Archives of real estate blog entries for April 16, 2008

Featured blog posts


ActiveRain site issues fixing stuff (official post thingy) - 01:16 PM
Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
- Vince Lombardi -                     
At times over the past few weeks ActiveRain has been slow and even sometimes unresponsive.  I want everyone to know that we know about the problems and take them very seriously. Our members invest themselves to create content with the hopes that it will eventually reach their customers or other industry professionals. It is our calling and responsibility to ensure that we maintain the platform so … (70 comments)

ACTIVERAIN IS THE LAND OF NEW FRONTIERS - HAVE A DISH OF ACTIVERAIN WITH YOUR MORNING COFFEE!! - 01:03 PM
400,000 POINTS!!
Thanks to all of my ActiveRain subscribers!!Thanks to all of my ActiveRain commentors!!Thanks to my ActiveRain referral network partners who sell homes to or for the folks I send!!Thanks to all of the ActiveRain folks for this wonderful ActiveRain blog!!Thanks to my parents and grandparents for the genes that give me boundless energy!!Thanks to Crystal, my Virtual Assistant for doing the grunt work for my Internet sites to free me for ActiveRain!!Thanks to the Buyers who GoToGoogle and find my ActiveRain Blog!!Thanks to Google for delivering my ActiveRain posts to Real Estate consumers!!
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
… (132 comments)

Are Your Seller's Like an Ostrich? - 04:57 PM
In my market, we have not seen the dramatic shift that many others have and real estate is still selling here pretty strong; however, make no mistake, we ARE in a buyer's market.  Austin has had such a long run of having sellers in control that they are having a HARD TIME accepting the fact that they no longer are!  They want to overprice, dreaming that there is a STUPID buyer out there somewhere and my job as the listing agent is to find them.  If I can't then I must be a bad REALTOR® which we all know is HOGWASH.  … (39 comments)

Why some Realtors are flourishing - 09:06 AM

In golf the difference between the winner of a major golf tournament is a few extra putts here and there.  I have watched many golf tournaments over the years where a single putt won a tournament.
I tell everyone in my second life I am going to be a basketball player.   I love basketball and I can't tell you how many tournaments I have watched that were won by one basket made and many one or two point games determined the difference between a championship team and the 2nd place team.
Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are known for their relentless practice routines and physical … (94 comments)

An Active Rain Success Story - 09:13 AM
Hello!
Last week one of my associates told me about this Active Rain web site and I decided to take a look at it. I registered but hadn't even completed enough work to earn my photograph being included in my site. On Monday morning to my surprise my e-mail program had a message from active rain from a new customer who wanted to know if I would help her sell her home. I immediately called, set up a listing appointment, and within minutes agreed with the owner that my group would represent her. To be honest, she had seen a number of my Newsletters … (53 comments)

Proof is in the Pudding... Blogging is really worth it! - 02:32 AM
    The Proof is in the Pudding!
15 days after I started Active Rain, I wrote a blog that asked the question, Is blogging really worth it?  , I was going to give blogging and Active Rain some time, meet people, write local articles, pretty much absorb myself in it, but also determine at the same time  if my efforts were going to be financially rewarding.  If you know me, I see things pretty much as debits(dr) and credits (cr)- I was a tax accountant for 20 years before I became a realtor.  For those of you know most geeky accountants like myself … (72 comments)

Making Sense and Sensibilities out of the Housing Markets - 05:03 PM
We have all seen the News Headlines and poll after poll of what people think. There was a new housing Poll conducted March 24th through April 3rd. The conclusions in that poll is not that much different from all the previous media  headlines and stories that have been finding their way into our homes across the country.
Polls are conducted to get people's perceptions and opinions and if this poll reflects anything, it is that the Poll seems to run counter to the noticed increase in sales activity in many markets around the US.
Here are the highlights of the poll, including some of the poll analyser's extraordinary … (52 comments)

Congratulations to Lenn Harley on Hitting 400,000 Points - 01:04 PM
I looked up and saw that Lenn Harley just went over the top.  She is the first member of Active rain to hit 400,000 points.  I am sure that many will be acknowledging her achievement, but I wanted to put in my 2 cents worth.
Lenn, as many of you know has been a great contributor to our forum.  She has been well known as our resident expert on copyright and SEO.
I hope everyone stops her posts and congratulates here for all she has done to help build our community here on Active Rain.
Good Luck and Blogging!!!
… (85 comments)

Would You Advertise My Listing? - 02:30 AM
I have read a few blog posts on this subject.  I commented tongue in cheek, when I read about agents on the mainland advertising listings of other agents, acting as if it were theirs.  I though it was kind of funny at the time. 
Who would do such a thing?  I found out yesterday; a partner in a major real estate company.
A few days ago while standing in front of one of my listings and agent from another company who is listing the home next door mentioned to me that another agent was advertising my listing.  She said she saw … (72 comments)

Waiting for a deposit back....how long? - 09:10 AM
  I would like some input from Realtors on this problem.
A couple of weeks ago, my buyers put in an offer on a home. They gave an earnest money deposit and we wrote the offer, "subject to inspection" and subject to a certain loan.
The bank (it was a foreclosure) accepted the offer.
The inspector came and tore the house apart and the bank wouldn't lend them the money.
I call the Realtor who is listing the property and email him, explaining that we are backing out of this offer and my buyer would like their money back.  No problem.
About a week later … (85 comments)

Sorry, but my services are NOT FREE! - 11:49 AM
I have been working with some buyers for the past two weeks.  They are friends of mine that are looking to purchase their first home.  So they are a little nervous, and have many questions.  As usual, when starting to work with a buyer, I had them call for a free pre-approval to make sure we could get financing before we spent countless hours looking at homes, and wasting a tank of gasoline. 
We got them an FHA pre-approval which took the first major hurdle in buying a house out of the way.  So, we then starting talking about some homes … (120 comments)

Emotional, Irrational, Out Of Her Mind – When The Seller Is Her Own Agent - 02:34 AM
Okay, so I'm sitting here over this CMA for my buyers, and I'm going bonkers.  Is this worth my time? 
We want to put together an offer on a house they really, absolutely love.  It's charming, unusual, quirky, colorful, spacious, in a great location, and on a lot that's to-die-for.  It has it all (well, not really all, but I'll get to that later).  What's great is that the place has been on and off on the market for nine months, and there are no other offers. (Now that's a tip-off for you.)

What is wrong is the price.  … (54 comments)

Zero Comments ... Three New Clients - 02:29 AM
Blogging is a curious enterprise... Active Rain blogging especially. 
I don't know how I stumbled into this alternate universe but here I am.
I thought- "hmmm.... free community? ... blog for prospects?- I'll give it a shot." ... and ever since I've been trying to figure out the best way to use this thing. 
And so begins the tug-of-war over blogging topics. 
I've noticed that if I blog about techy stuff I sometimes receive comments galore and a bevy of points. This feels a bit cheap, if you want me to be honest about it. I'll still do it- because it's … (79 comments)

Blast From The Past Historic Downtown CONTEST WINNERS - 04:58 PM
We have had some truly amazing history post's for The Historic Downtown Contest in the Blast From The Past Group.Many took advantage of the slide-shows and video's which greatly enhanced the History of your area. This contest was not easy to Judge. So many put a lot of time and effort into their entry and gave us a wonderful History Lesson (s).
Thank you all for your participation and your patience in revealing the winners. There are some extraordinary post's from such really great writers here on AR. If you have not had the pleasure to read these entries I urge you … (45 comments)


Blog posts


ActiveRain site issues fixing stuff (official post thingy) - 01:16 PM
Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
- Vince Lombardi -                     
At times over the past few weeks ActiveRain has been slow and even sometimes unresponsive.  I want everyone to know that we know about the problems and take them very seriously. Our members invest themselves to create content with the hopes that it will eventually reach their customers or other industry professionals. It is our calling and responsibility to ensure that we maintain the platform so … (70 comments)

Living With Blinders On - 01:11 PM
 
I suppose it will never end, it's simply engrained in American salesmanship culture. I've just been reading the still never-ending supply of blogs and postings that are chock-full of self praise for the writer, and loathing for other agents that are leaving the business. It's sort of a "Hey, wait, you gotta stick it out and suffer along with us" mentality. They seem to find it audacious that many agents would actually come into a business when it's good, and step out when it's bad!
Now let's think about how absurd that is. If you had money in the stock … (5 comments)

Queen Anne Condo update - March 2008 - 03:09 PM
In March, the condo market on Queen Anne reversed a price decline trend with a 20.2% increase in median price to $372,450, compared to the same period in the prior year.  The number of active condo listings increased 42% over March 2007 to 251 properties.  Fewer properties are being sold with closed sales down 44% from last year.  However, the absorption rate of 4.6 months makes the Queen Anne/Magnolia neighborhood one of the strongest markets within Seattle.  
Queen Anne | Magnolia Median Price  

… (0 comments)

Boating Course in Milford CT - United States Coast Guard Auxilary 24-3 - 10:24 AM
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 24-3 will be offering an American Boating Course April 19 and a specialty course covering GPS use and charting and navigation on Tuesday April 15, Wednesday April 16 and April 17.
Registration for both courses will take place Sunday April 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Flotilla 24-3 Training Center, 1 Helwig St. For further information, call 874-0200 or 387-3659.
Milford Flotilla 24-3 Calendar and further information regarding boating in Milford CT.
 
… (0 comments)

Orange CT Market Report for March 2008 - 01:59 PM

 
Current Active Listings in Orange Connecticut: 79  
Number Sold in Orange CT Last 12 Months: 115 (9.6Sold Per Month)
Number Sold in Orange CTLast 6 Months: 44 (7.3Sold Per Month)
Number Sold in Orange CT Last 3 Months: 20 (6.7Sold Per Month)
Current # Of Months Inventory in Orange CT: 11.8
To View The Full Orange CT Martket Report please visit my Home Team Blog
 
… (1 comments)

Avon - Very Nice 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Condo. - 04:48 PM
… (0 comments)

1915 Windward Lane - Newport Beach CA - $1,550,000 - 11:57 PM
Home | Site MapFor more information, photographs and other available properties, go to :Orange County coastal real estate in Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach & Newport Coast
… (0 comments)

DISCOVERY BAY HOME SALES – BY THE NUMBER - 12:41 PM
I put out a general market report on the East Contra Costa County area about once a month.  But people want to know what is going on in a specific market.  The specific market can refer to a community or a particular type of home.  On of the most unique and exciting place to live (and play) in East Contra Costa County is Discovery Bay.  Discovery Bay offers a number of divergent communities, including The Lakes, Golf Course communities, and homes with Deep Water Docks.
As of 4-15-08 there were 192 homes for sale in Discovery Bay of those 45 are Bank … (0 comments)

So I told Wes Foster.....No More Short Sales - 10:41 PM
I have been tossing this issue around. I probably have worn out my welcome with some subscribers.
Sorry.
I just can't let it go.
The multiple listing service in this area is becoming clogged with short sales. I know some of them are being done in an orderly fashion. I know that most of them are not. I know that some of those being done in an orderly fashion have no assurance from the lender that they will review any offers.
Well, I think there is only one group that can put a stop to the madness.
It is us.
I have written Wes Foster (the big … (24 comments)

Foreclosure Rates are Dropping - 08:13 AM
Foreclosures are going down!  It's true!  It was on the news last night, and I had to pause the TiVo to make sure I wrote down the numbers correctly. 
The Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex area had a 16% DROP in foreclosures compared to last year.  WOW!  They compared this to the National foreclosure rate that INCREASED 57%.  That is a huge difference.
To put the number into perspective, approximately 10,700 houses started the foreclosure procedures last month.
For those of you who follow my blogs, this just reiterates what I keep saying, that it doesn't make sense to compare your local market to the … (5 comments)

Examples of the Local Market - 05:33 PM
Here in our neck of the woods we are experiencing a total disconnect between what we are hearing and what we are seeing in regards to real estate.   The news states that the economy is bad, that people aren't buying homes and prices are tumbling.  Our reality is very, very different depending on price ranges that you are investigating.  If you are looking at spending 160K or less in College Station, and some areas of Bryan you need to be prepared to move.  Recently a young couple from Austin was looking, initially at 150K and then going up by small increments when … (5 comments)

Fort Myers Beach " OPEN HOUSE " April 17, 2008 9:30 AM Reduced $100k - 09:19 PM
"  OPEN HOUSE  "  Thursday April 17, 2008  9:30 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  Thursday starting at  9:30 AM .  If you have been looking for a move-in ready beach front this is it.   If you are on Fort Myers Beach  Thursday  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 … (0 comments)

For Sale By Owner Advertisement - 10:40 PM

 
This is an interesting advertisement that I found on my car after an Investor Meeting in Cheektowaga this evening...... 
Every car in the parking lot had one.  There was also postcards for property management.  The investment group doesn't allow people to hand out things unless they sponsor.
For $45,000 you can purchase a Triple unit in Western New York. 
Rents are set by Section 8 Tenants (the check come directly from the state to you)  Cash intake monthly is $1,645.
Interesting right?  It brings up a great discussion point: 
Does this type of advertising work?   Did they target the right people and did it get their message to … (13 comments)

Mediation Training for Professional Standards - 10:07 AM
Register Online Today!
… (1 comments)

Waiting for a deposit back....how long? - 09:10 AM
  I would like some input from Realtors on this problem.
A couple of weeks ago, my buyers put in an offer on a home. They gave an earnest money deposit and we wrote the offer, "subject to inspection" and subject to a certain loan.
The bank (it was a foreclosure) accepted the offer.
The inspector came and tore the house apart and the bank wouldn't lend them the money.
I call the Realtor who is listing the property and email him, explaining that we are backing out of this offer and my buyer would like their money back.  No problem.
About a week later … (85 comments)

A Denver ANOMOLY Appears! Inventory falls! - 08:36 PM
While it is not always a popular topic, supply & demand sets the prices paid for any product.
Gasoline is one good (bad) example but it is true with real estate as well.
There is a real anomoly that appeared in new listings in the Denver Real Estate residential listings in March.
We only had 5377 single family homes enter the market where the average of new listings for the previous 5 years was 6756.
See the full story at my blog 
… (0 comments)

Poinciana Home Sellers.....I have something for you. - 03:33 PM
Dear Mr and Mrs Homeseller,
I hope this email finds you doing well. In this more difficult real estate market it's important that we get as much exposure as we can for your property. Statistics show that most Buyers(about 80%) start their home search on the Internet these days. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and a sign in the yard won't cut it.
So, if the Buyers are on the Internet....then your property needs to be there as well. Anyway, here is a sampling of Internet sites where your property is currently being displayed.
TRULIA CLRSEARCHZILLOWCRAIGSLISTREALESTATESHOWSBUYPOINCIANAHOMESCYBERHOMESPOINCIANAPROPERTIESPOSTLETSYour property has also been syndicated through my web site http://buypoinciana.com to another … (28 comments)

Knoxville Tennessee area March 2008 Sales Report - 05:18 PM
Here's the March 2008 sales report for the great Knoxville, Tennessee area
Home Sales Report Beginning 03/01/2008, Ending 03/31/2008 … (0 comments)

Knoxville Tennessee 1st quarter 2008 sales report - 05:21 PM
Here's the first quarter of 2008 sales report for the greater Knoxville, Tennessee area
Home Sales Report Beginning 01/01/2008, Ending 03/31/2008  
… (0 comments)

Is Affordable Austin Real Estate Just a Pipe Dream? - 07:35 AM
Austin is consistently one of America's top places to live, causing demand for housing to remain steady in most areas of the city.
As the Greater Austin metro area grows, we face rising home prices. Austin and other Texas cities are among the few in the nation to continue to appreciate while we face a recession.
We face tough questions every day. Their answer will affect our children and future generations.
Top Housing Issues in Austin
1. How can we create walkable, sustainable communities as the population increases?
2. How far should we take density if we want to remain livable?
3. How can we … (2 comments)

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