Archives of real estate blog entries for November 21, 2006 (Page 3)

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Official Holiday Season Kickoff in Atlanta - 10:16 PM
The holiday season officially kicks off on Thursday Evening in Atlanta with the "Lighting of The Great Tree" atop Macy's at Lenox Square shopping mall in Buchead. For newcomers to the Atlanta area, this tradition has been taking place for as long as I can remember. After a day filled with family and food, give yourself and your family an additional treat by attending this celebration. Entertainment this year features Leanne Rhymes and Cirque de Soule. Be sure to arrive early as space is at a premium.
This years tree is a white pine that is  aproximately 70 feet tall and has been in … (0 comments)

One Stop Mortgage Shops? - 08:49 PM
 
I finally know how to upload pics here!!! Thanks Ann.  Anywhoo, on to the topic.... 
Have you heard of these?  One stop mortgage shops?  An umbrella of mortgage services without the need to go elsewhere for any part of the transaction?  Have you heard? Heard of independent mortgage brokers being kicked out of offices because of in house mortgage services, builder incentative and heard the one-sided viewpoints whether this is a good way for consumers to shop?  Think about it, you have realtors, title companies, mortgage companies, etc....all under the same umbrella.  So, why wouldn't this be a great idea for the consumer just to go this … (2 comments)

FAR v. FAR/BAR contract - 07:33 PM
I recently taught a class on differences between the two contracts, which was absolutely enlightening.  I was able to go through many items that simply made no sense to me.  For example:
The FAR/BAR contract used to include seawalls as a warranted item.  Ask FAR why it was taken out and they'll tell you it was due to the cost of repair eating up most of the repair limit.  However, they left in "exterior walls" and "dockage" as warranted items.  It would not take a very bright attorney to massage either one or both of those items into covering seawalls.  And the … (8 comments)

Median Price Of A Home In Florida Same As A Year Ago, Condo Prices Fall - 07:07 AM
For the third quarter of 2006, sales of existing single family homes were down by 34% as compared to Q3 of 2005. Furthermore, the median price statewide remained about the same as it was for the third quarter of 2005.
However, the median price of a Florida condo did decline by 3% with sales down by 41% for Q3. With so many new construction condos as well as condo conversions, this property type was primed for a price correction and I think this is just the start for them. Many speculative investors bought condos that were recently converted from apartments with … (2 comments)

Home prices in Boston Cambridge Quincy MA - 12:52 PM
 
CNN reported on home prices across the country.  Hold onto your hats people, the bubble has popped, the sky is falling, housing prices fell a whopping ...... 1.2% this quarter compared to a year ago. What does that mean?  Not too much because real estate is local. Fortunately, the article is kind enough to break it down by city, and by single family homes and condos.  These numbers were based on the median price of homes.
Cheers go to:
- Salem, Oregon where single family homes (median price $228k) saw a 24.7% increase from the third quarter last year.- Knoxville, Tennessee where condos (median price $155.7k) saw a 29% increase … (1 comments)

How Boston's getting its groove back - 03:23 PM

Apparently I've been under a rock, I swear I wasn't playing Mansion Impossible.  Regardless, Boston's skyline might be getting a facelift.  Only one developer, Steve Belkin, actually bid on the project.  He might have had a slight advantage, seeing as he owns an adjoining property.  
As seen above, the new building designed by Renzo Piano, will be 75 stories, 15 stories higher than the current New England record holder, the John Hancock Tower.  It will feature 1.3 million square feet of commercial space, and 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. It will also have an additional 55,000 square feet of public space including … (0 comments)

Wait, you look just like..... - 11:01 AM
Because of the holiday this week is unusually slow on both the real estate and the marketing front.  For those of us that still have a lot to accomplish on our to-do list, it is a great time to get caught up.  However, it is also a great time to enjoy a few distractions.   With that in mind, I found a great mashup while surfing the web yesterday that takes your picture and uses facial recognition software to compare your picture to that of a number of celebrities.
If you have ever been told that you look just like a certain celebrity, … (8 comments)

Happy Thanksgiving !! - 02:26 PM

                           Happy Thanksgiving to all our Troops in Iraq
                                You're in my heart and in my prayers
                                                        Thank You
… (3 comments)

Explaining Pre-Paid Interest - 01:34 PM
I read the musings of a brilliant but young mortgage man that he was having trouble explaining pre-paid interest, which is line 901 on the Good Faith Estimate form. I discuss this in my book "Get The Money / A Consumers Guide To A Successful Mortgage Application" but let me try a different approach here.
If you ask the consumer if mortgage interest is paid in advance or in the arrears (after you've used the money) the majority would say in advance and point to the pre-paid interest on the Good Faith Estimate or HUD-1. If you asked the same question of … (10 comments)

Eco-Friendly Agents - 06:28 AM
Are you an eco-friendly agent?
Among other things, Eco-Friendly Real Estate Agents:
Include as many photos as their MLS will allowHave a virtual tour of their listings availableProvide good directions to the propertyInclude a floorplan whenever possibleIf listing agents took the time to properly market their listings, buyers would be better able to narrow down the homes they'd want to see.  This saves everyone time and gas (less pollution), and doesn't inconvenience the seller with home showings to buyers that perhaps would have known it was not the home they're looking for had they seen more photos or a virtual tour ahead of … (28 comments)

Happy Thanksgiving! - 10:44 AM

....... I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! .......
… (20 comments)

The Multiply...Chat Room...Hijacking Syndrome...ROAR! - 08:20 AM
                         
I have this syndrome really bad. I mean really, really bad! I just can't seem to stop myself. If I'm not hijacking other Blogger's posts I am participating in 10 different conversations at the same time! Do you think that's funny? Good. Me too.
I get so busy doing this that sometimes I miss the conversations I started myself! I check myself into (good way of putting that) a post and then completely forget I started that conversation. Two days later I notice it and say Opps!...That Blogger must think I am a nuts! Yah. I know, you agree with … (284 comments)

I'm in love with a Dingbat - 08:49 AM
I must admit that my heart finds for some strange affections.  I love dingbats!   Now..I better explain myself as MLW (My Lovely Wife) is a member of Active Rain.  I'm not referring to an "intellectually disinclined" woman.  I'm talking about the multi-family building so prevalent to Southern California.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
A dingbat (also called a stucco box or a shoebox), is a type of architecturally undistinguished apartment building that flourished in the Sun Belt region of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Dingbats are boxy, two- or three-story apartment houses with overhangs sheltering street-front parking.  
Particularly popular in southern California, but … (50 comments)

Court TV - 09:25 AM
I watch a story on Court TV last night about a serial killer named Christopher Wilder. He started his killing spree here in South Florida at the Miami Grand Prix. One of the attractive girls that handed out free stuff was missing after the event. She was never found. The second girl that came up missing was a friend of mine Beth kenyon. Her body was never found. I had meet her through my best friend who attended NorthWestern University in Chicago. He went to school with her brother Kevin. It was a real shock to everyone.
The private investagator hired by … (3 comments)

Home Staging Hits Oprah - 02:12 PM
Today is the day to see Oprah and Nate Berkus’ version of home staging. The show features a family living in a home that lacked the right touches to inspire and “wow” buyers. Their home had been on the market for over 100 days with dozens of viewing.During his initial tour of the home, Nate pointed out key problems such as a neglected patio, shabby kitchen, carpets in poor condition and a master bedroom that was more “Whoa” than “Wow”.With a budget of $10,000 (Yes...Oprah considered this a budget! Most staging is done for alot less than this) Nate and his … (31 comments)

Was there a murder in the house? What can agents do to make sure that their clients know the skinny? - 11:29 AM
I am in the process of working with a couple on the purchase of a home in Crooked Creek in Fuquay Varina.  My clients wrote an initial offer on a home in September but lost the house because they had to sell their home in Phoenix.  My clients closed on their home November 17th so they are now ready to move to North Carolina. 
When I showed my clients homes back in September we went into a house that seemed incredibly spooky.  We walked through the house and there were holes in the walls, stains on the carpet (blood perhaps?), and video ameras up in … (7 comments)

Stadium District to help Atlanta Braves gain fans - 09:14 AM
As a life long Braves fan, I will always support my home team. However, the Braves don't always get the fan support they deserve from the City of Atlanta.The Braves won 14 straight division titles, a feat that will likely never be matched by any professional sport team...ever, and yet the national media mocks the Braves fan base. The Braves have fielded at least 5 future Hall of Famers over the last 15 years, and still the City of Atlanta gets criticized for not supporting the Braves. The Braves have had multiple MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, ERA Title, … (1 comments)

When The Wife or Husband costs you a client - 09:47 AM
We've heard and used the old cliche. "It's a Small World".  Why Walt Disney even made a theme park ride about it and there is that annoying song that once inflicted upon you repeats itself over and over again until blissful sleep over comes you.  So here's a brief senario of a real life event.  A friend of mine is a Realtor in an adjacent town.  His wife is an interpretor for a local business that assists Hispanics in the area.  His wife is a very opinionated individual and readily will voice displeasure with politics, the American System, Life and so forth.  … (3 comments)

Should you do it yourself? - 07:36 PM
DIY in the home improvement arena has been popular for quite some time, but I've noticed that it's been getting even more prominent.  Trading Spaces keeps chugging on TLC, HGTV keeps putting out more new programs, and just last week on the news someone demonstrated how easy it can be to make your own faux granite counter tops.  On today's Oprah, Nate suggested that folks paint their cabinets for a kitchen face lift.  There are many projects that you can do to spiff up the looks of your home, and with a little patience and skill you can do it yourself … (3 comments)

Adventures in 1st Time Home Buying: "Make Them an Offer They Can't Refuse!" - 02:54 PM
Welcome once again to ActiveRain, the cutting-edge clearinghouse for current resources on all things real estate. My name is Rich Jacobson, a licensed professional real estate agent in Silverdale, out on the Kitsap Peninsula in scenic Washington State. This is the seventh installment in an on-going series of posts dedicated to helping 1st Time Home Buyers successfully achieve their home purchasing goals. We have been identifying and discussing, in chronological order, key events in the home buying process.
In our last discussion, we offered some practical advice on what to do when going out to look at potential homes in a post entitled, "Tips for Home Tourists."
This … (38 comments)

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