I am enjoying a learning curve with my phone. Maybe the word enjoying is the wrong word to describe this endeavor. The keyboard takes some work. I have switched back and forth between swype and the regular keyboard, turned the thing sideways to make the keys bigger, and I still am having difficulty typing on it. I've tried a stylist, but I can't carry that around with me all the time. How do people who have big fingers -- and mine are relatively small -- type on these things?
Not that I would text and drive -- but maybe I would in an emergency -- I don't know how you would do it. I could try voice activation but that rarely works for me with these automated phone systems. I can say, "I need help," and the system will say, "Did you say 'I need a herring?'" -- and I enunciate. They don't like my voice.
Of my 3 operable Bluetooth devices, only 2 of them will work with the Samsung Galaxy Droid. They are all a Jawbone. My older Jawbone works great. The ICON Jawbone works well, too. But the ERA Jawbone will not work with the Samsung Galaxy. I can get it to partially pair, but I can't get the phone to recognize it. There are days I need 2 Jawbones to deal with the flux of calls I get as a Sacramento short sale agent. So, this is a bit of a disappointment that I can't use my ERA Jawbone.
Not as disappointing as the news I had to deliver to an Elk Grove home seller yesterday. This woman contacted me out of the blue. Although most of the homes for sale in her neighborhood are foreclosures and short sales, she felt she should be able to get more for her home because it is a traditional sale. It's hard home selling among foreclosures and short sales. Then she said the comparable sales do not support her wishful sales price, and asked if a buyer would be willing to pay over the comps.
It was awful to have to tell her the truth. The truth is her home is worth what the short sales and foreclosures are worth. There are too many of them. They are the comps. You can't ignore them. And even if a buyer was stupid enough to pay more, the buyer's lender probably won't let the buyer do it. But the biggest disappointment for this woman was to learn that her home is not a traditional sale. It would be a short sale if she tried to sell it. And a Bank of America FHA short sale at that, which doesn't even utilize Equator.
Then I discovered it was for sale in MLS. It is listed for sale at many, many thousands of dollars over the comps. The commission noted for a buyer's agent is below an amount I would work for. The showing instructions are convoluted and restrictive. Is this woman serious? The price is too high, she's squeezing agents on commission and she won't show her home. The REALTOR® Code of Ethics says I can't interfere in another agent's transaction. I explained that to the seller and suggested she ask her agent all of the questions she cannot answer herself. She wasn't happy.
But I know how the Code of Ethics works. It works in a way that is interpretive. The Board of REALTORS® can decide whatever it wants. It can make sense; it cannot make sense. Have you ever read how a Board operates? As a REALTOR®, I am stuck with that process. It is Draconian law. And I'm just not going there. But you do have to wonder why an agent would take a listing like this? No wonder the public doesn't trust us.
And now for something completely different. I bring you a field of cotton. You don't see this in Sacramento. My husband is in Arkansas today. Photo: Adam Weintraub
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
You handled that caller well. Send her questions/concerned right back to the listing agent.
Love your cotton field and your blog title.
Margaert
Yeah, but now you guys have got that song stuck in your head, doncha?
Sellers Elizabeth will try what they think will work DESPITE the reality of market conditions. So they click off all that wasted time until they LEARN reality. It is very sad to watch actually, but it is being called mule headed. What are you going to do? They don't listen to you.
Hi Gary: I don't work with the sellers who don't listen to me and that solves that problem.
Some people just do NOT want to hear the truth.