Daily Archives: August 2, 2013

5 reasons your listing won’t sell even in a seller’s market | Bedford Corners Realtor

What keeps listings from selling? In most cases, it’s the price, but it can also be due to a host of factors over which you as the listing agent have little control. What steps can you take to make sure that your listings end up “sold” rather than “expired”?

Part one of this series identified overpricing as the primary reason that a property may not sell. When a seller wants to overprice his listing, the agent has three viable options: (1) negotiate a lower price from the onset; (2) schedule regular price reductions as part of the actual listing agreement; or (3) walk away from the listing.

Even in the hottest markets where there is as a little as two months of inventory, this still means that only half of the listings sell each month and that the other half remain on the market. In order for the house to sell, even when the market is on fire, it must cross that threshold where it is in the top 50 percent of all listings in terms of price and value. If not, it can continue to sit on the market month after month with the listing ultimately expiring. So who is responsible for what in the transaction?

Factors that can’t be changed

The old adage that all that matters in real estate is location, location, location is still true. You can’t control where a property is located nor can you control the number of competing properties. Price is the one factor that takes both of these issues into account.

Buyers determine the price

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/07/25/5-reasons-your-listing-wont-sell-even-in-a-sellers-market/#sthash.hZ5xQMK6.dpuf

 

 

5 reasons your listing won’t sell even in a seller’s market | Inman News.

4 Ways Marketers Can Use Facebook Hashtags | South Salem Real Estate

Have you started using Facebook hashtags for your business?

Are you wondering how to best use a Facebook hashtag?

In this article, I’ll reveal four important benefits of using hashtags on Facebook.

I’ll also explore important considerations when putting together your hashtag strategy.

Why Facebook Hashtags?

As you’ve undoubtedly seen, hashtags are now clickable and useable on Facebook.

Using a hashtag # (or pound symbol) in front of a word or phrase turns the word into a clickable link.

When you click on the link, you’ll see a feed of public posts (or posts that are visible to you due to a friend relationship on Facebook) that include that hashtag.

Here’s how you can use Facebook hashtags:

#1: Expand Your Reach

As hashtags gain momentum on Facebook (they’ve been in use on other platforms such as TwitterInstagramPinterest and Google+), they’ll help you expand your reach to people who are looking at posts in your topic.

Hashtags have been a great way to help people interested in niche topics find each other and find the conversation.

walking dead hashtag

The #WalkingDead hashtag connects people interested in this show.

By including a hashtag in your post, you can possibly get in front of people who may not have seen your post otherwise.  But you’ll have to monitor this in yourFacebook Insights.  Make sure you watch your Reach and Engagement Numbersto see if your hashtags are making a difference in your posts.

reach column

Click the Reach column in your Facebook insights to see which posts are getting the highest reach.

#2: Amplify Your Brand

Branding your Facebook Page with your own special hashtag can help an idea or new product catch on.  By branding all your posts about a new product, you can break this information out into a separate stream of information and give people an easy way to share information about that product or idea.

Think carefully about what types of things others would also be interested in sharing.  If the posts are too promotional and not valuable, you may have a hard time getting people to share them with their friends.

 

 

4 Ways Marketers Can Use Facebook Hashtags | Social Media Examiner.

Home of Michael Clarke Duncan Listed for $1.299 Million | Waccabuc Real Estate

A year after actor Michael Clarke Duncan died suddenly of a heart attack, his Woodland Hills home has entered the real estate market with a price tag of $1.299 million.

Located at 5616 Farralone Ave, Los Angeles, CA 91367, the residence is described in the listing as a “trust sale” of a celebrity-owned property. Records show the trust is held by Duncan’s business manager, Matthew Lichtenberg.

The house sprawls across a large lot, and like most celeb properties, is situated behind gates. The 7-bedroom, 7-bath home was purchased by Duncan in 2001 for $1.05 million. More recently, Duncan shared the home with his fiancee, controversial former “Apprentice” contestant Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.

Built in 1979, the 6,861-square-foot home includes a media room, built-in fish tanks, formal dining room and wet bar. Other features are a 3-car garage, additional subterranean parking garage with room for 10 more vehicles, basketball sport court, pool, spa and barbecue area.

Duncan became an actor in a serendipitous way. He started out as a bodyguard when he first headed to Hollywood, but snagged a bit role in “Armageddon” that launched his career, leading to his breakout part in “The Green Mile.”

 

 

Home of Michael Clarke Duncan Listed for $1.299 Million | Zillow Blog.

With Home Prices Soaring, Has Success Spoiled San Francisco? | Cross River Real Estate

Joe Kelso and John Winter probably waited too long. The couple has been together for a dozen years but only got serious recently about buying a house in San Francisco.

They saved enough to be able to afford anything under $500,000, but houses at such prices are now few and far between.

This spring, the median home price in San Francisco topped $1 million, up by a third from last year.

There are still houses listed for under $400,000, but that’s just to get the bidding going. Those types of properties will sell for more than $500,000, while still requiring maybe $100,000 worth of work.

A T-shirt for sale reflects the sentiments of people who find the cost of living in San Francisco too high.

Alan Greenblatt/NPR

“By the time we made our first offer in February, prices had shot up $100,000 to $150,000,” Winter says. Since then, they’ve been outbid seven more times.

Their experience has become typical. With San Francisco drawing both employees and tech companies from Silicon Valley, houses have become an unaffordable luxury for people in the middle class and even the very highly paid.

It’s changing a city historically known as friendly to outsiders wanting to pursue alternative lifestyles. That’s harder to do in an environment where brokers speak blithely of $600,000 and $700,000 “starter homes.”

With people unable to afford San Francisco, prices are jumping in neighboring cities such as Oakland as well.

“Buyers are facing frustration,” says Colleen McFerrin, a real estate agent. “Prices are going up and when they lose one or two [houses] they begin to panic.”

Higher Costs All Around

San Francisco has long attracted waves of people seeking a pleasant, progressive life — immigrants and hippies, gays and beatniks.

Jorge Cino, an aspiring fiction writer, was drawn all the way from Argentina. “I loved the city and I did love its bohemian, reckless culture,” he says.

 

 

With Home Prices Soaring, Has Success Spoiled San Francisco? : NPR.

How to Fix a Running Toilet | Katonah Real Estate

Nowadays, we don’t give much thought to our toilets, but there was a time when answering nature’s call involved such things as porcelain pots and crude outhouses. The modern flushing toilet actually didn’t become ubiquitous until the early 1900s. Since then, the technology has changed very little, and for the average do-it-yourselfer, it’s not challenging to fix a running toilet.

Replace the flapper

Source: shutterstock.com

Source: shutterstock.com

A defective flapper is usually behind a running toilet problem. When you flush, the flapper is the rubber stopper within the tank that lifts to release water into the bowl. Over time, the flapper deteriorates, allowing water to trickle past its once-tight seal. Push down on the flapper to test its integrity; if the toilet immediately stops running, then you’ve identified the issue. The next step is to replace the flapper.

Start by turning the water off to the toilet (the shutoff valve should be directly beneath the tank). Flush the toilet to drain all remaining water from the tank and bowl. Now you can remove the flapper. As you do so, note the way in which it attaches to the bottom of the tank. There are several kinds of flappers, so when you visit the hardware store to buy a replacement, be sure you select one that is identical.

Follow the installation instructions that come with your replacement flapper. Most important is adding or removing links to establish an appropriate length for the chain connecting the flapper to the flush arm. Leave the chain too long and you’ll get “jiggling handle syndrome.” (You know, when you have to fidget with the handle a bit before the tank begins to refill.) If you make the chain too short, the flapper won’t be able to rise fully away from the drain hole, leading to abbreviated flushes.

Check the fill tube

Let’s say that when diagnosing the trouble with your toilet, pressing down on the flapper did not stop the water from running. In that case, the cause might be the fill tube. That’s the small plastic tube going from the fill valve — the main assembly in the tank — to the overflow pipe, which drains excess water when the tank fills too high. If you see that the fill tube is under water, cut it back so that the tube clears the water level.

 

How to Fix a Running Toilet | Zillow Blog.

How cat videos are changing the world [VIDEO] | Mt Kisco Real Estate

As YouTube’s former director of product, Hunter Walk can explain how cat videos and other “viral” content are changing the world.

For real estate professionals, the implications are deeper than the phenomenon of viral videos. The rapid increase in the spread of information and feelings of connectedness engendered by social media are changing the nature of citizenship itself.

Walk knows his stuff, having joined Google in 2003 where he also managed product and sales efforts for the search giant’s contextual advertising business. He was also a founding member of the product and marketing team at Linden Lab, the creators of online virtual world Second Life.

Hunter Walk, YouTube’s former director of product, talks about “How Cat Videos Are Changing the World: Global Media & Global Citizenship.” (18:38).

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/07/22/how-cat-videos-are-changing-the-world-video/#sthash.PKAUmhXy.dpuf

 

How cat videos are changing the world [VIDEO] | Inman News.

Country Star Ronnie Dunn Buys in Nashville | Bedford Real Estate

If you aren’t a big enough fan of country music to have heard of Ronnie Dunn, perhaps the name Brooks & Dunn rings a bell. Dunn, who was one-half of the former country duo (he and Kix Brooks split after 20 years to pursue solo careers) just purchased a house with his wife in Nashville, according to property records and a report by the Real Estalker blog.

Nashville, obviously, is the capital of country music, and it’s no surprise to find a country musician picking up a new place within its city limits. This is the third home the Dunns have purchased in Nashville; they also own a condo, as well as an equestrian farm.

The Dunns’ new property sits on just under 6.5 acres. Rather than the traditional style most commonly found in the area, this home is a neoclassical-designed home by Palm Beach architect John L. Volk.

Measuring 5,751 square feet, the house has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. Enormous windows, tall ceilings and indoor-outdoor living spaces add to the home. The grounds includes a barn and stable, guest cottage and lush, traditional garden surrounded by boxwood.

 

 

 

Country Star Ronnie Dunn Buys in Nashville | Zillow Blog.

Top 10 Tips for Incredible Video Marketing Success | Pound Ridge Realtor

Creating an online video can take an extremely long time to put together. Top 10 Tips for Incredible Video Marketing Success

Achieving video marketing success is sometimes seen as expensive and hard to do. Content creators are often disappointed with the amount of effort it takes to produce an online video versus the online exposure and visibility that it actually receives. What if your video could appear extremely high in the search engines and thousands of views could be obtained for an extremely low price point?

Follow these 10 unforgettable but easy to implement video marketing success tips and you’ll be bragging about the exposure that this rich form of media is providing for you!

1. Upload your video to YouTube

YouTube is second largest search engine in the world. More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month and over 6 billion hours of video are watched every 30 days. Uploading your video to YouTube will instantly get your online video content seen by the masses.

2. Create compelling content

Before creating a video, think of what the online community will be interested in. Making a video that is compelling to a niche audience will result in great organic growth.

As a tennis player, I’m always looking for tips to improve my serve. That’s why when working with a tennis club; we decided to make a video on “How To Hit a Faster Tennis Serve.” The video now has over 112,000 views and is constantly one of the highest referral sources for the tennis clubs website.

Create compelling video content

“How To” videos are very informative and receive great exposure.


Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/07/30/top-10-tips-for-incredible-video-marketing-success/#y5DD80Uz4yUFI7Q0.99 

 

Top 10 Tips for Incredible Video Marketing Success – Jeffbullas’s Blog.

Rosie O’Donnell Lists 2 New York Penthouses | Chappaqua Real Estate

In the world of high-end New York real estate, actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell is a regular. Now she’s at it again, listing two Big Apple properties.

Manhattan

Most recently, she has listed her 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath luxury apartment for $2.25 million in The Platinum, a full-service, award-winning condominium. Located at 247 W 46th St APT 2203, New York, NY 10036, the 22nd-floor unit (shown above) features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Midtown Manhattan cityscape.

According to The New York Times, O’Donnell signed a contract to buy the place for $1.97 million in 2007, with property records showing she closed the deal a year later. She has since been privy to The Platinum’s five-star, resort-quality amenities, including a golf simulator, fitness center, yoga studio, sauna, lounge and outdoor terrace. Times Square, Broadway theaters and the 45th Street headquarters for her public school program, Rosie’s Theater Kids, are also just a few blocks away.

The listing is held by The Corcoran Group‘s Ric Swezey.

Greenwich Village

Meanwhile, reports have been circulating that fashion designer Michael Kors has his eye onO’Donnell’s Greenwich Village duplex that she purchased for $8 million last year. The 130 West 12th St penthouse is now on the market for $10.95 million.

“Penthouse 11A is one of the most unique private residences situated in the heart of Greenwich Village,” listing agent Dennis Mangone of Douglas Elliman wrote in the listing description. Spanning more than 3,200 square feet, the 11th-floor suite has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, spacious living and dining rooms, a chef’s kitchen and private terrace. The building has a 24-hour doorman and concierge as well as other resident-only amenities.

 

 

 

Rosie O’Donnell Lists 2 New York Penthouses | Zillow Blog.

Corporate America has a Flare for Solar Industry Investment | Armonk Real Estate

A few weeks ago, American Honda announced an innovative financing partnership with Solar City, a major solar installer. (Full disclosure: My wife works for Solar City).  Under the terms of the deal, the carmaker will use $65 million its own money to pay for its customers and dealers to install solar panels on their properties and reduce their future electric bills.

The money involved is not a big deal in terms of corporate finance, so why do I think this announcement is a big deal? Because it could, if other companies follow Honda’s lead, be the key to providing the investment dollars the solar industry needs to make rapid inroads throughout the country.

What’s holding up the solar industry?

The cost to install solar energy is declining rapidly — panel prices fell by 41% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the previous year.  This helped solar installations in the United States to grow rapidly in 2012, from 1,855 megawatts (MW) in 2011 to 3,300 MW.  (The average coal plant in the U.S. has a capacity of about 650 MW).  Even better, annual installations are projected to climb to an estimated 9,000 MW in 2016.

Right now, a lack of investment capital may be the biggest barrier to the industry’s continued  growth. Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts that the industry will need $3.1 billion of equity investment in 2013, compared to $1.8 billion in 2012.  This need for investment comes at a time when American corporations – excluding financial firms — are sitting on $1.7 trillion, some of which could easily be invested in the solar industry, earning substantial returns, in dollars and good will, for corporate lenders.

 

Corporate America has a Flare for Solar Industry Investment | Environmental Defense Fund.