smarten's Page

Recently California’s historic experiment in curbing spiraling property tax increases [Proposition 13] has been the subject of emulation here in Nevada. But before we jump in head first, I suggest Nevada should carefully study the ramifications. Although in California assessed valuation increases are capped at no more than 2%/annually, local revenue districts [and there are tens of thousands of them in California (like schools, libraries, parks, police and fire protection districts, mosquito… Continue

The Department of Justice has tentatively settled a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors regarding barriers to the public's access to regional MLS sites. The settlement should provide consumers with greater access to a wider range of MLS data. The floodgates to more industry innovation are likely to open up with the settlement of this dispute. You can learn more by going to http://www.inman.com/news/2008/05/28/industry-reacts-doj-vs-nar-settlement-proposal

Okay, think you're a savvy real estate professional? What's a "seper addnd. req," and what's wrong with it?



In a nutshell, it's an addendum developed by some bonehead agent for his/her bank REO clients that allows the seller to continue marketing its property for sale to others AFTER entering into a contract to purportedly sell. And if the seller finds another buyer willing to pay more, it can accept the second buyer's higher offer and UNILATERALLY excise itself from the original… Continue

Thought some of you NON-agents would get a chuckle out of this one



Page B5 of today’s RGJ - see the advertisement by two Incline Village [”IV”] Intero agents [Davidson & O’Donnell] - states as follows:



“Market Update…The Housing Crisis is Over…it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market…Translation for the Tahoe [IV] Market. This is the ultimate buyer’s market. Call us now while home property prices are within… Continue

Did you ever stop to think that one man's [or in this case woman's] idea of a "bogus offer" is really another's throughtful assessment of today's [rather than six month's ago's ("so called" certified appraised)] fmv? If not, maybe it's time you got with the program!



You're right; there are serious problems out there in the Reno/Sparks SFR marketplace and at the top of the list are agents' denials [especially in the >$1M segment of the market] that their sellers' listing prices… Continue