Social media use by business, and definitely by real estate professionals, is growing by leaps and bounds.  And, if you read here much, you know that I'm a big fan of Google+, the new social spot on the Web.  However, there's a lot of disagreement about how much to engage our prospective customers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+.  Some would say, and they practice it, that if a little works then a lot must work better.  I do know that when I connect with a real estate professional in Google+, if I start getting multiple posts/day, especially if they're mostly promoting every tiny feature of their listings, I just disconnect.  After all, I'm in Taos, NM, and have very little interest in their new listing in Detroit.  (Another reason to learn to use Google+ Circles properly.)

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Just this week, Google+ became an integral part of Google Search results with "Personal Results."   It's creating quite a stir, some negative.  Twitter is in a snit because they think Google has an unfair advantage, and others just think it's not going to be useful.

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The latest plan hatched by the government to help dig out of the housing mess is to sell government owned properties in bulk to large investors.  It's refreshing to see the more mainstream media like CNBC express doubts about this latest scheme.  Where there's enough smoke for the major media to smell it, there just may be some fire around somewhere.

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If you're still trying to compare Google+ to Facebook, you shouldn't be doing that either.  It isn't a Facebook clone, and is only a competitor in some ways.  The fact is that Google Plus is growing, and it's providing businesses with a whole new way to communicate with prospects and customers.  I've set up several business pages, a very fast and easy process, and I'm slowly building a following on a couple of them.

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Daily News Articles | Realtor Magazine

realtormag.realtor.org1/5/12

Several real estate professionals say cash-back incentives that some lenders are using to tempt delinquent borrowers to do a short sale over a foreclosure are not very effective because it's not clear on who qualifies for the ...

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The FHA, Federal Housing Administration, just issued a performance report that could indicate the need for a taxpayer bailout in the next three to five years.  A spike from 8.4% to 9.3 percent this month for mortgages delinquent three months or more has generated concern.

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Since the beginning of the housing crisis, "jingle mail" has been increasing.  That's the practice of a homeowner who is underwater on their mortgage, owing more than the home is worth, mailing in the keys and intentionally defaulting.  This is in spite of the fact that they can continue to pay their payments.  In an article titled The Chaotic Consequences of Being Unethical, the author comes down clearly on the side that this is a damaging unethical action by homeowners.

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The SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, has charged six former Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives with securities fraud.   It is alleged that they misled investors about the extent of the exposure of the mortgage giants to risky subprime mortgage debt.  You can get the details at the link, including the names of those being sued by the SEC.

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