Archives of real estate blog entries for February 01, 2007

"Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world - even if what is published is not true." -Richard Bach Words of wisdom - printed on the top of chapter 6, of Rebecca Blood's book The Weblog Handbook- Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog. In a world that is expanding at an astronomical rate, there needs to be some basic guidelines that help make the blogging community run more smoothly. Whether the bloggers focus on real estate, roller blades or rhododendrons, there are always little things to keep in mind... Rebecca Blood does an outstanding job at laying out some of these "ground rules" and, not to mention, she does so in a very matter-of-fact way that made me understand it without feeling like I was an idiot for not figuring it all o... 02/01/2007

Once upon a time there was a Realtor who received a call from Mr. and Mrs. Prince Charming.  The Charmings were calling about the Realtors listing and wished to see it.  Being the well prepared agent who was committed and diligent in the work effort our hero/heroin asks the Charmings if they had just begun their process or had they been at it for a while.  The Charmings freely responded that they had just begun to seriously look, had no relationship with any of the rival Realtors or members of others clans.  A survivor of many of the Client/Customer Wars our Hero/Heroin was quick to grab the moment and garnered a commitment to view additional properties.The day comes and the Charmings arrive and meet The Realtor who upon meeting and greeting presents the plan of attack for the day.  Fol... 02/01/2007

Monday was my interview/audition that I told y'all about here.The interview took place at my house.  Prior to the Field Producers arrival my daughter (who was home sick from school) was very anxious for me.  She was surprised that I was so calm.  I assured her it was only on the outside.  The Field Producer, Tom, arrived at 3 and explained the entire interview process.  We began with a mock Home Staging consultation.  A friend came over, Kelly McColgan an agent with Shorewood, and pretended to be the Agent selling the house.  We went through rooms in my house and I gave my professional assessment of how to Stage them as if my house were on the market.  The only way to do this was to look at my house objectively but since I'm really not selling, it took a minute to get in the right minds... 02/01/2007

Last night my granddaughter was tested for her yellow belt in Karate. Why am I posting about this in AR? These ceremonies are a celebration of success. No, she is not a black belt yet but she is testing for the yellow belt. My friend and my mother watched on with me as Haley (my granddaughter) was tested and she didn't miss a beat. "I am so nervous for her" said my friend. But Haley was not nervous because she has been learning for one year, in little pieces, all the techniques that flowed seamlessly into a perfect exhibition. Haley was, however, nervous about how hard she was going to get hit in the stomach and if she would cry. I did not know what she was talking about until the end of the test. Each new yellow belt would get punched in the stomach by the black belt instructor. The in... 02/01/2007

This morning, an inflationary telling report came out called the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Index.  This report is one of the large contributors to determing the Fed Funds Rate movement and it came in at 2.2%, just higher that the 2% the Feds like.  Nothing to worry about by itself as it showed more moderation of inflationary pressures.The problem is another part of the report which measures the spending habits of Americans, called the personal savings rate.  This number came out in the "scary" range at a rate of negative 1.0%.  WHy is that scary?  It is the lowest rate since 1933, during the Great Depression.  Something has got to give.I look at the numbers and all I can say is it clearly shows that Americans need to find themselves a true mortgage planning professiona... 02/01/2007

Today on a few acres of a former steel yard near downtown Cleveland, the first store in Steelyard Commons opened up: Home Depot.  Okay, so another Home Depot opened up.  Big deal.  But if you look at where this Home Depot is located, it is a bigger deal than what you think.A local real estate developer in 2004 purchased land that was used as part of a former steelmill near downtown Cleveland.  This land has just been sitting there as an eyesore for people from Cleveland's westside driving to downtown.  By the end of the year, a Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and many other stores will be opening up in this location, just a 5 minute drive from downtown Cleveland and other inner city neighborhoods.  So why is this a big deal?The City of Cleveland, until now, has not had a shopping complex wit... 02/01/2007

I recently did a search on Active Rain for Home Repairs and Home Inspections issues and was not surprised to find over 60 blogs about this issue. My concern about home inspections and repairs is about the entire process itself. My experience has been that purchase price negotiations are the easy part of the equation. After we have the Offer to Purchase Contract done, the real drama often begins. In North Carolina we use the Residential Property Disclosure Form that sellers fill out indicating any known problems with a structure. A seller can respond in a way that indicates there are problems/no problems with a particular house component, or makes No Representation regarding whether there is a problem or not with any house system. Experience shows the more No Representations seen on the ... 02/01/2007

I usually don't list or sell many condos and I'm so glad that I don't. I've had a few condo listing experiences that really have made be think hard about ever buying a condo.  Huge special assessments could be lurking in the wings with no readily available way to know about them, at least the way things are currently in Georgia.We had a listing a few years ago in a condo complex where the HOA was considering making a $15,000 assessement against each owner in order to correct some siding issues.  The units had an average value of around $160,000.  The HOA was divided.  Some wanted to go forward while others wanted to hold off and try to make repairs for less.  After a year of going back and forth, it was finally voted down by a small margin.  While this was on the table, it was almost im... 02/01/2007

The "Raingods" have been relatively quiet lately so I wanted to give our Rainers a little behind the scenes update regarding what we are working on and thinking about.Please consider this post as just a little more reliable than gossip.  Blog Dashboard: This page should change a lot over the next couple months. It is much a work in progress and we really don't like it very much as it is now. We are working to make it more relevant by tying in some type of groups/associates display, and more prominently feature good Localism content. Top Bloggers: We miss this list as well.  My prediction is that someday soon and in some new format the list will return.503 Server errors: We know our site breaks a lot. Whenever it happens (like today) all of the Raingods become stressed and work very hard... 02/01/2007

     The brown truck roars into the parking lot or is double parked with flashers on at the end of the driveway.  Door slides open, a slim brown driver hits the pavement covering alot of ground..looking over balance boxes that they maneuver into your office space.  They smile, they hand you the electronic clipboard to sign with the plastic pen...and you sense friendliness but also that they have miles and miles to go before they sleep tonight.  they can not go home until the truck is empty.  Time sensitive stuff on board.  You sense if you chit chat too long, that demerits for the delay could affect their 401 K plan.  UPS  ..(We Run The Tightest Ship In The Shipping Industry)! In and out of the truck, and do it again, cover alot of the same ground tomorrow.  Clear the hurdles, watch the... 02/01/2007

If you have $100,000 to spend in Hurricane, WV -- what can you expect to find?  This house is not currently for sale, but will be used here as an example of what approximately $100,000 will buy in this area.  This home is just over 1300 square feet, has three bedrooms and one bath.  It's on just over a quarter acre lot, which is fenced and flat.  The home was built in the 1960's but has had a major renovation that gutted the inside, rearranged the floorplan and put in all new electric, plumbing, windows, roof, heating and cooling.  The great room is completely open across the front of the house.  The flooring is easy care laminate in the great room, neutral cream carpets in all bedrooms and ceramic tile in the bathroom and laundry room.  The kitchen features new ceiling height cabinets ... 02/01/2007

The ideal piece of land cannot be purchased without due diligence. Say you notice a lot for sale in a suburban area that looks like a perfect place to build your dream home. Buying undeveloped land can provide an opportunity to build a house that will meet your needs, but you will need certain information before you sign on the dotted line. Most suburban areas have zoning regulations which govern the type of structure that can be erected, the dimensions, and even the material used on the exterior. Historic preservation groups work with builders in many areas to ensure that any new construction fits in with the existing buildings. If you want to build out of the city limits, check the availability of public utility services and the cost of bringing those services to the site. Local plann... 02/01/2007

Built in 1982 the Reaches has 94 units in a  nineteen story tower.  There are 60 two bedroom and two baths and 30 three bedrooms and two and half bath floor plans. There are four penthouses. The amenities include heated pool and spa,tennis court, indoor racquetball court,two shuffleboard courts,pool table,social room,library. Pets must be under 10 pounds. Has a seawall.5280 North Ocean Drive, Singer Island, Fl   33404Kathy LewellenSinger Island SpecialistOcean 30 Marketing Group                                      www.singer-island-real-estate.comMarker One Realtors(561) 676-6333 02/01/2007

Every property has some kind of easement--utility, water and sewer or driveway easements which give access to landlocked parcels. As a property owner, you may be affected by easements at some point.The easement in gross is the most common type of easement used by public utilities. These easements are often under or above the ground, so they do not consist of actual land. If a utility gains the right to an easement in gross over your land, it must pay you for the diminishment in value of your property.Easements by prescription become easements simply through unchallenged use by the landowner for a specified number of years (usually 10-20). To avoid such an occurrence, the landowner must periodically make a formal objection to "start the clock over".The most familiar type of easement is e... 02/01/2007

I always assume people have the same information as I do.   But just an FYI.   I have a brother who resides in China and I talk to him for FREE on my computer.   All you need is a camera and microphone (both anyone and i mean anyone can hook into a computer). the system is called http://www.skype.com/I've been using it for over a year now...  and its all over the US and    international.    And NO this is not a commercial just thought i'd mention it after just chatting with him... its as clear as the phone... actually clearer sometimes.Just some photos of our trip to China below.... beautiful place to visit ... some amazing sites to see but i do recommend having someone that speaks the language....  Thank god for my brother Have a great Day!!And these two men are real estate professiona... 02/01/2007

The Federal Reserve held the line on rates yesterday keeping their benchmark rate at 5.25% while noting that inflation was still a concern. "Readings on core inflation have improved modestly in the recent months, and inflation pressures seem likely to moderate over time."The news yesterday has temporarily stopped the bleeding in the bond market which has been going on since the end of December. For the first time in many days rates moved moderately lower across the curve with mid range ARM rates improving by as much as .125% in rate. Tomorrow we have the "biggie" of the week, unemployment data. The best advice is if you like what you see today...you might want to lock it...   02/01/2007

It's another chilly morning in Jacksonville.  Sitting here drinking my third cup of coffee, I started thinking about how happy I am that I added a woodburning fireplace when we were having our home built.  The builder was putting in a gas fireplace, but I insisted on woodburning.  I love sitting in front of a warm fire on the chilly days.   That got me started thinking about how a feature I enjoy so much might actually be a negative for the buyers who will eventually be looking at our home.  We often sit in the homes of potential sellers and they bring out a big list of "upgrades" that they have added to the home.  However, as a homeowner you have to be careful about the upgrades you make.  Certain upgrades can devalue your home (ex: odd kitchen cabinets or floors that are too unique). ... 02/01/2007

Whitebridge is a mature neighborhood of 110 homes in Cary.  Whitebridge is situated on Davis Drive, just south of the intersection with High House Road.   Raleigh is a 20 minute commute.  The Research Triangle Park, "RTP," is about the same.  Both commutes can vary during heavy drive-time traffic. The neighborhood was developed in the mid/late 1990's by SAS Institute and Engle Homes.  110 pleasant transitional homes comprise Whitebridge, with home sizes ranging from 2400 to 3800 square feet.  View currently available homes in Whitebridge. Typical amenities include 3 to 5 bedrooms, 2.5 or 3 baths, bonus rooms, separate formal areas, many windows to light the home, .25 to .55 acre lots, 2 car garages, dual-zone HVAC with natural gas heat, and a surburban cul-de-sac street development.  Ki... 02/01/2007

A family pet often represents a major challenge when a house is being marketed. Your family may call your large dog "Fido"--but your real estate agent calls him "Fang"! This is a sensitive issue for a real estate agent to communicate to sellers.Even though he is just doing "his job", a dog's bark will sound ferocious to anyone who is knocking at the door. This is usually a good thing, but when your home is on the market, real estate agents will be bringing a lot of strangers to the door. Most agents are concerned about the unpredictability of dogs they don't know. When they are greeted by a barking dog, they may not be willing to enter the house unless the owner is at home. If your dog is confined to part of the house, such as a basement, be sure to put up a sign informing people of tha... 02/01/2007

What is "H.O."? You can probably guess--it means "home odors".Be careful of odors in your home. If your family room smells stuffy and stale, or if your cat or dog has left a distinctive odor in the hallway, take action by eliminating the source of the odor rather than merely treating the effects. Smells have a powerful effect on the way people react to a house, and no amount of room freshener or vanilla on the light bulbs can mask a serious odor problem. In fact, such remedies may draw attention to the problem. We have seen homes with an odor problem languish unsold on the market for months or sell for significantly less than comparable homes in the neighborhood.If you think that you may have a problem, talk candidly with your real estate agent. Your agent should be able to offer some c... 02/01/2007

2007 College Basketball Ratings Percentage Index (RPI)This is a re-creation of the Ratings Percentage Index for NCAA men's college basketball.The basic RPI formula is 1/4*(Winning Percentage) + 1/2*(Opponents' Average Winning Percentage) + 1/4*(Opponents' Opponents' Winning Percentage)The NCAA's official RPI, updated weekly, is located here.An explanation of the RPI formula can be found here.Comments and questions are welcomed. Send them to ratings@kenpom.com.Teams that are ineligible for the post-season are in italicsThrough games of Tuesday, January 30 SOS 1-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Non Conference L10 RD/NT Rnk Team Conf W-L RPI SOS Rk W-L W-L W-L W-L W-L RPI SOS W-L W-L 1 UCLA P10 17-2 .6989 .6252 2 6-2 5-0 4-0 2-0 10-0 1 3 8-2 6-2 2 North Carolina ACC 19-2 .6827 .6076 6 7-2 4-0 6-0 2-... 02/01/2007

by FortBendNow Staff, Jan 20, 2007, 10 19 am The Brazoria County District Attorney's Office has been given authority to to participate in that county's opposition to a proposed expansion of Blue Ridge Landfill in Fort Bend County.According to The Facts newspaper, Brazoria County Commissioners approved a resolution to that effect on Thursday.Owned by Allied subsidiary Blue Ridge Landfill TX L.P., the landfill, at 2200 F.M. 521, is about a mile north of Fresno in Fort Bend County, just across 521 from Pearland and Brazoria County.Allied has obtained a "draft permit" that, if made permanent, would allow the company to expand the landfill from its current 302-acre "waste footprint," where refuse is permitted to be piled up to 58 feet high, to 784 acres, with the right to pile refuse up to 1... 02/01/2007

We've posted the latest numbers for Active single family home listings and condo  in Lee County Florida, as well as months supply of inventory in our January SW Florida Real Estate Report Brett Ellis 02/01/2007

The Florida Association of Realtors announced sales numbers for all of Florida.  You can read the entire report, along with other charts and figures for SW Florida Real Estate here.Brett Ellis 02/01/2007

The Ellis Team is hiring experienced, dedicated agents to join our team now as a buyer specialist.  We have leads and buyers ready to buy now.  We need more agents.  See attached article. 02/01/2007

Please remember...hiring a REALTOR is not a personality contest! This is a business partnership between yourself and your agent. If you want to sell your property in our current market you must have a Realtor that can provide you with the tools required to reach the largest cross section of Buyers effectively and immediately. Being a e-PRO Certified will get more attention on the internet and reach a larger audience from around the world! Ask me more...anytime:) 02/01/2007

Last night I took my family to my favorite Sushi restaurant. It`s a quaint little place with some of the freshest sushi I`ve eaten! The owner of the restaurant knows me, and introduced me to another of his clients. The person is relocating to South Florida and is in need of a Realtor who knows the area. With that the prospect and I start talking and he starts telling me the size of the home, turns out his family needs a 5 bedroom,3ba,3CG home in Davie, Florida. As we spoke, I wondered to myself how the owner knew that I was an expert in the Davie area. As i made arrangements with my new client, I decided after dinner to "Thank" the owner of the restaurant for the generous referral. We shook hands and I asked why he selected me out of dozens of Realtors in the area that come to his resta... 02/01/2007

This is a great program that the Lawrence Board of REALTORS® participates in. The Lawrence Board of REALTORS® is joining the State and National Associations of REALTORS® in aproject called Suitcases For Kids. The Suitcases For Kids project was created in1995 by a 10-year-oldgirl named Aubyn Burnside who learned that the average child in foster care moves three to four timesand traditionally carried his/her personal belongings from home to home in black garbage bags.The Lawrence Board of REALTORS® is asking for your help to benefit the foster care system in Douglasand surrounding counties.  We have been told that the most functional item is a duffel bag approximately twofeet long, one foot wide, and 1 foot deep when opened. This kind of bag can be collapsed to an inch or two high and wil... 02/01/2007

So many people I talk to want to know what the real difference is between a real estate agent and a broker. What about Realtors? How do they figure into the equation? And what about the alphabet soup that sometimes follows the real estate agents name on their card? What is all does all that stuff actually MEAN anyway? Don't let your confusion embarrass you! This podcast will lay it all out for you. This is an enhanced podcast, so if your using iTunes or some other podcast player that works with the enhanced features, you will see images and get links that others will not.  Listen to the Podcast  02/01/2007