the quizzical rockReal Estate | the quizzical rock

In Touch Much?

Todd Waller — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:02:55 +0000

The Hill says that the leaders expressed rage when Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) asked DeMarco if he’s ever met a homeowner who has suffered a foreclosure, to which he said he had not. – AGBeat

Huh…

So, in the span of about one month, I have had the, ah… privilege (that’ll work, I suppose) of witnessing two supreme gaffes in an interviewing situation. The quote above is galling, especially in light of our economy’s continued struggle, brought about by the utter collapse of the real estate market. Here, the director of FHFA, the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is openly and freely admitting that he has never gone face to face with someone who is going, or has gone, through a foreclosure.

Now, being someone who learns more from other’s mistakes as opposed to other’s success, I will be the first to admit that one does not need to experience something first hand to know if it is good, bad, ugly or indifferent. I *really* do not need to put my hand in the fire to figure out it is hot. However, I did need someone who knew more about fire and had been burnt, to explain to me that fire will burn and be painful, if used incorrectly.

As a real estate agent, I have bought one personal residence and one vacant lot for me and my family. On behalf of my clients, I have assisted many in purchasing or selling their home. I have ten years of experience in this marketplace and industry. I am confident that I can guide my clients to a successful resolution of their real estate goals. It is my experience that allows me to speak with authority and confidence as to how my clients’ goals may be accomplished.

Imagine if I simply had a book, webinar or some other form of non-hands on training that I used to “advise” my clients. It would likely be a disaster. I would “know” the words to speak, but the application would likely be off on an individual transaction basis. DeMarco shows his disconnectedness with the issue at hand by acknowledging that he has never spoken with someone going through foreclosure.

[insert howls of rage here]

Round Two

The other instance of disconnectedness came from hearing about some folks wanting to be pastors. A question was posed to these folk that I thought would have been a slam dunk. “When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone?”

You know the answer.

It’s why I am writing this post.

Instead of raging about why their response was disconcerting, at best, I will allow an avowed atheist to answer instead:

How much do you have to hate someone to not share the gospel?

How much do you have to “not care” about someone to not learn about how your policies will affect someone?

[Looks around for the rocking chair on my front porch. Commences to scream, "Get off my lawn!"]

6544 Pressley Creek, Hamburg, MI | Up North Living

Todd Waller — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:18:17 +0000

View the rest of my videos at http://www.wellcomemat.com/ProfessionalOneRealEstate/

A stately home on 2.2 acres, this home has the upgrades! Wide plank maple hardwood floors, 9′ ceilings, recessed lighting, french doors, crown molding, whole house audio, stainless appliances & more. The finished walkout basement simply needs your choice of flooring to cover the radiant heated floors. Outside, a large cedar deck is perfect for entertaining on your secluded, wooded lot. Around the corner from Ann Arbor, you can be on Main Street in about 15 minutes. Be sure to view the narrated walk through video, then call for your appointment to view this home.

The Great Housing Policy Distortion

Todd Waller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:27:09 +0000

Arnold Kling is all over it:

Old consensus: we need Freddie and Fannie in order to make housing “affordable.”

New consensus: we need them in order to “prevent further house price declines,” in other words, to make housing less affordable …

Government interference in housing markets, which helped produce the disorder known as the financial crisis, is still producing disorder…

The effort to prop up home prices does the following:

1. Diverts capital from other uses.

2. Uses up taxpayer money that could be spent on other things.

3. Increases the wealth of people who find suckers to buy their houses at too-high prices.

4. Decreases the wealth of the suckers who buy now.

5. Decreases the liquidity and mobility of people who cannot find rational buyers for their houses because rational buyers do not buy into a rigged market.

6. Decreases the investment opportunities for rational buyers, who are unable to buy homes in an un-rigged market.

The old government-backed system had a rationale of sorts in the old industrial order, providing a “geographic Keynesianism” which spurred consumption of durable goods coming off of U.S. assembly lines – everything from cars to refrigerators, washer-dryers, air-conditioners, and TVs. But little of that is produced in the U.S. anymore – it’s now a subsidy to offshore manufacturers. And the economy is far less manufacturing-intensive and far more knowledge-driven. These newer economic structures come along with much greater labor market flexibility and mobility, and conventional housing policy is thus at odds with Kling’s point #5. It’s time to put this bad policy to bed. But, we’re faced with an Olsonian political bind where there is not enough political clout to counter the housing and related lobby. And as Olson long ago pointed out, it’s just these kinds of political constraints that put nations and regions on the road to economic decline. Are counter-forces sufficient to overcome them? That seems to be the real question.

Tags: economic crisis, financial crisis, homeownership, housing prices

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Real Estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

via creativeclass.com

If you’ve not read or heard of Richard Florida, I suggest looking into his blog and his books. His book, ‘The Rise of the Creative Class’ was first suggested to me in 2006 at Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) class in Chicago. Since that class, I’ve tried to keep up with Richard’s take on our current “state of being.” His most recent book, “The Great Reset,” is raising eyebrows proposing that the current economic upheaval is, in part, due to a shift in our economy; from a labor economy to a more knowledge-based economy.

Being a real estate agent, I of course had great interest in this post about our nation’s current housing policies. Definite food for thought as we work our way through this mess.

21685 Roosevelt, Farmington Hills, MI | Fresh Bungalow

Todd Waller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:22:34 +0000

View the rest of my videos at http://www.wellcomemat.com/ProfessionalOneRealEstate/

This 1955 Farmington Hills bungalow is waiting for you. Hardwood floors, neutral decor & an expansive master bedroom await you. Centrally located, you are minutes from everywhere, with quick access to freeways. Check out the video walkthrough and pictures, then call for a showing.

Why Choose Professional One?

Todd Waller — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:46:08 +0000

Here are just a few reasons to choose Professional One…

Why?

Todd Waller — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:19:09 +0000

Ever wondered why someone would choose Professional One as their real estate brokerage? Here’s a short video on the “Why” of Professional One Real Estate.

9564 Alice Hill, Dexter, MI | Relaxed, Country Living

Todd Waller — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:48:58 +0000

View the rest of my videos at http://www.wellcomemat.com/ProfessionalOneRealEstate/

Located on nearly 1700 sqft of space on a beautiful country acre and located in Dexter Twp, your new home is 5 minutes from the Village of Dexter and around the corner from the University of Michigan and all that the city of Ann Arbor has to offer. Amenities include: solid six-panel interior doors, tile floors, tiered deck, spacious family room, newer appliances, master suite, 10×12 shed & fireplace.

Situated on over an acre of land, homes in this Huron Creek subdivision are well spaced for a great sense of privacy, yet not so far apart as to feel you are in the middle of nowhere.

Black Tie Experience: Client Testimonial

Todd Waller — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:15:22 +0000

It dawned on me recently that I have a great FlipMinoHD camera that I could use to record what some of my clients have to say!

A Little Context

While sitting at a home inspection in the middle of February, I received an inquiry from the internet about a few homes on our website. Recognizing that when someone asks about property specific information that they want an answer quickly, I called the number in the email notification.

Mrs. Anderson described what she and Mr. Anderson were looking for and allowed me to set up a quick property search for them. One thing led to another and we ended up writing on the second home we saw on our first tour!

But don’t take my words for it… Here is Mr. Anderson, in his own words, describing his experience. And yes, we wrote on a short sale that ACTUALLY closed!

18905 Edenderry, Northville, MI | Spacious Northville Living

Todd Waller — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:50:05 +0000

For more information, check out http://plymouth-real-estate.us/18905-Edenderry.html
If you are looking for a custom built, one-of-a-kind luxury home on a fantastic wooded 1.17 AC lot in one of Northville’s most desired areas, don’t miss this home. Original owners had architect Ron Myers design the home to take advantage of the great lot, then hired premier builder Tony Bauss to build their dream home. Wonderful floor plan. Granite. Loft. Pella windows. Milo Hunt landscaping. Generator. Partially finished walk out lower level.

Chasing the Market | Plymouth MI Homes

Todd Waller — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:51:31 +0000

View the rest of my videos at http://www.wellcomemat.com/ProfessionalOneRealEstate/

For more information, check out http://Plymouth-Real-Estate.us/2010/03/6-ways-to-not-be-just-another-listing
In a market where pricing is in decline, how do you properly price a home for sale? I've got the definition for 'chasing the market' and an analogy that may help in pricing your home correctly in this challenging market.