June 2013 Calendar

Short Sales Rise, Loan Mods Fall

According to data from Fitch Ratings, short sales are becoming the norm over loan modifications in foreclosure prevention tactics. Among bank servicers, loan mods decreased 26% between 2010 and 2012. On the other hand, short sales among bank servicers increased 31% between the same years. In instances where mods are not plausible or possible, servicers look to short sales to avoid the cost of dealing with a foreclosure.

The Truth About KW Training

Getting Your Money's Worth

The question: Which home improvements will increase the net worth of my home, and how much of my investments can I expect to recoup?

The answer, according to the Keller Williams Green Team:

1. A fresh coat of neutral-toned paint on the interior can make selling your home easier. A professional exterior paint job can recoup up to 75% of its cost.

2. Full kitchen remodeling (at an average of $39,000) can recoup 80% of its cost, while refinishing an outdated kitchen (at an average of $15,000) can recoup 87%. 

3. Adding an extra bathroom at an average cost of $14,200 can recoup 81% of its total cost!

4. Adding a deck for about $6,000 can usually recoups 75% of its cost, making it a very cost-efficient and inexpensive addition (especially compared to other outdoor improvements).

5. Don't add a swimming pool, unless it's for your family's enjoyment! Pools have virtually no resale value at all.

In short, basic is better. Prioritize fixing problems over luxurious additions and simple improvements over unnecessary, costly ones. 

KW Listing System

Facebook: A Mobile Ad Company

 According to Hillel Fuld (writing for inneractive.com), Facebook's newly announced numbers deem it appropriate to call the social networking site a mobile company. And since it claims 40% of the top grossing apps on both iOS and Android--and its user-base accesses the site mainly on mobile devices--it is more than a mere mobile company. It is a mobile advertising company.

• Mobile monthly active users were 751 million, a 54% increase year over year.
• For the mathematically challenged, close to 68% of all users, access Facebook on mobile.
• $350 million of mobile ad revenue.
• 30% of all revenue is from mobile, up from 23% last quarter.
• 3,800 developers used Facebook mobile ads.
• Nearly 25 million downloads came from Facebook mobile ads.

The fact that 68% of all Facebook users access the site from mobile devices bodes well for mobile advertisers. Those who see this trend and extrapolate its continued importance will come out on top of the mobile heap.