Archives of real estate blog entries for August 01, 2008

Featured blog posts


By Gary Woltal, Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth
(Keller Williams Realty)
Some things in life are easier for me. I don't know why, but they just are. Take like having fun. Fun is very easy for me. Trust me, I have monumental problems under the surface that I deal with on a daily and yearly basis but I find a way to have fun each day despite this. With the real estate market in the doldrums, I will share my simple STEP BY STEP TO BEING A HAPPY CAMPER GUIDE. Do this and you will achieve more happiness in your life. Step 1: Write down on a list what is fun for you to do in your life. Step 2: Do a lot more of what is on the list in Step 1. There. Your rocket scientist guru friend has given you the magic formula. I will tell you this. As simple as this is, people don't follow this advice. Check out the last week. How many fun things did you do? Well look at your s...
Comments 121
By Debbie DiFonzo, Lebanon MO and Buffalo Missouri Real Estate
(Debbie DiFonzo - United Country VIP Realty, SW Missouri)
I think I may be in big trouble! Sharon Simms mentioned Seth Godin's new site, "Tribes" a day or so ago. At that time I had also received my invitation but had not done anything with it. I finally got around to looking at it tonight - and, boy oh boy - sleep is going right out the window. Very similar to Active Rain, Triiibes is set up on the premise of just that - we all lead our own "tribes." Be it our family, our employees, our civic groups. We interact with tribal characteristics. We band together to get the job done. Triiibes does offer a blogging plat form, but it is more than that. It is a little bit Twitter, a little dash of Flickr, a little dab of YouTube all rolled into one. Triiibes goes beyond the real estate arena into all facets of marketing, technology and small business ...
Comments 43
By Mark Eibner, CRS, ePro,GRI
(Metro Brokers Realty Oasis)
After attending a conference like Inman Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, for so many years, you become somewhat numb to the goings on of the event. So when I received these Inman notes from a first time attender, I found it interesting as to what the take-away was for this person. The person has asked to remain unknown, but allowed me to share their thoughts. I feel it's an excellent review and lets me know that I am still on track. One thing for sure, the information comes flying at you like a firehose shoved in your mouth. Inman Real Estate Connect Notes - San Francisco - 2008 A. Overview Inman conferences started in 1996 at Brad Inman's home with a few key people in the Information Technology and Real Estate space and wife, Veronica. Brad, a reporter, wanted to publish all the ...
Comments 18
By Lisa Ryan, Selling Princeton,West Windsor and Montgomery Town
(Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty)
Broker Agent News just had an article this week that offered 7 Hot Open House Tips.  I followed the general concept of the article with my tips for a successful open house.  I held an open house this past Sunday, and despite a tornado warning and heavy rains that knocked my signs down, I still wound up having very successful day. Take these tips and add a few of your favorite ideas and make your next open house a success too. Lisa Ryan's Tips 1.  Advertise a lot, then advertise some more. Luckily my company will pay for an open house ad in the Sunday paper.  But that's just the beginning of my advertising.  I advertise on Realtor.com, nytimes.com, Craig's list, post on V flyers and Postlets (both of which feed to multiple other websites), and of course on my Active Rain blog. 2.  Embrac...
Comments 130
By Larry Bettag, Vice-President of National Production
(Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001)
Your personality.  Your consistency.  Your topics.  YOUR ETHICS.  These are all important factors in getting you out there in the community.  I'm not really sure why I've had a lot of success on AR.  I'd like to believe that the most predominant factors are my education, consistency and ethics.  While communicating to the world, I have been able to get some appropriate exposure and actually take and close deals all through AR. Last night I recieved my 11th deal since joining AR.  Last week I closed my 10th.  If I were to quantify the revenue, I'd say that it's over 30K in revenue since I've joined.  That's great for my 1/2 hour per day.  It really is.  I didn't get any sort of activity for the first 4 months.  I think that the persistence in getting your name out there is important.  Co...
Comments 89
By Brad Andersohn, ActiveBrad - 707.646.1876
(Retired Executive Director of Education at eXp)
I received a comment today from Trunda Rogers-Dallas County asking, "I got everything down except the bookmarking. It's probably super simple but I haven't found an icon for saving posts. Can you point me in the right direction?" So let me share with you, there are 3 ways to do this: 1. The first way: Under every post, there is a Bookmark Icon By simply clicking on the icon it will add that particular post to your ActiveRain Bookmarks which can then be accessed by going to "My Home" and then "My Bookmarks" the link is located down on the lower left side of your My Home Page. This is very limited as you can't sort, group, or manage posts as you might like to. The more you add, the harder they are to find and utilize. They also get re-sorted as comments are made, making it even more chal...
Comments 139
History of REALTOR.com (Excerpted from Realtor.org website)"In November 1996, the Board of Directors of the National Association of REALTORS® approved an agreement between the REALTORS® Information Network (RIN)—NAR’s wholly-owned subsidiary--and RealSelect, Inc. to take over the operations of NAR’s official Internet site, REALTOR.com. At the time, many business models were considered to finance the development of REALTOR.com. NAR’s Leadership Team decided against using dues dollars or asking for a special assessment of the membership to fund REALTOR.com. While Homestore and its investors have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build and operate REALTOR.com, no NAR funds or NAR member dues dollars have ever been used for the creation or operation of the site." It is now time for t...
Comments 101
By Audrey June-Forshey, GRI, Gaithersburg, MD
(RE/MAX Realty Services)
    You know the saying.  You go Girl.  It is kind of like the female version of that jump in the air high five thingy?  Whatever you guys call it?!!  It is something that we say to women when they show us their strengths and that they have overcome or accomplished something major in their lives.  We all know that we are stronger than we realize, just sometimes we need a little nudge.  So this story will be about women and their strengths when it comes to home ownership.  I work with many first time homebuyers.  I love them, they are eager to learn the process from start to finish and they are so proud at the sucess of their first home.  It is so cool when that happens.  Not to pick on the guys, but I think some women are not sure about this subject. For single women though, I think som...
Comments 73
By Claudia Wicks
(Real Estate Base Camp)
In our new business planning class, we have agents look at budgeting as an essential piece of business planning. That may sound obvious, when creating a business plan, but I have been amazed at how many agents don't know their income YTD or their expenses YTD.  The new 2008 NAR Member Profile has some interesting info in it as a comparison. The median expense for agents is $6580 annually. That is down 11% this year from last year. The Median income for agents is also down: Annual Income Median Gross Income:                 Agents:                $32,900 Median Net Income after expenses:                 Agents:                $21,000  15% earned over $75,000 (net) 11% earned over $100,000 (net) 3% earned over $200,000 (net) So, how are agents spending their money? The median expense for ...
Comments 22
By Pam Pugmire, Meridian Idaho Real Estate
(Silvercreek Realty Group)
I have never considered myself a natural Writer.  So you can imagine my angst when I was told that I needed to BLOG to increase my SEO.  (What is SEO? is what I thought at the time.)  Never one to back down from a challenge however, I joined Active Rain and began my journey.  My first posts were torturous, and I am so thankful all the comments were kind and not brutally honest!  Something happened as I began to read the blogs of some fantastic, talented writers that happen to also be involved in the Real Estate Industry.  I began to get ideas of how to improve my writing.  "Maybe I should add paragraphs? " "It would look a lot better if I added a picture or two." "I should expound on my ideas, not just state them in one sentence."  I also got very intimidated, and was scared to write be...
Comments 135

Blog posts


As a first-time homebuyer, you're facing many questions about homeownership. Can I afford it? Will I qualify for financing? Where should I live? I wanted to take a minute and outline five distinct benefits of owning a home, for your consideration: 1. Pride of Ownership. Owning your own home gives you a feeling of satisfaction and personal pride.2. Financial Predictability. As opposed to renting, the amount of your payment never changes with a fixed interest rate.3. Decorating. You're free to decorate, remodel, refinish and accessorize!4. Tax Benefits. Deduct the cost of home mortgage interest and property taxes from your yearly income tax. In fact, some tax benefits are specifically designed for first-time buyers.5. Security and Privacy. With homeownership comes stability, and living in...
Comments 0
Tony Brust | Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty | tony@tonybrust.com | 309-208-7748 2220 Autumn, Pekin, IL 3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS WITH A PARITALLY FINISHED BASEMENT. RELAX OUTDOORS ON THIS LARGE DECK AND ENJOY THE GARDEN VIEW. 3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $149,900 Year Built 1976 Sq Footage 1,440 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 10,200 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace Family room Living room Bonus/Rec room Refrigerator Stove/Oven Microwave Basement COMMUNITY FEATURES Garage parking ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Seller contact info: Tony Brust Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty tony@tonybrust.com 309-208-7748 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Jul 31, ...
Comments 0
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 CHICAGO, IL - Move over lawyers, mortgage brokers have joined the ranks of the most hated professions. With millions of homeowners falling into foreclosure, many people believe the mortgage industry is at fault. At least that's what Lisa LaShawn** believes. Her company, Outrageous Enterprises, LLC owns www.IHateMortgageBrokers.com and www.AngryMobTshirts.com. Both websites feature (supposedly) funny T-shirts and other products aimed at the mortgage industry. Visitors can also sign an online petition to demand stronger regulation of the mortgage industry. "Victims of the foreclosure crisis are getting slammed on the TV and radio," Lisa says. "If I had a dollar for every time Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck said ‘It's not my fault they bought homes they...
Comments 2
As a first-time home buyer, to help you keep your sanity, I'd like to make a quick recommendation: Do as much planning as possible. From the moment you think about buying a home, start planning. First, start by requesting a copy of your credit report. Please call me if you need help with this, as I have access to several sources. We'll carefully examine the report for errors, and clean up any faulty errors. If you're currently renting, be sure to check your lease for an early release clause. It may be necessary to time your closing to the expiration of your lease. Consider your life goals over the next five to seven years. Do you plan to start a family, or add to it? Will an in-law eventually move in with you? Will you be working from home? We will then look for a floor plan that meets ...
Comments 0
By Tracy Santrock, Raleigh - Cary Broker
(Santrock Realty Group Inc. ,)
Tax Free Weekend is here!  This year, it is August 1-4. My daughter, Jordan, will be a senior this year and, with the exception of college, this is my last trip to the malls to go shopping for "Back-to-School" before college.  This is a great weekend.  I don't like to shop, and I really don't like shopping at peak times when so many others are shopping. However, I take exception to this weekend.  Even though you only save 7.5%, and it's only on designated items, many retailers that offer goods not on the list match the incentive to get prospecive shoppers through the door.  Here's a  List Of Items Exempt During The Sales Tax Holiday Clothing - Clothing with a sales price of $100.00 or less per item. "Sport or recreational equipment with a sales price of $50.00 or less per item. "Sport o...
Comments 8
By Steve Saunders
(e2 Property)
Scarcity: (1) Insufficiency of amount or supply (2) A trap of FEAR (F-alse E-xpectations A-ppearing R-eal) A majority of America is trapped in a mindset of Scarcity.  This is true for everything from the air we breath to money we save for retirement.  The ice cap is melting, we are running out of air and I can't save enough for retirement. The popular mindset and theory on retirement is to save up as much money as you can and then die before you run out of money.  I don't know about you but I don't want living too long to be a defeat.  People get trapped in the mindset that "I can only make money if someone else looses money."  When you are stuck in this mindset you miss the opportunities to make more money and not have to worry about running out of money.  Your only thought is to hord ...
Comments 0
By Mark Eibner, CRS, ePro,GRI
(Metro Brokers Realty Oasis)
After attending a conference like Inman Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, for so many years, you become somewhat numb to the goings on of the event. So when I received these Inman notes from a first time attender, I found it interesting as to what the take-away was for this person. The person has asked to remain unknown, but allowed me to share their thoughts. I feel it's an excellent review and lets me know that I am still on track. One thing for sure, the information comes flying at you like a firehose shoved in your mouth. Inman Real Estate Connect Notes - San Francisco - 2008 A. Overview Inman conferences started in 1996 at Brad Inman's home with a few key people in the Information Technology and Real Estate space and wife, Veronica. Brad, a reporter, wanted to publish all the ...
Comments 18
By Kathy McGraw, Riverside County CA Real Estate
(CELLing Realty)
You just gotta love Active Rain......they fix one thing and another breaks.  Reminds me of a cartoon plumber.  The last couple of days (or maybe just yesterday and today) I was commenting and noticing something missing..... Yep most of the Posts didn't have that little fruit thing we had to do before pressing submit.  Hey, I liked that....especially since I didn't always get the dang graphics right and would have to redo them anyway.  So tonight (actually it's 5 in the morning) I was on one Post and I had to do a graphic and another where there wasn't one...... So, how does this work.....who get the fruits and who doesn't... LOL :)  As for me, I hope they never fix that particular broken part of our Rain :)
Comments 25
History of REALTOR.com (Excerpted from Realtor.org website)"In November 1996, the Board of Directors of the National Association of REALTORS® approved an agreement between the REALTORS® Information Network (RIN)—NAR’s wholly-owned subsidiary--and RealSelect, Inc. to take over the operations of NAR’s official Internet site, REALTOR.com. At the time, many business models were considered to finance the development of REALTOR.com. NAR’s Leadership Team decided against using dues dollars or asking for a special assessment of the membership to fund REALTOR.com. While Homestore and its investors have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build and operate REALTOR.com, no NAR funds or NAR member dues dollars have ever been used for the creation or operation of the site." It is now time for t...
Comments 101
By Barry Owen
(Pareto Realty)
This message is for those agents who are relatively new to our business and have not yet found their "comfort zone of confidence" when negotiating deals and navigating through transactions. I know there is much uncertainty and even FEAR - Will you do the right thing? Will you advise your client well? What will happen if you goof? Will everyone LIKE YOU when it is all over? What if your client does not get what he/she wants? When you REALLY NEED THAT COMMISSION, the fear factor goes UP exponentially . . . so my first counsel to a new agent is to ERASE YOUR PERSONAL NEEDS from the scenario. I have learned that the more I NEED . . . The more difficult things become. I believe success (and deals) RUN AWAY when the agent is desperate for it to close. Case in point - I had a BIG DEAL several ...
Comments 3
By Carol Clay, Broker/REALTOR, Brevard NC Real Estate Specialist
(Looking Glass Realty)
I'm curious about Google Ad Words and what sort of results people get from them. Do they generate leads and are you converting those leads to buyers and sellers....who are actually at the closing table? The other big question is whether or not people are managing them on their own, or if they are going through a 3rd party, like a web hosting company. I'd be interested in any success...or failure stories that we can all learn from. Thanks!
Comments 8
By Larry Bettag, Vice-President of National Production
(Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001)
Your personality.  Your consistency.  Your topics.  YOUR ETHICS.  These are all important factors in getting you out there in the community.  I'm not really sure why I've had a lot of success on AR.  I'd like to believe that the most predominant factors are my education, consistency and ethics.  While communicating to the world, I have been able to get some appropriate exposure and actually take and close deals all through AR. Last night I recieved my 11th deal since joining AR.  Last week I closed my 10th.  If I were to quantify the revenue, I'd say that it's over 30K in revenue since I've joined.  That's great for my 1/2 hour per day.  It really is.  I didn't get any sort of activity for the first 4 months.  I think that the persistence in getting your name out there is important.  Co...
Comments 89
By Audrey June-Forshey, GRI, Gaithersburg, MD
(RE/MAX Realty Services)
    You know the saying.  You go Girl.  It is kind of like the female version of that jump in the air high five thingy?  Whatever you guys call it?!!  It is something that we say to women when they show us their strengths and that they have overcome or accomplished something major in their lives.  We all know that we are stronger than we realize, just sometimes we need a little nudge.  So this story will be about women and their strengths when it comes to home ownership.  I work with many first time homebuyers.  I love them, they are eager to learn the process from start to finish and they are so proud at the sucess of their first home.  It is so cool when that happens.  Not to pick on the guys, but I think some women are not sure about this subject. For single women though, I think som...
Comments 73
By Charles (Chuck) Crooker
(CROOKERHANCOX HOME INSPECTIONS INC.)
  Do you have Windows XP? Do you use Outlook Express for mail? If you do, then I have a great solution for you. Sometimes I get 10 to 25 [BULK] emails a day trying to sell me whatever. I haven't been getting them in my Inbox for a year or so because I re-direct them. What a relief! Someone told me about this quite some time ago and just today I made a tutorial on how to insert a path or channel for all your [BULK] mail to go into. It is easy to install and if you want to, then you can print it out to follow it very easily. I will put it at the bottom of this message. You should print it out for future use in case of a re-install of Windows when you buy a new system. You will not mess anything up by using or installing it. You should be able to print it on one page or just do it while yo...
Comments 0
By Carol Swain, Realtor, -www.swainsells.com- Bucks County, Pa
(Keller Williams Real Estate)
Since the market has changed, I have had to find new sources of business.  I have always been a big fan of networking, and I have a group set up that I am in.  And I network in my social groups as well.   So last January, I decided to go to our local mall (which is right across the street from the office).  I was going to talk to individuals that work at the different department stores.  I started off at Boscov's.  Of course I ended up buying some things.  I get to the cashier, and we are talking.  Then she asks for ID to go with my credit card.  All of sudden, she says wait!  Your Carol Swain, the Realtor.  You don't need ID.  She recognized me.  Then she went into how she wants to sell her home in the upcoming spring market, because she wants to move to Florida. She gave me her phone ...
Comments 4
By Diane Aurit, Lake Norman Real Estate
(LKN Realty, LLC)
    To an outsider driving down Main Street in Troutman (on the northeast side of Lake Norman), population 1749, Julia's Talley House Restaurant looks like just another charming older home in this quaint town.  But, the locals know better!  If you want to experience true, home-style Southern cooking in a cozy and even homey restaurant, there is simply no where better than Julia's Talley House Restaurant.   Like many of the great eateries frequented by mostly long-time local residents around Lake Norman,  Julia's has wonderful,  truly authentic, family-style Southern food and is one of THE places to go if you are from around these parts.  I only found out about it because my SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) Board meetings are held there once of month.  See, our board is half from Statesville ...
Comments 14
By Tim and Pam Cash, Real Estate Professionals - Clarksville TN
(Crye-Leike (Sango))
I guess it would be a good time to hold stock in the oil industry right? When will we realize that the ‘oil crisis' in not a crisis,  but rather a scheme by the oil companies and lobbiest.  How many ‘RECORD PROFIT' quarters must  Americans endure before something is done?  Or is it simply the ‘American Way'?  I have been screaming foul for over a year now - when the public first cried back three years ago, I was driving a diesel pickup - why you might ask?  Because diesel COSTS LESS TO PRODUCE and therefore was cheaper at the pump.  That was until the public outcry.  When this first erupted, many people did not see the bait and switch game that the oil companies did. I saw it, as did any other diesel powered vehicle owner.  They simply switched the prices - worked for them.  They got th...
Comments 3
Yep, it's a hard job right now, but somebody has to do it.  You really want to be at the beach, or mountains enjoying yourself.  But your made your mind up. This market isn't going to defeat you! What a great attitude to have, this world is a better place for it!  But have you looked into crystal ball and thought about what others are going through?  Many of your neighbors and friends are having it tough too.  Maybe they work for a supply house or a local service organization, it seems most of us are feeling a little less comfortable these days.  So, looking for something to do, something that can make you feel good and maybe help your wallet? Each year, somewhere there are many disasters.  Floods, storms, heavy snows, etc... find their way into our daily lives.  Flooding in the heartl...
Comments 1
Not long ago, Marketing Pilgrim posted about some Hitwise data on real estate search terms and real estate web sites. As expected Realtor.com did very well ranking #1 as both the most visited real estate web site and the most used real estate search term. This wasn’t much of a surprise to those in the real estate industry. What surprised some (and still confuses me) is the list of most visited real estate web sites. Continue Reading
Comments 4
By Russ Ravary ~ Metro Detroit Realtor call (248) 310-6239, Michigan homes for sale ~ yesmyrealtor@gmail.com
(Real Estate One)
Plymouth, MI What a great place to visit There's always something going on in Downtown Plymouth Michigan! This weekend, the fun begins on Friday night when Paul King's Rhythm Society takes the stage at 7:00p.m for the free Friday night Music in the Air concert series in Kellogg Park. This 16 piece band specializes in true vintage swing music.   Condos that overlook Kellog ParkSaturday is Kidpalooza! in Downtown. Children ages 6-12 are invited to explore Downtown through a fun treasure hunt with games, activities & prizes! Registration begins in Kellogg Park at 10 a.m. The event lasts until 4:00p.m. and participation is free. Plymouth's Farmer's Market is Saturday from 7:30a.m - 12:30a.m. at the Gathering next to Kellogg Park on Penniman Avenue. Find fresh, locally produced vegetables, f...
Comments 1
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