How do we convince the seller that they are asking too much and what is the right price?  Let’s take the first part now and deal with the second in another article. 

In my opinion, sellers resist reducing the price for many reasons.  They need a certain amount to buy their next property, they want to save face, they’re listening to someone else… or what sometimes seems an infinite number of others.

The “need more” objection has to do with qualifications and motivation of the seller as a buyer.  Are they really a candidate to sell in this market?  Do you really want to invest your time, money and emotional energy in this listing? 
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No Toilets: 10 Tips for Picture Taking

As a professional photographer and also a licensed real estate agent, I frequently come across pictures that do a disservice to the property for sale. Using my photographer’s eye, and my knowledge about what sells a house, I’ve put together some simple tips for agents.  Agents, you don’t have to incorporate all of these ideas at once; try one or two to start.

BEFORE

AFTER

1 ) Keep surfaces neat – the camera picks up every detail; the best idea is to clear all clutter off surfaces before shooting.  Have a few decorative items, but no personal ones (ex. Flowers on a kitchen counter vs. dish soap and a sponge).

 
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“How do I count the days from the effective date on the Purchase & Sale Agreement?”

As an instructor with The Real Esate Leaning Group, I have observed that when we teach the purchase and sale agreement to new licensees, (and even some experienced ones), there’s a lot of discussion around counting days from effective date.  The latest version of Zip Forms defines a day as “days in this agreement shall mean business days defined as excluding Saturdays, Sundays and State/Federal holidays (including but not limited to Patriots Day, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Holiday, etc).

I decided to go to the source.  Kim Coit has been the chair of the committee that reviews all of the language in Zip Forms based on concerns and suggestions from the users.  Here is some Q & A.
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We are about to see a ballooning of foreclosures in our market.  It may not reach the levels of Florida, Phoenix or Detroit but it will be significant.  Foreclosure filings were reported on 276 Maine properties in June 2008, a 14 percent increase from the previous month, and a 61 percent increase from June 2007, according to the latest RealtyTrac® U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.
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1. They work hard! Yes, they play hard, too! They get up early, they rarely complain, they expect performance from others, but they expect extraordinary performance from themselves. Repeated, high-level success starts with a recognition that hard work pays off.

2. They are incredibly curious and eager to learn. They study, ask questions and read - constantly! An interesting point, however: While most of them did well in school, the difference is that they apply or take advantage of what they learn. Repeated success is not about memorizing facts, it’s about being able to take information and create, build, or apply it in new and important ways. Successful people want to learn everything about everything!
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   Can I and, if so, how do I generate MREIS statistical reports?
   

   Posted by:	Steve Hammond, Founding Partner, TRELG
   	About Steve | Steve's Post Archive
   Posted on:	September 10th, 2008 at 6:00 am
   Filed under:	Maine, Your Real Estate Business

   As a founding partner of The Real Estate Learning Group, (TRELG), I recently sat down with Ken Duke, the CEO of Maine Real Estate Information Systems, Inc, (MREIS), to ask about gathering and using statistical data from the Maine Listing Service, (MLS).

   TRELG:  Ken, you’ve been involved in the real estate industry for a long time, most recently as CEO of MREIS.  Tell us how licensees can gather statistics.

   KEN:  It’s really very simple, just go to http://www.mainelistings.com/

   TRELG:  In your experience, what statistics do the members find most interesting?
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   Short Sales – What they aren’t telling you
   

   Posted by:	Steve Hammond, Founding Partner, TRELG
   	About Steve | Steve's Post Archive
   Posted on:	August 31st, 2008 at 7:23 am
   Filed under:	Your Real Estate Business

   There are a lot of things that the “textbook experts” don’t know to tell you when they talk about short sales.  Having been around a while, I knew the difference between theory and reality.  In my search for some inside information, I visited with Doug Solman owner of MH Solutions who has over 200 successful short sales under his belt and Kim Fowler owner of MaineStay Realty who carries more that 20 short sale listings at any one time and has closed $3,500,000 (20 sides) since November ‘06.

   
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   Effectively Working with Generation X in the Workplace
   

   Posted by:	Jane Greer, Founding Partner, TRELG
   	About Jane | Jane's Post Archive
   Posted on:	August 31st, 2008 at 7:00 am
   Filed under:	Your Real Estate Business

   

   For many years I have worked in the profession of workplace learning - in the real estate, financial services and insurance industries. I am often asked, “What’s the deal with these younger workers?”  Some of us of a certain age (and I put myself in this category!) are confused and downright annoyed at how those younger than us don’t “act right” at work.  Today’s article deals with what is commonly called Generation X; people who were born between 1960 and 1980 and are now between 28 and 48 years old.
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   What’s RSS? How do I subscribe to your blog?
   

   Posted by:	Franz Honer, Internet Marketing Expert
   	Franz's Website | Franz's Post Archive
   Posted on:	August 31st, 2008 at 6:00 am
   Filed under:	Your Real Estate Business

   I see terms such as “RSS”, “XML”, and “Atom” out there, but I don’t know how to use these links?
   “RSS”, “XML” and “Atom” are all examples of what are called “feeds”. Feeds are a way for web users to subscribe to regular updates, delivered automatically. You’ve probably done this before by signing up for things like email newsletters. Using feeds such as RSS (which just stands for “Really Simple Syndication”) is a way to use other tools besides email to keep track of your subscriptions.

   What Does This Mean To Me?
   Using feeds is a way to easily keep track of a large number of your favorite websites or blogs, without having to remember to check each site manually or clutter your email inbox. Suppose you have 25 sites and blogs you find interesting. You could visit each website and blog everyday to see what’s new, but that might take you hours. With RSS, you can “subscribe” to a website or blog and get “fed” all the new headlines from all of these 25 sites and blogs in one list, and see the latest updates in minutes instead of hours. Quite a time saver!
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