philadelphia real estate: I can spot a Real Estate junkie from 50 feet... - 05/12/10 10:30 AM
     You're a Real Estate Junkie, aren't you? It's Ok...I understand.  Did your addiction start back in the late 1980's with the Sunday morning infomercials like "Fox and Lazo's Parade of Homes"? Do you search sites like Trulia and Zillow, just to see what is on the market in your area? Has your need compelled you to chat about real estate at cocktail parties, and intimate gatherings? And do you usually look through the real estate section of the Sunday paper...like, every Sunday? I thought so. I know your type. You notice every for sale sign in your neighborhood. Akin to there being … (2 comments)

philadelphia real estate: SEO and Pagerank - Are you obsessed too? - 07/23/09 02:43 AM
  I am a Philadelphia realtor and I blog, I Podcast, I write articles, I am quoted in a lot of publications, I am ranked very high on very general (Philadelphia) search terms (especially relating to condos) and the thought of obtaining a higher pagerank and relevant links on Google via good content is something I obsess over. DO YOU? Is there anyone who is interested in understanding that exchanging a link for exchange sake is about as useful as putting water in your gas tank?Sure, you are going through the motions, but it is not going to get your motor … (0 comments)

philadelphia real estate: I would rather mix a Martini than a can of Paint - 06/23/08 08:48 AM
If you are anything like me, after a grueling day of showing Philadelphia condos, or any type of real estate to perspective buyers, the first thing I want to do when I get home, besides grumble about it, is mix a Martini. But as a real estate mavine, devotee, and all around nutbag, first I have to go and pick out a paint color for my dining room. One of a series of endless chores that has been on my "things to do list" for just over 8 months. And being a realtor enables me to concievable tackle any home improvement project. Clearly, I … (0 comments)

philadelphia real estate: Open House Junkies - 06/08/08 01:26 AM
It should come as no surprise that some people do not have a life. They can be found, every Sunday at the same place. Your Open House. They are neighbors, half-serious buyers, and some are all around busy bodies. Some you will see for YEARS, doing the open house circuit..week after week, after week- as if one of their hobbies that they might list on a job application would be "Open House looking"....
Now allow me to be the first to admit that I fall into this catagory. I love going to Open Houses. And the first thing I head for? … (3 comments)

philadelphia real estate: Someone in this transaction is a nut bag - 05/02/08 09:04 AM
What is it about a real estate transaction that causes somewhat sane, rational carbon based life form to think and act like a bag of nails?
My advice for each of the following parties involved in a real estate transaction:
1) BUYERS: It is a law in almost all 50 states that you MUST experience cold feet within the first ten days of executing an agreement of sale. Expect it. But also remember that you also agonized about that pair of shoes, or that suit you bought, that was also kinda' expensive. So relax, everything will be fine.
2) SELLERS: No, the buyers cannot be locked up in … (5 comments)

philadelphia real estate: Burn a bridge, and kiss away a commission - 04/21/08 09:51 AM
     Having been a realtor here in downtown Philadelphia for the past 18 years, I know my way around. There seems to be very little I don't know about Center City Philadelphia real estate. And don't even try to match wits with me when it comes to the market, contracts, traffic patterns of buyers, etc. I know it all.
     I try to keep my overwhelming arrogence to myself. I don't want to come off as anything more than perhaps a bit impatient/self-important with other realtors. I don't fight with other realtors, I don't cuss them out, I try to keep disagreements … (1 comments)

philadelphia real estate: I hope your condominiums special assement is sky-high - 02/09/08 07:42 AM
Yeah, I know....I am the unpopular one.
I am the smart-a** who sits in the back row of the condo board meetings heckling board members while a martini is spillin' out of my right hand. I am the one who always votes for higher condo fees and special assessments. And I don't care if you don't like me.
I want the common areas attended to frequently. I want light bulbs in the stairtower changed, the carpet in the hallway swept, and the windows cleaned with resonable frequency. I want my doorman to be tidy and responsive...not some slug who can't at least … (4 comments)

philadelphia real estate: Member- Jillion Dollar Club - 12/30/07 01:13 AM
I have been around the Philadelphia real estate market for a long time. Since 1989 to be exact. I have heard, and seen all kinds of things. And I either cringe or laugh when I hear some of the absolute bull that comes out of the mouths of some of my contemporaries.
I was once told by a peer that he had the ability to either make or break a certain sale. He had the power to "make" his buyers buy what he suggested. To which I replied, "Really?".... In all my 19 years experience I have never been able to exercise … (9 comments)

philadelphia real estate: I am a Philadelphia Realtor Snob - 10/02/07 12:40 PM
          I am a Philadelphia Realtor Snob
I, Mark Wade, a Prudential Fox and Roach Realtor here in Center City Philadelphia am a real estate snob.
I haven't really hidden that fact over the years as well. I kinda' think that I'm pretty groovy, actually.  I have lived here in condos in Philly for just over twenty years, and I have been a Society Hill realtor for over eighteen years (I say that because my office is physically in the Society Hill area section of town). I have never owned a lawnmower, a driveway, or a weed whacker. Sneering at those who do own such items has become a favorite pastime of … (1 comments)

philadelphia real estate: Because your offer sucks, that's why.... - 09/16/07 07:29 AM
As a fairly strong listing agent in the downtown Philadelphia real estate market, I am often times presented with multiple offers, at the same time, on the same listings. And more often than not, the agent associated with the losing offer on such bidding wars asks why their buyer lost the condo or loft they were seeking. And the answer is generally the same:
1) You brought me a pre-approval from someone neither my seller, nor I  have ever heard of. It was a copy of a fax, off what looked like a newspaper ad. It had no phone number, or company name.
2) … (6 comments)