Where were you on June 13 at 11:00 pm? Me? I was glued to my MacBook with a Red Bull in hand scared to death. Facebook was about to open up vanity URLs to the public and I wanted Keller Williams Realty-bad.  This was serious. As the seconds ticked away, I got more and more anxious, then as the clock turned to 11:01 central time, I went for it, and at that moment I completely forgot how to spell Keller. I think it was the fear of actually spelling it wrong and having to explain to someone why I forgot how to spell my company’s name. I mean, what if I had to tell Gary!? Well, luckily I got it right. In the first hour, I was one of one million people that reserved a vanity URL. With 550 vanity URLs registered per second, I am thankful that I was able to secure one for KW, as well as my own.

Continue reading ‘The Social Media Gold Rush of 2009′

During this festive season, the greeting, “Happy Holidays” cheerfully rings through the air, beckoning us to reflect upon our beliefs and celebrations we will soon be observing.  And, it made me curious about the meaning of the word holiday. So, looking deeper into the derivation of the word, I discovered that it fits Keller Williams Realty’s culture perfectly.  Holiday is Middle English – haligdaeg – a combination of halig (holy) and daeg (day). Thus, wishing someone a “Happy Holiday” actually translates into Happy Holy Day. This absolutely applies to all religions and beliefs!

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Here’s a question I hope you’re all asking yourselves as 2009 comes to a close: “How much do I need to be saving now to ensure that I am ready for retirement?”

Retirement should be a top priority when it comes to our savings and personal finances. I can tell you though, some real estate agents struggle to put away a percentage of a less than static income.

So what can you do? As CFO of a company whose mantra is “lead with revenue,” my experience is that it’s never too early to start saving for retirement. Whether you’re 30 years away or much closer, use these simple guidelines to calculate how much you should be putting away for your retirement right NOW.

Continue reading ‘Do Your Retirement Savings Match Your Age?’

Come January 1, 2010, the new and improved Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA) will be fully en force. Considering this is the first sweeping change in the home buying process since 1974, it is worthy of our full attention. The new RESPA means more than new forms-it means major changes in the way real estate closings happen.

The key motive of RESPA’s new rules is to make sure consumers understand loan costs and binding parameters before singing the closing statements.

With mountains of paperwork at the closing table, there is little chance that borrowers are going to spend the many hours necessary to wade through the documents. What’s more, borrowers, especially would-be first-time homeowners, may be intimidated by the process and miss the opportunity to seek competing settlement services that could save them money.

As a real estate broker, here’s what you need to know: the new rules may impact your ability to refer business to title companies, inspectors and others you typically work with as part of the sales process. RESPA wants to make it easier for borrowers to shop for the lowest-cost, most convenient closing services by mandating borrowers receive a written list of settlement service providers. That comprehensive list includes closers, appraisers, real estate brokers, title examiners, attorneys, underwriters, pest inspectors, mortgage insurers, loan processors and other settlement service providers.

Continue reading ‘The Changing Face of RESPA’