Susan's Blog

BLUE TOOTH TOOL

2008-07-23T17:06:47Z

IT'S OFFICIAL - I'M A BLUE TOOTH TOOL

I never thought it would happen...but I'm officially a blue tooth tool. I walk around with this thing on my ear even when I'm NOT driving. Oh, I admit, when they said the po-po would pull you over for driving with your phone on your ear, I panicked a little. I had been trying to get my bluetooth to pair with my new blackberry for quite some time now. I tried the "stereo" head phones that came with my phone. Lame. I tried to scramble with my phone when it rang while I was driving and put it on speaker; only to fumble with it to the point of near disaster when I spotted a cop in my rear view.

Now that someone in my office figured it out for me, I wear the dumb thing all the time. I'm sure it's happened to you. Someone walks up to you and starts talking about seeing you singing kareoke at the Alley the night before, busting your chops, and you flush as you point to your ear...talking to a client. Embarassing. It's also a big pain to now remember to charge the thing every night. I barely remember to put my cell on the charger after how many years??? And what about brain cancer? Have we really checked into this potential danger thouroughly enough to mandate that we either participate in this phenomenon or get a hefty ticket, fine, empounding, jail time??? Big brother ring a bell when you can get pulled over for talking on your phone? I'm still not over having to wear a seat belt by law.

With the random check points that have been popping up all over town, I'm just a little freaked out by all the impositions on my civil liberties. And of course the darn thing never works right - have you ever had to pull over cuz the reception is so bad or lost a few important calls? What's the solution?

Now we're talking!

Posted at 10:49 PM in Around Carlsbad | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

CHRISTMAS IN JULY?

2008-07-09T17:42:55Z

Is it Christmas already?

I asked this yesterday after another full day of showing property from Oceanside to Del Mar to the third group of "potential buyers". Oh, they are qualified. Some are all cash up to the 800's. You would think finding qualified buyers in this market would be the hard part. Nope. Getting them off the fence, getting them to write up a realistic (not low-ball) offer, counter once they get countered back into reality, and actually take pen to paper and open the escrow - that's the hard part right now.

At over $4.00 a gallon, I need to re-evaluate whether or not I am running a tour operation or a real estate business. This spinning of my wheels has been created out of my need for a sale - not the clients need to buy. I'm admitting it. I'm anxious to do my job. I'm suffering a severe drought in biblical proportions.

I'm wondering if folks aren't making a hobby out of coming into real estate offices with qualification in hand, only to have agents jump through all the firey hoops that have kept me working 7 days a week up to 12 and 14 hours a day - showing more property than I care to remember - and having nothing come to fruition. In the last month I have written over a dozen offers. None of them accepted. None entering the ever elusive escrow office. Nothing in the pipeline. Sigh.

I liken this buyer characteristic as the person that walks through the mall parking lot with their keys jangling on Christmas Eve. They're really NOT going to their car; they are just messing with me as I follow them in anticipation to take over their precious parking spot, only to be filled with deep disappointment when I realize they changed their minds and went back into the mall to get a gift wrap, never relinquishing the spot afterall.

It's definately Christmas in July. Jingle-jangle go the keys.

"THEN" IS NOW!

2008-07-07T17:14:20Z

I got an email from a client who has been sitting on the fence (like so many of you out there!) and is maintaining his position that the bottom has yet to fall from the Carlsbad and San Diego real estate markets.

"It's the market", he told me when I mentioned my frustration that so many of my deals are not coming together lately.

I beg to differ.

It's the public's perception of the market.

Whoever buys in this "market" is the one who has the best selection, best price, best interest rates, and the best shot at "buying low and selling high" when there is no more product out there; (we are at buildout in Carlsbad) thereby leveraging the supply to the demand. Here's what I know and facts that I live by in my business:

1. Real Estate values are determined by supply and demand. (And they always will be).

2. What goes down must go up. (Especially on the coast).

3. History repeats itself. (Need I say more?) History repeats itself.

It's unfortunate that the media continues to contend the fear of entering the market.

I'm going on the record. We are living in the "then". The "wish I would have bought then" then. People hesitating to enter the home buying market need to keep in mind the one wildcard that will snafu the "bottom" theory. And that is interest rates.

Each incremental interest rate hike will effect the buying power by thousands of dollars; so even if the prices are to go down some, with an increase in rates, the payments will be more. With the deflation of the dollar, the only way the feds can fight a recession is with an interest rate hike. And just like California earthquakes, it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

In my experience there has never been a better time to enter the home buying market.

I can only lead the horses to the water. That's what's so frustrating.