Realtor competence at an all-time low
Shocking. Anyone who has been in this business for more than three years can attest to this: "With the expansion of the number of Realtors, the level of competence has fallen to its lowest point ever," says former NAR Chief Economist and best-selling author Dr.…
All the agents wanted my business!
Many of my clients are sounding boards for my ideas, mini-focus groups if you will. The following is a snip from a conversation I had this morning with one of my favorite clients. Me: Did you know about buyer's agency before we started working together?…
NAR’s greatest mistake
The National Association of Realtors, by advocating for the use of just any Realtor, does a disservice to all Realtors, particularly those who take this profession as such - a profession rather than a hobby. Saying "Use a Realtor" is much less effective than saying…
FSBOs in Charlottesville?
I debated writing about this New York Times article, mainly because all the big dogs are already picking it apart (notably BHB and RCG) and the vitriol against Realtors (some valid) is flowing. But, a couple of readers emailed me the article, so I feel…
Century 21’s new ad
Seems to be targeting Redfin? Despite the comment, "to watch your eyes when you walk into a home, and know right away that you are in love with it" ... it's a decent ad. Buying and selling residential real estate is an emotional process, but…
A call for an end Cooperative Compensation
As a buyer or seller, does this make sense? As a Realtor, what are your objections or words of support? Lenders - what do you think? Is this a challenge worth undertaking? We can write about it til our fingers bleed. We can talk about…
Reflections on this weekend
This weekend I had the opportunity to meet with two different buyers, both of whom are going to be Medical Residents at UVA, and I hope I listened well. 1) "Your blog is very helpful - more-so than your website." While somewhat difficult to hear,…
College town investment is not for everyone
The title says it all; that this WSJ story focuses on Charlottesville is almost beside the point. But ... with the University of Virginia growing, some "student" housing might prove to be a good investment. My favorite part of the story: Shortly after I did…
Bloginar today in NoVa
I participated in a short presentation in Northern Virginia today for their chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors. I went for two reasons - first, I was asked by a classmate of last year's class of the Virginia Association of Realtors' Leadership Academy to…
Buyer beware
Two recent vignettes - Lender story: Three days before closing, a Charlottesville lender, who had not previously given a written GFE (Good Faith Estimate) to the Buyer, somehow added ~$3,000 in mystery fees. Only when pressured by the Buyer's Agent who had another reputable lender…