fairbanks realtors: Play it again, Sam
- 04/18/08 01:09 PM
Well, this is no scene from Casablanca. The title does reflect my feelings about reporting the same 'ol Fairbanks sales numbers that have I've been reporting for months. How many different ways can I describe... sluggish? There is always good news, of course. That would be that homes that are priced correctly are still selling. There are buyers actively looking every day. We have a roster of primarily single family home buyers, although there are a few skittish investors scouring the Fairbanks market. Many of them are stymied at the lack of seller responsivness to the slowing market. While many sellers … (10 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Expectations too high?
- 04/11/08 07:19 AM
Could that be possible? Yesterday our blogging buddy, Ruthmarie Hicks, wrote a post somewhat begging the question of why we, as the voting public, should care about and more importantly feel the need to invade the private lives of elected officials. His involvement in a prostitution ring brought former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer down. The words to the oath of office had barely been uttered by the new Governor of New York, Michael Patterson, when he made the decision to go public with the sordid details of his own repeated infidelity, including an extramarital affair with a New York State … (10 comments)
fairbanks realtors: It's time for a change, alright...
- 04/11/08 05:47 AM
Well, let's just light my fire first thing this morning. One of the first articles I happened to read this morning was from Reuters.com; a story in which the esteemed Senator from Illinois is pushing "for passage of a bill to put huge pay packages of some U.S. corporate executives under greater scrutiny." Dubbed the "say on pay" legislation, the bill would provide corporate shareholders more of a voice in setting executive compensation packages. Senator Clinton has apparently jumped on the bandwagon as well, citing concerns over the "outrageous" pay some CEO's are receiving. The bill would require corporate boards to … (18 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Raisin' the bar, baby!
- 04/07/08 12:25 PM
We've been playing with this insane video thing since our buddy in Washington, Mrs. My-Globe-Makes-Me-Look-Smart...er, burst onto the video scene. I figured this was as good a time to jump on board as any. Well, I should have jumped off an overpass because this stuff is for the birds. I now have newfound respect for the pundits that sit in front of a camera and do their thing. It is readily apparent that if video blogging is the wave of the future... I'm going to have to retire. Since it's Monday and everyone needs a good laugh on Monday, I thought … (21 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Death by... blogging?
- 04/06/08 06:13 PM
No fooling? It would seem that some folks are getting into this blogging business with a vengance. I have joked about AR being an addiction, but really, I could quit anytime I wanted to... just like that. Cold turkey, baby. Or am I thinking of Wild Turkey? Hmmm, never mind.I'm not sure if this is a first but it seems as though a fellow down in Ft. Lauderdale has literally blogged himself to death. Another tech blogger died in December of a massive coronary while another suffered a heart attack, but thankfully survived.The article in the NYTimes is quoted as saying bloggers … (22 comments)
fairbanks realtors: A day... interrupted.
- 04/06/08 12:11 PM
I had plans for today... big plans. We were going to get the motorhome out of storage and bring it home. Not because we had plans to go anywhere this weekend, but so we could unfurl the awning and have a margarita or two in the driveway. Hey, don't knock it. Driveway camping can be fun. The snow has been making a hasty retreat for the past couple of weeks - so much so that we even washed the truck in the driveway Friday night... with snow on the ground no less. (#23 on the list of 'how to know you're … (18 comments)
fairbanks realtors: To stage or not to stage....
- 04/06/08 10:06 AM
I read a post this afternoon that got me to thinking - Yes, I know, that could be dangerous. Broker Bryant wrote a great post in which he put out a few questions trying to wrap his mind around the value proposition of home staging. If you haven't read it, click on over and check it out. As usual, it's a great discussion. We build homes as well as sell existing homes and I do see some value in staging our new construction and vacant homes. I don't stage every project but have staged a few in the past for various … (14 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Death by Chocolate - Fairbanks Style
- 04/05/08 01:47 PM
Do you like chocolate? No, I mean really, really like chocolate? If you think chocolate should be its own food group, we have just the event for you. Join us as we celebrate the University of Alaska Museum's 22nd Annual Chocolate Bash on April 12th at 7:30PM. This year's theme, Chocolate Art in the Golden Heart, was selected to highlight both Fairbanks' centennial and the Museum's current special exhibit, New on View. Installed especially for the Chocolate Bash, the exhibit features 24 recent additions to the Museum's Fine Arts collection. It includes works by well-known artists such as Rusty Heurlin, Sam … (25 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Bridging the divide
- 03/18/08 08:21 PM
This is a continuation of two earlier posts regarding the Dr. Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr and Barack Obama; The Audacity of... Race & Unity & hope or Smoke & Mirrors. Feel free to read them to see the progression of thought. Today Barack Obama appeared in Philadelphia to deliver a speech aimed, in part, at quelling the unrest caused by his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, in a series of sermons at Trinity United Church of Christ. People will be debating for years whether this is or is not a real issue and whether Mr. Obama successfully dealt with it. A … (25 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Unity & Hope or Smoke & Mirrors?
- 03/17/08 09:24 PM
This is a continuation of my earlier piece on Barack Obama and his family's two decade long support of the racist Dr. Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. Hold on, ladies and gentlemen, this is going to get interesting. Trinity United Church of Christ began to push back Sunday against the wave of controversy that began to swell around the 8,000 member Chicago church after shocking video(s) showing the former pastor and Obama family's "spiritual advisor" surfaced. Pastor Otis Moss III, the current pastor of Trinity United, lashed out at critics who he says have "assassinated the character of our church." (It seems … (11 comments)
fairbanks realtors: The Audacity of... Race?!?
- 03/15/08 10:42 PM
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of Barack Obama. It has nothing to do with the color of his skin. It has nothing to do with who his father was or his ancestry. Nothing. I disagree with his political ideology - I'm about as far from Barack on the political spectrum as I am George Wallace or Harry Reid. I'm not exactly thrilled with GW for that matter, but that's a blog for another day. The surfacing of transcripts and video from Trinity United Church has left me with a whole new level of disgust for politics. Many folks are rushing … (46 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Fairbanks, Alaska - January 2008 Market Report
- 03/10/08 10:35 PM
appears as though the Fairbanks real estate market is still alive and kicking. We have been fortunate in that Fairbanks and Interior Alaska did not see the speculative boom that many places in the lower 48 did and as such, our sluggish market is just that, sluggish. We are not quite to life support stage... yet. Before I get into the specific market performance I want to encourage those Fairbanks buyers and sellers reading this to seek the counsel of a competent, market savvy real estate agent (I happen to know a great team, btw. :) to help you evaluate individual … (7 comments)
fairbanks realtors: My reality check bounced
- 03/08/08 07:06 PM
Alright, Rainers, I need a reality check. Tonight we had dinner with a good friend (we'll call her Jill) and as usual, the topic of conversation turned to real estate. Now, Jill is one of the top four agents in town. She is equal parts listing and selling agent and does both well. We worked across the hall from each other for years before Kathy and I left to open an office. Although I haven't been posting many the past few weeks, I'm a fanatical market tracker. I keep incredibly detailed stats on each segment of the market and have seen … (15 comments)
fairbanks realtors: New Addition to First Family
- 03/06/08 04:01 PM
It was announced this morning that Alaska's First Family is about to get a little larger. Governor Sarah Palin announced that she and her husband Todd, affectionately referred to as the First Dude, are expecting their 5th child in May. In addition to being the youngest person to hold the position of Governor of Alaska, she is also the first woman to hold the position. An August 2007 opinion poll shows Governor Palin enjoys an 87% job approval rating, which is one of the approval ratings in the United States. The Palin's have been blessed with 5 wonderful children; Track, 18; … (9 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Dirty Little Secrets
- 03/04/08 10:13 AM
I was talking to a friend this morning about how much have changed in real estate over the years. Some of you that have been in this business for a while have seen tremendous changes. In the near ten years we've been in real estate we've seen more than a few; one of the biggest was abolishing the MLS books. Today we can access just about any piece of information our little hearts could desire with only a few simple keystrokes. One of the other major changes I've seen happened a few years ago when our board finally got rid of … (7 comments)
fairbanks realtors: Arts In The Golden Heart
- 03/02/08 10:21 PM
Your Real Estate Resource in Fairbanks and Interior Alaska The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre has been a part of the Fairbanks community since 1992. What began as a single performance along the banks of the Chena River has become a international touring Shakespeare company. If you have the opportunity to see any of the amazing shows, we would highly recommend doing so. For a small theatre company, the acting and directing is typically outstanding. Local critic Robert Hannon had this to say about a recent production. "...As in other FST productions, the set designed by Kit Mayer, displays versatility as actors charge … (0 comments)
Well, this is no scene from Casablanca. The title does reflect my feelings about reporting the same 'ol Fairbanks sales numbers that have I've been reporting for months. How many different ways can I describe... sluggish? There is always good news, of course. That would be that homes that are priced correctly are still selling. There are buyers actively looking every day. We have a roster of primarily single family home buyers, although there are a few skittish investors scouring the Fairbanks market. Many of them are stymied at the lack of seller responsivness to the slowing market. While many sellers … (10 comments)
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