Giving Agents the Tools to Be Essential Human Resources for Buyers and Sellers

Nicole gives us a chance to meet the new CEO of DMAR, Nobu Hata. Nobu tells us the plans for membership support and value-added benefits.

Nicole asks him some questions that you will want to hear the answers to, even if you are not in the DMAR Sphere. His perspective includes what he learned working at NAR.

• Working with the Realtors, your wife, and those in your community, do you think it changed your perspective and how you expected to enter DMARs community? Or do you think you're right in alignment with where you were when you left NAR?
• What is your primary focus,  and how do you want to change DMA to support the membership or the experience that your DMAR community is facing today?
• Talk a little bit about your vision in the space of services and content that will benefit and support members.
• What's going to be the next disruptive company?
• Suppose you're meeting a newer agent who's considering entering the association, what advice would you give that agent?

Resurgence of HOME and how it affects the Denver real estate market

It’s become infinitely more important as it’s our refuge, our workplace, classroom, meeting room, restaurant, escape and for some, our isolation. The Denver Metro Association of REALTORS® (DMAR) October Market Trends Report highlights how this resurgence in our home has played out in the stats. 

• We have the lowest amount of homes for sale for any September at 5,301 homes, which consequently is only a mere 950 homes more than Denver-area’s all-time inventory low
• Buyers put your sneakers on because homes are selling in six days, the fastest for any September on record
• Be ready to pay more. Denver’s median closed price hit a record high at $461,000. Consequently, that’s more than the sellers were asking, as the close-to-list price for September was 100.41%
• Even with this low inventory, we sold 5,850 homes, more than any September on record
• With another record 6,376 pending sales teed up for October
• Sellers, I see you are trying. 6,376 new listings came on the market; but with demographics and interest rates favoring buyers, it simply isn’t enough

Denver’s real estate market has not only recovered from March and April’s loss; it has picked up the pace from January and February. As of the end of September, year-to-date closed homes were up 1.61% over last year and sales volume was up 7.53%. The median close price was up 6.9% - that’s an incredible equity win for our homeowners. So the question is when will this end? Or worse, will it POP?

Nicole Rueth
The Rueth Team of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
750 W Hampden Avenue, Suite 500 Englewood, CO 80110
303-214-6393
www.TheRuethTeam.com

Connect on social media:
Follow me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/theruethteam/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolerueth
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMd...

Know Your Loan Options Renovation, CHFA, Jumbo, Conventional, FHA, USDA, and VA

This is a recap of the tips in September. They include information about all types of loans, limits, how they benefit you including Renovation, CHFA, Jumbo, Conventional, FHA, USDA, and VA.

I mean who are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

(Hint: Unfortunately not the neighbors down the street)

As consumers we all want to make sure we understand .. and can take advantage of, our options. Particularly when it’s funding possibly the largest purchase you've ever made! Yet with so many loan options how do you know where to begin?!

Renovation loans are a great option for those who have purchased a home or investment property that needs a bit of TLC. Take advantage of the great appreciation we've had to make your current home your forever home. Old musty carpet and overly patterned tile might go out of style, but leveraging the wealth you've gained by owning your home hasn't.

CHFA - we all need a little help sometimes.

As a home buyer you have to bring money to the closing table no matter what loan option you choose....but what if the majority of that could come from the state? That’s right! There are so many opportunities to become a home buyer with as little as $1000 cash coming from your pocket. Owning your home can provide so many advantages. Don't let the amount you need to bring to the table stop you. Set yourself up to be 48 times wealthier by starting the home loan application process today!

The Gang's All Here: Fannie, Freddie, and now Ginnie Mae

Ginnie Mae is the one stop shop for first time home buyers. FHA, VA, and USDA, encompassed 67% of their loans just last year. Distinctive in income, location or past service, you can open a plethora of perks if you qualify. By placing only 3.5% or even 0% down, home and even investment opportunities are closer than you think, even if you don't have a high credit score. Make sure you have a loan officer that knows how to be creative, because the potential SAVINGS are huge.

We're here if you need more information to help you decide which loan fits you.

Nicole Rueth

The Rueth Team of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
750 W Hampden Avenue, Suite 500
Englewood, CO 80110
303-214-6393
www.TheRuethTeam.com
Connect on social media:

Follow me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/theruethteam/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolerueth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rueth-team-fairway-independent-mortgage/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMdb94tUNMMsUTgdWRMDKw 

Making Your Professional Memberships Work for You

This week we spent time with Mike Papantonakis, newly inaugurated DMAR Market Chair and agent with Re/Max Alliance. He is one of the new leaders of DMAR but leadership isn't new to Mike. Together we explore how his experience gives him the strength he needs to lead DMAR's Board as well as champion his clients.

He reminds us that when we question the value of professional memberships, we have to remember to also ask, "What did I put into that membership? How did I participate? You only get out what you put in.

"We can not continue to do business the way we do business today. We're always going to have to be looking for a better way and a new way to do things."

- Mike Papantonakis

Nicole Rueth
The Rueth Team of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
750 W Hampden Avenue, Suite 500
Englewood, CO 80110
303-214-6393
www.TheRuethTeam.com
Connect on social media:
Follow me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/theruethteam/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolerueth
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMd...

Use Your Extra Time to Learn All You Can and Add Value

Jill Schafer is Nicole's guest in this episode talking about smoothing the path to homeownership to get to the celebration. That's done through continuous education on behalf of our clients.

Jill says, "understanding the market and educating our clients that's not something they could just pick up online I mean, they can read the article, but they are going to get that microneighborhood information that we can provide and getting information on just their price point or their area, or are they looking at attached and detached and that's something that report really provides and you know we can provide it to our clients, but we need to still explain how that relates to them. And so it's focusing on how I can try to make that process smoother for them in every possible and make it a celebration."

Tune in for some sage advice from this seasoned Real Estate professional.

Daily Disciplines and Increasing Your Value

Some of what Dina Piterniece has done to keep communicating with her clients and prospects includes:

1. Picking up the PHONE and TALKING to them about something other than real estate.
2. "Thinking about you" cards to clients.
3. Sending out a regular newsletter with positive ideas.
4. Keeping them updated as the rates kept changing in case they were able to take advantage of the situation.
5. Increasing your services, resources to pass along to them. 

Her advice to fine-tune 2020 is to stick with the items that work for you best. Everyone has their specialties. Look for ways to increase your value and knowledge. 

Nicole Rueth
The Rueth Team of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
750 W Hampden Avenue, Suite 500
Englewood, CO 80110
303-214-6393
www.TheRuethTeam.com

Connect on social media:
Follow me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/theruethteam/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolerueth 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rueth-team-fairway-independent-mortgage/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMdb94tUNMMsUTgdWRMDKw 

Celebrating the Resiliency of Agents

Nicole's guest, Amanda Snitker, stated it perfectly in this episode, "We were uniquely prepared for the current market and situation, as agents." The only thing she would change is to not be so tired from everything since April. That means she's busy. That's something to celebrate. She's fine being tired, she didn't want to miss a moment, or opportunity to help her clients. 

She comes from two great examples in the industry, her own parents. She learned core values from them, saw their example of how to treat clients. What a gift they gave her. 

Her takeaway for all of you agents is not a new concept or adage, but fitting for these times. Take it one day at a time. 

DMAR for August - Real Estate Did Not Surprise; It Delivered

Real estate has not only taken a position of favor because it’s now where we are spending most of our time, but it’s also giving homeowners stability in a shifting market.  What keeps me up at night?  The stock market.  As CNN’s Fear & Greed Index moves further into Greed and Citigroup’s Panic/Euphoria Index points towards extreme Euphoria; both point to lower stock prices within a year.  The recent news of COVID deaths breaking 155,000; COVID cases doubling in July; jobless numbers and continuing claims both breaking trend and increasing; and Yelp’s business tracker showing another 15,742 businesses closed permanently in July alone all point to a long recovery. Real estate, however, continues to show strength with a sneak peek into next month as pending home sales in July another big number of 7,122, 27.47 percent higher than last year. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Getting Out of Your Own Way

Pipe Knoll gives all of you some very logical tips to succeed during these times and any time.  She says, "This is the time to double down on communicating with clients and being the person that's there to care."

And when she started to realize that she was actually becoming her own worst enemy and holding herself back from success. She just started to really build on her showing who she is to people and once she started to really open up and get out of her own way and stop trying to pretend to be a real estate robot she really had her business take off.

She took her own advice after crying to two days at the initial shut down and started calling her clients and connections.  "Hey, how are you? How's your family? is your job Okay? Is the family healthy? How can I help? Is there anything you need ?"  And all of a sudden that started this turned into a business thing that she did not expect. Listen to the rest of this 8-minute episode.

About Piper:

After several years in the insurance industry, she realized that selling homes, rather than insuring them, was much more up her alley and she earned her real estate license in 2005. She has led the charge perfecting their team’s systems and processes over the years, helping our buyers and sellers navigate their real estate transactions extremely well-prepared and with ease! Knowledge is power and she looks for every opportunity to meet with clients and educate them on the Denver market and the home buying and selling process.

Zoom Logic for Beginners and Gems for More Advanced Users

We know we still have some reluctant hold outs, but for the most part, we have all been participating in at least a few Zoom meetings, or in other venues. Ray Eickhoff has a few tips that even experienced Zoomers may not know or have forgotten. This was the Q&A session after an Agent Ignite session hosted by Nicole Rueth.

This Chalk Talk is from April 2020 - the height of COVID-19 and the Zoom Boom. There are tips in there for advanced users that they sometimes overlook. Ray also explains the logic behind some of the tools to help newer users. But what will you do to maximize the value of these free venues? How are you using it to connect? Although we're all more comfortable on Zoom and similar platforms, this is still timely. Zoom continues to evolve, as do the other platforms. Tune in to this Chalk Talk for a refresher and reminder course on Zoom.