Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Street or Katz or YOU: Who has the best plan for housing in Philadelphia?
Today's 2 posts raise questions about making cities better places to live, and offers insight about how consumers are using Smarter Agent to look for housing in Philadelphia and other urban areas. We also offer our technology as a tool to help private sector and goverment entities market urban property.
See the posts below....and if let us know if you have a plan.
See the posts below....and if let us know if you have a plan.
Isn't Law & Order a Good Planning Tool?
All urban politicians read this:
In the national best selling book "THE TIPPING POINT - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference", author Malcolm Gladwell tells of the BROKEN WINDOW theory, developed by criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. As summed by Gladwell, the criminologists argue: "Crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes. In a city, relatively minor problems like graffiti, public disorder, and aggressive panhandling are the equivalent of broken windows, invitations to more serious crimes."
I think this is absolutely true. Do you?
In the national best selling book "THE TIPPING POINT - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference", author Malcolm Gladwell tells of the BROKEN WINDOW theory, developed by criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. As summed by Gladwell, the criminologists argue: "Crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes. In a city, relatively minor problems like graffiti, public disorder, and aggressive panhandling are the equivalent of broken windows, invitations to more serious crimes."
I think this is absolutely true. Do you?
Philly and urban places to live for under $100,000
We get many requests for help finding homes in Philadelphia.
And other urban areas.
That's right.
People want to live in our cities.
We get at least an email and a call a day at Smarter Agent from the under 100k buyer looking in a city. For example, over 100 people each day use our website to search for homes and real estate in Philadelphia.
Some are first-time buyers. Some are investors. Some have families and others are newlyweds. They are a rainbow of nationalities - all shopping for the American dream. Many are willing to fix up homes to get a good deal. And most want to stay in the City.
But here's the problem.
Very few people and real estate professionals are helping these under 100k buyers find homes.
Here is what we have learned - most Realtors in the inner cities are not as tech savvy as their customers. Here's a shout out: If you are one such Realtor who focuses on an area of Philly or another area considered "urban and affordable" - fill out our Realty Exchange Application found at the bottom of our homepage on our website. We have leads for you -- if you can pass our criteria for customer service and have a great track record.
We only accept top agents because at Smarter Agent it does not matter if a person is looking for a $1,850,000.00 or $85,000.00 home. Once this person is our client they get our full attention and support - and the comfort that we bring our considerable influence and knowledge to the table for all of our clients.
Here's a question to our influential BLOG readers:
Is there any funding support so Smarter Agent can coordinate the education of consumers and Realtors in inner cities - Philadelphia in particular. We want to reach out to buyers interested in the inner city. We would like to translate our site into several languages and are already moving to a Spanish version. We know what homebuyers want and need, and we know what makes the real estate industry tick. I am open to suggestions and willing to help.
We would also like to get direct feeds of all homes for sale in our cities which are held by any agency (sheriff, redevelopment, hud) which we can post on Smarter Agent to make them more accessible to the public. Our traffic is doubling every few weeks so thousands of buyers would see these urban properties.
Finally, while we are on an Urban Blog rant, -- the cities need to do a better job of fining slumlord owners not meeting codes so they walk away from properties they have no intention of improving. And these properties need to be marketed. Heck giving property away to urban homesteaders - much like we did to settlers who agreed to live and grow in the Wild West in the late 19th century in this country - might not be a bad idea. See tomorrow's post of why Law and Order politicians may actually be a good Ying to a great urban planners Yang. I wonder what Ed Bacon would say....
And other urban areas.
That's right.
People want to live in our cities.
We get at least an email and a call a day at Smarter Agent from the under 100k buyer looking in a city. For example, over 100 people each day use our website to search for homes and real estate in Philadelphia.
Some are first-time buyers. Some are investors. Some have families and others are newlyweds. They are a rainbow of nationalities - all shopping for the American dream. Many are willing to fix up homes to get a good deal. And most want to stay in the City.
But here's the problem.
Very few people and real estate professionals are helping these under 100k buyers find homes.
Here is what we have learned - most Realtors in the inner cities are not as tech savvy as their customers. Here's a shout out: If you are one such Realtor who focuses on an area of Philly or another area considered "urban and affordable" - fill out our Realty Exchange Application found at the bottom of our homepage on our website. We have leads for you -- if you can pass our criteria for customer service and have a great track record.
We only accept top agents because at Smarter Agent it does not matter if a person is looking for a $1,850,000.00 or $85,000.00 home. Once this person is our client they get our full attention and support - and the comfort that we bring our considerable influence and knowledge to the table for all of our clients.
Here's a question to our influential BLOG readers:
Is there any funding support so Smarter Agent can coordinate the education of consumers and Realtors in inner cities - Philadelphia in particular. We want to reach out to buyers interested in the inner city. We would like to translate our site into several languages and are already moving to a Spanish version. We know what homebuyers want and need, and we know what makes the real estate industry tick. I am open to suggestions and willing to help.
We would also like to get direct feeds of all homes for sale in our cities which are held by any agency (sheriff, redevelopment, hud) which we can post on Smarter Agent to make them more accessible to the public. Our traffic is doubling every few weeks so thousands of buyers would see these urban properties.
Finally, while we are on an Urban Blog rant, -- the cities need to do a better job of fining slumlord owners not meeting codes so they walk away from properties they have no intention of improving. And these properties need to be marketed. Heck giving property away to urban homesteaders - much like we did to settlers who agreed to live and grow in the Wild West in the late 19th century in this country - might not be a bad idea. See tomorrow's post of why Law and Order politicians may actually be a good Ying to a great urban planners Yang. I wonder what Ed Bacon would say....
Monday, October 27, 2003
Mayor Platt of Voorhees NJ is tech savvy
After contacting both the republican and democratic committees in the town of Voorhees and the County of Camden (NJ), Mayor Platt of Voorhees was the only politician to respond to our October 23 BLOG. He didn't want to comment on line - but hey - why go on the record when you can give it the personal touch.
So hat's off to Mayor Platt - a savvy mayor (a la' Presidential Candidate Dean?) who is beginning to interact with new media. We actually have a few Voorhees residents on staff - and the person who handled your call said you were very pleasant. Just so you know, we are not against you as a Mayor, but against spot planning on Route 73.
We appreciate your comments that the site was zoned commercial making it a by rights project - and that perhaps we don't understand zoning or have all the facts. Ha ha, that's a good one.
But alas, we do understand zoning. I think if your zoning board did not grant variances to the developer, it would have been a greatly different project. If you did not want this project, it would have had a changed look, not a typical big box center with zero sense of place. You da Mayor.
As far as the facts...the fact that a 120,000 square foot BJ's is being slapped down in an area that needs quality development, not 7+ acres of parking with a few shrubs to break up the sea of blacktop and runnoff- are all the facts I can handle at the moment.
Here is one fact I don't get, too. Perhaps, one of our 50,000 site users lives in Voorhees and can answer this -- how can the developer tap into a pump station in a community that does not want the development in the first place, and force an easement through association owned ground. What kind of town doesn't slap that down. Why not at least make them run the utility line to along the State Road Route 73 causing them to spend a few more bucks and do a public good in my opinion by bringing utilities to that part of Route 73.
In this instance, the Sturbridge Lake's community is going to the expense of trying to get a court ordered injunction to stop the developer from taping into the pump station in it's Sturbridge lakes community. I have to applaud that community association, standing up to a city and a better funded developer.
Most of the homeowners in that area, did not want the project in the first place. Mayor Platt, don't you think you misread how happy they are to have a BJ's at their doorstep? Saying your hands were tied, due to zoning, really isn't a leadership position.
But again, we disagree with your position - but are glad you are willing to be engaged. So thanks for calling in. We'll even get you some votes if ever hear you promise to try to do a little better planning in the future, and if you can at least admit this was not your best work. I guarantee you will find not 1 expert land planner, who is well regarded by their peers, who would say putting a big box BJs in a potentially high end commercial and environmentally sensitive corridor is good planning. None. No one. It's bad planning.
So hat's off to Mayor Platt - a savvy mayor (a la' Presidential Candidate Dean?) who is beginning to interact with new media. We actually have a few Voorhees residents on staff - and the person who handled your call said you were very pleasant. Just so you know, we are not against you as a Mayor, but against spot planning on Route 73.
We appreciate your comments that the site was zoned commercial making it a by rights project - and that perhaps we don't understand zoning or have all the facts. Ha ha, that's a good one.
But alas, we do understand zoning. I think if your zoning board did not grant variances to the developer, it would have been a greatly different project. If you did not want this project, it would have had a changed look, not a typical big box center with zero sense of place. You da Mayor.
As far as the facts...the fact that a 120,000 square foot BJ's is being slapped down in an area that needs quality development, not 7+ acres of parking with a few shrubs to break up the sea of blacktop and runnoff- are all the facts I can handle at the moment.
Here is one fact I don't get, too. Perhaps, one of our 50,000 site users lives in Voorhees and can answer this -- how can the developer tap into a pump station in a community that does not want the development in the first place, and force an easement through association owned ground. What kind of town doesn't slap that down. Why not at least make them run the utility line to along the State Road Route 73 causing them to spend a few more bucks and do a public good in my opinion by bringing utilities to that part of Route 73.
In this instance, the Sturbridge Lake's community is going to the expense of trying to get a court ordered injunction to stop the developer from taping into the pump station in it's Sturbridge lakes community. I have to applaud that community association, standing up to a city and a better funded developer.
Most of the homeowners in that area, did not want the project in the first place. Mayor Platt, don't you think you misread how happy they are to have a BJ's at their doorstep? Saying your hands were tied, due to zoning, really isn't a leadership position.
But again, we disagree with your position - but are glad you are willing to be engaged. So thanks for calling in. We'll even get you some votes if ever hear you promise to try to do a little better planning in the future, and if you can at least admit this was not your best work. I guarantee you will find not 1 expert land planner, who is well regarded by their peers, who would say putting a big box BJs in a potentially high end commercial and environmentally sensitive corridor is good planning. None. No one. It's bad planning.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Voorhees gives big BJ's to Developer
As a resident of Voorhees NJ, I was disappointed at the bonehead move city officials made.
It allowed a big box BJ's wholesale club, with a sea of parking, to be the towns landmark first attempt at development of the Route 73 corridor.
Voorhees was the last unspoiled spot of the strip mall line that stretches from the Ben Franklin Bridge all the way down Route 70 and which continues to spill down Route 73.
Evesham Township which sits north of Voorhees on Route 73 has done a nice job managing growth and approving quality ratables and decent design. Voorhees on the other hand has used delaying sewer extension along Route 73 as its answer to mange growth, rather than creating a stringent planning code. The BJ's project is a true spot planning boondoggle.
This shows a town without a vision on how it wants to develop.
I am all for quality growth, as the town needs development and ratables. Why...well a $350,000 new home buyer - can enjoy about $15,000 a year in taxes in Voorhees! If you don't have kids you are not going to stay in Voorhees very long.
Anything other than well planned development will turn Voorhees into another suburban sprawl mess - as any drive down Route 70 - in bumper to bumper traffic with ugly strip malls will attest. Hopefully the city will get its act together.
Overall, Voorhees will continue to benefit by the mere fact it is less developed and has newer and more modern home product compared to Camden, Pennsauken and Cherry Hill, but it will lag behind Haddonfield's home pricing power (can you imagine a BJ's in Haddonfield?). Haddonfield protects its home values and quality of life, - heck they even fought the Bancroft NeuroHealth center that wanted to expand.
In Voorhees, homes behind the BJ's, in the Sturbridge Lakes area, will not appreciate as fast as homes which are not impacted by the BJ's parking lots lights and noise. Heck, if rates rise they could even drop in value. But I guess that's a small price to pay so the rest of us can stock up with a 48 pack of toilet paper, right!?
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR VOORHEES BOOSTERISM AND RANTS HERE!
It allowed a big box BJ's wholesale club, with a sea of parking, to be the towns landmark first attempt at development of the Route 73 corridor.
Voorhees was the last unspoiled spot of the strip mall line that stretches from the Ben Franklin Bridge all the way down Route 70 and which continues to spill down Route 73.
Evesham Township which sits north of Voorhees on Route 73 has done a nice job managing growth and approving quality ratables and decent design. Voorhees on the other hand has used delaying sewer extension along Route 73 as its answer to mange growth, rather than creating a stringent planning code. The BJ's project is a true spot planning boondoggle.
This shows a town without a vision on how it wants to develop.
I am all for quality growth, as the town needs development and ratables. Why...well a $350,000 new home buyer - can enjoy about $15,000 a year in taxes in Voorhees! If you don't have kids you are not going to stay in Voorhees very long.
Anything other than well planned development will turn Voorhees into another suburban sprawl mess - as any drive down Route 70 - in bumper to bumper traffic with ugly strip malls will attest. Hopefully the city will get its act together.
Overall, Voorhees will continue to benefit by the mere fact it is less developed and has newer and more modern home product compared to Camden, Pennsauken and Cherry Hill, but it will lag behind Haddonfield's home pricing power (can you imagine a BJ's in Haddonfield?). Haddonfield protects its home values and quality of life, - heck they even fought the Bancroft NeuroHealth center that wanted to expand.
In Voorhees, homes behind the BJ's, in the Sturbridge Lakes area, will not appreciate as fast as homes which are not impacted by the BJ's parking lots lights and noise. Heck, if rates rise they could even drop in value. But I guess that's a small price to pay so the rest of us can stock up with a 48 pack of toilet paper, right!?
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR VOORHEES BOOSTERISM AND RANTS HERE!
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
The 7 Most Popular Places Searched on smarteragent.com
Philly Region
Here are the 7 real estate hot spots in terms of where people search when on the smarteragent website.
Philadelphia
Wilmington, DE area
Cape May
Wildwood
Ocean City
Chester County
Bucks County
Its seems even into autumn, people have the shore on their minds.
Here are the 7 real estate hot spots in terms of where people search when on the smarteragent website.
Philadelphia
Wilmington, DE area
Cape May
Wildwood
Ocean City
Chester County
Bucks County
Its seems even into autumn, people have the shore on their minds.
Monday, October 20, 2003
Beautiful Berks County - ExUrbia and Affordable Living
I love southeastern Berks County.
3 years ago I bought a 20 acre site for a high quality shopping center at the Green Hills exit of the Expressway which connects the PA Turnpike (Morgantown Exit) with the City of Reading. Brandywine Realty Trust owns 2 office buildings directly across from our property, and Orleans Home Builders just picked up an option to purchase the 300 or so hundred acres owned by Tom Kimmel - which is approved for 800 homes - just across the street.
Green Hills, with its rolling hills is just a beautiful spot. I am confident we will make a substantial return on our investment as that area matures, and that the area will maintain its countryside feel even as development heats up. Everyone in Green Hills is committed to maintaining a high quality, environmentally sound plan -whatever is built.
I recently had lunch with Mike Chaknos and his office manager. Mike is the owner of the busiest C21 office in Pennsylvania, and is our charter Realty Exchange member for the Berks County area. Mike represented me in our purchase of our shopping center property, and when you schedule an appointment to see property in Berks county you are automatically routed to Mike and his expert team who give our clients the red carpet treatment.
This is important, because one of the things we talked about is the influx of Chester County buyers who are looking in Berks County as it remains affordable, and because it is just an exit west on the PA Turnpike from the Route 100/Exton.
Mike noted the constant overpaying he sees as less experienced agents drag their customers from Chester County over to Berks. These agents and their buyers put in Chester County sized offers on property that could have been had for less. Always start your homebuying process by scheduling through Smarter Agent to ensure you are routed to the best agent in whatever town you are looking. Plus you get a rebate from Smarter Agent as we have pre-negotiated agreements which let you benefit from our relationships with our Realty Exchange Agents!
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT BUYING A HOME OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN BERKS COUNTY - ASK IT HERE
3 years ago I bought a 20 acre site for a high quality shopping center at the Green Hills exit of the Expressway which connects the PA Turnpike (Morgantown Exit) with the City of Reading. Brandywine Realty Trust owns 2 office buildings directly across from our property, and Orleans Home Builders just picked up an option to purchase the 300 or so hundred acres owned by Tom Kimmel - which is approved for 800 homes - just across the street.
Green Hills, with its rolling hills is just a beautiful spot. I am confident we will make a substantial return on our investment as that area matures, and that the area will maintain its countryside feel even as development heats up. Everyone in Green Hills is committed to maintaining a high quality, environmentally sound plan -whatever is built.
I recently had lunch with Mike Chaknos and his office manager. Mike is the owner of the busiest C21 office in Pennsylvania, and is our charter Realty Exchange member for the Berks County area. Mike represented me in our purchase of our shopping center property, and when you schedule an appointment to see property in Berks county you are automatically routed to Mike and his expert team who give our clients the red carpet treatment.
This is important, because one of the things we talked about is the influx of Chester County buyers who are looking in Berks County as it remains affordable, and because it is just an exit west on the PA Turnpike from the Route 100/Exton.
Mike noted the constant overpaying he sees as less experienced agents drag their customers from Chester County over to Berks. These agents and their buyers put in Chester County sized offers on property that could have been had for less. Always start your homebuying process by scheduling through Smarter Agent to ensure you are routed to the best agent in whatever town you are looking. Plus you get a rebate from Smarter Agent as we have pre-negotiated agreements which let you benefit from our relationships with our Realty Exchange Agents!
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT BUYING A HOME OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN BERKS COUNTY - ASK IT HERE
Saturday, October 18, 2003
About Our Realty Exchange Network
We are often asked how we make money.
Selling real estate is the simple answer.
But what makes Smarter Agent special is that we create real estate tools and services - for you- no one else has.
One service that is very important is our Realty Exchange. It's the least technical of our tools, but one that is based on our years of experience as buyers and sellers (and as Realtors - 20 years for me!).
When you search for real estate on our website, you have the option of using our RAPID RESPONSE scheduling feature. This means that you can call 800-727-1787 and request to see a particular property or request to see several properties in a particular area. We instantly route and schedule your request with the best Realtor in that particular area. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CALL US! Use our automatic scheduler right on the website!
How do we know who is the best Realtor in each town - in the 100's of towns we cover? Well, we have access to all the sales in every city and town. We research who had the most listings, the most sales, and who's client's swear by them. We recruit these all-star Realtors into our REALTY EXCHANGE - only for the town where they are the leader! It does not matter which firm these agents work for -- all that matters is that they are the BEST!
One way we have found you can test your agent, is something we saw our mom do - who was a top Realtor. She could walk down any street and say, "That one sold for $400,000.00 last year, or "I sold that house twice" - basically she knew her town cold and you could be assured you were getting sound advice.
As a Smarter Agent client, you get that same comfort (we took our mom's advice when we bought and sold real estate and she made us a couple hundred thousand on more than one occasion!).
Now you can use Smarter Agent as your own personal real estate Mom! Although, we thought it sounded much cooler to refer to our Realty Center as our COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER - not the "call your momma for advice center". But as they say, you can call it whatever you want - just call!
Here's how it works: You can call, or email or schedule to see properties through Smarter Agent at anytime. We will ensure you get a top agent where ever you are. And that's one way we make money, our Realty Exchange Agent pays us a fee from the commission paid by the Seller's Agent for letting them - help us - help you.
You benefit by getting the best service. Our Realty Exchange Agent gets a customer (you) they would have not met otherwise. And we make money doing what we do best - helping people - more efficiently and with less hassle -- find real estate and the home of their dreams.
So know you know- that's one way we make money. Thank you for supporting us --
Selling real estate is the simple answer.
But what makes Smarter Agent special is that we create real estate tools and services - for you- no one else has.
One service that is very important is our Realty Exchange. It's the least technical of our tools, but one that is based on our years of experience as buyers and sellers (and as Realtors - 20 years for me!).
When you search for real estate on our website, you have the option of using our RAPID RESPONSE scheduling feature. This means that you can call 800-727-1787 and request to see a particular property or request to see several properties in a particular area. We instantly route and schedule your request with the best Realtor in that particular area. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CALL US! Use our automatic scheduler right on the website!
How do we know who is the best Realtor in each town - in the 100's of towns we cover? Well, we have access to all the sales in every city and town. We research who had the most listings, the most sales, and who's client's swear by them. We recruit these all-star Realtors into our REALTY EXCHANGE - only for the town where they are the leader! It does not matter which firm these agents work for -- all that matters is that they are the BEST!
One way we have found you can test your agent, is something we saw our mom do - who was a top Realtor. She could walk down any street and say, "That one sold for $400,000.00 last year, or "I sold that house twice" - basically she knew her town cold and you could be assured you were getting sound advice.
As a Smarter Agent client, you get that same comfort (we took our mom's advice when we bought and sold real estate and she made us a couple hundred thousand on more than one occasion!).
Now you can use Smarter Agent as your own personal real estate Mom! Although, we thought it sounded much cooler to refer to our Realty Center as our COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER - not the "call your momma for advice center". But as they say, you can call it whatever you want - just call!
Here's how it works: You can call, or email or schedule to see properties through Smarter Agent at anytime. We will ensure you get a top agent where ever you are. And that's one way we make money, our Realty Exchange Agent pays us a fee from the commission paid by the Seller's Agent for letting them - help us - help you.
You benefit by getting the best service. Our Realty Exchange Agent gets a customer (you) they would have not met otherwise. And we make money doing what we do best - helping people - more efficiently and with less hassle -- find real estate and the home of their dreams.
So know you know- that's one way we make money. Thank you for supporting us --
Friday, October 17, 2003
Welcome to the Smarter Agent Blog!
Welcome to the BLOG at Smarter Agent.
I am Brad Blumberg, CEO.
Smarter Agent has exploded onto the scene.
In just our second month since launching our website, we now get over 20,000 hits a week.
We have some real power users out there, so it seems appropriate to create a Smarter Agent community where our clients, partners and friends can have a blog spot to see what's new and what's hot at Smarter Agent -- and learn about all the new towns and cities where we are actively helping people buy and sell homes.
We will start out to inform you, and hopefully start a community where we can learn from each other, and provide good real estate insight both for novice first time buyers - as well as sophisticated real estate pros.
In this blog you will:
Learn about Trends.
We will use this spot to keep you informed about hot real estate trends - and cool places to look for real estate.
Get Tips
And we will report on our conversations with top real estate pro's. And give you the scoop on how to make good real estate decisions.
Learn about New Technology.
We will keep you informed about how to use our Smarter Agent technology - and let you know when new improvements have been implemented.
Get Answers.
Every so often we will target a city and find out about what's hot and what's not. Look for some rants on Voorhees, NJ; Berks County, Pa; Camden, NJ; Philadelphia, PA and the Jersey Shore in the coming weeks.
Praise smart cookies and uncover the boneheads.
Politicians, real estate developers, and government agencies all impact real estate value and quality of life issues from setting taxes, to designing our cities, to creating and enforcing planning rules and codes. We will support the good guys -- and bust on the dumb moves that impact your property.
