Arlington Condos, New Trend: Transform Back to Apartments - 02/26/07 10:31 AM
Summary: FranklyRealty.com discusses Arlington Condos switching back to rental units!
Update 2-13-08 The Phoenix Condo in Arlington Reviewed 
The Joule condos, formerly owned by Ed Peete (Arlington Virginia) recently announced a transformation from new condos (delivery Fall 07) ownership to apartment rentals. Canceling hundreds of contracts in the process.A dozen local condo developments have taken this route and I predict that Zoso condos (also from Ed Peete) in Arlington Virginia will be next.How can I make this prediction? Lets look at the obvious facts:
Ed Peete just did it with the Joule condos in Arlington.Only 60% have been sold at Zoso. That is nothing. … (24 comments)

Buyer Agent Photo Albums. Otherwise they forget! - 02/12/07 10:47 PM

Are you a buyer's agent that shows clients homes?
Are your clients' brains fried after looking at 10 homes?
Well, take your digital camera (get the Kodak v570 wide angle camera for under $200) and set your camera to the LOWEST resolution. When you are in the place start firing away like a mad man. Put it on motor drive if you can, and turn OFF the flash (faster photos). If you know how to change your ISO put it to 1600.
The point of these photos isn't to be pretty, but to be fast. Many look like this:
Start with an exterior photo of … (30 comments)

Exclusive Buyer Agency Contracts. Don't Sign Them... Yet. - 02/12/07 04:19 PM
WHY in the WORLD WOULD A BUYER SIGN THIS?How could signing ALL YOUR RIGHTS AWAY ever help you, the buyer? Where is the "What's in it for me?" in that proposition?
First of all, what is an "Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement"?This is a contract that a buyer is oftentimes asked to sign by a buyer agent Realtor. In part it commits the buyer to use this one agent exclusively for several months.But, don't you still want to be able to:
Use another Realtor if you don't like this one?Buy a FSBO and have no commission be paid!Walk into a New Construction and sign … (34 comments)

Realtor Rebates. Free Money or Expensive Savings? - 02/06/07 01:46 AM
This blog is supposed to be about the inside scoop on real estate right?Well lets talk about a huge hush hush: Realtor Rebates!Wow, I said it, and I put it in writing. A non-Rebate firm educating their customers and readers about something that we don't do*... REBATES.A fellow Realtor who hates rebaters told me "You've got some brass ones to talk about that."I say thanks!Will this be suicide for my business? Shouldn't that be kept secret? Why tell potential clients about your competition, which might be a better deal that they didn't know existed? Why? Because I think buyers should know … (11 comments)

$395 Realty Firm's "Admin Fee": Junk or Legit? - 02/05/07 12:01 PM
Somebody must be reading this (actually 60 people a day) since this GREAT question came in from a customer on my regular blog. I would love to get Broker feedback on this one.Q. My listing agent is taking commission plus a $395 administrative fee. What is the administrative fee all about?Great question! Why didn't I think of that?First of all I don't know what you mean by "taking." If you are telling me that you signed a listing agreement for a certain percentage and the $395 was NOT mentioned in there, and suddenly you are expected to pay it at the … (9 comments)

Beware: New Constructions Illegally Not Disclosing Seller Subsidies - 02/05/07 07:51 AM
First of all I would like to thank MRIS for warning agents about illegal MLS fudging. (more at the end)*Now I have reported to MRIS another violation.Lets see what they do about it.New Construction Fudging the Reporting of Seller Subsidy... how conveeee....enient.
On the MLS, when a listing closes a Realtor must enter in the closed price. This can easily be verified by the tax records once it comes out. A Realtor is also required to post the seller subsidy amount. The "seller subsidy" is the "cash back to buyer" or "cash toward closing costs" and it is a marketing scheme to … (1 comments)

Your VoiceMail Should Say "Press 1 to Skip this message" - 02/04/07 08:12 AM
Ok, everyone here talks about how busy we are and how important time is.
What about the time of our clients?
Lets start with: What does your voicemail say?
Is it long winded and polite? Maybe mentions a website or how you are honored by referrals. Maybe it is even in two languages? But does your voicemail give the person an option to skip all your sweetness and get to the damn beep?
Every carrier has a different number. Verizon is * or #, Sprint is 1 etc. So call your phone from another phone and try pressing 1. If that doesn't get … (34 comments)

Save Hours: Switchboard.com The ONLY Route Finder. - 02/03/07 08:43 AM
I mention Switchboard.com in my posting about GPS with traffic but it deserve a separate shout out. This is the holy grail of route creation for BUYER AGENTS.
This is a secret tip that I normally just give to my Realtors.
Only one website will give you a "fastest route" search. Switchboard.com .
Just last week most of the other mapping website launched "add location" options for mutli-stop routing (google, yahoo mapquest) but none will re-sort for fastest route. I know some software will do that, but who wants software. (please let me know if you know of other sites, I … (13 comments)

GPS with Traffic, A Myth? - 02/02/07 08:30 PM
A year ago I switched from a Garmin to a TOM TOM 300 because it supposedly had a traffic feature using bluetooth and your cell phone.
In theory, you would punch in the address and according to the traffic it would show you the shortest route. I was excited, I bought it.
Then later I find out that it doesn't work on the Treo 650/700. Apparently with Verizon only one random phone works with the service.
Does ANYBODY use a GPS service (not the built in your car kind) that actually does this Traffic real time re-routing? And I'm not talking … (36 comments)

SPAM! emailflyers.net EmailAgentFLyers.com MountainBytes.com MLSFlyers.com & Flyerus.com BIZeFlyers.com ListingMarketed.com = Spammers! Don't use them! NOT "opt-in" lists! - 02/01/07 10:45 AM
I wrote about
Emailflyers.net MLSFLyers.com, and Virtual Tour ProsLLC EmailAgentFlyers.com or Flyerus.com and BIZeFlyers.com MountainBytes.com and ListingMarketed.com  and MyDailyFlyer earlier in my blog 16000 REALTOR emails for only $200! STOP THE SPAM!
I have now received 7 spams from this flyer company called MLSFlyers.com (note many of these companies change their names every few months).
. I call each listing agent that paid for the service and I let them know that they just bought a list from a spammer and that the email addresses are NOT OPT IN addresses. I don't get mad at the sender since they were probably … (52 comments)

 
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FRANK LL0SA- Northern Virginia Broker .:. FranklyRealty.com

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