Real Estate News You Don’t See on the News – from The Cutting Edge July 21, 2009
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The week’s real estate posts of interest from The Cutting Edge.
July 21, 2009
Twitter for Beginners: 5 Steps for Better Tweeting
“Twitter is immensely useful as a utility for joining in the global conversation and sharing thoughts, opinions, information, and media. But for new users, there’s also a fairly steep learning curve. For many people new to Twitter, the site doesn’t immediately “make sense” and it can be a bit daunting. But there are things those users can do to make the service more useful from the get go.”
Real estate rules of engagement | Inman News
“The next step in the online consumer lifecycle is engagement. They’ve found your site; they came and didn’t run away (aka bounce); and now they’re probably going to do something.”
Great marketing versus stupendously bad marketing | 1000Watt Consulting
“A good marketing campaign begins by understanding what you’re trying to achieve. It helps define who you are, what you stand for and how your brand should be perceived.”
Spice up your mainpage with card.ly (via prsarahevans)
Nice looking contact widget for your website or blog.
July 20, 2009
Frank: I’m Not to Blame for Housing Bubble: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance
“Who’s to blame for the subprime housing bubble? A popular answer – especially on the right side of the aisle – is Massachusetts Democrat, Barney Frank. Why?”
July 19, 2009
With MLS listings available everywhere on the internet, why do you need a buyer’s agent? | Greg Swann’s Arizona Republic columns | BloodhoundRealty.com: Phoenix real estate
“Here’s an intriguing question: Given that it’s so easy to search for homes on the internet, why do you need a buyer’s agent? Face it, if you use the MLS search tool on my web site, you’re seeing exactly the same listings I see. And you know better than I ever could what you like and what you don’t like.”
Translating mortgage language may raise cost but lower consumer risks : Business : Memphis Commercial Appeal
‘Even if lenders ultimately are forced to do fewer loans as a result of new regulation, the consumer protections are still worth it, said John Sullivan, president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. “I would rather people have more difficulty getting the loan than getting a loan they can’t afford to pay in three years,” he said.’ – Sounds a little troubling for consumers and Realtors
July 18, 2009
Calculated Risk: Ritholtz: “Why are people calling a bottom for Real Estate?”
Barry Ritholtz presents the following graph and asks: “I cannot figure out why people continue to call for a bottom in Real Estate — as if there is going to be this snap back any day now.” – an interesting read, from an economics point of view
Calculated Risk: Jim the Realtor on High Rise Condo Project
“Jim the Realtor takes us on a tour of the 679-unit Vantage Point complex in downtown San Diego. “They had been taking $25,000 deposits since 2004, but could only generate around 200 sales – not enough to qualify for Fannie/Freddie financing (need 70% pre-sold).” Jim says the developer has returned the deposits, converted a part of the building to apartments – and is now to trying to sell again at a lower price – that Jim thinks is still too high.” – What’s with these Condo Developers? I have heard this story over and over from all parts of the country. Someone has to be profiting from this.
July 17, 2009
Scandalous Foreclosure – Housing Doom
“The Watergate Hotel will be auctioned Tuesday, five years after a developer bought it with hopes of restoring it to its glory days as a Washington icon. Alex Cooper Auctioneers will take bids that morning at the company’s Wisconsin Avenue offices from potential buyers with the capital to invest in one of the city’s most famous buildings in the weakest economy in decades. ”
Estate of Things » Blog Archive » Home values are falling. Should property taxes be falling, too?
“As the amount of property tax collected decreases, local governments can raise the tax rate to make up for it. Wait, I could actually end up with a tax increase this year?”
July 16, 2009
Steal This Blog Post: Protect Your Home from Being Stolen
“Scam artists are stealing homes, not by the tip of a gun, but by the tip of a pen– forging deeds and filing them with the County Clerk, Register of Deeds. It’s easier than you think. Much of the information on the home, including the owner’s name, is public.” – Interesting, and pretty darn scary.
Photographers’ rights: an image problem | Real Estate and Technology News for Agents, Brokers and Investors | Inman News
Teresa Boardman: “What we’re seeing on the trenches, are bids higher than asking by 7, 8, 10 thousand dollars. Most buyers that use FHA financing do so for its lax down payment requirements since they don’t possess conventional type money to put down . Which brings up the question: Where are these buyers coming up with this money to close these transactions? My theory is that first time homebuyer tax credit money is being used to cover the difference.”
Are Realtors Defeating Stimulus? | Real Estate Opinion MAG – AgentGenius
“..What we’re seeing on the trenches, are bids higher than asking by 7, 8, 10 thousand dollars. Most buyers that use FHA financing do so for its lax down payment requirements since they don’t possess conventional type money to put down . Which brings up the question: Where are these buyers coming up with this money to close these transactions? My theory is that first time homebuyer tax credit money is being used to cover the difference…”
Product Review: Real Estate Shows | Real Estate and Technology News for Agents, Brokers and Investors | Inman News
“Real Estate Shows is an online tool for creating online video presentations that feature panning and zooming displays of still photos, along with text descriptions and a music track. Video options include 30-second, 60-second and 90-second videos. The site advertises that the videos “will look and feel like TV commercials.” Real Estate Shows is managed by Bill Leider, Jeff Turner and Steve Zehngut.”
July 15, 2009
Brokers need social media guidelines | Real Estate and Technology News for Agents, Brokers and Investors | Inman News
“Realtors can reach out to their customer base through personal Web sites like Facebook, blogs, Tweets, YouTube videos and live broadcasts, to name a few possibilities. All of these marketing methods are free, and none requires a significant investment in equipment. So what’s to lose?”
Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams! — The Phoenix Real Estate Guy
“Sadly, there are scammers and con artists out there that prey on homeowners in distress (and even those that are not). Some of these sub-humans are very good at what they do.”
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