San Antonio's Rockstar Turned Realtor®

Is there a new 3.8% "sales tax" on real estate in the Health Care Bill?

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:43:09 -0400

3.8% Real Estate Sales Tax - True or False?

You may have received an email or heard something on Twitter about the 3.8% real estate sales tax that has recently been brought up as an issue with the Health Care Bill (HR 3200). In the emails, the tax is railed against and brought up as an absolute for all Americans selling their homes.

But wait...maybe we should dig further. Is it true? Is it kind of true? Is it blatantly false? Does it lie somewhere in between? Seems this is just another case of email first, tell the truth later.

There is indeed a 3.8% tax in the Health Care Bill. It, however, is incorrectly labeled as a sales tax. It is called a Medicare tax in the legislation and I know we're splitting hairs here, but I think it's important to mention as the use of specific words like this are calculated and planned by people to manipulate people's emotions.

This tax however, does not single out real estate, rather it is a tax on investment income. The key to everything is how the numbers are calculated on whether or not the tax applies to you. The 3.8% Medicare tax is designed to only affect so-called "high earners" and not everyone will pay the tax upon the sale of their home.

The Tax Facts

There is a new 3.8% tax in the bill.
It is not a "sales tax" on all real estate transactions.
It is a Medicare tax.
Many people will not have to pay this tax.
It is going to affect so-called "high earners."
It is not going affect many people.
The tax comes into effect in 2013.

"High Earners" - Who are they?

The income requirement for so-called "high earners" are spelled out in the new law: $250,000 for married couples filed jointly, $125,000 for couples filing separately, and $200,000 for all others. If you earn more than these benchmarks, you are a "high earner" and therefor subject to the new 3.8% tax, but what you are taxed on helps further eliminate many people.

How is the tax calculated?

One of the emails I've seen states that on the sale of a $400,000 home, you would pay $15,200 as a real estate sales tax (3.8% x $400,000). This is incorrect. There are two incorrect assumptions by the authors of the email; a) that the Medicare tax is based off of sales price alone and b) it applies to everyone (which we know to be false based on the "high earner" income requirement).

The incorrect assumption that the real estate sales tax (aka the Medicare tax) is calculated based on the sales price of the home makes a huge difference. Instead, the tax is calculated based on profit. As investment income, the profit is the sale price minus the initial investment. Going back to the $400,000 home mentioned earlier, let's assume you paid $350,000 for it. You profited $50,000. Based on that, your tax would be $1,900 (3.8% x $50,000). Much better than $15,200, right?

But wait, there's one more piece of the puzzle.

Okay, so you owe $1,900, which isn't that bad in the overall scheme of things. But wait...do you owe $1,900? The answer is a resounding no. Why? Because of the capital gains threshold that is included in the language. You are only charged the 3.8% Medicare tax if your investment income passes the capital gains threshold. How much is that? The capital gains threshold is $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for married couples filing jointly.

This means that profit over the $500,000 or $250,000 (depending on your marital status) would be taxed at the 3.8% rate (you would still need to be classified a "high earner"). In our $400,000 example above, where you walked away with $50,000 in profit, you would not be taxed. The $50,000 is below the capital gains threshold.

Want to see more examples with calculations? Visit "3.8% “Real Estate Sales Tax” thanks to Health Care Legislation?"

Although this topic has political implications, the intent of the post is not to debate opinions about the health care bill, taxes, or politics in general. No matter what you believe politically, the post is designed to inform - not to debate, attack, or throw mud at those that don't agree with you. I ask that all visitors respect that on my blog. There are plenty of political forums where that is acceptable and I encourage you to visit them if you wish to discuss such matters. Thanks in advance - Matt

photo courtesy of Listener42

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

San Antonio Map of Real Estate Market Data

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:58:50 -0400

If you are having trouble viewing the San Antonio Real Estate Market Mapper, your browser may not support iframes. Update your browser or visit RErockstar.com for San Antonio market reports, neighborhood information, and much more.

New Market Mapper Feature

Ever wish you could visualize San Antonio Real Estate Market Reports in conjunction with a map of San Antonio? As you can see from the map above, now you can. Go ahead and click on one of the map markers and you will be provided with a current look at the median price chart for that zip code. Need more statistics? Simply enter you name and email address and you will receive my free weekly San Antonio real estate market report.

Don't see the zip code your looking for? Feel free to contact me and I can generate a housing market report specific to your San Antonio zip code.

Agents, are you using AltosResearch? With new features being added constantly, AltosResearch provides some of the best market data out there. On top of that, they're a helpful, friendly bunch, that love what they do and love helping agents understand their local real estate market. Tell them @rerockstar sent you!

Disclosure: CMP.ly - 2

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

How to make an offer and get the home you want

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:56:59 -0400

Great advice on offer making from another local San Antonio real estate agent.

It's not everyday I re-blog something from the competition*, but Robin Rogers of Silverbridge Realty nailed this one. Making an offer on a home is a big step and although the goal is to get the home for the least amount of money, the goal is also to get the offer accepted.

This is my favorite section of the entire post, something I often speak to clients about:

Consider this: each $1,000 adds about $5.37 a month to your mortgage payment at today's interest rate of 5%. That's $64.44 a year. Is it worth it to lowball the home and risk losing it for the price of a few burgers?

Sometimes looking at it from the seller's point of view can help a buyer understand why their offer isn't as great as it looks on paper.

* While Robin may technically be my competition, I don't view her in a me vs. her way. San Antonio is a large city and there is more than enough business to go around.

Via Robin Rogers, Silverbridge Realty, San Antonio, Texas:

You've looked and looked, and you've finally found a lovely home! What's the best way to go about making an offer on the home that you've chosen to buy? Here are the three methods that have been successful for my clients:

1. The best way to get the home you want is to make a full-price offer. If the home is in good condition and/or is well priced, there is no shame in offering full price. Before you make an offer, I will check on the most recent comparable sales of similar homes, the same ones that an appraiser would use.

If you are getting a VA loan and the seller will be paying non-allowables, or if you need a contribution from the seller towards your closing costs, that amount can be added back to your offer price to add up to more than the asking price. The home would still need to appraise for that amount, however.

Before I submit an offer, I try to find out from the listing agent what the seller's needs are, why they are selling, and what kind of terms they might agree to. If the home is vacant, they might want a quick closing. If they have a lot of furniture and stuff to move, they might agree to a longer closing period or even a lease-back. They might not want the hassle of moving a refrigerator, so my buyer might as well ask for it, if nothing else as a negotiable item. I want to maximize the chances of my client's offer being accepted.

2. The second-best way to get the home you want is to make an offer at less than full price, including any contributions by the seller to your closing costs, but leave the door open for a counter-offer. If the home is in good condition and/or is already well priced, the seller will need time to consider your offer.

Whenever I submit an offer, I write a cover letter explaining that my buyer really likes the home and is qualified to buy it. I don't say anything negative about the property or say the asking price is too high. I assume that my cover letter will be forwarded to the sellers. I attach an up-to-date letter from my client's loan officer and/or a bank statement as proof of funds to close. I explain to my clients that the offer is a sales document, and I try to make it as "clean" and the terms as appealing as possible. I don't impose deadlines or write redundant, unnecessary clauses into the Special Provisions. I include reasonable deadlines for obtaining disclosures, inspections, surveys, and loan approval. I make it clear to the listing agent that my clients are not trying to take the sellers to the cleaners, but are trying to stay in their budget. In San Antonio, an offer of 3% under the asking price is not considered unreasonable, unless the home is in perfect condition.

The risk you run with a lower offer is that another buyer may come in with a better offer while the seller is thinking yours over. With this method, you at least have a good chance of getting a counter-offer, even if the seller has received another offer. If not, you might get your lower offer accepted, but you may get some resistance down the road if you ask for an extension of the time to close or for non-major repairs to be done at the seller's expense.

3. The third-best way to get the home you want is to lowball it. If the home is in good condition and/or is already well priced, your chances of getting the home are slim with this method. You run the very real risk of offending the seller, and they could counter back at full price.

It may be different in other states, but in Texas, the seller is not obliged to reply to an offer in a certain time period; in fact, they do not have to respond at all. Your offer can be accepted, rejected, countered, or ignored. If there are multiple offers, the seller can just pick the best one, or go back to all the buyers and ask for their highest and best offer. Then it's basically an auction.

In general, the farther away you are from the seller's asking price, the longer it takes to come to an agreement. And in the meantime, another buyer could be submitting an offer.

If you are trying to get the bargain of the year, it will probably not be this home. If you want a screaming deal, we need to go look at fixer-uppers, foreclosures, or other distress properties, which often (but not always) need a lot of work. Sellers are more likely to consider a lowball offer on a property that isn't in good condition, unless it's already well priced to take the need for repairs into account.

Consider this: each $1,000 adds about $5.37 a month to your mortgage payment at today's interest rate of 5%. That's $64.44 a year. Is it worth it to lowball the home and risk losing it for the price of a few burgers?

Having said that, if you still want to make a lowball offer on a home, I will write it up and do my best to get it under contract. My job as your buyer's agent is to give you all the information I can, as well as my recommendations based on my experience and knowledge, and then to carry out your instructions.

So if you have found the house you want, I recommend choosing one of these three ways to make it your home.

Robin Rogers, Realtor, Broker-owner, ABR, TRC, CRS

Also Cat Owner, Smartass, Aspiring Drummer but with no time to practice

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Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Spies Like Us: Alleged Russian spy was ActiveRain member.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:49:01 -0400

Did I just see what I thought I saw?

Last night I was watching the ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, catching up on the usual tidbits - the oil spill, the hurricane, and the Russian spy case. As a kid who grew up in the 70s/80s and someone who has been to Russia several times, I'm interested in this sort of stuff. I actually had a former KGB agent as a bodyguard while traveling through Russia and saw the changes in Russia between my visits there, so you can imagine how fascinated I am with the Cold War tensions between our two countries.

As I watched Brian Ross' report about the alleged spies, a familiar site flashed across the screen as Brian spoke about one of the accused spies ties to real estate. Yes, although the photo is terrible, that is what you think it is - an ActiveRain account. Seems one of the alleged spies set up an account, but didn't do much with it (she had 980 points). I checked this morning and the account (a non-Rainmaker account) is still there and has only one blog post.

While it may not be of any importance to anyone, I find it fascinating that there was a (once again, alleged) Russian secret agent right here on ActiveRain! I wonder if she ever read my blog? Perhaps she has sent posts of mine direct to Vladimir Putin? Maybe I'm being spied on right now because I'm typing this? I love it - intrigue, mystery, and a dash of Cold War counter-intelligence.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosing Death in Texas

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 09:32:19 -0400

This post originally appeared on www.RErockstar.com on May 26, 2010.

Do you have to tell the buyer?

Death is a topic that most people don’t want to talk about in general and in real estate, it’s no different. I’ve been asked a few times about the details regarding death and disclosure in the state of Texas (more specifically, in San Antonio) when buying and selling a home. Questions such as; “This home seems cheap for this neighborhood, did someone die here?,” “It says ‘estate sale‘, does that mean that grandma died in the house?,” or “Do you know how they died?” are common, especially if there’s some indication of death, such as an estate sale.

The Texas Property Code covers this in Section 5.008(c):

Section 5.008(c) A seller or seller’s agent shall have no duty to make a disclosure or release information related to whether a death by natural causes, suicide, or accident unrelated to the condition of the property occurred on the property or whether a previous occupant had, may have had, has, or may have AIDS, HIV related illnesses, or HIV infection.

When a seller (or someone else) dies on or in a property, there is no requirement to disclose – as long as the death is related to natural causes, suicide, or unrelated to the property’s condition (if it is related to the condition of the property, you should be disclosing the defect, regardless of the death). However, the Texas Property Code does not mention homicide (murder), and this becomes a gray area that is often discussed in real estate law circles.

Disclose, disclose, disclose.

It is my opinion that disclosure is the best course of action when it comes to death. I am not an attorney and therefore can only tell sellers and buyers in San Antonio what the Texas Property Code states (and refer them to a real estate attorney who specializes in these issues), but when in doubt – disclose. I’ve never heard of a case where a seller runs into trouble because they’ve disclosed too much.

My view is that you’re better off disclosing the death now, before your neighbors do. Neighbors like to talk and tell potential buyers info they know about a home. No one wants to be surprised by the news of a death on the property, so if you disclose it up front, you eliminate that potential awkward situation when the buyer comes back to you and says “I hear someone died on the property.”

If you’ve experienced a death in your home or on your property and you wish to not disclose the fact to your agent or any potential buyers, I suggest you speak with a qualified real estate attorney beforehand to be sure you don’t run afoul of any laws.

photo courtesy of astimewise

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

10 Days of Pain for 1 Day of Closing.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:20:47 -0400

Excruciating Pain.

I have yet to meet a real estate agent that is willing to state, "I love lead generation." It's the one thing we all seem to hate. Whether we dislike the rejection, the awkward silence on the other end of the phone, or just feel uncomfortable intruding; we all go through periods where getting us to call and convert leads (for the record, I hate that word) is akin to having root canal surgery with a rusty spoon and no Novocaine.

In Chapter 8, "Social Media and Lead Conversion", of Ben Kinney's ebook Soci@l (which you can download for free at the RainCamp page on ActiveRain), Ben discusses his aptly titled 10 days of pain. When I first read the book, I chuckled over the title of this and thought of how many times I sat in front of the phone about to call a new lead. Picking up that phone is like lifting a few thousand pounds on that first call. It's painful. Every time though, as the conversation begins, I find myself thinking, "why was this so hard to do?" Conversing with people is something I can do. It seems picking up the phone is the hard part. The actual act of lifting the receiver is where the pain is.

The 10 days of pain campaign that Ben Kinney has developed gave me three things to think about - 1) how am I at converting leads, 2) a funny way to describe it (a little humor makes everything slightly less painful), and 3) actionable steps that I can implement (often I find there's a lot of talk about how to convert, but not enough substance in the form of a simple how-to). While I won't attempt to summarize the 10 days of pain here (you can read about it for yourself), I do think this is something I can personally implement. One of my goals this year is to really buckle down and get the conversion part of the business a bit more refined.

How much are you willing to give?

Ten days sounds like a lot at first. That's more than a week! Immediately after reading the chapter, I thought about it for a few minutes. Am I willing to through 10 days of pain to get one day of closing? The answer is obvious? Of course! Ten days of pain beats thirty days of pain because I have not closed a transaction. In my recent time away from real estate, I had the ability to truly look at my real estate business and analyze what I liked, what I didn't like, as well as what was working and what wasn't working. I was able to step back and look at my business from a new angle - one which didn't require me to deal with the daily work of being an agent (it's easy to get distracted from the tough questions when you're working hard).

Once I compared the ten days of pain to one day of closing, I began to think of it in a different light. Ten days suddenly seems a little easier to swallow. We all want more closings, yet we all struggle to do the things necessary to get the leads turned to clients that will get us to those closings. Tom Ferry and I have been building a plan for the year for myself (thanks to the free coaching calls I received via ActiveRain) and I can already see how implementing Ben Kinney's 10 days of pain will help me implement some of the work that Tom and I are discussing (more on that later).

Looks like I'll be experiencing a painful year and somehow, that's exactly what I want.

photo courtesy of Racchio

This blog post is a review of Soci@l: Attract Friends, Followers and Connections to Your Business. Soci@l is a free download written by Ben Kinney in conjunction with ActiveRain and Jay Papasan. In exchange for downloading the free copy of Soci@l and writing this review, I have a chance to win a free iPad and I'm getting 2000 ActiveRain points.

Download a free copy of Social here and find out how you can have a chance to win an iPad and be guaranteed 2000 ActiveRain points.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

A past post reminds me of five great blogging lessons.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:00:17 -0400

Sometimes you have to look back.

I was searching for a post that I wanted to send someone today and while looking through the lists of posts, I saw one that I couldn't quite remember. I knew I wrote it, but I just didn't remember what it said.

Taking a few moments to read through it, I thought it was a interesting look at where my mind was (in this case, on September 16, 2009) and where I was in real estate and more specifically, blogging.

I was just about to hit my one year anniversary at AgentGenius and I was reflecting back on a few things I had learned about blogging in the 359 days previous to that post. Reading through them, they all still hold true to my efforts today.

The five things I had learned? 1. You don't have to be an English major. 2. Your looks are important. 3. Commenting is crucial. 4. It's not just about real estate. 5. When in doubt, read.

Stop by the post, "5 Things About Blogging I Didn’t Know 359 Days Ago" and see if these still hold true for you today. Are there other valuable lessons you learned along the way? Any you'd like to share?

photo courtesy of gbaku

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Coaching with Tom Ferry - First Call

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 09:58:20 -0400

Enjoying my winnings.

I sat down on Thursday to start my month of coaching with Tom Ferry (that I won right here at ActiveRain) via Skype. I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. I was looking forward to it, but that was about all I knew.

Tom was downright forthcoming in his assessments and making sure I understood what we were going to be looking at. He didn't even mention real estate at first, we spoke more about personal life for the first few minutes. As we spoke, I realized just why he was asking the questions he did. I'd say Tom Ferry is one part therapist, one part someone you can trust and open up to, one part real estate guide, and one part funny guy.

Coaching isn't something I've ever done before, so I wasn't prepared for the look at other sides of my life (instead of just real estate), but I had promised Tom, myself, and my readers that I would go at this full force and see what I got out of it. I owe it to all three (especially myself) to observe and report and there is no better way to do so than to dive in and get involved.

Tattooed RE.

I wrote about our first call over at Tattooed Real Estate in the post "First Coaching Call With Tom Ferry." It's a bit of a light post as I think Tom and I were just getting started. I have been busy on my assignments (five separate assignments in the first call!), which I will detail a bit more as time progresses. Overall, I think Tom Ferry will wind up helping me quite a bit, but that remains to be seen. I'll speak to you in about a week and let you know how round two goes.

photo courtesy of roadrunnerdrummer

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Winner Announcement of the "Life! By Design Contest" By Tom Ferry

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:07:10 -0400

Always good to read a post like this!

So it appears I've won a month of coaching thanks to my post "I hate Tom Ferry. - My Life! By Design." The post was actually fun to write and to learn that Tom had the humor to not take offense to my declaration of hatred towards him made it even better.

If you didn't enter, I would still suggest you read through the contest post and do the exercise, I found it to be rather helpful. I look forward to experiencing coaching (never had a coach other than my dad at Little League) and as I'm sure you've guessed by now, will blog about my experiences - good or bad. I'm sure Tom will make sure I have a good experience though, because he knows I'm always upfront with my thoughts, especially when I'm giving a review of a product or service.

Congratulations to the other winners and participants!

PS Tom, you nailed "Stigliano" and believe me, I've heard it butchered more often than not!

UPDATE: I just received my signed copy of "Life! By Design: 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You" (Amazon affiliate link)in the mail, so expect some blog posts to start appearing as I make my way through the chapters. My coaching with Tom begins in a few days as well, so I'll be updating everyone on that. You can also check www.tattooedRE.com for posts and updates.

Via Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain):

Winner Announcement of the "Life! By Design Contest" By Tom Ferry

This past weekend at RainCamp LA, the winners were announced of the "Life By Design Contest" that was being promoted over on Bob Stewarts Blog Post. It was announced on Saturday that Tom Ferry's Book "Life By Design" is now a National Top Seller ranking #4 in the Nation.

Congratulations Tom, and thank you for joining us and speaking at RainCamp in Los Angeles. We have received great responses from all those who attended, and your presentation was over the top! We were honored to have Tom Ferry as a part of the RainCamp LA event. Tom's humor, insights, stories and content was "Top Shelf!" We have a good suspicion that the "Life! By Design" book will soon be the #1 National BEST Seller. Why, because Tom said so, and if you know Tom, then you know he's going to make it happen!

So here's a repeat of the contest description and rules:

THE CONTEST:

1. Read the preview chapter of the book found here: Chapter 4, The Problem of No Problems

2. Choose one of the following exercises and write a 300-500 word blog post about your experience with the exercise.

The exercise on page 39 of the excerpt

The exercise that starts on page 46 and goes to page 48. Pick one of the three areas: Professional, Lifestyle, or Health and Vitality and complete the exercise for that section

The exercise on page 54 (pick one question and write 300-500 words for one question or feel free to pick more than one question and submit smaller answers to multiple questions in one post)

(**completing the exercise itself, doesn't qualify you for the challenge. You need to have a 300-500 word blog post about your experience with the exercise. What did you learn? Did you realize something you had previously been ignoring? Did this bit of reflection cause you to want to get more introspective? You get the idea, right? Get something out of the exercise and share it with us)

3. Blog posts should include 'My LIFE! By DESIGN' somewhere in the title of the post.

4. At the footer of your post, please include this (including the picture):

THE PRIZES!

2500 points for every post submitted

one (1) Apple iPad (16GB) ~$499

One (1) hour of consulting with Tom Ferry via skype or phone (If you are local to Tom you can come into the office) ~ $1500

One month of Power Coaching ~ $499

Upfront seat for 2 at Tom's Success Summit ~ $598

Expired Edge program and one month service of MojoSells.com (auto dialer system) ~$369

Copy of Tom's Home Study Course ~ $75

Autographed copy of LIFE! By DESIGN ~ Priceless!

The contest will end on April 23rd at Noon Central Time. Any posts written after that will not be eligible for the points or the prizes. Each post will be given one entry in the drawing for these great prizes. We will announce the date of the drawing soon, but it will be shortly after the conclusion of the challenge.

(RainCamp LA was the chosen place and time for the contest drawing!)

THE WINNERS!!

Now I could just list the names and what they won, but watching the actual drawing seems so much more exciting and something that everyone would probably enjoy more. So here it is, a live recording of the drawing which took place backstage at RainCamp LA with Tom Ferry, myself, Lauren Bernstein, Doug Ching, and Jon Washburn as witnesses to its authenticity.

Congratulations once again to Tom Ferry, and to ALL the winners of the contest, especially the "winner" of the New iPad. I have to admit that I was a bit jealous, and had I not been doing the video recording for this post, I think I could have out-run everyone there. I could actually visualize and see myself snatching up and running off with one of Tom's books and the new iPad he was sporting for this drawing! lol~

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Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Missing Montana Teen Last Seen in Seattle Area

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:20:32 -0400

Help find Kelsey Ray.

Reward for information on the whereabouts of Kelsey Ray from Western Montana; 16 years of age, 5’6” tall, and approximately 115 pounds. Last seen in the Seattle area. REWARD FOR INFORMATION.

Kelsey Ray was last seen with Kegan Salter, a felony fugitive; 18 years of age and 5’5” tall.

Please contact the Mineral County Police Department (Montana) at (406) 822-3555 or (406) 544-3098 with any information.

Please send this to anyone you think might be able to help. Many of us in the real estate industry know Monica Ray through social media networks and I'd love to know that someone out there has some information that could help her. I can only imagine what she's going through right now. Her daughter is missing and she is reaching out to everyone she knows for any help they can provide.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Tattoo You: What do real estate and tattoos have in common?

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:48:37 -0400

Tattoos and Real Estate.

Two things that don't sound like they have much in common, but based on several late night conversations via Twitter with some of the agents I know, not as mismatched as one might think. Tattooing is an ancient art that has really come into its own over the past decade. I come from a family that has tattooing in its blood - both my father and brother being Marines who have several well worn tattoos between them. Real estate is a passion for me, but so is the art of tattooing.

But this post really isn't about tattoos. It's really just about me and a new project I've started to toy with called Tattooed Real Estate (or TattooedRE for short). You can read all about how it started as a bit of a joke amongst some of the inked up industry people I know, but it wound up turning into a sort of side project for me.

So far, it is in it's very early stages, but essentially, I want to make it a place for my personal thoughts and experiences with real estate, especially technology. The tools I use, the tips I've learned, the things I like to pontificate about.

Sort of a catch all for all the blog posts that float through my head and I can't find a home for. A place as assorted as the art of tattoos and the opinions of real estate agents. Eventually, I may take on some other writers so the opinions are a little wider than just my own, but for now, I'll be writing all the material when I have some spare time.

I'm also going to be experimenting with some affiliate marketing and reviews of products with a real estate focus - something I don't think is well served on my RErockstar blog. I'll probably use it to rant and rave about things outside of the industry as well (such as the blog I'm writing about the Philadelphia Flyers that I hope to post tomorrow), perhaps I'll even do a post on some of the tattoos out there in the industry.

So, if you don't have enough blogs to read, stop on over to tattooedRE.com and say hello.

photo courtesy of *fotu

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Finding your way back from the “dark” corners of Real Estate

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:38:20 -0400

A post that speaks volumes about the author.

Sheila has a way with words. Speak to her one-on-one and you'll see what I mean. Some people are able to convey their inspirational messages with blogs, some with words - Sheila manages to do both well, but in addition, she often manages to do it without using either. A simple question, a certain look in the middle of a conversation, and her actions on a daily basis with her clients and her agents.

I've had to ask for help at times and I will probably need help in the future. This is refreshing advice to remember that if you don't ask, you're probably not going to get it.

Via Sheila Moran, SanAntonioSheila.com RE/MAX Access, Broker, At your service! (RE/MAX Access (Garden Ridge, San Antonio, New Braunfels)):

Finding your way back from the “dark” corners of Real Estate

As the Broker of our office I think that my main responsibility is to HELP: educate, inspire, promote & guide my Agents to a better place in Real Estate. A “better place” is always different for each person as well all needs something different out of this life and where we are at in our journey, growth, careers, etc. I take this seriously. I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end as the Agent as well.

I also believe that we can only ascertain a certain level of business, knowledge, manners and the like by ourselves. Becoming better, learning new things, broadening your horizons are only achieved when you have stretched yourself outside of your “self”. One of the best ways to achieve this is by learning from someone else. A few examples: Teacher, Coach, Mentor, Friend, Parent, etc. I’ve noticed over the years that whether you are seasoned or new that we all need a shot in the area once in a while, right? A shot in the arm can be something that inspires you, compels you, drives you through the day and lifts your spirits and your understanding to something bigger than you had before.

So, if you’re struggling and feeling frustrated, where do you go? Are you sitting at your desk waiting for the phone to ring? Waiting for someone to stop by and give you the solution (to your unknown problems)? Waiting for someone to take your frustrations away? Fretting and complaining and fighting within you?

OR

Are you on the web talking with other REALTORS® about these issues? Are you being proactive and finding solutions to your problems? Are you looking at things a certain way and need someone to “shift” the view of your “rose colored glasses” to a different location?

Your solution: Reach out to someone and find your way out of the dark.

If you’re not moving forward and your stagnant the answer will not come to you. Nature rewards activity. I promise you that. Take your pride and put it in your pocket for a second and walk down the hall to that someone that you think you can connect with, or trust, or know is seasoned. Ask them to help you. Ask them to guide you in a positive, enriched and knowledge based “light”. Go ahead and try it. Reach out to someone. I’m almost certain that whomever this person is that you picked will take a minute or more to sit down with you, acknowledge your stresses and pressures and probably help you work through your frustrations. Thus the “enlightening” process can begin.

If we can’t rely on each other to help each other out (yes, even in real estate) then where else do you turn?

Don’t wait another day in the corner, stand in the center and bask in the light.

Life is a box of chocolates, go ahead and explore!
Serving the needs of Agents, Buyer's and Seller's for over 22 years.

Sheila Moran, Broker/Owner

RE/MAX ACCESS

19115 FM 2252, Ste. 7

Garden Ridge, Texas 78266

210-657-7500 / 210-325-6962

www.SistersThatSell.com

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

If you didn't read it, you can't truly react to it.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:57:58 -0400

Have you heard a single word I said?

Immediately after reading the title, I suspect everyone will think that I am talking about me, but I'm really just making a generalized statement here. It occurred while reading a post by a fellow ActiveRain member that (strangely enough) was a re-blog of something I had written. I had forgotten the post, so I quickly re-read through the re-blog.

The fellow blogger had written a great intro to my post and shared some of their thoughts and feelings about what I had written - in my opinion, the only way re-blogging should really be done. It was encouraging to see their opinions of what I had written about which took me further into the post and down into the comments.

I love comments and will always consider them a part of the post as a whole. I'm very particular about commenting and what it means to me, but that is neither here no there. The comments in this particular blog were a mixture of thoughts and feelings about both my original post and this particular member's introduction to the re-blog.

Then came the comments that distracted me from the post and had me over here tapping away at my keyboard. Two comments in particular, both with the same issue: the comments were about the events in my post, but directed to the re-blogger. In this particular case, it was quite clear that the commenters had read the post (or at least part of it) and attributed their "congratulations" back to the re-blogger. In reading just the introduction, it was quite clear that this person had not done the things I wrote about in my post, but yet somehow these two people had just skipped over that fact.

Read it and react to it.

I don't really care about the pat on the back that they handed to someone else, this isn't an ego competition for me. What concerned me was that someone used up a piece of their day (an albeit small one I would hope) to say something that had absolutely no meaning behind it, because they didn't take the time to read and comprehend what the post was about. Were they ActiveRain point seekers, looking to pass their next milestone or were they just skimming through posts, assuming everything in between the lines on their own? Either is dangerous from where I stand.

Posts take time and effort for bloggers and from my experience, most bloggers have a tendency to put their heart and soul into their efforts. When someone comes along and ignores those efforts and just comments for the sake of throwing their name out there, we all suffer. There has been a lot of talk about the value of the community here at ActiveRain in regards to the recent downtime...is there really strength in the community if we're just commenting for commenting's sake? Of course not. Adding value through commenting is a core concept of any blog, but in particular a blogging community such as ActiveRain.

So read the posts, react to them, start a discussion, agree or disagree. Don't just throw out the "well done" and "I agree" comments. Be a part of something. On my own blog, I have begun to limit the responses to comments. I used to reply to everyone, but now I try and limit my "thanks for stopping by" comments in order to focus in on what I believe to be the more important part of blogging - the exchange and flow of ideas and opinions. So while I may comment back to you, it may not always happen. Not because I'm not thankful that you stopped by, but because I want us all to build off of each idea and see where it leads, not spend our days telling each other how great we're all doing.

I have a bigger mission than just stroking my own (or anyone else's) ego, I hope you do too.

photo courtesy of ganesha.isis

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Dreamhost is insane. Cheapest web hosting deal I've ever seen.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:22:32 -0400

I've never seen hosting this cheap.

I have a great deal with my hosting provider, Dreamhost, I was lucky to receive a promo code when I was looking to start building my real estate web site (I had used Dreamhost before for the music side of things). I have unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth for the life of my account and paid a minimal price for 5 years. It saved me some money.

Today, while going to check a status update on their site, I came across this page advertising a Dreamhost web hosting special. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Dreamhost is offering a one year web hosting deal for $9.24. They are insane. Hosting prices have come a long way since I built my first websites and it is much cheaper to run your own than ever before, but this is still the lowest price I have ever seen and since I'm a customer of Dreamhost, I can vouch for their quality.

Not only do you only pay $9.24 for a year of web hosting, but that includes unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space. You'll never use it all up. To make the deal even sweeter, this price includes a domain registration. I've been a customer for years and I love Dreamhost, but even if I wasn't sure, you can't really beat the price. The offer ends tonight (May 6, 2010) at 11:59 PM PST, so don't wait to take advantage of this one. I would if I could, but I'm already a happy Dreamhost customer (and I have more disk space and bandwidth than I need!). What else is great about Dreamhost?

One click installs of many popular tools and programs - including Wordpress
"Green" hosting
Great customer service
Monthly newsletter is one of the funniest (and most informative) emails - Josh Jones should be a comedian

Disclosure: Normally, I could receive a referral fee for anyone that signs up via a special promo code that I have for Dreamhost, but for this promotion, I receive no compensation whatsoever. Dreamhost didn't even ask me to post this, but when I saw it, I wanted to share it with everyone I possible could and a blog post is always a fast way to do it.

photo courtesy of ecastro

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

ActiveRain - Thoughts on Recent Dark Days.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access (210) 646-HOME) — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:27:26 -0400

Has the darkness ended?

Obviously, if you've been on ActiveRain for more than a minute in the past few weeks, there's been a lot of talk about the dreaded downtime that has made ActiveRain an aggravation at times. I've been blogging here since late 2008 and have had an up and down relationship with ActiveRain. On one hand, I love the opportunities it has provided me and I have enjoyed the many people I have met through the network. On the other hand, I have been frustrated by the reoccurring problems and sometimes have been forced to wonder if the SEO benefits of ActiveRain are quite what they're cracked up to be.

SEO what?

A lot of you will immediately question my devaluation of the power of ActiveRain's SEO power, but my experience with Google ranking has been up and down here at ActiveRain. Sometimes, it seems the post is immediately powered through the search results of Google, other times a post seems to never quite get the rolling push it needs to become a strong ranking page. Most people's immediate response would be that I must be doing something wrong and not taking care of some of my own self-created SEO power within the post. I would counter with the fact that I do the same sorts of things for posts here as I do for my site at RErockstar.com, which has typically outranked my ActiveRain posts in terms of Google placement.

Is that reason enough to be done with ActiveRain?

I don't think so. I enjoy ActiveRain. Although I'll be the first one to stomp and shout when things are not working, I don't hate ActiveRain. I will speak out about what I see as problems, much like I did recently at AgentGenius with my post, "ActiveRain experiences growing pains, users consider leaving" (if you read that, I suggest you read Benn Rosales' followup post, "ActiveRain problems mounting, hopes apology is enough"). Although I may be critical at times, I am also supportive. I truly hope ActiveRain is able to put the worst behind them and move on to bigger and better things. I still think Localism has amazing potential (although I think it is not being utilized to its fullest by members or the staff at ActiveRain). I haven't seen much out of the ActiveRain referral system, but personal relationships have led to referrals incoming and outgoing. What I have received most from ActiveRain has been new friends, some great "food for thought," and a chance to increase the effectiveness of my blogging efforts.

I feel I was trained as a blogger here at ActiveRain (as well as AgentGenius, as that was my first writing opportunity in the real estate realm). I learned from some excellent real estate bloggers and even taught them a thing or two here and there. There is a collaborative spirit here which is a definite bonus to membership as it allows for opportunities to learn from a wide selection of schools of thought. That is something I truly appreciate. There are tons of great posts on "how to" in order to help you improve your blogging skills (as well as your general real estate knowledge and skill). It's a library that's open twenty four hours a day (yes, I see the irony in that statement). There is most definitely great things you can get out of ActiveRain and I don't feel the bad outweighs the good.

I do however have a suggestion.

You know me, I like to add my thoughts to many issues and this is no exception. My post at AgentGenius says it best, but for those of you that won't click through to it, I'd like to share what I think is the most important part of that article.

Don't be afraid to step outside of ActiveRain.

While there are many benefits to being here, they (like everything else in real estate) are not a cure-all. Expand your horizons and start your own blog outside of ActiveRain. Go where the consumers are. While they do visit here, they're also out there floating through the internet...looking for you (or your competition). My own self-hosted Wordpress blog brings in about 4,000 visitors a month. I didn't do anything special except that I made it a mission to blog constantly and to publish the highest quality content I could muster. Sure I picked up tips and tricks along the way (many of them here at ActiveRain), but I truly did little more than type out my opinions and discuss current issues involving real estate with my readers. No fancy SEO marketing that cost me a fortune, no Google AdWords, no paid links from popular sites - nothing out of the ordinary. Just content.

You can do this yourself as well. It's not as hard or scary as it may look. Moving outside of ActiveRain can work well in conjunction with your efforts here. They don't have to be mutually exclusive. Do you only market in one place? Of course not. You work to be seen in many places. Use that theory to your advantage and use ActiveRain as a tool to compliment the other tools you're using.

Dear ActiveRain...

I do wish you the best in getting this solved. Bob and I chatted briefly the other day about it all and I could hear in his emails the stress and strain that this has placed on him. I'm sure you're all overworked and getting more than tired as you work to rectify the situation and (hopefully) put safeguards in place to prevent this from becoming a common theme. I wish there has been more communication during all of this and I hope you'll take that into consideration, as it seems to be the most common complaint I'm hearing. I'm sure it's not easy to be in your shoes, but I do hope you take some time to see it from our shoes. Again, best of luck and thanks for everything. I'll see you soon.

photo courtesy of muha...

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.