http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:11:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We have become so accustomed to bad news in this and neighboring industries that we often draw the long sigh of despair before we’ve had a chance to digest all the information. Thankfully, there is some good news. We all know the market will recover; it’s just a question of when ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=45 As if we needed more bad news, pretty soon there will be less bread on the table after the merging of Bank of America and Countrywide.  The combination of two power houses will ironically eliminate a bevy of positions.  If you're one of these employees, how do you plan on securing your ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=44 {democracy:2} http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=43 At first, you were the new guy (or girl), eager to absorb all information from your peers, superiors and surroundings.  You made your way through the rankings and eventally climbed to intermediate, then the senior executive level.  You ruled and your income reflected those many years of experience.  You trusted the ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=42 BK is not only known for the "royale with cheese" and "have it your way;"  nope, in our financial real estate world, it's the infamous two-letter 'F-word' for a myriad of troubled and distressed real estate/mortgage companies of 2007-2008.  My guess is that companies would rather not "have it this way." See who bit ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=41 It's times like these, I really wish the freeway had a separate bike route.  Not only are we famished for real estate work, but now our tanks are running low and we're parched for fuel! With gas prices costing an arm and two legs, how far are you willing to drive for ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=40 For most real estate professionals out there, business is slow (non-existent for others).  The industry is our restaurant.  For the sake of this mental imagery, let's call it our Italian restaurant.  The buyers, sellers and investors are our patrons.  We are the chefs, sous-chefs, and maitre'd's of our establishments.  Customers ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=39 Remember that commercial back in the 80's with the little old lady hollaring, "Where's the beef?!" I have a feeling she's not the only one these days asking that question.  So where is the beef?  Better yet, where's the bacon?  The cheddar? The remaining REAL ESTATE JOBS that bring home the money and help ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=38 You would think that while we are STILL in the middle (and hopefully, tail-end) of this real estate debacle, all exotic and zero-money down loans would be relics of the past.  Isn't that the initial thought?  Lenders have tightened up their guidelines and many of today's loans are plain vanilla, original ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=37 Mortgage Employment Declines For 13th Straight Month Graph: In Thousands, Mortgage Employment since Jan. 2002 Although the rate of job losses in the mortgage industry has leveled since it began dropping precipitously last fall, industry employment has declined for more than 13 consecutive months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported ... http://vsgmarketing.com/onthemenu/?p=36