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><channel><title>Twin Cities Real Estate Blog &#187; Useless Ramblings</title> <atom:link href="http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/category/useless-ramblings/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com</link> <description>Housing News, Opinion, Statistics and Homes for Sale</description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:57:24 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=abc</generator> <item><title>Foreclosures: Doing the Right Thing</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/foreclosures-doing-the-right-thing/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/foreclosures-doing-the-right-thing/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:18:05 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=1565</guid> <description><![CDATA[Today there is an article in the Star Tribune discussing options for homeowners that are underwater.  Today this is a commonly discussed topic and one that shouldn&#8217;t be ignored.  The first couple in the article talk about their decision to walk away from their home.  The article discusses their reasoning for walking away and they [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/foreclosures-doing-the-right-thing/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Great Explanation on Trademarks and REALTORS</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/explaining-trademarks-realtors/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/explaining-trademarks-realtors/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:44:07 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Ethics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=1387</guid> <description><![CDATA[This isn&#8217;t the typical nerdy stats or opinion piece I normally do but I thought this was a great explanation of trademark law and also what makes a REALTOR different than a real estate agent: I&#8217;m a big fan of what sets REALTORS apart for just licensed real estate agents &#8211; I believe the biggest [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/explaining-trademarks-realtors/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Vacant Houses for Sale</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/vacant-houses-for-sale/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/vacant-houses-for-sale/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:45:12 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Landscaping]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category> <category><![CDATA[unshoveled driveways]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=931</guid> <description><![CDATA[Dear Owners &#38; Listing Agents of vacant relocation properties, short sales and foreclosures: Today I showed one house that was completely unshoveled and a 2nd that was partially shoveled but very icy.  In both cases I and my clients almost fell a couple times each.  This is not a good way to get people to buy [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2010/vacant-houses-for-sale/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Bad MLS Photos</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/bad-mls-photos/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/bad-mls-photos/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:58:26 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MLS Compliment & Criticism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bad mls photos]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=745</guid> <description><![CDATA[I wanted to show you just a sampling of the bad photos I see online each day but since they are the property of the agent that took them, I would need to call and ask them for permission.  Could you imagine that call? Uh hi, my name is Aaron Dickinson and I am blogging [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/bad-mls-photos/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Thanksgiving</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/thanksgiving/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/thanksgiving/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:56:31 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[General]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=734</guid> <description><![CDATA[This is a time when many bloggers get overly sappy and talk about the history of Thanksgiving, or what Thanksgiving means to them, or their plans for getting together with family.  I&#8217;m not much for the all that, so this will be quite brief. I&#8217;ve worked with some great buyers and sellers this year and [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/thanksgiving/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Retailers Sinking Housing Market?</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/retailers-sinking-housing-market/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/retailers-sinking-housing-market/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:06:55 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Buyers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Market Stats]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=715</guid> <description><![CDATA[Could retailers be sinking the housing market? Ok, so I doubt they&#8217;re sinking the housing market but retailers are likely having some influence in the housing market today: When the annual holiday season rolls around, home buyer activity falls sharply and home seller activity wanes too. In addition, retailers are also throwing out their holiday [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/retailers-sinking-housing-market/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Twin Cities Real Estate Rollercoaster</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/twin-cities-real-estate-rollercoaster/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/twin-cities-real-estate-rollercoaster/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:21:53 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Buyers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[buyers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[twin cities real estate]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=594</guid> <description><![CDATA[Betsy Soderlund wants the emotional roller coaster that is the Minneapolis real estate market to be less like the cork screw and more like the flume. &#8211; @betsysoderlund This Twitter post last night sums up what many people in the real estate market are feeling right now.  Things seem to be going up, down, left, [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/twin-cities-real-estate-rollercoaster/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>I&#039;m P*ssed Off At Some REO(Foreclosure) Agents</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/im-p-ssed-off-at-some-reo-agents/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/im-p-ssed-off-at-some-reo-agents/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2009 13:00:13 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ethics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Buyers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bank owned]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category> <category><![CDATA[reo agents that suck]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=584</guid> <description><![CDATA[I try to behave myself, I try to keep my emotions tempered so that my opinions can be read and understood without coming off so harsh that people click away before they finish reading.  Well today I just don&#8217;t care.  This is a list (though not comprehensive) of the reasons that I&#8217;m sick and tired [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/im-p-ssed-off-at-some-reo-agents/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>9</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Foreclosures and Safety</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/foreclosures-and-safety/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/foreclosures-and-safety/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:43:29 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[as is]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bank owned]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category> <category><![CDATA[getting the stink out]]></category> <category><![CDATA[icky houses]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=530</guid> <description><![CDATA[This past week I&#8217;ve been in many different foreclosures with my clients.  Some bank owned homes are in turn-key (aka mint) condition and are wonderful.  Others are&#8230;. how do I say this&#8230;. crap.  Many are simple run down and need repairs, cleaning and updating.  Many more though are safety hazards in their current form.  I&#8217;ve [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/foreclosures-and-safety/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Why the $15,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit is Awful</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/why-the-15000-home-buyer-credit-is-awful/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/why-the-15000-home-buyer-credit-is-awful/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:30:58 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Info for Buyers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Market Stats]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mortgage Rates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[$15000 tax credit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal tax credit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[housing stimulus]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=445</guid> <description><![CDATA[America is in serious trouble and it will take many efforts to bring the country back from a recession/depression.  While most of the measures that the U.S. Government is taking are well beyond my understanding, their efforts on housing are something I believe I have a firm understanding and it is with these efforts which [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/why-the-15000-home-buyer-credit-is-awful/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>22% of Minneapolis Association Realtors Lack Ethics (Training)</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/22-percentof-minneapolis-association-realtors-lack-ethics-training/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/22-percentof-minneapolis-association-realtors-lack-ethics-training/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:26:19 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ethics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Code of Ethics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lazy agents]]></category> <category><![CDATA[realtors]]></category> <category><![CDATA[training]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=391</guid> <description><![CDATA[Every 4 years the National Association of Realtors requires that members take a 2.5 hour class on the Realtor Code of Ethics to refresh their memories on what it means to be a Realtor and the level of professionalism they are expected to maintain and to expect from others.  The deadline for the current quadrennial ethics [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2009/22-percentof-minneapolis-association-realtors-lack-ethics-training/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Star Tribune &#8211; Stop Your Invasive Ads</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/star-tribune-stop-your-invasive-ads/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/star-tribune-stop-your-invasive-ads/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:08:31 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[invasive ads]]></category> <category><![CDATA[star tribune]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=382</guid> <description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m sorry this is little bit of a rant outside of my normal commentary but I needed a forum to vent my frustration&#8230; I hope you will indulge me. In the last month or two Star Tribune has started employing annoying and invasive ads on their web site.  First it was &#8220;virus alert&#8221; popups that [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/star-tribune-stop-your-invasive-ads/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Countrywide Takes a Holiday from Short Sales</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/countrywide-takes-a-holiday-from-short-sales/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/countrywide-takes-a-holiday-from-short-sales/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:39:32 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Buyers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=380</guid> <description><![CDATA[On Monday I went to lunch with my business partner who works on 5-10 short sales at a time and he told me that of the 7 phone numbers he has for Loss Mitigation Specialists at Countrywide (now part of Bank of America) all have voicemail messages that say they are out of the office [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/countrywide-takes-a-holiday-from-short-sales/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Crazy Homeowner &#8211; Keep Kids in Private School &amp; Mom at Home, Lose the House</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/crazy-homeowne/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/crazy-homeowne/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:39:22 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Community Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Info for Sellers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Experiences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[crazy homeowners]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faceless entities]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foreclosure]]></category> <category><![CDATA[personal responsibility]]></category> <category><![CDATA[short sale]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=257</guid> <description><![CDATA[CNBC has a new show called &#8220;On the Money with Carmen Wong Ulrich&#8221; and I recently saw a segment that drove me nuts.  Click here to see the video. Here&#8217;s a summary: They send one kid to private school ($14,000/yr currently), the 2nd will be in kindergarten next year Mom stays at home Mom can [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/crazy-homeowne/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Happy 4th of July&#8230; Stay Tuned for News Next Week</title><link>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/happy-4th-stay-tuned-for-news-next-week/</link> <comments>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/happy-4th-stay-tuned-for-news-next-week/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:26:23 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Aaron Dickinson</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Foreclosures and Short Sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[General]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Useless Ramblings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foreclosure]]></category> <category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lender mediated]]></category> <category><![CDATA[short sales]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/?p=239</guid> <description><![CDATA[The last 6-8 weeks have been busy and while the real estate market isn&#8217;t what it used to be, it is still keeping me plenty busy.  In addition, I&#8217;m busy working with Jeff Allen to release a 2nd Quarter edition of our Twin Cities foreclosure/short sale report.  Lender mediated sales will be with us for [...]]]></description> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.twincitiesrealestateblog.com/2008/happy-4th-stay-tuned-for-news-next-week/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>

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