Central Florida Real Estate Blog

OK, so now that I got your attention.  Normally I read the comics in the morning and we won't go any further than that.  This morning was slightly unusual in that I was busy putting together my installment of Links in the Active Rain Chain.  With that said, I just read a comic, Pearls Before Swine, that is just so apropo for us bloggers.

Yes, TLW, it's stolen as usual!  I guess that's one of my downfalls, or at least the one that I'll talk about on the Rain.

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

Here's the deal or what may have actually been the deal!  I have several acres of land listed for sale.  An agent asked me to walk the property with her and her clients. 

No problem, while we were doing so it was talked about them possibly considering subdividing the property in the future.  Their Realtor, nor myself, thought that there would be an issue with this and further thought that they would be allowed to deed the property with it having ingress and egress via the other parcel. 

OK, so long story short, which is extremely difficult for me.  On Monday, I called the Zoning office and asked questions about the possible subidivision of this property.  I found out that the county no longer allows them to have a common drive and that each property has to have its own dedicated driveway. 

Since I knew that this was a possible concern, I informed the other Realtor of such.  She told me that they were planning on making an offer, but she would have to contact them about this information and let them know.  Well, needless to say, they is no offer forthcoming. 

I look at this several different ways & would like your take on such.  Some will think that it was not my responsibility to let the other Realtor know what I had found out, since it was most likely her duty to do such for her clients.  Others will say that once I found out this information, it was my duty to inform all parties of such.  I can also see others saying that I should not have called at all & that was my fault for doing such. 

Again, your thoughts!

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

This is amazing with all that's gone on within the mortgage industry.  I was just going through some mail that I'd put aside and there was a letter in there from a lender on one of my rental properties.  They wanted to offer to lower my monthly payment a little over $300.  The rate was going from 7.375% to a 6.746% APR.  OK, so what's the catch.  Well it appears that the actual rate is 5.875% and they wanted 1.605% points.  Right here I'm going to myself - OK, so they're charging points looking to make some quick cash.  Everyone knows that points are just upfront interest.  So then I turn over the letter and look at the other side.  This is what it says:

This loan is an adjustable-rate mortgage which carries a fixed rate of interest for 10 years, and does NOT have negative amortization.  (Well that's a good thing at least.)  Interest-only payment is for the first 10 years of the loan term.  After the first 10 years, the payment will become fully amortized, paying both principal and interest for the remaining term.  The payment will adjust annually starting with the 11th year. 

At least they added the following:

Paying interest only will not reduce the outstanding balance of your loan and will increase the overall cost of the loan.  Your payment will increase substantially at the 11th year.

Now the sad part is that many people will go for this because all they are looking at is the monthly payment.  Someone wrote in one of their posts that people are stupid.  I like to think better of people, but must admit that they are generally greedy.  Many will not even consider the consequences.  Many will not even read or care what the loan is about - just that they've reduced their monthly payment - albeit temporarily, but what the hey! 

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

Today, being Thanksgiving, I wanted to give something back to the community.  I've learned so much here and many of you have shared sites that I've felt have beneficial to myself.  So, with that said...

This is a list of many sites that I've found over the years and currently utilize for online property submissions.  Most are free of charge.  Some do not appear to get much traffic, while I consistently get responses from some others.  There are also many that I've used and no longer utilize because of the lack of responses. 

I won't deny that the initial work on some of these sites may be time-consuming.  But, seriously, if you sell a property due to that effort, it's obviously worth it then.  On many sites you can just cut and paste the HTML code from Postlets or Point 2 Agent.  I have found many of these by just searching the internet.  I've also found many by going to Google Base and see where they have been posted from.  You need to do this occasionally, as I even found one of the sites just today.

Here we go:

A Better Way

Agentopolis

All The Listings

Backpage

Classified Flyer Ads

Craigslist

Facebook

Google Base

Hot Pads

House Hunting

House.info

House Buz

House List

Just Real Estate Listings

Kijiji

Listing Vue

Point 2 Agent

Postlets

Pet Realty Network

US Lister

Yuvie

Happy posting to you!

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

Some really cool Thanksgiving Cartoons.

What happened to good old fashioned common courtesy?  Even if we are in a fast paced environment with so much so readily available, why should that have been the one simple thing to be thrown out - something that takes almost no time at all?

The definition of courtesy according to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary is the "excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior; respectful or considerate act or expression; help or generosity."  We are in a social atmosphere and a social discipline.  What else can real estate be considered?  Unless you are totally isolated, then you will have interactions on one level or another with others. 

I know that many will blame the change on the familial environment and make-up.  Yes, that may be partially true, but it has to go much further than that into the fabric of our society. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I must admit that there are times that I may be lacking in such myself, especially with telemarketers.  Usually, I try to say ‘no thanks' and ‘goodbye,' but I won't deny that I've also just hung up the phone.  Yes, they are annoying and shouldn't be calling you since you are on the DNC list.  OK, so we know that's a joke - neither here nor there. 

Do you say ‘thank you' to others?  Now I won't deny that when I feel someone is rude, I may say ‘you're welcome' if they sometimes do not say ‘thank you'.  And, maybe, that's rude on my part.  Granted, I don't do things to be acknowledged, but... 

Here are some questions to peruse:

Do you hold the door open for the next person or do you even look to see if there is someone behind you?

Do you allow pedestrians to cross in a parking lot or do you feel that they should wait for you?  (You do understand that pedestrians do have the right of way most of the time.)

Talking about driving, are you courteous on the road?  Do you make room for traffic to merge?  Do you use your turn signal all of the time, not some of the time?  Do you allow people to move into your lane when they have a turn signal on?

Do you thank a realtor for showing your property? 

If a realtor calls you for feedback, do you return their call?  Unfortunately, I find that most don't

But more importantly, are you courteous with your clients - whether they be buyers or sellers?  A major part of being courteous is to take the time to listen and not to interrupt.  Too many people, and I'm guilty here as well at times, just hear part of what is being said and then interject because they may feel they know what the other person is getting at.  Listen completely, it's not only courteous but makes the other person feel important.  Actually, by not doing so, you are indirectly telling that person that they are not worth your time.  And, that is just downright rude, everyone has a value and none of us has the right to take that away from anyone. 

How much effort does it really take to be courteous to others?  We are entering the major shopping season with all the hustle and bustle.  A little kindness to the next person goes a long way - and for both of you.  They'll appreciate it and you should feel good about yourself.  It's all about the aura that you project. 

Being courteous in life and business is not something that takes a lot of effort or even a lot of thought.  But the rewards, personally and otherwise, are just so great.  People do remember the little things. 

So, maybe, take a little extra time and send that thank you note.  It's interesting, I have a listing and there appeared to be an issue with an upstairs bathroom.  Neither here nor there, but I sent a short note to the owner and thanked him for being helpful, etc.  The day he got the note he called me.  It was obvious that he was taken aback and quite pleased that I thought enough to do this.  Will you get a call every time?  No!  But is the effort worth it?  It depends on what you want out of life and your real estate career.

Thank You & You're Welcome!

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

I had to laugh when I read this comic this morning!  But, there was another comic 'Mutts' which was about Thanksgiving with a simple Estonian proverb stating "Who does not thank for little, will not thank for much."  You can't get any truer than that.   

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!

PECAN PIE

1 cup Karo light or dark corn syrup

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

2¾ cups pecans

1 - 9" unbaked or frozen deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350º F. 

In a medium bowl beat eggs slightly with fork.  Add sugar, Karo corn syrup, butter and vanilla.  Stir until blended.  Stir in pecans.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake 50 - 55 min or until knife inserted halfway between the center & edge comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Pecan Pie -

Add 4 oz. semi-sweet or 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted into the sugar & Karo syrup mixture.

Hint:  Spray your measuring cup with a non stick cooking spray before measuring the Karo & it will pour more easily.

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

Now I know that many, especially in the South, will think this is sacrilege not baking a Cornbread in a cast-iron skillet, but...

Marc's Cornbread

1½ cups yellow cornmeal

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp double-acting baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1½ cups buttermilk

½ stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup fresh corn kernels including the pulp scraped from the cobs (about 1½ ears

of corn)

1½ cups grated sharp Cheddar

3 scallions, sliced thin

Preheat the oven to 425º F.  Grease a 13 x 9" or similar casserole dish.  Into a small bowl sift together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, butter and buttermilk.  To the cornmeal mixture add the buttermilk mixture, corn, Cheddar & scallions.  Stir the batter until it is just combined.  Pour it into the prepared pan spreading it evenly.  Bake approx. 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. 

Till next time...Marc It Sold!

Actually, this is one of my favorite things to bake.  It's just so simple, easy & decadent.

Marc's Cheesecake

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

4 8oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Butter a 9 or 10" springform pan.  Dust completely with flour.  Tap out excess flour.  Preheat oven to 375º F.  Beat eggs, sugar and lemon juice until light.  Add the cream cheese (but not all at once) and beat thoroughly (not too lumpy).  Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well.  Pour into pan and bake at least 30 minutes.  Top should be slightly golden brown and when you shake the pan the center should be somewhat set.  Bake longer if necessary.  Turn off oven and open door slightly.  Remove from oven after it has somewhat cooled.  Chill in the refrigerator overnight. 

If you prefer a crust, it's very simple. You'll need: 

2 cups of crumbs, whether they be graham cracker, oreo cookie or vanilla snaps. 

4 tbsp confectioners sugar

1 stick butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients together and press onto the bottom and sides of a buttered springform pan.  Do not dust with flour as mentioned above.  You can either chill it in the refrigerator for several hours or in the freezer for about 1/2 hour while making your batter above.

Till next time...Marc It Sold!

Was going through a couple of my recipes, because I have to put something together for a gathering coming up.  Thought I'd share a couple of my favorites. 

Marc's Macaroni & Cheese

6 tbsp unsalted butter + some for a prepared baking dish

5½ cups milk

½ cup flour

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground white pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

4½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (approx. 18 oz.)

2 cups Gruyere cheese (approx. 8 oz.)

1 lb elbow macaroni

Bread crumbs - either seasoned or plain

Heat the oven to 375º F.  Butter a 13 x 9 or similar dish.  Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's directions less 2 - 3 minutes.  Rinse with cold water; then drain and return to pot.  Heat the milk in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.  Melt the butter in a larger saucepan over medium heat.  When the butter bubbles, add the flour.  Cook, whisking about 1 minute and then slowly pour in the hot milk while continuing to whisk constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.  Remove the saucepan from the pan.  Stir in the salt, peppers, 3 cups of the cheddar & 1½ cups of the Gruyere.  Stir cheese sauce into the macaroni.  Pour the mixture into a prepared dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheeses and some bread crumbs over the top.  Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes and then serve hot.

Till next time - Marc It Sold!