America's Hardest Working Boy?

Whoever says that today’s generation doesn’t understand hard work surely hasn’t met this boy. Why? According to the IRS and Social Security Administration he has held more than 3,900 jobs and at one time was holding down 919 jobs in 42 states.

You have probably figured this out by now, but this boy isn’t really working this much. (No, really, he’s not) He is, however, one of the most extraordinary victims of Social Security Number theft and fraud by workers in the United States.

Frighteningly enough though, he wasn’t the only one. The Inspector General reported that 11 social security numbers were used more than 400 times each and more than 9 million fraudulent and invalid W-2s are filed every year. Knowing this, you will probably find this as absurd as I did, if the Social Security Administration found out this was happening to you they couldn’t tell you about it nor would they report it to law enforcement agencies. (Thank you Congress and IRS) They would however contact the employees who used them and employers who hired them. These employees were hired by over 1.9 million employers while 95 of them had 1,000 or more occurrences. One even had about 13,954 instances.

I found all of this information in an article by Terence P. Jeffrey, editor of Human Events. Now, what does this all mean for you? Buying and investing in a home typically requires credit. When was the last time you had your checked? You, as a consumer, need to keep yourself aware of your credit scores. All of the major credit reporting agencies are currently giving one free report a year. It is not a full report, but properly monitored it can alert you to unusual happenings. Be aware and be safe. It will matter when it comes time to make such an important decision.

Visual Tours, Real Estate Guides, and Community Tours

Less than 10% of all Real Estate Consultants use some form of Virtual Tours to advertise their listings. Real Estate Consultants that use the state of the art VisualTour Marketing System offer you a distinctively different tour (Not all tours are created equal. Check out the real estate guides and community tours to the right.) and these advantages:

Immediacy - Your consultant can create your VisualTour immediately using their digital camera and professional sales skills instead of waiting on a third party. Your VisualTour can be online in a matter of hours!

Convenience and Security – Since your VisualTour can show every important feature of your home online 24x7, this helps minimize interruptions to your busy schedule due to unnecessary buyer visits. The ability to preview your home using a VisualTour also minimizes the number of unqualified strangers that go through your home in person.

Your Home, Your Tour! – Who knows your home better than you do? With your input, your real estate consultant can create a VisualTour that showcases ALL of its unique features, including neighborhood amenities. Together, you can decide exactly what should and shouldn’t be shown.

Superior Exposure – Your VisualTour can be distributed to national and local websites for maximum exposure. It can also be sent via email, and it can be placed on a CD.

Don’t settle for less than the very best when it comes to marketing your home!

Working with a Real Estate Consultant that uses VisualTour to showcase your home ensures that your home is exposed to the largest possible audience in the best possible manner with the least inconvience for you.

For more information about VisualTours and any of our other marketing programs just get in touch.

A Patriotic Wish by Edgar Guest

I'd like to be the sort of man the flag could boast about;
I'd like to be the sort of man it cannot live without;
I'd like to be the type of man
That really is American:

The head-erect and shoulders-square,
Clean-minded fellow, just and fair,
That all men picture when they see
The glorious banner of the free.

I'd like to be the sort of man the flag now typifies,
The kind of man we really want the flag to symbolize;
The loyal brother to a trust,
The big, unselfish soul and just,

The friend of every man oppressed,
The strong support of all that's best,
The sturdy chap the banner's meant,
Where'er it flies, to represent.

I'd like to be the sort of man the flag's supposed to mean,
The man that all in fancy see wherever it is seen,
The chap that's ready for a fight
Whenever there's a wrong to right,
The friend in every time of need,
The doer of the daring deed,
The clean and generous handed man
That is a real American.