Real Estate

I received this workshop notice from my Alumni program, should be an interesting workshop!

Discover Cal’s Spring 2008 Lecture Series

Discover Cal is a lecture series that brings the extraordinary experience of a UC Berkeley education to the extended Cal family. Lectures offer insights into new research and scholarship from Berkeley’s renowned faculty.

“How did the subprime problem become everyone’s problem?”

Join Professor John Quigley and Dr. Cynthia Kroll as they discuss the macro and area specific subprime issues affecting the mortgage industry and consumers alike.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa
Lafayette, CA

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Spinnaker
Sausalito, CA

Program for all events:
6 – 7 p.m. Reception with light fare and no-host bar
7 – 8:30 p.m. Lecture and Q & A
REGISTER NOW and learn more at http://discovercal.berkeley.edu

This year marks the 40-year-anniversary of Fair Housing Month. On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act to secure the rights of individuals as part of a series of civil rights laws. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. It’s a very important mark in U.S. history and furthers the civil movements to ensure everyone’s rights are equal and protected. No one shall feel discriminated or mistreated for the colors of their skins.

According to NAR:

The home seller, the home seeker, and the real estate professional all have rights and responsibilities under the law.

For the Home Seller
As a home seller or landlord you have a responsibility and a requirement under the law not to discriminate in the sale, rental and financing of property on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. You cannot instruct the licensed broker or salesperson acting as your agent to convey for you any limitations in the sale or rental because the real estate professional is also bound by law not to discriminate. Under the law, a home seller or landlord cannot establish discriminatory terms or conditions in the purchase or rental; deny that housing is available, or advertise that the property is available only to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

(This is a guest blog post on 3 Ocean)

I have to honest. I have been reading Kevin’s posts on social media and blogging, I am itching to write one on the topic myself since internet & blogging has done tremendous for my business. So here it is! (We will continue the regular programming on staging for next post I promise.)

I have been toying with Facebook a lot lately because I am intrigued of how this thing can work for my business (since I am spending a ridiculous amount of time on it) and how fun it actually can be even for work. Facebook has exploded on the business sphere lately largely because of its user-friendliness, much more professional look than myspace, and easy to network quickly with a string of people in a more relaxed atmosphere (they now even added a People You May Know section, which is frankly scary how they know I know these people).

At first I only used Facebook for contacting old college classmates & long lost friends, secretly comparing looking where they are working now how much weight they had gained, but lately I am finding a lot more business applications being developed and used, as well as an increased number of contacts in both staging and realtor fields. (Finally, no more of those invites of “Are You a Vampire?” but “Have my online business card.”)

I also read Guy Kawasaki’s 10 Things You Don’t Know About Facebook: “the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is those ages (READ MORE AT 3OCEAN)

(photo: sumit270)

I encounter many realtors and stagers who still don’t believe in internet marketing, let along investing in a decent website.
Huh. Really? In an age where Britannica is *almost* replaced by Wikipedia, Craig’s List almost replace the classifieds, and National Association of Realtors have published the following statistics in 2006, a merely 2 years ago:

Actions taken as result of using Internet site:

Drove by/viewed a home - 74%
Walked through a home viewed online- 61%
Found agent used to search/buy home - 23%

I think all of us can use some more business, or making our products look like a million bucks on the internet to promote foot traffic at open houses.

Still don’t believe in internet marketing? Really? Really!

(this is a guest post for 3 Ocean Real Estate Blog)

Unlike Hollywood, sex scandal is not a career launcher for politicians like Eliot Spitzer, now former New York Governor and someone who had single-handedly tanked his own career.

First of all, he is no Paris Hilton. People don’t want to link him with a sex scandal. Second of all, there is a drastic difference between his political image & persona comparing to his exposed image, unlike Paris Hilton who has at least been very consistent in her image as a party girl. So it was not a huge shock that Paris made a sex tape somewhere.

Eliot Spitzer, right, apologised to his family for “private failings” [AFP]

What does that have to do with Real Estate & Listing Photos?

Like someone in the limelight, your listing needs to present a consistent image front and back, inside and out. In a competitive market, your buyers are critical and they will be picking your listing apart. Also with the ease of internet shopping, it is very easy to overlook your listing while someone else’s looks much nicer and easier on the eye.

I see many MLS photos that present an inconsistent story that does not tell the story of the house.

Let’s look at some real MLS photos I recently pulled off the web: (Read the rest of the post over at 3 Ocean)

With market conditions being what they are and houses sitting on the market longer, many people are turning to the Ancient art of Feng Shui to sell a home. Both Realtors and Homeowners alike are trying this and some are seeing astounding results.

For many years people have believed in the Power of St. Joseph Statues, buried in the backyard (upside-down) to make their homes sell and many still use this method as well. But with the new consciousness of Energy, more and more people are turning to Feng Shui Methods to help sell a home.

Everything around us is Energy. We are surrounded by it every single day by every single place that we occupy. Have you noticed that some homes just “FEEL” better then others? Although they may be similar in both location, price and amenities, one may just have a different feeling to it that draws us in.

Feng Shui is literally translated to mean “Wind/Water” and its methods seek to change the energy flow in a space to a positive one; to make a home feel warm and inviting and give it a sense of peace and harmony. Often times Realtors will work with Feng Shui Consultants to get that home off the market and get those moving trucks moving.

Feng Shui adjustments do not need to be expensive. We believe in the thought process as well so present owners need to Intentionally “let go” of their home before it can sell. What might be some of the adjustments a Feng Shui Consultant might use to achieve the goal of selling a home? We first look at the outside “forces” : Street energy, T Junctions and Cul de Sacs can be addressed easily and inexpensively with mirrors. The Front door, also know as “The Mouth of Chi” is also very important, it is considered to be the place where all good energy enters. A good pathway to the front door, a fresh coat of paint, a welcome sign are all wonderful additions.

Inside we seek to instill a good flow of Energy in the home. Using the furniture that is presently there, we may often rearrange it to allow the energy to flow smoothly through the space. Changing the energy flow has a deep and profound impact on people as it’s what helps instill positive feelings that we can create in a home. We also look at the Five Elements. Color selections and lighting to achieve a feeling of harmony and balance that draws new occupants IN and makes them want to stay there.

One thing that is often not discussed quite often in Feng Shui that absolutely helps clear a home of the old and stuck energy and infuses it with new energy are blessings. They are non-denominational and rid the home and the grounds of any negative energy from former occupants or anything that occurs on the land.

Remember, there’s a reason why some homes seem to reach out to you and you just “have to have it” because you’ve fallen in love; and that reason may very well be Feng Shui!

By: Carole Provenzale
Certified Feng Shui Consultant
http://www.FengShuiLI.com

This is a continuation of the Wednesday Series: Can [this] sell houses? Read the previous 2 posts here:

• Buy This Home and Get a New TV + Free Trip to Hawaii
• Can Brad Pitt Sell Houses?

I recently spent 2 weeks at home in Taiwan for Taiwanese New Year (Gong Si Fa Tsai to everyone!) and it’s always interesting to go back because the values of both California and Taiwan differ a lot.

There is no staging in Taiwan except for model homes. Agents show homes vacant or cluttered and people are used to it (The houses are tiny there, we all live very cluttered lives). Homes are a lot smaller and storage is always a hot topic in Asian homes. Feng Shui is also big, not only for people who are alive and also with people who are dead. People often jokes that it’s more expensive to live in Taiwan as a dead person than a live one since feng shui is a key ingredient in selecting an appropriate plot for every individual.

Feng Shui, fad or true?

(photo by Room With A View)
Feng Shui has always been sort of trendy. Feng Shui has become a trendy thing to hear about in the staging field. As I progress in the industry, I often encounter people who are on both sides. There are even publications on feng shui for cats, it’s really difficult to take something like so seriously. Some believe in staging with feng shui, some think it’s a sign of desperation.

But does feng shui really sell houses?

Luopan compass used in feng shui
(photo by musicvisionary2000)

Feng Shui expert Carole Provenzale told me that “Feng Shui is literally translated to mean continue