Atlanta Real Estate BlogRecently posted or modified blog posts in the category - Mainhttps://www.realsourcebrokers.com/blog/Copyright RealSourceBrokers.com2018-11-07T12:04:21-07:00tag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1081Washers and Dryers, Refrigerators and wine coolers oh my!There seems to be some confusion out there as to the standard around whether appliances are included in a home's sale. Some assume “of course they are” and others say “no” but really there is no standard and you’ll find everything from yah to a firm nay when it comes to sellers leaving appliances behind. Whether you’re a Buyer or Seller, it’s worth understanding the options.
Know before you go. Before touring a home as a Buyer, check the “Sellers Property Disclosure Statement” - your agent can help you here. It will often spells out the Sellers intensions around appliances and clearly states if they will be left behind for the new owner. In turn, it may also state the seller intends to take them in the move. In a professionally managed sale of a home, the details of what’s included in the sale- like appliances- is often spelled out and readily available when touring a home. Just ask. Sellers should be prepared to provide this information early on and should avoid advertising them as “negotiable”. Keep in clean. Include them. Or don’t.
Buyers looking at re-sale homes should be prepared to negotiate. Stoves, built in microwaves and Dishwashers are almost always included in a sale. Refrigerators, washing machines and dryers, wine coolers and freezers are a different story. If the seller plans on taking them- ask for them to be included anyway. Sellers know they may need to include them and depending on the terms of an offer, you may just get what you asked for. In turn, you may be dealing Seller emotions, and attachments- even around appliances. Don’t be surprised.
Buying new construction from a builder is a bit different. You can expect an appliances package or allowance to go toward an appliances package to be included in the builders price. This almost always excludes refrigerators and washer sand dryers. These items can be negotiated and you’ll find that a builder may be willing to provide a refrigerator during negotiations- always ask.
In any scenario appliances are negotiable. If the Seller says they are not leaving the refrigerator- ask for it anyway. A smart seller will not forgo a deal over a refrigerator. Be sure it’s in writing. Again, your agent can help you here but a good offer to purchase will include a "Bill of Sale" that clearly states what items are included and will remain in the home.
Your agent can help you here but a good offer to purchase will include a "Bill of Sale" that clearly states what items are included and will remain in the home.
Last but not least- don’t get tied to an appliances or give them value. As a Buyer, never pass on a great fit in a home and as a Seller, don’t loose a great Buyer over an appliance. They do not increase the value of a home as they are not considered on appraisals and used appliances are often over-valued by both Sellers and Buyers. On a budget, a kitchen can be well equipped with brand-new, stainless steal appliances (Gas range, refrigerator, Microwave and Dishwasher) for less than $2500.
Oh, and Buyers don’t get your hopes up. That kick-a**, brand new, steam feature, whisper quite, front loading, digital, $2600 washer and dryer set you see there? Nope. We tried, we did ask for it to stay but the Sellers are taking those with. Sorry.2014-01-06T11:29:00-07:002015-12-07T10:23:44-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1080Getting a Home Loan in 2014Happy New Year! And with the ringing in of the New Year comes new, tightened lending standards. These new standards are mainly a result of an improving economy and although tighter, we’re still talking about very, very good loans. These tighter standards are all part of the economies healing process and should be expected. As the training wheels are loosened or removed all together (governments slows the purchase of long term bonds), a healthier more stable and robust economy takes it's place- or least that’s the plan. This often equates to tighter standards and higher rates but also equates to lower unemployment and higher wages.
So, what’s needed to get a great loan in 2014 and what changes should be considered? Well, the basic 4-C’s still apply:
Credit history (credit/FICO scores),
Capacity (ability to afford based on your income and debt)
Collateral (the home you’re buying)
Conditions (how you plan on using the house- primary residence or investment)
How great would it be to have the information you need to make smart decisions for yourself and your family in 2014? It would be fantastic!
These have always been the driving factors behind a buyers loan qualifications but tighter permitters or doubly verified permitters are on the menu in 2014. Those who will be most affected are first time buyers- those who will be found to not meet the tighter criteria. When just barely made the cut at the end of 2013- you may find yourself on the other side of the fence in 2014. But for the vast majority of finically responsible Buyers, you’ll still find great programs and amazing rates-- low rates.
So when should you look into a loan when you’re considering Buying in 2014? The answer is “right now”. Talking to a lender takes about 15 minutes and no commitments. It will however provide you with invaluable information about your ability to obtain a loan. It will allow you to understand what this will cost vs that and provide other information from which all of your other plans can be made.
This is one subject that I love providing counsel on. I remember vividly being a first timer. I had questions I didn’t even know I had! How great would it be to have the information you need to make smart decisions for yourself and your family in 2014? It would be fantastic! Simply give me a call or shoot me an e-mail and we can talk about the best options. 2014-01-04T10:26:00-07:002015-12-08T03:15:47-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1075Patience & PlanningSellers that don't sell in this market are often impatient and shortsighted.
Impatient because they won't invest in the longer term, purposeful planning to get their home <a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/blog/the-3-ds-decluttering/" target="_blank">"market ready".</a>
And shortsighted, because they get hooked on the erroneous belief that merely because the neighbors house sold for $650,000 in 6 months then that must be what their home is worth. And shortsighted because they believe the price they deserve is all about what they want, not what the buyer (aka "market") is willing to pay.
Selling a home doesn't happen by accident. It takes purposeful planning and a strategic approach to the market to cause a home to sell for the right price on a timeline that works for you and your family.
Selling your home is simple.
Simple.
But not easy.
It takes patience and planning.2013-12-17T08:53:00-07:002015-12-07T10:46:15-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1072Please Invite Me to Your Holiday Party!It’s that time if year. You know, the holidays. And I'm sure you'll, like me, be attending a number of holiday house parties. The other day I heard an unnamed friend complaining about the parties he had to attend making the comment that he wished he wouldn't get invited anymore because it was "just too much". He went on and on and on. Scrooge! <br /><br />I love holiday parties. You know why? Well, of course I enjoy myself and love meeting new people. But really it’s because they’re memorable. The festive aura, the lights, the tree and tasty food… the wine. And, I always meet at least one person or family that can use my help and there’s nothing better than reminiscing with my clients years later about how we met at that holiday party. We never forget it and for that reason I’m grateful for every invitation.<br /><br />Happy Holidays!<br /><br />2013-12-13T06:19:00-07:002015-12-07T18:38:09-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1035How's the Market?How's the Real Estate Market?
It depends. All real estate is local.
When it comes to examining the real estate market, there are many factors that come into play. In fact, there are so many variables involved with determining the health of the real estate market that it is important to note that there is no such thing as a ìnational real estate market. Rather, every locality has its own market, which needs to be examined and explored in order to determine the health of the real estate market in that locality.
While the media often makes it seem as if there is a national real estate market, the reality is that buyers don't shop nationally when looking for a home. Similarly, the job market, the local economy and other factors can vary quite significantly from one local market to the next. As such, assessing the health of a local market cannot be determined by looking at national sales. Furthermore, since local economies vary widely, the likelihood of locals looking to purchase a home will also vary quite significantly. The same is true when it comes to the number of people who are interested in relocating to a certain area. After all, those who are interested in relocating are not likely to move to an area with a poor economy or a lack of employment opportunities. Therefore, those areas that are enjoying a strong economy are more likely to attract homebuyers who are interested in relocating to a new area with better economic opportunities.
It is also important to note that each local market contains varying sub markets as well, which means certain markets within that locality may be performing differently. Therefore, not only will the real estate market be different when comparing major cities, their sub markets may vary as well. Just as the <a href="https://ericbramlett.com/">Austin real estate</a> market differs from Atlanta's, Austin's condo sub market, for example, will perform differently than other sub markets in that same local market. Many 'pocket neighborhoods' in Atlanta are performing well, while some 'pocket neigbhorhoods' are performing worse than the general local market.
The bottom line is that you cannot base your home buying decisions on national real estate media reports. Rather, it is essential to check with local sources, such as local news publications and real estate professionals who specialize in a particular area, in order to determine how well your market is doing. By accessing local resources, you can learn more about the local market as a whole while also finding out more about the anomalies that are found within the locality you are interested in exploring.
About the Author: Eric Bramlett is the broker & co-owner of One Source Realty, a boutique Austin real estate company. Eric specializes in Central Austin, West Austin, and lake areas, such as Steiner Ranch.2011-01-06T11:59:00-07:002018-10-08T14:37:44-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1034The Game Is RiggedMy brother, Adam, is a smart guy. At our sales meeting Friday, on the topic of whether "short sales" are a viable business model, he pointed out how ridiculous it is we're settling for the current state of affairs: politically, economically and otherwise.
He's fed up with media spin and complacency. The lack of "awareness", as he calls it. And he shares his passionate opinions and rants with whoever listens.
And you know what? I agree with him.
But I don't share his passion.
I'm more "successful" today than I was a year ago. During this "Great Recession", faced with the the worst real estate market since the Great Depression -- an industry in crisis -- my brothers and I have managed to carve out a decent slice of the "America Dream". And, at this stage of my life, it just makes more sense to "get to work" than participate in an idle debate of "why" things are the way they are. In fact, I spend a lot of time practicing acceptance and adjusting myself, my mindset and my approach to this circus like global economy that makes Adam so uneasy.
And that got me thinking...
What if I were born 10 or 15 years later? Would I be a street beggar, simply because the opportunity to succeed in business has been marginalized by the market corruption of bankers. Would I join the lot of folks driven to the margins and off a cliff? Many of whom are sadly conned into believing it's their fault.
Here's what I believe, Adam.
The Game Is Rigged<br />
If you are in debt for consumption driven reasons it is worth noting that the game is rigged. These people (the owners of the country) have done, are doing, and will continue to act as criminals to rip you off. There is no reason to go out of your way to make yourself easy prey.
Are you anti-American? Do you have an axe to grind? Did you somehow fail at life? These are questions we are trained to think when anyone complains about scams embedded in the political economy.
Certainly we (aka "consumers") are to blame for some stuff, but we had no idea how much fraud was embedded in the financial engineering going on beyond the headlines. We didn't know that <a href="https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=30885" target="_blank">the central banker believed that there was no reason police fraud</a>. Most people are too busy to be macro-economic experts on the side, and yet if you made the mistake of trusting the bankers in some cases they may have destroyed your life savings or left you living a meager life as a debt serf.
<br />
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies . . . If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] . . . will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered . . . The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." —Thomas Jefferson
Back when the FBI warned that <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2004/LAW/09/17/mortgage.fraud/" target="_blank">there was an epidemic of mortgage fraud</a> (in 2004), the US federal government shifted some of those resources to policing other areas like homeland "security." When states tried to protect their citizens against predatory loans the federal government used preemption to block them, allowing the fraud to continue. As Alan Greenspan states: there was fraud, it was intentional, and it was indeed a series of criminal acts.
None of that is a matter of debate.
And none of the banking executives are in jail.
It's Not Our Fault<br />
In 2006, Richard M. Bowen, Citigroup’s former chief underwriter for their consumer-lending division, said he warned his superiors of concerns that many types loans in securities didn’t conform with representations and warranties.
In mid-2006, I discovered that over 60 percent of these mortgages purchased and sold were defective,” Bowen testified on April 7 before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission created by Congress. “Defective mortgages increased during 2007 to over 80 percent of production.
It's worth reading bold faced type twice.
The bankers KNEW they were committing fraud <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/who-was-self-dealing-cdos" target="_blank">that would create trillions of Dollars in losses</a>.
Rather than suing them for the appraisal fraud, accounting control fraud, securities fraud, mortgage fraud & foreclosure fraud, instead we have a government that assists them in the fraud by papering over their mistakes and forcing other institutions to waive the right to sue over the fraud.
Everyone else is forced to eat <a href="https://ritholtz.com/2008/12/socialism-for-the-rich/" target="_blank">the socialized losses</a> that mirror the "profits" generated by the banks in years past. We have a central bank holding rates at 0 while running the printing presses in overdrive. That is destroying pension accounts and the living standard of the elderly as their life savings is literally stolen from them to prop up a bunch of criminal thugs on Wall Street.
Money Is An Arbitrary Value System<br />
The goal is not to create value or stability, but rather <a href="http://www.hussmanfunds.com/wmc/wmc101108.htm" target="_blank">to engineer instability</a>, with sharp market moves which can be profited from on the way up AND on the way down:
Bubble, Crash, Bubble, Crash, Bubble ...
We will continue this cycle until we catch on. The problem isn't only that the Fed is treating the symptoms instead of the disease. Rather, by irresponsibly promoting reckless speculation, misallocation of capital, moral hazard (careless lending without repercussions), and illusory "wealth effects," the Fed has become the disease.
The average person is fed backwards looking misinformation by the media, which is <a href="http://jeffmatthewsisnotmakingthisup.blogspot.com/2010/01/think-for-yourself-part-iigoldman-8.html" target="_blank">sponsored by those selling the bag to others</a>.
It's A Club; And We Ain't In It
The federal government sided with the criminals on the way up. And it is siding with the criminals on the way down. They would rather debase the currency and steal your savings than let their criminal buddies on Wall Street go bankrupt.
<br />
Society is nothing more than a system of laws and the culture they promote. Betray someone's trust and they become less trusting toward everyone else. That creates friction in the marketplace which shrinks the economy and living standards. Make heroes out of criminals & at some people a lot of people are going to say "screw it, the laws do not apply to me either." When that happens (as it will) then at some point there will be a sharp increase in violence.
This is not about promoting communism, or some other such label. What we have now in the capital markets is far worse than communism, as they have privatized profits AND socialized losses. If you believe in capitalism OR communism then what is happening now is broken.
And yet the people who just privatized the profits and socialized the losses are to be worshiped and followed. You should be <a href="https://mises.org/wire/munger-talks-his-book" target="_blank">thankful that the government bailed them out</a> & you should just suck it up. The role of government is to protect the wealth of the opulent from the stupid majority. It has always been.
The stupid thing about it is that all (or at least most) of that pain & suffering is easily avoidable by letting the people who preach free market values to eat their losses and fail. By pushing those off onto everyone else, ultimately the government just creates uncertainty and makes people less trusting. And as society breaks down, the government won't be able to sort out the issues, as they already gave away all the money to a bunch of brigands on Wall Street.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/section/business/dealbook" target="_blank">They will dance</a> while your family starves.
They (the owners of this country) don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table figuring out about how badly they're getting f*ck*d by a system that through them overboard thirty years ago.
2010-11-21T11:01:00-07:002018-10-05T15:27:23-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:940Keep It Simple, Stupid.Trying to sell a home that isn't selling is hard work.And I know that getting these weekly market updates and feedback from showings can sometime leave you scratching your head and thinking... "what next?"That's why it's important to keep it simple...take the information the market has to offer ... listen carefully ... and take action.The question we want to be asking is, at it's core, simple...Are we offering the market the best price and value possible?In my 10+ years of selling real estate I've found the following to be true in most cases (regardless of market conditions):If your home is being disqualified before a buyer looks at it (via the MLS or Drive-Bys) and not showing...Your home could be 10%+ overpriced for this current market.If your home is showing less than once a week (on average) and has been on the market for more than 120 days....Your home could be between 5% and 10% overpriced for this market.If your home is showing at least once a week (or more) and has been on the market for more than 120 days...Your home could be between 3% and 5% overpriced for this market. As you know...we're in a tough market and a tough economy – toughest we've seen in many years. Now... I don't mean to imply we can't sell your home for a decent value. That's not the case. I simply want you to know we're in a market that requires we stay up on the trends and make adjustments to price and strategy to get your home sold versus all others currently competing for a buyer when it makes sense. Remember - selling your home is a competition. All the active homes for sale in the CMA report - they want to sell as bad you we do. And...if we can't COMPETE with them on price and overall value.... then we've got some tough decisions to make.2010-11-05T20:38:00-07:002015-12-07T10:32:12-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1022'Plan B': What To Do When Your House Won't Sell
The most successful people are those who are good at Plan B."
Statistics show just 1 in 3 sellers who list their Atlanta home for sale today will successfully sell within a normal 90 day market timeframe.
I'm not foolin'… the facts are 1 in 3.
So what happens if you're one of the 66% who can't sell?
Well ... you go to "Plan B".
Here's a quick list of options for sellers who simply can't stand having their home on the market for another day, henceforth known as "Plan B". I will touch on them here and provide detailed explanation of each option in subsequent posts.
"Plan B" #1: Stay Put
Here's a fact: on an average week I meet with 5 to 6 potential sellers. These are people who want to sell their homes. Of those I meet with ... at least three decide not to sell after talking with me. The first words out of my mouth when meeting with a seller? If you don't have to sell ... don't sell. We're about half way through the worst real estate market decline since the Great Depression and the last 3 years have, literally, obliterated your equity. That's right. Stay. I know, I know ... whoda thunk it, right? A real estate agent telling you not to sell. And no, hell has not frozen over and pigs can't fly.
I recently read a great book called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Apartment-Therapy-Eight-Step-Home-Cure/dp/0553383124" target="_blank">"Apartment Therapy"</a> (there's a killer website too right over <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/" target="_blank">here</a>). It's required reading for anyone who is longing for something new but could make do by simply revamping the old.
"Plan B" #2: Seller Financing
Loans are cheap but hard to come by. From higher credit score requirements to more stringent appraisal guidelines, even if you found a buyer for your home in this tough market a series of trecherous, deal-killing hoop jumping ensues for you and your buyer.
Enter "owner financing".
The concept is simple: become a bank and offer rate and term financing that works for your buyer.
Why? Because it allows you to set the guidelines on several fronts that might limit your buyer from being able to afford your home. Credit score, down payment, interest rate, financing term (length of the loan), etc. All of these play a role in whether your buyer will qualify for a loan. If you're in charge then you can offer the appropriate level of flexibility and increase the number of buyers who might qualify to buy your home.
"Plan B" #3: Rent To Own (aka lease option)
The best way to look at a Rent To Own is to consider it simply as a lease (rent) with an option to buy. When you offer your home under a Rent To Own, you are leasing your home to a tenant for a fixed period of time. The tenant also has the right to buy your home during this period of time for the agreed-upon option price. Your home isn’t sold when you sign the lease and option agreements!
In a lease-option or rent to own situation -- your "tenant" has the choice to buy your home or not buy your home. However, you are obligated to sell your home to your tenants during the term at the agreed-upon price. In reality, a Rent To Own obligates you to sell without obligating your tenant to buy.
Now ... that might not sound so great to you as a seller / landlord ... but a well structured lease-option has many advantages to both you and your prospective tenant. I'll cover those advantages in detail in a later post.
"Plan B" #4: Rent
And last, but not least, we come to what many consider the "red-headed step child" of "Plan Bs": renting. Being a Landlord is right up there with a visit to the dentist for most sellers, but if you're struggling to get the value you need from the market it might be the best option. Like lease-options, it's all about how you structure the relationship with your tenant. And I know from firsthand experience that proper due diligence is key to a successful landlord experience. From the specific requirements you have for the tenant to how your lease is written, the devil is the details. We'll cover all of them in a future post.
Wow ... we covered a lot here, didn't we? I'll be working to fill in the gaps of each "Plan B" option in future blog posts. Meantime, if you have questions about the speciifcs or want to know how to structure your "Plan B" -- leave your questions in the comments section below and I'll be sure to answer them.<br /><br />Related Links
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/" target="_blank">Atlanta Real Estate</a>
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/atlanta-short-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Short Sales</a>
2010-09-07T17:35:00-07:002018-11-07T12:04:21-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1021Insider Tips to Buying Your First HomeI recently purchased my first home. I thought I'd share my experience and, hopefully, offer a little perspective, advice and a couple key lessons I've learned as an "insider". The process was quick and easy for me. I found my 15 favorite homes online. We (my buyer's agent and I) took 2 days to look at them all. Out of that 15 I picked my favorite 5, saw them once more and then wrote a contract the next week. Why do I share this? Because I want you to know how convenient buying a home can be when you have the right agent, or in our case, the right team on your side. That brings me to a few key lessons I've learned along the way...
Insider Tip #1 - Chill Out...
Buying a home should be a fun and exciting process. Don't let anxiety and fear rule you while looking for your home. Yes, buying can be an emotional time, but its important that you don't let that emotion take over. Its crucial that you have an expert buyers agent on your side and its even more important that you trust and relate to whomever you choose to help you buy a home. Your agent should be able to make the process fun and educational. I've seen too many buyers ruin their experience worrying about all the little things....thats what your agent is for. Time and time again I see 1st home buyers talk themselves out of purchasing because of emotion and minor fears. Which brings me to...
Insider Tip #2 - Trust your agent
Its been my experience while closing real estate, that folks don't put enough merit to the fact that their agent should be an expert at what he or she does. Its easy to look online, find 100,000 agents in GA all after your business, and assume that they all do the same thing; thats just not the case. You want to make sure your agent is full time, has expert experience in the area and truly understands your wants and needs in a home. Also, in today's market, you want to ensure that your agent is on top of the technological aspects of this new market. As a buyer, you should be able to trust that your agent has your best interest in mind. With that said, sit back and relax; ask any questions you want to ease anxiety and trust that your agent, hopefully with years of experience under his or her belt, will walk you through the process from start to end...helping you understand the whats, whys and ways of Georgia real estate. I admit, I had an advantage. Not only have I been in the industry for 3 years now and understand "many" of the ins and outs, but I am lucky enough to be gainfully employed by one of the top buyer consultants in the business. How do you find the best agent for you? Interview many agents; ask many questions; ask for references; but most importantly, stop in and meet me and my team.
Insider Tip #3 - Take your time
While I did mention that the buying process can be convenient and even easy, thats not to take away from the fact that it is likely the biggest and most important purchase of your life. In today's real estate world, you should rely on the internet as a key resource in your pursuit of a home. Let your agent find the best homes that fit your needs...thats why they're there. He or she should be sending you only the best homes, providing much of the elimination process for you. Study and research those homes online, pick your favorites and then set up an outing with your agent. After a couple to few outings, you should be able to trust that your agent has shown you the best of what is out there for you, in your area and price range; allowing you to comfortably make a decision thats in your best interest.
Remember that while not all houses are the same, the problems that arise in the closing process basically are, and any experienced agent has been through most of them, even in this ever changing market. You want someone that has been through the drill and has a system, technique and approach that fits your style. I recommend asking what problems may arise during closing in the beginning of your interview process. Let the agent share his or her knowledge and show you he or she has the answer before the problem ever even arises.
I am the closing manager for RealSource Brokers. Once a buyer is under contract, I take over and coordinate with all parties to ensure a smooth and surprise-less closing experience. Its not all I do, but a good majority of my work is dedicated to making sure buyers take care of the necessities and get to the closing table without much hassle.<br /><br />Related Links
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/" target="_blank">Atlanta Foreclosures</a>
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/atlanta-short-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Short Sales</a>
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/grant-park-real-estate/" target="_blank">Grant Park Real Estate</a>
2010-09-07T13:10:00-07:002018-10-08T14:51:05-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:1020Mad Men for Labor DayYour compensation for doing your job comes in the form of -- wait for it -- compensation.
Novel concept, ain't it?
Oh ... by the way ... if you don't watch AMCs hit drama; you should.
2010-09-06T09:47:00-07:002015-12-07T14:12:29-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:963IntownDailyHomes.com for July 10thHere's the story of ... of Intown Daily ... and today we've got eleven (11) new Atlanta homes for sale.
2010-07-10T10:33:00-07:002015-12-07T14:14:15-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:956You'll Always Remember Your FirstThis is my first blog post. And it's the first of many where I'll give you a "behind the scenes" look at the fascinating world of Atlanta Real Estate from a unique (if somewhat cynical) perspective - mine! I plan to cover a range a topics - some serious ... some not so serious ... all brilliant. And I'm looking forward to maybe getting to hang out with you in the online
world of bloggery and prodigiousness. Or maybe we’ll get to meet “in real life”, as the kids say, if you do business with my two brothers. Or on Twitter (still trying to figure that place out) <a href="http://twitter.com/adamkeenrsb" target="_blank">@adamkeenrsb</a> — stop by, whenever.2010-07-06T12:42:00-07:002015-12-07T14:14:19-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:941Lost Job, Lost Home ... Lost DecadeUtter folly posing as wisdom. Incredible.Paul Krugman of the NYTimes <a href="http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/lost-decade-here-we-come/" target="_blank">sums up the current attempt to stem the tide</a> of this current economic freefall with those 5 words. 2010-06-06T12:39:00-07:002015-12-07T14:15:43-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:9374 Problems of OverpricingPrice Problem #1: Where's the Excitement?The first problem is... it's hard to get sales people excited. And it doesn't make any difference how much marketing you're doing... the problem is the same ... its hard to get sales people excited.You see ... agents generally know what buyers are willing to pay for similar homes in similar areas in this market right now. And when a house is sitting on the market for any length of time not selling, their reaction might be that it's overpriced. They won't get excited because they know they can't get their buyers excited.On the other hand ... when your price your home competitively ... this is what happens:Agents get excited because they know they can get their buyers excited. Excitement is contagious. So is apathy. You have to ask yourself: Which emotion am I generating? Excitement or apathy?Price Problem #2: Showings. What Showings?The second problem is... it's hard to get good buyers to look. Serious, qualified buyers don't want to spend time looking at over-priced houses.They'd prefer find good deals in the foreclosure market or deal with motivated, competitively priced sellers.You have to ask yourself:Am I getting good showing activity? At least 1 showing a week?Price Problem #3: Why isn't anybody making an offer?The third problem is -- even if you can get buyers to look -- it's hard to get an offer. Serious, qualified buyers don't want to tie up their deposit money for even one day on what they think is a hopeless cause or long, drawn-out negotiating procedure. Its too much trouble and their agent is telling them that. You really want to be sure you're not presenting a price that appears like a difficult negotiation to the agents and buyers out there.You have to ask yourself: Am I getting offers? If not, why not?Price Problem #4: What do you mean it didn't appraise?The fourth problem is it's hard to get financing on real estate right now. Even if you find a buyer willing to pay a certain price for your home, it can be difficult to find a lender offering financing that can make it happen. You see ... a lender will have your home appraised and they know what buyers have been willing to pay for similar homes in similar areas in this current market. Most lenders are willing to finance 80% to 95% of "market value", but not on an inflated price. This has become a real problem in today's market as you have surrounding homes that are selling at discounts or foreclosures that are sometimes selling for 60% to 70% of market value.You have to ask yourself: Will my home appraise for the price I want?2010-02-27T16:45:00-07:002015-12-08T03:43:13-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:938The Market Is Always TalkingWith a steady stream of negative news on the economy and real estate market, I think it's important to mention - despite what the media has to say – we’re selling houses!
My team and I have closed on 10 houses so far this year and, as we head into the spring season, I expect we'll more than triple that number before the tax credit runs it's course on April 30th.
Sure ... it's a taking a bit longer than it did a couple years and prices are, without a doubt, lower today than they were a year ago.
It's times like this I remind myself:
Selling real estate is simple.
Simple... but not easy.
And selling real estate, for all it's complexity, boils down to very simple rules and universal truths.
But to hear the truth about selling ... you've got to "listen" to what the market is saying ... because the market is always talking.
Are You Listening?
Here are 3 ways you can "actively listen" to what the market is telling you:
** If your house is for sale and nobody's looking at it ... the market is saying, "The buyers think your price is too high for that location, that size and/or that condition."
Recommendation: A significant price adjustment (10%+)
** If agents and buyers are looking at it, but not coming back ... the market is saying, "The buyers are finding nicer homes for the money and your house is not a good enough value"
Recommendation: A moderate price adjustment (5%+)
** If your house is getting "2nd looks" but the Buyers buy something else ... the market is saying, "The Buyers think your are close ... but our competition is winning out."
Recommendation: A minor price adjustment. (+/- 5%)<br />
According to the National Association of REALTORS, if your house is priced correctly, it should get one offer for every 10 qualified buyers looking at it.
In today’s market, you should expect 3 to 4 showings a month if it's priced right, shows right and has a solid marketing plan.<br /><br />Related Links
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/price/" target="_blank">how to price real estate to sell</a>
<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/real-estate-marketing-plan/" target="_blank">how to market and sell real estate</a>
2010-02-13T14:20:00-07:002018-10-05T15:28:13-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:936Enemy #1Water is the #1 enemy of a home.2010-02-11T13:35:00-07:002015-12-07T23:39:34-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:925The Free Ride Is OverRemember last year when all the banks - the big banks - were going broke and we gave them like $700 billion with zero interest and no strings attached so they would have some money to lend back to us at between 6% and 30% interest? But we had to do it ... to avoid a world wide financial market meltdown! - Jon Stewart
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Clusterf#@k to the Poor House - Flight Delay
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show<br /> Full Episodes
Political Humor
Health Care Crisis
2009-12-17T10:03:00-07:002018-10-08T15:08:46-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:920FailureOur environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.<br />Earl NightingaleHere, sipping my morning coffee and digesting the news of more <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/04/news/economy/bank_failure/" target="_blank">Georgia Bank failiures</a>.What's striking isn't that more banks have failed.Truth is, I've come to expect news like this. And that, to me, is the more compelling story.It's there, in my approach, that work can be done and change happens. 2009-12-05T05:24:00-07:002015-12-08T12:13:55-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:913Selling More Atlanta Homes For LessRecent pending sale data taken from FMLS (FirstMLS) shows a sustained upward trend. <br /><br />Related Links<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObje" target="_blank">Joshua Keen - On Atlanta Real Estate (Fox News)</a>2009-10-26T19:56:00-07:002015-12-07T10:33:12-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:906Home Prices Decline by 12% (VIDEO)Though year over year national home prices show a 12% decline - the month to month report shows a more promising outlook of the current market. <br />2009-05-19T10:06:00-07:002015-12-07T10:39:25-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:905DeKalb Real Estate Losses Total $1BDeKalb County homes and real estate have lost $1,000,000,000 in value (yes...that's a lot of zeros) since April 2009. A Thursday meeting of county assessors revealed the taxable value of land and buildings in unincorporated DeKalb currently stands at $16.7 billion. That number represents a 5% decline since the last report released just a month ago.
The reason for such dramatic changes? The AJC reports the falling values are the result of consideration given to the impact of foreclosures on the current real estate market.2009-05-15T06:55:00-07:002018-10-08T14:28:28-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:903Generation GapWe might be looking at a lost generation for U.S. home values.
There's been a lot of speculation about when the housing sector will recover from what has proven to be one largest year over year value declines in the history of the U.S. economy. A recent article from Bloomberg.com suggests that many analysists are suffering from misguided optimism about the housing market.<br /><br />2009-05-07T14:08:00-07:002018-10-05T14:56:58-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:901Sending Out An S.O.S.The federal government has launched a new website with online tools that will allow a homeowner to determine if they are eligible to participate in the "Making Home Affordable" loan modification and refinancing program. The site is <a href="http://makinghomeaffordable.gov" target="_blank">http://makinghomeaffordable.gov</a> and shares information about how this program works and who is eligible for assistance. This is the same $75 billion program you may have heard of recently in the media. Before visiting the site you should gather: Information about your first mortgage, such as your monthly mortgage statement.Information about any second mortgage or home equity line of credit on the house.Account balances and minimum monthly payments due on all of your credit cards.Account balances and monthly payments on all your other debts such as student loans and car loans.Your most recent income tax return.Information about your savings and other assetsInformation about the monthly gross (before tax) income of your household, including recent pay stubs if you receive them or documentation of income you receive from other sources.It may also be helpful to have: A letter describing any circumstances that caused your income to be reduced or expenses to be increased (job loss, divorce, illness, etc.) if applicable.Understand that, in this current market, our intention is to help homeowners stay in their homes whenever possible. However...in many cases even with this program...circumstances might prevent that from being possible. If you need help or would like to learn more about avoiding foreclosure - give us a call here at (404) 270-9374 2009-03-20T10:34:00-07:002015-12-07T10:36:55-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:900One Trillion DollarsHere's the plan...we get the toxic assets...and we hold the taxpayer ransom for...(cue dramatic music and close up)...one trillion dollars (cut to dismayed taxpayer).Seriously though... What the Fed just announced is huge – basically...you and I (aka taxpayers at large) just bought
another $750B in Mortgage Backed Securities (<a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080924104306AA3E9aW" target="_blank">"toxic assets"</a>), and
$300B in U.S. treasuries. What Does This Mean For You? This should provide for increased demand for Mortgage Backed Securities, which should - in turn - keep mortgage rates low for the foreseeable future.Good news if you're a buyer looking to take advantage of current market and all the homes being offered at a deep discount. Also good news if you're a currently own a home and have the necessary equity position to refinance at a lower rate. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/business/economy/19fed.html?_r=1&hp" target="_blank">Read All About What The Fed Is Up To Here... </a>
2009-03-18T15:36:00-07:002015-12-08T03:43:37-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:898Nobody's HappyEverything is amazing right now...and nobody is happy.
A Nation of Ingrates?
It's true...we do take for granted the miracle of the world we live in. And maybe he's right. Maybe this current economic situation is just what is needed to have us, as a Nation, show more gratitude for the luxuries our lives afford us.2009-03-09T05:45:00-07:002015-12-07T10:31:18-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:897How To Fix The Housing CrisesRe-building The Economy: One Tear Down At A Time <br />There is no shortage of opinion around how to best go about correcting the housing problem in this country. And there's been a lot of talk about how to get this economy "moving again". A lot of talk on how to "re-build". The Problem: <br />In it's simplest form, the current housing problem is one of supply vs. demand. There's a glut of over-priced inventory available for a shrinking pool of buyer finding it difficult to sort through the mess and, in many cases, even get a loan to finance a home.The catch-22 is how to go about "re-building" a housing market when it's "building" that got us into this mess in the first place. The short term help for over-leveraged home owners is a "too little too late" answer to a problem that is more vast and complex than we're willing to recognize. Propping up prices by stemming the tide of foreclosures will likely work in the short term. Short term thinking is not what we need right now. We need long term solutions. The Answer: <br />In an average market - the supply problem would correct itself over time. But this is no average market and time is an enemy to an economy on life support. Another way to is try to generate demand through incentivizing would be buyers to get comfortable with the chaos (ie the governments $8000 hand-out to supposed "first time buyers"). But even still this won't create the demand needed to absorb the current supply. So what's let, you ask? Well...when there's no demand for what you have to sell (homes) - then what you have is worthless. And if something is worthless - then why keep it? A viscious cycle that feeds on itself - throw good money after bad, rinse, repeat. Remember that we're dealing with an over-supply of housing right now.
Too many homes. Not enough buyers. So if we keep our thinking focused
on this simple fact the answer becomes an obvious one. The only way to
correct an over-supply is to get rid of the supply itself. 2009-02-28T12:36:00-07:002015-12-07T19:46:12-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:896Dancing In The FlamesThe key to managing crises...is to keep an eye on the long term. While you're dancing in the flames.<br />.msnbcLinks {font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 425px;} .msnbcLinks a {text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px;} .msnbcLinks a:link, .msnbcLinks a:visited {color: #5799db !important;} .msnbcLinks a:hover, .msnbcLinks a:active {color:#CC0000 !important;}
Full Text of President Obama’s Speech Today
I’m here today to talk about a crisis unlike any we’ve ever known – but one that you know very well here in Mesa, and throughout the Valley. In Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs, the American Dream is being tested by a home mortgage crisis that not only threatens the stability of our economy but also the stability of families and neighborhoods. It is a crisis that strikes at the heart of the middle class: the homes in which we invest our savings, build our lives, raise our families, and plant roots in our communities.
So many Americans have shared with me their personal experiences of this crisis. Many have written letters or emails or shared their stories with me at rallies and along rope lines. Their hardship and heartbreak are a reminder that while this crisis is vast, it begins just one house – and one family – at a time.
It begins with a young family – maybe in Mesa, or Glendale, or Tempe – or just as likely in suburban Las Vegas, Cleveland, or Miami. They save up. They search. They choose a home that feels like the perfect place to start a life. They secure a fixed-rate mortgage at a reasonable rate, make a down payment, and make their mortgage payments each month. They are as responsible as anyone could ask them to be.
But then they learn that acting responsibly often isn’t enough to escape this crisis. Perhaps someone loses a job in the latest round of layoffs, one of more than three and a half million jobs lost since this recession began – or maybe a child gets sick, or a spouse has his or her hours cut.
In the past, if you found yourself in a situation like this, you could have sold your home and bought a smaller one with more affordable payments. Or you could have refinanced your home at a lower rate. But today, home values have fallen so sharply that even if you made a large down payment, the current value of your mortgage may still be higher than the current value of your house. So no bank will return your calls, and no sale will return your investment.
You can’t afford to leave and you can’t afford to stay. So you cut back on luxuries. Then you cut back on necessities. You spend down your savings to keep up with your payments. Then you open the retirement fund. Then you use the credit cards. And when you’ve gone through everything you have, and done everything you can, you have no choice but to default on your loan. And so your home joins the nearly six million others in foreclosure or at risk of foreclosure across the country, including roughly 150,000 right here in Arizona.
But the foreclosures which are uprooting families and upending lives across America are only one part of this housing crisis. For while there are millions of families who face foreclosure, there are millions more who are in no danger of losing their homes, but who have still seen their dreams endangered. They are families who see “For Sale” signs lining the streets. Who see neighbors leave, and homes standing vacant, and lawns slowly turning brown. They see their own homes – their largest single assets – plummeting in value. One study in Chicago found that a foreclosed home reduces the price of nearby homes by as much as 9 percent. Home prices in cities across the country have fallen by more than 25 percent since 2006; in Phoenix, they’ve fallen by 43 percent.
Even if your neighborhood hasn’t been hit by foreclosures, you’re likely feeling the effects of the crisis in other ways. Companies in your community that depend on the housing market – construction companies and home furnishing stores, painters and landscapers – they’re cutting back and laying people off. The number of residential construction jobs has fallen by more than a quarter million since mid-2006. As businesses lose revenue and people lose income, the tax base shrinks, which means less money for schools and police and fire departments. And on top of this, the costs to a local government associated with a single foreclosure can be as high as $20,000.
The effects of this crisis have also reverberated across the financial markets. When the housing market collapsed, so did the availability of credit on which our economy depends. As that credit has dried up, it has been harder for families to find affordable loans to purchase a car or pay tuition and harder for businesses to secure the capital they need to expand and create jobs.
In the end, all of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis. And all of us will pay an even steeper price if we allow this crisis to deepen – a crisis which is unraveling homeownership, the middle class, and the American Dream itself. But if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral, every American will benefit. And that’s what I want to talk about today.
The plan I’m announcing focuses on rescuing families who have played by the rules and acted responsibly: by refinancing loans for millions of families in traditional mortgages who are underwater or close to it; by modifying loans for families stuck in sub-prime mortgages they can’t afford as a result of skyrocketing interest rates or personal misfortune; and by taking broader steps to keep mortgage rates low so that families can secure loans with affordable monthly payments.
At the same time, this plan must be viewed in a larger context. A lost home often begins with a lost job. Many businesses have laid off workers for a lack of revenue and available capital. Credit has become scarce as the markets have been overwhelmed by the collapse of securities backed by failing mortgages. In the end, the home mortgage crisis, the financial crisis, and this broader economic crisis are interconnected. We cannot successfully address any one of them without addressing them all.
Yesterday, in Denver, I signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which will create or save three and a half million jobs over the next two years – including 70,000 in Arizona – doing the work America needs done. We will also work to stabilize, repair, and reform our financial system to get credit flowing again to families and businesses. And we will pursue the housing plan I am outlining today.
Through this plan, we will help between seven and nine million families restructure or refinance their mortgages so they can avoid foreclosure. And we are not just helping homeowners at risk of falling over the edge, we are preventing their neighbors from being pulled over that edge too – as defaults and foreclosures contribute to sinking home values, failing local businesses, and lost jobs.
But I also want to be very clear about what this plan will not do: It will not rescue the unscrupulous or irresponsible by throwing good taxpayer money after bad loans. It will not help speculators who took risky bets on a rising market and bought homes not to live in but to sell. It will not help dishonest lenders who acted irresponsibility, distorting the facts and dismissing the fine print at the expense of buyers who didn’t know better. And it will not reward folks who bought homes they knew from the beginning they would never be able to afford. In short, this plan will not save every home.
But it will give millions of families resigned to financial ruin a chance to rebuild. It will prevent the worst consequences of this crisis from wreaking even greater havoc on the economy. And by bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everyone. According to estimates by the Treasury Department, this plan could stop the slide in home prices due to neighboring foreclosures by up to $6,000 per home.
Here is how my plan works:
First, we will make it possible for an estimated four to five million currently ineligible homeowners who receive their mortgages through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to refinance their mortgages at lower rates.
Today, as a result of declining home values, millions of families are “underwater,” which means they owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. These families are unable to sell their homes, and unable to refinance them. So in the event of a job loss or another emergency, their options are limited.
Right now, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – the institutions that guarantee home loans for millions of middle class families – are generally not permitted to guarantee refinancing for mortgages valued at more than 80 percent of the home’s worth. So families who are underwater – or close to being underwater – cannot turn to these lending institutions for help.
My plan changes that by removing this restriction on Fannie and Freddie so that they can refinance mortgages they already own or guarantee. This will allow millions of families stuck with loans at a higher rate to refinance. And the estimated cost to taxpayers would be roughly zero; while Fannie and Freddie would receive less money in payments, this would be balanced out by a reduction in defaults and foreclosures.
I also want to point out that millions of other households could benefit from historically low interest rates if they refinance, though many don’t know that this opportunity is available to them – an opportunity that could save families hundreds of dollars each month. And the efforts we are taking to stabilize mortgage markets will help these borrowers to secure more affordable terms, too.
Second, we will create new incentives so that lenders work with borrowers to modify the terms of sub-prime loans at risk of default and foreclosure.
Sub-prime loans – loans with high rates and complex terms that often conceal their costs – make up only 12 percent of all mortgages, but account for roughly half of all foreclosures.
Right now, when families with these mortgages seek to modify a loan to avoid this fate, they often find themselves navigating a maze of rules and regulations but rarely finding answers. Some sub-prime lenders are willing to renegotiate; many aren’t. Your ability to restructure your loan depends on where you live, the company that owns or manages your loan, or even the agent who happens to answer the phone on the day you call.
My plan establishes clear guidelines for the entire mortgage industry that will encourage lenders to modify mortgages on primary residences. Any institution that wishes to receive financial assistance from the government, and to modify home mortgages, will have to do so according to these guidelines – which will be in place two weeks from today.
If lenders and homebuyers work together, and the lender agrees to offer rates that the borrower can afford, we’ll make up part of the gap between what the old payments were and what the new payments will be. And under this plan, lenders who participate will be required to reduce those payments to no more than 31 percent of a borrower’s income. This will enable as many as three to four million homeowners to modify the terms of their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.
So this part of the plan will require both buyers and lenders to step up and do their part. Lenders will need to lower interest rates and share in the costs of reduced monthly payments in order to prevent another wave of foreclosures. Borrowers will be required to make payments on time in return for this opportunity to reduce those payments.
I also want to be clear that there will be a cost associated with this plan. But by making these investments in foreclosure-prevention today, we will save ourselves the costs of foreclosure tomorrow – costs borne not just by families with troubled loans, but by their neighbors and communities and by our economy as a whole. Given the magnitude of these costs, it is a price well worth paying.
Third, we will take major steps to keep mortgage rates low for millions of middle class families looking to secure new mortgages.
Today, most new home loans are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which guarantee loans and set standards to keep mortgage rates low and to keep mortgage financing available and predictable for middle class families. This function is profoundly important, especially now as we grapple with a crisis that would only worsen if we were to allow further disruptions in our mortgage markets.
Therefore, using the funds already approved by Congress for this purpose, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve will continue to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities so that there is stability and liquidity in the marketplace. Through its existing authority Treasury will provide up to $200 billion in capital to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can continue to stabilize markets and hold mortgage rates down.
We’re also going to work with Fannie and Freddie on other strategies to bolster the mortgage markets, like working with state housing finance agencies to increase their liquidity. And as we seek to ensure that these institutions continue to perform what is a vital function on behalf of middle class families, we also need to maintain transparency and strong oversight so that they do so in responsible and effective ways.
Fourth, we will pursue a wide range of reforms designed to help families stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure.
My administration will continue to support reforming our bankruptcy rules so that we allow judges to reduce home mortgages on primary residences to their fair market value – as long as borrowers pay their debts under a court-ordered plan. That’s the rule for investors who own two, three, and four homes. It should be the rule for ordinary homeowners too, as an alternative to foreclosure.
In addition, as part of the recovery plan I signed into law yesterday, we are going to award $2 billion in competitive grants to communities that are bringing together stakeholders and testing new and innovative ways to prevent foreclosures. Communities have shown a lot of initiative, taking responsibility for this crisis when many others have not. Supporting these neighborhood efforts is exactly what we should be doing.
Taken together, the provisions of this plan will help us end this crisis and preserve for millions of families their stake in the American Dream. But we must also acknowledge the limits of this plan.
Our housing crisis was born of eroding home values, but also of the erosion of our common values. It was brought about by big banks that traded in risky mortgages in return for profits that were literally too good to be true; by lenders who knowingly took advantage of homebuyers; by homebuyers who knowingly borrowed too much from lenders; by speculators who gambled on rising prices; and by leaders in our nation’s capital who failed to act amidst a deepening crisis.
So solving this crisis will require more than resources – it will require all of us to take responsibility. Government must take responsibility for setting rules of the road that are fair and fairly enforced. Banks and lenders must be held accountable for ending the practices that got us into this crisis in the first place. Individuals must take responsibility for their own actions. And all of us must learn to live within our means again.
These are the values that have defined this nation. These are values that have given substance to our faith in the American Dream. And these are the values that we must restore now at this defining moment.
It will not be easy. But if we move forward with purpose and resolve – with a deepened appreciation for how fundamental the American Dream is and how fragile it can be when we fail in our collective responsibilities – then I am confident we will overcome this crisis and once again secure that dream for ourselves and for generations to come.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God bless America.2009-02-18T09:58:00-07:002015-12-07T21:45:11-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:895Looming Disaster?A recommendation to anyone who cares about the future of our troubled economy: take 30 minutes today and watch the video below. It's a shocking wake-up call that snapped into sharp focus the brutal world that my 3 year old daughter will inherit. And it explains - with amazing clairty - the national debt, the foreign trade deficit, the decrease in personal savings and the weakness of leadership in our country - past and present politicians included.
I.O.U.S.A
"By the time today's college grauduates retire, 40 years from now, the only the thing our government will be able to pay for: interest on the federal debt and "some" social security, medicaid and medicare benefits. All other parts of the federal government will be closed and out of business."
<br /><br />
So...where do we go from here?
The United States is on economic life support and is probably going to go broke during my lifetime. My advice? Learn Chinese. Don't buy what you can't afford. Make smart, calculated decisions with your investments and your savings (retirement and otherwise). Ask for guidance from trusted professionals with proven track records to help you evaluate large purchase decisions.What do you think we should be doing? What steps do you see yourself making to sidestep this looming disaster? 2009-01-06T21:56:00-07:002015-12-07T10:38:55-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:894Housing Bubble - What's The Trouble?Nothing like a little country western to make something sound even more absurd :) Enjoy. 2009-01-04T06:04:00-07:002015-12-07T10:39:01-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:891House of CardsA lot of folks are going into foreclosure. A lot of folks currently owe more on their homes than they are worth. And a lot of folks are losing their jobs. A lot of folks are in serious trouble.
And it all falls down...
2008-12-23T07:17:00-07:002015-12-07T10:22:58-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:892The Second ComingNo, it's not what you think. Though it would appear Judgement Day is on the horizon for the housing industry. According to the 60 Minutes report below, we're about halfway through this crisis with nearly $1 Trillion in loans predicted to default in 2009 through 2011.
Home for the Holidays?
Yes...a lot of folks still have a home to call their own this Christmas. But for those who have "Alt-A" and "Option ARMs" reseting in the next few years this story is only half told.<br />
<br /><br />Related Links<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/foreclosures/" target="_blank">Atlanta Foreclosures</a><a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/short-sale-process/" target="_blank">Atlanta Short Sales</a><a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/market-trends/" target="_blank">Atlanta Real Estate Market</a>2008-12-22T08:10:00-07:002015-12-07T10:21:50-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:889Cheaters NEVER WinThe term REALTOR® has come to connote competency, fairness, and high integrity resulting from adherence to a lofty ideal of moral conduct in business relations. No inducement of profit and no instruction from clients ever can justify departure from this ideal. - Realtor Code of EthicsLofty IdealsThere is no more immediate example of a departure from "lofty ideals" than the last 5 years in the real estate industry and the economic mess it's gotten us into. It seems that the real estate industry is the epicenter of the largest economic shift in a generation. As a result of this financial crises everyone has been forced to make budget cuts. From the Government's massive, multi-billion dollar bail out of AIG (and several other well known financial institutions) to the "Big 3" U.S. automakers recent plea for a government "bridge loan" - there's no shortage of hand outs, bailouts and freebies to help these companies weather this economic storm.Moral Conduct"Moral conduct in business relations"* is no easy task -- especially when the bottom falls out. Those of us that earn our daily bread from the real estate business, no doubt, feel the pressure of the current market. "Dog-Eat-Dog". Citi Group. AIG. Bear Sterns. Morgan Stanley. Wachovia. Washington Mutual. The list of troubled companies being propped up by hard earned, tax-payer dollars goes on...and on. And why should it stop there? What about all those poor Realtors who are suffering as a result of this horrible housing market? Who's going to lend them a helping hand?That's the question we're asking ourselves at RealSourceBrokers.com and it looks as if we're doing our part - whether we've agreed to the terms or not.Short on cash? No problem.Or maybe your simply short on original ideas? We've got you covered. In fact, you can take the shirt off our backs (or, more specifically, the content off our website) - you don't even have to ask.Right click. Copy. And paste. It's that simple. Competency, Fairness & High Integrity Below are three Three Case Studies I've compiled to demonstrate how our competitors are stepping up their game in this down market. Riding our coat-tails, cutting corners and saving time and money by stealing our content and making it their own. Case Study #1: www.gordonstreetrealty.com <br />The "Gordon Street" Realty Bail OutWe've all heard about the Wall Street bail out. And everyone agrees that Main Street needs help too. But did you know that Gordon Street was also suffering? Check out http://www.GordonStreetRealty.com and you'll notice how we've helped in their time of need. Go on...take a look...site design, images, content, service model...it's all there...we've even helped put words into Keith Gordon's mouth (see exhibit "b").Exhibit "A" - STOLEN DESIGN/CONCEPT **screen shot 11/28/2008** Look at Gordon Street Realty's useful Atlanta Zip Code flash map. Oh, wait...that's actually our map as you can see throughout our website here: <a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/">https://www.realsourcebrokers.com</a><img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/gordon_street__copied_map_501.jpg" alt="gordon_street__copied_map_501" border="0" height="250" width="127" />Exhibit "B"- STOLEN QUOTE **screen shot 11/28/2008** Exhibit "B" is a quote from Keith Gordon's BIO page and it brings a new definition to the term unoriginal. It seems I'm literally putting words in Keith Gordon's mouth - take a look at my <a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/about/" target="_blank" class="si-highlight">about page</a> and cross reference it with the Gordon Street screen shot below. <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/gordon_street__copied_7_504.jpg" alt="gordon_street__copied_7_504" title="gordon_street__copied_7_504" height="155" width="396" class="img_box_center" />Exhibit "C"- STOLEN CONTENT/SERVICE MODEL **screen shot 11/24/2008**Take a look at these two screen shots and then go to my site and look at our home page and our relocation services page. Can anyone say "shameless"? <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/gordon_street__copied_content_1_505.jpg" alt="gordon_street__copied_content_1_505" title="gordon_street__copied_content_1_505" height="308" width="422" class="img_box_center" />Case Study #2: www.rkihomes.jasonbenesch.com The Real Estate Tomato "Gets Squeezed" Everyone is feeling the "squeeze" of the economic downturn and the famed http://www.RealEstateTomato.com is no different. In developing a site for one our local, Atlanta competitors they took a page (or two) directly from our playbook. Exhibit "A" - STOLEN CONTENT **screen shot 11/21/2008** Jason Benesch, Director of Techonology for RealEstateTomato.com, was short on words (and common sense) as he developed the, now terminated, website for RKI Homes here in Atlanta. A local Keller Williams agent, Brenda and her team hired Real Estate Tomato to build a website that was never completed. It was, however, live on the internet for long enough to get indexed by google when searching our office phone number (see google search for 404-270-9374 for evidence). That's right - he was so "right click" happy that he forgot to change the phone number on the content he stole for our site and posted on his client's site.<img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/rki_homes__googled_phone__609.jpg" alt="rki_homes__googled_phone__609" border="0" height="156" width="365" class="img_box_center" /><img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/rki_homes__copied_content_605.jpg" alt="rki_homes__copied_content_605" border="0" height="298" width="453" class="img_box_center" />Exhibit "B"- COPIED CONCEPT/SERVICE MODEL **screen shot 11/21/2008*They didn't stop of direct theft of content in exhibit "a". No sir. They extended it right into their footer where it would appear they were going to copy our service model too. <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/rki_homes__footer_374.jpg" alt="rki_homes__footer_374" title="rki_homes__footer_374" height="130" width="272" />Exhibit "C"- COPIED DESIGN/CONCEPT/CONTENT **screen shot 11/21/2008**We're not staking claim to the idea of displaying "Market Stats" on our website. But who are you trying to kid? That's our content you've stolen and put into that box. Making Sense Of The Market? Let's not get ahead of ourselves here...I'm still trying to make sense of how you call yourself a web "designer"? <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/rki_homes__making_sense_331.jpg" alt="rki_homes__making_sense_331" title="rki_homes__making_sense_331" height="238" width="232" />Case Study #3: www.gregregan.com<br />Greg Regan"onomics"Many of the most influential economists in the world looked to "Reaganomics" to explain this distrastrous economic situation. Over at http://www.GregRegan.com a Pinehurst, NC Realtor has put to work his own form of de-regulated policies when it comes to his website. Exhibit "A" - COPIED DESIGN/CONTENT **screen shot 11/18/2008** <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/greg_regan__copied_4_292.jpg" alt="greg_regan__copied_4_292" title="greg_regan__copied_4_292" height="196" width="165" />Exhibit "B" - STOLEN DESIGN/CONTENT **screen shot 11/18/2008** Again with the "Market Watch"? Popular feature. I don't blame you for stealing it from my site - it's definitely one of my favorites too. <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/greg_regan__market_watch_463.jpg" alt="greg_regan__market_watch_463" title="greg_regan__market_watch_463" height="91" width="355" class="img_box_center" />Exhibit "C" - STOLEN CONTENT **screen shot 11/18/2008** I'm not sure this even needs an explanation. Let's see...right click...copy...paste...find/replace. That just about does it. Greg, I hope you didn't pay too much for those guys over at http://www.goodboyweb.com/ to design your site... <img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/greg_regan__copied_1_469.jpg" alt="greg_regan__copied_1_469" title="greg_regan__copied_1_469" height="147" width="371" class="img_box_center" /><img src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/543/image/greg_regan__copied_2_467.jpg" alt="greg_regan__copied_2_467" title="greg_regan__copied_2_467" height="123" width="373" class="img_box_center" />2008-12-01T14:12:00-07:002015-12-08T10:08:15-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:882Socialism and the New America$700,000,000,000.00
That's a lot of zeros.2008-09-19T09:41:00-07:002015-12-07T10:38:44-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:879Higher Power<br />
One of the driving mechanisms of real estate values is the little known concept of "Buying Power". In real estate, buying power simply refers to the amount, or quality, of home you can purchase with your monthly payment dollars.<br />
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The reason we saw the real estate bubble occur (and it's subsequent collapse) had everything to do with the increased buying power of the consumer. The expansion of the credit market into the subprime arena (aka "credit challenged") - folks who might not have otherwise been able to get financing for a home were able to enter the market as first time buyers. This, combined with historically low interest rates, predatory "teaser" rates and cartoonish "1 year interest only" loans allowed buyers to stretch their dollars even higher up the buying power ladder.<br />
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Fast forward five years to October 2008 and that's all changed.<br /><br />Related Links<a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/financing/" target="_blank">Atlanta Mortgage</a><a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/idx/search-form/" target="_blank">Atlanta Homes For Sale</a>2008-09-13T12:56:00-07:002015-12-07T10:37:31-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:874Good FaithI often talk to my clients and prospects about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_faith">"good faith"</a>. In simple terms - you have to trust that people will do what they say they're going to do in order for things to work as they should.2008-08-18T06:07:00-07:002015-12-07T10:34:39-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:873Sell Low; Buy LowerThe concept that you can Sell High and Buy Low in a local real estate market is an illusion.<br />
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Sure, if you invest nationally (or internationally) then you can apply the concept of Selling High and Buying Low becuase you spend your time identifying, tracking and hunting those markets that are at their peak when others are in a trough. This can be a time consuming and expensive process.<br />
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If you're like most folks - a "retai"l buyer or seller - simply looking to upgrade to a larger home, better neighborhood or school district in the neighborhoods of Atlanta then you should know that timing the market to Sell High and Buy Low simply doesn't work. After all, "a rising tide floats all ships". Meaning, if you sell your home at a peak of the market then you the house you go to buy will also be at the peak of the market. And if you're making an upgrade this can be an expensive proposition.<br />
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Let me explain. In 2005, at the peak of the market, a seller owned a 3 bedroom 2 bath renovated bungalow in Oakhurst (Decatur) they purchased in 2000 for $200,000. Their kids were coming of school age and, though they'd heard great things about Oakhurst Elementary - they also got a raise and loved the Lake Claire neighborhood where their kids could be enrolled in one the better Intown elementary schools - Mary Lin. They put their home on the market and sold in just 14 days for $350,000. Not bad. $150,000 appreciation in just 5 years. They found a perfect home in Lake Claire for $600,000. Took their $150,000 in equity as a down payment and just like that, had a $450,000 mortgage.<br />
Fast forward 3 years to 2008. Because of the down turn in the real estate market those same two homes have lost nearly 15% since their peak values in 2005. So they're now forced to sell the Oakhurst bungalow for $297,500 ($52,500 less than they would have gotten in 2005). Bummer. They've only got $97,500 for a down payment. That perfect home in Lake Claire...that one has also decreased by 15%. It's now on the market for $510,000 ($90,000 less than they would've paid in 2005 at the market peak). They take their $97,500 in equity as a down payment and just like that, had a $412,500 mortgage. <br />
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Look at those numbers again. They sold their home for $52,500 less than in the better market...but they came out on top by $37,500. That's the beauty of the "Sell Low; Buyer Lower" strategy. Whatever you lose as a seller you more than make up for as an upgrade buyer.2008-08-16T11:50:00-07:002015-12-07T10:34:36-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:870Subprime Primer<a href="http://docs.google.com/TeamPresent?docid=ddp4zq7n_0cdjsr4fn&skipauth=true" target="_blank">The mortgage industry over the last 5 years</a>
Has made a real mess of things. Painfully funny, no doubt.2008-08-05T07:05:00-07:002015-12-07T10:34:06-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:868The Myth of Advertising<br />
Most Sellers love to talk about advertising. They want to know where their home is being seen and, in many cases, the instant they put their homes up for sale they become "arm-chair" marketers. <br />
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I had a long talk with a prospective client yesterday who literally had an outline of over 100 media outlets he expected his home to be advertised on- from television spots to a cork board at the local coffee shop. Many of them...most of them, actually...had nothing to do with targeting buyers of real estate. <br />
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Now, in this market -- I've learned to "choose my battles wisely" so we parted as friends and he continues his search for an agent who is able to meet his expectations.<br />
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The question for you, as a Seller in this current market, is whether you want your home advertised, or do you want it sold? <br />
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The most significant advertising decision you will make as a Seller in this market is the price you decide to put on your home. In fact, if you make the right decision around your asking price all that's left is where you'll be moving to and how you're going to get there. My job is take care of the rest of it.2008-07-30T05:38:00-07:002015-12-07T10:28:59-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:864Chicken Soup for the Real Estate Seller<br />
Let's say you go to the grocery store and there are 10 cans of chicken soup on the shelf. If you're like most people, you're going to look carefully at their price per ounce, the label, the kind of noodles it has, etc. And, if you're like most people, you buy the best value for your dollar in chicken soup. And you take your time doing it.<br />
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On the other hand, if there's only one can of chicken soup and there are 3 others behind you just waiting to snatch it up as soon as you're done inspecting the label, you're not going to be nearly as discriminating. You'll simply put in your cart and move on. And you'll do it quickly and pay the going rate.<br />
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That's the difference between a buyer's market and a seller's market. Buyer's look at things differently depending on the external pressures.<br />
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Right now in the Atlanta Real Estate market we've got 10 cans of chicken soup and we only one buyer. And the recipe that wins is the one that offers the best value for the money.2008-07-23T05:16:00-07:002015-12-07T10:30:03-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:86123 Showings. 3 Offers. 2 Sales.<br />
INTOWN ATLANTA REAL ESTATE RATIOS<br />
In the last 7 days the properties I'm marketing showed, collectively, 23 times. I'm currently representing 21 properties so that's an average of 1 showing per property per week. Not bad given the current market.<br />
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In the last 7 days I've received 3 offers to purchase - 2 of which we were able to reach an agreement on and 1 I'm still negotiating. <br />
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23 showings. 3 offers. 2 sales.<br />
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At the end of the week I'm left explaining to my clients what happened with the other 20 "buyers". <br />
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Always remember the definition of a "Buyer" is someone who buys. Until then, they may be anything.2008-07-20T06:40:00-07:002015-12-08T13:07:08-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:857"I'm insulted"<br />
It's one of the most common phrases I hear when presenting offers to my clients in this market - "I'm insulted. Tell them I'm not interested."<br />
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Truth is, if you're not interested in getting an offer (even if it's a low offer) you might be better off taking your house off the market.<br />
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Here's a quick tip for Seller's out there braving the current market. Don't be insulted with by the Buyer that submits an offer on your home. Be insulted with the other people that have come through your house and have did think enough of it to make an offer. Those are the ones you want to get upset with, not the ones that like your house so much they're willing to go through the time and effort of sending you an offer. These folks are trying to buy your home. <br />
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Call me crazy but it might be worth your time to see what you can do to negotiate with this person. That's why Counter Offers exist.2008-07-06T04:39:00-07:002015-12-07T14:21:55-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:856Depersonalize & Declutter<br />
The two biggest money-making words there are when it comes to showing your home: <br />
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Depersonalize and Declutter. <br />
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Not only will you create a more inviting space for buyers to imagine as their own - your home will sell faster and for more money. <br />
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And it's about the only guarantee you have in today's market.2008-07-05T04:25:00-07:002015-12-07T14:22:01-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:853Real Estate Stress Killer<br />
A real estate transaction can cause a lot of stress if you allow it to. I've learned over the years of buying and selling homes there is a simple, yet effective, way of killing real estate stress.<br />
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FLEXIBILITY.<br />
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Closing dates are not written in stone. Repairs aren't always completed on time. And, as of late, the bank doesn't always have the money ready when you need it.<br />
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Allow for contingencies and have a back-up plan. If the Buyers or Sellers need a little more time to conclude the final arrangements, don’t let these delays upset you. These types of circumstances are not uncommon in a real estate transaction.2008-06-22T19:49:00-07:002015-12-07T10:50:24-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:852Income + Lifestyle = Mortgage Payment<br />
The formula for successfully getting into a comfortable mortgage payment is not complicated. In fact, you don't need a fancy amortization chart or even one of those online calculators that don't do a very good job of showing real world scenarios.<br />
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All you need to do is sit down with a competent real estate professional and honestly discuss your income level and living expenses. <br />
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During this conversation with an experienced professional...be sure to take into account future considerations like: children, add-ons, amenities or fix-ups. Your dream home is certainly worth a sacrifice but don’t mortgage your entire future.2008-06-16T10:02:00-07:002015-12-07T10:49:50-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:847Something Is Better Than NothingA lot of folks tell me they don't want to price their home at Market Value because they know the Buyer is going to low-ball them.<br />
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I would rather reject three offers than have none at all, wouldn't you?2008-06-02T14:24:00-07:002015-12-08T07:40:19-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:843"I don't need to sell"Pontential Seller: "I don't need to sell my home but I would if someone was willing to pay me my price."<br />
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Me: "No problem. Based on the market analysis it looks as if your home is about $50,000 overpriced for today's market."<br />
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Potential Seller: "Well...(long pause) we really don't need to be out of the house for another 6 months and we aren't really in a position where we have to sell.<br />
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Me: "So...if you don't need to sell...what had you put your home on the market in the first place?"<br />
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Potentail Seller: "Umm...I being transferred to Chicago in a few months ago but I don't really need to be there until September."<br />
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Me: "So your going to be moving to Chicago in a two months? Is that the plan?"<br />
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Potential Seller: "Yeah. We bought a house up there last month and, uhh, my wife and kids are up there now getting enrolled in school and taking care of all that. I'm staying back here until the house sells."<br />
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Me: "Oh. That makes sense."2008-05-30T20:52:00-07:002015-12-07T10:41:18-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:842Complex Solutions for Simple ProblemsMy job as an agent is to bring the market to my clients...and, in turn, the market brings them the price for their home.<br />
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The concept is simple enough, right? You'd be amazed by the complex games Sellers and their Agents will play to avoid confronting the simple truth.2008-05-29T05:13:00-07:002015-12-07T10:41:26-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:835Greatest Real Estate Agent In the WorldGreatest Real Estate Agent In The World **?
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So...there's this <a target="_blank" href="http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/morgan-carey/4307/show/">contest</a> going on across the web to determine who's the greatest real estate agent in the world **. I've always been a bit reluctant to engage in shameless self promotion...but the first place price of being the greatest real estate agent in the world ** is too lucrative to pass up.<br />
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Though winning may be a bit out reach....my goal is to at least influence the contest. <br />
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And in this year of presidential elections - where we witness, first hand, the power and politics of our <a href="http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/aspects/demrep.html" target="_blank">Democracy</a> - what better way to influence than to cast a vote (a.k.a link) for who i believe is the single greatest real estate agent in the world? One is reminded, however, that in the world of SEO (search engine optimization), Google and the internet...casting votes is even more complicated then our current <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College" target="_blank">election process</a>.<br />
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As with you, when I go to the polls in November to cast my vote for the next leader of the free world...I want my vote to be one that counts for something. But voting has become more than simply picking a candidate you believe is the most suitable for the job. As frustrating and detached as it may seem - you have to consider whether the vote you're casting results in an outcome you can live with. Because in today's politics - voting for <a href="http://www.hillaryclinton.com/splash/" target="_blank">one person</a> might actually result in the election of <a href="http://www.johnmccain.com/landing/?sid=gorganic" target="_blank">another</a>. Sounds backwards...but then in today's media warped world there's one question that you have to be asking if you want your vote to count: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/opinion/07kristof.html" target="_blank">Who Is More Electable?</a><br />
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With that simple question in mind...campaigning to win a contest (free website and hosting) and pandering for "votes" (links) now requires unmatched levels of calculation and effort. A <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/21/us/politics/20web-hulse.html">procedural chess match</a> ensues.<br />
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Yes. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html">Democracy</a> (see #4) is a complicated process. No doubt. <br />
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So...in the coming days, weeks and months as this contest unfolds and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=greatest+real+estate+agent+in+the+world&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a" target="_blank">the results</a> come in. I will be gathering info on<a href="http://www.greatestrealestateagentintheworld.org/the-nominees/" target="_blank"> the candidates</a>, considering electability and casting my influence.<br />
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Because...if there is one thing I've learned from this contest so far....it's that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gregboser.com/greatest-real-estate-agent-in-the-world/">punditry</a> is not limited to the political arena, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.metroseo.com/2007/10/31/real-estate-webmasters-and-seo-guy-criminal-intent/">smear tactics</a> are a powerful (and <a href="http://www.gregboser.com/real-estate-webmasters-banned/" target="_blank">dramatic</a>) form of online marketing and the greatest real estate agent in the world ** will not be an easy title to live up to.<br />
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NOTE: This post is "a work in progress".<br />
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**as determined by Google on May 1st of this year across multiple data centers2008-02-16T20:40:00-07:002015-12-08T03:42:43-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:832AroundMidtown.com - An Atlanta Neighborhood BlogA new blog called<a href="http://www.aroundmidtown.com" target="_blank"> AroundMidtown.com</a> profiles different developments, restaurants, entertainment, and living in Midtown Atlanta. Since the neighborhood is constantly changing, it helps to have a variety of resources to find the latest information. <br />
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The husband and wife team that writes the blog provides insight into what it's like to live and work in this exciting urban area of Atlanta. <br />
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The blog is updated daily, so be sure to bookmark it and visit regularly for all the latest from one of my favorite <a href="https://www.realsourcebrokers.com/intown-atlanta-real-estate/" target="_blank">Intown Atlanta Real Estate</a> markets.2008-01-21T19:34:00-07:002015-12-07T10:48:36-07:00The Keen Teamtag:realsourcebrokers.com,2012-09-20:810Question #10: How Many People Do You Speak With Each Day About Real Estate?This question will tell you how connected an agent is, and how active they’ll “talk-up” your home to buyers, or find a home for you by talking to other agents. Hopefully, your agent talks to at least 40 people a day about real estate. If not, they may not be very active. <br />
<br />2007-04-28T03:30:00-07:002015-12-07T13:47:51-07:00The Keen Team