Vancouver Wa Real Estate - Elite Realty NW

More Thoughts On Free Samples

O.K. I admit it. I am obsessed with the idea of Free Samples! Although I never ever (EVER!) touch the free food samples at Costco or Fred Meyers, I am a strong believer in building my business through the strategic use of free samples. I have written other posts about free samples. (Building Your Real Estate Business With Free Samples! and Free Samples - Observations That Might Increase Your Business!) Here is my latest, and probably last, post regarding the subject of building your business with free samples.

Meet John Brown, sidewalk astronomer. I met him a few weeks back while at a convention in New Orleans. Janice and I were with a group of friends at the Cafe Du Monde at about 11 p.m. when I looked over and spotted John standing near a telescope that stood about 8 feet tall. I immediately stood up and went over to see what was going on with this guy. THAT is just the way I roll!

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked as I approached.

"I am looking at Saturn." He responded. "Tonight is a good night to see it. Would you like to look?"

"Uh... OK!"

I walked over to him and he ushered me up a 3 foot step ladder. I looked into the eyepiece and could see Saturn and its rings as clear as day. Actually it was so clear that it looked fake, like something out of a bad sci-fi movie. I half expected to see strings holding it up.

"How much does a telescope like that cost?" I asked.

"About $28,000 for a new one. Used they go for about $16,000."

I could feel my jaw hit the ground as I asked, "What do you do for a day job?"

"Nothing. This is all that I do. I have been doing this for over 20 years."

So here is the crux of the post:

John Brown is an astronomer who has a $28,000 telescope and sits out on the sidewalk in New Orleans and lets tourists look at distant planets for free. Of course there is a large tip jar in plain view but he never once asked me for a donation or tip. This has been his sole source of income for over 20 years! John Brown is the absolute master of the free sample!

Let's look at how he does it and figure out how we can make this strategy work for us.

1. Free information - Like John, we can give out information for free. If people see value in the info, then they will be willing to use you for their transactions and you will earn a commission. Not as obvious as a tip jar but it will work. What can you give away that will create business for you? Foreclosure lists? Short sale info? Staging tips? Tips for FSBO's? Use your imagination. I am sure that whatever you choose will be a whole lot easier than hauling a 300 lb. telescope out onto the sidewalk every night and finding distant galaxies for the tourists!

2. Free services - Unlike John, we have the ability to offer services to people that other people will pay us for. Buyer's agency is free to the buyer. How crazy is that? Looking to maximize your free sample strategy? Go after buyers who can use your services absolutely for free! A good way to find these folks is by offering free MLS searches. It works very well for me.

3. Buy a telescope and learn to use it - One of the best ways to make money like John does is to do what John does. I mean exactly what John does! Good luck with that! My point here is that if John can do it, then you can too!

4. Our telescope is Active Rain - I still believe that Active Rain is one of the best ways to give out free samples and to demonstrate your worth to buyers and sellers. One of John's keys to success is the fact that he is easily found. I would imagine that you can find him on most any night parked right in front of Cafe Du Monde. He will be the guy with the extra large telescope, looking at the stars with about 7 or 8 tourists lined up and waiting to see what is going on. Oh yeah, his tip jar will most probably be filled with cash. Active Rain is our spot on the internet and the posts that we write are equal to his giant telescope. The information that we freely give away is the same as letting someone peak at Saturn.

New Taxes In Oregon Equal Increased Real Estate Business In Vancouver Washington

For those of you who are as geographically challenged as I am, Vancouver Washington is right across the Columbia River from Portland Oregon. I tell you this to demonstrate how a move of less than 12 miles is saving people tens of thousands of dollars.

Oregon just passed new tax laws. Measures 66 and 67. I won't spend any time digging into the nuts and bolts of the matter, but the thumbnail version of these new taxes are that they tax businesses on their total revenue instead of basing the tax burden based on profit. Simply stated, high volume business with minimal profit margins? You are screwed!

This has been very interesting for us to watch from our side of the river. When the measures passed, our phones immediately started to ring with angry Oregonians on the other end of the line. We received dozens of calls inquiring about the nicer areas of Clark County and asking about prices. We have the listings for all of the lots at Camellia, home to the 2009 Clark County Parade of Homes, so there were a large number of callers interested in that community. In the past week or so the call volume has dropped off a bit. The buyers are still there and still angry, but they have homes that they need to sell before they can make their exit across to the north side of the river. Many of them are learning that this is a very difficult market in which to sell a home. They are also learning that there are people who don't want to buy their homes for the exact same reasons that they are in such a hurry to sell it. Taxes!

It is happening but it is happening at a slower pace than expected. Business owners are slowly (but steadily) migrating across the river with their businesses in tow. Plans are being made, homes are being sold, and businesses are being moved.

Have you been adversely affected by the new tax measures in Oregon? We are here to help. We are familiar with the best areas that Clark County has to offer and  we are ready to help you with your move.

PhoTabulous Friday Fotos - Branding A Business CAJUN Style!

10 Days Until Short Sale Relief?

Although the following Reuters article is old (Dec. 1,2009), I have done a little digging and discovered that it may be going into effect April 5, 2010.

Imagine what this could mean to our real estate market. Banks required to either accept of decline in no more than 10 days? Guidlines and limits set for how much of the sale goes to the 2nd lien holder? A moving allowance for the home owners?

Treasury sets guidance to simplify short sales - By Al Yoon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury on Monday set long-awaited guidance on a plan for mortgage companies to speed "short sales" of homes and other loan modification alternatives to stem a rising tide of foreclosures.

The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program provides financial incentives and simplifies the procedures for completing short sales, a growing practice in which a lender agrees to accept the sale price of a home to pay off a mortgage even if the price falls short of the amount owed, according to an announcement on the Treasury's website.

Guidelines address barriers that have often sidelined short sales by setting limits on the time it takes a bank to approve an offer, freeing borrowers from debt and capping claims of subordinate lenders.

The incentives, first announced in May, expand on the government's Home Affordable Modification Program, known as HAMP, that has seen limited success in lowering payments for distressed homeowners. The Treasury earlier on Monday stepped up pressure on mortgage companies to make permanent the 650,000 trial modifications they have started.

"While HAMP program guidelines are intended to reach a broad range of at-risk borrowers, it is expected that servicers will encounter situations where they are unable to approve" or offer a modification, the Treasury said in its announcement.

Financial incentives for completing short sales or similar deed-in-lieu transactions - in which the deed is simply transferred to the lender - include a $1,000 payment to servicers, and a maximum of $1,000 to go to investors who sign off on payments to subordinate lien holders, the Treasury said. Borrowers would receive $1,500 in relocation expenses.

Short sales are favored by real estate agents and community groups over foreclosure because they can preserve the borrower's credit rating and leave the property in better condition than when a homeowner is evicted. While primary lenders typically realize steep losses, their recovery is typically far better than under foreclosure.

But short sales have been frustrating for borrowers and real estate agents, often hung up by negotiations with multiple lien holders and mortgage insurance companies. Real estate agents have complained that sales fall through as lenders bicker over the sales price, what they should receive from the proceeds, and whether the borrower will be held accountable for the debt in the future.

Among requirements, mortgage servicers have 10 days to approve or disapprove a request for short sale, and when done the transaction must fully release the borrower from the debt.

It also prohibits mortgage servicing companies from reducing real estate commissions on the sale, a practice that has dissuaded many agents from taking short sale listings.

In one of the most contentious issues gumming up negotiations between lenders, the guidance caps the aggregate proceeds to subordinate lien holders at $3,000.

Second lien holders in recent months have begun demanding more money from the first lender, seller, buyer or agent in exchange for releasing their claim, agents have said. Because primary lenders would face larger losses in a foreclosure, some subordinate lenders have felt empowered, the agents said.

The largest second-lien holders are Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo & Co, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup Inc.

Second lien holders may proceed with a short sale outside of the Treasury program, if they felt the cap was too low, a Treasury official said in October.

"If there was a short sale program that didn't recognize the second lien holder position, it could have pretty damaging consequences for the industry," Sanjiv Das, chief executive officer of CitiMortgage, said in an interview last week.

You can read the entire 43 page Directive here - https://www.hmpadmin.com/portal/docs/hamp_servicer/sd0909.pdf. 

Cheap Condos in Vancouver Washington

There is no doubt that this is a buyer's market. Inventories of nice homes are still high. Prices are still low and dropping in some segments. Interest rates are still at an all time low. The First Time Home Buyer Tax Incentives are still available to those who act quickly. It is an awesome time to buy a house!

What many people don't know is that the downward pressure on the market has created a huge inventory of Cheap Condos in Vancouver Washington.

Condos are a dream for anyone looking to own their own home but not looking for all of the care and maintenance that usually goes hand in hand with home ownership. Cheap Condos in Vancouver Washington are the perfect solution for someone who doesn't want to have to deal with yards or exterior maintenance.

A project that immediately comes to mind when discussing Cheap Condos in Vancouver Washington are the Evergreen Ridge Condominiums. The units have all been tastefully refurbished with granite counter tops, crown molding, designer colors, and frieze carpet. With 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1100 square foot units at less than $110,000, it is cheaper to buy this condo than to rent an apartment down the way! Considering the fact that the seller is willing to pay closing costs for you and this is a deal that is too good to be true. But it is!

Don't miss out. There is still a little time to qualify for the first time home buyers tax credit and these are the ultimate in Cheap Condos in Vancouver Washington.

This Month in Real Estate - March 2010 National Report

Here is the national real estate report for March, 2010. Our Keller Williams International office produces this awesome video each month and I post it here for my clients, friends and family. Although this is a national report and does not take into account some of the nuances that you may be experiencing in your area, the information is still timely and useful for anyone who is considering buying or selling a home. Would you like the local report for the Vancouver Washington Real Estate Market? Please call us any time.

Eco Roof Expo in Portland - Friday and Saturday. Don't Miss It!

My friends at Earth Advantage have just reminded me that the Portland EcoRoof expo is this week. Sponsored by the City of Portland, the event will run Friday and Saturday, March 12 - 13th, from 10 - 6:00 each day.

An expert panel of speakers will cover topics related to all aspects of ecoroof benefits,, installation, and maintenance. Admission is free. For more details, go to Ecoroof Portland.

As you know as my readers, I pride myself on staying abreast of trends and topics surrounding green building in Vancouver Wa. My friend John Thomas at e3GreenHomes in Denver is an expert on the subject and I enjoy reading his thoughts on the topic. This post is an amusing twist on the subject. I hope you enjoy it!

Beautiful 1.67 acre building lots available in Battle Ground's Bear Haven, A New Green Built Community!

Bear Haven, soon to be one of Battle Ground's premier gated "Green" communities, currently has 15 1.67 acre lots for sale. These flat and spacious building lots are ready to build on with water, power, and electric already delivered to the curb. The wooded neighborhood used to be a Christmas tree farm and is still dotted with trees that will continue to add beauty to the community.

What makes Bear Haven a "Green" community?

Bear Haven has teamed up with premier Clark County builder, Jon Girod, to offer some of  the most green and sustainable new construction homes in the county. Girod's green philosophy is to bring ultra energy efficient homes to the area at a price that is attainable for the average person.

Green isn't only for the Rich and Famous!

Pre built home prices at Bear Haven in Battle Ground start at only $419,000 for an ultra green package which includes Advanced framing techniques for added insulation factors and less impact on our lumber resources, High efficiency blown in insulation, A fully wrapped and sealed living envelope, Triple pane insulated windows, Hybrid high efficiency heating systems with air transfer, Low flow water fixtures and toilets, Energy Star appliances, High efficiency / low consumption lighting packages, and Tankless water heaters.

Looking for something that is even more extreme? You can add a wind generator or photo voltaic solar panels to generate you own energy. Not enough? Girod also builds passive solar designed homes for those who demand the ultimate in energy efficiency.

With 15 lots available and dozens of green built plans, Bear Haven in Battle Ground is sure to be one of Clark County's first green building successes.

Extreme Green Building in Clark County Washington

It looks like Green Building is finally catching on in Clark County Washington. After years of resistance by local builders, a select few are going main stream with their green building practices. Would you believe that the pictured home is being built and offered in an "Extreme Green" version on a 1.75 acre lot for less than $450,000? At 3436 sq. feet, green building in Clark County Washington is becoming affordable!

They aren't just adding insulated windows or Energy Star appliances and calling it green. These homes are designed to be ultra energy efficient and resistant to future increases in energy costs. (Future Proof). Systems include:

Advanced framing techniques for added insulation factors and less impact on our lumber resources.

High efficiency blown in insulation.

A fully wrapped and sealed living envelope.

Triple pane insulated windows.

Hybrid high efficiency heating systems with air transfer.

Low flow water fixtures and toilets. Dual flush is an option.

Energy Star appliances.

High efficiency / low consumption lighting packages.

Tankless water heater. Solar assist water heater package optional.

Solar panel and wind energy generation packages are also available. (Call us for details.)

A standard built home on 1 3/4 acres in this area would be a great deal at that price. Why buy a standard built home when you could have this green built home in Clark County Washington built just for you?