Archives of real estate blog entries for July 17, 2007

Featured blog posts


Project Blogger -- Weekly Round-Up Week 14 July 9-15 (The final week) - 01:20 PM
… (8 comments)

Common Defects - 01:05 AM
Help your Seller with 10 Common Defects
We all have had those last minute issues pop up just before closing that could cost our seller the sale they so desperately need to make happen.  Why is it that so many homeowners are unfamiliar with some of the most common problems that exist with a home?
Okay, the seller lives in their home day in an out and they don't see the little issues that become bigger problems; they just overlook the simple and obvious issues we see.  So, here's a third party reference you can use to help your seller close the deal.
The 10 … (29 comments)

Project Blogger Weekly Rankings - 01:21 PM
"Teams, lay down your keyboards," It's time to take a break. It's week 14 and contest blogging is done. I'm sure both coaches and apprentices are thankful ;). We're taking audience votes via email please send in your votes now. Voting closes this Friday. Follow the link for instructions. After the results from Week 3 are completed and the audience votes are verified we'll present the winning team at Bloggers Connect.

14 weeks is an incredibly long period of time for a contest of this sort. Our teams have put in an amazing amount of work. Staying in and a part … (237 comments)

True Story..albeit it a little off the subject - 04:24 PM
True Story. I sat next to a one-armed girl in typing class back in the 8th grade who blew everyone away on a WPM basis. I forget the girl's name now although our surnames must have been similar (alphabetical seating, and all), but I do recall that she was the fastest typist in the school. That fact was well broadcasted and she received constant praise from the Faculty of Secretarial Curriculum. (My personal handicap was in the form of mild hallucinogens and I, too, was graded accordingly I suspect.) Thinking back I guess maybe she had two arms but only one … (39 comments)

New Trend In Condo Development Will Soon Appear Around the US - 01:14 AM
Condominium Developers across the country are realizing a new trend for developing the Live-Work type of  units and are seeing a new level of demand for this type of specialty housing.
With more and more Americans wanting to work from home and avoid the hassle of freeways and traffic for at least part of the work week, there is a real need emerging for a new type of hybrid housing from the urban cores outreaching to the more spacious and less dense suburban areas.
This new niche market is gaining in popularity but creates a new challenge in the zoning codes.
There are well … (37 comments)

What Approach Would You Use? Part II - 01:47 AM
I guess that I need to clarify my first question.
Example:  Realistic price of house should be $425,000  (in this market)  It is a distress sale.  Homeowners getting divorced.  To ensure a quick sale, they priced the house at $389,950.00 - and did not have any buyers.  Lowered it to $369,500 and still no buyers.  They need to pay attorney fees and now have reduced to $350,000.00
Next:  Three new listing have come up on the market in the same neighborhood,  NOT distress sales.  THe listing agents have comped out against the distress sale and are now marketing their listings at $339,950.00
Now:  I … (28 comments)

What's all the drama about? - 03:24 AM
While doing my daily MLS research, this morning, I noticed a new listing, that was priced very, very well. In fact it was priced "to good to be true". So I thought I best do a little more investigating on it. Well it turns out the list price was actually nothing more than a teaser. I think it's called "Drama pricing".
This is a one year old 2200 sq ft home that has a true market value of around $235,000. The listing price is $160,000! The REALTOR® only remarks disclose that this is NOT the real price but is being used to "catch … (120 comments)

Would you cancel a listing as the agent? - 02:16 AM
I have a home listed that has some issues to deal with. I've advertised all over the Internet, local papers, set up an 800 number for it, I've spoken with agents from other offices about the house and everything it has to offer. I've basically put in a really good effort on trying to get the word out there. When I signed the listing, the homeowner was great. She wanted to know the fair market value of the home, was agreeable and understood the local market conditions and that we could be on for a while. She in the meanwhile had … (74 comments)

Is Being First ALWAYS Good? - 12:48 AM
So many of you know that I got an EcoBroker Designation a few months ago.  I can't remember when..April I think.  I have been working hard to get acquainted with like minded professionals in the area.  I joined the Local GBC Chapter but have not been to any functions yet.  There have not been any to speak of.  I met a LEED builder in town that I speak to occasionally.  Great guy, builds an amazing home. 
So I get an email last night about a builder using ICF's.  He is in dire need of an appraiser that is educated on the product … (40 comments)

Your New Broker / Company Required WHAT? - 06:41 AM
I recently heard something that was quite a surprise - and NOT a good one.
An Agent was talking about starting with a new company.  Several were checked out and a decision was made.
What shocked me was that the person decided to go with a company that required new hires to pre-pay for their training.
Now- I've heard of a lot of different  splits / pay structures / commissions - but this is a new one to me!
Have any of you ever heard of this?
To me it says: 
that Broker has a horrible time retaining Agents and needs to do anything to keep them … (99 comments)

Active Rain Phone Call Challenge TODAY and TOMORROW! - 03:18 PM
 
It's been a little while since I've been to my dedicated days of Active Rain. So...I figured I would get my feet wet today and spend an entire day in the rain...and...it's time to be creative :)
So, I present to you (drumroll) 
The Active Rain United States Phone Call Challenge!
That's right!
Here's how it will go.....
Call someone up off of Active Rain and chat with them for a few minutes (someone new with an introduction or someone you know if you are shy to begin with.)
Then, post a comment to this blog of who you spoke to and the states represented!
The goal is to … (72 comments)

The Long and Winding Road of Blogging - 02:07 AM
Blogging on Active Rain is definitely a "Long and Winding Road" that can be a positive learning experience if you allow it.  What is blogging?  Blogging is about writing. New and old members can either adhere to the guidelines, principles and values of this community to network together in supporting and working together with their peers or they can completely ignore them and just keep doing their own thing which is of no benefit to anyone.
This is the most bizarre but amazing way of communicating that we all will ever encounter. We can debate, confront, open a discussion, write about anything … (88 comments)


Blog posts


Project Blogger -- Weekly Round-Up Week 14 July 9-15 (The final week) - 01:20 PM
… (8 comments)

Project Blogger Weekly Rankings - 01:21 PM
"Teams, lay down your keyboards," It's time to take a break. It's week 14 and contest blogging is done. I'm sure both coaches and apprentices are thankful ;). We're taking audience votes via email please send in your votes now. Voting closes this Friday. Follow the link for instructions. After the results from Week 3 are completed and the audience votes are verified we'll present the winning team at Bloggers Connect.

14 weeks is an incredibly long period of time for a contest of this sort. Our teams have put in an amazing amount of work. Staying in and a part … (237 comments)

Cute, Fun and Multi-Media'ed - 12:48 AM
I was poking around here on AR when I found Jeff Turner's Active Rain blog about the iPhone (referenced from another question about "is the iPhone all that" here on AR). This led me to notice his Gizmoz.com answering machine and I was intrigued. It's kinda cool!
So I went over to the Gizmoz site and poked around until I created my own version. It's so much fun -- and so easy -- that I thought I'd recommend others go and burn up all that "extra" time we ALL have -- playing with an animated "mini-me" that you can create online. (Fun, … (3 comments)

Just Another Day. . . and Give All the Glory to God - 03:36 AM
Just Another Day. . . and Give All the Glory to God   by John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®   Mission Grove Realty  
Well, the day started like most of them have recently.  Got up, took care of the animals (4 dogs and a Macaw) and then onto my personal hygiene and finally a half hour or so of Bible study and prayer.  My wife is very ill and home on hospice care, so I stay close to home most of the time.  This weekend we had some out of town guests, so I had some flexibility to go out and about and … (25 comments)

Another Scary Moment at a Listing Appt - 02:53 PM
Back in early June, I blogged about a listing appt where I was very embarrassed because I got dizzy and almost passed out.  You won't believe it, but I think BabyHarris did it again!!
She kicked and kicked for a couple of hours straight last night, and I couldn't fall asleep because she was playing soccer or something with my insides.  I had a listing appt this morning that I was very excited about because I had been in touch with these people for over a year, and they were finally ready to meet.
I get there and we start talking about the … (14 comments)

What Can Real Estate Bloggers Learn From Betty Crocker and Oprah? - 06:02 PM
You don’t have to have a household name to ensure that your article will be read from top to bottom.
The internet has created impatient speed readers out of us.Regardless of the value of the content, it seems skimming the article before delving in for details is the approach.Blog reading is different from newspaper reading, book reading, letter reading, and essay reading.  Therefore, blog writing and formatting needs to be different as well.The approach to reading online is more akin to reading magazines and cooking recipes.
A tasty headline.A compelling picture.Clear, accentuated points.Brief enough to follow, detailed enough to enlighten.
Magazines … (15 comments)

Old Town Restaurants - 10:45 PM
… (0 comments)

Members Only, Not - 06:57 AM
In the process of updating MyPhotoGroup, it finally dawned on me that, because I had marked most of my posts Visability: "Members Only",  when someone tries to view them from the links on MyPhotoGroup,  they will get a "Blog Access Denied" error unless they previously logged into Active Rain.
Oh.  OK.   Duh. 
And.  Here I was marking all those tutorial posts "Members Only"...  Figuring I'd written them for the benefit of Active Rain members, so I should mark them "members Only". 
Well, now my job for this evening, is go back and change all my photography and photoshop tutorials to Visability:  "Public".
Look out world, here they come.
 And this really … (7 comments)

Emerson Point Park, Palmetto Florida - 07:04 AM
Emerson Point is a 195-acre park located in Palmetto on Snead Island.  It is located at the end of 17th St W where the Manatee River meets the Gulf of Mexico.
Click here to view a map of where Emerson Point is located at.
I decided to take a drive out there to get some pictures of the area and of the water.  I have been there a few times, but until yesterday, I wasn't even aware of what I had been missing.  Normally when I go, I drive all the way to the end of Emerson Point to the water.  Yesterday, I … (4 comments)

The Best "Thank You" - 03:20 PM
Is always from a satisfied client.  I recently received the following:
Last year (2006) we purchased a home in Rancho Palos Verdes, and had the pleasure of working with John Mayne, who helped us find the exact home we wanted.
In order to facilitate the deal, he listed and sold our home in Palos Verdes Estates.  We were in escrow less than a month after listing with John.
John was professional, but at the same time, it felt as though we were working with a friend.  We never felt any hype or sales pitches with John. Rather, we felt we were working with a pro … (0 comments)

Timely Tips for Buyers - 03:29 PM
As the property market stabilizes, it becomes a good time for property buyers. If you don't have that much money to spend on a house, but you're absolutely convinced that it's the right time for you to move (or if you've found an intriguing investment property) then you need to learn how to make a lowball offer - and get it accepted. Generally, a lowball offer is 10% or more below list price.
First and foremost, learn what types of properties you're looking for in terms of both the house and the seller.
The House
The properties you're interested in have been on the market more … (0 comments)

Haves & Needs! - 03:57 PM
It's no secret, I love what I do.  And for good reason!  I work in a beuatiful area, I get to meet great people on a daily basis, and, when I'm extremely fortunate, I'm selected to represent them, and guide them through the selling or home purchasing process.  It seems as of late, I've been primarily working with buyersy, but have had significant listings, and I'm working on a new one right now... anyone interested in the West High area of Torrance?  Also, I have a vacant lot in Rolling Hills Estates - seller is motivated! 
To give an example of some of … (0 comments)

Attention South Bay Home Buyers - 04:21 PM
Okay, you've saved and saved, you now feel comfortable with the amount you have tucked away for a down payment.  You've visted some open house, shopped online, perhaps have spoken with an agent or two.  You've done your homework, no pun inteded, and you're now ready to begin investigating financing options, as well as jumping into the market, full steam ahead.  Wise decision!  With the recent activity in the bond and stock market, the still record low interest rates may be headed in an unfriendly direction in the not too distant future.
Are you receiving listings in your email yet?  If not, … (0 comments)

Profit Occurs When Preparation & Experience Meet Opportunity - 08:12 PM
 
… (0 comments)

What's all the drama about? - 03:24 AM
While doing my daily MLS research, this morning, I noticed a new listing, that was priced very, very well. In fact it was priced "to good to be true". So I thought I best do a little more investigating on it. Well it turns out the list price was actually nothing more than a teaser. I think it's called "Drama pricing".
This is a one year old 2200 sq ft home that has a true market value of around $235,000. The listing price is $160,000! The REALTOR® only remarks disclose that this is NOT the real price but is being used to "catch … (120 comments)

ActiveRain is like being back in High School.....rebutal! - 03:57 PM
If it makes you feel any better, I didn't finish High School. That's right folks. I was "uneducated". I was poor. I've been on my own since I was 16. I EARNED every bit of my success by fighting and clawing my way through life. BUT that's not what this post is about. I added this at the last second because I felt it pouring out of me. I guess anytime my success is contributed to being "popular" or "lucky" it just hits a nerve with me. Anyway.....here's my post for today.  
OK folks, here's something I don't do that often, a blog post … (101 comments)

How would you like this listing? A horse and 7 dogs IN the house! - 09:51 PM
Reported in my local paper today online http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_6397173 there is as story reported by Associated Press about a home in Modesto California (about an hour from me)...
The story is entitled:  Pair with horse, 7 dogs in home arrested
Yes, these people had a horse! and 7 dogs in their home.  They arrested the couple for endangering their 12 year old who had to sleep in a tent to escape the flies.  The feces and rotted produce littered the home.  You couldn't step anywhere in the house without stepping in.... well you know what....
An Animal Control Officer is quoted:
"There was nothing … (13 comments)

6406 Prospect St - Home for Sale in Fredericksburg VA - 01:14 PM
… (2 comments)

Finding your Maximum House Price - 02:28 PM
When someone decides to buy a house, one of the first tasks is to talk to a lender and determine the maximum loan they can get. The max loan will determine the cap on real estate prices for that the buyer. There’s lots of calculators out there that will help determine this.
But what if you want to have a certain payment per month and you want to know what the max house price would be for that payment? For example, you are renting at $800 per month right now, and you could deal with a couple hundred more per … (3 comments)

Denver Welcomes Sellsius... - 05:11 PM

 
Tomorrow is the big day...we welcome the famous Joseph Ferrara and Rudy Bachraty the road touring bloggers from NYC to Denver.
If you made a reservation be there, if you didn't sorry reservations are closed.  ;(
Stay tuned...tomorrow we shall be reporting back with pictures..Todd Carpenter, Vali Wimberly, Jennifer Steck, James Eberhard, Jim Urban, Stephen Joos, Jessica Hughes, Dena L. Stevens, Mariana Wagner, Joanne Hanson, Crissy Harrison, Jason Adams, Christian Sterner, Adam Ciboch, Lonetta Parsons, Phil Leto, Meredith Hanson, Ken Schroeppel, Steve & Laura Scheer, Jay Hicks, Veronica Harbert, Justin Smith, Beth Skinner, Greg Polashock,  Doug Lindstrom, Rob Blake, and me Kristal Kraft.
The … (9 comments)

Related links

New Members for 2007-07-17

 Archives:

31 Jul
30 Jul
29 Jul
28 Jul
27 Jul
26 Jul
25 Jul
24 Jul
23 Jul
22 Jul
21 Jul
20 Jul
19 Jul
18 Jul
17 Jul
16 Jul
15 Jul
14 Jul
13 Jul
12 Jul
11 Jul
10 Jul
9 Jul
8 Jul
7 Jul
6 Jul
5 Jul
4 Jul
3 Jul
2 Jul
1 Jul
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006