Negotiation May Get The Deal Done - 11/30/08 10:29 AM
We all know that we are supposed to represent our client's best interest and I've been to plenty of seminars and read plenty of blog posts about how Realtors are not supposed to show their hand to the other guy.  Things like "I'm sorry this offer is so low.  It's what they buyer told me to put." or "Hey, I know this offer stinks but see if you can't get a counter offer."
No. We're supposed to represent exactly what's on the paper and hope the other Realtor can "read between the lines." 
The fact is that even if I … (3 comments)

Happy Thanksgiving from The MD Suburbs of DC - 11/27/08 08:03 AM
Yes, folks,it's time to sit down with family and friends to remember the good things in life.  It's hard, sometimes, in the midst of economic crisis, terrorism around the globe, war and hunger to stop and be grateful for all the things that are wonderful in our personal lives.
I am reminded, though, that our forefathers endured great hardship to come and found this country and that Thanksgiving, of all our holidays, is uniquely American. Yes, I know the Canadians have their Thanksgiving as well.  The American Thanksgiving, though, is rich in the history of the discovery of the North American … (4 comments)

But You May Not Get Another Offer For Awhile... - 11/25/08 05:57 PM
Recently, I've been lucky (I think) to get some listings that have Sellers with equity.  This means that when an offer comes through there's no waiting for a bank or other "third party approval".  You would think that would mean that these Sellers would be ready to work with reasonable and even not-so-reasonable offers that come to the table.
You would be wrong.
In fact, I'm working with a Seller now that has equity and can certainly make a decision to move forward pretty quickly...if they really wanted to. Of course, they tell me they're ready to sell but, of course, … (11 comments)

A Thanksgiving Present from the Fed - 11/25/08 04:03 PM
The Fed and US Treasury have finally come to grips with the fact that, oh yeah, maybe the housing industry could use a little help. While they've been busy handing out money by the truckload to banks so they can buy other banks and keep those corporate jets in the air, the ordinary person who wants to buy a house or re-finance is left out in the cold.
Today, that finally changed.  Blog buddy Alan Gorss of National City Mortgage wrote a nice blog post about today's developments at Treasury and the Fed.
The lower interest rates (predicted to hit about … (0 comments)

Why Can't You Call? - 11/20/08 07:09 PM
What is it with Realtors who drive around with their clients, see a yard sign and then go up and knock on the door and ask to be let in?  What is it with homeowners, who open the door and let these folks in with nothing more than a business card and a "Can we see your house"?
Realtors -- You don't know the price, you don't know the status (Active, Pending, whatever), you just roll over and do tricks because your client in the car says, "I wanna see that one."  Where is your common decency to make an appointment … (18 comments)

The Book on Mind management - My Closest Book - 11/19/08 07:48 AM
Blog buddie, fellow Active Rainer and fellow CRS Chapter member, Rich Mielke tagged me again for on of those ever expanding MeMes that make the rounds from time to time.  This time I don't really have to reveal much about myself except what you may be able to glean from what I'm reading --
Here is the way it works:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next two to five sentences.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book … (1 comments)

The Inaugural Ticket Scams Have Started... - 11/12/08 07:11 AM
I got an e-mail the other day.  It got caught in my spam filter which is where it belongs.
Here it is, in part...
I wanted to see if you have an interest in picking up a ticket or two (business entertaining or for personal use) for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Swearing-In, Parade or Gala Balls. This event is projected to be one of historical proportions, so we are offering purchasing first rights of refusal to law firms (including 3 of the top 10 US firms that we service for events annually) throughout the US and Abroad and Illinois based firms, … (7 comments)

Sentrilock Conversion (Almost) Complete... - 11/10/08 01:53 PM
I know I should have bought a camera to take in the long lines and such but I just plain forgot.  Luckily, I was intuitive enough to know to get their early in order to trade in my old Supra lockboxes, old Supra key and old Sentrilock key card (it's old already???). So I had plenty of time to hang out and read the Wall Street Journal while I waited for the training to begin.
Bottom line.  All went well.  A little bit of a wait in line at the end to pick up my new Sentrilock lockboxes and new keycard.
… (4 comments)

The Supra to Sentrilock Conversion - 11/09/08 08:59 AM
Tomorrow, I walk into a hotel ballroom in Greenbelt to convert all my Supra lockboxes and key access to Sentrilock lockboxes and key access.  Woo! Hooo!!!
Neighboring jurisdictions have converted long ago (and one will convert a little later this year or early next, I understand). So I went and got my Sentrilock key and card reader several months ago.  I wasn't going to forgo showing property in either Anne Arundel County or Howard County just because Prince George's was running out the clock on their Supra contract.
I'm see a lot of pluses to Sentrilock, not the least of which … (10 comments)

Why I Love Being A Real Estate Professional... - 11/04/08 06:27 AM
In the never ending line of chain blogs, I've been "tagged" by fellow CRS Chapter member and Realtor Extraordinaire, Rich Mielke to write about why I'm in this wacky business.  Rich got "tagged" from fellow Rainer/Realtor Sandy Shores from Melbourne, FL (can Sandy Shores be a real name for a Realtor in Florida??  Evidently so.), who was "tagged" by Fred Chamberlin, a mortgage guy, in the Eugene, OR area.
It never ceases to amaze me at the widespread connections we tend to make on Active Rain.  It just shows the awesome power of networking, writing, and experience...from a variety of different … (7 comments)

The Millennials -- The WE Generation - 11/03/08 04:28 PM
I saw this as I was floating around on Facebook and I was both inspired and impressed. I'm a more of a Boomer myself and I find myself really hopeful that the next generation is considering itself the WE Generation. This is a great little video...and only four minutes and forty five seconds.
… (4 comments)