Looking for a vacation home while the prices are low?  Lifestyle Asset Group, a Ft. Collins Colorado based company is selling luxury vacation home ownership at a small investment.

The business model offers investors a one-eighth ownership in twelve $1 million dollar homes in locations such as Napa Valley, NYC, Chicago, Florida, Mexico, Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic. 

Investors must make a $10k fully refundable deposit to guarantee membership and then members pay a capital contribution of $300k.  The first property group will close on February 28^th, 2012. Annually, members can expect to pay $24,000 for expenses.

Rich Keith, CEO of Lifestyle Asset Group was the founder of another once-thriving luxury vacation club that ultimately ended in bankruptcy in 2010 after struggling with huge debt.

"What we learned," said Keith in an interview with Fox Business News," is that you cannot have bank debt in the luxury market." The members will be part of an LLC and will own the properties free and clear.

In seven years, the inventory of homes will be sold and assets will be divided, as stipulated in the LLC contract.  Seven years was chosen because it is the average length of time most people maintain a club membership and is also the amount of time it takes to fully emerge from an economic downturn.

Timing for a new vacation ownership model and for picking up luxury properties in a still-cool real estate market couldn't be better, says Keith in an article in the Northern Colorado Business Report.  He said the club intends to eventually sign up 200 members to own 24 luxury properties.

Watch the full interview at Fox Business News

photo credit: Carlanne McCrystal

Posted in Headlines, Real Estate Investing

Sunset Magazine lists the West's top ski destinations, featuring 3 Colorado ski areas named in the top 10 categories.

The Top Honors go to:

Steamboat Springs, CO for most Old West Charm, where cowboys mingle with fur clad skiers on the main street in town.  They also give a nod to the 1905 F.M. Light & Sons to do a little shopping and look like a local.

The Prettiest Ski Town goes to Telluride, CO.  "Nestled in a box canyon, the perfectly preserved Western town is dwarfed by 13,000 foot peaks and Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall." says the article.

Crested Butte, CO is the most charming ski town according to Sunset.  "Mix boho with Victorian and you've got C.B.'s funky Historic District main street, from the ski-toting bike riders to the hand-painted town bus rolling by. Getting here isn't easy, but C.B.'s remoteness keeps the masses away."

Also represented in Sunset Magazine, are the Top Winter Travel Retreats.  Named in this category is the Dunton Hot Springs resort in Dolores, CO near the Telluride ski area.  The area is well known for its hot springs and Dunton Hot Springs is a destination in itself.

"Dunton's new life springs from German entrepreneur Christoph Henkel, who transformed the 125-year-old mining town into a high-end resort." reports Sunset.  It has 12 guest cabins, 2 spa/treatment areas, a dining room featuring regionally sourced food and many activities right outside your door, such as cross country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, not to mention Telluride Ski area and town is only a short drive away.

The resort might look rustic, but it is first class accommodations and the price reflects that.  "But where else do you get your own town?" states the article.

Read more at Sunset Magazine

photo credit: rante_i

Posted in Headlines, Real Estate Investing

Dreaming big is great but where most people miss their mark, is when they fail to take the small action steps each day to make their dreams a reality says Bernice Ross, Real Estate Coach and author.

Keeping up with everything is the biggest challenge real estate agents face.  You are the business and you have to wear many hats. 

"One of the many challenges agents face is being pulled in so many directions that they don't know what to do first." says Ross.  "Should I cancel my lead generation time to take out a buyer? Will investing in this technology really produce any difference in my bottom line? Do I really need to have a presence on the social media?"

Ross offers six proven steps to help you resolve the confusion and make your big dreams a reality:

1. Monitor and Evaluate your successes and failures in 2011 and ongoing in 2012.

2. Narrow your Focus:  Make a list of everything you could be doing for your business, then identify the top 3 things you think will help you reach your goals.  Focus on only these 3 things for the next 30 days.  Then go back to Step 1 and decide at the end of the month if this helped you achieve more.  If not, make adjustments.

3. Daily Top Goals:  Ross suggests asking yourself each day, "What are the three things I must absolutely accomplish today to hit my goals?"  Complete these first before anything else.

4. Stay positive. Focus on what you did accomplish, not what you didn't get done.

5. Change is good.  Be willing to change course when necessary to achieve your goals says Ross.  If short sales have been your strong suit in the down market and your market is starting to improve... it may be time to start refocusing on more tradition real estate listings.  Always re-evaluate whether your focus will help you move forward or will it hold you back?

6. Innovate.  Keep up with new technologies that can help you do your job more efficiently.  Don't jump when adding new technology, however, keep a list of ideas of how to improve your day to day operations and then place them in order of need and then evaluate which will be most cost-effective.

"Keep moving forward, keep your eyes on the goal and always be mindful that every small step takes you that much closer to achieving your dream." counsels Ross.

Read more great tips from Bernice Ross.

Posted in Headlines, Lead Generation

What is the best way to connect with clients looking to buy a home?

...And more importantly,

how do they connect with YOU?

The National Association of Realtors surveyed recent home buyers about their purchase and found that 40 percent first learned about their home from internet searches.

And, 91 percent of home buyers who used the Internet to search for a home eventually purchased the home through a real estate agent.

"Local metropolitan multiple listing service websites were the most popular Internet resource, used by 56 percent of buyers;" states the survey, "followed by real estate agent websites at 46 percent; Realtor.com accounted for 45 percent; real estate company sites were 40 percent; other websites with real estate listings, 38 percent; and for-sale-by-owner sites, 14 percent; other categories were notably smaller."

88% of Home Buyers are searching the Net

The NAR reports that the typical homebuyer looked at a median of 12 homes over a period of 12 weeks and used a combination of resources in their search. 88 percent used the internet and 7 percent a real estate agent; 55 percent used yard signs, 45 percent attended open houses, and 30 percent read newspaper ads. A buyer typically starts on-line and then contacts an agent."

Video is the Way to Connect with Home Buyers

Are you using the internet to its full potential? Google is the second largest search engine on the internet. Successful real estate agents use video to connect with potential clients, whether it's an introductory video, an expert video, or a home or neighborhood tour. Video is a powerful way to generate leads when customers are searching the web for information.

People are out there searching for homes on the internet right now and looking for a real estate agent to help them. Help them connect with you.

Click here to learn more about how you can Harness the Power of Video in your Business.

Sign up for a Free Consultation with one of our video marketing specialists and 25% off IPTV Boyz professional Video Production Services.

Read the full report at NAR.

photo credit: liquidnight

Posted in Headlines, Real Estate Industry

The University of Denver has been chosen as the first site of a Presidential debate next year between President Barack Obama and the Republican nominee.

The event will be held on October 3^rd at Magness Arena which is the university's hockey arena venue. It will be the first of three debates, the other two will be Oct. 16^th at Hoffstra University in New York and Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Florida.

A debate for the vice-presidential candidates will be Oct. 11 at Centre College in Kentucky.

To host a debate is quite a challenge, qualified sites were based on room for 3,000 journalists, a media center and room for media trucks, availability of hotel rooms within a 30 minute radius and cooperation by police and other city services.

Read more at Denver Business Journal

Posted in Headlines, Denver Colorado Real Estate, Real Estate Investing