Archives of real estate blog entries for December 5, 2011

Featured blog posts


New Bulk Selling of REOs – How Will it Impact You? - 03:41 PM
 
New Bulk Selling of REOs – How Will it Impact You?
For those who aren't familiar with the term REO, it's short for Real Estate Owned and refers to properties that have gone through the foreclosure process, did not sell, so the bank has taken over as owner on record for that property. The original homeowner lost it to foreclosure, the bank now owns it.
The Obama administration recently announced new plans to sell Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA REOs in bulk to mega-investors at deep discounts.
Which begs the question, who are mega-investors? Currently, they consist of: … (100 comments)

RainCamp Online: Makeover for 2012 Giveaway - 02:32 PM
We are excited for our second RainCamp Online coming up December 14th. You can see the RainCamp announcement post here where we divulge the presenters who will get you ready to dive into 2012.
Since the theme of RainCamp Online will be 'Make 2012 Your Best Year Yet', we wanted to really make this a reality for one lucky attendee. Many of our advertisers are interested in participating in RainCamp in some way. The challenge for us is striking a balance between great information from our presenters and effective 'commericals' from our advertisers.
We think we've found an awesome balance for … (50 comments)

Goal Setting Tips for 2012 Success - 09:11 AM
 
Image by lululemon athletica via Flickr
 
 
 
Goal Setting Tips for 2012 Success
 
It is that time of year again, and businesses and individuals (sometimes they are one in the same) are gearing up for the coming year. Lots of re-evaluating and of course “goal setting”. In the last week I have been to numerous business meetings, read numerous blogs where “goal setting” was the major theme or topic of discussion. Goal setting is harder work than most think, as with most business exercises,  you get out of it what you put into it. Goal setting … (37 comments)

MeetUp Locations: The Place To Be - 02:19 PM
It's the most wonderful time of the year!  The 2nd round of AR MeetUps are happening and members are looking forward to cheering it up AR style.  Get together with other 'Rainers in your neighborhood to relax, laugh and hang out.
Lots of thanks to the members who have stepped up and agreed to host.  Life gets especially busy this time of year as we all know but we must make time for our AR Family too!  If you have any questions regarding a specific MeetUp, please contact the host.  If you don't see a MeetUp in your area and are … (96 comments)

In New Construction, This Is Not A Good Sign - 07:00 AM
When you see water in the basement in new construction, this is not a good sign.  It is very, very important that on new construction water is not encouraged into the house.  Proper placement and grading of soil should encourage water AWAY from the house. 
Obviously this water is not coming in through the door.  It is getting in between the foundation wall and and slab BESIDE the stairwell retaining wall.
Had we done this inspection the day before, since it had not rained in some time, we likely would not have seen this problem!
Why is it happening?
The … (91 comments)

The Value of RainCamp and Blogging - 10:12 AM
"Why are you wasting your time?" We hear this all the time when agents find out we're serious bloggers. It's simple for us. Blogging works!
RainCamp in 2010 was a huge turning point for us. We left Houston and did what the vast majority of people do not do--took action. The results happened quickly.

We set up the new IDX portal in December 2010 and went live with long-tail keywords in January. The graph above shows views on the IDX portion of our website. We went from almost no IDX leads in 2010 to close to 1000 in 2011.
In a down martket, our GCI was up … (37 comments)

Week 6 - Volunteering - 08:26 PM
There is no time to rest.  We know this month is busy for you but you must keep going.  There is no better way to ensure a successful 2012 by finishing off 2011 with a bang.  Feeling overwhelmed and can't think of anything to blog about?  Well the Inspiration Train is here....Choo Choo!!!
Highlighting volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood is a great way to gain extra exposure this holiday season.  We tend to get in the spirit and want to give back this time of year. 
Trending Topics                           … (21 comments)

SHHHHH...don't bother me, I'm hibernating - top 10 ways to keep your phone quiet. - 02:50 PM
 
Shhhhh, don't bother me...I'm hibernating -
Top 10 ways to keep your phone quiet.
 
 
 
10.      Hide in your office – do not, I repeat, do not get out in public and talk to people…they might be mean.
 
9.      Stay undercover – what ever you do, don’t wear your name badge or let people know what you do…it’s tacky.
 
8.      Stay off the phone – make sure that you don’t take a few minutes each day to keep in touch with friends and past clients…no one likes to hear from old friends, they are way to … (41 comments)

Ladies...do you ask questions when you don't mean too? (ok..maybe some of you guys too) - 11:52 PM
Ladies...do you ask questions when you don't mean too? (ok..maybe some of you guys too)
Years ago, I learned something about myself when I was doing script practice. We were going around the table, each taking a turn at running some "lines" back and forth. I've never been too comfy doing this to be honest...and have often felt that I fumble verbally a bit when many eyes are on me....but this was something I needed to push through. So..when it was my turn and I was going through the script..trying to put my own "spin" on it so it didn't come … (43 comments)

Gas explosion kills rodents? Caddy Shack II. - 10:38 AM
I am generally not much of an alarmist when it comes to home inspections.  
After all, houses are nothing more than earth, water, fire, and air combined together in a form that we can call shelter.  Everything can be either fixed or replaced---all it takes is time and money along with the decision as to which is necessary---and how much.  Sometimes we decide to find another assemblage of earth, water, fire, and air---but that is usually done out of choice, as opposed to anything inherently wrong with the "other" house.  Of course sooner or later all houses succumb to one … (27 comments)

ActiveRain Meetup - Wilmington, NC - 05:07 AM
ActiveRain Meetup - Wilmington, NC  
Kornerstone Bistro

Well folks, with Raincamp kicking off on December 14th, Activerain will be hosting Meetups all around the country to allow us the opportunity to get to know each other in "Real Life". 
 
On Saturday, December 10th from 11AM - 2PM, you will find some of us at the Kornerstone Bistro in Wilmington, NC.   Hope you can join us.

Great food and even better Company will make this a fabulous event for all who attend.  Did I mention that you will receive bonus points too? 1000 big ones just for attending! We … (40 comments)

Do the Photographs I Include in My Blog Posts Matter? - 03:31 PM
Do the Photographs I Include in My Blog Posts Matter?
I just read a lovely post written by Jeanean Gendron. In this post, she recounts her very personal blogging journey. She is also an accomplished artist and photographer and included several of her photographs in the post.
While reading this post, I was reminded of a comment I received in a recent post. It suggested that the photographs we include in our posts are not an important part of the post itself.
The commenter felt that "content is king", nothing else matters. I would not argue with the … (86 comments)

Super Staging Cannot Overcome an Overpriced Home ~ Get the thing priced right. - 12:10 PM
Super Staging Cannot Overcome an Overpriced Home ~ Get the thing priced right. 
 
For one reason or another you've decided it's time to sell your home.  So you googled "How to sell a house or how to sell my home".  
At the point your home becomes "for sale" in your mind, you need to stop thinking of it as your "home".  It is now a product on the market (house for sale).  
Whether you have listed with a real estate agent or not.   Whether you've told anyone that it is for sale or not. Whether you're considering … (50 comments)

Turning down Listings was like Eating Cockroaches...but the Protein was good for me - 11:02 AM
Turning down listings was something I have NEVER done until the past year...when our prices for real estate in Salida Colorado took another dive. My first one involved a lovely lady, Lea...84 years old, sharp as a tack and an ex-realtor.
When she called me, I was thrilled because it was in an area that sells well. I took her the comps, had a nice chat and about fell through the floor when she wanted to list it for 35% over market value. She was convinced her home was superior to the other comps. I suggested we talk more and set … (40 comments)

You May Not Find the Perfect House....But You May Find The Perfect Home - 02:16 PM
You May Not Find the Perfect House....But You May Find the Perfect Home
Most buyers are limited by the amount of money they can spend.  When you add that in to the type of home they want, the size of home and the community in which they want to live, there are certainly limits.  At that point, buyers need to make priorities....is it the school system that is most important?  Maybe the size of the house? Or is it the condition of the home that is important?
Figuring out what is most important to you will be the key to a … (43 comments)

Why soo many useless blogs? - 04:31 AM
Rainers, 
Why do some bloggers here, feel the need to post random, completely useless blogs? Even worse, they usually will post 5 of them within 20 minutes.I can't be the only one getting frustrated about this. Does AR limit the amount of blogs one person can post in a certain amount of time? It looks like they never come here, but when they do, they bombard the heck out of the blog board. It's worse then spam!
Are they attempting to accumulate more points? Trying to get people to notice them on here? Attempting to pick up clients?
 
Its frustrating … (151 comments)

Can you take an ENTIRE Day Off? - 11:37 AM
Can you take an ENTIRE Day Off? Friday was my birthday and for me it was just another day of work, but for my family and friends they weren't very pleased to find out that I was spending it with clients instead of them.  As I sat in line that evening at a guard gate waiting to get through to show my clients property I started to wonder if I could ever take an entire day off work; No checking e-mails, NO phones, NO blogging, doing zero things assoicated with real estate. I then started thinking about the last time I took an … (102 comments)

Wanna Be Featured? Beware. It'll Cost You 3 hours of Your Day. - 08:00 AM



Everybody likes to get featured on Active Rain OR wonders why they labor away in obscurity while their wonderfulness lies undiscovered.
Well, be careful what you wish for. In the EVENT YOU DO GET FEATURED prepare to invest 3 hours in proper response. WHAT you say? 3 Hours? I am not doing that!
Well then, you have kinda wasted this magnificence that fell from heaven upon you, eh?
 
 
 
 
If your goal is more than a pat on the back and public recognition of your wisdom and writing ability, then you need to … (133 comments)

Useless localism posts? You are kidding, right? - 04:26 PM
I'll be the first person to admit that when I see someone post their ten weekly posts in a 5 minute period I roll my eyes and wonder about them.  And if their titles are "Home for sale" and :Great priced listing" I know they have not read, listened, or engaged other members enough to know how to use a blog.  I just pop down to my "subscribed" list to find some good stuff.  There is always good stuff to read on ActiveRain if you subscribe to some of the people who use it wisely and plenty to learn from them.
… (120 comments)

I'll Shoot Your Right Arm Off! - 01:11 PM
                                                Decemer 2011:
 
I’ll Shoot Your Right Arm Off!
 
I believe the correct thing to do when helping a prospective seller prepare their house for sale is to be totally honest with them about EVERYTHING that needs to be done to properly prepare, stage, and sell their house instead of giving them a little bit of advice at a time over the course of a listing.
 
This advice I dole out is often hard for the seller to take.  I’ve actually seen a tear or two over the years.  What do I mean that the house needs to … (22 comments)

Confessions of a Lazy Blogger. Or It Wasn't AR - It Was Me. - 12:04 AM
 
Confessions of a Lazy Blogger
 
It is December. We are reaching the end of the year.  Like many of you, I have been reviewing the year ending and planning for that to come. What I did and didn’t do.  What paid nice dividends and what did not. What did not pay were my efforts on AR – and the reason was: ME!
 

Let me elaborate.  My work life consists of several areas:  Real estate transactions. Mortgage origination.  Marketing coach and consultant. And my pure art endeavors such as writing and sculpting.   Real estate transactions are where I … (31 comments)


Blog posts


Your Money Goes Farther in Nicaragua - Oceanfront Land, Condos and Casitas - Nicaragua Real Estate - 11:35 PM
Oceanfront Nicaragua Condos & Casitas … (1 comments)

RainCamp Online: Makeover for 2012 Giveaway - 02:32 PM
We are excited for our second RainCamp Online coming up December 14th. You can see the RainCamp announcement post here where we divulge the presenters who will get you ready to dive into 2012.
Since the theme of RainCamp Online will be 'Make 2012 Your Best Year Yet', we wanted to really make this a reality for one lucky attendee. Many of our advertisers are interested in participating in RainCamp in some way. The challenge for us is striking a balance between great information from our presenters and effective 'commericals' from our advertisers.
We think we've found an awesome balance for … (50 comments)

Day 5~ 2011 December Blogging Challenge - 10:27 PM
 
It’s Day 5 of the December Blogging Challenge. 
     Today was a day I had scheduled some time ago.  I met with one of my most trusted loan originators to put together a joint marketing piece to attract first time homebuyers.  We have identified some rental complexes and we plan to mail pieces to these folks every other month pointing out the benefits of renting vs. buying and using some actual MLS entries to show them what the monthly cost would be.  There certainly are a lot of good reasons to buy a home and for many, it makes … (7 comments)

Austin Lake Estates Real Estate Update – December, 2011 - 03:20 PM
Austin Lake Estates is an eclectic Austin neighborhood around 20 minutes west of downtown Austin.  There are currently 4 homes for sale in Austin Lake Estates.  List prices range from $178,000 to $299,000.  There also 3 Austin Lake Estates homes currently under contract.  The last sale in Austin Lake Estates closed right before Thanksgiving.
… (0 comments)

Selling a Home in Brentwood Ca - Make Money Selling Your Home for a Loss - 05:38 PM
Selling a Home in Brentwood Ca
This writer makes a good point about loosing money when Selling a Home.  It is better to Sell a Home low and Buy a Home low rather than Sell a Home high and Buy a Home High.
For more information on Selling a Home in Brentwood Ca or Beyond and a Free Home Evaluation go to Home Point Real Estate.  
Via Danny Dietl Buy|Sell|Lease iMetroProperty.com (iMetroProperty.com):
This has been and continues to be a very difficult market for many home owners especially those who would like to sell. There is one group of sellers who … (0 comments)

Staged to Sell, Designed to Live – Defining Staging and Redesign - 05:50 PM
Selling a Home in Brentwood Ca
Here is one of the best articles I have read in terms of defining Staging.  If you are Selling a Home I think you need to get this perspective on Staging.
For more information on Selling a Home in Brentwood Ca or Beyond and for a Free Home Evaluation go to Home Point Real Estate.  
Via Kristine Ginsberg (Morris County, NJ: Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC):
Staged to Sell, Designed to Live – Defining Staging and Redesign
Many people don’t exactly know what home staging and redesign is. Homes are Staged to Sell and … (1 comments)

The Kindness Project - Some Stories Part 7 - 06:01 PM
The Kindness Project - Some Stories Part 7
Some of you might know that about a year ago I won a contest for a Kodak Printer on what I would do with $220.00 in Saving.
Here is the Post that won the contest.  Some other things I have posted on this are at the Kindness Project.  
I sent $30.00 to my sister Tracy.  Now my checks go out straight from my bank with on line banking.  She got the check before she got the detailed instructions I sent her.  She did the project before she got my snail mail.  She ended up … (3 comments)

2011 December Blogging Challenge - Week 2 - Post 1 - 11:23 PM
2011 December Blogging Challenge - Week 2 - Post 1
Today I signed up for my new client management system.  Spent good portion of day uploading my client list, setting up my information and watching the how to videos.
I also spent long time on hold and made several calls to the board for questions on MLS system.  Need to figure out some things in order to work on a marketing project.
… (3 comments)

Austin TX Spends Second Most on Electronics - 10:36 AM
Austin TX ranks second on the Top 10 Cities of How America Spends on Electronics.  That's a lot of stereo equipment and computer stuff... but Austin is known for their technology sector.
On average, Austin TX is spending $78.50 a month on electronics behind San Jose CA spending $91.08.  The US Average is a mere $48.00 a month. YIKES!

What I find interesting, as you look at the chart, is that Single Males with no kids spend more than Married Couples with no Kids. Is this because when guys are single they don't care about how they spend their money, … (4 comments)

2011 December Blogging Challenge- Monday - 12:40 PM
December is moving along. Over the weekend, I showed houses to buyers who thought they were 6 months out, but decided to make contact again. They might write an offer.
I answered some questions on a real estate forum as I'm always hoping to get someone to contact me when they decide to actually move.
Entered a few people from the weekend into my database for drip campaign.
… (1 comments)

Rain in Austin TX - Lake Travis Water Levels not Really Changed - 04:25 PM
We just had 3 consequetive days of rain.  Good, right? Yes, very good, as we're in a horrible drought here in Austin TX.  However, I'm very disappointed. Before the rain started, we were at 626.36 feet in Lake Travis. Three days later, we're only at 626.74 feet.
I expected it to be up a heck of a lot more than that. We're trying to move up from the third lowest water levels in history. I know the ground needs a lot of water, and much of it got soaked in, but I expected more run-off and also more of the water … (8 comments)

Beauty, Elegance, and Luxury In Shaddock Creek Estates of Frisco, TX - 09:59 PM
Known for exemplary living, Shaddock Creek Estates is another one of Frisco’s well-established neighborhoods, offering a space that is unique and quite characteristic of the finest of Texas. The luxury community is a gated community that offers beautifully manicured landscaping from end to end, with bike and hiking trails found throughout. The residents are provided with a community of excellence, with a golf course of great reputation and even sports fields that are often graced by the residents of the neighborhood. There is also optimal shopping found around the neighborhood, providing a great activity for the ladies while the boys are … (0 comments)

2011 December 31 Day Posting Challenge Day 5 - Mixed Focus - 02:56 PM
This morning I had a phone appointment to go over customization of the magazine that will be going out to all of my past clients, hairdresser, doctor, etc., through 2012.  I'm now completely comfortable with the website and will be able to tweak future issues to fit my target market.
In addition, l spent my usual time on online forums (relocation, mostly), being visible and, hopefully, sometimes, helpful. 
Tomorrow I meet with an agent I'm considering partnering with on my new niche. 
No "make-up" for this blog today - need to spend more time on the horse rescue!
 
… (0 comments)

Forever Morgans Take Me Home for the Holidays Adoption Fee Special Part II - 03:08 PM
This is the second in a series of postings of rescued Morgans currently in foster awaiting their new forever homes and forever friends.  Take a look and see if your new best friend is here! 
For more information, and to apply to adopt, contact us at ForeverMorgans @hotmail.com.  More information on who we are, what we do, and how you can help, along with an application to adopt, can be found on our website at www.forevermorgans.org. 
 
 
Earth Wind And Fire, aka Windy
 
Barn name: Windy
Registered name: Earth Wind and Fire
Registration #: 00127261
Sire/ dam: Marno's Fireoncommand x The … (2 comments)

Yes I Answer My phone And Handle Spam - 09:37 AM
Yes I Answer my Phone and Handle Spam. This is the comment I left on Gary Woltol's post  Do You Answer Your Phone Nearly All The Time? ''Yes, I answer the phone almost always. Bluetooth in car allows hands free. If a telemarketer...it is very easy to hang up.    I wear my phone...never have to "fish" for it.'' A telemarketer, or anyone who I choose not to speak with, only gets through once! Realizing it is an unwanted call, I place the number into my "contacts list" and label  "SPAM".  Should that same unwanted call come in again... I hit … (15 comments)

Raincamp Meet Up In Annapolis Maryland - 08:33 PM
Thanks to Martha Brown for putting together a meet up in Annapolis. Looking  forward to seeing who shows up Thursday  December 15th at Brio's in Annapolis. Please let Martha know that you will be joining her for lunch.  
 
 
 
Via Martha Brown Annapolis and Anne Arundel County RE (Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.):
It's a Holiday Party Active Rain Style- Raincamp Meet Up in Annapolis Maryland  
Its a holiday party Active Rain style and you know what that means. Laughs, hugs, great conversations and loads of good food and photos. Yes the Maryland Active Rain Meet up is being … (4 comments)

The Challenge today...Clean and Convert - 05:58 AM
  Part of our marketing program since forever has  been snail mail....we do it consistently and with different messages to different lists.  Today we will finish "cleaning" the list...and adding new buyers and sellers....and then have it converted to the program that Keller Williams provided with a "just in case" backup.  Result,...save $$$ monthly from using the old program and have more to spend on marketing....Hooray !  Lick 'n Stick those labels...you will be amazed at the results ! Here's a surprise...we order envelopes in bulk for our monthly mailings...they ARE Purple !
… (18 comments)

Apple Valley Lake Home With A Nicely Treed Setting - 02:50 PM
Additional listing details and an extensive virtual tour photo slideshow available by visting  703 Crestrose Drive in Howard, Ohio 43028.
We also created a special real estate website link which features all of our available Apple Valley Lake homes for sale and they are even organized in price order from highest to lowest.
If you are interested in also viewing all of our available lots for sale at the Apple Valley Lake we have provided you a listing link.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Apple Valley Ohio.com
… (5 comments)

Feel free to share with your agents and clients..... - 07:38 AM
 
 
21 Keys to a Happy Life “taken from my life experiences” 
 
 
1)    Compliment three people every day…try to do this at each food setting…
2)    Watch a sunrise.
3)    Be the first to say "Hello."
4)    Live beneath your means.
5)    Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
6)    Never give up on anybody; miracles happen.
7)    Forget the Jones's.
8)    Remember someone's name.
9)    Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
10)  Be tough-minded, but tender hearted.
11)  Be kinder than you have to be.
12)  Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional … (4 comments)

Quick Weekly Santa Monica Real Estate Market Update – November 25 to December 2, 2011 - 12:41 PM
Santa Monica Real Estate – Single Family Homes:Active Listings: 73* Short Sales – 5* Bank Owned/REO – 1   Of the 73 active Santa Monica homes for sale, 24 had their List Price decreased, and 1 of them actually increased in list price....continue reading
… (0 comments)

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