by RMLS Communication Department | Jul 27, 2009 | Portland, RMLS News, Tips & Tricks, Videos
Short video shows why RMLS™ subscribers should keep their ActiveKEYs out of the heat this week
We’re going to have some serious heat in most of Oregon & Southwest Washington this week. As you try to stay cool in the hot weather, keep in mind this friendly ActiveKEY battery tip from Supra:
“Temperature extremes can affect battery performance. If the ActiveKEY is below 0° C (32° F) or above 40 ° C (104° F), it will not charge. During very cold or hot times of the year, bring your ActiveKEY in from your car at night and between showings.”
Also, watch this short video that poses the question – what happens when you leave an ActiveKEY, a frozen pizza and a frozen peanut butter cup in my 1997 Geo Metro that is parked in direct sunlight?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-fdVTBBiCM]
We filmed this a few weeks ago when it was up to about 94 degrees, so keep in mind that you might see more dramatic results in the next few days. Anyone have any other suggestions for things we should try to melt in my car?
PS: We really do recommend that you remove your key from your car if it’s going to be parked in the sun for a long time – especially for agents that go to our Portland office – because we currently have a limited supply of ActiveKEYs due to a parts shortage at Supra. If you do need to get a new ActiveKEY, please call ahead at 503-236-7657 to ensure that we have one available for you.
by RMLS Communication Department | Jul 1, 2009 | Events
Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming Realtor® events & education in our service areas for July. If you have an event that is not listed here, please let us know by commenting below. For future events, please send an e-mail to communications (at) rmls (dot) com.
– July 16: OAR (Oregon Association of Realtors) hosts Dealing with Foreclosure Consultants – webinar
– July 23: PMAR (Portland Metropolitan Assocition of Realtors) hosts Short Sales and Foreclosure: An Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) Course
– July 23: CCAR (Clark Co. Association of Realtors) hosts its 28th Annual Golf Tournament
– July 23: EAR (Eugene Association of Realtors) hosts Membership Luncheon, featured speaker is Lennox Scott, CEO John L. Scott
– July 23: SAR (Salem Association of Realtors) – SAR Night at Volconoes Baseball
– July 24: CCAR hosts Realtor Foundation Texas Hold’em Tournament & Casino Night
– July 29: OAR hosts Internet Marketing Skills – webinar (free)
– July 30: OAR hosts Dealing with REO Properties – webinar
– July 30: EAR hosts Stock the Pantry, a benefit for Food for Lane County
Also, if you’re an RMLS subscriber, we have lots of FREE opportunities for continuing education credit at a location near you, click the link for your area to view the July Training Calendar:
– Coos County
– Eastern Oregon
– Eugene
– Gresham
– Hood River
– Portland
– Roseburg
– Salem
– Vancouver
Image courtesy of Ayhan Yildiz
by RMLS Communication Department | Jun 22, 2009 | RMLSweb
I think one of the coolest things about our upcoming release for mapping on RMLSweb is that you’ll be able to save custom Map Ranges & use them in several different searches (including Advanced Search, Hotsheet Search, Open House Search, Broker/MLS Tour Search, Actual Expired Search and Prospecting).
What does that mean to you, though? I think it will mean different things to different agents, but here’s one scenario:
You have buyers that absolutely want to buy in a particular neighborhood, let’s say St. Johns in Portland. You can set up a Prospecting profile for them and draw the custom map around JUST that area. Now the Prospecting results will only send them listings from the St. Johns neighborhood (as you define it).
Your buyers then find the house of their dreams. They’re ready to put in an offer. Since you’ve saved your Map Range for St. John’s, you can now use it to find comparables through Advanced Search when you are putting together the offer.
Here’s a quick demonstration from John Ayers, our Help Desk Manager:
To schedule a training session on this new release, call your local RMLS™ office, or e-mail training@rmls.com.
by RMLS Communication Department | Jun 2, 2009 | Events
Just wanted to quickly plug an upcoming event hosted by PMAR on June 8: “Internet Networking Survival Skills”.
David Gibbons from Zillow will share his experience with social media and help you learn how to avoid common pitfalls.
Natalie and I, along with a few other folks from the team attended REBarCamp PDX (Real Estate Bar Camp), a fantastic “unconference” that was held in April and David was one of the speakers. He, along with the other great presenters, gave a lot of helpful advice that we are keeping in mind as we venture into the social media sphere.
So, if you’ve been using, or are thinking about using sites such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, but aren’t sure where to go with them – check out this event!
Image courtesy of ilco
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.
