Winning clients is about establishing yourself as an expert by playing part business manager and part counselor. No matter what role you’re in, you need to offer the real estate information that matters most.  That means understanding their worries and woes and being ready to give the answers that motivate them to purchase a home and use you as their expert guide for the process. Here are the 5 top questions that plague buyers today and ways you can answer them to win more transaction-ready clients: 1.  How do I boost my credit rating? 2. How much home can I afford? 3. What neighborhoods are best for me? 4.  Is now really the best time to buy? 5.  Which agent should I use? To read the answers to these question, CLICK HERE !  What worries would you add to the list? What’s the biggest worry of buyers and buyer prospects in your area?

U.S. News and World Report lists “real estate agent” as one of the country’s best jobs in 2012, at least sort of. While sales agent appeared nowhere on its main list of hottest jobs in the nation, it did appear as No. 19 on a side list of “business” jobs — and the article took pains to make sure readers understood the difference between a “real estate broker” and a “real estate agent.” Real estate broker was not listed as a good job. The magazine quoted Labor Department statistics, which suggest there will be a 12.2 percent growth in the number of agents needed over the next decade. It placed the median wage of sales agents at $40,030, while noting that the top 10 percent of agents can make as much as $95,200. The best job across all professions was “registered nurse.” (Old Republic Real Estate Digest, May 2012) If you are an agent or a broker, what do you think your profession would be today if you weren't doing this? Title Junction wants to know!!!

A home-buying tracking service reports all-cash buyers moved into the market at a record pace last year, purchasing homes for themselves and other properties as investments. The Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey found a record 33.2% of transactions were all-cash, up from 29.6% from a year earlier. Among investor homebuyers, the proportion of cash buyers was 74%. The survey said cash buyers were driving down prices because they offered shorter and more reliable closings. HousingPulse also indicated many of the purchases were of distressed properties, where banks are more likely to negotiate settlements in an effort to get them off their books. Article brought to you by Old Republic, Real Estate Digest, April 2012, Vol 38 Do you see this as a trend in your business, let Title Junction know!

Despite a prolonged downturn in the housing market, real estate is still the best long term investment, according to 84% of respondents in OwnAmerica's recent survey on real estate investing. Comparatively, stocks/mutual funds, bonds and savings accounts were ranked best by only 9.9%, 4% and 2%, respectively. Among the respondents who have invested in real estate, 81.6% say they have made money and 82% expect real estate values to "definitely" appreciate over the next ten years. (53.5% believe property values will definitely increase over the next five years.) "The most significant outcome of this survey is the overwhelming confidence in a long-term recovery. People understand now, more than ever, that building wealth in real estate takes time." says OwnAmerica CEO Gregory Rand. Investors cited Florida (15.4%), California (11%) and Virginia (8.8%) as the states in which they are most interested in investing. Others to make the list include: Colorado, North Carol...

Capital Economics expects the housing crisis to end this year, according to a report released Tuesday. One of the reasons: loosening credit. The analytics firm notes the average credit score required to attain a mortgage loan is 700. While this is higher than scores required prior to the crisis, it is constant with requirements one year ago. Additionally, a Fed Senior Loan Officer Survey found credit requirements in the fourth quarter were consistent with the past three quarters. However, other market indicators point not just to a stabilization of mortgage lending standards, but also a loosening of credit availability. Banks are now lending amounts up to 3.5 times borrower earnings. This is up from a low during the crisis of 3.2 times borrower earnings. Banks are also loosening loan-to-value ratios (LTV), which Capital Economics denotes “the clearest sign yet of an improvement in mortgage credit conditions.” In contrast to a low of 74 percent reached in mid-2010, banks are now lending...

Here's a great article I found in the Real Estate Digest that I thought you might finding interesting. More offers are coming with a contingency: The buyer wants the house but the seller has to give them more time - 30 to 60 days, possibly - to try to sell their own home before they'll make the deal final, more estate professionals are reporting. "In a strong real estate market, it's harder to get away with (a sell contingency)," Eric Tyson, co-author of Home Buying for Dummies told the Chicago Tribune, "It adds element of uncertainty to the deal." Many sellers will continue to show homes to potential buyers during the contingency period, but since the contingent offer is listed in the multiple listing service, some buyers might be less apt to take look. "Most contingency agreements contain a kick-out clause: If your dream home's seller receive a non-contingent offer during the set time period, you typically have a day or two to rescind the cont...