real estate: Announcing the opening of American Foursquare Realty
- 08/13/18 09:38 AM
After many years in the real estate industry, I’ve decided to open my own brokerage. I’m happy to announce the opening of Montgomery County’s newest real estate brokerage – American Foursquare Realty. So – just what is an American Foursquare? An American Foursquare is a style of house popular in the United Stated from the 1890’s through the 1930’s. A style of home still seen across the country today. The hallmarks of this style include a square, boxy design, two-and-one-half stories high home, usually with four large rooms on each floor, a center dormer, and a large front porch with inviting wide stairs. … (2 comments)
"Owner in Process of Removing Adondance of Personal Property." Adondance? Adondance?? I had to read that sentence three times before I finally figured out what the agent was trying to say. Now the only thing "Adondance" brought to mind for me was a family event where my father-in-law, Don, inadvertently started dirty dancing with his step daughter and her friend. Talk about A Don Dance! But that's just me. And no amount of brain bleach is going to … (41 comments)
real estate: Which video would YOU watch?!?
- 10/24/11 01:34 AM
Which video would YOU watch?!? (Wait for it – a cute kitten video follows!) I work with a great group of people. The three owners of our company have embraced the technology that makes today’s real estate marketplace hum. We have a full HD video studio with green screen, professional camera, lighting and editing computers – how many brokers offer this to their agents?! So – I periodically go out to Matt Mittmanand Eric Rehling’s web site to see his latest video creations. So today, I’m watching a “Quick Hit” about lease-purchase. You know how, at the end of a You … (5 comments)
real estate: Testimonials make me testy
- 07/31/11 08:44 AM
Testimonials make me testy But only sometimes. Personally, I like testimonials. Whether I’m buying something sight unseen from Amazon, or hiring a plumber – honest testimonials from prior users or customers can help sway my purchasing decision. That’s one of the reasons I use testimonials from past clients. So people that don’t know me from Adam can get a better idea of what other people think of me. The thing is – I use real testimonials. From real clients. With their real opinions. You can read some of my testimonials here. So what makes me testy? The amount of … (3 comments)
real estate: A little subtraction might help!
- 07/25/11 01:24 AM
As agents, we all have to deal with the dated listings. As buyers, we’ve all seen them. When speaking with homeowners, sometimes a little subtraction might help them see the light! Me: Your home is in beautiful condition. How many things have you updated since you bought it in 1983? Seller: Everything was top of the line when we bought it, and we’ve taken care of everything over the years. There’s been no need to change anything – everything works just fine! Me: I’m not going to disagree – this home is in wonderful shape! But to be realistic, some of … (18 comments)
real estate: What street COULDN'T you live on?
- 04/18/11 07:10 AM
What street COULDN'T you live on? In so many ways, the home you live in defines you as a person. And that extends to the name of the street you live on. Have you or your client's ever NOT bought a home because of the street name? Personally, I once didn't buy a perfectly acceptable home that I liked because it was on Letchworth Avenue. Letch: Someone with an overly strong sexual desire. As a note (and boy, is this a learning experience!), letch also means something I've never heard of: A stream or pool in boggy land. Well, I guess … (14 comments)
real estate: Pick a house, any house!
- 04/12/11 04:52 AM
Pick a house, any house! Let me start this one off by saying I am not out to bash limited service agencies - or homeowners who want to sell homes as "For Sale by Owner." But I am going to point out that in the first case, you often get what you pay for, and in the second - it ain't as easy as it looks! Limited service agencies are a way for FSBO owners to get their home on the Multiple Listing Service for their area. The homeowner usually pays a flat fee, and has to do all of the … (8 comments)
Not that I have anything against water coolers. I mean, who doesn't love that large, burping bubble that rises to the top of the bottle when you get yourself a drink. I'm smiling just thinking of the sound. And the machines themselves are kind of fun to look at. Awkward and top heavy - they have always reminded me of the robot from that 60's TV show "Lost in Space." And if you haven't seen the infamous water cooler … (10 comments)
real estate: Mirror, mirror on the wall
- 04/10/11 01:48 AM
Mirror, mirror on the wall . . . Those mirrors can get tricky when trying to take photographs of bathrooms. Especially when there are two mirrors at 90 degree angles. But our MLS is very clear on the subject of people in listing photographs: Photos or renderings submitted for inclusion with data for a specific property listed in TREND may NOT include any person who is identifiable or recognizable. In no case may any person included in a photo be identifiable or recognizable. So I laughed a bit when I saw this listing photo today. Pictured in the bathroom mirror is a … (18 comments)
real estate: New Pennsylvania Listing Contract!
- 04/09/11 03:31 AM
New Pennsylvania Listing Contract! Here's an important piece of news for Pennsylvania real estate professionals and Pennsylvania home sellers. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors is in the process of updating the Listing Contract (Seller Agency Contract) -- Exclusive Right to Sell Real Estate. This is a long overdue change, and makes the contract much easier to understand. While this is not finalized yet -- expect the new form, when released, to be similar in content. The sample form is color coded in this fashion: Black: Unchanged from the current version of the Agreement. Blue: The location of the language … (4 comments)
real estate: When is advertising deceptive?
- 04/05/11 01:11 AM
When is advertising deceptive? As real estate professionals, we all understand the term puffing. For those non-professionals out there, puffing, or puffery, is a term refering to promotional statements and claims that express subjective rather than objective views, such that no reasonable person would take them literally. This house is the prettiest house in town! The best deal in the universe! These are examples of puffing -- because no reasonable person would take the claims as fact.
But how about a real estate ad that says, "Just Reduced for quick sale!" Well, on the surface, that doesn't seem like puffery … (61 comments)
real estate: I’m having an S.O.S. day – and LOVING it!
- 03/15/11 07:20 AM
I'm having an S.O.S. day - and LOVING it! What? Who likes to be in distress?!? Well, my S.O.S. day is a bit different: S is for Settlement. We all love having those. I had one for a buyer today. The happy culmination of a few months' work. It doesn't matter if you're at a settlement for a buyer or seller - this part of the S.O.S day is what proves that you have the skills to get the job done. O is for Offer. I just finished writing up an offer for a buyer client that we will sign tonight. … (12 comments)
real estate: You know I can do simple math, right?
- 03/08/11 12:01 AM
You know I can do simple math, right? Here's the scenario. We have some pockets around here where home go for much less than the area average. And it takes about the same amount of work (sometimes more!) to sell an inexpensive house as it does a high priced home. And some buyer agents resent the lower commissions. So some listing agents try to prop the commission up by offering a flat fee. But when does this commission structure get in the way of properly representing a seller's best interests? Here is what it says in the agent comments of a … (17 comments)
real estate: Real Estate Photos Shouldn't be a "Where's Waldo" Puzzle
- 03/04/11 02:02 AM
Real Estate Photos Shouldn't be a "Where's Waldo" Puzzle How many times do we see a real estate photograph where it's almost a game to try and find one redeeming factor about what the agent is trying to show off? You know what I'm talking about! Most of the time, it's not the house that has a problem -- it's the photographer! Composition is key when taking real estate photographs! Now some people say that composition can't be taught. You either have a good eye, or you don't. Hogwash! It takes conscious thought when framing a photograph. If you run through … (19 comments)
real estate: What Gilligan’s Island Taught Me about Real Estate – Part Four
- 03/02/11 09:27 AM
What Gilligan's Island Taught Me about Real Estate - Part Four If you read the other three parts of this series, you'll know that one of my favorite shows when I was growing up was Gilligan's Island. And how the show can be a great teacher for real estate! "The Producer" episode of Gilligan's Island is hands down my favorite episode. Hollywood producer Harold Hecuba lands on the island for some rest and solitude. The castaways convince him to return to civilization by staging a musical production of Hamlet. The scene that stuck with me is where the Skipper (as Polonius) … (3 comments)
real estate: What Gilligan’s Island Taught Me about Real Estate – Part Three
- 03/01/11 12:05 PM
What Gilligan's Island Taught Me about Real Estate - Part Three If you read Part One or Part Two of this series, you'll know that one of my favorite shows when I was growing up was Gilligan's Island. And how the show can be a great teacher for real estate! Today's post is about not writing off a home just because it's old. The theme song from Gilligan's Island is one of the most memorable ones in TV history. People who weren't even born until years after the show was off the air could most probably sing it and get most … (4 comments)
real estate: What Gilligan’s Island Taught Me about Real Estate – Part Two
- 02/27/11 11:53 PM
What Gilligan's Island Taught Me about Real Estate - Part Two If you read Part One of this series, you'll know that one of my favorite shows when I was growing up was Gilligan's Island. And how the show can be a great teacher for real estate! Today's post is all about staging. Whether you live in a mansion or a modest hut, the key word is that you live in it. But when you are trying to sell that home, you have to take some of the trappings of your everyday life out of the picture. Do you like to … (5 comments)
A very Happy Valentine's Day to all my ActiveRain friends and blog readers. Unlike other holidays, Valentine's Day is a regular work day -- with lots of showings. No one bought any of my listings for their sweetie today -- oh, well. There are four people on our local MLS that share the last name of Valentine. I always wonder if they do lots of business this time of year! … (6 comments)
real estate: Is it Really a Great Buy?
- 02/11/11 12:27 AM
e-Flyers - love ‘em or hate ‘em. But that's not the subject of today's post. The fact of the matter is, I gets tons of them! And this headline caught my eye: GREAT BUY over $60,000 less than the seller paid.
Is that really a selling point? Aren't you really saying, "THIS HOME IS IN A DECLINING AREA - See how quickly YOU can lose the next $60,000!" We all know what the housing market is doing. Still declining in some areas a little, in some areas a lot. And depending on which experts you listen to, we a) may … (7 comments)
After many years in the real estate industry, I’ve decided to open my own brokerage. I’m happy to announce the opening of Montgomery County’s newest real estate brokerage – American Foursquare Realty.
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