Archives of real estate blog entries for June 29, 2010

Featured blog posts


Dear Nightmare Transaction - 10:48 PM
Dear Nightmare Transaction,
I can't really say when you started to go "bad" and show your dark side. Maybe it was when the original selling agent, who had a relationship with the buyer, decided to leave the business and you forced me to step in mid-stream. Maybe it was when the 3rd party negotiator decided he had delivered lender's approval on the short sale (which could have triggered timeframes) when in reality we only had approval on the 1st loan, not the 2nd.You were tricky, but I caught that...nice try!
I have to hand it to you though, you really … (43 comments)

Who's Calling The Shots on ActiveRain - The New "Called Shots" Feature - 09:59 AM
We have a new feature which I'm sure many of you have already noticed on your "MY HOME" pages. 

Since we released the new "SUGGEST" for feature button, we've been getting a really good response from members helping us to find and report suggested content for the ActiveRain Feature Board.  You'll notice today that we've placed a new metric "CALLED SHOTS" counter in the status area of each members "my home" page. This little tracker tool will tally a total of how many posts you suggest that actually get featured.

Calling a shot simply means you've selected a … (145 comments)

HOW DOES THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® HELP US?? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS. - 06:13 PM
O.K.  I will admit a Love/Hate relationship with the NAR®.  Perhaps Love/Hate is a tad extreme, but you get the point.   There have been a few posts and comments of late by ActiveRain members who don't believe that the NAR is important to our job.  I disagree.  I have always been thankful for the organization managed by the NAR to help us become effecient real estate agents or brokers.
"NAR" as referenced in this article includes state and local associations.
"NAR" as referenced in this article includes state and local associations.
THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE NAR. 
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS … (93 comments)

Male Agents are From Mars: Advice for Wives of Agents - 01:03 PM
I suppose I could title this "for spouses," but having never been a wife I felt it best to come from my perspective as a husband. 
It is not easy being married to a real estate licensee. We aren't just on straight commission; what we go through for that commission typically takes months and often comes with with risk, rejection, crisis, and drama. Our profession epitomizes the high risk/high reward lifestyle. Ann and I are coming up on our 9th anniversary this September 29th, and the past 5 years I have run my own brokerage. We are in our 40's and … (179 comments)

Real Estate Lessons From High School Sports - 09:50 PM
                                                          
 
 About this time of year I start noticing the high school athletes. Pass any high school field and you will seem young folks suffering through two a days. That means twice a day (usually in the grueling heat) young adults are gearing up for the fall season.
 As a high school nerd about the only sport open was cross country/ track. In fact any kid who answered "yes" to playing dungeons and dragons was automatically banned from the football field.
So around this time each summer my fellow nerds and I would shuck our D&D capes and put … (19 comments)

Are More Renters The Key To The Housing Recovery? - 02:19 PM

Original Source: Renters Key To The Housing Recovery

When economies fall on hard times, people start thinking more short term, and they struggle to live day to day. Today’s economy definitely fits into this category. Because people are trying to live day to day and are looking more short term, the housing market is in a shift.
Previous homeowners are losing their homes through foreclosure and job loss. People are leaving their underwater homes through strategic defaults to start over. These previous homeowners are in need of housing. Some will live with family, but most are looking to rent a home.
Obviously the more … (43 comments)

The Best Blog I Have Ever Posted? - 10:34 AM
The Best Blog I Have Ever Posted?I was scanning through old posts that I have written looking for a piece on Green Building in Vancouver Washington that I wrote a few years back. I was in the statistics section of the site because it is easier from me to scroll through the posts in chronological order. While doing so, something caught my eye. It was a post that I wrote that clearly has more clicks than any other post that I have written. Life at Ashley Manor - Why I Love Open Houses. I was curious so I dug a little … (37 comments)

... don't presume they're not watching. - 10:38 AM
Yesterday, I wrote a little post about Angie's List, and the fact that I'd been found by a potential client through a review on Angie's List.
I actually considered "clipping" the Angie's List logo for use in that post, figuring "who's going to see it?", and they probably wouldn't have a problem with me using it, since the post was very complimentary to Angie's List, anyway.  I decided, however, to honour their copyright (I know, I know, very big of me)... 'cause I'm heavily into that "not stealing copyrighted materials"...  It's not that I'm just so honourable, it's more like I … (70 comments)

Who is ready for BBQ: Relax, Enjoy, and be SAFE! - 04:31 PM
 
Virginia Beach Home Inspector talks BBQ safety
As a home inspector in Virginia Beach one of the more important issues that I always like to address is safety in the home. This weekend is the Super Bowl of the backyard grilling season. Every year there are thousands injured due to carelessness around the BBQ grill. Most injuries are going to be preventable with a little common sense and knowledge. Make sure that you are prepared to have a safe and happy July Fourth weekend.  
 Propane Grills Extreme caution needs to be used when using propane due to the … (24 comments)

Writing the Perfect Post!!!!! - 09:36 AM
I've been coaching my friends to get Active in Active Rain.  My success has been well documented.  To date, since joining I'm now well over 65 referrals that I've received either through other members or via people planing in the rain.  Very stoked about my results, and, as a proponent, I push this often and hard.  I tell my people that Active Rain is one of the most valuable methods for getting exposure.  Since I lead a branch, as well as a team, I tell folks you need the best exposure out there, and Active Rain, by far, is it!
My folks … (63 comments)

REALTORS®, do you know how to Prospect for Today's Market? NAR webinar July 13! - 03:31 PM
REALTORS®, do you know how to Prospect for Today's Market? NAR webinar July 13!
Let's pretend you're looking for a new pair of shoes. If you're living in Phoenix, just thinking about the short walk to the car in the heat makes you cringe. So what do you do? In this day and age with the explosion of mobile, Web & multimedia technologies, I bet your next plan of action is to search online. Right? Why even bother going to the store when you can browse through the items at your fingertips.
And if you're searching online for a purchase as … (42 comments)

Some Days You Feel Like a Blog... Some Days You Don't... - 07:24 AM
Some Days You Feel Like a Blog... Some Days You Don't...      Blogging. We know we otta do it ~ it's just good for business.      There are those days, our feet hit the floor, and we are rarin' to go. Our synapses are firing on all 8 and we just can't type fast enough. Thoughts race through our minds like a speeding train. It seems as if those really good phrases and points we wanted to incorporate, zip by faster than the conductor can say "All Aboard!!!"  Some days you feel like a blog....      Then there are those days … (71 comments)

Smile, You're On Candid Camera! - 02:11 PM

Do you remember that show? Have you ever felt you were being watched while touring a home?
I was showing houses recently to clients and had the strangest feeling. The houses were all urban in nice neighborhoods.We looked at 3 houses but only one was occupied. The owner had all the lights on and all the shades open which brought a warm and inviting feeling to the house.
The home owner had toys in all manners, shapes and forms;
A bedroom full of collectibles, comic books, baseball cards, etc A bedroom full of computers, monitors and printers Big screen televisions … (116 comments)

How to Capitalize & Maximize Your Active Rain Profile - 10:07 AM
Todays Real Estate Professionals need to be as focused as possible when it comes to finding new clients and networking. Active Rain has developed the largest Real Estate Consumer & Professional Network on the internet (Over 185K Members). So if your business has something to do with Real Estate then Active Rain is where you want to be.
Simply registering for an account is NOT enough if you want to gain business and/or network.  There are countless entries (articles) that are written by the members that will attest to their success.  As they say the proof is in the pudding or … (86 comments)

AR at Work...a Success Story... - 03:11 PM
Today, I just wanted to share a phone call I received.  Now, as you know as a "Realtor" we receive many phone calls...  (Some good, some bad ..you know what I mean.)
This call was different it actually made my day and I am grinning from ear to ear.  The person on the other end was actually looking for a Landscaper in Smithtown, (which I gladly gave her my recommendation).
She said to me,.. "you know your going to think I'm crazy, but I found you on a website called Active Rain.  "You wright a blog that I absolutely love, I feel … (64 comments)

Blog? I don't have time for that!! - 05:59 AM
Every Quarter I try reviewing my goals and see where I stand!!! Well, sure enough it is that time again-

Over the past quarter, I have achieved several of my goals that include continuing to market on the Internet...BUT nothing like..."Blog to continually put content on the Internet so you are seen as the local expert."
 
Since this is week 3 of blogging on ActiveRain-I have accomplished my initial goal of reaching 10,000 points!! BUT more importantly I have learned so much about how to blog, what to blog about, how to come up on the google search engine, … (49 comments)

Blog Answers Getting You Down? Time Saving Tip - 11:55 PM
Save Time when responding to blog answers
When you are fortunate enough to have a blog that is Featured or just gets a lot of comments, it can be a challenge to answer them, especially if they have been accumulating all night or day while you were sleeping or hard at work!
Just pull up your blog on Firefox. Go down to the lower right hand corner and reduce the size of the frame until it fills about half the page. Open Safari (if you have a Mac) and do the same thing. Here's what it looks like.

I just … (44 comments)

Do Realtors Have To Disclose A Home Is Factory Built? - 08:09 AM
Do Realtors Have To Disclose A Home Is Factory Built?
I saw a post asking what Realtors thought about the trend in factory built homes, since they are so much cheaper, and have more control over the building process. My question is, do Realtors have to disclose in their listing that the home is factory built?

I sold this facory built home years ago, and stated in the MLS that it was not site built. It's back on the market, and there is no disclaimer stating it was factory built. Is the listing agent wrong? Or, is the seller wrong?
… (42 comments)


Blog posts


Country Estate in Carolina Mountains - 07:59 AM
Carolina Luxury Home … (1 comments)

"Oh Say Can You See" ... 4th of July in Cheyenne - 07:36 AM
The Fourth of July is approaching us quickly and there is tons for you and your loved ones to do in celebration of our country's independence.  Here are a few events happening in Cheyenne to fulfill your day with food, fun and fireworks:
Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social - Free music, ice cream, lemonade, cake, face painting and carriage rides.  Thank you party provided by the neighborhood from 3 to 5pm on Sunday, July 4th on House and 17th Street.  For more information call 637.3333.
Cheyenne's 4th of July Celebration - Come join the celebration at Frontier Park Arena on Sunday, July … (1 comments)

Compromise - 06:00 PM
In the Rain Drop today there was a great post on Compromise by Kristen Wheatley, "Is Compromise really the Best Idea?"
I think there are plenty of times in life when compromise is right and/or you should set down and examine what you really want out of a situation.  But the entire thing reminded me of a story:
 
One cold Winter day a hungry bear was out looking for some food and a cold hunter was out looking for a warm fur to wrap around him.  Well the hunter comes across the bear in a meadow and gets the drop … (4 comments)

Why Can't a Home Builder Build a Straight Wall? - New Construction Homes - Austin TX Home Builders - 10:39 AM
New Construction Homes - Austin TX Home Builders - Do you ever wonder why some houses are built with a wall that's not square or a wall that seems warped or curved?  Take a look at this picture and you'll see part of the reason for this...

This wood is sitting across the street from me waiting to be put on a house. When it was dropped off last week, the wood all seemed to be perfectly straight. Look at where the numbers 589 are. Does the wood look straight to you? To me, it looks like the weight of … (11 comments)

Fourth of July Fireworks - Old Sturbridge Village Style - 09:50 PM
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS - OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE STYLE Looking for something fun this fourth of July? Why not checkout Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA? Travel back in time and celebrate Independence day as if it were the 19th century. There will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence by State Senator Stephen R. Brewer, comedic juggling with Lucky Bob, 19th Century magic with Robert Olson, a concert on the common featuring the Heritage String Band, games & contests.
Sturbridge Village is a 200+ acre museum that opened in June of 1946.  They have been educating today's generation about … (3 comments)

Great Price on Orange Park, Florida Home for Sale - 04:25 PM
A Whole Lot for Very Little $$$ … (0 comments)

Knowing When You're Ready to Buy a Home in Jacksonville, Florida - 04:55 PM
Knowing When You're Ready to Buy a Home in Jacksonville, Florida
All across the Jacksonville and Northeast Florida there are thousands of people looking to a buy home - either now or in the future.  Over the last few years, lower selling prices and lower interest rates have come along, making it more affordable than ever to buy a home.  When most people stop and give it some thought - buying a home in Jacksonville makes a lot more sense than renting a home or an apartment.
In order to buy a house, you'll need to start saving your money and have enough for the … (0 comments)

Belleville IL Home For Sale - 11:15 AM
532 Mascoutah Ave, Belleville, IL 62220
Property Details Bird's Eye View Get Local Streetview $134,900 - 532 Mascoutah Avenue, BELLEVILLE 3Bedrooms2Baths1,931SQ. Feet0Acres BUNGALOW HOME ON THE EDGE OF HISTORICAL DISTRICT. HOUSE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH NEW ROOF,VINYL SIDING,GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTES.NEW WINDOWS,KITCHEN CABINETS,LARGE PANTRY,BEAUTIFUL HARDWOOD FLOORS AND TRIM THROUGHTOUT,9 FT CEILINGS,FULL BASEMENT WITH 3 ROOMS FURNISHED,FENCED BACKYARD,CLOSE TO CITY PARK.
    « PreviousNext » Next Steps: Request Showing Share! Print Walkscore Back to Results
Essential Information
MLS® #:3006009 Price:$134,900 Bedrooms:3 Bathrooms:2.00 Full Baths:1 Half Baths:1 Square Footage:1,931 Acres:0.00 Year Built:1925 Type:Residential Sub-Type:1 1/2 STORY Status:Active Community Information
Address:532 Mascoutah Avenue Subdivision:NOT … (1 comments)

Do you need an assistant? - 12:01 PM
Here are some good thoughts about hiring an assistant! If you are feeling overwhelmed with all of the tasks you have before you and  are having difficulty focusing on what really matters, or just having trouble keeping up with all of our real estate leads - you probably would do well to consider hiring someone to help you keep up, and to stay organized. Especially if you are averaging 4-5 transactions per month. Remember you can't do it all, and you don't want your level of service to suffer. I used to handle apprx 7-8 transactions on average per month without … (6 comments)

Dallas Area Waterfront and Lakeview Homes For Sale - 09:17 AM
For Dallas families and communities to be near the facilities that a large city offers, yet enjoy the comforts of a lake front or lake view home in Dallas Texas.
The large lakes in Dallas Texas are found in the suburbs of Rockwall, Flower Mound, and Rowlett. The small lakes, are found in the suburban areas of McKinney, Frisco and Plano.
Waterfront & Waterview Homes for Sale in Dallas Area by Lake Name Dallas Lake Front Real Estate prices range from $100,000 for a lake front property in Rockwall and Rowlett to over a million dollars in parts of Dallas Texas … (0 comments)

Touring a Kissimmee/Poinciana Florida Short Sale. - 06:57 PM
Hi folks. Here's a video I took today to show you how real estate has changed. This particular property was sold by me back in 2005 for $170,000. Today I placed it on the market to help the current Seller avoid foreclosure. It's now listed as a Florida Short Sale. Hopefully we'll get $30,000-$35,000 for it. Incredible for a 3 bedroom 2 bath pool home. Enjoy the tour!
 
Do NOT be foreclosed on! Avoid foreclosure. Short Sales DO close.
Want to find out more? www.CentralFloridaShortSales.com
***I am NOT an Attorney nor do I play one on TV. Click the button … (23 comments)

Child Safety Alert in Parker, Colorado - 05:43 PM
There has been much talk in Parker, Colorado this week, regarding a suspicious person driving a green van approaching young children. While this sort of occurrence is extremely rare, especially in low-crime areas like Parker, Colorado, it serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to talk to children about safety, and about what to do if they are ever in this situation. This is especially important during the summer months when everyone is outdoors. Parker is an extremely safe place to live with a very low crime rate, but it never hurts to have a reminder to … (1 comments)

RENTED - 07:28 AM
118 North McKenzie Street is one of the best home values in Mount Vernon at just $62,500. Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Mount Vernon Ohio Real Estate
… (1 comments)

Apple Valley Lake View Home (SOLD) - 07:45 AM
Stylish Apple Valley Lake View Home for only $148,000
Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Apple Valley Lake Real Estate
… (1 comments)

704 East Burgess Street in Mount Vernon Ohio - 09:00 AM
An impressive value and this Mount Vernon Ohio home is priced to sell quickly at $79,900
Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Mount Vernon Ohio Real Estate
… (1 comments)

Apple Valley Lake Home For Sale at 241 Green Valley Drive - 09:37 AM
This is an extra impressive home at the Apple Valley Lake and it offers tremendous living space and includes a full and finished walkout level level.
Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Apple Valley Lake Real Estate
… (0 comments)

Mount Vernon Ohio Country Home Located on Glen Road - 10:57 AM
Ideally locted on Glen Road between the Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Kenyon College
Contact Sam Miller of RE/MAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Mount Vernon Ohio Real Estate
… (3 comments)

Owner Relocated and They Priced This Home To SELL - 12:59 PM
Country setting and ideally located near Kenyon College and within 10 minutes of Mount Vernon.
Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Mount Vernon Ohio Real Estate
… (0 comments)

106 Park Street in Mount Vernon Ohio (SOLD by Sam Miller) - 03:57 PM
Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Mount Vernon Ohio Real Estate
… (1 comments)

Licking County and Utica Ohio Home For Sale for $129,900 - 09:52 PM
Contact Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  www.SamMiller.com
… (2 comments)

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