Archives of real estate blog entries for March 01, 2009

Featured blog posts


You read correctly. I failed because of Purple. How many times have you been exposed to someone else's poor excuses? We all have; in fact, we have all used lame excuses... A long time ago, when I first became a real estate agent I was terrified. First of not getting any business, and then once business came, I was nervous about getting the business - what would I do next? In the beginning, I called Expireds. I guess we all do, right? I called one, and it went well. I was informative, I handled objections delicately yet firmly. I was going to get this listing, I was sure of it. I was to make a follow-up call. I knew that when I called, I would be setting up an appointment. But I did not have a decent Listing Presentation. I put the call off a day and tried creating a tailored listing pac...
Comments 99
By RealBird Real Estate Marketing, All-In-One Real Estate Marketing Toolkit
(RealBird Inc.)
Medway Homes for SaleEncouraged by the positive feedback from the real estate community about the initial release of the "Search The Real Estate Web" custom search engine, we are pleased to let you know that we released a co-branded version as a free service. We also offer a unique revenue sharing advertising model for those agents who deploy this co-branded version. But first thing first. Vertical real estate search engine The RealBird vertical real estate search engine allows consumers to search for any real estate terms across thousands of real estate sites and networks. It utilizes the familiar Google user interface and utilizes Google's technolgy to provide state-of-the-art content ranking and lightning fast results. Rather than searching the billions of pages in the regular Googl...
Comments 51
By C Tann-Starr
(Tann Starr & Associates, Inc.)
  The Outside Blog Minion Report Saturday, February 28th, 2009 Carolyn Tann-Starr on Social Networking Every second a digital wave of infinite possibilities oscillates through the Internet. My question to you is are you going to embrace the technology or are you going to ignore blogging as a viable part of your business plan? It was recently reported that Facebook registered over 1.2 billion visits, MySpace over 800 million and Twitter over 54 million during January of 2009. In the interim of 31 days a tremendous amount of information exchanged minds on a global scale, digitally dancing across hard drives, PDAs, cell phones and any mechanism accessible to access the Internet that a user could get their Web 2.0 on. Virtual peeps became brick and mortar buddies overnight and new business ...
Comments 89
By Jeff Belonger, The FHA Expert - FHA Loans - FHA mortgages - USDA loans - VA Loans
( Social Media - Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc)
    Don't we all, want that best deal...  My first several transactions in my second year in 1993 in the mortgage industry were interesting ones at that. I still can remember a Veteran that wanted a VA loan, yet I had to try to put him into a FHA loan because of his credit. And then that became a problem because he wanted the same deal that his neighbor was getting, who was also getting a FHA loan, but I told him that he had too wait 6 months or so. And back then, credit scores didn't even exist. But he had an employment issue, that he had 5 different jobs in 2 years with less than perfect credit. One key point to remember through this whole post, Not one borrower is the same. Even though these two pears look the same from the outside, they aren't the same. You can argue taste, texture,...
Comments 79

Blog posts


By The Romanski Group
(The Romanski Group/ Keller Williams Realty)
Erin Romanski and The Romanski Group | Keller Williams Realty | 765-532-6148 2620 Newman Road, West Lafayette, IN Great location in West Lafayette - just 2 miles to Purdue! John Downham quality built on nearly 1 acre. Huge rec room, family room w/ fireplace & 6BR/4.5BA Single Family House offered at $215,000 Year Built 1965 Sq Footage 4,394 Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms 4 full, 1 partial Floors 3 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .96 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Fantastic West Lafayette location - just 2 miles from Purdue University! This spacious home on nearly a 1 acre lot offers 6 generous bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms with over 4,000 total square feet including the finished walk-out basement. Features include a formal living room with a fireplace, formal dining room, family ro...
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By Beth Lester, Home Staging & Interior Decorating
(Beth Lester Designs)
It seems even harder for realtors to get to the top of Search Engines than it is for home stagers, so I hope you can take advantage of this class.   Who Else Wants To Know The Secrets To Getting To Page One On Google? Discover Simple and Effective SEO Strategies That Will Get You To The Top! From The Keyboard of: Katerina GassetDate: February 2009Dear Friend, Do you think you could learn something from a someone who coaches individual agents and business owners one on one in how to get to page one of Google with keywords that prospects are actually searching with? Do you want to see real results from your online marketing? Understanding and applying sound SEO principles and action steps is crucial to the success of your online marketing. I totally understand about how frustrating it is...
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By Rolando Trentini
(F.C.TuckerEmge Realtors, LLC)
  The city of Evansville says it will receive $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Nearly $796,000 will be provided in Community Development Block Grants and another $1.2 million in Homeless Prevention Funds. The Evansville Housing Authority will also receive $1.8 million in Public Housing Capital Funds from the stimulus. The State of Indiana received more than $176 million of the $10 billion allocated today by HUD.       Evansville, Ind. -- The City of Evansville was notified today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allocated $2,013,562 to the City of Evansville as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Evansville will receive $795,964 in Com...
Comments 1
By Richard Shuman, Real Estate Broker - Orlando Area - Love Referrals
(The Only B.S. I Have is from the University of Massachusetts)
Prices are starting to RISE - GOOD NEWS for the Market?        While showing townhomes in Oviedo yesterday, i had good news for a client that is having a Townhome built. The prices went up $20,000 on Friday. Yes, that's right, price went up $20,000 That's great news for people who already purchased, bad news for my new clients if they decide to buy now! But, it's great news to see little signs that the market is changing a little! SO IF YOU ARE STILL WONDERING WHEN YOU SHOULD BUY - MAYBE IT'S TIME!               No Games ~ No Gimmicks ~ No Bull                                              RICHARD SHUMAN P.A. REALTOR & MORTGAGE BROKER                                              WWW.SKIPtheBULL.COM   What a great time to buy a home or investment property! www.SKIPtheBULL.com www.LowestFl...
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With Spring right around the corner, our Resort Seminars at Long and Foster, Deep Creek Lake, will be starting once again.  They were a hugh succes last year and we actually had buyers that attended, buy second homes. We cover topics such as Rental Income Opportunities, Different Types of Ownership, Market Updates and we have a question and answer session. We will have a schedule out soon. These seminars are hosted by many of the agents in our office. Sam and I will let you know when we are hosting a seminar, as soon as our schedules are released. In the meantime if you would like us to send you some brochures or have questions, give us a call or send us an email.  We welcome the opportunity to be of help.    
Comments 1
By Jeanean Gendron, Specializing in Selling Unique Properties
(The Address Realty)
That question lingers and we all wait. We all have hopes that it will help many. We must wait for the final answer to this question, however it is looking like the intention is to help those people who could afford their homes but got a bad loan. To me that will be a small number of people. I agree that the homeowner that refinanced to buy expensive toys or to take an extended trip to Europe may have to live with their choices, however is there no help for those people affected by the downturn in this economy. They may be working but making less money or simply no longer able to afford their home loan due to the changing nature of the loan. I do not believe that targeting the $200,000 salary range for a single person and the $250,000 range for a family with more tax consequences will he...
Comments 7
By Jeannette Neerpat, e-Pro Coral Springs/Parkland Real Estate
(CondoDomain.com)
OK I am sitting here updating my Blogs and reading everyone elses. Now knowing this, I have a very busy day ahead. My son has his opening cermonies for his little league at the Sports complex starting at 11am. I have buyers starting at 2:30, heading in Tamarac, Sunrise and Plantation. I have a bunch of cleaning to do here at home. And where am I sitting at? In front of the computer GLUED to ACTIVERAIN!! Why is this placed so Addicting? I need to go into rehab or something!!! So many times I get put behind in schedule because I can't seem to pull myself away from here!!! So I am going to try to pull away now and get to cleaning before I head out to the park and then buyers!! So give me a little time. Anyone else as addicted as I am? Can you pull away easily? I know it may take me a littl...
Comments 14
By Kris Kombrink ~ The Kombrink Team
(RE/MAX Excels - Chicago's Western Suburbs)
Here we are, the morning of March 1, 2009 - can you believe it?  This year is flying by.  I look forward to the start of each new month though.  It's a day I can take time to look at the past month, crunch some numbers and see where we stand. Now don't get me wrong, I despise the actual gathering of data and entering into spreadsheets and charts.  But this is what must be done in order to be able to stand back and get a visualiztion of your business. I gather all sorts of stats for our team; the normal business stats (# of closings, contracts, listing appointments v. listings taken), I also track our internet traffic, leads, production compared to other top local agents, production in general for our service areas...the list is endless. After years of this monthly routine, it pays off. ...
Comments 5
By Lana Bell, ONE Sotheby's Realty Sunny Isles Beach Branch
(ONE Sotheby's International Realty)
I have no doubt everyone is now aware of the fiasco going on in real estate because of America’s financial crisis. Of all the industries getting hit, real estate has taken a nasty fall. After all, this is an industry built on the concept of feeling safe and secure. The idea that residents could lose their home or mortgage has people running scared — and running back to renting. The national average is that prices are down about 40% at this time. Even in Southern California (where it never rains) home sales prices are down 30% from their peak, which is the worst it’s been since the 1990s. Paying less for a home should be less of a burden, right? However, the real estate industry hurts most when prices are down. So that leads us to the question: should you buy a house now, when prices are...
Comments 1
By Leesa Finley, RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate
(RED Properties)
Beginning March 1, 2009, all rental property owners will be required to register their rental properties under Article H: of the City of Raleigh Code.  Properties will then need to renew annually during the same time period.  March 1 - April 30. This rental registration will create a database that will promote responsible management, assist in providing a safe habitat for residents and neighbors of rental dwellings, safeguard property values and expedite repair of residential housing accommodations.  The database may also be used to improve contact in case of emergency by Police, Fire, EMS or Inspections. The fee for registration is $30.00 for the first unit on the property and then $10 per unit for each additional on the same parcel.  Those who do not register their rental units could ...
Comments 18
By Joseph D. Federico, Eastern Massachusetts Real Estate
(Donahue Real Estate Co.)
Jamaica Plain, Mass. Condo- Market Report                                    In February of 2009 there were 9 condos that closed within the month for Jamaica Plain, MA. This is a decrease of 3 units as there were 12 condos that closed in February of 2008. The Average list price for the condos that closed in Jamaica Plain for February of 2008 was $469,633 The Average sale price for the condos that closed in Jamaica Plain for February of 2009 was $280,556 The Average sale price for the condos that closed in Jamaica Plain for February of 2008 was $453,325 The Average Market time for the condos that closed in Jamaica Plain in February of 2009 was 90 days. The Average Market time for the condos that closed in Jamaica Plain in February of 2008 was 126 days. The Average price per square foot f...
Comments 0
By Barbara Martino-Sliva, Top Producer, Vero Beach Real Estate Vero Beach Homes for Sale
(Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.)
                                            OCEANFRONT HOMES FOR SALE IN VERO BEACH FLORIDA                     THE CHARMING SEASIDE VILLAGE OF VERO BEACH FLORIDA                           VERO BEACH MUSEUM OF ART AND RIVERSIDE THEATRE The WALL STREET JOURNAL just posted a wonderful article on MY VERO BEACH FLORIDA!         LAURA LANDRO captured the quality of our lives here in VERO BEACH FLORIDA!                                         Please read her article in the link below:                                               AN UNSUNG FLORIDA GETAWAY                 PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VERO BEACH                                               www.VeroPremierProperties.com                                Please visit my Vero Beach Real Estate Blog                ...
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By Janie Coffey, Uniting Extraordinary Homes w/ Extraordinary Lives
(First Coast Sotheby’s International Realty)
Yes, I consider myself a little techie, I like all the new things that come out and love trying them out, but when I first heard of Twitter my response went something like this "Huh?  Why would I want to write about the minutia of my day and more importantly, why would anyone care?".  I went ahead and set up an account (@JanieC), but really didn't get the hang of it and lost interest quickly.  Months later I decided to try it out again and found a great tool which I think was the start of my "getting it", TweetDeck.  TweetDeck made all the difference in the world.  In the regular twitter.com environment, the tweets of the people you follow just keep coming and you loose track quickly and miss possibly important "posts".  TweetDeck allows you to have up to 10 panes open so you can have a...
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By Ben Kolkman, Real Estate Author & REALTOR, Southwest Minneapolis & Edina Minnesota
Last Condo Left in Historic St. Paul MansionLocation: Irving ParkRare Opportunity! Complete the interior restoration and build out of this important and historic town home unit. Price includes build out. 3 of 4 units have sold; this is the last one left! 2-story unit on the south side of the building featuring extraordinary views of the Mississippi, 11-ft ceilings, original banister, and over 2000 sq ft. Landscape and grounds are complete. Completely gutted internally, and historically preserved on the outside, this one of a kind opportunity remains connected to St. Paul's early history, while affording the new ower a chance to create their very own unique interior. The offering price includes standard finishes.Built in 1886 by noted St. Paul architect Edward Payson Bassford, the Histor...
Comments 0
By Bob Neussendorfer
(NP Dodge Real Estate/NAI NPDodge Commercial Real Estate Services)
I want to share with everybody a fantastic program for quick liquidation of your commercial real estate investments.  This program is designed to sell and close your property in as little as 100 days and has an incredible 85% successful close rate with a 7% followup close rate.  That means this marketing program has hit an amazing 92% success rate. Even though I am located in Omaha Nebraska, through NAI Global Commercial Real Estate we can make this program work anywhere.  No matter where you are located, locally, nationally or internationally, we can deliver fast quality service to help successfully sell and close your investment assets. Give this short presentation a read and call me at 402-660-7355 or email me at bneussendorfer@npdodge.com for further information.  Let's get your inv...
Comments 0
By Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES, Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living
(Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch!)
     If you are thinking about buying a home or land for personal or investment use, or you are thinking about selling in Hernando County, Florida, including the communities and neighborhoods of Hernando Beach, Weeki Wachee, Brooksville and Spring Hill, Glen Lakes, Timber Pines, Silverthorn, Seven Hills, Sterling Hill, Pristine Place, and Southern Hills Plantation and you want to work with a local area Realtor who knows these neighborhoods please contact me.
Comments 10
By D B, e-PRO, Realtor - Bucks County PA - 610-952-3578
The other day I was in a Macomb County MI real estate office (I won't share which office) when I overheard a conversation taking place by an agent and his buyers (paraphrasing below):Let's just write the offer and get it accepted.  We know it really doesn't stand a chance getting past the appraiser price wise, so at that point we'll just go back and tell the seller that they have to accept the appraised price. It took all I could to not go into that adjoining conference room and give my 2 cents about this tactic.    In my opinion I would not be representing my clients interests if we took this tactic for several reasons:   First, my clients will be paying out of pocket for a home inspection and an appraisal.  Secondly, a seller never has to renegotiate a purchase price once it has been ...
Comments 1
By D B, e-PRO, Realtor - Bucks County PA - 610-952-3578
ActiveRain Founder/CEO Jonathan Washburn made a statement a while back in his ActiveRain blog article, "10 Steps to Localism Success": 5. Do not post a bunch of self serving marketing material on the bottom of your post: If a home buyer or seller finds your information interesting they will figure out how to contact you.  Also, our editors highly downgrade posts with built in - self serving marketing messages. I've covered this particular subject on a number of previous occasions: "Removing Your Own SPAM"  "How to Sabotage Your Own Blog"  "Don't turn Your Blog into a Refrigerator Magnet!" Obviously, as you can tell by these articles, like Jonathan, I'm not a big fan of 'over-the-top' blatant self-promotion within the context of blog posts, especially ones that are written and geo-target...
Comments 1
By D B, e-PRO, Realtor - Bucks County PA - 610-952-3578
I was inspired by Lenn  Harley's recent post "Get Out Of Bed And Go To Work In The Morning, Even If It's Just Down The Hall" . In it, Lenn gives us ten ways for Realtors to get back in touch with the basics of our business and how to weather the current housing market. But of the 10 excellent suggestions Lenn makes, they all fall apart if we don't do the first one - get out of bed and go to work in the morning even if it's just down the hall. Real estate isn't the right job for a lot of people, even though a lot of people seem to think it is. If you're not a self-starter, if you can't motivate yourself and monitor your own activity - then this might not be the business for you. Many of us got into the business because it affords us a certain degree of freedom and flexibility. We can set...
Comments 0
By Loreena and Michael Yeo, Real Estate Agents
(3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co.)
A while back, I wrote Does Your Business Name Set a Minimum Standard? In this post, I explained how my business name came about. For those of you who know the John 3:16 bible scripture would immediately connect with the business name, but 3:16 team REALTY is really built on 1 John 3:16 which I'm paraphrasing in my own context, Now I know what Love is because of what Christ did for me. It's my turn to give a life for those I serve. I would be first to promise you that this is not a biblical post written on Active Rain. I have always shared how Christianity and Real Estate could work together. I am want us to be real - that there are real estate professionals that decided to take the cross right into their business. It's not one or the other. We are all one. What we are, what we believe i...
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