Friday, April 13, 2007

7 Steps to Market Your Mortgage Business

In my consulting experience working with hundreds of mortgage professionals, I have noticed a similar attribute that is common to most independent mortgage brokers. Most are "doers", not "planners."

In reality, being a doer is perhaps the ultimate mark of a successful person. It's what makes entrepreneurs a rare breed. Rather than thinking or wishing, they get out there and make things happen.

But I have encountered many mortgage brokers who get into trouble "doing" the wrong marketing activities the right way or "doing" the right marketing activities the wrong way. If you want to "do" the right marketing activities the right way you must start with a marketing plan.

You don't have to kill a tree to create an effective marketing plan. In fact, you can create a successful plan for your mortgage business in just one day. To begin, don't worry about writing style or making your plan fancy. Just go get a pencil and paper and let's get started.

Step 1 -- Understand Your Market and Competition
A big mistake that many mortgage brokers make is that they start marketing their services without first understanding the market and what it wants (not what it needs). If you try to sell something that people don't want, they won't buy it.

It's that simple.
A profitable market consists of people who have dire wants that are being unmet, so much so that they will jump to buy your solution (mortgage product or brokering service). A profitable market can be compared to a lake with thousands of starving fish. All you need to do is throw in the bait and it turns into a feeding frenzy.

To get an understanding of your market you should ask yourself questions like:

* Are there segments in my market that are being underserved?
* Are these segments of my market big enough to make money?
* How much of a share of that market do I need to capture, to just break even?
* Is there too much competition in the segment of my market to be competitive?
* What unique problems does my market segment face when getting financing?
* What are the weaknesses in my competition's offering that I can capitalize on?
* Does my market want or value my unique competitive offering?

Step 2 -- Understand Your Ideal Client
Knowing your ideal client intimately is the first step to easy sales. Until you know (1) who your ideal clients are, (2) what they want, and (3) what motivates them to use your services, you can't prepare an effective marketing plan.

To really get to know your ideal clients you'll need to ask yourself questions such as:

* How does my potential client normally research their mortgage options? (e.g. search online, ask a friend, Yellow Pages etc. )
* Who is the primary buyer and the primary buying influencer in the purchasing process? (e.g. husband or wife, real estate agent, financial planner, accountant)
* What kind of habits does my ideal client have? For instance, where do they get their information? (e.g. television, newspapers, magazines, internet, word of mouth)
* What are my target market's primary motivations for getting financing? (e.g. pride of ownership, lower payments, building equity, eliminate financial stress, etc.)

Step 3 -- Pick a Niche
If you say that your target prospect is "everybody" then nobody will be your client. The marketplace is jam-packed with competition. You'll have more success jumping up and down in a small puddle than a big ocean.

Carve out a specific niche and dominate that niche; then you might consider moving on to a second niche (but not before you've dominated the first one!).

You could be a "Home Ownership Consultant specializing in Turning Renters into Home Owners" or a "Small Business Financing Expert specializing No-Income Verification Mortgages". You get the picture. Make sure to choose a niche that interests you, that you are passionate about and that is easy to contact. I can't stress this point enough.

There's nothing more destructive than to pick a niche that you can't communicate with or that costs you a ton of money to contact.

Step 4 -- Develop Your Marketing Message
Your marketing message not only tells your prospect what you do, but persuades them to begin a relationship with you. You should develop two types of marketing messages. Your first marketing message should be short and to the point. Some may call this your elevator speech or your audio logo. It's your response to someone who asks you, "So, what do you do?"

The second type is your complete lead generation marketing message that will be included in all your lead generation marketing materials. To make your marketing message compelling and persuasive it should include the following elements:

* An explanation of your target prospect's problem.
* Proof that the problem is so important that it should be solved now, without delay. (e.g. painful mistakes to avoid, high interest debt to consolidate, stop renting and own your own home etc.)
* A free offer that you invite your prospect to take as the first step (i.e. free report, free consultation, free seminar etc.).
* An explanation of the benefits people will receive from taking your free offer.
* Examples and testimonials from happy clients you have helped with similar problems.
* A clear call to action (e.g. To get your free copy, call 24-hour Recorded Hotline 1-800-123-1234 ext. 34
* Emphasize that your offer is FREE with NO OBLIGATION

Step 5 -- Determine Your Marketing Medium(s)
Remember, when I said that it's critical to choose a niche that you can easily contact?

When you go to choose your marketing medium(s) you'll understand why that was sound advice.

Your marketing medium is the communication vehicle you use to deliver your marketing message. It's important to choose a marketing medium that gives you the highest return on your marketing dollar (ROMD). This means that you want to choose the medium that delivers your marketing message to the most niche prospects at the lowest possible cost.

The following is a small sample of tools you might use to get your message out: * Newspaper ads
* Posters
* Seminars
* Television ads
* Signs
* Radio ads
* Trade shows
* Yellow Pages
* Articles
* Classified ads
* Newsletter
* Networking
* Take-one box
* Telemarketing
* Magazine ads
* Postcards
* Flyers
* Email
* Door hangers
* Fax broadcasts
* Brochures
* Website
* Business cards
* Public speaking

The trick is to match your message to your market using the right medium. It would do you no good to advertise your "Debt Consolidation Services, on a hip-hop radio station targeted at young adults who rent. This is a complete mismatch of the market, message, and medium. Success will come when there is a good match of these three elements.

Step 6 -- Set Sales and Marketing Goals
Goals are critical to your success. A "wish" is a goal that hasn't been written down. If you haven't written your goals, you're still just wishing for success. When creating your goals use the SMART formula. Ensure that your goals are, (1) Specific, (2) Measurable, (3) Achievable, (4) Realistic, and (5) Time-specific.

Your goals should include financial elements, such as mortgage amount funded, annual sales commission, gross profit, and so on. However, they should also include non-financial elements such as closed deals, applications taken, leads generated, new clients.

Once you've set your goals, implement processes to internalize them with all of your team members if applicable. This might involve reviewing them in sales meetings, displaying thermometer posters, and awarding achievement prizes.

Step 7 -- Develop Your Marketing Budget
Your marketing budget can be developed several ways, depending on whether you want to be more exact or to develop just a quick-and-dirty number. It's good to start out with a quick-and-dirty calculation and then to support it with further details.

First, if you have been in business for over a year and tracked your marketing-related expenditures, you could easily calculate your "cost to acquire one client" by dividing your annual sales and marketing costs by the number of clients acquired.

The next step is to take your cost to acquire one client and simply multiply it by your client acquisition goal. The result of this simple computation will give you a rough estimate of what you need to invest to meet your sales goals for the next year.

Conclusion
There you have it: The Seven-Step, One-Day Marketing Plan. It's simple really. Of course you'll need to study up a bit more about your marketing medium(s) of choice, its appropriateness for your message, and its associated costs. But try not to make the development of your plan a laborious, drawn-out task. Remember the 80 / 20 rule: 80% of your results will come from 20% of your effort.

My final word of advice is to make sure you set aside uninterrupted time to develop your marketing plan. It could very well be the most important document to which you and your team members will ever refer. Now you have the blueprint for success to not only survive in 2007 - but thrive!

About the Author

Doren Aldana, the nation's leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, is dedicated to helping mortgage professionals attract more clients with less effort. Aldana is also the author of a 21-part Audio Seminar, "21 Secrets of Superstar Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers!"

Home Décor Magazines, A Source Of Inspiration

You know your house needs improvements. You know you need to redecorate. You can't seem to come up with ideas for decorating your home. You need inspiration. Where do you go for help? One great source of home decorating ideas and inspiration is home decorating magazines. These publications provide a look into the world of home decorating and offer suggestions and tips to help you decorate your home. Home decorating magazines provide pictures of homes and rooms that were remodeled which may inspire you to recreate that space in your very own home.

There are many home decorating magazines available. Most of these magazines not only provide pictures and ideas but also offers the customer an opportunity to buy directly from them. Many magazines are advertised on the Internet. With websites displaying their ideas and pictures, you can browse these sites in your search for a decorating style. These online magazines will likely offer you a chance to buy direct via the Internet.

Home decorating magazines are constantly in circulation. Some of the popular home decorating magazines are listed here.

* Traditional Home - This magazine has its main focus on traditional décor and historical homes. Articles are written that allow you to visit historic places, gathering ideas and tips for decorating a traditional home. This home decorating magazine offers information on furniture, window treatments and color schemes.

* Country Living - This is a magazine which is published monthly and offers ideas about country décor, crafts, and antiques. It also provides tips for traditional cooking. This home decorating magazine provides details regarding furniture, window treatments, fireplaces and historic colors.

* Elle Décor - This home decorating magazine is published semi-monthly. It's a magazine dedicated to focusing on modern design with a French influence. Focusing on luxury living, furniture style and planning your room, this magazine intends to offer the average homeowner ideas and tips to achieve this terrific style for their homes.

* Better Homes & Gardens - This popular magazine provides the reader with information about various subjects relating to the homeowner and their family. This information includes ideas for home décor as well as garden decorating. Better Homes & Gardens also publishes a seasonal magazine which focuses on décor with a lot of information regarding specific projects.

* Metropolitan Home - Published six times a year, this home decorating magazine provides details about renovating and designing modern urban homes. This magazine focuses on contemporary design and current trends. It offers the reader information regarding transforming a traditional home or space into a modern, contemporary environment.

These home decorating magazines are great sources of inspiration if you are having difficulty coming up with ideas and techniques for your home. Providing detailed information and vivid photos, these magazines offer you instructions and often step-by-step directions to achieve the desired look. Each of these magazines also offers you, the customer an opportunity to buy directly from them. This can make your job so much easier if you see a room or space in the magazine that you like. Buying directly from them, makes it easier to recreate that beautiful space in your home.

About the Author

With "over 3300 items" to choose from his gift store and many more from his audio/video store, Elton DeWése (owner/operator) manages one of the best sites on line for Gift ware, Collectibles and Home and Garden décor items.

Gift Store=>http://www.greenlightmerchants.com/ Audio/Video Store=>http://www.glmstore.com/

Effect of Catalogs in the Customers Buying Power

Catalogs are created to make a list or record of products or services that are available to anyone who needs it. They are usually much more famous during peak seasons, or should we call it "shopping season".

Catalogs help make a good and informed buyer. Since catalogs are designed in an orderly manner like that used inside the library where items are arranged in sections and then from there arranged alphabetically, it is much easier for the customers to locate what they want and where they want it.

Catalogs are usually used by people who have little time to shop or no time to shop at all. People like this rely on catalogs to do their shopping. People in this category sometimes include businessmen, old people and people with disability.

Through the use of print catalogs, customers can just shop at the comforts of their home and choose which product or service they would want to avail. Catalogs generally target the decision maker on the products that they are selling. And since the products or services are arranged in a systematical way, it is much easier to browse through catalogs to locate the product or service that you specifically need.

A well informed customer would also be a very happy customer. Catalogs help the customer decide on which items to buy and which items they benefit the most. Through the use of catalogs, they can make informed decision and be contented with it as well. it would also be a way to avoid buying unnecessary items that they don't need.

Catalogs also help in maintaining the budget for the customers. In using catalogs, buyers can be informed if the product that they want to buy would suit their budget. Or they can also save up for the product that they want.

Most catalogs also have dedicated phone numbers for customers who cannot get out of their homes. This is one way for customers to interact with customer service representatives and ask questions on the products or services that they want.

An advantage of catalogs is that they can be opened on the leisure time of the customers. They are not hurried to make the decision right then and there. They can just skim the catalogs on their leisure time and if they though of any questions, call up the dedicated phone number right away and have their questions answered.

Some catalogs even have user tips and how-to articles that can really help in understanding the use of the products or services more. This also serves as a reference guide that can help customers remember to maximize the use of the product that they bought.

Catalogs serve as the window to all the products and services that you offer on your company. By providing catalogs to your customers and potential customers as well, you are letting them peek inside your store and see all the items that you want them to avail.

There are a lot of benefits a customer can get when they use catalogs for their shopping needs. The greatest advantage of catalog is producing a well informed buyer that can decide which item they need and which suits their budget. A catalog can be great if the person holding it knows how to use it wisely and if it serves its purpose n creating another smart buyer.

About the Author

Please visit Online Catalog Printing for more information on Print Catalogs

TUTORING: The business of teaching others

Humans have been tutoring each other since the dawn of history--how else do you think fire was discovered and the secret to making it passed on? This need for face-to-face attention and the passing of knowledge from one person to another still continues today. People hire tutors in almost any area where skills can be taught and acquired. Tutors are available in areas ranging from academic subjects and computer use to athletic skills and hobbies. While most independent tutors have students come to their homes, some go the clients' homes or use space at the students' school. If they're helping students with a sport, tutors use the appropriate sports field or facility. Technically, the swimming instructor at your local YMCA is a tutor! Academic tutoring has been in particular demand because of the increased expectations placed on high school and even grade school students. As one tutor told us, "What used to be taught in college in the old days is now taught in high school." Crowded classrooms don't enable the individual attention many students require, and parents are finding that their children are not sufficiently prepared for college or for the entrance examinations necessary for admission. They realize their children need more personalized attention than they can get from classroom instruction. Taught without the pressure of peers or authorities, many students learn through tutoring what they don't absorb in a classroom. As a tutor, you'll customize what you teach to the level and needs of each of your students. While tutors who specialize in computer topics will need equipment for their students to use, most tutoring requires little in terms of books or materials. Many times, a tutor uses materials provided by their student's classroom teacher. Beyond academics, you can also teach or tutor any skill someone wants to learn. Music, the arts, and sports like baseball and tennis are a few such areas where both children and adults need additional help. And remember, it's going to be easier to sell yourself if you have teaching experience or a degree in the subjects you're tutoring. A tax accountant could tutor people in budgeting or a registered nurse basic first aid. Tutoring is a word-of-mouth business but to get to this point, you'll need to take the initiative and develop a base of students. This is best done by calling on teachers in the subject areas that you plan to specialize in as well as talking to school office personnel and counselors. You should also spread the word among your neighbors and friends--it's very likely that you'll find your first students among people you already know. Posting fliers on community bulletin boards, writing articles for or buying ads in local publications and having a Web site are other ways of generating business.

Qualifications Becoming a tutor is as simple as saying: I'm a tutor. There are no state or licensing requirements. Of course, parents usually won't pay much for a tutor who has less than a four-year degree. And the more qualified you are to teach your target group, the more successful you will be. In making tutoring your at-home occupation, begin by creating a list of your one-on-one, small group, or other teaching experience and your education credentials.

Targeting After developing a list of teaching experiences, you can use it to decide what age group you want to teach as well as what subjects you can teach. A common error for many beginning tutors is assuming that they must be versatile. If you know you can't teach math higher than Pre-Algebra, define your tutor offerings in terms of arithmetic assistance. If you simply don't have the patience for the pace of elementary students, define yourself as a Junior High/Middle School or High School tutor. After you have established yourself, you can expand your range. When your students continue to do well in school, their parents will begin to ask for help for their younger children as well. This is how your business will grow.

Success Success for a tutor is usually defined by the increase in their student's grades in school. It only takes one satisfied parent to begin building your tutoring business. When parents are pleased with their child's progress, they are eager to pass along the name of their tutor. Thus, success is also measured in the number of queries a tutor gets from potential clients.

Promoting Your Business Word-of-mouth is the biggest marketing tool a tutor has. Most of your clients will come to you because somebody who has already hired you to tutor their child recommends you. But getting those first few clients is almost as easy - even if you don't have any friends or neighbors who've already hired you and want to spread the word about your availability. Simply devise a resume. Although the top item will naturally be your name, phone number and address, the most prominent item should be your target statement: the ages or grades and the subjects you will like to tutor. This should be followed by the dates and brief descriptions of any teaching experience you deem relevant. Unlike a regular resume, a tutor resume can have gaps between dates of experience. The last item on your resume should be your education. Next, take your resume to each of the local schools from which you want to attract your clientele. Stop in at the office and introduce yourself to the school clerks -- parents often ask them if they know of any tutors. Then visit that school's counselor(s) -- describe your teaching abilities and your target students. If the school doesn't have a counselor, visit the principal instead. Finally, put a resume into each teacher's school mailbox. After you've visited all the schools in your target area, take your resume around to the local grocery stores. Many have bulletin boards on which people place sale or service fliers. Other places to post your resume could include: dance or martial arts or gymnastics schools; the recreation offices of local parks; children's play centers or child-oriented restaurants. Some of these places have policies against posting fliers but many are accommodating.

Costs There are almost no expenses in a tutoring business. You don't buy textbooks because the students bring their own. Some tutors provide writing utensils and paper but I expect my students to bring this equipment to their sessions. You don't have transportation or site-rental costs because parents bring their children to your home. You don't even need a special room in your house. I set up a card table in my living room, but most tutors use their kitchen or dining room tables. Just about the only expense you have is the printing of your resume. One batch of a thousand one-page resumes should last you about a year. After that, you'll want to update it before reprinting.

http://www.bizymoms.com has been dedicated to helping moms work at home for over 10 years. Now you can purchase any of Bizymoms' six Premium Career Kits, including our TutorMonster, home business tutoring kit, on our New Easy Pay Plan, http://www.bizymoms.com/cart/careers/index.html! Start your new business today, pay in 3 easy payments...Lifetime Website Included!


About the Author

http://www.bizymoms.com has been dedicated to helping moms work at home for over 10 years. Now you can purchase any of Bizymoms' six Premium Career Kits, including our TutorMonster, home business tutoring kit, on our New Easy Pay Plan, http://www.bizymoms.com/cart/careers/index.html! Start your new business today, pay in 3 easy payments...Lifetime Website Included!

Your Free Taste Promo Checklist

One of the most effective ways of getting people to discover and try your products or services is by offering a Free Taste - which is just that, a taste of what it is that you offer. Free Tastes come in many forms: an ezine, an ecourse, an audio program, a special report, etc., and they are obviously free. It's a tried and true marketing strategy that if you offer someone a free taste of what it is that you do, they are much more likely to become a paying client or customer down the road.

Once you've created your Free Taste, the next step is to market it to encourage people to sign up for your list. The following are 15 proven ways to promote your Free Taste:

1. Your email signature
In your email signature (your name and contact info that you put at the bottom of every email you send out), include a link that goes directly to the sign-up page for your Free Taste or to its respective autoresponder. Entice people to click through with a compelling question, followed by the link.

2. Your website
Make sure your sign-up form for your Free Taste is prominently placed on the home page of your website, as well as on every other page of your site. This way, no matter what page your visitor lands on, you're giving them an opportunity to opt-in to receive your Free Taste.

3. Other people's ezines
Ask to be mentioned and recommended in other people's ezines within your niche. Offer to do the same in return.

4. Other people's websites
Offer your Free Taste as a bonus to colleagues' in complementary niches to offer to their lists.

5. Testimonials you write
Write results-oriented testimonials for products or services you use and love. Give permission to the owner to post your testimonial to their website, including the URL to sign up for your Free Taste.

6. Articles
Write and submit articles within your niche. In the author's resource box at the end, promote your Free Taste by including the URL to your sign-up page or the email link to your autoresponder.

7. Discussion lists
Participate in discussion lists where your target market hangs out and offer your Free Taste, following the list's guidelines for promotions.

8. Thank you pages
On your thank you pages for purchases, offer your Free Taste. Your customer may not have signed up before buying your product or service and you want to give them an opportunity to do so before they leave your website.

9. Your sales copy
Peppered throughout your sales copy, give the opt-in form to sign up for your Free Taste. Most people don't buy on the first pass, but they will likely sign up for your free offering.

10. Your business card
On the back of your business card, tell people where to go to sign-up for your Free Taste.

11. Teleseminars
Offer content-rich free teleseminars and make it clear that your desired outcome is to have the registered guests sign up for your Free Taste, not to sell them anything.

12. Directories
List your Free Taste in the directories that are available to you via your membership in associations or organizations, and any directories specific to the packaging of your Free Taste. For example, if you offer an ezine, consider listing it with The Directory of Ezines at http://www.directoryofezines.com/

13. Swap ads with others
Offer to promote a colleagues' Free Taste in return for promoting yours as ads within each other's ezines. Run your ad for a minimum of three consecutive issues for the best results.

14. Tell everyone
Don't forget to tell everyone on your contact list about your Free Taste. Send them the link to your sign-up page, and ask that if they cannot benefit from it themselves to please pass it along to someone who would.

15. Offer a free bonus
Offer a bonus or gift as an added incentive to sign-up for your Free Taste. A special report, an audio program, or something similar that is in a different form than your Free Taste. For example, I offer my ezine as a bonus for signing up for my free 5-day ecourse.

Remember: Never add anyone to your list without their permission.

These 15 tactics will help you promote your Free Taste and add significantly to your list numbers. Just implement them consistently, and you will grow an audience quickly and easily.

© 2007 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

About the Author

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach™ and creator of "21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System™, teaches coaches, consultants, and other solo professionals and online entrepreneurs how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.clientabundance.com/

Get Tons of Traffic Today

If you want traffic today then you need to do something about it. you cannot just expect to throw up a website and have people visit it. You need to ask people to visit your site.

1. My absolute favorite way to get traffic is by writing articles. Just do a search on google for submit article and you will find many sites where you can submit your articles.

2. Blogging. Many people like to read and post blogs. Start a blog about your website as soon as possible if you have not already started one. Blogger.com and wordpress.com are amazing. Some new ones are squidoo.com and writingup.com.

3. You can purchase advertising using adwords. This can be expensive but very nice if done correctly. I highly suggest buying an ebook on adwords before diving in and wasting your money. Here is the best ebook you could buy: Adwords Miracle

There you go, good luck in getting some quality traffic. Make sure if you decide to use adwords that you don't go about it by yourself and you buy a book dedicated to adwords so you can at least learn the basics.

About the Author

Check this out for a great guide Internet business I currently average 100 targeted visitors per day just from joining this free traffic site Trafficswarm.com

For a Better Homes for Sale Buying Experience, Prepare Before You Look

The current housing market is definitely a buyer's market, but that does not ensure that you will get the home you want -- or any home, for that matter. To ensure that your homes for sale deal does not fall through at the last moment, do a little beforehand preparation.

Check Your Credit Rating. The very first thing you should do is to check your credit score. During the housing bubble, mortgage lenders had loosened the financing strings a bit for buyers, meaning that a couple years ago you could have found some type of financing with a not-to-stellar credit rating. Today, lenders have tightened the belts for buyers of homes for sale. There have been so many foreclosures on homes purchased during the bubble that mortgage lenders must ensure they do not add more to the steadily growing list.

Order free copies of your credit reports from the top three reporting agencies at: www.annualcreditreport.com. Also, get your credit score (you will probably have to pay a nominal fee). If you are not sure on your standing for buying a homes for sale, ask your realtor for advice. If you find that you need to improve your credit score, check a couple previous articles offered at this web site on how to do it. The better your credit score, the better your mortgage interest rate (meaning smaller monthly payments) and the easier it will be to obtain a mortgage and buy the homes for sale of your dreams.

Sell Your Home. Once you know you will be able to obtain financing for a new homes for sale, prepare your home and list it -- before you begin looking for a new one. It is taking longer to move homes for sale now. So, you want to ensure that your homes for sale is sold and the money in the bank before you begin house shopping. It would be terrible to find the homes for sale you want only to have the deal fall through, because you could not sell your own home in time. Unless, you can easily pay two mortgages for several months or more, selling your home first is essential.

Do Your Research. When you are ready to begin looking for a new homes for sale for sale, research the sale prices for similar properties in the neighborhoods in which you are interested. It will give you an idea of what is a reasonable selling price and what isn't. The data should be within the last six months, since the market changes quickly. Your realtor can supply this information to you from the multiple listing service. Do not rely on homes for sale appraisal web sites. They generally rely upon deed and mortgage filings, meaning the information may be older and not current enough for your purposes.

Be a Fair Negotiator. Regardless of what is being sold, too-low offers offend people, turning them off to further negotiation. Many years ago, a not-too-nice realtor sent my realtor a lowball offer for my homes for sale, adding a message that if was not worth what was being offered and she should tell me to take it immediately before the potential buyer changed his mind. The male realtor was trying to ramrod over and intimidate my female realtor (apparently, he had used this tactic with a few of her colleagues). It angered me so much that I told my realtor to sit on the offer (which tied it up) until the last minute. We declined a few days before the offer expired in order to accept another, much better offer. The buyer should have hired a more professional realtor.

I guarantee that making too-low offers will not make future negotiations easy, if they deal with you at all. So, make a reasonable offer. You will know what is reasonable from your research. If the homes for sale already is fairly priced, then make an offer no more than ten percent below the asking price. You always can ask for other concessions, such as the seller paying your closing costs, upgrade the kitchen appliances, or perhaps leave an item in the home as part of the sale.

If the homes for sale is overpriced, ask your realtor to explore the possibility of lowering the price with the seller's agent. Some sellers might wish to sell their home with a much later closing date in exchange for a lesser price. Buyers can offer incentives, as well as sellers. Discuss your options with your realtor. If the seller will not give on the price, continue your homes for sale search.

Sold Sign? In house hunting, there always is the chance that before you make an offer, someone has beaten you to it; and the house is sold. Additionally, you may see a homes for sale that interests you, but it has a "sold" sign in its front yard. This should not stop you.

In this housing market, many homeowners and developers with homes for sale are experiencing contract cancellations. People change their minds on a particular homes for sale, they find another home they like better, they could not sell their own home in time for the closing, or they could not get the financing in the first place.

If you find a homes for sale that already has been sold but not closed, ask your realtor to talk to the owner's agent, telling him or her that you are interested. Ask the agent to call, if the sale should fall through for any reason.

About the Author

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more information please visit San Diego Homes for Sale

Steps to Publishing Success

Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an immediate "in," this does not guarantee publishing success.

First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target audience. And your book must answer a common problem or need that audience shares. Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for at least two years.

Let's begin with the process that should commence before you write your first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure out what the author did in the book you loved, and what was wrong with in the book you couldn't finish. Write down these points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as a writer.

The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect of the problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like they're about to go blind. It's not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but it's close.

The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And then revise it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar - and even love - the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey.

Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. If you're lucky enough to know a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let the other members critique your work.

Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!
One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering with it.
You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town!
Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what do you do next?
How to turn your ebook into Profits

Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your manuscript into a book.

The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it good writing.

Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and disappointing your audience with material they've read a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book to make sure it's of the highest quality and presents the most current information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write.

Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only give the impression that your book isn't worth very much.

To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your effort.

Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target audience's mean budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.

There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook reviews.

Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is an essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying it.

Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional books. They reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to be.

Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form for your ebook at the end of the excerpted articles.

Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product for a good deal. That means applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your credibility.

Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it is relevant and current. Develop an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for your audience to discover you!

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About the Author

Vern Black is the owner of Pinnacle Publishing, an internet marketing information firm. Pinnacle Publishing's hard working staff's ultimate goal is to work tirelessly to locate legitimate income opportunities that will allow you to escape the rat race and long commutes and open the doors to the life that you have always wanted for you and your family.

To begin your journey to financial freedom, go to http://easypinnaclepublishing.com

How to Choose the Best Mortgage Loan

Buying a new home can be very expense so make sure you know how to choose the best mortgage loan.

Choosing the right mortgage to fit your needs and your wallet can be complicated and time consuming. Many things you will need to consider when thinking about a mortgage loan. You want to consider the rate of interest, originator fees, closing costs, finder fees, and so on. Do you want the taxes and insurance included? How many years will you have to pay? What are the laws and rules for the mortgage holder?

You can start by finding the right mortgage loan before you even find the real estate property you want. Doing research on the Internet will give you an idea of the different interest rates and help you to decide what you can afford.

Decide if you are buying the real estate property to make a profit or to live in the home permanently. If you are going to buy for investing in the future, you will want to make sure that you do not go over your head in debt and have to take a loss when reselling the property. Search the Interest for articles on buying property for profit to give you information that you might not even think of.

Talk with your area mortgage holders asking questions before you buy, will give you a lot of knowledge especially if you are a first time buyer.

Comparison tools online will help you in your shopping experience, since you can compare rates and companies. Each area and state has different rates that might be better than what you can do locally.

Ask questions and be sure you understand what the rates and terms are before you sign and commit yourself. Find out if the interest rates are fixed or variable. When the interest rates are fixed that means that the percentage rate will not go up or down from the time you sign the mortgage until it is paid. With the variable rates, the interest can go up or down depending on changes for the going rate on the market. If the going rate is 9% in six months, it could go to 12% or down to 5%. When the rate changes you payment and the amount of years you pay could go up or down as well.

Be sure that you read the fine print as well as the larger print. Failing to read and understand all information could get you in hot water because they are sometimes very important. You may think that your monthly payment is always going to be $500.00 but the fine print might say if the interest rates go up so does your payment.

Asking how the interest is calculated is a good question. Is the interest based on the mortgage balance or a set amount for so many years? Be sure that you understand how the interest is calculated to save you much heartache.


About the Author

RateEmpire.com , an internet consumer banking and mortgage marketplace, is a destination site of personal finance, investing, taxes and mortgage rates. Rate Empire also operates a financial portal #1 American Home Loans and #1 American Financial