About Tolland County, CT

Customer Focus Calculator Nov 23, 2009 in Best of As we all start “getting the power” of our Social Media reputation, it is even more important for us to find tools to help us see how we are doing. I speak alot about analytics, tools that help you measure how your sites are doing in relation to: *Clicks *Where people are coming from *How long they stay *What key words drive them there. A student in a recent class in Oklahoma, from the Churchill Brown company told me about the We We Calculator. Put in your website or blog URL and they can rate how much you focus on the consumer and not yourself. Try it here: The Consumer Influence your Website has on the http://www.futurenowinc.com/ website.

1. Marketing no longer requires big bucks While the pace of technological change can be frustrating, technology changes have dramatically cut the cost of marketing. To obtain a foothold in a new market 10 years ago, you had to door-knock, spend thousands of dollars on print marketing, and regularly hold open houses. Today, the Web allows you to market your listings and your services in numerous places. In fact, according to Alexa.com, Facebook alone accounts for approximately 24 percent of all Web traffic. Instead of paying your local paper $50 for a puny three-line ad, you can now post your listings on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and many other high-traffic sites at no charge. Granted, it takes time and effort, but it costs next to nothing. 2. Consumers actually want to talk to you If you have ever had a door slammed in your face when you were door-knocking or had someone hang up on you when you were cold-calling, you have firsthand experience about how many people react to unsolicited calls from Realtors. The great news about blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter is that the people on those sites are eager to be in conversation with you, provided that you share mutual interests outside of real estate. The process is similar to getting to know a new neighbor. You don't bombard them with marketing messages. Instead, you get to know them gradually over time. The goal is to make a friend now and do a deal later. 3. New technologies send "sign and ad" leads directly to you The old "floor duty" or "up agent" system, where one agent took all incoming "sign and ad" calls, was a huge source of frustration to many agents. You could spend thousands of dollars marketing to get the phone to ring and have the "up agent" blow the call. In fact, the statistics from 10 years ago showed that in most offices, 90 percent of the calls were lost because the person taking the call couldn't get the caller's phone number. Today, you can use an 800-number call capture system or the new SMS (i.e., text messaging) systems that send those leads directly to your cell phone. In fact, a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that if you respond in five minutes, the conversion rate is more than double that if you wait to respond in 30 minutes. ...CONTINUED 4. Referral-database building the easy way Until recently there was no easy way to contact high school and college friends, past business associates, or past clients with whom you hadn't kept in touch. LinkedIn now does that heavy lifting for you. Once you complete your profile, including where and when you attended school and worked, LinkedIn notifies you about other people who were at those places when you were. You can also use services such as Zabasearch.com and Intellius.com to track down contact information about past associations as well. 5. Blogging just got a whole lot easier Three years ago, anyone who blogged probably had to be a decent writer to have any success. A hot trend for 2010 is vlogs (video blogs). For less than $300, you can obtain a high-definition (HD) video camera that takes great videos. Instead of figuring out what to write, you can interview your local mortgage broker about what's happening in the market, the football coach about the upcoming game, or anyone else who has something interesting to say to the people in your market area. In addition, new software from Adobe allows Google to convert the voice track of your video or podcast into searchable text. This improves your Web ranking on Google and other search engines. 6. Multiple offers, plus some limited signs of life in the luxury market Some of the hardest-hit markets, including those in California and Florida, are reporting less than one or two months of inventory in the first-time buyer market. The result is limited inventory that is leading to multiple offers. Also, there are a few lenders slowly testing the waters in the luxury market. It's still hard to get financing, but at least there's a tiny trickle in this area. 7. Your market is not just local, it's global International buyers and sellers inhabit virtually every part of the U.S. Current research shows that international buyers have a 50 percent closing ratio as compared to about 35 percent for domestic buyers. Agents who work with international buyers also make approximately 50 percent more as compared to those who work with domestic buyers only.

Ellington, Connecticut Real Estate and Homes for Sale

The home buying process can be complicated and you will benefit from the guidance of industry professionals. A real estate buyer's agent, mortgage lender and an attorney are the primary advisors in the purchase of property. If you are a first-time home buyer or an existing owner, you may qualify for a tax credit and could be eligible for special financing programs.

Start your search be determining your price range, housing needs and lifestyle you desire. Ellington CT real estate will assist you in finding the right property to meet your needs from local area homes for sale, foreclosure listings (bank-owned), country properties, land, condominiums and equine facilities -- all through the CT Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Request relocation, school and demographic information. Visit Ellington CT foreclosures for a list of foreclosed and bank owned property.

The Connecticut home search is easy with "quick search" options to search for CT real estate. Let us assist you in finding the property that meets your needs. Virtual Homes real estate agents can assist you in your search for the perfect home (800) 856-2479. You may also visit Ellington CT MLS homes for sale to access the Connecticut MLS system. Search Ellington CT condominiums for sale at CT condo.

Connecticut Foreclosures and Bank Owned Homes - Register to receive CT foreclosure (bank-owned) listings and short sale opportunities.

CT Home Search Service - Home search is a web-based real estate software tool (MLSpulse) that keeps you continually informed of your local real estate market. Virtual Homes real estate provides access to real estate, relocation and town information in New England states. Visit MA real estate, New Hampshire real estate, NH MLS map search and NH foreclosures for search tools in New Hampshire.

Buying Your First Home - Coventry, Connecticut

Purchasing a home for the first time can be a very stressful and complicated process. Enlisting the services of experienced real estate related professionals will provide you with the information and advice to make sound decisions. Buyers often interview mortgage loan officers, Realtors, attorneys, home inspectors, accountants and financial advisers during the process of purchasing a property. Information regarding the home buying and selling process, demographics, commuting, school and relocation information can be found by visiting

COVENTRY CT REAL ESTATE

Financing

Most home buyers will obtain a mortgage to purchase their home and there are numerous first-time home buyer financing programs offered by state agencies, local banks and national lenders. A common source for mortgage funding is the FHA (Federal Housing Administration). The major benefits of their programs include low down payment options (can be gifted by a family member), flexible qualifying, assumable mortgages, and rehab financing.

In 2009, there are four major reasons to consider purchasing your first home:

1. First-time home buyer tax credit of $8000 (for qualified buyers).
2. Historically low interest rates.
3. Affordability - declining values in the past three years provide exceptional price offerings.
4. Tax benefits - current tax law favors owning a home over renting.

The Home Search

Consumers in Connecticut have the option of hiring a real estate agent to represent them in "buyer agency" and this is disclosed in a "mandatory disclosure form" required by state law. The agent has a fiduciary responsibility to represent the buyer's interests instead of the seller's. Interview two or three agents to determine their qualifications before signing an agency contract.

Your agent can assist you in searching for a property through the Coventry CT MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and homes sold by their owners (FSBO). Most property for sale, including Coventry CT foreclosed and bank owned homes, is listed in the MLS.

Home Inspection

Once you have found the property and successfully negotiated a purchase and sales agreement, you will probably contract for a home inspection. This will give you more detailed information about the overall condition of the home prior to purchase. In a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to:

1. Evaluate the physical condition: structure, construction, and mechanical systems;
2. Identify items that need to be repaired or replaced; and
3. Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems, equipment, structure, and finishes

Title and Closing

Title companies or attorneys will research the title to make sure both the lender and the buyer is protected and has "clear title" to the property. Prior to the actual closing, most buyers schedule a final walk-through with their agent to inspect the property. Once the closing is complete buyers can now occupy their new home.

Visit Virtual Homes real estate to visit cities and towns to obtain home buying information. Visit Rhode Island real estate, MA real estate and NY real estate for information about communities, homes and condominiums.

Buying Your First Home - Columbia, Connecticut

Purchasing a home for the first time can be a very stressful and complicated process. Enlisting the services of experienced real estate related professionals will provide you with the information and advice to make sound decisions. Buyers often interview mortgage loan officers, Realtors, attorneys, home inspectors, accountants and financial advisers during the process of purchasing a property. Information regarding the home buying and selling process, demographics, commuting, school and relocation information can be found by visiting

COLUMBIA CT REAL ESTATE

Financing

Most home buyers will obtain a mortgage to purchase their home and there are numerous first-time home buyer financing programs offered by state agencies, local banks and national lenders. A common source for mortgage funding is the FHA (Federal Housing Administration). The major benefits of their programs include low down payment options (can be gifted by a family member), flexible qualifying, assumable mortgages, and rehab financing.

In 2009, there are four major reasons to consider purchasing your first home:

1. First-time home buyer tax credit of $8000 (for qualified buyers).
2. Historically low interest rates.
3. Affordability - declining values in the past three years provide exceptional price offerings.
4. Tax benefits - current tax law favors owning a home over renting.

The Home Search

Consumers in Connecticut have the option of hiring a real estate agent to represent them in "buyer agency" and this is disclosed in a "mandatory disclosure form" required by state law. The agent has a fiduciary responsibility to represent the buyer's interests instead of the seller's. Interview two or three agents to determine their qualifications before signing an agency contract.

Your agent can assist you in searching for a property through the Columbia CT MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and homes sold by their owners (FSBO). Most property for sale, including Columbia CT foreclosed and bank owned homes, is listed in the MLS.

Home Inspection

Once you have found the property and successfully negotiated a purchase and sales agreement, you will probably contract for a home inspection. This will give you more detailed information about the overall condition of the home prior to purchase. In a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to:

1. Evaluate the physical condition: structure, construction, and mechanical systems;
2. Identify items that need to be repaired or replaced; and
3. Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems, equipment, structure, and finishes

Title and Closing

Title companies or attorneys will research the title to make sure both the lender and the buyer is protected and has "clear title" to the property. Prior to the actual closing, most buyers schedule a final walk-through with their agent to inspect the property. Once the closing is complete buyers can now occupy their new home.

Visit Virtual Homes real estate to visit cities and towns to obtain home buying information. Visit Rhode Island real estate, MA real estate and NY real estate for information about communities, homes and condominiums.