FamousAgents.com Real Estate Blog

Think real estate investing might be fun and profitable? Are you tired of working with clients who end up wasting your time – especially after you’ve worked countless hours for them getting them financed, researching properties, writing offers, and more… just to have them change their mind or use a friend who just got licensed? What if you could work that hard looking for deals where you would not only earn a commission but also share in the profits? What if you had other people on the lookout for profitable deals for you – how great would that be? Read the rest …

WASHINGTON –The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations adopted an amendment to the FY2008 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill that permanently prohibits national bank conglomerates from engaging in real estate brokerage and property management. Read the rest …

While others may have chosen to camp overnight to get their hands on the new Apple iPhone, Jim (although eager to get one) chose to line up with the late crowd just hours before its release.

He left armed with a couple gallons of water (hey, it’s HOT in Phoenix), a Budweiser, a chair, a Sudoku book (he’s addicted), and of course, the American Express - those phones aren’t cheap!

He spent an hour at home trying to decide which chair to take with him. The photo below details this tough decision — do you choose for comfort, convenience, or necessity?

Y’all have to wait until later to find out which one he chose…

IF he is lucky enough to get an iPhone, we will have a detailed review complete with photos by the end of this weekend for all you Famous Agents out there.

For all of you folks who are considering purchasing the new iPhone check out the latest technical specifications and features released by the Onion.

That’s our prediction! So we are placing our bets and calling it early.

Jordin Sparks is a talented and classy young woman - who just so happens to be the daughter of Jodi Sparks, a Keller Williams agent in our very own office in Glendale, Arizona. Jim and I had the pleasure of meeting Jordin and we can tell you first-hand that she is a fun, bubbly young lady with a heart for God. She is humble and sweet. And - wow - can she sing! Read the rest …

If a man standing in a forest says something, and his wife isn’t there to correct him…is he still wrong?

Can You Believe This?

Yesterday Reuters ran an article with the headline “Web Lenders Woo Subprime Borrowers Despite Crisis.” It starts,

“Get a “$200,000 mortgage for $667 a month!” a banner advertisement on a lending Web site proclaims. “Bad credit OK!”

The mortgage loan advertised is a negatively amortizing ARM with an initial rate of 1.25%, fixed for only 30 days. According to the article, the rate then adjusts to MTA plus 3.25%, giving it an actual current rate of 8.28%. Crunching the numbers, one can see that if the borrower were to continue to make the $667 minimum payment advertised, the loan balance would grow $708 per month in the first year, assuming the MTA index remains flat. Read the rest …

How many times have we worked tirelessly for a client only to find out later that they have wandered off one weekend and bought property directly from the developer of a “hot new community”?

We all know the dangers of buying in brand new communities. In the Hilton Head area market alone there have been 60+ new developments started since I moved here 11 years ago with many more to come. Builders are offering all kinds of incentives to get buyers signed up, especially at the end of the month when sales goals have to be met.

The salespeople in these developments have only one job, and that is to sell the property where they work. Let your Buyers know that the onsite sales reps only represent the Developer’s interests, whereas you are there to represent their best interests. Read the rest …

Alright, I caught your attention. So, here’s the contest:

Our (almost) three year old little girl came up with some new words this week. Since she is our second child, Jim and I are now completely fluent in toddlerspeak. Well… at least most of the time we understand what she is saying. Read the rest …

Isn’t is crazy how many Realtors in America claim to be #1. The question is… #1 at what? Any agent who has attended more than one office meeting or awards banquet can surely appreciate how proud we agents are of something. Anything, really.

You’ve no doubt noticed the amount of firewood - uh, excuse me, award plaques - on any seasoned Realtor’s office walls. And don’t forget the coveted certificates, badges, trophies, bobble-heads, and other hoopla.

But seriously, let’s take a look at what this all means. Read the rest …