Are You Going to RETechSouth?

Well, I'm getting so excited about RETechSouth!! It will be here in just a few days and if you haven't registered yet, you still have time! Register today for this great technology and networking event--it will be so worth your time and money, especially with great speakers such as Jeff Turner, Matt Fagioli, Brad Nix, Missy Caulk, Teresa Boardman, Kelly Koehler, Ginger Wilcox and many, many others! With so many great speakers flying in from across the country to talk about a wide range of topics from Social Media, Marketing, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Google, Blogging to just about anything related to technology and real estate this is sure to be a day full of great ideas and intense learning.

Also, the key note speaker, Dave Jenks, co-authored both The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times.

If you live in the South you should definitely attend RETechSouth. It's this Friday, March 20th at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

You'll want to come early, stay late and bring your laptop...as free WIFI will be provided.

For more information and to register, please click the link: REGISTER HERE!

Watch the video below for an interview between Matt Rains and Matt Fagioli discussing this awesome technology event!

Hope to see you there!

Want to Learn More About Blogging?

Calling all real estate professionals. Do you want to learn more about blogging? Maybe you would like to create a free blog or perhaps you are a seasoned blogger but would enjoy knowing more about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), how to embed videos and maps into your blog and adding widgets to enhance your blog. Well, I have the solution for you: Matt Rains from Real Estate Technology Online is teaching Blogging 101 and 102 courses over the next couple of weeks.

The next course is tomorrow at Virtual Properties Realty in Duluth, Georgia. Blogging 101 will be from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and Blogging 102 will start at 1 p.m. and run until 4:15 p.m.

These courses will also be taught on Wednesday, March 18 at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Augusta, Georgia. The same times as tomorrow's courses apply.

Each course is three hour state-certified CE and only $30 per course!

You should take Blogging 101 if you want to learn:

• How to start and create a free blog
• How to begin with a firm foundation that will enhance your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Blogging unsuccessfully? Come to this course to learn how to do it correctly
• How to attract potential clients to your blog

You should take Blogging 102 if you want to learn:

• In-depth Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques
• How to embed videos and maps in your blog
• How to Video Blog (Vlog)
• How to add widgets, such as mortgage calculators and text messaging tools, to enhance your blog
• How to build a blog that stands out and attracts potential clients

Click the link below if you would like to register for any of these courses! We hope to see you there!

REGISTER HERE

For more information, watch the video below!

$7500 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers

First-time home buyers are now eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $7,500 when buying a home sometime within April 9, 2008 and June 30, 2009. Here are the specifics:

1. First-time Home Buyer is: A buyer who has not owned a principal residence in the prior 3 years of purchase. For married couples, this rule applies to both the buyer and their spouse. It is okay if you already own rental property or a vacation home, as long as it is not your primary residence.

2. Types of Homes that Qualify: As long as the home will be used as a primary residence, almost any type of home will qualify; this includes: single-family detached homes, townhomes, condominiums, manufactured/mobile homes and houseboats.

3. Income Restraints: First-time home buyers are eligible for the full tax credit as long as their income is less than $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 or less for married couples. A partial tax credit may be available for people with an income greater than the limit, for more information on this please visit: www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com.

4. Payback Provisions: The tax credit is essentially a zero-interest loan and must be paid back over the following 15 years or when they sell the home, whichever comes first. However, the homeowner does not begin making payments until two years after they have bought the home. Say they bought the home in 2008, then the first $500 payment would be due in 2010. If the homeowner sells the home before all the payments have been made, the rest of the credit would be paid back from the profit of the sale. If there was a loss on the home, the remaining credit payback would be forgiven.

I hope this information has helped you better understand this first-time homebuyer program offered by the federal government. If you have any questions or would like to buy a home, especially in Walton, Barrow, or Gwinnett county, I hope you will contact me. I would love the opportunity to help you through the journey of purchasing your first home. With incredible amount of inventory for sale and the incentives the government is giving, now is the time to buy!

*The information for this post came from www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com. Please reference that website for more in-depth information.