Myrtle Beach Real Estate by Mirela

Reason #1: Grandparents sometimes start celebrating Halloween early.

Reason #2: Grandparents and grandchildren have more fun than the parents!

Hope you have as much fun on Halloween as Emma-Leigh (8 months).

 

I recently stumbled across a great personality test from the company, Neenah Paper. This isn't your typical personality test. In fact, there are no multiple choice questions involved. This test helps you gauge your personality through the use of colors. Try it for yourself and post which color corresponds with your personality!

Which of these three colors do you prefer? Yellow, Blue or Red?

 

If you prefer yellow, this is a more accurate description of your personality:

"Finding common ground is the game you play best. You calm troubled situations and bridge differences. Your awareness of others' perspectives and points of view is a very powerful tool. It enables you to express contrary, unpopular feelings without offending anyone. People feel they know where they stand with you, and are willing to let you help them. And consequently, you are happy when you're able to give of yourself. By keeping people listening, you establish a forum for solutions and possibilities to unfold.

If you prefer blue, this is a more accurate description of your personality:

"You are a dreamer and a visionary-wistful, imaginative and eccentric. You're preoccupied with the future. Your dreams give you the mental discipline to concentrate and stay on track. You need to justify your life by having a positive influence on the world, even on those you don't know. Your ability to prioritize helps you to be proactive. Blues can fix things before they are broken! Thinking about the future energizes you-putting forth your ideas and reshaping the world are keys to your happiness."

If you prefer the color red, this is a more accurate description of your personality:

"You know exactly what you want. Money, power and status give you a sense of security, but ultimately you see them as a means of expression. This is your primary goal. You're not one to hoard your wealth. On the contrary, you would give up almost anything for those you're concerned about. You are ambitious, driven, confident and outgoing. You don't want to remake the world in your image, you just want to be in charge of fixing things. Conversely, you have little tolerance for inefficiencies. Your practical approach allows you to evaluate things and the people around you-helping others to recognize the reality of a situation."

This is just the beginning of the test. Once you pick a primary color, you choose secondary colors to complement it, then even more colors to help hone in on your true personality. It's a fairly extensive test with surprisingly accurate results. If you have the chance, try it for yourself. The more you understand yourself, the better you'll understand how you communicate with others. In real estate, it's imperative to know how you communicate, so you can better meet the needs of the consumer, develop your personal brand and determine your competitive advantage!

I found some very interesting web analytics data, something I never saw before: One of our web properties - WhatOneMillionBuys.com , a niche, luxury blog for the curious - had a jump in search engine referral traffic recently. Surprisingly enough, the referral search engine is not the regular Google Search (or Yahoo/Microsoft etc.), but the Google Image Search engine. Never before did I see such a high percentage of traffic coming from an Image Search engine compared to traffic from other referral sources.

Visit WhatOneMillionBuys.com  to see the content. 

What's different between people using image search engines vs. regular search engines?

The intent: Image search engine users seek visual clues and visual answers to their questions as opposed to regular search engine users who are looking for mostly textual answers. This fact implies that image search works better for some sort of content, as users on these engines are usually more random browsers, and their intent is to find something interesting, rather than exact answers to their question. Interesting, colorful images which jump-out in the result list are more likely to be clicked on.

The behavior: In sync with the intent described above, image search engine users are more likely to view additional SERPs (search engine result pages) and browser to secondary result lists until they receive the visual impulse they are looking for. Many click-thrus to our site comes from SERPs way deep into the result list.

The Clicky widget below shows the latest search engine referral traffic's distribution

Below are a few common-sense techniques to maximize the organic image search traffic to your blogs and website:

1. Take and use good quality, colorful, interesting images
2. Upload images with meaningful filenames. Add keywords to the filenames and separate words with dash or underscore
3. The post title, content and image filename should have some strong semantic relationship
   
4. Add alt and title HTML tags
   

If you have a web site or blog, which has a surprisingly good quantity of image search engine referral traffic, share it with us. We may be able to find some common characteristics among these sites and blogs.

 

Also: If you have a property in the $9.5K-$1.1M range, post it through RealBird for free and we will feature it on WhatOneMillionBuys.com as well.

If you liked this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

-- Zoltan
RealBird.com

For free, high-impact, online listing marketing, visit RealBird.com

This week's Economic calendar.

The markets are dysfunctional; they are totally unhinged and Economic fundamentals no longer apply.  So trying to predict what is going to happen next  is impossible, even for the seasoned analyst to figure out what the market will do from one day to the next!  This week's calendar is loaded up with quite a bit of information for the markets to digest:

• Monday 10/27:  September New home Sales, expected down 2.1%. It wasn't expected to move the market, it did not
• Tuesday 10/28: Day one of the Fed FOMC meeting
• Tuesday 10/28: October Consumer Confidence, Expected to be +52 Vs 59.8 last month. Consumer confidence is expected to be low, so we won't be likely to see any reaction to this news
• Wednesday 10/29: Durable Goods orders, expected -1.1%. This report will clarify the extent of the slow down, the weaker the number the slower things are... and the weaker the number the more likely we will see rates creep lower
• Wednesday 10/28 2pm: FOMC meeting ends, market expects a 50bp cut. The market seems to have priced in a 75% chance of a FED cut.  With a 50bp move we will not see any reaction in the markets, but if we see a 75bp move (which some predict) we will probably see a happy market with lower rates. BUT, if the FED stands still the market will show its disappointment with a sell off and higher rates.
• Thursday 10/30: GDP expected -0.5%.  If the slowdown in the 3^rd quarter is worse than the estimate, Stocks will sell off, and have an opposite effect than what we would normally expect: a simultaneous sell off in the Credit Markets with expectations of deteriorating employment and weakness in Mortgages... making it difficult for mortgage rates to drop further from current levels
• Thursday: Initial jobless claims for previous week, expected down 3,000. A modest decline will not be a recipe for a market mover.
• Thursday: 3^rd quarter employment cost index. Expected +0.7%. The forecast number is considered modest and not likely to be an inflation threat, so not a market mover.
• Friday 10/31. HAPPY Halloween! And September Personal income, spending , PCE. Expected +0.1%, -0.3% and +0.1%. This report  is expected to reflect a strong drop in Consumer Spending and weak income and consumption expenditure. In normal times these numbers would cause a rally and lower rates, but it is hard to say what will happen today.

The Biggie of the week is not on the calendar. Fed Chairman Bernake is making a presentation at a symposium on the Mortgage Meltdown, The Economy, and Public Policy. It is his opportunity to calm the nerves of the credit markets and help return some liquidity to the markets in the form of more confident investors buying fixed income securities like Mortgage Backed securities.

Well, That's my 2 cents worth for this week! Rates have climbed a bit from the beginning of last week, but the economic data suggests that we should actually see lower rates. As I started off this note, the markets are not acting in a predictable fashion. So Play it safe this week!

Robert Rauf

Real Estate Mortgage Network

                                   CHECK OUT THESE WONDERFUL PICTURES!!!

After sending out all of the statistics on Sea Garden townhomes, I realized I must provide you with the most important information. Starting with some shots of this wonderful community and the surrounding town , which is the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach!!

        VIEWS OF THE BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED COURTYARDS

        HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE BACK PATIOS, YOU CAN KEEP YOUR GOLF CART THERE TOO!! OH YEAH, DID I  MENTION EVERYBODY RIDES THERE GOLF CARTS AROUND, TO THE BEACH, MAIN STREET TO THE FESTIVALS,  TO MCLEAN PARK 2 BLOCKS AWAY!! IT'S A HOOT!!  CHECK OUT THIS GOLF CART, TOO COOL!!!

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SHOT OF THE SUNRISE AT THE BEACH, ONLY 4 BLOCKS AWAY!!

             STAYED TUNED FOR MORE!!!!

 

 Darlene Olivo ABR-Buyers' Choice Realty-North Myrtle Beach

Don't list those short sales unless you know what you are doing! STOP! Do not pass Go until you know!

We listed a home while we were helping homeowners with their foreclosure options at the HOPE Taskforce Workshop this past Saturday.

This single mom who had been divorced since they had purchase their home can no longer pay her mortgage payments.

She had her home listed with an agent and this is what the agent told her:

• Countrywide turned down your short sale because you do not qualify.

• Countrywide turned down a $115,000 offer on your house.

• You need to give me your 401K and IRA account statements.

• You can not longer do a short sale because Countrywide was just bought by Bank Of America and so they are not going to do any more short sales!

SO the agent cancels the listing and leaves this lady hanging out to dry.

This was totally irresponsible and NOT true. The truth is: 

• Countrywide turned down her short sale because of missing documents that the homeowner did not know were missing and the agent did not collect.

• Countrywide did not accept the $115k offer because the last sold in that neighborhood was over 250K! DUGH!

• Countrywide does not require IRA statements and IRA's in Florida can not be forced to be cashed out to pay deficiencies.

• Countrywide is still doing short sales, we close them each month and they are still answering the phone as Countrywide. Bank of America also does short sales.
  

This agent did NOT do the following:

• She never told the homeowner what she was listing the house for.

• Never gave the lady a copy of her listing agreement.

• Never took any photos nor asked the homeowner for any photos for mls.

• Communicate with Countrywide other than sending in an incomplete package.

• Did not keep in touch with Countrywide and follow up.

• Did not do a CMA on the property.

• Put the wrong number of bedrooms in the mls and left all the other fields blank.

SO why did this agent even take this listing in the first place? What for? I don't get it!

If your home is in foreclosure or you can no longer make your mortgage payments choosing the right agent is not only more important than ever, it is crucial to the outcome of your short sale.

Please ask questions and find out if the agent you are choosing knows how to do short sales!

**********************************************************************************

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

Call us today at 561.753.0135 or Toll Free 800.444.3316. Contact us by email if you prefer by clicking on email me on the right side of this page under our profile.

To view all the Wellington Florida Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and St Lucie Country; we will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Wellington Home or Land ; call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 561-753-0135 to find out more about Palm Beach County Short Sales and Port St Lucie Short Sales.

Copyright © 2008 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.* Don't List Short Sales- If You Don't Know How To Do A Short Sale! *

 

1987: The market dropped from 1st quarter Dow Jones Industrial high of 2722 to 1739 in the fourth quarter with a one day event that dropped the market 22.4%.  The market lost over 1/3rd of it's value in just a few months.

Today we are all very concerned about the events that are occurring as we stare at these daily stock market adjustments. We just need to keep perspective - it wasn't the end of the world in 1987 and isn't today.

First, despite the enormity and significance of these events, the market will find it's bottom and the buyers will be coming back in.

Second, this winter will be hard on the markets for a variety of reasons that are natural beyond the financial services industry impact on the global economy. We are headed into winter. Energy prices will rise simply due to heating oil consumption. Retail sales will be low in the 4th quarter and will result in worse earnings for the large retailers. Many, or most, major companies will have worse 4th quarters and worse year end earnings due to losses this year. We should just be prepared for this.

Third, if you compare to 1987, the market today, even if at 8,000 when it bottoms just to pick a low number, would still be 400% more valuable than at that time. Markets come back from corrections. Anyone who stayed in during that huge correction would be 400% better off today.

Fourth, Housing values are really staying very stable this year versus other investments. Many of the publicly acclaimed weaker markets in our footprint are actually seeing significant sales increases over 2007. Add to this the fact that a significant part of federal policy to improve the economy is focused on housing and financial institutions that support housing, combined with the fact that pent up demand is at a near peak, and I still believe there we should all be feeling better about our industry forcast versus most others. Put another way, we corrected first then other industries followed. In that context, it is not a surprise that housing ususally leads the nation out of recession.

Look at Warren Buffett. He is generally known to be one of the most brilliant investors in the world. Google him today and see how many companies he is buying right now. Warren is a buyer in this market. He sees the bottom.

I know we are looking for the magic answer, but the reality is that we sit in the best seat in this economy and home buyers will be the first to reap the rewards. Real Estate right now is the safest investment "bet" there is and financing is readily available. I still remain bullish on 2009, and it's our focus and optimism together that will help us all team up to focus on these wins ahead.

Just one view.

We have always told friends, family & clients that painting is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to improve the appearance of a home.  After years of renovating our own homes, you would think we would stop being amazed by the transformations.  But this is just too good ... we have to share.

We bought a place at Lake Merwin Campers Hideaway in May 2006.  We were told that it sat for 8-10 years with little or no maintenance.  If there had ever been stain on the deck or siding, it had long since broken down.  The wood deck has gray and had cracks from years of being exposed to the elements.  Unsure whether we wanted to paint or stain, we talked with our friends at Home Depot, Jantzen Beach.  They recommended a relatively new products called Behr Premium Solid Color Wood Stain.

Though a little more expensive than regular paints and stains, Behr Premium Solid Color Wood Stain has a lot of features that make it well worth the extra cost.  The stain is self priming, offers UV protection against fading, is mildew resistant and is a urethane-fortified 100% acrylic formula that resists scuffing, and cleans up with water.  We love that it hid the imperfections, while still allowing the wood texture to show through.  Its durable finish resists cracking, peeling and blistering and is available in more than 1,600 custom colors and is formulated for computer matching.  It can be applied to wood and composite decks, fences, siding and furniture.  Unlike some stains and sealers that may only last 1-2 seasons, this product offers a 10 year satisfaction guarantee on decks and a 25 year satisfaction guarantee on fences and siding.  How cool!

We decided to give it a shot figuring if it even lasted 1 extra season, it would be well worth the price.  The siding and deck now look almost new.  The cracks are gone, but the natural wood texture still shows through.  We were even able to bring the old picnic table back to life!  For less than $500 in materials and a couple weekends of work, we were able to completely transform our sad little shack into a welcoming weekend retreat.

We were so happy with our results that we told Scott's mom about the solid color wood stain.  She and her husband had spent 2 years trying to get a good finish on the deck at their home.  Everything they tried took unevenly, broke down too quickly, or just didn't look good.  With 1 coat of Behr Premium Solid Color Wood Stain and a little bit of touch-up, their deck looks great and they look forward to a durable finish that will last for years.

If you have a deck, fence or siding that you are planning to stain, we encourage you to take a look at Behr Premium Solid Color Wood Stain.  And don't forget ... you can save 10% on your purchase by ordering a Home Depot coupon on our website.

 

Patty & Scott Carroll - RE/MAX Equity Group, Vancouver, WA

Bathrooms and Kitchens are two very important rooms in the mind set of most buyers. In this market, updating these rooms is essential for getting top dollar for your property. As Real Estate Merchandisers we advise our clients to allocate their remodel budget to address these rooms first, as they typically offer the greatest return on your investment.

Changing outdated fixtures, lighting, counter tops, and flooring can transform the old and dated into eye candy for potential buyers.  

In this simple remodel we replaced the old counter top with a granite remnant from another project, painted the cabinets, removed the doors, and added a curtain, making it easier to access the under cabinet in the small space. We added new sink fixtures and some simple accessories. The bathroom remodel took two days and less than $500. 

The property went under contract in a week.  

 

 

Photos by Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008 

Pillow talk: The artful placement of pillows...

don't go overboard or over the Head board when piling pillows on the bed

Arranging pillows on a sofa or bed is a fairly mundane activity that in itself does not necessarily require instruction. However, if your home is on the market and your looking to give your property it's best face possible, here are some simple pointers to give your pillowed furniture practical pizazz.  

Less is more, more or less: regardless of how passionate you are for pillows, the old adage that less is more applies when it comes to staging the bedroom. The best approach to pillow placement is not to cover more than a quarter of the bed with pillows and to layer them no more than four deep and five across. Ideally, you should keep the pillow count under ten for King and Queen beds and less than six pillows on full and twin sized beds including sleeping pillows. Now day beds and pune'e (Hawaiian day beds) naturally require more pillows in order to supply adequate back support when seated so you have a little more leeway here in the pillow count but remember less is more.  

"...What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?" -William Blake: Of course, Blake was talking about a tiger when he wrote this poem but it applies to pillow placement too. Be fearful of over doing symmetrical patterning when it comes to the context of the room. Too much of 'two of everthing' can make a room predictable and boring. Most designers will tell you to use an odd number of pillows on beds and sofas and for the most part I agree but if you are using asymmetrical patterning else where in the room than it's OK and sometimes advisable to pair pillows up. 

 

 

 

Size matters and variety is good thing: avoid using just small pillows on a big bed and vice versa. Proportionality is important and using different sizes, shapes, colors and textures helps to make the bed a focal point in the room.

Seven & Three

When it comes to sofas you want to be able to sit comfortably without having to move pillows around to do so. Keeping pillows closer to the arm rests makes this a little easier. On a standard size sofa try to keep the pillow count under 7 and with love seats 3 or less.

Bold & Bright

When you want to give a little more contemporary feel to transitional furniture use bright colors and bold patterns. Floral patterns are usually a traditional standard but there are many modern floral prints available today that can give a modern flare to your transitional decor.

Balance & Weight

A little color goes a long way. Adding a touch of color can give balance to a sofa. In the example below the detail of the face pillow pulls the eye to the right while the blue draws the eye to the opposite end giving equal visual weight to both sides of the sofa.

Variations on a Theme

Pillow themes can really pile on the charm factor when staging but beware of being too kitsch. Below is a ocean theme using bright red contrast, textured fabrics intimating coral, and a blue crab to define the theme. Of course this looks great in a beach house not so great in a log cabin in the mountains.

 

Mirth & Whimsy

Everyone can use a little laugh these days. Using whimsy to entertain potential buyers can lighten the mood of a space and create a sense of fun and interest. Unusual pillow shapes like the penguins and felt "stones" can instantly transport your imagination to another place, which is not really the purpose of staging so temper your sense of humor and keep the avant garde for your new home.

The penguins and felt stones are a couple examples of my favorite pillows. Although, I wouldn't necessarily stage with them I would definitely use them as an interior decorator. I invite you to post your favorite pillows and share how they make you feel. So lets continue the pillow talk...

 Pillow Talk: the artful placement of pillows vol I. beyond the fringe

 

 

Visit us at www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com

Designs and pillow arrangement by Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008