Many believe mortgage fraud is partly to blame for the wave of foreclosures that are swamping many housing markets. And a quick scan at national headlines speaks to the depth of the issue.

In early January alone, there were several high profile convictions:

• Six people in Boston were arraigned in a $2 million mortgage fraud scheme.
• A Naples, Fla. man was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay more than $11 million in restitution for setting up straw deals to obtain inflated mortgages.
• A Colorado man was sentenced to 31 years in prison after a mortgage fraud scheme.
• Two North Carolina men were sentenced for their part in a $6 million mortgage fraud scam.
• Two New Jersey men were convicted in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud and property flipping scheme.

Those are just a few of the many early January mortgage fraud headlines from coast to coast. Indeed, prosecution of mortgage fraud is on the rise as the U.S. Justice Department makes the issue a priority. U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton has publicly declared that “Mortgage fraud will not be tolerated.” Continue reading ‘Calculating the Real Cost of Mortgage Fraud’

We have all experienced challenging times in the midst of our real estate journey. Mine came in August 1974 as I began my real estate career.  My year’s hard work had produced no closings and my real estate future looked dismal. I turned to God in deep discouragement and asked for a positive sign–just 3 valid transactions during the month of August. At the same time I enrolled in graduate school, preparing to return to the field of education.

The month slowly passed day by day. Then August 27 and 28 brought great hope with the sale of my only listing plus a first-time-buyer.  My prayers were being answered–I was now two transactions down, had one to go and a full three days remaining! Perhaps real estate was the career for me.

Continue reading ‘How Four Little Words Changed My Career’

For the past few years, my wife, Wendy, and I have taken an annual goal setting retreat. It’s our chance to get on the same page on everything from our professional aspirations to our investment goals, from selecting a Kindergarten to redecorating our vintage 1970 bathroom.  These retreats also represent rare and valuable “spousal recharge” time away from the kids.  Needless to say, we were hooked. Last year we logged onto Priceline, booked a four-star room at a two-star price, called in the baby sitter and drove all of two miles away to the downtown Hilton. Who said a retreat has to be far away?

Continue reading ‘2010—The Year I Double My Profit Share’

The most common question I’m asked is “Can you fix my website-it’s not working!”  Immediately, we run to a computer, pull up their website and voila, there it is…working as expected.

So, what isn’t working?  It’s not generating leads – that’s the problem!  So, I stop and ask, who are you trying to reach with your website?  This is inevitably the time I get the blank stare and hear “well, leads.” If you want to “fix” your Website and reach your clients in 2010 and beyond, here are my five tips to make your Website work for you:

Continue reading ‘5 Steps to Making Google Part of Your Lead Gen Team’