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Sep

29
2008

Letter to Editor

$700B 'bandage' won't stop the bleeding

By Inman News, Monday, September 29, 2008.

What a crock! Response to our leadership is falling on deaf ears. I have called and e-mailed hundreds of people asking them to call their Washington senators and representatives to say "absolutely no" to this bailout. I believe that any of our elected officials who have money in the stock market should abstain from voting. They certainly would have a vested interest in a bailout solution and putting this off on taxpayers! Who will bail me out if my real estate firm fails? Not Paulson or any other big shot in Washington, D.C. We certainly need to be more careful who we send to Washington, D.C. Ron Paul is certainly getting a lot of exposure lately. Is it possible that he was right all along? That would be a hoot, wouldn't it?  more...

Sep

26
2008

Remembering Bob Bruss

By Jessica Swesey, Friday, September 26, 2008.
Bob Bruss

A year ago today, we heard the heartbreaking news that our dear friend, real estate advocate and prolific author Bob Bruss had passed. It is a memorable day because he was such a memorable guy.

My first thoughts are of his happy face, his smile and his thirst for doing the right thing in real estate, all while making a healthy profit. Bob was one of the special few who were able to do this, as evidenced by his colossal following of readers from coast to coast.  more...

Sep

25
2008

The $700 billion answer

By Dick Lepre, Thursday, September 25, 2008.

Congress is being asked to provide $700 billion by allowing the Treasury Department to sell debt and using the proceeds to purchase illiquid mortgage debt. This is similar to what the Federal Reserve does every day with two exceptions: 1) normally the Fed makes, in essence, short-term loans to members to give them liquidity and reserves. The present situation is not a loan but an outright purchase of assets; and 2) the extraordinary events of the past few months have depleted the reserves the Fed can use to perform market operations.  more...

MLSs must raise bar in real estate search

By David Charron, Thursday, September 25, 2008.

Remember some of the early plays on the Internet? The big ones in real estate were made by media giants, the print folks who were looking for a way to hedge their bets that classified revenues would tank.

Few of these efforts could be considered resounding successes. Our industry play (Homestore, now Move Inc.) used a combination of cash, warrants and an "all in the family" pitch to keep us engaged.

Alas, those were days filled with fantastic promises. Too few were kept.  more...

Sep

24
2008

Letter to Editor

Bailout: fire sales and movie rights

By Inman News, Wednesday, September 24, 2008.

Re: 'Critics question bailout' (Sept. 23)

Dear Editor:

It seems the most important issue is being raised almost as an aside: "Lawmakers also want more insight into what the Treasury Department will do with the troubled assets it buys." If the feds dump a bunch of houses back on the market at fire-sale prices, the real estate market can only deflate further.  more...

Sep

22
2008

Letter to Editor

'No golden parachute -- only golden handcuffs'

By Inman News, Monday, September 22, 2008.

Re: 'Feds to pick up bad mortgages' (Sept. 19)

Dear Editor:

The bank bailout is a clear blow to a capitalistic society and a catalyst toward socialism. While the "new NEW Deal" may have been a necessary evil, there are several things that we have to lobby for in this transition.

1) Taxpayers cannot bailout investors. Any use of federal taxpayer funds must require that investors lose and taxpayers win. That includes preferred stock holders of Fannie and Freddie, like China.  more...

Sep

19
2008

'Insider's game' in real estate arbitration law

By Harold A. Justman, Friday, September 19, 2008.
Harold A. Justman

Any active real estate litigator has suffered the frustration of an arbitration award that is flat-out wrong on the law. The decisions of California courts are full of examples of arbitration awards that were confirmed by the courts even though there was an error of law. Many frustrated real estate litigators will receive a California Supreme Court decision on the matter as a welcome change.  more...

Sep

18
2008

Sacrifice over excess

By Bradley Inman, Thursday, September 18, 2008.

A dentist in Marin County once described to me the boomers in the 1970s who would come to his office with a cold sore on their lips and want a quick fix so they could go out the next weekend and enjoy the debauchery of the period.

He would tell them: "I can give you some medicine and it will take two weeks to mend your sore, or I can not give you medicine and it will take two weeks to cure it."  more...

Sep

16
2008

Letter to Editor

No down-payment help, no housing recovery

By Inman News, Tuesday, September 16, 2008.

Re: 'Congress weighs reprieve for seller-funded gifts' (Sept. 9)

Dear Editor:

With the passage of HR 3221 on July 30, SFDPA programs will end on Oct. 1. HR 6694 has been introduced to un-ban the SFDPA programs.  more...

Hiring a real estate dream team

By Rich Levin, Tuesday, September 16, 2008.

Maybe you are an agent who has sold 30 to 50 homes per year for the past five years. You are eager to get to another level -- the next level. And refining your skills, increasing your prospecting, or acquiring the hottest new lead-generating tool or system may not be the best way to get there. It may be a matter of hiring the best people.

Most agents find that hiring real estate assistants and buyer specialists to be challenging, but there are specific skills and processes that have proven to be effective.

Skills and style  more...

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