YourBestHomeBlog.com

The Final Product - Finally

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:45:01 -0600

After our remodelling project, I lost my steam to blog. There were so many un-done details from Kid's Home work to Client's needs that I turned my focus elsewhere.

Then, to have the kitchen clean enough for great pictures? That took me a while too.

Here's the end product. I love that some cabinet doors meet each other flush and others have a stile between them. We noticed immediately that we needed to add an island. The distance betwween the cooking area and the clean-up sink felt cavernous. We love our new kitchen and would do it again in a heartbeat.

The 14 foot island front was used to make our new island. Both cabinets on the side of the sink are used and the panty and above the sink are new. We used the old refrigerator cabinet and oven cabinet.

The cook area is mostly used cabinets including the corner piece. There was even a cabinet for a second sink.

This hutch is new. It replaces the desk wasn't a useful piece of furniture in our old kitchen.

Looking for Reluctant Political Activists

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:09:42 -0500

I am a small business person - a REALTOR(R) just like you. I have usually held conservative views on politics. I have never been active in politics. You know - "Never talk politics or religion." This past year I meet more and more women like ME saying to themselves: "I have never been so worried about our country"; "I am worried my kids will have to pay outrageous taxes to cover this spending"; "If I don't speak up, who will?".

My dilemma was this: I don't want to yack/blog/talk about it over and over. I WANT TO DO SOMETHING. So I found a website where the leaders give me knowledge i need (including ways to contact the right representatives/senators) and I found SmartGirlPolitics.org.

I'm looking for the other realtors who want to do their little part to add up to a big voice! I started a group called SmartGirlPolitics which is based on the grassroots site called SmartGirlPolitics.org. Its a group that educates and empowers. I love that idea. Its not just for ONE political party but it is conservative in its fiscal views.

How Will Cap and Trade Effect Your Real Estate Business?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:14:42 -0500

Contact your representative with your ideas! Emails, letters and phone calls work!

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):

Real estate is local when it comes to market conditions and market trends. Real estate differs from region to region in styles, architecture and amenities generally speaking. For instance; in Florida fireplaces are not the norm whereas in cold winter areas such as Colorado, fireplaces are a standard addition to a home. In some areas of our country people have wood burning stoves and others have coal burning furnaces. There are areas of our country such as here in Florida where you would not dare live without Air Conditioning but in many homes in Washington for instance, air conditioning is more of a luxury than a necessity.

So when we are discussing the effects of cap and trade in your real estate business you will need to take into account the region in which you live as some areas will be more effected than others.

Here is a really good interactive map from the New York Times. The map I posted below is the map of the votes in the House for and against the Cap and Tax bill that just passed the House. But if you click on the link of the New York Times map, it is interactive.

You can move your mouse over the map and see who voted, what party they belong to and their district. You will be able to see that no matter whether they were democrats or republicans if they are in the farm country of America, high manufacturing areas of America, low energy bills of America and the heartland of America- they voted NO on this bill and for very good reasons.

"For a household of four, energy costs go up $436 that year, and they eventually reach $1,241 in 2035 and average $829 annually over that span. Electricity costs go up 90 percent by 2035, gasoline by 58 percent, and natural gas by 55 percent by 2035. The cumulative higher energy costs for a family of four by then will be nearly $20,000.

But direct energy costs are only part of the consumer impact. Nearly everything goes up, since higher energy costs raise production costs. If you look at the total cost of Waxman-Markey, it works out to an average of $2,979 annually from 2012-2035 for a household of four. By 2035 alone, the total cost is over $4,600." Heritage Foundation.

You will notice that the states where the votes were yes are also the states that already have the highest energy bills. The states that voted no are mostly states with presently low energy bills.

Instead of calling this to Cap and Trade- We can really call it the Tax On Electricity Bill.

How does this information pertain to real estate agents? If you live in the lower energy pricing states you are going to be seeing huge increases in household energy bills. If you live in states that are coal powered or oil powered you will see the largest increases ever in your energy bills because those energy sources are going to be punished with taxation.

How is that going to effect home prices?

How is that going to effect movement in and out of your state?

How is that going to effect your real estate office utility bills and who is going to pay for this?

The House is at it again. This was a 1,300 page bill and again as with so many large bills was not read by most of those that voted yes or no. What is it that they don't get? The American people expect our leaders to read what they vote on.

So what else is tucked away neatly into this bill that perhaps no one knows the full implications of yet?

How about the Federal imposition and takeover of building codes? Your local planning and building offices will not be qualified for any Federal funding of any kind unless they adopt what the FEDS say is the new energy efficient building standards. This will create higher prices in building new homes which is then passed on the homebuyers and then you as a real estate agent are also effected because less buyers will be able to afford to buy a new home built . Not to mention having to wait for the Feds to come and inspect the builders and the homes.

How about the new Federal Energy Nazis Inspectors who will come and rate your home before you can sell your home. So before you can list a home for sale, the seller will have to wait for the Federal inspectors to come out. DMV lines anyone? Once that inspector comes out, he or she will give the home an energy rating. If the home does not meet the guidelines the seller will be required to do the work necessary to bring the home up to energy standards before they can sell the home! Can we say money? Does that mean that there will be homeowners who will become prisoners in their homes because they can not afford to make the energy repairs that the feds require? Is that an invasion of your privacy as well as an attack on your property rights?

Hmmm, how is that going to effect short sales where the seller has no money to make the repairs and adjustments?

How is that going to effect your ability to get listings in a timely manner?

How is that going to effect your seller who is about to lose their home in a foreclosure?

How is that going to effect the seller who has to relocate for their job?

How is that going to effect the estates with heirs having to do these repairs and such when there won't be any money until the estate is sold?

I wonder if our House of Representatives and our Congress men and women EVER thought to actually ask us in the field working this business day in and day out how these bills will effect the housing market?

Of course, the US will be living Cap and Tax while the real perpetrators of dirty air like China and India get off scott free. There will be an unfair advantage in pricing products and manufacturing to the point that if a US company even stands a chance of staying in the manufacturing business will have no choice but to move their company oversees which in turn will cause a massive layoff of people increasing the already high unemployment problem we are facing in our country.

How will the unemployment effect your real estate business?

How will the unemployment effect the REOs and massive foreclosures in your community?

How will the unemployment effect home values as you get more and more vacant properties in your area?

If you are an agent in America's farmland you will begin to see farms no longer being able to produce a profit. Farms use a lot of energy. Energy use will be punished. This is why nearly every politician from a farm land state no matter what party they are affiliated with voted no to this bill. Their districts will suffer terribly. As this happens we will be buying more and more produce from other countries with far less health standards than our own. I don't trust foods, especially produce from China or other countries except Europe. But we don't import our veggies from Europe!

How is this going to effect your real esate business if you live and work in a farm land state?

When it comes down to the nitty and the gritty about this bill you must remember that GE is the biggest supporter of this bill. They stand to make billions of dollars from the passage of this bill. The politicians voting yes on this bill, many of them are getting paid to vote yes. And Al Gore will become the very first GREEN billionaire. It is just too bad that he is not a real capitalist. He could not become a billionaire playing fair and square. Instead, he has an unfair advantage, legislation to make him filthy rich. Not exactly the free market way. It is all about the money.

Contact your Senators now to vote NO now. Click on this link to find your Senators and contact them by email, phone and fax today. Let them know how this is going to effect your business and your community homeowners and buyers. Pass this on...

Habitat kitchen is empty and ready for used/new cabinets

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:44:59 -0500

Living without the kitchen is hard as most will tell you. But the good thing about HoldenBrothersCustomCabinets is this: their goal is to only leave their customers without a kitchen for approximately two weeks. Since they also do the granite/quartz or marble countertops through their sister company, FranklinStonedesign, they are better able to coordinate the process!

We're cooking with gas now!

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:42:13 -0500

We are bringing down the wall. Mitchell and Jamie with THE Construction did a great job of keeping the mess down during this construction job. We are still living in this area - whether it was a good idea or not. With four kids, we tried to keep the days without a kitchen down to a minimum.

I am serving as my own general contractor and I am getting a feel for how much skill and effort is involved with that job. (Be kind to your favorite GC and don't fuss about their fees!) I had to make an emergency call to Rains Electric to take the wiring out of this wall. Who knew that had to be done before we could pull out those studs?!? :-)

Habitat Cabinets - Oh where oh where will they go?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:09:19 -0500

In a previous post, I started my story of supporting Habitat for Humanity through my kitchen remodel.

Step one: Buy some used custom cabinets to support Habitat for Humanity. Don't forget the Nautilus Set, too, just in case you didn't EVER want to put your car in the garage!! (See Nautilus set for middle-aged Realtor and husband!)

Step Two: Meet with Season at Holden Brothers Custom Cabinets to decide to take down a wall, piece the used cabinets together like a puzzle and build a few more pieces for the complete kitchen.

On the way, you hope you are saving money but realize through the process that you are saving a good amount but not a great amount. Realize that we are: Re-using, re-cycling and supporting Habitat.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When taking out the wall, get Michael Garman at GEC Engineering to take a peak and give you instructions for said removing of wall.

Here's the Den wall and below is the kitchen wall.

NEXT: Its time for Tom Huffaker's crew with THE Construction (615.394.6736) to bring down that wall!!!!!

Habitat for Humanity - Introduction to our Kitchen Project!

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:00:20 -0500

Have you ever had a moment when you thought you might really need some more adult supervision? That's how I felt about my husband and me when we decided to buy used, custom cabinets from our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore Home Goods store. What were we thinking? Hopefully, we are creating a story of:

Re-cycling and Re-use
Support for Habitat for Humanity
A little cost savings on a kitchen remodel (definitely TBD!)

I had already contacted Holden Brothers Custom Cabinets in Franklin, TN to get our kitchen remodel going. So I called Season, my kitchen designer, to take a look at my bounty. For $5,000 we got a room full of custom cabinets plus the 10+ year old appliances - except that big 'ole Sub-zero fridge.

I said to Season, "Feel free to tell me 'NO WAY', but I have a crazy idea." Season confirmed that this was actually a great deal and that she could work the puzzle pieces together. We are off and running!

When I went back to ReStore, there were murmurs of "Oh, there's the lady who got the kitchen." They were a little jealous!

Next episode: Where, oh where will these cab-in-ets go? Oh where, oh where will they go!

Here are the pictures of the kitchen "pre-demo" in its original 1990s home:

Having Call "RELUCTANCE"?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:13:58 -0500

Doesn't the phone seem to weigh about 100 pounds some days? Calling those expireds, those fsbos (unrepresented buyers), and friends. I'm excited about a new class I'm going to take with my old friend, Michael Friedman. He has coached me in the past and is my current coach.

He is working with John Alexandrov on a new program called "Your Call to Success" which addresses: FEAR OF MAKING CALLS! CALL RELUCTANCE! OH NO! The names for the 12 types of call reluctance are great: "Telephone Terror" or "Social Class Apprehension" or maybe its "The Conceder". They make me laugh - except that they kind of hit a little close to home - OUCH.

I can't wait to find out how this goes - I'll report to you. If you want to find out more, go to www.YourCalltoSuccess.com. (Its really not that expensive - $147- $397).

Wikimapia.org

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:45:09 -0500

Wikipedia is not a verified source for my kids at school. Their teachers will not let them use it as a source in their research papers. It is content created by the public (could there be something wrong with this formula? I guess I won't go there.) Wikimapia.org appears to be its cousin. Local content by anyone who cares to add verbage. It has aerial photos of major city areas.

I first discovered it when I was google-ing "Nippers Corner". Do you know what comes up right now when I google "Nippers Corner"? Curse words by someone in Nippers Corner about Brentwood drivers. Yuck. Apparently, on wikimapia.org, you can highlight buildings and give them names, like "Kroger" or "The Snappy Tomato". And then you can leave comments.

Good members of activerain.com and friends of YourBestHomeSearch.com - put GOOD comments on Wikimapia.org! For the sake of your neighborhood google searches!

My how home inspections have changed over the years......

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:13:06 -0500

I didn't realize how much they have changed until I had a client who had been out of the country for 7 years and had not purchased an American home for almost 10 years.

Inspectors are licensed now! This is fabulous news for all concerned. It also means that inspectors are more thorough and they follow my rigorous standards. Buyers who haven't purchased in a while will can think the home they are buying is a disaster - IF they are comparing this report to one from years ago. Years ago - who knows???? The inspector may have been a stockboy at a hardware store and now considered himself/herself worthy of the INSPECTOR title. But not now: inspectors are licensed!

Most inspectors want to give you a report that includes maintenance items for when you move in the home. For example, 30 year old doorknobs may be loose and not operating properly. But you probably aren't expecting the seller to replace them all. The inspector will point it out - FOR EACH ROOM. Wow, it makes for a lot of line items and pictures and a big report. Its ok. An inspector now has a duty to point out everything ... and I mean everything.

PICTURES and more pictures. Formerly, a buyer might have heard there were 10-year old water stains (not damage) in the crawlspace from a water leak. Fixed. Not a problem. The end. But actually seeing that blackness on the wood - UGH! It feels dirty and can have an effect on the buyer. Of course, the pictures are good. I always want to put things in perspective for the buyer, though. Any house that has some age on it will have a leaky toilet or something in the course of its life. Just something to remember.

If you are a first time buyer or you are buying a home for the first time in several years, please note: your inspection report could be hazardous to your blissful buying mood! Keep things in perspective so that you don't talk yourself out of a home that will provide you with years of happiness. The next one you try to buy - it may have black stains under the brand-new, 30-year, architectural shingle roof. They will be ugly, too, but, by golly, I bet that roof isn't leaking now!

Home Inspectors - No hysteria please?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:58:46 -0500

Thanks Richard for inviting me to this group. I have a sincere question to ask the inspector members of our group.

How can you fulfill your licensed-duty and, at the same time, put the proper perspective on things for the buyer?

I had an inspection that was very thorough. 90 pages worth. Don't know how many pictures. It started with a picture of the house dog and warned that there may be dog hairs in the home and, thus, an aggravation for allergies. This is ok, but.... Every doorknob on the 30 year old house was loose. Yes, they are 30 years old. What's the proper way to point these things out?

I want my buyers to know everything. I am a good realtor. However, a house that is 30 years old is, well, OLDER. How do you maintain the perspective that is appropriate? This house inspection report will NOT look like the inspection on a 1-year old house.

Much appreciated from an inspection-negotiation weary realtor.

What's your city's ATTITUDE ZIP CODE?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:45:16 -0500

Every city has that special zip code - the one that's more than a place to live. Its an attitude. In Nashville, I've seen the bumper sticker for "37215: Its an attitude". Don't you love it? Such pride of ownership! I've seen similar sayings on a t-shirt in the Buckhead area in Atlanta, GA.

37215 is home of Green Hills, virtually the center of the city, accessible to anywhere. Its home to the Mall at Green Hills, some of the finest shopping in the area. And don't forget to stop by the Cheesecake Factory where you might even see some stars! Music stars, that is.

Where is your city's ATTITUDE ZIP CODE? I think it would be fun to know.

Nippers Corner - Convenient to Brentwood but not so pricey!

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:24:31 -0500

The Nippers Corner area of Nashville is not an official city or subdivision. Its hard to search for the actual area. It is partly south Nashville (maybe a little east?), its definitely in zip code 37211, area 1 of Nashville, Davidson County. And its even very close to Brentwood, the DAVIDSON county Brentwood, area 1, zip code 37027.

On our website, www.YourBestHomeSearch.com, you would do best to search by zip code =37211 to pull up homes that are most likely Nippers Corner. If you want more information on Nippers Corner, contact us! We'd love to tell you more.

Prices for homes range from the low $100,000s for some condominium complexes up to $300,000. If you want to be close to I-65 to get to work and not too far from downtown Nashville, you'll like Nippers Corner.

As in most cities, there's a Walgreen's on the corner!!! To see what I consider the epi-center of Nippers Corner click here for a map , which is where the corner Walgreens sits at Edmondson Pike and Old Hickory Blvd.

Little League baseball and real estate

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:44:32 -0500

What could they have in common? EVERYTHING! My 10-year old is playing in the world series. The entire season has been spent watching these little young men learning to handle the good and bad times, keep their head in the game, cry but still not give up. The mental challenges are so similar!

We have to get up every morning and keep our head in the game. The morning newspaper is enough to make you quit - don't read it! A great client as easily as breathing, calls another agent to buy a half million dollar house after you've killed yourself to provide great service on the last one. Hey! Chin up! There are more fish in the sea! The game is not over yet.

Any success - corporate sales, small mom-and-pop operations, franchise ownership, real estate practices, little league baseball teams - have an element of controlling the effect of our emotions on our mental attitudes!

I love those TN Reign baseball players for letting me see myself in them! Go Reign!

Squidoo

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:56:16 -0600

Hi friends. I heard Seth Godin speak at the Keller Williams Family Reunion in Atlanta, GA last week and he gave us a fun tip. I've never used Squidoo, but I tried it out. I made a webpage (called a "lens" in squidoo-eze) on my home zip code, 37027. My Squidoo Lens on Brentwood was created when I logged into www.Mayorofyourzipcode.com. Thought you might enjoy the chance to be published!

How are organization and selling real estate related?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:10:07 -0500

Did you know that the strongest personality for selling real estate is not necessarily the strongest on organizational skill? In light of my recent articles about organization and my personal non-strength, I feel compelled to point out that, YES, I AM GOOD at selling real estate.

I'm a person with strong, natural personality traits for influencing others. Its is what I love! I also have strong, natural traits for closing the deal! I'm results-oriented. I thrive on finding a buyer for your home. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt for your next home. And I'm very happy to hire help to deliver great service!

When I joined Keller Williams, one of the greatest things I discovered was: I don't have to be great at everything! What a relief! There's a place for everyone on a great team. We use personality profiles from The Abelson Group at Keller Williams. Their test describes people as "D" - Directors/results-oriented, "I"-Influencers, "S"-Stable/Supporters, and "C"-Critical Analysts.

So, just in case I was casting doubt in your mind about my real estate skills... forget about it!!

Do real people use professional organizers?

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:14:03 -0500

I've had personal experience with professional organizers. My friend, Lisa York, President of Puka, a professional organizing firm in Franklin, TN, has helped me in my office and my kitchen!

Its a bit embarassing to think you don't really, really have great skills to keep a kitchen running neatly and effectively. The cooking and cleaning is really the least of it! Its the paperwork, mail, schoolwork and shoes that go thru that room that can make a "professional home manager" go nuts.

Lisa brought in her associates and took over my kitchen, re-arranging where my pantry items lived and even looking at the flow of "mud room" type items. At payment time, I had a little sticker shock. Including all the organizing items and time she spent with a couple of associates, the bill was about a thousand dollars. (I told you, I'm really, really a mess. I'm sure my job required much more effort!)

I can tell you this: IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE! I could never have thought of the details she was able to see so plainly.

Another super fun project was the day that she worked with my 10 year old daughter on her room. I left them together for most of the day and when I came back, my daughter had gotten rid of MUCH. And best of all, Lisa had been able to convince Julia to put her cute bunkbeds exactly where I wanted them all along. But when it was "mommy's" idea, it didn't go over as well!

I search around on the web and there is now a certification for professional organizers. Lisa York is one of the inaugural members - one of the first to have her "CPO" designation. If you want to find a Certified Professional Organizer in your area, go to The National Association of Professional Organizers.

You can reach Lisa York with PUKA - (its a hawaiian name for something orderly) - at 615-506-3812.

Getting Organized

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:51:03 -0500

Each month, I send out a professional "item of value" that I order from www.BrianBuffini.com. Its a professional piece that is informative and I think it is a service to my clients. I hope they enjoy it and, then, when they think of real estate, they think of me!

This month, the piece is titled "Less is More" and its all about getting organized. So funny that this comes from me! I always tell other moms that I exist to help them feel better about their housekeeping skills!! I can create a pile faster than the kids can say "I'm hungry" - and, I'm embarassed to say, it started BEFORE I had kids. People ask "how can you do real estate with four kids"? Just look at my house and you'll start to get an inkling!

Lest I be too hard on myself, I must say that I think I have my priorities in order. I have been working on improvement. I have been making progress! I used the website for a while called www.FlyLady.com. It is really a darling site where we all can learn some good routines for taking care of the house. It starts by asking you if you suffer from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). I'm laughing now.

So I hope my friends have enjoyed my "Less is More" item of value this month. And I hope they also enjoy the irony that it comes from me!

First time buyers aren't the only ones who can run into trouble

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:55:46 -0500

I took my ABR course from Terry Watson (www.TerryWatson.com) at the Williamson County Association of Realtors (www.williamsoncountyrealtors.org). I remember his funny stories of warning first time buyers: "Don't even LOOK at a credit card application - no Ethan Allen, no Pottery Barn, no Home Depot!!!" Apparently, even open, zero-balance credit counts toward your amount of debt.

I hadn't worked with many first time buyers, but I remembered this.

Now, I know it isn't only first time buyers who can run into trouble. The client wasn't mine, but they were buying my listing - I had a vested interest. They were getting a bridge loan for about 1 week so that they could buy and then close on their existing home a week later. And this is weird, too, and I think related to the extreme fear the underwriters at all mortgage companies must be feeling now.

And again, at the beginning of the transaction, there was "no problem" and the loan officer was experienced and had a great reputation. From all appearances, these are buyers any agent would kill to work with. The husband, self-employed but only for 1 year. The wife had student loans. Lots of them from 10 different companies totalling about $100,000. (A Phd will do that to ya) Sometime during the home buying process, they decided to consolidate the loans. A really good idea. But what happened: the process wasn't complete. The original loan companies had their records locked because of the close out. The consolidation wasn't finished, so there was no info from the new company.

The underwriters felt forced to use a 'rule of thumb' of paying back 5% of the loans each month. That's $5000 which was no where near the real amount. So, no bridge loan!! An extra $5000 payment a month would blow anyone's ratios!

In the end, the experienced loan officer was able to work it out and get the underwriters to use the actual amounts of payments. The loan was ago and everything worked out.

Whew!! Another nail-bitter. Thank goodness I was working with a fabulous agent on the other side. Unexpected and right at the end of the transaction when the PODS are packed and the next house is purchased.

Tighting up in the Mortgage Market

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:35:24 -0500

I'm having personal experience with the "tightening" of the mortgage market. I had a first time buyer in MAY who wrote a contract for a bank-owned property. We wanted to close in 2 weeks. The bank said, 'NO' (Go figure). They wanted to close July 2. Ok. She was planning a 100% loan and was pre-approved with Countrywide. Guess what? By the end of June when the actual loan came down the pike, Countrywide couldn't do that without some money down. She had 3 credit scores. Mortgage people tell me that's important because some first time or younger buyers may only have scores from 1 or 2 or the big three credit rating firms.

My faithful friend, Steve Freeman, at www.mtgman.com, and also a member of activerain came to the rescue! We scrambled, got her to rearrange assets and put some money down and got the loan approved. We closed only a bit late. Whew!!! (In fairness, I think Countrywide could have pulled it off, too, but I didn't know the rep really well and I went to a trusted source)

Mortgage people correct me where I'm wrong, but there were at least 2 changes in underwriting procedures that changed everything for my unsuspecting first time buyer.

Linkedin.com

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:29:23 -0500

I just discovered a new networking site called www.LinkedIn.com. I was googling a person's business and came across this site. Its free, like activerain. You can set up your profile - past work experiences, places you went to school, etc. and find others that are on the site that have crossed your path. I just tried to connect wtih 4 people I used to work with at a small company where I worked for 8 years selling computer software. What a blast from the past. (You know my techie friends would be on a website type thing!)

Check it out.

Looking for a Baton Rouge, LA agent

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:54:28 -0500

I'm looking for an agent for my sister and brother-in-law. They are looking to move to Westdale Heights. Anyone out there who has experience in that area? Thanks and have a GREAT 4th of July!!!

Length of inspection period - assess buyer/seller risk

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:10:21 -0500

When you write a contract with your Realtor, think about the amount of risk each party is taking on. Have you ever heard of someone asking for everything AND the kitchen sink? In fairly balanced market where sellers and buyers have not big advantage, you don't want to do that if you really want the house.

When writing the amount of time you want for an inspection period, the seller will have less risk when the number of days is shorter. Once a contract has been worked out "contingent on a home inspection", the property will be marked as such in the MLS system. Realtors will consider that property sold because it has a contract. So I seller is essentially removing their home from the market until either (1) you remove the contingency or (2) decide not to buy.

From the seller's point of view, they want to get back to marketing the house as soon as possible if the buyer does the home inspection and wants to back out. Even though most people will only back out with good reason, the fact is this: in practice, the home inspection is the last chance for a buyer to get cold feet. Getting through this contingency is a big hurdle in the contract-to-close process.

When writing your contract, assess the amount of risk you are sharing with the seller. If you are giving a very short inspection period because you are actively buying a home and have time set aside to get on with it, have an inspector picked out and you are dedicated to buying a home, your sense of urgency will show with a shorter rather than longer inspection period. You are giving the seller less risk. You will also show you are a strong buyer.

If you need to give the seller more risk in another area, consider shortened the inspection period so that everyone can get on with it and not be in that limbo state between contract and removal of inspection contingency. (Of course, make sure you have time to assess whatever is important to you and to get as many different inspectors there as you need)

In my area, 10 calendar days is a pretty typical, "non-offensive" inspection period. I have written it for 5 with serious buyers and done an inspection the day after the contract became effective (we call it Binding Agreement Date). I've had others that had a longer inspection period because the house required special assessment.

I'm using blogs, blogs everywhere!

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:49:17 -0500

Our babysitter uses a free blogspot to share pictures of her new baby with the family. I wanted to have a free blog, too! Other than activerain.com, of course. So I decided the Education Committee in our office, of which I am the chair, would not communicate with a blog. I'm really big on promoting the "Bunny Slipper" way of doing business. I want to use gotomeeting.com to have more meetings. We love to get realtors into the office, but, frankly, aren't we a HIGHLY DISTRIBUTED WORK FORCE? I say: Let Realtors have bunny slippers and Realtors will come to more meetings!!

I set the Education blog up as private, invitation only so we could make fun of the people on the growth committee and the social committee (just kidding). And I set up a google group so that those not so inclined to log into the blogspot would still get info. But it hasn't been that successful-- yet. I haven't given up!

My currently favorite way to use a free blogspot is as an extra webpage for my listings. I create a free blogspot called www.333MainStreetBrentwoodTN.blogspot.com. Then, I can link to it in the MLS for more pictures. Check out www.5141grandoakwaybrentwoodtn.blogspot.com.

My blog is indexed on Google when someone "googles" me!

Laura Dickenson (The Dickenson Group, Realty Executives) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:38:00 -0500

This is surely well-known to many, but I am so excited that I am indexed on google!!!! If by someone "googles" me to find out more about me, they are going to get my blog posts. What a fabulous marketing tool. I have been promoting blogging and the new social network to anyone who will listen.