Do your qualify your lenders? - 03/31/09 05:17 PM
We all know the problem when you fail to get a buyer pre qualified.  Do you ever qualify your lenders? 
Here are some questions you might wish to ask: 
How long have you been a loan officer? 
How long has your company been in business? 
Are you a loan officer or a set up processor?
Are you a broker or banker? 
Do you have an underwriter locally? 
Are you a direct FHA lender?
How do you fund your loans? 
How many loans do you do in a month?
… (3 comments)

Looking for a good deal? - 03/31/09 10:21 AM
If you are looking for a great buy then here is a web site for you.  www.DeaLoco.com .  
These guys have done all the research and show you where you can get the best price.  Not only do they show you where you can get a great price they have assigned a Grief Factor from one to five.  With one being the easiest and five being the most complicated (perhaps you need to complete a mail in rebate. 
Items change all the time and looks like there are some great deals here.
… (7 comments)

How many listing do you have that are vacant? - 03/30/09 03:28 PM
One would agree as a real estate professional you are expected to take care of your clients. 
How many vacant listing do you currently have in your inventory?  If greater then zero I hope you have advised your client as to the necessity of a vacancy rider on their home onwer's insurance policy.  And even get it in writing that you gave them this advice..
Some agents have told their clients just to leave furniture in the home and they will be covered.  Sorry but that will not be sufficient if the property is somehow destroyed.
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Dallas Zoo will have an African Savanna - 03/24/09 02:49 PM
This spring the Dallas Zoo will have its own African Savanna.  The thirty million project will sit on ten acres located within the zoo grounds.  
The Savanna will be the home to elephants, lions, zebras, impalas, ostriches, giraffes wild dogs and wart hogs.  
Some of the animals will be allowed to share the same spaces and they will be rotated between the various sections of the Savanna. 
A central watering hole will be a focal point where zoo visitors can watch these different animals in a more natural existence. 
This should be an exciting new addition to an already great zoo.
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Le Cordon Bleu of Dallas first graduating class - 03/24/09 09:48 AM
Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts of Dallas held its first commencement ceremony on Saturday March 21. 
We were honored to be in attendance and see our friend Mike McDermott graduate.  There were seventy two individuals who were awarded the title of chef, and received the famous Le Cordon Bleu  medal. 
Students attend a grueling 15 months of studies, at a cost of  $36,000, plus supplies. 
Congratulations to Mike and all the other graduates.

… (4 comments)

A free site for digital picture enhancement. - 03/24/09 08:48 AM
I recently discovered a free web site to touch up your digital pictures.  The site is called www.fotoflexer.com.   
Some of the features include reduce red eye, crop, rotate, flip, morph, various fonts and shapes, retouch , dooding, and even correct distortions. 
There is nothing to download to your computer, and the program if fairly easy to use.
… (10 comments)

Be the source of the source but not the source. - 03/24/09 08:22 AM
I am always willing to help a client; however outside of recommending one mortgage person I always want to be the source of the source but not the source.
Question regarding schools, I provide the school districts web site and phone number. 
Question regarding crime rate, I suggest they contact the sheriff or police department. 
Questions regarding demographics of the area I send them to the U. S. Census Bureau's web site www.factfinder.census.gov.  Here they can get all the information they desire about a particular area.  And I am avoiding illegal steering.
… (4 comments)

A restaurant where you pay what you think the meal is worth - 03/24/09 07:34 AM
On the local news this morning I saw a report on a restaurant in Arlington called Potager.  
This restaurant is somewhat unique in that it has no printed menu and no set prices.  There is a chalkboard which shows the menu choices.  The rules say you take as much as you wish to eat, but only take what you can eat, and you can go back for seconds or thirds.  After you meal you decide what you should pay, place that amount in an envelope. 
I am curious how long they will stay in business.
… (9 comments)

Another case of an agent with an expired license. - 03/21/09 10:04 AM
If possible before writing an offer I like to check the TREC web site and check on the status of the listing agent's license.  Well today I found another situation when the listing agent's license expired on 1/31/2009. 
There are less then 20 agents in this office so you would think it would not be that difficult for the broker to have some control in place.
… (8 comments)

Buying a condo just got tougher - 03/21/09 08:34 AM
As of today there are 5157 condos for sale.  We all know that obtaining financing on condos is somewhat difficult. 
Well things just got a bit tougher with a new Fannie Mae regulation where they will reject a loan for a condo buyer if more the fifteen percent of the other owners are delinquent of their association fees. 
So now they reduce their risk, but they also make it tougher to get a loan.
… (11 comments)

If I do not have a signed buyer's rep agreement I work for the seller. Are you sure about that? - 03/20/09 08:51 AM
I often hear it said "If I do not have a signed buyer's rep agreement I work for the seller", I have even read that here in the rain. 
When I ask the person why is that so the normal answer is "I learned that in school, or someone once told me that". 
So my question then is "Where is it written you represent the seller", and their response is "I don't know". 
Let look at this example.  You have someone who wants to buy a million dollar home.  You automatically know your commission should be about $30,000.  You ask this … (8 comments)

A new meaning to title - 03/19/09 08:22 AM
I am surprised that agents do not check what they put in property description in MLS.  Is the word "tile" that hard to spell? 
These were taken directly from MLS: 
HOME HAS CERAMIC TITLE IN ENTRY 
Title&Carpet Flooring 
Amazing roof.new paint, new title 
Large kitchen with title counter and back splash 
ceramic title in bathroom 
NICE HOME WITH UPDATED, CERAMIC TITLE 
Ceramic title and plush carpet thru out 
nice kitchen with cabinets, title floors, recently replaced carpet.
Master has double vanity, ceramic title floor 
This updated home has wood flooring and title, granite countertops 
beautiful Title Floors 
Custom ceramic title in … (6 comments)

Sweet and Tangy Meatloaf - 03/18/09 08:03 PM
This is not your typical meatloaf.
Sweet and Tangy Meatloaf 
1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ cup regular oats (uncooked)
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped onion
1 egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
1 ¼ cup barbecue sauce
1 8 oz crushed pineapple drained, divide and reserve juice
 
Preheat oven to 350.  Combine half the crushed pineapple, beef, port, oats, parsley, onion, egg, ½ cup barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper..  Mix well and shape into a loaf.
 
Place in casserole coated with Pam.  Bake for … (11 comments)

Pasta with Tomatoes and Garlic - 03/18/09 09:10 AM
This is a simple meatless pasta dish
Pasta with Tomatoes and Garlic
1 pound thin pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
10 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoons capers, drained
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large tomato, seeded, and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta until done, drain well, return to pot and coat with olive oil.
In a large pan melt butter, add garlic, capers, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute.  Add the bread crumbs and cook another … (9 comments)

Supermercado de Wal-Mart - 03/17/09 03:55 PM
Wal-Mart recently announced it plans to open two supermarkets focused on the Hispanic market. 
The stores should open sometime this summer and will be located in Houston and Phoenix.  Two vacant Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores are currently being remodeled for these pilot stores.
The new stores will be called  Supermercado de Wal-Mart.
… (9 comments)

I am testing the new online ZipForm - 03/16/09 01:16 PM
On Friday I was asked to participate as a beta tester for the new ZipForm online product. 
I previously accessed ZipFrom via the Texas Realtors® web site, so I had no idea what my id and passwords were.  With the help of ZipForm I was able to figure that out and get into the program. 
So far I love what I have seen.  The first major advantage is you no longer need to load the viewer to use the software.  Secondly there is a major separation between the transaction and template locations.  Thirdly you are able to create clauses from within … (7 comments)

East Dalls gets new grocery store - 03/16/09 08:44 AM
The long awaited new grocery store in East Dallas is almost here.  Newflower Farmers Market will open this Wednesday, March 18th.  The store is located on Henderson near Ross Avenue.  The location is where the old Carnival Food Store had been, and was a vacant eye sore for many years.  
The exterior of the building looks great and I will definitely check it out on Wednesday.
… (4 comments)

Dallas Watering Ordinance Starts April 1st - 03/16/09 08:37 AM
This is a reminder that the City of Dallas watering restriction will go into effect starting April 1st.  You can only water your yard before 10:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m.  The program will last until October 31st.  
You will be issued a warning for the first offense, but after that fines can run between $250 and $2,000 for each incident.  You may hand water and use a soaker hose at all times.
… (4 comments)

The 10 web sites I use the most - 03/12/09 09:39 PM
It is amazing how much time we spent on the internet.  Back in the early days we thought dial up connection worked well.  Now we complain is something does not load in a couple of seconds. 
These are the web sites that I use the most.

… (10 comments)

Welcome Michael Kelly to Active Rain - 03/12/09 09:18 PM
 I would like to welcome Michael Kelly from Arlington Texas to Active Rain.  
Michael is a REALTOR®, but his real job is to train agents on technology, and how it can help you in your real estate business.  Michael is also a GRI instructor.  
I know he will be a great addition here at Active Rain.
 
… (7 comments)

Fannie Mae Tells Its Servicers Not to Cut Commissions on Short Sales - 03/12/09 09:09 PM
On February 24, 2009, Fannie Mae advised those who service their loans they should not try to lower a commission that had previously been negotiated unless the amount of commission is over 6%. 
Service providers were advised via Announcement 09-03, and this went into effect on March 1, 2009. 
NAR had requested both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac change their policies with regards to reducing commissions paid on short sales. 
We can only hope Freddie Mac will enact the same type of policy. 
If you would like to read the entire announcement you may go to www.efanniemae.com.
… (4 comments)

New ZipForm release - 03/12/09 04:46 AM
I have heard on a couple of occasions that at winter meeting it was announced that a new version of ZipForm would be released in the May time frame. 
I recently received an email from ZipForm asking if I desired to participate in a beta test program.  I responded I would love that opportunity; however I never heard anything else from them. 
Has anyone seen the new version and can you let us know what some of the new features will be?
… (5 comments)

Email large files for free - 03/12/09 04:30 AM
I recently discovered a great way to transfer large files for free.  Go to www.transferbigfiles.com.  All you need to do is provide the name of the file and the email address where to send the file. 
Files can be a large a one gig and it loads the file very quickly.  The person who receives the file simply clicks on a link to access the file.  So you do not need to worry about filling their email with a large file. 
… (8 comments)

Back up important files - 03/11/09 05:03 AM
Some of my most important files I will email to myself.  I have set up a special email account that is used strictly for this purpose.
This is a great way to back up the data, plus if I need access to that file I just need a computer with internet connection.  On several occasions this technique has been very handy.
… (8 comments)

My top 10 request when agent show my listings - 03/11/09 04:39 AM
… (10 comments)

10 things I don't like when showing homes - 03/10/09 06:49 AM
 
 
 
 
 
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When must you provide your opinion of market value? - 03/10/09 06:14 AM
While most of us are familiar with what is required under The Texas Real Estate License Act, are you familiar with TREC Rules And Regulations? 
With regards to trying to obtain a new listing or purchasing real property for yourself here is what the rules state:
535.16 Listings.
( c ) A real estate licensee is obligated to advise a property owner as to the licensee's opinion of the market value of a property when negotiating a listing or offering to purchase the property for the licensee's own account as a result of contact made while acting as a real estate … (3 comments)

Broker Beware - 03/10/09 05:46 AM
When I moved to Dallas in June of 2007, I knew I would need to concentrate on establishing my real estate business in a new city so I decided I would curtail my teaching especially GRI courses. 
I really enjoy teaching GRI and now it is time to resume teaching those courses.  Since it has been two years since I taught the material I decided the best course of action was to audit the class, and since one was being held in Dallas this week it was a great time to do that. 
The instructor advised us yesterday that at winter … (4 comments)

I don't think I want to work for this guy - 03/07/09 11:35 AM
We currently receive several email each week from a real estate agency trying to bring agents into their office.  Not that we have a big interest in changing firms, their compensation plan looked vary interesting so we thought we would just go talk with them and get more information. 
Sharon called their office on Monday and told me it was strange that her call went into a recorder with no message.  By Wednesday we still had not received a return call.  So I looked up who the broker was and called him on his cell phone number and left a message. 
… (16 comments)

Texas REALTOR® Lobby Day in Austin will be on Tuesday, March 31. - 03/05/09 07:54 AM
Texas REALTOR® Lobby Day in Austin will be on Tuesday, March 31. 
Most local boards have some type of participation programs where buses will make the drive to Austin on Tuesday morning, and most will provide free transportation and lunch if you have made a contribution to TREPAC.  Check with your local board for details. 
This is a fun and important trip as there are several new bills introduced that could affect you as a REALTOR®.  
Impress your state representatives and senators by being there.
… (3 comments)

Ron White will be in Dallas - 03/03/09 09:58 AM
Ron (Tater Salad) White will be appearing at the Majestic Theater located at 1925 Elm in Dallas, on Friday April 10th and Saturday April 11th. 
Ron was born in Texas and lived in Arlington.  He does a great show, and was part of the Blue Collar Comedy group.  He is the funny one, smoking cigars, drinking scotch and telling funny stories.
… (5 comments)

Daylight saving time begins this weekend. - 03/03/09 09:37 AM
Just a reminder that daylight saving time for 2009 begins this weekend and ends on November 1st.  So you will be losing an hour of sleep, but the good part is there will be an extra hour in the evening. 
Also a great reminder that winter is almost over and spring will be here before you know it.
… (8 comments)

The EPA will be auditing Texas Real Estate Files - 03/02/09 04:00 PM
Texas is one of five states that the Environmental Protection Agency has targeted for audit of real estate files with reference to the Lead Base Paint Disclosure being in file and being executed correctly. 
Fines can range from between $600 - $11,000 per file.  For example is an agent did not sign the disclosure you are looking at a $600 fine.  The sequence in which signatures are recorded is another important item.  The form must be signed by the seller first, then the sellers agent.  Then the buyer, then the buyer's agent.  If the buyer were to initiate the form you are … (5 comments)

Does TREC punishment always fit the crime? - 03/02/09 07:22 AM
Do you think TREC  punishment always fits the crime? 
TREC recently determined that an individual violated The Real Estate License Act by "acting negligently or incompetently and in an untrustworthy manner by attempting to remove a barrel of a possibly toxic substance, spilling some of the contents on the ground, covering up the spill, and failing to tell the buyer or the seller that the spill had occurred."
If you would like to know what punishment they gave this agent, respond to me and I will tell you.
… (5 comments)

 

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