st louis real estate thoughts: The Silver Lining To The St. Louis Real Estate Market - 06/16/08 11:26 AM
A few weeks ago I got a call from some friends of a friend who wanted to buy an investment property for their daughter to live in. When they said that they didn't want to spend more than $65,000 AND that they wanted to home to be in one of several … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Back In The Saddle Again - Getting Back On The Bike After An Injury - 06/09/08 02:22 PM
Last fall I decided that I wanted to get back into riding bicycles. Specifically, I wanted to start riding "off-road" trails, so I did some research and bought myself a new mountain bike.
As any of your know who have bought a new bicycle, this can be a very joyful experience. … (14 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Experience....You Don't Need No Stinking Experience! - 05/28/08 11:05 AM
It's a paradox when you're a new agent; How can you get experience, if nobody will work with you because you don't have any experience!"
What got me thinking about this was a post by LaNita Cates titled, "But Weren't You A New Agent Once Too?" where she broached the subject … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Experience....You Don't Need No Stinking Experience! - 05/28/08 11:03 AM
It's a paradox when you're a new agent; How can you get experience, if nobody will work with you because you don't have any experience!"
What got me thinking about this was a post by LaNita Cates titled, "But Weren't You A New Agent Once Too?" where she broached the subject … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Please Stop Whining About Lead Generation Companies "Stealing" Your Clients! - 05/22/08 01:49 PM
As I've written about before, a long time ago I went through a "blue-funk". I had just broken up with a woman that I had been dating, but I was the dumper, not the dumpee....So, I didn't think that was really the problem.
At the time, I was just getting my … (13 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: With Business Being Slow, Why Isn't My Office Clean? - 05/21/08 10:50 AM
True, I'm working on things that will bring more business in and that takes time, but the fact remains that I'm on pace to do many fewer transactions this year than I have in years past. Part of it might be that I'm spending more time fighting with underwriters on the … (10 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why I Don't Have A Problem With Credit Repair Companies - 05/19/08 04:21 PM
I'll fess up, I have never sent a client to a credit repair company, but over the years I have worked with dozens, maybe hundreds of clients who I've helped to "repair" their credit. This experience is the reason that I don't have a problem with credit repair companies.
Recently I've … (13 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Do Mortgage Banker/Brokers Deserve To Feel Guilty? - 05/16/08 02:56 PM
Warning!: This post is not going to be politically correct!
I don't believe in "White Guilt". I don't believe in "Mortgage Bankers/Brokers Guilt" either.
The reason that I don't believe in "White Guilt" is because, as I've written about before, I believe that it's based upon the unfounded notion that ALL … (10 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Everyone Deserves To Be Treated Like A Big Fish! - 05/15/08 05:56 PM
Until a couple of years ago, my largest loan to date was a direct referral from the second smallest loan that I had ever done. The small loan was an older guy who was buying a small home to live in after his wife had passed away. He wanted to be … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Stephanie, I'm truly sorry! Take me back! - 05/14/08 12:29 PM
As many of us in the business, I have a "favorite" service provider with just about all of the various services that are ancillary to the real estate world. I have "My" guy who does my home inspections and "my" appraiser, etc. When it comes to title services, I have Stephanie … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: God Talks To ATT - 05/12/08 05:12 PM
Ring.....ring......(a computer answers the phone)
ATT Computer: Hello. You have reached the ATT customer service line. Please say or enter your ten digit phone number so that we may be able to access your account.
God: (plugs his number in)
ATT Computer: Thank you, so that I may better assist you … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Monk And The Tigers - Being Responsible For Your Own Happiness - 05/02/08 03:30 PM
If you haven't stumbled across Kevin Bungert and his blog yet, please take a moment to check him out. He's been writing a series of posts on his coaching and life philosophies that I have throughly enjoyed. He really seems to have a grasp on what it takes to not only … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: 3514 Connecticut - Great As Is, Super If Converted To A Single Family - 05/01/08 04:41 PM
I recently listed a two family at 3514 Connecticut that is a great property! As it is, it is a working 2 family with a 1400 sq. ft 2 bedroom lower unit and a 1400 square foot 3 bedroom upper unit. The lower unit, which needs some sprucing up (paint and … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why Are You In This Business? - 05/01/08 11:16 AM
Let me ask you a question....Why are you selling real estate (or mortgages or staging or title work or one of the other ancillary services connected with real estate)? If you've been doing it for a while, has your motivation changed?
The reason that I'm asking this question is that yesterday I … (12 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Call Me Crazy, But I Think That The Little Guy Should Be Able To Buy A Home!~ - 04/30/08 03:03 PM
I don't get it. Prior to the credit and housing crises', when the economy was starting to slide due to the economic policies of the Bush Administration, the stock market kept bouncing along. When pressed as to how this could be all of the talking heads on the business channels attributed … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Selling Real Estate In The Long Run - The Importance of Pacing Yourself - 04/29/08 03:04 PM
As often times happens here on AR, I read a post and it has inspired me to write a post on that or a similar subject. This is the case here. I read a post this morning by Jennifer Allan about a potential buyer calling her on a Sunday mourning to … (15 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Alway Remember To Protect Yourself At All Times! - Competition In The Real Estate Business - 04/23/08 09:48 AM
I just read a post by Midori Miller on looking at other Realtors as "competition" and while I generally enjoy Midori's blog, I have to say that I disagree with her on this one!
While her points on how being cooperative during a transaction are valid, I liken it more to what … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Getting Old While Being Self Employed - The Need For Health Insurance - 04/22/08 01:28 PM
Getting old is a bitch! While I work at staying in shape by lifting weights, working out on my elliptical or riding the recumbent bike, I found out a few weeks ago that it's not possible to forestall the ravages of time completely.
What happened to teach me this lesson was I … (9 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Pep In My Step and Glide In My Stride! - Thriving In A Down Real Estate Market - 04/14/08 11:45 AM
I just looked at my last two blog entries and noticed that they had something in common. They were both about something positive. The first one, "Activerain and Search Engine Optimization" and the most recent one, "Good To Be Back In The Saddle Again" both referenced the fact that my business … (10 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Good To Be Back In The Saddle Again! - 04/12/08 09:44 AM
As I have written about before, my business was one of the first victims of the credit and real estate crises. Basically, I couldn't have timed a merger worse if I had tried. By taking over my largest competitor I ended up expanding into a declining market. A rapidly declining market!
I … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Activerain and Search Engine Optimization - A Success Story! - 04/10/08 04:37 PM
Two listings in two days, thanks to my web site! That's the power of Activerain.
When I first started blogging here on AR, my website was basically a 5 page electronic brochure. It ranked wayyyyy down on the list under just about any relevant search term that you could think of. I … (8 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Activerain and Search Engine Optimization - A Success Story! - 04/10/08 04:36 PM
Two listings in two days, thanks to my web site! That's the power of Activerain.
When I first started blogging here on AR, my website was basically a 5 page electronic brochure. It ranked wayyyyy down on the list under just about any relevant search term that you could think of. I … (1 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Mortgage Brokering...Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - 04/08/08 02:03 PM
I'm going to have to start paying Janet Guilbault a royalty. This is the second post in a roll that was inspired by one of hers! If you haven't checked her blog out, you really should!
Anyway, yesterday she wrote a blog called, "Breaking News, WAMU Is Exiting The Wholesale Mortgage … (6 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Good Bye To All The Young Sharks....Don't Let The Door Hit You On the Way Out! - 04/07/08 02:07 PM
I read a post today by one of my favorite bloggers here on AR, Janet Guilbrault. Her post was called, "Shattered Dreams, Wasted Time: The Shattered Dreams Of The 20 Something Mortgage Broker" looked at the exodus of the young mortgage brokers from our business from a different angle that I … (6 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: St. Louis Real Estate Market - The Fourth Riskiest? I Don't Think So! - 04/04/08 12:27 PM
This morning I was reading a post by Dorene Shirley that linked to an article that is currently on Forbes.com titled, "America's Riskiest Real Estate Markets". When I clicked on the link to read the article there was a picture of some directional arrows in front of some new construction homes. … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Adam Smith Is Rolling Over In His Grave! Why The Bear Sterns Bailout Was A Bad Idea. - 04/03/08 04:48 PM
How many of you watched CNBC's coverage of the Senate Finance Committee's hearing on the Bear Sterns fiasco? I'll fess up, I couldn't stomach all of it. From what I saw, it seemed like a parade of the parties involved reading from the same script. I would have called the script, … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why You're Not A Professional - 03/31/08 02:21 PM
Everyone selling real estate would like to think of themselves as a "Professional". If you've read my blog at all, you'll know that I don't think that real estate agents qualify as "professional" at least not the vast majority of them.
One of the reasons that I think that we don't qualify … (26 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: In This Market FSBO's Need Us More Than Ever! - 03/28/08 11:52 AM
I just read a post by Mellisa Grant called, "You Might End Up Eating Your Own Blog" where she talked about people reading our blogs and taking the information that we provide, then going out and selling their home FSBO. I'm 100% certain that this happens just as there are people … (10 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: CNBC - For Entertainment Value Only - 03/27/08 12:44 PM
How many of you out there watch the business shows on CNBC? It's pretty much part of my morning routine and I'll be the first to admit, they do a pretty good job of reporting the actual business news such as the fed cutting the discount rate or company "A" making … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Importance of Knowing (and feeling comfortable) With Your Service Provider - 03/21/08 10:59 AM
I've been talking with a gentleman from California who is getting ready to relocate here to St. Louis. While I was introduced to him through the real estate side of my business, we started talking about how he was going to finance his purchase.
Turns out that he's doing what a lot … (6 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Wall Street And The Banks Made Bad Decisions, Shouldn't They Be Held Accountable? - 03/20/08 10:01 AM
Every time the Fed cuts the discount rate I choruses of cheers. I can almost guarantee you that within an hour of the announcement that there will be a post here on AR supporting the decision in the hope that "this cut" will be the one that brings the credit (and … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: You Can't Steal Something Slowly! - 03/19/08 05:23 PM
Last week I was showing property and came across one that was a foreclosure and that was priced to sell! Even in this market, it was considerably below the market, so we wrote on it. The bank required a 5 day answering time on the contract, which I didn't like at … (17 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: St. Louis Attractions - Lost Valley Trail In The Busch Wildlife Area - 03/11/08 04:03 PM
Sunday I had an appointment cancel and being as how I just got a new bike (it's being assembled as we speak) my girlfriend Kathy and I decided to explore some of the biking/hiking trails around St. Louis.
Not knowing where to start, I got on the web and found a … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why I Won't Work For 2.25% - 03/11/08 02:42 PM
I'm working with a buyer right now who is the daughter of a long time friend of mine. I've known this lady since she was a little girl and want to do whatever I can to help her out.
This desire came into direct conflict over the weekend when we went to … (19 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Difference Between Marketing and Advertising - Using Both To Establish Yourself As A Brand - 03/05/08 10:41 AM
I just read a post called "10 Ways I Threw Away Money Marketing" by Greg Nino and man, could I ever identify with that guy! Over the years I've wasted I don't know how much money on various advertising schemes. That said, I don't know that I've ever lost a cent … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Facing Foreclosure - What Is The Loan Servicer's Responsibility? - 03/04/08 09:30 AM
What is a loan servicer's responsibility to a borrower in default due to a sub-prime mortgage adjusting? Do they have the responsibility to inform the borrower about possible remedies available to them? Do they even have a responsibility to be civil to them?
The reason that I'm asking this question is that … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: You Heard It Here On AR First! - 03/03/08 01:42 PM
Have you ever went swimming in cold water? At first you dip your big toe in the water to see how cold it is. Then you walk in to just below your waist...... Man! This is cold!.....Finally, you take the plunge! You throw caution to the wind and fully submerse yourself. … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Renewing Acquaintances - How A Voice From The Past Can Generate New Business - 02/29/08 10:31 AM
How many people have you done business with in the past that for whatever reason you're not doing business with now? How many of these people would you consider doing business with again if they were to simply contact you? The reason that I'm asking this question is that about a … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Single Best Thing About Being Part of The AR Community - 02/28/08 11:05 AM
I just figured out another thing that I love about AR! That is, the ability to get a glimpse inside the worlds of all the various people who are involved in the real estate, mortgage, title, appraisal, home inspector, stager and all the other facets of our industry.
Yesterday a lady named … (8 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: People Are Sheep - Why We're Setting Ourselves Up For A Fall - 02/27/08 12:49 PM
People are sheep! At least when it comes to how they view and interact with the economy. For the most part, people don't want to know what's going on with our economy. The majority of people in this country are more than willing to close their eyes and wish for the … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: People Still WANT To Buy Homes! - 02/25/08 02:58 PM
A comment from a member of the public on one of my previous posts (News Flash - Real Estate Values To Rise)called into question my belief that it's not the housing markets that are broken, but rather the credit markets that are causing the housing markets to suffer.
In his comment the … (8 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Take It With A Grain Of Salt - Don't Believe Everything That You Read Here On AR - 02/21/08 12:49 PM
Bar talk. Are you familiar with the term? It's when you're sitting at a bar and there is some guy sitting there who is obviously the world's smartest man! No matter what you're talking about, he's the expert!
I've always felt the there was something about real estate that brought this out … (8 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: 2105 Shannon Place - Wentzville New Construction **REDUCED! Now Even A Better Deal! - 02/21/08 10:46 AM
One of the things that a lot of people don't realize when they buy a "new construction" home is that there are a lot of finishing touches that you need before that house turns into a home. For example, many builders don't install garage door openers or shelves in the laundry … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Expressing Your Opinions - The Business Ramifications of Blogging - 02/19/08 12:09 PM
The other day I wrote a blog called, "An Ethical Dilemma - To Stand or Not" that told the story of my going to a concert where the US Marine Corp had come on stage in order to recruit. The MC attempted to cloak this recruiting effort in a veil of … (15 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Ethical Diliemma; To Stand Or Not - 02/18/08 03:14 PM
This past Saturday night my girlfriend and I went to see the Kid Rock concert here in St. Louis. At the start of the concert I found myself in an interesting ethical dilemma. What happened was this;
Prior to the concert beginning the MC started talking about Kid Rock's visits to Iraq … (10 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Kid Rock In St. Louis Concert Review - 02/18/08 02:38 PM
"Like a bad mix tape with some really good songs!" That's how I described last Saturday night's Kid Rock concert at the Scott Trade Center here in St. Louis.
It's not that I didn't enjoy the concert, I did. It's just that the concert was ALL OVER THE PLACE! The songs ranged … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Tipping And The Art of Being An Entreprenuer - 02/15/08 11:31 AM
Last night my son called me on his way home from his job at a steak house in Opelika Alabama. He was frustrated because while he had been busy all evening (being Valentine's day) he hadn't made that much money.
It turned out that two of his bigger tables had a … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Superior Internet Solutions - Getting To Be A Real Pain In The Ass! - 02/13/08 04:05 PM
In a way, it's ironic. Having just posted the other day a post called, "Cold Calling Made Easy! Dialing and Smiling For Fun And Profit!" I'm writing this post today because I've just about had it with a company called Superior Internet Solutions.
What's got my goat is that these folks … (31 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Spring is right around the corner...bicycling in St. Louis - 02/13/08 11:11 AM
One of the cool things about taking a loan application is that it makes you think ahead. The reason that it does this is because on the Truth In Lending Form you have to put in the first payment date, which is generally about 2 months after the closing date.
So, … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Cold Calling Made Easy! Dialing And Smiling For Fun And Profit! - 02/11/08 12:19 PM
Cold calling is one of those things that NOBODY likes. The folks who do it don't like it and the people who are getting the call don't like it, so why do it? Because it works....at least if it's done correctly.
Actually, if it's done correctly it isn't nearly as bad for … (8 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Are Foreclosures Really The Problem? - 02/09/08 01:00 PM
I just read a blog on MGIC raising it's credit requirements. In this post, the letter that MGIC wrote explaining this move was included. It said that this move was in response to market conditions and loan performance. Well, this got me thinking.....
Is it really that bad for the PMI companies? … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why Buyer's Have The Right To Low Ball - 02/06/08 11:02 AM
I just read a blog called, "Remember When Your Buyer's Just Loved The Home That They Were Offering On?" where the author lamented on the fact that buyers don't seem as committed to the home buying process as they used to. That buyers now seemed more concerned with getting a "good … (11 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Do You See A "For Sale" Sign In Front Of Warren Buffet's House? - 02/05/08 12:41 PM
(Imagine This Is A Television Commercial Done In The Style Of A Typical Car Dealer Commercial) Attention All Renters! Now, for a limited time, we've got excess inventory and EVERYTHINGS GOT TO GO!
No reasonable offer will be refused! $500.00 down and you drive away with a NEW HOME! Plenty to choose … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Time To Get Back On The Wagon? How many calories did you consume yesterday? - 02/04/08 05:48 PM
Yesterday I decided to take a holiday off from watching what I ate. Actually, I did WATCH what I ate, I just didn't make any efforts to limit myself. Below is the tally of my consumption including a superbowl party and hanging out with my son and his college age friend … (20 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Thanks For All Of The SEO Help! A Big Shoutout to Doug Moore, Karen George and Lonn Dugan! - 02/01/08 02:15 PM
Lonn Dugan recently wrote a post titled, "Does SEO Really Work" and I commented on it that, "yes, it does work!". I went on to say that my website, www.valuelistre.com used to be buried hundreds of pages back on Google under the search term, "St. Louis Real Estate". Now, it's on … (6 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Soulard Mardi Gras - Come Check Out America's 2nd Largest Mardi Gras Celebration - 01/31/08 05:31 PM
A lot of folks outside of the St. Louis region don't realize that St. Louis is home to the country's 2nd largest Mardi Grau celebration. What originally started out as a group of friends walking from one of their homes to a bar has now grown into a neighborhood wide celebration … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: No Such Thing As A Free Lunch - Why The Fed Cuts and The Stimulus Package Are Bad News - 01/30/08 04:16 PM
Today I came across several posts that spoke very enthusiastically about the fed rate cuts and the stimulus package that the Politicos in Washington DC are working on right now. And while I can understand people who work in an industry that has been beaten up as badly as the real … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Stop Pussyfooting Around...Homeownership needs to be encouraged and supported! - 01/29/08 12:25 PM
A while back when the house was debating HR 3915 - The Anti Predatory Lending Bill, I had the pleasure of talking with one of the guys who was doing the grunt work on this bill for my congressman, Lacy Clay. In that conversation he told me that lending had gotten … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Don't Blow It - 3 Things To Consider When You're Advertising - 01/28/08 03:35 PM
With the Superbowl coming up it's natural that people will start talking about the various ads that you'll see running during the game. I imagine that there are probably as many people who tune in to see the ads as actually watch the game. This got me to thinking about some … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - reflecting on obtaining 100,000 points! - 01/24/08 11:20 AM
As the title suggests, this post should put me over the century mark here on AR. When I looked up and noticed this, I thought about what a suitable topic would be for it and decided that the best thing would be to reflect on the good, the bad and the … (15 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: When Inclusive Becomes Exclusive And Wrong - Diversity In The Workplace - 01/22/08 04:22 PM
This morning as I was driving across town I had my radio tuned into my local NPR affiliate when a local show called, "St. Louis On The Air" came on. It's a call in talk show and the today's topic was, "Diversity In The Workplace".
It turned out that the guests … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: If You're Got Aging Parents Or Are Getting Up There Yourself, Please Read This - 01/21/08 10:53 AM
In our roles as real estate agents many times we are called upon to serve our customers in other ways. Sometimes we're something of a financial planner. Sometimes we serve as an interior decorator. Sometimes we're even marriage counselors. We wear many hats and play many roles. Two of the most … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Four Concrete Steps To Stop The Slide In Housing Values - 01/17/08 12:49 PM
The honest truth of the matter is that the US economy is in a world of hurt. The fiscal policies of the last 7 years have painted the Fed into a corner. If they cut interest rates, the dollar is in danger of tanking. If the dollar tanks, inflation is likely … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Is It Too Late To Save The Empire? - 01/16/08 12:26 PM
This post is the follow up to my post, "Take Two Fed Cuts And Call Me In The Morning" where I compared the Bush administration's economic policies to those of college students with their first charge cards. In it, I painted a dire economic picture that I feel accurately reflects the … (6 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Take Two Fed Cuts And Call Me In The Morning - 01/16/08 11:29 AM
If you watch the talking heads on the various business/news shows on a regular basis, you might have noticed that they change their tune to fit whatever the realities of the day are. A couple of years ago when the economy was slowing they would say that housing was keeping the … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Another Reason To Blog - 01/15/08 12:24 PM
Every once in a while I'll read a blog on blogging. Some of them go into the technical aspects of it. Others go into the SEO benefits, etc.
Well, today I discovered another benefit. The joy of communicating!
What happened was this, I posted a blog called, "Traffic Cameras, Good Thing or … (6 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Happy Birthday to ME! - 01/15/08 11:26 AM
I've got a question for you...how many of you are familiar with The Lake Of The Ozarks? While it's pretty well known here in the Midwest, I've got a sneaky suspicion that a good number of you folks outside of the region aren't aware of this gem!
Lake of the Ozarks is … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Time For A Revolution II! - 01/11/08 11:04 AM
Yesterday I wrote a post called, "Is It Time For A Revolution" where I talked about an article that I had read on how the very rich spend their money. I thought that the post had turned out pretty good, but what impressed me the most were the comments!
The comments that … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Is It Time For A Revolution? - 01/10/08 11:42 AM
I'm a capitalist and I sincerely feel that capitalism is by far the best economic system that humans have been able to come up with in.
The socialistic idea of "everybody taking what they need and providing what they can" would be great if people weren't the way that they are. … (12 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Traffic Cameras, Good Thing or Bad? Let Me Know - 01/09/08 10:53 AM
Got a question for you guys. How do you feel about municipalities putting those cameras up at intersections?
I recently moved to an area where a couple of municipalities have done so. Yesterday I saw the strobes going off as the camera took the picture of a guy in a truck that … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Stop Blaming The Mortgage Broker II - 01/09/08 12:25 AM
I recently got a comment on one of my posts, "Stop Blaming The Mortgage Broker" from a member of the general public, who was, shall we say, not convinced by the arguments that I made in that posting. Her specific comment was,
"Interest only loans, and some ARMs ought to have … (10 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Too Damn Many People! - 01/07/08 02:32 PM
Growth, growth and more growth! That's what it seems that we're all looking for, just like a cancer cell!
Yep, I just equated the human race to cancer. Think about it and look at what we're doing to our planet,can you see the similarities? From what I understand, a cancer cell is … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: How Do You Eat An Elephant? - 01/04/08 01:24 PM
One bite at a time! I had to remind myself of this fact this morning when I came downstairs to my home office. Over the past several weeks I started a couple of different projects and picked up a few that I had already started...such as organizing my filing system!
The end … (14 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Predictions For 2008 - 01/02/08 04:12 PM
Bob's Chrystal Ball predicts the following for 2008
1) AR will still be featuring Broker Bryant's postings at least 40% of the time.
2) Home prices in most markets will stabilize in spite of the government doing nothing practical to fix the credit and housing markets.
3) AR will surpass 200,000 members.
4) 80% of … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Thoughts On The Iowa Caucus - 01/02/08 03:30 PM
Tomorrow the voters in Iowa will take the first official step towards selecting the two major party candidates for President of the United States. If your only source of news is the major networks, you might be under the impression that the race for the democratic nomination only has two contestants, … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Are Builders Being Stupid or What? - 12/28/07 11:11 AM
The figures on new home starts came in today 9% below a month ago. Available inventory of new homes also went up. This last factoid got me to thinking....What the hell are the builders thinking? Are there still some builders out there building spec homes? Did that many deals die, leaving … (9 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Blogging Bertha and The Fair Use Doctrine II - 12/27/07 02:07 PM
If you haven't read part one of this post, please check it out so that you can be brought up to speed.
In the comments to that post, Broker Bryant, TLW and a couple of other folks disagreed with me regarding the use of a copyrighted image that I used in my … (14 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Twas The Evening After Christmas - 12/25/07 09:28 PM
Twas the evening after Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even Uncle Al, the drunken louse.
The stockings had been torn down
by curious girls and boys
Wrapping paper littered the floor
along with the dog's new squeaky toy.
The children had been bundled and
off they were sent
To spend the … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Sneak A Workout In - 12/24/07 11:10 AM
I just posted my sign off post for the holiday today and tomorrow and in it I mentioned that I was going to get a light workout in before I started cooking. As I was getting ready to head into the workout room it dawned on me that for the last … (13 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Time To Put The Phones On Forward! Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays To You All! - 12/24/07 11:00 AM
Time to put the phones on forward! I don't know how many of you out there even toyed with the idea of getting any work done today, but I have a couple of deals working and I have my normal Monday rituals that I normally go through, so I went into … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Led Zeppelin Sucks! - 12/22/07 05:17 PM
A while back someone here on AR was talking about "Musical Guilty Pleasures" and I pretty much blew by it. That is til today. As I'm writing this my son is in the other room working out listening to rap music turned up loudly.....
I can imagine that a lot of you … (7 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Someone Saved My Life Today - 12/21/07 03:07 PM
For some people Christmas is the best time of the year. For us Grinches out there, it can be a bit more difficult. But even for us Grinches, some things can sneak in there to melt our cold cruel hearts! This was the case today when I read a post by … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Forecast Calls For Pain - 12/17/07 04:32 PM
This past weekend I drove up to Columbus Ohio in order to help my daughter move her things back to St. Louis after having graduated from "The" Ohio State University and as the Robert Cray song said, "The Forecast Called For Pain!".
The Weather Service was predicting a winterly mix along Interstate … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Future Has Arrived - 12/14/07 11:24 AM
This morning I read a blog by Janet Guilbault called, "The Millenials Are Coming" that told the story of a grocery store in her neighborhood that had completely redesigned itself in order to appeal to a younger, maybe more "hip" market. She talks about how her daughter walked in and was … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Does An Agent Have A Right To Have A Personal Life? - 12/12/07 10:06 AM
I just read a post where an agent was asking if he should file a complaint against an agent who had not presented an offer on a property over a weekend. It turned out that the listing agent was hunting and wouldn't be back to his office until Monday morning to … (14 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Fannie And Freddie Making It Harder To Own A Home - 12/11/07 11:49 AM
You might have read or seen that both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have recently announced their plans to implement a "Risk Premium Pricing" model. That is they are going to charge a premium for loans that have an LTV of greater than 70% with credit scores of less than 680.
In … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: One Down, One To Go! - 12/10/07 05:20 PM
This post really doesn't have much to do with real estate. It's about my daughter Whitney graduating from "The" Ohio State University! O - H!
Twelve years ago, when I set out to start my own real estate and mortgage company I started by writing down what I hoped to accomplish … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Advantage Of Being New To The Business - 12/07/07 11:07 AM
I just read a post from a young man who is new to the business who wrote about "The Importance of Role Playing". It was a short, simple post that made a couple of impressions upon me that I think are worthy of taking note in today's tumultuous real estate market.
The … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: President Bush's "Freeze" Plan - 12/06/07 02:49 PM
I didn't get a chance to watch President Bush's speech today on his and Secretary Paulson's plan to "freeze" the rate on sub-prime mortgages that are getting ready to reset. I did however check the treasury's web site, Bloomberg.com and CNBC.com to see if I could actually read what they have … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Thanks To The Entire ValueList Family! - 12/06/07 10:34 AM
We're still in the holiday season, so while I missed the Thanksgiving Holiday at least we're still in the season and I would like to express my gratitude to some of the companies and people who have helped me to restructure my business, as well as to keep my business going … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: It's A Small World After All - 12/05/07 04:46 PM
I'll fess up, when I started blogging I didn't do it in order to express myself to the world. I did it more as an SEO tool. I was really surprised when fellow activerainers started paying attention to what I had to say and I've really gotten a kick out of … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: The Mother Of All Comments - 12/04/07 10:53 PM
Have you ever made one of those comments that just kept going and going and going....you know, kind of like that Energizer Bunny. Well, yesterday I wrote a blog called "I'm From The Government" and a gentleman by the name of John MacArthur commented on it. John has commented a … (0 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: I'm From The Government And I'm Here To Help You! - 12/04/07 04:52 PM
"Hide Your Wallet When A Man Shows Up Saying That He's From The Government And He's Here To Help You!" Well, I think that this might not be a bad saying in regards to Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson's announcement that the Treasury is "here to help" people in trouble … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Don't Let The Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good - 12/03/07 10:35 AM
A few days ago I wrote a blog on setting up my workout room. In that posting I mentioned how I had gone through all the trouble of setting up my workout room only to find out that the ceiling was too low for me to use the elliptical machine. If … (2 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Real Estate And The Aha! Principle - 11/30/07 11:03 AM
In my writings here on AR and elsewhere I tend to rely on economic analysis quite a bit. And while I understand why some people's eyes will glass over when I start talking about supply curves and equilibrium points and such, I do feel that looking at our businesses, our industry … (1 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: News Flash - Real Estate Values To Increase! - 11/28/07 03:05 PM
As is sometimes the case here on AR, I'll read a posting and it will inspire me to write a post of my own on that or on a related topic. This is the case here.
I just read a post about being careful with what you say to your buyers regarding … (33 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Back On The Wagon - Finally get the workout room operational. - 11/28/07 12:49 PM
As many of you know, back in September I bought a fix er upper home and ended up moving into it before it was done. I also experienced the loss of my mother after an extended illness. One of the casualties of being so busy was that my elliptical machine and … (4 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why Housing Is Too Important To Do Nothing II (continued) - 11/27/07 01:02 PM
This is a continuation of my post, Why Housing Is Too Important To Do Nothing II. Please click on the link to read it first, if you haven't already done so.
So, as you would if your doctor told you that you have an infection in your heart, we as a country … (5 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Why Housing Is Too Important To Do Nothing II - 11/27/07 11:51 AM
Yesterday I wrote a blog called, "Home Ownership Is Too Important To Do Nothing" where I outlined some of my thoughts on the current housing and mortgage banking mess. Today I'd like to expand on why I feel that those who say that we should simply wait for the markets to … (3 comments)
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st louis real estate thoughts: Home Ownership Is Too Important To Do Nothing! - 11/26/07 12:25 PM
Much has been written about who should bear the blame for the current real estate and mortgage crises. Some have levied blame at the borrowers while others have levied blame at unscrupulous mortgage brokers.
I for one have levied most of the blame on the big Wall Street Investment houses that bundled … (7 comments)
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