Archives of real estate blog entries for January 13, 2008

Featured blog posts


So, You're Going on a Listing Appointment? How to Win Almost Every Time - 03:35 PM
 
Over the years, I have gone on hundreds of listing appointments.  These days, it seems as though I am competing less and less often, since they probably found me through a friend of mine or a past client.  When I do compete, I haven't really kept track of the percentage of times that I win the listing, but I would estimate that about 9 out of every 10 choose me.  No, I am not exaggerating.
Why have I had such a strong track record with listing appointments?  Hey, I'm glad you asked.  You did ask, right?  Well, either way, you … (162 comments)

Industry Award Winners Announced - 10:02 PM
I am very proud to announce the winners of the RESA Staging Industry Awards and I would like to say a few words about each person.
RESA Rookie Stager of the Year:
Bevin Googer
I have not met Bevin personally but I can tell you have heard a lot of great things about her. Bevin was trained by First Impressions Staging and Re-Design (Melissa Marro) Congrats Bevin!!
RESA Staging Realtor of the Year:
Terrylynn Fisher
Terrylynn is a Realtor and has been in the business for 30 years. She started staging her listings 18 years ago and now is the perfect example of how Realtors should … (51 comments)

Ontario's First SIF Round Table - A Huge Success! - 03:34 PM
Well, we've had our RT and all who attended were in agreement; it was a great idea (thanks Craig!) and we must continue having them.
While we had over 30 who wished to attend, we had a couple of cancellations (thanks for letting me know!) and fit in some of those on the waiting list. Unfortuntunately 8 who RSVP'd were no shows. It was unfortunate as there were plenty who would have liked to have been at the RT.
Robert and Richard Krangle, owners of Dominion Furniture Rentals were our gracious hosts. They provided a great spread and announced a new lower rate on rentals for Qualified … (24 comments)

A Declining Market Flag? At The Last Minute? You Have Got To Be Kidding Me! - 11:30 AM
Commitment. Websters Dictionary defines the word "commitment" as "a pledge or promise; obligation." This is by no means the only definition, but it is certainly the one that comes to mind for purposes of this post.
This mornings Washington Post carried an article by Elizabeth Razzi in the Business section regarding the need for borrowers to cough up more cash for down payments.
I invite you to read the complete article; the link is above. The basic storyline in this very well written article explains how a "declining market" flag by the lender was enough to sink the boat at the last minute … (83 comments)

Rule #1 of Real Estate is to "Present all Offers". What happens when that doesn`t happen? - 11:34 AM
Yesterday was a wonderful day.The sun was shinning, the weather was great and our buyer just relocated from Connecticut. We showed them homes in Weston,Pembroke Pines and Davie. They feel in love with a home in Davie which they really want! We located a home which fits their requirements. Our offer was based on the recent "Closed Sales" in the area. The buyers are pre-approved, have no issues closing within 30 days, you would think the other agent would be ecstatic as i was considering the listing has been on the market for 6 months! NO WAY!
I`m a firm believer in allowing a client to … (77 comments)

Tag you're it - 11:08 AM
 
No this is NOT a meme. Don't be afraid I am NOT going to tag anyone.
Posting for points
A member's post last week mentioned memes. Since that post became a "Members Only" post I am not going to quote the post but I am going to paraphrase it.... The problem with ActiveRain is people posting jokes, recipes and meme's for points.
The meme that swept the real estate blogosphere in December 2006 and beyond...
Who started the meme that swept through ActiveRain December 2006 and just won't die? Paul Chaney. Many know Paul Chaney from ActiveRain but … (49 comments)

Sometimes fear can be a good thing.... - 11:46 AM
My life has not been an easy one.  I am not complaining, mind you.  It is just a statement of fact. 
I was a child of divorce, then remarriage into a navy family.  A good life, but one with special challenges.  At the age of ten, I developed Diabetes Type I.   It is not a disease to be taken lightly.  And remember, teenagers are naturally rebellious, but teenagers with diabetes have a lot more ammunition. 
My life has been one health complication after another.  It shouldn't take you six years to get through four years of school.  A doctor shouldn't be … (35 comments)

Bloggers Connect - Key Points - 02:15 AM
Bloggers Connect –Readers Digest version of the one day event.Bloggers Connect was part of the Inman Real Estate Connect Conference in New York. All the issues discussed during the workshop have been extensively covered on Active Rain. If you are interested in blogging and have been on the Active Rain forum for a few months, most likely you already read about the technical and other aspects of blogging that were raised at the workshop.
The major point that I took away is that blogging is not science, at least not yet. Even bloggers with experience and recognition as experts have opposing … (36 comments)

"Blast from the Past!" - Golden Oldies from the ActiveRain JukeBox - 02:22 AM
I thought it would be fun for us to dig into the ActiveRain Archives, and pull out some cherished jewels from the early days.
Actually, it can pretty hilarious going back and reading some of the veteran members first attempts at blogging.
YIKES! We've all come such a long way since then!
Several of these 'budding' authors have moved over to our sister platfrom, "In-ActiveRain" and are in dire need of some gentle prodding (a swift kick in the butt) to grace us with their presense here once again!
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
"Three … (44 comments)

How far would you drive to show a house? - 09:51 PM
How far would you drive to show a house?
This week, I drove 133 miles each way, to show three houses to a Buyer. I have heard Agents say they would refer a client if it was more than 25 miles. I am a hungry agent, and will do just about anything for my sellers and buyers. But driving 266 miles round trip for a buyer? Am I crazy?
Here is the deal. I have sold many houses to clients where I represented them as a Buyer's Agent. I do though, seem to specialize in representing the Sellers, as I have 13 listings … (107 comments)

If You Don't Have Anthing Nice To Say On Active Rain, then... - 05:20 PM
I wanted to share with AR members something that happened to me today:
After meeting with a young couple a few weeks back to explain Buyer's Agency and review my provided services with them during their 'interview' process, I was phoned and asked to show them a couple of homes.  Today was our day to tour the homes and at the last home, the Buyer asked ME if they needed to complete any of the paperwork that I had shown them in the first meeting before they left.  The last home was one that had been staged so, knowing that there was … (124 comments)


Blog posts


Moving My Blog - 01:27 AM
I like to be in control. "Teamwork means a lot of people doing what I say." (ARDELL, I did not come up with this myself so you are permitted to make this your tagline.:-) When I don't have a team I must do it all. That includes telling myself to learn a new skill.
So I moved my SERENE blog. I wanted to be in control. I also want to know how things work. So I am learning WordPress and a bit of PHP and MySQL in the process.
Some of you may consider learning this sort of stuff a waste of time. … (1 comments)

Have a Great Day Visiting Past Clients and Your Old Neighborhood! - 03:36 PM

Yesterday afternoon was so delightful I still have a buzz.  I went out to my old Kent neighborhood (where I have a rental property) and passed out calendars to my neighbors.  Many I knew, some I had not met.  It really was fun catching up with the ones I did know. 
Several of the people I didn't know invited me in and we had a good visit--talking about how long they have lived there and their lives and their neighbors.  It had gotten dark and it was raining and they liked talking.  
One of the ladies I know very well, recently lost … (10 comments)

Horse Farm in Suffield, CT - 10:44 AM
Make your listings stand out, use Realivent.com's FREE listing designer. [Realivent.com] … (0 comments)

Updated House in Bloomfield, CT $395,000 - 10:51 AM
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Suffield Horse Property $799,000 - 10:55 AM
… (0 comments)

Farmington, CT Lovely 3 Bedroom Townhouse - 10:58 AM
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Burlington, CT Lovely Brick Colonial on Cul-de-sac $459,900 - 11:05 AM
… (3 comments)

Useful Tip When Setting Up A WordPress.org Blog On GoDaddy - 07:51 AM
Here's a little tip that just might save someone some time and headaches.
Let's say you are creating a new WordPress.org blog, and you are going to host it on GoDaddy.
Be aware that in the process you will be working with FOUR different sets of login names/passwords.  Keep a little notebook handy, and be sure to note which login name/password is which!
Take a look.  First you'll log in to GoDaddy with your primary GoDaddy account Login name and password.  OK. That's easy enough.
As you set up the hosting account on GoDaddy, you will need to create a different User Name and Password for … (14 comments)

I Learned One More Thing About Image Insertion In WordPress - 03:41 PM
Here's another trick I learned today about inserting images in WordPress....  Mike, see if you like this:
Start by clicking Browse in the Uploader tool.
Choose the image you want and click Open
Click Upload
 Now here's the trick.  DO NOT click "Send to Editor".. Instead, click "Edit". 
WordPress will display the URL of the image you just uploaded.  Drag over the URL and click Edit -> Copy to copy the URL.
 
Place your cursor in the text of your post, wherever you want the image to appear, and click the tree icon.
Place your cursor in the Image URL box, and click Edit -> Paste.  The Image … (10 comments)

Easy ways to get your home ready to sell - 10:06 PM
If you plan to sell your home, I have good news for you: You can increase your chances of quickly receiving an acceptable purchase offer. I'm not suggesting major financial investments or hugely time-consuming tasks. Take these simple steps that you can handle on your own, and they will pay off.
Give it a good scrub I can't tell you how many homes for sale I've visited that were just plain filthy-food-stained walls, muddy carpets, dried dog slobber on the windows. If ever there was a time to roll up your sleeves and clean house, this is it. You don't want … (2 comments)

JUST BOUGHT THE CANON 400D REBEL XTI - 10:15 PM
I finally broke down and bought my first digital SLR camera.  It is the Canon 400D rebel XTI.
I am very excited about it and will be reading all the manuals before diving in.  I used to use a plain old SLR and then a mid-priced digital.  The point and shoot digital cameras just don't take pictures like a SLR.
Now with a Digital SLR the best of both worlds is brought together and a decent one takes great pictures in low-light based on research and seeing actual pictures taken....very exciting for Realtors since alot of pictures are taken inside.  If I weren't … (2 comments)

Manatee County Market Stats for December - 06:55 AM
Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in December for Manatee County:
Dec 2006# of single family homes SOLD = 203Avg SOLD price for SFR = $343,983Median price for SFR = $279,000# of condos SOLD = 55Avg SOLD price for condos = $298,025Median price for condos = $230,000
Dec 2007# of single family homes SOLD = 170Avg SOLD price for SFR = $346,417Median price for SFR = $247,000# of condos SOLD = 59Avg SOLD price for condos = $256,058Median price for condos = $200,000
As of today, there are:  4,182 SFR Active on the market and 1,930 Condos Active on the market for sale.
To check previous months … (0 comments)

Manatee County Market Stats for 2006 vs. 2007 - 07:09 AM
Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in 2006 vs. 2007 for Manatee County:
Totals for 2006# of single family homes SOLD = 2,700Avg SOLD price for SFR = $376,548Median price for SFR = $299,000# of condos SOLD = 795Avg SOLD price for condos = $264,928Median price for condos = $200,000
Totals for 2007# of single family homes SOLD = 2,287 Avg SOLD price for SFR = $351,324 (-7% from 2006)Median price for SFR = $280,000 (-4% from 2006)# of condos SOLD = 704Avg SOLD price for condos = $253,419 (-4% from 2006)Median price for condos = $190,000 (-5% from 2006)
To check previous months stats, … (0 comments)

Becoming a better "short sale" expert. A series by Broker Bryant - 02:02 PM
I've been spending a lot of time this week thinking about short sales. My market, Poinciana FL, is going to have a bunch of them this next year so I figure it's time to brush up on my short sale skills to see what I can do to help some folks out.
The first thing I have decided is that I'm going to be very picky with who I work with. My last post touched on that a little. The percentage of getting short sales closed is very, very low. I hear 25% to 30%, if you're lucky.
My goal is … (50 comments)

Snohomish County Camano Association of Realtors - 12:22 PM
Well Friday evening we celebrated the installation of new officers for 2008 of SCCAR. I am immediate past president and was honored to receive the Frank Nardo Realtor Achievement Award. Frank Nardo was a long time member of our association and this award is in his honor for his work and dedication to our association.
Another fun part of the evening, our new President, Rich Williamson, is a cousin of Neil Everett, Anchor of ESPN Sports Center. Neil attended the event to honor Rich and I had the opportunity to have my picture taken with him. What an interesting guy. Neil was raised in … (7 comments)

....Burning of the TREE.... - 07:41 PM
With Christmas being over, we traditionally move the dried up (real) tree out of the living room, scattering needles everywhere for a great mess to clean up, maybe spill a little water from the water tank within the tree stand and haul the whole mess outside.
Not that we have deemed this as tradition, but I guess it has become that... We cut the tree in about 3 pieces (with a manly chain saw) and then place it in our backyard fire pit and watch it burn so quick it makes your head spin!
This does a few of things:
1. Obviously it disposes of … (4 comments)

Free Online IRS Tax Filing For Now Available - 12:54 AM
Most taxpayers may file their 2007 tax returns electronically beginning Jan. 11 as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) opens the e-file program (Free File program).The free tax preparation and electronic filing initiative begins its sixth year with high customer satisfaction ratings.Click here for more details from the IRSMost Taxpayers EligibleSeven out of 10 taxpayers - 97 million filers - qualify for Free File. Taxpayers must have an adjusted gross income of $54,000 or less to be eligible.This year taxpayers can choose from 19 tax preparation software companies. The program is operated by the IRS and the Free File Alliance. The Alliance … (0 comments)

Pension Plan Limitations for 2008 Announced By IRS - 12:56 AM
Please note the following pension update from the IRS for the 2008 Pension Plan Year:- 401k Salary Deferral Limit is $15,500 for the year.- The Catch-Up Contribution Limit for 401k plan participants age 50 and over is $5,000. (This is in addition to the $15,500 Salary Deferral Limit above.)- The Combined Employer and Employee Contributions cannot exceed $46,000 or an amount equal to 100% of a participant's compensation, whichever is lower.The above is offered as general information and not as tax or legal advice.http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174873,00.htmlFor real estate resources, help and support services in acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey, Visit my web … (0 comments)

To Sue or Not to Sue....The Real Estate Question.... - 06:34 PM
    In the years that my husband and I have been involved in real estate as buyers, sellers, landlord/lady, designer, decorator...and agents...we have never had a seller deliberately be less than truthful on a condition report...Perhaps...until now.  I say "perhaps" because the listing agent, related by marriage to the sellers says that if I knew the sellers in the same way she did, I would understand that they were good people and would not knowingly deceive anyone.  They are hassled by poor health, loss of jobs, live in teenage grandchildren that parents have no interest in raising and the list goes on....The … (0 comments)

It was the best of times..It was the Worst of Times..The Times They Are a Changing - 10:19 PM
  The Times they are changing....We had a buyer...who bought a gorgeous home...his wife loved the kitchen, his children became very involved in their new school...they all become active in their new church and loved the neighborhood.  The new job for which Mr. Seller had received additional training and incurred tremendous expense, was not what had been promised...complicated....too complicated to stay....the home they had half a country away had not sold and they were moving back.
                                                     
     We got an offer....just 3 weeks after we put it on the market which included all the holidays....great cause for celebration....usually.  The buyers knew … (3 comments)

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