TheREALTYgram Blogger

Foreclosure Fair in Tucson Smashing Success!

Almost 500 homeowners facing foreclosure met in the Tucson (AZ) Convention Center yesterday and attended workshops and one-on-one counseling sessions with loss mitigators and lenders. Many of these people will keep their homes. Sadly, there was no REALTOR participation at the event.  The event was sponsored by Pima County, with partners that include Freddie Mac, HUD, state regulatory agencies, lenders, ACORN, The Urban League, and Legal Aid.

Additional workshops are being planned for Tucson and other locations throughout Arizona.

Open House Sunday, Dec. 15 & 16 1 - 4 PM

Welcome to Tucson! A Cyclist's Nightmare

We have just moved to Tucson, Arizona ... GREAT climate (albeit a little warm this time of year), terrific people, and some great culture. It is NOT the place to be, however, if you are hit by a truck on your bicycle. It appears the Tucson police do not care for cyclists.  Police Department and local EMTs left this man bleeding and confused following a collision with a truck on Friday. Head wounds, massive bleeding, and confusion evidently do not add up to an injury serious enough to merit an ambulance. They left him ALONE, standing there, for his wife to pick up. (I'm Wifey, BTW.) We spent a fair amount of time becoming aquainted with the University Hospital, where medical care was excellent. More on this in future posts. Blogger Wifey is not a happy camper!

Relocation to Tucson, Arizona!Life Commences in La Casita

We have finally settled in Tucson, Arizona! Following some interesting misadventures in eastern Pennsylvania, Thor and I have settled into a casita ... making a transition from wood frame and drywall to adobe walls and Mexican tile floors ... from the hustle and bustle of downtown Bethlehem to life in the shadow of the Catalina foothills ...

Blogging Diva Logs 12,885 MilesIn Transcontinental Virtual Tour, Sans a Plane!

It's been a busy week for Web Women Giving Circle Founder Joeann Fossland, who has been traveling through the blogosphere to talk about CARE and philanthropy. She has been criss-crossing the country for a couple of weeks, with 12,885 miles of travel and NO frequent flyer miles.

  Beverly Hills: Philanthropic lifestyles of the rich and famous and their realty professionals was the theme of the interview at Bernice Ross' Luxury Clues earlier this week ... Maryland: Beltway Artist Tammy Vitale's Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together took Joeann back to her roots and  into the artsy neighborhood of the blogosphere for an interview and some creative meanderings. There's a lot of nice color and art on this stop! Surf around this blog for some creative fun ... Southern California:  Michael Trust has some questions and answers about real estate, CARE, and humanitarian outreach in his Michael Trust Realty, Your San Francisco Real Estate Professionals blog.

Las Vegas: Nevada Blog REALTOR Chris Shouse welcomed her bloggy guest with a perfectly chilled bottle of Virtual Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Rose Vintage 1996, served in an Orefors crystal flute, with FRESH Pacific Oysters and Shrimp flown in for the occasion!!! Additionally, she had a bath be drawn for her prior to her arrival, with champagne caress bubbles and bath oil. "How much better can it get????" asked the happy Coach.

Amissville, VA:  Joeann's whirlwind transcontinental travel brought her back to Northern VA Real Estate Notes with host Julie Emery. They talked about CARE and philanthropy in a discussion about how REALTORS can "give back" to their communities ...West Valley, CA: Joeann is back in  Southern California today for a nice chat with REALTOR Shelly Slovin. They talk about real estate "community" and the role that members play in helping to make the world a better place. Shelly took note of Michigan REALTOR Wynne Achatz's bubble bath outsourcing last week and decided that he would do better than that. He invited Lily to the Bubble Fest!!

'REALTORS Don't Even Clean Your HouseFor Showings!' Say FSBO Entrepreneurs

More Magazine has published an article about FSBO entrepreneurs. I love the following quotation:

"Their business rationale goes like this: NAR agents typically earn about 6 percent commission on each sale, 'creating fees that add up to tens of thousands for the seller ... They don't even clean your house for showings -- you have to do it.' For just $150, FSBOMadison (pronounced fizz-boh) will list a house, manage the online traffic, and throw in a teal yard sign. Judging by the success of the site -- which now lists almost 15 percent of all houses on the market in and around Madison, and gets more Internet traffic than the multiple-listing service operated by area agents -- it's clear that they've tapped into a revolutionary new way to sell real estate."

Peggy Northrop, editor of More Magazine, is shown in photo at left with Master Coach and FSBO Queen Joeann Fossland at a gathering in Tucson on Saturday. FSBOs were not on the agenda last weekend. Perhaps Joeann will offer to write a counterpoint article or conduct a consciousness raising seminar for our friends in women's publishing. All this in the week Joeann launches a new web site for REALTORS. Hmmmmmmm.....

RealTalker Extends Winter Solstice Greetings;Is REALTOR®/Thinker/Poet

I'm liking those Tucson REALTORS^® more and more. RealTalker Carol Garr offered the following thoughts to the list serv community today:

"Conservation to save money is a good thing. Conservation for the sake of having resources left for future generations is even more important. The product (land) we sell is finite, and its quality is fragile. This beautiful Earth we live on is, for the present day, the only home humanity has, and we share it with many other forms of life. Each of us must be responsible stewards in order to have anything of value left for those generations who would follow us. We have many choices of how to do this, whether saving gas, recycling, or other opportunities that arise. As we approach the numerous celebrations of enduring or returning light, may we reflect on how we can each be a candle in the darkness, if only we will."

I clicked the link to her web site and found the following gem:

A House, A Home, A Haven

A nest where the heart lives,
One's very own place in the world,
A family's roots and memories or
receptacle of shattered hopes,
Cobwebs of the distant past or
the magic of a budding dream,

A home can be these, and more.
Not merely sticks and bricks
and building blocks,
But feelings, finances, plans,
and futures.

A monument on a foundation,
And worthy of respect and love.
Essence of the American dream.

by Carol Garr © 1995

Arizona's Looking Good Today!Thinking About Heading South?

As I watch the early morning sky deliver the first major storm of the season I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the snow is quite pretty, but it's going to take a lot of shoveling and scraping to get access to properties over the weekend. It's also going to be a bear finding a place to park in some of the city neighborhoods.
    Last month I attended a business planning retreat in Tucson, Arizona, and I met many people who used to call the Northeast home. I also met some outstanding real estate agents from all over the state who work work with snowbirds, retirees, and investors. I have collected a list of fine agents from Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Green Valley, Sedona, and other areas of the state. If you have any thoughts about considering Arizona as part of your plan, call me or e-mail me and I will send you the names of agents who will be able to help you there.

Real Estate Business Makeover Retreat In TucsonAims For Joy, Exhilaration, And Abundance

Master Coach Joeann Fossland tells REALTORS^® gathered in Tucson over the weekend that a well designed business plan that connects vision and goals will help bring their business to the next level. Fossland's The Business Makeover Retreat 2005 was a three-day event that drew participants from Chicago, California, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Florida, and Arizona. The event was held at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon.