The Internet of Things goes to your Lightswitch

Check out the future of light switches, bRight Switch system.

Here is what the company has to say about their product on the site:

"What if your lighting system could automatically learn what you want, turning on the lights without you having to lift a finger?

What if you could make the switch in the kitchen also turn on the light in the living room, and you didn’t have to call an electrician?

What if, wherever you are, you could plug in your phone without first hunting down the charger?

What if, instead of a wall switch, there was a full-color touch screen smart device packed that could be color coordinated with your room, provide security, intercom, wake up alarm, Internet phone and more?"

Here is a Gadgetreview article on the switch.

Remember, housing utilizing the internet of things sells.

Upcoming CE in Southampton - Divorce Deals (Free, Fun with Food!)

DIVORCE DEALS

Instructor: Andrew M. Lieb, Esq., MPH

Location: Southampton NY

Date: 10/3/13

Advanced Enrollment Required: http://www.liebschool.com 

Watch out! Here comes a headache, exposure to liability and impossible commissions. Ever work with divorcing spouses before? Then you know. Good luck getting them to agree on anything from sales price to showing dates while selling their homes or commercial properties? What happens when they start asking you to write letters about how their spouse is not cooperating on the deal? Ever get a call from their lawyers? How about when you get subpoenaed to appear and testify in their Contempt Hearing? What do you do? Where do your duties lie? What can you say and which documents can you provide?

A divorce can pull everyone and everything into its grasp. This course is designed to teach real estate agents how to navigate through all of the complexities of divorce deals from properly listing the property to procuring a purchaser and receiving commission in compliance with License Law.

Learn about the Domestic Relations Law’s concept of marital property. Prepare yourself to stay above the fray, make the deal, get paid and keep the divorcing clients responsive and cooperative along the way. Good luck. 

Tune into 88.3 9/20 and 9/21 at 5:30pm - Realife Radio with guest Andrew Lieb

Check out 88.3 WPPB Peconic Public Broadcasting tonight and tomorrow night (9/20 and 9/21) at 5:30pm. 

Realife is hosted by John Christopher from Brown Harris Stevens. John will be interviewing Andrew Lieb concerning a multitude of issues facing Hamptonites in the real estate market. 

License Renewal FAQ: Credits and Certificates

QUESTION: Does Lieb School report my completed credits to the Department of State (DOS)? Am I responsible for sending my course certificates to the DOS?

ANSWER: Credits received from Lieb School count towards the 22.5 required from the DOS for license renewal. Certificates provided at each class serve as proof of credit hours (think of them as a receipt). After each class, Lieb School submits to the Department of State, Bureau of Educational Standards, all licensee information for successful completion of each course. Upon license renewal, the DOS will require the original signed certificates if you are selected for an audit. Make sure that you keep your certificates in a safe place. In the event of an audit, the DOS will cross reference the certificates with the student completion records received by each school. You are responsible for completing all 22.5 credits by your license renewal deadline date.

To learn more about license renewal click here.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau getting into the Mortgage Modification Game

Incident to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) new mortgage rules, the Ability-to-Repay Rules, the CFPB also has created rules for delinquency notices, follow-up information for loss-mitigation, and forbearance plans. Its imperative that foreclosure defense counsel familiarize themselves with these rules prior to their effective in 2014.

The full final rule is available here.

Most interestingly is the "general ban on proceeding to foreclosure before a borrower is 120 days delinquent".

Also, important for mitigation specialists is the clear requirement that servicers provide notice of deficient document submissions incident to a modification application and an opportunity to cure. This should hopefully put an end to the days of we closed your file because we didn't get all of your documents - the fax shredder will be broken.

Mortgage Foreclosure Alert: New Making Home Affordable Program Handbook Released - Version 4.3

To access the new Handbook for MHA, inclusive of HAMP and HAFA, click here. 
This Handbook is the rules for banks / servicers to modify mortgages, so pay careful attention to detail and make sure that they comply.