real estate opinion: Bernanke's Fed: One Week To Accountability Before Congress - 03/25/08 11:44 AM
"The Fed last week agreed to help JPMorgan acquire Bear Stearns after a run on Bear, once the second-biggest underwriter of U.S. mortgage bonds. In an effort to shore up Wall Street's other firms, it also agreed to become lender of last resort to all 20 primary dealers in Treasury notes."Scott … (10 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Pool Safety for Infants and Toddlers: Infant Swimming Resource - 02/28/08 03:21 PM
Some time ago, I attended a funeral for a 5 year old who drowned while visiting family in Manahawkin, NJ. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever experienced, and the tragedy is that it didn't have to happen. Look at this amazing video of 11 month old Miles, and … (11 comments)
|
real estate opinion: If You're Walking Through Hell, Don't Stop. - 02/24/08 04:46 AM
From a distance of only ten feet, entrance to the courtyard beyond seemed a formidable task. Impossible.A fools errand, this. The high sunwashed adobe wall and the great iron throw-bolt seemed to say "go away."
I almost did just that. No one, after all, was expecting me, and see? The gate is barred, padlocked. I nearly turned … (38 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Inside NAR Political Contributions: A Major Shift From Right to Left? - 02/18/08 12:08 AM
The 3rd largest contributor to political campaigns (per http://www.opensecrets.org/) is the National Association of REALTORS®. Since the 1996 election cycle, NAR contributions to Democrat candidates have increased in every cycle. This cycle, it's exponential. For the first time in a long time, giving to Dems will surpass 50%.
Here are the numbers.
Granted, … (31 comments)
|
real estate opinion: "Daddy, Make Him Stop!" Why Uncle Sam Isn't the Answer in a Free Market - 02/15/08 12:55 PM
Where is uncle Sam? Why isn't he watching this [short sales] and have control on it? Why allow the lending institution to do whatever they feel like giving crazy mortgages or short sales why is it up to them?
This question was posted by a young woman (a real estate agent) bemoaning the effect of short … (79 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Yes I Can! Inspiration from Patrick Henry Hughes - 02/15/08 12:22 PM
I get discouraged from time to time. Don't you? A client's home underappraised last week, and the loan was denied. I let discouragement creep in. I didn't stop at the denial, however, and found a way to get it done. I was pretty proud of myself.
And then I met Patrick Henry Hughes and his … (7 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Tucson Being Considered as an Inland Port of Entry - 01/30/08 08:05 PM
The Old Pueblo used to be considered a quiet, dusty sort of town, known more for climate than for commerce.
That hasn't been the case for quite a while, now. Ranked by population, the city of Tucson, Arizona now tops
Atlanta, GA,Sacramento, CACleveland, OHKansas City, MOMiami, FLMinneapolis, MNand many moreThat's for only the … (12 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Late Night Rain: Who's Minding the Store? - 01/30/08 04:28 AM
2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 30, 2008: While 68,657 of you are asleep in your beds, 25 of us are cruising your blogs, looking for inspiration, encouragement, insight, and laughs. 12 are insane enough to have clicked the little button that lets others see when we're online. (For Newbies, it's under … (32 comments)
|
real estate opinion: You're Not My Lead. You're Not My Contact. You're My Customer! - 01/23/08 06:34 AM
Kudos to Chris Drayer, Active Rain member from Shawnee, Kansas, who wrote a post about this video clip. AR's Mike Jaquish in Cary, North Carolina (I subscribe to Mike's blog) mentioned it in a post, and has been sending it to everyone he knows. That's how I found it.
There's a deep seated need in … (19 comments)
|
real estate opinion: For My Newbie Friend, Kevin Wood, Listing Agent and Active Rain Member - 01/21/08 11:15 PM
This is for Kevin Wood, (Active Rain Newbie,) and Jeff Turner, two people who need to do business together. The listing in the Real Estate Show I've created below is Kevin's; I lifted his photos off MLS and created it for him, with his permission.
IMHO, Real Estate Shows is just fantastic. Active … (22 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Broken Priority: When "Free and Clear" Isn't Good Enough for the Bank - 01/20/08 06:55 AM
The retired couple sitting in my office were incredulous. They had:
photos, architect drawn plans, and aloan denial letter from a local bank."We own the property free and clear," said the husband. "We bought it as is, and we also bought the rights to the plans."
He was a builder from out of state who knew … (32 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Sign of the Times: Plead My Case for Fraud - 01/19/08 06:34 AM
High visibility, low cost per view. Intersections are a great place to advertise.
The usual fare is a cardboard box advertising a yard sale. This wasn't your usual sign. This one got my attention.
Target market: A good lawyer. Incentive to call? Up to half a million dollars if you win the case. … (35 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Central Tucson Real Estate: Affordably Priced Home Near Alvernon & Columbus - 01/16/08 07:21 AM
In 2004, my friends from Europe bought their first home in the United States. They had been renting for several years when I asked why they hadn't bought a home. The answer? They were here on a work visa, and didn't have a green card. They believed they couldn't qualify for a mortgage.
When I explained that … (19 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Rent! You Can Always Buy Later for Less! - 01/14/08 10:19 AM
I'm going out on a limb here. I was just watching NBC's Today show, and the talking head was being interviewed about the wisdom of renting versus buying.
"Much better to rent right now than to buy," he said. "The price of housing is still going down. It will cost you … (39 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Long Skinny House. 170' long. 9' wide. - 01/11/08 07:00 AM
Looking for Tucson real estate?
Someone got a permit to build this. Amazing! Even more amazing is that they're building it on spec.
That's the carport you're looking at. It will shade the front half of your Kia. I walked through the house. The 12' ceilings keep you from feeling like you're walking … (37 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Rotting Apples: The Psychology of Foreclosure on your Community - 12/31/07 09:11 PM
"Thank God that's not MY problem," is often one's reaction upon hearing that someone in the neighborhood has been foreclosed.
Please take this to heart: as a homeowner, it really IS your problem. Foreclosures are an equal opportunity occurance. They don't just happen in middle and lower middle class neighborhoods. Driving home … (17 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Adam Waldman Has The Best Perspective for 2008 - 12/29/07 09:26 AM
So you had a bad day? That's what I read this morning when I checked in on Adam Waldmans blog. (Real all the way to the end. This has a good ending!)
You bet I had a bad day yesterday! My client, after months of looking, found the perfect home for herself, … (46 comments)
|
real estate opinion: There's a Floor Under the Tucson Real Estate Market. How's By You? - 12/27/07 10:36 PM
Two UP arrows. Five DOWN arrows. That's the Tucson Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service sales snapshot for the month of November, 2007.
Quick glance? "Boo! Hiss! See? I told you the sky was falling!" But that's not the real picture at all.
First: Look at the UP arrows.
The average sales price is … (15 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Carrots for the Donkey: Fed to "Re-Liquify" Credit Markets - 12/05/07 11:26 AM
The problem with the carrot on a stick approach is that the guy holding the stick is behind the donkey. One jackass behind another, so to speak. My mind's eye conjures up all sorts of potential for disaster.
Since Thanksgiving, short term money (3 month USD) has been much more expensive than the 10 … (21 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Differing Google Strategies for Active Rain: Tucson's Top Three 'Rainers - 12/01/07 08:40 PM
I'm addicted to statistics in the pursuit of "What Works?"
For Active Rainers, "what works" is visibility to Google. It's what makes the phone ring. The top three Rainers in Tucson, AZ have achieved this visibility on Active Rain in very different ways.
Tens of thousands in the Active Rain ranks never get a … (106 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Real Estate Correction: I Don't Want Help From My Government - 11/26/07 01:00 AM
Today's Active Rain front page Featured Posts included this title, by Lenn Harley: MASSIVE FORECLOSURES COMING? THE MARKET IS SPEAKING LOUD AND CLEAR. You might want to read it, and the commentary it's attracted, before continuing.
By the time I read Lenn's post, almost eighty people had commented. One comment, by my … (69 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Zoom Zoom! Zero to First on Google in 60 Days! - 11/11/07 12:27 AM
This post won't teach you anything about HTML meta tags. Active Rainers have already paved that street. This post is a success story for my brand, Mike in Tucson. Three things converged to bring about that success:
the genius of the Active Rain business model, Active Rain members who read and comment on … (157 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Mortgage Site Has Answers for Agents & Buyers! - 11/07/07 05:26 PM
As an Agent, you know your new buyer is going to grill you. Some questions you can answer; others you cannot, even if you want to, for legal reasons. If you're a buyer, I know that bugs you sometimes. You have questions like these:
What's happening with interest rates? I want to do my … (14 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Inspired by Light - 11/06/07 10:15 PM
In a market where one house competes with ten thousand others for the attention of a single buyer, you--the listing agent--have a most powerful ally in presenting your house to the world.
Allow me to present that ally. Meet the setting sun. Its rich, deep yellow rays have a unique power … (48 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Life Before Real Estate? You Bet! - 11/04/07 02:25 PM
All of us had a previous life. This was mine. What was yours?
I was a high end real estate developer on Long Beach Island, a barrier reef off the coast of New Jersey, six miles at sea. This oceanside condo complex, the Breakers, exceeded the height limitation for the town of … (26 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Messed-up Lives and Listing Opportunities - 11/03/07 11:56 AM
They (yup, those guys) tell us that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But human emotions sometimes go over the edge. You see the results in this photo.
When a marital disagreement has gone this far, the house often ends up in foreclosure because the owners are so far down the … (46 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Loonie Rules! Canadian Buying Power Up 6% for Tucson Home! - 11/01/07 07:02 AM
Goooood morning, Canada! While you're having your cuppa tea this morning, consider this: the cost of owning your winter home in warm, sunny Tucson, Arizona went down by more than six percent yesterday. The Canadian Dollar is worth $1.06 US since our Federal Reserve dropped the Fed Funds rate yesterday.
How long has it … (8 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Late Night AR--The Few, The Awake! - 10/31/07 06:48 AM
Out of 55,526 members, 53 are currently logged in. It makes me wonder who the other 52 are, and why they can't sleep through the night like normal people.
We're not your normal Active Rainers.
That's Cheryl Johnson in the first position, top-left, with the big glasses. What you can't see from … (27 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Countrywide Still Has Power to Move Markets - 10/29/07 10:51 AM
Here's a short list to put a smile on your face. Stock markets worldwide rallied on news from Countrywide Financial that the worst is over for them in the subprime mortgage crisis. Search "Countrywide" on Bloomberg this morning, and the results will touch every corner of the globe.
Among the markets that … (22 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Tarred With The Same Brush? Tarheel Predatory Lending Law Coming to You! - 10/26/07 05:22 AM
Business Week's November 5th issue will have an article in the Finance section titled "These Tough Lending Laws Could Travel North Carolina's progressive protection laws for borrowers may become a nationwide model"
Click the link to read the full article from Business Week. I wanted to see what the North Carolina community … (9 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Boomers To Control 91% of America's Wealth. Better Legislate Lenders! - 10/22/07 01:18 PM
In less than a year, I'll turn 60. September 24, 2008. Mark it on your calendar so you don't forget to send a card. I try to keep up with the government. It's hard, but someone's got to do it.
If you're a "boomer," and you make your living in the … (21 comments)
|
real estate opinion: When the Media Get On Board, The Train's Leaving the Station! - 10/22/07 10:15 AM
Instead of promoting gloom, death and destruction for the lending and real estate communities, Tucson's Arizona Daily Star Sunday edition led with an above-the-fold title that could just as well been the lead for the National Association of Realtors publication or that of the Arizona Association of Mortgage Brokers!
Paul Slaybaugh, new moderator for … (20 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Investor Is Out of Town... Roofer is Out to Lunch! - 10/21/07 07:46 AM
Funny how commenting on someone's post will get you started on a post of your own!
Mike Jaquish in North Carolina posted on roof repairs, and I thought of this home I looked at last week.
According to one of the neighbors, the out-of-town listing agent told the owner that he would have to repair the … (9 comments)
|
real estate opinion: You Can Still Refinance Your Manufactured Home! - 10/17/07 11:44 PM
Fannie Mae guideline changes in the last 24 months have made it more difficult to refinance manufactured homes. They have not made it impossible. Call me.
In order to qualify for a conventional loan on a manufactured home, here's what you need to keep in mind:
The home has to be a double-wide at … (6 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Update on I-10 Construction in Tucson, AZ - 10/17/07 11:16 PM
Summer's gone, and the snowbirds are coming back. The Interstate 10 widening project that began this summer is right on track, and maybe a little ahead of schedule.
Maybe it's me, but the predictions about a deleterious effect on commerce in this town of more than a million seem to have been … (4 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Where's the Money in Blogging? Active Rain Brings Home the Bacon! - 10/16/07 12:47 PM
My phone rang Friday. The phone doesn't ring very much in this market.
On the other end, a man identified himself by his last name.
"I found you on the internet," he said. "I have three mobile homes, all of them free and clear. I want to refinance one of them to … (77 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Sign Up Your Sphere of Influence on Active Rain - 10/16/07 07:56 AM
If your business model is transactional, this post won't help you today. Look for another.
Towards the end of my day yesterday, I was thinking about my SOI. Sphere of Influence is the single most powerful referral source available. But it's unavailable when I'm focused on myself. That was my "aha!" late … (16 comments)
|
real estate opinion: MLS Market Watch in Tucson... Trends in Our Local Market - 10/10/07 06:38 AM
October 10, 2007. Here's a snapshot of our local market in Tucson, AZ, courtesy of the Tucson Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service. Absent any other data, you might not draw any meaningful conclusions. But other data is available to my readers.
I used Marsee Wilhems' blog history on Active Rain to look at the … (11 comments)
|
real estate opinion: 10 Year Bond Slumps; Rates Rise on Jobs Report - 10/05/07 11:14 PM
Friday, 5 October '07--For the next couple of weeks, don't look for mortgage interest rates to move any lower. Today's surprise jobs report showed stronger than expected growth, sending stocks up and bond prices down. The ten year bond, bellwether to future mortgage interest rates, posted a yield of 4.64%, up … (10 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Real Estate Blog Literacy: Action (not perfection) Matters Most! - 10/04/07 08:51 AM
One Active Rainer blogged himself into a storm of controversy this morning. I had to comment. And it got me to thinking about expression using the written word.
Literacy is important. This Tirio Indian in Suriname, South America, is able to "blog" because my Dad learned his language, created a grammar, and then taught him … (21 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Me! Me! Me! The Heck With You--What's In It for Me? - 10/02/07 12:24 AM
Somebody smack this kid! Make him sit down. I can't see!
An unavoidable consequence of successful business marketing is a greater emphasis on me, myself and I--the three most selfish people on the planet.
I'm one of the first "boomers." I came around in 1948. My generation found its way into the history … (21 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Does Confidence Matter? It's All Downhill From Here. - 09/30/07 07:29 AM
Mothers will be horrified, no doubt. Mine would have been.
There's not much difference between confidence and utter lunacy... except from the kid's perspective. Let's give him a name. Mikey!
Confidence shows in his stance, the set of his shoulders and arms, and in the initial direction of the skateboard.
If your palms … (24 comments)
|
real estate opinion: I'm Financing a Lot of Manufactured Homes. Amazing! - 09/28/07 08:16 PM
Manufactured housing is not the trainwreck that it's perceived to be by the lending community. 'Course when a real train hits a single-wide, you're looking at the result on the right.
Manufactured homes in Tucson are generally located on lots three to five times larger than those for new construction. They're affordable … (12 comments)
|
real estate opinion: How Much Does It Take to Make You Happy? - 09/27/07 11:50 PM
David Oliver, in Deming, NM, captured the essence of optimism in the face of a storm in this photo. (You can save a high resolution version for your desktop by clicking here. Do it. You deserve a gift for subscribing to my blog.)
Does the market for Real Estate have you complaining … (32 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Canadian Lives at Risk: Unintended Consequence of Lending "Freeze" - 09/25/07 08:01 AM
Without critical food supplies in store before Arctic winter cuts off contact, the lives of 200 Canadian workers could have been jeopardized as an unintended consequence of the subprime debacle in the credit markets.
Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. sends annual supplies during the warmer months of the year by the route shown on the right. … (7 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Ethics & Risk: It's Amazing What You'll Find if You Dig a Little... - 09/23/07 07:09 PM
300,000 people traverse this gem of a beach called Long Beach Island each season. A very few of them dig down to see what they can find in the sand.
Since WWI, unexploded military ammunition (ordnance) buried beneath the sand in Surf City, NJ has threatened millions of happy, clueless, vacationing beach bums.
No one knew. … (11 comments)
|
real estate opinion: How Do You Do That? - 09/15/07 01:06 AM
Words are the basis of contracts. Contracts are the basis of the practice of buying and selling Real Estate. Well written contract addenda require thought, and an acquired ability to structure those thoughts clearly. Here's a useful exercize to expand the part of your brain that has to do with the structure of thoughts: Write a … (19 comments)
|
real estate opinion: My Perspective: The Significance of Rebuilding Ground Zero - 09/14/07 01:34 PM
9-11 has come and gone for the sixth time, but the REAL ESTATE where the Twin Towers stood is still a hole in the ground.
Progress is being made for the Freedom Tower and surrounding complex.
What will be built? Not merely a memorial, although history will require it. Not only a tribute, such … (9 comments)
|
real estate opinion: You Might Want to Consider Moving to Tucson, Arizona! - 09/14/07 12:58 AM
An intrinsic value of holding title to Real Estate is that one owns the sky above it.
Spectacular cloud formations move into the Southwest as the June sun heats the desert floor. I like to think that the towering clouds drive before them flocks of the Lesser Hardy Snowbirds. They seem to leave … (21 comments)
|
real estate opinion: HONESTY...a Parable - 09/13/07 03:43 AM
It's called Honesty, and it will grow in your garden. Google "honesty" and a plant pops to the top of the charts! Or the front of the page. Or something like that.
The plant comes in two varities: an annual version, and the perennial version. The annual version will grace your garden … (20 comments)
|
real estate opinion: I Honestly Didn't Have Time... - 09/13/07 01:39 AM
Yesterday, I fulfilled a promise to a client and his family. I helped them pack a U-Haul to move to their new home. I really didn't have the time. Honest I didn't! My To Do list for Tuesday looked like this:5 a.m. Drop Darlin' at airport to see family (I'll … (25 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Countrywide Crisis Could be Your Crisis - 08/10/07 09:07 AM
Countrywide is in crisis. My AE, normally johnny-on-the-spot returning calls, didn't return my calls yesterday.
Pay close attention to what happens today--Friday, August 10--as it will affect REALTORS and lenders alike.
The Federal Reserve just a few days ago decided not to ease interest rates. The Fed target rate is 5.25%, but last … (22 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Instant Ancestors for Tucson, Arizona Residents - 08/08/07 09:59 AM
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little...influence on society." Sarah Cooper had a spell of writer's block yesterday. Thank God! (You'll have to check her out to understand this; the best blog posts are serendipitous.) Sarah sent me looking for Sam, whose pen name was Mark Twain.
Mark Twain certainly suffered from the … (2 comments)
|
real estate opinion: Make Action Your Legacy - 07/26/07 08:13 AM
"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are made for."
Think of your mind as a boatyard, and yourself as a boat builder. Think of your business as the vessel you're creating. Once it's seaworthy, it's going to take you to the places you've dreamed of, perhaps … (22 comments)
|
real estate opinion: COUNTRYWIDE: SCARE 'EM TO THE TABLE! - 07/25/07 09:07 PM
A survey out this morning says that Mortgage Brokers (and loan officers) are avoiding subprime loan originations. That's too bad, because the need will not dry up and blow away, even if the product is in short supply.
What the subprime mess needs is Originators who look out more for the interest of … (0 comments)
|
;)
Links;)
Tags (Tag Cloud);)
Archives
