Is Your House Number Clearly Visible During The Day And Night From The Road? - 01/31/08 03:32 PM
Fire officials in Parrish are encouraging all residents in the area to check your house numbers to make sure they are clearly visible from the road during the day as well as at night.
Emergency responders say that many homes are missing numbers all together, partial addresses only exist, the address is blocked by tress or brush, the numbers have faded or the addresses on curbs are blocked by cars.
In an emergency situation, every second counts.  You surely don't want them driving past your home because they can't find it, do you?  You never know when you're going to need them.  Please take … (4 comments)

The "Public Remarks" And Photos In The MLS. What Were They Thinking? - 01/31/08 01:40 PM
So I was searching through the MLS this morning looking for comps for a listing presentation I am going on tomorrow and came across a listing with the following PUBLIC remarks:
PFB: Preforeclosure, so we're taking offers and submitting to lenders for approval,make you best offer with proof of ability to get loan. Cemtrallly located and withing walking distance wto schools, shopping, & G T Bray recreational park for tennis, baseball & more. Great value. Needs work. EASY TO SHOW. Vaulted ceilings. Nearly new HVAC. Being sold as is.
It still amazes me how many agents DON'T click on the spell check button … (5 comments)

Palmetto May Be Getting A Farmer's Market - 01/29/08 07:29 AM
Good news for residents in the area since the one that was held in Bradenton on Main Street was closed last year because the local businesses said they didn't have the money to keep it going any longer.
2 local residents, Mitchell Armstrong and Kelvin Lindbloom say they want to try and make a go of Farmers Market in Palmetto along the Manatee River, near the pier at the foot the Green Bridge.
Palmetto leaders are likely to approve plans for the market in early February.The plans were presented this week to city officials. Palmetto Mayor Larry Bustle called the proposal "a good thing for … (1 comments)

2 Year Old Lexi Antorino To Return Home - 01/25/08 01:11 PM
If any of you have been following the post I wrote back in December about 2 year old Lexi Antorino, then you know who I am talking about.
If you don't, here's a brief run down of what happened to her.
She was playing on a swing set with 2 other children in a neighborhood park while a 14 year old family member who was babysitting them, pushed each of them one by one.  As Lexi swung forward, the other 2 children swung backwards.  Suddenly as Lexi swung forward, the swing set collapsed and the support bar came crashing down pinning 2 year old … (4 comments)

American Home Shield; Are You Using The FREE "Extras" They Offer? - 01/23/08 09:00 AM
American Home Shield is a well known home warranty company.  But did you also know they have a section on their website specifically for agents to market to buyers and sellers as well as things to help market your listings?
You don't have to purchase a warranty through them in order to use these freebies.  They are for all agents!!
Go to OnMark Pro and create an account.  It's FREE!  Once you create an account you can get...
Monthly newsletters to send to your customersAnniversary postcardsBirthday postcardsRecipesReferral postcardsHoliday postcardsFarming postcardsCalendarListing postcardsListing materialsOpen house materialsChecklistsHome tipsSeasonal postcardsSome of the items you might find useful, and … (19 comments)

Better Think Twice Before You Run That Red Light - 01/23/08 07:56 AM
An article in today's Bradenton Herald states that they will be doing a red light sting in Manatee County on Thursday to try and catch some of the folks that run red lights.
Many people run red lights everyday simply because they are in a hurry or don't want to wait.  Many people are also killed each year by people running red lights.
"We are driving a loaded weapon and we have a bigger responsibility than anything when we get in our vehicles. Vehicles don't kill people. People kill people."
"If you're caught running a red light in Manatee County, it could cost about … (4 comments)

So What's Brendan King And The Gang Up To These Days? - 01/23/08 07:12 AM
Since the resignations at Point2 by Brendan King and several other folks, many have wondered what they are now doing. 
Well, we know they started a company called VendAsta.  The website doesn't really state very much on what they plan on doing, but Brendan mentions to "stay tuned" for more details on his blog.  So I know I'll keep checking back.
On Brendan's blog, is a short video of a hint or two of what they plan on doing.  They intend to help real estate professionals leverage existing social networks to connect with their customers long before they are ready to buy … (0 comments)

I Have A Dream - 01/21/08 11:29 AM
We all know those famous words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  I have a dream.  We have come a long way since those words were first spoken, but we still have a long way to go. 
I hope that one day, his words will become a reality for everyone across the world.  A day when everyone can accept everyone for the person they are and not by the color of their skin.
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of … (7 comments)

WHEW!! 2 And A Half Months Later, The Bank Accepted The Offer.... - 01/21/08 08:50 AM
Back in July, an agent in the Orlando area contacted us to see if we would co-broke a listing with them that was a short sale.  All we had to do was place the house in the MLS and put a sign in the yard.  We said sure, not a problem.  They were going to do all the negotiations with the bank, and all offers went directly to them.  Couldn't get any easier than that, huh?
Well we finally got an offer on the house the first week of November.  It took the bank until Friday January 19th to let us know that … (8 comments)

Some Florida Banks Now Have A Dress Code - 01/19/08 08:28 AM
"The Florida Bankers Association rolled out the "No Hats, No Hoods, No Sunglasses" program this week, noting that bank robberies in Florida soared 36 percent last year."
"Signs will ask customers entering bank lobbies to remove those items before doing their business."
The article states that not all banks will participate in this program, and customers won't be turned away if they refuse, they will be redirected to a more experienced teller or an area with higher security.
Some banks that won't be adopting the policy recognize the religious traditions that some of their customers have and worry it will be offensive to them.
The article also … (14 comments)

Closing Costs You Can Expect To Pay When Purchasing A Home - 01/16/08 08:58 AM
There are quite a number of expenses that you will incur when purchasing a home that make up your closing costs.
Closing costs typically range anywhere from 3%-6% of the purchase price, depending on the loan you're getting.  The fees vary from one company to the next, so it's best to actually get a a copy of a Good Faith Estimate from your lender. 
Typically, the lender will allow the seller to contribute 3%-6% of the purchase price towards your closing costs.  Make sure you're working with an agent that will negotiate on your behalf to have most of or all of these expenses paid for by the seller, depending on … (1 comments)

Do You Take Your Sellers Out To Tour The Competition? - 01/15/08 11:21 PM
I was reading a post here today on AR and someone commented on a it (can't remember who) and made mention of doing this.  It wasn't in reference to that particular post, it was just something kind of thrown out there that they do.  They take their sellers out to tour the competition in the neighborhood. 
I really wish I would have paid more attention to who it was, so I could have gone back and read through their blog.  At the moment, I just glanced past it not really thinking too much about it.  But then a couple hours later, it was kind of an AH-HA … (43 comments)

When I Reach My Goal, I'm Donating My Hair To Locks Of Love - 01/14/08 10:38 AM
Tomorrow starts the "real first day" of my diet, however I've been sticking to it since the 1st of the year anyway!! 
I've decided that when I lose 75 lbs (or anywhere close to it) by the end of this year, I will donate my hair to the locks of love foundation. 
The photo I have here on this site and my website is an old photo (4 years old).  My hair is much longer now.  It is currently down to the middle of my back and probably by the end of the year, it will be down to my waist.  I'm … (11 comments)

A Suggestion For ActiveRain....Add A Link To The Group - 01/14/08 08:01 AM
I keep finding more groups to join and sometimes when I am posting something, I'm not quite sure which group to add my post too, because I can't remember all of the rules for every group.
My suggestion is, in the section where we select up to 5 groups to add our post too, can you add a link to the group that opens up in a new window?  This way we can pop into the group real quick to see if that particular post really belongs there or not. 
There are many groups that have specific rules as to what they … (6 comments)

Found A Cool Blog Surfing Plug-In For Your Wordpress Blogs - 01/14/08 07:30 AM
I came across this free down-loadable plug-in for your Wordpress blogs on the Sellsius blog. 
"Now your archive posts can be brought back to life. The blog surfer is currently set-up to produce random posts but it will be adapted in the future to allow specialized surfing by category, recent posts, or your big wave posts."
Currently it only works for Wordpress, but they are hoping sometime in the future to have it working for other blog platforms too, according to their blog.  I did just notice however that this was posted back in November of 2006.  Wonder if it works for any … (2 comments)

Manatee County Market Stats for 2006 vs. 2007 - 01/13/08 07:09 AM
Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in 2006 vs. 2007 for Manatee County:
Totals for 2006# of single family homes SOLD = 2,700Avg SOLD price for SFR = $376,548Median price for SFR = $299,000# of condos SOLD = 795Avg SOLD price for condos = $264,928Median price for condos = $200,000
Totals for 2007# of single family homes SOLD = 2,287 Avg SOLD price for SFR = $351,324 (-7% from 2006)Median price for SFR = $280,000 (-4% from 2006)# of condos SOLD = 704Avg SOLD price for condos = $253,419 (-4% from 2006)Median price for condos = $190,000 (-5% from 2006)
To check previous months stats, … (0 comments)

Manatee County Market Stats for December - 01/13/08 06:55 AM
Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in December for Manatee County:
Dec 2006# of single family homes SOLD = 203Avg SOLD price for SFR = $343,983Median price for SFR = $279,000# of condos SOLD = 55Avg SOLD price for condos = $298,025Median price for condos = $230,000
Dec 2007# of single family homes SOLD = 170Avg SOLD price for SFR = $346,417Median price for SFR = $247,000# of condos SOLD = 59Avg SOLD price for condos = $256,058Median price for condos = $200,000
As of today, there are:  4,182 SFR Active on the market and 1,930 Condos Active on the market for sale.
To check previous months … (0 comments)

A Tribute To My Grandpa, Thomas Watkins - 01/09/08 07:12 PM

Thomas WatkinsMarch 5, 1925 - January 9, 200882 years old
Married 58 years to Lillian Watkins
Many words describe the type of person my grandpa was:  Funny, charming, witty, honest, loving, hard working, stern, loyal, jokster, reliable, old fashioned, strict, solid, good, jack of all trades, man of his word, kind, stubborn and family man are just some of many that come to mind.
When ever I entered their home, his words to me were always...."Well there she is...hey squirt".  I was always "squirt" to him.  Very rarely did he ever call me by my real name.
In my younger years, the majority of my memories are … (15 comments)

Hidden Room In A Home Led To A Hidden Nightmare - 01/08/08 10:50 AM
The home at 6 Whitten Street in Greenville, SC had a hidden nightmare lurking within the walls of a secret room that was found in the house after Jason and Kerri Brown purchased the bank owned home.
4 days after they moved in, they found a hidden room behind a bookcase that winds beneath the staircase.  At the back of the empty room, on a shelf stood a letter titled "You found it".  This is when their nightmare began.
"Hello. If you're reading this, then you found the secret room. I owned this house for a short while and it was discovered to have a serious … (12 comments)

Have housing prices hit bottom in Manatee County? - 01/08/08 09:48 AM
An article in today's Herald Tribune seems to point towards that.  It appears our market has stabalized and is doing fairly well compared to many others in Florida, according to the article.
"Florida's best known economist says the Sarasota-Manatee residential property market bottomed out in September-October and has now stabilized in both price and volume.""Hank Fishkind predicts flat prices for both counties through 2010, as the region chews through excess inventories of new houses and condominiums."
"I'm not seeing any major price declines, and I think volume has stabilized, Fishkind said."
These next few months are typically some of the busiest for our area since the snowbirds … (0 comments)

Taking It Off - 01/08/08 09:18 AM
So another year begins and just like many of you....I made a New Year's resolution to lose weight.  I think things are different this year, because I feel more motivation this time around.  They say you can't do it until you're ready....well I am finally ready.  I don't want this body anymore.  I want a nicer model.  I feel like I'm walking around in a beat up old Chevette with the bumper duct taped on and I want a sleek, shiny new BMW!  Get my drift?
I'm tired of telling myself I don't really look like the person that is starring back … (10 comments)

What Is Your Favorite Book You Have Ever Read? - 01/06/08 07:49 PM
I was Book MeMe'd a while back and didn't have anything to write about in that MeMe.....because I don't ever read books.  I use to when I was in high school.  I could read a book in a day or two over the weekend.  I use to read all the time, but then just stopped.
It's been many years since I have picked up a book (except real estate books).  However, this year I am starting the year out differently.  I am going to start reading more, watch less TV, eat healthier, exercise more and lose some weight.  It's time for a change and this … (8 comments)

Caveman's Crib - 01/06/08 06:15 AM
I'm sure you've all seen the Geico commercials with the Caveman in them, right?  Well I just ran across a website called Caveman's Crib. 
It has nothing to do with real estate and nothing (I don't think) to do with insurance.  It's just a fun interactive website for you to play around on.  I'm sure somewhere in the website you can request a quote for car insurance, but I didn't play around with it that much.
You can tour through his home and play with things in it.  Every now and then he pops in on you.  So go have fun doing … (3 comments)

Free, personalized websites that support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery. - 01/04/08 09:45 AM
I came across this website after someone sent me an email and asked me to set up a free website for 2 year old Lexi Antorino.  Since I am not related to her or even know her family, I didn't think it was right for me to set up a website for her.  Maybe someone in her family will after reading this.
If someone does set up a website for Lexi Antorino, please feel free to post the link to the website here so we can follow up on her condition.  It is getting harder to find updates on how she is … (2 comments)

Prostitute's Would Be Good At Marketing Real Estate - 01/04/08 08:22 AM
I just came across an article that was posted back in September on the Sellsius blog titled 10 Marketing Tips You Can Learn from a Prostitute.  It was pretty funny!  My favorite tip?
"7. Promise quality and good customer service. The promise may get you a one-time sale but good customer service will have them coming again back."
and of course....
"There is, however, one thing you should avoid in marketing and sales: Screwing your customer."
Funny how you can learn so much from a prostitute, huh?  LOL....
This funny post even won them a Humdinger Award! 
However tie for first place for the Humdinger Award … (14 comments)

Baby it's cold outside! - 01/03/08 11:18 AM
I know I'll get no sympathy from the folks in the north, but man IT'S COLD here in Florida!  Overnight, temperatures dipped into the 20's and 30's here with the wind-chill in the TEENS. 
The wind is wicked here and with the low temperatures, I am throughly reminded over and over again every-time the wind whips past my face why I hated living in Michigan!  I hate the cold!  I hate being cold.  It's miserable!  Makes you just want to stay in bed under the covers all day.  I'm glad it will start to warm back up to more normal temperatures in a few … (7 comments)

Area home sales, prices continue to rise - 01/01/08 07:37 AM
Another positive article in today's newspaper states that area home sales and prices continue to rise. 
"November is the third consecutive month that home sales and prices have exceeded the previous month."
"The median price of an existing home in Bradenton-Sarasota was $267,700 in November, $3,600 higher than it was just one month before."
"The biggest positive price jump in 2007 occurred between September and October, where median sales prices increased by nearly $20,000."
The article also states that prices aren't going to continue to grow by "leaps and bounds" this year, but at a more normal slow pace upward. 
Since our market was … (2 comments)

 
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Becky Troutt

Bradenton, FL

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Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc

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