First, we’ll start with what’s probably the least offensive of the bunch.

This one is the second best. What in the world is the purpose of this photo? What does it show to a potential buyer???

My favorite! Anytime a Realtor takes a picture and catches themselves in the reflection of a mirror, it’ll have a place on this list. When a Realtor purposefully takes a picture of a mirror that will not convey with the home AND catches themselves in the reflection WITH the camera flash? That deserves a place in the Hall of Fame!

How Does it Work?

Simple. For any home over $100,000, I will provide 50% of Level 10 Realty’s total commission back to the consumer at closing. It can be used towards closing costs, upgrades, cash, or any other number of things as allowed by YOUR lender or mortgage company and Alabama Real Estate Law. For example, let’s say that you want to buy a $200,000 home. On most homes, 3% selling commission is very common. With that number in mind, $200K x 3% Commission = $6,000 total commission. You get $3,000. Who couldn’t use that kind of extra money on a purchase you were going to make anyway?

I don’t want to give you the impression that Level 10 Realty is becoming a “discount brokerage”. That term implies that you’ll get substandard service and that couldn’t be further from the truth. You will be getting second-to-none service and top-notch expertise.

Why is Level 10 Realty Doing This?

I’ve always been a fan of what Redfin is doing. Yeah, this is kind of biting their style, but it’s for a good cause. Think about it for a second. If I sell a $100,000 home at 3% commission, I’ll make $3,000. If I sell a $200,000 home at 3% commission, I’ll make $6,000. There is absolutely, positively NO DIFFERENCE in what is involved in selling the $100,000 home versus the $200,000 home. So, why do we get paid so much more?

That’s where I’m looking to make a change. In this economy, money is tight. You can’t walk in the door at WalMart without spending $100. Two people can’t eat fast food for under $10 anymore. Two people can’t go out and eat a good meal for under $30 anymore. Utility bills are higher than they’ve ever been. It’s time to get you more money, instead of taking it away. Real estate companies talk about how they’re different all the time. “We’re different that your normal Brokerage because we put the consumer first”, “We’re different because our agents are trained better and more often”, “We’re different because we’re different”, and so on and so forth. Bullshit. Here’s how I look at it. If a brokerage is not doing everything they can to put money back in your pocket, they are identical to every other brokerage on the planet.

With that said, do I hope that this plan of action will grow Level 10 Realty  and put more money in my pocket? Hell yes, but if I can grow Level 10 Realty while putting more money in your pocket than any other company will, doesn’t everyone win?

Ok, So What’s the Catch?

There is going to be an extended period of time to integrate this into our business model. So, until that transition is complete, there are a few things that you’ll need to do to get the money. The absolute, most important things that you HAVE TO DO to claim your money are as follows:

1. As you may think, you’ll need to purchase a home and Level 10 Realty will have to represent you in your purchase.

2. You MUST mention this special WHILE writing the offer to purchase your home. Real Estate Law prohibits any exchange of money between the purchaser and Realtor that is not written in the contract.

3. You must fill out a public customer satisfaction survey.

4. That’s it!

I look forward to working with each and every one of you!

*StreetView Controls have been added to both the subdivision map and the Home Search Map, so now you can view a much larger StreetView of a particular home or area.

*Within the next couple of days, I’ll be publishing a link to the “Old Map Search”. Most like the new version, but some like the old one better.

*The Flyer Details page has been redesigned.

*The Final improvement I’ll be making to the website, for the near future anyway, will be on the Search Homes Page to make it a little more user friendly. After that, I’m done for a while.

Some examples of homes in Carriage Station would be:

1,600 Sqft – 3 Bed, 2 Bath from $730/month
2,100 Sqft – 3 Bed, 2.5 Bath from $820/month
2,850 Sqft – 3-4 Bed, 2.5 Bath from $918/month
3,400 Sqft – 3-5 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bath from $1017/month

*These price figures include approximate taxes and insurance numbers based on a 5% interest rate.

If you ride out to Carriage Station, make sure you talk to my on-site buddy Sean Carney and let him know that you saw this post on the blog. I’ll make sure you get a VERY special upgrade or gift when you purchase your home with Hunter Communities.

Below are a few photos from homes in Carriage Station.

Anyway, in regards to THAT tax credit, you’re running out of time to use it. You have until the end of April to write up a contract (that must close prior to July 1st, 2010) and qualify for the credit.

How Do You Claim the Credit?

At closing, you’re provided with a document called the HUD-1 or Settlement Statement. This is your Golden Ticket. Provide this to your accountant and you’re ready to go.

How Long Will it Take to Get My Money?

It depends. When do you want it? If you want the money ASAP, you can file an amended return to your 2009 taxes. You’ll get the money whenever the government gets around to it. It may take a while right now being the heart of tax season. Alternatively, you can file the credit for your 2010 taxes and get a nice little chunk of change to start off 2011. The choice is yours.

Will They Extend the Tax Credit Again?

I have no clue. All indications point to “NO”, but there’s no way to be sure. They shouldn’t. I think it’s time to give it up. It was enacted as a measure to boost home sales, and it served its purpose the first time around. The extension didn’t provide anywhere near the response the government or real estate market was looking for. A second extension would probably provide a similarly underwhelming response.

Should You Rush a Purchase to Get in Before the Deadline?

This is a question that only you and your family can answer. I’d be the last person in the world to rush anyone to do anything with a decision like this.

In Closing

If this is all too much, we’re here to help. We’ve helped lots of first-time home buyers, we can help you too. Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I hate these damn things, but I have to do it. My goal is to be as accurate as possible, but there actually is a chance that I could be wrong about something I’ve written above. All tax information in this post should be discussed with your tax professional. I’m not one. Please don’t base any tax decisions on this post because Level Ten Realty, LLC. and Seth Parker are not responsible for them. Carry on.

First, let’s start with some property descriptions. I get what they’re trying to say in these, and I’m not faulting them for that, it’s just funny how it comes out sometimes.

1. “…GORGEOUS LANDSCAPED LOT WITH PRIVACY FENCE & NO NEIGHBORS BEHIND, SOARING…” – Because that neighbor’s behind can be annoying.

2. “Out in the Country” (past the city limit signs, there’s a…sorry, too easy)” sits this Beautiful Two-Story Red Brick Home, Crown molding…” – Can you tell me why there are 12 photos of this home, and not a single one of them features the exterior of this “Beautiful Two-Story Red Brick Home”?

3. “Level Lot newer home” – That’s it. that’s the description in its entirety

4. “…LARGE EAT-IN KITCHEN, BATH ROOM BAY W/TUB. THIS IS A HOME THAT NEED A FAMILY TO LOVE….HURRY! SHE’S WAITING FOR YOU!” – Reminds me of one of those commercials you hear at 2AM on TV

5. “WHAT A VIEW !!! DID I SAY VIEW ??? BREATHTAKING VIEW !!!!…..” – This is a nearly $800K home with 5 photos of the exterior of the home. Out of those, again, there’s not a single picture of the “BREATHTAKING VIEW”.

6. “….You will find a bonus room…a wine cooler in the bar…” – If finding the bonus in the home doesn’t make you happy, they”ll get you tipsy with the wine cooler.

Nothing spectacular there, but I still have photos…and you can never go wrong with bad MLS photos.

You know you’re in for some great pictures when the agent that’s taking the photo is too inconsiderate to, at the very least, move their car out of the way. I know the home is closer to the “less expensive” end of the price spectrum, but damn, at least make an effort. (I looked at the other photos and trust me, there is plenty of room for the agent to get the car out of the way.)

Continuing on, this is the same agent…at the same home…on the same day…taking another fantastic photo.

Now, this is a photo.

Let me get this off my chest: “Wide-angle lenses and tripods, at the very least, should be MANDATORY to take photos of homes.” That is all.

This one is pretty self-explanatory.

I still haven’t figured out why some agents focus a picture on items that will not convey with the house. Not to mention that the picture looks like it was taken 20 years ago.

EARTHQUAKE!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I saved the best one for last. Totally and completely disregarding the fact that this home came on the market a couple of days ago and it has a picture from 2002, what in the hell is this picture doing in the MLS? I get that the pool probably isn’t opened yet and the agent wanted to show it off, but seriously, is there not a better picture….somewhere?

Anyway, back to the story I was telling before I was rudely interrupted by myself. Yesterday, I took a trip up to Nashville on business. The quickest way to get there is by taking I-65 and it normally takes about an hour and twenty minutes or so. Yesterday, I decided to take another route. I stayed away from the Interstate as much as possible because I wanted to enjoy the fantastic weather and change up the scenery a bit. I drove by some places that I haven’t been through in years and it was really refreshing. South Tennessee is full of absolutely beautiful land!

I thought to myself on numerous occasions, “Man, I would love to buy that spot of land and build a house at the very top of that hill. It would be great! It would be quiet and very peaceful. My nearest neighbor would be half a mile away. What’s not to love about it?” Then, reality would set in almost immediately. “Seth, there isn’t anything in South Tennessee. At all. You’d still have to drive to Huntsville to sell real estate. You’d still have to drive to Huntsville for shopping and dining. Have you bought gas recently? And you want to ADD drive time? Oh yeah, good luck getting those building materials to the top of that hill! So, Seth. why would you want to move up here again?” Damn. There goes that.

This type of scenario plays out in a lot of people’s minds on a regular basis. A real life example is the difference between buying a home in Madison and buying a home just outside of Madison in Limestone County. Four Score and seven years…..oh, sorry. Four years ago, selling a new home 4-5 miles West of Madison was easy. Why? A purchaser could buy a home with all the amenities of a Madison home (and more in most cases), on nearly twice the lot size, for $40-$50K or so less than the Madison home. Easy decision, especially considering how cheap gas prices were at the time. Hell, I was actually able to afford driving a big truck at the time!

That’s not the case anymore. Due to the growth, lot price increases, lot size decreases, building material increases, home price increases, a purchaser may only save $10K-$20K, if that. Don’t get me wrong, that’s still a lot of money, but it’s not the “no-brainer” decision it was a few years ago. Is an extra 10-15 minute total drive time per day worth the extra $10k? What about the increased drive time to shopping and eating? For an increasing number of people, they would rather pay the extra $$$ and be closer to the action.

So, what does all of this mean?

I don’t know. Not much, something, who knows? It was an awesome day and I figured I should, at least, write something about it. If it means anything, great! If not, consider it an extremely long and pointless Tweet!

Well, I do provide some statistics throughout the website with the neighborhood breakdowns and the combined area statistics, but when it comes down to year-over-year or quarter-to-quarter or month-to-month stats, I’ve simply chosen not to do them.

Why in the world not?

They Suck. That’s why.

I’m concerned with what happens from today forward. Statistics have absolutely no bearing on the future. While it’s true that they can indicate a particular direction, they’re absolutely worthless to me. Hell, statistics helped get us into the housing crisis. Why would someone pay $50,000 more than a house is really worth? Statistics. “Well, Mr. Parker, statistics show that homes in this neighborhood have been increasing in value for the past 12 years at an astounding rate. You’ll make a boatload of money in five years. Sign here and don’t forget to date it.” BOOM. A year later people start to get foreclosed on because they overpaid for the “perfect” house and the lender was all too happy to give them more than they could afford. Mortgage insured bonds start flopping because of the increase in foreclosures. Investors start to shy away from investing in the housing market, mortgages aren’t being bought and packaged into major funds at the rate they’re used to, lending gets tight because they can’t sell the loans so easily any more, fewer buyers are willing and able to buy, and we get a full blown mortgage/housing crisis.

Not to mention, like the saying goes, 87% of statistics can be made to say whatever you want them to. Anyone can manipulate statistics to promote their agenda. That’s why you have 1/2 of the financial analysts on TV saying that the economy is recovering, and the other 1/2 saying that it’s not over. No one knows because statistics are worthless as a whole. If they had any merit, everyone would be right about when the economy will recover.

Another problem with statistics is that we have to take them into context. If we were to look up sales data of November of 2009, we’d see an increase in sales from the same time last year. That’s great! Is that a sign of market recovery? Not necessarily. Why not? Oh, that’s right, we have to take into account the ton of people that bought homes to get in before the initial tax credit deadline. Of course, the deadline was later extended, but the homes were already under contract.

Let’s move on to December, January, and February. If we pulled sales data from these months, we would probably notice a drop in sales from a year ago. That sucks! Is that a sign of us falling deeper into an economic meltdown? Not necessarily. A lot of first time home buyers that probably would have waited to buy a home until the first of the year simply bought before the tax credit deadline to get their $8,000. It would take some type of adjustment to sales numbers to figure out what the “real” statistics were when you take out the volatility of the first-time buyers and other external factors. If we do that, though, now guess what? We’ve manipulated data to come up with more “accurate” numbers, and how accurate is manipulated data?

Therein lies the entire statistical problem. There are, and will always be, external factors that dictate sales. How about this new Health Care Bill? New President? New majority in Congress? Scandals? Grants? Budget Cuts? Taxes? Credits? Wars? Terrorist attacks? New housing laws? New lending laws? The list goes on and on. No statistics will ever be able to predict those factors and their effects on sales. The cynic will say, “Seth, that’s why statistics DO work, because there are always external factors and they all average out.” I can see their point, I just don’t agree with it because an external factor like war supersedes something like a government grant.

OK, we get it already.

I don’t mean this to be a hate fest on housing statistics. They can be useful for determining lots of things like “What offer should I start with?” or “How much should I take off what I’ll pay because it doesn’t have a garage” or things of that nature for a particular home. I just really don’t like “overall” or “area” statistics because they can be very misleading.

So, I said all of that to say this: The reasons above are why I haven’t posted statistics previously. I’ve been running this website for a little over two years and during that time, with over 100,000 total visits, I’ve never been asked by anyone to publish housing statistics. I’ve never really brought it up before, so this is my open letter to all of you. If you want me to publish them, email me at seth@level10realty.com or comment on the blog with your preference. If I get at least 3 or 4 requests, I’ll publish them because this site is here for all of your benefit. If I haven’t maximized its worth to you guys, I haven’t been doing my job.

(steps off the soapbox…)

Was there really a need for this photo?

Words can’t even explain how bad this is.

I understand the thought behind the photo below, but seriously? C’mon, I think we can figure that out.

Hopefully, this is just an optical illusion created by the hill and the photo being taken at an angle, but it looks pretty bad.

OK, I don’t know what the hell this is. I can only think, WHY? Why would anyone take, much less publish on the MLS, a photo like this?

I know this room is small, but I don’t think that taking a picture of the bed is doing anyone any good.

How much effort would it have taken to move the damn leaves out of the way before taking this? Hell, maybe even move up a foot or two.

I don’t know why, but I love this picture. It’s funny as hell to me.

WHNT is a local news station here in the Tennessee Valley (my favorite, by the way) and below is an article that was published on their website yesterday:

David WoodWHNT Reporter/Videojournalist

March 19, 2010 – (Decatur, AL)- Spring break is a time when folks tend to let loose, often hitting the open road poised for whatever adventure comes down the pike. But traversing interstate 65 this week has been anything but a party. Most drivers need a vacation from their sink hole detour woes.

Some motorists are just plain angry. Empress Wood made the trip from Atlanta to visit family in the River City. She’s not impressed at all with the detour.

“It took me awhile to get through”, says Empress, “and this is just bazaar–ya’ll need to get it together down here.”

Just down highway 31 at the intersection of highway 67, Ronnie Tyler, an employee at Railroad Bazaar, says traffic has been so heavy through the area that customers aren’t even bothering to stop by.

“Fridays are usually really good for business”, Tyler says, “But with all this traffic, our customers can’t even get in!”

Ronnie also expressed his displeasure with vehicles that cut through the business’ parking lot, trying to save just a couple of seconds.

“Nothing but trucks, nothing but traffic”, he says. “It’s kind of like that Stephen King Movie ‘Maximum Overdrive’, just truck, after truck, after truck.”

“Fix the sink hole please!” Tyler pleaded. And that’s exactly what crews worked all night Friday to accomplish. They have to dig enough to find the source of the limestone cavity causing the sink hole. Until they find the source, they won’t know how to plug the hole.

So as the investigating and excavating continues, the now chasm of a sink hole grows deeper and wider. But with every scoop of dirt, crews are getting closer to solving the riddle of the Interstate 65 sink hole.

Though it might not be any consolation to folks making their way back from spring break bliss on Saturday, Johnny Harris with the Alabama Department of Transportation says, “Progress is definitely being made.”

Here’s the link if you want to see the original: http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-sink-hole-sinks-business,0,2965483.story

Some of you may not get why I think this article is hilarious….others will. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. I will say this, though, I love Railroad Bazaar. I think they’re a great company and I still do business with them pretty regularly. I’m waiting to get a guitar back from them as we speak. Hell, I even worked at the Athens location one summer many years ago.

So, what’s different?

The only major addition is the Live Feed Box in the navigation bar. Clicking on the link will drop down a box that shows brand new listings as they come available. You can check it from any page without interrupting what you’re doing. Personally, I think it’s pretty cool. Other than that, I’ve added some useful links at the bottom of each page, popped in a featured section, and added a Yelp! tab to the flyer page. The Yelp! tab will show all businesses and restaurants around the home that you’re looking at (as long as they’ve been reviewed by a user).

You’ll also notice a Twitter Search for Huntsville on the home page. Any time Huntsville is mentioned on Twitter, you’ll see it. Well, the last 50 times it was mentioned, anyway.

On Another note:

There’s a few more additions coming down the pipeline, but it looks like I’ll have to start playing my cards a little closer to the vest…but that’s a long story.

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