Housing Bubble

You have to look at the reasons there is an inventory shortages to really determine if there is a bubble. Homeowners are not listing there property because they have no where to go. When a property comes on the market, they will pay more then it is worth.

Every one wants to invest again and they are paying cash. While all-cash sales might reduce the glut of empty homes on the market, the unintended consequence is that the trend does little to support home prices.

The U.S. foreclosure inventory is at over 1,500,000 properties. The banks are holding back properties, waiting for rising prices.

Comps are coming in higher due to prices being higher then they are worth.

When you look at the definition of a housing bubble, everything happening meets the criteria.

Definition of 'Housing Bubble'

A run-up in housing prices fueled by demand, speculation and the belief that recent history is an infallible forecast of the future. Housing bubbles usually start with an increase in demand (a shift to the right in the demand curve), in the face of limited supply which takes a relatively long period of time to replenish and increase. Speculators enter the market, believing that profits can be made through short-term buying and selling. This further drives demand. At some point, demand decreases (a shift to the left in the demand curve), or stagnates at the same time supply increases, resulting in a sharp drop in prices - and the bubble bursts.

Questions Buyers Should Ask

Questions To Ask Before Buying A Home There are some questions to ask before you buy a home. If you can get the answers, it could help you with deciding how much to offer.

What Is The Property Worth?

You should have your agent provide you with comparable of recently sold homes in the area. They should provide comps that show the high and low range for similar properties. Also, look at the time on market for the property that you are looking at. This can give you some insight in to what other buyers feel about the price and property itself.

How Flexible Is The Seller?

Some agents will tell you if there is any flexibility in the price. Nothing insults the seller more then a lowball offer. Most sellers have pride in their homes and a lowball offer might prevent the seller from looking at other offers from you.

Ask if the seller will help with closing costs. Help with closing costs will lower your outlay.

Is There Anything Wrong With The House?

Ask the sellers or seller’s agent if there is anything wrong with the home. Some people won’t disclose the problems. If they do, it might help you determine how much additional repairs you might have to do and have an effect on your offer price.

Always do a Home Inspection and let the seller now. That will let the seller know that any problems will be found.

How Far Along Is The Short Sale Process?

If you are placing an offer on a short sale, it is always good to know what stage the short sale is at. Prices are rising and the price offered today might not be good in 3-4 months. If the seller has all the paperwork in or the price has been approved by the bank, the waiting period will be shorter. If the seller is just starting, the wait will be longer. Plus some sellers will accept an offer just to find out what the bank will take.

What New Construction is Coming To The Area?

If similar type properties are being built, try to find out the price range. If the new home price is near the seller’s price, you could be better off buying the new home. It could also help in the negotiating process.

If apartments or commercial developments are coming to the area, it could also affect the price. Having low prices apartments or a shopping center a few blocks away, will affect traffic and might make the area less desirable.

Does The Seller Have Paperwork For Appliances and Mechanical Systems?

If a problem develops, they might be covered with a warranty. If you do not have the paperwork, it might not be covered. If the seller has it, ask them to bring it to the closing.

Find Out If There Are Any Distressed Properties In The Area?

This might have an affect on your offering amount and the comps if you are applying for a mortgage. Take a ride around the neighborhood. If there are run down properties, it could have an influence on the value.

With the present market conditions, shortage of inventory and rising prices, a few simple questions could aid you in determining the correct amount to offer.

Renters Tips

I do a decent amount of Rentals and have some tips.

The Rental Market is getting tighter, with Landlords asking for 1st, last and security. If you are planning to move be prepared to pay all three. If your credit is not good, it's pretty much a definite. I took someone out today and they had no credit. They did have $1500 now.

An owner is not going to care if your pet is old, just lays around and is well behaved. If it weighs 100 pounds and is on the restricted breed list, you have a problem.

Even though everyone one wants a nice place to live, some times there has to be a compromise. You are not buying a home and can leave at lease end. You might not get granite counters, stainless steel appliances and so on. But should that be more important then an owner who will take care of the property, good schools, proximity to transportation and all the requirements that should help in your decision.

Be honest with your agent. They are there to assist you. When they ask about your credit don't say it's fine. They have to submit a credit report in most cases. If it is not good, they can focus on properties that will accept you.

Don't wait until the last minute. Most HOA's or Condo Association's use a Property Management Company. The process will take a minimum of a week. They do have up to 30 days. You aren't going to be able to move in tomorrow.

If have a criminal record, you need to disclose this. Any one running a report will find this out. It is better to be honest up front. If you have to wait to be approved and it shows up, you will be looking again.

Craigslist has a multitude of ads posted by Agents in my area. Instead of calling a bunch of them, pick one and let them assist you. They all have access to the same data. One person will work harder for you then you calling 10. Plus when you call an agent and tell them you will be here after your first appointment and before your next, you kind of dampers the enthusiasm. Loyalty plays a part here.

I had one customer recently whose budget was $2000. If a home came on the market for $2300 or $2400, they would want to see it. If it is on the market for one day, the owner is probably not going to accept it. Plus the fact, they might feel insulted. If they wanted $2000, they would probably have listed it for that or somewhere close.

If you are looking to rent, be aware of a shortage of inventory, credit requirements, and money down and to be realistic.

How To Get Ready For The Google Update

There should be a Google Update shortly and here are some ways to prepare. Quality Content Content is king and this is the most important thing to provide. Place high-quality content on your pages, especially your homepage. This content contains useful information, it will attract many visitors and webmasters will want to link to your site. Write pages that clearly and accurately describe your topic. Place keywords on the site that people will probably type. Check your spelling and grammar. Duplicate Content Duplicate content generally refers to substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely matches other content or is appreciably similar. Mostly, this is not deceptive in origin. If your site contains multiple pages with largely identical content, there are a number of ways you can indicate your preferred URL to Google. (This is called "canonicalization".) Pick a canonical (preferred) URL as the preferred version of the page. If you have similar Content, Google will choose which page to use in results. To do this, create a link as follows: Setting your Preferred Domain tells Google which version of your site's URL (http://www.yourdomain.com or http://yourdomain.com) you prefer. If you set your preferred domain as http://yourdomain.com, Google will treat links to http://www.yourdomain.com exactly the same as links to your preferred domain. To set the preferred domain for a site, click Configuration, and then click Settings. In the Preferred domain section, pick the option you prefer. Use 301 Redirects If a page can be reached in multiple ways—for instance, http://www.yourdomain.com, http:/yourdomain.com, or http://idxsearch.yourdomain.com—it's a good idea to pick one of those URLs as your preferred (canonical) destination, and use 301 redirects to send traffic from the other URLs to your preferred URL. Indicate your canonical (preferred) URLs by including them in a Sitemap While Google is not guaranteed to use the URL’s submitted, it dos let them know which you consider most important. Have Other Sites Link to Yours Links help Google’s crawlers find the site and can give the site greater visibility in their search results. Google’s algorithms can distinguish natural links from unnatural links. Only natural links are useful for the indexing and ranking of your site. Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote by page A for page B. A link from a high ranking site is a vote for the site. A vote from an important site will make your site more important. Try to have links from relevant sites. If you have a Real Estate site, you won’t benefit from having links from a Car Dealer. You could be penalized. Remove Low Quality or Spammy Links Start removing links from low pagerank sites. The first step is to try and contact the webmaster. If that fails, the next step is to use the Google Disavow Tool. This is a two-step process. First, you’ll need to download a list of links to your site. Next, you’ll create a file containing only the links you want to disavow, and upload this to Google. Disavow links to your site: 1. On the Webmaster Tools home page, click the site you want. 2. On the Dashboard, click Traffic, and then click Links to Your Site. 3. Under Who links the most, click More. 4. Click Download more sample links. If you click Download latest links, you'll see dates as well. Relevancy This is more important as time goes on. Relevancy is the key to unlocking search potential. The goal is not to confuse Search Engines and visitors with irrelevant material. By providing relevant information, visitors will spend more time on the site and be more likely to return. Things to Avoid Never fill your page with lists of keywords, put up "crawler only" pages or attempt to "cloak" pages. Google considers those links and pages deceptive and if your site contains pages, links, or text that you don't intend visitors to see, Google may ignore your site. You don’t have to use a Search Optimization Service. How many of us get calls from 50 places a year guaranteeing a Top 10 position? I’ve never understood how this is possible, since there are only 10 spots. Then they’ll suggest irrelevant keywords, which no one looks for. Legitimate SEO firms can improve your site's flow and content. On the other hand, others use deceptive tactics to try and fool search engines. This could get the site banned. Don’t use images for important links, content or keywords. Since Google’s crawlers don’t recognize text contained in graphics, use the ALT attributes. Better Safe Then Sorry The Search engines have shifted their focus and we must also. It’s much easier to be prepared for the next update, then have to try to fix the problems after.

Spring Cleaning

Free and Eco-Friendly Ways to Spring Clean

The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and you're on your hands and knees in your ugliest sweatpants scrubbing the grout on the bathroom floor. Spring cleaning isn't exactly fun, but it's a necessary evil that can be made a lot more pleasant with the use of natural, non-toxic products that won't leave you with a headache or require a costly trip to the store. If you've got baking soda, vinegar, lemons, an old towel and a handful of other common household items, you can give your house a fresh start without spending any money at all.

Fresh Air In, Odors Out Closed-up houses may be cozy in the winter, but they tend to smell pretty stale. Get some air moving in your house by opening all the windows and positioning a few fans in strategic places, like hallways and stairways. Placing a fan in the window, facing out, can work wonders for your indoor air quality, making it smell as fresh as the outdoors.

Make Glass Sparkle with Newspaper Nothing gets glass windows and mirrors quite to a streak-free, so-transparent-it's-dangerous shine like newspaper. You won't have problems with smeared text because most newspapers are now printed with water-based inks. The paper leaves behind virtually zero lint. Just spray the glass with a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar, rub the glass with a dry cloth and then go over the surface with a piece of newspaper.

Cut Old Towels into Cleaning Rags Those scratchy towels that are no longer fit for post-shower use could provide you with a dozen or more new, totally free cleaning rags. Just cut them up - most terrycloth towels won't unravel, so you don't need to worry about breaking out the sewing machine. It's far better for the planet than using disposable paper towels.

Eliminate Odors with Fresh Lemons Even the nastiest of odors can't stand up to the freshening power of fresh lemons. Get rid of garlic, fish and other strong smells using half a cut lemon or some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. To freshen indoor air, simmer lemon peel on the stovetop, adding water as needed.

Freshen the Fridge with Coffee Among the many unexpected uses for coffee is absorbing funky odors in the refrigerator. If you've got stale coffee grounds, or have a bag that's no longer good for brewing, place a bowl of them in the fridge for a day or so. You can use the same trick to deodorize virtually anything by placing the object in a plastic bag along with a container of coffee grounds.

Sanitize Sponges With Salt There's no use trying to clean anything with a sponge that's teeming with bacteria. Suds up your sponges, rinse them thoroughly and then soak them in cold, heavily salted water for an hour or two. This process will kill the germs and plump the sponges back up again.

No-Scrub Oven Cleaner It's time to tackle that burnt-on mess on the bottom of your oven. Baking soda makes it as easy as it gets, and your next batch of cookies won't taste faintly of chemical cleaners. Sprinkle it liberally all over the floor of the oven, spray it with water until it's well dampened, and leave it for a few hours. Then just wipe out the mess and use vinegar to remove the film of baking soda residue left behind.

Vinegar for Cleaning Floors Use a half-and-half solution of white vinegar and water to clean virtually any type of flooring other than porous stones like slate and granite. You can up the cleaning power for unwaxed wood floors, tile or linoleum by mixing 1/3 white vinegar, 1/3 rubbing alcohol and 1/3 water with 3 drops of dishwashing liquid.

Make Reusable Swiffer Covers There's no doubt that Swiffers and other floor cleaning tools that use disposable pads can be convenient. But all those sheets add up fast, not only in cost but in the amount of trash you put out each week. Instead of buying refills, sew up a few of your own covers with a pattern you can find at Berlin's Whimsy.

De-Gunk Microwaves with Baking Soda and Lemon The citric acid in lemon juice can loosen even the crustiest food residue that gets splattered all over microwave interiors. Place lemon wedges in a small bowl of water and nuke them for two to three minutes. Let it sit without opening the door for about ten minutes, then wipe out the inside. If you still have any odors or nightmarish globs of unidentifiable gunk left behind, use a paste of baking soda and water to scrub them right out.

Words That Sell Homes

How you describe a home will determine how many showings it gets. A "Beautiful, Spacious Home with a Large Master Suite", will get more showings then a "3 Bedroom 2 Bath Home in a Great Community" Beautiful Who Doesn't want a beautiful Home.. Turn-key Let buyers know if it is move-in ready.. Lovingly maintained If the home has been lovingly maintained, buyers will be attracted, since they will save money on fixing what's wrong Spacious Buyers want a home that will fill their needs. Back-yard paradise Home buyers envision a residence where they can relax.. Fabulous layout Great layouts will make the sq ft look bigger. Remodeled to perfection If you have remodeled your home let buyers know. Since granite Counter tops and Stainless Steel Appliances are in demand, include that in the listing. Huge master suite People are more interested in what bedrooms offer, then knowing the number. Palm Beach Real Estate

Vacancy-Homeowner Rates

The U.S. vacancy rate and the rate of homeownership both declined in the first quarter of 2013 with the homeownership rate hitting the lowest level in 17 years. According to the Census Bureau the rate of homeownership in the country declined from 65.6 in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 65.2.

There were 133.08 million housing units in the U.S. in the first quarter, an increase of 486,000 from one year earlier. Of those 114,643 were occupied, an increase of 520,000 and 18.4 million were vacant, essentially unchanged from the year before. Of the total housing stock 74.5 million units or 56 percent were owner occupied and 46.1 million or 30.2 percent were occupied by renters.

The median asking price for vacant rental units in the first quarter was $718.

The median asking price for a vacant unit that was for sale was $139,800.

Ollie Burger-The Best Burger Ever

During my High School years, we used to go to Ollie's for Lunch.

The best burgers and fries ever.

Ollie would be at the Grill making Burgers. It was funny. If people wanted ketchup for the Burgers, he would get upset. He felt you killed the taste. More then once, I saw him tell people to leave if they were going to mess up his burgers.

Ollie's recipes were bought by Lum's Restaurant Chain, who went out of business.

The Burger and Fries were the best ever because of the Seasoning.

I Googled it and found a bunch of recipes. Just not the same.

I found a retired Executive from Lum's who sells the spices. I ordered some and they were great.

It's like my dreams have been answered.

SEO Factors

Getting A Home Ready for Sale

Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send home buyers scurrying for their checkbooks. Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an irresistible and marketable home.

Disassociate Yourself With Your Home. Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf. Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours. Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners! Say goodbye to every room. Don't look backwards -- look toward the future.

De-Personalize. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."

De-Clutter! People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it. If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away? Remove all books from bookcases. Pack up those knickknacks. Clean off everything on kitchen counters. Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use. Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets. Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means: Alphabetize spice jars. Neatly stack dishes. Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way. Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction. Line up shoes.

Rent a Storage Unit. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"

Remove/Replace Favorite Items. If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

Make Minor Repairs. Replace cracked floor or counter tiles. Patch holes in walls. Fix leaky faucets. Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam. Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls. (Don't give buyers any reason to remember your home as "the house with the orange bathroom.") Replace burned-out light bulbs. If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

Make the House Sparkle! Wash windows inside and out. Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior. Clean out cobwebs. Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks. Polish chrome faucets and mirrors. Clean out the refrigerator. Vacuum daily. Wax floors. Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures. Bleach dingy grout. Replace worn rugs. Hang up fresh towels. Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows. Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

Scrutinize. Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you? Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer. Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense. Make sure window coverings hang level. Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz? Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.

Check Curb Appeal. If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside. Keep the sidewalks cleared. Mow the lawn. Paint faded window trim. Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive. Trim your bushes. Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

Palm Beach Housing Recovery Surprises Sellers

The recovery in the Palm Beach Real Estate Market is catching some sellers by surprise.

Houses are selling hours after being put on the market. There have been instances of Lake Charleston Homes for sale selling in a few hours. This is great if the seller has already purchased a home. But What if they need to find a home.

Due to the severe housing shortage, it might not be as easy as it seems. With multiple offers coming in, sellers must put their home search at the top of their list of things to do.

They also need to take in to account the rising prices.

Sellers must look for a new residence as soon as they list their home, if not before. They also must decide what area they would like to move to and check the current inventory and prices. They don't want to be in for sticker shock

Sellers need to plan ahead and start their home search immediately. Closings are happening quicker because of the cash sales. So they must be prepared.

Palm Beach Real Estate

Author Rank and G+

Since we do not have the criteria of what establishes Author Rank, I was wondering how certain things would affect it and what the your thoughts are.

When a post is shared and given a +1, does the original author get credit.

If people link to the post or copy it on their site, and it is a low pagerank site, would this affect you?

If you are establishing yourself as an expert in your field, are there any consequences of giving a G+ on another post that has no relevancy. While I am trying to establish myself as an expert in Palm Beach Real Estate and Boynton Beach Real Estate, does it hurt to G+ on other topics. If I give a G+ or comment on BBQ, caturday or some other topic, will it help or hurt

Certain people have already established themselves as top ranked authors. Does Google give more credit to your post when a person, who has established themselves as an author, gives you a +1?

Google has set what is beneficial for websites to help in search results. And also what penalizes the site. The question is what will be a benefit in establishing Author Rank and what factors will be detrimental.

Quality Content has always been a key factor for Google'. When commenting, I would think the more content entered would help. Instead of "Great Post" would a comment such as "Great Real Estate Post", help more.

We'll have to see the results, since Author Rank doesn't officially exist. I bet it does to Google though. Blog Posts

G+ Authorship SEO

I have an example of how Author rank improves search engine visibility and would like to share it. This offers concrete evidence of the effect Authorship has on Google search engine results.

I switched my site over to Wordpress a few weeks ago. Then started writing on G+. Either I am great at SEO, posting on Google+ helps or both.

I am on the 1st page now for Lake Worth Homes for Rent, 2nd page for Lake Worth Homes for Sale and 2nd page for Boynton Beach Homes for Rent

What makes my results stand out. The picture. Not the best, but it is there and attracts attention.

Establishing Author rank is not just posting links. It is establishing relevancy to the keywords you want to be found for. On your posts, use your keywords and highlight them with *. Talk about topics that are relevant to your goals.

Use G+ consistently. Post as often as you can. But, make them relevant.

Create Great Content. This is the hardest part. You are an expert in what you are trying to establish Author rank for. Show your knowledge off. Take the time to write something every day.

As of now, I only have 280 pages indexed by Google and a Pagerank of 2. So there has to be something else contributing to the search results. It is letting Google know about my area of expertise.

When people on G+ +1 your post, comment or share, it sends a signal to Google. It shows people are interested in your posts and this is important to Google. Take the time to do the same for other authors and they will reciprocate.

Use spell check. While this might seem not to be important, I think it is. I see many posts with spelling errors. Run it through Word and make sure it is correct. I would think Google would have more respect for a author who writes about their topic, offers great content and presents it properly.

Google is trying to promote G+. They want to establish themselves and in return you will benefit.

Improving Google Page Rank

Get Rid Of Bad Website Links. Should Help page rank

I have had my website for about 10 years for Palm Beach Real Estate. My page rank is awful. One of the reasons is the low pagerank links for Boynton Beach Homes for Sale I have. What can I do????

Google recommends you contact the webmaster and asked to be removed. Great idea, if they responded. I tried that and didn't get one rely.

I hope this is the solution. Google has a DISAVOW tool. They recommend that you remove any low quality or spammy links as much as possible.If you have tried to get the links removed and not been successful, use the DISAVOW tool.

With the next update due to come soon, we need to get rid of these links. They will affect your ranking or possible get you removed from the results all together.

I used the tool about a week ago. Google says it takes a few weeks, since the sites have to be crawled. BTW, use it with caution. Don't want to remove the good ones.

Feel free to share it. Self-serving, but you have to try everything. Here's the Google link DISAVOW TOOL

BBQ in Palm Beach

I like living in Florida because of the year round great weather. This gives me the opportunity to BBQ all year. I smoked a Boston Butt Pork Roast and it was incredible. Nothing to do with Palm Beach Real EState , but I would like to share the recipe. Coat the pork with Mustard and add a rub. Place it in the smoker at 225 Every hour spray apple juice on it to keep it moist When the temperature reaches about 160, you have sliced pork. When it reaches 195, you have pulled pork. Take it off the smoker and wrap it in tin foil for an hour or more. This will enable the juices to flow through the meat Then enjoy

Don't Get Me Wrong, I Love Pets

I received about 10 calls in the last two days from people looking for Palm Beach Rentals. After speaking with them, I asked the question, we all should ask, "Do you have pets and if so what is the breed and weight?"

No matter what breed you claim it is, a Pit Bull is a Pit Bull. I heard comments such as "It is old and just lays around", "It doesn't bark" and "It is very friendly"

Renters have to understand that most HOA"s or Condo Associations have a rule against Pit Bulls or weight limits. I had one landlord, with no HOA, that received a letter from their Insurance Company stating the dogs go or you lose your insurance.

If renters want a pet, they can get a cat, a small dog, goldfish and if there is no weight restrictions, maybe a horse (Only joking). But Pit Bulls are out.

In 1935, the American Kennel Club (AKC) agreed to register pit bull dogs, but only under the name Staffordshire terrier. This was done to distance the breed from its continued use in dogfighting. Thus, the pit bull and the Staffordshire terrier was one in the same, yet held two different names.

In 1972, the AKC renamed the breed to the American Staffordshire terrier. Though the American Staffordshire terrier is by definition a pit bull, many owners claim they are different breeds and shelters adopt out pit bulls under the Staffordshire name to fool unsuspecting members of the public.

In 1996, the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals renamed pit bulls to "St. Francis Terriers." The hope was to make the breed more adoptable. After much screening, about 60 pit bulls were placed. The program was suspended after several of the re-dubbed dogs killed cats.

In 2004, while serving as the director of New York City Animal Care and Control, Ed Boks tried to rename pit bulls to "New Yorkies" also in hopes of making the breed more adoptable. Boks' idea failed, as did his tenure in New York City, which only lasted from 2003-2005.

Meanwhile, dogfighters historically and presently refer to pit bulls as "bulldogs." The American bulldog, which is unrecognized by the AKC, was only recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1999.6 Furthermore, the breed was called the "American pit bulldog" up until the 1970s.

Sell Your House in A Week

Do you want to sell your house? Would you like to have a contract for full list price or more in less than a week?

Here are three easy steps to ensure that your house is one of those “hot” properties that everyone wants:

1) Price it correctly. In real estate many factors determine price. Location, schools, amenities and features all figure into the calculation. Don’t try to “test the market” by starting high and work you way down. Price your home at market and you will do OK. Price it slightly below market and you will have buyers beating a path to your door.

2) Have the property in move-in ready condition! Buyers want to buy a house and NOT a project. Buyers want to visualize placing their furniture and do not want to think about the cost of replacing the roof.

3) Make your house available to be shown. No one will buy your house if they can’t see it. It doesn’t make any sense at all to offer a product that cannot be displayed. Every showing that is prohibited is one less chance to get top dollar for your house.

To sum up, price, condition and availability are the three keys to selling a house quickly.

Do it right from the start and you will most likely have multiple offers in less than a week.

Love Living in Florida

One reason I love living in Florida is the weather. Sure we get those cold spells when it drops down to 50 and everybody puts on a sweater or coat. But, realistically, it can't be beat. No snow, no sleet, just sunshine most of the year. You can go out year round and enjoy activities. Not cooped up during the winter.

I remember living in Jersey, after moving from Florida. Too cold. First thing I learned was that you don't turn on the windshield wipers to clear the windows. Surprised when the water froze and I was going 60 miles an hour.

Got a new smoker today. I will be using this year round. Since I love BBQ's, I remember standing outside in the snow and cooking. Now in the Winter, I can go out in my shorts and cook.

Going to go stare at the smoke coming out.

What's Up

Home prices are. Buyers searching for *Lake Worth Homes for sale* and *Boynton Beach Homes for sale* are experiencing sticker shock. They have a price in mind and can’t find anything they want. Prices have been rising and inventory is low. Low inventory means prices will continue to rise.
When they go out, they are looking for homes priced at $250,000 as an example. None of these have what they are looking for. Then they look at higher priced homes. Finally find one that suits there needs. But, it is $325,000.
As a Realtor, I am faced with a problem. They qualified for the $250,000 home. Now they are in a different ballpark. Before placing an offer, should we see if they are going to qualify? If not, they spend the time on this property, when we could be looking for others in their price range.
It’s our job to educate them as to the market conditions. Maybe with the proper knowledge, they will reconsider what they feel is necessary, and not go beyond their means.

Palm Beach Real Estate

Importance of G+ for Websites

Importance of G+
  
Content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more relevant than content from strangers. For example, a movie review from an expert is useful, but a movie review from a friend who shares your tastes can be even better. Because of this, +1's from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user’s query. This is just one of many signals Google may use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking, and we’re constantly tweaking and improving our algorithm to improve overall search quality. For +1's, as with any new ranking signal, we are starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality.
+1 is a public action, so you should add the button only to public, crawlable pages on your site. Once you add the button, Google may crawl or recrawl the page, and store the page title and other content, in response to a +1 button impression or click.

Foolish Real Estate Photos

Consumers just spend a few seconds looking at a MLS Listing and you need to attract their attention. If there are no photos or poor quality photos, they will pass the listing. They could be interested in the property, but skip it because of a bad presentation.
Choose the pictures wisely. When going through Listings for Lake Worth Homes for Sale and Boynton Beach Homes for Sale, I had to decide which to send to my customer. These were Listings not sent.
The first one was taken on a stormy day. The picture was dark and the house didn’t stand out. If the conditions aren’t right, come back another time. Wouldn't it be better buying a home where the sun shined instead of looking like a tornado was going to hit. 
Pictures of the Home where it looked like they forgot to turn on the flash. Nothing was clear.
The main picture was of the bathroom, with a mop and bucket featured. At least, they were used to clean.
There were the same 5 pictures of the front and nothing else. Would have been okay, if the lawn wasn’t dead.
Nothing was cleaned up. Sink had dishes, laundry basket on bed and a litter box in the Den. It might end up like that after they move-in, but they probably want to do it themselves.

High- Resolution photos should be the only ones used. Cell phone pictures are not the quality that should be presented. 
Have the property cleaned and straightened up. When the house is filled with clutter, tying to visualize what the Home will look like with their furniture is much easier if they can view the pictures with clean, uncluttered areas.
What picture should be the main one?  This is the picture they see when they go through the MLS, Realtor.com and other sites. Show the picture that offers up the best features of the House. If the Kitchen is a main selling point, place that one as the main photo. Using the Exterior Photo might not be the best choice to stop customers.
Showing photos of the rooms are necessary. While the exterior might look great, they live inside. The bedrooms, living room, kitchen and others should be included. This will make people come back and look at the Listings.
Make sure to post all the pictures possible. Too many listings have no photos or just one. If you don’t have pictures, don’t list it. Customers might not come back to it.
 I guess I’ll go take some of Homes for Sale in Lake Worth and Homes for Sale in Boynton Beach.