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Vacation? I'm working on it Premium Content

By Kris Berg, Friday, December 26, 2008.
Flickr photo by <a href=http://flickr.com/photos/officenow/2631530678/ target=blank>Office Now</a>.

It was vacation minus one, and as I navigated between the nine homes on our home tour this day, I tried to field the "What are you doing for the holidays?" question. This is where I found myself explaining the realities of a glamorous real estate career to my clients with real jobs. "Well, we sort of take the week off. We pack stuff, and we drive away with it to someplace else. But, don't worry! I will have my laptop and my cell phone and will be checking my e-mail. You won't even know I'm gone."

And that's the problem.  more...

Military tenant not off the hook for rent

By Janet Portman, Friday, December 26, 2008.

Q: I am a landlord and had a tenant who is in the Army Reserves. He received mobilization orders in February, directing him to appear in June, several months away. My tenant just gave me a verbal notice seven days before he left. He claims he is entitled to a full refund of his deposit because the Army gives some rights to their personnel when they have to be mobilized. I would like to know if this is true and what my options are. --Robert S.  more...

Cool tools under $200

By Paul Bianchina, Friday, December 26, 2008.

The holidays are an ideal time to give the home handyman or handywoman on your list a cool new tool or two. Here, in order of price, are a few worth considering, and all are under $200 -- many of them way under! Most are available at local home centers and hardware stores, or check out their Web sites for more information.  more...

Behind the scenes at Clean Offer Premium Content

By Lai Saetern, Friday, December 26, 2008.

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco's Financial District is bustling: Consumers walk briskly clutching shopping bags; white-collar workers are rushing to get their morning coffee fix; construction workers and the sounds of their trade fill the air; and the usual group of panhandlers hits up the crowd for some spare change.

Overlooking this flurry of shoulder-to-shoulder foot traffic is the historic Hobart Building, a terra cotta building with a marble-finished interior that is the work of renowned architect Willis Polk.  more...

Real estate enthusiast shares views

By Inman News, Friday, December 26, 2008.

Editor's note: Harvey Edgecombe, a London-based lawyer and creator of the Renthusiast international real estate blog, shares his views about the future of the real estate industry in this Roadmap to Recovery Q&A. Click here to learn more about the Roadmap to Recovery project.

The following is an Inman News Q&A with Renthusiast creator Harvey Edgecombe:  more...

Creating an Internet identity

By Teresa Boardman, Friday, December 26, 2008.
Flickr image by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/sidelong/2945717204/" target=blank>SideLong</a>.

People seem to believe what they see on the Internet. In the Web 2.0, where everyone has a say, the Internet can work for us or against us. My sense is that in 2009 we will all need to make sure it is working for us and we will need to take charge of it.

When it comes to personal marketing, we are no longer in control of the message. Consumers can rate Realtors on Web sites and they don't even need to tell us who they are.  more...

A musical journey in real estate Premium Content

By Lai Saetern, Friday, December 26, 2008.
Real estate agent Abigail Picache doubles as drummer for the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/vlomusic" target=blank>Valerie Orth Band.</a>.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A few rare parking spots along Bernard Street are reserved for a broker's tour event on this Tuesday morning. Inquisitive passersby, Realtors and potential homebuyers visit the property, a tenancy-in-common three-unit residential building, to get a sneak peek at the trendy flats in this Nob Hill neighborhood.

On this day, Abigail Picache, broker-associate at GMAC Real Estate, is taking a mother-son duo around to scope out some properties. She has several properties in mind that meet the specifications of her clients.  more...

Embracing 'fundamental change'

By Inman News, Friday, December 26, 2008.

Kenneth Jenny, managing partner for Mediatise LLC, a consulting company, is an industry veteran who has served in executive roles for Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates, Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, RealEstate.com and Land Equity Partners.

Jenny will serve as a moderator for a workshop session during the Real Estate Connect conference in New York City, which runs from Jan. 7-9, 2009.

He responded to a set of questions posed by Inman News:  more...