[photopress:hair.JPG,thumb,alignright]It is very difficult for young people today to buy with confidence. There are some very real fears, and justifiably so, that housing prices can not and will not continue to rise at the levels they have in recent years. Some ask if they should wait until they have saved 20% down. Historically, most people have bought their first homes with less than 20% down for good reason. There are no guarantees that interest rates will not rise. Interest rates are still, historically very low. How would you feel if you waited to purchase only to find that prices were still high and interest rates were 9.5%?
Renting when you are a family with children has its risks. What do you do when one day the landlord knocks on the door and says “I’ve decided to sell the house and you all have to move out in 30 says”?
Anyone who can qualify for the first time buyer program at First Tech, should consider that option. It is an excellent program, with almost no loan costs and a very low interest rate. Take the time to find the very best loan program that you can and work on your credit score to insure you can get the best possible rate available.
When selecting property, try to convince yourself to buy that diamond in the rough. This way if values do not increase, you will still be able to sell at a profit. Buy the house that needs a lot of cosmetic fixes, but has good curb appeal and is in a decent area. Consider all of those areas that have only increased by 10% or 15% but border on areas that have increased by 30%. Buy that “old people” house in a great neighborhood that everyone else is turning their nose up at because it has sculptured carpet and pinch pleated avocado drapes.
The one sure way to buy with confidence is to ignore the cosmetic issues and don’t be fooled by heavy “staging” that might lure you into paying too much for the house. It has never been more important to buy wisely. It has never been more important to avoid making choices based on creature comforts like “needs nothing”, totally remodeled or brand new, less than 15 minutes to work. Don’t get tangled up in these creature comfort premiums, unless you are willing to face the fact that the tradeoff may be having to sell for less than you paid when you need to move.
There are still plenty of values and many of them require a little TLC like paint and landscaping. Be the smart buyer who isn’t crying the blues in a year or two if prices level out or take a dip.
Seriously? I just removed this blog from my reading list. That is a ridiculous argument.
I met Galen at MindCamp 2.0 this year and from our interaction I thought he was a level headed individual. I immediately added this blog to my list of blog subscriptions.
However, after reading this post I’m questioning everyone’s sanity who run this blog.
Isn’t the old adage about real estate: “Location, Location, Location”? This artificial housing bubble you claim exists based on irrational desire to live on the east side in Redmond, Bellevue and kirkland is nonsense.
Your point should have been “if you want to be realistic about what you can afford, you may have to look at different neighborhoods than you originally intended”. The conclusion you come to is nonsense.
I met Galen at MindCamp 2.0 this year and from our interaction I thought he was a level headed individual. I immediately added this blog to my list of blog subscriptions.
However, after reading this post I’m questioning everyone’s sanity who run this blog.
Isn’t the old adage about real estate: “Location, Location, Location”? This artificial housing bubble you claim exists based on irrational desire to live on the east side in Redmond, Bellevue and kirkland is nonsense.
Your point should have been “if you want to be realistic about what you can afford, you may have to look at different neighborhoods than you originally intended”. The conclusion you come to is nonsense.
Sometimes I question our sanity as well! 😉
The surest sign that we’re in a housing bubble is the vociferousness of real estate agents denying it exists.
Real estate is location, location, location….That is why when there is too much pressure (low inventory) in certain areas that have high desirability (what Ardell is talking about) buyers who are priced out may have to choose to look in under appreciated (valued) areas that are either overlooked or are neglected to become homeowners and minimize their investment risk. All investment is risk, and Ardell has good points, there is always opportunity if you look for it and are willing to work for it. There may even be more opportunity during volatile periods, because it can remove some of the competition who decide to sit on the side lines to see what happens. And that is good, no one should take on more risk than they can handle. Conversely you can’t expect to reap rewards without taking some risk.
It is important to remember that some areas that are desirable and popular now were not always so. Buyers who were priced out of areas moved into other, less desirable areas, worked hard on improving their homes and neighborhoods which attracted more people and over time you have Ballard or Georgetown. Those buyers saw opportunities and accepted some amount of risk.
If a person belives there may be a bubble, then the greatest risk of loss is at the perimeter: Buying at your affordability limit (having no reserves in case of illness or employment change), buying with riskier loan programs, and buying in areas with intense competition for housing, which does inflate prices, but is not an issue if the buyers can afford it. Instead, buy conservatively: Buy in a price range (re-prioritize what is important to you in a house that accomodates that price range) and that does not stretch you financially, choose a conservative loan program, and look outside of the high pressure areas to find homes that are more affordable.
If the risk level is still unacceptable, then yes, renting is the best option for many people. Real estate investors need renters so it is a mutually beneficial arrangement, investors accept the risk, and renters are able to minimize their risk and stress.
My, but this is an interesting topic!
Real estate is location, location, location….That is why when there is too much pressure (low inventory) in certain areas that have high desirability (what Ardell is talking about) buyers who are priced out may have to choose to look in under appreciated (valued) areas that are either overlooked or are neglected to become homeowners and minimize their investment risk. All investment is risk, and Ardell has good points, there is always opportunity if you look for it and are willing to work for it. There may even be more opportunity during volatile periods, because it can remove some of the competition who decide to sit on the side lines to see what happens. And that is good, no one should take on more risk than they can handle. Conversely you can’t expect to reap rewards without taking some risk.
It is important to remember that some areas that are desirable and popular now were not always so. Buyers who were priced out of areas moved into other, less desirable areas, worked hard on improving their homes and neighborhoods which attracted more people and over time you have Ballard or Georgetown. Those buyers saw opportunities and accepted some amount of risk.
If a person belives there may be a bubble, then the greatest risk of loss is at the perimeter: Buying at your affordability limit (having no reserves in case of illness or employment change), buying with riskier loan programs, and buying in areas with intense competition for housing, which does inflate prices, but is not an issue if the buyers can afford it. Instead, buy conservatively: Buy in a price range (re-prioritize what is important to you in a house that accomodates that price range) and that does not stretch you financially, choose a conservative loan program, and look outside of the high pressure areas to find homes that are more affordable.
If the risk level is still unacceptable, then yes, renting is the best option for many people. Real estate investors need renters so it is a mutually beneficial arrangement, investors accept the risk, and renters are able to minimize their risk and stress.
My, but this is an interesting topic!
Pragmatic, The $160,000 two bedroom condos noted above are directly across the street from Microsoft in Bellevue. So the issue is not simply about area. Staging has become so popular because people walk in and out of affordable housing in great locations, that are good values, because it has old carpet.
What prompted this thread is a young couple about to have a baby suggesting that only people who have trust funds and wealthy parents can buy a home for their family. If that same couple bought a two bedroom condo or townhome now, they are more likely to have a house by the time that child starts school, than if they continue to rent.
That person argues that they can rent and save money at 4% interest for a downpayment. If they buy instead of rent, they can deduct their mortgage interest and real estate taxes, which would give them, on average a 25% return, even if the property value doesn’t increase.
If you are starting a family and want a home, you can buy a split level home in Kingsgate or Bothell or Finn Hill or Kenmore or Bellevue. A lot of people “don’t like” split level homes or ramblers. Point is, by the time you are having a child, you have to start somewhere. That somewhere may not meet all of the wants on your list. But that is not the time to start feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have a trust fund. By the time you are having children, it’s time to get real and stop whining.
Pragmatic, The $160,000 two bedroom condos noted above are directly across the street from Microsoft in Bellevue. So the issue is not simply about area. Staging has become so popular because people walk in and out of affordable housing in great locations, that are good values, because it has old carpet.
What prompted this thread is a young couple about to have a baby suggesting that only people who have trust funds and wealthy parents can buy a home for their family. If that same couple bought a two bedroom condo or townhome now, they are more likely to have a house by the time that child starts school, than if they continue to rent.
That person argues that they can rent and save money at 4% interest for a downpayment. If they buy instead of rent, they can deduct their mortgage interest and real estate taxes, which would give them, on average a 25% return, even if the property value doesn’t increase.
If you are starting a family and want a home, you can buy a split level home in Kingsgate or Bothell or Finn Hill or Kenmore or Bellevue. A lot of people “don’t like” split level homes or ramblers. Point is, by the time you are having a child, you have to start somewhere. That somewhere may not meet all of the wants on your list. But that is not the time to start feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have a trust fund. By the time you are having children, it’s time to get real and stop whining.
That person argues that they can rent and save money at 4% interest for a downpayment. If they buy instead of rent, they can deduct their mortgage interest and real estate taxes, which would give them, on average a 25% return, even if the property value doesn’t increase.
Wow. That is just so wrong in so many ways.
1. Getting a tax deduction is not a return. Getting a tax deduction means if you paid $1000 in taxes/interest, you can apply $250 as a credit against your AGI. Even if all of that credit is above what you’d take as a standard deduction, you’re still out $750. The saver you’re comparing this scenario with has more than $1000. Net difference is over $750, in favor of the saver.
2. Many people would take a standard deduction if they didn’t have mortgage interest to deduct. So a big chunk of the supposed tax benefit of mortgage debt is irrelevant, because you’d get it anyway with a standard deduction. This reduces the annual tax benefit of mortgage debt even further.
3. What you didn’t point out is that high prices mean many people have to structure their mortgage debt in ways that carry a fair amount of interest rate risk. Many people are uncomfortable with such risk, whether or not they choose to live in a new home or a 1950s rambler.
Saving for a down payment until asset prices are relatively lower dramatically reduces that risk. This is the fundamental reasoning behind the decision to rent instead of buy. It’s completely rational.
That person argues that they can rent and save money at 4% interest for a downpayment. If they buy instead of rent, they can deduct their mortgage interest and real estate taxes, which would give them, on average a 25% return, even if the property value doesn’t increase.
Wow. That is just so wrong in so many ways.
1. Getting a tax deduction is not a return. Getting a tax deduction means if you paid $1000 in taxes/interest, you can apply $250 as a credit against your AGI. Even if all of that credit is above what you’d take as a standard deduction, you’re still out $750. The saver you’re comparing this scenario with has more than $1000. Net difference is over $750, in favor of the saver.
2. Many people would take a standard deduction if they didn’t have mortgage interest to deduct. So a big chunk of the supposed tax benefit of mortgage debt is irrelevant, because you’d get it anyway with a standard deduction. This reduces the annual tax benefit of mortgage debt even further.
3. What you didn’t point out is that high prices mean many people have to structure their mortgage debt in ways that carry a fair amount of interest rate risk. Many people are uncomfortable with such risk, whether or not they choose to live in a new home or a 1950s rambler.
Saving for a down payment until asset prices are relatively lower dramatically reduces that risk. This is the fundamental reasoning behind the decision to rent instead of buy. It’s completely rational.
Greg, I totally agree regarding interest rate risk. I have never been a fan of HELOC’s and don’t believe any of the seconds used for my clients have been HELOCS. There are fixed seconds. As to the first mortgages, I have always compared the spreads on the 5, 7 and 30. Sometimes the spread doesn’t warrant the risk, sometimes it does.
Exception has been the 3 year fixed first time buyer program at First Tech. The low cost and low rate of that special program warrant the risk. Two of my clients have used that with a rate of 4.625% and 5%, fixed for 3 years with no second mortgage and total loan costs of $514 to $750..
Northshore school district is just starting to take off and hasn’t been in the price climbing period at the rate of Lake Washington School district. Same with Juanita as to Lake Washington Schools. Plus the Annexation card, still to be played, will add value regardless of other appreciation issues in Kingsgate, Finn Hill and North Juanita.
I think anyone buying a downtown Kirkland condo may have missed the boat on value, with few exceptions. But there are still values within 5-10 minutes away.
If someone can get in right now at 5% interest and almost no loan costs with the First Tech first time buyer program, I think that outweighs the waiting and saving “plan” as long as they choose property wisely.
On one closed in late February 2006. Monthly payment $1,707 including prinicpal interest and taxes. 100% financing, 3 year fixed. Two story townhome with a two car attached garage and a yard backing up to greenspace and a brand new roof in a complex with Lake Sammamish views in Bellevue ten minutes to Microsoft. This townhome did not have a view, but a little walk in the morning is breathtaking. Not time to be crying the blues yet when someone can get into this for less than $2,000 a month using the First Tech first time buyer program.
Look for the gems in property and financing. I can turn around and sell this today at $350,000 no sweat, well a little sweat. But recommend a two year hold for no gain tax.
Lunch time, time to hit the blogs…
Today, National Mortgage News reports on a report from Freddie Mac.
Freddie: Cash-Out Refi % Hits 16-Year High In the first quarter, 88% OF THE HOMEOWNERS (emphasis mine) who refinanced their homes got a mortgage at least 5% larger than the original loan, the highest such percentage since the third quarter of 1990, according to Freddie Mac.
——–
I thought the objective (for some) is to reduce debt, but this shows that people are not paying down mortgage, they are increasing it.
Back to work….
forgot to mention-
I put “escrow” in my name to help reduce the hate e-mail 🙂 my wife and I received over the last couple days to help distinquish from the other Tim’s that post.
Ardell and other agents & L/O’s who frequent this blog:
The information you posted regarding unique and helpful loan programs is invaluable to the readers that come here for discussion and information. Blogs represent quite an opportunity to help those who may have questions not only about bubbles, but tools to improve the capacity to purchase. And that’s good for everyone in the real estate food chain.
Ardell, or others for that matter, send me an e-mail and I’ll post any loan program you know about that is unique/helpful on our website with your name–all the glory will be yours. I can’t count how many times we hear at the closing table: boy if I new of another LO or agent….it happens much more than you would think.
For me, being a part of and reading the discussions about bubbles, loan issues, neighborhoods, etc. is a phenominal “laboratory” (for a lack of better word) regarding consumer sentiment & buying issues. Did anyone else see this? What an opportunity. Every one of those folks from other blogs is a buyer, now or in the future.
Now, Realtor.com has started their own blog–it will be interesting to see if they listen to what consumers have to say, regardless of issues, spicy comments, etc….including their very own constituents.
forgot to mention-
I put “escrow” in my name to help reduce the hate e-mail 🙂 my wife and I received over the last couple days to help distinquish from the other Tim’s that post.
Ardell and other agents & L/O’s who frequent this blog:
The information you posted regarding unique and helpful loan programs is invaluable to the readers that come here for discussion and information. Blogs represent quite an opportunity to help those who may have questions not only about bubbles, but tools to improve the capacity to purchase. And that’s good for everyone in the real estate food chain.
Ardell, or others for that matter, send me an e-mail and I’ll post any loan program you know about that is unique/helpful on our website with your name–all the glory will be yours. I can’t count how many times we hear at the closing table: boy if I new of another LO or agent….it happens much more than you would think.
For me, being a part of and reading the discussions about bubbles, loan issues, neighborhoods, etc. is a phenominal “laboratory” (for a lack of better word) regarding consumer sentiment & buying issues. Did anyone else see this? What an opportunity. Every one of those folks from other blogs is a buyer, now or in the future.
Now, Realtor.com has started their own blog–it will be interesting to see if they listen to what consumers have to say, regardless of issues, spicy comments, etc….including their very own constituents.
It’s worse than horsepucky it’s selfish, self-centered mumbo jumbo aimed at justifying why you can’t do something that you CAN do. If you choose not to buy property…that’s OK. But don’t blame your fear of commitment on some housing bubble baloney. Sure you can lose money. But you lose money by making bad decisions, not by buying property. One of those bad decisions is renting instead of buying, period!
DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHIGN TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO COMMISSIONS ON RENTALS? Get ‘real’ and get ‘credible’.
It’s worse than horsepucky it’s selfish, self-centered mumbo jumbo aimed at justifying why you can’t do something that you CAN do. If you choose not to buy property…that’s OK. But don’t blame your fear of commitment on some housing bubble baloney. Sure you can lose money. But you lose money by making bad decisions, not by buying property. One of those bad decisions is renting instead of buying, period!
DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHIGN TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO COMMISSIONS ON RENTALS? Get ‘real’ and get ‘credible’.
Very good question, anon. I’m sure it wasn’t where I was coming from when I wrote the post. When I worked in L.A., I told people to rent vs. buy all the time. It made sense to rent there for many people, given the huge variance between rental payments and mortgage payments. Also the affordable places there were not safe areas in L.A.
I have a tendency to lean towards wives and children. When a woman is pregnant and wanting a home to raise a family, I get upset when a husband doesn’t want to fix up a house for them. I don’t expect the average man who has a white color job to be a carpenter or roofer. But I do expect a man to be willing to buy a diamond in the rough in a good school district and paint and landscape and try his hand at a few things. I also get upset when people whine that their friends have better houses because their parents give them money. You have to play the hand you are dealt in this world and do the best you can with it.
I think it’s my age, rather than the fact that I am a real estate agent, that causes me to hold a man responsible for his family. Maybe I just don’t understand Generation X and should take that class 🙂
I was a trust and investment banker for 20 years before switching to real estate in 1990 and I’m sure I felt the same way about men who are soon to become fathers, long before I was a real estate agent.
I think it has more to do with the fact that I have three daughters all in their child bearing years, than about commissions. But I can see where you might perceive my motivation as money, since many people’s motivation is money. If the person were my client that I was talking to, that would make more sense though, don’t you think?
That being said, you are right that I do not spend a lot of my time thinking about or working on rental properties. But when I am talking to people generally, I don’t think that influences my thought process, but I also can’t deny that it might have some influence. When I meet single people who rent, I don’t care one way or the other. I only get annoyed when a man making a good living won’t buy a house that is not what HE wants. I think it’s time to grow up when you become a Dad.
ARDELL–You called us whiners. You said, without anything in our posts indicating that this was the case, that we were scared of ugly carpet. And now you suggest that my husband’s not man enough to step up and paint a house for his wife and child. How dare you be so presumptuous and self-righteous? You have no idea, NONE, what our financial situation is. You admit that California is unaffordable, so you clearly believe that there’s a line where property becomes unaffordable, but you’re unwilling to consider that others may place that line differently than you do. Any post that smacks of insult towards you is deleted promptly, but you’re permitted to post a highly personal post towards me and my husband.
I am so perplexed by what the posture of this blog is towards its readership. Galen: how can you permit Ardell to lodge personal attacks against your readers like this?
Ardell: you have revealed yourself to be so deeply unkind and unthoughtful. Do you consider the other expenses that families have? Are you aware of what day care can cost in this town ($1800 a month at a center I talked to recently)? Perhaps your age makes you think that a woman shouldn’t work and that daycare therefore shouldn’t be an issue. You posit that I am a woman who wants a house in which to raise her children and that my husband’s dragging his feet about repairs and keeping me from my dream. Again: how dare you?
T.S.W.
I didn’t see anywhere in Ardell’s post that directly referenced you or your family. This is an opinion that is directed toward a specific group of individuals, not everyone.
I would argue that what she describes is very true with a great deal of people, but of course not with everyone.
My family actually went through this experience and we learned through time and research that we had to reset our expectations in what house we could afford and what we would have to put into it. We actually decided to rent one more year to address debt issues first and Ardell actually provided advice that this was the right choice for our situation.
Don’t take things so personal. It’s obvious you were not the type of person she was talking about.
Jason–read her statement that her post was prompted by “a young couple about to have a baby suggesting that only people who have trust funds and wealthy parents can buy a home for their family.” That’s a direct response to our posts (about having a baby and our friends with family assistance being able to buy houses) to a previous thread. She’s being permitted to directly ridicule us, and it amazes me.
T.S.W.
I have a whole different take on the subject… As long as you remain anonymous, you don’t really “exist” as someone to ridicule…
If you were to step out and actually use a real name and a real email address, I’d have a lot more sympathy for your situation. As is, she’s just commenting on a hypothetical person since you could be anyone.
My personal philosophy: When someone writes an anonymous comment, I reserve the write to delete that comment, and write a VERY similar comment using the same name, but maybe making the exact opposite point. 😉
Unlike you, Ardell has put her reputation behind her comments. That means a lot to me.
T.S.W.
I have a whole different take on the subject… As long as you remain anonymous, you don’t really “exist” as someone to ridicule…
If you were to step out and actually use a real name and a real email address, I’d have a lot more sympathy for your situation. As is, she’s just commenting on a hypothetical person since you could be anyone.
My personal philosophy: When someone writes an anonymous comment, I reserve the write to delete that comment, and write a VERY similar comment using the same name, but maybe making the exact opposite point. 😉
Unlike you, Ardell has put her reputation behind her comments. That means a lot to me.
” She’s being permitted to directly ridicule us, and it amazes me. ”
What authority would stop her? Who would even try?
Controversy=EyeBalls. Who cares? It’s her opinion, she’s entitled to it. Ardell is the Queen of stream-of-conscious real estate writing . I don’t believe this is a public forum, sanctioned by any particular real estate authority. It’s the creation of Dustin and Anna and belongs to them, to guide, edit or censor, as they wish.
” She’s being permitted to directly ridicule us, and it amazes me. ”
What authority would stop her? Who would even try?
Controversy=EyeBalls. Who cares? It’s her opinion, she’s entitled to it. Ardell is the Queen of stream-of-conscious real estate writing . I don’t believe this is a public forum, sanctioned by any particular real estate authority. It’s the creation of Dustin and Anna and belongs to them, to guide, edit or censor, as they wish.
T.S.W.
Seriously, you need to stop taking this so personal. It PROMPTED her to write a post about this. She didn’t call you out personally. I seriously doubt anyone that read this thread or the comments had any idea of who this “couple” is.
You can totally disagree with the point of view. But it’s just downright silly to accuse her of ridiculing you.
I feel it’s prudent to remind folks that word of mouth is generally how buyers choose agents. Additionally, let’s not underestimate the power of blogs to disseminate information rapidly. I’d hate for otherwise rational, personable agents to sully their reputations by posting irresponsibly. Especially by publishing stream of conscious (which is a twenty dollar compound word for “emotionally’) real estate writing to an online forum in tech-savvy Seattle.
Those people who sit on the sidelines and watch today become potential buyers tomorrow. When has real estate been able to pitch customer service out of the window?
I feel it’s prudent to remind folks that word of mouth is generally how buyers choose agents. Additionally, let’s not underestimate the power of blogs to disseminate information rapidly. I’d hate for otherwise rational, personable agents to sully their reputations by posting irresponsibly. Especially by publishing stream of conscious (which is a twenty dollar compound word for “emotionally’) real estate writing to an online forum in tech-savvy Seattle.
Those people who sit on the sidelines and watch today become potential buyers tomorrow. When has real estate been able to pitch customer service out of the window?
Since when does telling people only what they want to hear equate to customer service? My clients value my honesty. If they like a house that is overpriced, I tell lthem it is overpriced. Then it is their choice. I just tell them not to call me if they need to sell it quickly and think I can get their money back for them.
I try to help people make right choices and often use the criteria that if they were transferred within 6 months to a year, I could confidently come back and sell that same house without my client taking a loss. That is a difficult criteria, and getting harder. Sometimes I have clients who want something that is being sold at a premium. They understand when they buy it that they may not be able to “get out whole” when they leave. That’s OK too, as long as they know that going in.
Once in a while someone wants to get into a bidding war and they want me to promise them that the market will go up and they have nothing to lose. There are hundreds and hundreds of agents out there who will say what people want to hear regardless of the truth. I’m just not one of them. If that’s bad “marketing”, so be it.
No one has a crystal ball, but I’m pretty darned good at picking out values. I’d rather help people make right choices than worry about sugar coating my advices.
Folks, I’m staying out of this one. I haven’t even read through all the comments. I’m not the editor of Rain City Guide and if I were, I’m not sure how I would treat this post – Ardell was asked to write for Rain City Guide and some of her posts are very valuable, while others do nothing for me. Sometimes she writes inflamatory posts (and so do I). The simultaneously great and not-so-great thing about blogs is that they are unfiltered.
I don’t think we’re furthering understanding of the real estate industry through this discussion and I am guessing we all understand how blog posts can spiral out of control. Lets drop it and move on.
Ardell is just about the most prolific voice on RCG. The credibility of the site rises and falls with the quality of the posts. Here’s another ridiculous post that happens to also draw one of her clients into the conversation. Blogging as marketing indeed.
I sympathize with the first couple of comments though I continue to subscribe for the goods from the attys and real estate techs. The Russ, Galen, Robbie, Dustin stuff is top notch.
RCG should consider adding feeds for individual contributors.
Joe,
While I enjoy following all the conversations on RCG, it is possible to get a feed of just one topic or author. All you have to do is add the phrase “feed/” after any given page.
For example, here is a feed of my posts:
http://www.raincityguide.com/author/dustin/feed/
and here is a feed of only articles tagged “real estate search“:
http://www.raincityguide.com/tag/real-estate-search/feed/
I’d love to highlight the ability to get these specific feeds, but I’m afraid I’d be talking to 1% of 1% of RCG readers…
Joe,
While I enjoy following all the conversations on RCG, it is possible to get a feed of just one topic or author. All you have to do is add the phrase “feed/” after any given page.
For example, here is a feed of my posts:
http://www.raincityguide.com/author/dustin/feed/
and here is a feed of only articles tagged “real estate search“:
http://www.raincityguide.com/tag/real-estate-search/feed/
I’d love to highlight the ability to get these specific feeds, but I’m afraid I’d be talking to 1% of 1% of RCG readers…
I appreesh;)
Jeeze, this is just one woman’s opinion of the local real estate market. If you took a room full of experts and asked their opinions, they’d all vary. I see no reason to burn Ardell at the stake simply because some of you see things differently. If you disagree, give your reasons why and we’ll all be the wiser for having read two points of view instead of one. Just my 2 cents.
Calvin,
I don’t know if you just now read the post, but you should be aware that the entire post was rewritten. The original was much more inflammatory, self-aggrandizing, and frankly outright insulting. All of the comments up through about number 20 are responding to the original post and many of them don’t make much sense in the context of the new post.
Calvin,
I don’t know if you just now read the post, but you should be aware that the entire post was rewritten. The original was much more inflammatory, self-aggrandizing, and frankly outright insulting. All of the comments up through about number 20 are responding to the original post and many of them don’t make much sense in the context of the new post.