Why is buying women's shoes like Home Buying?

Gave this topic some thought, tongue and cheek, and then considered that it indeed home buying could be considered very similar to shopping for women's shoes. Sometimes they are on sale, we always seem to want the most expensive ones and there are literally hundreds to chose from.

Top Ten list for why House hunting is like shoe shopping

1) Looked great in the store but was unsuitable when I brought them home.

2) Was a snug fit I would grow into, but resulted in gross overcrowding when used all day.

3) Always needs maintenence for colour touch ups and repairs.

4) Buying emotionally results in unusable shoes.

5) The heel was very attractive but ultimately impractical.

6) The most expensive have limited time because they are always hidden.

7) The most comfortable ones you want all day long.

8) Sometimes the best fit is not the most attractive.

9) We stare for months at the shoes we want through the window.

10) hundreds of hours can be consumed shopping, trying on shoes without ever making a purchase.

11) Add yours here!

We need a few more to round out the choices. Could you suggest an analogy or one line remark about why shopping for a home is like shopping for women's shoes. Add a comment.

Chicago Home sellers will need to be finger printed

To help combat real estate fraud the city of Chicago is requiring starting June 1st that homesellers provide a fingerprint.

With rampant fraud occurring in the city, this is not a bad idea. But being a libertarian, the idea of a government official taking my fingerprint disturbs me. I would like to see that these fingerprints be destroyed after a period of time.

Fingerprinting is something we often associate with crime. So the fact that Cook County home sellers will soon have to provide a thumb print left some people shocked.

“I wouldn’t like that at all. I don’t think that’s necessary,” said Chicagoan Donald Hayes.

“I don’t know what I think about that. Not very good, I think, said Jenny Armstrong of Lake Villa.

The new law, which is set to go into effect June 1, 2009, will force anyone selling property in Cook County to provide a thumbprint from their right hand. via CBS2 Chicago

From the comments section;
Comment by Curtis Van Carter on 15 March 2009:
In California they have been requiring a thumb print for notarizing a deed of trust for about 4 years and just upped the requirement to any document regarding real estate this year. I don’t remember the stats, but it eliminated the vast majority of fraud as to those seller something they didn’t have the right to. The other commenters may be right about the civil rights part of this, but being a notary, there have never been a complaint!

David Pylyp Given the potential for fraud and the abuse of Power of Attorney documents, and the cash tenants that sell your house while you are not looking; I can see this type of technology coming to the Toronto (GTA) in the very near future.

What are your thoughts?

Real Estate Matters Toronto

Real estate matters. We're not selling donuts here, folks. We're talking about shelter. Lives. Families.

We can do better. But can has seldom been enough. Perhaps now, in a time of must, and it will happen. It’s time for agents to get among the customers. Times are tough. People are hurting. They’re angry and unsure. Consumers are flooded with confusing, conflicting and negative news. People are concerned about layoffs and job loss. Are we promoting Job loss insurance?

Embrace the technology available to us to promote available properties for sale. Remember according to CMHC in the Toronto Market 50 % of the listings expire. Lets be creative in our marketing and communication. Digitize all documents related to their purchase into a mini cd, Pictures of apppliances and fixtures, Create Flash Presentations as Handouts at Open houses. Provide financial Calculation worksheets that show costs per month and Income requirements to buy, Show the Land Transfer Taxes. Lets make a pledge to take listings at accurate market values.

How often do you, personally greet clients in your office? How often do you call buyers to congratulate them upon closing? Attend the closing with them? Or send them a handwritten notes? Will you show up on closing day with their keyes and their lunch? Will you offer a Buyer Satisfaction Guaranteed? or Easy Listing Cancellation for dissatisfaction?

Do you speak candidly and sympathetically to your customers about the challenges facing home buyers and sellers? Or do you remain ensconced in the office and let your newspaper adverts do the talking? Have you lent humour to your interactions with sellers? Or are you still hoping to still the anxious minds in your market with postcards and door stuffers?

All this buzz about blogs? It’s not about technology: it’s about reaching out to people by topic, addressing their concerns, identify their needs and then fill that need with a solution, my voice, and a conversation or video, I need to be having with you, my customers.

I know. There are reasons to stay put. You don’t want to edge in on relationships. You don’t want exposure to criticism. Let me tell you something: When you speak to your customers with a human voice you are forgiven for your mistakes. Let's get out there and look at how we can ease their concerns.

I'm getting out there. Holding small town hall meetings. Shortly we will be scheduling First Time Buyer Seminars, Investors seminars on how to buy Rental Properties. Stay tuned... We will have experienced Legal Advisors, Seasoned Veteran Banking and Mortgaging Specialists and Home Inspectors to help my customers navigate a challenging economy. Have you developed Excell worksheets to calculate ROI and future values and mortgage balances for investors? Explained Cap rates? Give them the data they need, however ugly it may be. Do you have a topic idea you would like to see covered? Tell me.

Speak frankly. Be open. Be Honest! Push yourself to communicate in new ways. I'll tell you what to expect and inject my own brand of humour with a dose of humanity.

If you have a product or service you would like to promote, Let's make a video together and I'll put it out for you. Let's reach a broader audience.

I know a lot of smart brokers. People who’ve never been through rough times before and have a genuine passion for helping people. Trouble is, they don’t have – or don’t think they have – the moves in them to stay during an economic downturn and pull something like this off. We have already had legal input in constructing short sale letters for lenders. We have made serious and forthright inquiries about assuming mortgages to Save buyers and sellers money. Tough times stain relationships, a divorce insight corner is under construction. A Tenant's Corner for where to find rental properties is not far behind. Discuss Tenant Issues. Contacting LTB for your rights.

People will continue to buy and sell houses as there is a human need for shelter and a back yard. It may not be in the numbers we have seen before but these will also increase as people realise that the sky is not falling. There is already a pent up demand that is seeking guidance. I am a lone voice that says in proportion to population, we are a very small market that has turned skidish, SIMPLY More should be buying and selling relative to the occupancy and economic draw that is the Toronto GTA. Toronto emplyed number 93% of the working population!

The election of President Obama has inspired a nation and a whole generation. We need to move forward in a new reality of self responsibility. Those who take advantage will be far better off.

Your comments are invited.

How Young could you be to Buy a House?

Most times it seems the task of finding your Dream Home is a combination of the right circumstances in your life that make it possible for you to step into the House Buying Process.

With the mortgage terms and affordability as the biggest impediment to home buying a number of down payment programs can be created just for you thru the RBC Preferred Client Program.

Amortizations have been shortened from the 40 year plan down to a 35 year amortization maximum. I would hope that with prepayment options that many mortgages and an acceleration of amortization each year at the anniversary of the mortgage you could shorten the term by at least half. Contact me for program details.

Lindsay Doke, Trusted Mortgage Advisor, RBC Mortgages has been a strong proponent of the blended mortgage that takes half of the balance into the variable rate portfolio and the remaining half into the fixed interest rate portfolio.

By using this approach; you can reduce the interest costs greatly without gambling on interest rate fluctuations. With today's interest rates in simple terms, you could be borrowing at 4%.

So maybe the downpayment is your impediment; We can deal with that too! Lindsay has programs for HomeLine to advance against a property, additional credit lines to fund your downpayment, and cash back programs that will leave you money for land transfer taxes and related fees and expenses. Deferred cost programs are also available from Title Insurance Companies to assist your entry in Home buying.

There has been a concentrated effort to look at credit scores and the related perception of what is bad credit or poor credit and what can be fixed to make you eligible for a mortgage. Some of these programs may take 3-6 months to impliment, or as long as a year. New to the country and need to establish credit?

So first, we need to establish how much house you can afford. If you are paying rent of $ 1500 to $ 1700 per month, you may be surprised to find a $ 300K property carries for the same monthly amount. This Pre Qualification is vital to be completed in its entirety and not as a calculation at home. There is nothing more disappointing than being verbally approved at a Lenders office to find that their approval has many more conditions that you are unable to fulfil.

We will shortly have access yet again, to the entire Toronto Real Estate database of listings thru the Listing Portal at the Elegant Homes websites. This is exciting because all the listings available can be search without needless delay or filtering (like Realtor.ca) Some real estate boards have actually opted out of the Realtor.ca database. Will Toronto follow suit?

I invite your inquiries.