brad snyder: Happy New Year (early) and 2008 Real Estate Recovery - 11/20/07 11:40 PM
2007 is quickly coming to an end and not a minute too soon. The housing market correction and mortgage issues have been painful for those of us in the industry. The media has sunk their teeth into this issue and has made things worse with their doom and gloom reporting. The burning question for 2008 is "when will it recover?"
No one knows. Optimists have been saying for more than a year that the worst is behind us, while the pessimists have been saying recovery is still a year, or years, away. I believe that we have seen the bottom of … (7 comments)

brad snyder: Can you Have Too Many Websites? Web Strategy? - 11/05/07 03:22 AM
Are you ever just blown away by the millions and millions of websites on the Internet?  I have nine real estate websites up and running, all promoting myself. As I have done research on real estate websites I began to wonder if having a web site in real estate is like having a thimble of salt water while sitting in a boat on the ocean. Who cares??
I am constantly reviewing my web strategy.  My web strategy is comprised of a series of web sites, and marketing plans in hopes of securing my name awareness on-line. My concern is does anyone … (4 comments)

brad snyder: To Sell or Not to Sell........ That is the Question. - 10/29/07 01:40 AM
William Shakespeare may have said "To be, or not to be: that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?" But for those selling a home in our current market, the real question should be "To Sell or not to Sell".
It's a question many homeowners ask themselves when they contemplate selling a home. Many find the current real estate market scary and confusing. New and existing home sales are down across the country. This combined with a … (1 comments)

brad snyder: Housing slump? Maybe St Joseph can Help! - 10/28/07 08:34 AM
During the real estate boom of 2005 and 2006, homes here in Sierra Vista, Arizona and around the country were selling faster than you could say "St. Joe", but now that prices and sales are slowing down, many are revisiting this old tradition.
Some of you may not have heard about St Joseph helping home owners sell their homes or wonder how did this tradition begin.St. Joseph was the husband of Mary and earthly Father of Jesus Christ, and is honored as the patron saint of married couples, families, carpenters and workingmen, so he is logically the patron saint of home … (7 comments)

brad snyder: Did You Know About Buying Sierra Vista Real Estate? - 10/16/07 02:04 AM
Do you have an interest in buying real estate in Sierra Vista or Cochise County Arizona? Do you need to know where to start to get the information you need to make the best decision? www.BradSnyder.com  can be a great asset in buying or selling Sierra Vista Arizona homes and property. Buyers get great resources and links to every property available in Cochise County, sellers get my resources and proven knowledge of our real estate market.
So I invite you to stop by my website today!
Brad SnyderREALTORSierra Vista, Arizonawww.BradSnyder.com
… (1 comments)

brad snyder: My success = My skills + My thoughts/beliefs! - 10/11/07 03:23 AM
Well, I am back from Hawaii. It was just what he doctor ordered! I am refreshed and motivated to get back to what I do best....... help people with their real estate needs.
While I was on vacation I thought allot about what I do. I thought about why I am in real estate and what I needed to do to reach the next level of success.
I started to think about the boundaries of my success. Boundaries? Why would I think I had boundaries? I realized that my thoughts and my beliefs are a very powerful element of success. We can never … (3 comments)

brad snyder: I am going to Hawaii and You should Too!!! - 09/27/07 04:40 AM
I keep reading posts on AR and I think some agents compare their real estate careers lately to having the flu. The market has slowed down and we now have to work harder than ever to get the leads, build our sphere of influence and networking in our communities. All that stress..............
Our health and quality of life is something we must take care of. So where do we go from here? Take a vacation and relax. We can't operate at full throttle in our careers day after day without a break. When you do get away, leave your cell phone at … (6 comments)

brad snyder: Buyer’s Market. What a Seller Needs To Know. - 09/26/07 06:31 AM
The prospect of selling your home can be scary, even in a good market. Selling usually is inconvenient, stressful, frustrating and humbling. The more prepared you are, the less overwhelming the selling process will be. The first thing you need as a seller is education. If you are selling because of a job transfer or because you are buying another home for a growing family, then you probably don't have the luxury of waiting for the ideal time to put your home on the market.
Home prices are falling here is Sierra Vista, Arizona and in most of the country.  Inventories … (8 comments)

brad snyder: STOP WHINING!!!! We Cannot Afford to be Ostriches!!!! - 09/24/07 02:36 AM
I find humor in the whining of some real estate professionals! Did you think that once you got your license that sales would just drop into your lap? Did you think that sales would only go up? Life has ups and downs and so does real estate.
In this unstable economy, where the real estate market is normalizing, I am simply shocked at the entitlement mentality of some real estate professionals. It's as if they have blinders on and didn't realize that we had been in one of the strongest real estate markets in decades and it was going to cool … (5 comments)

brad snyder: Be Happy! Pay It Foward.................. - 09/20/07 02:05 AM
There is a lot of work involved in our real estate professions and simply living with the hectic pace of our lives. We are usually beyond busy, we are continually in a state of overdrive. While it is necessary that we pay attention to work, we need to pay attention to balancing life. I've learned in the past that it's important to take a moment and appreciate the good things and the people in our lives. It is important to take a moment for yourself. It is important to schedule downtime. The consequences of no down time are serious, leading to irritability, fatigue, … (7 comments)

brad snyder: The Brad Snyder Way of Doing Business - 09/16/07 10:48 AM
"The Brad Snyder Way of Doing Business"
My success in Real Estate depends on relationships. My client relationships can only prosper and grow if I continually improve myself, and the work I do. I recognize however, that success is not measured by sales; commissions, and numbers alone. I measure success by the way in which I achieve my goals. I believe that a commitment to uncompromising values and integrity should always guide my decisions and actions as I pursue my goals. The following are the core values that form the foundation of my measurement of success:
I believe in providing legendary service. … (6 comments)

brad snyder: The Future of Full Service Real Estate! Is Anyone Listening?? - 09/13/07 04:23 PM
With the rise of the discount real estate service companies, we have to be better than we were 5 years ago, even a year ago! We use the term "Full service", but do we provide it?
I keep hearing some real-estate agents complaining about discount brokers taking a bite out of the real-estate market and they are worried that Web companies like Redfin and Zillow will, for some buyers and sellers, eliminate the need for a full-service agent.
Full service real estate services are about more than a commission, it is about treating clients like a member of the family and not just a number. Our commitment must … (41 comments)

brad snyder: Another ActiveRain Milestone - Can I get a Booya! - 09/13/07 02:56 PM
Booya!!... isn't this exciting!? Is your seat-belt fastened? 40,000 Points!! I know it really isn't a very cool milestone, but for me its awesome. And in case you didn't know.... Booya basically means, "bam!", "in your face", and "hell yeah", all at the same time. A term that self congratulates the user, describes excitement, lets others know the magnificence of the celebration or rouse as well as the superiority of the user, and is used as an exclamation of those ideas.
Not wanting to sound like an Academy Award winner or anything (cue the cheese!) thank you to those people who read … (7 comments)

brad snyder: Is it a Good Time to Buy? Maybe, Maybe Not. - 09/12/07 05:42 AM

It is a good time to buy...... however:
If you are a house flipper or you are unrealistic about how fast your home will appreciate, or if you are not intending to keep the home for at least two yearsit is a bad time to buy. There is not one agent out there that can accurately predict what the market is going to do. If we could predict it, we would all be rich!!!!!! It may very well go down a little more....... but it will come back.
I have heard comments of people blaming an agent because their home went down in … (3 comments)

brad snyder: ActiveRain Statistics - Comments, Views, and Clicks (lions, tiger and bears) - 09/12/07 04:38 AM
I am still in my first year here on ActiveRain and consider myself a rookie. I post on a pretty regular basis and enjoy hearing feedback from the AR community almost as much as I enjoy reading other AR bloggers posts. Lately I have been watching my statistics page. I thought I really should try to understand my statistics and see if they can help me be a better blogger. My post the other day (Celebrating my 100th Blog Post and What ActiveRain has Meant to Me.) got:
Comments = 10Views = 161Clicks = 50So, what does this really mean? If 161 … (4 comments)

brad snyder: Where Is Everyone? Are they @ IHOP eating Stuffed Crepes??????????? - 09/12/07 01:44 AM
Members: 47,389 - 702 Online Now????????  I figured it out folks...... and maybe its a good thing.
I have noticed a sharp drop in the number of members on-line in the past few weeks. At first I thought they must all be a IHOP eating stuffed crepes.
Then it hit me............... they are all out pounding the pavement for new clients, they are working expired listings, FSBO's, and getting back into farming neighborhoods. It must be that they are all getting back to basics.
They are thinking outside the box and finding new ways to grow their business.............
I saw an open house being … (5 comments)

brad snyder: The Perfect Storm? or Just a Normal Real Estate Cycle? Does it Matter? - 09/06/07 02:53 AM
I was reading a article online this morning "Darkest before the Dawn? Experts Call for another Year of Down Market" (http://rismedia.com/wp/2007-09-04/darkest-before-the-dawn-experts-call-for-another-year-of-down-market/ ).
I am a rookie agent and I am always getting the same response from people when I say I changed careers after 15 years....."What where you thinking? The real estate market is in the tank!"
For me, I knew I wanted to be in real estate as my career. I have been buying and selling homes and investment property for years and realized this was where my heart was. I thought about the condition of the market and came … (6 comments)

brad snyder: Sphere of Influence: HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! - 09/06/07 02:23 AM
As a new salesperson (I am in my first year) and I have been working my Sphere of Influence. I know my goal with my sphere of influence is to remain in contact periodically to get referrals and build a lifetime client relationship so that they come back to me the next time they need to buy or sell a property. I understand the benefits, but I am not sure what the best tools for managing the information.
What are you using to manage your sphere and what tips can you give a rookie to get the most out of my … (8 comments)