brian block: RE/MAX Reads My Active Rain Blog
- 07/09/08 11:49 PM
Just another sign that you never know who is reading your blog. Apparently some of the powers that be at RE/MAX are reading mine -- right here on Active Rain. Yesterday morning, I was surprised and pleased when I got an e-mail from my broker (and from several other people in my brokerage) congratulating me on appearing in the RE/MAX Mid-Atlantic July 2008 Newsletter. Wow! I had no idea. Nobody contacted me for the article. That's right. I had no idea. Here's the article:
They even included a link to my Active Rain post Racing for the Cure with RE/MAX. … (32 comments)
I practice martial arts (Israeli combat Krav Maga) several times a week.
Maybe, I'm just getting old... after all I celebrated my 35th birthday just 4 days ago.
Today, I experienced my first ever real estate related injury. Take note: showing too many homes in one day can be hazardous to your health! Today I had appointments with two clients. This morning I showed 6 homes to one couple. And this afternoon, I showed 8 homes to another couple. All in … (49 comments)
brian block: Desperate REALTOR -- Episode 3 "You Gotta Drop the Price"
- 07/01/08 01:21 PM
Here's Episode 3 of Desperate REALTOR(s). If you have not yet watched Episode 1 or 2, please click to view: Episode 1: Desperate REALTOR Begging for a Listing Episode 2: Desperate REALTOR -- Episode 2 "Please Buy a House" I hope you enjoy Episode 3. As usual, I've never spoken to a client exactly like this, nor should you (even if you may feel this way sometimes). This video was created solely for entertainment purposes.
Anybody can say it, but can they all prove it? That's what's important. Next time an agent says that their company is the best, ask for the proof! REALTOR Magazine's July 2008 issue ranks the Top 100 real estate brokerages nationwide by 2007 Transaction Sides and by 2007 Sales Volume.
Here's some facts about my company: #23 for Transactions Sides and #30 for Sales Volume in the Country! Only 1 other company … (18 comments)
brian block: Now Taking Requests
- 06/17/08 03:27 AM
As a Northern Virginia and D.C. REALTOR (and blogger), I see it as part of my job and duty to provide you (my readers) with valuable information about the area real estate market and I've been doing that for over a year, since March 2007. If you're new to this blog, please take some time to look around at the previous posts that I've written. Perhaps you have an interest in a certain area of Northern Virginia or D.C. or a certain aspect of the real estate process. If you don't already see the information or the answer here, you … (6 comments)
brian block: Desperate REALTOR -- Episode 2 "Please Buy a House"
- 06/14/08 10:06 AM
Here's Episode 2 of Desperate REALTOR(s). If you have not yet watched Episode 1, please click to view: Desperate REALTOR Begging for a Listing I hope you enjoy Episode 2. Trust me, I've never spoken to a client like this, nor should you (even if you may feel this way sometimes). This video was created solely for entertainment purposes.
… (102 comments)
brian block: Racing for the Cure with RE/MAX
- 06/06/08 12:52 AM
Tomorrow, Saturday June 7th, I'll be hitting the streets, running in the road, and racing with RE/MAX for the annual Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure. This annual event raises awareness and money for finding a cure for breast cancer which unfortunately afflicts so many women in this country.
I've been running this 5K race just about every year since I moved to the D.C. area in 1995. Having trained for, run and completed all 26.2 miles of the Marines Corps Marathon in 2004, 5K races aren't really too much of a challenge anymore, but I enjoy supporting … (28 comments)
brian block: Desperate REALTOR Begging for a Listing
- 06/02/08 06:34 AM
Desperate Housewives is over for this season. How about Desperate REALTORS? Do you know anybody in your market like the REALTOR in the video below? This week's Makeover2Takeover Contest Challenge was to create a digital Pre-Listing Package. I created a video as a portion of my entry for this week's project. This video is NOT a part of my pre-listing package. It should NOT be a part of yours either. Watch and enjoy! I hope you have a laugh or at least a chuckle.
I thought through previous MEME posts and my comprehensive Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Your Next REALTOR But Were Afraid to Ask I'd pretty much told you everything.
However, the Super MEMEs are flying around (I was tagged by Sally Cheeseman), so here's a bit more about me. This time, the requirement is not just five things that you don't know about the blogger, but answers to 8 specific questions. Watch out below -- It's a Bird, It's … (26 comments)
brian block: Pre-Summer Active Rain Success Stories
- 06/01/08 09:18 AM
Summer & Success -- two words that go together well in the real estate business. THINGS ARE HEATING UP! For many, Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the Summer season. Of course according to the Earth's orbit around the sun, the Summer Solstice is still 3 weeks off. However, let's not let a technicality stop us from celebrating the success stories from the month of May here on Active Rain. If the proliferation of success stories is any indication, the Summer should shape up to be a successful selling season for many of our members. There's no better place than the … (26 comments)
brian block: Ask Yourself One Question: Are You Ready?
- 05/29/08 12:16 AM
You've prepared yourself for your home search and think you know what you want. You've been watching the market for some time now and following prices, trends, and available homes. You've done your research by reading Blog Articles for Buyers.
Taking the next step, you've outlined your criteria for your next home. Not just your price range, location, beds and baths, but much, much more. Down to the nitty-gritty. You have your specific list of wants and needs. Whether it's abundant closet space, cathedral ceilings, granite counters, hardwood floors, or proximity to your favorite restaurant, you've got it … (18 comments)
brian block: Turning Point of the Year -- 2,468 More Homes on the Market!
- 05/27/08 03:58 PM
Memorial Day typically represents a turning point in the year for most people. According to traditional fashion etiquette, you are now allowed to wear white clothing, shorts, and linen. I've never followed these rules to the letter, but then again I've also been known to order a glass of Cabernet or Pinot Noir with my poisson.
Memorial Day can also represent a turning point in the momentum of the real estate market. Spring & Summer are traditionally the busiest times for real estate sales, as it's easier to market a home in the beauty of the warm seasons than in the dead … (11 comments)
REALTORS are on a different schedule from the rest of the world.
I hope that everyone gets to take at least some time off this weekend to relax, enjoy a barbeque, and pause to remember and reflect upon the sacrifices and service of the young men and women who are serving and who have served our country. On Friday night, my wife and I watched a very moving DVD National Geographic Special about Arlington Cemetery honoring those who served and sacrificed.
If you took the whole weekend off, good for you! I … (41 comments)
brian block: Alexandria Virginia April 2008 Home Sale Hot Spots
- 05/06/08 11:33 PM
HOT SPOTS IN A COOLER MARKETALEXANDRIA HOME SALESAPRIL 2008 In April 2008, there were 150 home sales in the City of Alexandria. This was a precipitous drop from the 204 sales made during the same month of 2007. Sales prices ranged from $131,500 up to $1,650,000. The good news for Alexandria home sellers is that homes are selling relatively quickly, averaging just 60 days on the market! Additionally, while buyers are negotiating lower prices from the original asking price, the average net sales price of $474,678 for the month of April 2008 equates to Alexandria sellers getting 93.9% of their … (14 comments)
brian block: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Your Next REALTOR But Were Afraid to Ask
- 05/03/08 01:58 PM
In real estate, negotiating skills, market knowledge, and transactional expertise, education and experience matter a lot. How about personality? If you are working with a REALTOR to help you purchase a home or to sell your current home (or both), chances are that you'll be spending a lot of time meeting and talking to that REALTOR during the next 30, 60, 90 (or heaven forbid, longer) days. In fact, you may spend more time with your REALTOR during this period than anyone else except perhaps your spouse and/or children. Personality mattered when you chose your wedding photographer, didn't it? And he only spent about … (36 comments)
brian block: Blog Articles for Sellers
- 05/03/08 12:53 PM
If you've found my blog while searching around the internet, you may have come to a particular article that I wrote about some aspect of real estate. Perhaps you read a market report about sales in Northern Virginia or information about available inventory in a particular Alexandria neighborhood. You may have read an article about the selling and marketing your home for sale. Looking to sell your home in Northern Virginia or D.C.? You need all the information you can get your hands on. In over a year of blogging about real estate in the Northern Virginia and D.C. area, I've … (24 comments)
brian block: Blog Articles for Buyers
- 05/03/08 12:16 PM
If you've found my blog while searching around the internet, you may have come to a particular article that I wrote about some aspect of real estate. Perhaps you read a market report about sales in Northern Virginia or information about available inventory in a particular Alexandria neighborhood. You may have read an article about the home buying process. Looking to purchase a home? Getting started with your home search? You need all the information you can get your hands on. In over a year of blogging about real estate in the Northern Virginia and D.C. area, I've written many … (14 comments)
brian block: Abbreviations & Acronyms: The New Language of Real Estate
- 04/27/08 06:06 AM
If you're just getting in the market for real estate, chances are you're hearing a lot of unfamiliar terms these days, especially on the mortgage side of things. Real estate introduces you to entirely new language. One filled with lots of words that are thrown around by your mortgage lender, REALTOR, and even your friends and family, who may sometimes make the assumption that you know what they are discussing.
Don't be afraid to pull back for a second and say "Hey, I have no idea what you are talking about." Just as George Washington coming back to the present … (53 comments)
brian block: Bring Your Checkbook With You on Your Househunt
- 04/25/08 10:37 AM
With the advent of online payments, credit card transactions, wire transfers and Paypal, very few carry checkbooks with them any more. However, in the world of real estate, I suggest that you bring your checkbook with you on your house hunt.
As much as you'd like to receive miles, hotel points, or other perks, the fact of the matter is that you just can'tuy a house with a credit card. When you find the house you'd like to purchase and you're ready to make an offer, it's time for something called an Earnest Money Deposit or Good Faith Deposit. … (14 comments)
brian block: From a Pad to a Nest -- Guys, I'm Talking to You
- 04/24/08 01:05 AM
Congratulations! You're getting married. From the day you popped the big question and changed your status from boyfriend to fiancé, you've no doubt been receiving lots of unsolicited advice from friends, family, and strangers about planning the wedding and about marriage.
So here comes your friendly Northern Virginia & D.C. REALTOR with some more advice for you as you begin the transition from YOUR BACHELOR PAD to YOUR MARRIED NEST.
First, a few fun quotes about marriage that every man needs to hear: "A man in love is incomplete until he is married. Then he is finished." … (48 comments)
Just another sign that you never know who is reading your blog.
;)
;)
;)
