Archives of real estate blog entries for May 1, 2007

Featured blog posts


Google Is A Woman - 08:14 PM
"The only thing worse than a woman scorned is a woman ignored." - Lenn Harley
I had "Call Lenn Harley" on my to do list for almost four weeks. It seemed like something was always getting in the way. An emergency here... a crisis there. A few days ago, while stuck in LA traffic, I finally made time to dial Lenn Harley and introduce myself. I had no reason for calling. But so many people had her on their short list of most respected real estate agents that I just had to speak to her. Wow.
It was a truly delightful … (67 comments)

Thoughts on Section 8 Housing - 02:12 PM
     Besides being a mortgage consultant, I also happen to be a landlord. My dad and I have a 6-unit and a 5-unit. We have had fairly good success with screening potential renters through reference and credit checks but have the occasional late payer. Twice, we have also had to deal with a tenant who felt, for some reason or the other, that they didn't need to pay rent at all!
                                                                           
     I have recently been thinking very strongly about Section 8 housing. I'm sure each state has this or some version of it. Basically, it's subsidized rent for low income tenants. … (27 comments)

Flat Market Hot Market Could You use More Money Then Go Back To Work - 07:38 AM
So maybe you are or maybe your not Buying into all of the Media Hype about the Real Estate Market. Perhaps the Market where you are at is Out right Flat! Maybe your doing Okay. I would doubt though that there are many of us that could say that they have to much business.
So what is The Solution to get out of a slump or to enhance the business your already doing? What I have known for years and you I will bet have heard at least once and more than likely ofen in your career. Go back to Work!
Thats right, … (28 comments)

Why are You Making Trouble? - 04:10 AM
First of all there ought to be a law against this!  Have you ever had a deal where the other agent never does anything? They do not return the calls, never get you the signed copies of the contracts, the attorney is constantly calling you to get some needed information from the other side of the transaction and so on...!  (Forgive me but it gets old!)  Finally you get to closing, no help to the other side, and there are some major hurdles.  Not the ordinary things big things!  Major encroachments on the sellers property, IRS tax liens that are as … (59 comments)

Project Blogger Round-Up: Week 3 April 23-29 - 11:00 PM
At the close of week three for Project Blogger and here are the posts.
Jonathan Washburn was the judge for Week 2, and the results are in. 
If you'd like to check out The Coach's Corner please see this Inman post by Joel Burslem 
For another way to follow the competition please see Cheryl Johnson's Project Blogger links. 
Vote for week 3 posts here. Closing May 4th.
Vote for week 2 posts here. Closing May 3rd.
Vote for week 1 posts here. Closing May 3rd. (The poll is on the left side of the page.)
Check out the  Project Blogger Weekly Rankings
For more on this competition you can … (10 comments)

TAKE A VACATION!!! - 10:12 AM
Are you due?  I know I was!!  How can you tell if you are?  Just go on one and you'll know.  You Are Due!!
I just spent the last 5 days with my Family at Disneyland (the happiest place on earth besides AR) We hadn't been there in almost 10 years.  WOW!  What a change!  The trip was unlike any other vacation we'd ever had before. This one was "THE BEST EVER!" 
It went like this, if you're interested in knowing why our vacation, made us feel that life is definitely worth living.
The 6 hour drive to Anaheim, CA. - (long, but worth it)A … (43 comments)

You can learn alot - 10:45 PM
I read a post today about the website www.websitegrader.com. It gives your website a grade based on many different aspects of your site. Now my site, www.tuprealty.com got a 36 out of 100. I was concerned that this was low. I have an IT guy redoing the site and all the stuff that the grader mentioned he has already fixed. So I feel very blessed to have a great IT guy.
He has taught me lots about how the web works. Indirectly He is why I am here. He told me the best thing I could do to promote my business … (12 comments)

WARNING! CAUSES OF COMPLAINTS TO THE MARYLAND REAL ESTATE COMMISSION. - 08:38 PM
DANGER ! ! !   DANGER WILL ROBINSON ! ! !  Careful.  Think carefully before you do it.  Then on the other hand, if you have to think about it, perhaps you shouldn't be doing it anyway.  Is what you plan to do something you can't tell your broker?  If so, you probably shouldn't do it.  The list below represents SOME of the causes of complaints to the Maryland Real Estate Commission. That is NOT the Maryland Association of REALTORS.  Not a County Association of REALTORS.  These are complaints before the Maryland Real Estate Commission, the folks that issue real estate licenses.  … (17 comments)

Is The Green Movement Anti-Growth? - 10:06 PM
 
I read a comment on a Dena Stevens blog a couple of days ago by Michael Rossregarding his opinion that the Green Movement(my definition below)was anti-growth, anti housing, anti builder, anti developer, anti business, anti property owner's rights. Dena responded by saying  the editor of the local newspaper also shared his opinion that being Green meant opposing growth and new developments.  While I know most members of the Eco-All Stars Green Scene would not agree with this idea I believe that there may be more than a few out there in the Active Rain community and the general public who might … (25 comments)

Project Blogger - Week 2 Judging Results - 01:08 PM
Reviewing Bloggers for Project Blogger, I've enjoyed seeing the interaction between teacher and apprentice, and the step forward visible in blogs from the previous week.  While Project Blogger is a blogging competition, keep in mind that above this goal, Project Blogger is a safe and exciting opportunity to explore who you're about [apprentices] and to invite that personality and uniqueness into your blogs. Judges may only grasp one part of your gig, or be on the watch for certain key components. While I encourage you to venture out into new territory, to explore a new level of transparency as an important … (20 comments)

Making Waves in the Rain - 11:22 PM
I don't make waves.  Usually.  I dislike conflict.  I've written about Localism pictures before.   I thought I noticed my picture points decreasing.  It turned out there probably had been a few deleted from the comment made on that post by Caleb (not to be confused with Flat Caleb who has less hair). 
I have now seen my picture contributions decreasing yet again.  Almost daily.  I don't mind if the powers-that-be in the Rain monitor and delete pictures they deem "inappropriate."  As a matter of fact, I welcome it!  It's high time the Localism photos be brought up to 'snuff.  I … (45 comments)

If one door closes, go through another one - 07:29 AM
As many of you probably agree, we have many moments of triumph where it seems like everything that we have worked so long and hard to create as business owners has finally paid off and we feel like we are drinking out of a fire hydrant with incoming business.
Then there are the days (like the one I had yesterday) where it seemed too quiet.  There wasn't any inquiry for me nor is there anything for me on the books.  So, I had a bad day.  I got overwhelmed and started thinking that I had already used up all my marketing tactics … (28 comments)

Good article for those in a Second Home or Vacation market - 07:50 AM
A friend sent me an article published on Realty Times about Second Guessing Second Homes.  I am not a Realtor but the basic information sounds true for the Outer Banks market.  Sales are down, prices are down and now might be a good time for those with some discretionary funds.  
Fellow rainers that live in vacation markets - does this article accurately define your market? 
… (13 comments)

Tool Bar PR Update - 04:20 AM
That's right. The magic green bar is updating again. Doing a random check it seems the page rank update was fairly generous with Active rain and localism. It seems most agent profiles there on localism are showing a pr of 3 and AR profiles a pr of 4. Of course, the tool bar is the last thing to be "updated".
Some of you back east may not be seeing the changes yet (at least Ken Smith hasn't yet). Will it make a difference?  Not really, although pr will show you just how trusted your site is to Google. So take it … (21 comments)

Real Estate Shows - News from the South Florida Real Estate Market!! - 09:08 PM
 

… (29 comments)

Curiosity Killed the Cat: What are Conversion Rates for Stealth Sites & Pay-Per-Leads? - 10:53 PM
I had a conversation with a web designer several weeks ago telling me I am doing it "all wrong" by not having a stealth web site. 
First off, it is a big turnoff when someone tells me I am doing something wrong when what I am doing something that does work and is right.  Second, Article 12 board COE are subjective when caught so I don't care to swim in muddy waters.  Third, people find themselves captured on stealth sites because they have a certain disdain for Realtors (R) in general. 
Going on my third objection to a stealth site, I … (38 comments)

Adding Google Search To Your Active Rain Blog - 02:19 AM
Oh. My. Goodness.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?  Do you know you can add a Google Search to your Active Rain Blog?  Here's what mine looks like
Here's how:
1.  Go to "My Home" on Active Rain.  Click "My Settings"
2.  In the "Blog Description" box, add this code -- either before or after any text, or other "widget" code you have, depending on your design preference:
===============
<form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/search">  <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" />   <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="UTF-8" />     <input type="text" name="q" size="18" maxlength="255" value="" /><br />   <small>    <input type="hidden" name="domains" value="" />    <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="activerain.com" checked="checked" /> ActiveRain.com   <br … (57 comments)

My Active Rain is falling! - 09:23 PM
I finally get to do it!  I get to be one of the success stories posted on here.  And it's a really good one.  When I found Active Rain, I had never attempted to use the Internet to gain new leads.  At all.  Ever.  That was maybe three weeks ago, let's say.
As you may have figured from my previous posts, I am just a smidgen Type A.  So I'm all about these new things I've learned:
my profile on Active Rainchecking out Zillowthis other site city-data,my own website I just startedmy localism posts, a series called Syracuse at its Best.And here's what happened.  … (27 comments)

Did You Know? (part i) - 10:58 PM
… (19 comments)

I can't do it anymore...... I am LOSING it.... HELP!!! - 11:23 PM

ActiveRain......................and ActiveRain..............Have you noticed that Active Rain has now hit 28,106 members as of 5/1/07 at 11:35 pm. We are now seeing an average of 500 blogs posted per day.
I have seen people like Renée Burrows and others mention that they try to read every professional post each day. One of their biggest complaints was that they see a few put advertisements within the professional category. Gee, I am not here to talk about that. So just for the fun of it, let's say 100 of them are advertisements. That still leaves us with 400 blogs daily.
Okay Jeff.... you seem … (76 comments)

Help Your Clients Keep 'Em Straight - 07:55 AM
Yesterday Dad and I showed some out of state clients around our town.  We looked at a lot of homes all in one day.  This young family needs to find the right house quickly in order to stay together when the husband starts a new job.
It's hard enough to try to remember the details around town, but with so many houses after a while they start to merge together in your mind. 
How do you keep this from happening?  Reminder shows! 
I use Real Estate Shows, and they charge by the year, not the show.  The more shows I make, the … (64 comments)


Blog posts


Project Blogger Round-Up: Week 3 April 23-29 - 11:00 PM
At the close of week three for Project Blogger and here are the posts.
Jonathan Washburn was the judge for Week 2, and the results are in. 
If you'd like to check out The Coach's Corner please see this Inman post by Joel Burslem 
For another way to follow the competition please see Cheryl Johnson's Project Blogger links. 
Vote for week 3 posts here. Closing May 4th.
Vote for week 2 posts here. Closing May 3rd.
Vote for week 1 posts here. Closing May 3rd. (The poll is on the left side of the page.)
Check out the  Project Blogger Weekly Rankings
For more on this competition you can … (10 comments)

Project Blogger - Week 2 Judging Results - 01:08 PM
Reviewing Bloggers for Project Blogger, I've enjoyed seeing the interaction between teacher and apprentice, and the step forward visible in blogs from the previous week.  While Project Blogger is a blogging competition, keep in mind that above this goal, Project Blogger is a safe and exciting opportunity to explore who you're about [apprentices] and to invite that personality and uniqueness into your blogs. Judges may only grasp one part of your gig, or be on the watch for certain key components. While I encourage you to venture out into new territory, to explore a new level of transparency as an important … (20 comments)

Evergreen Bank lynnwood - Great place to bank - 12:59 PM

Where you know your banker and your banker knows you.
Evergreen Bank is a local bank that has been in operations for over 30 years.  At Evergreen Bank they have accounts that will fit your personal and business needs.  All lending decisions are made locally and we offer loans ranging from personal equity loans to commercial loans.  Come in and see them and you will see why "Green means Better".  If you want to go to your local bank where they know your name, treat you with the best customer service, then Evergreen Bank is the place you need to go.  … (0 comments)

Send Out Cards - Is a great way to thank all of your friends, family or clients - 01:58 PM

Here is another report of a great local business.  Send out cards allows you to set up an account and send out personalized cards specific to the person.  You can set up your holiday cards and mass mail them out to all of your friends, family and clients.  One of the things think is really neat, is you write the alphabet in upper case and lower case, email it in and they will scan that in and turn it into your own personalized font that looks like you wrote the card.   If you like to send out personalized cards this is a great idea.   
If you wanted to send a thank … (2 comments)

Code of Honor...Do You Have One? - 11:37 PM
Let's see, member of the National Association of Realtors, Florida Association of Realtors and the Daytona Beach Association of Realtors.  OK, we have the Florida Real Estate Commission,  the Realtor Code of Ethics, our Board Rules and Company Policy, I think you get the message.  Lots of rules but what about MY CODE OF HONOR?

I will always educate and encourage homeownership and all the benefits that come with it.  It is my responsibility as a Realtor to preserve my profession as I truly believe what I do is a true and honorable service.
 I know in my heart it … (36 comments)

Bubbles Boutique in Laguna Village - 09:54 PM
What's not to love about Bubbles? 
A store I stumbled upon  while out with my husband on an early jaunt to Laguna's Main Beach, I spent a good half hour browsing through the abundance of soaps and oohing and ahing.
Located in the historic Hotel Laguna in the heart of Laguna Village [445 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, 866-4-Bubble], Bubbles is a quintessential bath and body salts boutique. This is not your grandmother's soap (or maybe it is!!)  When I pass it, I still slow down and plan my next visit, contemplating my next "find".
From rare or hard to … (3 comments)

Tulip Festival in La Conner, Washington - 09:46 AM
 
If you can get past the pictures of my grandson and daughter, you can get an idea of how splendid it is to see the tulip fields in La Conner.  It is quite popular and the traffic can get bad driving back to Seattle.  Some folks catch small planes at Kenmore Air (on Lake Union) in Seattle at fly up--it is a wonderful site from the air.
Haiden wasn't too thrilled with the whole thing.
 
Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Wallingford and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings 
… (3 comments)

Those Home Inspections - 10:20 AM
 
I have been very busy working through the inspection process of a lovely remodel that I have found for a buyer.  It is in a very prestigious area on Queen Anne Hill.  Because the home was originally built in 1930 and no history is known about the side sewer (for you laymen, that is the area that goes from the house to the street), the inspector suggested that we have the sewer viewed with a scope to see if it has any problems--like tree roots getting into it.
It turned out that there is a 90 degree angle in the pipe so … (3 comments)

Contemplation on Cougar Mountain, King County Parks - 10:59 AM
 
Because hiking is such a favorite activity in the Pacific Northwest, I am giving the link to King County Parks. http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/parks/cougarmountain.html   The website gives information on many trails and parks that are located in King County, Washington.  Here is some of what it says about Cougar Mountain Park:
Address: 18201 Southeast Cougar Mountain Drive
Area: 3,082 acres, more than 36 miles of trails
Hours: 8:00 am to dusk
Amenities: Walking trails, equestrian trails, picnic tables, restrooms.
I just love this picture.  What do you think is going on in his mind?  Can't you just feel yourself there, taking in the sites and smells!  … (0 comments)

New Hampshire Real Estate Agents - NEW CONSUMER DISCLOSURE FORM TAKES EFFECT MAY 1, 2007 - 02:07 PM
 
 
New Disclosure Form Effective Immediately
The New Hampshire Real Estate Commission has released the new Agency/Non-Agency Disclosure Form.  It is  to be used by all licensees, commercial and residential. 
TrueForms is being updated to include the new form and Realtors(r) will receive instructions on the new forms.  The new Disclosure Form may be found by clicking here.
The new form is designed to be more consumer-friendly.  The disclosure form must be presented to the consumer at time of first business meeting or showing, prior to any discussion of confidential information.
Additionally, the Disclosure Form references a consumer information brochure.  The consumer brochure is being developed by the RE Commission and is … (6 comments)

Getting Ready to Sell Part I - 08:34 PM
We all know that when you buy a home, you generally make one of the largest purchases you have ever made. The flip side of that coin is that when you sell your home, you are selling the largest asset you possess, and you need to maximize the return on that sale. Therefore, when preparing to sell your home, it becomes necessary to look at your home as a product to prepare for sale. You need to divorce yourself from the home emotionally and objectively analyze its advantages and disadvantages.
Your real estate agent is trained to make suggestions to help you … (0 comments)

GETTING YOUR HOUSE READY PART II - 08:39 PM
Lat Blog talked about preparing your home to show, now lets review a few more idea.
There are some improvements you can make that don't cost a thing.  You can make your kitchen counter look larger by removing some of the items that are only used occasionally when you cook that are left out on the counter as part of your decor.
Try to remove unneeded clutter from all of the rooms so that the potential purchaser doesn't underestimate the size of rooms or closets. A very simple method can create some additional cash and remove some unneeded clutter. Have a garage … (0 comments)

Picking Your Home: What's Right For You? - 08:42 PM
 
It's every homebuyer's nightmare.  You pick out the house, close the deal, and move in.  Within three weeks, you know that you've made a big mistake.  This house isn't what you wanted at all.
You can easily avoid this sad scenario by planning ahead.  Know what you want in a home, what's important to you, and what you can live without--whether it's the first time you're buying a house or the tenth time.
Houses aren't just buildings; they're machines for living.  Where and what you buy will affect your life for as long as you own the house.  So it's important to get … (0 comments)

Picking Your Home: What's Right For You? - 08:42 PM
 
It's every homebuyer's nightmare.  You pick out the house, close the deal, and move in.  Within three weeks, you know that you've made a big mistake.  This house isn't what you wanted at all.
You can easily avoid this sad scenario by planning ahead.  Know what you want in a home, what's important to you, and what you can live without--whether it's the first time you're buying a house or the tenth time.
Houses aren't just buildings; they're machines for living.  Where and what you buy will affect your life for as long as you own the house.  So it's important to get … (0 comments)

CHECKING OUT NEW TENANTS - 08:47 PM
 
     A lot of landlords are anxious to rent their properties, especially if they only have one or two rental units. If a tenant approaches them that speaks well, appears clean and polite, and seems to be "a nice guy" they will sometimes forget to be prudent business people. And that is when they really get into trouble.
     In the current economy, homeowners are not the only ones who feel the pinch. Many renters become bad pay when they have always had good records before. While there are no magic formulas to insure good tenants, there are some practical guidelines to … (0 comments)

2007 Relay For Life Lake Travis - 02:19 PM

Isn't this a great shot?  This is the 2007 Relay For Life of Lake Travis (Austin, TX area).  The shot was taken by Scott Payne, who owns Periscope Photography.  The event wasn't huge in terms of numbers, but the show was excellent.  People found it to be moving, meaninfgul and memorable.
… (1 comments)

Ranch in High Plains Village at Centerra- Under Contract!!!! - 02:51 PM
In Demand Ranch Home- High Plains Village at CenterraLocation: High Plains Village at Centerra Great place to call home, entertain your friends and family in the large great room, dining room and adjoining kitchen. Everything is on the main level including 2 large bedrooms (w/walk-ins), baths and the laundry room. The kitchen is the hub of the house with plenty of cabinets, spacious countertops and a pantry. This corner lot offers plenty of natural light and peek-a-boo mountain views. The 2 car att gar is very convenient and the patio offers a peaceful setting. Built Green! New Carpet.Photo Gallery InformationContact InformationDoug … (0 comments)

10 Misconceptions About Real Estate Blogging - 11:59 AM
Recently, both Teresa and I took a stab at what we saw as mistakes on real estate blogs.  You may have noticed, we don't always agree on what we feel is the best of advice for the Tomato audience, and neither does Kris Berg.  This is what makes it such a pleasure to have active participation in the blogsophere.
Below is an example of Teresa and I taking the same above headline and having our way with it for your enjoyment.  We alternated our items to mix it up a bit.Who’s who?1.  High Traffic = Success
Why: Having people come to your … (3 comments)

Question About Net Listings - 08:22 PM
I have a question about something. I am fairly new to real estate and I never had this happen so I thought I would write a blog to ask.
I have a FSBO that has some farm land for sale he wants $3500 per acre which works out to $350,000. In order to cover my commission the seller said I would have to write an offer with the commission added in. For example I will sell this land for 3% so I would have to write an offer for $360,500. Is this a net listing? If so thanks, if not please describe … (1 comments)

Tool Bar PR Update - 04:20 AM
That's right. The magic green bar is updating again. Doing a random check it seems the page rank update was fairly generous with Active rain and localism. It seems most agent profiles there on localism are showing a pr of 3 and AR profiles a pr of 4. Of course, the tool bar is the last thing to be "updated".
Some of you back east may not be seeing the changes yet (at least Ken Smith hasn't yet). Will it make a difference?  Not really, although pr will show you just how trusted your site is to Google. So take it … (21 comments)

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