Archives of real estate blog entries for February 29, 2008 (Page 2)

Blog posts


Foreclosures in Poinciana FL. Maybe they're not for me. This time! - 04:01 PM
Well I guess my recent foray into the REO market failed. I listed two bank owned properties (REOs) last week but unfortunately, today, I canceled the listings. We just couldn't seem to get on the same page. Bummer!!
It's hard for to work when everything I do is questioned. After trying my best to make things work I decided life is too short to work for folks that truly only want a "yes man". That's far from being who I am.
The last issue was about offering a selling bonus. My opinion on this has always been that it's better to increase the … (44 comments)

How to Fix a Hole in a Wall - 02:19 AM
Perhaps the most common home repair is fixing a hole in the wall. When I was young, my grandfather would baby sit my brothers and I while mom and dad were of earning a living. What our parents called child care, my grandfather interpreted as napping and most afternoons we had the run of the house. Now on more than one occasion, something was said and something was thrown, and some how we ended up with a hole in the wall. It happens to the best of us. Not wanting to risk losing our afternoons of freedom or our grandfather’s reputation, … (3 comments)

Austin Profiles: Bookpeople - 02:41 AM
Since 1970, BookPeople has been offering a wide variety of literary works to magazine browsers and rare book collectors and all those in between. With a built-in coffee shop, and lots of comfortable seating nooks scattered throughout the store, BookPeople promotes a relaxed atmosphere that will invariably lead to a purchase or two.
Located on the corner of 6th street and Lamar, BookPeople boasts a sprawling 28,000 square foot two-story store with over 150,000 titles from which to choose. If the book browser is unsure of what to buy, the very knowledgeable staff, made up of many well read UT … (1 comments)

74,627 ActiveRain RSS Feeds Still Busted... - 02:04 PM
My third attempt to get some resources to fix all 74,627 AR feeds that are invalid XML.
1st attempt2nd attemptC'mon folks - properly functioning RSS is really important - feed warnings are okay - invalid feeds aren't.
… (1 comments)

Monitor Your Brand, Monitor Your Name in Active Rain - 08:44 PM
I kind'a got sucked into this topic with the help of Laurie Manny who wrote an interesting post about Managing Your Internet Reputation. It was a good topic but a conclusion based on little (if any) fact. The assertion starts out like this...
"In the past any time my name was mentioned online anywhere I would receive a Google alert and be able to see what was either being said about me or linked to me in almost real time."
This statement is flawed because it assumes that Google Alerts knows about *every* mention of your name "anywhere" your name is used online. … (44 comments)

What Can I Do To Improve The Value of My Home? - 10:22 AM
As a real estate professional, I'm often asked by homeowners, "What can I do to improve the value of my home?" Often, this question is asked by the homeowner in anticipation of getting the home prepared for sell in today's competitive market. Most prospective sellers are aware of the challenges they will endure in listing their home. However, they want to accomplish there goal as quickly and as affordable as possible.
Here are some tips that can give your home a boost in today's market:
 Organize, Organize, Organize! Meaning, remove all clutter and excess furniture from the home.Consider adding a fresh, neutral coat of … (0 comments)

Client/User highjack posts...what is a bro supposed to do? - 01:18 PM
It all started back in November 29, 2007 when a friend did a guest post on the company blog on FHA Secure. Not so unusual yet but the other day to my surprise a comment came in the post. Hooray a comment on the blog from someone outside the industry and on a post that generates a fair amount of views.
Now fast forward to February 28, 2008, almost 3 months to the date, Chris and a new commenter have exchanged some comments back and forth until it seemed the conversation was going nowhere. I stepped in an offered 2 cents only to rejuvenate the same … (6 comments)

Austin Board Tired of Agents Moaning about New MLXchange MLS, Decides to Act - 06:27 AM
Quick update on the real estate agent outrage with the new MLS system that was implemented last winter. 
The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABOR) seems to agree that the issues have not truly subsided. Slowness, quirky interface, poor usability have negatively impacted Greater Austin buyers, sellers and real estate agents.
MLS PROBLEMS COST TIME & MONEY
As reported yesterday, there are hot areas in Austin where buyers are competing. At the same time, sellers want to see offers and quick CMAs. Agents have reported losing business and client confidence when a home search and price analysis was slow or didn't work.
Bottom … (6 comments)

New Jersey Governor Corzine Unveiled FY 2009 Budget Proposal - 03:33 PM
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine presented his 2009 Fiscal Year Budget Proposal before a joint session of the New Jersey Legislature on the 26th.  The Governor proposed cuts to state spending by $500 million over the previous year's $33.5B budget.  It does not contain proposals for any new taxes or fees.During the budget address Corzine mentioned the property tax crisis and proposed that 70% of homeowners will a $1,000+ rebate just as last year.  He is focusing on reducing property taxes for for households who earn between $100,000 and $150,000; and with those over $150,000 no longer eligible for rebates.Following the new school … (0 comments)

Predatory Lending Resources For The Consumer From The NJAR - 04:17 PM
"Abusive and predatory lending practices have led to families losing their homes and savings, higher foreclosure rates, and increased vacancy rates in some neighborhoods. The most important step for anyone buying a home or refinancing a mortgage is to educate themselves on their mortgage options and the true cost of any mortgage loan. REALTORS®believe that financial education is an important defense against abusive lending practices."  (Source: NJAR) The New Jersey Association of REALTORS®(NJAR), as a public service to educate consumers against abusive lenders, has created an informative web page, Predatory Lending Resources For The Consumer, with links to videos and FREE downloadable brochures … (0 comments)

Okemo Mountain VT Trivia - 04:29 AM
Whether you are an Okemo Mountain VT homeowner or a visitor to the area, you'll find these fun facts interesting:- There are 624 acres of skiable area and 117 runs on Okemo Mountain- Lift tickets were 20 cents in 1956, when operations first began- Okemo is Native American for "All Come Home"- The summit is 3,344 ft.- A "Beach House" used to be at the top of the mountain instead of the Summit Lodge that stands now- The trail Home Stretch used to be named UghTo learn more about Okemo Mountain VT or Ludlow VT real estate, please call me at … (6 comments)

Christianity and Real Estate... "The Kingdom of Heaven is Like..." #4 - 01:01 PM

 
Have you ever wondered how you could be more of an influence in the workplace, your family and the community?Here is another installment of "What the Kingdom ofHeaven is Like" as told by Jesus the Messiah that willshed light on how to do just that.
This description of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like is from the book of Matthew 13:33.
He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
There are some things I want to point out about this … (10 comments)

I Can Do It Myself! - 07:50 PM
This has been useful to me both internally and externally.
Often during a marketing consultation with prospective sellers (most of whom are corporate executives, entrepreneurs or retired executives or entrepreneurs) I'll point out that they can indeed do many of the services I provide - the question is, do they want to? Which is more important to you, time or money?
In Florida, you can mow your own lawn, since our typical lot isn't very big. But - in a heat wave, do you want to be outside and risk a heart attack? 
For years I did my own IRS filings, with … (15 comments)

It's all caused by the real estate agents - 08:37 PM
The implication from an article today in the St Petersburg Times is that it's all the fault of the real estate agents. Though Thorner admits there is only a small minority of bad applies in our industry, he feels it's more appropriate to blame real estate agents than to continue blaming "reckless mortgage bankers and property speculators".  ???
Thornton makes two points: 
one particular real estate agent bought lots of property at high prices, pocketed a lot, and has let the homes go into foreclosure; "Realtors" are asking for 10% commission to list a condo.No one is forcing buyers or sellers to … (12 comments)

400 Beach Drive rentals - 08:44 PM
400 Beach - rental market update for February 2008
400 Beach is a brand new condo building in downtown St Pete, overlooking Tampa Bay. Closing only started in December 2007 and are still ongoing. There are 93 condos in the high rise.
Currently there are five units available for annual, unfurnished rentals. ranging from  $3,500 to $5,000 per month and ranging in size from 2,450 sq ft (2 bedroom) to 3,288 sq ft (3 bedroom).
The building is 4on Beach Drive, with lots of restaurants, shops, museum and waterfront within a couple of blocks. Onsite is a fitness center and common recreational faciities … (1 comments)

Life Estates - 09:09 PM
Inheritances can often lead to nasty family disputes. Many times a person will remarry late in life - which leads to who will inherit the family home. Often this is solved by leaving the second spouse a "Life Estate". This means that the spouse can continue living in the home as long as possible, until death. At that point, the "remaindermen" take title and thus inherit the property.
It's difficult to sell a life estate, because the term depends on the life of the person first granted the life estate. Neither is the remainder easy to sell, since the purchaser would not … (12 comments)

Perdido Key Florida Condo super deal - 05:07 PM
In this real estate market, there are deals to be found. Some are better than others. One just came on the market today that is an exceptional deal, so I wanted to let my readers know about it.  I am not the listing agent on this Perdido Key Condo, but I can certainly help any saavy buyer who wants a great deal. Just call me at 850-512-2587.
On to the condo. The unit is a 1550 sq ft, 3 bed/3 bath condo on Perdido Key on River Road, built in 2007. The asking price is $345,900. Here is the Pensacola MLS description:
"Lovely … (0 comments)

Mobile Alabama a Winner in the US Air Force Tanker Contract - 09:33 PM
A few days ago I posted the article Waiting On A Winner - The Mobile Alabama Tanker Contract. Well, the wait is over. The contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp and its European partner, Airbus parent EADS. The decision was announced just before 4:00 PM today. The local Pensacola and Mobile news stations even interrupted their regularly scheduled programs to break the news.
This contract will have a huge impact on the economy of Mobile. Its effect on Pensacola remains to be seen. I expect some positive economic benefits will seep over into our area, but I don't see a windfall economic … (2 comments)

Cincinnati Ohio Real Estate Market Report 24 hour update 02/28/2008 - 04:11 AM
Cincinnati MLS daily statistics update.
There are currently 19,992 active properties for sale in the Cincinnati area MLS.
You can search for your new home in the Cincinati by going to my website. No registration required.
 Click here to search the Cincinnati mls for your new home
In the Cincinnati area currently your home must be in top condition and priced correctly to sell. If you have any questions about Cincinnati real estate or need a Cincinnati realtor please feel free to contact me.
http://www.Find1Home.com/
… (0 comments)

What Specific Services are Performed by an Appraiser? - 11:24 AM
If you are considering buying or selling Tampa real estate, you may have at least some knowledge of what an appraiser does in the home purchase process. However, even with that said, you may not know of all of the services that an appraiser can perform when it comes to the buying and selling of a home. The reality is that the typical appraiser actually does perform a significant number of different services when it comes to the buying and selling of residential property.
Of course, it is clear and has been mentioned that an appraiser provides residential and commercial valuation … (0 comments)

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