Archives of real estate blog entries for October 30, 2010

Featured blog posts


Water Damage & Mold May Hurt Your Chances of Getting a Home Loan! - 10:37 AM
I am beginning another series about “Things That Can Make Your Las Vegas Financed Home Purchase *Blow Up* in the Middle of a Transaction.”
My ultimate goal in this series is to make Las Vegas Home Buyers aware of the challenges of a specific home’s eligibility for financing.
Congratulations!  Your lender just approved you to purchase a Las Vegas area home by looking at your check stubs, debt to income ratio and you are now approved to purchase a Las Vegas area home!
Hold the phone here, *you* may be eligible to purchase a home but is the house eligible for financing?  This series is designed … (48 comments)

SELLERS BE CAREFUL...If you list TOO HIGH, YOU may end up with TOO LITTLE - 01:10 PM
Sellers be careful...If you list too high, you may end up with too little.  Yes, that can happen and often does.  Why?  That's a question I will address but you should talk with your agent to see if this is true in your market area.  It certainly holds true for many.
By pricing too high you discourage a number of buyers from even looking.  That's for starters.  When folks start looking for property they are usually hoping to find what they want at the lowest possible price.  Often they will begin by looking at homes that are less than they will eventually … (56 comments)

Don't ever let someone BULLY YOU with "You can't do that!".... Verify first, then correct them! - 08:09 AM
I love real estate!
Been in this profession for over 26 years now... Some things NEVER change!
One of the things I LOVE about the most in this profession is the way some of the less informed agents seem to have a knack for "knowing" how to be a real estate agent, ofterntimes not even being in a position to know, without VERIFYING what they are "hollering" about...
Here are a couple of the latest "complaints" I've heard from agents in the past year.. Some are REALLY REALLY Funny!
1. "You can't say what you do and your commission program online!" … (58 comments)

Your Long Tail - Don't keep it between your legs, let it grow - 12:13 PM
 
How many of you bloggers keep your tail between your legs?  Here is where you would want your tail to grow, to keep growing, and to flourish. It's all about the long tail.
Bob Stewart did this challenge, Local Events Challenge - Give them what they want - I participated in this challenge and wanted to share some basics with you when it came to key search words and the long tail.
 
Marilyn Boudreaux had just written about this also... Active Rain Success : Localism Posts work like magic. - Just a fyi, I already had this idea prior … (47 comments)

Anatomy of the Perfect Buyer - 01:29 AM
I was lucky to have been referred a client just before I left for the U.K.  This was a referral from my last buyers, first-timers like their referral.
This woman knew exactly what she wanted.  She has a big downpayment, $350K, and she wanted some kind of income on the property, owner-occupied, a great investment for a first-time buyer.  At first we looked for income property but in her price range, $500-750K she would not get as nice a home as she would in a single family, though with a single family she would not be able to afford as much.
… (97 comments)

Golf VIEW homes, BUT homes 3FT away from one another!!!!! - 02:22 AM
I recently joined our local country club with my family and found out that the "Jack Nicklaus" designed golf course went from a 27-hole course to an 18-hole course. Don't get me wrong it's NOT a bad thing, and is quite fine because YOU can't get me to do a 27-hole course too often anyway....
Well, I was disappointed when I saw that there was NO grand entrance at all, but homes, side-to-side of one another and of course still costing well above 800k. Seriously, some of these homes aren't even 3ft away, but almost townhouse like>>>>
Seriously, CALIFORNIA!! BUILDERS!!! I can't believe … (28 comments)

Showing haunted houses ~ It's not for sissies - 11:52 PM
Have you ever shown a haunted house? Don't get me wrong... I'm not all ooooooeeeooooo... BUT ~
Almost 30 years ago while living in Illinois and as a new real estate agent, I took one of my very first buyers to see what I'm sure was my very first haunted house. 
As we toured the home that fine fall day, there was an uncomfortable feeling in the house (queue the spooky music). 
As we descended into the basement, our feelings of apprehension grew and as we checked out the laundry area, Mrs. Buyer and I both commented that this basement was … (36 comments)

RainCamp Charlotte 2010 :: A SUPERB Real Estate Conference! - 04:24 PM
RainCamp Charlotte 2010 ::  A SUPERB Real Estate Conference! If coming to a city near you--you should NOT miss this!  And, even if it's not near you, the trip is definitely well-worth the time and money to catch this fantastic learning and networking opportunity. WOW!  What a difference a RainCamp makes!  I have attended RainCamp Dallas, RainCamp Orlando and this week, RainCamp CHARLOTE and today was, by far, the best one yet!  I learned lots of new 'tidbits' and had an absolute BLAST with so many fellow Rainers!   ActiveRain's Ben Kinney gave a stellar presentation, as did our beloved Bob Stewart--lots of new technical ideas … (43 comments)

Riding the Edge of Professionalism - 03:21 PM
Every community has a professional the rides the edge of ethics, rules, laws and honor.
The difference with real estate is simple we have more exposure by numbers.  If you look at the number of doctors and "real malpractice" suits the number is relatively small.  When you look at teachers, police, firemen, stock brokers, banking and public officials, they all have had someone that gives them a black-eye.
So why would you think real estate professionals are any different?  We have large numbers of licensees.  We have people that come from a large cross section of employment backgrounds and cultures.
For the most … (23 comments)

Wellington Events: Palm Beach Steeplechase- Kick Off The Equestrian Season - 07:43 PM
 
Wellington Events: Palm Beach Steeplechase: Kick off the Equestrian Season with a fun, fast paced exciting event we all look forward to each year here in Wellington Florida. 
Saturday November 27, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving weekend.  If you have not been to a Steeplechase now is your time to go! It is a lot of fun. The Steeplechase started in Ireland in the 18th Century and is just as exciting today as it was back then for participants and spectators.  There are five sanctioned races over hurdles so get your sports cameras ready. You can … (23 comments)

Buyer's or Sellers Remorse . . . When our work is Not Done - 09:27 PM

So we think we're there, we got a contract into the system, and we're proceeding with the transaction. And then we get the call.
Hi Ed, it's me, Hazel, I think I made a mistake. I don't think I should be selling the house after all. I've been here so long, there are so many memories. I don't know where to even begin to start to get ready to pack. Giving me just two months to get out of here isn't long enough.
Hazel, we've been over this. You're here alone, you need to relocate closer to your family. The … (61 comments)

10 Simple Tips to Winterize Your Home - 05:11 PM
10 Simple Tips to Winterize Your Home
Now that fall has almost ended, it's time to think ahead and prepare your home for winter. These simple tips can make your home more comfortable, reduce energy consumption, and go a long way to reducing any future repair costs.
•1.       Clean your gutters and downspouts.  Debris can cause water backup and ice dams in some climates. Make sure your gutters drain away from the house.
•2.       Cover foundation vents to prevent cold air from getting under the house and freezing pipes. Remove the covers in the spring.
•3.       Add insulation if needed. Look … (39 comments)

Define Your Spaces or Clutter Your Soul - 08:25 PM

Sounds a bit extreme? Not. We all live in spaces that we take for granted every day. We get up out of bed, brush the teeth, comb our hair and run down the stairs to start the day in a mad rush. Our surroundings can blend into the background of everyday living. What many don't realize is that those surroundings may be causing additional stress. Who needs more of that?
You may have heard a lot about defining the purpose of each space when you are getting ready to sell your home. It is definitely important that you do this. … (44 comments)

Nigella Lawson Comes to the Book Stall - 06:01 PM
Nigella Lawson Comes to the Book Stall
 
Award winning cookbook author Nigella Lawson is signing her newest cookbook "Nigella's Kitchen:  Recipes from the Heart of the Home" at two events sponsored by Winnetka's Book Stall. That seems to be a pretty tame title for an author whose flirtatious style of cooking has some calling her the "Queen of Food Porn!" Nigella's first cookbook "How to Eat" was published in 1998 and became a best seller.  She followed up that success with in 2000 with "How to be a Domestic Goddess," which garnered her the National Book Award for author of … (7 comments)

The New Swiss Army® Knife - 01:05 AM

My partner wound up running late for a showing and I got “tagged” to fill in at the last minute.
I was nowhere near the office, so I used my smart phone to log into the MLS and get the details on the property I was going to show and to get the showing instructions. I made a quick call to the showing service and scheduled the showing.
My GPS was not in the car, so I used the GPS built into the phone to find the address and plot a route to the property.
I left my keycard in … (48 comments)

Stoney Ridge Farm (Pumpkin Patch and Christmas Tree Farm) -- Whatcom County, WA - 12:54 AM
I wish that Stoney Ridge Farm in Everson had been around about 50 years ago when I was a youngster. Stoney Ridge Farm is, relatively speaking, quite a new and wonderful family owned addition to the Bellingham area and Whatcom County, WA.
I first heard about, and visited, Stoney Ridge Farm two years ago with my daughter and my grandson.  Stoney Ridge Farm has much to offer this time of year, Halloween, but the fun goes into Christmas.
First things first:
The farm has the largest pumpkin patch in the county.

The farm has a craft and giftshop, hay … (10 comments)

"As-Is" sales contracts mean maybe? - 11:35 PM
I received an offer on a 3 bedroom pool home in a deed restricted neighborhood. The home is not that old and has been pretty well maintained.
The new buyers made a cash offer close in one week "As-Is' offer.  Did I mention the offer was low.
My sellers really liked the AS IS offer and agreed to negotiate with them. The negotiations lasted just 2 days but the Buyer felt he had a good deal and the seller felt the as is contract met his needs.
3 days later they performed the home inspection. The inspector is a good inspector … (77 comments)

Beautiful Home Destroyed...Why? - 01:33 PM
Beautiful Home Destroyed...Why?This time of year you expect weird things to happen but why this? It doesn't seem to matter what time of year, these goulish creatures don't care. We just received a phone call from a neighbour of a home we sold last April.  The caller asked if we knew who had purchased the home here in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, that closed last June. We wondered why?  The caller continued, that the home looked abandoned, mail and newspapers were piling up and that the windows were open wide with the drapes blowing out! He was concerned that someone was hurt … (55 comments)

Feel like experimenting? I dare you! - 09:51 PM
                                                        
Do you ever go back and look over your early blogs? Well I do, I'm that kind of guy. I'm looking back to see if there are clues to what makes folks comment. Which blogs received the most comments? Is there a quantifiable reason why? The most comments I've ever received on a blog is 95. The least comments 0. Oh yah, ZERO!
I know you wonder. Did it fall flat because you posted it a 2:00 pm while folks were taking their afternoon nap? Mid morning when the broker was waiting on a contract? Did you just not think it was a bomb? Were you … (43 comments)

Do You Believe In "Shadow Inventory"? - 11:49 PM
I heard it straight from the mouth of a Bank Employee, high up in Wells Fargo, that there will be no shadow inventory RELEASED ALL AT ONCE.  In her words, the banks are not that careless to release huge amounts of inventory, so that prices will drop! 
But, I still hear rumblings from Real Estate Professionals, stating that the shadow inventory is coming and it will bring prices down again, here in California. 
I have a couple of cash buyers, who are constantly telling me that the shadow inventory will result in lower prices? 
When, I ask them???  Because in a few … (63 comments)

Canadian Agents - Why all the Teeth Gnashing? - 04:10 PM

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I have been talking to few agents lately.  Many of them feel that the new agreement between the competition bureau and CREA will be a threat to their incomes. Some of them may be right, it may very well be a threat, but I'm confident that the agents who do their jobs well will be just fine.
The competition bureau is striking out at a popular target. The public believes that selling homes is easy. Real estate agents just come to their house, slap a sign … (33 comments)

Set Yourself Apart From The Rest - Get Creative and Be Unique! - 10:34 AM
Hang on - there will be a point to this post and it is REAL ESTATE related!  For those of you that read me from time to time you have certainly become use to my A-HA moments.  Well, I had another last night!
Just a teeny bit about my family.  My husband is a chef, I LOVE to cook and collect cookbooks and my son created his own version of Orange Honey Shrimp when he was just 6 years old!  It is just a way of life for us.
My son eats healthy food (thank goodness for that!) and never complains … (47 comments)

Left brain? Right brain? ...................No brain? - 06:51 AM
Last night I went to bed early, so didn't see the last few comments on one of my posts from yesterday.  This morning when I checked, there was a comment by    Tish Lloyd  that  got me thinking about whether I was left brained or right brained.........especially since one of my favorite sayings is "that's a no-brain-er"..........interesting.
With the brain being divided into two hemispheres and each one being responsible for different things, I was confused as to whether the left side of my brain was questioning this, or the right side.
So I did one of the things I usually do, I went … (163 comments)


Blog posts


2 Property Deal (also available separately) - Mexico Resorts for Sale for $4,750,000 - 11:58 AM
Mexico Resorts for Sale for $4,750,000 - 2 Property Deal … (0 comments)

Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Dinner - Nov 6, 2010 - 11:03 AM
If you love shrimp, the wild caught variety, you are in for a real treat !  The first St. Raphaels Episcopal Church shrimp dinner of 2010 will be held at the parish hall @ 5601 Williams Dr ( right here on Fort Myers Beach ) on Saturday, Nov 6 starting at 5 PM.  You should get there early to gaurantee entrance.  The shrimp are wild caught from local waters and are the tastiest bounty from the Gulf waters !  Locals familiar with the shrimp point out that " farmed " shrimp are raised in huge pens and doused with chemicals to … (6 comments)

Becoming a Reluctant Landlord - 01:26 PM
There has been many unsuccessful, unhappy home sellers in this real estate market nationally and in our own area near Scott AFB. We, at Realty Executives of Metro East, Belleville, IL do not handle rentals in our office. We are just too small and the task is just too enormous. We handle 3-6 calls per day asking about rentals in our area. I am always happy to suggest a couple of property managers in our area and especially one that I feel is the best in our market, and to help these prospective tenants with anything that I can. You just … (1 comments)

Advertising with Pinpoint Accuracy on Facebook - 06:54 AM
This is a REBLOG of Bob Stewart's post Advertising with Pinpoint Accuracy on Facebook 
If you have ever wondered about advertising on FaceBook, check out Bob Stewart's post below ....
PLUS I am including a screen shot of the FaceBook targeting options screen, that some might find helpful:


Here's a link to FaceBook's Targeting FAQ
Be sure to click thru and read the comment stream on Bob's original post.....
----------------------------------
Via Bob Stewart - ActiveRain (ActiveRain):
In the middle of October, Ken Tracy let us all know (or maybe you knew already, but I didn't) that the October issue of … (3 comments)

Google Maps: Change order of locations in My Maps - 09:24 AM
As you add locations to create a map in Google Maps - My Maps, the locations will appear in a list in the left column.  They will appear in the order in which you added them.
You can change the order by dragging and dropping each location.
Click My Maps, click Edit.

Hover the cursor over location marker icon to the left of the location address in the left column.  Be forewarned:  It can be pretty finicky.  But just keep gently moving the cursor around until the 4-pointed-move-arrow appears. 

As soon as you see the 4-pointed-move-arrow, you can "grab" … (7 comments)

Nela - 10:30 AM
View NELAart Second Saturday October 9, 2010 in a larger map … (0 comments)

Why you should use a "LOCAL" Realtor - 11:35 AM

It never ceases to amaze me when I am perusing the Statewide MLS, as I do daily, to see how other listings have been portrayed, what is new on the market, what prices have been reduced and what has sold, that Listing Agents use information that is totally wrong.
Just this morning (which prompted the writing of this post) I see a neighborhood listed as "Longfellow".
  Now, I have been a Rhode Islander for years and I knew the address and location, but "Longfellow"?  I have never heard of a Longfellow neighborhood in Rhode Island. (And let me mention … (16 comments)

Another HomeRome Condo 1 Gristmill Ct. #501 Annen Woods, Pikesville, MD 21208 - 04:18 PM
… (3 comments)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like.... Halloween in Baltimore - 09:23 PM
 
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like.... Halloween in Baltimore.
This afternoon while visiting  dear friends and former clients who live across near 7011 Concord Rd. Colonial Village, Pikesville, MD 21208 Single Family Home Under $185,000   I could not help but take a few photos to share with you.
Thinking about going over tomorrow night and taking Brad Andersohn's  suggestion. Did you read his post?  ''... don't forget to do as many tricks as you give out treats. My favorite trick of all is to Dress up as though you are the inanimate Halloween Decor for your lawn. Example: scarecrow, Frankenstein, etc. Be as still as you … (9 comments)

Atlanta Happenings In November - 12:07 AM
We are fortunate to live in an area that has lots of activities you can participate in. Here is a list of just a few things to do during November.
Emerson Arts and Crafts Nov-5-6 - Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Marietta.  Pottery, photography, oil paintings by local artists emersonuu.org (770) 578-1533
11th Annual Buford ACE Classic Cruse-In and Show Nov.6, S&S ACE Hardware and Mower Buford. Rare or modified cars, oldies music, door prizes. Ssacehardware.com (770) 932-1458
2010 Chastain Parks Arts Festival Nov. 6-7. Chastain Park, Atlanta Art, music, entertainment. Chastainparkartsfestival.com (404) 845-0793
Ventures Horse Show, Nov. 6-7. Wills Park Equestrian Center, … (7 comments)

Who Says You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks? - 09:31 PM
Always an avid student, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, I've become the all too willing student of Craig Daniels, our latest in a long line of gurus who unselfishly share their knowledge and clear excitement for what they do.  There's no doubt I'm a work in progress, but I've learned a bit about creating a better signature (though mine still needs more than a little tweaking), about working with tables in the Rain (even though I work with them in other venues) and now I've learned I have the simple capability of customizing my header.  Who knew?  I'm probably in the … (11 comments)

State Associations....More Green....less Print Please... - 06:00 AM
   Most of us will cheer the end of this "election season" whether it is because your candidate won....or because we have now ducked the last load of mud slinging which has become a sport it seems for every one running for anything.
   This week we received huge, full color, glossy mailers with candidates that the state association of realtors supports.  Then the phone rang.....on both business lines and personal lines...once for each of us...with the "persuasive advice" on the political support of the state and local candidates.
   We get it ....we get it....we know there is a political … (15 comments)

Beautiful Home For Sale in New Tampa - West Meadows - 09:59 PM
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New Tampa Luxury Home for Sale - 10:30 PM
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Powell Ohio Halloween 2010 - 08:20 AM

Powell and much of Southern Delaware County have their Trick-or-Treat on Halloween. 
Powell Parks and Recreation has Candy by the Carload today, local merchants give Powell kids candy... 
Central Ohio 'Trick or Treat' 2010 is...
Beggars' Night in Central Ohio, it's back...
Haunted Ohio lots of Columbus places
… (0 comments)

Worthington Haunted House? - 08:30 AM

Worthington Haunted House?
Hardly!  The Worthington house look spooky though doesn't it?
A mansard roof says "spooky" to me.  At least this time of year. This house and the Worthington Inn?
A website about haunted places,  Shadowlands, site has a number of Ohio Haunted place but nothing in Worthington.  The Shadowlands.com 'Ohio Haunted Places ' site warns against visiting the sites they have listed.  Not because of the ghosts but because they are secured, private, or patroled.  Or private property.  They are safer to visit online.
This Dublin Granville home is private property.
Worthington Haunted House and Halloween
Worthington's … (6 comments)

Realtors® Reaching Out in Gainesville, FL - 06:22 PM
The Realtors® and Affiliate members of the Gainesville-Alachua County Association of Realtors® (GACAR) have been working hard to prepare for a way to "give back" to our community. 
Dedicated members have been gathering, collecting, sorting, and arranging all kinds of items for the First Annual Yard Sale Extravaganza.   There have been plenty of donors too!  You might want to mark your calendar and come take a look at clothing, furniture, toys, tools, rugs, electronics, kitchenware, office equipment and more, more more!
"FIRST ANNUAL YARD SALE EXTRAVAGANZA"

Realtors® Reaching Out and Giving Back to our Community in Alachua County, Florida.
WHEN: … (5 comments)

Going to NAR in New Orleans, Eat like the Locals........Take a taste home... - 07:00 PM
Louisiana Foods and Spices can fill a grocery store alone?  
     Louisiana spices, mixes, batters, sauces can easily fill a grocery sote on their own.   This area is unique in that people like to cook and eat things that are truly different.  Everything from Gumbo mix, fry batters and hot sauces are native to South Louisiana.  They are only made one place in the world and that is in Louisiana.  The people  do not change their habits here easily but people visiting like to take a taste of Louisiana home with them.  This is a store in the New Orleans French Market but is … (5 comments)

Waiting to Sell Your Home for a Higher Price? - 01:58 PM
Low home prices won't last forever, but it could be some years before you could get the price you would like for the home you are selling.
Right now, buying and selling are a trade off. That is, you sell for a lower price, but you also buy for a lower price. With the home you buy at this time, you'll get a lot more for your money than what that home would cost in years to come.
Under the present conditions, you and other prospective buyers would do well to ask yourself what the personal cost of not … (11 comments)

FORECLOSURE SCHEMES ARE NOT VICTIMLESS CRIMES. - 07:05 AM
BUSTING THE MYTH THAT WHITE COLLAR CRIME IS "VICTIMLESS" CRIME.
Gene Wunderlich writes about an attorney who preys on families who have been foreclosed by giving them false promise that they will "GET THEIR HOME BACK FROM THE BANK".
THE SCHEME: "his [Atty. Pines] business model apparently involves advising [for] clients who have been through foreclosure and been evicted from a home to break back into the home and set up residency"  More. . .
Prosecuting these crimes doesn't receive the same enforcement resources as the average bank robber.  No one puts a gun to the head of the victim(s), but there are … (21 comments)

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