eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: The Internet . . . a Pandora's Box of MISINFORMATION!
- 09/24/09 10:07 AM
We remember the myth of Pandora . . . the same motif woven through the "Don't Do It!" cautions:
Don't open the box, don't eat the apple . . . don't gain the knowledge, don't unleash the muses . . . The 21st Century has it's own "Pandora's Box." It's called: The Internet.
People are using the Internet for all kinds of things. And for the most part, knowledge is power.
But too much information, and people start to think they're experts when they're not . . . not at all.
I LOVE my clients who are proactive, and do their … (7 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Portand, OR Real Estate (Supra Lockbox Activity)
- 09/21/09 03:18 PM
Portland, OR Real Estate
Supra Lockbox Activity, week ending Sept. 13, 2009
The lockbox is the magic access key that allows agents to open the doors on listed property. It also keeps statistics, and as you can see, there has been a slight INCREASE in activity, and this includes Portland, OR real estate activity. In a nutshell, listing showings are up, on average by 3.9%.
This percentage is compared to the week prior, as shown on the chart.
With the $8,000 tax credit expiring about 2+ months out, it would be interesting to follow the Portland, OR real estate trend with showings going up, or down?
BUYERS: What that means for you . . … (8 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Radon . . . and . . . Earthquakes . . . and . . . Floods . . . OH MY!
- 09/19/09 08:47 AM
FEAR of the unknown can be crippling to our psyches. Just watch the news on TV, and you'd wonder how we survived at all.
Fear is seeped into out minds, and it's staggering when I think of all the years of this.
I remember in elementary school when we had "DROP" drills.
That was just in case there was a nuclear attack from Russia, or an earthquake, are something equally as pleasant to think about -- as a 3rd GRADER!
Since selling real estate for 10+ years, I've become increasingly 'non-pulsed' when people worry about things that might not really … (6 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: LOL of the Day Goes To . . . Gary Digiorgio
- 09/19/09 06:24 AM
If there was an Active Rain TOP 40 DJ . . . this guy would be IT!
As I was browsing for blogs to comment on, I saw this in the dashboard: "I Wanna Shoot the Appraiser"
I left my comment "I'd give it an 8 . . . it's got a good beat, and I can dance to it" (remember Dick Clark's show, "American Bandstand," that's the line everyone said EVERY week when rating a new song.)
When I read the other songs by Gary Digiorgio, I LOL. You will too!
"I Sold It My Way"
"Realtor Man" (sorry "Piano Man" you got bumped)
… (5 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Alice in Wonderland and the City of Beaverton
- 09/10/09 01:17 PM
Looking Glass Hill is a subdivision located in the City of Beaverton, Oregon.
Another builder who had a penchant and a vision for their streets is the developer who built in Lake Oswego, and named streets in the subdivision using the Lord of the Rings characters and locations.
I actually owned a condo on Alice Lane, and that's how I became familiar with Looking Glass Hill.
If you're a big fan of Alice in Wonderland . . . think about looking for your next home on: Madhatter Lane.
Maybe you'd like to live on Cheshire Road . . . or Cheshire Court?
Or, try "off with … (5 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Portand, OR Real Estate (Supra Lockbox Activity)
- 09/04/09 01:03 PM
Portland, OR Real Estate
Supra Lockbox Activity, week ending August 30, 2009
The lockbox is the magic access key that keeps statistics, and as you can see, there has been a slight DECREASE in activity, and this includes Portland, OR real estate activity.
In a nutshell, listing showings are DOWN SLIGHTLY, but only slightly on average of -1.0% from prior week ending, August 23, 2009. This percentage is compared to the week prior, as shown on the chart.
BUYERS: What that means for you . . . the properties you have interest in are getting shown -- but showings are off a tad. These showings are for the RMLS Supra lockbox … (7 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: What's Your State's Motto?
- 08/30/09 08:06 AM
What's YOUR State's Motto?
I'm posing this question after reading a blog by AR blogger: Patricia Aulson. She's a New Hampshire real estate agent, and she quoted her state's motto: Live free or die!
I kinda like that motto. I'd rather live free . . .
Which got me thinking about my State, Oregon. I honestly didn't know what our motto was, so I looked it up.
Alis Volat Propiis is Latin and translated to English means: She flies on her own wings!
How very appropriate. At least personally. I fly on my own wings too!
Oregon was admitted to the Union Feb. … (12 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Domain Names ARE NOT Case Sensitive -- Capitalize Letters to STAND OUT!
- 08/30/09 06:22 AM
Case sensative . . . as in lower case: abcdefghijklmnop....
And UPPER case: QRSTUVWXYZ
I get so frustered when I read a nice blog, or see a nice website and it reads:
howtogetthethingtofly.com
Since domain names ARE NOT case sensitive -- it doesn't matter if you use an Upper case letter OR a Lower case letter -- don't you think . . . when promoting yourself . . . you WANT your doman name to stand out, be clearly legible, and easy to remember?
If it's hard for someone to decipher your domain name, it's not going to be remembered.
… (19 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: An Ounce of Prevention . . . Is Worth a POUND of Shingles
- 08/18/09 05:38 PM
Wasn't it Ben Franklin who quipped
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" ?
No truer words were ever spoken. I wonder if he sold property for a living?
As an EXCLUSIVE BUYERS AGENT I see houses through the eyes of my clients, the buyers. We often scratch our heads on WHY the homeowners didn't . . .
1) Paint the fence. It's deteriorating -- HELLO! We live in the Pacific NW where it rains all the time.
An ounce . . . or a gallon or two . . . of stain/sealant would have worked wonders, saving them … (9 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: CONTRACT LAW 010 . . . err . . . I mean 101
- 08/16/09 07:09 AM
I am NOT an attorney, and I don't play one on T.V.
But I AM a licensed Real Estate Agent, Broker in the State of Oregon.
Real estate IS all about legal. Sure it's "location, location, location. But it's also "legal, legal, legal!"
It's the "LAW of Agency" . . . that governs who represents whom, for example.
When it comes to property, land, chattel, personal property, fixtures . . . ALL fall under:
CONTRACT LAW
Contracts have to MEET THE TEST: In order for a contract to be valid, there are specific "tests" which have to be met. They … (47 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Communicating: Using our Mouth Words!
- 08/15/09 09:40 AM
I'm currently working a transaction and the names (of the parties to the transaction) will be withheld to protect . . . my reputation!
As the buyers' agent I have to follow the deal, make sure time sensative documents are sent, delivered, negotiated, etc.
When you have a listing agent that doesn't feel like . . . well, talking . . . it's kinda hard.
Makes me wonder if I should change my business model, and put up a "NO TALKING" sign. Hmmm . . . it might actually be nice to conduct business that way.
No communication!
Here's what happened: A home inspection was … (36 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Nature & Marketing Contest . . .
- 08/11/09 10:34 PM
My entry in the Nature & Marketing Contest.
Submitted for your consideration . . . Helping BUYERS find the PURRFECT roof over their head . . . even I have to admit that's pretty good!
… (12 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Small House . . . Large Family
- 08/11/09 08:42 PM
This blog post was inspired after reading Keith McMullin's blog entitled:
The Incredible Shrinking Home -- Is the McMansion Era on the Wane?
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1191804/the-incredible-shrinking-home-is-the-mcmansion-era-on-the-wane-
I started to think about the big homes, typically with no lots to speak of, and wondered about the families living in them.
Did bigger mean happier?
Part of being in this 'mortgage meltdown' is because people have been buying more house then they need and/or can afford.
Don't get me wrong. . . There is nothing wrong with buying a large home. I like selling them! But maybe Keith has a point. Are the McMansions … (6 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Portland, OR Real Estate (Supra Lockbox Activity)
- 08/11/09 07:14 PM
"Supra Lockbox Activity - Updated Through August 2
Downward trend continues Comparing July 20, 2009 through August 2, 2009 the number of times RMLST subscribers opened Supra lockboxes decreased 15% in Washington and 5.4% in Oregon." cited: RMLS
The lockbox is the magic access key that keeps statistics, and a "downward trend" is continuing. In a nutshell, listings aren't that active right now! Some of the decline a couple of weeks ago was due to the heat, I suspect. The Metro Portland area was in a really blistery hot heat wave. When the statistics showed a decrease in the percentage to Supra LockBox … (3 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: LOL of the Day . . . Goes to Emily Shapiro
- 08/10/09 01:20 PM
It's been a while since I've blogged on my own group: LOL of the Day!
Why?
Nothing seemed funny to me.
But today, oh happy day . . . newbie Active Rainer Emily Shapiro has tickled my (virtual) funny bone!
THANKS EMILY! Your blog is very HILL-AIR-E-OUS!
Working with the WRONG real estate agent has never been funnier. Please check out this blog, and see if you know any of these "types" -- of course, WE wouldn't be on this list, now . . . would we?!?
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1190349/top-10-signs-you-may-be-working-with-the-wrong-real-estate-agent
Also,please join the LOL of the Day group, and post anything you think is … (3 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: CAUTION: Combustibles!
- 08/08/09 05:42 AM
Is there an Active Rain group entitled:
"What Are/Were They Thinking"?
If so, this would be the perfect entry.
At yesterday's home inspection, Steve R. a great local inspector with APEX Home Inspections -- who has performed over 4,000 inspections in 15-years -- had to remove backing the owner placed above, and below, the gas-lit fireplace.
We know the owner placed it because the material used was cut to shape. The decorative slats both above, and below the fireplace had to be removed to position the material; which was a hard stryform piece of white foam. Rather thick, and used as packing material to protect contents … (8 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Zillow has "Zestimates" . . . and Zuckups!
- 08/07/09 03:29 PM
How do I get Zillow to remove the "for sale" and "open house" information for my house? House was sold almost 2 years ago
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http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/how-do-i-get-zillow-to-remove-the-for-sale-and-open-house-information-from-my-house/265447/
Yeah, and that's what happens when listing agents take a seller's home, posts it on one of the (over 2,700) IDX sites (Zillow just happens to be one of the major IDX sites) and then . . . forgets??
I'll say "forgets" because we all know a listing agent would NEVER do anything to violate the NAR Code of Ethics when it comes to honest advertising to the general public.
"Article 12 REALTORS® shall be honest … (23 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Telling Buyers Where to Go . . . (To Obtain Valuable Neighborhood Information)
- 08/06/09 07:52 AM
Paul Slaybaugh had this feature today:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1184430/-is-the-somali-next-door-a-war-criminal-and-other-questions-your-agent-cannot-legally-answer
And it got me thinking about just how can we direct clients to a link that might answer their questions, while allowing us to seem knowledgeable, without crossing the 'red' line.
Buyers do have valid questions. Even if we don't think they are. Even if we don't know the answers. When a buyer asks me "What time does the train run?," it's them expressing their concern with a property that's near to Pacific Railroad tracks.
Of course, I'd like to respond with: HOW THE HELL WOULD I KNOW … (10 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: Rental Scams -- And HOW TO DETECT THEM!
- 08/05/09 06:58 AM
Rental Scams and HOW TO Detect Them!
If it sounds too good to be true -- it probably is!
That saying/old adage has been repeated for eons -- FOR A REASON!
There are so many scams, phishing schemes, cons out and about -- but I've found a website set up to COUNTER the RENTAL SCAM.
And here it is:
TAKE THE RENTAL SCAM QUIZ -- ARE YOU BEING SCAMMED??
Rental SCAM DETECTION is very simple to use. Just answer the 9 questions, and you'll have a good idea if the rental ad is a scam, or not.
If you are involved with … (10 comments)
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eba portland exclusive buyer agent beaverton homes for sale portland homes for sale portland homes for sale beaverton search beaverton homes: "We Only Want an Agent to . . ." PART II
- 08/04/09 11:38 AM
Last week I blogged about a couple who only wanted an agent to unlock doors. With 89 AR comments (and counting) . . . without being 'featured' . . . seems I wasn't the only one who had issues with these 'buyers.'
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1174649/-we-only-want-an-agent-to-unlock-the-doors-
Now for Part II . . .
I received the following email yesterday, which I'm cutting 'n pasting word-for-word:
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Hello! We have just started this home buying process, and are locked into a lease until Feb 2010. However, we are looking to develop a relationship with a Realtor in the mean time. We want to know the ins … (20 comments)
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We remember the myth of Pandora . . . the same motif woven through the "Don't Do It!" cautions:
;)
;)
;)
