realtor: Where Have All The Listings Gone? - 01/31/21 01:14 PM
I don’t typically do Market Reports, there are dozens of sources that specialize in reporting on both the broader market and the nuances of each region of the country. But of course, I like to keep my finger on the pulse of the market. Anyone in this business needs to stay tuned in to the ever-changing face of real estate.
Today I received a market report from one of my partners and I could not help but share this remarkable data. The report was quite lengthy with several interesting facts and figures on the state of the real estate market in the … (3 comments)

realtor: A Place of Honor. - 01/27/21 06:09 PM

Laugh if you will, but I am a believer. Call it fantasy, hocus pocus, or superstition.
There is a story, perhaps a wives’ tale, that if you bury a statue of St. Joseph on the grounds of a home that is for sale that the home will sell faster.
As a young boy, I was taught that St. Joseph was a carpenter. I do not think he ever sold real estate, so I am not sure where the belief that he is the patron saint of real estate agents originated.
But why tempt fate?
Over the years I have made it a practice to bury … (16 comments)

realtor: There is a time to talk, and a time to listen. - 01/05/21 07:35 PM

 
How do we learn? Is it by talking, or listening? It is often said that when you speak you are only repeating ideas that you already know. But when you listen you learn new things that you may have never learned.
You do not have to agree with what you are hearing, only acknowledge that there are ideas and facts that are different from ours. It is the first step in growing.
The mindset that because we learned something once and that is the way it should always be relegates us to the stone age. We should never forget that there was a … (29 comments)

realtor: Who’s Zoomin’ who? - 10/09/20 10:09 AM
 
Where do they find the time? I mean everyone is Zooming everyone else. But Zooming is not what it used to be. Years ago, zooming meant deceiving or taking advantage of someone. More recently, zooming meant getting high on a mixture of drugs and energy drinks. Today, thanks to the Zoom video conferencing software, people are Zooming each other daily with no ill effects.
There are so many Zoom meetings that I cannot keep up with them. My brokerage hosts regular status meetings sometimes as often as two or three times a week. We host marketing strategy meetings. Almost all of our … (6 comments)

realtor: The Golden Door - 05/17/20 09:35 AM
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”. ― Emma Lazarus
This quote by American poet Emma Lazarus which is emblazed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty exemplifies the ultimate Welcome Home sign. It says to everyone that approaches it, “Please enter and make this place your new home.”
So now you are trying to sell your home. You want to make a good impression. Shouldn’t every visitor to your home should be treated … (20 comments)

realtor: It is not as easy as it looks. - 05/13/20 06:25 PM
 
Ah yes, the life of a Real Estate Agent. It looks easy. Big money, little risk, wealthy clients that are easy to please. Or so it seems.
The average Real Estate Agent longs for the situation described above. In reality, the work is inconsistent, and the clients are demanding, unsure, and fickle. Yet we champion on because that is what we do.
Most people think that being a real estate agent is about sales. But selling is only one component in the job description. Other times you must be an analyst, a detective, sometimes a babysitter.
Every real estate agent has had their share … (5 comments)

realtor: Will the tide go out on Real Estate? - 04/16/20 07:53 PM
How will the economic downturn caused by the Corona Virus pandemic affect real estate? Well, in the absence of a crystal ball I can only predict that there will be a slowdown. How deep will the market slide? It is probably too early to tell.
Real estate for the last few years has been easy. Property values have risen steadily, construction resumed big time in many areas of the country, and interest rates have fallen to all-time lows. All the while, lending practices for many types of loan programs became more liberal. Collectively all these factors made selling homes easy.
As a result, … (9 comments)

realtor: In Real Estate truth can be stranger than fiction. December Challenge - 12/17/19 11:44 AM
If you stay in this business long enough you will experience some crazy things. A couple of them came to mind when I read this contest.
I remember one time when I met a young couple looking to rent a home. They had just moved to Phoenix and their current home in another state was being sold short. I usually try to meet my clients in my office to interview them. We talked at length about their needs and just as we were getting ready to go out to a few homes the young woman announced that she needs to feed the … (11 comments)

realtor: The Most Important Point. - 07/14/19 01:42 PM
I have just finished watching one of the epic tennis matches of all-time. For those of you that do not follow tennis, it was The 2019 Championships at Wimbledon Final. The players were Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
It was the first time that a Wimbledon Championship has ever been decided by a fifth set tiebreaker. The match lasted nearly five hours. I have to admit that I was rooting for my favorite player Roger Federer, but despite leading for most of the match and winning in most of the statistical columns his opponent Djokovic won the match.
You see that tennis, unlike … (22 comments)

realtor: Do you really want to be a rock star? - 07/04/19 08:19 PM
Over and over I see want ads imploring, “Help wanted Rock Star…”.
No doubt the portrait we have painted of a Rock Star appears to glamorous, successful, even desirable. But in reality, Rock Stars as a group are seldom successful and when they are their success is fleeting. They seldom get to enjoy the very thing that makes them a star and that is their passion.
Being a Rock Star may have some reward. They often leave behind a legacy. Their music, stories, events that they have participated in, may live on long after their star has extinguished.
However, if you really want long … (6 comments)

realtor: Disclosure vs. Discovery – There is a difference. - 07/02/19 06:52 AM

When should a seller disclose material facts that could affect the marketable value of a home? That, of course, is a trick question. The answer is always.
However, does the receipt of a home inspection report immediately require an update of the Seller Disclosure documents? Well, not always.
Let’s start by explaining the disclosure and inspection processes in AZ:
Whenever a house is placed on the market the Seller is required by law to disclose known facts (including history) of the property. We use a Sellers Disclosure form for that purpose. Upon receipt, the Buyer has 5 days to examine the Sellers Disclosure and … (20 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime – 2019 Edition – Day 30 - 06/29/19 12:45 PM
Well here we are at the end of another of The Soundtrack of a Lifetime series. It has been a lot of fun remembering old songs that we enjoyed over more than a 60 year period. Who would have thought that Rock & Roll would endure so long?
For those of you who have been following along, thanks for your time. If you missed a few articles, you can revisit them all at My Blog.
For our final song for the 2019 edition we have an oldie from one of the originators of Rock & Roll, Antoine "Fats" Domino (no relation). Fats … (3 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime - 2019 Edition - Day 29 - 06/21/19 05:39 PM
Well, we have heard a lot of old songs this month. Some are oldies that have a definite sound that remind us of a particular time period that we remember but is now gone. Then there are old songs that still sound as fresh today as the day they were recorded. One of those songs that I enjoy listening to despite its age is At Last by Etta James. 
James who crossed the line often between blues, jazz and rock was one of those timeless performers. Despite a difficult life that included numerous bouts with drug addictions she found a way … (3 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime - 2019 Edition - Day 24 - 06/18/19 11:16 AM
Neil Diamond is an other performer that achieved early success as a songwriter then later became a renowned on-stage performer and actor. 
Neil has had 10 number one singles and 38 songs in the Top Ten.
With great songs like Cracklin' Rose, Song Sung Blue and America his music has spanned the generations. It is amazing how popular he is with an audience of younger patrons, many of whom were not born when his songs were released.
Diamond has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time
Neil Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of … (1 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime - 2019 Edition - Day 23 - 06/18/19 10:52 AM
The Electric Light Orchestra is another one of those bands that seems to have become more popular as time has gone on. The band was formed in 1970 by Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, Rick Price and Bev Bevan. They wanted to pick up where The Beatles left off. But Wood and Price soon left the band. Jeff Lynne became the driving force behind the band producing such hits as Evil Woman, Can't Get You Out of My Mind, Mr. Blue Sky and more.
From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated fifteen Top 20 songs on the US Billboard Hot 100.The band has the … (4 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime – 2019 Edition – Day 20 - 06/14/19 08:19 AM
The Drifters were one of my favorite singing groups when I was growing up. With huge hits like On Broadway, Under the Boardwalk, Saturday Night at the Movies and today’s song Up On the Roof.
Up on the Roof was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The song has been recorded by numerous artists including James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, and of course King herself. But the most popular version has been the 1962 version by The Drifters. The Drifters' recording of "Up on the Roof" has been named number 114 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
I had … (3 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime – 2019 Edition – Day 16 - 06/13/19 07:30 AM
Its Carole King week on the Soundtrack. One of the most iconic songwriters of our generation is undeniably Carole King. When I decided to include Carole as an artist, I began to look at which of her songs to feature. As I looked at the long list of song choices I decided to focus not only on Carole King, but also on some the artists that made her songs famous.
It is somewhat hard to grasp how many great songs she wrote with her then husband and collaborator Gerry Goffin and a host of other stars. Her first number one hit “Will You … (3 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime – 2019 Edition – Day 15 - 06/11/19 04:00 PM
In 1978 the disco scene was still reigning over pop music. Dancing was back in vogue and the result was a plethora of dance songs. Most of these songs and dances did not stand the test of time, but one song somehow caught the attention of crowds and evolved out of the disco scene into an anthem for parties, weddings, and sporting events all over the world.
"Y.M.C.A." was the song written and performed by the Village People, and made it to number 2 on the pop charts in the U.S.
The song which is based on a double meaning lauds the … (4 comments)

realtor: AVMs – You Can't Live With Them, You Can’t Live Without Them. - 06/10/19 07:52 AM

Pricing a home for resale can sometimes be a tricky process. Price it too high and the house sits on the market too long. Even worse price it too low and the house sells for less than market value costing the seller thousands.
That is why performing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) can often require more in-depth analysis than simply gathering up the last few sales in a particular area and averaging them out to find a median price. It is one of the reasons that I push back so often when a seller tries to use the value published by websites … (2 comments)

realtor: Soundtrack of a Lifetime – 2019 Edition – Day 14 - 06/09/19 05:57 PM
Welcome to day fourteen of the Soundtrack. Hopefully, you have been following along and enjoying some of my favorite songs. It is a great way to take a couple of minutes out of your busy day to reflect on how we got to where we are now.
Today’s song is one that was performed by a band from my home town Chicago. Originally formed in 1967, they took the name Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) after the public transportation organization in the city. The real C.T.A. took issue with the band's use of their moniker so the band shortened the name to Chicago.
Chicago … (2 comments)