Doug Jones's (dougj) Blog

I wrote a blog in 2013 about the Scout Law being a Fantastic Sales Law for Realtors and Mortgage Lenders. Going into 2024 I see the world as a sad place and am starting to work on me and my goals toward what is really important to me and what I want to (and need to ) improve on. The Boy Scout La...

The Pandemic is over. The economy is settling .Maybe not as good as we would like but it is settling. Mortgage rates and getting to a number that will encourage some people to start to start the buying process. So how can a Realtor or a Mortgage Lender get started to attract business again ?  Per...

If you count the Friday after Thanksgiving as a business day, mortgage rates had fallen for 6 straight days as of yesterday afternoon.  Moreover, they'd reached the lowest levels in 3 months and had put an impressive amount of distance between themselves and the highs seen just over a month ago.I...

Ah, the eternal question for first-time buyers: Single-Family Residence (SFR) or a condo? Well, the answer really depends on personal preferences and lifestyle. Let's explore both options:A Single-Family Residence (SFR) offers more privacy and independence. You'll have your own standalone home wi...

I don't know if this is a true story or not but it was told to me by an attorney friend back around  2008-2010. The market had crashed and I had monthly expenses of approximately $120,000 each month and income dropped to $10,000 and some months zero. The pressure was horrible and I wanted to eith...

I opened Mortgage Magic on April Fools Day 1990. It started in a bedroom and within 2 months I had a small office and a part time employee who helped me with all of the things to do to get a company going. Six months later a bank contacted me and asked me to be a direct lender and I told them tha...

I am  new to AI but a technical up to date person in our office put an AI chatbot on one of my marketing pages. I had not paid attention to the chatbot but yesterday a TV new host called me and asked a question about interviewing a Realtor in Iowa. I referred him to the chatbot and he called back...

I am making a commitment to myself to keep up to date on the San Jose, Ca real estate market. It seems I only pay attention to the market when I am actively seeking to find a home for a buyer or posting a listing. Here goes. Not a lot at the start. Today there are 326 single family homes listed. ...

Hard times for Mortgage Brokers was the headlines for the San Jose Mercury News, January 26, 2008. We are again "right sizing" our office space and expenses and I found the newspaper. The article brought back old times which are again current times. Here is the article that shows a repeat of hist...

Hi AI (at Dougknowsrealestate.com  - click on the chat box on the bottom right to ask a question)  What do Realtors need to do to make Home Sellers Happy?Realtors can make home sellers happy by providing excellent service and achieving their goals in selling their homes. Here are a few ways they ...