Vroom, Vroom, Vroom.... Beep, Beep, Beep!!!!!!!!!!!!! PART ONE

WOW! Everyone is in such a hurry these days... I guess if I were speaking to a psychologist they would tell me people are overworked and stressed out etc.. blah, blah, blah.

I have tried to write this in several ways, but it seemed like I was blathering on. So below, I am going to list my pet peeves and suggestions:

•  "EXCUSE ME" has become synonymous for "GET OUT OF THE WAY". THEY DON'T MEAN THE SAME THING! When you say, "Excuse me", you have to let the other party actually move.
• Get out of the way for FIRE ENGINES AND AMBULANCES. They will hold you up about 30 seconds to 1 minute. They could be in a hurry some day for you!
• When everyone does pull over for an ambulance or fire engine, let the cars ahead of you back out in traffic.
• Be aware of your surroundings. You are not in the aisle of the store or on the sidewalk by yourself. It is probably a good safety measure as well.
• When walking your DOG on the neighbor's walk, CLEAN UP AFTER THEM. Picking up after the dog was part of the deal when you got the dog (15 seconds and a bag).
• Say PLEASE AND THANK YOU (3-4 seconds).
• BICYCLES.... STOP SIGNS AND LIGHTS APPLY. Yes, you can cheat them a bit, but I see too many of you giving drivers and pedestrians heart attacks.
• When someone puts on their blinker to change lanes, come one, let them in! Will it change your whole day if you don't?
• When someone stops in the middle of the street to jump a car or do something else, give them a few minutes. Your "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP" is only aggravating and not helpful.
• If there are parking spots available, don't stop in the middle of the street, PULL OVER!!!!!!!!
• Zig zagging through traffic is just bad form and dangerous.
• SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOTS.... If some jerk is waiting with their blinker on to pull into a spot someone is vacating, don't pull in ahead of them.
• SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOTS... they are not speedways. There is a lot going on and you cannot see it all.
• SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOTS... when someone is pulling out of their spot, let them out!
• JAY WALKING... Philly has the world champions of jay walking.  Don't cross at the red while there is a lot of traffic, don't stand in the street in a traffic lane. I grabbed one of my clients the other day by her back pack back onto the curb. The car stopped when he crossed the intersection and said, "Thank you." It must happen to that guy as much as it does to me.
• STEPPING OFF THE CURB BEHIND MY CAR AS I AM BACKING INTO THE SAME SPOT ... HELLO!!!!!!
• WALKING DOGS AND PUSHING STROLLERS...they are in front of you. Don't put them in traffic! You people scare me!
• EMPLOYEES IN STORES.... maybe you hate your job, but it is not my fault! Also, don't want to hear how you got really messed up last night, etc..
• CURSING... Yes, I know all of the words, and use them, but there are places it is not appropriate.... people censor yourselves.
• LOUD PEOPLE... You hurt my ears! Why do I have to listen to all of your crap on the bus, in a restaurant, and anywhere else in public. DON'T YOU HAVE AN INSIDE VOICE?

I know that there is more for this list and I will return to it at some point in time and is the reason for naming it PART ONE.

Shopping for Mascara is More Difficult than Finding the Perfect Pair of Pumps!

So, I stopped at CVS today to buy NEW MASCARA.  Not a thrilling chore, but one I keep forgetting to do. My tube had been getting dryer and dryer, and it was getting harder and harder to coax anymore of the goo out of the tube and onto my lashes. I walked to the cosmetic aisle, I stood before the Maybelline Mascara display, became dizzy and wanted to cry. I hate to think I am so old that I long for the OLD DAYS, but I guess, I have arrived!!!

Rounded Brush

I remember the days when your choice was Black, Black/Brown or Brown/Black, Brown, and Blue. There was also waterproof or not.  Then, I think it was Cover Girl that came out with a fancy rounded brush that was supposed to, I guess, curl your eyelashes. It looked like the one pictured to the right, but was a dark blue tube.

Now standing there today, staring at the mascaras covering the wall, only one looked vaguely familiar and that was the GREAT LASH. The packaging has changed, but I still recognize it. Yes, this is the one I should buy, but I was mesmerized and intrigued by the promises the other packages make!

OK, I start with the XXL PRO. Obviously from its name, it must be the best.; it has a couple of X's and says that it is professional. The design is attractive and modern. The eye appeal is very good. I can buy the XXL with:

• Extensions, or
• Curl, or
• Volume, or
• 24 hour Bold

XXL PRO EXTENSIONS

XXL PRO CURL

XXL PRO VOLUME

XXL PRO 24 HOUR BOLD 

 

Okay, so I stand there like and idiot and think, "Well, I want my mascara to lengthen, thicken and curl my lashes. I don't think I need 24 hour mascara although 16 hour mascara would be nice." So, choosing between these mascara, I pick the one giving me volume. I can curl them with the old fashioned eyelash curler, but if I buy the curling mascara, I have no other tricks to add volume. So, yes, I will buy the volume mascara.  The problem with these mascaras, however, is the price. I have a hard time paying the premium and there are sooooooo many more choices at which to look.

So, I move on to Volum' Express 3X. Is 3X better than XXL PRO? There is an extra "X. It must be better. So, I will cross the XXL PRO off of my list.

Volum' Express 3X

Next, there is Classic Volum' Express. Well, I don't want this one, because Classic must not be as good as 3X. 3X must be a NEW and IMPROVED of the CLASSIC. And what has happened to the "E" at the end of volume? What kind of marketing ploy is this one?

Volum' Express CLASSIC

Next, I move on to Volum' Express 7X. Well, this is great. It must mean I can put on half to achieve the same volume as 3X and who knows how much more than Classic.  I want this one!

Volum' Express 7X

Now, as I writing the above, I had missed my photo of..... hold on now...  Colossal Volum' Express 9X.... I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT!

Volum' Express  COLOSSAL 9X

Now, I wish it were this easy, because there are still more pretty packages with intriguing options.  Still hanging on the wall are the following choices:

• Full N Soft:  Full and Healthy. I want healthy!
• Lash Discovery:  Lengthen and Defines. Okay, this one does not sound so interesting.
• Define A Lash: Lengthening or Volume with Zero Clumps. This one makes you make a choice. There are too many choices and the choices are stressing me out.
• Pulse Perfection:  7 MUST HAVES of Lash Perfection. PERFECTION! I want perfection. I must pay up for perfection!
• Great Lash:  Thickens as it conditions; no clumps;  no globs. Sounds simple, but good. This one sounds friendly. It is also close to the old packaging and seems like an old friend and comfortable.
• Great Lash BIG:  Bigger Brush; Bigger Lashes; Buildable Volume. This is the New and Improved old friend. I can work with this one too.

FULL N SOFT

LASH DISCOVERY

DEFINE-A-LASH -VOLUME

DEFINE-A-LASH -LENGTHENING

PULSE PERFECTION

GREAT LASH

GREAT LASH BIG

When I got home, I wanted to make sure that CVS gave me all of my options so I Googled Maybelline.  And as I expected, yes, there are more options... stilettos, more X's, falsies, turbos, etc..  How does one decide?

I think at the drug store, I usually buy the Cover Girl Mascara, but I came upon this wall first, and was so overwhelmed that I could not go to yet another display. So, I dug in to make the purchase. I went for the old friend GREAT LASH in the two pack for $7.99.

So, from now on, I will stick to the Great Lash and avert my eyes from the other choices when I go to purchase mascara as long as I am happy with the purchase I made today. And I will continue to buy this until they discontinue it and they will, because they always discontinue what I like!

Pups on East Passyunk

I am a Handicapped Speller - Thank Goodness There is a Thing Called Spell Check

In my school, there were the 3 classes of each grade. So, like many other parents, my parents requested that I be put into Mrs. Dunwoody's class. She was a great teacher in many, many memorable ways. However, being in her class meant that I would be in a two year program for the first and second grade. In first grade, I had ITA.

Now, until I just Google it, I did not know that it stood for The Initial Teaching Alphabet. We had an alphabet with 44 letters and special books.

THE ALPHABET

We learned how to read and write very quickly; everything was phonetic. In second grade, we were switched over to regular English and 26 letters. I have been a terrible speller since the 2nd grade.

My re-interest in this subject came from a REALTOR® friend on FB, who made comments today about listings. The discussion came from another agent using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in a listing, but the discussion grew into spelling errors. I think I have another BLOG in me to discuss grammar and spelling, but it made me think back on my own failing in this same realm. I am definitely a poor speller.


So, I went home and Googled this program I was in when I was 6 years old. I knew that it was a program that came from the UK. It, apparently, made it to the USA and Australia as well. The billboards on the web were all the same. It seems we all have become poor, life long spellers.  We all learned to read and write quickly with 44 letters, but all seemed to have struggled beyond that. It seems the program was more widely used in The UK as most of the comments came from there.


To give you an idea of what we wrote and read, here are two examples:

Initial Teaching Alphabet

The ice angel gave the owl a ring.

WIKIPEDIA ON THE INITIAL TEACHING ALPHABET

SCRAPPLE!!!!! YUM!!!!!!

I have often been asked about SCRAPPLE  by out of towners, who are more interested in having a Cheesesteak than some scrapple, but they have heard about it, and think that perhaps they should try it.

I find people here are pretty split on it: they like it, don't like it or would never try it. Of course there are always the fear mongers out there that tell everyone else that it is made from pigs lips and tails. Of course, it is made from "spare" parts, but more than lip and tails plus corn meal, flour and seasoning.

The package at the super market

It has a texture like a country pate with a light pork flavor; I prefer the ones that have less black pepper. Habbersett is definitely my favorite supermarket brand. I like the overall texture and seasoning best. Then, there is the issue of cooking. I prefer for it to be pan fried. Many diners, however, deep fry it. It is okay deep fried as long as they do not overdue it.

There are many ways to eat it. Many people like it with ketchup, some with syrup and I like it with poached eggs on top.

scrapple with poached eggs on my plate at my diner

Don't let the naysayers frighten you! When in Philadelphia, give it a try!

WIKIPEDIA ON SCRAPPLE

I Got My IMAC Back! Arrivederci PC!

I have been away from my Blog for sometime.... my IMac died.  Well, RIP no more!

I love my IMac!

I love Apple Computers. Unless, you are really, really, really techie, it is the way to go and well worth the money.  I am not horrible with computers, but this latest version of Windows just did me in. My MLS required, until recently, the use of Explorer. Thus, I was forced to keep a windows computer to do my real estate work.

The last one I purchased has Windows 7..... Ugh... what an awful experience! I was freezing and rebooting more than getting anything done. And although almost everything I was doing on the web, I was constantly taxing the CPU.  Productivity became very difficult. Even opening and email was time consuming.

My Cat, Birdie AKA Albert P Birdman

So, I decided to face the music and spend some money. So, I took my IMac to the Apple store. I had assumed, and was correct, that it was the hard drive. I cannot really blame Apple for this failure. I believe the failure was due to my cat leaping from a shelf and knocking the IMac and himself to the floor. I believe that was when the computer failed.

It is an entirely different conversation, but the way the Apple store treated me was incredible. What an awesome company! If anyone has any doubts about spending the extra money, don't! It is worth it!

So, now that I can be productive again and easily, I can blog more often. I may be out of strict real estate topics, but will try to keep writing.

Newsletter February 14, 2010 (Link)

Happy President's Day!

Presidents' Day

"Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is also commonly known as Presidents Day(sometimes spelled as Presidents' Day or President's Day). As Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day, it is also the official name of a concurrent state holiday celebrated on the same day in a number of states." Wikipedia (more)


If you are off on Monday,
Things to do!!

George Washington Carver

Academy of Natural Sciences

November 14, 2009-February 28, 2010

Body Worlds 2 & The Brain
The Franklin Institute

October 17, 2009-April 18, 2010

Coming Up!!

Philadelphia International Flower Show

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

February 28-March 7, 2010

Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris
Philadelphia Museum of Art

February 24-April 25, 2010

Ancient Rome & America
National Constitution Center

February 19-August 1, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

"Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished." Wikipedia (More)

5 QUICK & EASY VALENTINE'S DAY DESSERTS
TOP TEN LAST MINUTE VALENTINE'S GIFT IDEAS

Are Properties in Your Market Getting Multiple Offers and Snatched Up?

I watch the news like everyone else... and hear what they are saying about the housing market... but......... over and over again, good houses are getting snatched up in my market quickly. Yes, they are either decent properties with the right price, or ones that are just priced correctly. Either way, I am finding them to be competitive. It is good news for sellers here.

I don't mind showing a prospective buyer without a pre-approval properties at least once, but I am very hesitant to do it now, because if they really like the property, and their paper work is not lined up, and the property goes under contract then every other property thereafter will be a disappointment or a compromise. Thus, I am really encouraging people to get their finances straight, before they go out and look, so that when they see "the property", they can jump on it! It seems, there is no time to waste. And with the tax credit out there for a first time home buyers, it is a really good time to take the leap and buy.

To the other Realtors® out there, I am asking the questions and taking a poll.... Are properties in your market getting multiple offers and snatched up? The poll appears on the right side on the home page of the blog. The poll will be up for two days. Thanks!

Field of Dreams

Of course, the passage I am going to quote has nothing to do with my blog! Something I was reading tonight brought this passage to mind. I have always loved the movie, Field of Dreams, and loved this part....

"Ray, people will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. "Of course, we won't mind if you have a look around," you'll say. "It's only twenty dollars per person." They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it; for it is money they have and peace they lack.

And they'll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game, and it'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come, Ray."

PRICING for SELLERS

It was not my intent, but most of my articles have been geared to buyers or investors. This post, however, I specifically wanted to gear towards sellers. It is a sensitive subject, but pricing a property, which I am listing, is more important than any marketing I can do, or any service I can provide as a Realtor®/Listing Agent.

Yes, I can do outrageous marketing, but if the property isn't priced correctly, it won't show much, and it won't sell. The bells, whistles, photos, web marketing, print marketing, and videos won't really help anything. It is a difficult sometimes to explain this fact. I can present every comparable property, and still not penetrate what someone's idea of the price of their property should be.

I am talking on this subject with a broad brush, because there are those sellers, who are exceptions to this idea, and who are very realistic. Sometimes, there are those who need an upward adjustment, because they have not been paying attention to where housing prices have gone. However, the difficulty, is not with these properties and sellers, but with the over priced listings/properties and sellers.

So, looking for advice from other Realtors®, I put the word out on FACEBOOK and asked what they say to sellers, when the sellers are unrealistic about pricing their properties. I thought it might be helpful to hear opinions and statements from other Realtors®, in different places in the country, both for myself and for people either selling their property or thinking about selling their property. I received various responses, but they all shared a similar idea, expressed in different ways, and perhaps, hitting different points, as follows:

• Terri Gilgour of Keller Williams Realty, Blue Springs, MO said, "We put the ball in their court and make them figure out how important it is to actually sell it."
• Marcile Warren Sims of Oracle Real Estate LLC, Mobile, AL said, "Let them know that they have to get an appraisal once the offer comes in and it may not appraise and then there will be problems. If they still insist, ask them to have an appraisal done before listing it and that may answer their questions."
• Al Perry of Century 21 Advantage Gold, Philadelphia, PA said, "Given the other options on the market, would you buy your house at this price if you were a buyer?"
• Jude Birch of RE/MAX International, Louisville, KY said, "...RE/MAX Regional Awards this week with David Knox on pricing - he was his usual upbeat self but attacked the changing dreadful market both of us face. He took us through the SELL or STAY thinking he uses all the time...."
• Brian Bundesen, Ann Arbor, Michigan said, "Obviously, you have to be armed with the comparables. You need to be clear as to how an Appraiser will look at the property. Explain that even if you find a buyer willing to pay the sellers price, the house is unlikely to appraise at that price, and the buyer will be unable to secure financing. Then ask the seller what they would do if they were the lender faced with those facts."
• Eric Bouler, New Orleans, LA said, "You are basically unrealistic in your price. It's like selling a 50 cent coke on a cold day for a buck. You will get few buyers. You are hiring me to be an honest broker for you."
• Todd Holloway, Michigan City, IN said, "The question is do they want to sell now? Or are they waiting to realize a preconceive number? If that is the case can you afford to hold on?"

Thus, if there is someone, out there, reading this post, who is thinking about selling their property, what am I and these other Realtors® saying to you? To start, Al Perry is asking if you would pay "your price" for "your property". I think that that is a great questions. Would you? What is your answer? What would you pay for your property?

The other questions and statements are just as relevant. They hit a pretty simple theme:

• How are the comparable properties priced? And what is their condition compared to your property's condition?
  
• Do you want to sell or stay?
• Can you afford not to sell?
• Are you willing to take the risk, if you are lucky enough to get your property under contract, that the property will not appraise?

All of us, Realtors®, want to sell property; that is what we do for a living. If it does not sell, we don't make a living. However, we want to sell it for the best price. It is in our self interest to get the best price as well as your best interest. Therefore, if you are thinking of selling, and seem to disagree with your Realtor®, call another Realtor®, and have them do a CMA (comparable market analysis) for you. If the second or third Realtor®, tells you the same thing, then chances are the price in your head is in excess of where the property should sell. If you still doubt what you are being told, then do what Marcile Warren Sims above suggested, and get an appraisal.

First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Here is what you need to know:

1. Who is eligible? First time home buyers with modified adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less to qualify for the full credit and $150,000 for married couples, who along with their spouse have not owned a principal residence in the past three years.
   
2. When does the purchase need to be made? The home must be purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
   
3. What is the definition of a "First Time Home Buyer"? Someone who hasn't owned a principal residence for three years before buying a house. Owning a vacation home would not count against you. However, if your spouse owned a principal residence in the past three years, you would not qualify.
   
4. What type of purchase is the tax credit good for? A Principal Residence.
   
5. How much is the tax credit? It is 10% of the purchase price, which is capped at $8,000.
   
6. Does it have to be repaid? This Tax credit does not have to be repaid unless you sell your house in the first three years.

If you can qualify based on the above answers, it is a terrific time to buy. If there is any question in your mind about your qualification, call your tax professional for advice.

GOING GREEN

"Green" and "Organic" are words, which you hear quite often these days. I have been wanting to research and write something on the topic of a "GREEN" house or home, but have not had the time to do the research I felt necessary to get to the place I needed to be to write such a post.

A lot of what I have come across is someone trying to sell me something and not just good advice.
Today, however, I was given a gift, and was sent such an article, which I am going to link you to. It is entitled GOING GREEN WITHOUT GOING BROKE! from Safe and Sound Home Inspections. I hope there is a helpful hint here that makes a difference in your pocketbook.