Archives of real estate blog entries for August 28, 2012

Featured blog posts


Good News For VA Loan Benefits - 03:39 AM
President Obama signed The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act (H.R. 1627) on August 6, 2012. This act, intended to help those sickened by water at Camp Lejeune, includes improvements to VA home loan benefits available through the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program.
A portion of the new law makes VA loans available to more surviving spouses, provides easier funding fee waivers for disabled vets and helps single and dual-duty parents with occupancy hurdles.  Additionally, and at long last, VA loan limits of $1 million are again possible in high-cost areas. Here is a summary of the … (13 comments)

How to Buy a HUD Home in New Mexico (part 2 of a series) - 11:04 AM
Welcome back!  Part 2 of How to Buy a HUD Home in New Mexico. 
Part 1 of How to Buy a HUD Home in New Mexico focused on how to find a New Mexico HUD owned home, who can buy a N.M HUD home, what is required of a buyer before submitting a bid and utilizing  a HUD certified New Mexico Realtor to represent you. 
See Part 1 of How to Buy a HUD home in New MexicoPart two here outlines the BID process and some helpful insights.
Once you have selected a New Mexico HUD home to buy … (33 comments)

What does your signature line say to your clients? - 03:22 PM
What does your signature line say to your clients?

In the past week or so I've been noticing an odd trend with a few real estate agents and loan officers. When they send out a mass email to their 'list' of which somehow I'm on their list or they're emailing me directly there are 2 distinct signatures in their email.  This has gotten me to ponder a few things....
 
Which business is their main business?
Which business is their full-time business?
Why in hog heaven are they promoting 2 distinctly different businesses on the email?

Let me give you … (99 comments)

Can You Revive an Old Agreement? - 01:04 PM

Ontario Real Estate Source
By Brian Madigan LL.B.
The answer is “no”, but a lot of people don’t believe it.
Let’s assume that Bob puts in an Offer to buy Bill’s property. The offer is accepted and contains some conditions, including financing and home inspection.
The agreement is struck Tuesday and the conditions expire on Friday. However, Friday comes and goes and nothing happens.
The agreement contains a provision to the effect that the agreement becomes “null and void” if the conditions are not satisfied, fulfilled or waived.
Now, the bank calls Bob the following Monday and tells him they … (8 comments)

Consistent step heights prevent injury. - 11:15 PM
 
Consistent step heights prevent injury.
 
There are some pretty strict building code requirements when it involves stair construction. The number of accidents that are caused by improperly constructed and maintained stairs are staggering. One of the important requirements is the consistent height of the steps.
According to the 2010 California Building Code, stair riser height shall be a maximum of 7” and a minimum of 4”. All steps in any flight of stairs must all be within 3/8” of all the other steps. The reason for this code is simple, if the height of steps varied greatly from … (29 comments)

Forget Code: CSST gas lines need bonding to reduce the risk of a fire. - 03:08 AM
If you own a newer home or you've recently had gas lines added to your home, there's a good possibility that Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing, or CSST, was used.  This is a relatively new material that is approved for the distribution of natural gas inside of homes.  The best analogy I can think of to describe this material is that CSST is to steel gas pipes what PEX is to copper tubing, or Romex® is to rigid metal conduit.
CSST needs to be bonded.  The most common issue that home inspectors find with CSST is a system that hasn't been properly bonded. … (16 comments)

RainCamp Speakers: Does it Really Matter? You're Already Signed Up, Right? - 03:35 PM

Dumb and Dumber
Ben and Bob.... From late 2009 through early 2011 ActiveRain took RainCamp around the country on a multi city tour of Awesome. If you had the misfortune pleasure of being able to attend RainCamp with us for one of these live, in-person events you had the misfortune opportunity to see Ben Kinney, and me, Bob Stewart on stage sharing internet marketing advice.
So, it should be no surprise to you that our last two speakers for RainCamp are Ben and me. It could be a disappointment, but it's no surprise! And the best part about this RainCamp … (33 comments)

IMPORTANT! Hurricane Isaac | Palm Beach County Public Safety Announcement - 07:18 PM
Important! Palm Beach County Public Safety Announcement- 
If you live in Palm Beach County Florida and did not get the automated phone call from the Palm Beach Public Safety Emergency Management division here is important information: 
If flood waters entered your home from Hurricane Isaac please contact the Public Safety department at 561-712-6400. 
Flooding on your your patio, driveway and porch do not count for this. Please only call if water has entered the living areas of your home. Please make this call so that a damage assessment can be conducted. 
We have been experiencing a lot of flooding. Schools were … (20 comments)

Seven Must Do’s if you want to Capture that Lead - 12:27 PM
 
 
Seven Must Do’s if you want to Capture that Lead
 
If you are in the real estate business then you are in the lead generating business, at least if you want to be successful you are.  Whether we like it or not we must be good at generating, following up on and most important CATCHING leads. 
 
It’s not enough to just get your name out there; you have to have a good system in place to follow up on phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, tweets, and even the ever elusive walk in lead. If you … (100 comments)

Want To Sell Your Home? The first step is letting go emotionally..... - 07:19 AM
Want To Sell Your Home?  The first step is letting go emotionally.....
There are many decisions and plans that have to be made prior to putting your home up for sale.  Many of these decisions are based upon the logistics of your life:  Why do you want to move?  Where do you want to move?  What is the mathematical equation that is present for you?
In my experience as an agent assisting homeowners in making some of these decisions, I've found that there is one critical aspect that must be completed as a foundation to making your goals happen:

In … (41 comments)

How much responsibility does a REALTOR have when listing your home for sale? - 07:56 AM
I had the opportunity to meet with a past client yesterday that had since become a good friend. We visited over a few drinks about family, work, current issues, all the usual natter two friends have that don't get to see each other very often. 
Mid-way through our conversation about how to best solve all of the worlds problems, he announced that he hated real estate agents.
Shocked I asked him why and I reminded him that I was a REALTOR. Laughing he said that both houses on either side of his property were up for sale and that both homeowners … (158 comments)

ActiveRainers MeetUp in Baltimore, Maryland - 07:41 PM
                        ActiveRainers MeetUp in Baltimore!
Thanks to the 19 people who met today at Bare Bones...our AR meetup was a huge success. They just keep getting better and better. This entire group is a delight to be around!
Below are few photos and not a lot of copy. It has been a wonderfully long day....ending with a settlement.  
               Check out the list of everyone at the bottom.
 It was a Maryland MeetUp but Virginia's Lenn, Jan and Steve were wonderful guests.
                   
 
 
 
                
 
           
          
There were 19 of us who met today.
 
Martha … (34 comments)

Why are ActiveRain Meet-ups always a good time? - 10:04 PM
Why are ActiveRain Meet-ups always a good time?Why are ActiveRain Meet-ups always a good time? If you have attended just one AR meet-up I’d love to hear your answer. Mine, who better to listen and look up to than the people who are successful and so willing to share as those here on AR? Real estate is a tough business full of competitors who are both inside and outside our own offices. Some are good, some not so much and then there are those who are great. I believe they are great because of their willingness to share and embrace each … (47 comments)

Home sports---extreme backdrafting - 06:41 AM
 
Back-drafting of water heaters is when the exhaust gases, instead of going up the vent and outside of the home, draft back into the space around the water heater.  If the water heater is in the living space, this can mean that combustion by-products are ending up in the home.  This is not just an issue with Carbon Monoxide, which is certainly a consideration, but it also can add large amounts Carbon Dioxide and Moisture to the indoor environment.  Additional water and carbon dioxide in the indoor environment adds another layer to our never ending battle with maintaining good indoor … (15 comments)

USDA ALERT - Changes coming in your Region - 01:23 PM
Please get involved especially with your local representative and NAR:
The attached list gives you the areas that could be removed from the USDA program. There are a lot of sponsors to a bill that is going to both the Senate and House to stop the removal of these aresS but until it is passed by both houses you better assume they will be removed.
If you have a loan presently in one of these areas it must be submitted to USDA and get the conditional commitment prior to September 28th. There has been rumors that the USDA is out of … (14 comments)

Sellers: Don't Let the Dogs Out on the Buyers!! - 12:34 PM
I will be the first one to admit that our pets are truly our furry children.  We love them so much, so of course we expect you to bristle when an agent tells you that your beloved furry family member needs to be removed for showings.  We have our reasons and I will list a few for you here:
1.  Yes, your pet LOVES LOVES LOVES people.  We get it....but the problem is that they love people when YOU are there.  Strangers are a completely different story.  As lovely as our pets are in front of us, we know that they … (29 comments)

Do You Have A Conversation Starter? - 06:34 AM
People, by and large, make their choice of career, sound a lot more complicated that it is. I always liked John Larroquette, who played Dan Fielding, in the 80's comedy, Night Court. John said that actors, were simply the thing in between the commercials, because its all about the advertising. That is certainly not what one would expect, from the exorbitant egos in Hollywood. To me, one of the best things a real estate professional can remember, is that we need to be conversation starters. Because adding to our database and sphere of influence, can make for a very successful real … (69 comments)

School Districts~ What Can Realtors Say About Them? - 09:39 AM
Marketing Homes in a Specific School District…..
How Much Info Should You Advertise to the Buyers?
 
How do you let your buyers know where a home is located? If you are like me you market the home, the lifestyle and the surrounding areas. This is business as usual. I had a builder ask me to add in to the mix verbiage of the specific school district. Not just the actual school, but ratings etc. he found on the internet.
I have no problem with the ad saying that the home is in the XYZ School District. What I … (35 comments)

Good Call... - 10:48 AM
Proud of my new agent,  He just went out on a listing appointment ready to discuss the listing of a home in our community.  The owners was very directive saying what he wanted for a price without considering any of the market indicators the agent shared.This amounted to a sales price that would be almost twice the current market value in our area and he wanted it marketed extensively at 4% commission...  My agent said, I'm sorry we will be unable to assist you with this sale. We wish you all the best wishes for finding a qualified buyer quickly, if we … (24 comments)

I Don't Want An HOA! - 10:08 AM
At some point in the initial discussions with a new buyer, the subject of Home Owner Associations is likely to come up - they're pretty standard for most subdivisions in our market that were built from the 90's to present. And they definitely need discussing - HOA regulations, covenants and policies represent an important group of material issues that every potential homeowner needs to be aware of. Further, in Colorado, HOA's are granted a "super-lien" position by state law, meaning that failure to pay dues or fines can lead to a foreclosure being forced by the HOA. It almost never happens, … (34 comments)

I'm not big on emails... - 11:32 AM
"I'm not big on emails." This is the phrase that an agent said to me while we were speaking on the phone. He told me this after I had sent him several while negotiating the terms of an offer. He simply didn't reply fast enough so I would call and hey what do you know he picks right up.  He did admit that he was "ol' school," but I find it very insane that you are a realtor in 2012 and don't answer your emails for days. I'm sure younger clients send him crazy because most of them never and I … (41 comments)


Blog posts


Retreat or other Special Purpose use, w/dining and lodging on 48 acres - 06:10 AM
  North Carolina Retreat - Special Purpose Use - 48 acres - Lodging and Dining   Home Photos Local Schools      
Courtesy:
David Wynn
WynnDcorp Realty International

wynndcorp@live.com
Licensed In:
NC
    8355 Brookfield Rd
Connelly Springs, NC
Bedrooms: 83
Bathrooms : 87 (87 full)
List Price: $1,699,000
Living Area Approx : 60000
     Lodging - Dining Facilities:          • Total Square footage – 48,745         • Heated Square footage – 33,696
·          Two story, frame, masonry / stone structure, exterior corridor.
·          Housekeeping, Laundry facilities
·          Exercise – workout … (0 comments)

Upside Down & NEED To Sell? Call Kathleen Your Short Sale Specialist! - 07:09 AM
Upside down on your home and need to sell?  Call or text Kathleen Cooper TODAY at 508-444-2673 to get started now.  Kathleen specializes in short sales and may even be able to get you money back on your short sale.   Click below to get your home's value! http://www.CentralMAListings.com   

 
 
You may qualify for money back on your short sale!  Do not be stuck upside down & hurting your credit when we can help.  Your Massachusetts short sale will help you get out of your debt, return to the buying market sooner than if you let it go to foreclosure and with the … (0 comments)

Need to Short Sale My Dudley MA Home -Your Dudley MA Short Sale Expert - 08:48 AM
Looking to short sale your Dudley MA Home?  Call Kathleen Cooper TODAY!  508-444-2673  Kathleen will help guide you through your Dudley MA short sale making the process as simple & smooth as possible.  Kathleen is YOUR Dudley MA short sale specialist.   http://www.CentralMAListings.com

  … (1 comments)

We can help you buy or lease a home anywhere in Los Angeles County! - 06:38 PM
We would love to help you buy or lease a home anywhere in the
Greater Los Angeles area, or to sell or lease the home you already own. * Starter Homes * Historic Homes * Dream Homes * Investment Property * Rentals * Leases * Short Sales * Bank Owned Our highly skilled and experienced staff serves all of Southern California and handles all types of property. The Bob Taylor Properties Network of informative blogs and websites
Bob-Taylor.com Our original website
BobTaylorProperties.com The company blog featuring lots of listings!
EclecticAngelino.com A headline newsfeed from around Northeast L.A. … (3 comments)

ActiveRainers MeetUp in Baltimore, Maryland - 07:41 PM
                        ActiveRainers MeetUp in Baltimore!
Thanks to the 19 people who met today at Bare Bones...our AR meetup was a huge success. They just keep getting better and better. This entire group is a delight to be around!
Below are few photos and not a lot of copy. It has been a wonderfully long day....ending with a settlement.  
               Check out the list of everyone at the bottom.
 It was a Maryland MeetUp but Virginia's Lenn, Jan and Steve were wonderful guests.
                   
 
 
 
                
 
           
          
There were 19 of us who met today.
 
Martha … (34 comments)

Lake Stevens Businesses for Sale - 10:07 AM
… (0 comments)

Seattle Queen Anne Condo for Sale - 10:08 AM
… (2 comments)

Deleting a Competitors Craigslist Ads - Unethical Practice By Some - 11:18 AM
This morning, I am doing the usual follow up, answering emails and voicemails, reviewing yesterday's web traffic, and double checking of our seller's ad placement. One place I advertise is on Craigslist. No surprise there as many real estate brokers use Craigslist as a form of prospecting and seller advertising. Over the past 6 months I have noticed a trend, which I do think is done by competing brokers and not Craigslist consumers, is to flag competing ads for deletion.
Other brokers I know in Washington experience the same phenomenon with their accounts and here is a screenshot of my account … (8 comments)

32505 Just Listed Home For Rent 3294 W Cross Street Pensacola Florida 32505 - 03:58 PM
Sellers Flat Fee of $2995 when one of our agents sells your home or if you want MLS (where you home is available for all Real Estate Agents to sell) then the best program TODAY is $1495 to us +3 % offered to Buyers Agent for bringing the buyer.  When you understand how agents work you will clearly see why we sell 94% of our homes at or above asking price and why REAL ESTATE AGENTS would rather sell our homes than anyone else’s. The Real Estate Agent gets paid more and the seller saves over 63% on average.
Property Management for … (0 comments)

Things are Sunnier for Florida Brokers or is it. - 03:58 PM
Sellers Flat Fee of $2995 when one of our agents sells your home or if you want MLS (where you home is available for all Real Estate Agents to sell) then the best program TODAY is $1495 to us +3 % offered to Buyers Agent for bringing the buyer.  When you understand how agents work you will clearly see why we sell 94% of our homes at or above asking price and why REAL ESTATE AGENTS would rather sell our homes than anyone else’s. The Real Estate Agent gets paid more and the seller saves over 63% on average.
Property Management for … (0 comments)

Home For Sale 3254 Abel Ave, Pace Florida 32571, Short Sales - 05:31 PM


Home For Sale 3254 Abel Ave, Pace Florida 32571, Short Sales 
Sellers Flat Fee of $2995 when one of our agents sells your home or if you want MLS (where you home is available for all Real Estate Agents to sell) then the best program TODAY is $1495 to us +3 % offered to Buyers Agent for bringing the buyer.  When you understand how agents work you will clearly see why we sell 94% of our homes at or above asking price and why REAL ESTATE AGENTS would rather sell our homes than anyone else’s. The Real Estate Agent gets … (0 comments)

Home For Rent 5705 Mifflin Ave, Pensacola Florida 32526, Short Sales - 05:35 PM


Home For Rent 5705 Mifflin Ave, Pensacola Florida 32526, Short Sales
Sellers Flat Fee of $2995 when one of our agents sells your home or if you want MLS (where you home is available for all Real Estate Agents to sell) then the best program TODAY is $1495 to us +3 % offered to Buyers Agent for bringing the buyer.  When you understand how agents work you will clearly see why we sell 94% of our homes at or above asking price and why REAL ESTATE AGENTS would rather sell our homes than anyone else’s. The Real Estate Agent gets … (2 comments)

Montgomery AL Foreclosure Trends - July 2012 - 03:37 AM
There were 711 Montgomery AL foreclosure homes for sale with 1 in every 912 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in July 2012. The average selling price of a Montgomery AL home was $82,990 and the average foreclosure selling price was $75,383, a $7,607 savings according to RealtyTrac.com.
Montgomery AL Foreclosure Activity and 30 Year Interest Rate
Montgomery interest rates averaged 3.55% in July while the number of foreclosed homes dropped from 106 to 104.

Foreclosure activity is based on the total number of properties that receive foreclosure filings – default notice, foreclosure auction notice or bank repossession – each month. Interest rate is based on the average 30-year fixed rate … (2 comments)

Makalae at Sea Country ~ Ma'ili - 07:00 PM
Makalae at Sea Country ~ Ma'ili
3, 4 & 5 Bedroom Homes from the mid $300,000s
A Great Place to Call Home
(Pawa -plan 5)


Makalae's Homes Offer eight unique, customizable floor plans ranging from 1,116 - 1,854 SqFt of living area with 3 - 5 Bedrooms and 2 - 3 Baths.
Standard Home Features
Central A/C GE Kitchen Appliances Front Yard Landscaping Energy Efficient Features Customizable Finishing Options Community Amenities
An 11 Acre Community Park Community Swimming Pool Sea Country Club Rec Center General Store Community Daycare  
DR Horton - Schuler Division
A kama'aina company with deep … (0 comments)

Forestvale - 10:09 AM
Forestvale - 128 homes 
… (0 comments)

Forest Grove - 10:11 AM
Forest Grove 106 Homes
… (0 comments)

SOLD-Raised Rambler Single Family Home-Fair Oaks Estate in Fairfax VA 22033 - 05:52 AM
 SOLD
 
 
Ritu Desai & Samson Properties Presents New Featured Listing MLS# FX7849775 Address: 12418 Ox Hill Road Fairfax VA 22033
 
List Price: $475000 Neighborhood/Subdivision: Fair Oaks Estates Year Built: 1981      Low HOA: $265 Annually
 
 Single Family* Raised Rambler Style * 2 Finished Levels* Original Owner * Traditional Sale * Corner Lot* On a 0.20 Acre * 5 Bedrooms & 3 Full Bath * Rye Model Schools: Elementary- Navy Middle- Franklin High - Oakton Location, Location Location!! Close to Fair Oaks Hospital, Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax County Parkway, West Ox Road, Route 50, 66, Fairfax Government … (2 comments)

July 2012-Northern Virginia Fairfax County Real Estate Market Report - 07:49 AM
The shrinking inventory of homes for sale continues to play a major role in the Northern Virginia housing market. As per RBI/MLS, the total inventory of active listings is the lowest of any month since August 2005 in the DC metro area. The limited quantity of homes for sale is causing the median days-on market to decrease (from 45 days to 43 days), and the sale-to-list price ratio to rise (by 5.22% compared to July 2011). Multiple offers are fairly common situation in the Fairfax County area. Here is the snapshot of the housing market in the Fairfax county which includes … (1 comments)

Loudoun County-Northern Virginia Real Estate July 2012 - 10:21 AM
The shrinking inventory of homes for sale continues to play a major role in the Northern Virginia housing market. As per RBI/MLS, the total inventory of active listings is the lowest of any month since August 2005 in the DC metro area. The limited quantity of homes for sale is causing the median days-on market to decrease (from 45 days to 43 days), and the sale-to-list price ratio to rise (by 5.22% compared to July 2011). Multiple offers are fairly common situation in the Loudoun County area. Here is the snapshot of the housing market in the Loudoun county which includes … (0 comments)

Buying a Home - Why You Should Choose Your Own Title Insurance Company - 02:05 PM
 
… (1 comments)

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