Burien, WA Real Estate - Lisa Bosques, Assoc. Broker/Mktg Specialist

This morning I checked my e-mail, and imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw three different inquiries to the three listings I have posted on Craigslist. I clicked on the first one, and it read like this:


"Hi; I've just looked at a house of yours on Cl that I am highly interested in. here is the property ad on Cl:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/reb/1348724478.html

Is it still available? If so please email me back as soon as you get a chance.. very interested.

thanks"


So I go and reply to the first e-mail with a well-thought out and slightly lengthy response, and send it. Instantly I get this one back:


"Hey thanks for getting back to me about the property. We specialize in
short sales and can get properties moved quickly. If you're nearing
foreclosure or just wanting to get rid of your place, let us talk to
you. It wont cost you a dime.

Please give me some quick info on my website and I'll get in touch shortly.

http://ghew.notlong.com

Thanks alot, I'm looking forward to talking with you!"


How RUDE!!

Then I notice that the other two inquiry e-mails about my listing are worded exactly the same. Nothing like a big fat let-down before 8am on a Monday morning. So please watch out for these annoying so-and-so's.

*UPDATE*

I was overcome with a vindictive streak, so I went to the website and entered my phone number. I found out the name of the loss mitigation company behind this, if anyone wants to know who it is please contact me. (I then went to my YouMail account and set up a personal "Disconnected" greeting to end the calls).

Did you know that less than 5% of the
population donates blood?
Roughly 60% of the population is eligible though,
AND 95% of us will need blood at one point
or another in our life times.

Prudential Northwest Realty has joined forces with Cascade Regional Blood Services and will hold its Blood Drive on Thursday, September 3rd from 10:00 until 2:00 p.m.

PLEASE SHOW YOUR

SUPPORT AND JOIN US!
127 SW 156th Street
Burien, WA 98166

Can't make it on Thursday? Our other office locations will also hold blood drives during that week. Call me for more information.

Thank you for your support!

Lisa Bosques, Associate Broker

Prudential NW Realty - Burien

PH: 206-595-5866 e-mail: LisaBosques@PNWRealty.com

I just got an e-mail from Two Clever Marketing Services. I clicked on the e-mail because it said something about 'expired' listing postcards.

Here's just one of the postcard images in their expired listing postcard collection:

When I first saw it, I thought, "Wow". As in, I don't know what to make of it. I personally think it's funny(perhaps because I have an 8-year old boy and potty humor is all the rage in our house these days). But how would others take it if they received a postcard like this in the mail?

Then again, the purpose of direct mailing should be to grab the attention of the recipient. And the way to grab attention, as we all probably know, is to elicit some sort of emotional response or connection. This is one postcard that will get talked about and perhaps passed around at the office.

I looked at their other offerings, and they have some good stuff! I like these guys. I don't think I have the guts to send out the postcard above, but I'm intrigued by what they do have. Some postcards I like, some I don't, but this company definitely gets credit for making postcards that people will actually read!

Who needs Google when you have Activerain?

I received a suspicious e-mail today from an individual named Elvis Baker, Private Relocation Agent. He says his clientele includes celebrities, government officials and other clients from the Gulf region. Big fat hairy deal. i'm surprised he didn't put a "Mr." in front of his name, he's so gosh darn dignified and all.

I read through the e-mail(which I will copy below) - basically, Elvis says he needs a residence for his client and client's mistress in Burien of all places. (Maybe Mr. and Mistress Moneybags would be interested in attending a "Raising Backyard Chickens" workshop with me once they move here and become my neighbor!). Anyway...

ROFLMAO. That was the first sign that something was amiss.

So this "Mr. Baker" is asking me to send him listings according to the criteria he gives, with a price range of between $500,000 and $1 Million Dollars! And they would be paying CASH!

I read the e-mail all the way through, and being the gullible sort that I am, read through it again before deciding to take further action. I checked the address and the message line; there was no [quarantine] sign, it looked like a normal e-mail.

I opened a new browser window. Did I go to Google? Nope. I wanted real answers...so I went straight to...

ACTIVERAIN!!

So I hit the "Search" button and typed "Elvis Baker" in the search field. I saw what I wanted right there in the first listing. It was from a blog post written by Anna Baron entitled, "Craigslist Scam". Her post described a different situation, but there was a comment by John Muckleroy on April 21, 2008 that detailed the exact e-mail.

In a matter of seconds I had the answer I needed. Elvis was indeed a scammer, but thanks to Anna, John and Activerain I won't have to wonder if I gave a cash buyer the cold shoulder, and I don't have to stare at the e-mail thinking, "What if?". After all, I may be gullible, but I'm not stupid.

"Elvis Baker", you can cram it!

**************************************************************************************

Here's the e-mail, FYI:

Dear Bosques Lisa,

I am a private relocation agent in the CANADA serving a niche market for top celebrities, government officials and clients from the Gulf region (mainly Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Russia) in meeting their relocation needs.

My clients needs vary considerably. Some of the services I provide to my clients range from simple acquisition of residential properties to assisting their siblings/mistresses settle down in a new country and acquisition of commercial properties.

One of my clients on this occasion has indicated interest in the acquisition of a residential property in the USA particularly in BURIEN for his mistress. Considering the financial implications of my travelling, your expertise, local knowledge and high hotel expenses of my stay, I have chosen to contact you on subject. Would you be kind enough to forward to me by email attachment some of the properties you have on your listing pursuant to this urgent need. To help narrow the search, I have outlined some of the specifics my client has given.

CLIENT’S SPECIFICS

*Minimum of three bedrooms

*Minimum of two baths

*Property must be a stand-alone (Fully Detached) house and not communal residence/block of flats

*Secure Private parking for at least two cars

*Available budget …$500,000 - $1M USD

*Choice residential location offering outright purchase

*Time frame given is three weeks

*Proximity to shopping mall and at the most 10 to 20 miles radius of a city centre

Please consider that my client on this occasion is expecting from me, a fast and excellent service as he has got some urgent family issues and has reposed confidence in me based on my track record from serving his friends and associates in the past. Be very free to contact me ASAP with details of any property reflecting the specifics above to discuss the way forward.

Be sure that we shall both be very clear on issues relating to fees/percentages and client meetings beforehand.

Thank you for your cooperation.


ELVIS BAKER (A.K.A. CHUMP)

Email: (elvisbaker.props@gmail.com)

PRIVATE RELOCATION AGENT