Archives of real estate blog entries for July 22, 2008

Featured blog posts


Ethical Credit Repair - attorney assisted challenges to derogatory references - 03:38 AM
When does credit repair cross the ethical line and become falsification of a credit report?
More and more applicants seem not to qualify because of credit issues. They come fully aware of their credit situation and even know their credit score. In the past many would have qualified for a subprime loan. Many would have qualified for FHA financing, but FHA has tightened credit standards and many lenders have further tightened their own standards for manual approval.
These borrowers oftentimes can be helped with credit guidance. Correcting inaccurate references. Paying down some credit lines. Disputing errors. Adding non traditional references. This … (80 comments)

Got Toxic Waste in Your Anoka County Basement? Safe and FREE Disposal Site! (LOCALISM FEATURED) - 03:35 AM
At almost every home closing in Minnesota, there is a short time where closing representatives leave the room to make copies and print checks. During this time keys and garage door openers are passed to the new homeowners and the seller usually passes on quirky information about the house. Often one tidbit is "I left all the extra paint on the basement/garage shelf so you can touch up a few things." Though buyers can be appreciative if the home was just repainted, others will consider this toxic waste.Last week, my husband and I ventured into our own little toxic wasteland of … (26 comments)

Frankly CRA Exposed! Comparative Realtor Analysis. My Secret Weapon. - 07:37 AM

(Warning long a** post, but my best of the year.)
FranklyCRA: A Comparative REALTOR Analysis. Unleashed.
Imagine legally eavesdropping onto the conversation of the listing agent, with buyer in tow.
You know, the one that goes like this, "Well, in my experience I think you should..."
Well what if I could tell you there was a way to know what that experience exactly was? Trends that the other agent repeats. Yep, and I have been doing it for 4 years.
A REALTOR friend that I taught this technique to, and works for one of the big boys said, "No Stop, … (88 comments)

Active Rain is Setting Me Apart!!! - 03:15 AM
I have been officially "blogging" on the Nashville Real Estate Market (like that tag?) since November 2007.  It has been a tremendously WONDERFUL learning situation for me!
 

I, like all newbies, did hours and hours of research on "how to" and "tag words" and "search engine optimization" and everything else that comes with it - I am still feeling light years away from knowing it all, but here is what I have gotten in return so far:
1.  I have had two closings so far from people who have read my blogs.  I have a third one that is going … (81 comments)

All I did was add artificial fruit, 3 pictures, 1 floral and wall paint - kitchen - 03:00 AM
 
n this example I wanted to show Realtors and Homeowners that you can Stage the most important room in any home, the kitchen, on a modest budget.
In this propety in Schomberg, I added a bowl with artificial fruit, a vase with florals, hung three pictures and painted the walls a neutral colour to expand the size of the kitchen.
Investment, minimal.
Impact, priceless.

 
 

 
… (91 comments)

They Ain't Making Any More Time - 02:54 AM
We all live such busy lives these days. Those in real estate know this well. It can be up early, out the door, or if home officed starting working on your assignments for the day from the get go. Managing calendars is never easy. I absolutely laugh when sometimes I get triple or quadruple booked at times. What is an excellent multi-tasker to do? There is physically afterall only one of me and I can't be two places at the same time. Well with the phone I can.

Very much like that quote about land, that they ain't making any … (87 comments)

Manhattan's Beloved Treasure: Riverside Park (LOCALISM FEATURED) - 03:33 AM
Riverside Park stretches over four miles along the Hudson River from 62nd to 158th Streets, the 330 acres of Riverside Park provide recreation and relaxation for a uniquely diverse population.

Riverside Park is widely regarded as Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront park. As one of only 10 officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York, it has a long and storied history.

Rugged bluffs and rocky outcroppings created through prehistoric glacial deposits once descended directly to the Hudson River shore. They were densely wooded until 1846, when the Hudson River Railroad cut through the forested hillside.

Today it is enjoyed by … (25 comments)

What is the Shelf Life of a Stager??? - 02:56 AM
I've talked about my best two stager friends and how we get together once a month for Margaritas & Motivation. This month we drove up to the beautiful mountain community of Winter Park to spend a few days in Michele's condo. This was our first "over-nighter" and, as you can imagine, we had a blast!
In addition to chatting nonstop, eating, and shopping til we dropped (you men reading this can roll your eyes now), we did something I haven't done since I was a kid.  We used a Ouija board!

Now, this is a sad commentary, but we had … (42 comments)

NIT-PICKING LENDERS PUSHING BUYERS AWAY--In my Opinion! WHY?--UPDATE - 02:59 AM
UPDATE at the end...
We all know what a mess the lending institutions are in. IF YOU DON'T then you must have been on an island somewhere or living under a rock the past few years.  WE KNOW TO WELL. That said, it seems to me that instead of trying to fix this mess, lenders are instead taking it out on the GOOD buyers. By this I mean that they (lenders) are NIT-PICKING THEM to death until they (BUYERS) say "Forget it! If you don't want my business, I'm going elsewhere."
One of my escrows is with a "dream" buyer." (Yes, they are still … (61 comments)


Blog posts


Aiken SC A Great Place to Be! - 04:15 PM
 
   As we all know every market is local so good or bad I have been putting monthly market reports on my website about our stats .in the city of Aiken since the beginning of this year. I am surprise this page gets ranked second every month so far on hits on my site. Recently I looked at last year compared to this year, and it renewed my optimism again for the Aiken Market.


Shelley Queen CRS ABR ASR RRS
Aiken Properties Inc                                                                    803-507-7755shelley@shelleyqueen.com
www.AikenHomesinfo.com                                             
… (0 comments)

I've Been Thinking about Energy Options - 11:15 AM

A friend was telling me about an article he had read about mini nuclear reactors so I found information on it. "Mini Reactors Show Promise for Clean Nuclear Power's Future," by Phaedra Hise, published in Popular Mechanics on July 15, 2008. They talk about NuScale Power that has been developed by the engineering department at Oregon State. The containment unit is 14 ft. The whole unit sits below ground and can be manufactured cheaply. Each 45-megawatt electrical unit would generate enough power for about 45,000 homes.
A few weeks ago I rode over to Spokane with another friend and while … (0 comments)

Did You Know That Wisteria Can Create Problems if it Grows on Your House? - 11:26 AM

We all love our Wisteria. What you may not know is that it will grow right into your house. If you have it climbing on your porch or up the side of the house you need to be aware of this. Whenever I go by someone’s house that has this lovely plant in these areas I have the urge to knock on their door and tell them how much damage they may eventually get.
 
Queen Anne, Magnolia, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont, Ballard and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then … (3 comments)

395 E. Columbia Avenue, Pomona, CA 91767 - 06:04 PM
395 E. Columbia Avenue, Pomona - Offered at: $624,000 A rare heirloom treasure. This Classic Craftsman home is located in the historic Lincoln Park District of Pomona, built in 1908, with over 3,000 square feet. It features hardwood floors, high-ceilings, a large fireplace, period light fixtures, and all original woodwork. There are 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, plus sunroom, enclosed sleeping porch, sewing room, a wrap-around river rock front porch, plus workshop and basement. … (0 comments)

Dallas Metroplex has 10 Cities in Top 100 Best Places - 09:50 AM
Many suburbs of Dallas, TX made CNN Money's top 100 places to live list for 2008.  What I find interesting is that 10 cities in the Dallas area made the list, but only 1 city from the Austin area made the list, Round Rock.  Of those 10 cities, I have to admit, I'm shocked by a couple of the cities that made it, but as to not offend anyone, I will not mention which ones are unbelievable.
This is interesting because Austin is constantly and consistently on the list of one of the best places to live.  They're supposed to have a great housing … (6 comments)

Is Your House Missing a Window? - 10:34 AM
I was searching through the MLS today trying to find a house for a relocation person.  Our houses are mostly brick and after a couple of minutes of scrolling through listings, they always all seem to look the same... until one grabs your attention.
Granted, this is not "good" attention per se, but it definitely makes you do a double-take. I was looking at these houses and it seemed that several were missing a window.  Do you ever run across houses like these?  What do your buyers think?  Do they think the house looks odd and they cross it off the … (21 comments)

New Condo Listing in Griswold, CT! - 12:59 PM

Welcome to 42 Anthony Drive Unit 28 in Griswold, CT!  This home is so close to the action, only minutes away from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos and Interstate 395.  Don't let this deal pass you by!
Condo Details:
Price: $129,900Bedrooms: 2Bathrooms: 1.5SQFT: 990 sqft
Now is the time to buy! Welcome to this lovely 2 bedroom 1.5 bath condo minutes from highways and casinos. Low condo fees take care of all of your exterior maintenence and snow removal so you can live worry free. Large living room great for entertaining and a deck off the dining area perfect for … (1 comments)

$5000 selling Bonus plus Bake Spaghetti and Two $50 Visa Cards - 09:54 AM
Click Here To View Flyer View Flyer Web Page … (0 comments)

The Highland Park Ebell Club - 08:21 AM
In 1903 an influential group of women formed the Highland Park Ebell Club, and when the elite women's organization opened a clubhouse ten years later, more than 20,000 people attended the colorful ceremonies.
One of the first causes championed by the local women was the preservation of the land around the Arroyo Seco as a park, and it remains a park today.

Illustration from Highland Park by Charles J. Fisher, Highland Park's Historian for Hire
Would you like to see the Ebell Clubhouse? Easy!
This Thursday, July 24, 2008, at 7pm, you could attend an LAFD Earthquake Preparedness Workshop being held at … (4 comments)

This Is Just A Test - 06:20 PM
This is just a test of how a real estate show video fits in the localism content column... will it be too wide???  Will it fit just right???
Enquiring minds want to know...
Here goes.....
OK. Question answered: It fits just fine
UPDATE
Dan Cummings discovered a White Box Buglet when using FireFox. I managed to duplicate the behaviour:
When I access the page from my Localism Home Page http://localism.com/neighbor/cheryljns everything is fine.
When I go to http://localism.com/, search for Glassell Park, and click on the city link ... bingo ... white box.
… (14 comments)

Thousands of criminals have been working in Florida's mortgage industry. - 07:58 AM
I was reading the news online this morning and of course this headline caught my attention right away. 
"The report says the Florida Office of Financial Regulation issued licenses to more than 10,000 people with criminal records, including more than 4,000 that cleared background checks despite committing crimes such as fraud, racketeering and extortion."
"The office is also accused of failing to perform criminal background checks most of the time, despite a state law that mandates such checks."
"The man in charge of the Office of Financial Regulation, Commissioner Don Saxon, says he has no idea why his staff issued licenses to bank robbers … (12 comments)

Belmont in Ruskin Florida - 06:15 PM
Belmont is a brand new community in Ruskin that is currently being built.  Belmont sits on nearly 1,000 acres and will have over 2,000 residences when completed.
Once completed, Belmont will offer a lot of amenities:
10,000 square foot pool complex Olympic size pool Splash zone Flume slide A 7.5-acre park area Fishing pier that will extend into one of the park's ponds Putting green 2 playgrounds Basketball courts Sand volleyball Fields to play in A colorful main boulevard to take a stroll down Outdoor picnic pavilion Bocce Ball Courts Belmont is located in Ruskin off Hwy 301 about 2 miles … (1 comments)

Your Own Little Piece of the Texas Hill Country - 05:26 PM
Your Secluded Hill Country Retreat 510 Greystone Drive, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 View Map This secluded log home retreat tucked away in the Hill Country just outside of Dripping Springs is a perfect place to get away from the rush-rush-rush of the city and relax, listening to the wind and the wildlife and watching the panoramic view from the rocking chair on your wraparound porch. A BBQ with friends under the trees is not out of the question, either! Hardwood and tile floors down, carpet upstairs, a huge walk-in shower in the master bath and elegant claw foot tub upstairs, wood … (2 comments)

The Sun WILL Come Up In The Morning - 07:40 PM
A couple of days ago, I rose early.  My reward, when I went to the porch, was to get to enjoy this lovely sunrise:
 

 
It got me thinking about a saying that I've had for years, a saying that my daughter once told me was the most valuable thing I taught her when she was growing up:  "No matter what, the sun WILL come up in the morning."  And, if it doesn't, of course, we have much worse problems than whatever happens to be troubling us in the immediate moment. 
With all of the angst and trauma and … (4 comments)

752 Marie Drive - Talking Rock Creek Resort - 09:18 PM
… (2 comments)

CyberStars Shine in Orlando - 08:58 PM
 
Overload! That's what it has felt like the last three days. So much information, so much new knowledge, so much sharing and communicating, and so much FUN! 
A couple of times a year the Allen Hainge CyberStars® get together for a conference, and this time Orlando was the destination. In between fabulous meals and running from one air-conditioned space to another (it's hot and humid out there!), I learned so much that my brain is overflowing. Teri Isner did a wonderful job of putting this event together in her home town of Celebration, FL – and then shared enough … (25 comments)

The Cyclical Nature of Real Estate Illustrated. - 02:51 PM
Hi there. In this post I'm going to explore the history of a couple of recent foreclosures (REOs) that have just been placed under contract (pending). I figure this little exercise will give you some incite on the cyclical nature of real estate and property values. 
Both of these properties were sold by me, prior to opening up Tutas Towne Realty, 10 years ago. 
The first one is a 3 bedroom 2 bath pool home with 1670 sq ft of living area built in 1991 and sits on a ½ acre lot. 
I met the original owner of this house back … (37 comments)

Save money in the long term - 03:34 PM
Simple, fix problems before they become nightmares. Every homeowner, buyer and/or seller at one time or another has had to face a home inspection. The wide range of defects that can be uncovered during a home inspection can be a major deal breaker. Buyers are looking for homes that do not require a full remodel after closing. They are looking for homes that have been well maintained and are worth the money being spent on it especially in the current economical times.
[Continue Reading...]
… (5 comments)

Mount Vernon Ohio Country Home (Off Market) - 03:27 PM
2 Acre Country Setting is the Perfect Place For Animals or Outdoor Fun

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Much larger than it looks and featuring 4 bedrooms and lots of living space Clean, nice and neat with some bonus features that will truly impress you Kitchen and living rooms are custom and … (2 comments)

Kings Gate, Port Charlotte Fl ~ Resort Living without Resort Prices! - 01:20 PM
The minute that you drive through the gate, you'll know that you're home.

Kings Gate, located in Port Charlotte, Florida is the perfect place to call home, too!  With all the potluck dinners, community barbeques, holiday parties and ice cream socials, you'll feel like you've finally found the place you've been looking for.  But social gatherings aren't all this community is good for; at the recreation center you can enjoy billiards, softball, dancing, fitness classes, water aerobics, bridge, yoga, bocce ball, a fishing club, golf leagues and tennis at the lighted tennis courts!  As if that weren't enough, there are … (0 comments)

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