Archives of real estate blog entries for October 14, 2006

Featured blog posts


.Com Lenders - 04:36 PM
I am sure that there are lots and lots of blogs out there about ".Com Lenders", so if no one reads this one it is OK, but I just wanted to share a recent experience I had with a Borrower. I got a call from one of the Realtors that I call on, and she wanted me to call one of her family members, because she was concerned about how they were going about getting pre-qualified for a loan. It seems that these young family members had decided to try to purchase a house and had not talked to her first … (43 comments)

Riparian Rights in Real Estate - 05:25 PM
I know what you're thinking.  Riparian...that's a term used in sword fighting, right?  Or is it a new gang terminology for sexual assault?  Or maybe its a term used when you separate or "rip apart" lands or acreage.  Okay so it's not a very common term, but if you guessed water rights in land, you win the prize.
Why, you might ask, should real estate agents or even home owners need to know about riparian rights.  Unfortunately, land owners often do not know about the issue and their ignorance (or their agent's ignorance) could lead to big legal problems.  In Texas people are … (15 comments)

A Tale of Two Brothers - 02:50 PM
I wanted to do a follow up on my $25,000 mistake post and present another example straight from my seminars.  This topic is titled "A Tale of Two Brothers" and shows the different ways of thinking and the benefits of adapting to today's rules of money.  In fact, it is an adaptation from the book, New Rules of Money by Ric Edelman.
Brother A                                                            Brother BBelieves in the "Old Way" -                                               Believes in the "New Way" -paying off your mortgage                                                  Carrying a big, long mortgageas soon as possible                                                               and keeping it
15-Year Mortgage at 5.875% APR                          30 Year interest-only loan at 6.375% … (32 comments)

Google Sandbox: Secrets Revealed - 11:03 AM
In the last few months I have heard epic tales of the Google Sandbox. I’ve had clients tell me it’s an urban legend and others say their site is “permanently sandboxed and they have no hope of crawling up the search results because of it.” In fact, the Google Sandbox has created such a buzz among both the web community and website owners alike, that I feel compelled to set the record straight.

the Google Sandbox? The Google Sandbox is a filter placed on new websites. The result is a site does not receive good rankings for its most important … (43 comments)

Ever been accused of being full of hot air... - 12:29 PM
Salesman are famous for rhetoric that induces people to purchase. As Realtors we sometimes fall under the old salesman banner.
I don't know about you, but I hate being categorized as a salesperson. I don't think of myself as a salesperson, although I know I am in "sales."
What is the difference? To me, there's a big difference. As a Realtor I assist people in making decisions.  I don't encourage or force them.  Never do you hear puffery or high pressure come from my lips.
My concerns are with understanding what the customer wants, needs and can afford.  On many occasion, I can offer suggests … (59 comments)

Hey, We Are Being Watched, And Not Everyone Likes What They See - 10:05 AM
If you are serious about wanting to be a real estate blogger, there are lots of great resources out there and tons of good people you should be reading.  Some of those good people 'on the outside' of our ActiveRain cocoon are reading some of our ActiveRain blogs, and they aren't impressed.  This week, Christine Forgione and I had a little conversation about this piece from a very fine blogger, Greg Tracy from BlueRoof.com. Greg writes:  "ActiveRain is a real estate industry network and has some great real estate bloggers, but they also have a lot of crappy ones who post up … (198 comments)

Networking As a Path to Being Successful - 11:39 AM
We are told, and it is true, every week we need to be working several aspects of our marketing plans. It's not enough to farm. It's not enough to talk to our family members and hope that someone will be selling a house or know someone who wants to sell. To me, networking is one of the most important things I can do to improve my business. There are seven different areas of networking I have come to utilize so here goes.
1.  Computer networking (one of the newer uses of this word) is the most obvious to me and probably a … (44 comments)


Blog posts


My Inspirational Blog--Nobel Peace Prize - 11:57 AM
Bangladesh's "Banker to Poor" wins Nobel Peace Prize
The Seattle Times has published this story today and I have given you only a few paragraphs of the story, it is very well worth reading.  I always enjoy reading about people that do something with their lives that contribute to society--Mr. Yunus has certainly achieved that.  For just small loans to these people he is changing so much.  It makes me wonder what we can do in our country to help the poor.
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh — Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh's "Banker to the Poor" who provides loans to help millions of people fight … (3 comments)

How secure is your MLS? - 02:27 PM
Today Jacqui received yet another solicitation to upgrade to mlx pro. Personally I have never been comfortable with the idea of having our entire client base listed out on the net. Its one of the reasons that Jacqui never upgraded to Top Producer 7 (along with the fact that v6 was very buggy and expensive).  I also wondered what kind of increased security MLS sites have received in the last few years. Just surfing the net I've seen news stories of several MLS sites across the country that have been hacked. Most of the time the hackers are doing it for the … (3 comments)

Open Realty - 06:54 PM
For those of you with custom sites, if you aren't using this program yet you probably should. Open-realty is an open source program, meaning you can install it free of charge. It’s written in php, and allows you to add an unlimited number of fields to listings, different types, upload multiple pictures or a virtual tour with minimal hassle. You can specify which fields are searchable and you can implement a sign up feature to allow visitors to signup as a member, save searches and get email notifications when new properties are added that match their saved search criteria. The design … (13 comments)

Shop RED - 08:50 PM
If you are anything like my wife, you upgrade certain items on a fairly regular basis. Cell phone, shoes and a few other things it seems (to me at least) that she is always buying new ones.  So if you are thinking about replacing or buying something new, you should check out www.joinred.com.  The site was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver and is dedicated to "empower consumers to shop and do good at the same time."   The site raises money for The Global Fund which provides help to women and children infected with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Several merchants are participating … (5 comments)

Buyers are starting to look around and consider buying - 07:26 PM
The number of people asking for information on homes has increased over the last few weeks.  About 40 % of our Palm Beach, Martin and St Lucie County homes sales are second homes.  Most of those buyers have been holding off waiting to see how low the prices will go.  Several publications are now saying they think the market has almost hit bottom.  If you wait until it is clear the market has turned and started up again, you will have missed the bottom by quite a bit.  If you are buying a property to hold for future use or as … (5 comments)

Beautiful Marco Island - 10:12 AM

Marco Island is a wonderful place to live....
We have lots to do or not...
You can walk the miles of sugar sand beaches and discover treasures along the way.
You can go boating and fishing and exploring the 10,000 Islands....
Those that like to shop - well we have options here, but not too much... 
The sun, sand and Gulf of Mexico are a much stronger draw...
Two golf courses on the Island, and hundreds of options in the Greater Naples Area....
The Marco Island Art League is open daily and has new exhibits at the beginning of each month...
Dining options are too numerous to mention and … (2 comments)

Marco Island Market Update - October 2006 - 11:20 AM
Since My September Homes & Lots Update, I thought I would bring what is going on in the market at this time:
Homes:
407 Water Indirect and Water Direct Homes for sale as of today, ranging from $599,000 to $12,900,000, averaging 241 days on the market174 Inland or Golf course homes for sale, ranging from $349,900 to $5,100,000 2 Beach or Gulf homes on the market, both listed for $10,500,000 and averaging 204 days on the marketCondos:
363 Beachfront condos for sale with an average days on the market of 238 days ranging in price from $365,000 to $11,900,000.Gulf Front units rainge in list price … (1 comments)

Marco Island Photos - 11:38 AM
 
Welcome to Marco Island the gateway to the 10,000 Islands....
  
Photo 1 Belize and Cozumel     Photo 2 Gulfview    Photo 3 South Seas Resort -  Tower 1 & 2
 
 
Marco Island Art League
http://www.marcoislandart.com/
No matter where you go you see great progress for Marco Island. 
Right now there is some construction and albeit inconvenient and ugly, it will leave our paradise even more beautiful and accessible. 
So come to Marco Island and experience the beauty for yourself. 
Check out some of the other reasons I feel Marco Island is the perfect Island Getaway at my other BLOGS about Marco Island...
 
… (7 comments)

The "Expired Listing" - 08:21 PM
Not long ago, I contacted a homeowner about their expired listing.  One of the first questions I was asked by them was whether I really wanted to sell this home or just get another listing. . .  I hadn't been asked this question before but it is a valid one. 
Most homeowners experience a bunch of calls, if the homeowner isn't flagged on the Do Not Call List or letters from Realtors offering to re-list their property.  Sometimes a Realtor will even show up at the front door. 
When I contact people whose homes didn't sell and expired I'm calling to see if my services will help … (1 comments)

Do you have unclaimed property? - 02:08 PM
 
Have recently had a couple reminders about checking to see if you have any unclaimed property.  I did this about a month ago for fun and was reminded today of the site where you can go and check to see if you have any lost treasure this is the site that you can check.  NAUPA which stands for National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators is just the ticket to find your unclaimed treasures.  It will have a link to your State ..let us know if you find any unclaimed treasures.
… (4 comments)

E-mail Add Branding - 02:29 PM
 Here is an example of my add branding e-mail.  Brand yourself with each e-mail you send.  The cost is $20 per year with discount code from the message in the e-mail.  Great system and works with most e-mail programs including aol, and some mls programs too.  It is very easy to set up and very inexpensive so give it a try.  They will remind you every year to renew and it will make your e-mails stand out.  Hope William agrees from an earlier post today about friendly e-mail.  Anyone else using this?
… (5 comments)

Michael Russer - 02:41 PM
Michael Russer is also known in the real estate world as Mr. Internet.  You can sign up for his free e-news and he offers alot of helpful information about real estate and technology in many publications.  Be sure to sign up for his E Power News and watch for his articles.
Has anyone taken any of his seminars?  By the way he also recommends add branding services and as he says you type in plain text and the mail goes out through the add branding servers. 
 
… (4 comments)

Broker Bryant has jumped out of his box again! - 07:03 PM
Kristal Kraft had posted today, about Realtors being problem solvers, not sales people. I have to say, I could not agree more. As usual Kristal is right on. If you are working Real Estate, as a salesperson, you are probably missing the boat.
In this more difficult market, being able to solve problems is crucial, if you want to stay afloat. As an example, I have two Sellers with three problems. My job today has been trying to come up with a solution that will work for both of them and hopefully help me achieve my goal too, which is getting … (20 comments)

Ever been accused of being full of hot air... - 12:29 PM
Salesman are famous for rhetoric that induces people to purchase. As Realtors we sometimes fall under the old salesman banner.
I don't know about you, but I hate being categorized as a salesperson. I don't think of myself as a salesperson, although I know I am in "sales."
What is the difference? To me, there's a big difference. As a Realtor I assist people in making decisions.  I don't encourage or force them.  Never do you hear puffery or high pressure come from my lips.
My concerns are with understanding what the customer wants, needs and can afford.  On many occasion, I can offer suggests … (59 comments)

Good Grammar doesn't end in grade school...or does it? - 08:11 PM
Bloggers on AR talk about spelling and grammar errors frequently. We all agree it's important to to avoid making errors, but the problem is, we don't know when we make them!
Errors occur also, because many times the message is not proof read. I for one get in a hurry or fool myself into thinking what I see on the screen is right! Yes, I should wear glasses to work on the computer, but I don't always do...thus errors crop up.
Not knowing when an error is made, is partly due to forgetting, or never knowing the proper usage.
Here's my … (24 comments)

Rookie mistakes and other blunders... - 09:47 PM
New people sometimes fall prey to foolish blunders when beginning in the real estate business. 
They tend to be looking everywhere for The Answers.  Rookies and even more seasoned people seem to expect there is an EASY ANSWER to having success in real estate.  This is true in the industry as a whole, not just Realtors.
Training classes are good, but going from one to another following the Flavor Trainer of the Month is not going to solve any problems or make money. 
A word from the wise, find a trainer or real estate theory that incorporates The Basics.  It should be … (9 comments)

Spamming Your Own Site - 12:46 AM
Spamming is a huge topic on ActiveRain and rightfully so. Lately there are more and more signatures are being used on ActiveRain in blog posts. Now I am personally against it because it is just junk and a worthless spam link. Creating back links to a blog or website is highly important part of SEO, if and only if those links are one-way in bound quality links.
By putting a signature at the bottom of each post and comment a person conducts it looks like SPAM to the SE's. Don't think that by adding a link to your real estate website in … (24 comments)

Blogging Terms 101 - 08:16 PM
Here are some blogging terms that I have come across in the past. 
Associate – A fellow blogger that is put on a list so others can visit their blog.Blog – An online web log that is written by a person or collection of persons. Topic can vary from personal to business to religion. A blog is usually updated often, has a place for comments, some include photo albums, archives, recent posts, buddy/friend/associate list and RSS feed.Buddy – An online friend Buddy List (Associate List) – A list created on a blog to organized their favorite bloggers.Hater – A person/blogger that leaves bad or quick … (4 comments)

Estate Planning: The Importance of Title In Your Deed of Trust - 12:25 AM
The names on the title of your property and the form of that title can impact your ability to stay in your home.  How you hold title can cut out your intended heirs or reduce their tax consequences. From a new perspective, think of the title to your property as part of your estate planning. For most Americans, their home is their largest asset.   This SRES article discusses several example scenarios of what can happen if not actively planning. It goes on to discuss the different types of title and the implications, such as what can happen as a result of divorce, bankrupcy or … (2 comments)

CLI: Assessing Commercial Real Estate's Market Behavior - 11:19 PM
Where is the commercial real estate market headed? To help answer the question, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) developed a Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) designed to provide early signals of turning points - peaks and troughs - between expansions and contractions (slowdowns) of commercial real estate activity.  The index incorporates 13 variables that reflect future commercial real estate activity. The methodology follows a well-known process of looking at changes in individual indicators and then weighting them appropriately in a process that results in a single indicator of future market activity. The index was developed to assist NAR’s members specializing in … (0 comments)

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