Opinion
The Problem with Stereotyping Professions
I was engaged the other day on Twitter with someone who had made an interesting comment on a post I made. In response to my comment that I am an optimist, seek out positive aspects and make things happen, the person answered, “when did a lawyer become an optimist?” I thought about that comment most…
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2013 Real Estate Market Predictions
There has been a lot of speculation as to what will happen in the real estate market as we head into a new year. Here is my take on real estate market resolutions for 2013: Home prices will rise, slowly. Based on the current market and the rise in prices in 2012, especially toward the…
Read MoreLessons Learned from the Election
The election is finally over…thank goodness, because all the negativity and blaming was getting annoying. I actually found it hard to log into Facebook or turn on the television. So now we are faced with an important task, no matter who you voted for: moving forward and healing this country. Most importantly, it is time…
Read MoreFunerals, Weddings and Real Estate
Last week was a little bit crazy…it started off with a funeral and ended with a wedding. In between, real estate kept me busy – trying to close a few escrows, fighting with a bank, writing offers, and trying to find a better solution for a buyer that didn’t involve suing a seller. In other…
Read MoreREO Bulk Sales Initiative is a BAD Idea
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s bulk sales plan, whereby certain banks will allow third party institutional investors to purchase multitudes of bank owned (REO) loans in bulk, is moving ahead at full speed, and is doing so quietly. Against pleas from members of Congress, the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) and others involved in the…
Read MoreShould We Report Unethical Real Estate Agents?
Unethical people stink. We can find them in every profession, including real estate. I certainly have seen my share of such types and I know many other agents who have stories of their own. The frustrating fact is that many agents do not report ethical violations, and these people continue to work in such a…
Read MoreYour Real Estate Agent Did WHAT?
Real estate agents or any professionals, take heed: Do you edit everything you send out? Do you read EVERY document the other side sends over involved with a sale? Do you read the contract (even better yet, have you EVER really read the contract in it’s entirety)? In the real estate profession, as well as…
Read MoreHave You Thanked Your Customers Lately?
With the onslaught of social media and the digital age many people, myself included, lament the loss of humanization – that personal touch, face-to-face contact, handwritten notes and handshakes or hugs. In the interest of doing things faster and getting more accomplished in a shorter time, we tend to overlook the most important part of…
Read MoreIs the Internet Doomed?
If you don’t listen to the news and do not know about SOPA and PIPA, especially if you are in the real estate industry or are a buyer or seller, you need to understand what it is and how it might effect you. SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and PIPA , Protect IP Act,…
Read MoreFour Traits Every Realtor Should Possess
No matter what business you are in, if you work with people there are some things you should always do if you want to be successful. By successful I don’t mean financially, although if you do possess these qualities that will follow, but successful in making your clients truly feel well cared for. For Realtors,…
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