Carnivals: September 2009 Archives
The guidelines for this carnival.
As always, I arranged the entries that met guidelines into three levels, based upon originality, usefulness to the consumer, and how much thought and effort and research went into an entry.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
We have an Editor's Choice!
Four Pillars talks about Pocket Listings. A pocket listing is where the listing agent keeps the listing "in his pocket" rather than putting it on MLS. It can be ok in very limited circumstances - like an expectation of a market improving later on. For instance, if someone wants to list property with me with Christmas approaching, I always ask if they want to delay putting it on MLS so that when the buyers start looking again after the holidays this property isn't showing 60+ days on market. Allowing a couple weeks for beautification before it hits MLS can also be a good idea. But the agent has to have written instructions from the client to keep it off MLS. Most pocket listings are agents trying to double-end the commission - and that is despicable because it also limits the number of buyers that see their client's property.
Your host presents Low Asking Price on Unfinanceable Properties
RECOMMENDED
What's an Emphyteutic Lease? (And Why You May Want to Avoid One) isn't something that's going to come up in the US much. Mostly in Hawaii and on Indian Reservations. But they are a bear to get financing for, as the lender wants their loan paid off before the lease period ends.
Your Home Is Not An Investment is a Devil's Advocate article that does make some cogent points. However, if you can't spot three issues with it you're not trying.
Five Cent Nickel starts with a very good point: Settle on a maximum purchase price before you start looking. Properties that cannot be obtained for that are not contenders for your purchase.
Real estate in Australia doesn't work the same way it does in the US. Things estate agents can't get away with paints a picture so different than US practices that I have difficulty getting my head around it - although I can point to a lot of listing agents here who'd like to be able to accept two offers at once.
Why Renters Need Insurance - because the owners insurance policy doesn't pay for the renter's belongings.
MET GUIDELINES
6 Surefire Ways To Avoid a Mortgage Meltdown is anything but. He tries to do too much and doesn't understand how real estate or mortgage loans work. But it did meet guidelines.
Credit Scores: How Important Are They? met guidelines, it just didn't contribute anything in the way of knowledge or recommendations.
Details About the $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Actually, unless congress extends the program, it's probably too late to start because the purchase must be fully consummated within another 30-odd days
Consider Paying Home Mortgage Discount Points is missing a major part of the picture. What's important isn't necessarily how long you'll stay in the home - it's how long you keep the loan. More than 50% of all loans never see their third anniversary. Rates get better or the homeowner wants cash and they refinance. With a five year breakeven, I wouldn't advise paying points to buy the rate down unless I saw some good evidence the people involved are not going to refinance for at least that long.
I wouldn't follow the advice in How To Sell Your House Fast - 9 Tips To Get The Most From Your Home Sale, but it does meet guidelines and most of it isn't actually harmful.
SPAM AND OTHER RIDICULOUS SUBMISSIONS
A spam site submitted "How Retail Security Systems Can Protect Your Business" Does this sound like real estate to you? Doesn't to me. If they can't follow installation instructions, how good is their security system liable to be?
Another spam site submitted "Things That Make a Trade Show Rental Service a Quality One". Not to put too fine a point on it, their product placement is completely unacceptable. Hardly a recommendation for their professional services.
"50 Free Online Tools to Make Killer Graphs" was another spam submission. How about a riff on Paul Simon, "fifty ways to kill your spammer"?
A site named Green Packaging submitted "Go Green with Eco-DVD Cases" Green spam - if that's not a revolting thought, your stomach is stronger than mine.
A shill site submitted a post asking which is better, the movie or book "Angels and Demons" I'm not going to venture an opinion on that question, but I know which side of the title equation the submitters are on. If you have any doubts, consider that they submitted it 28 times to a carnival they shouldn't have submitted to at all.
Another shill site submitted "Guide to Getting Your Free Credit Report from (their paid advertiser site)" I really didn't need to read it to know it was spam. But when it wouldn't display without permission for scripts I had to wonder if there was something actively malicious in their webcode. Get your free credit reports direct from the credit bureaus.
Yet another spam post from an alleged designer website called "Classic Retro Furniture" was something that some people might think had something to do with real estate - until you read the post that talks about nothing but furniture pieces in isolation. I wouldn't consider a designer that doesn't deal with the space as a unified whole.
For those who might object to the treatment their submission received, the relevant information has been in the guidelines since before submissions were being accepted for this carnival. Having been told to read the guidelines, you willingly submitted these posts. Live with it.
Consumer Focused Carnival of Real Estate will return in one month on October 30, 2009, here at Searchlight Crusade, unless someone else wants to host. Deadline for submissions will be Midnight October 28th.
The Book on Mortgages Everyone Should Have
What Consumers Need To Know About Mortgages
The Book on Buying Real Estate Everyone Should Have
What Consumers Need To Know About Buying Real Estate
Buy My Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels!
Dan Melson Amazon Author Page
Dan Melson Author Page Books2Read
Links to free samples here
The Man From Empire
Man From Empire Books2Read link
A Guardian From Earth
Guardian From Earth Books2Read link
Empire and Earth
Empire and Earth Books2Read link
Working The Trenches
Working the Trenches Books2Read link
Rediscovery 4 novel set
Rediscovery 4 novel set Books2Read link
Preparing The Ground
Preparing the Ground Books2Read link
Building the People
Building the People Books2Read link
Setting The Board
Setting The Board Books2Read link
Moving The Pieces
Moving The Pieces Books2Read link
The Invention of Motherhood
Invention of Motherhood Books2Read link
The Price of Power
Price of Power Books2Read link
The End Of Childhood
The End of Childhood Books2Read link
Measure Of Adulthood
Measure Of Adulthood Books2Read link
The Fountains of Aescalon
The Fountains of Aescalon Books2Read link
The Monad Trap
The Monad Trap Books2Read link
The Gates To Faerie
The Gates To Faerie Books2Read link
Gifts Of The Mother
Gifts Of The Mother Books2Read link
C'mon! I need to pay for this website! If you want to buy or sell Real Estate in San Diego County, or get a loan anywhere in California, contact me! I cover San Diego County in person and all of California via internet, phone, fax, and overnight mail. If you want a loan or need a real estate agent
Professional Contact Information
Questions regarding this website:
dm (at) searchlight crusade (dot) net
(Eliminate the spaces and change parentheticals to the symbols, of course)
Essay Requests
If you don't see an answer to your question, please consider asking me via email. I'll bet money you're not the only one who wants to know!
Requests for reprint rights, same email: dm (at) searchlight crusade (dot) net!
Add this site to Technorati Favorites
Subscribe to Searchlight Crusade
My Links
-
Heavy Lifters
- Instapundit
- Hot Air
- Wizbang
- Victor Davis Hanson
- Q and O L Places I get to as often as I can
- Soldier's Angels
- The Anchoress
- Argghhh!
- Armies of Liberation R
- Asymmetrical Information
- Belmont Club
- Tim Blair
- Eject! Eject! Eject!
- Jihad Watch
- Michelle Malkin
- Neo-neocon
- Powerline
- Protein Wisdom
- Real Clear Politics
- Mark Steyn
- Strategy Page
- Vodkapundit
- Volokh Conspiracy Personal Finance, Economics and Business Sites
- Bloodhound Blog
- Financial Rounds
- Free Money Financea> Other sites I've linked and visit
- Ace of Spades
- Ann Althouse
- The Anti Idiotarian Rottweiler
- Atlas Shrugs
- Professor Bainbridge
- Baldilocks
- Beldar
- Blackfive
- Classical Values
- Coyote Blog
- Daily Pundit
- Drudge Report
- IMAO
- The Jawa Report
- Just One Minute
- Libertarian Leanings
- Liberty Papers
- Normblog
- Patterico's Pontifications
- Right Wing Nut House
- Samizdata
- SCOTUS Blog
- Stop the ACLU
- Unalienable Right Consumer and Research Sites
- Better Business Bureau
- Consumer Reports
- NASD Home
- California Department of Real Estate
- California Licensee Lookup
- California Department of Insurance
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
- Do Not Call Homepage
- IRS Charities Search
- Internet Fraud Complaint Center
- SEC Home Page
- Stop Mortgage Fraud
- Report Mortgage Fraud Debunking Many so-called Real Estate Gurus
- John T. Reed Worthwhile Web Comics
- Sluggy Freelance
- Day by Day It is site policy to list the main page of every site I reference. Sometimes the real world intervenes and I haven't gotten to it yet, or one falls through the cracks on a long post with multiple references. It is also site policy to list the main page of every site that lists this one on their equivalent roll, as well as the main page of all sites that are members of any of the same groups this site is a member of. Please send me an email with a link to the main page of your site if I've overlooked you (dm at the domain name). For the clue-challenged, note that it is a requirement for your link to appear on every page of your site, just like mine does, and I will not link to spam sites.