John Jacobus

Last week's tip was a little lengthy so I didn't include the good news in our market place and there is good news. The market is neither good nor bad... it just is. It's your perspective that makes it good or bad.

For instance, homes in some areas have actually been appreciating! You read it correctly, some subdivisions in central Ohio have enjoyed almost 10% increase in value in the last two years!

I have documentation on which areas are appreciating and I'm happy to share this information. Just give me a call.

I have also become quite an expert on short sales and loan modifications. If you know someone who is struggling making mortgage payments, have them get with me right away. There are options if one gets on it quickly.

For instance, do you know a short sale (where the home is sold and the lender doesn't get the loan paid in full) can be accomplished and not even affect the seller's credit score? Do you know, in some cases a lender will lower the interest rate, or discount the mortgage as much as $50,000 to hopefully keep from having to foreclose.

Is this a great country or what!

CREATIVE MARKETING. I just had a builder call me with his special for November... $20,000 bonus to the agent! He said I could earn a $30,000 commission to sell one of their homes before the end of the year. That's creative marketing?

What agent would accept a $30,000 bonus? What agent would sell that builder's homes knowing they have to bribe agents to sell their homes? Makes me distrust the builder.

CREATIVE MARKETING is thinking outside the box. Doing different things in different ways. Wine & cheese parties, open houses, newspaper ads, homes magazines are the tools that worked well in the 80's, not as well in the 90's and hardly at all today. If Tim Russert were here today, he would write on his white board ,

Internet

Internet

Internet

In today's market, with double the number of homes for sale, your agent has to have a dynamic web strategy in order to make your home rise to the top. I do.