join an association
Mail out letters
Run a magazine ad
Design and deliver a seminar
Target a new prospect
Organize your office
Design a personal brochure
Hire an assistant
There may be many things you want to do, but let's just start the ball rolling with three.
2. After you list your three actions, ask yourself: "Why haven't I done these things?" I'll warn you in advance the answers will be pretty lame. You'll hear yourself saying things like: "I just haven't taken the time," or "I've been a little busy lately," or "I haven't gotten around to it," or "I'm not ready." You have to admit that those reasons are hardly a strong defense for your inaction. Recognize and realize that very little is keeping you from moving forward except yourself.
3. Take out three brightly colored index cards and write each action on a card.
4. Place these three cards at the top of your desk facing you, in plain sight where you can't miss them.
5. Each day when you arrive at work, look at the cards. Make a deal with yourself that you will keep the three cards out and look at them every day until you either have accomplished the activity or you are doing it as you should.
6. When you can say you are no longer procrastinating and that the activity is happening or has been achieved, tear the card in half and throw it away!
Procrastination can paralyze you! There's no need to wait weeks or months for good things to happen to you when you can make them happen for yourself...right now!

2 IN A ROW!!!

This makes 2 Months in a Row as Agent of the Month
Khem Persaud is now the agent of the month for 2 consecutive months. Khem has posted another month with 6 listings in the same 30 day span. Khem is working his tail off in the summer market to make sure the year finishes as it started, with a bang. Khem leads a group of agents in the Rahway office of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty that are on pace to have a 2008 that is better then 2007. In this market that is an amazing accomplishment. Khem is the top listing agent in a company that has well over 150 listings in the Union and Middlesex County area's. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is lucky to have an agent like Khem on its team, and we wish Khem the best of luck moving forward.

Motivation the Entire Year

Staying Motivated
By Dirk Zeller July 29, 2008
One question I get asked constantly from Agents is, “How do I stay motivated?” They further state, “If only I was more motivated, I could do more.” For any producer in life, there is a constant exposure to de-motivating situations, people, and pressures. The more we do, the more potential exposure we have to the de-motivating factors of life.
To really understand the ebbs and flows of our personal motivation, we have to understand what we are seeking. What are the things we are striving for to create satisfaction in our lives? To really stay motivated we have to clearly know what drives us or what motivates us. Most people have a key driver that causes them to act. There are only a handful of key drivers for human beings. Each of us will use one of these key drivers to increase our effectiveness in life. Knowing which one is primary for you allows you to use it to your advantage.
There are people who are motivated through comfort and fulfillment. They are focused on completion of the job. They feel that a particular order or system must be applied to reach the completion or fulfillment of the task, goal, or system. These people desire a high level of comfort. It doesn’t mean they need the best car, house, or clothes. It addresses the need for security. Achieving a level of security or comfort is essential to this person. This individual will work long and hard to feel secure and comfortable.
Each individual who fits into this category has his or her own individual definition of comfort and security. It could be $100,000 in cash. It could be $1,000,000 in net worth. It could be a certain number of listings or sales made. Each definition is unique to the individual. If you are motivated by comfort, one of the ways to stay motivated is to define what comfort is for you. Determine the criteria for comfort, so you can see your progressive realization of that goal of security. Too often, people move the goal line for their goals. It’s like playing a football game on a changing field. We make the field 120 yards longer after we get within thirty yards of the goal. That can cause us to be de-motivated because we are still too far off!
Another significant motivator or driver is competition and triumph. There are some of us who thrive on competition. We love to compete at anything we engage in. We must put ourselves in that competition regularly to feel alive. I understand this style well because it’s the motivating factor for me. I love to compete and win. If the competition ceases for this individual, they find another avenue for their competitive nature to be exhibited. In the business world, there is competition. In real estate sales, being a full commission game, we are in constant competition. We are in competition with other Agents and other buyers regularly. When we are on a listing presentation, and the seller is interviewing other Agents, this is competition in its purest form. You either feel the triumph of victory or the agony of defeat. You either have an opportunity to receive compensation for your efforts, or you are out of the game with zero compensation. For many Agents, putting themselves in competitive situations regularly allows them to stay motivated toward their overall success.
In the end, for us to stay in a motivated state for longer periods of time, we must clearly know what motivates us. What are the hot buttons that move us quickly through a lack of motivation? The real difference between Champion Performers and the rest of the field is the span of time they allow de-motivation to take hold. Champion Performers get back on track to success more quickly than low performers. They spend less time in the unmotivated state. The problems they face don’t take them out of the game for a week, or even a day. It might bother them for an hour or less.
Make it a priority to clearly define what motivates you, so you can achieve Champion Performance. Write them down and review them whenever you feel unmotivated and need help getting back on the track to success quickly or when you come across the de-motivating factors of life. This will allow you to stay motivated and on top of your game.

Put Fear in the Right Place

Putting Fear in it's Place
By Jack Canfield July 29, 2008
As you move forward on your journey from where you are to where you want to be, you are going to have to confront some of your fears. Fear is a just a natural part of living.
Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there’s usually some fear involved. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.
Confronting your fears is a very necessary step in achieving success.
There is simply no other way.
Fear can be a helpful emotion, as it tells you when you need to be extra careful, keenly aware, and cautious. Fear is not an emotion that is telling you to stop. In fact, it’s telling you just the opposite!
Acknowledging your feelings of fear helps you know when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. It points your awareness to areas where you could improve and grow.
Successful people also feel fear. Yet they don’t let it get in the way of anything they want to do-or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests in her must-read book, to “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway®.”
(Susan has been a friend of mine for twenty years now, and her work, which is very powerful and transformational, has helped millions of people overcome their fears and move forward to create success in their lives. I highly recommend her as a resource: www.SusanJeffers.com)
You see, fear is more of a signal that we should stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway.
Think of fear as a 2-year-old- child who doesn’t want to go grocery shopping with you. Because you must buy groceries, you’ll just have to take the two year old with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don’t let it keep you from doing important tasks.
Also realize that so many of our fears are self-created. We might frighten ourselves by fantasizing negative outcomes to any activity we might peruse or experience. Luckily, because we are the ones doing the fantasizing, we are also the ones who can stop the fear and bring ourselves into a state of clarity and peace by facing the actual facts, rather than giving in to our imaginations.
If a fear is too great for you to overcome, try breaking it down into smaller challenges.
Try starting out doing the parts of the project that don’t scare you so much. You need to give a speech in front of a large group? Try giving your speech in front of a small group of people who care for you. Work your way up until you are able to feel the fear but still move forward. As you do you will build your confidence and eventually you won’t feel fear surrounding those issues because you’ll have done them enough to count it as a skill.
As you move toward your goal, don’t attach yourself so much to the outcomes.
Keep moving toward your dream doing everything you can to create what you want, then let it go and see what shows up. Sometimes the universe will have a better idea in mind for you and present a better opportunity when you were expecting something completely different. Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. Even if the horrible outcome that you imagined happens, the universe will always provide for you another way to succeed. So be on the look out!
Trust that no matter what occurs, you are smart enough and strong enough to keep looking for, and attracting, opportunities.
If you are willing to try new experiences in spite of your fears, then more new experiences will present themselves for you to try. And the more you try, the more you are likely to succeed!

Americans Stun Arrogant Rivals

Relay Stunner Keeps Phelps' Dream Alive

BEIJING (Aug. 10) - With history about to slip away and Michael Phelps cheering him on, Jason Lezak pulled up next to the lane rope and set out after hulking Alain Bernard, like a NASCAR driver drafting down the backstretch at Daytona.
Only 25 meters to go, half the length of the pool. Every stroke brought Lezak a little closer, a little closer, a little closer, his body seemingly carried along by the Frenchman's massive wake. The two lunged for the wall together. When the result flashed on the board, Phelps was still on course for his record eight gold medals.

By a fingertip.
Lezak, the oldest man on the U.S. swimming team, pulled off one of the great comebacks in Olympic history Monday morning, hitting the wall just ahead of Bernard in the 400 freestyle relay, a race so fast it actually erased two world records.
Few sporting events live up to the hype - this one exceeded it. The 32-year-old Lezak was nearly a body length behind Bernard as they made the final turn, but the American hugged the lane rope and stunningly overtook him on the very last stroke.
Wow!
"This has been happening my whole career," Lezak said. "People have gotten on my lane line and sucked off of me, so I figured this is the one opportunity in my whole career to do that."
Watching on deck, Phelps let out a resounding "Yeaaaaaah!" and thrust both arms toward the roof of the Water Cube. His quest to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals had survived what will likely be its toughest test - and almost certainly its most thrilling.
The Americans shattered the world record set by their "B" team the previous evening in the preliminaries, touching with a time of 3 minute, 8.24 seconds - nearly 4 full seconds below the 15-hour-old mark of 3:12.23.

"Unbelievable," said Phelps, who swam the leadoff leg and then became the team's biggest cheerleader. "Jason finished that race better than we could even ask for. I was fired up. Going into that last 50, I was like, `Aw, this is going to be a close race.' Jason's last 10 or 15 meters were incredible."
The Americans won the relay at seven straight Olympics, but watched the Australians and South Africans take gold at the last two games.
"You could tell I was pretty excited," Phelps said. "I lost my voice and I was definitely pretty emotional out there."
Bernard was the world record holder in the 100, but he surrendered that mark as well. Australia's Eamon Sullivan broke the individual record by swimming the leadoff leg in 47.24 - ahead of Bernard's mark of 47.50.
The French star was extremely confident about his team's chances heading into the big showdown. "The Americans? We're going to smash them," Bernard said. "That's what we came here for.
"If the relay goes according to plans, than we'll be on a roll."
Only Bernard didn't count on Lezak and the Americans spoiling those plans.
Oh, by the way, Phelps set an American record leading off, 47.51. But it was Lezak's anchor that everyone will remember. He got down and back in a staggering 46.06, the fastest relay leg in history though it doesn't count as an official record.
"A fingertip did the victory," said Amaury Leveaux, one of the French swimmers. "It is nothing."
Lezak looked at the scoreboard, then leaped out of the water with an emphatic fist pump.
"I knew I was going to have to swim out of my mind," Lezak said. "Still right now, I'm in disbelief."
Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones also did their parts on the middle legs of the relay, overcoming the enormous pressure of making sure they didn't mess up Phelps' attempt to take down the Holy Grail of Olympic records. Jones was the only holdover from the team that swam in the prelims.
Lezak should get a share of that $1 million bonus that Phelps has been promised if he goes on to beat Spitz's mark.
"I never lost hope," said Lezak, who trains alone but has been a longtime stalwart on the relay team. "I don't know how I was able to take it back that fast, because I've never been able to come anywhere near that for the last 50."

While the Americans whooped it up on deck, Bernard clung to the wall, his head down. The swimmer who had talked confidently of beating the Americans - "smashing" them, some media reported - was the last one to leave the pool.
"Alain is wounded. When you are the last swimmer in a relay and that you have the opportunity to bring a title of this importance to your country, you don't get out of this unhurt," said Claude Fauquet, France's team director. "But I don't think that Alain lost the race. It's Lezak who won it." The French were second in 3:08.32 - eight one-hundredths of a second behind. Australia took the bronze in 3:09.91. In fact, the top five all went below the record set Sunday.
"I felt I was in the lead," Bernard said. "I knew I had to accelerate, but it got harder."
The Americans also were on the losing end of a last-lap comeback.
Katie Hoff was again denied a gold medal when Rebecca Adlington of Britain rallied over the final 50 meters to overtake the 19-year-old, who had settled for a bronze the previous day in the 400 individual medley.
Adlington won in 4:03.22, while Hoff took the silver in 4:03.29. Adlington's teammate Joanne Jackson earned the bronze in 4:03.52. Defending champion Laure Manaudou finished last in the eight-woman final."I saw Katie and thought, 'Let's just try to catch her,"' Adlington said. "That's what I did." Hoff still has three more individual events, plus a relay.
"I was a little disappointed I was so close," she said. "But I got a bronze yesterday and a silver this morning. If I keep climbing at this pace, I'll be happy."
President Bush was back at the Water Cube for the second day in a row, with wife Laura on one side, daughter Barbara on the other. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife were sitting in front of them, and Bill Gates was right behind.
Clearly, the swimming record book will need some heavy revisions by the time the Beijing Olympics are over. Two more world marks fell Monday morning when Kosuke Kitajima of Japan finished off American Brendan Hansen's hopes of an individual medal, winning the 100 breaststroke in 58.91. Kitajima pounded the water defiantly and let out a scream after breaking Hansen's 2-year-old record of 59.13. Hansen was left without a medal, fading to fourth behind silver medalist Alexander Dale Oen of Norway and Hugues Duboscq of France, who took bronze.
Kirsty Coventry didn't even bother waiting until a final to set a record in the 100 backstroke. The Zimbabwean won her semifinal heat in 58.77, taking down Natalie Coughlin's mark of 58.97 set at the U.S. trials last month. They'll go head to head in Tuesday morning's final. Coughlin won her heat in 59.43 with a nice, comfortable swim.
Seven world records have been set through the first 2 1/2 days at the Water Cube.
Phelps had another race to care of, moving on to the final of the 200 free with the fourth-fastest time of the semis. Trying to save as much energy as possible for the leadoff leg of the relay, the American touched in 1:46.28 to finish behind teammate Peter Vanderkaay (1:45.76) and South Korea's Park Tae-hwan (1:45.99). Jean Basson of South Africa also went faster in the other heat, winning in 1:46.13. While Hansen still has a swim left in the medley relay, he'll go down as one of the major disappointments of the American team. A one-time world record holder in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, he didn't even qualify for the Olympics in the longer race.
Putting all his hopes of beating Kitajima in the 100, he wasn't close to the Japanese star, finishing 0.66 seconds behind. "I've just had a really off year, on a really important year," Hansen said. "I just feel like that's not the last you're going to see of me. I'm going to bring it back and I won't be done until I at least have a legitimate shot at those world records again." Hansen swam over to Kitajima's lane to congratulate the winner. "That's a hell of a swim, and he is a true champion," he said. Coventry put down quite a challenge to Coughlin. Then again, Coughlin has been known to rise to the challenge - when Hayley McGregory broke her world record in the prelims at the U.S. trials, Coughlin came back in the very next heat to take it back. Now, Coventry has it, and Coughlin can't be too happy about that. "It's going to be a tight final," Coventry said. "Natalie's just so good at racing and planning out her races, so I just expect nothing but fast, fast swimming tomorrow morning." Coughlin will be side-by-side with Coventry in the final.
"It went very well," she said. "It's exactly where I wanted to be going into the finals. I'm happy with that. I just need to recover and focus on my final." Libby Trickett of Australia just missed another world record in the women's 100 butterfly, winning gold with a time of 56.73. American Christine Magnuson claimed the silver (57.10) and another Aussie, Jess Schipper, took the bronze (57.25).
Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.
2008 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.
2008-08-10 21:54:19

No Time for Vacation

Khem Persaud Awarded Agent of the Month for July 2008

Khem Persaud has no time for rest in the summer heat. The top agent in a company on the way up, Khem has posted a wonderful month helping buyers and sellers. Khem was busy this month selling 3 homes and listing 3 more for sale. Khem has been the most consistent agent at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty in 2008, and has no problem going the extra mile for his company and clients. Making c/o repairs or climbing in attics, it does not matter, Khem is going to get the job done for his clients. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty could not be more proud of Khem and is honored to have him as a member of their company. Khem helps make the company and everyone around him better with his work ethic and knowledge of the business. "I hope Khem understands how important he is to our company, agents like him make all the long hours owners and leaders put in worth it." -JR Sangiuliano "I could not be more appreciative to Khem for all his hard work, he deserves all of his success, this is not accident, he earns it everyday."-JR Sangiuliano

www.WelcomeBackCredit.com

Credit Restoration

Everyday in the Real Estate industry I hear how bad the market is. The media, poor agents, and clients that do not understand how the market works are making this career feel like the sky is falling....well it's not. Yes, we are experiencing a period of cooling off because of many unethical practices by many unethical mortgage company's. But the sky is not falling and if you have good credit and have done the right thing, like saving your money over the past few years there are some wonderful buying opportunities out there now. The market had to cool a bit because the prices of homes were ridiculous. Now we have thousands of buyers and sellers that have credit scores too low for today's mortgage standards. That is were http://www.welcomebackcredit.com/ come in. This web site can help buyers raise their credit scores 50 to 100 points in 30 to 60 days or they will refund part or all of the your money. VRTECH Marketing will help consumers with the process of removing negatives from their credit reports and lead them to qualifying for a loan on a home. VRTECH Marketing offers a money back guarantee and will refund the cost of the repair if they are not able to help the customer. This is a great opportunity for Realtors to help their customers fix their credit and qualify for a home, that sounds like a win win to me. Zig Ziglar said"You can have anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want." Visit http://www.welcomebackcredit.com/ for more information.

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Boat Ride

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty steps out for a Boat Ride

The agents of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty took some time away from the office as a family to reflect on the year and have some fun together. This past weekend CENTURY 21 JRS Realty spent some time cruising around the Statue of Liberty and enjoying themselves as a team outside the office. The annual boat ride takes CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agents out for the afternoon and rides the NY & NJ waters to the Statue of Liberty. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty prides itself on being a family. As a family the agents spend time together outside the office as well. This was a great day with food, drinks, and peace of mind time away from the hustle and bustle of the Real Estate Industry.

Congrats to Joe Piizzi Agent of the Month

Congratulations to Joe Piizzi Agent of the Month for June 2008

If you look up Hard Working Realtor in a Real Estate dictionary you will no doubt see a picture of Joe Piizzi. For 2 years now Joe has been making 4 hours of prospecting phone calls and home visit daily. That is the effort Joe puts in everyday to make sure his name is on the tip of every tong in his market. In June the efforts Joe puts in came together in the form of 6 listings, two of those six were also sold with in 2 weeks. This is an unbelievable accomplishment in the 2008 Real Estate market. 2008 has been full of Realtors, Sellers, and Buyers talking about how bad the market is. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty and Joe Piizzi are proving that this market is just fine. Joe is proving everyday that if you keep your home in good condition and price it according to your market place, you can sell you home. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is honored to have an agent like Joe Piizzi representing the family company and we wish Joe continued success, because he deserves it.

6 Steps to Mastering the Creative Process

6 Steps to Mastering the Creative Process
by Howard Voyles
Have you ever marveled at the incredible creative and productivity of successful people? Those individuals that I have most admired were exceptional achievers, all of them successful by any standard. There was one characteristic in common, they all mastered the creative process.
This series of articles explores the 6 milestones that I have identified make up the creative process. These steps are repeatable and can be applied to any situation, goal or dream you want to achieve. Go ahead; follow these steps to your wildest dreams. Your success is only limited to what you can imagine. Step 1 The Creative Mindset - Positioning yourself for the creative processStep 2 Conceptualize - Creating, processing and prioritizing your ideas Step 3 Visualize - Turning your ideas into virtual realityStep 4 Strategize - Laying out your road map from here to thereStep 5 Exercise - Organizing, executing and practicing self-disciplineStep 6 Materialize - Accepting the reality of success
Step 1 THE CREATIVE MINDSET
Left side vs. right sideScience has long established that the human brain has a right and left sphere; logic is processed in the left and emotions and the creative in the right. Science may be correct but for years, society has sadly catalogued us as right or left brained, adding to perceived limitations. The truth is both sides of the brain are engaged when we employ the creative process.
So, to fully master the creative process we must first condition both sides of the brain. This means we must recondition emotional issues, reprogram preconceptions and prejudices, not accept our logic as absolute; in other words erase the bad tapes. Unless we have a concrete point of reference, it is human nature to posture events in a negative context.
Take our perception of failure. Generally, failure is taken as one’s inability to succeed at a given activity, so most folks simply stop trying when they meet the first failure. That is the right side of the brain talking. From that point on, logic (left side) will defer to the emotional (right side) and shut down that creative process in step 5 (Exercise). Too often, this is because earlier steps in the process were ignored or jumped.
You want your ideas and concepts to be fresh and untainted as you ready for the process.
At this point move your mental gears to neutral.
Conditioning both sidesIt is important to recognize that the creative process incorporates both sides of the brain at different steps and to different degrees during the process.
When you follow these steps to the creative process, you are training the full brain to work in harmony, maximizing the strengths of each side at the most opportune time, for the most critical tasks. This will create accord not discord. By engaging both sides in a coordinated effort you will have clearer vision, greater momentum and stay on your course.
Clear the ComputerThere are many ways to practice the process of clearing the mind, some use mediation others physical exercise. Use whatever suites your constitution and makeup.
When you clear you mind and logically layout the steps prior to launching your project, you give both your logical and emotional process a reference point to measure progress, control reactions and exercise sound judgment.
Best of all, this step makes room to develop and maintain a healthy prospective.
At this point move your mental gears from neutral to forward.
Congratulations, you are now ready to fully engage the creative process.

Homes Sales UP!!!!!!!!

N.J. bucks national trend: Q1 home sales up 4 percent
by Sam Ali
The price of a single-family home in the U.S. dropped 7.7 percent in the first quarter _ the largest year-over-year decline since the National Association of Realtors began reporting prices in 1982.
In the first quarter, the median existing single-family home in the U.S. stood at $196,300, down from the $212,600 median for the first quarter of 2007, the group reported today.
But while other states saw their home values plunge, a number of areas in New Jersey saw a slight rise in home sales prices during the first quarter.
NAR's report of metropolitan statistical areas showed that first quarter median sales price of existing single-family homes in the Atlantic City area increased by 4.8 percent. The median sales price grew from $264,600 in the first quarter of 2007 to $277,400 in 2008. The Trenton-Ewing market also experienced an increase in median sales price. The median sales price rose from $283,800 in the first quarter of 2007 to $288,200 in 2008, an increase of 1.6 percent.
The quarterly survey of metro region prices showed that median prices in 100 of 149 metro areas fell in the first quarter of 2008.
Meanwhile, the NAR reported today that total sales for single family homes, condominiums and co-ops in the U.S. dropped by 22 percent from the previous year. However, New Jersey was one of only three states to show an increase in home sales for the first quarter.Sales volume of existing single-family homes, condominiums and co-ops in the first quarter of 2008 increased 4 percent from the same period last year. New Jersey's seasonally adjusted annual rate of home sales equaled 169,600. The other two states that also experience an increase in sales volume in the first quarter were Alaska and Illinois. Visit www.C21JRs.com for more information on homes in New Jersey.

Who is Responsible

The Person Responsible for Your Success

It’s time to meet the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now.
This person has created your income, your debt, your relationships, your health, your fitness level, your weight, your attitudes and your behaviors. Who is it? To introduce yourself, just walk to the closest mirror and say hello! This person is you!
Although one of the popular myths out there is that “external factors” determine how you live, the truth of the matter is that you are in complete control of the quality of your life.
It’s time to look at the life you’ve created and determine what is working and what is not. Certainly, there are wonderful things happening in your life, whether it’s your job, your spouse, your grades, your children, your friends, or your income level.
Congratulate yourself on these successes; you are creating them for yourself! And then take a look at what isn’t working out so well. What are you doing or not doing to create those experiences?
It’s time to stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you create your experiences, you’ll realize that you can un-create them and create new experiences whenever you want. But you must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times. When you stop blaming, you can take that energy and redirect to focus on creating a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy.
It’s also time to stop complaining.
Look at what you are complaining about. Really examine it. More than likely it is something that you can do something about.
Are you unhappy about something that is happening? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable to you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain? Face the facts that you can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Successful people take 100% responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images that visualize and the actions they take.
They don’t waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Taking responsibility requires you to first decide to believe that you create all your experiences. Second, to pay attention to yourself, your behavior, and your life experiences. And last, to face the truth and deal with what is not working in your life. You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want.
Isn’t it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn’t it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
Commit to taking 100% responsibility for your every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process, you’ll discover it is much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
JR Sangiuliano: Broker/Owner CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Clark & Rahway New Jersey800-831-0681 http://www.c21jrs.com/ E-mail C21JRS72@aol.com

6 Steps to Success: Mastering the Creative Process

6 Steps to Success: Mastering the Creative Process
Have you ever marveled at the incredible creative and productivity of successful people? Those individuals that I have most admired were exceptional achievers, all of them successful by any standard. There was one characteristic in common, they all mastered the creative process.
This series of articles explores the 6 milestones that I have identified make up the creative process. These steps are repeatable and can be applied to any situation, goal or dream you want to achieve. Go ahead; follow these steps to your wildest dreams. Your success is only limited to what you can imagine.
Step 1 The Creative Mindset - Positioning yourself for the creative process Step 2 Conceptualize - Creating, processing and prioritizing your ideas
Step 3 Visualize - Turning your ideas into virtual reality
Step 4 Strategize - Laying out your road map from here to there
Step 5 Exercise - Organizing, executing and practicing self-discipline
Step 6 Materialize - Accepting the reality of success

Step 1 THE CREATIVE MINDSET Left side vs. right side
Science has long established that the human brain has a right and left sphere; logic is processed in the left and emotions and the creative in the right. Science may be correct but for years, society has sadly catalogued us as right or left brained, adding to perceived limitations. The truth is both sides of the brain are engaged when we employ the creative process.
So, to fully master the creative process we must first condition both sides of the brain. This means we must recondition emotional issues, reprogram preconceptions and prejudices, not accept our logic as absolute; in other words erase the bad tapes. Unless we have a concrete point of reference, it is human nature to posture events in a negative context.
Take our perception of failure. Generally, failure is taken as one’s inability to succeed at a given activity, so most folks simply stop trying when they meet the first failure. That is the right side of the brain talking. From that point on, logic (left side) will defer to the emotional (right side) and shut down that creative process in step 5 (Exercise). Too often, this is because earlier steps in the process were ignored or jumped.
You want your ideas and concepts to be fresh and untainted as you ready for the process.
At this point move your mental gears to neutral.
Conditioning both sides
It is important to recognize that the creative process incorporates both sides of the brain at different steps and to different degrees during the process.
When you follow these steps to the creative process, you are training the full brain to work in harmony, maximizing the strengths of each side at the most opportune time, for the most critical tasks. This will create accord not discord. By engaging both sides in a coordinated effort you will have clearer vision, greater momentum and stay on your course.
Clear the Computer
There are many ways to practice the process of clearing the mind, some use mediation others physical exercise. Use whatever suites your constitution and makeup.
When you clear you mind and logically layout the steps prior to launching your project, you give both your logical and emotional process a reference point to measure progress, control reactions and exercise sound judgment.
Best of all, this step makes room to develop and maintain a healthy prospective.
At this point move your mental gears from neutral to forward.
Congratulations, you are now ready to fully engage the creative process

Congrats to Punit Shah Agent of the Month

Punit Shah Agent of the Month of MAy

Congratulations the Punit Shah as he is the Agent of the month of May for 2008 in CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. Punit has been working very hard in 2008 and the pieces of the puzzles finally all came together. Punit registered 3 listings and 3 sales in the Month of May to earn the honor of agent of the month. With more than 3 years experience in this industry Punit has the knowledge and work ethic to rise about the present market trends, and help sellers and buyer achieve their dreams. We are very proud of Punit for his accomplishments and CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is honored to have him as a member of their family. For more information on Punit or any other CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agent please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/ or for information on owning a home or selling your existing home in the Union, Middlesex, Essex, or Bergen County areas please feel free to Call 1-800-831-0681 or E-mail the Broker at C21JRS72@aol.com.

5 new rules for home sellers

5 new rules for home sellers

Rule 1: Get real about price
Too many sellers set their price based on yesterday's market. Big mistake. "The first buyers in tend to pay the best price, so you need to price it right at the start," says Pamela Liebman, CEO of the Corcoran Group brokerage.
Have three area brokers prepare what's called a comparable market analysis. It will list asking and selling prices of similar homes, as well as amenities and sizes. If there's little inventory in your price range, list for what others are asking. If a lot of homes like yours are on the market, then look to generate buzz, says Liebman.
Set an asking price 10% below what homes like yours have been selling for. That raises the odds of your getting multiple offers. If your market is really frozen and you need to drop the price, make one large cut. No baby steps.
Rule 2: Vet your agent - especially if it's you
Selling on your own in an unprecedented slowdown means you'll have to work awfully hard marketing your home. If you aren't prepared for that, hire a broker. Avoid newbies. You want an agent who has been through good times and bad and who has a track record that you can verify with clients.
Rule 3: Pimp your house - hire a home stager
To sell today, you've got to glam up your home. A stager will help get rid of clutter (especially clutter you don't see); rearrange furniture to create attractive focal points; redo underused rooms, turning, say, that makeshift bedroom in the basement into a rec room; and pick paint and curtains that make rooms appear spacious. A consultation may run $200. Completing the plan could cost $1,000 or more. It's worth it.
Rule 4: Cash will make your home look even better
Given the number of listings out there, you want to throw in a little something extra to make your house catch the eye of buyers and their agents. Rather than hand out a cruise or a car - skeptics might wonder why you're so desperate -offer something that will make your home more affordable, such as paying part of the buyer's closing costs.
In the multiple-listing service description of your house that agents can see, let them know you're offering a $1,000 bounty or a 4% commission to the one who brings in the purchaser. It will mean more knocks on your door.
Rule 5: Underwater? Learn to swim
If you're a recent buyer, your mortgage may well top what your home would go for today. About a third of those who bought last year or in 2006 now have negative equity, according to Zillow.com. If a job or family issue compels you to move, your options aren't great, but you have a few. First, you may be able to persuade your new employer to make you whole on the loan. Second, if the rental market in your area is strong (as is the case in many spots that were healthy but not overly bubbly during the boom), you can become a landlord and wait out the slump. Third, of course, is to sell for as much as you can (see Rule No. 1) and raid your savings for the difference. Short sales, in which the bank agrees to take less than it's owed and release you from your debt, get a lot of media attention. That doesn't mean they're easy to come by. A bank usually will consider one only if you're at risk for foreclosure. Even then it may say, "No, thanks."

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Helps the Special Olympics

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Sponcers the Special Olympics

Carene Sangiuliano, Marci Hodges, and Audra Loccisano volouteered to help the Rahway Special Olympics. Pictured hear are the agents of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty with the attendees of the Rahway Special Olympics.

Sam Sauveur Does it Again

Sam Sauveur is agent of the month for April.

Congratulations goes out to Sam Sauveur for being awarded agent of the month for the third time in his 4 months with CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. Sam is a top sales agent and has a terrific work ethic. Everyday Sam works his book of business and pounds the pavement for listings and clients to assist. Sam is also a huge help to new agents in the office with inspirational advice and guidance only an agent with years of experience can dish out. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is happy to have Sam as a member of their Family.

Persistence

PERSISTENCE
It's a rare person who doesn't get discouraged. Whether it happens to you, or to an associate you're trying to cheer up, the answer centers around one word: persistence.
The value of courage, persistence, and perseverance has rarely been illustrated more convincingly than in the life story of this man -- see if you can guess who it is..
Failed in business
Ran for Legislature -- defeated
Again failed in business
Elected to Legislature
His sweetheart died
Had a nervous breakdown
Defeated for Speaker
Defeated for Elector
Defeated for Congress
Elected to Congress
Defeated for Congress
Defeated for Senate
Defeated for Vice President
Defeated for Senate
Elected President of the United States
The question is not whether we will be knocked down, pushed aside, or treated unfairly -- that happens to all of us, it's life. The question is whether or not we will have the courage to get up and fight on. The old saying is still true "the race is not always to the swift . . . but to those who keep on trying."
During the darkest days of WWII, Winston Churchhill refused to let the disappointment of temporary defeats destroy the will of the Allied forces. His now-famous speech that unified the coalition against the Nazi Regime consisted of only nine words: "Never give up. Never, never, never. Never give up."
JR Sangiuliano Broker/Owner CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Clark & Rahway New Jersey800-831-0681

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Gives Back

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Attends Craft Fair And Gives Back

On Sunday April 13Th, 2008 CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agents were not home resting, instead they were serving the community. Sunday Audra Loccisano and Marci Hodges were hard at work giving gift bags away at a craft fair for Project Graduation in Rahway with sponsorship from Mike Oliveira of Velocity Lending. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty does things like this every month of the year. "We feel if you are going to be a part of the community, then you also have to give back to your community". Said Marci and Audra. Congratulations to Audra and Marci on their efforts to give back to our community. To send Audra or Marci a thank you, visit them on the web at http://www.c21jrs.com/.

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Agents Honored

Congratulations to Khem Persaud , a member of the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Family. Khem received an award at the CENTURY 21 Gold Ball for his achievements in 2007. Khem is a great agent that has his priorities in order, with clients at the top of the list. Congratulations to Khem for his great accomplishments.

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Agents Honored

Team Excel, finished number #3 in region #125 for New Jersey in 2007 and was honored with a plaque at the CENTURY 21 Gold Ball. Punit Shah, Simi D'souza, and Joe Piizzi are three of the top agents in the Real Estate industry, and deserve the award they earned from CENTURY 21. We are so proud to have these three agents as members of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. Congratulations to Punit, Simi, and Joe for their accomplishments.

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Agents Honored

NUMBER 1 TEAM in Region 125. Here we see Audra Loccisano, Jessica Hoff, and Carene Sangiuliano, members of the #1 Team in Region#125 for New Jersey. These three laddies make up Team Success and finished 2007 as the #1 Team in Region #125 for New Jersey. Congratulations to Audra, Jessie, and Carene on all their hard work helping our community buy and sell homes.

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Receives Awards

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty celebrated the accomplishments of 2007 at the annual CENTURY 21 Gold Ball.

May is Seminar Month at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty

MAY is SEMINAR MONTH at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty
This MAY CENTURY 21 JRS Realty and INDYMAC Bank will host a set of 4 FREE HOME BUYER SEMINARS at the CROWN Plaza in CLARK NJ. These 4 seminars will be geared toward helping home buyers understand the importance of home ownership as well as the tax benefits of owning verse renting. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty will team with INDYMAC Bank for these seminars and educate the pubic on mortgages and the process of finding and owning a home with the assistance of a Realtor. CENTURY 21 JRS and INDYMAC Bank will provide all the information needed to realize the American Dream of Home Ownership. Please join us for one of the 4 free seminars.
FREE AT THE SEMINARS:
*On-site Mortgage Pre-Approval
*Benefits of Home Ownership Report
*CENTURY 21 Home Buyers Guide
Location: Crown Plaza, 36 Valley Rd. Clark, NJ 07066
Time: 7PM
DATES: Thursday May 1ST
Thursday May 8Th
Thursday May 15Th
Thursday May 22ND
Seating will be limited, Please register online at http://www.c21jrs.com/ or Toll Free at 800-831-0681

Agent of the Month

Sam Sauveur February Agent of the Month

In his first month with CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Sam Sauveur has been awarded Agent of the Month. With 6 Listings and 1 Sale in the Month of February Sam is proving to be a great addition to the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty family. Sam is out going and willing to help the agents around him in any way he can. Sam has shown the desire to be a team player and make the entire office grow by assisting agents and management at every turn. We appreciate all of Sam's efforts and look forward to much success in the future. Congratulations to Sam for this great achievement. To find out more about Sam and our entire Team at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/ for more information.

MAY is SEMINAR MONTH

MAY is SEMINAR MONTH at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty

This MAY CENTURY 21 JRS Realty and INDYMAC Bank will host a set of 4 FREE HOME BUYER SEMINARS at the CROWN Plaza in CLARK NJ. These 4 seminars will be geared toward helping home buyers understand the importance of home ownership as well as the tax benefits of owning verse renting. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty will team with INDYMAC Bank for these seminars and educate the pubic on mortgages and the process of finding and owning a home with the assistance of a Realtor. CENTURY 21 JRS and INDYMAC Bank will provide all the information needed to realize the American Dream of Home Ownership. Please join us for one of the 4 free seminars.

FREE AT THE SEMINARS:

*On-site Mortgage Pre-Approval

*Benefits of Home Ownership Report

*CENTURY 21 Home Buyers Guide

Location: Crown Plaza, 36 Valley Rd. Clark, NJ 07066

Time: 7PM

DATES: Thursday May 1ST

Thursday May 8Th

Thursday May 15Th

Thursday May 22ND

Seating will be limited, Please register online at http://www.c21jrs.com/ or Toll Free at 800-831-0681

Eddie Kefalas

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty proudly announces the addition of Eddie Kefalas to its’ Clark office

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is happy to welcome Eddie Kefalas to its' Clark office. Eddie Kefalas brings a wealth of knowledge and experience back to CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is a company built on hard work and dedicated quality service and Eddie Kefalas definitely embodies both of those qualities. "We are extremely excited to have Eddie on our roster and in our family, assisting our company with its growth and helping as many people as possible realize the American Dream of home ownership" said company Leader, JR Sangiuliano. Eddie Kefalas is now able to work in his home town and will be able to serve our local community even more efficiently and effectively. Eddie Kefalas has a proven track record of success that includes the CENTURION award from CENTURY 21 LLC 7 times, and the NJAR Circle of Excellence 11 years in a row. The experience, work ethic, and dedication that Eddie Kefalas brings to our company will surely benefit our clients and customers as well as all of our agents at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. For more information on Eddie Kefalas or any CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agent please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/.

Thank you for your support Mr. Vendetti

PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPECIAL, SPECIAL THANKS TO MARCY, KHEM & TARA THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO SELL MY HOUSE WE KNOW IT WILL SELL, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME....
THANKS TO ALL!
Edward L. Vendetti
Sales Support Specialist
HESS CORPORATION
Energy Marketing NYC Metro Region
One Hess Plaza Woodbridge, NJ 07095
EVendetti@hess.com

Homes in Rahway

Congratulations to Khem Persaud January Agent of the month

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has hit the ground running in 2008, and Khem Persaud has led the way. Khem received four and a half listing for the month of January, playing a huge part in the success of the company. January started off this year right were we left off 07, with 20 listings and 2 sales. Khem is leading a very talented and hard working group of agents through this trying time in Real Estate. We will all get through this together and a company is the feeling throughout CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. Congratulations to Khem on his achievements this month and continued success in the future

Homes in New Jersey

Stocks Rise on Rate Cut Hopes
AP
Posted: 2008-01-28 17:48:21
xhl(Wall Street Advances After Big nts after a two-day advance of more than 400 points. Broader stock indicators also advanced Monday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 23.36 or 1.76 percent, to 1,353.97, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 23.71, or 1.02 percent, to 2,349.91. Government bond prices slipped as stocks rose. The 10-year Treasury note's yield, which moves opposite its price, was unchanged at 3.58 percent - and did not move in after-hours trading. Alexander Paris, economist and market analyst for Chicago-based Barrington Research, said most investors were waiting for the Fed to announce its decision on Wednesday before making any big bets. That was one of the reason for a quiet trading day where the Dow stayed mostly in positive territory. "It was calmer than I expected it would be, especially when you have lots of news for investors to look at," he said. "But, it's the Fed offsetting the news - and people don't want to make a big move when you don't know what they're going to do about interest rates." However, trading for the week is expected to be volatile as Wall Street digests President Bush's final State of the Union address Monday evening and the Fed's rate announcement Wednesday. Last Tuesday, in an emergency move, the Fed lowered rates by 0.75 of a percentage point. Hopes for another large cut on Wednesday had been tempered late last week by news that French bank Societe Generale sold European index futures to close positions taken by an alleged rogue trader. It is thought those trades may have aggravated the massive losses in Europe and Asian trading last Monday, when the U.S. markets were closed. Profit reports Monday were ostensibly upbeat, but revealed some troubling signals about the economy. Fast food seller McDonald's , a Dow component, said its quarterly profit rose 3 percent due to tax benefits and strong sales, but December U.S. sales were flat with a year ago as cash-strapped consumers pared back spending. McDonald's shares fell $3.03, or 5.6 percent, to $51.07. Merger and acquisition news added to the market's uncertainty. Blackstone Group LP on Monday said it is still interested in buying Alliance Data Systems Corp., but that the $6.4 billion deal is in jeopardy because regulators want to place onerous terms on the takeover. ADS dropped $23.12, or 35 percent, to $42.48. Blackstone slipped 21 cents to $19.15. The dollar fell against most major currencies except the yen, and gold prices rose. Crude oil rose 28 cents to settle at $90.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by nearly 3 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 3.96 billion shares, compared to 4.78 billion on Friday. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 13.79, or 2.00 percent, to 702.39. Asian trading saw steep losses as investors reacted to Friday's U.S. trading. In Tokyo, the Nikkei stock average dropped 4 percent and a key index in Shanghai plunged 7.2 percent. In late trading in Europe, London's FTSE 100 fell 1.36 percent, Frankfurt's DAX rose 0.03 percent and Paris's CAC 40 lost 0.61 percent. On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

Real Estate Rahway NJ

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty proudly announces the addition of Sam Sauveur to our Rahway office

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is growing every day by leaps and bounds. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty had added top agent Sam Sauveur to its already outstanding roster of full-time quality service delivering agents. Sam has been in Real Estate for many years, and has been with the CENTURY 21 brand for his entire career. Sam brings with him energy, motivation, and a wealth of knowledge that will assist him in reaching all of his goals not only in Real Estate but in life as well. "We are extremely happy to have Sam as a member of the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty family", said Broker/Owner JR Sangiuliano. "I think Sam's track record speaks for itself, and I know he is anxious to make his mark in our area", Sangiuliano continued. Sam Sauveur is a CENTURION level producer for CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC. and knows how important quality, knowledgeable service is to all customers and clients. Sam works on 80% referral business because his full time, full service mind set puts him above the average realtor. Sam has many repeat clients and is ready to serve the Union, Essex, and Middlesex County areas with his attention to detail attitude. To find out more about Sam visit http://www.c21jrs.com/, or call Sam at 732-388-0909 Ext.105.

Realtors in Clark

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Proudly Recognizes 2007 Top Agents
In a market that has many people depressed and considering career changes CENTURY 21 JRs Realty is very proud of the top sales associates of 2007. Our agents do not spend time dwelling on the negatives but instead focus on the positive affect they have on peoples' lives. That is the main reason these 3 agents have accomplished so much. Jessica Hoff, Simi D'saouza, and Punit Shah are top agents not only for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty, but in the entire Real Estate industry today. These three agents always go the extra mile for their clients and customers. "I am proud to be associated with these three agents as well as all the agents we have in our company". Said Broker/Owner JR Sangiuliano. CENTURY 21 JRs Realty agents are some of the best trained, well mannered, and driven to succeed agents around. These 3 agents lead by example everyday and are an inspiration to all agents in the company. For more information about these agents and all other information about the Real Estate industry please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/

Real Estate Rahway NJ

Congratulation the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Rahway Top Agents
I am proud to recognize the top sales agents for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty's Rahway Location. We have the hardest working agents in the industry bar none. First of all, the public deserves a full time knowledgeable Realtor, and that is exactly what these three top agents embody. From left to right Khem Persaud, Marci Hodges, and Amr Ibrahiem are 3 of the hardest working agents in our company. These three agents have gone above and beyond for their clients and customers. Khem once personally mowed the lawn for a client. Marci has picked up many a client for the train station and treated them to lunch in between showings. Amr regularly takes care of clients' homes when they are moved out or living in another location. These 3 agents are knowledgeable, computer savvy, and experts in their field. They deserve the respect and admiration of clients, customers, and agents state wide. Visit http://www.c21jrs.com/ for more information on these agents as well as 67 Client Guides that will help you learn how to do everything from buying a home to choosing the right agent for you.

Homes in Clark & Rahway NJ

Congratulations to the Agents of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty

The year 2007 was a down year for many Real Estate companies across America, but for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty it was a great year. Not only did CENTURY 21 JRS Realty grow to 2 locations and add 10 Full time agents, but CENTURY 21 JRS Realty sales production went up 25%. In 2007 CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is the number 47 ranked CENTURY 21Company in New Jersey, a state that has well over 100 companies. "I am so proud to be associated with the agents in this company, not only because of their work ethic, but because they put our clients and customers priorities first". Said Broker/Owner JR Sangiuliano. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agents have received many testimonial letters and cards of appreciation from its clients and customers for all their hard work. "That is what this is all about, helping our clients and customers realize the American Dream of home ownership". Saniuliano continued. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty now has offices in Clark and Rahway New Jersey to better serve all of Union, Middlesex, and Essex Counties with the immediate and up to date industry knowledge seldom seen in this industry. Please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/ for more information on our agents and up to the minute industry news.

The Real Estate industry has been watered down in recent years because of the hot market we have experienced over the last decade. Many of the agents and agencies that opened just to capitalize on that rush will be out of this business shortly. In the past 2 years and moving forward agents and agencies must stand for more then making money. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is growing because of the value system the agents believe in and use to guide their everyday interactions with clients and customers. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty believes in putting the client and customer first in every way. Shoveling a walk way for a client that is out of town or picking a customer up from the air port or train station is well within the job description of a CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agent. The number one priority of our clients and customers is ALWAYS our number one priority.

For Sale in Rahway & Clark

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty posts over 2000 visits to its site per month

For a small local company with two locations CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has averaged many visits to its company site in 2007. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has averaged over 2000 visits per month to its company site in 2007. To our clients that means 2000 people each month are viewing the homes for sale with CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. In a slower market this is an obvious advantage to sellers listed with CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. This sites popularity is due to the agents of CENTURY 21 JRS Realty working so hard to spread the word about our site. There is much more information then just homes for sale on CENTURY 21 JRS Realty's company web site. There is a mortgage calculator, 67 Client Help Guides, client testimonials, and much more helpful information for buyers and sellers. Congratulations to all the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agents for a job well done.

Houses in NJ

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Posts 25% increase in sales volume.

"We are excited and proud of all of our agents at CENTURY 21 JRS Realty", said Broker/ Owner JR Sangiuliano. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has increased sales production by 25% in what most agents are calling a slow market. In 2007 CENTURY 21 JRS Realty sold 25% more homes in Union and Middlesex County's then they did just 1 year earlier. "This is due to a dedicated roster of full time agents that have set daily, weekly. and monthly goals, and worked their tails off to reach those goals", Sangiuliano continued. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has one concern, helping as many people realize the AMERICAN dream of home ownership as they can. With the right focus anything can be accomplished.

2008 is looking up as well. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has received 6 offers in the first two weeks of the month on their listings. "Buyers are out there, the homes just have to be marketed correctly and priced realistically, and everything will sell", said the Broker. With offices in Clark and Rahway NJ CENTURY 21 JRS Realty can serve all of Union, Middlesex, Essex, Sommerset, and Hudson Counties extremely efficiently. For More information or to meet with a CENTURY 21 JRS Realty sales consultant please visit us on the web at http://www.c21jrs.com/, or call toll free 1-800-831-0681 and ask for JR.

Houses in Clark

Agent of the month for December. This month Jessica Hoff was awarded the prestigious Agent of the Month award for December, ending 2007 on a great note. Jessica landed 5 listings and one sale for the month. That would be the entire year for the average Realtor, but was only one month for this top agent. At the CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Christmas Party Jessica was also honored as the top agent in the entire company for total sales production for 2007. Jessica can be reached in the office 7 days a week, just call 732-396-0606 and ask for Jessica Hoff. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is very lucky to have Jessica as a member of it's company. Jessica is always trying to help grow the office and make things better for our clients and customers. She is also very helpful to new agents in the office with advice and up to date knowledge of the industry.

Houses in Clark NJ

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty celebrated the end of 2007 with a wonderful holiday party, comedy show, and award presentation.
2007 was a great year for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. We have many terrific agents that make up a very successful company. All of our agents are SPECIAL people, not only to the Sangiuliano family but to all of our customers and clients as well. They are a credit to themselves, their family's, and CENTURY 21. We honored the top 3 agents in both of our offices. Jessica Hoff and Khem Persaud received awards for #1 TOP SALE Associates in the Clark and Rahway offices. Simi D'souza & Marci Hodges we honored as the #2 Top Sales Associates in Clark and Rahway respectively. Punit Shah & Amr Ibrahiem were the #3 Top Sales Associates in Clark and Rahway as well. Congratulations to all CENUTURY 21 JRS Realty agents and employees on a great year. You are all very much loved and appreciated.

Homes in Clark

Understanding Adjustable Rate Mortgages
You've probably heard a lot about ARMs in the news of late, but many people still find them confusing. They know that the rate changes, but they aren't sure how. ARMs really aren't all that complicated.
An ARM, like its counterpart the fixed rate mortgage (or FRM), has two elements: The interest rate and monthly payment. With a fixed rate loan those items stay the same throughout the life of the loan. With an ARM, the interest rate changes and in turn, causes changes in your monthly payments.
It works like this. An adjustable rate mortgage has a period in between rate changes called the adjustment period. A one year ARM has an adjustment rate period of a year, so that's how often the interest rate - and your payments - can change. A 3-year ARM has a 3-year adjustment period, etc.
The interest rate itself has two parts: the index and the margin. The index determines the interest rate. It may be based on CMT securities, the Cost of Funds Index (COFI), the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or even the lender's own cost of funds. These indexes vary, with some changing more often than others and some that are generally higher than others. The margin represents how much your interest rate will be over and above the index. For example, if your index is 3% with a 3% margin, the rate would be 3% + 3% or 6%. Following is the formula.
Index + Margin = Fully Indexed rate
Using the formulas, if the index rose to 4%, the fully indexed rate would be 7%. There is a limit on how much your loan can change: It's called a rate cap. Rate caps limit how much interest the lender can charge you.
There are two main kinds of caps typically used on ARMs:
A periodic cap limits how much your rate is allowed to increase from one adjustment period to the next.
A lifetime cap limits how much the interest rate can change over the entire life of the loan. By law, there must be an overall (lifetime) cap on adjustable rate mortgages.
Note that if the interest rate on a given loan is held down by means of a periodic cap, if the index were to go up, the lender may be able to impose the increase at the end of the next adjustment period. For example, if a periodic cap is 2% but the index rose 3%, the lender may raise the rate 2% during the present adjustment period and the extra 1% during the subsequent period.
There is a third cap called a payment cap that limits how much your monthly payment can go up at the end of each adjustment period. Usually if your ARM has a periodic rate cap, it will not have a payment cap.
The reason it's so important to consider all these caps when evaluating a loan is to understand the way that your monthly payment will increase. This is important because it will directly affect the amount of money you have on hand each month for non-housing expenses. The incremental increases in the index and rates can be deceptive. But do the math: If your monthly payment increases from $953 to $1,395 over the first seven years of the loan, that is nearly a 50% increase and could represent a significant burden to your monthly budget.
If you still aren't sure about your ARM program, get a written disclosure from your lender. If you are considering an ARM, be sure to compare the annual percentage rates (APR) and caps on several ARMs to evaluate which one will cost you less money.

For Sale in Clark

1) One of the major deductions is the business use of your car.
2) Decide the best tax usage of your car-Mileage or Actual Cost Method
3) You can switch the method of usage for car even if you used the other
4) Keep adequate travel records
5) Though most business meals are only 50% deductible, there are exceptions
6) Don't overlook deductions such as stationary and business cards
7) As a Self-employed tax-payer you are permitted to take a special "above the line" deduction for health insurance premiums you pay yourself and your family
8) Deduct business use items- Things use part for business and personal may be deducted for the business use.
9)Continuing Education expenses are deductible
10) All Dues are deductible
11) A portion of Equipment costs may be deducted in the year of purchase
12) Hire your Children
13) You might qualify for special tax breaks if you hire your spouse to work for you.
14) Home office Expenses for work done from home
15) Don't miss the self-employment tax deduction
16) Gifts to Clients up to $25
17) Keep Good Records
18) Check out the benefits of a retirement plan
19) You may also qualify for an individual retirement account
20) Don't under pay your taxes
21) Always take a sensible approach when it come to tax planning

This information is general in nature and should not be acted upon without further details and/or professional assistance. The tax laws contain numerous limitation and exceptions that cannot be easy or quickly summarized. To identify and implement the tax strategies best suited to your situation, please contact and certified CPA.

Short Sales in NJ

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty attends seminar on Short Sales
BY JR Sangiuliano
Today CENTURY 21 JRS Realty hosted a seminar by a title company on Short Sales to help them help sellers that cannot afford their present mortgages. With the changes in the Real Estate market and Mortgage industry that have affected the entire country this past year it is important to stay up to date on all information. That is the number one reason CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is keeping up with all the changes that are affecting buyers and sellers in today's Real Estate market. Many Realtors do not have the experience or expertise to handle short sales and closings for sellers that are behind in their payments.Short sales offer an alternative to losing your home to foreclosure and allow sellers to still purchase another home if they so desire. Not many Realtors take the time to learn how to help sellers fix the situations they have been put in by dishonest mortgage company's, over priced homes, and ARM payments that they cannot afford. Sellers do not have to lose their homes to the banks through the foreclosure process. A properly trained Realtor can save a homeowner thousands of dollars in fees, and hours of heartache by simply knowing the process. Well now CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has the training and knows how to save sellers time and money if they are behind in payments or just cannot afford them any more. Did you know it takes 7 years to clear a foreclosure from you credit, but with a short sale you may be able to buy your next home right away. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty and Broker/Owner JR Sangiuliano suggest that if you have a situation in which you are falling behind or cannot afford your monthly payments just call one of our highly trained sales associates to asses your situation with you and let you know the proper steps to take. CENTURY 21 JRS Realty has two offices in this local area, 138 Westfield ave in Clark, and 1474 Main St in Rahway. We can also be reached on the web at http://www.c21jrs.com/ or e-mail JR at c21jrs72@aol.com for more information.

Punit Shah Gets Great Report Cards

CENTURY 21 JRS Realty starts a report card system to track costumer satisfaction.

BY JR Sangiuliano

2007 has been another great year for CENTURY 21 JRS Realty clients and customers, and we will make sure 2008 is even better. We have started a report card system for all clients that have transactions with our company. After a transaction has concluded our client swill receive a report card survey in the mail to let us know their level of satisfaction. We feel this will be a great way not only to keep in touch with past clients but also to make sure our agents are living up to expectations. All clients will be able to report directly to the broker about their level of satisfaction.

Punit Shah has been the test agent for this new system. This month Punit received 6 report cards with perfect scores. Every client that received a report card sent it back with excellent scores. This reinforces to me that customer satisfaction is still the name of this Real Estate game. With prices falling and days on market rising keeping clients happy is the most important task a Realtor has. Up to date information, showing feedback calls, and many other service oriented daily activities are the key to satisfied customers in a soft market.

Foxtons May file Bankruptcy

Foxtons may file for bankruptcy
BY JAMES BERNSTEIN james.bernstein@newsday.com
11:04 AM EDT, September 27, 2007
Foxtons, the one-time 800-pound gorilla of the 2 percent marketplace in the New York metropolitan area, said it may file for bankruptcy and close its business, explaining it "can't stand in the way of a hurricane" that has come about as a result of the decline in the home mortgage industry.The New Jersey-based company, which once rocked the real-estate industry by selling homes for as little as 2 percent commission -- compared to commissions of up to 6 percent at other brokers -- said in an announcement that it is "releasing" 350 of its 380 employees "and may be filing for bankruptcy protection in order to close the business in an orderly fashion."No one answered the phone at the company's headquarters Thursday morning
In a statement, John D. Blomquist, Foxton's senior vice president and general counsel, said the company had been "well run, very efficient" and had "a great team that has pioneered a new model in the real estate business -- a model which has proven itself and, we believe, will have lasting influence on our sector."But, he added, "The plain fact is that we have been battling against a real estate market that recently has turned into a sharp decline, and the company no longer has the liquidity to operate as a going concern.""We understand the impact of the action we are taking, but there comes a point where you can't stand in the way of a hurricane, and it is a property hurricane we are facing."The company's announcement said that it has some 4,400 current listings and that it plans to "preserve the value of these listings to minimize customer disruption and to dedicate the anticipated revenues to pay creditors."Foxtons created a huge advertising splash, spending close to $12 million a year on television, radio and billboard ads. It even used buses, bus shelters and subway platform ads to attract customers.
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