CCAR Offering Facebook - Social Media Class in October

Did you know CCAR has a 2-hour Social Media Class for which you can earn two-hours of MCE Credit? Well we do. The course entitled, "Building On Line Relationships", provider #9923 was created last year.

The class, created, written and taught by Josh Ellington offers students the opportunity to learn about the benefits of social networking - how you can make it work for you - and social media including facebook, linked in and Twitter. In addition, the class covers how to use video with YouTube and blogging.

This month the Social Media classes will be taught on October 14 and 28. The cost is $25.00. To sign up for the class, please contact Josh Ellington at josh@ccaronline.com

Finding the right neighborhood

Picking a neighborhood that fits your lifestyle and desires is an important part of the homebuying process. It can be challenging, though … there are so many things to consider.
For a lot of people, quality schools top the list of desirable neighborhood amenities. It may surprise you that being in an area with good schools is important even for people without children because good schools mean a higher resale value.

As unpleasant as it may be, the crime statistics of an area are important, too. Take your time and do your research on this one … there are plenty of resources out there, including local law enforcement resources, Web sites, even neighborhood Internet groups.
You may also want to consider transportation issues, such as how living in an area is going to affect your day-to-day errands, your commute, and the ease of access to public transportation and major thoroughfares.

Some people want to be in close proximity to healthcare facilities. Others find that having quick access to shopping centers or their favorite grocery store or restaurants is a top priority. Still others may value features such as public pools and parks, access to bike routes and jogging and walking trails.

The point is that everyone’s list will be different. The key is to find a neighborhood that scores well in areas you deem important. That’s a good place to focus your search efforts.
If you’re able to find everything you’re looking for in a neighborhood, good for you! However, if you’re like many people, you may have to make some sacrifices. A neighborhood you’re considering may score well on most of your checklist but not meet every single one of your criteria. That’s when you have to decide if one missing attribute can be offset by the presence of another.

Many Texas REALTORS® concentrate on becoming experts in specific neighborhoods or zip codes, so if you find an area you like, great representation may be close by.

Source (Texas Association of Realtors®)

My house won't sell

There are a variety of factors that contribute to a home languishing on the market, including price, condition, and location. Pricing the house too high is one of the top reasons homes fail to sell. When setting an asking price, it’s important to do your homework. Conduct market research and ask your REALTOR® for a comparative market analysis (CMA). As a homeowner, try to stay on top of market conditions. Is real estate in your neighborhood relatively hot? Visit some open houses and see what others are doing. What terms and conditions are other sellers offering buyers?

Most buyers want to walk into a home that is in model condition. Although it may be difficult, you should walk through your house as if you are a potential buyer, being very critical and asking whether you would purchase a home in this condition. It may be as simple as getting that stove to shine, or you may need to do a little more like adding a fresh coat of paint to your home’s exterior. Whatever the case, talk to your Texas REALTOR® about staging your home to sell.

The third big reason a house won’t sell in a good market is location. Such things as undesirable schools, a higher crime rate, a busy road, or noise pollution can mark a bad location. If your house is located poorly, you may have to compensate with a lower listing price. Favorable terms, such as owner financing or a lease with options, could also help sell your house. Your Texas REALTOR® can recommend a strategy for selling that will overcome a poor location.

Source (Texas Association of Realtors®)

Tutorial Link - Clients, CMA, Report Editor, TransactionDesk, Blackberry, and Palm

Links to online classes and tutorials

Some extra links can be found on the MLS homepage in the Help section next to Settings. At the bottom of the page click the link to View Archived Workshops.

Prospecting Clients
http://www.mlxhelp.com/Content/TrainingResources/JEFF/New%20Tutorials/Prospecting%20Workshop/Prospecting%20Workshop_controller.swf


CMA Workshop
http://www.mlxhelp.com/Content/TrainingResources/JEFF/New%20Tutorials/CMA%20Workshop%20MLX/CMA%20Workshop%20MLX_controller.swf


Introduction to Report Editor Workshop
http://www.mlxhelp.com/Content/TrainingResources/JEFF/New%20Tutorials/Report%20Editor/Report%20Editor_controller.swf


Transaction Management/ Instanet Forms
http://www.instanetsolutions.com/webinars/


Ekey-Blackberry User Manual
http://www.gesecurity.com/GESecurity/Real%20Estate/Subcontent/ekey-blackberry-uman.pdf


Palm Tutorial
http://learning.palm.com/

Safety tips for home sellers

The Texas Association of REALTORS just release some good “Safety tips for home sellers” and I thought everyone should take a minute to read these simple yet important steps. Click on the link below to go to the webpage directly.

Click Here

1. Never leave a message on your answering machine telling callers you are not at home.
2. Never set an appointment with anyone to see your home unless you have their name and number and have called back to verify that number.
3. Remember to remove keys, credit cards, jewelry, and other valuables from the home or lock them away during open houses.
4. Never discuss your personal schedule or habits with potential buyers.
5. Carry a mobile phone with you in case you need to make a call to the authorities or to emergency personnel.
6. After an open house, check all the windows, doors, and other entrances to make sure they are locked.

Internet Explorer 8

Now that Internet Explorer 8 (IE8)is out most of you want to know whether or not to upgrade to it. IE8 is compatible with the MLXChange system but a few steps will have to be taken to make it work properly.

Install Internet Explorer 8, once IE8 is done configuring and setting up.

Open Internet Explorer and go to Tools, then Internet Options. Click on the Security Tab and click on Trusted Sites, add http://cor.mlxchange.com to the list. Once done click OK and exit Internet Options.

Then go to http://cor.mlxchange.com/ax and click on the Install button. Ok and approve each Active X control download and install. Once all the Active X controls are installed go to http://cor.mlxchange.com to login like normal.

All real estate is local

The Texas Association of REALTORS recently released an article “All real estate is local” about how national news stories and market trends don’t accurately reflect any one real estate market. The one size fits all mentality couldn’t be any more wrong. Real estate being local is a concept we here at the Corpus Christi Association of REALTORS have been trying to empress upon both our members and the public for quite some time because our real estate market has defied national trends time and time again. I’m happy to see the Texas Association of REALTORS finally addressing this issue in this article.

To read the entire article please click here.