Russel's Blog

Please read!!!
 
If you are an owner of a dog that belongs to a 'dangerous breed' category
and you also have a small child please take this as a warning. Don't leave
your dog with the child unattended under any circumstances.
 
Only a little moment was enough for the following to happen. See the photo

 

We often use stock photographs in our advertising campaigns because I get bored with the same old "here is the building" type of campaigns.  In Lafayette Square, we have alot to sell.  Great properties?  Certainly.  Friendly neighbors?  Absolutely.  Locally owned businesses?  Some of the best.  So, when we develop a marketing campaign, I like to sell the sizzle.  We don't simply sell homes or buildings - we are also selling a casual, elegant lifestyle. 

Now, here is the hard part.  After we have developed the concept for the marketing campaign, we then have to find the right photographs that capture the "local color" that we are trying to capture and use in our marketing campaign.  Sounds pretty easy, right?  Just snap a view digital photographs and we are done.  Well, it doesn't usually work that way.  I run into several reocurring problems. 

First, I often will use photographs that we have taken in Lafayette Park, Fountain Square, Soulard Market, etc.  However, these photographs are often landscapes devoid of real life people.  Even if I have captured people in the photograph, I have rarely secured the rights from these individuals to use their photographs in print advertisements.  

Second, there is often a timing issue.  I typically need the photograph now.  I really don't have the time to plan out a photo shoot when I am trying to get the advertisement to the printer by the end of the week.  Even when I do have the time, I often find that our seasonal weather won't cooperate.  I mean - does a cold winter day and a house with a brown lawn and no leaves on the trees really set the tone that I am looking for in a photograph?  Usually not.

As a result of these production problems, I often turn to royalty free, stock photograph sites.  For a fee ranging from $1 to $100, I can purchase a stock photograph and then own the right to use the photograph - whether it is used in a one time campaign or 100 campaigns.  However, after joining ActiveRain.com, my eyes have been bombarded with some great images that truly capture the "local color" of various areas of our country.  Every Sunday and Wednesday I see some great photographs posted to ActiveRain.com.  I mean these amateur photographs have a professional look and feel.  They are exactly the type of photographs that I look for when we are working on our marketing campaigns.  I often think - Boy, I could use that photo...  So, I started thinking - Why don't more people sell their photographs on-line?  Well, this question then prompted a series of other questions such as:  How do you go about selling your photographs to these stock photo sites?  Can you actually earn money doing so?

So, I did a bit of research.  I came across several sites that make it easy to sell your photographs online because they don't require you to submit your portfolio for review and make it easy to set up an account, upload photographs and start selling.  Here are a few of the sites:

Snapvillage

iStockPhoto

Stockxpert

Fotolia

Shutterstock

ClusterShot

BigStockPhoto

The steps vary from site to site but generally consist of the following:  Step 1 - Register for free account.  Step 2 - Upload your photographs to correct category.  Some sites review the photographs for quality assurance.  Step 3 - Set your price.  Step 4 - Collect the proceeds from the sale of your photographs. 

As a test, I posted a view of my photographs from my recent vacation.  Now, my photographs won't likely win any awards or produce any significant income.  But, I was curious to see if my quirky photos of Mexican burros and street dogs would capture any interest.  Time will tell.

Are you a developer looking for a new direction in how you market and sell your properties in 2009?Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or by e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

My good friend, Shawn Perkins, Your Favorite Lender, has created a Homebuyer Education Workshop in which he provides attendees with everything they need to know about how to confidently buy a home. Attendees will have a clear understanding of the current real estate market and get answers to the following questions:

• Is now a good time for you to buy a home?
• How can waiting to buy a home cost you a fortune?
• Can you qualify for a loan? If so, what are the steps?
• How does owning a home compare to renting?
• What are the significant tax advantages to owning a home?
• Are tax advantages the only reason to own a home?
• How does the $8,000 government incentive for first-time buyers benefit you?
• What loan programs are available today?
• How much of a down payment do you need?
• Why is your credit score worth thousands of dollars and how can you improve and protect it?
• Much, much, more!

If you have any family members, friends, or business associates who are interested in becoming home owners, I can highly recommend this FREE Homebuyer Education Workshop. The next Workshop is:

Saturday, March 28, 2009
10:00am - 12:30pm
Rancho San Diego Library
11555 Via Rancho San Diego
El Cajon, CA  92019
Corner of Brabham Street and Via Rancho San Diego

Seating is limited.

To reserve your seat, log on to www.theSmartHomeBuyer.org or call 619-994-1110.

*****

Moving to San Diego County to work on Stimulus Bill projects?
Need help buying or selling a home in San Diego County?
Visiting and would like a vacation home here or would like to move here?

I can help you find the best just the right home or just the right buyers
to meet your real estate needs, wants, and goals.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

*****

My most recent 20 posts (they'll open in a new window):

1. Top 10 growing jobs in San Diego County - 3/25/09
2. WWW (Wordless Wednesday with Words): Hmmmmm.... - 3/25/09
3. We might have it a little better here - 3/24/09
4. Earn extra money with the San Diego Reader - 3/23/09
5. SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): Water fountain - 3/22/09
6. Would you use these pictures in YOUR marketing? - 3/21/09
7. Stimulus projects in San Diego County - 3/21/09
8. Continuing Open House success - 3/21/09
9. Ten tips for a poison-safe household - 3/20/09
10. WWW (Wordless Wednesday with Words): Australian tree ferns - 3/18/09
11. Coronado Home Show, March 22, 2009 - 3/17/09
12. San Diego County home prices rise in February 2009 - 3/17/09
13. Free home buyer's fair, Saturday, March 21, El Cajon - 3/17/09
14. San Diego County property taxes to increase on most homes - 3/17/09
15. SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): From my Open House right now - 3/15/09
16. An older, feel-good movie about truth, lies, and ethics - still relevant - 3/14/09
17. Not everyone wants a home inspection - 3/14/09
18. Don't let your ego get in the way of a good deal - 3/14/09
19. World Baseball Classic, Round 2, Petco Park, San Diego, March 15-19 - 3/14/09
20. Hmmmm. Let's see. Where should I park today? - 3/13/09

Inspired by nature? Join the Inspired By Nature Group.

Classical music lover? Join the Classical Music Group.

Want to share a good book? Join the Active Rain Book Club.

Home inspection is an opinion based profession and yes, it is true if you put 10 inspectors in a room, you will get 10 different views. Is this unique to the inspection profession? No, the same can be said about lawyers, doctors, appraisers, claim adjusters and REALTORS. The reason is that our opinions are shaped by our experiences. Home inspectors are generalists. We have to know about the thousands of different items that go into homes ranging from old coal furnaces to energy management systems.

Unfortunately, there are inspectors who can go way overboard with their opinion. Here are some tactics you can use to put dose of reality into the transaction. So when you get the inspection response from HELL the first thing to do is to step back and be objective. How realistic is the list? Is the buyer’s agent simple using this as an opportunity to get more price concessions? Let’s take the roof for example. The buyers are asking for a new roof. How old is the roof? Most roofs will last 20-25 years. If the seller has not supplied it, ask for the specific wording the inspector used. For example, if the age of the roof is mid-life, then ask what criteria they are basing there request on. Let say the roof has visible repairs, that doesn’t justify replacement; repairs are part of normal maintenance. Your best defense at this point is to get a roofer to inspect the roof. A specialist’s opinion will always trump a generalist home inspector.

Some agents will want to talk to the home inspector directly and negotiate with them. For most inspectors this would violate their association’s Standards of Practice, so they won’t do it nor do they want to negotiate directly with the seller. Secondly, once an inspector creates and delivers an inspection report they won’t be inclined to charge it. Personally I don’t mind getting and giving clarifications when I have the permission of my clients but I do have a problem when the seller’s agent starts to question my opinion.

Although home inspection is opinion based, we must use criteria to base our opinion. Using the roof as an example we are taught to look at granule loss, curling of edges, burn through, and cracking to judge its overall condition. All manufacturers have guidelines for installation and usage. If you think the inspector is being harsh or punitive, examine the criteria they use to form that opinion. If the inspector doesn’t have a solid basis for his/her opinion, ask for a clarification. “Codes” are a four letter word and often misused. Most experienced inspectors stay away from codes due to the inconsistent way they are applied. Every building department adopts the building codes at a time and place of their choosing. If a homeowner wants to remodel a kitchen a building department may want the entire electrical and plumbing systems upgrade while the neighboring city may not. One city may be using the 2007 plumbing codes but 2005 electrical codes while the neighbor is just the reverse. I have even seen in a brand new development where two inspectors from the same building department disagree on how to apply the current building codes. Get the picture? If a home inspector is using building codes to describe a defect, ask them for specifics and their qualifications to cite the building codes. If the home had been remodeled and approved by the city, then it met the codes as they were being applied at that time.

If you are listing an older home (especially if it has gone through a number of remodels) then I highly recommend a pre-listing inspection. Being pro-active is your best defense against an inspection. The owners will get to see their home through the eyes of an inspector. They will get an opportunity to correct issues at a time and place of there choosing. If they don’t want to correct them, then they can disclose them. Either way it lessens the shock and puts the sellers in a better negotiating position.

Rick Bunzel, CRI
Pacific Crest Inspections

WWW.PacCrestInspections.com
360-588-6956
Fax 360-588-6965
Toll Free 866-618-7764

 After all its being sold as is.....

There is a reason why these homes are  referred to as "distressed" properties.  Many owners that go into foreclosure have been struggling financially, which usually means that the house has not received needed repairs or general maintenance for a while. Some homeowners who lose their property to a lender frequently damage the property. After the owners leave the property  frequently we see the homes have been neglected or poorly winterized. Winterization was  especially important during the December freeze we had. We have inspected homes that claimed to have been winterized and found freeze damage.

Bank-owned foreclosure homes are usually sold "as is," which means that the 10 to 30% you just saved on the purchase price can easily be eaten up by unforeseen repairs — frequently many of those issuesat not apparent to the buyers when they walk through the home.   However "as-is" does not refer to the price the buyer is paying. It is important to understand that he bank's pricing of the home reflects the "assumed condition" of the property.

The savvy buyer will want to gather all the information on the home. Initially that can be the documented history of the home. Tax records and building permits are a good start. A CLUE report will give you the insurance history of the home. Many insurance agents will provide that free of charge.  If neighbors are available they are  great source of information on the neighborhood and the home. Lastly, a detailed home inspection will complete the picture as to what the home is and issues that will need to be addressed.

So the quick answer is YES. Also we are seeing many lenders require a copy of the home inspection as part of the underwriting process. The inspection report can also be used as a tool to justify the offer price or negotiate concessions.

 

//Rick

Rick Bunzel, CRI
Pacific Crest Inspections
NAHI Member of the Year 2008
NPSAR Affiliate of the Year 2006-2007
WWW.PacCrestInspections.com
360-588-6956
Fax 360-588-6965
Toll Free 866-618-7764

A common question I get about older homes is whether two-prong outlets can safely be changed over to three-prong outlets.  Most home buyers today don't want to be stuck with two-prong outlets throughout the house.  Two-prong outlets can always be changed to three-prong, and this can be accomplished a few different ways.  Today I'll give a very brief explanation of what the third prong is for, and I'll discuss a few ways to convert to a three prong outlet.  I didn't consult an attorney before writing this article, so I feel like I should add a disclaimer before giving any electrical how-to advice: Don't do any of this work if you're not qualified.  This is only an overview of the steps that a qualified person would take. 

The third prong on an outlet is commonly referred to as 'the ground', and it provides an alternate path for electricity that may stray from an appliance or product.  This is an important safety feature that has been required since 1962, which minimizes the risk of electric shock, and allows surge protectors to protect your electrical equipment, such as televisions, computers, stereos, and other devices.

The ideal way to upgrade a two prong outlet is to install a three prong outlet that has a continuous electrical path back to the panel.  If the outlet is installed in a metal box, and that metal box has metal conduit all the way back to the panel, this will probably be pretty easy to do.  To test this, you can use an inexpensive pig-tail electrical tester, which is available at any hardware store for about two dollars.  With the circuit energized, touch one end of the tester to the hot wire, which should go to the smaller slot on the outlet, and one end of the tester to the electrical box  (see photo below left).  If the tester lights up, the box is grounded.  Now all you need to do is attach a bare copper wire to the box, and use this as the ground wire for a three prong outlet (see photo below right).

If you perform the test with a pig-tail tester and the light doesn't light up when you touch the hot wire to the box, the box is not grounded (or you're not touching a hot wire).  In this case, you could run a ground wire back to the panel, or you could replace your two-prong outlet with a GFCI outlet.  A GFCI outlet provides the best possible protection against shocks, but without a ground wire, this outlet will not provide any protection for your electrical equipment.  A surge protector plugged in to an ungrounded outlet will do nothing (you could fry your new plasma TV).  You will need to add a sticker to the GFCI outlet that reads "No Equipment Ground" - this sticker comes with every GFCI outlet.
 

 

What about two-prong to three-prong adapters?  These can only be safely used on a grounded two-prong outlet.  A pig-tail tester will light up on a grounded two-prong outlet if you touch one lead to the smaller slot on the outlet, and the other lead to the screw in the middle of the outlet.
 

 

If this is the case, you can safely use a two-prong to three-prong adapter, as long as you secure it to the outlet with the cover plate screw.  Any other use of a two-prong adapter is unsafe.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Home Inspections

 

In celebration of Saint Patrick's Day I thought some quick references for energy efficiency tips for homes would be appropriate.  It is amazing the dollars (another green) that is saved with a few easy changes that makes a huge differences.  Besides, respecting green standards is respecting our environment.

•1.   Light Bulbs - Switch to Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs.  They use 75% less energy and last 6 to 10 times longer

•2.   Drafty Windows & Doors - Stop drafts by placing a draft dodger (a long fabric tube) along the edges where cold seeps inside to stop it.  Close your drapes or blinds for the day when you are out.  The heavier the drapes the better they will perform.

•3.   Fireplaces - Make sure the damper is completely closed after use.

•4.   Dishwashers - Only run full loads to save water and let everything air dry after the final rinse instead of the heated dry option.

•5.   Refrigerators - they run 24/7 and account for 25% of our household energy use.  Do the dollar test - close the fridge door onto a dollar bill and check to see how much effort it takes for you to pull it out.  If it comes out easily then the seal is not tight enough and this needs to be fixed.  Another test is the door test - open the fridge door and let it go.  If it doesn't shut by itself, it will need to be re-stabilized.  If your refrigerator is older than 10 years, consider replacing it with an Energy Star- graded one which will save you around 9% on your electric bill.

•6.   Home Office - the screen saver on your computer is a real energy hog.  Turn it on to the sleep mode when not in use.  The chargers and plugs for Blackberries, cell phones, printers, etc. are using energy even when not in use or turned off (Phantom Load).  Place these on a surge protector and turn off the strip when these items are not in use.

•7.   Junk Mail - Sign up to have name removed from direct marketer's lists.  When you receive this type of mail simply circle the return address and write, "Return to Sender" on the mailer and drop in the mailbox. 

•8.   Electronic Waste - Collect diskettes, cd's, zip disks, printer cartridges, cables, broken small computer accessories.  Box them up and send them to Green Disk (www.greendisk.com) there is a small fee involved.

•9.   Cleaning - Instead of chlorine bleach, consider rubbing alcohol.  It kills germs and evaporates quickly. You can also use biodegradable all-purpose cleaning product with a micro-fiber towel to clean dirt and bacteria.  This type towel can be washed and reused again.

•10.   Minimizing Dirt - Stop wearing shoes in the house.  80% of all household dirt came from shoes and clothes.                                               

All achievable and all worth incorporating as good Home Habits!

 A "heads up" for men who may be

regular Home Depot customers.

This one caught me by surprise!

Over the past month I became the victim of a clever scam while out shopping.

Simply going out to get supplies turned out to quite traumatic!

Don't be naive and think it couldn't happen to you.

Here's how the scam works:

While I was loading the supplies in my car,

two seriously good looking young women started

cleaning my windshield. They were wearing skimpy

outfits and I couldn't take my eyes off them.

When they were finished, I offered to pay them.

They refused money, but asked if I could

drop them off at McDonalds.

I agreed and they got in the back seat.

On the trip, they start undressing,

then one of them climbs over into the front seat

and starts crawling of over me, and while that

                                      is going on, the other one steals my wallet.        

I've had my wallet stolen on February 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th

20th, 24th and 29th. Also March 1st and 4th, twice on the 8th,

 three times this morning and very likely again tomorrow.

So tell your friends to be careful out there.

                                         P.S. Wal-Mart has wallets on sale

                                               for $2.99 each,

and I also found cheaper ones

at K-Mart for $1.99.

Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in Berlin.

In order to increase sales, she decides to allow

her customers, most of whom are unemployed alcoholics,

to buy now and pay later.

Word gets around and as a result, customers flood

into Heidi's bar!

Taking advantage of her customers' freedom

from immediate payment constraints,

Heidi increases her prices, and her

volume increases dramatically!

A young go-getter at the local bank

recognizes these debts as valuable future

assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit.

He sees no reason for concern since he has the

debts of the alcoholics as collateral.

 At the bank's corporate head office, experts transform these

customer assets into DRINKBONDS, ALKYBONDS and PUKEBONDS.

These securities are then traded on the world market.

It should be pointed out that no one really

understands what these abbreviations

mean, or how the securities are

guaranteed.

Nevertheless, as their prices continually climb,

the securities become top-selling items.

Life is good!

One day, although the prices are still climbing,

a risk manager, (subsequently fired for negativity),

decides that the time has come to demand payment of

the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar.

 However, they cannot pay back the debts.

Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations and claims bankruptcy.

DRINKBOND and ALKYBOND drop in price by 95%.

PUKEBOND performs a little better, stabalizing

after dropping only 80%!

The suppliers to Heidi's bar, having granted her

generous payment-due dates, and having invested

in the securities, are now faced with a new situation!

Her wine supplier                      

claims bankruptcy, and her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor.

The bank is saved by the government

following dramatic round-the-clock consultations

by leaders from the governing political parties.

The funds required for this emergancy bail-out are

obtained by a special tax levied on

THE NON-DRIKERS!

(Sound familiar?)

My Dad sent this list of "The World's Most Amazing Holes" to me, the original source is unknown.  Some of the pictures are so amazing that it's hard to believe that they are actually real, especially since the last hole on the list turns this into a political joke.  What do you think?

1. Kimberley Big Hole , South Africa

Apparently the largest hand-dug excavation in the world, this 1,097-meter- deep mine yielded over three tons of diamonds before being closed in 1914.

 

 

 

 

2. Glory Hole - Monticello Dam, California

This is the "glory hole" at Monticello dam, and it is the largest spillway of its kind in the world, its size enabling it to consume 14,400 cubic feet of water every second.

 

 

 

3. Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah

This is supposedly the largest man-made excavation on earth. Extraction began in 1863 and still continues today, the pit increasing in size constantly. In its current state the hole is miles deep and 2.5 miles wide.

 

 

 

4. Great Blue Hole , Belize

This incredible geographical phenomenon known as a blue hole is situated 60 miles off the mainland of   Belize . There are numerous blue holes around the world, but none as stunning as this one.

 

 

 

5. Mirny Diamond Mine , Serbia

This one is an absolute beast and holds the title of largest open diamond mine in the world. At 525 meters deep, with a top diameter of 1200 meters, there's even a no-fly zone above the hole due to a few helicopters having been sucked in.

 

 

 

 

6. Diavik Mine , Canada

The mine is so huge and the area so remote that it has its own airport with a runway large enough to accommodate a Boeing 737. It is equally impressive when the surrounding water is frozen.

 

 

 

7. Sinkhole in Guatemala

These photos are of a sinkhole that instantaneously appeared when the soil beneath was eroded as a result of a broken water main early this year (2008) in Guatemala . The hole swallowed a dozen homes and killed at least 3 people.

 

 

 

8. Rat Hole, Washington , D.C. , USA

This is the famous 'Rat Hole' that you've all heard about. It is capable of swallowing trillions and trillions of U.S. Dollars ANNUALLY... Never to be seen again!