Last night we launched a new design of our web site.

The new HomeGain.com  makes it easier for visitors to find real estate information and to connect with local Realtors quickly.

We’ve made the agent blogs, agent profiles and  agent listings more accessible with direct links to these sections from HomeGain.com.

Also available directly from HomeGain.com is our instant home values tool and the popular Home Sale Maximizer tool that helps home sellers determine which home improvement will provide the best return on investment.

Visitors to HomeGain.com can also find and compare Realtors with our Agent Evaluator product and can search MLS listings in the View Homes For Sale section.

Please take a look and let us know what you think.

Louis Cammarosano

Home Sales Results by MSA For AgentEvaluator™ Agents

As we wrap up one of the most heated presidential campaigns in recent times this month and constituents everywhere head to the polls on November 4th, voters in towns all over America, worried about the troubled economy, have a major concern.

That is, they still need to provide a roof over their heads for their families, either as a homeowner, renter, or perhaps by residing with family.

Even as we are saturated with doom and gloom in the media and falling home prices , things do not change. Life goes on regardless of the turbulent economy and current housing crisis.

As Realtors, we are here to help serve people with that need, and our help is perhaps required more than ever in these challenging times.

There is still plenty of activity out there in the market, albeit more “tire kickers” than you’ll find in a normal, balanced market. Real estate agents tell me home buyers’ and sellers’ expectations are slowly adjusting to the market in many areas.

Listed here are the top 10 areas for both home buyers and home sellers where HomeGain consumers closed sales during the first three quarters of 2008.

Continue reading this post

What possible reason could you have to buy a home this year? Let’s analyze the facts.

1)    Interest rates down to 5.5% - the takeover of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have the rates tumbling. Why on earth would anyone want to pay a low interest rate like this when we could wait for double digit mortgage rates. I mean at 11% interest we would get twice the write off on our taxes wouldn’t we?

2)    $7500 tax credit for first time home buyers. You heard me right that is a tax credit – not a deduction. Of course if we wait on 11% mortgage rates we will have a pretty big deduction anyway so we may not want or need this $7500 tax CREDIT!

3)    Seller incentives are at all time highs. Sellers are almost certainly going to pay all your closing costs.  They may also be willing to throw in a refrigerator, privacy fence, and who knows what else.  But who needs all that stuff!  I would really rather pay my own closing costs and other expenses to get into a home as this makes me more independent.    Again, I can write that off on my taxes – right?

4)    Homes are at bargain prices compared to a couple of years ago! We don’t want to buy when prices are down though – do we? It is always better to buy high and sell low isn’t it?    If we bought now we might make a big profit in a few years – what would we do with all that money?

Any rational person can see that buying a home in 2008 would be a huge mistake.  Waiting a couple of years to buy a home would obviously be the wise decision.

HomeGain released AgentView this evening.

AgentView provides a complete marketing solution for real estate professionals combining featured listings, agent profiles, personal blogs, blog training, local content, lead management and home valuation tools and a variety of consumer contact points.

What’s in AgentView for Realtors?

• Realtors are showcased exclusively in an advertising-free environment.
• A way for Realtors to consolidate their marketing efforts. Instead of buying ads on other home valuation sites, paying for featured listings on another website, and setting up a blog on yet another, AgentView allows Realtors to present their profiles, their listings and their blogs directly on HomeGain.com.
• Easy access to home buyers and sellers. Consumers are encouraged to contact AgentView Realtors either by email, phone, blog interaction, or to visit the agents’ websites. There are five tabs, home values, homes for sale, local information, agent profiles, agent blogs and Home Sale Maximizer™. As the user toggles through the tabbed content offerings, the agent’s photo, contact information, website link and a large email contact box are prominently featured, pictured here.
  
• Blog School training and lead management tools are included in the subscription price.
• Low starting price of $29 per ZIP code.

What’s in AgentView for Home Buyers and Sellers?

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Massachusetts is glutted with homes for sale that are either over priced or simply not “desirable” to be kind here. These Single Family Homes for Sale in Massachusetts, especially in suburban areas outside of Boston such as Worcester County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Norfolk County and Plymouth County make up 80% of single family homes for sale and increase the overall marketing time to 8-10 months on average.

However, there is no shortage of qualified buyers as evidenced by multi offers on well priced nice homes. These homes will have 2 or 3 offers in just a few days from entering the market.

There are 2 types of home buyers in the Massachusetts market right now. Investors looking for cheap foreclosed distressed rehabs and buyers that want well priced, great location, and meticulously maintained homes. Any home for sale that falls in the middle, which is 80% of all homes in Massachusetts for sale right now, will sit on the market.

It seems that home sellers that can afford to wait and buyers that are in no hurry are both just sitting on the fence and waiting in general. This indicates that when the market does turn finally in Massachusetts, that it will come back quickly and in full force.

Condominiums are another story, as there are many gorgeous and well priced condo’s throughout Massachusetts for sale. New construction included. However, condominiums are scrutinized for Continue reading this post

Turning over a new leaf at the New Year may be a very good thing this year for some as far as the real estate market is concerned.

Something like “Great in ‘08” seems to have a nice ring to it about now, doesn’t it?

Many of us are indeed ready for a fresh start and will welcome the New Year with open arms.

Personally I think that the bad news is about all out on the table and may be overstated by some real estate pundits, at least in some markets.

I did some checking yesterday, and a number of HomeGain member agents had great success stories in 2007 with just their HomeGain business. In fact, we have agents in CA, NV, PA, TX and VA that increased their HomeGain business, based on the number of closings, from 25% to well over 100% in some cases.

Imagine that!

Those same agents increased their business, based on commissions earned, by from 20% to over 100% again. And that’s just a portion of their overall business.

While real estate news reports during the year centered on the sub-prime meltdown, increased foreclosures across the nation, falling home prices and sales, and mortgage company bankruptcies, Continue reading this post