FAARForum.com » Marketing

Look Past the HeadLines

BLOGMASTER — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:09:31 +0000

Every day, there is a great deal of data published about today’s housing market; the information may be true, but it’s not always accurate. We have to read not only the headlines but we have to dig down into the story as well.

Recently a Trulia housing market survey was released that initialed sounded very glum and gloomy, but buried in the article was this little nugget from the Trulia CEO; while the housing market has not fully recovered yet, mortgage
rates won’t stay low forever and even if home prices continue to fall for a
bit, now is still a good time to enter the housing market … according to our latest data, it is more affordable to buy a home than to rent in 78% of major U.S. cities. With concerns of rising inflation and the potential for rising interest rates, now is a good time for people to buy and we may not be in this favorable environment for much longer.

Contrast the above statement with this survey from RealtyTrac: Our survey reflects a growing perception among potential homebuyers that the housing recovery is still a long way off. Demand remains weak, loans are increasingly difficult to qualify for, and the shadow inventory of several million distressed properties is weighing down the market. All of these things need to improve before housing can recover.

According to Steve Harney of Keeping Current Matters (KCM), we need to furnish our clients/prospects with true AND accurate information to help them make a fully-informed buying decision — and help us all work our way out of this current housing crises.

Advertising Opportunities Available at Fredericksburg Area Food Bank

Christine Singhass — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:27:33 +0000

Dear Friend,

The Spotswood Community Orchestra is performing a FREE Thanksgiving concert of symphony music to benefit the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank on Tuesday, November 23, 2010. We have a few more advertising spaces available and would like to invite you to promote your business while enjoying the season with family and friends.

Please see the attached flyer for additional information. A business card ad is only $35.00 while a half page ad is only $60.00 and the proceeds benefit the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank and our goal of Hunger-Free Families this November.

Thank you for your support,

Dayna Klein

Major Gifts/Marketing Coordinator

Fredericksburg Area Food Bank

P.O. Box 1006

Fredericksburg, VA 22402

dklein@feedingamerica.org

540-371-7666

540-371-2968 fax

FREE Water Bottle Give Away at Trade Show!

Kim McClellan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:18:43 +0000

Come visit the Government Affairs Booth at FAAR’s Trade Show next Thursday and receive this water bottle FREE if you’re a Key Investor! Not sure if you’re a Key Investor? Want to learn about how to become one? Come visit the booth and learn more about FAAR RPAC’s Key Investor club. See you at Trade Show!

Marine Vet Needs Our Help!

Christine Singhass — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:06:44 +0000

: Sgt Kenny Lyon

HELP BUILD A HOUSE FOR A LOCAL HERO; Burger night at Country Fare Restaurant (11 Hope Rd Stafford) 9/27/10 5pm-8pm For only $10 you get a burger, fries and drink. All proceeds go to help build Sgt. Lyon a home! Here’s your chance to say thank you for protecting our freedom!

Marine Sgt Kenny Lyon was on his second deployment to Iraq when his unit came under mortar attack near Fallujah in May 2006. He was repairing a disabled Light Armor Vehicle when a mortar round landed 9 feet behind him. Falling unconscious just as he arrived at the hospital at Camp Fallujah, he received 50 units of blood through direct transfusion, person to person. He awoke two weeks later at Bethesda Naval Medical Center with an amputated left leg above the knee, irreversible nerve damage to his left arm and hand, and a shattered jaw. Sgt Lyon spent two years in the hospital and continues to receive outpatient services and therapies. Homes for our Troops will be building him a specially modified house in the Fredericksburg Area.

http://www.homesforourtroops.org/lyon – check out thiswebsite to see how you can make a difference in a Veterans life!

Where are the FAAR flamingos this week?

Kim McClellan — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Do you know where the FAAR flamingos have gone this week? This office is in the biggest size bracket and has 65.5% participation in RPAC, raising over $1,200 in their office alone!

Congratulations to Coldwell Banker Elite Stafford!

Be on the lookout for the next stop in the FAAR flamingo tour. The smallest offices are the next to one’s to compete so let’s keep those investments coming!

Tune in to 1230am WFVA on 6/8/10 at 7:30am!

Christine Singhass — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:58:43 +0000

I know it’s early, but I need your support! Have been invited to join a panel discussion mediated by City Councilman Matt Kelly to discuss county issues (Spotsylvania) that evolve around UDA’s (Urban Development Areas), Impact Fees/ Proffers and Transit Oriented Design-

Our biggest area of conversation will undoubtedly turn to how government can work in tandem with local leaders/ developers for the betterment of the community. Terms like Smart Growth and TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development) will be used and hopefully a consensus will be reached as to a definition. Having a shared understanding of the ultimate goal will be a step in the right direction.

The Spotsylvania Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Planning Commission drafts a 20-30 year vision of each district with plans and restrictions intended to protect and preserve. A question that I have about the Comp Plan is that if it is a county supported and endorsed this living document, why do the supervisors negate projects that mirrior the goals of this plan as they did with Tricord’s initiative a few years back over at Summit’s Crossing.

Anyway, the conversation should be lively and good spirited. I openly welcome the conversation with Supervisor Connors as he has been a long supporter of the real estate community and seems to want to get evolution under way! I applaud his willingness to engage in conversation as some supervisors won’t even return phone calls. Now is the time for action, let’s see where this goes!

Tune in on Tuesday! Send me any questions you have. IF the opportunity arises, I would love to get answers for you too!

thanks all~ Christine

Take a moment to fill out the census…it’s crucial to local funding for schools as well as road construction and maintenance.

BLOGMASTER — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:22:10 +0000

Be sure to participate in the upcoming U.S. Census. When your form arrives by mail in mid-March, please fill it out and mail back promptly. There are only ten questions, so it will take just a few minutes to complete.

Census participation is important for many reasons, not the least of which is to assure that our area gets its share of an estimated $400 billion in federal funds for uses such as schools and road construction and maintenance.

For more information about the census, visit http://2010.census.gov/partners/pdf/factSheet_General.pdf

Home from Work

Matthew Rathbun — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:16:00 +0000

Two years ago NAR rolled out a little known or utilized program is HomeFromWork. The Home From Work™ program encourages and promotes employer-assisted housing (EAH) which is housing benefits employers can offer to help strengthen their employees’ potential to purchase their own homes. EAH strengthens communities and empowers its workforce.

Here are a few mentioned benefits:

Benefits for Employers

Strengthen employee recruitment
Improve employee retention
Revitalize the local economy
Provides a measureable return on investment in employee productivity
Enhance employee-employer relationships
Reduce commuting for your employees
Gain recognition in your community as an employee-friendly business.

Benefits to the Community

Increase local jobs
Increase tax base
Stabilize the community
Offer incentives for new businesses to move to your community
Reduce commuting

You can see success stories HERE.

Remodel or Sell Chart for those who need a Source

Matthew Rathbun — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:08:46 +0000

Admittedly I’m not a big fan of agents doing BPO’s. Simply put, it’s not what you’re trained to do. Sure you can put the comps together, but what about those pesky questions that ask what repairs should be made and what the potential yield financially, for making the repair?

Since I can’t convince most of you to stop doing BPO’s, I thought I’d give you this source from the Institute of Real Estate Appraisers.

If you’re going to give advice on repairs and upgrades, remember to always give a source for your opinion.

Remodel or Sell Options

Project	Estimated Cost	% Recoverable
Add a Full Bath
to a 1 and 1/2 bath home	$5,000 – $10,000	80%
to a 2 bath home	$5,000 – $10,000	50%
Add a Half Bath
to a 1 and 1/2 bath home	$2,000 – $3,000	60%
Add a Bedroom
within existing space	$6,000 – $8,000 $10,000 – $15,000
add-on space
to a 3 bedroom house		75% – 80%
to a 4 bedroom house		65%
Add a Garage	$3,500 – $6,500	Up to 50%
Add a Fireplace	$1,500 – $3,000	Up to 75%
Enclose a porch	$5,000 – $6,000	50 to 60%
Install Central Air	$2,500 – $4,500	Up to 75%
Install Window Units	$500 – $1,000	1 to 50%
Install New Heating Plant	$1,200 – $2,000	0 to 100%
Repaint Frame House	$1,000 – $2,000	30 to 80%
Install New Exterior Siding	$3,000 – $8,000	Up to 75%
Landscaping	$500 – $2,000	40 to 60%
Add a pool	$10,000+	0 to 40%
Add a patio	$2,000 – $4,000	35 to 60%

Source information from the Institute of Real Estate Appraisers

New (free) tools from NAR

Matthew Rathbun — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:13:53 +0000

I’m a huge fan of the Right Tools, Right Now initiative that NAR has taken. The amount of invaluable free tools that are on this page are fantastic. They have just released a new series of products to help you increase your buyer-client marketing.

Save Now With the Homebuyers’ Tax Credit Download

Help your buyers save now with this updated brochure on the Homebuyers’ Tax Credit.

Order your copy now for FREE. (Member login required.)

Homebuyers’ $8000 Tax Credit Promotional Letter

Generate leads with this personalized promotional letter that highlights the Homebuyers’ Tax Credit.

Order your copy now for FREE. (Member login required.)

It’s a Great Time to Buy! Download

Get buyers off the fence with this updated consumer brochure.

Order your copy now for FREE. (Member login required.)

H1N1 Flu and You – What You Need to Know Now

NAR has compiled information from the CDC in response to the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu.) Order your copy now for FREE. (Member login required.)

These special product offers are exclusively available to REALTORS®. To access these and the hundreds of other free downloadable products, you must login at the REALTOR.org website.

If you don’t know your login, click here or call Information Central at 1-800-874-6500.

If you haven’t downloaded an eProduct before, click here to find out how, or call Information Central at 1-800-874-6500.

Visit the RIGHT TOOLS, RIGHT NOW homepage to see the complete line of FREE and AT-COST products and resources that are part of NAR’s RIGHT TOOLS, RIGHT NOW initiative. Listings are updated monthly, so check back often!