Real Estate Blog by Keen Agents

Twittering fool

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:27:00 +0000

Hello again everyone. It's Wednesday and it's almost time for Mr. Keen himself to start contributing and letting you know about himself! Ohhh I'm excited to see what he has to say!

But enough about him, it's still my turn. I'm going to list some of my favorite places in the city that I specialize in: Lakewood!
Favorite restaurant in Lakewood: Eastside Marios (Papa's Parmigiana-Fettuccine Alfredo/Lasagna/Chicken Parmigiana)
Favorite sports bar in Lakewood: Glory Days (TV's, beer on tap and GREAT food!)
Favorite Golf Course in Lakewood: Lakewood Country Club (That darn #6 gets me every time)
Favorite sport to watch in Lakewood: Lakewood High School Girls Volleyball (I used to coach the boys here, and the girls just won the D-1 State Title in 2007)

Now for a common real estate question and answer:

Q: When will the market turn around?
A: It is! Home prices are leveling out, home sales are increasing, revenue is increasing for home improvement companies (for the first time in years) and things are slowing down. Don't get me wrong, as it will take plenty of time to get through this foreclosure mess, but things are not in a free fall anymore! If you are interested in buying, now is the best time! Great prices: CHECK! Low interest rates: CHECK! Minimal money down: CHECK! Tons of places to choose from: CHECK! What else do you need?

If you're a first time buyer, please see our post that is directly for you! HERE

Until next time,

FIGHT ON!
Kyle

Oh and if you want to follow me directly on twitter, click here!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:30:00 +0000

We're looking for REO agents and foreclosure agents! If that's you, contact us so we can start a joint venture!

More about Kyle

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:22:00 +0000

Hello everyone. It's another great week in SoCal! USC beat ohio st. this weekend and it was the first weekend of NFL! It's the most wonderful time of the year, for me! I'm going to keep short and sweet today and give you just a slice about me and then answer some common real estate questions.

I think I stated that I'm a HUGE USC fan already, but this past weekends game was AMAZING! It rivals when I was on the sidelines at the 2005 USC vs notre dame game where we came marching down from 4th and 19 with 1:07 left! That, by far, will be my most memorable USC moment, if not sports moment ever! As for my golfing, my dad and I played our second round better ball golf match yesterday and lost! Our opponent shot 7 under his handicap though, making it pretty tough to beat! Some other interests of mine, are wine and beer! My dad brews his own and it's really quite good. And if you're looking for a great wine for about $5, check out Barefoot brand wines. Both the reds and whites are great. I prefer the Zinfandel though! I better save some good stuff for the rest of the week, so I'll move on to today's common real estate question for today's market!

What are my options for a lender?

The first step in purchasing a new home is finding the money to buy it. Here is a breakdown of the types of lenders and the pros/cons of each:

Today's choices include banks, mortgage brokers, home builders, and Internet lenders. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and rates vary from lender to lender.

Types of Mortgage Lenders

Type	Advantages	Disadvantages
Banks	Regulated by state and federal agencies Current banking relationship can get you a reduced mortgage rate Numerous branches provide you with face-to-face access	Limited to products only the bank has to offer May not have the best rates May lack negotiation leverage when it comes to publicized rates



Mortgage Brokers	Access to a variety of mortgages and lenders Can save you money by shopping for the best rates Can quickly find another lender if your loan initial application is turned down	Some function as the lender's agent and have the lenders best interest at heart Free to set their own pricing and may mark-up wholesale rates to whatever they want Service may vary from broker to broker



Home Builders	Good way for the first-time home buyer to qualify The buyer does not take title to the property until the home is completed	May favor certain lenders who offer higher rates Can pressure you into getting their loan instead of using a different lender


Internet Lenders	Allows you to shop for competitive rates online	A greater learning curve for the borrower to understand the lending process

Typically, most lenders do not keep money on hand but instantly sell conforming loans to third parties like the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). The most common source of home lending is a retail financial institution or credit union. They offer specific loan products and handle their own direct financing by taking consumer deposits and lending them to home buyers.

Mortgage brokers, on the other hand, act as the middleman and don't fund the loans themselves, but handle the mortgage financing for the borrower. Most earn their fees directly as a percentage from the lender and some from the borrower, or a combination of both. Since mortgage brokers have access to a wide variety of lenders they are usually on top of the latest rates, fees and lending practices.

Home builder financing is common in new developments where there is a single builder. The builder carries the construction costs until the homes are built. The builder works with a lender to set-up financing for the buyer and finances the construction costs. The buyer doesn't make mortgage payments until the property is finished.

The popularity of finding a mortgage on the Internet mortgage has grown in recent years. Many lenders offer competitive rates and the convenience of tracking your application through the approval process. Some can save you a significant amount in closing costs, since everything is automated and the time to get approved can be shortened.

Provided by: Yahoo!

Getting to know KYLE!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:46:00 +0000

What's up everyone? This week you will get to know me, Kyle. I am co-owner with Scott at Keen Agents and a real estate broker in Lakewood, CA! I have lived within 2 city blocks in Lakewood for over 24 years. I know the city better than the back of my hand, but that's not saying too much because I don't really look at the back of my hand. Bad example. Maybe better than my slightly offset nose? Great, now you all know about that!

Moving on...

I love to golf, current handicap is 9.8, and play volleyball. I also play the trumpet, since 3rd grade, and was a member of The Greatest Band In The History Of The Universe, aka The USC Trojan Marching Band! Fight on!

I was the first in my family to go to college, but I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and inventors, mostly in the manufacturing field though.

I'll leave y'all with this, and give you a little more each day over the next week. Who knows, maybe I'll even throw some real estate related news in! ;) Until next time,

Fight on! beat the buckeyes and buy a home!

Kyle

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:54:00 +0000

It's a gorgeous day. 86 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Off to show some properties!

First Time Home Buyers

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:38:00 +0000

People often ask us what steps they should take as first time home buyers. Here is my advice.

1. I recommend that you pick the area that you'd like to move to.

2. Find a lender in that area to get you pre-approved. There's no point in driving around and looking at Open Houses, if you can't get the money to buy it. A lot of people have their dreams shot down and get frustrated with the home buying process because they look at open houses, then decide they want it, only to find out they can't get the money for it. Another little bit of info: Usually, open houses are already sold or have offers, but it's a way for agents to find home buyers that don't already have an agent!

3. Find a great agent. First time home buyers need an agent that will be there for them, as there are a LOT of questions, since you've never done this before. Visit us and we will connect you with a highly qualified, pre-screened agent who will guide you through the process. There are so many agents out there, and a lot are very difficult to work with! It's very important to have a great agent, and our service is free.

4. GOOD LUCK and ENJOY.

PS. Even if you're not ready now, or your lender says you will probably get qualified in the near future, just not today, get connected with an agent anyway. They can put you on an email list so you receive updates when new listings pop up, so you will know what's out there when it's your turn to buy! You might as well have everything in place, right?

Don't delay, contact Keen Agents today!

Back from vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Hello everyone. We took a little vacation, but now we're back and ready to ROCK N ROLL N REAL ESTATE! How cheesy!

Quick update on how the mortgage rates are doing:
Interest rates decreased slightly with the conforming 30 year fixed dropping to 5% and FHA to 5.25%. There is another huge auction of Treasury Securities and if there's a good participation, then the rates should remain steady or lower. If not, then up they go!

I won't get too business-ee with this post as getting back to work after a vacation is somewhat like waking up to a bright light; it's shocking and you have to ease into embracing it! :)

If you're interested, please follow us on twitter @keenagents or follow the founders @SCOTT and @KYLE!

The week in review

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:44:00 +0000

This week interest rates jumped following the Treasury announcing another round of Treasury auctions (75 Billion). However, unemployment fell from 9.5% in June to 9.4% in July, marking the first time it's dropped since April of 2008!!! There was also about 75,000 less jobs cut than economists had projected!

This coupled with increases in housing sales is good news for the US economy as a whole!

If you're not ready to buy NOW, then GET ready to buy soon! Use a Keen Agent so you're ready to buy when the time is perfect for you! Get email updates of listings and don't let a great buy pass you up!

We LOST! UN-BE-LIEVABLE!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:51:00 +0000

Looks like the market isn't quite turning yet. But it's still AN AMAZING time to buy!!

Sunday Funday

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Keen Agents' owners are playing a beach volleyball tourny today! We win it means the market is turning.

The market has bottomed out!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Low prices, amazing interest rates AND tax credit? It's time to start looking! http://bit.ly/p119S call us today http://bit.ly/hrYdC

Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Keen Agents has the answers to your real estate questions. Ask us on Twitter, facebook or read our blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:18:00 +0000

It's been over a month since an update, but were back and moving strong! Stay tuned...

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:51:00 +0000

Happy Fathers Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000

hope everyone has a great weekend! Invest in real estate http://bit.ly/hrYdC

Rough Market

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:23:00 +0000

It's a rough market when you see the real estate agent you've heard of from the time you were in middle school, PERSONALLY walking around the neighborhood passing out his own fliers. I haven't seem him do that in years!

If you're an agent that basically works for yourself, yet still has a broker that takes over 20% of your commission, visit us and join our brokerage!

Keen Agents Brokerage

Moving on up!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 06:09:00 +0000

What's up everyone. We haven't posted here in a while because, ironically, we've been working diligently at working our website up the google ladder! Now that we've gotten some of the tedious stuff out of the way, we are free to blog and build it up even quicker! Stay tuuuuuuuuned!

Interviewing Agents for High Commission Positions

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:08:00 +0000

We are now interviewing real estate agents and brokers that are looking to join our high commission California brokerage. Our brokerage offers a chance for self-sufficient agents to retain much more of their earned commissions than at a typical brokerage. We are only going to be accepting a small number of agents at this high commission rate, so act quickly.

If you are interested, please visit www.keenagents.com to learn more about this opportunity, and fill out our quick online application to set up an interview.

Website updates

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Hello,

We just updated our website with links to our socail networks! Check it out http://keenagents.com ! Also, we have a new site for 1031 Exchange Listings. www.My1031Listings.com If you know anyone that wants to list their investment properties with us, we're listing our first clients for FREE!

Kyle

Going strong & new ventures

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Amidst this chaotic economy, Keen Agents is still plugging away. We are getting referrals daily and have take on two additional tasks. One is dealing with 1031 exchanges and the other is having agents hang their license with us for a small fee instead of 25-50% of their commission. If you or anyone you know is a real estate agent or broker that wants to keep more of the money they earn, CONTACT US! We only take a MAXIMUM of $1000/transaction.

Check back soon!

Kyle

Another long overdue update

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Hello again everyone.

Sorry it's been so long between posts. We shut our site down for about a month while we changed some things around. I also took some time to go back and march in the Rose Bowl Game with the USC Trojan Marching Band.

Our site will be back up and running by the end of this week! check it out - especially if you're looking to buy, sell or rent! Move! It's always exciting hah.

It's a brand new year and we're ready to make Keen Agents a household name!

Check back soon! I promise I'll update this thing haha

Kyle

Update-Web changes

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:29:00 +0000

Hello again,

It's been a while. Scott and I have decided to hold off on all of our advertising at the moment. We realized our site needs to be re-worked to where we need it for TODAY. It was designed for where we want it TO BE, but not what we need it to be today. SO, feel free to check the site often and see the changes we're making. Don't hesitate to throw us a little constructive criticism either!

In other news, we have referred out a listing that is currently on the market. Wish us (and them) luck. And we've got two buyers that are using our services to help them buy their FIRST HOME! Very exciting!

I'll try and post more frequently for those of you that actually read the Keen Agents blog!

REFER US! REFER US! or USE US! USE US!

Kyle

Southern California Fires

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:15:00 +0000

Yikes! There are fires popping up everywhere! Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that have lost precious homes and belongings, to those in line to evacuate and most of all the firefighters that are doing everything within their powers to prevent further damage!

In other news: USC plays stanford today! We referred out another buyer and renter, with the possibility of doing a little damage in Dallas!

If you know anyone that has been affected by the fires in Yorba Linda, Sylmar, Brea or Montecito and needs a new home....you know where to send them.

Keen Agents

IT'S FRIDAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:29:00 +0000

Finally Friday! It's been a good week. We referred another buyer and renter today! It's about time something closes so we can reinvest it! So, anyone out there ready to move...QUICKLY, let us know! It's not like it COSTS YOU anything!

www.keenagents.com - you know you want to!

The first 10 days

noreply@blogger.com (Keen Agents, Inc.) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:44:00 +0000

Well, we've been up and running for about 10 days now. In that time we have referred out two home buyers, with one of them being a solid referral (the other felt no need to include her last name or phone number). We have also dealt with about 5 or 6 rental requests. Scott has been working like a mad man to do all the legwork while I still works at STA.

Through these past 10 days we have learned quite about about the the processes involved with these referrals as well as with yahoo/google adwords. We are learning what is working and what isn't with our website, too. I certainly expect a lot of changes to be made over the next few months.

Overall, we couldn't be happier with the progress we're making and knowing our business plan is working. I'll keep ya'll updated with our progress so be sure to check back!

AND DON'T FORGET TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT US!

-Kyle