Congrats Charles Gilyard!

Charles Gilyard of Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners has earned the coveted Real Estate Owned (REO) CERTIFICATION designation. This designation is awarded by Vendor Resource Management (VRM) University in conjunction with the National Association of Real Estate Brokers Inc (NAREB)-Sales Division, a national real estate trade association. Charles is the president of the local Savannah Association of Realtist, a chapter of the NAREB and a member of the Savannah Board or Realtors.

Real Estate Owned or REO is a class of property that goes back to the mortgage company after an unsuccessful foreclosure auction. Commonly, referred to as foreclosed property.

The national REO CERTIFICATION designation is recognized by all major lenders (Well Fargo, Bank of America Sun Trust, etc), asset managers and loan servicing companies.

The curriculum provided Charles Gilyard with the knowledge and understanding essential to being a recognized specialist in the REO industry. VRM and NAREB’s mission is to equip, train and educated real estate professionals with the vital skills needed in order to compete and be prepared for the many opportunities ahead.

The VRM and NAREB-Sales Division partnership is continuously identifying programs and approaches that add to the real estate practioner’s professional development. Through this strategic VRM and NAREB partnership, the never ending effort is to continually raise the level of education and professionalism among licensed practitioners. Contact Charles at (912) 659-2249 or email him at charles.gilyard@coldwellbanker.com.

Mortgage Applications Rise Last Week

Applications for mortgages to buy homes rose last week for the third straight week.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday overall applications increased 5.8 percent from a week earlier, driven by increases in purchase and refinance applications.

Those taken out to buy homes rose 5.5 percent from the previous week, and refinance applications increased 6 percent.

Mortgage rates have been at or near the lowest levels in decades since spring as investors have poured money into safer Treasury bonds. That has lowered their yields, which mortgage rates tend to track.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan was unchanged at 4.28 percent from a week earlier. Rates on the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, a common refinancing option, were also unchanged at 3.64 percent.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's survey covers more than 50 percent of all applications nationwide.

How far does your real estate dollar go?

OnLocation surpasses 2M views!

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Nov. 8, 2010) – Coldwell Banker On Location, the brand’s YouTube™ channel focused on video home listings as well as community and agent profile videos, continues to pave the way for video use in real estate. Since the site launch in May 2009, the channel has drawn more than two million channel views.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate closely collaborated with both YouTube and Google to develop a customized framework and user experience – offering what is arguably one of the most comprehensive and immersive brand channels on the YouTube platform. On Location was the first branded YouTube channel to use dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) lookup to search for videos, which automatically serves up local results when visitors first hit the site.

The site has grown steadily since its launch, but has seen its fastest growth in the last eight months with more than one million views occurring between April 2010 and October 2010. Additionally, mobile use is up. Since April, the number of people who have viewed the site from a mobile device has doubled. While property listings make up the majority of the On Location content, community videos attract the highest number of comments, as visitors enjoy chiming in with input on their hometown or current city.

“The number of people watching videos on our On Location channel is growing faster and faster,” says Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Through our partnership with Google and YouTube, we brought a systemized approach to showcasing real estate videos. We firmly believe every home has a story and when you combine that with an agent’s personality, the consumer truly benefits.”

"Savvy marketers like Coldwell Banker understand how consumers are shifting online and are embracing innovative uses of digital platforms like YouTube,” said Sam Sebastian, Director of Classified and Local Sales, Google Inc. “Importantly, Google’s measurable advertising platforms help partners increase their success online and off. By pushing the boundaries online, Coldwell Banker is harnessing the power of digital platforms like YouTube, and leading the way for real estate in the digital world."

The most-watched videos on Coldwell Banker On Location include:
• “Real (Estate) Opinions: Men vs. Women”
• “How to Make Moving Fun”
• “Join Coldwell Banker”


For more information about Coldwell Banker On Location reaching two million views visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GQ4V_C5hzA
YouTubeTM is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

About Coldwell Banker®
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker® organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate. Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real estate brand in the United States and today has a network of nearly 92,000 sales associates and brokers working in approximately 3,300 offices in 50 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by being the first national real estate brand to augment its web site www.coldwellbanker.com for smart phones, the first to create a iPhone application and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On LocationSM YouTube channel. The Coldwell Banker system is a leader in specialty markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International® marketing program. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.

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Coldwell Banker Survey finds trends in college towns

COLDWELL BANKER REAL ESTATE SURVEY FINDS NEW TREND IN COLLEGE TOWNS: “PARENT INVESTORS” BUYING HOMES VS. SPENDING ON RENT OR DORMS

Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report Released Ranking Affordability of College Towns; Muncie, Ind. Most Affordable College Town; Palo Alto, Calif. Most Expensive


PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Nov. 11, 2010) – Every fall, parents wave goodbye as their college-bound kids pack up their belongings, make the drive down university lane and prepare for football games, mid-terms and freedom. While college living is often associated with dorms and campus housing, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC discovered that many parents are opting to purchase a home rather than spend money on rent or dorm fees. According to a recent survey among the Coldwell Banker® network of real estate professionals in college towns, 64 percent see a significant number of “parent investors” buying homes for their kids to live in while attending the university.


To see how college towns stack up in home price affordability, Coldwell Banker Real Estate released its new College Home Listing Report (College HLR) today, which provides the average home listing price of four-bedroom, two-bathroom properties listed for sale between April and September 2010 on coldwellbanker.com in markets home to the 120 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision. With almost two-thirds of the College HLR markets having subject homes priced less than $250,000 (78 in total), college towns prove to be a touchdown for homebuyers.



The top 10 most affordable markets in the Coldwell Banker Real Estate College Home Listing Report are:


Rank/ College/Town/State/2010 Average Home Listing Price

1 Ball State University/Muncie, Ind./$105,115

2 University of Buffalo: The State University of New York/Buffalo, N.Y./$117,223

3 University of Memphis/Memphis, Tenn./$135,090

4 University of South Carolina/Columbia, S.C./$137,707

5 University of Akron/Akron, Ohio/$139,711

6 Eastern Michigan University/Ypsilanti, Mich./$141,629

7 Ohio University/Athens, Ohio/$141,964

8 Kent State University/Kent, Ohio/$153,662

9 University of Toledo/Toledo, Ohio/$155,286

10 Louisiana Tech University/Ruston, La./$157,110




“Towns that are home to major universities have a special vibe you just don’t find anywhere else,” said Jim Gillespie, chief executive officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate and alumni of the Illinois Fighting Illini. “It’s about more than just great sports and local flavor. College towns offer rich culture and most have steady economic bases oftentimes highlighted by outstanding medical and research facilities.”

While not all college towns are affordable, even the more expensive markets make great places to live.



The top 10 most expensive markets in the Coldwell Banker Real EstateCollege Home Listing Report are:



Rank/College/Town, State/2010 Average Home Listing Price

1 Stanford University/Palo Alto, Calif./$1,385,652

2 University of Hawaii/Honolulu, Hawaii/$833,439

3 University of California LA/Los Angeles, Calif./$833,087

University of Southern California/Los Angeles, Calif./$833,087

4 University of Colorado/Boulder, Colo./$791,877

5 Boston College/Chestnut Hill, Mass/$791,408

6 United States Naval Academy/Annapolis, Md./$671,151

7 San Jose State University/San Jose, Calif./$650,111

8 University of California Berkeley/Berkeley, Calif./$636,958

9 University of Washington/Seattle, Wash./$624,338

10 Northwestern University/Evanston, Ill./$559,855





Additional Survey Findings:

Coldwell Banker Real Estate also found that college towns have continued to be a hot spot for real estate investing, regardless of the downturn in the economy. Seventy-three (73) percent of Coldwell Banker real estate professionals surveyed said they see a significant number of investors buying homes near campus and renting them to people in the community, with only 21 percent seeing a decrease in this trend over the past five years.


“Our survey suggests two types of investors see value in college towns,” Gillespie said. “Long-term investors take advantage of the steady stream of renters, including students, professors and university officials. “‘Parent investors’ buy homes for their child to live in while attending college. Roommates provide rental income for the mortgage, and the hope is that students care for the home and it appreciates over time.”


With so many benefits to living in a college town, they aren’t just for investors. Alumni and retirees are finding reasons to re-live their glory days, as well. Fifty one (51) percent of the survey respondent noted they see a lot of alumni homebuyers, and 49 percent see a significant number of retirees moving to their college town.


“It’s not just students who want to live near campus, attend games and take interesting classes,” Gillespie said. “For a few years now, college towns have been popular markets for alumni and retirees. I’m a great example,” he said. “I purchased a home in Champaign, Ill. to be near my alma mater, the University of Illinois, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, from both a lifestyle and a financial perspective.”


Fun Fact:


The survey of Coldwell Banker real estate professionals uncovered that a college sports team’s performance affects more than just a football ranking; nearly one quarter (24 percent) of respondents indicated that the success of a college’s sports teams can have an impact on the local real estate market.


For a fun look at fans’ perspectives, Coldwell Banker Real Estate spoke with dozens of people on a fall football Saturday for insider thoughts on what makes their college town special. To see these interviews, please visit Coldwell Banker On Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmglCxq1sck.


Below is the full College HLR ranking. Additional information on the College HLR and the larger HLR of U.S. and international markets can be found at http://hlr.coldwellbanker.com/.

Hugs for Haleigh

Help us help little Haleigh

Dear Friends,

A member of our REALTOR family greatly needs our help.

Haleigh Little, the 8 year old granddaughter of Libby Jordan, Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners is fighting a rare disease called Argininosuccinate Lyase Deficiency. Haleigh was diagnosed with this rare disease at birth of which there are only about 100 known cases in the United States.

Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (ASL deficiency) is an inherited, congenital metabolic disease caused by a defect in the urea cycle In this cycle a chain of enzymes in the liver converts ammonia into urea. Ammonia is produced when the body breaks down protein, and in high concentrations causes damage to the nervous system.

Even with medication Haleigh’s ammonia levels can reach life threatening levels requiring her to spend days in the hospital and sometimes causes seizures. Haleigh has to be air lifted to Miami every time her ammonia levels get too high to have medication administered intravenously. Libby says "She has had more seizures than I can count".

UPDATE: HALEIGH HAS RECEIVED A DONOR LIVER AND THE TRANSPLANT IS COMPLETE.

From Libby...."We have had some issues with her enzymes being elevated. This is a sign of rejection. They have changed her medication which seems to be lowering the numbers. They have to find a balance in her meds to ward off her body rejecting the liver. She is still in some pain but seems to be more alert than yesterday".

The family has some major financial obstacles to overcome. Her medications, after her insurance has paid, will be around $1200.00 per month not counting the expenses of the Miami housing. They are working on trying to find someone who has a condo or house that they will be willing to rent short term with no luck so far.. Housing like Ronald McDonald House is not an option for her due to the fact that Haleigh cannot come in contract with any infections or viruses after the surgery, isolation. The only thing they have found is an efficiency for $100.00 per night, which is not an option.

Financially, this is major and they desperately need our help! This is a tough time for many of us financially but any amount you can possibly donate, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated and help ease the burden from Haleigh and her family.

PLEASE DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN TODAY!

http://savannahgahomes.net/hugsforhaleigh.html