Archives of real estate blog entries for September 16, 2007

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Wrapping Text Around Your Photos - 02:09 AM
This morning I finally posted a new profile photo, reflecting my 65 pound weight loss, and also posted a new team photo in the profile. Ron Gillis e-mailed me asking how I got the text to line up beside the photo. I know it's been covered before, but here it is again  (putting it in the profile is exactly the same method as doing it in a post):
Wherever you want to insert the picture, click on the tree icon   in the gray header line at the top of the text box.  You'll get a popup box with two tabs at the … (86 comments)

Are some of our fellow agents violating our Code of Ethics? - 02:10 PM
Daily real estate agents are seeking to discover new techniques in advertising their business which will hopefully provide them the advantage in today's tough market.  The question here to consider is...Are some agents possibly violating the Code of Ethics by promoting their listing in a specific manner?
Case and point, here in the state of California we are experiencing many Short Sales, and what I am seeing right now is this:  Agents are inserting their listing(s) into the MLS, Multiple Listing Service, at a much lower price then what the Seller, which in this case is actually the lender, will accept in … (76 comments)

So you think it is a good deal? - 10:08 PM
I have been looking for a home to purchase for my wife and myself.  This have given me an opportunity to preview many homes that I would not have normally seen.  It has also given me the opportunity to see what values are available in a price range.
It is very interesting that some castles are really made of cards while others are really brick and motar.  One of the homes I was considering had a very nice feeling as you walked in the foyer.  It looked OK from a curb appeal standpoint but nothing exceptional.
As you walked through homes and inspected … (37 comments)

Social Media Marketing: Understanding the Online Lead Generation Market - 01:43 PM
Here is another article that I clipped from my writing this week over at RISmedia.com, last week at the RISMedia Leadership Conference the topic of lead generation was on the top three list. As the market shifts around more and more with the financial side of the industry, I predict there will be a trend in "explosive lead generation" companies as they scramble for leads to resell back into the industry... and find that they discover that the very nature of the lead market is being forced through a major shift.  
By Barry Hurd - RISMEDIA, Sept. 17, 2007-There are several … (39 comments)

A Couple More Reasons Why FREE Stuff Will Make You Smarter & Richer! - 02:37 AM
 
When Laurie Manny's Challenge through Colleen Kulikowski sent Active Rain Bloggers out to explore the worldwide blogosphere, the assignment opened up another view of the horizon for me. As a follow-up, I recently visited a site called International Listings which specializes in Luxury real estate.  Although the site seems fairly new from the Archives, there were a couple of posts that make a visit definitely worthwhile. Here they are:
Top 100 Real Estate BlogsThis is absolutely a great resource when you just can't seem to find anything to comment on!  No, seriously, this list of bloggers is A+ and features several bloggers from Active Rain. 
To mention a few notables … (63 comments)

"Localism Week in Review!" Week ending 09/14/07 - 08:44 AM
 
 About Mortgages-Perpetually Poor Or Willingly Wealthy-It -  World Wide Credit Corporation San Diego, CA, Brian Brady- "The willing wealthy understand that the pitfalls of the Great Depression can be avoided and"....
Blogging -Ontario Yours to Discover - Jo-Anne Smith,B.Sc., Belleville/Quinte REALTOR® Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage Belleville, ON- "Today I started a new AR group called 'Ontario Real Estate and Information' and anyone who writes anything".....
Insurance -Insurance Rates Bonita Springs Florida- Chris Elizabeth Griffith , Bonita Springs Florida Real Estate  Keller Williams Elite Realty, Bonita Springs, FL "Because many Florida homeowners are finding it difficult and frustrating to compare the cost of homeowners … (37 comments)

Whoopdedoo, the Week in Review 9/9/07 - 9/16/07 - 07:32 PM
Hello all ActiveRain members...This is The Real Deal and I decided this time I would write the intro for this week's guest writer. Thanks for adding this introduction to the post.
I would just like to thank this weeks guest writer of our Week in Review and fellow RE/MAX agent... Jeff Dowler. Jeff has been on ActiveRain for quite some time and he mostly writes to Localism and he is pretty good at that. But this time I thought I would ask him to see if he can pick the best 15 ActiveRain posts for this week. OK Jeff..are you up to the task? I … (78 comments)

CONTEST RESULTS (Because Of Active Rain I...) - 09:28 AM
Thank you all for your entries into this contest.  It's clear that a lot of thought went into these entries and all of them deserve recognition.  I hope that you enjoyed creating these as much as I enjoyed reading them. 
A special thank you to Sarah Cooper for inspiring the contest idea and for Sally "WooHoo" Cheeseman for all of her help without which, none of this would have been possible.  Thank you both for helping me judge this contest (my first of many more to come).
This was truly an agonizing decision for the judges, as 12 entries got at least … (55 comments)

Because of Active Rain I Have Found 47,148 Kindred Spirits - 09:30 AM
When I started thinking about this contest, I had a few flashes of brilliance, then I settled on the above title.  As of this writing, that is the number of members here at Active Rain, according to the running tab at the top right part of the screen.  This community is growing very quickly these days.  It is probably a little bit extreme to say that everyone here is just like me, so clearly I was using a clever bit of hyperbole to make you read this post.  Believe me, I had some others that would have probably increased my comments even … (66 comments)

Because of Active Rain, I'm Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad, I'm Nationwide - 09:31 AM
Since Adam Waldman posted this contest for Active Rain Addicts on August 28th, I’ve spent every waking moment thinking about my entry (I guess I’m a true addict).  Despite that, I’ve somehow managed to close on 3 homes for my clients, enjoy Labor Day weekend, eat a few meals, and write a couple of my own non-contest related blog posts.  Meanwhile, I’ve been obsessed with coming up with a good idea for this contest. I know that Adam is a fanatic regarding song lyrics, so I’m hoping for some bonus points there.  I don’t know about Sarah and Sally’s musical inclinations, … (94 comments)

Because of Active Rain ....I'm Turning Into the 'White Queen'. - 09:31 AM
 Adam Waldman is hosting a contest called 'Because of Active Rain....' at his Active Rain Addicts group...this is my entry and it was great fun to write.
I look forward to reading all of the other entries !
------------------------------------------------------ Because of Active Rain, I have been spending my spare time on beautiful sunny days locked away in my home office cave writing stories about ghosts and clutter and forever friends and a thing called 'memes'. I spend my hours driving or walking around the area in which I live with notebook and camera in hand looking for the next big story. I take … (116 comments)


Blog posts


"Localism Week in Review!" Week ending 09/14/07 - 08:44 AM
 
 About Mortgages-Perpetually Poor Or Willingly Wealthy-It -  World Wide Credit Corporation San Diego, CA, Brian Brady- "The willing wealthy understand that the pitfalls of the Great Depression can be avoided and"....
Blogging -Ontario Yours to Discover - Jo-Anne Smith,B.Sc., Belleville/Quinte REALTOR® Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage Belleville, ON- "Today I started a new AR group called 'Ontario Real Estate and Information' and anyone who writes anything".....
Insurance -Insurance Rates Bonita Springs Florida- Chris Elizabeth Griffith , Bonita Springs Florida Real Estate  Keller Williams Elite Realty, Bonita Springs, FL "Because many Florida homeowners are finding it difficult and frustrating to compare the cost of homeowners … (37 comments)

NAR Needs Your Help With Congress - 09:37 AM
NAR Needs Your Help With Congress:  The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) sent out an email alert to its members asking for help with pressing business now before the United States Congress.
                                                      I was made aware of this call to action from another blog article, written by Chris Elizabeth Griffith.  I thought the message was important enough to rehash here and call for even more REALTORS® to realize that their one voice is important and our collective voice is a voice that is to be heard and reckoned with.
NAR would like all of its REALTOR® members to contact their respective … (7 comments)

Determine Property Taxes Before Purchase - 12:34 AM
What will be the amount of the annual property tax? - is among the first questions frequently asked by many potential property Buyers.
This article discusses the technique for gathering information regarding tax rates and the method of calculating the property tax that will be assessed the buyer of a property.
It is assumed that the property is located in California and that the transaction does not involve a Proposition 13 transfer of assessed tax base. Although the following example is for a property located in Orange County, the same techniques would apply for any California county. Each county has its own … (1 comments)

ATTN: Escrow Officers in Arizona--Help your real estate agents build their business!!!! - 12:35 AM
Currently Creative Agent Solutions is sponsoring Business Building Workshops for real estate professionals.
Topics covered include...
What is a real estate Real Estate Virtual Assistant? How to find and work with a REVAOnline Listing MarketingTransaction CoordinationBloggingWhere are these workshops held?  Glad you asked...  In your title office!! 
Agents will learn how to leverage time, increase listing exposure, switch to paperless transactions, and get the help they need!!!! 
What better way to keep your agents close and show you care about them and their successfulness!!!!  The workshops are free but you are encouraged to provide breakfast or lunch.
For more information about our Real Estate Assistant Services call … (1 comments)

Effortlessly Drive Traffic To Your Blog--BLOG RUSH - 02:43 AM
Blog Rush is a way to drive extra traffic to your blog.  It displays other blogs related to your site in a widget and when people click on your widget your blog then posts to someone else's site.  It also tracks your credits and referrals. Click here to try Blog Rush--It's FREE … (4 comments)

This week's radio show - 08:02 AM
My radio show will air today at 12 noon Eastern on 540 WFLA in Central Florida. You can always pick it up on line at www.540wfla.com
This week I will be talking about THREE listings that each come with a brand new Mercedes 300 Sports Sedan. The car can go to the new owners or the agent.
I will also be discussing Florida's latest "Special Session" - this time to fix the budget and asking "are these in violation of our Sunshine Laws?"
We will obviously be talking about the latest finance industry problems, not least of which will be Countrywide facing a … (3 comments)

Expired, Your House Didn’t Sell - 10:00 PM
                                                                                   How to Sell a House that Didn't Sell
If your home has just come off the market and hasn't sold, don't be discouraged. The reason your home did not sell may have nothing to do with your home or the market. In reality, your home may have been one of the more desirable properties for sale.
Don't risk making the wrong choice and losing both time and money on your investment. Before you hire a Realtor, know the right questions to ask to save you time and money.
Visit my website to for your FREE special report "How to Sell a House … (0 comments)

Friend or Foe - 10:06 PM
Do you view your fellow REALTORS as competition or the enemy? Or do you look at them as possible employees working for you? I wanted to put this out there to see how you view other real estate agents.
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: DanielLowery.comWhen Service Matters Call Dan!
… (2 comments)

Seattle Needs To Watch Its Back... - 06:21 PM
We have been so fortunate, even blessed perhaps, to be in a market that continues to defy the downward trend seen by at least five other major states, and many more cities. Seattle is not only a great place to live, it's been a residential real estate bonanza. However, I personally believe many sellers, especially from the FSBO market, are way off the mark with asking prices right now.
 My analysis of most metro Seattle neighborhoods show prices are too frothy. The warning signals are becoming clear. This is a time to be reasonable with profit taking and not to gloat or … (2 comments)

The Juice isn't loose - 10:33 PM
It seems that Karma has caught up to Mr. Simpson. I was watching the Emmys show tonight and during a set of commercials there was a brief news blurb. OJ was arrested for the alleged robbery of a sports memorabilia agent this past Thursday at the Station Hotel and Casino.
Perhaps the families may receive some roundabout justice. -Charles
Related post:
OJ in Vegas
… (6 comments)

Anyone Using FeedBlitz? Any Feedback on FeedBlitz? - 06:21 AM
We have maintained an email subscription "hotsheet" since about 1996, to announce new listings, price reductions, etc.   There are a few hundred people on the subcriber list.
We also have a "hotsheet" blog http://www.taylorhotsheet.com for the same purpose.
I've been thinking of of using FeedBlitz to automate the process.  If I understand correctly FeedBlitz will turn each new blog post into an automatic email sent to the subscriber list. 
Yes, we could tell people just to subcribe to the RSS feed.  But I think, out there in the real world <s>, most ordinary folks are more comfortable and familiar with email.
Anyone else out there using … (16 comments)

Hooray I've Hit Anoter Milestone - 12:56 PM
I just went over the 70,000 mark, wow how quickly that happened.  It sure adds up when you do your comments and posts every week.  Before I know it I will be at the 100,000 mark.  I want to thank everyone who helped me along the way when I had questions.  This is the best community out there as far as I am concerned, everyone is just so helpful. … (4 comments)

Austin City Limits (ACL) Festival 2007 in Blogs - 11:04 AM
The 2007 Austin City Limits Festival is this weekend and is in full swing right now.  There was a dramatic moment when the explosion of a couple of propane tanks set an RV (and many surrounding items) on fire, injuring 4 people, two critically enough to be sent to the Burn Center in San Antonio.  But the music never stopped.
Blogs being what they are, of course, people are blogging about the Festival even as it's going on.  Here's an assortment of views of this year's event, as well as some news reports about the event.  Many have photos.
So, for those … (5 comments)

"I say, Holmes, (or Homes), what's that you found?" - 02:07 AM
Well, my dear Watson, a great home inspector!
Look, if the Department of Real Estate views the topic as serious enough to require a separate disclosure, as they have for several years now, (Buyer's Inspection Advisory form BIA-A - page 9 and 10 of th CA RPA), having a great home inspection company as part of your team is essential.
Before I go any further, I should point out there are liability issues here, so be sure to convey to your clients that the company they choose to inspect their new home is just that: THEIR choice.
Once that's done, there's no harm, no … (1 comments)

Best Time for an Open House? - 04:47 AM
So obviously the best days or Saturdays and Sundays. If anyone has had good luck on one of the weekdays please tell us about it. Personally I find Sundays to be a bit overrated. While Sundays are probably overall better than Saturdays I usually only see a 20% difference on Saturdays.
For times I usually see a good number of people from about 12-1 and I also see a good number of people from 3-4. And I usually find a lull in the middle. But some of this might be an aspect of the Austin real estate market and the … (7 comments)

Feng Shui in Real Estate - The Location and Lot - 01:02 PM
What do you know about Feng Shui? If you’re like most people, you probably are not even sure if I spelled it right just now. Maybe you picture an old man doing the world’s slowest kung fu at dawn (that’s Tai Chi, totally different.) Feng shui is a sorta guidebook about the placement and architecture of a house to allow good flow of energy. And it's not just placement of the bed and couch. The placement of the actual house and landscaping will affect the ch’i (energy) of the house in a big way. Let's start with a few tips to … (1 comments)

It's Mid-September, Time to Order Holiday Mailings. Here's What I Send, How About You? - 08:51 AM
It's time to get organized for The Holidays. I know it's early, but if you order in September it's a lot cheaper and a lot less stressful than if you order in, say, the first week of November.What do you send to your best clients each December?I send out CDs. Actually I have two different CDs I send out, depending on what I think the clients would prefer. Most receive holiday music and a smaller group gets symphonic music (if I don't think they celebrate Christmas). These are always appreciated and saved.The source I've been using is The CD Guys. You … (13 comments)

Open House "Incident" in 2 places 25 min apart, same "buyer" - beware! - 10:42 PM
This last weekend, an agent from Intero of San Carlos and I (Intero in Los Gatos, about a half hour apart) each had an incident with the same "buyer" at our open houses - one in Saratoga (mine) and one in Redwood City (his).  This guy told each of us on the same day, a good 30 minutes apart, that he was going to write an offer on our listings but did not show to the appointments (or cancel). I am hoping this did not happen to any of you, and that it won't happen again next weekend. I wanted to warn you about … (7 comments)

Winning Salespeople In Real Estate - 02:08 PM
One of my business heros Tom Peters once said "Winning Salespeople Are Routinely Ahead Of Schedule".  This statement is true when it comes to real estate.  Winning real estate agents dig deep when the market changes. Top agents monitor everything they do, they track everything their teams do and they are always looking for a better way to help buyers buy and help sellers sell their homes.  What are you doing to remain ahead of schedule with your business and your personal goals during the changing market? 
… (15 comments)

Taunton Real Estate Market Report- Massachusetts - 11:11 AM
Taunton MLS Single Family Report
Total Single Family Homes in Taunton MLS Listings  a on The Market- 292 
Single Family Taunton Inventory is down since April by 10%.
Sold Single Family homes  Taunton MA in the past month
Under Agreement- 21
Sold- 29
It takes an average of 169 Days to sell  a single family home in Taunton MA
Taunton MA MLS Multi-Family Report:
Currently 115 Multi family properties in Taunton MA on the market
Under Agreement 3
Sold 5
Average Days on Market 133 in Taunton  Real Estate in Masachusetts
According to the National Association of Realtors, expect continued sale prices to continue downward at least until the end of the year. It is … (0 comments)

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