Tim contacted me this me this week about an upcoming training for real estate professionals and their assistants whose job it is to close short sales. We all know how challenging short sales can be! Tim’s training is invaluable to any Team member or Real Estate Virtual Assistant who is in the trenches getting short sales to closing!

I have known Tim Burrell for years and he is the consummate professional and a fun person to learn from. Read what Tim has to say and take advantage of his FREE Seminar…you will be glad you did!!

“It took me seventeen years to learn the best way to do short sales.  I have been teaching Realtors how to do short sales, which is like teaching donkeys to fly.  You can launch them with high amounts of energy, but they do not stay with it for very long unless you give them lots of support.  Most Realtors do not like the persistence, detail and repetitive work that it takes to negotiate a short sale with a bank, because most of them do not have a C personality type.

So, I am concentrating on teaching how to negotiate with the bank, mainly for the team members and Real Estate Virtual Assistants.  The Realtors can do the Realtor part of it i.e. get the listing and get an offer.  The team does the part that makes the difference: getting it approved.  The negotiating techniques I teach have enabled me to get all but one of my short sales approved.

The Realtors need to learn this also, because they are responsible for the whole transaction.  However, their team members or Real Estate Virtual Assistants take to it better than they do.

If you are interested, go to www.ShortSaleNegotiatingSpecialist.com to register for a free webinar February 25th at 3 pm eastern time, and bring your team members and assistants.   After all, it takes the same amount of time to negotiate a short sale that does not get approved by the bank as it does to negotiate one that is approved… and the ones that are approved pay much better.”

Tim Burrell
www.CreateAShortSale.com
919-812-5111

Short sales are a fact of life for most real estate professionals. Despite new government regulations short sale transactions are still difficult to close. You probably feel like you are hitting your head against a brick wall over and over and over again!!

The question arises, why are short sale real estate transactions so difficult? Why do some banks act like the enemy?

This video from  www.ThinkBigWorkSmall.com,  show why some banks aren’t motivated to get your short sale closed. The good part comes after the CNN announcer stops talking.

Real estate virtual assistants can help get your short sales to a successful closing! Our team of Transaction Managers are Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE). We have the expertise needed to communicate with lenders, your clients and other real estate professionals to get you to the closing table. Contact us today and get more of your short sales closed!!

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Of course, if you need help with your Real Pro website, as your real estate Virtual Assistant, I’m glad to oblige!

Until I took the course, I thought the foreclosure problem was at its peak and the worst was over. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 2.97% of homeowners are in foreclosure and another 6.99% are in default, meaning they are behind on payments but not in the foreclosure process yet. When I realized the foreclosure crisis is not going away any time soon, I knew it was time for my Team to earn our CDPE designations and offer virtual assistant services to CDPE designees.

We have put systems in place to help CDPEs with:

• building a distressed property business
• servicing distressed property listings
• assembling your short sale package
• and coordinating a successful closing 

The primary goal of a CDPE is to help a homeowner avoid foreclosure and move forward with their lives. We believe so strongly is this goal that we are limiting our distressed property services to CDPEs only. This way we know we are all on the same page and are working toward the primary goal of helping those in distress.

If you are a CDPE in need of support services in building your business and assisting homeowners, visit our website, myREassistant.com or give us a call, 757-271-6047.

It has been awhile since I wrote about transaction management and figured it is time to give you an updated list of the basic services myREassistant.com provides when coordinating your closing (we are not limited to these, however):

• Brand our communication and software to your business.
• Review contract and addendums for accuracy & completion.
• Provide copy of contract and addendums to your office, clients, lender, settlement agent and co-op agent.

• Personalized contact with all parties introducing our services.
• Weekly follow-up with all parties and especially with YOU, keeping everyone informed!
• Arrange for appraiser’s access to the property and follow-up with the lender to obtain a copy of the appraisal.
• Ensure all deadlines are met.
• Follow up on required disclosures.
• Scheduling of all required inspections.
• If your client is responsible for providing the termite report, coordinating the termite inspection with all parties and following up to insure the clear letter is sent to the settlement agent. If the other party is responsible for providing the termite report, follow up with the co-op agent to make sure the inspection is done and the clear report is sent to the settlement agent.
• Verify loan pre-approval with lender.
• Maintain a communication and correspondence log.
• Contact lender regularly for updates on buyers financing.
• Be available by phone, e-mail and fax to all parties during business hours.
• Follow up on completion of work orders and inspections.
• Assist in obtaining insurance information, power of attorney, wiring information, etc. in preparation for a timely closing.
• Pre-closing reminder to the buyer/seller including utility transfer information, walk-thru time and date, notification to bring certified funds to closing, reminder to bring keys, garage door remotes, repair receipts, security system codes, time and place of closing, etc.
• Schedule walk-thru with all parties.
• Arrange for HUD to be faxed to agent prior to closing, review for accuracy if there is time.
• Coordinate closing details.
• Verify funding and recording with settlement agent and inform all parties.
• Be available to your client to guide them through the closing process and answer their questions.

Our use of Settlement Room web-based technology allows you and your clients to view the status of your transaction 24 hours a day. We work with your preferred vendors and provide regular e-mail updates. We don’t not have to use Settlement Room. If you have another program you would like us to work in, we are happy to do so.

As your real estate virtual assistants, our goal is to provide seamless service to your clients. We want them to think we are sitting at a desk in your office taking care of the deteils for their closing.

One of my favorite stories about transaction management is when we were manageing a closing for an agent in WA state. The buyer asked us to join her for a celebratory glass of wine after closing. This is something we would have loved to do, but being located in VA made this rather difficult. The buyer had no idea we were thousands of miles away. All she know is we were there every step of the way to ensure her closing happened on time and to guide her through the process.

The first question most people ask is, “What is a real estate Virtual Assistant and what can you do for me?”

First, a real estate VA, or Real Estate Virtual Assistant, is an independent contractor providing administrative, creative and technical support for real estate professionals. I work off site…at my own computer in my sweatpants. Believe me, this is one VA who will never use a webcam!! Thus, saving you overhead costs. You don’t provide space or equipment for me.

And because I am an independent contractor, you don’t pay benefits, vacation time or employee taxes. I’m the best of both worlds! I offer the benefits of outsourcing along with the dedication of a valued Team member. You can find a more detailed explanation on my website, myREassistant.com.

What can I do for you as your real estate Virtual Assistant? My specialties are systems development, marketing, listing coordination, Internet marketing, lead coordination, and blogging. The only thing I can’t do for you is make copies and put up signs & lock boxes.

If you are wondering if you need a real estate VA, ask yourself how much time you spend sitting in front of a computer or fooling with paperwork instead of being in front of Buyers and Sellers. If your answer is “too much”, then you need my help.

Learn more about me and my services by clicking here. Then e-mail me or give me a call and we’ll figure out how I can help YOU!

Take at look at our online transaction management services. All you do is fax us your contract and we do this rest. We coordinate all the details of the closing, communicate with you clients and track the loan progress.

Having been licensed Realtors, we know the importance of effective communication and the urgency of deadlines. We understand how stressful the moving process is for your clients and are sensitive to their needs.

We believe our job as your Real Estate Virtual Assistants and Transaction Management Team is to make sure everyone is doing their jobs in a timely manner and to ensure a smooth process from contract to closing.

Visit our website, www.myREassistant.com or give us a call, 757-271-6047.