9000 listings under contract

***Received: Wed 5.14.08 5:35 PM ***
Phil,
We just hit 7554 pendings and 1446 awc’s for a grand total of 9000 listings under contract.
It’s the highest # of pendings for 2008 so far.
 
The highest pending count in all of 2007 was 7651, so <100 to go.

Leif Swanson, CRS, GRI, ABR
REALTOR
John Hall & Associates
(602) 686-3852
www.LeifSwanson.com

Sending text messages with or without typing

The stereotype that kids are the only ones sending text messages is not correct!  Many agents, lenders, escrow officers, etc. are communicating with text messages.  Some of them even instruct callers on their voicemail message to send them a text instead of leaving a message.  But, we’re not here to sell the fact text messages are a good way to communicate, the consumer is doing that.  We’re just here to help those that have not figured it out yet.  This post will cover the most important thing to check before you send a message, the 44-666-9-#-8-666 (how to) concept, some popular acronyms, and the way to send a text message without typing anything.

Text messages are not free.  You have to look at your cellphone contract to understand how much you are going to be charged for them before you start sending or requesting to receive them.  If you plan on diving right into this way of communicating, there are unlimited text plans from pretty much every carrier.  Once you get that squared away, let the games begin!     

How to type?  If your phone has a full keyboard it’s self explanatory.  For those with phones that look more like this…

It’s simple really.  Just press a number multiple times to get the desired letter.  (The keyboard pictured is an easy one to use because it has the words SHIFT and SPACE.  Others may use symbols to show these same functions.)  Here is an example: If you would like to respond “Thx”.  First press shift (*), then push the number 8 once (T), 4 twice (h) and 9 twice (x).  On the screen “Thx” should be displayed.  Push “send/talk” and you’re done.  The more you practice the faster you’ll become.  After you send a few messages and get the hang of it, sign up for the National Texting Championship and test your skills! 

To shorten your messages use acronyms.  Some popular ones are LOL: Laugh out loud, TTYL: Talk to you later, BTW: By the way, and MTG: Meeting.  Be sure you know your audience, these might not work for your clients.  Judge their text etiquette/comprehension by the way they write to you.

Last but not least (and the reason this whole post started) is to talk about a cheater service, Jott.com.  They are a company that allows you to speak the messages you would like to send as a text.  It uses voice recognition software to automatically convert your spoken messages into a written one.  Not only does the company send your contact a text message, they also send them an email with the audio file!  This is the perfect option for those not wanting to learn how to type on their miniature keypad.  Also, in many states including right here in Arizona there is a push to make texting illegal while driving.  Jott.com is the solution. 

Like all things, you have to take the pros with the cons.  Many people send text messages when they are unable to speak on the phone, such as from a noisy concert/sporting event or covertly from a meeting.  You won’t be able to do that with Jott.com due to the background noise or your potentially disruptive voice.  However, Jott.com is still well worth the cost, $FREE.99!  Check it out.

(More advanced users should make note that Jott.com now allows you to post updates to your twitter account as well!) 

Interested in a real estate blog?

Jay Thompson, Dru Bloomfield, Steve Belt, and Keith Garner spoke about blogging at the Scottsdale Association’s Technology Symposium at the end of April.  The reason I bring it up…there was a video of the entire session posted on SAAR’s website.  Check out the blogging rock stars!

This is an excellent video for those who are considering entering the wonderful world of weblogging.  They answer many basic questions, including; How/Where do I get started?  How much time does it take?  How often do you post articles?  And get into some more advanced questions like - Should I keep my blog separate from my brokerage site?  How do you handle inappropriate comments?  To host or not to host the blog yourself?

Enjoy.

Wall Street Journal Article: “The Housing Crisis is Over”

Did you get a chance to read this article from the Wall Street Journal?  

It’s a good one to help motivate buyers.

Russell Shaw has a new (blog) home

Russell Shaw has moved, and you will now find his blog posts at Agent Genius. 

City Tax Cheat Sheet for Property Managers

Being a property manager in the Valley is no easy role.  Keeping the tenants and/or owners happy is only half of the battle.  Knowing what the rules and regulations are in each specific city you’re working in is the other.  It seems as soon as you get a handle on current laws, they change ‘em!  The cheat sheets our property management department uses are proof of this, constantly being updated.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with Joanna Slighter, the John Hall & Associates Trust Account Manager, and she showed me one of her cheat sheets with 29 different city names here in Phoenix all with different tax configurations, structures, and rates.  She also shared with me that Monday (5/5/08) happened to be a record breaking day for her department receiving over $350K in rents, taxes, deposits, etc.  Anyway, I made a copy of the city tax sheet so I could share them with you.

Rental tax rates as of 5/7/08: 

Anthem - No Tax
Apache Junction - 2.2%
Avondale - 2.5%
Buckeye - 2%
Carefree - 3%
Cave Creek - 2.5%
Casa Grande - 1.8%
Chandler - 1.5%
El Mirage - 3%
Fountain Hills - 1.6%
Gilbert - 1.5%
Glendale - 2.2%
Gold Canyon - No Tax
Goodyear - 2%
Laveen - No Tax
Litchfield Park - 2%
Maricopa - 2%
Mesa - 1.75%
Paradise Valley - 1.65%
Peoria  - 1.8%
Phoenix - 2%
   Commercial - 2.1%
Queen Creek - 2.25%
Scottsdale - 1.65%
Sun City - No Tax
Sun Lakes - No Tax
Surprise - 2.2%
Tempe - 1.8%
Tolleson - 2%
Youngtown - 2%

(Keep in mind that if your rental contracts are for less than 30 days many of these cities add an additional 3%, similar to a hotel/motel bed tax.)

These rates are deemed to be reliable at the time of this post. Be sure to check with the city tax collector for current numbers and exceptions to the rules.

Luxury urban living here in the Valley

 

Westgate Living is giving a tour of their new urban properties, The Majestic, TODAY from 6-8pm (sorry about the short notice). They will be providing food, drinks and entertainment.

This Glendale, AZ residential development has properties ranging from $400k to $2 million.  Whether you can make the tour tonight or not, if your area of expertise is the westside you should make it a point to check out this high-end development.  Their sales office is located at the Westgate City Center and is open daily.   

 

has opened the doors to it’s Phoenix, AZ sales office and is currently accepting reservations for Phase One.  Their office (SW corner of Deer Valley and 56th St) is also open daily, but they plan on giving REALTORS® a special tour Tuesday, May 13th at 10am. 

Not only will this tour provide information about their impressive project they also know what’s going on over at Kierland Commons, One Scottsdale, Paradise Ridge, Scottsdale Quarter, and the Mayo Hospital.  (Like did you know the Phoenix Mayo is planned to be bigger than the Rochester Mayo?!) 

If you specialize in the northeast valley, make it a point to be there on Tuesday.  I hear the tour should last about an hour.  (Be sure to check out the impressive scale model.)

5/8 UPDATE: If you plan on attending May 13th, please RSVP: Trudy Hammond (480) 355-0202

How do you prospect for listings?

Bryan Jones (with the Talon Group) emails a list of the previous weeks’ expired and cancelled listings to his database to assist with their prospecting.  Last weeks’ list had 455 names and phone numbers!  

In today’s market there is no shortage of expired listings, but there is a real shortage of agents who know how to turn them into closed transactions.  Your listing has to win a beauty contest and then “The Price is Right”.  There are only three reasons that a house doesn’t sell: Price, condition and marketing.  (ProStart teaches agents how to deal with all three.) 

If you would like to be added to the list of agents that recieve the list, let Bryan know.

Why buy an Arizona home now?

The Arizona Republic has the answer!  Did you see the ARMLS advertorials in the paper this weekend?

Saturday’s Business section had the first article with quotes from John Hall real estate agents; Abe Schwarz, Dru Bloomfield, and Russell Shaw.  Bob Bemis (CEO of ARMLS) was also quoted talking about the median and average price drops.  

The article on Sunday, with the same title, again had quotes from our own; Russell Shaw and Jim Sexton.  Bob Bemis was again quoted, but this time talking about the currently low interest rates.  Darrell Blomberg (Owner/Broker of AzTech Realty) and Gary Swallows (Designated Broker for Swallows & Associates Realty) were also quoted explaining why it might cost more if you wait to buy and how FHA loans are making a come back!  

Thanks to the Republic and ARMLS for the good press!

Foreclosure Prevention Seminar

Free Foreclosure Prevention Workshop sponsored by: Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, Arizona Housing Counseling Colaborative and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

Date: Saturday, May 10
Location: Phoenix City Hall.

Individual counseling sessions will be available after the remarks and panel discussion on a first-come, first-served basis. (english and spanish)

Register Now

Barbara Freestone
Arizona Association of REALTORS®
VP Professional Development
602-248-7787

3 Places REALTORS® Must Disclose Commission Rebates to Buyers

Just a reminder concerning recent law changes and the impact on previously acceptable practices regarding commission rebates.  I was listening to one of the sessions from NAR (yes, still going strong after 5 months) and I liked the following advice concerning buyer concessions.  While in the past it was alright to pay the buyer a “rebate”/commission reduction after closing, with last year’s Mortgage Fraud legislation this practice is no longer acceptable. A rebate/commission reduction can still be done, but it must meet certain conditions.

The conditions are as easy as 1,2,3. They are:
1) It must be on the contract;
2) The lender must be aware of it; and
3) It must be on the HUD 1.

These conditions apply for any reductions that an agent might make.

 

Is GRI really worth it?

According to Charlie Bross, President, RE Training Center, “The fact is, there is tremendous opportunity in every market, including today’s.  Sometimes you just have to change the way you think and work in order to see it…”   I’m sure you have all heard that agents are no longer order takers.  Agents are looking to acquire skills to build their business.  Does this describe you? 

According to a 2006 survey by NAR, 85% of all agents coming into the industry have no sales experience.   

Knowledge and skill are partners to success.  There are no shortcuts.  Today’s continuing education classes help increase your knowledge base, but, in my opinion,  today’s c/e classes lack skill training.  Most classes focus on delivering information, but are not delivered in such a way that creates relevance to your day to day practice.  To acquire skills education, I believe classes must be performance-based, incorporate simulated activities and/or provide some type of hands on experience in the forms of scenarios or other student based activities.  You must have an opportunity apply the knowledge, not just receive the knowledge.

The Swanepoel Trends Report 2008 report that a survey conducted with over 1000 real estate salespeople, the following skills were ranked as the most important for agent success:

• •Expanded knowledge of the changing market and expertise
• •A good listing presentation and CRM system
• •Stronger web-based computer skills including blogging, SEO and networks
• •Knowledge of financing, foreclosures, short sales and staging
• •Good time management
• •Enthusiasm and a continued positive attitude
• •Good negotiation skills

To reinforce my comments, how many of these topics are covered in ADRE license renewal categories?  None. This is why I believe there should be two components of real estate education:  c/e classes which are required to renew your real estate license AND career development classes which are needed to acquire knowledge and hone your skills leading to success in this business.  I recently read on Jennifer Cummings blog:   ”I absolutely believe that the distance between where you are now and where you want to be is simply 6 inches - the 6 inches between your ears!”  Fill those inches with as much career development education as you possibly can.

Most, if not all, of the above skill topics are covered in Arizona’s GRI (Graduate, REALTORS® Institute) program.  Look around your office and see how many of the top producing agents have earned the GRI or one of the other prestigious designations.  Think back to some of the transactions you have had with agents who hold a designation and agents who do not.  Did the transaction go more smoothly when working with an agent to not only has knowledge, but also has skills?

What are you waiting for?  Make the commitment this year to earn the GRI designation.  Classes are offered locally and in one and two day increments.  Visit our site and find out more about the GRI designation program, the classes, and the class schedule.

 

 

Barbara Freestone, Vice President Professional Development

Arizona Association of REALTORS®

602.248.7787  •  800.426.7274 Toll-free in AZ  •  602.351.2474 Fax

255 East Osborn Road, Suite 200  •  Phoenix, Arizona  85012

For more REALTOR® Solutions, visit:  www.aaronline.com