Calling all real estate experts (and buyers, sellers, etc.)
A bit fewer blog posts overall, plus some written by guest bloggers, seems to be the community consensus for how I should manage my work/life balance problem. I'm hoping that will work well for all concerned, and I really appreciate the time you took to make suggestions (and to reassure me that it's OK if I dial it back a bit in the interest of being less frazzled -- thanks for being so understanding).
My tentative plan is three posts a week rather than five, though that could mean three substantive posts plus two quick hits. Several readers noted that they would enjoy being pointed to interesting stories and blog posts elsewhere, so I'll keep an eye out for things off the beaten path.
Also, I'm going to start contacting local folks with housing expertise to see if they'd like to write a guest post about something you'd like to read. Open invitation: If you can recommend someone or fit the bill yourself, please let me know by emailing jhopkins (at) baltsun (dot) com. A good guest post might be a look at what's selling (and what isn't) in a certain slice of the Baltimore region, an analysis of what works (and what doesn't) if you're renting out your home, a walk-through of possible changes to the ever-mutating mortgage market -- you get the idea.
Besides that, though, I'm interested in guest posts from people who are living this crazy housing market in some way. Buyers slogging through lots of open houses. Sellers trying to figure out what constitutes a sweet-spot asking price. Renters jumping to homeownership, homeowners jumping ship back to renting. Chances are, you've got an interesting tale to tell, be it ever so short. So please feel free to volunteer yourself.
Check out this post for a recent example of someone sharing a personal experience, one that sparked a conversation about what renters and landlords can and should expect from each other.
Here's to many more interesting conversations.
Categories: Your name in lights (well, newsprint)
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Comments
My vote is for Pete from Highlandtown.
Posted by: Bayview | March 22, 2011 11:50 AM
Great idea, Bayview!
Pete, I don't have your email address. If you'd email me at jhopkins(at)baltsun(dot)com, I'd love to get things rolling so you could write a guest post here.
Posted by: Jamie Smith Hopkins | March 22, 2011 12:28 PM
I am a realtor in Howard County. I have a client that lives in a condo here. the condo has a VERY aggressive policy about towing cars without the parking sticker given out by the management company. The management company is closed by 2:30pm on Fri. and opens again Monday mornings. Realtors do most of their showings on weekends. It is at the realtor's risk to show during the weekend. Tt is up to the seller to get a parking tag to the showing realtor. I have tried to get the management company to see what damage they are doing their own residents by not making it easier to show properties there. Not only should they help sellers, but encourage them. Without the fees from the owners, there is no money to pay the management company. I know of at least some residents that have been towed and are very angry about it. I've tried to reach the association - made up of owners but to no avail. How can we deal with this to help all potential sellers not just the one I am working with?
Thank you for your help with this.
Posted by: nancy mccord | August 15, 2011 3:43 PM
I am a realtor in Howard County. I have a client that lives in a condo here. the condo has a VERY aggressive policy about towing cars without the parking sticker given out by the management company. The management company is closed by 2:30pm on Fri. and opens again Monday mornings. Realtors do most of their showings on weekends. It is at the realtor's risk to show during the weekend. Tt is up to the seller to get a parking tag to the showing realtor. I have tried to get the management company to see what damage they are doing their own residents by not making it easier to show properties there. Not only should they help sellers, but encourage them. Without the fees from the owners, there is no money to pay the management company. I know of at least some residents that have been towed and are very angry about it. I've tried to reach the association - made up of owners but to no avail. How can we deal with this to help all potential sellers not just the one I am working with?
Thank you for your help with this.
Posted by: nancy mccord | August 15, 2011 3:43 PM
Yikes, Nancy, that's frustrating. I take it homeowners aren't given any extra stickers for prospective buyers, dinner-party guests, etc.?
Posted by: Jamie Smith Hopkins | August 15, 2011 3:46 PM
Can an owner place a ground rent on his property at selling, if there was no ground rent in the beginning. If he/she did, what legal rights do I have.
Posted by: dede | September 9, 2011 1:35 PM
dede, did you see my answer to your question when you asked it on another post? Here it is, just in case -- let me know if this doesn't cover your situation:
dede, it used to be legal. (See examples here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/real-estate/bal-groundrent3-121206,0,6422750.story)
Creation of new ground rents was banned in 2007, though: http://www.gov.state.md.us/pressreleases/070322.html
Posted by: Jamie Smith Hopkins | September 10, 2011 5:12 PM