valparaiso real estate: Superbowl Sunday
- 02/06/11 12:54 AM
Well it is superbowl sunday. I am not a huge football fan I used to be but have found that weekends are the best time to show property. Before I became an agent I never missed a football game on Sunday flipping from one channel to the next to catch parts of the other games.
I used to be able to tell you which players played what and what their stats were. Superbowl was a party for me and I looked forward to it every year. Now I have a superbowl of my own the challenge I give myself … (2 comments)
valparaiso real estate: So What Makes You Different?
- 02/02/11 06:32 AM
We all sell real estate or at least most of us do right? Most of us are REALTORS and most of us belong to a local organization and MLS. So what is it that you provide different from the agent next door? I myself keep up to date on all the latest tehnology and use it to put my clients listings on every available internet site, I also have email and text on my cell phone to respond to any inquiries and I never turn my phone off. If a client says they want a newspaper, magazine campaign I tell them that … (0 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Day 31 Oh What Fun!!!
- 01/31/11 02:00 PM
I have really enjoyed this 31 day challenge although I may have caused another problem for myself. Yes I am addicted. I am checking the blog posts almost as much my facebook. This can not be good as my husband already questions how I can be on the computer so long. I have enjoyed some of the controversial posts such as the ones that ask about handing out your cell phone number and other such as one about how wonderful a customer can or can't be. It is amazing how much you can associate your experience with everyone else out there. So … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: REAL ESTATE BRANDS? Do You Think They Matter?
- 01/31/11 01:40 PM
I have been thinking a lot about this lately as I have been reading about the different companies and their financial problems. Locally we have seen a lot of different companies closing branches and I wondered do brands matter?
I got into this discussion recently with a few other agents and of course if you talk to an agent working for a no name brand office they have the best situation and if you speak with a name brand agent they sell their houses because of the name brand. So I am curious with the internet being where most … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Why Do I Do Short Sales?
- 01/29/11 08:20 PM
I have been asked by other agents why I do short sales. I commonly hear they are such a hassle why bother. I bother because for the most part you have a home owner trapped in a terrible situation they are stuck between the rock and a hard place. For instance I have a home owner that paid 4000 to an attorneys office for a loan modification and the only modification that they came up with was to modify her payment to 200.00 more than she already couldn't afford. So there she was out 4000.00 she had borrowed from a relative and … (2 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Thursday Looking for Friday
- 01/27/11 03:22 PM
Ok weekends are just another work day because as we all know during these times we are a 24 hour a day profession. I mean think about it in Indiana car dealerships are closed, liquor stores are closed but real estate goes on 7 days a week. I guess I am fortunate that I am busy and my last phone call I received last night was at 9:30. I am also fortunate that I am a 4 hour sleeper I go to sleep about 1 or 2 and get up between 5 or 6. I can't imagine how I would … (2 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Hump Day!
- 01/26/11 01:52 PM
Well it is Wednesday and it has been a crazy week. I am already exhausted and haven't even hit the weekend yet. I have been showing, writing offers, counter offers, scheduling appraisals, and inspections. I really love this business but this week is catching up to me as I have been going from 8 am and getting home at 9pm since last Friday. Tomorrow will be no different as I have to run to the next county tomorrow night and pick up an earnest money check.
I was concerned in December when it was a little slower and things … (2 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Funny Real Estate!
- 01/25/11 02:53 PM
So I had quite the busy weekend topped off by a busy Monday because of course when you have a busy weekend you always spend the next two days catching up. I have a rental so I get a lot of phone calls on that rental and I am always amused by some of the comments because as I have said before I always ask why they are renting instead of buying. I had been working a double shift on the floor yesterday and it was quite a busy floor. Several typical phone calls asking about this house or that house. Then there … (6 comments)
valparaiso real estate: January Has Been a Great Month so Far!
- 01/24/11 01:20 PM
Busy! Busy! Busy! This month has been incredibly busy and I can tell you now last January was not like this. I usually carry between 10-15 listings and I am going to have to go out and reload. Thats right I am getting offers and showings left and right. So what do I attribute to this wonderful windfall of customers the mortgage rates have been moving a little and I think that is making some people nervous. I also have some rentals and when people call I always ask why are you thinking about renting? If they say there credit … (2 comments)
valparaiso real estate: E & O Insurance
- 01/23/11 07:22 AM
So the other day I was having a conversation with another agent and he was saying that he just found out that his E & O insurance does not cover him on short sales, cash for key etc... I have my E & O through the company that I work for so I got to thinking I wonder if our coverage works on those kinds of transactions. Then I started thinking about the deductible you know all the things you don't think about until you need it. I do a lot of short sale and distressed properties so I … (4 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Didn't Get Much Accomplished Today....
- 01/21/11 01:17 PM
Well I was in the office all day and I didn't get much accomplished but sometimes that is ok. It started out quiet and just went from there. I was happily typing away on the computer when it suddenly got loud around the office. Well, that is kind of weird as I peeked around the corner. Normally finding an agent in the office on a Friday is an oddity. So as I peek around the corner of my office I see two agents walking down the hall laughing and I could hear more out front. It seemed like the entire office … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Bank of America Short Sale Process
- 01/20/11 11:10 AM
Today I watched the webinar on the "new" short sale process and have to say in theory I pray that it works the way they say it will. I have not worked a Bank of America short sale as of yet and have heard the usual horror stories. I have worked Chase and in my opinion there is none worse. There is not another that I have done that can even compare with Chase. Wells Fargo is my favorite so far. But back to the webinar I have to say I was truly impressed that they are at least making … (1 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Learning a New Language
- 01/19/11 02:14 PM
OK so I have been eying the Rosetta Stone programs and wow are they expensive but I hear totally worth it. I was in Staples today picking up some items with my husband tonight and as I walked past the display and ran my hand over the top of the box and all but drooled on it my husband looked at the box. I heard this gasp and I turned around and looked and he says just so you know for almost eight hundred dollars I better not hear you even mutter one word of English ever again. I said … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Short Sale Issues?
- 01/19/11 01:36 AM
So yesterday as we were sitting at a company meeting another agent brought up a huge problem that he was having with his short sales. The home owners who at first were trying to keep their home out of foreclosure are no longer motivated to get their home sold short. Why would they be? The bank is not throwing them out on the street. The are getting free rent and they know that if the house sells they will have to start paying monthly rent. So how does agent get those sellers to do the price changes necessary to … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Working in the Office or Working From Home?
- 01/18/11 01:43 PM
OK so I am definitely more dedicated when I am working in the office. I need to be sitting at the desk working to make any kind of progress. If I am at home I find a million other things going on to distract me. I know alot of people are able to do the home thing and honestly at night while sitting on the couch with my laptop I can do great things with blogging and putting my listings on craigslist. I can even get my zing dings done. Working expireds and follow ups definitely have to be at … (8 comments)
valparaiso real estate: When Neighboring States Help Out! Illinois Versus Indiana
- 01/12/11 12:37 PM
My excitement can hardly be held back! Illinois house today approved a HUGE tax increase. Wow Governor Mitch Daniels is excited, every REALTOR in the state if they are not excited should be. Home owners wanting to sell are probably wiggling in their chairs like small children from all the excitement. We heard it was coming but thought, no in these economic times who would raise taxes? But I opened the paper today and there it was the big announcement. You see in Indiana Governor Daniels was far sighted enough to work to put property tax caps in place and … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Todays Phone Call
- 01/10/11 03:43 PM
Hi I need some information and I hoping you can help me I respond with not sure but I will try. She then says they have been doing some remodeling around the house and wanted to know about some questions about making improvements that would affect the price of the home. She then tells me that her husband and her are planning on selling within two years and she wanted to know if she should get stainless steel appliances for the kitchen. I said tell me what it is that you have completed in the home to update it. She … (6 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Touching the Lives of Others Everyday
- 01/09/11 11:25 AM
As I watched on the news about the shooting in AZ today I thought alot about how people interact on a day to day basis. You see there can be two hundred people in a grocery store and as we walk through do you ever wonder how if any way your life will interact with any of them. The child that runs in front of your cart. The elderly man that you get upset at because he has his cart sideways in the aisle blocking both directions? Or how about that mom screaming at her child that you just looked … (0 comments)
valparaiso real estate: Social Networking Pet Peeves!!!!
- 01/08/11 02:19 AM
Ok so we all have facebook pages and possibly a number of other social media tools like twitter, linked in etc... My post today will address mostly the facebook page today. I have alot of real estate friends on my facebook page for the most part they are really good discussing holidays, kids, family, news and events. Now to the pet peeves it seems to start slowly one or two listings posted on facebook then they start posting five and ten in a row. The next thing you see is a not so subtle call me I am the best agent post. I … (3 comments)
valparaiso real estate: I Love Short Sales!
- 01/07/11 11:47 AM
Ok I know most of you are going to think I am insane but I love short sales. I am not sure whether it is the challenge of them or what but my blood starts pumping when the phone rings and it is a short sale. However, I do wish that these banks would get their act together for example I have a short sale in Burns Harbor, Indiana and I have spoke with the bank several times and have received email from them yet when I called yesterday they tell me they do not have an authorization for me to … (2 comments)
Well it is superbowl sunday. I am not a huge football fan I used to be but have found that weekends are the best time to show property. Before I became an agent I never missed a football game on Sunday flipping from one channel to the next to catch parts of the other games.
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