buyers: I Am Your Pilot - 09/17/15 10:44 PM
It's one of those movie scenes you don't forget.  It's from the movie Flight and it's after the airplane has gone out of control.  The pilot, played by Denzel Washington, is struggling to do everything he can to keep the plane in the air.  Finally, he realizes he's got to do something desperate.  Something unconventional.  Perhaps even unthinkable.  He's got to turn the airplane upside down and fly it that way.  It's the only way he can regain control of an out of control situation.
If you've seen the movie, you know that the flight ends in a field after clipping a … (8 comments)

buyers: Those Crazy Kids - 08/03/15 11:49 PM
When you first jump into the wild world of Real Estate there are two things the instructors don't tell you.
The first is that you'll spend a good part of your showing time searching for light switches.  You'd think this wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it is.  You'd be amazed where light switches can be hidden.
The second thing they don't tell you is about the children.
Yep, those crazy kids.
What they don't tell you is that there are going to be times you'll be out showing houses and you'll have a four year old in your floorboard or in the … (49 comments)

buyers: The Above Ground Pool That Wasn't an In Ground Pool - 07/27/15 12:05 AM
The following is a true story.
It's a ridiculous true story, but then again, life is sometimes like that.
Our twisted tale begins when Mr. and Mrs. Smith (not their real names) decided to buy a house several years ago.  In the backyard there was an above ground pool that the home owners had buried half way down into the ground.
"This is an above ground pool we buried half way in the ground," they said.  And they made sure to put on the seller disclosure that it was an in ground pool that had been buried in the ground.
So Mr. and Mrs. Smith bought the … (4 comments)

buyers: Faking It: We Have Another Offer - 07/24/15 08:34 AM
If you sell real estate, it doesn't take you very long to figure out that our industry is full of all sorts of people who do their business in all sorts of ways.
What is always interesting is when a real estate "professional" takes an offer personally and gets all bent out of shape.  You want to say to them, "Uh excuse me, it's your job to present the offer here, not get emotionally bent out of shape because you don't like the terms and conditions."  Once, we had to ask the agent if she was refusing to present the offer.  She meekly … (28 comments)

buyers: Buyers Behaving Badly - 10/06/11 03:13 AM
The longer I am in real estate, the more I begin to think that personality types and/or regions of the country (or world) from where a person was raised and how they were raised are three of the biggest factors in how a client will behave.  But I'm not sure we pay much attention to those things.  It is usually only after a buyer or a seller has gone off and done something stupid, heartbreaking or flat out mean that we step back and go, "Holy cow!  Where did THAT come from???"
Take, for example, the buyer who went to the seller's house a … (9 comments)

buyers: When You Don't Answer Your Phone it Makes My Phone Ring - 08/23/10 02:28 AM
CAUTION - The following is edgy and sarcastic.  Thanks to Greg Nino and TLW, I'm developing a sarcastic side!
Dear Mr/Mrs Real Estate Agent,
This letter is to say thank you.  Because when you don't answer your phone it makes my phone ring.  It happened again yesterday.  A buyer had tried to call you several times to see your listing, but you never answered your phone or called them back.  So they gave up and called me.
See, I have this phone system called Facebook and I use it a lot to talk to people.  These folks contacted me through that … (51 comments)

buyers: If you're going to sell your house, remember that letting people in to see it is important! - 06/02/10 01:38 AM
If you're going to sell your house, remember that letting people in to see it is important!
I've got a nice couple whom I am working with.  They are looking for a house in a certain part of our city and in a specific price range.  And they're very certain of what they're looking for.  That makes it easy to find houses to show them.  Usually there are only a couple at a time to go see.
"Hi.  This is Bob Haywood with McGraw Realtors.  I'd like to show your house on Saturday at 1 p.m."
Usually when I call a home … (10 comments)

buyers: HOME INSPECTIONS PROTECT HOME BUYERS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA - 08/07/09 11:51 PM
Hi Folks!
The following blog was written by Lenn Harley, Real Estate Broker, Rockville, MD.  Clients who have worked with me to buy a house know that I ALWAYS recommend having the home inspected, even on new construction.  A home inspection protects you and provides information about the condition of the home.  Many thanks to Lenn for reminding us of the importance of home inspections!

HOME INSPECTIONS PROTECT HOME BUYERS in NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Homefinders.com believes that the single most important step a home buyer can take as a part of the home purchase process is the home inspection. No one can guarantee … (2 comments)

buyers: How You Can Benefit from working with a Real Estate Professional - 07/22/09 01:50 AM
You know someone who sells real estate right?  We all do.  In fact, you probably know several people who are real estate professionals.  But did you know that your real estate Realtor brings you some excellent benefits when you work with them?
You are protected
As your real estate professional, I am not allowed to point you to just one mortgage lender or service provider.  And I'm not allowed to take kick backs from anyone in exchange for business.
This is a good thing.  It protects you as a consumer.  And quite frankly, you don't want that kind of thing going … (2 comments)

buyers: I Don't Drive that Far... - 06/19/09 01:18 PM
I was talking with another Realtor recently when I told them that I had some buyers who were interested in looking at a property that was about 45 miles away from where I live and work. 
Their response back to me was, "I don't drive that far to show properties.  I only work in ____________ area."
I thought that was kind of a funny thing to say and yet it isn't all that strange.  In our area we have several suburbs surrounding the Greater Tulsa area.  Many agents work their little suburb exclusively.  Other agents will work larger areas.  And some … (1 comments)

buyers: Education Discussions - 06/03/09 02:02 AM
Had an offer come in on a property I had listed.  It was an okay offer, but below my seller's bottom line.  In talking with the other Realtor, I learned that she had arrived at the offer price by doing her comps like she always does them.
Her formula was simple...comp the neighborhood and then go 1/2 mile out.
The only problem with this formula is that, in this location it doesn't work.  That's because the house is located in a rural area.  The neighborhood is one street.  There was only 1 house that came close to be comparable and even … (0 comments)

buyers: The Good Things that Real Estate Professionals Do for Clients - 03/27/09 03:56 AM
I'm sitting here writing this in a Word document in frustration as I wait for my wireless connection at my house to try to re-establish itself. 
Ah, there it is!  The icon says we're connected!  But wait...I go open Internet explorer only to find...nothing.  It won't connect.  My heart falls and my frustration level rises because I know what this means.  I will call the cable company.  I will listen to their forever long menu of choices.  I will finally reach some live person who may or may not be in India somewhere.  They will tell me to disconnect the power … (6 comments)

buyers: "Hey Bob, can you help us..." - 01/27/09 01:50 AM
It was one of those phone calls you sometimes get when you are a Realtor.  There is a problem and your advice is needed.  Most times I'm happy to talk with folks.  It's fulfilling to be able to point them in the right direction in order to help them solve their issue.
This particular phone call came from some people who had bought a For Sale by Owner home from a guy.  There had been no official closing and they had basically purchased the house on a contract for deed arrangement.  They've been making payments and the seller was taking care of the paperwork. 
Now the house … (2 comments)

buyers: The Internet Mistake - 01/20/09 12:13 AM
We all love and embrace the Internet these days right?  Need to know something?  Do a Google search and off you go.  You can shop for stuff too! 
The internet is a part of our lives now.  But when you go to sell your house, be careful.
A coworker of mine has a listing.  It's a good listing too.  Right pricing.  Nice home.  Should sell pretty quickly.  Recently he got an offer on the house and was able to negotiate it to contract stage.  Very cool for the seller...especially in our current market.
But then the phone call from the … (8 comments)

buyers: Which One Do You Think Will Sell? - 04/08/08 12:53 AM
In the world of real estate, we work with both buyers and sellers.  When you're out showing with a potential buyer, you will usually call the listing agent first in order to set up the appointment and to find out if the house is still available, any special things to know (like there's a dog in the house), alarm code, etc.
Inevitably, there are times when you're out showing and you drive by a house that your buyer wants to see that you weren't able to line up ahead of time (might be new on the market, out of price range, etc.)  When … (6 comments)