Do you recognize this house?No, that's not a mistake you're looking at here. "No Picture Available" is something I'm seeing lots of these days as I search the MLS for my clients. You've probably come across it as well. It's the sign of "Bad Agent Syndrome". It causes endless frustration for the buyers out there and agents, too. You pull up a list of homes that fit your criteria, and many of them get canned because there aren't photos or a decent description.
Ultimately it is the sellers of these photo-less homes that suffer the most at the hands of this type of agent. You know the type; the agent who doesn't take pictures, spellcheck their listing, return their calls, or check their emails. Apparently these agents can't be bothered to do their job. Are there decent flyers for these homes? No. Are there ads placed for these homes? Of course not. Do you think there's ever an open house held? Nope. Market Analysis? Huh-uh. And do you think these homes end up fetching a decent price? No way, Jose.
How does an agent serve their client if they don't bother putting even the slightest bit of effort into getting their listings sold? I'm also curious as to how these agents continue to get listings? Are they actually making a living? Shouldn't someone kick them to the curb? I wish I could . . .
I feel so bad for the sellers of these homes. I wonder if they are even aware of the fact that there aren't any photos of their home on the MLS or on the web? "Bad Agent Syndrome" seems to happen more on lower priced homes, and that's just not right. Whether it's a conventional resale, a short sale, or a foreclosure, doesn't a home seller always deserve to have their home marketed effectively? Many of these homes are already headed for foreclosure, and these homesellers need all the help they can get!
Regardless of price point, a home is the single largest investment most people will ever make, and we have an obligation to serve our clients fully and to the best of our abilities. There are so many good agents out there. Agents who are cognizant of the many ramifications of their actions. Agents who are trained in marketing, fully invested in their business, and respectful of their fiduciary duty to represent their clients. These are the good guys. These are the ones who somehow manage to triumph over a declining market and get the job done.
Let's hear it for the good guys!
By the way, I'm starting my own personal campaign to make these agents aware that their listings need photos . . . and I invite you to join me. With kindness, of course.
There's a delicious new reason to come to Escondido.
Tango Restaurant & Wine Bar is now open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Tango is located on beautiful Grand Avenue in the heart of historic Escondido.
Executive Chef Russell Hawkins provides his guests with an exceptional culinary experience. You will not be disappointed. This talented chef is enthusiastic and innovative. His cuisine originates from the highest quality and freshest ingredients. Clever pairings and delicious ingredients delight the palate. The food and ambiance is elegant without being pretentious.
Tango's menu changes daily and features naturally raised meat and game, line-caught seafood, and organic produce. Whether you choose to begin your meal with an elegant caviar appetizer or end it with a whimsical root beer float," you'll leave with a smile on your face!
Tango is sure to become one of North San Diego County's favorite fine dining destinations. Tango serves a wonderful assortment of "small plates" and beautiful desserts. If you want a light supper or something sweet after a concert or movie, stop by Tango. The restaurant is just a short walk from the California Center for the Arts and the Regal 16 stadium-style movie theatre.
January 24th is National Just Do It Day. Who declared it as such? I don't know. Whoever it is, they just did it!
Haven't done a good deed yet this month? JUST DO IT! Have you been putting off a difficult task? Do a good deed for yourself and JUST DO IT!
Been sitting on the fence, waiting for just the right time to buy a home? JUST DO IT! Conditions are right and now's the time.
Today's the day to take action and do whatever it takes to make your life better. Or make someone else's life better.
Need an idea? Here are a few . . . Make a decision. Pay a compliment. Call a friend. Make a friend. Call your mother. Give a dollar to the guy with the sign on the street. Become a member of public television. Do something you know you're supposed to but you just didn't do.
Stop the negative inertia of inaction and start the positive momentum of action. Feel how good it is to get something DONE! Imagine how much better the world would be if we all just thought for a moment about one thing we really ought to do and then got off our behinds and actually did it! Can I get a witness? Let's go!
The recent Southern California fires had a number of causes; a long drought, a particularly fierce Santa Ana wind that lasted longer than usual, and a few idiot yahoos who thought they'd express their inner anger at society by running around starting fires at the worst possible time.
Did these arsonists crave attention? Was this a cry for help? Did they enjoy watching the suffering they caused? Did they compare notes beforehand?
So I've been wondering; why tie up the justice system and take up space in a jail cell with these arsonists? Sometimes a little "prairie justice" just makes more sense. When we catch arsonists in the act, as we did, why don't we just immediately give them an opportunity to pitch in and help fix the problem they created? After all, the firefighters need all the help they can get. Let's hand the arsonists a shovel and a spray bottle full of water and drop them off in the midst of the burn area. Then we'll show them what it means to cry for help.
OK, I know that sounds bitter and mean. My point is that I've heard a lot of commentary on the news about "what went wrong" about how the fires were handled. It doesn't seem fair that there is so much coverage of politicians blaming each other but so far I haven't heard much about the arsonists they've arrested. Hmmm . . .
I've had a rough week, being a San Diego County resident, and I'm cross-eyed and worn out with all the stuff we've been dealing with. Humor can sometimes help when life throws bad stuff at you. I decided to take a break from the recovery process and do something to laugh a little.
If you're in need of a little cheering up, here's something that works pretty well in my household:
As soon as the sun set last night, the Santa Ana winds picked up to hurricane force, howling across our attic, whistling in through our windows, and straining against our garage doors. I tried to sleep, but I grew more and more uneasy as I looked at the night sky. The brown smoky layer reflected the moonlight and the streetlights cast a strange glow.
After I gave up on sleep, I turned on the TV and began to realize the fire situation was about as bad as it could be. Bone dry winds so strong that trees were snapping and fences were blowing down. The static electricity was so bad I got shocked petting my dog. Despite the shocks (poor thing), she still followed me around wanting to be petted and comforted. She made it clear that something was very wrong.
As dawn approached, the news reports indicated where the mandatory evacuations were and which areas were now burning. Nearby, Rancho Bernardo was burning, as was Poway, and Lomas Serenas was under mandatory evacuation. San Marcos was burning to the north of us. Fire was working its way into Escondido from all directions. I poked my husband awake. He did not believe me at first, and was annoyed at my insistence that we start packing. He's inherently optimistic, and kept looking at the patch of clear blue sky to the north. Then the phone call came from reverse 911.
We loaded up the car with computers, clothes, cameras, pictures, and vital docs. And of course the kids and dog. Sort of like having to get ready to go camping really fast! I could make a long list of all the things I did not bring, but we are all safe.
My prayers are with all the other evacuees and especially with the firefighters who are placing their lives on the line under incredibly extreme circumstances. I pray that San Diego County makes it through this disaster, and I have faith that it will.
Here's a photo I took today of the smoke from a distant fire accumulating over the rolling hills surrounding Lake Hodges in Escondido. There are two fires burning in the eastern part of San Diego County, and the Santa Ana winds are carrying the smoke westward. Smoke from the fire was visible in most parts of the county today, and I could even smell it from my house.
The scene was eerily reminiscent of the Cedar Firestorm, which burned more than 300,000 acres in October 2003, almost four years ago to the very day! That deadly fire spread quickly and was fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds. So many people lost their homes in that fire! The fires burning today were located in relatively remote areas of the county and were not threatening major populations. As we did four years ago, we are praying for a change in the weather, a shift in the wind, and for the protection of our firefighters.
I'm so thankful for our wonderful and dedicated firefighters for their brave work! What we're witnessing today is a timely reminder about how vital these people are. Please see my post about the fundraising efforts for the Rancho Bernardo Fire Station for more information about what we can do to reciprocate.
If you haven't ICEd your cell phone yet, here's a gentle reminder/nag from me.
What is ICE? It's an acronym for In Case of Emergency. No, not the TV series. It's a program developed by first responders so they can contact your family or your "people" in case something happens. Paramedics, firefighters, and police officers are often able to find a victim's cell phone but don't know how to get ahold of the right people.
How do you ICE? Simply make new entries in your cell phone address book under "ICE 1, ICE 2, ICE 3", etc. One entry for each person/phone number. You could also name it to identify the person: "ICE 1 Husband", etc. Here's an important tip: make sure you enter the contact's phone number with an asterisk after it so that your cell phone can differentiate from the cell phone entry you already have. Otherwise you'll confuse the phone and your Caller ID won't work for that person.
Did you already know about ICE? I did. But I sort of put it off and procrastinated until I got a reminder from one of my associates (thanks, Alfredo). So I finally got around to it. Now my husband and I are both ICEd.
This is such a simple and easy thing to do, so if you haven't done it yet, go ICE that cell phone!
Why: To Raise Funds to Renovate Fire Station #33 in Rancho Bernardo
Here's your chance to support those who put their lives on the line for us, protect our homes, and care for us when we need it most! Enjoy delicious gourmet Chinese food with a European touch, knowing that a portion of the proceeds are going to this worthwhile cause! Come any time during those three days, and Mr. Charlie's donating a portion of his restaurant's proceeds to the Firehouse project. Print out this blog and bring it with you (see flyer below)!
On Wednesday, October 24th, Mr. Charlie's will host vendors there in the restaurant as well, so you can eat great food and then shop early for the holidays! There will be vendors such as Pampered Chef, Princess House, Designs by Dianne (specialty pens), Arbonne International, and Premier Design Jewelry, all of whom have agreed to write a check for their profits to our local Fire Station #33. Way to go! All we need is YOU!
More Why: The Rancho Bernardo Community Council is asking for help in raising funds to renovate the 35-year-old fire station on Bernardo Center Drive. It is estimated that it will take about $675,000 to adequately renovate Fire Station No. 33.
According to the renovation committee, "The underlying issue is that we live in a very nice part of San Diego and yet for these firefighters, who put their lives on the line every day, we don't provide very good living or working conditions."
Originally built for a crew of three, there are now a minimum of six firefighters and paramedics assigned to the station around the clock. The living quarters are too small, and firefighters often have to eat standing up because there just isn't room for everybody to sit in the kitchen. The cramped sleeping quarters have a persistent case of mold due to a leaky roof, and the bunks are only separated by shower curtains (plus it's co-ed). Nice, huh?
There's an extensive list of major repairs and renovations needed, from a new roll-up doors so fire trucks don't have to block traffic to back in, a new front entrance, and much-needed repairs on the living quarters. The cash-strapped City of San Diego has allocated funding to overtime pay, equipment and deferred maintenance, but not to major renovations such as this.
So come on out and support those who put their lives on the line for us, protect our homes, and care for us when we need it most! Enjoy gourmet Chinese food with a European touch, knowing that a portion of the proceeds are going to this worthwhile cause! Shop early for the holidays! There will be vendors such as Pampered Chef, Princess House, Designs by Dianne (specialty pens), Arbonne International, and Premier Design Jewelry, all of whom have agreed to write a check for their profits to our local Fire Station #33. Way to go! All we need is YOU!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Do you recognize this house? No, that's not a mistake you're looking at here. "No Picture Available" is something I'm seeing lots of these days as I search the MLS for my clients. You've probably come across it as well. It's the sign of "Bad Agent Syndrome". It causes endless frustration for the buyers out there and agents, too. You pull up a list of homes that fit your criteria, and many of them get canned because there aren't photos or a decent description. 
I feel so bad for the sellers of these homes. I wonder if they are even aware of the fact that there aren't any photos of their home on the MLS or on the web? "Bad Agent Syndrome" seems to happen more on lower priced homes, and that's just not right. Whether it's a conventional resale, a short sale, or a foreclosure, doesn't a home seller always deserve to have their home marketed effectively? Many of these homes are already headed for foreclosure, and these homesellers need all the help they can get!
Posted by 
There's a delicious new reason to come to Escondido. 
January 24th is National Just Do It Day. Who declared it as such? I don't know. Whoever it is, they just did it!
ed? Did they compare notes beforehand?
So I've been wondering; why tie up the justice system and take up space in a jail cell with these arsonists? Sometimes a little "prairie justice" just makes more sense. When we catch arsonists in the act, as we did, why don't we just immediately give them an opportunity to pitch in and help fix the problem they created? After all, the firefighters need all the help they can get. Let's hand the arsonists a shovel and a spray bottle full of water and drop them off in the midst of the burn area. Then we'll show them what it means to cry for help.
What is ICE? It's an acronym for In Case of Emergency. No, not the TV series. It's a program developed by first responders so they can contact your family or your "people" in case something happens. Paramedics, firefighters, and police officers are often able to find a victim's cell phone but don't know how to get ahold of the right people. 
;)
;)
