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Oak Island, NC Real Estate News

By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
 The Big DAY  all most here and I am so looking forward to being with 20 or more of my family. It is always such a treat to see them all.  It is a time for rememembering the good times and looking back over our past. This year, we will have the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings and maybe a few extra things also. After we dine, we all go out to the back deck overlooking the creek, and take a Family photo. We have been doing this since 1994, and it is shocking to see how some of us and changed....and to remember those that have gone on. This is a special...day to us all...we we do Give THANKS for all that the Good Lord has Provided..     With warm regards,   Ginger Harper http://www.GingerHarper.com gingerharper@seacoastrealty.com  
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Great Day with the Grandchildren today. They spent the night last night and after roasting Marshmallow and Hot dogs ....bath time came.  I took a bit of time to get them out of the tub but they came out squeaky clean. Next was the time that we built the Sleeping pallet.  What fun...Every pillow and blanket was pulled into our bedroom the makes the sleeping bed.  Marissa, the 4 year, wanted to be able to touch my hand as she was falling asleep.  WE all slept fairly well.  This morning after breakfast, we had to do Make Up and Hair.  Joshua placed computer games on the computer.  The next thing that they wanted to do was to play Restaurant.   That is when they push a cart around that has slicked apples, grapes, bananas, crackers and juice on the cart.  They come and take our orders and th...
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Many times we start out in our real estate careers and have not idea what we are doing.  WE have had a class...we have an office that accepts us as an agent.  We buy a computer, cell phone, ipad and other items that we feel are necessary to be successful as a REaltor. Yet, we do not have a clue...when we are new to the business.  If you have an idea what kind of money you want to make as a Realtor, Check out the link below to see what you will need to do in order to have the income that you desire..  CLICK ON THIS LINK  New Report page  . I have a friend that shared this with me. I think you will find it interesting. To measure your job compensation to the closest match in the database, just click on the link. You will be asked to give your job title and location. Try it. I was amazed.....
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
  God Bless America.. This song has been running through my mind for days now.  If you do not know all of the words...just read them. They will make you feel good.   "While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free, Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.   Please get out and vote and encourage other to Vote also.   I am an AMERICAN and PROUD of IT!
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
I do not know how many of you are in the path of Hurricane Sandy , but we are right on the jutted out part of North Carolina.  I pray for all of those that will be affected with this unprecedented  storm. It is wide spread and will do a lot of damage. I do pray for God's Mercy on us all.   Ginger of Southport North Carolina
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
This is a question that we ask, have been asked and still want to know the answer to. WE have been dealing with this for a couple of years now...(thinking of 2005 and the Boom that happened here on our Island) WE had folks buying up lots on Oak Island for $225,000 and now their worth is only about $35,000.  I am finding it difficult to tell a buyer that they can only get $35,000 for a lot that they paid $225,000. And still we do not know if the market has hit the bottom here. I tell these sellers of these expensive lots that if they price it right...it will sell. There is a price for which every property will sell...If it is priced right. In some instances, I think that it is almost better for them to give it back to the bank...but that is one of the reasons that we are in the position ...
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Is it really worth doing BPO's today?   I have tried to figure this out and this is want I have come up with.  I need around $100 per BPO in order to break even.  I pay my Administrative Assistant $12. per hour for the work that she does.  Some of the BPO's are in the lower end of the County.  That is a round trip of about 2 hours.  Doing the research to meet the criteria of the BPO will take an hour and then an hour to  put the work together.  I am beginning to believe that it is not a break even situation right now.    Tell me what you think and how do you handle this.  I have thought in the past that I may get the listing on the property that I did the work on .  But that doesn't seem to happen.    Seems like some agents get all of that business and I want to learn how to break into ...
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Today was our annual Harper Reunion in Duncan, North Carolina.   It was such a fun day getting together with cousins and friends and roasting a whole pig. Before we ate was rib pulling time.  That is the best part of the pig pickin'... Good food was enjoyed by all. Roasted Pig Cole Slaw Potato Salad Corn pudding Baked beans Hushpuppies broccoli salad fruit salad Sweet Tea       and for dessert.. Baklava Pumpkin Bread Cinnamon  Rolls Chocolate Cake Cherry Pie...   A feast fit for a King..  
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
To all  of my Active Rain friends... I have been trying so hard for the past 3 months to get some answers regarding leads and how to get them. It is hard to know where to spend your money and do the right thing. Home.com is one of the places that I am trying to get set up with to receive leads on my listings. I am also trying to do this with:  Realtor.com Listhub.com trulia.com zillow.com coldwellbanker.com to name a few.   Would love it if you could offer any suggestions.   Ginger of Southport  
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
  Well. I certainly do.  Have a property that has been under contract since May as a short sale for $275,000.  WE have been working with the seller and the attorney to bring this to closing...(Had hoped on Monday of next week).  Found out yesterday that my seller has this tide up with another lender...not as a second..but as colleteral for other properties that he has bought  and the attorney is not sure that she can get it released or not. So we sit and wait.  Miracles...that is what I am praying for...it seem out of my hands..   Any Suggestions?   Ginger of Southport     Ginger Harper http://www.GingerHarper.com gingerharper@seacoastrealty.com
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Are YOU the Blogging King/Queen? Re-blogged by 0 agents   One of my agents just told me that she was blogging with a friend and one of her friends...friends....saw her site and asked if she was in real estate. Of course, my agent told her that she was. They got together and my agent sold them a house. Wow! Don't we all wish that it was that easy! One never knows who is reading what we write. Suppose we must make our information as informative as possible. Hope you have a great day and keep on blogging. Ginger of Southport   With warm regards,   Ginger Harper http://www.GingerHarper.com gingerharper@seacoastrealty.com  
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
I have a friend that has done some Website work for another Realtor. The reworked the site and added information on other communities. Did the writing and doctored the pictures. She spend right much time on this and after it was completed, submitted a bill for the work that was done. The Realtor, looked it over and said it was good. That he liked it. My friend submitted a bill for $75. for her work, which is totally reasonable. The other agent, changed his password to get into the website and them offered her $30 for her work. She said no, we agreed on a pay schedule and that he was to remove the work that she had done or pay her the rest of the monies that he owe her. I do not know how to advise her. What can you do when you have been ripped off like this.   Any suggestions?   Ginger o...
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
50 States in Rhyme song to slides - YouTube Fun thing to do when learning the 50 States If you have a child or grandchild that is learning the 50 States of the United States of America, this is a fun way for them t o learn them. Check it out yourselves and see how you do. When looking at a map and trying to place them on a map, I usually have a hard time with one or two of them. Check out Sprocle also and see if you can name them all.   Have fun, Ginger of Southport
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Is Business picking up for you? I am in the coastal part of North Carolina, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River join. It has been slow here for the past 4 years but I am beginning to see some increased activity. Everyone says that we have reached the bottom...I am not so sure, but I do know that prices are much more affordable. I almost feel that we are back to pre 2005 prices. Does anyone else get that feeling?   Share your thoughts please,
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Hello to all of you wonderful folks out there..   We in Brunswick County, North Carolina are having a hard time feeding our needed.  We have food banks opened up to feel those in the County that are hungry.  I have gone to our church and we are asking for our congregation to help us fill up the shelves with food.  Today my daughter and I picked up the food that our Coldwell Banker Sea Coast office has collected, went and bought more to go with that...and then took it the food bank. I do hope that the folks that need it...will be fed tonight..   How do you deal with hunger in your county..   Thanks, Ginger of Southport  
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
I have been  doing Active Rain for a while now and I still  do not have any "Linking Points".  Can any of my Active Rain friends let me know what to do to get this started. I also  have a question about how may Blogs you can do in a week?  I think 10 a week Also...how many comments can you do in a day?  I think also 10 a day And....How many Re-Blogs can you do and in what period of time?  ?????????????????   I do not know where the Rules and Regulations are for the Active Rain Site.  If you should know, please let me know.   Take care,   Ginger of Southport
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
WE work so hard to get to this point. It makes all the difference in the world if you are working with good buyers and good sellers.. I was working with both. YOu meet your sellers for a short time...and build a relationship and then you close and you feel a sense of loss. I am not going to loose these folks....they are keeper...   Do as Buffini says....let them send you referrals...   Have a great day, Ginger Harper
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
Any time you call an 800#         Now  that I know it is The LAW - I will do it for sure! Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, charter communications, health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc) and you find that you're talking to a foreign customer service representative (perhaps in India, Philippines, etc), please consider doing the following: After you connect and you realize that the customer service representative is not from the USA, (you can always ask if you are not sure about the accent), please, very politely (this is not about trashing other cultures) say, "I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the United States of America ." The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, but, again, politely say, "Thank you, but I'd lik...
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." ************************************************************************* I hate to admit this,  but the first time I tried to say this tonight...I did not pledge it correctly.  I think I left out indivsible...   I think that it is important that we re learn this pledge  and teach our children and grand children..   Ginger of Southport
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By Ginger Harper, Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!
(Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team)
  Are you seeing more realtors dying as a result of our econmic situation? A dear friend of our was found dead on his sofa this morning by his dear wife, and we are all in shock. Making a living is what we have to do...but not to the detriment of our lives. Remember to do something good for someone today. Stop and smell the roses! Peace and good health. Ginger Harper of Southport NC  
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