Posts Tagged ‘real estate agent’

PMI is back!

Monday, April 26th, 2010


Private mortgage insurance companies to return to market, ran as a headline in one of the LA Times articles on April 25, 2010. Although buried inside the Business Section, to me this is an important step in stabilizing the housing market. The article describes how many lenders are again requiring borrowers with less than a 20% down payment to purchase PMI to help mitigate the risk.

Additionally, the FHA is changing some of its requirements for down payments on homes it finances. The traditional 3.5% down payment for FHA loans is still available for home buyers with FICO scores of 580 or higher but buyers with less desirable scores will be required to put 10% down. The FHA is also asking Congress to approve higher rates for their mortgage insurance premium, which for the average home buyer brings FHA loan rates more in line with private mortgages. Hopefully these changes will help further stabilize the housing market.

Interested in learning more about real estate, loans, and how it all works? Maybe it’s time to consider starting, or advancing your real estate career? For more details on the the Real Estate Centre’s offerings, check out the links below:

To find out how you can start a career in real estate, check out the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start Program program. This program includes the courses required for a real estate salesperson license, along with our one day exam prep class.

If you’re a licensed real estate sales agent, and want to make use of the current slow conditions to get a broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre offers a variety of courses to help you achieve the goal. Find everything you need at the following link: Broker’s License Courses.

Need to take your salesperson or broker exam, and just don’t seem to get around to it? Enroll in our Exam Prep. Over 90% of our students pass their real estate licensing exams, on the first try.

Whether you’re new to real estate, or you’re a sales agent ready to become a broker, the Real Estate Centre has a program for you. Order online at www.realestatecentre.biz, or give us a call at 310-410-9718 and let us customize a program to meet your needs.

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Buying Forclosure Houses

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

How can I find a great deal on a foreclosure? These days, that’s one of the questions I hear most often in my classes recently. Unfortunately, my expertise in foreclosures is related to the CA real estate licensing exams, and not so much related to reality, especially the reality of the current real estate market. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled How to Land a Foreclosure House provides a good introduction to buying foreclosed properties. If you’re interested in buying foreclosures, take a look. If you’ve got some expertise in buying foreclosure houses, and have any important information not covered in the article, please let me know.

If you want to make a living buying foreclosed houses, it’s essential to network and develop working relationships with colleagues in banking and real estate. Having a real estate license often opens doors in that area, and also gives you a certain degree of status and credibility. To find out more, check out the information below.

To find out how you can start a career in real estate, check out the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start Program program. This program includes the courses required for a real estate salesperson license, along with our one day exam prep class.

If you’re a licensed real estate sales agent, and want to make use of the current slow conditions to get a broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre offers a variety of courses to help you achieve the goal. Find everything you need at the following link: Broker’s License Courses.

Need to take your salesperson or broker exam, and just don’t seem to get around to it? Enroll in our Exam Prep Class. Over 90% of our students pass their real estate licensing exams, on the first try.

Whether you’re new to real estate, have a conditional license and want your four-year license, or you’re a sales agent ready to become a broker, the Real Estate Centre has a program for you. Take a look at our course offerings. Or, give us a call at 310-410-9718 and let us customize a program to meet your needs.

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30-year mortgage rates hit record low

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the average rate on 30 year fixed-rate home mortgages hit a record low. Rates on other fixed and adjustable-rate loans also hit record lows. You can find the details in the March 27 online edition of the Wall Street Journal.

While the requirements to qualify for a loan are more stringent than in recent years, the low rates certainly got my attention. It’s no surprise that mortgage applications were on the rise last week. A large percentage of the applications were generated by home owners wanting to refinances at interest lower rates. As of yet, there hasn’t been a significant increase in loans to new home buyers, but I’m hopeful the good news will soon stimulate the new home market.

Whether you’re working in the mortgage industry, new to real estate, or a seasoned real estate agent ready for your broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre has a program for you. Take a look at our course offerings. Or, give us a call at 310-410-9718 and let us customize a program to meet your needs.

To find out how you can start a career in real estate, check out the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start Program program. This program includes the courses required for a real estate salesperson license, along with our one day exam prep class.

If you’re a licensed real estate sales agent, and want to make use of the current slow conditions to get a broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre offers a variety of courses to help you achieve the goal. Find everything you need at the following link: Broker’s License Courses.

Need to take your salesperson or broker exam, and just don’t seem to get around to it? Enroll in our Exam Prep Class. Over 90% of our students pass their real estate licensing exams, on the first try.

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Proposal to stimulate the real estate market

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Many people are looking for a little ray of hope in the current down market. A proposed tax credit for home purchasers could be the stimulus potential homeowners need to get them back in the real estate market. You can read the details in the Wall Street Journal article, Real Estate Sector Cheers Tax Credit (click on link to read the details).

Real estate is an important factor in getting the US economy working again. While there may not be a lot of work right now, the market will come back, and many people ask me how they can position themselves to take advantage of new programs when they’re enacted. The first step is to get your real estate license. To find out how you can start a career in real estate, check out the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start Program program. This program includes the courses required for a real estate salesperson license, along with our one day exam prep class. It’s a great deal.

If you’re a licensed real estate sales agent, and want to make use of the current slow conditions to get a broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre offers a variety of courses to help you achieve the goal. Find everything you need at the following link: Broker’s License Courses.

Need to take your salesperson or broker exam, and just don’t seem to get around to it? Enroll in our Exam Prep Class. Over 90% of our students pass their real estate licensing exams, on the first try.

Whether you’re new to real estate, have a conditional license and want your four-year license, or you’re a sales agent ready to become a broker, the Real Estate Centre has a program for you. Take a look at our course offerings. Or, give us a call at 310-410-9718 and let us customize a program to meet your needs

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“Relisting” homes for sale – good marketing or unethical?

Friday, June 13th, 2008

Recently in class, a student asked for my opinion of “relisting.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, relisting basically consists of a real estate agent canceling a listing and then submitting it again as a “new listing.” By relisting, the number of days a home has been on the market starts over, and some real estate agents believe this is an important factor in selling a house. For a great discussion of relisting, watch the following story (running time: eight minutes) which appeared on ABC’s Nightline click on the link below:

days27.jpg

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=4316775&page=1

I have some strong opinions about relisting. What do you think? I’d like to here from you. Do you think relisting is a creative sales technique or an unethical practice? E-mail your thoughts to me at johnhenderson@realestatecentre.biz. I’ll include a summary of your comments, along with my views in my next blog posting.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in starting or furthering your real estate career, the Real Estate Centre, has a program to meet your needs. Details of our courses and programs are available at the following links:

New to real estate?
Get started in real estate with our Jump Start Program:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll-salesperson.htm

Ready for your broker’s license?
Find everything you need:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/bkr-course-descriptions.htm

Need help passing the real estate salesperson or broker exam?
Enroll in our live exam prep class:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll.htm

Still have questions? Call the Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718.

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Presentation is the key in real estate marketing

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

Let’s assume you attended my One-Day Exam Prep Course. You passed the California Real Estate salesperson or broker exam. Now you have the opportunity to make a great living in your new real estate career. All your hard work is wasted if you present yourself in a bad light.

As a real estate agent, your job is largely about presentation: the way you present yourself, and the way you represent your clients can make or break your career. Last week I picked up a flyer for a property listed for sale. Like most people, I’m curious about how housing prices are changing, and this flyer offered me a real life view. The house is newly remodeled, and listed at over $1-million. The flyer was printed in black and white, and water stained. What does this say about the agent and the house he or she is presenting for sale? Given the fact that the listing agent could be looking at a potential commission of $60,000+, it seems to me that the listing deserves better.

It’s possible that the real estate agent or broker didn’t have the time or skill to prepare a more professional flyer. If that’s happened to you in marketing properties, you might want to check out www.vflyer.com. The site offers a variety of services to help with marketing (both online and print), including flyers specifically designed for marketing real estate. The basic services are free, but be aware that they also charge for some services.

Please note, I am not endorsing this website or its services. I don’t have any direct experience with www.vflyer.com, other than playing with some of their templates to get an idea of how they work (in my limited experience, they worked well); it is just one of many sites and service available to real estate agents to help you market your listings in the professional manner they deserve.

Anyone in the business of real estate knows how important perceptions are. If people perceive you as a real estate professional who takes their job seriously and produces results, potential clients will find you. As you can see, in terms of perception, one little flyer can do a lot. And so can one little blog, which is why I’ll add, my final tag: If you’re interested in starting or furthering your real estate career, the Real Estate Centre, has a program to meet your needs. Details of our courses and programs are available at the following links:

New to real estate?
Get started in real estate with our Jump Start Program:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll-salesperson.htm

Ready for your broker’s license?
Find everything you need:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/bkr-course-descriptions.htm

Need help passing the real estate salesperson or broker exam?
Enroll in our live exam prep class:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll.htm

Still have questions? Call the Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718.

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Posted in Real Estate School News | No Comments »