Journal of a Real Estate Junkie

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Articles: 1, 2

Is Your Real Estate Agent Doing Their Job?
2008-01-30 01:22:00
Sellers: Do you check up on your agent's work? If not, you should.Online home searches are information driven. That means that potential buyers need as much information as possible to be able to narrow their search. Your home should have correct information and the BEST pictures possible.For instance: I've seen too many agents putting homes in the wrong school district, the wrong price ($189K home becomes a $1.89 Million home with an extra zero), the wrong STREET ADDRESS, terrible pictures, and more.Have you lost any sales because of anything like this? Most sellers don't know because they trust their agent. Unfortunately, not all agents are created equal. I encourage every seller reading this (including my sellers) to check and critique your agent's work!!!Buyers: Do you have an agent and still feel lost? You shouldn't.Your agent should be a wealth of information. Granted, an agent can't know everything, but we're supposed to be there for you while you're making the biggest...
More About: Agent , Estate , Real Estate , Home Buyers , Real Estate Agent

Bad MLS Photos - 1/28/08
2008-01-29 02:02:00
Selling a home is actually pretty easy. There are only a few things that have to be done, but here's the kicker: THEY HAVE TO BE DONE WELL!!! For instance, to sell a home, this is ALL that has to be done:Price it RIGHT, from the start!Follow a marketing plan compliant with Web 2.0Clean Up the place.Lastly, for cryin' out loud, take decent photos!!!!Simple, right? Well, not so much. Below are a couple of photos taken of a $1.2 million home in Huntsville. Million dollar homes aren't exactly commonplace in this area, so it's actually quite a privilege to list one. Apparently, not all feel that way. This guy/gal needs to find the light switch(es)!
More About: Photos

Monday Coffee - 1/28/08
2008-01-28 02:08:00
Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!Thomas A. EdisonI buy when other people are selling. J. Paul GettyAccording to Inman News, a leading real estate new provider, annual home price GROWTH has been seen in 31 STATES. Odd considering everyone is talking about the terrible housing market, huh?
More About: Coffee , Monday

The Woodlands Subdivision - Athens, Alabama
2008-01-27 16:50:00
The Woodlands is a great little 124 Lot subdivision tucked away nicely in a quiet area. Homes range from $169,900 to about $260,000. Directions:      From Highway 72 turn north on McCulley Mill      Road.  Subdivision is before you get to Nick      Davis Road on the Right.Features:Homes starting in the140's.East Limestone School DistrictMin Sq Footage: 1800Curbed and GutterUnderground UtilitiesNatural GasSide walks on both sides of the streetStreet LightsAll brick constructionSodded lawnsLots of tile and hardwoodCustom cabinetryCLICK HERE TO VIEW ACTIVE HOMES IN THE WOODLANDS
More About: Alabama , Home Buyers , Athens , The Woodlands

Canebrake Club - Athens, Alabama
2008-01-27 08:09:00
I'm beginning a new feature on this blog. I'm going to take neighborhoods and/or subdivisions from all over the Huntsville Metro, and give you an overview of them, as well as a link to homes for sale! Today's feature is Canebrake Club in Athens , Alabama . Belong to something special. Something extraordinary. Something lifelong. Canebrake Club offers an 850-acre meticulously master planned community rich in great neighbors, active lifestyles, and good living on one of the most beautiful, unspoiled tracts of land in North Alabama. Our club memberships offer 18 holes of championship golf, swim, tennis, and a full calendar of club activities. You're certain to find a home or a homesite in one of our neighborhoods that is perfect for you, whether it is a Club Cottage, Golf Villa, Executive Patio Home, or a Custom Estate Home, it's the good life for every stage of life. Canebrake Club is an exclusive community that brings recreation to life. Designed by a team of professionals dedica...
More About: Home Buyers

To Login, or Not to Login - That's My Question!
2008-01-26 23:52:00
I've been debating over the past couple of days whether or not to install a User Authentication Program on my Huntsville Real Estate Search Site (Just a simple login/logout system). There wouldn't be much difference in the site content. The only things that would be different are as follows: A "My Favorites" Button - Click it while viewing a listing, and it saves it on your personal page for viewing later.The only information required to sign up would be Name, Email, and State of Residence.Compare "My Favorites"A Listing Tracker - You set up the search criteria. Every morning, the listings are updated on your personal page that fit your criteria.Email Your Favorite Listings to a friend, relative, or co-worker.More to come, I just need some more thoughts and ideas from you guys! Please email me at seth@sethparker.net to give me any thoughts or suggestions you may have.
More About: Question

This Blog is Being Moved!
2008-01-26 07:33:00
Until everything is set up, this blog has been moved to http://huntsvillerealestate.typepad.com, but you will be able to get there from here within a week!
More About: Blog

Tuesday Treat - 1/22/08
2008-01-23 05:29:00
"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience."- Mitch HedbergOne could relate this to the Real Estate market. It can never really be broken, and yes, home prices are down, but for the smart home buyers and investors out there, the sky is definitely not falling! People will always need a place to live. On average, a normal home DOUBLES in value every ten years (according to NAR). That's a pretty good return on investment. Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerRE/MAX AthensHuntsville Alabama Home Search
More About: General , Treat , Tuesday

Memo to Home Sellers! Pick an Agent the Knows How to Take Pictures!
2008-01-20 05:04:00
You would think that this would be a given, but I think it has come time for sellers to ask for a portfolio of an Agent 's previous home PICTURES.Today, I am starting a new category. "Awful MLS Photo of the Week" Home searches start online, and any of you that search online, know that bad pictures seriously hurt the chances of you wanting to continue to look at a home.Here are some tips for these agents:Never take a picture where the camera flash, or your body can be seen in a reflection, no one cares, and it distracts the view.Please, for crying out loud, stand still when snapping a photo.Keep your cell phone camera IN YOUR POCKET.If the MLS allows 9 photos...um, use 9 photos.Here are a few gems to get us started:Here is a beautiful picture of a...umm...railing. This one isn't too bad, if you take it as the agent showing some details of the home. Unfortunately, according to the description, this is a great view of "The Loft Area"Ok, you're listing your $489K home. Your agent does...
More About: Pictures , Pick , Sellers

Should You Sign a Buyer's Agency Agreement with Your Agent?
2008-01-19 02:41:00
Well, let's start off with the obvious. What is a Buyer's Agency Agreement ?A Buyer's Agency Agreement is when an Agent is "hired" by a prospective Purchaser to find an acceptable property for purchase. The Broker/Agent represents the Buyer and negotiates with the Seller OR the Seller's Agent in the Purchaser's best interest.Here are three key points about this that you may or may not know:Unless this agreement is signed between purchaser and agent, that agent is legally an agent of the SELLER, and is required to look our for THEIR best interests, not yours!Just because you sign this agreement, YOU do not have to pay the agent. Your agent's pay is taken out of the SELLER'S proceeds at closing.If you buy a home within the agreed time, you must use that agent to purchase the home.Here's what it boils down to:This agreement is beneficial to the agent because:They know that you are serious about buying a home, and when the home is found, you are going to include them in the proce...
More About: Sign

Mortgages at Lowest Rates in 3 Years!
2008-01-18 03:04:00
The average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.75%. According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large lenders, the average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.36 discount and origination points. The average 15-year fixed rate mortgage, popular for refinancing fell to 5.28%, and the average jumbo 30-year fixed rate sank to 6.98%. Adjustable mortgage rates were lower also, with the average one-year ARM slipping to 5.93%, and the average 5/1 ARM diving to 5.67%.With the national economic worries about a potential recession, these rates are falling at the fastest pace in 20 YEARS!!!WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU??If you are buying in the Huntsville Alabama Metro Area, it's a dream come true! The rates will bottom out soon, and within the next couple of weeks will be a great time to buy a home in our area. Just imagine how lucky a person would be to be able to buy a home in an appreciating real estate market with a great interest rate! Within the next two to ...
More About: Home Buyers , Mortgages , Years , Rates , Mort

New Partnership with Trulia!
2008-01-17 00:37:00
What is Trulia?Trulia is a real estate search engine that helps you find homes for sale and provides real estate information at the local level to help you make better decisions in the process. They aim to be a delightfully smart partner when you are looking to buy a home. The smart part should help you find your dream home (or at least the dream home within your budget) and arm you with data and information about local real estate (without too much work). The delightful part should make you smile and keep you coming back. Whether you are moving down the street or clear across the country, they're here to help you understand real estate trends at the local level. When you are about to make the biggest financial decision of your life, They help you understand how your future home stacks up compared to similar homes on the market, and similar homes that have recently sold. They show you how sales prices have been trending where it matters--in your county, city, ZIP code a...

Tuesday Treat
2008-01-16 05:30:00
"I want to get a vending machine, with fun sized candy bars, and the glass in front is a magnifying glass. You'll be mad, but it will be too late." - Mitch HedbergPerfect quote! Although it's a quote from a comedian about a vending machine, it can also transfer to real life. Have you ever felt like that after a deal?  *self-promotion plug* ---> You'll never have that feeling after dealing with me!Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerRE/MAX AthensHuntsville Alabama Home Search
More About: Treat , Tuesday

Website Listings - Square Feet and Street Address
2008-01-16 04:32:00
I thought this would be a good time to address this issue after having several questions about it. At my Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Search Website , I provide a list of every home listed in our North Alabama MLS System.The listing information pages give a lot of good information, but unfortunately, it doesn't give some major information that I think would be quite beneficial, such as square feet and street addresses. The reason for this follows below:When a Realtor in our area gets a listing, one of the first things they do is put it in the MLS. That night (around 2am) our MLS puts out a database with all of the homes, information, pictures, etc. Once this is done, all agent sites (that pull from here), national sites (realtor.com, remax.com, etc.), and my site pull this database and inserts the information into our own database.Unfortunately for you and me, the MLS gets to decide what information passes to these websites. They can pick and choose what is available to be posted ...
More About: Listings , Street , Feet , Address

25110 Mahalo Circle - Madison, AL 35756
2008-01-13 19:12:00
Great home with tons of room! I just thought I would share this with you guys.I've never posted it on here before, but it is in my FEATURED HOMES SECTION on my website. Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerREMAX AthensGo Here to Search for Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Online.
More About: Circle , Madison

What is Real Estate 2.0?
2008-01-11 23:23:00
There's no real definition. Real Estate 2.0 is a derivative of Web 2.0, which also doesn't exactly have a definition. The best "overall description" according to Tim O'Reilly (of O'Reilly Media - a service that spreads the knowledge of innovators all over the world) is this:"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform."All that, to say this: everything is going online. The way everyone searches for real estate now is different that it was just ten years ago, almost all searches begin online. That is the essence of Real Estate 2.0; You, as buyers/sellers, need to be able to cut through all of the bull, and get what you need to know, and move on.By the time I get most of my calls, you have narrowed your choices to two or three homes, and call me to go see the inside of them yourself,STOP! READ NO FURTHER - SHAMELESS PLUG COMING ON IN 3.....2.......
More About: Marketing

Can You Sell Your Home in a BUYER'S Market....and still profit?
2008-01-10 07:25:00
The short answer.....yes, absolutely. Boiled down, a buyer's market is just a situation in which there are more sellers than buyers, thereby giving a buyer pretty much any choice of home they could want.Economics 101: A market is a place where buyers and sellers come together. Supply and demand is the driving force behind a market. Supply goes down, demand goes up, prices go up (Sell er's Market ). On the other hand, Supply goes up, demand goes down, prices go down (Buyer's Market). That's the natural order of things.One thing is undeniable, though. People with always need homes. People will also need more homes because there are more of us everyday. This land stuff, they're not making anymore of it (don't count volcanoes). So, Seth, are you going to get to how I can sell my home anytime soon? Here we go. In a buyer's market, selling something becomes completely about the buyer. THEY HAVE THE POWER. THEY CAN CHOOSE FROM 100 CHOICES NEARLY IDENTICAL TO YOURS. What makes yours st...
More About: Home , Profit

Updated Video - Welcome to the Tennessee Valley
2008-01-10 06:25:00
I have a new video service now, and I would like to share it with you! WellcomeMat.com is a great service. Please watch the video below to see what it's like to be in the Tennessee Valley ! Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerRE/MAX AthensHuntsville Alabama Real Estate Search
More About: Video

19797 Elkton Road - Athens Alabama
2008-01-10 06:23:00
Hey everyone!I've recently listed this gem just north of Athens City Limits. It's a very nice home with hardwood flooring in every room except the bathroom and laundry, new lighting, new paint, a GREAT workshop in back with electricity, a two-car carport, large rooms, 1,300 square feet, central heat and air, and much more. Please Click Below to find out more.Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerRE/MAX AthensHuntsville Alabama Real Estate
More About: Road , Then

Cost of Living in the Huntsville Metro
2008-01-10 06:22:00
See how the Huntsville Metro Area Stacks up against the rest of the country for cost of living. National Average = 100 Metropolitan Area Composit Index (100%) Grocery Items (13%) Housing (28%) Utilities (10%) Trans- portation (10%) Health Care (4%) Misc. Goods & Services (35%) Huntsville, AL 94.3 92.2 ...
More About: Living , Cost , Cost of living

New and Expanding Business in the Huntsville Metro
2008-01-10 06:20:00
Below is a detailed account of new and expanding business in the Huntsville Metro . Company Name Industry Location # Jobs Investment New/ Expanding MANUFACTURING COMPANIES Adept Technologies Precision Machining City of Huntsville 10 n/a Expanding Brown Precision Precision Machining Chase Industrial Park 20 $3,000,000 Expanding ...
More About: Business

Leading Employers of the Huntsville Metro
2008-01-10 06:18:00
I've had a few requests from you out-of-state guys to round up a listing of Huntsville's top employers, and I was able to round something up. Here it is: Rank Organization Industry Employees 1 U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal Government 14,601 2 Huntsville Hospital System Health Care 5,126 3 Huntsville City Schools Education 3,000 ...
More About: Metro , Leading , Employers

December 2007 - Huntsville Area Sales Statistics
2008-01-10 06:16:00
The latest statistics for home sales in the month of December 2007 are out. These are stats from all over the Huntsville Metro Area . Check them out!AREA SALES TOTAL $ AVG PRICE % OF LIST AVG DOM HOMES FOR SALE 01 (HSV CITY NW) 39 $3,598,957 $92,281 98.21% 80 286 02 (HSV CITY NE) 18 $2,285,902 $126,995 95.80% 114 115 03 (HSV CITY SW) 57 $10,381,950 $182,139 98.37% 107 347 04 (HSV CITY SE) 45 $11,410,746 $253,572 97.13% 70 259 05 (MAD CITY LIMITS) 67 $16,930,797 $252,698 97.69% 125 377 4E (HSV CITY EAST) 37 $11,324,988 $306,081 99.62% 101 186 5X (MAD OUTSIDE CIT...
More About: Sales , Statistics , December 2007

Huntsville Real Estate FAQ
2008-01-10 06:12:00
Real estate is a huge part of everyone's life. At some time or another, almost everyone will own some. A buyer needs to be as well-informed as possible to be able to make the best decisions for them, and their family.Below are some of the most common questions that people ask in our line of business. If you would like me to add anything to the list, please email me.What is included in a home's square footage?    Well, the majority of definitions you get will be this: "The total amount of heated and cooled square feet in a home."     There is one builder in particular that includes all roofed areas as the square foot number they advertise. But that is not the norm.What exactly is the MLS?    MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. The MLS is a service that combines all listings from active members into one computer database that is viewable by all of the members. In the Huntsville Metro Area, almost all of the brokers are part of the sa...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real

Huntsville Alabama Recognition
2008-01-10 06:11:00
Well, with the new year rolling in, I thought it would only be appropriate to show off some awards and recognitions that Huntsville, Alabama has received in 2007. Look through them, and if anyone would like a copy of the article, I can round you one up. Huntsville named one of America's Top 5 Technology Cities    October 2007    ComputerworldHuntsville named one of the country's Best Performing Cities    September 2007    Milken InstituteThe University of Alabama in Huntsville ranks among the top ten percent of business schools in the country    September 2007    U.S. News & World ReportHuntsville named one of the country's Top Adventure Towns.    September 2007    National Geographic AdventureHuntsville named one of America's leading 5-Star Business Metros    July/August 2007    Expansion Management Magazine    ...
More About: Recognition

Updated Video - Welcome to the Tennessee Valley
2008-01-09 18:26:00
I have a new video service now, and I would like to share it with you! WellcomeMat.com is a great service. Please watch the video below to see what it's like to be in the Tennessee Valley ! Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerRE/MAX AthensHuntsville Alabama Real Estate
More About: Video

19797 Elkton Road - Athens Alabama
2008-01-09 04:04:00
Hey everyone!I've recently listed this gem just north of Athens City Limits. It's a very nice home with hardwood flooring in every room except the bathroom and laundry, new lighting, new paint, a GREAT workshop in back with electricity, a two-car carport, large rooms, 1,300 square feet, central heat and air, and much more. Please Click Below to find out more.Seth ParkerAssociate BrokerRE/MAX AthensHuntsville Alabama Real Estate
More About: Road , Then

Cost of Living in the Huntsville Metro
2008-01-07 09:00:00
See how the Huntsville Metro Area Stacks up against the rest of the country for cost of living. National Average = 100 Metropolitan Area Composit Index (100%) Grocery Items (13%) Housing (28%) Utilities (10%) Trans- portation (10%) Health Care (4%) Misc. Goods & Services (35%) Huntsville, AL 94.3 92.2 ...
More About: Living , Cost , Cost of living

New and Expanding Business in the Huntsville Metro
2008-01-07 08:51:00
Below is a detailed account of new and expanding business in the Huntsville Metro . Company Name Industry Location # Jobs Investment New/ Expanding MANUFACTURING COMPANIES Adept Technologies Precision Machining City of Huntsville 10 n/a Expanding Brown Precision Precision Machining Chase Industrial Park 20 $3,000,000 Expanding ...
More About: Business

Leading Employers of the Huntsville Metro
2008-01-07 08:41:00
I've had a few requests from you out-of-state guys to round up a listing of Huntsville's top employers, and I was able to round something up. Here it is: Rank Organization Industry Employees 1 U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal Government 14,601 2 Huntsville Hospital System Health Care 5,126 3 Huntsville City Schools Education 3,000 ...
More About: Metro , Leading , Employers