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Home Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia

Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia

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Its time for the GARAGE SALE

05-02-09
Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia

Is your garage brimming over with tons of "stuff" ? This is the best time to look around and de-clutter. You would be amazed at all the junk you will collect over the years. Our local Paper the Virginia Pilot published in the Home section a reminder on just how much money you can make at a garage sale. I my self was just thinking with spring here and all the new stuff I want to do with the house now would be a good time to clear out the old so I can bring in the new. If you looking to sell your home this year why not start clearing out. Spring bargain hunters will gobble up your goodies and you get the pocket the money. Don't forget to promote your sale. Ask your realtor/agent to add a page on there site and maybe plug the date for you a few times. I would ensure good signs are up and ready early the day of as well. Don't price your items with emotion, shoppers are looking for a steal. Also think about after the sale. Call your local donation center and set a pickup for the next day if you can

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I met Tina Merritt !!!!

03-31-09
Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia

Blog:

I recently took a class that Tina Merrit taught at the Virginia Beach Library. It was a Technology Class held this past week on blogging. I have been watching Tina for the past 2 years on the internet and was so inspired by what she was producing on the internet. I want to thank Tina Merrit for opening up to the community and teaching.

The internet allows everyone the ability to have their 2 cents on a topic .I do not think Im a great blogger and I'm always concerned about how my words choices may show a weakness, however my clients know I'm very confident in my skills and ability to work with and for them on a real estate transaction, but some how I think my blogging does not always project this. I like to use video and Itunes to express my comments and thoughts. Most of the times I find that if allowed to express my self verbally I can do a better job of expressing my feelings over typing them out.

If you are not blogging or your afraid to blog try voice blogs or video blogs. Ask a friend or client to chat with you and just record and upload. I think this allows prospects to get a feel for your style and how you can connect with them.

Blogging Real Estate issues can of course bring you more clients. I enjoy blogging and chatting about all kinds of topics. I want my listeners to understand I'm a Realtor and the Girl next door.

Tina Merritt and Alison Creamer

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And you thought a couple months ago was a credit crunch !

03-03-09
Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia

FHA and VA have raised their minimum credit score requirement to 620. So it will now take a 620 middle score to get an approval, unless it is VHDA.

Okay what is it going to take to buy a home ? REALLY people if you had a lower score than 620 it would have been a great idea to buy 3 months ago. Everyone is waiting for prices to dump rates to go to 0 but guess what you better be a strong buyer with good credit. Where are you with your score. Did this change just push you out of the game ?

If your thinking of buying think quick things are changing daily !

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Using video to communicate

03-02-09
Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia
Hello Group, I thought I would ask a simple question. VIDEO or READABLE TEXT ? Im finding more that I would prefer to video blog over type. I normally have so many typos as my brain is going faster than my hands. I am so confident in my speaking , that when I type it out it kills me . When people see the typos they think maybe Im not as "good" as others I fear. I would never have been able to type all this out and have it look right. No doubt I have a typo in just this little bit here. Tell me what do you think easier to get the consumer to talk than to type out the comments right ?
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Monday blog about everything

03-02-09
Alison Creamer, Realtor, ABR, CDPE Virginia Beach , Virginia
Monday Blog thoughts
Monday 3-2-2009
Oh my where did the time go !!!!! I cannot even imagine that 2 months are gone from 2009 already. Where did it go ? I have to say I better step up and get more buyers and sellers in to their dream homes fast ! Are you feeling this I mean the market the abundant choices ? I'm currently in Virginia Beach Virginia, or better known as the Hampton Roads area. Our market is picking up it is notorious for this season to make 50% of your annual earnings I think in the next 3-4 months. I have been spending time looking at what I need to o to accomplish this. I just spent the entire morning setting up lead capture pages, emailing buyers and sellers from past and making phone calls. I have to say calls are not my favorite thinks to do but it can produce great results. I was able to make contact with a buyer who was thinking about a home I had and they just might still move on it. ( WOW that would be  a bonus ). So what are your methods of prospecting. do you feel the shift to video ? Or do you think flyers mailers and open houses are the way to go ?
I recently bought a new Sony HiDef Camera as well as a Great wide angle lens for my Nikon. I plan to use these a lot to help get a buyer to "see" the home . I hope it will entice more people to make the trip in the car to come see the home for them self. Speaking of all the digital technology , do you find to much information hurts the listing ? I guess being a very strong GEN X person I love the new way to do business. Hi Def videos' Beautiful photos and video blogs about the home is where is it all at !!!

Local news
So if you read the Virginia Pilot this weekend the business section had WELL COMPENSATED story. do you think we need people that make this much to run a company ? I think about athletes and others that get multi millions for what they do. I wonder its got to be just like everything else in this world its all the little people that pay right ? I mean even in Real Estate someone ultimately is paying the debt. Wow I guess money does make the world go round.

Barter for what you want.
NO MONEY NO PROBLEM. I was thinking I have a passion to create and I love to think out the box. So i guess then I have a service worth bartering if someone had something I needed right ? Craigs list if full of barter ads there us even an association Midwest Barter Exchange. Just be care full the IRS will still have there hand out and will consider barter dollars as real currency to tax reporting . ( CRAZY ) Someone said if the economy goes down the drain well just all barter to make do !!


New Tax Credits for purchases
Dates for sales tax deduction on new cars
2-17-2009 to 12-31-2009 Deduction is limited to the tax on up to 46500 of eligible motor vehicals
Home buyers credit up to 8k
Jan 1-2009 to Dec 21-2009 10% of the homes purchase price up to 8k limit  see www.realtor.org)
Income requirements  adjusted gross income is less than 75k150k if marries or less if you make over 95k or 170k it starts to phase out
( I am not a tax adviser I am only explaining terms that I have read about please consult a tax adviser for full details

The varied price of Groceries

I took time this week to look at all the ads from as many grocery stores in my living area.  Bottom dollar, Food Lion, Kroger, Farm Fresh, Harris Teeter. It was amazing the price difference. I could only compare the sales ads but it sure opened my eyes to how there are teaser prices to get you in and the money is made up on other products. take for example. Bottom Dollar had a 10lb bag of chicken leg quarters @ .47 cents a pound. Another store had the same parts on sale for 1.99 a lb. It pays to take a few moments to look at the sales ads Heck I might even start a group that each person post the sales ad in one excel sheet and we share the information. It remember me of a site I sued in the past called The grocery game. It helped you decided if you should use the coupon in the flyers or wait. It worked great but I got tired of paying for a another service and if I did not use the site that week I might have been tossing money away. Any way you cut it there are ways to save money you just have to be willing to take the time to do it
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