Housing Market Heating Up

Housing Market is Heating Up, there are a lot of factors at play!

The days of "reach out and touch someone" are gone...or are they?

OK, so I have been called "bubbly", "warm and fuzzy", you know, basically I am a modern "Gidget". Yes, I am dating myself there, if you don't know who Gidget is...google it!

Today in business and even in my personal relationships, my fellow generation xers, have disconnected a bit and favor to communicate via text vs phone. Now, like everyone else, I like my autonomy, don't like to be on the spot to express myself and of course am very busy. So text now makes communication both convenient and safe, what a concept.

When it comes to assisting buyers and sellers, texting has become the preferred method of contact for most of my clients. The one cautionary note I have in my head is that there are nuances to communication and there is no way to translate the subtleties via text. It is quick and dirty (don't mean to offend anyone here) but I think a lot can be missed in between the words. If I have a gut feeling about a particular aspect of a transaction, that is not going to come across in a text, comfy or not, I do pick up the phone. The people we are in business with and the people we care about deserve the benefit of our intuition not just information. Intuition comes from experience and unless I am mistaken, experience is a good thing! One thing I have found that is helpful, is to put as much information out there as possible for generation xers and yers to partake of and use for their benefit. I too find technology addictive and helpful and if I wasn't using it I would be out of business. Though I do not consider myself an old dog, I do think it possible to learn some new tricks and stay current. So I will text, surf, tweet, facebook, google and OMG talk as needed.

The most important part in business and life (really don't want to sound philosophical here but whatever) is the connection and even when it is electronic, it counts! Sometimes though, I really love to hear the voice on the other end of the line, you can actually hear a smile, not the same as :) on text. TTFN!

A day in the life...

OK, since it will be years before we see another housing market like this, I thought I would share some of my experiences, challenges, opportunities for growth (yes, we are growing...sometimes painfully) and fall on the floor funny tales from the trenches .


Here's a tip for short sale sellers. First of all sometimes agents are able to offer credits for closing costs to buyers or perhaps assist with repair costs incurred by sellers in a conventional sale. In a short sale however, agents can offer no monies of any kind to sellers. When the bank approves a short sale, they include paperwork that clearly states that the seller will close the sale with no financial gain of any kind. So, sellers, don't be offended when your diligent agent says no, they cannot credit you or further discount their commission. The bank pays all of the closing costs including commissions so you will also not be out of pocket. Don't call your agent a "bloodsucker", you have not hired a vampire to sell your home, just a professional agent. The agent is negotiating with your lender to get the debt forgiven and typically they reduce their commission anyway. If the agent did offer you $$ from the commission, both the agent and you as the short sale seller could get in a lot of trouble, the kind that involves orange jump suits and bars and fines...not pretty.

That's today's tip, as everyday is eventful in my world right now, surf tomorrow for another tale from the trenches.