Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking

Guest Articles Free Traffic

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:05:34 -0500

7 Simple Steps To Create Guest Articles

Being able to write well is a skill. Having the opportunity to write articles for other blogs and media outlets is an honor. But, how should you approach doing it?

Here are 5 steps that will maximize the effectiveness of your guest articles:

Just Write It. Every week I write between 4000 to 5000 words. You probably do the same. Think about how many e-mails that you write, notes that you take down, instructions that you give... you are a writing machine! Just like me you have thousands of ideas in your mind. You just need to get them out and produce results. Don't worry about how marketable the idea is and how much traffic you will receive to your website... If you have an idea, just write it and send it to your favorite bloggers and newspaper reporters. Let them judge it.
Knowing the Audience Helps. It is important that you know who you’re talking to. Additionally, choose media sources that are relevant to your own passion.
Look for hooks. Most bloggers and newspaper reporters run out of things to talk about. Read what they previously wrote add a twist or flesh out facts from their previous articles. For example, I recently read, in my local paper, how an insurance agent renovated and relocated a building built in 1909. One sentence, in that half page article, touched on how the agent used city grants totaling $325,000 for the project. From that one sentence, I created five articles own how regular folks can use city grants to help finance their real estate projects. Then I sent one of those articles to the newspaper reporter.
Make guest articles full of great material. Don't hold back. When you give great content you're seen as the expert. People want to read more from an expert and less from a salesperson. Just make sure it is between 350 and 750 words.
Make it easy for the blogger or newspaper reporter. Don't make it difficult for them to publish your article. Make it as simple as copy and paste. When I sent an article to a St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper blogger, for example, I pasted my article (with HTML) into the email and a link to my website.

Provide great content and make the act of posting your article easy. If your lucky, you may have the opportunity to write additional guest articles to the same website. This will build your credibility and increase your exposure to more readers.

Click Here if you want to read the 2 most important steps you mustn't forget.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews,
Official Sponsor of Jet-Alert caffeine pills

P.s. I’m always open to guest articles on my main website. If you’ve got an idea, send it over.

How To Create A Better Business Voice Mail Greeting

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:26:50 -0500

Have you ever heard a good voice mail greeting? A greeting so good that before you leave a message, you give that the person a compliment for having a a great voice mail greeting.

I've received many compliments for having a great business voice mail greeting. The primary reason why I get so many compliments every day, is because I am a control freak... however, the caller doesn't realize it.

Is Your Business Voice Mail Greeting Like Everybody Else

When you call a business associate voice mail or even yours, I bet you hear the following...

"You've reach Cathleen Kennedy's cell phone. Please leave a detailed message. I will call you back as soon as possible."

Sound familiar? Do you think there's any problem with the voice mail? Probably not, because it may sound like yours. But here's the problem...

When is as soon as possible?

5 minutes after the message is left, 30 minutes, 3 hours, or the next day? I have no clue and neither does the caller whose is leaving a message.

A.S.A.P. Is Synonymous To "When I Feel Like It"

Your business voice mail is really saying: "I'm Ms. Super Important Know-It All, I'm busy. Let me remind you that voice mail messages need to be very detailed, because you've probably never used this technology. Anyway, I'll call you when I feel like it. Chow!"

Here are 3 of 7 Steps To A Better Business Voice Mail Greeting:

1) Listen To Your Voice Mail 3 times. Is there anything that you could improve upon. Remember, for he most part your voice mail greeting is your initial impression. You know the cliche about first impressions, so I won't repeat it.

2) Delete Your Current Voice Mail. Accept the fact. Your voice mail is lazy. You rushed to put it together and there's nothing special about it. If your business is important to you... hit the delete button.

3) Tell Your Caller What To Do. What would be important for them to do besides leave a detailed message? For example, I ask my callers to tell me who referred them to me.

Click here to read more...

Your Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Do or Don't. There is No Try.

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Recently, I went to a Arizona Real Estate Investors Assocation meeting. The president of the association talked about loan modifications. He recommended talking to a certain mortgage broker who has added that service to her portfolio of products.

I wanted to get information on the ins-and-outs for loan modifications for my clients, and possibly interview her for my radio show.

On Wednesday, at 8 a.m., I called the mortgage broker, I even left my email address. She had a voice mail message that stated she will call me back "As-Soon-As-Possible."

I have not heard from her since.

I guess it is still not possible for her to return my call. If you read "How To Write A Voice mail Script" you know I won't be dealing with her if she ever does call. I guess I have to find some other expert to discuss the ins-and-outs on loan modifications for my radio show, huh?

P.P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Do Real Estate Agents Need A Professional Business Voice Mail Greeting?

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:04:11 -0500

I don't know about you, but my teeth grind and my blood pressure goes over 143 when I hear a "business professional" answer their phone with, "Hello!"

The other week I called a real estate professional and he answered the phone like this.

"Hello, excuse I'm in an important meeting. Can I call you right back, who is this?"

"This is Kendall Matthews, calling about the offer my client, Dr. "X" has on your property."

"Oh yea, I really don't want to get into that in front of my client, call me back in 20 minutes."

I think my blood pressure reached 185.

We eventually canceled the contract because of communication difficulties with this real estate "professional." His business voice mail greeting wasn't much better, just the same " I will call you back as-soon-as-possible" line that millions of others have recorded on their cell phones.

Therefore, starting today I have decided to not work with any business person who answers their phone with "Hello." Feel free to forward this article to anyone who has the words, "As-soon-as-possible" in their business voice mail greeting.

Click here to read 3 Important Factors To Consider When Writing A Business Voice Mail Greeting:

Have you heard "professionals" unprofessionally answer the phone or had bad business voice mail greetings?

Your Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Do or Don't. There is No Try.

Kendall E. Matthews

P.P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

I Can't Do It All!

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:02:58 -0500

I can't do it all.

I must delegate.

I must out-source.

I must out-task.

I must focus.

I must say "NO" louder.

I can't work on 5 different websites at the same time.

I can't forget to eat.

I must work out.

I need to hire an assistant.

I need to make a little more consistent money so I can hire an assistant.

I don't like banks dictating my purchase contracts for short-sales.

I like to working with bank REOs.

I can't wait for 4 months to get paid on a closing.

I can't wait for "possibility" money.

I can't deal with negative people.

I do like negative media and new shows.

I can't stand working with agents who answer their phones with "Yea, Hello!"

I can't be negative.

I can't stop.

I mustn't quit.

This is a great time to buy real estate... right?

Sorry for the rant, I had to get that off my chest!

Your Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Do or Don't. There is No Try.

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Did you forget your New Year's Resolution? If so you can use mine. Read it here.

P.P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

GM Not Cutting 21,000 Jobs But A Lot More

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:39:43 -0500

Buying a property nowadays can be down right maddening. However, trying to figure out whose giving you the "true numbers" and who is just greasing you up for a double-shot enima espresso can make you want to walk "The Green Mile."

I've been going back-and-forth in my mind if I should disclose my true feelings. My deep down concerns. But after seeing the headline from the Associated Press. I just couldn't take it anymore. I need to tell you I have a problem.

My Problem: I Don't Trust Anybody's Numbers

Not NAR
Not CAR
Not CBA
Not ABC
Not CBS
Not NBC
Not CNN
Not FOX

Here's what got me out-of-the-closet as red-blooded American PessimOptimist.

The guys at the Patriot Trading Group deliver the best straight-forward and entertaining financial radio talk shows I've ever heard. In Phoenix, Arizona, from 9 to 10 in the morning, they broadcast on 1010 am.

They brought to their audience's attention that buried deep down in the bottom section of the news article about GM laying off 21,000 factory workers, AP wrote the following:

The company also said it plans to reduce its dealership ranks by 42 percent from 2008 to 2010, cutting them from 6,246 to 3,605. When asked how GM would accomplish that, Henderson would say only that the company would be making offers to the dealers in the coming weeks.

I'm going to do simple math for you folks from St. Peters, MO. Click Here to read on.

Your PessimOptimist Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Dave Ramsey Town Hall of Fear, Waste of Time or Hope

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:01:52 -0500

Have you ever came home from a rough day of calling banks trying to close your short-sale deals, turn on the television news to hear how great things are in the world?

Do you remember the last time your favorite MSNBC talking head stated that the sky isn't falling?

Probably not. Some of you are like me... the more you listen, the more tense you suddenly begin to feel around the neck, so you change the channel to listen to the greatest talk show host ever.... Frasier.

Dave Ramsey held a multi-media event called "The Town Hall of Hope." I believe, despite some of the audio difficulties, it was a spectacular event.

Here's why?

I've read real estate professionals comment that they felt it was a waste of time and didn't learn anything. They were disappointed that he didn't lay down a yellow-brick roadmap that consisted of:

"The 5 SureFire Ways To Keep Your Job."
"The Ultimate Cure from Making Bad Decisions."
"Three Simple Steps To Avoid A Great Depression."

Let me tell you what BIG FAT JUICY POINT you missed...

Please read what I'm going say very slowly. Hear what you should have learned. Are you ready? Put your finger to the screen and follow word-by-word.

Buy Real Estate Now to Hedge Against the Probable Likelihood of Future Massive Inflation If the Government Keeps Printing Money.

Okay, that sentence may be to long for you Purdue graduates. How about this sentence?

Buy Real Real Estate Because of the Lowest Interest Rates on a 15-Year Fix Mortgage!

Dang it! That sentence is still too long for those from Missouri. Is this short enough?

Show Me Real Estate.

I think I broke this down enough for you Francis Howell North High School graduates. But I know folks from St. Louis, they need more proof. They still don't realize that Dave Ramsey told more than a million viewers that real estate will lead America out of this economic mess.

For you folks who live in St. Peters, I wrote a much larger piece. Click here to read it!

Your friendly Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Gung Ho Book Report

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:00:03 -0500

This is my book report for this week – Gung Ho by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles – a book that helps you increase productivity, profits and your own prosperity. This is not a new book, but is a very easy read AND provides great insight and advice on how to energize and empower people.

Trying out some new technology. Turn your speakers up if you'd like to follow along.

Your friendly Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Dumping Topproducer8i For Google

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:44:11 -0500

In a continual effort to put a weed-wacker to my expenses. On April 1, I plan on canceling my contract with Topproducer Online.

I've been using their service since 2004, and I have been pleased. The technical support and advances they have made have been great. However, I have water-boarded each and every one my expenses. Those that don't generate income or save me an extraordinary amount of time... must walk-the-plank.

R.I.P. >> By Referral Only
R.I.P. >> Home By Design Magazine
R.I.P. >> 12 GoDaddy Domain Names
R.I.P. >> RealEstateShows
R.I.P. >> GreenSheet
R.I.P. >> Point2Agent
R.I.P. >> Real Estate Cyber Society

With the advancement of technology, I have moved more of my data to the "Internet Clouds." I have been testing google's platforms for a few months. Now like Annie Duke on the Celebrity Apprentice, "I'm all in!"

When I did my systems analysis, I found that 80% of the time I used Topproducer8i just to read my email. So, I grabbed Topproducer8i by the neck -- dunked it underwater a few times and kept yelling at it, "Why am I paying you $32 per month so I can read my email?!"

No answer.

I dunk it over and over again, then yelled, "Why am I paying you $32 per month so I can just read my email?!"

No answer.

More dunking and yelling.

No answer.

With spittle flying out of my mouth, I yelled again, "Why am I paying you $32 per month so I can just read my email?!

Then Topproducer8i finally spoke.

"Because your stupid."

R.I.P >> Topproducer8i 4/1/2009

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Now, if I can only find an easier way to export 5 years of client emails, any suggestions?

P.s. Like this article? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Review of By Referral Only

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:08:46 -0500

Do You Still Think You Can Do Business With Only Referrals?

Name:By Referral Only

Guru: Joe Stumpf

URL: www.ByReferralOnly.com

Purpose: If you follow their lead you will be able to create a 100% referral based business, generate a return of $15 for every marketing dollar spent, and generate an additional eight to 20 transactions a year.

4 Things You Will Learn From This Review

The real scoop on "By Referral Only"
The 2 powerful techniques I still use
Concepts and Products I like
What I Didn't Like

Before I go any further, I'd like to make a one thing crystal clear. I was a part of the paid monthly membership program for one year; however, that was a few years back and things may have changed. But as the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

I've been to multiple By Referral Only Workshops, Community Remodel Days and Main Events. They were orchestrated beautifully. I remember the "Main Event" in Palm Springs, California. It was my first full year in real estate and I was just amazed to see so many people wanting to learn how to improve their businesses. From lenders to insurance agents, over 800 independent contractors and small business owners listened to Joe Stumpf. Yet what I enjoyed the most was the camaraderie and after-parties with fellow twenty-somethings.

What's The Real Scoop of By Referral Only in a Nutshell

Language and Mindset.

Language:
Have you ever heard of Neuro-Linguistic Programming? It's a very in-depth subject, but in a nutshell, Joe Stumpf has created a lot of communication techniques from that system, similar to Tony Robbins.

How well you communicate, has a direct correlation to your success or failure in life. If you dig deep into the materials you will find, By Referral Only is a communication program with marketing nuggets mix in.

Mindset:
Question, do you truly believe the current market conditions are holding you back or is it really some self-limiting belief you won't stand up to? You can work on your elevator speech and unique selling proposition all day long, but if you don't have the correct mindset... it's pointless.

What you learn from By Referral Only is that there will be turbulence during a transaction. Storms of stress and lighting flashes of fear will jolt your passengers/clients. However, you are the pilot. If you can't land the plane on the runaway of a closed transaction, then you must land them safely in the Hudson River. Those around you must trust your confidence, expertise, and experience.

The Two Powerful Techniques I Still Use

I hate to waste time. One of the biggest time wasters for me has been the telephone. Has there ever been a time in your day that you just wanted to focus on lead generation, but you kept getting interrupted by colleagues, clients or vendors?

This powerful technique from By Referral Only has save me countless hours. I can provide better service to my clients and gather the information my colleagues and vendors request from me.

It is simply using my voice mail correctly.

When you call someone and go to voice mail, they usually state "I will contact you As Soon As Possible," correct?

Question, what time is "As Soon As Possible"? Two minutes from know, two hours from know or in three days.

I learned to turn my voicemail into my personal assistant. I recorded a message that tells people when I am going to return their calls. Therefore, their is no confusion, but anticipation... for me to keep my word and call them back when I said I would.

The script goes like this...

Good day, this is Kendall Matthews. I return calls between 9 and 10 am, 1 and 2, then again between 4 and 5 pm. If you've been referred to me, please leave the name of the person who referred you, so I can personally thank them. You have a super-fantastic day and thanks for not keeping me a secret.

If you think I'm making this stuff up, listen to my message now if you like at 480.444.2543. Don't worry, most likely I won't answer the phone, but I will see your calling.

If my phone had email capabilities, I would add to my message that the caller should give me their email address and their phone number. Then I would just respond by email, which is what I learned from reading the 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.

In the past 6 years, I have never had a complaint or lost a client, because of this simple voicemail technique.

The next powerful technique is actually a road map for customer service. *Click here to continue reading*

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Want to read my future review of Craig Proctor? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Barack Obama Slap Banks Again!

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:14:13 -0500

On March 12, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the $410 billion 2009 omnibus appropriations bill. A provision of this legislation permanently prohibits banking regulators from publishing a rule defining real estate brokerage and management as financial activities and thus permissible lines of business for federally regulated banks.

For years, CCIM Institute and NAR has opposed changes or interpretations in present federal regulations which would permit any banks or bank holding companies or subsidiaries to enter the field of real estate brokerage and management beyond properties owned by those institutions.

In early 2001, the Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Treasury Department published a proposed regulation that would let national bank holding companies and financial subsidiaries of national banks engage in real estate brokerage and management.

Since that time, Congress has passed several temporary bans on banks entering the real estate brokerage and management fields. The legislation signed by Obama will permanently prohibit banks from engaging in real estate activities.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

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Book Review: Little Black Book of Connections by Jeffrey Gitomer

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:24:31 -0500

Attached is my book report for this week – Little Black Book of Connections by Jeffrey Gitomer – a book that shares ideas and strategies for networking your way to rich relationships.

Not only do you get some great ideas in this book, but you then have access to a website that provides even more ideas. If you are serious about growing your sphere and business, this is a MUST READ.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Who was the last person your helped from a connection? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Book Review of Shift by Gary Keller of Keller Williams

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:59:10 -0500

My book report for this week – SHIFT by Gary Keller – a book that is scheduled to be released in the next few weeks – you do not want to miss reading this great book!

Although my book report is very lengthy, please note that it doesn’t even begin to cover the great content. This book should truly help us all wake up the sleeping giant in our real estate business AND provide us with a great understanding of today’s market … and any other market!

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Want to read my upcoming upcoming book reports? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Review of Mike Watson Investments

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:33:50 -0600

Do You Still Think Real Estate Investing Is The Path To Liberation?

Name: Mike Watson Investments

URL: www.MikeWatsonInvestments.com

Purpose:Their mission statement states "To create and liberate partners by instilling in them financial prosperity, balanced lifestyle, career satisfaction, and freedom by providing world-class education and hands-on participation."

3 Things You Will Learn From This Review

The exact outline of the "Foundation to Success"
How I used some of the techniques I learned
What I Didn't Like

Before I go any further, I'd like to make a few things crystal clear. I've been involved with Mike Watson program since 2005, however I'm not an employee and I don't receive any kind of compensation from them.

I've been to multiple "boot-camps," workshops, and tele-seminars. The most eye-opening programs I attended were the on seller-financing, raising capital, and even a door-knocking event.

What's The Scoop About Mike Watson Investing In A Nutshell

This is not a Nouveau Rich or Carlton Sheets, basic-real-estate-information-for-the-masses training courses. Mike Watson specifically tailors his information to appeal to experienced Realtors and real estate investors.

Mike Watson Investing does not offer a plethora of educational programs. When you visit their website, you will see he offers 8 "degree camps" for $16,000 . Yes, this is not a typo. That kind of cost will weed out many of the get-rich-quick types, but not all.

Most of the live events are held in Phoenix, Arizona or Provo, Utah.

Like most things in life, it doesn't work... if you don't work it. Before you whip-out your credit card, be a pessimist... check out the free information on his website and implement those ideas into your practice. If you get measurable results, ask yourself, "Do I really need to un-thaw the Visa credit card from the block of ice?"

What I Like About Mike Watson Investing

Foundation To Success: Mike crafted a clear guide of what he feels are important broad factors to having a profitable project. I have the poster in my office and it reads:

Know the Foundation to Success.
Find your red button statement (your why) and your who.
Find properties using competing and non-competing methods.
Analyze those properties for highest and best use and future potential.
Write offers with the two OPM's.
Put the property back up for sale.
Create and enhance equity
Sell for a short-term profit or refinance for a long-term equity position
Prosper.
Share with others and repeat the process.

Change From Mike Watson Institute to Mike Watson Investments

I noticed Mike changed the name from "institute" to "investments." It may be a slight change to some, yet it bring them more inline with a super-charged real estate investment group, like AZREIA on A-Rod steroids, where action lead to results.

Training Programs Are Extremely In Depth

I've never went to any other real estate investment program, like Carlton Sheets or Ron Legrand. Take that back, I did go to The Donald Trump Institute, I'll do a review on what I learned, but I can tell between fluff and functional. For example, the MLS search cd, the deal evaluation submission forms and the seller financing workshop has helped attract, negotiate and close more deals with my own real estate investor clients.

Since the real estate market collapse, I recently was involved in a very intense re-negotiation for an 11 acre land development project. This project would not work if the seller would not only drop his price nearly a half million dollars, but also became a long-term partner in the project.

This deal got done because of my team's deep understanding of seller financing and how to clearly explain terms that everybody wins.

What I Don't Like About Mike Watson Investments Click Here To Read The Rest

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Want to read my upcoming thoughts on The Donald Trump Institute? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

Fannie Mae Unshackles Residential Real Estate Investors

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:00:44 -0600

Fannie Mae announce new guidelines for those homeowners who own more the 4 financed properties or would like to buy additional rental properties.

In Announcement 09-02 Fannie Mae stated, “(We) are committed to providing financing opportunities for high-credit quality, bona fide investors. Experienced investors play a key role in the housing recovery and Fannie Mae’s continued support for investor borrowers is consistent with its mission to provide stability, liquidity, and affordability to the nation’s housing system. Fannie Mae is modifying out current policy to allow investor and second home borrowers to own five to ten financed properties if they meet certain eligibility and underwriting and delivery requirements.”

Please be aware, that many lenders have not yet made the announcement as to when they will begin to purchase these loans. This coupled with the possibility of additional tax credits to all home buyers in the Senate version of the Stimulus bill, however could mean big news to the real estate market.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirements: If Borrower owns Five to Ten Financed Properties

If the Property is a Second Home or Investment Property 1-Unit

Purchase Max LTV/CLTV 75/75% Minimum Credit Score 720

Limited Cash-Out Refinance Max LTV/CLTV 70/70% Minimum Credit Score 720

Investment Property 2-4 Unit

Purchase and Limited Cash-Out Refinance Max LTV/CLTV 70/70% Minimum Credit Score 720

Underwriting and Delivery Requirements

● The borrower cannot have any history of bankruptcy or foreclosure within the past seven years.

● The borrower cannot have any delinquencies (30-day or greater) within the past 12 months on any mortgage loans.

● Rental income on the subject investment property must be fully documented according to the Fannie Mae Guidelines: Rental Income.

Rental income from other properties owned by the borrower must be supported by two years’ federal income tax returns. Any streamlined documentation requirements must be disregarded and full documentation MUST be obtained.

● The borrower must complete and sign Form 4506 Request for Copy of Tax Return or 4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return granting the lender permission to request copies of federal income tax returns directly from the IRS. The lender must obtain the IRS copies of the returns or the transcript and validate the accuracy of the tax returns provided by the borrower prior to the loan closing.

● The borrower must have reserves for the subject property and for other properties currently owned by the borrower (i.e., other financed second home and investment properties) in accordance with the guidelines discussed below

● DU Refi Plus loans are exempt from the new requirements.

New Reserve Requirements

Fannie Mae is implementing new reserve requirements that apply to all second home transactions and to investor and second home borrowers that own or have an interest in multiple financed properties. The amount of required reserves varies depending on whether the subject property is a second home or investment property, and on the number of other financed properties the borrower currently owns.

The reserve requirements are as follows:

When the borrower will own one to four financed properties (including the subject property) the reserve requirements are as follows:

● 2 months of reserves on the subject property if it is a second home

● 6 months of reserves on the subject property if it is an investment property, and 2 months of reserves on each other financed second home or investment property.

When the borrower will own five to ten financed properties (including the subject property) the reserve requirements are as follows:

● 2 months of reserves on the subject property if it is a second home

● 6 months of reserves on the subject property if it is an investment property, and 6 months of reserves on each other financed second home or investment property.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. Want to get up-to-date information as soon as I find it? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

How To Invest In Real Estate Tax Liens

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:02:38 -0600

Joanne Musa, "The Tax Lien Lady" has been on my radar for a long time. I enjoy her communication style, her candor and her honesty and of course, she writes about the industry I love. It was about time that I invited her on to my podcast for an interview.

Show Notes

Joanne explains her first experiences making in real estate tax lien investing.
We learn how Caroline turned to from real estate newbie to tax lien expert.
Next Joanne explains her time spent foreclosure investing and why she didn’t like it.
Joanne spills the beans on how much money is really needed to invest successfully in tax liens.
She offers some fantastic advice on research tools like Investor Comps Online.

--Click Here to listen to the audio interview at www.TheInvestmentRealEstateCorner.com--

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. What to read my upcoming thoughts on By Referral Only? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

For Sale $47.5 million Arizona Real Estate Tax Liens

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:56:48 -0600

The beauty about real estate is there are so many ways that you can invest. You don't always need a perfect credit score and hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in the bank. To play in the real estate tax lien investing niche, you do need laser-beam focus and pounds of perseverance.

Maricopa County, Arizona is going to give real estate investors the opportunity to earn up to 16% rate of return. The county is planning on having its largest sale of delinquent property-tax liens on record, an estimated $47.5 million worth of unpaid taxes. Last year's auction was $32 million. What do you think the 2010 auction will bring?

Most likely another record.

This area of investing is outside my area of expertise, but I'm going to find out the answer. Here's how. This week I am interviewing Joanne Musa, "The Real Estate Tax Lien Lady." We are going to discuss some basic ins-and-outs of real estate tax lien investing.

However, I do know that if you attend one of the February auctions, you will most likely never be able to get 16% interest rate. Why? Because the lowest bids wins.

Your friendly Phoenix AZ real estate agent.

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

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8 Dates You Must Know For Arizona Real Estate Tax Liens

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:54:34 -0600

Mark Manoil wrote a book called, "Arizona Property Tax Liens: Guide to Profit, Protection & Prosecution." Below are important property tax time frames that you must remember. If you want to be involved with Arizona real estate tax lien investing, you will probably want to bookmark this page.

Arizona Tax-lien timeline

January, Year 1 - A lien for taxes is attached to the property, even though the amount of taxes due will not be determined until the next fall. The county assessor notifies each property owner of the property's assessed value.

August-September, Year 1 - The County Board of Supervisors approves the property-tax rate, and residents receive their annual property-tax bills.

October, Year 1 - The first half of the property-tax bill is due.

April, Year 2 - The second half of the Year 1 property tax is due.

December, Year 2 - The county treasurer compiles for publication a list of all parcels with delinquent property taxes.

January, Year 3 - The Treasurer's Office has the list published in a local newspaper and on the Internet.

February, Year 3 - An online auction is held to sell the tax liens to investors. Bidders compete for the best interest rates, with bids starting at 16 percent. Any liens not sold to investors are "struck" to the state of Arizona but can be sold at subsequent auctions.

February, Year 6 - Lien investor can seek a judgment in court for foreclosure of the tax-delinquent parcel if the investor still has not been repaid with interest.

I plan on interviewing folks who have been successful in real estate tax lien investing, I will place the audio interviews on my main website www.InvestmentRealEstateCorner.com

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. When I find the resources, I will definitely review them and tell you how they work out for me!

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What I Hate About Being A Laptop User--Corrupt & Unreadable!!

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:50:00 -0600

I was on a roll with my blogs and my internet marketing. Now I have to go through this again. My 2nd laptop just died and I only had it for 18 months.

The message on my screen stated "....System32\en-US is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the Chkdsk utility." I ran the Chkdsk utility and it went to a certain point and just froze.

Last year, my desktop hard drive crashed. After paying $1,800, a data recovery service was able to get me back up to speed . The year before that, my first laptop introduced me to a term called "The Blue Screen of Death."

I was in the process of reorganizing all my files, so I could do an entire system backup this weekend while the Arizona Cardinals beat up on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Superbowl, my Gateway Tablet Laptop Model #: TA6 (it's the one where you can write on) decides that it was time to die.

Well, I don't want to shell out more money for laptops. I want to find a way were I can run my entire business in a 90% virtually environment without any hardware on my end. Any suggestions?

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

P.s. When I find the resources, I will definitely review them and tell you how they work out for me!

P.s.s. If you want to stay tuned in what I find out? Subscribe to Kendall Matthews' Adventures In Door Knocking by Email

5 Ways To Generate Change Like Barack Obama

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:01:03 -0600

Has there ever been a time in your life when you produced more ideas than results?

Lately I've been very frustrated with myself because I know I can produce more positive results. I want to see at least one of my grandiose visions become reality.

Before I climbed into my king-sized bed, I went online to see what was going on in the news. I saw was that Barack Obama already started "The Change".

I read a few articles on what our president Barack Hussein Obama was able to accomplish on his first day in office; even while he was at the presidential parades and fancy balls.

It didn't matter who I voted for, I realized what I was doing wrong. The articles, made me realize why 80 percent of the time I felt like I was just spinning my wheels.

Before I went to sleep, I wrote... 5 Powerful Ways To Generate Change Like Barack Obama:

One: You Must Plan. William Faulkner said, "A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once." I have found myself at times doing more kicking, but missing my target. If it takes 10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 weeks or 10 months, I must do a better job of placing my vision on paper and reverse engineer on how I am to get there. I would love to interview the marketing folks of Team Obama and ask them how did they come up with their marketing plans.

Two: You Must use the Internet Technology. On January 20, 2009 at 12:01 pm, Team Obama, presented a completely overhauled White House website, with a goal of increasing "online engagements." If we were to compare market research budgets, Team Obama's would be the size of the Sun and mine would look like an ant. However, I'm smart, I like to presume, to be an ant who would harvest information when the sun shines bright on the obvious... we, entrepreneurs, must use all aspects of Internet technology more effectively and in a massive way to interact with our target audience. From blogs, email marketing, mobile marketing message blasts, toll-free call-capture marketing to online video using Web 1.0 and 2.0 techniques to engage your target market is better on your pocket book and your message. Oh, did I say its track-able.

Three: You Must Have to A Team. You can't be successful alone, Hillary Clinton, said, "It takes a village to raise a child." In Barack Obama's case, it takes adding those who have bought into your vision and are willing and able to produce massive results. --READ MORE--

Moving Forward,

Kendall Matthews

Ps. Follow 80/20 Principle habits. 20% of your outputs will generate 80% of your results. Your mission, if you so choose to accept, is to determine what do you do that produces the most results.

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What are RSS Feeds And 7 Reason Why You Should Them Now?

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:21:44 -0600

OK, I need to be upfront and honest with you. Recently, I had no idea what those little orange buttons on websites were all about.

Until I viewed an How To Use RSS Feeds video to learn how powerful they were to help people like me, "information hogs."

In one sentence, an RSS feed is like having a subscription to your favorite gossip magazine -- expect it's totally free.

If you’d like to keep up-to-date with new information in post, like this site, you can subscribe to an RSS feed.

What is RSS And How Do do I use it?

RSS is a way of having people that you trust automatically send information to you... without having to go to their website. Using this free feature has saved me hours of having to check 20+ websites to see if they have updated. When the site is updated, the new content is automatically sent to you - in the form of a feed.

It's feed takes the form of a secretary, like a virtual assistant who creates personalized executive summaries each week

In order to read the feed, you’ll need a feedreader. There are a number of free feedreaders. The one I use is Google Feedreader. Once you’ve got that, anytime you see that orange icon on a website, click it, and you’ll subscribe yourself to that website.

OK, I need to clear something up… --Read more--

Moving Forward,

Kendall E. Matthews

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3 Simple Ways To Attract Section 8 Renters

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:21:08 -0600

Once you have identified a rental property, negotiated the contract and closed on the deal, there's one main component left. You have to find a renter.

I work with investors who like having two individuals pay their mortgage payments. The first being a reliable renter. The second the American taxpayer. Add those two individuals together and you have...a Section 8 renter.

Hopefully, you already read my thoughts on why you should add section 8 renters into your real estate investment portfolio and then you should have skimmed through my guide which discussed how to protect yourself from bad renters. Now you must attract a renter to your property.

There are many ways to find qualified renters. Here's the marketing tools I use to lease vacant residential rental properties in 2 weeks or less:

A) Ugly Yellow Soldiers

Have you ever seen political signs on the corner of intersections? Do you remember getting off the highway, driving up the on-ramp and seeing small signs offering anything from "We can help improve your credit" to "King Size Mattress Set For $190"

Those signs are everywhere, especially in Phoenix, Arizona. You may not like them, and that's okay, but I'm here to tell you that they work in getting leads.

If you want to capture renter leads in less than 8 hours. You'll purchase what I call, "Ugly Yellow Soldiers."

These "soldiers" our corrugated plastics signs with metal legs that you can stake into the ground. They color must be yellow. Not green, not white, only bright yellow will do. I won't go into the psychology and research of using different colors in marketing. Just do it!

With a thick edge black marker, write out your offer. It should look like this:
Home For Rent
$XXXX Section 8 OK
Free Recorded Message
888-XXX-XXXX ext. XXX

The best time to place them in the battlefield is 6 a.m. on Friday morning. They will stand at the intersection and tell the world of your rental opportunity. They will work that street corner until you pick them back up on Monday afternoon or until they are captured by a street litter gestapo member.

B) Free Recorded Messages

If you follow these steps you going to have a major problem. Too many leads, calling at a time of their choosing. You can use an toll-free call capture system to qualify the leads for you. An 800# can sift and sort out the section 8 renter suspects.

If you don't want to repeat the same thing 43 times, you're going to want to use an 800#. Everyone prospective renter, who is interested, will hear the same information about the property... no matter if it is 8 in the morning or 11 at night. Most of prospective renters, have called my call capture 800 number between 4 - 7 pm. Either while they were out shopping or coming home from work.

---Read more for the 3rd Way--

Moving Forward,

Kendall Matthews

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3 Reasons Why You Should Rent To Section 8 Voucher Holders

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:17:57 -0600

In 2004, my first real estate client was an investor. This investor got his start in real estate by purchasing HUD homes and turning them into lease-options. As the options were executed, he wanted to use the available funds to invest in more properties.

A few months before, I read somewhere about a local investor who was very successful in a small niche. He rented solely to section 8 renters.

I did more research in my area of expertise and found this niche had huge potential and lots of low-hanging fruit.

There are many different types of residential renters: corporate road-warriors, college students, military families, assisted-living "seasoned" citizens, the list goes on and on. However, if your a real estate investor, here are three reasons why you should think about renting to good folks on government assistance:

1) Government Writes You A Check. In Arizona, the subsidy payments, made directly to the landlord, are usually the difference between a percentage of tenant income and the payment standard established for housing units by bedroom size. Visit your local housing authority website to find out their thoughts about fair markets rents.

In my area of expertise, to justify a rental price, the housing authority also has requested a list of comparable leased properties. Any real estate agent should be able to get this information. Even during recessions and mass layoffs we have never had an issue, with the government not paying on time.

Our 3 bedroom 2 bath section 8 properties rents are between $800 to $1,250 per month. You may be able to get more in your area from a non-section 8 renter. However, we enjoy the fact, that since we followed specific steps in purchasing properties, the government checks cover most of the mortgage notes.

2) If They Mess Up There Out. In my area of expertise, there was a 2 year waiting list to receive a section 8 voucher. Once they receive that voucher, 99% of them will do everything they can not cause waves.

I believe in the law of attraction. If you're slum-lord real estate investor, you will eventually receive what you put out in the world.

7 Ways To Protect Yourself From Horrible Section 8 Renters

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:21:26 -0600

When I was in junior high school, I heard my first horror story about the danger of renting to a section 8 renter. A friend of my father, who had recently divorced, decided to rent out his too-large-for-one-person home.

He wasn't a real estate investor, or expected to be the next Donald Trump; he was just a regular Joe the Plumber type-of-guy in a tight spot. He felt that if he rented out the property it would fix some of his cash flow problems.

He put an add in the local paper. In a few weeks, he found a family that he thought would be a "gold mine."

The prospective tenant told him they had section 8 vouchers. The vouchers paved-a-way for the government to cut a landlord a check for a large portion of rent payment, they would be responsible for the small difference. Eighty percent of the rent would be covered by the US government! Very low risk of non-payment. Great, he thought.

A couple of months later, he found his former neat and tidy home...trashed, wasted, and ruined. It took my father's handyman help and a $10,000 bank loan to bring the home back to a liveable condition.

That Nightmare on Elm Street experience ended his real estate property management career.

So what did he do wrong? It wasn't his fault, it was the horrible section 8 renters fault for destroying his home, right?

Soon I will tell you who was right or wrong, but bear with me while I tell you another story. Read more...

Moving Forward,

Kendall Matthews

P.s. Read the next article in this 3-part series.

Forget New Year's Resolutions Create A Motto!

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:25:59 -0600

Every year, I create motto. Last year's motto was "Get It Straight In 2008!"

I just returned from overseas. I spent over a week traveling through the villages, cities, and hamlets of Ireland. After driving over a thousand miles through the beautiful historic countrysides, I found my inspiration for this year's motto. The motto for the year will be:

Let It Shine In 2009

What does that mean to me? To me it means the following:

To be more authentic.
To be more fun.
To be more friendly.
To communicate my feelings more freely and clearly.
To allow my spirit and my will to be freed from pessimism.
To allow others to see the joy in my life.

Many of you have done resolutions, some of you have already broken them. I don't have a resolution for this year. I just have my motto. I will use this motto when I am faced with the obstacles that will come, the challenges that will be placed in front of me and the hard decisions that I will have to make in the near future.

Yet this year, in everything that I do, I'm going to make it shine. I want to make it shine around me. So that my sphere of influence will see that, like the apostle Paul, I am content in all of my circumstances. And I will fight the good fight!

If you would like to join me in letting it shine into 2009, leave me a comment or subscribe to this blog. This year is going to be one of the most important years of my life and yours. We are all going to have to work smarter, more efficiently, effectively and say no more often than we ever had before, but I promise you this... There will be a select few of you, who will walked with me all the way to December 31. When we both look back on 2009, for all the heartache and happiness that it brought, we will be able to say "We Shined in 2009!"

Moving Forward,

Kendall Matthews

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Review of Toll-Free Call Capture 800 Number

Kendall E. Matthews (Keller Williams Realty) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:28:18 -0600

"Want To Have Prospective Clients Call You?" HassleFree800.com Toll-Free Call Capture System Review

Before I go any further in this article, I’d like to make a few things crystal clear. I was not given a “review copy” of HassleFree800.com. In 2004, I bought the 800 number service, I forget where I’d first heard about it, but I believe it was when I went to a By Referral Only or Craig Proctor workshop.

I reviewed it, compared it, liked it, bought it, tweaked it and played with it. I like the service… thus why I have been using it, went back and bought a distributors license so I can use it and tell the world my likes and dislikes.

Ok, with that out of the way, I really think HassleFree800 is the best “in the box” toll-free call capture I’ve ever come across, though I still have a few wants on my wish list for future upgrades.

Don't want to read? Click Here to Download the MP3 [18 minutes - 16.7 MB]

Name: AdTrakker or AdTrakkerMulti

URL: www.HassleFree800.com

Purpose: To make it simple for prospective buyers to use their phones to get the information they want, when they want it; and make it possible for the owner/seller to track advertising dollars and marketing campaigns.

3 Things You Will Learn From This Review

How Does Toll-Free Call-Capture Work
How I Use My 800 number
FAQ of People Who Want To Use a 800 number

So How Exactly Does HassleFree800 Work?

Here’s a break down of how to make the HassleFree800's Adtrakker system work for you:

Create Scripts & Dialogues: Do you say the same thing over and over again to qualify prospects? Record those scripts into the 800 number and have it do the majority repetitive work for you.
Publicize your call capture number. Have it turn cold suspects into hot prospects.
Optimize your marketing time and dollars by tracking what campaigns are generating the best results. Place the 800 number call capture extension on your blogs, websites, signs, sales letters, post cards, and articles.
Prospect listens to your offer and raise their hand if they are interested by leaving a message or dialing an extension to connect directly to you.
Follow up with the prospect to turn them into a client/customer using various closing techniques.
Sign the contracts--closed the deals--cash the checks.
Then do it all over again from step 1.

That’s it in a nutshell. It’s not rocket science, but there’s work to do. Your job, if you follow this path, is to be diligent by forcing yourself to take action... to complete every step above... for every marketing campaign you create. Some recommend having voice professionals or a person with a smooth voice do the recording for you; but I have found, if you're a small operation, the person who has the initial voice-to-voice contact should record the message. Because when you do the follow-up call your voice will be familiar to the prospect, makes sense?

My Two Niche Examples

The following are two specific ways I use my HassleFree800 number to make enough money to pay the cat doctor bills. This is not about becoming a dominant player - an expert - it's just one man's opinion on how to making things happen.

Although your overall strategy might be quite different from what I do, the fundamentals remain the same -- no matter what business your in.

Capturing Renters For Investment Real Estate

My Hasslefree800 number system sift and sorts prospective renters for my investor clients who rely on my marketing principles to get their properties occupied, which are -

1. Produce a compelling message to renters
2. Create an ad that will force the type of renter you want to call. For example:
          Home For Rent
          Sec. 8 ok $800/mo
          Free Recorded Message
          888.462.3771 ext. 403
3. Market your the 800 number to build traffic
4. Call back only those who leave a message

I'll break down my section 8 niche further in a future article. Using this strategy for a recent property I received over 150 calls, 63 message, 20 showings, 10 applications, and finally one renter -- it’s almost robot-like.

Capturing Corporate Catering Events for BBQ Restaurant

In St. Louis, Missouri, my folks run Ms. Piggies' Smokehouse & Catering Company. Years ago, I told my mom how I was using HassleFree800 to acquire leads. She stored the idea in the back corner of her mind; however, the latest employee episode pushed her over the edge...

If you know of someone who owns a restaurant, you may have heard the number one and two issue they have is... reliable employees who show up on time and won't steal from the cash drawer. A few weeks ago, we had employee, who was reliable and never stole from us, but has a show-up-on-time problem.

When he finally made it in, the line was out the door, the phone was wringing off the hook, he rushed in the store, picked up the phone. On the other end, it was a company that wanted to place a big catering order. In his rush, he got the order wrong.

It was not just wrong, it wasn't even close, he’s simply rushed through the call. We nearly lost $2,500 deal.

Never, again!

A few days later, mom called me and I had the restaurant purchase its own HassleFree800 call-capture number and here's a quick snapshot of extension I created:

If you need Our Quick Pick-Up & Carry-out service press 101
For Food Catering services for 50+ guests press 102
If you need Catering services for 10+ guests press 103
To order our Hickory Smoked Turkeys press 104
To speak with the management team press 143

What I Like About HassleFree800.com

The system has been nearly perfect, but let me start with what I like followed by where I think it could be improved.

It’s efficient - there’s no waffling. I record my offer, the prospect listens to it, if they are interested... they leave a message.
I can load it with different qualifying techniques, like fax offers and "if then" extensions.
It can identify the addresses of those who called, even if they didn't leave a message.
Voice Broadcasting is a great feature. I can load a message to the system and have it call prospects and clients for me. For my restaurant niche, I'm using this feature to let 100 businesses know about our corporate catering specials. For my renter niche, I had it call 63 prospective renters at the same time. The message notified them about an open house tour and when the available time slots were.
I can retrieve prospects messages by phone or by any Internet browser, the qualifying selection process really is a process - there’s no “interrupting my personal or marketing time” or anything of that nature - I look for those who left a message, follow up with the warm lead, qualify them further to see if they could become a client by signing a contract.
Just like the service team at my local Lexus dealership, great technical support is priority. I have always been able to pick up the phone and have my issues resolved and questions answered the same day.

What I DON’T Like About HassleFree800.com

Here’s where I think they could improve on -

The 800 numbers also does double duty as a fax machine. Yes, this is an advantage too, because my business card is less cluttered. But there has been a few time that people who have tried to fax became confused when they heard my voice on the initial greeting. Some people started hitting the send button on their fax machine which actually stopped the fax from going through. Others who had to send their fax to me a few times before they figured it out. This hiccup didn't affect my pocketbook greatly, since I have the 250 minute bulk plan, but it has been a little frustrating when I needed to get title documents in a hurry.

That’s a minor complaint for me, I know, but there is nothing else I have a problem with in using the system. But here's...

Other Small Business Owner's Concerns About Call-Capture Lead-Generation 800 Numbers

Now, is having a toll-free call capture number the sole marketing strategy that will make money rain from the heavens and fill you bank account with buckets of gold? No.

I have heard few gripes and questions about call capture 800 numbers, I found them on different forums. Here is my answer to them, because as you know I don't like to repeat myself:

Question: On your signs which is more effective in getting quality prospects to call; 800 numbers or local numbers?

Kendall's Answer: I use two signs for my listings. My HassleFree800 number is on what I call "Ugly Yellow Soldiers" signs and my local number and website is on my official real estate sign. On one recent listing, I received three transactions from the people who called and listened to my free recorded message loaded on my 800 number extension.

Question: How does the recording portion of the 800# work? Do you need a different number for each listing?

Kendall's Answer: I call my 800# or upload a recording with a wav. file. Each listing/offer has a different extension.

Question: My limited understanding of 1-800 numbers is that you pay per call and it is really expensive. Is it really worth the added cost? In today's day and age, is having a 1-800 number a must when most people can dial local numbers at no cost on their cell phones?If it is worth it, where do I begin searching for a toll free number and how do I get it to have that cute and memorable letter/number sequence? 1-800-HOMERUN or 1-800-JSSELL

Kendall's Answer: I don't care about having a cute or memorable letter/number sequence. I focus on having a great offer to get people to pick up the phone and dial. HassleFree800 is not expensive. The cost per minute is between 4 to 6 cents per minute.

Question: Does this help your business? Do you get more calls from the 800# or from the office number?

Kendall's Answer: This has helped my business. I get more calls on my HassleFree 800 number because I have so many targeted offers.

Statement: I canceled my 800# service last year, and threw away all of my sign riders with the 800# displayed. I had used the 800# system since 2000, with declining results nearly every year. While most drive-by buyers have cell phones, most are also aware (via Blogs) of the call-capture on 800#s, so they became more hesitant to call.

Instead, I changed all my signs to have only my mobile # displayed. For those few buyers who call, they now get me directly, rather than some call-capture 800# voice message. It's something I prefer to do, and I still get the call capture on my mobile.

Kendall's Answer: That's too bad, I prefer to only have folks who know, like, and already trust me to call my mobile phone. I use an 800# on all my marketing pieces; blogs, sign riders, websites, fliers, sales letters, postcards, business cards. Anywhere I publicize my website I attach my HassleFree800 number to it. Remember, people aren't hesitant to call if you have a strong enough reason for them to call.

Question: I had an 800 number for years and it very seldom got used, so I 86ed it. I wonder if I should bring it back?

Kendall's Answer: Only bring it back if you can provide great offers to make the phone ring. Then market that number to specific audiences. Otherwise, if you are not going to go all out... don't go out... stay home and wait for the cell phone to ring and business to fall into your lap. Like Larry Winget said, "It's Called Work For A Reason!" If you don't work it, it won't work.

Who Shouldn't Invest into a HassleFree800.com Call Capture System?

I’m going to be completely honest with you -- using this 800 call capture phone technology is strictly for the people who care about controlling their time, financial resources, and dealing with prospects and not suspects.

At this point in your life, you realize that you don't like a formulaic and systematic approach to generating leads, then this system is not for you. The call capture system is for people like me, undercover control freaks who want a life; and more importantly, the ability to have lead-generating systems that can automatically repeat sifting and sorting leads over and over again.

If you don't struggled with acquiring leads to consistently feed your business because you get so many referrals, stop caring so much about your marketing and just improve your networking skills; just tell everyone you work by referral only--otherwise find the low-hanging fruit in lots of different niches and build lots of 800 number extension to tap into them.

If you already have a market you are trying to dominate with your personal brand and your expertise and you have already invested time and energy into building a presence in that niche, this is not the time to change course. Sure, you might still buy a HassleFree800 number, but use it as a supplement to your current strategies by either having a testimonial line, fax offer of a free report to businesses, or have it explain to people your unique selling proposition.

Final Call Capture Review Thoughts

One important point to make here is that HassleFree800.com won’t… break the bank. We’re not talking about a $150 investment here, or even a $97 a month - my monthly invoice is between $28 to $43 per month. In the two niches I spoke about, I've sold over $5 million worth of real estate and will soon book around $60,000 worth of catering jobs... in a state I don't even live in.

To let you know they offer the obligatory 15 day money back guarantee. You can take a full two weeks to decide whether it’s worth keeping. In that time you could even run a test of marketing and advertising templates that come with the system.

Remember, what Michael Gerber said, "The entrepreneur builds an enterprise; the technician builds a job." What are you building?

Here’s the link -

www.HassleFree800.com

Happy Investing!

Kendall E. Matthews

Ps. If you don't have scripts readily available, the system includes a complete mortgage and real estate marketing library and all the supporting advertising materials.

Pss. If you are a partner in a restaurant, like I am, you'll be interested in the review that I'll write in a few weeks, about the marketing program I bought in 2006 that has helped my little carry-out bbq place in St. Louis generate over $40K per month in food sales.

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So How Exactly Does HassleFree800 Work?

My Two Niche Examples

Capturing Renters For Investment Real Estate

Capturing Corporate Catering Events for BBQ Restaurant

What I Like About HassleFree800.com

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