TOPS! Madison/Merrell do it again…
July 12th, 2008 Categories: Davis CA Real Estate, Davis RE Trends, RE Week in Review, Real Estate News, Realtor Tales
For the second quarter this year, the team of Jamie Madison and Kim Merrell are in the number one and number two positions respectively for total sales volume at Coldwell Banker, and Jamie Madison continues reign as the top agent in Yolo County. Why is this so?
- We have the honor of working with truly remarkable clients!
- Hard work every day
- The attention to detail of our wonderful assistant Sharon Pannell
- Sensitivity to the new opportunities that come with a changing market
- Sensitivity to the uncertainty that our buyers and sellers feel
- Working for Doug Arnold and Dave Taormino - two brokers who give good agents the support and the freedom to do their job well
- Working with buyers and sellers in a very special town where people sense they can capture the feeling of community most of us long for…
| Currently 1 Comment »
Madison/Merrell Lead the Pack!
May 9th, 2008 Categories: Davis CA Real Estate, Davis RE Trends, Realtor Tales
Jamie Madison and Kim Merrell, partners in the Madison/Merrell group, are pleased to announce that we individually hold the Number 1 and Number 2 spots in Davis for the total dollar volume of real estate transactions in 2008. Thank you to all of our wonderful clients who have made it so! AND a big thanks to Sharon Pannell, our assisting agent who helps us keep the busy transactions on course! In addition to Sharon Pannell, we have recently welcomed Rebecca Restreppo and Beth Ellenberger as referring agents for Madison/ Merrell.
What does that mean to you? It means that behind Kim and Jamie there are agents helping to streamline the many appointments and details that go into completing a transaction, and that there is greater availability to tend to all of the needs of our clients. It also means that collectively we draw from a larger group of friends and acquaintances to find buyers and sellers. What it doesn’t mean is that you are pushed off onto an assistant once you have joined up with Kim or Jamie. We are both actively involved in every conversation and in every step of your real estate transaction. And always, we live by our motto - Good People/Good Properties.
| Currently No Comments »
Real Estate Patois: Cracking the Code
February 16th, 2008 Categories: Amusement, Real Estate News, Realtor Tales
In case you didn’t get a chance to read Freakanomics (Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner), there was an apt chapter on the real meaning of the words we use in real estate. I have been writing a lot of copy for new listings lately, and frankly I am worried that words that sound perfectly okay may impede my efforts to sell the house. Levitt suggests that the language used in marketing copy may have a powerful impact in determining the eventual price the seller will get for their property!
You have probably heard of the hidden meanings - in fact you probably just sense the meaning of the words in a listing. But in case you are new to the whole thing, or inclined to be trusting or literal, here are a few clues for you…
Positive words: state-of-the-art, granite, mid-century, gourmet, sub-zero, photo-voltaic, bamboo
Negative words: ! , fantastic, spacious, charming, great neighborhood
Meanings: (a little tongue in cheek here)
“well maintained” - not quite falling down (hidden message - bid low)
“fantastic” - no atributes worth mentioning
“charming” - small
“cute” - outdated
“quaint” - unlivable
“adorable” - please don’t notice how small it is
“fixer upper” - may need to be torn down, but come make an inflated offer with everyone else
“potential” - its been neglected
“deferred maintenance” - untouched since 1968
“quiet” - noisy
“won’t last” - please make an offer
“going fast” - please make an offer
“shows well” - not staged
“close to transportation” - near a freeway
“curb appeal” - seller planted pansies
“original detail” - lots of beat up woodwork
“original owner” - hopelessly outdated
“custom built” - strange floor plan
“buildable lot” - call the Building Department
“mature garden” - tree roots are clogging the sewer lines
Time to start skipping the adjectives and sticking to the hard facts. Call me on it if you find I am telling you about a fantastic, one of a kind, spacious, must-see. Or, just call me. I am Jamie Madison and I am busy selling homes in Davis.
| Currently No Comments »
