Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Effective Real Estate Sales for Web 2.0

Reality Magazine recently published an article describing the benefits of a group to which I belong called the Allen F. Hainge CyberStars. CyberStars includes 201 Realtors, both here in the States and abroad, who are at the top of their market and interested in conversing about the very latest technology that will help sell homes for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

In the midst of Web 2.0--"the Internet’s progression of social-networking and media-sharing sites"--staying web-savvy for a Realtor no longer means simply having a website. Allen Hainge and his group are committed to finding the latest "technology tools," including the incorporation of digital video, podcasts, blogs and MySpace pages.

Because my fellow CyberStar members are "market leaders—the higher-power group" who are necessarily willing "to share ideas on how technology increases profit, and how we can make our Web sites better to contact buyers and sellers," my clients are truly the ones who benefit from this association.

To read more about how CyberStars got started and hear what other members have to say about the group, go to Techie Supernovae Explode in Real Estate Market

To take a look at my own website, go to www.LiveInSantaCruz.com

Monday, May 21, 2007

MEDIAN SANTA CRUZ SALES PRICE FOR APRIL NEARS RECORD: HIGH-END HOMES ARE ALL THE RAGE

While some say that the real estate "bubble" has burst and the number of foreclosures in Santa Cruz County continue to be relatively high, multi-million dollar homes continue to sell. The median sales price for April was $774,375--that's just 2% off of the record $789,250 from November of 2005 according to Jondi Gumz of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Six different residential properties sold for more than $2 million in April, demonstrating that "the money is out there" (Margaret Julien of David Lyng Real Estate) and people are still very willing to pay.

Bernadine Brumfield, a Santa Cruz real estate agent, believes that these high-end homes that have been appreciating for many years will continue to sell easily as baby boomers move into retirement.

To read the article in its entirety and to see which homes sold for more than $2 million, go to Buyers Snap Up $2 Million Homes

Monday, May 14, 2007

FED REFUSES TO LOWER INTEREST RATES FOR NOW

Almost one year ago the Fed set the interest rate on overnight loans at 5.25% in response to rising inflation rates. Today, not much has changed.

As of May 9th, the Fed has decided to keep the same interest rate of 5.25%, saying that inflation is still a "predominant policy concern." While many note that lack of job creation and the "meltdowns" of the housing and auto markets signal slow economic growth, the Fed contends that overall the economy is growing at a rate that continues to create inflation pressures.

Because of these mixed signals, and due to a lack of long-term evidence, the Fed has made it clear that it wants to keep its options open and maintain flexibility.

To read the New York Times article in its entirety, go to Fed Gives No Signal of Rate Shift.