Archives of real estate blog entries for November 13, 2006

Featured blog posts

Giving Clients a Shot of Reality! - 12:22 PM

From time to time, I feel like I need to give clients a "shot of reality!" Why? All consumers are out there listening to crazy, unrealistic offers in the media about home loan programs that few often qualify for....and the ones that do, often don't want the product to begin with! Ofcourse, everyone … (8 comments)

If the Public Only Knew What They Don't Know - 11:02 PM

An exercise in fantasy thinking for wishful thinkers!
If the Public only knew what they don't know:
They would not call the company listed on the "for sale" sign in front of the house to arrange for a showing of that house.They would interview agents to find out who takes agency seriously instead of … (17 comments)

Clear Title Quandary - 11:56 PM

Recently I received this from a friend and thought I would share it with all of you. As I am sure that each of us have run into similiar road blocks and inadequicies while dealing with public entities.
Ohhh, our bureaucrats!
As most of you receiving this know, New Orleans residents are … (6 comments)

New Orleans Board of Directors meeting - 02:18 PM

Here's the latest from the New Orleans NAR Board of Directors meeting.
Starting at 8:30 this morning we had 54 pages of recommendations plus an addition 100 + pages of exhibits with them.
There were also 36 pages of committee reports with many pages of attendant exhibits.
All this work, committee meetings, reports, … (14 comments)

NAR Convention Final Report - The Trade Show! - 12:41 PM

The Trade Show - Halloween for Realtors®
If you noticed me missing after Day 4, it was because I ended up sick. I rarely get sick so I'm calling it the New Orleans Flu. I spent Saturday Nite multi-tasking in the bathroom. Returning home, I was thrilled to walk out of the Airport … (30 comments)

The Investors are coming, The Investors are coming... - 06:15 PM

Years ago in a different market, I lamented to an REO manager, "When is the market going to turn around? Will we ever get rid of these foreclosures?"
At the time, his encouraging words fell on very desperate ears. He said to me, "Prices will continue to drop to a point, when it … (25 comments)

Overcome Senior's Objections to Moving Part III-Deal with the Stuff! - 10:39 AM

If you're lucky enough to work with a senior client, you'll likely be faced with one of the two most common obstacles. "I don't want a monthly payment" and "Whatever will I do with all this stuff?" I tackled the financial objection in Overcoming Seniors Objections Part II. Jay and Medford … (15 comments)

Get Rich Quick Reading AR Community Blogs - 11:09 AM

Jennifer Giraldi in her http://activerain.com/blogsview/19218/Get-Rich-Quick-Working blog sparked this blog of mine.
Just look at all the get rich quick ideas that are shared on AR that are for free. Okay, maybe some aren't quite so quick but the valuable tips found in the AR community blogs will help make us wealthier statistically. … (4 comments)

Blogging For Bucks - 03:37 PM

I’ve discovered gold in them thar blogs! I'm no technological geek but I love using today's technology in my real estate business. On April 6th of 2005, I discovered blogging and my life hasn't been the same since. I quickly became addicted.
Seriously blogging now since May of 2005, I started … (42 comments)

A Realtor's Guide to Correspondent Lenders - 10:15 PM

Correspondent Lenders are a hybrid between a direct lender who sells loans to Wall Street and a mortgage broker. We (in the industry) sometimes refer to them as "Super Brokers with Big Credit Cards" because they perform all the origination functions like a mortgage broker but fund the loan in their … (17 comments)

Sleuthing for a Prosperous Future - 02:05 PM

Future Planning.Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what's ahead for us in the real estate industry. ..say in 2010. ..and researching, gathering data, raising my antennae...getting familiar with market demand statistics
I am seeking a "heads-up" on promising trends-such as: 1. trend toward "human scale" design 2.trend toward … (7 comments)

A Realtor's Guide to YSP (Yield Spread Premium) - 03:22 AM

A good source for understanding how to understanding the concept of yield spread premium is from Jack Guttentag, a retired professor from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania (in my hometown of Philadelphia) . Jack has a website called The Mortgage Professor.
I'm going to use Jack's … (58 comments)

ActiveRain-The Good the Bad and the Ugly. - 04:26 PM

I don't know if you guys have noticed, but what an awesome week we have had on ActiveRain. Man, I love this place! Here is a list of some of my favorite ActiveRain moments. And of course, my favorite picture-Craig Schiller.
We've had:
Scandal:
Blog rating manipulation and effects. Matt HeatonA few bad … (49 comments)

Why A Borrower Would Choose To Pay A Higher Interest Rate. - 11:58 PM

In the last couple of days there have been blogs written about use of Yield Spread Premiums (YSP), and I will let everyone on here determine for themselves if it is being disclosed correctly or not. This is an intelligent community, and you do not need me to tell you … (17 comments)

Blog posts

Do You Provide Video Tours of Your Listings? - 12:33 AM

I am looking for group input on video tours of your listings.
Do you do them yourselves or hire a service?Do you have them posted on your website or posted elsewhere and link to them?Have they been effective for you?Thank you for your input.
… (6 comments)

A Tip for Updating Old Signage - 12:40 AM

I recently needed to update my signage when I got my brokers license. I also had signs old signs with and without my designations from various times in my career.
An old trick I used in the old days of helping political candidates is to match the signs color and have the … (2 comments)

Cool tool to take advantage of the long tail - 12:42 AM

I cam across a great tool yesterday evening that was recommended by our own Mary McNight that helps you identify and optimize the long-tail traffic that is driven to your site. The tool is in called HitTail and is in Beta testing right now.
The premise of the tool is pretty … (2 comments)

Please Post Your Photos! - 12:44 AM

It is too easy to take photos with a digital camera and put them on the MLS. Period. No excuses. I am here to tell you that my buyers LOVE pictures! If you have them, please post them. Mr and Mrs Seller entrusted you with selling and marketing their home for … (3 comments)

LOOKING FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND LOAN OFFICERS - 01:19 AM

I am looking to network with some local agents and loan officers to help me get the word out about a life changing system that helps people pay off thier mortgage in as little as 1/2 to 1/3 the time. I am willing to give a referral fee of $400. Please … (0 comments)

Beat Michigan Week - 03:01 AM

It' beat Michigan Week in Columbus Ohio. I'm looking for some Buckeye football fans on Active Rain. Elaine Reese and Karen Villa Schweinfurth were doing OSU proud on Active Rain early in the season. Karen wrote:
Do you know where your family is?
Champions in the making

A comment on Karen's … (4 comments)

A Realtor's Guide to YSP (Yield Spread Premium) - 03:22 AM

Beginning Blogging from Baton Rouge via New Orleans and Cyberprofessional Friends - 04:48 AM

I am still in New Orleans waiting to meet with my team to make the short drive home to Baton Rouge. (about 70 miles). In my first blog, I was optimistic on the number of members attending the convention. The number appears to be about 24,000. But still that was a great number to … (9 comments)

Monday Morning on the Back Porch—For a Few Minutes - 05:03 AM

My home-brewed coffee always tastes better, it seems, when encased in an old-fashioned china mug—not pottery, mind you—but china, with both hands wrapped around the mug for warmth, the vapor rising from the cup—take a sip, (just a sip, a brunt tongue does tend to muck up the experience)—and feel the … (6 comments)

Coming Home - 06:15 AM

There's something about Coming Home that soothes the soul. Whether we've been away at a conference, or travelling around the world, as much as we enjoy the journey, there's just something about Coming Home.
When Tami and I flew back from New Orleans on Saturday, it was one of the rare occasions … (3 comments)

RALPH ROBERTS book "FLIPPING HOUSES 4 DUMMIES" Lesson # 2 - 06:33 AM

Lesson 2
Assess Your House Flipping Readiness
Not everyone is cut out to flip houses. Some people would rather watch TV, invest in stocks and bonds, spend time with family members (without working on a house), or hang out with their friends. Others have a low risk tolerance and can't convince themselves to … (0 comments)

Prescott National Forest, Home in the Ponderosa Pines New Price - 06:40 AM

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Home in Prescott Valley ready when you are New Price - 06:42 AM

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Prescott's Pinion Oaks 4 bed NEW PRICE - 06:44 AM

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The Dash - - 07:19 AM

The "Dash"... do you know what it is? It is increditable. It is inspiring. It stirs the soul. It's all about how we spend our lives from the day we are born to the day we pass away. It reminds us to live the way were meant to live. To share, … (6 comments)

Life BEFORE Real Estate.... Is it possible?!? - 07:19 AM

So, what did you do before becoming a RE Agent, Broker, Mortgage Broker, etc.?
Think back a few years..........

Well maybe not quite THAT far. (Yes, that's me - damn I'm cute!)
But seriously, I haven't met very many people who started out in this field and stayed - it seems that most folks … (7 comments)

Top 10 Myths about Home Staging - 07:29 AM

Top 10 Myths about Home Staging
10        Most buyers can see beyond the home's décor without staging.
9          Home stagers are in competition with realtors.
8          After staging your home you should raise the list price.
7          Some homes are just too small or old to stage.
6          Home … (9 comments)

A bright spot on the NAR trade show floor - 07:33 AM

Went to the convention trade show yesterday and spend the afternoon wandering around.
Its big, its nice, its got a ton of vendor, and its got pretty much the same stuff the past trade shows have had.
Internet stuffNew speciality websites like DoDocks.com for waterfront propertiesmortgage lenders home inspectors etc, etc, … (2 comments)

More Income and Less Stress - 07:44 AM

Sitting in a sales meeting recently, I listened to the account executives discuss ways in which they might improve their sales techniques. As in many sales teams, there is one guy who sits at the top each year with everyone trailing behind. I will call him JC. By virtue of … (0 comments)

Restraining Order - 07:47 AM

I would love to hear tips from Top Producers who have never had a restraining order filed against them. Who is your favorite Real Estate Trainer? What is your favorite Real Estate Book? Would you share tips on not becoming a monster and still making a good living?
I see some horrible agents … (4 comments)

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