by RMLS Communication Department | Jun 10, 2009 | Tips & Tricks
We sometimes get reports of homes being entered into RMLSweb as detached homes, when they are in fact, attached (or vice versa). We realize this can be confusing at times, so let’s briefly review the attached v. detached question.
Let’s start with the textbook definitions:
“Attached: An element of the residence’s construction (such as a wall, ceiling, or floor) is shared with another property. Condominiums excluded.”
“Detached: A stand-alone residence, excluding manufactured homes, for which the sale includes the land on which the residence is located.”
Now – remember how your teachers would have you come up with acrostic poems? It’s when you take each letter of your name or a word & you have to use it as the first letter in each line of the poem (here are instructions on how to write an acrostic poem… in case you wanted to know).
We came up with one each for Attached & Detached houses to help you remember the difference!
ATTACHED:
Adjoined
To
Things, such
As
Ceilings and walls of other
Houses,
Especially
Duplexes
DETACHED:
Disconnected from
Everyone, especially from
Those
Adjacent buildings,
Construction, and
Housing. But, connected to
Earth and
Dirt
Ok, I’m aware that acrostic poems probably won’t be particularly helpful in remembering what’s attached v. detached, but just let this silly attempt at a mnemonic device serve as a reminder to be cogniscent cognizant of the issue when entering listings. And if you’re ever unsure, feel free to give us a call!
Oh, and in case you want the original poems, I wrote them on this cool writing paper I found online:
My originals, missing is the "F" for poor penmanship.
by RMLS Communication Department | Jun 3, 2009 | Market Trends
We know you’re curious how the market is doing. We are too! We’re guessing that you’ve probably had buyers asking if “we’ve hit the bottom yet” and sellers asking you how much longer it will take to sell their house. We don’t have a crystal ball, but we’ve been trying to provide you with more information to help you answer your clients’ questions.
You may have noticed Supra lockbox access graphs and charts. These stats should give you a sense of how many lockboxes are opened on a daily and weekly basis. Plus, we’ve added a graph to show you how that activity has changed through 2009.
Today, we’re releasing some brand new information: the number of new saved searches and the number of new prospects by RMLS™ subscribers per week since January 1! We hope these stats will be useful in helping you get an idea of when new buyers are joining the house hunt.
Saved Searches 5-24-2009
New Prospects 5-24-2009
We welcome your ideas of other stats you think might be useful. We can’t promise that we’ll be able to gather them for you, but we will try to incorporate those ideas whenever we can.
by RMLS Communication Department | May 20, 2009 | Market Trends, Portland
Are first-time homebuyers making an impact on the real estate market?
I recently received a statistical request from a writer at the Oregonian who wanted to know if over the last year the percentage of buyers in lower-price ranges has risen. As it turned out, in Portland, those buying homes in the $0 – $499,999 range now make up nearly 4% more of the market of homes that sell compared to 2008, while those buying homes from $500,000 – $1+ million has dropped off about 3.6%.
This influx could be attributed in part to first-time homebuyers who are jumping at the opportunity that is being presented to them, given the $8,000 tax credit, historically low interest rates and significantly lower purchase prices.
You can count me among the many first-time homebuyers taking advantage of the opportunity and I am seeing friends taking advantage of the deal as well. If they have some money saved, jobs they feel secure at, and a desire to own – they are looking to buy.
Temper Expectations
You’ve probably dealt with first-time homebuyers who expect amazing homes for their money. Sure, maybe they’ll get one, depending on their price range, but my experience was not as such.
In my price range ($200k – $230k), what I found in the areas that were attractive to me, was generally good, but older homes that may need some updating (and in fact, that’s what we bought).
My point is, remember to manage the expectations of these buyers, as they may have grand ideas in their head due to some reports in mainstream media. Obviously they should buy a home that they’ll be happy in, but also remind them that this is an amazing opportunity right now to make a sound investment for the future.
Image courtesy of bellemedia.
