Real Estate Blog

Addicted but Why?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:31:41 -0600

I've been spending an inordinate amount of time on Twitter. Let me reiterate, I've been spending an inordinate amount of time on Twitter. The question is why? The answer is, "I don't know."

Bear with me for a minute as I give some background:

When I first joined Active Rain a few months back I did so by accident. I was reading real estate articles, via Google searches, and this Active Rain site kept coming up. The curiosity got the best of me and I joined.

At the time, we were in the process of completing phase #1 of our real estate investment company's website and no doubt the marketing and exposure could only help if we carried ourselves well, didn't constantly put our foot in our mouths, and had something to say worth listening to.

Now, with Active Rain to blame, we've started building three other blogs all focused on specific aspects of our real estate investing business (Property Qwest Blog, The Realty Buzz, and Arizona Homes Blog).

What's happening? Where's my candy? The Twitter parts coming.

To expand our social networking environment we've established, to varying degrees and in no particular order, homes at the following sites:

Plurk
FriendFeed
MyBlogLog
Propeller
Facebook
LinkedIn
Delicious
Digg
Technorati
Flickr
Tumblr
LiveJournal
Blogger
Google (Calendar, iGoogle, Reader, etc.)
Trulia
Zillow
YouTube
Jumpcut
StumbleUpon
DOPPLR
Disqus
Reddit

And, of course, no list would be complete, ours either, without Twitter. With Twitter, the confusion really set in.

Basically, I get the Why. In a nutshell:

We're developing an online presence to build our business and brand awareness. Out of our new-found online presence and evolution of our brand awareness, we should be able, through this online networking, to grow and improve our business with more clients and additional professional contacts.

Now, the Twitter thing. It's DUMB!

"I'm cooking baby back Ribs for dinner."
"I'm drinking coffee."
"I just woke up."
"I'm going to bed."
"My kids are still sleeping."
"I think I'm going to call it a day."
"Should I clean my office?"
"Listening to U2"
"I wonder if I'm the only one at the hockey game Tweeting from my Blackberry?"
"I just noticed two bug bites."

I could go on and on about how random these comments are. It doesn't make any sense. In fact, it's so dumb that I've setup my Blackberry so that I can Tweet comments, via TwitterBerry, from my Blackberry (say that three times). Yes, more dumb comments and now the dumb comments are coming from me:

"My meeting was postponed. Tweeting from my Blackberry."
"Home sweet home. Enjoying a nice day at the park with family in CA. Sunny, low 80's. Winter, where?"
"Actually, I'm still laughing over your doctor's visit tweet yesterday. I'm trying to find it to add to favorites. I was dying!"
"Crab season opens in 45 minutes here in the San Francisco Bay area."
"Your pic is perfect for the tweet!"
"Making my 300th comment."

Actually, now that I'm getting my ink to paper or shall I say keyboard to browser, I'm starting to get it and you should too! In between all of these "dumb" comments are unbelievable nuggets and tidbits of information in bite-size form. It's a mini meal with a super-sized satiation. Links to articles, websites, different companies, and innumerable individuals making their way or having already made their way.

As for the "dumb" comments:

Some people like to drink lots of coffee while others listen to music in the evenings. Some people are extremely humorous while others are angry. Some individuals are extremely buttoned up and professional while others are outlandish and sharp. The list could and does go on and on.

Through this platform, we have the unbelievable opportunity to learn more about people we most likely never would have ever met. At a time of our choosing, we can turn the Twitter spigot on and immediately start receiving minute to minute updates on what's going on in these peoples lives. Where they're at, what they're doing, who they're associating with, what they like, their dislikes, what books they read, food they eat, clothing they wear, news they listen to, wine they drink, etc. In short, ongoing snapshots of their lives. What better way to at least develop a friendship and determine whether there's a worthy business relationship to be had.

In some ways, we probably learn more about these people or shall I say online friends than we do with those in our regular social surroundings due to the sheer amounts of time that we spend interacting with them, having their thoughts to read and to relive at a time of our choosing.

If you haven't embraced it yet, what are you waiting for? If you don't get it, take the time to figure it out. Use it. Be dumb for a few moments. I promise you that your moment of weakness will undoubtedly open the door to something much bigger and much better.

Visit us at: http://www.twitter.com/PropertyQwest

My next Tweet, "I just posted to Active Rain - Addicted but Why ...". I get it now and so must you!

I Took Off My Mask

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:45:17 -0600

After a handful of months on Active Rain and numerous other Social Networking sites, I got in the mood for change. Perhaps the change that's been in the air was contagious.

Nonetheless, I left my avatar on our company blog websites (Property Qwest Blog, The Realty Buzz, and Arizona Homes Blog) , where it belongs, and went for a more personal touch to make a better connection with those whom I communicate with. Put a face to the name so to speak.

I like change. It's an opportunity to dust off the cobwebs, make repairs to the damaged parts that have been long overdue in needing attention, and allows us to come out fresh, improved, and better prepared for our next round of challenges.

The economic conditions we face are grim, the housing market, to be generous, is tough, yet there are opportunities if we are willing to change our direction, listen to our audience, and service them with what they need.

Change is in the air. Embrace it. Make of it what you want. Have it symbolize what you see fit. Most importantly, just do something positive with it.

Housing Crisis, Mortgage Meltdown, Perhaps a Bit of Humor is in Order!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:16:03 -0500

Perhaps a bit of humor is in order this Saturday morning as I'm sure most have had, as usual, a long week. In lieu of the ongoing global economic turmoil and our seemingly never ending housing debacle, I suggest it's time to take a load off even if only for a few minutes. Putting aside the political satire, I'm sure many can relate to the song literally and figuratively.

Disclaimer: I don't endorse all of the work put forth by the makers of this video but, I'm guilty as charged for finding some humor with this specific credit crisis, mortgage meltdown, housing market skit! Both sides of the isle could have done a better job on behalf of the American people in an effort to prevent much of this mess.

Waterfront Home For Sale! Glendale, AZ - Arrowhead Lakes ... Great Mountain Views Too!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:01:24 -0500

Links

VIRTUAL TOUR

Photo Gallery

Description

Don't miss out on this professionally staged waterfront home (Arrowhead lakes subdivision) in Glendale, AZ! The mountain views won't disappoint either. This home has now been completely remodeled and is move-in ready. In May of 2007, this home sold for $690,000 and is now being offered for only $439,000!

Global Qwest, Inc. is making this offering.
Rob Brant with Call Realty, Inc. is our Realtor!

WATCH THE VIRTUAL TOUR: http://www.realtourvision.com/tour/RE/tour.view.new.php?utl=RE-6189-PBG2LR-01
Visit our website: http://www.propertyqwest.com
Visit our blog: http://www.propertyqwest.com/blog/real-estate-investing.aspx

Features

Bedrooms:	4
Bathrooms:	3
Year Built:	1993
Subdivision:	Arrowhead
Square Footage:	2747
Agent Name:	Rob Brant
Broker:	Call Realty
MLS #:	3005710

Location

20709 N. 56th Ave. Glendale AZ 85308

vFlyer Id: 1819997

Real Estate, Cycles, Fear - What You Do Is Risky Yet You Always Do It!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:45:44 -0500

It's Time To Wake Up!

Undoubtedly, economic times are challenging to be generous and housing conditions in many markets can be pointed to as one of the main culprits. Needless to say our government has failed us and yes, we, the American people can shoulder some of this blame as well since we have accepted our leaders without outrage. We can and should demand more of our government but need to take a closer look at ourselves and our actions.

How Can We Improve Our Financial Disposition? I suggest mulling over the following!

Start With What You Know:

The housing market has tanked in many areas throughout the country.
Housing prices have been falling for over three years in some of the most inflated markets.
The government has approved the much maligned "bailout" bill and will start buying bad loans.
The stock market has been volatile and should remain so for the foreseeable future.
Real Estate is one of the greatest ways to generate true wealth.

Recognize What Most Of Us Normally Do:

We wait for the housing bottom. It's never today, it's always tomorrow.
We fear everything. How much lower will housing prices go?
We tell everyone to buy low, there are great deals out there, yet most of us never follow the same advice.
Admire all those risk takers who are financially independent.
Could have, should have, would have .... oh well, maybe next time.

The Same Old Results:

Year in and year out most of our financial pressures remain constant.
For most of us, true wealth is rarely created. Financial independence is merely a lofty dream.
Most of us work well into our elder years wondering when we can retire and whether we will have enough to support us through our retirement years.
We continue to admire all those risk takers who gained financial independence for taking on so much perceived risk.

A Couple Of Questions To Ask:

Why is it so few people reach financial independence, generating true wealth?
In consideration of 9-5 jobs, personal time, etc. - why do we spend such little time learning how to invest?
Why do we seek safety in a system that is proven not to work for most of us? Many of us working 40 plus hours a week over tens of years hoping that the stock market will be on good footing when we retire, desperately needing to access a healthy retirement fund.
How many more red flags do we need screaming, "it's time to find a home to buy?"

Final Thoughts:

These cycles are your friend, use them wisely.
Stop telling everyone else it's a great time to buy a home while you sit back and do nothing.
Don't give into your fears. Education is the key. Let your fear be the quite voice that pushes you to learn more, not the voice that prevents you from taking action.
Look around you and see that most of us struggle with financial independence yet continue to do the "same old thing", always perceiving investing to be risky.
Doing much of the same gets you much of what you've always had.
Each one of us has the ability to do better.
Again, if investing is so risky than why don't those who are the most financially independent think so?

Ahwatukee, AZ Home For Sale ... Watch The Virtual Tour!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:09:22 -0500

Links

Photo Gallery

Ahwatukee, AZ Home For Sale	House For Sale In Ahwatukee, AZ	Ahwatukee, AZ Home
Ahwatukee, AZ Home With A Pool	Ahwatukee, AZ House With Pool

Description

This Ahwatukee home has been completely remodeled and shows like a model! There is brand new granite in the kitchen (including glass tile back splash) and in both bathrooms, 16 inch tile in all the right places along with brand new plush carpet, and interior / exterior paint. This home has great curb appeal and a newly landscaped front yard! Relax in your new backyard oasis which includes brand new landscaping, flagstone, and a resurfaced pool! Vaulted ceilings, a breakfast bar, new fixtures, corner lot, and close to everything! Great location, great neighborhood, great house!! Professionally staged, this house is perfect!! Don't miss out on purchasing this great Ahwatukee, AZ home.

Features

Bedrooms:	3
Bathrooms:	2
Year Built:	1992
Subdivision:	Monarch
Square Footage:	1646
Agent Name:	Rob Brant
Broker:	Call Realty, Inc.
MLS #:	4034442

Location

14863 S. 46th St. Phoenix AZ 85044

vFlyer Id: 1912976

Are Facts Important Anymore ... When Did Ignorance Become a Value?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:03:00 -0500

As we are in full swing of the presidential campaign, it's amazing to me the amount of information presented that is in large part inaccurate or at least an acute misrepresentation of the facts.

In many instances, as long as the misrepresentation bolsters the position of the candidate that you are supporting it will be cheered and widely accepted unless someone calls out the inconsistency.

Isn't this type of ignorance and blatant disregard for reality one of the main culprits responsible for our current state of affairs in our country today ... on many fronts?

If your candidate is really worth voting for is it really necessary to misrepresent the other candidate's position?

An OPINION is one thing a FACT is another ... there is a difference!

Tempe, AZ - Remodeled Home For Sale!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:54:13 -0500

Links

Click Here To Watch The VIRTUAL TOUR - Tempe, AZ Home!
Global Qwest, Inc. owns this Tempe, AZ house.
Please visit our real estate investment website.

Photo Gallery

Description

This Tempe, AZ home has just been remodeled and needs nothing! New paint, carpet, granite, faucets, fans, and landscaping, including new sod with timed sprinkler system. Newer A/C, roof, tile, cabinets, appliances, and countertops. Additionally, the Den can be used as a 4th bedroom. 10 X 18 Arizona room with pass-through to the kitchen adds approximately 180 sq ft of living space! This house is approximately 1731 sq ft. Your clients will not be disappointed! Vacant and ready for a quick close! No FHA financing on this one, owned less than 90 days. This Tempe, AZ home could be yours!

Features

Bedrooms:	4
Bathrooms:	2
Parking:	2
Year Built:	1979
Garage Size:	2
Square Footage:	1731
Agent Name:	Rob Brant
Broker:	Call Realty, Inc.
MLS #:	4022329

Location

717 W. Manhatton Dr. Tempe AZ 85282

vFlyer Id: 1898009

Ridiculously Simple ... It's Too Easy To Forget ... Potentially Easy Money!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:20:18 -0500

All too often we're looking high and low to find different ways to generate income for ourselves, affiliates, partners, clients, etc. As a result, we sometimes overlook very simple measures that take very little effort but can produce great financial returns.

DON'T FORGET TO CALL YOUR BANK TO NEGOTIATE YOUR MORTGAGE/EQUITY LINE!

In consideration of today's housing market conditions in many locales, the banks are beginning to realize that it's much cheaper for them to re-negotiate loan terms than to have to take back a home. Calling your bank doesn't guarantee results but it's definitely worth making the call.

Some of our investment real estate company's holdings are with Countrywide and Citibank. Countrywide is currently reviewing some of our loans (ones that have not been been sold/purchased by Bank of America) and Citibank reduced our margin by roughly 1/2 point on a loan that we have with them.

Five minutes on the phone.

All existing terms on the loan remained the same with the expection of Citibank reducing our margin (roughly 1/2 point drop - prime rate plus .125% to prime rate minus .375%).

No additional costs or fees.

No credit check.

Demonstrating a hardship, being late on payments, or any other financially difficult positions that you or your clients may be in is not a requirement to re-negotiate terms. However, from our experience, the banks are more willing to work with you if a hardship does exist (we suggest that you contact a qualified mortgage broker to discuss potential options if you find yourself in this position).

Be an advocate for yourself and your clients. Again, there are no guarantees but, as you can see, it's definitely worth the call. What are you waiting for? Make the call!

Finding The Bottom ... Are Buyers Waiting For A Text Message?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:27:13 -0500

Why do some people consistently work against their best interest? Oftentimes, fear, emotion, or simply not being properly informed gets many of us to this point.

If you are a new home buyer or any buyer for that matter looking to purchase a property what are you waiting for? As real estate professionals, we see this time and time again ... buyers looking and waiting. You often hear, "we like this home but maybe the prices will go lower, maybe there is a better deal around the corner." There are always great deals available in any type of market. However, with the current state of many housing markets, you couldn't ask for a better time to be a buyer.

Without getting mired in the details, very simply put, there is so much inventory in many markets with such little competition (although we are starting to see pockets of increasing competition) you have your choice as a buyer. That great deal is to be had if you work with your Realtor, find the home you are looking for, determine fair market value comps for today's true value, and make an offer!

Too many buyers keep waiting to pinpoint the bottom which is a major mistake because its extremely hard to know when the bottom is until we have already bottomed and can look back to review the data. Additionally, the bottom will vary from market to market, neighborhood to neighborhood.

With the rates remaining close to historic lows, it's a great time to put in offers especially if you are a new home buyer looking for a deal and plan on living in your home over the next 3-5 years. At this point, with the amount of inventory and choices available, it would be hard to go wrong making the right purchase now!

Stop waiting for the text message that will never come. The media will tell you we've reached the bottom but by that time many of the easy deals will be few and far between and the bottom will certainly be in the rear-view mirror.

The stock market will likely remain volatile in consideration of the current financial turmoil ... it's beginning to look like a good time to buy a home!

Technorati Posting - SEO in Process !!!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:57:05 -0500

To readers of this post ... I apologize ... we are a real estate investment company but are diligently taking time out of our day to day schedules to work on our online presence. This posting is a requirement to claim our Active Rain blog at Technorati.com.

To make this process more useful than merely fulfilling a necessary task, please don't hesitate to comment on your experiences with Technorati ... As you can see below, I have shamelessly added their requested link ... hopefully this moves us a few ticks closer to generating more traffic!

Technorati Profile

I'd rather be talking about real estate investing and the next home for sale!

Vote Now! Where Is The Fed Headed?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:01:08 -0500

The Fed Funds Rate is currently at 2%. Where do you think the Fed Funds Rate will be by the end of the year?

VOTE NOW ... Just leave the rate!

1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50

Of course, feel free to leave any additional thoughts if you so desire! The housing market continues to deteriorate, economic conditions are grim, and the stock market seems to be indifferent to the government bailout package.

With the latest economic news, housing market conditions, and lackluster response to the goverment bailout bill, do you think the Fed will meet before their scheduled meeting (October 28 - 29) to cut rates?

My thanks to Gerri Weits as my very basic poll included in this post were provoked by her blog - FED CUT INTEREST RATES WILL LEAD TO MORE INFLATION

How Do We Always Seem To Get To This Point ... I'm Left Scratching My Head!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:23:55 -0500

I've been reading a number of posts recently highlighting squabbles, disagreements, and frustrations regarding Active Rain in general, competing members, posts, etc. It never ceases to amaze me how we always seem to get to this point as these issues begin to work their evil magic, push to the forefront, and start to slowly suffocate the venue or platform being addressed.

I'm, relatively speaking, a new member, joining AR in the beginning of August 2008. As I've stated in previous comments on other blogs, I joined AR to network and interact with other real estate professionals as we are a residential real estate investment company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As I've also stated before, I landed on the Active Rain website one evening while searching the Internet looking for "must use" sites to increase your online presence.

All too often these days, we seem to lose focus on what is of real importance. I'm not diminishing any of the posts that I've read and I'm not denying that many of the gripes are probably legitimate (in fact, I couldn't begin to relate to the circumstances that have resulted in creating most of these issues). However, in my opinion, when we lose focus and don't stick to the fundamentals problems eventually occur.

The latest housing boom in many real estate markets is a perfect example of what happens when we take and ruin a good thing by losing focus (amongst other issues, greed too - financial with real estate, points for AR members) and stray from the baseline fundamentals. It's great to be creative and think out of the box, but, at the end of the day, whatever we do has to center around the baseline fundamentals as it focuses the creativity around the relevant topic at hand.

The housing market is now slowly beginning to return to fundamental guidelines as is quite evident in many real estate business related operations. We can argue whether the measures and steps being taken are good, bad, or indifferent but at least we are starting to return to the fundamentals and the creative thinking / business opportunities are repositioning their efforts accordingly.

I've found a lot of great information and value from joining this site. As a "newbie" I firmly believe that this website will continue to grow and continue to be a powerful tool for real estate professionals if our efforts remain focused on all things Real Estate.

Nashville, TN: High-Rise Luxury Condos ... Wow!!!

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:00:32 -0500

In the heart of downtown Nashville, TN, lies a newly constructed 20-story, luxury high-rise condominium building. Encore Condominiums is located across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame and just two blocks away from the main downtown strip. It offers easy access to the Tennessee Titan Stadium facility, Arena, Symphony Hall, Riverfront Park, and many other famous locales. With plans approved for a convention center to be built just up the street, Encore has all the makings for a very profitable investment.

Encore Condominiums offers great views, a great location, and top of the line amenities. The units themselves have ten-foot high ceilings and large floor-to-ceiling windows that capture magnificent views of the city below. Kitchens cater to the chef within offering beautiful wood cabinetry, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. The units boast luxury bathrooms, big closets, private balconies that merge the outdoor and indoor living space, high-speed Internet access, surround sound pre-wiring, and private parking. In addition, the Encore offers a large array of community amenities:

Community Features:

• Expansive lobby

• Full-service, 24-hour concierge

• Plasma TV's throughout the building

• State-of-the-art fitness center

• Controlled access throughout the building

• Approximately 20,000 square feet of retail space, conveniently located at street level

Elevated outdoor terrace:

• Pool and sundeck with wireless Internet

• Outdoor lounge area with outdoor grill and fireplace

Poolside clubroom:

• Plasma TV's

• Free Internet

• Kitchen and bar for entertaining

• Billiards

• Gaming area

• Media room

For additional information, pictures, and floor plans, please visit the Encore website: www.EncoreSobro.com

Why Buy Through Property Qwest?

While the building is currently 80% sold out, these two units being offered were some of the first released. We hand picked these units because they offer qualities of the “best” units in the building in terms of floor, location, layout, and views. In addition, our investor incentive package offers a $32,500 value per unit containing a secured 12-month leaseback for $2000.00 per month, incentives for immediate closings, and the purchase and installation of stainless steel refrigerators and full-size, stackable washers and dryers to make these units a true “turn-key” investment opportunity. If you are not interested in our “Investor Incentive Package”, you can purchase these units at their base pricing. Both options are listed below.

AVAILABLE UNITS – INVESTOR INCENTIVE PACKAGE:

Unit 1: 20th Floor (Penthouse Floor)

Price: $325,000 (Investor Incentive Package Price)

Floor Plan: 1 bedroom/1 bath 836 Sq. Ft. with hardwood floor, upgrades, 38 Sq. Ft. balcony, 1 parking space.

Incentive A: Unit is rent ready with all appliances in place ($3500 value).

Incentive B: 12 months guaranteed leaseback at $2000/month ($24,000 value).

Incentive C: $5000 incentive if the property is funded and closed by 9/01/2008.

Unit 2: 19th Floor

Price: $322,000 (Investor Incentive Package Price)

Floor Plan: 1 bedroom/1 bath 809 Sq. Ft. with hardwood floor, upgrades, 38 Sq. Ft. balcony, 1 parking space.

Incentive A: Unit is rent ready with all appliances in place ($3500 value).

Incentive B: 12 months guaranteed leaseback at $2000/month ($24,000 value).

Incentive C: $5000 incentive if the property is funded and closed by 9/01/2008.

AVAILABLE UNITS – BASE PACKAGE:

Unit 1: 20th Floor (Penthouse Floor)

Price: $299,499.00 (Base Package Price)

Floor Plan: 1 bedroom/1 bath 836 Sq. Ft. with hardwood floor, upgrades, 38 Sq. Ft. balcony, 1 parking space.

Unit 2: 19th Floor

Price: $294,499.00 (Base Package Price)

Floor Plan: 1 bedroom/1 bath 809 Sq. Ft. with hardwood floor, upgrades, 38 Sq. Ft. balcony, 1 parking space.

You Only Have One Marketing Opportunity ...

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:18:56 -0500

For background on this Glendale, AZ waterfront home - Arrowhead lakes housing community .....

We are trying to sell one of our rehabbed homes in Glendale, AZ (20709 N. 56th Ave. - Glendale, AZ 85308). Again, this is a waterfront home with great mountain views. The home shows well as you can see if you click here to watch the virtual tour. Our pricing on this Glendale home is extremely aggressive. Current conservative comps are 475k to 500k. We are offering this home for 428k ... it sold for 690k in May of 2007!

Why are we having such a tough time moving this house? To be fair, it has only been on the market for roughly 70 days and we have had strong interest but haven't yet received a solid offer. Because of our aggressive pricing, we actually hear people asking, "What's wrong with the property?"

We've determined that part of the problem is that we potentially priced the home too low ... yes too low ... logically speaking, I never thought that was even possible. Additionally, in consideration of the current market and lending conditions, we realize that this home is for a specific buyer since it's in a higher price range with a longer commute to get to downtown Phoenix, AZ.

Taking this in to consideration, how would you market this home? This home is listed on the MLS, we have the virtual tour, we have created Vflyer's and Postlets ads, we have advertised on various on-line sites (Craigslist.com, Kijiji.com, Backpage.com, etc.), and we have advertised with color ads in the local newspaper.

If you had only one marketing opportunity to move this Glendale waterfront home ... what would it be?

20709 N. 56th Ave. - Glendale, AZ 85308 ----> Waterfront Home Now Only $439,000

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:03:13 -0500

WATERFRONT HOME WITH GREAT MOUNTAIN VIEWS ... WOW

20709 N. 56th Ave. - Glendale, AZ 85308

Watch the Virtual Tour!

MLS Listing

Phenomenal price on this beautiful waterfront property with mountain views!!! It has just been remodeled and is move-in ready. Sold for $690,000 in May of 2007! Nice hardwood flooring, 18 inch tile, granite counters, new carpet, paint, lighting, bathrooms, fixtures, etc...there are two covered patios, a balcony off of the master bedroom, and your own dock, all with great lake and mountain views. Do not miss this opportunity to own a remodeled waterfront property way below market comparables!

Market Psychology ... It's A Buyers Market You Can't Pay Full Price ???

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:51:41 -0500

Ken Montville's post, "Priced Right + Good Condition = Multiple Offers", motivated me to post my comments. Per my similar comments at Ken's Blog, I agree with Ken's sentiments as we price our properties accordingly. However .........

Our investment real estate company has been noticing some interesting market psychology on our projects in the Phoenix, AZ metro area.

We've been working on light rehab projects on homes that we have purchased at the public auctions. We are pricing the homes (renovated, move-in ready) to rival the pricing of foreclosures and short-sales in the neighborhood.

How could we go wrong being priced this aggressively?

The answer, it seems like there is a large number of buyers (with or without representation) that don't know true market value, not realizing that we are already priced, on average, 10% below market value. In locales where comped homes (real comps) have higher days on the market, we hypothesize that we would be better off pricing our homes at fair market value, if we don't sell it within two-three weeks (which we probably wouldn't), drop the price a steep 5-8% and then allow the buyers who come to the table to negotiate a further price reduction to make the sale, credit closing costs, etc.

It's becoming more and more evident that people want to "feel" like they're negotiating and getting a better deal regardless of how great the deal may already be. Only in strong/high demand neighborhoods (areas like Scottsdale, AZ) are we finding that the exact opposite is occurring. When priced aggressively we have received multiple offers!

It never ceases to amaze me how much market psychology plays into this business!

The Good News ... The Housing Market Recovery ... It's Already Starting

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:51:45 -0500

After posting these similar comments to John Gay's posting, "33% of Homes Today are Upside Down!", I felt I would publish my basic thoughts regarding the broader housing market ...

The good news is that we are three years in to this downturn in many markets and, as with anything cyclical, the housing market will eventually turn around! The bad news is that it will, in the near term, remain bad in many markets throughout the country.

More specifically to the point, I believe a lot of the shuffling and restructuring of guidelines has already taken place and continues to take place which means many of the problems have actually been acknowledged and the market (good, bad, or indifferent) is beginning to work through them. In my opinion, this is step number one in the recovery process, a necessary step in beginning to repair the underlying foundation of the housing market. Slowly, these changes will force the industry to return to fundamentals ultimately helping to stabilize inventories which will begin to stabilize pricing.

Unfortunately, many of these changes are doing nothing more than adding insult to injury at this point because we have, in many markets, huge inventory problems. Making it tougher for people to qualify, loans more expensive to obtain, and having larger down payment requirements is only going to initially exacerbate the problem!

Who's to blame and how we got to this point is a discussion for another day with much blame to pass around and responsibility to be accepted!

What Will Active | Rain Look Like In Five Years ... How Has The Internet Changed Your Real Estate Business?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:12:16 -0500

Our residential real estate investment company has evolved in large part due to the Internet. Many relationships and affiliate partners that we work with have resulted from relationships that were forged through discovering their services on-line through their web presence. We have been able to evaluate properties, markets, and different investment opportunities through researching endless data on-line.

Where do we go from here? How will we be using the Internet in the future? What will Active | Rain look like in five years and how will our interactions and communications on this site evolve?

Fantastic opportunities and excitement for what the future will bring!

Online Marketing And Advertising - Craigslist.com, BackPage.com, Kijiji.com, etc. - What Are You Doing?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:21:24 -0500

Our real estate investment company, has been steadily working to improve our on-line presence and marketing efforts. We work on many different investment real estate opportunities throughout the country.

Currently, one of our strategies is buying Trustee sale properties at the auctions. Most properties need light renovations before we re-market the property on the MLS to provide a move-in ready product at pricing significantly below today's fair market value. Unless people know that we have something to offer, it doesn't matter how good our renovation is and how well the property is priced.

Using Postlets and vFlyer to enhance our ads, Craigslist.com has provided the best exposure for us. We also use many other on-line classified ad sites, Backpage.com, Kijiji.com, Oodle.com, etc.

What are you doing to increase and enhance your on-line marketing? What strategies are working the best for you?

Are you working on residential real estate investment properties in Buffalo, Rochester, and/or Syracuse, NY?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:04:20 -0500

Please contact Property Qwest if you are working on residential real estate investment homes in Buffalo, Rochester, or Syracuse, NY.

Our company is looking to put together teams in the local areas to work on residential real estate investment projects.

If you are an investor and/or real estate professional, please contact us to discuss the different opportunities and projects that you have been working on! Join our growing network of real estate professionals and investors. Become an affiliate and/or a member to discover the benefits of investing in real estate.

If you are working on residential real estate investment projects in other areas of the country and are having success with your projects, please don't hesitate to contact us to see how we can work together.

Strategies: Light rehab projects, seller financing buy and hold opportunities, traditional buy and hold/lease options, wholesaling, etc.

Thank you!

Is The Worst Finally Behind Us In The Financial Lending Markets?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:27:13 -0500

As anyone in the Real Estate industry knows, Fannie and Freddie (as are many financial institutions) are going through very tough financial times, both having taken huge quarterly losses yet again.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The good news: Mortgage giant Fannie Mae is taking steps to shore up its finances. The bad news: You're going to pay for it when you take out a mortgage.

Fannie plays a central role in the market for home mortgages by purchasing loans, securitizing them and selling them to investors. In announcing announcing a $2.3 billion loss on Friday, it also said it would make major changes that could have a significant effect on mortgage liquidity and pricing.

The company said it will increase its fees, stop buying certain high-risk loans and charge a higher risk premium for buying loans in the declining market.

- Money.cnn.com

Now that it appears that Fannie and Freddie are beginning to take steps towards fixing some of their deep routed problems resulting from mediocre lending practices/loose guidelines during the real estate boom, is this the signal that they have acknowledged and are addressing ALL of the problems or is this simply an indicator of more problems to come?

Update August 2008: Fannie and Freddie continue to struggle. Their stock prices have continued to plummet and are now sitting at all-time lows.

Update September 2008: Coming soon!

Are You A Real Estate Professional or Real Estate Investor? Share With Us ... PropertyQwest.com

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:27:53 -0500

Are you a Real Estate professional or a Real Estate investor? Come join our growing network of real estate professionals and real estate investors. Become an affiliate and/or a member and discover the benefits of investing in real estate.

We can help you in your pursuit of strong real estate investment opportunities nationwide. We can all do better by working together.

Find out more about our real estate investment company - PropertyQwest.com!

Are You Investing In Real Estate?

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:59:14 -0500

Are you investing in real estate throughout the country? If you are, it would be great to hear from you in regards to the projects that you are working on, the success that you are having, and any recommendations in the Teams that you are working with on your projects.

Property Qwest is a real estate investment company who works on real estate investment opportunities throughout the country. Join our growing network of real estate professionals, investors, affiliates, and members!

Real Estate Investing - Cash Flow Markets

Roger Billeci (Real Estate Investments - PropertyQwest.com) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:39:07 -0500

Are you a real estate professional? Are you an investor? Do you have rental properties in strong cash flow markets such as Pittsburgh, PA, Rochester, NY, Buffalo, NY, etc.? If you are having success working in these strong cash flow markets or any other markets, it would be great to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Property Qwest is always looking to develop new teams of Real Estate professionals in areas that offer strong investment opportunities.

For more information about our company, please visit us at our website and join our growing network to see how we can work together!