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Must-Read Books For Real Estate Agents In 2022

On July 8, 2022

The best real estate books are those that inspire you to reach your goals and become an even better realtor. They provide a variety of effective techniques and advice that will help you connect with your customers and improve your day-to-day processes. Besides being able to provide you with advice, real estate books also offer valuable lessons that the authors have learned from their own experiences. If you’re looking for inspiration from people who started at the bottom and became successful real estate professionals, check out some of these great books on real estate.

Real Estate Success In 5 Minutes A Day – Karen Briscoe

Many real estate professionals share the same daydream: “If I only had a few more minutes each day, I would be able to improve my sales and marketing skills”. According to Briscoe, all it takes to become a successful real estate agent is five minutes each morning. How do you spend those 5 minutes you ask? By reading one of the 365 chapters of this book each day, for an entire year.

The Sell – Fredrik Eklund

One of the most prominent real estate professionals in the country, Eklund is known for his unique and entertaining behavior on the hit Bravo show “Million Dollar Listing New York.” In his book, he shares his top tips for becoming a successful real estate agent. The book also features a variety of advice on how to build a strong and effective relationship with clients and earn a good reputation.

Laugh Your Way To Real Estate Sales Success – Cathy Turney

In her award-winning book, Turney shares her thoughts on the humorless world of real estate, showing how funny the industry can be. Unlike the other books that claim to have the “how-to-make-a-million” advice, Turney doesn’t provide the same level of advice. Instead, she shares her thoughts on the little moments that real estate professionals encounter every day. In her book, Turney talks about her journey from being a sales rep to becoming one of the top real estate agents in the country. She also shares her experiences and advice that will help other real estate professionals succeed.

The HyperLocal HyperFast Real Estate Agent – Daniel James Lesniak

In his first year as an agent, Lesniak was able to close over twenty million dollars in deals. He was able to accomplish this through his hard work and dedication, and he shares his strategies and advice in his book “The HyperLocal HyperFast Real Estate Agent.” One of the most important factors that real estate professionals should consider when it comes to becoming a successful agent is mastering the art of local marketing. Lesniak shares his strategies and advice on how to improve his sales and marketing techniques. He also shows how to use a segmentation and positioning process to effectively target his clients.

Great Summertime Home Maintenance Tips

By W Darrow Fiedler

On May 6, 2022

In Real Estate, Welcome

Springtime is here, and before you know it Summer will be here as well. With the warmer weather about to hit us in full force, it’s important that our homes are able to withstand the changes that come with it. Keeping up with home maintenance is always a good thing, but there are certain things you should do to make sure your house is in tip-top shape depending on the time of year and where you’re located. With summertime so close, let’s take a look at a few great summertime home maintenance tips.

Stop The Bugs!

Summertime means spending more time outside, which means you’ll want to keep your yard free of those pesky insects. One simple way to keep them away is to spray around the perimeter of your yard and your home. You can also use a combination of bug spray and door and window treatments to keep them away. Since so many pests tend to wake up in the summertime, you may want to consider recaulking your doors and windows to make sure the bugs don’t get into your home as well.

Power Wash Time!

One of the easiest things to do during your summertime home maintenance is using a pressure washer to clean areas such as your driveway, patio, or deck. After giving these areas a full inspection, you can then wash away all of the dirt and grime that have accumulated over the past year. You can rent a pressure washer for around $40 a day at a local home improvement store if you don’t own one.

Prep The Grill

Before you start preparing your grill for the summer season, you’ll want to make sure it’s sanitary after a year of just sitting around. For gas grills, you can heat it up for around 20 minutes and then scrub the outer surface with a grill brush. For charcoal grills, you can use a bucket of hot water and a sponge to get rid of any debris that’s blocking the hoses. Also, make sure that the grill is placed away from any flammable objects.

Wash Windows and Replace Screens

Getting your windows cleaned isn’t enough if you don’t also wash their screens. To get the job done, remove the old screens and use hot water to scrub them.

If your screens are too dirty to be cleaned, you might want to replace them. While you’re at it, inspect your doors and windows to make sure they’re properly sealed. Doing so will keep the cool air in your home and keep the warm air out.

Don’t Make these Mistakes as a New Homeowner

By W Darrow Fiedler

On December 14, 2021

In Real Estate, Welcome

Moving into a new home is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. There are so many things to do and decisions to make! But if you want your new house to feel like a true home, there are some mistakes that you should avoid. We’ve compiled this list of four mistakes that people often make when they’re first starting as homeowners:

Not getting to know the neighborhood

One of the best things about moving into a new home is getting to know your neighbors. But this can only happen if you take the time to get to know your neighborhood. Spend some time walking around and talking to people. Find out what kind of activities going on in the area, and see if there’s a neighborhood watch program or community garden that you can get involved in. The more connected you are to your neighborhood, the more comfortable you’ll feel living there.

Not decorating enough

It’s easy to want to just move all of your furniture in and call it a day, but unless you’re good at arranging furniture, your house is going to look pretty boring. Take the time to decorate your home in a way that reflects your personality. Hang pictures on the walls, put up some shelves, and buy some plants. Not only will it make your house more comfortable to live in, but it’ll also make it feel like home.

Not taking care of the basics

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of moving into a new home and forget about all of the basic upkeep that needs to be done. But if you want your home to last, you need to take care of the basics like painting, caulking, and repairing broken appliances. You don’t have to do all of this yourself, but it’s important to have a plan in place for who is going to do it and when.

Not getting organized

One of the best things about having your place is being able to finally organize all of your stuff the way you want. But this can only happen if you take the time to get organized right from the start. Create a system for everything and stick to it. This will make finding things a lot easier, and it’ll also help keep your home clean and clutter-free.

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What to Know About Buying a Foreclosed Home

By W Darrow Fiedler

On October 12, 2021

In Finance, Investing, Real Estate, Welcome

As a prospective home buyer, you may wish to purchase a foreclosed home due to various reasons. You may want to shop on a budget or extend your real estate business portfolio. Regardless, you have to prepare for the things that lie ahead when buying such a home.

Fortunately, this guide looks the things to know about buying a foreclosed home:

Learn About the Foreclosure Categories

Foreclosures fall into two main categories, which are the judicial and non-judicial types. The judicial type occurs when a lending service files a court case against the borrower. The court will then rule in favor of the lending service and release the property for auction.

The non-judicial type occurs based on a specific property sale clause for failing to make up for payments. It does not require a court order.

Use Legitimate Platforms to Source Foreclosures

While you may have many options for finding suitable foreclosure deals, some are not legitimate. The list of options you can use include:

Use public records that are available in your state or county’s property database. However, this process requires lots of time and research as the records are immense.
Consult with a real estate agency or service. A reputable service often has insight into the best foreclosure properties you can buy.
A local bank website is also an excellent platform. Some banks facilitate foreclosures and then list the properties on their sites for auction.
You can use online platforms such as Auction.com, which lists countless properties across the country.

Your Finances and Preparedness

Before buying a foreclosed home, ensure you have the financial capability and preparedness to handle such a process. Details such as your Social Security Number (SSN), tax returns, and credit scores should be excellent.

Additionally, you also have to determine whether you have adequate funds to buy and develop the property. Ensuring that all these details are intact will smoothen the process of owning a foreclosed home.

Buying a foreclosed home seems like a tough call, but it’s also a lucrative venture when you have the correct information. Additionally, you also have to prepare well for buying such property, including details such as your credit score.

Closing Costs When Buying a Home

By W Darrow Fiedler

On September 15, 2021

In Finance, Investing, Real Estate, Welcome

Many individuals save for a down payment for their future home, but they might not be aware of the fact that this isn’t the only money that they need to have when they close on it. Most homeowners have to pay closing costs as well. Here’s a little bit more information about closing costs and some ways to lessen them.

What’s Included

Closing costs tend to be about 4% of the purchase price of a home. This amount can vary slightly. Closing costs tend to include things like origination fees associated with the loan, title insurance, attorney fees, and closing fees. For many sellers, the amount they have to pay in closing costs can equate to thousands of dollars. Buyers will receive an itemized list of their closing costs before their actual closing date. This will allow them to see how much each item is that they have to pay for. Fortunately, they may be able to get some help paying for their closing costs.

Getting Assistance

There are a few different ways that buyers can lessen the amount of money that they have to bring to the table during their closing. In some instances, sellers may actually pay the closing costs themselves. This is common for sellers whose house has been for sale for a long time. There also are a variety of grants available that may be used to pay for closing costs if certain requirements are met. Buyers might also be able to roll their closing costs into the loan of the home. While they still will have to pay all of the closing costs, they may end up being more affordable for those that are limited on cash as they can pay them over the life of the loan.

Buying a home can come with a lot of expenses before the buyer even gets the keys to the house. Fortunately, there are some ways that buyers can get assistance paying for closing costs. It’s best for buyers to be upfront with their realtor and mortgage broker about how much they can afford to pay upfront. They can use this information to help the buyer find a few different ways to make closing costs a little more affordable for them.