Build vs. Buy?

I had an interesting call the other day from a Realtor who had a client he wanted to register with the builder I rep. He told me how they have been looking at existing homes and finally came to the conclusion that they need to consider building to get exactly what they want. I told [...]

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Universal Design: how it can work for all of us.

It has taken many years, but housing designers have found a way to create barrier-free homes, and make then attractive. It’s called “Universal Design.” Homes that have universal design features look like other homes, but they can sometimes be better than other homes because they are much easier to use and to live in. Universal [...]

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The Grammar police

I had a previous post regarding photography, the do’s and don’ts. Now I am here to really focus on some personal pet peeves: grammar and spelling. I just read a listing by an agent and it made my skin crawl. I will put a few of the whoppers here:
“From the exterior and color coordinated siding [...]

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Worth a thousand words?

OK, more geek-speak. This is about the photos that agents (or FSBO) have on their sites. I know this has been discussed to death, but I have a few more pointers that may help. A photo can be worth a thousand words, but are those words the ones you want to be saying?
Having a background [...]

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Real Estate and Technology

I’ll admit it. I am a computer geek. From my days as a graphic designer, I always had to have the latest and greatest, the fastest and the slickest machine. And yes, I am a Mac lover. As designers, we all used Macs. I cannot switch over to the Dark Side and use a PC. [...]

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Marketing: the good, the bad and the ugly

Marketing seems to be the buzz word nowadays. How to market this and that. Brand your product . . . Selling a home is no different–you are trying to put a product (a home) in the best light to appeal to a target audience (a buyer). The official definition of marketing is: “Means to make [...]

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Agency Agreement

Do you know what “Agency Agreement” is?
As a buyer or a seller of a home and you are working with a real estate agent, you should have discussed agency agreement. What is that, you ask? It is a fancy term for an agreement that tells you who your agent works for, and what they will [...]

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Subprime Lending, a Definition

Subprime loans seem to be the new buzz-word in real estate. We are hearing more and more about this new trend, and it is causing fear in financial institutions across the nation. Borrowers with bad credit are able to obtain a mortgage, and when the rates change, they are unable to make their payments, they [...]

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For the first time home buyer

Buying a first house is a daunting, scary idea. But when you do it, and when you have a good agent, it can be the most exciting, thrilling time of your life!
What are the benefits of buying a home?
Has everyone been telling you that you should buy a home? It’s time? So you have [...]

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