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Title Company Charges Can Be Rip Offs - Dallas Realtor Bill Cherry

Posted by Bill Cherry on Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:30:55 AM
I want to speak with you today about the process of selecting of title insurance underwriters. For years the tradition has been for one or both of the Realtors involved in a sale to agree on a specific title company, office and escrow officer.  Then escrow is opened there.

While the title company wants to lay claim to the seller -- on whose behalf they are insuring to the buyer that the seller has indisputable ownership of the property he is selling -- their real clients are the Realtors. And that’s where their loyalty belongs.

In Texas, and probably throughout all or most all of America, the title insurance rates are regulated by the state. If you buy a $200,000 home in Texas, the title premium is the same at all Texas licensed title companies.

But what the title company passes off as additional charges for their services, frequently labeled as escrow fees, messenger service, document preparation, copies, wire transfers and on and on are not the same. In fact, they are negotiable, yet I’ll venture to say that most Realtors don’t dial this into the equation when they are selecting the company where their sale/purchase will take place.

But how can it not be every Realtor’s obligation to make certain that their client is not going to pay unnecessary fees only so that the Realtor’s favorite closer can have their business? It can't be because it is their obligation.

I keep a watchful eye on what title companies want to charge my clients, and I frequently call around to see what a sample of the companies are charging for the components of their services. If the charges to my clients are out of line, the title company either has to reconcile the matter or I threaten to move the file. I’ve only had to do this once. 
 
Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry
 
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WHAT WOULD MY CLIENTS SAY? By Dallas Realtor Bill Cherry

Posted by Bill Cherry on Friday, May 16, 2008 12:20:13 AM

What Would My Clients Write About Me If There Were A Realtors' Day?

Ever since W.L. Moody, Jr., gave me his worn copy of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People when I was about 12-years old, I've had this thing about making sure I'm around people who motivate me to both understand as well as improve myself.

It all started when I asked Mr. Moody how I could be rich like him someday, and he told me two things:  "First, to attain wealth you have to have money working for you, people working for you, but preferably both.  Second, read Dale Carnegie's book at least once a year for the rest of your life."

And that was when he gave me his copy of the Carnegie book.  It's on my desk right now because I have just finished reading it for about the 55th time.

What I get out of all of this is not necessarily lessons in life, but a better understanding of myself...what I think about the components of life, and why I think as I do.  Often times, I find I've had a lifetime of faulty reasoning that brought me to a lousy opinion that I need to change.

One of my favorite radio talk programs is hosted by Dennis Prager, a modern day Jewish scholar-philosopher.  The subjects of his programs are always about life, faith, who we are and why we are.  Sometimes I don't agree with him, but to listen just to his thoughts and reasoning, I have to reconcile them with my own belief system.  I admire Mr. Prager and I thank him for what he has given me.

And there's author John Maxwell.  His biographical blurb says he's "an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker and author." Of his many books, I think I have gotten more out of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. You can pick up a new one for $25 or a used one for less than $10. 

Everyone knows that Herb Kelleher and Lamar Muse founded Southwest Airlines.  Muse left after a few years, so it was left up to Mr. Kelleher to promote and attain the airline company dream that he and Mr. Muse had.  John Maxwell reminded me in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership that Mr. Kelleher's employees bought a full page ad on Boss's Day, 1994, in "USA Today."  Here's what it said.

Thanks, Herb

For remembering every one our our names

For supporting the Ronald McDonald House

For helping load baggage on Thanksgiving

For giving everyone a kiss (and we mean everyone)

For listening

For running the only profitable major airline

For singing at our holiday party

For singing only once a year

For letting us wear shorts and sneakers to work

For golfing at The LUV Classic with only one club

For outtalking Sam Donaldson

For riding your Harley Davidson into Southwest Headquarters

For being a friend, not just a boss

Happy Boss's Day from Each One of Your 16,000 Employees

So what did I get out of this?  Other than reinforcement of my deep respect for Mr. Kelleher and his 16,000 employees, I got this:

What would my prior clients write about me if there were a Realtors' Day?  I'd better do some evaluating and make some major adjustments.  What about you?  How would you fair?

Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS

214 503-8563

OUR 43RD YEAR SELLING TEXAS!

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WAL-MART CLOSURE - BY REALTOR BILL CHERRY

Posted by Bill Cherry on Sunday, May 11, 2008 8:50:17 AM
Wal-Mart decided to close one of its “supercenters” in the Dallas suburb of Garland. 
 
One day the 250,000 square feet building that hovered over a big parking lot on
Garland Road, just a few blocks from the  LBJ Freeway, was there, the next day the only
hint it had been a Wal-Mart was they had not painted over the Wal-Mart blue on the façade.
 

To the naked eye, the store looked viable and profitable.  It had been well-stocked and
seemed to have many shoppers through the day.  Today a newly-painted For Sale sign
spawns rumors that the looks were deceiving.

 
Apparently store closures like this usually come with no advance notice to the public, not
even to the employees.  And there’s rarely a definitive explanation. 
 

I did find this statement in one of the company’s recent annual reports.

 

"The decision (to close stores) is related to Wal-Mart's recently announced plans to
moderate growth of U.S. supercenters as part of leveraging capital resources through a
strategy designed to improve returns and sales within U.S. stores."
 

This, even though in this same report, future expansion for the company showed they
had budgeted for a net gain of about 265 of the huge stores that year.

 

Nevertheless, almost immediately they did just the opposite – they slowed down building
new stores as well as speeded up closing a number of those already on the ground.

 

Stockholders and analysts shared shock while the New York Times said the company
had reached a turning point.

 

No longer satisfied with its own definition of what a Wal-Mart store is, company officials
are beginning the same journey that Sears-Roebuck started down years ago – investing
in businesses and ideas that do not fit its model.

 

Today Sears is drowning in debt as the result of its prior management’s idiocy.  It’ll be
interesting to see if the same thing happens to Wal-Mart over time. 
 
Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry
 
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DALLAS ICONS - NORDSTROM'S PIANIST LARRY PETTY

Posted by Bill Cherry on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 8:55:22 PM

THE MUSICAL ICON OF DALLAS' NORDSTROM - LARRY PETTY

Many of the Nordstrom stores throughout the United States have an interesting but subtle trademark, a trademark that
has followed their merchandising for many years.
 
On the first floor adjacent to the escalator is a Steinway grand piano, and throughout the day one pianist after another
plays the music of Broadway, Mancini, the Beetles, Sinatra and sometimes even Stephen Foster.

There are at least 100 full-size Nordstrom stores throughout the U.S.  Five of them are in the Dallas area. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The genius behind the selection and management of the performers in the
Dallas stores is Nordstrom music director, Larry Petty, who with his singer
wife Linda are Texas icons.
 
In addition to his direction of the band that accompanies Linda, Larry keeps
fifteen pianists rotating throughout the stores.

Larry also plays sets there throughout the week.

Larry and Linda were both Dallasites, they even skated at the same
roller rink every weekend when they were growing up, but for whatever the
reason never met.  But when they both enrolled as music majors at
Dallas Baptist University, they discovered each other.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other than two weeks working for his
uncle at a local Good Year store,
Larry and Linda have totally supported
themselves throughout the years as performers. 
 
In fact, I think Larry told me he even
accompanied the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, for a period of time.
Click here to go to Larry and Linda's website. 
It gives some selections from their CDs as well as
a schedule of where they will be appear-
ing throughout Dallas.

Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry, Realtors

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IN THE PINK - DOROTHY DRAPER & CARLTON VARNEY

Posted by Bill Cherry on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 8:15:50 PM

DOROTHY DRAPER - IN THE PINK

There probably has never been a more famous American decorator than
Dorothy Draper.  Most projects that she did were larger than life projects -
huge mansions of the wealthy - and by far her most famous, The
Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a landmark since
the late 1770s.
 
In 1937, she was commissioned to decorate the 37 story Hampshire House
on Manhattan's Central Park South.  The results were so outrageously
wonderful that the style became her signature and the media named it "Baroque
fantasy."
 
I remember the first time I went to the Greenbrier with my mom and dad.  It was about 1950 or so, and even
as a child of ten I knew it wasn't like any other hotel.  For most of his adult life, my dad would stop there regularly
on his way back from a business trip to relax and horseback ride in the West Virginia mountains.
Over the years we visited the Mark Hopkins, the Drake, the cafeteria at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the hotel that remains my favorite of New York hotels even today, the Essex House.  All were decorated by Miss Draper.  And there was her hotel apartment at the Hotel Carlyle, the most famous of the apartment hotels in New York.
 
Carleton Varney was Miss Draper's protégé for many years, and he took over as president of Dorothy Draper & Co., Inc., when Miss Draper retired.  He has collected a compendium of Miss Draper's drawings
and photographs of her works, and added a fascinating, comprehensive narrative.  What fun seeing her weave her
way to the top.
 
The book, In the Pink is a coffee table size book of about 225 pages.  It would be a wonderful present
for Mother's Day as well as a gift for those who are interested in commercial design.
 
Because of my memories as a guest in a number of the places Miss Draper decorated, I'm very appreciative
that Mr. Varney wrote a personal note and signed a copy of In the Pink for me.  It came a couple of weeks ago.
 
Again, the book is IN THE PINK by Carleton Varney.  Published at ninety-nine dollars, it's on sale now
at amazon.com for one-half that.

Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry

Tags: Greenbrier  
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YOU, INC.

Posted by Bill Cherry on Monday, May 05, 2008 11:08:36 PM

For the majority of my life I've been a voracious reader....

When we were children just learning to read, we were introduced to what was the first free public library
 in Texas, Galveston's Rosenberg Library. 
 
There was a wonderful children's librarian there, Miss Emma Lee, who devoted
her time and talent to showing Galveston kids the wonders of a library, and the pleasures of reading.
 
I've never been much for novels.  Instead, I read about people, places and events.  And I read self-
improvement books.
 
Harry and Christine Beckwith have spent most of their adult life dreaming up advertising and marketing
schemes.  With that came speeches on how to do it, and from that came several books that tell it to
those who weren't invited to hear their talks.
 
Their latest one is titled You, Inc. Now for whatever reason, that's
not an original title.  There appear to be several other books published
in the past with the same catchy name.  Nevertheless, this one's worth
reading.
 
Those interested in the components of marketing and selling, if they
pay careful attention to the lessons and explanations talked about in
You, Inc. are sure to find new meaning in how to sell -- first themselves,
then and only then their product or service.
 
The book cost about $24 and you can already find used ones on Amazon.com. 
Get a copy, read and study it.  Take your time.  Savor each sentence and thought. 
 
And then let us know what you think.

 

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS

214 503-8563

Our 43rd Year Selling Texas

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BARNEYS NEW YORK COMES OUT OF ITS HOLE

Posted by Bill Cherry on Thursday, April 17, 2008 12:07:52 AM

Barneys New York - Dallas North Park Store Has Just Become Dynamic 

When I was a child, Barneys New York was a very exclusive men's store, and by reputation, it was where the finest dressers bought everything, even their socks.  As the store found itself challenged by competition, it did what it should have done: it added courtier clothing for women, and it increased its number of stores.

            Readers of the blogs I have posted here know that I have frequently expressed criticism of Barneys ownership and management because their maverick and often times silly window and store displays at their Dallas North Park Center location lacked merchandising logic and, therefore, did not encouraged enough customers to even begin to attain critical mass.

             All in a town and in a similar location where they had had a prior store, a store that had performed so poorly that they had elected to close it.

            Yesterday I saw that they had just, by far, installed the best window designs in the center.  That encouraged me to tour the store.  Bingo!  They've finally figured it out.  I hope they continue in this direction, and that it's not too late for shoppers to explore the store.

             Dallas men and women who demand and require their clothier not to have jammed racks and tight aisles, and to have one-on-one assistance in exploring selection possibilities will enjoy Barneys New York.  In NorthPark about the center of the Neiman's-Northstrom concourse.  Go look.

Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry

Tags: rETAIL  
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REVIVING OLD SHOPPING CENTERS, MALLS & DOWNTOWNS

Posted by Bill Cherry on Monday, April 07, 2008 12:45:16 AM

Dead Shopping Centers & Strip Malls Can Be Revived. 

Many investors and developers fell into developing various configurations of strip malls, beginning forty years ago.  Rather than retain experts in retail center design, leasing and management, they assumed there were no particular tricks to any of it. 

Prospective tenants didn't know much better, so leasing went smoothly and that further validated for all involved in the development and leasing that they were right - there was no need for experts.

Then the centers' retail sales began to fall, tenants moved out, sales failed further.

Well cities are full of these failed centers.  Some have a handful of marginal tenants; others have no tenants at all and are for all practical purposes, boarded up.  Dallas and the surrounding area are full of them.

Unless the neighborhood demographics and the drive by traffic have changed dramatically, almost all of those centers could be redesigned and remodeled to accommodate and attract appropriate tenants.  Oddly, few if any are being addressed, so it appears to me there are some real bargains to be had for new investors.

Over the past twenty years, several of my associates and I have joined together to consult the redevelopment of entire old downtowns and neighborhood centers.  Our projects were all successful.  And we're available to do others, anywhere in the U.S.

Meanwhile, over the next couple of days, I plan to post some of the items that shopping center leasing agents and managers must address if their projects are to be and remain successful. If you're involved in the commercial side of real estate, you may find these will be good check lists.

 

 

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

Our 43rd Year Selling Texas

9936 Windlake Circle, Dallas 75238

214 503-8563

 
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IF YOUR REALTOR ISN'T YOU ADVOCATE, FIRE HIM TODAY!

Posted by Bill Cherry on Thursday, April 03, 2008 12:19:14 AM
If You're a Real Estate Professional, You Must Be An Advocate!
 
By Dallas Realtor-Broker Bill Cherry
Our 43rd Year Selling Texas
214 503-8563

I'd like to visit with you today, whether you are a home buyer or seller, or you are a licensed real estate professional.

Attorneys have for years taken the position that their service to their clients is as the client's advocate.  The attorney's job is to prepare and substantiate as best he can, your argument that your position is the correct one; that your adversary's is the incorrect one.  And he presents your argument to the court within the rules of evidence.

And that is exactly how attorneys justify taking the cases of clients whose positions they know in their hearts are incorrect.  It's how they justify defending a murderer or the child beater when they know he's guilty.  They are the bad guy's advocate, not his partner.

Real estate professionals are advocates, too.  Our job is to advance our clients' positions and to make certain that how things turn out for them as a result of our representation is 1) thorough and the best we can do 2) that they fully understand and approve each facet of our representation as we work our way through the negotiations and closing process, and 3) that we be willing to challenge the title company, mortgage broker, their attorney, or anyone else when our knowledge seems to indicate that those professionals' positions are not in the best interest of our client.

I am personally tired of the excuse that we need to steer clear of being our clients' advocate because it might be perceived as our practicing law without a license.  That's utter nonsense.  I can't tell you the number of times one of my client's attorney has given incorrect or insufficient advice.  The same is true for their accountant and the building inspectors. 

My job is to raise the issue with the accountant, lawyer, etc.,  and the client.  I'm the real estate professional.  I'm my client's advocate.  I have never cowered because someone might want to charge that I might be practicing law without a license, or that I'm not a CPA.  And I never will. 

If you're a real estate professional, in my view you shouldn't cower either.  Your job is not to see how passive you can be throughout the dealing, then collect your check.  Instead it's to proudly look after your client's interest to the very best of your ability.

If you are a client and you suspect your real estate agent isn't aggressively representing you as your advocate, you should consider changing agents because you aren't getting what you're paying for.  And there's a lot of your money at stake.

GOD Blesses!
Tags: REALTOR  
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THE PRINTER AND THE BAKER CO-EXIST

Posted by Bill Cherry on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:29:23 AM

DALLAS' SHERRY LANE - HOME OF THE PRINTER & THE BAKER 

Finding a decent print shop to do small potatoes orders like mine is never easy.  More often than not, they fail to meet the agreed deadline, the prints are not clear and crisp, or they want an arm and a leg for the work.  And in days past, many had their own personal wars with their whiffs of the ink. 

Seemed to make them a bit irrational from time to time.

By a hit ,miss and by-golly method, I found Minuteman Press on Sherry Lane just off of Northwest Highway between Preston Road and Douglas Avenue.  It's owned by graduate engineer Eric Pirpich bought it for a career change when he decided he's had enough of engineering.

We discovered in our first meeting that through some odd and round-about genealogy, he and I are probably kin -- kin on the Cherry-side.

Well Cousin Eric prints my monthly newsletters, mail-outs and on and on, and he's The Man in Dallas printing as far as I'm concerned.  What a find!

Now precisely next door to Cousin Eric's at 6063 Sherry Lane is Jeff and Sophie Rotundo's Panini Bakery.  Wow!   This most certainly is the place for elaborate pastries, cakes and a quick lunch of soup and sandwich. 

Last week Patty and I stopped by for éclairs,  While she was also looking for a desert for our dinner party, I talked Sophie into letting me see the kitchen.  You want clean and neat without white flour all over everywhere?  This is it.  Floor to ceiling stainless steel, all polished better than that in our home  kitchen.  And on the table was the biggest pot of custard I've ever seen. 

So there you have two good reasons to venture over to Sherry Lane.  Eric Pirpich's Minuteman Pressand Jeff and Sophie Rotundo's Panini Bakery.

 

 

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS, TEXAS

Celebrating our 43rd Year Selling Texas

                                   214 503-8563

                                  On the Web

Tags: SHOPPING  
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ST. JAMES -- REALTOR SAYS BEST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN DALLAS

Posted by Bill Cherry on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:08:26 AM

SAINT JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH, DALLAS -- A GOOD PLACE

Most of us consider Dallas and the surrounding area as a significant part of the Texas Bible Belt.  And when we're talking about the Bible Belt we primarily consider it composed of the churches of Baptist, Pentecostal, Bible and non-denominational.

But even with that in mind, there are twenty-four Episcopal churches in the city of Dallas, and quite a number in the outlining areas like Plano and McKinney.  In fact, one of the top three Episcopal churches in the United States when it comes to membership is in Dallas.  It's Saint Michael and All Angels.  We're all members of the Diocese of Dallas, led by The Right Reverend James M. Stanton.

When Patty and I first moved to Dallas, we began our search for the Episcopal church and congregation that was closest in feel to old Trinity Episcopal in Galveston where I was a lifelong member.

That was quite a chore, although it shouldn't have been.  All in all, we seriously attended three of the churches and visited about five others.  That process took almost three years.

About two months ago, we decided to attend a service at Saint James Episcopal Church.  It's on Audelia between Northwest Highway and Walnut Hill (9845 McCree Road.)

The rector is 59-year old The Reverend Cliford Gardner, and he is one ball of fire.  He reminds me so much of one of Texas most famous and beloved Episcopal ministers, The Reverend John Francis Caskey.  It's a happy place with lots of activities for children and adults.  And the facilities are absolutely lovely...and to think it all started less than twenty years ago in a strip center storefront. 

Interestingly, Saint James is less than twenty blocks from our Lake Highlands home. Why did it take us so long to try it out? Patty said, "Sign us up."

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS 

9936 Windlake, Dallas

214 503-8563

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THIS IS A TEST TO SEE IF YOU REALLY WORKED IN RADIO

Posted by Bill Cherry on Monday, March 31, 2008 11:38:34 PM
By Dallas Broker-Realtor Bill Cherry
 
One of the most noted DJs of all times, Chuck Dunaway, sent this to me this evening since I worked in radio and TV (off and on) from 1954 until 2005...and am still trying to find another gig.  Once it's in your blood, I promise it's there forever.
 
So if you worked in radio, see how much of this from Chuck's list you remember:
 
The MagnaCorder reel-to-reel tape recorders that you used when working the
"board" to record network radio shows? When the 30-minute net show concluded
you rewound the tape on machine 1 while starting machine 2 to record another
show while reading a 30, 20 and 10-second commercials. After reading the
spots you played the recorded net show on recorder 1 without hitting any
dead air.

A GM who actually worked in radio before becoming a GM first hired you.

Radio stations were no place for kids.

You excitedly turn the radio up at the sound of "dead air" on the
competitor's station.

Sales guys wore Old Spice to cover the smell of liquor.

You were playing Elvis' number one hits when he was alive.

Engineers could actually fix things without sending them back to the
manufacturer.

You worked for only ONE station, and you could name the guy who owned it.

You remember when normal people listened to AM radio, and only "hippies"
listened to FM.

Radio stations used to have enough on-air talent to field a softball team
every summer.

You're at least 10 years older than the last two GM's who fired you.

You used to smoke in a radio station and nobody cared.  It made your voice deeper.

Engineers always had the worst body odor, not because they worked too hard,
but because they just didn't shower that often.

You can name at least 2 receptionists that you dated who now have
grandchildren.

You know the difference between good reel-to-reel tape and the cheap
strechy.

Religious radio stations were locally owned, run by an old Protestant
minister and his wife, never had more than 20 listeners at any given time,
and still made money.

You have a white wax pencil, a razor blade, and a spool of 3M splicing tape
in your desk drawer - - just in case.

You know people who actually listened to baseball games on the radio.

You can post a record, run down the hall, go to the bathroom, and be back in
2:50 for the segue.

The new guy or student you're training has never listened to an AM station.
He couldn't even name one in his own hometown if his life depended on it.

You knew exactly where to put the tone on the end of a carted song.

You spent most of the time on Friday nights giving out the high school
football scores. And when they weren't
phoned-in, you got furious.

You never thought twice about drinking from the same bottle with another DJ.

You only did "make-goods" if the client complained.  Otherwise, who cares?

You can remember the name of the very first "girl" that was hired in your
market as a DJ.

Somebody would say, "You have a face for radio", and it was still funny.

Sixty percent of your wardrobe has a station logo on it.

You always had a screwdriver in the studio so you could take a fouled-up
cart apart at a moment's notice.

Agents were people like James Bond and the Man From Uncle.

You would spend hours splicing and editing a parody tape until it was "just
right", but didn't give a darned how bad that commercial was you recorded.
"Hey, I can only work with what they give me, right?"

You still refer to CDs as "albums".

Dinner? Let's see what the last shift left for me in the refrigerator.

The only interaction between you and someone else prior to bedtime is,
"Thank you. Please pull ahead to the second window."

Your family thinks you're successful, but you know better.

You played practical jokes on the air without fear of lawsuits.

You've been married at least 3 times, or, never married at all.

You answer your home phone with the station call letters.

You used to fight with the news guy over airtime.  After all, what was more
important: your joke about your ex-wife, or that tornado warning?

You knew how to change the ribbon on the teletype machine, but you hated to
do it because "...that's the news guy's job." AND it made your fingers
purple.

You had listeners who only tuned in for the news, and not you. You could
never figure that out.

You know at least 3 people in sales that take credit for you keeping your
job.

You remember when "Rock" wasn't a bunch of guys who look and sound more like
girls.

You have several old air-check cassettes in a cardboard box in your closet
that you wouldn't dream of letting anyone hear anymore, but, you'll never
throw them out or tape over them. Never!

You can still see scars on your finger when you got cut using a razor blade
and cleaned out the cut with head-cleaning alcohol and an extra long cotton
swab on a wooden stick.

You still have dreams of a song running out and not being able to find the
control room door.

You've ever told a listener "Yeah. I'll get that right on for you."

You have a couple of old transistor radios around the house with corroded
batteries inside them.

People who ride in your car exclaim, "Why is your radio so loud?"

You remember how upset people used to get about Richard Nixon.

You have at least 19 pictures of you with famous people whom you haven't
seen since, and wouldn't know you today.

You wish you could have been on "Name That Tune" because you would have won
a million bucks.

You even REMEMBER "Name That Tune".

You were a half an hour late for an appearance and blamed it on the
directions you received from the sales person.

You've run a phone contest and nobody called, so you made up a name and gave
the tickets to your cousin.

You remember when people actually thought radio was important.

An essential tone arm-balancing tool was a penny. "Who stole the penny
again!?

You cued the next announcer's theme song to give him time to get into the
chair.

Minimum wage laws did not apply to radio stations, restaurants, and movie
theaters. The poster in the bathroom said so!

Your bright orange sports coat with the station logo was the only coat you
had.

You did production on the audition channel while segueing an LP on the "air"
channel.

You had to pass a test that asked if you should pour water on a smoldering
control board.

Legal IDs were given on the hour and on the half-hour, regardless!

Downtown stores would not cash checks, or extend credit to announcers.

The contest line was the only telephone line the station had.

DJ's were canned for letting a "damn" or "hell" slip out on the air.

The program dayparts had names. i.e. "Homemaker Melodies" "The
Clock-watcher"

Part of your job included doing a "Swap Shop/Trading Station" show.

Your network feed came on a phone line looped through 7 other stations
before it got to you, making the fidelity about the same as McDonald's
drive-through.

You remember "CBS Sports Central USA"

You know who Brother John Rivers is...or Earl Nightengale...or Jimmy Fiddler.

Every remote was done on a program loop, installed by a telephone guy the
day of the remote. You had the number to the local telephone test board
posted at the station. And, if you called it in the middle of the night,
someone would be there to answer.

You like the smell of fresh reel-to-reel tape.

Your station traded out for jingles from Pepper-Tanner.

You read lost dog announcements on the "Pet Patrol."

You remember when an EBS test involved shutting off the carrier of the
transmitter for a few seconds.

You know what Conelrad was.

Your station had a bomb shelter paid for by Civil Defense.

The owner of the station sometimes pulled a board shift.

You ever judged a local "Voice of Democracy" essay contest.

You've never done play by play of a parade...or fireworks...on the radio.

All the big rock stations you listened to had a reverb on the mic channel.

You shut the audio of the station off for a few seconds on Sunday night so
some guy in Indiana or Missouri could measure your station's frequency.

Your station routinely signed off on Sunday night.

You read commercial copy LIVE from a copybook that was in alphabetical order
(more or less).

You knew how far in to pot up a record so the cue burn wouldn't go out over
the air!

Logs were hand typed every day AND included every single element on the air.

Automation tapes were bicycled from station to station. (I hope I don't have
to explain that one!)

You took transmitter readings every (half) hour.

All the Third Class Operators Licenses were posted on a wall - and you had
to study for a test just to get one!

ALL radio stations had news... twice an hour.

FM??? It's only good for night ball games after the AM daytimer signed off.

You went by the FCC book. Including the correct number of PSAs

Stations did not have names. Only call letters... no B-something,
Z-something... or Q-something.

'In The Public Interest' was a phrase that actually meant something.

'Group Ownership' meant a group of people owned the station.

You know what it means to "clear the wire".

You know the meaning of "five bell or ten bell" alerts.

Re-inking teletype ribbons.

You know what a patch cord is and used them often.

You had to go to the station 45 minutes early to turn on the filaments on
the transmitter before you punched up the plate power.

When AM was the "live" part of the station and the FM was on a 6 deck
reel-to-reel automation system with 3 carousels.

When you said "GATES" and everyone knew what equipment brand you were
talking about.

You had to leave your AM air shift to check the tapes (especially the "dead
roll" on the FM automation system).
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THE 50 MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK A REALTOR

Posted by Bill Cherry on Sunday, March 30, 2008 9:35:05 PM

THE FAMOUS 50 QUESTIONS LIST

Many have asked for and gotten the complimentary copy of my CD "A Realtor's Secret Weapons."  This is the list of 50 Questions we discuss during one segment of the program.  Meanwhile, your free copy of the CD is waiting for you.   All you have to do is email, write or call and we'll pop one in the mail to you right away.   -- Bill Cherry, Realtor. 

Financial Planner Doc Gallagher, Engineer Steve Simmons, Realtor Bill Cherry

Broadcasting a KAAM-AM "Money Doctor Show"

Saturdays, 10-11 AM  

THE 50-QUESTION POP QUIZ YOU'LL WANT TO GIVE ME - AND ANY OTHER REAL ESTATE AGENT - BEFORE YOU PICK WHO WILL REPRESENT YOU

By Bill Cherry

Bill Cherry, Realtors

214 503-8563

  Company Image and Statistics

1. How many years has your company been in business? How about you?

2. How many listings does your company have?

3. Where does your company rank in the Annual Amount of Closed Sales in the entire Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex?

4. How many families used your company's services last year?

5. Where does your company rate in the National Relocation Top 350 Power Brokers Annual Report?

6. Does your company have a relocation division? How much business is generated through that source? (Many people are "assigned" a real estate broker by their employer when they are moving them from one town to another)

7. Who are some of the companies and corporations your relocation division works with in relocating buyers?

8. Is your company a member of a world-wide and successful real estate network?

9. Which referral networks, relocation companies, pre-marketing and third party companies is your company affiliated with?

10. Does your company have a Web site that advertises the entire MLS inventory?

11. What is your company's current market share in my neighborhood?

12. What is your company's past market share in my neighborhood?

13. What is the "Law of Agency" and how does it affect me by using your company?

14. Does your company offer a comprehensive Seller's Disclosure Notice to help me reduce my liability as a seller?

15. Does your company have a real estate attorney specialist on staff or retainer who is available for legal guidance when needed?

16. Does your company have an in-house mortgage lending service and of what value would it be to me as a seller?

Agent's Competence

1. Are you a full-time Realtor?

2. What kind of real estate training have you had?

3. What is the difference between a Realtor and a licensed Real Estate agent?

4. Do you recommend pre-sale home inspections?

5. Do you recommend that I take out a Seller Residential Service Contract while my house is on the market for sale?

6. How would you guide me if a potential buyer has a home to put on the market and that he must sell before he can close on the purchase of my house?

7. What are today's insurance concerns and how can they affect me?

8. How do would you arrive at the listing price you suggest for my home?

9. Will you provide me with a written and current Competitive Market Analysis?

10. Will you be honest with me in what you feel the market will truly bear, or will you list my home at any price I ask you to try?

11. Will you share with me your educated opinion of the condition of my home?

12. Will you give me tips for better staging and showing my home to prospective buyers?

13. Tell me about your negotiating skills?

14. What is your personal list price to sales ratio? Your company's?

15. Will you pre-qualify prospects before showing them my home?

16. What will you do to assure my home will appraise for the contract price for the buyer's lender?

17. What will my closing costs be?

18. Will you provide me with an itemized statement of my approximate closing costs PRIOR to my signing the contract?

19. What services will you provide me once a contract has been negotiated?

20. Will you attend the closing at the title company with me?

21. Once I list my home with you, how often will you communicate with me?

The Marketing of My Home

1. Who will be putting the information and pictures of my home on the multiple listing service, and when?

2. What will you offer as a Buyer's Agent Commission?

3. Will you be furnishing property picture brochures and mail-outs in the marketing of my home, and how and where will they be distributed?

4. What feature of my home will you emphasize in the marketing?

5. Do you have the ability to photo gallery (at least 10 pictures) my home on-line?

6. Do you have a "precise and customized" marketing plan for my home?

7. Will you be doing a virtual tour of my home?

8. What special marketing programs does your company have to offer in helping to get showings on my home?

9. How often and where will you advertise my home in the media?

10. Who will write the ads, and who pays for the advertising?

11. Do you use "target marketing?"

12. If your company has a Web site, what tools are available on your site to market my home?

13. How many "hits" does your Web site get a month?

Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry

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LIFE BEHIND THE WALLS OF A GATED COMMUNITY

Posted by Bill Cherry on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:26:01 AM

 

 BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS, TEXAS

Our 43rd Year Selling Texas

214 503-8563

I'm not certain when the gated community concept began to take a hold in Texas, but the first time Patty and I owned a home in one was about ten years ago.  It was in South Shore Harbour, a community near Houston.

Ours didn't have a guard at the gate, but rather a box that allowed coded access and also for visitors to be able call their host so they could be allowed entrance.

We hadn't bought our home because of the gated community concept, but rather because the builder had done an exquisite job of executing the plans of a very talented architect.  However, the more we lived there the more opinionated I became - issues for and issues against - so I took out my legal tablet one day and did the debit and credit bookkeeping.  It produced interesting results, results I could have never gotten had we not had a couple of years living there under our belts.

What I did learn and observe was that the gate restricted weekend drivers searching out For Sale signs.  So not only did it keep those just beginning their "new city driving around" from getting a feel for our neighborhood, but it also kept them from having an idea as to which agents and companies had listings there.  Intuitively I didn't think that was a good thing.

And I then began to notice that homes behind the gates and walls sold substantially slower than those in subdivisions without those restrictions even though both sets were comparably priced. 

So, at least in our area, the homes in the gated communities not only didn't bring a premium because of the perceived safety, but they sold slower.  So I proposed to our homeowners association that the gates be left open on, say, Saturdays and Sundays.  No soap.  I was never sure why.  There was little to no crime in our city and the police were sure anyone caught speeding was on a crime spree so they would all but follow them around night and day. 

I don't know what an acceptable solution is, but I do know that before a prospective home buyer considers purchasing within the seclusion of walls and gates, he might want to take out his legal tablet and enter the debits and credits, and then realistically evaluate what it will mean to him as well as his family's lifestyle, their ability to be gracious to their arriving visitors, how they will handle access by service people, and how their Realtor will be able to market their home should they decide more elsewhere.

Copyright 2008 - William S. Cherry

All rights reserved

Bill Cherry Realtors

Bill Cherry Wikipedia Biography

 
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E. DOUGLAS MC LEOD LAW SCHOOL'S DEAN FOR THE DAY

Posted by Bill Cherry on Sunday, March 23, 2008 11:10:58 PM

E. DOUGLAS MC LEOD - DEAN FOR THE DAY - MARCH 14, 2008

The announcement came in last week's mail.  It was from the South Texas College of Law in Houston.

On March 14, 2008, my life long friend, E. Douglas McLeod, was named the college's Dean for the Day.  That's quite an honor, but it's very definitely one that's properly placed and noted.

<<=== E. DOUGLAS MC LEOD

I've written before about Doug along with my friends Victor, J.E. and Ward.  We've been a support team for a long time.  Far more than fifty years.  Here's that story.

In real life Doug is the Director of Development for the billion dollar Moody (Charitable) Foundation.  And he's an officer and director of many of the insurance companies that are owned one way or the other by the Moody Family, all descendants of William L. Moody, Jr., who built a fortune in cotton, insurance, banking, ranching and hotels, and then with his wife, Libbie Shearn Moody, gave most of it to the Moody Foundation for the purpose of making life better for the people of Texas.

Doug's sister Ann is the wife of the current family patriarch, Robert L. Moody.  Mr. Moody has exercised an uncanny ability to pick the right people as the caucus for taking the foundation's assets and exponentializing them.  Doug was one of his choices.  Forget he's Ann's brother.  I assure you that was nothing more than a coincidence.

Doug has overseen the building of the very famous Moody Gardens in Galveston, a multi-million dollar investment that includes a botanical garden, hotel and conference center, water park, and on and on.  It's Galveston's most famous and popular tourist attraction.  Hundreds of thousands come there every year.

But here's what's interesting.  Doug decided a couple of years after joining the Moody Foundation that he ought to have his own profession; one that would allow him to stand apart, stand alone and stand on his own laurels. Through night school and studying during the lunch hour in a law firm's library, Doug attained his law degree and followed it up with a Masters of Laws in international economic law. 

After getting the law school's announcement, I Googled Doug's name, and nowhere did I find anything that really told about him or listed his accomplishments.  So I decided I'd not only write about him, but list his affiliations.  Here are some of them:

  • Former State Legislator - Texas House of Representatives
  • South Texas College of Law - Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee and Distinguished Fellow
  • Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity - Member and Past Inn Magister
  • College of State Bar of Texas - Member of the Board of Directors
  • State Bar College - Honored Endowment Fund Scholar

Epilogue:  Just before Thanksgiving in 2000, my book Bill Cherry's Galveston Memories was put in bookstores.  I was very apprehensive when my publisher insisted that I do the obligatory book signings in the stores.  I had never figured the book had any merit in the first place, much less that very many people would actually buy a copy.  In fact I had seriously speculated that VanJus would be lucky if they could dump 500 of them.  Interestingly, the thing has sold many thousands.

The first book signing was on a Saturday, and the rain was coming down very hard.  The streets were flooded, and Patty and I, trying to be tro