(here's a blast from the past Nov., 2011)     Do your clients get a free ride and tour of the subdivision in your sedan on Sunday while their children are screaming and rubbing their chocolate-stained hands on the upholstery of the back seat of your car ?   Do you find yourself handing out brochures about lead based paint, buyer agency, inspections, disclosures, home warranties and other stuff as though you were dispensing tourist maps at a travel agency ?   Do customers and clients hang around your office wasting your time scarfing down the free pizza and bottled water while at the same time making obvious material misrepresentations about their qualifications to buy ?   Are you still giving up half of your earnings to a broker who sits on his or her cheap fat ass all day and does noth... 03/13/2014

  Bahamas Real Estate | Sulgrave Manor Condo (Virtual Tour) Desctiption A charming second floor two bed/two bath condo in Western New Providence near the mega resort of Baha Mar. This turn key condo is newly renovated and has great views of the pristine beach and crystal clear aquamarine Bahamian waters. The kitchen and bathrooms have been totally upgraded and refurbished. All new electrical wiring, plumbing and new drive ways. Hurricane windows and doors have also been installed in the unit. On site amenities include a gym, heated pool and generator. Sulgrave Manor also has a doorman and an on site Manager.For more information on the condo, click the link below: http://www.mariocareyrealty.com/index...   03/11/2014

Businessman Sentenced on Fraud, Bankruptcy Charges Michael Wayne Harding Admits to Criminal Misconduct U.S. Attorney’s Office March 10, 2014 Western District of Virginia (540) 857-2250 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—A local businessman and former commercial real estate agent who pled guilty last year to a variety of federal fraud charges was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville. Michael Wayne Harding, 59, of Keswick, Virginia, previously waived his right to be indicted and entered a plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of bankruptcy fraud. Today in district court, Harding was sentenced to 30 months of federal incarceration. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay more than $2,019,403 in restitution. Ac... 03/10/2014

#2610 A local construction company recently purchased 75 acres of land and decided to build a number of storage facilities on the property for the storage of building matrerials and machinery. What is the most significant and notable condition which has been satisfied by the construction of the storage facilities on the property ? The construction of the the storage facilities on the property establishes inprovement of the property. When an improvement is built on a parcel of land it can have an impact on the land's value. Improvements can also have an effect on the land and neighborhoods surrounding it as well. 03/09/2014

#2609 When we talk about a REALTOR®, what kind of a person are we referring to ? Please take your time. The answer is posted below the wildlife photo. A REALTOR® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, which is also the nations largest trade organization supporting the needs of the real estate community.Many facets of the industry are examined under the aegis of this historical organization representing over a million members. 03/09/2014

#2608 When we consider the supply in the real estate markets, between the options of demographics, population, employment, and government financial policies, which one of these has the most impact ? A. Govermnment financial policies. The way the economy is behaving is the key to financing opportunities. The rate of inflation and whether or not the resources for mortgaging a home are available have an impact on the decision to purchase a home. When the Federal Reserve Board establishes the discount rate of interest for the money itlends to banks, the discount rate will have an effect on the interest rates the banks will charge to their borrowers. 03/09/2014

#2607 Appraisal, financing, property management and development may all be considered example of what ? A. All of these things are considered specializations within the real estate industry. Property management is the professional charge of effectively directing and watching the day to affairs of real estate. Appraisal is the professional estimate of a parcel of real estates market value. Financing is the funding of the financial resources necessary to make a real estate project a possible. Development is the act of improving by expanding, enlarging or refining some aspect of real estate. 03/09/2014

   #2606 What factor is most likely to influence the demand for real estate ? A. Employment opportunities and the wage levels offered. If wages are low and the opportunity for employment is scarce, the demand for real estate becomes low. If the reverse is true the demand for real estate is high. 03/09/2014

    #2605 In general, when the supply of a certain commodity increases, what tends to evolve as a natural result of this phenomenon ? A. Prices tend to drop. Increase in supply can be the result of less demand or over-production, as well as other factors which may include stockpiling ( which may have the reverse effect because of an increase in demand) 03/09/2014

    #2604 Some licensees, after dedicating years of service to marketing properties, might decide to retire but not get out of real estate all together. They may decide to help clients make decisions about investing in or purchasing property. What capacity would a licensee serve in this manner ? A. Real estate counselor 03/09/2014

  #2603 A bill of sale is a document which is used to transfer the title of personal property from one person to another. Do you believe this fact to be true or false ? Please take your time. The solution is posted below the wildlife photo. A. True A bill of sale is a document used to transfer personal property title from one person to another. 03/09/2014

#2602 An estmate of a property's market value conducted in a manner based on methods that have been established and undertaken by trained professionals applying professional judgement about market value is performed by whom ? Take your time. The answer is posted below the wildlife photo. A. A real estate appraiser 03/09/2014

     #2601 What are the two characteristics that we consider to have the most impact when we consider the market value of the land ? Please take your time. The answers are posted below the wildlife photo.   A. Uniqueness and immobility. What we're considering here is that no two parcels of any 03/09/2014

As a real estate agent and broker you've been assigned a legal trust when you have a signed listing agreement on the table. As a broker employed under the terms of a listing contract, or buyer agency agreement, trust and confidence has been given to you to protect the interests of your client. This relationship of trust and confidence extends between you as the trustee of this confidence and your client who is the principal beneficiary of the confidence, That trust is broken when you transmit information of a confidential nature, reserved for your client to anyone other than the party that you've entered into the trust agreement with. It can even become libelous. When you post a blog entry in ActiveRain that divulges confidential information reserved for any broker/client relation you'... 03/08/2014

Chairman, CFO, and Executive Director of Dewey & Leboeuf Indicted on Grand Larceny Fraud Charges Firm’s Historic Collapse Left Thousands Unemployed; Creditors Owed Hundreds of Millions FBI New York March 06, 2014 FBI Public Information Office (212) 384-2100 This press release was originally issued by the Office of the District Attorney for New York County. Contact information: Erin Duggan Kramer, 212-335-9400 Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictments of Steven Davis, 60; Stephen DiCarmine, 57; Joel Sanders, 55; and Zachary Warren, 29. The first three defendants were, respectively, the chairman, the executive director, and the chief financial officer at the now-bankrupt law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP; the fourth defendant was a client relations manag... 03/06/2014

ActiveRain 2014 Spring Meetup in Memphis     Starbucks 1850 Union Ave Memphis, Tennessee   Saturday March 29, 2014 11:30AM till 1:00 PM   You'll receive 1,000 points for your attendance ! Many thanks to: Kerrie LaGuardia ActiveRain Community Manager 03/04/2014

Beautiful Stuart, Florida's Best Known Resident Next to the Great Gabe Sanders was Vaughn Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) When Vaughn Retired He Spent the Last Days Of His Life In StuartHere He Is With "Red Roses For a Blue Lady" Enjoy !-David- 03/04/2014

Eagle Pass Businessman Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with Maverick County Bribery, Kickback, and Bid-Rigging Scheme U.S. Attorney’s Office March 03, 2014 Western District of Texas (210) 384-7100 In Del Rio this afternoon, 35-year-old Hipolito Amaya, owner of AM-ROD Construction based in Eagle Pass, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his role in connection with an alleged bribery, kickback, and bid-rigging scheme in Maverick County, announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered that Amaya pay $35,800 restitution to Maverick County. Judge Moses also ordered that Amaya be placed under supervised release for a period of three years and mus... 03/04/2014

  A RESPA-Related Lawsuit Is Making News Real estate columnist Ken Harney posted an article on Inman News last week ("Top-producing Long & Foster team facing class-action RESPA suit over alleged kickbacks") about a lawsuit filed last month against a high-producing team in Maryland: *** BEGIN QUOTE ***A federal district court's decision to certify a class-action suit against one of the highest-volume Realtor teams in the country should set off alarms for brokerage firms that have marketing agreements between themselves and settlement service providers, say RESPA legal experts. Not only is the class-action certification ominous in its own right, but it comes on top of indications that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is actively probing marketing agreements and other forms of affi... 03/03/2014

This is a raw prediction. But if the frequency of real estate crimes, criminals and lender losses start pumping up, my prediction might get close to the graph's image. How can we stop it ? With springtime on the way and brokers, buyers and sellers prepping for the busy season, this nation's real estate professionals need to prep for new audits and close scrutiny from industry watchdogs who are out to protect America's consumers from the worst economic plague in history. Click the pie chart above or this little red button to reach your own conclusions : 03/03/2014