RING... RING... RING!....MUSIC TO MY EARS

Everywhere I go, someone invariably asks me about the real estate market.
I have my own personal way of knowing how the market is going.
It's the ring of my phone at the office and the number of emails requesting
 our SMART SELLER'S kit.
I always ask how they knew to order it and it is usually because someone told them we can help
them know how to sell by owner from contract to closing or they used us previously and had a great experience. They  are buying or selling again by owner or they have an agent but still choose to have us do their escrow and title work. These folks make my heart sing right out loud!
I am finding out that they are finding us on our website, from Angie's List or just surfing  for help and found us. see www.gatewaytitle.com
   When I hear this and as I talk with these wonderful folks with increased frequency, I know the market is picking up!
Sounds so simple, but it works that way!
We also have  marked increase of sellers contacting us to register for our unique workshop that
again teaches selling your property from "contract to closing"
The terrible weather has had an impact on all of us for sure.
I think there is a big bunch of buyers and sellers out there chomping at the bit to get selling and buying those properties.
Get ready.
It's coming and it will be a great time to for so many of you out there to make that move !
For businesses of all kind, t's been a tough few months since the holidays.
Get ready ...get set..... it's going to get much better for real estate and and economy in general!
The signs are all there  (

call 440 546 9660)
RING.... RING...RING!

DO IT- DO IT- NOW!

Real Estate Sellers and Buyers Have Been Waiting For Several Years Now.
It's about time that the market is improving!
A healthy real estate market is the perfect medicine for our country's ailing economy.
From soup to nuts, everything is affected by the building and housing market.
I don't need to study statistics to see what is happening,
Everything has its time and the time to heal our sick economy is NOW!
PS. If I were looking to buy real estate,
 I'd do it now, before rates and prices rise -( and they will you know)

She said::"SHARPEN YOUR PENCIL" - REALLY?

I get calls from buyers and sellers everyday.
They ask a million questions about all phases of real estate.
Much of the time it is about closing costs.
I always take the time to explain who usually pays for what and how much.
Now, this is not something I just throw out there. Many of the fees
depend on the price or if it is a refinance. the amount of the loan.
That being said, I'll explain to you how I figure costs.
1.  Examination of records to determine the condition of the title.
2. Escrow fee to cover the cost of escrow officer who handles all of the paper work
and funds required, clears the title so that buyer gets marketable title, prepare paper work
from the lender for buyer, get deed for seller, pay all of the bills,
 make sure the buyer gets the property
 and  disburse to seller their money and more...
3.  Title insurance premiums in Ohio are all the same since Ohio is a "rated state".
The cost of  the insurance is based on the price or mortgage amount.

 TOTAL closing costs will be more than the above three items.

 We have to collect up front from buyer and/or seller for transfer tax, filing fees, lenders'   mortgage fees,
real estate commissions and other recording  fees, cost of  survey, wire fees, overnight fees..and it goes on and on.
What ever the contract states - we do!
So -there are TWO fees that I control:
TITLE & ESCROW
So, depending on the information you provide, based on the selling price, I can figure out an estimate of closing costs for both buyers and sellers.
Just give me call.
But.... please remember, there are many costs I collect not many are actually mine!

FOR SALE BY OWNER SUCCESS ON THE RISE

We have seen many sellers become very frustrated because selling by owner is not as easy as they thought. They guess at the market value of their property. They become offended at others remarks. They don't know how to negotiate for themselves and loose offers. Too eager and don't insists buyer be pre-qualified. They accept contingencies that bomb.  It gets worse. They feel they know what to do and they don't.
We know this is a problem so we offer free Seller's Classes and bring to sellers the experts to help you. We have a free kit which shows you all the basic facts on getting a real estate deal closed.
We have a lender who explains what  pre- approval is and how to use it.
The attorney's free contract is explained.
Pricing and staging is featured along with many helpful tips to lead to a successful sale.

Getting through a real estate deal smoothly  is such a relief to sellers. Happy, relaxed customers are our goal
We really do "Keep Life Simple" for "For Sale By Owners".
If you are an Ohio seller:
We can be contacted easily at www.gatewaytitle.com or 440 546 9660 - you can "Like" us on FaceBook too!

REAL ESTATE CONSUMERS FALL VICTIM TO INDUSTRY GREED

The phrase I hate to hear …


“Hey, we just bought a new house! You know, we wanted to use your Gateway title company, but the real estate agent said we had to use their in-house title company and we were afraid they would mess it up if we didn’t use their agency”

It is very difficult for me to keep my composure when I know the truth about “steering” and RESPA violations the agent has committed.

Did you know the consumer has the RIGHT to choose the title company to insure the closing of their real estate deal?

It cannot be a condition of the purchase or mortgage loan (lenders also “steer” to their in-house title agency).

Many consumers know they can choose, but are afraid to exercise their rights.

I’ve been educating as many consumers as I possibly can for the past 15 years.

I’ve seen the damage joint business venture title companies  have caused  the title industry.

Title and escrow by definition are to be handled by a disinterested third party to all when insuring and closing a real estate transaction be it a purchase or refinance.

Question of the day: How can a real estate or lender owned joint business title agency, be a disinterested third party?

Answer: they make extra money on the title and escrow, therefore,

THEY CAN”T!

I am happy for the new home owners, but I am sad that we have again fallen victim to the greed of some companies in our real estate industry.

TITLE TIP # 5 DON'T GAMBLE WITH THE TITLE TO YOUR PROPERTY

TITLE TIP #5
Accepting a quit claim deed for real property is for gamblers.
Don’t take chances with your real estate investments.
Let me tell you why -
True life example:
A few years ago a Doctor came to us to insure and close on a property he just sold.
That property was given to him via Quit Claim deed from a patient who owed him a lot of Money.
The Doctor thought it was a good deal and rented out the house.
After a few years the Doctor decided to retire, sell the property as part of his retirement.
He found a ready, willing and able buyer.
We searched the title to his Quit Claimed rental and discovered there were more liens against the property than the property was worth!
When he accepted the Quit claim deed he also accepted all of the encumbrances and debt against the property!
The lesson is:
Always have the title to a property examined before you take title.
Insure the title.
Never accept a Quit Claim Deed - what you get may be more than you see!

GATEWAY TITLE TIP #3..... WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Gateway Title - The FSBO Specialists #3 TITLE TIP: Debbie... Deborah.... Deb...Debra....Debbie K....Deborah Kay? Be careful to always sign all papers the same way in a real estate transaction. With or without your middle name, middle initial? Be consistant with what ever you call your "legal" name and avoid problems in closing!
How many identities do you have?

Gateway Title " Staging With Suzy" Seminar A Success!

Sitting in a class room at 9:30 on a sunny Saturday morning is probably not your idea of fun.For seven savvy sellers of beautiful local properties,it was exactly where they wanted to be. They attended "Staging With Suzy" (Suzanne Torchia Anton, REALTOR from the Realty Store).
Suzy told them like it is and showed many examples of before/after.Her tips were great! It was so interesting. I wish all sellers would get this and apply the information and "stage" their homes for sale. The whole presentation made a lot of sense.
To understand the difference between decorating and staging is so important in marketing a home.
I learned a lot and see it as: "decorating" is for the owners and "staging" is for the buyers!
How do you define it?

Saturday Morning Work Shop 9/19

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER THAN GATEWAY  - THE #1 CUSTOMER'S  TITLE  AGENCY!
A two and one half hour workshop on selling and buying in today's real estate arena. Everything is covered by guest experts from marketing secrets ; dreaded required paper work; the value of inspections; what loan pre-approval really means; understanding the escrow process and a HUD closing statement with easy to follow support material included.
A POWERFULLY CONDENSED workshop that arms the consumer with knowledge and confidence to sell or buy in today's confusing real estate market.
This work shop is facilitated by Rachel Torchia, President, GATEWAY TITLE.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19,2009
Time: 9:30 AM to Noon - free coffee and donuts served
Location: 8748 Brecksville Rd. #100 (class room on first floor to the right.)
Costs: free, - but the information you will receive is PRICELESS!
Register on web site - www.gatewaytitle.com or call Renee at 440 546 9660

Thank You Renee and I Love You Too!

WE were preparing our news letter and Renee always writes a column on the work shops and educating the consumer. This is the copy she submitted for the next issue. It is with much Love and Pride that I pass it on to you. - Renee's Mom.

My Boss Amazes Me!
Most people who work usually have a boss that they tolerate or pretend to like because they have to. I am lucky here at Gateway Title because my boss is my Mom! What amazes me about my mom, oh I mean Rachel, is how she seems to be able to predict the future trends of the real estate market.

For example, during our morning meetings she will discuss what's going on for the day and we will get on the subject of.. lets say people refinancing. Well then like 6 weeks later we get a ton of people using us when they refinance their homes. The amount of refinances we had late spring/ early summer quadrupled from previous years!

Another example, she was talking about filming her next show on "Golden Opportunities" on channel 3, she was going to discuss sales between close family members and relatives. Well like 6 weeks later again, before the show even aired, we started getting a lot of calls about parents selling their houses to their kids,or parents buying their grandparents house. It was so crazy that she knew this was going to happen. We have at least 2 deals come in everyday now between relatives and close friends. The $8.000 dollar tax credit has helped that along to.

Another wonderful perk about working here at Gateway Title is that I get to work with my Mom and see what an incredible business owner she is. It can't be easy for her dealing with being a boss and a parent. She has not only me here, her youngest daughter, but she also employs my older sister Michelle and her daughter, Ashley. Sometimes the lines of parenting and bossing blur, but she always seems to know what to say to keep her and my focus on work throughout the workday.

One of the reasons so many of our customers say they love us is because we make them feel special, like they are part of the family, and its true, we treat you like family, because we are family.

If you want to come meet my Mom and see whats happening in the real estate industry before it happens…(just kidding) or if you want to learn more about what's happening now in the real estate market give us a call or just stop by.

440-546-9660 or go to Gatewaytitle.com

Free for sale by owner kits and free for sale by owner workshop info available.


Renee Torchia
Gateway Title Agency
440-546-9660
Renee@gatewaytitle.com

Most Consumer's Spend A Lot Of Money Blindly

For the past sixteen years that I have been in business, I have observed that Buyers of real estate who are making, what is usually, the largest purchase of their life
know very little about buying a home. They trust blindly without checking out the facts. They spend loosely -
"What's another $1000 dollars?"
They also sign their name to just about any form put in front of them and never read a word!
They invest more time into buying a cellphone and learning all about it vs. shopping for a house and mortgage!
We provide education to the consumers. It is free. They are usually held at our Brecksville Class room.
Our classes are limited to 15 people in size. We have industry experts teaching the class. The information learned can save the consumer money and stress.
I am amazed that consumers are not beating down our classroom door to get this help everyday instead of twice a month. If you would like to attend, please register on our wesite www.gatewaytitle.com or call me @ 440 546 9660

Love Those Work Shops!

This evening, we held a work shop for REAL ESTATE buyers and sellers.Tonight's group was a really great and diversified group. They came from all over Northeast Ohio.
All types and sizes of properties from starter homes to down-sizing.

We covered the paper work necessary for escrow, to pre-approval and from Mike, the real estate broker, marketing tips and putting their property "on sale".
A point discussed was that finding an interested buyer is not as fearful when you feel confident on the paper work to put it together.
I really loved meeting everyone. I hope they feel connected to us and are comfortable in contacting us with their questions and concerns.
No matter how you market your home, listed or FSBO, the more you know about the process, the wiser decisions you can make.
You are invited to our work shop.
You can register for our next class on our www.gatewaytitle.com home page, or call RENEE at 440 546 9660.
PS. We serve really good pizza at the work shop.

Cleveland Housing Network Classes Impressive

Once and sometimes twice a month Renee, a title consultant and workshop presenter and I teach a class on title insurance and settlement proceedures at their facility in Cleveland. These classes teach all phases on buying a home - from budgeting for home ownership, insurance, loan approval etc. In an ideal world, I wish anyone wanting a piece of the AMERICAN Dream would be required to take classes first. A LOT OF FORECLOSURES would have been avoided!
My hat's off to all who take the time to learn. The dedicated staff are great folks and great to work with.
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to be a part of your valuable program.

saturday workshop

WE HAD A GREAT WORKSHOP THIS MOORNING.
A pretty full house. They were a very enthusiatic group and had many questions.
They realized the importance of knowing what is involved in a real estate sale.
When they have a buyer, no surprises on their bottom line.
I wish more buyers and sellers would take the time to educate themselves.
Unfortunately, most consumers spend more time looking into buying a dishwasher than the house it belongs in!
There is not Much "real" education available out there for the consumer, which is why we offer our free classes and bring in the experts to teach.