Archives of real estate blog entries for August 22, 2010

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Visit the Franklin TN Farmers Market - 11:37 PM
Visit the Franklin TN Farmers Market I love Saturday mornings in historic Franklin TN.  A great way to start the weekend is to head over to the Franklin Farmers Market located in the rear parking lot of the Factory shopping mall.  I know the days are hot but you'll find lots of delicious farm-fresh food.  The Franklin Farmers Market has many varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, onions, several varieties of pepper, purple hull peas and lots of fresh berries.  Sweet corn on the cob in available now.  You'll also find something to satisfy your sweet tooth, from juicy watermelons and cantaloupes to fresh blueberry … (11 comments)

Teaching is a Great Way to Learn the Real Estate Business. - 03:03 AM
This year I began teaching continuing education classes for real estate agents.  It has been a positive experience for the first month of classes.  I got positive feedback, but saw things I could improve.  One broker who attended two of my earliest classes had some teaching and speaking experience and graciously sat down with me after class and helped my identify areas I could fine tune.  Some of the instructors in our area are really good and have been it for years.  That puts pressure on me to be at the top of my game.
A great benefits of teaching is … (52 comments)

Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should! - 01:07 PM
Ask my kids and they will tell you this is one of my favorite sayings.
Originally shared with them when discussing appropriate dressing in the early teen years (think short-shorts--or booty shorts as they call them), I continue to use  this to discuss the idea that just because you have the ability to do something doesn't always make it the right thing to do.
There are an amazing number of practical applications for this all-purpose saying. Some that come to mind:
Walking away from your house and mortgage because they house across the street sold for less than you owe Having a temper … (31 comments)

The "Rogue" Agent.....Our Own Worst Enemy!!! - 07:29 AM
The "Rogue" Agent.....Our Own Worst Enemy!!!  We all know they exist, whether by intent or by desperate measure, these agents are amongst us and they are doing harm to all of us---and they are also doing great damage to the buying/selling public.
"FIRST, DO NO HARM!".... it should be an oath we all take! 
As I was ruminating about a very tough deal  that I am putting together--it struck me that the process of  considering what I should say and do when I am at the very beginning of a working relationship with a buyer or a seller, always looks the same: I am VERY careful … (181 comments)

Is This Discrimination, or a Disclosure Issue? - 12:31 PM
Is This Discrimination, or a Disclosure Issue?
 
Carol Culkin wrote a great post regarding Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act which prevents discrimination in the Sale, Rental and Financing of dwellings.

The situation Carol describes is this:
Carol has a lower floor condo listing A buyers agent who had shown the condo, called and said his "Buyer would like to know who lives upstairs ie., single, couple, any kids?" Carol believes, and other commenter's agreed, that it is familial discrimination if she answers.

I BELIEVE IT'S DISCLOSURE OF A MATERIAL FACT ISSUE
Buyer may not wish … (98 comments)

WE SHOULD SELL HOMES LIKE HE SELLS FLOWERS - 02:06 PM
My daughters and I regularly enjoy a local famer's market.  It is just hard to beat the quality of the fresh food and the very reasonable prices. 
One of my favorite stops is the flower booth of one particular vendor.  Now, there are several flower vendors there and they all sell pretty much the same flowers.  Why, then, do I loyally go back each and every time to him?
He doesn't just sell his flowers - he romances his flowers.  He also makes me feel special.  Once in a while, when he is running low of my favority tuber roses, he … (36 comments)

Treat Your Compeition The Way You Want To Be Treated - And Actually Wish Them Well - 02:29 PM
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra is one of the first books that I read that speaks about keeping things "nice", with your competitors and actually helping them out, when it's appropriate by giving advice and or encouragement. 
We Realtors, are a unique bunch in that we are all independent contractors whether we are Brokers or Realtors.  There are so many of us as well, making the competition seem overwhelming at times.  We're all trying to do the same thing and sometimes in the same local geographical area.  Activerain promotes assisting and helping our competition in a healthy way and … (56 comments)

Is it unethical to point out false advertising to the public? - 01:52 PM
Some of my recent posts have focused on the Phoenix Short Sale "wannabe" listing agents that blatantly lie about their Phoenix Short Sale track record - presumably in the hopes of getting unsuspecting consumers to list with them.
I can see a Phoenix homeowner facing foreclosure being swayed by claims of "we've closed hundreds of short sales" coupled with the claim "we close 90% or more of our Short Sale listings".
Fact is - not one Phoenix Short Sale Listing Agent (according to the MLS) has closed 200 or more Short Sales - making the claim of hundreds a blatant lie.
… (127 comments)

Who Will Be the Next ActiveRain Star? - 11:18 PM

 
One of my favorite Sunday night television diversions is the contest to decide Who Will Be the Next Food Network Star.  Last Sunday, the winner for this year was chosen, so I have been sitting here tonight thinking about the show.  I really don’t cook very much (ask me sometime about how I store sweaters in my oven) but I love the Food Network and its stars almost as much as I love ActiveRain.
I think what makes the stars of the Food Network so easy to like is that they seem very real and approachable.  I would like … (45 comments)

Newbies- Answers To Your Top Active Rain Blogging Questions - 11:52 PM
Newbies- here are the answers to some of your most asked questions. I have included the links where you can find the tutorials in detail. 
Question #1- How do you get colored text, different sized fonts on your blog? How To Jazz Up Your Blogging- Free and Easy!  Update: Since writing that post there is another great tool that has actually become my favorite Active Rain blog editor. It is using Gmail as an editor. With the Mac- you just drag and drop right from Gmail into your Active Rain WYSIWYG editor. You don't need to know html. It will cut … (47 comments)

Having Intuition is Meaningless Unless You Pay Attention to Intuition - 10:36 AM
Intuition is something you've either got or you don't. It doesn't seem to me like a person can learn to have intuition. It's sort of sizing up all that is on the surface and juggling it with what you know to be true to try to figure out if a given situation makes sense. It's somewhat, well, intuitive. You might not have all the answers, and probably don't, because part of intuition relies on realizing there is a missing ingredient. The trick, the key, is to listen to your intuition. If you ignore your intuition, then having intuition doesn't matter at … (21 comments)

Social Graphs...Why a BETA Search in Google or Facebook Might be HOW You Find Your Next Real Estate Agent! - 09:45 PM
The debate about the viability and future of Multiple Listing Services has continued unabated for years. Brokers have locked horns about a number of issues ranging from how the data will be shared and what will be shared to the politics of 'leveling the playing field' and who's investment is being protected or squandered.  
While the battle has raged, players from various spectrum have stepped into the void to create options for consumers.  We're all familiar with the forays of Zillow and Trulia.  But less attention has been paid to the implications of another important element emerging in the online … (46 comments)

Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) -- Another Builder's Oops - 10:42 AM
At an inspection of a recently built home, while looking at the water heater, a thought came to me. Many water heaters, if located in garages, route the temperature pressure relief valve down toward the slab in the garage. Therefore, I had not thought much about not seeing a TPR drain termination outside the garage at the perimeter of the home. But, inside the garage, I saw that the TPR drain was routed though the wall. So, when it is routed through the wall, and never comes out the other side, well, where does it go?
The answer was simple enough. … (24 comments)

Speechless August Sunday: Upper Broadway, Upper West Side, Manhattan - 10:34 AM

 
Today is actually a nasty rainy summer day. I took this photo a couple of days ago.
The other day was a perfect clear August morning on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Enjoy the rest of the summer because in just a few months this picture will look like this.
 
iPhone photos courtesy of:
Mitchell Hall, Associate Broker, The Corcoran Group
My Listings Testimonials Latest Corcoran Report View My Blog
… (38 comments)

ACTIVERAIN AMBASSADORS - HAPPY TO HELP ! - 01:30 PM
Maybe it's because people are back from vacations, or maybe more members are deciding it's time to get serious about their blogging, but as an ActiveRain Ambassador I have received more requests for assistance or to answer questions on AR in the last 2 weeks than I had received in the prior 3 months.
... and I am always happy to help with whatever answers or suggestions I have !
I received questions about about finding members in different states, how to add colored text to their blog, and some general questions about blogging to get business and my experiences here … (79 comments)

Real Es-Speak - Button Up Before You're Locked Up! - 04:38 PM

Recently a Mortgage Broker told me he could "request a specific appraiser and make sure the appraisal comes in at contract price." First of all, pal, I hear that HVCC Jail is a lot like Joliet Prison, but the male inmates aren't as pretty. And secondly, what the h_ll were you thinking when you said that??? Okay, I agree there are certain phrases and questions we have all heard or used in real estate that no longer apply. Or if they do, they have a new meaning. Thus, we need to think before we rattle off the old phrases that used to slip so easily off our … (41 comments)

Making A Killer Video - 11:56 PM
Start with working on your next OscAR acceptance speech. It is very important, and requires practicing in front of the mirror. You need to learn to demonstrate absolute unexpectedness….
It could be something like “Oh, I am completely lost for words. It is so unexpectedly, I just stopped by on my way from the (lunch, dinner, bar, hair salon, grocery store) and here you came with Oscar…”
After you are ready with your acceptance speech, it is time to get to the video.
The best way to learn is to follow someone, who knows how to do it. There … (85 comments)

Rolling Down The River - Great Washington, DC Getaway! - 08:42 AM
One way to beat the Washington, DC heat is to take a trip to Harpers Ferry West Virginia to go tubing.  
At Harpers Ferry, where the  Shenandoah flows into the Potomac, I found these tubers floating down the lazy rivers on a steamy August Saturday, and they all looked more relaxed than a cat.  Forget white water rafting!  This water sport is the one for me!  


Harpers Ferry is only about an hour north of Washington.  Wel, it's a little longer on weekends because of the tubers traffic just before you get there, along Route 340.  And if … (47 comments)

I Got My Listing Under Contract Because I Answered My Phone - 09:11 AM
I Got My Listing Under Contract Because I Answered My Phone                             I was about to go into a class, when low and behold...my cell phone rang and I decided to pick it up!  On the other end was another Realtor asking me about my listing.  First, she said, is your listing still available?  Yes, it is.  It had only been on the market eleven days at this point.  In fact, the New had just turned to Active that very day.  Great!  I have clients here that were undecided between two homes, yours and another one.  I called the other listing agent's … (109 comments)

The Power of No."... - 10:04 AM

Tell your Realtor "no" and set your boundaries..
The Power of "No." 
I had an experience yesterday that set me on my heels.  Not because it was bad, but because it happened in the course of something entirely unrelated to real estate and Short Sales, yet reminded me of something essential to the business...the power of "No."  I'm in Modesto visiting my most important and loved cousins, Lynn and Dave.  We had agreed to pick up two great friends of theirs and all go out to the paintball field to play.  My nephew, Rich Telford, is well known in the paintball world … (17 comments)

5 Lessons Learned from Car Shopping - 05:07 PM
I am in the market for a new car. Normally I lease my vehicles and so I trade in every 3 years or so. My 2008 Hummer H3 lease is up in 6 months, so I just started looking now. What I've learned in the past 3 weeks of shopping are lessons we can transfer over to the real estate industry. Easily. So here's what my SLIGHTLY FRUSTRATING month long search has taught me.
First, I will preface this with I am an online power shopper. I buy most of my clothes, shoes, sometimes food, and YES the last 2 vehicles … (74 comments)

New York Buyers for New Jersey Homes: No Buffalo is an Island. - 09:58 PM
Tatanka, tatanka. 
On Catalina Island there are wild buffalo that roam above the hills, hills surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Like New Yorkers migrating to New Jersey, the buffalo on that island are “new.” Perhaps natives say the best stranger is one who passes through. Robert Frost once said that the only way around is through. The problem with Jersey folks like us, the New York transplants, is that we tend to stick around. We irk the indigenous.
We don’t know why. We do shout when we talk; growing up we needed to project our voice over traffic. Be patient … (29 comments)

Wow - Have I Learned! - 01:24 PM
It's the end of my first full week here on Active Rain and wow, have I learned a bunch!!
The first thing I've learned is that this community is very welcoming and I thank all of you for coming by to say hi!
So - just what have I learned?
* Don Wixom has been posting great Best Practices Tips.  He's on number 17 now and I'm looking forward to more.
*Tom Branch's post about using Google Images can be very dangerous.  You have to make sure you have complete permission to use images.  It's best to use your own or … (29 comments)

Better Pay Attention To Your Client...They Might Be Mine Soon - 11:56 PM
Better Pay Attention To Your Client...They Might Be Mine Soon
Well, I pretty much had a new client handed to me today by another agent and it wasn't a referral.  A seller called me saying that her agent would never answer her phone or return her calls.  This lady is very anxious to sell her home because she has found another that she really wants, but can't buy until her current home sells. 
The seller is calling me because I had shown her house and left my card and the agent apparently could care less about contacting me to see if there was any … (55 comments)

Last Week's Favorites: August 15th - 22nd - 10:22 PM
Today's summary is a little late coming out today.  I just got home from a little weekend road trip to West Virginia, and then I found that the Gold Star guys beat me to the punch on several that I wanted to include!  Anyway, here's the list:
1.  Dale Baker:  New Hampshire Home Buyer do you know what could be lurking in that homeNew Hampshire?  Dale does a great job in this post of explaining radon and why it's bad stuff.
2.  Andrea Swiedler: F bomb kinda day... in more ways than one.  Andrea is such a lady that I was … (44 comments)

Where Has the Practice of Real Estate Gone? - 09:40 AM
Just a note about real estate practice in today's market:Many agents want to believe that real estate has changed.  This is not true.  The type of seller we represent has changed - we now have "seller/banks".  These seller/banks want to run the show, and we let them.  Would we do the same with Joe down the street who listed his house with us?  If we are allowing sellers to tell us how to do our job, why do we have the job?  This kind of behavior stifles competition, creativity in how we market and often the bottom line to the seller.  … (11 comments)


Blog posts


Portugal Apartment Complex with Countryside Views - 02:15 PM
Portugal Apartment complex with Sea &/or Countryside Views … (3 comments)

OPEN HOUSES FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 22 IN NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES - 07:48 AM
 
Listing of Sunday's Open Houses from I-Tech MLS
Listing of Sunday's Open Houses from Combined L.A. Westside 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)

Best Kept Home Buying $ecret in Kenosha, WI - 03:40 PM
Without a doubt, this is the best time ever to buy a home.  Interest rates are lower than they've ever been, and homes prices are at record lows.  Far and away this is how savvy buyers build wealth.  For too long most Americans have over-borrowed and over-spent.  This coupled with job losses, medical problems, divorce, etc., have led us to where we are today.  However, not all is lost.  You see, one of the best kept secrets to building personal wealth in today's market in real estate is. . . Short Sales!
 A short sale is when a the owner of … (0 comments)

Nelson Riemenschneider - Football Player - 06:33 PM
Nelson Riemenschneider - Football Player
My son Nelson went out for Freshman Football at Liberty High School this year.  He is a good kid, but has struggled with school and sports in the past.
However, this year he is doing very well.  It looks like he will be starting when they play the first game in a couple of weeks.  At 6'1" about 250 lbs he is playing left tackle.  He has wrestled for the last 3 years and I think it has helped him.  The conditioning hurts him a lot and I think he is the slowest kid on the … (6 comments)

It's Confirmed - I am a Father! - 11:34 PM
Yes after 14 years and 6 kids it is confirmed that I am a Father.
How did this miraculous event take place?
Facebook asked me to confirm the relationship!
Well I guess they are authoritative with over 1/2 a Billion members!
I suppose the real surprise is that my 14 year old son is willing to admit that crazy guy that may embarrass him at any minute is his father.  I guess I will just have to keep trying harder to embarrass him!
… (5 comments)

Calorie Counting - Does It Work? - 09:48 AM
CALORIE COUNTING - DOES IT WORK? I have always been a reasonably fit person, even throughout 4 pregnancies, but I am finding I do not have as much time as I used to for working out each day.  I still like to do some exercise on a regular basis, but I need something more.  I'm used to eating anything I want, and I'm not a very healthy eater!  Does calorie counting really work?  I have a weight loss goal of losing 10 lbs. and toning up a bit.  Last night I started a routine on my Biggest Loser Nintendo Wii game … (5 comments)

Speechless Sunday - View From Our Trip Up Mt. Washington - 10:15 AM

This photo was taken this past week at Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.  We took a family trip to North Conway to take the kids to Story Land.  Mt. Washington has always been one of my favorite sight seeing places to visit.  One day I hope to take the train up the Mountain, but my 4 year old wanted nothing to do with that this time! 

If you are looking to buy real estate in the White Mountains region, check out my friend Steve Loynd's White Mountain Blog.  He's a local expert in the area and knows just … (10 comments)

Fun Quotes - 08:54 PM
He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which.  - Douglas Adams
Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?  - Jay Leno
Behind the phony tinsel of Hollywood lies the real tinsel.  - Oscar Levant
I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.
 - Mae West 
What others think of us would be of little moment did it not, when known, so deeply tinge what we think of ourselves.  - Paul Valery
You know what's interesting … (2 comments)

A Day In The Life of Roger Mucci - Welcome To His World, Chapter One - 08:59 PM
How lucky are we to have a glimpse into the magical world of Roger Mucci and his considerable talent.  Those who have been following Roger's story to the point of his move to new digs and new gig in property management have the rare opportunity to witness first hand how talent, ingenuity and considerable sweat equity can transform a plain white box into . . . who knows what. 
I've been given the happy task of presenting his before pictures of his new apartment.  Not only is it a challenging space in many ways, but it failed to meet his standards of cleanliness.  So, … (26 comments)

Best Practices Tip #18 - 09:43 PM
"Our agent put the sign up 3 months ago and we haven't heard from them since!"
Have you ever heard that kind of a story from a seller? Many times, I've heard of an unhappy, unsatisfied seller, who has yet to sell their home. The agent typically gets the blame.
Best Practices Tip #18:
Stay in touch with your seller!
We often talk about staying in touch with our past clients and hope to get more referrals and to catch them when they're ready to make another move, but what about staying in touch with our CURRENT clients!?
As a listing agent, … (6 comments)

Only Boy Scouts can Buy Short Sale Condos in Miami...Be Prepared - 11:52 AM
How to Buy a Short Sale Condo in Miami - Be Prepared!! You probably already know the definition of a short sale...the asking price is below the sellers' mortgage payoff. So far, so good.
You probably have read that short sales are a good place to look for a bargain. Right again.
Now for the tricky part...since only about five (5) percent of the short sale listing gets sold...how can you be the one who gets one.
It is actually quite simple...Be Prepared.
Be Prepared...to pay cash. Less than twenty (20%) percent of the short sales are able to be financed.
… (1 comments)

Elaine Lien, A credit to her family and the industry....We Will Miss You - 12:27 PM
This morning, we got the very sad news, that Elaine Lien passed away after a fall at her home.   Elaine was a realtor with the Brookfield office of the First Weber Group....I don't know how  old she was or how long she was licensed...or with her broker...
   I do know that Elaine was every bit a lady...a polished professional. She knew the industry and those fortunate enough to know her, loved and respected her. She was always there to greet every agent with a gentle smile, a willing hand and a warm heart.
     Her passing is a shock....and will … (11 comments)

Android App for Real Estate Lock Box Keys - 10:58 PM
I can't wait for Android App to install on my phone, instead of keeping up with the big chunk of plastic with bad display that we pay for now.   I liked it much better before with my Palm phone allowing me to log on MLS anywhere and open my lock boxes with phone for the "cool" factor for clients.   After not bringing key to showing in Middleburg one day I went to NEFAR the next day was the main reason though. The problem with new phones is no IR transmitter though.  Android will have to use key ring token for transmitter … (17 comments)

Condo in Great Location- Jacksonville Florida - 11:02 PM
… (0 comments)

Speechless August Sunday: Upper Broadway, Upper West Side, Manhattan - 10:34 AM

 
Today is actually a nasty rainy summer day. I took this photo a couple of days ago.
The other day was a perfect clear August morning on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Enjoy the rest of the summer because in just a few months this picture will look like this.
 
iPhone photos courtesy of:
Mitchell Hall, Associate Broker, The Corcoran Group
My Listings Testimonials Latest Corcoran Report View My Blog
… (38 comments)

Term Paper Spam - 12:43 AM
 
Don't you miss Jeff Turner?  What is up with all the term paper spam?
 
Via Jeff Turner (Real Estate Shows):
This will be the shortest post I've ever written here on ActiveRain.
I am sick of the term paper spam on three-year-old posts. Someone, please make it stop.
Thank you.
Jeff Turner aka respres
… (8 comments)

Real Living HER Open House List - Aug. 22, 2010 - 07:46 AM
Real Living HER Open House List -  there are 208 homes on the list NOW, of course that number is subject to change.  The number of open houses scheduled will probably go up before Sunday at one or two o'clock when open houses generally start.  Each open house on the list says what time it open.

 
The Real Living HER Open House List is not an archive.  If you look at it always has the current open houses, rather than history.  The list is in "real time."

The link to the Real Living HER Open House List (above)  … (0 comments)

OPEN HOUSE in Gainesville FL - Landmark Woods - Sunday 8/22/10 - 10:42 AM
If you are touring OPEN HOUSES today in Gainesville, please add this one to your list!
Here we are on the last day of summer vacation!  Public Schools start tomorrow!  If you are out and about doing any last minute shopping, stop by and see this home in LANDMARK WOODS.
OPEN HOUSE is 1:00pm to 3:00pm
 
Great Location for NW Gainesville in Landmark Woods  
… (1 comments)

On stand-by - 05:31 AM
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1457898/surviving-the-new-credit-jungle-and-legal-loan-sharks
 
 
 
… (0 comments)

Go with the Flow - Air Flow that is! - 11:31 AM
Is your furnace filter installed correctly?  Do you know?  Do you know where it is even located and that you have to change it at least every 2 months or so?
One thing that I see time and time again is furnace filters that are installed WRONG which makes your furnace and AC work harder and less efficiently.  You're money up in smoke - at least in the winter!
This is a great post by Jay Markanich a home inspector, enjoy!

Via Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC):
It is probably true that on half the home inspections I do … (2 comments)

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