Yes, this is the “Model Home” - 07/31/07 12:27 AM
I think I should have been offended yesterday, but instead I thought it was actually pretty funny. I do have a weird sense of humor that a lot of times needs to be put on a ten second rule before I should let it come out of my mouth.
As I was sitting there in the model unit of our condo conversion project, a gentleman walks in looks around and says "Well this is disappointing." I'm now speechless, these units were amazingly remodeled and I just bought one myself. So, I ask "What do you mean disappointing?"
He then says "I … (18 comments)

Finding your first home – Learn from others mistakes - 07/30/07 11:38 AM
In the past year I have picked up four new clients that called be after they said their agent, just didn't understand them and they lost them their dream home. This concerns me a lot when I get this kind of call. The first time home buyer usually just needs some additional coaching and just a basic understanding of the process of buying a home.
If you are a first time home buyer, I want you to come to my office, sit down with me and discuss your situation, what you are looking for, and time lines. Then we can put … (3 comments)

OK – I did it! Pool side open house - 07/29/07 04:47 PM
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about a condo conversion project and if I should stop sitting in the model unit and start sitting by the pool. Well, yesterday it was 85° and I decided to just do it!
I must say that I look pretty darn good in a Speedo. (Just kidding!) But, it was nice and we did have quite a few people through and it looks like we are going to be signing another contract based on one of my pool side clients.
I think I will stick this pool side thing out until the weather … (6 comments)

Think about your family before you purchase your next home - 07/28/07 11:53 AM
I was talking to my dad the other day about our new investment property that we have started to move into andhe was saying how much he liked our new house.
I said "I thought you loved our old house?" He said "I did, except I hated the stairs" In the past 2 yearsincluding one as recent as late June, my dad has had both knees replaced and stairs were getting harder andharder for him to climb. So he was very happy to find out we bought a one level home.
So, I guess after we get done remodeling this property, our next … (7 comments)

HOA risk management and your pool - 07/27/07 10:39 PM
Today we got a lock on our pool area, after I pointed out that the neighboring condos didn't have a pool and families were walking over and using ours.
The reason this was so important to do is if one of the kids had gotten hurt, or worse drowned, our HOA and its insurance policy would have been held liable for someone who didn't even have the right to use it.
So if you are a member of an HOA, please make sure you know who is using your facilities before it is too late.
 
 

Todd Clark - … (4 comments)

Buying fixer properties and turning them for a profit - 07/27/07 11:29 AM
There are many ways you can buy properties and sell them for a profit and one of the biggest is buying a fixer property, fixing it up and selling it. But, you can even make more from the property if you sell it on a lease option.
I, myself, have just bought a fixer condo that in less than one year, with only about $5,000 in repairs, I will be able to lease option for a two year period and make close to a $35,000 profit.

This is how it works. First I am lease optioning the property with the … (10 comments)

You are so ugly that you would need to tie a steak around your neck, just to get the dog to play with you! - 07/27/07 12:32 AM
Well I'm starting to see more and more of these homes coming on the market. So what are these sellers doing to sell their ugly homes?                                          
You got it! Wrapping a steak around the homes neck, so buyers and agents will even look at them.
I've seen it all now, I think? From free satellite for a year, 1 year's HOA paid, willing to pay for a 3-2-1 buy down, and even the pay the buyers closing costs up to 4%. These are just the steaks for the buyers.
The buyer's agents are getting free trips, cars and even 5% … (10 comments)

Are you a For Sale by Owner – I can help - 07/26/07 03:34 PM
If you are selling your home on your own, I would like to congratulate you on joining me in the real estate business. I can understand that at times it can be frustrating and this is why I would like to help you.
I am not asking to list your home, I am just asking you to let me help you. You need help with marketing and I am an expert in marking homes and getting buyers to call. I will help you get buyers to call you!
What is in it for me? You can only sell your home to … (2 comments)

I now remember why I hate moving! - 07/26/07 02:15 PM
As a lot of you know, we recently bought an investment property for myself and my family to live in and fix upover the next year. I also got a reminder from my wife today that I said something 2 years ago when I moved.
"If we ever do this again, remind me to hire movers! THIS SUCKS!"
My back hurts, I feel I'm getting nothing done in real estate, and every time I turn around I swear there is a new box that wasn't there a minute it ago. Full of stuff that I have never seen before in my … (14 comments)

Avoiding foreclosure with a short sale - 07/26/07 12:36 PM
I've been dealing with a seller recently that has been approached by one of these "We Buy Houses" people. The snake oil salesmen are back at it again with these people... Promising them the world!
If you are in a situation that you need to sell your house be very careful and talk to a real estate agent that has dealt with a short sale and the loss mitigation department of the bank.
Here is what they were promised and it was amazing to me. They were promised if they sell their home with a real estate agent that they would … (7 comments)

I’ve lost my wife right in the middle of our move - 07/24/07 10:48 PM
Yes everyone, my wife has left me for a 17 year old boy named Harry Potter. Lucky for me, I should get her back in a couple days. (She can finish a book that fast!)
She says "Now you know how I feel when you are on Active Rain at 10pm" Ouch!
OK - Everyone if you promise not to tell we can still hang out be friends and blog together. - ROFL
 
 
 
Todd Clark - brokerKastings & Associates(503)524-9494Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.comwww.IFoundYourNewHome.com
 
… (18 comments)

Honey, I promise I’m not cheating on you! - 07/20/07 12:50 PM
Home sellers, please stop making your home smell like the perfume counter at Macy's. Please do make your home smell nice, but just don't overdo it.
I walked into a house last night with a couple and we all almost passed out because the smell of flowers was overwhelming. It was so overwhelming that I had headache the rest of the night. If you ask me about the house, I won't be able to tell you a thing about it, besides the smell, which is all I remember about it.
I did e-mail the other agent and told him our feedback, … (22 comments)

What makes you stop and take a breather? - 07/17/07 09:11 AM
Yesterday, for the second time in two weeks, I just shut my phone off to calls that were not from family. (My phone has that feature and I love it!)
Well, back to the story. We had just signed on our new investment property that my family will be living in for the next year or so, when the song "The Cat's in the Cradle" came on the radio.
I immediately drove to a park and for the next hour and a half we walked and played with our kids. Boy, it was nice not having the phone go off and … (11 comments)

Where have all the flowers gone? - 07/16/07 08:25 PM
Do you remember that folk song from the 60's? Well, if they only knew that every time I heard that song all I see is dollar signs, they would ban it from my radio.
As an investor, I love to drive neighborhoods and look for the properties that all the flowers are now gone and have been replaced with two foot high grass and a flower bed of weeds.
                                          
To me this is usually a sign that something else is wrong and it usually ends up being financial. I check to see if the home is vacant, and if … (5 comments)

Let’s do the time warp again - 07/16/07 11:33 AM
What's on the boob tube? I thought this was a simple enough phrase, until a younger client of mine thought it meant something else.
                                                      
Boy, was I embarrassed having to explain I wasn't planning to watch porn tonight. I had to explain what a tube television was first, then explain what being called a boob meant.
5 minutes later she laughed, but boy was I red faced for 5 minutes while explaining myself. I told her to verify my boob tube story with her dad, he would back me up.
Wow, what happened in the last 15 years or … (9 comments)

A whole lot of shaking going on in Oregon - 07/15/07 08:35 PM
I thought about titling this blog "I feel the Earth move under my feet", it really was a toss up. (Feel free to vote on the title, I may just change it)
                                                               
I got a notice with my insurance renewal that my insurance company will no longer cover me in the event of an earthquake. So now I'm worried, if my dog starts acting weird and my insurance company won't cover me, that the big one is on the way.
I can now buy earthquake insurance separate, but it will cost me! So if you own a home … (0 comments)

What was the first car you ever bought? - 07/13/07 07:27 PM
As my wonderful car's check engine light came on today I thought about what kind of car I should purchase asmy new work car. But then I started thinking about the first car I ever bought and drove, it was a 1969 Mustangthat I bought my senior year of high school.
It was my pride and joy! I bought it, fixed it up, and the last part I needed to get it running came one day aftergraduation. THAT SUCKED!
                                                                                                   This is what my first Mustang looked like
 
But, that summer sure was fun!
I don't care how embarrassing it … (16 comments)

Tear down those walls? - 07/13/07 09:20 AM
Tearing down the Berlin Wall was a great thing to do, but tearing down the wall between the kitchen and dining room could be a huge mistake.
Let me give you an example of a house I saw today. I'm sure all you inspectors out there have seen worse, but the family of this home I saw today had pulled the wall out between the kitchen and living room to open it up. The problem was that the wall they pulled out was clearly there for support.
The ceiling beam that went across couldn't support the weight by itself and was … (0 comments)

I’ve started to give back - 07/12/07 04:14 PM
When I was in college, I used to have a lot more time on my hands. I don't know what has happened, I've checked all the usual hiding places and I still can't seem to find that extra time anymore.
With that extra time, I joined Big Brothers / Big Sisters, S.M.A.R.T. (Start Making A Reader Today) and other smaller community events. I can't seem to do that anymore. Maybe it is because I have kids of my own, or I always seem to be working or coaching a kids baseball or softball team.
So now instead of being involved, I … (8 comments)

Are you an investor that is sitting on the fence? - 07/12/07 01:26 PM
Someone who could be the next greatest investor may never get to be, because they are always sitting on the fence about doing it.
Let me tell you this, 99% of people who spend $2000 on investment CD's and seminars never do a single transaction. The 1% that do something are the ones you read about on the back cover of those CD's and books.
                                           
One of the most famous fence sitters I can think of was Humpty Dumpty and he got off the fence, but it wasn't by his choice. So get down off the fence, invest in … (5 comments)

Renting to family is a bad idea! - 07/12/07 12:36 AM
I presently have a property listed that had the worst possible renters, FAMILY!
The situation was, the parents bought the property so their daughters could rent it back from them. So far so good. But the one of the daughters didn't pay the rent and damaged the property to the point that is nearly impossible to sell.
They ruined the carpet, damaged the garage door and just left the place a mess. So now the poor parents had to dip into their retirement and go back to work at age 77. It is looking like the foreclosure will happen, if the bank doesn't allow … (14 comments)

Portrait of a fallen soldier - 07/11/07 07:03 PM
This is about a lady in Utah that uses her skills as a painter to give back to the families that have lost a loved on in Iraq. These portraits are so amazing and she doesn't ask for anything in return. If you are the kind of person that cries, you may not want to watch this video. Everyone that I have sent it to has cried.
Please remember our soldiers and their sacrifice for us and how just a little gesture on your part can go a long way to a family's grieving process. Please remember our soldiers and say … (7 comments)

I think I’m going to buy me a condom - 07/10/07 12:00 PM
Well that is what my wife's best friend's mom told them she wanted to buy.
The conversation went like this:
Mom: When you graduate, I'm going to buy me a condom.
Daughter: OK - Mom a little more information that we needed to know.
Mom: So where to do I start and who do you think I should talk to?
Daughter: Mom, I don't want to have this conversation, but try a pharmacist.
Mom: HUH? You mean a Realtor right? I want to by one those apartment house thingys.
Daughter: OH, YOU mean a condo?
My wife and her friend were … (36 comments)

Take a slice of the pie - 07/06/07 10:24 AM
One of my investors asked me the other day, if I knew why he helped other start investors. What he saidamazed me.
He said "When I started, I had NO MONEY! Then someone invited me to the party and said to me a phrase that change my way of thinking." What did he hear that changed his life and how he did business? "Son, you will never get started if you keep going for the whole pie"
                                        
What the investor was saying was team up with 4 to 8 other investors and all of you will get at least … (5 comments)

The Three Little Pigs - 07/06/07 01:30 AM

If you read this story to the end, there are many lessons to be learned, but many seek their own meaning,including me.
To me it can be taken two ways. The first is getting your home permitted and inspected prior to move in, or have it blow down in the next storm.
The second one, my wife says, is not the moral of the story at all. I say is forget about your home all together and sponge off your rich older brother.
OH WAIT! I'm the older brother, forget number two! My wife was correct. Please get your home … (3 comments)

Turn on the Air Conditioning please - 07/05/07 10:01 AM
As summer approaches and things start to heat up, you see air conditioners popping in windows all around the city.
But, did you know burglars also notice this and take it as an open invitation to your home? The reason they do, is because they know to take the A/C out of the window and crawl in it takes less than 30 seconds. Also, if the windows are open for the A/C you don't have your alarm system on either.
So, if you do want A/C, and have to install a window unit, please head down to your local hardware store … (7 comments)

Garage sale thefts on the rise - 07/04/07 01:18 AM
Thinking about having a garage sale? You might want to reconsider it. A garage sale is the perfect place for a thief to find out what kind of stuff you have in your home.
                                                
Selling a TV? This would tell a thief, you just got a brand new one. These are the kind of things they look for. See a couple come to your garage sale? Watch for someone distracting you by asking questions, the other one might be taking your cash box.
Crime is on the rise, keep yourself safe and be smart about what you tell a … (7 comments)

14 years of marriage today! - 07/03/07 12:55 AM
Please don't criticize spelling or grammar in this post, 99% of all my blogs are proof read by my most wonderful wife Samantha, my true soul mate and I wanted this post to be a surprise. One without her help as a proof reader, but without her I still couldn't have written this blog.
15 years ago almost to the day I hired my wife as an employee of mine. I owned a DJ company at that time and she was a female DJ and was looking for a break. She had called me and asked if I was hiring and … (17 comments)

Breaking through the glass ceiling with your rental properties - 07/02/07 08:37 PM
Most investors who buy a rental property collect rent every month and sometimes even lose money. But, there is a better way and every two years you can even double your income.
Some of the advantages of a rental are all the deductions. I have a way you can keep those deductions and charge a larger amount of a deposit that is equal to the monthly lease. If they break the lease, or are late with the rent, you get to keep the deposit no questions asked!
Let me show you why my clients and I lease-option our properties instead of … (3 comments)

Get your investment property today with a lease-option - Part 2 - 07/02/07 01:27 PM
Last week I wrote about a condo conversion my company was doing and that I wanted to purchase one, as aninvestment, on a lease-option.
http://activerain.com/blogsview/134408/Get-your-investment-property
The problem that I had, was someone was living in the unit I wanted and I was offering to buy them out of theirlease and then move in.
Well, I'm happy to say, the owner accepted my offer for a lease option, but we didn't get the original unit that Iwrote about. What I considered to be a even better unit opened up, with a bigger back yard and we decided totake that one. My family and I are … (4 comments)

Can you survive, if you were downsized tomorrow? - 07/01/07 09:11 PM
A lot of my investor clients are in the high tech industry and do realize that they might not have a job tomorrow.
                                             
Are they worried though? Not really, because they have planned, saved and bought investment properties that are producing a positive cash flow every month.
What are your plans for tomorrow? Call me and we can discuss your long term financial goals. We can stop you from worrying about tomorrow if you were let go today.
 
Todd Clark - brokerKastings & Associates(503)524-9494Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.comwww.IFoundYourNewHome.com
 
… (0 comments)

Hey baby, what’s your sign? - 07/01/07 12:14 PM
No, I'm not giving you the bad pick-up line. I'm asking you about your yard. When you put up a sign in yourfront yard that says for sale, look at your yard! There could be a better for sale sign than the post with youragent's number on it.
                                              
Your yard is really the first thing a buyer sees and if you have 2 foot tall grass with a broken down car on it, what kind of sign is that to a potential buyer?
To me as an agent it would say come look, the inside is just as crappy! … (6 comments)

 
Helping Families Home is a blog set up to help families find that perfect home for them. I have a family and I understand how hard it can be to find a home that everyone is happy with. Let me help you find that home and help your family home.


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