By Lincoln Crum I recently closed a transaction that I had listed for 10 months. There were all kinds of difficulties with the transaction but we worked through them, one by one. My seller was out of state and was really good to work with, but towards the end was growing impatient. To say the least… as was I. Once …
Swallow The Frog in Getting The Price Reduction
By Jessica Hickok As in every job, there are difficult tasks that you have to take on. One of the difficult tasks that we face as REALTORS® is telling a seller that their house is overpriced and that they need to make a reduction in order to get it sold. However, you can make this job easier taking the following …
Life After the First-Time Home Buyer Craze
By Michelle Flaherty Does anyone else miss working with people who want to buy AND sell? In a market marked by bank sales, short sales, and first-time home buyers, it’s easy to lose sight of what lies beyond this year’s surplus of single-sided clients. The year 2009 was without a doubt the year of the first-time home buyer. Already, …
I Would Like a Cheeseburger, But Hold the Cheese.
By Jeremy Williams What would happen if you ordered a cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant, and in ordering asked to hold the cheese? What reaction would you expect when you pulled up to the window to pay? The reaction would most likely be confusion because the restaurant’s expectation is that when you order a cheeseburger from the menu that …
Superstitous Buyers or Sellers? These Tips May Bring You Some Luck…
By Heather Soldonia In the spirit of October and Halloween, I think it’s a perfect time to discuss the many superstitions, beliefs, and practices held by home buyers (and sellers). As I’ve implied before, the San Francisco Bay Area is a cauldron pot of ancestries, religions, family, and marital statuses. But with that diversity there is a cobweb of belief …
No Shoes to Fill Except Our Own
By Kelly Reark According to NAR’s Home Buyer and Seller Survey, the median age for REALTORS® is 54, while the median age for first-time home buyers is 30. The median age for a repeat buyer was only 47. The “average” real estate professional is likely not as keen on technology and gadgetry as we are. Nor do they adjust to …
Finding Income in the Downtime
By Jessica Hickok Although selling real estate can be a very lucrative career, there can be some downtime when listings are hard to move, ultimately casting a negative cloud over that whole lucrative career thing. That’s where residential property management can swoop in and save the day. Property managers typically charge a monthly management fee, which is usually a percentage …
Tips to Help First-Time Home Buyers Succeed
By Heather Soldonia Despite the condition of the nation’s real estate market, California still holds some of the strongest property values in the country. Forbes Magazine recently released its annual article of America’s 500 Most Expensive Zip Codes. And it’s actually easier to identify which San Francisco Bay area towns aren’t listed. The median home price in Sunnyvale (#498) was …
Working With Short Sales: Too Much Junk in the Trunk! Try These Navigation Techniques
By Dave Robison A short sale would have you think it’s going to be a quick and short closing. The problem is they all have too much Junk in the Trunk. In a race, their tail end is dragging along the ground, which makes the vehicle go about as slow as my kid in a wagon. Here are two examples …
Video Challenge: Enter Your Videos on the Home Buyer Tax Credit
Submit you video to the challenge: The 2009 REALTOR Party Video Contest challenges REALTORs to make a short, personal video explaining how the Home Buyer Tax Credit has helped their clients buy their first home. The contest runs until Sept. 30. The winning entry will receive a $500 American Express gift card and be shown at the Annual Convention in …