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Consumer Tip of the Week: Investigate your Public Records
2008-02-24 22:22:00
When purchasing a home always make a quick call to the local governing body (City of County). Most local governments now also have oodles of real estate information online. If your’s does, a phone call may not be necessary. Bear in mind, these questions may transverse a number of governmental departments. Here is what you are ...
More About: Public , Consumer , Week , Records

One Word
2008-02-24 02:38:00
One word has unravelled, unchained, and unsubscribed the real estate dogosphere.  Ground Zero. 
More About: Word

My Side of the Mountain: A Photojournal
2008-02-23 21:11:00
More than any other thing in the real estate business, contributing to urban sprawl causes me the greatest ethical struggle. A constant battle rages in my mind between the need for affordable housing and preserving the environment . Below is part 1 of a series of photos I took near my home in Puyallup, WA. ...
More About: Real Estate , Side , Mountain

Consumer Tip of the Week: Navigating New Construction
2008-02-18 03:34:00
Have you ever gone into a model home at a new construction site and wondered who the person sitting behind the desk is? The general assumption is that they represent the builder; however this assumption may be wrong. This person could really hold a variety of positions: They could be an employed representative of the builder. These agents will likely work on a salary-commission ...
More About: Consumer , Construction , Week

Hat?s Off to Coldwell Banker Bain
2008-02-16 21:40:00
Coldwell Banker Bain, Seattle’s CB Affiliate, has beaten John L Scott, Windermere, and in some ways even Redfin to the punch in offering a more video integrated website. What they have done is replaced their traditional agent photographs with video bios. The videos are professionally done, and do a great job of introducing the site’s users to the Agent’s expertise ...

Quit comparing Agents to Doctors - Doctors are much more humble
2008-02-16 06:24:00
Blogger’s Note: My friends Franz and Greg have proven me wrong on my thesis regarding the youth of the real estate industry (See Comments). Franz provided this article as evidence (Thank you Franz). Interestingly enough, the article had a very timely note regarding agents, physicians, and lawyers: To be an estate agent in those days required special training, like the man who ...
More About: Doctors , Real Estate , Agents , Quit , Humble

Consumer Tip of the Week
2008-02-10 07:35:00
Since this blog is “A blog about consumer focused real estate,” I thought it would be congruous with this vision to begin writing more posts with the consumer directly in mind (rather than my peers). The Consumer Tip of the Week will be a weekly tidbit post to help consumers during the real estate process. ——- Consumer Tip of the Week: ...

Caucuses? just like blogging? but face to face
2008-02-10 04:45:00
Today I headed down to the local Elks Club to Caucus in Washington State’s 25th Legislative District. I have never felt so patriotic in my life. The cars were lined up in the street, with people parking their Dodge Ram’s in ditches and hopping through mud puddles and blackberry bushes in order to make it to the 1:00pm event. ...
More About: Blogging , Face , Caucuses

Nike, Ipod, and Grape Juice Communion
2008-02-09 06:02:00
Yesterday I went on a run with my Nike -iPod. I love this technological contraption. It’s absolutely magnificent. It tells me how long I have run, how many calories I have burned, and how many miles I have gone, all why playing Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want have Fun. My love for this contraption brought the usual questions to my ...
More About: Real Estate , Ipod , Redfin , Juice

Odysseus Medal Winner Borrowed Article
2008-02-08 04:32:00
AMENDED 2/8/08: I thought about this post and I think I was a bit harsh on the Mortgage Cicerone. Especially since I know the feeling of being accused of plagiarism. My guess is that the author unknowingly and passively published his post without citation, rather than purposely plagiarizing. Therefore, I have chosen to edit the title of this ...
More About: Medal , Article , Winner

CENTEX giving some crazy deals in Western Washington
2008-02-08 03:34:00
I can’t say that this is a nationwide phenomenon; however the housing crisis has definitely made Centex Homes do some serious negotiating in their Western Washington communities. I have worked on contracts for three homes (one closed) over the last year in one Centex community, and have closed 2 transaction in other WA communities. I have noticed huge price reductions, ...
More About: Builders , Crazy , Giving

?just like selling girl scout cookies
2008-02-08 02:32:00
Yesterday Joel Burslem pointed out Roost.com’s announcement of partner brokers. The article got me thinking “These guys must have done more door knocking then girl scouts to get these brokers.” I don’t mean this in a bad way. The people of Roost must have put a lot of time and effort into phone calls, emails, and probably ...
More About: Selling , Cookies , Girl , Scout , Cookie

Redfin on King 5
2008-02-06 21:16:00
King 5 News (NBC Affiliate in Seattle) came down to our Seattle office for a story on Redfin ’s business model. My friends Loren, Earnest, Marco and Klaus got their 15 minutes (or 1/3rd of a second) of fame with a few flattering head shots.  Take a look Best part of the piece: Glenn tells the story of a prankster ...
More About: King

Yahoo Up, Move.com down in Hitwise Rankings
2008-02-05 22:53:00
Hitwise released January’s rankings for Real Estate’s most visited websites today. The two big moves were Yahoo Real Estate and Move .com. Yahoo jumped 4 positions from December to #3. Meanwhile, Move.com fell 6 spots to #8. Realtor .com remained on top.    Hitwise Top 20 Most Visited Real Estate Web Sites, January 2008 Rank Web sites Market share 1 Realtor.com 9.08% 2 HomeGain 2.44% 3 Yahoo Real Estate 2.25% 4 RE/MAX Real Estate 2.21% 5 Rent.com 2.19% 6 Zillow 2.06% 7 Apartments.com 2.00% 8 Move.com 1.91% 9 ZipRealty 1.86% 10 US Department of Housing and ...
More About: Hitwise , Yahoo!

Southwest Airlines Always Pulls out on Time
2008-02-05 18:11:00
Net Promoter Score is a system of tracking customer satisfaction by asking one single question: “How likely are you to refer us to a friend or colleague?”  Most American companies plug along with a Net Promoter Score of 5% - 10%, meaning only 1/10th  or 1/20th of their customers would actively promote their company. However for ...
More About: Real Estate , Airlines , Time , Commissions , Fees

Trying out some new themes?
2008-02-03 06:39:00
I am trying out some new themes on the blog. If you stop by and hate one or love one, please say something. I am looking for something more functional, less clunky, and a bit cleaner then my last theme.  My wife already told me that she doesn’t like Illacrimo (Theme at the time of this ...
More About: Themes

What would a Microsoft/Yahoo deal mean to real estate? Not much.
2008-02-02 06:43:00
Today if you visit MSN Real Estate , you will find the same gossipy real estate articles that you would expect to see on Inside Edition or Entertainment Tonight. However if you visit Yahoo  Real Estate , you will find a more serious real estate website, complete with mapping technology, zestimates, foreclosure listings, and mortgage calculators. So, what would a buyout of Yahoo from Microsoft ...
More About: Cool Tech

The NAR deletes Redfin from New York Times Article - DoublePlusGood That
2008-02-01 20:06:00
In the book 1984, Big Brother’s Ministry of Truth took care of rectifying any errors of previous news articles, history books, and other similar types of media. Thank God we have the NAR to take care of that dirty job for the real estate industry. A day after this New York Times article came out featuring Redfin , Zillow, ...
More About: Article , New York Times

And the Creepiness Award Goes to?
2008-02-01 03:58:00
One of Redfin ’s savvy Forum writers picked up on this home which is using mannequins as a staging tool. I think this probably takes staging 1 step too far. No doubt it makes potential home buyers jump… just probably not into a contract.
More About: Award

Comp Homes from your Mac Baby
2008-02-01 01:15:00
Redfin today launched version 4.4 of the website. Many of my friends and colleagues worked incredibly hard on making this release happen.  After it launched this morning, I received an email from one of my co-workers which said “Wow!  I feel like an idiot for only thinking this was a *big* release.  This is a *huge* ...
More About: Baby , Comp , Cool Tech , Redfin , Homes

Magical Mystery Foreclosure Tour and Other Highlight?s from 60 Minutes? ?Ho
2008-01-29 08:01:00
If haven’t caught it yet, make sure to check out the 60 Minutes segment on the American foreclosure crisis. Among other things you will find: - A real estate agent giving weekly bus tours of foreclosures in the Stockton, CA area. He got the idea from Hollywood’s Tour of the Stars. - A couple that is upside down in ...
More About: Foreclosures , Foreclosure , Mystery , Highlight

Redfin, Trulia, Terabitz, and Zillow in the Times
2008-01-28 18:54:00
According to a New York Times article today, the online real estate industry is pressing on despite the worst real estate market in recent history. All 4 Executives report aspects of growth over last year’s numbers. Read the Article John Cook’s Venture Blog
More About: Redfin , Zillow , The Times

Rinse your Cottage Cheese
2008-01-28 07:13:00
In Jim Collins book Good to Great he tells the story of Dave Scott, a six time Ironman Triathlon champion. In order to win the Ironman this many times, Scott had a rigorous training regiment of riding his bike 75 miles, swimming 20,000 meters, and running 17 miles….. every day. Oh, and did I mention that ...
More About: Marketing , Cottage , Cheese

Lead Capture: The Cardinal Sin
2008-01-26 04:42:00
I see so many real estate websites still using lead capture systems that require names and email addresses in order to view listings or pertinent data in a listing (Price, Address).  People hate this. They absolutely hate it…. and if you are doing it you should absolutely stop it. Here’s why: People don’t trust you with their email addresses… and rightfully ...
More About: Redfin , Zillow , Capture , Cardinal , Lead

Iggy?s House pulls IPO Request
2008-01-24 23:58:00
Iggy’s House , a company which offers free MLS listings for sellers, 75% rebates to buyers, and mortgage services has pulled it’s IPO request. According to Inman News and the New York Times’ Dealbook, this is one of 5 companies to scratch their IPO plans within the last 2 days. According to Inman, Iggy’s CEO Joseph Fox cited ...
More About: Request , Iggy

Mortgage Rates Fall after Fed Cut
2008-01-24 05:01:00
Banrate.com reports that the average interest rate on a 30 yr Fixed Mort gage has now fallen to 5.31%…. the lowest in a long, long time.
More About: Interest Rates , Rates , Fall

The Best of Free: 14 Free ways to Advertise your Listing that won?t cost a
2008-01-23 23:19:00
Want some free advertising for your listing? Below is a list of free things you or your agent can do to advertise your house: Advertise it on Craigslist Post it on Zillow Make a YouTube Video Tour (and then post the link to Craigslist) Advertise your Open House on Redfin Sweet Digs Hold a Garage Sale (Sure, you get a lot of looky ...
More About: Free , Cost , Listing

Redfin Launches Boston, DC Sweet Digs
2008-01-23 19:58:00
Yesterday, Redfin added to its SWAT team of real estate bloggers by hiring nine local bloggers to cover the Boston and Washington DC real estate markets. This adds to Redfin Sweet Digs Blogroll in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. The bloggers are, “IT professionals, college professors, and broadcast journalists who moonlight as Redfin ...

The Biggest Misconception
2008-01-22 18:40:00
Today the Fed chopped interest rates by 3/4th of a percent…. but the 30 year fixed rate barely budged an inch. What gives? Many consumers believe that a Fed rate cut directly and instantly effects long term mortgage rates. So much so, some home buyers have told me that they are going to risk defaulting on their closing date ...
More About: Interest Rates , Mortgages , Misconception

MISSING: Some Damn Good Bloggers
2008-01-21 07:18:00
Does anyone have word where our friends from Little Pink Houses went? It has been silent since last summer, and I flat out miss what I feel was the best damn real estate blogging on the web. Are they on hiatus? Vacationing in the Hamptons? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
More About: Bloggers , Missing , Good , Damn , Missi