Archives of real estate blog entries for September 23, 2009

Featured blog posts


Your Brochure Should Show You're a Problem Solver - 06:31 AM
When you think about spreading the word about your business, a brochure automatically come to mind.  Even though customers may find out about you and your services on the Internet, when people meet you, they like to come away with something more substantial than a business card.
Brochures can give a good "snapshot" of your business. Aside from presenting your logo and your contact information (address, phone/fax number, website, email address) - business card content- the brochure gives you a chance to tell the client what to expect from you.  It usually lists the things you can do, but offers you … (41 comments)

Where did it go? Fall comes to the Interior... - 05:02 AM

I hate to start talking about how fast time is flying by, because it's inevitable some wiseacre will say something about age.  But, it's true.  It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the arrival of spring and now the first snowflakes of winter are falling. 
We were fortunate this year to have what felt like an actual Autumn, rather than moving from summer to winter in a matter of days.  Mother Nature blessed us with a warm, dry fall that, for me at least, makes the arrival of winter seem a little less dreary. 
Since it's snowing and I'm … (47 comments)

I'm an ActiveRain Staff Member, Ask Me Anything - 09:35 AM
Let's do a Q and A session.  It'll be fun.
I should back up and introduce myself.  My official title is Rails Magician, but you'd probably call me a web developer/engineer.  I support and build much of the code that drives the site, and have worked on nearly every software-related aspect of the ActiveRain universe.
Ask me anything.
… (143 comments)

Ambassador Series - What is Localism? - 12:33 AM
Are you new to Active Rain?  Not sure of what Localism is and how it can be beneficial to you?  When you're brand new to blogging it's often very difficult to come up with ideas for topics to write about on a consistent basis.  I've been writing posts over almost 2 years and have had those days when I just can't think of anything to post.

One of the ways to overcome that problem is to write about your communities. The sister site and consumer facing side of Active Rain is Localism where members can display consumer oriented content about their … (52 comments)

Memories at Active Rain - My AR point memories! - 10:54 PM
I have always judged the passing of time by the age of my children.  As they have become young adults I have found that a little harder to do.  I would never have thought that Active Rain points would be a way to keep track of important moments.  In a weird way that is just what has happened.
Most of these AR moments happened to do with our son's military deployments.  The first one happened when I hit 50,000 points.  My post read 50,000 points and our son back in the United States.  I was excited as he had been based … (79 comments)

What was MY LIFE like before ActiveRain? - 10:11 PM
I've written countless posts about my experiences on ActiveRain and it's getting to be repetitive. I mean, how many times can I write about my love for ActiveRain, my success with ActiveRain, ActiveRain Blogging, the friendships made on ActiveRain, the people behind the words on ActiveRain, the leads and contacts and closed transactions from ActiveRain. Including all the information I've received from ActiveRain and hey....becoming a pretty good writer besides.
I can hooray all the way down the line about ActiveRain from March of 2007....But there will be no thought so profound enough to write about as  when this thought popped … (60 comments)

Banks or the Crooks That Represent Them. - 07:42 PM
It's not unusual for me to field complaint calls from members - apparently they are labouring under the assumption that I 1) care and 2) can do something about it. (For the record I do and I try)
Most complaints have to do with one of two things - banks or the crooks that represent them. Sound familiar?
One of the most prevalent complaints - and the subject of three calls today, have to do with the pre-quals/pre-approvals required by the banks before they'll look at an offer. With many of your Buyers submitting multiple offers in hopes of landing one, this … (56 comments)

"What do you mean you won't have any desks!" - 08:17 PM

 
"What do you mean you won't have any desks!"
 
 
 
So here’s what happened.  I had an idea, a concept really.  I wanted to create the most innovative office anywhere - and though the office has made huge strides over the last couple years, I never felt like I would achieve the full potential of what we wanted to become until the physical space matched the philosophical ideal.  
 
So, like Jerry McGuire, I put the idea to paper in an official presentation called, “The Chevy Chase office build out - building the office of the now!” … (76 comments)

Being a valuable resource is the way to "sell" to internet leads. - 04:54 PM

Hi folks. Early last year I made the decision to change my real estate business over to a virtual business. By this I mean I wanted to create a buisness where most of the listing and selling was done over the Internet. I made this decision for two reasons:
Rapidly declining property values Huge increase in short sale listings. The first made it no longer cost effective to drive around for days showing properties and the latter made it easier to take listings without having to meet with Sellers.
Right now my business is about 90% virtual. Not sure if … (99 comments)

Is your head getting too big for your business? - 05:38 PM
I've been a full time Realtor® for almost 14 yrs now. It's the only job I have and it's the only job I can truly say I love...even during times when the economy stinks and people are losing their jobs left and right.

 
But it doesn't mean that I'm not human too. There are certianly some days when I just say to myself..."Why are you still doing this?" "Why are you constantly wasting your time with all the little stuff?" All the hours of hard work and what do you have to show for it?....$100 bucks here...$100 bucks there...$1000 here … (107 comments)

Time To Dump The Desk?? - 12:50 PM
With the real estate industry evolving at the rate that it is, many agents have adapted to include the ability to be as mobile as possible.  Gone are the days of meeting at the office or heading back to the office in order to get anything done. In fact, a good number of agents don’t even have an office. Their office has 4 doors, not just one…and it sports 4 wheels and bucket seats. There is a mindset that needs to be adapted in order to effectively go mobile. You have to be really self-motivated. And, you have to realize that … (193 comments)

Who Told You That This Business Was Going To Be A Cake Walk? - 11:46 AM
Real Estate Agents! Are you running a real estate business or are you acting like a disgruntled employee complaining about how hard you have to work and how bad the other agents are and so on and so forth?
There are so many posts about how HARD your work is, how hard it is to deal with short sales, how hard it is to deal with REOs and the agents all involved in these transactions. Get over it!
Who told you that this business was going to be a cake walk? This post is straight to the point so if your … (100 comments)

The Importance of Carefully Reviewing the HUD Statement - 11:18 AM
 
You have found the house you want to purchase; you’ve gone through all the negotiations, loan requirements, inspections, appraisal, etc.  Weeks have gone by and now you’re at the closing table – the key is just a few minutes away, but wait, there’s one more hurdle - the HUD Settlement Statement.
The HUD statement (Department of Housing and Urban Development) is a document that itemizes all debits and credits to the Buyer and the Seller.  It’s a list of what you are paying, to whom and for what, and what credits are being given to you.  You really should receive … (76 comments)

Social Media Isn't for My Age Group! Really? Some Facts to Ponder. - 09:38 AM
One of the most common objections I receive when consulting someone on social media, is "Jeremy, I work in an area that is made up of an older generation.  They aren't into twitter and Facebook and all this Internet stuff.  So, I don't know if writing a blog would be a big benefit to me."  So, I asked a few more questions about the demographics and came to the conclusion that it appeared the average age range she was referring to was somewhere between late forties into late sixties. 
So this morning I started to do some research to see what … (84 comments)

HOW ARE ECONOMIC STATISTICS REPORTED? I BELIEVE THERE IS A NEW ECONOMIC PARADIGM. - 07:08 AM
                                        * * * * HARD CORE REAL ESTATE TALK * * * *
I seem to recall reading somewhere about 3 months ago that the administration was forecasting growth in of the U.S. economy of 4%.  Since that time, I've read the same predictions from several "authoritive sources".  Whenever I see such a prediction, I can merely say to myself. .  how???
BE PREPARED!  I also believe that a lot of folks simply believe that if we expect good things to happen, good things will happen.   I believe that we real estate practitioners need to look at facts and figures … (89 comments)

Social Media and Your Business - Tips, Strategies and No Nos!! - 12:19 AM
I spoke to the Rancho Santa Fe Business and Professional Women's Association last week about blogging and social media. This is a diverse group of business owners, including real estate professionals, with a broad range of knowledge and experience about on-line marketing (and a fabulous group to network with if you are in the North County San Diego area).
I talked briefly about social media and how it worked to start, and then shared some notions about:
WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA WILL NOT DO!
Transform your business if it is crummy ( a Linda Davis "almost"quote from Bloggers Connect) Make you a … (107 comments)

Pay Me More Money...or We Walk! - 10:13 AM
I have had the pleasure the last few weeks of dealing with an absolutely clueless agent. In all honesty, I have no idea of his years in the business or transactional experience, but his conduct pretty much says it all.
I won't go into all the details, but to make the events simple, it all began when I decided to change the cooperative compensation offered in the MLS to a Buyer's Broker (reduced a half percent) for my own reasons I won't go into here. About two days later, I was made aware that an offer would be coming in on … (143 comments)

Are You Out of Whack Too? - 06:01 AM
 
Are you out of Whack too?
First, many wonder this of me daily!
If you have been in real estate for any amount of time you get in a rhythm of sorts. Sometimes you are flush with buyers and you are labeled a Buyer’s Agent. When all those satisfied clients become sellers at one time you are labeled a Listing Agent.
In 2005 and 2006 I was flush with Buyers and yes, in our area, it was a huge Sellers Market. I would have given my right little toe nail for listings. That was as close to a sure … (33 comments)


Blog posts


Makaha Valley Towers in "The Informant" Movie - 04:02 PM
My wife and I recently watched "The Informant" - a movie starring Matt Damon.  The movie is based on a true story about a whistleblower at Archer Daniels Midland, a company in Decatur, Illinois.
The main character travels around the world and at one point he attends a meeting in Hawaii.  The meeting and a golf outing take place at the Makaha Valley Country Club in West Oahu.  In a golf scene the Makaha Valley Towers are a backdrop to the characters walking along the course.  When you see the movie, keep an eye out for the Towers 'cause you'll only see them … (0 comments)

Bully Bank!!! - 06:54 PM
Six months ago I listed a beautiful home with a spectacular view in an upscale community. It was a short sale and three days later we received an all cash offer for $800,000. The second lien holder responded within a couple of months with a demand for a principle reduction of $5,000 and $2,000 (minimum amount the first would pay the second) to release the lien only.  I was finally working with a closer with the first lien holder after waiting around three months. I explained to the closer how important is was to move quickly on this since it is … (6 comments)

Working with Builders - 02:41 PM
I have placed two buyers in new homes.  I did everything right, I took my clients in and registered them and helped them through the process with the builder.
In both cases my client told me when I was not present the sales rep encouraged the buyer to dump me, so they could give them a better deal.  One of these reps then tried to get me to cut my commission to 2% right in front of my client, so they could help my client get the home they want.  This was with two different builders.
Both times my buyers stuck … (4 comments)

Spicewood TX Homes for Sale - Sellers Know Best - 10:31 AM
Why did I just walk away from another listing for Spicewood TX Homes for Sale?  Because the seller knows more than me!  How can I educate someone who won't listen because he thinks he already knows it all. How does he know it all?  Because he's been on the market for 2 years!  Yes, since 2007, he's been trying to sell his house.  He's gone through 5 Realtors already.  It might be six, but I'm not wasting time to look his property up again. This round, he met with me and another agent.  I received the call from Mrs. Seller yesterday … (15 comments)

Day 49: 100 Days of Central Mass Features Six Flags New England - 12:34 PM
Looking for some amusement park fun?  You've come to the right place!  Six Flags New England is located in Agawam, MA close to the city of Springfield.  When I was in 8th grade, we took a school trip to the park that was then known as Riverside and since converted into one of the Six Flags family members.  A day at Six Flags is guaranteed to have something for everyone.  There are thrill rides such as the Superman and the Mind Eraser, 3 kids areas including Thomas Town and Wiggles World, a water-park and more!  The park is HUGE so be … (1 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - Fall Has Begun - 01:22 PM

 
If you are ever looking for a Buyer's Agent or Seller's Agent in Worcester County,  Hampden County, or anywhere in Central Mass, please don't hesitate to contact me, Kathleen Cooper at kathleencooper@jckcrealty.com .  Please make sure to visit my website at http://www.MassachusettsHomeLocator.com and find everything you need from market snapshots, Buyer and Seller information, property searches, my blog and more! 
kathleencooper@jckcrealty.com , cooperagents@charter.net , 508-523-8632 www.activerain.com/jckcrealty, www.JCKCRealty.com,  www.CentralMAListings.com, http://www.realtor.com,  www.MassachusettsHomeLocator.com, http://www.facebook.com, www.trulia.com, www.myspace.com/kfcooper,  http://jckcrealty.postlets.com/ , www.loopnet.com,  http://twitter.com/jckcrealty
I am proud to be a full time real estate professional and Massachusetts Realtor.  I am happy for the opportunity to work with you … (7 comments)

Just SOLD in Webster, MA - $209,000! - 07:09 PM
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BUYERS TOM AND MAUREEN!They are the proud new owners of this beautiful home in Webster, MA!
List Price:  $239,900Sale Price:  $209,000
Address:  17 George StreetWebster, MA

Webster Homes for Sale
Looking for more great homes just like this one in Webster?  Click here for your one stop shop to finding a home in Webster. Here you can search every available home for sale in Webster.
As of today there are many homes and properties for sale that are available to search. The number of homes changes daily, so be sure to keep coming back, to this premiere site … (5 comments)

Xobni - Very Cool Tool to Keep Your Outlook Organized - 07:59 PM
While searching online for a way to capture screen shots of what I was doing on my computer for blogging purposes, I came across another FREE tool that I'm falling in love with.  It is called Xobni, which happens to be the word "in-box" spelled backwards.  When you install Xobni on your computer, your messages in your Outlook will be easy to sort through and find.  You can search for emails from specific senders.  You have email analytics much like Google's web analytics that will tell you how many incoming, outgoing, what time of day and more about each person you … (15 comments)

SwisherCo Water Bombing Technology - 08:45 AM
Bill Swisher, CEO of SwisherCo made a comment on a CBS/KCAL FaceBook news item about the Fillmore Wildfire; and I was intrigued enough to check it out.
This is interesting: http://swisherco.blogspot.com/2009/05/california-florida-wild-fires-help-on.html
I have no clue if it would work, but it is interesting.
… (2 comments)

And where will I be 10 years from now? - 07:43 PM
...."Experts are warning that it could be a decade before the property market returns to peak levels....."
In ten years, I will be on Medicare.
But I'll still be rockin'....  so there.
… (0 comments)

Find your FaceBook status RSS feed - 09:20 PM
I just spent the last hour or so trying to figure out how to find an RSS feed generated by my FaceBook status updates
Wesblog had the ONLY solution that worked for me here:
[UPDATE MAY 22, 2009]: ".......Try finding your ‘notes' RSS feed (Open a note you wrote, click [My Notes], then click the [subscribe to these notes] link). Then change ‘notes.php' to 'status.php' in the URL. Thanks to Mike for mentioning this method in the comments."
Reference:  http://wesblog.com/?p=1437#content 
Why would you want an RSS feed of your FaceBook updates?  To create a feed for Twitter, here:  TwitterFeed, of course.  :-)
… (4 comments)

Is the Internet really important to getting your home sold? - 11:18 AM
I just want my Western New York Home SOLD!

Important Seller Question:
Why do I care if you are on the Internet?
I just want my home sold!

You want results. You want the best exposure for your home for sale. We want to deliver them to you. Delivery means doing business differently today.
The difference we have is the Internet.
A Little Background.

I started my Real Estate career in Florida, and discovered Blogging as an effective means of advertising listings and gaining Internet exposure. With well over 80% of buyers starting their search on the … (1 comments)

Are you ready for the big time? Your own outside blog? - 01:23 PM
   
 
I found these two photos I took of my son a few years ago, which I did for a newsletter for the Data warhousing company that I worked for at the time.  It reminded me of the journey I have taken in the past few years with blogging.   I have spoken to several people that are wondering if they should create an outside blog for their business.
The photos were to illustrate a point that you don't start out on the big bike, you start out on the bike with training wheels and then you grow into the … (2 comments)

Being a valuable resource is the way to "sell" to internet leads. - 04:54 PM

Hi folks. Early last year I made the decision to change my real estate business over to a virtual business. By this I mean I wanted to create a buisness where most of the listing and selling was done over the Internet. I made this decision for two reasons:
Rapidly declining property values Huge increase in short sale listings. The first made it no longer cost effective to drive around for days showing properties and the latter made it easier to take listings without having to meet with Sellers.
Right now my business is about 90% virtual. Not sure if … (99 comments)

20+ Foreclosure update on Birmingham Alabama Real Estate - 08:45 AM
20+ Foreclosure update on Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. Hello Folks! I hope you are having a swell day. Just a reminder that the Greek Food Festival is this weekend in Birmingham. When you are walking by the take out crew yell "OPA" pronounced "O-PA"
We have new listings and price changes on foreclosures in the following areas: Mount Olive, Grayson Valley, Leeds, Woodlawn, Eastlake, Crestwood, Pelham, Indian Springs Village, Helena, Alabaster, Calera, Brighton, West End, and Forestdale.
Do you have a Realtor? Do you have a Realtor that updates a foreclosure blog 5 times a week? Nope you don't unless your … (0 comments)

5 money saving tips for Knoxville, Tennessee area homeowners (works in other areas too) ;) - 09:13 AM
Knoxville area homebuyers and sellers both have one thing in common. They all want to make either the house they’re selling or the one they’re buying look as great as possible for as little money as possible.

email me for a free, 10% off coupon to any Lower's warehouse store. Good for 10% off any purchases up to $10,000!
Knoxville sellers want to ’spiff’ up their house to appeal to buyers so it will sell faster and for more money.
Knoxville buyers want to upgrade and personalize their new home so they can enjoy living there more.
Here’s 5 tips … (2 comments)

Local Lenders and Short Sales....Short Comprehension - 07:39 AM
 
     Local lenders seem to have a much more difficult time understanding  the “short” in short sales than the larger national lenders.    You can take a walk thru the Rain or any real estate website where short sales are a topic…and the echoes of complaints are heard about the same lenders over and over…no response…refused to negotiate…charge a deficiency…second lien holders who believe they are in control and want “everything.”
   Local lenders some in particular we understand…go through all the exercise…they  order a BPO, hire a licensed  appraiser…have bank “officials” walk the property …drive past…tour them inside … (2 comments)

Is Something Lacking in Your Packer Backing ? - 08:41 AM
  In Wisconsin...watching the Packers is sort of "religious experience"....it seems to be a requirement for being a Badger state resident...during the most competitive games with the fiercest of competitors...you can hear a pin drop on any busy street....and the roar of the crowd when you get within a block of Matty's Bar at game time.
   If you want to have more fun....enjoy the company...the food...the stimulating "feels like you're at the game" kind of atmosphere...drive on over to Matty's Bar in New Berlin, WI

Are you a member of Matty's PACKER BACKER CLUB yet?
This is what you … (8 comments)

How the $8,000 Tax Credit Has NOT Helped My Buyers - 01:02 PM
With all due respect, the Tax Credit should not even be part of the negotiating discussions.  If you are presenting an offer to the sellers (and I would always recommend being present for the presentation of the offer), the foundation for the negotiations should be (in my humble opinion) the fair-market value of the home in question.  As selling agents, we should come armed with plenty of research to justify the offer that we are making.  If we sense (or have determined in some manner) that the sellers are extra-motivated to sell, then we can deduct a percentage of concession based … (0 comments)

Helen Ga Real Estate "Media Insensitivity to GA Floods" - 06:33 AM
Helen Georgia is less than 45 miles away from the devestating floods in Atlanta, we have local flooding i three counties.  Our local media are reporting the tragic results, ten deaths due to the floods.  But this morning I witnessed a media insensitivy that can not be ignored.  ABC's Goodmorning America not only reported on the death of a mother of two returning home from her night shift job, but they actually aired the 911 tape with the frantic woman's voice and last words on it.   Is this responsible journalism?  I ask you to decide, I already have.
… (3 comments)

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