listings: Reduced Commission For In-House Sale - 01/19/17 07:34 AM
I live in Brightwood Trails in Durham, NC and work for Fathom Realty.  Our company is growing like a field of weeds and with all that growth it becomes invitiable that our agents will bring buyers to my listings.  The companies I have worked for in Virginia have always offered something in the way of in house bonus for sales between agents.  Usually this was in the form of the company giving an 5% of commission or something like that.  I don't ever remember reducing commissions to make a deal work and it sounds complicated.  Here is what our state Realtor® Association … (0 comments)

listings: Going on Safari or Taking Pictures Of Your Next Listing Check Out The Panasonic DMC FZ 100 - 10/10/10 04:28 AM
If you are planning going on safari or taking pictures of your next listing Check Out The Panasonic DMC FZ 100
As some of you know I am the proud owner of bridge camera from Panasonic called the DMC FZ 18.  This is the first generation compact superzoom camera.  Panasonic has upped the ante with its newest entry the DMC FZ 100 and taken away its biggest flaw for me which was it didn't allow for an external flash.
 
The DMC FZ 100  has a lens that goes from 25mm to 600mm and with my Olympus lens that will give me about … (10 comments)

listings: Recycle Bin For Flash Drives - 01/08/10 02:23 AM
A recycle bin for Flash Drives.  Why didn't I think of that.  When you hit the delete key for a Flash Drive your pictures of your listings are gone forever unless you have recovery software.  Now you can have a recycle bin on your Flash Drive and if you hit the delete key you can recover the file in most cases.  It does have limits so read the manual that comes with it.  Did I mention that it is free and it does work. 
The name name is iBin and comes from First Toy Lab.  Enjoy.
 
http://www.hamptonroadsrealestate.ws Come and see … (4 comments)

listings: Home Inspection in Virginia Beach - 09/30/09 03:33 AM
I just had a home inspection in Virginia Beach on one of my listings.  The inspector said that the toilets were leaking at the base.  The owner had just had them reset this month.  We couldn't see any leaks or see any water around the base.  I called the inspector and asked him why he thought the toilets were leaking.  He said because his moisture meter indicated water in the vinyl around the toilets.  I said that doesn't mean they are leaking it just means the vinly is wet and could have been caused by several different problems. 
I thought maybe he should … (5 comments)

listings: RADAR VS HOTEL - 05/09/08 01:46 AM
You think you have problems building in your city?  Imagine if you have a Master Jet Base in the middle of the city.  Guess would what happen if Virginia Beach let a 207 foot hotel be built by the oceanfront?  The city has no problems, the Navy has no problems but according to the FAA there would be a blind spot preventing authorities from spotting some types of incoming missiles.  It is amazing that the city and the officials at NAS Oceana didn't know this could be a problem.  There have been several proposals to build hotels around the new convention … (1 comments)

listings: Picture size - 05/08/08 03:14 AM
When I take pictures with my Panasonic DMC FZ 18 at full resolution which is 8 megs the resulting picture is stored at between 4.6 and 5.6 meg.  Yahoo only allows me to upload a 5 meg picture.  How can I best get the meg below 5 and keep the picture the same size? or am I making it to hard on myself?
http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search.
Google … (13 comments)

listings: .org - 05/06/08 02:03 AM
Is it ok to use the .org or .biz or .info to get the keywords you are looking for in a web address?  All the ones I want are taken except the .org.  Is there a difference in the way search engines look at a .org or will I be found there any ways.  I have read a lot of information on all this but it is still so confusing. 
http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate … (0 comments)

listings: Apple Slightly Bruised - 05/03/08 09:37 AM
My friend is a user of an iMac with a 20 inch screen and his pictures of homes he took in Suffolk, Va weren't coming out quite right.  We found out the problem wasn't him, it was the computer he was using.  The system can only display 262,144 true colors.  The other millions of colors are a trick.  Apple uses a technology that shows similar shades at high speeds to create the illusion of the desired shade.  It works for the most part but you can see colors that don't appear smooth and that can be disconcerting.  I guess you always need to be … (4 comments)

listings: A Little Traffic Relief in Deep Creek - 05/03/08 08:49 AM
If you travel on George Washington highway in Chesapeake during rush hour then you know it can be a hassle at Willowood Rd.  It seems drivers like to drive in the right turn lane and then get back in the thru lane.  Well a year from now and about $4 million will fix that problem.  The city is acquring a right of way and then will make two thru lanes available in both directions.  Sounds like a plan.
http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site … (0 comments)

listings: Low Light Reading - 05/03/08 08:41 AM
As I get older I read slower and that often gets into the night.  So when I am reading those all those offers I have on my listings in Virginia Beach I often need extra light.  The wife doesn't like the light on, so what to do?  I don my reading glasses from PantherVision with LED's of course and then I am good to go.  You can see these and other great lighting ideas at http://www.panthervision.com/
 
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated … (2 comments)

listings: Tornados and Value - 04/30/08 08:03 AM
Here is a real life question that the appraiser who appraised my listing didn't know at the moment but had to find out.  When a tornado tears up your community is that a bad thing for value?  If your comps are no longer comps does that affect value?  If there aren't as many homes in the area does that raise value? (supply and demand).  We had a F3 tornado go through Suffolk, VA a few days ago and some communities are more than half gone (no one was killed or severly injured).   These are your typical subdivison built in the last ten years … (3 comments)

listings: Norfolk Eagles Hatch Eaglet - 04/30/08 05:57 AM
What do the service members at Norfolk NOB do in their spare time?  They go to the Norfolk Botanical Garden and check out the nesting eagles.  Well this week they are in for a surprise as the eagles aren new parents.  The egg they so carefully tended to for 37 days has hatched.  The eagles need to "brood" and sit on the eaglet while it grows its own insulation.  That should take several weeks.  This little eagle is from the 5th egg that has been laid in the nest.  The first two eggs were kept from being incubated by a female eagle intruder.  … (1 comments)

listings: Foreclosures Rise In Hampton Roads - 04/30/08 05:06 AM
The last quarter has seen a rise in foreclosures in the Hampton Roads area.  They went up 22% verses 23% for other areas.  While this is a healthy increase, Hampton Roads is still low being 84th out of 100 largest metro areas.  The area comprises Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Nofolk, Newport News as well as Portsmouth and Hampton.  This means that 1 out of 544 households received a notice of default, auction-sale or bank-repossession during the quarter.  This compares to 1 out of 194 in the 100 largest metro areas.  Scary stuff indeed but it could be scarier.
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL … (0 comments)

listings: Tornado In Suffolk, Va - 04/28/08 12:41 PM
What do you do when you are watching tv and the weatherman breaks in with a developing story about a tornado.  I moan and groan and wait for him to go away.  He talks about a funnel cloud in Norfolk by the Naval Station.  He shows a video of a funnel cloud in Portsmouth and then he mentions the Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk.  I thought he was going to mention that they were bring casualties there but he said they were spared the brunt of the tornado.  Oh no I thought out loud.  I have a listing right behind the … (7 comments)

listings: Suffolk City Market and Country Store - 04/26/08 03:42 AM
The newest addition to Suffolk is now open.  The Suffolk City Market and Country Store is open for business at th corner of 162 S Main St.  The Market will feature home grown spring produce and home-cooked breads and crafts.  You can go from 8 a.m to 5 p. m. Tuesday through Saturday.  Sunday and Monday are rest days.
http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search.
Google gene allen
(0 comments)

listings: Strategic Plan For Schools - 04/26/08 03:24 AM
Recently over 200 people gathered in the Virginia Beach Convention Center to talk about eh direction of the public schools.  There was a public meeting and then 11 focus groups.  This is input for a six year strategic plan the school system is developing.  Some of the themes were: 
*Students need up to date technology skills
*Schools should help motivate students to take contro of the theri education.
 Many good ideas and thoughts came out of the meeting.  All of this will be drafted into a plan and submitted to the school by Aug.
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in … (0 comments)

listings: Can Navy SEAL's Get Fitter? - 04/26/08 03:17 AM
Apparently they can.  A new lab opened at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base is the first of its kind in the Navy and it is here in Norfolk.  Of course the goal is to minimize SEAL's injuries and maximize their time in uniform.  The lab comes by way of the Univesrity of Pittsburg.  The process can be as simple as a better way to do a squat to measuring body fat in a space age pod.  Hopefully the partnership will pay off in a buffer, fitter SEAL.
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as … (2 comments)

listings: Property Tax Hike? - 04/26/08 02:54 AM
Suffolk has a pretty good financial health for the moment according to a consultant for the city.  That could change if the city does not raise property taxes in the future.  If the current level of services is kept the city could be looking at a 10 to 11 cent incres by 2013.  That is assuming that property prices don't increase over the next few years.  I am an optimist and expect them to increase so the property tax doesn't have to.
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of … (0 comments)

listings: Chesapeake Song In American Idol Final - 04/26/08 02:49 AM
Where does American Idol find the songs for the finalists.  "Align" is a song written by James Smithson and it is one of the 20 songs that can still be chosen to be sung by the finalists.  I'll check in later and see where the song ended up and let you know.
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search.
Google gene allen
(0 comments)

listings: Have Power Will Travel - 04/26/08 02:42 AM
As I travel around Virginia Beach listing and selling homes I often have several battery powered devices with me.  Having only one plug in the car can sometimes be a bother.  Well I found a nifty device that works for me and should work for others.  It is called the Power Station Traveller from ReSource.  You can purchase it from http://www.amazon.com/   The price is around $35 and you can plug up to three devices in at the same time.  How cool is that.
http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest … (5 comments)

 
Gene Allen, Realty Consultant for Cary Real Estate (Fathom Realty)

Gene Allen

Realty Consultant for Cary Real Estate

Cary, NC

More about me…

Fathom Realty

Address: 1250 SE Maynard St Ste 204, Cary, NC, 27511

Mobile: 919-473-9068

Fax: 888-292-3891

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