I have always been a fan of old homes. Not 1930’s and 40’s. Boring. I’m talking REALLY old ones from the turn of the century. Â There’s something about walking through one of them when it’s vacant and listening. When I do this I can almost hear the sounds of the families that lived there. I imagine conversations about hopes and dreams, and others about the simple routines of everyday life. It’s at these times…
CRITICAL Success Factor #1
Here we go again.  Don’t you just love it when someone asks your opinion of something that you actually happen to know a LOT about, you give them the answer, then they proceed to argue with you?  It happened to me again last week.  And unfortunately it was one of those I-already-made-the-decision-so-I’m-only-asking-you-because-I-want-to-validate-in-my-own-mind-that-I-was-right kind of questions.  I’ll spare you the details, but the person bought a trashed out house in a marginal area that he’s…
Off Topic Friday: Divided We Fall
AÂ voice of reason in the darkness. Hat tip to LM for the link. Thomas Paine looks good for a guy his age.
The Curse of OPM
How many times have you heard that OPM is the key to all the riches in real estate? Seriously – you can’t turn on a single late-night real estate tv infomercial without some fly-by-night “guru” with a Bentley and a bevy of blonde babes screeching at you about using OPM to make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. I should know – I’ve watched them all. (For the information only. Not the babes. Really) The…
News Flash – Everybody ELSE’S House Has Lost Value But Mine
The Majority of U.S. Homeowners Thinks Their Home is Insulated from the Housing Crisis According to Zillow Q2 Homeowner Confidence Survey 62% of homeowners believe their home’s value has increased or stayed the same in the past year yet 77% of U.S. homes actually declined in value  Short-Term Outlook: More optimism for own home vs. neighbors’ homes in next six months although 70% say they are concerned foreclosures will decrease home values in their…