YouTube Hurts Songwriters, Kittens

A lot of the arguing we're hearing both in the real world and inside our heads about the Viacom-YouTube lawsuit has to do with Viacom's claim of damage to authors, songwriters, and other magical unicorns. You know, the little people! Without getting all up in the merits of the case at all, not being all J.D.-burdened (unlike the folks of the Huffington Post, where law degrees and great racks go hand in hand, or hand in something), this is still where we get stuck on the argument. Really? 90-second clips of funny people on YouTube don't actually help them make more money by making them more famous, and therefore making their products more likely to be consumed? For sure now? So we're hoping that Viacom actually gets to argue that old copyright sawhorse for its billlliooon dollars.

Previously: SueTube: Viacom Will See YouTube In Court, Unless It's Just Another Negotiating Ploy, Which It Probably Is.

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Bright Spots in Sacramento Real Estate Market

A look at the February numbers for the four county Sacramento area real estate market is encouraging but I have reservations about being overly optimistic. The Sacramento Bee article, "Home Prices Rise in County", points out, "After five straight months of falling sales prices for Sacramento County homes, values edged up slightly in February, signaling a potential rebound for the regions most populated county."

DataQuick, the research firm that follows and reports the real estate numbers, indicated all four counties, Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo, all saw increases in the median price for sold homes during February.

The sales volume was also up slightly from January to 1,743 homes sold in the area. Although this number is up from January it remains 26% lower than February 2005.

Inventory of homes on the market continued to grow. At the end of January there were 9,267 homes on the market. The number available in February increased to 9,870. A year ago there were only 3,554 homes to choose from. The average number of days on the market for homes sold in February was 58 days compared to last year when it took an average of 37 days to sell.

In some of the local areas, where I have been working recently, the median price increases from last year were almost all positive. El Dorado Hills median price in February increased to $606,500, up 9.3% from last year but down from January. In Rocklin, zip codes 95677 and 95765 we saw price appreciation of 34.4% and 7.9% respectively from last year and both areas were up from last month in terms of price and volume. The three zip codes in Roseville. 95661, 95678, and 95747 all had increases in the median price fro last year and from January. Sales volume was down double digits from 2005 and flat compared to January numbers. Granite Bay, zip code 95748, reported 11 sales, down from last year and January. The median price paid in February for a Granite Bay home was $730,000, down 3.2% from a year ago but up $20,000 from last month. For more detail, take a look at the chart by Zip Code produced monthly by the Sacramento Bee.

The January numbers were "to early to tell" how the 2006 real estate market in Sacramento would shape up and now we have February reports which are a bit more positive than we have seen for the past few months but still don't paint a very clear picture of what is going to happen this year. If it were just the numbers, I would say some of the local pundits are correct in predicting a "return to normal" after the last five years of double digit increases and bidding wars on anything with a for sale sign in the front yard. Based on my personal business and talking with collogues the past few weeks, the steam we started to feel building in mid January and early February has been dampened by the last three weeks of winter weather. The rain and cold seems to be keeping buyers inside or at least not driving from the bay area. Right now, I am not feeling as bold as I was last month when I made three positive predictions. Even though I was right about modest growth in the median price and increased sales volume, I was wrong in predicting a slight decrease in the inventory of homes for sale. With the prediction for more rain, I don't think we are going to see February as the start of a new positive trend for the year. I will predict, when the rain ends and warmer weather gets here, there should be a nice surge in activity as the buyers start getting out and looking again.

Julie Jalone is an experienced professional Realtor serving buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Greater Sacramento area including Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Yuba counties. Some of the communities served by Julie include Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Granite Bay. To learn more about Julie, take a look at her website, jalone.com, where you will find additional articles, monthly market analysis and her daily blog, "Keep it Real in Sacramento."

About the Author

Julie Jalone is an experienced professional Realtor serving the need of buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Greater Sacramento area including Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Yuba counties. Some of the communities served by Julie include Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Granite Bay. Julie is a wife and mother living in Rocklin. For more information see her website, www.jalone.com

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How to choose a Real Estate Agent?

" Agent ", is anyone that is licensed by the Department of Real Estate. Realtors and to their local Board in which they belong. Any liscensed agent can represent you. A REALTOR agrees to represent you in a way that makes them accountable the highest level. When someone states that they are a REALTOR, ask them if they are a member of the Association of Realtors or, if they are simply an agent. You can verify their credentials by calling the local association, or by visiting car.org. By using a REALTOR, you can be reasonably certain that you have chosen someone that has your best interests in mind.
There are many things to consider before choosing someone to represent you:

* Select the best real estate professionals of that area.

* Interview the real estate professionals you identified.

Having a conversation with the person is a good way to find out if your personalities and goals match. Also, there are things you'll want to ask.

 REALTORS are members of the National Association of Realtors. They are generally full-time agents who have committed financially, educationally and professionally to being an expert in the real estate industry. All RE/MAX Douglass professionals are Realtors.

 "Have you sold properties like mine?" You want to be sure the agent you hire is familiar with the price range and property type you need him or her to market and sell. Ask for an example or two of similar properties they've handled recently.

 "How quickly can I expect return phone calls?" You don't want to be ignored.

 "How will you market my property?" If the agent doesn't have a strong marketing plan, move on. Ask for examples of how the agent marketed a similar property in the past.

 "Are you a full-time agent?" "Hobby agents" won't be as capable of meeting your expectations because their attention is divided by other responsibilities. Limit your search to full-time agents. All RE/MAX Douglass Real Estate Realtors are full-time agents.

* Compare interview notes. Think about each agent, and decide which one is right for you. You should choose someone aggressive, but who doesn't make you feel anxious or pressured.

* Experience pays. Experienced real estate professionals often earn designations that separate them from the pack. These designations are earned through precise training to help the agent become a specialist in certain areas. Pay attention to agents who have designations listed after their names on business cards. Specifically ask the agent what each one means.

* Does their list of marketing areas include the MLS system only, or all available sources? Sources should include at least 2 MLS systems (Any excuse as to why an agent does not use more than one MLS system is just that... an excuse).

* Are there any "hidden fees" with your listing agreement? Many agents will tout low commisions and then bury added fees for advertising, assistants, documentation, or what have you.

* Find an agent who is savvy about technology. Through the online tools available to agents these days, you can expect nearly immediate e-mails about new property listings and quick replies to your queries.

* Ask for references. This shouldn't be a big deal; it's a last-step investigation that could confirm or reject your current impression of the agent.

* Before signing a contract, know that the term "Disclosed Dual Agent" often means that the real estate agency does not represent your interests 100-percent. RE/MAX Douglass Real Estate is a "Designated Agency" office and they will walk you through all the details.

* Ask the agent who is your top choice to do an informal walk-through of your home. Find out if he or she thinks your property will need new paint, carpet or repairs, or whether it should sell as-is. Ask how he or she believes this will influence the strength of your negotiations with buyers.

* Select a strong negotiator. Unless you have oodles of money, you'll want a strong negotiator on your side. Ask your agent whether he or she has ever been in a tough negotiating situation and ask how he or she negotiated a price with which the client was happy.

For more information on Real Estate see our How to choose a Real Estate Agent Page.

Our Guide to Choosing an Agent - California Home Selling and Due Diligence in Purchasing Real Estate and Selling It! pages will provide the more information you are looking for.

Visit our http://www.halfvalue.com and http://www.halfvalue.co.uk web sites for more info.

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