Archives of real estate blog entries for December 01, 2009

Featured blog posts


By Richard Weisser, Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional
(Richard Weisser Realty)
I had no idea when I wrote this post “The month of December usually means one thing … more real estate business!” that it would have such a surprising aftermath. Since that article was published, my phone has not stopped ringing, and it’s all new business. My partner and I are having a hard time handling all of the requests for information and potential property showings. And while at first you might think that it is strictly coincidence, it is not surprising if you consider the combination of the cyclical nature of the business intertwined with an outstanding Internet presence. Simply put, if there is more December business to be divided up, the lion’s share is going to those that are easiest to find thanks to a strong Internet marketing strategy, And while it does not happen overnight...
Comments 97
By Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
(Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
Once, I was working with some clients who were....challenging, to say the least.  They seemed to distrust everyone involved in the process, and both husband and wife alluded to suing the other party in the transaction more than once, as well as their own lender.  They never pursued any legal action, thankfully, since they had no case of any kind. Since they had trust issues, I decided that one of the best things I could do was to use the "BCC" (blind carbon copy) feature on any emails I sent to the other parties involved, so that they could see all of my written communications for themselves.  This seemed to assuage their fears that nothing was happening when we hit some strange lender-related delays.   One big lesson I have learned in my real estate career is to always be proactive abo...
Comments 121
By Dawn Uselding, Short Sale Assistant
(A New Dawn Real Estate Services, LLC)
Well, 21 hours ago The U.S. Treasury set  the long-awaited guide lines on a plan for mortgage companies to speed up "short sales" of homes to stem a rising tide of foreclosures.  These guide lines address the problems that have often caused Realtors, buyers and sellers to avoid short sales.   The new guidelines will set limits on the time it takes a bank to approve an offer.  Mortgage servicers will have 10 days to approve or disapprove a request for short sale, and when done the transaction must fully release the borrower from the debt. It also prohibits mortgage servicing companies from reducing real estate commissions on the sale.  This is great news for all those hard working Realtors who have spent months and months on a short sale only to have their commission cut to 3% or 4% to f...
Comments 54
By Renée Donohue~Home Photography, Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer
(Savvy Home Pix)
Economic Conditions for the Las Vegas Valley October 2009  Housing Conditions: Foreclosure/Short Sale Listings (11/15/2009): Total Listings 10393; Short Sales: 4475, 43% of all listings; Bank Owned Listings: 2243, 22% of all listings. Short sale and REO listings consume 65% of total listings New Home Sales (October 2009, units sold): 441 Year Change -44.7% (excl condo conversions, highrises) New Home Sales (October 2009, median price): $205,000 Year Change -16.0% (excl condo conversions, highrises) Existing Home Sales (October 2009, units sold): 4328 Year Change +35.5% Existing Home Sales (October 2009, median price): $125,000 Year Change: -30.6% New Home Permits (September 2009): 396 Year Change -14.1% Rental Rate (MLS Monthly Average August 2009): $1265/month  My analysis:  Distressed...
Comments 30
By Dorie Dillard Austin TX, NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones
(Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899)
I was going through boxes of old records that I can finally discard and came across some files filled with the old shiny fax paper only to find there is nothing on them. Totally disintegrated!  It made me think of how we used to transmit data and documents back and forth and how long it took. We'd meet with a buyer, write up an offer, take it to the listing agent (sometimes meeting halfway in a parking lot) and the listing agent would go meet with the seller and present the offer.   If we went back and forth a few times we could run through the same scenario or go verbally until we completed all points. The fax became an accepted form of transmittal so it sped up the process, but oftentimes was not legible thus requiring an original to be drawn up after all details were formally agreed ...
Comments 80
By James K Barath, CMPS, FICO Pro, Certified Military Housing Specialist
(Canopy Mortgage, LLC)
It has occurred to me recently that a vast number of Realtors® love to post their listings here on ActiveRain. This is clearly evident when looking at the ActiveRain Blog Dashboard. Sometimes listings will fill the entire time line. What is even more disturbing is the fact that I have see many agents mark their blog posts as Members Only. This begs me to ask the question to all those Realtors® that only post their new listings as to WHY? Please don't get offended, but could you create a blog that is more than just a republication of your new listing. I have read and commented on over 600 blog posts. I know that is not much and that it is just a tiny number compared to the Ambassadors and power users, but my gut dictates that sometimes the agents just do it for the points. I personally e...
Comments 184
By Martha Brown, Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent
(Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403)
Last year I went to my first Active Rain Gathering that was held in Annapolis. What fun!! I got to meet..in person.. Jeff Bolonger, Margaret Rome, Peg Silloway, Pat Kennedy, Audrey-June Forshey, John McArthur and Lewis Portez before I had to leave for family obligations. It was absolutely awesome to see and talk to these bloggers I had been following here on the Rain. So why Southern Maryland this time around?? Well, a few weeks ago I met via email an Active Rainer from Southern Maryland, Cheryl Ritchie, quite by accident. The next thing I knew we were on the phone chatting away. Well since then we have chatted many times and this week she told me about an Active Rainer who is coming up from Miami to spend time with her family in Northern Virginia for the holidays. This is not just any ...
Comments 39
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Active Rain Works...My Challenge - Can We Prove It?   There were so many more winners in this contest than just the 13 names listed below...starting with counting myself a  winner with the idea. My sellers are winners getting their properties seen by people all over the country. ActiveRain is a always a winner by having so many professionals making our industry so much better. Those who commented are winners. Those who made contact either by email or phone are winners..thank you all and you know who you are. Some time ago, Bob Stewart challenged us with a reward of lots of points. What did he want from us? He just wanted us to share '"How ActiveRain was helping us stay connected." If you think about it, we should have been “paying” Bob for lighting the fires under us. This was my rathe...
Comments 35
By Steve Loynd, 800-926-5653, White Mountains NH
( Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., )
  Are Real Estate Offices going to go the way of land line phones? With many families adopting a new austerity plan, dropping many if not all the services provided by their local home phone provider. We all have cell phones and office lines, who needs hard lines at home? Further evidence of this phenomenon are the young buyers and tenants I work with, when its time to change over utilities, they often opt-out of a local phone plan altogether.   How Many of you still rely on walk-ins for a portion of your income? I still find enough off the street traffic to justify a main street office. But I am increasingly sharing my commission with buyer agents that have no physical office. They have an excellent web-based service, and in affect are simply advertise my listings to drive buyers to the...
Comments 79
By marti garaughty, a highly caffeinated creative type...
(garaughty.com)
   Hi guys... thx for the emails asking where I've been and if I'm OK. Yes, I'm alive, well and just really, really busy. I'm stopping by to drop off our new December calendar that you can use, edit or give away on any of your own sites / blogs.    The image above is a preview of the December wallpaper/calendar we're giving away on my art website Its an untitled painting I just finished for a client (a surprise Christmas gift for his wife).  If you'd like to use the image above on your own blog or website, you can either download it and give it away as is or feel free to add your own text.   As I've said before, remember that people do not download wallpapers to see advertising on their computer screens so... less is more, keep it simple.    I miss you guys too but I'll be back soon wit...
Comments 69
By Gary Woltal, Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth
(Keller Williams Realty)
Today I wanted to write about and solicit your opinions particularly in the online world of social media about "transparency." That is revealing more the personal side of ourselves on blogs or social media like Active Rain or Facebook or with our tweets on Twitter. Sometimes this may not be a good thing. As one might say about your portrayal, "Too Much Information." Particularly as a business person your image stays out there on the Internet. But especially Gen Y and the Millennials generation, some of them just don't seem to care about any perceived "reputation" they are tarnishing. A recent blog I read on Active Rain talked about other Realtors "partying" it up and showed pictures on Facebook with everyone cavorting in not so flattering situations. It caused quite a stir. The public d...
Comments 92
By Lenn Harley, Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland
(Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate)
Name and Shame Concept - IMHO,? . . .  Since I was asked. . . . Christine Bohn requested an opinion re her blog post, Name and Shame Concept - IMHO.  Never one to avoid commenting, I'm happy to oblige.  The post is worthy of a ReBlog, but, no ReBlog button.  So. . . .                                                     * * * *  Opinion * * * * THE GOVERNMENT'S SOLUTION TO THE MORTGAGE MESS??  "Name and Shame". What utter nonsense! ! !  How completely patronizing of every home owner who has lost $Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars$ in lost home equity! ! ! One can no more shame a bank than one can embarrass a politician.  This is no more than Pablum for the masses. I believe that the intention of this so called Name and Shame solution is to give cover to the politicians who know that they ...
Comments 77

Blog posts


By Kathy Seger & Ben Staten, Red Hot Atlanta Homes Group
(RE/MAX Around Atlanta)
It's been a long road....finding the right property and then working through the closing process nevertheless another first time home buyer has a new home.  We started looking at houses in September knowing we had plently of time to find the right home and close by the November 30 deadline for the $8000 First Time Buyer Tax Credit.  Well here it is mid-November and we got it done.  We found a great townhome in Ridenour at Highway 41 and Barrett Parkway.  There are wood floors and stainless steel kitchen appliances.  The Great Room opens onto a deck looking at an old growth forest.  This falls the colors have been okay however spring with the dogwood trees will be spectacular.  This homeowner qualifies for the $8000 Tax Credit as a first time homebuyer and chose a 30 year fixed rate FHA ...
Comments 2
By Connor T. MacIvor, 661.400.1720
(RE/MAX Gateway)
What is the Score? When it comes to keeping folks updated we have the Feeds which you seek.  The Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate market does not have to be Secret.  In fact, we update our Blog Platforms that speak of "specific" Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate Profiles so much, sometimes they overrun the servers. We have all of my updates with the new listings in the Santa Clarita Home Venue updated each day and sometimes multiple times per day. I have just posted the new listings in the Santa Clarita Valley Market for sale - Total Listings 31. Short Sales should not be a mystery - 13 of the new listings fit the Short Sale profile - you need an expert to negotiate the Short Sale - choose wisely. Foreclosures in Santa Clarita Valley are entering the market for sale - We had 4 in the las...
Comments 0
By Kim Bartells, Result Driven Real Estat - Marketing Expert
(TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com)
Creating a basic website potential clients will want to use isn't as hard as you may think.  Why do people come to your website?  Search for homes, find area information, find real estate information, find financing information, etc., etc.  Build off that... 1-       Search for Homes - make sure your search engine is very prominent and easy to use.  Create a large link of the home page directing people to that page.  You can also setup pre-designed searches that may target your niche - say, homes in a certain area, for a certain price, or foreclosure/short sale listings, golf course communities, 55+ communities, etc.  Be creative with it. 2-      Real Estate Information - the most important topic you can have on your site today through June of 2010 is related to the tax credit.  Make su...
Comments 2
New Listing in Rittenhouse Square - 2026-30 Chancellor Street for $414,900 Welcome to one of the finest blocks in the Rittenhouse Square area of Center City. Stephanie Somers takes you on a tour of this new listing and invites you to imagine yourself living in this great space. This Carriage House condo has the Old World Charm indicative of Historic Philadelphia and is expertly updated for all of the modern conveniences. The condo offers a spacious open layout with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, a formal dining and living area as well as a kitchen with all of the expected upgrades such as granite counters and stainless steel appliances. Hardwood flooring adorns the entire unit and the bedrooms have ample closet space with each bedroom having its own private bath. There is an extra storage room...
Comments 5
By Susan Brown
(Keller Williams NE, Kingwood Texas (Humble & Atascocita too))
            This buyer was looking for a more established community.  He wanted trees.  Where else would I take him except the Livable Forest itself - Kingwood! Kingwood is a community with a wealth of amenities to offer its residents.  25 "villages" within the community offer a wide range of home prices Humble ISD schools Over 75 miles of greenbelts Community events throughout the year like Mardi Gras or Picnic on the Park The Clubs of Kingwood Golf Course, Country Club, Tennis, Fitness Center Waterfront dining at King's Harbor Close proximity to Bush Intercontinental Airport   If you're ready to begin your search for homes, you've come to the right place.  Here is your starting point. Search all the Houston Area Homes Quickly and Easily Susan Brown, Your Texas Connection sells real e...
Comments 6
By Angie Murphy, Professional with a Personal Touch
(Coldwell Banker)
Extended and Expanded Tax Credit  The Extended and Expanded Tax Credit$8,000 credit was scheduled to lapse on Dec. 1 but will now be in effect through the end of June. Homebuyers must sign a contract before April 30 and close by June 30. The income limits were also raised: Single buyers can now earn up to $125,000 and still get the full credit while a married couple can earn $225,000. The bill also made more homeowners eligible to claim the credit on their taxes. First-time buyers -- those who have not owned a home in the past three years -- still qualify for an $8,000 rebate. But now people who want to trade up can also qualify. Those who have owned and occupied a residence for at least five years out of the past eight can claim a $6,500 tax credit if they close on a purchase by the en...
Comments 0
By Harley Wilcox, Harley Wilcox
(West Group Real Estate)
Have you ever consulted with someone that knows everything? I tend to seek out the best when I want to learn. Strangely enough the people that know the most about something do not claim to know it all. If I run into someone that claims to have all the knowledge about something, I JUMP and RUN like someone just thru a cheese cloth sack full of striking rattle snakes into the bunkhouse on a hot summer day.
Comments 4
By Cindy Jones, Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News
(Integrity Real Estate Group)
That's right you can slug away in Northern Virginia and not spend a night in jail. When you hear someone in Northern Virginia mention slugging they are talking about just one of the ways that commuters in our area get into DC during rush hour.  Our slug lines are famous around the country as a unique form of carpooling not often found in other major metropolitan cities. The term actually started with the local bus drivers who would find riders who had slipped in "slugs" or fake tokens into the token box instead of the real ones. The term stuck and became linked with grabbing a free ride in our area. Slug lines have flourished and become one of the easiest and certainly cheapest ways to get into town during the work week. The protocol for slugging is well established, the routes defined ...
Comments 4
By Richard M. Sander, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Expert
(Price & Company Realty)
If you were waiting for the other shoe to drop before dipping your big toe back into Myrtle Beach real estate, this is it. A recent USAToday featured an article on second homes, and guess which destination they chose to highlight with the headline, "Second homes: Golf, sun and sand for less..." ? There were the usual mass media mistakes, such as calling Myrtle Beach the home of the shag (that's North Myrtle Beach), and adding nonexistent apostrophes to Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. The writer probably pronounced Horry County with the "H" sound, too. That's okay. Rookie mistake. They got the important part right. Myrtle Beach real estate is a bargain again. We know it. Now, thanks to USAToday, everybody knows it. The properties listed in the USAToday article are representative of th...
Comments 0
By Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400, Long Island Condo and Home Specialists
(The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803)
  Located in Plainview  Long Island there is a community called The Hamlet At Olde Oyster Bay.  You can reach The Plainview Hamlet at Olde Oyster Bay by The Long Island Expressway Exit 48 and stay on the West Service Road.  The Hamlet at Olde Oyster Bay is a 24 hour guard gated community within the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District #4 that was built in 2001. There are single family stand alone homes, villas and upper and lower carriage homes here. This pet friendly community has amenities including the clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, lighted tennis courts, teen lounge, putting green, card rooms, play area, and restaurant.  There are garages here, andsome units have basements. A monthly common charge and monthly restaurant fee are required.  Call for current pri...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Every so often, I like to delve into my web site analytics package to see how many people have been visiting our Real Estate Blog and from where these people are coming. While the top origination points are not so surprising, I am always amazed that many of our visitors come from all over the world. It really underscores the importance of the global nature of real estate. The map above shows that visits to the Tallahassee real estate blog have come from all around the world, with the countries colored in various shades of green leading the field in the number of visits they have made to Tallahassee (on the web of course). Real Estate Marketing Has Moved To The Internet With over 85% of all home buyers starting their search for homes on the internet, it is a wonder that some real estate ...
Comments 12
By Lynn Kline, CRS, GRI, ABR, SFR Tucson, AZ Realtor
(Owner/Broker of Lynn Kline Realty, Inc.)
Every wall is a door. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Comments 2
Weekly Blog Update from dana devine For the week ending November 27, 2009 Thank you for reading my Real Estate industry blog, the devine report. This is a summary of my newest blog entries from the past week. Publish Date: November 27, 2009One Reason Why Mortgage Rates Are Back To All-Time LowsExcerpt: Home affordability improved this week after the Federal Reserve released its November 3-4, 2009 meeting minutes. The FOMC Minutes is a companion to the Federal Reserve's post-meeting press release. It's released 3 weeks... Publish Date: November 25, 2009The Home Price Index Shows Home Values Increasing. Case-Shiller Agrees.Excerpt: It's official -- home prices are no longer in free fall.  According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Home Price Index posted its first quarterly incr...
Comments 1
By Rob Zwemmer
(Luxury Homes by Keller Williams)
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: "There's nothing as constant as change." ~ Unknown FEELING WIRED? Feel on edge? Not sure what to expect next? Nerves frayed? Feeling overwhelmed by today's complex world situation? How is it that some people are calm, fearless, and content, while others are frightful, worried, overwhelmed, and uncertain about the future? In the 1950's there were only three models of Chevrolet, about four dry cereals, two or three types of soap, etc. Mom went grocery shopping weekly. There were no shopping malls, computers, cell phones, portable CD players (or CD's), 401(k)s, Internet, or co-ed dorms. Life was simple and calm - and revolved around the family. Technology didn't dominate daily life. Today, our choices have expanded exponentially. There are hundreds of vehicle models,...
Comments 4
By Dana Devine
(Charles Rutenberg Realty)
Today I received an email from a real estate agent whose relative recently was hacked...their yahoo account...gmail account and Facebook.  What's an unsuspecting victim to do?   Here are the instructions I sent and you might want to bookmark for future reference. Google Support -give them as much information about the account that you can remember.  The more information you offer the better they will be able to assist you! Yahoo Support-I actually got this information on yahoo answers.  I have found yahoo answers to be very helpful on many topics. give them as much information about you account that you can remember!  Facebook.com-visit the help section and fill out the form and just like google and yahoo remember the more info you can give them the better your chances your account will...
Comments 0
By Barbara Martino-Sliva, Top Producer, Vero Beach Real Estate Vero Beach Homes for Sale
(Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.)
                                                                              VERO BEACH FLORIDA, shopping on ocean drive vero, BEACH TOWN VERO BEACH FLORIDA offers some great one-of-a-kind boutiques, stores and shops!It is a real pleasure looking through these quality stores for something special.      
Comments 2
By Sami T. Siddiqui
(Real Living GreatWest)
The real estate market saw a steady growth in October 2009. With the number of home buyers on the rise, an agent will have to remember what it takes to be successful in a market overflowing with agents. New agents determined to make it big in the real estate business are open to a number of challenges. Most of these challenges determine your approach and attitude in business. Most importantly, it is essential for an agent to know everything about the market. A thorough understanding of the market helps him plan his strategies and offerings to his clients. This requires a lot of market analysis. Many theories present on market strategies may mean nothing to you until you understand the market trends and know what you have to offer to your clients. To begin with, start with the basics. Se...
Comments 2
By Emcee M. Arah, Realtor w/Architectural Dimension, AHWD CRS B-Arch
(Remax Excellence - Silver Spring, MD)
Don't miss our First-Time Home Buyer Webinar and Seminar next week! Join us from the comfort of your home on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Time: 7 - 8:00pm To register: E-mail Here or Call: 888-625-8465 ext.4 Join us in person on Saturday, December 12, 2009 Time: 10 a.m. - 12 noon To register: E-mail Here or Call: 888-625-8465 ext. 3 Location: Silver Spring, Maryland You won't want to miss the no-cost webinar or seminar! Questions will be answered such as:  Is it too late to take advantage of the $8,000 Federal Tax credit? How much money is required for a down payment? What exactly are closing costs? What is an ernest money deposit? We hope to "see" you next week! Emcee Arah RE/MAX Excellence Realtor with Architectural Dimension Serving all your Real Estate needs in MD, VA & Wash., DC
Comments 0
By Dan & Rachael Polakovic with The Team, London Ontario Real Estate Professionals
(Realty Executives Elite Ltd Brokerage)
While there is no crystal clear answer to the age-old "real versus fake" Christmas tree debate, most environmentalists, "tree huggers" among them, would agree that real trees are the better choice, at least from a personal and public health standpoint. Some might make a case for fake trees, because they are re-used every year and thus don't generate the waste of their real counterparts. But fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (or PVC, otherwise known as vinyl), one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic. Fake Christmas Trees and CancerFurthermore, several known carcinogens, including dioxin, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride, are generated during the production of PVC, polluting neighborhoods located near factory sites. Most ...
Comments 6
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