CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN

Most Real Estate Agents are missing the boat when it comes to this little tool. I invited an agent who I had done business with in the past too join Linkedin so we could stay in touch and she sent me a response that my emails were unwanted. That makes no sense to me does she not understand that Real Estate is Listing a house and selling it. You first have to build the relationships with fellow Real Estate agents and with you Clients.

For those of you that are refussing to imbrass the changes to the way Real Estate is done you will be left out in the Cold.

Some people say yeah I'll get around to it but a year goes by and you have done nothing-

I have closed 5 deals using my Social Networks in 2009 and I hope to triple that in 2010.

P.S. I accept all invites so lets get connected on LinkedIn

Remember my connections are your connections

Network Statistics

Here you see statistics about your network, including how many users you can reach through your connections. Your network grows every time you add a connection — invite connections now.

Your Network of Trusted Professionals

You are at the center of your network. Your connections can introduce you to 2,191,200+ professionals — here’s how your network breaks down:

Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues	181
Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections	25,900+
Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends	2,165,000+
Total users you can contact through an Introduction	2,191,200+

3,248 new people in your network since December 2

The LinkedIn Network

The total of all LinkedIn users, who can be contacted directly through InMail.

Total users you can contact directly — try a search now!

50,000,000

More About Your Network

Regional Access Top locations in your network:

9%

1. Greater New York City Area

3%

2. Greater Los Angeles Area

3%

3. Greater Chicago Area

3%

4. San Francisco Bay Area

3%

5. Greater Atlanta Area

Your region: Birmingham, Alabama Area

Your connections are in 17 locations but your network gives you access to 729 additional locations, including:

• Greater New York City Area
• India
• San Francisco Bay Area

Fastest growing locations in your network:

1. Greater New York City Area
2. Birmingham, Alabama Area
3. India

Industry Access Top industries in your network:

19%

1. Real Estate

11%

2. Financial Services

7%

3. Information Technology and Services

6%

4. Staffing and Recruiting

6%

5. Banking

Your industry: Real Estate

Your connections are in 26 industries but your network gives you access to 147 additional industries, including:

• Staffing and Recruiting
• Human Resources
• Computer Software

Fastest growing industries in your network:

1. Staffing and Recruiting
2. Information Technology and Services
3. Real Estate

This morning's jobs report is causing mortgage rates to rise, cappinga week during which rates have already jumped 3/8 percent off all-time lows.

The government's November Non-Farm Payrolls report reinforced the notion that the recession is nearly over, if not over already.

Just 11,000 jobs were lost last month -- much fewer than analysts had expected -- as the Unemployment Rate fell to 10.0%.

If it seems strange to be talking economic recovery while Americans are still losing jobs -- 7.2 million since 2008 -- remember that data always needs context.

See, analysts view employment figures as a lagging indicator for the economy. This is because business owners tend to make hiring decisions based on how business has been -- not on how it will be at some point in the future.

The jobs report rarely reflects the "right now". As an example, job loss peaked in January 2009 -- 4 months after the height of the financial crisis.

We saw the same pattern during the Recession of 2001.

According to government data, during the last recession, job loss peaked in October 2001 but the recession ended the very next month. It wasn't until October 2002 that employment went net positive on a monthly basis.

And this is why investors are cheering November's jobs report. Better-than-expected numbers and a falling Unemployment Rate show that the economy is improving.

Unfortunately for rate shoppers, better-than-expected data is pushing mortgage rates higher. Rates are expected to open 0.250% higher versus yesterday's close.

Mortgage markets worsened last week on a mixed bag of economic data. Inflation data came in soft, but so did the start of the holiday shopping season.

For the first time in a month, mortgage rates worsened last week, adding roughly 0.125 percent on conforming fixed-rate products, and a little bit more on ARMs.

Despite rates worsening, there was still some good news for home buyers and would-be refinancers. Mortgage rate volatility was markedly lower than in recent weeks. You could shop for mortgage rate last week and actually take your time about it.

This is in stark contrast to the last month or so over which mortgage rates changed every few hours, on average.

This week, though, because a heavy data calendar is combining with a holiday-shortened trading week, rates aren't likely to stay as tame.

• Monday: Existing Home Sales
• Tuesday: Consumer Confidence, Home Price Index, Fed Minutes
• Wednesday: New Home Sales, Personal Income and Outlays

Each of these data points are market-movers by themselves. In tandem, however, they could really shake things up. Then, at the tail end of the week, markets will react to Black Friday.

If stores look full Friday and initial receipts appear high, stock markets should rise at the expense of bonds, leading mortgage rates higher.

Additionally, expect that mortgage rate changes will be amplified because of low trading volume. This could work in your favor, or out of your favor -- depending on the market direction.

With mortgage rates at such low levels and unlikely to fall much further, locking a rate is advisable. If you choose to float, though, keep your loan officer on speed dial because when rates do rise, they're going to rise quickly.

For today's home buyers and homeowners that can manage the higher monthly payments, 15-year fixed rate mortgage rates look attractive as compared to comparable 30-year products.

The 15-year/30-year interest rate spread is near its 5-year high.

Despite lower rates, however, homeowners opting for a 15-year fixed mortgage should be prepared for its higher monthly payments. This is because the principal balance of a 15-year fixed is repaid in half the years as with a standard, 30-year amortizing product.

As compared to 30-year terms, 15-year products repay 3 times as much principal each month.

Versus a 30-year, 15-year fixed mortgages have a few downsides worth noting. The first is that, because 15-year mortgages are heavy on principal and light on interest, homeowners who itemize tax returns may have to claim a smaller mortgage interest tax deduction at tax time.

Another negative is that the sheer size of the payment. If you run into fiscal trouble down the road, the only way to reduce the monthly obligation is to refinance into a 30-year product and that costs money to do.

In other words, be sure you can manage the payments over the long-term before you opt for a 15-year term. If you can manage it, though, the rewards are tangible.

At today's rates, a 15-year fixed and 30-year fixed is $230 per $100,000 borrowed.

Other money saving tips

Pay your payment bi-weekly and reduce your term by 6 years

A "Housing Start" is a home on which construction has started and, for the 4th straight month, national single-family housing starts held steady last month.

When the demand for homes grows faster than the number of homes for sale, prices increase.

As recent home sales data confirms, buyers currently outpace sellers and one consequence of this is an increase in multiple-offer situations this year.

It's no wonder home prices are up across so many neighborhoods.

October's Housing Starts report is yet another piece of housing data foreshadowing rising home prices into 2010.

Building Permits were also down in October, a potential demand-to-supply imbalance magnifier. Without permits, there's no future construction. This drains supply. Meanwhile, tax breaks and low rates tend to stimulate demand and, right now, we've got both.

Therefore, so long as demand remains semi-constant into the New Year, expect home prices to rise.

In many markets, they already are.

I hope that you are in one of these markets and wishing you the best of

Luck and GOD Bless REPOST FROM BY BLOG