USDA Rural Housing Loan: Justin Messer USDA Rural Housing Loan (Georgia Banking Company- USDA, FHA, and Conventional Loans)

Activerain is proud of our Confirmed Loan Officer Team. They have all taken the time to complete an exhaustive blogging SEO course taught by Steven Graham, one of the Activerain blog trainers. They also recieve regular weekly training on new tactics and technologies to assist you with your blogging.

Our Confirmed Loan Officers are approved Activerain trainers, and they are very capable and ready to teach you how to get your blogs to the first page of Google.

Getting your blogs to the first page of Google is one of the quickest most cost effective ways to promote your website and increase its traffic and SEO. If you are a real estate professional looking to generate new business and referrals and you want to know how blogging can help you please contact the Activerain Confirmed Loan Officer that is closest to you. Our confirmed loan officers offer one on one and group trainings either in the office or over the phone.

Many of our Confirmed Loan Officers also teach social media classes regularly for their local and state board of REALTORS TM making them your best choice for local training and assistance for your blogging.

Phil Caulfield - Burlingame, CA


Would you like to incorporate social media into your marketing mix? I can help you! A blog is your home base - it is where all of your social media efforts begin. I can help you:

1. Set up your ActiveRain blog and profile
2. Teach you how to promote your blog without spending any money
3. Show you tips and tricks to have your blog posts get to page one of Google

After you are set up, I will be available to help you with your social media marketing efforts!

 

Ruth Vogt - Littleton, CO

 

When it comes to blogging, there really is no right or wrong. The only mistake might be to waste precious time trying to figure out the short cuts on your own. Those of us in the ActiveRain Confirmed Loan Officer program, as well as the Ambassadors in ActiveRain, represent a number of seasoned bloggers.

we are willing to share tips and techniques to help you solve the mystery of social media lead generation using ActiveRain to attain Google rankings. I have assisted individuals at all levels of experience achieve blogging success in just one or two meetings. I can help you do the same!

 

Drew Sygit - Birmingham, MI

It's amazing how many professionals use the internet daily, but still ignore the power of social media! Remember back in 1995, at the "dawn" of the internet going mainstream, how many professionals thought they'd NEVER need the internet for their business? Where are those businesses today?

We are now at the "dawn" of social media going mainstream. Traditional "static" advertising, even through e-mails & websites,is waning. People do business with people they know, like & rust. Are you blogging to dynamically engage your target market and show them your expertise? How do you expect to survive if you don't?

Ricky Khamis - Scottsdale, AZ

I am one of Arizona's top bloggers, Confirmed by ActiveRain because of my ability to teach you how to use the internet and the extreme power of the top search engine on the internet, Google. By working with me you will learn how to create Single Property Web Sites for every one of your listings, and blog them on ActiveRain. This will cause them to show up on the first page of Google With minimal effort, time, or money involved. All you need is determination.

 

Justin Messer - Atlanta Georgia/National

Over 85% of consumers begin their home search via the internet. Can consumers find you? If not, then they will simply find your competitors. Gain a competitive advantage with my free training. You'll learn blogging techniques, blog and website SEO, and new technologies that will seperate you from your competitors.

3 Reasons to take my FREE SEO Training:

1 MORE LEADS

2 MORE LISTINGS

3 MORE CLOSINGS

Michael Cantwell West Palm Beach Florida

Websites are so yesterday.  Without a blog to help drive traffic to your website, how will you be found in today's competitive marketplace?  With the Active Rain Platform we can show you how to jumpstart your blogging Google juice faster than any other platform on the internet today. 

If you would like to learn more about building a network of like minded professionals blogging together with a comment goal of web domination of your local marketplace contact me. I can help you with SEO tips and tricks that really work.
 
Warm regards,

 

Nevin Williams Carlsbad California/OR WA NC

Your blog is a personal, professional journal and proof that you’re knowledgeable. Active Rain is a powerful, worldwide networking and advertising tool when used properly. “Properly” is what I teach. Knowledge is what you blog.

Combine these two ”properly” and you’ll dominate search engines. This is your first impression to thousands of internet prospects. Learn shortcuts, methods and free technologies to maximize your exposure.

Learn how your competitors get page 1 Google rankings and mimic it.  Want proof? Google or Yahoo:  FHA broker Carlsbad, Astoria or Cary.  I’m on page 1 a few times on all 3 searches. Cost2u: $0

My first time home buyers are whooping it up. Why not? The popular first time home buyer tax credit that was set to expire end of November 2009 may be extended through end of June 2010.

I have buyers who have been looking for months but are getting outbid so many times, or are running out of time waiting for the short sale approval/acceptance of their offers.

Even better, it isn't just first time buyers who have reason to celebrate. A new tax credit was introduced to aid repeat buyers. I wonder if this will apply both for buyers who want to move up as well as buyers who want to downsize.

Although the complete details aren't available yet, here are the key provisions.

First time home buyer tax credit

• Buyers must be in contract by April 30, 2010
• Buyers have 60 days from that day to close escrow to qualify for the tax credit
• Tax credit is $8,000 or UP TO 10% of purchase price

Repeat buyers tax credit

• Defined as homeowners who have lived in their residence for five years
• Tax credit is $6,500

But wait, there's more! The levels for the home buyers were increased! Good news, indeed, for at least one of my buyers who was making more money than the previous qualifying level. So now, there's a chance that he will qualify for the tax credit after all!

• Individuals earning up to $125,000, up from $75,000 for individuals under the current law
• Couples earning up to $250,000, up from $150,000 under the current law'

More tax credits.

Additionally, there are other tax credits that the homeowners can explore. Although folks may argue that these tax credits are costing us....think of another way to look at these credits. They will encourage folks to BUY! And when they buy more goods and services, they (and we) do our share to stimulate the economy.

• federal tax credits for energy efficiency. Time to replace that old furnace? Want to get double pane windows? Need to get better insulation? Want to replace that leaky roof? Old water heater on its last legs? There's an energy-efficient solution to meet your requirements.
• ENERGY (Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) STAR appliances that may apply to central air conditions, washers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, and more. More on this as things develop.

Have fun shopping!

How To Create and Use iFrames and Tables on Your Blog

Last week I promised to create a post explaining how to add iFrames and tables to your Blog posts.  Instead of making this a long drawn out technical "How To" tutorial, I decided to make it really easy for those of you interested in using this feature.  It is HTML based and does require a little HTML skill, but I think the way I'm about to show you will totally simplify the process and keep you from losing your sanity! lol~

The hardest thing you'll have to do is switch the tabs at the top of your New Blog Post from "WYSIWYG" to "HTML"  then you'll just need to copy the code onto the HTML page where you want your iFrame to appear, then save it.  Can't make it much easier than that. So let's start with the iFrame. The purpose of Adding an iFrame to a Blog post is so that you can share a large amount of information in a very small (customized) space.  Maybe a website, or an interactive page, or even an entire Blog for example.

Here's an iframe of a site I'm sure you'll all recognize. :-) (updated to show image only)

The size, color, width, height, URL, etc. can all be customized. Now for all you advanced HTML users and Bloggers, this is probably easy stuff, but for many of our members and friends, learning this type of stuff has been known to cause overdoses of Tylenol and in some extreme cases, even alcohol.  So here's a way for you to preserve your anxiety and stress for something a little more worthy.... I hope.

HTML Basics has setup what they call an iFrame generator.  You just enter in the information, and it creates the iFrame for you, then just copy and paste the code into the HTML tab of your new Blog post. It looks like this:

Just enter the URL of ANY page you want to appear in your iFrame, never make it wider than 550pixels if you don't want to Blow Out your Blogs sidebar, select any height you want, give it a name, set the alignment, maybe add a border with some color, setup how you want it to scroll, and generate the code for your Blog post.  This is much easier than trying to explain the HTML which you're about to see once you generate the code anyway. Once you become familiar with the iframe code, you won't need the generator anymore. Now try it yourself. 

Suggestions: Try using your MLS page, your IDX page, your Website, one of your Blog posts, maybe your AR Outside Blog, any page that's on the internet will work as long as you have the URL or website address.  You can use iFrames to add some additional value to your Blog if this is something you're interested in. Now just be creative and imagine all the ways your clients, visitors, and subscribers might benefit from your using custom iFrames in your Blog posts.

Are you ready for tables now? Here's a link to a table generator, you'll be a pro in no time at all!  :-)

Some Table Scraps	RE Video	RETechWorld
Goal Planner	ActiveBrads Blog	iDomain
TechKnowBabble	AR Manual	The REBlogger

HTML Tables

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Hit router was created to drive more traffic to your website.

There are two sides to hit router:

1. the free side i.e my markets,
2. the pay for clicks side i.e start a new campaign.

You also get credits for driving traffic to other agents sites who are not competing within your markets. You can use these credits to pay for a click campaign within your own markets. You could be routing consumers to Ted's url in Alaska and use the credits you earn to buy clicks/traffic for your own url in Arizona for instance.

There are a couple tricks and strategies that will help you get the most out of Hit Router, but first you need to set up your markets. This is very easy to do. First from your 'my home' page, on the left hand side of your screen you see the word 'Hit Router' in blue just beneath where it says write a blog post. Click on it. Now you see three key phrases that are in blue starting at the top it says 'start a new campaign' under that it says 'my markets' and then under that it says 'click credits'.

In the city box just under where it says my markets type in the name of the city where you do the most farming. then click on the city name that is in the right state in the drop box menu. Once you have done this an empty box appears that says:

this is where you will put the url (link) you want to route clients to. Make sure this is the unique url that will have them looking at pictures of homes for sale in the city you have selected. not the front page where they must enter their search terms. It is best to send them to a web site that will capture them as a prospect through forced registration. It will be best to force the registration after they have clicked on their first listing then moved on to their second one. Only require a name and e-mail address leave phone number optional.

If we route our potential prospects to any other type of web site where we are not displaying listings, we have a high chance of losing them.

Once you have set up your markets any visitor to the site who is reading your blog or is on your profile or outside blog and types one of your market cities into the search for homes bar that is on every page of active rain if you are not logged in as a member, will be routed directly to the url you have chosen.

If they type in a city that is not within your markets then they will be routed to whatever url belongs to the person who is buying clicks for that city and you will get click credits. When you consider that within most markets google charges an average of $2-$4 per click our cost per click which is as low as $0.49 is a much better deal. when you consider the fact that the person being routed to your site from ActiveRain is looking up real estate related information already, their traffic to your site is worth much more then generic google traffic of some one who for instance just typed in a city and state into their google search bar for something unrelated to real estate.

Starting a click campaign is very easy under where it says 'start new campaign' type the name of the city you want to buy clicks for into the box that says city. Next highlight the city that is in the right state in the drop box menu and give it a click. Now under location it says the city you will be buying clicks for to the right of that it has the min. suggested bid for that area to the right of that you see a green check mark that means if your bid is equal to or greater than the bid in the CPC (cost per click) box just to the right of it you will get all the clicks for that area until you have reached your monthly budget which is directly to the right of the CPC , then the person who is in line behind you will begin getting the clicks for that area.

if you see a red check mark that means you are not in the first position to get those clicks so you must wait till those who have bid more per click then you have meet their budgets before you begin getting the clicks for that area. Now set the URL that will have them looking at homes for sale within that city and click create. Once you enter your payment info you are ready to set up new campaigns. right now we have members who are getting a 17% conversion ratio on their clicks. that means if mary sue bought 100 clicks at $0.50 she should get roughly 17 new clients for the cost of $50 that is a pretty good deal by any standards. even if Mary Sue only gets one new client out of those 100 clicks its still a great! deal for $50.

If you have any questions about Hit Router or any other feature of the ActiveRain network please give me a call 425-636-3314. Here at ActiveRain member services we are dedicated to the success of each and every member.

The rumors are true and I am excited! FHA has handed down the changes...

 

FHA had talked about increasing down payment to 5% rather than 3.5%

• Increased Enforcement- HUGE WIN!  Let's get the lenders that are not playing by the rules out of here- - the one's doing it right!
• MIP changes- not as big as you think- the analysis on monthly payment isn't a big hit
• We all have to follow the same rules, so no one has a leg up!
• 3% vs. 6% seller concession- talk to your borrowers about gifts! 

   Credit and Credit Scores

• New borrowers will now be required to have a minimum FICO score of 580 to qualify for FHA's 3.5% down payment program. New borrowers with less than a 580 FICO score will be required to put down at least 10%. (PrimeLending requires a 620 credit score for all transactions)
• This allows the FHA to better balance its risk and continue to provide access for those borrowers who have historically performed well.
• This change will be posted in the Federal Register in February and, after a notice and comment period, would go into effect in the early summer.

Reduce allowable seller concessions from 6% to 3%  

• The current level exposes the FHA to excess risk by creating incentives to inflate appraised value. This change will bring FHA into conformity with industry standards on seller concessions.
• This change will be posted in the Federal Register in February, and after a notice and comment period, would go into effect in the early summer.

Increase enforcement on FHA lenders  

• Publicly report lender performance rankings to complement currently available Neighborhood Watch data - Will be available on the HUD website on February 1.  
• This is an operational change to make information more user-friendly and hold lenders more accountable; it does not require new regulatory action as Neighborhood Watch data is currently publicly available. Enhance monitoring of lender performance and compliance with FHA guidelines and standards.  
• Implement Credit Watch termination through lender underwriting ID in addition to originating ID.
• This change is included in a Mortgagee Letter to be released tomorrow, January 21st, and is effective immediately.
• Implement statutory authority through regulation of section 256 of the National Housing Act to enforce indemnification provisions for lenders using delegated insuring process Specifications of this change will be posted in March, and after a notice and comment period, would go into effect in early summer.
• HUD is pursuing legislative authority to increase enforcement on FHA lenders. Specific authority includes:  
• Amendment of section 256 of the National Housing Act to apply indemnification provisions to all Direct Endorsement lenders. This would require all approved mortgagees to assume liability for all of the loans that they originate and underwrite
• Legislative authority permitting HUD maximum flexibility to establish separate "areas" for purposes of review and termination under the Credit Watch initiative. This would provide authority to withdraw originating and underwriting approval for a lender nationwide on the basis of the performance of its regional branches

In addition to the changes proposed today, the FHA is continuing to review its overall response to housing market conditions, and continuing to evaluate its mortgage insurance underwriting standards and its measures to help distressed and underwater borrowers through FHA/HAMP and other FHA initiatives going forward.

These changes are a positive move for our industray. Industry leaders will embrace them and continue to help more people achieve their dreams of home ownership!

Rate Lock Advice and Mortgage Market Update

December 4, 2009, 11:45 PT

RATE LOCK ADVISORY

Lock Advice:  LOCK
MBS prices are down -17/32.  After the Employment data came in stronger than expected. The economy lost just -11K jobs in November, and the Unemployment Rate fell to 10.0% from 10.2%.

RATE NOTES:
When MBS prices are up, Rates are down.
Lock advice can change throughout the day .
Good economic news = Bad Rate News.

National Average Fixed Rate Mortgage
Unchanged at 4.87% on Dec.3

Fannie Mae Mortgage Backed Securities
MBS Opened at 4.544% Up 0.06%.

10 Year Treasury Currently 3.470% Up 0.08%

DJI Stocks $10,361.92,  Down -4.23, -0.04%

European and Asian Markets Up 0.654%

Nymex Crude Oil Currently $75.40 Down $1.06

 

If you value your business then please watch this three minute video
See TBWS Video

 

Rates 12-04-09, 11:45 PT
30 Year Fixed to $417,000
Rate 4.75%  Point 0.875,  APR 4.884%
APR Based on $350,000 Loan at 80% LTV
Above Rate can be locked  for 30 days.
Call for Quotes on FHA and VA loans With Detailed Good Faith Estimates.
 No Application or Credit Report required

Education is the ONLY Effective Consumer Protection

• How to Find Legitimate Rate Quotes
• What is APR
• What is Yield Spred Premium (YSP)
• Avoid Closing Day Nightmares

President signs the First Time Buyer Tax Credit Extension Read Story

Bill Introduced to Increase FHA Down Payment to 5.00% from 3.50 Read Story.

---

Bill Ladewig

800.664.7283 (SAVE)

Bill@YourFhaGuru.com

Website

 

 

 

Bill Ladewig is a Mortgage Broker Licensed by the California Department of Real Estate 00968137

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