Archives of real estate blog entries for August 1, 2010

Featured blog posts


HOW AR ROCKS! - AKA 400000? - 02:11 PM
In the past four-plus years, since I discovered Active Rain, I have closed ten (10 ) transactions I can attribute directly to connections I made through Active Rain.(see photo)
 
It's a prodigious reckoning...and now at 400,000- A Milestone.  I look at it as this moment as an appropriate time to talk about all the positives -- how AR ROCKS!!
These "positives" seem to have collected themselves around my BLOG  since I stepped out into the (ACTIVE) RAIN in 2006.. ..
NEWBIES...let me assure you,  I didn't accumulate those points all by myself, ya' know,but through a community of real estate colleagues....each of us individuallyand as a group … (51 comments)

A Connecticut Landlord Gets Justice - 11:27 AM
This tale of a Connecticut Landlord ends well and there is a lesson to be learned.  Many landlord tales don't end happily because the authorities will tell you there is nothing you can do when your home is trashed by tenants or you lose thousands of dollars in rent.  This tale was written by a client of mine who rented out his home In Ledyard. He really is a very nice man.
 June 17, 2010
Once upon a time a young girl rented a nice house in Ledyard from a nice man. She had a boyfriend and two young children. She … (38 comments)

Home Buyers Remorse and How to help your buyer? - 07:23 AM
My buyer had just put in an offer  on a home and immediately began to show signs of Buyers remorse.  She questioned what she had offered on the house, repairs now and future that may have to be done.  She questioned everything including the location.  I made another appointment for the next day to go out to view the property to calm her nerves before we countered.  She brought her whole family including a relative that had been in the building business.  We looked over the house from top to bottom.  Her relative gave it a thumbs up on the maintenance. … (53 comments)

ACTIVERAIN'S BRAD ANDERSOHN.....will make you a MAN or a MOUSE... - 10:52 AM
I had an occasion to seek answers from ActiveRain the other day and emailed customer service. A short while later, I get a call from Brad Andersohn.


Is this Richie.....says Brad. I say you bet and how can I help you? Well he ended up helping me. Really helping me.
Life is full of surprises.....thank you. I called ActiveRain for one thing, but I really needed help on another thing. What makes the post compelling is that I did not know I needed help, but Brad did.
After addressing my puny issue, Brad proceeds to dialog and input to … (131 comments)

Bay Pointe in Palm City, Florida - 04:39 PM
Bay Pointe in Palm City, Florida Located next to Seagate Harbor and Lighthouse Pointe is the exclusive subdivision of Bay Pointe in Palm City Florida.  This exclusive gated waterfront subdivision boasts 23 homes and lots on the wide waters of the Saint Lucie River.  An additional 11 non waterfront homes and homesites enjoy the amenities of this private community.
 

Located with a large private preserve area to the south and west and enjoying magnificent wide water views to the east.  Only minutes to the wide Atlantic Ocean by boat and enjoying the amenities and low taxes of Martin County … (19 comments)

How Facebook can get you *FREE* Television Advertising! - 12:57 AM
I realize that the Internet is FULL of 'Social Media Gurus' , so I just want to preface this post with the following disclaimer:  
I am not a Social Media Guru, Expert, Ninja or (put in your catchy adjective of choice here)________.  
I am however, a Realtor, Wife, Mother, and Social Media addict who mostly goofs off on Facebook, Linkedin, and Active Rain, and passes it off to my husband as work!   
I do it because it's FuN!  I have experienced a fair amount of success via my social media outlets, but I really would be on Facebook … (77 comments)

How to Sell Your House - 03:44 PM
How to Sell Your House  
 Whenever you hear people discussing real estate you can bet your last dollar that you will hear the phrase "location, location location" mentioned.  I am a firm believer that the location of a home can hinder or help in a sale, but I know the most important aspect when selling your home is PRICE.  If you really want to know how to sell your home, the answer is short and simple:  Set the correct price from the start. 
 How do you calculate the "right price"?  Below are a few tips to follow:
 
 
Don't just get a market … (37 comments)

Holding an Offer HOSTAGE for a Second Preapproval - 03:53 PM
Many seller's agents are requesting for the buyer's to get preapproved with XYZ  lender as a stipulation for submission with their offer.  What if the buyer trusts their OWN mortgage broker or loan officer of choice?
In a situation where I've had a repeat customer who did choose their own loan officer and the seller's agent  demanded a preapproval from the funding lender of their choice is when my clients became very leary. 
The cons of ‘forcing' a buyer to get preapproved AGAIN:
They trust their own loan officer because they've used he/she before and did a great job.  (AND..it was their … (72 comments)

Cause And Effect - 07:16 AM
Sometimes when I pull up to the front of a house I can see problems from the car!  This particular house, a short sale, showed a lot of deferred maintenance.  But what maintenance that had been done was done incorrectly.
It is important that when repairs are made to a home they are done properly.  If not, what was done can lead to more problems and exacerbate the original problem.

Take for instance this "repair."
Look closely and you can see six rusty nail heads.  These nails were not made for outdoor* applications.  They are interior nails.
But as the … (67 comments)

I Did It! I Am Number One on Google. - 09:39 PM
I Did It! I Am Number One on Google. Last week I wrote a post about being number two on Google and only having Homes.com to conquer. This weekend I had no clients. I finally had time to get some yard work and mulching done. I checked emails with my IPhone which I always carry in case I am needed as a broker - but the computer sat on my desk unused. After an afternoon siesta -  I was exhausted from a lot of yard work and just fell asleep - I turned on the laptop to catch up with posts, … (67 comments)

How to prepare for showing rural and equestrian property - Part 1, An Active Rain Newbie Contest - Come Get Some Jump in Your Step - 04:01 PM
How to prepare for showing rural and equestrian property - Part 1
You want your clients to see that you prepared for them, experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to showing and selling country and equestrian property.  There are several aspects that simply never come up when working a typical subdivision in town, so if you are not used to selling rural property these tips may help you.
 
 
Clean your truck inside and out before picking up your clients.  While I do have clients that don't care if I have hay particles in the back of the truck, it doesn't look professional. … (23 comments)

The Reverse Offer - 04:25 PM
We all get many 'helpful' newsletters (gag) telling us how we should be selling real estate.  Most of the time they contain the same old, same old.  You, Ms. Realtor© should be doing this and that, even though they've never sold a home in their lives!  But I wanted to share with you something that's a little opposite of what I usually see.
Buyer Motivator: The Reverse Offer?A controversial move to get negotiations going. Sometimes called the 'reverse contract,' the reverse offer is the practice of the seller writing a contract and sending it to the buyer, rather than the other … (114 comments)

Grandma's House... - 04:44 PM
Grandma’s House…
We moved from the Renton Highlands to the Earlington neighborhood in 1958. Grandma and Grandpa moved that same year. Grandma just couldn’t bear to leave the neighborhood where she was surrounded by relatives and friends of so many years. Grandpa acquiesced, and they moved across the street. The high school was expanding their campus and building a tennis court. George and Pauline had to go.
(circa 1958) Outside Grandma's House on Tobin Ave...Grandma Pauline, Uncle Georgie, Grandpa George, my DadSteve, me, Terry...
Of course as an 8 year old I was oblivious to what was going on with … (106 comments)

Last Week on Active Rain: July 25th - August 1st - 09:10 PM
It's been a long week, with a beautiful wedding, a visit to Active Rain, and a great flight home.  I'm still a little jet lagged, and I'm not sure what day it is or what time it is.  But I'm pretty sure it's time for my favorite weekly post.  So here goes:
1.  Holly Weatherwax:  Buyers: What Your Realtor Needs From You  This is one you can bookmark and copy and pass out to your clients.  We worry about the real estate etiquette for ourselves.  This is for them.  And some of hem need it.
2.  Jeff Dowler:   The Stunning California … (39 comments)

“I called you last night but you didn’t answer….” - 08:39 AM
I got a call early in the morning on Saturday. Probably about 7: A.M. and I’m always up at that time so I answered the phone.
It was a buyer calling about a house on the lake for $1900. He said that he called me “last night” but that no one answered.
“Last night?” You mean at one o’clock in the morning? You all know the feeling when the phone rings in the middle of the night:
Panic! “Was someone in an accident? Is it the police? What tragedy had occurred to prompt a call at that time of the morning? … (150 comments)

How My Assistant Stole $57,000 PLUS What You Can Do To Prevent Something Similar From Happening To You - 06:16 AM
Back February, I had a meeting with my accountant and my bookkeeper to discuss the various tax returns we had to file for 2009. My accountant started asking some questions about one of my businesses. The finances for this business were handled by one of my long-term employees who left in 2009. My bookkeeper wasn’t able to answer my accountant’s questions because various bank account statements were missing.
We looked everywhere for these bank statements, but couldn’t find them. Finally, we requested the missing statements from the bank and paid to have them pulled from archives.
The statements received from the … (86 comments)

What Gives our Readers the "Real Us ?" Our Blog Posts... or Our Comments ? - 10:39 AM
There have been several posts written lately by Active Rainers in which they talked about the importance of making good comments, and the various impressesions that a well-made comment can have on the person reading it.
Just yesterday, there was a post written by Active Rainer Claudette Millette titled Never Underestimate the Value of a Good Comment.
In Claudette's well-written post, Ms Millette described a recent meeting she had with a client... who told Claudette that he had found her "through the Internet."
Of course, being the professional that she is, Claudette further asked "Do you mean my website, or my … (93 comments)

I "Lost" A Listing -- Again. - 05:02 PM
I am primarily a listing agent, and take pride in being able to properly price houses.
Recently an old friend asked me to tell him what he could sell his house for. I did a thorough CMA and walked him through all the recent solds and current homes on the market. Of course, he told me his is better than all of them, so his should be priced higher. I pointed out the comparables are NOT sold and many are too high.
I told him my number: $450,000. He replied another agent told him $600 "EASY" and he would not settle … (81 comments)


Blog posts


OPEN HOUSES FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 1 IN NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES - 02:15 PM
Listing of Sunday's Open Houses from I-Tech MLS
Featuring Open Houses in the Los Angeles communities of Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Glassell Park, Sycamore Grove, Garvanza, Montecito Heights, Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, Monterey Hills, and Hermon.
… (0 comments)

The Diet Continues - Week 46 - Back on Track - 01:25 PM
I am back on my full vitamin regime and have been eating really well this week.  I dropped 3.6 pounds with Saturdays weigh in.  This is my 2nd biggest one week drop, but after the big run up last week I new it would come back off quick.
I have not been able to give up the caffeine yet.  I love drinking Coke Zero.  I know it is full of bad chemicals.  But it taste like real Coke to me and I love carbonation.  I have been drinking some diet Ginger Ale to without Caffeine in an effort to back off.
… (2 comments)

BEST PLACE TO RENT JET SKIS ON LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE NEW HAMPSHIRE - 06:14 PM
BEST PLACE TO RENT JET SKIS ON LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE NEW HAMPSHIRE This weekend James and I took a little getaway trip to Maine to celebrate our anniversary that passed a few weeks ago.  On our last day we decided to drive up to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire to rent some jet skis on the lake.  After doing a Google search, we found Wolfeboro Jet Ski Rentals to be the best priced and friendliest service around.  They let us make some reservations and had 2 jet skis in great condition ready for us when we arrived.   We had to read the boating … (7 comments)

Customizing Thesis, Adding a Hairline Border Around Content - 01:31 PM
This morning's challenge:
To add a hairline border around the content in a WordPress blog using the Thesis Theme.
Styling an element in CSS (cascading style sheet) is simple and straightforward, provided you know the name of the element.
If you don't know the name of the element, you have your work cut out for you.
Firebug kept giving me #container.  Nope, that wasn't it.  Nor was #content_box, or .custom#content or any other of a dozen or so different variations I found on the web.  Though I suppose all these variation must have worked for someone, or else they wouldn't have … (2 comments)

Country home at a modest price near Fayetteville - 08:11 PM
… (0 comments)

A Connecticut Landlord Gets Justice - 11:27 AM
This tale of a Connecticut Landlord ends well and there is a lesson to be learned.  Many landlord tales don't end happily because the authorities will tell you there is nothing you can do when your home is trashed by tenants or you lose thousands of dollars in rent.  This tale was written by a client of mine who rented out his home In Ledyard. He really is a very nice man.
 June 17, 2010
Once upon a time a young girl rented a nice house in Ledyard from a nice man. She had a boyfriend and two young children. She … (38 comments)

Welcome to the first Active Rain virtual yard sale | Need to list or sell more houses? These tapes and materials can help. - 05:25 PM
 
*** NOTE *** the first AR virtual garage was a smashing success; I'm sold out!
 
If anyone has any surplus tapes, books, etc. stashed away there is a big demand for new knowledge out there.
Welcome to the first Active Rain virtual garage sale of real estate sales training aids.
These valuable books, cassettes, and tapes have been collected over the years from some of the top sales trainers in the country. Here's your opportunity to learn more and get great tips for a faction of the original price. These timeless tips are still very relevant to today's … (4 comments)

A 24 Month Glance at Idaho Real Estate Prices - 10:13 PM
Boise Idaho Area Real Estate Prices:
If you are an Idaho real estate seller, don't kick yourself too hard for not putting your house on the market a couple years ago. If you have held off for this long, hopefully you can make it through the turn, wherever that might be.
For Ada County average home prices, the drop has been significant, a whopping 25% down from this time 2 years ago (August 2010).  For Canyon County home prices, however, the drop has been astounding! The average sales price of a single-family residence dropped 33% in the same 2 year period!
Take … (2 comments)

Best Practices Tip #3 - 10:25 PM
Where is the best place to meet a client?
Opinions can run vast on this subject. If not for the first visit, at least for a serious visit, it's best to use the old Sweathogs acronym of CITO.
Best Practices Tip #3:
"Come Into The Office"
When meeting with a client, your office environment can and should help build credibility for you and your firm. It can also serve as a control mechanism, meaning your clients are on "your turf" and may not run amok once you lay out the ground rules of working together.
Now I'm a firm believer in … (6 comments)

You SHOULD lose your Real Estate License If..... - 06:49 AM
  All blogs are the author's opinion, feeling, belief and there will always be people who see things differently....it is what makes the world turn.   It would seem that common sense should prevail...and apparently common sense to one agent is not the same as it is to another.        We believe an agent should lose their license if:
  A property is listed for more than the price it expired at without any change to the property or the market in a short period of time
An agent tours or takes a buyer to a property without the knowledge or consent … (8 comments)

Realtors are a Competitve Bunch....Soo.... - 07:36 AM
The Rain Gods must have had a reason...   Change is not always welcome...and eventually we all get used to a new format and have trouble remembering what the old one was....    While there are bunches of bloggers who say "Points/Smoitz".....the competitive nature of the "beast"....ahhhh the realtor, inspector, lender, lawyer....dictates that points DO matter to some folks.  Climbing to the top of the county, jumping over the blogger above who went on vacation....    There probably is a Rain God explanation for not publishing points...for continuing to include bloggers "in position" who have long since abandoned the Rain for what they must … (21 comments)

Welcome to the first Active Rain virtual yard sale | Need to list or sell more houses? These tapes and materials can help. - 06:01 PM
Some pretty cool training materials for sale in this post!  Love the 'virtual yard sale' idea!
Via Jim Lee, Knoxville Tennessee Realtor® (Realty Executives Associates):
Welcome to the first Active Rain virtual garage sale of real estate sales training aids.
These valuable books, cassettes, and tapes have been collected over the years from some of the top sales trainers in the country. Here's your opportunity to learn more and get great tips for a faction of the original price. These timeless tips are still very relevant to today's market.I've bought and used lots of these types of material over my 30 year career … (11 comments)

805 Ozone Street, Ocean Park, Santa Monica 3BR/3BA Home For Sale - 04:46 PM
Santa Monica, CA | Fantastic Family Home … (2 comments)

“The One Flaw In Women” Movie - 02:33 PM

Click Here or on the Arrow to Watch the Movie
 

If you are a mother, a grandmother, daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend, an aunt or a girlfriend, or if your life has been enhanced by having women play these roles for you, we invite you to watch our new groundbreaking short movie, “The One Flaw In Women.” It’s based on the moving poem that celebrates women for all that they are and all that they contribute to in our world.
 
… (0 comments)

Sabbath Gleanings...... staying the course... NO MATTER WHAT.... =-) - 03:47 PM

 

How many times have you read the storys of the fathers of the faith in the bible ~~~ apostles, kings, and prophets all having to "go the distance" before they received what the Lord God wanted them to recieve?
What did you think when you were reading those storys?
I hope THAT doesn't happen to me...... I would not be able to go through THAT...... Why isn't life easier to get through....? Why does God let those things happen?  
 
 
 
 
Those are some of the things I have heard mermered in bible study classes … (6 comments)

I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow Is Not - 10:30 AM
Home buyers and seller in Northern Virginia are considered to be one of the most savvy Internet pool of people, but we often forget how computerize system can not over take the personal touch of understanding the business. Its all about being local.
Via Leesa L. Finley, REALTOR®/RE Strategist Wake Forest NC Real Estate & Wake County (Circa Properties - Your Wake Forest NC Homes Specialist):
I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow is Not Whether you are thinking of buying a home or possibly selling your home you more than likely have stumbled upon Zillow and thought you hit the … (4 comments)

More work to find the right home but deals are out there! - 03:55 PM
Many home buyers are still waiting out the economy before they make a new home purchase.  In the greater Charlotte Real Estate market there are some amazing deals out there!  Intelligent risk will have intelligent dividends.  I have found several Charlotte Foreclosures lately and they are in great condition!
When is it a great deal?  Ultimately, if you can purchase a home for less than it costs to build, you have a great deal!  Yes, the setting and the neighborhood are of utmost importance.  You must be in a neighborhood and school district that is suitable for your family!  The beauty of America … (1 comments)

Central Ohio's Best Open House List II - 12:10 PM
I wrote Central Ohio's Best Open House List in May 2007.... it is a very popular post. If you look at that post the link to the open house is the current open house list for Real Living HER. It is always the current list. 

The Real Living HER Open House List this week says "There are 243 Open Houses available."
 
Open House Sunday August 1, 2010 -  810 Bluffview Columbus OH 43235 - The Bluffs  
One of a kind Bob Webb soft contemporary.  I was hosting it but there is a change in plans.
Edit March 2011 fixed broken link to … (4 comments)

Day Trip Get-A-Way Will Do You Good - 10:26 AM
I haven't found the time, the effort, or the money for a true "vacation".  My sister Lisa is in the same situation too.  We find ourselves getting that burn-out feeling, the need to escape and get away.   So Lisa and I decided that we'd just take Friday off and make a GET-A-WAY day trip.  
We piled ourselves and our boys into the car and headed east to Jacksonville to spend the day in a shopper's heaven.  We went to the St. Johns Town Center.    I've never been there, but heard that it is one of the newest shopping … (5 comments)

New Orleans Historic Homes, Always another story? - 10:19 AM
There is always a story behind most Historic Homes in New Orleans !

     This Victorian Mansion in the New Orleans Garden District tended to lo0k out of place with its very decorative Victorian style.   Little did I know until I went to look up some information about the house that this is Sandra Bullock's New Orleans home in the Garden District.  My interest was in the details of the roof line and design of the roof.  Little did I know who lives here, but now I do know.  
… (5 comments)

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