Don’t Always BELIEVE What You SEE; Zillow said WHAT?! - 05/29/12 10:24 AM
I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and he told me he checks out prices of homes on Zillow.
I suggested we do a little checking on our own. A few days before our discussion, I received an appraisal on a condo that had NO upgrades and was in very poor condition. Zillow said it was worth $186 per square foot. The connecting condo, which was totally upgraded (about $125,000 in upgrades), and actually had a much better view, was listed on Zillow at $156 a square foot. The two condos were comparable in size. He … (2 comments)

HOW TO RECOGNIZE AN AMERICAN - 05/22/12 08:53 AM
Several months ago there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. I thought you might enjoy reading the following:
So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.
An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be … (2 comments)

What I Predicted 3 Years Ago - 05/15/12 11:49 AM
I’m not sure where folks got the idea that Realtors had a “Secret Crystal Ball” in their back pockets, but throughout the housing crisis these past (7) years, clients as well as friends, would ask me this question. “When do you think this housing crisis will end?” I would always tell them “towards the end of 2012.”
 March 28, 2012 an article appeared at www.DNNews.com The Headline stated:
Housing Crisis to End in 2012 as Banks Loosen Credit Standards!
The article went on to report the following:
Capital Economics expects the housing crisis to end this year, according to a report … (2 comments)

How Can I Improve My Home Buying Experience? - 05/08/12 09:30 AM
By Dian Hymeris author of "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books.
No one likes to make mistakes, especially homebuyers. If you make a mistake buying a computer or TV, the consequences aren’t serious. But a home buying mistake can cost you plenty. Fortunately, you can learn from others’ mistakes. Here are some tips for avoiding pitfalls so that your home buying experience will be a positive one.
Find out what you can afford before you start looking at homes to buy. This will save you time and aggravation. A simple call to a mortgage broker or lender will … (2 comments)

PLANNING A SUMMER VACATION….BEWARE! - 05/01/12 08:30 AM
I recently came across an article given to me by my exterminator company. It was discussing BED BUGS!UGH! It went on to say that BED BUGS can hitch a ride on your luggage or bags during travel. They suggested emptying your suitcase in the garage when you got back home, then putting everything in the laundry and wash things on the HOT Cycle and drying in a HOT Dryer.
My first inkling was to toss the article away. But curiosity got to me so I decided to look up BED BUGS on the Internet. Here is what I discovered.
You should … (13 comments)