Did you ever have a client tell you he/she was searching for a house in Ventura County, only to find out that the client was searching for a house in Santa Barbara County? Now new technology for real estate allows realtors to know what their clients really think. That kind of thing happened to Tracie Norman. BoomTown, the real estate software used by Norman, exemplifies the next-generation software that real estate agents are using to better understand and interact with clients, wrapping together a property search website with marketing, task management and customer relationship management systems. “We track everything you do,” said Matt Arout, BoomTown’s “go-to-market program” manager. [...]

Currently, according to Zillow, there are owners of over 1,200 homes that have failed to avoid foreclosure in Ventura County. Foreclosure doesn’t just arrive like a baby on the doorstep. There are signs of approaching trouble. You are having difficulty paying the mortgage. You have very little savings for emergencies. You use credit cards to get to the next pay day. Each month you are only paying the minimum on your cards. You are neglecting doctor and dental visits. The first step to avoid foreclosure: Don’t Ignore the problem. If you are experiencing any of the approaching troubles, and not doing anything about it, you are ignoring the problem. [...]