Patriot Day 2012

We are very proud and excited to be a sponsor of the upcoming Patriot Day 2012, hosted by No One Left Behind, part of the Friends of Freedom organization.  Friends of Freedom has spent the past decade working to promote public awareness of veterans’ issues.  The goal of NOLB is to publicize the issue of mounting veterans’ needs, and find and implement solutions.

We hope you’ll join us for two great days, Friday September 7^th and Saturday, September 8^th, 2012, at the Hyatt At Gainey Ranch and Gainey Golf Club for the 4^th Annual Patriot Day Celebration, with the Miami Dolphins 1972 Perfect Team. 

On Friday, the Pairing Party will get underway at 5:30PM at Gainey Golf Club. Activities will include the celebrity SINK OR SWIM competition, pre-registration of players and sponsors, landing and takeoff of Blackhawk and Apache Longbow helicopters, a lovely buffet and cocktails in the ballroom, and a live celebrity auction for partner players, with guest speaker Paul Warfield, former NFL player and Pro Football Hall of Famer.  In 1999, Paul was ranked number 60 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Saturday’s events start with registration at 10:15AM, as well as Pro lessons, 10:15 – 11:30AM.  This will be followed by Honor Guard; Ranger/Golden Knight, double-amputee Dana Bowman parachute landing; the National Anthem by Chuck Taylor; program announcements and thank you’s; and a shot gun tee time of 12:45PM. Following a great day of golf, at 6:00PM we’ll cap the day with a silent auction at Gainey Golf Club plus food, beer and wine. We’ll also have  inspirational speaker Dana Bowman and keynote speaker CSM Max Butler of AZ Army National Guard.  We’ll close with an 8:30-8:55PM Fallen Soldiers Project presentation.  

It will be a fun-filled two days, and all for such a worthy cause – our Vets!  For more information on sponsorship or player sign ups, contact your Fidelity rep, or Michael Venezia @ 602.690.5187, Michael@friendsoffreedom.us. 

Meet Amy Schaupeter, Our New Scottsdale Ridge Branch Manager

Please mark your calendars to join us August 15^th, 4:00 – 6:00p for our Scottsdale Ridge open house.  Come meet our newly appointed Branch Manager, Amy Schaupeter, and mingle with her great team, while enjoying cocktails and hor d’oeuvres. 

Born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Amy moved with her family to Denver while she was still in elementary school.  Amy is a “middle child”, with an older and a younger brother.  She says they are very close, even though they do not live close to one another. Her younger brother lives in Colorado and her older brother lives in St. Louis.

Amy went to college at the University of Colorado - Boulder (Go Buffaloes!), but while in college, she got the “acting bug” and took some time out to move to New York City to pursue an acting career. With completing a year in acting school in New York, Amy got a job in the theater – weekends were spent doing children’s theater projects, as well.  Amy had four different bartender jobs to help with finances while in New York City and soon realized that the theater was not the life she wanted, so she traveled in Europe on her own for a couple of months before returning to college in Colorado where she completed her degree in communications and theater.

Amy fell into “escrow land” by answering a job ad in Grand Junction, CO for a company called CPR Title. She thought the job sounded interesting and was up for a challenge (little did she know, right?). While she lived in California she worked for Brighton Escrow. Feeling the need for a change of scenery, Amy moved to Arizona in July of 2005 and continued to further her escrow career.

Some interesting facts about Amy and some of her “favorites”: She has two dogs, Maggie and Faith, and two cats, Rex and Daisy – all are rescued animals. Amy found Rex as a kitten while Amy was white water rafting with friends in California. Amy really enjoys all the water sports, but her exercise of choice is either running or hiking. She is an avid reader of fiction and mysteries. Cooking and entertaining family and friends is high on her list of favorite things to do, too. Her special apple pie is always requested and she makes a “mean” lasagna, she says. Amy also enjoys trying ethnic foods like Indian and Greek. Italy is one of her most favorite places to visit.

When asked what she likes about working for Fidelity, Amy did not hesitate with her response. “I like working for a company that really cares about its people”, Amy offered. “The resources, support teams, the great store of knowledge and accessibility to that knowledge are such a benefit.” 

As to sharing a little “life advice” with us, Amy says that being a cancer survivor has taught her to never take anything for granted and to be grateful for everything we have. Amy has been “cancer-free” for over two years now.

Welcome Jennifer Kotfila, Scottsdale Promenade Branch Manager

A great time was had by all who attended our recent open house at the Scottsdale Promenade office, June 7^th, welcoming our new branch manager, Jennifer Kotfila. Thanks to everyone who came by and helped to make this a successful and fun event!

Jennifer is another stellar example of the high caliber professionals on the Fidelity team.  Starting in the title business with Chicago Title in 1993, Jennifer then worked for Fidelity for 2 years, took a short stint away, then returned and has been back with us for 4 years.

Jennifer says of her start, “I got into the business because my mom told me I needed a job that had benefits.  My Mom worked for the Catholic Diocese in the land department and had a contact at Chicago;  I have been hooked ever since!”

Jennifer hails from Phoenix, being born and raised here.  She’s been married 13 years and has 3 Chihuahuas.  When not addressing her clients’ needs, Jennifer loves to “vacation on a beach anywhere”, snow ski, and hike. 

Stop by when you get a chance and say hello to Jennifer and the rest of our great Scottsdale Promenade team, Susan D’Amato, Bryan Selna, Angelica Rodriguez, and Veronica Wyant.  If you’d like to see pictures of the June 7^th open house, click here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.406846592692071.87272.167909109919155&type=1

Leverage Social Media

For most, participating in social media is like going to a rock concert.  You find yourself surrounded by people that all have a common interest (be it AC/DC or real estate).  You like the familiar, loud music, you like the energy of the crowd, you feel connected.  But, at the end of the show, there are only a select few that the whole crowd remembers.  It was those on stage, leading the audience to be connected, who made the biggest impression.

So with your efforts in social media, you need to make the choice: Are you going to be on stage, making the lasting impression?  OR are you going home in an overpriced souvenir T-shirt, telling all your friends how great it was?

Social Media has made it all too easy to organize a formidable community.  Now, to be successful in leveraging that community to “work” for you, it is your responsibility to get up on stage, in front of them, night after night, and start leaving an impression.  If you go to the show just to hold a lighter, you’ll always be just a face in the crowd.

1. Get there early to develop the largest amount of followers as possible.
2. Regularly provide relevant, compelling, eye-catching, and impressionable content for the community to consume – and share.
3. Update your status regularly with relevant, compelling, eye-catching, and impressionable bite-size content.
4. Participate (comment, message, tag, nudge and friend) in the Greater Community to grow your reach, relevance and influence.
5. Lather – Rinse – Repeat.

We can’t stress enough how important it is to learn to use these social tools of today. Be certain, they aren’t going away. The generation coming up under us will make sure of that.  So get up on that stage and make a lasting impression!

Source: Adapted from an article by Jim Cronin

Leverage Facebook For Your Real Estate Practice

*One in every five page views in the U.S. occurred on Facebook, bringing in more than 400 billion page views this year.

*The average visit time on Facebook is 20 minutes.

*Facebook members know a thing or two about loyalty.  About 96% of Facebook visitors have returned within the past 30 days, as of April 2012. 

Based on current numbers, it’s estimated that by the end of 2012, Facebook will approach one billion members.  As social media has become a big part of life in a technology-saturated world, it developed functions other than to connect with friends and family.  Social media helps businesses and professionals network, promote their products and services, and find potential clients.  However, it’s a fine line, building one’s “funnel “ of prospective buyers and sellers, while not annoying them with your unsolicited marketing efforts.  How you engage them is key.  

A lot of you in real estate have embraced social media, and some have really learned how to fully leverage it in your business.  The Corcoran Group out of NYC, in particular comes to mind, as does the Get Home Denver team.  Both have iPhone and Android apps, blogs, and integrate other effective social media tools into their Facebook.   And equally important, they seem to have a grasp on that fine line of the right content to engage and convert, without putting people off with overly done marketing. 

Join us for an informative workshop to learn the ins and outs of leveraging Facebook in YOUR real estate business!  This intensive workshop will teach you all the necessary basics to use Facebook for your business including the following: 

Everything you need to know about the new Facebook Timeline 

How to grow your brand with a compelling business page 

How to best engage customers and prospects, build loyalty and create brand advocates 

How to generate leads and business on Facebook 

This is not a generic Facebook workshop but is specific for the real estate industry. You will leave with an actionable plan on how to grow your real estate practice using Facebook.

Speaker: Nadine Kagan Wilson, Moxie Consulting 

Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 

Time: 10:00 AM—11:30AM 

RSVP: Erika.Kalpakoff@fnf.com 

Where: Fidelity National Title– Training Room 

60 E. Rio Salado Pkwy, 11th Floor 

Tempe, AZ 85281

Source:  Mashable, Samantha Murphy

Congratulations to Carlye Buxton - FNTA-Maricopa's May 2012 Employee in the Spotlight

Our May 2012 Employee in the Spotlight was born in New York State – Queens Village in Nassau County, to be exact. With two sisters, one older and one younger, Carlye Buxton and her family moved to Arizona from New York when she was ten years old due to her dad’s job transfer. Carlye thought the “move” was an exciting event to say the least. You can imagine what a ten-year-old growing up in New York pictured when told she was moving to the desert. She was sure she would see lots of sand and camels.

This “peace-making, over-achiever” middle child was very active during her high school years. Freshman class president, three years in the National Honor Society and President of her school’s Key Club Chapter in her senior year tells us how well-rounded Carlye became. Somehow she managed to fit cheerleading and volleyball in there, too. None of this is a surprise to those of us who know Carlye and her infectious laugh and constant smile.

After graduating from Seton Catholic High School in Chandler, Carlyle packed up and moved to San Diego to attend the San Diego Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. After completing several quarters of study, Carlye had to return to Arizona due to her dad’s failing health. She enrolled in what was at the time called Chandler/Gilbert Community College where she earned an Associate’s Degree in General Studies.

Carlye’s introduction to “escrow”, believe it or not, came by way of an association with “The Magic Kingdom”. While in San Diego, Carlye worked part-time at a Disney Store and when she moved back to Arizona, she transferred to the Disney Store at Fiesta Mall where she worked two evenings a week and weekends. During the week, Carlye worked as a receptionist at a nearby ATI Title office. It was soon evident that Carlye had the qualities needed to work in the fast-paced, sometime pressure cooker world of escrow, and so began her escrow adventure.

                Carlye is married to Ken (She calls him her personal chef!). Together they have two little girls, Ivy, who is 11 and Luci, who will be seven in May. Luci loves animals and participates in an after-school Phoenix Zoo program called Zoo Vets. Ivy is what Carlye calls “a book-a-holic”. Ivy loves to read and last year logged reading 3,800,000 words. The program entails reading a book, taking a test on the book, and if the test is passed, the student is awarded the corresponding number of words. Ivy is also in the Drama Club. Family time for the Buxton’s includes playing board games, going to movies, riding bikes, and getting to Disneyland as often as they can. In her leisure time (if she can find any), Carlye enjoys reading, movies, and scrapbooking. No dust settling in the Buxton household for sure!

                Sharing a little life lesson with us, Carlye says, “We all need to laugh a little every day and to make a real effort to find a way to enjoy whatever it is you are doing at the time and enjoy the people you are with. The joy is always there; you just have to look for it.

                Congratulations, Carlye, on being chosen the FNTA- Maricopa May 2012 Employee in the Spotlight. We appreciate your constant dedication to honing your craft. Thank you for all your contributions and for sharing your expertise with our Fidelity family. We are grateful for all you do. 

Melissa Shapiro Promoted to VP Sales and Marketing for FNT Maricopa

We are pleased to announce some very big and exciting changes happening here at Fidelity Phoenix. Steve de Laveaga, SVP Sales and Marketing Maricopa County, has been appointed to Senior Vice President, Regional Sales and Marketing for FNTG Western Operations. Steve has made outstanding contributions to our operation, applying his more than 20 years of sales and sales management experience to be a collaborative part of the our operations financial success. 

Melissa Shapiro
Vice President-Sales and Marketing
Fidelity National Title Agency - Maricopa

We wish Steve well in his new position, and it is with great pleasure that we announce the promotion of Melissa Shapiro to the position of Vice President-Sales and Marketing Manager for Fidelity National Title Agency-Maricopa. Melissa has worked diligently in Sales over the past five years, and she stands ready to accept her new position dedicated to creating a smooth transition.

Melissa’s tenacity, perseverance, and commitment all contribute to her proven success in her current role, and we can’t think of a better individual to lead the FNTA-Maricopa Sales Team. As Director of Sales and REO for Fidelity National Title, Melissa led a team of nine in producing record profits and growing REO markets. Her 15 years of sales experience combined with a strong desire to provide the highest level of customer service has led her to rise above a declining market and grow Fidelity’s REO market by 20% in 2010. 

Please help us in welcoming Melissa to her new position. 

Sharpen Your Communication Skills

The English language is a curious animal; we oftentimes make statements or write instructions, absolutely convinced that we make perfect sense. Until we get a strange look, a blank stare, a response that makes no sense whatsoever, or an outright “Huh??”  Or when we go back to it later for one reason or another and realize “Hmmm… I don’t remember what I really meant by that…”  Sound familiar?  Things don’t always come out the way they were meant. It's true of everyone, from time to time, albeit some more than others.

And the margin for misinterpretation increases ten-fold when it’s in writing, rather than verbal communication. We’re all over-committed, racing through our day, multi-tasking, and often, our mouth and fingers sometimes get ahead of our analytical skills or better judgment. It’s amazing how fast and easily you can confuse the heck out of people, or worst case, destroy your reputation and credibility these days by keystroke. 

In any case, once something comes out of your mouth or you hit the send or post button, it's out there for your boss, coworkers, customers, and more often than we realize, the entire world to see. You own it forever, you literally can't take it back, so it’s vitally important it conveys as intended.  Once you make the mistake once or twice of being less than clear in your communication-- as we’ve all done -- that should be enough to make you more diligent in ensuring you are.

Sounds easy, right?  But the ability to write clear, unambiguous instructions and communications is truly an art.  Our own Pat Baldwin, CSEO,  is conducting a great class to assist escrow folks in sharpening their skills in communicating clear instructions and learn how to ensure that what you say and write has both the intended impact and as few unintended consequences as possible.  Please join us!  Details below:

Class to be held on:

Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 9:30am until 12:30pm

Class to be held at:

Green Street Realty
3131 E. Camelback Road, suite 410
Phoenix AZ 85016

For more information or to RSVP:
Contact: Bernadette Espinosa
Email: BEspinosa@fnf.com

Spring and Summer Market Outlook

Those in the housing industry don’t want to get their hopes up too much about this year’s spring buying and selling season. But it’s hard to deny that the market is looking less dire this year, as recent indicators show a pickup in sales.

“Conditions are coming together to encourage people to want to buy homes,” said Doug Duncan, vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae, in a news release. “Americans’ rental price expectations for the next year continue to rise, reaching their record high level for our survey this month. With an increasing share of consumers expecting higher mortgage rates and home prices over the next 12 months, some may feel that renting is becoming more costly and that homeownership is a more compelling housing choice.”

Nearly half of consumers polled in Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey in March expect higher rental prices in the year ahead. And 33% expect home prices to rise in the year, the highest percentage recorded in more than a year. Forty-four percent think their personal finances will get better over the next year.

As a result, 73% of the 1,000 Americans polled think it’s a good time to buy a home.

Some industry watchers have stopped trying to guess how the housing market will perform in the future, since this market has been down so long and so many predictions have been wrong in the past. But the conditions may be right for the housing market to finally start looking a little bit brighter this year.

The Phoenix market, one of the hardest hit during the nation’s housing bust, is now starting to gain some steam. 

The rebound is “driven by strong economic growth, once in a generation affordability levels, and a surge in investment activity that far surpasses the levels during the housing boom,” according to a report from John Burns Real Estate Consulting. 

Prices fell 57% from 2006 through mid-2011, according to the report. Around the middle of last year conditions started to improve, due to a combination of more investors and foreign buyers in the market, a shrinking for-sale inventory and strong job growth. 

“Months of supply is now at a very low 2.4 months, down from nearly 5 months just one year ago and over 12 months in early 2008. Months of supply has not been this low in Phoenix since late 2005 when sales activity was at feverish levels,” the report read. 

It’s worth mentioning that there’s a seasonality to Phoenix. Snowbirds flock here during the winter and the MLB Cactus League’s Spring Training is a highlight in March. Visitors may have seen real-estate opportunities in Phoenix during their trip this year, according to the report. 

“The true test of Phoenix housing-market strength will be this summer, when these favorable elements subside and the housing market will stand more on its own,” the report said. 

Source: MarketWatch — Amy Hoak 

Congrats to Bernie Espinosa, Our April 2012 Employee in the Spotlight

Warm temperatures have arrived. We call it Spring in the Valley of the Sun, and the second quarter begins!

Meet Bernie Espinosa, one of our esteemed Sales Executives.  Vivacious, energetic, thoughtful, and caring are just a few words that describe our co-worker.

Bernie was born in San Francisco to parents who both immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua. Interestingly, even though Bernie’s mom and dad came to the United States from the same country, they did not know each other in Nicaragua. They met through mutual friends in San Francisco. Bernie is, as she says, first generation. She attributes her work ethic and her appreciation for life to the lessons she learned from her parents who worked so hard for their family.

Bernie has one older brother, David, who is a policeman (on the SWAT Team) in San Francisco, and one younger sister, Janel, who lives in San Diego and who also works in sales. Bernie went to school at the San Diego Fashion Institute. She moved to the Phoenix area in 2000 to take a position in a technology firm as Vice President of Marketing. After a very successful term with the company and completing her business goals, Bernie spent some time traveling to Europe and South America.

Bernie Espinosa, FNT Sales Executive

Wanting to grow professionally and move on to new challenges, Bernie entered the world of title and escrow. With a referral from a loan officer friend, Bernie obtained positions with Equity Title and Magnus Title. In August of 2007, Bernie worked for Ticor Title and came to Fidelity National Title by way of the Ticor Title merger in May of 2008. Bernie says that the longest time she has ever worked for a company is with Fidelity and she loves her job.

Here are a few things you may or may not know about our April 2012 Employee in the Spotlight:

Bernie…

§  Is an artist and loves vibrant colors

§  Loves being outside (hiking especially)

§  Loves to cook – she makes a great chicken piccata

§  Loves to learn, read, and travel

§  Loves spending time with her rescue dog, Lucky

§  Enjoys life and loves helping others

§  Loves the San Francisco Giants

§  Was born on February 14^th (Valentine’s Day) which may account for her love of “sweets”

When asked about any special life lessons she wanted to share, Bernie said that many of the lessons she has learned from others are things she would not want to emulate. Sometimes learning what not to do is a valuable lesson, too. Bernie’s best “life advice”? Work hard, be grateful, cherish your family and friends, sow a seed, help others, and be present in the now.

Congratulations to Bernadette Espinosa on being selected the FNTA- Maricopa April 2012 Employee in the Spotlight. It has been said that the real secret to success is enthusiasm, and Bernie certainly demonstrates that quality to all of us. We thank you for bringing your unique gifts and talents to our Fidelity team, Bernie. You are appreciated!

Realty Executives Fiesta May 2

We are pleased to be sponsoring the annual Realty Executives Executive Event, “Fiesta”, May 2^nd, 2012 at Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale. This is an incredible day of education, networking, vendor expo, and the Executive Awards presentation.

The partner and vendor expo runs most of the day, from 8:30a through 2:30p. Also scheduled throughout the day:

9:00a – 10:00a: REALTOR.com training – Brett Barlows will discuss the Control Panel, education, and provide some relevant updates.

10:00a – 10:45a: 2011 Executive Awards presentation – With Realty Executives Phoenix Brokers, Prospect Mortgage, and Fidelity National Title Agency.

11:00a – 12:00p: Todd Sumney, V.P. Marketing Realty Executives International will present your new “Executive Access”.

12:00p – 12:30p: Lunch and networking

12:30p – 4:00p: Bill Gray will present AAR Contract Addenda, New & Revised, providing 3 hours of Contract Law C.E. credit.

Admission to this great event is free for all Realty Executive “Phoenix” – Phoenix, Yuma, and ERN. For all other guests, there’s a $20.00 fee for the C.E. class, and $10.00 for lunch.

Register at http://executiveevent.eventbrite.com/.

Phoenix Wealth Builders Event

We are pleased to be hosting another great seminar by Phoenix Wealth Builders at our Hayden Ferry training room on April 25, 2012, 2:00 to 3:00PM.

Whether you are a first-time investor or a seasoned professional, Arizona real estate represents the best opportunity for appreciation and CASHFLOW. Why invest in Arizona real estate?

• With a diversified economy, an educated workforce, and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, Arizona is a magnet for corporations and workers alike.
• 2010 Census data reveals that Arizona’s population grew 24.6% from 2000 to 2010, and boasts a comfy population density of about 56 persons per square mile.
• There is a real estate investment opportunity just waiting to be snatched – vacant land, foreclosed homes, short-sales, discounted condos and flips are just a few prospects.

The Phoenix Wealth Builders team, Eddie Rosefield and Justin Colby will present their services:

• Full service, one stop shop, solution to your cash flow property buyers
• We take your investor and find them a property, rehab the property, fill it with a well qualified tenant, and place our property management company on top
• We effectively handle EVERY aspect of the ENTIRE process from start to finish.
• Investor sits back and collects a monthly check
• Through our resources of non-profits, asset managers, and other investors & wholesalers in town, we have the inventory that you may not have access to
• And YOU still make your 3% Commission!!!

This is an Invitation only event. Contact your Fidelity representative should you wish to attend.

Source: Phoenix Wealth Builders

Mobile Apps That Improve Photos and Presentations

Great visuals help sell homes; Real Estate 101, right? How often to you list a home with a grand staircase or beautiful ceilings and your photos just don’t do the space justice? Today we’re featuring a couple of mobile apps that can help improve your visuals, both photos and presentations.

With the Photosynth smart phone app, you’ll be able to create beautiful photo panoramas by stitching together multiple photos of a space, and provide an interactive 3 dimensional view for your listing that will truly highlight all the listing has to offer. To date, Microsoft has only produced an iPhone version of this app, but plans on releasing a Windows based app soon.

The Keynote app allows you to create and present beautiful presentations for your clients and colleagues straight from your phone, iPad, or even iPod touch. You may also connect to an HDTV for larger presentations while previewing your slides and notes from your device with the Presenter Display feature. Choose from design templates with choices for animated charts, tables, transitions, fonts, plenty of style options and the ability to easily import photos. You can also easily share you presentation by exporting it as a Keynote ’09, Microsoft Power Point or PDF file. This app will take your presentations to a whole new level! Compatible with iPhone, the app will cost you $9.99, but it’s worth the small investment!

Calling All Raving Fans! Vote For Fidelity Phoenix For Ranking AZ

Ranking Arizona Magazine has become the largest business opinion poll in the state. Each year, we have the opportunity to broadcast our opinions on who the best companies are in the Valley through online voting! This year, our goal is to lead the state’s title company industry by taking top rank in the 2013 edition of this magazine. Please help us reach this honor by casting your vote today!

Click here to access the voting link: http://ranking.aznow.biz/

Instructions to vote:

1. Click the “to vote search by category”

2. Select “Real Estate-Residential”

3. Select “Title Companies”

4. Select “Fidelity National Title”

5. Enter in your email address

6. Click cast my vote

Sharon Terhune Named February 2012 Fidelity National Title Agency Employee in the Spotlight

A great big “ball of energy” is the way I must describe this month’s Employee in the Spotlight. As it is for so many of our working mom’s, it’s got to be a plateful for this wife, mother of four daughters, and our full-time Fidelity National Title AVP and Director of Broker Relations, Sharon Terhune.

“I am almost an Arizona native,” says Sharon. She moved with her family (Italian on both sides-her grandparents came over from Italy) from New Jersey when she was around four years old. “Jersey Girl” Sharon has one brother who lives in Surprise, Arizona, and two sisters who live close by in the neighborhood. Actually, a lower level living area was designed and built especially for Sharon’s parents in the Terhune home, so they truly are a “close” family.

Sharon went to Horizon High School and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from ASU. While working in the hospitality industry at the Thunderbird Inn at the Scottsdale Air Park, Sharon met Steve Terhune, who was also from the East Coast – New York State to be exact. Together for 24 years, Sharon and Steve will be celebrating their 20^th Wedding Anniversary this year! Their four daughters (yes, possibly four weddings are in their future) complete the Terhune Family – Paige, who is 16, Kenzie and Kayla, who are seven-year-old twins, and Amber, who is four years old.

Sharon loves to cook – she makes a “killer” pizza, but her expertise in the kitchen isn’t limited to Italian fare. She likes to try her hand at different dishes, even sushi. Sharon loves to shop for bargains, a skill I am sure she makes sure she shares with her four daughters. Their family enjoys entertaining and just loves hanging out together at their home. Their backyard is an “at-home” playground, and the girls like to work on art and craft projects, as well. The family just loves being together. Now that Paige is old enough to babysit, Sharon and Steve do enjoy a date night every once in a while. “Truthfully,” says Sharon, “the real secret to my success is my wonderful husband.”

In offering us words of encouragement, Sharon says that she believes in Karma. “What you give will come back in three-fold return. Be Positive – Be Happy”! In the 17 years that I, Mary Lou, have worked with Sharon, I can say that she tries every day to live up to her words.

What an example you are, Sharon, to all of us. Along with all of your family responsibilities, your company loyalty and commitment to your work at Fidelity National Title is so admirable. You work hard at maintaining your focus and bring a special vitality and spirit to our Team. We are grateful for all you do. Congratulations on being the February 2012 Fidelity National Title Agency Employee in the Spotlight.

Sincerely,

Mary Lou Paulk

Mary Garcia Appointed to Assistant Manager of Fidelity Phoenix NTS Office

Congratulations to Mary Garcia, our newly appointed Assistant Manager for our Phoenix NTS Office!

Mary can honestly say that she has “grown up in title” having worked in the industry since she was just 18 years old. Growing up as the proverbial “military brat”, Mary grew up overseas in England, returning to the states to at 18 to finish high school in Las Vegas, where her father retired. The only problem was that in the UK, no one can drive until 18. Having never held that oh so important license in her teenage hands, Mary was forced to find a job that she could walk to everyday. She found a nearby company that she worked for after school. As fate had planned, Mary’s boss sold the company, but he promised to find her another job. Luckily for her, he made a call to the title company that had closed their sale thinking that her background in her summer military jobs may appeal to their needs with of all things “microfiche”- remember that? Back in the day when you went to the library instead of Google? Mary was able to sweet talk her way into rides to and from work everyday and said that her office team taught her to drive; in her words- “it took a village!”

It was 1985 when Mary took her first job in the title business and she spent 11 years as a Title Officer. She says that learning title in Vegas was a great opportunity to learn all of the things not to do and was exposed to some “questionable” goings on that allowed her to hone her title instincts!

In 1996 Mary moved to Denver because “it was a nice place to visit” where she was hired by Lawyers Title, she then relocated to Phoenix two years later to her current NTS home.

Mary says that her Fidelity Phoenix team is her true family and she looks forward to seeing them every day. When not working, Mary claims Sedona is her sanctuary where she enjoys hiking and being outdoors. She has two pooches, Duke who is a Lab and a stray mutt, Katie that she rescued from a busy street.

Mary looks forward to many more years in the industry and the challenges presented by the changing environment of our time.

You can reach Mary by phone at 602.343.7571 and by email at mary.garcia@fnf.com.

Join Our TweetUp To Learn About Chase Bank's Short Sales, REOs and Foreclosure Process

We are pleased to announce our very first TweetUp! During our road show with Chase Bank, on Tuesday March 13 from 11:30-12:00 we will be tweeting the latest information on Chase processes and programs with Chase's VP Western Regional Relationship Manager, Deanna Murphy. Posts will include the most pertinent updates on Chase Short Sales, REOs and Foreclosure Process.

Topics include:

*Chase Foreclosure Review Process-details on how decisions are made
*Chase Accelerator Program ¡V portfolio product
*Issues to avoid with your Short Sale Package
*How to Escalate and Contacts
*How Realtors benefit from the Homeownership Centers
*Foreclosure Avoidance Program-helping homeowner¡¦s reach their ultimate goal
*Chase REO & Realtors

Understanding the inside track on Chase's processes and programs will help you better determine the best opportunities to pursue, make your time more efficiently spent and help grow your business!

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Apps That Give Buyers A Vision of Their Home

Continuing our series on mobile apps that can help real estate agents out in the trenches, here are a couple that are especially helpful when working with buyers.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses… and not all buyers have the ability to see past rooms of a home as they exist, to what they have the potential to actually BE. The iLiving app can help your clients visualize a space in a different light. It allows you to take a photo of a room and place furniture into the room to see what the space looks like with new furniture and layouts. It’s currently available for iPhone^®, though rumor has it an Anroid^® version is in the works.

Or if you’ve ever struggled with helping your buyer get past a horrible paint color, the ColorSmart by BEHR^® app will be your new favorite tool. Simply take a photo of a room and the app will virtually paint the walls for you. No more trying to imagine; this app will allow your buyers to see a room in colors THEY love, providing you the capability to decorate a room image digitally with touch-and-tap technology and preview color on walls, trim and accents.

The ColorSmart by BEHR Mobile application is available as a free download in both the Android Market and Apple iTunes^® App Store.

Both apps can help you overcome buyers reluctance about a potentially great home for them, by providing them a glimpse of it as “their” home.

Apps That Help Your Business

There are so many apps out there, it's hard to know what is beneficial to your business and what is a waste of time. So we've done some of the work for you! We are kicking off a blog series on apps that help you in your real estate practice. Keep checking back, we'll be posting info on a regular basis regarding apps we think will help bolster your business.

Are you posting video to YouTube, to your own website, as another tool in your real estate tool belt? With real estate professionals using video more and more, a great video production app can help today’s mobile agent get the job done.

For you iPhone 4/3GS and iPod Touch running iOS 4.2 and higher users, one app you may want to check out is Splice. The Splice app will allow you to create and even edit videos from your smart phone without ever having to use a computer or laptop.

Video editing can be a really frustrating experience, especially if you’re trying to do it with only a few inches of screen real estate. Splice removes the pain, allowing you to put together HD photos and videos in an amazingly simple way with a raft of powerful but super easy-to-use tools. You’ll be able to create videos using your videos, photos, and even music from your iTunes library. Add sound effects, transitions, borders, special effects, trim video and audio, narrate with your own voice, and much more.

If you’re an Android user looking for video editing capabilities, than Clesh Video Editor is a great option. Clesh is a cloud based video editor that provides an assortment of editing capabilities and features, and even allows you to publish your videos directly to Facebook and YouTube with no advertisements.

Supercharge Your Online Marketing

Today’s web is a very noisy place, so competing for eyeballs is no small feat. Smart marketers know that it’s no longer enough to talk about you, your product, how fantastic your service is, throw a couple of testimonials on your site and call it a day.

In order to create action & engagement, you must first earn the interest and trust of your target. So how do you do this?

Create content that informs, educates or excites, or all of the above. When you create content that people read and interact with, that is a great start. Create content that people share, well now you’ve discovered the secret.

Bring on social media and blogs. The rise and popularity of social media consumption gives you as a marketer a great opportunity to create the type of content mentioned above and convert social media and blog readers into customers. But, don’t think of your online presence as a hard sale sales tool. Not only will this type of content not attract new readers, it will turn off the readers you have. So as tempting as it is, listings don’t make for effective blog posts.

Where to start? What to write about? This is the challenge that content marketers face every day. Think about your interests, your passions, think outside real estate. Connect with people with common interests.

If you’ve a passion for black and white photography, write about it from time to time. Or gardening, collecting fabulous wine, etc.; you get the idea. Not all posts must or should be real estate related. Connect online to people as people, with a shared interest, just as you do in the real world. Interact with them on your blog, Facebook page, etc. and forge relationships with those readers; you’re adding these relationships into your pipeline of eventual customers (when the time was right).

Now think back to real estate. What do you know about the market, selling a home, home staging that consumers would be interested in? Write about it! Position yourself as a leader, an expert, another great way to build trust.

Social media is not a short term strategy, it takes time, patience is a virtue, write like a human (no corporate speak), let your personality shine through, look for new and interesting angles, use the web for inspiration (what are your peers blogging/posting about, what content is working for them) and have fun!

Source: Marie Still, Director of Marketing for MRIS.