August 15, 2008 Edition

Updates From Franchise Development

Send your prospects to franchise seminars in Memphis and Detroit By Jason Killough   Jason Killough Thanks to all franchisees that participated or referred franchise prospects to our HVA development seminars in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, we had a great turnout in both cities.   We have two upcoming seminars: Detroit, MI on September 4 at 1 p.m. Memphis, TN on September 30 at 7 p.m., just prior to John Hayes speaking to the Mid-South REIA on October 1. Don’t forget to pre-register your prospect with the Franchise Development Department. If the prospect purchases a new franchise, you will receive a $10,000 bonus.   To be a qualified referral, the prospect must have heard about the HVA franchise opportunity from the referring franchisee and must be registered with the Franchise Development Department. If a lead's name and contact information already exists in HVA's sales database, the lead does not qualify for this program (and we’ll tell you so at the time you register their name with us). This referral program does not include transfers of existing franchises although HVA will continue to offer $2,500 in advertising credit for each transfer referred. For more information, or to register a referral, please contact Sherry Wallace at 972.619.0089. sherry.wallace@homevestors.com. New Franchisees Join HomeVestors   Since the last Franchise Development update in The Vestor's Voice®, the following franchisees have joined the system . . . welcome!   Mike and Lindsay Hambright, Dallas, TX Lence and Brittany Jorgensen, Albuquerque, NM Webinars Accessible Every Tuesday If there are no development seminars in your area, consider sending your franchise prospect to a live HVA Franchise Development Webinar. During these phone and Internet presentations, prospects learn about HomeVestors and interact with the Franchise Development team from the comfort of their homes or offices. They can ask questions via phone or E-mail, enjoying the same opportunity to interact with the team as they would at a live seminar. Webinars are offered every Tuesday at 4 p.m. CST, and last from 40 to 50 minutes. For registration information, visit the "Own a Franchise" section of HomeVestors.com, and click on "Upcoming Events/Webinars." . . . Jason Killough is VP of Franchise Development for HomeVestors. He can be reached at jason.killough@homevestors.com.

Do You Have The Ugliest House This Year?

If so, it may be worth more than you know! By Joanne Graupner   Breaking News: You may now enter assigned properties into the the Ugliest House of the Year contest! At the Mid-Year Sales Summit in early June we announced the return of the Ugliest House of the Year contest and asked you to start taking high-resolution photos and videos of your ugly houses. For those of you who weren't in attendance at the MYSS (and for those who were in attendance, but got so excited that they forgot all the details), here again are the details: All franchisees – even those who do not rehab – can enter by submitting photos and videos. From all entries received, the HVA Leadership Team will select 10 finalists. BizCom Associates, HVA's public relations group, will issue national and local-market press releases in mid-October. The finalists will be posted online for voting. The 2008 Ugliest House of the Year selection and the winning franchisee will be announced at the 2008 Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Photos. A description of the house will be distributed to national and local news media. Second- and third-place winners will also be recognized at the convention. If you have rehabbed the winning house, we invite "after" photos as well, although this is not a requirement for entry. If provided, "after" photos will be an extra bonus in the press release and in local media pitching, allowing the winner to showcase the home's transformation. So what is a really ugly house worth to you? First Prize: $10,000 advertising credit to be used in Q1, 2009. Second Prize: $5,000 advertising credit to be used in Q1, 2009. Third Prize: $2,500 advertising credit to be used in Q1, 2009 Entry Details and Rules are available under “What’s New” on the HVA home page. Look at your 2008 inventory. If you haven't already purchased a house that qualifies as a truly, stunningly, unequivocally ugly, start looking for that house now! . . . Joanne Graupner is a Regional Marketing Manager for HomeVestors. She can be reached at Joanne.Graupner@homevestors.com.