The Mac Attack - 06/30/07 03:09 PM
Last night, I was at Tyson's Corners, a huge shopping mall in the Washington suburbs. I was on my way to Restoration Hardware for new towel racks and noticed a mob scene - a line that snaked around the huge mall for what seemed like miles. It took a few minutes … (4 comments)
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The House Specific Buyers - 06/30/07 02:04 PM
The House Specific BuyersThis week I showed favorite buyers a house that was definitely “Buyer Specific”, and the people I showed it to may well have been the specific buyers – perhaps the only ones in Washington - for whom the house would be perfect. So, that’s a good thing, right?
First, … (2 comments)
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Virtual Tours - 06/26/07 10:12 PM
Last weekend, I had an Open House in a price range I don't usually work in. It was very busy, and I picked up several buyers who came by and who were not already working with an agent. This means that I have to do some homework to figure out what … (0 comments)
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A New Promise to My Clients - 06/25/07 05:30 PM
In Washington, DC, where I do most of my work, anything built after 1952 is considered new construction. Unless I'm showing something that has been completely renovated, there is likely to be something old and funky - galvanized plumbing, kitchens that were state of the art during World War One, or … (0 comments)
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Is "Staging" Going Too Far? - 06/24/07 07:10 PM
Years ago, I listed a house that showed extremely well. The owners were anal retentive neat freaks taken to a whole new level. I mean, you could eat off the floor of the boiler room in the basement. You could eat off the floor of the firebox in the wood-burning fireplace! … (2 comments)
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Get Me To The House On Time! - 06/19/07 04:13 PM
My father was always on time - for everything. Whenever he had an appointment or meeting, whether it was for the dentist, Mass on Sunday or an airline departure, he always built in what he called "flat tire time". It was part of some sort of ethic he tried to pass … (2 comments)
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"Your Family Calls Him "Fido'; Your Agent Calls Him 'Fang'" - 06/18/07 12:57 PM
This is the name of my favorite chapter in my book, The Irreverent Guide to Real Estate. Someone posted a blog earlier today about marketing a house with a pack of cute, though slightly musty, doggies. And it sounded like he handled it really well.In all of my years as an agent, … (4 comments)
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Working With FSBO's - 06/17/07 09:48 PM
I just read a post from Dawn in Arizona. Now I know that part of every prospecting seminar and most sales meetings deal with FSBOs. And I also know that it's highly unlikely that I will ever go after another one for the rest of my career. About … (6 comments)
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Home Improvement - 06/16/07 10:36 AM
So many of my clients do what I did. They buy an imperfect house with the best of intentions. They plan to renovate the kitchen, do some landscaping, lose the purple wall-to-wall in the rec room, and have the lead paint laden cracking plaster repaired.
Then, like me, they help to pave … (1 comments)
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Comments on "The Whole Truth" - 06/13/07 05:20 PM
In the blog I posted earlier today, the issue here wasn't so much that the listing agent told me that another offer was immenent. It was that he has told me this in almost every conversation we have had regarding his listing - which is on its 173rd day on the … (1 comments)
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The Whole Truth and Nothing But? - 06/13/07 09:02 AM
I think that most agents could write a book. I actually did, and it came out late last year - The Irreverent Guide to Real Estate: Buying, Selling and Making Money. My favorite chapter, one that I added at the very last minute, is "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" and discusses … (4 comments)
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Not Just Another Real Estate Blog Site! - 06/11/07 09:13 AM
After about two years of writing Capital Homes (www.housepat.com), a real estate blog about my practice in Washington, DC, I discovered ActiveRain.
So, whoever thought this one up - great idea! Thank you!
It's a lot more fun and personal than hanging out in the ordinary blogosphere! If I have to refer … (4 comments)
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Condo Envy - 06/10/07 04:43 PM
Last November, I posted "When Sparks Fly" (at www.housepat.com in the archives) about the electrical fire at my friend, Jean Kornfeld's beautiful home that sits just behind my own.Since then, her insurance company has rented temporary digs for her to live in while her house is being rebuilt. She's now in … (0 comments)
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The Joys of Home Ownership - 06/10/07 09:58 AM
A few days ago, I woke up at 2:30 am to the persistent barking of my adorable Labradoodle puppy, Willie. He's been with me for several months now, and I've learned that he does not bark his little head off in the middle of the night without a good excuse.As I … (3 comments)
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