Archives of real estate blog entries for November 14, 2006

Featured blog posts


Anatomy of A Rural Acreage Sale. A Good-Natured Look at a Real Challenge. - 10:16 PM
Scenario: Cash Deal with Contingencies. 35+ AC in beautiful Madison County, North Carolina. Parties to the transaction want/need to close in 60 days, max. Due diligence to remove contingencies on acreage likely to take up to and  beyond 120 days.
Challenge: Close in 60 Days When it Takes 120 Days to Close .....   Clock Ticking
2DO List :
The appraisal. Not a problem...we refer three appraisers. One of them allows as how he might be able to squeeze us in and  get out on the land before the Winter Solstice. If he can do it, this property will appraise. 360 degree views, easy access, … (13 comments)

Serious Sleuth Seeks Proof and 2007 Direction Through STATS - 12:39 AM
 
WHAT  we see   redefines HOW  we see a property. ..the saga continues...
I'm looking for a way to measure the change in perception based on what people choose and what they need.
  I have a hunch that an hour or two plying the ins and outsof our handy MLS System might provide the frugal sleuth the stats for which s/he hunts. For me, putting numbers on my instincts as a REALTOR® feels a little dangerous. I don't want to lose my intuitive edge. But I'm up for the adventure, so I've set out on a search for stats. ..in the GREEN arena, of course. … (10 comments)

How Absorption Rate is figured - 11:09 PM
Knowing your area's Absorption Rate, helps to track trends.  Understanding the market and where it is headed is part of our job as real estate professionals.
Absorption rate is NOT an exact science.  Figuring it is based on the premise that one will be looking for a TREND.  It is advised to consistently do the numbers each month, to be able to track a trend.
Getting Starting...
You need to know 2 figures.
1) How many listings are currently on the market?
2) How many listings sold last month?
You will be counting under-contract or pendings as listings, since they are not SOLD yet.
… (96 comments)

How About a Blog Tour: The November Edition - 07:30 AM
Crazy as it sounds, I maintain two blogs.  The other blog, miOaklandCounty.com is slightly more local in flavor, but some of the content appears both places.  Since I joined ActiveRain, I've been exposed to many more people maintaining two (or more Toby Boyce) blogs.  And we've all got different approaches to running these two blogs.Last month we ran a blog tour, and we visited ActiveRainers 'other blogs'.  I learned a lot, and there seemed to be a consensus that people would like to do it again.  So, the time has come.  We are back.  The visitors are coming!
Here is how it … (53 comments)

Who is in your "circle of five" - 07:25 AM
I am sure that by now most, if not all, of us have seen the T-Mobile commercials that ask "Who's in your circle of five?"
This got me thinking.  Who is in my circle of five?  Then, I took it farther.  Who is in my client's circle of five?
Here is what I came up with:
1) Who is in my circle during the transaction?
- Client, Realtor, Appraiser, Title, Lender (sure there are sometimes where there are more, but these are the ones I most often talk to during the transaction)
2) Who is in my circle after the transaction?
- Client, Financial Planner, CPA, Estate … (23 comments)

A Realtor's Guide to Affinity Marketing with Mortgage Companies - 01:11 AM
Affinity marketing is a term coined by MBNA Bank some 20 something years ago.  The then division of Maryland National Bank and now division of Bank of America coined the strategy with this slogan:  "Get the Right Customers and Keep Them".  They started their strategy by marketing credit cards to alumni associations with a portion of the fees earned being donated to the alumni association.  Their first partnership was with the prestigious Princeton University Alumni Association and expanded to over 1400 organizations today.
I started a division for a mortgage company that focused on affinity marketing by selling discounted real estate related … (13 comments)

Online Lead Forums - C'mon People!! - 01:41 PM
I posted the below on Planetrealtor.com today and this is the first blog in a while but I had to share it.  I am so tired of reading about fellow Realtors getting screwed over by these "lead generation" companies.  One guy said his close ratio is 1 out of 50 and he has to be on top of the leads as soon as they come in!
1 out of 50?  Ouch.  Sounds like a lot of time and effort for little payout to me.   I have a lot of experience in web related companies.  2 start ups, VP/partner in web development firm, ad … (42 comments)

Feng Shui, Feng Shui - 01:16 PM

Feng Shui is the practice of creating harmony and balance in our environments to help us feel well and prosper in all aspects of our lives.  Feng Shui can be applied to improve our lives overall or to help heal specific ills.  To incorporate all of the principles of Feng Shui could be overwhelming or impractical but the basic principles of Feng Shui are rooted in common sense and good design and can be used by anyone.
Home Staging is a good place to incorporate as many principles of Feng Shui as possible.  Bringing in good energy and emotion is essential to … (21 comments)

Myth #6 Busted - Home staging just means removing the clutter. - 07:38 AM
Home staging is more than just decluttering.   Anyone can take everything off the kitchen counter or strip a bathroom so there is nothing in it - so why should people hire someone to do it for them?  Professional home stagers are trained to; first get rid of the clutter, then add decorative elements and / or emotional connection points that will appeal to a broad range of home buyers.  Just cutting the clutter is not enough.  You do not want the room to end up looking stark.  Every room should be warm and inviting, beautifully decorated and stylishly current.  Homes that … (21 comments)

ActiveRain week in review #2 - 05:38 PM
Last week we did the first ActiveRain week in review to highlight particular events and posts during the previous week on ActiveRain.  I was so busy at the NAR conference I didn't have a chance to do one for this last week but I noticed that Bryant Tutas was kind enough to write one up.
So check out:
ActiveRain-The Good the Bad and the Ugly. 
Now that I'm back from NAR I will be doing many posts on both the ActiveRain blog and my personal blog over the next several days.
-Matt Heaton (ActiveRain CEO)
… (9 comments)

There are Dashboards and Then There are Dashboards..... - 01:33 PM
My Dad's 1957 Bel Air Chevy; gorgeous two toned green exterior with an awesome chrome-filled dashboard. The U.S.S. Cobb is docked in Cleveland on the 9th Street Pier. Talk about a gorgeous dashboard with more bells and whistles you can shake a stick at. Car and submarine dashboards are amazing things to enjoy.
Now let's get to AR's Dashboard. From what I understand, it is a newer AR invention (well, AR itself is relatively new). I'm reading more and more comments about how it should be eliminated. But 'more and more' doesn't automatically add up to a majority opinion. I'll tell … (62 comments)

Do you push into fast forward to escape from today? - 10:16 AM
We all go through times when we wish we could press a fast-forward button and propel ourselves into the future and out of our current circumstances. Whether the situation we are facing is minor, or major such as the loss of a loved one, it is human nature to want to move away from pain and find comfort as soon as possible. Yet we all know deep down that we need to work through these experiences in a conscious fashion rather than bury our heads in the sand, because these are the times when we access important information about ourselves and … (16 comments)

Come On Be Honest...You Didn't Really Read The Post...ROAR! - 07:31 AM
Did you? Sometimes I would like that to be my comment to a comment. Why? Because I know the comment I just read on a post made no sense what so ever. I mean sometimes it is clear to me that the commenter did not actually read the post. I don't get it. If someone is going to take the time to submit a comment, why would they do that without reading the post Huh? It takes time to leave a comment why not take the same time to go ahead and read the post. Yes?
What I have noticed the … (78 comments)


Blog posts


ActiveRain week in review #2 - 05:38 PM
Last week we did the first ActiveRain week in review to highlight particular events and posts during the previous week on ActiveRain.  I was so busy at the NAR conference I didn't have a chance to do one for this last week but I noticed that Bryant Tutas was kind enough to write one up.
So check out:
ActiveRain-The Good the Bad and the Ugly. 
Now that I'm back from NAR I will be doing many posts on both the ActiveRain blog and my personal blog over the next several days.
-Matt Heaton (ActiveRain CEO)
… (9 comments)

Nashua New Hampshire is the 27th safest city in the US! - 06:54 AM
Nashua, New Hampshire was twice named best place to live in the country from Money Magazine - and how has received yet another high ranking – it’s considered one of the safest. [View the Video Tour of Nashua NH]
Nashua landed at No. 27 on the list of America’s safest cities in the country in a report released by Morgan Quinto Press, a private research and publishing firm. Some 371 cities were ranked.
Nashua, with a population of 87,411, ranked 27th; making it the safest city in New Hampshire.
Nashua’s murder rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people was half the national average of 5.6, … (1 comments)

Change is Good? - 09:35 AM
Change is Good!  You hear this comment a lot in life.  But the flip side to it is that not many people actually like change.  Most people are stuck in their ways and when you tell them something is going to change, they typically moan and groan.  My mom is like that.  I'm like that sometimes.
The past year, I've made a big effort to order something different when I go to my favorite restaurants.  You know, you always order the same thing because you know you like it so why try something different?  This past year, I've tried a lot of … (6 comments)

Ethics, standards of service and government intervention - 03:57 PM
It's interesting in light of the DOJ actions/investigations of US based realtors that the UK government is considering actions against the UK real estate industry.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/14/nagents14.xml
The UK industry is mostly composed of unlicensed individuals without the educational and ethical standards of most US real estate associations/trade groups. They are also one of the areas being used as a comparison by the DOJ for their investigations into compensation levels. I would note that the UK National Health Service is much cheaper compared to most US based health plans which reduces pressure on fees to cover health costs. Many UK agents are on salaries … (2 comments)

Mr. Smith goes to Las Vegas - 10:46 PM
Pubcon, the Search Engine Opitimization convention sponsored by Webmaster World kicked off today.  I got to meet some of my online friends for the first time, including AR's own Ken Smith.  We met the day before the conference at one of my favorite buffets at the Orleans.
This site is about making connections with other agents in different areas. Matt, Max and their spouses joined a little later.  It was a really great time and was nice to be able to get to know them better.
We ended up staying there in buffet for a couple of hours chewing the fat.  … (11 comments)

Los Prados - 10:57 PM
Los Prados is a truly unique golf course community in Las Vegas. The community is divided with roughly half of the neighborhoods being aged restricted and the other half open to all ages. This gated gofl course community is centered around an larger than average Executive 18 hole golf course. The course is 4937 yards,  par 70 and sloped at 107 and best of all, it is owned by Los Prados residents!
The community features lush landscaping, green belts and water features throughout. Los Prados offers all the amenities you would expect from a golf course community. It also has a great … (1 comments)

State Level Committee Involvement - 12:11 PM
 
It has been fun reading about the NAR convention and all those that are involved.  I must start out by saying -- Thank you for all your time and efforts.  I understand that it takes a special type of person to be involved and what an honor it is to serve.
Yesterday I got in the mail to join three committees at the State Level here in Florida.   I am looking forward to the challenges and learning a lot more of the Industry from the State level.  
Especially after this past year being involved with the local board on two committees, and was … (3 comments)

Blogging for Fake Email Addresses? - 04:23 PM
I've heard different stories about why people started blogging.  I originally started because my website coach suggested this as a way of getting traffic to my site.  Many of you have shared that this too was some of your reasons for blogging.
Ok, I'm starting to get traffic to my site - Yipee!  Only when a form is filled out (to get to doing a home search or report), so far ALL have been phony email addresses.  So my question to the group is, Have any of you gone through this and will it change in time?  (I sure hope so!)  Which … (4 comments)

Thinking of Moving to the Indianapolis, IN Area? - 04:56 PM
If you're relocating to the Indianapolis area I would love to help you get aquainted with Central Indiana and search for a home.  My website provides information about schools, the cities and towns in the area as well as allowing you to search for a home yourself.  Visit my site at http://cyndisloop4indyhomes.com.   If what you're looking for doesn't seem to be there, please email me or give me a call and I will search for you. 
… (0 comments)

Just Reduced - Charm & Style - 06:55 PM
Priced at $179,900 Located in the 71st and Binford area of
Indianapolis.  Home features four bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a formal livingroom, a formal diningroom, familyroom with fireplace, kitchen and a enclosed sunroom.  Home has hardwood floors through out and the kitchen has been updated.  With an large lot and its park like gardens, you'll enjoy relaxing outside in warm weather.  A Home Warranty is included.  For more information on this home and others, please visit my site http://cyndisloop4indyhomes.com. 
… (0 comments)

What it is like being married to an Active Rain Addict/Mortgage Broker - 05:57 PM
Okay, I have been listening for weeks or has it been months on the importance of blogging, having an internet presence, and how wonderful the Active Rain Network is from my wonderful, handsome, extremely intelligent, selectively focused husband, the featured Mortgage Broker, Mark Flanders. So, I've decided to write my first blog on what it is like to be married to an Active Rain Addict. If I want to talk to Mark, I need to catch him between midnight and 3 AM when he is sleeping because that is when his in not on Active Rain. This really is not a problem … (7 comments)

Spam - 12:57 PM

No not blogging spam
No not this kind of spam I am asking if anyone else is seeing an increase in e-mail spam lately.  Seems the known spam folder and the inbox are getting more than usual lately.
Anyone else seen this happening.  Yes we have good spam filters but some crap (oops another 4 letter word) is getting through these days.  Open one wrong thing and bingo in comes more.
Any suggestions appreciated.
… (8 comments)

e-mail signatures And HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHARON SIMMS - 01:28 PM

Happy birthday Sharon Simms!
Now for the e-mail...
So what do you use for an e-mail signature?  Have you created signatures for different purposes?  Here is our international signature example.  We always promote our blog and website too.
Teri
Don't miss our new blog athttp://blog.orlandoavenue.com
http://come2theislands.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Move You'll Make ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Teri Isner CRS GRI RECS CIPS e-PROCaribbean Top Team with Tammy Martinez and Eileen Wilson.
Direct 407-467-5155International 001-407-467-5155
What others can you suggest?
… (2 comments)

Real Estate Cownsultant - 10:55 PM
I had the good fortune to get my hands on an advance copy of Mollie Wasserman's book "Ripping the Roof off Real Estate" which I finished reading on the plane home from NAR. It's a compelling read.... Ludlum just had to wait.
Mollie has done a great job of describing exactly why we are paid the way that we are.... the risk/reward nature of the relationship between the client and ourselves. With numerous examples Mollie paints a clear picture of what our business is like and why things are the way that they are.
Mollie then goes on to offer an alternative (not discounting) method of … (15 comments)

How Absorption Rate is figured - 11:09 PM
Knowing your area's Absorption Rate, helps to track trends.  Understanding the market and where it is headed is part of our job as real estate professionals.
Absorption rate is NOT an exact science.  Figuring it is based on the premise that one will be looking for a TREND.  It is advised to consistently do the numbers each month, to be able to track a trend.
Getting Starting...
You need to know 2 figures.
1) How many listings are currently on the market?
2) How many listings sold last month?
You will be counting under-contract or pendings as listings, since they are not SOLD yet.
… (96 comments)

Community Blogging vs Brand Focused Blogging - 08:25 PM
I hear people from time to time quoting Blogging System's philosophy for building communities of blogs; they advocate that you not only blog, but you must compel your community leaders to also blog with you in your own "galaxy of blogs".
I have exactly the opposite philosophy - blog for your brand. Important Disclaimer: I have an axe to grind on this subject - I'm a co-founder at MyST Technology Partners, creators of the MyST Platform which serves as the basis for Real Estate BlogsitesTM (REB). REB is the exclusive licensee of our technology and they also share my sentiments about this … (18 comments)

Structured Blogging - Is This Good? - 10:24 PM
We've been playing with some new ideas that make it easy to add smart data objects to blog posts.
Take a look at this sample blog post - it's just a demo post, but it demonstrates structured real estate data objects embedded in an unstructured blog post. This is experimental, but I'd love some comments about the idea. What's really cool about this - we can arbitrarily expand the same data as a Trulia upload feed, or as an XML collection for integration with GoogleBase. Creating these additional structured data elements is as simple as selecting a template and filling in the … (9 comments)

I'm on the Rebound - 11:17 PM
I'm on the rebound but this has nothing to do with dating (though I am single, wink wink). The media has been doing a great job of discussing the housing bubble bursting and the topic has been debated on ActiveRain. In my post Housing Bubble or Cyclical Nature, my argument for the slowdown was to people getting back to their daily lives, kids back to school, sport, etc.
In the past few days web traffic has increased and inquiries are coming all day and night, hooray. This leads me to believe that the quite period that came with September and October is … (6 comments)

Dining Out: That Place For Food - 11:33 AM
Seldom do you come across a local restaurant that when you look at the food preparation, presentation and proportions you realize that there is something special occurring. "That Place For Food" is such a place.  In fact, local residents are also discovering it and letting others know.  Below are some of the comments that have been appearing on a local nj.com forum... "Wow. I ate at That Place that some of you guys have been talking about and I have got to say. It was Great! When I hear people talk about how good a restaurant is I get a little skeptical but this Place … (0 comments)

Life on Active Rain is Like...............DESSERT!! - 03:58 PM
Have you ever saved something really fun till after you take care of "work" things, only to find the "work" things just never get done??  That happens to me ALL the time!!
I am an early riser in the mornings, so I jump in the shower right out of bed, tidy up upstairs, head downstairs and turn on my computer to get going.  I weed through my email, and then venture over to Active Rain to see what went on throughout the night.  I read as much as I can, all the while secret little blog posts are formulating in my mind.  … (11 comments)

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