Sad News

On Tuesday, June 26th, my mom lost her battle with liver cancer. She passed away peacefully at home with her family around her, which is what she wanted. In lieu of flowers, mom requested donations be made to the St. Vincent DePaul Battered Womens Shelter or Hospice of Dayton.

Thursday

Sorry I haven't posted a little more frequently, but those of you close to me know that my mother is very ill and is getting Hospice care.

Thanks for all the calls and emails from everyone out there. My family and I appreciate it very much.

Frampton Rocks!

Say whatever you want about this guy, so long as you remember to say he's one of the best guitar players out there.

Dana and I and some friends of ours went to The Fraze Friday night and saw Peter Frampton with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. What a show, and what a showman! Talk about someone having the best job in the world, this guy has it. He has fun on stage, and you can tell his band has a great time as well. One of the nice things about Frampton is that he gives everyone in his band the chance to perform in the spotlight.

Whoever was responsible for writing the parts for the Cincinnati Pops to play along with did a great job and deserves a lot of credit. It was a great evening filled with great music.

Get A Free Home Listing Kit!

Are you interested in listing your home for sale and not sure where to start? My new home listing kit is for you, and it's FREE!

This listing kit is filled with helpful information that every home owner should review before putting their home on the market. It's a buyers market out there, and I can help you get your home sold if you follow the advice and tips in this packet, along with my unique Digital Marketing Solution.

It also contains my updated Interactive Business Card on CD that has become so popular. You can view it from any computer that has a web browser. You can also search for properties right from the Interactive Business Card if you are connected to the Internet while viewing it. How cool is that?

And remember, a lot of Realtors talk about all the technology they use, but how is that putting money in your pocket? I'm the only agent I know that is offering a maximum commission of 4.75% when listing a home or single family investment property. I also offer commissions as low as 2% (see the packet for details and see which of these full service options fits your needs). I can do this because I have used technology to lower my costs and provide superior service so I pass this savings along to my clients. Let me put The Power of Technology to work for you!

Call or email me and I'll send one to you immediately. I can also email you the packet in PDF format so you don't have to wait.

Market Comment

Mortgage bond prices fell last week pushing mortgage interest rates considerably higher. The weakness followed Fed Chairman Bernanke’s remarks indicating inflation risks are on the upside. Global economic growth, inflation fears, and the European Central Bank rate hike resulted in a diminished appetite for US backed securities from foreign central banks. This initial selling pressure snowballed resulting in US based fixed income securities taking a beating. For the week, interest rates on government and conventional loans rose by about 1 full discount point.

The consumer price index Friday will be the most important event this week. The Treasury auction, retail sales, Fed “Beige Book”, producer price index, industrial production, capacity use, and consumer sentiment data will also be important.

Bad News For Realtors Charging High Commissions

I came across this article on The New York Times website and thought I would share it. Click here to read the story. Yes, if you are a Realtor charging 6 or 7 percent (some are even higher in this market, can you believe that?) you are in for a very rude awakening, and a lot sooner than you think.

I leave it up to you out there in cyberspace to make up your own mind. My business model of charging a maximum commission of 4.75% seems to be making more and more sense. But, you'll never get other Realtors to agree. They have to protect their 'Turf' and keep charging those high commissions.

Look at what the Internet has done for Amazon.com, E-Trade, and Geico. These are terrific examples of what technology can do. They have lowered their costs by using technology and pass the savings along to the consumer. That is my business model as well. You hear a lot of Realtors bragging about all the technology they use (sorry folks, searching the MLS isn't exactly something to brag about, my 12 year old can do a lot better than most of you) but how is it saving you money on a real estate transaction? That's the real question.

I'm a Citizen Journalist!

Happy Friday everyone!

For those readers of this BLOG, I wanted to let you know that I'm now a Citizen Journalist for The Register Herald in Preble County. Click here to see my articles section. I just posted my first article and anxiously await it to come up on their site.

If you have anything you would like to share with the members of the Preble Lifestyle community, let me know so it can be presented here. I seem to always have a camera with me and love to post pictures.

Have a great week-end!

Dana asked me to post these...

...and I always do what she asks me to do, well, usually.

4.75% Maximum Commission

Good morning and happy Tuesday!

I am pleased to announce that I am now able to offer all of my clients the ability to list their homes for sale with me with an absolute cap of 4.75% on the listing commission. Because of my extensive use of technology to operate my business, I have been able to dramatically cut my costs and I am passing the savings on to the consumers in the form of lower commissions.

Here's a quick breakdown of my services and fees:

• Option 1 - 2% + $500.00 (1% goes to the buyers brokerage)
• Option 2 - 3% + $500.00 (2% goes to the buyers brokerage)
• Option 3 - 4% + $500.00 (3% goes to the buyers brokerage)
• Option 4 - 4.75% (3% goes to the buyers brokerage)

These options are all FULL SERVICE PLANS. I will personally place the yard sign, then photograph and color correct each photo to make it stand out on the Internet. Your home will be listed in the Dayton Area Board of Realtors MLS system, along with Realtor.com as well as my personal website. But that's just the start. I also advertise your home on a multitude of other websites, giving your property greater exposure on the Internet. I use websites that are proven to attract buyers. My unique digital marketing campaign will reach a larger audience of qualified buyers, not just mass marketing to uninterested, unqualified buyers.

Don't let another agent try to tell you why you should work with them and pay a 7% (or higher) commission, or believe they can do more to promote and sell your home. I provide full service with lower prices. Other agents just don't have the technology skills required to be able to pass this savings along to their clients.

Call me today to schedule a personal consultation at (937) 609-5388.

Realtor Open Houses

A new agent in our office was sponsoring a Realtors only open house today in Clayton. I stopped by for a while and chatted with her and got a tour of a rather impressive house with over 4,000 sq. ft. of living space, not including the basement. Shortly after I arrived, another member of my firm stopped by as well.

The question I have is if Open Houses really work? I have sold one home that came from a Sunday Open House in the entire time I have had my license. I have attended a few Realtor only open houses and didn't see a huge turn out. But, for some strange reason, the public is under the impression that an open house will get a home sold quickly. My personal observation is that you usually get the nosey neighbors that want to see inside your home and your possessions. They are so reluctant to sign the register, a lot of times, they never come through, afraid you will know they were walking through your home.

I hold precious few open houses. If a client asks me to, I will, but I will explain the realities of an open house and they usually agree not to have it open. Most times, open houses are held for the benefit of the Realtor, not the clients selling the home.