RainCamp Boston -- Ten Top Tips Gleaned from a day at RainCamp - 07/27/10 05:18 PM
RainCamp Boston was one of the best investments of my time in a long time!  As a relative newcomer to AR, I have been "getting my feet wet" blogging on Active Rain, but not seeing the "google juice" everyone has been telling me about. Well, in less than the first hour, I already had a list of tips to help change that!  RainCamp Boston was packed full of information that I can put to use right away!  Not a minute wasted!
This was about more than a few new ideas for me. It was about SURVIVAL in a difficult market and getting … (18 comments)

NEGOTIATING ROOM? OR NEGOTIATING STRENGTH? - 07/19/10 05:52 PM
So Mr. Seller, you want to price your house so you have "room" to negotiate with a buyer? The problem is, the amount of room you want as a buffer may make the buyer think you're just not serious enough to start negotiations with. 
If you have negotiating room between your asking price and the actual value of your home, trust me, the buyer knows it. They've probably looked at a lot more homes in your price range than you have!   
                  
The alternative is to negotiate from a position of strength!  If your house is priced exactly where it … (8 comments)

Pre-Qualification or Pre-Approval? What's the Difference?? - 07/19/10 03:10 PM
One of my initial questions to a new potential buyer is "Have you been pre-qualified or pre-approved by a bank or lender for your purchase?"  When someone asks me, "What's the difference?" I actually get excited. This is probably a first time buyer-and I love working with first time buyers!  I'm a teacher at heart, and I know I can help them through the process of buying a home and make sure their home-buying experience is a good one.  We can avoid some real pitfalls before we even get started!
So, what's the difference?
Pre-Qualification: Basic questions are asked of the … (3 comments)

Real Estate Agents Are Not Just Door Openers - What A Buyer's Agent Really Does - 07/17/10 03:22 PM
Buyers sometimes don't have an inkling about how many pitfalls can arise in trying to find and buy the right house.  Having REPRESENTATION is just plain smart!  We do a whole lot more than just open the door...
Via Dan and Amy Schuman,e-Pro,ASP (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland):
Real Estate Agents Are Not Just Door Openers- What A Buyer's Agent Really Does



 
 


There are a lot of home buyers out there that think real estate agents merely drive people around, unlock doors and let people inside homes.  Some even view us as glorified taxi drivers.  However, the … (4 comments)

REALTORS dont Sell Houses-- HOUSES sell houses! - 07/16/10 02:28 PM
Really, even though our first real estate license says Salesperson on it, I have always thought of myself as anything BUT a salesperson.
I just can’t stand people who try to “sell” a house to a buyer; especially a first time buyer. No one wants to be “sold”.
And really, if it’s not the right house, why would we want to sell it to them?
It’s like swimming upstream.
A real estate agent might be able to “sell” the house to a buyer, and the buyer might get convinced enough to write an offer. But if the buyer feels like they’ve … (10 comments)

Snug As A Bug In A...Pile of Dung - 07/14/10 12:48 PM
There's something positive to learn from every negative situation. And you can learn something from the smallest of creatures...even if you don't like things that BUG you! So what can YOU learn from a Dung Beetle??
Via Claire Record (Keller Williams Realty--Boerne Hill Country):
It had been a  hot and muggy day and I had just started making dinner when my husband, Larry came in from outside holding an old shipping envelope...obviously with something in it. 
"Wanna see something cool?"
I have learned to respond to that question with great hesitancy in that you never know what Larry is gonna drag into the house.
… (0 comments)

Time to collect! - 07/13/10 10:49 AM
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  As I just posted on my brother's page:  James, I am SOOOO in agreement with you on this one.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to re-print your letter and give the devil MY official notice on this subject as well!  He is playing with FIRE! (Of course, that shouldn't be a surprise to us!)
On the subject of breakthrough, "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry! (Habakkuk 2:3)
Via James Johnson (Austin … (1 comments)

Staging the "Big–Small" House - 07/12/10 07:47 PM
While I am a real estate broker, and not a home stager by trade, I am a firm believer that staging a home can really make a difference--and knowing what people will not be able to accommodate right up front really is important.
Some time ago we listed the home of an elderly woman--a member of the church of one of our agents. Her home was originally a 780 sq.ft. cape with an unfinished upper level. The main level had a kitchen, living room, bath and 2 bedrooms and the "large" one wasn't very large at all. Years before, they had … (2 comments)

Why REALTORS® Code of Ethics Matters - 07/12/10 01:42 PM
I have long stood for the importance of the Code of Ethics followed by REALTORS®,to the extent that I have been involved at the local and state level with the Professional Standards Committee and the Grievance Committees of Greater Hartford Association of REALTORS® and the Connecticut Association of REALTORS® for many years.
Here's a concise summary of WHY...
Via Jon Knight (Go Pro Systems):
Although it's a distinction few consumers make, there is a tremendous difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®.
A REALTOR® may be a real estate agent, but a real estate agent (or broker) is not necessarily a REALTOR®. … (1 comments)

Capture the Moment...In Spite of the Obstacles! - 07/09/10 11:35 AM
I have this photograph on the desktop of my computer.  It's not a perfect photo by any means...
I was on my way home from an appointment down in Hartford, CT and came to a stop sign at the crest of a hill and before me was,....well see for yourself..
 

So, in spite of a couple of cars coming up to the intersection of Roxbury Street behind me, I grabbed my camera, hopped out of the car, and snapped a couple of shots.
No time to take the date stamp off my settings, and due to safety's sake, I didn't … (8 comments)

Good Debt VS. Bad Debt - 07/01/10 02:44 PM
This is an article I originally wrote and posted on Helium for their Home Finance Channel @www.helium.com. The concept is very timely in these difficult economic times
Our society is carrying way too much debt. We're drowning in it. It's no surprise that studies reveal debt is a destructive force on society, marriages, and even individual health and well being.1  Yet, in personal finance there is a concept of good debt and bad debt.
Good debt? How can that be?  In most people's minds, debt is usually "bad" or  worse, but for the sake of this discussion, we'll use the concepts of … (4 comments)

 
Lisa_head1

LISA ORME, Broker/REALTOR®, ABR, CRS, GRI, PSCS, SFR, Notary Public,

Windsor, CT

More about me…

The Master's Key Realty LLC -Windsor, CT - HARTFORD COUNTY

Address: 340 Broad St, #320, Windsor, CT, 06095

Office Phone: (860) 688-1400 x 24

Cell Phone: (860) 966-7694

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