Can You Say - Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

One of my Internet savvy clients contacted me last week in a panic about a virus that hit her computer. This client knows not to open unidentified emails, but she was in a rush and did not realize that she opened a specific email. When she did this a virus was released and her entire system crashed.

She had her husband who is extremely technology oriented and had his team of computer consultants work on the problem. This took a couple of days and still the results were not great. So, she then contacted Microsoft and they had her use this program to look deeper into her system.

She was quite impressed with the program since it found several worms, small viruses, etc and it totally cleaned her computer.

As a real estate virtual assistant I am always looking at programs to help me in my virtual assistant business as well as my clients, so this morning I saw this product on ZDnet.com and felt it was worthy of mentioning. You might want to bookmark it and try the free trial to see what is lurking on your computer.

Here is the information from ZDnets newsletter.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is an anti-malware application that can thoroughly remove even the most advanced malware. It includes a number of features, including a built in protection monitor that blocks malicious processes before they even start. Version 1.25 adds advanced technology to delete files on reboot, ability to run a truly silent install, and support for Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, and Polish languages.

Kim Hughes Co-Authors Powerful Leadership Book

Kim Hughes Co-Authors Powerful Leadership Book

(Mineola, TX, August 18, 2008) Kim Hughes has contributed a chapter to The Power of Leadership – “Finding the Leader Within”. In this book, which is available for purchase on www.YourVirtualAssistantCoach.com, readers will learn to find success and happiness in their own lives.

Drawing from more than 10 years of experience as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, Kim Hughes’ chapter teaches readers how to realize the dreams of owning their own Real Estate Virtual Assistant ventures. This chapter is packed full of information, including everything from what it takes to be successful to the type of services that can be offered.

With over 25 years of experience in the real estate and mortgage industry, Kim Hughes is a highly accomplished virtual assistant whose specialty is providing marketing and administrative support to real estate professionals. She was involved in creating two real estate organizations to help virtual assistants network and learn new skills. She is also the author of The FIRST Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook and the owner of Kim Hughes & Company (www.kimhughes.com), which offers virtual assistant services to real estate professionals worldwide. She also provides virtual assistant coaching through Your Virtual Assistant Coach and is the founder of a Google Group for real estate virtual assistants that is currently accepting new members upon approval. To join the group, visit REVA Rainmakers. For more information about Your Virtual Assistant Coach, visit www.YourVirtualAssistantCoach.com or call 903-569-6763.

Increase Your Residual Income Stream

Are you a business owner? Are you constantly looking for ways to introduce yourself to your market area? Are you always looking for referrals? If you said yes to these questions the you are in for a treat!

I have an amazing referral marketing program that touches people on a personal level. There is nothing out there like it.

Because I am a real estate virtual assistant I have implemented this program with many of my client's to stay in touch with past clients, referrals, potential clients and farm areas. The response has been incredible!

Watch this video and after you watch it visit my website at www.SendIncredibleCards.com to receive your 2 FREE cards.

And, after you watch the video and would like to explore how this amazing program will work for you, drop me an email Kim@SendIncredibleCards.com and we can get together to answer any questions you might have. No obligation! Just wanting to share this proven method of referral marketing.

Meet Kody Bateman

Retagger - Get IT NOW!

Create a new profile for yourself. As a real estate virtual assistant I have found this geat little tool to be easy and fun at the same time. Retaggr is a site that allows you to enter the information for all of your online profiles in one place. The best part is that retaggr uses the information you input to generate an "interactive Web 2.0 social and business card." You can then embed the card on your blog, website, or email, and then when people view it, they can click on the icons and be taken instantly to the site of their choice, where they will land on your profile.

Kim Hughes

Go to retaggr and sign up for an account.

Best Virtual Assistant Tips

Have you ever wondered how many niche markets the virtual assistant works with?

Research shows that currently there are over 2,000 virtual assistants. With this many virtual assistants working all over the world the question has been asked -

"Exaclty what is their niche?"

"What services do virtual assistants offer within that niche?"

Each one of us offer services in either a specific niche, such as me - I only offer real estate virtual assistant services to the real estate industry. But, there are virtual assistants that offer their services to many industries based on their talent, knowledge and experience.

A virtual assistant might offer their services to real estate professionals, business coaches, lawyers, etc.

What services do you offer your niche market?
How many niches do you have?
If you were to offer one tip on that niche market what would it be?

Have you ever asked these same questions? Well, now it is time to find out!

I am putting together a survey on this very topic. If you are interested in participating in what will sure to be an incredible survey here is what you need to send me by September 1, 2008.

1. What is your niche market? If you work in more than one, list each niche.

2. For each niche market you work with share an amazing tip.

Once I compile this information you will be contacted to how this survey will be distributed and for participating you will receive recognition for your input. What a win-win situation!

So, what are you waiting for? Be one of the first virtual assistants to participate in a very important survey that will surely impact our industry!

Email me your information NOW! - BestTips@KimHughes.com and make sure to include:

Full name
Website
Email address
Physical address
Phone number - Best one to contact you, if we have any questions.

This is going to be a very exciting survery and one that I know will benefit each virtual assistant, as well as the industry they offer their services.

Get involved and email me today. Deadline will be September 1, 2008

Search Engine Tools - Learn - Rank - Dominate!

SEO Book.com is a leading SEO blog by Aaron Wall covering the search space. It offers marketing tips, search analysis, and whatever random rants come to mind. ;) The first version of my popular SEO Book came out in December of 2003. I have probably revised it about 50 times since then.

As a real estate virtual assistant your goal should be to stay on top of the latest programs and tools that will help your real estate clients to achieve their goals in staying on top of the search engines.

As everyone knows, buyers and sellers search the Internet now more than ever to research for homes for sale.

If a real estate agent is looking for virtual assistance then they will want a real estate virtual assistant who will know what is going on with today's technology and expect you to know how to help them position themselves in their market place.

Gary Keller of Keller Williams - Does It Again!

Gary Keller Co-founder and Chairman of the Board - Keller Williams Realty has launched his latest book “Your First Home—The Proven Path To Homeownership”

Your First Home is the first book in the KW Realty Guide Series. Packed with inspiring stories and the wisdom of thousands of successful first-time home buyers, it's a must-read for anyone aspiring to buy a home. Not only does it educate readers of the home ownership process in eight simple steps, it also enables agents to solidify their relationships with prospective first-time buyers. Your First Home is a relationship-building tool for growing leads and generating sustained buyer transactions.

This powerful PowerPoint presentation helps you hold seminars for first-time homebuyers. With the information in this easily digestible, for-all-to-see format, you become the expert that seminar attendees will look to when they are ready to buy.

As a real estate virtual assistant I am assisting my Keller Williams clients to create an impressive ad campaign to offer this book as a free gift to their homebuyers.

I am also assisting is setting up seminars for first-time homebuyers for my clients to increase awareness and how to stay educated through the buying process.

If you don't have this book, get it now and offer it FREE to your homebuyers! They will thank you for it!

Housing and Recovery Act of 2008

Working as a real estate virtual assistant I am always looking for new information to use for my real estate clients to post on blogs or in their newsletter. If you have not seen this, please take a moment to review. This is not only helpful to you as an individual, but something you can actually use for your real estate clients.


President Bush signed into law H.R 3221, "The Housing and Recovery Act of 2008" on July 30, 2008. This bill passed the House on July 23, 2008, by a vote of 272-152. On Saturday, July 26, 2008, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 72-13. The bill includes the following provisions:

• GSE Reform - including a strong independent regulator, and permanent conforming loan limits up to the greater of $417,000 or 115% local area median home price, capped at $625,500. The effective date for reforms is immediate upon enactment, but the loan limits will not go into effect until the expiration of the Economics Stimulus Limits (December 31, 2008).

• FHA Reform - including permanent FHA loan limits at the greater of $271,050 or 115% of local area median home price, capped at $625,500; streamlined processing for FHA condos; reforms to the HECM program, and reforms to the FHA manufactured housing program. The downpayment requirement on FHA loans will go up to 3.5% (from 3%). The effective date for reforms is immediate upon enactment, but the loan limits will not go into effect until the expiration of the Economic Stimulus limits (December 31, 2008).

• Homebuyer Tax Credit - a $7,500 tax credit that would be available for any qualified purchase between April 8, 2008 and June 30, 2009. The credit is repayable over 15 years (making it, in effect, an interest free loan).

• FHA foreclosure rescue - development of a refinance program for homebuyers with problematic subprime loans. Lenders would write down qualified mortgages to 85% of the current appraised value and qualified borrowers would get a new FHA 30-year fixed mortgage at 90% of appraised value. Borrowers would have to share 50% of all future appreciation with FHA. The loan limit for this program is $550,440 nationwide. Program is effective on October 1, 2008.

• Seller-funded downpayment assistance programs - codifies existing FHA proposal to prohibit the use of downpayment assistance programs funded by those who have a financial interest in the sale; does not prohibit other assistance programs provided by nonprofits funded by other sources, churches, employers, or family members. This prohibition does not go into effect until October 1, 2008.

• VA loan limits - temporarily increases the VA home loan guarantee loan limits to the same level as the Economic Stimulus limits through December 31, 2008.

• Risk-based pricing - puts a moratorium on FHA using risk-based pricing for one year. This provision is effective from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009.

• GSE Stabilization - includes language proposed by the Treasury Department to authorize Treasury to make loans to and buy stock from the GSEs to make sure that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could not fail.

• Mortgage Revenue Bond Authority - authorizes $10 billion in mortgage revenue bonds for refinancing subprime mortgages.

• National Affordable Housing Trust Fund - develops a Trust Fund funded by a percentage of profits from the GSEs. In its first years, the Trust Fund would cover costs of any defaulted loans in FHA foreclosure program. In out years, the Trust Fund would be used for the development of affordable housing.

• CDBG Funding - provides $4 billion in neighborhood revitalization funds for communities to purchase foreclosed homes.

• LIHTC - modernizes the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program to make it more efficient.

• Loan Originator Requirements - strengthens the existing state-run nationwide mortgage originator licensing and registration system (and requires a parallel HUD system for states that fail to participate). Federal bank regulators will establish a parallel registration system for FDIC-insured banks. The purpose is to prevent fraud and require minimum licensing and education requirements. The bill exempts those who only perform real estate brokerage activities and are licensed or registered by a state, unless they are compensated by a lender, mortgage broker, or other loan originator.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

I just had to share this story with my fellow real estate virtual assistants and virtual assistants. This is so true. Take a moment to read and then read it every time something happens that is a negative.

Enjoy from one real estate virtual assistant to another.

“The Law of the Garbage Truck”

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly…!

So I asked, “Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car AND sent us to the hospital!”
That is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

So take your own garbage out …but not out on others

FREE Real Estate Dictionary Gadget

Real Estate Assistants are always looking for gadgets and widgets to enhance their clients website or blogs.

Here is a great little find that any real estate virtual assistant can use to put on either their website or their clients. Real Estate Virtual Assistants have a goal and that goal is to stay a step ahead in today's technology in order to keep their client updated with the most important items to help them succeed and stand out in the market place.


Get the The Real Estate Dictionary widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox!

Real Estate Virtual Assistants - Organize Your Time!

Owning a business as a real estate virtual assistant it took awhile and a lot of changes have been made over the past 10 years in how I structure my time, but I think I have finally mastered it! Yeah right!

As a mother of three boys who are very active in sports as well as in academics I find myself with little time for me!

As I have always said, God first, Family second, Career third. It is hard to balance everything and keep everyone happy. Am I right? Am I the only one with the never ending problem?

What I have found is getting plenty of rest really does help! I now structure my time to get up before anyone else in the house so that I can have my 20 minutes with The Lord, spend time with my all my pets (3 Burmese Cats, a3 pound Yorkie and then my lab, retreiver and collie), and tend to the things that are important to me. Once the house awakes I am in full gear to prepare them for school. Once I arrive home to a house of peaceful quite, I begin my work day. Take a lunch break away from the computer, do a little housework, prepare dinner, then I go back and start my afternoon just as fresh as I did that morning. Then I pick up the kids from school, run my errands and when we get home I get the boy's situated with a snack, homework and their chore list. YES, my boy's have chores! It is good for them! Then I work till 6:00 PM and I am a mom for the evening. Once everyone is in bed I might go back and finish up a project and then off to bed.

I also have found that my weekends are important to my family, so again I might awake before everyone else to get a couple of hours in, but once they are up - I am mom and they have my full attention.

Does it work? Well, nothing works to perfection, but I try and give it my best shot!

Now that School starts soon I find myself re-organizing my day around the husband and kids. LOL! Oh! and did I mention I have my middle son is now a senior who will graduate this year and preparing him for college is another ballgame.

But, I love my life and would not trade anything for it! And I am look forward to another year of front row seat at every high school football game watching my two boy's work hard and love the game of football.

Connecting Neighbors & Real Estate Virtual Assistants

As a real estate virtual assistant you have the opportunity to learn programs that will help your real estate agents - who are your clients - implement programs into their business.

A really fun site to keep the real estate agents communities create their own social networking site is www.connectingneighbors.com.

My client who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area has several and we keep her communities up-to-date on what is going on in the area as well as provide them with a resource that is invaluable.

If you are interested in attending a workshop to add this program to your real estate services offered you can send me an email to kim@kimhughes.com and I will get you in or you can go ot their website and register.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant Uses Cool Tools!

One of the most valuable business tools I own is a Blackberry Curve SmartPhone. Because I am real estate virtual assistant I understand how important it is to have email, text messaging, instant messaging and the ability for my clients and my team to call me anytime, anywhere.

I love my Blackberry Smartphone and because I am a virtual office I can work anywhere, virtually.

If you do not subscribe to the Blackberry newsletter then you are missing out on information that can help you be a better virtual assistant, especially a real estate virtual assistant.

Check out the latest tool offered - Flickr and get tips to make your phone work for you.

Here is the latest information the Blackberry newsletter offers on the coolest tool - Flickr

Share Your Photos with the World with FlickrTM Uploader for BlackBerry Smartphones
Fans of FlickrTM know it’s a fast, easy way to put photos online to share with family and friends. The new Flickr Uploader for BlackBerry® smartphones means you can now organize, customize and share your photos – all from your smartphone, as soon as you take them! 1,2,3
It’s easy to post pictures to FlickrTM from just about anywhere using your BlackBerry® smartphone. Snap a picture, save it to your choice of photo album, tag it, and even adjust its size. Then post it with just a few quick clicks (see the quick usage guide below). The photos are virtually automatically uploaded to your online Flickr album.

PRESS RELEASE - The FIRST Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Kim Hughes - Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Kim Hughes & Company, 209 County Road 2701,
903-569-6763


Kim Hughes & Company Releases the First Handbook for
Real Estate Virtual Assistants

(Mineola, Texas, June 2, 2008) - Kim Hughes & Company proudly announces the release of The First Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook.

As the title implies, this is the first handbook for virtual assistants interested in serving the real estate industry. According to Kim Hughes, “The real estate industry is the largest industry in the USA and there are over 1,289,444 real estate agents as of this writing. Now think about this…there are approximately 350 real estate virtual assistants!” There is a large potential for success in this field, but as with any niche market, professionals must be knowledgeable about the industry in order to succeed. The First Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook provides valuable insight into the real estate industry and offers detailed information to help service providers break into this exciting, growing field.

With over 17 years of experience in the real estate and mortgage industry, Kim Hughes is a highly accomplished virtual assistant whose specialty is providing marketing and administrative support to real estate professionals. She is also a founder of IREAA (International Real Estate Assistants Association) and the owner of Kim Hughes & Company, which offers virtual assistance to real estate professionals worldwide. For further information about Kim Hughes & Company, visit http://www.kimhughes.com/ or call 903-569-6763.

New Google Group - REVA Rainmakers

There is a new group in town and you are invited to join us! Are you a real estate virtual assistant or if you are looking into this specialized niche come on over and join us. Subscribe below.

We look forward to meeting you!

Subscribe to Real Estate Virtual Assistant Rainmakers

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