Paul's Blog-Insight into the home buying process.

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Honesty is creative? - 02/29/08 06:20 PM

I just read an article at Realtor.org about a guy that listed a fix up property. He said "There was no point trying to cover up anything, so I didn’t try." He decided to be "brutally honest" in his marketing basically because he saw no other options.
When asked what he learned … (0 comments)

Buy now...or wait for the bottom?: - 02/29/08 01:10 PM

There are all kinds of projectins out there:
The bottom is here:
The bottom will be in 6 months:
The bottom will be at the end of the year:

The real answer isn't the same everywhere but no one really knows anywhere when it will be (or has been) for sure.
But suppose you … (2 comments)

More due diligence: What do you uncover before the buyer makes an offer..... - 02/28/08 12:38 PM

In preparing to show homes I generally give my client a copy of the listing sheet, the tax recored, the tax history and whether or not it is in a flood zone. All that is easily available on TREND (our MLS system). When I have it I also give a … (2 comments)

Getting new clients from prior clients - How do I.... - 02/20/08 12:46 PM

I hear a lot of Realtors say that all of their clients or customers become their friends. That makes me feel a little antisocial. I don't HAVE that many friends. Heck, I don't even want that many. Some of my clients I wouldn't want as friends even though I think … (14 comments)

Agent needed: Why do agents move from one office to another? - 02/19/08 05:17 PM

I have a small real estate office and I’m thinking of adding another (full time) agent. I am NOT looking for someone to train that is just out of school. Ideally this person would have at least 5 years of experience in South Jersey real estate (that does not mean just … (0 comments)

Do you know your listing? - 02/18/08 06:14 AM

Do listing agents take much time looking at their clients homes? I was called for feedback on a home I showed a couple days ago. My client had no interest in the home after seeing it but I wanted to give the agent something they could use.
I suggested … (0 comments)

Free advertising. Write for your local paper. - 02/16/08 07:16 AM

Here is an article from the Courier Post, a South Jersey newspaper. I can post it because I wrote it. If the courier hadn't printed it I was thinking of sending to a newswire but that is a bit expensive. When the Courier printed it they did remove the last 3 … (0 comments)

Due diligence and the path to home ownership. - 02/15/08 05:39 AM

I think of myself as a buyer’s “due diligence” tool. Due Diligence: It is more than “to be diligent”. When one enters into a contract they should not do so blindly. Yet, they generally don’t have the background to personally make a complete or sufficient evaluation of all the things they … (0 comments)

Buyer agents (Exclusively) NJ - 02/14/08 09:32 AM

It has been many years since I worked for a company that listed homes for sale. I know. In real estate classes they say, and, indeed the conventional wisdom in the industry is: "The money is in the listings." Heck, almost all members of the National Association of Realtor's, … (2 comments)

Foundations and grading - 02/13/08 03:05 PM

All home buyers fear buying a house only to find that the basement is wet - even part of the time. Many owners, when faced with this condition, call a water proofing company. Often they end up with a ‘french drain’ for about $6000. No more water. Waterproofing companies don’t often … (2 comments)

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