Let me start by saying that I’ve demo’d roughly 25 CRM programs over the past year. Ugh. If only I could get some of those hours added back to my life

Some were ok and most were downright painful to look at…and then I stumbled upon Tribus CRM. It only took me a year to find something that fit my needs.

So for all of you who have been frustrated and at whit’s end for years with the confusing, limited CRMS for real estate…you are NOT alone!

The number of emails I received asking about the CRM I use was unbelievable. This was the #1 thing you guys wanted more info on out of my entire presentation!

Well I’m all about helping empowering my fellow agents, so I convinced the creator of Tribus CRM to offer a special discount (a total of $640 in savings over one year) for any attendee of my Active Rain webinar who signs up for Tribus between now and Saturday at midnight. Thank you Tribus!

This offer is ONLY AVAILABLE when you enroll using this special link:
http://www.tinyurl.com/TribusCRM

HERE”S MY OWN PERSONAL TOP 10 REASONS FOR CHOOSING TRIBUS OVER THE REST OF THE PACK:

#1. Tribus will integrated with my IDX. This basically means I’m not limited to all those “turnkey” map search solutions with subpar integrated back end lead management.  This opens up a whole new world of options!

#2. Email Marketing – both DRIP and BLAST email functionality. The interface is super easy to navigate and intuitive, even for the most novice techie. Its easy to create and activate campaigns and assign lead groups to them.

#3. Tracking System of the Homes Your Leads View on your IDX. Need I say more?

#4. Social media functionality – see the latest tweets and facebook posts of your leads right in their CRM record. Super cool!

#5. Email and Calendar Syncs with Smart phones!

#6. Text and Email Lead Alerts. Great for teams, and for contacting new leads quickly while you’re on the go.

#7. MLS sync where available.

#8. Accounting features. Its almost like its own mini-version of Quickbooks. Nice feature to have for tracking expenses and invoices for all your transactions. Nice, easy reporting too.

#9. Easy on the Eyes User Interface. Its intuitive, which is something most of the other CRMs fail miserably at. Even if I’m not sure where a feature is, I can figure it out in under 3 clicks. That’s a biggie! Even those unfamiliar to navigating CRMs will figure this out easily.

#10. Forward-thinking Founder. Tribus CRM creator Eric Stegemann is getting ready to roll out all sorts of goodies in their next version that make me giddy. I’m so tempted to share a few, but that would be breaking confidentiality. Just take my word for it. There’ s great new features that will set this CRM even further apart from the rest of the field!

** If you’re interested in evaluating Tribus for your real estate business, make sure you contact them to set up a demo this week. You won’t want to miss out on the discount I’ve nicely asked Tribus to offer the Active Rain U attendees!

THIS OFFER IS ONLY AVAILABLE through Saturday June 12^th, 2010 and ONLY when you enroll using this special link:
http://www.tinyurl.com/TribusCRM

**This CRM is not for the meek and mild, but for those agents SERIOUS about increasing their business and willing to invest in it to do so!

**I also want to share that I will receive an affiliate fee when anyone signs up for Tribus CRM. However, that’s because I’m thrilled with the product and keep sharing it with other agents!

Kendra Todd shares Seattle’s hot housing spots on KING 5: New Day NW

Best Neighborhood For A First Home:

BALLARD

Because of the availability of affordable bungalows and short drive to Seattle city-center , the best neighborhood for first time buyers in Seattle is Ballard. This neighborhood has enough small craftsman and bungalows for sale at starter home prices, under $399,000 to make this my #1 choice for first-time homebuyers. Even though there are outer lying areas where you can get more house for your money, you just can’t beat the Ballard location and abundance of amenities and happenings. For the price –its worth trading size for lifestyle, especially for young Seattle urbanites.
But you’d better act fast. The average time on market for these homes is only 4-6 weeks.

Best Waterfront Bargain:

LAKE WASHINGTON

In 2007, waterfront property for under $1 million in Seattle simply did NOT exist. It was unfathomable, an old wives tale people told about real estate “back in the old days…long long ago.” Not the case today. There’s one specific and small corridor along Lake Washington where you can actually purchase true waterfront property for under $1 million. On Rainier Ave. South there are now 9 waterfront homes for sale under $999,000!

Best New Construction Buy:

SAMMAMISH

If you’re on the lucky ones with a secure job, money in the bank, and an idea to move up to a larger, nicer home… you’re moving to Sammamish. That’s where those looking for a screamin deal for an upscale, spacious brand-spanking new home are smiling all the way to the bank. In Sammamish, prices are down for new construction up to 30%. In 2007, at the peak of the market, new construction homes in Sammamish were selling around $315/sqft. Today you can purchase that same brand new home for closer to $210/sqft. To put it in perspective, a 3000sqft new construction home that sold in 2007 for $945,000 you can buy today for $630,000. That’s a great buy in a great area. Sammamish is known for its excellent schools and family-oriented sense of community.

Best Affordable View:

WEST SEATTLE

West Seattle still has some of the lowest home prices in the Seattle metro area. Houses for sale in West Seattle are about 15% lower than north of the ship canal. This area is a bit more remote, but the commute to downtown is no longer than from neighborhoods in the north, like Green Lake or Ravenna. West Seattle is like a suburb because it has retained a small town charm. Surrounded by Elliott Bay, this quaint neighborhood is a great starting point for those looking for a small home for sale at a good price. Especially Delridge/Pigeon Point area of West Seattle. You can still get a cute house there under $400K.

Best Comeback Market:

TACOMA

It may not be Seattle, but Tacoma is the second-largest city in the lovely Puget Sound region. Its worthy of mention since Tacoma made national headlines by topping Moody’s Economy list as the #1 city in America set to go from slump to bump over the next 3-5 years. I think that’s worth mentioning…

The city’s abundance of government jobs, bountiful outdoor activities, and proximity to Seattle–just 32 miles away–helped drive home prices higher during the first half of the decade. But as the national housing crash picked up steam, Tacoma saw its real estate market decline sharply. Home prices in Tacoma dropped 24 percent from their peaks, but are expected to bounce back strongly, with home prices increasing 22 percent by the first quarter of 2012 and 41 percent by the first quarter of 2014. The area’s large military presence and diversified economy will help to support rising home prices going forward. They also have one of the nation’s busiest ports, the Port of Tacoma, which is an international deep-water port. Although most international trade is down currently, the long-term outlook is good.

Best Bang for Your Buck Overall:

SHORELINE

A great all-around neighborhood for families, singles and seniors, Shoreline has made multiple appearances in the Top 10 rankings of many magazines and media sources and does it again with me. A lot of young families are moving to Shoreline after selling their first smaller condo and buying bigger homes at a good price point and still close to the city. High scores in all categories and a median home price of $352,000 for a 4bd/1.75 bath home. Best Affordable area for move-up buyers looking for more space but still near the city.

After the homebuyer tax credit expired, the path that housing market has taken, it’s been a two way opposite direction.

One of the paths that have taken is recovery, sales and prices are rising. But on the other way, interest rates and repossessions have done it too, and there are more than a million foreclosures that are under the shadow.

Richard DeKaser, an independent housing market analyst said that he can see a “mini collapse, in the short run” but at the end of 2010 can turn into a positive end.

Chief economist for National Association of Realtors Lawrence Yun, says that “in the months immediately following the expiration of the tax credit, we expect immeasurably low sales”  but since the credit helped the housing market to stabilize when it was needed the most, they could recently see their first year-over-year rise.

So the prognosis that experts have arrived to, is that this negative short-term situation will be positive by the end of 2010.

By: Eunice Mejia, Editor – Mortgage Lending News, LLC

To read the full article:  Tax Credit, the short term situation..

Last month, some policymakers at the Federal Reserve were conflicted over whether to scale back or expand back a program designed to help out the housing market.

According to minutes from a December meeting, several members felt the $1.25 trillion dollar program buy mortgage backed securities should be extended to March 31.

“Generally the outlook was for gains in housing activity to continue. However, some participants still viewed the improved outlook as quite tentative and again pointed to potential sources of softness,” the minutes said.

So what exactly can Americans expect from the housing market in 2010? Real estate expert Kendra Todd, host of Home and Garden Television’s “My House is Worth What?” appeared on CBN News’ Midday program to answer that question.

Click here to watch the interview: What-to-Expect-from-the-2010-Housing-Market

*Original broadcast January 7, 2009.