Ruth Arnold's (rutharnold) Blog

I think I may have the record.  I have a short sale that I have been working on since October of 2008...Yes, over 15 months ago.  I listed this property in Lighthouse Point Florida, and waited for the first contract so we can determine a price the bank would take.  Over six contracts later, we ar...

Well, the bottom may be here...at least in South Florida.  REO's are priced in the same range that they were in 2002-2003, before the big spike in pricing.  If you assume a doubling every ten years, we are below what 1998 prices doubled would be.  We may go a bit lower, but I do not anticipate to...

Listing Agents......There are some pre-offer things you can do to prepare the sellers for an offer off of the list price...(and I have to admit, I am a lot of times too busy doing other stuff to do this) But...Put your seller on the drip campaigns for similar properties...When they see the number...

The total number of properties on the market in most locations makes marketing your particular listings a challenge.  How do we get one listing in the complex noticed above all the other possibilities?  How does an agent choose what to show?  You know the answer to that question, so begin there. ...

It has been quite a while since the Marketing 101 post, so, sit back and read my opinions on marketing in the 21st Century: When I first started selling real estate in the mid-80's we would advertise in the local Shopper and wait for the phone to ring.  Believe it or not, there was little to no c...

Lighthouse Point is a small town between Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach, Florida.  The town has multiple deep water canals leading out to the ocean via the Hillsboro Cut.  Marking the entrance to the town is the Lighthouse, which has been in operation for over 100 years.  Housing costs depend ...

Many of you who know me through the "hot tub" gang know I have begun working the "expired" listings.  Each morning I get up and send out postcards to all the expired listings in four towns.  I send out cards to both the condo market and the house market.  I have managed to get several listings in...

I am going to try to import the image of my web page for a fantastic house.  A sale is needed soon. 

Many of us know the new ways of marketing have little to do with the individual and a lot to do with the internet.  This is a very smart way to go, but it is not the only way to go.  People sometimes need a shove to get going in the right direction.  Your potential buyer may not think he can buy ...

Ok.  So you and the seller have agreed on a price you think will get a buyer in the door and interested.  What do you do now?  You pull out the marketing plan and begin implementing the steps to get the property sold.  Since word of mouth is the greatest advertising, start with the neighbors.  As...