The Pine Needle Lawn is the happy host of this weeks (6th edition) Carnival of Real Estate Blogs. What is a blog carnival? Get the answer here. This carnival was started by the folks at the Zillow Blog to help bring the real estate blogging community together – and at LakePlace.com’s Pine Needle Lawn – we love the idea and enjoy participating.

As this weeks host of the carnival, it is our assignment to pick out the “top” posts submitted by real estate industry bloggers and select one as the “pick of the week.” We feel that all posts submitted deserve acknowledgement – so every submission that came in to us is listed below our pick of the week – in the order they were received…so step right up and enjoy the carnival!

Wenchypoo at the Frugal Wisdom blog gives us some great insight into saving energy and saving the planet. Not with a Prius or an E85 automobile – but with smart appliance shopping. Where is it written that a washer and dryer have to match? Read the Pick of the Week.

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Greg Swann from the BloodHoundBlog dropped two posts on us this week. In his first, the Bloodhound is barking up Zillow’s tree. Greg has some strong feelings about Zillow and Automated Valuation Models in general. Read the post. His second post focuses on the benefits that can be gained from out-working your peers – “You can be truly great at what you do and still people may forget about you. But treat them badly and they will remember you to their graves”…Read More.

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Marlow Harris at the 360 Digest discusses attorney David Barry and her take on the true intentions of his lawsuit(s) against the National Association of Realtors. Here it is.

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Jonathan J. Miller at the Matrix gives his insight into what should be done if an appraisal comes in a little on the light side. Do you scream at the appraiser? Do you get a second opinion? Get the answers here.

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Madeleine Kane @ the MadKane blog lists the top 26 ways to negotiate your way into “unthinkable debt” in a humerous post she calls the Hapless Home Buyer’s Guide.

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Keith at SkillzDesign blogged about a bathroom remodel experience this week. Sounds like there were a few problems. Read the post.

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“The Landlord” at Lording The Land gives a list of positives (depending on your outlook) about investing in the real estate market. If the list appeals to you, he says real estate may be the investment you are looking for. See it here.

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“Frugal” from My 1st Million at 33 gives us his (or her) take on bubbles in real estate and stock markets. He/she compares small cap, mid cap, and large cap stocks to small cap, mid cap, and large cap real estate markets. Read the post.

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Henry Abbot at True Gotham writes about “bubble sitting.” He says if you are thinking about trying to time the bottom of the market – he would not want to be in your shoes. View the Post.

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Glenn Roberts Jr. at the Inman Blog posted a short snippet about a flat-fee MLS listing company that is willing to barter with homesellers. Want to get your FSBO listed in the MLS? Just offer to paint this company’s walls and fix their toilet. Read More.

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Daniel Rothamel from the Charlottesville Area Real Estate Blog talks about a controversial subject (especially here in Minnesota) – using the term “MLS” in your website URL. This one hits home – LakePlace.com had to make some changes due to this rule. Get Daniel’s opinion.

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Niki Scevak at the Homethinking Blog posted some interesting data about the ratio of real estate agents per person in some pricey markets. The post is titled: A Realtor For Every Child.

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Rick over at Landlord Shmandlord gives us his answer to an “important question to ask yourself before purchasing an investment property in an unfamiliar town.” Click here to read.

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Stan Humphries, Director of Advanced Analytics at Zillow, blogged about a new report they released on second quarter real estate performance in five metro areas. Are prices going up or down? Find out zere.

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Jon Ernest at Spotlight Realty’s Blog is “PUMPED!!!” He just negotiated a purchase agreement for a condo conversion he will be starting once the “normal” contigencies are satisfied. This post is part 1 of a chronicle which will take us through the entire process.

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Joel Burslem at the Future of Real Estate Marketing has an interesting post titled Zillow Could End Up Replacing NAR. Joel says that when it comes to getting press, Zillow has it figured out. Read the post.

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Nina Smith at Queer Cents reviews a new book by Barbara Kavovit titled Invest In Your Nest. Sounds like Barbara’s nest is a mansion in the Hamptons and her tips go hand in hand with that lifestyle. Find out what Nina thought of the book.

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Dan Melson at Searchlight Crusade has an indepth post on range pricing vs. a single asking price. I have not seen range pricing in this part of the country, but it sounds like it is a common practice in San Diego. Read this interesting post.

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Mike Simonsen at the Altos Research Blog has some interesting insight and data relating to the “Re-listing Phenomenon.” It looks like it is becoming common place to reset the days-on-the-market counter in the MLS database. Read more about it.

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Rob at Pittsburgh Homes Daily blogs about something that is close to our hearts here in Minnesota – waterfront living. Rob’s article discusses a proposed 700 unit waterfront development in the cultural district of Pittsburgh. The plans are beautiful – read about it here.

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Anesia Springborn from The Landlord Blog asks the question – Should an investor get a real estate license? Read her post to find out what she thinks.

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Rudolph D. Bachraty III at the Sellsius Real Estate Blog wants to know what buyers and sellers think of Zillow vs. a traditional real estate agent when it comes to estimating the value of a home. Visit the Sellsius blog to take The Ultimate Zillow Poll.

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Cliff Jacobson from WebHomeUSABlog presents his opinions on the NAR President’s new “unbloglike” blog in a post titled Hail to the Chief. Read this post to find out what Cliff thinks about blocking comments and trackbacks on the official NAR Blog.

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Cameron H from LandBin.com offers up tips on searching for land for sale. LandBin features 50,000 Minnesota land and Wisconsin land listings.  Easily use the site to find virtually all available listings or visit the land sitemap for easy navigation.

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This concludes the 6th edition of the Carnival of Real Estate. I had a great time reading every post that came in (and diving much deeper into many of these blogs). There were some great posts, some great insight, and some great ideas. Next weeks carnival will be hosted at The Landlord Blog – be sure to check it out!

(Top: Carnival worker photo courtesy of Wade Wofford)