Archives of real estate blog entries for December 01, 2006

The Sellsius Real Estate Blog recently featured a video of an interview with the CEO of a home listing web site in the Netherlands. The CEO of Funda.nl, Marque Joosten, states that classified newspaper ads for real estate are, for all practical purposes, dead in the Netherlands. These things we know: Circulation for both of Tampa Bay’s major newspapers is down.The internet is increasingly the medium where buyers begin their home search.Internet advertising is much more interactive and cost effective.Internet home ads are far superior to what can be done with print.The effectiveness of internet ads is much more measurable than print ads. So why does the Tampa Tribune have still have 4 sections of the classified ads Home Seeker section on Sundays? Many sellers (FSBOs) just don’t yet know... 12/01/2006

I am not sure if I am slow on the uptake, but Active Rain is all over the place.  I pulled up some blog posts about Active Rain some were good, bad or indifferent.   When I did a Google blog search for ActiveRain I got 53,300 results; these are articles written about Active Rain and bloggers from Active Rain.   Here are some the quotes about Active Rain."On ActiveRain, members can create a free, immediate Internet presence that is quickly indexed and ranked by search engines. ActiveRain is constantly growing, which translates to a larger network to share ideas and create out-of-area referrals. The site's blogs and forums are also free avenues of communication, allowing members to increase visibility with home buyers and sellers and other agents. ActiveRain is yet another mode of communi... 12/01/2006

Last call!!  The curtain is lowering, the train is leaving the station, the buns are going into the oven... Maureen Francis asked me to write a last call to encourage everyone to submit their posts to the Active Rain Carnival of Real Estate November Edition. ----------------------------------- If you still aren't familiar with how a carnival works... don't worry.  It's very simple.  Each month 5 categories are chosen.You, the active rain blogger are encouraged to submit one of your blog posts from the past month (November) to one of the categories.Each category host will review the posts submitted and declare the winner on their own blog. ----------------------------------- Here are this months category Hosts. (Click the link to their name and use the contact form to submit your entry)... 12/01/2006

 Some Interesting notes today from around the blogosphere.Antitrust Suit Against Realtors Moves Forward There was big news this week in the government's antitrust case against the National Association of Realtors, but the press missed it. The news is that a federal court in Chicago on Nov. 27 allowed the Department of Justice's antitrust suit against the Realtors to proceed. The DOJ argues that the Realtors' rules illegally limit competition from brokers who use the Internet. The Realtors deny they're breaking any laws.  The line it is drawn The curse it is cast The slow one now Will later be fast As the present now Will later be past The order is Rapidly fadin'. And the first one now Will later be last For the times they are a-changin' Edgeio to Take on Trulia and Realtor.comEdgeio, th... 12/01/2006

[Originally posted over at S.E. Michigan Real Estate] Eight Reasons to List During the HolidaysWow!  You'd think, from anecdotal evidence, that no one sells or buys a home during the holidays.  Obviously, that's not the case; the housing market statistics show that homes do close during the months of December and January.  There is a definite decrease in the number of homes that sell during the holidays.  Just check out the statistics here.For those folks thinking of selling their home and waiting for spring, here are eight good reasons to list your home for sale during the holidays:Less Competition Serious Buyers Shop During the Holidays The Best Agents Continue to Work During the Holidays Relocation Buyers Move This Time of Year If it Does Not Sell During the Holidays, You are Ahead o... 12/01/2006

Old-fashioned sense of neighborhood? Eco-village? Co-Housing?                                                                    I hit the nature trail with a client-friend of mine this mid-morning. This tiny woman has long had a gigantic interest in "improving  the world, one neighborhood at a time."Today she was beaming as we chatted and walked-- the reason- she and her group of investors are about to create an ecovillage.At 70-something , she informs me,this is one of the most thrilling projects she has sponsored. Old-fashioned Sense of Neighborhood? Eco-village? Co-Housing? Whatever you call it, those who are"in the know"  say this is the next trend in multi-generational quality of life  housing. "And what a wonderful opportunity for me" my friend confides.  "I won't be alone, stuff... 12/01/2006

This press release was just sent out by MiRealSource, one of the two Michigan MLS's that were challenging the FTC over minimum service and distribution of data.  The largest MLS in Michigan, Realcomp II is still proceeding in its battle against the DOJ.  They've told members that E & O insurance is paying for the legal bills and that it is not a drain on resources. The implications are significant for the industry. Troy, Michigan November 28, 2006 – MiRealSource, Inc. has agreed to settle an administrative complaint which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed in September challenging certain MiRealSource rules. In general terms, MiRealSource has agreed to modify its rules to allow all lawful real estate listings of MiRealSource members, including exclusive agency listings, to be post... 12/01/2006

It was great to have the NAR in New Orleans last month and wanted to share some of the things realtors did with their time and money. We may be at the bottom of some of these lists form the general publics view,but when it comes to giving, time, and self sacriface we are at the tops. The media just might not notice. I remeber after   9-11 our ofice took time out to raise money by dressing up in flags ect one afternoon in front of our office. We easily collected over 10k in several hours. After Katrina agents nationwide took time to collect. Kudos to Keller Williams who sent each agent thousands of dollars and were adopted by an office. I am with Prudential and have seen some comments about the Keller Williams family style atmosphere but when it counted they came through for a lot of age... 12/01/2006

I talk a lot about trends in housing.  One of the ways to make money in any real estate market is to buy correctly.  How can you spot the next Aspen or Scottsdale?  Here are the six stages to watch:1- If looking for the next hot ex-urb, look for a small town that is surrounded by natural beauty.  An old mining town in Southeastern Arizona, a former mill town on the river in Massachusetts, or an unnoticed beach town on the Gulf of Mexico.  This is the period where the real cowboys invest.  Their plan is to buy land and promote it.  There is a bar and gas station in town.   There is no chamber of commerce.  Your friends will refer to the town as "bucolic".2- Look for the artists and tradespeople.  If you see galleries and studios replacing tattoo parlors you have a good chance of making a... 12/01/2006

What a fabulous morning! We drove to Worcester, MA because the marvelous Nelson Zide invited me to speak about technology at his office. I figured maybe there would be a handful of agents, but I was wrong - the room was packed! I showed them my tech tools and talked about how using them helps with listings and sales. Of course my tablet PC is part of me now - I don't go anywhere without it. The group was fascinated by how I've customized the "bump" case, another example of finding ways to make your tech tools useful. I took my digital camera out and gave it to someone in the audience; the photos here are from my camera. I illustrated how an electronic measurer can be a real "Wow!" factor on listings. I took a couple of measurements and then wrote 14' x 14' on the tablet screen. Sometime... 12/01/2006

I joined this network not really knowing what to expect.  Would it help with Search Engine Placement, could I really network with other real estate professionals around the country?  Would I fit in with a group of snobby "know it alls" that don't want new blood?  Would I join a group and notice participation is a chore?Well....I was in for a big surprise - it was nothing like I had imagined.  First,  I wrote a quick post and started reading and commenting.  Almost immediately I began seeing intelligent discussions, I found a couple of blogs by the blogmasters themselves:  Bryant Tutas and TLW, Kristal Kraft, Rich Jacobson, Maureen Francis and even some agents close to where I live like Bob Pavey and David Eiglarsh.   I began noticing that there was a certain way of doing things - and wa... 12/01/2006

First, I must convey the complete IRONY of this post, I am battling a particularly odd bout of Laryngitis, and, well ... I can't speak. (Or when I do try to talk, I sound like the punchline to a joke that starts, "What do you get when you cross a dying duck and a sick donkey?")In reading Realty Blogging, I have already learned a lot about the different facets of blogging, and I'm not even done. If you haven't already, please check out the review and discussion on the first couple chapters ...here- in Carole Cohen's Blog, I Think Therefore I Blog: Realty Blogging Says Be a Groundbreaker...Blog Now! "In the age of self-service mega stores and non-personal online shopping, blogs can be an integral part of keeping you connected with your community." (p.36) As I had mentioned in Carole's blo... 12/01/2006

Quality of life improves when there are lovely things to look at. Citizens along the front range of the Rockies have the incredible back drop of the mountains.  For most folks the view is inspiring enough, each day one only has to look west to see the snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.In recent years the Denver metro region has been involved with a modern day rennaissance.  Areas that were forgotten and best avoided are now hot spots for real estate; Lodo, Ballpark, Riverfront, Golden Triangle, Capitol Hill and many more.  The rennaissance has reached out into the suburbs, soon to be referred to as "goburbs" thanks to our wonderful Light Rail that brings the city closer about every 7 minutes or so.The Light Rail has changed the scope of the goburbs, particularly the real estate c... 12/01/2006

OK, while we have all heard about Identity Theft, I am willing to bet most, if not all, of you reading this believe that Identity Theft is only financially related and never imagined your medical identity could be stolen.  In fact, you may not even know what your medical identity refers to.What is Medical Identity Theft?  Simply put, it is similar to all other types of Identity Theft in that someone pretends to be you, maybe through the use of fake ids or other falsified documents, and seeks medical care in your name so your insurance will flip the bill.  It sounds relatively painless (pun intended), doesn't it?Well, you can easily see how this can affect you financially if you have limitations to how much you can spend annually through your insurance.  You will likely never see these b... 12/01/2006

There are a lot of different feelings about home inspectors and inspections... many expressed right here on ActiveRain.  The bad news about Home Inspectors is that they are human - they're not all the devil!  We make mistakes, miss things we should catch, and catch things we probably shouldn't worry about.There are some very good inspectors, and there are some very bad ones.  Many people feel that there are surefire ways to protect themselves from the bad ones... licensure, trade associations, years of experience, etc.  Unfortunately, price doesn't help either.  The "cheap" inspector may or may not be the best.  The most expensive inspector may not be the answer, either.  Some people would like to see inspectors licensed.  Most in the industry agree that this isn't really the answer.  Q... 12/01/2006

The Sellsius Real Estate Blog recently featured a video of an interview with the CEO of a home listing web site in the Netherlands. The CEO of Funda.nl, Marque Joosten, states that classified newspaper ads for real estate are, for all practical purposes, dead in the Netherlands. These things we know: Circulation for both of Tampa Bay’s major newspapers is down.The internet is increasingly the medium where buyers begin their home search.Internet advertising is much more interactive and cost effective.Internet home ads are far superior to what can be done with print.The effectiveness of internet ads is much more measurable than print ads. So why does the Tampa Tribune have still have 4 sections of the classified ads Home Seeker section on Sundays? Many sellers (FSBOs) just don’t yet know... 12/01/2006

Over this past Thanksgiving weekend, I had the opportunity to take my family to The Cumming Playhouse for a rendition of a Christmas Carol.  The Playhouse is housed in a Cumming Public School that was built in 1923 and is named in the National Register.  The facility belongs to the City of Cumming and the Historical Society for Forsyth County is also in the structure.For those of you unfamiliar with North Georgia, Forsyth County has consistently been one of the 10 fastest growing Counties in the nation for the past several years and Cumming is its largest City.Prior to the show, we had dinner at the theatre restaurant and were treated to a wonderful upscale meal and top-notch service.The Playhouse itself is absolutely charming and maintains most of its original character, complete with ... 12/01/2006

Last night I was up late and spent some time on Active Rain to "clean up my space". Although I must admit, I did not get very far, I noticed that someone went on an old blog of mine and deleted their comment.I have noticed this before and always wondered why someone would do that.Today I was reading Ines Who Gets to Answer the Question and the topic had come up there.Here are my feelings on this. To be Polite:If you are getting too many emails, you can go back and Edit your comment and Uncheck the Notify me of comments box.If you said something you wish you had not, you should go back and edit it.By deleting comments, it changes the whole thread of the conversation that took place there.When someone new comes in and reads it, they are now totally confused as to what others are talking a... 12/01/2006

Well, the truth is I am a new agent relatively and created my website just a few months ago. It doesn't deliver many leads but today it delivered me one masterpiece......"You are receiving this message because a prospect has emailed you from your website. Name:DR ROBERT ADAMSEmail:dr.robert@adams.laPhone:234-8025544357Comments:Dear Sir , Please read, I am Dr Robert Adams, a contractor with the Shell British Petroleum in Nigeria .I represent a group that is interested in engaging your services as manager of a large volume of funds for investment purpose. If this proposal is acceptable to you , please write to me , so that we can work out a remuneration for your participation in the transaction, and also let you how we can achieve this objective. Anticipating your sincere response Regards... 12/01/2006

Last month's update was encouraging in the Gulfview.  The good news this month is that 5 listings expired and did not go back on the market in the GulfviewTwo properties were withdrawn and not put back on the market.    The two listings that went pending in October, went back on the market in November7 New listings came onto the market bringing the total active to 22 with an average list price of $852,804With the new inventory it has brought the price reductions needed in this building to correct levels on 8 units.  Still high, but moving in the right direction.Average Sold price this year for the 5 units that have sold in Gulfview is $684,000The construction in front of this building is just about completed and will make a huge difference in the appeal of the building.  Gulfview is in ... 12/01/2006

Texas A&M University was started in the late 1800's, and for those of you that aren't familiar with the source of the name, A&M stands for Agriculture and Mechanics.  We have a rich tradition of putting out some of the finest farmers, genetic researchers, animal breeders, vetrinarians, and crop experts the world has ever seen.  From the Mechanics, primarily engineers and architects.  They have added the Lawry Mayes School of Business and it is quickly making a name for itself as well.  A school of government and medicine were fairly recently welcomed into the fold.  All of this makes our area a wonderful place to live as we get to meet some of the poineers in these fields everyday.  One gentleman that owns a coffee shop in town frequently stops in to see how things are going and regales... 12/01/2006

This is not a good week for Realtors in the news. With today’s instant international news coverage and exposure, I just don’t understand how people think they can still get away with this blatantly stupid and illegal behavior. I guess maybe when some people obtain a Broker’s license, they may think they are no longer required to follow the Code of Ethics, not to mention Federal Laws. The other reason I posted this is just a gentle reminder that even though you and I do not discriminate, we always have to be wary of the buyers and sellers out there who will ever so gently and vaguely suggest that you honor their warped values and be sure not to let in the “wrong” kind of people to our nice neighborhood. The only certainty in all of this is if you don’t remain vigilant, you could join Br... 12/01/2006

Plainfield, New Jersey 07060 Price $389,900 - GSMLS # 2320677 Exquisitely styled split level home boasting elegant finishes throughout, the residence offers a grand formal living room with fireplace, formal dining room adjacent to the sunroom, spacious kitchen, family room, four bedrooms, two new full baths and one updated powder room.  LIV:  25x13 / First     DIN:  12x13 / First KIT:  11x18 / First FAM:  12x18 / Ground DEN:   /  1BD:  17x13 / First 2BD:  16x12 / Second 3BD:  20x12 / Third 4BD:  11x14 / Ground 12/01/2006

Miami is a great diverse City with temperature ranging from a low of 60 to a high of 90 degrees. Their is a total residence count of 2,275,881 with a total household count of 751,112. The median age of Miami is 36.65 and the median income is $42,210.The single family market broken down by single family homes is as follows. Their is 6,419 total active listings on the market. Their have been 4,133 total closed sales since January 1, 2006. Their is 1,164 current pending sales and 3,258 properties have expired off the MLS system. This means they did not sell in an average six month period. Their is 166 properties that were withdrawn from the market by the sellers.The single family market made up of condominiums, townhomes and villas is as follows. Their is 7,327 current active listings on t... 12/01/2006

Just starting to understand how important SEO is to your overall web strategy? Well, fear not, I have put together a list of 10 of my favorite free web-based SEO tools that will help you to SEO your site like a pro. Why pay beaux coup bucks for something you can do yourself with the right tools? So, without further ado, here are my very favorite SEO tools for optimizing real estate blogs and websites: We Build Web Pages: This tool allows you to compare your site against the top 10 listed sites in Google for a particular keyword or phrase. You simply enter your keyword and the system will begin comparing 9 different metrics for the top 10 rankings. This allows you to quickly compare the Yahoo rank, MSN rank, Google pages indexed, altavista pages indexed, backlinks to page, backlinks to d... 12/01/2006

It has been a while since my last blog!  The holidays really "gobble" up our time.  That, combined with my efforts to firmly establish myself in this industry, really make my time fly.  I have enjoyed my career, thus far, as a Realtor.  It is exciting, and challenging, to analyze the market, and to decide which strategy is best at which point.  It's also great because I get to work in Muskegon, Michigan.  It was just reported that our lakes are becoming some of the cleanest in the nation!  We were also ranked third on the internet for the number of tourist hits.  This was below Mackinac Island and Traverse City.  Contractors are still developing in this area and the trendy stores are on the rise.  Because of our beautiful lakes, great camping, and a variety of winter activities, I belie... 12/01/2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Conditions for home buyers improved during the third quarter as existing single-family home prices in many metropolitan areas experienced corrections, and most states saw sales activity below a year ago which helped to build housing inventories, according to the latest quarterly surveys by the National Association of Realtors.Total state existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 6.27 million units in the third quarter, down 12.7 percent from a 7.18 million-unit pace in the third quarter of 2005 – the second highest level on record, after a peak of 7.19 million in the second quarter of last year.  Even with the overall decline, 10 states showed increases in sales activity from a year ago.Third-quarter metro are... 12/01/2006

By now, those of you who have read my posts have seen that I like to comment on the human side of Real Estate just as much as the business side. Last time, I posted about managing emotions in a transaction, and emphasized the importance of keeping my own emotions out of the way, so I can be the objective Realtor and help my clients get what they need. Today, I will comment on Attitude. More specifically, my desire to focus on keeping a positive attitude as the focus of my business, my client interactions, and also my interactions with other Realtors in my area of Cranford, Westfield, Berkeley Heights and surrounding areas.First, I think it is appropriate to begin with a story. About 9 months ago, I was completing my usual rounds of broker's open houses in Cranford and walked into a home... 12/01/2006

Davie, Florida is located in Broward County it is south of Fort Lauderdale west of Dania and east of Weston. The temperature ranges from a low of 59 to a high of 90 degrees. Their is a total number of residence of 353,177 and a total household count of 126,359. The median age of Davie is only 35.89 with a median income of $59,533.The single family market broken down by single family homes is as follows. Their is 717 active listings on the market. Their have been 358 closed sales since January 1, 2006. Their is currently 56 properties under contract and 305 properties have expired off the MLS system. This means that they did not sell in a six month period on the market. Their have been 36 properties withdrawn from the market by the sellers.The single family market broken down by condomin... 12/01/2006

Who Gets your money every month?  Does it go into your Piggy Bank or does it go to the Piggy Banker?  Most of us don't really know where all of our money goes every month.  We can account for the big expenses, the regular expenses but how about the extra soda or cup of coffee.  These little expenses, for many of us, add up to several hundred dollars a month without even thinking about it.  I am not going to lecture on the evils of not watching every penny.  But the first step in making your debt work for you is to know where your money is going and learn to control it.  I specialize in helping people turn debt into wealth in very short periods of time.  The first thing you must do is to take an inventory of all the money you have coming every month.  This includes retirement plan matche... 12/01/2006

A couple of months ago we blogged about the tremendous growth of the Scottsdale Airpark.  It was expected to hit the mark of 50,000 employees this year.  Well it has officially done so.   As the Airpark started to develop in the 80's it was predicted that the 50,000 mark would be hit in 2010.  It has grown to 50,450 jobs and 2,554 businesses in 22.3 million square feet, with an additional 1.9 million square feet under construction.  It is now predicted to grow to 27 million square feet and 55,000 by 2010.  The airpark is among Arizona's largest employment centers, along with downtown Phoenix and the area surrounding Sky Harbor International Airport. There are many reasons for this fantastic growth.  Scottsdale, known as a tourist destination for its golf, shopping and dining has a great... 12/01/2006

I am not sure if I am slow on the uptake, but Active Rain is all over the place.  I pulled up some blog posts about Active Rain some were good, bad or indifferent.   When I did a Google blog search for ActiveRain I got 53,300 results; these are articles written about Active Rain and bloggers from Active Rain.   Here are some the quotes about Active Rain."On ActiveRain, members can create a free, immediate Internet presence that is quickly indexed and ranked by search engines. ActiveRain is constantly growing, which translates to a larger network to share ideas and create out-of-area referrals. The site's blogs and forums are also free avenues of communication, allowing members to increase visibility with home buyers and sellers and other agents. ActiveRain is yet another mode of communi... 12/01/2006

Dania Beach is located to the north of Hollywood, boarded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and by the west by Davie, in beautiful Broward county. The temperature ranges from a low of 59 to a high of 90 degrees. The total residence count is 90,991 and the total number of households is 35,313. The median age in Dania Beach is 36.55 and the median income is $40,058.The single family market consisting of single family homes is as follows. Their is 159 active listings on the market. Their have been 51 closed sales since January 1, 2006. Their is 14 properties currently under contract and 104 properties expired off the MLS system. This means that they did not sell in an average six month period. Their have been 3 properties that have been withdrawn by the sellers.The single family market mad... 12/01/2006

How many ways can you cook shrimp?1 pound large cooked shrimpjuice and zest of 1 lemon2 TBS olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced1 TBS chopped fresh parsley1 TBS chopped fresh dill1/4 tsp saltFresh ground pepper to tasteCombine ingredients and refrigerate 2-3 hours 12/01/2006

Last call!!  The curtain is lowering, the train is leaving the station, the buns are going into the oven... Maureen Francis asked me to write a last call to encourage everyone to submit their posts to the Active Rain Carnival of Real Estate November Edition. ----------------------------------- If you still aren't familiar with how a carnival works... don't worry.  It's very simple.  Each month 5 categories are chosen.You, the active rain blogger are encouraged to submit one of your blog posts from the past month (November) to one of the categories.Each category host will review the posts submitted and declare the winner on their own blog. ----------------------------------- Here are this months category Hosts. (Click the link to their name and use the contact form to submit your entry)... 12/01/2006