Archives of real estate blog entries for June 24, 2007

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Flat Jack got top secret video of Active Rain Birthday Bash in Orlando Florida - UPDATED - 02:56 AM
Flat Jack Haydon, your Clearwater Real Estate Agent, reporting on the Big Orlando Celebration....
 
 
 
 Today several of Florida's Active Rainers met to Celebrate Active Rain's 1st Birthday at Logan's Steakhouse in Orlando Florida.
 We owe a big thanks to all TLW' & Lydia Heaton's hard work.  Everyone felt so familiar when we got together and greeted each other with hugs and leis.
It was great to meet Matt, Lydia and Caleb in person - they are so friendly and were very patient with all the paparrazzi. (We Active Rainers can be camera happy.)
I know people wanted to see pics so here's a quick look at the amazing day we had...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 TLW … (70 comments)

Is it Time To Team? (part 3 of 97) - 10:44 PM
The team topic seems to generate more than it's share of interest. Back in December, I wrote a blog post called To Team or not to Team?   I still get emails and comments on that post and my orginal post  How to create a winning team.  Bob Carney's post So When is it Time to start a Team.... created some good discussion on the team topic. The interest in Bob's post gave me this nudge to expand on the topic a little more.  And then just today there were several rainers asking for help about whether to form a team. Eastern Connecticut hasn't grown many teams. We have a few agents who call themselves … (55 comments)

They left the Stagers out: Staging makes the front cover of REALTOR magazines July 2007 issue! - 09:09 AM

Staging makes the front cover of the July 2007 issue of REALTOR Magazine!  The article consists of "Two Hours. Three Rooms. $250 Budget. Three REALTORS"  There is video for all the transformations.                        
 They are featuring Realtors doing all the actual staging and the article goes on to say:
 "Professional staging costs $500 to $1,000 and up for an average-sized home. The price generally includes painting, carpeting, accessories, and labor, but costs can go higher, depending on the extent of the work.                      
Here's the link:      http://www.realtor.org/rmomag.NSF/pages/feature1july07_article?OpenDocument
I'd like to hear everyones opinion on the article esp. from a Home Stager's viewpoint.   I'd like to … (45 comments)

Is it us? Or is the market picking up steam again?! - 12:35 PM

Would love to hear from everyone in the Active Rain Network as well as the Public.  Is it just us?  Or is the market picking up steam again?  Whether or not the year has been kind to Agents, Sellers or Buyers, it appears that the state of the real estate market is still pretty healthy.  Perhaps the market is returning to a "Normal" market?
We are a full time husband and wife Realtor® team engaged in the business of real estate on a daily basis.  We are noticing that the inventory became very high at one point in the early Spring.  Sellers … (66 comments)

Will It Ever Close? - 12:43 PM
This is probably the most often asked question by sellers of "Real Property" in our industry.  In fact, it may also be the most common question from Buyers, Lenders, Agents, Title companies and others too!   Here's a post featuring the "Lighter side" of this $64,000.00 question.  I know these have really happened to some of us, but try to see the humor in it.  If you can catch a laugh, chuckle or a giggle here, than this post has served it's purpose!!  :-)
Here's a look back on 20 years of un-regrettable experience! 
             
Your client thinks the FNMA Community Home Buyer Program means "the neighbors pitch in"
Your flood-zoned … (43 comments)


Blog posts


Matt...Lydia...Caleb....I'm Sorry! I Promise to Visit..... - 11:28 AM
Yesterday I had the privilege to meet Matt, Lydia and Caleb.  They had put together a wonderful bash at Logan's Road House Grill in Orlando, Florida. 
I had the opportunity to really get to know these 3 people and imagine they flew all the way from Washington to meet me!  OK, I would like to think that but I have to tell you they all made me feel that way.
Before meeting them, I kinda read their post, you know skim the surface of their posts and only comment when I wanted something or needed something, meaning me giving input in a … (20 comments)

Miss Arkansas Pageant held in Hot Springs - 06:33 PM
The Miss Arkansas Pageant was held Saturday night at the Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Katie Bailey of Conway captured the crown of Miss Arkansas 2007.  Our Miss Hot Springs, Lauren English, grand-daughter of our friends from Magnolia, Arkansas (Jack and Olga English) did a wonderful job in the competition and was named in the top 10 of the pageant.  Congrats to all!
 
… (0 comments)

The Legends at Hot Springs - 06:37 PM
Our newest development for Fifty-five and Beyond is moving right along, and attracting lots of attention from the local area, as well as from Retirees across the country.  The Legends at Hot Springs is a beautiful gated community located in the popular "7 South" area, and offers first-class amenities.  Some of the first homes in this lovely community is almost ready.  For more information, please visit www.TheLegendsatHotSprings.com
… (0 comments)

The Manhattans Are Coming to Hot Springs - 06:47 PM
Don't miss it!  "The Manhattans", legendary R&B stars famous for such classic hits as "Kiss and Say Goodbye" and "Shining Star" are coming to Hot Springs on June 30, 2007.  They will be performing at the Timberwood Amphitheater at Magic Springs.  Stay tuned for further events, as there is always something going on in Hot Springs!
… (0 comments)

Tracy Lawrence is coming to Hot Springs - 09:35 PM
Tracy Lawrence, the Arkansas-reared country legend famed worldwide for such hits as "Sticks and Stones," Alibis" and "If the Good Die Young" is coming to Hot Springs on July 7, 2007.  Tracy will perform at the Timberwood Amphitheater at Magic Springs.  Stay tuned for more great legends coming to Hot Springs.  Hot Springs is where all the action is!
… (0 comments)

The Gallery Walk in Downtown Hot Springs - 09:40 PM
July 6, 2007Gallery WalkTime: 5-9 pmDowntown Hot SpringsGallery Walk gives an opportunity to stroll beautiful downtown Hot Springs and enjoy some of the finest contemporary art in America. The art galleries that sparkle like a fine necklace are located in the heart of the Victorian downtown district. They stay open until 9 p.m., often with music and complimentary refreshments. The artists whose works are on display also turn out to chat with visitors to the galleries. Don't miss this monthly opportunity to enjoy the arts that earned Hot Springs the No. 4 ranking in the Top 100 Small Art Towns in … (0 comments)

Loss Mitigation and the Service Provider - 01:04 PM
The times are definitely changing for mortgage lenders and investors as they realize that they have a very real potential for a flood of REO properties to deal with in Hemet CA and eslewhere.  In order to prevent the foreclosure and pending inventory of REO properties, the industry is starting to grasp and focus more on loss mitigation techniques to creatively avoid the whole foreclosure mess.
The Center for Responsible Lending recently released a study predicting that 2.2 million American households are going to lose their homes. This study predicts that over 20% of all subprime loans originated in the 2006-2006 period … (4 comments)

Sellers: It's A Love Hate Thing - 09:48 AM
Yesterday, I received an offer on of my listings. This property has been on the market for about 90 days and is priced higher than the next comp by about $10,000. I presented the offer to my seller (just the facts) and he/she just laid into me saying "I should have never lowered the price" and "the brochures should have been better". What!? The explanation for the price change, "we would have gotten a getter offer if we did not lower the price". Again, what?! I stressed that without the price reduction, we would have never received an offer. As far … (6 comments)

BabyHarris Update 6/24/2007 - 06:15 PM
Here's the count down to finding out the sex of the baby!  17 days and counting.  I'm so excited.  I've had a mad rush from some people to get their guesses in so they count before the sex is found out.  If you're one of those people, don't forget to make your guess.  Also, if you're not guessing because it's still too soon to really guess a date, not a problem because those items can be edited by me whenever you want.
SO, I am 18 weeks, and the baby is supposed to be about 5.5 inches long.  It can hear me … (7 comments)

I Won't Ever Sale a House...But I Might Sail a Houseboat!!! - 02:31 PM
Perhaps I am getting a bit crotchety in my middle age, but a pet peeve of mine is seeing grammatical errors everywhere.  I was reading an AR profile today (the author of which will remain anonymous) and it said that they will help you "buy and sale houses".  This isn't an isolated instance either.  Unfortunately it makes us all look bad.  Heavens knows I've made mistakes before, but it's pretty sad when this should be part of our everyday marketing and our verbage.  If grammer or spelling isn't your strong suit then please, please get someone to take a look at … (9 comments)

Real Estate Blog Articles Are Now Appearing On MySpace - 02:27 PM

Shortly after posting the article before this one (Should MLS Brokers Be Allowed To Blog About Other MLS Broker's Listings?) I noticed a good amount of traffic coming in from a source I had not seen before: MySpace.Had someone hijacked the article?Was someone reproducing a feed on their MySpace page?
It was MySpace News Beta – Real Estate.The usual suspects, along with some Trump and a couple of mainstreamers make up the front page Top 15.  I was honored to be in the bunch, but it left me wondering, who selects what is newsworthy for MySpace, and how long have … (1 comments)

There's No Fluff In This Blogger's Reach - 03:12 PM
It was back in April that I gave the last update on Jackie Colson-Miller's (www.RealEstateSizzle.com) progress in the Project Blogger competition.  Now that we are more than half way through the contest, I figured I should give an update as to her site's statistics and changes over the last couple of months.1. Design tweaksWe listened to all the complaints about the 'sizzling noise' upon loading the site, and as much as Jackie protested, we bent and removed it.  Look for us to put it back as a clickable icon for those that want to 'experience the sizzle'.
There was talk that it … (2 comments)

Affiliate Marketing – Can Help Pay for your Website - 12:46 AM
I am sure some of you have heard of Affiliate Marketing while others may not know what I am talking about.  Affiliate Marketing is simply an agreement between you the website owner and any company who has an affiliate program Wal-Mart, Bass Pro Shops, Target and others where you place text links or banner links from your website to their site. In return you are paid for your efforts. Depending on the company you get either a set amount per sale or lead, or a percentage of each sale. Different companies will also pay you to recruit other affiliates. How this … (6 comments)

Looking for ways to promote my services - 03:55 PM
Hello I am looking for some ways to promote my services. Right now I advertise in the local paper, postcards, and blog on active rain. I am also going to start door knocking expired listings. What are some other ways to promote my services?  
Daniel Lowery, Certified Negotiation Specialist (CNS), e-PROREALTOR® Broker/Sales Coldwell Banker Gordon Co. Realtors Direct: (573) 291-1819 Office: (573) 761-3312Email: daniel@daniellowery.comWebsite: www.daniellowery.comWhen Service Matters Call Dan!
… (5 comments)

Thank You Jeff For The Auto Pan Tip - 11:08 AM
Yesterday, Jeff Turner posted this:  Brain Dead Simple Panoramas - Autostitch
I downloaded Calico ... and went to install it this AM.... and then noticed it was a Mac program.  I'm on a Windows box.   Oops.
So, I went back to Jeff's post ... OK..... Here we go ...   Auto Pan Pro is a Windows program,  I download Auto Pan Pro
Hey is this coooool, or what!!  Here is my first experiment: 
I think I need to refine which photos I select -- This is ~14~ images switched together -- Given the complex subject I think it will be sharper with less images for the … (1 comments)

Finally Finished A Couple Squidoo Lenses - 03:41 PM
It took me a long time to get around to this one:  But I finally got a couple of Squidoo lenses finished
http://www.squidoo.com/NELA/
http://www.squidoo.com/NELASchools/
http://www.squidoo.com/nelagalleries/
Now if a client is interested in schools or art galleries, I can point them at the Squidoo page.  
And I can join the ranks of Squidooers here on Active Rain
… (11 comments)

This Book Will NOT Appeal To Everyone - 08:47 PM
This book Will NOT appeal to everyone.  On some days it doesn't even appeal to me.  But catch me in the right mood, and I'm rolling on the floor.
The book is "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar", subtitled "Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes"  By Tom Cathcart and Dan Klein, two Harvard philosophy majors.
http://www.amazon.com/Plato-Platypus-Walk-into-Understanding/dp/081091493X
It came up as an Amazon suggestion one of those days I was shopping for something else, and I couldn't resist.  Right now, I don't even remember what the something else was.
The jokes (many of them groaners) really do a good job in illustrating philosophical concepts.
Here's an … (14 comments)

Most find appraisal system to be flawed - 09:27 AM
I found this article on line this morning and found it to be very interesting.  Every year about this time of year I always see lots of people complaining about how high their taxes are.  I think people should stay on topic and make the state lawmakers do something instead of just talking about it.
Read this article in "The Facts" http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=624ff6a89ac84d13
It really hits HOME...
… (1 comments)

Riverview Market Report - 06:19 AM
It is true that the market has slowed down, but this is just part of the normal real estate cycle. There are still some good buys out there, you just need the assistance of a pro-active realtor to help you find them. It is a great time to buy, home ownership is always better than renting anytime.
Riverview is conveniently located along the I-75 expressway. Riverview is within a 30 minute drive to Palmetto/Ellenton, about 40 minutes to downtown Bradenton, less than an hour's drive to the famous beaches of Siesta Key, Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island. It's about an hour's … (0 comments)

Apollo Beach Market Report - 07:01 AM
It is true that the market has slowed down, but this is just part of the normal real estate cycle. There are still some good buys out there, you just need the assistance of a pro-active realtor to help you find them. It is a great time to buy, home ownership is always better than renting anytime. There are several new developments and many are offering buyer incentives. Contact us to find out the details.
Apollo Beach is located on the eastern side of Tampa Bay in the SouthShore region of Hillsborough County, Florida. As a location to live and work, it … (0 comments)

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