Archives of real estate blog entries for September 20, 2011

Featured blog posts


Is Qwikster being set up to fail intentionally? - 11:30 AM
One of the hottest topics lately has been the changes happening over at Netflix.  They recently announced a new pricing strategy which splits their on-demand service from their DVD/Blu-ray service.  Now they're saying the on-demand service will retain the well-established name "Netflix" while the DVD service will get the new name Qwikster.  They're also adding video game rentals to that service as well.  OK, fine.
Nobody is happy with the split or the price increases.  The company has acknowledged that they'll lose over 1 million more customers than previously estimated and that will impact revenue and profit numbers.  The stock has … (27 comments)

How Many Marketing Dollars Should You Spend on a Listing? - 12:31 PM
Lower priced properties present a conundrum for real estate agents.  How much time and money do you invest in marketing a property that will bring you little profit?  Of course, we all want every property to sell for top dollar, and I'm sure we will all do our best to see that the property sells as quickly as possible, but this can be a challenge.
I had a client a year ago that expected me to spend a fair amount of money each month advertising her property.  She was looking at somewhere in the $200 range per month.  Depending on where … (104 comments)

Is Your Listing Pretending to Be For Sale? - 09:50 AM
Is Your Listing Pretending to be For Sale?
BLiz's post (Move Along, There's Nothing To See Here!) served as a catalyst for this post.  BLiz talked about poor photos and no photos at all on an MLS listing.
There are other ways that listing can be disguised as homes for sale.  Here are just a few examples:
Grossly overpriced listings Lack of creativity in descriptions Not enough info about the home itself in the description No description at all Lack of home features (where specific fields are available) Contact info of agents that never answer or return calls Incorrect lockbox codes in … (152 comments)

Where to Find Cool Real Estate Clip Art - 05:36 AM
Where to Find Cool Real Estate Clip ArtThere is a wonderful site on the web that is a helpful source for cool real estate clip art. RealEstateClipArt.com has hundreds of free real estate graphics, and 3,600 more for just a modest $20 for a two-year membership.  Dustie, an ex-realtor and webmaster for the site, has created this very fun site for any real estate internet or print project. If it’s real estate related, you’ll find it here. She has clip art and photos in every subject imaginable, including appraisals, financing, new construction, relocation, country settings, lake and vacation properties, buttons and … (33 comments)

Russel Ray ~ Congratulations on being #1 - 11:00 PM

Russel Ray ~ Congratulations on being #1
Ontario Real Estate Source                                 
By Brian Madigan LL.B.
I thought I should take this opportunity to congratulate Russel Ray on a very significant achievement here on Active Rain.
Russel is now #1 on the Leaderboard.
That takes dedication, consistency and persistency in order to have marched up the ladder to success.
That’s pretty much the same formula as one might use to achieve any worthy goal. So many of you have written blogs offering guidance about the methodolgy of success in the real estate industry. And, this is one of Russel’s favourite … (54 comments)

Don't Whine If You're Not FIRST - The Second Mouse Always Gets The Cheese - 12:46 PM
Real estate can require perseverance and a thick skin.  So many times we just give up if we aren't someone's first choice when buying or selling their home.  I know I've certainly felt the sting of rejection more than once!  But as I grow older, and hopefully wiser, I have come to realize that being second is an awesome opportunity!
The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse always get the cheese!  Why can't we adopt this attitude with real estate?!  There is a plethora of business out there just waiting for the second mouse to come around!  Where can … (70 comments)

Something to think on: My brief encounter with an underwater homeowner - 05:22 PM

Recently, I met a gentleman in one of the neighborhoods that I work in. As I approach his house to deliver an open house invitation for a home in the neighborhood his body language was noticeably guarded. He more barked his question, rather than asked me how he could help me. Since I’m in this particular neighborhood often I’m familiar with the public records, including the NOD’s (notice of defaults) and auction homes. So I knew this homeowner was in default on his mortgage and had been for about a year.
 
[Side note: I don’t openly share this knowledge … (25 comments)

Energy Efficiency Loans Are Working - 11:16 AM
Calling prospects, holding an escrow together, prospecting for new leads, and wondering where the next transaction is coming from are the tasks that dominate our days. I suppose I could add blogging and doing our daily activities on Facebook to that list. Somewhere in that schedule, I want you to find a few minutes to read a press release on energy efficiency loans from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
The summary is that energy efficiency loans, both residential and business, have performed extremely well across the country in a wide variety of programs. That includes the programs that have weathered … (11 comments)

The First of Many - 01:15 PM
We all dream of what we want to be when we grow up with most of us are in professions we never thought we'd be in.  When we were younger and learning the lessons of an honest's day work, it was very satisfying to get that paycheck.  The average person will have 7-10 jobs in their lifetime.
What was your very first job?

Recent Chatter Questions
Tasmanian Devil?  Butterfly? I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty The Long and Short of it … (32 comments)

ActiveRain University- YouTube- Beyond The Basics - 12:29 PM
Did you know that 48 hours of Video are uploaded every single minute of every day???  Did you know that equals to about 8 years of content being uploaded every single day?  Did you know that all of this is ONLY for YouTube? These stats don't include the hundreds of other video platforms on the internet.  Did you know that over 3 BILLION videos are viewed every day on YouTube???  These stats are mind boggling!!  Do you have a YouTube account set up and now you don't know what else to do?  Do you have some videos on your YouTube account … (33 comments)

What is a Condop? - 10:10 AM
What is a Manhattan Condop ?
A condop is a residential building or portion that includes cooperative and condominium ownership structure. The condominium has a residential cooperative unit separate from the commercial unit and or garage unit. During the late 1980's several new developments were built as "condops" they were "hybrids" because the developer had an underlying mortgage on the residential portion of the project. The residential unit is legally a cooperative. Owners are shareholders in a corporation.

A condo can not have an underlying mortgage. I was an original owner/shareholder in one of the first luxury condops constructed on … (20 comments)

Would You Sell Your ActiveRain Profile and Position? - 08:18 PM
And if you would, how much would you charge? Let's say you have maybe more than 50,000 points, you've meticulously set up your Profile page with your personal and professional information and testimonials...you got your background all set up and you've begun to blog. At 50,000 points you still would have blogged quite a bit to acquire that many points.How much time do you have in that Profile and how much is your time worth? Your Profile includes everything you have done on ActiveRain including your Posts and Blogs and Comments.Now, let's try it again...you are more of a prolific blogger … (80 comments)

"I'm #1!"-- Being the #1 agent means what exactly? - 12:27 PM
Have you ever seen this line in a newspaper or website? “I’m the #1 agent!” or “Hire me, I am # 1!” Did you also happen to notice that line on almost every page of the Real Estate section?  Heck, I myself am guilty of using the term myself and I am not alone.  Unfortunately, it is probably one of the most over used description an agent can use in trying to promote their skill.
Naturally, the assumption is that sellers desire to hire the best in the business. So naturally, if an agent has ever achieved #1 at anything they … (29 comments)

When Rolling Over is NOT an Option...How One West Michigan City continues to Defy the Odds! - 05:14 PM
Earlier this year, Grand Rapids MI earned a spot on the dubious list of Top 10 Dying Cities in a Newsweek magazine publication. Thankfully, our city is not a place where we choose easy over medium/mediocre when it comes to responding to what we instinctively reject as false.
Rob Bliss, Grand Rapids' own Event Planner Extraordinaire determined to fight back with the most powerful weapon...the TRUTH.  As a result, over 5,000 West Michigan residents joined together to film an event that included media personalities, the mayor, a high school marching band and a host of other people.  
In the process, … (20 comments)

How relationships in the Rain can make your business prosper - 11:01 PM
"Surround yourself with those better than you and watch what happens"
Early on in my former career, shortly after obtaining a degree in Computer Science (a shout out to my alma mater George Mason University), I was a software engineer and I worked in the Washington, D.C. area with some very exciting, innovative, start-up companies serving the Internet and telecom space.  While I was very good at what I did, I was sometimes surrounded by other software engineers who either knew more than I did, were brighter than me, etc.
A former software engineering manager came into my cube one day … (27 comments)

My Weekly Visit to Analytics - 12:02 PM
Well I try to visit Analytics at least once a week to see what traffic I am receiving & approximately where it is coming from....  I wish I could figure out "specifics" to follow up, but wanted to share a brief overview of what it told me this morning.  I do check more frequently at times depending on what I have put out into the market place.  Ironically I received a lot of traffic after I blogged about my visit to Costco & the Stuffed Olives with Garlic & Jalapeno & Wasabi Doritos....  Here is what this Monday morning brought to … (29 comments)

"In this market we have to do anything to get a house sold" - 10:43 PM
"Thank you for showing my listing. Please provide your showing feedback. As you know, in this market we have to do anything to get a house sold."
This was the first feedback request I recently received on a listing I showed in Elkridge, Maryland. The second one was simply shortened to: "Please let me know - we have to do anything to get this one sold." Had the house been in good or even acceptable condition I would not think too much about this statement, but it was not. I am quite good about providing feedback and actually put some thought into … (40 comments)

When your House is being Shown - 05:41 PM
When your House is being Shown
There are several things to check before you leave for a showing. Things that give your house a little extra Umph when it's being shown.
When you leave for work check the following things:
Are all the rooms well lit? Open the Draperies and shades to let the most amount of light into the room. A well lit room will look larger. If you won't be home before dark, leave the porch lighting on.
Make sure you've picked up the paper, mail, and other things that naturally get dropped around the … (51 comments)

How Long Tail SEO Can Build Your Business Online - 11:33 AM
Long Tail keywords are so important to your online business and how it is found in the search engines. If your business has been struggling to be found online, this may be something you want to look into. While you may think that you need to be page one for your main business terms, what you are missing is that it is normally much more difficult to rank at the top of the rankings for these high competition keywords.
However, if you focus on long tail keywords in your site, you will find yourself having a much easier time getting … (51 comments)

Stretching is good for the body. Not always good for the budget. - 09:42 AM
Every health expert will tell you that stretching is good for you.  Before exercise or after, it limbers up your muscles and the more flexible you are, the less likely you are going to have an injury.  Cats and dogs stretch instictively.
When you are buying a home, the old adage was to buy up.  Always buy a little more home than you need.  Stretch to make those payments, and this way, you won't have to move again if your family grows.  The days are gone when your lender will allow you to stretch as far as you can with no … (41 comments)

What Would YOU Do? - 05:31 AM
What Would YOU Do?     The most critical characteristic of stairs is that every step be the same. Building codes officials should enforce this rule - some do; some don't. On average, falls on stairs kill 4,000 people a year and another 2 million are seriously injured in the United States.     Many different terms have been used in describing stairs and in this post, I will not get into detail about rise/run/spindle spacing etc.     In the home inspection world, if something doesn't look right, it probably isn't. Walking up this staircase, that little voice went off in my head raising a … (61 comments)

Hellooooo!! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? - 09:18 AM
Hellooooo!! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?
We all know the importance of listening yet have you taken time to assess your listening skills?  Do you really take time to work on this all-important skill?  Listening is one of those communication skills that can make or break you both professionally and personally.
As a former high school teacher, learning to actively listen was one of those skills that had to be learned as well as taught.  For me, I know that it is important that I review my listening lesson in order to say attuned to my clients, friends and family. 
 
… (42 comments)

“I Searched For Your Business Online And I Didn’t Find You!” - 01:28 AM
“I Searched For Your Business Online And I Didn’t Find You!”
 

 
It is estimated that over 80% of businesses are not listed locally. That’s a staggering percentage considering all of the talk about the importance of being searchable.
 

 
 
Many people believe that if they see their business on the internet, they are already listed. That is not true. If you or somebody else did not claim your business, anybody could do so. Do you want your competitor filling out this information? Probably not. But it may not be malicious; maybe an incorrect address or … (81 comments)

Hi ActiveRain! I'm New To You, But You Are Not New To Me, Let Me Introduce Myself - 07:47 PM
This is my first blog post here, but I am not new to ActivieRain. My name is Chase and I am the son of Lisa Udy, a real estate agent in Logan, UT. I've been helping her with internet marketing since 2008 and I finally decided to open up to the great community of ActiveRain. I have just over 3 years of internet marketing experience, and I have a lot of great information to share with all of you. 
The reason I am starting this blog is to help a lot of you who I've got to know through reading Lisa's blog … (42 comments)

Buyers & Builders: 4 Reasons to use a REALTOR - 06:15 PM
Recently, a home Buyer sent me an email thanking me for all my hard work over the last several months, but he & his wife had decided to buy a new home from a Builder site and did not need my services any longer. I replied with four reasons he should reconsider the services of a REALTOR and me, of course ! :)
first, there is no better price for not using an REALOTR. In fact, we often can negotiate a better purchase price, or upgrades or concessions ( more tile and less carpet as an example) because we know the … (21 comments)

You Have to Get Out the Office to Get More Business - 02:52 AM
You Have to Get Out the Office to Get More Business
One thing I've learned over the past eleven years (11) is that Real Estate agents are people persons, so we have to get out among the people.
There is No Business In the Office! After working on a Short Sale package, writing a offer, Blogging, etc.  We as Agents have to get out among the people.
As a rule you should never leave the house/office without Business Cards on your person.  So when you are out and about in the grocery store, sporting event, mall etc. and you come in … (27 comments)


Blog posts


Buyer Wants Global International or USA Off Market Commercial Income Properties Starting at $10,000,000 - 09:09 AM
"BUYER WANTS"; OFF MARKET Commercial Income properties $10m and up … (2 comments)

East Contra Costa Real Estate Investors - Small Income Property Investors---You Got All The Smarts! - 07:36 PM
East Contra Costa Real Estate Investors
Do you want some extra income or to help keep your mortgage payment down with a Real Estate Investment.  Well this post may be for you.  It is about buying Multi-family homes and living in one of the units.
Click here for more information on Real Estate Investing and a Free Book on Real Estate Investing. 
Via DEBORAH STONE (Hogue and Belong Bankers Hill- San Diego, CA):
When I tell my friends I work with small to mid-sized San Diego income property investors, mostly everyone thinks I am talking about these guys----- but in fact … (0 comments)

East Contra Costa County Luxury Homes - 08:07 PM
East Contra Costa County Luxury Homes
What makes a Luxury Home is subjective.  One persons Luxury Home is another persons fishing shack or farm house.  Luxury Homes indicate quality and upscale living.  
East Contra Costa County has some very nice Luxury Homes.  They are not cheap by anyones standards, but they are at a bargain price compared to other areas in Contra Costa County.  
I wanted to share some of those Luxury Homes with people.  I looked at homes in Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen, Byron, and Discovery Bay.  How did I define Luxury, well without looking at each one I … (5 comments)

Wet basement, do something about it now! - 10:03 PM

Even a small amount of water can be a big problem
          Living in the metro DC area has it's own set of problems. One of them is the "wet basement".  Now, I am not talking about a wet basement that is caused by a plumbing problem, i.e. hot water heater leaking, pipes leaking, faucets leaking, etc. This is also not in reference to a leaky roof or window or door.  Those issues are of a different nature but if you have water coming in the house, they may be the culprit. If you eliminate them, … (4 comments)

Bee Cave Parkway to Connect to Hamilton Pool Rd - Taylor Morrison puts up Money - 12:31 PM
For the past couple of years, it's been rumored on and off that Hamilton Pool Rd will connect through Highway 71 and go all the way to Bee Cave Parkway at 620.  Bee Cave Parkway is where the huge City of Bee Cave Central Park is located, and the new location for The Backyard was built, but the street just ends.  At the other end, where Hamilton Pool Rd meets Highway 71, they were working on the construction to build a new CVS, but construction just stopped, the end...More rumors go about that they decided to not connect the roads...
But … (4 comments)

Calaveras Big Trees State Park - Part 2 - 03:42 PM
Calaveras Big Trees State Park - Part 2
Yesterday I wrote about Calaveras Big Trees State Park and specifically the Discovery Tree. The park is home to some amazing trees, the Giant Sequoias.  There are two types of redwood trees that are native to California, the Coast Redwoods along the central and northern coast and the giant Sequoia which grows in scattered locations along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada.  On Sunday 9/18/11 we walked the trail through the North Grove of Giant Sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park.  In the 1.5 mile loop I took nearly 100 pictures … (11 comments)

3 New Stores coming to Algonquin Commons! - 02:14 PM
Later this fall, three new stores will join the list of retailers at the Algonquin Commons. Shoelace Inc., Sears Outlet and Gourmet Kernel will open between mid-September and late October.
“We’re pleased that these retailers have joined the Algonquin Commons group of 80 amazing tenants,” said Scott Carr, president of property management for Inland Real Estate in a statement. “These stores will be open in time for the holiday season, allowing both the retailers and the shoppers to get the most out of their shopping experience.”
Shoelace Inc., formerly Village Shoes in Crystal Lake, is a family shoe store owned by … (0 comments)

Looking for Guest Bloggers in Texas - 09:36 PM
We are working on building a network of blogs in the Texas are, We are not looking for Realtors (IN TEXAS) but everyone else in the real estate field. If you would like to be one of our guest bloggers comment on my post. The network we are building will take a little time to build but will be a good thing to be apart of in the long run. If you can post at least one blog a month let me hear from you. You must now how to use wordpress blogs.
 
Here is one of our new blogs:
… (0 comments)

South Sarasota Waterfront Condo & Villa Listings - Florida Gulf Coast Homes For Sale! - 08:31 PM
You know you want to live in Paradise! What Are You Waiting For? Pristine white sands, crystal blue waters, and cool gulf breezes! Begin your FREE Florida Gulf Coast Property Search Now!

**CLICK HERE for South Sarasota County Waterfront Condo & Villa Listings**

South Sarasota Waterfront Condo & Villa Listings - Florida Gulf Coast Homes For Sale!
Now is the time to find fantastic bargains on South Sarasota (Including: Venice, Laurel, Nokomis, North Port) Waterfront Villa and Condominium properties! If you are looking for a great deal on a waterfront property in South Sarasota County Florida all you have … (1 comments)

4001 Old Court Rd. Pavilion in the Park..3 Bedroom Luxury Condo in Pikesville - 08:19 PM
… (12 comments)

Another Successful Orlando Florida FHA Short Sale With Chase - 07:04 AM

Tutas Towne Realty and Bryant Tutas just had another successful Orlando Florida Short Sale closing with Chase.
The property: 3 bedroom 2 bath single family home located in the Orange Ridge subdivision of Orlando Florida. This home has 1,735 sq ft of living area and was built in 1984. It was purchased in June of 2008 for $245,000. It was a primary residence.
Liens:
1st Mortgage with Chase for $240,000 Hardship:
Curtailment of income. Relocation. Issues:
This was a pretty straight forward Orlando Florida Short Sale. Tutas Towne Realty placed it on the market May 5th at $160,900. We … (14 comments)

September, 2011 Wichita Real estate update..... - 11:50 AM
Wichita Real estate Market is StabilizingSeptember, 2011 Report
The South Central Kansas MLS has released data for 20100 real estate sales thru August, 2011.  Existing home sales increased 2.6% between July and August and increased 32.2% on a year over year basis.  The median sales price of sold homes was up 8.5% from july and 21.6% from a year ago.
New home sales are still lethargic with only 50 new homes selling in August. With an average price of $227,005, new home sales are down 19.9% from a year ago.Existing home inventory dropped slightly to 4,056 units in August, 2011.  The … (0 comments)

Why Sell Your Anchorage Home Now - 03:45 PM
Are you contemplating a move in the near future?  As an Anchorage homeowner, you may need to put your home on the market before you can do so.  But is now a good time to sell?  Here are some of the top reasons you should sell your Anchorage home now rather than wait:
More Anchorage buyers are willing to go looking at a new home in the early fall than when we are deep in winter weather.  The late summer lull has passed and people typically want to get moved into their new home before the holidays come.  Don't miss out on this … (0 comments)

Create a Great Landscape with a Little Help From Mega Discount Nursery Oak Creek WI - 07:41 AM
    Fall is great time to plant trees and bushes....let the fertilizer develop the root system and have the tree add inches in the spring...We have a great place you can go to find bushes, shrubs and trees of MEGA variety and absolutely outstanding prices !
    We have a "wild" backyard to which we add trees...homes for wildlife....a natural fence....sound barrier, privacy....and ohhhh that beautiful color.  This week we chose Colorado Blue Spruce ...six feet tall so we won't have to wait forever to grow to the full beautiful trees we love with their gorgeous blue color and dense branches. … (7 comments)

Affordable Lot For Sale at the Apple Valley Lake - 01:01 PM
Apple Valley Lake Lot in King Beach Subdivision and the price is REALLY right at only $4,500.  Regardless if you are interested in building a home or just buying an Apple Valley Lot to gain access to the lake you are going to like this property.   Listing details for Lot 96 King Beach at the Apple Valley Lake.
You can also view all off our available Apple Valley Lots For Sale.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Knox County Ohio Real Estate
… (1 comments)

Mount Vernon Ohio Country Home for $100,000 - 01:09 PM
Listing details:  15886 Behner Road in Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050.
We have created a special real estate website listing link which features all of our available Knox County Ohio homes with acreage.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Knox County Ohio Real Estate
… (2 comments)

Impressive Mount Vernon Ohio Patio Home With An Amazing Lake View - 03:54 PM
Additional listing details are available at 6 Waters Edge in Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050.
We also created an easy to use real estate website listing link that features all of our available Mount Vernon Ohio homes for sale and organized in price order from highest to lowest.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800  Knox County Ohio Real Estate
… (1 comments)

Fort Collins Short Sale Question: Can I Short Sale If My House Is Already In Foreclosure? - 10:24 AM
I would say a BIG YES but in reality it would be up to the bank. But this day and time they are pretty much wanting the short sale route. Here in Pensacola if you are upside down or just wanting some options on a possible short sale in Pensacola contact me "The Pensacola Short Sale Expert" How do I know I am an expert "good question" The short answer because
 I don't guess if I don't have the answer Iwill get it before offering an opinion.  If I can't help you I won't hurt you by thinking out loud. In … (1 comments)

How much do lenders save by approving short sales? - 09:05 PM
Banks should do short sales in Pensacola because of all the fees they save in for nothing else. Here is a good article on the money end of a short sale. Please contact me if you are someone you know should like to talk abou their options and get the fact on Pensacola Short Sales.
Contact Charles Stallions about your options to a short sale in Pensacola where we do not just list  your home we sell it. If I can't help you I want hurt you.
Via Steve Mun / San Jose Short Sale Agent (Keller Williams Realty):


Why … (1 comments)

What makes you worth so much? - 09:19 PM
I saw a post earlier that basically says pricing is the key to selling a home. I got to thinking if that is so then why wouldn't a seller just order an apprasial, price the home right and sell themselves. Is it that we are that good at marketing, negosiating or what? Is that what makes us worth thousands of dollars. What do you do for a million dollar home that you don't do for a 100,000 home then why the higher pay day.  What if a home sells in one day Vs 100 days? What would or do you tell a seller … (2 comments)

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