Fayetteville, NC Real Estate Blog

Recession.  That is an ugly word.  Unfortunately, it is one that we as a public are facing in today's times.

In my thoughts there are many different types of recessions.  The one that most focus on is the one involving the economy...I guess you could say that my personal recession is affecting my personal economy...

2008 has started off pretty good.  Had a buyer in the first part of Janurary close a home and has since referred several other buyers to me with those buyers making referrals as well.  So times are not bad, I have done good business so far this year, ranking as one of the top 10 in my office in sales so far this year.

My recession lately has been with listings.  Not a listing to be had in the past few months.  Maybe it is due to the stream of buyers that have been coming my way hurting my marketing efforts, maybe it is the "comfort factor" kciking in....feast or famine, we do only what we have to in order to survive....I don't know.

I do know that we are in a pinch right now.  What do I mean?  I mean it is hard to be either a buyer's agent or a listing agent right now.  Let me explain....

Buyer's agent:  As we all know gas is rediculous!  I joked with my mortgage team member the other day and told him I was going to have to come see him for a loan....he thougt I was talking about for a house...then I said I need to buy a tank of gas..LOL.  You really MUST pre-qualify your buyers, both in mortgage terms and level of commitment, now to make sure your dollars are being invested, notice I did not say spent, wisely.

Seller's agent:  Seller's are really having a hard time.  I suggest to other agents in my office to complete a CMA on any property they have listed on a WEEKLY basis until things turn around.  I can tell you that some of the buyers I have been having all have wanted to live in the same neighborhood for some reason.  I will be closing on #3 in that neighborhood in June and possibly working on #4 - SO I KNOW THAT NEIGHBORHOOD and what the houses are appraising at.  This has benefited my buyers twice....making offers that seem low, countering and then having the appraisal come back in the range I selected thereby resulting in the seller lowering the price.  If the listing agents are not doing CONSTANT CMA's then they are not on top of what is happening in this area and the sellers are not going to be happy.

Anyway....I am back at my FSBO efforts hard and heavy as I see new signs popping up almost daily.  So hopefully the recession, at least my personal one, will subside soon....but you can rest assured my CMA software will get a workout when it does.

Well, we are here.  Rediculous gas prices and getting worse almost daily and it seems that our government doesn't want to help us do anything about it. 

I don't know about you but the current gas prices are affecting every part of the local economy around here and even though most don't want to admit it, they are hurting.  The government is still denying that we are in a recession but the signs are everywhere.  Spending is down, prices are up and people are struggling to survive.

I am an avid Craigslist fan.  I peruse the pages of the local areas daily just to see what is out there.  An insider's tip is that if you have the means to buy something you want, now is the time to do it.  People are needing to liquidate items for the cash and the deals are there, BUT that is NOT the point of this blog.

The point is....people need help.  Sure, most people got themselvess in the situation that they are in, there is no denying that.  Years of using credit cards and living either at or beyond their means have made a recipe for disaster and that disaster is becoming a reality...QUICKLY.

But, putting that aside, we should come togther as a country and help one another instead of letting the "feast or famine" mentality take over.

Take for instance...oil prices.  Here is a chart that shows the history of the price of a barrell of oil.  Is the picture a little clearer now?  Still think we are not either in, or rapidly heading towards a recession?

That red line is an ugly thing to look at.

We as consumers are being robbed by the gas stations and oil companies. They are all laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of our pocket books. And, of course this high price will land at the grocery store, department store, etc real soon too, so it's just not filling my gas tank - it's an entire trickle down effect. Maybe it's time the oil company executives and gas station owners start fearing facing some prison time for the activities they are participating in, robbing the people of this country and our economy.

We currently are in a credit crunch with all of the foreclosures out there because of all of the creative financing that was offered to individuals. Will we have another wave of foreclosures because people cannot afford to pay their mortgage and put gas in their tanks so they can go to work, put food on the table, clothes on their backs, etc? Eventually people will need to make choices - what or WHO is going to suffer?

It's time our government do something about this. If record profits are being made, then why do I have to be so broke because of the price at the pump and it's trickle down effect. It's time to put regulations on the oil companies and gas stations.

Sometimes my mind wonders.  Sometimes my unbridled imagination goes back to a care-free childhood state and just takes off and discovers new ideas and the possiblities of each.

With today's gas prices, I am working from home more often as are some other real estate professionals in my area.  Driving into the office without a definite "something needing to be done" seems to be a waste of the precious and getting really expensive fuel.

Today is one of those days.  Weatherman is calling for rain and nothing absolutely pressing on the schedule so, I decided to work from my home. 

Having two large dogs in the house on a rainy day can become a work challenge to say the least.  Not only that the constant "give me a treat or play with me" barks can really slow work.  So after dropping my son off at Grandma's for the day I came back to the house and thought...."I can work in my travel trailer."  Only made sense...I have power, a bathroom, water, comfortable seating, a television and a radio (for background noise) and the most important thing...piece and quiet.

Got me thinking.  Has there been any mobile real estate agents?  Not the ones who work from the car, but truly a mobile office.  Self contained and able to host clients in comfort and effciently.

So off to the wonderful world of Google.  A little searching did, in fact, turn up at least one agent out in the western part of the US that is doing just this.  A completely mobile office setup.

Here is the information on her page about her "mobile office":

http://www.maryryan.com/mobile.htm

Here is a story written about her:

http://www.maryryan.com/kelly.htm

I did find this  quite interesting and do see the possibilities, but is it feasible with today's high fuel prices?

I could definetely see the possibilities and the instant accesibility benefits to the client.

Think I will go and invite her to AR!

I know this is kind of off topic when it comes to real estate, but since I am "The Real Estate Biker" I felt it was an important reminder.

Every year come winter, motorcycles slowly dissapear from the roadways of our towns and cities not to reappear until the warmth of spring arrives. 

Now that it is May, the riding season is in full swing.  Motorcycles are everywhere!  Be sure and take a moment to look and then LOOK AGAIN to make sure that the person who is riding on the motorcycle has an opportunity to go home to their loving family at the end of the day.

The video is entitled, "You didn't see me"

Please take a moment and watch and let the message settle in....after all, it could be me on that motorcycle...You didn't see.

Interested in showing my listing?  Sure!  I would love for you to show it....BUT....it can only be shown at (insert exact specific time here) and I MUST be there to open the door!  This is non-negotiable...

WHAT?  EXCUSE ME? 

That is exactly what I heard from an agent Friday morning when I was setting up some appointments to show some houses for buyers who were arriving from out of town.

Yep, I said out of town....now as anyone knows there are no "specific times" when someone is coming form out of town.

So what happened?  That listing did not get shown by me and probably won't.  Making it hard ot almost impossible to show a listing is a sure-fire way to have a hard sell.

I will show anyone's listings.  Just don't make it hard for me to do it.  Want to sell your property?  Make it work for me and my clients and there is a good chance that we will be there....

It has started.  The truckers throughout the United States are striking to protest the rising cost of fuel which is directly affecting thier income.

Starting today and lasting for three days most truck drivers will be parking thier rigs and protesting the cost of fuel. 

Hovering near $4.00 a gallon in my area and I am sure other areas of the country, truckers are having a hard time just staying in business.  A fact you might not know is that each of those shiny chrome tanks on the side of a big rig can hold 100 or more gallons of fuel and the average big rig hauling a loaded trailer averages 14 or less miles to the gallon.  With the average driver making $.21 or so per mile, it's not hard to do the math. 

I have a step-father-in-law that drives a truck for a living.  He is participating in the strike somewhere around New Jersey is where I think he is parked.  I support him in this.

If, we, as driver's of cars would have just come together and joined the truckers and not bought any fuel for three days I am sure the suppliers woul dhave felt a pinch.  Sure, it's been tried before for the car drivers to do it for a day but that won't work.  But if you combined all of the big rig drivers and the car drivers....I think that would make an impact.

Oh, you can rest assured that the truckers strike is going to make an impact.  I do hope you are ready for it, it is going to cost us money.

What is that impact?  Anything that is delivered by those truckers is going to increase in price...remember the good ole' supply and demand theory?

If stores couldn't get it for three days, they begin running out....therefore what they have is worth more if someone wants it....

I do wish the truckers much sucess with this effort as it could effect us all...

Ok...now I know this blog is going to generate a lot of interesting comments.  But hey, the world is full of controversy...so what's one more.

Despite what many people think, partially due to ignorance, a lot of bikers are good God fearing people.  Most of them would give the shirt off their backs if you needed it.  Are you aware that there are many biker ministries?

If you think about it, Jesus could have very well been a biker.  Read the following poem which is often given out at gatherings by the biker ministries.

If you are not aware, the annuals rally at Myrtle Beach is coming up in May.  I always check the local newspapers during this time to see what has been happening in the area.  I ran across this the other day....

I guess I am not the only one with the "bikers and real estate" idea.  For anyone who discounts my ideas, I ask you to look at it from another point of view...

Do you know anyone who does horse properties?  Kinda the same, right?

Anyway, here is the artice:

____________________________________________________________________________

RISMEDIA, May 21, 2007-(MCT)-You knew you could trick out your bike, but did you know you can do it to your home?

In a slow market where real estate agents are pulling out all the stops to get a house sold, one company has come up with a "Biker Beach House" aiming to cash in on that devoted bunch, who spend thousands of dollars on their rides.

These raised beach houses, which the developers plan to trademark, are decked out in black leather, tire-treaded stairs, chrome fixtures, biker bandana window curtains, a poker table, an orange front door and Harley-Davidson bedding.

The homes have metal roll-up garages on the bottom for bike storage - something most beach houses don't have.

"You can customize the house like bikers customize their bikes," said Tammy Winner, co-owner of Myrtle Beach Real Estate.

A growing number of homes on the market forced the owners of Myrtle Beach Real Estate to think way outside the box of typical real estate marketing.

"We had to do something different because the market is flooded with four-bedroom, three-bath beach houses," she said.

In October, Winner created the biker-themed idea to sell the four beach homes that are being built across the street from the Broken Spoke Saloon in Garden City Beach.

This week the real estate company is set up amid the roaring engines and slinky tops within Broken Spoke, pushing their chromed-out homes. They're coming in at 10 a.m. and leaving as late as 11 p.m. They're even joining in the fun by wearing biker T-shirts and handing out beer koozies.

Two potential buyers have picked up contracts, and bike rally visitors seem impressed with the idea.

"This is the first time I've seen anything like this," said Mike McLaughlin of Millville, N.J. "I love the bar stools."

The homes come with a swimming pool, with the option of having a bike symbol put on the bottom of the pool.
It also has extra hoses to wash motorcycles and biker artwork, said designer Denise Thompson. The entire customized home - which can be decorated for any kind of bike or biker - sells for $599,000 by Steve Fournier Custom Building.

The walls are gray with a shiny horizontal stripe, and the carpet is charcoal colored.

"You got to give them credit for creative marketing," said Tom Maeser, president of the Fortune Academy of Real Estate.

He said there could be some obstacles with such a narrowly focused product.

If a buyer plans to rent out the home, it may rent for a higher price in May, but Maeser is doubtful that it would be attractive to renters during the rest of the summer. He also wonders whether such a niche theme will affect resale value.

"It might be a neat feature during May, but after May is it going to detract from the price?" Maeser said. "Those are things from a marketing and expenditure thing you have to be concerned about. To me, that sounds like a very faddish, seasonal kind of thing."

Still, those selling real estate say bikers often make a good portion of buyers that are looking during the bike rally.
"It's a very wealthy demographic. They're retiring just like everyone else," said Tim Collins, a biker himself, and developer of Stone Gate at Prince Creek.

The creators of the Biker Beach House say they're planning to sell their first four homes this bike rally and perhaps build more in a different section of the beach. They're also willing to take the concept to other areas.

Copyright © 2007, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Anybody watch the real estate shows on televisiion?  I admit, I do. 

I really enjoy the show that features Trademark Properties of the Charleston, SC area.  I have made mention of that show to my wife on many occasions and have made the remark that if we travel to Charleston that I would like to stop in and meet Richard, the owner of Trademark Properties.

I really like his no nonsense appraoch to a business model that he created and has grown to a large scale if only locally in Charleston.  Oh....I have no doubt that he will continue to grow this business model and somehow tonight I stumbled upon something that shows he is trying.

What did I find?  I found videos on Youtube.com from people in a city very near to me that are interviewing for positions with Trademark Properties.

I guess I missed the notice that they were hiring...LOL.

Now for your viewing entertainment....the videos that I discovered.  Remember, if you put it out there for the world to see....never be offended by a response that you might get!

I wrote this post last year at this time and it stirred a lot of controversy with a few people...I even got a few emails that could have been considered hate mail....but I feel it is important and I am bringing it to the top pne more time.

If you don't agree, that is okay...

Here it is for your reading pleasure....

Remembering that Easter is not a holiday for rabbits... (edit/delete)

We have all been to the local discounter store lately.  What did you see?  What would most children tell you that the Easter holiday is about?

If you said "the Easter Bunny" you would be right 90% of the time.  Most adults would probably tell you that same answer.

During this time of celebration let's not forget what Easter is all about.

For your reading pleasure here is a little story I found covering just this topic:

                                                                   Jesus and the Easter Bunny

                                                      by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

Ask your average youngster what Easter is all about and he'll tell you about the Easter bunny, and finding Easter baskets filled with that annoying grass that seems to stick to household furnishings long after Easter is past. And those pastel foil-covered, football things that are a sorry excuse for real chocolate. And, of course, there are Easter eggs to dye and jelly beans -- you've got to have jelly beans. Black beans are best.

"And mommy, that's what Easter is."

"Oh, Jason, how cute."

How sad! Most children today don't know beans about what Easter really means.

Why don't you tell the story of Jesus to your children or grandchildren this Easter? Tell them about the man who is God's Son, who came to show people the love God has for them. Tell them how evil people murdered him by nailing him to a cross. Tell them how Jesus was buried in a rock-hewn tomb. Let them hear how the Roman soldiers were powerless the morning of that third day when the stone rolled away and Jesus walked forth alive.

Tell your children that because of Jesus, even though people may die, they will not stay dead. That they can live forever with Jesus, and even their bodies will be raised from the dead just like Jesus' body was.

Now I'm sure that Jesus loves bunnies -- he made them. And probably chocolate, too. But don't you think he gets a little impatient with parents and grandparents who exalt a rabbit over the Savior? And on his own special Day, too?

How about it? Will you tell them the real story this year? Maybe even take them to church where they'll hear the story told by experienced Sunday school teachers? Sure, buy some jelly beans and a wad of that clingy grass for their baskets. But don't suppress the real, fascinating truth of Jesus' triumph over death.

After all, those same children are trying day by day to make sense of the death and life they see around them. They have real hopes and real fears and a destiny unfolding. They deserve a real "Jesus Easter" this year.