Professional Courtesy The cat's true name is both unpronounceable and incomprehensible to those unfortunate to be born, regrettably, a creature other than feline. The cat's true name arises of itself from the twisty bundle of smells, sights, sounds, instincts, genetics, ancestry and
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08/14/2009
BERTOLT BRECHT WOULD LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA. It's the closest thing we've got to radical theatre. It's largely improvisational, but thrives on powerful language and images. It requires intense interactive engagement between players and audience with no happy endings and a constant spur to political a
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08/14/2009
After my house burned down in 1992, I hired a "public adjuster" to battle the insurance company. My wife loathed him. "He's a low class, ambulance-chasing, asshole," opined my darling Christine. "Yes, my Dove, but he's MY low class, ambulance-chasing asshole." The asshole, whom I shall refer t
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08/01/2009
The first answer to this question is easy: as much as you can negotiate with the seller/optioner. The second answer depends upon the lender. Different underwriters may have different guidelines, but FHA loans are pretty well standardized in regard to this question. Because many optionees, lack
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06/28/2009
Questions and Answers About Septic Systems As a realtor in rural Nevada County, California I have long pondered the deep mysteries of my client's septic tanks. For both buyers and sellers, I have attended every one of their septic system pump-outs and inspections. I'm not an expert, but over
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03/24/2009
How Much Does It Cost Buyers to Obtain a Lease/Option (Option to Purchase)? How Much Will Sellers Make If They Grant a Lease/Option? Earlier blog posts have addressed the issues of buyer and seller motivations for entering into options. Please refer to those discussions when necessary, but l
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03/15/2009
Follow Up Your Sales! These ten ideas are not original with me. I heard them in a Century 21 online sales class and thought they were worth passing along. Most of them are common sense; the rest are just good manners. 1. Thank your clients. 2. Thank any and all parties in
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03/10/2009
BOTTOM OF THE MARKET? ARE WE THERE YET? Yes. With interest rates at phenomenal lows and price devaluations as much as 50% over the past four years, we are poised for the upturn we've been waiting for, at least at the lower end of the market where first-time-buyers and renters-who-are-hoping-to-
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01/04/2009
Motivations to enter into lease option agreements (also called lease-to-own) are a reaction to today's declining real estate market. These motivations are not typical of a "normal" real estate market in which properties are appreciating at a reasonable rate. SELLERS Current sellers are motivated
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11/06/2008
Over the next few weeks I am going to blog on the topic of Real Estate Options, also called "lease to own" and "lease options." The blogs will address several questions: Why option? Motivations and benefits for buyers and sellers. How do you do it? The documents required to establish an option
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10/29/2008