September 30th, 2005
People ask me all the time now: “So, things are slowing down, huh?” And when I confirm their suspicions, they nod and say, “Well, it had to happen eventually.”
My response to that is: Ain’t that the truth. With Phoenix homes selling at the speed of light and prices rocketing up just as quickly, the market wasn’t easy or healthy for anyone. Now don’t get me wrong, many people benefited from real estate in the last year, but it was a pace that was bound to wear the market out a bit.
Fortunately, where we’re at right now is much closer to what could ever possibly be considered a ‘normal’ market and it’s a lot more comfortable for a lot of people. I think plenty of people over the last year or so had begun to think of the real estate game as quick and easy money. In reality, real estate always has been and in the long run always will be a safe and secure long-term investment. Sure, markets will dip and hit standstills, but overtime, whether it be fast and furiously or slow and steadily, real estate prices will increase. It’s still a good investment, but those who were looking for a quick buck have now moved on to the next scheme.
Anyway, in my weekly sales meeting yesterday, along with the market’s current pace, we discussed interest rates. Though they are still incredibly low from a historical perspective, rates are creeping up. You can still get a 30-year fixed for just under 6%, which is fabulous, but who knows for how long.
And that’s the word on the street.
September 28th, 2005
This is for all those people working hard, with no end of the week in sight.
10 sites to entertain your brain (AKA, ways to kill time):
1. One of my personal favorites for snarky commentary on current shows.
2. Ever wonder what your personality type is? Take a 72 question quiz and see how you stack up again the presidents and other notable Americans.
3. To be a fashion icon you have to take risks, and sometimes those risks fail.
4. When you just need a little mindless fun.
5. You may not agree with all of his political viewpoints, but you have to admit, this man is clever.
6. Tell me I’m not the only one who likes to browse recipes when I’m bored…
7. Anything and everything you could ever want to know about who played what in which role.
8. If you don’t know what a blog is, you have no business surfing the Internet. Go here for a list of the best.
9. Mmm… shopping for deals…
10. One of my new favorites. Gotta love tea cozies with irony.
September 26th, 2005
As a somewhat newly licensed Realtor, I probably should be against drawing attention to those of my kind who give us a bad name, but I have to say, this article just about knocked me over with shame for my profession and left me with an equally strong urge to remind people that we are definitely not all like this.
I am horrified that a professional real estate agent would have the audacity to order ‘adult movies’ while sitting an open house for a client or the client of a colleague. I am just as horrified by the story of the agent who brought beer to an open house to offer to visitors. There is just nothing sane about either of these instances.
When a client or a colleague entrusts me with the safety of a home during an open house, I take the responsibility very seriously. If it is obvious that children are living in the house, I don’t even allow visitors to walk around unescorted (I had an unsettling experience once when I was sitting an open house and I allowed people to walk around upstairs alone while I was talking to other visitors, only to find after everyone was gone, that someone had opened one of the little girls’ clothing drawers). I would never think of helping myself to food or drinks at the house, nor would I even ever turn on the TV. I usually bring my laptop and finish up work if I have downtime, or I bring a book. I just can’t imagine taking advantage of the people who live in the house. It would be such a violation of trust.
There are dishonest and unethical people in just about every business. Unfortunately, it sometimes seems like they really make themselves known in real estate. We hear about them all the time. If I have to point a finger as to why this seems to be such a problem, I would have to do it at brokers. You might think that being hired by a broker is a lengthy and difficult process like any other job interview. In fact, the truth is that most brokerages play the numbers game. More agents, more chances at profit. Many brokers are just looking for warm bodies. This makes it easy for people to slip through the cracks. This is not the norm for all brokerages, but from what I’ve seen, it is very common. I regularly receive mail and phone solicitations to join other brokerages, based (from what I can tell) on nothing but my name in the database at the Southeast Valley Regional Association of Realtors.
This is just another reason to really get to know your Realtor as well as possible before you give them the power to sell your home. You are the employer and it’s your job to conduct a thorough job interview. This is someone with whom you will have quite a bit of interaction before all is said and done. You want them to not only do their job well, but also to treat you and your possessions with respect.
