David Dee, San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles) & Orange County CA Real Estate

I spoke with a fellow agent yesterday and those were the words he mentioned that his wife told him recently.

His wife was complaining of some abdominal pain and told him "I hurt right here" and he figured that it was probably part of the "monthly" routine and because of that assumption he did not say much. To her chagrin, she turned towards him and stated "Why don't you ask me if I was okay?" He was stunned by her response as he thought it was not a big deal since all women go through the "phase". He thought "what is the big deal" and why is she making it such an issue. In other words, he thinks she is making mountains out of mole hills. For being unresponsive, she thinks that he does not care which he disagrees.

In life as in real estate, these kinds of questions will sometime arise from your clients. It may not mean much but to the clients it is a big thing. Being attentive to your clients' needs and listening well will get you farther in your career. For example, little things like the type of houses or the specific locations which they do not like. If that is the case, then do not show them those houses.

Communication is key. Whether they are little questions, consider them as big ones and treat everyone of them equally. It can prevent dicey situations from occurring. Your clients will realize that you are listening and will remain loyal to you. Just a simple response can make a big difference on the outcome. There will be clients that require more guidance than others. Provide the service you can best offer and the results will be rewarding.

So, next time if someone ask, "I hurt here". Simply answer, "Are you okay?" You'll make a world of a difference.

"Why working at home can be *MORE productive" than going to the office"

I did a test run the past two weeks to make myself more productive. I went to the office for one week straight and worked from home the other week. I realized there is a BIG difference as far as production is concerned. Some may find that working at the office is better than working from home.

Working in the office does have its benefits. If you have a question, you can just drop by a colleague's office and ask a question or two. If you need to speak with escrow, they are a few steps away. You can learn a few new things by talking with other agents in the office. For example, if you have a particular situation you're having problems with you can run it by someone for an opinion. With its benefits there also comes a trail of disadvantages.

One of the main things in the distractions you get while in the office. People will stop by and chat. There is also office gossips. Gossips...really? Oh yes there is. I just don't feel that there is much progress being made by working in the office.

On the other hand, working from home provides you with the peace and environment to be more productive. There is no distractions. Yes, the bed and sofa is across the room for relaxation but if you have self discipline that is not an issue at all. I find that I accomplished more things and feel that I can tackle more jobs in a shorter time frame than going into the office. A big plus is that there is no need to beat the traffic and the time saved can be used to get other things done.

A drawback of working from home can be that you do not have the interactions with colleagues to address certain issues you may have. Well, my friend, that can be solved just by a phone call to your broker. Another great alternative is to browse through Activerain! Yes, there are many answers to questions you may have just find logging in and doing a quick search. The info is invaluable! So, as you can see, there is not much of a disadvantage when you factored that in. We are in the business of selling homes so why not work where we start each morning....right at Home!

"Sending a client to a Lender (who's also a realtor) for a Loan Approval"

When clients buy a home, they go to a Realtor.

When clients need a loan, they go to a Lender.

What happens when the lender you refer to is also a Realtor? Well, that was a situation I recently encountered. I had a client who was looking to buy a home but does not have an approval letter. They asked for a referral and an agent within my office mentioned that he used this one particular lender who is really efficient. I spoke with the lender and interviewed him before sending my client over. So, I sent the client there and we got an approval letter to start the house hunting.

All is fine until I later discover that he also is a Realtor. My suspicion aroused when I realized that it was very difficult to get a hold of him. He later mentioned that he is normally out on the field showing properties so hence the delay in response. I was flabberglasted to say the least as I was wondering why is he showing properties when he should be working on the loans. He stated that his broker allows him to do both Loans and Real Estate.

I don't know how everyone feels but I find that to be "double dipping". I would not mind him doing the loan and real estate as long as the loan gets done. Knowing how real estate is a contact profession, I don't see how a lender can juggle doing both simultaneously. Based from my experience, the communication was great initially until he started getting "busy" showing properties. There were items and conditions needed for the loan and I could not get a hold of this lender to finalize the details.

A Jack of All Trades but a Master of None. Personally, I feel that if someone is a Lender that should be the only thing they do. If they are a Realtor, they should stick to selling homes. When the two lines of the industry gets crossed, there is a conflict of interest. The best thing to do in this situation is to find a Lender who strictly perform the duties of Lending.

"Do not lose your home to Foreclosure, Short Sale your home"

Owners in distress and who are in Pre-Foreclosure have the options to sell your house through a Short Sale. If you are unable to afford your monthly mortgage payment, don't hide in the sand and wait for miracles to happen.

You need to take actions in order to get yourself and your family out of the negative situation you're in. Waiting until the last minute can put you in a more detrimental situation which can lead to Foreclosure or Bankruptcy. It can help save your credit and get your life back on track. However, you must have a Hardship in order to qualify to Short Sale your home.

Here are some hardships that may qualify.

1) Mortgage interest payments have increased

2) Negative equity on your home

3) Loss of job

4) Divorce or separation

5) Job relocation

6) Loss of additional household income

7) Illness or medical issues

8 ) Balloon payment on your mortgage due

9) Large negative amortization

10) Loss of rental income

Short sale is a good solution. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and my team and we can provide you with some guidance on shortsaling your house.

"Do not lose your home to Foreclosure, Short Sale your home"

Yes, that is true. I recently read a post by Wendy entitle "Give Us Your Commission or Else!" Sometimes, lien holders may make inappropriate request and you just have to be careful. Your actions can lead to regretful consequences if you are too laxed and act with haste in your decisions.

I submitted my comments on the post and realized that the request made by the 2nd lien holder of the shortsales is inappropriate and can agents in hot water if they are not careful. In this profession, there are certain things we can comply with lenders while there are others we need to be extremely cognizant of. I find the request made by the 2nd lien holder of that shortale case to be hinging on some illegal issues.

Shortsales are challenging and alot of work as it is but when lenders start stepping beyond the boundary of appropriate request, I shiver at the thoughts of how dangerous the consequences can be. I have not encountered such a situation previously but if given the case under this condition, I would not hesitate to reject their request. Bear in mind, 2nd lien holders probably are not licensed and cannot be given kickbacks. So, as you can, this can be a big issue. Don't risk your license on a few thousand dollars. The consequences far outweigh the benefits.