Archives of real estate blog entries for May 27, 2007

Featured blog posts


Real Estate Investor vs. Real Estate Agent: What's A Quality Investment Property? - 08:10 PM
There has been some discussion recently on active|rain regarding the usefulness of real estate agents to the real estate investor.  And I think it is a discussion worth having.
Here are two recent and related blog posts:
Agents vs. Investors: language of real estate investingRealtors & Investors: Are You Speaking The Same Language?
Let me start this out by saying that if you are a real estate agent even remotely interested in learning more about real estate investing you should do three things:
Read the 3 books pictured throughout this postRead Bawldguy - One of the best real estate investing agents in the countryRead Real … (47 comments)

And The WINNERS Are - What Makes a House a HOME Contest - 03:43 PM
A week ago today, a new Active Rain Contest was announced - "What Makes A House a HOME", by Colleen Kulikowski.  Since we're all in real estate in a variety of ways, what a perfect contest this was!
 
The rules were simple:
Must have the following TAG:  What Makes a House a Home Must have a link at the bottom to the What Makes a House a Home Search  Title must be What Makes a House a Home - City, State (replace City and State with yours) The title says it all, describe what makes a house a home.  Use one of your … (42 comments)

Are Open Houses Passe? - 08:08 AM
Hi All,
I spent my afternoon at an open house today and as I sat their awaiting the hordes that I was sure would come, I got to thinking... Are open houses passe?  Does anybody really still depend on them to make their sale?  And should they? 
Now, call me sick, but I enjoy sitting at open houses.  I enjoy the unexpected and I like not knowing who or what is coming next.  I also enjoy seeing the car pass then slow, turn and park.  It is fun to get to meet new folks and to get to show the house to them.  But … (82 comments)

SoundBiteBlog gets recognized for outstanding consumer articles! - 06:37 PM
If you have never heard of Larry Cragun and his notorious Tarantula Trademark graphic, it's simply because Larry is not a loud or noisy internet guy. In certain circles though  Mr. Cragun is well known as a tireless proponent of Real Estate Transparency and a voracious reader of real estate articles.
Each month on his website RealEstateUndressed.com, seven Consumer Real Estate Articles are spotlighted as the the best on the web. These seven articles comprise what Mr. Cragun considers valuable and useful, well-written articles designed to keep the real estate consumer equipped with knowledge. Mr. Cragun calls his collection of articles the … (31 comments)

Are You Committing Fraud with Seller Paid Concessions? - 11:57 PM
You might be closer then you think...or want to believe. The way that you structure Seller Paid Concessions might be considered an attempt to defraud the lender and artificially inflate the value of the property. I'm sure that most of you (us) have had the opportunity to seal the deal by getting a seller to agree to cover the allowable seller paid concessions in order to close on a home. This happens every day. It is legal, or it wouldn't be allowed. It is done by Realtors and Mortgage Brokers. It is in the guidelines of most lenders, including FannieMae and … (76 comments)

The ball's in your court. Run with it!! - 07:56 PM
Howdy folks. Over the last few weeks I have read quite a few posts, from my peers on ActiveRain, about the struggles they are having in their business right now and their thoughts of getting out. Now folks, I'm all for the "weeding" out of our industry and I'm hoping that this more difficult market will do just that. BUT I'm not for losing good people. Good people is what our industry needs. Ethical, honest and hard working folks.
So today, I'm writing this post to hopefully help someone in their efforts to refocus and get over the hump. One of the … (80 comments)

Typos, Errors & Omissions… Oh my! - 11:30 AM
WARNING:  This could be considered more of a rant than a blog.
How often do you see typos in a listing?  Does it say to the consumer that we're busy... or lazy?  How often do you see poor quality photos, or worse yet... no photos at all?? 
Last week I saw a home in which the listing did not mention a pool... but there in the backyard was the most amazing Oasis you had ever seen!!  No lie, there was probably over $100K in that space, but no mention of it in the listing.  Thinking I was being considerate, I placed a … (60 comments)

Home Sellers! You’ve Got to Know When to Hold ‘Em and Know When to Fold ‘Em! - 08:21 AM
Sellers have been playing a great game out there; poker faced and toe-to-toe with potential buyers. Sellers have been the great masters of the bluff for well over a year now in some cases. But buyers aren't taking the bait. They have called your bluff and your house is just sitting there with no activity.
Kenny Roger's well known country song, The Gambler, may be an unusual basis for a real estate analogy, but it's time for sellers to stop singing the blues and get back in the game!
If a homeowner really wants to get their home sold, it is … (63 comments)

Memorial Day Tribute - 12:59 PM
ActiveRain wishes to honor the men and woman of the Armed Forces this Memorial Day Weekend.  It is impossible to feature all the tributes so like Mother's Day, here is a collection of posts that we found on ActiveRain along with some YouTube videos that were extreamly moving.
Modified:  YouTube videos removed...  Thanks Laurie Manny for the additional posts from around ActiveRain.
If we missed your post, please post a link to your Memorial Day Tribute in the comments....
Memorial Day, the BeginningSUPPORT OUR TROOPS! HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED ~ MEMORIAL DAY 2007 ~Memorial Day 5/28/2007 - A Prayer For Peace! The Death … (55 comments)

What Makes You "You" - 08:31 AM
Have you ever thought about the topic of this article?  I mean, REALLY thought about it?  What exactly is it that make you "YOU"?I know, when it comes to real estate, you're the end-all, be-all for every one's needs.  You can move mountains to get a home sold, find a home that no one else can find, deliver service that no one else can even imagine.I've heard it many times.  You can answer any real estate question that someone has...from how to market a home to what homes are selling for to where to get the best financing.But when you ask … (20 comments)

Are Lenders in Your Area Requiring Buyers to Use Their Realtor? - 06:36 PM
For the second time, I had a buyer inform me that their lender is requiring them to use their Realtor.
After getting a few of the details from the client I found the following.  They were doing a standard VA Loan.  If they use the lenders Realtor they get a rebate back of $1600 towards their closing costs.
They said they were not required to switch to get a loan, just the deal.  The disappointing part is that already made appointments to ride with the other agent.  The conversation went on a little more and I decided to cut bait.  It became apparent … (71 comments)

Blonde and Confused about Localism - can you help? - 06:45 PM
Fellow Active Rainer... 
I have been working on various Localism projects and loved Colleen Kulikowski post last week LOCALISM - Week In Review May 12-19, 2007 - it got me thinking that I would like to keep up with Featured Localism posts since I am always working to make my posts more effective for future, present and past clients that visit my blog, as well as Localism.
So here's my question:
How do you search to find Localism posts that have been "Featured"?  Am I missing something?
It seems to me when I click on "Featured Posts" I get the Featured Active Rain posts - not Localism.
It also seems … (83 comments)

What do you put in a Relo Packet? - 07:47 AM
I need to BEEF up my Relocation Packet that I mail to clients from out of state.  Here is what I currently put in there:
MLS area mapThe Woodlands area mapBuilder information for homes within their criteriaYMCA informationAnything specific that they mention regarding interestsSurely I am missing something.  What do all of you put into Relocation Packets? 
Mine is pretty scrawny.
… (47 comments)

HOW TO GET YOUR BLOG COMMENT BLEEPED - 07:05 AM
I USED THE PREVIOUSLY SELDOM USED DELETE FUNCTION THIS MORNING.I believe I have deleted only two comments to my blogs.  The first one, when that feature was new,I got a nasty, nasty from someone and just didn't want to spread profanity around.  So, BLEEP.  Another was this a.m.  Now, I don't make the rules for Active Rain.  But, some things we can figure out for ourselves.  If the "Delete" feature is there, we can use it.  HOW TO GET BLEEPED FROM LENN'S BLOGS - "I depend on the kindness of strangers."First, if you find an obvious mistake on someone's blog, a private … (84 comments)


Blog posts


The Big Three.......The Beat Goes On......Part II - 01:13 PM
Professionals everyday are missing the big three and it could definitely cost you business.....To read more.....Sphere of Influence.....   The Big Three....The Beat Goes on...Part I
 I personally do not enjoy name tags, I was a grocery store manager in my past, imagine checking 50 associates for name tags every day!  That was part of my job for 5 very long years.
In retail, name tags are as important as wearing shoes! 
After leaving retail I attempted to be rebellious:  "I AM NOT WEARING A NAME TAG!  NEVER AGAIN!"  I threw it away....Celebrating my departure from retail.
Our business is not that different.  It took … (21 comments)

Memorial Day Tribute - 12:59 PM
ActiveRain wishes to honor the men and woman of the Armed Forces this Memorial Day Weekend.  It is impossible to feature all the tributes so like Mother's Day, here is a collection of posts that we found on ActiveRain along with some YouTube videos that were extreamly moving.
Modified:  YouTube videos removed...  Thanks Laurie Manny for the additional posts from around ActiveRain.
If we missed your post, please post a link to your Memorial Day Tribute in the comments....
Memorial Day, the BeginningSUPPORT OUR TROOPS! HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED ~ MEMORIAL DAY 2007 ~Memorial Day 5/28/2007 - A Prayer For Peace! The Death … (55 comments)

Active Rain: A Points Loophole? - 06:50 AM
Really, truly, I am not that much into the Points System.  ( If I was, I would have more :-)  )
But Ardell's blog here:  How does one Blog Post equal over 40,000 points?   got me thinking  (I can be a slow thinker; Ardell's post is dated 5/6, today is 5/27) ....  But, anyway it got me thinking:
Active Rain has a limit of 250 points per day on commenting (10 comments at 25 points per comment) ... OK
But this is no daily limit on bonus points received from an invitee's participation (From the Scoring FAQ here:   "10% of the total points that they directly … (11 comments)

TypePad and GoDaddy: Don't MASK it, MAP it! - 07:51 PM
Mapping will avoid some of the pitfalls of masking, such as hidden link URLs.  Here's how to MAP using GoDaddy and TypePad: 
First register the Domain Name at GoDaddy.  Leave GoDaddy running in one Browser window or tab. 
Go to TypePad in a different browser window or tab
Hit Typepad Control Panel -> Site Access -> Domain Mapping
Click "Begin Here: Map a Domain Name"
Type in the new domain name, click Get DNS Settings. Typepad will display the CNAME Record,  you can drag your curser across the CNAME and hit Edit -> Copy, so you don't have to type it when you get to that step.... … (10 comments)

The Lost Heroes of the War on Terror - 03:18 PM
I posted this a a different blog too, but I thought it was so important I had to post it here also.  I know it's long, but PLEASE take the time to remember our heroes.
By Jeff Emanuel Published 5/25/2007 12:09:13 AM
Despite taking place in an age of seemingly limitless information, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) has spawned a paucity of stories on the topics of heroic action and courage under fire. Regardless of whether this has been the result of honest, unfortunate oversight, or a byproduct of the "if it bleeds, it leads" mindset of a sensationalist 24-hour media apparatus … (1 comments)

Week In Review ActiveRain and Localism -- FYI - 09:27 AM
Neal Bloom in Weston, Fl coordinates the Week In Review for ActiveRain and Localism in case you have any questions.  He schedules it one week in advance from a list he keeps of people that have expressed interest.  He makes sure that the posts are tagged correctly and that AR awards points to the poster. 
With that said, I have had an issue with Scott Daniels (yea I know again) and I have copied the email message below to Matt Heaton) but I thought you all should be aware of the situation.   What I did not write in the email message was Scott has … (14 comments)

16846 Sunrise Vista Drive Clermont, FL 34711 - 10:03 PM
Fun in the Sun!!Location: Sunrise LakesBeautiful Beginnings Start Here with Plenty of Room To Grow!A lot of living to do and lots of room for it in this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath two story home. Move in, rent out or use as a second home, its your choice. Spacious home with many upgrades including kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances, counter tops, tiled floors, ceiling fans, bathroom counter tops, tile & plantation shutters throughout. Huge master suite with a walk in closet and safe, master bath with shower and garden tub. Open floor plan in the kitchen & family room with vaulted … (7 comments)

The Day The F5 Came to Town - 10:36 PM
It was a quiet, oddly still May afternoon in 1997 when I was walking down the drive to get the mail and noticed what looked like a Blue Norther on the horizon.  Odd . . . very odd for this time of year, unheard of, in fact. 
But I decided that I'd turn on the TV when I got inside and see if a thunderstorm was brewing and whether not I should put the horses in the barn.  When I got inside, I turned to Channel 6, the news station to the north of us, expecting to see the little white … (7 comments)

SoundBiteBlog gets recognized for outstanding consumer articles! - 06:37 PM
If you have never heard of Larry Cragun and his notorious Tarantula Trademark graphic, it's simply because Larry is not a loud or noisy internet guy. In certain circles though  Mr. Cragun is well known as a tireless proponent of Real Estate Transparency and a voracious reader of real estate articles.
Each month on his website RealEstateUndressed.com, seven Consumer Real Estate Articles are spotlighted as the the best on the web. These seven articles comprise what Mr. Cragun considers valuable and useful, well-written articles designed to keep the real estate consumer equipped with knowledge. Mr. Cragun calls his collection of articles the … (31 comments)

5 Irving Place, Pikesville, Maryland 21208 - 07:12 PM

… (1 comments)

3405 Seven Mile Lane, Pikesville, Maryland 21208 - 07:22 PM

… (2 comments)

7927 Long Meadow Rd, Pikesville, Maryland 21208 - 08:23 PM

… (6 comments)

Wonderful Vacation Rental - 10:15 PM
Fun in the Sun!!Location: Sunrise LakesBeautiful Beginnings Start Here with Plenty of Room To Grow!A lot of living to do and lots of room for it in this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath two story home. Move in, rent out or use as a second home, its your choice. Spacious home with many upgrades including kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances, counter tops, tiled floors, ceiling fans, bathroom counter tops, tile & plantation shutters throughout. Huge master suite with a walk in closet and safe, master bath with shower and garden tub. Open floor plan in the kitchen & family room with vaulted … (1 comments)

The ball's in your court. Run with it!! - 07:56 PM
Howdy folks. Over the last few weeks I have read quite a few posts, from my peers on ActiveRain, about the struggles they are having in their business right now and their thoughts of getting out. Now folks, I'm all for the "weeding" out of our industry and I'm hoping that this more difficult market will do just that. BUT I'm not for losing good people. Good people is what our industry needs. Ethical, honest and hard working folks.
So today, I'm writing this post to hopefully help someone in their efforts to refocus and get over the hump. One of the … (80 comments)

5 Star Luxury Ski in Ski out Condo Hotel Project at Deer Valley Resort - 11:24 AM
Deer Valley Pre-Construction Project Report: Full Ownership 5-Star Ski in Ski out Luxury Condos for Sale
Enjoy the lap of luxury at this new luxury condo pre-construction project at Deer Valley Resort which is currently underconstruction and planned to be completed in 2008.  At the this luxury condo hotel you will enjoy an incredible experience with butler service, fine dining, casual dining, martini & wine bar, Apres ski bar, large heated deck with fire pits, ski beach, 17,000 square foot day spa and a large split level heated infinity edge swimming pool.  The finishes will be amazing with custom cabinetry, professional quality appliances and heated marble bathroom … (0 comments)

Project Blogger Week 7 Summary - 08:12 PM
This was a challenging week as I was both out of town and sick for much of it (I am almost well...). But since I managed to pre-write daily posts before the Boston trip, at least my main blog, Live in Los Gatos (http://liveinlosgatos.realtownblogs.com/), got populated daily. That makes it a successful week all by itself in my book!No offense, but forget the judges and what might be popular this week for scoring. (It strikes me as often unrelated to the original list of criteria we were told would be used, but that is another post.)  Fran and I want to stay … (1 comments)

Triple SEO Exposure! Wow! - 12:29 PM
I noticed that one company has 3 AR blogs.  One under the husband's name, one under the wife's name (they are both broker/owners of the company)... and one under the company name. Each blog is set up in a different county and local market area within the state.
Triple SEO exposure.  Wow! that's great!  
I'm still in the learning process of SEO, meta tags, blogging, etc.  So excuse me if these are dumb blonde questions to you.....
Are there any AR restrictions on this?
If we can get triple exposure this way, then why not set up 10 accounts in different counties? or 20?  All we'd need … (9 comments)

Advertising On Your Blog: Good Intentions - Bad Idea - 03:38 PM
I'm amazed there are so many business people that believe they should try to monetize their weblog or website by selling ad space. Apparently many businesses are so dissatisfied with the benefits and performance of their online marketing strategy that they feel they must lower the total overall cost of this activity by going into a different business altogether. This is just silliness.
I was on a panel at NAR this week with the folks at Blogging Systems; they're clearly bright people - they've written a book about business blogging. But they're misdirected. David Crockett, the panel moderator and owner of a … (27 comments)

Real estate tools moving sale - 10:46 PM
My wife and I bought a new home for us recently and I'm downsizing my "real estate stuff" collection.
I have two very useful, double boxes of real estate tools for sale.
First is my complete collection of printed materials from the Craig Proctor Coaching program I took several years ago. I believe I paid Craig somewhere around $10,000 for this 1 year, intensive program. It includes his listing presentation, buyer presentation, newsletters, and two full boxes of the coaching program materials. I also threw in a copy of "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" by Gary Keller, co-founder of Keller Williams … (6 comments)

BreakTime: The Art of Insults - 11:09 AM
Have you ever been in situations when you have someone that was quick on the trigger and shooting an insult at you and you were at a loss as what to say in return and wished you had something witty to respond, a snappy repartee.  There are different approaches to the witty insults.  Many have developed insults into an art form and some have even made money off of it...There's the Don Rickles approach: "Oh my God, look at you. Anyone else hurt in the accident?"  "Who picks your clothes - Stevie Wonder?"  "I've seen people like you before, but I had to … (0 comments)

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