Bulletins – Hawaii Information Service

Deciding to set goals is just the beginning.  Indeed, it has been said that your goals will be much harder to achieve if you don’t write them down.  And while that seems simple enough, that’s not really the end of the story.  Once you write them down, I have found that it’s helpful to prominently display your goals in places that are pertinent to them (posting your work goals at your desk in your office, for example, and your personal goals somewhere in your home), so that when you are in that place and mindset, your focus is on the right things.

Have you written down your goals for 2009 yet?  Here are a few suggestions on how to go about it and what to include:

• Step One: Evaluate how you did in 2008.  Did you meet the goals you set for yourself this past year?  What did and did not work for you?  What did you learn that you can take with you into 2009?
• Step Two: Conduct a quick SWOT analysis on yourself.  What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats?  Identifying these things can help you to be more honest and realistic about what your goals are and how you go about reaching them.
• Step Three: Write down your goals (personal and business related) for 2009 —along with some strategies that you will use to accomplish them— and put them somewhere that you will see them often.

Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2009!

Our office will be closed from December 25, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, January 5, 2009.

Normal office hours are Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In case of emergency….

Neighbor Islands call 1-800-628-3121 and enter “*”
Oahu call 599-4224 and enter “*”

Leave a voicemail message along with your name and your contact information.

Mahalo!

HAWAII INFORMATION SERVICE
680 Iwilei Road, Suite 777
Honolulu, HI 96817
HawaiiInformation.com

The economy is in crisis, home prices are dropping, and people are tightening their financial belts.  Given all of this, many have the misconception that now is the worst possible time to purchase a home.  In fact, the opposite may be true.

Even though mortgage companies and banks have narrowed the field when it comes to approving loans, they are still lending to those who can meet their criteria – and I know you have clients who are perfect candidates.  So break out your client list, find those qualified first time home buyers and savvy investors, and let’s get crackin’.

The order of the day? Narrow your sphere to a specific list of people who are perfect home buying candidates right now. Target them via personal e-mails, e-blasts, phone calls and mailers spelling out why you think they are ready to buy NOW.

Here are a few good reasons to start with: home prices continue to drop, mortgage rates are also on their way down, and there are many sellers out there who are desperate and willing to negotiate to get the deal done.

And here are a few things you should include in your communication with them:

• Remind first time homebuyers and investors that they are in a unique situation in that they don’t have to sell something in order to buy – putting the market on their side.
• Provide first time home buyers a rent vs. buy chart to demonstrate the benefit of buying over renting for the next few years.
• Tell them WHY you think they are ready to make this move, despite the current conditions.
• Use REsearch to find and send them examples of homes that you feel can demonstrate that what they are looking for IS out there. It helps when people can visualize what you are suggesting when there is an actual home and price in front of them.

A wise person once told me that it is ALWAYS the right time to buy, regardless of the market or economy, if you are in the position to do so and you find the right opportunity.  Encourage your clients in this position to take advantage of what may be a chance of a lifetime.

If you are placing your license INACTIVE, or if you are surrendering your license, please let us know by by December 23, 2008 to assure that you will not be billed for MLS service in this January billing. If you are not the principal broker, designated REALTOR or Broker-in Charge of your office, please ask him/her to notify us to terminate your service.

Just as clarification, you may not terminate your service if you are not going inactive or surrendering your license if your office is not terminating its service as well.

Once we charge your credit card or debit your account, there is no refund. Please contact us before billing occurs if you would like to make any changes to your billing.

If you need to change your payment account, please go to this link:
http://www.hiiinfo.net/REsearch/IDX/mlsHawaii/forms/PreAuthprizedPayment.pdf

Print and complete this Exhibit C form, sign it, and fax it to (808) 524-6874. Please note that your broker does not have to sign this form if you are only changing your account information.

If you need to change your payment frequency or billing cycle, please notify us by:

o Calling HIS Accounting at 1-800-628-3121, ext. #454, or
o Sending an email to Accounting@HawaiiInformation.com

Mahalo!

Administration Notes

Our offices will be closed for the holidays from December 25, 2008 through January 04, 2009. Normal office hours will resume on January 05, 2009.

Normal Office Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

In the event of emergency ….
you may leave a message in our emergency voice mailbox by calling the main office number and pressing * (star). Leave your message and our phone system will notify our on-call staff that there is an emergency message. Call 1-800-628-3121, if calling from the neighbor islands or 599-4224, if calling from Oahu.

www.HawaiiInformation.com
Dole Office Building, 680 Iwilei Road #777, Honolulu, HI 96817

“MELE KALIKIMAKA
&
HAUOLI MAKAHIKI HOU

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

If you regularly advertise or send out bulk communications via facsimile machine, be sure you know to whom you’re allowed to send faxes.

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission issued its final rule on the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005.  The requirement to have had an Established Business Relationship (EBR) with the recipient still stands, but the clarification issued in October also covered fax numbers obtained on the web, from an advertisement, or in a business directory.

Key to the latest update is determining whether the recipient”voluntarily agreed” to make its fax number available. Generally, senders are in the clear if the fax number is published on the recipient’s official website, placed in an ad or other publication from the recipient, or included in a directory or database in which the recipient appears to have requested or authorize the listing.

The Junk Fax Prevention Act also requires that all facsimile advertisements include an opt-out notice that instructs recipients on howto notify senders that they do not wish to receive future facsimile advertisements.  You can invite recipients to opt out via a website, provided the mechanism is plainly visible on the main page.

For all the details (including petitions made by the Direct Marketing Association and other groups),  consult the full report in the Federal Register (PDF).