Got Google Presentation

On Tuesday April 1st I will be giving a presentation at the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors which will cover all the items listed below. This is a presentation targeted to lenders and real estate agents. Make sure you RSVP to our office at 805 965-7091 so we know how many folks to prepare for. We have a lot to cover and we will do our best to get through it all but we want to respect every one's time. We will start at 2:30 and plan to go until 3:30. We will stay after to answer any questions you may have. If there is enough interest we will have some follow up presentations which will go in to more depth on the topics people are looking to hear about.

See You In Escrow!

IGoogle
Learn how to create a very powerful Google start page that can display as little or as much information as you want.
Blogger
Blogging is becoming a very large part of any businesses online presence, learn how to navigate the Lawyers Title blog as well as get ideas on how to create and use your own blog.
Activerain
Get a brief introduction to Active Rain, an online Real Estate Community. Learn how Lawyers Title is using it to increase it's visibility and referrals.
GMail
Get a quick overview of how Gmail is being used, not only as an email tool but as a place where you can view more than one account in as spam free an environment as possible.
Google Reader
Learn about readers in general and how they are used to keep up on items of interest, and maybe your competition. ;o)
Picasa
One of the most powerful photo applications out there. Create slide shows and albums for your business.
Zeemaps
Get a brief over view of how to use this mapping tool, see how Lawyers Title is using it to display information.
Google Maps
See below, you may not understand how easy maps like the one below are to create

View Larger Map

Google Docs
Google is doing what it can to compete with Microsoft Office and you will learn how you can use these tools as well. Including how to embed a presentation on your blog or website.
Lawyers Title does it, why shouldn't you.

Is The Real Estate Market Improving?

Call me busy or just someone who has his priorities wrong, but I finally made time to update the loan activity charts for February 2008.

I was not in any way thinking that I would see any signs of an improved real estate market especially after seeing how few home sales occurred in February.

You probably don't need to be reminded that lenders have tightened their lending requirements and there have been a number of foreclosures in Santa Barbara County. These foreclosures have had an effect on all the communities but have caused Santa Maria and Lompoc's real estate market to struggle for a number of reason.



The biggest issue is lower home values caused in great part to the lenders doing everything they can to get foreclosed properties off their books. These lower home prices are the reason many people can't refinance out of their existing loans. The properties are under water or don't have any equity.

So, you might ask, when is the good news coming? After looking at the lending activity charts for February we may be seeing a change in our real estate market.




Both the Santa Barbara and Lompoc communities saw the largest number of residential refinances occur since October of last year.



Santa Maria had an upward number as well and was just a couple of refinances away from having its best month since October of 2007. Combine that news with the increase in home sales in that area from January to February and you might surmise things are moving in the right direction.



It's hard to imagine a better situation for all of us than to see the refinance business get moving again. I think with the increased underwriting and the new laws about predatory lending the new loans should be pretty rock solid loans that hopefully are helping homeowners get out of the pinch they found themselves in because of the loans they originally took.

Just the fact that these areas are seeing increased lending activity makes me think that appraisals and property values may be stabilizing to some degree. I think the next sign we should see is an increase in the number of home sales.

I wouldn't expect that to be to far off, but I don't expect it to happen until after the tax man cometh.

I welcome your thoughts.


See You In Escrow!

Conforming Loan Limits Permanent?

I received an email the other day that spelled out a campaign that the National Association of Realtors has begun.

The conforming loan limits that went in to place earlier this month are not intended to stay in place permanently. They are scheduled to roll back to the previous numbers on January 1st 2009.

The National Association of Realtors is asking for FHA Reform Now!

They are stating that the new conforming loan limits are showing evidence that they are providing stability, liquidity and security in to the housing market.

They have created a sample letter that can be used to send to you elected officials, like Lois Capps and Barbara Boxer or Dianne Feinstein in California.

One thing I think is going to challenge this campaign is that it appears on the surface to be self serving. I don't really think this is the case.

Real Estate agents would benefit from a quicker turn around in the housing market, but I think the people that are being hurt most are actual homeowners who are struggling to figure out how to keep their homes.

With the increased limits they would appear to have more options when it comes to financing. Below is the exact verbiage from the email I received.

See You In Escrow!

CALL FOR ACTION
FHA REFORM
HELP KEEP THE NEW CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS PERMANENT
Our new conforming loan limits are scheduled to expire at the end
of 2008. Help keep these new limits permanent by answering this
Call for Action. Please follow this link
(http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/campaign/fha_marketreform/)
and send your elected representatives a letter explaining that we
need these new conforming loan limits permanent.