Archives of real estate blog entries for July 24, 2008 (Page 1)

Blog posts


Ask A Buyer of A Shortsale-Did You Lock Your Rate? - 09:15 PM
Some buyer's choose to lock in their rates ASAP while others take a gamble and wait.  Since turn around time for 3rd party approval is taking longer than ever. 

 
If you talk to a short sale specialist..they will tell you..right now they are overworked and really backed up..backed up weeks and some even months. 
Heck you call some banks...its sounds like a telemarketing room!
The buyer who takes the gamble is the buyer I am talking about. 
Keep in mind with the way guidelines are changing everyday..the rate the buyer was qualified for 60 days ago..may no longer be … (12 comments)

Called to Testify by the District Attorney - 07:17 PM
Back in April, I blogged about a situation where the appliances were stolen out of one of my listings.  This week, I received a call from the Dallas County District Attorney, and he has asked me to testify in the case. 
My initial response was that I would do it, why not?  Then, I started thinking about how the guy who is believed to have taken them knows where I live and also carries a gun with him everywhere he goes. 
That doesn't sound like a very good situation, and I'm not quite sure what I should do.  I'm thinking about … (31 comments)

TypePad Layouts: Fluid Width Column - 07:09 AM
Here's how to set a "fluid" width column in the TypePad blogging platform as mentioned here
Sign in to your TypePad Pro account.
Click the Weblogs tab.

 
From the list of your blogs (you can have multiple blogs with a TypePad Pro account), select the blog you want to work on, and click Design.

 
At the Design screen, click Change Layout.

 
For this example, I'm choosing 3 Columns Right, under the list of Classic layouts, click Save Changes.

 
Clicking Save Changes takes you back to the Design screen.  Now click Change Theme.

… (5 comments)

Los Angeles River Expedition (LOCALISM FEATURED) - 03:42 PM

 
On July 25, 2008, a group of hardy adventurers will embark on an extraordinary expedition of the Los Angeles River by kayak and canoe, to demonstrate to developers and the Army Corps of Engineers that the LA RIVER is indeed a navigable waterway that should be protected and owned by the people of Los Angeles.
A mighty river in previous centuries, Los Angeles River is now one of the most hydraulically modified urban rivers in the world. Nearly seventy-five  percent of the fifty-two mile long river is enclosed in concrete. Channelization of the river  was initiated in 1938 by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as … (15 comments)

Valencia Lakes in Wimauma Florida - 08:41 AM
I took my first drive through this community a couple days ago and I was pretty impressed.  It's a beautiful community.  You are welcomed into the community via a long winding road lined with lush tropical trees, greenery and rock waterfalls. 
Valenica Lakes is a resort syle community for adults, which means there are age restrictions.  They are currently in the process of building a 27,000 sq ft club house.  They will also have plenty of other amenities when completed.
complete fitness center resort pool resistance pool pool area spa cabana bath aerobics studio art studio and gallery wine bar social … (1 comments)

Moss Landing, Riverview Florida - 09:21 AM
Moss Landing is a gated community located off the beaten path on the outskirts of Riverview.  Secluded from the hustle and bustle of the busy roads, yet just a short drive to I-75 and I-4.  Moss Landing is within a short drive to Brandon, Tampa, restaurants and shopping.
Moss Landing consists of 310 single family residences surrounded by old beautiful trees and preserves.   
There are currently 2 builders building in Moss Landing.  KB homes and Adams Homes.
Single family homes range in size from 1,277 to 3,508 sq ft.
Moss Landing is located in Riverview off Balm Riverview Rd.  Take I-75 … (0 comments)

Why you need to work with a dedicated professional! - 03:27 PM
Why it is important to work with a dedicated Professional!
Being a WNY Realtor does has it moments of challenge. Our team went to a listing appointment the other day with a frustrated Cheektowaga NY property owner. They want to get their home sold, but there has been no activity. Their listing was up and they wanted to interview us to see if we could assist them in selling their home.
We are not talking about no activity for weeks or months, but YEARS! The Agent that they had this property listed with could not sell it over several years. More than … (0 comments)

Tips for selling your home... - 03:32 PM
 
 
Real estate is all about leverage and details. Whether you're buying to flip, or just want to increase the return on the asset you live in, these tips can help you get top dollar for a house when you sell it. Here is a list of things you can do to increase your home's value. Remember that any major home improvements you do should be because you want them. You many not recoup the investment so proceed carefully. I have written a lot on staging your home and improvements that you can do to your home. Today I thought … (0 comments)

Cheektowaga Market Report July 2008 - 03:38 PM
Cheektowaga Market Report for July 2008:
Single Family Homes
There are currently 269 active single-family homes in Cheektowaga with an average list price of $94,609.  Highest list priced home in Cheektowaga is $289,500 and lowest is $9,900. There are currently 5 pending and 15 under contract sales in Cheektowaga In the past 30 days there has been a totalof 80 closed sales in Cheektowaga with an average sold price of $84,326 and an average of 58 days on the market. Year to date there has been a total of 330 closed sales with an average sold price of $87,997 and spent an … (0 comments)

Grand Island Market Report - 03:47 PM
July 2008 Single Family Home Sales for Grand Island
Grand Island
Single family homes:
There are currently 108 active listings on Grand Island.   The average list price of a Grand Island Single Family home is $257,863 with the highest $899,000 and lowest listed for $77,900. There are 3 pending and 9 under contract listings on Grand Island. in the past 30 days there has been 15 closed sales averaging $195,500 after an average of 58 days on the market.  Highest sold in this time period sold for $255,000 (272 DOM) and lowest sold for $52,000 (0 DOM) Grand Island Single Family … (1 comments)

Real Living who??? Are you a Magazine?? I haven't ever heard of Real Living..... - 10:29 PM
I wish I had a dime for everytime I've heard those words!
When I started a Real Living franchise in Austin Texas, no one had ever heard of Real Living and times are  a'changing.  I have spent the better part of a year and a half getting our name into the realtor population and its finally working!!! We have agents in Austin who recognize the name, want more info about our company and recognize that we have a lot of good technology to offer them.
Its been hard starting a new business and switching gears from being a fulltime selling agent to a broker/manager but its … (7 comments)

Mixed bag - 06:44 AM
A polite and effective way to build your blog up
Knol - could be the next big thing
Blogger interaction
Lorell VanFossen on Blog Bullies
Skribit tool
Definition of a community manager
Forget business cards - Try social cards
… (0 comments)

Foreclosures, swimming pools and thieves!!! - 04:01 PM
I'm dedicating this post to swimming pools. That's right...swimming pools. We have swimming pools everywhere in Florida. Here is a picture of our pool.

This is what they are supposed to look like, sparkling, refreshing and very inviting. It makes you want to jump in doesn't it? 
Now contrast our swimming pool with these.
   

This is what pools look like when the property is a REO (bank owned) or a short sale. Not all the time but certainly most of the time. 
Needless to say these can be a HUGE problem. There are probably 1,000s of … (59 comments)

The Bat Fest in Austin Texas - 12:15 AM
Austin's love affair with those delightful little bug-eaters is epic, and is celebrated every year with a bat-tastic festival held right on the Congress Street Bridge, while the honorees sleep below. Bat Fest, although relatively new, has become one of the River City's most noted and well-attended events.
Bat Fest is usually held in late August or early September, when the bat population is at its highest - the females have given birth and the pups are starting to venture out on their own. The bridge is closed to traffic, allowing for the 40,000+ attendees to walk among the tents … (1 comments)

Mexic-Arte Museum - 12:20 AM
The Mexic-Arte Museum is the Official Mexican and Mexican-American Fine Art Museum of Texas, as designated by the state legislature. Although focused primarily on the arts from Mexico, their scope includes Latin America as well as Latino arts, both contemporary and ancient, as well as Chicano art. Its diverse and eclectic collections, exhibits and programs reflect the heritage of the area, which was once Mexico. The population of Texas remains heavily Hispanic, and the Mexic-Arte museum celebrates this culture.
Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Mexic-Arte Museum offers a modern, contemporary space through which over 75,000 visitors a … (0 comments)

Road trip - 09:10 AM
One of my many avocations is being an e-PRO Trainer for the National Association of Realtors and the Internet Crusade who administer the certification for NAR.
This involved traveling to nearby boards and associations of Realtors to deliver the e-PRO message and give a short presentation about what the course will do for you to bring you up to speed with today's technology.
Yesterday (July 24th) I had two associations to visit. First up was the Haywood County Association of Realtors located in beautiful Waynesville, North Carolina and about a hundred miles southeast of Knoxville. It's a beautiful drive along Interstate … (4 comments)

August-September Calendar of Event for Knoxville, Tennessee - 02:36 PM
First up is the annual "Shakespeare on the Square"on the downtown Market Square Mall. All performances are free but donations are accepted.

The first play is "Love's Labors Lost on July 17, 19, 25, 27, & 31st at 7:00 pm nightly. This is a funny play about the King of Navarre and his 3 most loyal friends who vow to shut themselves away from the world for 3 years to study.
However the Princess of France and 3 of her most beautiful ladies in waiting take their own vow to interrupt the King's studies. No bets on who wins.
… (0 comments)

Knoxville, TN, 100% financing for your new home. - 03:54 PM
I got a flyer last week from our Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union (TVA stands for Tennessee Valley Authority, the guys that run the dams and power plants around here) headlined "100% Financing Available" so naturally it caught my eye.
Reading on it said it was a 2 year ARM, adjusted 1% every two years with a cap of 8% over the starting rate.
Years 1 and 2 have a 4.875% rate
Years 2 and 3 goes up to 5.875%
Years 5 and 6 goes up to 6.865%
It also has a maximum cap of 8% over the starting rate so … (1 comments)

Technology Group - Now Over 800 Members and Growing! - 04:35 PM
The Technology group has just surpassed the 800 member milestone mark! As always, thanks to all of you who are contributing informative blogs and comments and sharing with the others in this group. We desire to continue providing a venue for technology information and resources that is useful as well as interesting -- to which you can keep coming back, knowing you will be learning something new, picking up a new idea or sparking new understanding that will be useful to you and/or your family and your business. Please reach out and encourage other members to share in the group.NOTE: We are also looking for members who would be willing to volunteer as moderators.  (See messsage at … (0 comments)

Ludlow VT Real Estate: How to Tell When A Price Is Too Good To Be True - 02:47 PM
If you are currently looking to buy Ludlow VT real estate, you probably have a good idea of the general range you can expect to spend on a home.  So you might be surprised when a great-looking home shows up on the MLS with what seems like a shockingly low price tag attached.  The extra-low price seems too good to be true and - most of the time - it is. 
 
In many cases, the price you are seeing does not represent the actual asking price of the property.  Rather, it is likely a property that is in "pre-foreclosure" and … (2 comments)

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