pat kennedy: The Perfect Settlement! - 09/05/08 04:14 PM
This morning, I scooped up a favorite buyer and we were off to Federal Title, where we were finalizing the sale of the new condo he and his wife are buying.
These buyers are major foodies. And I found them a beautiful place with an amazing kitchen, and the Georgetown Whole … (25 comments)
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pat kennedy: So Who Are Your Meeters And Greeters? - 09/02/08 07:42 PM
When your home is for sale, there are two elements of a great first impression.The first, of course, is curb appeal, and a lot has been said about that in other posts. The second is the first thing buyers lays eyes on when they walk through the front door.So today, I … (33 comments)
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pat kennedy: DuPont Circle: Mixing History With Fun - 08/30/08 10:16 PM
DuPont Circle is an historic neighborhood just inside the “Old City”, that part of Washington included in Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for the capital. It was a popular place for the late 19th century captains of industry to build mansions for their families, although all too many of these lovely historic … (2 comments)
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pat kennedy: Kalorama: Once And Always, Washington Posh! - 08/30/08 03:51 PM
If you were a rich guy who moved to Washington in 1909 to serve in William Howard Taft’s cabinet, you’d need a really fabulous house. And the coolest new subdivision of that time was up the hill from Dupont Circle, called Kalorama - from Greek meaning “beautiful view”.Some of the mansions … (4 comments)
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pat kennedy: The Uninvited Guest Blogger! - 08/28/08 10:56 AM
Pat Kennedy is not home right now. She is never home. She’s out with clients showing some stupid house. She won’t take me with her just because I get carsick and hump legs!I want to be a client!!!So, hi! I’m Willie, and I am the purebred Labradoodle so often maligned in … (44 comments)
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pat kennedy: The Big Oops: Selling Your House Twice! A Cautionary Tale. - 08/20/08 01:19 PM
As a newbie real estate agent, I screwed up. I had a listing with a so-so offer going back and forth. Then, another offer came in that was perfect. I called the first agent and left a message on his answering machine that my seller was withdrawing the latest counter … (17 comments)
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pat kennedy: The Not Quite Ready For Prime Time Listings - 08/19/08 09:55 AM
Like a lot of agents in the Washington area, I'm expecting to put some new listings on the market right after Labor Day.
Sunday, I ran through a bunch of Open Houses and realized that I was being extremely judgmental about their condition. One was stunning inside and out. The rest … (17 comments)
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pat kennedy: Woodley Park: A Close-In Neighborhood With A Great Fun Factor - 08/09/08 11:31 PM
As you cross the Taft Bridge heading north on Connecticut Avenue, you’ll see a mural of Marilyn Monroe. This is your welcome to Woodley Park, one of Washington, DC’s most popular neighborhoods.
Builder and real estate developer, Harry Wardman (1872-1938), left a large footprint in the neighborhood with his Wardman Towers. … (2 comments)
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pat kennedy: I Need Some Good Buyer Incentive Stories! - 08/07/08 09:04 AM
Tomorrow at dawn, I'm going to be interviewed on "Live! This Morning". We'll be talking about some of the incentives that sellers are offering, either to buyers or to agents, to get them in the door and to buy their homes.
So have you seen any goofiness in your area?
We're … (20 comments)
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pat kennedy: Vacation Diary - The Window Boxes of Chatham - 07/26/08 12:55 PM
There are a lot of things that make Chatham, Massachusetts an utterly charming little town. There are the old houses in all sorts of interesting architectural styles. There are lovely little gardens. Then there are all of the shops along Main Street, with hand-painted signs, unique wares and, yes, window boxes. … (7 comments)
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pat kennedy: Vacation Diary - This Place Is So Garrison Keelor! - 07/25/08 11:18 PM
Every summer Friday night in Chathan, is band night. The whole town shows up in Kate Gould Park to hear the Chatham Band, dressed in smart uniforms that looked really hot - and I mean sweat pouring down your face hot. I mean picollo sliding all over a sweat covered chin … (10 comments)
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pat kennedy: Vacation Diary - Fishing In The Rain - 07/25/08 06:25 PM
This morning, we went out in pouring rain to look for fish with our caption, Russ Peterson of Liveliner Sportfish here in Chatham. Normally you find lots of bluefish (sort of the zucchini of fish - people always catch more than they can eat and try to give them away), and … (17 comments)
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pat kennedy: Vacation Diary: Day 1 Of Type-A At The Beach - 07/25/08 11:06 AM
Today, I flew from Washington to Providence for Day 1 of my well-deserved vacation.Flying is clearly not what it was in the days before airline deregulation. I can remember most people getting pretty dressed up for a trip, complete with eye makeup and curls in the hair. Now it’s pretty casual. … (13 comments)
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pat kennedy: Where Washington Foodies Worship On Sunday Mornings - 07/23/08 10:43 PM
The Dupont Circle Farmers Market is the local Mecca for Washingtonians who take their foods seriously. The market is open Sunday mornings and is set up on 20th Street between P and Q Streets
The produce is organic and is locally grown. It’s fresh. And it tastes different
The … (22 comments)
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pat kennedy: You Never Know Who You'll See in DC Traffic - 07/11/08 04:57 PM
While driving down Route 123 in McLean, VA this afternoon, I recognized a license plate I hadn't seen in awhile. It was none other than Cindy Jones, REBLOGER.
If I hadn't attended Pat Kennedy's little get together earlier this spring I never would have met Pat Kennedy, Cindy Jones, Brian Block, … (8 comments)
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pat kennedy: Turning Up The Heat! - 07/02/08 06:05 PM
Today, my heart really went out to one of my colleagues.She has a listing in Georgetown that requires her presence at each showing. I had some buyers flying in today from Memphis, and this pretty place is at the top of their list.Tuesday morning, I called to make the arrangements, and … (21 comments)
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pat kennedy: Housitosis? - 06/24/08 09:15 PM
Today on tour, we stopped by a pretty house an a thickly wooded lot backing up to Rock Creek Park. So far, a wow!But wait! We walked in the door and, sniff sniff, we realized this house had bad breath. Really bad breath! It had three damp drooling big dogs bad … (14 comments)
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pat kennedy: My Solemn Promise To All You DC Metro Area Listing Agents - 06/22/08 09:44 PM
If you have a listing with an armed alarm system, I hereby promise you, cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, that if I show it, I will set that alarm off.I did that today showing a cute house in Shepherd Park, a lovely DC … (26 comments)
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pat kennedy: Do You Answer Your Phone When It Rings? - 06/08/08 11:28 AM
A bunch of years ago, I did a Joe Stumpf "By Referral Only" seminar. And I was totally blown away by a lot of what he said. But one of the legs of his program was not answering your phone. No, never under any circumstances! There was a very long winded … (89 comments)
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pat kennedy: Why Do We "Qualify" Buyers, Anyway? - 06/07/08 10:43 AM
The main reason to qualifying our buyers is to be as sure as I can be that they will, in fact, buy a house before I let them warm up the soft leather seats of my Lexus, right? Once I'm totally, absolutely certain they won't waste a second of my valuable … (16 comments)
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pat kennedy: The Magic Of Before and After - 05/26/08 12:13 AM
From Cati Bannier, Mentor, The Synergettes.
Yesterday morning, Brian Block asked what it is that motivates us Mentors to participate in this contest. When I was trying to answer the post, the Rain was malfunctioning, but there were lots of beautiful answers, and I agree with most of … (5 comments)
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pat kennedy: Taking Stock -- Welcome To the Trunk Show - 05/19/08 05:32 PM
A lot of serious doubts have been voiced here about the choice of AR star Patricia Kennedy as an Apprentice in the Makeover2Takeover contest. My Apprentice, that is.
Oh -- just you wait.
When we received our first M2T contest challenge today (in short, to develop a powerful contact management system), … (20 comments)
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pat kennedy: Gas Guzzling - 05/12/08 10:35 PM
With the cost of gas through the roof, a lot of agents are thinking about ways to cut down on car use. One woman I know is such a scary driver that I won't ride with her on tour. Her clients usually offer to drive rather than step into her … (33 comments)
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pat kennedy: Forming an ActiveRain Woodwind Quintet - Clarinetist, Oboist and Bassoonist Needed! - 05/10/08 01:07 PM
Maybe I should be asking Patricia Kennedy before I post this..
I'm thinking we should form an ActiveRain woodwind quintet. Pat Kennedy is a pro and she has the flute part covered.
Flutist Pat Kennedy performing with her trio in the Washington, DC area
I'll be … (2 comments)
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pat kennedy: It's Thursday Morning. Do You Know Where Your Earnest Money Is? - 05/08/08 09:51 AM
Whenever you buy a new house, you learn the importance of being earnest. You will be asked to write a great big check, your earnest money, that is deposited in a place set forth in your purchase agreement. Then, at settlement, it is applied to your down payment and closing costs.
… (13 comments)
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pat kennedy: Will Our New Construction Stand The Test Of Time? - 05/07/08 04:08 PM
When I am showing some newer homes, I often wonder, will they be able to outlast the 30-year mortgages being used to pay for them?
It seems that every time I pick up a paper, there is a story about some new building material that sort of flopped. Then I … (16 comments)
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pat kennedy: What's Wrong With This House? - 04/22/08 10:47 PM
I saw a really pretty house today. It had fabulous curb appeal, and a location in one of DC's favorite neighborhoods on a tree-lined street. The kitchen had been expensively renovated, the hardwood floors gleamed, and the bathrooms were even nicer than mine. The staging was perfect, because it didn't look … (34 comments)
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pat kennedy: House Karma? - 04/02/08 10:30 PM
When my first (and favorite) ex-husband and I were looking for a house, the market was almost as funky as it is now. It was the early 1980’s. Interest rates had crept down from 19 to about 14 percent, and it was a strong buyers’ market.I was a new real estate … (6 comments)
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pat kennedy: So Here's One Good Reason To List With An Agent Who Lives Nearby! - 04/01/08 07:27 PM
Once many years ago, I called a listing agent on my cell phone, a tiny bit huffy because the freakin door to her listing wouldn't open. She came over immediately, took the key from me, put it in the lock, turned it and the door flew open.
Huh? I had struggled for … (23 comments)
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pat kennedy: This Is A "What If?" It'll Never Happen! - 03/31/08 07:40 PM
Well, it could happen. This is a true story, and it happened to a colleague a few years ago.
She had a listing that was gorgeous, well priced and sold with multiple offers for substantially more than the list price. The lucky winner of this bloody bidding war woke up a couple … (26 comments)
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pat kennedy: Why Hasn't My House Sold? It's Not Always The Price! - 03/31/08 08:48 AM
A few years ago, I was approached to be the third agent for a stately colonial on upper 16th Street. The first two agents had the distinction of being the guys who ranked number 1 and 2 in dollar volume in DC. I'm nowhere close.
I reviewed the prior listing information. The … (23 comments)
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pat kennedy: Do You Work In An Amusement Park? - 03/09/08 11:40 PM
Throughout my awfully long real estate career, I've noticed that almost every transaction has at least one - usually more than one - moment when I'm sure the transaction isn't going to make it.
You find the perfect house, craft and negotiate a great deal, then it starts.
First, the buyer's remorse. It's … (20 comments)
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pat kennedy: Luxury Today, Pedestrian Tomorrow? - 03/07/08 12:13 AM
If you believe the ads for the new condos cropping up in the DC Metro area, they are all about luxury. Or are they?It takes more than granite counters and stainless appliances to create luxury. In fact, the ones who decide these things are already saying that granite is the new … (6 comments)
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pat kennedy: Seller, Your First Agent was Great! - 02/28/08 06:45 PM
What do you tell your seller about their first agent? Are there times that you know the initial listing agent quite well and know that they are very good agents? When that happens what do you say?There have been a few times when I have been asked to list a house … (28 comments)
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pat kennedy: The Law of Averages and the Value of Your Home - 02/19/08 02:56 PM
Every time I hear a national news outlet talk about the "average" home sale price going up or down or sideways, it makes me crazy!
First of all, they are talking national averages, but it means nothing at all to the listening audience who may be trying to figure out what their … (12 comments)
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pat kennedy: Your Name, Address, Email Address and Phone Number Are Worth Big Bucks! Don't Give Them Away Casually! - 02/18/08 06:13 PM
There are lots of web sites out there promising you all kinds of help you might not need if you are buying or selling a house or condo. It might be access to a gazillion lenders or real estate agents who will cut interest rates or commissions for a crack at … (19 comments)
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pat kennedy: Is Marty Ummel Doing Real Estate Agents A Favor? I Think So. - 02/07/08 01:39 PM
When I first decided to work as a buyer broker in about 1990, it was hard to find a lot of good information about how to do it. Most of the books and case law I found came from California, where selling agents represented the buyer as the normal practice – … (15 comments)
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pat kennedy: An Important Turn Off When Your House Is For Sale - 02/06/08 09:35 PM
BEEEEEEP!
"Hello. This is Pat Kennedy and I'm an agent with Evers & Company Realtors. I'm planning to drop by your house between 2 and 2:30 this afternoon to set of your burglar alarm. If that's not convenient, please call me on my cell phone at 202-555-5567. Thanks!"
Seriously, folks, if you have … (28 comments)
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pat kennedy: Is Photoshop For Virtual Tours Cheating? - 02/02/08 10:37 AM
In my office we have a professional photographer on staff, and he is the God of Photoshop. I get a new listing, finish up with the staging, then our guy goes in and takes the photos – and he is really, really good. He has a fabulous camera and lens as … (35 comments)
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pat kennedy: How Clean Is Clean? - 10/04/07 07:37 AM
The moving truck has just pulled away from your house, and you are totally, completely, 100 percent pooped! You spent most of the day before cleaning up years of grime and cob webs your sellers left you, and now you're looking at decades worth of all kinds of nastiness in your … (17 comments)
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pat kennedy: PLEASE! Don't Be Alarmed! - 10/03/07 11:00 AM
If your house is for sale, and if it has an alarm system that is activated while it's on the market, someone like me is going to come by to show your home and set it off.
I've yet to meet an alarm system that I am not almost certain to … (11 comments)
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pat kennedy: So Are These Guys on DRUGS????? - 10/01/07 09:23 AM
I'm preparing my itinerary for a showing expedition to Fairfax County.
Gettin' the map, checkin' it twice and what have we here?
A house with a single under-exposed photo of the outside, no virtual tour, but fabulous locaiton, price seems OK and -
Oh! No!! What's this right under the "Do Not Contact … (59 comments)
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pat kennedy: The Wall Street Journal - Interesting Real Estate Site! - 09/26/07 06:04 PM
Today, I found an article in the Wall Street Journal's online edition that caught my eye was written by June Fletcher, Buying and Selling a Home From Your Computer.
The hero of this story is 28-year old Bryant Katzen, a real estate agent from Laguna Hills, California. He is starting … (9 comments)
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pat kennedy: "It's The Relationship, Stupid!" - 09/21/07 10:47 AM
While I was writing the first draft of The Irreverent Guide, a had a wonderful writing coach named Jeff Stein. He's a professional journalist and has two books already published and is working on a third now. He was the perfect coach because he knew zip about real estate and … (8 comments)
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