Rich Johnson

To effectively work with today’s internet savvy homebuyer, you need an internet savvy Realtor

• Windermere was the first real estate company to feature an interactive listing map on their website, allowing visitors to conveniently search for properties from the comfort of their homes.
• Windermere Exclusive Properties was the first real estate brokerage in San Diego to launch a companywide blog site. It is updated daily with real time news, powered by more than 100 active agent authors, including HotOnSanDiego’s Sue Johnson & Misty Dobson.

• We are the only real estate brokerage in California with our own multimedia production company and green screen studio. Our team of videographers and directors support agents with everything from professional photography to full motion video.

• Windermere developed an exclusive virtual toolset that allows us to reach, track and engage buyers on an international level.

• Windermere listings are syndicated to thousands of websites through the most sophisticated internet property plan ever developed.

If you want access to the greatest tools technology has to offer, chose us, your Windermere Agent ! Email us at: HotOnSanDiego

<strong><span style="color: #008000;">To effectively work with today’s internet savvy homebuyer, you need an internet savvy Realtor</span></strong>
<ul>
<li>Windermere was the first real estate company to feature an <a title="Interactive Property Map" href="http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=listing.SearchLanding" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>interactive listing map</strong></span></a> on their website, allowing visitors to conveniently search for properties from the comfort of their homes. <a href="http://www.hotonsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/windermere-agent.png"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1066" title="windermere-agent" src="http://www.hotonsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/windermere-agent-193x300.png" alt="windermere-agent" width="193" height="300" /></a></li>
<li>Windermere Exclusive Properties was the first real estate brokerage in San Diego to launch a <a title="Windermere's Company Blogsite" href="http://www.pictureperfectsandiego.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>companywide blog site</strong></span></a>. It is updated daily with real time news, powered by more than 100 active agent authors, including HotOnSanDiego’s Sue Johnson &amp; Misty Dobson.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We are the only real estate brokerage in California with our own <strong><a title="Our Green Screen Studio" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Wn9Uk0lWw&amp;feature=player_embedded" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">multimedia production company and green screen studio</span></a>.</strong> Our team of videographers and directors support agents with everything from professional photography to full motion video.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Windermere developed an <a title="Our Virtual Toolsdet" href="http://pictureperfectsandiego.com/files/2009/10/Web-2.0-Book.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>exclusive virtual toolset</strong></span></a> that allows us to reach, track and engage buyers on an international level.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Windermere listings are syndicated to thousands of websites through the most <a title="The Best Technolgoy &amp; Internet Marketing Plan" href="http://www.hotonsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Web-2.0-Book.pdf" target="_blank">sophisticated internet property plan ever developed</a></span><a title="The Best Technolgoy &amp; Internet Marketing Plan" href="http://www.hotonsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Web-2.0-Book.pdf" target="_blank">.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="color: #008000;">If you want access to the greatest tools technology has to offer, chose us, your Windermere Agent ! Email us at: <a title="Email Our Team" href="mailto:rrj2020@gmail.com" target="_blank">HotOnSanDiego</a>
</span></strong>

Are you thinking of buying a home in Brookside Escondido? If so, with the world of financing having been turned upside down in the last year, reviewing your options is what our team recommends to our clients and in conjunction with our team's lender.

The right or wrong decision when signing your home mortgage can mean thousands of dollars difference in interest paid. There are very important considerations to evaluate before you commit to a 15 or 30 year note. For many of us, our mortgage payment is the most important financial decision we’ll ever make. Doesn’t it make sense to know as much as possible about the financing of our home? Take the time to thoroughly investigate all of your options!

Unbelievably many of us sign the first mortgage placed in front of us. Typically the excitement of the new home purchase reduces the mortgage to not much more than an afterthought. What you read here could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Your real estate professional has established relationships with the top lenders in your area. By aligning yourself with a professional agent you ensure all the financial steps are taken care of properly and economically.

1. Utilize a Lender With Established Ties to an Agent- Lenders are much more flexible with the real estate agents who have done business with them previously. Their relationship establishes them as a team member. The lender and agent work effectively together. That’s why a good agent can make substantial difference in setting up the most economical financing. And the right financing can, literally, save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan!

2. Don’t Attempt Paperwork Alone- All the paperwork required to complete the purchase of a home can be quite intimidating and frustrating for a home buyer. Make sure you have your lender help you with all the paperwork. Get help from your team, your lender and agent. Their expertise will help alleviate the stress and it will prove to be invaluable before you sign your mortgage.

3. Look at All Your Options- Make sure you see at least 3 loan programs for your mortgage. Lenders have at least 5-7 programs and should work with you and your agent on deciding what is best for your circumstances. Evaluate all your options. After all, it’s your money you’re spending - not theirs!

4. Demand Service- There is little difference between a bank, savings and loan, or a mortgage broker when it comes to the competitiveness of their loan rates. The difference is in the service they provide. It is their job to serve you! You want to get the loan approved and move into your new home as quickly as possible, but don’t overlook the fact that you are the one spending the money and they are the ones who should cater to your needs. Don’t let the process become so intimidating that you lose that understanding.

5. Stay in Complete Touch- You should receive a written report from your lender concerning every step. This will ensure that no details are overlooked and there will be no surprises.

6. Don’t Give Up on the First No- Initial decisions are not always final decisions. Going to a higher authority can sometimes get you the loan, but do so with the assistance and compliance of your lender and agent. Many times, special circumstances, when explained properly to the person in charge, will win you the loan.

7. Don’t Wait for the Bottom of the Market- The odds of your hitting the bottom of your market are about like the odds of you hitting your state lotto! You will almost never hit the bottom of a market. And trying to time it exactly right is often costly. It usually causes a person or family to miss out on the opportunity to purchase a very nice property. You’re better off simply negotiating the best rate and terms you can at the time you find a property. If interest rates go down, you can refinance. This is a much better approach because you won’t miss out on the property you’ve spent so much time locating.

8. Be Honest With Your Lender- Your lender wants to help you with your loan. The only time they get paid is when you get approved. The more information (good or bad) you provide your lender, the easier it will be for them to get an approval. It helps them present the loan in the best light. This in turn helps the loan get the highest approval rating.

9. Become Completely Educated- Pick your lender’s brain. Lenders will teach you all about your various options, even if you haven’t found the right property yet. They will be very patient with you while you are looking, especially if you have aligned yourself with the right agent. They understand all the up-front work will pay off in future business. Your agent will then continue to refer people to the courteous and service-minded lender on down the line.

10. Get Pre-qualified- Lenders will provide you with a certificate of pre-qualification. By getting pre-qualified, you know exactly what financial parameters to stay within. Your agent and lender will consult with you and help you get qualified for the loan that best fits your needs. Many times, they are able to get you a larger loan than you may have thought possible.

Getting approved for a loan is often times much easier than you might think. If you've been house hunting in Brookside Escondido, you know that prices are at levels we haven't seen in years. Great neighborhoods, excellent amenities and fabulous prices and loan rates make this a perfect time to buy. So if you are really trying to time the bottom, remember that we won't know what it truly was until it's passed.

As a Branch Manager for Windermere Exclusive Properties it’s my job to spread the word on why our brokerage is a great place to work. With all of the “consolidation” going on in the San Diego real estate world, it’s been hard for me to get out because our phones are starting to ring off the hook.

Our phones are ringing because we are the company that is different than the rest and agents are looking for better, more innovative companies to hang their license with.

I had a really good interview today with a recently relocated broker associate who is considering joining our company. As always, I try to convey an accurate portrait of our company and what it’s like to work with us while getting to know the potential new agent.

I always end up saying the same things… “It’s our culture that makes us different” and “we’re like a family”, which sound sort of cliche’ish ( I know this isn’t a word!)

When I interview for our offices, I look at the person in front of me and try to visualize how they will “fit” within the office. Most often, I end up apologizing for talking too much and going on too long (I do love my company!) instead of being a good interviewer and asking lots of the boring traditional questions.

When I do get to the questions I like to ask, I’m usually able to bring to the top what the agent is really looking for in a brokerage, and what they need to succeed.

REALTORS are starting to get that it’s not all about us anymore. People don’t care what million dollar clubs we belong to. They’re not impressed with our image websites with pictures of our dogs and cats or our beautiful families. People want the local info, the stuff they can’t find on Zillow or Trulia.

They will gravitate to those agents who can provide them with this type of service. We teach this everyday! At one point in my interview, I told the interested agent that at our brokerage, every agent donates a portion of their commission on every transaction we close to the Windermere Foundation.

The amounts vary but every closed transaction results in money going to a good cause. I was asked where does the money end up, and while I answered the question, it made me think of a video we produced that answered the question far better than I ever could. Watch The Video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4yJeeQ3LWs[/youtube]

The real estate professional of today needs the support, resources, and tools that a company like Windermere Exclusive Properties can provide them with.

Marketing in general and online marketing especially are critical for today’s homeseller. Providing the right information to buyers today is hugely important, who now have the capability to know just about everything about a property before it’s ever seen in person.

We provide the support and the tools and the education to our agents that consumers need today. What our professionals are looking for, even in tough economic times like we’re experiencing today, is to feel good about what they do and how they help people.

It is The Windermere Way.

If you are looking for a professional real estate representative, you can count on Windermere. My interviewee today was that professional, and would fit right in to our family.

I hope she joins our team! To find an experienced agent who can help you navigate today’s ever changing market, click on this link.

Using Sue Johnson’s Team to Help You Find a Home

Whatever your reasons for buying, know that finding the right home, in the perfect neighborhood and at a cost that is within your budget, is no small task. There are many buyers in the market right now taking advantage of investment opportunities that exist because of the perfect storm of affordable prices, low interest rates, and motivated banks and sellers.

Having the right representation can mean the difference between success in obtaining the right property while this window still exists at the right price. Our sales associates are licensed professionals with specialized skills. We work with many savvy investors who value their time and require professionalism and ethics. There are many benefits you receive from working with our professionals.

As your Buyer’s Agent-

1. We can save you time by doing a lot of the legwork. By knowing your needs, We can eliminate homes that do not meet your criteria.
2. We will mak
3. We know the local market and can quickly narrow down a few areas where you are likely to find your home at the price you want.
4. e appointments, preview homes with you and help you determine the pros and cons of each home.
5. We have access to the multiple listing service (MLS), a service that provides access to thousands of homes for sale.
6. We can provide information and make appointments to see almost any property listed for sale. A home does not have to be listed by us in order to get detailed information or an appointment to view.
7. Once you find the home you want to buy, we will guide you through the negotiation, legalities and details of purchasing a home.
8. We work with many investor buyers in today’s market. There are many homes for sale right now that will positive cash flow.
9. We are very experienced in working with Short Sale & Bank Owned properties. We know the “in’s and outs” and how to get your offer accepted.
10. We have Foreclosure lists available to you.
11. We give honest, personalized service and give you the facts.

Our Advice:

Get pre-approved. Do you already know how much home you can afford? There is nothing more frustrating than looking for a home, finding the perfect home, and then discovering that it is out of your price range.

Sign up for Property Watch. In order to make an educated decision you need to know what is available and how much it is going for. You can browse all the active listings from our website.

Remember, if you have any questions we are always just a phone call or email away.