New Marketing Information!

Awesome Viral Email

Modern-day spam at it's finest, but nothing spammy about it.

The link below is a new style of viral email that is the envy of email marketers. Pay no attention to the political slant, that is not the point. You'll want to notice how the producers cleverly designed the video to integrate extensive personalization based on simple information the user provides. After each recipient enjoys the personalized movie they can forward a version to their friends as well. And on, and on, and on it goes. Click here to watch the clip.
For you, the real estate professional, adding personalization to your mass email campaigns and postcard mailings will generate a higher response rate AND should not cost a dime extra. Marketing agencies know that personalization is essential to getting the best ROI. Call Shawn (760) 271-8584 to learn more how this works and why personalization is such an important marketing attribute, and other great ways to create highly responsive marketing campaigns. 

Good News - Fed Rate Cut, Cash Infusions, Gas Down

 Signs that the lending market is returning to normal is good news for the lending market here in the US. The LIBOR dropped again yesterday for the 14th consecutive day, the International Monetary Fund announced it was doubling the lending activity to emerging countries, and the Fed cut the target rate by a half percentage point to 1%, all good news. Read more of the good news here.

Make Audio Message, Send Via Email - For Free!

Wouldn't you rather watch a video or listen to an audio message than read on your computer monitor? I sure would.
This new online audio recording service is free. It is called Houndbite. Have a listen. All you need is a microphone that plugs into your computer. Beats typing if you are a slow typist like me.
-Posted by Reese

Existing Home Sales On the Rise

This is important and very welcome news. Click here to read the details.

Not just because it stands in the face of the tsunami of rotten news about the real estate market, but because a housing upturn offers hope that the foundation of the entire economy might be returning into a positive direction.

I'm Wearing Big Shades These days

For two reasons I am wearing sunglasses these days. The big black Jackie-O  shades.

They cover one black eye from the housing market, and the other from the stock market crash as my 401(k) is now a 201(k). Ironically, the guy with his hand on the tiller can't explain what hit us.

"I made a mistake in presuming that the self interest of organizations, specifically banks and others, was such that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and the equity in the firms," Greenspan said.

Oops.

On the other hand (I sound like an economist Harry Truman would have hated, which I am not), the sunglasses are shading the bright long-term real estate horizon here in San Diego. Yes, I am a  pragmatic optimist. Read the experts carefully and you will see the 'buy low and sell high' sign is telling us, "we are at or nearing the bottom so buy now."

Top 10 Broker Websites for 2008 - from 1000 Watt Consulting

We talk about the changing face of real estate websites - getting more in line with what customers demand these days, and looking less like a simple brochure/IDX site. The document below from 1000 Watt Consulting spells out in detail what these top broker sites are all about.

1000watt Top Ten Real Estate Brokerage Websites - Upload a Document to Scribd

760 Area Code is Saved!

The CPUC Thursday voted 5 to 0 to reverse course and adopt an overlay in the 760 area code instead of the 442/760 split they had previously mandated. Click here to learn more www.keep760.org.

What You Think About...

...you talk about. What you talk about, you bring about.

Click here for an important article on managing your "mindset" by Bernice Ross at Inman News.

Call Shawn today (760) 271-8584 to learn new marketing tools and strategies that will help you to build an intention-driven business that delivers a steady stream of income.

Track Events That Create The Financial Crisis

The following Dipity timeline has been tracking current events leading up to the financial crisis. It details a lot of articles following bank lending and deregulation as far back as the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.

'Buy Low' Time Is NOW - Just Watch Warren Buffett

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said the U.S. has been hit with an "economic Pearl Harbor," and the government must respond quickly. "That sounds melodramatic, but I've never used that phrase before. And this really is one," Buffett said in an appearance on the "The Charlie Rose Show" on PBS stations.

So, what does Warren do under these economic circumstances? He goes on a buying spree, of course. As evidenced by Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK.A) recent $3 Billion investment in GE (Click here to read the article) and $5 Billion for Goldman Sachs (Click here to read the article).

Warren is bullish about Real Estate, too. HomeServices of America, Inc. is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. CEO Ron Peltier said HomeServices is in a good position to acquire brokerages.

"Cash is king," Peltier said. "If you've got cash available, you have the opportunity to take advantage of some great buying opportunities." Berkshire has roughly $28 billion in cash to help HomeServices finance acquisitions.

If we learn by watching the experts, now is a great time buy, low.