Category — Heard 'Round the Block

PHOTOS OR THE LACK THEREOF ARE IMPORTANT home listing data as this post at 3 Oceans by Cindy Lin in this great post. Read the whole thing.

What I’ve noticed on Craigslist homes for sale listings is that many agents simply place an ad on Craigslist as an afterthought, and don’t take the time to import one or more photos.

Buyers use home photos to eliminate homes from their tour list. This was the point of Cindy’s post. The lack of photos puts the buyer and buyer’s agent in the position of needing to tour a home to eliminate it as a possible buy. Experienced agents understand.

I’ve noticed that experienced agents deliberately leave photos out of listing information. Where the home has some major defect, like front elevation, interior, or other major defect experienced agents leave photos out of listing information to pull in the best buyer’s brokers who know that they must see every listing that might fit their buyer clients needs, and so must tour the home without photos. I’ve toured hundreds of homes on behalf of buyers precisely because there were no photos. Diligent agents do tour these homes just to make sure the home does not meet their buyer’s criteria.

The lack of photos tells a buyer out shopping that either the listing agent is lazy, or more likely there is a major defect or defects with the home.

Sellers should also be aware that buyers and buyers agents particularly use photos negatively to eliminate home from their tour list. Photos should show the homes features, not just a beautiful photo so buyers will tour the home.

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I love when three of my favorite interests combine to feature recent news for us all to read. Many people have heard by now of the Bronx construction worker who planted a Red Sox jersey before pouring concrete over it in the Yankees’ new stadium. It’s humorous to see how deep a rivalry can go. And since I’m a mafia movie fan, I loved this quote by Yankees President Randy Levine,

It’s never a good thing to be buried in cement in New York, so we thought about just pouring more cement on it.

Val always teaches me to factor in contingency costs when I’m setting up a cost estimate sheet. He always says, “You just never know what’s inside those walls when you start tearin’ ‘em down.” Do you think the Yankees organization factored that into their budget considering it was new construction? [Read more →]

HEH. A HOUSE DESIGNED AND BUILT LIKE A TOILET! Fortunately, it is in Souel, Korea so I won’t be tempted to go see it. The old “two holers” I’m familiar with are not in style anymore.

LOCAL REALTORS promote open homes and homes up for bid this weekend.  Every little bit helps.  The REO inventory of homes needs to be reduced.  Hopefully investors will be out this weekend.  Bargain time.

A JEWELER WAS ROBBED by bandits in the Pruneyard parking lot in Campbell.

This sounds like a planned robbery aimed at the jeweler to me.  Hang ‘um high.