business of real estate: Fox 5's iTeam at my listing... updated... - 08/21/08 12:57 AM
Wow. I don't know what else to say, but... Wow.
Back around the end of June, I found out that the Fox 5 iTeam wanted to shoot a segment in one of my listings, 9010 Brixham Court in Suwanee. At first I only knew that it was about home managers and … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: Is all real estate REALLY local? - 08/18/08 03:45 PM
The NAR has been rallying around a new battle cry since the real estate market went from rampage to challenge. Most everyone has heard it by now...
All Real Estate is Local...
Well, it is, right? Isn't it? Well, yes and no.
I used to be firmly in the "real estate … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: Flat-Fee must be really flat... - 08/16/08 12:25 AM
For anyone not paying attention to Inman News, or some other source, you might have escaped noticing that Help-U-Sell's franchiser filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy recently (reported Friday, August 15th, 2008).
Since 2006, their franchise offices have shrunk from 820 to about 450.
Go read the story before it drops behind … (14 comments)
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business of real estate: I was honored by an email from Century 21 - 08/11/08 08:38 PM
Last week, Jon Washburn wrote an open letter/blog post to Century 21... take a look here. In it, he made some excellent points. It is certainly worth a read, regardless of any brand affiliation you may or may not have. I'll wait... ok, see what I mean? Great post. Excellent comment … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: Reel Tech TV Flip Video Intro... - 08/05/08 02:29 PM
A few days ago I wrote a post about Video for Listings, highlighting a Flip Video Tips and Techniques series by Tara Jones and TJ Hedges of Reel Dwellings. (enough links for you?)
Well, number one is up. And I'm faster than Tara today, so I am going to mention it … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: Be Remarkable - Car Guy Style... - 08/03/08 11:00 AM
Seth Godin tells us in Purple Cow: Tranform Your Business by Being Remarkable that the way to business success is not by doing things the same way and marketing to the masses with the same message as everyone else, but rather it is by being remarkable. In being remarkable, the key … (12 comments)
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business of real estate: Video for listings - 08/02/08 08:50 AM
Boy, there are several directions this one can run in...
A couple of months ago, I decided I wanted a higher quality video tour for a high-end property I listed. After looking around at the offerings, I settled on AtlantaDwellings.tv to do the production. They did an incredible job for me, … (18 comments)
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business of real estate: Diamond Dwellings podcast on MLBroadcast - 07/31/08 12:15 PM
I stop into the office to talk with Matt Fagioli about a few things, like my listing in Laurel Springs, my listing in the Tuscany, and Localism... and the next thing I know I am on a podcast with Mike Price from MLBroadcast...
We talked a little bit about Diamond … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: Let's debate FSBO (unrepresented sellers), Part I - 07/28/08 10:48 PM
I just finished catching up on my feed reader... and I was WAY behind. Behind enough that I am just getting to the Housing Rumble on US News & World Report. Actually, I came to it from seeing Jay Thompson's posts on his PhoenixRealEstateGuy blog.
I think Jay is a great … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: the ULTIMATE hyper-local expert... - 07/27/08 01:59 PM
Mommy...
Something struck me today. And then it just seemed so natural. the more I turn it over, the move applicable it is... Mommies are the ultimate hyper-local experts.
I am a very lucky Dad. Because of my job, I get to spend a lot of time with my kids. With … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: All real estate is local... or is it? - 07/26/08 11:46 PM
Let's hammer on the NAR some more.
All real estate is local
The NAR has been pounding this message in response to the perceived unfairness of media reporting. And while there is a case to be made that the media isn't presenting a balanced picture, I don't know if the current … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: 5-ish Social Networking sites every agent should be a part of... - 07/26/08 10:33 PM
At RE Bar Camp, I asked a question... and it turned into one of the break-out sessions.
This all came from a question that John Novak asked me in the comments, here...
Hi Lane - I won't be at Inman, but would love to find out if there is a consensus … (17 comments)
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business of real estate: A new twist on the old brokerage, from RE Connect - 07/26/08 01:43 PM
A new twist on an old idea.
That pretty much sums up Diamond Dwellings. We are taking the traditional real estate business model and turning it on its bead, but at the same time, we aren't changing it at all.
Real estate has always been about knowing the market, and … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: Diamond Dwellings, ActiveRain and Localism... - 07/23/08 05:43 PM
Let me start by saying this is an ad... Of sorts. It is also a roadmap to where a lot of bloggers and real estate marketers think online real estate promotion is going...
Localism and Local Content
Just like Localism, Diamond Dwellings is based on hyper-local content... blogging and covering a … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: IRS will be looking at us... - 07/18/08 07:54 PM
If you get the REALTOR Magazine Daily News, you might have seen the story: IRS Gets Picky About Who's a Real Estate Pro.
This is interesting...
Licensed real estate agents and brokers do not always qualify for real estate professional status under the new rules, which mandate that individuals spend no … (29 comments)
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business of real estate: Living in the past... - 07/18/08 04:50 PM
As I sit here on a Friday morning, watching my son ice skate with his friend, Zachary, I am stricken with a point.
Some things from the past are best left there...
In this particular situation, it is the music. I think that we are running through the K-tel Worst … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Pulled the trigger on the OB - 07/08/08 03:13 PM
I have been looking at that little tidbit on my ToDo list for a few days now... and so I finally pulled the trigger for the outside blog.
GwinnettGarageGuy
Hit it up, take a look.
I haven't really had the time to tweak it out, with the change to Diamond Dwellings … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: I'm going to Inman! - 07/08/08 12:31 AM
Just nailed the air travel tonight...
I will be flying out to SFO on Monday, July 21st, and attending the RE Bar Camp and Bloggers Connect. I will be flying back to ATL on July 25th.
I'm really stoked. I went to my first NAR Convention last November. I had the … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: Teasing and hinting and everything but saying... - 07/08/08 12:02 AM
I joined Diamond Dwellings Realty today. Matt Fagioli and Diamond Dwellings are a finalist for the Inman Innovators Award for a Brokerage or Franchise. Pretty cool.
After talking with Matt over the last few weeks, he has gotten me incredibly excited about the possibilities for this brokerage model. It is designed … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: Embrace the change... - 07/05/08 11:39 PM
Embrace change...
I was looking for the clip in Wayne's World where Rob Lowe's character asks Garth (Dana Carvey) what he thinks of the changes to Wayne's World as it goes corporate. In the clip, Garth replies to Rob Lowe, "Change? We fear change." I see that as all too … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: Real Estate and Restaurants... - 07/05/08 05:10 PM
Does it seem odd to compare the disparate industries?
Real Estate and Restaurants...
It is actually more of a contrast... There is something that the real estate industry, from the giant franchises all of the way down to hyper-local "Mom and Pop" shops, could learn. And it comes from all sorts … (12 comments)
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business of real estate: Changing Brokerages? Focus? Just Keeping Up? - 07/05/08 02:45 PM
If you are, you might not have thought about something that is VERY important... Social media and online ads... the old ones.
That's right. I sat down and started looking at everywhere I had promoted myself... and the list started to get long. And when I ran a search in Google, … (10 comments)
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business of real estate: Mission Impossible? - 07/04/08 11:43 PM
Mr. Bailey, you did a pretty fair job creating a listing blog for a listing that was almost $1m.
So now we have a challenge for you...
Your mission, should you decide to accepti it is to take a more normal priced property... priced under $200k, and create a … (10 comments)
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business of real estate: The "blossom" of Social Marketing... - 06/28/08 10:13 PM
For many types of marketing activities that are performed over time, there is a blossom.
If you have done direct mail or blogged for a while, you might have noticed it. As Satch Carlson like to say... "nothing.. nothing... nothing.... JET BLAST." You know. You are putting it out there for … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: Would $1M be a good price? - 06/24/08 12:09 AM
I talked with a home owner (potential seller?) not long ago about listing their home. It was a beatiful home. Nice neighborhood. Good schools. Well decorated. I was not talking with them specifically about listing. It wasn't a house I wanted to list... No garage space. But, this particular person wanted … (26 comments)
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business of real estate: Disassemble, rebuild, test, repeat... - 06/21/08 11:35 PM
Auto restoration, real estate, diet... whatever.
It's all about building the system, examining the system, testing the system...
and doing it all over again...
and again... and again.
I am building a Jeepster/Commando from the ground up. Currently I am building a frame. I know that in order to … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: And Steve deserves a bit, too... - 06/17/08 12:31 PM
In case you missed my last post, I congratulated Matt Fagioli and the team at Diamond Dwellings for making the finalist's list for the Inman Innovator Awards.
Well, they aren't the only ones...
One of my vendors also made the list. Obeo. And if you don't know who they are... you … (10 comments)
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business of real estate: Give it up for Matt... - 06/17/08 12:09 PM
Fellow A|R guy, Matt Fagioli has hit the big-time. He isn't going to say so, but I will.
Diamond Dwellings is listed as a finalist in the 2008 Inman Innovator Awards for Brokerage or Franchise. They are in some pretty heady company, too. Other finalists include Chase International, Sawbuck, Redfin and … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: A little more noise is a good thing. - 06/06/08 05:12 PM
This is a repost from Thursday's LaneBailey.com blog. Fellow A|R member, Steve Stearns wanted to profile me for his blog (both on A|R and outside) because of the marketing program I put together for 9010 Brixham Court. So, feel free to visit his A|R blog (it continues on the outside blog) … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: A lot going on... Lane and the AJC - 06/06/08 05:05 PM
This is reposted from my LaneBailey.com blog. This was my post there on Wednesday. Things have been kind of busy the last few days here in the garage... And that is usually a good thing... and it is.
Earlier today I had a conversation with a reporter from the Atlanta … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: I got the nasty email... I'm not fair! - 05/31/08 08:06 PM
That's right. I don't play fair.
I wish I knew who sent it. I'd like to call and set the record straight.
I DON'T play fair.
My job isn't to play fair, my job is to present MY seller's home better than competing listings. My job isn't to play fair, it … (25 comments)
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business of real estate: And the worst part is that it is... - 05/24/08 09:26 PM
... from REALTOR Magazine.
In the June 2008 issue, on page 42, there is the following statement.
Tip 3: Build in a preset price reduction. While all our practitioners agreed that arriving at the right price the first time is the goal, sometimes you have to be a little more flexible, … (11 comments)
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business of real estate: Anatomy of a CMA, Part II - 05/24/08 08:18 PM
In Part I, I detailed just what a CMA was and how how to look at it.
In this episode, I am going to talk about how is is put together.
Very carefully.
This is not a science, although there is a bit of science involved. And any appraiser or agent … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: Anatomy of a CMA, Part I - 05/24/08 07:55 PM
Pretty much ANY real estate agent you use... with the exception of some of the limited service brokers that just put your listing on the MLS when your credit card payment clears... perform some sort of CMA on your property prior to listing.
But what IS a CMA?
That is a … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: The white flag is waving, and... - 05/23/08 09:45 PM
Not the surrender flag, but the white flag denoting the last lap of the race. And it has been a marathon.
It has been a month in the making. There are a lot of details that will only come out over a cold drink in a dark room, but let me … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: Bribes for the Broker Caravan? - 05/17/08 10:28 AM
I'm really curious about this...
Every single day I get emails announcing Broker Tours or Broker Open Houses for properties where there is some "inducement" to show up.
Gas Cards
Grab Bags
Food
Gift Cards
Chances to Win Trips
Shopping Sprees
Does this really work? To get something more than just … (19 comments)
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business of real estate: What Technology do I think consumers want? - 05/16/08 09:44 PM
And if you are a consumer, I'd LOVE for you to post up with your desires here...
Generally, there are three classes of technology I am going to talk about:
Stuff I am currently working into the mix.
Stuff I will be looking closely at working into future listings.
Things that … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: Style points count... - 05/03/08 10:51 PM
A few weeks ago, I posted a video about my son getting new hockey skates. He was a proud little boy with those new skates. At “not quite 4″ he has decided that he wants to play hockey, and he has enthusiastically gone to skating lessons for the last 14 weeks. … (7 comments)
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business of real estate: So many Social Networks... I'll show you mine - 04/24/08 10:34 PM
So, I announced a while ago that I was building a Social Networking Strategy. Well, part of that strategy is integrating all of the various networks so that consumers can follow me from one to another. If they find me on Twitter, I want them to know about my blog. If … (8 comments)
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business of real estate: Monday, marketing Monday... - 04/14/08 10:48 PM
I think there is one thing that many real estate agents... and many sellers... forget when building a marketing plan for a house.
The intended audience has a population of one...
And that doesn't just mean the advertising and copy-writing. It can even mean the presentation of the home. Staging. Decor.
Street of … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: Pump up the sunshine, dance, dance...? - 04/08/08 03:42 PM
Earlier, Audrey June-Forshey posted a Member's Only blog taking listing agents to task for the attitude when presenting offers to their sellers. In essence, her point was that we needed to present those offers in a positive light. I didn't completely agree. There were some very good point, and the comments … (30 comments)
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business of real estate: I give up... - 04/01/08 09:28 AM
That's right.
The tide is overwhelming. I have to give in to the peer pressure. Why should I try so hard to be different?
Everyone says that I need to have my picture there instead of an impersonal logo. That is what everyone else does to be memorable. The average agent sets … (25 comments)
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business of real estate: Ego? Marketing? or Just 'cuz everyone else does it? - 03/30/08 12:13 PM
I've been wondering about this for a while... and I've done it, too... but that is changing (and before I saw this).
Why do real estate agents insist on having their picture on everything? And I'm not even going to hit the 35 year old pictures or those that are seriously retouched... … (130 comments)
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business of real estate: A tale of two photographers - 03/26/08 10:20 PM
Back when I first moved to Atlanta, I was a photo assistant. My job was to assist commercial photographers in putting together photo shoots. I did everything from sweeping the floor and taking out the trash to lighting design and film tracking. With some photographers, I actually pulled the trigger and … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: Seller Seminar Survey - 03/26/08 12:26 PM
I posted a couple of days ago here, and yesterday on LaneBailey.com about an idea I had for a Seller Seminar.
As things like this have a tendency to do, it has changed even in the last 24 hours. People that have sold homes previously, but not that recently, or in … (2 comments)
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business of real estate: First time sellers? - 03/23/08 11:02 PM
We see so many seminars for first time buyers. Everyone and their assistant it seems has a seminar for first time buyers. They bring in a mortgage pro, perhaps an inspector, and talk about the issues that people face the first time they buy a house.
I think it is a … (20 comments)
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business of real estate: I had a marketing thought... - 03/22/08 08:34 PM
Scary, I know.
Ok, a couple of caveats.
Atlanta area agents, don't steal this from me yet... I'm kicking it around in my head. I haven't talked to anyone about this yet, so if it is stupid... give me the opportunity to find someone to blame.I don't know if it would fly … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: Gwinnett County numbers for 4+ car garage homes interesting - 03/19/08 09:55 PM
I needed to run some numbers today from just 4+ car garage homes. The numbers were pretty interesting.
So, if you are paying attention, you might notice a lot of mixed signals. But, what I am seeing is that while the Single Family Residential numbers overall are currently pointing to about 104 … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: The Real Estate Alchemist, Part III - 03/16/08 10:48 AM
This one has been kicking around in my head for a few days. I read this around the same time that I read the info for the previous installments of The Real Estate Alchemist. (I & II). As I read it, it was troubling me. I know that from what I … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: Should we sell our own homes? - 03/15/08 09:44 PM
Ok, not today...
Seriously, though. I ran across a post by Cynthia Tilghman asking if we would hire ourselves. It gave me a different thought though. I hinted at it in my response to her.
She asked if we would... If we looked right, and said the right things.
But, SHOULD … (16 comments)
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business of real estate: The Real Estate Alchemist... Part II - 03/13/08 11:13 AM
Continuing the series...
In this episode, we are going to look at seller offered commission to the buyer's agent. At the Redfin Corporate Blog, there was a recent post titled Typical is Boring, but When Selling a Home, Effective.
In the post, they compared days on market and list price/selling price ratios … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: The Real Estate Alchemist... Part I - 03/13/08 10:37 AM
I decided I needed a new series.
Redfin has a series they call the "Real Estate Scientist":
The Real Estate Scientist is Redfin's program to develop data-driven best practices for buying and selling homes. This guidance is based on the best academic research and our own analyses of listing databases and website … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: Into the mailbag VI... Why didn't my house sell? - 03/05/08 11:18 PM
I admit that this wasn't an email into my inbox. But, it is a question that I have received, investigated, and actually seek out.
Lane, we had our house on the market for ___ months. Why didn't it sell?
There is an easy answer, and a not very easy answer. First I'll … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: Want to destroy the economy and dreams of home ownership? - 03/05/08 01:47 PM
It's pretty easy...
House of Representatives Democrat John Conyers of Michigan knows how to do it. He has outlined a simple plan.
Allow bankruptcy judges to set aside mortgage balances in favor of "good faith attempt" to pay off mortgages... and the borrower gets to keep the house. While the plan … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: Timing is everything... maybe - 02/29/08 02:44 PM
We all know about the stock market crash of 1929. Bubble heads have tried to compare the run up in housing prices to the stock market crash for the last several years. Maybe they have a point... maybe not. This isn't about that. This is about what people DON'T know as … (2 comments)
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business of real estate: Hey Mortgage people... What do you think? - 02/23/08 09:32 PM
Did you see the post yesterday on Hot Topic?
Unintended consequences of regulating mortgage brokers
Unintended consequences seem to be one of the themes I keep coming back to.
Government, doing things that are designed to sound good for the news crews and the uninitiated, doesn't often accomplish the desired effect. The … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: I've heard voices... - 02/23/08 11:06 AM
And they were smart voices.
Wandering around in the Rain, there have been scores of bloggers pointing out that the federal government trying to "fix" the foreclosure crisis. Now, Inman News is saying the same thing. (the link will only be good until it goes behind the curtain)
Most families facing … (10 comments)
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business of real estate: Licensing requirements may be damaging our business... - 02/21/08 10:11 AM
This isn't the first time I've written about this, but recently, after reading a post by Lenn Harley, called HOW TO SUCCEED IN REAL ESTATE, GET REINTERMEDIATED. It got me thinking.
As many of you may know, I am a car guy. So, I will use a car reference. As mentioned … (12 comments)
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business of real estate: What is it with ugly websites? - 02/16/08 01:06 PM
Apparently they work...
As I was wandering through Seth Godin's blog the other day, I saw him mention it. I saw it a few months ago on a design forum. I noticed a mention on Real Estate Webmasters. It has almost become common knowledge.
The sites that are getting massive traffic are … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: And the crowd went wild... - 02/15/08 12:01 AM
I went to a hockey game last night... shocker.
But, during the period intermission they had a special treat. There were several different ages of players. In each bracket, there was a goalie and a shooter. The shooter did his best three shoot-out runs, and the goalie tried to keep him … (20 comments)
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business of real estate: You want options? I have options... - 02/09/08 02:58 PM
If you are a homeowner that wants to sell your home, I probably have an option that will work for you.
If you are comfortable handling things yourself, but want:
To be listed on both local MLSsTo be listed on a load of other sites, like Century21.com and our relocation networkTo be … (2 comments)
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business of real estate: Low income housing... a different take - 02/06/08 12:56 PM
Spurred by a blurb on today's REALTOR(R) Magazine Daily, I got to thinking about low income housing. for those that have read a few of my posts, you may think that I am unfriendly towards low income housing... but quite the opposite is true.
Not only do I think that low … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: A Wall Streeter's take on the Housing Crisis... and - 02/06/08 11:00 AM
... how it is affecting the overall economy. This is a great post, but I will admit it is pretty deep.. not casual reading. Matt Heaton might like it (agreeing or disagreeing... I think he will like the depth). Here are a few excerpts, but I would recommend visiting the post … (6 comments)
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business of real estate: I now have my new logo - 01/31/08 07:04 PM
I got the first draft back in November... actually while I was at the NAR Convention in Vegas. It has obviously been a long road. And, while it isn't perfect... yet... I am quite happy with the concept. I have installed a small version on my website, and will be … (18 comments)
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business of real estate: They are not helping... - 01/30/08 04:16 PM
From the Wall Street Journal, via today's REALTOR(R) Magazine Daily News...
Daily Real Estate News | January 30, 2008Builder Sues for Return of CommissionsA builder of luxury condominiums in Florida has sued real estate practitioners, seeking to force them to return the 3 percent commissions paid to them for selling 24 condos on which … (12 comments)
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business of real estate: How are people using their mobile devices? - 01/26/08 01:47 PM
I have had a wide variety of people in the car lately. Through volunteering for the NHL, I have been interacting with some players, owners, musicians and others. Oddly, there is one thing I have noticed that I hadn't seen previously...
Texting.
Seriously.
Players that are 23 years old are sitting in the … (17 comments)
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business of real estate: Lessons from NHL transport... - 01/26/08 01:34 PM
For anyone paying attention to my other blog, you already know that I am driving NHL VIPs around during the All-Star festivities here in Atlanta. I'm picking up players, owners, celebrities and Hall of Fame players. It's a blast...
But I am learning a few things.
Here are the links for details … (3 comments)
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business of real estate: Let's link to seemingly unrelated stories - 01/18/08 01:07 PM
While glancing through today's REALTOR(R) Magazine Daily News Brief, there were two stories that jumped out at me. One was a call to action, and the other looked like the groundwork for a call to action later...
The first was: Withholding Mortgage Help Could Hurt Everybody. Among other things, it said:
The Center … (11 comments)
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business of real estate: Are you a seller with an expired listing? (poll) - 01/17/08 10:52 AM
Ok, I'm teasing a little.. The poll is on my website.
I am trying to look at expired listings and see what went wrong, from the perspective of the seller. I have struggled with whether I should post the link directly to the poll, but have decided that I should.
I … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: New home construction drops 25% in 2007... It's about time! - 01/17/08 10:06 AM
When I logged on to the computer this morning, I ran across this story from Yahoo News. It is from the Ap, and basically says that in 2007, new home construction dropped 24.8% from 2006 levels. That is the highest drop since 1980... when interest rates on mortgages were worse than … (11 comments)
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business of real estate: A better real estate video - 01/17/08 09:37 AM
We Rock Chicago - Curb Cut Media - Chicago, IL 60646Here is a better real estate video. It is well worth the time to take a look. Whether we like it or not, this is the wave of the future.
While over at Real Estate Radio yesterday, I ran across this story … (38 comments)
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business of real estate: Idiot move of the week, Cleveland suing banks - 01/12/08 12:26 PM
Here's your card...
According to the Columbus Dispatch, the city of Cleveland is suing 21 banks that loaned money in their inner city areas, saying:
...subprime lending in inner-city neighborhoods has created a public nuisance that hurt property values and city tax collections.The story goes on to say:
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in … (22 comments)
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business of real estate: New Year's Resolutions... - 01/01/08 02:42 PM
One thing I have learned in my life is that when I publish something, and publicize it, I have to follow through... let's try it with the least likely to follow through of all events...
New Year's Resolutions
I just have a couple... in order to make it likely that I will succeed. … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: I think it's high time I answer for my predictions... - 12/29/07 08:03 PM
Is It Time to Buy? Revisited...
Back in June I reprinted an article that I actually wrote just over a year ago. I originally wrote it in November 2006, and republished it here and on my blog in June 2007.
Here is a link to Is It Time To Buy?
Well, if you … (2 comments)
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business of real estate: Say it until it's true!!!... NOT - 12/26/07 10:11 PM
While researching yesterday’s blog entry, I ran across this little tidbit. Frankly, it p***es me off. I am proud to be a member of the NAR. I think that there is a place for a strong voice both for real estate professionals, and to champion the issues for increasing home ownership … (48 comments)
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business of real estate: Housing apocolypse revisited - 12/25/07 09:37 PM
I ran across a post on Active Rain that pointed me to an outside article that talks about the need for at least a 20% reduction in home prices in order for families to be able to afford to buy. Well, I love it when there are specific claims and statistics. … (3 comments)
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business of real estate: Sometimes doing the right thing hurts - 12/21/07 01:12 PM
I started by explaining in Everybody put your heads down on your desk... how we got to this ugly spot in the road where we see the paths of:
Government intervention in loansorA rush of foreclosuresIn this installment, I'm going to outline the case for why it is the wrong thing for … (8 comments)
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business of real estate: Everybody put your heads down on your desk... - 12/20/07 02:41 PM
Do you remember those words from grade school? The big kid from the back of the class shot a spitball at the teacher, and so everyone got the same punishment. There were 29 kids in the class that didn’t do anything, but they still got the same treatment. What’s worse is … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Hockey... and real estate - 12/18/07 11:56 PM
Back to the stretches…
We just got back from the Thrashers/Lightning game. The Thrashers were on fire (for a change) and Tampa Bay 6-2. Everything worked. Passes connected. Bounces went the right way. The calls were pretty good. For the Thrashers, anyway…
Here are the highlights from last night's game. We … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: Let's blame the media... or not... - 12/17/07 07:32 PM
This is not inspired by Ken "not the meteorologist" Cook, but I did read his post a little earlier, Did The Media Cause This, Fuel This, or Just Report It? That said, I did mention this post in the comments there, because they are related... Great minds think alike... ours do … (8 comments)
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business of real estate: I wonder how this will affect DoJ v. NAR - 12/17/07 05:59 PM
In today's REALTOR(R) Magazine Daily News, I saw that an FTC complaint against an MLS in SE MI was tossed by an administrative court judge. Here is the brief from RMDN:
An administrative law judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed a complaint by the Federal Trade Commission against Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Realcomp … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Wow, we are in front of the curve on something... - 12/17/07 05:42 PM
During my evening reading, I came across Seth Godin's latest blog entry, Meatballs and permeability. In it, one of the things he mentions is outsourcing. And there is so much whining in the world over outsourcing, but this is the good kind... mostly.
Seth says"
"A few decades ago, Tom Peters argued … (8 comments)
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business of real estate: MLS? Zillow? Trulia? - 12/13/07 12:46 PM
I ran across a blog post by Jay Thompson regarding a story in the Wall Street Journal about on-line home searches. He noted that in his area the WSJ had it wrong. He researched the numbers for the local MLS, Trulia and Zillow. His findings were that Zillow only showed about … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: Is a clear sky blue? - 12/10/07 03:07 PM
Sitting down this morning getting my Fox News fix, I noticed a release by the NAR that has me re-thinking a position I have taken...
Here is the link to the NAR news release. To summarize, the position the NAR takes is that housing will start to pick up in 2008. Existing … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: Making the change, from Blogger to WordPress - 12/10/07 10:32 AM
It is a big change for me. I started seriously blogging back in June on Active Rain. In July I picked up Blogger (Blogspot). I wanted an outside platform that would be more configurable. But, everything was fine with Blogger. I changed the theme a bit to better fit with … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Thoughts on the Foreclosure Bailout - 12/08/07 01:31 PM
Everyone has weighed in with their opinions about the proposed government bailout of some of the 1.2 million people facing foreclosure... I guess I'll toss out my nickel (side thought... if everyone that has offered an opinion actually gave up the nickel, WE could bail out the people facing foreclosure...)
I don't … (3 comments)
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business of real estate: Rock Crawling and realty... - 12/08/07 12:37 AM
I am about to perform a feat of magic... I am going to combine two such different things, that you won't believe I was able to actually pull it off...
In the first corner, we have a real estate transaction. Just about every time a home changes hands, there are obstacles and … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: Market update for Gwinnett County, October/November 2007 - 12/07/07 04:09 PM
As I announced back in the middle of November, there is going to be a format change beginning this month. I will be including Absorbtion Rates in the market reports now. This will give a clearer picture of the direction of the market, as well as help bring a bit … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Dingell... YOU ARE AN IDIOT! - 12/06/07 11:51 PM
If you haven't been paying attention, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) has floated an idea to eliminate the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction for homes over 3000 square feet.
His points are:
The HMID "costs" US taxpayers $100,000,000/year. McMansions are wasteful and contribute to global warming.It would reduce sprawl, and save energy in multiple … (8 comments)
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business of real estate: Scholarship twarted, but not abandoned - 12/06/07 02:32 PM
Call me the King of Plan B…
As always, I try to have a plan B. This one still needs more development, but I am getting there.
I have been trying to work with Parkview High School here in Gwinnett County for the last several weeks on a $1000 scholarship for … (4 comments)
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business of real estate: I know... it's officially a rut! - 12/05/07 08:51 PM
This is yet another technology post... and there are so many other things I want to blog about... but I just can't move past this until I get it out. I'll include a bonus for those few of you that stick it our for a few minutes.
It all starts out … (9 comments)
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business of real estate: Just when you think you got it licked... - 12/04/07 02:23 PM
(I thought about naming this Adventures in Web Management Part 715)
So, last week I found a GREAT theme for my Joomla site, www.GarageHomesUSA.com. It is really cool out of the box, and it has a lot of room for mods that I wanted to do anyway. So, I figure...
I got … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Another in the never ending series of posts about building a website... Part ZCXII - 12/01/07 10:38 AM
I think I have done around 121,894 posts about building my website... Ok, maybe not, but it seems like it.
Last night I crashed it. Bad. Like off-line for hours bad.
But, I learned (or was reminded about) a few things.
Always back up files before making changes. I did, and … (16 comments)
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business of real estate: Boy, I'd almost consider running to answer this one... - 11/28/07 09:56 PM
So, it's like this...
First, the video is only 27 seconds long, so feel free to watch.
Now, let me tackle the answer.
Jamie, there isn't a quick and easy answer to the question, but it looks like you think there should be from your video. But, let's look at the causes, … (10 comments)
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business of real estate: Free Milk. Get your Free Milk!! - 11/28/07 09:54 AM
I had an interesting conversation. it was interesting for many and varied reasons.
There were three people gathered in place that were familiar with my blog... and I was only one of them.Only one of them was familiar with Active Rain... me again.One of them was an honest to goodness consumer. … (11 comments)
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business of real estate: Hockey, a three year old and Twitter... - 11/26/07 07:38 PM
So, I took a little break from working on the business to play hockey with my son. At three and a half, he has quite the slapshot. When he is accurate, that thing is pretty hard to stop. Especially when you consider that he is shooting with a plastic golf … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: Housing Starts down slightly, but Multi-Family are up... - 11/25/07 09:09 PM
So, what does that mean? First, let me toss out the original story.
Daily Real Estate News | November 21, 2007 Home Starts Up, Mostly Due to Multi-FamilyU.S. home builders broke ground on more apartment buildings in October, driving housing starts up 3 percent to an unexpected seasonally adjusted rate of 1.229 … (5 comments)
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business of real estate: But it's a Tradition... - 11/23/07 10:20 AM
Thanksgiving is a time that we look back over the year and think of all of the wonderful things that we have to be thankful for. It is also a time for us to enjoy being with our families. And, being with family always gets the wayback machine firing on all … (0 comments)
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business of real estate: Another step to paperlessness!! - 11/22/07 07:52 PM
And a big step it is.
I picked up a tablet computer a few years ago. Seduced by the cool marketing and all of the smurfy cool junk I would be able to do, I plunked down enough money to buy a decent parts car for a little silver swiveling box. … (27 comments)
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business of real estate: Get 10% off at Lowe's! - 11/21/07 08:10 PM
Are you looking to buy or sell a home in Gwinnett and surrounding areas of Georgia? If so, I have a deal for you.
Sign up for my email list, and I'll send you a 10% discount coupon for Lowe's.
It's that easy. Seriously. Ok, it does mean that you have … (2 comments)
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