Let's all have great fun for Halloween this year!  We should have good weather, and it would be great if we had a touch of fall weather.....(come on cold front, send us a cool breeze).

I never get any trick or treaters at my home, so I will be at my mom's neighborhood, helping give out the treats to all the kids in South Pointe!

Watch out for all those little trick or treaters in your neighborhood!

And here is a cute HALLOWEEN FUNNY that I got via email today......you may have already seen this one but it just cracked me up!!

Yes, my blog is for my "real estate business"here in beautiful Gainesville, Florida - but I like to write posts about my business partners. Many of my clients own their own businesses too, and I will be starting to write blog posts for them for LOCALISM for our area. 

So why not write a blog post about my HUSBAND'S business.

I'd like to introduce you to my wonderful husband, and his company PRIME STAKES, INC.   (For all my ActiveRain friends, we get to call this blatant, shameless promotion......)

As Realtors we all know that any client getting a mortgage, MUST get a survey......

That professional surveyor will get it done for us. Have you hugged your surveyors lately?   And other than their expensive instruments, equipment, software, and normal overhead expenses for "their" surveying business - they use those little pieces of wood called Survey Stakes.  

My husband's business manufactures those survey stakes, survey lath, grade stakes, and more.   One might say he owns a saw mill, but that's not quite true as his only product is used by surveyors, road builders, civil engineering firms that plan and develop subdivisions, airports, or golf courses.  Anything being built needs engineering work, site prep, planning - and those are the customers he wants.  His company will deliver anywhere in Florida, and will ship product all over the USA. 

He has a company slogan too:   GET OUR POINTS!!

Everyone reading this post knows about the real estate market.  Our national real estate market has a significant trickle down effect on other business and manufacturers.

He trying to spread the word about his company and product on the Internet.  His blog site is up and he's got himself a LinkedIn Profile.

So, if you have the opportunity - tell your local surveyor about PRIME STAKES.

While driving out Millhopper Road yesterday, I saw the most unique Halloween decoration in someone's yard.....and I didn't have my camera with me.   So, today I made sure I  had my camera.   I thought it rated a photo to share.

I don't know the owners that live in this home, but it sure get's "two thumbs up" for creativity !!

What a creative way to paint and decorate a roll of hay !!  So take a drive out Millhopper Road and this home is on the south side before you get to CR 241.  They deserve a decoration AWARD !

Educating Real Estate Agents On How To Use Modern Technologies To Better Their Business Will Never Be The Same!

On November 17th, 2009 dozens of the most respected educators in the real estate industry converge to host the first of its kind, Virtual Real Estate BarCamp.

Virtual Real Estate BarCamp is a 1-Day Learning Extravaganza.

From 9am until 4pm PST, three concurrent webinar "rooms" will each host 9 different sessions, for a total of 27 different presentations.

There is something for everyone and everything for someone, and best of all, IT IS FREE and attendance is unlimited!

Click below to:

Register.

Learn more.

See who is coming.

Check out the Session Calendar.

Get sponsorship info.

Attendance is projected to be at least 1000 agents, nationwide.

Do not miss out on being part of this ground-breaking event.

Session topics include:

1. Social Media Risk Management
2. Flickr for Real Estate
3. Developing Your Brand
4. Online Advertising Secrets
5. Facebook for Real Estate
6. WordPress Training
7. Daily Goal Tracking
8. Starting a Real Estate Blog

More sessions will be added before the event! And if that wasn't cool enough, individuals from around the country are volunteering to host In-Real-Life MeetUps for after the event.

Learn all day, and then meet to have a beer with local participants. This is going to be a blast!

I am registered, and I hope to see you there!

Bear with me here on this story. There is a moral to this story (for me) and thought I would share it with you. On Tuesday of this week, one of my clients had a closing at 10:00 am.   She was a very excited "first time buyer".  Let's call her Sandra (name is changed for privacy).  

Sandra came to me as a very prepared first time buyer.  She had done her homework.  She was already pre-qualified and knew her comfort price range.  We discussed her "WISH LIST" and started looking at homes. Within 2 weeks, we found THE ONE!  

She got under-contract - a Great Home, Great Location, Good Condition and Great Price.

The inspection went well, a few repairs....no problems....

Appraisal brought about a price adjustment, but that hurdle got fixed and all was well.

I reminded her to get the utilities changed to her name prior to closing. The utility company here will get all your info and have you "IN" their system so that when the seller orders a disconnect - they actually do a final meter reading rather than a disconnect.

On the morning of the closing, we do a walk-though before going to the closing.  

Hmmm...????   the utilities are off.

At closing, the seller says he moved out early and had the utilities off earlier than the buyer expected.  The closing was done and all papers signed.  Sandra was proud of herself and very happy.  That day was the first day she FINALLY owned a home.

Now the nightmare.....

Unknown to me.....Sandra waits at the home for hours...waiting for Mr. Utility Man to come turn the Water, Electricity, and Natural Gas back on.

• Problem #1 - When Mr. Utility Man turns on the water at the meter box - a geyser erupts in the front yard.  Mr. Utility Man informs Sandra that the pipe problem is on the home-side of the meter in the front yard and NOT his problem.  He tells her to call a plumber - and turns the water back off.
  

• Problem #2 - The natural gas is turned on and Mr. Utility Man goes to light the pilot at the water heater.  It has a nice thermal blanket on it.  He opens the blanket and tries to light it and POOF...the blanket is on fire resulting in melted plastic dial.  Mr. Utility Man "red tags" the water heater and tells Sandra it must be REPLACED prior to getting the gas back on.

My phone rings at 4:00 pm that afternoon, and it's Sandra, crying ..... I can visualize her standing in her driveway on her cell phone and she's crying, and she says  "How can this be?"  "What should I do?"  "Who will pay for this?"

I immediately shifted into rescue mode and told her I was on my way.   Luckily, I got a hold of my Handyman (thanks Jacques)  and made arrangements for the plumber (thanks Kevin & crew).  

Within 24 hours all was repaired.  I was determined to fix this nightmare and I was NOT going to let my client have a BAD memory of that special day.  Yep, it cost me some $$$$ but, having a happy client will bring future referrals. I like to think of this as paying it forward.

NOBODY should be crying in their driveway on the day they buy their first home!

                                                                    ****

The moral of this story for ME is that I will never have ANY client do a walk-though or closing if the utilities are OFF.   I won't make this mistake again.  

We see these signs everywhere:  At restaurants, at convenience stores, at McDonalds and at Walmart.....but I say let's expand this theory.

It's a matter of hygene?

Well sure it is...when I was a teenager working at McDonalds, we could not take an order from someone without shoes and without shirts. (Back then, there were no drive-thru's).

We sure can't show up at the movie theatre with no shirt or shoes and expect that they will let us in....right?

My local grocery store has a sign that says "Shoes Required". So that just might be an insurance/liability issue too.

So....today I hear a local news spot an ordinance in Delry Beach Florida that BANS saggy pants, has NOW been stricken down by a JUDGE who says the ordinance is un-constitutional.

I think we should expand all the old signs, and now make them say: 

                            NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO BELT = NO SERVICE !!

I am so tired of seeing the saggy pants.             I thought is was a fad, but it sure doesn't seem to be fading away.

I just don't want to see anyone's "under-drawers".

I just don't want to see anyone's boxers or briefs!

Pull Up your Darn Pants !

I wonder if anyone choosing to dress this way might change their habits if they couldn't get a cheeseburger, fries or coke?

                                             What do you think?

****

 *****  PHOTO CREDIT:  Miles Perkins, 20, wears jeans showing his underwear in New York. In many cities, there is a growing movement to make it illegal to wear pants so low that the boxers show. (Photo by Hiroko Masuike / The New York Times)

In my real estate career, there is always something new to learn about every day.  I have a client that I helped lease a very nice home recently, and yesterday she called me to ask "why are people knocking on my door asking to see the home?"   She told me the latest gentleman at the door, said its on Craigslist for rent.

I started snooping on Craigslist and sure enough.... there it was.....

The photos used in this ad were the same as a previous/valid ad done by the authorized property manager.  It's all a matter of cut and paste for these scammers.

BUT....this is a Craigslist Scam - that is happening all over the country.  Now it's hit Gainesville Florida!

I immediately responded to the Craigslist Ad via email asking about "WHO" posted this home "FOR RENT" and told them the home is NOT for rent.  I received an "auto responder" type of email from them that did not answer any of my questions, and gave a lengthly sad story about how badly they needed to get a good tenant,asked me to fill in a very lengthy questionaire form asking for name, date of birth, SSN, and other personal questions.

Is this a way to "identity theft" ?   Possible...and worrysome.

I contacted the professional property management firm to see if the email address on this Craigslist ad was the true owner or a relative.  They said NO and told me this is a scam and some people have even sent money for 1st month rent and security to the scammer in exchange for keys!  Apparently, the rental rates and deposit are lower than normal, and appear to be "great bargains"...but that potential renter is getting scammed.   Share this info with your friends and family.

I flagged the Craigslist post, and it was taken down within 2 hours.

                  (Good for the Craigslist Cops !!)

I found more research online and here is a great post from another blogger that shows this has been happening everywhere in the USA!

Read more at their post also " WARNING: Craigslist Rental Scam"

Now that the SCAM AD is Down off Craigslist..... maybe the strangers will stop knocking on my client's door and peeking in their windows!!

                                 Protect yourself, your property and your neighborhood.