Archives of real estate blog entries for September 5, 2007

Featured blog posts


Ten Ways REALTORS® Can Give Back - 07:24 PM
There is a saying that, "To whom much is given, much is required."  As a REALTOR® in the Saddleback Valley of Orange County, California, I can honestly say that I have been given much.  It is truly a gift and not a gift that can be taken for granted.  It is my belief that we are given much so that our storehouse will always be full, no matter how much we give away.  One of the great joys of working to help nice people buy and sell their homes, is that I am able to smooth the way and perhaps add … (98 comments)

One Night Only! Jeff Turner LIVE in Las Vegas! - 05:08 PM
Las Vegas, the Entertainment Capital of the World, has a long tradition of major headliners ... Elvis, The Beatles, Wayne Newton, Siegfried and Roy, Celine Dion, Elton John ...
This Thursday, September 6, we add one more to the list. ActiveRain headliner Jeff Turner will be in town speaking at two Keller Williams offices. Jeff graciously agreed to assist me in a presentation about blogging, social networking and online marketing.
With the presentations wrapping up by late afternoon and Jeff's flight not departing until 8:55 PM, we decided to send out the call for a Las Vegas Rainer get-together.
Join us at Black Mountain … (22 comments)

Mr. and Mrs. Consumer....We Have Lots in Common! - 06:54 PM
With all the negative media Realtors have to face on a daily basis, there are occasions I can feel the steam shooting out of my ears!  Between the current market trends to how Realtors and Mortgage people have somehow offended the public.  We as a group seem to be targeted, misunderstood and most of all blamed for things that is just not a fair assessment of our entire Profession.  
 Media....Yuck...Fact or Fiction?  Does it really matter?  It only matters to the people who are willing to listen. 
Media is about selling their stories and not necessarily a true assessment of what is happening in the world.
I tend not to go … (43 comments)

Blogging responsibly is harder than it looks - 11:06 AM
We all have different reasons for blogging, but I think we can agree that getting business from it is the top priority.  When I started blogging last year here in Active Rain, I got something I never expected from this network, camaradery, useful information and friends!
But after months of blogging and not seeing any business coming my way I started thinking that the ROB (return on blogging) was not really there and that's when Paul Chaney invited me to be his apprentice for Project Blogger.  Yes I worked my tail off and yes I started Miamism, my outside blog.  But most … (125 comments)

Kick Up Your Career - Simple Tips! - 12:18 PM

Kick Up Your Career
What a GREAT way to start my morning.  I generally fix lunches, kiss my kids off to school, make my morning coffee, squeeze in a morning workout, and then sit and read, read and read some more.
With all the doom and gloom, I find myself scouring for positive articles - the "you can do it" type that keep me motivated and uplifted.  I don't believe in sticking my head in the sand but when reality is shoved down our throats like a really bad liverwurst sandwich, I turn in the other direction and look for something reaffirming.
I … (59 comments)

Ad Network Update - 07:22 AM
We made more changes to the network this morning.
Layout (which was actually yesterday)We're phasing out the banner style ads and just going with the Title/Picture/Line1/Line2/Link ads.  If you go in  to edit a banner ad you'll be forced to convert to a text/image ad format.We simplified the bank/budget concept.  There's now only one place that has money in it - and it's your bank.  Ad campaigns pull funds from your bank.  You can limit the amount of money pulled from your bank for each campaign if you wish.Added a "spent" stat for each ad_campaign.  This isn't historical but will track how … (14 comments)

Realtors take to the stage to compete....interesting article about the staging industry - 09:04 AM
 I came across this article in bizjournal.com this morning and thought I'd share it.  I don't know about you, but I've seen an increase in Staging Realtors as well as a lot more media attention written on the subject.  One article I've seen said that stagedhomes.com has increased over 100% their realtor training course over the past year. (I'll try and get a link to that).   Hmmm....I'm not worried because I think that there is ALOT of business out there for all of us.  The only thing I'm seeing an increase of with many "stagers" whether they be a "staging … (30 comments)

Your Mortgage Broker Suggested What? - 04:43 AM
Today was a day like any other Monday (or Tuesday after a holiday) in the world of Edmond Real Estate. I spent the majority of it catching up from the weekend and following up with various clients to set a plan for my week, as well as tying up loose ends on my ongoing transactions and tracking down the daily FSBOs and Expireds.
Some time early in the afternoon though, I made a call to a client and friend of mine that's looking into buying a fixer. We had gone out over the weekend and looked at a home that he and his … (49 comments)

The Realities of Real Estate Rookie-Hood - Are you READY? - 07:23 PM
Let's talk about Enthusiasm and the Rookie Real Estate Agent.
Without it, you're toast. You're going to work real hard the next several weeks, months and years. Your emotions and ego are going to take a real beating and you'll have days where you can't believe you volunteered for this crap. But you'll also have days where you're bouncing off the clouds and telling everyone you know how much you love your job.   It's those days that make it all worthwhile. And don't worry, the good days will outnumber the bad, as long as your enthusiasm stays intact.  
But in order to maintain … (47 comments)

I'm a Realtor, NOT Your Mother! - 07:06 PM
I'm a Realtor®, NOT Your Mother!
Disclaimer - this is my rant for the day.  Those of you who have read my blogs in the past probably have already guessed that I am particularly proud of my role as a mother of five children ages 21, 19, 17, 11, and 9.  I consider motherhood my first and absolutely MOST important career.  I can honestly say I have done it very well and my children are exceptional (well, o.k., I suppose I'm biased but I've been told that by others, as well).
My problem?  When I entered this business 7 years ago, I came … (49 comments)

When Words Aren't Enough! - 04:43 AM

On August 6th, Karen George wrote a post  Out of The Rain...for a Little While  about her battle with cancer. A few weeks later she poured out her heart with gratitude in The Beauty Of ActiveRainers.
A week ago, I was excited to see Karen George had posted some new tips on tags, Get High-Up In Google-- New Idea, Lengthy Post, Worth It-- Part 1 of 2   and anxiously waited for part 2. I have learned so much from Karen! She offered a helping hand more than once by sharing her knowledge of Blogging and SEO.
I am in Arizona this week; we have a … (77 comments)

Why Not Just Use Your Active Rain Blog As An On Line Diary? ... ROAR! - 01:29 AM
Over the weekend Sarah Cooper presented all of us with some good food for thought. If you have not read her post please take a moment to do so...I'll wait...
"Your Blog: How Much Should It Be Real Estate Related"...
Done? Okay. Did you read Laurie Manny's comment? I hope so. For those of you who may not know who Laurie is...She is one of Active Rain's Moderators. That being the case, she knows what she's talking about. Her comment on Sarah's post is extremely important. It will not do any of us any good buried in a post the way it … (144 comments)

How to get paid for your consultations every time! - 07:22 PM
I don't know why I have not written about this before...I know it is a big issue, so I thought putting it in print might help anyone that has trouble getting paid for their consultations to get paid. It goes like this:
When a stager gets a call from an agent or homeowner, they already have an idea of who you are and what you do. I don't know anyone that calls me who hasn't been to my web site and these days...read some of my posts in Active Rain.
What they want to know when they call is 'How much … (54 comments)

Question of the Week: What tools keep you organized? - 07:31 PM
All right, here's my new series called "Straight from the Horse's Mouth," where I'm asking for feedback from the best source I know - ActiveRainers!  I can scour this place and find TONS of info about everything from closing gifts to lead generation, but I still have other questions!  I figured I could just ask you, instead of waiting on you to read my mind!  :)So, back to this week's question.  What tools keep you organized?Betsy and I trade "cool tools" all the time.  I think we're both perfectionists in many ways, so we're always looking for new and better ways … (57 comments)


Blog posts


Mr. and Mrs. Consumer....We Have Lots in Common! - 06:54 PM
With all the negative media Realtors have to face on a daily basis, there are occasions I can feel the steam shooting out of my ears!  Between the current market trends to how Realtors and Mortgage people have somehow offended the public.  We as a group seem to be targeted, misunderstood and most of all blamed for things that is just not a fair assessment of our entire Profession.  
 Media....Yuck...Fact or Fiction?  Does it really matter?  It only matters to the people who are willing to listen. 
Media is about selling their stories and not necessarily a true assessment of what is happening in the world.
I tend not to go … (43 comments)

Ad Network Update - 07:22 AM
We made more changes to the network this morning.
Layout (which was actually yesterday)We're phasing out the banner style ads and just going with the Title/Picture/Line1/Line2/Link ads.  If you go in  to edit a banner ad you'll be forced to convert to a text/image ad format.We simplified the bank/budget concept.  There's now only one place that has money in it - and it's your bank.  Ad campaigns pull funds from your bank.  You can limit the amount of money pulled from your bank for each campaign if you wish.Added a "spent" stat for each ad_campaign.  This isn't historical but will track how … (14 comments)

It’s a Girl…It’s a Boy…and Another Girl! - 11:23 AM
It's a Girl...It's a Boy...and Another Girl!  by John Occhi, Hemet REALTOR®   Mission Grove Realty
I have been up since the early hours of the morning assisting my wife deliver a litter of Golden Retriever Puppies. 
                                                                                                This is a picture from the first litter born in January, 2007
That's right, our 3 ½ year Golden Retriever Daffodil delivers her second letter of pups this morning...or should I say is in the process.   5 hours into the process and we have 3 girls and 2 boys with I'm guessing 3 more on the way.
                                                                                                                  Isn't she a good mama?
Toby, the proud father … (27 comments)

Is It Legal To Get High In Graveyard Point? - 05:05 PM
Strange title, right?  OK, so I baited you.  The real question is how can I build if my land is in the new Lake Travis floodplain?  Here is one way I just found today.
This is in Graveyard Point.  Anyone who knows Lake Travis knows that Graveyard Point is one of the first areas to flood when the lake gets over a certain level.  In fact, many Graveyard Point homes are still airing out from our last round of flooding.
Graveyard Point sits pretty low in terms of elevation.  Building on land inside the floodplain has to start with the first level of … (12 comments)

The Dark Side of the Moon - 09:28 AM
It doesn't seem that long ago. Homes were listed and before night fell for the first time on the sign in the yard, offers were submitted. Agents faced with the requirement that offers be shared with the seller in a timely fashion found that if an early offer was ratified (even at full price) subsequent offers would be higher and possibly more attractive to their sellers. The art of "E-Bay" styled bidding was born. Agents would counsel their sellers to set a date and time when offers would be reviewed. This gave the appearence of narrowing the window and certainly increased … (19 comments)

BabyHarris Update 9/5/2007- Allergic to Baby - 09:17 AM
I just wanted to post a brief update since a few people have asked...
Yes, I passed the 3 hour diabetes glucose test.  This required about 16 hours of fasting, which is not good when you have a hungry baby!!  I got very pail and pasty and the people at the lab were concerned and wanted to give me water or food so bad.  I almost passed out... they gave me a patient room with a cot in it and told me to lay down.  So I got a little rest in between blood draws.  They did allow me a little teaser … (13 comments)

Elderly Texas Drivers Must Pass Vision Test - 02:17 PM
Yes, that's right, Texas drivers over the age of 79 must actually go in person to the DMV and renew their license.  With renewing it, they must take and PASS the vision test.
This is all because of Katie's Law.  Katie was hit and killed by an elderly driver who ran a red light and who never should have had a license in the first place.
Within this new law, that took effect on Sept 1, once the driver hits 85 years old, they must renew their license every 2 years... personally, I think it's ridiculous to allow the driver to go from … (2 comments)

Texas Dog Owners Keep a Shorter Leash - 02:32 PM
                                                                                                  
Starting September 1, Texas Dog Owners need to keep their pets on a shorter leash and closer to them.  A new law has passed that makes Dog Owners more responsible for their pets.  I don't know if I quite agree with the harshness of the sentences, but I'm glad something has been done.
If a dog attacks and seriously injures someone, the owner can face up to 10 years in jail.  If the dog attacks and it's fatal, the sentence is 20 years!  Yes, 20 years!!  Make sure you know where your dog is at all times.
What's interesting is that if … (8 comments)

Xtra Education - 08:43 PM
The fall registration for Xtra Education is going on now!  These programs are put on by College Station's Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with College Station Independent School District's.  Whether you want to learn languages, dance, crafts, sports, wine tasting, cooking, art, technology, or more about leasure activities the time to sign up is now! 
Some of the more notable, and fun activities listed are:
"American Cabaret Dance:  Cabaret merges with Egyptian bellydance for multifaceted routines with a flair for the dramatic.  It runs Mondays from Sept 10-Oct 15 from 7:30-8:30 pm and the fee is $60."
"Wedding Ring Quilting:  Make the … (14 comments)

Are you carrying out the Laws of Attraction and you don't even know it? - 04:38 PM
A while back I interviewed Bob Proctor* on my radio show - The Home Team** - which broadcasts every Sunday at 12 Noon Eastern on 540 WFLA.
One of the questions I asked Bob was whether or not there were people out there who carried out the Laws of Attraction and didn't even know it.
You see throughout my life I have been successful at whatever I have chosen to do. I didn't know why, but I always knew I would succeed.
Bob told me and my audience that there were huge numbers of people like me. He said that some of the top … (0 comments)

Another day, another University of Florida study that shows the State's real estate in good shape - 10:13 PM
Yes the University of Florida once again has produced a study that shows the State bucking the trend of the rest of the nation when it comes to real estate.
The study, released today, shows that the new home market has stabilized as a result of persistent demand for homes and a lack of overbuilding.
Overall the study shows that most areas of real estate in Florida are doing ok. This includes Apartments, retail, office, industrial and hospitality which are all remain stable and healthy.
"There's a growing feeling of apprehension or caution, but the results from our survey remind us that the underlying … (2 comments)

Michael Vick & Whoopie Goldberg...Whaaat ?? - 09:10 AM
You may have seen on one of the major news shows a review of Whoopie Goldberg's defense of Michael Vick.  It took place on " The View " where Whoopie is a host.  Seems she felt that because dog fighting is soooo common in the " South " that it shouldn't attract so much attention !   Her remarks  includud a " culture " in the south where this is considered acceptable and Vick should be viewed from that perspective.  Sorry, Whoopie, you and Vick both owe the decent people in the " South "  an apology and more ! … (15 comments)

A Little More on Tagging - 09:04 AM
There's another aspect to tagging your posts that hasn't been discussed in detail yet.  
Tags aggregrate information written by many different authors.  If you are thinking of tags in terms of your own SEO -  your own self promotion - you may not have given this much thought.   But if you are the one doing the "searching-for-information" thing, it is a real benefit.
For example,  if I click "harry potter" in my tag list, I see I have two posts tagged "harry potter".  Then, if I click the link marked "All member posts tagged with "harry potter""
I can see everything everyone has written about … (6 comments)

The Painted House - 03:05 AM
 
The most popular house paint color in the Pacific Northwest is white. At least that is what the guy at Daly's told me. I see a lot of gray too. Why is that? Why not bring a little color, light and sunshine to our homes in rainy Seattle?
BoingBoing.net had a great article called How to paint anything the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge. Todd Lappin wanted to paint his kitchen the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge. After visiting a Sherwin-Williams dealer in San Francisco, he was told that the consumer color called "Fireweed" (color code SW 6328) … (4 comments)

Local Banks vs. Mortgage Brokers - 08:24 AM
Maybe some mortgage professionals could share a bit of info with us?  My question is what is the difference between going directly to your local bank or using a Mortgage Broker?  I'm asking because someone I know is trying to refinance and the Mortgage Broker we have done a lot of business with couldn't seem do anything for her.  This is a Mortgage Broker that use to be able to get anyone a loan.  If there was a loan for someone, she could find it.  So it appeared as if this person wasn't going to be able to re-fi out of her ARM.  … (29 comments)

The claws came out! - 06:38 AM
Well. I knew my last post was going to cause some controversy, and I struggled long and hard before I put it up. 
The reactions were predictably mixed, but after each responder and I, except for the last one, exchanged emails privately, my point was understood by all; no harm, no foul.  
But the response that came in overnight was a direct and a personal attack on me.   By deleting the entire post, I suppose I've let him win.  However, during the time it was online and the emails I exchanged with the seven other members proved to be a positive … (10 comments)

Manhattan Beach Market Report, August '07 (SFR Only) - 07:06 AM
This report was compiled at 0500 (PDT) on Sept. 5, 2007.  As always, please allow me to be clear, these stats are based on Status dates, not List dates.
Averages for August (8/01/07-8/31/07), 2007:
Average Price: $1,895,016 with a low of $760,000 and a high of $4,175,000
Cost Per Sq Ft: $828.59
Days on Market: 62
Total closed units (SFR Only) 31
By comparison, there were 39 closed sales during the same time frame in 2006.  The averages for August '06 are as follows:
Average Price: $1,953,.503 with a low of $869,000 and a high of $4,100,000
Cost Per Sq Ft:  $814.51
Days on Market: 66
In addition to this year's closed sales, there are 111 … (0 comments)

Sort of a Staging Repeat - 08:24 AM
Imagine yourself as the listing agent for a property that's in the name of a trust.  The two trustees, while brothers who love each other dearly, of course, have differing views.
To make it even more interesting, my principle client, one of the trustees, is a retired attorney.
We weren't planning to stage the property initially.  Then, with the help of my Staging Queen, the brothers were convinced it was a good idea.
Now, the latest is "well, we'll stage it after the first 30 days, it may not be necessary."  I immediately told my primary contact about one of the horror shows currently … (0 comments)

You're so vain........or not! - 04:23 PM
OK, this post was inspired by Chris Tesch's post "A Note To My Competition". If you haven't read it take a minute to do so. Her post and the comments got me to thinking. I hate it when that happens!! I'm getting old and too much thinking hurts my head. BUT.....for you guys.....I will suffer.
I'm going to write a little bit about marketing/advertising and how it relates to our specific markets. As most of you know, I have written quite a few posts about the things I do to generate business and the ads that I run. I currently run three … (66 comments)

City of Concord - Police Department requiring alarm permit - 06:59 PM
Just to keep you Concord Residents up on the latest: 
If you live within the City of Concord and have a security alarm system, you will now have to go apply for an alarm permit.  The 'alarm use permit issuance fee' is $38.00, and you must apply in person at the Concord Police Department.  In a letter I received from a local alarm company, it notes that response to an alarm at a property without a valid alarm permit may result in a misdemeanor charge.   
In the Concord Police Department informational brochure, it states that of the 2800 alarm calls Concord PD responds to , 98% are false.  … (0 comments)

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