Archives of real estate blog entries for June 20, 2007

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I'M A HOME SELLER...What Is Your Expert Advice? - 10:58 PM

As I sit here writing this blog, I realize I'm writing this as a HOME SELLER who is lucky enough to have this venue to get some real advice, collective wisdom, and who knows, perhaps your words will help others too. So thanks in advance for your time.
Here is the scoop. True Story as it unfolded today:
By husband and I took over my Mother-in-law's mortgage about 10 years ago, after she was widowed. She lived in the Central Valley of California, in Visalia. She recently passed away, and we will be selling the house in this gosh awful market.
So first … (73 comments)

Who says you can't play and make money at the same time? - 10:24 PM
I like to golf and I don't take it as seriously as I used to.  There is a 9 hole public course 5 minutes from my home and once in awhile I will play 9 holes at the end of the day as a stress reliever and I love meeting new friends while on the course.
Many of you have read my post Is there marketing 101 overkill? This lady seems to think so and know I am big on handing out business cards everywhere I go and this includes everywhere I play!
3 weeks ago I was playing at Fairview Golf Course and I … (84 comments)

The funniest things sometimes happen at open houses - 06:31 PM
In fact, it wasn't even my own open house.  This was a townhome in a community my client really liked.. so when I called the owner/agent from a craiglist ad I saw, I arranged to attend his "open house" for interested parties. .. it was not on MLS , but he was cooperating with agents, so I figured it was worth a look.
As soon as I walked in, I realized tenants were the long time occupants of this unit.  Not in great shape and in fact, they had hardly any furnishings but for the tv on the milk crate and some … (55 comments)

Patience is a Virtue - 05:12 PM
No, it's not me (although some might argue)!  Actually, I'd like to talk about the lease-option, lease-purchase, lease-to-own, rent-to-own, whatever name you might want to call it by. 
I'd define the lease-purchase as a contract to purchase a home which doesn't close for an extended period of time.  Most often, the lease-purchase contract is designed to close a year or so in the future....after the purchaser has a chance to clear up a few credit blemishes and get qualified for a respectable interest rate on a mortgage.  In the interim, the purchaser makes lease payments to the seller.  A portion of … (30 comments)

My Community Loan Program Changes - 12:57 PM
Fannie Mae has just announced two program changes to the My Community Loan Program which will have significant impact on future My Community Loans.
The first change is that effective immediately Fannie Mae is requiring that 1 point be charged on all My Community Loans.  Fannie Mae is calling to this cost a “Risk Adjustment”.  This additional cost is across the board for ALL Lenders, they are not making any exceptions.  This 1 point risk adjustment can be included in the Seller Paid Costs that Fannie Mae allows on My Community Programs, but no matter how you look at it, it … (60 comments)

A Place to Scamper & Roam With Abandon...A Place to Call Home! - 03:35 AM
"We've been waiting for you to call.  When are you going to come and list our house?"  A little startled, I inquired about how long they had been waiting.  I had just been notified that a referral had come through and had called...I thought immediately.  After apologizing for a breakdown in communication, an appointment was scheduled in short order. 
3 offers and 4 months later she's waiting again.  But, this time, she's waiting for her appointment to sign documents at the Closing of her home.  I'm just a few minutes late due to having to fill up for gas...my son's been driving … (32 comments)

Project Blogger Round Up Week 10 June 11-17 - 05:06 PM
(14 comments)

You get all the questions and someone else gets the listing? - 10:29 AM
What do you do when a friend who whenever you see them always asks about real estate and the market?  Then they end up listing with someone else because you won't lower your commission.  You think ok, the place is over-priced and they only plan on giving it a month to see if it sells.  The listing expired and you knew they only planned on trying to sell for a month.  As you check for new listings in the area, which I do several times a day, I find the listing back on the market with another agent and lowered price.  Oh yeah, and … (47 comments)

The "I am NEW to REAL ESTATE and Don't have Money but have the Time" Business Plan" - 07:19 PM
So, you are new to real estate and it is just starting to sink in that YOU have to build YOUR business. The whole "business development" and "lead generation" thing didn't even register with you when you so excitedly signed up for your classes and took your test. Likely, it might not have really crossed your mind until you had passed the test, signed up with a broker and had your first set of cards in your hand. And now what? You are beginning to realize, "wow, being a real estate agent is EXPENSIVE!" And it certainly can be; postcards, ads, … (83 comments)

Minneapolis/St Paul - Friday 7/13 - 02:30 PM
Greetings Everyone!
Let's get together in Minneapolis/St Paul on Friday the 13th of July! 
We can meet at the Bloomington Holiday Inn Select Airport/Mall of America at 6PM and stay there or else we can head over to the Mall of America or hit the Hot Spots downtown via the light rail!
We can meet up at the hotel for happy hour at 6PM and then head out from there.  There's ample parking and the hotel is on the light rail.  I have a block of hotel rooms available for only $99 so there are no worries.
I might even be able to get my good friend and fellow agent Vic Volare … (7 comments)


Blog posts


Project Blogger Round Up Week 10 June 11-17 - 05:06 PM
(14 comments)

Play Doh Drive for Children's Hospital - 12:22 PM
The Seattle Children’s Hospital is conducting a drive for Play Doh. The hospital goes through more than 2,000 jars of Play Doh every year. Due to the serious illnesses and compromised immune system that many of the children have, a jar of Play Doh can only be used once. And, thus, it’s a considerable expense for the hospital. Please consider making a Play Doh donation to Children’s Hospital. Donations will be accepted through John L. Scott offices and not at the hospital. Our office is located at 2601 4th Avenue, Ste 100 in Belltown at the corner of 4th & Vine, … (1 comments)

Google Adds Ratings to Map Feature: What Will People Say About You? - 09:14 PM
Google has just announced the addition of local reviews to their popular local map features. So, just to see how this works, I popped over and did a search for my favorite pizza place nearby and did my first "user review" on Google local maps. It was quick and easy and I'll probably do more soon.
Growth in Google SearchesAccording to a recent report by Hitwise (released yesterday), Google carried 65.13% of all searches in the USA during May. This, compared to the 59.27% market share for Google the same time last year, shows that Google is only growing in popularity. No … (7 comments)

Save The World - One Click At A Time! - 01:43 AM
On each of these websites, you can click a button to support the cause -- each click creates funding, and costs you nothing! Bookmark these sites, and click once a day!
The advertisers/sponsors on the sites fund the cause so if you can try to support them too...even better :)

(7 comments)

Westfield NJ to Summit NJ - Where was Denise Broesler 6/20/07? - 11:57 PM
Today was a busy day for me!  I first went to meet Governor Christie Todd Whitman at a Wells Fargo reception in Springfield.  I was with Julie Keane and Adam Dubeck, Esq.  Then I went to my office in Summit and to Westfield to go to Cold Stone Creamery, the best ice cream in town!!!!  Of course I stopped in Pinera Bread for some coffee.  Getting ready now for a listing appointment in Westfield tomorrow.  Wish me luck!  All my best, Denise Broesler, RE/MAX Achievers. … (1 comments)

Westfield NJ Free WI-FI Locations - 11:59 PM
Do you wi-fi?  For locations, go to http://wi-fi-nj.com/.
If you know of anyone not on the list, please let me know.
(0 comments)

Clueless in College Station.... - 08:34 PM
First let me mention that when I take a commission hit I always keep it on my side of the balance sheet.  I frequently give past clients a break on listing fees, but I don't ask the buyers agent to take a break.  It's my fees that I'm agreeing on. 
I was recently in my office and another agent came up and asked me for feedback on her listing.  I had shown this listing to my client and it was in his top three, but he ruled it out because of location.  I told her that it showed well and looked … (7 comments)

Men's Answer to Maxine! (rated R) - 08:34 PM
Here it is! Men's answer to Maxine.                      MAX
Men strike back! How many men does it take to open a beer? None. It should be opened when she brings it.------------------------------------------------------------------- Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman? Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support you. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Why do women have smaller feet t han men? It's one of those "evolutionary things" that allows Them to stand closer to the kitchen sink. ------------------------------------------------------------------- How do you know when a woman is about to say … (3 comments)

Blogs Ogog - 10:08 PM
I'm always looking for places to promote my site and blog. I came across one that I hadn't heard of before, ogog.org. Its run by a non-profit organization, which in itself makes it unique. It looks like its brand new, without a lot of users (yet).
You have to have an openid account to sign up. So it will take you a little bit of time to sign up, but both sites are FREE. So, of course, I signed up at both places: http://lasvegasrealestate.myopenid.com/  here is my OgOg profile. I don't know if the site will make it, but I have found … (4 comments)

Orlando Florida ~ Brunch on Sunday - 11:35 AM
Lydia asked me to arrange a Brunch for Sunday for those of you coming to Orlando and staying the night.  Does anyone want to get together have brunch on Sunday morning?    I know of several great places that we could meet.  Let me know if you are interested...
If we meet at noon I would suggest the Gaylord Palms ~ they have a spectacular brunch if it needs to be earlier because people need to get on the road, we can meet at a couple of other choices for Breakfast....
Let me know your interest here or email me.    
 
(8 comments)

On Tour at E. 20th Street in Herron-Morton Place - Indianapolis - 08:38 AM
(4 comments)

Broker Bryant..moving forward and rising to the occasion! - 04:42 PM
So here I sit. Staring at a blank word document wondering what the heck to write about today. Don't you hate it when that happens? When I was riding around today I had all kind of great post ideas running through my head. As soon as I sat down to write my head is empty. It could be stress I guess. The market in Poinciana Fl is brutal right now and some days it just wears me out. Do you ever get like that? I do. It's rare. But I do.
BUT...just like my life, my business and everything else, I do … (44 comments)

Bay Area Top Foreclosure Cities - 12:31 AM
CNNMoney.com just put out an article naming the top 500 zip codes in the country for foreclosures.  Not surpisingly, several zip codes right here in the East Bay were on this nationwide list.  In the Bay Area as a whole, Antioch, Brentwood, Vallejo, Pittsburg and San Pablo made the list. Further out we find Tracy, Stockton, Fairfield, several zip codes in Sacramento and many zip codes surrounding Sacramento from Roseville to Elk Grove.  In fact, more than a quarter of the zip codes on the list are in California.  Just a couple years ago it was something we hardly ever saw, … (0 comments)

Service comes from the heart.... - 01:08 AM
I received this in my email box tonight and thought it really was worth sharing.  We forget that, at times, its the little things that count, its the little things that turn into big things and the little things that can create lasting memories.  How many times does a past client remind you of something you said, or did, that you hardly remembered doing or saying? It was a small gesture, or something you felt was insignificant, but it was big to them. 
I had a client, and I'll never forget this, thank me 3 years after they bought their house because … (16 comments)

The funniest things sometimes happen at open houses - 06:31 PM
In fact, it wasn't even my own open house.  This was a townhome in a community my client really liked.. so when I called the owner/agent from a craiglist ad I saw, I arranged to attend his "open house" for interested parties. .. it was not on MLS , but he was cooperating with agents, so I figured it was worth a look.
As soon as I walked in, I realized tenants were the long time occupants of this unit.  Not in great shape and in fact, they had hardly any furnishings but for the tv on the milk crate and some … (55 comments)

Upcoming NAR Resort & Second Home Symposium in Vali Colorado - 12:24 PM
The NAR is hosting their annual Resort & Second Home Symposium in Vail this year.  It is June 24-June 26 at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa.  I thought I'd see if any Active Rain members will be there.  I'm going to be attending for the first time this year.  It would be fun to meet some fellow AR folks at the symposium. 
(0 comments)

Improving Your Home - 11:20 AM
Pride of ownership is one of the principal advantages of home ownership. So it is only natural to want to improve your home.
However, homeowners need to make improvements wisely. Some changes to a property enhance the value to almost the full extent of the cost of the improvement. Other "improvements" will return very little in terms of enhanced market value and can even reduce the value of the home.
If you are making improvements for the purpose of getting your property ready to sell and increasing its value, then some of the best changes to make are new paint and carpet. … (0 comments)

A Guide to Going Bankrupt in Real Estate!!! - 12:45 PM
As long as credit is given anyone is free to repost this article anywhere.
There have been a lot of books and late night infomercials on how to become rich through real estate. Apparently, you can become rich overnight. Neat. But, no one has really written a good guide on how to go bankrupt. Sure everyone is doing it, but how can you get in on the action.
First, watch the late night infomercials on TV. And possibly order some real estate tapes from Carlton Sheets. This will provide you with a positive upbeat attitude and a sense of … (3 comments)

Free Musical Events Thurs - Sunday in and Near Los Gatos: Sneak Peek - 11:49 PM
Lack of cash is no reason to stay home on a perfect summer night!  Free music is practically on your doorstep if you live in Los Gatos or the neighboring commuities.  In fact, for the next four nights, you can  be entertained at no cost in four different places around the area!Want more information on where and when? Please visit my blog, Live in Los Gatos, for the details. Enjoy!
(0 comments)

Farragut Tennessee, one of the 25 best affordable suburbs in the south - 08:22 AM
In a May article in Business Week Magazine, Farragut Tennessee was named one of the "25 Best Affordable Suburbs in the South".
"Farragut, Tenn. 37922
Metro: KnoxvilleNearest city with pop. 50,000-plus: Knoxville (17 miles) Median Home Price: $224,900 Cost of Living Index: 102.9Primary School Test Score Index: 131*Violent Crime Index: 34Percent pop. with commute <30 min.: 68%"
The nearby University of Tennessee adds to Farragut & Knoxville's quality of life. Here the UT Pride of the Southland marching band leads the way to a Saturday afternoon football game at Neyland Stadium.
Knoxville and nearby Farragut always rate high in "best places to live" surveys because...............well, … (1 comments)

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