Archives of real estate blog entries for June 1, 2010 (Page 2)

Blog posts


Please Do Not Use My Wordpress Blog To Build Your Inbound Links - 02:16 PM
Please Do Not Use My Wordpress Blog To Build Your Inbound Links Whilst Active Rain is my main blogging platform and Point 2 Agent is what I use for my primary web site, I also have a Wordpress site/blog that I am using for one of my niche markets. Why did I pick Wordpress? Simply because there is a WP plugin provided by Diverse Solutions that allows me to showcase all broker reciprocated listings on the blog and which  is showing good results for SEO-my blog is new so I cannot report success yet but others have.

One of the … (1 comments)

Choosing Your Barrington Buyer's Agent-Tips & Thoughts - 05:32 PM
Choosing Your Barrington Buyer's Agent-Tips & Thoughts If you are considering buying a home now or in the future, whether in Barrington or not, here are a few tips and thoughts about how you could select your buyers agent. Let's assume you do not have anyone in mind. Some Thoughts If you walk into a real estate office with multiple agents you will likely be allocated the next agent in-line to take a new client-even if they are not present at the time. Even if you are prepared to wait for a call from that agent..... Does your allocated buyers agent:
… (1 comments)

Hoffman Estates IL Townhomes - What type of financing are buyers using? - 09:31 AM
There has been much confusion lately it seems on the advantages and exclusive use of FHA financing and I wanted to check & see what is going on in our area.  As all real estate is local, let's see what is going on just in Hoffman Estates IL townhomes.  (I mean condos, duplexes, manor homes, coach homes, etc. in this reference).What I found was actually quite eye opening as what the media spin would like us to believe and what is actually closing are two different things.  Two good financing posts recently are very conflicting.  John Mulkey, did a post on the … (4 comments)

Gardner, Kansas home for sale with Hardwood Floors, Stainless Steel Appliances and Partially Finished Basement - 10:49 AM



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Shawnee, KS. 1.5 Story with Nearly 3,000 SF - 11:28 AM
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Keep the Spark with Your Sellers Alive....Even After the Honeymoon! - 11:36 AM
Take a look at the blog our Real Estate Virtual Assistant company - RealSupport Inc. wrote about keeping in touch with sellers!  They have been sending our seller reporting every two weeks to all our sellers for almost 10 years!  I also make scheduled calls to the sellers as they direct (weekly, monthly, upon offer only).
With the help of our Virtual Assistant Carrie Gable and her team at RealSupport Inc, we are able to ensure constant communication to overcome the number one seller complaint – Consumers say they never hear from their agent. 
Just do it; CREATE RAVING FANS -  … (4 comments)

7 Quick Steps to Give Your Home More Curb Appeal - 07:04 AM
Quick and to the point accurate information to help a homeowner improve their curb appeal.
Via Sandy Nelson Realtor® Olympia Real Estate (Riley Jackson Real Estate Inc.):
It's doesn't take much effort to freshen up your home's curb appeal. You can do a lot in just one afternoon and for less than $100.
   
1. Give your front door a shine by rubbing a thin layer of oil on it or applying a new coat of paint.2. Put a new welcome mat on the front stoop.3. Clean any cob webs off your porch lights and give them some sparkle.4. Put a pot … (5 comments)

New Northgate Park - 07:56 PM
New Northgate Park
Another welcome change to the Northgate neighborhood:  Construction began last Fall, turning a Park & Ride into a new park.  The name "Hubbard Homestead Park" came from early homesteader, Harry Hubbard who lived on the lot from 1913 - 1968.
Located north of Target, 3.74 acres is being transformed into an entry plaza, play grove, multi-purpose lawn, skateboard area, wet meadows (to collect rainfall and run off from future nearby construction), and a source stone (the home of an original spring).
There was once a rare historical spring which was paved over in the 1970's when the Park … (0 comments)

Penny Wise And Pound Foolish - 02:27 PM
Penny Wise And Pound Foolish or I'll go broke before I'll take a penny less! Or, you can go to hell before I'll compromise my commission!
The premise is as simple as some agent's logic. For what ever reason the buyer's are short $1,000.00 of the purchase price and ask the agent/s for help, the agents refuse. Assuming a small $100,000.00 house, they're turning down $5,000.00 demanding $6,000.00! After most of the work is done!
More likely the selling agent is turning down $2,000.00 demanding $3,000.00 after putting in 5 to 30 hours! (We don't have facts, it may have been … (13 comments)

Choosing a Realtor® to Purchase Real Estate - 12:29 AM
What do you need to know when Choosing a Realtor to Purchase Real Estate. The first thing is, Are they licensed in the state in which you are looking. Agents must take an education coarse in order to take the exam for licensing. They must also take continuing education every year of their licensing.  Once licensed, agents must join their local board or association of REALTORS® and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Then and only then can they be called a REALTOR®. REALTORS® adhere to a strict code of ethics.
Why does this make any difference to you? If the IRS … (2 comments)

Does it Matter What Realtor® to Choose to Sell Your Home? - 02:02 AM
Does it Matter What Realtor® to Choose to Sell Your Home? The first thing is, Are they licensed in the state in which you are Selling. Agents must take an education coarse in order to take the exam for licensing. They must also take continuing education every year of their licensing.  Once licensed, agents must join their local board or association of REALTORS® and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Then and only then can they be called a REALTOR®. REALTORS® adhere to a strict code of ethics.
Why does this make any difference to you? If the IRS sent you a bill … (6 comments)

DON'T PRE-JUDGE YOUR FELLOW REALTORS UNLESS AND UNTIL YOU KNOW "THE REST OF THE STORY". - 08:00 AM
AND NOW. . FOR THE "REST OF THE STORY". .  OR, JUST WHY THEY (AGENTS) MAY DO WHAT THEY DO! 
JUST THE FACTS MA'AM.  It's not usually a good idea to come to determinations about how and why another agent has done what they did, or didn't do, unless and until you have ALL OF THE FACTS.
We often read ActiveRain blog posts wherein the writer is slamming a fellow agent because a listing didn't sell quickly.  However, the critic is usually focusing on only one aspect of the listing information, that they can see in the MLS report.  After all, what do they … (31 comments)

One More Reason To Avoid Navy Federal Mortgage Services - 04:25 PM
NAVY FEDERAL IS THE ONLY MORTGAGE COMPANY we've had that withdrew a written MORTGAGE LOAN COMMITMENT.  It was done 5 days prior to settlement. 
Navy Federal quoted a 7 year loan for one of my buyers and they said they could only give a 7 year amortization.  Can you compute the monthly payment on that one??
Of course, NFCU has fiercely loyal members who don't even want to hear that there are better mortgage resources.  Most were introduced to the credit union through presentations in connection with their military service. 
Of course, when a buyer contacts me for help finding a home … (12 comments)

Weekly Market Report for Minneapolis Real Estate - 08:28 PM
Weekly Market Activity Report
Home sales in the Twin Cities housing market took another dip as the hangover from the tax credit expiration continued. For the week ending May 22, there were 624 pending sales, a precipitous drop of 42.5 percent from a year ago.
The biggest drops in sales since the credit ended can be seen in the traditional seller market (i.e., anything that's not a foreclosure or short sale) and in the middle price ranges from $150,000 to $350,000. Pending sales have dropped in those ranges from 1,085 the week the credit ended to 384 for the week ending … (0 comments)

Three New Businesses Open their Doors in Asbury Park - 10:27 PM
It would seem counter-intuitive to open a new business while so many are collapsing around you. But that's just what three proprietors did in Asbury Park in April.
Visitors to Asbury Park's First Saturday in May observed the new owners greeting them from the other side of the counter. Some, like Tim Sramowicz and his partner Damian Hiller, who opened Rebearth, an art supply, literature and décor store on Bangs Avenue, were barely stocked when the doors opened to the eager, out of town, curiosity-seekers. Hiller contributes the fashion and merchandising know-how to complement Tim's graphic design background.
A fanciful mural … (0 comments)

Research Your Property Before Buying - 02:43 PM


A Home Buyer Tip from Ira Freireich, an Exclusive Buyer Agent serving the Queens and Long Island , New York , home buyer:
After you have located “the home of your dreams”, spend some time on the internet finding out as much as you can about the address of the home. Below is an article about a “stigmatized property” (a home that has a negative history) that sold this past week.  The point I am making is that New York State does NOT REQUIRE sellers to disclose if there was a murder or suicide on the property.  Buyers should always … (2 comments)

May 2010 Update on Deerwood/Cambrio Market in San Ramon - 02:25 PM
The neighborhood of Deerwood/Cambrio in San Ramon has had an activity in the past six months that is almost the same as its activity during the previous six months. The latest activity, however, was higher than what it was when 2009 started. There have been no active listings, which is a sign that homes are getting sold fast. There were four homes that were sold during the last six months and there were two pending sales. There were no distressed sales or those that are short sales or REO.
The two listed pending sales are priced at an average of $328 … (0 comments)

You don't even know me so why are you sending..? - 03:51 PM

 
Shooting Darts Blindfolded.
 
This morning I get a Text Message. "Get World Cup Updates to your Mobile Phone.....yadda yadda..blah blah".
This is my cell phone company trying to sell upgrade applications to me.
 
I have been with the company well over a year now and I have never once looked at a soccer score. While I understand that there is some reason for US popularity for the World Cup this time around, I am just not a soccer fan. Admire the sport, admire the athlete but my personal interest level in soccer is zero.
 
I don't … (3 comments)

No More AR Flags? ... A New 'Suggest' Button - 01:53 PM
This morning while browsing through ActiveRain posts, I noticed a new button:

At the bottom of posts, the Flag option has been removed:

 
With the flag, AR members could 'flag for feature' as well as 'flag for plagiarism.' Now it appears members can Suggest that a post be featured, but there is no way to report plagiarism. Copyright is a hot topic in the Rain, so I hope the AR Team is just improving the way that violations can be noted.
My guess is that either Bob Stewart or Brad Andersohn will have a post up shortly about … (8 comments)

Just Sold: Charming three bedroom home in Tacoma - 08:50 PM
6122 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA, 98408

Closing Date: May 26th 2010Listing Price: $159,000Sold Price: $154,000Bedrooms: 3Bathrooms: 1Year Built: 1962Square Feet: 1400Lot Size: 5750MLS: 23881
This charming three bedroom home is move-in ready with fresh interior paint and new carpet throughout. All of the kitchen appliances are in place and being sold with the home. There is a detached one car garage with a workshop space and plenty of off street parking accessed from an alley at the rear of the home.
This home is no longer available. However, if you would like to preview homes similiar to this, please contact … (0 comments)

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