Archive for Sparks from Sparky
May 14, 2008 at 11:27 pm · Filed under Silverdale Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Mortgage Bites, Sparks from Sparky
As an avid blogger, it’s been an interesting ride thus far. Technology has been advancing rather rapidly in the real estate industry, and the early adapters are usually the ones who benefit the most. I’ve always prided myself on embracing the latest and greatest. So when the marketing paradigm shifted to Web 2.0, I jumped in with both feet! Static went dynamic. The need/demand for interactivity made conversational blogging a perfect venue for meaningful exchange with today’s computer-savvy consumer.
But blogging has an established tradition of stimulating somewhat ‘lively’ debate. Access any number of popular political blogs, and you’ll quickly discover what I mean. While viewpoints and opinions are freely shared, so are vicious barbs and slanderous jabs. Personal attack and public humiliation seem commonplace. And unfortunately, many times, it appears that the ones who are the most ’successful,’ or at least generate the greatest amount of traffic/comments, tend to be the ones who are the most caustic, abrasive, and condescending of the bunch.
Things are a bit more sedate in the Realty Blogdom. However, I have noticed here lately, a few similar trends. Some of the blogs that appear to create/attract the most interest, tend to be overly critical and negative. Sensationalist and provocative titles are employed. Targets are chosen and eviscerated before the viewing public, and all for the sake of ranking. Forget about helping to empower and educate the consumer. We’re having way too much fun dragging someone’s character in the mud!
It reminds me of a guy I used to work with in a previous life. I’ll call him ‘Elvis’ because he loved ‘The King,’ even to the point of sporting huge pork chop sideburns. “Elvis’ was God’s gift to the business world. I had the privilege of accompanying him on a week long sales road trip from Hell. As we traveled along, he confided in me that God had blessed him with superior intelligence. But that his penance in life was to put up with everyone else’s ignorance (his exact words!).
There are some blogs/blog authors who are like that. They’re obviously graced with tremendous smarts and a wonderfully endowed vocabulary. But they seem to be lacking somewhat in the humility department.
So I guess my question is this: Can Nice Blogs finish first? Or do I have to be abrasive and demeaning to succeed? Do we pander to the publics obsession with sensational, provocative, and controversial? Do we sacrifice substance for traffic/ranking? Is content still the King, or is it my buddy, Elvis?
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May 1, 2008 at 11:17 pm · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Sparks from Sparky
With the advent of the Internet, information has become accessible at blinding speed. Want to know the migrating habits of the South African Gnu? What is the proper way to eat sushi? Or what was the original color of coca-cola? Powerful search engines enable us to locate virtually anything we want at the touch of a few keys. Websites, forums, and networks abound where we can obtain answers for every conceivable question. Information equips and empowers. It serves to form our opinions and guides our decisions.
This rapid accessibility and transfer of information is changing the way we conduct business as well. Companies and business professionals are moving away from one-sided, static websites to dynamic, interactive platforms, such as blogging, that allow consumers the ability to directly engage in virtual conversations.
Open and transparent dialog is a welcomed development in the real estate industry. The shrouds of mystery surrounding our profession have been quickly dissipating, offering consumers a well-deserved look into the inner-workings of the real estate world.
But there are inherent dangers to this new-found ‘free-for-all’ of information. And the potentially damaging ramifications exist for either side of the discussion.
Here’s an example of an actual ‘real’ question that was recently posed by a consumer on a popular real estate site:
“We just recently put our home on the market and we’re wondering, what is the selling market like now? What is the average time to sell a home in the $800K range?”
I’m not going to publish the various ‘responses’ to this inquiry (there were 5 answers at last look), but suffice it to say that all of the respondents chimed in with very detailed local markets statistics, jockeying and positioning themselves as the undisputed resident authorities. Almost all of them offered some measure of advice or counsel, and added the ‘perfunctory’ “for more information, my website/email is blah, blah, blah“….
What I found curiously missing was the question that should always be asked right out of the gate:
“Are you currently working with a licensed real estate professional?”
I’m thinking to myself, does this person have their home listed through a licensed agent, or are they attempting to market it on their own?
As real estate professionals, it’s ingrained into us from almost day one (Realtor Code of Ethics, Article 16) NOT to engage, counsel, or solicit someone who is, by contract, under representation by another agent. When in doubt, ASK!
And, as a consumer who is asking the question, how do you know if the individuals responding to your questions are actually ‘qualified’ to answer accurately? Are they licensed in the State where your home is located? Do they know and understand the unique nuances of your particular area? Who holds them accountable if they provide you with misleading or false information? How do you know for sure if they’re even a ‘real’ real estate professional?
Now don’t get me wrong. I am thrilled about all the advancements in Internet technology and their impact on the real estate industry. Many of the applications are having a very positive effect, both for us professionals, and for consumers.
But as real estate professionals, in our drive and desire to be helpful, we need to be ethically prudent, and exercise caution on what we say, and to whom we respond.
And, as consumers, though the Internet opens up a unlimited wealth of resources, remember that ultimately, real estate is local. The best way to obtain a qualified response?
Ask a local expert.
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April 29, 2008 at 11:45 pm · Filed under Bites of Washington, Port Orchard Real Estate, Sparks from Sparky
This coming weeknd is the final opportunity for you to run out to the coast and dig up the last remaining, ever illusive Razor Clams before the season ends.
The following news release appeared on the WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife website:
OLYMPIA — Clam diggers received the go-ahead to proceed with the last razor clam dig of the spring season starting May 3, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.
Long Beach and Twin Harbors Beach will open for morning digs May 3-7, while Copalis and Mocrocks are scheduled to open May 4-5 only.
No digging will be allowed after noon on any beach. Kalaloch Beach will remain closed to harvest.
All diggers must have an applicable 2008-09 fishing license to dig razor clams on any beach. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Licenses can be purchased at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, by telephone (1-866-246-9453), or in person at more than 600 license vendors throughout the state. A list of vendors is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/vendors/vendors.htm.
Under WDFW rules, harvesters may take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 taken, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s limit must be kept in a separate container.
Dates and low tides are:
- Saturday, May 3, 5:27 a.m., -0.3 ft: Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
- Sunday, May 4, 6:16 a.m., -1.2 ft: Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
- Monday, May 5, 7:04 a.m., -1.9 ft: Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
- Tuesday, May 6, 7:51 a.m., -2.3 ft: Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
- Wednesday, May 7, 8:39 a.m., -2.4 ft: Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
Locations of Washington’s razor-clam digging beaches included in this opener are:
- Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.
- Twin Harbors, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.
- Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River and includes the Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas.
- Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific beach and Moclips.
If you’ve never tried your hand at digging Razor Clams, you’re in for quite a treat. It takes a good portion of your day and will wear you out. But the rewards of feasting on these guys is well worth your time and energy!
Here’s a link to a great tutorial on how to dig, clean, and cook your clams. We’ll be out on the beach at Copalis on Monday morning! Hope to see you there!
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April 24, 2008 at 1:50 am · Filed under Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Sparks from Sparky
We were pressed for time. My Out-of-State Buyers had only a few days, and were on a whirlwind schedule. They scoured the Internet from a coffee shop wireless connection, and threw a few more candidates into the mix.
It ended up being like that VISA commercial, where everyone in the store is using their VISA card, and then the one guy tries to use cash, and the whole place shuts down from the log jam.
I called one of the last minute entries. The ‘phone-to-show’ number was the Listing Agent’s cell number. I got his voicemail:
“Hi! This is Rich Jacobson of Brio Realty. I was wondering if I might be able to schedule a showing for your listing on Jones Street for later this afternoon. I have some Buyers from out of town, and they would like to see the house.”
I got a return phone call later that day:
“Hi, This is Bill from XYZ Real Estate. Here are the showing instructions for the Jones Street property. Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon to 2pm, and Saturdays and Sundays after 7pm.”
…..The brakes on the Home Tour bus came to a screeching halt!!!!…..
It amazes me, given the current market conditions (slow as molasses going uphill on a cold day), why anyone would create obstacles to prevent a home from being shown?
Typically here in our market, the ‘phone-to-show’ number is the Seller’s phone. The Buyer’s agent calls and sets up the showing appointment with them directly. This eliminates one more step in the communication chain. Some Listing Agents prefer to have their cell phone as the ‘phone-to-show.’ This isn’t necessarily an issue, as long as the Listing Agent is readily accessible. But then, the Listing Agent still has to call the Sellers, obtain permission, then call the Buyer’s Agent back. This can sometimes cause delays.
In a slow market, where you have tons of inventory, and lots of homes competing for the same pool of Buyers, Sellers need to do everything within their ability to make the showing process easy and painless for Buyers and their Agents. That means removing any potential obstacles that may exist.
Now, obviously, this doesn’t mean, as a Seller, that you do anything that compromises your safety. Don’t ever allow anyone in through your front door who can’t establish their professional standing as a licensed real estate professional. Always have them activate the Lockbox first, to ensure they can properly/legally access the key, and provide digital record of their visit.
As a Seller, you need to be as accommodating as possible if you’re going to successfully compete with other homes on the market.
appointments, how to sell your home, Kitsap County WA, poulsbo wa real estate, sellers, showing your home slow marketBookmark this article to:
April 15, 2008 at 10:38 am · Filed under Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Sparks from Sparky, Bite Me Blogs
As many of you may know, I am a Community Builder with ActiveRain, a very large real estate network and blogging platform. It’s a start-up based out of Bellevue WA, and has over 80,000 members throughout the US and Canada.
Part of my role is to simply monitor the network, make sure the members are behaving, and to field questions.
Earlier today, I received an e-mail from a fairly new member out on the East coast. She’s in her in late 20’s, is relatively new to the real estate profession (she didn’t pick the best time to enter the fray!), and is working through the challenges of establishing her business in a slow market.
She recently wrote an article about real estate commissions and the portion that actually ends up in the agent’s bank account. It was a well-written article. However, no sooner had she published it, than a swarm of bubble bloggers descended upon her post and unleashed their commenting fury.
The first volley of comments were fairly typical of most bubble bloggers, but as the discussion slowly devolved, they became increasingly base and personally degrading towards the young author.
(For my regular readers, please forgive the following uncensored re-publishing of a few of these comments. I don’t usually allow this kind of language within the confines of SoundBiteBlog, but I felt it necessary to include them here)
One of the Bubble Bloggers made this degrading comment:
After reading the various posts on this subject, I think that everyone involved is failing to see the big picture here which is that —– is one hot mamma jamma MILF and I can tell that she is a jackal in the sack.
In fact, I would like to bone her very much if she is ever open and willing to fulfill my naughty realtor mom who will do anything to close the deal fantasy.
Most of you are so caught up in your evil realtor nonsense that you can not appreciate a fine cougar when you see one.
—–, love you long time. You are the bomb in my book. You can flip my house any day.
Call me.
-Dave
P.S: Post more pictures.
And another example of this senseless filthy attack:
I’ll pay you 6%. You have proven your worth. I just have one question:
Does that 6% get me some “alone time” in the VIP room and a guaranteed happy ending?
Because I think it’s only fair that I can do to you what your commission would be doing to me.
-L. Flynt
We’ve had a few Seattle area Bubble Bloggers frequent SoundBiteBlog. Most of these individuals are extremely sharp. They’re very articulate and can discuss intricate economic indicators on a equal or better footing than most investment professionals. One in particular has become somewhat of a regular around here. Last time he stopped by, he actually gave me a compliment!
Many Bubble Bloggers tend to be rather argumentative and abrasive by nature, but rarely do they descend to this level of vicious attack. I was able to trace one of the perputraitors back to their blogspot site, and left a few choice comments of my own, along with the charge that he and his blog thugs didn’t reflect or represent the majority of Bubble Bloggers I had encountered.
No doubt they’ll hunt me down now and make me their next target….oh goody!
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April 14, 2008 at 12:36 pm · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Silverdale Real Estate, Sparks from Sparky
I have the good fortune of serving as a board member for C-STOCK (Central Stage Theater of County Kitsap), one of several live community theaters here in Kitsap County WA. Our group produces predominantly family-oriented musicals shows, and has a long-standing tradition/emphasis on encouraging the active involvement/participation of area youth.
I’ve also had the pleasure of actually ‘performing’ in several of the past productions. My first show with C-STOCK, “1940’s Radio Hour,” was a truly wonderful experience, followed by “Footloose,” and most recently ”Damn Yankees.” In “Footloose,” I was joined by my middle son, Elliot. Then in “Damn Yankees,” Elliot, and his younger brother, Luke, were both part of the cast.
It has been thrilling to see my own kids participating in community theatre. C-STOCK offers a very healthy and wholesome environment/outlet for kids, and sure beats having them parked in front of the TV, XBox, or hanging out with the undesirables down at the mall.
Unfortunately, with so many other venues competing for our entertainment dollars, live theater has lost much of the draw it has historically enjoyed. It’s difficult at times to compete against high-budget, special effects Hollywood movies. The ease, comfort, and cost of Netflix/Blockbuster rentals at home seems to have a much wider appeal.
But there’s something truly magical about live theatre. The facility that C-STOCK uses for their theater here in Silverdale WA is very small (A bit too small at times!) But it lends a very special sense of intimacy to the experience. It many instances, it’s nearly participatory or interactive. You feel like you’re part of the cast! We recently produced “Beauty & The Beast.” It was a show of epic proportions. The sets and costuming were absolutely stunning, the performances electrifying! Even though I watched the show nearly every night, it never ceased to evoke gut-splitting laughter and heartfelt tears.
Now “THAT’S” entertainment!
Are you finding it increasingly difficult to plan a night out that’s suitable for the entire family? Look no farther! C-STOCK is the sure bet in Kitsap County WA!
Visit our newly designed website (developed by none other than Buckwheat himself - Mark Flanders) at www.cstock.org
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