Archives of real estate blog entries for October 1, 2006 (Page 3)

Blog posts


Association project - 11:23 AM
My Association's Board of Directors is working on a member website project that should be ready to roll out live soon.
Essentially it's a portal with all of our listings, great search features for consumers, area census information, and several other cool features.
The purpose of this site is to take back control of our listings and use them to benefit our membership; the people that put the listings there in the first place. 
As soon as it's up and running I'll give you the URL and you can take it for a test drive.
One of the very cool parts of it is … (1 comments)

Doing business with the US Government - 12:13 PM
As anyone who has ever done business with the federal goverment in any way will probably attest to, it's a nightmare of bureaucracies.
Together with the IRS, DOT, DOE, and a veritible alphabetical avalanche of other agencies, the US Small Business Administration has put together a website to help us our; sort of a one stop shopping center for doing business with Uncle Sam.
http://www.business.gov 
Links to helpful real estate resources such as RESPA, FHA appraisers home page, IRS real estate, online publications, and lots of other useful stuff.
www.Business.gov, worth bookmarking for future reference.
… (1 comments)

Business.gov Newly Remodeled For Small Business - 01:41 AM
Business.gov, which was discussed in a prior blog article, has been revamped and re-released to better serve small businesses and make it easier to maintain governmental compliances.  It's now re-opened for businesses and billing itself as "The Official Business Link To The U.S. Government", providing a one-stop source to compliance assistance resources from all Federal regulatory agencies.According to busines.gov news releases, "One of the greatest challenges businesses face in dealing with the federal government is the large number of different agencies they must work with, each with its own set of regulations. Each agency organizes compliance information on its Web site differently, which could … (1 comments)

It Pays To Do Comparison Shopping Online -- Expecially If Also Checking For Promotions - 01:47 PM
This week, my old Xerox home office copier/printer with sheet feeder, ran out of toner without prior warning. Several local stores had always had it in stock, but when I attempted to obtain one, I found they no longer stocked it locally. They told me to look online.I eventually found it on Staples.com and ordered it twice from Staples (it was listed online for $139+tax), but they accpeted and canceled my order twice, 1st saying they had it, then didn't; even tried reoordering over the phone -- they said it was in, I would have next day, then finally said they were out of stock and … (0 comments)

Emporis Buildings - Free Database About Buildings and Their Cities Worldwide - 09:45 PM
Emporis Buildings bills itself as the world's largest publicly available database on architectural and building data. Their goal is to index and provide the most comprehensive and reliable technical data on all buildings and structures in order to compare cities and regions instantly. "In short they want to gather and present everything in the world which is of public or commercial interest.  This place is fascinating and their collection of building photographs around the world is a must see before traveling."Through this site you can access statistical, geographic and demographic summaries for major cities, as well as news, city sights and highlights, districts and zones, local … (0 comments)

Private Web Site For Every Listing - 05:17 PM
There is a new marketing idea for Realtors and sellers; it's called American Home Info Dot Com.  You can get a private web site for every listing you have and if you add the optional Audio Home Tour; you will increase your odds of double siding the sale.  Just go to www.americanhomeinfo.com and see for yourself.  … (1 comments)

Real Estate Helps - 05:19 PM
Have any of you gone to www.realestatehelps.info and seen all the stuff available to help you with your real estate business?  If you haven't you need to.  This site is loaded with stuff you can use and check out the Internet Helps Sites listed on there. … (2 comments)

As I grow on Active Rain - 09:01 AM
There is just so much you can write about here. A deal you are working on, what works on the internet, how you build your business. I can see that some people are even using this as a place to vent. I did that a few days ago. You can use it to market. I even see some people use it like a chat room on AOL. I am still reading and watching and fuguring out what it is all about. But I do know one thing it is catching on and spreading.
So since I want to make people think … (4 comments)

Free Color Printer - 09:14 AM
From the self appointed Queen of Questions, to make people think and share with me what they know. So we can all learn. A good friend David Eiglarsh turned my on to the Xerox free color printer program. Xerox Corporation
www.FreeColorPrinters.com
1-888-518-2076
I thought it was great. The quality is tops. and it is free as long as you buy supplies from them. If you print 2000 pieces a month then you can qualify. That is not much when you do brochures / flyer boxes / Forms etc.
If you sign up tell them Christine Adler PA Sent you. I think I get some ink of … (2 comments)

Today is the day I will sleep in - 09:20 AM
That is what I told myself yesterday. I did make a decision to take the day off. Spend it with my husband and then to oh say SHOP. I guess you have to take one day off once in a while. I just keep thinking the end of the year is comming and it is time to focus on my goals for the year. If you dont make them happen now next month will be too late. Then comes the Christmas Cruise.
Oh so much to do. But today it is about relaxing. What do you do to relax?
… (10 comments)

Risks of Home Ownership - 09:00 AM
It is often said the American Dream is owning your own home. But, is it right for you? There are risks involved and understanding these will help you make a good decision for you and your family.1. Increase in monthly housing expenses. Taxes and insurance costs related to your home are sure to increase overtime, but usually these increases are off set by tax advantages and a pride of ownership.2. You are your own landlord. No more calling the landlord when something breaks down. Maintenance and upkeep are yours. but, youo can also decorate anyway you want!3. You must sell to … (1 comments)

Clean and Green - 11:16 PM
Someone wrote recently about getting sellers to keep their homes clean for showings. Among the suggestions was the use of Febreeze as an air freshener. Please note that there are many people that are sensitive or allergic to perfumes and these things can make them sick. (I know 'cause I'm one of them).
Alternatives cleaners like Simple Green or OxyClean work just as well if not better. Vinegar and water will clean windows amazingly well. Old fashined baking soda (yes, the stuff you stick in the refrigerator to absorb the odor) works better than most powdered cleansers, especially if you mix it … (1 comments)

INTRODUCING.....New Real Estate Assistant Organization - 10:31 AM
Hello all!
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce to you a fabulous new organization dedicated to educating and training "On-site" Real Estate Assistants, "Virtual" Real Estate Assistants and yes... Realtors® the latest in Real Estate technology and how to effectively work together. We have something for all of you.
You may have heard of the popular organization, CyberStarVA™. As of October 1st they have made a few changes to their organization including a name change to the International Real Estate Assistant Association, or IREAA. The purpose of the name change was that in the past their main focus was on the "virtual" … (2 comments)

A nice looking home - 09:46 AM
Here are a few things you might want to do to get your house ready to sell
Sweep the sidewalk, mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and clean debris from the yard. Clean the windows and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking. Be sure that the doorbell works. Clean and make attractive all rooms, furnishings, floors, walls, ceilings, and it's very important that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. Organize closets. Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work. Ensure that the house smells pleasant.These are some very basic things you can do for your home. Even if … (2 comments)

How is the price set? - 10:11 AM
It's very important to price your home appropriately relative to current market conditions. Because the real estate market is continually changing, and market fluctuations have an effect on property values, it's very important to select your list price based on the most recent comparable sales in your neighborhood. A comparative market analysis provides the background data on which to base your list-price decision. Study the comparable sales material presented to you by the different agents you interviewed initially. If the analyses are more than two or three months old, have your agent update the report for you.
If all agents agreed … (0 comments)

The Jewish New Year....... - 06:38 PM
Tomorrow is the Jewish new year and it is
the first one I will be celebrating since I found
this new knowledge I have.
This is followed by the feast of tabernacles
about 2 weeks after. That feast is characterized
by eating, sleeping and doing all devotions in a
booth, or tent to help people remember what
God did when he got the Israelites out of Egypt..
and consequently, what He does when we become
his children through faith in his Son. I celebrated
this festival last year and was changed in a way
I have never been before.
I have just started this journey into the Jewishness
of my faith … (7 comments)

Signature Place plans series of parties for owners and agents - 07:06 AM
Joel Cantor, developer of Signature Place, an architecturally unique condo tower to be build in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, knows how to keep his clients and their REALTORS® interested - there was a great party to announce the opening of the sales office in the old office building in the site. The setting was so changed you couldn't believe it was the same place. Then when the wrecking ball was scheduled to make it's first hit on the building, there was another cocktail party. Sound old building - it took a few hits before the building even gave up some dust. … (0 comments)

Developer Preempts Rumors - 07:24 AM
When a new highrise (usualy a condo) is announced for downtown, everyone nearby is concerned about what will happen to their view.  Most people don't have perspective, and even if they see a drawing in the newspaper, they can't relate to what's where on the building site, or how it will affect them.
JMC Development, a local firm with a great reputation, has built a series of projects over the last two decades, each a bit grander than the last. His latest, Ovation, in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, has prices that START at $1,900,000.
At the turn of the century (sounds historic, … (1 comments)

There's that offer clause again! - 07:41 AM
On Friday, an agent faxed over an offer on one of my listings - didn't call, didn't make any comments on the fax, but that's ok. No sellers' disclosure signed - guess they didn't check either the MLS or the property website to download that ahead of time.  No preapproval letter - that's not good.
Let's review it: Full price offer at $650,000 - that's nice! 95% financing - umm. Closing Oct 31 - ok. Typical 1.5% for repairs - ok. Inspection within 10 days - that's normal. What's that miniscule mark in a box? Oh, they want to choose the title … (12 comments)

2 Sides of the Real Estate Transaction - 01:22 PM
It is often said that buying a home is the biggest PURCHASE one will ever make in their lives.
But there are 2 sides to every story.
Does it NOT stand to reason that putting one's home on the market would then be a person's biggest SALE in their life?
I think sometimes that is forgotten... and that is where stagers go to work.
Plain and Simple... Stager's help maxmize the BIGGEST SALE in one's life.
… (5 comments)

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