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This is my wife video taping the Living Room during our second walk-through before we made the offer. I was right behind her with the measuring tape. Although the decorating was clearly not our style, we fell in love with the space quickly.
When everyone is zigging, you have to zag
That's what I say to clients who want to be different and stand out from the competition. Let's face it...real estate is filled with a lot of agents who are finding the housing marketing a challenge in 2008. Here's one marketing idea that a real estate client is doing in 2008 to stand apart from the competition.
Linda Burandt from Keller Williams Integrity (Elk River, MN) now has her own brand of custom labeled bottled water. The idea originated after Linda said that she always ends up stopping at a convenience store to buy her prospective homebuyers a beverage when they are touring open houses anyway. Why not keep a cooler with bottles of her own brand of cold spring water in her car to give to them?
So the idea gained momentum. Now Burandt plans to use her own water at her open houses, city parades, client and networking meetings and dozens of other uses during the summer. The water label above fits on a 16.9 ounce bottle filled with spring water, at a cost of .89 per bottle.
All real estate agents give out pens and coffee mugs. That's boring. Custom labeled bottled water is different. Different is good. It makes people remember you.
Hey real estate agents...
Be memorable. You need to stand out from other agents and agencies. You will blend into the real estate abyss if you're not memorable. When you're memorable, people want to work with you. People will want to give you listings. Being memorable is the best way to earn business.
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Chris Mitchell is the President and Founder of , a full service advertising agency that plans and implements marketing programs for small to medium-sized businesses. He is a consultant, speaker and author and has worked with hundreds of companies. He has over 20 years of real-world advertising experience, and understands the marketing challenges of the small business owner.
website:
email: chris@258marketing.com
I've been watching this home (and a few others) for months...waiting for the signs to go up. Foreclosure... No, a resident didn't lose his/her home..but an investor did!
This empty partially renovated (more than most, but need's new floors) bungalow has been taunting me. I'm kicking myself because my batteries were depleted in the camera so I couldn't get good pictures (I know- I know... why don't I have rechargeable?), there are a few online, but you MUST SEE this one to appreciate. This home is very spacious- listed as a 3/2... let me tell you- that's not accurate (listing agent, did you view it before listing it?)- over 2000 sqft ...HUGE Attic fully converted with a kitchen, bathroom and spacious bedrooms- one large enough to have a platform... you just have to see it! The space is unexpected- the upstairs skylights and kitchen are unexpected (and just waiting to be riped out and expand the master bath into a spa retreat...the lovely arches separating the living-room and dining room are very unexpected but nicely done!
Sonia- if the other does not come through- hey, I found your new home..and Dean's theater room already with a platform for his huge TV.. LOL....
Ok- the only thing; I'm trying to figure out the parking situation... there is a parking pad behind the home with a covering but I don't know if it belongs to the house... I need a survey. Maybe there's an alley.. I'll look again tomorrow..
We are not Lichtenstein. The United States is vast and there are smaller economies spread all over the country. Look at how the Democratic Candidates appeal to voters of different states, simultaneously. The primaries of Ohio and Texas are coming up in a few days and the stakes for each candidate are high. Texas' economy is doing quite well at the moment while Ohio has seen it's job market dry up. NAFTA is popular in Texas and not so in Ohio. As such, the candidates, it seems, talk about NAFTA differently according to the the state they happen to be stumping.
Right now the temperature is 32° F in Cincinnati while it's 71° F in Dallas. There is no point for the weather report to give us the national average because the number will probably not represent what you would experience outside, right now. So, we have to take a closer look and 0bserve, not the nation, but where we are locally.
This brings me back to real estate. We continue to hear how bad the real estate market is for the whole country. In fact, some places have been hit harder than others. In Smithtown, NY, there is an 8.8 month supply of homes on the market. There is a 10.5 months supply in the nearby town of Nesconset. 23 homes and 11 homes went into contract last month for Smithtown and Nesconset, respectively.
We can see that the market is holding stronger in Smithtown than in one town over. According to , there are 155 total foreclosures at the moment for the entire county. This number should not seem to have an appreciable impact on home prices at the moment for either town, however. In Smithtown, there is currently one house in foreclosure with none in Nesconset. The website also reports additional numbers of bankruptcies but we'll have to see in time, whether these homes become foreclosures or not.
All hysterics aside, I believe that we are seeing a correction locally but the sky is not falling. The market just came off a few years of incredible growth and what we see is a return to a more stable market environment which historically follows natural cycles. Our daily real estate experience is not consistent with media reports.
The vacancy rate for affordable rental housing in Colorado fell to 5.9 percent in the fourth quarter of last year from 6.4 percent in the third quarter, as demand increases for subsidized housing, according to a report released by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and Colorado Division of Housing.
The increased demand resulted in higher rents for Coloradans residing in affordable rental housing. The statewide median rent during the fourth quarter was $682, a 3.5 percent increase over the third quarter.
The least expensive rents were available in buildings constructed before 1959 at $566 per month, and in buildings with nine to 50 units, at $605 per month.
The average rent per square foot was $0.88. Rental loss due to concessions and discounts for all affordable housing units statewide was 3.6 percent compared to 11.8 percent for the fourth quarter 2006.
The Boulder/Broomfield market area showed the least vacancy with only 2.1 percent of its rental housing available to affordable households. Consistent with the limited supply, the median rent in the Boulder/Broomfield market increased by $208, up from $582 in the third quarter to $790 in the fourth quarter.
Loveland experienced the most significant increase in the availability of affordable rental housing between the third and fourth quarters, rising from a 5.6 percent vacancy rate to a 10.6 percent vacancy rate.
Gordon Von Stroh, the author of the report and a University of Denver professor, said the change to the completion of a construction project which resulted in those construction workers occupying the affordable units leaving town. Von Stroh said at the demand for affordable housing will continue to grow in 2008.
Resource
A Colorado Rental Property Resource for both landlords and tenants can be found at http://www.coloradorentalproperty.net . Online land lords can post detailed information regarding their rental property, including 5 color photos. The ad can be self directed by the landlord to their cell phone or property management company. This is a service provided FREE by RealEstateColorado.Net and the ad will remain on line until it is asked to be removed.
REAL ESTATE
If you would like additional information about real estate in Breckenridge Colorado as well as anywhere in Summit County Colorado contact us at 1-800-791-3990 ext 421.
Jeffery McClintock is a real estate broker in Summit County and prides himself on providing clients with professional guidance in all phases of residential new construction, including market research, product development, consulting, marketing and advertising. His personal mission is to bring to you a level of knowledge, experience, commitment, high standards and results to answer your real estate needs. He believes, the most effective way to provide superior service is to build a strong working relationship with you. His system includes regular consultations and feedback, which is the best tool for identifying and clarifying your real estate objectives and help define strategic solutions.
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colorado — Avalanche forecasters around Colorado are warily eying the back country snow pack, concerned that warming temperatures and clearing skies could lead to a spike in serious accidents in the coming weeks. February historically sees the highest number of avalanche deaths, based on statistics dating to 1950. And this winter’s steady snows have built a tender snow pack that is prone to big slides.
So far this season, five people have died in avalanches, one less than the annual average of six. Around the country, 23 people have died since mid-December, surpassing last year’s total and leading to concerns that there could a record number of deaths this winter. Back country snow riders can expect to see avalanches that haven’t slid in a long time. And even regular slides will run bigger and longer than anytime in recent memory. said Ethan Green, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “The avalanches we’re seeing are getting bigger and bigger. It’s amazing more people haven’t been killed.”
Some experts are especially concerned about a sudden rise in the number of accidents among skiers and snowboarders who use ski resort chairlifts to get to out-of-bounds terrain. Aspen-based forecaster Brian McCall said he expects the danger rating to remain high across most of the state, and said the danger could climb even higher with a warm-up.
SUMMIT COUNTY — The pending swap of private land in the old Chihuahua town site along Peru Creek involving the U.S. Forest Service and the Town of Breckenridge won’t encounter any substantive opposition from Summit County, commissioners indicated at their regular Tuesday work session.
Forest Service land specialist Paul Semmer presented the board of commissioners with the particulars of the swap, which will allow his agency to acquire about 40 acres of undeveloped land from Keystone-area developer Gary Miller, who owns the Chihuahua site along with several partners, in exchange for Dercum Dash, a little more than 20 valuable acres directly east of the River Run Gondola in Keystone.
The proposed swap also includes two parcels of Forest Service land in Breckenridge: the “Wedge,” about 42 acres in Cucumber Gulch, and the “Claimjumper,” about 10 acres along Airport Road that were cleared of toxic waste last summer. If the swap goes as planned, the Town of Breckenridge will buy both parcels, with the intention of maintaining the Wedge as open space and developing at least a portion of the Claimjumper as attainable housing.
With the US housing market in dire straits, it's an excellent time for foreign nationals to pick up some prime US real estate at bargain basement prices. Foreign real estate investors are buying up property quickly and cheaply in the US. With the US dollar on the decline it makes sense for persons from foreign countries to come in and purchase properties that are otherwise sitting vacant, in a stagnant market. Their country's currency money is worth more compared to our US dollar, so they are usually able to buy more for less in the United States.
Are you a homeowner that is having a hard time selling your home? I would suggest that you take a look at advertising your home for sale on websites targeting foreign countries or list it with a real estate agent that does the same. Or you can list your home for sale for free on my mortgage website as I get alot of foreign nationals interested in purchasing property in the US. These foreign national buyers have the funds to purchase homes in the US and the are super easy to qualify for. They may be purchasing the home as a second home or even as an investment property. Either way, foreign nationals have cash and can close on a home quickly and you don't have all the mortgage red tape that you have with a US citizen buying your home. can close quickly, in as soon as 2-3 weeks.
Here in Florida, homes are not moving quickly, and the ones that are being sold, are being sold very cheap. I see alot of foreign nationals interested in the Orlando area real estate market. Buying property in the US is a smart purchase for any foreign national and qualifying for a is quick and easy.
Headline today reads that lenders sent out 253,000 notices to homeowners who were late with their payments. Do you believe the Feds should step in and freeze everything for at least 12 months and let homeowners breathe and try to work on catching up with debt?
Consumers don't understand what is more important when it comes to paying the mortgage on time. I believe it is more important to pay the mortgage on TIME. When a consumer has his/her credit pulled for lending needs, the first thing on the radar screen is the Real Estate owned.
They also show 30 60 90 days late, some lenders will give you forgiveness but a lot of lenders won't...It will kill the deal anytime the decision is being made for refinance.
I want to know if anyone out there has an opinion or thought on how we should approach this dilemma we are facing.
This important to the solidary of America. Homeownership is the backbone of stability in America.
I appreciate your comments or suggestions.