This Is A "What If?" It'll Never Happen! - 03/31/08 07:40 PM
Well, it could happen. This is a true story, and it happened to a colleague a few years ago.
She had a listing that was gorgeous, well priced and sold with multiple offers for substantially more than the list price. The lucky winner of this bloody bidding war woke up a couple … (26 comments)
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Why Hasn't My House Sold? It's Not Always The Price! - 03/31/08 08:48 AM
A few years ago, I was approached to be the third agent for a stately colonial on upper 16th Street. The first two agents had the distinction of being the guys who ranked number 1 and 2 in dollar volume in DC. I'm nowhere close.
I reviewed the prior listing information. The … (23 comments)
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Going Green - 03/29/08 09:52 PM
Today, I showed some condos in a new green building. It had one of those roofs made of sod. The toilets were even greener than the Totos that I put into my new bathrooms. The floors were bamboo and the windows were really thermal.
There was only one thing. The floor plans … (13 comments)
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Do Old Agents Retire? Or Just Fade Away? - 03/28/08 05:20 PM
Last week, I wrote a post about my State Farm agent having the unmitigated nerve to retire on me.
Then, one of the comments on that post really struck a nerve when Todd Clark made the observation, "I've never been to a retirement party yet for an agent!"
Come to think of it, … (63 comments)
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The World Is Going To The Dogs! - 03/27/08 02:12 PM
In several posts and comments on other peoples' posts, I refer to my significant other, Willy the hyperactive Labradoodle puppy. Most of the pictures I've taken of him look like the one on the right. He zips through life in a blur.
The picture to the left is Willie during a … (16 comments)
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Condo Documents: Not Just A Cure For Insomnia! - 03/26/08 11:23 AM
In the District of Columbia, like many jurisdictions, condo buyers get a little extra time after their offer is accepted to look at the basic documents that cover the money stuff and the basic ground rules set down by the owners’ association they are buying into.These papers coverThe budgetThe rules and … (16 comments)
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What We Can Learn From Kristi Yamaguchi - 03/25/08 10:47 PM
I have a guilty pleasure. Well, actually I have several. The ones that matter now are watching figure skating competitions and the other is a little addiction to Dancing with the Stars. Tonight, it's the best of both worlds.
Yes, it's Kristi Yamaguchi on Dancing with the Stars. And with this … (14 comments)
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Is It Bottom Feeding Or The Marketplace Actually Working? - 03/25/08 12:47 PM
Morning Edition's coverage of the real estate market had another interesting item during this morning's broadcast. It seems that a group of former Countrywide executives, now out of work, have come up with an honorable way to make a living.
They are investing in "troubled" mortgages.
Here's how it works.
Let's say a … (14 comments)
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Yikes! My Insurance Guy Just Retired! - 03/22/08 10:22 PM
Since I first moved to Washington in the early 70's, I've had an insurance agent who was totally fabulous - Greg Lyons from State Farm.
He was a referral from one of Ralph Nader's car guys. When I heard that he gave a lot of money to The Center for Auto Safety, … (14 comments)
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Termites Aren't The Only House Pests! - 03/19/08 10:54 PM
I've been doing a bunch of previewing for some out of town buyers, and we're hitting the streets tomorrow.
There is, however, one place we are not going into.
I went in, and there was a frisky dog who was really adorable. I stopped and played with him and we became friends. … (7 comments)
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How Real Estate Skills Help With Real Life - 03/19/08 10:13 PM
A few weeks ago, I found myself going through the pre-boarding security dance at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Usually, I breeze right though. I’m pretty wholesome looking, with the map of Kansas on my face. But this day, there was a little kink.“Ma’am, we’ll have to confiscate this liquid,” the … (18 comments)
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Going Green! - 03/17/08 07:40 AM
In case nobody's noticed, this is St. Patrick's Day! For me it is sort of a biggie because I am part Irish. And it is my name day as well. So I'll wear something green and maybe drink a little green beer.
Wait a minute, the green beer thing -
Last night … (19 comments)
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How Many Locks Do You Really Need? - 03/15/08 10:46 PM
This morning, I called a seller to ask if I could show her unit early this afternoon. She sounded really glad to get the call and said it would be fine to come by. It had been on the market for about a month and just had a price reduction.
I showed … (28 comments)
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Doing Well and Doing Good - 03/15/08 10:22 PM
Amanda Hall, one of my favorite blog buddies, has just started a new group. It's about blogging for a cause. And as I read her last post, I felt a blog coming on.
Now, I'm not into organized religion. And I am into giving back to my community. And one thing … (12 comments)
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My First Real Estate Wheels - Fuel Efficient And Easy To Park! But Appropriate? - 03/14/08 09:49 AM
Little did I know that when I bought my little 1976 Honda Civic hatchback, that it would one day turn into a real estate car. By the time I got my license in 1983, it did have a few issues, like the lack of air conditioning and the dents and dimples … (6 comments)
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Real Estate Related Mental Health Issues - 03/12/08 05:10 PM
Early in my real estate career, I negotiated an offer on a condo for a young woman buying her first place. And this one was perfect, or at least exactly what she said she wanted. The unit was an adorable one-bedroom in Cleveland Park with French doors in the living room … (20 comments)
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Giving Credit Where It's Due - 03/11/08 11:51 PM
Back in the olden days, before there was any such thing as a credit score, mortgage lenders decided how much you could afford by looking at your income and your monthly debt payments, then applying ratios of mortgage payment to income. The way it worked, you could pay 28% (give or … (26 comments)
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Do You Work In An Amusement Park? - 03/09/08 11:40 PM
Throughout my awfully long real estate career, I've noticed that almost every transaction has at least one - usually more than one - moment when I'm sure the transaction isn't going to make it.
You find the perfect house, craft and negotiate a great deal, then it starts.
First, the buyer's remorse. It's … (20 comments)
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Springing Forward - 03/08/08 09:28 PM
As much as I love to have an additional hour of sunlight every afternoon, I do hate to lose thar hour of sleep doing the "spring forward" thing.
Tomorrow, I'm really going to miss it - unless, of course, I forego Satureday Night Live tonight. I must get up early in the … (11 comments)
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Lessons From My Father On Business Ethics - 03/08/08 12:09 PM
As children growing up in Topeka, Kansas, my brother and I cut out entrepreneurial teeth on our used golf ball business. Our little house backed up to the Shawnee Country Club, and a lot of the golfers were pretty bad shots, so their balls wound up in out big back yard. … (13 comments)
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What Do The Banks Know That We Don't? - 03/07/08 08:21 PM
The whole way that bank owned property is marketed seems counter-intuitive.
Put the place on the market in terrible condition - and don't even think about trying to do any stagingHire a listing agent who will market the house without setting foot insidePrice it at a number that may or may not … (21 comments)
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Working Like A Dog! - 03/07/08 03:41 PM
Last year, my sister introduced me to a guy named Perry Baltimore who is the president of the Marshall Legacy Institute. This group raises funds to train dogs like Granite here to sniff our land mines. They are operating in eight countries around the world. After talking to him for just … (14 comments)
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Luxury Today, Pedestrian Tomorrow? - 03/07/08 12:13 AM
If you believe the ads for the new condos cropping up in the DC Metro area, they are all about luxury. Or are they?It takes more than granite counters and stainless appliances to create luxury. In fact, the ones who decide these things are already saying that granite is the new … (6 comments)
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Loving Frank – A Really Good Read! - 03/04/08 04:43 PM
While I was out previewing houses a few months ago, I had my car radio tuned to the Diane Rehm Show, and she was interviewing author Nancy Horan, who was promoting her new book. It’s about architect Frank Lloyd Wright and it’s a love story.So I bought and read Loving Frank. … (12 comments)
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No Time For Blogging! - 03/02/08 09:38 PM
I’ve found that whenever I bring stuff to do to an Open House, you know, in case there’s a little down time, down time just doesn’t happen. Today, I was ready for anything, with a really good book and my MacBook Air, and I didn’t get a chance to open either … (23 comments)
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New Listing Prep - 03/01/08 10:13 PM
I'm getting set for an Open House at my new listing. You know, making my list, checking it twice ...
Property brochures - checkDisclosures - checkContact log - checkMacBook Air (so I can blog if things are slow) - checkApple cider - checkSpaghetti pot to heat up apple cider - checkCinnamon and … (29 comments)
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Control Freaks - Out Of Control! - 03/01/08 04:48 PM
In the District of Columbia, there are some quaint and quirky laws governing the sale of tenant occupied property.
Let's say you own a really nice investment condo in Georgetown. It's huge. It's gorgeous. And it's for sale for an outrageous, although below market, price. Then let's say you make a … (14 comments)
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