Archives of real estate blog entries for September 21, 2007

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Why You Should Purchase Your Next Home In Elk Grove, CA... - 04:42 PM
David,
Let me start off by congratulating you on your honorable discharge.  As a Marine, I know how you feel about getting out and looking for your first home outside of military housing.  It can be intimidating.  Believe me, I felt the same way when my wife and I bought our first home.  But what I found was due to the current market, you are in a much better position to utilize your VA benefits than I was.  When we purchased our home, we had a difficult time finding a seller to cooperate with the VA terms so we ended up with … (15 comments)

Why You Should Purchase Your Next Home in Arlington, Virginia - 04:44 PM
This is a contest entry to the The Active Rain Buyer Challenge Dear Ms. Hilton,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your potential move to Arlington, Virginia.  I appreciate you selecting me as your Realtor of choice for your move to our region.  Before outlining for you the specific homes that I feel should be on your celebrity hot list, I would like to give you a brief overview of our area.
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce has created an informative video that can serve as a basic introduction to the county. 
Arlington is a wonderfully diverse community just across … (64 comments)

Blogger Startup Kit - 06:27 AM
When you first heard the word "Blog" you were probably just like the rest of us.  Not sure, confused, and maybe even uncomfortable with the whole idea and concept.  My guess is that you still are if you've opened this post and you're still reading it. 
Here is a Starter Kit with everything you need to know, for your Blogging and Blogosphere survival.  If you are new to Blogging (less than 3 months or so) this is the post for you.  Here is the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Blogging, which is the newest and most exciting way … (190 comments)

Why you should purchase your next home in Hampstead New Hamsphire - 04:57 PM
This is a contest entry to the Active Rain Buyer Challenge:
copyright Monika McGillicuddy 2007
Hello Michelle and Tom,
Thank you so much for contacting me and most importantly Welcome to New Hampshire.
I think once you see what we have to offer, you'll fall in love with New Hampshire and Hampstead in particular. I hope that I can help you "see and feel" a little of what I see and feel about Hampstead.
I've included in this e-mail some links to articles that I have written about Hampstead and the surrounding areas, a short video and 2 virtual tours of the town. One … (65 comments)

Why You Should Buy A home In Grand Rapids, Michigan. - 04:38 PM
 
This post is a contest entry to the The Active Rain Buyer Challenge
September 11, 2007
Dear Joe & Angie,
Thank you for contacting me earlier today.  I enjoyed talking with you and exploring the possibility of a permanent move to the Grand Rapids, Michigan area in the near future.  Grand Rapids, Michigan is on the leading edge of some exciting developments that are taking place in West Michigan.  Recently Grand Rapids  was dubbed one of the "most affordable places to live" in the nation!  It's a wonderful place to purchase a home for retirement because you get a lot of value for your investment in … (31 comments)

ActiveRain Buyer's Challenge Winners! - 11:47 PM
 
It has been an exciting two weeks with this contest....    We had to extend the deadline, one of the judges had to drop out because of a conflict and that left all the pressures on Ann Cummings and Brad Andersohn.   I had a sudden rush of phone conference calls and activity that I didn't expect so managing the contest I failed in my role.  And for those that participated, I apologize.  
As for the contest, I have to admit that this was by far the best set of entries into a contest to date at ActiveRain.   This is what you should be writing!   … (48 comments)

ActiveRain - Revision of Stance? - You tell us - 11:05 AM
Our members have always been the heart of ActiveRain. As one member so eloquently put it to me on the phone yesterday, without our members, AR is just a template. We depend on our members to provide content. We know that not everyone out there is a Shakespeare or a Twain or an F. Scott Fitzgerald, or a Bob Stewart............(ok, maybe that last one doesn't fit the bill).
Still, we hope our members aspire to make the content they provide quality and original.
Until now, it has been ActiveRain's stance to allow members to publish content to their blog that the member … (113 comments)


Blog posts


Pretty huge/awesome/amazing at least to me - 01:45 AM
Warning this is a very geeky centric post, and was written way past my bedtime. This means that this post is not only not relevant, but also likely won't make any sense when I reread it tomorrow morning.  
Google just launched a social bookmarking tool called Shared Stuff. Using Shared Stuff could not be simpler and just involves dragging the "email/share" button into your browsers bookmark toolbar.  From start to finish it took me like 5 seconds.
I already share my favorite (non AR) blog posts from my google reader (rss feed here, or view it as a blog here), … (19 comments)

Re-inventing downtown's Second Avenue - 08:11 PM
Downtown Seattle’s 2nd Avenue has been receiving quite a bit of attention lately with several condominium, apartment and office towers under construction or planned. The most notable of these include the 1521 Condominium, 1 Hotel & Residences, 2nd & Pike (hotel & condo) and the Liberty Building (office & apartment) developments.

Now, add three more potential projects to the list. On the horizon are 1915 2nd, 1931 2nd and 2015 2nd.
The 1915 2nd project is a 24-story 171-unit condominium being developed by Intracorp.The 1931 2nd proposal is a 40-story hotel and residential tower with 135 hotel rooms and 182 residential … (1 comments)

City to consider condo conversion fine - 08:12 PM
While the State seems unable to agree on a conversion bill, the Seattle City Council is taking baby steps to assist low-income tenants. Earlier this week, the council’s Housing, Human Services and Health Committee moved forward Bill 116022 that would fine developers $100 per unit per day if they fail to provide notice to low-income tenants that they are entitled to a $500 relocation assistance payment.
Seattle has seen a proliferation of condo conversions the past few years. Since 2004, approximately 3% of the city’s apartment inventory has been converted.
… (0 comments)

Great Tool for Learning about the Tucson Community - 05:17 PM
Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to let you know I've  got a great little tool on my website called the Neighborhood Locator, and it allows you to learn about the different areas of Tucson by rolling your mouse over a city map. In each area I've got a description of Tucson attractions, a slide show of the area and home search links to popular neighborhoods in each area. So far my out of state clients have found it really useful in learning about the Tucson and it's surrounding communities. Check it out at my site at www.valoriebradley.com  . If you've got any feedback … (0 comments)

Tucson Traffic in the Headlines - 05:42 PM
The Arizona Daily Star recently reported that Tucson traffic congestion is growing incredibly fast compared to other urban cities of similar size. I will agree that it's increased, but the difference is not that noticeable to me. Living in Tucson for over 15 years has taught me that Tucson traffic comes in cycles. Summertime is slow,  when university students head home on break and snowbirds head home to avoid the extreme heat. During the Fall, Winter and early Spring months the traffic picks up as students are back in school and seasonal residents have moved back for the great weather. In … (0 comments)

A note to our Jewish agents and friends on this eve of Yum Kippur - 03:50 PM
May you have an easy fast. … (5 comments)

It is a new day .... and has been for the last ten years - 06:44 PM
The National Association of Realtors is facing a quandry. They are the main link for multiple listing services across the country. An agent must join their local association in order to have access to the multiple listing service. The listings are owned by the brokers that have an agreement with the sellers. It used to be that this information was found in large binders in real estate offices. The internet age has changed that and now most multiple listing services offer online search capabilities.
This was a good thing.........for awhile.
Of course, it used to be that each town had a locally owned … (12 comments)

Looking for work? Florida continues to lead the way - 10:49 AM
The following from the State of Florida today: Based on the latest nationwide data, Florida had the lowest unemployment rate of the ten most populous states and continued to be below the national average. The comparable national unemployment rate for August was 4.6 percent. Out of the civilian labor force of 9,225,000, there were 370,000 jobless Floridian's.
These are the Florida figures that were part of the national release three weeks ago. Florida is actually one of the first States in the nation each month to make public the State's figures.
The future continues to be bright for Florida as people continue to … (0 comments)

Are you joking? You MUST read this! - 11:55 AM
Well this one is a bit difficult to take and hence the headline!
It would seem that Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would like to institute what amounts to a "carbon tax" by eliminating the mortgage interest deduction for owners of homes larger than 3,000 square feet. This will effect same 10.4 MILLION single family homes in the country. 
The problem is that this kind of garbage has a way of dinging itself inserted into other bills. "Oh yes of course I support funding our troops - let's just put this tiny amendment into the bill." … (4 comments)

IRS Tax Refund Owed To You? - 09:09 AM
Have you received an e-mail from our friends at the IRS telling you they owe you a tax refund?  You might find that is it is a fake as well as a scam to obtain your personal information.  I have posted on Naples Florida Real Estate Blog detailed information about this particular e-mail and how to find out if another e-mail might be some type of scam!
… (2 comments)

Jewish Community Begins Yom Kippur Holiday at Sunset - 11:32 AM
At sunset this evening, members of the Jewish faith begin their observance of Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) until sunset tomorrow (September 22nd).  Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish religion.  You can read more about the holiday and its observance on the Naples Florida real estate blog. … (0 comments)

Dress Your Real Estate Blog for Success! - 09:59 PM
   Real Estate Professionals often find building their Real Estate BLOG as an overwhelming process; there are so many posts to be written, where does one start?   
If you look at some established Real Estate BLOGs you will find similarities. Today we are going to discuss your Real Estate BLOG as if you were building your fashion wardrobe.   
Ladies, (I know that at this point we have lost all the men) you are probably thinking "has Colleen gone over the deep end?" but let us talk about this for a moment.   Surprisingly, there are a lot of similarities between a … (16 comments)

ActiveRain Buyer's Challenge Winners! - 11:47 PM
 
It has been an exciting two weeks with this contest....    We had to extend the deadline, one of the judges had to drop out because of a conflict and that left all the pressures on Ann Cummings and Brad Andersohn.   I had a sudden rush of phone conference calls and activity that I didn't expect so managing the contest I failed in my role.  And for those that participated, I apologize.  
As for the contest, I have to admit that this was by far the best set of entries into a contest to date at ActiveRain.   This is what you should be writing!   … (48 comments)

Turn Right Where The Horse Is Standing In The Pasture - 11:01 AM
Country directions - aren't they fascinating?  As a real estate agent specializing in horse property, they can be a real challenge sometimes, but they're always entertaining.
Nothing so boring as "Take a right on Maple Street.  Go left at the stop light at Elm, go three blocks, then take another left on Williams Drive, and it's the last house on the right."
The title of this blog was taken from actual directions given to a party held out in the country.  Thing was, they were good directions - that horse COULD be depended on to be standing in that corner of the … (4 comments)

What I love about Coconut Creek from a Real Estate perspective - 09:09 AM
 
I have now proudly served the Coconut Creek community for almost 4 years now, & I can truly say Coconut Creek is a city that really has a sound foundation of a great city.
Coconut Creek has something for every type of home buyer searching for a home. Starting with terrific values in the Township which comprises of 1 bedroom 1 bath condos (not very many mainly in Olivine condo conversion & centerpoint) 2 bedroom 2 bath condo & 3 bedroom 2 bath condos. Township also features townhomes, villas as well a few Estate Single Family homes. The township remains as one … (0 comments)

Flat Fee Multiple Listing Package for Sellers Broward & Palm Beach County Florida - 10:02 AM
… (0 comments)

How Well Do You Play In The Real Estate Sandbox? - 02:42 PM
How well do get along with others?  Are you a part of the solution or a part of the problem?
A question posed of me recently was how I will work the not being able to drive and still be a REALTOR.  A very good  question that has made me put some thought into it all. I love what I do and I want to continue to do it. . .
My answer. . .  Team up with two people in my office that have talents I'm not as developed in and we all work together to make real estate a better … (16 comments)

Homes For Sale Fredericksburg Virginia - 09:57 AM
Homes for sale in Fredericksburg Virginia continue to stay on the market for longer and longer.  However, that is not the crux of today's blog.
It appeared from my perspective that townhomes stay on the market for longer periods than detached homes in the same price range.  Not being totally convinced that my visceral feeling could be supported statistically, I went into our MLS system to see what the system would reveal.  I am going to conduct a similar study of homes for sale in Stafford County and homes for sale in Spotsylvania County.
Ever feel like a complete dullard?  Well avid readers, … (0 comments)

From the Tennessee Association of Realtors annual convention - 02:28 PM
This week I'm down in so far sunny, Destin, Florida attending the annual Tennessee Association of Realtors (TAR) convention.
My wife and one of her friends came along and we decided to make a week of it. It's sort of off season in Destin right now with the summer crowds mostly gone so the beautiful beaches are fairly uncrowded but the weather and water is still warm.
Destin is known for it's spectacular, snow white sandy beaches and azure blue, Gulf of Mexico waters and I'm happy to report they're still the same as they were 40 something years ago when I … (3 comments)

Realty Reality - Blog Posts - Highlights - August 2007 - 11:34 PM
Here are some of the Realty Reality blog articles that appeared during the month of August:  Flippers Fuel Foreclosures Real estate speculators drove prices up in some of the hottest markets during the boom. Now they're making foreclosures jump... Foreclosure Investing For Dummies"Foreclosure Investing For Dummies", by Ralph R. Roberts with Joe Kraynak, authors of "Flipping Houses For Dummies", bills itself as "A Reference for the Rest of Us!" providing step-by-step instructions on how to make smart, informed investments in floreclosures, including buy and sell foreclosure, preforeclosure and bank-owned properties... Foreclosure Fallout: Rescue Scams Scammers are taking advantage of mortgage holders at their most … (0 comments)

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