The power of interenet marketing in Real Estate

For years sellers have confused advertising with marketing. In real estate advertising only does not sell homes - it’s Realtors way of shifting the buyer pool from one company to another. It’s a fishing expedition to make the phone ring and get buyers. Homes on the market acts as bait so that when a buyer answers an ad it is the agent’s job to reel them in, get the appointment, and show them all the inventory within the price range. Statistically 50% of the buyers who respond to an ad can afford to spend more, and 50% are unqualified.

In real estate advertising does not sell homes. In the past, the main advertising venues in real estate were classified newspaper advertising and limited print display ads. There were no photos, and advertisements only appeared once a week resulting in limited exposure. A great deal of money was spent to enable a consumer to visualize your property.

According to National Association of Realtors statistics, only 5% of today’s buyers find the house they bought through print advertising.

In the past lead generator #1 for the Realtor were singes, today lead generator #1 has become Internet. Today, more than 80% of home buyers use the Internet when looking for a home. Through the power of the Internet, your house is always open to tour. Home buyers using the Internet will be able to view customized listing information, a photo gallery, school and community information, and even maps specific to your property. When online buyers inquire about your house, they have already completed the first step of the home buying process and come to your property as an informed buyer.

When you are interviewing a broker, always ask what kind of Internet exposure they offer.

Buyer's Market, Also 'Buyers Beware' Market

Here is an article in "Realty Times" which advise buyershow to behave in Buyer's market. Is it time to buy or not? Has the market hit the bottom? I think you will find thr answer in this article.

More home buyers have a better chance now than at any other time in nearly a half decade to negotiate a home-buying deal that costs less and comes with some concessions thrown in.

In many locations, buyers will find a glut of new homes, more motivated sellers, foreclosures, auctions, short sales and other market conditions that can make it a really good time to buy.
That doesn't mean throw caution to the wind.

The same conditions that lure buyers to market also lure misfits looking to cash in on your unfettered haste and the waste left from a boom market gone bust.

No matter what the market conditions, it's also always a buyers beware market, now perhaps more than ever.

Here's how to begin to navigate today's housing market, step-by-step, and make a good deal without getting taken.

Begin with making a personal "right-time-to-buy" decision. If you stretch financially beyond your means to go after lower-priced homes, foreclosures or short sales, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Today's housing market is littered with home owners who borrowed more than they could afford.

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Market Conditions

According to the most recent news from the Hope Now alliance -- a new set of procedures and guidelines have been set that will help homeowners quickly receive the help they need -- before they go into foreclosure.

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10 Best Cities to Live, Work, Play

Where are the best cities in the country to live, work, and play? Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine did its best to answer that question in its 2008 Best Cities report.

Kiplinger says it looked for strong economies and abundant jobs, a reasonable cost of living, and lots of fun things to do.

Kevin Stolarick, research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity, worked with the magazine to make the top 10 selections. "Our formula highlights cities not just with strong past performance, but also with all the ingredients for future success," he says.

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Real Estate Outlook: Pending Home Sales Rise in April - What Realty time does not say?

According Realty times article pending sales rose 6.3 percent during April. "Be thankful for even small nuggets of good news. A rise in pending home sales is a positive and encouraging sign for sellers, buyers and real estate professionals" - author said.

Is that really a reason to see a light in the dark? What the author did not say?

1. Have the inventory on the market increased and with how many percent?
2. How long is the inventory on the market staying?
3. Pending does not mean closed sales, especially in this mortgage market.

It is the simple low of economics - supply vs. demand. When the inventory comes on the market faster than coming off, we have depreciating market and prices needs to stabilizing or going down. Conversely , if the inventory going of the market faster than coming in, we are in appreciating market and prices need to going up.

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Foreclosure Casualties High In GI Households

You think your town's real estate market is under siege?

Families of our nation's fighting forces are struggling much more against the scourge of foreclosures.
The rate of foreclosures in towns where soldiers and sailors live is increasing at nearly four times the pace of the national average.
That's more than during the Vietnam War, the Korean War and World War II, according to data from Realtytrac.com.
Realtytrac.com says foreclosure filings in 10 towns and cities within 10 miles of military facilities, rose by an average 217 percent from January through April this year, compared to last year. Nationwide, the overall rate during the same period was only 59 percent

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