In a competitive market where there are many choices for buyers, agents must bring the topic up of "curb appeal" to their clients. Questions such as, "what does the home look like from the front?", and "what will potential buyers first reactions be from the outside?" are VERY IMPORTANT! The home may be beutiful from the inside, but potential buyers won't give it the time of day if the outside is scary. Trimming you lawn, pulling weeds, sweeping the porch and getting rid of spider webs can make a lasting first impression! When it comes down to it, how long do you want your listing on the market?Scott GormleyBroker/OwnerOak Valley Mortgage2006 Chico Assoc. of Realtors Affiliate ChairmanDirect: 530.592.8362Fax: 530.267.5555Website: http://www.CALoan.com"You find the perfect home, we'll fin... 09/13/2006

One of the most important decisions that Real Estate professionals need to make is who will do their website hosting. There is a large range of offerings that are out there and comparing and differering their services can be time consuming, but I assure you that it is worth every second! Why? It is estimated that close to 70% of all home purchases started with the consumer's "research phase". If a potential buyer goes to your website and it takes 1 minute to load up, YOU'VE LOST THEM and their potential business! It is human nature to want things immediatly at our fingertips and if you don't offer it, I will find someone else that does. Find out what type of server your hosting company is going to put you on and find out what the benefits and setbacks are of that server. You may find th... 09/13/2006

With the influx of homes on the market, things have switched to a buyer's market! So, what does that mean? Well, from the sellers perspective, you need to offer incentives that will differentiate your home from the rest of the flock. You can do so with offering a credit towards the buyers closing costs to ease the burden of coming up with "on hand cash", or you could do seller carryback financing, offering a rate that is lower than the prevailing rate on the open market to induce a purchase. Coming up with creative ways to market your home can make all the difference. For buyers, this is a great time to buy with interest rates at a yearly low and more choices. It seems like just a short while ago, you had to take what you could find. Now, you have the opportunity to look around and true... 09/13/2006

I think community involvement is one of the most important things that each of us can participate in as Real Estate professionals. Everyday, each of us in some way contributes to people moving into our neighborhoods. Helping someone find a home, sell a home, finance a home, insure a home, etc. Participating in the various organizations and understanding their roles within your community will help you to explain what makes your community so unique. In Chico, I'm involved with:Big Brothers Big Sisters-To take a little to their first baseball game is pretty cool! Ability First-Week long camp for children with physical disabilities. Chico Challengers-Local baseball team for children with physical disabilities WTC-The Work Training Center helps people get back on their feet with local jobs.D... 09/12/2006

I'm looking forward to finding a website that does a great job at offering an MLS to RSS service...Say what?That's right, an RSS feed that will update my website in "Real Time" with homes that have just hit the market! Maybe a "New Home of the Hour" or "Just Listed!" link on our homepage. This is the only website that I have found remotely close so far in California....http://homes.point2.com/Has anyone else found anything?Scott GormleyBroker/OwnerOak Valley Mortgage2006 Chico Assoc. of Realtors Affiliate ChairmanDirect: 530.592.8362Fax: 530.267.5555Website: http://www.CALoan.com"You find the perfect home, we'll find the perfect loan!" 09/12/2006

My wife (fiancee then), recently sold her condo, which was an overall smooth experience. I have dealt with many agents so far in this business, but last night I experienced one of my firsts. Her agent, Sheree Darner, invited us over to her house for dessert and coffee after we went out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. Let me tell you, what a difference it makes to have an agent that cares enough to welcome you to her home and personal life after the deal is already done. I felt as though she really did care and it wasn't merely for the commission. When it comes down to it, she will get many referrals and our business again. Scott GormleyBroker/OwnerOak Valley Mortgage2006 Chico Assoc. of Realtors Affiliate ChairmanDirect: 530.592.8362Fax: 530.267.5555Website: http://www.CALoan.co... 09/10/2006

Should I Pay Points?The best way to decide whether you should pay points or not is to perform a break- even analysis. This is done as follows:1.) Calculate the cost of the points. **Note: 1 point is equivalent to 1 percent of the loan amount. Example: 2 points on a $100,000 loan is $2,000.2.) Calculate the monthly savings on the loan as a result of obtaining a lower interest rate. Example: $50 per month.3.) Divide the cost of the points by the monthly savings to come up with the number of months to break even. In the above example, this number is 40 months. If you plan to keep the house for longer than the break-even number of months, then it makes sense to pay points; otherwise, it does not.4.) The above calculation does not take into account the tax advantages of points.When you are b... 09/05/2006

Here's an old saying that I use to hear from my dad growing up, "early bird catches the worm!" This is a phrase that I would not come to understand better than when I grew up and graduated from college...Ahh, the good old days of waking up at noon. But as I get older, I have learned to appreciate the things that can be done in the morning. Think about it, you start setting up your day at 7am and you have a "game plan" to work by 8am. On the flipside, Joe Schmoe gets in the office at 8:30am, starts working on his game plan and isn't even productive till 10am after a cup of coffee. In the competitve marketplace we are facing, there is little room for error...Be an early bird and catch the worm!Scott GormleyBroker/OwnerOak Valley Mortgage2006 Chico Assoc. of Realtors Affiliate ChairmanDire... 09/05/2006

Zero Point/Zero Fee Loans (Part 2) What are the benefits of a zero-point/zero-fee loan?The main benefit is that you have no out-of-pocket costs. As a result, if the rates drop in the future, you could refinance again even for a small drop in rates. So if you refinanced on the zero-point/zero-fee loan to get a rate of 8.75% and if the rates drop½%, you can refinance again to 8.25%. On the other hand, if you refinanced by paying1 point and got a rate of 8.25, it may not make sense to refinance again. Now, if the rates drop another ½%, a zero-point/zero-fee loan eliminates the need to do a break-even analysis since there is no up-front expense that needs to be recovered. It also is a great way to take advantage of falling rates.Some consumers have used zero-point/zero-fee loans on adjustab... 08/30/2006

Service you can trust, Mid Valley Titlle and Escrow Company.  The number 1 title and escrow service provider in Butte County for over 25 years.  Professional services include Title Insurance, Escrow services, Bulk sale - Business Opportunity escrow services, foreclosures.  For more information please feel free to email me or visit our website at www.midvalleytitle.com.  08/25/2006