vancouver real estate: The Tree, The Witch, and The Strip of Land That Nobody Wanted. - 06/15/11 11:04 AM
The Tree, The Witch, and The Strip of Land That Nobody Wanted.You may not know this but there are hundreds of quiet little battles going on in your neighborhood. Neighbors are secretly plotting and attacking each other every day. Sometimes these skirmishes end very quickly. Other times they can smolder for years. The tale that I am about to tell has been going on for at least 21 years. Some of the neighbors claim that it has been waged for more than 40!The Tree, The Witch, and The Strip of Land That Nobody Wanted.A beautiful home was built in 1965. It … (7 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Who Are You Marketing To? And How? - 04/06/11 11:33 AM
I met with a builder yesterday to talk about putting together a shared marketing program that would benefit the two of us. He has been very proactive in his marketing and has found a small amount of success. I asked to see the different types of marketing that he had done in the past. He told me that he had a multi pronged approach and was using a local newspaper, the real estate listing type book for our area, and the internet. He pulled out the spread sheets for his pat advertising and I noticed something right away. They were … (7 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Why Realtors Shouldn't Sell Their Own Homes - 04/01/11 10:36 AM
There is an investor in our area who teams up with realtors to buy and flip homes. He buys most of his homes in the bank auctions and occasionally he finds a great deal in the MLS. He lets a few agents "buy in" with him on projects and then they list the homes for sale on the backside.I will go on record and say that "I love showing his homes!" They are always in good condition and priced competitively. I have sold a few in the past and he is easy to work with. Inspections are rarely an issue because he … (9 comments)
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vancouver real estate: I just hung up on a buyer. It felt good! - 03/15/11 12:29 PM
I caught the phone on the second ring to find an irritated female voice on the other end of the line."I am calling to get the price on a house you are selling on NW 128th street."Me: " Hang on while I dig out that file. What is your name?""I just need the price." came the curt response.I shrugged off her abrasive attitude and answered,"Uh, OK. That one is listed currently listed at $310,000. Is that in your price range?""I want to see it." She demanded. "Please show it to me at 2:00 today.""Great! I will need some information from you. … (156 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Choosing The Right Networking Group - 01/26/11 01:23 PM
Last night I attended a Green Drinks networking event in our area. I have been attending their events since they first the group started almost 3 years ago. They are always fun events and I always make great contacts with them.An interesting conversation came up about the success of the group and possible reasons why. Here are a few topics that were discussed:The events are free. There is no charge to belong to the Green Drinks group and the events are free.The Green Drinks group is designed to bring like minds together. Many people in the conversation agreed that the … (0 comments)
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vancouver real estate: What's That On Your Butt? - 01/26/11 12:27 PM
What's That On Your Butt?
Realtors seem to be a creative bunch and always seem to be looking for the new trend in marketing. There are businesses whose sole survive existence is to sell real estate agents silly promotional giveaways.How about your car? Do you have it plastered with silly signs yet. How about a full wrap? There are a few agents who have gone a little overboard with the car advertising in our area. One Realtor flies flags on his car and has business card holders glued to the side windows soliciting his business to anyone who happens by … (2 comments)
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vancouver real estate: This Listing Agent Should Have Spent More Time Fishing! - 01/17/11 11:30 AM
I got a new client last week who had a very interesting story to tell:He and his family were looking for a piece of river front property to buy. Their plan is to buy it now while lot prices are low and then build on it in the next 3 to 4 years. They found an nice 5 acre lot on the MLS, called the listing agent, and made arrangements to meet there during the weekend.The weekend came and the met at the designated location. To the buyer's surprise, the agent didn't know anything about the property and refused … (11 comments)
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vancouver real estate: How Much For The FREE Kitten? - 01/14/11 01:03 PM
How Much For The FREE Kitten?The little boy pondered the box of kittens for at least 10 minutes before asking the question that caused everyone in the area to snicker and laugh."How much is that free kitten?"Children across the U.S. are going to despise me for this post but it has to be written. I have a client who is just now realizing how much the free kitten really costs.1 couch destroyed by scratching and urine $1,600.1 love seat destroyed by scratching $800.1 full house of medium grade carpet destroyed by scratching and urine $4,000.1 queen size bed mattress destroyed … (6 comments)
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vancouver real estate: The End of Low Interest Rates is Near. SO WHAT! - Vancouver Wa Real Estate - 01/10/11 05:27 PM
The End of Low Interest Rates is Near. SO WHAT!How low is low? I mean how low is it really? Give me a number. I have a client who is buying a home in Vancouver Washington and is complaining because rates are starting to climb a little. He is afraid that another tick or two in the rates may push him out of the level of home that he is wanting to buy. When he started looking at homes he was approved for a loan with a 4 7/8% interest rate. Now the loan that he qualifies for is just over … (1 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Real Estate Market Finally Bottoms Out. Should be smooth sail... - 01/05/11 06:41 PM
The Real Estate Market Finally Bottoms Out. Should be smooth sailinfg from here on out!Its official, the real estate market in Clark County Washington has finally bottomed out and we should start seeing our home values appreciate immediately. What? You didn't see the headlines?It is true. Based on 2009 vs. 2010 sales data, the average home price in Clark County Washington increased by .66% for 2010. That number is significant because it demonstrates that portions of the market are starting to stabilize. Little pockets are holding their value to 2009 and other areas are actually showing minor recovery.Of course it … (2 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Is 2011 A Good Time To Sell My Home? - 01/04/11 01:01 PM
Is 2011 A Good Time To Sell My Home?
As we enter a new decade there are many of you who ware wondering what the future holds for the prospects of selling your home. Let's borrow a few crystal balls from the real estate gods and see what is happening.Market values - Economists and real estate gurus across the nation are looking into their crystal balls and saying the market will stay fairly flat for the foreseeable future. "Flat" and "foreseeable future" are terms that can be flexible in their interpretations. Flat - Literally flat and not gaining or losing … (2 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Overpriced Homes and the Agents Who List Them - Vancouver WA Real Estate - 12/30/10 01:20 PM
Overpriced Homes and the Agents Who List Them - Vancouver WA Real EstateWe currently have some buyers who are looking for a new home in Vancouver Washington. They are cash buyers, would like to find a home that will close quickly, and will not spend a penny over $200,000. Their price range is right in line for the neighborhoods that they are targeting.As we were viewing homes in the neighborhood, we drove past a listing that didn't show up on my search. My clients were interested, so I stopped to get a flyer. The home was a little older than … (5 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Honesty Pays! - 12/16/10 11:04 PM
On 11/23/2010, I wrote a post about my frustrations with agents who "Buy Listings" by telling the owner that the home is worth much more than market value. (The Dangers of Overpricing in a Declining Market.) I mentioned two listings that I recently lost.The thought process behind this strategy is that the other (ethical) agents will present the seller with the actual market value and then they (the EVIL agent) will tell them they can get much more for the home if the seller lists with them. Many sellers just choose the agent who tells them that they can get the … (10 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You - 12/16/10 11:35 AM
I ran across this excellent post from my friend Catherine Condon on Active Rain. With only 9 days until Santa crawls down the chimneys of the world, I thought that I would share it with you. Of all of the tips listed, I can tell you that I hadn't previously considered more than1 or 2 of them.Thank you Catherine for a valuable post.
Via Catherine Condon (Integrity Residential Brokerage):
"Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You", Integrity Residential Brokerage, Pepperell, MA
One of my clients, Al, sent me the following article titled "Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You". There are a lot of … (7 comments)
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vancouver real estate: When Buyers Break Things at a Listing... - 12/10/10 05:27 PM
The crashing sound coming from upstairs startled us all. With wide eyes we ran to the upstairs bedroom to find Mrs. Buyer standing next to a broken set of mini blinds and looking very very embarrassed.After determining that she wasn't injured, I left a note for the home owner, loaded up the car to finish our tour, and called the listing agent from the car. The listing agent is an agent who we done several deals with and he was understanding. He told me that his client was at work and not expected home until after 5:00. We finished with … (12 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Who Are You Really? This is a test! - 12/10/10 12:32 PM
drawings by Vincent Leleux, see more: http://on.fb.me/gK6YJ3
Who Are You Really? This is a test!I was inspired to write this post by these drawings by my Facebook friend Vincent Leleux. He recently started this series of drawings with the following in mind:Amazing Drawings come through my fingers, it connects me to-myself-the Earth-the UniverseAside from being beautiful, they are also very thought provoking. Looking at all of Vincent's drawing together in the album I felt like I sort of know him. I went to my "Facebook wall" and looked at the album as a whole. Is this who I really … (1 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Investment Properties for Sale in Vancouver Washington - 12/01/10 12:04 AM
Investment Properties for Sale in Vancouver WashingtonInvesting your hard earned cash can be rough and investing in real estate might even be worse. Simply put, real estate investing isn't for the faint of heart.As with anything, there are good times to invest and the are bad times to invest. Ask any investor, and he will tell you that right now is a time that will go down in history as the perfect storm for real estate!The Perfect StormThe time for Real estate investing in Vancouver Washington couldn't be better. The three elements of the perfect storm are lining up and … (2 comments)
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vancouver real estate: Dishonest Dirty Dog Double Dealing Realtors! - 11/29/10 08:03 PM
Dishonest Dirty Dog Double Dealing Realtors!About 10 minutes ago I just heard the following story from one of my seller clients who will be closing this week. I am so upset right now that I decided to write a post rather than confronting the agent involved. Aside from "Breathing deeply" and "s l o w l y counting to ten" does anyone have any advise? The buyer's agent calls my clients to tell them that the home inspection is scheduled for Friday at 11:00. My client agrees with the time and the agent asks if Mr. Seller can be present … (15 comments)
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vancouver real estate: BLACK FRIDAY - Opportunity is Knocking. Are You Brave Enough to Answer? - 11/26/10 12:24 PM
BLACK FRIDAY - Opportunity is Knocking. Are You Brave Enough to Answer?For the past several years Black Friday has been one of the best lead generating days of my entire year. On this day last year I picked up 6 pieces of business. (Black Friday - A GREAT Day To Answer The Phones!)I don't know why today is such a great day for real estate. Maybe it is because so many people have the day off and are aimlessly looking for something to do. I don't really care. I am just ready for it.So what are you doing today? Going … (3 comments)
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vancouver real estate: The Power of One - The Secret to Supercharging Your Real Estate Business - 11/18/10 03:31 PM
The Power of One - The Secret to Supercharging Your Real Estate BusinessFrom an early age we are taught that more is better. More toys are better than just one. More friends are better than just one. More tools are better than just one.In many aspects of our lives (More dollar bills are better than just one!) this is completely true. I intend to show you how running against this common thought just might be the secret to your success!As is our yearly ritual, we recently took a few days to put together a business plan for next year. The … (3 comments)
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