http://activerain.com/blogs/crystalpinava en-us http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ActiveRainCrystalPinahttp://feedburner.google.com http://activerain.com/blogsview/2540966/are-listing-agents-nothing-more-than-overpaid-data-entry <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/5/6/9/ar131777335596589.jpg" height="167" alt="" width="126" style="float: left;">The listing says, "buyer to verify all information", "buyer to do Title V" (typically done by seller in my market), "buyer to do smoke certificates" (the seller's responsibility according to Massachusetts state law). <br><br>SELLER/AGENT MAKE NO REPRESENTATION AS TO CONDITION OF PROPERTY was the first line in another listing.&nbsp; <br><br>Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware, right?<br><br>This post was prompted by an issue that was omitted from a listing but came up at home inspection (did she really think we wouldn't notice?). Right now my buyer is feeling like Real Estate agents are just like used car salesmen. Franky, so am I.</p> <p>My buyer may be out a lot of time and money because the listing agent put in her listing "Seller nor agent make any representations of any kind, buyer due diligence" instead of listing that there may be a potential problem that could cost my buyer $4000-8000 if he decides to purchase this property.</p> <p>Of course she denies knowing about the problem. But, I think she didn't act surprised when I told her. Instead, she told me to tell my buyer, "don't tell anyone" about the issue that came up. Seriously!?!<br><br>Maybe my buyer would have passed up this listing if he knew there may be a potential problem. Maybe not. He wasn't given that option. Ok, you can say that getting buyers through the door is the listing agent's job - but if she tricks people into the door, they aren't good buyers for that property, wouldn't you think?<br><br>I will go to the town hall and do my due dilligence so my buyer can decide if they want to move forward with the purchase or not.<br><br>In the future, am I supposed to educate my buyers by telling them to assume that all information in a listing sheet is wrong?</p> <p>What does a listing agent get paid for, other than putting the listing into MLS and then adding a ton of disclaimers that puts all the responsibility onto the buyer's agent?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/6ZOZx5PE5to" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:58:12 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/6ZOZx5PE5to/are-listing-agents-nothing-more-than-overpaid-data-entry http://activerain.com/blogsview/2540966/are-listing-agents-nothing-more-than-overpaid-data-entry http://activerain.com/blogsview/2488639/who-are-the-people-on-your-home-buying-team- <p>When buying a home in Central Massachusetts, you need a team of people working for you. I'll explain who they are and how they get paid.</p> <p>The first people you'll bring onto your team are your Buyer's Agent (Realtor), and your Mortgage Broker. Some people will meet the Mortgage Broker first and they'll tell you to start looking for homes. Other people will meet the Realtor first and he/she'll ask you to get pre-approved by a Mortgage professional)</p> <p><strong>BUYER'S AGENT</strong> - Your buyer's agent works for you. I highly suggest that you sign a contract with your buyer's agent which should say that you promise to work with only 1 agent, and that agent promises to work fully for you. You don't get any benefit out of using many agents. You will save time by letting your agent really get to know you, your wants and your needs. If you call the number off the sign in front of a house that you like, you will most likely get the seller's agent on the phone. That agent can help you write an offer, but they DO NOT work for you. They are contracted to work for the seller.</p> <p>A buyer's agent gets paid out of the "proceeds of the sale", which means they get paid at closing. The way it works is that a home seller contracts with their agent to sell their home for X percentage of the sale. Typically it's 5 or 6% so a $100,000 home will give the selling agent $5000-6000 at closing. They don't get to keep the whole thing. They will offer the buyer's agent a percentage of the sale, typically 2.5% or in some cases 3% of the purchase price.</p> <p><strong>MORTGAGE BROKER</strong> - You can go directly to your own bank to apply for a mortgage or you can use a Mortgage Broker. I suggest that you apply at both your bank and 2 Mortgage Companies to see who can give you the better deal. The mortgage person gets paid at closing as part of your closing costs. You should also ask them to estimate what your closing costs will be when deciding who to go with. Some companies charge more than others.</p> <p><strong>HOME INSPECTOR</strong> - After you choose your home you may decide to have a home inspection. I highly recommend that you do this, even if the seller said the house is being sold As-Is. It's always good to have a clause in your offer that allows you to walk away if the house isn't structurally sound or has other major problems with it that you aren't in a position to take on.</p> <p>Your home inspector will be paid by you out of pocket. In this area, expect to pay around $550. They don't like to get paid when the home closes because there is a possiblity that you will choose not to purchase this home after the inspection report comes back - depending on what the report says. </p> <p>OTHER INSPECTIONS - You may want to have other inspections such as a radon inspection or a termite inspection or even a mold inspection. These inspections are paid for by you. </p> <p><strong>YOUR ATTORNEY</strong> - In Central Massachusetts you hire an attorney to represent you. This attorney will draft the Purchase and Sale agreement, which is the legal document that comes out of the Offer to Purchase that you wrote and any changes to the Offer that happened during negotiations both before the home inspection and after. Your attorney gets paid at closing out of the proceeds of the sale.</p> <p><strong>THE BANK</strong> - I said "The Bank" and not "Your Bank" on purpose. If you are using your bank to get a mortgage, then you know who your bank is and it is Your Bank. But if you are using a Mortgage Broker, you most likely won't come in contact with The Bank. The Bank will have it's own attorney and will also hire the appraiser. The Bank gets paid as part of your closing costs at closing. </p> <p><strong>THE APPRAISER</strong> - The appraiser is hired by The Bank and works for The Bank. The Bank wants to know that the house they are putting up thousands of dollars for is worth the money they are putting in to it. If you offer $110,000 for a house, the house must appraise at least that much or The Bank won't issue a mortgage on that property. The appraiser gets paid at closing as part of your closing costs.</p> <p>So, those are the people who will help you in the home buying process. Take your time and choose a Dream Team of people who are working for your best interest, not their own pocketbooks. </p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/ke5sVIYWaGw" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:31:43 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/ke5sVIYWaGw/who-are-the-people-on-your-home-buying-team- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2488639/who-are-the-people-on-your-home-buying-team- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2310374/looking-for-a-sws-agent <p>Looking for an agent who sells in Lake Mary, FL who SELLS WITH SOUL. Client has had zero luck with getting agents to call her back!&nbsp;</p> <p>Please email me at crystal@crystalpina.com for the referral.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/fspwHLL2RaE" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Sun, 22 May 2011 10:48:48 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/fspwHLL2RaE/looking-for-a-sws-agent http://activerain.com/blogsview/2310374/looking-for-a-sws-agent http://activerain.com/blogsview/2243727/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-2 <p><strong>Should I Stay?</strong> (<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2240683/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-1" target="_blank">Read part 1 here</a>)</p> <p>If you want to hold on to your home, many banks are willing to work with you. They offer options such as loan modifications or repayment plans. Sometimes if the financial setback is temporary they will roll the missed payments onto the end of the mortgage so that you will be considered current.&nbsp;</p> <p>Working with your bank may not be easy, though. You may have already called your bank to see what programs are available to help you only to find them not willing to help. If that happens, go over the heads of the person you spoke to. That person may not have had the authority to help you. Their job may only be to collect payment.</p> <p>When speaking to the bank, treat it as if you&rsquo;ve entered into a battle (because you just may have). Take very good notes. Write down the name of the people you speak to, the date and time, and the extension you used to get to them. Write down whatever information you can. You may have to quote someone in the future when someone else tells you something different.</p> <p><strong>They Want Money!&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>If you'd like to stay, you will have to show the bank that you are able to make next month's payment. It's seems counter-intuitive - that you'd want to show them why you can't pay. But think about it. They want people who can afford to pay. They are not going to drop your rate or cut your payments. If anything, they will raise your interest rates. They are going to approve modifications and adjustments for people who can make the payments in the future.</p> <p><strong><em>Can</em> I Stay?</strong></p> <p>If you want to stay in your home and continue paying your mortgage but you don&rsquo;t think you can afford to, you really only have two options - cut your spending, or bring in more money.</p> <p>Spending less is tough. You've probably already cut out the luxuries. And it's hard to cut when prices are continually rising. There may be small areas where you can cut such as making coffee at home instead of buying it. But is that enough to make a difference?</p> <p>You may be out there pounding the pavement daily (or less often if you've been unemployed for a while). Are there other options you haven&rsquo;t tried? Maybe another family member can step up temporarily and get a job &ndash; or a second job. Think outside of the box. Is there a room you can rent out? Taking in a foreign exchange student pays a hefty stipend. What about renting out garage space? How about turning a hobby into a business? Or maybe a stay-at-home mom can start offering secretarial services online.</p> <p>When deciding to say, you have to decide if you want to make these changes for the rest of your life. Your mortgage isn't going to go down so these aren't changes that can be made temporarily while you "get back on your feet". These have to be permanant changes in your lifestyle. Unless you are sure that your income will go back to what it was before the setback, that is.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/710VoBFu4Lo" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:52:09 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/710VoBFu4Lo/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-2 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2243727/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-2 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2240683/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-1 <p>This is the question too many people are asking themselves these days. For whatever reason you've gotten behind in your mortgage &ndash; you've lost your job and haven't been able to find another; a spouse is out of work; the cost of living has just gotten too high in your area.</p> <p>Maybe you're not behind yet. Maybe your income is about to drop and you know that you won't be able to afford your current mortgage. Maybe you've heard stories about people "walking away" and renting is starting to look like a good idea right now.</p> <p>Whatever the reason, losing your home can make you feel like a failure. It can make you feel like you let your family down.</p> <p>The first thing for you to know is that you aren't alone. There are many families just like yours that are in the same boat.</p> <p><strong>Owning a Home <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">is</span> was the American Dream </strong></p> <p>Here are some staggering foreclosure statistics</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">&bull; 1 out of every 200 homes will be foreclosed upon.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">&bull; Every three months, 250,000 new families enter into foreclosure.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">&bull; One child in every classroom in America is at risk of losing his/her home because their parents are unable to pay their mortgage.</p> <p><strong>Step 1: Remove Emotion </strong></p> <p>When you are stuck in emotion, you are stuck in the past. Yes, your kids did grow up in that house. Yes, you did learn how to put those cabinets in yourself. Yes, you did give the bank thousands upon thousands of dollars to live there. (You would have given those thousands of dollars to a landlord if you hadn't given them to the bank. Nobody lives for free.)</p> <p>While those are wonderful memories, they are the past. To make a good decision, you have to remove the emotional attachment to your home by thinking about the future. If you stay, what will your life be like next year? I can almost guarantee that it won't be the same life it was in your memories. If you leave, what will change? Leaving may not solve all your problems either because many of the struggles you are going through today will follow you wherever you live.</p> <p>So what do you do?</p> <p><strong>Make a Decision </strong></p> <p>When you purchased your home that was the best decision for your family at that time. Things have changed. You need to be proactive to make the best decision for your family RIGHT NOW.</p> <p>Whether you stay in your home or decide to leave, it is a decision that you should be making. If you leave it up to your bank to decide, that&rsquo;s still a decision. But it&rsquo;s a decision that will leave you feeling like a victim. You may be a victim of your current circumstances (you didn&rsquo;t ask for the layoff, etc), but you don&rsquo;t have to live like a victim.</p> <p>(<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2243727/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-2" target="_blank">Read part 2 here</a>)</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/gAHp28NA7rk" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:27:04 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/gAHp28NA7rk/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-1 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2240683/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-pt-1 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2131127/overheard- <p>A group of people at the table next to me were talking about snow on people's roofs (who isn't talking about snow and roofs lately!?!). I heard one of them say that if you clean the snow off your roof and then it collapses or springs a leak that the insurance won't cover it because there's no way to prove that you didn't do the damage yourself when cleaning off the snow.</p> <p>Does anyone know if this is true or just someone's opinion?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/5/3/3/ar129743684433562.jpg" height="225" alt="" width="300"></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/A980pOMhEZ8" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:08:09 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/A980pOMhEZ8/overheard- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2131127/overheard- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2126752/removing-snow-off-your-roof <p>Living in New England we are used to shoveling walkways, driveways, and sidewalks. With the snow we've had this winter we are now shoveling our roofs!</p> <p>I'm lucky that my roof has such a pitch that I don't have to worry about it, but I do have two porch roofs (Why isn't that spelled rooves?) that need to be shoveled off.</p> <p>How safe is it to shovel off a roof? I haven't heard of anyone falling so far this year, which is a good thing, lol. But every time I see someone up there I can't help but worry for them.</p> <p>But there's also danger in not removing it - a roof can start to leak or even collapse under the weight of the snow. Some buildings such as barns have collapsed.</p> <p>We now have a new tool for winter - a roof rake. It looks like this.<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/4/3/3/1/ar129723142813345.jpg" height="328" alt="" width="299"></p> <p>I googled and it looks like they cost around $30-50. So they're a lot more expensive than a shovel. I saw many people up on ladders raking their roofs, but I also saw people right up there on the roof pushing the snow off. Scary stuff!</p> <p>So here's the instructions for raking your roof.</p> <p>1. Shovel a clear path around the perimeter of your house (So that you can have a sure place to put the ladder.</p> <p>2. Walk the path to pack the snow and make sure that the ground is firm and your ladder won't sink with you on it.</p> <p>3. Have someone on the ground spotting you so you don't fall. Just don't pull the snow on their heads.</p> <p>4. Pull the snow off the roof keeping a thin layer of snow on the roof. You don't want to damage the shingles. Also, make sure you buy a plastic rake so you don't damage your shingles.</p> <p>If you have a lot of icicles (or deathcicles as my daughter calls them), you are probably losing a lot of heat through your roof.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/EgPqXZohohM" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:07:48 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/EgPqXZohohM/removing-snow-off-your-roof http://activerain.com/blogsview/2126752/removing-snow-off-your-roof http://activerain.com/blogsview/2114805/wordless-wednesday-winter-2011 <p>I came home the other day to this scene in my front yard. I thought it was very creative and wanted to share. Apparently my son has a bit too much time on his hands, lol. With school closed for a snow day 1 day per week for the last month, I think most kids have too much time on their hands.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/7/2/7/1/ar129668344317275.JPG" height="600" alt="" width="800"></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/BkTZ-iDAkQg" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:51:25 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/BkTZ-iDAkQg/wordless-wednesday-winter-2011 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2114805/wordless-wednesday-winter-2011 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2112204/worcester-public-schools <p>Worcester definitely has some of the best public schools. Here's some info on where you can find more info:</p> <p><strong>Worcester public school profiles</strong> are available in PDF format by clicking on the links in <a href="http://worcesterschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=214587&amp;sessionid=4d0d588c9aa0f7a5b91f7039ebab3c11">this page</a>.</p> <p>If you'd like more information about a particular school, you can <strong>visit the school's individual website</strong> on <a href="http://worcesterschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=4d0d588c9aa0f7a5b91f7039ebab3c11&amp;pageid=159475&amp;sessionid=4d0d588c9aa0f7a5b91f7039ebab3c11">this page</a>.</p> <p><strong>Night Life classes</strong> are classes for adults that are held during the evenings. They offer everything from arts and crafts to dance to vocational and career certificates. You can find out more about these classes <a href="http://www.worcesterschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=125204&amp;sessionid=0e53f251947dbe0687000c1c69d51b2d">here</a>.</p> <p>And of course, you can find out info on school inclement weather closings <a href="http://www.wpsweb.com/">on their website</a> or on: </p><blockquote> <strong>T.V. - </strong><a href="http://cbs4boston.com/schoolclosings" target="_blank">CBS-4</a> <a href="http://thebostonchannel.com/closings" target="_blank">WCVB-5</a> <a href="http://www1.whdh.com/stormforce" target="_blank">WHDH -7</a> <a href="http://www.myfoxboston.com/subindex/weather/school_closings" target="_blank">FOX-25</a> <strong>Radio - </strong>AM 580 WTAG AM 1030 WBZ</blockquote> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/bIbux9zShM8" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:09:18 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/bIbux9zShM8/worcester-public-schools http://activerain.com/blogsview/2112204/worcester-public-schools http://activerain.com/blogsview/2091646/de-clutter-the-outside-of-your-refrigerator-before-you-list-your-house- <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I want to share this post with my readers because I think it's a great idea. We all have things stuck all over our refrigerators.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This is a reblog so I am disabling comments. Please comment to the original poster.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2091564/de-clutter-the-outside-of-your-refrigerator-before-you-list-your-house-">Suzanne Asher (Signature Properties of Huntington)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">De Cluttering the outside of your refrigerator&hellip;&hellip; A GREAT idea!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are so many things to do to declutter a house.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here is something that is really out of control for some people in the kitchen but I just saw a great idea the other day that I wanted to share with you.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Refrigerator Magnets!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Ah, Refrigerator Magnets&hellip;.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Sometimes a collection of these appears ALL over a person&rsquo;s refrigerator and did you ever see them in a photo of a house listing&hellip;&hellip;.. This is a definite NO NO to have on the fridge for Photos&hellip;..<img title="Declutter your Refrigerator Front/Side" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/9/7/9/8/ar129566157689795.PNG" height="234" alt="Ugh Refrigerator Magnets" style="float: left;" width="300"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Do you know what refrigerator magnets mean to someone?<span style="">&nbsp; </span>I&rsquo;ll tell you a story I heard while visiting a clients home.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>I knew she had a ton of refrigerator magnets but I had to tell her, even tho these are so meaningful to her, she would have to find another home for them.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>In the past she had explained them all to me&hellip;&hellip;.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>&ldquo;my daughter brought me this one from her honeymoon&hellip; This one I got from someone when she was born! <span style="">&nbsp;</span>Oh, here&rsquo;s one from the cross country trip we took ten years ago, we went to this cute little bar!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Oh here&rsquo;s one from our first anniversary, a photo of our first grandchild&hellip;&hellip;. Etc!!!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>And on and on and on&hellip;.<span style="">&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well while in a clients home the other day, I noticed that the front of the refrig looked so neat!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>I couldn&rsquo;t imagine that she threw all these magnets away&hellip;. And she turned me in the direction of a wall in the kitchen.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Hanging on the wall was a beautiful frame and inside the frame was metal, and stuck to the metal was all those refrigerator magnets, years of sentimental reminders of times past!!!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>It had turned into a framed masterpiece filled with years of memories!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>This was one of the most clever things I had seen!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I list a house now and I know that they have these little &ldquo;treasures&rdquo; placed all over the fridge, I bring them a framed piece of metal&hellip;.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Yes, you can still keep your refrigerator magnets, but you will have to display them in this frame!!!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>What a GREAT solution to an otherwise sloppy display on the refrigerator!!!<span style="">&nbsp; </span>And a memory that will last a lifetime!</p> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/8fxh1F5PqXI" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:24:30 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/8fxh1F5PqXI/de-clutter-the-outside-of-your-refrigerator-before-you-list-your-house- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2091646/de-clutter-the-outside-of-your-refrigerator-before-you-list-your-house- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2089820/rent-to-own-i-don-t-know- <p>A friend called me yesterday to ask for my advice. He wants to purchase the house next door to where he's living. It's a multi-family total rehab with 1 tenant living there. He's looking forward to doing the work to bring it up to code.</p> <p>He has less-than-stellar credit so he knows he needs to work on that before he gets a mortgage. Plus he hasn't saved up for the down payment.</p> <p>The seller just wants to dump the property. He's owned it way too long and doesn't want to keep up with it. <img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/5/5/7/4/ar129561672147554.jpg" height="90" alt="" width="153" style="margin: 5px; float: right;"></p> <p>The two of them hatch a plan where my friend would rent-to-own the property, collect the rents, do the rehab needed, and when the time comes the sale would take place.&nbsp;</p> <p>Whoa, hold on folks.</p> <p>First I told my friend that this is very risky. Even with an iron-clad legal contract there's still risks. He thought about the different ways the seller could renig on his end of the bargain - ie he does the work, now the property is worth more and the seller accepts a higher offer.</p> <p>But he didn't think that quite possibly HE could be the one who can't keep up his end of the deal. What if he gets to the end of the term and he wasn't able to repair his credit? What if the tenant moves out leaving him without a way to pay for the rent owed to the seller/landlord.</p> <p>He thought that rent to own meant that he owned it. He had already planned on hiring a contractor who would put a lein on the property for payment (or something like that). I explained to him that if he hired the contractor, he was responsible for payment. He doesn't own the property. He's just a RENTER with an agreement to purchase at some later date.</p> <p>I set him up with a mortgage professional to talk about a plan to fix his credit and see if it's even realistic that he would qualify for a mortgage in the future, and also to give him a realistic timeframe. I hope this works out for them but from where I'm sitting, the owner has all cards and my friend has the most to lose.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/CXjAIVmAmO4" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:38:14 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/CXjAIVmAmO4/rent-to-own-i-don-t-know- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2089820/rent-to-own-i-don-t-know- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2085394/unlocking-the-qr-code <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I am such a geek - I love the QR codes (I almost said <em>new</em> QR codes, but if you read the article below you'll see that they aren't new.) The reason I love them is because they take up such little space, but when scanned into your phone they hold a whole lot of information.</p> <p>I'll let you read about them.</p> <p><em>This is a reblog so I have disabled comments. Please comment to the original poster.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1961258/unlocking-the-qr-code">Emily Read</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/4/0/1/ar128937151910411.jpg" height="122" alt="" width="715"></p> <p>Unlocking the QR Code I spent some time yesterday researching the QR code - and I am proud to say that I am finally on Team QR code!</p> <p>For those of you who don't know - QR (Quick Response) codes are 2 dimensional barcodes - they were invented by Denso-Wave (a Toyota subsidiary) back in 1994 as a way of tracking car parts. And then programmers realized that phones were able to read these codes as well. The rest is history..</p> <p>They look like that image over to your right.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/3/5/2/4/ar12893716542531.jpg" height="258" alt="" style="float: right;" width="258"></p> <p>There's a new trend in Real Estate with REALTORS incorporating these codes into their marketing. A code displayed on a For Sale sign can send a user to the REALTOR'S featured listing page in a matter of seconds.</p> <p>Iphone/Android phones can read these codes as well as Blackberries running Blackberry Messenger5 and newer (you can access them using the "Scan A Group Barcode" option in the BBM menu). Some phones come with a QR code reader already installed - other phones that don't have it just need an app that can be downloaded for free on Itunes or Android Market. (Just search QR scanner) Basically, you point the camera at the QR code - and POOF! You're launched into an exciting 2 second journey to...?? :) Usually it's a website, mobile page or a page displaying contact information.</p> <p>How do you get customized QR codes? They're free and SUPER easy! I have some directions at the bottom of this post.. just so I'm not boring everyone. :) Just scroll down and you'll see them. Send me an email if you get stuck! :)</p> <p>Where are they being used? Japan is the #1 fan of QR codes (makes sense.. they're always miles ahead in technology..) In Japan, every cell phone comes with a reader installed already. Apparantly QR codes are on anything from business cards to lettuce. I even found this:</p> <p>http://www.japantrends.com/qr-code-graves-give-a-memorial-window/&nbsp; - I think I'm still on the fence with this one. lol</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/6/5/4/ar128937259045605.jpg" height="125" alt="" style="float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" width="200">It seems to be gaining popularity in Europe too..Volvo recently launched an ad campaign. So did an Italian dairy farmer... I wonder if he painted QR codes on his cows? :)&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While it's been a little slow taking off in North America, the technology is starting to gain some momentum. We're starting to see it a lot. Back in June of this year, HSBC advertised during Wimbledon with print ads featuring a code which directed the users to a mobile page. Calvin Klein (known for controversial billboards) launched a campaign in New York city and Los Angeles that featured a QR code which transported the user to a mobile video - of sexy people in sexy jeans! True Calvin Klein styles.&nbsp; So yes, I believe QR codes will continue to pop up all over the marketplace. And why wouldn't it? It's easy. It's instant! Quick Response, right?</p> <p>The only downfall for me was the design... They are U.G.L.Y. It broke my heart to think of these invasive black and white boxes preying on the pureness and simplicity of what my lovely branded Realtor For Sale signs.. I just couldn't see it working.. until... 'gasp' I found out that they could be CUSTOMIZED! (cue harp)</p> <p>That's right folks.. apparantly, these darling little codes(notice the attitude change?) have a 30% error allowance in them, which means they can't be COMPLETELY changed but there can be a little creative aspects to them.. which is all I needed to know! Here are a few samples that I whipped up - from what I have read, some phones read QRcodes better than others. They work great on my IPhone, but I'd be curious to see what the result is with other phones. Let me know if they work for you!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/6/8/1/1/ar128937183011861.jpg" height="217" alt="" width="217"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/7/1/6/3/ar128937198336174.jpg" height="219" alt="" width="219"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/9/7/4/ar128937187247963.jpg" height="212" alt="" width="212"></p> <p style="text-align: left;">So to summarize, I can see this taking off and not going anywhere for a while - unless they can figure out a better way to transmit links to cell phones easier than that (without frying our brains in the process..)It's easy, quick, and you get instant results. And in a world where "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk" target="_blank">Everything is amazing, and nobody's happy</a>", I think we have a winner, folks! (That link is to a hilarious CK Louis skit. Prepare to smile!)</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">How to get QR Codes:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">MyRealPage.com websites have offered this feature since 2009 - offering QR code generation that creates a unique code for each listing! They rock and I love them!&nbsp; Realtyninja.com just today made their exciting announcement that they too offer this innovative feature. Love that!! As far as the other Real Estate website providers go, I'm not sure.. but they should! If you know of any other ones that do, please let me know! I'm curious to see how many companies are providing Realtors this service.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">If you want to create a QR code out - follow these instructions. There are many QR code generators out there. I tend to prefer Quickmark.com.tw (Thanks to Colin Perry at www.TordiaImages.com for the tip)- It's a little complicated to find so here's the first part of the journey - <a href="http://quickmark.com.tw/En/diy/?qmLink" target="_blank">http://quickmark.com.tw/En/diy/?qmLink</a> - after you're on the page, look on the left - click on QRCode DIY and choose what kind of information you'd like to display (website, contact info). Enter the info and you'll see the image on the right. Press generate QRcode. Then go down to the bottom of the image where it says Barcode download: PNG, JPEG, etc.&nbsp; Choose what format you'd like to download. What is great about this site, is they give you the option to download SVG - This is a vector based graphic that you can blow up BIG! It may not mean much to you, but your graphic designer/print show will LOVE you! So will your clients! :)</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope this post was helpful in clearing up some QR code questions -</p> <p style="text-align: left;">So... are YOU on Team QR Code?? :)</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Over and out,</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Emily Read - Real Estate Extraordinaire</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/6/8/9/7/ar128937330779861.jpg" height="122" alt="" width="715"></p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/qsTrnWiSR7E" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:52:58 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/qsTrnWiSR7E/unlocking-the-qr-code http://activerain.com/blogsview/2085394/unlocking-the-qr-code http://activerain.com/blogsview/2083332/foreclosure-apocalypse-now-what-every-reo-foreclosure-realtor-needs-to-know-about-the-massachusetts-ibanez-decision <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I suggest that my buyers always, always purchase title insurance. I had first hand experience where title insurance saved the day (for my seller).</p> <p>One thing I like about living in Massachusetts, we are always in the forefront of legal issues. We aren't afraid to make a decision first and not wait to see what other states are doing. For or against, we are decisive.</p> <p>This is a reblog, I am disabling comments. Please comment to the original poster.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2071080/foreclosure-apocalypse-now-what-every-reo-foreclosure-realtor-needs-to-know-about-the-massachusetts-ibanez-decision">Richard Vetstein (Vetstein Law Group, P.C., TitleHub Closing Services LLC)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/1/3/4/ar129484174143132.jpg" height="236" alt="" width="201" style="float: left;">The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.massrealestatelawblog.com/2011/01/07/ibanez-foreclosure-ruling-upheld-an-indictment-of-the-securitized-mortgage-system/"><em>U.S. Bank v. Ibanez</em></a> foreclosure decision is already a huge national story and has huge implications for the foreclosure and REO market.&nbsp; (The ruling is embedded below). The high court ruled that two foreclosures of sub-prime mortgages were null and void where the lenders could not establish the chain of ownership within the securitized mortgage backed securitized pools. CNN-Money calls it a<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/07/real_estate/foreclosure_ruling/?iid=MPM" target="_blank"> &ldquo;beat down&rdquo; of the big banks.</a> Reuters says it&rsquo;s a <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/01/07/the-ibanez-case-and-housing-market-catastrophe-risk/" target="_blank">&ldquo;catastrophe risk&rdquo; for banks.</a> The<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-connor/the-foreclosure-fraud-sca_b_805940.html" target="_blank"> </a>Huffington Post claims there&rsquo;s some <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-connor/the-foreclosure-fraud-sca_b_805940.html" target="_blank">Obama Administration-Bank of America conspiracy in play</a>. The ruling has spooked investors, as bank stocks <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/01/07/massachusetts-high-court-ruling-focuses-on-foreclosure-paperwork/" target="_blank">were down in reaction to the ruling</a>. In reaction to the ruling, a <a href="http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201101091027dowjonesdjonline000204&amp;title=press-release432-billion-pension-fund-coalition-demands-bank-directors-examine-foreclosure-practices" target="_blank">coalition of seven major public pension systems called </a>on the boards of directors of Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo to immediately undertake independent examinations of the banks&rsquo; mortgage and foreclosure practices.</p> <p><strong>National Implications</strong></p> <p>The case certainly has national implications as the Massachusetts SJC is the first state supreme court to weigh in on the legal ramifications of widespread irregularities in the residential securitized mortgage industry. Over half of U.S. states have foreclosure laws similar to Massachusetts&rsquo; regarding the assignment of mortgages, such as California and Georgia. Other courts across the country will likely be influenced by the ruling, especially since the SJC is widely regarded as one of the most respected state supreme courts in the country. If other state courts follow this ruling, it's going to have a huge impact on the foreclosure and REO markets, as billions of dollars of mortgages could be rendered "un-forecloseable" and without resource against mortgaged property.</p> <p><strong>What Happened Here?</strong></p> <p>For those new to the case, the problem the Court dealt with in this case is the validity of foreclosures when the mortgages are part of securitized mortgage lending pools. When mortgages were bundled and packaged to Wall Street investors, the ownership of mortgage loans were divided and freely transferred numerous times on the lenders&rsquo; books. But the mortgage loan documentation actually on file at the Registry of Deeds often lagged far behind. In the Ibanez case, the mortgage assignment, which was executed in blank, was not recorded until over a year after the foreclosure process had started. This was a fairly common practice in Massachusetts, and I suspect across the U.S. Mr. Ibanez, the distressed homeowner, challenged the validity of the foreclosure, arguing that U.S. Bank had no standing to foreclose because it lacked any evidence of ownership of the mortgage and the loan at the time it started the foreclosure.</p> <p>He won, and now gets his home back, despite defaulting on the loan.</p> <p><strong>What This Means For Realtors</strong></p> <p>For Realtors in the foreclosure and REO markets there are 3 take-aways from this case:</p> <ul> <li>If the ruling spreads to states other than Mass., foreclosures will get a lot harder to complete, and the REO market will be impacted with less inventory.</li> <li>The ruling could have a positive impact on short sales and loan modifications. With foreclosures being more costly and riskier to undertake, lenders may be more willing to (finally!) negotiate loan mods and short sales. This is good news!</li> <li>The ruling underscores why you should always insist that your buyers obtain their own <strong>owner's policy of title insurance</strong>. There are a lot of folks who purchased property at foreclosure auctions, and if the mortgage suffered from the same type of problem as the Ibanez case (which could be 100,000's of incidents), they no longer have good title. If they have title insurance, at least they have some protection. If they didn't, they are basically screwed, for lack of a better word.</li> </ul> <p>If you are interested in a more indepth analysis of the case and its impact on the securitized mortgage industry, read <a href="http://www.massrealestatelawblog.com/2011/01/08/apocalypse-now-will-the-massachusetts-ibanez-case-unravel-widespread-irregularities-in-the-residential-securitized-mortgage-market/" target="_blank">my outside blog post here</a>, and Georgetown Law Prof. <a href="http://www.creditslips.org/creditslips/2011/01/ibanez.html" target="_blank">Adam Levitan's piece here</a>.</p> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/46472110/Ibanez-Case-JAN-2011" title="View Ibanez Case JAN 2011 on Scribd" style="">Ibanez Case JAN 2011</a> <object name="doc_584254283881031" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" id="doc_584254283881031" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="600" width="100%" style=""> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=46472110&amp;access_key=key-1c60p176mwf5tkqh6rse&amp;page=1&amp;viewMode=list"> <embed name="doc_584254283881031" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=46472110&amp;access_key=key-1c60p176mwf5tkqh6rse&amp;page=1&amp;viewMode=list" allowfullscreen="true" id="doc_584254283881031" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" height="600" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="100%"></embed> </object><div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/S0g09sN_BJQ" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:24:13 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/S0g09sN_BJQ/foreclosure-apocalypse-now-what-every-reo-foreclosure-realtor-needs-to-know-about-the-massachusetts-ibanez-decision http://activerain.com/blogsview/2083332/foreclosure-apocalypse-now-what-every-reo-foreclosure-realtor-needs-to-know-about-the-massachusetts-ibanez-decision http://activerain.com/blogsview/2083158/congratulations-to-active-rain-on-200-000-members <p>I wanted to say <strong>Congratulations to Active Rain</strong> on hitting <strong>200,000 members</strong>.</p> <p>I joined AR <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/196/activerain-real-estate-network-what-s-the-big-idea-" target="_blank">back in 2006</a>, I think it was August or September. I don't know how many members there were then but it was small enough where everyone knew everybody. There was a <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/188/forums-on-their-way" target="_blank">forum</a> and I think the blogging portion was supposed to be an extra to the forum, but the forum turned out to be a feeding ground for people to sell their wares. Ask a question - get a "I'll help you for a fee" type answer. I was glad to see them go.</p> <p>The blogs just took over and took on a life of their own. We started to self-govern and spam comments were naturally frowned upon. We set up our own blog-comment ettiquette. We wished that the "Rain Gawds" would give us a gold star (ok, that hasn't changed, lol).</p> <p>A group of us made a pact to comment on any blog that didn't have a comment on it. I believe that was <a href="http://activerain.com/roaring" target="_blank">The Lovely Wife</a>'s idea.</p> <p>I popped in last night and saw the gigantic <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2076724/activerain-reaches-200-000-members" target="_blank">200,000 member</a> banner. Cool! I certainly did my share of inviting members. Some joined, some didn't.</p> <p>Now we have groups and Rain Camp but the basic AR that I knew way back when is still the same. <strong>Congratulations on a job well done, Active Rain.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/8/3/6/4/ar129535987546386.jpg" height="160" alt="" width="800"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/XvdSysrkJqs" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:08:13 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/XvdSysrkJqs/congratulations-to-active-rain-on-200-000-members http://activerain.com/blogsview/2083158/congratulations-to-active-rain-on-200-000-members http://activerain.com/blogsview/2082508/all-men-created-equal <p></p><p>I just finished filling out the application for citizenship for my husband and this is the first post I saw when coming here. How appropriate.</p> <p>I definately see inequality but not nearly as much as years ago. I get so mad when people are so obviously ignorant, but then I remind myself that they were ignorant before I was there and they'll be ignorant long after I'm gone. MLKs dream is happening in our lifetime whether they like it or not.</p> <p>Congratulations, Loreena, on your citizenship!</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2080603/all-men-created-equal">Loreena Yeo, Realtor&reg;| Frisco TX Community Ambassador (214)783-2210 (3:16 team REALTY)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p>Martin Luther King Jr. wished that "<strong>someday all men would be created equal</strong>" in his famous <em>"I have a dream"</em> speech.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/7/3/4/2/ar129526518024372.jpg" height="300" alt="" width="200" style="float: right; margin: 3px 5px;">Being an American for one year now, this "theme" resonates highly to me.</p> <p>But the story goes, that long before I became an American, 95% of people around me gave me <strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES</strong>. Only in America. The 5%? There will always be the 5% so why let the trees obstruct your view of the forest?</p> <p>I came to America as a young college student, seeking for tertiary education that my very own country couldn't give me because of my minority status. I found <strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong> in America.</p> <p>I studied Civil Engineering, worked my behind off and received good grades. Another <strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong> to the grading system in America.</p> <p>When I graduated from college in 1998, I received 4 job offers to choose from. All with different packages, with different opportunities. An <strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong> in the workplace.</p> <p>I selected a small, family-owned business where I had to learn to do everything. My boss took a chance on me and told me, I'm the first college kid he ever hired. Most definitely an <strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong> for me.</p> <p>While I worked as a structural engineer, I managed to find another part-time job tutoring an 8th grade kid. I worked hard and my young professional adult life was good. Most definitely a positive attitude to <strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY in this country for those who are willing to work hard.</strong> In some countries today, you are determined by a very young age if you would be a farmer, a policeman or an Olympian.</p> <p>Now, as a Realtor(R), my clients select me not because of my skin color, my race or my background. They selected me because they think I can give them the best value. <strong>An EQUAL OPPORTUNITY in my business.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While I hear complaints and criticism about EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES in the media, I can only smile. I don't believe it. I believe a good life is created when we strive to be our best daily. And even if economic conditions may be depressing where you live, this EQUAL OPPORTUNISTIC country allows you to move around freely to find happiness and freedom.</p> <p>Have I ever felt I've been treated unfairly? Sure. One time when someone was screaming at me - You Japanese!!! Get out. It scared the C**P out of me. How ignorant - I'm not even Japanese...</p> <p>We'd always will have some inequality. The human nature and system are such that it's never perfect. <strong>But here in America, it's as perfect as it can be. </strong></p> <p>Have a great Martin Luther King Jr. day while you thank the heavens what a wonderful world we live in....</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #006699;">***************************************************************</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;">This information is provided to you by <strong> <a href="http://www.frisco-tx-homes.com" target="_blank">3:16 team REALTY</a></strong> with a commitment to support the Frisco TX community.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.frisco-tx-homes.com" target="_blank"> 3:16 team REALTY</a> is a locally-owned Frisco TX real estate brokerage that serves buyers and sellers in and around the Frisco TX areas.</strong></p> <div style="text-align: center;">Super-serving <strong>Frisco, Plano, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Little Elm, Prosper &amp; North Dallas </strong> area communities.</div> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <center> <table border="0" width="60%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="105"> <img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/LoreenaEmail.jpg" border="0" height="114" alt="" width="100"><br> </td> <td>3:16 team REALTY - Loreena Yeo, <a href="http://www.frisco-tx-homes.com/default.asp_Q_f_E_cpg_A_pg_E_AboutLoreenaYeo-FriscoTXRealtor"> Realtor&reg; in Frisco TX</a><br> Pick up your phone &amp; call today.<br> <strong>(214) 783-2210 <br> </strong>loreena(at)loreenayeo(dot)com</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Check out <a href="http://www.frisco-tx-homes.com/default.asp_Q_f_E_rss_view_A_rssfeedid_E_719" target="_blank"> some of the best values in Frisco TX Featured Homes of the week</a>. <br> This list is monitored and updated frequently by <strong> <a href="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/default.asp_Q_f_E_cpg_A_pg_E_AboutLoreenaYeo-FriscoTXRealtor" title="About Loreena Yeo | Frisco TX Realtor &amp; Broker" target="_blank">Loreena Yeo </a> - </strong> <a href="http://www.frisco-tx-homes.com/default.asp_Q_f_E_cpg_A_pg_E_AboutLoreenaYeo-FriscoTXRealtor"> Realtor&reg; in Frisco TX</a>.</p> </center> <p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Loreena-Yeo/1047563691" title="Loreena Yeo on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/Loreena-Facebook.png" border="0" height="56" alt="Loreena Yeo on Facebook" width="45"></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/loreenayeo" title="Loreena Yeo on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/Loreena-Twitter.png" border="0" height="56" alt="Loreena Yeo on Twitter" width="45"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/loreenayeo" title="Loreena Yeo on Linked In" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/Loreena-LinkedIn.png" border="0" height="56" alt="Loreena Yeo on Linked In" width="45"></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/316teamrealty" title="316teamrealty Frisco TX home youtube video channel" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/Youtube.jpg" border="0" height="53" alt="" width="45"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/316teamrealty" title="316teamrealty Frisco TX Homes Flickr photos" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/Flickr.jpg" border="0" height="52" alt="316teamrealty Flickr channel" width="45"></a> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogs/316teamrealty" title="Top Real Estate Blogging Platform - Loreena Yeo on Active Rain" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/LoreenaYeo-ActiveRain.jpg" border="0" height="41" alt="" width="160"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.friscotxcityguide.info" title="Official Facebook Frisco TX City Guide" target="_blank"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/FacebookFriscoCityGuide.jpg" border="0" height="60" alt="Facebook Frisco TX City Guide" width="100"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frisco-TX/316-team-REALTY/8851422514" title="3:16 team REALTY Business Page on Facebook"><img src="http://frisco-tx-homes.com/website/agent_pictures/4019/316Facebook.jpg" border="0" height="60" alt="3:16 team REALTY Facebook Business Page" width="95"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Join the <strong><a href="http://www.friscotxcityguide.info/" title="Frisco TX City Guide" target="_blank">Frisco TX City Guide</a></strong> &amp; <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frisco-TX/316-team-REALTY/8851422514" title="3:16 team REALTY serving Frisco TX Homes Facebook Fan Page" target="_blank">3:16 team REALTY serving Frisco TX Homes</a></strong> Facebook Fan pages</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Content &amp; Photography Copyright &copy; 2011 by Loreena Yeo (3:16 team REALTY)<br> <strong>All Men Created Equal</strong></p> <p> </p> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/KNbaigADv7Q" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:35:47 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/KNbaigADv7Q/all-men-created-equal http://activerain.com/blogsview/2082508/all-men-created-equal http://activerain.com/blogsview/2077768/-list-it-high-because-someone-will-offer-less <p></p><p>You've got to be honest in this market. Take a hard look at the stats, and believe them - whatever they are telling you. Pricing a home too high only means that no one will come to see it. They'll pass it over.</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2064073/-list-it-high-because-someone-will-offer-less">Envelope Real Estate Brokerage Inc</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><strong>Lets List it High Because I Know Someone Will Offer Less</strong></p> <p>There is a right way and a wrong way to sell a home.&nbsp;Here are some of the wrong ways.</p> <p><strong>I Want to List it High Because I Know Someone Will Offer Less</strong><br>When a home seller interviews a real estate agent it's easy for them to get caught up in the excitement of choosing a sales price.&nbsp;If they can get more money for the home, it means more financial opportunities for the homeowner. Unfortunately, uninformed sellers often choose the listing agent who tells them they will list it at the highest list price.&nbsp;This is, by far, the worst mistake a seller can make.<img src="http://media.point2.com/p2a/htmltext/5c98/9be3/7acd/7ecea9e4a79a70143602/original.jpg" border="0" height="200" alt="" width="134"><br><br><strong>Establishing Value</strong> <br>The reality is that it doesn't matter how much money you think your home is worth.&nbsp;The only person whose opinion really matters is the buyer who is going to make an offer, and of course, the appraiser. Pricing a house is part science and part art. It involves comparing similar houses in similar communities, making the necessary adjustments for the differences between them, charting market movements and measuring the amount of housing inventory, all of this in an attempt to help determine a range of value. &nbsp;This is the same method appraisers use to evaluates a house. No two appraisals are exactly the same; they are however, generally close to one another. There is no hard and fast way to just stick a price on your home. <br><br><strong>Is the Price Too Low?</strong><br>Houses sell at a price a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to take. If a house is priced too low the seller should expect to receive multiple offers and drive up the price up to the market value. &nbsp;There is not much danger in pricing a home under its actual value and your competition. The danger is in pricing it too high and haveing the house sit on the market for months.<img src="http://media.point2.com/p2a/htmltext/2d00/eab2/63bc/29b656b9a09c30b13cb9/original.jpg" border="0" height="200" alt="" width="117"><br><br><strong>How It Starts To Go Wrong</strong><br>The seller of a home didn't interview her real estate agents. She pick the first agent off the Internet because, "He looked like a nice guy."&nbsp;&nbsp;The agent priced her house at $250k. After 90 days of sitting on the market, the listing expired.<br><br><strong>It Continues To Go Wrong</strong><br>The next agent she hired listed the house at $235k. Months passed and eventually she dropped the price to just under $220k, still no offers. A few people looked at the house, but no serious buyers came forward.<br><br><strong>More Than a Year Later</strong><br>By the time she hired the last agent list her house, the seller had grown exhausted and weary. It was now more than 12 months later. &nbsp;The seller and her agent then priced the home at $195k and it sold very quickly. &nbsp;The sad part is that the comparable sales in the neighborhood fully justified a price of $220k, but the home had been on the market for too long at the wrong price, and now the market had slowed.<img src="http://media.point2.com/p2a/htmltext/28b5/df65/7cb4/b77fa95b35d19ec0d75e/original.jpg" border="0" height="118" alt="" width="170"><br><br><strong>Protect Yourself</strong><br>The question is how much money expired listings cost the real estate&nbsp;owner? The financial losses often exceeds the extra mortgage payments paid and goes beyond the cost or the hassle factor of trying to keep a home spotless during the listing period. It affects the value that a buyer ultimately chooses to pay because it is no longer a "fresh" listing. &nbsp;It's now stale, dated, a home that was overpriced for too long. Don't let it happen to you. Don't be that seller of an expired listing. &nbsp;&nbsp;Be sure to hire a professional Realtor to price your house correctly from the beginning.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The above was written by <a href="http://www.activerain.com/hwr4973">Harry Ridge</a>&nbsp;from Dallas Texas</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Ty Lacroix Broker of Record &amp; Owner</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/0/4/8/0/ar125597718608406.jpg" height="32" alt="" width="248"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>'NOT ALL REALTORS* ARE THE SAME',</strong> One call or email<strong> to me and you will know why!</strong></span></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-small;">Your London and S/W Ontario source for results! </span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">519-435-1600&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><a href="http://www.enveloperealestate.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;">www.enveloperealestate.com</span></a></span></strong></p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/mrHPmx7W6YU" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Sat, 15 Jan 2011 09:34:14 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/mrHPmx7W6YU/-list-it-high-because-someone-will-offer-less http://activerain.com/blogsview/2077768/-list-it-high-because-someone-will-offer-less http://activerain.com/blogsview/2077706/helping-a-family-member-downsize <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/1/5/3/4/ar129509919743515.jpg" height="300" alt="" width="224" style="float: right; margin: 5px;"></p> <p>I am helping my mother move from a 5 room house to a 2-1/2 room elderly townhouse. I say townhouse loosely because it's all on one level. It's a very nice place on the Cape (Cape Cod for you&nbsp;foreigners, lol). It's something she's been looking forward to for a long time. Not all elderly downsize kicking and screaming.</p> <p>But, boy she has a lot of "stuff"! She's all moved in but there's no place to put anything! The problem with downsizing is that you have to leave stuff behind - and they never leave enough stuff behind. My aunt, my mother's only sister, passed away this year and both my grandparents have passed so my mother couldn't throw away or give away any of their stuff. She has generations of stuff, lol.</p> <p>Moving is stressful on anyone but it's especially stressful when you have to get rid of things you love. Some tips to help a family member downsize:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>Have them start going through their things in advance. </strong>What can they part with? Many times things are really junk and need to be thrown away. Other times things don't have any sentimental value and may be sold on Craigslist or given away on Freecycle. Even doing this my mother still had too much stuff that she wanted to take.</li> <li> <strong>Take a picture of anything that they allow you to give/throw away so they have the memory of it.</strong> They may regret later letting something go so having a picture is the next best thing. I'm not talking about the old George Foreman grill. Just anything that may have memories attached to it.&nbsp;</li> <li> <strong>Draw a floor plan of the new home to see what furniture will fit.</strong> My mother did this and it turned out that the rooms were smaller than the floor plan the complex had given her, so be sure to measure the rooms yourself. Doing this exercise helped her decide what furniture she should give away and what furniture she could keep.</li> <li> <strong>Get the family member excited about the move.</strong>&nbsp;Ask them how they will use each room or each area of the rooms. Ask them how they use their rooms now so that you understand the importance of their things. You may find that some areas really never get used.&nbsp;</li> <li> <strong>Think safety</strong> - once they are moved in get their home set up as soon as possible. Most people, even older people are fiercely independent and will try to get things put away on their own. This could be a safety issue depending on the physical ability of the family member. I think we know not to leave boxes on the floor where they can be tripped over, but we need to make sure that we hang their pictures so our elderly family members aren't climbing on chairs to reach for things.&nbsp;</li> <li> <strong>Realize that this is their life and not yours. </strong>Don't fight with them to get rid of stuff, but remind them that they need to simplify their life. Now that my mother is moved in, she is seeing that she still has to get rid of stuff. She has 7 bedding sets. I said, "Mom, you only have 1 bed." So she's going to get rid of a bunch of them. She had to see them in the new place to realize that she just had too many.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div>Have any of you helped someone downsize? What things did you do that you found helpful?</div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/7bzF2wQmd0w" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Sat, 15 Jan 2011 08:49:09 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/7bzF2wQmd0w/helping-a-family-member-downsize http://activerain.com/blogsview/2077706/helping-a-family-member-downsize http://activerain.com/blogsview/2075612/helpful-hints-for-winter-weather <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Living in New England we are used to the fridgid temperatures. My friend Jane Becker found some cool tips to help you on our icy mornings. One more tip, which isn't a winter tip, but to keep your wipers lasting longer, rub them with an emory board. It sharpens them up so you won't have to change them as often.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2074081/365-things-to-do-in-worcester-county-learn-helpful-hints-for-winter-weather">Jane Becker,CRS,ABR,CBR,CDPE,LMC,E-PRO,GRI (Keller Williams Home Team AdvantEdge )</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>365 things to do in Worcester County - learn helpful hints for winter weather</strong></span>.&nbsp; After the winter storm we just had, I want to share some winter weather hints I recently heard about, Thank you Janie.&nbsp; I think that many people will find this information interesting and new:</p> <p><br> Keep your headlights clear with car wax! Just wipe ordinary car wax<br> on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent<br> that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.<br> <br> Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol! Wipe the wipers with<br> a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make<br> badly streaking &amp; squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence &amp;<br> clarity.<br> <br> Ice-proof your windows with vinegar! Frost on it's way? Just fill a<br> spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water &amp; spritz it<br> on all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess.<br> Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water---preventing<br> water from freezing!<br> <br> Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray! Spritz cooking<br> oil on the rubber seals around car doors &amp; rub it in with a paper towel.<br> &Acirc;&nbsp;The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber<br> <br> <br> Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream! Spray some shaving cream<br> on the inside of your windshield &amp; wipe it off with paper towels. Shaving<br> cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers<br> <br> <br> De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer! Just put some hand<br> sanitizer gel on the key &amp; the lock &amp; the problems solved!</p> <p>Reading these cool (pun intended) ideas makes me want to share this as one of my <strong>365 things to do in Worcester County - learn helpful hints for winter weather</strong></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p><img title="gtalk" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/2/9/1/3/ar128068900431928.png" height="30" alt="gtalk" width="65"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/janebeckervideo" title="janebeckervideo" target="_blank"><img title="youtube" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/5/8/3/ar128068904738564.jpg" height="74" alt="youtube" width="74"></a><img title="rss feed" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/4/4/0/8/ar128068915680441.jpg" height="71" alt="rss feed" width="67"><a href="http://www.homesworcestercounty.com" title="market snapshot" target="_blank"><img title="twitter" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/0/7/9/5/ar128068869259701.png" height="48" alt="twitter icon" width="48"><img title="homes for sale" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/4/9/5/ar128068921059432.png" height="64" alt="homes for sale" width="64"><img title="fan page" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/5/0/8/ar128068944280592.gif" height="57" alt="facebook" width="63"></a></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.homesworcestercounty.com" title="home search worcester county" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/8/2/8/7/ar128199590878282.jpg" height="130" alt="" width="136"></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Jane Becker, CRS, MCBA, GRI, ABR, CBR,LMC, CDPE,E-Pro<br>Specializing in true representation<br>508-365-3553 fx 508-829-9118 <br><a href="mailto:buyhomes@charter.net">buyhomes@charter.net</a><br>Home Team AdvantEdge, Keller Williams Greater Worcester</span></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/g-_lkcE5ALo" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:45:39 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/g-_lkcE5ALo/helpful-hints-for-winter-weather http://activerain.com/blogsview/2075612/helpful-hints-for-winter-weather http://activerain.com/blogsview/2075312/blizzard-2011 <p>This is the view from my walkway down my street. The internet said my area got 16-20 inches. It's definately deeper in some places. I have to give a big shout-out to my neighbor who came by with his snowblower. I'm a corner house so I have to shovel both sidewalks. Being in a valley I was hoping that the storm would miss us. No such luck, lol. It looks so pretty in pictures...</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/6/1/5/ar129498124551653.jpg" height="450" alt="" width="604"></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/QNaSWkDxvOY" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:01:31 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/QNaSWkDxvOY/blizzard-2011 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2075312/blizzard-2011 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2074277/pro-bono- <p></p><p>I read this blog today. I thought it was a good idea - as long as you get compensated in some way. Either with referrals (you'd have to be sure this is the type of client who will send you the referrals you are looking for), or by a great testimonial if you are in need of them.</p> <p>But I started to think that we get paid by the amount of liability we take on. An agent gets a higher percentage than a facilitator, etc.</p> <p>What do you think about this idea? Of course this is time consuming and you'd have to decide if you can fit it in.</p> <p>Also, can you write this off on your taxes as a donation? Or is that just for 501Cs?</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2074258/pro-bono-">Danny Dietl REALTOR Minneapolis Sales/Leasing (iMetroProperty.com of Executive Associates)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p>A lot of the work we do as Realtors sure feels like it's done for free, but it generally revolves around earning business.&nbsp; My thought today was to offer doing a pro bono sale to help&nbsp;a distressed homeowner where paying or not paying a commission might make the difference in a family avoiding foreclosure or at least a higher level of financial hardship.&nbsp; I'm curious as to thoughts from the AR community on doing this, concerns and potential problems?</p> <p><br>Thanks,</p> <p>Danny Dietl</p> <p>Realtor GRI</p> <p>612.306.6676 cell/text</p> <p><a href="mailto:danny@imetroproperty.com">danny@imetroproperty.com</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.iMetroProperty.com">www.iMetroProperty.com</a></p> <p>minneapolis condos, minneapolis lofts, minneapolis single family, minneapolis leasing, minneapolis renting</p> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/PERJKRg78DI" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:09:01 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/PERJKRg78DI/pro-bono- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2074277/pro-bono- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2046048/edaville-railroad-for-sale <p>Edaville Railroad is for sale. Asking price is $10 million. According to news reports, the operators have decided not to renew their lease and the property owner said that he's hoping to find a buyer who will keep the railroad open, but if he doesn't find a buyer in a few months that he'll be forced to sell things off separately.</p> <p>Edaville Railroad is in Carver, Massachusetts. 15 minutes from Cape Cod and an hour from either Boston, Worcester, or Providence. Their website is http://www.edaville.com.</p> <p>Anyone have a buyer for a railroad/amusement park with the potential for a water park?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Edaville Railroad for sale" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/6/7/0/7/ar129368972970766.jpg" height="214" alt="Edaville Railroad for sale" width="352"></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/000TAzsxQLw" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 01:16:45 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/000TAzsxQLw/edaville-railroad-for-sale http://activerain.com/blogsview/2046048/edaville-railroad-for-sale http://activerain.com/blogsview/1966408/it-s-official-wrta-will-strike-tomorrow <p>It's official. It's on their website <a href="http://therta.com" target="_blank">http://therta.com</a>. The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (the city bus) is going on strike tomorrow, Saturday, November 13.</p> <p>From the website:</p> <p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;">The WRTA's Management Team met with representatives of Local 22 and a Federal Mediator Thursday afternoon, Nov. 11, 2010, and the Union could not offer an acceptable compromise to the Company's Last and Best offer. Therefore, Local 22 plans to go on strike this Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 when the Company plans on imposing its Last and Best Offer. The WRTA wants to inform all of its riders that there will not be service commencing this Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010. The WRTA will continue to provide paratransit service under the circumstances to the best of its ability. For further updates, call the WRTA (508) 791-9782.</p> <p>I have to give them kudos for beginning the strike on a Saturday when most people aren't working or going to school. I know they can't help the people who are working on Saturday, but if they have to strike I'm glad they are doing it with as little disruption to the public as possible.</p> <p>The last time I was on a bus my car was in the shop and my son was in U-Mass hospital. It was Sept 2001, just before 9-11 happened.</p> <p>I hope that they come to an agreement soon.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/pBela2HPBZg" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:35:38 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/pBela2HPBZg/it-s-official-wrta-will-strike-tomorrow http://activerain.com/blogsview/1966408/it-s-official-wrta-will-strike-tomorrow http://activerain.com/blogsview/1907219/how-s-the-market- <p>I go to quite a few networking events and I all around just try to meet new people. After someone asks what I do, their next question is always, "how's the market?"</p> <p>That answer depends on where you are. If you are looking to buy, the market's great. Interest rates are low, there's lots of inventory to choose from. Now there's no perfect house, but you can come pretty close.</p> <p>If you're a seller the market's not so great. So many homes on the market are bringing prices down.</p> <p>On the flip side, if you are selling and purchasing something else, the market's great! How's that? You may not make much on the selling side but you'll make up for that with lower prices and low interest rates when you purchase your new home. You can essentially end up with a larger home than you are in now with lower payments if you plan things right.&nbsp;</p> <p>So, "how's the market?" where you are?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/9MLq6tR6S14" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:54:52 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/9MLq6tR6S14/how-s-the-market- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1907219/how-s-the-market- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1886094/in-this-day-and-age-what-good-is-owning-a-home- <p></p><p>This is a great post by Claudette Millette that I wanted to share - because she said what I wanted to say, but she said it better.&nbsp;</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1882324/in-this-day-and-age-what-good-is-owning-a-home-">Claudette Millette - Metrowest Mass Buyer Broker (The Buyers' Counsel)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><strong><img title="In This Day and Age - What Good is Owning a Home?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/7/8/2/ar128562076528719.jpg" height="311" alt="Front Door to a Home" style="float: right; border: white 5px solid;" width="400">A recent cover of Time Magazine</strong> featured the phrase, "Rethinking Homeownership" and&nbsp;dwelled on&nbsp;the downside of owning a home since we have been through some turbulent times.</p> <p><strong>This is doom and gloom of the worse kind.</strong>&nbsp; A home may not be the ultimate piggy bank that it once was, but does that mean we should become a nation of renters?</p> <p>Before we turn in our welcome mats and put away&nbsp;the "Home Sweet Home" plaques we may want to look at the opportunity that is&nbsp;here and the reasons to buy a home right now.</p> <ol> <li> <strong>Quality of Life</strong>.&nbsp; A rental property is not going to give you the standard of living that home ownership will.&nbsp; Have you looked for a rental lately?&nbsp; Regardless of the location you are in, you will&nbsp;not find&nbsp;the&nbsp;same quality&nbsp;as in a purchased home.&nbsp;</li> <li> <strong>There are deals to be had</strong>.&nbsp; Yes, it difficult to sell a home right now - and that makes is easy to buy one.&nbsp; Many buyers have&nbsp;left&nbsp;with the tax credit expiration so the competition is not great for all of the houses that are languishing on the market. Take your pick.&nbsp; Prices are low.</li> <li> <strong>Loans are inexpensive</strong>.&nbsp; As recently as two years ago interest rates were over 6%.&nbsp; They are now in the low 4's.&nbsp; That is unprecedented.&nbsp;</li> <li> <strong>Tax Savings </strong>- You still have the mortgage interest deduction and can also deduct your real estate taxes. If you sell, you will get a&nbsp;tax break on your capital gains. All these items together make buying a much better deal than renting.</li> <li> <strong>It is a forced savings account.&nbsp; </strong>You may end up renting an apartment for a bit less than it would cost to buy a home, but that money is still going out the proverbial window. &nbsp;With your mortgage payment you are putting that money towards equity that will be there for you when you retire or decide to sell.</li> <li> <strong>There is a lot to choose from right now.&nbsp; </strong>With a glut of unsold homes, inventory is well above average levels. This means low prices as well as great choices.<strong></strong> </li> <li> <strong>Pride of Ownership&nbsp;and Stability.&nbsp; </strong>You can decorate the kitchens and bathrooms exactly the way that you&nbsp;want them to be.&nbsp; Create an addition.&nbsp; Finish the basement.&nbsp; It's yours!<strong></strong> </li> </ol> <p><strong>It was once said that&nbsp;homeownership</strong> could "change the very physical, mental and moral fiber of one's own children."&nbsp; Studies have shown that homeownership creates social stability and safer neighborhoods. There is also the fact that children actually do better in school when their families own the homes they live in.</p> <p><strong>None of this has changed.</strong></p> <p>So, is this still a good time to&nbsp;own a home? Absolutely!</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Copyright 2010 <strong>"In This Day and Age - What Good is Owning a Home?"</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogs/rss?username=claudmil" title="RSS Subscription" target="_blank"><strong>Subscribe to my blog</strong></a><strong> </strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Claudette Millette, Broker, Owner, The Buyers' Counsel - (508) 881-6230</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=Claudette+Millette" title="Claudette Millette" target="_blank">Find the Right Buyer Broker in MetroWest Massachusetts</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.thebuyerscounsel.com/" target="_blank"></a></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://claudmill.freelistingtours.com/index.php/website/index" target="_blank"><em>MLS Property Search With No Registration Required</em></a></strong>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://twitter.com/Claudettemillet" target="_blank"><img title="Twitter Claudette Millette" src="http://activerain.comhttp://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/5/2/6/3/ar12661717736254.gif" height="50" alt=" Twitter Claudette Millette" width="36"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_tab_home" target="_blank"><img title="LinkedIN Claudette Millette " src="http://activerain.comhttp://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/1/7/7/7/ar12661717977715.gif" height="50" alt="Claudette Millette" width="36"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/claudmil?ref=mf" target="_blank"><img title="Facebook Claudette Millette, Owner of The Buyer's Counsel" src="http://activerain.comhttp://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/1/8/3/ar126617165738199.gif" height="50" alt="Facebook Claudette Millette" width="36"></a>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/tjwsyJcPcHw" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:50:23 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/tjwsyJcPcHw/in-this-day-and-age-what-good-is-owning-a-home- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1886094/in-this-day-and-age-what-good-is-owning-a-home- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1841989/is-taking-an-overpriced-listing-the-same-as-lying-to-your-sellers- <p>A long time ago <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18973/you-can-t-always-get-what-you-want" target="_blank">I wrote a blog post</a> about lying to people just to get the listing. You'd think that after reading a featured blog post that people would stop lying to their sellers about what they believe the property will sell for. But, nope. They still do it. Or maybe they do tell the seller the truth but when the seller insists they simply cave?</p> <p><strong>You say to-may'to and I say to-mah'to.</strong></p> <p>So, should we stick to our guns and lose the listing or take the listing and work triple-hard to get the price down to where it should be? Is it worth it to take the overpriced listing and be given the time to show the sellers why their home is overpriced?</p> <p><strong>Worth it for whom?</strong></p> <p>Assuming we aren't just taking the listing to line our own pockets - that we are really trying to help our seller - is it better to take an overpriced listing or turn them down flat?</p> <p>Which way helps the seller more? I wrote the first post in judgement because I saw a good woman get hurt. Not to say that she didn't have a hand in it, but she's not the trained professional, we are. I am not writing this post in judgement though. I am truly trying to understand what is better for the seller.</p> <p>What do you think?</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/6/4/9/3/ar129510619039463.PNG" alt=""></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Crystal Pina, </strong></span>Remax Professional Associates<br>294 Main St, Spencer, MA<br> (774) 289-5521 mobile <br>(801) 218-0436 fax<br> <a href="mailto:Crystal@CrystalPina.com">Crystal@CrystalPina.com</a><br> <a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com">Worcester-MA-Homes.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>QUICK LINKS:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/home-value" target="_blank">Curious what your home is worth today? Find out here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/search-for-homes" target="_blank">Start your FREE home search here.<br></a></p> <p><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com/sws-referral-network" target="_blank">I am part of the Sell With Soul referral network!</a></p> <p>If you like what you just read, <a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=5603" target="_blank">subscribe to this blog</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~6/1" target="_blank"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActiveRainCrystalPina.1.gif" alt="Worcester, Massachusetts" style="border: 0;"></a></p> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img title="This is me" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store-2/agents/5603/large/_VBB8688.jpg?1280594090" alt="Crystal Pina, Realtor" width="100px"></td> <td width="50px"> <img title="I am a Realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/5/0/ar129498633905284.gif" alt="I am a Realtor"><br><img title="Equal Housing Opportunity" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/9/4/6/ar129498631364904.jpg" alt="Equal Housing Opportunity"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="275"> <a href="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/3/6/3/ar129498641736362.png" border="0" alt="http://twitter.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" title="Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/3/5/6/ar129498639265311.png" border="0" alt="http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" title="Click here to friend me on Facebook" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/7/6/4/ar129498636446714.png" border="0" alt="http://www.facebook.com/crystalpina" width="80px"></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px;"> <strong></strong><a href="http://worcester-ma-homes.com"><br></a> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="color: #333333; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crystal Pina, REALTOR&reg; &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp; <em>Proudly connecting home buyers with home sellers in Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, East Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, Oakham, New Braintree, Barre, South Barre, Hardwick, Gilbertville, and Ware since 2005</em></span> </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~4/QN1qSlFUXI0" height="1" width="1"/> Crystal Pina | Remax Professional Associates (774.289.5521) Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:29:52 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ActiveRainCrystalPina/~3/QN1qSlFUXI0/is-taking-an-overpriced-listing-the-same-as-lying-to-your-sellers- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1841989/is-taking-an-overpriced-listing-the-same-as-lying-to-your-sellers-