LTB's Homes & Money Newsletter Takes on the Economy!

Tomorrow, the 4th Quarter issue of LTB's Homes & Money Quarterly Newsletter will be available within MyLTB in English and in Spanish.

In this issue, our content team has put together a wide range of interesting and informative articles to address the most important issue facing borrowers right now: the economy. More importantly, these stories have powerful calls to action written right into the text to help get your phones ringing.

• The Mortgage article discusses how an Obama administration affects home financing.
• The Finance article provides tips for saving money on child care, the second largest household expense for many Americans today.
• The Home article shares the biggest renovation mistakes in a buyers' market.
• The Street Smarts article warns consumers about holiday gift cards during a recession.
• Facts & Figures reveals the most unusual job perks being offered by today's top companies to keep their best employees happy.

In addition, there’s a great book review of Brain Rules: 12 Principles to Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by Dr. John Medina, 5 quick tips for safer holiday driving, a new trivia question, Quote of the Day, Did You Know?, and an easy recipe for the perfect prime rib.

Use this newsletter, along with Practical Financial Tips and Quick Tips, to communicate with your existing client base and remind them that you're available to assist with their financing needs! Visit MyLTB and send Homes & Money out first thing tomorrow.

If you aren't a member of Platinum Plus, take a few minutes to learn why you should be. In today's tougher market, when your time is more valuable than ever, this unique value-added service nurtures your relationships for you, allowing you to focus on what you do best: closing loans.

Mortgage Blogging 101, Part 3: Some Tools of the Trade
A Business Tip from LTB Member Mark Madsen

LTB member Mark Madsen is a loan officer and mortgage blogger from Raintree Mortgage Services in Las Vegas, NV. Since 2005, Mark has specialized in real estate Internet marketing, and has developed many high-traffic real estate and mortgage platforms.

Over the past two weeks, Mark has shared two installments of Mortgage Blogging 101, a special business tip series to help remove some of the mystery of social media for LTB members. In Mortgage Blogging 101, Part 1, Mark provided a general introduction to mortgage blogging for LOs who have been thinking about blogging but don't know where to begin. In Part 2, Mark discussed the "why" of mortgage blogging, answering the most important question to think about before getting started. In Part 3, Mark shares some great tools you'll want to know about before getting started on your own mortgage blog.

Mortgage Blogging 101, Part 3: Easy Web 2.0 Tools Loan Officers Can Use Today

Web 2.0 is a simple term that is generally associated with the process of "Interaction" on the Web.

Take a second and allow your mind to fully grasp the idea of complete interaction online. This is more than just chatting back and forth in social networks, it is open, intuitive communication between technology and people.

EXAMPLE:

• Google believes that people do not know exactly what they want when searching for something online.
• As a result, Google delivers relevant information as well as topics of interest, related search phrases, the search patterns of other people who are interested, and the list goes on...They've even simplified research to the point where Google does all of the work 24 hours a day and then just emails you when something within your criteria pops up.
• Now here is where Web 2.0 gets really thick – you can share your search in the open and create discussions that further the educational process.

Regardless of whether you communicate with your clients via blogs, newsletters, weekly updates, or personal emails, there are three common steps that apply:

Research, Write, Promote.

Keeping with the Web 2.0 theme of simple interaction, I'm going to share a few easy tools that I use to make my research process as a loan officer and blogger thorough and efficient.

Google Alerts (www.google.com/alerts)

• Pick a few topics, search phrases, or real estate agents to follow. Google Alerts emails you any time there is action. This helps me find possible networking opportunities with agents or journalists who are trying to write about a topic that I may specialize in. Know your niche, master your environment.

Keywords (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal)

• This tool is a good way to measure the amount of traffic specific and related search phrases generate every month. For example, most loan officers may think that Hope for Homeowners (H4H) is something that their clients are looking for, when it is actually the "Bailout Bill" – stuff like that. Another benefit of analyzing search patterns with this tool is that it helps us communicate with our clients using language that they are familiar with. When I'm preparing to write a blog article, I use this tool and then spend a few days following the activity through the Google Alerts.

Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader)

• Google reader basically centralizes all of the feeds from blogs you subscribe to. Instead of going out into the Web every day to check for updates, it brings everything to you on one organized platform. I've chosen Google Reader as my preferred RSS provider because it allows me to quickly preview each article by title, search past articles for key words, and actually read the article within the reader without having to visit each blog.
• I browse an average of 100 to 200 articles a day in a few different niches so that I can be aware of everything I need to know to stay ahead of the competition. This is also a great tool to use if you are following local real estate agents for the purpose of establishing new relationships. When they publish a new blog post, simply participate in their conversation by adding a valuable comment. Trust me, they'll read what you have to write and may remember you. For more information about RSS and Feed Readers, visit http://mortgagesalesblog.com/what-is-rss/.

There are several basic functions of the mortgage marketing process that Web 2.0 can enhance if leveraged properly. Put these tools to work for you so that you can save time, create opportunities, and control your environment. Mastering the science of research is the first step in becoming a successful mortgage blogger.

In my next article, I'll show you how to set up a simple blog so that you can start communicating with your target audience. Publishing content to the web is easy, especially for loan officers who are already comfortable with using a computer and email.

Stay tuned for more Blogging 101 Tips from Mark Madsen coming soon. In the meantime, check out Mark's blogs mortgagesalesblog.com and myfhablog.com.

YOU Magazine is the Ultimate Viral Marketing Tool

Staying in touch with clients and referral partners is essential to your success in today's tougher market, and there's no better way than with YOU Magazine. YOU Magazine is a professionally written e-magazine that covers the topics your clients truly care about. Issued monthly and complete with streaming video in every issue, it's the ultimate viral marketing tool.

Platinum Plus members across the country have experienced new levels of marketing success, thanks to YOU Magazine!

"I have a client that I've done several loans for that recently moved out of state (and didn't tell me!). He is looking at buying a vacation home here in MI. He got my YOU Magazine this morning and immediately called in, and I now have a new loan in process. Way to go Platinum Plus!

—David Kuiper, LTB Faculty Member

"I wanted to let LTB know that I just recently signed up and already have 3 loans in the pipeline as a direct result of the You Magazine and other e-mails sent to past clients and referral partners. I have been in the mortgage business for close to 10 years and have heard of LoanToolbox but never signed up because I thought it was a lot of money to spend every year. Well, I just paid for the next 4 years in my first month of membership."

— David C. Faraca, Principal Independence Mortgage Group

"This is my first month using Platinum Plus, and this afternoon I got a loan app out of YOU magazine. Now I have a new refi in the pipeline. NICE! "

— Michael Ortiz, Branch Manager Primary Residential Mortgage

"Success here too...

Got a response to YOU Magazine today from a client who said he's interested in talking about a refinance for his home!"

— Franco & Barb Multari, Harbor Light Lending Group (Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.)

"I just got started with LoanToolbox, and I have been getting nothing but positive feedback from my clients and referral partners. The response is everything they claim it will be. I also wanted to say, if this issue is any indication of what I can expect in the future, this will probably go down as being one of the best investments I've ever made in my business. Thanks LTB!!!"

— Scott White, Senior Mortgage Consultant, River Home Lending

I am having agents call me, and I got a deal last week.

Great job, LTB!

— Kamram Khosravi, American Guardian Home Loans

Share your Success Story. Write to Feedback@Loantoolbox.com.