Susan’s Super-Duper Blog (Tracy, California)

Susan’s Super-Duper Blog (Tracy, California).

ActiveRain Real Estate Network

ActiveRain Real Estate Network.

Real Estate Blog – Writer’s Block – Aughhhhhh!

Real Estate Blog – Writer’s Block – Aughhhhhh!.

Recent post on Active Rain — frustration abounds when you have writer’s block.

ePerks & Freedom of Speech?

There is a war ranging, and it’s between ePerks and a blogger named Vlad Zablotskyy.  He wrote a blog about his experience with ePerks – a company that REALTORS sign up that gives “perks” to buyers and sellers. 

Is there freedom of speech in the “Blogosphere” or do we need to sensor what we say?  Can a company, “ePerks” sue a blogger due to his blog that wasn’t complimentary.  What happens when others comment and agree that “ePerks” doesn’t deliver what they promise?  So who’s right?

I’m going on the side of the Blogger….. we can say anything in the United States, we have Freedom of Speech, and speech includes the written word, even if it’s in the form of a blog on the internet.

Until this is solved, I guess we all need to be careful what we say about who!  However, what an awesome forum for those of us who have been disappointed by a service provider.

YOU GO VLAD – FIGHT THE ePERKS people!  TOGETHER WE ARE ONE STRONG VOICE!

After 5 days with 10,000 other Keller…

After 5 days with 10,000 other Keller Williams agents in Atlanta, I’m refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to hit the road running.

What did come to my mind was the market- the Market is the market, what you do with it is the ONLY thing you can control.

So how do you work in this market?

That’s just it – you WORK! Personally, I’ve never been more busy, investors and first time buyers especially are seeing opportunities that didn’t exist a year ago.

Home owners who need to sell need my help now more than ever, and I’m here to help. Some agents shy away from Short Sales– yes, ok, they can be a real pain, but they can also make a HUGE difference in the life of a client!

Isn’t that really what this business is all about – helping others achieve their financial wealth goals? I love this market, I love this profession.

I’m seeing it — buyers are out looki…

I’m seeing it — buyers are out looking. I’ve gotten more calls to go look at property in the past 2 weeks than the past 2 months. I know it’s spring, the holidays are over, etc….. are buyers looking to buy or are they just surveying the crash site?

Most buyers are looking in the bottom range of home, hoping to find a great buy on a foreclosures or bank owned property. Is this what you’re seeing? If you’re looking to purchase one of these homes and you’re not looking NOW you better start. I forgot – I’m in California, Tracy to be exact, the Central Valley. Home buyers are looking at homes for sale in Tracy and Mountain House. Mountain House is getting HOT HOT HOT!

AURGHH I’m so tired of Realtors prici…

AURGHH I’m so tired of Realtors pricing their new on the market short sales so far under market that their is no way a bank will take the offer. Twice this week, my buyer has called me — “Susan this is our perfect home…..” Realistic price…… $500,000 priced first day on the market $350,000. Do you really think the bank will take this offer — this is the question I’ve asked over and over again to agents. I get the same answer every time….. I know they probably won’t take it, but I’m getting calls, offers and buyers from the price. Is there integrity here?

Oh yeah, while we are on this subject — MLS entry – our MLS has a spot to mark Short Sale– more and more agents are not marking this as the type of listing, instead it is buried somewhere else. I’m not afraid to show or make offers on Short Sales, but I really want to know what I’m dealing with so that I can prepare my clients.

Help me, help you sell your home and keep our professions’ integrity intact.

showing in the dark

I tell people “I’m always at YOUR service!” So when my brand new, just loan qualified, first time buyers called and wanted to go see a few (4) houses TONIGHT at 5:00 — how could refuse? I called agents found out which homes had the power on – and off we went in the RAIN and COLD. (I really don’t know how you do it in the Midwest….) Of course, 2 of the homes may have had power but they had NO LIGHTS! I brought my lantern and boy did we need it. The good news is that my clients were thrilled to go look. I’m not sure I’ll do this again….. it was dark, cold, wet, and very hard to see anything.

I love buyers! Today I had the oppor…

I love buyers! Today I had the opportunity to meet a great family. It was by chance, I was meeting some buyers at one of my vacant properties, a couple with 2 small children and another soon to arrive stopped and got a flyer. They asked if I was holding an Open House, I told them I was meeting some prospective buyers in about 15 minutes, and they were welcome to come in and look.

They were great, their kids were great, they have to buy SOON, we clicked …….everything was perfect EXCEPT…… yes you guessed it….they have an agent. A ReLo agent that isn’t available to show them houses, but when/if they find one they like, THEN let the agent know. WHAT! I’m sorry — but that stinks. Just because an agent has been given a qualified buyers on a silver Relo platter that does that mean they shouldn’t work with their client. Ok, perhaps it isn’t the agents fault, perhaps this was the only Sunday for the past 6 months that the agent was busy — somehow I doubt it, since my property has been on the market for 4 months and it’s been in thier price range the whole time.

I felt really bad for this couple, a bit of direction, some narrowing down of properties and choices, perhaps they would not have to be hopping in and out of the car every Saturday and Sunday with small children. No wonder they have been looking since August.

(Then I happened to run into them at Panda Express when I was with my kids getting dinner…..small world, huh.)

A BUCKET LIST……

A BUCKET LIST……

You know the list of things you want to do/accomplish before you “Kick the Bucket?”

My husband and I went to see this movie last night, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. I don’t care what the critics say – and who are they anyway – this was an entertaining movie. Of course it get’s semi serious — heck the whole premise is they are DYING and about to “KICK THE BUCKET” hence the BUCKET list.

So what is on yours? I’ve really had to give it some thought……

I’d like to make a difference — that’s vague, but true.

I’d like to go to New York’s Time Square for New Years Eve.

I’d like to leave my children a legacy of love, respect, integrity and honor.

Those are a few of mine — how about YOU?