Consumers Await on Social Networks

OCTOBER 10, 2008

Befriended and poked by companies

Nearly six out of 10 Americans who use social media interact with companies on social media Websites, according to a September 2008 study by conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Cone.

The researchers found 85% of social media users thought companies should interact with their consumers through social media, at least when needed.

“Americans are eager to deepen their brand relationships through social media,” said Mike Hollywood, director of new media at Cone, in a statement. “It isn’t an intrusion into their lives, but rather a welcome channel for discussion.”

Cone is a brand marketer that counts social networking among its capabilities, so its enthusiasm is understandable. But a growing number of retail e-commerce companies agree, judging by an August 2008 study conducted by Vovici Corporation for Internet Retailer.

Nearly four out of 10 online merchants surveyed used social networks. Of those, nearly one-third said they had a page on Facebook, and more than one-quarter said they used each of MySpace and YouTube.

Agencies and brands from all verticals rely on eMarketer Total Access for analysis and data. Daily articles are just the tip of the iceberg. Find out what you are missing. Learn more about Total Access today.

REL, the nation’s leading Latino real estate network, introduced today CasasRecienListadas.com , its latest addition of free services dedicated to empower the US Latino consumer.

CasasRecienListadas.com feature a user-friendly web interface in Spanish that makes it easy for Latino home buyers receiving daily properties listings updates via emails. Registered homebuyers are able to request a personalized list of available property for sale in any real estate market on the US. Once the clients’ information has been received one of our team coordinators will connect the homebuyers with one of our local certified real estate agents.

A research issued last year by the Pew Hispanic Center and Pew Internet & American Life Project, found that 76 percent of bilingual Latinos logged on to the internet. If you want to be recognized as the online real estate marketing leader in today’s challenging market, we must take this information seriously and innovate services not yet available in Spanish, like CasasRecienListadas.com, said Bill Arce, Founder and CEO of Real Estate Latino Network. The Latino consumer is demanding trust and services they can count on to live the “America Dream”, concluded Arce.

Real Estate Latino Network provides solutions designed to excel its members’ professional careers by generating leads and managing them all the way until the closing day. Our certified members are provided with exclusive access to RealEstateLatino.com and its network of lead generating websites and blogs. Since I am part of REL’s network I been receiving leads on the regular basics, said Armando Tam a real estate owner and a NAHREP chapter president.

About RealEstateLatino.com

RealEstateLatino.com, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is the nation's leading provider of real estate recourses and information with the mission of increasing homeownership opportunities within the Latino community by taking down barriers. Launched in 2004, RealEstateLatino.com was founded by visionary real estate broker, William R. Arce to answer Latinos real estate concerns about purchasing homes. For more information please visit, http://www.realestatelatino.com.

For Media Contact:

Dunia Arce

duniaarce@realestatelatino.com

Contact: For Consumer Assistance:

Aracely Panameño, CRL Legal Svcs of No. VA, Manassas

Cell: 202-413-6510 Office: 703-368-5711

Washington, DC, October 6 - in Prince William County, VA, the foreclosure debacle continues to unravel unabated. More than 8,000 families have lost their homes. One out of every 93 families is in foreclosure. That is why, once again, local leaders, non-profit organizations, and people of faith will hold a one-day event to help homeowners in crisis. Mi Casa es Mi Casa Foreclosure Avoidance & Legal Clinic will be held at a local church in Woodbridge.

This is a free event open to homeowners in crisis at risk of losing their primary home, especially PWC and Spanish-speaking residents. Housing counseling and legal aid will be available. Homeowners must bring mortgage documents and proof of income. Space is limited; please call or send email to preregister.

Aracely Panameño, a Woodbridge resident and the director of Latino Affairs at Center for Responsible Lending, stated that "The federal government caved to industry pressures and applied the wrong medicine to the financial crisis. The fundamental problem remains; people like my neighbors in Woodbridge and Dale City, and around the country, continue to lose their homes. This will cause non-performance in mortgage backed assets, irrespective of ownership -investors or government." "Now, help must reach our communities." she said.

WHAT: Mi Casa es Mi Casa Foreclosure Avoidance & Legal Clinic

WHEN: Saturday, October 18, 2008, 8:30 AM-4:00 PM

WHERE: Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church, 2610 Omisol Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192

This event is being sponsored by Center for Responsible Lending, Legal Services of Northern Virginia, and St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Woodbridge.

Center for Responsible Lending is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy organization dedicated to protecting homeownership and family wealth by working to eliminate abusive financial practices. For more information, visit www.responsiblelending.org.

www.realestatelatino.com is a proud supporter of Mi Casa es Mi Casa Foreclosure Avoidance & Legal Clinic

Home loans held by illegal immigrants in California and across the nation generally have had fewer delinquencies than similar loans held by U.S. citizens, in part because of stricter lending requirements, according to banks, insurers and Realtors, reports The Times' Anna Gorman.

"Every indication is that their performance is better than the average" mortgage account, said Tim Sandos, president of the National Assn. of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

More than 12,000 home loans were issued in recent years through a special program that relies on government-issued taxpayer identification numbers instead of Social Security numbers, according to the association. The identification numbers, known as ITINs, were designed for foreign-born residents living legally in the U.S. but are widely acknowledged to be used primarily by illegal immigrants.

Read the rest of the report on how illegal immigrant homeowners compare to U.S citizen homeowners here.

"The goal of National Cyber Security Awareness Month is to educate everyday Internet users on how to "Protect Yourself Before You Connect Yourself", by taking simple and effective steps."

In observance of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, RealEstateLatino.com will be sharing information with you each week for the next four weeks to enhance your ability to protect your personal information when utilizing the Internet.

The first installment in this useful series is Passwords

TIP: Do not disclose your password.

WHAT IS A STRONG PASSWORD?

A strong password is one that's hard to crack. A strong password should be no fewer than eight (8) characters in length with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols

TIP: No matter how complex a password is, if you write it down it is less effective and secure.

• PASSWORD TIPS
  • Never tell your password to anyone!
  • Never write down your password. A sticky note is NOT secure!
  • Make your password hard to guess - do not use the name of your pet, your child, or city etc.
  • Be sure that you don't use personal identifiers in your password (like your name or User ID).
  • Take responsibility for your User ID and Password.

TIP: A compromised password not only puts your own information at risk, it may also expose sensitive data and systems.

• POOR PASSWORD CHOICES
  • Your name in any form - first, middle, last, maiden, spelled backwards, nickname, or initials
  • Your user ID or your user ID spelled backwards
  • Part of your user ID or name
  • The name of a close relative, friend, or pet
  • Your phone number, office number, address, or town
  • Your birthday or anniversary date
  • Simple variants of names or words (even foreign words), simple patterns or well-known values
  • Your favorite sports team (NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.)
  • Your license plate number, your social security number, or any all-numeral password
  • Popular culture Icons (e.g.: Beatles, Spiderman, etc.)