The Importance of a Home Inspection - 05/30/08 02:28 PM
By Chuck Roberts
Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty
 Should a buyer get a home inspection for a home they are buying? Should a seller order a home inspection prior to putting the property on the market? There are advantages for both.
 Simply put, a home inspection is a visual examination of both the physical structure and major systems of the entire home including: walls, ceilings, floors, decks, exterior covering, the roof, foundation, insulation and ventilation, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning. It is not an appraisal to validate the value of a home, nor a pass/fail exam. A third-party inspector will give … (0 comments)

The Story of Honda, as told by Tony Robbins - 05/28/08 09:42 PM
Evening folks. Here is another excerpt from Tony Robbins "Letters To A Friend" It is the story of Soichiro Honda, the founder of the Honda Corporation, the maker of Honda cars and motorcycles. Hope it motivates you. Enjoy
Let me give you a great example of a man who understood the power of a real decision, someone who, once he decided, would not give up. His name is Soichiro Honda: founder of the Honda Corporation, the make of Honda cars and motorcycles. Mr. Honda never allowed tragedy, problems, challenges, or the twists and turns of circumstances to get in his way. … (5 comments)

A Home Buyers Wants and Needs List. - 05/28/08 09:23 PM
By Chuck Roberts
Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty
Shopping for a home is an exciting adventure and it's easy to get lost in a sea of dazzling for-sale homes and all of their fabulous amenities - which can cause you to temporarily forget that a large backyard is your top priority. To keep yourself focused, take time to identify and organize exactly what you're looking for in a home by creating thorough "must-have" and "wish" lists before you begin home shopping. You may also want to make a third list that details your dislikes.
To get started ask yourself these questions: Which … (0 comments)

Making Sense of the Language of Real Estate - 05/26/08 09:42 PM
By Chuck Roberts
Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty
As with all industries, real estate professionals have developed a lingo and acronyms to help them communicate with each other more easily. For the first-time homebuyer (and even some veterans), making sense of property listings can sometimes leave you feeling like you're deciphering the DaVinci Code.
Let's take a look at a sample real estate listing:
2,500 sf on a c-d-s, 2BR, 2.5BA, CA, spac grt rm w/ wbfp, grmet kit, det gar
Looks a lot like alphabet soup. However, using this type of abbreviated property description saves valuable advertising space. Some abbreviations you'll … (0 comments)

Can You Afford That House? - 05/25/08 04:05 PM
"Can You Afford That House?"
By: Chuck RobertsPrudential Shimmering Sands Realty
 Before you start searching for your dream home, you first need to determine a price range you can afford. According to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), depending on the consumer's current debt ratio, most people can typically afford to pay 31 percent of their gross monthly income for mortgage payments. For example, if you earn $50,000 annually, then your monthly income is about $4,167. Thirty-one percent of that is $1,292.
There are several online tools to calculate a monthly mortgage you can afford using factors such as your current monthly … (0 comments)

If You Can’t Be Polite…At Least Be Eloquent - 05/25/08 04:02 PM
When Insults Had ClassThese glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison," and he said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."" He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr"He has all the … (9 comments)

The Story of Colonel Sanders - 05/24/08 08:44 PM
For those of you who haven't heard the story of Colonel Sanders...it can be very motivating. Here I offer it, as told by Tony Robbins in his book "Letters to a Friend".  Enjoy!*****
The key to success is to decide what's most important to you and then take massive action each day to make it better, even when it doesn't look as if it's working.
I'll give you an example. Have you ever heard of a guy named Colonel Sanders? Of course you have. How did Colonel Sanders become such an unbelievable success? Was it because he was born wealthy? Was … (11 comments)

Quote by Churchill - 05/22/08 07:00 PM
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty"
All too often we are subjected to opinions of the former category, rather than the later. The above quote, by Sir Winston Churchill, points out the perspective we all need to adapt. If nothing else, the end of a bad situation should lead to the question "OK what can I learn from this?" Come on folks....look for that "silver lining"!
… (11 comments)

Sellers: Avoid These Mistakes - 05/22/08 06:27 PM
You want to get the best price for your home, plus sell it in the least amount of time. In a buyers' market such as the one emerging now, homes will take longer to sell. Therefore, it's important that you make the right moves at the very beginning of your homeselling process to remain competitive. Here are some common traps that many homeowners fall into and how to avoid them.
 1. Over-pricing - It's easy to think your home is worth more than the current market may support, particularly after the long run-up in home prices. Since home prices have cooled … (0 comments)

Quote by Nelson Mandela - 05/21/08 03:54 PM
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
This quote by South African statesman and 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela reminds us that unless we are willing to fall, we will never walk, never run, and never do anything of greatness. The tragedy isn't in falling, it is in staying down. Don't be afraid to fail, for that is how we learn what doesn't work.
… (6 comments)

Insurance May Be In Sight! - 05/21/08 02:42 PM
Yesterday Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed SB 2534, which will provide affordable health insurance options to the millions of uninsured Floridians, many of which are Realtors® and their families. The Cover Florida plan will allow the state to negotiate with health insurers to develop affordable health coverage for uninsured Floridians ages 19 to 64. Private insurers have said that the Governor's Cover Florida plan would allow them to create benefits packages for about $150 per month or less. All benefit plans would include, at a minimum, coverage for preventive services, screenings, office visits, outpatient and inpatient surgery, urgent care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment … (3 comments)

Moving With Kids In Tow - 05/20/08 11:55 PM
Moving is an exciting time full of commotion that can be tough on everyone, including the
children. The impact the move will have on kids usually is age-related. Babies, toddlers and young children tend to deal well with moving, while adolescents may resent and resist the move. Here are a few timeless tips that may help all families on the move:
Clearly explain why you're moving. Children like to be in the loop and talking to them about the move, what it means and what it will entail can help limit move-related anxiety. Familiarize the children with the new location by … (1 comments)

New Group: The Driven Few - 05/20/08 07:59 PM
I just started my first group called The Driven Few. It's a place to post motivational stories, of people who have triumphed over failure, because they wouldn't quit when everyone else would have. We have all heard these stories of average Joes, just like you and me, that the world beat down and beat down, but they refused to stay down. I made the logo of this group a picture of Sylvester Stallone, when he played Rocky Balboa. Most of you are probably thinking "Yeah it was a good story, but it was just a movie". Well I didn't pick that … (14 comments)

Thanks for the great responses! - 05/20/08 06:48 PM
Thanks for all the great response that I have received....it's obvious that Active Rain is filled with people with the right "attitude". At times it can be tough to stay positive in this market, but if surround yourself with enough positive people you will drown out the voices of the naysayers. Let's hear it for all of the AR cheerleaders! Keep it up team!
… (7 comments)

Help for a Newbie - 05/19/08 02:02 PM
Hey Folks, although I have had a profile for about a year, I was just recently exposed to all the great benefits of the Active Rain community.....so in essence, I'm still a rookie. I have a couple of questions that my fellow ARs may be able to answer.
I've had a great response to the blogs that I have posted and have received many comments....what is the easiest way to respond directly to those who have commented? Do I have to log into AR to respond or can I respond from the email, that is sent from AR?
I really appreciate the … (11 comments)

Now Is A Great Time To Buy A Home! - 05/19/08 12:13 PM
By: Chuck Roberts
Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty
As the real estate market continues to stabilize, sellers may find that their property remains on the market significantly longer than the days of "list today, sold tomorrow." There is also more competition for buyers. So, it can be frustrating to put your home on the market, expecting a fast sale, only to find that after six months you're still waiting for an offer. This is especially true if you need to move quickly and leave your unsold home vacant.
Besides creating a marketing challenge, a vacant home can also be a target for … (1 comments)

Quote By Carnegie - 05/19/08 12:00 AM
Hopefully all of you will be reading this first thing Monday morning and maybe it will help set the tone for your week. Here is another of the great quotes I have found.
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."  Andrew Carnegie
Have a great week!!!
… (8 comments)

Gas Saving Tips - 05/17/08 04:50 PM
I think one thing that all of us in real estate (or anywhere) can agree on is that Gas prices are INSANE right now. I received the information below in an email and as well as I can verify, it is accurate. Hope it helps.
Here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon. Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, … (10 comments)

Nothing Else Matters - 05/17/08 02:09 PM
Another one of my all time favorite quotes is:  
"If you have Integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have Integrity...nothing else matters."  
 I'm not positive, but I think Zig Ziglar was responsible for this one. If you boil it down, all the success in the world doesn't matter, if you can't look yourself in the mirror at night.
… (1 comments)

Great Quote - 05/17/08 02:02 PM
One of my favorite quotes is: 
"If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished."
I use it in the signature line of one of my emails. I'm not sure who wrote it, but it helps to drive me. I think of all of the people, who are capable of great things, if they would just begin.
… (5 comments)

Success Is Yours - 05/17/08 01:01 PM
I sometimes spend a little time on MySpace ( My MySpace page ) and occasionally I run across some great stuff. I found this motivational DJ named DJ Vattivegas. As always I want to inspire and motivate, so with that thought in mind, please read below.
Success is Yours!! Courtesy of: dj vattivegas
"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny!" People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you … (0 comments)

The Power In You - 05/16/08 05:52 PM
Whenever possible I always try to share things that motivate or move me.  The article below, by motivational speaker Jim Rohn, resided on my refrigerator door for years. I hope it does as much for you as it did for me....read on.
Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, … (1 comments)

Attitude - 05/16/08 05:45 PM
This is an article I read, by Christian Author Charles Swindoll, that I believe emphasizes the importance of positive attitude....read on.
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, gifted ability, or skill.  It will make or break a company, a church, a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude … (10 comments)

 
Activerain_pic

Chuck Roberts

Panama City, FL

More about me…

Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty

Address: 1514 w. 23rd St. Suite B, Panama City, FL, 32405

Office Phone: (850) 784-1435

Cell Phone: (850) 960-5507

Email Me



Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog