by Roberta Murphy Become a victim of identity theft, and you could be in for the nightmare of a lifetime. We have known several identity theft victims. One family lost their home because of it–and another even fears for his safety. It is a vicious crime that can take years to resolve and the damages can last far longer than that. And all too often, identity thieves are never caught…
by Roberta Murphy Want to know what keeps me terrorized at night? Database management. I am in an urgent race against time–and my nightmare is one that haunts major corporations throughout the world– from retailers to brokerage firms to telecoms to the U.S. Government itself. In our San Diego real estate practice, I have until December 30 to migrate several hundred clients and their specific and detailed property requests over…
by Roberta Murphy Rumors and gossip are are swirling around a possible Google and GoDaddy marriage. It seems about two years ago, Google became accredited as a domain name registrar. Meanwhile, GoDaddy, the worlds largest domain registrar, has been busy filing patent applications for search, VOIP and other technologies that would make it an attractive buy to acquisition-hungry Google. A few of GoDaddys recent patents would help propel one of…
by Roberta Murphy I was asked to share some simple Feng Shui tips for home offices, written by Laura Milligan over at the Bootstrapper Blog. She lists 50 great ones, but I’ll tease you with a few she has listed in her article. In spite of a personal bookshelf full of Feng Shui education, I found these suggestions particularly useful in that I am currently refiguring my own home office…
by Roberta Murphy $50 million is the new $30 million, says Glenn Roberts over at the Inman News Blog–especially when it comes to high end luxury homes. Citing a 2007 Mid-Year Luxury Report by Stribling Private Brokerage, Roberts explains how just a few years ago, even a rumor of a $30 million real estate sale in Manhattan would create big buzz. But since the sale of a $53 million property…
by Roberta Murphy Brad Inman this morning wrote an excellent article about the mortgage and real estate crisis that has gripped so many markets in the United States–and elsewhere. In The Housing Market Blame Game, Inman reports that even formerly raging real estate markets that were once seen as unshakable, such as Manhattan, are now beginning to share the pain with regions that had collapsed earlier. Many blame the real…
by Roberta Murphy Luxury real estate circles are abuzz with the latest report that two top producing Beverly Hills agents have been indicted for their alleged participation in a mortgage fraud scheme. The LA Daily News reports that Joseph Babajian and Kyle Grasso have been suspended by Prudential California Realty, and are under orders not to conduct any real estate business until federal charges against them have been resolved. Both…
by Roberta Murphy I must be crazed to write a title like that because we are courted almost daily by San Diego mortgage lenders and brokers who want our real estate business. We deal with a number of home buyers and feel an enormous responsibility to recommend the best mortgage professionals in the business. I am convinced that the San Diego real estate and mortgage market has far too many…
by Roberta Murphy Investment in high end real estate markets can be a challenge for most buyers. If the price of the real estate does not intimidate, then the low cap rate, or return on investment, will. In fact, carrying costs v income on luxury real estate investments are often negative for many years, or until the property is sold. With real estate investors in our expensive San Diego market,…
by Roberta Murphy Several months ago, in an interesting discussion with Marc LaChance, I was introduced to off-the-grid homebuilding. Marc has a plan and the means to build homes where electrical, telephone, gas, water and sewer lines do not run. I saw some early plans for his homes, and was highly impressed with their beauty, functionality and earth-friendliness. It seems when one door opens in the mind, it leads to…
