All Forum Posts by: Julie Grupke

For SURE get an inspection!! Never forego that unless you're an inspector yourself or married to one. :)

For comps on serious considerations I pull 10 - 1/2 mile or less in last 3mo then go out to 6mo. I start on Realtor for recent sales then get more details on Zillow like DOM, orig list $ & date, prop history (price drops, taxes, etc). Don't look at the Zestimate, that's a meaningless number from who knows where....

Good luck!!

I only do a Facebook business page, but I only do passive marketing, before/after pics & provide contact info. If you buy a company name domain you can redirect it to your FB page, that's like $10-$20/yr.

I have friends who've built free business sites on Wix but can't comment on functionality - I browsed the setup process and it's pretty intuitive.

Google Business Apps lets you buy a domain, ghost a Gmail account as your business domain (eg [email protected]), & set up a site but I'm IT-handy and didn't think it was user-friendly at all.

Vegas baby!! What was the cost per person in 2012, just for the summit itself?

Dude, Brandon you have a gift for tutorials - that one was great. I've seen tons of those over my long years :o) and even the big IT companies fall short.

It was informative, easy to follow, and I didn't want to stab my eye out with a pencil during. LOL. Excellent!! (and no, he's not paying me to write this)

Yeah, I don't need a collaborative PM tool, but I've read alot of ppl like Basecamp for that. Or Things is mac-based PM tool. I've never used either of them but run across decent feedback alot.

I'm also one who's waiting on the Surface Pro. Main thing is that I want seamlessness btw all of my devices, especially with my Office apps; planning to run Project remotely too.

FYI that anyone can get 7G of free storage using MS SkyDrive cloud - I have it linked to my PC so I can get to stored contracts, project plans, etc without storing local copies on a cell or tablet & sucking up storage space.

Thanks for the tips on portable printers - that's the last thing I need for my tech arsenal. :)

For all - just curious on what before-tax profit margin you rate good, better, & best?

@Rick B - A 10% margin in this market and that price range sounds pretty decent, but maybe that's just me? Assuming you sold all 7 houses for $150k (for simplicity's sake), that's $15k x 7 = $105,000 in pre-tax earnings.

Does everyone assume an average % for Uncle Sam (fed & state), incl extra self-employment taxes, capital gain, etc etc?

Welcome!! Isn't the Toronto RE market still super hot? If you can find a great deal near home it might be a good money maker. Plus Mike Holmes lives nearby. lol :)

Agree with all - worst case monetary scenario = you'll be happy with any sale price in your comps range. Gotta make that money!! Don't do a deal just to do it, even if there's 2-3 more from that source. They may be bad->mediocre too. You could sell stuff on eBay for a better margin. :)

For comps, make sure they're in the same sub/immediate neighborhood. I've been doing TONS of comps lately and the half-mile rule can't be a blanket rule. I'll use a comp with different beds or baths & adjust if it's in the same sub vs. a higher priced comp in the sub next door.

For ex, I live in SUBURBIA heaven - my house would appraise $120-$130k, but directly behind me is a different sub where those specs would appraise $180-$190 (10yrs newer tho).

One of my RE mentors is a long time agent & investor. She says selling a property is way easier than being a buyer's agent, especially with online research & marketing taking the place of open houses. Maybe an hour of work (MLS list & yard sign). Fee to sign on with an agent around here is $300-$400 and typically 6% of the sale price is split 50/50 btw the agents. A seller's closing costs avg 1.5% of sale price (national avg).

If you have a relationship with agents in your area, ask around about the different brokerages and their fee schedule. You might find an office that'll let you do only your own deals plus cover agent vacations & overflow. In MI, to get your RE Salesperson license it's 40hrs education (~$300) then $80 to take the test - if you're signed up with a broker when you register for the test, they'll give you your license on the spot if you pass.

Good luck!