Gail Griffin

Is it Fraud?

2008-08-31T22:14:00Z

I’m curious as to how those of you on RELIB feel about this. Is it fraud or is the homeowner justified? Foreclosures are not slowing and bank owned homes are continuing to rise in the market resulting in home values decreasing as much as 40% or more in the worst areas. What is a distressed homeowner to do? Some are getting creative avoiding their losses, but are they getting away with fraud? A nasty mix: Distressed homeowners can’t make their payment and are facing foreclosure if the bank will not...(read more)

Intruder Alert!

2008-07-15T00:31:00Z

While showing bank owned (REO) properties I have had numerous problems with people coming in the home without an agent while I am showing the property to my clients. When they walk in I ask them if they are with an agent and when they say no, I politely ask them to leave and tell them they must be represented by an agent to view the property. They usually comply. A few days ago this happened again, but the people lied to me and said their agent was in the car and will be coming in shortly. I watched...(read more)

You Walk Away

2008-04-11T04:30:00Z

Foreclosure may be the best solution for many distressed homeowners that have no better choice! Maybe I have been out of the loop, but I just learned about this and wanted to pass it along. www . youwalkaway .com started in January and is helping distressed homeowners just simply walk away from their homes, but be able to stay in their homes hassle free from 8 months to a year while they regroup . Here is a story from ABC News. http :// abcnews .go.com/Video/ playerIndex ?id=4220208& affil =...(read more)

Google's Street View

2008-04-06T02:05:00Z

Google just release their Street View for our city of Chino Hills. This is a great tool for enhancing listings as well as our neighborhoods! You can virtually drive down the street! Below is a Street View map of Turquoise Cir N in Chino Hills. Darn...it was trash day! View Larger Map...(read more)

Let's Work Together!

2008-03-08T15:26:00Z

I am beginning to see lease listings with "foreclosures okay" in the descriptions welcoming people to apply for a lease who have lost their homes due to foreclosure and now have damaged credit. There are many families right now needing to lease a home until they can get back on their feet. More and more people that have not been able to sell their homes in this market are leasing them and I commend those that are willing to help victims of foreclosure. Although it is risky to lease to people with...(read more)

Project Lifeline

2008-02-12T19:53:00Z

The Feds just announced a plan to delay foreclosures to allow more time for distressed homeowners to work out solutions with their bank. Lenders will contact homeowners that are 90 or more days overdue and be given the opportunity to delay the foreclosure process for 30 days to work out a possible affordable solution. http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=6415739&ch=4226716&src=news Announcement http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=6406864&ch=4226720&src=news...(read more)

Short Sale Syndrome

2008-01-07T18:42:00Z

Recently I processed an accepted offer on a short sale listing. All was competed on the offer and I opened escrow. After three days, escrow had not received the deposit check from the buyer's agent. After contacting the agent, he said his clients had no intention of opening escrow and that they were making multiple offers on many short sale homes they liked. Once they received bank approval on their offers, they would choose which one they wanted. He then said his clients would cancel the escrow...which...(read more)

Unethical Predator?

2007-09-18T18:01:00Z

I just listed a home as a short sale in a nice area. My client fell victim to a scam and now her investment home is in default. I posted the sign and placed about 50 flyers in the flyer box just a few days ago. I went back yesterday to check on a few things and found the sign post leaning, my sign scratched up and all the flyers gone. Inside the flyer box were two advertising cards from a loan officer that specializes in foreclosure bailouts, pre-foreclosure assistance, hard money, no cost options,...(read more)

Mashup Mileage Calculator

2007-09-03T16:58:00Z

How do you keep track of your mileage? I book all my travel appointments on my Outlook calendar and use Microsoft Streets and Trips to calculate mileage on my showing itineraries. Every quarter I then add up all my miles from my calendar and showings. Those become my mileage logs. I just found out about the following mashup mileage calculator that works with a Google calendar ... www.mileagecalc.com combines appointments entered in your Google Calendar with addresses retrieved from Google Maps and...(read more)

Warning! Red Flag! Stop!

2007-08-14T21:51:00Z

Warning: If you receive an offer with one signature from a married person, counter back for a notarized Inter-spousal Transfer Deed within ten days after acceptance. This should be received directly from escrow. Warning: Do not allow another person, (friend or family member) of your buyer to take care of their dealings with their lender during escrow unless they have "Power of Attorney". Warning : Do not allow one day to go by after the contigency deadline if you do not have the removal. Otherwise...(read more)

WYLDFYRE

2007-07-22T00:36:00Z

I just attended a seminar/training session for e-neighborhood's Wyldfyre software. Our MLS has now integrated the software and I am thinking about using it. I was very impressed with the features and custom designing capabilities as well as the flexibility and custom reports. Any comments on Wyldfyre would be greatly appreciated!...(read more)

Does anyone here at Relib relate to this?

2007-07-16T22:58:00Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12yD8JyaVvY...(read more)

Petty or Professional?

2007-06-29T14:00:00Z

I'm sure all of us have received "sloppy offers"...a Purchase Agreement submitted on an outdated form, or missing the buyer's or selling agent's signatures, or missing other vital information such as financing terms. In these cases, I ask the selling agent to re-send a completed offer. However, most of the time I get offers that are complete for the most part, but are still missing things that must be completed, so I address them in a counter offer. Some agents in our office say they refuse to do...(read more)

Agent Office Fund

2007-06-18T20:18:00Z

Our office has an Office Fund to which every agent is expected to contribute a small amount of dues. The dues pay for coffee, tea and paper supplies for clients, the office microwave and small refrigerator and their maintenance, balloons and helium for open houses and events, folding machine for flyers, binder for CMAs, color ink cartridges for the color copier, bulk mail permit, special advertising, special local events and expos, seasonal drawings, Chamber of Commerce membership, greeting cards and flowers for sympathy and special occasions and other miscellaneous items the broker will not pay for.

The Office Fund helps new agents that do not have the equipment or resources to get started as well as benefits seasoned agents with broker name recognition and marketing.

Is this a common thing? Do agents in other brokerages have an office fund such as this?

New Computer Technology from Microsoft

2007-06-11T22:53:00Z

Okay...Microsoft has come up with new computer technology..."Surface". Check this out at: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/.

Will this revolutionize the way we do real estate transactions? Imagine sitting at a table like this with your client. You have downloaded and prepared documents from Winforms Online. You and your client electronically sign them and then each of you simply put them in your phones with the stroke of a finger! Everyone has their own copy and you are on your way!

Do you think?