Keller Williams Realty

I love matching my clients

Marvin D. Strong — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:11:54 +0000

I love matching my clients with the home they have always imagined. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know I am helping them open a new chapter of their lives. That’s why I work so hard to not only find that perfect home, but also to handle every last detail of the purchase process, from negotiating the terms of sale to recommending moving companies.

Funding your home purchase

1. Financial pre-qualification or pre-approval

Application & interview

Buyer provides pertinent documentation, including verification of employment

Credit report is requested

Appraisal scheduled for current home owned, if any

2. Underwriting

Loan package is submitted to underwriter for approval

3. Loan Approval

Parties are notified of approval

Loan documents are completed and sent to title

4. Title Company

Title exam, insurance and title survey conducted

Borrowers come in for final signatures

5. Funding

Lender reviews the loan package

Funds are transferred by wire

Why pre-qualify?

We recommend our buyers get pre-qualified before beginning their home search. Knowing exactly how much you can comfortably spend on a home reduces the potential frustration of looking at homes

beyond you

Funding your home purchase

1. Financial pre-qualification or pre-approval

Application & interview

Buyer provides pertinent documentation, including verification of employment

Credit report is requested

Appraisal scheduled for current home owned, if any

2. Underwriting

Loan package is submitted to underwriter for approval

3. Loan Approval

Parties are notified of approval

Loan documents are completed and sent to title

4. Title Company

Title exam, insurance and title survey conducted

Borrowers come in for final signatures

5. Funding

Lender reviews the loan package

Funds are transferred by wire

Why pre-qualify?

We recommend our buyers get pre-qualified before beginning their home search. Knowing exactly how much you can comfortably spend on a home reduces the potential frustration of looking at homes

beyond you

Why Blog??

Marvin D. Strong — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:16:38 +0000

Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA)

Marvin D. Strong — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:06:39 +0000

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.

Keller Williams Realty associates can take advantage of the new health options

Marvin D. Strong — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:31:39 +0000

Keller Williams Realty Rolls Out New Maximum Annual Benefit Plans for All Associates

Small Business United Association Joins Health Providers Program

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Keller Williams Realty announced today that it has added a new Approved Vendor to the company’s Health Providers Program which now offers all KW associates group annual maximum benefit plans.

Small Business United Association (SBU) is an association which offers a variety of benefits to its members, and by adding SBU to its roster of Health Providers, Keller Williams associates will be able to enroll in this unique group platform.

In February of 2009, the company first launched its Health Providers Program which included options for limited medical benefit plans, vision, dental, cancer and catastrophic coverage. The addition of SBU’s plans, including the Maximum Annual Benefit Plans will give KW associates coverage comparable to major medical plans traditionally offered to employees of a company.

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors®, more than one out of every four Realtors^® has no health insurance, and additionally, only 17 percent of real estate firms offer health care coverage for independent contractors, who are the largest segment of real estate professionals.

“We are simply thrilled to be able to offer yet another option for our family members to take care of their own and their families’ health,” said Mary Tennant, Keller Williams Realty’s President and COO. “The benefit plans that SBU is offering are very comparable to what they would receive from a regular, full-time employer!”

She added: “We have been dedicated to finding our associates health options that will make their lives easier and help to ease some of their worries and stresses. We are grateful to SBU for offering this to our family.”

SBU will also offer Keller Williams associates several 401K plan options for self-employed persons as of October 1, 2009. Additionally, SBU brings a large variety of other services to Keller Williams associates, including Group Term Life, Group Short Term Disability, Group Long Term Disability and purchasing discounts for legal services, human resources services, and more.

“The plans we are providing for Keller Williams associates are unique because it allows them, for the first time, access to a wide range of health insurance programs on a group basis. All of our health insurance plans are guaranteed issue with no health questions asked and some don’t even have a pre-existing exclusion. In addition, KW associates can now get AFLAC plans to supplement their existing health insurance or our own plans,” said Tom Newby, president of SBU.

Keller Williams Realty associates can take advantage of the new health options now by visiting the KW Intranet.

Log on to the KW Intranet from kw.com
Click on the “Resources” tab
Click on “KW Wellness Program”

Purchasing your own home is a great investment

Marvin D. Strong — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:24:55 +0000

Purchasing your own home is a great investment that provides specific financial advantages, including equity buildup, value appreciation potential, and tax benefits. (It’s also a forced savings plan that you cannot get from renting!)
Done right, home ownership lays the foundation for a life of financial security and personal choice.
There is never a wrong time to buy the right home. All you need to do in the short run is find a good buy and make sure you have the financial ability to hold it for the long run.
Here’s the most important rule for keeping your stress to a minimum: you don’t have to know everything.

A showing assistant can free you from the task of

Marvin D. Strong — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:27:35 +0000

In could be just three exceptional hires away from having the business of a Millionaire Real Estate Agent.” That’s The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, we declared “youstill absolutely true. However, our ongoing research for both into how these key positions evolve. Some of you got a sneak peak at Mega Camp 2009. For the rest, here’s a quick look at hiring and compensating a showing assistant.

Leverage is about focus. You hire talent to keep you focused on your most dollar-productive activities. After delegating your administrative responsibilities, you look next for help on the buyer sales side of the MREA and SHIFT has given us new insight business. Help here can keep you focused on leads and listings. So who do you hire? In the past, research pointed us to a licensed buyer specialist paid on a 50/50 commission split. Today, some successful agents are first hiring a licensed showing assistant to keep their costs of sale low and their productivity high. A showing assistant can free you from the task of driving buyers around, but keep you in the driver’s seat when it comes to converting buyer leads to appointments, getting signed agreements, identifying wants and needs, and eventually writing and negotiating contracts. An effective one should be able to show homes to around three to four buyers a month while earning bonuses based on 25 percent of each sale. Based on a $5,000 average commission, a good showing assistant could earn upward of $60,000 a year. Not a bad living. Better yet, you get to stay focused and 75 percent of buyer side income stays with you. You can operate this way or you can use this as a steppingstone for someone. If you are still looking for someone who has the ability to grow into your lead buyer specialist, having them prove their ability by first being a showing assistant is a smart idea. So when you have someone with the ambition and proven ability to work a high volume of buyers over time, your showing assistant could earn the right to be promoted to a licensed buyer specialist. Your buyer specialist would then handle buyers from the appointment to closing and now earn 50 percent of the commissions. Again, a good one should be able to handle three to four buyers a month without burning out. Burnout is a key word. Once you have identified a great buyer specialist, you don’t want to lose them! When they burn out and walk out, guess who gets their job? You do. And quite possibly you were burned out on that work a long time ago, so you may not want it back. When your business is generating enough leads on a consistent basis to push a great buyer specialist into overload, the showing assistant concept comes back into the picture. Now your buyer specialist gets to hire a showing assistant of their own. The showing assistant is still paid on a 25 percent bonus.

Schedule and hold open houses

Marvin D. Strong — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:12:04 +0000

There are a lot of details to be handled when selling a home. It is my job to streamline the home

sale process for you, ensuring everything is completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

This overview was designed to help you understand the various steps along the way.

Preparing for Sale

Conduct comparative market analysis to establish a fair market value of your home

Prepare and complete the listing agreement

Recommend improvements to maximize your home’s value

Place a lock box on your property, if needed

Marketing your Home

Enter listing information into the MLS

Place a For Sale sign on your property

Notify top local agents of this new listing

Schedule your home for office tour

Schedule your home for MLS tour

Distribute Just Listed flyers to your neighborhood

Post your home information on the Internet

Schedule and hold open houses

Notify all potential buyers with details of listing

Arrange showings for other agents

Communicating with You

Contact you regularly with feedback

Prepare and deliver regular progress reports to you

Discuss all marketing activities with you

Coordinating the Sale

Pre-qualify potential buyers

Present and discuss all offers with you

Negotiate your transaction with the other agent

Prepare and finalize the closing

You do not have to close before December 1

Marvin D. Strong — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:22:46 +0000

National Association of REALTORS

500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington DC, 20001

® Government Affairs DivisionHere are some of the most frequently asked questions on the changes to the Homebuyer Tax Credit

Question: Existing homeowner credit: Must the new house cost more than the old house?

Answer: No. Thus, for example, individuals who move from a high cost area to a lower cost area who

meet all eligibility requirements will qualify for the $6500 credit.

Question: I am an existing homeowner. On October 25, 2009, I signed a contract to purchase a

new home. I have lived in my current home for more than 5 consecutive years and

am within the new income limits. I will go to settlement on November 20. If

President Obama has signed the bill by the time I go to settlement, will I qualify for

the new $6500 tax credit?

Answer: Yes. The existing homeowner credit goes into effect for purchases after the date of enactment

(when the bill is signed). There is no reference to the date of contract for the new credit. The

provision looks solely to the date of purchase, which is generally the date of settlement.

Question: I am a firsttime

homebuyer but was not within the prior income limits at the time I

entered into my contract to purchase on October 30, 2009. I will be covered,

however, by the new income limits. If the new rules have been signed into law by the

time I go to settlement, will I be eligible for a credit?

Answer: Yes. The new income limitations go into effect as soon as the President has signed the bill.

The income limit and other eligibility rules will look to your status as of the date of purchase,

which is the settlement date. So if the new rules have been signed when you go to settlement,

you should be eligible for the credit (or a portion of the credit if you’re within the phaseout

range).

Question: I am an eligible existing homeowner. I have a fair amount of equity in my home. I

have found a home with a nonnegotiable

price of $825,000. Will I be able to use any

of the $6500 tax credit?

Answer: No. The $800,000 cap on the cost of the purchased home is firm at $800,000. Any amount

above $800,000 makes the home ineligible for any portion of the credit. The $800,000 is an

absolute ceiling.

Question: I owned my home for 10 years, but sold it two years ago year and have been renting

since. If I purchase a home, will I be eligible for the $6500 tax credit if I meet all the

other eligibility tests?

Answer: Yes. Because you lived in the home for more than 5 consecutive years of the previous 8, you

will qualify for the $6500 credit. For example, Say John and his wife bought a home in 2000

and lived there until 2008 when he got a divorce. Whether John has been renting or bought in

the interim, he WOULD INDEED be eligible for the credit because he owned a home and

occupied it as his principal residence for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years. The

keyword here is “consecutive.” As long as he lived in that house for 5 years straight what he

did since 3 years doesn’t impact eligibility.

Question: I am an eligible firsttime

homebuyer. I entered into a contract to purchase on

November 1, 2009. Do I have to go to closing before December 1? How does the

extension date affect me?

Answer: . Once the legislation has been signed, it will be as

if the Nov 30 date had never existed. Therefore, so long as the contract settles before April 30

(or July 1, worst case), the purchaser will be eligible for the credit

All Agents Welcome!!

Marvin D. Strong — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:37:40 +0000

Get The Skinny

Marvin D. Strong — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:41:51 +0000