Archives of real estate blog entries for July 24, 2011

Featured blog posts


There’s No Such Thing as The Perfect House - 06:00 AM
Some buyers aren’t satisfied unless a house meets their every requirement – and they often have a long list.  It might be the right neighborhood, size, price, floor plan, yard, and pool, and they really love the kitchen,  but they can’t sit in the LR and look out at the back yard, so it won’t work.  Or it didn’t have a closet in the home office,  so it’s off the list even though it meets their other needs.  Their expectations are unrealistic. There are probably many houses that they could live in happily, but they demand perfection, down to the last … (125 comments)

Home Sellers Beware of Home Buying Companies! - 01:55 AM
Home Sellers Beware of Home Buying Companies!

We have all seen the signs on the side of the road "WE BUY UGLY HOUSES".  Unfortunately, to many times these "companies" do not actually buy the homes.  Instead what they want to do is have the homeowner continue to "own" the home and the "company" will put it under contract at a determined price.  Then they will go out and lease or lease / purchase the home to another buyer.  However during this whole time the original seller still has this home in their name and on their credit.  To prove it … (93 comments)

How to write a good (or bad) offer on an REO (bank-owned) property - 01:57 AM
Some REO agents are very good at what they do, and provide concise instructions on how to submit an offer on an REO (real estate owned or bank-owned) listings.
These guidelines were pulled and combined from various instructions from REO listing agents and asset managers….so this is further testimony to the importance of writing the best and highest offer.
GUIDELINES TO WRITING AN OFFER ON AN REO PROPERTY
REMEMBER
Seller/Lender calls all the shots Offer is negotiated with an asset manager Some terms may be deleted from the formal contracts mandated/sanctioned/prepared by the State Association of REALTORS Conversely, some … (80 comments)

How Candid, How Much Candor Do You Use In Listing, Selling Real Estate? - 10:26 AM
Candor, the tell it like it is, here is what is up, going on may or may not show up in your real estate transaction. Some folks believe people avoid candor in order to curry favor with others in a real estate sale. But the opposite can happen. By not stepping up to the plate and with Ricky Bobby "all due respect" candor, the truth of the situation does not get out there in to the sunlight. For air to hit it. Candor can unnerve people.
From the time we are knee high to a grasshopper, we are taught to soften … (36 comments)

I’M CALLING MY OWN SHOTS! Plus a Few Others that the AR Gods Missed this Week - 11:59 AM
 
Well, this week there were so many really great posts here in the rain by some of my fave bloggers as well as some newbie bloggers that I’ve recently come across.  First and foremost, I just want to give a shout out to my fellow rainers for their gold star features that I was happy to "call the shot" on them. 
Home On The Market for Over 1500 Days!!! by Diane McDermott
I'm Just Going to Tell You Upfront, I'm Prejudice. by newbie blogger, Laurie Jarrett
You Have to See the Bad Homes to Appreciate the Good Homes by Tim Maitski
These were … (43 comments)

Last Week's Favorites: July 17th - July 24th - 09:41 AM
That nasty heat wave blanketed most of the country this week, but it didn't keep our bloggers down.  Here is a list of posts that, for whatever reason, caught my eye this week:
1.  Susan Emo:  DUH, I KNOW YOU CALLED - I HAVE CALLER ID!!!  Susan brings us the rules of engagement for telephone etiquette. 
2.  Jason Sardi:  In Lieu of a Happy Birthday Roast.  OK, OK.  So his birthday was a week ago!  Sardi, think of it as a belated birthday card!  
3.  Tye & John Watson:  Home Buyers and the New Carbon Monoxide Law in CA  Law or … (29 comments)

Water Garden Tour and Dances With Herons - 04:10 PM
    
 Saturday brought the 2011 Water Garden Tour sponsored by Gateway Garden Center and The Delaware Center for Horticulture. My friend Brenda and I were looking for ideas, and they certainly presented themselves courtesy of some hard-working and talented gardeners. The first pond was in Hockessin, Delaware and was designed by a woman who has done professional landscaping. You can see flowering rush, chameleon plant, lobelia and lotus in this rock rimmed pond fed by a waterfall, all very naturalistically. 
The second pond, in Landenberg, Pennsylvania, had a pond with lotus and koi (named King Louie and Kyoko)  all at … (15 comments)

.... Now I know how a "BARBIE DOLL" feels .... - 02:44 PM

... Friday was 104 degrees ... ... Yesterday was 102 degrees ... ... Hot, sticky, yucky !!! Thankfully, I had no appointments set up for yesterday, so I planned a lot of chores round the house, including lots of jumps in the pool in between ! So I started my day in shorts and a tank top. Then at 10:30am, I got a call from an agent who had an appointment to show one of my listings, saying her keypad was not opening the lockbox, and could I come and open the door ! Not wanting to miss the showing … (48 comments)

This Is Not A Secret - You Can Reach 100,000 Points Too! - 11:37 AM
Wanna reach the 100,000 point milestone?
What I did…
Six months ago I kind of stumbled upon ActiveRain, didn’t think much of it but logged in to see what it was all about. I did the newbie steps; Profile, picture, minimal descriptions, cautious comments, and even some fearful posts. Although I didn’t feel that I had much to offer the group, I was welcomed by many and started to learn about this ActiveRain thing.
The points started adding up and I noticed that by coming back regularly, I was moving up in the rankings and felt inspired to continue this journey. … (69 comments)

If I Bring the Buyer, I'll Make My Commission; If I List Your Overpriced Home, I WON'T! - 03:42 PM
If I bring the buyer, I'll make my commission; if I list your overpriced home, I won't! So many articles have been written about pricing a home to SELL, overpricing and expired listings.  On a recent listing appointment, I reviewed the comparables and the facets of a home that will increase value, decrease value and those that have no impact on value.  Their home is in a community which I know like the back of my hand and I KNOW what brings a buyer to this community; I also know what price a buyer will be willing to pay in this … (74 comments)

Did You “Really” Earn That Designation? - 01:00 AM
Did You “Really” Earn That Designation?  
Ethics is a huge part of my real estate business!  All of my clients as well as my colleagues can confirm this.  I try my best to play by the rules at all times.  When I encounter other agents, I naturally assume they have the same mentality.  However, I recently had conversation with a listing agent as my buyers were interested in his property listing.  Through conversation, I did not get a comfortable feeling that I was dealing with a seasoned agent.  But, a simple Internet search and a check of his website indicated … (120 comments)

Ambassadors in ActiveRain--The Ultimate Pay it Forward! - 11:04 AM
Ambassadors in ActiveRain--The Ultimate Pay it Forward!
As an ActiveRain new member, you might notice that there are people with this cool title of "Ambassador" under their names in orange with a star beside them. Well, I personally have wondered for a long time what that meant exactly.

So, I asked some of the Ambassadors in my realm. Three to be exact: first, Gary Woltal, then Craig Daniels and third, Debe Maxwell.
I wanted to know what it meant to them to be one as well as in the scheme of the ActiveRain membership. Essentially speaking, how do they effect  Newbies and others and what … (51 comments)

STAGERS .... Are We Alienating Realtors with Our Marketing?? - 07:43 PM
Calling all stagers..... I got some interesting feedback on a recent blog post Priced NOT to Sell?  I would like to share this valuable insight because I think it could prove very helpful in your marketing efforts to Realtors....

1.  When we're extolling the virtues of our staging services I've discovered that we're actually  alientating Realtors.... well, I can say we're alientating ONE to be sure (and where there is one, I think it's safe to assume there are others).  This particular agent happens to be pretty influential here in the Rain and VERY vocal about her disdain for the … (42 comments)


Blog posts


Sierra Mountain Luxury Property - Use as Home, Retreat or Resort - Mexico Real Estate - 01:11 PM
Mexico Mountain Luxury Home, Retreat or Resort for Sale for $2,000,000 … (1 comments)

Investor Special - Look What You can Buy for Under $50,000 in the Hemet - San Jacinto Valley - 05:16 PM
Wow... a Single Family Home for Under $50,000...only $45,000 to be exact!  That's right it's almost 1,100 sq ft and includes 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, an attached garage and even a covered carport and covered patio in the back yard.
 
The new listing for sale is just hitting the MLS today, and already there is excitement from the investor community.  I have one savvy buyer looking for a great investment property who is looking to leverage her own resources with hard money, or as it is more commonly known today - as 'Private Money'.
 
The seller is a bank … (2 comments)

Antioch California 94531 Home for Sale - 01:22 PM
Fantastic Home Backs to Open Space … (1 comments)

Simple Advice for Buyers and Sellers -- KEEP YOUR PAPERWORK!! - 06:09 PM
Great Post and great reminder to always hang onto your paper work after closing escrow.  I reccomend you keep a electronic copy and a hard copy.  Put it with your taxes and other important documents.
Via Carla Muss-Jacobs Principal Broker/Owner EBA Portland LLC | 503.810.7192 | (Exclusive Buyers' Agent for the Portland Metro Area):
This post was inspired after reading Larry Story's recent post:  Home Sellers Beware of Home Buying Companies. 
Larry wrote the post after reading a question from Trulia's Q&A's.  Apparently, homeowners "sold" their home in 1999 to an outfit that "buys homes."  In the paragraph describing the dilemma, the homeowner wrote … (0 comments)

When it Rains it Rains Hard! - 06:16 PM
I seem to have this happen a lot.  There is a home that has sat on the market for a long time without many changes in price or anything radical to generate new interest.  I get a client to submit an offer and I hear back from the Listing Agent that they have multiple offers.
Now the cynical part of me thinks they may just be trying to get us up on the price and negotiating with us.
I dealt with an agent like this a couple of weeks ago and my clients felt so put upon by her demands for … (1 comments)

Sunday Afternoon Blogging - 06:21 PM
Well it is a quite Sunday afternoon and I have to do one more post before I can fall asleep with the newspaper in front of the TV.
I have a list of about 8 topics for next weeks post.  All very good ones.  But I am tired I need something short, quick, and full of brilliant insight; well at least 2 of those 3.
What should I write about?  Have any good ideas.  I think I will go take that nap and see what I come up with.
… (5 comments)

How to Make Certain Your Jacksonville Home Doesn't Sell... - 11:55 AM
WARNING:The following is the rant ofan obsessive-compulsivereal estate professional.
Good grief! It’s not the first time (although I wish it didn’t happen as often as it does) but I’ve just been contacted by another very frustrated Jacksonville home seller who had his home listed for many months and didn’t even get one showing… much less, an offer to purchase.
He had heard about my reputation for creative marketing and practice of consulting with my clients, rather than selling to them. We have an initial consultation scheduled for next week and I’ve just finished researching his property, the listing and the comparable properties that have sold recently … (0 comments)

Beware Short Sale Investor Scams! - 12:04 PM
Jacksonville, Florida Real Estate
Short Sale Fraud is Becoming Rampant According to A Recent Report from CNNMoney
The following is a true story. The names and minor details have been changed to protect the anonymity of the parties involved. 
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN COST YOU FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY!
Recently, we contacted a local home owner in our primary farm market area because we knew that their home had been vacant for many months. The home had been listed about one to 1.5 years ago without selling. We were curious as to what had happened with the listing so we checked … (1 comments)

St. Louis House Prices, Sales Fall Again In June - 03:21 PM
We are still mired in the heat of summer in the St. Louis area, including a real estate market that is wilting under the heat. Home prices have been sliding in the St. Louis region including the Metro East Illinois market, along with the number of homes selling in the region.
According to the new figures out this week from regional real estate listing services, overall sales of previously owned homes fell 5 percent in 11 counties compared to last June. It was the fifth-straght month of year over year declines, though sales fell by more than 20 perfect in March, … (2 comments)

Successful Open House With Temperatures Over 100 degrees! - 12:03 AM
What do you do when it'S 100 degrees and you have a showing on your newest listing?
                                                                
You maximize your options.
Instead of just going to 8820 Greens Lane   today for that one appointment. I decided to place an OpenHouse notice on the MLS. This was done late last night...make that early this morning around 1:00 AM.
At the same time I wrote a post...
                                                                                                                                       
Three agents with buyers toured the home, two had called ahead for appointments and one saw it in on The Multiple Listing System.
 In addition recent buyers , who are selling their historic home in this same … (21 comments)

6210 Park Heights Ave Unit 602....Strathmore Towers..Baltimore, Maryland 21215 - 11:12 PM

… (8 comments)

Are Lenders Hiring Contractors To Break Into Your Listing? - 08:00 AM

 

 


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Pay It Forward - Keeping It Cool - 10:57 PM
The past several days the weather on Long Island has been more than oppressive, with temperatures flirting with triple digits and air as thick as pea soup.  Short of staying indoors, in a controlled, air conditioned environment, there was little to do to make the days bearable and the air breathable.  There were weather alerts advising us to stay indoors if at all possible.
In my world this had to be the busiest week of the year, forcing me in and out of the car for hours on end.  I had an epiphany.  I could make my life, and the lives of the … (6 comments)

Speechless Sunday - July 24, 2011 - Mazel Tov! - 12:25 PM

B'nai Jeshurun - 257 West 88th Street on the Upper West Side is the second oldest synogogue in Manhattan
While hundreds of people have been waiting to get married this morning at the Marriage Bureau on Worth Street, B'nai Jeshurun was at the forefront of the fight to make this a reality. Five years ago, congregants formed a Marriage Equality Hevra, a term meaning "community," to join the campaign for the passage of gay marriage as part of the synagogue's social justice initiative.

The synagogue has been administering same sex commitment ceremonies since 1991 but today New York State … (6 comments)

Open Sunday - Towne Wood home (Clintonville area neighborhood) - 11:47 AM
Open Sunday - Towne Wood single family home  at 5348 Woodglen Rd.... or is it Wood Glen? 
 
 
Three bedroom 1 bath ranch 1 car garage Sunken family room with wood burning stove Newer kitchen cabinets basement Priced at $160,000. Towne Wood - 5348 Woodglen Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43214 Open 2 to 4 Sunday July 24, 2011
View Larger Map Towne Wood is in Columbus City Schools. 
Towne Wood the majority of the homes were built in the late 1960s.  Many homes in Towne Wood have a late mid-century kind of vibe, a bit of the Brady Bunch feel.
Towne … (2 comments)

Real Estate Recovery in Palm City Florida: Beautifully Updated Waterfront Pool Home for Sale – SOLD in 25 Days! - 07:34 AM
Real Estate Recovery in Palm City Florida: Beautifully Updated Waterfront Pool Home for Sale – SOLD in 25 Days! Pelican Cove
Waterfront paradise in the private secluded Pelican Cove neighborhood of Palm City! This totally remodeled and updated home with 110′ on a deep water canal that is only 4 lots from the wide open Saint Lucie River and only a short ride to the wide open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This fully upgraded home features 3 Br’s, 2 Baths and a 2 car garage. A screened gas heated pool and spa with large lanai and a built in chef’s gas … (10 comments)

Sunbathing (Humor) - 06:18 PM
Hope everyone had a good weekend.  Here’s a little chuckle (hopefully) to help start the new week. Joan spent most of her vacation sunbathing on the roof of her hotel. She wore a bathing suit the first day, but on the second, she slipped out of it and laid on her stomach. When she heard someone running up the stairs, she pulled a towel over her back side. The assistant manager said. "The hotel doesn't mind your sunbathing on the roof, but we would appreciate your wearing a bathing suit as you did yesterday." Joan said, "But no one can see … (4 comments)

Credit Bureaus Can Sell Your Personal Information - Don't Be A Trigger Lead Victim! - 04:19 PM
Most consumers are not aware that it is legal for the credit bureaus to sell your credit information!  It is shocking, but for $25 to even $100 the credit bureaus can legally sell your information to mortgage companies!  If you will be shopping for a new home mortgage or thinking of refinancing your current loan, then I highly suggest that you visit www.optoutprescreen.com before you begin this process and OPT-OUT of this questionable practice.  
Credit bureaus can sell your personal information, including your address, phone number, mortgage history, and even your FICO score to mortgage companies.  The result for you … (3 comments)

Some Thing To Think About - 10:29 AM
Some Thing To Think About
Some thing to think about, from the movie 1776. John Adams ask: "Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?"
 Dr. Lyman Hall responded: "Yes, Mr. Adams. I do." 
Adams says: "I didn’t known anyone was here" 
Dr. Hall "I'm sorry if I startled you. I couldn't sleep. I’m trying to resolve my dilemma. I remembered something I'd once read, "that a representative owes the People not only his industry, but his judgment, and he betrays them if he sacrifices it to their opinion."
Some thing to think about! "A representative owes … (10 comments)

Using Social Media Authentically, Helpfully and Professionally - 05:09 PM
This is an excellent blog post by Mary Pope-Handy. I think Mary is the best real estate blogger in the business. She is the best writer, an outstanding Realtor, and she walks the talk.
Via Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES, ASP (Sereno Group Real Estate):
Do you love social media?  Is it helping you with your business, or do you want it to?  Many real estate professionals are dabbling in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and many more new online venues, the most recent addition of which is Google +.
The first question that many people fail to answer for themselves is the most … (1 comments)

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