Currently Under Reconstruction - Ohio Indiana West Regional Sales Center

Calendar Holiday & Mailing Schedule

2010-11-13T21:35:00.002-05:00

Operation Keep In Touch 2.0

2010-11-13T21:20:00.003-05:00

SIGN UP TODAY!!

D.A.T.A.B.A.S.E. 2011 Workshop

2010-11-13T21:06:00.005-05:00

Make plans to attend the D.A.T.A.B.A.S.E. 2011 Workshop on Thursday, December 2nd from 10:00am to 1:00pm!!

Watch this video for more information....

Have You Created Your Database Today?

2010-11-13T20:50:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD

2010-11-13T20:25:00.011-05:00

For printable versions of these graphs go to the Agent Share Drive:

L:Drive - Public Folder - Agents Folder - MLS Stats Folder - 2010 Graphs Folder - October 2010 Stats Folder

Cincinnati MLS Area Stats - YTD

2010-11-13T20:17:00.012-05:00

For printable versions of these graphs go to the Agent Share Drive:
L:Drive - Public Folder - Agents Folder - MLS Stats Folder - 2010 Graphs Folder - October 2010 Stats Folder

Indiana MLS Stats - YTD

2010-11-13T20:05:00.009-05:00

For printable versions of these graphs go to the Agent Share Drive:
L:Drive - Public Folder - Agents Folder - MLS Stats Folder - 2010 Graphs Folder - October 2010 Stats Folder

NEW!! Online Showing Report

2010-07-16T12:29:00.011-04:00

(Click on each image for larger view)

Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD

2010-07-16T12:23:00.007-04:00

**Remember, if you would like to print the stats, you can do so by accessing the L:drive and going to the Public File - Click on Agent File - Click on MLS Stats File - Click on 2010 Graphs File and select the month you need **

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Cincinnati MLS Area Stats - YTD

2010-07-16T12:04:00.015-04:00

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Indiana MLS Stats - YTD

2010-07-16T11:57:00.007-04:00

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Night At The Red's Game

2010-06-22T23:27:00.009-04:00

We Did It For You JoAnn ...

Boarding The Belly Bus ...

We All Travel on the Belly Bus ...

Drinks Anyone?? ...

The Leader of all Leaders ... Joe King ...

Our Fearless Leader Steve ...

Our Fearless Leader Sandy ...

Teamwork

2010-06-14T22:31:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday!

2010-06-14T22:27:00.002-04:00

Happy 10th Birthday to Judy Hauser and the team at Residential Title!!

Here's to many more years to come!!!

Continuing Education Classes ~ July & August

2010-06-14T22:19:00.002-04:00

July 8th: Legal Issues in New Construction - (1pm-4pm) - Northeast Regional Office

July 12th: Ethics: Creating a Higher Standard - (1pm-4pm) - Ohio Indiana West Regional Office

July 21st: Mold Issues in Real Estate - (1pm-4pm) - Union Centre Regional Office

August 4th: Risk Management - (1pm-4pm) - Wyoming Office

August 5th: Top Problems Found in Home Inspections - (9am-12pm) - Anderson Regional Office

August 11th: Diversity: A Business Opportunity - (1pm-4pm) - Northeast Regional Office

2010 Summer Technology Summit

2010-06-14T22:07:00.003-04:00

Save the Date!!

The 2010 Coldwell Banker West Shell

Trends, Tools and Technology Summit

August 19, 2010

9:30am - 4:30pm

Roberts Center

Wilmington, Ohio

Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD

2010-06-14T22:03:00.008-04:00

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Cincinnati MLS Area Stats - YTD

2010-06-14T21:56:00.012-04:00

(Click on each image for larger view)

Indiana MLS Stats - YTD

2010-06-14T21:51:00.008-04:00

(Click on each image for larger view)

Xpressdocs ~ 30-Day Free Trial

2010-04-30T12:55:00.005-04:00

Have YOU tried your 30-day FREE Trial of Xpressdocs yet???

Don't miss out ... log on at

www.Xpressdocs.com

today!

Red's Community Corner

2010-04-30T12:26:00.003-04:00

Coldwell Banker West Shell and the Cincinnati Reds have partnered this year in the Reds' Community Corner. Each office will be working at the Reds' games selling "Split The Pot" tickets. Our office has 4 upcoming games we will be participating in. We will need at least 15 agents to participate. You can bring spouses, family members or friends to help sell tickets - the only requirement is the person has to be 18 years or older to sell tickets. Each agent who participates will be given food / drink vouchers and will be able to enjoy the game after the 4th inning. For more details, please see Sandy Stephens. There is a sign-up sheet posted on Sandy's door if you would like to participate! The games we will be hosting are below, please click on the image to view it larger.

Red's Match Program

2010-04-30T12:18:00.002-04:00

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New Saturday Receptionist

2010-04-30T11:59:00.000-04:00

Please welcome Hannah Ritzmann as our new Saturday Receptionist. Hannah will be working every Saturday from 9am to 4pm. Please stop by and introduce yourself to Hannah!

Continuing Education Classes ~ May & June

2010-04-30T11:46:00.002-04:00

May 6th: Fair Housing - (9am-12pm) - Northern Kentucky Office

May 6th: Ethics: Creating a Higher Standard - (1pm-4pm) - Northern Kentucky Office

May 13th: Legal Issues in Condominium Sales - (1pm-4pm) - Wyoming Office

June 4th: Inspection of Older Homes - (9am-12pm) - Hyde Park Office

June 9th: Buyer Representation - (1pm-4pm) - Northeast Regional Office

June 10th: Environmental Issues in Residential Real Estate - (9am-12pm) - Anderson Office

Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD

2010-04-30T09:49:00.011-04:00

(To view the image larger, click on each image)

Cincinnati MLS Area Stats - YTD

2010-04-30T09:35:00.018-04:00

(To view the image larger, click on each image)

Indiana MLS Stats - YTD

2010-04-30T09:24:00.008-04:00

(To view the image larger, click on each image)

CB Link is Finally Here!!!

2010-02-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati MLS - January 2009 vs 2010

2010-02-23T10:20:00.006-05:00

Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD

2010-02-17T16:31:00.002-05:00

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Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD - By Areas

2010-02-17T16:17:00.013-05:00

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Indiana MLS Stats - YTD 2010

2010-02-17T16:14:00.006-05:00

2010 Marketing Campaign - I AM Coldwell Banker

2010-01-22T09:54:00.004-05:00

At this week’s office meetings, our branch managers shared a video that was created to outline our companies strategy to increase listing market share. The video contains two areas of focus, an external branding campaign and our latest commitment to reaching out to the local communities that we serve to make a difference.

The video is approximately 16 minutes long in its entirety. It includes a video that was created by the Cincinnati Reds announcing our new partnership with the Reds, another video that was created by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens announcing that Coldwell Banker West Shell will be the corporate sponsor of the very popular Zoo Babies, and finally, we announced our external branding campaign that includes one of our new television commercials titled, “I AM COLDWELL BANKER WEST SHELL.”

There are a lot of opportunities around this campaign for all of us to grow our business. Please attend your office meetings so we can all share with each other the ways that everyone is leveraging the campaign to grow their business.

Taking Your Business To The Next Level

2010-01-13T15:29:00.010-05:00

Office Wi-Fi Connection

2010-01-13T15:20:00.003-05:00

The Office Guest Wi-Fi Connection is now available. This service allows you free access to the Internet. You do not have access to the Company’s Network Printers or Share Drive.

Agents and clients who connect to this free wireless network understand that this is an unsecured connection and CBWS takes no responsibility for support of this service or any connectivity issues that arise.

There is a logon & password required to connect
Logon & password is case sensitive – use all lower case
Logon is: guestwifi
Password is: realest8
Logon procedures will be available at the front desk – See Tonyia or JoAnn for the procedure sheet

Cincinnati MLS Stats - December

2010-01-13T14:51:00.007-05:00

Cincinnati Stats - 2009 YTD

2010-01-13T14:48:00.002-05:00

Cincinnati MLS - By Areas - 2009 YTD

2010-01-13T14:44:00.010-05:00

Indiana MLS Stats - 2009 YTD

2010-01-13T14:41:00.007-05:00

New Online Relocation Kits!

2009-10-19T13:43:00.004-04:00

The new online relocation kits are now available!
The online information is updated routinely.
This is a quick, easy and efficient way for any of you to send information about living in our city to your prospective transferees.
Please use this instead of the hard-copy relocation kits whenever possible.
To access the online relocation kits, please go to:

www.sunraydirect.com/Cincinnati/CBWestShell

West Shell Facebook Page

2009-10-19T13:30:00.004-04:00

The Coldwell Banker West Shell Facebook page is here! BECOME A FAN TODAY!

Interact and share information with agents and potential clients. Grow your sphere of influence in a broad network geared toward the local markets.

Explore the page for consumer articles, market and technology updates, community videos, events and more! New content is loaded daily.

Make the Coldwell Banker West Shell page YOUR own. Contribute content by sending photos, video links, event information, useful articles and tips, etc to Julie.Yakapovich@cbexchange.com.

Market Watch October 2009 ~ Record Streak Continues for Pending Home Sales

2009-10-19T13:11:00.005-04:00

Pending home sales have increased for seven straight months, the longest in the series of the index which began in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a national forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in August, rose 6.4 % to 103.8 from a reading of 97.6 in July, and is 12.4 % above August 2008 when it was 92.4. The index is at the highest level since March 2007. In the Midwest the index rose 3.1 % to 90.8 in August and is 7.6 % above a year ago.

The county graphs provided show the local trends, recent activity and current market conditions you should know as a buyer or seller.

(Click on each image for larger view)

Local Company Stats - YTD

2009-10-19T12:43:00.012-04:00

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Listing Contract Changes - OH, IN, KY

2009-09-09T15:53:00.000-04:00

There is a new listing contract available on Virtual Office. The new listing contract effects all three states (Ohio, Indiana & Kentucky). The change consists of removing the Lowes Coupon.

Lowe’s Realtor Benefits Program Update

2009-09-09T15:45:00.002-04:00

Please read the following changes to the Lowes Realtor Benefits Program

No longer automatically mailing sellers coupons

Associates can order coupons for their sellers

Buyer coupons still being sent automatically

Go to www.lowesrealtorbenefits.com/coldwellbanker to order your coupons today

RoboForm2Go

2009-09-09T15:42:00.003-04:00

Take your passwords with you

RoboForm2Go securely stores your passwords, contacts and other data

Plug RoboForm2Go into any computer and log into your favorite websites automatically

Simply remove RoboForm2Go and no information is left behind

Please see Michelle Barnett if you would like to purchase a RoboForm2Go

New Sunday Receptionist

2009-09-09T15:37:00.001-04:00

Please welcome Sydney Yerger as our new Sunday Receptionist. Sydney will be working every Sunday from 9am to 4pm and some Saturdays too. Please stop by and introduce yourself to Sydney!

MLS Stats - August

2009-09-09T15:32:00.007-04:00

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Cincinnati MLS Stats - YTD

2009-09-09T15:29:00.005-04:00

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Cincinnati MLS Stats - By Area - YTD

2009-09-09T15:16:00.018-04:00

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Indiana MLS Stats - YTD

2009-09-09T15:05:00.014-04:00

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Lowes' Realtor Benefits -- Important Changes

2009-08-17T11:51:00.004-04:00

On Friday, August 14th, Randy Wax sent an email out to all agents regarding changes to the Lowes' Realtor Benefits....

Lowes has discontinued automatically sending coupons to your sellers via direct mail.

The coupon redemption rate for seller coupons in the Lowes' Marketing Program were too low to justify Lowes continuing that part of their program.

The Good News: You can continue to send your sellers these coupons by going to the Lowes Realtor Benefits site (https://extranet.nrtinc.com/) and placing the order yourself. Note: if you are already a Lowes Realtor Benefits Member, you will need to stop using your current account in order to get all the NEW enhancements available to Coldwell Banker associates.

New added features to the Lowes Program are:

Automated mailings go out for every closed buyer transaction in Trident (saving you time from entering in client data)

Accounts have been created for all Coldwell Banker realtors and access to your account will be on the NRT Extranet site (https://extranet.nrtinc.com/)

Personalized dual coupon offers. Separate coupons for 10% off Lowes Products and 10% off installation services (with extended expiration date for the installation coupon of 120 days). Choose from direct mail card, e-coupon, HGTV e-mail, or a monthly helpful tips and articles e-mail.

MLS Stats - July 2009

2009-08-17T11:44:00.002-04:00

Active Listings:
(July 2008: 16,614) (July 2009: 14,028) Down 16%

Listings Taken:
(July 2008: 4,219) (July 2009: 3,539) Down 16%

Solds:
(July 2008: 3,280) (July 2009: 3,826) Up 17%

Expireds:
(July 2008: 1,386) (July 2009: 992) Down 28%

Pendings:
(July 2008: 2,704) (July 2009: 3,165) Up 17%

Good News!

2009-08-17T11:43:00.001-04:00

Good News For The Housing Industry

(check your email for more info)

Tech Thursday Schedule

2009-08-05T19:43:00.008-04:00

Below is the upcoming Tech Thursday schedule through September:

August 6th - New Features on MLS

August 12th - New Features on MLS

August 20th - Importing Graphs in your Listing Presentations

August 27th - Sneak Peak at CB Link

September 3rd - No Tech Thursday

September 10th - Creative and useful Real Estate Websites

September 17th - Texting with ProRealTour

ProRealTour Update

2009-07-21T12:04:00.003-04:00

We are happy to inform you that the program has been upgraded to allow agents to capture the contact information of the inquiring client. In order to implement this feature, it is necessary for you to follow a few simple procedures. This includes accessing the Control Panel and activating the text or e-mail option for your listings. There are also new sign riders designed for the texting option. You will need to replace your existing riders with the new riders. Contact Tonyia Cormican for replacements. You will keep your existing Tour Number, only the sign rider will change. The instructions for activating the text messaging has been emailed to each of you. If you need the directions again, please contact Tonyia Cormican. The radio spots airing have been changed to reflect the texting option. A revised flyer is available in Virtual Office in Forms Online.

Local Company Stats - YTD

2009-07-21T11:16:00.011-04:00

Below are the Local Company Stats that was discussed at the Sales Rally. If you would like a printed copy of the stats, please email Michelle Barnett.

(Click on each image for larger view)

MLS Stats - June 2009

2009-07-20T16:04:00.002-04:00

Active Listings:
(June 2008: 16,359) (June 2009: 14,077) Down 14%

Listings Taken:
(June 2008: 4,142) (June 2009: 3,678) Down 11%

Solds:
(June 2008: 3,386) (June 2009: 3,618) Up 6%

Expireds:
(June 2008: 1,157) (June 2009: 1,087) Down 6%

Pendings:
(June 2008: 2,927) (June 2009: 3,361) Up 15%

MLS Stats - May 2009

2009-06-15T14:51:00.002-04:00

Active Listings:
(May 2008: 15,954) (May 2009: 14,035) Down 12%

Listings Taken:
(May 2008: 4,371) (May 2009: 3,535) Down 19%

Solds:
(May 2008: 3,238) (May 2009: 3,044) Down 6%

Expireds:
(May 2008: 1,089) (May 2009: 843) Down 23%

Pendings:
(May 2008: 3,140) (May 2009: 3,430) Up 9%

July Birthdays & Anniversaries

2009-05-28T15:23:00.004-04:00

MLS Stats - April

2009-05-13T13:28:00.002-04:00

Active Listings:
(April 2008: 15,456) (April 2009: 13,771) Down 11%

Listings Taken:
(April 2008: 4,330) (April 2009: 3,642) Down 16%

Solds:
(April 2008: 2,890) (April 2009: 2,558) Down 11%

Expireds:
(April 2008: 1,200) (April 2009: 901) Down 25%

Pendings:
(April 2008: 3,078) (April 2009: 3,268) Up 6%

May Birthdays & Anniversaries

2009-04-30T16:39:00.003-04:00

Direct Deposit For Commission Checks

2009-04-07T11:54:00.004-04:00

Direct Deposit for Commission Checks is now available!
To setup your direct deposit, you must see Tonyia or JoAnn at the front desk and ask them for the Direct Deposit application form. Fill out the form completely & sign it. A voided check containing bank routing information for the account needs to be attached to the application. Attach a deposit ticket if you are directing the funds to a savings account. Once completed, return the form to Michelle Barnett. The application will be sent to corporate for processing. Please allow 10 business days for the application to be processed. Your commission checks will then be deposited directly into your checking or savings account on the morning you should have received the actual check. This is 3 business days after the closing is processed by the office staff. You will also receive a notification that your deposit has been made. You will receive a Non-Negotiable check stub confirming the processing of your payment.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long from the time I submit my request will direct deposit go into effect?

It takes approximately 10 business days to process the request.

How am I notified that deposit has been made?

You will still receive a Non-Negotiable check stub confirming processing of the payment.

How fast are commission payments deposited to my account?
Payments will post to your account on the same day that a live check would be delivered to your office. This is 3 business days after the closing is processed by your office staff.

What if I change bank accounts?
You must submit another direct deposit application form.

Can I have my funds deposited to more than one account?

Only one account can be used to deposit the funds.

What if I decide to discontinue direct deposit?
You must notify us in writing. It takes approximately 10 business days to process the request.

March MLS Stats

2009-04-02T12:56:00.002-04:00

Active Listings:
(March 2008: 15,095) (March 2009: 13,808) Down 9%

Listings Taken:
(March 2008: 3,647) (March 2009: 3,849) Up 1%

Solds:
(March 2008: 2,880) (March 2009: 2,560) Down 11%

Expireds:
(March 2008: 1,164) (March 2009: 1,020) Down 12%

Pendings:
(March 2008: 2,612) (March 2009: 2,568) Down 2%

April Birthdays & Anniversaries

2009-04-02T12:52:00.007-04:00

New Agents

2009-04-01T12:21:00.002-04:00

2008 CBWS Award Winners

2009-03-25T16:20:00.038-04:00

Congratulations to the following Coldwell Banker West Shell 2008 Award Winners!!

MLS Stats - February 2009

2009-03-11T13:23:00.002-04:00

Active Listings:
(February 2008: 15,020) (February 2009: 13,219) Down 12%

Listings Taken:
(February 2008: 3,530) (February 2009: 2,845) Down 19%

Solds:
(February 2008: 2,192) (February 2009: 2,052) Down 6%

Expireds:
(February 2008: 1,168) (February 2009: 947) Down 19%

Pendings:
(February 2008: 2,658) (February 2009: 2,386) Down 10%

March Birthdays & Anniversaries

2009-03-11T12:44:00.007-04:00

Office Blog Poll

2009-02-24T16:41:00.002-05:00

Please participate in the Office Blog Poll located on the right hand side of the page (underneath the office administrators). You may choose multiple answers.

Kentucky CBWS Offices Merge

2009-02-18T13:08:00.003-05:00

It was announced on February 11th that Coldwell Banker West Shell is combining our Florence office and our Crestview Hills office into one powerful Northern Kentucky regional service center in our existing Crestview Hills office location. Peggy Thurza and Cheery Malone, both very skilled office managers, will serve as co-managers. This move is consistent with the company's overall strategy in today’s market of using every resource we have available to truly drive more business to our sales associates. We are anticipating that the move will be completed in the first two weeks of March. Should you have any questions about the merge, please see Steve Oyler or Sandy Stephens.

Message About The Stimulus Package From Steve Oyler

2009-02-18T12:25:00.001-05:00

Stimulus Package

2009-02-18T11:33:00.009-05:00

7As trusted advisors to your customers and clients, helping them make intelligent decisions has never been as important as it is now. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Congress passed last has been confusing everyone as it traveled between Senate and House committees to eventual passage. The attached flyer is important to your current business because you may have pending transaction that will benefit from this bill. You may also use this flyer to send to a past client who closed on an eligible property since January 1, 2009, and more importantly, who in your sphere may have been on the fence about a purchase of a home?

In coming days you’ll have the opportunity to begin seeing and hearing our Qualified Answers TV and radio campaign as it rolls out and note that it is clearly directed to the first-time home buyer. The stimulus package also addresses the first-time home buyer as its main target to help jump-start the economy as noted in the attached flyer. A printable version of the flyer was sent via email from Randy Wax on February 17th or you can see Michelle Barnett for copies.

Broker's Commission Fee ~ 4%

2009-02-09T12:40:00.000-05:00

Effective February 16, 2009, all listings taken by a Coldwell Banker West Shell agent at 7% will no longer be subject to a Broker's Commission Fee.
With the challenges in today's current real estate market the services that you, along with Coldwell Banker West Shell, provide to your clients have never been in greater demand. Because of that, now more than ever, you deserve to get paid what you are worth and we are going to help. Coldwell Banker West Shell is committed to helping all of you increase your income by raising your average listing commission for each one of your listings. As part of our agent development series, Sean Carpenter will be working with each one of our managers and sales associates to help assist them in providing the skills, tools and dialogue to improve their average listing commission rate. We will also be seeking out those agents who have tremendous skills and dialogues at capturing a full fee both within and outside of our organization and sharing their techniques with you.
The process for waiving the Broker’s Commission for those listings you secure at 7% is simple. All you will need to do is cross out the Broker Commission portion on the listing contract and have your clients initial and date the change.
Every situation provides an opportunity. As an organization working together to better improve our overall skills and services we, along with our clients, will ultimately benefit.

MLS Stats - January 2009

2009-02-09T11:04:00.002-05:00

Active Listings:
(January 2008: 15,046) (January 2009: 13,083) Down 13%

Listings Taken:
(January 2008: 4,000) (January 2009: 2,986) Down 25%

Solds:
(January 2008: 2,044) (January 2009: 1,508) Down 26%

Expireds:
(January 2008: 1,422) (January 2009: 1,281) Down 10%

Pendings:
(January 2008: 2,210) (January 2009: 2,226) Up 1%

Linda Maurer's Character Awards

2009-02-09T10:27:00.004-05:00

Once a month, Linda Maurer presents Character Awards to students at North Dearborn Elementary. It is for grades 1-4 and once a month the teacher will submit a name from each class (about 23 total) who have been nominated by either a student or the teacher for being a good citizen or exhibiting outstanding character for that month. Linda provides a pizza party and presents the students with their certificates, which they love! Usually when asked the students say they helped another student when they were sick or hurt or let them borrow some school supplies. The principal and teachers are also very much into it since they are always looking for ways to reward good citizenship. Sandy Stephens gave me this idea last year in a coaching session and it has been very rewarding.

Congratulations Linda for making a difference in a child's life!!

Agent 1099 Update

2009-02-02T14:08:00.005-05:00

All agent 1099's were mailed out this past Saturday, January 31st. The 1099 help desk coverage is now available should you have any questions about your 1099's. Agents can reach the helpdesk at 1-800-473-8633. Also, please reminder that you can email the helpdesk at 1099.help@nrtinc.com.

Friday Workshops

2009-02-02T14:01:00.007-05:00

At our 10am Friday Workshop we had Sandy Hirsch, so Sandy got an individual coaching session. At our 11am Friday Workshop we had Ray Penno, Ed Frede, and Sandy Davis. We talked about getting the plan for 27 touches for your bullseye and we also talked about taking the time to call your bullseye, every month. Because we had those that trooped through the weather, we gave them a prize for showing up this morning!

Changes to the Contract To Purchase - Ohio Only

2009-01-30T12:31:00.002-05:00

The Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS® Board of Directors has approved a few changes to the CABR Contract to Purchase for use by REALTOR® members. Below is an explanation of the changes to the Contract to Purchase. The updated Contract to Purchase-Ohio is available under Contracts in Virtual Office>Agent Tools. The updated version is at the printers now and should be available in a couple of weeks. The changes made WERE NOT significant to the point that your current supply is outdated. PLEASE CONTINUE TO USE YOUR SUPPLY OF CONTRACT TO PURCHASE-OHIO UNTIL YOUR SUPPLY IS DEPLETED.

Changes in the Contract to Purchase:

Clause 3, Financing Contingency has been revised, to clarify that the settlement charges the seller is agreeing to pay are those allowed by the buyer’s lender – not the seller’s (in the event it is a short-sale, lender-owned, etc.).

Clause 7, Seller’s Certification the seller is no longer required to certify the municipality in which the real estate resides. This has been added as a buyer’s responsibility under Clause 15, Buyer’s Inspections.

Clause 8, Homeowner Association/Condominium Declarations, Bylaws and Articles has been expanded to include the Association’s schedule of monthly, annual and special assessments/fees.

Clause 17, Title Insurance has been amended to provide more flexibility in payment options for owner’s title insurance. Previously, if the buyer checked the box indicating that he chose to purchase owner’s title insurance, the seller was obligated to pay the entire cost of the premium. The clause has been changed to allow the parties to agree on an amount that the seller will pay up to, but not to exceed.

Clause 19, Conveyance and Closing “homeowner/condominium association fees” has been added to this clause

Saving Money in Challenging Times From Jim Stevenson

2009-01-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

As you begin to execute your 2009 business and marketing plans, you might want to consider all of the no cost items that are at your disposal!

Use what you already have. A full-service broker, boards of realty and other associations offer great tools, networking and engagement opportunities and chances are you already paid for them.
Don't reinvent. "Off-the-shelf" products might not be 100% of what you want, but even if they are 90% of what you are looking for, it is worth the reduced expense to use them, and spend the time that you could have redesigning a piece or a tool on the phone with your clients.
Shrink to grow! The old practices of having to get to 3,000 people to be effective is over. The "find me, sell me era" is over, and the the "know me, help me" era is in full swing. So it is far better to know everything about 100 people than nothing about 1,000! Revisit the bull's eye on your target and make personal touches.
Warm touches can be the most cost-effective and the most impactful Hand written notes to your bull's eye are really affordable since the list will be smaller, and they are feel "special".
Community service is always the right thing to do, but now more than ever. Not only will you feel good about it, but the organizations provide learning, networking and promotional opportunities. Younger generations (a.k.a. first-time home buyers) want a sense of purpose and are engaged in the community.
Free space online! Take advantage of your full-service broker's profile pages and build profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Active Rain. But make sure to link them together. Even though this has been a best practice for over a year, it is amazing how many associates still are absent from social networking. Latest studies imply that over 35% of adults maintain at least one social networking site.
Blog. While it seems over done in a lot of places, real estate is still relatively slow to adopt this powerful and free way to communicate with niche markets and stay in touch with your audience. Blog about your business, your community, your charities, whatever. Just get engaged and again make sure you tie all of your social networking to your blog.
Multiple quality photos on every listing with really robust and interesting property descriptions! You may never sell a listing online, but you certainly can keep it from selling by how you present it online.
Video is easier than ever to integrate into your online presence and will soon become the standard. YouTube has allowed us to get past needing ultra-slick production, so grab a camcorder or digital video device, post it to a YouTube account (free!) and link the video to your blogs and social networks.
Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! There are other business that want to market to the same audience that you do. If you have common interests, team up to share in any expenses. You will meet new businesses and people, and create more warm touches for your bull's eye!

February Birthdays & Anniversaries

2009-01-30T10:37:00.002-05:00

News Article: Existing Homes Sales Show Strong Gain in December

2009-01-26T15:03:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, January 26, 2009

Existing-home sales rose unexpectedly while inventory declined, led by a surge of sales in the West, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – jumped 6.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 4.74 million units in December from a downwardly revised pace of 4.45 million units in November, but are 3.5 percent below the 4.91 million-unit pace in December 2007.

For all of 2008 there were 4,912,000 existing-home sales, which was 13.1 percent below the 5,652,000 transactions recorded in 2007. This is the lowest volume since 1997 when there were 4,371,000 sales.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home prices continue to fall significantly. “It appears some buyers are taking advantage of much lower home prices,” he said. “The higher monthly sales gain and falling inventory are steps in the right direction, but the market is still far from normal balanced conditions. Buyers will continue to have an edge over sellers for the foreseeable future.”
Total housing inventory at the end of December fell 11.7 percent to 3.68 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.3-month supply2 at the current sales pace, down from a 11.2-month supply in November.

Yun said the market is underperforming and hurting the broader economy. “We’ve added 25 million people to our population over the past decade and housing affordability conditions are the best we’ve seen since 1973, but household formation is much lower than expected,” he said. “Consequently, there is a pent-up demand which could be unleashed with the right stimulus, including a non-repayable home buyer tax credit. The Obama administration and Congress need to move fast to stimulate a spring sales upturn which will help to stabilize home prices and set the foundation for a sustainable economic recovery.”

The national median existing-home price3 for all housing types was $175,400 in December, which is 15.3 percent below December 2007 when the median was $207,000. There remains a significant downward distortion in the current median from a large number of distress sales at discounted prices, currently 45 percent of transactions; the median is where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less. For all of 2008, the median price was $198,600, down 9.3 percent from $219,000 in 2007.

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said it’s an excellent time for first-time home buyers with good jobs. “The typical buyer plans to stay in their home for 10 years, which is the correct approach in today’s market,” he said. “With historically low mortgage interest rates, flexible sellers, a large inventory, and homes that are selling for less than replacement construction costs in much of the country, buyers who’ve been on the fence should take a closer look at today’s market.”
McMillan added that first-time buyers may want to consider an FHA loan, which offers downpayments of 3.5 percent on a safe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 5.29 percent in December from 6.09 percent in November; the rate was 6.10 percent in December 2007. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year rate was 5.12 percent.

Single-family home sales rose 7.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.26 million in December from a level of 3.98 million in November, but are 1.4 percent below a 4.32 million-unit pace in December 2007. For all of 2008, single-family sales fell 11.9 percent to 4,349,000.

The median existing single-family home price was $174,700 in December, down 14.8 percent from a year ago. For all of 2008, the single-family median was $197,100, which is 9.5 percent below 2007.

Existing condominium and co-op sales increased 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 480,000 units in December from 470,000 in November, but are 18.4 percent below the 588,000-unit level a year ago. For all of 2008, condo sales dropped 21.0 percent to 563,000 units.

The median existing condo price4 was $181,400 in December, down 18.3 percent from December 2007. For all of 2008, the median condo price was $210,000, which is 7.2 percent below 2007.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast slipped 1.4 percent to an annual pace of 720,000 in December, and are 14.3 percent below December 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $235,000, which is 7.8 percent lower than a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest increased 4.0 percent in December to a level of 1.04 million but are 10.3 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $140,800, down 11.4 percent from December 2007.
In the South, existing-home sales rose 7.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.74 million in December, but are 11.2 percent lower than December 2007. The median price in the South was $158,600, which is down 8.0 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West jumped 13.6 percent to an annual rate of 1.25 million in December and are 31.6 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the West was $213,100, down 31.5 percent from December 2007.

#1The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.
Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which generally account for 85 to 90 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger sample – more than 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

#2 Total inventory and month’s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month’s supply are available back to 1982. Condos were tracked quarterly prior to 1999 when single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases.

#3 The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to the seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if more data is received than was originally reported.

#4 Because there is a concentration of condos in high-cost metro areas, the national median condo price can be higher than the median single-family price. In a given market area, condos typically cost less than single-family homes.
Existing-home sales for January – including monthly revisions to sales rates for the past three years – will be released February 25. Each February, NAR Research incorporates a review of seasonal activity factors and fine-tunes historic data for the previous three years based on the most recent findings. Revisions will made to monthly seasonally adjusted annual sales rates for 2006 through 2008, as well as the inventory month's supply data. There will be no revisions to raw inventory or home prices aside from the normal prior month revisions.

The next Pending Home Sales Index & Forecast is scheduled for release February 3; release times are 10 a.m. EST. For more information, please visit: www.realtor.org/research/research/ehsdata

Congratulations Tom Sturm!

2009-01-20T18:42:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Tom Sturm

The Hamilton Fairfield Oxford Board of Realtor's #1 Agent for 2008!!

Tom achieved Level 6 Recognition and was presented with his award Friday night at the annual awards dinner.

Circle of Excellence 2008 Winners

2009-01-08T14:00:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to the following agents who achieved CABR Circle of Excellence status for 2008

Information Regarding Virtual Tours on Cincinnati MLS

2009-01-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

We have been notified by Cincinnati MLS that Virtual Tours (example: Tours produced by Fly Inside) CANNOT include personal or company branding. It is a fineable offense and must be corrected promptly. The tours can be updated during the profile and upload process. You ARE permitted to include personal and company branding on virtual tours posted to cbws.com and coldwellbanker.com. If you have questions correcting any tours you may have uploaded to Cincinnati MLS, Kelly Biddle has volunteered to help. Please contact her and make arrangements for her assistance.

Updated Outgoing Referral Form Information

2009-01-08T12:14:00.002-05:00

Molly Rawdon, along with her other responsibilities, has taken over the Outgoing Referral Desk. Lindsey Pusateri is no longer with the company. Molly has created a few tips on the "ins and outs of OGR's"...

Anyone from anywhere can be an outgoing referral
A space has been entered on the form to enter the clients Employer Information - please make sure this is filled out
Remember to send the kind of referral you want to receive - please give as much information as possible
Make sure you have asked the customers' permission to send them as an OGR - and then mark the box on the form
If it is a listing referral - relocation will need the address so relocation can find the closest broker
Please double check all contact information so that your client can be contacted quickly - within 24 hours
Email or fax the form to Molly Rawdon @ (614) 364-7542 or at molly.rawdon@cboki.com

The new Outgoing Referral Form is located in Virtual Office under Forms Online and at each cabinet location in the office.

Residential Title

2009-01-08T11:09:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to the follow agents who placed a Title Order in December

MLS Stats - December 2008

2009-01-05T11:03:00.003-05:00

Active Listings:
(December 2007: 14,521) (December 2008: 13,245) Down 9%

Listings Taken:
(December 2007: 2,234) (December 2008: 2,142) Down 4%

Solds:
(December 2007: 2,302) (December 2008: 2,336) Up 1%

Expireds:
(December 2007: 2,278) (December 2008: 1,955) Down 14%

Pendings:
(December 2007: 1,896) (December 2008: 1,861) Down 2%

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T20:09:00.004-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Office Pen Pals

2008-12-31T10:01:00.010-05:00

On Wednesday December 17th the office hosted the Partners in Education Christmas Kickoff Meeting. Each year, several agents and office staff become Pen Pals with students in the 4th grade at Monfort Heights Elementary. Jack Schrand is heading up this year's program and he organized the meet-n-greet with the students. We provided the students with cookies and pop, presented them with Christmas cards and gave them a tour of the building.

A special thanks to Jack Schrand, Gail Schrand, Tom Sturm, Kim Schaefer, Missy Yerger, Mark Whitworth, Sandy Stephens, Dave Harcourt, Tonyia Cormican, Wilma Christophel, Tim Hamblin, Steve Oyler, Susan Miller, Vicky Johnston, Keisha Byndon, Kathy Deutsch, JoAnn D'Angelo, Michelle Barnett, Molly Decker, Charity Foster and Joyce Baird for taking the time to participate in the Pen Pals Program.

January Birthdays & Anniversaries

2008-12-31T09:58:00.003-05:00

Office Holiday Party

2008-12-12T12:08:00.009-05:00

Thank You Sheri Mapes for putting together the video on YouTube of the Sales Rally and Office Holiday Party!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwNYYOSuDfU

Spirit of the Season

2008-12-11T15:06:00.003-05:00

Sheri Mapes, Diane Spangenberg and Vickie Francis would like to THANK everyone for your support in donating items to the Child Life Department of Children's Hospital along with all the items collected for our "Adopt-A-Family". 100% of the items that were on the office Christmas tree were donated. What a wonderful Christmas that family will have thanks to your support! Along with all the donated items to the Child Life Department, the office presented Lisa Hall and Cathy Westrich a check in the amount of $525.00 at our Sales Rally. If that wasn't enough, the agents in the office presented Steve Oyler a check in the amount of $310.00 to be donated to the Child Life Department in his name!

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others!

Automated Web Listing Distribution Flyer

2008-12-08T14:11:00.006-05:00

The Marketing Department has put together a single page flyer that communicates the power of our automated web distribution. This piece does several things:

Maps in a flowchart form how our listings get from MLS, to our online partnerships and then back through LeadRouter
Includes rough timelines (color-coded) on how long this feed process can take
Demonstrates that LeadRouter is our competitive advantage by being tied to the culmination point for leads
Designed to be used as a companion piece to the Internet Marketing Strategy Flyer
Designed to be used as a recruitment piece
Designed to be used with sellers

The flyer will make it easier for you to convey just part of our services that we provide to differentiate our sellers from the rest of the market. As you know, what make this even more powerful, is our ability to capture the buyers through LeadRouter. When buyers are at a premium, this continues to prove even more valuable.

The flyer is located in Virtual Office under Forms Online for you to print

MLS Stats - November 2008

2008-12-08T13:37:00.006-05:00

Active Listings:
(November 2007: 16,094) (November 2008: 14,578) Down 9%

Listings Taken:
(November 2007: 3,110) (November 2008: 2,283) Down 27%

Solds:
(November 2007: 2,822) (November 2008: 2,262) Down 20%

Expireds:
(November 2007: 1,629) (November 2008: 1,433) Down 12%

Pendings:
(November 2007: 2,199) (November 2008: 2,064) Down 6%

Office Renovation Update

2008-11-18T11:57:00.004-05:00

As discussed at the November Sales Rally, the office has been given the approval to complete the office renovation. The renovation will not start until sometime during the 1st quarter of 2009. Once we receive more information, we will let everyone know. For more information, please contact Steve Oyler or Sandy Stephens.

Websites - Photo Feed Timeline

2008-11-18T11:36:00.001-05:00

CBWS.com – 15 photos allowed - photos should appear within 24 hours after upload to MLS

ColdwellBanker.com – 15 photos allowed – photos should appear within 72 hours after upload to MLS

Realtor.com – 25 photos allowed – up to 15 photos from MLS should appear within 7 days after upload to MLS - the agent will need to upload the additional 10 photos if needed

Realtor.com Photos

2008-11-18T11:32:00.003-05:00

You can now upload up to 25 photos on Realtor.com. Only the number of photos allowed on our MLS’s will automatically upload to Realtor.com. You will need to manually upload any additional photos to the website by logging into Virtual Office and editing your listing.

Cincinnati MLS – 15 photos
Indiana MLS – 12 photos
Kentucky MLS – 15 photos

There will be a Tech Thursday class on uploading the additional photos on….Thursday, November 20th@ 12:00pm In The Lunchroom

Welcome To Our Office Blog.....

2008-11-10T15:47:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our office Blog... a place where you can work, learn and share. In our office blog we will keep you updated on our office training schedule, office announcements, events and interesting developments in our industry. We hope you find this site useful and entertaining!

New Office Hours

2008-11-05T14:12:00.009-05:00

Starting December 1st, Coldwell Banker West Shell will be operating under new office hours.

The new office hours are:

Monday through Friday: 9am to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 4pm

With these changes will come a change to the Agent Phone Duty Shifts.

The Phone Duty Shifts will change to the following:

Monday through Friday:
(10am-12pm; 12pm-2pm; 2pm-4pm; 4pm-6pm)

Saturday and Sunday:
(10am-12pm; 12pm-2pm; 2pm-4pm)

The receptionist hours will remain 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday.
The receptionist hours will be 9am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.