Just checking in here with all of you bargain hunters...where is the lease expensive place online to purchase the brochure boxes with the stands?  And...while we're at it, if you are purchasing your own key boxes, where are you getting those?   I'm actually trying to stay in budget this year, lol.

 

 

I don't know.  Perhaps I should take off my rose colored glasses..or perhaps I did for a moment and it's gotten me a little distressed.  I know real estate is a business, I know we are all in it to make money regardless of the protests that we aren't and are really just good hearted people finding the joy of helping others but this is getting ridiculous.  What am I talking about?  The short sale business.  Yes, I'm bombarded by emails like the rest of you by those trying to make money off of Realtors (and new 'investors') by touting their wares of their 'secret' chests full of information on how to manage the banks, how to sell it to the customer, how to make a Fortune (generally all in caps) on short sales.  But I'm not even talking about those.  What I am talking about is how people are over-taking advantage of the situation.  Yes, some families are in trouble and NEED to do a short sale, have a legitimate need, be it because of a divorce, a job loss, a death, an illness, they were scammed or not educated or just plain got in over their heads.  I have to say though that the majority of the short sales I'm seeing are those properties that were purchased by investors.  They can afford to hang in there, make the payments but instead choose to work the system and often times scam the system to get a short sale.  Just as they were a large part of the reason that real estate went up they are a very large part of why real estate is going down.  These aren't the people the media tells 'this is the biggest decision of your life' (which by the way, I hate that phrase, it's bogus, IMO) but those people who either feel a little tug on their money belt or they are just off loading because they've already taken advantage of the tax write off and don't need it anymore. 

Why does this cause me distress?  Because it's hurting the value in my property.  It's hurting the value in my customer's properties.  It's hurting my pocketbook and those of the people who actually care about their homes and neighbor's homes.   It's hurting the industry.  It's costing everyone money...those who are trying to get legit loans and you can be damned sure that fees which are associated with all this mess and government bailouts are going to be passed right on down to everyone regardless if they are buying, selling or not. 

I know. It's a cycle. I understand it will pass.  But it's getting me annoyed that someone can come to me, own a home elsewhere, have some income coming in from the second home they purchased by renting it out to offset the cost, have over $50K in the bank plus other funds that can't be touched, have an excellent job and income and talk about doing a short sale.  After all, they can move the liquid funds that can be touched so they can't be seen, claim hardship and do a short sale.  Why not...everyone's doing it.  How do they know that?  Because Realtors are calling him and explaining to him it can be done and will help him do it.   And we wonder why things are in the crapper.  *sigh* 

 

 

 

grrrrr..  I was reading a thread just the other day and there was a post with a link to a blog about RSS feeds and some other things.  I meant to save it so I could go back to it but nooooooo...I didn't.  And now I can't find it!!

Help!?!  Please?  :)

I've come to a point where I am seriously questioning how I am doing.  I have no clue how to guage my success or lack there of or how to understand where I fit in relation to how other agents are doing.   In other words, I don't know if I'm successful or not as compared to others in the industry.    I've been reading about setting goals but I must say that I don't know what realistic goals are.   I was looking at the stats for my company in the mls.  I'm the 2nd highest producer on sales through the mls in my company with the highest producer being my broker.  Now, since sales can be made that are not shown on the mls that may or may not be a true picture.  When I said something to my broker about my sales volume she said "That's ALL?".    I know I'm not as organized as I should be.  My website is working very well but the ability to follow up with everything and remember everyone is really a daunting task.  I can't afford an assistant, I don't think, lol.   I'm kind of at a point where I don't know what move to make...I don't have a plan of action, a growth plan and quite frankly, I don't know how to actually make a realistic one.   I need help.  I don't need a coach, I need a realistic business plan that can actually be implemented down to a day to day business plan that can be adjusted for the irregularities in this business...meaning customers that just show up, don't show up, etc.    I'm in a flux.   How do you guys handle it?   Who helped you create you business plan, your daily plan?   Is that how you know if you are doing well?

I have a tenant that does not want the house he's renting to be sold. Surprise, surprise.  Today we recieved a call demanding that we remove the virtual tour as it is his property inside and we are setting him up for a robbery. (he's a Realtor, by the way).   He states he contacted our local board and they told him he has every right to have the virtual tour removed as he 'owns' the interior of the house and the owner only has rights to the exterior.  This, to me, sounds absurd.   I've posted in point2 to see if I can get that magnifying feature (another thing they added that I didn't like) off but I don't hold any hope to that.    So, my question is... does it make sense that I have to remove the virtual tour?

I've explained the tenant that this house is for sale, the owner has every right to have her property marketed to the fullest and I would be willing to retake pictures after he packs up or removes what he doesn't want in the pictures, or he can move and I'll take them then. 

What say you?

I have the enhanced package through my agency.  They pay for it.  I've noticed that their information is a little more prominent than my own.  And if someone clicks on 'see other listings' the list comes up with only the company information, not my own and you don't see it unless you click on a listing itself.  I called realtor.com to see if I could pay for the package myself which would give me more prominence.  I was told no. That because the office is paying for the package they have removed my ability to do it on my own.  The only way I could do my own package would be to leave that agency.   I find that kind of hard to believe and was wondering if any one knew if that was true or not... it might just be the person I was speaking with.

Since I don't get leads out of the office and everything that goes into the office via the company website or realtor.com (if there are any) are sent to the broker (I think... I have NO idea how they are handled) if I am given a lead it's considered as her own and we do a split then I have to pay the agency percentage, I'm trying to get myself out there on my own as much as possible.  Should I just leave things the way that they are?  I'm not sure what/how much actually comes through there or what I would get on my own.    Any suggestions?

 Sorry for the run on sentence, lol.  Boy, that was a mouthfull!

 

I was wondering if you might share with me the best websites/methods to get certain properties out there to the attention of the international folks.  I am particularly interested in getting to the Brits and Portguese buyers.

Anyone out there that can help me?  Besides realtor.com, what is out there that works?

Thanks in advance for the assistance!

 Cyd

 

www.palmcoasting.com

Ok...I know I'm blonde but I'm getting a wee bit confused.  Apparently something has been approved and then there are additional changes that will be put to people.  I've read through some of it but all of a sudden, nowhere do I see anything addressing those who are not homesteaded (the second home buyer).  Did they just get pushed out in the shuffle or am I missing something?