Homeowners with tainted drywall may get a tax deduction - 08/24/09 04:30 PM
Homeowners with tainted drywall may get a tax deduction
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-072409.cfm
… (0 comments)

Bidding Wars- Unethical??? - 08/17/09 11:53 AM

Via Odelia Aminov (Keller Williams Real Estate):
One "seasoned" agent refused to give my clients a chance to beat a competing offer because he believes "bidding wars are unethical".
It all happened about a month ago when I took my buyers to see a beautiful house in Huntingdon Valley listed by a Philadelphia Remax agent. It took no more then, oh, 3 seconds for them to fall in love with this house. It had absolutely everything they were looking for and they were more than ready to make a move after months of online searching.
We scheduled a 2nd showing for the next day so their folks … (0 comments)

Weekly Blog Update...missed one of my blogs this week-see them all here - 08/17/09 09:30 AM
Weekly Blog Update from dana devine
For the week ending August 14, 2009
Thank you for reading my Real Estate industry blog, the devine report. This is a summary of my newest blog entries from the past week.
Publish Date: August 14, 2009Foreclosures Continue To Concentrate Across Just 3 StatesExcerpt: Foreclosure-tracker RealtyTrac reports that the number of foreclosures nationwide rose 7 percent on a month-to-month basis last month. However, 3 states dominated the foreclosure list, tallying more foreclosures between them than...
Publish Date: August 12, 2009A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (August 12, 2009 Edition)Excerpt: The Federal Open Market … (0 comments)

8 Ways To Use Photos To Promote Your Business Online - 08/14/09 08:47 AM
I already use some of your ideas and now will borrow some more from you...thanks....I agree, these are easly, simple ideas. But what is sad, not 80% but 90% of the Realtors out there will not use any of these. I was ask by a fellow Realtor, where I find the time to interact on Plaxo, LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, devine.thewrittenblog.com...my answer to her was. Mary, you go to a social on Friday at 5pm to 7pm. You have to been there at that exact time, that is when it is. The room has  maybe 100-150 people. No way can you … (0 comments)

FHA loans vs Conventional loans - Knowing the true comparisons - 08/14/09 08:15 AM

Via Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans (Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc):

FHA loans seem to be one of the main choice of mortgages in the last 6 months or so. There are several reasons for this, which should be spelled out below in my comparison. What I hate hearing is that FHA mortgages have taken the spot of the subprime loans. This is not true by any part of the imagination. This statement is from those that are inexperienced in both the mortgage and the real estate industries. The realization … (1 comments)

Sellers !!! Ignore what your listing agent tells you about FHA loans !!! - 08/14/09 08:00 AM
I am with you...FHA is great! As a Realtor now, I have 30 years as a mortgage loan officer and my wife is a loan officer and FHA underwriter. We love FHA. FHA is full DOC and I say this now,  for all these years if loan officers had put borrowers/buyers in FHA loans(which they have to qualify: full doc) and NOT NINA/SISA  loans we would not have the foreclosures we have today. Borrowers who were placed in sub-prime loans qualified for FHA, but the mortgage broker could not qualify to sell FHA loans, so they placed them in these more risky loans. … (0 comments)

As a Dual Agent, are you like a Double Agent? - Dual Agency - Buyers Beware!! - 08/14/09 07:34 AM
WOW ..everyone has their opinion...here in Florida, we don't have a choice, which kinda makes it good. Like going to a  private school that has a uniform policy. You choose the school, it has a uniform to wear and you wear it. As a Realtor, I live in Florida, thus no dual- agency.
Via Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans (Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc):
 
Dual Agency can sound like a harmless word, right?  We are suppose to trust anyone in the real estate and mortgage industries, right? Sounds simple enough when … (4 comments)

Debit Cards at Risk for Identity Theft - 08/12/09 09:19 PM

Via Robert Siciliano (Identity Theft Speaker):
Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
There are 437,000,000 debit cards in circulation, and their use is on the rise. Criminal hackers are paying attention. Credit cards offer some measure of protection, but when a debit card is compromised, the stolen money is taken directly from the victim’s bank account.
Federal laws limit cardholder liability to $50.00 in the case of credit card fraud, as long as the cardholder disputes the charge within 60 days. Debit card fraud victims must notify the bank within two days in order to maintain this $50.00 limit. After that, the … (2 comments)

Guerrilla Marketing -- Daring To Be Different - 08/12/09 09:12 PM
It is the goffy of the wall things that people remember,,,thanks for sharing
Via Clint Miller (Real Estate Client Referrals, LLC):

"Marketing is the differentiation of yourself against your competition.  Advertising is the cost of being boring."
That is according to an article I read in BrokerAgentPro roughly a year ago.  The article went on to say that, if a person marketed themselves properly, they would never need to advertise because everyone would already know who they are and what they do.  The article also went on to say that, if you don't know the difference between the two, you should hire someone that does.  And, I couldn't agree more!
I enjoy … (1 comments)

Open Letter to First Time Home Buyers - 08/12/09 09:03 PM
I thoughts exactly
Via Erik Hitzelberger, --Louisville-Bullitt County Real Estate (RE/MAX Alliance):
Dear Procrastinating First Time Home Buyers:  
I know you.  I've seen you in the mall on December 23rd. I've watched you race through town en route to the airport; screeching up to the terminal just in time to prevent your mom from giving up and getting in the cab.  I even saw you run over the neighbor's cat on your way to the post office on April 15th.  (Actually, disregard that last one.  I'm sure it was just a large stick).  You excel when the stakes are high.  You thrive … (0 comments)

Realtor® Criticisms--Bum Rap or Real Bums? - 08/11/09 10:31 PM
John...see waht happens...4 to 1 against Realtors..one bad apple and we are all rotten
Via John Mulkey, Housing Guru (TheHousingGuru.com):
An article on MarketWatch today described how a Realtor® was refusing additional offers on a property because he wanted to maintain his “dual agency” and the higher commission that would result if his buyer made the deal. What struck me about the article wasn’t the account of one agent’s unethical behavior. No, what was most interesting and troubling came from the comments which were biased against Realtors by a 4 to 1 margin.
 
I like to read the comments on articles or … (0 comments)

The Good, The Bad and The Clueless - From A Buyer's Perspective - 08/05/09 08:44 AM

Via Patrick Scott (OConnor Title Guaranty, Inc.):
My wife and I bought our first home in  1993.  It was a different time for us, and we were both in modestly paying jobs (though by today's standards, in retrospect, we may have been doing fairly well).  I was at such a low rung on the latter at the title company, the position doesn't even exist today.  But I still remember some of the events during our quest to become former renters that have shaped my opinions about real estate agents.  So, from a buyer's perspective, I thought I'd share a few thoughts, both positive and … (0 comments)

If Closing a Real Estate Transaction is Like "The Bachelor" Who Gets the ROSE? - 08/05/09 08:42 AM

Via Janet Guilbault California Mortgage Banker/Broker:
While aimlessly cruising through the blogosphere the other day, I came across a post written on an outside blog discussing ActiveRain mortgage people.
Naturally, I was more than a little interested.
It was this comment that got me thinking about the uneasy relationship that exists between Realtors and Mortgage people:
"I have found AR increasingly mortgage officer “un-friendly” over the last few months."
"The AR website (in my view) greatly favors the views and cause of the Realtors vs mortgage industry. I have found it to be more and more biased and weighted on … (0 comments)

Mesa, Arizona - The Buy and Bail Scheme Is Still Alive And Well!!! - 08/05/09 08:39 AM

Via Mesa, Arizona Real Estate *** Teri Ellis, Broker, ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO,MRE (Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC):
Recently I received a telephone call from a Realtor from another state. He introduced himself, told me he had found me through Active Rain, and knew so and so, and so and so - yada, yada......

After we had finished with our introductions, he told me he had a client that had a home in Mesa, Arizona, and they wanted to find someone to list it for them.  As I began to question him on the circumstances of the sale, he said that the sellers just … (0 comments)

Why bother with a blog? There are all of these other tools... - 08/03/09 08:42 AM

Via Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty):
I get asked that question pretty regularly.  I am active here on Active|Rain... I'm even an Ambassador.  I'm linked up on LinkedIn.  I'm showing my face on FaceBook, with 4 business pages and a personal page.  I am a solid light on Flickr.  I tweet on Twitter, Digg and find things del.icio.us.  I am also on about 50 other networks to a lesser extent... from music to Jeeping and sports cars. 
Why do I need a blog since I am using all of those other tools to interact with consumers? 
Well, … (1 comments)

 
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Dana Devine

Apollo Beach, FL

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Charles Rutenberg Realty

Address: 947 Symphony Isles Blvd, Apollo Beach, fl, 33572

Office Phone: (813) 748-4115

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