My New Outside Blog

Two questions I get asked by other agents and buyers that amuse me:

• Why is the owner selling
• What will the seller take - what is their bottom line

Yesterday I had a buyer tell me if they knew why the owner was selling it would help them decide how and if they wanted to make an offer. I can understand that. As my fiduciary responsibility is to the Seller, unless I have permission to disclose the reasons for the sale, then I won't pass on this information. Most times I just answer because they are moving.

The question about what will the seller take - my answer - probably the asking price. Let's face it, if they were going to take more or less, then the list price would reflect a different price. Again, even if I know the seller might entertain a lower price, this is confidential information that cannot be disclosed to anyone.

Until an offer is made, I really don't know what my Seller will take. Sure they tell me "we won't take a dime less than" and yet when the offer appears it could be a whole new ball game. The sellers motivation at the time of listing may be completely different when they get a contract.

I advise buyers their offer depends on how much they want the house and what they believe is the current market value. If they want to make a low bid, that's okay too and if they are the only ones making an offer it is worth a shot to start the negotiating. But on the other hand if the house is priced right and the possibility of more than one offer coming in, then they have to decide how they will feel if they don't get the house.

So the question "what will they take" is really a mystery to all of us and sometimes even to the seller.

Do you need help finding a home?  I can help you. Simply go to my website, search for a homes and SAVE your Search!

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Linda Urbick

Tel:925-786-5132

San Ramon Real Estate Moves

Selling Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk, Dublin

Real Estate Chatter

Crow Canyon Country Club

 

Here we are a week before Christmas, and there is hustle and bustle everywhere. Most of us enjoy the holiday season.  We love hearing the seasonal music piped into the stores and malls to get us into the spirit. But there are people that don’t have a “storybook Christmas”.

If you stop and think about all the events that have taken place in 2011, there may be someone you know that may be having a hard time during the holidays.

You could ponder over global this year’s events, or our national news issues.  There are families all over the globe that are not feeling the Christmas spirit this year.  It would be nice to help everyone, but let’s talk more local and think more in our own neighborhoods.

Every person reading this post knows someone that has had a personal tragedy or loss this year. Things that happened in their life this year, may weigh heavy on their hearts at Christmastime.

I don’t mean for this to damper your Spirit for Christmas, I’m just putting a nudge here for you to think & remember.  There may be someone or some family that might just need an extra bit of your attention over the holidays this year.

The smallest gifts can put a smile on someone’s face, even when they don’t feel like smiling.  And there are some priceless gifts like a phone call or a few minutes of you time and attention.  Think outside the “Christmas Box”.

Take a part of what YOU consider your Christmas traditions and share an extra bit with someone who may really need it this year.

I love to bake, so I’m planning to deliver some homemade cookies to one of my clients that lost a child this year.   They had only been in their new home for 3 months when the child died.  So Christmas will be hard for them this year.

Homemade cookies and a big hug might make things better for them…even if it’s just for a moment.

Giving is what makes me feel good at Christmastime.

We all know someone that might need a hug and a few minutes of your time. Just think about it.   You might want to put that on your list of gifts to give this year.

 

Originally Posted at: Gainesville Real Estate Talk

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If you're looking for a home in the Gainesville FL area, you can visit my primary Gainesville FL Real Estate website.  Are you curious about your home value in Gainesville, Florida?  Get a FREE Report with no strings attached.  

I welcome the opportunity to serve you!

 

 

Working in real estate isn’t for the faint of heart or those addicted to instant gratification. We’ve long forgotten the concept of “steady paycheck”. Working in real estate is like running marathons and requires intestinal fortitude, building endurance and astounding flexibility. We just crossed the finish line on one heck of a long distance run.

 

 

• From showing to closing … 14 months.
• From contract to closing … 7 months and 1 day.
• Ability to deposit a commission check…priceless.

 

This marathon started with the Buyers Guide (print media). The buyer liked the image of one of our listings and loved our names. She googled us (pre-AR) and found our website…liked what she saw. Ultimately, as so often happens, that first listing didn’t suit her circumstances. Since she lived out of state and was searching for a retirement house, we could only work when she could arrange to be here. After looking at 492 , well okay…25 or so houses, she found THE ONE.

She worked for government, our government…the big cheeses in Washington. She submitted her paperwork to start the retirement process and was told it would take 2-3 months. Turns out that information was…ahem…bull messy pants.

Lucky for us, we are from the pre-social media era and have a few years of negotiating diplomatically and were fortunate to deal with sellers’ agents possessing similar skill sets. This deal could only have had a wonderful outcome through real time conversation and open honest dialogue. Not only were the sellers’ agents flexible and able to keep their seller soothed, we had the most astounding and dedicated loan originator with Nick Bazan of First Citizens Bank. With each delay we had to re-negotiate Due Diligence periods and closing dates, what extraordinary luck that the sellers, although nervous were accommodating.

The moral of the story is communication. Honest communication. The innards of the government are hopelessly tangled and confusing. Don’t even think about commenting that any particular administration is responsible for this abyss of red tape. It wouldn’t matter who was in charge. We know many long time government employees and they all have confirmed this sad fact.

The story has a happy ending. Even though our buyer was disappointed not to be settled months ago and would have loved avoided staying in motels and rental cabins for 7 months, the situation gave her a unique opportunity to really know the area before moving in. The sellers are ecstatic to have this behind them, the buyer loves her new house and surroundings, and the agents involved have gotten a great chance to see the best in each other. We’ve been paid, although shockingly the money will go out much quicker than it came in but I guess that’s how it goes sometimes.

The best news is that our intestinal fortitude is intact, we’ve increased our endurance, if we improved on our flexibility any more we’d be pretzels and most importantly we crossed the finish line on one heck of a long distance run.

 

 

 

     

 

 

Welcome to the Weekly Roundup of All Things Real Estate where you will find some of my favorite posts, tweets, tips and tools that I stumbled upon this week.

So sit back and relax, grab your cup of coffee and catch up on a few of the hottest stories online..

Industry News

Fannie Mae, banks halt Foreclosures for the Holidays-

Fannie and other lenders halt foreclosures for the holidays: Happy holidays struggling homeowners!

How Much Longer Can Homebuyers Really Afford to Wait? -

Housing affordability remains at record highs, but many buyers are still on the fence.  

How Do Buyers Shop for Homes -  

Believe it or not, 91% of buyers who used the Internet to search for a home then purchased through a real estate agent. This was huge stat confirmed by a NAR survey that we loved to see!

Survey: Most Boomers Would Cover Kids' Down Payment-

A survey completed by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate found that 1 in 5 Baby Boomers are now gifting money to kids for down payment.

Talent Attraction

Keys to Effective Leadership in Real Estate -One thing that agents want is to have a decisive leader. Yes, they want us to hear ‘both sides of the story’ and we must be always be good listeners, but when all is said and done a decision must be sometimes be made solely by the leader.

Tis the Season for Talent Attraction- While your friends and colleagues are sipping Eggnog and taking the rest of the year off, you can prepare for a spectacular 2012.  Gear up with these tips to recruiting and hiring top talent in your market!

What I Know About Talent Attraction Right Now- Do you know what top producing agents are looking for right now?  The steps to successfully identifying and attracting talent being with an understanding of what their needs are right now.

Lead Generation 

Want Better Internet Leads? Try These 3 Tricks From MIT - Find out how can you best generate leads from your website and how to create a killer follow up strategy.

Why I Date My Prospects and You Should Too - Social media reminds me of the dating process. I want to be wooed by a company before receiving the direct message or wall post pushing a product or service. So why then are we all going for the ring and a kiss on the first date?

Blogging and Social Media

Blog Traffic: 5 Insider Tips Your Competition Doesn't Want You to Know - Everyone is talking about blogging.  Have you jumped onboard?  Learn tips that your successful competition doesn't want you to know!

5 Easy Ways to Jump-Start Your Content Strategy If you are a blogger then you've undoubtedly hit the "blogger wall."  This excellent resource provides ideas to kick-start your creative juices!

Sales and Marketing

How Sticky is Your Brand - How often are you interacting with past clients or prospects and how regularly are they seeing your brand?  Determine what you can do to keep them coming back time and time again!

The 10 Biggest Referral Mistakes Salespeople Make - Referrals are the key that drives your business, but are you driving them away with these mistakes?

4 Free Online Sharing and Collaboration Tools That You and Your Clients Will Love - Need a way to efficiently share information, a task or a project?  Here are your answers!

Do you learn from your mistakes? Cure Your Mistakes with a Crumple - I loved this exercise and think you will too!

50 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas for Your Real Estate Business - Tis the season to save, save, save with this enormous list of ideas to market your business!

Don't forget to find us at our new location on Facebook for All Things Real Estate every day of the week.  Join the discussion exclusive to Real Estate Professionals where you can learn, share and get inspired by others!

 

 

All Things Real Estate Weekly Roundup was written by Rebekah Radice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebekah Radice is a 16 year veteran Loan Officer turned social media manager.  I've taken my passion for the real estate industry and years of management experience to assist real estate estate agents in building their social media presence.  

I'm an avid blogger and write about everything from social media tips to daily implementation strategies.  

What can I help you with today?

 

 Want to know more about me?  Just Google Me! 

 T: 719.387.1368 | Email: rebekah@rebekahradice.com | Website: http://rebekahradice.com 

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Manager of Industry Engagement

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Recent Articles from Rebekah's Blog

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You put time and effort into putting together an offer for your clients.  You make sure the other agent knows the offer is coming.  And then you wait...wait...wait...and wonder?  Did the offer make it to it's intended destination.

It doesn't matter whether you have sent it by email or (gasp) by fax, having an agent acknowledge receipt on the other end is a simple gesture.  If the offer has come by email it's as simple as hitting "reply" to say thanks I got it.  If the offer comes by fax a quick text or email back is appreciated.

After waiting for hours, having to pick up the phone and bug an agent with "did you get it...did you get it?"...seems unprofessional. We've all had those documents that just disappear into cyberspace and so we do need to know the offer made it to it's intended destination.

If you are a listing agent and an offer arrives please just let us know you got it.   Save us all the angst.  Remember there is an anxious buyer on the other end wanting to buy your listing.

                No Hassle-No Pressure-Just Straight Talk About The Northern Virginia Real Estate Market

If you are interested in learning more about the Northern Virginia Real Estate market including Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William Counties give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group, Inc a call at 703-346-2213. 

Military Relocation Specialist serving military families relocating to and from the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Quantico MCB and all of the Military District of Washington installations. 

Check out www.varealestatetalk.com and www.cjrealtygroup.com for more information.

 

Licensed in Virginia

 

Real Estate is LOCAL..If your buying a home in Portland, the National Real Estate news won't help you!

Let's say you're buying a home in Portland. Would you ask your agent to pull comparable properties with the same style and square footage from cities in Florida? Of course not, but that's just what you're doing when you listen to the national real estate news.

I was talking to a guy from GoDaddy.com and we had gotten on the subject of real estate...of course. We got to talking about how the market was and he was telling me that he recently put in an offer on a couple of properties in the Phoenix area and he was surprised that there were multiple offers each time. His offers were cash, no contingencies and above list price. Hmmm...isn't it a BUYER's Market where you should come in 20% below the list price? 

Well, I was telling him how here in the Portland Metro area, we've been sitting around 6 months of inventory (6.2 months in November) for the last 4 months which isn't too bad..in fact, it's almost middle of the road territory where it's neither a buyer's..or a sellers market.

Even within the Portland Metro area there are areas that have always been hot, and if a home is priced correctly and in fairly good shape, or in a desirable neighborhood, there are multiple offers on them. If you take a look at the charts below, you'll see that the stats for the entire Portland Metro area is a little higher than when I just single out the Tualatin market stats.

In the chart below, you can see that the months of inventory (the amount of time that it would take for all the listed homes to sell) is a bit lower in Tualatin than the entire Portland metro area stats at 5.1 months)

Below is another chart that shows the average days on the market in Tualatin is also much less in November at 93 days compared to 135 days for the Portland metro area. The CDOM is the cumulative days on the market.

 

*** Charts from the local RMLS***

Yes, there are homes out there that are overpriced, but your agent will know this going in and help you with a strategy for making a good offer. This is just an example of how even in the Portland area the market can be different from city to city.

Listening to the national real estate market is NOT a realistic way to go about your home search. The best way would be to hire an agent that will be honest with you, do the research to give you realistic comparables so you can move into the home you want.

 

If you enjoy reading my blog, I would love for you to subscribe! 

                          

Cindy Westfall ABR,GRI

Prudential NW Properties

5 Centerpointe Dr, Ste. 150, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Cell: 503-819-5241      

E-Mail: cwestfallportlandrealestate@gmail.com      

Thinking of selling your home? Simply fill out this form to sign up for my market report specifically created for YOUR neighborhood or to schedule a free market analysis consultation for your home.

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 Disclaimer: All views on my blog are my own and may not reflect that of Prudential NW Properties. All pictures and content are my own unless otherwise noted. Please No Copying without my permission.

I've Lost So Many

I didn't realize how many I've lost.  It's so sad to think about now...but looking back, this could have been prevented.  It's so tragic and heartbreaking...senseless...

What am I talking about?  I am talking about my database.  Friends, colleagues and even books told me that when I got into Real Estate, I would need to start a database.  I didn't listen.  I thought, I will just remember them all.  I shuddered at the thought of writing down EVERY person I knew and sending them out some cheesy letter letting them know I was in Real Estate....sigh...(and then I wondered why they hired someone else).

All those open house visitors names that ended up on random pieces of paper of a quickly made up sign in roster....gone...I sent them one e-mail and I never heard back.  I didn't want to bug em.  Those sign call buyer names that ended up on post it stickies or whatever was lying around in my car at the time with quickly scrawled information...gone...it's just so sad.  When I think of the one's I have lost that could have been gained with an organized database with drip campaigns or an e-newsletter set up, I just get all weepy.

I know...you told me...they all did....and I've Lost so Many...

But for 2012 I say NO MORE!!  I WON'T LOSE ANOTHER ONE!!  I am going to painstakingly set up a proper database and start managing my past clients and new contacts better.  I have a plan to add to my new database on a constant basis so that I can stop the bloodshed!  I am on a mission to NEVER AGAIN SAY....

I've Lost So Many.... 

Would you like more information about San Antonio Texas Real Estate Market or do you need to buy a home or sell your home in Bexar or Guadalupe County? Call Me, Brenda Mullen Realtor® Keller Williams Realty at 210-807-0819 or send an e-mail at brenda.mullen@sbcglobal.net.  
-- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brenda Mullen
Realtor®, ACRE®, ABR®, ePro®

Keller Williams Realty - Helping You Find Home
10999 IH-10 West Ste #175

San Antonio, TX 78230
210-807-0819
brenda.mullen@sbcglobal.net
http://www.findurwayhome.com

 

Real Estate is a strange business. The barriers to entry are low, there are way too many licensed agents and way too many who say 'I'd like to do real estate.' As Realtors we help our clients make one of if not the biggest purchase of their lives. Spend some time listening to real estate coaches, trainers or even office managers and they'll tell you to run your business like a doctor or a lawyer. Guess what. You're not a doctor and you're not a lawyer. If you dress up as a super hero or claim 'everything  you touch turns to sold' then please don't expect to be treated like a professional. These types of marketing gimmicks make us look like the proverbial used car salesman. That's not to say there aren't a lot of fantastic real estate professionals that deserve to be treated as true professionals, but this idea that because you have a real estate license that took a bare minimum of education to receive earns you the right to be treated like someone who spent YEARS and a lot of money to become a doctor or a lawyer is not accurate. Why don't we start to own our trade and our profession to the point where someone in a different line of work can say 'I need to run my business like a Realtor.'

As it is right now I wonder if there is a single profession out there that ever suggests that they should be more like Realtors?

Danny Dietl

Realtor - GRI

☎ 612.306.6676 cell/text

☒danny@iMetroProperty.com

www.iMetroProperty.com

          

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NAR blogged about this.  The CPI (consumer price index) has not risen in the last couple of years.  This has hurt our seniors because raises in their benefits is based on inflation rising.  NAR's Mr. Yun feels that inflation will be down when compared to the last 30 years.

Is he CRAZY?  How can inflation go down when this government is printing money 24/7?  How can inflation not go up?  The CPI has increased 160% over 30 years.  I think how inflation is measured is the issue.  Rent has increased 202%, food 152%, gasoline 197% and the medium home price 150%.  These are numbers reported by NAR.

Inflation has averaged 5.3% a year over the last 30 years.  The monetary policies of the US, the Europeans and others does not bode well for inflation.  The US government can and does create money out of nothing.  We are a fiat economy.  It is only the faith of others that the US will pay its bills that keeps this economy going.  If the US loses its credibility with the world this house of cards will come tumbling down.  Inflation allows this government to pay back its commitments with cheaper dollars.

Inflation is alive and will rear its ugly head soon.

Conrad Allen, GRI, ABR, HAFA Certified
RE/MAX Hall of Fame Award
Licensed & Certified Appraiser
Phone:  508-400-0438
Fax:  866-679-0937
Web: www.ConradAllen.com
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When Does a House Become a Home?

Have you ever really thought about it?  I often wonder how other people see property ....and at what point does a HOUSE truly become a HOME?

• Is it when you close on it?
• When you plant that first tree in your front yard?
• Is it when a neighbor comes by to welcome you to the neighborhood?
• Is it when you start to move your furniture in?
• Is it when you have your first guest over after you're all set up?
• Is it when you add a member to your immediate family ....Pets?
• Is it at the holidays when you get to decorate with wreaths, trees and lights?

Or can it be a HOUSE the whole time .....and it magically becomes a HOME when you have family over for special occasions, holidays or just get togethers?

So if you're looking for property in the Bristol TN-VA or surrounding areas then give me a call today ....I would love to help you turn a HOUSE into a HOME today!

And Remember For All Of Your Real Estate Needs In The Bristol Tn Va and Surrounding Area....GoWithRobThomas.com
or Give Me A call at 423-341-6954

*****

Remember that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take ....but by the number of moments that take our breath away!

Have a great day!

Rob

**********

Most of all, You need to know that I truly love what I do! 

No one anywhere will work harder or smarter for you than I will!

Give me a call today so we can get started and make your dreams come true! 

If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling Property in the Bristol, Bluff City, Blountville, Piney Flats, Johnson City, Gray, Jonesborough, Abingdon, Kingsport, Elizabethton or anywhere in the Tri-Cities Tennessee-Virginia area---or if you would just like more information about our area then please give me a call at 423-341-6954, visit me at GoWithRobThomas or email me at RobThomas@GoWithRobThomas.com

Licensed in Tennessee and Virginia

Heritage Homes at Sixth Street, Inc. 403 Sixth Street, Bristol, TN 37620

423-341-6954 or 423-968-3184

Information and Photos are the property of this author and are only opinions or personal views and may not be republished without the permission and written consent of Rob Thomas. The opinions and views are not guaranteed and may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the views or opinions of Heritage Homes at Sixth Street, Inc.  Information on properties for sale may have changed, expired, been withdrawn or may now be listed with another broker.....Go to www.GoWithRobThomas.com for current status.