Why you need a FULL-Time agent June 15, 2009

Go read this fabulous blog post from a fellow Realtor in Phoenix, Jay Thompson.

He received a request to take a buyer to go see homes, but the buyer was already represented by an agent who was “only available evenings”. What kind of service is that?!?

This blog post gives you great reasons why you should choose a full-time agent, and an example of what happens when you don’t. Here’s a snippet:

“How many potential homes is this buyer going to miss out on because their agent isn’t available? What happens when this buyer calls a listing agent that has no problem “stealing” them from their current agent? How is this evenings-only agent going to be present during the day for an inspection? How are they going to be at the title company for document signing?”

Please know, that I am a full-time Realtor, with no other jobs on the side. I love selling houses, and I am flexible with my schedule to be available when my clients need me.

Washington Township Park Expansion planned for 2009 June 2, 2009

Washington Township Park in Avon offers a lot already, including a sled hill, shelters, playground, walking trails, ponds, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and the Paw Park. I love visiting there with my family, and soon we will have even more to look forward to with the development of approximately 80 additional acres of grasslands, woods and water south of the park located at US 36 and County Road 575 East.

The project is in the planning and design stages, with current ideas including walking and biking trails, outdoor multi-use sports fields, perennial gardens, large family shelters, a splash pad, fishing piers and even an outdoor amphitheater.

The plan is to keep as much of the woods, lake and rolling pastures as it is as possible, whild also making the land useable. They plan to preserve the environment as much as possible by incorporating building that will have as little impact on the land as possible, and archetecture that blends well.

On the edge of the lake, the Township Park is planning a Community Center that can be used for both public and private events.

For more information about the park, visit http://www.washingtontwpparks.org/

NOT a Real Estate Post June 1, 2009

Usually I’m all about real estate and news about Central Indiana homes and housing. Today, however, I am taking a break to tell you about this really cool giveaway.
You can win an HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition Netbook by going to the Blissful Style blog and entering the contest!
I have been looking for a good laptop, and fell in love with these tiny netbooks because they are so portable and small enough to fit into my purse. When I am out looking at houses with clients, it would be so easy to pull this out and show them other homes they might be interested in. Also, it would be much easier than lugging a traditional laptop from home to my office and back again every day. Really, I’m just doing this to be a better Realtor for all of you!
So, I thank you for reading, and I will now return to my regularly scheduled real estate programming

Real estate agents sue “CSI: Crime Scene Investigators” writer May 29, 2009

I watch CSI all the time, and I remember watching this particular episode that is in the news today. A woman named Melinda, who turns out to be a real estate agent, is found dead, handcuffed to her bed. Her husband, Scott the mortgage broker, is of course the main suspect. We learn through the course of the show that she actually committed suicide by ingesting large amounts of toothpaste.

Almost every TV show uses the disclaimer that any similarities between the show and real people is purely coincidental, so one might think that Melinda and Scott Tamkin from Keller Williams Realty in Beverly Hills, Calif., are just being paranoid. But what if it isn’t a coincidence? What if the actore hired to be in the show actually look like the couple? What if the couple has actually worked with the CSI writer in the past? And what if, by chance, that real estate deal where the CSI writer worked with these agents went bad?

Not so coincidental anymore, is it? From a Realtor.com magazine article:

The Tamkins believe they were portrayed in the episode and sued writer and producer Sarah Goldfinger for defamation and invasion of privacy. They are seeking $6 million in damages, alleging that the show kept potential customers away. The Tamkins represented the owners of a home that Goldfinger wanted to buy in 2005, according to the lawsuit. Goldfinger pulled out when the sale was in escrow.

Read more about the lawsuit at this CSI fanpage: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/csi/the-csi-franchise-case-file-co-29017.aspx

The episode in question from the official CSI website: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/recaps/913/recaps.php

First-time buyers CAN use the $8,000 tax credit for closing costs and rate buy-downs May 29, 2009

Read the official press release from TODAY here: http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-072.cfm

The credit can NOT be used for down payments, but it can be used for closing costs and to buy down the mortgage rate.

Strong Buyer Activity Allows Existing-Home Sales to Rise May 29, 2009

This is what I’m seeing around Indy too! Read this article from RISMedia: Strong Buyer Activity in Lower Price Ranges Allows Existing-Home Sales to Rise in April.

I have had a lot of buyers who miss out on homes by days or are out-bid by a couple thousand dollars. Homes priced at around $100,000 or lower are moving FAST! There are fewer and fewer of them available each day, and the inventory is dwindling. If you are interested in snatching up a great home in this price range, give me a call before they’re all gone!

Sellers becoming more realistic, buyers, not so much… May 28, 2009

HomeGain, one of the first websites to provide free instant home values, announced the results of an extensive nationwide survey on home prices based on the responses of over 1,150 Realtors. The survey shows that 36% of homeowners think their homes should be listed 10 to 20% higher than what their Realtors’ recommend, down from 45% in the first quarter. Conversely, 64% of homebuyers think that homes are overpriced versus 59% who believed the same in the first quarter.

“Realtors are in a unique position as they get to hear both sides of the home price story – the buyers’ and the sellers’. They then apply their own home valuation analysis based on their understanding of the market which often meets resistance from buyers and sellers,” said Louis Cammarosano, General Manager of HomeGain. “The results of our second quarter Realtor home prices survey indicates that home sellers seem to be getting the message that perhaps their homes are not worth as much as they thought they were, while buyers are expecting to find a bargain on every corner.”

This is exactly what I am seeing in the Indianapolis area as well. When I meet with sellers, I am finding that they are much more realistic in pricing their home than in previous years. It seems that they have finally heard the media that has been telling them for the past few years that home prices are going down. More and more sellers just want to get out what they put into the home, or break even. Sometimes, a homeowner even thinks their home is worth less than my findings, and want to underprice the home.

While sellers are bringing down their prices, buyers are still thinking they can lowball offers on the house. Of course, you can make any offer you want to, but I am seeing that it is no longer an effective strategy. Homes are moving, and some of them are going quickly. Especially in the lower price range, I have seen buyers offer above list price and still be out-bid on HUD homes and bank-owned homes.

Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-05-18/home-sellers-become-more-realistic-on-home-prices-while-realtors-express-greater-optimism-about-housing-market/#ixzz0GdmYEATU&B

Looking to Start Over? Try Indianapolis! May 27, 2009

Thank you to Relocation.com for conducting a survey to compile the list of “Best Cities for a Fresh Start”. In this economy, with unemployment rates going up while the national economy continues to head down, many people are searching out communities that offer them a better standard of living.

Unlike many lists that focus solely on the economy, Relocation.com took a wide-ranging look at factors that would appeal to someone looking for a fresh start: city ‘popularity’ based on consumer requests for moving quotes to move to that city; economic-growth prospects; home affordability; and the strength of a community as reflected by volunteerism rates. Great criteria, and look at who comes in at number 5!!!

  

 

Top 20 cities you should consider if you are looking for a fresh start:

1. Austin, Texas
2. Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas
3. Charlotte, North Carolina
4. Denver, Colorado
5. Columbus, Ohio (tie)
5. Indianapolis, Indiana (tie)
7. Washington, D.C.-Baltimore, Maryland
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
10. Houston, Texas (tie)
10. Las Vegas, Nevada (tie)
10. Seattle, Washington (tie)
13. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota (tie)
13. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (tie)
15. San Antonio, Texas
16. Portland, Oregon
17. Cincinnati, Ohio
18. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
19. Memphis, Tennessee
20. Cleveland, Ohio

For more information, visit www.relocation.com.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” House for sale! May 27, 2009

Remember that amazing scene where after spending the day cavorting around Chicago, Ferris, Cameron and Sloan finally bring Cameron’s father’s Ferrari back? They are trying to turn back the odometer by running the car in reverse while it sits up on blocks in the garage at Cameron’s house. Soon, Cameron notices that it isn’t working, and freaks out because his dad is going to kill him. Besides, his dad always cared more for that car than him! He kicks the car, which then falls off the blocks and reverses right through the glass back of the garage, which is built up over a ravine. We see the car crash down and they all know they are in for BIG trouble.

Well, the car is not included, but you can buy the house where that scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was filmed in Highland Park, Illinois! The contempory-style “Ben Rose Home” features 4 bedrooms and 4 full baths, and over 5,000 Square feet. The two steel and glass buildings are cantilevered over the ravine and have incredible views.

This amazing architectural masterpiece (not to mention awesome peice of movie history!) can be yours for $2,300,000. Call me and I can refer you to the listing agent.

For more info, along with photos of the home: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/370-Beech-Street_Highland-Park_IL_60035_1109385563

A Turning Point? May 26, 2009

A great article from Realtor.org, go read it!!
http://www.realtor.org/research/reinsights/economistcommentary