Archives of real estate blog entries for January 2, 2009

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FACEBOOK 2009 - Five easy ways to maximize your visibility & interact with others - 05:51 PM
Is your Facebook ready for 2009?  Here are 5 simple suggestions that will help you reach out and interact with more people this year. 
1)  Create a Facebook business page
Cheryl Johnson wrote a great post titled "Facebook: Business Pages".  It is a well-written step-by-step tutorial that should have you up and running in less than 15 minutes!  To see what a business page looks like, you can view my Facebook business page.  
2)  Add your blog to the Facebook Blog Network
Written by yours truly, "Promote your BLOG on Facebook" is another step-by-step guide that will help you add your blog to the Blog … (143 comments)

A Babyboomer Trap: Family "Arrangements" Can Destroy Your Ability to Qualify for a Mortgage - 04:58 PM
This is the story of Bethany and Rob, empty nester babyboomers who thought they were doing the loving thing by agreeing to care for an elderly parent. They ending up being being slapped in the face by a harsh lending world that has no sympathy for "family arrangements".
Bethany and Rob owned a second home that was located near most of Bethany's immediate family. This getaway enabled her to visit her family often, enjoy shopping in a more urban environment, and experience an alternative climate to her primary residence (which was only several driving hours away).
Both Bethany and Rob had … (49 comments)

Real Estate Blogging and The Free-Labor Economy - 09:30 PM
I don't feel like "free labor" - but I can see why some people might think that describes me.
In case you missed it, there was an article in Business Week on December 28 titled Will Work for Praise: The Web's Free-Labor Economy.
When I saw this title, I immediately thought of ActiveRain and the hundreds (thousands?) of other businesses that have grown exponentially through "free labor".  As the article points out, thousands (millions?) of us invest many hours online, sharing our expertise and experience and/or creating entertainment to build a for-profit business for someone else, without receiving any direct compensation.
… (73 comments)

Homes For Our Troops Gives Away 16 Homes in 2008! - 12:12 PM
Veteran Support - Specially Adapted Homes
Homes for Our Troops Completes 16th Home in 2008! Homes Provided at No Cost for Severely Injured Veterans Homes for Our Troops is one of the top-rated non-profit Veteran organizations in the country.  With 16 homes completed in 2008, and 14 homes currently under construction, this group is making a difference for severely injured servicemen and women.
How does Homes for Our Troops do this?
Homes for Our Troops raises donations of money, building materials, and professional labor, then coordinates the process of building a new home.
Where does Homes for Our Troops build?
Across … (28 comments)

It Happened Again This Week - 06:54 AM

It happened again this week.  An old friend called, to say she and her husband were having difficulties with their mortgage(s), and were a little upside down on their home.  They didn't quite know what to do about it.Real Estate Agents have increasingly seen this scenario - Homeowners who are in deep trouble because they either are in homes with mortgages, which are due to have their interest rate reset, or are in homes which are now worth considerably less than the amount owed on the mortgage(s).  Some folks no longer have their job to help make the payments.Still others … (59 comments)

Inspirational Stories~My 2009 Resolution: Preach Less, Practice More, and Take the Easy Way Out - 02:05 PM
Inspirational Stories~My 2009 resolution is to preach less, practice more, and take the easy way out.  
Learning to Preach Less
Sometimes I speak in metaphors and other times I just speak very conversationally.  I like to step away from what I've written and read it aloud.  When I read it I before I publish it I ask myself,
"Would I have spoken these words had I an audience of 10, 20, 100, or 126,635 before me to hear them?"
The answer is always "yes" otherwise the "post this entry button" doesn't get pushed.
As for 2009, my resolution … (57 comments)

PMI Company Wants To Have Seller Sign a Note - 07:21 AM
I received a question from a REALTOR today, who read:
A Realtor's Guide to "PMI & Short Sales"
Let's call her Susan.  She explains:
I have done several successful short sales in my career but recently felt the "sting" of the bank claiming they will submit our current offer on the table for approval... providing the seller agree to sign a note to the PMI company for 15K for 10 years at $125.00 a month. If he refuses they claim the short sale will be denied. The outstanding loan balance is 132,000Offer amount 117,500Offer amount will net the bank 104,980BPO 119,000My … (49 comments)

What Happened When I Fell Off of the Active Rain Wagon! And Now That I've Climbed Back ON??? - 02:03 PM
When I fell off the Active Rain wagon awhile back, I noticed some interesting side effects:
 
First, my ideas dried up....yep, hard to believe.  Unless I'm posting regularly, my brain takes a vacation from thinking about what to share.  BUT if I am communicating consistently, more and more ideas flood into my brain/fingers. AND no one - or very few - would be reading or commenting on my past posts.
 
Second, I am a fan of and subscribe to and pay annually for The Blog Log which helps me know what people are looking for and finding on my … (70 comments)

Happy New Year from Mesquite NV - My 2008 Ends Stuck in the Carwash - 12:02 PM
Looking forward to the New Year, I thought I would end the year by cleaning off my desk then going to the local car wash before my 1:30 appointment.  Think positive and be ready for some hard work in 2009.
It looked pretty busy so I used my carwash time formula ( 5 minutes X each car ahead of me + 5 minutes for the 3 already in the car wash tunnel ) and figured I would make my 1:30 appointment.
When I was finally at the head of the line, waiting for the car ahead of me to move into … (56 comments)

24/7- Are You Serious? - 11:37 AM
The post I wrote last week about family dinner time being a sacred time in which no one should be answering the phone or texting during dinner sparked a fantastic response and I am so pleased to read that so many of you put your family first. In this day and age that is so refreshing to read. Over 140 comments most of them with confirmation that family dinner time is not to be interrupted.
There were a couple of comments about being available all the time for your clients. This brought to my mind the ads that I see some … (122 comments)

I'm only here to help! Presenting the third edition of "Dear Richard" - 07:52 AM
So here it is, the third edition of Dear Richard! As you might know, my computer crashed last week so if your question is not here, please resubmit it! And don't forget to check back every Friday morning for more "Dear Richard" questions and answers!
Dear Richard,How can a new blogger find their voice?Signed:Silence S. Golden
Dear Silence,I think the most important thing about writing is always to write from the heart. Deep within you are experiences that are unique to you, and that others might enjoy reading.
The one thing that you DON'T want to do is try to come … (66 comments)

ROI--Isn't That What It's All About? - 02:06 PM
So, what has your absolute best ROI (return on investment) been for 2008?  I can honestly say that, hands down, it's been Active Rain for me.  If you're reading, writing and learning in the Rain, then keep doing what you're doing and it WILL pay off!  If you're just stepping in--you've come to the right place!  Follow the lead of those who have been here for awhile and you'll find your own 'niche' here and find out just how much this forum can help your business.
As I wrapped up my 2009 business plan, I thought I'd graph my marketing … (85 comments)

Listing Agents BEWARE! By Doing THIS You May Be Missing Out On Buyers & Leads... - 07:32 AM
There is a pretty common school of thought that exists regarding how homes should be priced.


 
 
It basically argues that buyers will consciously or subconsciously view a home price of $299,900 or $299,999 as being much cheaper and more affordable than if the same home were priced at $300,000, and therefore they will be more compelled and inclined to buy that $299,900 or $299,999 home.
 
However, I have evidence that proves the theory may be wrong!
 
FOR EXAMPLE...
The school of thought I have recently adopted says instead a $300,000 home should be priced exactly at $300,000 … (72 comments)


Blog posts


Make It A Great Selling Day! - 07:57 AM

Midori Miller is a licensed real estate associate with CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty, Real Estate Trainer and Manager. If you are interested in a career in real estate please contact me! All calls and inquiries are confidential. CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty is located in Volusia County with 3 office locations to better serve the public. Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and Ormond by the Sea. midorimiller@yahoo.com (386) 453-3236 … (10 comments)

Sales training on a shoe string budget - 01:35 PM
Happy New Year AR! 
No doubt many of you are still working on your 2009 business plans, procrastination is truly an art form in our industry. :-)
A few years back, part of your plan probably included a hefty chunk set aside for sales training.  Whether it's $1,000 a month for one on one training from a coach or something more modest, the upfront cost can be huge with no guarantee of return. 
As most of us don't truly like to be held accountable by a coach and pay for the pleasure, it's a mandate that will be left unfunded in 2009.  … (5 comments)

Putting New Years Eve news into perspective - 09:08 AM
Amidst all the excitement over the end of 2008, the local paper published some articles that you may not have seen.  Well, alright, you probably saw them, 2 of them were pretty big headlines, at the top of the page.  The morning paper had the headline "Jobless rate here hits 5%, highest since September '92".  The evening paper ran the headline "Home sales here hit 25 year low".  Buried in the business section of the morning paper was an article titled "Consumer confidence at an all time low", right beside another titled "It's time for vacation - unpaid that is".Tough stuff.  Sounds … (0 comments)

Aggressive Seller with Machete - 10:13 AM
The ad was titled "Aggressive Seller w/ Machete".  Does that grab your attention?  What was your first thought when seeing it?
My initial thought was that there was another story about a seller going psycho because he couldn't sell his house and chopped up his family.
When you click into the story, it says:
Motivated individual with an attitude just whacked a million and some change off of this 6200 square foot Penthouse on east Superior. Panoramic views included.
Ahhh, I see.  He used a Machete to drop his price.  And as a seller, it looks like he's being reasonable … (38 comments)

2009: The Name Game - 03:51 PM
So, what are calling this year, when you say 2009 out loud?  :-)
Do you say " Two thousand nine"? 
Or do you go with "Twenty oh nine"?
What about next year?  Next year I think I might try "Twenty ten" as opposed to "Two thousand ten".
And an even bigger question ... what do you call this DECADE?
We had the "sixties", the "seventies", the "eighties", the "ninties" .....
What will we call this decade?  The "zeros"?  The "Oh-ties"?  Any ideas?
… (8 comments)

Let's Work Together - 06:47 PM
Let's Work Together in 2009 2008 is behind us & now is the time to move forward from this economic meltdown we all have been experiencing by coaching our home owner's & the general public! As professionals in the industry it is our responsibility to educate the Buyers and Sellers of Florida real estate. You ask, how can I do this? Well, we can do this in a number of ways based on the lessons that we all have learned in the past couple of years. Here are a few highlights:
• We need to alert first time home buyers that … (0 comments)

Broker Bryant's thoughts on open houses. - 02:52 PM
I hate open houses! There I said it. It's out in the open and I'm not taking it back. I don't do them and I'm not starting. My Sellers know this. I tell them this at time of listing. "I will sell your house but I will not do an open house, ever."
Once, I had two of my Sellers call me wanting to do open houses. So being the good little Broker that I am, I said "no". Now don't get me wrong, I like pleasing my Sellers and I like being agreeable when they ask me to do things. But … (48 comments)

New Year - New House! - 09:01 PM
   
       
… (4 comments)

ACREage on the Real Estate Landscape - It's Not JUST a Vision - 04:05 PM
For so many years, perhaps decades, there was very little choice in the way real estate transactions would occur.  Owners could agree to "pocket" listings promising to pay an agreed fee to whichever agent brought them a buyer, or they could create an exclusive listing agreement which a particular broker, or they put their sign in the yard, place a few ads, and hope for the best.  Certainly those approaches worked (or did not) to varying degrees for property owners for many years.
… (0 comments)

The MOST important QUESTION when CHOOSING a Real Estate Agent is...... - 07:31 AM

                                                                          



   If you were interviewing a real estate agent to sell your home today...

                                                 and could only ask one question

                                                                 What Would\Should it Be ?


 
 
  The question....that tells you the very most you will need to know in making a decision on which realtor to choose is:  "What was your list to sale ratio for the last year and how many (if required) price reductions did that average ?"
    If an agent has a handle on the market...has done her/his/their homework...they know how to … (3 comments)

Short Sale Tales Part 33 Desperate People Price Desparately - 07:55 AM
   Whenever we have a listing appointment...Short Sale or Not and don't get the listing....you always want to know WHY....is there something we could have said or done differently that would have changed the outcome ? Did we omit something in the presentation that another agent used....Was it too long, too short....The answer for us, 99.9% of the time is always the same....we wouldn't BUY the listing....we didn't tell the sellers that they don't really have to short sale their home after all...it just needs the right promotion, our dynamite marketing plan....a video tour, more internet exposure, an additonal open house......THEN … (3 comments)

What Happened When I Fell Off of the Active Rain Wagon! And Now That I've Climbed Back ON??? - 02:03 PM
When I fell off the Active Rain wagon awhile back, I noticed some interesting side effects:
 
First, my ideas dried up....yep, hard to believe.  Unless I'm posting regularly, my brain takes a vacation from thinking about what to share.  BUT if I am communicating consistently, more and more ideas flood into my brain/fingers. AND no one - or very few - would be reading or commenting on my past posts.
 
Second, I am a fan of and subscribe to and pay annually for The Blog Log which helps me know what people are looking for and finding on my … (70 comments)

Two Special Days This Month! Be Sure To Mark Them On Your Calendar! - 11:29 PM
Okay, this is a "for fun" blog post to my Active Rain friends - starting us out for 2009 ...my writing juices are running, and I'm feeling like sharing the LOVE - cool stuff I've learned.
Did you know?
January 21 - is National Hugging Day! A great excuse (if you need one) to give someone a hug. Everyone needs a hug, and you can send me one. Check out the site and give your special friend or somebody a great big hug! Can you imagine what a better world we would live in if we all gave each other a … (16 comments)

Founder of Crager-Bartels Real Estate launches a new real estate book - 01:43 PM
Derek Crager will be launching a new book written by himself and Floyd Wickman.  "I Quit Real Estate"
 
More information at the main blog page located at IQuitRealEstate.com
 
Free book signing and official launch at Master Sales Society on January 9th, 2009.
… (1 comments)

Taunton Real Estate- 2009 is Divine! - 08:45 PM
I am so excited about the new year. Looking forward to a great 2009. In real estate, nobody can predict the future.
I will give you some facts that I have noticed over the last 2 weeks. Buyer/Investors are buying up the foreclosure inventory. Today, our office received over 25 buyer calls for showings in  the first 3 hours of the day. I didn't find out what the total calls were for the day.. Normal is 5-10 a day.
Of course the influx could be due to the holidays... but still a nice positive way to start the new year.
I … (1 comments)

Real Estate in 2009 - 11:51 AM
Remember the "boom days" when our job seemed a bit easier and properties seemed to almost sell themselves?  Well those days are over!  Today's times require a lot of creative marketing to make listings stand out from the pack and a bit of patience to get them exposed.  With current inventory high, credit still rather tight and so many buyers having a home to sell before they can purchase another we must all be sure we are on our game.
We as managers of our own businesses also must look to a fresh approach to market ourselves and our services.  I … (3 comments)

NOT $1 of YOUR dues went to pay for celebration of our first 100 years. - 07:21 AM
OK the quote from a comment is "Not one dollar of member dues went to pay for this fabulous celebration of our first 100 years." It needed to be shortened to be a headline.  That quote is Dick Gaylord the immediate past president of NAR. 

Did you see the parade? Did you see the float? I was watching it and Twittering with others on my phone. The NAR float won an award. Thanks to all the volunteers who worked on the float. Video compliments of Jay Thompson the Phoenix RE Guy.
The comment is on an NAR blog, Jim … (25 comments)

Updated Home in Lawrenceville - 10:52 AM
Get all the information about this Updated Home in Lawrenceville. Located in the Thousand Oaks Subdivision and serviced by Collins Hill Schools this home provides so for at such an affordable price.
… (0 comments)

Cowlitz County Real Estate Market Report for December 2008 - 02:14 AM
Cowlitz County real estate market report for December 2008.

Here is the December 2008 market report and expected the numbers are down again. This report will give you an insight of how the Cowlitz County real estate market is doing. It will give an inside look at average and medium prices, average days on the market and what price range is more competitive and what price range is moving (selling) faster.
  
Cowlitz County real estate numbers for Single Family Residential homes for December 2008
Cowlitz County homes - Current Active Listings at the end of December 2008
Number - … (1 comments)

Short Sales - Barrington Illinois 60010 - Home Sale Data for 2008 - 01:35 PM
2008 was definitely the year of short sales. During 2008 in the entire 60010 zip code there were:
310 Single Family Homes Sold
61 Attached homes sold. i.e. condos and town homes/duplexes.
Single Family Stats
Out of 310 single family sales 15 were short sales. Out of those 6 were bank owned properties that accepted less than was owed to them, the other 9 were owner occupied and the bank agreed to accept less than owned to facilitate the sale.
The price range for all these short sales was $165,000 to $1,600,000.
Attached Home Stats
Out of the 61 attached home … (1 comments)

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