Archives of real estate blog entries for April 22, 2010

Featured blog posts


Who Owns the Listing Virtual Tour - 11:12 PM
Today I had lunch with a colleague who ran into his client. The client informed my colleague that the buyer of their property has been using his virtual tour to advertise the home as a rental. 
The buyer is advertising the furnished rental with the premise that furniture and furnishings in the virtual tour are incorporated as a part of the rental.  WRONG!  The seller's furniture was moved to the seller's new home.  Furthermore, the use of the virtual tour is not only unethical but it can be considered fraud.   The virtual tour is NOT owned by the seller.  The virtual tour is … (88 comments)

Virtual Staging A Waste of Money? - 02:48 PM
Many home stagers have written me to ask what I think of  virtual home staging software.
In my opinion there are two types of “virtual staging.”
The first (which I practice), is virtual because I don’t actually go into a client’s home but I give them virtual staging advice by phone based on photos they provide me with to analyze. This allows clients to have my staging advice and do the work themselves at a lower cost than if I were to do an actual home staging consultation in their home. It also allows me to offer specific staging advice to … (50 comments)

Winning Expired Listings - 12:38 PM
 
Expired properties may be one of the most competitive types of listings you can target.  They are easily identified; typically your MLS will send you a notification when a property expires, or allow you to perform a targeted query.  The challenges presented by expireds are many.
 
You have to:
Find the missing data, such as the owner’s phone number that has been removed from the MLS or by the previous listing agent Understand and appreciate the seller’s mindset Present a succinct and comprehensive marketing plan on why you are different than the previous agent  
Find Missing Data
There … (29 comments)

USDA Rural Housing Loans ON THE BUDGET BLOCK!!! - 11:52 AM
Every year, the USDA Rural Housing Loan program is re-funded through a budgetary approval process. And every year we get notices it's about to expire or a particular lender's reserved funds have run out, but like clockwork these funds have been restored.
Given the BUDGET CUTTING PARTY on the hill --Congressional budget cuts may kill it again!
UPDATE 2/10/2011:I first reported this in August 2010. The program comes up for budget review every year. Right now our key USDA lender advises they 'have unlimited funds'. Not all lenders who do a few USDA loans reserve sufficient funds for their own needs so you need … (27 comments)

Falling in Love is Wonderful! So says Seth Godin! - 09:50 PM
Falling in Love Is Wonderful!
A couple of days ago, Seth Godin wrote a blog about buying a house. He called it "How to Buy a House" and started it off with, "Actually, how to think about buying a house." He went on to talk about the "…enormous social pressure and the expectations that come with…." being in the market for a house, and gave some great advice to people thinking about buying.

I couldn't resist – I had to write him a fan letter. This may be my favorite post of Seth's so far. He reminds the reader that, … (54 comments)

Taking The First Step - 12:06 PM
This is my first blog posting on Active Rain. I have heard many colleagues talk about Active Rain and the benefits that they receive from being part of the network. So, I thought that I would toss my hat in the arena and get busy, getting busy.
I spoke with Aaron from Active Rain yesterday and he shared the benefits of having the RainMaker status with me. Not only did it make perfect sense to me, but he was extremely patient and genuinely interested in my comfort zone. I could tell that the rumors of incredible service and willingness to help … (65 comments)

How Dare You Put My Seller on Page One of Google! - 05:26 PM
I got a phone call the other day from a highly incensed real estate agent. She was just spitting mad because she had spent $1000 on marketing costs and she just found out that my blog was showing her Westmoreland Hills home for sale at the top of page one. She was "offended" that I would have her listing on my IDX site and not have her name plastered all over it.
For the record, our MLS rules require that the brokerage name only be listed on any IDX site but not the listing agent. MRIS never brands the tours or … (133 comments)

Is There Such a Thing as Karma in Real Estate? - 11:49 AM
How many of you have had this happen....
You've got a client, and you're diligently searching for property for them. You send them listings, you take them out on the weekend and show them 10 - 20 homes, you follow up, and basically spend your very valuable time... for FREE... because you want to help them find a place to call home. And all of a sudden...
They stop returning your calls. You're not sure why, but you get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. So you keep trying, maybe even call from different numbers. And finally, you … (94 comments)

I Couldn't Believe She Said It - 08:30 AM
Sometimes you just shake your head at the stupid things people do and say in the world of real estate.  Well more specifically, at the stupid things we Realtors say and do.
Take for example, the Realtor I recently had to deal with who called me incesstantly over 3 days after I had called him to tell him that I was going to possibly be bringing an offer from one of my buyers on one of his properties.  I knew he'd be a real gem to negotiate and deal with.  I'm actually glad I didn't have to.
Then there was this statement another Realtor made to … (71 comments)

...Pants On Fire! - 09:09 AM
Liar, liar, pants on fire!  Well, I guess I could have titled this "Every lie takes an hour off your life."  I must be honest, the childhood chant was a shameless attempt to get your attention.
I have this quandary and I am curious what my fellow Rainers think.  A long time ago, I made the active decision to never lie, and I mean NEVER.  Not to myself (no pretending I look like I did when I was 20,) not to my children (yes, that includes Santa Claus,) not to anyone.  This is how my family lives, quite happily, although my … (103 comments)

So you are saying... If I talk to people about real estate daily, I will see success? - 04:57 PM
So you are saying...  If I talk to people about real estate daily, I will see success?
Why is it that so many agents fall into the trap of being busy with real estate, but not really being busy doing real estate.  We understand what to do, how to do it, why we should do it, where we should do it, who we should talk to and when we should do it...  But we still "don't" do it...
Is it fear?  Is it that we over-complicate our job?
We fail to realize that our success in real estate is directly proportioned … (36 comments)

Celebrating Earth Day with 101 Quadrillion Colors on Texas (and our Nations) Roads-Thanks to The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - 02:00 PM

Celebrating Earth Day with 101 Quadrillion Colors on Texas (and our Nations) Roads-Thanks to The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
I was going to try and do something with 101 in the title because after 20 months of blogging, I finally managed to break 100 posts but something a lot better came along with Earth Day and the advent of Texas Wildflower Season. Every year about this time, if we get enough rain, the roadsides all over Texas explode with a variety of colorful wildflowers! Few people probably realize that the reason for the  multicolored carpet of flora is none other than Lady Bird Johnson … (73 comments)

Keep spreading seeds. You never know what may grow from your posts. - 08:59 PM
Spring is in the air for the Charlotte housing market. Nationally we are not unique. This should give us all a relief. Our local activity is definitely up.
So this is obviously Hay season. Best to put hay in the barn now.
This is not an AR success post. But I can attribute a bunch of my traffic to AR's spotlight covered with Google juice. It just gets more powerful with every content ridden post.
I am planning on making the best of our Spring. Are You ?
Seems that posts in this market, no matter how busy we are, … (70 comments)

Funky photo effects - 09:39 AM
We all know how nice it is to include photos or a graphic with a blog post.  The internet is a visual place and pictures can add to any blog post. 
I recently discovered a web site for adding effects to photos called BeFunky and I have to say that I have been having fun with it.  Photos can be uploaded from my computer or from a number of photos sites including facebook and Flickr.  Here are some examples of what can be done with a photos using BeFunky.






The possibilities are endless.  There is … (84 comments)

Brokers and Managers: Are You Recruiting the Right Agents??? - 07:17 AM
When you recruit agents to your office, who are you recruiting and how are you doing it? First off I think it's important to know what kind of agents you really want in your office. I mean c'mon... how many of you have the agents who sit around the office all day without being at all productive, the agents who run around socializing preventing everyone else from being productive, the agents who hang their license and then are never seen or heard from again? What you really need are productive agents who enjoy the process of being a hard-working and dedicated … (47 comments)

Hey, this is my livelihood - I feel so used! - 08:18 AM
My broker lives across the street from me. 2 of our neighbors are selling. One is transferring, one retiring. Slam dunk for us, right? No, they are using other agents...Why? I didn't feel comfortable asking, but my broker did. The answer: "We don't like to mix business with friendships - you know, in case something goes wrong." Well, oookaaay.... we'll agree to not talk about business then....right? Wrong.... So, here we are on Sunday, my broker and I, sitting in her backyard throwing tennisballs for our dogs and chillin' when 2 phone calls came in.... Next door neighbor #1, "I need your help. We … (119 comments)

BREATHE. Please. - 10:26 PM
Do you ever just feel you cannot breathe?
Seriously. Like the world is just caving in and you cannot take one more thing on your plate?
That is how I feel tonight.
I love my job. I love my family.
This week is just crazy.
And normally I can handle it, really I can. But today I just felt all day long pulled in pieces, and like it was one long train of people who wanted something, and I just cannot get off the crazy train for one minute to B R E A T H E.
So I just poured … (94 comments)

Loan Officers....They wouldn't lie, now....Would they??? - 07:29 PM

 Don't you hate when this happens?
 
You list a great property, at a great move-it-now price, with a great realistic seller that is motivated--cannot get any better than this...right? The property is being shown 3,4,5,7  times a day for the 1st couple of days, and then you start receiving offers---HOLY COW--how wonderful, you are proud, your seller is ecstatic...Life is good.
 
You and your seller client are discussing the pros and cons of each offer; price, dates, and of course financing. You do your due diligence and start calling the LO's that have 'pre approved' the buyers. I always … (91 comments)


Blog posts


Orting Home For Sale | 405 Calistoga Orting WA - 03:00 PM
Orting home for sale! This is one of those good deals you've been hearing about. The kind of home you can own for less than most rentals and fix up just the way you want it. Inside this 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath home, you'll find a huge master suite, clean and spacious kitchen, a garage with a large shop area and a pleasing floor plan.

This home offers over 1300 sq ft of living space and is located on a large lot in downtown Orting.
The kitchen offers a double sink, stove and lots of storage space in the … (0 comments)

Bank Owned Homes in Pittsburg California - 04:36 PM
Bank Owned Homes in Pittsburg California
The Bank Owned Homes in Pittsburg California Market is significant part of the Pittsburg Housing Market and offers prices a little better than most homes on the market on average.  This report looks at Single Family Bank Owned Homes in Pittsburg California and compares the current market to sales for the last 2 months.
Right now there are 40 Bank Owned Homes in Pittsburg California for sale with an average price of $182,549.00 and a median price of $181,450.00.  This homes are priced at an average of $115.00 per SF and have been on the … (0 comments)

Bank Owned Homes in Antioch California - 04:49 PM
Bank Owned Homes in Antioch California
The Bank Owned Homes in Antioch California Market is significant part of the Antioch Housing Market and offers prices a little better than most homes on the market on average. This report looks at Single Family Bank Owned Homes in Antioch California and compares the current market to sales for the last 2 months.
Right now there are 54 Bank Owned Homes in Antioch California for sale with an average price of $217,784.00 and a median price of $209,450.00. This homes are priced at an average of $112.00 per SF and have been on the … (0 comments)

Bank Owned Homes in Oakley California - 05:04 PM
Bank Owned Homes in Oakley California
The Bank Owned Homes in Oakley California Market is significant part of the Oakley Housing Market and offers prices a little better than most homes on the market on average. This report looks at Single Family Bank Owned Homes in Oakley California and compares the current market to sales for the last 2 months.
Right now there are 32 Bank Owned Homes in Oakley California for sale with an average price of $247,932.00 and a median price of $252,400.00. This homes are priced at an average of $121.00 per SF and have been on the … (0 comments)

Bank Owned Homes in Brentwood California - 05:24 PM
Bank Owned Homes in Brentwood California
The Bank Owned Homes in Brentwood California Market is significant part of the Brentwood Housing Market and offers prices a little better than most homes on the market on average. This report looks at Single Family Bank Owned Homes in Brentwood California and compares the current market to sales for the last 2 months.
Right now there are 37 Bank Owned Homes in Brentwood California for sale with an average price of $249,030.00 and a median price of $285,000.00. This homes are priced at an average of $133.00 per SF and have been on the … (0 comments)

Bank Owned Homes in Discovery Bay - 05:38 PM
Bank Owned Homes in Discovery Bay
The Bank Owned Homes in Discovery Bay Market is significant part of the Discovery Bay Housing Market and offers prices a little better than most homes on the market on average. This report looks at Single Family Bank Owned Homes in Discovery Bay and compares the current market to sales for the last 2 months.
Right now there are 8 Bank Owned Homes in Discovery Bay for sale with an average price of $398,555.00 and a median price of $379,900.00. This homes are priced at an average of $141.00 per SF and have been on … (0 comments)

SpringFest 2010 - Hill Country Galleria - Saturday April 24 - 02:57 PM
The Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave TX hosts SpringFest 2010 on Saturday, April 24.  There are going to be lots of activities for everyone, including a BBQ cook off, a margarita contest, and bounce houses for the kids. At the Learning Express Toys, Cinderella and Batman will make an appearance from 12:30-6pm. It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun, and we're definitely looking forward to it. Here's a TV commercial about the SpringFest 2010 at the Hill Country Galleria, though I honestly have not seen it on TV...

**Are You Packed Yet?** 

Donna Harris, … (1 comments)

The Backyard - Bee Cave TX - ZZ Top Opening Headline - 03:26 PM
The Backyard at Bee Cave TX is almost ready for it's opening act headlined by... ZZ TOP! That's right, ZZ TOP is The Backyard's first show on Sunday, April 25, 2010. Doors open at 6:30pm with the show at 8pm. What I find pretty interesting, and cool, is that you can buy an upgrade package. No more of this "backstage pass" lingo. It's now called an "upgrade package". What's included in the ZZ Top Upgrade Package?  You get to meet and greet ZZ Top after the show and get personal autographs. I mean, who wants an autograph made out to someone … (11 comments)

Too High of a List Price - Then a Price Change. - 11:40 AM
Will buyers come back to a listing after seeing it at a higher list price and then the sellers have a price change later after buyers have come through?
Some will, but many of them will have found homes already! Others who have seen it at the higher price, may have seen enough about the home that they still might still reject it because of some prejudice against the home (location, floorplan, or condition) that they now have about the home that they may not have had earlier at the lower price, but now having spent time looking at other homes that they … (0 comments)

608 Cambridge Dr, Sparta, IL - 08:16 PM
… (1 comments)

Our quite remarkable language - 06:40 AM
Jack Smith was a beloved columnist for the Los Angeles Times; his column appeared in the Times for 37 years.  His gently wry style was often called witty, literate, and genteel.  Smith passed away in 1996.
Anyway, I have been rereading and enjoying Smith's 1982 book, "How to Win a Pullet Surprise". about the "pleasures and pitfalls" of our English language.  And thinking about it in the context of today's bloggers and citizen journalists.
Consider this example phrase from "How to Win a Pullet Surprise":
A man chasing a cat with a broom in his underwear
(As a cat lover, I find it … (8 comments)

A River Runs Through It! Vintage Home on 4+ Acres in the Heart of Felton - 09:30 AM
… (0 comments)

Ironwood Condos for Sale in Bradenton FL - 08:37 AM
Ironwood condos for sale in Bradenton Florida - Ironwood Condos and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Ironwood Homes, in the Bradenton Real Estate market of Bradenton, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Ironwood Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Ironwood community / subdivision but may include Ironwood town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

Mirabay Homes for Sale - 08:43 AM
Mirabay homes for sale in Apollo Beach Florida - Mirabay Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Mirabay Homes, in the Apollo Beach Real Estate market of Apollo Beach, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Mirabay Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Mirabay community / subdivision but may include Mirabay town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

Pavilion Homes for Sale in Riverview FL - 08:46 AM
Pavilion homes for sale in Riverview Florida - Pavilion Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Pavilion Homes, in the Riverview Real Estate market of Riverview, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Pavilion Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Pavilion community / subdivision but may include Pavilion town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

Morningside Homes for Sale - 08:53 AM
Morningside homes for sale in Bradenton Florida - Morningside Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Morningside Homes, in the Bradenton Real Estate market of Bradenton, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Morningside Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Morningside community / subdivision but may include Morningside town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

Raintree Condos for Sale in Bradenton FL - 09:29 AM
Raintree homes for sale in Bradenton Florida - Raintree Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Raintree Homes, in the Bradenton Real Estate market of Bradenton, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Raintree Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Raintree community / subdivision but may include Raintree town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

Greenbrook Village Homes for Sale in Bradenton Florida - 09:33 AM
Greenbrook Village homes for sale in Bradenton Florida - Greenbrook Village Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Greenbrook Village Homes, in the Bradenton Real Estate market of Bradenton, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Greenbrook Village Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Greenbrook Village community / subdivision but may include Greenbrook Village town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

Vizcaya Condos for Sale in Bradenton Florida - 09:45 AM
Vizcaya homes for sale in Bradenton Florida - Vizcaya Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: Vizcaya Homes, in the Bradenton Real Estate market of Bradenton, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your Vizcaya Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the Vizcaya community / subdivision but may include Vizcaya town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

University Park Homes for Sale in Sarasota Florida - 09:49 AM
University Park homes for sale in Sarasota Florida - University Park Homes and Real Estate by Communities. This is an MLS search for: University Park Homes, in the Sarasota Real Estate market of Sarasota, FL. School information, Buyers tips and relocation guide for home buyers available. We're your University Park Realtors with experience, knowledge, and dedication to service. Here you will find listings in the University Park community / subdivision but may include University Park town homes, condos, and villas on a custom MLS search. … (0 comments)

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