Archives of real estate blog entries for September 3, 2012

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Learn to say NO for business sake! - 07:15 AM

Learn to say NO for business sake!
If you have a volunteering spirit and wish to give time to several organizations or charities, pick wisely and do not over commit.  
Or you may find yourself always:
On the go Short of time Racing from one meeting to another without time to spare Burnout may be immanent and not only will you disappoint yourself but also the people who have depended on you to follow through.
When contemplating a business plan, determine how much service to give to many organizations but be sure to put your business first. Due to the … (90 comments)

Sergey Brin and Passerelle pull off major improvements to Los Altos - 03:16 PM
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and his real estate development company, Passerelle Investment Co., are doing for downtown Los Altos, CA what nobody has ever been able to achieve.  They're buying buildings, making improvements, and setting in motion plans to bring our sleepy little town into the 21st century.  And I'm sure it's being done with a few old-timers kicking and screaming along the way.
I grew up in Los Altos and lived a significant portion of my life there.  For decades, while nearby towns such as Los Gatos and Mountain View, become destinations with myriad dining and shopping options, Los … (14 comments)

EPLS Reports What Are They And What Do They Do? - 03:44 PM

EPLS Reports What Are They And What Do They Do?  EPLS is a term that everyone should be familiar with if they are involved in Real Estate, but very few are familiar with it unless they are apart of the Mortgage Industry.  The term EPLS stands for "Excluded Parties List System", more commonly referred to as "The Hit List".  EPLS is a database system that Lenders use to run Borrower, Sellers, Realtors, Loan Originators, and Underwriters names through before processing a FHA Loan.  I say use to be because EPLS has taken on an expanded role.  With everything that has been going on in the Mortgage … (24 comments)

I'm giving away the secret to my graph making, for free! - 12:42 PM
I have been asked over and over again how I do my graphs in my market reports. It was too hard to type out instructions, so I found a better way to show you. I'll just show you what I do. A few things to remember, I use Microsoft Excel 2003, if you have a newer version it may look different, but it will probably work very close to the same.For some reason, I cannot paste the clip using windows explorer in the location where I am going to save it as a jpg. I use my pictures program called ACDSee, … (126 comments)

NAR Should Sponsor A "Lies Of Omission" Designation For REALTORS - 07:22 AM
I continue to shake my head in awe at the deceptive real estate report that is published each month by the marketing department of the National Association of Realtors.
If you are a long-time reader of the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, then you know that I report on NAR's opinion reports each month. They continue to spiral down the path of marketing and promotion, rather than reporting the true state of the real estate market. And their biggest crime is not what they are saying, it is what they are implying.
In its most recent real estate report, NAR wrote:
The … (41 comments)

20% Down and " As Is" Conventiionals Can Have Same Problems as FHA - 07:14 AM
You found the perfect " Fixer-Upper" in a location that you love. You make full price offer using conventional financing, you're putting 20% down, and you've included the " As Is" contingency, you can settle in 45 days. Seller accepts your offer, and everything should be clear sailing to closing. Until, the appraiser shows up; Well, the land and home are worth what the contract price is, but the lender won't approve the loan until certain repairs are made. ( Huge, expensive, repairs). No, they didn't switch your loan to FHA without telling you, they just decided to follow FHA guidelines. … (20 comments)

Going Above and Beyond! - 07:25 AM
Providing Extraordinary Real Estate Service! In my book, extraordinary service is doing what needs to be done to help resolve a situation, even when it is a long shot or falls into the “not-my-job” category. As a REALTOR® in the Minneapolis/St Paul metro area, I always try to provide extraordinary service to my home buyer and sellers but last week a New York garbage man has me beat in the exceptional service department hands down. Gary Gaddist, a parks department worker in Manhattan, dug through trash to find the wedding ring of a park patron when he found her handwritten plea … (28 comments)

Lenders and local governments square off in game of chicken… - 04:24 AM
 
From a report by Dan Elsea, President of Brokerage Operations of Real Estate One, Michigan’s largest real estate company about a new glitch in the real estate system in parts of Michigan.
 
Here are the details of what is going on and how it might affect any pending or future bank-owned sales. The issue stems from those bank-owned properties (and those now owned by several of the Federal agencies that guaranteed loans)  where the Homestead Exemption was not rescinded when the bank took over the property. According to law, the bank should have been paying the non-homestead tax rate … (7 comments)

Cincinnati Hosts Oktoberfest Zinzinnati September 22-23 2012 - 09:43 AM
Cincinnati Hosts Oktoberfest Zinzinnati September 22-23 2012 Hoist a stein, flap your arms for the Chicken Dance and enjoy Cincinnati's version of the German Oktorberfests, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati USA.  Centered on Cincinnati's Fountain Square, the location is perfect for the 100's of thousands of people that come to party every year!  Now in it's 37th year, this is the 2nd largest Oktoberfest in the WORLD!  You'll have to go to Munich if you want bigger!Featuring Beer, Brats, Beer, Metts, Beer, Creampuffs, Beer, Black Forest Cake, Beer, Potato Pancakes, Beer, Sauerkraut and Beer!Okay, so really there's a LOT more to Oktoberfest than just … (20 comments)

The Housing Market IS Determined By AREA! - 11:40 AM
So, your home is in a neighborhood that hasn’t sold much of anything (in fact, NONE) in the past couple of years. You, as a Home Seller may believe that your home is the exception. Of course the home is beautiful with some upgrades but it DOES NOT discount the main point that the market has gone down NATIONWIDE in the past few years---especially in your neighborhood!
There are many areas of the country, state, county, city, neighborhood where the market is starting to turn around. Many neighborhoods in Oahu (Honolulu County) Hawaii are going up in value just because our … (25 comments)

It's a buyers market, why hasn't my house sold? - 05:03 PM
It's a buyer's market, why hasn't my house sold?



Is it possible that your home is Overpriced?  
Real estate agents nationwide agree that in this buyer's market the No. 1 deal breaker is price.  In this market, if you have not received an offer (or multiple offers) within the first 14 days.... I suggest you strongly revisit your listing price!  Also, there is a psychological difference in listing your home at $299,000 vs $300,000 to prospective buyers that want to buy a home under $300,000.  
 

Does your home lack curb appeal? 
Potential buyers will … (18 comments)

Bristol TN Gets Bass Pro Shops, Bristol VA Gets Cabela's ...Both Win!! - 01:56 PM
Bristol TN Gets Bass Pro Shops, Bristol VA Gets Cabela's ...Both Win!!
By now most have heard the great economic news that ....The Bristol TN/VA area is going to be home to both outdoor recreation retailers Bass Pro Shops AND Cabela's.  According to the Bristol Herald Courier, Bass Pro Shops will be located in Bristol TN and currently operates 58 stores in 26 states.  Cabela's will locate in Bristol VA and operates 38 stores in the U.S. Both developments will bring tremendous growth to the Bristol TN/VA area.  Competition is good, however the big picture is that hopefully both of these … (14 comments)

My Attorney Says No! - 01:10 PM
OK Active Rainers, I need some help with this one. I have what I think is the answer but would prefer to check with the power af AR and get a concensus before going back to my client. Here is the outline of what's going on:
We have an offer and after some twoing and froing we are just about at the meeting of the minds. It's still  a little off the mark, not a huge amount and my clients were about to agree to the figure the buyers offered. However, before getting to a meeting of the minds, the buyer's … (40 comments)

"Sheathing Panels Not In Plane" - 04:48 AM
When from the outside of a house, with what's touted to be a "completely new roof," you can see dips between the defined lines of the trusses every 2', the report can only say, "sheathing panels not in plane."
Roof sheathing is not as strong as it used to be.  It used to be plywood, and thicker than it is now.
What we most often see now is Oriented Strand Board (OSB), used where Fire Retardant Treated Plywood is not.
What almost always I see used for roofs is OSB, and 17/32" thick.  That is just a hair over 1/2" thick.
… (36 comments)

Delray Yacht Cruises on the Intracoastal-Thursday is For the Family! - 04:34 AM
Delray Yacht Cruises on the Intracoastal -Thursday Night is For the Family!Vacations are over and the children are back in school but there’s still time to  have a fun family trip!  Delray Yacht Cruises offers a Family Night on Thursdays September 13th and September 27th.

What a great way to spend time with your family and tour the Intracoastal Waterway from Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach  south to Boca Raton.  If you’ve never been along the Intracoastal in Delray, you’re going to love looking at all of the beautiful mansions, our mangroves and see what you can’t see from your … (24 comments)

Viva NashVegas at the Handy Hardware store in Franklin TN - 09:44 AM
Viva NashVegas at the
Handy Hardware store in Franklin TN
 
There is no shortage of good free music in our part of the country. Every other Saturday at the in downtown Franklin TN is no exception! It there that the Viva NashVegas Radio show is performed.
 
Patrons sit in the aisles of the hardware store and listen to great performs such as George Hamilton V, Shane, Gary Talley
or Jay Brown, just to name a few.
 The idea for Viva NashVegas came from a conversation between George Hamilton V and William Covington in a church parking … (13 comments)

A 404 error on an opt-out page? - 02:55 PM
How un-cool is that?
"House cleaning" on the computer yesterday included opting out of a dozen or so mailing lists. Some of them were duplicates for my 2 email addresses. Some of them are there because someone purchaed or "scraped" my address from the web.
Most of them appeared to let me opt out - although some said it could take a few days before the messages stopped arriving.
The only annoying one brought me to a 404 error page. Hmmm... can't opt out if you can't get to the page. Was that an "honest error" or was that a way … (38 comments)

Go with your gut! Go Talk to them! Get that listing! - 06:04 PM
I recently posted a blog about going with my gut feeling which led to me selling my very first house. Going by what I felt had actually helped me get that deal. This post is about me not going with my gut feeling but I did not benefit from it.
 
I was riding my bike with a friend through my neighborhood when I saw a FSBO sign. I thought that I should figure some way to go talk to the owners to see what I can do to get that house listed. I drove by that home many days saying … (46 comments)

Good things happen to me in September... 4 years ago it was ActiveRain - 12:19 PM
Today is my ActiveRain anniversary.  It was 4 years ago today that I signed up for ActiveRain.  It's brought a wealth of good things into my life.  I want to tell you about just a few of them today.
Four years ago today I was on an even playing field with my local competition.  In our southern sleepy town that borders the 3 largest let in the state of Georgia that we often market as Georgia's Best Kept Secret I had beat others to the punch of a website.  I had been first in the fall of 1998.  Oddly enough I … (52 comments)

Sometimes You Just Need to Know When to Pull The Sign - 10:59 AM
 
Have you ever had one of those listings that just won’t sell no matter what you do to get people in the door?
 
My business partner, Will Hamm and I have two.  They are over $500k and have been on the books much longer than we ever expected.
 
It is always more difficult to move higher priced listings in Colorado, but I really thought the attributes of both of these homes would make them sell.
 
The settings for each home are just wonderful nestled in the wooded areas with lots of wildlife around.  The homes are both … (68 comments)

How Long Is Your ActiveRain Season? - 03:03 AM
How Long Is Your ActiveRain Season?
Is your ActiveRain season fleeting like the falling leaves on a brisk autumn day OR have you committed to building a a strong foundation that will withstand the elements and slowly grow over time?  Let's face it, you probably decided to join AR for one (or more) of the following reasons:
You were coerced by that "obnoxious blogger" in the office You have an insatiable desire to learn or impart knowledge You want Mo Money You are lonely and want more friends You like to write or want to learn to write better You want … (63 comments)


Blog posts


Sierra Madre Mountains Lake Area Village Retreat Or Resort Mexico - 06:06 PM
… (0 comments)

Just a little braggin' by Grandpa! - 08:29 PM
Just a little braggin' by Grandpa!
 
I spent a little time with my beautiful granddaughter Maxine today.   She is just over 15 months old and cute as a button.   She and her mom (my daughter) were hanging out in the shade of the front yard when we got there.  
Her mom and dad have a garden with a couple of tomato plants, some peppers  and other veggies.   They also have a few chickens that Maxine showed us.
Maxine picked a tomato right off one of the vines and started eating it.  She was eating it just … (4 comments)

Too Busy to Blog Use a Photo Instead! - 08:17 PM
                   
                        Too Busy to Blog, Use a Photo Instead! Sometimes I am just too busy to write a feature worthy blog. When this happens, I take a look to see if there is anything interesting in my camera. This is the photo of a sign in the bathroom of a home I sold this week.  There are plenty of these humerous items around.                                        What are your favorites?  Please share!                                          
                              Too Busy to Blog Use a Photo Instead!                                             Search All Active Listings                                                                                                     … (23 comments)

The Tale Of Mr. Ive B. Screwed - 05:46 AM


***First posted on 23 September 2006 as:
The sharks have had their fill................... I just got off the phone with Mr. Ive B. Screwed. Seems like a nice young man from South Florida, I could hear babies crying in the background. Mr. Ive B. Screwed bought a house in Poinciana, January of this year. He’s never been toPoinciana but based on advice, he received from one of his neighbors, he decided Poinciana would be a great place to purchase a new home, then turn around and sell it for a small profit. Well, unfortunately for Mr. Ive B. … (11 comments)

Apple Valley Lakefront Home by Schlabach - 04:54 AM
Impressive Apple Valley Lake Waterfront Home and the price is right at just $325,000.
You can view additional listing details and an extensive virtual tour at 2863 Apple Valley Drive at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio.
View and compare all of our available Apple Valley Lake homes for sale.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty 740-397-7800 AppleValleyOhio.com
… (0 comments)

Apple Valley Lake Waterfront Contemporary Home Near The Marina - 05:32 AM
Available waterfront homes at the Apple Valley Lake are currently ranging in price from $250,000 to $899,000.  We just listed this super impressive Apple Valley Lake waterfront home that is located near the marina for just $259,000.  The floor plan and design has lots of glass and the home has a light and airy feeling.  If you are wanting to get on the water at the Apple Valley Lake this home may be the pefect place.   Check out the additional listing details and we have also featured an extensive virtual tour photo slideshow at 2899 Apple Valley Drive at the Apple … (0 comments)

Heavenly Garage Space And A Top Quality Home At The Apple Valley Lake - 05:56 AM
More features and amenities than meets the eye because this is a high quality and feature rich home build by Roy Schlabach.  You can view additional listing details and view a very extensive virtual tour by visiting 113 Northridge Heights Drive at the Apple Valley Lake.
We also created a real estate listing link which contains all of our Apple Valley Lake homes for sale in price order.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty 740-397-7800 AppleValleyOhio.com
… (2 comments)

Beautiful Log Cabin at the Apple Valley Lake - 01:41 PM
This log home offers a unique blend of warmth and spacious living space.  Large sun filled rooms and an open floor plan add to this homes spacious feeling.  599 Terrace Ridge Circle at the Apple Valley Lake in Howard, Ohio.
If you like log cabins be sure to view our additional listing information and the extensive virtual tour photo slideshow at 599 Terrace Ridge Circle at the Apple Valley Lake in Howard, Ohio.
We created a special real estate link so that you can quickly and easily view and compare all of our available Apple Valley Lake homes for sale and we organized them … (0 comments)

Panoramic Lake View Home at the Apple Valley Lake - 02:10 PM
There are very few waterfront homes at the Apple Valley Lake that have a true panoramic lake view as great as this Apple Valley Lake view home.  This home features tremendous living space.  Listing information 524 Baldwin Heights Circle at the Apple Valley Lake in Howard, Ohio 43028.
You can view additional listing information and be sure to check out our extensive HD virtual tour photo slideshow at 524 Baldwin Heights Circle at the Apple Valley Lake in Howard, Ohio 43028.  We also have created a unique real estate link that features all of our available Apple Valley Lake view homes for sale.
This is … (1 comments)

Spectacular Apple Valley Lake Home is Filled With Bonus Features - 02:24 PM
One of the most amazing homes at the Apple Valley Lake and you will be very impressed with the level of upgardes and bonus features this home offers.  73 North Highland Court at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio.
You can view additional listing details and an extensive virtual tour by visiting 73 North Highland Court at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio.
You can view and compare all of our available Apple Valley Lake Homes For Sale by visiting this link.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty 740-397-7800 AppleValleyOhio.com
… (3 comments)

Contemporary Apple Valley Lake Home and Impressive Bonus Garage Space - 02:40 PM
This home is a pleasant surprise because it is filled with upgrades and impressive bonus features plus an amazing detached garage and workshop combination.  42 North Highland Court at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio
You can view additional listing details along with an extensive virutal tour by visiting 42 North Highland Court at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio.
You can view and compare all of our available Apple Valley Lake Homes For Sale by visiting this link.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty 740-397-7800 Apple Valley Ohio Real Estate
… (1 comments)

Seasonal Lake View Schlabach Home at the Apple Valley Lake - 02:54 PM
Top quality Roy Schlabach home that features amazing living space and lots of bonus finished living area in the lower level  Located directly across the street from the Apple Valley Lake and it even features a seasonal lake view.  Listing details at 4046 Apple Valley Drive at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio 
Be sure that you check out the additional listing information and the extensive virtual tour photo slideshow at 4046 Apple Valley Drive at the Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio
You can also view and compare all of our available Apple Valley Lake Homes For Sale by visiting this … (0 comments)

Apple Valley Lake Custom Home Filled With Upgrades and Quality - 03:11 PM
This is one of those homes that will surprise you because of all the extras and quality upgrades.  The cabinetry is beyond what you typically find in a home under $200,000 plus it features a vaulted ceiling and gleaming wood flooring.  620 West Highland Drive at the Apple Valley Lake.
You can view additional listing details and view an extensive virtual tour at 620 West Highland Drive at the Apple Valley Lake.  We created an organized a special real estate link so you can view all of our available Apple Valley Lake homes for sale.
Sam Miller of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800 … (4 comments)

Apple Valley Lake Home For Sale Near The Apple Valley Golf Course - 04:33 PM
Golfers will especailly love this property because it is located near the Apple Valley Golf Course.  879 Country Club Drive at the Apple Valley Lake
We have prepared some additional listing information along with an extensive virtual tour photo slideshow that can be viewed at 879 Country Club Drive at the Apple Valley Lake. We have also organized all of our available Apple Valley Lake Community homes for sale in price order so that you can view and compare each of our homes.
Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars Realty (740) 397-7800 Apple Valley Ohio Real Estate
… (6 comments)

Mount Vernon Ohio Luxury Home SOLD by Sam Miller Team of REMAX Stars - 04:38 PM
It is important that you let your market know that homes are selling because so many people still believe we are experiencing a housing market that is comparable to 2007-2010.  If enought REALTORS start speading a positive message about the current housing market the market and consumer confidence will continue improving. 
Via Sam Miller - Knox County Ohio (RE/MAX Stars Realty):
We just SOLD this beautiful Summer Lane home in Mount Vernon Ohio and we have others!!!
You can view our available Mount Vernon Ohio homes for sale and we have organized them in price order for quick and easy viewing.  
Sam … (1 comments)

De-Coding Buyer Feedback - 05:42 PM
Blah Blah
… (0 comments)

Beginning your New Orleans Condo Search....The starting line is...... - 08:24 AM
Beginning Your New Orleans Condo Search On Line….. Buyers Agent
Starting your New Orleans Condo searchis much like window shopping except most shopping begins on the Internet for most buyers in today’s Real Estate Market. The Internet search will give you the price, location and a few photos. Some better than others. Its the best way to window shop to get ideas of what is on the market.
Once you have done your window shopping you will know when its time to get serious about your purchase. You will need more than what you see on the Internet. You will start … (3 comments)

Searching Online For Barrington Homes - Keeping It Simple - 06:42 AM
How can you search for homes at Real Estate in Barrington?  Let's explore the ways and then you can test drive whichever appeals to you most.
Basic Real Estate Search First you select the type of property you are looking for, then the city or cities you are interested in. Use the control button to select multiple cities. Then add you price range, minimum bedrooms and bathrooms you want and select search. I suggest you ignore square footage as many of our listings do not have it and they would be excluded. I also suggest ignoring the days on market, it's not a useful … (0 comments)

Keeping Things Simple - Barrington Real Estate - 09:30 AM
It's never hard to forget that because we know so much about our industry that we perceive it to be simple. After all we do it everyday. Buyers, sellers, tenants, landlords, contracts, inspections, attorneys, loans, contingencies and so on. The reality is we can make it more complex than it has to be. Our job is to micro manage everything we do but our clients don't need to, after all that's what we are being paid to do.
I have already created a new category in my blog called Keep It Simple. It's my way of addressing everything that occurs when relocating … (2 comments)

Searching Online For Barrington Homes - Email Alert System - 09:40 AM
Our last post covered the simple ways you can search for homes on this website. Now we'll talk about keeping the simplicity going by letting us do the work for you. You can continue to visit our site as often as you look to browse but at some point we hope your search will become more focused and that's the time to engage the advanced tools available.
Forced Sign Up. We have no link because we don't force our visitors to sign up.
Requested Sign Up. Again no link, unlike other sites that tease you with 1 or 3 homes than ask you … (1 comments)

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