Here's To Real Estate Blogs

The Los Angeles Times today printed an interesting piece on real estate blogs. In it Brad Inman (Inman News) was quoted as saying, “some of the best reporting this year has been from the blogs.”

I guess that’s kudos for all of us here. My favorite quote in the article was from a reader of the Housing Bubble Casualty Blog who said, “you were one of the influences that saved me from buying in Los Angeles”. It made me wonder where that person is renting now.

According to Adam Rappoport, San Deigo Broker, “bloggers see the same statistics we all see, but they interpret them differently.”

Read the article for yourself www.latimes.com, and let me hear your view. Personally, and this has been said many times before; Real estate is an ever changing business with ups and downs like all others. Its also a very local marketplace. In my area alone, there are neighborhoods within blocks of each other that are enjoying quick sales with offers at or near asking, and others that are holding inventory 3 or four months old.

I guess my answer to the question “is it a good time to buy?” is: That depends on your point of view. If you are looking for a quick way to make money with real estate, it might not be a good time. If you are looking for a home to raise a family, and a place to call your own – then it’s a great time. As far as bubble casualty blogs and the like, these people are the ones who didn’t buy when they could and now are regretting it, while justifying their stalling on unforeseen market conditions. Those are the people who resign themselves to renting forever. As a landlord myself, I love those people – because they pay all my bills for me and If I want to give myself a raise… Up goes the rent.

The people who actually are experiencing a bubble are those who never should have bought in the first place. They are the folks who sat in front of a loan officer who offered a great deal on a loan they could barely afford, and took the deal. Of course, without realizing that they’d end up owing more than they thought, and wouldn’t be able to make the payments 5 years down the line. That truly is just shoddy work on behalf of the mortgage industry, and a spotlight on the fraud that takes place in it.

Advice for buyers; seek out a mortgage planner – who will lay it all out and show you how much your investment really is. And, if you have to lie about your income or debts to get a better deal, don’t. (aside from being illegal, you’ll only end up with a home you can’t afford.)

Plan your summer vacation the right way

Planning your summer vacation? Try hotelreservations.com. This website is well planned and laid out. Navigating it is easy and the thing I liked best was you can search for rates and find deals without having to register. Something I find really annoying.

The deals online are fantastic. I found car rental in Long Beach for as little at $15 per day. Of course that was for an economy sized car but you can book anything you want. I found sedans and SUVs and even sports & near-luxury cars.

The days of visiting your local travel agent to plan your vacation are over. Most having been out of business for a while now. Hotel Reservations gives you the ability to be your own travel agent. Finding the right deals, and travel options for you and your family.

Online you can even plan and book more complicated trips than your family reunion up north. It easy to find packages for popular travel destinations or create your own. The savings on this site make it possible to create your own package, Airfare, hotel or vacation rental property, rental car and more all at once from your couch.

If you are like me though and sometimes like to actually speak with someone about your travel plans (or just verify that your reservations are in place) you can call 800- 447-4136 for assistance. With more than 70,000 properties worldwide, including Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts. Condominiums, and resorts, booking the perfect trip is effortless online. According to the website reservations are backed by their Price Guarantee so you can rest assured you’re getting the best deal.


Hotel Reservations

If you haven’t already, give it a try and book your next vacation online at Hotel Reservations.com. You’ll find it rewarding and fun to do-it-yourself.
If you need help or have more questions, the FAQ page offers solutions to the most important questions such as: What happens when I make a reservation?, I don’t have long to wait for a conformation, what should I do?, and the all important – How do I cancel a reservation?.

Have you thought about upgrading your lighting lately?

It might be a good idea because it can affect the desirability of your home when trying to sell and create a comforting atmosphere while you are living in it. Lighting has many purposes, most of us use task lighting for reading in the den, cooking in the kitchen, and mood lighting for romantic moments in the bedroom.

How your home is lit, definitely has an effect on our moods and perceptions of the things we see. Harsh lighting causes a withdrawal of your visual senses and generally isn’t pleasing aesthetically. While a toned down, soft lit room will help us unwind and relax and the end of the day, it might not help much while trying to prepare dinner if we can’t see too well in the kitchen.

Finding a balance between light levels and types of lighting in each room of your home can be daunting to say the least. Keeping in mind what purpose our lighting design serves helps to find just the right balance. Having a good selection of lighting fixtures helps even more. We’d invite you to check out Home Lighting Fixtures an, Arizona based lighting store that features all the latest trends in indoor and outdoor lighting, as well as a plethora of educational documents to help with design, & planning your lighting projects.

This site has everything you need to create the perfect atmosphere, making your home more inviting, and comfortable for your family & friends. Make sure you check out the outdoor lighting as well. We all know that a nicely landscaped home with just the right lighting will improve curb appeal, often the first thing people see when looking to buy a home.

Remember also, to try to stay true to your home’s architectural style. You wont want Craftsman fixtures all over a Tudor house. That’s another area I’ve found shoppremier.com useful is available of architecturally matched collections.
So go out and spruce up your home. Lighting is an inexpensive way of completely changing the look and feel of your home and if done well, can be a personal benefit also.

http://www.shoppremier.com/lighting_design.php