Give All Realtors Access to REO Listings and They Will Save Their Homes

How much time is left before we lose our home? It's already too late for most of us. If only we had sold a couple REOs per month--we might have made it.

We've been trying since last September to get into the the REO market as selling agents. We've sent many broker application packages to the REO companies, and were even pre-approved by a couple of them (for a $200 fee).

Who are these REO companies? Asset managers hired by investors or lenders to sell foreclosed properties go to the REO companies' website.

These companies will take applications from real estate agents. They'll check to make sure that we're licensed and have the necessary insurance. They'll ask if we have REO training and certification. If not, they'll try to sell us theirs.

We are the professionals, yet they're checking to see if we're properly trained. If not, they say they can teach us how to sell REO--for a certification fee, of course.

So far, we've been completely out of luck getting into the REO market. Each REO company has required us to drop a couple hundred bucks every time we sign up with them.

Recently, REO companies have sent Congress an alarming message.

They say less than a third of one percent of all realtors maintains a stranglehold on the REO market, while the rest of the industry sinks in despair.

For now, the "20-80 rule" (20% of realtors accounting for 80% of business) is a distant memory. It seems like the new rule should be changed to the "1-80 rule," with less than 1% of the agents closing 80% of the deals.

They say roughly 5,800 realtors nationwide sold 1.6 million REO homes in 2008. That's an average of 22 closed listings per REO agent per month.

Why are these REO companies trying to alarm Congress? Because they hope to train, educate and certify 150,000 realtors nationwide. Take the $200 fee they charge to join, multiplied by 144,200 realtors, and they make more than $28 million. The certification fee costs just as much.

Truly, I'm glad they alarmed Congress-but we don't need their certifications. It's not recognize by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) or the California Association of Realtors (CAR). It's just another way to take money from our pockets.

We are the licensed real estate professionals. We check our inventory, we find buyers, we represent sellers, we manage and resolve all issues during the transaction, we manage rental property. We are photographers, marketers, contract negotiators, website maintainers...and the list goes on. We realtors are multi-taskers.

And now, we need to pay someone to come tell us how to run our business? To educate us and certify that we're properly doing our job?

Just like being a pilot, attorney or doctor, we realtors take all the requisite tests, and get all the necessary licenses and insurance. Yet we have to go through them to be certified to sell REO?

Yes, I'm glad they alerted Congress. We need to open REO access to all agents without discrimination. It cannot be a private club. We have to say NO to this monopoly.

At one time we had hope. But by now, most of us have already lost our homes, filed bankruptcy and are debt FREE. You realtors in control of the REO market, on the other hand, are only making enough to pay off your debts.

Like anything else, the REO market will dry out. You may be glad you made all that money, but your assets have lost 100% of their value. Like all other REO agents, you cannot do short sales or foreclosures to get rid of your debt.

It's like pouring water into a hole that can never be filled. Soon you'll run out of water, and your hole will go dry. You see, it's all about greed. You always have to look at least 1, 3 to 5 years ahead.

Making and saving all that money for such a small group, and for what? To lose it all in the end? What's the point?

Most Realtors have lost their homes because you want to keep all the business for yourself. But we are now debt FREE, and the home market is at one-third its former value.

To you REO agents who monopolize the market: What is your plan?

Car Rental Tips to Santorini Greece

Traveling is a passion for many people and if the vacation destination is glamorous Santorini Island then travel charm increases with hypnotic sunset, delightful weathers, lovely beaches, Luxury spa hotels, culture, beautiful landscape, and light crowds. Few car rental tips can help you to have a comfortable and cost effective journey to Santorini Island

Renting a car is the best way to take the charm of entire beauty of Santorini as per your convenience, which can provide you optimum travel charm with freedom and flexibility. But some times the rental cars create complications, because of your lack of understanding in car hire which, leads to put you in trouble with your car rental company. Before you go for car rentals, following tips should be taken care of:

Choosing a suitable car is one of the most vital decisions to double the charm of traveling. If you are having a trip with small children then you have to think of a specious car with all luxury arrangements that can provide you comfort during the journey. If you are looking for cost effective and cheap rental rates, you should go for small car models.

Size of the car is not the only factor, but you should try to choose the car which is environment friendly along with auto transmission system. Never forget to check whether car Rental Company is offering something extra. As there are a large number of car rental companies in Santorini, you can find all information about the cars as well as the terms and conditions online by visiting their car hire sites.

Reserve or booking your car:

Before booking your car think how long will you need a rent car? If you are looking for a long vacation more than a week then you should choose the Santorini local car hire companies, because they have a very good idea about the tourist spots based in Santorini and you will get rent cars in cheap rates.

For better rates you can search the booking engines to get an overall idea to know the availability of the competitors rates. You can have an internet search of car rental companies websites for a better price comparison rates. After a thorough comparison of the rates of various car rental companies, you can book your car online best suits to your preferences and budget. Never forget to ask for discounts and special offers to your car rental company.

Be aware of the cost of car rentals:

It is wise able to see the cost of car rentals including airport surcharges, insurances, state & local taxes, Gasoline bills, additional driver fees and drop off fees. It is essential for you to know these extra charges; otherwise your trip will be ended up paying the amount more than your expectation and budget.

Steps to follow at the time of returning your rent cars:

1) Before returning the car always fill the gasoline tank by yourself, so that you have to pay the amount of gas actually you have used. 2) Avoid filling the tank at near by gas station to airport, the price is expected to be very high. Feel your gasoline tank few miles away from the air port 3) Return the rent car at the stipulated time period. It shouldnt be too earlier and too late 4) To be agreed upon any damage, be sure the check in attendant look over the body of the car in your presence.

This article was provided courtesy of Santorinicarhire.com, which is a leading online car rental company based on the scenic Greek island of Santorini. Find out more information about EMVER car services and range of rent cars by visiting the website http://www.santorinicarhire.com

Rental Car Companies Increase Inventory as More People Rent a Hybrid Car

Los Angeles CA (PRWEB) August 13, 2008 -- According to Hybrid Rental Car, there's a lot more people asking to rent a hybrid car (http://www.hybrid-rental-car.com/reason1-to-drive-a-hybrid-4gal-gas/18). Major rental car companies are responding. Many are increasing their inventory of hybrid rental cars and touting the car's environmentally friendly features.

With gas still over four dollars a gallon, renting a hybrid over an SUVs or other gas guzzler can save customers hundreds of dollars on the cost of a trip. Choosing to rent a Prius or other hybrid car is not budget-friendly, but only eco-friendly and that has also come into vogue.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz have launched programs that focus on the lower environmental impact of a hybrid. In January 2008, Enterprise Rent-A-Car launched a progressive new program that gives customers the opportunity to offset the carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions from their hybrid car rentals.

People who rent hybrids from Enterprise, Alamo and National rental car companies now have the option of paying $1.25 per rental to offset the cost of their carbon emissions. The extra amount corresponds with the cost of the CO2 produced during the average car rental. The funds collected are then passed on to TerraPass, a company that uses funds collected from carbon offsets to subsidize projects that remove and reduce carbon from the atmosphere.

The carbon offset program is part of a much larger environmental initiative that ranges from funding renewable-fuel research to helping plant 50 million trees over the next 50 years. In total, the company's efforts on behalf of the environment are in the neighborhood of $100 million.

The big draw for renting a Prius or other hybrid cars is the their impressive environmental profile and fuel economy. According to Toyota's statistics, the Prius emits 70 percent fewer smog-producing emissions than the average new car. It's also a genuine gas-conserver, earning a combined city/highway EPA rating of 46 miles per gallon. And with gas costing more than $4 a gallon, the savings can be significant.

Enterprise Has the Most Hybrid Car Rentals

Car rental companies are are also increasing their inventories. Enterprise has the nation's largest fleet of hybrid cars, with approximately 5,000 vehicles. They have four hybrid models available nationwide. Hertz is planning to add another 2,400 hybrid cars this year. They are also offering hybrid car rentals at the company's top 50 airport locations. Hybrid rental cars can be reserved as part of Enterprise's Green Collection, which even lets customers book a specific make and model.

Hertz Offers Hybrid Car Rentals

Combined with the Hertz's new arrivals, their hybrid fleet will total an eco-impressive 3,400 vehicles. Avis offers 2,500 hybrids in three classes, available primarily at major airports in California and cities including Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Washington, and Boston.

Regional Companies Offer Hybrids for Rent

Smaller rental car companies are also getting in on the hybrid trend. Fox Rent A Car, a Los Angeles-based discount operation, offers hybrids in Phoenix and seven locations in California. All the new hybrids will help push the nation's rental pool for the gas-sipping, emissions-cutting gas/electric vehicles to more than 10,000.

Cost of Renting a Hybrid

Lee Gientke of Hybrid-Rental-Car.com, notes that renting a hybrid may cost a little more than other car rentals. "You'll usually (though not always) pay a higher day rate to rent a a hybrid when compared to a similar non-hybrid. The cost can range up to about $24 per day. Other factors that influence cost depend on the car rental company, where they're located, and how long you need the car. In the end though, it's based on who has hybrid cars available."

Look at Car Rental Policies

Customers who are looking for a hybrid rental car should check policies, which vary by company. At Avis, Fox and Hertz, customers can request a hybrid when they place their reservations online or by phone. At Enterprise, customers can only reserve a class or size of car. To get a hybrid, the company suggests that customers state their preference when reserving a car and then following up by phone with the destination branch to explore the options.

About Hybrid Rental Car

Hybrid Rental Car is an online resource about hybrid rental cars. To get tips on how to rent a Prius (http://www.hybrid-rental-car.com/rent-a-prius/28) or other types of hybrid rentals, go to http://www.hybrid-rental-car.com.

A Fabulous Guide to Floridas Best Rentals: Condos for Rent, Rental Houses, and Rental Condos

A Fabulous Guide to Florida's Best Rentals: Condos for rent, rental houses, rental condos and townhouse rentals - how to make sense of the overwhelming mass of fabulous and not so fabulous real estate to spend your Florida Vacation in!!

Chances are, at least once in your life time, you will find yourself finding out everything there is to know about renting a place to stay while on vacation in Central Florida. It could be that the kids want to see all of the wealth of attractions and theme parks in and around Walt Disney World. Maybe your family wants to loll about in a hammock while you play some golf near Orlando, or take in some of the many dinner shows and museums. Perhaps the siren call of Florida's balmy winter climate may be your idea of a great way to take your family away from the frigid northern snow, ice and lack of sunshine. Better yet, maybe your folks have asked you to come down and enjoy a holiday or two with them, but you prefer to have a modicum of privacy and some elbow room while your kids stroll through the theme parks with their Grandparents.

Whatever your reason or reasons for paying a visit to the Central Florida area are, you will no doubt begin to wonder where on earth you will find a suitable, low cost, attractive, rental condo or how you can find out how much to pay for the condos rent. And the questions don't stop there. What type of rental house would be close to Disney yet far away from the noise of the city? What type of townhouse rentals would be a suitable environment for the kids, yet offer enough luxury amenities to pamper the older members of your family and their fine acquired tastes? This guide won't contain any hints on what to wear to the theme parks, or how to get crazy old Aunt Bertha to stop asking how to get a good supply of unicorn chow. This is more of a no nonsense, straight forward guide to doing the best vacation near all of the attractions (Including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, The Winter Haven spring baseball camps for professional baseball players, and so forth).

To start with, you will need to scour the web for the best price. Then you can begin your search in earnest after excluding some accommodations that leave little to be desired in terms of lodging features or even safe and attractive townhouse rentals. Could your family be happy in a rental house, or would your family prefer to have their down time spent in a resort near Walt Disney World featuring the safest, lowest price rental condos? Are you traveling with a large group of adults who would prefer to split the condos rent while giving the Orlando area's bars and nightspots a try? The Orlando area is a vast, sprawling region, flavored by its surrounding town in many distinct ways. The cracker settlers who came in the early days of Florida's history were quick to discover cheap lodging in the Old Town Kissimmee Florida area, and that legacy remains to this day. The area near Disney offers many cheap lodging in several cities and counties. While there are several high dollar advertising campaigns designed to lure travelers to the area around Disney's borders, the lion's share of tawdry and lowest price condo for rent belongs to the Kissimmee area, near Disney=s back entrance .No one wants to stay overnight in rental condos that are surrounded by gaudy tourist traps and three for ten dollar tee shirt shops, or worse yet stay in the midst of a poorly designed low cost accommodation that offers no amenities and poor service. Hardly the dream vacation or worse yet, honeymoon of your dreams, right?

When you choose your ideal rental condos, your location should be the first factor in your quest for booking a low cost townhouse rental reservation or rental house reservation and scoring the perfect blend of luxury, best price and proximity to the attractions that you want to visit. Ask a few pointed questions to the person answering the lodging's phone lines: What type of rental condos do you offer, and how many bedrooms are actually separated by walls from each other? Does the resort offer any last minute specials or deals for those who are traveling from places near the central Florida area? Sometimes you can get a discount or gain a cheap reservation for simply belonging to an automobile club or having a military identification card? Orlando condos should always come with the following lodging details: central air conditioning, central plumbing and hot water, linens of a decent thread count, a certain lack of wandering nearby marsupials, a clean appearance, recent construction or the addition of new modern renovations to the lodging, family amenities such as a kid's playground or a pool, and some kitchen amenities such as a working refrigerator', a good microwave and some place to store your family's spare clothing while you explore the central Florida area.

If your family or traveling party will be staying in a rental house and needs to have some room to wander, you may want to consider what type of neighborhood that you will need to book a reservation in. The area close to the route 27 and route 192 are seems to span the best of all worlds, offering low cost reservations and spacious accommodations in beautiful, usually new or renovated rental condos, rental houses, and rental townhouses. The presence of the nightly Disney fireworks in the evening skies in the Davenport area is stunning, and yet the Davenport Florida resembles the quiet May berry type of town that all of us long to bring back to life for our modern families. Close enough to be a neighbor to Walt Disney World and house many of its cast members, the Davenport Florida area seems to have escaped the rush to build monuments of gaudiness and preserved its small town feel, all while offering the traveling family a short drive to all of Florida's attractions, theme parks, dining and shopping areas. The best of all places to choose a rental house or a rental condo, Davenport features many inroads to all of the best of central Florida, and the Orlando area. The rental condos and rental condos (or rental houses)in this area near Disney and yet close to Universal and a short drive to Busch Gardens in Tampa, yet they lie a short drive away from the wealth of attractions and theme parks of the International Drive area. Luxury shopping and dining choices await those who wish to travel the I4 highway near Davenport Florida, including the Florida Mall (featuring the best in shopping with such fabulous stores as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and diverse selections such as Tommy Bahama and Sephora) and the mall of Millennia, near downtown Orlando (offering such splendid choices as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Anthropologie, Z Gallery, Coach, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and Godiva chocolates, to name a few). The vast region of central Florida is a patchwork of several choices for the family who wishes to find a great price on their condos rent, or get the best neighborhood for their vacation townhouse rental.

How to Book a Cheap Rental Car in Spain

Car hire is a popular means of transport in Spain, not only for business travellers, but especially for people on holiday in Spain. Multinational car hire companies like Avis, Hertz, National Atesa or Europcar can be found at many airports in Spain and in most cases the offer a vehicle collection from a desk in the terminal building. But at popular tourist destinations like Malaga, Alicante, Almeria, Valencia, Gerona, holiday destinations on the Balearic Islands like Mallorca and Ibiza or the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura) you will also find a choice of local car hire companies with a similar philosophy as the low-cost airlines offering cheap all inclusive car rental prices.

On the internet car hire prices in Spain can be quoted in daily rates or in foreign currency, and itýs far from straightforward to work out what the final price is, particularly if thereýs a queue waiting behind or you donýt speak the language. Many people donýt find out the total cost of the rental until the credit card statement arrives after the holidays are over.

However, the more encouraging news is that car hire in Spain, like everything else to do with travel, has shifted towards the low cost airline model of instant quotes, so that anyone planning a trip can compare prices in advance, examine what is included and what extras are going to be required. With the click of a mouse you can compare whatýs on offer and see how changing the travel dates, the pickup location or the vehicle type can shift the prices.

Depending on you travel destination the prices can differ a lot. If you went to Spain and picked up a car at Madrid airport, you could end up paying twice as much as for car hire in Malaga, Alicante or Mallorca. The competition in popular tourist destinations like Malaga, Alicante or Palma de Mallorca is huge and local car hire companies are competing with multinationals for their slice of the market.

The arrival of websites that bring together quotes from a range of car hire firms in Malaga is another advantage to bargain hunters. Most of these site work a a bit like insurance brokers. They gather together quotes from a range of providers saving you the hassle of visiting all these car hire websites yourself. These websites compares the prices for you and enables you to book your car hire at the lowest prices. On top of this some of them even promise to match any other online car hire price you will find on the internet

Remember that cheaper does not always mean better. Make sure that you know which car hire company is going to offer the service before you book to avoid unpleasant surprises afterwards. By following these tips, you can get a better rate on car rentals and youýll be well on your way to enjoying a great. There are discount car rentals to be had just about anywhere in Spain, they just have to be found.

Rudi van der Zalm is the founder of Hispacar, one of Europe's most popular websites for cheap car hire in Spain. The intelligent search engine helps travellers to compare the car hire prices in many popular travel destinations in Spain.

How To Get A Discounted Car Rental Rate For A Good Quality Car

Renting a car will not cost you a fortune. If you look good enough to different car rental companies, chances are you will always find a good discount on car rental. Lets admit it, going on a holiday is already an expensive venture. Not all tourists have a pot of gold and not all of them would want to splurge cash on car rental. But the fact remains that once you are in a foreign place and you want to get around, you definitely need to rent a car. So it is established that you really need to spend on car rental but you dont have to spend a lot.

Getting A Discounted Rental Car

Here are some tips to help you rent a car at a discounted rate:

" You dont need a luxurious car to get around a place. It is an important thing that you stay on a minimum budget in renting a car. As long as the car works fine, it will do. The fancier car you get the higher rental you have to pay for. So if you want to cut down on expenses, settle on less fancier car.

" You can get a cheaper rate if you look at car rental companies that are not on the airport site. You can just take a shuttle to where the entire off site car rental companies are.

" Evaluate your needs before you rent a car. If you are traveling as a family, you should get one big van rather than two small cars. This will save you money.

" Avoid making hasty decisions. Car rental representatives may be very good in talking and before you know it, you have already signed a contract without evaluating your needs and budget first. Think about the offer first and then compare it to the offers that you get from other car rental companies before you come up with a decision.

" Make sure that the car rental rate is exactly what you have to pay for. Some car rental companies would offer you a very cheap car rental rate but you will be surprised later on that there a lot of hidden charges.

These tips will help you get a discounted car rental rate. But make sure that you dont compromise the quality of the car. The best thing is to get a discounted rate for a good quality car. So dont just get any car that is cheap. Check the quality as well. Remember safety first in everything.

CarHire.ie is an independent car rental company in Ireland. With 19 years of customer satisfaction, this car rental company has earned Irelands Best Service Excellence Award. Getting around Ireland is made easy with CarHires competitive offers. See Car Hire Dublin to get a quality car hire service at a competitive price.

Extra car rental charges - Avoid surprises when you rent a car

When you visit Ireland, you can rent a car for your holiday. Good car rental deals are available online or over the phone. Although there are a couple of extra charges that you should not overlook. Here are a few hints how to avoid surprises when you hire a car.

Airport fee/ Premium location It is common with most car rental companies to charge an airport fee for collection at an airport or at a premium location. When you book a car with airport pick-up, always make sure that your quote includes airport fee or you have to pay locally.

Young and mature drivers surcharge These age-based fees depend on the car rental company, the location and the size of the rental vehicle. If you are under 24 or older than 70 years, the young or the mature drivers surcharge may apply. You may find more flexible age restrictions with some car rental agencies. When you make an online car hire booking, in most cases you need to give your age too.

Additional driver If your partner or spouse is planning to drive your rental car, it may come as a surprise to find out that most car hire companies charge 5 to 10 euros per day for each additional driver. In certain countries you may have one additional driver for free.

Special equipment You can also request special equipment for additional charge, like infant child seat, child toddler seat and booster seat. It is usually around 50 euros per rental. It is also possible to rent cars with GPS navigation. It will cost you around 15 euros per rental. These are available on request and payable at the car rental counter. If you are traveling with your children, you can save money by bringing your own child safety seat. You can also use your own GPS navigation in your rental car.

Fuel surcharge Fuel is not included in the rental price. There are some different fuel policies: " Pick up full, return full, it means that your car will be supplied with a full tank of fuel and you need to refill the vehicle before you return it. " Pick up full, return empty, upon collection of your rental car you will be charged by the car rental company for a full tank of petrol. " Same level fuel policy, at the end of the hire you return the car with the same amount of petrol as when the vehicle was collected.

Out of hours extra charge Out of hours pick up or drop off is also available for additional charge. Confirm always with the car hire provider company.

Oneway rental fee Oneway rentals usually have an extra charge. This fee is based on the distance between the rental and the return locations. It always depends on the length of your rental.

The collision damage waiver - CDW It is also known as loss damage waiver (LDW), this is not technically an insurance product, but instead shifts liability for collision damage from the person renting the car to the car rental company. If the vehicle is damaged, you will be covered for the cost of repairing the rental car. You will, however, have to pay an excess charge towards the cost of repair. For example, let's say you want to hire a car at Dublin Airport in Ireland. Depends on the size of the rental car your liability (excess) would be 800-2000 euros. If you want to reduce your excess, you can purchase additional coverage online from 2.99 euros per day before you travel to Ireland. Here are some companies who protect you against excess charges, for example: carhireecxess.com or dailyexcess.com.

Your holiday in Ireland is supposed to be relaxing, so don't forget to check the fine print when you rent your car. Plan always ahead and book your car online, so you can save time and get a good car rental deal for your money.

Noemi has lived in Ireland since 2004. She loves traveling, especially on the Emerald Isle. She is also the owner of an online car rental company:www.reservacar-dublinairport.com ReservaCar Dublin Airport is dedicated to comprehensive online car hire service at Dublin Airport. For further information on car rental in Dublin, please visit www.reservacar-dublinairport.com