Twitter Changing the World????

Is anyone besides me amazed at what is happening in Iran? The government would like to hide the people's reactions from the rest of the world, but because of technology, their country is "transparent". I was watching Rachel Maddow last night and other news outlets and was so proud of the Iranian people finding ways to have their voices heard. Today's NY Times printed an article, Social Networks Spread Iranian Defiance Online. From Twitter to youtube to private blog sites, Iranian protests are given relevance.
If you haven't begun your trip into the 21st century and introduced yourself to social media's power, start marching, or be left behind....

Are YOU Ready????

Today is a historic day. The country is officially switching all television broadcast from analog to totally digital. If you have an analog TV without a converter, you will not be watching "Family Guy" anymore (or any of your other favorites, unless of course you watch them via the web ;-)).
Today in USAToday, there was a great article discussing how this switch will totally change our viewing experiences.
We have all watched this happen in the print world, where more and more publications are eliminating their print versions and are going totally to digital.
The question is--- ARE YOU READY??? HAVE YOU SWITCHED THE CHANNELS OF YOUR BRAIN???? SIMPLY PUT -- ARE YOU ANALOG OR DIGITAL???

Talk to your buyers... NOW!!!!

Mortgage applications at lowest since November....Borrowing costs have soared as bond yields have risen (from cnnmoney.com).
Buyers who are on the fence, better jump off and make their move now. Interest rates are rising and it doesn't look like they will be returning to the lows we saw just 2 weeks ago. Today, the auction of 10 year Treasury notes was disappointing and oil prices jumped yet again causing further upward pressure on rates.
Last Thursday I broadcast a webinar, Why Now is the Time to Buy- Language, Tools and Strategies for Agents working With Buyers. It was hosted by mysoi.com and you can watch it in it's entirety by clicking this link. LISTEN, LEARN, AND EARN!!!!!!!!!

Social Media Explodes Again!!!

Everyday, journalists and bloggers are writing about the new power of social media. Today I found three articles on MSN.com about facebook... How to Live Your Entire Life on Facebook, 10 Tips for Facebook Power Users, and the best one, Are Boomers Killing Facebook and Twitter? ... Is this new power really reserved for the young?

This BOOMER thinks not...

Yes I am on facebook, twitter, linkedin, smallworld, MYSOI and this blog. I own an iphone, blackberry, several ipods, a Mac and a 2 wireless laptops. But not to make me "feel part of the younger generation" as the article suggests. Rather "being connected" has become a necessity. Who among us hasn't asked or been asked to "PLEASE PUT THE BLACKBERRY DOWN"? MY MOTHER IS ON FACEBOOK!!!!

In my social media classes, I suggest to my agents that they not just go on these sites, simply to be there, but that they first formulate their objective for "being there". Once you establish and recognize your motives, you work backward from there to accomplish your goals (no matter how old you may be ;-))...

So is progress for the young or young at heart????

JUST FOR FUN!!!!!

The Social Media Bible Ten Commandment Ball http://www.lonsafko.com/FastCompany/Commandment_Ball.pdf

You Snooze, You Lose

Bargain hunting buyers are back with a vengance. These buyers know value when they see it. Low prices and low interest rates have lured many investors back into the market. In an article I found today on cnnmoney.com, Les Christie reported that housing affordability is at almost an all time high (Most Over- and Under- Valued Housing Markets), so as a consequence, savey investors are starting to pounce.

Of the 330 housing markets studied in a recent IHS Global Report, 248 were considered under-valued... as much as 42.5% in Vero Beach, Florida!!! The most over-valued city is Atlantic City, NJ, weighing in at 44.1% over-valued.

You may also want take a look at some of my previous posts, which have other articles about surging sales and increased housing affordability (May 27th, June 1st and June 2nd).

Follow MYSOI on TWITTER!!!!

WWW.MYSOI.COM is now on TWITTER!! For a constant feed of great information follow them at http://twitter.com/mySOI. LEARNERS ARE EARNERS!!!!!

More on WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY OR REFI!!!!

More news coming out today points to the fact that, indeed now is the time to think about pulling the trigger if you are considering purchasing or refinancing a home.
Freddie Mac released an article, MORTGAGE RATES CLIMB IN RESPONSE TO RECENT RISE IN BOND YIELDS, reminding us that we are now seeing rates that have not been this high since December 11, 2008. As long as treasury yields remain high, there will continue to be an upward pressure on interest rates.
In a related article written by Brian Louis on Bloomberg.com, US Mortgage rates Jump to Highest Since December, he states, "This week’s rate increase translates into an additional $31.79 a month for a buyer purchasing the median-priced U.S. home of $170,200 with a 20 percent down payment."
More great information is contained in my Monday, June 1st post, NOW is the Time to Buy.
Also if you missed the webinar this morning which discussed this very topic, you can sign on to http://www.mysoi.com/ tomorrow and listen to the archived version.
So unless you are an ALL CASH buyer, call your mortgage professional today to determine how the current rate trending is impacting your purchasing power.

No More CNN???...Constantly Negative News???

WOW... Lot's of promising news out there. First time and bargain hunting home buyers are storming into the market.

In an article from Bloomberg.com, U.S. Economy: Pending Home Resales Surge by Most Since 2001 , the author Carlos Torres points out that low prices, low interest rates, pent up demand and more market confidence have set the stage for this new uptick.

Les Christie of CNNmoney.com included regional sales data in an article he also published today, Pending Home Sales Rebounding.  Positive reports came from three of the four regions. The Northeast (+33% ), the Midwest (+9.8%), and the Western (+1.8%) all saw increases in pending sales, with only a 0.2% decrease in the Southern region.

Just for FUN!!!

Now IS the Time to Buy!!!!

So you think home prices are still going to drop a bit? Waiting to try to time the bottom? Well, while you were waiting to squeeze every last penny out of the sales price, interest rates started moving upward. So much so that the financial columnists have been banging out articles about "pulling the trigger".

Today on CNNMONEY.com, Les Christie wrote about how the high yields on Treasurys are going to keep the UPWARD pressure on mortgage rates (Mortgage RATES Staying above 5%). Brett Arends (WSJ) in his article, Low Mortgage Rates Are Going, Going cautions that rates are likely to keep inching higher and that if you are looking to refinance or to buy, you should start considering your monthly payments.

On Thursday, I will be presenting a FREE WEBINAR, "WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY" (12pm EST). Arm yourself with the data, research and information to make informed decisions. Register at http://www.mysoi.com/ today!!!