SDW1's Blog

Tax Rebate check?

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:42:47 -0500

Has anyone actually gotten their Tax Rebate check or deposit yet? or have you gotten someone else's check or deposit? I know I paid my taxes and I got a letter from the IRS saying that if I paid my taxes I should be getting a rebate before June 08. How much depending upon if I am single, married and with dependents? Now I read that the IRS has directly deposited funds into the wrong accounts? how is this possible?

If you used a direct deposit to pay your taxes then you should have gotten your tax rebate directly back into the same account right? Well Im waiting for my check. Today is the 16th of May. I read on the IRS.GOV website that it should have been mailed today, May 16th because of my social security number. Is our government so big and or inept that they cant handle their paying customers- the American Public?! maybe the government should be run more like a business?

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

Golf on Cape Cod for the Beginner to Intermediate player

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:24:14 -0500

Im just starting since last summer to get into the game of Golf. Cape Cod has over 50 golf courses, both 9 and 18 hole courses with a variety of distances for holes, with sand bunkers, trees, greens and fairways, practice putting greens and driving ranges.

Ive been sorting out my clubs, taking ones I dont use out of my golf bag, cleaning up the ones I do use and regripped a Iron after finding a local golf shop. I just bought a driver after figuring out that I needed to have one for the longer holes. I had been using my 3 wood to get me out into the fairways but of course a Driver will get me out even further. I find that most people only use a couple of different clubs- a driver, a 3 wood, putter of course, a sand wedge and a 9 iron being the most common depending upon your expertise and skill level.

Golf is great for concentration, positive focus and taking your mind off of everything else (including real estate). Great for real estate networking as well! If you have any Golf tips/ stories / comments for me please let me know.

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

It finally looks like Spring has sprung!

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:34:39 -0500

It finally looks like spring has sprung. There are kids on the streets playing in the yard, There are bright sunny days (almost in the 60's now), tulips and flowers are a blooming! Baseball fever has started with the Major Leage Baseball season underway. You got to love this time of year on the Cape!

Hopefully this will all mean that buyers will wake up from their winter long hybernations and come out of their caves. All the buyers that I heard say "Im going to wait til the market drops all the way to the bottom!" Maybe they will realize that we are at the bottom?! But no one has a crystal ball- no not the media, not Donald Trump, not George Bush, not even dare I say Hillary Clinton?

Maybe even my sellers will rake their yard? Summer is not far off! and old man winter has come and gone again! yes the market has been buzzing with sales here on the Cape. Its the best time of the year to buy or sell a home. And prices are excellent and rates are very good! People are coming down to the Cape to look and get in by the summertime it seems. Time to get while the getting is Goooooood!!

Yes Im even submitting this post here on activerain about something other then technology, a new listing, a price reduction, new web blog, or marketing free web sites! Ive got a closing this week and its about time! :)

To use a Lockbox or not?

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:03:40 -0500

I got a call from a local realtor yesterday asking me for a showing on my listing. She said that all of the other properties that she was showing her buyer were on lock box which was more convenient for her and her buyer which I can understand. Did I have one too? I politely said no. Oh she said then maybe we could see it on another day after I show her all of the lockboxes?

To me I can do a better job than any lockbox or other agent who has never seen my listing and may not have even read the listing (if she had read the listing she would have known that I didnt have a lockbox!). A lockbox can do a disservice to a seller. Ive know many a seller who has changed realtors because of agents leaving on lights and doors wide open after getting access to a lockbox. I prefer to meet the agents and their buyers in person to do my job, which is to screen buyers, show and sell my sellers home to the best of my ability.

Well hopefully I will show my listing in a day or two to this agent. But then again, this same realtor called me months ago about this listing and never did show it?

My First Referral from Active Rain

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:26:29 -0600

My first referral from an Active Rain member! Thank you Active Rain.

Got a call from a Realtor from out of state (NY) that he had seen my AR profile and liked what he saw. After investigating the property, I accomplished a BPO, a CMA and took multiple pictures of the property for a local, Bank Owned East Falmouth property. I had sold more than one property in the neighborhood just a short while ago and this Bank needed a BPO before they would actively sell the property to the highest bidder.

Here's the property description:

Bank Owned Opportunity Knock! Knock! Knocking on your Door!

2 Bedroom 1.5 Bath Updated Ranch with newer Windows, spacious living room, Hardwood Floors and Roof. Has finished basement with additional 500 Sq Ft living space for Family Room/ TV Room/ Play Room, Work space and 3rd Bedroom. Needs cosmetics & TLC. Set on good sized .23 acre lot with fenced-in backyard for the Kids and extra parking! Wont last! Asking $159K! Qualified Buyer Needed!! On the same street as two other very similiar properties asking $239k!

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain and his own website since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

2008 Posts ReGroup

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:28:56 -0600

Here are my 2008 Active Rain Posts for anyone who would like to pick, choose and make extra comments that they may have missed:

My-Active-Rain-Pet-Peeve

More over Priced-Junk-in-a-Correcting-Market

Where-were-you-on-Nov-22-1963

Veterans-Day-and-Veterans-Financing

My-Listing-Router-IDX-Provider-LISTINGWARE

Point-2-Agent-Websites

Take-Pictures-that-Sell-Houses

Golf-on-Cape-Cod-for-the-Beginner-to-Intermediate-player

Popcorn-Ceilings-with-or-without-Asbestos

WordPress-Theme-problems

Fed-Stands-Still-Time-to-Make-Your-Move

Granite-Countertops-Toxic

Beijing-Olympics

The-Barnstable-County-Fair-opens-today

Animal-lovers-giving-up-pets

Happy-Independence-Day

Excellent-Prices-Deals-on-Cape-Cod

Selling-her-home-and-heart-on-the-Internet

Blogger-Arrests

Republicans-Block-Windall-Taxes-on-Big-Oil

Spring-to-Summer-Annual-Rite-of-Passage

National-Home-Ownership-Month

Memorial-Day-2008

Gas-saving-practices-myths-or-reality

Tax-Rebate-check

May-17th-Armed-Forces-Day

Reasons-Homes-Dont-Sell

Precise-pricing-better

Hey-fellow-Newbies-I-finally-figured-out-why-Blog-subscriptions-exist

Real-Estate-is-on-Sale

What-have-been-your-experiences-using-GPS-devices-or-other-such-web-applications

Gas-prices-to-4-a-gallon-by-the-summer-Plenty-of-greed-but-where-is-the-sanity

To-use-a-Lockbox-or-not

Web-site-updates-need-suggestions

E-Pro-anyone

It-finally-looks-like-Spring-has-sprung

Wordpress-20

Techies-love-em-or-leave-em

Blog-subscriptions-not-medications-here-on-activerain

Major-price-reduction-15-maravista-ave-E-Falmouth-ma-260K

Facebook-use-by-realtors

Working-with-listing-FSBOs

0-Old-Barnstable-rd-919-acre-cleared-level-Lot-4-sale

Real-estate-photography-or-lunar-eclipse

Recent-CCI-MLS-Agent-survey-results

Check-out-my-real-estate-website

Wasted-real-estate-time-the-use-of-Technology-the-Web

Maravista-Ave-ext-E-Falmouth-less-than-1-mile-to-very-best-warm-water-swimming-kayaking-boating

248-Shorewood-Drive-E-Falmouth-ma

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to All on Active Rain, to my new found friends and Active Rain Family! Im glad that I joined this past Year! I know that Ive learned a Lot from You All! Thank you!

Where were you on Nov 22, 1963?

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:21:40 -0600

November 22, 1963 the day that President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot in Dallas Texas in an open car parade with wife Jaqueline Kennedy riding along his side. I was five years old and watched it on TV. I was too young to know why anyone would possibly want to kill our president and his Camelot. He was very well liked but not without enemies. The 60's were very turbulent times. LBJ, college campus riots, the Vietnam War, The Beatles, Nixon, young radicals, the Black Panthers, Fidel Castro and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I saw Oliver Stone/ Kevin Costner's Movie "JFK" last night about his Assassination. It left a lot of questions about the Warren Commission, the single bullet theory and possible military conspiracies to kill JFK. Where were you on Nov 22, 1963? Why dont we have a JFK day on Nov 22??

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain and his own website since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

Animal lovers giving up pets?

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:13:41 -0500

Ive heard on a local radio the other day that a lot of animal owners here on the Cape are giving up their pets because of their financial hardships. Taking care of Dogs, Cats and other animals can be very expensive with trips to the Veterinarian becoming very costly for shots and medications. There are animal homeless shelters here on the Cape for Dogs and Cats that are non-profit organizations that let people adopt their homeless animals.

This is yet another sign of our hard times, along with $4/ gallon of gas, higher food prices, foreclosures and workers losing their jobs around the country! It doesnt sound like those rebate checks put any kind of a dent into helping homeowners or animal lovers being able to make ends meet in these hard economic times!

Take Pictures that Sell Houses

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:26:42 -0500

I went to a Real Estate Photography Seminar about how to take pictures that sell houses. I learned that by spending another five extra minutes per shot I could get 5 times better pictures and sell more real estate.

How to use the Natural Light in a shot and not to use Flash!

How to create a “Moment” in a shot that will have viewers want to notice, stop and draw viewers in to want to check out the rest! Put the Buyer in the Shot by adding a Human Element!

How to make each picture convey THE MOST that it can- Be all you can you be- INFORMATION!

Make the viewer WANT WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING IN THE PHOTO- INSPIRATION!

Take the shot so that the viewers SEE THEMSELVES in the picture- INVITATION!

Use your ZOOM to see the whole picture.

Level the Camera- the lines of the building should be parallel with the sides of the Camera!

Remove Clutter, stage your pictures if you have to and Focus your camera!

Take some shots at sunrise or sunset when lighting is better!

Practice, Practice and more Practice!

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

Excellent Prices & Deals on Cape Cod

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:17:29 -0500

I made a sales call this past weekend to a young first-time homebuyer from California who couldnt believe that she could buy a 2 to 3 bedroom, year round home here on Cape Cod for $225K to $250K at excellent % interest rates. Prices out where she is in Southern California are outrageous comparatively.

Prices here have been on the decline here for over two years while interest rates are very good at around 6.25% (now less than 6%) with plenty of mortgage money available for first-time homebuyers from FHA, Fanny Mae and Massachusetts Housing loans to name a few. Of course mortgage requirements are much stricter than in the past with a good percentage down payment (3 to 5%) needed and full documentation required by buyers- tax returns, W-2's, etc. Yes most mortgage people will tell you that 100% financing with no down payment is long gone. Many a buyer took advantage of that great giveway while also ending up in foreclosure as well!

My Listing Router IDX Provider- LISTINGWARE

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:56:05 -0500

Well the Listing Router was put out this week by AR to help agents capture leads from their 7 Million a month web visitors to their own IDX- Internet Data Exchange links/ websites to help turn leads into clients. After reading a few posts from AR agents about the Listing Router there a quite a few of you who dont have IDX with which to capture leads! I do, and Im using it as my current Listing Router on AR and here it is!

Listingware is a third party IDX provider which offers:

Listing Enhancements- Classic or brand new 5.0 Layout, Virtual & Photo Tours, Open Houses features, & Showcases for listings.

Customizable IDX Setup- you choose whether your clients will have to register, when and how. You choose sorting order of your listings- for example- less expensive first or last. Your listings and your Broker's listings can come first. You can also elect not to show addresses of properties if not your listing. Your photo and contact info will appear on all listings in your IDX!

Complete website options if needed. I currently have my own website so I only use their IDX registration page which is framed into my page on my Search MLS on my website. Take a look!

Lead Capture and Contact Manager as well as Lead Distribution for brokers to give to agents. You can export contacts into a database or elsewhere (Excel) for a mailing!

Dyna Map features for listings

And more!!

Go To Listingware.com and click on "Sign Up Now!" please use my name as your referral. Questions and comments please let me know! Also Listingware is all over the USA but you should check their website to see if it is available in your area!

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain and his own website since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

Veterans Day and Veterans Financing

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:31:50 -0600

Veterans Day has come and gone. It was celebrated yesterday and helps all Americans remember their veterans of all service branches and families for all of their sacrifices.

I talked with a Mortgage consultant today who told me that there is 100% financing currently available for veterans, and spouses of service members killed on active duty who have their proof of service- a DD 214, and who have at least a 680 credit score. Right now a fixed rate of 6.25% (or current rate) for 30 years is available (so no your rate wont go up) and no down payment needed. You dont have to be a first-time Homebuyer! Check out the link at

Home of the Brave/Masshousing.com/portal Contact me for me info!

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain and his own website since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

Granite Countertops Toxic?

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:32:36 -0500

Ive seen this on the news recently and Ive got an online article about Granite countertops emitting Radon posing a possible health risk to homeowners. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking) and supposedly some granite countertops has been tested positive emitting some levels of radon. But evidently these concerns are nothing new and have been in the news before. Here’s the article at

http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20080730/granite-countertops-a-recipe-for-danger

What you can do to protect yourself: http://www.webmd.com/video/radon-dangers

Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He is a full-time realtor working with both buyers and sellers. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain and his own website since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.

Spring to Summer Annual Rite of Passage

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:38:10 -0500

Today was a beautiful day, in the 80's here in Falmouth on Cape Cod. Hot and Humid. Just yesterday it was 68 degrees and cool. My annual Spring to Summer ritual is to go to Falmouth Heights and get in the water as soon as I was able (to get the winter stink off!). Nantucket Sound is still a bit cold (60 degrees?) but I managed to dive in anyways to cool off. Summer has officially arrived! Tourists have arrived and Falmouth High school is having its annual graduation. More signs that Summer has definitely arrived!! (I got a sunburn- another sign that summer has arrived!)

Happy Independence Day!!

Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:53:43 -0500

Happy 4th of July. This year its a long three day holiday starting this friday with parades, fireworks and neighborhood parties here on the Cape. Its sure to be a very busy weekend with a lot of people coming to the Cape to celebrate our country's anniversary of signing of the Declaration of Independence from England in 1776!

Did you know that in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was initially signed on July 2 by John Hancock the presiding officer and Charles Thompson the secretary. The rest of the needed signatures would have to wait. Two days later Congress approved a revised version and ordered it be printed and distributed to the states and military officers. Hence our celebration on the 4th!