http://activerain.com/blogs/mikejaquish Cary NC, REALTOR® serving the Greater Wake County area. en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/1373756/consumers-are-you-using-a-real-estate-website-to-find-a-realtor-maybe-you-shouldn-t- <p>So you are cruising around various real estate sites, and you think it is time to engage a real estate agent to help you buy a home, or sell the one you have.&nbsp; And you find yourself on a site that offers to put you into contact with a great local REALTOR&reg; to help you.</p> <p>How thoroughly do you think that website operator has checked out the agents who will contact you?</p> <p>Well, as REALTORS&reg;, we get telemarketing calls routinely from website operators offering us sales leads.&nbsp; Almost of them are scams.&nbsp; When you as the consumer&nbsp;hear or see, "We can offer you preapproved, prescreened agents to help you," you should wonder about the scope of the screening.</p> <p><img title="Nice Home, Raleigh, NC" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/5/3/6/7/ar126024459576357.JPG" height="375" alt="Home" width="500" /></p> <p>I have NEVER been asked any qualifying questions from any of these boiler room operations, other than, "Do you have your credit card handy?"&nbsp; See, the only qualification that matters is if the agent can pay for your personal information.&nbsp; Sometime it is as little as $25.00--$35.00 to get your contact information, your preapproval level, your timeline, and whatever else is in the online form you complete to be connected with "Prescreened" agents.</p> <p>Sometimes we are asked to pay up front for all contacts that come into a particular zip code area.&nbsp; Sometimes we are asked to competitively bid to buy your information.&nbsp;</p> <p>But, we are NEVER asked about our personal or professional&nbsp;backgrounds, whether we have ever been disciplined or had our licenses suspended.&nbsp; Those details don't&nbsp;matter&nbsp;to the boiler room web site operators.&nbsp; The only thing that matters is that we will be able to pay them a fee to be able to contact you.&nbsp; Agents who fall for these schemes are&nbsp;typically&nbsp;desperate for business, as they cannot develop their own contacts.</p> <p>So be careful of sites that offer to hook you up with an agent.&nbsp; They may just be scamming the agent and the consumer.&nbsp; We have been blessed by a comparatively strong market in Cary, NC, and that has put&nbsp;agents on the radar for these calls.</p> <p>Consider searching for local agents via Google, Bing, or Yahoo, and interview several.&nbsp; Find an agent who communicates well, focuses on your needs, and hire them.&nbsp; You don't need a paid matchmaker to meet an agent.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:01:31 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1373756/consumers-are-you-using-a-real-estate-website-to-find-a-realtor-maybe-you-shouldn-t- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1368902/why-do-i-need-your-referral-i-already-have-a-phone-book- <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4158831586/" title="Phone Books by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2525/4158831586_fecfcd0206.jpg" height="500" alt="Phone Books" width="154" style="float: left;" /></a></p> <p>Seems like a lot of Cold Call Referrals making the rounds lately.</p> <p>As if local folks can't reach out to local folks.&nbsp; Au contraire: We have ways.</p> <p>That's right.&nbsp; I have a whole stack of phone books.&nbsp; Cary, Raleigh, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Durham, Garner; I have them all.&nbsp; If I wanted to call someone with whom you have never spoken; if I wanted to make contact with no information, just a name and a number; if I wanted to&nbsp;make a cold call to someone who is definitely NOT expecting to hear from me....</p> <p>Well, I have that opportunity already.&nbsp; I have a stack of phone books.&nbsp;</p> <p>I can leaf through them, close my eyes, and stab a page with my non-dialing index finger.</p> <p>I can apologize for bothering a nice person who never planned to hear from a Realtor.&nbsp;</p> <p>When she asks, "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS NUMBER!??!"&nbsp; I can say, "I let my fingers do the walking."</p> <p>I can do that without invoking your name.&nbsp;</p> <p>I can be the fool without your help.&nbsp; Without the tedious&nbsp;dickering&nbsp;over whether you get 25% or 30% of the income I develop from this frigid, frozen, frost-bitten, sub-zero, unqualified by a caring professional referral agent, cold call.</p> <p>But, thanks for the opportunity.&nbsp; Not.</p> <p>If you actually had a client in need&nbsp;to hand off, they would have seen how hard I work with folks who need real estate help.</p> <p>If you actually qualified the "referral" and the "referral" was expecting a call from a great Cary, NC real estate&nbsp;agent, you just might have been a hero.</p> <p>As it is, you haven't made any friends here.&nbsp; I am unimpressed and embarrassed.&nbsp;&nbsp; The poor client is certainly unimpressed, and I have made certain she will remember YOUR name.</p> <p>Do yourself and the industry a favor:&nbsp; If you have the hankering to make a referral, do the front end work, and make it a real referral.&nbsp; Bring value and earn the fee.&nbsp; It's that easy.</p> <p>And, have fun doing it!&nbsp; I had fun writing about it!!</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:11:55 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1368902/why-do-i-need-your-referral-i-already-have-a-phone-book- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1366383/western-wake-freeway-i-540-informational-open-house-in-apex-nc-12-3-2009 There isn't much that creates the nervousness of a new freeway. We are getting one. <p></p> After many years of planning, The NC Turnpike Authority is breaking ground for <a href="http://www.westernwakeinfo.com/" title="Western Wake Freeway informational site" target="_blank"><strong>the Western Wake Freeway</strong></a>. Rightfully so, many property owners or potential buyers in Cary andApex, and unincorporated areas of Wake County are concerned about the impact the freeway will have on their properties. <p></p> The Turnpike Authority is holding an informational Open House today, December 3, from 4:00--7:00PM, at <a href="http://apexnc.org/depts/parks/artsCenter.cfm#upcoming" title="Halle Cultural Arts Center website" target="_blank"><strong>the Halle Cultural Arts Center</strong></a> in Apex. <p></p> Click for <a href="http://www.bing.com/maps/OneClickDirections.aspx?rtp=%7epos.pynvbr8dw6ft_237+N+Salem+St%2c+Apex%2c+NC+27502-1429___a_&amp;rsd=35.7560402154922_-78.7576684355736__the+north+(on+US-1+S+%2f+US-64+W)%7e35.752759873867_-78.8771286606789__the+north+(on+SR-55+%2f+W+Williams+St)%7e35.7143399119377_-78.8401785492897__the+south+(on+US-1+%2f+Claude+E+Pope+Memorial+Hwy+N)%7e35.7371816039085_-78.7907883524895__the+east+(on+Tryon+Rd)&amp;mkt=en-us&amp;FORM=LLMP" title="Map and Directions"><strong>Map and Directions to the Halle Cultural Arts Center.</strong></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:28:54 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1366383/western-wake-freeway-i-540-informational-open-house-in-apex-nc-12-3-2009 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1353128/and-my-clients-won-t-ride-with-me-because- <object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2014491&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2014491&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff&amp;fullscreen=1" allowscriptaccess="always" height="225" width="400"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/2014491">Nightdrive</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/theradblog">Jon Rawlinson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p> <p></p> <p>I'm fooling around to get my ducks in a row for videoblogging and video presentation of properties and came across Jon Rawlinson's videos on Vimeo. That one was fun.</p> <p>I fell in love with this one:</p> <object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5606758&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=1&amp;color=ffffff&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5606758&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=1&amp;color=ffffff&amp;fullscreen=1" allowscriptaccess="always" height="225" width="400"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5606758">Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/theradblog">Jon Rawlinson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><p>Do yourself a favor. Take it full screen HD, and turn the sound up a little bit.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:14:29 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1353128/and-my-clients-won-t-ride-with-me-because- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1352988/so-the-listing-agent-made-an-error-no-you-don-t-get-the-house-for-two-grand- <p>It happens from time to time.  </p> <p>Either the listing agent forgets to put the zeroes in the pricing, or by accident has entered a rental in the MLS under the Residential Sales tab.</p> <p>It is what we call "An Honest Mistake."  That error doesn't mean you will get to swipe someone's $400,000 home for $2,000.  So.  What does it mean?</p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4118327761/" title="Gable by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4118327761_f531b864de_m.jpg" height="180" alt="Gable" width="240" /></a><strong>Gratuitous Graphic</strong><p>It means that, as we speak, auto-emails are going out all over Cary, NC, and Wake County, promoting a 2600 SF home as "For Sale" in one of Cary's most desirable neighborhoods at the price of one month's rent.  I have seen it about 6 times already this morning while going through the alerts that go to clients.</p> <p>It means that somewhere, someone will feel slightly ripped-off, as consumer entitlement mentality kicks in and they feel denied the bargain of a home for less than 0.5% of market price.  When this happened a couple of years ago, I got a call from a fellow who ranged from skeptical to marginally hostile as I explained that the $200,000 property was not For Sale for $995.00.</p> <p>It means that some agent is going to awaken to phone calls and emails, pass into absolute mortification, and scramble to get into MLS and change the price.</p> <p>It means that the Triangle MLS History will show that the price was increased, and people will wonder, "What fool RAISES prices in this market."</p> <p>It happens from time to time.  But, there is really no free lunch.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:36:29 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1352988/so-the-listing-agent-made-an-error-no-you-don-t-get-the-house-for-two-grand- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1331297/cary-nc-home-search-is-iphone-enabled-come-and-get-it- <p>My IDX Search vendor, IDXBroker, has introduced a Home Search app for the iPhone.</p> <p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=336858030&amp;mt=8&amp;s=143441" title="Click photo to download iPhone App" target="_blank"> <img title="Click Here to Download iPhone App 4328 for Triangle Home Search!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/3/2/8/6/ar125868928468231.JPG" height="150" alt="iPhone App Link" style="vertical-align: middle;" width="200" /></a><strong> </strong>Specify app<strong> 4328</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=336858030&amp;mt=8&amp;s=143441" title="Click to download iPhone App" target="_blank">Click Here to download the IDXBroker iPhone App for "No Hassle" Triangle Home Search and Information</a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://blog.mikejaquish.com/2009/11/10/search-for-your-home-from-your-iphone/" title="iPhone Apps through iTunes" target="_blank">Alternately, you can go to my website and download the app through my blog there.</a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Now if you want to get details on a home, or listings on a street or in a subdivision, you can do that from the street in front of the home, off my website. You need only go to the Itunes App Store, and download the app. For free, of course.</p> <p> </p> <p>And a vigorous app it is, complete with Google mapping. Blackberry and Android apps coming soon!</p> <p> </p> <p>With 48% of all mobile browsing traffic coming via iPhone in September, 2009, this may be the biggest app to hit Cary, NC, this year!</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:18:55 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1331297/cary-nc-home-search-is-iphone-enabled-come-and-get-it- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1345541/1st-time-buyer-tax-credit-extended-and-includes-many-existing-homeowners <object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMzTpn3FvA8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMzTpn3FvA8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" width="480"></embed></object> <p> </p> <p>You can get a little more information, although not a great deal of simple clarification from the folks at the Internal Revenue Service. <strong><a href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html" title="IRS Information on 1st time buyer's tax credit" target="_blank">Internal Revenue Service Newsroom</a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Basically, get under contract to buy by April 30, 2010, and close on your purchase by June 30, 2010 to collect the $8,000 1st time buyer credit, or the previous owner's $6500 credit. Previous owners must have lived in the home for 5 of the previous 8 years prior to buying a new primary residence. With dwindling inventories of choice Cary area properties, due to sellers hunkering down, and fewer choices for buyers in the Cary, NC, real estate market, the $6500 credit may shake loose some homes that otherwise would not sell.</p> <p> </p> <p>I believe this portends another frenzy of activity in March and April of 2010, and choked closing attorney offices in June, 2010.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:49:20 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1345541/1st-time-buyer-tax-credit-extended-and-includes-many-existing-homeowners http://activerain.com/blogsview/1335067/cary-nc-and-beyond-water-shots I like shooting water photos. I think it is because I love the water, and knowing it is the sustenance of all life. Of course, a little light variation makes it even more fun for the camera. <p></p> Here are a few shots I have taken around North Carolina, mostly around Wake County. Some are State, County, or Municipal Parks. And, occasionally, there are common storm water retention ponds, although to be here they have to be dressed up a little. And, there are a few from Hatteras Island tossed in for good measure. Some really touch me, and I admit, some are a little mediocre. But I can tell you where each of them was taken! <p></p> This is my Water: Lakes, Streams, Rivers, and Beaches Set from Flickr. <p></p> <object height="525" width="700"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622657483915%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622657483915%2F&amp;set_id=72157622657483915&amp;jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed allowfullscreen="true" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622657483915%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622657483915%2F&amp;set_id=72157622657483915&amp;jump_to=" height="525" width="700"></embed></object><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:26:24 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1335067/cary-nc-and-beyond-water-shots http://activerain.com/blogsview/1332749/wordless-wordless-wednesday-parrot-paparazzi- <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4085577423/" title="NC Zoo 11.7.2009 by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2505/4085577423_8bab9e7636_b.jpg" height="576" alt="NC Zoo 11.7.2009" width="768" /></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:51:32 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1332749/wordless-wordless-wednesday-parrot-paparazzi- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1327399/north-carolina-zoological-park-a-great-day-trip-from-cary-nc <p>We had a great time at the<a href="http://www.nczoo.org/" title="NC Zoo" target="_blank"><strong> NC Zoo,</strong></a> and the weather was perfect for taking pictures. We get there in about an hour and 15 minutes from Cary.</p> <p> </p> <p>I really get a kick out of shooting snapshots ofgiraffes and zebras, but the rocks and trees of autumn were also attention-getters.</p> <p> </p> <p>North Carolina has the 2nd largest zoo in North America in acreage, and the most developed walking zoo. Our favorite approach is to take a tram or shuttle from the end we enter, all the way to the far entrance. We then walk back, having lunch somewhere along the way.</p> <p> </p> <p>I was delighted with the crowd at the zoo on a November Saturday, considering there were very important college football games, initial college basketball games, and other entertainment options.</p> <p> </p> <p>I put together a little slideshow including a few of the photos I shot.</p> <p> </p> <p> <object height="525" width="700"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622759630216%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622759630216%2F&amp;set_id=72157622759630216&amp;jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622759630216%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmikejaquish%2Fsets%2F72157622759630216%2F&amp;set_id=72157622759630216&amp;jump_to=" height="525" width="700"></embed></object> </p> <p> </p> <p>The NC Zoological park is about 8 miles south of Asheboro, NC, and about 65 miles west of Cary, NC, being an easy drive along US 64 from Cary. We have Zoo Society memberships each year, so we support the maintenance and expansion of habitats even if we don't get out to the zoo. Right now, the zoo is about 60% through a fundraiser to add a new improved polar bear habitat, and additional polar bears.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:11:39 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1327399/north-carolina-zoological-park-a-great-day-trip-from-cary-nc http://activerain.com/blogsview/1326210/speechless-sundays-bamboo-at-the-zoo <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4086008780/" title="Bamboo at the Zoo by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/4086008780_59ef6ed7ec_b.jpg" height="576" alt="Bamboo at the Zoo" width="768" /></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:01:28 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1326210/speechless-sundays-bamboo-at-the-zoo http://activerain.com/blogsview/1321858/house-passes-senate-bill <p>You saw it here first.  Maybe.</p> <p>It's off to President Obama.  "It" being the extension and expansion of the First Time Buyers' Tax Credit.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll859.xml" title="House Passes" target="_blank">Here is the House of Representatives vote</a></strong></p> <p>If nothing else, that should get the closing attornies a hectic December 2009, and June 2010.</p> <p></p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/3399628907/" title="Keystone Crossing, Durham, NC 003 by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3641/3399628907_d28665c936_m.jpg" height="180" alt="Keystone Crossing, Durham, NC 003" width="240" /></a> <strong>Gratuitous Graphic </strong> <p></p> <p>I forsee a lot of 70 day closings coming up in April 2010, as folks try to hit the contract deadline and max out the closing time period.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:46 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1321858/house-passes-senate-bill http://activerain.com/blogsview/1320676/us-senate-votes-to-extend-and-expand-fthb-tax-credit <p>As reported by the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/04/national/w145449S44.DTL" title="Tax Credit Article" target="_blank">San Francisco Chronicle,</a> the Senate voted 98-0 to pass the extension and expansion of the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit.</p> <p>As expected, $8,000 will be given to first timers, with an increase in income levels to define eligibility.&nbsp; And the move up buyer may also qualify for $6500 in credit.</p> <p>Expected to pass in the House and quickly to be signed into law by President Obama?</p> <p>Whoopee.</p> <p>Wait until the moaning and groaning and gnashing of teeth starts in April, 2010, when it becomes clear that some folks have missed the boat.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:08:56 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1320676/us-senate-votes-to-extend-and-expand-fthb-tax-credit http://activerain.com/blogsview/1318996/wordless-wordless-wednesday-fall-in-cary-nc <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4075068676/" title="Fall, 2009, Cary, NC by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4075068676_d0d271da01_b.jpg" height="576" alt="Fall, 2009, Cary, NC" width="768" /></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:44:42 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1318996/wordless-wordless-wednesday-fall-in-cary-nc http://activerain.com/blogsview/1312443/snakeskin-at-front-stoop-as-staging-prop- <p>Is this a new organic staging approach that didn't get enough publicity?&nbsp; Is it a local&nbsp;Cary, NC, thing, or is it featured on "Divine Design?"&nbsp; Or some other HGTV show?&nbsp; "The Stagers," maybe?</p> <p>Showed a home with multiple challenges today, and at the side of the front stoop was a skin shed from about a 30" snake.</p> <p>Buyer pointed it out and laughed.&nbsp; A lot harder than Mrs. Buyer did, by the way.</p> <p>We had a nice chat about copperheads, vs. rattlers, vs. water moccasins. What fun!</p> <p>The things you remember from a day on the roadshow...</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:54:59 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1312443/snakeskin-at-front-stoop-as-staging-prop- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1310812/mls-foreclosure-search-maybe-some-day- <p>We get the calls routinely, "Can you help us find foreclosure listings?"</p> <p>More often than not, the questioner means they would like to hear about homes upon which the&nbsp;lender has&nbsp;foreclosed, that are entered into the Triangle MLS when the bank is ready to sell them.&nbsp; They often are looking for foreclosures in hopes that they can gain more affordable housing around Cary, NC.&nbsp; Whether foreclosures make for more affordable homes is debatable, but one thing at a time........</p> <p>I always want to say, "Yes," and I&nbsp;always catch myself and say, "Well, kinda...&nbsp; Sorta..."</p> <p>See, there is no provision in our Triangle MLS rules that require a listing agent to identify a home as in the foreclosure process, or as a bank-owned foreclosure, "REO."</p> <p>Some try.&nbsp; Some don't try.&nbsp; Some try to obscure the status so they can semi-pocket the listing and get the Buy side commission, I think.</p> <p>Triangle MLS has taken a recent measure towards gaining&nbsp;clarity.&nbsp; A "Special Conditions" field will go live on the MLS on November 3, 2009.&nbsp; And in that "Special Conditions" field, it will be required to indicate if a home is a short sale.&nbsp;&nbsp; The field also&nbsp;offers&nbsp;listing agents the <em>option</em>&nbsp;to indicate if a home is in the foreclosure process, or if it is already bank-owned.&nbsp;</p> <p>Frankly, I don't get it.&nbsp; I understand the Short Sale requirement.&nbsp; If the list price is inadequate to cover outstanding liens and pay costs of the transactions.&nbsp; That is a material fact that will impact the Seller's ability to convey title.</p> <p>What I don't understand is:&nbsp; Who is served by providing confusion regarding "In Foreclosure Process," or that fact that a property is an "REO?"&nbsp; With these two options being, well <em>Optional,</em> we will be in the same circumstance.&nbsp; Unable to build a search for one of our hottest commodities currently: REO's.</p> <p>The intrinsic value in an MLS is the data, and the integrity of the data.&nbsp; Providing opportunity to obscure data, and to corrupt the integrity of the data diminishes the value of the Listing Service.&nbsp; It makes that data unreliable.</p> <p>I'm hoping that this is an incremental change that&nbsp;foreshadows a move by&nbsp;the Triangle MLS&nbsp;directors to at some point make these fields mandatory, so we can search by In Foreclosure Process and REO statuses and gain reliable information.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:12:28 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1310812/mls-foreclosure-search-maybe-some-day- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1309338/tax-credit-no-tax-credit-i-don-t-really-care-i-just-want-clarity- <p>I'm not reporting a "Done Deal," a la some<strong><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1309108/the-first-time-home-buyers-tax-credit-extension-is-it-soup-yet-or-is-it-still-sausage-" title="&quot;Soup or Sausage?&quot;" target="_blank"> to whom Lenn refers.</a></strong>&nbsp; I'm only striving to comprehend...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So...&nbsp; What will be the impermanent panacea of the moment in May, 2010?&nbsp; I mean, we are looking at a proposed, Senate-Approved, credit that ends in April.&nbsp; What's next?</p> <p><a href="http://www.wral.com/business/story/6302314/" title="WRAL News Link on Senate version of next tax credit." target="_blank"><strong>These meddlers are fixin' to aggravate any normally functioning person.</strong></a>&nbsp; Thanks, WRAL-TV.</p> <p>And, I think the politicos have&nbsp;tortured the nerves of a lot of people who are not real estate professionals.&nbsp; The tax credit cacaphony rattles around forever, it seems.</p> <p>I think the last two credits have been bad policy, for what that is worth.</p> <p>Regardless, the workings of our&nbsp;government vividly portray one of the weakest links in the USA:&nbsp; <strong>Short-term thinking without stability or predictability.&nbsp; Government by Twitter.</strong></p> <p>See you in May, 2010!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:21:06 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1309338/tax-credit-no-tax-credit-i-don-t-really-care-i-just-want-clarity- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1309290/affordable-home-initiatives-in-cary-and-wake-county-nc Cary, NC, is well known as a town with expensive housing and some lack of affordable homes. This results from a very desirable location and a very high economic demographic. Advanced degrees are a common denominator in Cary.<p></p> Cary has an <a href="http://www.townofcary.org/Departments/Planning_Department/Housing/Affordable_Housing_Initiative.htm" title="Affordable Housing Initiative page on Town of Cary site" target="_blank">Affordable Housing Initiative</a> in place to encourage offering of affordable homes to Cary residents. <p></p> It is noteworthy that many town employees and other service industry employees are commonly unable to afford a home in Cary. <p></p> On October 31, 2009, Cary residents are invited to sit in on a <a href="http://www.townofcary.org/Departments/Administration/pio/News_Releases/news2009/Cary_Citizens_Invited_to_Participate_in_Wake_County_s_Affordable_Housing_Project.htm" title="Invitation to Affordable Housing Project Workshop" target="_blank">Wake County Affordable Housing Project design workshop</a>, which will be held at the <a href="http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&amp;FORM=LMLTCP&amp;cp=pyy8x28f1f5c&amp;style=b&amp;lvl=1&amp;tilt=-90&amp;dir=0&amp;alt=-1000&amp;phx=0&amp;phy=0&amp;phscl=1&amp;scene=19475017&amp;encType=1" title="Bing Map" target="_blank">Page-Walker Arts and History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC 27513</a>.<p></p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/415467267/" title="Cary, NC, Page-Walker Arts Center by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/415467267_552de9135d_m.jpg" height="180" alt="Cary, NC, Page-Walker Arts Center" width="240" /></a><p></p> It should be interesting, with graduate students from NC State's School of Architecture holding forth. Arguably, Town of Cary policies help to inflate the cost of residential construction in Cary. Can professional design overcome artificial pricing effects of policy?<div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:01:12 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1309290/affordable-home-initiatives-in-cary-and-wake-county-nc http://activerain.com/blogsview/1308663/fall-2009-cary-nc-photos-from-today <p>Of course, being <strong><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1307189/wordless-wordless-wednesday-silverlake-in-cary" title="Wordless Wednesday Photo" target="_blank">Wordless Wordless Wednesday</a></strong>, and all, I couldn't offer <a href="http://activerain.com/susieblackmon" title="Susie Blackmon on AR" target="_blank">Susie Blackmon</a> an explanation about the fact that my photo this morning was 2 years old.</p><p> </p> <p>So, I went out and shot one today, and uploaded it to <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1308645/wordless-wordless-wednesday-silverlake-today-" title="Silverlake, Cary, NC, Today!" target="_blank">WW Wednesday:  Silverlake Today</a>.  And, no worries, Susie.  It didn't hurt when I fell off the guardrail.  Dang bushes have grown a couple of feet in the last two years, and I had to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/3952369158/in/set-72157622222033972/" title="ELEVATE!" target="_blank">ELEVATE!</a></p><p> </p> <p>Then I got on a roll and shot about 113 photos of the fall season around Cary.</p><p> </p> <p>What fun!</p><p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/sets/72157622684482302/" title="Fall 2009, Cary, NC" target="_blank">Uploaded over 272 MB to <strong>Flickr</strong></a>, and listened to the internet grunt...</p><p> </p> See, Susie, we DO have color changes in Cary!<p> </p> <p>A few free samples:</p> <p> </p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4054069140/" title="Fall 2009, Cary, NC by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/4054069140_282fdd0e66.jpg" height="375" alt="Fall 2009, Cary, NC" width="500" /></a> <p> </p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4054084070/" title="Fall 2009, Cary, NC by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4054084070_b70a7e5dfe.jpg" height="375" alt="Fall 2009, Cary, NC" width="500" /></a> <p> </p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4054108404/" title="Fall 2009, Cary, NC by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2471/4054108404_d3282c7d7e.jpg" height="375" alt="Fall 2009, Cary, NC" width="500" /></a> <p> </p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4053342945/" title="Fall 2009, Cary, NC by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/4053342945_750f8bc432.jpg" height="500" alt="Fall 2009, Cary, NC" width="375" /></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:27:00 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1308663/fall-2009-cary-nc-photos-from-today http://activerain.com/blogsview/1308645/wordless-wordless-wednesday-silverlake-today- <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/4053330999/" title="Fall 2009, Cary, NC by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/4053330999_9cc35a92b5_b.jpg" height="576" alt="Fall 2009, Cary, NC" width="768" /></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:12:17 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1308645/wordless-wordless-wednesday-silverlake-today- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1307189/wordless-wordless-wednesday-silverlake-in-cary <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/524170320/" title="Silverlake at Silverton by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/524170320_e5f1ce814c_o.jpg" height="640" alt="Silverlake at Silverton" width="845" /></a><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:01:36 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1307189/wordless-wordless-wednesday-silverlake-in-cary http://activerain.com/blogsview/1257592/haste-makes-waste-the-most-expensive-8-000-you-have-ever-received- <p>Are you looking for the most expensive $8000 you may ever receive?&nbsp; Are you willing to risk your financial security to pick up an "easy" $8,000?</p> <p>That's how I feel right now about the rush by 1st time buyers and agents to get contracts signed by the end of the month so buyers can close by November 30.&nbsp; We are talkng about a deadline after a typically 4 day weekend, with tryptophan, Black Friday, the Detroit Lions being dismantled whilst we sleep off a load of turkey and trimmings, and in some areas, the first day of antlered deer season, itself a religious holiday for many hunters.</p> <p>Talk about stress and duress!&nbsp; As the clock ticks down, will buyers fall into traps of closing with loose ends, just to get $8,000?&nbsp; Will repairs be complete?&nbsp; Will they be completed properly?</p> <p>On December 1, a buyer under contract is still generally a buyer under contract, regardless of why closing was delayed.&nbsp; So, overnight, that $155,000 dream for a shoestring buyer&nbsp;turns to a $163,000 nightmare.&nbsp;&nbsp; And if the buyer firmly designated those funds to restock the savings, or to buy furniture, or to do some renovations, etc, etc?&nbsp; Ouch.</p> <p>My favorite closing attorney told me he is scheduling NO first time buyers for November 30 closings.&nbsp; What if they can't record?&nbsp; What if they are en route to the courthouse at 4:30 and a tractor trailer flips and closes the highway?&nbsp; Or they have a flat tire? And the courthouse closes before they can record?&nbsp; Who is liable for the lost $8,000?&nbsp; And who is liable if they have 6 deeds to record in the car that doesn't get there?&nbsp; Who picks up the lost $48,000?</p> <p>Haste makes Waste, Folks.&nbsp; And right now I am seeing a whole lot of Haste.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:49:38 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1257592/haste-makes-waste-the-most-expensive-8-000-you-have-ever-received- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1299070/favorite-useful-blog-posts-i-have-forwarded-several-times-to-clients-and-prospective-clients <p><strong><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1298767/using-your-blog-to-enhance-existing-relationships" title="Bob's Blog" target="_blank">Bob Stewart asked us to relate ways we use our AR blogs</a></strong> for client and prospect relationship enhancement.  He included <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">a bribe</span> an enticement to help us see how sincere he was in the request.</p> <p>Well, I'm not one to ignore <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">a bribe</span> an enticement...</p> <p>I don't have a detailed index of ActiveRain blog posts I use for relocation clients.  But I do have several favorite posts that I have forwarded to clients and prospective clients to help them learn about the area, or about my services.</p> <p> Several of these blog posts are duplicated on <strong><a href="http://www.mikejaquish.com" title="MikeJaquish.com" target="_blank">my personal website</a></strong>, and may have been sent to clients from there, but the facts remain the same.  I have a small library of helpful posts that I can send to folks who need the information they contain.</p> <p>I don't do a lot with Twitter, or Facebook, or other venues.  I blog.  I get inquiries and then disseminate relevant information via email.  Someone makes a request for information, or mentions an interest in a topic, and I think, "Hey!  I blogged about that!"</p> <p>And I get into the archives, find the post, and send them a link.</p> <p></p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/3640337974/" title="Will-O-Dean Acres 022 by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2451/3640337974_789f6eb137_m.jpg" height="180" alt="Will-O-Dean Acres 022" width="240" /></a> Gratuitous Graphic <p></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32704/wake-county-north-carolina-property-tax-value-vs-market-value" title="Property tax blog on AR" target="_blank">Property taxes and information on assessments are always hot topics.</a>  Along with over 17,000 clicks on AR, I have emailed a link to this post several times.</p> <p><a title="Tax assessment appeal blog on AR" target="_blank">And some folks were curious about how to file an appeal on their 2008 reassessed valuations.</a>  This one even garnered me the opportunity to help some folks with CMA's in their neighborhoods, to see if their assessments were in line.</p> <p>Lease-Option sales are becoming more popular, and <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32788/avoid-lease-option-heartache-" title="Avoid Lease Option Heartache" target="_blank">I have a Lease-Option post on AR</a> that is good reading for folks who are responding to bandit signs.  This is another one I have sent out several times.</p> <p>First-Time Buyers?  Sure I remember buying our first home. <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32226/first-time-buyers" title="1st-Time Buyer?" target="_blank"> A little sincere empathy goes a long ways.</a></p> <p>I like writing about what I call "House Stuff."  After many years around construction, I think offering a little evidence that I know more than "Granite-Stainless Steel-Pottery Barn" helps me offer added value to my clients.  So I have written about <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/52038/buyer-asks-what-s-the-black-stains-on-the-roof-of-so-many-homes-" title="Roof Stains" target="_blank">roof stains</a>, <a title="Underground Storage Tanks" target="_blank"><strong>Underground Storage Tanks (UST's),</strong></a> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/275281/cary-nc-real-estate-a-a-ahhh-autumn-when-a-young-man-s-fancy-turns-to-deadly-carbon-monoxide-" title="Heat Exchanger Corrosion, with photo" target="_blank">furnace failure hazards</a>, and any other "House Stuff" items that I think of. </p> <p></p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/3579299361/" title="Heritage Pointe 071 by mikejaquish, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/3579299361_5b85f3d4d7_m.jpg" height="180" alt="Heritage Pointe 071" width="240" /></a>Gratuitous Graphic <p></p> <p>Foreclosures are Hot.  A couple of years ago I wrote, <a title="Foreclosures are for Rich People" target="_blank">"Foreclosures are for Rich People."</a>  And I have emailed a link to the post several times.  I still believe that buyers are wise to consider the inventory across the entire market, rather than dwell on distressed properties, and still send out the link.  A great many people have agreed with me.</p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32226/first-time-buyers"></a></p> <p>Marketing and Sales Strategy?  <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/46482/seller-asks-should-we-replace-the-carpet-or-offer-a-carpet-allowance-" title="Allowance vs. Improvement? " target="_blank">Always open to discussion.</a></p> <p>The blog gives me a library, or many pages in a personal brochure.  While I get most contacts from people who find it themselves, to be able to reach into my back pocket for my virtual brochures and hand out stories that address their concerns indicates that I am in tune with what the market, or their lender, or priest, or mother-in-law, is telling them.</p> <p>Creative?  I suppose not tremendously so.</p> <p>Effective?  I think so.</p> <p>Win-Win?  I do believe!</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:05:39 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1299070/favorite-useful-blog-posts-i-have-forwarded-several-times-to-clients-and-prospective-clients http://activerain.com/blogsview/1299021/reblog-using-your-blog-to-enhance-existing-relationships <p> <p>Well...</p> <p>I'm going to have to get me some of this....</p> <p>.</p> <p>.</p> <p><strong>______________________________________________________________</strong></p> </p> <div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1298767/using-your-blog-to-enhance-existing-relationships">Bob Stewart - ActiveRain (ActiveRain)</a></b>:<br/><blockquote><p><img title="I could have used a steroid needle to symbolize 'enhancing'" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/8/2/5/9/ar125625558295288.jpg" height="346" alt="I could have used a steriod needle to symbolize 'enhancing'" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" width="347" />Alright folks, it's time again for me to <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">bribe </span>entice you with ridiculous amounts of points. The last few times it was me giving you lots of points to do a few things you should be doing anyway. This time I'm going to bribe you to help your fellow bloggers.</p> <p>I have a hunch that not as many people are going to be able to participate because I get the sense that not as many people are doing this. Doing what? Glad you asked.</p> <h2>How are you using your blog to enhance your existing relationships with clients and prospects?</h2> <p>I had the pleasure a number of months ago to speak with one of our local ActiveRain members at the REBarCamp held in Seattle at the Zillow offices. One of the questions I asked him was how he was using his massive library of content to reach out to his existing prospects? This was a 200,000 point plus member and he must have had 300-400 posts in his archive at the time. I assumed he must be leveraging all that content with his existing database or sphere.</p> <p><strong>His answer? He wasn't</strong>. He was only thinking about his blog in terms of how it could help him find his next client or prospect. This was a little bit shocking to me (but obviously not shocking enough to do something about it then). It's come up a few times in the past week in conversations that I've had with other members as well. So I thought it was time we all put our heads together and we wrote about how each of us is using our blogs to reach out to existing prospects and clients.</p> <p>Think about it for a minute. How many of you have people out there who are in some stage of looking? How many of you out there have leads (prospects) that have landed on your website and come back to look for houses every now and then? How many of you have former clients out there that you don't do a very good job of communicating with? Do you think you could use some of the content you have written to enhance those relationships? I think you can and I think you should. From what I have seen, people are so focused on using their blog to attract that next prospect, they forget how powerful it is as a tool to enhance their existing relationships.</p> <h2>The Challenge:</h2> <p><strong>Write a post detailing how you have used the content of your blog to reach out to an existing prospect or client.</strong>(The key word is 'detailing'....we want examples, a play by play of how you utilize your library of content). This is going to be tough for some of you because you are not doing this. I don't think I'm going to audit you if you were to come up with an <em>idea</em> and write about that <em>idea</em>. That would be just fine. For those of you that don't have any idea.......you won't get the reward.....but your reward will be much larger. You will learn how to use your content to enhance relationships with your existing prospects and clients.</p> <h2>The Reward:</h2> <p><strong>5000 points for every blog post that details how to use your blog to enhance relationships with existing prospects and clients</strong>. (limit one 5000 point reward per person). I am going to judge the posts. If I think you threw something together in an effort to get 5000 points, I may only give you 500. However, there will be no first, second and third. Every post is eligible to get 5000 points.</p> <p>What would be some examples?</p> <p>Did you complile a bunch of your posts together into a relocation packet? Do you send that relocation packet to every lead that registers on your webiste? If so, share with us what you put in the package. Share with us how you determine when is the right time to send that to them. Did they appreciate it?</p> <p>Do you use your blog posts in a monthly newsletter that you send to your past clients? What kinds of posts are you including?</p> <p>If you have someone you are working with ask you a question, do you use that opportunity to highlight their question in your blog and then send them the link instead of sending them an email response? Do you post the link on their facebook wall instead of emailing it so that their friends can see as well?</p> <p>I don't know how you are using your past posts to enhance your relationships......and I'm not alone. We want answers!!</p> <p>Leave a link to your post in the comment section of this blog. I would ask that you have them in by Friday of next week, October 30th at 11:59pm Central time.</p> <p>(If you never got your points for the last series challenge, please do not bring it up in the comments here. You may never get them. There were quite a few people who couldn't follow the rules and it became a disaster to try to get all the points awarded. Please email me personally and I will get them awarded for you)</p><div class="agent_signature"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Do you care what I'm doing and thinking?</strong> (I can not for the life of me imagine why) If you do, you can find me on some of these places........but remember, if you are offended by anything you see or hear, I didn't force you to follow me!!:</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: small;"><a href="http://twitter.com/activebob" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/5/6/6/ar125053794666568.png" height="64" alt="Follow Me on Twitter" width="64" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/activebob" target="_blank"><img title="Follow Me on Facebook" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/9/6/2/ar12505378126992.png" height="64" alt="Follow Me on Facebook" width="64" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/activebob" target="_blank"><img title="Lets get Linkedin" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/2/5/1/0/ar12505379701524.png" height="64" alt="Lets get Linkedin" width="64" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogs/arbob" target="_blank"><img title="My Outside Blog" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/1/9/2/7/ar125053799672916.png" height="64" alt="My Outside Blog" width="64" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/24346698@N05/" target="_blank"><img title="Follow my Photo Stream on Flickr" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/8/9/6/ar125053802569847.png" height="64" alt="Follow my Photo Stream on Flickr" width="64" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/optimus840" target="_blank"><img title="Watch my Crazy Movies on YouTube" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/5/9/9/ar12505380399568.png" height="64" alt="Watch my Crazy Movies on YouTube" width="64" /></a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p></div></blockquote></div><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:03:05 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1299021/reblog-using-your-blog-to-enhance-existing-relationships http://activerain.com/blogsview/1295928/windows-7-has-shipped- <p>I got a notice from NewEgg today including a surprise invoice for $299.97.</p> <p>"What the heck?!"&nbsp; I couldn't recall a purchase, let alone for $300.&nbsp; Phishing?&nbsp; Scamming?&nbsp; ID theft?</p> <p>So I went to my NewEgg&nbsp;account, and there it was.&nbsp; 3 upgrades to Windows 7 Professional.</p> <p>Great!&nbsp;I will have them by the end of the week and will start planning my changeover from W7 Release Candidate to W7 "For Real."&nbsp; That will probably be a format and reload sometime over the Christmas-New Year's period.</p> <p>W7 RC has been pretty good.&nbsp; The most interesting difficult&nbsp;items have been related more to Internet Explorer 8 functionality, with a few freezes and shutdowns.&nbsp; It seems that&nbsp;IE hates it when I click a moving mouse.</p> <p>I wonder what changes I will see moving from Ultimate to Pro?&nbsp; I haven't used Windows Media Center, and that is the biggest difference, I think.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">___________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><strong>Mike Jaquish,</strong> REALTOR&reg;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>919-880-2769</strong>&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.MikeJaquish.com"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.MikeJaquish.com</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: small;">Try my<strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></span></span><a title="&quot;No Hassle&quot; Triangle Home Search" href="http://www.mikejaquish.idxco.com/idx/4328/advancedSearch.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"No Hassle Home&nbsp;Search"</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">&nbsp; No registration required!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS&reg; Realty, Cary, NC</span></p></div> Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty) Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:33:29 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1295928/windows-7-has-shipped-