Recently I asked Shawn Workman, Branch Manager of Veterans United Home Loans: Does VU just offer VA loans or do you offer additional products like USDA, FHA and Conventional?  About Veterans United? Veterans United Home Loans of Savannah is the area's expert team on VA home loans. We are dedicated to our military families that have served and sacrificed for our nation. Our Savannah team is committed to providing our clients with the best service and competitive interest rates. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer, refinancing an existing mortgage loan, or wanting to consolidate debt, our highly experienced and successful team can help make your dreams come true! Although we are located in Savannah, Georgia, we offer unparalleled service to clients throughout all of Georgia and South C... 05/06/2014

On 4th May Kelly workman received a 5 Star rating from Gerson Rivera when she helped the Rivera family find a home in Savannah.  What made you decide to work with Kelly? "Kelly has outstanding communication skills. She is very responsive and was very helpful in providing us many options to us buying a home." In your own words, what did you like about working with Kelly? "Kelly was extremely responsive throughout the sale of our home in Orlando, Florida and the new home in SAVANNAH, GA. She cares about her customers! Kelly did an amazing job. My wife and I are very satisfied with her service. She was so patient and personable. She also was ALWAYS reachable, returning my phone calls, emails, or text messages any time I had a question. I highly recommend Kelly as a Realtor!!" What could Ke... 05/05/2014

On 30th April John Sherrod received a 5 Star rating from Joseph Wilson whom he helped find a Savannah duplex.  What made you decide to work with John? "Very knowledgeable, professional and always available for any questions that needed to be answered." In your own words, what did you like working with John? "You were very easy to get along with. Very professional and polite. Real down to Earth and not at all intimidating. You were very patient and always had my best interests in mind. You know a ton about real estate and the area, so you are just a wealth of knowledge." How could John improve his service? "I don't see anywhere you could improve. Make homes cheaper? Honestly, you made a very intimidating and troublesome process so easy. You took all of the worry out of it and even took c... 05/05/2014

On 29th April Penny Rafferty received a 5 Star rating from Judy Shook when Penny helped her find  her new home in Savannah. What made you decide to work with Penny? "A Realtor friend of mine recommended Penny. I am thankful that he did. Penny was very helpful, and heaven knows, very patient. I can't thank her enough!" In your own words what did you like about working with Penny? "Her great personalty, and knowledge. I will recommend you to others." "l highly recommend Penny, she had the patience of Job,thru our long journey of getting me a home. She is the greatest."   05/05/2014

On 20th April Mark Arlow received a 5 Star rating for customer service when he helped Michael Murphy sell his home in Savannah.  What made you decide to work with Mark: "Mark made an impression on concern & professionalism the 1st time he met with my wife & then also when he met with me. He also came highly recommended." What did you like about working with me: "You never gave up. This property had many obstacles to overcome from liens to environmentals to ....well you know & you never gave up." "Mark came to us through a recommendation from another Realtor who is a long time friend of ours. What a find he has been. Our situation was an estate encumbered by a lien & a long negotiation with a Government agency with an uncertain end. Mark was able to help with our negotiations with Compet... 04/22/2014

On 18th April Mark Arlow received a 5 Star rating from Ben and Mayuri for helping them sell their home at 26 Chapel Lake N in Savannah for $215,000. What made you decide to work with Mark: "Realistic and easy to work with. Felt like had our best interest in mind. He did a lot of research and was very prepared during the initial consultation." In your own words, what did you like about working with mark? "Very accommodating and no pressure approach. Was willing to change plans and work with a relocation company. Even helped find contractors for repairs after we moved." In you opinion what can Mark do to improve his service? "Nothing, great experience." "Mark is an excellent person to work with and really went the extra mile to help with our home sale. We were in tough spot having to move... 04/18/2014

On 4th April Kelly Workman received a 5 star rating for the service that she provided when she helped Earnest Jackson buy his first home at 31 Allen Brooke Drive in Savannah. What made you decide to work with Kelly: “You have a very good understanding of military and VA transfers and procedures. You were also very personable. As a first time buyer, I had no knowledge of real estate, but your proficiency made me feel comfortable and confident that you were doing everything you could to ensure we received the best deal possible, which we did!” What did you like about working with Kelly: “Your demeanor, personality, and drive.” What could Kelly have done to make your home buying experience better: “I cant think of anything you could improve in. I think you’re a top tier agent.” “You have g... 04/08/2014

314 E 50Th St, Savannah, GA 31405    Bedrooms: 2 Bath: 2 Year Built: 1925 Sq. Ft.: 1,302 Price: $239,000 MLS#: 119823   Renovated bungalow in Charming historic Ardsley Park just steps from McCauley Park. Entering through a welcoming front brick porch which then opens to a spacious living room with freshly painted walls and a centrally placed fireplace. There are plenty of windows, hardwood floors and crown molding throughout this charming home. Off the living room is a separate roomy dining room. The two large archways in the living room, sandwiching the fireplace, create an open and airy feeling and lead to a cozy sunny family room. The updated kitchen is fully equipped with stainless steel appliance, newer cabinetry and a utility room. New lighting is well placed over the sink, and un... 02/26/2014

Posted on February 17, 2014 by admin at KW blog    Dianna Kokoszka, CEO of KW MAPS Coaching and KWU, filled the room with magnetic energy today at her Family Reunion breakout session “Dianna Unplugged.” She moved the audience with her passion, integrity and enthusiasm and inspired attendees to lead with their hearts not their heads.   “Your business grows to the extent that you do. Why wouldn’t you choose to grow as a leader? Do you want success without limitations? YES?! Then fall in love with the process of becoming a leader and train your team to be great leaders! The biggest function of a leader is to create more leaders. Leaders set the temperature and turn up the HEAT. Get ready to WIN BIG!” said Kokoszka.   Kokoszka illustrated the Triangle of Power and Influence, which states e... 02/16/2014

On January 30th the Senate passed a bill to sharply delay the increases in flood insurance rates for millions of property owners in coastal and flood-prone areas. The bill effectively guts a 2012 law (“Responsible Implementation of Flood Insurance Reform Act”) that had aimed to overhaul the nearly bankrupt National Flood Insurance Program. The Program which subsidizes insurance for buildings in flood zones, had a $24 billion deficit following claims from Hurricane Sandy. The law’s aim was to raise revenues for the federal flood insurance program. The law had also required updating of federal flood zones, which could determine which property owners will be required to purchase flood insurance by their mortgage holders. Although the bill delaying the rate increases had bi-partisan support... 02/13/2014

Agent Teams are the fastest growing model in real estate. What works in this new business dynamic? What is an agent team? Watch the video and see some of the top producers in the business talk about why a team is good for the real estate business, and the consumer.  “When you hire people who have your same core values and vision, the synergy is just incredible.” “The consumer gets a team of specialists” - CEO Sue Adler Team at Keller Williams Realty    “Its the future of Real Estate. Why, one its our fiduciary duty to consumers to provide the highest value possible, when we are selling their highest valued asset, and that comes from us treating our sales like we really are a negotiating and marketing firm.” - Ben Kinney, operating principal Keller Williams     Learn more about the Don ... 02/11/2014

Realtor Michael Mayer, 'America’s Most Referred Real Estate Professional' talks with Shon Kokoszka about how attained that designation  Michael’s ONE thing is; “To help others improve their productivity by building great relationships.” Michael says “Even if you don’t get referrals you still end up with great relationships.” How to avoid multitasking – time-blocking Michael also talks about how he avoids the pitfall of multi-tasking. When you are in your time block you are able to focus on the one thing you are scheduled to do. Time-blocking allows you to say no to things that would be distracting and impact your productivity. Stick to your principles and just draw the line in the sand by saying no to these distractions. Listen to the podcast here: http://www.the1thing.com/sites/files/y... 01/23/2014

While conumers have confidence that getting a mortgage loan will be easier in the year 2014, mortgage brokers forsee problems noting the new Qualified Mortgages (QM) standards that take effect on Friday. (http://www.mpamag.com/mortgage-originator/qm-problems-already-starting-claims-mortgage-pro-16771.aspx Mortgage Professional America) The QM Standards are a apart of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), which generally require creditors to make a reasonable, good faith determination of a consumer’s ability to repay any consumer credit transaction secured by a dwelling (excluding an open-end credit plan, timeshare plan, reverse mortgage, or temporary loan) and establishes certain protections from liability under this requirement for “qualified m... 01/08/2014

Its the holidays, and everyone is having a great time! Such a great time in fact that what is often forgotten are safety issues. There are more home hazards during the holidays than usual that need attending so that a family remains safe. Unfortunately accidents do happen, but there are things that can be done to lower the risks. Awareness is the first step towards holiday safety. Here are a few hazards to be a ware of in the coming weeks. One of every three Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems. Make sure to unplug the tree when you leave the house and go to bed. Keep the plug free of debris, such as discarded wrapping paper. Inspect lights for frayed wire or other defects before use. Make sure to keep the tree watered. A dried out tree becomes a fire hazard sitting in... 12/18/2013

Properties starting the foreclosure process in November dips down to its lowest level since December 2005, according to RealtyTrac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for November. Foreclosures are down 10% from the previous month and down 32% from a year ago. Bank reposessions in November were down 19% from the previous month and down 48 percent from a year ago, the lowest level since July 2007. "While some of the decrease in November can be attributed to seasonality, the depth and breadth of the decrease provides strong evidence that we are entering the ninth inning of this foreclosure crisis with the outcome all but guaranteed," said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. "While foreclosures will likely continue to stage a weak rally in certain markets next year as the last of t... 12/11/2013

Good News: Foreclosure inventory at it's lowest point since the end of 2008 reports Lender Processing Services. http://www.lpsvcs.com/LPSCorporateInformation/NewsRoom/Pages/20131122.aspx If your looking to sell your home the good news is that prices are up overall since last year by over 11%. If your a buyer there is also a bit of good news, homeprices are down about 5% since last month.  http://www.kw.com/kw/this-month-in-real-estate.html Andhttp://www.inman.com/2013/11/06/home-prices-post-highest-annual-gain-in-nearly-8-years/ If your buying of selling the glass can always be viewed as at least half full. Although mortgage rates rose a bit recently they are still historically low. Although exsiting home sales fell last month it's important to remember that we had a 2 week government s... 11/22/2013

Don Callahan and his assistant Laura Hyatt were growing their business. They followed the business-building plans from the book The Millionaire Real Estate Agent. They tracked the details of their business and as a result increased the volume dramatically. However Don realized after attending Keller Williams Mega Camp, KW–MAPS Coaching’s annual gathering that he could be mastering the business and growing his own business even further. Read in the Keller Williams Out Front magazine how Don made this incredible increase in his volume as seen in the tables below.     Out Front Magazine online: http://issuu.com/kellerwilliamsrealtyinc/docs/kwri-outfront-2013-q3_lowres/9?e=8039000/4998311 COACHING STATS Before    2010 $7.1 Million 2011 $8.89 Million     After   2012 $11.38 Million  ( a 75% ... 11/14/2013

Things are looking up for our economy according to today’s news. With mortgage rates hovering in the 4.25% range, unemployment down, and less foreclosures and bankruptcies, consumers are more likely to borrow. Below are some of the news sources that I tapped into. The Fed’s uncertainty with bond buying and reducing asset purchases makes for a tough interest rate environment. The rates were flat most of last week until Friday when the rate rose slightly from 4.13 to 4.25 for a 30yr fixed loan. Read more at the Mortgage News Daily site: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/consumer_rates/330213.aspx Bloomberg reports today that Americans will cure their debt troubles by taking out loans because of a 5yr low in the unemployment rate. In addition the banks will be more inclined to loan due to a... 11/04/2013

Savannah's founder, General James Oglethorpe, had already planned the layout of Downtown Savannah when he arrived here in 1733. His progressive ideology involved an interactive mix of architecture and green space with the intent of blending peoples from all walks of life.Per his plans, Historic Downtown Savannah is a blend of stately homes and townhouses along with a stock of commercial spaces all centered around the original squares. The famous squares of downtown Savannah are lush green spaces shaded by magnificent live oaks dripping Spanish moss. Benches set beneath the trees allow visitors and residents alike to witness the blur of activity. From horse drawn carriage tours to darting bicycle messengers modern day Downtown Savannah is a unique microcosm that serves to confirm its fo... 10/30/2013

Recently Keller Williams President Mary Tennant characterized the philosophy at Keller Williams as 'a culture of success' during her State of the Culture address at the Mega Leadership Camp, and “At the heart of our culture is our shared commitment to help those in need,” she said. This commitment was the motivating passion of Chairman Mo Anderson whom in  2003 established KW Cares. A 501(c)(3)  public charity that raises money through Keller Williams offices across North America. Today it is supported by all KW associates. This charity is the heart of the Keller Williams Realty culture in action – finding and serving the higher purpose of business through charitable giving in the communities where our agents live and work.  KW Cares continues to support extraordinary personal challenge... 10/28/2013