Habitat For Hermanity
415.787.3450
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • About
  • Press
  • Testimonials
  • Speaking
    • Appearance / Speaking Fees
    • Better Homes & Garden Conference in Las Vegas
    • Mother Love Talk Show
    • NARdigras: National Association of Realtors Conference in New Orleans
    • California Association of Realtors Expo in Anaheim
    • Women's Council of Realtors
    • Talk Media Networks
    • theEGDE Las Vegas
    • South Hills Country Club
    • Asian Real Estate Association of America Sacramento
    • Lincoln Hills Golf Tournament
    • Rainstorm Conference for ActiveRain
    • Inman Real Estate Connect
  • Hocking Homes
  • Contact

2 weeks left of my Facebook contest! Win a KODAK Camera!

4/29/2011

5 Comments

 
Picture
Just a reminder! KODAK has partnered with me to give away a free KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital Camera through my  facebook fanpage contest.  This normally retails for $170, play to win here!

Also, as Kodak's Brand Influencer, I can also offer all my Hermanity Fans 20% off KODAK products. Just use this special coupon on my facebook fanpage. KODAK has geared up a lot of their stuff towards the Real Estate community, so check 'em out! 

This contest expires May 16, 2011. Good luck to all the contestants!

5 Comments

Should I Sell My House Without an Agent?

4/26/2011

3 Comments

 
I just wrote an offer for my buyers on a townhouse that was For Sale By Owner (FSBO). The deal didn't come together because the sellers significantly  overpriced the house (duh, no surprise there!) They came up with a price based on the amount of money they owed on the house and how much profit they needed, when they should have based it on the current market and recent comparable closed sales. They might learn eventually...but only after wasting everyone's months of time, money & effort.

I dread FSBO's because
  1. The sellers don't really know what they are doing. They read Selling Your Home for Dummies once and  think they are experts....when in reality they are just winging it. So what ends up happening is the buyer's agents has to do double duty to hold the deal together.  They gotta do twice the work for 1/2 the pay!
  2. FSBO's are notorious for slashing commissions. They don't realize if they don't compensate agents what they are worth,  guess what, those agents are not going to show their property! Inventory of buyers plummets. The listing gets "blackballed"
  3. Selling a house is a full time job. FSBO sellers have their own jobs 40-60 hours a week. That is 40-60 hours they can not sufficiently service all the paperwork, inquiries, showings, open houses, disclosures, etc required to sell a property.
What do you guys think? Share your FSBO experiences!
3 Comments

Easter is my Birthday!

4/24/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
Gracias for all the birthday well wishes, my friends!  I've heard all the jokes today about Easter being my birthday....any more?!

*He(rman) Has Risen!
*Just call me J.C. (Jesus Chan)
*2nd coming of christ!

Here's the only birthday-esque photo I could find of myself. (I forget the other model's name, sorry boo. But photo is from a series shot by the fabulously talented  Billy Winters. The middle pic in my top banner is also from the same session)

Share
1 Comment

Watch Herman on Logo: Fierce TV

4/22/2011

1 Comment

 
Some of my clips are up on Logo's site. It definitely feels great to be in a space where I can be myself! A lot of strides have been made, but there is a still a dearth of LGBTQ peeps in the media. Very appreciative of LOGO / MTV Network's efforts!
Share
1 Comment

Should this seller listen to me or his mama for staging his S.F. loft?

4/20/2011

5 Comments

 
Picture
Alvin in San Francisco has a staging dilemma. Mom wants to decorate it for families....but it is a modern sleek loft!? My response may be caustic, but I say it with love. Really I do! 

EXCERPT:
And if you don’t mind me saying Alvin, it’s time to stop being a mama’s boy! This is your property. You bought it. You own it. You’re selling it. You are a grown ass man who can stick up for himself.

Say, “Mom, I love you but your staging advice, albeit well intentioned, is without  taste.” Go ahead, stab her in the heart!

Read the rest here.

Share
5 Comments

Two thugs assaulted me for my iphone today

4/19/2011

2 Comments

 
Picture
Two thugs assaulted me for my iphone today. They attacked, we struggled & they punched me in the face, but I still didn't let go for some odd reason. Police took my statement and didn't sound too optimistic about finding them.

After all the adrenaline has settled, I have a headache and my jaw is getting sore. We'll see if there is bruising where they socked me tomorrow. But overall I am fine. I'm a big girl, I will survive. I know it could have been a lot worse.




Safety Lessons Learned:
1. Avoid using your fancy phone/labtop in public, makes us prime target. Be aware of your surroundings (so hard since we are so into our smartphones now)
2. Don't sit by any exit door in MUNI/BART/METRO. The robbers wait for door to open, one grabs ur phone, the other blocks you, and they flee out the closing door before u can react
3. Sit in train with security/police officer or conductor in plain sight.
4. Sit in a seat that is ensconced so it is robber hard to get to you, and harder to escape.
5. Be thankful for all (y)our blessings.

Be safe out  there, my friends!
xoxo- Herman

Share
2 Comments

Herman Featured on Downelink for MTV

4/18/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
I never thought I would say this, but Herman's on the DL! (No, I ain't on the Down Low.  LOL)

I'm on the Downelink for MTV!  Watch here.  My clips have been viewed 800 times. Suzie Orman's clip: 62 views. :-)

Be a doll, and comment on their site. Let them know you want more of me!

Thank you!


Share
1 Comment

Shout out from LogoTV on Twitter!

4/16/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
Thank you LogoTV for the re-tweet! Everybody seems to love the real estate videos we do.

Share
3 Comments

Ask the Expert for LOGO: Should I Skip the Inspection?....HELL NO!

4/15/2011

2 Comments

 
This is a commonly asked question I get from buyers, and I am sooooo glad I got a chance to answer this for LOGO's viewers.

VIEWER QUESTION: We're buying a new construction house. Do we still need to do an inspection?

HERMANITY ANSWER: I don't get this. People are willing to spend 1/2 a million bucks for a house, but can't bear to spend couple hundred dollars for an inspection. It's small price to pay for peace of mind folks....

Want to  learn how an inspection can get you more from the builder/developer? Watch til the end of my clip for my hot tip!

Have you ever waived an inspection and lived to regret it? Post your comments here or on LOGO's site here.
Share
2 Comments

Untitled Book: by Herman Chan

4/13/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
Needless to say, my literary endeavor will be about me and real estate. It will be Helpful, Hilarious and Hellacious (as if I could be anything but). While I am penning this book, I'm curious to know what you want to see me write about? What's got you jazzed or razzed about your realtor or the business? I have a FAQ chapter and am looking for questions directly from you, my fabulous fans!
Share
3 Comments

Win a KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital Camera!

4/9/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
Hi Guys, KODAK has partnered with me to give away a free KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital Camera through my  facebook fanpage contest.  This normally retails for $170, play to win here!

Also, as Kodak's Brand Influencer, I can also offer all my Hermanity Fans 20% off KODAK products. Just use this special coupon on my facebook fanpage. KODAK has geared up a lot of their stuff towards the Real Estate community, so check 'em out!  Tell 'em Herman sent ya!

PS: How do you like my new facebook logo/photo!?

Share
4 Comments

Starring Herman & Tamara! Mastering Technology in Real Estate

4/6/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
When I met Tamara Suminski last year in New Orleans during the National Association of Realtors Conference (aka Nardigras), she was such a ball of sunshine....like me!  Tamara is the current Chair for  California Association of Realtors' Young Professionals Network.

Well, as luck would have it, we are going to share the stage come April 20, 2011.  We've been invited to speak about "Mastering Technology in Real Estate." Check out the flyer for deets.

PS: I love how there are 4 languages on the flyer! I speak Chinese & English. I hope Tamara speaks the other 2!

Share
3 Comments

Ask The Expert: What Southwestern towns are gay friendly?

4/5/2011

11 Comments

 
Picture
The salacious photo of the cowboys was not my doing, I promise! Logo did it!...although if that's what Southwest living is all about, I will move in a heartbeat.

Q: I miss the warmth of Florida, but I couldn’t find banking work there . I want to relocate again soon because I cannot stand Cincinnati and the cold winters here. I am considering the areas from Texas to Arizona – can you advise me on which towns both have the lowest unemployment rate and the largest GLBT population?    -Doug, CT

Read my recommendations here. Do you agree?

Meanwhile, if you gotta question for me,  LOGO says "Ask YOUR real estate question!"

Share
11 Comments

Q&A with HERMANITY: Do I Have a Bad Real Estate Agent?!

4/3/2011

1 Comment

 
This frustrated viewer wants to know if he got stuck with a bad real estate agent. Duh! If you gotta ask that question, you know you gotta loser on your hand!

Let's face it.  Not all realtors are knock-it-outta-the-ballpark superstars.   Far from it!  (In fact I can rattle off more than a few names of lackadaisical agents, but I'll be discrete for once, hehe).  As I told Mother Love on her talk show last week, the bar to entry to this business is lower than Heidi Montag's IQ.  This probably isn't going to endear me to the realtor community, but sometimes I am flabbergasted how incompetent & careless some of us are. (Don't hate, y'all know it's true!). But what shocks me even more is how much some clients will put up with. Clients deserve the best work from their agent. If they can't bring it, there are tons of agents more than willing to step up. So, pick your real estate representation carefully.

Have you ever regretted your choice of realtor? What did you do about it?
Share
1 Comment

Mother Love Talk Show: Two Divas dish about Real Estate!

4/1/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
I just got off the air with the one and only Mother Love!  She is everything that I aspire to be: smart, caring & sassy.  With both our larger than life personalities, we had the most stupendous time.  That hour just zipped by!  I hope her audience not only got a kick out of me but learned a few things about the real estate biz too.

Mother Love grilled me about anal retentive agents, real estate TV shows, McMansions & why I started my videoblog. She also reveals her pet peeve when she was shopping for a home too!

After the show, I got a message from a listener: "Thank you for discussing real estate in a funny accessible way!" What can I say, it's my schtick.

My favorite excerpt:
Mother Love: Where do you see yourself in 10 yrs?
Hermanity: Married with children! j/k.... I'll have my own TV Show

Click here to listen-on-demand. Let me know if I have a career in radio!


Share
4 Comments
    Picture

    As Seen On

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All
    365gay
    365 Gay
    Advertising
    Advice
    Agent Genius
    Apartments
    Apppraisal
    Appraisal
    Apt2b
    Architecture
    Areaa
    Areas
    Asian
    Bad Realtor
    Banks
    Billy Winters
    Book
    Bullying
    Business Card
    Buyers
    Buying
    Cancer
    Cartoon
    Cash Offers
    Castings
    Celebrity
    China
    Closing Gifts
    Colors
    Commission
    Condo
    Contest
    Cookies
    Crime
    Curb Appeal
    Curbed
    Dating
    Debbie Gibson
    Decor
    Design
    Diet
    Disclosure
    Dot429
    Downelink
    Eco
    Ehow
    Ethics
    Events
    Fashion
    Fat
    Financing
    Food
    Foreclosure
    Foreclosures
    Foyer
    Friend
    Fsbo
    Funny
    Furniture
    Garages
    Gay Parent
    Ghetto
    Green
    Hgtv
    Hoa
    Hocking Homes
    Holiday
    Hostels
    Hosting
    Hotels
    House Hunters
    How To
    Huffington Post
    Huh
    Huhdafad37f6d
    Humor
    Humour
    Infographic
    Inspection
    Instinct
    Interview
    Interviews
    Investment
    Ipad
    Kara Swisher
    Klout
    Kodak
    Lighting
    Listing
    Listings
    Litigation
    Loans
    Logo
    Luxury
    Marketing
    Mcmansions
    Mls
    Money Magazine
    Mtv
    My House Is Worth What
    Nar
    Neighborhoods
    Newnownext
    News
    Nimby
    Open House
    Paint
    Pets
    Photographer
    Photos
    Porn
    Prefab
    Press
    Press Celebrity
    Qa438751ea22
    Qacd92bcee57
    Radio
    Rant
    Rants
    Realtor Magazine
    Remodel
    Remodeling
    Renting
    Re Sale Value
    Resale Value1f569878c8
    Safety
    Saks 5th Ave
    San Francisco
    Say It 2 My Face
    Selling
    Sf
    Sf Bay
    Sf Chronicle
    Shortsales
    Shout Out
    Show
    Showings
    Small Living
    Small Living
    Small Space
    Small Space
    Social Media
    Sold Magazine
    Speaking
    Sports
    Staging
    Stalking
    Tech
    Tips
    Top Agent Magazine
    Trends
    Trulia
    Tv
    Unique Homes Magazine
    Upcycle
    Videoblogging
    Videos
    Wealth Magazine
    Weird
    Yahoo Finance
    Zillow

    Blogroll

    Real Estalker
    AG Beat
    Curbed
    SFist
    LAist
    Luxist
    Apartment Therapy
    HGTV
    Lovely Listing
    Houzz


    Find us on Google+
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.