Brevard Elite

Homeowners Receive $26 Billion Settlement

Heather Holliday — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:47:34 +0000

Underwater homeowners in 49 states could see relief in the form of mortgage principal write-downs and refinancing because of a historic $26 billion settlement reached Feb. 9, 2012, between the states and five major lenders. Oklahoma is not included in the settlement.

Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Ally Financial agreed to the terms, which include penalties for improper foreclosure practices such as robo-signing and paperwork errors.

If you have a loan with one of these banks and you owe more than your home is worth, contact your lender to discuss your options. The settlement does not apply to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages.

Nine other major servicers may join the settlement soon, which could bring the settlement total to as high as $40 billion.

Top headlines

CNN Money: Mortgage deal could bring billions in relief
MarketWatch: Banks, states reach $26 billion foreclosure deal
MSNBC: Mortgage relief deal reached as holdout states join in
Wall Street Journal: Banks, states reach mortgage accord
Reuters: U.S. reaches mortgage settlement with top banks

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View RE/MAX Original Article Here

February 2012 Book of the Month – Selling Luxury Homes by Jack Cotton

Heather Holliday — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:41:04 +0000

Each month we use our motivational Sales Rally as an opportunity to share a book with you that will change your business and your life. This month it is Selling Luxury Homes by Jack Cotton.

CLICK HERE if you would like to order a copy for yourself. It is not necessary that you read the book prior to our rally. We provide the link for those who wish to enhance their knowledge of the topic and their library of great books. THIS BOOK ALSO OFFERS SOME GREAT LISTING AND SELLING TOOLS TO ENHANCE YOUR BUSINESS.

This new book explains how to become the real estate agent of choice to buyers and sellers of top-tier homes. Written by an expert with more than thirty years of experience, Selling Luxury Real Estate takes a step-by-step approach offering practical guidelines and proven methods for finding and cultivating high-end buyers and sellers. To be the best in the market means selling the best houses, and this book explains how to achieve that goal and succeed even in a difficult economy.

RE/MAX Elite’s Monday Morning Motivational Message…

Heather Holliday — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:53:43 +0000

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

Welcome to this edition of RE/MAX Elite’s Monday Morning Message.This week we have the opportunity to use all of the resources we have and all of the knowledge we have to improve our life and the lives of those around us. This week let us remember that the energy and passion we bring to the things we do goes a long way. When you are in a positive and thoughtful mindset your actions will be the same and your results will be so much better. Do not get stuck in a rut of just going through the motions and doing what needs to be done. Do everything with energy. Do everything with passion. Make everything you do this week enjoyable and fun and watch what happens to your results. It is also contagious. When you project energy, passion, and determination to succeed others around you will do so as well. That is called the multiplier effect and it is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. The only challenge is it starts with each and every one of us. Key words this week: Energy, Passion, Determination. Let us make this the best week of the year!

ENCOURAGEMENT CORNER…

THE 7 C’s of Success

By: Brian Tracy

Clarity-Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

Competence-You can’t climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

Constraints-Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it.

Concentration-The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it’s done takes more character than anything else.

Creativity-Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don’t use it you’ll lose it.

Courage-Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

Continuous learning-Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through web sites, because like exercise, it’s the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you’ll lose your edge.

WORDS TO LIVE BY…

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.

H.Jackson Brown JR.

Success doesn’t come to you – you go to it.

Marva Collins

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.

Vince Lombardi

Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.

William Shakespeare

Telling is not selling – never make a statement if you can phrase it in the form of a question.
Brian Tracy

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.

Henry Ford

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Thomas Paine

This week we have the opportunity to do something great. Let’s go do it!

RE/MAX Elite’s Monday Morning Motivational Message…

Heather Holliday — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:11:38 +0000

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

Welcome to this edition of RE/MAX Elite’s Monday Morning Message! This week we have the opportunity to make our life and the lives of all people around us better. We have the chance to make the most out of what we already have. We have the chance to make the most out of the relationships we already have. We have the chance to work hard, work smart, and fulfill all of our wildest goals. We probably will not do all of this in one week, but we do have to start sometime and remember the road will not be easy. There will be bumps and detours. There will be many problems along the way. The one and only thing you should focus on each and every day is what YOU are going to do. What are YOU going to do to reach your full potential? What are YOU going to do to make those around you better? What are YOU going to do to achieve YOUR goals? Let’s make this the best week of the year.

ENCOURAGEMENT CORNER…

CHANGE BEGINS WITH CHOICE

by: Jim Rohn

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, “The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.” We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life-If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life-and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

To Your Success,

WORDS TO LIVE BY…

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week we have the opportunity to do something great. Let’s go do it!

RE/MAX Elite’s Monday Morning Message 1.2.12

Heather Holliday — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:00:08 +0000

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

Welcome to this edition of RE/MAX Elite’s Monday Morning Message…..This week we have the great opportunity to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us. As the New Year starts, we all have the yearly chance to start off fresh. Let us focus each week on building something really truly great. Let us not waste any time and understand that regardless of where we are today we can go anyplace we would like with enough hard work. The best part about a new year is that, like all the other times in our life, we are in full control. Let us remember that each and every day. We decide what we will do; when we will do it; and who we will do things with. We decide what our reactions to people will be; how we will look at every situation that confronts us; and what we find important or not. We are 100% in control of our lives. We hope this year brings you all that you desire and we hope it is your best year yet. We are here to help any way we can! JB, SR & H3

ENCOURAGEMENT CORNER…

Let us remember a few very important rules this year.

Rule 1: You are 100% in charge and in control of your life.

Rule 2: There is opportunity around you each day if you want to see it.

Rule 3: Regardless of where you are today you can put yourself in a different place tomorrow.

Rule 4: There is nothing more important than action.

Rule 5: Always keep the most important things the most important.

Rule 6: Make a difference each and every day.

Rule 7: We can’t slow down time, stop time, or get more time. Don’t waste it.

Rule 8: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Rule 9: Life is not something just to get through, it should be an extraordinary experience.

Rule 10: You get what you give in all areas of life.

WORDS TO LIVE BY…

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein

It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go. – Bob Proctor

What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now. – Buddha

All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney

I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk. – Tony Robbins

Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions. – Albert Einstein

A goal is a dream with a deadline. – Napoleon Hill

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. – Jim Rohn

This week we have the opportunity to do something great. Let’s go do it!

Take action now to turn it around in 2012

Heather Holliday — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:56:05 +0000

Recent economic upheaval has taken a hefty toll. Looking forward to 2012, it’s impossible to know what’s next and the kind of an impact that an upturn or a downturn at the national level stands to have on your family’s finances.

Regardless of what happens in Washington or on Wall Street, two things are very clear: you are not alone and now is the time to prepare for a new normal.

With a national epidemic of unemployment or underemployment, and 25 percent of the homeowners in the country owing more on their home than they could net for it in today’s market, homeownership for many has become a financial liability. Not being able to make payments on a home that you can’t afford to sell feels like an awful trap, but the fact is, there are solutions—and foreclosing on your mortgage is not one of them.

Loan modification is an option for many and banks are increasingly willing to negotiate short sales. In many cases, they’re offering sizable financial incentives to help financially strapped homeowners to get a fresh start on their lives.

As real estate professional who has achieved the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, it is my mission to give homeowners the gift of a fresh start.

www.elitecdpe.com

Justin Brown
Broker/Owner
RE/MAX ELITE
Direct Line: 321.863.7653

Beware of Multitasking…

Heather Holliday — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:06:04 +0000

If you are anything like me, at this moment you are currently reading an email, returning a phone call, preparing your 2012 business plan, and scheduling a home inspection, all simultaneously. That’s what we do as Realtors, right? We have built our careers and our personal lives around our ability to do a hundred things all at once. Well, you can just imagine what I was thinking when I came across this article I’ve shared below. There may be something to this! Multitasking may be harmful to your productivity. I can’t say that I will give up multitasking cold turkey, but I will heed some of the good advice from below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject if you have some time to share them. As always, we enjoy watching your success. Keep up the amazing work!

Break the multitasking habit

By Anita Bruzzese, Gannett

While you may know that studies have found multitasking hurts productivity, the truth is you really haven’t stopped trying to do more than one thing at a time, have you?

After all, while some people may not be able to multitask well, that certainly doesn’t include you.

Care to test that theory?

Here’s how to test your multitasking abilities:

Have someone time you while you write the word “multitask” and then the numbers from 1 to 10. Record your time.

Have someone time you while you alternately write the letters of “multitask” and the numbers 1-10. For example, you will write “m” then “1″ then “u” then “2″ and so on. Record your time. After comparing the two times, chances are pretty good you’ll no longer think you’re a multitasking whiz.

Sanjeev Gupta uses the test when he arrives at companies that hire him to improve their productivity. His company, Realization, has worked with employers such as Delta Air Lines and Boeing, boosting project completion by as much as 50 percent.

But first, he has to prove to employees that their multitasking is causing more harm than good, so he uses the simple test to make his point.

“There are several reasons that people multitask,” he says. “One of them is because people want to appear busy. Or, if they get stuck on something, they’ll move onto something else instead of completing the task.”

He says workers also multitask now more than ever because they feel pressured to get more done.

They’re constantly moving from project to project depending on who is demanding their time at any given moment. The result is that they never complete something before moving on, causing a ripple effect that causes other workers to get off track and miss deadlines.

But experts contend that not only is multitasking harmful to your productivity at work, it can affect all areas of your life. An Emory University study earlier this year found that such behavior can sap your ability to control other impulses, causing you to be much more prone to losing your temper or cheating on your diet.

Gupta says he believes multitasking continues to grow as a problem in the workplace because of an increasing number of communication channels: The phone, email, instant messaging, Twitter and Facebook can lure away the attention of an employee who should be focused on a completing a task.

The employee then jumps back into work, only to be tempted to check Twitter updates or answer emails. The multitasking cycle continues, causing the employee to become less and less productive over time.

If you’re looking for some ways to break the multitasking habit, consider these tips by Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less:

• Set a disconnect time each day. Try to work up to about two hours every day that you aren’t connected to the Internet, your email, phone or instant messaging. Let others know that this is a time you’re off the grid. You may need to go somewhere without a connection to truly get away from temptation, or start in 20-minute increments and work your way up.

• Break bad habits. If you check your email first thing in the morning, don’t open up your browser for a set amount of time and instead use the time to do something else.

If you find you break your rule, immediately call and report yourself to a supportive friend or family member.

• Break your day into sections. Use a set period to write, another period to answer email and another period to think creatively.

Set limits and don’t let yourself stray into other territory until time is up.

• Cleanse your social networking habit. Start with 20 minutes, then a half day, then two to three days where you don’t connect with Twitter, Facebook or any other social-media site.

Use the time to read books or long essays that interest you or watch thought-provoking films.

Anita Bruzzese is author of “45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy … and How to Avoid Them,” www.45things.com. Find an index of On the Job columns . Write to her in care of Gannett ContentOne, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22107. For a reply, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

RE/MAX Elite raises $6,525 for Brevard’s Children in Need!

Heather Holliday — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:32:08 +0000

Our agents stepped up after watching a 60 Minutes episode about Brevard County!

Did you know that there are 964+ homeless school age children in Brevard county? And that number is expected to increase this school year.

Here are some of the stats according to the Brevard County School Board:

There are approx 31 children living in cars, parks, campgrounds, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, buses, train stations or similar settings.

There are approx 67 children living in emergency or transitional shelters, FEMA Trailers and abandoned in hospitals.

There are approx 789 children sharing housing “doubled up” of other persons due to loss of housing or economic hardship.

There are approx 74 children living in hotels or motels due to economic hardship.

And there are approx 3 children awaiting foster care.

THANK YOU RE/MAX ELITE AGENTS FOR STEPPING UP TO HELP OUR LOCAL FAMILIES AND THANK YOU PRESTIGE TITLE FOR YOUR $2,000 DONATION!

Together we can make a difference!

May Your Holiday Be Out of This World!

Heather Holliday — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:19:39 +0000

Because the goodwill of those we serve is the foundation of our success, it is a pleasure at this Holiday time to say “Thank You” as we wish you a New Year of Happiness and Prosperity. The Most Beautiful Holiday Card – a message from the International Space Station.

At this Holiday Season let us remember and honor those who are no longer with us and cherish those who are.

Happy Holidays To All

Making Miracle Happen in 2012!

Heather Holliday — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:31:51 +0000

We are very excited to reach our fundraising goal of $20,000 this year for the Greater Orlando Children’s Miracle Network. This is a great cause and one that we are very proud to be affiliated with. As leaders in the real estate industry, RE/MAX Elite agents have once again stepped up to the challenge of making a positive impact on the lives of so many others. Our commitment towards giving back to the community by supporting multiple charities throughout the year has never been stronger. We look forward to raising the bar in 2012!