Mark Duncan's Blog

ActiveRain ReBlog Gets A FaceLift - Time To Incorporate It

Mark Duncan — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:54:01 -0700

Thanks Brad...as always you provide great information for us newbies and, I'm sure, for the experienced AR bloggers too.

MarkD

Via Brad Andersohn ~ Community Builder (ActiveRain):

I'll be the first to admit, I didn't really like the previous ReBlog graphic/icon as I felt it was too big. It moved my text around making my posts look funny, and it was completely useless for me as the author of my Blog. The value seemed to only be for the ReBlogger. I know there are still mixed opinions about "ReBlogging" and the value of it, so like "open houses" I'll let that controversy continue onward and upward, but not here.

You'll notice this morning that the ReBlog icon has in fact changed, and in my opinion, for the better. I can finally see who has been ReBlogging my posts. The best part is that now you can also Link to the ReBloggers post to see what they might have said about it, or others that may have commented. Think of all the comments you've been missing about your post that was ReBlogged! :-O

This is a great new feature and I really like the look of the "NEW" and "Improved" graphic.
(The AR Tech Team redeems themselves)

You can also ReBlog members posts to appear on your Outside ActiveBlogs. No other Network offers a tool like this, ActiveRain continues to be on the cutting edge of social networking and technology.

HOW TO USE THE REBLOG OPTION:

If it's green it's clean, but if it's Grey with green dots then you've been REBLOGGED!! To ReBlog another members post, just click on the ReBlog button. To view a ReBlogged post and the ReBloggers comments or additions, just click on the green dots below the button. (Just fyi...You cannot ReBlog your own posts) To add the ReBlog option to your Blog posts, when creating the post, just put a check mark in the box that says: then submit post.

HERE'S THE NEW REPORT YOU GET FROM YOUR REBLOGGED POSTS:

IMO - A ReBlogged Post is one of the finest compliments you can give another ActiveRain Member!

I never thought I'd say this, but now I don't mind going back to all my posts and adding the ReBlog option to every single one of them. Especially now that I can see who has ReBlogged me, and what they had to say. Now we can follow the chain and threads on our ReBlogged posts, and the new face-lifted graphic won't affect the layout or design of our posts. I personally like the change and want to thank our guys for listening to the community and for making it happen. Kudos Gents!! :-)

If there were one single Blog post on AR that should be Reblogged by every member here, I'd say it's:

this one!

A great primary photo?

Mark Duncan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:24:23 -0800

One of my pet-peaves is listings with no photos or poor photos. Our MLS has begun enforcing the rule that requires a primary photo within 48 hours (still too long). I believe that in almost every case, a quality real estate agent should have photos uploaded with the first few hours of submitting to the MLS.

The primary photo should be one that grabs attention. Sometimes that is difficult, but sometimes Realtors just take bad pictures. Or they forget what their objective is.

For instance, the photo below was taken at my house two days ago. While I have had several people tell me what a great scene it is, a snow photo tells a buyer nothing about the house...It's all covered in white!

Please. Do your clients a favor: Don't use snow photos unless you are in a location where you have no choice.

It's Not Easy Being Cheesy!

Mark Duncan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:47:47 -0800

Thank you Lara for allowing me to re-blog your post. If I ever become a badger, it will be time to leave the industry.

Via Lara O'Keefe (McKinney Greens-Golf Course Community):

Click on the links below to see hilarious videos!

Salespeople get a bad reputation sometimes. The stereotypes include pushy, aggressive, don't take no for an answer, and talk more than they listen.

Movies like Used Cars, Boiler Room, and Glengarry Glenross only perpetuate the stereotypes!

It's hard for those of us who do care about helping buyers to overcome the sleazy, cheesy, greasy sales personas out there.

Some might even say that they got "badgered" into buying something!

Well, here's a little character that fits all the stereotypes and you just have to sit back and laugh!

Help! Help!

Kapowee!

Happy Thanksgiving

Mark Duncan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:42:43 -0800

Happy Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for:

All those who have entrusted me with such an important thing as the purchas or sale of their home.
My colleagues who have been so helpful and understanding of my recent health issues.
The ownership and management in my office for making it the best place for a Realtor to hang his license.
The ability to live in the best community in the world: The greater Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area.
And last but not least: MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.

Mark Duncan ~ John L. Scott Real Estate, Olympia, WA

Pictures With SantaPaws

Mark Duncan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:41:03 -0800

Santa Paws is Coming to Town!

Bring your pet for a picture with santa!

Saturday, December 6 and Saturday, December 13, 2008

10am-2pm

Thurston County Animal Services

3120 Martin Way, Olympia, WA

Proceeds benefit the shelter!

Click here for pricing information

Fascinating Archeological Discovery!

Mark Duncan — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:09:37 -0700

This amazing discovery proves what we all had suspected.

Now we finally understand how the Washington State Legislature could pass a law as horribly written as the distressed property law that went into affect earlier this year.

Via Woodland Park Real Estate, Colorado - Debi Boucher:

                              Astounding Discovery Made - All Suspicions Confirmed!

Scientists have long attempted to prove their theories in this regard, but to this point, have met with little success. Recently, an astounding discovery has put the scientific community in an uproar, removing any doubt that the theories put forth are based in fact. While it has taken eons to validate, the American public has never held with the naysayers, and will be unsurprised to learn that their suspicions have been confirmed.

                                                        Archaeologists find the bones of the first politician:



The bones were found in a large cave unearthed below Wall St. while excavation was taking place for the new, government owned, Banking and Financial Institution of America. The cave was said to have held prototypes for "money-printing" devices thought to be the forebearers of those in use today.

Photograph courtesy of Political Scientists of America, ( or my email inbox, whichever you choose to believe).

Commentary by Debi Boucher, REALTOR and Political Scientists of America reporter.

Debi Boucher - Prudential Professional REALTORS, ASP REALTOR, Woodland Park Real Estate, Woodland Park Colorado 80863 – Serving the City of Woodland Park, Teller County, Ute Pass, and Park County since 1997.

Pumpkin Patches in Thurston County

Mark Duncan — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:30:09 -0700

We're down to the final week of halloween fun. As you may have noticed from my blog about our outing last week, the pumpkin patch can be a fun family experience. Therefore I have decide to provide this list of the Pumkin Patches I know of in Thurston County.

In alphabetical order:

Hunter's Pumpin Patch 360-456-0466

7401 Yelm Hwy SE, Olympia, Wa 98513

-------------------------------------------------

Lattin's Country Cider Mill & Farm 360-491-7328

9402 Rich Road SE, Olympia, WA 98501

-------------------------------------------------

Rutledge Corn Maze 360-357-3700

302 93rd Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501

-------------------------------------------------

Schilter Family Farm 360-459-4023

141 Nisqually Cutoff Rd SE, Olympia, WA 98513

--------------------------------------------------

Toast For Tails on Oct. 25th

Mark Duncan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:09:32 -0700

Don't miss the Toast For Tails event on Saturday, October 25 at the fairgrounds in Lacey. This is a great event to help raise money for Concern For Animals.

If you love wine and you love animals, this is a can't miss event

2nd Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction Benefit for Concern For Animals

Saturday, October 25
2 - 8 pm
Thurston County Fair Grounds Expo Center
(21+ only, photo ID required)

http://www.concernforanimals.com/

The animals of our area greatly appreciate it.

Thank you in advance.

Brotherly Love/Hate

Mark Duncan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:20:46 -0700

Two of my sisters married into a family of practical jokers. Their jokes ranged from the mild ones like moving each others cars in a parking lot to some more extreme cases like this one:

One evening when George was visiting my sister, he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. I was only about 10 or 11 at the time. I remember it was dark when we drove to his brother Marc's house. I was a little creeped out when he stopped the truck in the alley, got out, and unscrewed the light bulb from the security light on the garage ~ was I going to be involved in some sort of theft?

Then he had me help him carry something in a dark plastic bag over to the driveway and set it down in front of Marc's truck. George opened the hood & disconnected the battery cable & bent down to open the plastic bag. I looked down and was scared to hell & back when I saw a bloody dear head looking up at me! Evidently a buddy had killed a dear on a hunting trip and George asked him for the head so he could play a "little joke." He asked me to help him lift it up, but being a city kid who never went hunting, I was too freaked out to get close to it.

I watched while he lifted the head up, placed it next to the engine, & gently closed the hood. When we got out of the driveway, George screwed the security light back in. We drove around the block and went to the front door. Inside, George tried several things to try and get Marc to go drive his truck but nothing worked. We had to give up and go home.

The next night George was visiting again when Marc came to the door. He was hunched to his right and limping slightly. His face was red and there was a vein bulging on his forehead.

He was off work & didn't drive that morning, but his wife asked him to go to the store for her that night. As George planned, Marc's truck wouldn't start. When he opened the hood to check the battery, he saw in the shadow a huge head staring up at him. Evidently, he jumped backyard, landed on his chain-link fence and flipped ass over teakettle. The fence gouged his back and bruised his ribs. It was over a month before Marc could walk upright again.

The amazing thing is that he was only mad for that day. These guys had been doing this stuff all their lives and it was just how they played. Marc new that he would have a chance for vengeance.

They really do live by the "Don't Get Mad...Get Even" philosophy.

Happy Birthday Mom~See Ya Later...maybe

Mark Duncan — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:06:00 -0700

I went to the pumpkin patch this morning with the family. We went to Schilter's in Nisqually like we do every year. Of course I was freezing...can't keep warm lately. They have tons of pumpkins, a corn cannon that you shoot an ear of corn into a field ~ if you get it in the trough, you get a free pumkin, a hay maze, corn maze, pony rides, hay rides, petting farm, toddler play area, hay pyramid for climbing. It's always a lot of fun for all of us.

After doing the hay maze and petting farm, we went on the hay ride. My wife and kids got off the wagon at the corn maze (Themed for the presidential election), and I rode back because I have site duty.

I just got a call from my wife (2-1/2 hours later): "You need to have a talk with your girls!" ~ She just found her way out of the corn.

Our oldest daughter, who has asperger's syndrome, of course had to have the map and remembers every turn so she led her little sister right through. A little way in, they took off & ditched my wife.

They came out, went looking for pumpkins, got some cocoa, and went back to the petting farm all while their mother ~it's her birthday, by the way~ was lost in a field of corn with no map and no sense of direction.

Well I have someone coming to relieve me early from my construction site, so I will go home & try not to laugh...I'm sure I will fail miserably.

Venting on Agents & Escrow who don't communicate.

Mark Duncan — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:27:01 -0700

Okay. I normally try to focus on the positives, but today i need to vent a little. This has been festering for a while now.

I recently had a transaction where the listing agent, title, and escrow all had horrible communication. They didn't return calls or emails in a timely manner...sometimes thay didn't respond at all. We requested an earlier closing date because my buyer's financing was all in order, thanks to the great work of Bill Lathrop at Homestreet. I could not get a response so I had to assume they did not want to do that. Next thing I know, the closer had called my clients and set up a signing appt so they could close on the earlier date.

Next they tried to get me to submit a new commission disbursement form for less $. Evidently, they "forgot" about the soc bonus in the listing.

Now I shouldn't complain because my clients got their home for effectively 10-20% less than market value and they got in just in time to take advantage of Nehemiah assistance. But it could have been much less stressful if I had been able to provide them with the information they wanted.

I guess part of this is the fact that neither the listing agent nor the escrow officer were local. I would not be surprised if the listing agent had never personally visited the property. Maybe I'm whining. Maybe this ispart of why we got such a great deal. I don't know.

I just wish all agents would take the initiative to make sure they earn their commission. If you want to provide inferior service, that's fine. Just don't pass yourself off as a full service agent.

Okay...all better :)

Why Down Payment Assistance Can Be a Good Thing

Mark Duncan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:35:34 -0700

Have the majority of home purchase (as opposed to refi) foreclosures been for loans that were 0-Down?

Yes. But I would bet that a majority of those should not have been allowed to take a loan of the size they did.

Rather than just eliminate Down Payment Assistance Programs(DPA) altogether, policymakers need to look at the big picture. Traditionally, housing is the first victim of an economic downturn. But is is also usually the first to recover. If we make it more difficult for qualified borrowers to buy homes, then we are contributing to the problem. Maybe you take the simplistic view that only those with $ in the bank for a down payment are qualified borrowers.

What about relocation? People in the military, as well as most industries, need to relocate occasionally. Or "Move-Up" buyers who have outgrown their current home. Both of these could be in a situation, due to a market downturn, that they have little equity in their home. What they have could easily be eaten up by selling costs, moving costs, fix-ups, repairs, decorating, etc.

If these contributing members of society have always paid all bills on time, don't have excessive debts, and have shown a stable earning history to support the payment of their new loan, they would be very low risk for default. However, HUD has made it so they still cannot buy a home unless they have also been able to accumulate enough liquid assets to make a down payment, possibly depleting their savings.

I would contend that DPA is a valuable tool for homebuyers, as well as lenders. With strict qualifying standards for debt/income, stability of income, and an additional requirement for liquid asset reserves to cover 2-3 months payments, DPA would be an extremely low risk for lenders. If they want to loosen some of the standards in exchange for higher mortgage insurance premiums with higher risk borrowers, it could open up the markets to many more buyers.

Please encourage our lawmakers to help turn around the economy...Bring Back Down Payment Assistance!

MarkD

Home with huge garage on .3 acre

Mark Duncan — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:15:40 -0700

Mark Duncan | John L. Scott Olympia/Lacey | 360-918-1843

11535 Nisqually Pk Lp Se, Olympia, WA

Investor's Special

3BR/1.5BA Manufactured

offered at $99,900

Year Built	1973
Sq Footage	1,192
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1 full, 1 partial
Floors	1
Parking	3 Car garage
Lot Size	.3 acres
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Gigantic Garage. Large private lot. Tons of flowers, fruit trees, berries. Fully Fenced Yard!
Paved Driveway. Large covered deck has entrance to living room and bedroom. Walk to your favorite salmon fishing site.

At under 100k, this is a money maker.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Living room
Refrigerator	Stove/Oven	Microwave
Washer	Dryer	Laundry area - inside
Balcony, Deck, or Patio	Yard

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Mark Duncan

John L. Scott Olympia/Lacey

360-918-1843

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Oct 11, 2008, 2:10pm PDT

Private Townhome in Olympia

Mark Duncan — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:09:59 -0700

Mark Duncan | John L. Scott Olympia/Lacey | markdduncan@markdduncan.com | 360-918-1843

4412 Governor Ln Se, Olympia, WA

Awesome Townhouse in Gated Community Only a block to Centennial Elementary

2BR/1.5BA Townhouse

offered at $185,000

Year Built	1994
Sq Footage	1,178
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	Unspecified
Lot Size	0 sqft
HOA/Maint	$290 per month

DESCRIPTION

Well mainained Townhouse that opens to community green space in the back. Large bedrooms. Open floorplan. 2-story vaulted ceiling in living room. Attached garage.

This beautiful peaceful gated community feels like country. Only a block from Centennial Elementary. All appliances included...Move in ready!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling	Living room
Dining room	Dishwasher	Refrigerator
Stove/Oven	Microwave	Washer
Dryer	Laundry area - inside	Balcony, Deck, or Patio
Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Gated property

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Lots of Open Space

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Mark Duncan

John L. Scott Olympia/Lacey

markdduncan@markdduncan.com

360-918-1843

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Oct 11, 2008, 1:50pm PDT