Archives of real estate blog entries for May 01, 2008

Featured blog posts


By Kris Wales, Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI
(Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center)
I have a very simple plan for the bank owners of foreclosed homes in Macomb County and the entire Metro Detroit area. In fact, it's so simple that the banks probably won't even consider it, let alone put it into practice.Part 1: Turn the utilities on. Pay $40-$60 per month to keep the heat on at a minimal temperature, and to keep the electricity on for sump pumps, security and a potential buyers comfort while viewing the homes. Part 2: Hire local unemployed contractors and handymen/women to take care of urgent repairs. IE roof leaks, mildew/mold removal, broken windows.              That's it. There are no more steps to my plan. With 2 simple steps the banks would realize thousands more in sales prices, and local unemployed people would be gainfully employed and contributing to the econ...
Comments 62
By Spencer Rascoff
(Zillow)
I was talking to a real estate broker friend of mine (who also owns a mortgage brokerage) earlier this week about Zillow Mortgage Marketplace (see my earlier post here) and he said something interesting to me. He said that his mortgage brokers are having good success finding borrowers through Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, and that he had hired a junior loan officer just to respond to Loan Requests on Zillow. But he said that he was going to do a better job encouraging his loan officers to quote more competitive rates in line with the effort required from the channel. His point was that it's important to keep your margin in line with your costs. So if a potential borrower comes to you and appears likely to require a lot of work before collecting a fee (either because of the channel they'v...
Comments 34
By Midori Miller, Online Marketing For Real Estate Professionals
(Talk 2 Midori, LLC)
Ok, you have probably heard me say it before about some of my online crushes, yes I have many, all of them so dreamy and so talented. Sounds like I am a wild child, well yes I am but the funny thing is even with all of these crushes I am still devoted to one man...the love of my life...the computer scientist. The computer scientist sometimes nags me and sometimes he gets very jealous.. You see my online crushes are talent crushes and I have to say since blogging I spend more time reading and reading. We both love information and one day I asked him to send me to a new talent crush, why because I want to be a better blogger, I want more readers... I love writing..now all I need to do is understand some of the intricate parts of blogging. He was happy to help me but at the same time wonde...
Comments 44
By Todd Clark - Retired, Principle Broker Oregon
(eXp Realty LLC)
I love to hear the first part... that someone found me on Activerain. But the second part, about can our agent do this? Oh, I hate to hear that, because I usually know that it isn't good, and more than likely, it is going to be a legal question that I can't answer anyway.Well, today's question that was brought to me was this...Myself: Thank you for calling this is Todd, how can I serve you today?Seller: Todd, my name is blank and we have a home for sale and we found your name on Activerain.Myself: Great, how can I help today then?Seller: We have a question for you about our agent and if he can do what he did or not.Myself: Well, more than likely this is going to be a legal question and I may have to refer you to the state, I can get you that number.Seller: Ok, but let me run by our scen...
Comments 64

Blog posts


By Richard Carpentieri, GRI, ABR, PRM, e-PRO
(Keller Williams Realty)
Poinciana is located in the southern section of the Kissimmee real estate market off of Pleasant Hill Rd.  There has been 75 single family houses sold in the 1st quarter of 2008.  They sold for prices ranging from $85,000 to $224,900 with a square footage range of 759 to 2,846.  There are presently 114 houses that are pending closing.  They range in size from 810 square feet to 3,897 square feet and have asking prices from $55,000 to $245,850.There are a total of 1,130 houses on the market ranging in size from 880 to 3,985 square feet with asking prices ranging form $69,900 to $499,900.  Of these 1,130 single family dwellings available, 61 of them have asking prices of $100,000 or lower.Considering the amount of houses sold in the 1st quarter of 2008, the saturation rate, (the amount of...
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By Barbara Martino-Sliva, Top Producer, Vero Beach Real Estate Vero Beach Homes for Sale
(Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.)
  Very Private Courtyard Home in the gated island community of "OLD ORCHID".                  9455 W. Maiden Court "OLD ORCHID" Vero Beach Florida                                     Please join us on Sunday, May 4, 2008                                                  1:00  -   4:00       Your private piece of paradise in "Old Orchid". This Mediterranean style Courtyard home has a detached guest houseand a private pool.  3 Bedrooms, Den, 3.5 Baths, Wide and SpaciousOpen Plan with most rooms opening into this charming and romanticCourtyard.  Offered at $535,000. Barbara Martino-Sliva, Realtor, TRC, e-PROThorpe/Sotheby's International RealtyBARBARA@martino-sliva.com Please visit me on my website;   www.VeroPremierProperties.com Take a tour of this "Courtyard Home";  www.RealEstateShows.c...
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By Richard Weisser, Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional
(Richard Weisser Realty)
I, and most of my friends and neighbors, have a common bond with the citizens of Beijing China. Both Beijing and Atlanta share the privilege of being Olympic sister cities. You may or may not care about the games themselves, but the Olympics are bigger than you can ever imagine. The amount of building and preparation needed for a 17 day event is unfathomable. Venues must be constructed, transportation had to be provided, security has to be implemented and the athletes, fans, and media from around the world have to be accommodated. I was the broker at CENTURY 21 Intown in downtown Atlanta, and was able to witness every step of the process firsthand. It was amazing to see the permanent changes to the landscape of downtown Atlanta. And the games themselves were phenomenal. The crowds were ...
Comments 14
By Steve Harless
(Resolution Realty)
Active rainers! Ever want to know a fast way to make a banner or cut and paste design? try this....   In the upper right of your keyboard, press the key on your keyboard titled "print screen" then go to your paint program and click the rectangular box. next step is to right click on your mouse, then when it says "paste", go ahead and click it... what you will have will be a snapshot of what you are looking at! pretty neat? huh? You will be able to cut and paste your message into a button, or banner and create your desired message. take time to work with it for a while...After all, Rome was not built in a day. quick example below Be well..and good luck with this NEW and exciting tool that your learned on ACTIVE RAIN..hope this helps all real estate agents nationwide, as it will help the ...
Comments 30
By Joyce Thomas, Your Home Sold Guaranteed!
(The Thomas Group Brokered by eXp Realty)
As the housing market in certain areas such as Florida continues to decline, makes buying a second home in the US a great investment for international buyers.  In fact, NAR statistics state that in Florida, 65% of Realtors had foreign clients purchasing homes in Florida.  And, 15% of all home sales in Florida, now involve foreign purchasers.  That also says that now is one of the best times for us, US citizens to buy a second home in Florida....or Arizona or Nevada - where the housing slump has also affected sales.  www.thomasteam.info
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So my home selling pets, would you like to pick a home stager to regularly work with, but are not sure which in the bunch to hire? Plus does it seem as if daily there are more and more staging bananas out there to pick from? Well, you are right; it can be a tough to know which stager you should bring to your seller, especially since staging is still a relatively new service offered in most parts of the USA. You are also right if you noticed that there are many new bananas rapidly joining the staging bunch.To make a wise and informed choice, that best serves you and your sellers, you need to understand that a "professional stager" may just be an average green Jane or Joe who just fell out of a training tree. Many stagers are newly transformed into "professionals" merely due to the fact t...
Comments 36
Here are the listings that were added or changed on 4/30/08 LastUpdateType   ListPrice FullStreetAddress                          City                    ListingID           Subdivision                             PARTY $369,900 15761 EDGEWOOD DR DUMFRIES PW6524430 COUNTRY CLUB OTHER $369,000 4162 TALON DR DUMFRIES PW6745255 DAVIS ESTATES OTHER $1,600 17452 ISLE ROYALE TER DUMFRIES PW6638608 FOREST PARK PARTY $1,600 3995 MAMMOTH CAVE LOOP DUMFRIES PW6636979 FOREST PARK NEW $249,900 17506 VICTORIA FALLS DR DUMFRIES PW6744680 FOREST PARK OTHER $350,000 17415 GRANT COTTAGE DR DUMFRIES PW6554807 FOREST PARK OTHER $520,000 17669 FOUR SEASONS DR DUMFRIES PW6745531 FOUR SEASONS IN HISTORIC PRICE $599,900 17586 DEWEYS RUN LN DUMFRIES PW6656752 HAMPSTEAD LANDING PRICE $299,900 18001 WILMER PORT...
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By Joyce Thomas, Your Home Sold Guaranteed!
(The Thomas Group Brokered by eXp Realty)
Well the market is still not back to normal, but it's getting there.  The stastitics for March for existing home sales is down 19% from March of 2007.  What we are seeing is that mortgage rates are at all time lows.  However, due to the major changes in lending, many buyers still cannot qualify for a loan based on these guidelines.  At the same time, there are still a large number of homes for buyers to choose from when purchasing a home.  On the bright side, serious buyers are still out there and still purchasing homes.  And unless a seller has to move, sellers are still getting equity in their homes.  The key:  Don't be in a hurry to move unless you absolutely have to.  Now is the time to buy if you can qualify.  To view all homes for sale in the Miami Valley, visit www.thomasteam.info.
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By Matt Huband- OBX Realty Group-From Corolla To Hatteras, Celebrating 17yrs Working With Buyers and Sellers
(OBX Realty Group)
The judge in the ORV Beach Access Lawsuit finally signed the temporary settlement agreement that was reached last week. Below is the outline of the agreement from the Island Free Pressalong with closure guidelines and maps showing the areas that will be part of the settlement. The battle is still ongoing until 2010 as a final ORV plan must be reached by then. This morning a local Dare County Commissioner spoke about how this is the first  step in the beginning of total closure of the beaches on Hatteras & Ocracoke Island by the environmental groups that brought the initial lawsuit. Their goal is to have complete access to all of the National Park Service Land closed to all traffic, walking or vehicle which would totally devastate the villages and towns of Hatteras and Ocracoke Island. O...
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By Melissa Grant, The Law of Attraction In Life & Business
(A Serendipity World)
 Where are you looking when you are in need of "Relocation Information", "Late Breaking News within the Real Estate Industry", "Places to dine in Crossville TN". Maybe you are looking for a "Real Estate Professional" or "Real Estate News". Often times we begin our search through "google" or "yahoo" in hopes the advice we seek displays within the first couple of pages. So often however this is not the case. More often than not we sit and "weed through" what does not pertain to us to get to what does pertain to us. I can be your resource. If you are looking to "relocate" or looking for "when is the time to buy a home"or simply want to check out our area here in Crossville TN or surrounding area's, under no obligation my website(s) will provide you with all that and more.... In many cases,...
Comments 4
Open House, enter $100 Raffle, no purchase necessary, Stop in and tour this beautiful home, have a coffee and chit chat!  Rebuilt 2004, 2400+ SF, one level, on 5.7 acres, custom designed with all the bells and whistles, this is a pristine home, open living space, secluded and private.  Horses welcome, lots of room to grow, possible rear lot for a family compound!  This custom designed home has, is the ulimate in open living, catherdal celings, skylights, with Slate floors, granite countertops, fireplace, deck with slider to wood area, large back yard, country porch.  There is plenty of parking, frontage 200+ with small pond nearby, hiking, available in your own backyard!  Lower level partially finished workshop, theatre, workout studio, playroom for the kids, media room, plumbed bathroo...
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By Jerry LaRose, Orlando, Windermere FL. Real Estate, ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS
(Orlando Realty Partners)
Have you been feeling frustrated at clients who don't seem to be able to make a decision? At the beginning they seem interested in buying, either they've contacted you or you contacted them. Then as they see some homes and may begin listening to the news about today's marketplace, they start to get cold feet.They don't return your phone calls or e-mails, and when you finally reached them they say, "I'm not sure this is the best time to buy. I've heard prices may get lower."At this point you can either get exasperated and give up or you can give them a good reason to buy now, one that they can't refuse.This is a simple three step process:First, say to them, "Did you know that Donald Trump is buying up as much real estate as he can right now?" Client, "No, really? Why?" You respond with,...
Comments 2
By Eric Egeland, SFR, e-PRO, CDPE
(RE/MAX SUBURBAN)
Eric P. Egeland | RE/MAX United | 773.294.4491 2800 Lake Shore Drive #905, Chicago, IL Just Listed - Totally Rehabbed LSD Condo 1 Bdrm Condo offered at $314,900 Year Built 1969 Sq Footage 985 Bedrooms 1 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $312 per month DESCRIPTION Totally Rehabbed unit with designer upgrades throughout. Oversized 1 bedroom with Lake views will impress you the moment you enter. New kitchen features custom made cabinets, granite counters, & stainless steel appliances. Walk right out to Lincoln Park, the Lake, shopping, dining & nightlife. One of the city's best managed buildings with over $3 million in reserves, 24hr. doorman, awesome party room, valet parking, on-site manager/engineer, storage, pool, exercise faciliti...
Comments 2
By Teresa Meyer, Home Staging Cincinnati-OH.
(Cincinnati Home Stager)
Stage a Star was honored with the opportunity to partner and speak at a Book Signing Event with Tina Teramo Manion, PhA, RSP, founder of Retirement Planning Specialists. Tina has successfully assisted individuals and couples in the financial industry since 1979.  So how does Staging your home and Retirement Planning come together?  Well...this was an interesting story how Tina and I came to partner together for her Book Signing event.   Tina had been looking for a book on PRE-retirement at Barnes and Noble with no luck. There were plenty of books on retirement but no book on things to think about before your retire.  The Barnes and Noble guy told Tina she should write the book and after wrestling with the idea for awhile....she wrote it.          One of the chapters in her new book "Pla...
Comments 4
By Greg Haraksin, North Orange County Homes
(Prudential California Realty)
SOLD SOLD SOLD Very Nice,comfortable Home In Quiet Neighborhood.  3 bedrooms, 1.75 baths,  1242 sq ft home on 7200 sq ft lot.  Remodeled Kitchen With Tiled Floors And Corian Counters.  Remodeled Bathrooms.  Central Heating And A/C.  Mirrored Closet Doors.  Covered Patio.   2-car garage.  Manicured Lawn,  automatic Sprinkler System.  ONLY $450,000 - $500,000. See all of Brea homes for sale.
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One of the problems in dealing trying to wholesale many of the current foreclosures is that banks will not allow their contracts to be assigned. Without the ability to assign the contracts many wholesalers have been missing out on some dynamite foreclosure deals. So how can investors get around the nonassignable contracts that many banks are using?One of the easiest ways to get around the nonassignable contracts is to use Limited Liability Corporations (LLC's). To use an LLC on a nonassignable contract all you need to do is fill in the purchase agreement in the usual fashion. But, instead of using the typical "and/or assignees" clause, you simply fill in the name of your corporation. Then instead of assigning the contract to another investor for profit, you will sell the other investor ...
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Pick one of your listings.  Google the address.  Does the listing entry at Trulia come up in the top three Google results?Trulia seems to have gained the top spot for many addresses.There is a very interesting post by Galen Ward over on Bloodhound Blog about the how and the why of this.  Read all the comments, too.  Good discussion.One of the comments suggested that this information should be made available on Active Rain ... and, there,  I just did.  :-)
Comments 13
By Harper Team
(J Rockcliff Realtors)
Best Location in The Colony4223 Dubhe Court in Concord CA is a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome backing up to very quiet and private open space/ It is a great unit for those who love peace and quiet and privacy.Two-car garage has large storage shelves. In-unit laundry and community pool. Offered at $350,000View the Show
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By Kat DeLong, REALTOR
(Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert)
Finally, Southern California's LARGEST FREE Concert Series begins...Tomorrow! The first group to be entertaining us is "THE BEACH BOY TOYS--Beach Boys Tribute. How fun will this be?Seating is first come, first serve. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets for the grass, picnic baskets and enjoy. However, if you want a table, you can make reservations by calling 909-337-2533.   Concerts begin at 5:30 (some at 4:30, check dates).   Go to LAKE ARROWHEAD VILLAGE CONCERT SERIES  for ALL dates, times and entertainers' information.  BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!
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By Joyce Thomas, Your Home Sold Guaranteed!
(The Thomas Group Brokered by eXp Realty)
First, decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income.  However, that doesn't mean you should spend that much.  Don't buy more a home than you feel comfortable with.  Then develop your home wish list. Next, prioritize the features on your list.Next, select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you'd like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety.  You can find out all about area communities on our website at www.thomasteam.info.  Just click on a home in the area you are interested in and view the school and community information. Now, start saving your money! Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mo...
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