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Feb

7
2012

More at stake than money in foreclosure

By Inman News, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

I agree with this article 100 percent. You can add Charlotte, N.C., and the banks we have here to the list of useless banks to work with.

There's nothing worse than having multiple offers at or above what the bank representatives have previously agreed to and then having them foreclose because the departments weren't communicating -- or when they decide, for no apparent reason, that they will not accept an offer they had previously agreed to and are just going to raise the price, despite confirming in writing that their initial price was fair market value.  more...

Feb

3
2012

Jan

31
2012

Real estate industry must tame syndication 'beast'

By Inman News, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

I know that Brian Rayl and many others have all of the best intentions on the syndicated listing discussion. I respect their opinions but wholeheartedly disagree.

My perspective comes from being in the business for 25 years, and I consider that I have always been in front of the technology curve. I work in a two-town marketplace on Boston's North Shore but believe that this issue is the same in any market. Right now, I embrace the beast that I am about to "diss" because it is what our customers expect: comprehensive access to and exposure of every property available for sale.  more...

Jan

30
2012

In syndication decisions, consider your real estate clients

By Inman News, Monday, January 30, 2012.

After reading yet another article about a broker pulling its listings from syndication sites such as Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com, I have to wonder why the brokers have not published the information that they use to come to the conclusion that the aggregation sites do not serve their customers.

If the evidence was so compelling, why do they not make it public?  more...

Jan

26
2012

Working exclusively with buyers has its benefits

By Inman News, Thursday, January 26, 2012.

Re: 'Real estate consumers tell it like it is' (Jan. 20)

Dear Editor:

For the buyers in the story, the answer is simple: buyer brokerage.  more...

Jan

25
2012

Real estate agents: Put safety first

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

I'm afraid we are going to read more stories like this as the economy continues to take its toll.

Riding motorcycles and handling firearms has taught me important lessons in life: always have an escape route and always be aware of your surroundings. I know we tend to teach agents only after events like this happen to be vigilant of their surroundings, but it needs to be a part of basic real estate training and especially open-house training.  more...

Jan

3
2012

Jan

2
2012

The power of real estate negotiators

By Inman News, Monday, January 2, 2012.

Re: 'You can't predict the future, but you can plan for it' (Dec. 27)

Dear Editor:

One of the main points of the article by Gahlord Dewald was that a negotiation expert was only necessary when the "two sides" are relatively close in power. He indicates that when one side is particularly powerful or one side particularly vulnerable, there is little point in negotiation.  more...

Dec

19
2011

Debating the value of real estate aggregators

By Inman News, Monday, December 19, 2011.

A big recent news event in real estate was the acquisition of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services by Canada-based Brookfield Residential Property Services.

Brookfield RPS paid between $110 million and $135 million, according to news reports.  more...

Dec

13
2011

Soaring student loan debt to delay homeownership, boost rentals

By John Burns, Tuesday, December 13, 2011.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-50527p1.html">Student debt image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Student loan debt now totals $865 billion, which is greater than all credit card debt outstanding, as well as all other types of household debt except for mortgages.

College graduates have debt averaging $25,000. Even more troubling is the rise in debts associated with for-profit college and trade schools, whose revenues come primarily from debt available through federal government programs.  more...

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