Archives of real estate blog entries for November 12, 2006 (Page 5)

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Strike Up the Band Paying Tribute To Our Vets! - 07:05 AM
  Here in Osceola County, Florida we love our Vets.  St. Cloud was established as a retirement village for returning Civil War Veterans in the late 1800's.  Osceola County has a Veteran's Museum which is manned by troops of volunteers from every branch of the military. Every Veteran's Day there is a parade which usually rotates from Kissimmee to St. Cloud.  This year it was St. Cloud's turn. The Parade is a tradition richly entrenched in this town; due to its heritage as  a former Veteran's Retirement Community. I am told we have more Veteran's in Osceola County per capita (according to … (1 comments)

DARK SKIES- Look Ahead, but don't forget to look at the Horizon! - 07:36 AM

Looking ahead is important. As we approach the end of the year, the crunch time to make some sales and meet our business plans keeps our noses to the grindstone. Our eyes firmly fixed on the computer, and our heads filled with lists of things to do to improve our businesses.  It is so easy to become engrossed in this business. Work seven days a week, and hope that sale comes soon. Sliding the laptop aside long enough to eat a fast dinner after a busy day through the french doors what to  my wondering eyes should appear.... the most beautiful … (6 comments)

Talk about a View! - 09:27 AM
 I took this photo last July in Alaska. Definitely a place to go "before you die" Sawyer Glacier has carved a magificent path through majestic mountains. Breathtaking indeed. Living in Florida, it is unfathomable to imagine snow and ice in July. But there it was in all of its splendor. Untouched, pure, and glorious.
They say it is important to have goals. Something to inspire you to keep working, keep listing, keep selling, keep trying even the market seems to have come to a standstill. The glacier took thousands of years to migrate through the Fjord inch by inch. Someday I hope … (9 comments)

Realtors Need the Ability to Blend In - 09:45 AM
 Ability to Blend
Perhaps what makes us Realtors a unique breed is our universal ability to Blend in.
Whether it is first time home owners, baby boomers, retireees, we need the people skills to fit in. I learned in Ketchikan, Alaska, that the native Indians the Intuites whose culture has always including welcoming guests  long before the Gold Rush, pride themselves on their hospitable manner. I danced with them when no other volunteers would. Visiting Alaska was an amazing journey. I learned so much about this wonderful wilderness, the struggles of settlers, all in hopes of realizing fortunes in gold, and conquering the hostile … (7 comments)

THINKING OF TAKING THE PLUNGE IN REAL ESTATE? BUYING OR SELLING YOU NEED A GOOD GUIDE TO NAVIGATE THE COURSE TO CLOSING YOUR NEXT KISSIMMEE ST CLOUD FLORIDA HOME - 10:05 AM
 
As Realtors our survival depends on our ability to navigate the unchartered waters of customer relationships and build confidence with our Kissimmee-St Cloud Florida Home buyers and sellers. This sometimes means taking the plunge and as in whitewater rafting paddling together as a team through the rapids. 
When looking to buy or sell your Kissimmee St Cloud Florida Property you need an expert to guide you through the rapids.  We are a team- The buyer or seller and their Real Estate Professional must paddle together to achieve their objective.
True you may get wet, but you will survive the rapids and come … (7 comments)

Do You Have a Secret Agenda? - 02:47 PM
There is a thought-provoking article posted on RealEstateJournal.com entitled "Do Real-Estate Agents Have a Secret Agenda?"  The subject of the article is the offering of generous undisclosed incentives by builders and other sellers to real estate agents whose "clients" purchase their homes.  The article states that agent incentives are much more widespread in today's slower marketplace due to increased competition for buyers.  The author warns consumers that they should insist that their agent disclose the compensation being offered on any property under serious consideration.
The issue of whether a buyer's agent should be required to disclose commission incentives to his or her client is subject to much debate among the … (6 comments)

How Homes Become Green: Prefabricated Components and Energy Efficiency - 03:33 PM
Prefabricated Components
Factory-built components including trusses and prehung doors allow more efficient use of raw materials, making
the most out of every piece of lumber. These products eliminate the need to cut wood at the jobsite, further
reducing waste.
 
Energy Efficiency
The energy efficiency of refrigerators and freezers has tripled over the last three decades because they have
more insulation, advanced compressors, better door seals and more accurate temperature controls. Front-loading
washers use about 40% less water and half the energy of conventional models. Energy Star®-rated appliances
save an average of 30 percent over standard models.
… (0 comments)

How Homes Become Green: Alternatives to Wood and Tree Preservation - 03:37 PM
Alternatives to Wood
Recycled plastic lumber and wood composite materials reduce reliance on chemically treated lumber and durable
hardwood for decks, porches, trim and fencing.
 
Tree Preservation
Tree preservation reduces landscaping and future energy costs and helps provide winter wind breaks or summer
shade. Additional landscaping improves the environment even more: One tree can filter 60 lbs. of pollutants
from the air each year.
… (0 comments)

How Homes Become Green: Toilets and Faucets - 03:54 PM
Toilets and Faucets
New toilets have redesigned bowls and tanks that use less water, but
function more efficiently than first generation low-flow models. Some
use pumps for supplementary water pressure. Advanced shower
and sink faucet aerators provide the same flow regardless of  pressure
 to reduce water use and the energy required to heat it.
I hope you found this information interesting and informative. I take our enviromental sustainability very seriously and know that if "we" don't look after the enviroment, our children are going to be forced to pay for our apathy.
… (1 comments)

THE SIGNATURE SHORTCUT and REAL ESTATE FRAUD - 12:14 PM
The Signature Shortcut 
By Ralph R. Roberts  
As a real estate professional, I partner with Notaries on a daily basis. In fact, no real estate deal can go through without that familiar seal in place. Until recently, I imagined that this was one piece of the real estate fraud puzzle that was unwavering-a sentry in the fight against unscrupulous identity thieves and other fraudsters. But last month a set of closing documents arrived on my desk with the Notary's stamp already in place, sans signature. It was an affront to the very core of the Notary's key function, to "require the presence of … (4 comments)

EVERYDAY I WILL POST a LESSON on "FLIPPING HOUSES FOR DUMMIES" - 01:26 PM
31 House Flipping Mini-Lessons
WWW.GETFLIPPING.COM
… (0 comments)

RALPH ROBERTS book "FLIPPING HOUSES 4 DUMMIES" Lesson # 1 - 01:37 PM
Lesson 1
Nickel Tour of House Flipping: An Overview
On its surface, flipping houses appears to be a fairly easy 5-step process:
Find a dontwanner. (That's the term I use to describe a house that nobody, even the current owner wants.) Convince the homeowner to sell the dontwanner to you for 25%-50% below market value. Fix up the home to bring it up to market value or increase its market value. Sell the home for at least 20% more than you invested in it. Pop the cork on the champagne and start celebrating. Like most things in life, flipping houses sounds a lot easier … (3 comments)

RALPH ROBERTS Fixing The System "REAL ESTATE FRAUD" DEFLATED APPRAISALS - 02:18 PM
Defrauding the Government with Deflated Appraisals
In high-rent districts, where property taxes are in the nose-bleed section, some buyers and sellers are giving themselves a much needed tax break. To cut capital gains taxes and trim property taxes, buyers simply pay a portion of the purchase price in cash, off the books. Buy a million dollar house for $750,000, slip the seller $250,000 cash under the table, and instead of paying property taxes on a million dollar property, you pay property taxes on a $750,000 property, and the seller gets to pocket $250,000 in profits tax-free!
Similar tactics are commonly used in … (0 comments)

Honolulu Homes Prices For October 2006 - 02:48 PM
As reported by the Honolulu Board of Realtors, our October sales prices are as follows:
Median Sales Price, October 2006, Honolulu County
Single Family Homes   $645,000
Condominiums           $310,000
Aloha!
… (4 comments)

Upfront Mortgage Brokers - 09:14 PM
Many people who are searching for home loans are looking for the cheapest and are open to bait and switch tactics.  What we see happening a lot in the mortgage industry, and Bankrate.com is even being sued for allowing this ti happen on their website, is a mortgage company will offer a lower rate and will nto disclose all of the terms.  This makes the borrower beleive they will get the best deal by pursuing that lender, only to find out just prior to closing (or at closing) that the loan they are about to sign for is not the same … (7 comments)

Have Faxes Sent to Your Email Revisted - 01:07 PM
I did a search here on faxes and noticed only a few posts on this topic.
I wanted to update you, in case some of you don't know about this service that we have been using for about a year now.
It is $3.95 a month with unlimited faxes. Also, if someone signs up and mentions that you have referred them, you each receive a month of service for free.
I am in no way affiliated with this company in anyway. A co-worker shared this with me and we are very pleased with the service.
It's a great tool because you … (18 comments)

Builders Guarantee Resale Program.. - 03:44 PM
In this competitive market, more and more builder and other entities are getting into real estate and doing what 5-10 years ago was soley the job of real estate agents.  The importance of setting yourself apart and providing great service to your client is required more than ever now (marketting, selling of prospects existing home).  In my opinion, our goal should be to educate the prospect/client what sets us apart from all other or any conflict of interests that might arise in such situations.
TOLL BROTHERS, INC. GUARANTEED RESALE PROGRAM*
This program is designed to provide an added peace of mind for our … (1 comments)

The FSBO Mind Set - 07:39 AM
Read this last night before bed on the Inman blog - FSBOs trend down in latest industry report
Coincidentally, yesterday I got lost in Oakland and spent about ten minutes driving through a section of town I hadn't been in before. I must have seen 15 FSBO signs in that ten minutes.
So, these two things got me to thinking about the mindset of a FSBO. I think the Inman article has some merit, but I'm new to the business, so you let me know what your experience is.
The neighorhood I was driving through was a "working man's" neighborhood. The average price of … (2 comments)

Where is Puna Hawaii? - 01:44 AM
Where is Puna?
Puna is a district located on the Big Island of Hawaii. 
Every one knows about the island of Oahu where Pearl Harbor is located.  The Island of Oahu is about 597 sq miles in size with a population of nearly 900,000. (source: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567090/Oahu.html)
The Big Island on the other hand is called Hawaii Island, it is the southern most island of the Hawaiian Island Chain, and is about 4,028 sq miles in size.  It has a population of less than 150,000.  (source: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576662/Hawaii_(island).html)
The Puna district is the second largest district on the Big Island and its area is nearly 500 … (5 comments)

Home Inspector Home Inspector Who Art thou? - 03:22 PM

In Hawaii we have no specific requirements for someone to call themselves a home inspector. 
I have seen several people such as sports announcers decide to start a new business.  You guessed it.  They are now a home inspector. 
What makes them feel they are qualified to do that line of work? 
They took a class in Las Vegas or some such place (In this case what Happens in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas).  They earned a designation from that school or organization.  In some cases they bought a software package that generates standardized reports and in some cases they even … (7 comments)

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