Here is today’s list of top real estate posts of the day.
1) Realtor Facebook Fan Page Strategy Gains 4,000+ Local Fans in 12 Days – He is now over 7,000 fans in 15 days. I first mentioned what Dale Chumbley was doing in my Top 10 list on day 2 of his 365 day project. I thought it was going to be a hit, but nothing like this.
2) Shock Value – Lesson learned, keep your house ready to show when you are selling it because you never know when the buyer will be coming through that door.
3) CitiMortgage Tests New Foreclosure Alternative – So Citi is looking at taking homes back with a deed in lieu of foreclosure instead of foreclosing. If other banks followed this my guess is it would have an effect on short sales. Part of the reason it is beneficial for a bank to allow a short sale is because the cost of foreclosing. They would still have carrying costs, but how much of the cost is in the actual foreclosure? Something to watch.
4) How Much Would You Pay for a Viable Real Estate Lead? – A good look at leads, what do they cost when you buy them and are they worth it?
5) Home Inspection — Is it important when buying a home? Any post that every answers that question with a no would never make my list. Talk to your agent about good home inspectors. They know the good ones from the ones who miss black mold. Yup, it happened.
6) Traits of a Great Real Estate Agent – Great advice on being a great real estate agent, but really this should have been titled be a great listing agent. And we all know we need more great listing agents. There are some out there, but not enough.
7) Buyer Agency – is This Realtors’ Dirty Little Secret? – I’m including this because I would love to see more discussion. I know most agents I talk to never use an exclusive buyers agreement. Yet they are represented really in the comments here.
8) OK, not exactly a post here, but I noticed this fancy new brochure that NAR has put out on the HAFA program. I am still convinced, as I have been since November when I did my first video on it, that Vicki Cox Golder has not read this. I’d love to know how much of my dues went to the HAFA brochure from the NAR. Another fine government program that will have the same effect as the last few useless programs.
9) It’s Not You, It’s Your Neighbors – One of the biggest challenges with getting a new loan, be it a new or refinance, is the appraisal. Appraisers were quick to jump prices in the mid 2000’s and now seem just as quick to price homes in the other direction. Even when every indication is prices may be raising in an area. So how do they come up with that price? Blame your neighbors.
10) How Long Do Potential Buyers Need to Wait to Obtain Financing after a Hardship? – It’s a common question we get a lot these days, if I file BK, or do a short sale or have a foreclosure, how long until I can buy a house again?
1) How not to sell your Phoenix home – Jay shows you how one listing does just about everything wrong. Best part may be I pulled him up in the MLS and everyone of his listings is the same as this.
2) The Bankrate Mortgage Rate Trend Index Was Less than 25% Accurate In 2009 – All buyers seem to ask their lenders the question, should I lock now? Well turns out the lenders are less accurate than flipping a coin.
3) Sucking the Wind out of Sails: Why Mobile Won’t Matter in 2010 – Rob always has a very interesting, thought provoking take on most issues. I find myself agreeing with him a lot, but in this case I think he is reading to much into it. I see his point, just don’t believe in the real life applications if plays that big of a factor. If mobile fails in 2010 it will be because no one is making the mobile app worth using.
4) I Can’t Give You the Good Stuff.. – First, to bad everyone does not have Heather’s ethics when it comes to this issue and second if you are looking for a great marketing idea that will be easy and inexpensive to do, here it is.
5) Outside.in Hyperlocal Search – Most bloggers will tell you hyperlocal websites are the way to go. Here is an interesting new tool that could make that easier for you.
6) Property Appraisal Insight – from Philip Spool, ASA – Sure, but when you have 2 appraisers look at the same house and their values are 20% off, it does make you scratch your head.
7) How to Tell If You’re Going to Be Successful – Look in your car or around your office and ask yourself this, if someone were to look at them could they tell what you did?
8) Shame On You REALTOR.com for Promoting Dual Agency – This is more or less because I want to hear people’s opinions. I disagree with NAR/Realtor.com on many issues, but this one I think the post reaches to far. The agent handles it exactly how it should be handled in my opinion, come into my office and we will talk, and I will show you other people’s listings not just mine.
9) Let’s Play the Trulia Valuation Game! Prizes to the Winner! – Want to win free SEO consulting? Play this game. Although not being allowed to take money from agents I am not sure how it happens.
10) National BLS: The Future is Listing Home Buyers – New model of a buyer’s database instead of home database. The only thing I see why it won’t be big is it is not the best thing for a buyer. The buyer will miss to many houses this way, a MLS search will be much better to not miss houses.
1) What exactly is title insurance? – Title guru Bill Risser explains title insurance in a way the general public can understand it.
2) $8000 tax credit tax fraud – Where there is free handouts there will be fraud. Close to 100,000 people have claimed the tax credit when they were not eligible.
3) How short sales affect your credit and other ramifications – Is a short sale going to have an impact on your credit score? You bet. How much? Well that depends.
4) Who are the voices in commercial real estate? – In commercial real estate and all you can find is residential blogs? This guide will help.
5) Homeowner confidence out of whack – But can you blame them? – Homeowners are optimistic about the value of their homes over the next six months, and only half of homeowners think their value dropped in the last year. During the last year 74% of homes dropped in value.
6) Want up to 350% more traffic? Add photos – If you want people to take a look at your listings, put up photos, and it appears by Zillow’s research the more photos the better for traffic.
7) Understanding the Internet buyer, NAR 2009 – Interesting video on Internet buyers, but watch out it will crash your Firefox browser, works fine in Chrome.
8 ) I am pretty sure this is how appraisals are performed now – We recently had one house, two appraisals, two different appraisers and the valued were 24% off. Yea, I’m thinking there may be something to this post.
9) How to plow deep while sluggards sleep – Ken Brand takes a look at 2010 and how you can jump start the year right now. Be prepared now for next year, low interest rates, low prices, extended tax credit all lead to potential. One of the keys is know what questions may come up at holiday parties and be ready.
10) How real estate investors really get done – Attn: newbies – If you are new to investing this blog is a must read, and here is a good place to start.
