People normally use a real estate agent to sell their house rather than when they are buying one, because its not really necessary when buying. Before hiring a Real Estate Agent, keep in mind that there are good Real Estate Agents and there are Agents who are only interested in collecting money. Here are a few tips you can follow to choose the right agent:

• At the initial stage, consult friends and family. Chances are that they have worked with a Real Estate Agent before and could recommend one that was really great to work with.

• Interview Real Estate Agents to see if you would be comfortable working with them, whether or not they are highly recommended by Family or Friends. From an interview you will be able to tell if they are interested in working with you than just to collect.

• Research and Test their Knowledge: Ask the Real Estate Agent questions, research Real Estate Agents online, (probably what you are already doing why you found this article) ask questions about real estate laws to rule out bad real estate agents who don’t really know anything about their “so called” occupation

• Search local home classified magazines, look at the Real Estate Agents. The more successful agents have lots of houses listed while Part timers and unsuccessful agents may have few if any homes listed.

• Never Pay upfront, Real Estate Agents get paid by commission when they sell the house, If they do not sell the house, they don’t deserve any commission. So never pay a Real Estate Agent in Advance, if they can’t sell then they are no good.

• A Real Estate Agent should be Flexible: After starting off in this new career, if this will be your only source of income, then expect to be working some real hectic hours when starting out, hours including evening and weekends. You will have to be as Flexible as possible if you want to make an income. Most clients have full time jobs and will only be able to look at houses during time convenient to them, such as their days off and even in the evening after their jobs has ended.  If you’re really dedicated to your work, you can allow people to contact you at home, but be sure to set a time limit.   

• Be careful, you will be dealing with alot of Strangers: Being a Rel Estate Agent is a job that brings you to strangers and also being alone with Strangers in inhabited houses. You will be spending alot of time with people you have never met, so making sure your safety comes before anything else. Here are a few tips that will help you stay on the safe side,

1. Always  carry a Cellphone with you, in case of emergencies.
2. Carry sometime with you that could come in handy in case of an attack, such as  mace or pepper spray on your keychain.
3. If you are showing a house  and you are feeling uneasy, get someone, a friend that is available to go with you during times like this.

• Be prepared to spend some money: Since you are just starting off, expect that you will be spending some money before your first sale. You will need to acquire your licenses, join a local board of realtors, advertising, paper, computer, printer etc. So having at least 6 months of saving at your disposable will be a plus for you.

• Doing some Detective Work: Being a real estate agents is more than just matching a client to a house or property. You will have to do researches to find the right house that meets the needs of the client, you will have get to know your clients by asking plenty of questions and not just the standard questions such as how many bedroom or bathrooms they want. You will also have to ask detailed questions such as what kinda exterior finishes, what size bathrooms, do they want tile or carpet to know the clients unique person preferences.

Although the four tips are already listed above, remember to be patient and courteous with clients. At the initial stage it will take some work but afterwards you will begin to enjoy the job and the benefits as well.  If you like what you just read, feel free to bookmark this website or subscribe to our RSS Feed or Subscribe to our Daily Email.

The new office will be staffed by Fase, as well as Tammi Warner, Senior Underwriter, who joined CW in February. Plans are to add additional staff to the team, including a junior originator, production analyst and underwriting analyst, in the coming weeks. This is the second California office opened by CW in the past 8 months. The firm acquired the assets of Sierra Capital Partners in July of 2009 and, in doing so, added 12 employees and an established lending team based in Irvine. With other recent hires, including the addition of loan officer and Vice President Thomas Meunier in November, the CW Agency lending platform now employs 115 professionals in 11 locations across the nation.

All the improvements have attracted highly successful sales associates. Once again, Gibson Sotheby’s recognized Beth Dickerson as their top agent in 2009, having sold the highest volume of sales. Dickerson’s average sale price was more than $3 million last year and she recorded the most expensive sale in Boston, a condominium on Beacon Street in the Back Bay that sold for $9.25 million. Co-Owner, Paul McGann, meets regularly with agents who are considering the firm. “Most often, agents who join us are already successful – but they are looking to go to the next level; to grow their business.” It is that growth potential that brought agents like Tammy DeWolfe to the company. After years in the business, she joined Gibson Sotheby’s Westwood office last month, citing the company’s support as a major motivating factor.

2. The Eaves: A roof should overhang walls by at least one foot. That keeps the sun off windows and exteriors, which helps the house stay cool in summer. It also protects siding from the weather, meaning you may be able to go twice as long between repaintings or re-sidings.

3. Reuse and remodel: The house you fix up will probably be much greener than anything you build in its place, no matter how cutting edge the new design or how much recycled material you use. Sure, some old houses just can’t be saved. But even a building with serious problems can give you plenty to work with.

4. Size Matters: Fight the urge to go big and high. Not only is a smaller, well-proportioned house easier to heat and to cool, but you’ll need to buy less furniture to feel at home in it.

5. Use renewable energy: Let’s just say you probably won’t be installing a wind turbine in your backyard anytime soon. Even if the homeowners association didn’t come after you with torches and pitchforks, the truth is most places aren’t breezy enough.

The Sun
A solar water-heating system can reduce the fossil fuel you’ll need for showering and washing clothes. Before installing one, determine whether you have a sunny enough location to recoup the up-front costs, which can range from $3,000 to $8,000.

6. Get a zone defense: Thermostats have become as smart as your iPod. You can program them to respond to your use patterns, cutting your energy bills by nearly 10%, according to data from Energy Star, a government program that sets efficiency standards.

7. Insulate your home: Upgrading the insulation in your home – including caulking and weather-stripping around windows and doors – can cut your heating bills by as much as 20%. (To learn how to do a home energy audit and find leaks.

8. ventilate and circulate: The key to keeping cool in the summer without cranking the air conditioning is to force warm air out of your house as quickly as possible and to have air constantly moving over your skin.

9. Windows in the right places: You can benefit from the most old-fashioned kind of solar power simply by putting windows in the right places. In the northern part of the country, a house with most of its windows facing south will collect more light – and therefore more heat – in the winter. (You’ll also be able to keep the lightbulbs off until late in the day.)

10. Adding up the bill: If you’re building from scratch, good design can get you a long way toward green. But for the most sustainable home, you’ll also want to shell out some extra bucks for the right materials and appliances.

@ CNN Money

1. Integrity- Be the real you. Strive for authentic engagement by being the same person you are online that you are offline. Instead of selling what you do, share who you are and your daily experiences. And when it comes to your avatar (profile picture) be a person, not a real estate logo. People connect with people, not signs and buildings.

2. Active Listening- Although it’s important to share your interests, it’s even more important to pay attention to others. Learning what your network is passionate about only helps you ask better questions, provide better resources, and become a better advisor. Who’s Talkin? and SocialMention are 2 social search engines that make it even easier to monitor certain people and topics you care about.

3. Effort- Add value! Know your expertise and passion well enough to identify resources that may be helpful to your network. If you’re not sure where to look for great resources, try a social bookmarking tool like Delicious or Digg where others share their favorite articles. Monitor your resources and share regularly, provide your own insight and strategies for implementation.

4. Respect- You gotta give it to get it! Show respect for others, even your “competitors” in your niche. And when it comes to connecting with new people on social networks like Facebook or Linkedin, consider sending a brief authentic message explaining why you’d like to connect or how you know them. Don’t bombard people with spammy or salesy messages. Social Media is NOT about hard-selling, it’s about mutual respect.

5. Caring- Reach out to others, colleagues and clients alike! And do good things without being asked like retweeting others tweets, “liking” or commenting on Facebook posts, and commenting on or praising blog articles you enjoy. Connect and befriend local clients and business owners online. For example, join local interest or business based Facebook groups that you care about or want to get involved with, or create your own. Join or volunteer for a local cause. This shows how much you care about the city and neighborhoods you work and live in.

6. Responsibility- Think before you act and take responsibility for your social interactions. If you write an article or share a resource that you found from someone else, be sure to source that person by linking back to the original article or a social profile. If you make a mistake or offend someone unknowingly, apologize. And be sure to welcome feedback and be responsive to it.

7. Cooperation- Sometimes you can get to your goal that much faster by collaborating. Share and work together with others in the real estate industry or in your local market area. Draw upon the strengths of others and pool your resources whether it’s organizing an event, creating helpful Web content, or asking for help with a project. For example, co-host a blog based or Facebook contest, help plan a Tweetup or nearby REBarCamp, guest-post on local business or interest based blogs, co-author a local ebook for homeowners, co-sponsor a charity event, etc.

8. Trustworthiness- If you make a promise to someone, then do it. Don’t be a slim shady and betray someone’s trust in you. That’s the fastest way to get unfollowed or unfriended. Provide clear expectations on your blog and social profiles about the real estate services you DO provide. If you list your expertise as working with independent women homeowners, make sure you deliver that expertise online and when working with clients. That’s how you become your network’s trusted advisor!

9. Courage- Try something new! Are you interested in getting your feet wet with video? Don’t be afraid to dive in and give something a try! It’s all a learning process anyway, and even failed attempts can be endearing!

10. Diligence- Create a custom social media marketing plan for your real estate business and commit to it. Schedule daily check-in times for maintaining your social profiles and/or read and research time for blog articles. Be consistent!

This elegant sanctuary offers luxury living and accommodations in spacious condominiums and villas. Enjoy the soft Ocean Breeze and delight in Jamaica’s Newest Resort, Residences are available for purchase, prices starting in the mid US$400′s.

Second Home Buyers Choose Jamaica

Ralph Lauren, Lennox Lewis, Keith Richards and Jane Seymour all own homes on the island, which has long stayed out of the spotlight for foreign buyers. But times have changed. With luxury homes in the Caribbean getting increasingly pricier, savvy investors have taken note of the fact that Jamaican real estate remains undervalued.
Despite concerns about the many uncertainties affecting global markets, a staggering 55% of last year’s real estate transactions in Jamaica were completed with overseas clients, who are showing heated interest in local property. According to leading realtor, Andrew Issa, Managing Director at Coldwell Banker Jamaica, you get a lot more real estate for the money in Jamaica as opposed to other Caribbean islands. Says Issa; “With prices starting as low US$450,000 for a luxury condominium on the Gold Coast, Jamaica is still a bargain.”

St. Joseph is a Catholic saint who has long been believed to help with home-related matters. And according to lore now spreading on the Internet and among desperate home-sellers, burying St. Joseph in the yard of a home for sale promises a prompt bid. After she and her husband held five open houses, even baking cookies for one of them, she ordered a St. Joseph “real estate kit” online and buried the three-inch white statue in her yard.

These statues are flying off the shelves as an increasing number of skeptics and non-Catholics look for some saintly intervention to help them sell their houses. Talk about desperate measures. You might as well put your house up on eBay and/or Craigslist and see if anyone makes a bid. Regardless, I guess at this point I would try anything and everything to help sell my home.

[Real Estate Weblog]

First of all start in your Bedroom and this will only take 6 1/2 minutes daily. Make your bed after or before your morning shower. This will take only 2 minutes, Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (4 minutes) and Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).

Tidy your Bathroom and this should take you approximately 2 minutes. Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. The head to the kitchen which should take just about 4 1/2 minutes, Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher, stove top, counters and sweep the floor.

Here is the fun part you can gain from previous homeowner’s lost. Did you know? Because these houses where owned and repossessed they are being sold for basically what was owed on the mortgage. So whenever you hear of a Foreclose Auction go out and see you may just end up with a house for less than you think.