Chattanooga Real Estate & News

Why Does Low VOC Paint Matter to Me?

2008-05-02T09:12:47Z

If you have recently been involved in any type of remodeling project or even made a quick stop at your local Home Depot or Lowe's, then you should have heard the term "Low VOC Paint". What is Low VOC paint and why does it matter to me? Did you know that indoor air is actually 3 times for polluted than outdoor air. No wonder sitting in the house tends to make me crazy. Read the following article for some very interesting information.

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm

Realtor Ryan, Broker

1st Annual Earth Day Chattanooga.

2008-04-21T13:50:10Z

The first annual Earth Day Chattanooga is finally here. There will be many activities and things to see along Main Street, so come on out and join us for this celebration. Interesting speakers that we all might could learn something from. Click on the link below for more detailed information.

www.EarthDayChattanooga.com

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Home Equity Loans the Pros & Cons.

2008-04-21T13:08:15Z

You are constantly hearing about home equity loans or what are also referred to as H.E.L.O.C.'s (pronounced He-Locks). The bank advertises them to me every time I go through the teller and I am constantly receiving promotional materials in the mail about how I qualify for a H.E.L.O.C. I am very familiar with how they work and actually have a couple on properties that I own. To educate my readers and provide the simplest explanation of a H.E.L.O.C. please click on the link below. If you have any questions beyond this, you can call me. And as always, if I can't answer your questions then I can certainly steer you in the right direction.

http://www.ahahome.com/aha_side_42_pub.cfm

Realtor Ryan, Broker

How "Green" is your Chattanooga Realtor?

2008-04-01T09:02:44Z

I have decided to devote a little time to providing my readers with "Green" information and links that can make them live happier and healthier lifestyles. I will try to keep all information relative to real estate and definitely keep it helpful. The first link that I am posting is about Energy Efficient Appliances. If you are considering making an appliance purchase, please take a look here and see how to rate your appliances efficiency. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to blog.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/appliances.html

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Realtor's Must Learn the Mortgage Side of the Business.

2008-03-31T10:23:41Z

Real Estate is a constantly changing enviroment and it seems that since this market has cooled off a bit, the terms are changing at an even faster pace. The mortgage business and the appraisal side of this business can sometimes be the bain of our existance, but a necessary bain. As we all know, the mortgage business has been turned upside down and continues to try and find its way. The sub-prime market is pretty much gone and the days of the 80% / 20% loans are bleak. Three years ago, I didn't even have to really think about the mortgage business. Today, I have to stay on top of the available mortgages in order to get my buyers into homes. I am constantly talking with different mortgage lenders about the available products out there and what they see coming down the pipeline. FHA is huge and going to be even bigger. Two years ago, nobody wanted to touch FHA and now it seems to be the mac-daddy of all mortgages. Friday, I discovered an older loan program that deals with Rural Developments. It's a great program that has been around for a while, but was over-shadowed by the 80/20's. This market is a whole different ball game for Realtors and we HAVE to stay up with the market or we will get left behind. Blog or call me if you have any specific questions. I am not at all saying that I am an expert on the matter, but I will say that I have a lot better education now. The mind is like a sponge, you either soak it up or it dries up. Of course, occasionally I have to ring mine out.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Chattanooga, Tennessee Avoids the Mess.

2008-03-24T14:47:24Z

Did everyone see the article that was printed in the USA Today last week? I have been telling everyone in my posts, that it wasn't as bad here as the media typically lets on. Click on the link and take a look for yourself. Keep the e-mails and posts coming. Love to answer any of your questions that you may have.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/closetohome/2008-03-17-chattanooga_N.htm

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Out of This World House Goes Up for Auction.

2008-03-07T12:13:54Z

I had actually previously blogged about Chattanooga's only UFO being up for sale. Well, now the sellers have decided to take a more "Worldly" approach and auction the extraterrestrial house off. I have actually seen it advertised recently on CNN and various places on the web like MSN.com. The auction will take place on March 15 and should be an out-of-body experience. Click on the link to see pictures and learn more about what Trekkie's around the globe are talking about.

http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photopanel.cgi?listingid=403897&feed=1

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Ryan King is the first Eco-Broker in Chattanooga.

2008-02-11T13:10:53Z

Yes folks, I am blazing a new path in the area of Chattanooga Real Estate. I have just received my Eco-Broker Designation and I am the first one out of over 1,500 agents to obtain such an honor. The closest other Eco-Broker would be in Atlanta.

The Eco-Broker Class has taught me many things about Green Building practices and how to cut your energy almost in half by using passive solar power (basically the direction your house sits). I also have learned how we can all make better choices when buying appliances, HVAC units, water heaters and many other items for our homes.

I truly feel that one day, Americans will have to find alternative fuel sources and we will also HAVE to be educated consumers in the Energy Efficiency category. The Eco-Broker designation will put me ahead of the pack in educating my buyers and sellers about the potential benefits and pitfalls of the home buying purchase.

If you would like more information about how you can make your home more "Green", please don't hesitate to call me or log onto the website http://www.ecobroker.com/ Also, I can e-mail you some great websites that you could check out on your own for energy efficiency.

The Chattanooga Enviroment does matter to me and my number one goal is to provide my buyers and sellers with more knowledge (than my competitors) so that they can make the most educated decision possible. Check out these sites, you may find the information very useful:

http://chattanoogausgbc.blogspot.com/ and http://www.envirolinkhandbook.com/www/docs/9/

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Chattanooga MLS December Numbers Have Arrived.

2008-01-23T20:40:42Z

The Chattanooga Association of Realtors have just released their December numbers for year end 2007 and it is actually not that bad. The Chattanooga MLS has market numbers of 427 units sold, down 3.5% from November. Doesn't sound that bad to me, taking into consideration the numbers usually fall during the month of December because of the holidays. We are still off 18.8% from 2006 during the same month. Remember, that we are comparing these numbers to December 2006, which was the biggest real estate year in history. The year 2007 shaped up to be the third best year in Chattanooga Real Estate.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

www.RealtorRyan.com

Chattanooga Short Sale or Pre-Foreclosure.

2008-01-23T20:26:43Z

I wanted to briefly add to my last post about short sales, now known as pre-foreclosure sales. I actually have 3 pre-foreclosure sales working right now in the Chattanooga area. From extensive conversations with several lenders, this can be the way to go to save you from foreclosure. The lenders are telling me that they are will to take a loss of at least 20% of the mortgage to keep the home from going into foreclosure. A number like 20% could make or break your financial future and credit score. I will say however that this can be a timely process and there are no guarantees on whether or not it will work. Once you have an offer in place, the lender may accept the offer, the lender may counter the offer or the lender may reject completely and start the foreclosure proceedings (depending upon your particular deliquency). If you plan on doing a pre-foreclosure, please be prepared to jump through paperwork hoops and meet all deadlines. This still doesn't give you the for sure on whether or not it will work, but it sure beats the heck out of the alternative. Call me if you have any questions.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

www.RealtorRyan.com

I May Can Save You From Foreclosure!

2008-01-04T13:18:32Z

Recently, I took a class that was sponsored by Legal Title and a company out of California that addressed the future of the foreclosure market. The new term used by all the mortgage companies and banks is "Pre-Foreclosure". This is what we used to call "short sale". The class provided us with the tools to potentially negotiate your mortgage down to below what you owe, put your home on the market and get it sold before you lose the property to foreclosure. This is not a guarantee, but with diligence, hard work and the knowledge and research that I have obtained we may be able to get it done. In getting the home sold through a pre-foreclosure sale, the seller (you) may be able to hold onto a credit rating that can put you in a home in the near future. If your home is foreclosed on, you will have many years before you will be able to own property again. If you feel like foreclosure is in your future, please give me call for a consultation and I will see what we can do.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

www.RealtorRyan.com

Chattanooga Real Estate Numbers for November.

2008-01-02T11:42:33Z

Sorry, it has taken me so long between posts. I have been extremely busy with Christmas and the New Year. I am very excited about 2008 and ready to get back into the groove. The Chattanooga Association of Realtors just released their Chattanooga MLS housing numbers for November 2007. Take into consideration that we are comparing these numbers to a record setting housing year of 2006. Chattanooga Realtors closed 489 homes in the month of November, compared to 618 for November 2006. There was a 16 percent drop from October 2007 to November 2007 (568 homes in October compared to 489 homes in November). Something that we need to consider is that there has been historically a 15% drop from October to November, which puts our recent 16% drop into perspective. On a very good note is that our median home price has not really changed much and we are hovering around the $140,000 mark. This proves that we here in Chattanooga didn't see the over-inflation of pricing that a lot of other markets throughout the United States saw over the last few years. This a great market to buy in and still a great market to sell a home. One of my goals is to post more blogs for your information in 2008, so you will be hearing from me a lot more this year. Happy New Year!

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com/

Chattanooga Real Estate Held its Ground in October!

2007-11-29T14:45:57Z

Can you believe a title like this when the end of the real estate world is coming? The Chattanooga Association of Realtors just released their monthly numbers. In the month of October, real estate actually remained steady and sales increased slightly. Yes, that's right I used increased in the same sentence as real estate. Total home sales reported by the association was 568 in October, up from 538 in September. Could we be seeing a turnaround? Maybe, but not quite yet. We're still off from 2006's numbers, but you have to remember that 2006 was the best year on record. The Chattanooga Association of Realtors also announced that the median home price in our area went from $136,190 in September to $137,200 in October. I will have to say that this is promising news and it continues to back up some of my previous posts that we're not as bad off as the media makes us out to be. It's still a buyers market, so buy!

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com/

Buyer's Market or Seller's Market? What's the Difference?

2007-11-27T23:10:53Z

These two terms to describe market conditions are used loosely in the real estate industry. Many people don't know exactly what determines whether a market is leaning towards being a buyer's or seller's market. Don't be alarmed, because many Realtors don't exactly know what this means either. A "buyer's market" is simply defined as the condition of the real estate market in an area where there are more homes for sale than people wanting to buy them. Buyer's in this market have more choices and less competition for the available properties, resulting in sellers lowering prices. Seller's market would be the polar opposite where there is a large amount of buyer's looking for homes when homes for sale are scarce.

The conditions that we are seeing in Chattanooga is definitely a buyer's market. In saying this, I do want to make the point that homes are selling. Yes, there is a longer Days On the Market (DOM) for homes, but there are still quite a few buyer's out there and they are making out like bandits by snatching up some really good deals. It's all about supply and demand and it seems like I remember something about that in school.

Everything that we see on the news would make us wonder if the real estate market isn't just falling apart. I might would believe this if interest rates weren't staying so low and I didn't have multiple families looking for homes. The National Association of Realtors just ranked 2007 as the fifth-best year on record for real estate. Low interest rates combined with 2007 being a record year for real estate? Come on everyone, don't believe everything that you see on television, because we don't live in California or Florida.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com

Networking Using the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce

2007-11-20T20:49:10Z

Recently, I started participating in the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce for networking purposes. I wasn't sure how well this avenue of marketing was going to work out, but it has become a viable entity for getting my listings out there. The chamber is constantly having events that you can participate and get involved in. A lot of new businesses that are coming to the area from outside Chattanooga start their marketing with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. The employee's may be new to the area or just new to the chamber and all the benefits that it offers. Whatever the reason for them being there, they bring new prospects to my listings and give me some face-time to talk to them about the different properties I have that may fit their needs. The Chattanooga Chamber has monthly meetings for the different sub-areas that it encompasses. Being a member, you can attend any of the sub-area meetings and promote your listings in that area to those who might be most interested. As Realtors, we all know that word-of-mouth can be some of the best marketing that even money can't buy. My aim is to get those houses out there and find a buyer for them. Check out the chambers website for more infomation at http://www.ChattanoogaChamber.com.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com

Mortgage Investors Group Home Buyer's Fair

2007-11-02T22:50:39Z

Mortgage Investors Group (MIG) is a local mortgage brokerage firm that I use quite regularly with all my buyer's and my personal loans. I have been very pleased with the service and rates that they are able to provide for the Chattanooga market. Good rates and good service combined are hard to find during this time when financial institutions are setting more stringent guidelines for financing.

This Saturday November 3 from 10:00 to 2:00, MIG is hosting their first local buyer's fair open to the general public here in Chattanooga. They are expecting hundreds to attend and be educated on everything from THDA loans to regular 30-year conventional loans. I feel like this is an excellent opportunity for all buyer's to learn the in's and out's of the loan process. Today's buyer is more educated than ever about the home-buying process and this is just another aspect that we all need to be more familiar with.

We will have a booth set-up, so come out and join the fun. There will be a moonwalk for the kids, food and beverages and many other activities and door prizes. Appraisers, Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate companies and many other representatives from the real estate community will be on hand to answer any questions that you may have about the home-buying process.

Mortgage Investors Group 6221 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421 (423) 899-2887.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com/

Is this the "Bubble"? Now is the time to buy!!!

2007-10-23T12:42:15Z

Let me start this particular blog post by stating that I am here to provide relevant information about the Chattanooga and North Georgia market. My number one concern is not to produce an abundance of irrelevant posts, to up my blog numbers in the Active Rain site. Now, on to some real business. The Chattanooga Association of Realtors just released their September numbers for our area. The big news is that area sales decreased by 35% from August of this year. The market typically starts slowing down because of the time of year in September and averages about a 20% decrease. There was a 17% drop from September 2007 versus September 2006. Also, 534 homes were sold during September 2007 and 627 homes sold during September of 2006. 17% doesn't sound that bad to me when you all you hear from the media is how poorly real estate is doing throughout the United States. Is this the bubble? I truly feel like there are lots of factors that are coming into play here. I want to state this very clearly to all of the buyers that are reading this out there. NOW, is the time to buy! It is without a doubt a buyers market. The mortgage industry has pulled in the reigns on a lot of their financing, so it is a little more difficult to get your financing in place. A piece of advice on top of my "Buy Now" advice, is to please use a local mortgage lender. This will make your transaction so much smoother. I think I need to post another blog about that, because that could be several pages long. Interest rates are at historic lows and there are still plenty of options to get you in the home of your dreams. Personally, I feel like the above numbers are a simple reaction to what the media is saying. Your smart buyer sees that now is the time to buy and they are finding amazing deals out there. If you don't believe me, ask Warren Buffet. Mr. Buffet announced that he was interested in bailing out the nations largest mortgage lender, Countrywide. Countrywide has been hit probably the hardest by the downturn in the market. Now, why would one of the richest men in the world decide that he wants to get that heavily into the real estate business? Because, now is the time to buy!

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com

A Chattanooga Slow Down! What Slow Down?

2007-10-02T10:16:32Z

In our continued effort to provide you with superior service, we will be releasing Chattanooga's Housing numbers to you on a monthly basis. If you have any questions about the specifics of these numbers, please don't hesitate to contact us.

The Chattanooga Association of Realtors just recently released their numbers for August and you might find them just a little more promising than the media portrays. In August, 721 sales were recorded through our Multiple Listing Service, an 8 percent increase over July's 667 units sold. One bit of not so good news is that August 2007 numbers are an 11 percent decrease over August 2006 numbers (803 units sold). Yet, on the flip side, the median home price in August 2006 was $132,000 vs. August 2007's $141,000.

What does all this mean? I feel like the Chattanooga market is quite stable. Yes, our days on the market is a little longer than it has been, but the buyers are still out there and the listings are definitely out there. We can be very thankful for the fact that Chattanooga really didn't see the massive price inflation that a lot of other markets saw over the last few years. This in itself can keep our home prices pretty stable. When buyers can come to the realization that they are not going to be able to steal houses from sellers during this period and sellers come to the realization that they are not going to be able to live in a home for 1-2 years and make a huge profit when they sell, then we will level out.

Also, if the national news would take a breather about the "Catastrophe" happening to home prices across the United States, then us Chattanoogan's wouldn't feel any of the burn.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com/

Homes Styled From the 20's & 30's.

2007-07-05T15:17:11Z

Mulberry Park is a community like Chattanooga hasn't seen before. I recently took on the managing broker position of BRG Real Estate and one of the developments that we are marketing is Mulberry Park. So let me tell you a little about what we have going on out here in Ooltewah. Tucked away on the Varnell Family Farm, Mulberry Park brings you a variety of housing options. The development is divided into 6 phases. The first phase is the single story condominiums named Collier Place (18 left to sell and 39 families already moved in). Collier Place residents have their own workout facility, pool and clubhouse along with beautiful landscaping. Prices ranging from the upper-100's to upper-200's. The second phase which is just now starting is Downing Green and these are your single family homes with lots of attention to detail and landscaping. The style of the home is designed from architecture of the 20's & 30's. Downing Green residents will enjoy their own pool and cabana along with a 2 acre park for multi-use. Prices are ranging from the mid-200's to upper-300's. The other four phases that will make up Mulberry Parks 6 phase completion have yet to be decided. There are several options that are being looked at: Townhouses, more single family homes, estate homes and maybe even more condominiums. One thing for sure, is that you need to stop by and see what we have going on out here 10 minutes from downtown. You will be pleasantly surprised!

Realtor Ryan, Broker

Are You a Chattanoogan or Transplanted Floridian?

2007-05-17T10:19:07Z

Don't think by the title that I am referring to anything wrong with being a "Transplanted Floridian". Another term that has been used to describe this group of people is "Half-Backs". A half-back (not a derogatory term) is defined as someone that has moved from one of the Northern States trying to escape the cold and harsh winters that we around here consider intolerable. These individuals are traveling South to the land of Oranges, Sun and Mickey Mouse. After a few years, they begin to realize that the sun is great, but Mickey gets annoying, the taxes and insurance premiums are very high and every year they live in fear from Hurricanes. So instead of relocation to the tundra type enviroment of the North, they will move about half-way back. Where is half-way back? Chattanooga, of course! There is an exponentially increasing number of individuals and families throughout the Chattanoooga area who have moved here from Florida. I estimate that I personally sold six houses in 2006 just to families that were moving from some part of the sunshine state. The common complaint that all of these families had was to do with the outrageous property taxes and extremely high insurance premiums. Many of them also complained about losing work days and personal property to the continual cycle of yearly Hurricanes that plague the state. My feelings about the influx is: Bring It On! We may have what some consider to be a slower lifestyle here in the South, but we will make you part of the family as if you had lived here all of your life. Floridians are welcome here, because they are buying houses and contributing to economic growth in our area. That is good for any economy. Just leave Mickey at home, because we would rather come to pay homage there.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com

House Flippers are Flopping?

2007-04-30T14:47:38Z

I have two main questions about house flipping: Who are these people that are flipping houses on HGTV and why are they not doing it in Chattanooga? I just like many of you out there love to sit glued to the T.V. watching those House Flipping Episodes. They have the couple in Atlanta and another couple in Texas and different ones scattered around the country. I find interesting that there was a time when they used to tell you what the house flipper actually got for the property and what type of profit that he/she realized from their investment. Now, it seems like the only numbers they give you is what they pay for the property, what they spent on the remodeling and what the Realtor is listing it for. Now you know as well as I do that they tend to not always sell for list price. Yes, contrary to my question, I do see house flippers in and around the Chattanooga area and have worked with many of them on both sides of the deal. It seems to me that the best return on your investment here in the Chattanooga area when flipping houses is when you do the work yourself. Otherwise, you spend up all of your profit hiring sub-contractors to lay tile, carpet, paint, rip out sheet rock and many of the other time consuming tasks that go into rehabilitating a house. Chattanooga is what I would call a steady appreciating market. Within the last few years when hot markets housing prices were racing upwards, we were steadily appreciating. Now that hot markets housing pricing is seeing a tremendous pull back, we are still steadily appreciating. We're not setting any records, but at least we're not bottoming out. With that being said, I don't see investors coming along scooping up the "good deals" and having a crew come in to totally renovate a house and put it back on the market for $100 grand more than they paid. It just doesn't happen here. If you do know of someone, then please respond because I am sure they are in need of a good Realtor. Until then, you can find me glued to HGTV, just in case they re-air that episode about how to build a 20 foot Grecian Fountain in your backyard!

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com

Open Houses: To Be or Not To Be!

2007-04-16T14:39:49Z

There is so much conflicting opinions about whether or not open houses are worth the time and money. My opinion seems to sway both ways. In the past, an open house was a useful tool in getting buyers into the homes so that they could see some of its more appealling aspects. Today, there are so many tools that agents can actually use to get buyers into a home from the privacy of their own homes. Within the last couple of months, I have been using Visual/Virtual Tours of homes and have gotten a tremendous response from that. The buyer can actually view a 360 degree view of a room. Of course it is a little hard to do the smaller rooms. I started laughing at myself when I was trying to set my tripod up in a 4' X 7' bathroom, because it just doesn't work. There are multiple photos posted on the MLS and today's buyer has so much more internet access and can view those photos there and make a quick decision on whether or not they would like to schedule a private viewing.

As a Realtor, something else that you really have to consider is safety and theft. If you are holding vacant house open, then there is no issue. There have been many times that I have been holding a home open and an influx of people come into the house meandering in and out of the rooms without you being able to watch over each of them. You have to be real careful and keep a watchful eye, because in the past we had here in Chattanooga a couple that would show up at busy open houses and rifle through the sellers medicine cabinet taking what they wanted. Also, soemthing that can be of great concern is your own safety. We are regularly hearing of stories where Realtors have been assaulted and even murdered at their open house. My office actually has a company coming in from Atlanta on April 24, to discuss Realtor safety.

There are still upsides to holding properties open and some alternatives. Over the last couple of years, Community Open Houses have become very popular. The Realtors that have properties listed within a neighborhood or a community, will get together and have several houses open at the same time. You actually generate a lot more activity this way and of course there is some safety in numbers. Just today, I went to what is called a Realtor Open House where the Realtors are invited for a small luncheon and a viewing of the property. These seem to work really well, because if you can sell the benefits of a particular property to a Realtor, then 50% of the time one of them can sell it to a buyer they are working with.

Here are my comments and suggestions about you or your Realtor holding your most valuable possession open to the public. First of all, make sure that all valuables are put away and are not easy to access for someone. Secondly, have all visitors to the open house register completely including their phone number and address. Also, remove floor obstructions that can cause guests to trip. None of us want to be sued by someone faking an accident. Lastly, talk to your Realtor about doing a community open house or a Realtor open house.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com

Chattanooga's oddest house is on the market, about to make its HGTV debut and ready for an out of this world buyer!

2007-03-07T15:34:55Z

The "Space House" sits on the side of Signal Mountain and is every child's dream home. I can remember growing up and thinking how great it would be to live in such a house. Well now is my chance! The Space House is round in shape, white in color, looks like a disk and sits on four legs as if it landed on the side of the mountain. Built in 1970 and in need of some repairs, the house has approximately 1900 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The list price is $184,900. I am amazed that a Trekkie from another area hasn't bought it yet. How many opportunities does one get to live in a house that HGTV calls a giant Frisbee with legs. I really considered buying it and building a large red barn on the 3/4 acre lot. That way it would like it had landed in the middle of a farmer's field. Maybe I could even get some fake levitating cows for the front yard. What would the residents of Signal Mountain think of me then?

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com/

Generation Gap Between Clients and Realtors.

2007-03-07T15:32:23Z

What about the large generation gap between the average Realtor and the average age of today's buyer? The National Association of Realtors reports the average age of Realtors in 2006 was 57. NAR also reports that the average buyer's age in 2006 was 35. How do two people that are 22 years apart communicate and work together? Real Estate is rapidly changing and we have all heard the statistics about how 77% of home buyer's start their search on the internet. In a few years, this will be in the 90% range and it continues to grow at an exponential rate. Realtors wake-up! They are not just looking for their next home, but also their next buyer's agent or selling agent. If you are an old school Realtor and you are not marketing your properties and yourself on the internet, then your days are numbered. Today's younger buyers have access to a wealth of information and they expect their Realtor to stay ahead of the curve. Real Estate can move at a lightening pace and if you lose that house that the buyers have fallen in love with, then they will lose you. The internet has changed the way we receive and communicate information, to the point that houses can be sold in a matter of a few days (or hours) instead of a few months. I have an investor that I am working with and I e-mailed him an investment property late one night when the house hit the market. The earliest that I could get him to view the property was 10:00 the next morning. We were not able to get in touch with the Realtor until 12:00 to let her know that we were sending over an offer. By this time, the house was lost. An offer had been written 1 hour after the house had gone on the market and been accepted by 8:00 a.m. that morning. That is how fast things can move and your Realtor has to be able to move with it. Today, the newbies that get into Real Estate won't fast results in their business and when they are not making the money they thought they would, they move on to other careers. Real Estate is full of professionals that have made it a second career and the seasoned veterans who have weathered the ups and down times of the market. We use the internet now to market our properties and ourselves to people all over the world through our own websites and online house search engines like Realtor.com. We purchase online leads and pay big bucks to get our name listed at the top of Google. This is just a glimpse of the future of real estate. What will be the next avenue for our marketing efforts? Blogging.? I'm not really worried however, I have the communication skills of a baby boomer, the body of a 32 year old and the wisdom of someone about halfway in-between.

Realtor Ryan, Broker

http://www.RealtorRyan.com/