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real estate advice: Google Images are NOT FREE! - 08/25/11 12:43 PM
Google Images are NOT FREE! Yesterday I was having breakfast with another real estate agent and we started talking about images for our websites. I like taking my own pictures, but I also use paid services like iCLIPART. However this agent does neither, they said "I get all of my pictures from Google Images, they have everything and it's free." Thankfully I wasn't drinking anything at the time because I would have choked. I know a lot of agents and people in general think Google Images are free for the taking, but they are not. According to Wikipedia "Google Images … (51 comments)
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real estate advice: I'm a New Agent how can I Compete? - 06/01/11 01:35 PM
I'm a New Agent how can I Compete?
I was recently asked by a newly licensed agent how they are going to compete when they are up against agents with years of experience over them.
My answer: EVERYONE HAS TO START SOMEWHERE, we have all had our First.
I remember when I started real estate back in 2001. I was surrounded by agents who were in the business longer than I was alive and some of these "seasoned" agents could be very intimidating. There were even a few agents who tried scaring the newer agents by saying things … (51 comments)
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real estate advice: Have you "Binged" yourself lately? - 05/09/11 10:23 AM
Have you "Binged" yourself lately? While Google is one of the most used search engines in the world let's not forget about Bing. I rarely ever include Bing when doing research and tracking, but as I am starting to build another new website I decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised. Unlike Google who falls in love at first sight with our ActiveRain posts we must court Bing a little, maybe dinner and a movie first and eventually we can see our wooing payoff. Yes, Bing loves ActiveRain too, maybe not as much or as fast as Google, but … (13 comments)
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real estate advice: Do you Spike the Football too soon? - 05/08/11 07:57 PM
Do you Spike the Football too soon? Last week I planned on showing one of my clients five homes, but after touring the first home he no longer wanted to see the other four because he wanted to write an offer. From the driveway I called the listing agent who informed me that it was no longer available, they already negotiated an offer. I asked if there was an executed contract and she said "Well no, but both parties have come to terms."
After sharing this information with my client he decided to tour the rest of the homes and … (9 comments)
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real estate advice: HELP!!! How do I get a Birth Certificate? - 03/06/11 01:49 PM
HELP!!! How do I get a Birth Certificate? Last week one of my clients lost their driver's license and what do buyers and sellers need in order to close on their new home? A driver's license, state id, valid passport or military id, which my client had NONE of these.
So she went down to the local DMV to get a new one, but the birth certificate she had wasn't acceptable. Since she was born up north she would not be able to obtain a new one quickly. The lady at the DMV told her to go to www.VitalCheck.com and … (13 comments)
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real estate advice: What's worse than an Unrealistic Seller? - 02/18/11 05:11 PM
What's worse than an Unrealistic Seller?
I think it is common for a lot seller's to think their home is worth more than their neighbor's house that sold down the block a few months back and therefore want to ask X amount more.
They have granite and their neighbor didn't, so they add $5,000 more to their asking price.
They have crown molding and their neighbor didn't, so they add another $5,000.
Their home backs to a hedge, which they call a preserve, so they add another $10,000 on.
The days of getting $20,000 for … (40 comments)
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real estate advice: It's February why are you holiday decorations still up? - 02/14/11 03:34 PM
It's February why are you holiday decorations still up? Over the past month I've seen so many pictures in the MLS of homes with holidays decorations still up and I'm not talking about hearts and cupids. I'm talking about Christmas trees, stockings, lights and garland.
Now I don't expect everyones decorations to disappear on January 1st, but we are now in the middle of February and I'm still seeing these types of pictures in the MLS. Nothing says "old listing" like the ones with these types of holiday decorations in them.If you are a seller and your home still has … (16 comments)
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real estate advice: Why do I need to get Pre-Approved first? - 02/02/11 09:01 PM
Why do I need to get Pre-Approved first? Buyers often wonder WHY they need to get pre-approved for a home loan and here are my top four reasons.
1. Not all Buyers qualify for a home loan. Yes, that's right not everyone who applies for a home loan will be approved for one or they may be approved for a much smaller amount than anticipated. I've had clients come to me and say I can afford X amount a month and according to the mortgage calculator online I can spend X amount on my purchase. Unfortunately what you can afford and … (65 comments)
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real estate advice: Wouldn't it be nice to have One Username? - 10/05/10 09:44 PM
Wouldn't it be nice to have One Username? Have you ever tried setting up an account on a social networking site only to find out that your favorite Username was taken?
Well, there is a website out there that will check hundreds of social networking sites and tell you with a click of a button if your Username is still available.Find out now if your Username is still available at www.Knowem.com
… (56 comments)
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real estate advice: Thinking about Investing in your Home? Homeowners Beware - 09/27/10 03:23 PM
Thinking about Improving your Home? Homeowners Beware In my experience it's rare a buyer finds the PERFECT home. Some homes simply need a fresh coat of paint to make it perfect while others need to be gutted. Since property values have been declining over the years I've advised several homeowners, new and old, to be careful about improving/upgrading their home. Most homeowners consider making certain improvements because they have no intention of moving anytime soon, but sometimes life changing events happen that are out of our control like death, illness and job loss, which may force us to sell our beloved home.If you … (7 comments)
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real estate advice: Buying a House on a Whim? - 09/20/10 09:41 AM
Buying a House on a Whim? Do people really wake up one morning while on vacation or visiting relatives in another state say to themselves "today is the day I'm going to buy a house in South Florida?"If I had to make an educated guess my answer would be NO. In my experience buyers who are thinking about relocating prepare ahead of time and do their homework prior to stepping foot on an airplane or packing up the car for a long haul. They do NOT wake up Saturday morning and contact multiple agents trying to gain access to a specific … (9 comments)
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real estate advice: A personal letter sealed the deal AGAIN - 09/06/10 08:46 PM
A personal letter sealed the deal AGAIN Letter writing isn't a thing of the past when I'm working with prospective tenants.
I've always been a firm believer in writing a personal letter introducing yourself to a prospective landlord when submitting a lease offer.
In todays economy so many prospective tenants don't look good a paper, but in my experience theres always a reason why; divorce, death, job lose, medical bills, etc.
I have found that writing a letter explaining your circumstances almost always supersedes a bad credit report or a questionable rental application.A few weeks ago another one of … (20 comments)
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real estate advice: Why didn't you mention the other offer withdrew? - 08/17/10 07:01 PM
Why didn't you mention the other offer withdrew? This past weekend I was scheduled to show a property, but right before our appointment the listing agent informed me the seller just verbally accepted an offer. Since verbal acceptance isn't binding my client decided they still wanted to see the home. However they knew if they wanted to make an offer on this property priced right it had to be strong. After seeing the property and reviewing the comparables my client did in fact want to submit an offer, so we wrote it up on the spot and sent it over. Although … (57 comments)
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real estate advice: Would you take this Referral? It's a "short sale flip" - 08/14/10 04:33 PM
Would you take this Referral? It's a "short sale flip" A majority of my business comes from referrals, so I wasn't surprised when I received the following e-mail from a potential seller who was referred to me by a very loyal past client. My name is Ms. Investor, and I'm a real estate investor. I have the property at 123 Crazy Lane under contract and as the buyer, the contract allows me to re-market the property for a profit. I'm negotiating the short-sale with both lenders and the HOA, on my own.
Basically, I'm doing a short-sale flip. The … (12 comments)
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real estate advice: Thinking outside the box - 08/09/10 09:31 PM
Thinking outside the box Writing a personal letter to a prospective landlord isn't common in my area, but it's something I have every one of my prospective tenants do.Why? A personal letter is just that, personal, an introduction to who they are.How many landlords base their decision solely on credit reports and deposits? I can tell you a lot.So how is a person with horrible credit and/or little money suppose to find a home? Over the years I've placed countless clients into a rental home due in part to the personal letter they wrote.A letter that introduced them, a letter that … (21 comments)
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real estate advice: I referred you because you WERE great, but..... - 07/31/10 05:56 PM
I referred you because you WERE great, but..... I have a list of service provider's that I work with and refer, from loan officer's to painter's. However this list may change at any given time depending on their proformance.I recently stopped referring a service provider, one I've referred for years, but due to my last encounter I will not longer being doing so. It seems this service provider became a little too comfortable and the top notch service my clients have always received seemed to disappear with my last referral.I only refer the best service provider's to my clients, so do … (17 comments)
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real estate advice: The Written Agreement Supersedes the MLS Listing - 07/26/10 03:01 PM
The Written Agreement Supersedes the MLS listing
Whether it's an executed contract to purchase or a residential lease it supersedes all verbal agreements and advertisements, including the MLS listing. If a landlord advertises "One Month Free" in the MLS, but the tenant decides they don't want "one month free" instead they would like to pro-rate that "one month free" over the course of 12 months and both parties agree to this term in writing, than that supersedes the MLS advertisement.
So 11 months later the tenant can't claim they don't have to pay last months rent because the MLS advertised … (12 comments)
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real estate advice: Can an Agent's Behavior Cost their Clients? - 07/08/10 12:10 PM
Can an Agent's Behavior Cost their Clients?
This year I had my first drafting experience for soccer. Most recreational soccer leagues in my area don't have a drafting process, so I was excited to finally be part of one and it was very interesting to say the least.
I quickly learned that the behavior of the parents outweighed their childs behavior and soccer ability. That's right, some children were being passed by because nobody wanted to deal with their parents on a weekly basis for the next four months.
At the end of the drafting process I started … (11 comments)
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real estate advice: "Throwing Out Offers" does it really work? - 06/28/10 05:55 PM
"Throwing Out Offers" does it really work? When I sit down to write an offer for the very first time with a buyer almost every single one of them wants to "throw out an offer." This number isn't based on comparables and market conditions, this number is usually random, a number pulled from mid air, a number they would "like" to pay for the house, a number they feel would be an incredible "deal or steal," usually a number well below market value. Yes, it's true market values have declined, BUT a lot of homes in my market area are still selling in a day … (5 comments)
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real estate advice: Short Sales are NOT Guaranteed - 06/22/10 11:06 AM
Short Sales are NOT Guaranteed A few weeks ago my buyer clients where under contract on a short sale that fell through after four months of waiting and not because the short sale didn't get approved, but because the seller would not agree to the banks short sale approval terms. The seller decided to let the bank foreclose on the property.Unfortunately so many buyer's are under the impression that short sales are guaranteed and the only downside is the long wait, but that is not true.It is extremely important for buyer's to understand that short sales are NOT guaranteed. My buyer clients … (14 comments)
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Michelle Gibson REALTOR® Wellington Florida Homes for Sale
Wellington,
FL
More about me…
Hansen Real Estate Group Inc.
Address: www.WellingtonHomeTeam.com
Office Phone: (561) 333-0446
Email Me
 Listings
$130,000
2 br, 2½ ba, 1,284 sqft
Beautiful Pocket Listing for sale in Towne Place, a quaint townhome community...
$160,000
3 br, 2 ba, 1,996 sqft
If you are looking for a Waterfront Pool Home in Wellington Florida then this...
$220,000
4 br, 2½ ba, 2,552 sqft
Meticulously Maintained Pool Home for Sale in the popular guard gated communi...
$180,000
3 br, 2½ ba, 2,112 sqft
Sit back, relax and enjoy the amazing views from this waterfront pool home ...
$70,000
2 br, 2 ba, 1,141 sqft
4887 Baywinds Drive #4208: Beautiful second floor luxury condo for sale in th...
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