First Concert on Tour-Cleveland Orchestra

We started our tour today in Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center. The program was an early Mozart symphony, a piece by minimalist composer John Adams, called "A Guide to Strange Places" ( It should have been called a "Guide to a Strange Piece!) Anyway, the audience loved it. The concert ended with Tchaikovsky's famous Symphony #6, the "Pathetique) Kennedy Center's acoustics are not the greatest but it was a good concert and the audience was pleased. Tomorrow we head to the holy grail of concert halls, Carnegie Hall in New York, where we have 3 concerts. I'll report on that in a few days. Ohio senator Sherrod Brown arranged a tour for orchestra members of the Capitol Building, which was really interesting. We saw the senate in session, where a bill extending the "No call list" legislation was presented, which of course is of interest to realtors. The rotunda was particularly impressive, where JFK lay in state so long ago. I would highly recommend visiting it. Have a good day tommorow!

Turning over listings for music!

So next week I'm leaving to go on a concert tour with the Cleveland Orchestra, with whom I've played since 1978. I'll be gone for 3 weeks and although I'll have my laptop with me and therefore email, I won't have international cell phone service so I feel like I'll be really out of touch. Why am telling you this? Only this week did the seller of my first listing decide that maybe painting and new carpet is what's needed to sell the house. (It's been on the market since March and the home is tired and needs work) So....I'm going crazy trying to get that arranged before I leave and preparing all my files to turn over to another agent before I leave. Sound familiar? Any sympathy would help but I'm sure I won't get it! In case you are interested in following the Cleveland Orchestra European Tour online, click on www.clevelandorchestra.com, or go my website, www.realtyone.com/scott.haigh
I hope things go well for you this week...

Life as a semi-rookie agent

Well, I started my real estate career one year ago and it's been a heck of a year to start a career in real estate, or so my friends say. I have a positive take on the whole real estate situation. I think this is the best environment to learn our craft right. When it's tough you learn more. I've seen around 125 properties this year and it's such a pleasure to see so many home staged well. I think it's been great for the condition of the housing stock on Cleveland's east side. Of course for sellers prices today are a hard pill to swallow compared to what they were 2 years ago. The flip side of that is that seller's moving on to bigger houses are enjoyind reduced prices, so for them it's a wash. This whole drastic reduction in home prices reminds us of one basic truth-- A house or condo is primarily A PLACE TO MAKE YOUR HOME, and secondarily an investment. Like stocks, the prices of homes go up and down, and they will go back up when the market corrects.

During all this turmoil I've learned a great deal and I've had the great fortune of having very supportive and helpful colleagues at Realty One. The Shaker office is great. I've had a ball learning about properties, people, law, finance, neighborhoods, blogging, and everything else that goes into being a real estate agent. The people are what I enjoy most! Aside from a few uptight rude agents, most of them are very collegial and I'M HAVING FUN!

I hope you weekend was great and stay tuned for more......

Scott

Identity Theft

You may have seen ads on TV where this guy advertises his social security number on a truck for everyone to see. I checked his product out and it looks pretty good! This is cheap insurance against a potential disaster in your economic life! For more information see:

http://www.lifelock.com

Cleveland Heights History

Here's a very interesting short history of Cleveland Heights, courtesy of Cleveland Heights' official website...

http://www.clevelandheights.com/historyarch.asp

RATE CUT AT LAST!!

Today's decision by the Fed to cut the federal funds rate by 50 basis points (1/2 % in laymen's language) is just what real estate needed. Not only will in make new mortgages cheaper but it will help stave off foreclosures among those whose adjustable mortgages will now adjust a little bit less. Hopefully that will enable them to stay in their homes and reduce the inventory pressure on the market. If you would like to talk to me about the real estate situation in Cleveland or you are looking to buy or sell in Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, or University Heights, call my voicemail at 216-348-3075 or visit my websites www.scotthaigh.com and www.realtyone.com/scott.haigh . Have a great week!!

Scott

HELP IS ON THE WAY.....

Some logical clear thinking has finally emerged from the fog of the sub-prime mortgage mess. Though I don't believe we are all the way there, at least some serious thinking has taken place about the cause and the solution of the credit crisis. What was encouraging about this article was the apparent shift in political thinking. Let's see what happens..... Enjoy...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/opinion/10mon1.html