Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
A 5-Step LinkedIn Marketing Strategy to Grow Your Business
A 5-Step LinkedIn Marketing Strategy to Grow Your Business
March 11th, 2013 :: Monika Jansen
If you’ve been thinking about increasing your use of LinkedIn to boost visibility, find new leads, and snag more business, this post is for you. I’ve written about LinkedIn before, but it’s changed since then – LinkedIn Answers is gone and the layout now resembles Facebook in that you can like, comment on, or share updates from your network.To get started, I decided to do some research on just who is using LinkedIn to make a strong case for why we all should embrace it. Hold on to your hats, because the stats I found at Quantcast are pretty awesome.
- LinkedIn users are affluent: 54% of LinkedIn users earn more than $60K per year and 36% earn more than $100K.
- LinkedIn users are educated: 46% have a college degree and 27% have a graduate degree.
- LinkedIn users love the site: Almost 25% use the site at least 30 times per month.
Here’s a 5-step LinkedIn marketing strategy to help you improve your visibility and get more leads as you grow your business:
1. Get in the habit of using LinkedIn on a regular basis.
LinkedIn will not work for you if you don’t take the time out of your schedule to nurture your LinkedIn presence. Whether you choose to spend time on it daily or weekly, get in the habit of sharing curated and original content and liking, commenting on, or sharing the content your network posts. Participate in groups (more on that below) and comb your network for leads (again, more on that below).
2. Expand your definition of who should be in your network.
I’m going to assume you already actively grow your network by sending personalized messages to the people you meet at events, conferences, etc., asking them to join your network. Don’t forget to send invites to friends and social acquaintances – they have networks too – along with clients, vendors, and partners.
3. Join active groups – and participate.
Instead of joining any group related to your industry or composed of your target audience, look for groups that are active with engaged members. Start joining the conversation, adding your viewpoint or expertise where appropriate. Don’t forget that you can also start your own conversations, but always keep in mind, you’re not there to sell your product or service, you are there to help others.
4. Consider advertising.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that LinkedIn is a better place to advertise than Facebook, because LinkedIn users are highly encouraged to complete their profiles. At Facebook, you’re not, so what users share in their profiles is all over the map.
With that said, you can highly target your ads to exactly who you want to reach – by industry, company, company size, location, title, etc. Once you start advertising, make it a habit to continually improve your ads to boost their effectiveness.
5. Look for leads and ask for introductions.
You’ve built a network for a reason, so use it! You can find leads within your network, in the newsfeed, on LinkedIn company pages, and in recommendations. Look for connections, and ask the people in your network for introductions. Immediately follow up with that person and let them know why you’d like to meet them and how working with you will benefit them.
Any other tips on using LinkedIn that I missed?
Monday, March 11, 2013
Interest Deduction Could Boost Homeownership and the Economy
How a Revised Mortgage Interest Deduction Could Boost Homeownership and the Economy
March 11, 2013
By Barry Habib
Chief Market Strategist for Residential Finance
Founder and CEO of MBS Highway
... Don’t axe the home mortgage interest deduction. Change it.
As Congress continues to wrestle with how to trim spending, a hotly debated topic is the federal tax deduction for home mortgage interest. And it’s no wonder why, when you consider that the home interest deduction is estimated to cost the federal government $100 billion a year. As a reference point, the fiscal cliff fiasco and hike in tax rates, increased revenue to the government by $62 billion a year. And the highly publicized sequestration is about $85 billion in cuts.
This makes the mortgage deduction a juicy target for elimination ─ especially since legislators feel they will be shielded from lash backs from their constituents by the following surprising statistics:
According to the IRS, only 26% of filers claim the mortgage interest deduction
Only 39 % of homeowners claim the deduction
More than one-third of homeowners own their home free and clear. Of the remaining homeowners who have a mortgage, only 58% claim the deduction
Not in My Back Yard
Obviously, every group will want to defend breaks they receive. And Mortgage and Housing is no exception. But as part of a grand bargain, the mortgage deduction could be vulnerable to elimination. However, such a dramatic move would not come without paying a price and putting the economy at risk. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), home purchases and the ancillary economic activity generated from home purchases account for nearly 20% of GDP.
The economic chain reaction
The home mortgage deduction can act as a powerful incentive for individuals to purchase a home. This is particularly true for first-time homebuyers who can justify the step-up from a rent payment to a house payment with the tax deductibility of their mortgage. And keep in mind that those first-time homebuyers are very important; they begin the buy-sell-buy chain reaction that helps current homeowners move up to their next home.
The law of diminishing returns
It’s clearly a wise decision to offer the mortgage deduction as an incentive because the increased economic activity more than justifies the deductibility. That said, it can be argued that there comes a point of diminishing returns. Should the individual who just purchased a home remain there for several years, the deduction becomes the “gift that keeps on giving” without spurring economic activity.
Therefore, rather than eliminate the deduction and risk hurting the economy, adjust the deduction so it does what it is intended to do: stimulate home buying. And under a new structure, continue to motivate individuals to purchase a home without giving them a benefit that lasts well beyond its usefulness to the economy.
The five-year tax deduction entitlement
How do you adjust the mortgage tax deduction and still provide an incentive to homebuyers? By giving the deduction a five-year life. This change would mean that after five years of purchasing a home, the homeowner would no longer be entitled to a deduction on their mortgage. However, should this homeowner purchase a new home (not refinance), he or she will have a new five-year period of deductibility on the new purchase mortgage. This keeps the incentive where it is intended to be, which ultimately helps fuel economic activity.
The additional benefits of this plan
This solution is easy to implement because of the simplicity of grandfathering. Individuals with current mortgages will continue to claim the deduction for the next five years, making the effect gradual and allowing individuals time to adapt. First-time homebuyers would still be incented to purchase and realize no adverse effects from such a change.
What’s more, by limiting the tax deduction to five years, we are better protected against a housing slump due to higher future interest rates. This is possible because it may make sense for some homeowners to sell their homes when the mortgage deduction has expired, and move on to new homes that come with a fresh five years of tax deductibility ─ even if mortgage rates are higher.
The inherent value of a well-considered strategy
No matter how politicians feel, deficits need to be addressed. And rather than last-minute panicked decisions and changes, a thorough and thoughtful solution needs to be considered. If those in charge were to utilize the tools at their disposal to create incentives and receive positive returns, it may truly be possible to strengthen our country’s financial condition and ensure a brighter future.
March 11, 2013
By Barry Habib
Chief Market Strategist for Residential Finance
Founder and CEO of MBS Highway
... Don’t axe the home mortgage interest deduction. Change it.
As Congress continues to wrestle with how to trim spending, a hotly debated topic is the federal tax deduction for home mortgage interest. And it’s no wonder why, when you consider that the home interest deduction is estimated to cost the federal government $100 billion a year. As a reference point, the fiscal cliff fiasco and hike in tax rates, increased revenue to the government by $62 billion a year. And the highly publicized sequestration is about $85 billion in cuts.
This makes the mortgage deduction a juicy target for elimination ─ especially since legislators feel they will be shielded from lash backs from their constituents by the following surprising statistics:
According to the IRS, only 26% of filers claim the mortgage interest deduction
Only 39 % of homeowners claim the deduction
More than one-third of homeowners own their home free and clear. Of the remaining homeowners who have a mortgage, only 58% claim the deduction
Not in My Back Yard
Obviously, every group will want to defend breaks they receive. And Mortgage and Housing is no exception. But as part of a grand bargain, the mortgage deduction could be vulnerable to elimination. However, such a dramatic move would not come without paying a price and putting the economy at risk. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), home purchases and the ancillary economic activity generated from home purchases account for nearly 20% of GDP.
The economic chain reaction
The home mortgage deduction can act as a powerful incentive for individuals to purchase a home. This is particularly true for first-time homebuyers who can justify the step-up from a rent payment to a house payment with the tax deductibility of their mortgage. And keep in mind that those first-time homebuyers are very important; they begin the buy-sell-buy chain reaction that helps current homeowners move up to their next home.
The law of diminishing returns
It’s clearly a wise decision to offer the mortgage deduction as an incentive because the increased economic activity more than justifies the deductibility. That said, it can be argued that there comes a point of diminishing returns. Should the individual who just purchased a home remain there for several years, the deduction becomes the “gift that keeps on giving” without spurring economic activity.
Therefore, rather than eliminate the deduction and risk hurting the economy, adjust the deduction so it does what it is intended to do: stimulate home buying. And under a new structure, continue to motivate individuals to purchase a home without giving them a benefit that lasts well beyond its usefulness to the economy.
The five-year tax deduction entitlement
How do you adjust the mortgage tax deduction and still provide an incentive to homebuyers? By giving the deduction a five-year life. This change would mean that after five years of purchasing a home, the homeowner would no longer be entitled to a deduction on their mortgage. However, should this homeowner purchase a new home (not refinance), he or she will have a new five-year period of deductibility on the new purchase mortgage. This keeps the incentive where it is intended to be, which ultimately helps fuel economic activity.
The additional benefits of this plan
This solution is easy to implement because of the simplicity of grandfathering. Individuals with current mortgages will continue to claim the deduction for the next five years, making the effect gradual and allowing individuals time to adapt. First-time homebuyers would still be incented to purchase and realize no adverse effects from such a change.
What’s more, by limiting the tax deduction to five years, we are better protected against a housing slump due to higher future interest rates. This is possible because it may make sense for some homeowners to sell their homes when the mortgage deduction has expired, and move on to new homes that come with a fresh five years of tax deductibility ─ even if mortgage rates are higher.
The inherent value of a well-considered strategy
No matter how politicians feel, deficits need to be addressed. And rather than last-minute panicked decisions and changes, a thorough and thoughtful solution needs to be considered. If those in charge were to utilize the tools at their disposal to create incentives and receive positive returns, it may truly be possible to strengthen our country’s financial condition and ensure a brighter future.
Last Week's Mortgage Rates Recap
Last week saw a definitive drop below key technical market support levels, capping off with higher mortgage rates on Friday as the markets responded to the February employment report. Mortgage interest rates ended the week about .125% higher than they started. Remember that this is an industry average, and may vary from lender to lender.
This Week's Mortgage Rates... Forecast
Risks Favor: LOCKING ON MARKET IMPROVEMENTS
The technical indicators this week show that Mortgage Backed Securities are oversold, meaning we should see some MBS market recovery. That's a lot of technical jargon to say that rates should rebound a little bit this week, but only a little bit.
This week for consumers who are 2 weeks and further from closing, we will look to lock on market and rate improvement at the first sign that the improvement is stopping. For consumers who are within 7-10 days of closing, locking on any improvements is probably the safest measure because there will be no time to recover lost ground in the case of a deterioration. We will not likely see drastic interest rate movement, but we will probably see pricing fluxuation throughout the week.
BOTTOM LINE: Overall we are seeing mortgage rates trending up on signs of an improved economy and record stock market performance. There will be some windows to maximize mortgage interest rate and rebate pricing this week, if you stay in close contact with your MLO (Mortgage Loan Originator).
Last week saw a definitive drop below key technical market support levels, capping off with higher mortgage rates on Friday as the markets responded to the February employment report. Mortgage interest rates ended the week about .125% higher than they started. Remember that this is an industry average, and may vary from lender to lender.
This Week's Mortgage Rates... Forecast
Risks Favor: LOCKING ON MARKET IMPROVEMENTS
The technical indicators this week show that Mortgage Backed Securities are oversold, meaning we should see some MBS market recovery. That's a lot of technical jargon to say that rates should rebound a little bit this week, but only a little bit.
This week for consumers who are 2 weeks and further from closing, we will look to lock on market and rate improvement at the first sign that the improvement is stopping. For consumers who are within 7-10 days of closing, locking on any improvements is probably the safest measure because there will be no time to recover lost ground in the case of a deterioration. We will not likely see drastic interest rate movement, but we will probably see pricing fluxuation throughout the week.
BOTTOM LINE: Overall we are seeing mortgage rates trending up on signs of an improved economy and record stock market performance. There will be some windows to maximize mortgage interest rate and rebate pricing this week, if you stay in close contact with your MLO (Mortgage Loan Originator).
Check this company for your next move, they are great and come with excellent reviews!
Harlem Shake College Hunks St. Louis Style! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyFYuw3TKXg&sns=em
Harlem Shake College Hunks St. Louis Style! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyFYuw3TKXg&sns=em
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
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Friday, February 15, 2013
Moving Day Meals
We all know that moving day is a challenge with planning, logistics and the physical (and emotional) strain. Planning meals is one thing that may slip through the cracks.
Finding their way
Be sure to identify restaurants in the area. This is particularly helpful if you’re moving across country. Useful apps like yelp.com and urban spoon can make this easy. While you’re at it, look up the address of a local grocery store.
Open first box
You’ll want to pack a “first opened” box. It does not get packed into a moving van and is the first one moved to the kitchen where it is easy to find. Inside will be the essentials: first aid kit, medications, toiletries, trash bags and the items necessary to make the first meal in your new home. Don’t forget that utensils and plates to serve the first meal should be added to this box.
Keep it simple
The first meal at a new home should be easy to make and served without a lot of hassle. One of the easiest things to make is pasta. Sauce in the jar doesn’t have to be refrigerated. Dry pasta is easy to transport and store. The best thing is that it can be made in one pan.
For lunch or for summer days, you might suggest making sandwiches or hoagies, which do require a quick trip to the grocery store.
Having the first meal in the new home is one of the best ways to transition to a new area. Having a planned meal, with all the essentials to make and serve it, will help to ease the stress.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Mortgage Market Weekly provided by Gary Bussard
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We are now a branch of Pulaski Bank Home Lending!
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There was good news for the housing sector, as CoreLogic reported that home prices rose by 0.4% in December, from November, and was the tenth monthly gain. In the year ended in December, prices rose by 8.3%, the largest increase since May of 2006.
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