Your EXIT Strategy

Overbrook Cash Cow!!!

July 2008 Market Report: West Philadelphia 19131

Market Report for West Philadelphia 19131: Period covered July 1,2008-July 31,2008

Penrose Park Dream

Wayne's Way (Real Estate Training At It's Finest)

Investor Delight

Spontaneous Feedback

We're Giving Away The House

Case Of The Property Bandits

I Love My Active Rain-O-Pedia

Mortgage Defaults: Freeze The Rates

When The Neighbors Hinder Your Sale

Darn You Active Rain!!!

A Home: Be Greatful If You Have One

Why in the H.E. Double Hockey Sticks Didn't Mine Sell?

Ahhhh The Loveliness Of Positive Thinking (I love my market)

Stop right there, I work for my client and my client only.

Oh Stop Your Whining and Smile ;-)

No Suit Realtor?

Why so suprised.

Germantown Foreclosure

wouldn't it be more profitable to refer?

Home Selling Tips

Tell your sellers to clean it up!

When Your Clients Thank You

Pricing Matters: Am I crazy, dumb, or right?

2008-09-16T12:47:07Z

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< Title : zipcode-City ( Neighbourhood )19151- (Philadelphia County)

MLS #5417384



	Email Dorreatha Office: 215-425-2200
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DSCI0661

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	Type: Commercial Style: 3 Story Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Suite: No Living Area: 2,160 square feet Year Built: 0 More Details

	Description


	More Description

Brokered and Advertised by Exit Realty Waterfront Group LID 1982016

Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.

2008-08-01T11:53:30Z

There currently 196 Active listings on the market

165 of these listings are single family homes
31 of these listings are condominiums
51 of these listings are new to the market during the money of July

As of 7/31/2008 there were 36 pending transactions. Note: Listings with a pending status is an indication that the property has received an acceptable offer and the property is pending sale.

There were 12 sold listings in the month of July.

Average DOM (Days on the market) was *89 days.
Homes sold at an *average 82.63% of listing price
Low: $25,000 at 82.63% of list price & 35 DOM (Days on market)
Medium: $105,000 at 100% of list price & 1 DOM (Day on market)
High: $190,000 at 97.94% of list price & 28 DOM (Days on market)

*Factors contributing to the sales price percentage and the time spent on the market are property conditin and pricing. Make note that taking true market value and condition of your property into consideration when determining your list price will increase your sales price percentage and decrease your listing period.

There were 5 expired listings.

Note: If your property falls within the category of an expired listing there is a reason why. Hurry to the nearest phone and contact me to have your home placed in the SOLD category!

2008-07-14T13:05:09Z

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MLS #5357116 FOR SALE
$115,000 RECENTLY REDUCED!!!

	Exit Realty Waterfront Group

	Dorreatha Neal Email Dorreatha Office: 215-425-2200
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clayfrnt

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	Address: 25XX S. Claymont Type: Residential Style: Single Story Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1 Suite: No Living Area: 1,020 square feet Year Built: 0 More Details

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	Here it is, a beautiful first time homeowner's dream! This 3 bedroom/1 bathroom home is clean, move-in ready, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, washer & dryer, back patio for bbq's, and friendly neighbors. Located close to schools, shopping, the airport, public transportation, and major highways with a security system for your piece of mind. Everything you need and then some. Just move in and relax. Seller is very motivated. Property sold AS-IS. Bring all offers! More Description

Brokered and Advertised by Exit Realty Waterfront Group LID 1752247

Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.

2008-06-18T20:57:55Z

I had an experience almost a month ago and I am just now able to put that experience into words. (Just Barely)

I was left so inspired, so motivated, so proud to be a realtor.....aw heck so a whole lot of stuff that I can't think of right now..... so positively charged.

That experience was Wayne Furlong. For those of you who do not know this wonderful blessing of a man, please do view his profile and attempt to be blessed with the priviledge of interacting with him. Wayne Furlong's Profile

I thought I was going into my office to be trained for 2 days on Realty Generator. Well I was in for a pleasant awakening. Not only did I receive training on Realty Generator, but I got some of the bestest (said in my best kid voice), most intense career boosting training I've ever attended. I've been to boot camps that charged me tons of money which didn't teach me half of what Wayne traveled from Florida to Philadelphia to teach me at NO CHARGE!!!!

WHAT DID I LEARN? Weeeellll you've gotta ask Wayne. I'm too giddy and too excited to list it all.

Here's a few things though:

The importance of being a "Rainer": well I already knew but my office didn't and no matter how many times I tried to boast about the "Rain", not too many of the agents in my office were buyin' it. Thanks to Wayne, I got a chance to show off my "Rain" (did I just rhyme? must be the poet in me) when he left, agents were ringing my phone off the hook about Active Rain.
I learned some of the most creative ways to drive traffic open houses.
I learned some crafty ways to get REO listings
I learned how to use my writing skills to my advantage
I learned the importance of learning from others: This was a huge one for me. During training, when Wayne would get a response from an agent about something they were an expert in, he mandated them to conduct a training for the office in that specialty. I think this was the single most valuable suggestion he could've given. In a time where things are hard and some agents can't afford the fancy training, Mr. Furlong taught us to utilize each other instead of paying hundreds of dollars bootcamps and trainings that we can have in our own office. Information is key in this business and being selfish with information is not helping the market at all. I could've kissed this man for that suggestion. Why didn't I think of that. Sooooo, I will be conducting an Active Rain Training. One of the other agents in my office will be conducting an REO Training. Another agent will be conducting a door knocking training and there are a few more that I don't need to mention because I think you've gotten my point by now. Brokers, I urge you to use this tool. It is most valuable to the success of your agents. Why not have your agents donate an hour or two of their time to train your office in their specialty every month?

I think I've listed enough for you all to catch where I'm coming from. His style of teaching is the funniest. I didnt' want to fall asleep once,lol

I work in a fairly large office and have one of the most wonderful owners an agent can have. I can't express how appreciative I am to her for flying Mr. Furlong in to teach us. If you all have the opportunity, speak with Mr. Furlong, I'm sure you will love the experience......

P.S. Don't forget to ask about his For Sale By Secret approach. You'll love it.

2008-04-28T21:38:16Z

5837 Delancey Street for your pleasure!

Price: 55k

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 1.5

5837 Delancey Street is just waiting for your finishing touches. This home is attractively priced with minimal updates needed. Situated on a quiet block in the heart of Southwest Philadelphia, this gem is cash flow waiting to happen. Finish her up and move your tenants in. I promise they'll love you for it...

For Showings and more information Contact:

Dee Neal
Exit Realty The Waterfront Group
1080 N. Delaware Avenue Ste. 200
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Office: 215 425 2200
Cell: 215 667 4805
Web: www.exitwithdee.com

"Your EXIT Strategy Starts With Dee...."

2008-02-04T12:40:26Z

Good Day Rainers!

Do any of you offer feedback on your showings to the listing agent if they don't ask for it? I normally don't but this weekend, I felt that I had to. If I were a listing agent and someone showed my listing and knew that there was no way in hell it would sell, I would really want the feedback whether I asked for it or not.

Home #1

Me and my buyers pull up to the home which looked beautiful from the outside. There is a family standing outside looking around. When we walk up to the home, we find out that they have been standing there waiting for their agent to show up and show them the house. (I'll get into that in another post.) Anywho, they ask if they can go in and take a look around until their realtor gets there and I say, "Sure, I'm sure your agent will be here shortly."

We go in. My family starts upstairs and the waiting family starts downstairs. I felt like I was holding an open house. The home is a bit muggy and cluttered. The first thing I see when I go upstairs is a huge hole in the bathroom wall. My buyer is in the bathroom so I walk in. The bathroom is grimy and dirty. My buyer tells me she's gonna be sick from looking at the tub. I try to pull the shower curtain back and my buyer yells, "Don't touch that!" So I slide it back with my key and what do I see? Ewwwwww, a bathtub that I would let a pig sit in, let alone stand in and the reason my buyer didn't want me to touch the shower curtain was because of the horrible amount of mildew built up on the shower curtain liner. Mind you all, this was not a vacant property. I go into a bedroom and see baby toys in the floor so it was clearly lived in. The rooms were musty, dusty, dirty, cluttered, and any other adjective you can think of to describe a property that was clearly not prepared for showing. I go downstairs to make sure the other family was ok and the wife comes out of the living room with her face frowned up saying she's ready to go and that she didn't need to see the upstairs. Then, her agent walks in and she tells him the same thing. What does he do? He tells them to look at the rest of the house. Her older son walks upstairs and naturally enters the bathroom first. He then comes back downstairs with his face frowned up and tells his mother that she didn't want to experience the upstairs.

I call the agent later on that day to give him the feedback. He tells me that the couple has a baby and they both work so that's why they don't clean up. What I wanted to tell him was that I am a single mother with 2 children, a full time job, and I sell real estate as well but I still manage to keep my house clean. Not wanting to offend him, I tell him that maybe he should speak with them about hiring someone to clean their home because if they don't have it cleaned, he's going to have a hard time selling that home which is located in a beautiful neighborhood with better inventory. He thanks me for the feedback.

Home #2

I knew the agent was clearly interested in doing the best job she could for her clients by the way she followed up on the appointment setting and made sure to let us know that there have been alot of no shows and asked me for the consideration of informing her of any changes in appointment. I couldn't leave that home and not call her to offer feedback.

The home was nice but in major need of staging. My clients couldn't pay attention to the home because they were taking a picture tour. This was clearly a close knit family who had their family love covering the walls. They had beautiful hardwood floors downstairs but buyers can't enjoy them because each room was more than halfway covered with oriental rugs. The home, although very clean, just had too much furniture which worked no wonders for the size of the rooms. The linen closet in the hallway was cluttered with linen and toiletries and the bedrooms held too much furniture as well.

I called the listing agent and she was thankful for my call. I let her know that the rugs should come up and anything the family did need for their day to day living should be removed from the home to free up some space. I advised her that the living area had too much furniture and made the room seem smaller as did the bedrooms as well. I also let her know that her client had beautiful crystal glasses on display that may be broken when buyers with young children tour. She thanked me for my feedback and let me know that she had this conversation with her client and that she would reiterate her advice.

I am wondering if the rest of you proactively offer feedback. The listing should be asking but just in case they don't I think it's a nice jesture. Offering the feedback could probably get more homes sold and give the market a nicer look than it has right now.

2008-01-15T10:20:10Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2008

CONTACT:     April Ward                                                                   Marie Bontiago
                        Business Development Director                                Owner & REALTOR®
                        EXIT REALTY "The Waterfront Group"                      EXIT REALTY "The Waterfront Group"
                        (O): 215-425-2200 ext. 106                                        (O): 215-425-2200 ext. 102
                        (M): 609-221-8332                                                      (M): 609-841-9282

exit_bizdevelopment@hotmail.com exitcommercial@aol.com

A local Real Estate Company, EXIT REALTY "The Waterfront Group"

Gives A Deserving Family A Home

(Philadelphia, PA) January 15, 2008 - EXIT REALTY “The Waterfront Group” will be giving a deserving family in the Philadelphia area a home.

Owner & REALTOR®, Marie Bontigao created the “Tabula Rasa Project” to promote homeownership and to give a deserving family, a place to call home. The term Tabula Rasa is a Latin phrase for “A Clean Slate.” EXIT REALTY “The Waterfront Group” is giving a family a chance for a “New Beginning” and to own their own home. The “Tabula Rasa Project” was launched on Friday, December 21, 2007, on-air with 105.3 WDAS FM radio, Philadelphia City Paper ads, Internet and E-mail campaigns.
The “Tabula Rasa Project” will announce the chosen family on February 14^th 2008. Our goal is to give away a home two times this year.

EXIT REALTY “The Waterfront Group”, independently owned and operated by Marie Bontigao, is committed to serving the community. In addition to addressing your real estate needs, “The Waterfront Group” provides free real estate seminars and workshops open to the public such as First time homebuyer, Investor’s seminar, Finance and Credit Counseling Workshops, Networking and Career Night and so much more. They are conveniently located at 1080 N. Delaware Avenue, Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19125.

For more information on the “Tabula Rasa Project” and EXIT REALTY “The Waterfront Group”, please call (215) 425-2200 or visit www.exitwaterfrontgroup.com or email: Events@exitwaterfrontgroup.com

2007-12-10T15:10:38Z

Last week, I get a phone call from my uncle. I pick up the phone and he's telling me how excited he is about a property he just saw. He says to me that he is stepping out on faith because he sees a building that is a good opportunity for a family business. He was soooooooo excited.

The next day (it was too late to be making appointments when he called me), I rushed to the phone to make the appointment. As soon as it was confirmed, I called my uncle and we met after he got off work that night. It was such a beautiful sight when he pulled up to the building with the whole family in towe. He, his wife, his oldest son, his daughter, his youngest son, his sister in law, and her little girl all jumped out of the SUV. I could see them salivating as they approached the door.

I had to disappoint them....

I couldn't get in. I walked up to the door and reach for the lockbox and to our dismay, there was no face and no key! The family was a little discouraged and I know my uncle was too but of course he didn't show it.

The next day, I called the listing agent to let him know that I tried to show his listing but couldn't get in because someone had broken into his lockbox and took the key. He said he would hop right on it and get another key from the owner. A couple days went by the listing agent called me back with common news that you never think you will encounter until it happens to you........THE PROPERTY WAS STOLEN!! PROPERTY BANDITS STRIKE AGAIN!!! That's right, I said stolen. It happens often here in Philadelphia where there is an abundance of vacant property. Property bandits seek out these vacant properties that have been sitting for a while and high tale it on down to city hall and transfer the deed for their own profit. How do they do this? Well with fake id in the owners name is how. City Hall's on requirement is that the documents are filled out "correctly" according to their requirements and that fraudulent document recording go undetected until a legal transaction is attempted. They have however, made an effort to stop the bandits in their tracks by sending out notification letters to property owners whenever there is a transfer of deed. This is a nice effort but if the property is vacant, where are you sending the letters? Here is a copy of that letter for your viewing pleasure: http://www.phila.gov/records/pdfs/letter.pdf

I don't know if this happens in other areas but I'm thinking that we should do some checking of public records when we have clients who want to buy or sell vacant property. It may be a tedious task but protecting our clients is worth it. Usually these property bandits are looking for a quick sale so checking the public records for any recent transfers in the deed could save your clients time and money. Just think about. Taking that extra step can get you and your clients out of disasters path.

Here are some links for more detailed information:

City'sPress Release Regarding Fraudulent Document Recording: http://www.phila.gov/records/DocumentRecording/PressRelease.html
A little history on property theft: http://www.phila.gov/records/DocumentRecording/PressRelease.html
They steal mortgages too: http://www.phila.gov/records/DocumentRecording/Mortgages.html
If you suspect if suspicious activity: http://www.phila.gov/records/DocumentRecording/Tips.html

I hope this information helps. In the meantime, the listing agent on my case is working with their client's to help them get this matter resolved. I will post another blog on this topic once I know the outcome. Until then...happy raining........

2007-12-04T15:39:21Z

As you all may know, it can be a lonely world when you're new to this real estate business. I have had to basically learn everything on my own.

When I first started selling real estate in Georgia, I asked my broker about training and he told me I could pay for his $595 boot camp. I asked, isn't there any other training you have for your new agents and his response was no. How many new agents can afford this? My broker had to answer this question for himself when he didn't have many agents enrolling and decided to offer it to dedicated agents with payment deferred until their first closing. So I took him up on his offer. What did I learn? Nothing much really. Just a bunch of puff for his cd series that he wanted to sell which would have all the good details on how to become a top producer. It wasn't much money so I bought it and what did I get? Nothing but the same empty info he gave in his so called boot camp. Needless to say I didn't get much training in my new found career in real estate from my first broker. I'm a self starter and determined to learn what I need so I picked the brains of other real estate agents. I got as much as I could. I had to relocate so I spent a year in Georgia then packed it up and moved to Philadelphia after the birth of my second child.

In Philadelphia, I got a new broker of course. And what do you know, he was the same minus the training charges but he did charge a hefty fee for a listing presentation. I found the lack of support and training. as did every agent who worked for him. During this experience, I found that if I wanted to get ahead in this business, I could not look for my broker to help me build my strength, I would need to do it myself. So I tried to enlist the help of other agents but the mentality is different here in the city and I couldn't get much help. So I went on a quest to build my own strength in this industry another way.

I spent so many days scaling the aisles of Borders and Barnes & Noble. I really couldn't afford to buy all of those books so I skimmed what I could and bought what I could. This trip to the bookstore thing wasn't exactly footing the bill for my knowledge so I took my search to the 'www'. I read everything I could find but not much was really concrete enough for me. I found a real estate agent networking website www.agentsonline.com which was ok. Not exactly what I was looking for but did the trick none the less. While reading the message boards one day, I saw someone mention Active Rain. Active Rain? What's that? I was curious...sooooooooooo I mosied myself on over here, instantly fell in love and joined!

THERE IS A GOD! OH MY THERE IS A GOD!

I have never seen a place with so much information! I have never received so much information free of charge! I have never learned so much and laughed while doing it! Real estate professionals who actually write about their experiences and give step by step guides on topics I need to learn about! Real estate professionals who don't mind sharing the secrets (well some of the secrets) to their success!

Blogs, blogs and more blogs on topics that I've never even thought of! I came here and found out how much I really didn't know in addition to learning the things I knew I didn't know.

And the search box! Omg! The search box! I'm a search box freak! I'm a research chic! Give me a search box and I'll put all types of things in there. Omg! The things that come back in the results. The many different views and levels of knowlege posted on these blogs are unbelievable! Oh oh and have you ever been reading a blog on something and found something you didn't know and searched it and got the results and read the blogs and found something else you didn't know and searched that and did it again and again and again until you lost track of your book marks and your hand started hurting from the notes you were taking? I have!

I plug into that search box in my Active Rain-O-Pedia and learned all types of stuff:

Staging ideas
Selling my clients on staging
How to get more referrals
So many ways to get expired listings
Direct Response Marketing
Blog techniques
Mortgage industry education (I quickly found that I didn't know hogwash about mortgages when I started reading my Active Rain-O-Pedia)
Farming
Effective listing presentation techniques
Open house ideas
Some of the best out of the box marketing ideas I could find
FSBO marketing

I've learned so much here that I'd hurt your eyes if I listed it all. Oh and thanks to my Active Rain-O-Pedia addiction, other agents in my office wonder why they keep googling our office name and keep seeing me in the results. Thanks to my Active Rain-O-Pedia, I'm a much stronger agent than I was a year ago. Thanks to my Active Rain-O-Pedia, I service my clients with a little more style. Thanks to my Active Rain-O-Pedia, I can share knowledge with other agents in my team. I'm so thankful for my Active Rain-O-Pedia and I thought I would just share it with you all since you're a part of my growth.

Thanx Rainers...........

2007-12-03T12:20:33Z

I was reading the paper this morning and saw an article related to the mortgage mess that's getting us all in a frenzy.

Possible solution? Freezing the lower rates for a little while. How long? Well the government is pushing for 5-7 years while investors aren't to happy about that and suggest 1-2 years.

My take on it. I'm with the investors. I think giving homeowners another 2 years to get themselves in a position to refinance at a better, more stable rate to avoid trouble is enough time. Considerable improvements can be made to a person's credit and financial situation in 24 months. I've seen it happen numerous times and have done it myself.

Ok so, there are homeowners who were not educated enough to be prepared for the disaster that is about to strike their pockets and possibly send them into a downward spiral that will be hard for them to get out of. Surely homeowners who want to keep their homes but were not educated about what their mortgage terms really meant or how to prepare themselves for higher rates or to avoid them have already begun to research, educate themselves, and formulate a plan to keep them from the mess they may be facing. Why not give them a little more time to get it together. They are now warned and fully aware that something needs to be done with their situation to save them. An extra 24 months is a good second chance in my opinion.

If this rate freeze is granted, I suggest the following for homeowners who may be affected:

1. Take a close look at your credit reports and begin to repair your credit.Enlist the help of a mortgage professional to teach you how to read your credit reports. Also use online resources to learn to repair your credit. www.creditboards.com/forumsis an excellent resource with tons of information on how to repair your credit. Credit repair is a long and tedious process but it is worth the elbow grease in the long run. I've been there and the information on these boards have helped me alot.

2. Get a budget and stick to it. Saving is crucial. You want to have some money in the bank just in case something happens and you are not blessed with the ability to refinance. A cushion will help you through the hump until you are. Don't buy anything you don't need. If you're an impulse spender, stop it. It's a madness that can be cured. Just be the Little Engine Who Could..."I think I can....I think I can."

3. Get mortgage smart. Follow the mortgage industry. Take advantage of the net and learn as much as you can. By all means, stay here on Active Rain. Use that search option until your little heart is filled with mortgage cheer.

4. This may be related to item #2 but don't make any huge purchases. You're in the running how. You're swimming for your dear life. Don't take on any huge obligations unless you know without a doubt that you absolutely have to. You've been given another chance here so you must do what you need to do to benefit from it.

5. SAY IT WITH ME...DISCIPLINE & ELBOW GREASE WILL MAKE MY LIFE COMPLETE! DISCIPLINE & ELBOW GREASE WILL MAKE MY LIFE COMPLETE!!! Chant this everyday to keep yourselves strong and if that second change gets granted, you'll come out on top!

2007-10-08T08:47:39Z

I hosted my first open house this weekend. Quite interesting.

We had open houses for all of our listings yesterday. The only listing I had that wasn't already under contract wasn't ready for an open house, the seller is just procrastinating on making her house "eye ready". We allow showings but it just wasn't ready for an open house. I hosted an open house for another agent in my office. Boy was this a learning experience.

1. I learned that I need to learn to speak Spanish. The agent called me days before the open house assigned to me by my broker and wasn't really happy with the fact that I didn't speak Spanish because the house is located in an area where mostly everyone speaks Spanish However, she was very supportive and thankful to me for hosting an open house for her listing.

2. My eyes have been opened to how neighbors can adversely affect the sale of your home. WOW!

The traffic was slow, only one guest in the four hour period to be exact, so I sat there with the door open most of the time and heading to the door at times to admire the scenery. There was a teenage girl next door outside on the front steps with her boyfriend playing around, no problem. After a little while, her sister and dad comes home. I guess her sister finally pays attention to the sign outside (its been there a while because the home is in good shape and priced right but has been on the market since May) and says, "Thank Goooood, they're finally selling that house." Then the other sister and her boyfriend respond repetitively (they see me sitting there mind you) "Yeah but their selling to black people." I kept my cool and called the listing agent. She was already aware of this problem. She let me know that the community relations board at the local police station have already been alerted and she is intending to escalate because they do that alot and that they harass the sellers all of the time because they are Arab and Muslim. hmmmmmm

I have never experienced this in real estate but I wonder if any of you rainers have experienced trouble in selling because of pesky neighbors.....

2007-10-02T20:28:40Z

I just burned my dinner.......... Would this be a sign of addiction? Maybe I can spray some of that Active Rain Eau De Parfum on myself and give people that same addiction to signing on my dotted line,lol Ok I'm done. I have to see an Active Rain therapist before this gets out of hand. Is there a Dr. in the house?

2007-10-02T20:12:44Z

I'm feeling quite emotional today. I just spoke with a friend of mine who lives a few states away. She was talking about sleeping in her car. She's been homeless for a while now. I try to send her money whenever I can but that's all I can do since she's 900 miles away. I remember when I first moved to Georgia, I met her and thought she was quite aggressive at first but in her aggression and bluntness, I came to know a very giving soul. I had only one family member there who was my roommate but we were opposite people so I related to my friend, I'll call her "Angel", much more. I had some financial difficulties and "Angel" made sure I was ok. She shared with me stories about her struggle and how she was homeless with her little baby girl before and was rebuilding. She had a cute little two bedroom apartment and the only furniture she had was a mattress and a television. Still, she had a place to keep the rain off of her baby's head. Over the time I have known her, I've seen her go through her ups and downs and she always made it through.

She fell in love and got married to what was suppose to be "Prince Charming". Well everything was fine in the beginning and "Prince Charming" turned out to be much less than a prince and far from charming. They divorced after 4 yrs and "Angel" was left with a truck load of bills plus normal living expenses. Sure she had a job but not a job to pay for all of those bills. "Prince Charming" was ordered to pay alimony but somehow managed to disappear after a few payments.

Fast forward to a few months ago. "Angel" had managed to keep a hold on things but was laid off from her job and unemployment was running out. Result? Rent, bills, car note, car insurance, and a daughter growing and fast approaching puberty landed her homeless. It hurt me deeply that I wasn't able to do much for my friend who was so far away. It hurt me deeply that she has two brothers, a sister, a mother, an aunt, an uncle, and a few cousins living in the same state and she's homeless. When I spoke with her today, she was telling me how she needed to leave her temporary place of shelter soon and would be sleeping in her car. My response: "What about your mother's house?" Her answer: "I wasn't invited......"

In news of friends living closer to me, my friend "Lisa" from high school has been getting the boot from her family since I've known her. Both of her parents were addicted to drugs (they no longer are now) and she was living with her aunt. She became pregnant in our senior year. The result? Her aunt kicked her out of the house. I've seen this happen to her a few times. About 10 years ago, she got married as well and had two more children. Her husband began abusing drugs and they separated. Since then, she's be trying to her best to maintain. She was living not too far from me at her father's house for a while. A week or so went by and I couldn't get in contact with her. I knocked on her door a few times and noone answered. Finally sent her an email to check on her. My findings? Her father told her that she and her children were in his way and put them out on the streets. A man put his daughter and his three grandchildren out on the streets. A man put a mother out on the streets. A man put babies out on the streets. My tears flow as I write this blog. At picturing a mother and her babies sleeping on the streets. She was able to go to a family member's house for a few days but said she couldn't stay because they were facing foreclosure on their home.

I called my mother in tears. I couldn't believe this was happening. I asked questions she couldn't answer. How can someone be so cold? What is happening in the world when people can't go to their own families for support? How could someone see their own children, their flesh and blood on the streets?

Being a mother myself, I couldn't imagine a day where I didn't take care of my babies, no matter how old they get.
Of course there is time when children must grow and become and adults. There is a time when they must leave the nest and become the men and women we raised them to be. BUT, there is never a time that they will need and I will not be there for them. I don't know if I would be able to live with myself knowing that my children were homeless and hungry. There's nothing I wouldn't do to make sure these two things are never factor for them......

What can I do? Not much for my friend faraway except send her money and prayers. But my friend close to me with her three children have nothing to worry about. Our loving Most High works in mysterious ways. A few days before I found out about my friend's horrific experience, my mother's tenants gave notice that they would be moving in a few weeks. My friend now has a three bedroom home for her and her children rent free until she gets on her feet.

What can you do? Extend yourself. Be grateful for what you have. And most importantly....nurture your babies until they day you transition......

2007-10-01T09:42:14Z

Why didn't your property sell Mr./Ms. seller? Is that what you ask or what you want to know? Well I'll tell ya, it's one of two sub-reasons which causes one big reason to be neglected.... PRICE! Either your agent didn't bother to tell you that you were priced too high or he/she told you and you didn't listen.

I was researching my farm area last week and found 47 expired listings in the 150k-200k range. Theeeen, I researched the sold and pending listings, here's what I found.

In one, just one zip code where these expireds resided, Philadephia 19111, there were 161 properties sold since March and there are currently 35 other lovely homeowners awaiting the closing table. What does this mean? This means that while you were on the market and after you unsuccessfully left the market, your competition went to the bank. ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-SIX other people are smiling at the bank, a place where you were trying to make it to. Think about that for a minute. In one little itsy bitsy zip code, people who were on the market to sell there homes just like you, 196 people to make clear again, were able to sell there homes and you were not. Perhaps, your property didn't show well, maybe it showed beautifully but the one determining factor is price! Were you well informed about proper pricing and just didn't listen? Or did you employ someone who either didn't know what the proper price was or just neglected to tell you for one reason or another?

Guess what? The activity shows that buyers really want to buy in this neighborhood. Please, take this little public service announcement to heart and get on that sold list!!

My fellow rainers, can you feel me?

"EXIT with Dee...."

2007-09-24T10:29:25Z

When people make comments to me about the current market conditions, I smile and tell them that I nevermind the little things ;-) I'm always thinking positive and trying my best not to let anyone or anything define my success in whatever it is that I choose to do. I always think from a mindset of "Well there's closings everyday, people making the decision to buy a home everyday, people making the decision to sell their homes everday, and most importantly, there's closings everday." In any market, no matter what the condition is "suppose" to be, there's always people who manage to survive and greater. With this being said, I think the law of attraction reared it's beautiful little head yesterday when I read the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer "What's Your Home Worth" was the title of the article.

Just as I had been telling myself for months, the market is not dead. The home prices are showing to be stable and rising and NOT falling as some would believe. Philadelphia and surrounding areas have not been affected by the massive foreclosures that have been flooding the news, in fact we're not even on the top ten list. Homes ARE still selling. We are NOT bad off. Yes, homes are staying on the market 13 days longer than last year (66 days vs. 53) but they're still selling and this even depends on the neighborhood. I recently had a listing that sold before I could put a sign up. Buyers are loving the Germantown, Mt. Airy, and West Oak Lane sections of Philadlephia. Buyers are also loving Delaware County. Sellers in Upper Darby in particular should be really happy. Indecisive buyers should know that they are competiting with other buyers in these areas. I had two indecisive buyers for both areas who snoozed and lost in both areas multiple times. If a market is so bad, why do my buyers have to make their decisions so quickly because if they dont, they house they fell in love with today will be gone tomorrow? I recenlty had this happen a couple times. The homes were litterly there today and were gone the next. I love my thoughts, they always prove me right.

check out this lovely article in the Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/philadelphia/9943907.html

2007-09-17T09:13:02Z

Something happend this weekend that really bugs me. I listed a home, AS-IS. The home is in good shape just needs updating. The comps in the area are good. AS-IS homes in my clients condition are flying off the market at 75k easy. Complete rehabs wanting a quick sale fly off at 125k in 2 weeks and are selling between 140k and 150k with an average "shelf life" of 60days. I made my seller well aware of this.

So I get a call from an agent/investor (who happens to know the market very well because mostly all of the comps were his flips) asking me if my client would accept 50k. I told him no. They would not accept that low amount. Then he asks the question that I despise the most coming from a real estate agent, someone who should know better, "Well how much would they accept?" Excuse me, are you kidding me? This is my client. What do I look like giving you an edge to be able to lowball them? I told him look, go take a look at the property and submit an offer. That's it.

So late on that night, he calls me letting me know that he just emailed me an offer, with proof of funds, all cash, no contingencies, and he can close in a week. I look at the offer and low and behold, it's 50k. I let him know that this was not acceptable especially when I have two full price offers on the table. He goes through all this hoo-ha about how bad the market is (but mind you, he's buying up everything in site in this horrible market) and wants me to present this offer to my clients and counter him. I told him that I work for my clients and will not encourage them to accept this low offer in a market that I have made them well aware of and that I'm not wasting my client's time by playing the counter game, make a reasonable offer and submit it or my clients will accept one of the two full price offers I have for them. And I don't even want to go into how he tried to sweetin' me up with the fact that this would mean double commission for me because of course he would not require a commission.

Oh and mind you....my phone is ringing off the hook about this property. What is wrong with some people? I do understand the game but please, don't push me to waist my client's time. They listed with me for a reason and I hold fast to keeping my promise to them that I will protect their best interest until the closing table....

2007-09-16T21:11:55Z

Yesterday I made a stop to the health food store to buy some raw honey. I picked up a couple of books on juicing as well. As I approached the checkout counter, I saw the store owner speaking with one of the customers, well she was the only other customer in the store besides me. As I walked closer to this woman, I could not help but admire her style. She was really dressed to impress, especially for a Saturday afternoon when most women are running errands and looking like it too. Lol. She had a perfect Bob cut with red highlights, her make-up was perfect, her diamonds sparkled, and her outfit looked like she had just stepped out of Bloomingdale's.

I walked up to the counter and spoke to the both of them. The store owner commented on how everytime she sees me I have a smile on my face. The other woman, I'll just call her Anne for now, asked what my secret was. I was really shocked because this question was coming from a woman who clearly looked like she had it all and she asked in such a way that made me think she was looking for a release from life itself. Well I answered in my regular animated way by taking a few breaths and told her I was just happy to be breathing. I told her that I'm always smiling because I have so much to be greatful for and that I look at life with the philosophy that no matter what I have going on, there is always someone who has it worse than I do. The store owner agreed and Anne replied, "Well yeah. That works for people who actually believe that." What? What was this I was hearing? Nothing much but just what I too often run into. Someone who did not realize how good they had it no matter how bad things may seem in their life. I was speaking to someone who hasn't yet grasped the fact that you are the master of your own destiny and that karma is alive and kicking. I was speaking to someone that obviously didn't make habbit of being greatful for what she does have but made regular practice of crying over what she didn't. I went on to remind her that she is one of the fortunate, that I am one of the fortunate. I reminded her that instead of being so priviledged to be able to stand and have our conversation, we could be laying somewhere in a hospice care center holding on to our last breath and praying that breath somehow gets multiplied. Anne's reply? "Well I always think about the people who have more." I kept smiling and advised her that those people who seem to have more have problems too. This woman was clearly deep in her own misery despite her jewels and expensive clothes so I just kept smiling hoping that my smile with infect her with the blissful plague of happiness.

Thought not just for today but for everyday:

Stop your crying. Never say "Why me?" Be greatful for what you do have and make what you want happen. Life's too short to complain over what you have control of and there's many more bigger fish to fry instead of complaining over what you can't control. If you've got it bad, there's alot of other people who have it worse. Make it happen and smile while you're doing it....

2007-09-13T10:21:32Z

I've never been the suit type of girl really. From time to time, I'll wear one but my regular attire is just me. I do not want to create any illusions for my clients. I give them the real deal. I know from my own experiences that when I see someone coming towards me with a suit, I just think "snake" so I dont want to put this in the heads of my clients. While I am clean and presentable and my dealings are always professional. I do not go out of my way for the professional "look". I think this approach has helped me tremendously with my clients and I am able to get through to them more. My clients are very receptive to me because from our first contact, they see someone who is just like them. While I do have boundaries put boundaries on my actions to make sure my license and the overall view of realtors is not tarnished, I create a very comfortable environment for my clients and they talk to me about any and everything under the sun. I tell them the truth in my way as if we were having regular convo at a diner, work, etc and problems with buyers being realistic in the expectations have rarely been a problem, and problems with sellers and their pricing has never been an issue. If I have to have a seller reduce a price, it's never been an issue. Thoughts?

2007-07-26T16:31:58Z

Customer service is number one in my eyes. Service sells more than pretty pictures painted by a hungry salesperson. I believe in delivery the best service possible and exceeding my client's needs. With that being said, I have a closing coming up. My client is relocating. She lives 2 two states away and our closing is at 9am prompt. I called her and asked if she would like for me to book her a hotel room so she would have no trouble making it to her closing the morning. She had planned on taking the bus from ny to pa as she did when she came to pa to looking for her home. She was socked! "YOU CAN DO THAT?" Yes I said and booked her room. I mean, it is important that she is here to close right? So I go on about my day and I informed the listing agent of my plans to assure him there would be no issues. He was shocked as well? "YOU GOT HER A ROOM?" Yeah, I did. Why is there such a surprise in delivering service? I'm puzzled.....

2007-06-22T10:36:49Z

ATTENTION INVESTORS!!!!

GERMANTOWN PHILADELPHIA FORECLOSURE! GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY!!!!

530 E. MAYLAND ST. CALL FOR DETAILS! COME SEE! MAKE AN OFFER!

Dee Neal
1080 N. Delaware Ave. Ste. 200
Philadelphia, PA 19125
215 425 2200 office
215 667 4805 cell

2007-05-24T09:39:19Z

everyday i check the expired listings and i wonder....WHY AREN'T AGENTS JUST REFERRING!!! AGENT OUTSOURCING is what i call it. if i have a client that is not selling for whatever reason be it price, my inventory is so big that i can't give the appropriate attention needed to get listing sold...whatever the case may be, wouldn't it be more profitable for me to have a network of other agents to just refer the work to instead of loosing a client? isn't it better to get the referral commission then get none? i'm not understanding. maybe i'm just fairly new and haven't yet grasped realtor psychology..but it makes sense to me. maybe me and my client's personalities don't mix and we dont speak the same language and someone else might be a better fit for them...i think the market would be in a much better position we saw the quality and finding a better match for our client's and taking some of the pay in regards to none. so what's the number one reason listings expire?

2007-04-29T19:46:02Z

It's rough selling a home. So I've complied a list of things that should probably make your process a little smoother. While my words aren't the end all be all of home selling, I'm sure you can get some good use of this advice.

1. List it: Home sellers should research and interview agents and choose the best one to suit their needs, market the property accordingly, and advise the best selling price. It is always good to leave the selling in the hands of a professional. Homes with agent representation selling quicker than those sold by owner.

2. Inspect it: Make sure to get an inspection of the property. This can uncover any problems that may interfere with closing. Be careful in choosing an inspector. Hopefully your real estate agent will have a reputable inspector on their team who will very carefully inspect your property. Once the property is inspected, sellers should make the necessary repairs and keep the inspection report, along with documented proof of any recent repairs available for potential buyers.

3. Appraise it: There is often conflict between agents and sellers regarding the asking price for the property. To elimate the conflict, if any, have your property appraised, it will save alot of time and energy. It may be better to have your property appraised before consulting an agent. An appraisal and inspection report avaiable to potential buyers puts you ahead of the game and makes you look more spectacular than your competition. Properties priced accordingly sell quicker. It is wise to be realistic when pricing your property. If your property is priced too high, the sale will crumble even if you find a buyer willing to pay your asking price because mortgage companies will not lend higher than the appraised value. Now, if we can get a miracle buyer who is willing to pay cash for an overpriced property, you're in luck but remember, what seems too good to be true, probably is.

4. Stage it: This is a wonderful step in selling your home. A property that is priced right and shows like a model home will sell quicker and for more money. Don't believe me, check it out!

Here's a few more pointers:

Be realistic in your home selling approach. Take yourself out of the equation and look at your home through the eyes of the buyer. Would you pay your asking price for your property? Would you buy your home in it's current condition? Make a list of the things would look for when purchasing property and honestly answer your own questions then make adjustments.
Be a part of the selling process. Make sure you have an agent who let's you be interactive. Assist your agent in making your selling an event that everyone should know about. Assist your agent in making your home well known on the market. Ask how you can help.
Make sure to have your agent go through all contracts thoroughly. Ask questions! Ask questions! Ask questions! Make sure all of your contracts are loophole proof and make sure your agent gives you a copy of all deadlines! A poorly written contract can lead to trouble in your future. You are paying for a service so take full advantage of it.
Make showings convenient. You're trying to sell your house, make sure to give your agent a key for showings when your are not home. Lack of availability can leave your home on the market longer than it needs to be.
Listen to your agent. He/She knows best. If you ever question any advice or activities, check with the broker.
Take heed to feedback. After showings and open houses, there will probably be feedback on your home. Buyers and other agents will provide helpful feedback on the showing. Listen, evaluate, and make proper adjustments. Hey, have your agent invite them back after you're done. Another look may be more appealing and lead to an offer.
Examine all offers and be careful to choose the best one. Beware of the, "Let's just close this thing now so I can get paid agent." If your agent suggests an offer, have him/her explain why that is the best one. Remember, your settlement should be in YOUR best intrest, not your agent's.

That's all for now folks. Hope this was helpful. Happy Selling!

2007-04-26T09:15:17Z

Ya know, I can't figure for the life of me why a listing agent would start marketing a property before it is ready. Ugggh, this bugs me and is quite embarrassing.

Check it out.

Scenario 1: I find a property that I think my buyer will like. It looked lovely from the outside on the ONE PICTURE in the mls. So we go see the property and not only did I have trouble getting in because of the damaged and outdated lock box but the property was filthy. Granted the owner was elderly and had just moved out a week ago to a nursing home but she had 5 adult children. Why didn't the listing agent make them get that property ready to show?

Scenario 2: I'm taking a picky buyer out and the property looked good from the pics in the mls. When we get there, it was clearly apparent that his property was a quick flip and unfinished. Mind you, the mls had no mention of anything being completed before closing. The backdoor had a screen door that was damaged, the property was empty but dusty, the back bedroom literally had half a paint job, the bathroom was...man i can't even describe that thing with it's bathtub painted black. The contractors lef their tools and their mess. Why didn't the listing agent make them get that property ready to show?

Scenario 3: Same picky buyer, same day. The property looked good from the ONE pic in the mls. We didn't even go into this one. It was clearly vacant or at least it should've been from the trash in the lawn that wasn't there in the pic and the agents sign had been knocked over and looked like it had been that way for quite some time. Why didn't the listing agent make sure this property was ready to show?

I don't like taking people to see property that I know they aren't gonna buy. In order to make sure I don't do this, I feel as though I have to see the property myself before taking my buyer to see it so I dont waste their time and by doing this I am wasting my time. I can't figure for the life of me why an agent who is trying to sell a property would only have one pic showing in mls or why they would have blurry pics full of clutter, or why they would not make sure that property is pleasing to a buyers eye and better yet, why even work with a seller who will not work to make sure their property is in a condition that will entice buyers to make offers. Is the need for a commission check so high that we waste time and money in hopes of a closing?

2007-04-25T20:07:30Z

I think I had an experience today that made me feel more valued for my services than ever before. I went to my client's house this evening to meet the buyer's agent there. He wanted to do a final walk thru before the final walk thru with his buyer. I get there and all of my client's children are there and their grandchildren as well. My client says, "I hope you got room in your car 'cause you're gonna need it." I look over and there is the biggest thank you I've ever received. He and his wife had 6 dozen roses waiting for me when I walked through the door. His children were asking me for business cards to pass on to their friends and his wife kept talking about how the buyer's agent shouldn't get any part of my commission because of all the work I had done. This was truly a Hallmark moment. I really appreciated those roses because it showed me that my clients appreciated my service.

Lesson learned: There's no bigger winner than client education and delivering world class service to your clients. Exceed your client's needs and they'll pour in the referrals before you have the chance to ask for them.

I might cry. Lovely experience.

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2007-04-25T14:35:10Z

When thinking of sellers who just refuse to budge on their price, I'm thinking it logical to explain things from an appraisl point of view. This little light bulb just went on in my head with my most recent client.

They had been trying to sell their house for about a year and a half. Of course it kept expiring because it was priced way above market. They wanted $239,900 when the comps were going for around $206,000. They thought that because they had such beautiful upgrades their house should sell for much more. Wasn't gonna happen. So they list with me, I couldn't get them to go any lower than $215,000 but luckily we got an offer. The offer came in wanting $6000 seller's assist and that wasn't gonna fly with my client. The buyer's agent continued to explain that they would offer more than the $215,500 that they did but thought there would be issues with the appraisal since the comps were so much lower. Sooooo, I called a broker friend of mine and asked about this and was told that there could be issues with getting the appraisal as well. So we took the offer up to $220,00 and gave $5000 seller's assist and prayed that the appraiser would agree on the value. Well we had an appraiser who was gracious and granted us the $220,000 wish.

My in all of this is, if it is a matter of appraisal can't the sellers be educated on how appraisals work in the sale of their house in order to get a price reduction. I mean after all, if it won't appraise for the price they want then why price so high?

Am I crazy, dumb, or right?