Do you receive customers in your office? If so, does your office come across as professional yet warm? Here are 4 inexpensive suggestions to help your office reflect you!

1. Bland spaces, no pictures on the walls or of other people reflect a lack of personality. Add a plant, put some color into the room and add a few family pictures.

2. Put an inexpensive screen in front of equipment.

3. Avoid corporate white paint.

4. If you have space, add a small conference table and 2 chairs so you and the customer can sit together.

Create a space of productivity and comfort for you and for the clients that visit you. Remember, first impressions count!

The following article comes to our readers from Gary Tantleff of UBS Financial Services, Inc.

By Brian Louis
March 26 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell
to 4.85 percent, the lowest on record, on a government plan to increase
purchases of mortgage-backed bonds and buy as much as $300 billion of
Treasuries.

The average rate is the lowest in the Freddie Mac weekly survey
dating to 1971, the McLean, Virginia-based mortgage buyer said today in
a statement. The rate fell from 4.98 percent a week earlier, Freddie Mac
said.

The Federal Reserve said March 18 it will purchase up to an
additional $750 billion of mortgage-backed securities from Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae to support home lending.
The Fed is trying to lower rates by reducing the supply of outstanding
mortgage bonds, boosting their price and lowering yields. That would
allow banks to reduce the rates on new mortgages and still sell mortgage
securities at a profit.

“The move by the Fed was especially aggressive,” said Donald
Rissmiller, chief economist at New York-based Strategas Research
Partners. “We are starting to see tentative evidence that things are
getting less bad.”

Sales of previously owned homes rose 5.1 percent to an annual rate
of 4.72 million in February from 4.49 million in January, the National
Association of Realtors said March 23. The median price slumped 15.5
percent from a year ago, the second- biggest drop on record, and
distressed properties accounted for
45 percent of all sales.

Stabilizing Prices

Housing prices “aren’t that far from where we need to be if the
economy stabilizes and starts growing again,” Susan Wachter, professor
of real estate finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton
School, said in a Bloomberg Radio interview on March 24.

The Fed announced a program in November to buy $500 billion of
mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie Mae.
That helped drive 30-year fixed mortgage rates down to 4.96 percent for
the week ended Jan. 15.

The 15-year rate averaged 4.58 percent, down from 4.61 a week
earlier, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage applications in the U.S. rose for a third consecutive week
as a drop in borrowing costs helped spur a wave of refinancing and
encouraged purchases.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to
purchase a home or refinance a loan soared 32 percent to 1,159.4 in the
week ended March 20 from 876.9 the prior week. The group’s refinancing
gauge surged 42 percent and its purchase index gained 4.2 percent.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate loan fell to 4.63 percent,
the lowest level since the Mortgage Bankers group began records in 1990,
from 4.89 percent the prior week. New home sales rose in February from a
record low as plummeting prices and cheaper mortgage rates lured some
buyers.

Sales increased 4.7 percent to an annual pace of 337,000 after a 322,000 rate in
January, the Commerce Department said yesterday in Washington.
The median sales price fell 18 percent to $200,900.

1. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; for math and science teachers is so high that new recruits are getting signing bonuses to move.

2. Twin Falls, Idaho; for nursing. It is the state’s top growing field.

3. Washington County, Maine; is in desperate need of Veterinarians who specialize in cows, goats and sheep.

4. Miami, Florida; for nuclear-power plant operators.

5. Orange County, California; qualified interpreters to handle the nearly 200 different languages spoken in the area.

Wouldn’t it be great to take the guess work out of investing, to understand how your IRA or Individual(k) can help you grow financially, invest in ways that are unique to you, with investments you, not a third party, choose?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to visit with an expert in your local community, where you can learn the how-to of IRA Investing and know they will be there providing you with the outstanding customer service you deserve?

Wouldn’t it be fun to learn how to invest your IRA in non-traditional investments through free education by experts who have experience in investing with their IRA or (k) plans?

If you need help understanding the facts, learning how to grow your portfolio on a tax-deferred or tax-free basis, then you need Entrust! With over 30 offices nationwide and growing, Entrust is there for you…It is our mission to provide you with access to self-directed plans through local offices and quality education. Visit www.theentrustgroup.com for more information or to local an office near you.

With the economy what it is, now more than ever we all need to learn as much as we can about how to grow and how to protect what we have worked so hard to attain. If growing your wealth yourself is something you believe in and value, let Entrust help you become informed on your investment choices and what you can and cannot do with your IRA!

Most of us have the distinct pleasure of doing some sales or business development as a part of our job description. Many of us do not enjoy this aspect of our business. I recently discovered a trick that helps women who are uncomfortable getting the close and handling objections to look at things in a different way.

No matter if you make presentations, write ad copy or are the rainmaker, if you can answer the WHY questions, you will have an easier time of converting prospects to clients. What is the why question?

This depends….it could be:

Why does the prospect need your services?
Why is the process so complicated?
Why your company over someone else?
Why should you……

Think about the objections you get on a regular basis. Reframe the objection using the word “why” as the starting word to the objection and see if you can answer the objection. This way, it will make you communicate the “why” from the prospect’s view point. Try this to see if you increase sales and are more comfortable handling objections!

Facebook has recently announced its new Facebook Marketplace to buy, sell, give it away or ask for it…a site where you can go online and sell stuff for cash or even give away items. From collectibles to clothes, this is a comprehensive site that has the potential to connect to over 175 million users who visit Facebook on a regular basis. Talk about taking social networking to a new level! Check this out. I have been told by others it is a great way to sell or give away items you no longer need and might make a few bucks or a few contacts along the way! One note: make sure you follow the procedures not to have all of your Facebook entries known to the world. There are simple directions on Facebook to give you some security too. What a way to join a social network!

Did you know the IRS is trying to distribute tax refunds to more than a million people? Officials say they have unclaimed refunds totaling over $3 billion for people who have not filed a tax return for 2005. To collect, you must file your return by April 15th.

You may be down but you are not out!

In normal times, the best advice is to not panic with your money or your retirement. But these are not normal times and anyone who is not afraid after seeing the volatility in today’s market is nuts!

I read a billboard sign yesterday that said “we understand your anger.” If you are angry or panicked over what is happening in the stock market or in our economy, now is the time to take some financial control of your assets and your money. Start small. Start with your IRA. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Educate yourself on market trends. What avenues of investment seem to still be growing in today’s market place? Research these particular investment types and take ownership of your assets from both a financial and emotional standpoint.

2. Failing to plan for your future may decrease your portfolio. Know what is coming from the government: tax changes, bailouts; health care reform; FDIC insurance and more. Don’t become paralyzed with the news of the day. Start making the moves necessary to put together a financial road map for your future.

3. If you don’t know the answer to a question, ask! Visit www.theentrustgroup.com to find your answers on the “how to” of self-directed investing.

4. Keep in touch with your portfolio. Nothing is etched in stone. Know that the cash in your IRA is insured up to $250K just like a regular bank account. If you are looking to put your cash in higher yielding CDs for example, you get to take advantage of the FDIC insurance with the right administrator.

When you start to take personal accountability for your investments you will find yourself sleeping better at night knowing you are doing something about your money. Panic does nothing but paralyze. Don’t be afraid to become your own financial expert. A little pessimism can go a long way into making you a more responsible investor. Start with your IRA and rescue your financial future.

What are you doing to diversify your retirement portfolio? Perhaps now is the time for your IRA or 401(k) to take advantage of real estate bargains. We would like to invite you to a historical educational event.

Miller, Fortunato & Schaub’s
Generating Cash Flow Now and Later:
Buying Bargains in Today’s Market
Fri., Sat. & Sun. May 29th, 30th & 31st, 2009
Holiday Inn San Francisco Golden Gateway

LEARN FROM THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM OF (3) THREE MASTER “Dealmakers” Jack Miller, Peter Fortunato, & John Schaub – ALL TOGETHER on stage and teaching the class for the first time since 2001.

This will be a historical event and possibly the FINAL TIME that the three of them will get to teach together.

The class will focus on a crucial aspect for today’s investor to survive and thrive during this economic downturn- CASH FLOW- the lifeblood for any business, especially the Real Estate business. Jack, Pete, and John will focus on a variety of creative ways to generate it NOW and LATER while taking advantage of our current marketplace.

It’s a HIGH QUALITY educational event you, your family, friends, associates and loved ones will greatly benefit from and simply do not want to miss.

For more information about the workshop go to the following link: http://bawb.info/cashflow/.

Seats will fill FAST for this class – Don’t Delay – Register Today!

Tough times in real estate ahead? You would be amazed by the number of women who are trying to buy property, from waitresses to heavy equipment operators, many are taking advantage of the depressed real estate market and are looking to buy in markets such as Florida where the real estate values have fallen in excess of 40% in some areas. President Obama’s proposal that would allow loans to be modified to owners who are struggling to stay in their home is one thing, however, what I am talking about here is the new buyer, whether first time home buyer who takes advantage of special financing, or those acquiring their first investment property, if there is a will there’s a way.