Home Values Up in Several Parts of the Country; Thirteen States Registered Price Gains "A good sign: home values in some parts of the U.S. have remained stable or edged up. Most areas in the West South Central region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas) experienced price gains over the quarter and the past year." Read more... [Home Values Up in Several Parts of the Country; Thirteen States Registered Price Gains]   Will Commercial Real Estate Be Next? Written by Jim Randel    There's been a lot of talk in the media these days that the next shoe to drop in the credit crisis/financial meltdown will be commercial real estate. Two weeks ago there were a couple of moderately-sized defaults on mortgage loans (hotel and retail projects) that were packaged in commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS). The media seized on this and started worrying out loud about ... Read more... [Will Commercial Real Estate Be Next?]

Don’t Be A People Pleaser - Be a People HELPER! Written by Clint Miller    One of the common misconceptions that most real estate agents in today's market have is that they are there to please people and appear to be committed to that very detail.  But, the truth of the matter is ... Read more... [Don’t Be A People Pleaser - Be a People HELPER!]   A Closing Gift That Brings Referrals Written by Casey Joiner    Who doesn't love art?  Especially if it's custom art.  I have heard and received a wide range of closing gifts but the most effective can be a custom piece of art illustrating ... Read more... [A Closing Gift That Brings Referrals]   SMS Text Messaging for Real Estate Written by Peyman Aleagha    It’s a pretty sure bet that you have a cell phone. What about text messaging, do you use it? If you don’t, consider yourself in a very small minority. Nielsen Mobile surveys shows ... Read more... [SMS Text Messaging for Real Estate]   Real Estate Outlook: Sales Jump in Ailing Markets Written by Kenneth R. Harney    It all depends on where you are right now in real estate, and whether you recognize the signs of the cycle bottoming out in some of the once-most distressed local markets. Read more... [Real Estate Outlook: Sales Jump in Ailing Markets]