Archives of real estate blog entries for March 22, 2008

Featured blog posts


How To Give Your Active Rain Blog Pizazz and Punch The Easy Way And The Free Way! - 09:56 PM

Give Your Active Rain Blog Pizazz and Punch The Easy Way And The Free Way! I have received a lot of emails asking me how I get my posts to look like this. You can use an HTML publisher where you can write in plain text and then the program will change it to HTML for you such as Dreamweaver or Microsoft Front Page. But I am not patient enough to learn those programs and I do know basic HTML. For the very basics; such as one or two color text, bolding text and changing the font size you can … (194 comments)

Social Networking is Much Like Monopoly! Istead of Real Estate It's Building Communities! - 10:27 PM
I have been getting a lot of inquiries for various training.  It's my passion...I love what I do and feel very fortunate to do it. 

Recently I gotten a few e-mails about WEB 2.0 although I am not an expert...
I have come to realize.
Social Networking is very similar to the game monopoly...the difference..we grow communities rather than deal real estate. 
But the more people in your communities the more real estate you might sell.  
Imagine this...every network that you join...is your own monopoly..by your name...your profile...your blogposts and your comments. 
We are all born with a name..but how we choose to represent ourselves … (57 comments)

Bank of America Says If It Goes to Foreclosure, It Goes to Foreclosure. So What? - 11:50 AM
I have a seller who wants to pay Bank of America the shortfall difference on a short sale, but B of A says let it go to foreclosure. We don't have time to talk about it.
I realize that many agents are struggling with short sales right now. Because the system is screwed up, and some banks in particular are almost impossible to work with. Bank staff are overworked, probably underpaid and buried in paperwork. I tell my buyers to throw out the short sale listings they get from me, because they're not worth the effort. Buyers can purchase a home … (176 comments)

Another week or mayhem and maybes! - 11:49 AM
Friday could not have come soon enough for me this week. 
I love Easter for all the right reasons, and I get to see family too!
I am sure my clients are feeling the same way.   Good Friday, Easter and them family, what a weekend coming up.   We had some nice weather for a change...but as I look out the window...it is snowing like crazy and accumulating!  Yuck!
So how is the mayhem and maybes in your world?
Clients are clinging to any little positive comment...sellers are concerned about the economy and the market conditions are volatile.  But the truth is homes are selling, showings are … (50 comments)

Setting Myself Apart - My Unique Marketing Idea - 11:50 AM
There is one thing that I can do better than any other real estate agent in the Washington Metro area.  That is playing the flute!  And I totally love playing chamber music, usually with the combination of a flute, violin and cello.  
As a new agent, I picked up my first listing at a party where my group had been hired to play background music.  Someone asked for a flute playing business card, and all I had was a real estate card.  He hired the trio to play background music at a reception his office put on, and he hired me … (54 comments)

My most unique marketing plan . . . - 11:51 AM
This is not web based marketing, this was good old belly to belly stuff!
Another agent and I would go on Wednesday mornings to the local bagel shop, buy bags of bagels with different cream cheeses.  We would drop these bags of bagels ( about 20 to 30 in a bag) off at different local business in our area once a week.  We would leave our business cards, magnets, brochures, contact information, and the like with the bagels for the employees to read.  It took a bit of effort, but it really paid off.
We did this for about 3 months and go leads from … (74 comments)

Shoot for the Moon!!! Open House Rookie Success Story. - 05:03 PM
Ray, what am I going to do?  I've got an open house this weekend.  That's exactly what this "Rookie" agent said to me last week.  She's been in the business for a few months and hasn't sold anything in about two months.  Now, being the Southern Gentleman that I am, I had to gather some information before I replied.
Are you prepared?  I've got my flyer's ready. I laughed.  What else?  What do you mean what else?
You have 2 Goals when doing an Open House.  1.  You have to go with the intent to sell that house!  2.  You have to go with … (70 comments)

Right Back At 'Cha! - 11:47 AM
I'll admit it...I'm an agent DIVA!!  Not really but, when it comes to my clients, you bet I am!  I have a very short lender list which I share with my Buyers to have them contact one for pre-qualification.  I let them know that it's certainly okay to compare all three but, I do prefer to work with one of mine whom I KNOW can get the job DONE.
When my client decides on the lender-- (and I generally pray that they'll use one that I prefer--again, I only use the very few who get the job done without incidence) --I make … (51 comments)

Is It Time for A Spring Cleaning? - 11:49 AM

It is Easter weekend..a time for renewal, rebirth.  We all understand and appreciate what that means. But I started thinking about it in another way also.
Perhaps, we should take a lesson from Mother Nature to reawaken and get a fresh start.  A good Spring cleaning might be in order!
                                                                 
1.  Review  Listings -
Price Are properties priced to sell in the current market?
Should any prices be adjusted? 
CMAHow current is the data in the CMA?
Are there more current sales available? 
Photos - Is there enough photos? Are they appealing & eye catching? 
Flyers and brochures Is there an ample supply available? 
Are they attractive?
 Is all pertinent … (63 comments)


Blog posts


Social Networking is Much Like Monopoly! Istead of Real Estate It's Building Communities! - 10:27 PM
I have been getting a lot of inquiries for various training.  It's my passion...I love what I do and feel very fortunate to do it. 

Recently I gotten a few e-mails about WEB 2.0 although I am not an expert...
I have come to realize.
Social Networking is very similar to the game monopoly...the difference..we grow communities rather than deal real estate. 
But the more people in your communities the more real estate you might sell.  
Imagine this...every network that you join...is your own monopoly..by your name...your profile...your blogposts and your comments. 
We are all born with a name..but how we choose to represent ourselves … (57 comments)

Calling All Home Inspectors -- How About Some Information on Houseboats!! - 02:52 PM
 
 
Living in the Seattle Area--we have many house boats here, they are popular and expensive.  People love them and the lifestyle that goes with them.   I thought it would be very helpful if some of the home inspectors would let us know something about upkeep, hazards and typical findings for houseboats inspection.
Currently there are 2 houseboats (and two house barges but I am not discussing them at the moment) for sale:
Lake Union, 1 bed/1 bath, $699,000.
Westlake, 2 bed/ 1 bath, $1,350,000.
Advantages:   water views, immediate access to the water if you want to slip into a kayak or … (16 comments)

Introducing myself - 11:42 PM
My name is Cherie Young and I just wanted to stop by and say hi.  … (0 comments)

Would love feedback on a new design we are working on - 11:50 PM
Dena Calivas came to us with a great idea to create a GREEN website.  Here is the mockup so far and we are having so much fun learning about going green.  I live in San Diego which is a wonderful area for tree huggers and I started blogging away and found my passion.
 We would love your feedback on our new design.  It's still in production, but thought you might want to take a look.
… (10 comments)

AGENT PERSONAL SECURITY...AGAIN! - 09:00 AM
Once again, my background may be my salvation!  Touring multiple $400,000+ homes in the Woodbridge area, many foreclosure and short sales and the majority vacant, staying alert BEFORE entering a home is a MUST for ALL AGENTS!   
Even though listing agents put a lock box..(more and more likely a combination lockbox)...on the front doors of their foreclosure and short sale listings...that lock box isn't doing the job!  15 homes on the tour list, 10 of them listed as "vacant"..."go show,  
3 of the "vacant" homes we entered had somebody living there.  Wet towels in bathroom, bedroll/pillow on the floor.  Gee, any guesses how they … (6 comments)

The History of the subprime implosion.......... - 07:39 AM
After a long week, I decided to take a break and watch a mindless DVD. I took one of my favorites from the shelf and popped it in. "The history of the world...part I" was my selection. It was typical Mel Brooks humor. Fact delightfully spun from a different perspective. After popcorn and a nap, I thought....we need the History of the SubPrime implosion. I did my research. The names of participants have been overlooked and excluded to avoid embarrassing the thousands of participants. Any relationship between the characters or firms named is purely accidental. Never judge a book by it's … (13 comments)

Help you hole......or something like that. - 08:00 AM
I have been asked about the different values of services offered in our industry. It seems that there are serveral "models" active today. It is hard to point out the difference between full service and fee for service. In many industries, the price is relatively the same. I suppose many people don't realize the personal cost of saving money. Many people don't realize the true cost of a discounted service. There is much more to cost than just the dollar value afixed to the service. Sometimes you have to step back and say....do I really want to do that? With that … (11 comments)

The Home Team line up - 08:19 AM
This week on The Home Team Radio Show, we seem to have more than our fair share of bad boys and girls.
We start with the news that James A. Hole (That really is his name!) admitted during his arraignment that he strangled a real estate practitioner who showed him a home in a small town in Wisconsin.
Hole, 34, said that Ann Nelson, 71, sheowed him some vacant land and then went on and showed him a house which he clearly could not afford. He said that he hit her twice with a metal object but that she was breathing when he … (4 comments)

Sex Offenders - to disclose or not to disclose? - 09:24 AM

The tricky subject of disclosing the presence of sexual predators has raised its head again in a Florida court case.
A 2006 lawsuit filed in Melbourne, Florida, states that a couple who bought a home should have been told that there was a predator in the neighborhood.
Right now the laws are different in every State - here in Florida for example, any question relating to crime is supposed to be dealt with by directing potential buyers to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website.
For me, if I know there is a predator in the area, I would always disclose it. I … (22 comments)

The Simon Conway Radio Experience - 12:17 PM
Very exciting Talk Show today at 4pm Eastern! I have Libertarian Party Presidential candidate, Wayne Allyn Root as my guest and we have A LOT to discuss.
I also found out that he was in same graduating college class as Barack Obama and I'm sure he has some stories to tell about that experience!
In addition to that, we have Pastor Dr Frank Smith of the Tangelo Baptist Church right here in Orlando. If we are to believe the mainstream media, the racist hate that was spewed from the mouth of Jeremiah Wright is "normal" for African American churches here in the United States. … (4 comments)

The answer to Arab oil?? - 09:58 PM
An American has come up with what he claims is the answer to our reliance on Arab Oil. He claims he can make oil from quite literally, anything that grows.
According to Worldnet Daily: After three years of clandestine development, a Georgia company is now going public with a simple, natural way to convert anything that grows out of the Earth into oil.J.C. Bell, an agricultural researcher and CEO of Bell Bio-Energy, says he's isolated and modified specific bacteria that will, on a very large scale, naturally change plant material - including the leftovers from food - into hydrocarbons to fuel … (23 comments)

Britain to get four inches of Global Warming this Easter - 11:13 PM
In yet more proof of that terrible Global Warming, Britain is in the grip of an Easter freeze, with four inches of snow expected acros Northern Britan and Scotland this weekend.
With Spring officially underway, a "White Easter" is now a certainty in the UK. So far there has been no comment from Al Gore who was last seen buying carbon credits from the carbon credit company he partially owns.
And so the world turns....
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Copyright © 2008 By Simon L Conway All Rights Reserved.)
Please give me a call if you have questions about the Central Florida real estate market.  You can reach me on 407 … (15 comments)

Great Easter story! - 11:23 PM
The Pope baptized a Muslim convert tonight - one of Italy's best known intellectuals, a fierce critic of Islamo-fascism and a big supporter of Israel.
According to Reuters, because of threats to his life on a regular basis, the announcement of his conversion was kept quiet until an hour before the ceremony.
He was one of the seven adults The Pope baptized on Saturday night and his name is Magdi Allam, 55, an Egyptian-born journalist who, as deputy director of the leading newspaper Corriere della Sera, is one of Italy's best-known intellectuals.
Allam, a fierce critic of Islamic extremism and a strong supporter of Israel, is protected … (9 comments)

Fort Myers Beach " OPEN HOUSE" Direct Gulf front Sunday MArch 23, 2008 9 AM, Reduced $100k - 02:12 PM
MARCH 23, 2008  9 AM   Reduced $100k Just finished on the annual " Parade  of Homes " !
 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 Sunday 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  Sunday  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 $1,595,000 .   Call me direct for additional … (0 comments)

Delray Beach and Highland Beach Oceanfront Condo sales summary - 05:46 PM
 
Today a potential buyer was inquiring about the Delray Beach and Highland Beach Oceanfront Condo market.  After creating a summary of the market conditions I emailed it to her.  After I though about it for a while, I decided to share it with others interested in knowing what the past 6 months looks like for the Delray Beach & Highland Condo market place between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.
Here is my summary:
Condominium properties on the market: 477 (as of 3/22/2008)Prices range between: $215,000 to $5,780,000Average list price is: $787,844
More specific to the $500,000 to $1,000,000 market that she inquired … (0 comments)

Jupiter Oceanfront Condos - Sales Summary - 06:28 PM
Jupiter Oceanfront Condos - Market Snapshot Summary
So what is selling on the Jupiter Oceanfront? 
Well there have been 44 condos sold (closed on the RMLS) since 10/1/2008.  The prices have ranged from a high of $1,150,000 for a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom 2,872 sq foot condo at Jupiter Yacht Club to a low of $165,000 for a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom - 860 sq foot condo at SeaRise.  The average days on market for these 44 properties was 222 days.  The average selling price was $355.098 and the average list price was $408,573. So the average selling price to list price discount was 15%!
There are … (0 comments)

Juno Beach Condos - 6 Month Market Summary - 07:22 PM
 
Since 10/1/2008 there have been 13 sold Juno Beach Condos. The highest price sale was for $1,900,000 that was a 3 bedroom & 3 bathroom - 2,515 sq ft condos in the Waterfront that took 682 days to sell and the least expensive condo was a 2 bedroom & 2 bath - 1,190 condo that sold for $175,000 in Ocean Trace (formerly Uno Lago Apartments) in only 13 days.
There are currently 132 Condos for sale in Juno Beach on the Florida Regional MLS.  The current list prices range from $2,650,000 to a low of $147,000. The average days of these 132 Juno … (0 comments)

Singer Island Condos - Market Summary - 07:50 PM
 
Buyers looking for Singer Island have great options in this market.  With a number of new condo developments built in the past few years and several more underway there is no shortage of great properties to choose from.
There are currently 443 Condos for sale on Singer Island as reported by the Florida Regional MLS.  This includes 6 properties in Riviera Beach's new Marina Grande that agents are promoting in the wrong City to try and increase their exposure.  In my opinion this practice is very dissapointing and should be addressed!
Anyway, what is selling on Singer Island?
There have been 38 Singer Island … (1 comments)

Palm Beach Condos - Market Summary - Oceanfront and Waterfront Condos - 09:20 PM
Market Summary for Palm Beach Condos -
In the last 6 months (since 10/1/2007) there have been 49 condos on Palm Beach sold. Prices of these sold condos range from $100,000 for a studio condo to $2,500,000 paid for a 4 bedroom 4 bathroom condo with 3,219 sq ft.  The average number of days for these 49 condos to sell was 202 days.
There are currently 450 Palm Beach condos on the market.  This 450 number includes 9 properties that are currently under contract.  The average price for these condos is $769,393 and the average size is 1,539 sq ft.  The average time on the market … (1 comments)

Biz Op For Sign Vendor - 06:01 AM
Regular readers of Bloodhound Blog will know that every now and then Greg Swann talks about creating custom signs for each of his listings.
A unique sign is made for each individual listing.  The sign is printed with  full color images of the particular property, and with ad copy describing the particular property, along with the usual real estate company logo and info.
I love this idea.  Recently, in a comment thread about the signs, Greg remarked about how this could be a business opportunity for a sign vendor. 
The sign vendor could offer a selection of pre-designed semi-custom sign templates.  The customer would place an order via … (9 comments)

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