RISMedia

Today’s News at a Glance

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Communicate Your Value to Consumers

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-It's tough to convey the full value of working with a licensed real estate professional, but that's just what you should be trying to do in a market like the one we're seeing. Adjusting to today's challenging real estate climate means you're working harder, you're more knowledgeable and, in ...

NAR Pulse: This Week’s Top Stories from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-This week's headlines from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® include: July offers through the Right Tools, Right Now initiative, save 50% on eNeighborhoods' powerful tools through NAR's REALTOR Benefits® Program, and submit a nominee for the REALTOR® Technology Spotlight Award. Right Tools, Right Now - July Offers to Help ...

12 Ways to Improve Your Page Rank

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a topic that's probably had millions of pages written about it on the Internet. Gurus are everywhere, with advice both free and paid. The advice runs from excellent to downright silly, with penalties placed on sites by Google and Yahoo ...

MBA - Government-Insured Share of Mortgage Applications Highest Since 1990 at 36%

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-The government-insured (FHA and VA loans) share of mortgage applications was 35.9% in June 2009, the highest level since November 1990, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Based on data from MBA's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, the government-insured share jumped from 25.7% a month earlier and 27.0% in June ...

Friday’s Featured Listing - Puissance Enterprises Turns Life Savers Factory into Condo Lofts

[caption id="attachment_38241" align="alignleft" width="132" caption="The photo shows the living room/dining area/den of residence 3A at 120 Eleventh Avenue, measuring 50’ 11” X 29’ 0." The unit offers a 3367 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 and a half bath home. Price: $4,500,000"][/caption] RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-120 Eleventh Avenue, the West Chelsea classic ...

Getaways - Web Sources Can Save You Money on Vacations

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-(MCT)-Saving money on a summer vacation used to be a matter of personal discretion. Today, it's a science, part of a massive U.S. travel-advice industry with thousands of analysts, organizations, publications and websites. "The bad economy has cut into household travel budgets, and more people are staying closer to ...

Affordability Driving More Buyers Back Into Market

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-Price declines and low interest rates are motivating millions of home buyers to shop for bargains in the most affordable housing market in 28 years(1), yet at the same time only one-in-ten of today's home owners say they have delayed selling their home due to those same ...

RE/MAX Partners with RealtyTrac

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-RE/MAX International, Inc., announced this week that visitors to remax.com soon will be able to search more than 1.8 million REO properties in the U.S. via a strategic partnership with RealtyTrac (www.realtytrac.com). Through the partnership, RE/MAX Associates receive discounted subscription rates to RealtyTrac, the nation's leading online ...

The Warranty Group Opens in Peru

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-The Warranty Group, Inc., a leading provider of service plans and related benefits, announced the opening of a new office in Lima, Peru of its subsidiary, The Warranty Group Peru, S.A.C. "With our strong and growing Latin American presence - including operations in Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Mexico and ...

Realtors Bring ‘Real Estate Today’ to 77 WABC

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-Real estate issues affect everyone in these challenging economic times, and now consumers in the tri-city area can tune in locally to a comprehensive, reliable source of real estate information every week. Beginning Saturday, July 11, Real Estate Today, produced by the National Association of Realtors®, will ...

New Book from NAHB Gives Sales Professionals Tools to Sell Homes in a Slow Market

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-In today's challenging housing market, a sales manager's state of mind can make all the difference on whether or not a sale is made. BuilderBooks, the publishing arm for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), has responded to this challenge in its newest release, Think Sold! ...

Take the ‘Slap’ Out of Bug Season

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2009-(MCT)-If you've been out camping, fishing or working in the garden, then chances are you've been smacking, slapping and itching. Mosquitoes, those (bleeping) bloodthirsty spoilers of outdoor summer fun - and their biting friends, black flies, gnats and no-see-ums - are busily, buzzily feasting upon us. The standard ...

Corporate Relocation Responds to the Economy

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-It would be difficult to find any segment of U.S. business unaffected by the economy to some greater or lesser degree. There is a veritable spider web of interconnectedness when it comes to one segment of the workforce being affected by what happens in another. Hotel maids ...

Keeping Consumers Confident

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-It's no secret that real estate agents today are dealing with a lack of consumer confidence. While the Oklahoma City marketplace has been fortunate to not experience the slowdown that many real estate companies across the country have witnessed, Bob Linn, broker/owner of EXIT Bob Linn Real ...

A Brilliant Recipe - More Clients, in Less Time

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-Peoria, Illinois-based Traders Realty jumped in with both feet, so to speak, in January 2008, when it decided to make a company-wide switch from its own in-house client follow-up program to The Personal Marketing Company's (TPMCO) ProPowerTM Client Follow-up program. This was the first of several marketing ...

Smart Investments in a Tough Market

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-When you ask Top 5 Member Sandra Simmonds from Orlando, Florida, what type of marketing is most effective with consumers, she would undoubtedly respond with interactive tools. "Interactive tools give [consumers] instant results. Consumers today are very spoiled with how quickly they can get information and responses. ...

Bartering Services Crop Up Amid Tight Access to Cash

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-(MCT)-Christopher Fuentes, a self-described "computer geek" from Massapequa Park, N.Y., first got the idea to barter his computer know-how when the stock market crashed in the fall and newly unemployed friends were asking him for lessons. "I thought: Let me put an ad on Craigslist to see if ...

How Top Agents Are Making Money Using No-Cost Social Media Networks

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-Web 2.0 is all about the connecting with today's consumer. Every generation of consumers is different and responds to marketing and branding efforts differently. In this hour long Webinar; Amy Chorew will demonstrate 7 social media products and review which ones YOU need to be using to ...

First-time Home Buyer? Get an Inspection

RISMEDIA, July 9, 2009-As many consumers are considering buying a house to take advantage of first-time home buyer tax credits, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) reminds them about the importance of getting a professional home inspection. According to the IRS, the first-time home buyer tax credit allows taxpayers ...