Heath's Blog

So I ask you, does having 91,000,000 results in a search for real estate help or hinder a customer's understanding of the real estate market they are looking to buy or sell in?  I don't think it helps. I search my own MLSs every day.  Because I do it every day, I know where to look, what to look for and HOW to look.

Even looking at the name of the listing agent in an MLS listing can tell me more about the listing than any picture can.  Many agents have tendencies - price too high, embellished descriptions, pictures of a beach when it is farther than a mile from any water, etc. Knowing who listed it can tell me how much time to spend on it.

I think that having "pictures of real estate" on 91,000,000 results has dramatically slowed the time it takes for customers to talk to real professionals about real estate.  AND then a customer has to re-learn so much, because many of the 91 million results are either distractions or lead generators who aren't there to help, but only there to capture and sell a customer's "contact" info.

Real estate is local. 91,000,000 results is not local.

Happy selling and listing!

(I post this response to a question that was asked on a website that sometimes doesn't keep my comments. The question was about the current usefulness of the NAR. Kathy is an educator in AZ.)

Hi Kathy.  Actually the database you are describing is coming - from the NAR and not some other entity. It should be available to Realtor members this fall. It will provide information about every property in the US.  This was described in June at a small meeting in Chicago at the NAR building that I was personally present at.  Dale Stinton stated that it will be a member benefit and indicated that other entities will not be given access without a lot of forethought. I wrote about the meeting in my blog in June.

I think that the strength of the lobby of the NAR has helped the real estate profession.  One of the NAR's problems, however, is the disconnect that agents currently feel. Whether it is the problems with Rltr .com type sites or even the ideas of others who plan to harness our independence for their profit with a natl m ls, agents across the country are looking for someone who listens to them and their business needs.  The NAR leadership is working at listening more and answering needs. One example is your database request - it is on the way to members. 

I own a small company on Cape Cod and one of the problems I see with the NAR is the tremendous effort it takes to unify over 1 million independent business people for movement in any specific direction or action.  When the NAR sends out a "Call to Action" how many Realtor members do you know that read it, and take some sort of action?

An interesting factoid: over 2 million real estate licensees in the US, less than half are members of the NAR.

Happy listing and selling!

Heath Coker CapeGroup.com (Cape Cod Real Estate) REindex.com (Free agent links) @CapeGroup @RealEstateIndex

Happy listing and selling!

http://bit.ly/cGk7B (a funny youtube video about finding real estate)

If you are planning to have a place on Cape Cod while you're working at the Hollywood East studios, you should buy now.  The privacy factor is not as easy to achieve on Cape Cod as you might think. Still, there are some interesting buys right now that could provide you and your family privacy from the summer crowds.

The Cape has long been a place for vacationers. As such, many of the properties have been built close together on smaller lots. As more quiet interest in the Cape develops from people who have to work a little harder to find privacy, properties that can provide it are going up in value.

If you are looking for comfortable digs with a buffer, you should start your search now.  For example 11+ acres within 20 minutes of the new studio are on the market for $7+ million.  With one multi-bedroom colonial, another beachfront home with four more bedrooms, hundreds of feet of private beach, a private dock, another guest house, and a barn, you could work and play on Cape Cod.

Other areas on The Cape can provide privacy, too. And, when the word gets out that Hollywood East is a great place to be working, there will be more than a few who appreciate privacy - and look for it.

Helping buyers and sellers come together without a lot of fanfare can be as useful as owning a private location.

Best wishes,

Heath Coker, Owner Cape Group Real Estate www.CapeGroup.com

I was on the Vineyard for the 4th of July.  This year we made it early enough to the family picnic that we got to see the "parade" in the Oak Bluffs Campgrounds. For over a decade, the summer residents have dressed up and paraded down Clinton Ave to the Tabernacle (where we got married in '85).

The pictures below are a sampling of the spirit and fun of the day.  After the parade, we enjoyed a great cook out hosted by my wife's aunt and uncle.  After the cook out, the kids and some "psuedo adults" went to state beach to jump off the "Jaws" bridge - another tradition.

It was a beautiful day. We had good food, good conversation, laughs, good company, and sun. We later returned to Falmouth for the fireworks there.  A long day of gratitude and fun.  Thanx to all the soldiers who keep us safe.

I hope you had a great Fourth, too.

This video is a live demonstration of the new system that is being used in Canada to monitor cars by their license plate. This computer program, and the cameras that it is connected to, can scan license plates and check them against an onboard database. The database can identify many issues associated with the cars' license plate, from being stolen to having an expired registration.

The system is used in Canada now. It probably won't be long until it is deployed here in the USA. Is this reassuring to you, or scary?

Watch the video and see how easily this policeman is able to identify a stolen car that is parked in a parking lot.