Photos from Greg Nino Houston Texas
Gorgeous Longwood Village. From the 170's to mid 800's. Championship Golf & MUCH more..Located in: Longwood Village (Cypress, TX)
I hate to say that I am biased about any aspect of our business, but I am. I despise Bank Of America. In my opinion, they are the walking, talking shinning example of corporate greed and disgust. So why am I talking about the Bank of North America today?
When I receive an offer I always heavily screen the preapproval letter. It's my duty & responsibility to my seller, and I won't apologize to anyone for being tough about it.
You have to call the lender to:
1. Ensure you have an open line of communication. A working phone number, extension, email address and even a physical address. ->FULL mail boxes, P.O. BOX's for an address, & kids answering the lenders home phone don't signal SUCCESSFUL TRANSACTION COMING.
2. I always ask: "Has credit been pulled, have you looked at DTI? {Debt to income ratios}?" For those of you reading this that are not in Real Estate know that it's not terribly uncommon to receive a BOGUS pre approval letter!
3. I want to make sure the lender is competent, aware of the buyer's expectations and interest rate. An incompetent loan officer says things like: "I'm pretty sure everything will be fine, let me let you talk to my shift manager when she gets back from lunch."
4. If it is a VA loan or self employed borrower I probe even deeper. Many lenders will take on a challenge (just like anyone else) with hopes of winging it. I don't want ANYONE winging my seller. This is why they hire me, to shield them from these type of scenarios.
5. If Realtor and buyer have NO PREVIOUS relationship with the loan officer then I proceed with even more caution.
The problem with BANK OF AMERICA is that when you call the number on the preapproval letter it's to customer service. I have NEVER been able to actually get a hold of any one person who is working the loan. I always get passed from one extension to another! They NEVER want to verify, talk or even acknowledge that the buyer on the preapproval letter is their customer. {my experience}
In one transaction I worked & closed, neither the borrower OR the Realtor representing the buyer had a ANY idea who the actual loan officer was at Bank Of America. Originally, the buyer wanted to go FHA. 1 day prior to closing he finds out he's got a CONVENTIONAL ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE! The loan DID NOT close on time, his lock expired and my seller was FURIOUS. To make up for their error, poor customer service and pathetic excuse for efficiency BOA paid ALL of the buyer's closing costs and made an apology to the buyer. I learned the hard way that as a listing agent you HAVE to get working phone numbers and email addresses.
If a financial institution is TOO big to treat you like their favorite client then perhaps you're working with the wrong people. I always suggest to a buyer to consider working with the lender that the Realtor has a previous relationship with. My loan officer always answers his phone and never plays games with me, my clients, the title company or anyone else. Our relationship is strong and expectation isn't vague.
Lastly, you can get an approval letter on Bank Of America's website without ever TALKING TO A SOUL! THIS is in my opinion ABSURD!
Moral of the story? Be smart about who you work with. Never assume that because you have a checking account with some large financial institution that you are going to "be treated special." Just remember that the CEO of BOA allegedly bought himself a nice $35,000 TOILET after receiving federal bail out money - OUR TAX DOLLARS!
A few days ago I authored a blog about how to piss off a listing agent. Tonight we'll discuss how to manage the craft of pissing off a typical buyers agent.
In no particular order:
1. Incorrect Directions. Buyer's agents love it when a listing agent says LEFT or RIGHT without using NORTH or SOUTH! You have to understand that the reason it's important to use directional compass readings is because it tells you where to go, regardless of which direction you are coming from.. In Houston, our MLS can fine a listing agent for using improper directions.
2. Dysfunctional cheap combo lockbox. Nothing makes an agent want to kick the door down more than a rusty, crusty and inoperable piece of garbage lock that doesn't work correctly.
3. STUPID Riders on a sign that say "AREA SPECIALIST" - Why do you do this? I'm the specialist because I AM bringing the buyer, REMEMBER?!
4. A Listing Agent who calls for feedback Immediately after the showing needs to have whip cream sprayed all in their hair, face and mouth. GIVE THE SHOWING AGENT A BREAK!! WILL YA? Could you be anymore DESPERATE? I just love the cheesy reasons for calls.. "Hi Greg, I just wanted to make sure everything went okay."
5. When you write up the description on the MLS and it says "BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR." It better be. I don't want to see 47 Roaches laying on their back twitching and decaying in the corners of the room. Are those empty beer bottles in the toilet? THIS IS NOT BEAUTIFUL!
6. That GIANT, sweaty, dirty, UGLY, hairy, sloppy, cross eyed mammoth of a DOG wasn't included on the showing instructions!!! DAMN! That scares us! I don't care how "friendly" it is! Why does it have different colored eyes?
7. I LOVE It when the showing service says alarm code is pound 1234, then that's it. They never tell you WHERE the damn thing is!! I despise running around the house looking for the keypad! BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! Heart racing, buyer's nervous! PLEASE TELL US! THIS ISN'T the third grade! We are not playing HIDE AND GO FIND!!!
8. Your ugly listing has a GIANT city water tower in the backyard, HUGE power lines and a manhole in the front yard. To top it off, It's OVERPRICED and within sniffing distance of Taco Bell. Then on your flyer you have the nerve to write: EXCELLENT FIND!
9. Would somebody PLEASE define TLC?! Last time I checked it stood for: TENDER LOVING CARE. Listing Agents love to say "In Need Of Some TLC." I am tired of driving up to a home that looks like it's been hit by multiple artillery shells. A $100,000 home with $40,000 worth of repairs isn't in need of TLC, but a GUT JOB! OKAY?!?! A HANDYMAN SPECIAL doesn't include PERMITS, BULLDOZERS AND FOUNDATION POURING!
10. Who in the hell leaves their A/C on 89 during showings? Are you serious? In Houston the humidity gets to a sweltering 90% in the summer. IT'S HOT! And you have your home set to BAKE? That's just wrong!
I have been a customer of Market Leader since 2006. I was one of the first customers to sign up for the now popular Growth Leader product. I have spoken to hundreds of potential customers on behalf of Growth Leader.
My personal growth leader website is www.servingcypress.com
I also own another link called www.yourhomeinhouston.com
While checking out my SEO progression I noticed that Growth Leader created a website called: www.youhomeSinhouston
They basically took my link and added an S to the word home. Should I be irratated that I'm competing with this site? Was it too close to my own link to copy? I know they haven't done anything wrong, but it seems they could have used a little discretion when deciding to create a website name. You should also know that both sites are DIRECTLY in my market - Cypress!
How would this make you feel?
UDATE: Check out what happens when you Google: yourhomesinhouston!! LOL, It actually tries to correct you and says.. DID YOU MEAN yourhomeinhouston! LMAO!
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Posted by Greg Nino Houston Texas on 09/15/2009 10:19 PM, Comments (6) · your home in houston, your homes in houston, cypress buyers agent your house in ...
If you're like me, you be one busy person. I decided to stop eating fast food a couple of years ago. During extreme conditions I have been guilty of enjoying those cookies on the breakfast table when I show houses..... I mean, that's why they're there, right? Same with bottled water. If it's sitting out in a tub or labeled snacks then there is a higher probablity that I will scarf it. Usually my clients do too. Men love cookies. I always take one over to the husband which is never, ever returned.
Today I made a mistake. I went into a house and took a bite out of what I thought was a double chunk chocolate chip cookie. Unfortunately this high end "display" wasn't real, but plastic.What to do? It's been in my mouth and it ain't real. I decided to thoroughly wash it. My buyers laughed their butts off for probably an hour, in tears.
As we drove off my buyer asked to "stop to go to the ladies room" at the local Jiffy Mart. When she got back in the car she handed her husband a Gatorade and then tossed me a giant chocolate cookie in saran wrap. The laughter filled the car all the way back to the office.
The stager had excellent taste, so real I almost tasted it.
I have two condos for sale here in Houston. Both have the sign in the window. One of the many responsibilities that MOST, if not all Home Owners Associations have is to help preserve the value of the neighborhood. They do this be enforcing their "rules."
I think one of the rules some HOA's have is not only counter productive, but quite stupid.
RING-RING:
HOA REP: Hi Greg, this is XXX from ABC HOA. I need you to take your signs down.
GREG: Why?
HOA REP: A couple here & there wouldn't bother us, but too many make the neighborhood look trashy.
Real Estate signs do many things:
1. Advertise the property - Many buyers on their initial search not only use the MLS, but drive around with or without their agent to find the property. Sign calls as we Realtors call them are a very important ingredient in getting any home sold. Many buyers will see the sign & tell a friend, relative, co-worker or anyone in the area.
2. Realtors are not born, nor or they hardwired with an internal compass. Real Estate signs make it easier for the Realtor to actually find the property. A complex that has hundreds of units located on multiple floors with special parking can be quite cumbersome, confusing and frustrating.
3. My signs display my website. I get anywhere from 200-300 clicks a day on my website. According to my sites statistics, 84% of people who visit the site VIEW MY LISTINGS. One of my MANY responsibilities is to ADVERTISE my property.
What many HOA's don't understand is that if they get in the way of me selling my property, they are basically asking to ----> lower their property values. <-----
Here's why:
Homes that don't sell (especially in today's market) will ultimately foreclose or go into a short sale status. If this happens, it's likely the price will DRASTICALLY be reduced, thus attracting INVESTORS-RENTERS and other low ball offers.
The only thing TRASHY about a real estate sign is what it might financially do to a community if it is not allowed to exist.
--------------> No sign = less chance to sell. Less chance to sell = lower property values. <-----------------
So go ahead and complain about my sign. In the end you'll win battle, but you'll lose the war. I'll remove the sign. When YOU decide your neighborhood "has gone down hill" don't expect YOUR property to sell quickly.
PSSST... Same thing for Open Houses!
Team Leader for GT & Associates. We proudly serve all of Harris & Montgomery County.
Greg Nino is the Team Leader for GT & Associates. We are all full-time licensed Real Estate professionals in the State of Texas serving our clients throughout Harris and Montgomery County. Our office is conveniently located south of 290 on Hwy 6 just in front of Copperfield.
Together we have over 15 years combined experience and have been involved with hundreds of real estate transactions.
Our experience involves:
Together we offer 4 Realtors for the price of one. We do not hire unlicensed employees or assistants to take over our transactions once your trust has been earned. Our clients are treated like individual people with the best possible care, attention to detail, and dedication.
We are available 7 days a week and guarantee excellent communication. We are all from the Houston area and know the city, neighborhoods and market very well.
Today over 90% of Texas buyers begin their search online. GT & Associates spend 90% of their marketing efforts in this arena. Online marketing is not glamorous, but it is highly effective if done correctly. Through social media, multiple websites, and online efforts we are consistently working with over 150 new buyer and seller prospects each month. Ron Tarvin is our Internet Marketing Guru. Ron consistently drives web traffic to our listings on a day to day basis & in doing so helps us find more buyers for our sellers.
A real estate transaction involves hundreds of details that often come with challenges. These challenges have faces. These faces change with the economy, market, and type of transaction. It´s critical that you are working with educated council that isn´t only experienced, but aggressive in meeting all of your goals.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of service- GT & Associates
1996 - USN Veteran, USS John Hancock DD-981
1999 - Stephen F. Austin State University - Marketing & Advertising
2002 - First Class Recruiters - Owner, Operator & Partner
2004 - RE/MAX West Houston Professionals
Married to Cara Nino with 2 beautiful children living in Cypress Texas.
Member of:
National Association of Realtors
Texas Association of Realtors
Houston Association of Realtors
RE/MAX 100% Club (production): 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009
# 1 Agent in office for number of transactions 2009
Recognized As An Elite Member of The Top 250 RE/MAX Agents For The State of Texas - 2009
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