Archives of real estate blog entries for January 24, 2008

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Dear John Buyer.....I still love you but............. - 06:16 PM
I am writing to you today to tell you that while I really enjoyed working with you for a full year, I have come to the conclusion that you and I are not compatible.
When we first met, you were so excited and so was I. It was a new relationship and we had the whole world of homes ahead of us! We giddily entered into a contract and I think we both expected great results.
Well, as these things happen, you did not live up to your side of the contract! You were supposed to be a Qualified Buyer! You were supposed … (103 comments)

I finally got it--the Slideshow Trick, that is!! - 06:10 PM
OK, so I know you Active Rain newbies (and probably some oldies alike!) have admired the AR members who have the cool gadgets on their sites.  I have asked several folks for help with some of them and let me tell you EVERY one of them have been more than helpful!  To all of you who have held my hand during the last two months, thanks-a-million.
I decided to explore a little something on my own and figured out how to add the slideshow to my blog post!  WooHoo! Quick and simply, here goes: Go to www.PhotoBucket.com Click on "join now"Complete quick form to … (96 comments)

Fear of rejection? (Long Island) - 05:45 PM
I was driving to a particular town one day in September of last year, and planned on going to as many real estate offices as I could to promote my inspection service. I stopped in front of one, then remembered the negative reaction I got from the agent or receptionist -I forgot which - the year before. I put the key in the ignition and was about to turn the key, and then I stopped. "Why should I not go in just because of what happened last time" is what I thought.
Fear of rejection? Well, I had been to so many offices in … (13 comments)

When The Settlement's Over, Is The Party Over, Too? - 05:46 PM
Last Friday, I had two settlements with buyers who were referred to me by good friends, and both of these transactions were pretty typical.Both sets of clients were fun and wonderful to work with.  And they’re both totally psyched about starting new chapters in their new homes.You know, you look at a bunch of houses, and we all know that time spend in a car can get pretty intense - and fun.  You joke, trade life stories, make fun of some of the houses you see.  Then you find Dream House and go through the intensity of a negotiation.  Then House … (35 comments)

SELLING YOUR HOME IS EASY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LET SOMEONE IN TO SEE IT and a FEW OTHER THINGS. - 06:21 PM
                            * * * *   WARNING!!  HARD CORE REAL ESTATE TALK * * * * 
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME.
THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR SELLERS TO KNOW ABOUT PRICING AND SELLING A HOME ARE:
LOCATION PRICE ACCESSIBILITY LOCATION.  We all know how important location is to marketing and selling a property.  What do we mean by location?  If you've been selling real estate very long, you have heard any or all of the below "location criteria" from buyers.  So, location can mean a lot of things.  
Location relative to what?  Location relative to the Commuter … (96 comments)

Anticipation of Great Service or The Big Let Down - 06:45 PM
Lessons in business are all around us if we just take the time to recognize them. Take this story for example.
For the last week or so I have been considering purchasing a new camcorder. I am tired of taking short clips with my  Canon_A630_Digital_Camera.  It works okay for emergency situations doing an okay job but because it is meant to be a digital image camera there are many features it does not have, Like Zoom in or out while shooting.
So I began my quest with a trip to the brick and mortar stores. I listened intently to most of the sales people about … (58 comments)

FEAR: The Ultimate Career Killer - 09:12 AM
I found an interesting discussion online this morning.   You can check it out for yourself here: http://www.salespractice.com/forums/t-7921-2.html#post30207 
The question posed is this:  Here's the situation, you are a new agent with no contacts or sphere of influence but you have identified 50 people that you want to talk with about the chance of doing business together. What prospecting or lead generation method would be the most effective or efficient?
The discussion includes a couple of blurbs about cold calling, including what I'm sure you've heard a million times:  Cold calling doesn't work.   If someone tells you cold calling doesn't work, … (46 comments)

Open Letter To HouseValues (CC. Active Rain) - 09:23 AM
First of all congratulations to Jon, Matt and the rest of the AR crew.
Now that HouseValues is an investor in Active Rain, maybe some HouseValues people are here on board reading blog posts, and if so, I would like to offer them my suggestions.
Dear House Values,
First of all, make use of Active Rain's blog search. Click Search, type in the word "HouseValues". Take some time to read through the various blog posts, on all pages of the search results.  I suppose it's possible that HouseValues management is not aware of how their company is perceived by agents on the street.
While I'm … (124 comments)

Scared the BEE-GEEEZEZ out of me! - 01:02 AM
     Every once in a while on an inspection there is something that startles me.  Sometimes it is finding someone where you didn't expect to find them----like the teenager under a pile of debris in the bedroom.  One time the agent opened up for me only to find eight people sacked out in the living room----made a quiet exit from that one and came back later.  Turns out the listing agent needed a place for a bunch of people to crash for the night and had "forgotten" about the inspection.  Another time I walking into the garage and had the  "feeling" … (55 comments)

My PHONE NUMBER Upset The Guy - 09:18 AM
My PHONE NUMBER Upset The Guy!
 
My office is in my home.  On Tuesday morning when I walked into my office, my phone was beeping at me.  I use a cell phone for my office phone which is convenient because I only have to keep up with the one number.  KISS motto. 
 
It was 9:02 am and the phone was beeping that I had missed three calls.  I checked the numbers, all 3 calls from the same phone number.  Checked messages, NO messages. Googled the number and found the phone number’s owner and made a mental note of it … (188 comments)


Blog posts


Another Headline About Activerain - 07:48 AM
Just thought I would share another article with everyone, what an exciting week for the boyz
http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-23/real-estate-social-networking-really-takes-off/
… (2 comments)

Bogus phone numbers - 01:16 PM
Since we are a lead generated company I was following up with some leads I recently pulled.  Some phone numbers are good...but for the ones that aren't, I wish they would just enter a really obvious dummy number...you know like 555-1212 or 111-111-1111..This would save me and probably several other people so much time.  I know how it is, I don't want to give my number out to sales people either.  I guess it is probably asking too much. … (2 comments)

Got Tech? Solicit Me..Call...E-Mail or Write! - 12:44 PM
The Technology Fair for 2008 will be held May 30th, 2008 at the Hilton Resort. 
The event will be bigger and better than our first fair!
If your company is interested in being a vendor....Vendor spaceis $100.00 and includes wireless internet access and more.  We will be inviting Realtors from 4 counties to this event, which includes 7 Realtor Boards/Associations.
Daytona Beach Area Association of RealtorsSt. Augustine and St. Johns County BoardFlagler County BoardWest Volusia Count BoardNew Smyrna BoardMelbourne Area AssociationSpace Coast AssociationKeep in mind the vendor space is limited to technology based companies only. Tech Tools that will benefit a real estate professional. 
So … (0 comments)

Got Tech...Interested in Sponsoring...Technology Fair 2008? - 01:34 PM
Sponsor the Daytona Area Association of Realtors Tech Fair and check out some of the benefits...  We have invited 7 of the local boards in the area.  I am proud and honored to be part of this event.  If you are interested please read the breakdown........
Bronze-250.00
Free advertising on websiteName on display at event with sponsorship levelnames listed in newsletterSilver-$500.00
Free Advertising on websiteName on display at event of sponsorship levelNames listed in NewsletterFree advertising on Technology Fair FlyerMarketing material inclusion in goodie bag (1)Gold-$750.00
Free advertising on websiteName on display at event of sponsorship levelNames listed in newsletterFree Advertising on Technology Fair FlyerMarketing … (1 comments)

Interior Re-Design: IKEA’s Furniture Swap Fun - 09:49 AM
 
Over the past few years, swapping clothing, books, music and movies has taken off around the world, with groups meeting for swaps offline and online. Now, according to the kids at Springwise, flat-pack behemoth IKEA is organizing a furniture swap at its Amsterdam store: a husselmarkt. The swap, which will take place on February 9th, will let up to 250 people bring in furniture-which doesn't have to be made by IKEA-and swap it for items brought in by others. IKEA will also add 12.000 euros worth of furniture to the mix.
The event is part of a marketing campaign that encourages customers to … (0 comments)

More Mortgage Basics for Homebuyers - 10:18 AM

Adjustable or floating rate, 15-year or 30? How much mortgage can you afford? These are just a few of the many questions home buyers will find information on in Yahoo! Real Estate's How-to Guide of Mortgage Basics.
So before you start mining for the perfect mortgage, make sure you have an understanding of the options available to you and check out their report. Some highlights include the following:
The first step in acquiring a home mortgage is to gather the information you'll need to include in a mortgage application. Review your credit report by ordering a copy from the credit bureaus used by local … (2 comments)

Conforming to What? - 04:49 PM
Our friends in Washington seem to think raising conforming loans to $625,000 and up is a way to handle the current "crisis". I am not convinced. The conforming amount for Martha's Vineyard will probably be $700,000. The fixed rate will end up below 6% maybe as low as 5.25% before all is said and done. Stopping at some half-way amount say $550,000 and then going to a HELOC for the balance on an individual basis might be better for certain individuals. With the HELOC rate dropping faster than we can keep up with, I for one would be willing to take … (0 comments)

Human-animal hybrid embryos get the go-ahead in the UK - 10:01 PM
Once again I am forced to write about what is taking place in the land of my birth. When will we learn to stop messing around with nature? How can anyone think this is a good idea?
The picture - a link from combat-diaries.co.uk - may not be as far fetched as we would like to think. The Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA), the body which oversees human embryo research in Britain - has approved a request to allow animal human hybrid embryos to be created for research purposes.
Exactly what they are researching is really not relevant.What is extremely relevant … (14 comments)

How Has Blogging Changed Your Real Estate Career? - Jackie Colson-Miller - 08:28 PM
This is the first in a series of interviews we’ve conducted with some of our clients that have completely made-over their marketing strategies since the launch of their real estate blog.
Our goal is to illustrate just how much the Internet has become a part of their client acquisition process now that the blog has become the center of that strategy.
Our first interview is with the author of Real Estate Sizzle, Jackie Colson-Miller of Tampa, Florida. She launched her site and training with us in March last year (2007).
During arguably the worst year in recent real estate history, Jackie … (14 comments)

Fort Myers Beach " OPEN HOUSE " Friday Jan 24, 2008 9 AM Reduced $100k - 09:40 PM
 
 Wouldn't this put a smile on her face !
Gorgeous 3/2 direct Gulf front home. Totally decorator furnished home.  I will be hosting this Friday starting at 9 AM .  If you have been looking for a move-in ready beach front this is it.   If you are on Fort Myers Beach  Friday  morning stop in and and say " HI".  This beautiful home is a real charmer with light. bright beachy colors and decorator upgrades. Furnished and ready for you to move in !  Just reduced $100k to $1,695,000 .   Call me direct for additional details on ownership opportunities. Bill Gillhespy   239   699-7128   Just bring your flip flops !
… (0 comments)

True Queen Anne Victorian - 12:32 AM

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
True Queen Anne Victorian home built 1895 and has some updates. New roof, some updates on plumbing and wiring. Four porches Two are Wrap porches, Formal foyer with beautiful Intricate craved stairs. Formal Front living room with coffer-ed ceiling and beautiful bay of windows, wainscoting and Victorian mantles. Formal dinning room with another set of bay windowsand it leads out unto porch. This home has a beautiful upstairs sitting area leading to upstairs porch. Too much to list in this great home ready to be restored. Four or Five bedrooms Two baths 3000 square feet.
http://www.classifiedflyerads.com/ad/15827
http://www.vickiegambrell.us/Listing/ViewListingDetails.aspx?ListingID=1481134
http://www.visualtour.com/show.asp?T=1356214
… (1 comments)

Award Winning Builder and Free Golf in This Lake Community - 12:59 AM

 
 Meritus Homes - Builder, Meritus Signature Homes - One of the most trusted South Carolina home builders when it comes to building special and distinguished new homes. With us, each home construction is done as it should be, with immaculate attention to each detail.Quality Craftsmanship.From foundation to roof, a Meritus Signature Home is a quality home. We use only top-of-the-line building materials, and are constantly searching for new and innovative products. We've hand-selected our vendors because they stand behind their products and desire to work with Meritus to provide quality homes that will endure. You can rest assured that you'll get … (0 comments)

Affordable Homes for Sale in Mandarin, Jacksonville, Florida - 11:00 AM
Homes for Sale in Mandarin, Jacksonville, Florida
While much of the nation is in a housing slump, homes for sale in Mandarin, Jacksonville, Florida continue to sell at reasonable prices in a relatively short amount of time.  We've all heard that "All Real Estate is Local" and that is certainly a well observed fact when looking at the Mandarin, Jacksonville, Florida Real Estate Market.
This is not to somehow imply or suggest that Jacksonville, Florida has been immune from the general downturn in the real estate market but the city has definitely fared much better than the rest of Florida and the nation as … (0 comments)

Real Estate Articles Wanted - 04:00 PM
I'm putting together a list of informative, well written articles about real estate. Specifically, I'm looking for unqiue articles that will benefit the consumer. Ergo, I don't want the same article that is listed on hundreds of article sites or press releases. Great blog posts will be considered for the list. I'm looking for up to 30 articles, so if you would like to get a link to your article, simply post the url in the comments with just a short explanation of what its about. I'll post the articles I've chosen and put up the url of the site they … (3 comments)

Las Vegas Central is no more....or is it? - 05:21 PM
One thing is certain in the high rise market, never count a project completely down and out. The Las Vegas Central project has been around for years. Originally the project was going to be two 47 story towers located close to the convention center. The FAA nixed the original design, citing safety concerns due to the tower's height and forcing a redesign.  That combined with a slowing in the market, the developer went into bankruptcy last year.
Play the long odds
Despite that, the project is not dead. The convention center is spending over a billion dollars in a redesign that will move … (0 comments)

Open Letter To HouseValues (CC. Active Rain) - 09:23 AM
First of all congratulations to Jon, Matt and the rest of the AR crew.
Now that HouseValues is an investor in Active Rain, maybe some HouseValues people are here on board reading blog posts, and if so, I would like to offer them my suggestions.
Dear House Values,
First of all, make use of Active Rain's blog search. Click Search, type in the word "HouseValues". Take some time to read through the various blog posts, on all pages of the search results.  I suppose it's possible that HouseValues management is not aware of how their company is perceived by agents on the street.
While I'm … (124 comments)

Dear John Buyer.....I still love you but............. - 06:16 PM
I am writing to you today to tell you that while I really enjoyed working with you for a full year, I have come to the conclusion that you and I are not compatible.
When we first met, you were so excited and so was I. It was a new relationship and we had the whole world of homes ahead of us! We giddily entered into a contract and I think we both expected great results.
Well, as these things happen, you did not live up to your side of the contract! You were supposed to be a Qualified Buyer! You were supposed … (103 comments)

BreakTime: Four Stikeouts In A Half-Inning? - 04:43 PM
I was raised up on the basic, absolute rule that here are three outs required to retire a side in baseball, which in my mind means at most three strikeouts are possible per half-inning.  However baseball, as in life, has exceptions to the rules.  For example, less thas three outs in a half-inning is possible if it's the bottom of the 9th (or a later) inning and the winning run scores.  It's also possible to have FOUR strikeouts in an inning.  In fact it has happened numerous times throughout the years in all levels of baseball, including Major League Baseball (MLB).  How Can Four Strikeouts Occur?Normally, it can't.  However, if a … (1 comments)

IRS: Where's My Refund? - 05:32 PM
You filed your tax return and you're expecting a refund. You have just one question and you want the answer now - Where's My Refund?Every year the IRS has millions of dollars of tax refunds returned because they are undeliverable.  This is more likely to occur if you have recently moved to a new location.Whether you split your refund among several accounts, opted for direct deposit to one account or asked IRS to mail you a check, you can track your refund through the IRS secure Web site, Where's My Refund? Note: If you have trouble while using this application, please check the Requirements to make … (0 comments)

Greenland New Hampshire Real Estate Market 2007 Recap - 08:48 PM
Greenland NH real estate activity for this past year, 2007, remained about the same as in 2006. 
There were a few less properties for sale and yet a few more that sold in 2007.  The average sales price went down a little in 2007, however the days on the market shortened up a bit.
That sounds to me like the real estate market in Greenland was fairly stable last year!
With this kind of information readily available, it's just further proof that all real estate is local, and that the media that continues to harp on a 'national real estate market' really need to … (13 comments)

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