Sunday, December 17, 2006

6 degrees of separation...

A couple of weeks back I signed up on mybloglog.com (like many others have recently). Mike Price from MLPodcast.com sent me a note to welcome me to that site and to also let me know that he knew someone that was moving to the Kingman area that would be involved in real estate.

Hey Todd, I meant to get in contact with you. I was meeting with one my business partners the other day and he mentioned that he had a brother in the title insurance business, in Kingman of all places. Small world. His name is Tom Basile with Stewart Title. Perhaps we can make an introduction some day.


Well I think on Wednesday of last week I did get a call from Mr. Basile. He is leading the effort to set up new title offices for Stewart Title and Trust in Mohave County. Stewart Title already has recently opened up an office in Kingman. I believe that Mr. Basile is the General Manager of Stewart Title of Mohave County (if I have that title wrong I apologize).

Tom and I had a great conversation for about 45 minutes with topics ranging from real estate (well duh) to RESPA acts and violations to high end television sets to sports. Tom seems like a real good guy and I told him that next time I write an offer that I'd give Stewart Title a try. So I am going to open escrow on a new deal* with them on Monday.

The only reason I am pointing this out is because of the power of blogs in the real estate business right now. Without reading Mike Price from time to time, leaving comments on his site, him leaving comments on my blog... none of this happens. I am looking forward to working with a new title company simply because of this blog and the many others that I read. The connections are starting to be made and it is getting exciting.

*The new deal I am writing is my first flat fee arrangement with my buyer client. The client is paying cash for the home for $159,000 and the selling broker is offering 3% to the buyer broker (me). My flat fee is $4,000 so the buyer will be able to use $770 in the closing for costs or to reduce the price. I want to thank Greg Swann for the inspiration of the flat fee buyer agreement. I've even blatantly used his terminology on the buyer/broker agreement.

The buyer, my client, is very pleased with this arrangement. I hope she helps me spread the word.

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