Editor’s Note: This is the second part in a two-part series by Tim Brigham. If you missed the first part, click here. Friday, Day 5- Confirmation Day By now any file problems should be out in the open and

The downpayment remains the staple of most home financing; how are buyers, nowadays, funding their downpayments? Only 9 percent of homebuyers so far in 2013 have funded less than 50 percent of their home purchases with financing – which means

So, what do you do when there is a real estate appraisal contingency and the contract price exceeds the list price? A) Pray B) Cross your fingers C) Hope D) Prepare E) All of the above F) None of

Twitter is an integral part of Chicago’s real estate market, but how can you harness it for your business? Alyssa Mattero shares three essential steps. A basic search on Twitter reveals that the Chicago real estate industry has a

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

This topic is thrown around in our industry almost on a daily basis. Bankers and brokers love to walk into your office and claim to close a loan “faster than EVERYONE else… 10 days… promise…” and then 143 days

Clients have many reason to hire real estate agents, but what reasons have been the most prominent thus far in 2013? You’re a great listener. You’re a friend of the family. You came highly recommended. There are many reasons

Clients count on their real estate agents as a resource for the homebuying process, and Christine Groves explains the 8 top ways to be the best resource. When consumers have an infinite amount of real estate professionals to choose

You just took on a new client, and are assisting them in the homebuying process; what parts of the process will they most need you for? We recently reported on consumers’ initial expectations for real estate agents, and the

From Facebook and Twitter to Pinterest and Houzz, today’s social media universe is rapidly changing and expanding. And for real estate agents and home builders, it can be hard to keep up. However, mRELEVANCE managing partner Carol Morgan’s new

Between the Internet, referrals and advertisements, consumers have many options for finding agents; what options, though, ultimately win them over? We are living in an age of overwhelming choice, and real estate is no exception. From the Internet, to

You’ve heard the old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Well folks, guess what? You’re in Rome and the Romans are using social media. And if you’re not using it, you’ll need to leave Rome –

Agents provide many services to their clients, but of those services, which ones are the most valuable to clients? Real estate agents are an invaluable source of information for their clients, and they offer numerous services during the buying

The second quarter was a spectacular one for Freddie and Freddie, but are such successes problematic for the government’s reform efforts? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had mighty good second quarters – not only did the GSEs post respective

President Obama devoted an entire speech yesterday to the housing market, specifically reforms he’d like to see made to our home financing system. President Obama called for reforms to both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a policy speech

The latest numbers from the National Association of Realtors show that single women are owning on the homeownership front. Women may earn 77 cents of every dollar that men earn, but when it comes to homeownership, women are not