Foreclosure.com today announced the winners of its 2011 scholarship program, which rewards five current college students with a total of $9,000 to put toward their higher educations.

More than 10,000 current college students nationwide answered the call during the 2011 Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program, submitting essays of 800 to 1,000 words or more that answered the following question:

“You have acquired $150,000 in cash to be used specifically for a distressed real estate purchase such as foreclosures. Outline a detailed strategy that ensures the maximum return on investment, whether it is in terms of financial profit or personal satisfaction … or both.”

Cindy Clinton, a freshman at Parsons – The New School located in New York, N.Y., however, was voted to the head of the class by our panel of third-party judges, winning the $5,000 top prize.

“I am so grateful and excited to have been chosen,” said Cindy. “It is very challenging funding a higher education. Therefore, I thank Foreclosure.com for assisting students in achieving their goals by providing this scholarship. This award is a great financial help, putting me one step closer to fulfilling my dream of becoming a fashion designer. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The program, which ran from Jan. 31 to Dec. 1, 2011, also awarded four $1,000 scholarships to the contest semifinalists (in alphabetical order):

• Glenn Bonadio from El Paso, Texas, attending El Paso Community College
• Zachery Eberl from Seattle, Wash., attending University of Washington
• Mishay Kalan from Washington D.C., attending Georgetown University
• David Katz from Los Angeles, Calif., attending University of Southern California

In addition to the five cash prizes in the form of scholarships, these winning entries will be featured on Foreclosure.com. To read Cindy’s winning essay visit the Foreclosure.com Article Center (www.foreclosure.com/articlecenter/foreclosure-com-scholarship-program-2011-winning-essay/). Essays from the other four semifinalists will soon be added to the website.

“The submissions continue to get better every year and our judges have met the task of picking exceptional essays,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “It was exciting to see how creative the essays were in response to this year’s topic and to get a glimpse into the applicants’ individual strategies and thought processes.”

In addition to all the students who responded, Foreclosure.com would like to acknowledge the esteemed panel of judges who selected the five finalists:

• Susan Wachter, University of Pennsylvania
• Michael Kraten, PH.D., CPA, Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University
• Maureen Kraten MBA, CMC, Sacred Heart University

“Thank you to all of our judges for their time and hard work,” said Yates. “We appreciated their dedicated service to this program.”

Yates indicated that the company has already announced the 2012 Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program, which will once again run for the entire year until Dec. 1, 2012. To read the new topic, as well as learn more about the eligibility/submission requirements, visit the Foreclosure.com scholarship page (www.foreclosure.com/scholarship).

Foreclosure.com introduced its scholarship program in 2009. Since that time, the company has awarded 15 deserving college students throughout the United States with a total of $27,000 in scholarship money.

Foreclosure.com today reminded college students nationwide who are enrolled in undergraduate programs that the deadline to submit essays for its 2011 scholarship program is approaching quickly on Dec. 1, 2011.

Foreclosure.com encourages all students (high school students, graduate students and law students are excluded), regardless of major, to apply for the scholarships, which total $9,000 and are divided among five qualified, winning entrants.

The 2011 Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program essay topic is as follows:

“You have acquired $150,000 in cash to be used specifically for a distressed real estate purchase. Outline a detailed strategy that ensures the maximum return on investment, whether it is in terms of financial profit or personal satisfaction … or both.”

Entries are required to be original and be at least 800 words in length and no more than 2,000. Qualified students must visit the Foreclosure.com scholarship page, fill out the entry form and agree to the scholarship rules to enter the contest.

For complete scholarship details and to enter today visit Foreclosure.com (http://www.foreclosure.com/scholarship) prior to the deadline on Dec. 1, 2011.

“This scholarship program has been a wonderful experience for all of the administrators at Foreclosure.com and the outside panel of judges,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “The entries have been competitive and the creativity of the essays have been first class. We look forward to reviewing the rest of the submissions prior to the Dec. 1, 2011, and announcing the winners shortly thereafter.”

The $5,000 grand prize-winner will be selected by Foreclosure.com and its panel of third-party judges and announced prior to the conclusion Q1 2012. The four runners up will also be selected and announced during that time and each receive $1,000 grants. In addition, all scholarship winners will have their essays featured on Foreclosure.com’s scholarship page.

Foreclosure.com introduced its scholarship program in 2009. Since that time, the company has awarded 10 deserving college students throughout the United States with a total of $18,000 in scholarship money.

For complete scholarship details and to enter today visit Foreclosure.com (http://www.foreclosure.com/scholarship) prior to the deadline on Dec. 1, 2011.

Foreclosure.com today revealed a comprehensive menu of money-making affiliate tools and widgets that enable real estate agents and other website owners to integrate its dynamic nationwide foreclosure and investment property listings database into their websites.

Foreclosure.com, which partners with many of the largest names in the online real estate world, as well as individual Realtors® and small- to mid-sized online destinations, provides affiliates with small slices of customized code that they can add to their websites, which pulls content from its database of more than 2 million distressed real estate listings.

“Overnight, a local real estate agent can enhance his or her website with millions of monetized listings,” said Stephen Chip, Foreclosure.com Director of Business Development. “We provide our affiliates with an awesome selection of one-of-a-kind solutions that leverage our unrivaled data.”

Our creative suites of affiliate tools and solutions include, but are not limited to:

• WordPress plugin (with buyer lead capture option)
• Lava® Listings and Lava® Lead
• Framed widget (with buyer lead capture option)
• Localized “foreclosure deals” widget
• Zip code search banner
• Private labels
• Banners and text ads
• RSS and XML feeds
• RSP data feed

The benefits of becoming a Foreclosure.com affiliate are not solely limited to revenue returns, which is at least 25 percent of the fees paid for each referred subscriber. Foreclosure.com also provides its affiliates with incredible amounts of unique, up-to-date and high-quality content that instantly enriches the online experiences for their visitors.

Additional benefits of the Foreclosure.com Affiliate Program include, but are not limited to:

• Participation in the program is FREE with no long-term commitment
• Monitor revenue with access to real-time traffic statistics and commission totals
• Receive eye-catching, original creatives such as banners and text links
• Ensure that you get credit for referring business at all times with a 90-day cookie

“Our affiliates enjoy amazing conversion rates — and unbelievable commission checks,” said Chip. “If you have a real estate-facing website or just want to offer your visitors the best distressed real estate listings, our affiliate program is a no brainer.”

For more information on the Foreclosure.com Affiliate Program, or to sign up to become an affiliate, visit the affiliate section on Foreclosure.com today.

Popular program returns after wildly successful campaigns in 2009 and 2010 awarded $18,000 in educational grants to financially-assist 10 students

Foreclosure.com today announced that it will once again reward five college students with scholarships who can best provide a solution(s) to its latest essay topic for 2011.

The subject of the Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program 2011 is as follows:

“You’ve acquired $150,000 in cash to be used specifically for a distressed real estate purchase. Outline a detailed strategy that ensures the maximum return on investment, whether it’s in terms of financial profit or personal satisfaction … or both.”

Foreclosure.com, which received thousands of entries from students during its scholarship programs in 2009 and 2010, will accept written essays/plans (800-word minimum, 2,000-word maximum) through its website (http://www.foreclosure.com/scholarship) from Jan. 1, 2011, to Dec. 1, 2011, which is nine months longer than the previous two programs.

Five winners will be selected at the conclusion of the contest and will share $9,000 in allotted scholarship funds. The top prize is a $5,000 scholarship and four $1,000 grants will be awarded to the runners up.

“Determining our plan of action in multiple scenarios is the way to be prepared,” said Linda Yates, Foreclosure.com Director of Education. “This year’s topic is a thought-provoking question. It will encourage students to creatively think about how they would approach a real estate investment before being placed ‘in the moment’ with all the real-word emotional tugs that influence such a major decision.”

In addition to the five cash prizes in the form of scholarships, totaling $9,000, these solutions will be featured on Foreclosure.com.

All students must read and agree to the scholarship rules, which are located on the Foreclosure.com contest page at http://www.foreclosure.com/scholarship, before submitting their entries for review.

“It has been rewarding to watch the program grow firsthand and to pose challenging questions for our students to answer as they begin to understand the mechanics of real-world economics,” said Luanne Bryant, Foreclosure.com Partner Relations Manager, who oversees the company’s scholarship program. “This is our third year offering the scholarship program. And we’ve continued to maintain a positive outlook on the current housing market conditions, with this year’s topic specifically focusing on investment and opportunity.”

Foreclosure.com has issued $18,000 in scholarship money to 10 college students nationwide since the program was introduced in 2009.

For complete details and submission requirements/instructions for the Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program 2011 visit http://www.foreclosure.com/scholarship.

Boca Raton, Fla. — Feb. 15, 2011 — Foreclosure.com today announced the winners of its 2010 scholarship program, which rewards five current college students with a total of $9,000 to put toward their higher educations.

More than 1,000 current college students nationwide answered the call during the 2010 Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program, submitting essays of 1,000 words or more that answered the following question:

“How can education at the high school level help avert and/or minimize a future foreclosure crisis?”

Kaitlyn Shumelda, a junior at University at Albany, State University of New York (Albany — SUNY) located in Albany, N.Y., however, was voted to the head of the class by our panel of judges, winning the $5,000 top prize.

“Receiving this scholarship is incredible,” said Kaitlyn. “Not only does it lift a big financial weight off my shoulders, but this amazing experience has taught me something very important.”

Kaitlyn went on to describe how she almost didn’t submit her winning entry, even after she had “put so much into it.”

“I just didn’t think I’d win,” she said. “But I figured I’d at least give it the good ‘ole college try, and I’m now so glad I did! I want to thank everyone at Foreclosure.com for this opportunity – it’s inspired me to do so more because now I know I’m capable of doing so much more. Thank you so much!”

The program, which ran from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2010, also awarded four $1,000 scholarships to the contest semifinalists:

• Cortni Merritt, University of Central Florida
• Kara Karpman, Duke University
• James Balagia, Austin Community College
• Kim Huffstetler, University of Phoenix

In addition to the five cash prizes in the form of scholarships, totaling $9,000, these solutions are featured on Foreclosure.com.

To read Kaitlyn’s winning essay, as well as the others from our four semifinalists, please visit the Foreclosure.com scholarship page (www.foreclosure.com/scholarship).

“It is so important that high school students understand what real life is like outside the classroom – these are the future homeowners of America,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “Financial mistakes of the past can be avoided in the future through timely education and life lessons.”

In addition to all the students who responded, Foreclosure.com would like to acknowledge the esteemed panel of judges who selected the five finalists:

• Susan Wachter, University of Pennsylvania
• Michael Kraten, PH.D., CPA, Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University
• Maureen Kraten MBA, CMC, Sacred Heart University

“It’s been a delight to once again work first-hand with the scholarship program and see it evolve and grow into such a success,” said Luanne Bryant, who coordinated the scholarship effort for the second straight year. “We are proud to offer one of the least restrictive scholarships available, making it a realistic option for literally any college student to apply.”

Bryant indicated that the company has already set up the 2011 Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program, which will run for the entire year until Dec. 31, 2011 – nine months longer that the previous two programs.

Foreclosure.com has issued $18,000 in scholarship money to 10 college students nationwide since the program was introduced in 2009.

To read Kaitlyn’s winning essay, as well as the others from our four semifinalists, please visit the Foreclosure.com scholarship page (www.foreclosure.com/scholarship).

Boca Raton, Fla. — Jan. 20, 2011 — Foreclosure.com today announced that it recently added thousands of short sale properties for sale to its industry-leading, nationwide database of more than 2 million distressed real estate listings.

To search for potential short sale homes for sale in your area visit http://www.foreclosure.com/short_sale/ today.

What is a short sale property?

A short sale is a home that is for sale for less than the mortgage balance owed to the lender. It essentially short circuits the foreclosure process, allowing the distressed homeowner to sell a home that he or she can no longer afford at a price that is in-line with current market values.

And while the short sale process is often considered time-consuming, clunky and difficult, Foreclosure.com Vice President James Houston explains that the listings offered through the website are already bank-approved and ready to sell fast.

“The industry has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time in regard to short sales,” says Houston. “Banks and lenders have become increasingly more willing to set competitive sale prices even if it means doing so at a loss – the alternative (foreclosure) often costs them much more over time.”

Increased staffing, cutting-edge automation technology and government incentives, according to Houston, are the primary factors behind the latest increases in short sale closings. In fact, a recent report from the Palm Beach Post reveals that the short sale homes for sale in South Florida grew nearly 50 percent in 2010.

That’s a trend that Houston says will continue in Florida, and most likely across the board nationwide, as the short sale process continues to improve over time.

“Foreclosure.com only lists bank-approved short sales, meaning that we’ve eliminated the negotiation and other roadblocks that often derailed short sale deals in the past,” he said. “Banks need to sell these homes today, not tomorrow. So the prices often can’t be beat.”

Foreclosure.com already offers the most comprehensive, accurate and current collection of preforeclosure, foreclosed homes for rent-to-own, foreclosure, Sheriff sale, foreclosure auction, bank repossessed (bankruptcy), HUD homes and tax lien listings in one convenient location.

To search for potential short sale homes for sale in your area visit http://www.foreclosure.com/short_sale/ today.

Foreclosure.com today announced that it recently added thousands of foreclosed homes for rent-to-own properties to its industry-leading, nationwide database of more than 2 million distressed real estate listings.

To search for potential foreclosed homes for rent to own in your area visit http://www.foreclosure.com/rent_to_own today.

Foreclosure.com already offers the most comprehensive, accurate and current collection of preforeclosure, short sale, foreclosure, Sheriff sale, foreclosure auction, bank repossessed (bankruptcy), HUD homes and tax lien listings in one convenient location.

Adding foreclosed homes for rent-to-own properties, according to company Vice President James Houston, was a natural progression that reflects a shift in the ever-changing housing market.

“Buyers, who are predominantly watching their wallets closer than ever, as well as financial institutions, which have tightened their lending requirements significantly, are all super cautious right now,” said Houston. “Renting foreclosed homes with options to buy them at later dates is the best of both worlds: Buyers aren’t locked into long-term, expensive contracts and banks don’t have to worry about a glut of defaults.”

Houston adds that the renters of foreclosed homes also have time, which all depends based on the individual agreements, to “test drive” communities and neighborhoods, all the while putting dollars toward a potential purchase. It also helps revitalize foreclosure-ravaged homes, which can often drag down surrounding property values if left in states of disrepair.

“Foreclosed homes for rent is one of many bridges that will get the housing market on the road to correction sooner rather than later,” said Houston. “And, because our listings are bank-owned with options to buy, renters don’t have to worry about having their homes sold from underneath them.”

To search for potential foreclosed homes for rent to own in your area visit http://www.foreclosure.com/rent_to_own today.

Boca Raton, Fla. — Jan. 4, 2011 — The Agent University, which is administered through Foreclosure.com, and The CE Shop today announced that the companies have teamed up to offer real estate agents with even easier access to the best online short sale training certification program in the nation.

The Agent University’s Certified Short Sale Agent (CSSA) certification program is now featured on The CE Shop website, which offers real estate professionals online courses that meet their states’ continuing education requirements.

For more information regarding the short sale training and continuing education opportunities available through The Agent University please visit http://agentuniversity.theceshop.com or call us at (866) 382-4445.

CSSA training, which has been implemented at more than 300 Realtor® boards nationwide, can earn real estate agents up to six continuing education credits in select states, as well as prepare them to find, negotiate and close short sale transactions in record time.

“Having this industry-leading certification program online with the added benefit of also earning continuing education credits will make agents more profitable,” says The Agent University Director of Education, Linda Yates.

Real estate agents are required to accumulate a set number of continuing education credits to meet their state licensing requirements, making CSSA an ideal option that also helps grow business exponentially.

The CSSA course is self-paced with exams, activities, tips and forms available all at the touch of a mouse. Upon completion of the course, agents are featured in a national broker network with visibility to millions of buyers, sellers and asset managers throughout the United States.

Business-building CSSA course highlights include, but are not limited to:

1. Strategies that will improve your chances of receiving the most commission from each transaction.
2. Forms and documents that will significantly increase the profitability of your short sale business.
3. A detailed explanation of the short sale transaction process and how it differs from traditional sales transactions.
4. Directions on putting together short sale packages that will generate more closings.
5. Tips on automating and streamlining your short sale process using the latest technology.
6. Powerful short sale marketing strategies that will help you reach more buyers for a fraction of your current budget.

“Serious real estate agents and brokers understand the value of timely education on the latest industry trends,” says Yates. “Getting a specialized certification along with continuing education credits and marketing all in one makes sense. In this unpredictable market, education is critical to staying ahead of the competition and providing clients with the most accurate information.”

For more information regarding the short sale training and continuing education opportunities available through The Agent University please visit http://agentuniversity.theceshop.com or call us at (866) 382-4445.

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About The Agent University
The Agent University offers serious real estate professionals the best selection of training opportunities and certification programs available in the industry today. Our designations are universally recognized as the standard of excellence. Certified agents stand out among their peers, closing more deals and earning higher commissions. We provide agents with invaluable knowledge, skills and tools that ensure consistent success … even in the most challenging markets. Our industry-leading certification programs, Certified Foreclosure Agent, Certified Short Sale Agent, Certified Commercial Foreclosure Agent and REDC Certified Auction Agent, offer varying degrees of participation at the lowest possible prices.

About The CE Shop
The CE Shop Inc. was founded with the mission to serve the licensed real estate professional with high quality, hassle-free and simple online continuing education. Headquartered right in the middle of it all in Fargo, N.D., The CE Shop team includes real estate industry experts from across the country as well as knowledgeable content and curriculum designers, marketing and sales professionals, compliance and operation specialists, distance learning technologists, financial and legal experts and our outstanding customer service team.

September 8, 2010 — Foreclosure.com today announced that the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), which administers and enforces real estate license law in the “Sunshine State,” has approved its Certified Short Sale Agent (CSSA) training program, once again validating the exceptional educational opportunities offered through “The Agent University.”

This latest announcement comes on the heels of the Certified Foreclosure Agent program receiving the same stamp of approval from FREC in Nov. 2009.

“We’re thrilled to receive this latest approval,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “Understanding short sales, especially in today’s volatile market, is critical for agents everywhere. CSSA training is an invaluable career-building opportunity, providing professionals with the tools and resources to capitalize on this ever-evolving trend.”

The CSSA curriculum comprises four modules that take agents from a basic understanding of short sales all the way to developing a business plan to attack the market from a proactive position.

The four modules, which are dynamically updated to reflect the latest trends in the short sale arena, include:

1. Essentials of short sales
2. Understanding Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA)
3. Short sale automation
4. How to take new skills to market

“Short sales are a fantastic way for distressed homeowners, lenders, buyers and agents to make the best out of bad situations,” said Yates. “CSSA training teaches agents how to bring all these parties together to coordinate the fastest closings possible and keep the market moving.”

It’s important to note that all licensed real estate agents nationwide are eligible to receive CSSA training — it is not limited to Florida professionals only. However, Florida agents now receive continuing education credits with successful completion of the CSSA and Certified Foreclosure Agent courses during live training sessions.

Agents – in Florida and beyond — who are interested in becoming certified can do so online through “The Agent University” at any time. In addition, the Foreclosure.com education team is always prepared to deliver onsite short sale and foreclosure agent training to large groups and brokerages at discounted rates throughout the United States.

For more information regarding the Foreclosure.com Certified Short Sale Agent (CSSA) program offered through “The Agent University” please visit agentuniversity.foreclosure.com/cssa/index.html or call (866) 382-2439.

“Program returns for 2010 after wildly successful 2009 campaign financially assisted several bright scholars from throughout the nation!”

Boca Raton, Fla. — Sept. 2, 2010 — Foreclosure.com today announced that it will reward five more college students with scholarships who can best provide a solution(s) to one of the most troubling issues facing our nation today:

“How could education at the high school level help avert and/or minimize a future foreclosure crisis?”

Foreclosure.com, which received thousands of entries from students during its inaugural scholarship program last year, will accept written essays/plans (800-word minimum, 2,000-word maximum) through its website from Sept. 1, 2010, to Dec. 1, 2010.

Five winners will be selected at the conclusion of the contest and will share $9,000 in allotted scholarship funds. The top prize is a $5,000 scholarship and four $1,000 grants will be awarded to the runners up.

All students must read and agree to the scholarship rules, which are located on the Foreclosure.com contest page at www.foreclosure.com/scholarship.

“Education equals freedom,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “Often we don’t know what we don’t know – where do the roots of the foreclosure problem really lie? How far back can we trace it? These are important questions. So we are eager to get answers, which is the reason we are excited to review this year’s submissions on how the future generation of homebuyers will be able to make smart financial decisions.”

In addition to the cash prizes (5) in the form of scholarships, winning submissions will also be published on Foreclosure.com.

For complete details and submission requirements/instructions for the Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program visit www.foreclosure.com/scholarship.