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Chris Alston (Silicon Valley, California)

Want to customize your GOOGLE page with a picture?

Want to customize your GOOGLE page with a picture?

Google

Love the www.bing.com site, but use google and wish it would have a picture, well you can! All you have to do is go to www.google.com, and look for the link "Change Background Image" in the corner on the bottom towards the left. This will bring up an option to post from your computer, public images, suggestions, etc... Chose your picture, and you are done!

You are truly a master, now go show everyone!

-Chris

Wordless Wednesday - Twins! Two baby deer, Saratoga CA

I see deer all the time, and when spring rolls around you get to see baby deer. This lucky gal had twins!

This photo is where they are a few days old. Just learning how to run and hop. They chased ahead, and behind and were having so much fun on their legs for the first time.

Deer

This picture is about one week old. Now, alot more stable walking, and not hopping everywhere. A little more relaxed as opposed to being erratic.

Deer

Hope you enjoyed these! :) Chris

RED Day (Renew Energize Donate). A day of giving back... TODAY!

Red Day

I wanted to share about a special day for my office today (and across North America)! 70 of my agents here in Cupertino are working with the Emergency Housing Consortium today to volunteer our time. One day a year where we give back to our community!

We hare helping fix up a housing complex for those that were previously homeless. We will be painting, washing, trimming, picking up trash, light construction and doing our part to give back to the community!

If you are participating in Red Day, what are you doing to give back?

So if you see any Realtors out there with RED DAY shirts on, give them a thumbs up!

J

-Chris

Wordless Wednesday - California Academy of Sciences Roof

So I was one of the first (million or so) to get over to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco CA.

Academy of Science, San Francisco

So of course, we made our way up to the roof to check it out. I saw the documentary on the making of the building, so I had to see what it was all about. And you could see the heat coming from the roof windows when they were open. It was really cool!

California Academy of Science, San Francisco

I recommend going! It was alot of fun.

California Academy of Science, San Francisco

I asked my lender partner for REO's referrals... He didn't have any?

For Sale SignAlot of agents run to their lenders and ask them to please please please give them REO leads... Is that really going to work? Not really...

It seems that agents are trying to do whatever they can to get into the crazy and often lucrative business of REO's... An REO is a property that the bank foreclosed on and it is now part of their non-performing assets, and needs to be sold using an M&M company, at auction or with an agent...

The lenders that we work with on a daily basis may not have that type of contact out there to give you. They are in the business of helping buyers understand the complex world of lending, D/I ratios, payments, net sheets, etc... So when you ask them for an asset manager, or loss mitigation contact, they might not have that referral for you.

Ever thought about asking them to refer those clients to you that want to refinance their loan but can't? Either due to the loan program doesn't exist anymore, or they can't qualify for a new loan, or have no equity? Those leads are clients that might have to sell, and it might be in a short sale situation. Who better to help them sell their home then you?

If you help a seller prior to the propery foreclosing, then you will not have to run after the bank to get the asset. So get out there, and start prospecting for short sales, and get your unfair share of the market!

Just remember, if you want a good referral partner... It should be give and take. The more you give, the more you will get in return.