Congratulations to Brian and Kelsey

Just got the word that Brian Johnson proposed to Kelsey King on the top of a mountain in Colorado yesterday.

Christmas Pics on Facebook

Pictures from our Christmas Party at River Crossing are on the Company Facebook Page. Click Here to check them out. If anyone has some more pics, please send them.

Brian Johnson Wins UTSA Real Estate Competition

Realtor.com Find a Realtor

A few more pics

More Potluck Pics

Thanksgiving Potluck

Golf Tournament pictures

Here is a link to the pictures

Friday Freeze Warning!

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
354 AM CST THU NOV 18 2010

...A FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TO 8 AM CST FRIDAY FOR
PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS ADJACENT TO THE HILL COUNTRY...

.COLD DRY AIR PUSHING INTO SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS MORNING WILL
SETTLE OVER SOUTH TEXAS THIS EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF CLEAR
SKIES...LIGHT WINDS AND VERY DRY AIR WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO
FALL RAPIDLY TONIGHT. LOWS WILL DIP TO NEAR FREEZING BY SUNRISE
FRIDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS.

USMC 235th Birthday

USMC Tribute Video

San Antonio info from Corrine Lorenzana

Received from Presidio Title
The San Antonio Difference:
• The 3rd Fastest Growing City in America (U.S. Census Bureau)
• Ranked in Top 5 best cities to buy a home (Forbes.com July 2008)
• San Antonio Ranked #6 by Forbes Magazine for Best Cities for Home Sellers
• Among the 10 most active housing markets in the U.S. (Metrostudy) )
• Ranked #1 in home price appreciation for a city with a population of 1 million and more than 10,000 new home starts/closings (Source: Trend Setter Realty April/May 2008)
• San Antonio is America’s #2 most recession-proof city (Forbes, April 20 2008)
• San Antonio is ranked #1 in Top 10 Places to Invest (Source: NuWire Investor Magazine, 3rd Quarter 2007)
• Maintains one of the lowest levels of new home inventory in the U.S. with closings continuing to outpace starts. (Source: Trend Setter Realty April/May 2008)

CAbi Trunk Show November 4th - New Braunfels

Hope that you can bring anyone in your office that loves pretty clothes tomorrow!!! The CAbi trunk show will be at our office between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM this Thursday!!! You can have lunch at Herbert's Taco Hut next door! See attached to see a preview.

Thanks,

Karen

Karen A. Myrick
Prudential Don Johnson Co., Realtors
1551 N. Walnut, Suite 1
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830)660-9748 Cell
(830)624-8994 Fax
KarenMyrick@satx.rr.com

Your referrals of friends, family and business associates are greatly appreciated!

Texas Law requires all real estate licensees to give the following information about brokerage services:

http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/contracts/OP-K.pdf

Places to announce your open house

Hi Bernie,

Here is another avenue we can pursue when advertising an open house or home for sale that is free.

http://mysa.kaango.com/ads/choosepostad
This is an example with my ad

http://mysa.kaango.com/ads/viewad?adid=17902669

Thanks Jason - there are a bunch of places to announces your openhouse:
1. realtor.com
2. listingware (your web site)
3. Online Seller Advantage
4. Circlepix
5. Circlepix - leadbee
6. MLS
7. and of course the mysanantonio.com website you are referring to

Caravan to the Grand Opening

We are all excited about Dianne's awesome exclusive listing of a major condo poject on the Guadalupe at Canyon Lake. The condos are well suited as a residence, second-home, or a rental property.

For those who want to follow me up there this Friday (10/22/2010) - I will be leaving at 11:00. I will have room for one or two riders.

Dianne's Rio Guadalupe Grand Opening Extravaganza

Radio Show Increases Visitors to Open House

Bernie,

I wanted to give you feedback on the Radio and its usefulness it had on my openhouse today. Two families came from the castle hills area because they heard Jay announce it on the Radio. This is going to be a great tool for all of us to utilize and I will be using the radio station service in my open house two weeks from now.

Thanks
Jason G

Congrats! Steve Crisp elected NB/CL Director

Steve was elected to the NB/CL Board of Directors at the monthly membership luncheon yesterday.

Dianne Thomas
Prudential Don Johnson Co.
Broker Associate/Manager
thomasjd@gvtc.com
210-379-5810 direct

Radio Show

All of our offices can benefit from the new Real Estate show (see blog entry below). My reason for sponsoring the show was to allow our associates to be able to be "on air" experts and to promote their listings/open houses. I am sure there are other ways we can benefit. Please contact Jay Robbins at robbins@satx.rr.com for mnore info.

DirectTV Prudential Discount

Here is a great reason to contact your referral base:

SUPPLIER INFORMATION
New Home Special from Bridgevine – A Prudential Home ConnectionsSM Supplier:
DIRECTV Extends $60 Discount Exclusively to Prudential Real Estate Clients

From now until Oct. 6, DIRECTV is offering your clients a $60 USD discount on any package! They will get $5 USD off of their bills for 12 months. They will also get five FREE months of the Premier Package when they order the NFL Sunday TicketTM! This offer is limited only to Prudential Real Estate clients and allows them access to the biggest savings all year on DIRECTV. Or, save up to $34 USD per month on other package choices. Sign up by visiting http://newhomespecial.com/prea or calling 800-330-8850.

Radio Show

Bernie,

Here are the highlights of our new radio show which will air starting Saturday, September 18th from 7 to 8 AM and each Saturday thereafter at the same time on NEWS TALK RADIO KLUP AM 930.

The show will be called: THE REAL ESTATE SHOW Sponsored in part by Prudential Don Johnson Company REALTORS®

Hosts: Jay Robbins, GRI, ABR, Broker / Associate TREC Certified Real Estate Instrcutor Prudential Don Johnson Company REALTORS® (since 3/97) Full time REALTOR® since 1988.

--and--

Mark Eberwine, owner 5 Star Home Inspections
25 years home inspection experience in San Antonio Past president San Antonio Residential Home Inspectors Assn.

The show can also be heard anywhere via streaming audio at:

Click Here

Congrats to Nanette King

Nannette is new to our New Braunfel office. I got an E-Card fom her announcing her new office and including within the e-card a presentation developed on the Media Center. Here is a link to the Media Center slideshow she used in the e-card. Cogratulations

Joe Orozco - Sales Manager

Joe Orozco and I have met about helping out in the Blanco office. Joe ran a successful real estate company (Golden Key) and was previously a sales associate with our company many years ago. Joe returned to PDJC at the beginning of the year and has been helfpful with HUD training and assisting some of our young agents.

As a sales manager with our Blanco office, Joe will assist agents in developing their business, assist in developing and providing training, and Joe will also help with recruiting. We will all benefit with Joe in his new role as sales manager of our Blanco office.

Joe's experience and knowledge will be a great asset to our company. He will begin his responsibilities on September 13th.

Joint Media Center Training

Thanks to all the attendees of our Media Center Training Session. It was a lot to cover and I welcome the opportunity to work with small groups with more hands on training.

Livestrong Austin Cycling Fundraiser

For folks that are interested, I will be doing a group charity ride for the Livestrong Foundation. I am not asking or expecting anyone to donate. However, if you are interested - Here is a link to my fundraising page.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation inspires and empowers people affected by cancer. The LAF believes that unity is strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything. Please support our team as we make a difference in the battle against cancer with our participation in the 2010 LIVESTRONG Challenge AUSTIN, which benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The LIVESTRONG Challenge is more than a bike ride, run or walk...it is a community of selflessness united together to improve life for the 28 million people living with cancer worldwide.

For more information on Livestrong please visit their website.

Have a Great Day! Bernie

Happy Birthday Ann Johnson

lowesrealtorbenefits.com

9/11 Canyon Lake Freedom Walk

JD Powers Listing Ratings

JD Powers Award Again

Great news! J.D. Power and Associates this morning announced that the Prudential Real Estate Network ranked “Highest Overall Satisfaction for Home Sellers Among National Full Service Real Estate Firms” in J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Home Buyer/Seller Study. This represents the second time in three years our Network has been named for the distinction, which underscores your high leadership standards and the true quality of your companies. In short, you've excelled through varied market circumstances and selling customers have acknowledged your skill, expertise and service.

This distinction comes on the heels of additional great news from our Relocation Division. Trippel Survey & Research LLC, a customer satisfaction research company specializing in relocation data, ranked Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services first among several of the largest firms providing relocation services in its 16th annual Nationwide Relocation Survey. And, earlier this year, PRERS ranked first in overall satisfaction in Trippel Survey & Research’s sixth annual Relocation Managers’ Survey on International Policy and Service Providers’ Performance.

Indeed, we stand out from the industry’s finest and we have exciting plans to promote this fact. We've negotiated complete marketing rights for J.D.
Power and Associates’ study and for our favorable ranking. We will market through national advertising and a variety of venues

TREC fraud alert

TREC has recently learned about a scam in which a person pretending to be an agency employee may call a licensee with a story about a problem with the licensee's license status. The caller then offers to resolve the problem by asking for the licensee's credit card number to make a payment by phone.

DO NOT RESPOND to requests from TREC asking you to provide personal information, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, or any other identifying information. TREC does not accept any payments by phone and will never make such a request. Please remember to always carefully guard your personal data. If you receive a suspicious call from someone purporting to be from TREC, we recommend that you ask the caller for his or her name, then hang up, call TREC at the number on the website, and ask to be transferred to that person.

If you have received a suspicious call involving TREC and gave out personal information or otherwise feel your security may have been compromised, please first file a report with your local police department and then notify TREC of the situation.

Advertising HUD Homes

Advertising HUD Homes

All HUD registered brokers and their agents are encouraged to advertise HUD as long as they strictly adhere to the following rules:

Property must be listed for sale by the HUD listing broker

Advertiser must not convey the impression they are the sole source of property information or that they have an exclusive or favored sales listing or sales advantage

Advertisements cannot suggest the property is a “distressed sale” – HUD Owned or HUD Acquired is okay – but HUD Foreclosure is forbidden – no mention of foreclosure is allowed

All advertising just have the Equal Housing Opportunity logotype, statement or slogan
All ads must comply with the Truth-in-Lending Act – meaning do not advertise loan terms

If applicable – must include a flood plain notation.

Since Prudential Don Johnson is a HUD broker - as long as you follow the above guidelines - you may post them to Craigslist. Please keep in mind - all real estate advertising must include the name of the brokerage on each page.

how to record a voice message about your property

Manage Your LeadBee Extension
Thank you for choosing LeadBee. Our lead-generating tools can provide you with valuable feedback for finding potential clients.
Change Your Message
LeadBee allows you to change your message at any moment. To edit a home information message that is currently saved, follow these simple instructions:

1. Dial 1-888-494-8380
2. Enter [extension number] given at time of order
3. When the message plays press the pound key [#]
4. Enter your [pin] number (initially 1234) followed by [#]
To review your message press [1]
To record your message press [2]
To delete your message press [3]
To save your message press [4]
Sample Script
Below is a sample property information script. You may use this script as a guide or create your own message:

Thanks for calling for more details on this home located at 1329 Scenic Dr in Escondido, CA.

There are 3 beds and 3 baths in this spacious, 2370 square foot, single family home that has been fully remodeled with new flooring.

The immaculate interior of this home also includes a formal dining room and master suite.

This residence is located on a ½ acre lot which is fully landscaped with mature trees and a walkway.
Highlights of this lovely residence also include a spa and gazebo, granite kitchen countertops, and a 3 car garage.

The home is priced at $650,000.

To find out more about this home or to schedule a time to stop by and view this home please contact Josh Jones at 555-1212.

Thanks for listening!

Printing Labels for CirclePix Sign Rider

I use 5.5" by 8.5" weatherproof labels (Avery at Office Max) (2 to a page) - however, I print 4 to a page and cut the labels in half in order to get 4 labels to a page.

The Word Settings are: Font Calibri, font size 140 (type it in) top margin .2", left margin .17", Bottom margin .17", right margin .17". Paragraph spacing of "0 pt" Before and "0 pt" After

With these settings you can handle two listing sign riders.

767 Utopia - not listed (Jennifer Madison)

RE Inquiries on 767 Utopia (Jennifer Madison)

We do not have it listed, nor is there a listing agreement – it is an auction property. I will let him know to visit www.auction.com for details. If the property does sell at auction there will be a commission for us.

Short story on this one – it is a B of A property that is in horrible condition and I requested the listing be reassigned for this reason. The bank preferred to send it to auction because we all agreed they would probably make a better profit going this route. There are certain requirements for auction properties and I agreed to do the paperwork so they will still pay us. Normally, open houses are required for the 2 weekends prior to the auctions but due to condition we are not doing them because of potential harm to a buyer. There is a huge hole in the roof and there is mold – that was the main reason I did not want to list it.

I know there have been a few duty calls on this one as well – buyers can visit www.auction.com or call 800-793-6107 for more information. If one of our agents registers a buyer than they would get a commission for representing the buyer for this or any auction property.

Emilio Alcazar Catching Marlin 160 Miles Offshore Texs

CirclePix Sign Riders In

Homebuyer Credit Closing Extended to September 30th

Link to Article on Homebuyer Credit Closing Extension

Pics from Canyon Lake

Seller Financing and SAFE Act

Happy Birthday Dianne!!!

Don't forget to call and harass Dianne Thomas today - in honor of her 29th Birthday. Canyon Lake agents - don't forget the lunch today (Thursday June 3rd)

Timely Submission of Contracts and Listings

Just a friendly reminder, all listings and contracts should be submitted to the respective office staff on a timely basis. Our managers are experts on reviewing the paperwork and it is not unusual for a second set of eyes to pick up some minor and not so minor errors.

It is so much easier to get a client to initial a contract or listing change in the first few days of the execution then it is when the "honeymoon" is over.

We appreciate everyone's help.

Thanks,
Bernie

Canyon Lakes connects offices

The Canyon Lake offices are now all connected. Previously, the two spaces were separated by a space occupied by a Title Company. When the Title Company moved to a smaller space, our office traded spaces - allowing our offices to be connected and to take advantage of a much better floorplan. Here's a pic from get together yesterday.

Karen Myrick's Son Signs

Linda Williamson caught a big one!

Spam Filter

For agents using the company (realsa) email, I have asked our mail provider to turn off the spam filter. The reason I have done this is that sometimes the notifications of MLS violations were being caught by the spam filter and consquently agents and staff were unaware of violations.

If you want to turn your spam filter back on - go to http://mail.realsa.com and login with your user name (first part of email addresss followed by .real and your password. You can then turn on your filter and adjust the settings. I just cannot assure that you will receive everything from Central Texas MLS. If you do turn on the filter, you can whitelist their email on your site as well. That is something I cannot do for you.

I would recommend you use Outlook or Outlook Express to receive your email. You can then use Outlook or Outlook Express to manage your spam settings. Unfortunately, if you let mail.realsa.com serve your spam settings, you cannot see caught spam unless you go directly to mail.reals.com and look at caught spam (it does not show up in caught spam in Outlook or Outlook Exppress unless you allow Outlook of Outlook Express to be the exclusive manager of Spam.

Within the next several weeks, our mail server will send a list of caught spam to your email address every three days - so that could help solve the problem with Central Texas MLS - as long as you review your caught spam.

Any Questions? Give me a call.

Bernie

Convention Pic

Congratulations to Steve Crisp and Stephana Tiller

Prudential Don Johnson Co. REALTORS - TX029
16845 Blanco Road
San Antonio, Texas 78232

Re: 2009 Fourth Quarter Awards - Final


Congratulations! Here are your award winners for Fourth Quarter 2009.

We will be notifying your company's winners on their achievements immediately following this email. You may wish to make an announcement to your sales professionals that if they do not receive their award notification, they should verify/update the email address on their PREA Center account to ensure proper delivery.

****************************************

Don Johnson Co. REALTORS - 002



Sales Professional and Team Awards

Steve Crisp - scrisp@gvtc.com
Sales Professional Award - 1st Place in Texas for Residential Units

Stephana Tiller - gstiller@gvtc.com
Sales Professional Award - 3rd Place in Texas for Residential Units

Our Mission

Our Mission

To drive exceptional value to our customers, clients and associates using the power of our Prudential and Don Johnson brands and our commitment to using and developing innovative marketing and service technologies

Our Vision
To be the compelling choice for consumers, clients and industry professionals.

Our Core Values
Integrity, Professionalism, Innovation, and Commitment to Service

Central Texas MLS Violation Warning

The following is a courtesy notice.

Currently in the Central Texas MLS, there are 1,448 listings in violation of the Buyer Agency fee field. The $ or % symbol must be typed in this field along with the number entered.

PLEASE look at your Active and Pending listings to make sure they are in compliance. Fines will now be given for uncorrected listings. Two notices will be sent, three days apart – before a fine is assessed.

Central Texas MLS
(830) 515-0457
ctxmls@yahoo.com

Sunshind Kids Send-Off - Thanks

Imelda,
The kiddos and I had a great time in New Orleans! Thank you so very much for the extremely generous goody bags. I have not downloaded pictures yet, but as soon as I do, I will forward them to you. Can you please send me your mailing address again...I would like to send a handwritten thank you note. The kids enjoyed their spending money and the snacks came in handy as we were stuck in the airport for a few hours. You all definintely helped to start our vacation off with a bang! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Hope you are having a great week. I will get pictures to you by Monday, I promise!! Thanks again,

Jaime Ingram

Jaime Ingram, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Methodist Children's Hospital
San Antonio, Texas
Office: (210) 575-7308
Pager: (210) 917-7717
Email: Jaime.Ingram@MHSHealth.com

Great Free Online Training on the PREA Center

Prudential University LearnCenter Training Supports Your Business Goals

The LearnCenter continues to expand training opportunities for everyone in our Network. In 2009, there were hundreds of Virtual Instructor Led Training sessions offered for sales professionals, broker/managers and instructors. Topics included utilization of the Online Advantage programs, using eCards, skills training for sales professionals, technology sessions focusing on social media and website optimization.
The LearnCenter has nearly 40 Web-based training courses available 24/7. Whether you're a managing broker, new or experienced sales professional, there is a wide range of training options to help improve your business.

Whether it's to fulfill state licensing requirements or increase your competitive edge, you may need to take educational courses. We've teamed with a preferred supplier to provide online educational classes at a discounted tuition rate. Through the Prudential LearnCenter you have access to a comprehensive online curriculum including broker and sales professional pre-licensing courses, continuing education courses, certification and professional designation courses, as well as personal development courses.

Visit the Prudential LearnCenter today and make this year the year you take advantage of training to help you energize, refocus and give you the skills you need to reach your business goals.

Prudential Matching Haiti Relief Program - deadline extension

Prudential Financial Extends Deadline to Match Affiliate Contributions for Haiti

Prudential Financial has extended the deadline to March 15 for its match of affiliate contributions to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Here's how to qualify for gift-matching:

• Funds must come from personal accounts, not company funds or accounts. Funds collected from friends and relatives cannot be submitted for matching.
• Donations of $25 up to $5,000 can be matched, per individual. Cash donations cannot be accepted.
• Each individual should write a personal check payable to "Prudential CARES Disaster Relief Fund – Haiti."
• Each check should have the donor's name and complete home mailing address.
For simplicity, affiliates are asked to gather contributions from their representatives and send them collectively to: Prudential Matching Gift Center, P.O. Box 7184, Princeton, NJ 08543-7184. Please also include a spreadsheet with your company name documenting each donor's first name, last name, email address and donation amount.

Donations can be tax-deductible. Those donating $250 or more will receive an acknowledgement letter that can serve as a receipt. Unless specifically stated otherwise, donations to this and other disaster-relief funds count against your annual limit of $5,000 in matching gifts.

A Prudential Financial Community Resources committee will select the specific disaster-relief organizations to receive the donations and matching funds.

Prudential Realtor for Durango, CO looking for job as assistant

Hi... I am a realtor at Prudential in Durango Colorado. I am relocating to your area. I called your office inquiring if your office, or any of the agents there are in need of an administrative assistant. I have extensive real estate and administrative support experience. Attached please find my resume. If your office or any agents there need an assistant please have them contact me. It would also be great if you could get my resume out to all of the agents in your office. Thank you so much for your time and I really appreciate your assistance. Thanks again and have a great day!

Skyler Scharf
3012 E. 3rd Ave. / Durango, CO / 970-903-5135 ssheartland@hotmail.com

Pre-Convention Party Head Count (in Austin)

Just a heads up reminder that Gold Financial (Mike Horner) is hosting a cocktail party on Sunday, March 7th from 5:00-6:30. The party is for ALL Prudential Don Johnson agents, spouses/SO and staff regardless of if you are attending convention.

That being said I need a head count later than Monday, February 8th at noon.

Now here is the FUN part. In keeping with the theme of the Merrill convention party being held Monday night (Second Chance Prom) I want you old prom pictures! We will have them on a bulletin board at the party for the whole world to see. (Not the world, just us) Please get them to me ASAP.

(Please pass this on to your agents, Thanks!)



Terry Harris
Office Administrator
Prudential Don Johnson Co. REALTORS
1415 FM 2673
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
Office: 830-964-4355
Fax: 830-964-4365
Cell: 210-215-4965

25 Pictures on Realtor.com?

Hi guys,

A survey of our listings shows that only a small percentage have 25 pictures, which is what we pay for with the company showcase program on realtor.com. If you login to the solutioncenter.realtor.com you can add the additional pictures.

Our clients have a significant advantage by adding the pics as it will result in a higher placement in the searches by customers.

Higher placement means better results!!!!

Sunshine Kids Send-Off from San Antonio

A special thanks to Kathy Cooney, Anita Kimes, and Imelda Lynch for being there for the kids at SA International for Monday's flight out.

Special Asset Management - Update

Broker Alliance Management conducted a recent test of our internal assignment process for SAM listings on a SAM Asset Management System (AMS) demo site and accomplished the assignment of 325 assets within 24 hours. We are planning weekly drills for our team to increase our speed and accuracy in getting assets to you.

Your company's SAM February 'to do' list should include continued focus on sales professional registration and rollout of the new agent training module, available free at PREA Center > REO and Special Assets > Downloads > SAM Sales Professional AMS Site Training Module.

There is a 48-hour BPO (Broker Price Opinion) response time requirement on SAM listings Your listing sales professionals should be registered and trained when the batches are released. Buyer agents should also register to become familiar with SAM processes for uploading offers from their customers.

Prudential Defines "Broom Clean"

What Constitutes Broom Clean for Inventory Properties?

Some of our clients require that the transferring customer leave their properties in "broom clean condition" or monies may be withheld from the customer. If this is required on a specific inventory file you receive, then you will be instructed by your Relocation contact.
• A broom clean inspection means that the entire house, attic, closets, basements, garage, and any detached buildings are free of garbage and debris, including combustibles (cleaning supplies, paint cans, oil and gas cans or other items, especially in garages and storage buildings).
• You may be requested to do a broom clean inspection prior to the actual acquisition of the property to expedite the process.
• Proceed with cleaning or removing items after a broom clean inspection only when authorized by the Relocation contact.
• Once the property is vacant, immediately perform a broom clean inspection and report back within two days to your Relocation contact.

listingware upgrade

Here's a couple of reasons to upgrade to the new version of ListingWare:

Social Bookmarking: Now both you and your Clients can share, save, or bookmark searches and listings right from your ListingWare service. Post stuff directly to Twitter, Facebook, and tons of other services!

Custom Icon Color: In addition to setting your own color scheme for many screen elements, you can now choose a custom color for your icons. You can even make them glossy! All changed easily from the Color Scheme designer.

To read up on how to use these things and more in the new version, just sign in to the Account Manager and click on the great big "New Version!" button. That will tell you what you need to know!

Just like always: as a current customer, it doesn't cost extra and you're not required to do it. We just want you to know about the latest-and-greatest stuff!

Prudential Matching Haiti Relief Program

Prudential to Match Affiliate Contributions for Haiti

Prudential Financial, after pledging $150,000 in earthquake relief for Haiti through the Prudential Foundation, has announced it will match affiliate donations made for Haiti through Feb. 26. Here are specifics:
• Funds must come from personal accounts, not company funds or accounts. Funds collected from friends and relatives cannot be submitted for matching.
• Donations of $25 up to $5,000 can be matched, per individual. Cash donations cannot be accepted.
• Each individual should write a personal check payable to "Prudential CARES Disaster Relief Fund – Haiti."
• Each check should have the donor's name and complete home mailing address.
For simplicity, affiliates are asked to gather contributions from their representatives and send them collectively to: Prudential Matching Gift Center, P.O. Box 7184, Princeton, NJ 08543-7184. Please also include a spreadsheet with your company name documenting each donor's first name, last name, email address and donation amount.

Donations can be tax-deductible. Those donating $250 or more will receive an acknowledgement letter that can serve as a receipt. Unless specifically stated otherwise, donations to this and other disaster-relief funds count against your annual limit of $5,000 in matching gifts.

A Prudential Financial Community Resources committee will select the specific disaster-relief organizations to receive the donations and matching funds.

Sunshine Kids Send-Off from San Antonio

We are so excited that Kids from the San Antonio area will be attending the Sunshine Kids Mardi Gras Fun-Time Fantasy, February 8-14. If your company is interested in sending the kids off at the airport please let me know and I will give you the flight times and kids information. Thank you again for your continued support!


Shannon Malone
Director of Operations
The Sunshine Kids Foundation
2814 Virginia St.
Houston, TX 77098
713-524-1264 Office
713-524-7165 Fax
www.sunshinekids.org

PREA Info on AHR Opportunity - Related to Previous Post

One of our newest preferred suppliers, America’s Home Rescue (AHR), will be featured on a Lifetime Television Network program, “The Balancing Act,” on Wednesday morning Jan. 20, during an eight-minute segment on short sale and foreclosure avoidance assistance. More importantly, the show may have the potential to result in business referrals for affiliate companies registered with Special Asset Management (SAM).
During the Balancing Act segment -- “Solutions for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure,” 7:30 a.m. EST, 6:30 a.m. CST, 5:30 a.m. MST and 7:30 a.m. PST
-- viewers will be directed to America’s Home Rescue Web address:
www.americashomerescue.com where they will also find an 800 number for more information. AHR has contracted with SAM to provide call center support for the show to service inquiries from viewers interested in exploring a short sale solution. SAM will use its technology, on which many of you are trained, to support referrals and transactions that may result from the AHR feature on The Balancing Act.


Referrals will be sent to PRERS’ Broker Alliance Management team, which will distribute the referrals to participating SAM-registered companies via the SAM Asset Management System (AMS).


This AHR program is new and should not be confused with the SAM program previously communicated. AHR opportunities will be at a full brokerage commission of 6% with a 25% referral fee due PRERS at time of closing.


These opportunities are to be assigned by the REO director to sales professionals who are experienced in short sales and registered in the SAM AMS system, in the following order:


1. AHR Certified Default Resolution Specialists (CDRS)
2. Other industry recognized short sale designation such as the NAR
designation or similar
3. Sales professionals who do not carry a short sale designation but
have been trained by your company and meet your minimum expectations for servicing short sale sellers/properties

Note: For a limited time, AHR is offering the Certified Default Resolution Specialist (CDRS) Designation Course for $149 by using the SAM149 code when registering for the course at americashomerescue.com.

Opportunities from the AHR lead channel will be more of a “traditional” or “seller” initiated short sale to their lender. The sales professional will be expected to coordinate/deliver all required short sale documents between the borrower(s) and their lender(s) while simultaneously uploading all documents to the SAM AMS site and utilizing the SAM marketing system. SAM in turn will use its expertise and contacts with the lender(s) involved to further coordinate a successful close.

Although we do not know what the response level will be to this AHR/Lifetime offering, we do want to ready our Network to receive referrals. Thank you to those who have continued to support PRERS and SAM by returning your signed SAM Master Listing Broker Services Agreement and having your sales professionals sign up and complete the SAM training via PREA Center. If you have not signed up and would now like to participate, please contact Robert L. Colvin at 480-778-7802 or Robert.colvin@prudential.com to find out how to quickly become involved and have your sales professionals register and train.

Certified Default Resolution Specialist Training

I am providing this info because Prudential has indicated the possibility of future opportunities in this area.

CDRS Certification Program (Certified Default Resolution Specialist)
Regular Price: $495 (PREA Price: $395 using BAMSAM100 promotion code)
America’s Home Rescue is thrilled to now be offering our trained real estate professionals a designation of Certified
Default Resolution Specialist (CDRS), designed to reward and distinguish those professionals who have invested in
their Short Sale training and are actively working Short Sale transactions. Given the foreclosure situation that our
country is currently experiencing, it is imperative that real estate professionals diversify their expertise beyond traditional
real estate practices. The CDRS Certification Program includes our CDRS Advanced Course (Live or in a 3-
Part Webinar Series), the Short Sale Solutions Instruction Guide, the Short Sale Calculator Desktop Software, ongoing
guidance and support via our Online Short Sale Q&A Forum, ongoing training opportunities provided by the
America’s Home Rescue Training Team, a CDRS certificate, lapel pin, and digital logos to be used for marketing purposes,
as well as placement on the Online CDRS Agent Network Mapping System (www.CDRSNetwork.com), so
that homeowners, lenders and other real estate professionals can search and locate you when they are seeking the
services of a trained CDRS Certified Professional. Please visit our CDRS Web site, at www.CDRSCertified.com, for
all of the details about this exciting opportunity and to apply to become part of the America’s Home Rescue exclusive
professional CDRS Network!
Short Sale Solutions: An Instruction

Texas Number One Moving Destination

Allied Van Lines Report Shows Texas as #1 Destination Spot in U.S.

January 20, 2010 -- Realty Times Feature Article by Peter L. Mosca


In an economy as challenging as the one we are working under as we enter the second decade of the 21st Century, the mantra "location, location, location" will play an especially important role not only for REALTORS® and investors, but also for builders and other construction-industry professionals. Knowing where Americans choose to live, or want to live is knowledge content that could prove most beneficial. According to Allied Van Lines' 42nd Annual Magnet States Report, more individuals and families chose to settle deep in the heart of Texas than anywhere in the United States in 2009.

For the fifth year in a row, Texas outshined every other state and took the lead as the No. 1 destination state in 2009 based on Allied's report, which tracks U.S. migration patterns.

Texas realized the highest net relocation gain (inbound moves minus outbound moves performed by Allied Van Lines, one of the world's largest moving companies) of almost 2,000 in 2009, slightly higher than last year's gain of about 1,900. Arizona placed second with a net relocation gain of 566, followed closely by North Carolina in third place with a gain of 564. Colorado and Florida placed fourth and fifth respectively for states with the largest net relocation gains.

“We moved a wide variety of people here this year - from singles to families to retirees and all from various backgrounds, which makes a lot of sense. Texas is just so diverse and welcoming to different cultural and ethnic groups," said Ben Hurwitz, president of Westheimer Transfer & Storage, Houston, Texas, and one of the longest-standing domestic and international agents of Allied Van Lines, a leading moving company worldwide. "We also did a lot of corporate relocations this year for some very large companies based in Texas. And that's not surprising since we're such a business friendly state, too." The Lone Star State racked up almost 8,800 total shipments and ranked second behind California which had almost 11,000 total shipments and claimed the title of "most mobile state" (the highest volume of inbound and outbound shipments by international mover Allied Van Lines), followed by Florida in third place with just over 8,600 total shipments.

“Texas remains the best place in America to live, work and raise a family," said Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business. "Our business climate, diverse culture, and unique sense of independence make our state the envy of the nation. Companies like Allied Van Lines, which help relocate families to our great state, are essential to the Lone Star State continuing to shine." Opinions of Texas have changed in recent years, according to Bill Jones, chairman of the Texas Association of REALTORS®.

“Texas seems to be the cheap seats but with a great view," Jones said. "Just 20 years ago, our wonderful state wasn't the first choice for many people. But now people from all over are noticing we have everything you could possibly want - from reasonably priced housing, to plenty of land for business and housing development, to a wide variety of fine arts and recreational opportunities." Michigan experienced the highest net relocation losses (more outbound than inbound shipments), followed by Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California. A troubled auto industry and housing market most likely continued to negatively affect relocations to Michigan, as Allied Van Lines' outbound shipments of 2,210 were about double its inbound shipments of 1,019 for the state. Illinois experienced the second largest net relocation loss with 942 more outbound than inbound moves, closely followed by Pennsylvania with a net relocation loss of 854, and California with a loss of 459.

Location, location, location – knowing where markets are heading could be the difference between success and failure.

Have Any Clients that would be a good interview?

Hello,
My name is Linda Dippel and I am a video producer for Corporate Magic Inc., located in Dallas Texas. Corporate Magic is the production company in charge of this year’s Prudential Real Estate Affiliates meeting in Austin, March 8 – 10th.
I have been given your contact information by Pete Cappa. In short, I am producing a video for the meeting in which we ask home buyers 3 simple questions about their experience with Prudential. It is to be a sort of “you tube” type video that will play during the meeting in Austin.
I am writing to see if you could provide me contact information for any home buyers that you think would provide a positive testimonial, and would be willing to be video taped. We can meet them anywhere in the metroplex (San Antonio Area) and would require no more than 30 minutes of their time. Only one person would be present with a camera, so intrusion on space is extremely minimal. We are looking to complete all video shoots in the next 2 weeks.
I thank you in advance for your help and look forward to answering any questions that you have. Please feel free to contact me via email or at the number below.

Many thanks!

Linda Dippel