A couple of pictures caught my attention this week and I saved them to share today.

I think I stared at the photo above for several moments trying to figure out the objects on the counter. Bottles?  Dishcloth?  Spoon? The picture itself isn't bad, but it would've been so easy to clear the counters to better the chance to pull in buyers.

This picture tickles me.  The fruit is a nice touch, but next time I'd take it out of the bag and put in a bowl!

Even if you're not a real estate agent, I'll just bet you can figure out exactly why this picture pinged my radar. Le sigh.

I suppose I'm part of the problem that causes paparazzi to stalk celebrities – I love reading about what they're doing and where they live.  Shak & Jill is going a little celebrity today by showing you a house sold by Mr. Big Celebrity – as featured at Trulia.com.

This home located on Sunset Boulevard is being sold by Leonardo "The Titanic" DeCaprio for $8,999,000 (why not just round it up to $9 million?).  The three bedroom, three bath home has nearly 3,000 square feet.  You can contact these agents for more information.

Exquisite taste, for sure.

Words of wisdom indeed from Mr. Bob Parks, founder and president of Bob Parks Realty, LLC.

These words may seem elusive to homeowners today who are facing bankruptcy and foreclosure, but in the big big picture many of us are safe – though possibly feeling nervous and uncomfortable with the economy. There have never been more buying opportunities for those who feel any sense of confidence.

There are great deals. Loans are available.  If you haven’t owned a home in the last three years, you can get the $8,000 tax credit for buying a home (wouldn’t that be a boost this time next year?).  This will be a long road back to normal – and by normal we’re talking about 2001-02 real estate not the 2005-06 bubble-type market – but it does feel like we’re pointed home now.  Finally.

I sat in an open house yesterday and it was a total bust.  Except the listing agent brought cookies and I inhaled one of my favorites – oatmeal raisin.  Three weeks ago I did my first open house at that model home and had seven people come through.  Last week I did another and just had one guest.  Then yesterday, zilch.

I've decided that traffic is dependent upon paydays and rent payments.  The first one was the week most people had to pay rent or would've just picked up a paycheck – they had money in their pockets and wanted information because they were tired of paying a landlord.

I'm also now careful to not hold open houses during big sporting events. If our big football team is playing a game – fuhgetaboutit. Superbowl?  No way.  Same thing happens at open houses as happens at grocery stores – you can hear crickets during big sporting events.

I'll do an open house next weekend again because it should follow another payday / rent due date.  Wish me luck!

Photo by Snapman via Flickr Creative Commons.

In keeping with Ivy’s bad neighbor theme, here’s another bad neighbor video this Friday!  It should make you grateful for where you live!

If you want to see some truly crazy / mean / idiotic neighbors, do a quick search on YouTube for bad neighbor and you’ll hit crazy gold!

I received an email today from my Congressman outlining what the new housing plan means for the economy.  From Tennessee Congressman Bart Gordon (who by the way hosted my daughter's Girl Scout troop on our visit to Washington):

I am reprinting his email because it explains somewhat how the stimulus legislation will work. As a Realtor, I'm calling all the buyers I know who are on-the-fence to encourage them to consider 2009 as the year to buy.

Through this, however, my only concern (as voiced by a reader on my community site) … will this encourage people who aren't qualified to buy a home to jump in?  I'm hoping the qualification standards will be rigid so in three or four years we won't fall back into this mess.

A Realtor in Shreveport opened up his heart when he discovered a homeless man living under the porch of one of his investment homes.  Jim Stewart invited Kenny Woods inside and handed him the keys to the small home.

This is one of the most wonderful things I've read about in a long time.  Personally I've fantasized about what I'd do if I were to win a Powerball and without deviation, it always comes down to offering shelter for my friends in need – paying off someone's home or helping them buy instead of rent.

My hero for today:  Realtor Jim Stewart of Shreveport, Louisiana.  If you know him, pat him on the back and give him a WAY TO GO!

A colleague of mine is working with a young couple buying their first home. They've looked high and low, at some real winners and losers.  In the process, they've found two they love.

Unfortunately, the buyers haven't taken my friend's advice so they've lost out on both of them. And her advice is simple: talk to a lender.  Unless you've spoken with a lender, you're not a buyer*.  You are a looker.  A lookie-loo.  A tourist.  An expensive companion who likes riding around in cars (time is money for a Realtor, after all).

I am running into more and more people who profess their interest in buying.  I think we're about to see a bounce in the market, but I also wonder if most of today's buyers are just putting out feelers given the news of today's great deals on houses and strong interest rates.

If you're thinking about buying, be honest with your agent and let them know if you're just testing the water or if you're serious.  And the best way to show that you're serious is to get pre-approved (or at least pre-qualified).

*The only exception is if you're paying cash for a home.