Ed Bisquera's Blog - PDXLoan.com

Test video post from Tom Tuttle

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:15:00 +0000

So in class right now and we're testing using Blackberry Video to send to Posterous.

Ed Bisquera

Vancouver, WA 98664

(360) 597-8283 cell

http://SocialMediaNetworking101.com

http://Twitter.com/edbisquera

http://Activerain.com/edbisquera

Posted via email from PC Home Loans Puyallup

Finding time for paradise Does automation free our schedules?

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:50:00 +0000

So I stumbled upon this idyllic photo of a beach in Aruba. Back in the early 1990's I worked and lived aboard a cruise ship, playing music for passengers and one of my favorite spots was Aruba, an island in the southern Caribbean. Why am I reminiscing about this island getaway? Because it got me thinking about how little time we have now and I wonder with the advent of the Internet and automated tools, etc, has it really helped us or are we more distracted than ever?

I spent the last few days constructing a better system at publishing content online for all my clients and using some suggested "best practices" on how much the content delivery can be automated through the use of RSS feeds and a few social network syndication tools. My goal was to create a work flow system that allowed for semi-automated distribution and fully automated as well. My goal was to also find a way to do updates via audio and/or a phone call. [Update: read below; found a service that takes a phone call and converts voice to text. Read update below.]

A few things I discovered was that while http://Ping.fm could deliver to multitudes of social networks, and to my favorite posting service http://Posterous.com I also noticed that http://HelloTxt.com had some better ways of dealing with syndication that I liked. In addition to these free online social networking tools that connect and allow for simple syndication of your content marketing, I employ http://Twitterfeed.com to take my blog RSS feeds to auto post.

Will saving time posting and updating to my social networks really save me more time, enough to enjoy my family and friends more? Maybe, and maybe just enough to get back to Aruba someday! :-)

-- Update --

After searching for a safer way to create and update content online while driving (no longer do I text while driving; so dangerous I know!) I found that http://Dial2Do.com let's me call a number, say "reminder" to take my voice recording and dictate or "email" to send an email from with voice-to-text or "Twitter" to do the same. I have added the commands "hello text" and "ping fm" as well, to experiment with posting. Apparently http://Dial2Do.com also allows to post to a blog via a phone call as well. Stay tuned while I try this service out! Aruba, here I come!

Ed Bisquera

Vancouver | Auburn | Washington
(360) 597-8283 cell
http://SocialMediaNetworking101.com
http://Twitter.com/edbisquera
http://Activerain.com/edbisquera

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Ed Bisquera

Trying an experiment with Posterous.com Does this work?

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:26:00 +0000

For today's post, I'm experimenting with using http://Posterous.com and creating a blog post, with attached audio.

If everything works out correctly, clients should be able to automate about 40-50 % off their social marketjng online and still have accurate control of what is posted and where. In addition, different media can be uploaded and posted, including pictures, video, Powerpoint and PDF's.

Hopefully this works. Please let me know if you see this and also can hear the attached audio.

Thanks!

Ed Bisquera

Vancouver, WA 98664
(360) 597-8283 cell
http://SocialMediaNetworking101.com
http://Twitter.com/edbisquera
http://Activerain.com/edbisquera

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Ed Bisquera

Almost official: Homebuyer $8000 Tax Credit ($6500 for existing homeowners) to be signed by Obama today

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Well, it's almost official; President Obama is poised to sign a bill, that passed Congress this week (the Senate and the House of Representatives, for those that a quick reminder in government civics lesson) that will extend the First Time Homebuyer Non-Refundable $8000 Tax Credit to April 30, 2010 and opens the credit to existing homeowners as well.

The quick skinny on the new bill:

The bill, awaiting for Obama's signature, will extend the existing tax credit to existing homeowners as well
In addition to first time homebuyers, as long as homeowners looking to purchase their next home have owned and lived in their current home for 5 years, they too will qualify for $6500
First time homebuyers will still qualify for the full $8000, in relation to the new income limits, which has been increased...
Income cap has also been increased from $75,000 for individuals to $125,000 and for joint filers from $150,000 to $225,000
New Deadlines: Contracts need to be signed by April 30, 2010 and the sales need to CLOSE (and likely need to FUND, meaning money from buyer/lender needs to arrive in escrow's hands) by June 30, 2010.

What does this mean for Washington and Oregon homebuyers and homeowners? The government just agreed to "print more money" in an effort to continue to stimulate the housing industry. If we continue to see housing sales increase through the 4th quarter of 2009 and now through the first half of 2010, the government hopes we can move a little quicker out of this recession. Time will only tell, though...

On a sidenote, it was a little disappointing to see so many mortgage and real estate professionals spreading news earlier this week on blogs, Twitter, etc, that this bill had already passed and the tax credit had been extended when it fact, it officially had not.

Well, these real estate and mortgage professionals were wrong in spreading the news of the tax credit being extended, when in fact, it takes the President to sign the new bill OFFICIALLY into effect. Yes, it's likely to be passed, but let's not spread incorrect news and information to consumers, until it's official. Let's be careful on how we share news until it OFFICIALLY HAPPENS. It misleads the consumer and our customers when we should be sharing information that is accurate and helpful. Just my two cents... :-)

At least there were some folks like @jaypapasan (official trainer with Keller Williams) & @PhxREguy that had the news correct, on the potential passing of the tax credit. Hopefully I can amend my blog post and make it official, that President Obama has signed this extension officially.

For a reminder of how a bill makes it into law, here's a video from our friends at Scholastic Rock.

Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law

BJ's flag football game near Ft Vancouver Library Vancouver Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Another winning game day for Benjamin's flag football team, "The Seahawks!"

Picture taken October 31, 2009 at fields adjacent to Ft Vancouver Library.

I forgot what the score was, but at least they won! :-) And it didn't rain!

Ed Bisquera

Vancouver, WA 98664
(360) 597-8283 cell
http://SocialMediaNetworking101.com
http://Twitter.com/edbisquera
http://Activerain.com/edbisquera

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Ed Bisquera's Posterous

Mortgage rates nearly unchaged from Friday; 30 yr at 4.75% (5.1 APR) no points, read for more details

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Most rate prices are near unchanged this morning as mortgage bonds start out losing ground, then improve, then fall back a bit after the release of better than expected data. Treasuries are taking a hit while stocks strengthen in yet another reversal. This back and forth movement is a telling sign of the reality of increased volatility as market participants debate the shape and form and timing of recovery, and the impacts of anticipated decreased Fed intervention. Busy news week culminating in the employment report on Friday. This week is likely to be choppy ahead of this heavily weighted data. Be careful and if you have your full documentation and package to your lender, you should lock ahead of any weighty news. Not sure? Contact your lender (or me) and get that package in, if you want to refinance at rates still near or below 5%. It's may be a roller coaster ride for rates, so being prepared to lock is better than trying to do so without your full loan document package in to your lender. Be prepared!

In the news today - Market Headlines for November 2, 2009

Trading on the market remains unchanged for mortgage backed securities, but that could change at midday repricing. Be prepared to lock against choppy news this week.

Data released today for:
Pending Home Sales Month over Month SEP 0.00% change
Pending Home Sales Year over Year
Construction Spending Month over Month - SEP -0.20% change

U.S. September Construction Spending Report
2009-11-02 15:00:01.740 GMT By Alex Tanzi
Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The following is the text of the September construction spending report from the U.S. Commerce Department.

SEPTEMBER 2009 CONSTRUCTION AT $940.3 BILLION ANNUAL RATE
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during September 2009 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $940.3 billion, 0.8 percent (1.8%)* above the revised August estimate of $933.0 billion. The September figure is 13.0 percent (1.9%) below the September 2008 estimate of $1,081.2 billion.
During the first 9 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $715.2 billion, 12.1 percent (1.3%) below the $813.3 billion for the same period in 2008.

PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION
Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $613.9 billion, 0.5 percent (1.1%)* above the revised August estimate of $610.9 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $256.0 billion in September, 3.9 percent (1.3%) above the revised August estimate of $246.4 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $357.9 billion in September, 1.8 percent (1.1%) below the revised August estimate of $364.5 billion.

PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION
In September, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $326.4 billion, 1.3 percent (2.9%)* above the revised August estimate of $322.1 billion.
Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $88.7 billion, 0.1 percent (3.4%)* below the revised August estimate of $88.8 billion. Highway construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $85.5 billion, 1.0 percent (7.8%)* above the revised August estimate of $84.6 billion.

Tomorrow news:
Factory Orders for Sep
ABC Consumer Confidence
Total Vehicle Sales
Domestic Vehicle Sales

Washington State Mortgage Rates Higher, House Passes Tax Credit Extension For Military

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

I haven't been posting here for awhile and I know, shame on me. Here's something I read recently that should get you thinking about encouraging those on the fence, that if they're able to, should refinance or buy now, sooner than later.

I would suspect rates will start to rise shortly after the first of the year. So, if waiting to act, get with your lender and take action now to avoid being caught in the rush, as the rates go higher. Call me at (360) 597-8283 if you have any questions. See you in the next post. (Hopefully, it won't be several months from now! LOL) ---- Post below

Mortgage Rates Higher. House Passes Tax Credit Extension for Military

Mortgage Rates Higher. House Passes Tax Credit Extension for Military
by Victor Burek -

The bond market was closed yesterday in observance of Columbus Day so mortgage backed securities did not trade. Regardless of that, several lenders issued rate sheets, however as is typical of holiday pricing strategies, rate sheets were conservative. Most lenders were offering 4.875% as the par rate for well qualified consumers. So far this morning, MBS prices are higher on the day which should allow lenders to issue more aggressive loan pricing (not as aggressive as last week).

We do not receive any market moving reports today but the action does pick up tomorrow with the release of the Retail Sales report. MBS typically benefit with a lower than expected reading and economists’ surveyed are expecting retail sales to post a month over month decline of 2.1%. The only items of any significance today will be a couple speeches by Fed members Donald Kohn and William Dudley. Any time Fed members speak, market participants do pay attention for any clues to future monetary policy and their economic outlook.

The House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday aiming to extend the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. Before you get to excited, it appears that it will only be extended for veterans of our armed forces for up to 6 months. To qualify, the veteran must have served overseas for 90 days in 2009. If you are a first time home buyer looking to take advantage of the up to $8000 tax credit, the clock continues to tick. It is set to expire after November 30th so get your application in with your lender.

Rates down, Mortgage Applications Up

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Rates down, mortgage applications up - Originally posted by The Portland Business Journal:

Mortgage applications rose last week as interest rates fell.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to purchase or refinance a home gained 5.6 percent from the previous week.

The refinance index gained 6.9 percent in the week ended Aug. 14, reversing the 7.2 percent loss in the previous week. The purchase index increased 3.9 percent, the third consecutive weekly gain, according to the MBA.

The average interest rate for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.15 percent from 5.38 percent, with points decreasing to 0.98 from 1.18.

The average rate for 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.52 percent from 4.71 percent, with points decreasing to 0.93 from 1.20.

The average rate for one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages decreased to 6.66 percent from 6.71 percent, with points decreasing to 0.07 from 0.08.

There are other signs that the housing market is stabilizing. On Tuesday, the Commerce Department reported that builders broke ground on more single-family homes in July for a fifth straight month.

What does this mean for buyers this week? Well, although there are still a number of issues to deal with (like the HVCC and new disclosure's act) it's still a ripe opportunity to take advantage of low rates to purchase a home.

It's not all roses, but it's definitely an ideal time for First Time Homebuyers to take advantage of lower home prices (all those foreclosed bank-owned homes are increasing) and also the $8000 Tax Credit deadline is looming, so time to take a piece of that as well.

Interested in an opportunity to buy a home through the Homepath Program from Fannie Mae? Why Homepath, you might ask? No appraisal needed, up to 6% seller concessions (Fannie Mae's the seller, so they're likely to agree) and no mortgage insurance. Plus in larger markets like the Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington areas (even Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia in Washington - Bend, Salem, Eugene in Oregon) have a number of Homepath homes for sale.

Attend one of our weekly 30 minute webinars on how the Homepath Loan Program from Fannie Mae works by visiting http://homepath01.eventbrite.com and register today!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Ed Bisquera

P.S. My FREE Social Media Marketing Online Workshop is coming up next week - more details can be seen at http://SocialMediaNetworking101.com

In Mashable - Facebook Simplifies Event Planning For Users

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:30:00 +0000

Facebook Simplifies Event Planning

July 8th, 2009 | by Adam Ostrow

Image via CrunchBase

Facebook has become a significant player in event planning. After all, why use a service like Evite when all of your friends are already on Facebook?

Planning an event on Facebook is already fairly easy – you just click on “Events” from the applications menu bar and create one. But the social network has decided to make it even easier, letting you create an event directly from the publisher (aka, the “what’s on your mind” box).

To do so, Facebook explains, ”after clicking on the “Events” icon, you can enter information about what the event is and where and when you want to meet. You can invite friends directly from the Feed story that’s created either on your Profile or your News Feed. Just select the “Invite guests” link to share the event with friends.”

Like other Facebook updates, this is presumably being rolled out gradually, so you might not see it yet (I don’t), but Facebook shows what it looks like:

Moving events to the publisher makes sense, and it seems Facebook hopes users start using the app more casually – you’ll notice the example they offer is “lunch,” as opposed to the more formal invites you might be used to receiving.

Keep in mind, however, that the publisher is set to become increasingly complicated, as Facebook is currently testing its new per-update privacy options that will be rolled out to all users in coming weeks. Too much clutter could lead to users simply ignoring the features and continuing to just post status updates – user behavior that Facebook () is clearly hoping to change.

as originally posted at Facebook Simplifies Event Planning

What do many Facebook users forget to do with their profile?

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

What do many forget to do on their Facebook profile?

Watch the video to find out what that is, which is a key part in how transparent you want and don't want to be to the public at large, when using Facebook, a top 10 Social Media Site. Plus last week's Trivia question winner, my new favorite coffee shop in Camas, Washington, and upcoming events! Enjoy! :-)

Quote of The Day

Patience is the art of hoping
~ Luc de Clapier

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Today's Mortgage Rates Watch & Real Estate/Mortgage News

The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 10 basis points, to 5.7 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point. The mortgages in this week's survey had an average total of 0.48 discount and origination points. One year ago, the mortgage index was 6.53 percent; four weeks ago, it was 5.65 percent.

The benchmark 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 9 basis points, to 5.07 percent. The benchmark 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage fell 9 basis points, to 5.17 percent.

Mortgage rates didn't move much in the days before today's release of the June employment report, as mortgage bond investors hedged their positions. The consensus estimate on Wall Street was that the employment report would show that the economy shed about 365,000 jobs in June. If the number of jobs lost was to be substantially higher than that, mortgage rates might fall; if the number was to be much lower, the result could be higher mortgage rates.

More eligible for refis

In other news, the Obama administration expanded the number of people who will be eligible for mortgage refinancing. The Making Home Affordable refinancing program will now be available for loans of up to 125 percent of the property's value. Previously, the limit had been 105 percent. (You can calculate your loan-to value ratio here.)

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UPCOMING EVENTS
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"Getting Connected Through Social Media" Class
for Real Estate Professionals, 3 CE Clock hours

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Time: 1 -4 PM
Location: Keller Williams, Downtown Office
915 Broadway Ste 100, Vancouver, WA 98660

== Cost: $27 Early Bird special before Midnight, July 21, 2009 ==

Learn how getting connected and participating in the conversation online where your clients, prospects and audience is, using Social Media tools, is important to your Real Estate business. Produced by Natalie Danielson of Professional Directions/Clockhours.com and taught by Ed Bisquera and Natalie Danielson.

Details at the event signup page here:

Getting Connected through Social Media Class for Realtors.

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TODAY'S FREE LUNCH TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

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What's the least popular month for weddings?
Answer: YOU TELL ME! :-)

So, for every correct answer that is either either replied via Facebook (post a reply/comment on my wall under the question) or Twitter (send me an @edbisquera reply) or post a comment here below on my blog, gets entered into a drawing to win a FREE Lunch to Blackstone, Gift Card valued at $50! Now, you can send me a private message via Facebook and Twitter too with the correct answer; that will get you entered to win.

Again, it's for every CORRECT ANSWER that gets you into the drawing. And I'll post a video recording of me drawing the winner next Wednesday, along with the new Wednesday Trivia for Free Lunch.

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Upcoming Homepath Home Buying & Loan Seminar
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Buy a Fannie Mae Owned Home (Bank Owned, REO Properties)
in the State of Washington
WITHOUT AN APPRAISAL!

Date: July 21, 2009
Time: 11 AM (45 minutes)
Location: 1001 Main St Suite A
Vancouver, WA 98660

Sign up for event here

We'll discuss at an upcoming Homepath Seminar how you can get a home, Owner Occupied or Non-Owner Occupied, in any state, especially Washington and Oregon, where:

1. A Homepath Mortgaged Home Loan requires NO APPRAISAL upon purchase
2. A Homepath Home Renovation Loan can be used for improvements (on designated properties only).
3. A Homepath Home requires NO MI (Mortgage Insurance)
4. A Homepath Home can be up to 97% Loan To Value (3 % down payment)
5. A Homepath Home can also be bought by investors up to 90% Loan To Value (only 10% down).

For more information, read a post about Homepath Homes for Sale, by my Senior Mortgage Consultant, Bill Black, Broker of Record here at Loan Network LLC (formerly America One Finance).

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Visit http://scribeit.org to read more about our Trivia winner, Joanne Laurent

Stay tuned to the next video blog post!
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Thanks again and speak with you soon!
Ed Bisquera, 360-597-8283 cell

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Powerful Tweeting Techniques To Drive Traffic To Your Blog | Microgeist

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Image by magia3e via Flickr

I found this a great start to giving ideas on how to use Twitter to drive traffic to your blog or website. Some of the first 5 tips are:

Communicate a benefit

Blogs have been associated for a long time now with opinion and personal experience. This is often times the way they are portrayed in the main stream media. This may be due, in part, to the desire on some level to frame blogs as a less authoritative resource.

Make claims and promises

A claim or promise is certainly attractive, but because you are working in social media you must always maintain your trust asset. This, along with your content, is a major component to your traffic engine. This means that whatever your claims are, they should be backed up by content or services that meet those statements. Not doing so eats into your trust asset while doing so contributes to it. Halfway meeting it may maintain your status on this level but it also provides opportunities for competitors to surpass you with superior quality. You are better off being comprehensive and in so doing providing a disincentive for other to try and emulate you. What is more likely in this case is for someone to link to you and add their own commentary or insight on top of yours. What this does is embed you in the community as a person that consistently contributes. From there, you can develop the authority to a) sucessfully recommend affiliate products and services or b) market your own.

Personalize

- Rather than speaking in the general sense as in ‘drive more traffic to a blog’, it is better to phrase it: ‘Drive more traffic to your blog’ This is because many people in smaller niches may be of the opinion that a generalized approach is suitable only for sites with a given minimum traffic requirement. By making things more personal, a reader will start to visualize the proposition as applying to him or her.

Use Keywords

- This aids in being found because each keyword can help your tweet be found via different seach criteria. Many of these words work well together and may be searched as a pair, which will push you further up in the search result. Twitter search is used by many to find information but at the same time it does not have the same volume as Google. What this means is that you are competing with fewer people for top ranking. While this might mean a smaller base of users, it also means a more enthusiastic person because they are using a wider variety of tools to find what they want.

Ask a question

- A question can be one that searches for an answer but what tends to be more effective are questions that pose a controversy or are rhetorical. That latter is particularly effective because it states both the content being delivered as well as the fact that you have a possible solution for them.

The rest of the post here: Powerful Tweeting Techniques To Drive Traffic To Your Blog | Microgeist

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A funny picture I saw to fire up Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Just in case you needed a little humor to jump start or fire up Monday with:

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Key Element People Often Forget in Social Media Marketing?

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

What is the one key element people often
forget to complete thoroughly on Social Media sites?

Watch the video to find out what that is, which can help your search engine rankings and is Pillar Number One of the 5 Pillars of Social Media Marketing. :-)

Quote of The Day

If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.
~ John Maxwell
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Scroll Down Below To See Info On Google Profiles!

Today's Mortgage Rates Watch & Real Estate/Mortgage News

Rates look like they are sitting fairly stable at the 5.25-5.5% range (5.67%-5.89% APR) on a Conventional 30 YR Fixed Loan, NO pts, 20% down (80% Loan To Value), Owner Occupied, with 740 or higher FICO credit score. We should see some help, since today's announcement of a nationwide unemployment rate of 9.5%, with job losses for last month around 467,000 nationwide.

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UPCOMING EVENT
-----------------

"Getting Connected Through Social Media" Class
for Real Estate Professionals, 3 CE Clock hours

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Time: 1 -4 PM
Location: Keller Williams, Downtown Office
915 Broadway Ste 100, Vancouver, WA 98660

== Cost: $27 Early Bird special before Midnight, July 21, 2009 ==

Details at the event signup page here:

Getting Connected through Social Media Class for Realtors.

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YESTERDAY'S FREE LUNCH TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

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What Lewis Carroll book was banned in China after censors decided:
"Animals should not use human language"?
Answer: YOU TELL ME! :-)

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My Google Profile Page http://Google.com/profiles/edbisquera
Visit here for a video on how to create your Google Profile

Stay tuned to the next video blog post!
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Thanks again and speak with you soon!
Ed Bisquera, 360-597-8283 cell

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"What's the FOUR Letter Word Asked About Social Media?" Video

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:18:00 +0000

What is the FOUR Letter Word Asked About Most Frequently Regarding Social Media, at Social Media Marketing Seminars and Classes throughout the United States?
It's all revealed at the 1:45 mark in this video blog post by Ed Bisquera, Mortgage Matchmaker & Social Media Guy. Recorded in beautiful sunny downtown Vancouver, WA, dated July 1, 2009.

Quote of the day:
Insincerity is always weakness; sincerity even in error is strength.
~George Henry Lewes

• Today's Mortgage Rates Watch & Real Estate/Mortgage News

Rates look like they are sitting fairly stable at the 5.375-5.625% range (5.77%-5.99% APR) on a Conventional 30 YR Fixed Loan, NO pts, 20% down (80% Loan To Value), Owner Occupied, with 740 or higher FICO credit score. Forecasts are predicting a small increase in rate, due to typical activity as 2nd quarter earnings are taken to offset any capital gains.

NO APPRAISAL REQUIRED!!
WHEN YOU BUY A FANNIE MAE-OWNED HOME
with a Homepath Loan
Find out more in tomorrow's Video Blog Post!

HVCC News: The appraisal issues dealing with the HVCC law is being dealt with and you can do something about it to fight it. There is a bill currently being sponsored to put the HVCC on hold, as the Feds try to figure out how to rectify the shortcomings of this HVCC ruling. It's apparent that it was a big mistake and you can check out our friends at Think Big Work Small and see what they have to say about it. Are you a Realtor and HATE FAILED SALES?? Watch this video NOW and sign the HVCC Petition NOW!!

UPCOMING EVENT
Class on Social Media "Getting Connected"
for Real Estate Professionals, 3 CE Clock hours

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Time: 1 -4 PM
Location: Keller Williams, Downtown Office
915 Broadway Ste 100, Vancouver, WA 98660

== Cost: $27 Early Bird special before Midnight, July 21, 2009 ==

Details at the event signup page here:

Getting Connected through Social Media Class for Realtors.

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• WEDNESDAY FREE LUNCH TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

What Lewis Carroll book was banned in China after censors decided:
"Animals should not use human language"?
Answer: YOU TELL ME! :-)

• The FOUR Letter Word Dealing with Social Media
revealed at the 1:45 mark in video above

It's every person's "curse" and every person's main question when talking about using Social Media. Are you facing the same problem? Are you interested in learning more and how to maximize this FOUR Letter word? Watch the video to find out what I talk about and if you're interested in a Social Media 101 Class & Course, contact me through EdBisquera.com or call me at (360) 597-8283. I will have an event sign up here on my blog tomorrow. Stay tuned!

That's it for today. Thanks again for visiting, watching and reading. If you found any value in today's video blog and post, please share this post with anyone you know that may be interested.

Best wishes to you and here's to a wonderful Wednesday!

Ed Bisquera, 360-597-8283 Cell Phone

P.S. Young Professionals of Vancouver Networking Event TODAY at Joe's Crab Shack, on the mighty Columbia River at 5:30. Come by, chat, drink and network! EB

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Trivia Wednesday - Win a Free lunch at Blackstone Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Alright, on the heels of last week's trivia question for lunch at Rosemary's Cafe in Downtown Vancouver (1001 Main St), here's today's Trivia Question for lunch at Blackstone Restaurant out on 164th in East Vancouver, WA.

[I have been out of town teaching, but will post the video of me drawing last week's winner later today. EB]

So, for every correct answer that is either either replied via Facebook (post a reply/comment on my wall under the question) or Twitter (send me an @reply) or post a comment here below on my blog, gets entered into a drawing to win a FREE Lunch to Blackstone, Gift Card valued at $25!

Now, you can send me a private message via Facebook and Twitter too with the correct answer; that will get you entered to win.

Again, it's for every CORRECT ANSWER that gets you into the drawing. And I'll post a video recording of me drawing the winner next Wednesday, along with the new Wednesday Trivia for Free Lunch.

TRIVIA QUESTION FOR TODAY, June 25, 2009 is:

"What video, the first to cost over $150,000, helped Michael Jackson's Thriller soar and sell millions?"

Reply with your answer as a comment below for one entry, or on my Facebook page or as an @reply on my original Twitter post. Only one entry allowed per human being, okay? And every CORRECT answer will be entered into the FREE Lunch for a Work Week Drawing.

Deadline to enter is by 12 midnight, June 25, 2009, so please ReTweet, Repost, email out to friends (okay, maybe not, since you want the opportunity to win, LOL) and get the word out!

Every Wednesday, anyone following my blog, friends on Facebook and Twitter, will see the Trivia question of the day and a chance to win something local in Vancouver, Washington or Portland, Oregon helping to support local business.

Thanks again and good luck!

P.S.: OKAY, BTW, you don't necessarily have to POST the correct answer for the whole world to see (it really doesn't matter, though, since it's a drawing of every CORRECT answer). You can post "Hey Ed, I have the answer: I sent you a private or direct message." This is all in good fun and I hope people participate, share and retweet. Thanks!

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4 Reasons Why Marketers Should Choose Facebook Pages Over Facebook Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:44:00 +0000

It's known that if you are using Social Media Marketing, having a profile at Facebook is important to have when marketing online yourself, your cause or your small business. But really, Facebook Groups and Facebook pages are the public way to market, versus using your personal Facebook profile. It allows you to reach the millions on Facebook, and if you're worried about "friending" people you don't really know well through your personal Facebook profile, than creating your own Facebook Group or Facebook "Fan" or Business Page is the way to go.

In brief, this posting below covers the 4 reasons why you should create and use a Facebook "Page" instead of a Facebook "Group." So for businesses small and large, Pages (known also as "public profiles") are the way to go, according to these four important reasons:

1. Pages Allow Marketers to Publish to the "Stream" (more on that later)
2. Pages Allow Marketers to Engage Fans with Rich Media (PDF, Audio, Video, etc)
3. Pages Let Marketers Analyze How Fans are Interacting with the Insights Dashboard
4. Pages Let Marketers Increase their SEO (Search Engine Optimization. Essentially, improve your "Google search juice!"

So for marketing anything commercial or your small business or your band or your cause, the future of marketing on Facebook is Facebook Pages, not Facebook Groups.

You can read in detail the four resons below. Please comment on my blog if you like what you read!
Thanks and happy day to you!

4 Reasons Why Marketers Should Choose Facebook Pages Over Facebook Groups

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Trivia Day - Win Free lunch for a work WEEK Rosemary's Cafe in Downtown Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Ok, I have a Trivia Question for today and every correct answer that is either replied via Facebook (post a reply/comment on my wall under the question) or Twitter (send me an @reply) or post a comment here below on my blog, gets entered into a drawing to win a FREE Lunch for entire work week! That's a $50 Value! (5 Business Days folks equals a work week and valued up to $10 per lunch.)

The TRIVIA Question for today, June 17, 2009, is

"What book did E.B. White base on personal experiences at his farm in Maine?"

Reply with your answer as a comment below for one entry, or on my Facebook page or as an @reply on my original Twitter post. Only one entry allowed per human being, okay? And every CORRECT answer will be entered into the FREE Lunch for a Work Week Drawing.

Deadline to enter is by 12 midnight, June 17, 2009, so please ReTweet, Repost, email out to friends (okay, maybe not, since you want the opportunity to win, LOL) and get the word out!

Starting every Wednesday, anyone following my blog, friends on Facebook and Twitter, will get a Trivia question and a chance to win something local in Vancouver, Washington or Portland, Oregon that supports local business.

One Wednesday each month, will be a drawing for something ANYONE in the USA can win, like a gas card or Gift Card to a major grocery store or department store, etc.

Just stay tuned, subscribe to my blog's RSS feed, become a fan on my Facebook page, friend me on Facebookf or follow me on Twitter!

Right above this blog post, you can Tweet this post, share it with others on any of your social network sites or rate it. Please do so and let's see who wins the FREE Lunch for a WEEK at Rosemary's Cafe in Downtown Vancouver Washington! :-)

Ed Bisquera, Mortgage Matchmaker and Social Media Instructor

UPDATE 10:17 AM: OKAY, BTW, don't necessarily POST the correct answer for the whole world to see (it really doesn't matter, though, since it's a drawing of every CORRECT answer). You can post "Hey Ed, I have the answer: I sent you a private or direct message." But as of 10:15 AM, there are already a few answers and they are correct so far.

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"It's when things seem worst, that you must not quit"

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:51:00 +0000

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."

Unknown
more famous quotes

I really like this inspirational poem, or inspirational quote and I often read it through the challenging times and to remind myself that things are often toughest just before victory shines down. I always know I am blessed and I hope you know you are too. All the best to you,

Ed Bisquera

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Obama Healthcare Logic Deficit: Don't spend more money to save money!

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:00:00 +0000

In a recent post by Mary Kate Cary, of US News and World Report, she comments on a David Leonhardt's explanation of our current deficit in today's New York Times.

Yes, I know we are facing a record amount of spending to support Obama's massive stimulus packages and just spending more is not going to fix it. And I agree with Mary Kate, that we need to stop the spending and cut costs.

Sure, it will hurt and taxes will undoubtedly rise for some or all of us and services in all sectors of the government will see cutbacks or be eliminated all together. We really just need to stop spending so much money. We're facing inflation, because of all the money the government is printing up and our government's attitude is to bail out everyone.

But I have to say, it's the toughest time in history that we face, regarding our economy and our healthcare costs. Here's what Mary Kate has to say:

Why do we need to spend even more money to lower healthcare costs? With a projected $1.8 trillion deficit, it's time to stop the spending and cut costs. I don't get it. In our family budget, we don't spend more money in order to save it. We just stop spending so much money. It doesn't cost us more money to do that. The federal government isn't any different—except for the crazy attitude among politicians and interest groups that a "cut" is really a slowdown in the rate of growth. We don't need slowdowns in the rate of growth. We need real cuts before we're driven into bankruptcy.

Whether you agree with Mary Kate Cary, me or David Leonhardt's recent article, it's safe to say, we need to really buckle down over the next several years, as the experts and I agree: we haven't seen the end of this yet!

Read the rest of Obama's Healthcare Logic Deficit: You Don't Spend Money to Save Money at US News and World Report by Mary Kate Cary

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Video To Realtors in Lynwood/Mill Creek attending Clockhours.com class

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:24:00 +0000

From EdBisquera.com - Just wanted to thank everyone (First American Title for promoting and sponsoring and all Realtors in Lynwood & Mill Creek WA area) for coming out to Natalie's ClockHours.com "Learning to get connected with Social Media" class and having me there to share about social media, Twitter and video topics. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call! (360) 597-8283.

Ed Bisquera

P.S. If it looks like I'm angry at the beginning of the video, I'm not! LOL! I'm really just trying to get through Seattle traffic and keep from squinting. Hope you enjoy! :-) EB

P.S. If you would like to read my blog, one of my blogs is at Activerain.com/blogs/edbisquera or please follow me on Twitter. Take care! EB

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edbisquera's TweetMic recording

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Audio Blog Post on TweetMic

So I thought I'd update my blog and try this TweetMic for my iPhone to record a short audio "tweet." Let me know what you think of it! :-)

Thanks,

Ed Bisquera

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My son BJ runs in an amazing touchdown

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:32:00 +0000

This is pretty cool; BJ's team was running a pass play and as it was nearly intercepted, BJ was able to pick off the ball in the air, just dropping into his hands and he bolts into the end zone. Watch that boy run!

I must say, am a proud dad; he's really liking this game and while it's only flag football, I hope he gets some good lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship out of playing. And of course, I'm proud to see him run a touchdown in! :-)

Enjoy the video:

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Video on Natalie Danielson's boat (of Clockhours.com)

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Here's a video I did while visiting with Natalie Danielson of Clockhours.com. I was in Seattle getting my certification completed to be able to teach Clock Hour Courses to Realtors in the State of Washington, needing to add or complete their 30 clock hours required every 2 years. Our courses we offer include financing and marketing, and also new courses on Social Media Marketing and Video Marketing. I'm happy to report I've completed everything and have several classes on Social Media scheduled throughout 2009. Call me at (360) 597-8283 for details.

It was a lot of fun going through Natalie's course and after class, we were treated to a tour of Zillow.com's corporate offices in downtown Seattle by our good friend, Director of Community Relations at Zillow, David Gibbons.

Hope you enjoy this little video I made on Natalie's boat. :-)

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Flickr

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:32:00 +0000

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Twitter Marketing and Tools - Top Ten Uses | Online Marketing Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Bisquera) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Twitter Marketing and Tools - Top Ten Uses | Online Marketing Blog

This is a great Top 10 Usage List.

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