ROMANCE   Barb was lying in bed one night. Art was falling asleep but Barb was in a romantic mood and wanted to talk. She said: "You used to hold my hand when we were courting." Wearily he reached across, held her hand for a second and tried to get back to sleep. A few moments later she said: "Then you used to kiss me... Mildly irritated, he reached across, gave her a peck on the cheek and settled down to sleep. Thirty seconds later she said: "Then you used to bite my Neck..." Angrily, Art threw back the bed clothes and got out of bed. "Where are you going?" Barb asked.. "To get my teeth!"     10/17/2015

A Realtor with 24 Hours To Live...Sad of FunnyA Realtor returns from the doctor and tells his wife that the doctor has told him he has only 24 hours to live. Given this prognosis, the Realtor asks his wife for sex. Naturally, she agrees, and they make love. About six hours later, the husband goes to his wife and says, "Honey, you know I now have only 18 hours to live. Could we please do it one more time?" Of course, the wife agrees, and they do it again.   Later, as the Realtor gets into bed, he looks at his watch and realizes that he now has only 8 hours left. He touches his wife shoulder, and asks, "Honey, please...just one more time before I die." She says, "Of course, Dear," and they make love for the third time. After this session, the wife rolls over and falls asleep. The Realtor,... 10/16/2015

  Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now Monday, October 12, 2015      TOP STORIESFla. sellers lie to buyers, face 20 years in jail An insurer paid $153K for sinkhole damage, but owners made only cosmetic repairs and didn't disclose it at time of sale. They were arrested on wire fraud charges. Read More agents job-hopping to other brokeragesIn 2013, 18% of agents had been with their current broker for a year or less, according to NAR. In 2014, that percentage jumped to 30%. Read more.U.S. SBA commercial sales tool - and Realtor biz toolNAR: The Small Business Administration not only funds small commercial sales, SBA loans also provided commercial funding to 1 in 10 Realtors last year. Read more.Mortgage disclosure rules' effect on buyersHomebuyers now get easier-to-digest ... 10/12/2015

 Are You a Mathmatics Genius or Not? With This Little Trick, You're Going to Sound Like One. Imagine calculating a principal, interest, tax and insurance payment for that home you're considering faster than you can find the right app on your phone. It's actually pretty simple.  Here's the formula to use: Sales Price x 1% divided by 2 Example 1: Purchase Price = $250,000, taxes are $2,500, loan amount w/ 20% down is $200,000 at 4.50% on a 30-year fixed rate loan, insurance is $600 per year. That's a lot of math to do, but let's try our formula:$250,000 x 1% = $2,500, $2,500/2 = $1,250.What's the actual payment given the real math in this instance? The answer is $1,272, a mere $22 a month difference. Example 2: Purchase Price = $300,000, taxes are $3,375, loan amount w/ 20% down is $240,0... 10/10/2015

   Economy & Housing News Short & Simple for Oct 11, 2015  The Labor Market Conditions Index for September was 0, signaling a weakening market. This could help keep rates low. Low inflation and global economic weakness, both good for rates, are a concern to the Fed. Many economists think the Fed won't raise policy rates until 2016. Weak jobs data last week points to a cooling off of the U.S. economy. While more data is needed to support this speculation, it could be helpful for rates.  A reported survey of property managers found rents increasing by up to 8% in the next year. Primary reasons cited were increased demand and low inventory. Mortgage applications jumped by 25% last week. The unusually large movement is being attributed to low rates and the rollout of new TRID regulations. P... 10/10/2015

 Market Forecast from the second week of October 2015 QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." --Woody Allen, American actor, writer, director, and comedian  INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... Making that money, however, can be a challenge in the housing market. We were reminded of that once again last week when:  Pending Home Sales came in down 1.4% in August, following their steady climb the first half of the year. However, this index of contracts signed on existing homes is still 6.1% ahead of where it was in August a year ago.  Pending homes sales in fact remain at a healthy level of activity, having risen year-over-year for the last 12 months in a row. Best of all, the index is ahead of where it was a year ago in all regions of the country... 10/10/2015

Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now Tuesday, October 6, 2015   Top Stories   Florida Realtors issues biz rent tax Call to ActionFla. is the only state with a business rent tax. Realtors want Gov. Scott to help lower the tax burden to boost commercial investment and spark residential sales. Read more.FAA proposes $1.9M fine against drone operatorA Chicago area video firm that has done commercial work in Fla. may have to pay $1.9M for 65 unauthorized flights completed by ill-equipped drones. Read more.Fed report: Fla. lags in disbursing foreclosure aidA Hardest Hit Fund report finds that Fla. denied more applicants and dispersed less money than other states via the federal foreclosure bailout program. Read more.BP settlement nets more than $3 billion for Fla.The U.S. Depa... 10/06/2015

Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Monday, October 5, 2015 TODAY"S TOP STORIES Fla. leads U.S. for FAA real estate drone approvalState drone pilots have received 97 exemptions in the Federal Aviation Administration's first year granting them, making the state second only to Calif. Read more.Fla. asks FEMA for flood insurance rate infoThe state insurance regulator asked FEMA for details about flood ins. rate increases to see if Fla. homeowners pay more for coverage than they should. Read more.More Fla. renters spend half their income on housingIn S. Fla., 36% of renters spend at least half their income on housing, followed by Orlando and Daytona Beach at 30% each. Read more.Facebook revamps the look of profilesFacebook's profile pictures are now videos, which increases... 10/05/2015

 What's In A Word...Only Mind Games      "Lexophile" is a word used to describe those that have a love for words, such as "you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish," or "to write with a broken pencil is pointless." A competition to see who can come up with the best lexophiles is held every year in an undisclosed location.     This year's winning submission is posted at the very end...When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate...A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months...When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A...The batteries were given out free of charge...A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail... A will is a dead giveaway...With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress...A boiled egg is hard to beat...When you've seen one shopping ce... 10/03/2015

           A Real Golf Story..You Never Know What Life Brings   John, who lived in the north of England, decided to go golfing in Scotland with his buddy, Shawn.     So they loaded up John's minivan and headed north. After driving for a few hours, they got caught in a terrible blizzard. So they pulled into a nearby farm and asked the attractive lady who answered the door if they could spend the night.     ‘I realize it's terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself, but I'm recently widowed,' she explained, 'and I'm afraid the neighbours will talk if I let you stay in my house.'     'Don't worry,' John said. 'We'll be happy to sleep in the barn. And if the weather breaks, we'll be gone at first light.'     The lady agreed, and the two men found their way to the ba... 10/01/2015

Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Wednesday, September 30, 2015    Fla. small businesses doing better - but still worriedA Fla. small business survey finds cautious optimism, but few are ready to celebrate the recovery yet. Today's biggest challenge: access to capital. Read more.Calif. firm to expand new Fla. solar energy programThe state's growing PACE program allows property owners to install energy efficient upgrades without money down and pay for it alongside property taxes. Read more.Fewer owners ditching Citizens for private insuranceThe state-owned insurer OKs policy removals, but private insurers don't have to offer coverage to all. And when they do, fewer owners are agreeing to switch. Read more.Virtual assistants can boost profits - and risksIt generally co... 09/30/2015

  Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now Tuesday, September 29, 2015    TODAY'S TOP STORIES What's your home worth? Not as much as you think Has media coverage over-hyped Fla.'s housing rebound? More sellers now overestimate their home's value and set higher-than-market asking prices. Read more.       Real estate 'pocket listings' go mainstream Pocket listings - unadvertised homes marketed primarily by word of mouth among agents - are gaining popularity at all price points as inventory remains tight. Read more.  U.S. consumer confidence rises a bit in Sept.Americans are a bit less confident about the future, but they're more excited about the present (an 8-year high). Overall, confidence rose 1.7 points this month. Read more.Report: Commercial industry under-investing in t... 09/29/2015

CURRENT EVENTS THAT HITS US WHERE EVER WE LIVE...  Sadly, Yogi's time with us is now over, but beyond the baseball memories he leaves are his humorous, often wise, "Yogi-isms." The one quoted here is a pithy comment on why persistence makes sense. And persistence makes perfect sense if we're going to weather the twists and turns of today's housing market.  August, for example, gave us Existing Home Sales twisting down 4.8%, while New Home Sales turned solidly up. But a closer look at the data shows existing home sales are still up 6.2% over a year ago and came in at a decent 5.31 million unit annual rate. Plus, the August dip follows three months in a row of sales gains. It was also nice to see that non-cash existing home sales, where the buyer takes out a mortgage, are up 7.6% versus a... 09/29/2015

HOW INTEREST RATES PLAY A ROLE IN CONSUMPTION While we reap the benefits of historically low interest rates, it’s important to consider that higher interest rates encourage consumers to forgo current consumption. Lower interest rates encourage the opposite; they encourage consumers to consume more today.  Perpetually low interest rates would seem to be a perpetual positive, but that's not necessarily so. More consumption today can lead to less consumption tomorrow. This is something worth remembering as the Fed continues to hold interest rates at unprecedentedly low levels. 09/28/2015

BORROWING RATES REACT TO A CHRONIC CASE OF INERTIA Sept. 17 came and went as expected, with nothing happening. Fed officials will meet two more times in 2015: on Oct. 28 and Dec. 16. As it now stands, traders in fed funds future contracts are betting on a 12% chance the fed funds rate will be increased at the October meeting, and a 32% chance they will be raised in the December meeting.  Lower rates are clearly spurring additional lending activity. For the week ending Sept. 18, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports that application activity was up 13.9%. The seasonally adjusted purchase index was up a strong 9%, and is up 27% year over year. Overall, the outlook is good for both housing and mortgage lending. Expect the outlook to remain good as we head into 2016.   09/28/2015

Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now Monday, September 28, 2015    TODAY'S TOP STORIES Contracts updated today, TRID rules change Saturday 3 contracts, 3 riders and an addendum are now updated for buyers who will apply for a loan after Oct. 3. What should you know before Sat.? Here's the breakdown. Read more.  Pending home sales retreat a bit in Aug.NAR's analysis of homes under contract finds that the Aug. number has gone up for 12 months year-over-year, but it dropped 1.4% month-to-month. Read more.Nixing cosmetic repairs could lower property insuranceScammers who push owners to submit insurance claims for cosmetic damage (appearance but not function) can indirectly raise all area rates. Read more.Honor Beverly Carter: Put safety firstOne year ago, a fake buyer killed ... 09/28/2015

ARE YOU A SUPERSTAR SALES AGENT OR? Given the current state of the financial and housing market, most agents are out scrambling for their lives, so we hear.  They NEED business if they want to salvage their livelihood, and many will do anything to get it – this may include tactics such as commission discounting or rebating. When you're up against agents like this it is very tempting to make a very serious mistake in the way you present or market yourself ... a mistake that could cost you the listing, but very well cost you your career perhaps. Would you like to learn the specific language you should be using in your ads that will create an immediate response from buyers who are ready, willing and able to buy right now, and sellers who have a desirable property and realistic expectations... 09/26/2015

The Obession of the Active Rain’s Point System I think who ever dreamed up this point system was a genius. For me it not only has challenged me to be consistent with posting and writing. It encourages you to stay involved and engaged. Plus who doesn’t love seeing themselves move up in the polls I like to call it (Election year). I have set point goals for the week, monthly, quarterly and by the end of the year.I know it won’t matter once you reach a certain point, like a million or so. Of course each 100k point does say something about the dedication of those that have made the commitment. So I say to each that may stop by, it has given me a push to do something that only a few months ago I never would have considered. A Sincere Thank you goes to the Active Rain Organization. 09/26/2015

 What’s happening this week in the housing and financial markets. THE ECONOMY Overseas economic concerns are helping to keep rates low. Weakness in Europe and China is causing traders to seek safety in bonds, including mortgage bonds.  Rates responded favorably to the Fed's decision last week not to raise policy rates. Concerns about global economies may help rates remain low this week.  Global economies are also affecting the U.S. manufacturing industry. Demand for durable goods was slightly weaker in August, helping to keep inflation low.   HOUSING NEWS Rents continue to rise nationally, making home ownership more affordable in comparison. However higher rents drive inflation, which could hurt rates.  August's existing home sales fell slightly, with lack of inventory cited as a possib... 09/26/2015

HOW DO COURT RECORDERS KEEP STRAIGHT FACES????    These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place.  ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?' ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan! _______________________________ ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth? WITN... 09/23/2015