General Real Estate: July 2008 Archives

Once per month, I invite other real estate websites to submit one article, written for consumers on some subject of real estate. I ruthlessly reject wrong, bad, and useless information, and actually make fun of all the spam (without linking, so they don't get their search engine kick).

Today, the Consumer Focused Carnival of Real Estate for July is up. It's kind of small - not surprising in the summer. But it does show that I'm not the only one writing for consumers.

The Carnival will return on August 31, 2008. If you would like to submit, the guidelines are here, and the link is here, or you can just email me (A valid email return address is required in any case). Ideally, I'd like to start getting enough submissions to justify doing the carnival more often.

Newly Written Articles

Buying Teardown Properties and Condemned Buildings, which talks about some of the issues if you buy a property with intent to demolish and rebuild.

What Does It Mean To Fall Out Of Escrow?, demystifying the process a bit and showing that it's not the escrow process that's to blame.

Procuring Cause and Multiple Agents Talks about how to handle which agent gets credit. It's pretty easy. Not quite as easy as falling out of bed, but close.

Updated Articles

Pre-Payment Penalties and Second Trust Deeds discusses interactions between first and second mortgages, and how a first can tie your hands on a second, or vice versa.

For Sale By Owner - Working Directly With a Loan Officer There is no legal requirement to work with a real estate agent. You're being penny wise and pound foolish if you do - but that's your right.

Demands Listing Agents Make That Aren't in Their Clients Best Interest, discussing ways that agents hose their clients because it makes more money for them, or just makes it easier.

Stand Alone versus Piggyback Second Trust Deeds, a discussions of the merits of each and current alternatives

The tooth was taken out on Wednesday, as I said on my other site, and completely forgot to add here. Bleeding stopped Thursday, I have graduated down from Vicodin to Ibuprofen as of Thursday evening. Since Ibuprofen doesn't hit me nearly so hard, I'm planning to be back from mostly involuntary hiatus on Monday. I wrote two articles Saturday morning, which are set to publish Monday and Tuesday. I was going to write more but at this point I just don't know, because I'm pretty depressed about Mellon.

This week I was intending to start here with some more local articles, about the neighborhoods of the area where I work, as well as at least one Hot Bargain Property and Real Loans for Real People, but we'll have to see how things shake out. I loved that little dog.

Newly Written Articles

Customer Disservice and Alienation - Why Nobody Talks to My Clients Except Me - even a dental office mistake is something a good agent can learn from

If You Don't Think Agents Are Valuable, Do It Yourself. If you really think agents aren't worth anything, stop asking us to work for free, or give free advice.

Charles Schumer Administers Coup-de-Grace to IndyMac How to change a corporation from hurt but salvageable to dead meat, and cost the taxpayers four to eight billion dollars - all by publishing one letter.

Updated Articles

The High Cost of Waiting To Buy A Home talks about the expected costs of holding off one, two, or more years to buy the property you are interested in. In San Diego County right now, the reward for moving before the crowd will be much greater.