I've used a lot of audio and video in my real estate business. I post on YouTube all the time, but not so much for the purposes marketing a home to a buyer. I use it for personal business promotion more than anything else. When it comes to my website, I like to use http://www.BitsOnTheRun.com. The beauty is that it allows you to stack your audio or video into a play list. I love the convenience of it. I can add as many videos as I like to the playlist without cluttering up my site with a new player for every video. I have posted an example below.
For reference, this is the page on the internet where I am actually using it: http://FactsOnForeclosure.com/foreclosure_client_testimoinals.html. You can also see how I used in on the home page of my traditional real estate site. To review, please follow this link: http://DFWRealEstate.info. You'll notice that in the first video on this page, I have actually put together a little tutorial explaining how to best use our site. I recently changed the design of the site and have not yet updated the tutorial yet, so some of the graphics are no longer accurate. I will update that soon enough, but you get the point.
I have found this service to be easy to use and very helpful. You can post professional looking content without the need for sophisticated flash type skills. I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any questions, please post them in a comment below.
Regards,
Brad Brusenhan
Brusenhan & Associates Realty - Dallas, TX
As you may know, I recently posted about the FHA Short Sale Guidelines that were changed on 12/24/2008. I have two points to discuss today. The gap and the direction.
The Gap
The old FHA short sale guidelines permitted a sale which would net the lender at least 82% of the "as is" market value determined by an FHA appraisal. The new guidelines have a tiered scale beginning at 88% and ending at 84%. If the home is sold within the first 30 days of the approval to participate in the program, the offer must net the seller's lender at least 88% of the market value after all closing costs, real estate fees, liens etc. have been paid. During the 2nd month, the threshold is dropped to 86% and after 60 days on market, it drops to 84%.
So readers might be thinking, "Well that's not so bad. What's a couple of percent here or there?" I don't see it that way. I have closed a lot FHA Short Sales and it doesn't take long to figure out that a buyer is getting the property at about a 10% discount with the good old 82% rule. After rolling up 6% in real estate commissions, about $1,000 to the seller and general closing costs, you are left at approximately 90%.
Under the old guidelines, the 82% rule equated to an 18% discount to the lender's net on the "Mark to Market" value. Remember, the numbers are not based on the loan, but on the current value. If the lender raises that bar by 6%, that is a 33% reduction to the discount that is available to a buyer. Well, not really. Remember that 8% of the 18% is closing costs and those are a fixed variable that come right off the top. The 6% difference comes out of the remaining 10%. This actually equates to a 60% increase on the gap.
The Direction
It amazes me that $350 Billion flew out the window with no accountability. This is the first day (1/20/2009) of the new administration, so I suspect the 2nd $350 Billion is about to follow. It certainly doesn't appear that much of the money made it to the FHA homeowners who are facing foreclosure. This seems to be a move in the wrong direction. I could easily rattle off a list of FHA homeowners that we have worked with in the past who never would have completed the sale under these terms. The homes would have gone to auction.
Every day homes are selling at a 10% discount as it is. Why in the world would a buyer ever want to involve themselves in the short sale process for a measly 4% discount on market value. I certainly wouldn't. Additionally, because the homes are sold 'as is', success is much more difficult without a larger discount. Obviously the appraiser is required to consider repairs into the value provided. However, no homeowner typically takes a dollars to dollars discount on work that will have to be done after closing, out of their pocket, on their time.
As an example, if a buyer determines that the carpet is bad, they naturally assume the expense of replacing it will cost them double what it really will. By default, they will expect a $3,000 discount for $1,500 worth of carpet. This is typically related to ignorance of carpet pricing. When it is not, it is related to the fact that they wish to roll that in over the 30 year mortgage instead of paying for it out of pocket. Of course the PITA factor to the buyer for dealing with it in the first place is always an issue as well.
They are finally allowing the buyer's to roll in up to $1,000 of closing costs if they are purchasing the FHA short sale with a new FHA loan. I personally have no problem with this. However, I thought they had determined that the buyer(s) needed to purchase the home with their own money in order to reduce the likelihood of a future defaulting loan. So I can only guess that in their minds, it is still worth risking the possibility of another future delinquent mortgage in order to get a closing today???
What do you think?
Brad Brusenhan on Twitter @ ShortSaleGuy
We help families buy and sell homes in the N. Dallas & Collin County areas of TX. We also have a local team of pre-foreclosure specialists who negotiate bank approved short sales & loan modification.
It Isn’t Hobbies That Bring Brad & Traci Together -
It’s Their Approach to Life.
Brad & Traci Brusenhan know the beautiful parks in Plano don’t have anything to do with the fine dining in Dallas. They realize that local youth sports are integral to the community, but there is no connection between them and the cultural diversity of the people or the access to world-class shopping and amenities. Brad & Traci can tell you that when you bring all these significant elements together, it equals a great place to live.
A Deeper Commitment
Like the area they love, Brad & Traci also reflect a myriad of independent tastes, interests and pursuits. Brad enjoys spending time at the gym and Traci prefers curling up with a good book. A Saturday barbeque at home is a vacation to Brad, while Traci loves to travel to distant destinations. As you can see, their hobbies and passions are different. The foundation of their relationship - mutual respect and their common philosophies, values and ethics - are what forms the solid, lasting bond they share. These core essentials guide them in the way they raise their sons, as well as how they approach their serious commitment to each other and their careers in real estate.
Brad has always been driven by his dedication to hard work. After completing his education he became fascinated with home renovation, and when his ambition took hold he accepted a position with a home remodeling contractor. It wasn’t long before he learned the intricacies of construction and set his sights on the next phase of his career. His “can do” attitude, entrepreneurial spirit and interest in building and remodeling led to a career in home inspection, where he and Traci paired their skills, worked hard and established a thriving business.
Joining Forces
When Brad first met Traci, he was struck by the depth of her personality and how quickly she made people feel cared for and comfortable. Brad found it no surprise to learn she had been working with severely handicapped individuals for several years, and she loved their spirit and sincerity. She discovered how rewarding it was to help them in their daily lives, and their genuine appreciation was heartwarming to her. However, after Brad & Traci married, Traci made the decision to team up with her husband in both life and business, joining forces as devoted spouses, loving parents and committed professionals.
In the spirit of working together, Brad &Traci decided to continue their partnership in the real estate industry, serving the needs of home buyers and sellers throughout North Dallas and Collin County . Working together has enabled them to combine their expertise in the construction, investing and mortgage lending businesses to provide their clients with clear guidance and valuable knowledge regarding all facets of the real estate industry. As a lender, Brad will help locate the best mortgage available by shopping a large network of lending institutions. Pairing Brad’s top-notch marketing and negotiating skills with Traci’s sharp instincts and natural ability to make people feel at ease ensures the process will be an efficient and pleasant experience.
Working Together for Your Success
Through the years, Brad & Traci have garnered a network of associates who can assist you with all aspects of your move. From lenders and contractors, to their own transaction coordinator, you can trust that every detail of your sale or purchase – whether in new construction or resale property – will be handled with complete professionalism and the utmost care.
When you’ve made the decision to buy, sell or invest in the North Dallas or Collin County area, give Brad & Traci Brusenhan a call. From the moment you meet them you can tell they will be Working Together for Your Success. Contact them today at 972-312-1052. You’ll be glad you did.
Brusenhan & Associates Realty is not a standard real estate brokerage. Through The FHA Pre-Foreclosure Short Sale Group, we offer homeowners across the United States a complete solution to FHA mortgage delinquency issues. For a small fee, which barely covers our own expenses, we help homeowners negotiate to stay in their home. If they do not have the small fee, we often find a way to help them anyway. For those homeowners (Distressed FHA Mortgage Loans Only) who wish to sell the home and move on, we offer a complete program to help them achieve their goals, regardless of equity, at no direct charge to the homeowner.
Through a long standing relationship and valued partnership with our friends at America's Home Rescue, we offer comprehensive Short Sale coaching services to real estate professionals across the nation. I understand that short sale training has become the new "thing", but I can assure you that there is a difference. America's Home Rescue has been training agents for years. Before talk of bailouts and a national foreclosure crisis, they were intently focused on short sale training. They have helped to elevate my business and experience to levels beyond anything that I had ever imagined. Training national audiences of Realtors at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) convention and holding meetings with high level officials at HUD and other state level real estate commissions has been an honor for Michael & Stacey Spickes. Being asked to join their elite team of coaches to help provide short sale training for our colleagues in the industry was a tremendous honor for us as well. If you would like additional information on how we can help you learn more about short sales, please email us directly at Options@FactsOnForeclosure.com or call us direclty at 972-312-1052.
My dream is that the short sale services and training division of our brokerage would be put out of business. While I have little faith in our government to achieve this, I have tremendous faith in our country and the entrepreneurs that make it great. I would love nothing more than to close our final short sale file because there is no longer a need for our services. In the mean time, we will continue to focus on helping homeowners and agents through the process.
Last, but certainly not least, Brusenhan & Associates Realty - Dallas, Texas is also a residential real estate brokerage providing traditional services for DFW area residents. Traci and I have helped thousands of DFW area families with a variety of real estate and mortgage related needs since 1996. Helping families buy and sale homes is the core of our business and always will be. Combining substantial "past life" experience as a home inspector with our current real estate, lending and pre-foreclosure services, we offer a wide range of knowledge and experience that can be difficult to find.
posted by: Brad Brusenhan
We'd like to allow our past clients and friends speak for themselves. To access our network, feel free to engage our friends on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DallasTexasHomes or follow us on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Dallas_Realty or http://Twitter.com/ShortSaleGuy.
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