Archive - Columnist Article

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A call to stop the real estate infighting

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, February 9, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-261754p1.html">Hanging up the gloves image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Real estate industry professionals seem to be engaged in a war both within the industry as well as with the consumers they serve. At the core is one simple issue: failure to adequately articulate the value they provide.

Due to technology changes and the worst real estate market in our lifetimes, everyone has had to redefine their value proposition. Whether it's boards of Realtors, multiple listing service providers, third-party syndicators, vendors or real estate agents, everyone is struggling to persuade the other people they deal with that what they provide is really worth it. more...

'Repair and deduct' remedy has limits for renters

By Janet Portman, Thursday, February 9, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-143395p1.html" target=blank>Tug-of-war money image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Q: I suspect that I have bedbugs in my New York apartment. I called the landlord, who said he'd mention it to the rodent exterminator who comes once a month. But my understanding is that a bedbug infestation needs to be assessed by someone specifically trained to detect them and to use proper methods to treat them.

I don't think the rodent service is up to the task. Can I use "repair and deduct" to hire a qualified inspector to inspect the premises, then deduct the cost of the inspection from my rent? --Margaret R. more...

Pros and cons of financing car, house at same time

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Thursday, February 9, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-56478p1.html" target=blank>Happy family image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Q: My wife and I plan to look for and hopefully purchase a house this spring. We have been preapproved for a decent amount (approximately $400,000). Although we are looking now, current inventory is lacking and we feel after the new realty season in our area (traditionally the week following Super Bowl Sunday) we should be able to find something we like and can afford. We are determined to find a house that we can easily live in for at least a decade.

In the meantime, we currently have two automobiles that eventually need to be replaced. We plan to replace them with newer used cars. My 1997 Mustang needs $1,200 worth of repairs to make it safe to drive. It would be a game of Russian roulette to continue navigating Chicago winters (read: snow) with my current set of tires. (I actually ended up putting in $400 in other repairs the other day.) more...

Speed-dating lessons for real estate agents

By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, February 9, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-287929p1.html" target=blank>Stopwatch image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Last weekend I attended an event designed to teach people how to be good at meeting people and dating. I was the official photographer, which is the same as being the official observer.

There are some similarities between online dating and online marketing, and some of the tips the daters got for interacting with total strangers on a first date work for meeting buyers or sellers for the first time. more...

An end to property tax deferrals?

By Tom Kelly, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-54987p1.html" target=blank>Senior homeowners image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

One common misperception of reverse mortgages is that prospective borrowers can qualify for an amount equal to the value of their home, or at least the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limit.

The actual reverse mortgage amount is substantially less than both those numbers, ensuring that there will likely be sufficient equity left in the home when the loan comes due. more...

Avoid costly garbage disposal fixes

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-187633p1.html" target=blank>Plumber image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Q: We had a small disaster on Christmas Day. While peeling potatoes for the mashers, I turned the garbage disposal on. It ground for a little while, and then the water level started to rise in the sink. I turned the disposal off and waited a few moments. The water level remained. I turned the disposal switch on, then nothing. I checked the circuit breaker in the garage. It wasn't tripped.

Fortunately, I was able to get dinner on the table and the dishes done by using the laundry sink. more...

'Will work for food': real estate survival stories

By Alisha Alway Braatz, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-11724p1.html" target=blank>Granola bar</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Real estate agents are special creatures with near inhuman powers of restraint. (Well, most of us.) We can go eight hours without eating, drinking or going to the bathroom, and we call that taking prospective clients on a "tour."

Oh to be sure, we have all been taught to provide our clients with granola bars, bottled water and bathroom breaks -- but I've run into quite a few Realtors (including myself) who often forget what the mere human needs for survival -- and press onward to see "just one more house." more...

Is owner's title insurance worth the cost?

By Benny Kass, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-169471p1.html" target=blank>Money umbrella image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

DEAR BENNY: We are getting ready to close on a home and there is a settlement fee of $685 for lender's title insurance and $683 for owner's title insurance. Must we pay both fees? --Phyllis

DEAR PHYLLIS: This is a question that has plagued homeowners for many years: "Why do I need to purchase owner's title insurance, especially when I know that my seller has owned and lived in the house I am about to buy for more than 25 years?" more...

Roller shades get a bad rap

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-237463p1.html" target=blank>Broken window image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

DEAR BARRY: I am a licensed contractor and recently installed some roller shades above the windows of a new home. About two weeks ago a few of the glass panes started cracking -- some at the top and some at the bottom. The window supplier says this was caused by our shades being closer than 3 inches from the windows.

According to the shade manufacturer, the shades could be touching the glass without causing cracks. The manufacturer has been in business for more than 40 years, and they say they've never had this complaint before. But the window company has convinced the homeowners that we are to blame, and they are demanding that we replace the windows. What do you recommend that we do? --Tom more...

Socializing for real estate success

By Gahlord Dewald, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

In columns over the last two weeks I covered ideas around how real estate consumers use search to find out about neighborhoods and how they can use locative media to learn more about what's in those neighborhoods. This week, let's look at social media and social networking.

Usually everyone glosses over the difference between social media and social networking. Some of this is because the websites where these things exist overlap a bit. But for understanding what's happening in the online world it's very important to note the difference. more...

Home upgrades that match your lifestyle

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.tauntonstore.com/staying-put-duo-dickinson-071337.html?source=W001UPS" target=blank>The Taunton Press</a>.

The other day, I said the phrase "doggie bag" and my teenage son looked at me like I was nuts. He had no idea what I meant! These days, in restaurants, we're offered a box to take our food home in.

But when I was a kid, waitstaff would proffer a doggie bag, the implication being that the leftovers would make for a special treat of a meal for your family's four-legged friends. more...

HTML5 video for real estate: it's here, and so are consumers

By Tom Flanagan, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-348181p1.html">Video stream image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

John Hrvatin, program manager lead for Microsoft's Internet Explorer, says the move toward a "plug-in-free Web" is already in progress.

"Any site that uses plug-ins needs to understand what ... customers experience when browsing plug-in-free. Lots of Web browsing today happens on devices that simply don't support plug-ins. Even browsers that do support plug-ins offer many ways to run plug-in-free." more...

Pay to prepare your loan mod package

By Jack Guttentag, Monday, February 6, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-100760p1.html" target=blank>Loan mod sign</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Some borrowers, following the guidance provided in last month's article, "6 tips for a successful loan mod," can handle the modification process entirely by themselves. Other borrowers need help. Unfortunately, as with all disasters, scamsters have emerged to feed on the afflicted by collecting fees for services they promise but don't deliver.

You are safe from scamsters if you follow my cardinal rule: Select your service provider; don't allow a service provider to select you. This article is about the options from which you can make a selection. more...

5 best ways to market your listings to other agents

By Bernice Ross, Monday, February 6, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-429058p1.html" target=blank>Target marketing image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

When most agents think of marketing, they either think of the Web or marketing directly to the consumer. Have you ever thought about the importance of marketing your listings to other agents?

While the numbers will vary for each agent, it's probably safe to say that at least 95 percent of all resales are closed with a cooperating broker. Consequently, if you're just marketing to the general public, there's no better time to revisit some of the more traditional real estate marketing strategies that involve consciously marketing to other agents. more...

3 reasons people want to buy homes

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Monday, February 6, 2012.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-81251p1.html" target=blank>Toy houses image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Last week, I ran into a few friends I hadn't seen for awhile. One was all atwitter about a home she was in the process of buying, which caused another to wax reminiscent of her own homebuying odyssey a couple of years back. The latter blurted out, "I love my house, but I have to be honest: I wish I'd never bought it. Too much of a commitment."

Mind you, this came from a woman with a husband, two kids and a highly visible executive role at a large company. When I pointed out what seemed to me to be her inconsistent logic regarding her approaches to long-term commitments, she elaborated: "Because of the house, I can't just pack up and move when I want to anymore. I can't just strap my kids on and take them with me wherever I go." more...

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