Last week I posted that I was checking out different virtual tour sites.  I have tried out http://www.realestateshows/ and love it.  Normally, the price to join was $125, but Jeff Turner, president of the company, responded and let me know that for members of Activerain the cost was only $99.95.  Visit this link to sign up with the discount:  http://create.realestateshows.com/newuser/index.php?agencyID=11I've since created a virtual tour of one of my listings (4108 Wyoming St).  It was so easy to do.  I first watched the short tutorial videos, and within 15 minutes (I'm slow) I had set up the tour.  See it here:  http://www.realestateshows.com/161191One suggestion I received was to take my digital camera with my on a pre-listing appointment.  Shoot five pictures while your going through... 05/09/2007

We have a clear occupancy inspection on the Wyoming listing!  I met the inspector there this morning.  After a ten minute walk-thu, he said everything looks fine and said the certificate would be in the mail.  I knew this would be an easy one.  I installed three smoke detectors and three GFCI outlets this last week.  There was no pealing paint or falling plaster.  Even though the house is dated, it is very clean, and that did make a difference.  So, we've taken care of another step in the process.  I have a good working relationship with this inspector.  He inspected my house during the rehab, and since I work pretty heavily in the Tower Grove South neighborhood, which is his area, we see each other fairly often.  He knows the quality of work I do personally, and knows I follow the rule... 05/08/2007

Just got back from visiting some friends who live in Lake Saint Louis.  It's beautiful out there, but quite a drive from the city.  They have a large front yard that slopes fairly steeply down to the street.  It is terraced somewhat, but pretty overgrown.  They were wanting my opinion on how to landscape the area.  I love planting and laying out landscaping.  I work by trial and error, though, and move things around every year.  Their yard is somewhat overwhelming.  I suggested first getting rid of the overgrown plants/weeds, trimming what they want to keep, and mulch, mulch, mulch.  If they don't plant anything else, just mulching the terraces will make it look 100% better...  That's what I did all day today in my garden.  I took the day off so I could concentrate on getting hostas div... 05/07/2007

Here are the weekly market statisticss for the city of St. Louis.  The information was gathered from the local multiple listing service:There were 125 active listings.  Prices ranged from $17,900 to $1,295,000.There were 40 contingent/option listings.  Prices ranged from $24,000 to $589,000.There were 84 pending listings.  Prices ranged from $13,000 to $570,000.There were 89 sold properties.  Prices ranged from $30,000 to $570,000.There were 127 properties that expired.  Prices ranged from $16,900 to $624,000.There were 31 withdrawn listings.  Prices ranged from $85,000 to $389,900.I am hosting a public open house tomorrow (Sunday) at 4108 Wyoming Street, from 1 to 3 pm.  This is a very nice 4 bedroom, 1.5 bath home in Tower Grove South, just 4 blocks south of Tower Grove Park.  This on... 05/05/2007

Just came back from doing some work on the Wyoming listing.  The occupancy inspection is on Tuesday, and I wanted to be ready for him.  I installed three smoke detectors and three gfci outlets.  The seller is elderly and wouldn't be able to do it.  It didn't take that long to do, and she appreciated it.  I know some will say that is not the listing agent's job, and I agree.  I usually don't do that for sellers; but sometimes I feel that little extra can make a big impression on our clients.I attended a class this afternoon at the Keller Williams Southwest office.  It was one of four new classes released by KWU (Keller Williams University) that are designed to take our businesses to the next level.  Today's class was titled: "Buyer Mastery - Succeeding in a Buyer's Market".  This class w... 05/03/2007

Yesterday I facilitated a class at our Keller Williams Southwest office.  This was one class out of a seventeen session series called:  "Priciples of Lead Generation and Prospecting to Grow Your Business".   These classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 - 1:30 pm.  My class was on "Chapter 5: Prospecting Events".  The class covered how to prospect open houses, how to use client parties to generate repeat and referral business, how to prospect by hosting seminars, how to prospect social functions and community events, and how to prospect our inner circles with personal meetings.  What is so great about these and all classes at Keller Williams Realty is that everyone is welcome to attend, even Realtors from other companies.  Not only are we Keller Williams Realtors becoming ... 05/02/2007

I wanted to share some more from the seminar I attended last week.  It was a seminar on the Foreclosure market, sponsored by the Wealth Intelligence Academy.  The classes were Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  I thought the seminar was informative, even though we knew it was a teaser seminar to get you to enroll in the main training.  At the end of the day on Friday, the presenter gave the prices for the different advanced training packages..... Well, needless to say, we didn't sign up.  There were eight different packages ranging from $8990 through $63,990.  The second cheapest package (the one we would have probably chosed) was $13,990.  We didn't go back on Saturday.  We knew we were not going to sign up, and they would be trying to sell us the entire day.  I do not have $14,000 just ... 05/01/2007

It's been a long weekend.  Friday evening, my lower back began to hurt. By late in the evening, I could hardly move.  Saturday, I was bed-ridden for most of the day.  When I was able to pull myself out of bed, walking was horrible, and I had to crawl up and down the steps.  I alternated from submerging myelf in the bathtub to ice packs on my back.  Yesterday was somewhat better; I could at least walk slowly.  Any jolt was unbearable, though.  I did ride along down to Bayer's Greenhouses with Kim, Gary and Dennis.  I just couldn't stay inside any longer.  The weather was too nice, and you can lie in bed for only so long.  It was the annual plant shopping trip, and I wasn't going to miss it.  I didn't enjoy it, though.  I went to the doctor this morning.  He thinks it's just a pulled musc... 04/30/2007

It's chilly again.  We had rainshowers today, and a cold front came through.  The attic fan will not run tonight....We are in a three-day seminar, today being the first day.  We also go tomorrow and all day Saturday.  This seminar is just the teaser; they want you to take the specialized classes later.  Regardless, I'm getting a lot of information.  Some of the points I wanted to share:The acronym - GREATG-getR-reallyE-excited A-aboutT-today-The number one rule in creating wealth is financial independence.-There are three type of income:  1. Earned Income - you have to work to get money - job  2. Passive Residual Income - do the work once, and then get paid over and over  3. Portfolio Income - use your assets to make you more money - your money makes money-Stop taking advice from people... 04/26/2007

Just got a call from an agent telling me he is going to get together with his clients around 10:00 pm tonight to write an offer on my Alberta listing.  I'm in classes all day tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday, so I will have to present it in the evening.  Not too bad for being on the market for only a week....I spent this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday showing condos and lofts in the Central West End and Downtown St Louis.  I hadn't done very much in the condo market last year, so this was a treat to see what is out there right now.  The lofts blew me away.  St Louis has some great developments under way, both in the Central West End and Downtown.  I was especially impressed with the Crown Loft Condominiums at Boyle and Laclede in the Central West End.  This building houses 36 units, m... 04/25/2007

We had our bi-weekly office meeting today.  Usually, our meetings are followed by a presentation on various topics related to sales or real estate.  Today, the topic was Negotiating for Realtors. I wanted to share some hightlights:1. Keep your emotions out of it.  Always be the steady and stable one for your clients.2. Don't lose sight of the goal - the goal is a signed contract.3. Use technology to your advantage.  Negotiate via fax and phone.  Don't negotiate through email.4. Control what you say.  There is no room for drama and emotion.5. Keep your commission out of it.6. Continually refer back to the client's motivation.  This is an important point.  What's most important to them?7. Win-Win or No Deal.8. Don't be afraid to ask.9. Don't burn bridges.  A very important point.  You wan... 04/24/2007

Last night I went to one of my best friend's father's 73rd birthday party (A shout out to Big Jay Hudson!  Happy Birthday!).  Anyway, I've been buddies with "Little" Jay Hudson since I was in 2nd grade and over the years have gotten to know their family very well.  From the yearly birthday parties and from other events I have had the privilege of getting to know the aunts and uncles and cousins almost as if they were my own kin.So, last night my girlfriend and I drove up to North St. Louis city from our home in suburban Oakville to attend the party.  We were greeted with hugs and welcomes that were no different that the hugs that were given out to any of the cousins.  We hooped and hollered and caught up what all had transpired since the last time that we had seen one another.  Grandma ... 04/23/2007

My search for an eclecical restaurant in St. Louis is coming along well enough that I thought that I would try another one to get St. Louisians to comment on.  In this post, I'm asking you what was the "Weirdest" thing that you've ever seen in St. Louis?In order to start things off I'll list a couple of things that I have seen.1)  A full-grown man dressed in a majorette costume high stepping down the middle of a street in the Central West End.2)  A burning hulk of a jet airliner in the middle of a downtown intersection at about 3 AM (it was a set for the movie Escape From New York)3)  A cow standing in the grass eating peacefully along North Broadway just north of downtown. There's a start....what have you guys seen? R.B. "Bob" MitchellValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.  04/22/2007

I just read a post, Take A Client For Granted about an agent who was busy with other business and couldn't get to show a valued customer a particular house.  The agent attempted to call and left a message telling the client that he would not be available until the next morning to show the house to him.The next morning he called the client to show the house and the client informed him that he had gone ahead and set up a showing with another Realtor.  The apparent point of the post was that he, the agent, had screwed up and was taking the client for granted because he had not been able to show this property that day.To This I say, "Hooey!"  I don't mean to be critical of the agent who wrote this post, but I think that this attitude that we have to be super people and available to our clie... 04/21/2007

Hello up there as you fly over the great mid-west!  I recently wrote an article on an ezine called YoJayHudson.com on how the media discounts anything that doesn't happen on the east coast or the west coast.  The article was basically about the power outage that we experienced here in St. Louis last summer where millions of St. Louisians were left without power after a severe series of thunderstorms rolled through the area.Being without power for a week, my only source of news was my cell phone's internet connection.  I scanned all of the news sites for coverage of our plight and for the first couple of days there wasn't anything.  Then I saw the head line, "Thousands lose power in New York City".  I'm like, "What?!!!"  Thousands lose power in New York City trumps millions lose power in... 04/19/2007

  A few years back I listed a glorious old home in the Soulard area of St. Louis.  This home had originally been a doctors residence when it was built back in the 1880's??.  To say that it was a solid house was an understatement .  Legend had it that a tornado had hit it and bounced off.  The foundation on this thing was something like 36 inches wide!Over the years the house had been "remodeled" several times in the various styles du jour that were popular.  These "remodels" included putting in a suspended ceiling, painting the wood work, bricking up windows and a red and the biggest shag carpet that I had ever seen.We got a contract on the home fairly quickly and that freed up the sellers to go look for another home.  After having owned a home that was over 100 years old and huge, they... 04/18/2007

Dennis and I went to a seminar on 1031 Tax Exchanges this evening.  It was sponsored by the Des Peres Keller Williams office.  The material was presented by Coleen Howell, a Vice President with LandAmerica-Commonwealth Title Company.  As we are considering moving up from our two-families to larger investment properties in the future, I thought it would be a good idea to attend.  The class was pretty general, for beginners, which was fine with me; I don't know that much about the exchanges.  I also wanted to educate myself so I could better assist my investment property clients.  Some notes I took tonight are as follows: Straight Deferred Exchange:  Your relinquished property begins the 1031 Tax Exchange.The property(s) you purchase ends your 1031 Tax Exchange. A qualified intermediary (... 04/17/2007

I wanted to share an exerpt from a speech given by Nelson Mandela at his inaguration in 1994.  It was originally attributed to Marianne Williamson.  This is so profound, and it is another clipping I keep posted on the board above my desk:Our Deeped FearOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talente, fabulous?Actually, who are you NOT to be?You are a child of God.Your playing small does not serve the world.There is nothing enlightening about shrinkingSo that other people won't feel unsure around you.We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.As w... 04/16/2007

I'm about to pull my hair out!  As I sit here at my desk working on my web page, answering emails and doing my blogging (all things that I try to get done before my day gets started in earnest) my phone rings and it's my daughter.  It's cold in Columbus and she doesn't feel like going to class.  She will, she just wanted to complain to someone and she knew that I would answer my phone!  I no sooner get off the phone with her when my buddy Bear calls, his truck is acting up and can I follow him over to the shop in case it doesn't make it?  Of course I can, what else can a buddy say.  I love my daughter and of course I'll help my buddy out, but how and where do you draw the line.  My daughter didn't call her Mom because she knows that her Mom is at WORK!  My buddy didn't call one of his o... 04/16/2007

Beautiful day today compared with the past two days.  It was so dreary and rainy yesterday I did not want to leave the house... Today is partly sunny with temperatures in the fifties - still chilly compared with what it was, but at least it's not raining...Following are the market statistics for single family residential homes in the city of St Louis for the past week.  These stats are gathered from the local multiple listing service:There were 176 Active listings on the market, priced between $9,900 (foreclosure) and $1,495,000 (wow!).There were 40 Contingent listings, priced between $79,900 and $1,179,000 (wow!).There were 73 Pending listings, priced between $19,900 and $1,495,000 (double wow!).There were 49 Sold listings, priced between $27,500 and $1,150,000.There were 47 listings t... 04/15/2007