kristal kraft realtor: Sunday Travels - 05/05/08 07:23 PM
Sundays when I am not out with clients are days I try to spend with my husband. We both work selling Denver real estate and enjoy taking time to explore the area when we can.
Yesterday was a bright sunny spring day, so I begged to go take a few pictures to … (42 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Real estate and relocation, not as hard as it looks... - 02/22/07 12:07 AM
It is time to talk real estate.
Relocation to Denver or any other place can be exciting and/or scary. Some people embrace change, taking it on like a new suit. They study and analyze it, pondering over every minute aspect until it becomes a natural for them.
Others approach moving to the new … (29 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: SunBelters...The Time to GLOAT is Now!....UPDATED...Updated again - 12/20/06 02:35 PM
Part of my job as a relocation specialist to the Denver Metro area is to dispel myths. The biggest myth I deal with is the one that Denver is "hip-deep" in snow all winter long. Out-of-staters are generally very skeptical of my words when I tell them Denver enjoys more than … (118 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Home Inspectors ~ Do you have to justify your existence? - 12/15/06 11:21 PM
Lately I have been lucky enough to work with sellers who either pay attention to their home and keep it extremely nice OR listen to me and properly stage and package their homes for market.
I have learned the importance of educating the seller so there are no surprises. We take the … (25 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Two Laws of Real Estate - 12/14/06 11:17 AM
We all know the law right? When it comes to real estate the 3 most important things to focus on are;
locationlocationlocationWhat about the second law? Everyone knows that;
timingtimingtiming Actually everyone doesn't know the second law. In fact I have investors tell me all the time how they have the bad … (39 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Are you serving up discontent? - 12/09/06 09:56 PM
Are you serving up discontent?
As humans we all have a basic need to be wanted and liked. Sometimes our jobs require us to do things that are contrary to our basic needs.
It's really tough to have to tell a buyer you can't help them because their expectations are out of … (15 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: REALTOR...It's NOT about you! - 12/09/06 05:47 PM
Throughout history we can trace changes in society, brought on by cause and effects of certain events. Our country went from agrarian, to industrial to the information age. Each transformation of society brought with it new practices and ways of living and going about our daily lives.
The progression of real estate … (42 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: The S Files are Closed - 12/09/06 04:29 PM
For many years the X Files was a popular TV show that explored the possibility of beings from space. Sometimes it was almost believable, more often than not is was just plain scary.
S Files are not scary, nor are they a TV show but a real live location and a preferred destination of … (3 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: In my next life... - 12/02/06 11:14 PM
In my next life I have decided I want to come back in a different form. It would be nice if I could live in a beautiful place, have people to wait on me, groom me, take care of my daily diet, accompany me during exercise.
Then I work, I want to … (16 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Thanks to Art on the Rail - 12/01/06 10:57 PM
Quality of life improves when there are lovely things to look at. Citizens along the front range of the Rockies have the incredible back drop of the mountains. For most folks the view is inspiring enough, each day one only has to look west to see the snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
In … (18 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Let's Compare My Apples to Your Oranges... - 11/30/06 12:47 AM
Foreclosures are a hot topic these days. Some people say Colorado is #1 in foreclosures, others say it's not so! Who do we believe and why?
The Denver Business Journal featured a good story on this very topic, "Is Colorado really worst in foreclosures?" The answer to this question is, "It Depends … (11 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Surprising Stats on the Economic Impact of Culture - 11/29/06 11:25 PM
Visitors to Denver owe thanks to the forward thinking voters in 1988 who approved a one-tenth of one percent sales tax increase to support scientific and cultural facilities within the metro area. The SCFD (Scientific & Cultural Facilities District) was created to provide funding to scientific and cultural organizations. The results … (8 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Was my face red? - 11/27/06 05:05 PM
Sometimes working with buyers that aren't on the same page is challenging. My buyers were both looking to move, but not into the same house obviously. Each time I showed them a home, one would like it the other would hate it.
By the third house it became abundantly clear the couple … (24 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Desperation Sales... - 11/25/06 10:56 PM
Desperation salesSales in our market continue at the same pace as last year. In October we sold 4,133 units. Last year in October we sold 4,006 units. Our days on market is longer last year it was 89,65 days but this year it is 102.6 days.
Why the change in days on … (17 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: You Can't Get There From Here! - 11/24/06 11:35 PM
Ever wonder why things happen the way they do? I am always amazed at certain things. For instance our new Light Rail line just opened last week. The service is running well, but...
The Light Rail goes by the Park Meadows Mall. It's one of the area's most popular malls, people come … (19 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Denver burbs town talk...Centennial Airport - 11/21/06 08:21 PM
Denver burbs town talk...Centennial Airport
Located in what we call "City Close" Centennial Airport is tucked away in southeast Arapahoe County. When it opened in 1967, this location was considered to be far enough away as to not disturb anyone, but close enough to downtown Denver to be very convenient.
Today Centennial … (6 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Denver burbs town talk...exploring Southeast Aurora, Colorado - 11/20/06 11:20 PM
Denver burbs town talk...exploring Southeast Aurora, Colorado Real Estate
Once considered too far away, Southeast Aurora is now more convenient thanks to E-470 the highway around the city's outskirts. The highway had the concept of build it and they will come. And come they did; developers, builders and merchants have changed the scoop of this high plains dessert into … (15 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: What are your odds of selling? - 11/16/06 08:31 AM
Pricing Your Home to Sell...Since the real estate market seems to be getting slow on many fronts, now more than ever it is important price a property right. Sellers need to have a clear picture of the market and what the competition is selling at (or not!). Graphic illustrations of the … (35 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Grow like a tree - 10/21/06 11:43 PM
Amid volumes of openness a single tree stands tall.
When faced with adversity are you like the tree?
Reflect and grow...
Dig your roots in deeper for strength.
Look to the heavens for enlightenment.
Sway in the breeze for flexibility.
Stand tall and proud for you are unique individual...and that is Okay.
<photo was taken on top of … (10 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Graffiti as art...or vandalism - 10/21/06 10:37 PM
Tagging has become a major problem in many areas. Up until a few minutes ago, I thought all tagging was graffiti and all graffiti is vandalism.
Vali, my daughter quickly set me straight on this. In her opinion graffiti is street art and not to be confused with tagging.
In my old fashioned … (10 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Urban migration... - 10/19/06 09:36 PM
Across the country we are experiencing a migration of people moving back to the city. The urban "sprawl" has run it's course, folks who so desperately wanted to live in the country are now reversing their decisions and returning to the city.
Why? Long commutes, gas prices and the feeling of dis-connectivity all attribute … (14 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Got Goburb? - 10/17/06 10:24 PM
Our Metro Area is Changing
Next month Denver Metro's $1.7 billion TREX Light Rail line will open up. It's a wonderful addition to our much needed public transportation system. The new light rail will service SE Denver Metro's suburb communities all the way to Lone Tree.
Along the Light Rail line, many new … (6 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Colorado tops the nation's growth rate - 10/17/06 11:38 AM
Today the U.S. is celebrating it's 300,000,000 person. Colorado has a population of 4.8 million and a growth rate that is faster than the rest of the nation.
The nation is growing at 1% a year, Colorado's rate is 1.4%. Experts are predicting a future growth of 1.8% is on our … (1 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Branding doesn't hurt! - 10/15/06 11:34 PM
Talk about branding is everywhere. Branding can be a complicated and simple as a Nike Swoosh, recognizable in sound as your PC booting up to play the Microsoft chimes.
OK, but these examples are of big companies with marketing departments and huge budgets. What can we, as real estate industry professionals can … (15 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Rookie mistakes and other blunders... - 10/14/06 09:47 PM
New people sometimes fall prey to foolish blunders when beginning in the real estate business.
They tend to be looking everywhere for The Answers. Rookies and even more seasoned people seem to expect there is an EASY ANSWER to having success in real estate. This is true in the industry as … (9 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Good Grammar doesn't end in grade school...or does it? - 10/14/06 08:11 PM
Bloggers on AR talk about spelling and grammar errors frequently. We all agree it's important to to avoid making errors, but the problem is, we don't know when we make them!
Errors occur also, because many times the message is not proof read. I for one get in a hurry or … (23 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Ever been accused of being full of hot air... - 10/14/06 12:29 PM
Salesman are famous for rhetoric that induces people to purchase. As Realtors we sometimes fall under the old salesman banner.
I don't know about you, but I hate being categorized as a salesperson. I don't think of myself as a salesperson, although I know I am in "sales."
What is the difference? To … (59 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: The BIG Shakedown..following up. - 10/13/06 11:05 PM
We had good news today after the Shakedown for a referral fee, the TPR calling the Big Broker Boss to tell him the customer would not lose his relocation benefits if he worked with our agency. Additionally, we didn't need to pay a referral fee.
Of course we all knew that, it … (4 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: DAM in Denver - 10/12/06 11:00 PM
Denver Real Estate & Current Events
Last week the Denver Art Museum opened, with rave reviews. People stood in line before the sun came up to get free timed tickets to enter. Some even came back in the middle of the night just to be among the first to see the museum. … (13 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Change ~ how do you deal with it? - 10/11/06 11:27 PM
Changes occur everyday. Some people manage to deal with change and embrace it, others don't fare so well.
To a control freak, change is very difficult. Learning to cope with change and by going with the flow is hard to do.
When changes come, we spend so much time looking over our shoulder back to … (9 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Second string... - 10/11/06 12:35 PM
I've been working with a very savvy investor lately. She does her homework, than calls me to see the home. We aren't your typical "looky loues" we mean business.
I find myself constantly making excuses for listing agents for a variety of reasons.
A 4 plex without proper access available to all units … (11 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Our Field Trip... - 10/10/06 10:52 PM
The broker at my company believes in knowing all about the area we serve. From time to time we get to go on a field trip to learn more. As agents, we enjoy our little trips out into the field. Today we visited the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, aka … (5 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: A good plan....changed - 10/08/06 09:04 PM
Yesterday was an awesome fall day, the sky was beautiful and clear, it was nice and warm. I showed a commercial property before breakfast so I found myself with some time on my hands. Off for my favorite photo spot to see if I could catch some fall color in Denver's … (11 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Cyber Recycling - 10/07/06 11:51 PM
Denver Real Estate Cyber Recyling Plan
Awhile back several of the Rainers (Ben, Rory, Bill French) mentioned how we are coining too many Domain Names. The fad as of late is to buy the address of your listing for a domain name.
Naturally the Registras LOVE this practice. It brings in money. … (21 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Colorado Home Values - 10/06/06 07:56 AM
COLORADO HOME VALUES
Over the past 15 years Colorado Home values have climbed at a higher pace than the national average. These numbers are according to the U.S. Census Bureau report released this past week.
Over the past 5 years, Colorado has lagged in median home value as compared to the national average. … (12 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Big Blue Bear - 10/05/06 10:38 PM
Denver Real Estate Highlights the Colorado Convention Center
Denver opened the new Colorado Convention Center this year. It's a beautiful and very practical Convention Center located downtown, just off the Light Rail.
Outside the Convention Center is a wonderful great BIG blue bear, peering in the window.
I always like to take my … (17 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Change Your Perspective ~ Change Your Mind - 10/04/06 11:00 PM
Perspective , what an interesting word. It relates to so many things, visual, graphical, cognitive and point of view. Today I was trying to gain some perspective on where my current client is coming from. She is moving here from New York, the Borough of Queens. I've been to this area, … (0 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Novelty or Necessity, what is the Internet to you? - 10/03/06 10:30 PM
Denver Real Estate Questions Internet Use, where is it heading?
Tonight the news had a feature about the Internet being 15 years old now. They said almost everyone is online now keeping in touch with family, learning or doing business.
The Internet has changed my life. In fact my life evolves around the … (28 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: The Naming Game - 10/03/06 07:01 PM
There's a lot of noise about names here on Active Rain.
One poor misbehaving girl has lost her fine name (not really but her reality thinks it so). Others are naming babies...yet another tricky task. Sometimes we here about naming a domain. Which is better top level domain, to hyphenate or … (22 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Stretch Your Mind...Bend Your Brain... - 10/03/06 05:48 PM
Wisdom from many sources is being dispersed on Active Rain daily. Sage wisdom comes from a variety of people, young, old and everywhere in between. I wonder is the wisdom bouncing over heads are is some being absorbed?
Have you ever heard of Scotomas?
Scotomas are "blind spots" that derail your ability to clearly process information and … (23 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Living In Denver ~ my phone call today - 10/02/06 11:22 PM
Monday's are always busy days on the phone. I field calls from people all over the country coming to Denver, thinking about taking a job in Denver and just plain wondering about Denver.
One of my calls today was from a very nice lady in North Carolina. Her hubby will be flying … (8 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: What does your Inbox look like? - 10/02/06 10:10 PM
Email I love it, I hate it.
Well let me qualify that, I love the ease and freedom email offers, I hate spam. I despise unsolicited junk mail that seems to follow me where ever I go.
My Inbox is neatly configured with filters for newsletters, online classes, AR, Listings, Leads, Sales and … (27 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Kiss me, Kiss me - 10/01/06 10:41 PM
The importance of understanding and being understood...
As I traveled the world I've noticed people in other cultures making a huge effort to learn to speak English. My observations noted that people who spoke English were prosperous. It became very obvious to me that English is the International language of commerce. Successful people make … (8 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: The cows have it - 09/30/06 11:24 PM
It seems everywhere we look there are cows on The Rain. I must get into the act with this lovely Moo.
She is a Bronco Cow, a major fan of Denver's Mile High team the Denver Broncos.
At the moment this lovely bovine is one of many cows in various herds situated all … (20 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: my first time - 09/24/06 12:26 AM
i did it...i wrote a blog. it took longer than i thought, but it looks good, real good. it's time to publish, click! OH! There it is, for all the world to see. yippee!now it's time to rest. i'm exhaused, didn't think i had it in me.(two long mimutes pass) hummm, … (33 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Credit Mining ~ scary invasion of our privacy - 09/22/06 09:51 AM
Jerra Ryan, Branch Manager from Premier Mortgage drops by our office from time to time to keep us abreast of mortgages and how things work. Yesterday she sent me the following email. I'm printing it here with her permission. It's a must read... We are also running in to "Credit Mining"--when I pull … (16 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Status Quo is a No Go. - 09/21/06 09:12 PM
The real estate industry is demography old. Look around...no offense folks but most of us are boomers. We have dominated every market, set trends and made wealth, probably more so than any other generation before or after us.
But we don't know everything. We must listen to the youth, the new kids … (29 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Think About the Future... ADD VALUE. - 09/21/06 06:40 AM
Real estate blogging on Active Rain has become a way of life for many. Others are just joining and are questioning our little social community. As we come together we all need to recognize the importance of our blogs and how it affects our future.
The blogs are getting indexed by the search … (33 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Highest & Best Use...does it apply to you? - 09/20/06 06:42 PM
My heart skipped a beat today as I approached my favorite mall at Park Meadows in Lone Tree. The demolition had begun on the Lord and Taylor store, it looked like the setting of a bombing.
No, it isn't a terrorist attack, just an economic decision to tear down a perfectly good … (16 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Dealing with angry customers - 09/20/06 12:31 PM
As Realtors we occasionally get to deal with customers who are angry. People get angry for a host of reasons. Miss-communication, unmet expectations, undue stress, financial mishaps and the list goes on.
When a customer gets angry, it may or not be a result of what we personally have done or not. … (14 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: If I had a nickle... - 09/16/06 09:26 PM
Inquiries from Out Of State Buyers searching for homes can be very predictable.
I can't tell you how many times I've been told, I want a Log Cabin in the woods on acreage, for under $200,000 or $300,000.
I roll my eyes and try to explain nicely, "we don't have many of those in … (20 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: REALTOR Standards...we need a plan - 09/14/06 11:43 PM
It has always amazed me, how the real estate industry lacks standards. Most folks go to real estate school thinking they will come out educated. Instead they come out knowing how to pass a test... "When in doubt choose 'c', that's what I remember. I, like everyone else sat in class … (32 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Selling Lifestyle - 09/10/06 08:06 PM
Once upon a time it was important to a family to be near the school on a safe street and not too far from the grocery store. Now our society assumes these requirements as basic and aims for higher and more specialized amenities.
Livestyles in Denver Metro Neighborhoods
Our neighborhoods are famous for Recreation Centers. Residents as part … (2 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: The Pride of the Unsung Hero - 09/07/06 09:03 PM
Occasionally during my day, I stop my car to enjoy a site and shoot a photo. Today was a particularly nice day in the Washington Park area. The gardens in are full bloom and the temptation was irresistable, I parked, grabbed my camera and toured the garden.
As I was posturing for … (14 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Superstition and Real Estate - 09/05/06 09:28 PM
Are you superstitious? Black cats and the number 13 are problems for some, but not for me. I have been even known to walk under a ladder in my time. Of course I always look up, isn't that what any sane person would do?
I don't carry a rabbit's foot, nor do … (14 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Real estate disintermediation? - 09/05/06 07:55 PM
Wikipedia has us real estate folks on the "short list" soon to fall by the wayside of disintermediation. Jonathan Washburn's post focuses on what would happen to prices if 90% of the real estate agents retired in the next 6 months.
First of all if 90% retired that would be good … (12 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Easy Spell Checking for Dummies on Active Rain - 08/31/06 01:21 PM
OK, so I'm a Dummy too. I have had the ability to spell check for years, but never noticed it until Active Rain.
Do you have the Google Toolbar? If not you can download it here.
On the Google Toolbar is the icon "ABC Check". You can use it to spell check your … (16 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Infomercials of yester years - 08/29/06 10:15 PM
Brian Brady has a great post discussing the value of purchasing property that is being pitched on TV.
Years ago a real estate development company marketed "Colorado Ranchettes" to the people of Chicago.
I knew because every so often I would get a call from a "ranchette owner" who wanted me … (1 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Facing Foreclosure? Don't walk...call for help. - 08/19/06 11:02 PM
In troubled times homeowners sometimes go into denial, thinking if the situation is ignored, it will go away. The fact is, if you are having trouble making your mortgage payment sooner or later you will have to face up to the situation. It's best you face up to it as soon … (6 comments)
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