I wish I had a dime for every time I have heard someone mistake a Zillow “Zestimate” for market value. Zestimates are interesting and fun, but often do not reflect actual market value. They are not appraisals. They are not a CMA — Competitive Market Analysis. They are not a BPO — Broker’s Price Opinion. [...]
The absolute best part of my job is handing keys to a new homeowner after the sale closes. I got to do that twice today, for two different families. I am so happy for them! Sadly, in each case there was what I consider to be a safety and security problem waiting to happen. I [...]
Every once in a while, somebody will ask me “Who is to blame for the current housing and foreclosure mess?” Usually they want a short, snappy answer. The truth is that there is a giant pie of blame, and there’s plenty to go around. In no particular order, here are some of the culprits. This [...]
Not that I agree with their list, but you might want to check out Lifehacker’s Top 10 Real Estate Links. By way of disclaimer, I do not recommend using Zillow as a serious price comparison tool. First and foremost, it treats foreclosure auctions as equal to sales. If you see a house that “sold” for [...]
I think it’s fair to say that more people are getting out of the real estate business than into it right now, but for those of you who are just beginning a career in real estate, this post is for you. You are getting into the field at a very exciting time, and if you [...]
Breaking News… I may be at REBlogWorld this Friday after all, and sticking around for BlogWorld. More details as they become available.
Some time back I mentioned that many countries do not have the same level of regulation for real estate agents that we have here in the United States. Did you know that many states model their rules for real estate salespeople and brokers in part on the National Association of Realtors’ Code of Ethics? Well, [...]
No Crown for Vegas: Back in December, Clark County approved the Crown project, which would have been the second tallest structure on the Strip. This week, “Company officials said the recent upheaval in the world financial market caused the plans to be scrapped.” Furthermore, they will stop making payments towards purchasing the land for the [...]
I’ve updated the links, and added a section for Realtor Resources. Some of the other new additions include Frugal Vegas and the personal blog of former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. One of his recent posts is on the housing bill currently in Congress.
It turns out I am not the only person who is taking a hard look at the various fees that mortgage companies are trying to squeeze out of people. “Slowly but surely, a handful of public-minded bankruptcy court judges are drawing back the curtain on the mortgage servicing business, exposing, among other questionable practices, the [...]
