Ever come across a helicopter seller? Hovers over you in each room, chirps in your ear non-stop , praises their house to high heaven? Give it a rest!

Q: Whenever a  buyer makes a private appointment to see my house, I make sure I am there to answer all their questions.  After all, I know my house better than anyone!  Well, a buyer asked for  a second visit, but he just wants himself and his agent there and not me. What is up with that?! -Jonah

A:  Sometimes a seller and buyer will meet briefly during a showing – but personally, I prefer they don’t!

Read the rest of my sassy sage advice here

For Memorial Day, I just wanna say a big thank you to all the  (wo)men in uniform, service members, troops & veterans  who put their lives on the line  for all of us. We appreciate your skill & bravery!

....which is more than I can say for some lenders like JP Morgan Chase who admitted to overcharging active-duty military personnel on their mortgages & wrongfully foreclosing on their homes!  How Un-American!  UPDATE: JP Morgan has settled lawsuit for $56 Million.

PS: Image is by one of my favorite artists J.C. Leyendecker.

Yesterday's post about the 2 faced Berkeley listing got mentioned on real estate behemoth site Curbed! What a great way to kick off my Memorial Weekend!

What a deal!  Not only do you get a dated brown shingle home on the outside, but  wow you also get a white post-modern curvy condo inside. (giggle)

My initial theories on this listing:
1. Must be a Mixed Marriage: Exterior by Berkeley Hippie & Interior by SOMA Yuppie
2. The house (& probably owner) is schizophrenic
3. The person who designed the inside has something against right angles.
4. It's not just mental cognizant dissonance , it's rental cognizant dissonance
What are your theories for how this dubious design came about?

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, please match outside architecture with inside decor. (If you missed the memo, revisit my webcast here!)

Kara Swisher and I were both speakers at the Better Homes & Gardens conference earlier this year in Las Vegas.  It was wonderful to see her in action again at this dot429 event.  When she is not keeping Eric Schmidt, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates et al  in check, she runs All Things Digital.  You see, when Kara talks, people listen.

Her speech last night was sooo on point! The big players in the tech world are predominantly "older white straight men". As a proud & out lesbian woman, she is a rarity, especially given her ginormous public persona. "Basically it's a sausage factory!" (Her words, not mine!). 

I commiserated with her afterwards that it was the same in the real estate upper echelon. As a proud & out gaysian who wears his heart (and mouth?) on his sleeve,  I know for a fact I've been blackballed in some quarters. I asked her how she deals with any backlash for her brash critiques & brutal honesty about the insular tech world. DON'T BACK DOWN.

Glad we're on the same page, Kara!  Thanks for paving the way!

Here's my video for WORKopen, a collaboration between dot429 and Saks 5th Ave, to encourage people to come out at work.

My video rant for my fabulous friends at AG Beat (formerly known as Agent Genius Magazine)  is up & live! I've written oodles of editorial (op/ed) commentary pieces for them in the past, so I'm thrilled at my new foray into video for AG Beat.

My AG Beat video debut is a rant about a delusional seller stuck in 2007 who thinks her house is all that and a side a bacon.  Sometimes, as a realtor, it is best to just walk away. What do you think? What is the most ludicrous thing a seller has told you? Spill your guts!

Depending on who you ask, mixing business with pleasure is sometimes called networking....and sometimes it is called a train wreck! There are definite pros and cons to using a friend for business. Read my advice column for this reader on 365gay LogoTV Online.

Question: For our loan, should we use our banker down the street? We’ve known him for years so we trust him. But should we still shop around? – Jillian in Alabama

Have any of your friendships soured over a business deal? Let me know. Gimme the gossip!

What a smashing sucess!  Over 3000 people played my facebook game. Congrats to the first winner of my facebook contest! Watch the vid to see if it is you.

Don't fret if you didn't win this time. KODAK has generously donated another prize for my next contest. It's their new Play Touch Video Camera! Stay tuned for details!