The world has lost a brilliant man - Christopher Hitchens died at the age of 62
Anybody who knows Hitchens by either reading one of his books or listening to any of his interviews or debates, can immediatly sense this mans depth and intellect, if you agreed with his views or not.
The first book I read by him was the shocking exposure of the truth of mother Teresa: "The missionary position".
Nobody would dare to do the unthinkable and criticise a so-called saint but he had the courage. Most people still think she was a noble person, and she might have started out that way, but the truth is, that everything you might think about her is not true.
His book has infuriated me so much that I started doing my own research and everything he claimed was confirmed. There are so many examples that I don't even know where to begin. One of them is that she never used the very generous donations she received from all over the world for the poor but to spread her cult of misery and suffering to all continents in this world. I recommend everybody to read it and get enlightened.
He is loved and revered by truth seekers who are for progress and freedom from the shackles of religion and hated by fundamentaly religous people. His debating skill are amazing and his way with words, in a british accent and sense of humor are unique.
I knew about his deadly diagnosis of esphagus cancer and when I heard he is coming to Texas to get an award from Richard Dawkins at the Texas Freethought Convention back in October, I knew this would be my last chance to meet him in person so I took the opportunity. I am glad I did and I am deeply saddened that he is gone forever.
Taking off one’s shoes at the front door can be a deeply ingrained cultural habit or just somebody's preference. Removing shoes at the front door in most Asian homes shows respect to the house and to honor its cleanliness and purity.
I am not culturally predisposed to this activity since in Europe it can go either way besides in Scandinavia, but happen to be one of those people who insist on “no outdoor shoes touching the inside of my home”, vehemently.
I truly would like people who think about this policy as stupid or unnecessary to be more tolerant and understanding.
Just think about it:
1) Is it really too much to ask not to drag all the dirt into someone's home that automatically accumulates on the soles of your shoes by walking around on dirty outdoor surfaces just because YOU are OK with it?
2) Is it really that unreasonable for a seller to ask you to remove your spiky heels or any shoes that could gouge floors due to small rocks stuck on your soles? I know out of personal experience that heels can put holes in travertine and leave marks on softer wood- or stone floors.
I especially get annoyed with people who try to tell my client: Oh, don’t worry, my shoes are clean! It is just NOT possible. Other people think that flip flops are OK. No, they are not unless they are strictly worn INDOORS, period.
There are actually studies done about this issue where they examined carpet dust and dust bunnies on hard floors of people who leave their street shoes on in their homes. They found that besides the obvious dirt, mud, sand etc there were germs, pesticides from lawns, lead and all kinds of toxins tracked inside. It is especially harmful for kids or even pets who are on floors a lot. All this can be avoided by leaving street shoes away from ones living space.
I strongly believe, no matter how weird, inconvenient and dumb some people think it is, if a seller has this policy, it NEEDS to be respected. Until the purchase process is completed, it is still a persons private home and the rules should be followed.
However, having said all of the above, I DO NOT believe that a seller should put potential buyers into a position where they are asked to remove their shoes at showings without any advance notice.
Some people have problems taking off their shoes for all kinds of reasons and the seller needs to understand that as well.
It could be:
....to name a few.
I therefore strongly recommend sellers to provide slip-on booties, which BTW come in all sizes and slip-free.
Another important thing to provide is at least a stool to sit on while dealing with the booties. For many people, especially older ones, it is not easy to balance themselves on one foot while trying to cover the other. Not providing something to sit on is asking for law suits since people could easily fall and get seriously hurt.
Every time I get a listing, I clarify this preference with the owner and if yes, I write it into the brokers remark section of the MLS.
It does 2 things:
1) It gives people the chance to bring their own socks, indoor slippers, etc. in case they don’t like those plastic booties or go barefoot.
2) It shows that this home is kept very clean.
If I would be a buyer that likes cleanliness, I would actually like that A LOT, wouldn't you??
So, what do my fellow Rainers think?
Steps a good listing agent should take for his/her client AND his/herself
Selling homes is not as easy as it was a few years ago. It has become a very complex and tedious process with new seller disclosure statements, lengthy and puzzling agreement forms, environmental concerns,.... just to name a few.
Every Sellers' aspiration is to sell quickly for top dollar and in order to achieve this goal, it is very important that he/she picks a Realtor who is very market savvy, diligent, reliable, punctual and willing to be available pretty much 24/7 for all parties involved in the transaction. It also helps to be assertive when it comes to dealing with “unreasonable” sellers who need to be brought to their senses, especially when it comes to pricing or condition of their home.
A GOOD REALTOR TAKES THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
He/She lists the home for a reasonable Price.
If a seller insists in listing above market price, agents can go for it but with a strict time limit. The seller needs to agree to a gradual price reduction if the home hasn't had an offer after 3 - 4 weeks. This must be built into the listing contract in order to avoid conflict and especially blame later. Leaving it on the market without any necessary adjustment only accumulates days on the market (DOMs) which stigmatizes a home and people start to wonder what's wrong with it.
Unfortunately, some sellers don’t understand that buyers don’t care what they "need" or “want” out of their home. It is all about what the home is worth to THEM. Buyers are very savvy these days. The seller will end up "buying" his/her own home himself month after month if nobody else wants to buy it since it is overpriced.
He/She prepares the home for the public by Staging it
A successful agent does not let the seller get away with the attitude: “Lets just put it on the market and see what happens.” That is a huge no-no since there is really no second chance for a first impression, as cliche-like as this might sound. The most important time is the first month after listing a property. Not preparing it for the traffic a newly available listing creates can cost a seller dearly. It should be also in the agents best interest if he/she wants to get paid without much delay which will happen if a home doesn't show well.
As ungrateful the job of telling a seller that his/her home is not “ready for the public” is, it is imperative if good money and a speedy sale is expected. A Realtor has to be assertive enough as to find a way to explain to the seller that he/she is the expert, therefore knows what works and has to let you do your job.
He/She takes very Good Photographs of the home for the MLS and web
I can’t help but wonder how some agents feel OK when putting pictures on the MLS which are tiny, blurry, dark, toilet seats open, window treatments closed, etc. The Internet is one of the first places buyers start their search on and they will very likely skip over a listing with bad pictures. Investing more or less $200 in a good camera which they are abundantly on the market and learning to enhance a picture with applications the camera usually comes with takes nothing more but a little bit of time and effort. A good agent will make sure that the pictures on the MLS and Internet present the home in its best possible way.
He/She holds Brokers Open
It gives a listing agent a chance to gather the opinions of his/her peers which can be a good way to measure if appropriately priced, presented, etc. Giving fellow agents the chance to see a listing in person instead of just on pictures can also be beneficial in helping with the sale.
He/She holds Public Open Houses on Sundays
A Public Open House should be held at least once or twice. It "introduces" the newly available home to the neighborhood and gives it exposure. This is also a great opportunity for the agent to get some “face-time” with potential buyers who might come through the home even though they are not buying the one he/she is holding open. Taking advantage of this chance shows smart business sense.
He/She Blogs about the listing on ActiveRain, Facebook or any other social media
The way to advertise a listing has changed dramatically since the explosion of social media. An agent who takes a listing, slaps it on the MLS and hopes for the best is not getting the exposure that the one who blogs does. It sure takes extra time and effort to sit down and write about a listing but it makes a big difference and a diligent agent knows this.
An agent really has to ask him/herself three questions in order to determine the level of effort he/she wants to put into their business:
I have learned after many years in this business that a Sellers' motivation is only as good as the Realtors' motivation.
It involves many important steps but if they are not taken, the Realtor has nobody else to blame but him/herself if the Seller gets frustrated or even bad-mouths that agent.
Realtors get paid only after a successful closing. One might think that this should be motivation enough to do the best they can but a lot of them just don't. I think this is too bad since this business can be highly rewarding for all parties involved if done diligently.
Buy a unit in the W South Beach condo-hotel and it will be rented through their Starwood program while you are not using it...
Miami Beach is a place where a lot of people have second homes and spend only 2 - 3 months here in the winter and are in other places for the rest of the year.
The Starwood rental program offers 2 plans for unit owners, depending on how flexible they want to be in their visits.
This is a great way to have an income during the time of absence.
The W in South Beach is especially beautiful since it is basically brandnew and right on the Atlantic ocean and in the heart of the happening South Beach.
The occupancy rate is very high due to its desirable location. Restaurants like Mr. Chow and Solea are inside the hotel and guests as well as owners can enjoy the beautiful pool and spa.
If you are interested in more information about a unit in the W condo hotel, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Memorial Day weekend in Miami Beach...
This holiday weekend is a big deal especially in South Beach for the hip-hop and rap community. 
For a lot of people it is considered the most exciting beach party in the world.
It is also known as "urban beach week" and has been going on for 10 years now.
The city gets taken over by people from all over the country to enjoy performances and parties by famous musicians in these genres.
Parking garages fill up before noon. It is best to arrive to South Beach early in order to get a good parking spot. Since drinking is a big part of this crazy weekend, taking a cab is advisable. Nobody wants to get in trouble and get a DUI ticket later which can be a big buzz kill.
Security is tightened due to former experiences when things got a little rough and unruly at times. A lot of locals feel that it is better to leave town till the big party is over and peace and quiet returns after Monday.
It is quite an experience to watch the "out of towners" who give South Beach a very different flair from all other weekends during the year.
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