Ron Costa

I finally gave in - after months (and literally MONTHS) of everyone I know trying to get me to put a presence on Twitter, I finally caved in and did it. Here's my Twitter page:

http://www.twitter.com/highriser

In the short time I've been online with this, I have to admit I am totally addicted to it. It's great - and it's skyrocketed my video and text business to the point where I'm so mad at myself for not doing this sooner.

Granted, you have to work at it. You have to post valuable info (called "tweets") so people will be more inclined to "follow you". The viral marketing concept that you can create with this platform is mind-boggling.

So take it from me. Get on Twitter today and start Tweeting. If Shaquille O'Neal can do it, so can you. And it's actually kind of fun as well.

You know what the most effective form of internet marketing is? it's email. Email works - and that's why you get so much spam in your inbox each day. As real estate agents, we're all looking for the next best thing so I need you to read the next line carefully:

Adding campaign video to your marketing arsenal has the potential to skyrocket response rates and in turn, result in more income for your real estate business.

I use video email almost exclusively now and I love it. In fact, I created a website to showcase the Attain Response platform at the following link:

http://www.videoemailresults.com

We are having an informational meeting tomorrow morning (Friday, June 4thth at 11:30am) to explain how this platform can help you with your real estate career. This is NOT a webinar, seminar, or anythingelse-ar. This is a live meeting which you can attend in person.

The event is by invitation only. Sorry for the short notice, but if you'd like an invite (and will DEFINITELY attend), please respond by email or call me direct at 702-336-5554. If you're serious about succeeding in your career in a down market, 1 hour out of your day is a small price to pay.

Sorry for the short notice, but you'll want to mark your calendar down for TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 20th at 6:00pm (Pacific) for a special GO Zone informational webinar.

Bret Miller from the Hanover Companies will be going over a really interesting GO Zone investment program that will solve the number 1 problem investors face: FINDING SOLID CASH FLOWING PROPERTY

The GO Zone tax incentives are great for those who qualify, but what good is it if the property's not a sound investment in its own right? At this webinar, you'll learn how to find these properties so please register now at the following link:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com:443/register/933791019

Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. See you on the webinar Wednesday night!

Whether you're looking to purchase a Las Vegas high rise condo, or just any type of Las Vegas property, save yourself some time and pass on the "Short Sale" deal. Short Sales are sexy... they're alluring.. and they're a total waste of time.

Most buyers will see "short sale" and put in a low-ball offer to see what happens. Well, what happens is the bank sees tons of these offers, and they don't like any of them. So they counter with "highest and best". Then they'll take what they consider the best offer and wait under the guise of determining whether or not to allow the sale.

What they're doing in real life is waiting for an even better offer to come to the table. Short sale buyers may wait months for their deal to move forward, and even then the bank can kill the deal anywhere in the process. Meanwhile, real deals and real bargains out there are taken by other investors and home buyers.

It happens with houses, it happens with condos, it happens with high rises. Here's my advice: foreclosures, YES... short sales, PASS.

According to an article published in yesterday's Las Vegas Review Journal, real estate prices in the Las Vegas Valley are now at 2001 levels. That's the good news AND the bad news in one sentence depending on how you look at it.

But wait: there's even MORE good news and bad news in the same sentence because the Review Journal today just published another article saying it's possible the median value of homes in Las Vegas could now drop to $100,000.

I guess it would depend on whether you were a buyer or a seller to determine if this is good news or bad. You don't need a Crystal Ball to know we're in a very challenging economy and real estate market.

Is this the bottom? Who knows? ... but can you sit there complaining and hoping your life will change for the better? I don't think so. The truth of the matter is not everyone is struggling. You can either find out what they're doing, or continue to wait for good news in print.