Archives of real estate blog entries for March 12, 2007

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CONTEST IS OVER. Look for Results ...Thurs/Fri/Sat The Green Lady Speaks "G O O D Luck!' - 08:45 PM
Edited...The GREEN LADY SPEAKS!     
UPDATE.Like American Idol, your comments on the Green is Red Hot articles  at the ECO-All-Stars Group. have power.     You have a voice in this contest, so let your comments be the green moss beneath the feet of the participants.                                             
As far as we are concerned ALL participants are winners and get the Green Light a nd a Gold Star. THREE of those winners will be posted  at-the ECO-All-Stars Group, Thursday, Friday and Saturday...
Three Readers are on the amazing task or reading articles and Your Comments.
NEWBIES AND OLDIES..
G O  O D Luck!
in the Green is Red Hot, This Sounds Like FUN! Contest at the … (25 comments)

The failure rate in real estate is so high... New Agent Survival! - 12:37 AM
Real estate has a big turnover every few years.  It is talked about at real estate seminars...and real state articles, but no one ever really talks about the specifics of why! What are the causes? Brokers do not want to talk about it because they need to retain agents! Wouldn't it be better if they had a plan to help you survive and do well, instead of constantly dealing with fall out?  Retention...what a concept! Brokers should train agents in the realities of real estate.  They do a very poor job, and sometimes lie, but not presenting the realities of the … (53 comments)

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS JUDGE A FISH BY WHERE IT FEEDS - REAL ESTATE PRACTITIONERS EITHER - 07:26 PM
Seems to be the day for fish analogies with Mr. McArtur's post about bottom fishers and Julie Price's defense of the new agents who may not yet be ready to swim with the sharks, but may not ever really want to. 
There are some so called "bottom feeders" that folks covet, the flounder for one, a delectible morsal if there ever was one.  The great sport fish the bone fish is another bottom feeder.  Try to keep one of those kings of the Mangrove flats from stripping 150 yards of line from a reel.  What about the Sturgeon, that producer of the makings for the … (34 comments)

The Power of Ignorance: - 07:18 PM

I'm going to ask you a question in a moment that I hope you'll both think carefully about.
However, before I do that I want to share a moment from my life with you:

To the left is a quick snap I took this weekend. That's my son, aged 21 months. We were at the superb Pacific Science Center in Seattle. What's he doing tugging on that rope, you ask?
He's lifting 250 kilos.
To be sure, he is participating in a demonstration of leverage. He's also getting a little help from mom to boot (hey, he's only 21 months).
… (31 comments)

Evocative Expressions: How does your logo sell you? - 06:18 AM
                    
Ever since the days of the wild, wild, west branding and logos have been a common way of identifying what is yours.  Whether you're branding cattle, products or services, your brand communicates your identity and is perhaps one of the most important pieces of your marketing plan.
So how do you know if your logo, your trademark, your brand represents you well?  Do consumers instantly know who you are just by looking at your logo?  Everyone knows the swoosh, the golden arches, the apple with a bite.  So how do you get your logo recognized and how do you … (14 comments)

The Realtor I want to be. - 01:45 AM
            His name was Mike, and he worked for C21.  When I was six years old he sold my mother a house.  I really do not remember this event, I do remember for years we would see Mike.  I my young mind Mike was the only Realtor in my small town; he was the one who brought me pumpkins and flags with his cards on it.  
            When I was 20 years old Mike sold my mothers house, now that is follow through.  My goal is to be like Mike, and have all of my clients remember me, the way … (14 comments)

Today Was Almost Perfect…That is for a “Perfect Storm” of a Disaster. - 06:37 AM
 
Minimal rainfall, Santa Ana winds, high heat , and low humidity all add up to a prescription for a potential disaster. Today was expected to be a beautiful day in Southern Cal. My plans included a bike ride at the beach after church and a little mid-day business.
After loading 2 bikes in my truck I headed for services at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove Ca. I'm a member and a volunteer at the East door as a greeter,..interning for my eventual retirement job as a greeter at the local Wal-Mart, according to my daughter.
The radio news … (21 comments)

How can I tell who's linking to my website? - 06:45 AM
Even if you have the most wonderful website in the world, a perfectly optimized, professionally created, graphics marvel, and all that jazz, it still needs some outside help to rise in the search engine rankings. It's kind of like having a telephone; if you don't give out your number no one is going to call you.
Backlinks, that is, links back to your website from other websites are an important key to rising in the search engine rankings.
There are several ways to get backlinks; you can:
Trade links with other websites. If you're going to trade links you need to … (33 comments)

We've Been Profiled - 02:20 PM

You,me and ALL other Real Estate Professionals have been profiled by many consumers as people that are overpaid, undertrusted, equity stealing creatures that lurk in the night and should get lined up for a profiling in the morning after being out all night stealing candy from children (or equity from adults.)
Those that get into the business think it's going to be a "quick and easy buck!"
I'm here to tell you that you need to go above and beyond the call of duty if you are to be successful in the business. Leaving yourself available 24/7 for clients to … (64 comments)

Want to buy it? Then get serious. - 04:28 PM
I had a request from Renee Burrows, earlier this week, to write a post on what Buyers and their REALTORS® can do to make their offers more appealing to my Sellers. As, primarily a listing Broker, I can assure you it's not always about the price. So what do I look for in an offer? What can a REALTOR® do to ensure that their Buyer's offer is taken seriously? A purchase offer, just like most things, is all about the presentation. If you want it to be taken seriously then present it seriously. So here are some tips:
It must be in … (87 comments)

My First ActiveRain Encounter!!! - 02:10 PM
I have been a member of ActiveRain since September of last year, and I have had the opportunity to talk on the phone to a few of the members that I have met here on AR.  I have enjoyed several conversations with Linda Davis, and have talked to TLW aka “The Lovely Wife” and to her lovely husband Broker Bryant a couple of times, as well as Eli Magen.  But today I finally met another AR member face to face. 
Tom  Burland posted a blog on Friday stating that he was doing an Open House today in Killingworth, CT, which is … (72 comments)

Loft At First Sight - 12:55 AM
I never saw a Loft in person until I relocated to Chicago 12 years ago. Coming from the more traditional housing stock of the East Coast, the name alone (for me, at least......Loft...ahhhh) denoted not only the promise of a unique and hiply appointed dwelling space but a heightened state of mental being. Only the coolest of cool people lived in Lofts, I was certain. A separate breed--Loft people, more than likely. Magazine people, for sure.
And speaking of self-perception, I dared not peek too closely in the mirror back in that first blustery winter, nor into the passing panes of storefront … (14 comments)

Exclusive Buyer Agency Discussed in Realtor Magazine Online - 05:59 AM
REALTOR® Magazine convened a roundtable of what it describes as some of the nation's most innovative and successful residential brokers to get their views on where the real estate business is headed.  The first question posed concerned Exclusive Buyer Agency, specifically, "Where do you see exclusive buyer agency going in the years to come?" 
Dave Jenks, President of Keller Williams Realty, does not feel that exclusive buyer agency will gain much traction.  He cited the fact that "seller listings create market presence and serve as a magnet for buyers", going on to state that "Those agents and companies that have seller listings will … (24 comments)

Working Together; Working in Groups - 08:56 PM
With over 20,000 member The ActiveRain Real Estate Network is getting city sized!  It is truly awesome for me to see all of you come together here on this network interacting with each other and reaching out to your clients.  I have personally come to learn a tremendous amount from all of you.  Thank you. In order to make this place a little bit smaller we implemented group features.  Through various themes, topics, and interests members have a way to come together, share, and interact in individual ways.  I see much more coming out of this resource in the future. However, … (33 comments)

Week In Review 03/04- 03/11/2007 - 08:08 AM
… (45 comments)

What I Learned At Conference That Will Make My Business Explode - 08:36 PM
....and you know what?  It's many of the same things I already knew and that you've already heard. 
It's just a matter of implementation. 
You'll hear it said over and over that real estate isn't rocket science-it's true.  So many of the tried and true ways of growing your business aren't secrets nor trademark protected nor expensive.  But the difference between the top producers and the bottom feeders is that the top producers do what it takes to be as big or as small as they want to be. 
I sometimes leave a session with my notes carefully … (68 comments)

Consumer Advocate Clark Howard Advises Buyers to Ask for a Rebate - 11:28 AM
I like Clark Howard a lot.  He's a consumer advocate here in Atlanta who's radio show is now syndicated and broadcast across the country.  He has a very large and loyal following.  His recommendations are well respected.
On one of his 60 second morning features, he stated how so many buyers are starting their search on the Internet.  Nothing new there.  Then he went on to say that smart buyers who like doing things themselves, such as searching for homes on the Internet, should then find an agent who will give them a discount to reward them for doing a chunk … (45 comments)

Jinxed Commercial Properties, it doesn't matter what the appraisal says! - 08:15 PM
We've all seen them.  Some of us have been more intimately acquainted with them them than we would like to be, or at least admit....jinxed commercial properties.  The location can be great, the building new and modern, the parking space plentiful, the neighborhood above reproach, but nothing does well in the building and no one stays long. It just sits there. You look at the building and wonder why. You try to think of something that will make a difference.
It's almost like there's a dark cloud hanging over that property, and try as you might, you can't figure out what's wrong … (17 comments)

Hang with the Swimmers, Not The Bottom Feeders - 06:30 AM
You will notice the Bottom Feeders in your office. They hang around, looking down all the time, looking at the bottom for scraps, never going anywhere. They will suck the life out of you. When you engage in conversation with them, you feel drained the rest of the day!
Now, The Swimmers, These are the ones that are always going places, excited, energetic, Always positive and up-beat in their speach and actions.....swim with the swimmers in your office! These are the positive ones. Even if you don't think you can keep up at first, keep trying. Grab on to a dingy … (36 comments)

Posting with Intention: Getting Your Message & Audience Straight - 06:53 AM
When you post, whether it's a blog or comment, what's your intention? If getting featured is important to you, ask yourself why? Whether it's getting read or recognized by your peers, the public or just the satisfaction of turning out a piece well thought and well written, we need to know who we're writing to and why before we put hands to keyboard.
Are we out to educate our peers, the public, or both? Are we simply commenting on our own experiences or encouraging a debate about a topic that interests us? There are many ways to spin a piece. … (29 comments)


Blog posts


Working Together; Working in Groups - 08:56 PM
With over 20,000 member The ActiveRain Real Estate Network is getting city sized!  It is truly awesome for me to see all of you come together here on this network interacting with each other and reaching out to your clients.  I have personally come to learn a tremendous amount from all of you.  Thank you. In order to make this place a little bit smaller we implemented group features.  Through various themes, topics, and interests members have a way to come together, share, and interact in individual ways.  I see much more coming out of this resource in the future. However, … (33 comments)

King County: Living the Dream - 03:52 PM
King County, home to the City of Seattle, is Washington State's most populated and politically moderate counties.  The name "King" was originally attributed to William Rufus King, a southern US Vice-president and slave owner.
In 1986, the King County Council, passed a motion changing the namesake of King County in favor of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.  Though the name change was not official until 2005 when the governor signed the bill into law (only the State has the authority to charter counties).
For the past 40 years, the King County logo has been an image of an encircled crown.
Today, the King … (5 comments)

Condo Conversion Makeover - 05:08 PM
Recently, Seattle and much of the its Puget Sound neighbors have seen a proliferation of condo conversions. This has been a boon to first-time home buyers as conversions have been among the most, if not only, affordable in-city housing available.
The media, of course, focus on the negative aspects of conversions - the displacement of tenants, particularly the elderly and low-income tenants.  And, they have a point.  Current laws only require developers to provide a 90 day notice, and for low-income tenants, $500 towards moving costs.
That imagery and special interest groups help get several bills into the legislature this year.  I … (4 comments)

Liquidity - 01:52 PM
Sometimes I encounter buyers with good credit--but very little wealth--who have recently come into a substantial cash windfall. More often than not, these buyers are very eager to put every last penny of that windfall into a new home.
If you happen to find yourself in this situation, take a moment to consider the value of liquidity before investing everything into a new home.
It's hard to know know when the need cash will arise. The need could be anything... plastic surgery, a masters degree, starting a new business, everyday expenses after a lay-off, or an experimental treatment not covered by … (0 comments)

Inflation - 02:25 PM
Under the current macroeconomic climate, inflation is the rule of the day. Every year, the average buying power of the dollar decreases two to four percent. That should be discouraging news for savers, but it should be music to the ears for buyers taking out a traditional mortgage on their dream home. Why?
As the value of the dollar decreases, businesses increase prices to make up for it. As prices go up, wages also have to go up so that workers can maintain their current standard of living. While prices keep going up for the same goods, and wages keep going up for … (0 comments)

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hot Springs - 08:27 PM
The First Ever Fourth Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade
The gold at the end of the rainbow is found in Hot Springs, Arkansas, along with a celebrity Grand Marshal Mario Lopez, green fireworks, Irish belly dancers, floats, Irish Order of Elvi (a group of Elvis look-alikes), marchers, Irish Wolfhounds, and let's not forget the Pub-Crawl. Great fun for everyone!
The World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade is always held on March 17th on historic Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs. Bridge Street became famous in the 1940's when Ripley's Believe It or Not designated it "The Shortest Street in … (0 comments)

If I Had a Real Estate Niche: Tiny Houses and Trends - 12:38 PM
A tiny house trend is becoming more visible on the real estate landscape. Personally, I'm thrilled with the prospect. I am a tiny house advocate. I'm building my own little house on my 25 acre farm. I believe that the trend of the 80s and 90s of real estate expansionism is a trend that is long overdue the impending death-rattle.
Yes, there will always be people who want the luxury properties -- the expansive, no-holds barred, traditional estate. And that niche is a lucrative one for many of my own clients. It's an enjoyable niche to market. The luxury arena is secure. … (5 comments)

Afforability in Bryan-College Station still strong - 12:38 AM
The third quarter of 2006 saw the average home price here in Bryan-College Station accelerate slightly to 137,800.  The requred income to get that average house was $34,815.  The average Texas home was $145,200 and required an income of $36,684, and the average US home was $225,333 and required an income of $56,525 to purchase it.
We are still one of the more affordable markets in the country with homes being quite reasonably priced.  Properties are abundant in that median price range and can get you a three bedroom home with a two car garage in some excellent areas.
… (0 comments)

Charm Pricing - 01:10 AM
The Texas Real Estate Center, in January 2007, indicated that "charm" pricing actually does work.  Charm pricing is where the price is shown as $134,900 as opposed to the round number of $135K.  The intial consensus seems to be that the houses listed at the price formats like these actually sold for closer to the list price than houses that were priced at the round numbers.  Researchers are unsure why, but speculate that the charm number seems to make agents and buyers alike think that the seller needs to get more for the house and it's priced accordingly. 
I've used … (4 comments)

The Disillusioned Buyer - 04:59 PM
Well, I've gotten my full time assistant now and she is on her third week so I've done something I haven't done for five years.  I actually took 4 days off.  I have a cell phone, no one has this number except family and my assistant.  Sure I've gotten away before, but I always have email to check and the phone so I end up being on the phone and checking email for at least five or six hours a day.  This is day three and I really don't know what to do with myself, so I got on Realtor.com to … (2 comments)

16 Reasons Why "Bloggers Connect" Is Going To Rock - 10:17 AM
Now that Realtor Magazine recognizes that real estate blogs are worth visiting, it seems we can all lower our “freak flags” and breathe a sigh of relief; we’re on the map.  Now let’s take it by storm. 
This year’s Inman Connect in San Francisco has included a special two day event called the Bloggers Connect.  16 of us have been asked to be part of a Steering Committee where we’ll aim to develop the topics of discussion and workshops for the event.
In addition to the serious stuff, there are to be “fun and crazy events being built into the … (2 comments)

Need a Virtual Tour in Solano or Contra Costa County? - 07:49 PM
 
Pictures for MLS always included!
Plus, receive panoramic pictures for flyers, postcards and any other marketing material!
•Ø     Virtual Tour $89.00 for any home under 1000 sqft.
•Ø     Virtual Tour $99.00 Special $89 for any home between 2000-3000 sqft.
•Ø     Virtual Tour 109.00 for any home over 3000 sqft.
•Ø     Want Aerial Photos included? Call for details!
BROKERS: Call Stefani Rutledge 707-310-9996 for special discounts!
Email: StefRut@yahoo.com and I will send you an example of a Virtual Tour!
… (0 comments)

Want to buy it? Then get serious. - 04:28 PM
I had a request from Renee Burrows, earlier this week, to write a post on what Buyers and their REALTORS® can do to make their offers more appealing to my Sellers. As, primarily a listing Broker, I can assure you it's not always about the price. So what do I look for in an offer? What can a REALTOR® do to ensure that their Buyer's offer is taken seriously? A purchase offer, just like most things, is all about the presentation. If you want it to be taken seriously then present it seriously. So here are some tips:
It must be in … (87 comments)

What happened to Moo? - 08:21 AM
So there it was mid January..  some turmoil in the Rain, changes that didn't appeal... feeling a touch burnt out....
I just thought that I'd take a week or two off....
But, I got distracted. Several sets of transferees, some new listings and a new assistant to train have left me somewhat drained. It's not that I don't want to see my friends in the Rain, it's just that another day stretches into a week and the next thing you know it's been a month or two! Truthfully, my family has enjoyed the non-blogging me... but they also understand that it's what I … (34 comments)

It's Raining in Everett - Active Raining - 11:34 PM
And I'm not talking weather here.  I was minding my own business the other evening, blogging, entering a listing and doing other paperwork for my listings. when I got a phone call from a prospective client.  She was on the internet looking for agents.
She had some questions regarding her financing and the manner in which her home was listed prior.  She listed with an agent that was a lender as well. Now, don't get me wrong, some people are capable of wearing both hats. Unfortunately, this agent was threatening her with "you have bad credit" "no one will give you a … (2 comments)

How can I tell who's linking to my website? - 06:45 AM
Even if you have the most wonderful website in the world, a perfectly optimized, professionally created, graphics marvel, and all that jazz, it still needs some outside help to rise in the search engine rankings. It's kind of like having a telephone; if you don't give out your number no one is going to call you.
Backlinks, that is, links back to your website from other websites are an important key to rising in the search engine rankings.
There are several ways to get backlinks; you can:
Trade links with other websites. If you're going to trade links you need to … (33 comments)

Misrepresentation, Fraud, and Disclosure - 05:14 PM
I'm over in Nashville, Tennessee for a couple of days attending our yearly Tennessee Association of REALTORS Spring Conference.
Today I sat in on a talk by super savvy Colorado attorney/Realtor Oliver Franscona who talked about "Misrepresentation, Fraud, and Disclosure"
Oliver is co-author of a great book titled The Digital Paper Trail in Real Estate Transactions, a super book full of great advice and a CD with useful contract clauses and phrases to keep you out of trouble. I have a copy and recommend it highly.
Oliver talked for a couple of hours about the differences between misrepresentation and … (2 comments)

They done me wrong............now what? - 10:04 PM
If you feel one of your fellow Realtors has done you wrong and in doing so violated one of the articles of Code of Ethics what could you.........what should you....do about it.
Step 1. Go to your local board or association and get an ethics violation complaint form.
Take it back home or to your office and fill it out in as much detail as possible, specifying the offense, when it was committed, how it was committed, and by whom.
Attach any supporting documentation you have, i.e. affidavits from witnesses, contacts, or any documentation related to the transaction or offense … (5 comments)

Printing From DOS Legacy Programs In Windows - 12:38 AM
I have a legacy financial package that was designed to run in DOS.  It has unique features which I have yet to see duplicated in a software program designed for Windows.  I can run the legacy software in Windows XP's command prompt for the most part with no problems. However, since the finanical software expects to print directly to a printer attached directly to the LPT1 parallel port, the reports were not printing to a USB-attached or networked printer.  Fortunately, there is a FREE utility that you can download and install to get around this problem, called DOSPrint.    It will allow you to easily print from DOS-based software to any printer … (3 comments)

Fix and Flip or Not?? - 09:04 PM
Buying a fixer upper can offer a very profitable outcome but if you are not careful, it can be a huge financial mis-step.  
Many first time home buyers are attracted to fixers as an entry into an otherwise unafforable market or neighborhood.  Others look at it as a fast way to make a buck.  But those times are largely gone.  We are in a shifting market that has mostly shifted to being a buyers market.
Whether you are a first time buyer or seasoned buyer, you should seriously consider if you are well suited to the task before you buy.  It can … (4 comments)

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