Archives of real estate blog entries for August 9, 2012

Featured blog posts


Treating buyers like gold - what I do for my clients - 01:22 PM
World-class service starts from the beginning - the very first contact.  It can be as simple as replying to an information request in minutes or a personal follow up call to let them know you care.  It's from that beginning, buyers are treated to a wide range of "world-class services".
The Initial Meeting
Whether meeting someone at an open house for the first time or getting a lead through a website, the first step is to set up a meeting to sit down and really discuss their needs.  While the lead capture form or quick chat at the open house might … (57 comments)

Home Selling FAQs: Why Do Days on Market Matter? - 11:02 AM
Why Do "Days on Market" Matter? If you are thinking of selling your home, you will first want to do a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of your home.  This will give you a price range of the most likely sales price for your home.
One of the other metrics that you will want to pay attention to is the Days on Market.
What does Days on Market mean?  Simply put: Days on Market for sold properties is defined as the number of days from the time the home is first listed until the time when a valid contract has been signed by both buyer and … (22 comments)

Flew the coop - 08:23 PM
I got a call yesterday from my daughter who is taking a mini vacation.  She called after she got there.  I'd like to say this was the first time that happened, but looking back my 17 year old daughter when in high school called me at work from the road when she went to Florida on spring break. (I was a little bit mad).  But clearly I raised her to be a strong and independent woman.
It made me think about a recent conversation with a friend who is an agent about a client who she was sure had found "the" … (46 comments)

How to Not Get a Listing - Or do I want to Know - 06:29 PM
This story takes the cake and I am still trying to get my mouth closed after hearing it. 
About 6 months ago I hired a woman, I will refer to as Mary, for a marketing project I was working on.  It was simple in nature and did not require any more skills than the use of a camera.  This was nothing fancy so there was not a need to hire a professional, I needed pictures in the raw.
After 3 hours my temp hire Mary came back with only 8 photos which left me scratching me head.  I gave directions and … (43 comments)

The Woodlands Trader Joe's Neighborhood Grocery Store, a few of my FAVORITE things! - 11:04 AM
We are so fortunate to have a Trader Joe's Grocery Store in The Woodlands!
10868 Kuykendahl Road The Woodlands, TX 77381
 
I took some pictures of a few of my Favorite Things! 
(well, I have to go buy some more items that we ATE before I could get pictures of them)
 
 
The number one "surprise" comment that I hear is that Trader Joe's is a very small grocery store.  People are expecting a larger size store such as H.E.B., Kroger or Randalls.  All that I can say that it is WORTH the value to come to this store.  Everything we have … (15 comments)

NEVER EVER GIVE UP - 11:02 AM
I have been a Realtor since 2001 and have bounced around from pillow to post trying to find my fit in this real estate world. I have had success and I certainly have had failures. I have been up and ahead and I have been way behind in my life and in my business. I kept hearing, "keep going, keep pushing, keep pressing", so I did just that.
I have now joined Keller Williams a company that I love and I have really grasped what it means to RUN MY BUSINESS. Mistakes haven't stopped me. Failures haven't kicked me off the real … (57 comments)

Keller Williams Mega Camp Survival Guide - 09:31 AM
Are you heading to Keller Williams Mega Camp 2012? This can be a scary few days with so much going on. I thought I could take a moment and help save you the confusion. My name is Chad Hyams, and I have attended Keller Williams Mega Camp in many roles…
Agent Team Leader Vendor with IMSD  MAPS Coach Let me start by congratulating you on making the wise business choice to attend Mega Camp 2012.
Mega Camp Survival Guide! If you are reading this and you have not yet registered, hurry! No hotel rooms? Find someone to bunk up with. No … (15 comments)

Buying a Cottage - No Cell Phone Coverage - 03:13 AM
Here is a simple little test to do when you are out shopping for a cottage, ski chalet or summer home.  Take out your cell phone and try to call a friend. 
We all think that there are communication towers everywhere and that cell phone reception (and the accompanying data transmission) will work throughout North America.  Not so.  Telephone companies need to know that there are sufficient users to warrant having a communications tower installed.  In addition, the range for some towers may not go too far with geographic interference such as hills and mountains.  Of course cities and towns will … (81 comments)

Can I Settle With Underwear? - 10:29 PM
- I have given them my home back. The lady on the phone is screaming. She said she gave the house back to lender in foreclosure, and now they are going after her for deficiency. This is the same lady that told me to get lost when I suggested we could do the short sale. She spoke to her accountant, and then decided going with foreclosure. She stayed in the house for a bit over 2 years, and got used to it, but finally Flagler County started processing foreclosures. Now she got a letter demanding money. And she is pissed off. … (65 comments)

The Price of the Housing Depression - 08:23 AM
Some folks feel that the worst is behind us in the housing depression, and it may be true.  But, just as in war waged for the usual poor excuses, the carnage left behind is and will be ignored.  I have offered many times that there is at least a half generation that has been left to face a life of failed home ownership, ownership that will never be revisited by many of them.
Families that bought starter homes in the mid 2000's saw their homes' values drop to the point that they will not amortize out of negative equity for a … (26 comments)

Should I Ask My Agent For a Portion of Their Commission? Part 1 - 02:34 PM
Should I Ask My Agent For a Portion of Their Commission? Part 1
I get this question a lot. Rather it's from buyer's or seller's asking me for money back at the close of escrow in exchange for their business, or agents debating amongst themselves, if lowering their costs exceptionally to get the business is the right thing to do.
I am going to put it simply to you... No! You should not ask your agent for a portion of their commission. I will tell you why.
If you are a seller:
When dealing with a producing agent you see that … (32 comments)

Another ActiveRain Blessing...In the Form of One Beautiful Jennifer Monroe - 09:57 PM
You know, there are people that you meet that you just know the first time you meet them, you're going to just love them.  Jennifer Monroe is one of those people.  Jen is gracious and beautiful...from the inside out! 
I met Jennifer and her, now, fiance, Jason Sardi through ActiveRain many moons ago.  Jennifer is one of those inspirational writers--you want to read every single word just to be sure you don't miss a thing that she writes!  You simply must check out her blog!
About a year ago, Jennifer reached out to me via email, saying that she and Jason … (73 comments)

Illinois announces there are 22% less Realtors® throughout the State! - 04:40 PM
Illinois announces there are 22.3% less Realtors® throughout the state! But is that a good thing?  Was this 4 year process really going to be good for consumers or just a giant revenue generator for the State of IL? The IDFPR kept saying that extra training was really the effort in this entire 4 year process for license escalation.  In IL now, all agents must be brokers or transition to managing broker status with this last license renewal.
"According to the IDFPR, there were 69,228 licensees on April 30, 2011. At the close of processing, the agency said there were … (29 comments)

The Benefits of Live Video to Show Your Listings - 09:11 PM
Saving you and your clients money is job one for everyone.  It promotes you in the eyes of your clients and their friends and family and it streamlines your operations and your budget.
There are plenty of tools and ideas out there that enable you to reach and excite potential customers. The key for me is what will truly grab a client’s attention and keep them riveted long enough to want to learn more.
In our age of constant access to television and movies via numerous online distributors (Hulu and Netflix are the most well-known as is iTunes) along with a … (13 comments)

Solana Beach Homes for Sale - What Happened in the Solana Beach Real Estate Market in July 2012? - 01:37 PM
Solana Beach Homes for Sale - What Happened in the Solana Beach Real Estate Market in July 2012?  
Solana Beach is an affluent coastal town south of Encinitas and Cardiff, and one of the more expensive coastal communities in the North San Diego County area.
 
As a buyer or seller in the Solana Beach real estate market, understanding recent trends and current market conditions is essential in order to make informed decisions about Solana Beach Homes for Sale; media reports focus on general market statistics and therefore will not provide you with an accurate picture of the Solana … (6 comments)

Some Buyers are a Needle in the Haystack - 07:30 PM
Some Buyers are a Needle in the Haystack Not too long ago, in a land far, far away, banks gave mortgages out like candy. If you had a heartbeat, you got a mortgage. It was pretty much that simple but look where it got us. These days, unless you have seriously excellent credit, income and little debt, you have to put 20% down for a conventional mortgage. So, what happens when a buyer has a six-figure income, credit scores of over 800, a stable job, preapproved for up to $400,000 with a well-known Long Island credit union, and only has to … (33 comments)

Who Writes this Awful Stuff?? - 04:06 PM
Have you read instructional books on real estate investment? This week I had occasion to reveiw one for a client, and I was shocked.
The content was pretty good - telling students what to look out for, the importance of "buying right," and the wisdom of using a good real estate agent and a good home inspector.
But then ... the book included a dozen or more sample letters to send to homeowners. And that's where it fell apart. I wondered if perhaps they'd hired someone in another country to write the letters when I read:
I would … (35 comments)

*OOPS* Mortgage Company Leaves LIVE Message During Showing... - 03:48 PM
A good friend and Realtor buddy of mine told me while showing houses today he heard an interesting message by the home sellers mortgage company. Apparently the seller was behind on their mortgage payments and the bank was leaving a long winded message for all to hear on the answering machine. YIKES!
The buyer has interest and want's to proceed with an offer. On the MLS there is no mention of this being a short-sale, foreclosure or even a pre-foreclosure. It's entirely possible the Listing Agent has no idea that the seller is delinquent on their mortgage payment.  
Should the … (43 comments)

Appraisals not meeting Home Values - 04:12 AM
For the third time this year I have had a home appraisal not meet the offer to purchase dollar amount.  In all the cases the appraisal comps came from distressed sales and foreclosed homes.  Values based on bank owned properties are not a true reflection of value of the other homes in the area for sale.
In the foreclosed homes the appliances were missing, the carpets were pulled, deferred maintenance was very visible throughout the homes.  The non-distressed properties were well taken care of, neat as a pin, and generally superior to the bank owned homes.
Now what is happening is the … (63 comments)

Do You Have To Spend Thousands of Dollars to Have a Great Website? - 03:40 PM
I was reading the comment stream in a recent blog about agents having websites. One of the comments stated that one had to "spend thousands of dollars" to have a good site that is not at the bottom of the heap.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
If you're new to ActiveRain, Bob Stewart's basic SEO class is a "must" before you start writing blogs.
It's not difficult but it is magical when done correctly!
You have to get the basic formula: Writing blogs with  specific keywords in mind drives traffic to the post. Once you get them there you … (44 comments)


Blog posts


Smokey Mountains - Maggie Valley, NC - Golf Course - Fine Home - 02:05 AM
Offer Improvement: Fine Home For Sale - For Your Own Home or As Income Property … (0 comments)

10 Common Sense Real Estate Rules for Buying a Home - 07:17 AM
Brentwood Home Buyers – 10 Things to Know If you are looking to Buy a Brentwood Home here is a post that covers 10 things to keep in mind while shopping.
Click Here For More Information on Buying a Home and to Search Homes. Or just call 925-260-4321. 
Via Gary L Waters PLLC- Broker Associate Realtor® Melbourne Viera Rockledge FL (Century 21 Baytree Realty, 1211 Admiralty Blvd, Rockledge):
The below rules for buying a home is not an all-inclusive list of things to know when buying or selling a home.  Your real estate agent has the complete list - call him or … (1 comments)

203k mixed use buildings are a gold mine in Stockton - 07:22 AM
Real Estate Investing Strategy for Contra Costa County Looking to get into Real Estate Investing and find a place to live? It may be more affordable than you think. Here is a great Property Investing idea.
Click Here For More Information and our Free Real Estate Investing Book. Or just call 925-260-4321. 
Via Mike Young, FHA 203k Consultant 707-812-7668 (203kOnLine.com):
How about a mixed use building? I love this type property as in many cases it is very hard to get them financed. This is typically a commercial loan. The FHA Full 203k loan is perfect for a renovation project on a mixed … (2 comments)

Pick a Market- Stick to your Market- Don't Take Listings 3 Hours Away! - 03:28 PM
There's a show I like to watch as it tortures me. It's one of those shows where you want to yell back through the screen and hope they hear you. I have a few of those. The one I'm referencing in this situation is Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles.

Why am I puling my hair out with this show this time?  One of the main characters, Josh Flagg, was given the opportunity to list his parents' financial advisor's house... almost 3 hours away!!  And the advice from his grandmother, which is usually bad advice? To take the listing because it's … (12 comments)

Jigsaw Puzzles and a Camera - 07:29 PM
           Jigsaw Puzzles and a Camera

About a month ago there was a power outage in Baltimore...Being Prepared in Baltimore Means Having a Generator!
That's when my daughter and I started doing jigsaw puzzles. Having a camera means not having to save the puzzles...just put them back in the box.

 
 

 

 

 Having a camera means not having to save the puzzle...just put the pieces back in the box.
         Jigsaw Puzzles and a Camera
 
                                                           
 
                                                
 
Search All Active Listings … (23 comments)

Should I Rent My House If I Can't Sell It? - 06:37 AM
There has been a lot written about how buying a home is less expensive than renting one in many parts of the country. Rents are skyrocketing and homes are at bargain prices. These two situations are also causing some sellers to consider renting their home instead of selling it. After all, they can get great rental income now and perhaps wait until house values increase in the future before selling. This logic makes sense in some cases. We at KCM believe strongly that residential real estate is a great investment right now.
 

However, there is a huge difference between … (2 comments)

Fla. attracts more new biz than it loses says Pensacola Realtor - 05:24 PM
Fla. attracts more new biz than it loses says Pensacola Realtor
 
Survey: In 2011, state gained 1,152 more firms than it lost. Top reason companies avoid Fla.: Lack of skilled labor. Read more.
With 840,000 Floridians out of work, it’s not merely interesting to find out why companies come to the state and why they leave, Carrie Blanchard, director of research and policy for the Florida Chamber Foundation, says.

Fla. attracts more new biz than it loses says Pensacola Realtor

Today's Prayer Dear God, I pray that my work will be a lasting monument to your faithfulness in … (0 comments)

Home prices rose in all major U.S. cities including Pensacola Florida - 05:29 PM
Home prices rose in all major U.S. cities including Pensacola Florida
 
In May, homes in 20 cities tracked by  S&P/Case-Shiller price index increased an average 2.2% since April. Read more.
The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday showed increases in all of the 20 cities tracked. And a measure of national prices rose 2.2 percent from April to May, the second increase after seven months of flat or declining readings.
Today's Prayer Dear Lord, Thank you for this day. Thank you for my being able to see, to hear, to speak, to move about this morning. I'm … (1 comments)

Apartment market hot streak continues even for Pensacola Florida - 08:53 PM
Apartment market hot streak continues even for Pensacola Florida
 
Despite a lack of capital, National Multi Housing Council's survey finds 18 months of uninterrupted growth. Read more.
For the sixth quarter in a row, the apartment industry improved across all indexes in the National Multi Housing Council’s (NMHC) Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions.The survey’s indexes measuring Market Tightness (76), Sales Volume (54), Equity Financing (58) and Debt Financing (77) – and all measured 50 or higher, indicating growth from the previous quarter.


Sellers Flat Fee of $2995 when one of our agents sells your home or … (0 comments)

Fed could take action in September, will effect Pensacola Florida - 08:58 PM
Fed could take action in September, will effect Pensacola Florida
 
Today's record-low mortgage rates could go even lower if Federal Reserve takes steps to jolt the economy. Read more.
In a statement after a two-day meeting, the Fed’s policy-making committee signaled Wednesday that it could purchase more Treasury or mortgage bonds to lower long-term interest rates when it meets again in mid-September..


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 … (0 comments)

Real estate in consumer complaint top 10 but not all bad. - 09:22 PM
Real estate in consumer complaint top 10 but not all bad.
 
Nat'l investigators say much of the upswing comes from timeshare resales and lease scams for bank-owned, empty homes. Read
Real-estate-related issues, ranging from property fraud to timeshare sales, took the ninth slot on a Top 10 compilation of consumer complaints put together by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators.


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) … (3 comments)

Unfair foreclosure claims deadline extended for Pensacola Sellers - 09:30 PM
Unfair foreclosure claims deadline extended for Pensacola Sellers
 
Ex-homeowners who think lenders' shoddy paperwork contributed to issues have five more months to apply for compensation. Read more
The federal banking agencies’ Independent Foreclosure Review extended its deadline to Dec. 31, 2012. A relatively small number of ex-homeowners have applied for benefits under the program, and the program had been extended earlier to Sept. 30, 2012.


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 … (0 comments)

We're Keeping the Flame Alive! We are Virginia... - 03:30 PM
We're Keeping the Flame Alive! We are Virginia... Pulling the Olympic Spirit to Victory!
 

 
 
The year 2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Dulles Family Festival and Plane Pull. Twenty-five team members have signed up on the Ask Gina & Company team to pull an Airbus plane on Saturday, September 25th, to honor & support the Special Olympics Virginia. The event will start Rain OR Shine at 11am and ending at 4pm.
 
 
Trophies will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in two different categories:
Category I - fastest pull Category II - lowest combined team weight … (3 comments)

Montgomery Real Estate For Sale: 2765 Pelzer Avenue Montgomery, AL 36109 - 11:43 AM
… (3 comments)

Naples, Florida Open Houses Need Staging (Not Upstaging) - 07:01 AM
 


Open houses are one of any agent’s most effective tools when it comes to selling houses. The 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 45% of buyers use open houses as a research tool when they are serious about buying a home. 
Naples,Florida's open houses can draw potential buyers, then effectively demonstrate not only an attractive physical living space – but a canvas that invites them to project their own ideal living situation onto it.
 Nevertheless…be warned! Obvious, clichéd staging can have exactly the opposite effect -- even for properties that … (2 comments)

LaHiki at Mehana ~ Kapolei, Hawaii - 06:24 PM
LaHiki at Mehana ~ Kapolei
3 & 4 Bedroom Single Family Brand New Homes from the high $400,000s
The Best of Urban Living in Paradise
(House Plan 3)
       

Property Amenities
A Central Community Park, Walking/Bike Paths
Mehana Activity Recreational Center
Swimming Pool, Business Center
Close Proximity to Beach, Golf Courses, Shopping, Dining, Movie Theater & Water Park
Residence Amenities
Energy Efficient "Homesave" Features, Solar Hot Water
Central A/C, Icynene Insulation, 9 Foot Ceilings
GE Appliances including Range, Dishwasher & Hood
Attractive Wood Kitchen Cabinetry, Corian Kitchen Countertops
Low Maintenance Vinyl Flooring in Kitchen & Bathrooms
Walk-In Master Closets, Dual Sinks … (0 comments)

Worthington Park Elementary School Neighborhoods - 07:00 AM
Worthington Park Elementary School neighborhoods include:
Cambridge Place
Lazelle Woods
Oxford Place
Schoolside Village
Seven Oaks?
Westworth Village
Worthington Crossing
Worthington Highlands
Worthington Trace
The Worthington area neighborhoods listed are single family neighborhoods.  There are also condominium communities in tje Worthington Park Elementary attendence area.
Worthington's Worthington Park Elementary School on the FAR Northside of Columbus has a Westerville mailing address.  Some of the neighborhoods served by Worthington Park Elementary school also have a Westerville mailing address. 
 Embed the map?  Still would be gone when the .pdf is gone wouldn't it?
 
http://www.worthington.k12.oh.us/cms/lib02/OH01001900/Centricity/Domain/37/attendance%20areas/map_elem_8-2010.pdf
The Worthington City School District website … (0 comments)

Adding contacts to your CRM – Some suggestions when adding contacts - 08:00 AM
 
If you have everything on paper, start entering them according to the ideas suggested below. If you already have them in an electronic format, you have to import them. A common question is if you should clean them up in the old database first, or clean them up in the new one. By cleaning up, we mean getting rid of contacts when we do not know who they are, or filling in a last name on contacts that have none, etc. One difference that may affect that decision is that if you do it in the new one, you are … (5 comments)

Starbucks "equally wed" day - 09:17 AM
This was an interesting couple of weeks.
I have to say, the turn out for the Chick-Fil-A day was impressive.  I could SEE the results streaming down the street and the fact that by about 5 or 6 pm that day, Chick-Fil-A here locally was "out of food".  They had a line of people waiting to show support and they sold out of their product because not only was the dinner rush huge, the entire day was huge.  
Starbucks, being the site chosen for the same type of "support this business to show you support the cause", had a gay … (6 comments)

Schaumburg Area Mortgage Resource Fair - August 11, 2012 - 10:42 AM
Homeowners Mortgage Resource Fair - August 11th, 2012   9:00 am to 1:00 pm Community Recreation Center 505 N. Springinsguth Rd. Schaumburg IL  60194 Are you at risk of foreclosure? Do you know someone who is behind on their mortgage payments? Housing counselors from the IL Attorney General's Office will be available to meet one-on-one to assist homeowners in need and provide important information about preventing foreclosure and avoiding foreclosure rescue scams. Mortgage lenders will be available to meet with homeowners and provide information on obtaining loan modifications.
Please bring basic information with you such as: 1) your mortgage payment … (0 comments)

Related links

New Members for 2012-08-09

 Archives:

31 Aug
30 Aug
29 Aug
28 Aug
27 Aug
26 Aug
25 Aug
24 Aug
23 Aug
22 Aug
21 Aug
20 Aug
19 Aug
18 Aug
17 Aug
16 Aug
15 Aug
14 Aug
13 Aug
12 Aug
11 Aug
10 Aug
9 Aug
8 Aug
7 Aug
6 Aug
5 Aug
4 Aug
3 Aug
2 Aug
1 Aug
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006