Due to the slowdown in real estate, I have been looking for a new carreer.

Garritt Hampton
Director of Sales, Marketing, and Operations

Creative, entrepreneurial leader with experience in the areas of marketing, sales, and operations, with a strong track record of performance in business development and turnaround in high-paced organizations. Exceptionally disciplined and focused on quality; possessing well-developed interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate and direct others in a supportive, cooperative team environment. Successful in capitalizing on growth opportunities, implementing promotional and marketing strategies, and upholding fiscal integrity. Available for relocation.

Professional Strengths and Abilities include:

• Corporate Vision & Strategic Planning
• Business & Technology Infrastructure
• Continuous Process Improvement
• General & Operations Management
• Trend Analysis & Market Planning
• Policy & Procedure Development
• Team Development & Performance Improvement
• Sales & Marketing Leadership
• New Business Development
• Presentations & Training
• Profit & Loss Management
• Customer Service & Satisfaction

View My Resume (PDF format)
View my LinkedIn Profile and Recommendations

I love to read. At any given time, I might be reading 3 or 4 books. In order to keep a record of books I have read I recently put together a running list. I includes books I have finished and books that I am still reading or use as reference materials. I was pretty happy to get the list posted, but when I did I realized what a nerd I am. After looking at the list, I am convinced that I have spent an aggregate total of approximately 3 years reading. To see the list click here. Enjoy!

In-Depth Market Analysis

There are currently 3388 active residential listings (a record) in the Greater Antelope Valley, an increase of over 50 homes in a week. There are also 1168 pending sales. from these numbers, you might get the idea that listings aren't selling, or are not selling very quickly. In fact, that is the general feeling among local Realtors right now. While it is true, that listings are sitting a little longer than they did last year, houses are still selling at an enormous rate.

In order to get some perspective and an accurate picture of the current market, last week we did an in-depth analysis of listings and home sales from 2000-2006. Our findings were very interesting and have serious bearing on the investment market.

We found that while 2005 was a record year for sales, 2006 has been an excellent year as well. January, March and May of 2006 registered the second highest numbers of sales in the past 6 years with 503, 672 and 651 closed sales in those months. (2005 lead every month). These are encouraging numbers, because they tell us that while there is increasing inventory on the market, that inventory will sell. 2006 may very well end with the second highest number of sales in the past 6 years.

Local Housing Prices are Changing

We also analysed the data for average days on market of homes in different price ranges, and in different areas in our MLS. We found that there is a very clear bell curve showing a majority of homes, both being listed and selling, in the middle of the market (and that middle segment is moving down in price). There are currently 767 homes in escrow, between $250,000 and $399,999, with 282 between $250,000 and $299,000, 285 between $300,000 and $349,999, and 200 homes in escrow that were listed between $350,000 and $399,999. Outside of those price ranges, you see an enormous drop in pending transactions, with just 96 homes in the $400,000-$449,999 range and 93 in the $200,000-$249,999 range and more dramatic decreases the further you get from the middle.

We are also starting to see prices make a noticeable move downward. This week there are 87 homes on the market below $200,000. Last week there were only 79. The low, average and median prices of those homes fell as well, with the lowest priced listing on that list, priced $20,000 lower than the lowest priced listing last week. This is a significant trend that will continue.

Commissions are Changing

With inventory at record levels agents are doing everything they know how to do, to get houses shown. It is a very common practice to offer a 3%-5% buyers agent commission (sometimes higher). That might be the biggest change in the market over last year. When houses were selling the day they were listed, sellers could offer reduced buyers' agent commissions and know that their house would still sell. Now, without offering a significant buyers' agent commission, there is a very good chance that your home will not even get shown. When there are hundreds of houses on the market that meet the needs of your buyers, agents will be much more likely to show houses that will bring in a larger commission for their work.

What does this mean? First, it means that sellers are going to be paying more to sell their houses. If a seller lists with an agent who takes 3%, then offers a 5% buyers' agent commission, they are paying a total of 8%. This bodes very well for an office like Realty Response. We only ever charge 2% to list a home. That gives our sellers' the opportunity to offer 4% to the buyers' agent and still only pay 6% total commission.

For investors and buyers, it means vastly increased opportunity! Buyers are lowering prices and increasing commissions in a desparate act just to get their homes shown.  Look for listings that have been on the market for a long time, and listings that have had price reductions, without increases in the buyer's agent commission. These are sellers who are wondering why no one wants to buy their house. These are prime opportunities for buyers to negotiate price and terms. As this trend continues, prices will continue to drop and sellers will be more willing to help with closing costs and other allowances.

More good news this week!

Our staff is growing and really strong right now. We have had 3 new full-time agents start this month. Marc LeNorgant was formerly a lender, and will take his broker's exam this summer. Marc just got his first listing on monday. Dick Jones comes to us after 20 years in the aircraft industry, most recently as a Director at Lockheed. Mike Flatt, who started with us yesterday, brings a decade of Retail management and Entertainment Industry management experience to the company, which translates perfectly to the high-touch world of real estate. We are excited to have all of them on staff. My dad (Robert Hampton, Broker) commented the other day that this is by far the best staff the company has ever had. I couldn't agree more. We have a great team.

To view our current listings, or to search the entire GAVAR MLS (Greater Antelope Valley Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service) click the link below.

As the momentum of Realty Response Connections builds, we are seeing amazing things happen. I recently received an email from a Realtor® in Orange Park, Florida, Named J.D. Weisenburger. He wanted to know what our referral cards were. We use these cards to collect client information so that we can refer them to a full-time Realtor® in their area. They are an important part of the Realty Response Connections system, and it was good to see that there is growing interest in the company.

What is more exciting to me though, is the fact that agents as far as florida are finding out about us. We are extremely exited about the opportunities we offer to agents, and we look forward to rapid growth and continued success.

Because we refer clients to full-time Realtors® in all 50 states, We hope to soon send work to Mr. Weisenburger.

To visit his website, go to www.teamweisenburger.com.

Earn Money On The Internet! I am actually earning money with my personal website! How, am I doing that? With Google Adsense. Visit www.Hampton-Family.comand look for all of the Google Ads. Click them and I get paid. Pretty simple huh?

If you would like to earn money on the web then click the Generate revenue on your site with Google Adsense link. Sign up for an Adsense account, then get paid. It couldn’t be simpler.

Tips:
Promote your site - You won’t earn a penny unless people find you.
Feature your ads prominently - People won’t click what they can’t see. Place multiple ads on every page. Not only does this make your ads more visible, but it might help your Google ranking. Google will find it’s own ads on your site. The more places you have ads, the more pages google will want to index. You scratch their back…
Create multiple Links - Give people options. Promote Firefox and Adsense and host links to other businesses.
Have a ton of great content! - This one is most important. Google Adsense creates ad content based on the content of your site. Google indexes your site based on content. People find you , read your page and return because of your content. If you don’t have good content you won’t have good conversion.
Create multiple sites - Search engine optimization 101 here. One of the factors that contributes heavily to your Google ranking is outside links. Many times, depending on the type of site you have, getting outside links is difficult. This is where multiple sites comes in. If you own three websites that all link to eachother it looks like each site has multiple outside links.
Create a free page - This goes along with the last tip. You don’t have to spend a bunch of money to have multiple websites. Check out Spaces.MSN.com, Yahoo 360 and myspace. These all will be found by Google, as readily as a hosted website with a unique domain name.
Remember that only Google matters - If you notice, the only search engine I mention in this posting is Google. Google OWNS search. If you are not being found on Google, chances are, you are not being found. Work to maximize your Google exposure. Read articles on seach engine optimiziation (SEO). Follow the directions. You will see a difference.

Blog -There are few easier ways to get content, than to write a little each day. Blogs are a simple way to populate your site, and you don't have to be a web genious to use them.

If you can follow these simple tips you can earn money with your website too.