The Boy who Cried Motivated Seller! - 03/30/11 06:57 PM
The Boy Who Cried Motivated Seller!

I had an interesting conversation this morning with a seller's agent.   His listing says the owner bought a new home and is very motivated to sell.   It sounds credible at first blush, but I would learn otherwise.  
The comps show the home is priced above fair market value.  Does this sound very motivated?
The property has been on the market approximately 200 days.  Does this sound very motivated?
The listing price has never been adjusted downward.   Does this sounds very motivated?
I understand the use of attention-getting language, maybe even a smidgen of hyperbole, but shouldn't a statement of the seller's state of mind resemble the facts?    
Was it the seller or his agent who … (84 comments)

How To Copyright Protect Your ActiveRain Posts? Questions Answered! - 03/28/11 02:16 PM
Bill Burchard hit the trifecta of features with his trilogy on copyright protection, with good reason.   Bill has a knack for reducing a complex subject to easy to understand terms.  He's a crackerjack writer who deserves his growing popularity. 
These are the other two blogs on the subject:
How To Automatically Copyright Protect Your ActiveRain Posts Speaking of Copyright Infringement: Lawsuit Dismissed Brian L. Sirota, Esq., Broker/Attorney, BriStar Realty, Orange County, California 
Via Bill Burchard, Broker, REALTOR: Murrieta Homes For Sale, California Real Estate (3B Realty):
How To Copyright Protect Your ActiveRain Posts? Questions Answered!
I recently wrote two posts about copyright:
How To Automatically Copyright … (1 comments)

The Proper Care and Feeding of a Buyer; Whittle 'em Down, Part II - 03/26/11 04:25 PM
[Part II, The Proper Care and Feeding of a Buyer; my personal approach.    Part I, Whittle ‘em Down,is  a restatement of another Rainmaker's approach.   For the sake of clarity and to eliminate bias, I've made two blog entries of them.   This entry is Part I and Part II, in tandem]
Those who were kind enough to comment on Part I may have mistaken that approach as my own.  I hope they are able to read this article in its entirety.  I appreciate their indulgence and those reading this for the first time.
Part I
The buyer comes traipsing in with a scroll of paper hanging to the floor.  The list has enough homes to … (3 comments)

Whittle 'em Down - 03/25/11 02:23 AM
(Part I, Whittle 'em Down)
The buyer comes traipsing in with a scroll of paper hanging to the floor.  The list has enough homes to constitute a new city.   This could prove to be an agent's veritable nightmare of having to show an endless array properties.   
We all know the syndrome that comes next:  Paralysis by analysis.   And so the cycle begins.
A good agent is suppose to help narrow the choices and close the sale.  Supposedly. 
I know of an agent who swears by a system of whittling-down-the-options.  The buyer is made to choose a small sub-set of properties (countable on one-hand) from a criteria-appropriate MLS search.  
Buyer and agent tour five properties, and the list gets whittled to three.   … (11 comments)

Bill Burchard's Survival Trash Can - 03/20/11 03:31 PM
Activerain Rainmaker Bill Burchard of Murrieta, California, wrote a must-read blog on earthquake preparedness.    http://actvra.in/6Ts     It includes ideas that can be applied to emergencies of all types. 

In it,  you'll find a very clever idea:    The Emergency Supplies Trash Can.   It takes a smidgen of effort to get there (a link to a link), so here's the direct link for the PDF file: 
http://www.rvcfire.org/opencms/functions/oes/Home_Emergency_Supplies_xTrash_Canx.pdf
This is not a substitute to read Bill's blog.   
Visit Bill Burchard's blog and write your comments there.  I also suggest Bill's blog for a feature.

Our hearts are heavy with the tragedy in Japan.  Bill takes this moment to shine a spot light on our own   emergency survival … (5 comments)

Be Noble! Help Stabilize Communities with First Time Home Buyers - 03/18/11 07:05 PM
Help stabilize local communities by selling single family homes to low income first time buyers. 
These are opportunites for non short-sale transactions, to be noble, and to earn a few bucks to boot.
Loan Consultant Donne Knudsen of Simi Valley wrote a kick-butt blog on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), a HUD outcrop promoted by Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California: Totally Rehabbed Los Angeles Home Available for Down Payment Assistance.   
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) is a veritable life line to several LA communities.  They: 
Provide funds to rehab homes in a state of disrepair or dilapidation; Reintroduce foreclosed properties to the market at affordable prices;  Stabilize home prices, and  Provide jobs!  By … (8 comments)

The Nature of Turtle Rock - Nature - 03/17/11 10:18 PM
THE NATURE OF TURTLE ROCK IS NATURE
Everyone has a fond memory of field trips from grade school.   If you disliked school as much as I did, field trips were a special treat.   They were leisurely days free of academic demands, being able to socialize with friends and visit places that often seemed wondrous.  
A favorite was the Museum of Science.   It was there I discovered rock candy and the process to make it.   Was I the only kid to hunt down string and sugar immediately on returning home?  I also loved the nature outings, though they didn't provide the … (6 comments)

All Eyes on Irvine's Pet Rock - 03/10/11 09:06 PM
 IRVINE'S PET ROCK

EYES ON IRVINE'S PET ROCK
A neighborhood in Irvine, California, has a pet rock.  That would be Turtle Rock, where its hills not only have eyes, but its pet rock does, too!   Sort of.  With a little paint, it could become the adorable pet rock in the picture, which is actually located only a stone's throw from Irvine--Mongolia!
The real pet rock is strikingly similar in appearance to its Mongolian cousin, though Irvine's turtle is held sacred by the Gabrieleño Native Americans and is thought to be the origin of the name "Turtle Rock."

Beyond Irvine's rocky mascot lies a highly desired community in Irvine , and for good … (17 comments)

Operation Orphan Blog - 03/08/11 04:41 PM
A REALTOR WHO SUPPORTS A QUALIFIED REALTOR
(South Carolina Realtor Linda Rademacher wrote a blog, originally orphaned, but is now featured!)
Linda Meyer wrote a fantastic blog, Orphan Posts.  http://actvra.in/6pq  She mentioned new member Rocky Dickerson's piece Where's the Gold? http://actvra.in/6ms   Not only did Rocky's post move a number of members, including me, it got the feature recognition it deserved.
On the heels of Linda's blog, I came across Linda Rademacher's orphaned blog, Going It Alone!   Is Being a FSBO Right for You?   http://actvra.in/6pd     It includes a 10-point checklist of specific questions. She suggests the FSBO should know these answers.   We know, of course, FSBO stands for For Sale By Owner.
Linda … (6 comments)

HUMPTY DUMPTY'S BREAKABLE CONTRACT - 03/05/11 01:35 AM
HUMPTY DUMPTY'S BREAKABLE CONTRACT
  
The king promised Humpty a tidy sum to buy a dwelling.    He sent, Alice, the royal Realtor, to help him.   
Alice went on her way, looking here and looking there.    She returned to Humpty, "I have looked and looked, and have found nearly the perfect dwelling.  No doubt you find it compelling?"  Humpty did not react as Alice had thought, "But the dwelling is lacking, I won't give it my backing!"      
"What!"  Alice countered, "You should be beaming, it allows for your odd shape and is redeeming."   
She pressed on, "The goldsmith, the cobbler … (46 comments)

The Zig-Zagginess of Recovery - 03/01/11 02:28 AM
I was wondering when NAR would be announcing it's zig-zag theory.  Well, today, they have!   Did anyone expect the bottom to drop out, the ceiling to be lifted, or a flat-line?   Probably not.   Market fluctuations are indeed the norm.
Last week, they published a less equivocal article on pending home sales:  An up trend.
NAR's stream of reports remind me of the mentalism practiced by magicians.   There's something that will ring true for every one.  Micro-trends, by their nature, resemble the blips of heart monitor.  They go up.  They go down.  
Macro-conclusions based on micro-bits of information makes for a funky analysis. 
Pending home sales eased moderately … (10 comments)

The Wacky Mortgage Professor - 03/01/11 01:50 AM
One of my favorite sites on mortgages is THE MORTGAGE PROFESSOR.   Jack Guttentag, the prof., himself, deserves a shout out.  He's a finance professor at the Wharton School of Business, and he talks a good game on the subject of mortgages. 
When I studied for my degree in finance, or my law degree for that matter, I didn't have any professors this good.  His mortgage-related tools and tutorials are easy to understand, and are great for both novices and mortgage divas, alike.  Props to the prof! 
Brian L. Sirota, Esq.
… (7 comments)

 
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Brian L. Sirota, J.D. OC Home Sale Pro (877) 641-6964; (714) 501-7660

Irvine, CA

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Bristar Realty, Realtor/Attorney, OC Home Sales Pro

Address: Irvine, CA

Office Phone: (877) 641-6964

Cell Phone: (714) 501-7660

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Attorney/Realtor Real Estate Vibes & Views Out and About Orange County, California (cell) 714- 501-7660


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