What do you think about tiny houses?
August 26, 2011
Can you imagine living in a house with less than 100 square feet?
Tiny houses are gaining in popularity as vacation homes, homes for children returning from college, and for environmentally conscious people that want to minimize their cost of living and carbon footprint.
These miniature homes can be as small as 65 square feet but most appear to be between 80 and 200 square feet.
If you want to learn more about tiny houses visit Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.
Giving new meaning to being “upside down in your mortgage”
August 24, 2011
Is he dead?
August 22, 2011
This photo was actually loaded into MLS.
Never underestimate the value of proofreading your ads before sending them to print
August 9, 2011
Franklin D. Roosevelt on the value of investing in real estate
August 8, 2011
“Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Why won’t Realtors return my phone call?
August 3, 2011
One of the hardest aspects of being an independent real estate salesperson is deciding how to spend my precious time each day. There are only so many hours in each work day and if I am marketing myself properly (and I am) my cell phone will be ringing from morning till night. On busy days I can take a few dozen incoming calls that can range from a few minutes long to over an hour in length.
On any given day my phone will ring when I am driving my car, eating dinner with my wife, changing my babies diaper, or taking a shower. My phone rings every single day of the year including, amazingly enough, most holidays. People call me at 7:30 in the morning, before I have even had my first cup of coffee, and at 10:00 at night, as if am supposed to get out of bed and go back into real estate mode.
Suze Orman on owning Real Estate
July 6, 2011
“Owning a home is a keystone of wealth.. both financial affluence and emotional security” –- Suze Orman
In 65 seconds why you need to hire a Realtor
June 5, 2011
What do I need to do to sell my Florida home?
January 18, 2011
If you’re interested in selling your Tampa Bay, Florida home in 2011 you’re going to need to learn how to look at your situation as objectively as possible. By “objectively” I mean “Uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices.”
Easier said than done? Tell me about it.
But you’re going to need to do it nonetheless, so perhaps now is the time to start practicing. A good place to start is by walking out of your home and then back in the front door, pretending you’re an actual home buyer seeing the “property” for the first time. You’ve never been in the house before so look around at what you think a buyer would look at if they were seeing your home for the first time.
Is it clean and organized? Are there unfinished repair or maintenance projects obvious? How does the home smell? Is it light or are all the windows covered making the place feel more like a cave than an inviting home?
These are the physical steps to attempting to see your home objectively – as buyers might see your home. You might also ask some friends to do the walk-through with you and to be honest about what they think a buyer might think. Read more
No crystal ball
December 3, 2010
I spent some time tonight looking through all the comments posted on Zillow.com by Realtors back in 2008 and 2009 making predictions about when the real estate market would turn around. Not a single person was even remotely accurate in their forecasts. People were saying things like, “I see the bottom of the market approaching with a probable increase in real estate property values starting around summer of 2009.”
No such luck. Here we are at the very end of 2010 and the bottom is still not here.
Sell Your Home Fast in a Buyer’s Market: Secrets from an Expert Green Feng Shui Staging Designer
November 15, 2010
In 9 easy steps, Sell Your Home Fast in a Buyer’s Market: Secrets from an Expert Green Feng Shui Staging Designer reveals how to create a home that buyers desire and want to buy. The steps include what it takes to make the reader’s home look and feel great–tips that will sell the home. The book also provides information on selling the home for the best price. It is the first in its subject to address the hot new sought-after green home improvements and features to sell the buyer’s home fast.
Buying a Listing
September 5, 2010
You’ve decided to sell your home and you think you know what it’s worth. So you set up a few appointments with the local Realtors that have been mailing you their postcards for years. Each real estate professional provides a “Competitive Market Analysis” for you showing their opinion of the current market value of your home.
Oddly enough the first two Realtors have come up with probable sales prices similar to one another, yet below what you feel your home is worth. You’re quite frustrated. But then you meet with the third Realtor and he presents his Competitive Market Analysis which shows your home worth significantly more than the first two Realtors seemed to think it was worth.
If you’re like most people the news the third agent brings puts a smile to your face. You hire him on the spot. Clearly he is going to work harder for you to bring in top dollar for your home. If the first two agents had such a low opinion on the value of your home how are they going to negotiate and bring in the best and highest contract?
The third Realtor just engaged in a practice called “Buying a Listing”
He “bought” the listing by suggesting you might be able to get a higher sales price than the other agents recommended. More than likely he knows fully well you will never sell at the suggested list price. But he knows once he secures the listing (buys it!) he will probably be able to convince you to reduce the price over time.
Why do some agents buy listings?
Because it works. It is human nature to want to be around people that say things that make you feel good. The liar that tells you that your home is worth more than it really is worth is taking advantage of basic human psychology. He says what you want to hear, which makes you happy, and you hire him. Then, over time, he slowly breaks it to you that your home mysteriously isn’t attracting any buyers and he suggests repeated price drops.
As a Realtor who doesn’t believe in buying a listing I strongly suggest you don’t reward the liar by giving him or her repeated price reductions. His dishonesty and unethical behavior cost you time and money.
How long can you breathe underwater?
August 27, 2010
Top 10 states with highest share of negative equity mortgages
1. Nevada (68 percent of 592,000 mortgages)
2. Arizona (50 percent of 1.3 million mortgages)
3. Florida (46 percent of 4.5 million mortgages)
4. Michigan (38 percent of 1.4 million mortgages)
5. California (33 percent of 6.9 million mortgages)
6. Georgia (28 percent of 1.6 million mortgages)
7. Idaho (24 percent of 243,000 mortgages)
8. Virginia (23 percent of 1.2 million mortgages)
9. Maryland (22 percent of 1.4 million mortgages)
10. Utah (20 percent of 470,000 mortgages)
Top 10 Most Expensive Tampa Bay Listings
June 17, 2010
The following 10 listings are the most expensive homes currently on the market in the Tampa Bay area of Florida as of June 17, 2010. They range in price from a high of $17,500,000 to $9,995,000. All are breathtaking.
#1: 706 Guisando De Avila, Tampa, FL 33613 – $17.5 Million
Mother Nature is Indifferent and Heartless
June 8, 2010
What an ordeal. If you’ve read my previous posts about Molly the Mallard you know how much time and care were put into trying to give her ducklings a better than average chance of survival. According to everything I’ve read few ducklings ever survive more than a few days after hatching. Predators get them from the land, sea and air. It’s not pretty.
The day after Molly and her ducklings made it to the pond my wife and I went down to the water to see how they were doing. I was mentally prepared to see half of them gone, more than likely the victims of snapping turtles, cats and flying predators such as owls and hawks. Heck, even pelicans eat baby ducks.
But I wasn’t expecting to see 10 ducklings missing. Molly was on the opposite side of the pond sitting on the bank with just one of her ducklings. What were the odds that 10 of the 11 had been killed by predators? How depressing. My wife and I walked around the pond to check to see if maybe Molly had them hidden away somewhere safe. No suck luck.
As I was walking by a storm drain I heard the distinct sound of lots of little ducklings crying for their mother in what sounded like a panic. I walked over and looked down and there were about 5 or 6 ducklings swimming around in the storm drain about 3 feet below the chained-down metal grate. There was a small area with no grate covering it, but it would be close to impossible to get the ducklings out. And every time we approached they swam up the sewer out of our sight.
Molly and Ducklings March to the Pond!
June 4, 2010
As a Realtor I work from home. So I had the good fortune of being able to look out for Molly and keep her somewhat protected from the sun, rain and predators. Also, I was able to keep fresh water and cracked corn right near her nest during the entire nesting time. As a result she didn’t have to leave her nest to search for food each night and this lowered the probability that predators would locate and raid her nest.
A few minutes ago I escorted Molly and all 11 ducklings down to the pond. Every single duckling made the journey safely which is not how it usually works in nature. I’m been studying Mallard’s just because this whole process has been exciting and I wanted to learn everything I could do to help Molly and her babies survive. Part of what I learned is that usually some or all of the eggs will be lost to predators. And then during the journey to water there are new dangers such as hawks, cats, cars and such. I figured I’d pay attention to her, by simply looking out the window every few minutes, and then follow her when she brought her babies to the pond. The plan worked and as you can see they are all swimming in the pond right now.
This picture is the beginning of their march. Their nest was only a few feet to the left under a shrub.
Molly’s babies are here!
June 3, 2010
Molly’s eggs hatched this morning and I’m happy to share these pictures with you all. I haven’t gotten a count on the chicks yet but I believe there are about 11. I’m not sure if all eggs hatched of not. I’m sure I’ll know in the morning. My guess is that she will march them on down to the pond first thing in the morning. She would be crazy to try it tonight as it’s already 8:30 pm and getting dark. The predators are out at night and her ducks would be in trouble learning how to swim in the dark.
Molly the Motherly Mallard
May 22, 2010
About a week ago I discovered a female Mallard duck nesting in our front yard under a bush. We’ve become close friends, or at least I’d like to think so, and I’m doing my best to keep her safe and comfortable. She goes by the name of Molly. Molly likes cracked corn, cool water to drink, and long waddles on the beach.
Her due date is around June 10th and I’m quite excited. I’ll keep you all posted on her condition because I know you’re on the edge of your seat like I am. OK, maybe you’re not. I’m just an animal nut and I can’t help but to get excited about this opportunity to watch mother nature in action. Unfortunately, mother nature can be a cold, indifferent and ruthless thing so I’m going to try to help Molly as much as possible. When her chicks are born I’m hopefully going to lead them down to the pond at the end of our subdivision, all the while navigating around the storm drains that could easily swallow up her young.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buying a Home
May 8, 2010
Buying a home is the single most important financial move in most people’s lives. It only makes sense to have the most pertinent information available before plunging into this difficult process, especially for first-time buyers. This book covers a variety of buying aspects including inspecting, evaluating, negotiating, financing, contracts, and legal issues. The thorough advice, covering everything from buying houses at auctions to what neighborhood to live in, will provide reassurance for every soon-to-be homeowner.
Trampolines: they’re not just for people anymore
April 19, 2010
The Top 10 Overseas Real Estate Portals
March 28, 2010
Are you interested in buying real estate in Ireland, England, France, or somewhere else overseas? I’ve compiled a list of the top real estate web sites for buying real estate overseas. These international real estate portals are the highest ranking in the world.
1. Kyero.com
“Kyero.com is the No.1 Spanish property portal, with more than 100000 Spanish properties for sale from over 1500 leading Spanish property estate agents.”
2. ThinkSpain.com
“Real estate for sale in Spain.”
3. RightMove.co.uk
“Search over a Million properties for sale and to rent from the top estate agents and developers in the UK.”
4. TheMoveChannel.com
“The overseas property search portal that has been helping UK & international real estate agents, developers, investors and private owners to buy and sell houses, flats, homes, land, residential, investment, commercial and auction property since 1999.”
5. Property Index
“PropertyIndex.com can help you to find the perfect property to buy, rent or invest in, search from over 300,000 properties from estate agents around the world.”
6. PrimeLocation.com
“Find over 650,000 properties from leading UK and international estate agents and developers, including flats, homes and houses for sale and to rent.”
7. Point2Homes.com
“The Best Place on Earth to Find Homes.”
8. FindaProperty.com
“Property for sale & rent through leading UK & overseas estate agents & letting agents.”
9. PropertyShowrooms.com
“Property Investment Overseas – We are experts in property abroad; Operating the International Property Investment Network.”
10. Property-Abroad.com
“Overseas property portal helping you to find a cheap property overseas for sale direct from local estate agents, developers and private owners abroad.”
How is this for a CAT Scan?
March 15, 2010
Odds are you’re one of them
March 12, 2010
Failure
March 11, 2010
Houses Unusual and Strangely Weird! AMAZING
March 4, 2010
Tampa on My Mind
March 3, 2010
Edited by Dr. Kimberly Williams, Mr. Greg Thomas, Mr. Ronald D. Williams, & Cheryl Borman
A photographic celebration of the city
“Gives readers a wonderful introduction to Tampa, both past and present.”–Rodney Kite-Powell, Saunders Foundation Curator of History at the Tampa Bay History Center
“Tampa is a great tourist destination, but more than that it is long walks on Bayshore Boulevard, quiet neighborhoods, and hand-rolled cigars. . . . Rich in history, beauty, and culture, our city offers something for everyone.”–from the foreword by the Honorable Pam Iorio
Tampa, Florida. “Cigar City.” “The Big Guava.” Nestled on the northeast corner of magnificent Tampa Bay, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the city holds a unique charm for visitors and residents alike.
Tampa on My Mind is a visually stunning project, featuring the work of several top-notch professional photographers. The result is an intimate photographic tour of Tampa that goes beyond the traditional attractions and views of the impressive city skyline. Divided into sections that illustrate distinct aspects of this world-class city, the book also includes a historical essay that chronicles the growth of Tampa over the past two centuries.
The city of Tampa boasts a population of more than 300,000 and is the crown jewel in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area of 2.7 million (the third largest area in the southeast, after Miami and Atlanta). Tampa on My Mind is the first photographic celebration of the city to appear in more than a decade, a work long overdue.
Manatee Insanity: Inside the War over Florida’s Most Famous Endangered Species
February 27, 2010
By Craig Pittman
Why is the manatee just as imperiled today as it was 40 years ago?
“The best available, most factual account of the decades-long struggle to protect the Florida manatee, skillfully told by a veteran journalist who has followed the story closely. I’ve been involved in this controversy for over 30 years, and I learned countless things about it that I never knew!”–Daryl Domning, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
“The Florida legislature gave the manatee its own license plate, and Jimmy Buffet sang poetic lyrics about the iconic creature, but Craig Pittman offers a whole new perspective–the manatee as battleground. With a cast of characters including environmentalists and biologists, developers and boaters, lawyers and lobbyists, politicians and shady citizens, Manatee Insanity is a colorful work of non-fiction.”–Keith Rizzardi, South Florida Water Management District.
Loveable or loathed? Poster child for conservation efforts or impediment to development? Nuisance or in need of protection? For the past two decades, the quiet manatee has been a flash point of frequent environmental debates.
Included on the very first endangered species list issued in 1967, the docile creatures have stirred curiosity and passions for more than a hundred years. They are Florida’s most famous endangered species, as well as its most controversial. Manatees appear on hundreds of license plates, attract hordes of tourists, and expose the uneasy relationships between science and the law and between freedom and responsibility like no other animal.
As passions have flared and resentments have grown, the battle over manatee protection has evolved into a war, and no reporter has followed the story more closely than Craig Pittman. He’s flown with scientists trying to count manatees from overhead. He’s been on the water with the leader of the biggest pro-boater group. He’s observed biologists dissecting the animals and politicians discussing their fate.
Manatee Insanity provides the first in-depth history of the attempts to provide legal protection for the manatee. Along the way, Pittman takes a close look at the major and minor players in the dispute, from Jacques-Yves Cousteau to Jeb Bush, from Jimmy Buffett to O. J. Simpson, from a popular children’s book author to a federal lawman who dressed in a gorilla suit for the ultimate undercover assignment.
Weird Florida: Your Travel Guide to Florida’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets
February 26, 2010
By Charlie Carlson
This book makes you feel proud to be a Floridian. Graphic and in depth, Weird Florida probes into the dark under belly of our battered state. I discovered stuff I drove by all the time that I never thought much about. Now I know–it’s weird! Much better than those Roadside America books since this goes into more depth. I’m looking forward to getting the other books. – Amazon.com Review
Open Road’s Best of the Florida Keys & Everglades by Bruce Morris
February 25, 2010
Open Road’s Best of the Florida Keys gives readers a great mix of unique trips of varying lengths for great diving and fishing, kayaking through mangrove swamps and hundreds of square miles of sand and turtle grass flats, sightseeing along the bridges and causeways of stunning overseas highway, and visiting the fun and quirky towns along the way to anything-goes Key West. This edition includes a new chapter just on visiting Everglades National Park. Morris explores the delights of quaint B&B’s delicious seafood, the small islands and coral reefs that make up Dry Tortugas National Park, historic walks through Key West’s old town-and where to go to relax, hang out on a remote beach, and watch a beautiful sunset.
About the Author
Bruce Morris is also the author of Open Road’s Best of Panama and co-author of Open Road’s Best of Costa Rica.
Charles Rutenberg Realty is on the rise
February 24, 2010
Over 3700 agents have joined Charles Rutenberg Realty.
30 agents joined Charles Rutenberg Realty this month! They decided to keep all of their commission. They heard of the free training, the social/charitable events, a non-competing broker with the best staff in the business and much more.
