the Bubble Has Burst .. Who Will it Really Hurt ?

The headlines Read the Bubble has BURST - The Nightly news talks of 30 percent housing prices dropping in some areas. And they say the prices will keep falling until at least next summer. The houses really hit are the over built areas, houses in subdivisions and next to each other. Some folks have money and the loans will now be VERY cheap. So there are still buyers. And in recreational area, where homes are on over 5 acres with views - water - and such, it is my opinion that buyers are still buying at quite high prices. Homes on small acreage are not doing so well.

All the While Big Companies such as Coldwell Banker in My area were assuring the public that all was well. Those who should have known all this was coming and stood idle. The Realtors knew what was really going on and did nothing to Watchdog, to Lobby to Fight to Change it, they wanted the Gravy Train to keep on coming their way.

The SHOCK of all this is the Real Estate Consumers that are losing and have lost their homes are the ones hurt by this, obviously. However, the Lenders that got them into this are Getting their Government Bailout. The Mortgage Brokers are still getting those loans out and making plenty of money doing whatever it takes to close the deal. The Realtor on the Nightly News (yes they called this gal a Realtor.. even though NAR says I cannot say that someone is a Realtor.. I have to say they are a Real Estate Agent that is a Member of the NAR.. blah blah... You cannot Use Realtor as a Synonym for Real Estate Agent.. though EVERYONE does.. NAR calls it a trademark violation and it is bad.. but only for a few of us...) and way the Realtor said it is VERY busy for her, buyers are looking - and some are buying because Yes indeed it is a Buyers market, so those who do have money and the ability to get loans will swoop in and get properties for very CHEAP. Most will use a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker, who will in turn use an appraiser and those Lenders that got their bailout will begin loaning again.

NAR is making plenty of money advertising foreclosures, fighting to get mortgages flowing, starting a NEW Realtor Credit Union and forcing development even when there is so much already that houses are standing empty.

Yes Buyers had a choice to get into those loans, but Buyers really believe that the "Value" was there. The Realtor - Mortgage Broker - Appraiser and Lender all assured the Real Estate Buyer that it was the True Value of the Home. The Lender knew that they were giving loans that were more then the home was worth. They actually knew that the Realtor - Mortagage - Broker and appraiser had created values that were to high, they actually said that if it is 10% above the real value then that is ok.

So if they knew of at least 10% in the price increase then there was a whole more percentage that was "fudged" behind the scene to get the value up. And where did the 10% rule end, it didn't end so at random prices increased higher and higher Falsely. Each 10% led to another and the values kept rising but it was not making economical sense. People sensed that something was not quite right but hey the Realtors say it is Ok, and the lender will give me the money so it must be ok.

So Those who got the Real Estate Consumer into this will still keep making money from it. The Foreclosure Companies list with in house franchises or affiliated franchises so those Big Companies, most who are owned by Realogy-Apollo Management.. they get to keep making Huge Money.. Billions but what do they do with this money, well I THINK they hide it.. because they too seem to be getting in on the Bailout Game with the Hand Out for Help.. the Let's take the Real Estate Consumer's Money and Go Bankrupt... Search the News folks.. this stuff is true.. and what I say about the 10% thing.. that is True.. I have seen False Prices, forced closings.. and things like Sellers Contributions were a Flat Out Crime in my opinion...

I mean a house is valued at say $200,000, and the buyer has no down payment, a seasonal job, and the lender requires at least 5% as a Down Payment. The Buyer has NO money, so they talk the Seller into, or shall I say the Mortage Broker directly talks the Seller into or has the Realtor talk the Seller into raising the price to include the furniture so the Buyer will not have that expense, maybe even raise the price and throw in a car.. and certainly raise the price so that their will be that 5% down payment the buyer needs so the Lender will give them the loan, that 5% or more that the buyer simply does not have - but hey the Mortgage Broker and the Realtor promised a miracle and they will pull it off.

So get the Buyer the Loan QUICK while they have a job, no big deal later when the job ends.. or situations where buyers get into loans with the current job to buy elsewhere - knowing that they are moving and quitting that job, and the mortgage broker tells them that this is the only way to get it through.. and Of Course that is the Whole Point Right.. Just Close the Deal.

So the price raises, and as this happens over and over and years roll by, the Value Rises but it is not real with the Economy it is a Made up Value based on the Games that Happen behind the closed doors of the real estate transaction. And what will stop all this from happening all over again.. nothing really. People will come in and buy those foreclosures and re-sell it to the consumers who lost before, some that buy now will even finance it to those consumers for a high interest rate, and those who lost their homes before will have no choice, if they want to own.

Things like this happen every single day.. where does it end.. no where.. when things collapse it just finds another way.. the only hope you have to Protect your Family and your Assets is to Know More about all of this.. don't trust the Realtor.. folks they may be the nices - honest person but they also simply may not know enough to protect you, they cannot protect you from the lies of those on the other side of the transaction, they simply can not do what you, the Real Estate Consumer think they can...

Please.. Know More BEFORE you Sign... don't believe ANYONE that is paid based on your transtion closing...

Those who Created - Allowed - Encourage the Problems that the Real Estate Consumer is NOW facing are the very ones who will now again benefit from the opposite side of the coin. Except for those Realtors who don't get internet marketing or don't work for the Big Franchise who gets to list and sell all the foreclosures they helped to create.

www.SavvyBroker.com

Believe What You Want to Or What You Need to.
Just Know that there is so much more to this
Real Estate Game then You may possibly EVER Imagine..

Watch your Back ~ No One Else is..

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a New Realtor Credit Union is a Very Bad Idea...

Funny how the Local Realtors do not seem to really understand Internet Marketing and NAR, as well as their Franchise encourages their members to have their Sellers listed on Realtor.com and the Local MLS or Franchise Site. The Local Realtors claim that their “Corporate Head” tells them that these methods are tried and true and are the way to go.

Even though I have seen situation where sellers lose hundreds of thousands of dollars of their purchase price because the Realtor’s solution is to Keep Dropping the Price. As long as some where down the Road, the Realtor has a Paycheck who really cares if the Seller is losing money hand over fist.

The “Realtor Sponsored” Internet Marketing classes I have been to have been quite elementary. I knew full well at the time that NAR, with all their money and their hands on the pulse of the Real Estate Industry, that they knew how to truly teach their Realtor Members to market the Real Estate of their Sellers in a way that was easy - informative and non-stressful to the buyer and would reach the most amount potential buyers.

I knew that NAR certainly had to know about targeted internet marketing, PPC, Google Adwords, Blogs, and various other methods that the Realtors could use to Sell the Seller real estate for a fair price to buyer looking on the internet, and sometimes those buyers were not even really looking in that particular area.

The Realtors had to know that if you have New York Water Property for sale, for example, that it would be best for the buyer and the seller if their New York Water Property for sale, for example, listed on NewYorkWaterProperty.com .

A few years back there was quite a stir in one major city, because an Internet Savvy Realtor had bought the dot com name of the Biggest Real Estate Seller in town and bought her son’s dot com. Though they were certainly mad, there was nothing they could do, this Realtor now owned their online identity. And though many years have past since this news article came out still most Realtors do not own their own name.

Most Realtors are followers, they listen to what NAR and their local and state board of Realtors tells them and they accept that as “tried and true”. Not Me, I bought domain names such as NewYorkWaterProperty.com , MontanaWaterProperty.com , CaliforniaWaterProperty.com and many other targeted real estate marketing names. It just made sense to me, though, at the time the Realtors Association(s) I belonged to certainly disagreed and even discouraged me from such behavior.

All along the Boys and Girls on top of the Realtor Food Chain “got internet marketing” but they wanted to make sure that their members did not get it, or at least to stall as long as they could in order to build up their own “web properties”.

You see if all the Realtors get all their clients to list on Realtor.com and Associates, Owned websites then this provides “useful content”. This content draws in advertisers to Pay really big dollar. The more content (your listings provided by your Realtor) the more money the Website makes from advertises and Selling Stuff to Those who come to the Website. It is Certainly not about simply creating a way for Buyers to Easily find Sellers and to Simply Buy Real Estate.

And Realtor.com charges Realtors to be on the site.. So Scam after Scam and the Rich get Richer. So Yes NAR has gotten Internet Marketing to some degree for quite awhile but did not let the agents get into a position to compete with them.

The Classes I went To On Internet Marketing was very juvenile. I had been well into Internet Marketing, Search Engine Placement - Optimization and Marketing and I was excited to here what the Realtors had to say. And all they did was promote their sites for us to input our clients listings on, and to pay to do it.

REALTOR, is now starting an Online Credit Union, so THEY certainly are getting “Net Savvy”. While in my home town Realtor still are convincing Sellers that Realtor.com is the Place to Be.. It is NOT True.

This New Online Realtor Credit Union should be watched closely, soon they will probably loaning money to Realtors to buy houses. And in my experience Credit Unions are the Absolute best place to get a loan on Real Estate, at least in my neck of the woods. So gather all the Realtors money, keep it in the bank for them and loan it out at HUGE profits and call it REALTORS FCU. And don't forget the Overnight Lending that those in Banking get to do, MORE money hand over Fist for the Realtors on Top of NAR..

Here is the News Clip on the Realtor Credit Union.

"WASHINGTON (12/2/08)--Thomas Glatt Sr. has been named the first CEO of the new REALTORS FCU (RFCU), effective Dec. 15, the credit union's board of directors announced Monday.

A 20-year veteran of the credit union movement, Glatt is currently CEO of Continental FCU, Tempe, Ariz., which serves airline industry employees.

He also served in executive positions with OnPoint Community CU (formerly Portland Teachers CU), Portland, Ore.; First Financial FCU, West Covina, Calif; and 66 FCU of Philips Petroleum, Bartlesville, Okla. For 16 years, he headed a credit union consultancy that advised some of the nation's largest credit unions.


He also has been a member of the boards at USA FCU, San Diego, and Kaiperm FCU, Oakland, Calif.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is providing the credit union as a member benefit, said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokers in Dallas-Ft. Worth. He noted the new credit union is tailored to the work habits and lifestyles of realtors, most of whom are independent contractors compensated by commissions.
According to NAR CEO Dale Stinton, the new credit union will be open 24/7 and is Internet-based.

RFCU is scheduled to open for business in mid-2009. Those eligible to become members of the credit union include: realtors and their families; NAR's institutes, societies and councils; NAR staff; and the staffs of state and local boards and associations. NAR clients, such as home buyers and home sellers, are not eligible. "

Now to Me, the Self Proclaimed Real Estate Industry Whistleblower, this is Seriously Something to Watch VERY closely. As if affiliations are Not already Bad enough in the Real Estate Industry. And as if the “Realtors” are not ALREADY walking a VERY thin line with Anti-Trust Law Violations, Now This.. Watch Out.. The Realtors Aim to Take Over a Whole Lot more sectors of Business… YOU LOSE..

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A Statement From National Association of Realtors® President Charles McMillan

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from National Association of Realtors(R) President Charles McMillan:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080923/NARLOGO)
"The National Association of Realtors(R) has been advocating a four-point plan to help stimulate and stabilize the housing market and the overall economy. Part of the plan calls for changes in how the Treasury uses TARP funds and other monies to lower mortgage interest rates.
"We are pleased to see that the leadership of the Treasury Department is seriously considering the actions we discussed to lower interest rates. The result of such action will help the nation's economic recovery and bring stability to the housing market.

"NAR estimates that lowering the mortgage interest rate by 1 to 2 percentage points can result in up to an additional 800,000 home sales. Housing has always led our economy out of downturns and lower interest rates are key to bringing home buyers back to the market.
"We strongly encourage the Treasury to move quickly with its plan to lower interest rates to encourage current buyers to act rather than continue to wait."

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at http://www.realtor.org/. This and other news releases are posted in the Web site's "News Media" section in the NAR Media Center.

REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS(R) and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS(R). All REALTORS(R) are members of NAR.

CONTACT: Mary Trupo of the National Association of Realtors, +1-202-383-1007, mtrupo@realtors.org

Article Link Below

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_2008_Dec_4/ai_n31060379

Keep in Mind Folks that places like FindArticle are a way of PR, a way of getting the word out, though as we mentioned before Realtor Does not really have a clue on this when we got to the top of the Search Engines with the New NAR president as a search term after 4 days of our site launch.. anyway Charles McMillan should NOT get to "Encourage" the Treasury to DO ANYTHING. as a Real Estate Broker owner, EX-Realtor, I know what goes on in the Real World Of Real Estate. The Lenders, Mortgage Brokers, Appraisers all orchestrated by the Realtors. NAR and the National Association of Realtors are Responsible for the MESS that Fannie and Freddie got into, and the Lenders encouraged it and NOW the Realtors New President is Yapping about what to do next to fix the mess the Realtors got them in into the First Place...

Charles McMillan and the Association of Realtors, has what looks like paid staff to promote them and their ideas online yet we are number 2 in Google for "Charles McMillan" in 4 Days.. what are the Realtors Missing hmmmm...

Charles McMillan says, "NAR estimates that lowering the mortgage interest rate by 1 to 2 percentage points can result in up to an additional 800,000 home sales. Housing has always led our economy out of downturns and lower interest rates are key to bringing home buyers back to the market." Now isn't this a GREAT Solution, hurry up and get people into those loans and into those houses and get those Realtors back to work....

and at the Bottom of all their Self Promoting Media, they put some Gibberish about how the Realtors "subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics" when the Realtors PUT no effort into making sure that the Realtors in the Real World of Real Estate actually follow the Code of Ethics, nor do the Realtors Association put effort into monitering the Quality of the Data the Realtors put into the MLS that affect the Values that Lenders Put on Real Estate. Realtor want E and O insurance knowing Full well that it WILL NOT protect the Real Estate Consumer... Do Not Believe the Media the Realtors, the National Association of Realtors puts out. It is SERIOUSLY biased and in No Way what is Best for the Real Estate Consumer. I personally feel that the REALTORS making a Public Statement about what the Government, Treasury and the Financially Industry should do is a Violation of Anti-Trust in and of itself... they should be ignored...

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Realtors Reccommend ... Realtors Support ... Charles McMillan

NAR, the Realtors Should NOT have a say in what the Governing Bodies Do. They Should Not get to support " the federal government's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ". NAR just wants money to flow and fast so that they can get back to work.

article below

A conversation with NAR leader Charles McMillan

National Association of Realtors President-elect Charles McMillan said he supported the federal government's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during an interview Monday.

McMillan, broker for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Dallas-Fort Worth, was in town for the annual convention of the Texas Association of Realtors, which runs through Thursday.
Here's more of what he had to say about the national and San Antonio housing markets:
Question: The federal government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Did you think it was necessary in order for the real estate market to rebound?

Answer: We applaud this decision. We already note that confidence is being restored both domestically, in terms of the stock market, and as well as abroad. And we needed that confidence restored.

Q: We happen to be one of the states where numbers are low in terms of foreclosures; and in Texas, San Antonio has one of the lowest rates for foreclosure. What puts us in this better position?

A: One of the reasons is that we didn't have the insane run-up in prices during a short period of time. We've had a steady increase of 3 to 5 percent per year. Another thing, we learned from '91. The economy is more diversified and broad-based. At one time it was heavily dependent on oil and gas and defense contracting. If anything happened — a hiccup in either of those — the state would then suffer. We have a multiplicity of disciplines headquartered in San Antonio and throughout Texas, not only because of the weather but the educated work force. We have governance being business-friendly .... We have an influx of people coming in.
Q: When will home sales consistently begin to pick up?

A: It's expected that this will begin to happen throughout the latter half of 2009. There is an unknown variable: What impact the Fed's actions will have on the immediate future. (It) may come about a lot quicker. I was listening to economists this morning who were surmising that interest rates might lower for a while.

Q: Do you think it's necessary to have the federal government guaranteeing home mortgages as it is doing by now controlling Fannie and Freddie?

A: (The federal role) came about when private financing was not available. The need was accelerated when veterans came home from World War II after making $20 a month and did not have the 40 to 50 percent down, which was the standard. Even today, it is very helpful in allowing most people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to get at least one foot on the bottom rung of the housing ladder, the main source of wealth of most Americans today.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/
A_conversation_with_NAR_leader_Charles_McMillan.html

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Charles McMillan ~ Internet Marketing

Does the New NAR President Get Internet Marketing ? Folks, internet marketing is the MOST important thing in Real Estate. the Realtors Want Sellers to Believe that they NEED to be on the MLS even though it is in NO WAY true. Realtors, NAR want buyers to believe that the MLS - Realtor.com is the Best place to shop for real estate even though this is in No Way True.

NAR wants the Buyers to go to those Mega-Sites so that they can sell the buyer "other stuff" and charge advertisers millions of dollars based on the Buyers Eyes that come to their sites.

But the Truth is that Sellers who Sell without a Realtor can put more photos out, put out videos and lots of information and even use blogs to sell real estate and Do It All For FREE.. save the commission - have LESS liability (I can Prove it) and find a buyer quicker.

The buyers are looking online for Real Estate, whether it is listed with a Realtor or Not is irrelevant to them, the Point is, Can I find What is For Sale - What Can I find out about what is for Sale - is there pictures and videos ... the Realtors Gets in Your Way folks.. so Yes .. Internet Marketing is VERY important. ONE true sign that your Realtor Does NOT get Internet Marketing is that they do not Own their Own Online Identity, they know nothing about Search Engine Marketing or Reputation management and don't even know how to promote themselves well online .. how are they to Promote your Real Estate for Sale.

about Charles McMillan, the Incoming 2009 National Association of Realtors.. Google Charles McMillan and out of 2.2 Million sites, Today after 4 days ... our New Website www.CharlesMcMillan.com is Number 2. Charles Mcmillan was a Principal Broker, he is the Top Guy at NAR and he does not even own his own dot com.. in the Internet Real Estate World that I live in .. that is a VERY Big Deal.

I Get Internet Marketing THE Realtors Association Does Not, or if they do they certainly don't want anyone to know..... they get in your way of marketing.. non-Realtor Real Estate Agents who have the Freedom to Market you online without NAR rules holding them back or YOU selling as a For Sale by Owner is the Best Way To Go.

Find Out More Folks... Knowledge is the Only Real Estate Insurance and Leverage that you have as a Real Estate Consumer.

r

www.SavvyBroker.com

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Who is Misleading the Realtors.. Shame .. Shame

This Story is So Sad. The Poor Realtor who DOES not get Internet marketing AT all and Has to Pay for leads online, is mislead by a Real Estate Lead Generation Company and they are Shocked, Gee I wonder if the REALTORS will Hold anyone accountable.

The Realtors mislead the Public EVERYDAY. The Realtors, most do not even own their name as Dot Com, Duh... You the Seller can Easily Market Online where the Real Estate Buyer Can find you. Don't TRUST the Realtor they really are fumbling around in the darkness of the Big Scary Internet looking for Leads - the Wrong way and blaming other for Their Naivity.

I think many, many more Realtors will be Duped as they struggle to survive online and Pay the WRONG people to Promote Them, Blog about them, give them leads and at the same time still trust the MLS and Realtor.com as a Good Place to market Real Estate.

Don't Use a Realtor, NOT only will you save lots and lots of money and have better protection, you avoid the chaos the Realtors are getting you in online... you will Get a Purchase Price, and have better long term protection.

Here is the Article Below

Many real estate agents in Las Vegas and across the country say they've been misled. They blame a man who lives here part-time and who continues to sign up new clients for his "can't miss" advertising plan. News 3 investigator Mitch Truswell uncovers how many realtors feel ripped off.

Rex Harris is promoting a realtor referral plan, similar to 1-800-DENTIST. If you're looking for a realtor, he asks you to call his 800-number, as advertised on television, to find one. Harris makes his money by selling the rights to valley zip codes to realtors.

If someone in 89113 calls the 800-number looking for a realtor, whichever realtor brought to that zip code receives the referral. News 3 spoke to several agents who bought this service yet have never seen the commercial and never had a referral.

Recently, Rex Harris met with local realtor Anita Shapiro to talk about the advertising plan he claims is incredibly popular. What Rex didn't know was that News 3 recorded the entire sales pitch, including when the ads will air.

Rex Harris: Everybody is signing up. I've been on every appointment. I can show you the checks in hand dated today because everybody is signing up for our program. TNT, like I said, is from 4 to 7, ESPN News is from 7 to 7, ESPN on the weekend from Noon to 7, Fox News from 6 to Midnight, HGTV from 7 to 9, MTV 4 to Midnight, and CNN all day long.

Anita Shapiro: When are you going to start these?

Rex Harris: It starts this month.

News 3 followed up with Rex to make sure we had heard correctly
Mitch Truswell: You already bought time with the network?

Rex Harris: Yeah. We're going to start this month.

Rex told Anita that a 90-day contract would cost $2,500. If she pays today, she could reserve the zip code she wants. And as it turns out, the zip code she wants is available. Anita asked for a contract to show her husband. Rex Harris, however, said he didn't have any extras.

The contract Rex supposedly uses looks similar to the ones used by Our Family First Realty, a company that sold the same advertising plan to valley realtors as far back as one year ago. In fact, Rex Harris was the sales manager of Our Family First Realty, which is now out of business.
Realtor Emily Gunning bought the advertising plan from Rex in July 2007 when he was working for Our Family First Realty. Emily has never seen the commercial on television, nor has she ever received any referrals. And now, she wants her $1,300 back.

"He took agents' hard-earned money and didn't do what he said he would do," alleges Emily. "We have been in contact with hundreds of other agents in Colorado, Illinois, (and) Indiana that have the same story, exactly. He's collected thousands of dollars."

Realtors across the country signed up for the same deal, but they too have never seen the commercial on television.

Mitch Truswell: A lot of realtors say they paid you money and they're not getting anything done. None of these ads were ever placed.

Rex Harris: I have no comment.

Mitch Truswell: These people just want their money back.

Rex Harris: Ok, then they need to contact the company that I worked for, ok?

Mitch Truswell: But if the company is not in business then how are they going to get their money back?

Rex Harris: Uh, I don't know bro.

When News 3 again spoke with Rex, he told us that he's building a legitimate company, Better Realty Deals. The web site lists a business address which is actually the address for a home on the valley's west side. Rex Harris is not listed as the homeowner.

Mitch Truswell: Do you have a business license? Are you registered?

Rex Harris: As far as I know.

Mitch Truswell: Under what name?

Rex Harris: Better Realty Deals.

But after checking with the Secretary of State's Office, News 3 uncovered that there is no corporation by that name, nor is there a business license throughout all of Las Vegas, Clark County, or Henderson.

And that's just the beginning of the unanswered questions.

During his sales pitch, Rex Harris told Anita Shapiro that his father owned the company.

Anita Shapiro: He owns the company? Your dad?

Rex Harris: Yes.

Anita Shapiro: And does he have a real estate background or advertising?

Rex Harris: Realtor in San Diego for 12 year. All his buddies are big guys out there.
But when asked by News 3's Mitch Truswell whether his father was involved with the company, Rex Harris responded, "No, my father is dead."

Rex also told Anita Shapiro that the advertising program was already up and running.
Anita Shapiro: When are you going to start these?

Rex Harris: It starts this month.

Yet when asked over the phone by News 3's Mitch Truswell whether he had bought any media time for clients, Rex Harris responded, "For my clients signing up now, we don't launch until January."

Because of these inconsistencies and many others, Anita Shapiro sat through the sales pitch but never bought into it. Unfortunately, she does have friends who did.

"He took $1,300 from my friend Emily, money from people I work with - professionals. He's out there doing it again. He just has a new business name."

Harris says his advertisements have run, yet when asked by News 3 for receipts or dates of the media buys, Harris claims he doesn't have them.

News 3 knows realtors in many different states have paid money to Rex Harris for the realtor referral program through Our Family First Realty or Better Realty Deals. If you were one of them, please contact us at realtorconcerns@kvbc.com.

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9550541&nav=menu107_2

I is So Sad When the Dupers are Duped.. Shocking...

Kind of Makes you Want to Cry.. don't it.

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NAR Urges Financial Regulators and Industry

the Headline Reads

NAR Urges Financial Regulators and Industry
to Make Mortgages More Attainable..

Well Of Course they Do.. Easy Mortgages + Realtors Lies = Riches for Realtors.

I have Reported Mortgage Fraud.. No One Cares.. a New Batch of Freshly Printed Money will Soon Drop back on to the Mortgage Consumers, the Real Estate Consumers... I beg of you to Use Extreme Caution... the Realtor will Lie about the Market to Get a Sale.. and You Will Lose...

Knowledge is What you Need, Don't Trust the Realtor.. as a Broker Owner, Ex-Realtor member I know that Realtor are a HUGE part of the Market Collapse but who cares EVERYBODY but the Real Estate Consumer is Getting a Bailout of Some sort including Realogy - Apollo ... Now They will Turn around and Do it All over Again, it is Your Money, Your Equity, Your Very Life do NOT leave it in the Hands of a Real Estate Agent who went to school for One Week to Learn How to Pass a Test...

Here is the Headlines...

NAR Urges Financial Regulators and Industry to Make Mortgages More Attainable

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Realtors(R) applauds recent actions by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury making mortgage interest rates more affordable. However, further action is needed to help the thousands of people trying to buy a home or to stem off foreclosure to get a mortgage easily and quickly.

"Our members tell us that families are once again looking to enter the housing market only to find that delays, process and bureaucracy are getting in the way," said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth.

"The federal government and the mortgage lending industry must address continuing problems that are impeding the delivery of mortgage credit to home buyers and those trying to avoid foreclosure."
In a letter to the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and copied to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team, NAR notes that in addition to lowering interest rates, the federal government must work with mortgage lenders and credit reporting agencies to eliminate processes that are making it difficult to close on a mortgage loan so that the housing market and the nation's economy can have a robust recovery.

"Now really is a great time to buy a home. Inventory is high, prices are down and mortgage rates are near 50-year lows. We have to unclog the system and let people achieve and hold on to the dream of homeownership," McMillan said.
NAR is recommending that the Treasury Department provide additional TARP funds for the sole purposes of making additional loans and modifying mortgages to help prevent foreclosures.

"The housing market is clogged with short-sales that take frustratingly too long to clear. Though lax underwriting standards should never return, many lenders' credit score requirements have become overly stringent. Good people with good credit scores are finding it difficult to qualify for loans despite the historically low mortgage rates," said McMillan.

NAR is asking mortgage lenders and mortgage insurers to make sure they have not over-corrected their underwriting standards and added unnecessarily strict underwriting standards, such as excessively high credit scores to qualify for a mortgage. In addition, credit reporting bureaus should improve compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, including providing prompt responses to consumers who want to correct errors in their file.

Lastly, NAR is calling on all mortgage lenders, their servicers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and investors in mortgage assets to implement aggressive policies that result in more loan modifications to prevent as many foreclosures as possible, expedited processes for short-sales, and added liquidity to the nonconforming mortgage market.

"If rates stay low at near 5 percent or lower, home sales could rise nationally by 10 to 15 percent in 2009 and stabilize prices in many parts of the country," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "That, in turn, will help reduce foreclosure pressures and lower the rate of re-defaults on recently modified distressed loans. Improved loan modification tools are also necessary. Everyone needs to work together so this can become a reality."

NAR continues to advocate for other measures that would help create long-term stability by ensuring that safe and affordable mortgages are available throughout the nation, including making the higher loan limits passed in the economic stimulus bill earlier this year permanent and extending the temporary $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers to all home buyers and eliminating the repayment requirement.

"The work is not yet finished, and NAR is committed to continuing its efforts with policy makers and the new Congress and administration to get the real estate market back on track -- the nation's economy depends on it," McMillan said.
The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/12-18-2008/0004944651&EDATE=

NAR - Should Not get to "recommend ANYTHING to the national treasury department. It is like the Crime Victim getting advice from the Criminal... The Realtors Giving Advice.. to the Government .. when THEY are to blame, in a Major way for the problem in the First Place ? makes No Sense... Watch out folks.. the Realtors are Running the Show...

NAR working with "Policy Makers" on your Rights - On YOUR life.. and You Don't EVEN get a Vote. In the World of Real Estate which is the VERY corner stone of Your Life, it is NOT we the People - it is We the Realtors... What We Want - When We Want.. YOU the Real Estate Consumer.. Well.. You Lose.

We will Be Watching Charles McMillan and the Policies he forces on Your Government. After the New Year we will have a Site to Watch What Charles McMillan Does, supposedly in the Real Estate Consumer's Best Interest. Charles McMillan as you know is the new NAR president for 2009 and he is already pushing Government and Policy Makers around on Behalf of the "Voice of Real Estate" the Realtor...

Oh, are You wondering what the New Blog will Be Called, the One that Will Keep you up to Speed on What Charles Mcmillan the New 2009 NAR President is Up to.. are you Ready for This one.. I am guessing that Internet Marketed and this New Fangled Internet thing is Not Really his Style because this Site - this Blog that will Giving you the Scoop on Charles McMillan, NAR is www.CharlesMcMillan.com Stay Tuned...

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Apollo Management - Realogy ... Icahn.. - When Billionairs Battle.. Who Wins

Screw over the Real Estate Consumer and Go Bankrupt.

You need to Look Out for you. If you EVER buy or sell real estate, your life - your assets really are at stake and you may not even know until years down the Road. And by that time your Realtor has Spent ALLyour money, and HUGE companies like Apollo Management go bankrupt and they are Billionairs.. nobody has your back.

Dec. 19th 2008

Icahn Wins Round in Realogy Battle

Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire investor, scored a court victory Thursday over his longtime friend and fellow billionaire, Leon D. Black.Mr. Icahn’s investment firm, High River LP, sued a real estate company controlled by Mr. Black’s private equity firm, Apollo Management, on Nov. 26.

Mr. Icahn is seeking to prevent the company, Realogy, from refinancing $1.1 billion of debt, asserting the move would hurt certain Realogy bondholders and delay the inevitable failure of the company.A Delaware judge on Thursday ruled that Realogy’s planned $1.1 billion debt exchange violates contracts in the lending agreements with Mr.

Icahn and other bondholders.“If Realogy wishes to engage in the proposed transaction, it would need to obtain agreement from the required number of its bank lenders to amend or waive certain provisions of the credit agreement,”Vice Chancellor Stephen Lamb of Delaware Chancery Court wrote in his decision.Mr. Icahn and the trustee that holds the Realogy bonds, Bank of New York Mellon, had sought a court order to block the exchange, but Judge Lamb stopped short of halting the exchange offer.

Apollo bought Realogy, owner of Century 21 and Coldwell Banker, for $6.6 billion in April 2007, just as the housing market was starting to implode. Now, with home values sinking, Realogy is asking its bondholders, including Mr. Icahn, to exchange $1.15 billion in oldbonds for about $500 million in new loans to reduce its debt and ride out the slump.

Mr. Icahn and other holders of Realogy’s senior secured debt, which would be paid off first in the event of a bankruptcy, claim Realogy’s credit agreement does not allow it to issue the new debt.Mr. Icahn said in an interview on CNBC that the lawsuit against Mr. Black didn’t harm their friendship.“Leon actually invited me to a party at his house” after he filed the lawsuit, “but I couldn’t go,” Mr. Icahn said.

– Zachery Kouwe

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/icahn-wins-round-in-legal-battle-over-realogy/

There Seems to be No End In Site to the Hold the Real Estate Cartel has over You the Real Estate Consumer. Is Nobody Watching this Folks ? Apparently Not.

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Stop Realtors - Boycott Realtors

Realtors are Hurting Real Estate Consumers EVERY single Day.

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Realtors Paying for Lawsuits against Local Gov. THIS is Wrong..

Tucson Association of REALTORS® Supports Lawsuit against the City of Tucson

Tucson, Ariz. – (September 10, 2008) –Tucson resident Eric Button has filed a lawsuit against the City of Tucson challenging the validity of § 3033.7 of the Tucson Code (the "Ordinance").

The City has refused to issue Mr. Button a demolition permit for his house in the Jefferson Park Neighborhood until he completes a costly and potentially time consuming historic review process mandated by the Ordinance. So, Mr. Button has challenged the Ordinance's validity, asserting that the City adopted the Ordinance without providing the proper notice to the public.

Click here to view the city ordinance. It requires Mr. Button to submit a historic survey to the City for his house and for every property within 300 feet of his house. Mr. Button does not have the expertise to prepare the historic survey so he would have to hire an architect to do so.

Once the City accepts the historic survey, the review process can take up to two months and, at its conclusion, the City Building Official is authorized to delay issuing the demolition permit for an additional 90 days to allow the City to document historic features and/or an additional 180 days "to provide the City with time to preserve the structure either by purchasing or arranging the purchase of the property."

Apparently, the City Council has given the Building Official the discretion to hold up a demolition permit in this fashion even if the property owner has no desire to sell his property to the City.

The Tucson Association of REALTORS® is funding Mr. Button's lawsuit against
the City of Tucson. ...

http://www.TucsonRealtors.org/tar-v2/lawsuit_web.pdf

Why Do Realtor have this kind of Power? Who is this "trade association" that they are seemingly above local law, that they get to even have an opinion on local lawsuits. Do the Realtors Run the Cities.. Well from What I see they do and My First year of Real Estate.. the Big Boys told me.. that "We control who comes in and our of town".. I have talked to several people who have said the same thing. the Realtors having Been Running the Show Long Enough... Stop Using Realtors to Sell your Real Estate...

Lawsuits such as this should be between those directly involved and not the Realtors, the Realtors want Demo for their own selfish reasons.. they should not have a say.. the Support of a Local Association of Realtors should be Flat Out Rejected.. they SHOULD not get to Pick a Side, Period.
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The Realtors should not have a Say, they have no right. Just because they have bigger attorneys and a whole lot of people and money behind them should not give the Realtors the Rights to Bully Local Law, Local Councils - Planning Boards or Governing Bodies... it is "We the People" not We the Realtors.. who Decide what is best for a community.
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When a Local Realtor Association Funds a Lawsuit between a Citizen and the City .. the Realtors have gone Way to far with their "political clout" not only has the Tucson Association of Realtors declared their SUPPORT for this guy, they with their millions of dollars are Funding the Lawsuit. And as an Ex-Realtor I have seen the Damage Realtors can do and the money they have behind them. I doubt that City Funds are big enough to Fight the Realtors Agenda. Realtors Get what Realtors Want... Bullying ? Real Estate Cartel? How far will the Realtors go to take over local law and to ENFORCE their agenda on local government ?

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Shaun Donovan - SHOCKER - the Realtors "Strongly Support" ...

Should a Realtor be the Head of HUD.. this is a VERY Scary Affiliation?

NAR has noted that a proven leader is critical for HUD during these troubled times in the nation's housing market and to ensure the current deteriorating environment is not repeated. "Shaun Donovan is an acknowledged expert in housing with a record of solving challenges at HUD and the New York City Department of Housing, Preservation and Development," McMillan said. "In addition, his hands-on experience in the private and nonprofit sectors will be extremely helpful."

"NAR stands ready to work with Secretary-Designate Donovan to restore confidence in the housing market and rebuild the American dream of homeownership," said McMillan. .. Again Shocking .... the News NAR president glad to work with a Realtor to Fix the Housing Situation that in my Opinion the Realtors are a HUGE part to Blame.

Full Article Click Below

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http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/RealtorsR-Strongly-Support-Donovan-Nomination/story.aspx?guid=%7BA9E06C31-9F2A-47BE-89DE-1A84DA07596F%7D

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the Realtor motto is "The Voice for Real Estate" - in No Way SHOULD the Association of Realtors be "The Voice for Real Estate" - Who Will Stop the Realtor from What they are Really Doing to the Real Estate Consumer?

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Frivolous Lawsuits - Article from Anchorage Board of Realtors..

They’re costly, usually
unexpected… and they
silently threaten your career.

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Now Alaska REALTORS® are leading an
effort to ensure frivolous lawsuits target the person
who tries to target you.

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The long term goal is to pass a law in Alaska
that would protect victims of frivolous lawsuits by
monetarily penalizing the loser.

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It would be modeled after Colorado legislation which requires
a Judge to determine if a lawsuit filed is frivolous.

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If so, the plaintiff is ordered to pay the defendant
double the cost of litigation. That means the
attorney who filed the lawsuit could have to pay
damages. The idea is to prevent attorneys from
pursuing lawsuits without basis.

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The Alaska Association of REALTORS®
Industry Issues Committee met last week to create
a local action plan to gather local support from
other business owners and industries that are also
commonly hit with frivolous lawsuits. Among
them, homebuilders, medical providers and
attorneys.
The Committee hopes to see an Alaska bill
introduced next session in the House Labor &
Commerce Committee that would also require the
loser to pay double the cost of the suit.

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Link to Source

http://www.anchoragerealtors.com/i/docs/NewsletterDecember2007.pdf

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They Call it Frivolous Lawsuits, I as an Ex-Realtor who has seen the "system" in action, I Call it Your Life. When a Real Estate Consumer Attempts to Sue a Realtor, andof courses LOSES, the Realtors and All their Political Clout, they get mad and they rise up in large, well funded groups and Legislative to Take your Power to Hold Realtors accountable away from you for GOOD. The Realtors, at ALL costs MUST defend their Right to Lie, their Right to Fail To Disclose, and their right to ruin your life. Claims against Realtors are most often TRUE... and Protecting the REAL Victim in the Real Estate Transaction is NOT what the Goal of the Association of Relators is or EVER really has been.

rr

the Person "they" speak of that is "targeting the Realtor" is the Homeowner who has lost everything because a Realtor did not tell them know problems with a house, it is the person whose son has cancer from Mold that a Realtor knew about, it is the person who was almost killed by a collapsing beam because of Non-Disclosure, the person who has dry ponds in their yard because the Realtor lied about water rights, the person who has to take a bedroom because of the lies of a Septic Size, the Person who pays $20,000 to fix a Radiant heating system when the Realtor knew how bad it was and did not disclose, the person who loses sleep - hundreds of thousands of dollars - equity - time and endures ENORMOUS amounts of Stress because of a Realtor who FLAT out Lied to them and is in NO Way Accountable.

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the Person they Speak of is the Victim ...

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And that is Who the Realtors Want to Make Sure that they can no longer "silently threaten". Penalizing the LOSER, the Loser is the Real Estate Consumer and they have Suffered ENOUGH at the Hands of the Realtors....

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"
the plaintiff is ordered to pay the defendant
double the cost of litigation"

So when you Lose and YOU certainly Will
because the Realtors have E and O insurance
and this REALTOR insurance will keep you
in court longer then you can possibly stand...

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This Will Smack the Wrists and the Pocket Books of
the Real Estate Consumer and make Sure they Do
Not EVER try and Make a Realtor accountable for
their action AGAIN.

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And to Make Matters Worse they threaten Attorneys..
Hey, if you stand with the Consumer, the Victim,

You Will LOSE and with that Loss
you Will Pay Damages

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Thereby Discouraging the Real Estate Attorneys
from even thinking about taking a case
against a REALTOR, a member of the
National Association of Realtors..

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A bit Like a Cartel .. Don't Ya Think...

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Do Judges have bias when a Realtor is Involved?

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I don't Know, but hey, Realtors Have More Money
than the Real Estate Consumer, Better Attorneys,
and with their numbers they Sure Can make alot
more Noise then the Real Estate Consumer.

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Think About this Stuff Folks...

rr

I Just want You to Consider this Stuff.
I am NOT asking you to Believe Me,
I am Simply Exposing Situations for you to
Learn More, to Ponder to Think About...

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Coldwell Banker Will NOT Stand for Natural Disasters and Independent Brokerages

Lawsuit seeks fees from former New Orleans franchise

Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. is suing a former New Orleans franchise to collect
$818,500 the company claims it is owed for past dues and future fees. The former
franchise cancelled its relationship with Coldwell Banker after Hurricane Katrina flooded
its offices and now operates as Danette O'Neal Realtors Inc.

Danette O'Neal, a longtime New Orleans real estate broker who had signed the franchise
agreements with Coldwell Banker in 2004, is fighting back with public criticism of the
lawsuit.

"I understand business, but all of America knows of our plight in New Orleans. The
actions that they have taken threaten not only my business, but my home, personal
possessions and the future of my children," O'Neal stated in a news announcement this
month that was published at several Web sites. "I just want to rebuild my company. I am still trying to restore my company … but instead I must fight Coldwell Banker's threat to take away my legacy to collect 10 years of potential income."

O'Neal -- a prominent African-American businesswoman who was appointed by Louisiana's governor in January 2005 to serve as a commissioner for the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency and leads that group's Single-Family Committee -- has reached out to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Black Chamber of Commerce, among other groups and individuals, about the lawsuit.

A spokesman for Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. said the lawsuit is focused on O'Neal's misuse of the Coldwell Banker corporate trademarks after she severed ties with the corporation.

http://www.danetteoneal.com/news/SiliconValley.pdf

Trademarks - Drama - Realtor Ethics - Politics JUST a tiny few of the things that get in the way of actually working for and Protecting the Real Estate Consumer.

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Have You Been Harmed Financially - Physically - or Emotionally by a Realtor

Have You or Anyone you Know Have Ever Know been Hurt Financially, Had an Injury and an Illness Related to the Lies of Your Realtor?

Has a Realtor failed to disclose to you and it cost you years of your life to pay for a very small portion of the damage?

Has a Realtor Forced you to Stay in Your Contract with them though they were NOT doing the job they promised they would do?

Has a Realtor Charged you too much money for VERY little work?

Email Us your story at Crystal@SavvyBroker.com and we will Post your Bad Realtor Experience Here. Or we will give you access to write on this blog and tell your Story. We want to Expose the actions of the Realtors that is Hurting the Real Estate consumer. You can Post Videos, Documents, or whatever you like to Tell on Your Realtor.

If your Realtor failed to disclose a Known Fact about a property you bought, let us know.

If your Realtor Flat Out Lied to You.. let's tell the World. We are Your Real Estate Consumer Advocate.

If your Realtor Lied to You, tell us your story, if you have it in Writing Send it on Over.. Crystal@CrystalCox.com - if you have a Video send us a link or the Video.. if a Realtor has Hurt YOU.. We Want to KNOW... We WILL get your Story Heard, we have a VERY large Real Estate Marketing Network and We Will Get Your Realtor Sucks story heard ... We are Your Consumer Advocate in Real Estate.

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Report: Brock Realtors

Brock Realtors unprofessional, lying, manipulative, crooks. I had been with Brock Realtors for 5 years. The property manager Karen is a unprofessional business partner by rude comments and her father, the owner, is a swindler. Ripoff Fort Worth Texas.

Had been a tenant for 5 years, the property manager had alwyas been cooperative and very helpful. Dont know if she hit menopause or what but became rude and disrespectful to me and my business partners. I was then introduced to her father who had a home for sale that he had owned for 20+years and he was so nice and helpful then when the big problems starting arising with the property like no working bathrooms , the windows dont close all the way, rotting floor in the bathroom, and many more. I proceeded to buy under the provisions to get it all fixed by closing. Closing is in a few days and NOTHING has been fixed, when confronted with a formal statement he evicted me from the property. I have 2 small babies and for those people at that company who I felt knew me very well all the sudden became the enemy in about 5 minutes. Sweet at first then saw what they ARE REALLY LIKE. Watch out for them, they are slick..

http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/187/RipOff0187639.htm

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Who Will STOP the Real Estate Cartel Known as The National Association of Realtors....

Realtor Do NOT have the Right to Simply REMOVE the Competition...

Check out this Article.

The Real Estate 'Cartel' strikes again
MLS smacks down Maverick Website

It was an antidote to Toronto's sprawling housing market: a simple website created by two self-described "computer geeks" to ease their first home search, and then help a city of frazzled buyers. That is until this week, when the Multiple Listings Service - the reigning king of online real estate listings in Canada - unleashed its lawyer on housing123.com and banished the new kids on the block.

"It was always this overhanging axe that was ready to fall," said Travis Fielding, the 31-year-old co-founder of the website, which allowed users to search MLS listings plotted on a Google map of local neighbourhoods.

After all, MLS has crushed upstarts before. Two Toronto-based sites, Realtysellers Ltd. and Realestateplus.ca, were shut down in the past two years after run-ins with the Canadian Real Estate Association, which owns the MLS trademark. Housing123.com is accused of using its information without permission.

But some industry watchers say MLS may be losing this online turf war, as what's happening in the United States may soon happen here: Sites such as Redfin, Zillow and Yahoo Real Estate now carry the lion's share of new listings, while MLS is losing ground.

They say the MLS business model - giving people only a taste of a house and directing them to an agent for more - won't stand up against competitors that will give you every detail about a house and its surroundings, including local crime stats, school reviews and previous purchase prices, along with 360 tours and a break on the commission.

"They're basically saying, 'You know what? People want to search listings themselves,' " says John Pasalis, founder of Realosophy.com, a website that dishes details about Toronto and Greater Toronto Area neighbourhoods. "The problem in Canada is we can't do this because the real-estate boards don't allow us."

The idea for housing123.com bloomed a couple of years ago after Mr. Fielding's friend and fellow software developer, Kevin Lai, became frustrated with his own home search. Sick of navigating MLS, and frustrated by an agent who missed good houses, Mr. Lai thought he could design a better system.

On his laptop, he basically created what is known as a "Google-map mash-up," which allows people to plot customized data (in this case, MLS listings) on top of a Google map application.
It worked so well that, just for kicks, he enlisted Mr. Fielding to help him take it to the public. It took about three weeks to work out the kinks, and they developed a way for the program to automatically add new listings. "On a scale of 10, it's probably like six," Mr. Lai, 29, says of the difficulty level. For their day jobs, he and Mr. Fielding design software for financial companies.
Since the site was launched 10 months ago, it averaged about 400 to 500 unique users per day, Mr. Fielding says.

Users appreciated its simplicity. House listings appeared as dots on a map of Toronto, which users clicked on to take them to the MLS listing. Houses were colour-coded by price so users could see which areas were pricey or affordable.

By contrast, MLS has no way to narrow a search to a neighbourhood. If you're looking for a Victorian in Kensington Market, you have to search in zone C-01, which covers Yonge to Dufferin, and Bloor to the Lakefront. (That includes the Annex, the waterfront, Kensington, Little Italy, Trinity-Bellwoods, University, the downtown core, and others.)

The search engine spits out hundreds of listings, and users are stuck flipping between MLS and Mapquest.

Still, the housing123.com founders knew it would just be a matter of time before MLS came knocking, because they were using listings that were the property of MLS.ca.
Last week, Mr. Lai received a letter from a CREA lawyer saying they had violated copyright laws. Remove the site, it said, or we'll sue.

"They were scraping data from our website," says Calvin Lindberg, president of CREA, which represents more than 94,000 brokers and agents. "It's something that we deal with on a regular basis. ... Obviously whenever we see it happening, we send a letter asking them to turn it off."
Since the site folded on June 15, dozens of users have voiced their dismay on a blog, urging the duo to keep going or seek legal advice.

One user wrote: "MLS is brutal and your site made finding the right place in the RIGHT location a breeze."

By the end of the summer, MLS.ca will have a map component, Mr. Lindberg says. Beyond that, he says, the site does not need to be improved. "We've created a very effective and efficient system that the consumers love."

Others disagree. One simply has to look south to see the potential for informative sites, Mr. Pasalis says. Those sites, however, have only been made possible through tough legal battles. In May, the U.S. National Association of Realtors settled its antitrust case with the Department of Justice, giving online realtors - which have been offering fees that are significantly lower than traditional realtor rates - full access to the MLS database.

Mr. Pasalis says the onus should be on Canada's Competition Bureau, not individual entrepreneurs, to fight to ensure fair competition is allowed in Canada too.
For now, Mr. Lai and Mr. Fielding say they are dreaming up new projects. "At least we helped a lot of people find their dream home," said Mr. Lai, who is now in the market for a downtown condo.

The pair say they may revive their site, but only to post properties from individual sellers or brokers - not MLS. "We can't afford the lawsuit, that's for sure," Mr. Fielding says.
Sadly, very few consumers appreciate that the MLS monopoly on publishing online real estate listings in Canada keeps listings fees double what they would be if open competition were permitted.

Link to Article Below

http://toreal.blogs.com/toronto/2008/06/the-great-real.html

Who Gave the Realtors the RIGHT to Simply STOP Healthy Competition ? Why Do Realtors Get to have a Monopoly on the Real Estate Industry. The MLS Monopoly that Realtors have is Wrong, UnEthical, and SHOULD certainly be Illegal...

But REALTOR members are International so the Reign of the Real Estate Cartel Known as The National Association of Realtor is Far Reaching and Seemingly unStoppable in the Name of Real Estate Consumer Protection and a "Higher Standard" which as a Real Estate Broker Owner, Ex-Realtor Member I can Tell You Honestly.. that is a Flat OUT Lie. NAR is NOT interested in Protecting the Real Estate Consumer. the National Association of Realtors DOES not hold Realtors accountable for their actions that Really Do Hurt the Real Estate Consumer. Realtor member are in NO WAY of a Higher Standard than a State Licensed Real Estate Broker that is NOT a Realtor, I Say Broker because agents DO NOT get a Choice.

NAR says that being a Realtor is Voluntary but it is only Voluntary for the Broker Owner, if they are REALTORS, NAR members then the agent who signs with them has to be also. And if the Broker Owner wants to do business in their area with other Realtors - and look at what they call "their data" then the Broker Owner do not have much of a choice either. If they do not join they will be boycotted and will not get those exclusive members rights....

How Does an Association with Supposed Voluntary Members have the Right to Shut Down Other Peoples Websites.. Take away the Livlihood of those Who Cannot Afford to Fight them ?

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I Hate Realtors

a Post Entitled I hate Realtors...

Ok, I've had probably the worst luck with realtors. When we sold our last house, we used the "Mind Team" (name change). Turned out, they started backing out of agreements of rates for using them to buy as well. They tried to deny participation in our banks relocation service which gives us $2000 after selling or buying if we used them. The Mind Team daughter was our agent for buying. She never once found houses for us. Mrs SgtRedline found all of them, and in most cases called the agent to arrange showings.

That sucked, but I thought all that was behind us. Nope. We of course moved to Louisiana and needed to sell our house in Saratoga,NY again. We call our bank and get the relocation agent they recommend. I forget her name... mostly because of her fault... she never called us. We spoke one time. We called her numerous times after to which she never responded. WTF? You can't give some people money.

So we decided it wasn't worth the relocation bonus to have an agent we have to hunt down and go with one of the most well know agents of Saratoga. We'll call him "JustJack". Well known because his face is plastered everywhere.It starts out well.

He and his team were very responsive and during the showings they called us to give us all the details (we had already moved at this point). We finally have an offer we accept and suddenly the communications stop.

Ooookay. Seems like this is the point we need the details the most. Where did you go JustJack? We finally get the details that the inspection had been done and all that. But no word on a closing date. Mrs SgtRedline starts calling around trying to get details again.... to sum it up, the Office Manager for JustJack's Agency is actually arguing with her about what their responsibilities are.

Responsibilities such as: Letting us know the buying wanted something else. When the inspections would be done. etc. etc. etc. I mean really arguing. Thankfully our lawyer had the details, and decided it was best to just handle things from there for us.I mean.. if someone was about to pay me $15,000 for maybe a day or two's work over a 3 week span. I'd give them the best service I could. I guess when your mug is plastered around town like JustJack, you don't care about word-of-mouth referal. Maybe none of them care. I dunno.

Link I Found the Post is Below..

http://sgtredline.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-hate-realtors.html

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Assist me in Telling on - Exposing the Realtors

I am the Real Estate Industry Whistleblower. The Realtors are Hurting You. Donate to Our Websites Exposing what the Realtors are Doing to You.
Click Here to Donate to This Blog.

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Did My Realtors Lie to Me??

First IndicatorI closed on my property during the first week of February. When I arrived at the closing my realtor handed me a slip of paper with contact information for a potential tenant. I was immediately worried; was one of the tenants moving??

My realtor said no, they just periodically got calls about it and the soon-to-be former owner wanted to pass the lead along to me. OK...I saw the seller's agent come out (who I had met before), and I asked him as well if any tenant was planning on moving. As he ran out the door he said "No, tenant B's been grumbling about moving, but that's not likely. She's lived there for 20 years after all. Bye!" OK...Second IndicatorEarlier this week my realtor forwarded me an email from the previous owner with yet another tenant lead. What the heck? Do they know something I don't? Keep in mind that DAYS before the closing Tenant B signed a lease agreement to satisfy my lender (she didn't have a written lease before that).

In it she pledged to stay for 12 months and pay month to month. If she/the agent/the owner knew she was planning to move and had her sign a lease anyway then that's obviously unethical at best.Really Starting to WorryRent from said tenant is due 2/15 and is late on 2/20 (today). So today I drove (flew) up there to give her a very formal, simple notice that her rent is late and requesting immediate payment. And to peek in the windows and make sure it looks occupied. I was already starting to put the pieces together and freak out a little.

Maybe It'll Be OK?Well, she had some mail in the mailbox, though I couldn't see through any windows. I did talk to the other tenant who said he's been seeing her every day except for the last couple. Then he mentioned that her live in boyfriend had moved out 3 weeks earlier. "She might have moved out too," he shrugged. I thanked him and left, feeling slightly better.

If she'd been there recently then she surely got my letter and knew where to send the rent. And unless she moved out YESTERDAY then she obviously still lived there...Wrong!

But I still wasn't settled, so I emailed the previous owner and politely explained the situation and asked if she had any other contact info for tenant B. She assured me that "that number" (to the adult entertainment hotline; see previous post) was correct and that the tenant would probably call me back. Then she said "She did tell me that she was moving back to Arkansas and would be out by February 15th. I thought [the realtor] would tell you this. He said it would probably work well for you as you wanted to go in and do some of the repairs."EXCUSE ME?!?! So I promptly forwarded the message to my realtor with the following message:

"What the hell? I can't believe you guys didn't tell me this. I knew it was fishy that you were passing along potential tenant contact info to me even before the closing. I specifically asked [the seller's agent] at the closing if any tenant was planning on moving, and he said no right to my face. Specifically I remember him saying "Oh, the lady in unit B's been grumbling about moving eventually, but that's not likely. She's lived there for 20 years, after all." This is absolutely unbelievable. And I know she was planning the move WELL before the closing, because Tenant A told me so today, and said the boyfriend went ahead and moved 3 weeks ago.

I can't believe this."Ok, so I was freaking out a little. He called me immediately and insisted that he didn't know anything about this. He went on about his morals and ethics and how he values helping his customers and would never withhold information. He said he'd emailed the seller's agent and instructed him to give me a full explanation of the timeline and where the break in communication happened. He suggested that the other agent hadn't known for sure if the tenant was moving or had found out after closing.

He said he felt bad about the situation, though, and offered to give me all kinds of advice on how to lease it out quickly, get referrals for needed repairs, and minimize my expenses. I was glad he was talking so much because I was crying a little and didn't want my voice to shake on the phone.So now there's nothing to be done, really. It's not as if I can or would sue them or fraud, even if they were lying.

I just have to immediately make the slew of repairs and upgrades needed on that unit and rent it out (which will cost thousands and thousands of dollars, and now I have to do them all at once). I called the adult entertainer/tenant back and requested that she give me a call.

Told her if I didn't hear from her within a day or two I was going to have to change the locks. She's probably back in Arkansas by now though. UPDATE: The tenant in question just called me back. She's been planning to move since before Christmas and told the previous owner so at that time. Which very coincidentally happens to be when that owner listed the property for sale.

Both women seem very sincere and genuine (previous owner and tenant), and I have no doubt the seller's agent knew about the situation. At the very least it would have been mentioned once my lender requested a signed lease from the tenant. She'd never had a lease, so they drew one up. They dated it February 2007, not 2008. I didn't even catch it, and neither did my lender. What kind of lease would appease a lender that expires one week after the closing?

http://wealthisgood.blogspot.com/2008/02/did-my-realtors-lie-to-me.html

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Do Realtors Lie - Do Consumers Get Justice ? EVER...

Buying or Selling a Home - realtor lied?

Expert: Todd Thornton - 6/23/2004

Question

Hi Todd!I contacted a real estate attorney .According to him the chances of winning a case against my realtor are very slim .First of all he thinks I could have measured the house myself before signing the papers and discoverd the problem .

Also ,he thinks that the realtor will most likely blame it on the seller and say the seller gave him the wrong numbers.The attorney suggest I may have a case against the seller , but ,again ,slim chances of a positive outcome (especially since the seller moved out of state).He said that I could write a letter of discontent to the realtor and his agency and ask for compensation(somwhere between $8,000-$10,000) but he doubted I would get it.

I still haven't given up on this.I still feel I was cheated.I find it strange that ,in case the seller gave the realtor the wrong numbers ,the realtor didn't verify them.Isn't he supposed to make sure the information is accurate?

If he's not ,does it mean I could get a realtor to list my house and tell him to list the house as 820 sqf instead of the 718 , and then hope somebody would fall for it?I am not sure what the realtor's responsability is.I read on the National Association of Realtors' website ,in Articol 2 of the "Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice" that : "Realtors shall avoid exaggeration,misrepresentation or concealment of pertinent facts relating to the property or the transaction."Also : "Realtors should only be obligated to discover and disclose adverse factors reasonably apparent to someone with expertise in those areas required by their real estate licensing authority."

The realtor responsible for the listing of this home claims to have 17 years of experience.That is a bit strange ,since the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce issued a licence for him only less than 16 years ago ,in the summer of 1988.Still ,with 15 years or more in real estate shouldn't he have noticed that the seller may have been lying to him (if that were the case) ? Or did he list the house without even looking at it? I am sorry to take so much of your time.

If there's no way for me to get compensated for those 62 square feet ,I would still push to get this realtor's licence suspended if possible.Where or whom can I contact to report this problem?Thank you again!Alin Mogosanu-------------------------Followup To Question - Hi Todd!Thank you for the fast response and for the advice.

I measured the house following your instructions and I ended up with 718 sqf .So,the realtor did exagerate the size of my house ,wheather on purpose or through negligence.

I will contact a Real Estate Attorney to see what I can do about it.Digging through my papers related to the buying of this home ,I also found a flier in which this realtor is advertising the house as having 2 bathrooms.Not true.The only way there could be a second bathroom is if that bathroom were entirely located in those fictitious 62 square feet.

I think this non existing bathroom and the exagerated square footage would prove either negligence ,not to call it stupidity, on the part of this realtor or that his marketing strategies are so agresive that he lies ,he will say whatever it takes to get people to look at his listed properties.

Thanks again Alin-------------------------Followup To Question - Hi Todd!I purchased a home in the summer of 2002 in Minneapolis ,Minnesota.It is a single family home and it was advertised as a 780 square feet house (foundation size 780 sqf and above ground square footage also 780 ).

However ,now,two years later I found out that from the City of Minneapolis property information web site that my house has a foundation size and above ground square footage of only 718.I know there's not much difference from 718 to 780 sqf ,but I am angry to see I have been lied to.

Is there anything I can do about this?I feel I've been cheated.Do you have any suggestions ?

Thank you AlinAnswer - Alin,It is possible that the city information is incorrect. I'd suggest you look at your appraisel. (request a copy from the bank if you didn't get one at closing)or you could measure the home youself.(which you'd need to do anyway to double check the figures) The measurement is length x width. For instance 26x30=780. There could be different ways of measuring depending on the area, but the most common for a single family would be measuring on the outside of the home. The real estate agent may not have lied intentionally. They could have measured the home incorrectly or taken the measurement from another source that was incorrect.

Assuming the 780 is correct, you could contact the agent and ask to be reinbursed for the difference in square footage.

The broker of the real estate office would be the contact person you'd need to call. You could figure out how much per square foot (from the appraisel)you'd need to multiple by (62) as to an appropriate amount to ask for. I'm not sure about Minnesota, but most agents are required to carry errors and ommission insurance which could cover this issue. (Assuming it was not intentionally done) If the error and ommission company won't pay, you could press the issue by filing a complaint with the real estate commission in your state.

FYI- Most real estate contracts state in the fine print the information given to you is not guaranteed as accurate.

That doesn't excuse the agent for giving you incorrect information. If the agent (or there broker) refused to work with you to rectify the situation, I'd suggest contacting a local attorney. In fact, you may want to go ahead and contact one now to explore your options.

Real estate law is state specific so they would have information on how judges or a jury have reacted to previous cases. Good luck and I hope everything works out.
Sincerely,Todd Thornton

Answer - Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.
It sounds like you will have a pretty good case.
Sincerely,Todd Thornton

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Buying-Selling-Home-1476/realtor-lied-1.htm

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Harris & Taylor Century 21- Oregon Real Estate - Realtors that Suck...

“Woman shows sign of trouble” Linda Acosta says she was lied to and damaged by Harris & Taylor (Century 21) Real Estate; real estate company says lies were “honest mistake”

By Edward SnookInvestigative Reporter

Gold Hill, Oregon – Linda Acosta and her late husband Bob purchased their home in November of 2001. They were assured by their real estate agent Jeannie Moore that their property was backed by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property. This supposed fact gave them the assurance no one would be building behind them. This is what they wanted and believed it was what they purchased until they found out, after spending considerable time and money on the property that Harris and Taylor Century 21 Reality had lied to them. Their property actually was backed by private land.

There were other lies told to the Acosta’s such as that the roof was in good shape when it wasn’t, bad drainage problems, etc. As the Acosta’s were in California they trusted that Jeannie Moore was telling them the truth about the conditions.

Daily Courier Damage Control!

In October of 2005, Linda Acosta was contacted by reporter Howard Huntington of the Daily Courier. Huntington wanted to do a story on the sign Acosta had placed on her property and the reasons for the sign. The entire story had already been covered months prior by the US~Observer, so why did the Courier need to do an article. A prudent guess would be that someone from the real estate company contacted someone at the Courier to do damage control for them. Huntington’s article was published by the Courier on November 4, 2005 and as expected it contains numerous lies, making the real estate company look much better than they should.

First off Huntington gives the sale price of $395,000 and states that the “sale included two adjacent, three-bedroom homes.” There is only one three bedroom home. The other is a two bedroom apartment that was built over an existing barn/garage. Huntington’s intentions are all too obvious.

Huntington’s article continues, “Century 21’s attorney, Mark Clarke of Medford, said in a letter to the Daily Courier that the sale price was consistent with the local market.” What in the world does this statement have to do with anything?

The Acosta’s purchased a property that had been on the market for a long time and it was sold to them as backing up to BLM land. They had poured well over $125,000 into the property when they discovered they hadn’t purchased what they were sold.

Ms. Acosta has continued improving the property to this very day simply because she has no other choice. After the death of her husband Robert Acosta, Linda is now on her own and in no shape for the enormous task of finding another property, moving and having to start all over again.

And what in the world is attorney Mark Clarke doing writing a letter to the Courier when his Oregon State Bar rules state that he cannot use the media to enhance a case. So much for rules… The lies continue… “Another Century 21 attorney, Arne Cherkoss of Medford denied all of Acosta’s allegations. He said Acosta did not use the procedures in her contract for resolving disputes and rejected Century 21’s offer to deed to her a strip of land connecting her property with the BLM’s.

No offer has ever been made to Ms. Acosta and apparently Ms. Acosta has followed proper procedures because the issue has already been ruled on in court. In fact, Century 21 conveniently came up with paperwork after a Medford judge had ruled against them. When they asked the judge to re-consider based on the “newly discovered document” the judge denied them and stated that he wouldn’t rule on possible fraud because he didn’t have to.

Huntington should donate some time to the US~Observer in exchange for us teaching him to properly investigate and print facts as opposed to lies. As for Ms. Acosta she recently informed us that she intends to keep her sign up until Harris & Taylor Century 21 Real Estate Company is held accountable. Acosta stated, “if this sign isn’t large enough I’ll purchase one that is.” As for threats from the company of them filing a law suit against Ms. Acosta for posting the sign she says she is quite ready.

Since the Observer began publishing articles on the Acosta case we have had numerous horror stories reported by people who claim to have been lied to by Harris & Taylor Century 21 Real Estate Company. The following is one such case.

A New Case of Severe Abuse

In December of 2004, David and Paula Knobloch purchased their home on Cloverlawn Drive in Grants Pass, Oregon. Harris & Taylor Century 21 Real Estate was the company selling the property and Toni Epperson was their agent.

Paula Knobloch, who had just been diagnosed with cancer, would soon experience problems nearly equaling her bout with the cancer.

On the weekend the family moved into their home they ran out of water and sediment began coming through the pipes in the house. They immediately called their realtor and according to the Knoblochs they were told that it was probably a temporary problem from the pump etc., not being used. The water did return, however they still ran out of it in short order over the next few weeks. They then contacted a local water service and were informed that they should have the well tested and they should also test the water.

Paula had been sick during her time at the new (to them) home and had attributed the illness to her cancer treatments. As soon as the water test results came in the family was informed that the well was contaminated and that it was producing less than two gallons of water per-minute. They started drinking bottled water and immediately Paula started feeling better. Her doctor later informed her that she was fortunate to have found the problem when she did. As for the low gallons-per-minute issue the Knoblochs state that they were told by both Toni Epperson and the sellers that the well produced at least 5 gallons-per-minute or better.

The Knoblochs had no idea that their problems were only beginning. They found carpenter ants, yet they were informed on a walk-through prior to closing that this was normal to have some ants come into a home once it was vacant. Their realtor assured them by stating in front of several witnesses that there had been a pest inspection on the house.

Next, the Knoblochs began having septic and electrical problems and they recently found that there was flooding going on in a portion of the basement when they had a heat pump system installed. As soon as the heat pump began working Paula once again became ill and it was soon discovered that there was mold in the basement that was caused by the moisture.

When the problems with the septic continued the Knoblochs decided to attempt to find the company that had worked on the system for the previous owners. They located the company and were informed that the previous owners were told they would need a new system before long. Like all the other severe problems this was never disclosed to the Knoblochs.

Just like the Acostas, the Knoblochs inform us that they were either ignored or lied to when they attempted to get Harris & Taylor Realty to address their problems. As a result they are currently looking for legal counsel to represent them against the obviously unethical realtors.
Editor’s Note: Don’t miss our next edition wherein we will address this tragedy in more detail. Anyone having problems with Harris & Taylor Real Estate is urged to contact Edward Snook at 541-474-7885.

http://www.usObserver.com/archive/dec05/Woman-Sign.html

Is there any Accountability in Real Estate ?
No Way ~ There is No Consumer Protection in Real Estate.

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