Real estate blog entries tagged with real estate winchester va by Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, MD, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro (Cornerstone Business Group Inc)

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real estate winchester va: Don't leave points on the table! - 02/10/12 11:13 AM

In one of those quirky twists in blogging, I ran into a nice surprise. When I started on Active Rain, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know much about the point system, and I didn't really know all the details of how points were earned. Over the past 10 months, I've Iearned a few things about the point system on AR, but there is more to learn.
Today, I was going through my early blogs (I mean really early blogs), and I realized that I had left points on the table. In the early days, I didn't … (39 comments)

real estate winchester va: It's Great When Real Estate Leads Find You - 02/07/12 11:03 AM

There are a lot of ways to find real estate leads, but it's always nice when the real estate leads find you. Realtors are lured into spending a lot of money trying to "get found." There are company and personal websites, click-through sites, homes-magazines, yellow pages advertising, overpriced online marketing companies that promise they can make you a Realtor goddess or at least deliver the moon and . . . ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching!
Ironically, a lot of these efforts are spent on the elusive online tech savvy buyer. Approximately 89% of home buyers start their real estate search on the Internet. That doesn't … (38 comments)

real estate winchester va: Life is Fragile. It can change in an instant! - 01/30/12 12:32 AM

If you've read any of my blogs, you have probably discovered that I have a big dopey Rottweiler named, Hoss. He was a rescue dog my sons adopted while I was attending a conference in Denver. Our previous rescue, Tony, had died a few months before and the boys felt like they needed a dog. My wife sided with them and off they went to Pet Smart.
Imagine my surprise when I returned to Virginia and was greeted at the door by a 115 pound dog I had never seen before. I was at a fitness conference in Denver for … (29 comments)

real estate winchester va: Realtors, if you leave a house unlocked, THIEVES COME IN AND STEAL THINGS - 01/28/12 12:35 AM

A week ago, I previewed a property in the Winchester, VA area. I'm working with a great young investor couple who are looking for rental properties. Later in the week we all went back to take a second look. This week, we took a third look.
When we arrived at the property, I got my eKey out to open the door and I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I stuck my fingers in the bottom of Supra box and there was no key holder inside so I assumed another agent was inside at the time.
I looked around the driveway … (24 comments)

real estate winchester va: Use Active Rain to Push You to the Top of Google - 01/27/12 12:15 AM

Whenever someone starts talking about blogging, SEO, web-presence, etc., I see some of my real estate colleagues glaze over with disinterest, and yet, the same people want to find a way to get found on the Internet. There are plenty of companies that will help you get found for $99 and more per month, or you can just follow the simple advice of some of your fellow Rainers.
One of my goals for 2012 was to spend more time on local blogs. From the different sites I blog on, I can see that often the highest number of hits comes from … (58 comments)

real estate winchester va: Why do I do what I do? Because I'm selfish! - 01/25/12 07:28 AM

I'm a highly motivated person. I don't need someone looking over my shoulder all the time to inspire me to get moving. If they're looking over my shoulder then they must be moving too. No, if I believe in something I am totally committed until it's done. I'm also a sucker for the underdog. When other agents ask me why I even bother with short sales, the reason below is good enough for me.
Mike, Thank you very much for all of your hard work. Without your relentless pursuit of answers from the lenders' customer service representatives, there is no way this … (14 comments)

real estate winchester va: Don't put up with garbage from banks! They need you more than you need them. - 01/24/12 12:21 PM

After three months of fighting with a seemingly vacant negotiator, I finally drug my clients across the finish line today. I had both sides of this deal, so I guess I drug both sets of clients across the finish line. Ironically, the negotiator who was assigned to this file nearly messed it up at the last minute, but I was one step ahead of her. That's another story.
If you are new to short sales or REOs, I have some advice for you:
Don't take any crap off of these folks. (Is it OK to say that on a blog?). You … (19 comments)

real estate winchester va: What to look for when buying a foreclosure in Winchester, VA - 01/23/12 12:00 PM

While the real estate market continues to show some signs of life, there are still pockets of high volumes of foreclosures and short sales throughout the country. In the Winchester / Frederick County, VA area the current inventory of REOs has fallen to 44. That may sound like a lot, but it is below previous numbers.
These REOs (Real Estate Owned,or Bank Owned) properties range in price from $79900-$379900. They offer bedroom and bath numbers from 1/1 to 5/3. With interest rates at record lows, it's a great time to hop off the fence and take a second look at one … (10 comments)

real estate winchester va: I learned trust when it was the only thing I had. - 01/23/12 01:18 AM

In business, I have a group of professionals I use for just about every aspect of what we do, and I trust them. I know that with a phone call, whatever I need will be taken care of, and it will be done as well or better than I expect, but this isn't where I learned trust.
My life is probably a little unique on Active Rain. I've spent the largest portion of my life in hot spots that put me in danger on a weekly basis. From 1978 through 1994 I spent a portion of every week behind bars. My … (59 comments)

real estate winchester va: Sticking your finger in the eye of J. P. Morgan Chase, priceless! - 01/21/12 02:18 AM

I met a great couple in August of 2011 that needed to have their home sold as a short sale. No problem. We do them all the time. We received approval from the bank to sell as a short sale. I assessed the property, sent an employee in to clean and shampoo the carpets, I planted a sign and installed two lock-boxes. We're on the edge of the Metro-D.C. area. Some agents coming from the east don't have Supra lock-boxes, so I install two to make sure everyone can get in.
September went by with only moderate showings. Early in … (75 comments)

real estate winchester va: I was mush! - 01/20/12 06:42 AM

I love, love, love working with first time investors. Any time a "would be" investor shows up at my door I just want to adopt him/her. Like a father with his kids I find myself steering, directing and protecting them throughout the process. I so appreciated the great investors who helped me when I got started that I feel a great compulsion to pass it on.
Today, after a couple of hours of looking at investment properties, one of the investors said, "I am so grateful that you are working with us. I hope that I can accomplished what you've accomplished … (12 comments)

real estate winchester va: Virginia is listed as one of the top 10 wine destinations in the world! - 01/17/12 12:31 PM

Over the past two decades, Virginia has been an up and coming wine producer in United States. We Virginians like to say, "Napa is for auto parts, Virginia is for wine lovers!" Well, we underestimated our success in wine production.
Wine Enthusiast magazine has named Virginia as one of the top 10 international wine destinations in the world. Wow! Who knew? Anyone who has tried a Virginia wine, that's who. We're a proud bunch here in the Old Dominion. Virginia is not only the birthplace of presidents, but it is one of only three places in the US that made the … (23 comments)

real estate winchester va: A day in the life of a broker . . . - 01/17/12 01:09 AM

Last week started out as a typical week. I spent the majority of my early days dealing with two banks over short sales. I picked up a new client looking for investment property, and I was estimating commercial projects for my contracting company. Nothing unusual about all of that.
On Wednesday, I received a call from a property preservation company asking if we would do an occupancy inspection and re-key. Our corporation has a property preservation component to it, so we were happy to do it.
A few years ago, my favorite locksmith retired. It was a sad day for … (33 comments)

real estate winchester va: You've been in the office too long when . . . - 01/16/12 01:09 PM

Today was a good day, but I found myself taking two steps forward and one step back. It takes a long time to get anywhere when you have those odds. I love being in the middle of the action. Today was a day sitting at my desk staring at my computer screen. I love it and I hate it. Does that sound odd?
You know you've been sitting at your desk too long when,
Staring at two monitors is making you crossed eyed, and you only started with one monitor. You can't remember when you ate last. You get a … (24 comments)

real estate winchester va: Please, whatever you are passionate about, SHARE IT! - 01/16/12 01:07 AM

One of the major reasons I became a Realtor was because of the disconnect many agents have with investors. I was a very aggressive investor at the time, and my agents didn't have a clue what I was doing. So, instead of dumping them and going on a search for new agents, I educated them.
I promised my first agent that if she would hang with me I would teach her the mechanics of working with a creative investor, and I would only use her. She took the deal and we bought 4 houses that first two years. Her son became … (18 comments)

real estate winchester va: If you follow a fool, you get a fool's reward - 01/14/12 04:30 AM

If you follow a fool, you get a fools reward. That's life according to Mike. It's also my assessment of the dealings with some of my rental clients last year. In a particular property, I had 5 tenants from a company that was installing a new power lines through our area.
In the beginning, they were awesome tenants. The first 5 were very responsible, paid their rent on time and always kept me up to date in the event the house had any issues. It was great. Then, the main contact had a family emergency and had to go home to … (18 comments)

real estate winchester va: Is that a vulture on your shoulder? - 01/13/12 03:33 AM

Is that a vulture on your shoulder? Did you ever have that person in your life that is a total Eeyore? I like Eeyore. He's a cute character, and he does have his moments where he and the gang at Poohville have high times. But, some folks are just moments from having their bones picked clean by that vulture sitting on their shoulder.
I appreciate being around people who can see light even in the darkest of hours. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away your ticket and … (72 comments)

real estate winchester va: Do Not Discount Yourself - You Are Valuable! - 01/12/12 09:59 AM

I shouldn't keep harping on this, but fellow Realtors, you are valuable. I mentioned in a couple blogs this week that I fired one of my REO banks. It was a good thing. Ironically, they were one of my favorites, but the staff had changed and declined in quality and I couldn't get any satisfaction from management. So, rather than waste my time and get frustrated, I let them go.
I know that for some, that would be an insane way to deal with poor quality leadership within another company. I did make an effort to get to upper management, … (17 comments)

real estate winchester va: Do you have the temperament to do short sales and REOs? - 01/12/12 02:18 AM

If you ever get to know me, you'll find that I'm a pretty laid back guy. I like to have fun, I like people and I am rarely serious (that doesn't equate to flippant). That's all true unless of course you're messing with my clients. Then, I'm a bulldog, and I dont' shy away from a fight. Ever.
When I take a listing, whether it's an REO, a short sale or a fair market property, I'm engaged. My goal is to get the highest dollar possible for my clients. I love it when everything goes smoothly and works to everyone's benefit. … (9 comments)

real estate winchester va: Guidelines for firing unproductive banks, lenders, REO companies and BPO providers - 01/11/12 12:19 PM

I wrote a blog earlier this morning about firing a bank yesterday. It felt good. I made a commitment to myself late in 2011 that I was going to delete the unproductive things in my life, including banks, lenders, bpo providers and inspection companies. We'll, I've been busy.
I have simple set a series of guidelines to help me keep that commitment, and my reasoning is simple. I'm in business to make money, to help my clients and to get things done. If a company prevents me from doing those things - bye bye.
I'm sure some folks would be aghast … (15 comments)

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