Ed Bisquera's Blog - PDXLoan.com

Key Element People Often Forget in Social Media Marketing?

2009-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

What is the one key element people often
forget to complete thoroughly on Social Media sites?

Watch the video to find out what that is, which can help your search engine rankings and is Pillar Number One of the 5 Pillars of Social Media Marketing. :-)

Quote of The Day

If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.
~ John Maxwell
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Scroll Down Below To See Info On Google Profiles!

Today's Mortgage Rates Watch & Real Estate/Mortgage News

Rates look like they are sitting fairly stable at the 5.25-5.5% range (5.67%-5.89% APR) on a Conventional 30 YR Fixed Loan, NO pts, 20% down (80% Loan To Value), Owner Occupied, with 740 or higher FICO credit score. We should see some help, since today's announcement of a nationwide unemployment rate of 9.5%, with job losses for last month around 467,000 nationwide.

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UPCOMING EVENT
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"Getting Connected Through Social Media" Class
for Real Estate Professionals, 3 CE Clock hours

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Time: 1 -4 PM
Location: Keller Williams, Downtown Office
915 Broadway Ste 100, Vancouver, WA 98660

== Cost: $27 Early Bird special before Midnight, July 21, 2009 ==

Learn how getting connected and participating in the conversation online where your clients, prospects and audience is, using Social Media tools, is important to your Real Estate business. Produced by Natalie Danielson of Professional Directions/Clockhours.com and taught by Ed Bisquera and Natalie Danielson.

Details at the event signup page here:

Getting Connected through Social Media Class for Realtors.

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YESTERDAY'S FREE LUNCH TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

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What Lewis Carroll book was banned in China after censors decided:
"Animals should not use human language"?
Answer: YOU TELL ME! :-)

So, for every correct answer that is either either replied via Facebook (post a reply/comment on my wall under the question) or Twitter (send me an @edbisquera reply) or post a comment here below on my blog, gets entered into a drawing to win a FREE Lunch to Blackstone, Gift Card valued at $50! Now, you can send me a private message via Facebook and Twitter too with the correct answer; that will get you entered to win.

Again, it's for every CORRECT ANSWER that gets you into the drawing. And I'll post a video recording of me drawing the winner next Wednesday, along with the new Wednesday Trivia for Free Lunch.

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Upcoming Homepath Home Buying & Loan Seminar
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Buy a Fannie Mae Owned Home (Bank Owned, REO Properties)
in the State of Washington
WITHOUT AN APPRAISAL!

Date: July 21, 2009
Time: 11 AM (45 minutes)
Location: 1001 Main St Suite A
Vancouver, WA 98660

Sign up for event here

We'll discuss at an upcoming Homepath Seminar how you can get a home, Owner Occupied or Non-Owner Occupied, in any state, especially Washington and Oregon, where:

1. A Homepath Mortgaged Home Loan requires NO APPRAISAL upon purchase
2. A Homepath Home Renovation Loan can be used for improvements (on designated properties only).
3. A Homepath Home requires NO MI (Mortgage Insurance)
4. A Homepath Home can be up to 97% Loan To Value (3 % down payment)
5. A Homepath Home can also be bought by investors up to 90% Loan To Value (only 10% down).

For more information, read a post about Homepath Homes for Sale, by my Senior Mortgage Consultant, Bill Black, Broker of Record here at Loan Network LLC (formerly America One Finance).

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My Google Profile Page http://Google.com/profiles/edbisquera
Visit here for a video on how to create your Google Profile

Stay tuned to the next video blog post!
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Thanks again and speak with you soon!
Ed Bisquera, 360-597-8283 cell

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"What's the FOUR Letter Word Asked About Social Media?" Video

2009-07-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

What is the FOUR Letter Word Asked About Most Frequently Regarding Social Media, at Social Media Marketing Seminars and Classes throughout the United States?
It's all revealed at the 1:45 mark in this video blog post by Ed Bisquera, Mortgage Matchmaker & Social Media Guy. Recorded in beautiful sunny downtown Vancouver, WA, dated July 1, 2009.

Quote of the day:
Insincerity is always weakness; sincerity even in error is strength.
~George Henry Lewes

• Today's Mortgage Rates Watch & Real Estate/Mortgage News

Rates look like they are sitting fairly stable at the 5.375-5.625% range (5.77%-5.99% APR) on a Conventional 30 YR Fixed Loan, NO pts, 20% down (80% Loan To Value), Owner Occupied, with 740 or higher FICO credit score. Forecasts are predicting a small increase in rate, due to typical activity as 2nd quarter earnings are taken to offset any capital gains.

NO APPRAISAL REQUIRED!!
WHEN YOU BUY A FANNIE MAE-OWNED HOME
with a Homepath Loan
Find out more in tomorrow's Video Blog Post!

HVCC News: The appraisal issues dealing with the HVCC law is being dealt with and you can do something about it to fight it. There is a bill currently being sponsored to put the HVCC on hold, as the Feds try to figure out how to rectify the shortcomings of this HVCC ruling. It's apparent that it was a big mistake and you can check out our friends at Think Big Work Small and see what they have to say about it. Are you a Realtor and HATE FAILED SALES?? Watch this video NOW and sign the HVCC Petition NOW!!

UPCOMING EVENT
Class on Social Media "Getting Connected"
for Real Estate Professionals, 3 CE Clock hours

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Time: 1 -4 PM
Location: Keller Williams, Downtown Office
915 Broadway Ste 100, Vancouver, WA 98660

== Cost: $27 Early Bird special before Midnight, July 21, 2009 ==

Details at the event signup page here:

Getting Connected through Social Media Class for Realtors.

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• WEDNESDAY FREE LUNCH TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

What Lewis Carroll book was banned in China after censors decided:
"Animals should not use human language"?
Answer: YOU TELL ME! :-)

• The FOUR Letter Word Dealing with Social Media
revealed at the 1:45 mark in video above

It's every person's "curse" and every person's main question when talking about using Social Media. Are you facing the same problem? Are you interested in learning more and how to maximize this FOUR Letter word? Watch the video to find out what I talk about and if you're interested in a Social Media 101 Class & Course, contact me through EdBisquera.com or call me at (360) 597-8283. I will have an event sign up here on my blog tomorrow. Stay tuned!

That's it for today. Thanks again for visiting, watching and reading. If you found any value in today's video blog and post, please share this post with anyone you know that may be interested.

Best wishes to you and here's to a wonderful Wednesday!

Ed Bisquera, 360-597-8283 Cell Phone

P.S. Young Professionals of Vancouver Networking Event TODAY at Joe's Crab Shack, on the mighty Columbia River at 5:30. Come by, chat, drink and network! EB

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Trivia Wednesday - Win a Free lunch at Blackstone Restaurant

2009-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Alright, on the heels of last week's trivia question for lunch at Rosemary's Cafe in Downtown Vancouver (1001 Main St), here's today's Trivia Question for lunch at Blackstone Restaurant out on 164th in East Vancouver, WA.

[I have been out of town teaching, but will post the video of me drawing last week's winner later today. EB]

So, for every correct answer that is either either replied via Facebook (post a reply/comment on my wall under the question) or Twitter (send me an @reply) or post a comment here below on my blog, gets entered into a drawing to win a FREE Lunch to Blackstone, Gift Card valued at $25!

Now, you can send me a private message via Facebook and Twitter too with the correct answer; that will get you entered to win.

Again, it's for every CORRECT ANSWER that gets you into the drawing. And I'll post a video recording of me drawing the winner next Wednesday, along with the new Wednesday Trivia for Free Lunch.

TRIVIA QUESTION FOR TODAY, June 25, 2009 is:

"What video, the first to cost over $150,000, helped Michael Jackson's Thriller soar and sell millions?"

Reply with your answer as a comment below for one entry, or on my Facebook page or as an @reply on my original Twitter post. Only one entry allowed per human being, okay? And every CORRECT answer will be entered into the FREE Lunch for a Work Week Drawing.

Deadline to enter is by 12 midnight, June 25, 2009, so please ReTweet, Repost, email out to friends (okay, maybe not, since you want the opportunity to win, LOL) and get the word out!

Every Wednesday, anyone following my blog, friends on Facebook and Twitter, will see the Trivia question of the day and a chance to win something local in Vancouver, Washington or Portland, Oregon helping to support local business.

Thanks again and good luck!

P.S.: OKAY, BTW, you don't necessarily have to POST the correct answer for the whole world to see (it really doesn't matter, though, since it's a drawing of every CORRECT answer). You can post "Hey Ed, I have the answer: I sent you a private or direct message." This is all in good fun and I hope people participate, share and retweet. Thanks!

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4 Reasons Why Marketers Should Choose Facebook Pages Over Facebook Groups

2009-06-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

It's known that if you are using Social Media Marketing, having a profile at Facebook is important to have when marketing online yourself, your cause or your small business. But really, Facebook Groups and Facebook pages are the public way to market, versus using your personal Facebook profile. It allows you to reach the millions on Facebook, and if you're worried about "friending" people you don't really know well through your personal Facebook profile, than creating your own Facebook Group or Facebook "Fan" or Business Page is the way to go.

In brief, this posting below covers the 4 reasons why you should create and use a Facebook "Page" instead of a Facebook "Group." So for businesses small and large, Pages (known also as "public profiles") are the way to go, according to these four important reasons:

1. Pages Allow Marketers to Publish to the "Stream" (more on that later)
2. Pages Allow Marketers to Engage Fans with Rich Media (PDF, Audio, Video, etc)
3. Pages Let Marketers Analyze How Fans are Interacting with the Insights Dashboard
4. Pages Let Marketers Increase their SEO (Search Engine Optimization. Essentially, improve your "Google search juice!"

So for marketing anything commercial or your small business or your band or your cause, the future of marketing on Facebook is Facebook Pages, not Facebook Groups.

You can read in detail the four resons below. Please comment on my blog if you like what you read!
Thanks and happy day to you!

4 Reasons Why Marketers Should Choose Facebook Pages Over Facebook Groups

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Trivia Day - Win Free lunch for a work WEEK Rosemary's Cafe in Downtown Vancouver

2009-06-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have a Trivia Question for today and every correct answer that is either replied via Facebook (post a reply/comment on my wall under the question) or Twitter (send me an @reply) or post a comment here below on my blog, gets entered into a drawing to win a FREE Lunch for entire work week! That's a $50 Value! (5 Business Days folks equals a work week and valued up to $10 per lunch.)

The TRIVIA Question for today, June 17, 2009, is

"What book did E.B. White base on personal experiences at his farm in Maine?"

Reply with your answer as a comment below for one entry, or on my Facebook page or as an @reply on my original Twitter post. Only one entry allowed per human being, okay? And every CORRECT answer will be entered into the FREE Lunch for a Work Week Drawing.

Deadline to enter is by 12 midnight, June 17, 2009, so please ReTweet, Repost, email out to friends (okay, maybe not, since you want the opportunity to win, LOL) and get the word out!

Starting every Wednesday, anyone following my blog, friends on Facebook and Twitter, will get a Trivia question and a chance to win something local in Vancouver, Washington or Portland, Oregon that supports local business.

One Wednesday each month, will be a drawing for something ANYONE in the USA can win, like a gas card or Gift Card to a major grocery store or department store, etc.

Just stay tuned, subscribe to my blog's RSS feed, become a fan on my Facebook page, friend me on Facebookf or follow me on Twitter!

Right above this blog post, you can Tweet this post, share it with others on any of your social network sites or rate it. Please do so and let's see who wins the FREE Lunch for a WEEK at Rosemary's Cafe in Downtown Vancouver Washington! :-)

Ed Bisquera, Mortgage Matchmaker and Social Media Instructor

UPDATE 10:17 AM: OKAY, BTW, don't necessarily POST the correct answer for the whole world to see (it really doesn't matter, though, since it's a drawing of every CORRECT answer). You can post "Hey Ed, I have the answer: I sent you a private or direct message." But as of 10:15 AM, there are already a few answers and they are correct so far.

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"It's when things seem worst, that you must not quit"

2009-06-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."

Unknown
more famous quotes

I really like this inspirational poem, or inspirational quote and I often read it through the challenging times and to remind myself that things are often toughest just before victory shines down. I always know I am blessed and I hope you know you are too. All the best to you,

Ed Bisquera

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Obama Healthcare Logic Deficit: Don't spend more money to save money!

2009-06-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

In a recent post by Mary Kate Cary, of US News and World Report, she comments on a David Leonhardt's explanation of our current deficit in today's New York Times.

Yes, I know we are facing a record amount of spending to support Obama's massive stimulus packages and just spending more is not going to fix it. And I agree with Mary Kate, that we need to stop the spending and cut costs.

Sure, it will hurt and taxes will undoubtedly rise for some or all of us and services in all sectors of the government will see cutbacks or be eliminated all together. We really just need to stop spending so much money. We're facing inflation, because of all the money the government is printing up and our government's attitude is to bail out everyone.

But I have to say, it's the toughest time in history that we face, regarding our economy and our healthcare costs. Here's what Mary Kate has to say:

Why do we need to spend even more money to lower healthcare costs? With a projected $1.8 trillion deficit, it's time to stop the spending and cut costs. I don't get it. In our family budget, we don't spend more money in order to save it. We just stop spending so much money. It doesn't cost us more money to do that. The federal government isn't any different—except for the crazy attitude among politicians and interest groups that a "cut" is really a slowdown in the rate of growth. We don't need slowdowns in the rate of growth. We need real cuts before we're driven into bankruptcy.

Whether you agree with Mary Kate Cary, me or David Leonhardt's recent article, it's safe to say, we need to really buckle down over the next several years, as the experts and I agree: we haven't seen the end of this yet!

Read the rest of Obama's Healthcare Logic Deficit: You Don't Spend Money to Save Money at US News and World Report by Mary Kate Cary

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Video To Realtors in Lynwood/Mill Creek attending Clockhours.com class

2009-06-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

From EdBisquera.com - Just wanted to thank everyone (First American Title for promoting and sponsoring and all Realtors in Lynwood & Mill Creek WA area) for coming out to Natalie's ClockHours.com "Learning to get connected with Social Media" class and having me there to share about social media, Twitter and video topics. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call! (360) 597-8283.

Ed Bisquera

P.S. If it looks like I'm angry at the beginning of the video, I'm not! LOL! I'm really just trying to get through Seattle traffic and keep from squinting. Hope you enjoy! :-) EB

P.S. If you would like to read my blog, one of my blogs is at Activerain.com/blogs/edbisquera or please follow me on Twitter. Take care! EB

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edbisquera's TweetMic recording

2009-05-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Audio Blog Post on TweetMic

So I thought I'd update my blog and try this TweetMic for my iPhone to record a short audio "tweet." Let me know what you think of it! :-)

Thanks,

Ed Bisquera

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My son BJ runs in an amazing touchdown

2009-05-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is pretty cool; BJ's team was running a pass play and as it was nearly intercepted, BJ was able to pick off the ball in the air, just dropping into his hands and he bolts into the end zone. Watch that boy run!

I must say, am a proud dad; he's really liking this game and while it's only flag football, I hope he gets some good lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship out of playing. And of course, I'm proud to see him run a touchdown in! :-)

Enjoy the video:

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Video on Natalie Danielson's boat (of Clockhours.com)

2009-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a video I did while visiting with Natalie Danielson of Clockhours.com. I was in Seattle getting my certification completed to be able to teach Clock Hour Courses to Realtors in the State of Washington, needing to add or complete their 30 clock hours required every 2 years. Our courses we offer include financing and marketing, and also new courses on Social Media Marketing and Video Marketing. I'm happy to report I've completed everything and have several classes on Social Media scheduled throughout 2009. Call me at (360) 597-8283 for details.

It was a lot of fun going through Natalie's course and after class, we were treated to a tour of Zillow.com's corporate offices in downtown Seattle by our good friend, Director of Community Relations at Zillow, David Gibbons.

Hope you enjoy this little video I made on Natalie's boat. :-)

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Flickr

2009-04-28T22:32:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Twitter Marketing and Tools - Top Ten Uses | Online Marketing Blog

2009-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Twitter Marketing and Tools - Top Ten Uses | Online Marketing Blog

This is a great Top 10 Usage List.

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March 27, EVBA Breakfast Event

2009-03-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Friendly reminder about East Vancouver Business Association event, courtesy of my friend Kris Thomas at Country Financial.
Thanks for the update Kris.

Read more about below.

EVBAMarchBreakfast.pdf

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<

GOP lawmakers take issue with loan modification plan - MarketWatch

2009-02-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

GOP lawmakers take issue with loan modifications
Concerns raised by about bill to let bankruptcy judges alter mortgages

By Ronald D. Orol, MarketWatch
Last update: 6:14 p.m. EST Feb. 24, 2009

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Citing recent statistics about high re-default rates on reworked home loans, Republican lawmakers expressed concerns Tuesday about the viability of a new Obama administration plan to modify mortgages for troubled homeowners.
"It is important that we have statistics and knowledge that there are high re-defaults on modified mortgages, but in fact these reports actually reinforce a lender's resolve not to modify," said Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, in a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing.
"What mortgage shareholder would urge its institution to modify or extend or renew a loan that has a 1-in-3 chances in default?" asked Marchant.
Marchant cited statistics released earlier in the day by the Office of Thrift Supervision showing that more than half of all modified mortgages defaulted again within six months.

Read the rest of the story below:

GOP lawmakers take issue with loan modification plan - MarketWatch

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4.875% (4.99% APR) in 02/20/09 Mortgage Market Commentary and News For Washington & Oregon

2009-02-20T12:05:00.001-08:00

Ed Bisquera Mortgage Consultant Portland Oregon Vancouver Washington

Most rates improved today as mortgage bonds regain some of the losses from Thursday following the direction of Treasuries, which are busy gaining back yesterday’s losses. Up and down…up and down. The good news is mortgages, while trending in the same direction as Treasuries, have not seen the massive swings in price, thanks in part to the Fed’s intervention. Let’s hope this trend continues as massive swings in rates coupled with longer turn times due to volume creates all kinds of problems for both brokers and lenders alike. The Dow has sunk below its November lows in search of a bottom, down over 100-points at the moment at 7355. Blame the banks: fears of nationalization, under capitalization and, of course, the whole Swiss tax evasion issue isn’t helping either. Happy Friday…

In the News:

Jumbo Defaults Up While Getting Jumbo Loans Proves More Difficult

Jumbo Loan Defaults Rise at Fast Pace as Rich Sufferr

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Luxury homeowners are falling behind on mortgage payments at the fastest pace in more than 15 years, a sign the U.S. financial crisis that began with the poorest Americans has reached the wealthiest.

About 2.57 percent of prime borrowers who took out jumbo loans last year were at least 60 days delinquent, a percentage reached within 10 months and the fastest since at least 1992, according to LPS Applied Analytics, a mortgage data service in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s almost twice as quickly as 2007 borrowers fell behind and a level 2006 owners haven’t attained after almost three years.

The jump in late payments on jumbo loans, while still lower than the 20 percent delinquencies in subprime mortgages, signals that the borrowers with the most money and the best credit are hurting as the U.S. recession deepens in its second year. It also means these loans will be even more difficult to obtain and more expensive to pay off.

== READ THE REST HERE: Jumbo Defaults Up While Getting Jumbo Loans Proves More Difficult

Today’s Lock Rate (Feb 20, 2009)

30 YR Fixed 4.875% (4.99%APR)

(740+FICO/<=80%LTV/Rate & Term/30 Day Lock Full Documentation/With Impounds)

Call me at (360) 597-8283 for your pre-approval and I’ll provide a Good Faith Estimate & Lock Terms to secure your refinance or purchase loan and rate.

Interest Rates AND Demand for purchase and refinance funds will likely increase now that the $787 Billion Dollar Stimulus Package has passed.

Don’t wait or waste time, email me ed@pdxloan.com or call 360.597.8283 to today, to secure these funds now!

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Jumbo Loan Defaults Rise While New Jumbos Difficult To Come By

2009-02-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Jumbo Loan Defaults Rise at Fast Pace as Rich Sufferr
2009-02-20 15:24:14.270 GMT
By Bob Ivry

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Luxury homeowners are falling behind on mortgage payments at the fastest pace in more than 15 years, a sign the U.S. financial crisis that began with the poorest Americans has reached the wealthiest.

About 2.57 percent of prime borrowers who took out jumbo loans last year were at least 60 days delinquent, a percentage reached within 10 months and the fastest since at least 1992, according to LPS Applied Analytics, a mortgage data service in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s almost twice as quickly as 2007 borrowers fell behind and a level 2006 owners haven’t attained after almost three years.

The jump in late payments on jumbo loans, while still lower than the 20 percent delinquencies in subprime mortgages, signals that the borrowers with the most money and the best credit are hurting as the U.S. recession deepens in its second year. It also means these loans will be even more difficult to obtain and more expensive to pay off.

“The biggest influence in rising delinquencies is related squarely to the economy rather than poor underwriting,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based mortgage research firm. “We are apparently all suffering to some degree. It’s certainly more severe for some but still, it’s pretty much widespread.”

Raymond Young bought his lakeside home in Miami four years ago for $2 million cash and in 2006 took out a $1.4 million jumbo mortgage to pay for a real estate venture in Texas. Now, with home prices in his area down 40 percent from their 2006 peak, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, Young needs to refinance because the Texas investment isn’t paying off and his income has dried up. He can’t find a bank to help.

No Refinancing

“They’re telling me the house is only worth $1.3 million,” said Young, 46. “I’m upside down. I’m stuck. I’m in bailout mode but they’re bailing out banks and they’re not bailing out homeowners.”

President Barack Obama’s Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, announced this week, has no provision to help jumbo mortgage borrowers.

U.S. joblessness reached a 25-year high in January while the unemployment rate in the financial industry rose to 6 percent from 3 percent a year ago. It jumped to 10.4 percent from 6.4 percent in the category of professional and business services, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington.

About 1.92 percent of homeowners with 2008 mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell at least 60 days behind, LPS Applied Analytics said. Jumbo loans are bigger than what the two government-controlled agencies buy or guarantee, and Obama’s plan focuses on shoring up mortgages eligible to be bought by Fannie and Freddie.

No Government Help

Currently the Fannie-Freddie cap is set at $417,000 in most places and up to $729,750 in areas with higher home prices. The average credit score for 2008 jumbo loans was 762, LPS Applied Analytics said. Such scores are used to assess risk.

Jumbo lending slowed in the fourth quarter to $11 billion, or 4 percent of the mortgage market, the lowest quarterly amount since Inside Mortgage Finance started tracking that data in 1990. In 2007, jumbo loans made up 14 percent of total U.S. mortgage originations, according to the Bethesda, Maryland-based publication.

Financing Jumbo Loans

The top five U.S. jumbo lenders -- Chase Home Finance LLC, Bank of America Corp., Washington Mutual Inc., Wells Fargo & Co. and Citigroup Inc. -- originated a combined $55.3 billion in jumbos in 2008. They lent just $4.3 billion of that during the last three months of the year, according to Inside Mortgage Finance.

Banks don’t want to make jumbo loans because holding them on their books means they have to keep sufficient money in reserve in case borrowers quit paying, Inside Mortgage Finance Publications Chief Executive Officer Guy Cecala said.

The national average for a 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgage was 6.57 percent this week compared with 5.34 percent for a conforming loan, according to White Plains, New York-based financial data provider BanxQuote.

The difference in interest rates between jumbo loans and prime conforming mortgages, or mortgages eligible for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and available to borrowers with top credit scores, had been about 20 basis points “for several decades,” according to BanxQuote CEO Norbert Mehl.

181 Basis Points

In August 2007, that difference jumped to as much as 200 basis points and has stayed between 100 and 200 basis points, Mehl said. A basis point is equal to 0.01 percentage point.

The difference between the jumbo interest rate and the prime conforming rate was 181 basis points on Feb. 18, according to Bloomberg data.

“The only jumbo mortgages being written right now have strict qualification criteria both in the credit rating of the borrower and the down payment requirements and they are nearly impossible to qualify for,” Mehl said. “Some lenders quote a jumbo rate but they don’t make the loans.”

Steve Habetz, president of Threshold Mortgage Co. in Westport, Connecticut, said he relied on Hudson City Bancorp Inc.
in Paramus, New Jersey, and closely held, Manhasset, New York- based Apple Bank for Savings for jumbo loans.

Capacity is down because lenders everywhere are understaffed and “drowning in loan applications,” Habetz said. Habetz said he had a customer with a 740 credit score who had a down payment of $500,000 on a $1 million home in Easton, Connecticut. The borrower had to wait two weeks for approval when in December he would have gotten the mortgage overnight.

“Mortgage lending right now is like wading miles and miles in waist-deep mud,” Habetz said. “It’s so difficult. Jumbo borrowers will be tortured and it’s nothing they should take personally because everybody is getting tortured.”

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Video Post on YouTube about Self-Directed IRA website

2009-01-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

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YouTube Test of JLP Group Video

2009-01-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

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01/24/09: President Obama's Weekly Address (Talks of economy and plan of action).

2009-01-26T12:03:00.001-08:00

Here's a re-posting of President Obama's first weekly address as President of the United States. And below is a transcript of his address in its' entirety:

Remarks of President Barack Obama (original blog post here)

Weekly Address

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

We begin this year and this Administration in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented action. Just this week, we saw more people file for unemployment than at any time in the last twenty-six years, and experts agree that if nothing is done, the unemployment rate could reach double digits. Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. And we could lose a generation of potential, as more young Americans are forced to forgo college dreams or the chance to train for the jobs of the future.

In short, if we do not act boldly and swiftly, a bad situation could become dramatically worse.

That is why I have proposed an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan to immediately jumpstart job creation as well as long-term economic growth. I am pleased to say that both parties in Congress are already hard at work on this plan, and I hope to sign it into law in less than a month.

It’s a plan that will save or create three to four million jobs over the next few years, and one that recognizes both the paradox and the promise of this moment - the fact that there are millions of Americans trying to find work even as, all around the country, there’s so much work to be done. That’s why this is not just a short-term program to boost employment. It’s one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century.

Today I’d like to talk specifically about the progress we expect to make in each of these areas.

To accelerate the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double our capacity to generate alternative sources of energy like wind, solar, and biofuels over the next three years. We’ll begin to build a new electricity grid that lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines to convey this new energy from coast to coast. We’ll save taxpayers $2 billion a year by making 75% of federal buildings more energy efficient, and save the average working family $350 on their energy bills by weatherizing 2.5 million homes.

To lower health care cost, cut medical errors, and improve care, we’ll computerize the nation’s health record in five years, saving billions of dollars in health care costs and countless lives. And we’ll protect health insurance for more than 8 million Americans who are in danger of losing their coverage during this economic downturn.

To ensure our children can compete and succeed in this new economy, we’ll renovate and modernize 10,000 schools, building state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries, and labs to improve learning for over five million students. We’ll invest more in Pell Grants to make college affordable for seven million more students, provide a $2,500 college tax credit to four million students, and triple the number of fellowships in science to help spur the next generation of innovation.

Finally, we will rebuild and retrofit America to meet the demands of the 21st century. That means repairing and modernizing thousands of miles of America’s roadways and providing new mass transit options for millions of Americans. It means protecting America by securing 90 major ports and creating a better communications network for local law enforcement and public safety officials in the event of an emergency. And it means expanding broadband access to millions of Americans, so business can compete on a level-playing field, wherever they’re located.

I know that some are skeptical about the size and scale of this recovery plan. I understand that skepticism, which is why this recovery plan must and will include unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my Administration accountable for these results. We won’t just throw money at our problems - we’ll invest in what works. Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made public, and informed by independent experts whenever possible. We’ll launch an unprecedented effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary spending in our government, and every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars by going to a new website called Recovery.gov.

No one policy or program will solve the challenges we face right now, nor will this crisis recede in a short period of time. But if we act now and act boldly; if we start rewarding hard work and responsibility once more; if we act as citizens and not partisans and begin again the work of remaking America, then I have faith that we will emerge from this trying time even stronger and more prosperous than we were before. Thanks for listening.

Test Video #2 of Vancouver Washington Real Estate Home for Sale from Realtor Jared Lippelgoos

2009-01-26T00:19:00.000-08:00

This is a screen capture video of another property I made to showcase a single property website created with my marketing system.
I'm posting this to compare video quality and to determine best format to upload to the 35+ video hosting sites I belong to.

I'm hoping the audio and video quality is good enough to understand and get prospective visitors and buyers to in fact, visit the URL of the home for sale. The next step in the online marketing experiment, is forthcoming, but simply should produce more Google results and improve the SEO of the listing page, with results in under 72 hours.

I'll be posting results and search engine feedback in a week or so after we allow the search engines to crawl and index the submissions.

For your own access to a single property website account, complete with mobile texting features and also easy, one-click posting to several sites online visit http://homebuyerbustou.mymarketingbook.com/ and click on Realtor Sign Up. Any questions regarding the system, feel free to call me at (360) 597-8283. Thanks! :-)

Ed Bisquera

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Test Video of Vancouver Washington Real Estate Home for Sale from Realtor Jared Lippelgoos

2009-01-26T00:15:00.000-08:00

This is a screen capture video I made to showcase a single property website created with my marketing system.
I'm posting this to compare video quality and to determine best format to upload to the 35+ video hosting sites I belong to.

I'm hoping the audio and video quality is good enough to understand and get prospective visitors and buyers to in fact, visit the URL of the home for sale. The next step in the online marketing experiment, is forthcoming, but simply should produce more Google results and improve the SEO of the listing page, with results in under 72 hours.

I'll be posting results and search engine feedback in a week or so after we allow the search engines to crawl and index the submissions.

For your own access to a single property website account, complete with mobile texting features and also easy, one-click posting to several sites online visit http://homebuyerbustou.mymarketingbook.com/ and click on Realtor Sign Up. Any questions regarding the system, feel free to call me at (360) 597-8283. Thanks! :-)

Ed Bisquera

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Why are interest rates rising?

2009-01-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering why rates are rising again. Simply, borrower demand is driving up pricing, because banks raise their rates as the available capacity starts to feel pressure and leads to them wanting to realize greater profits. Hopefully this will ease demand, so if rates continue to see demand from borrowers, they (banks, in reaction to investors) start to drive the pricing of interest rates up.

You'll see this occur, because it's basically the rule of supply and demand, amongst other factors as you will read below in this re-post of Bankrate.com's press release I received earlier today.

Ed Bisquera

P.S. It's not entirely a case of worrying though; I priced out a loan for a client this morning and was at 5 % (5.13% APR), but conditions of loan applicant, loan to value, etc, were driving factors in still securing a competitive rate. Simply quoting rates of the day is not a simple process, so consult with your mortgage consultant and give him/her ALL the details about your situation, because there are many factors to consider. :-) Have a great week!

P.S.S. What does this really mean for consumers that wait instead of locking in low rates, thinking 'but it might go lower' ? It MEANS THAT if you are waiting to lock in rates when rates are falling and thinking it will fall further, all the demand on the pricing while you're waiting, will most possibly cause rates to go back up, because of the supply and demand element. If it's a good deal, those that jump in earlier, rather than later, most likely will take advantage of the deal. Just my two cents... ;-)

=== Mortgage Rates Rebound to Three-Week High (Bankrate) ===

NEW YORK, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mortgage rates increased after falling in each of the previous three weeks. According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.59 percent with an average of 0.3 discount and origination points.

The average 15-year fixed rate mortgage jumped to 5.2 percent and the average jumbo 30-year fixed rate climbed to 7.22 percent. Adjustable rate mortgages were mixed, with the average 1-year ARM sliding to 5.91 percent and the 5/1 ARM rising to 5.58 percent.

The reversal in mortgage rates was prompted by investors' nervousness about a large supply of government debt and renewed concerns about the health of banks. Higher yields on benchmark Treasury debt and wider mortgage credit spreads spelled an increase in mortgage rates versus one week ago. While mortgage rates remain historically low, the barrier for many homeowners is lack of equity. Similarly, a lack of downpayment could be a barrier to an otherwise well-qualified home buyer.

Lower mortgage rates have opened the door to refinancing for homeowners with equity. As recently as October, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.77 percent, meaning a $200,000 loan would have carried a monthly payment of $1,299.86. With the average rate having since fallen to 5.59 percent, the monthly payment on a $200,000 loan is now $1,146.90.

SURVEY RESULTS

30-year fixed: 5.59% -- up from 5.28% last week (avg. points: 0.30)
15-year fixed: 5.20% -- up from 4.89% last week (avg. points: 0.37)
5/1 ARM: 5.58% -- up from 5.51% last week (avg. points: 0.38)

Bankrate's national weekly mortgage survey is conducted each Wednesday from data provided by the top 10 banks and thrifts in the top 10 markets.

For a full analysis of this week's move in mortgage rates, go to http://www.bankrate.com/mortgagerates

The survey is complemented by Bankrate's weekly forward-looking Rate Trend Index, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts which way the rates are headed over the next 30 to 45 days. There is no firm conviction among the panelists this week, with 38 percent predicting that rates will remain more or less unchanged over the next 30 to 45 days. The remaining respondents are evenly split, with 31 forecasting higher rates and 31 percent expecting lower rates.

For the full mortgage Rate Trend Index, go to http://www.bankrate.com/RTI

=== End of original post ===
Visit http://sev.prnewswire.com/banking-financial-services/20090122/CLTH05022012009-1.html for original post
=== End of original post ===

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10 Leading Trends for Real Estate in 2009

2009-01-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

10 Leading Trends for Real Estate in 2009
Posted by Pat Kitano at 1/1/2009 12:46 AM

1) 2009 is the Year of the Mortgage.

Historically low interest rates artificially pushed down to stabilize the economy will be a once-in-a-lifetime window of opportunity. With economists predicting the 10-year bond rates (which generally correlate with mortgage rates) starting to rise in 2009, expect a wave of refinancing and a return of home buyers/investors wanting to lock down that low rate.

When? Once the market is comfortable that a bottom has finally been reached; and that is hard to predict. (According to bond market strategist Tony Crescenzi, new home inventories are plunging).

2) 2009 is the Year of the Economy

In the first half of 2009, the new Obama administration will focus solely on righting the economy with stimulus packages and an artificially low interest rate environment. This recession is global, and it seems that the Central Banks around the world will work in concord with similar stimulus policies. The global economic coordination is unprecedented in history and we'll see by summer whether this all works.

3) Consumers Will Demand Online Presence

Consumers demand online presence for retailers, travel, cars... everything. Those who aren't providing that presence (note Sears.com below) are being dragged down by their recession-induced low margin / high leverage bricks and mortar business model. The analogy to real estate brokerages is clear.

Consumers understand real estate agents need to leverage the Internet to market their properties. They will trust agents who can demonstrate this by how they market themselves online... that includes easy access to Web 2.0 conversation via a variety of social media. How can any agent today believe they can ignore the Internet ?

4) Consumers Won't Buy Based on Week-Old News

Just as the internet has made the morning newspaper a digest of old news, Twitter and other micro-blogging applications are changing news digestion through minute-by-minute citizen broadcasting of breaking news and events. For the user, this amplification of news content is not data overload because the news is filtered via RSS feeds, special search criteria, or simply site visits. The example of following news on personal stock portfolios on Marketwatch.com is easily extended to following Twitter/Feedfuze feeds (like Homescopes, see #8 below) on local housing markets. Who is willing to purchase GM stock without checking the news? Who will buy a home during this period of economic instability based on month old NAR reports?

Frankly, it's the real estate agents' job to monitor their housing market on a daily basis and that's a major value proposition. The next five trends focus on how real estate agents can actively demonstrate their grasp of the market to their client base.

5) The Focus of News Will be Distribution over Creation

Before the Internet and citizen journalism, mainstream media owned the content it created (news, music and movies) and charged a lot for the consumption of that content. The social media now produces a lot of the online content and is disrupting the media industries by pushing the price for content consumption towards zero. Online news sources are now positioning themselves to be the most comprehensive "news re-sources" and in 2009 will start steering their readership to authoritative sources who may or may not be their own journalists. Among citizen journalists, real estate bloggers and Twitterers will benefit from the exposure.

6) Discovery is the Killer App

Yelp on iPhone does it well. Go to any unknown city, and review site Yelp uses the iPhone GPS to find a well reviewed nearby restaurant or map the nearest gas stand within seconds. The best new applications of 2009 will create discovery opportunities. Discovery is best facilitated by: 1) referrals from the social media, and 2) breaking news of actionable content, 3) new contextual search capabilities that deliver higher relevancy results than a typical search engine.

For real estate professionals, getting a massive hyperlocal consumer population to "discover" you in a relevant way will be a key lead generation driver. See #7 and #8.

7) The Question: "What I am doing on Facebook?" is Finally Answered.

Facebook Connect, and its social network cousins Google Friend Connect, and the still obscure MySpace ID will facilitate the portability of social networks, or the "social graph". This will be one of the most powerful applications towards creating a social media business model in 2009, but is hard to explain to social media newbies. What does it mean?

Through Facebook Connect, consumers log into other sites using their Facebook login details. Once inside the site, users can discuss or post their activities in real time to their Facebook network. The effect is to bring in their network of friends into the hosting site. For real estate sites, allowing consumers to log in through their Facebook ID becomes a viral invitation for developing conversations around real estate, and an opportunity to add new Facebook friends (and potential clients) from Facebook networks.

Remember, on Facebook and other social networks, strangers who want to "friend" you may want to hire you. Don't try to be exclusive or put them off (unless they are truly repulsive).

8. continued below

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Brian Carter and seo talk radio show | Twitter Tuesday Guests: @briancarter and @edbisquera

2009-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Brian Carter and seo talk radio show | Twitter Tuesday Guests: @briancarter and @edbisquera

This was my opportunity to be on their show and featured Brian Carter as well.

Just click on the link above and you can hear the archived recording of the show.

Thanks to Jason Crouch @jasoncrouch and Ken Cook @thekencook for having me on the show. I do have a link to some of the services I mentioned on the show.

Below is my access to a epropertysites.com account and Realtors are free to sign up for an account. Create unlimited single property websites, courtesy of Ed Bisquera and HomeBuyerBusTour.com:

Click here for account

You can call me at (360) 597-8283 too with any questions or to get help in creating or accessing your account.

Best,

Ed Bisquera

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