Direct TV is a prime example of bad customer service and what is wrong with so many companies and their customer service policies. They want your money and lock you into a contract, then don't perform and won't let you out without paying an early cancellation fee. Could you see me doing that as an agent? Lure in the unsuspecting client, get them under contract, then go on vacation and still get paid?
How about giving good customer service so your customer doesn't want to back out of their contract? Not that's a novel idea - I am sitting on my couch staring at the Direct TV logo bounce around my screen because that is all my TV will get right now. We had a wind storm last night and the TV stopped working. We have had Direct TV for 2 months and so far I am not impressed, but less so now that I called customer service and was told we would have a technician here in one week. What? It's Thanksgiving week next week, I have a house full of company coming all of whom are football fans and no TV?
All right then, I'm cancelling and going back to Charter. Say what you want about Charter, but if I ever had a problem in the 15 years I had them, they came right out to fix it. Direct TV said if I cancel my service it will cost $400 in early cancellation fees. I said that is crazy because I do not have the service I am paying for. The supervisor said she understands how I feel at least five times. I told her not to say that again and that I doubted very much she understood how I felt because if she did, she wouldn't keep saying that.
How I feel is this, I'm pis--d off. if I gave that kind of customer service I would never keep a client and never be paid. I have to perform every minute of evey day, work hard, be nice to people who may or may not deserve it and make all the problems better or not get paid and Direct TV, B of A, AT&T and so many others can give rotten customer service, not provide the product the customer is paying for, in my case TV, and not only still get paid, but receive a huge fee if the customer cancels out of shear frustration. What is wrong with this picture?
I am so frustrated with this kind of rotten customer service. The IRS says I owe them money, which they never sent a computation page showing why. My accountant says I don't owe it, everyone I have talked to at the IRS says they do not know why I owe it, it doesn't make sense to any of the people I've talked to on the phone, however I received a notice saying if I don't pay the $1400 in 30 days, they are going to put a levy on my home. What is wrong with this picture?
Wake up and smell the money folks. If you want to get paid, then perform. Stop thinking consumer's owe you because you have them locked into a contract. WE AREN'T UNREASONABLE, WE ONLY WANT WHAT WE ARE PAYING FOR! If you want to keep us as clients or customers, then give us the service we deserve (and are paying for BTW) so that we want to stay with you. I'm calling Charter tomorrow and getting my service again.
I'm beginning to think like so many people I have talked to over the last few months who are sick and tired of being a number in a grid and have decided to let their credit go and stop paying. There is something freeing about letting go of the "save my credit or die" mentality...and then I woke up.
We're not going to take it anymore...
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Housing will not fully recover until 2012. That is when the glut of backlogged foreclosures is expected to be phased out of the market.
Housing will recover by the end of the year. Now that inventory has contracted to average levels for what constitutes “normal” regional markets in major metropolitan areas where prices have declined as much as 50% in the past three years, and month to month sales have steadily increased over the past six months, demand has realigned with supply to arrest the freefall in values.
The housing recovery began in early 2009. Median price increases in some markets indicate that even while many pundits were openly wondering when the bottom of the market would appear, it was actually several months in the rearview mirror.
Many factors and variables, and just as many divergent opinions to boot. So many, in fact, that you almost have to choose amongst the purported experts to determine whether you fall in the half empty or half full category. Job rates, interest rates, unemployment rates … psychiatric rates, for spending too much time poring over the data and extrapolations will render one in need of a head exam.
Overanalysis 101.
You don’t need flow charts to tell you where things stand at the moment. You won’t need a market report to tell you when things are better.
You’ll know the market has recovered when you no longer dread the trip to the mailbox or evening phone calls.
You’ll know the market has recovered when you can confidently re-enable automatic bill pay from your checking account instead of prioritizing which ones get paid this month by how far past due each is.
You’ll know that the market has recovered when you don’t have to decide whether you or a loved one is really ill enough to warrant the cost of a trip to the doctor.
You’ll know the market has recovered when you no longer have to explain to the kids why you can’t go to the zoo or stop for ice cream today.
You’ll know the market has recovered when sleep comes as readily as worry formerly did.
You can stop looking to someone else to tell you when the market is fully healed as the housing implosion is the root of these greater ails. It’s far easier to take stock of your own life, and those of your friends and family, to see where along its arc the pendulum is currently settled. As the finance/housing sector dragged our economy into the muck, it will again lead us back to dry ground. No need to watch the stars for celestial clues. Just do what no pundit can and watch your own life for improvement. You’ll know housing has recovered when both of your own feet are planted squarely on terra firma.
Most importantly, beware the forecasts that don’t jive with your own internal index. Those who would adamantly assert the rosiest or bleakest prognosis are likely more interested in influencing your behavior than in your well being.
“Buy now before prices shoot back up!”
“Sell now before prices erode further!”
When you stop listening to yourself, you risk placing all of your trust in the megaphones of those who have a vested interest in your fear.
Is the housing market improving? Is now the time to buy? The time to sell? For months, I have been asked to provide the answers to these questions. I have dutifully provided my vague predictions with the obligatory caveat that no one truly knows how a free market will behave from one day to the next. I realize, though, that in supplying answers to those who actually give the market context, that we have all been looking at this thing from the wrong perspective. It makes zero difference where I think the market stands at present, and where it is headed. The very consumers who ask me these questions are the ones who will ultimately provide the truth or fallacy to my various hypotheses. So I turn the tables and ask the consumer, the actual authority, the very same question.
“What is the state of the Real Estate market?”
Feel free to comment here or send me an email with your thoughts. Looking for opinions from consumers and laypersons, not agents or financial wizards (all comments welcome, though). I will post the results in a follow-up piece.
Mr. Homeowner & Mrs. Homebuyer, the floor is now yours.
Thank you for stopping by. Your comments on this post are welcomed and appreciated.
Coastal View Drive parcels 4 sale with Ocean & River Views
Lot A and B Coastal View Drive, off Oceanview Drive, Smith River, CA 95567 View Map
Ocean AND River Views - Have your very own view of the California coastline, the Pacific Ocean and the Mouth of the Smith River right from your home. These two, 2-acre parcels are priced to sell and come with spectacular views that are in short supply in California, especially at this price. Building sites are cleared, underground utilities to lot line, public water with septic approved. Give Fran Gatti, 707-218-8162, or Rose Peasley, 707-954-5024, a call for more information regarding these parcels. Thank you.
Details
Asking Price:
$199,000
MLS:
62257
Lot Size:
2 acres
Subdivision:
Coastal View Drive
Contact Info
Fran Gatti Realtor
Main 707-464-5400 Cell 707-218-8162 Dir 707-218-8162 Email | Website
All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.
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My Crescent City Fed Ex driver is the best there is and just one more reason I love living in a small town.
First off, I don't know his name, but I will find out and put it in this post. He is awesome. My husband and I had a delivery that needed a signature and it was impossible for either of us to be home from work, so he delivered the package to my husbands school (he's a teacher) during my husbands lunch break. How convenient is that?
Today, I was at work and noticed the Fed Ex truck in our parking lot. I had a fax cartridge ready to be sent back to the manufacturer and took it outside to hand to the driver and he said, "I saw your car in the parking lot and thought I would deliver this package to you at work, so I didn't miss you at home."
I defy anyone out there to tell me they get as good of service from their driver. Go ahead and try.
Yep, that's what I thought. Only in a small town folks.
For affordable real estate, check out my website at www.frangatti.com. Thank you.
Thank you for stopping by. Your comments on this post are welcomed and appreciated.
Check out the Virtual Tour. Click on Additional Photos for lots of pictures of the shop and home.
Fran Gatti | RE/MAX Coastal Redwoods | frangatti@remax.net | 707-218-8162
1661 Northcrest Drive #14, Crescent City, CA
3/2 Manufactured Home in Park with Large Shop, $3000 carpet allowance
3BR/2BA Manufactured
offered at $65,000
Year Built
1988
Sq Footage
1,560
Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
2 full, 0 partial
Floors
1
Parking
2 Uncovered spaces
Lot Size
Unspecified
HOA/Maint
$315 per month
DESCRIPTION
Motivated seller offering $3000 carpet allowance, sale includes large, newer refrigerator, dishwasher, oven/range. Indoor laundry with storage and pantry area, split bedrooms with 2 full bathrooms and large shop with storage galore. Brand new roof only months old, two sources of heat: wood stove and monitor heater. Thermo pane windows. Shop tools negotiable. Shop includes: 400 amp service; 215 volt connections plus air connection on all 3 walls and thru out shop. 14 inch power planer plus power hack saw; 2 air compressors - one is an industrial shop model and the other is a portable job-site model, industrial HVLP paint system plus guns. You have to see to appreciate. Call Fran today, 707-218-8162, for a showing and ask me about financing.
see additional photos below
PROPERTY FEATURES
- Fireplace
- High/Vaulted ceiling
- Walk-in closet
- Living room
- Dining room
- Dishwasher
- Refrigerator
- Stove/Oven
- Microwave
- Laundry area - inside
- Balcony, Deck, or Patio
- Yard
OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES
- Large detached shop
- Virtual Tour Link: http://www.realestateshows.com/451401
Here is Information on the First Time Home Buyer and Move-Up Buyer Tax Credits -
$8,000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
The $8,000 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
The tax credit now applies to sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
For homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009, the income limits are $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
For homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.
The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.
The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
The credit is available for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the home purchase qualifies provided it is completed by June 30, 2010.
Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
Thank you for stopping by. Your comments on this post are welcomed and appreciated.
What a week in the pressure cooker of real estate!
I was waiting for a lunch date today when a client called. My last phone conversation with this client ended on what he thought was a negative note and he called to say that he appreciated the hard work I was doing to sell his listing and that he valued my efforts. That's all it took for the tears to flow. A week of frustration came out right there in the restaurant. My lunch date showed up, saw my face and thought someone had died.
My frustrations include several escrows disrupted by appraisal issues. One escrow, only 2 days from closing, had a desk review of the appraisal that came in 15% below the purchase price!!!! The mortgage broker, dumbfounded, talked with the underwriter who admitted the desk review was done by someone who used "public records," had no access to our MLS or comps and was not a licensed appraiser.
The underwriter, not wanting to disrespect the company that does their desk reviews, refused to deal with this problem. We are working it out, but not without A LOT of frustration and nail biting.
In another instance, I had a client let me know she decided to list with another office because "a friend who knows a lot about selling houses told her that it was a good idea to use the other office." Ouch! I did let her know I have sold more listings so far this year than any other agent, but I know how convincing friends can be, so gave up on trying to win her back. You win some, you lose some.
I could go on with one hurdle and disappointment after another, but what's the point. Every real estate professional is running up against trying situations that call for diligence, perseverance, ingenuity and prayer, so I wouldn't be telling you about anything you probably haven't experienced yourself.
Along with the frustration, there has been a lot of joy. I had the honor of handing the keys to a first time home buyer last week. A lovely lady who purchased her first home and was beyond happy and thrilled with her purchase. I had the pleasure of giving keys to another first time home buyer this week who had a huge smile and thanked me profusely and I closed today on a home for a couple relocating from out of the area. All were happy with their home purchases and thanked me for my hard work.
My job is the greatest. I love it most of the time. Even when it's frustrating, difficult and I'm dealing with people who make no sense (desk reviews [with no comps] of appraisals done by licensed appraisers), I focus on the fact I am learning how to be a better professional with each hurdle I maneuver.
Have a wonderful weekend and find time to decompress.
Thank you for stopping by. Your comments on this post are welcomed and appreciated.
Fran Gatti | RE/MAX Coastal Redwoods | frangatti@remax.net | 707-218-8162
145 Azalea Court, Gasquet, CA
River Access, 4/2 manufactured home on 1.3 acre, seller to pay up to $8500 in buyers closing costs!
4BR/2BA Manufactured
offered at $279,000
Year Built
1995
Sq Footage
2,544
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
2 full, 0 partial
Floors
1
Parking
2 Car garage
Lot Size
1.03 acres
HOA/Maint
$0 per month
DESCRIPTION
Seller to pay up to $8500 in buyers closing costs. Private, secluded retreat w/view of French Hill and access to the Smith River! All the living areas are spacious w/ 21x18 living room, 12x13 formal dining &18x19 family room making this home perfect for entertaining. Wraparound deck has lovely view and includes hot tub. Master suite is large (15x19) & opensonto deck, master bath has walk-in shower, large soaker tub, dual sinks, storage and more. A lovely home, in a peaceful neighborhood in beautiful Gasquet.
The much-anticipated extension to the home buyer tax credit has finally been approved. The Senate's vote yesterday resulted in a 98-0 win and today it was passed in the house. The bill now moves to the President's desk for a final signature.
First-time home buyers have been eligible for tax credits of up to $8,000 since last January as part of this year's economic stimulus package. The newly backed program will expand the credit to include existing home owners.
Under the revised program, those who have owned a home for at least five years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home. To qualify, buyers will have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30.
The maximum purchase price on a home will be $800,000 with vacation homes not eligible. Income limitations are $125,000 for single tax payers and $225,000 for joint filers.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) have been lobbying hard for the extension and expansion of the tax credit. NAR claims that so far, about 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the program and they estimated that 350,000 of these buyers would not have otherwise purchased.
The tax credit is also set to be extended for another year for military personnel serving outside of the United States until June 30, 2011.
Senator Johnny Isakson, who heavily pushed for the extension, along with his own version that would have increased the credit to $15,000 stated, "This is probably the last extension."
But, is this really true? When April 2010 comes around and the housing market is still not in full recovery mode, will the politicians be able to let this go and actually come to an end, or could it possibly become a more permanent subsidy?
It looks as though the $8000 First Time Home Buyer Federal Tax Credit will be extended.
Lawmakers, looking for ways to generate home sales, are talking about extending the First Time Home Buyer Tax CreditAND increasing the income requirements so more Americans can qualify for this incentive.
Experts agree that the extension is all but certain as lawmakers look for the vehicle to bring this before the senate. Per The Wall Street Journal last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying to attach the legislation to a bill that will extend unemployment benefits.
More about the revamped extension:
The new version of the tax credit will have a contract deadline of April 30, 2010 (must have a fully executed contract), with the sale to be finalized on of before June 30, 2010.
Homebuyers who have lived in their home 5 or more consecutive years out of the last 8 years will be eligible for a $6500 tax credit if they "move-up" to a new home." This targets homeowners and not investors.
The income ceiling level will be raised from $75,000 for a single-person and $150,000 for a couple to $125,000 and $250,000 respectively, although neither can purchase a home for more than $800,000 and get the tax credit.
The current tax credit has cost the Federal Government more than 10 billion in lost revenue. The new version will certainly have a greater impact.
What is your opinion of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit?
Thank you for stopping by. Your comments on this post are welcomed and appreciated.
Fran is the Crescent City/Del Norte County Real Estate Connection. Check out Fran's monthly market reports for insight into how the economy is affecting Crescent City/Del Norte County real estate and be sure to click on the link to REO's and Short Sales for some really good deals! Fran is #1 buyers agent in Del Norte County for number of homes sold in 2007 & 2008 and currently has sold more listings for 2009 than any other agent in her market. Put her expertise and enthusiasm to work for you.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
My Crescent City Fed Ex driver is the best there is and just one more reason I love living in a small town.
Here is Information on the First Time Home Buyer and Move-Up Buyer Tax Credits -
What a week in the pressure cooker of real estate!
The much-anticipated extension to the home buyer tax credit has finally been approved. The Senate's vote yesterday resulted in a 98-0 win and today it was passed in the house. The bill now moves to the President's desk for a final signature. 
It looks as though the $8000 First Time Home Buyer Federal Tax Credit will be extended.
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