Archives of real estate blog entries for December 2, 2006 (Page 2)

Blog posts


Setting Goals for 2007... - 03:32 PM
If you've ever taken a "color personality test" (meaning red=aggressive, yellow=social, blue=analytical, green=planner), you'll understand why I (a green/yellow) love this time of year!  It's not because of the holidays & the festivities (although the yellow in me likes that a bit).  It's because now is the time of year that we need to look forward to 2007 and start setting our goals. 
I'm fortunate that I have a broker who is very into goals.  Now, that being said, she's not truly in favor of goals that have numbers in them (although for fiscal reasons, we look to that ONLY as … (3 comments)

Kansas City Real Estate Phone Policy - 10:07 AM
Kansas City Real Estate Cell Phone Policy
Boy that sounded corporate didn't it?  Well that wasn't my intention, I guess I just wanted to make sure you understand the importance I put on answering my cell phone.
Sometimes in Kansas City Real Estate moments matter!  When I first got into this business and started thinking about my own policies and how I wanted to operate I thought about cell phones.  Everyone has one...so why does it seem that every time I call another agent I need to leave a message?
This is really a pet peeve of mine.  Yes, voice mail is great, … (4 comments)

Are you advertising my Kansas City Missouri listing? Can you say IDX? - 10:14 AM
I was out shopping yesterday with my wonderful husband when my cell phone rang.  Priding myself on being a realtor that answers my phone promptly and 99.9% of the time, I immediately flipped that puppy open and said, "Hello, this is Fran White."   (I've blogged about this recently)
On the other end of the phone was another agent.  After our courtesy greetings she continued with, "my sellers a really upset."  (I'm thinking perhaps I transitioned into counseling fellow agents with their issues and didn't realize it.)
I said, "O-kaaaaaaaaaaay?" (it was one of those o-kays that from it's tone you knew I was … (5 comments)

Looking for fellow investors...... - 09:01 AM
Are you looking to increase you net worth?
Does the prospect of finding a great deal get you thinking?
I am thinking about passive income, accumulating assets, positive cash flow, and increased equity.
I have at my fingertips the Orlando Florida MLS , and several websites with banks, mortgage
companies and brokerages that have lists of forclosed homes they NEED to make deals on.
 
Does the prospect of making more great deals interest you?
I am looking for fellow investors who think BIG dreams and see them through.
 
Are YOU one of those?
 
 
Contact me.......lets talk.
 
 
 
 
                                                                  Time is a tool to … (2 comments)

Investor alert...................... - 09:09 AM
Are you looking to increase your net worth?
Does the prospect of finding a great deal get you thinking?
I am thinking about passive income, accumulating assets, positive cash flow, and increased equity.
I have at my fingertips the Orlando Florida MLS , and several websites with banks, mortgage companies and brokerages that have lists of forclosed homes they NEED to make deals on. I also have several investors I am partnering with looking to make money.
Does the prospect of making more great deals interest you?
I am looking for other fellow investors who think BIG dreams and see them through.
 
Are … (0 comments)

Excluding Agents - 09:19 AM
We know that the Seller's the boss. Once in a while a Seller is adamant about excluding a particular company or particular agent from showing his property, usually the latter. It could also be a prospect that is excluded. Yes, the Seller can do this.
Now what?  First, he should put it in writing. But what then? I don't want to "advertise" this exclusion, even in the Realtor Only Remarks. It's not a common occurence, but when it does happen, I ask the Seller to write a letter to the excluded agent and the agent's company stating that they do not … (0 comments)

Realty Blogging Book - Comments - 09:24 AM
One addition I'd like to see in this book, and in all books related to technology, in fact, is a list in the appendix of all the sites and blogs referenced in the book.
You know already that a yellow highlighter is always at hand. So, I used to highlight and possibly turn down a page corner if I felt it was really important to come back to.  I don't do that anymore (well, I may still highlight, but I don't turn down the pages). On a blank sheet at the back of the book I write down a list of … (5 comments)

Spam - by phone or mail - 09:33 AM
What can we do to reduce (I doubt if we can ever eliminate) the amount of spam we get? A recent article in the St. Pete Times gave some suggestions:
For the phone solicitor, time is money. The article suggested saying, "Hold on a Minute", and then putting the phone down until you hear a dial tone.
For junk mail, rather than throw it away and add to our garbage, if there is a postage paid return envelope, return it to them to throw away (probably minus the piece that has your name or address on it).
Granted, these aren't nice things to do, … (2 comments)

Event Marketing - 10:52 AM
Mahaffey Theater, St Petersburg, Florida
Sometimes it's good to look outside our industry for marketing ideas. Last night the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund invited selected Raymond James clients to A Christmas Spectacular. Guests arrived at dusk, had cocktails and heavy hors d'oeuvres and then were treated to a final rehearsal of the Florida Orchestra for a program of carols and themes from some Hollywood Christmas films.
Clients had the opportunity to meet and chat at the round tables set up in the large lobby, with each other and with the Raymond James representatives. No "sales" presentation. After entering the theater, there … (7 comments)

Green Benches of St. Petersburg, Florida - 10:59 AM
St. Petersburg, Florida, aka The Sunshine City,  was once known as the city of green benches. It was a winter retirement haven and folks would sit on the rows of green benches and watch the world go by.  If you think this is still St. Petersburg, you’re sadly mistaken. The city is in Phase 3:  the first was the city described above with Webb City and its mermaids and Wolfie’s at Central Plaza. Then downtown changed, Maas Brothers closed, and the city emptied, with people going to the malls and the suburbs. Now, we’re in the third phase, and downtown is … (14 comments)

Leaking in the Rain.... TOP SECRET SCREEN SHOT of the NEW & IMPROVED ActiveRain Dash Board - 11:03 AM
Well you gotta admit the rain gods (Matt, Ben and Caleb) on ActiveRain have been quite busy. Gosh, who would have thought that playing in the rain was gonna become soooo complicated?
With each passing week it seems that there is some new bell or whistle for us to poke and play with. This week it was the "Groups" feature and ALL that that takes to master.
Do you realize that on ActiveRain you can do you do all of the following: Login, Insert, Upload, Search, Group, Associate, Post, Edit, Update, Start, Join, Tag, Browse, Bookmark, Show, Delete, Rate, Submit, Leave, Add, Remove, Order, Email, Contact, Comment, … (19 comments)

RealTown Bloggers - 08:20 AM
Among the recent featured blog entries on RT Blogs....
Active Rainer and RT Blogger Ann Cumming's Thanksgiving blog was a featured blog entry on RT Blogs.  Congratulations Ann! 
I invited Michael Adams to Active Rain and I think I will try again... or anyone else know Michael? Invite him!  Michael wrote about Inman saying "don't decorate for the holidays."  I am wondering about the official edict on decorating from Real Estager,  Craig Schiller... I gotta read Craig's blogs... ( non RT blogs....)   
Edit: Of course Craig has spoken on the issue! How did I miss these?  Craig on Active Rain.   Craig on his other blog....  his 'pretty blog'.....
Book reviews... … (13 comments)

Where Will Your Business Drive You in 2007? - 03:58 PM
                              
     I've blogged a lot about my BIG reason why I'm in this business.  My motivating factors might not be the same as yours.  My philosophy has always been, "If I help enough people get what they want, then I will get what I want."  I stand true to this creed today, and will not change for anything or anybody.  Money is not my motivating factor.  If I have enough money to pay my bills, enjoy my life, and be a good father and husband, then that's all the money I need.  Sure, it's nice to get those nice closing … (1 comments)

Note to New Agents With Websites: Keep Up The Good Fight and Never Give Up! - 04:29 PM
                       
My story has been told to many agents in town, so it's not news to many in Cedar Rapids, but I thought I would share this "nugget" with the newer agents on Active Rain.  I am happy to say that I survived my first year and can now say to the world, "This is my second year in real estate."  Sure, I'm what poor wants to be when it grows up, but I will live to fight another day!
I had a training session in Cedar Rapids with a bunch of other Realtors, and afterwards I asked one of the Realtors … (2 comments)

Another TREO 650 tip. - 05:25 PM
I use for my Treo everything in and out of real estate. I like to share tips with other professionals and my tips may be easy or advanced, but certainly useful. This blog addresses the three resets that you may need to do with your TREO. Your treo can get tired, uncooperative, difficult and may not feel so well. There are three fixes, or reset that can be done to get your treo back in shape.
1. Soft Reset is done if you experience your treo shutting off, or not going where you want it to go, or, just getting stuck. Pull … (3 comments)

Implementing ideas - 07:48 AM
The biggest challenge I had early in my career was to implement the ideas and systems I had learned during a conference. It is too easy to get caught up in every day activities once we get back into the office (which may have already happened to you). Every time this happens, I always remember a famous qoute: "If you continue to do today, what you did yesterday, you will get the same results you had yesterday" (or something like that). I
 The best thing I learned from Howard Brinton was to focus on my top 3 ideas (from any event) and … (3 comments)

Lunacy? I don't go to closings! - 04:04 PM
Yesterday, Ann Guy wrote about pre-closing her mortgage clients.  Her post made me think about how Dmitry and I conduct our real estate business. A few years back, when I was a newer agent, I had a particularly nerve-wracking morning prior to a closing on one of my seller's homes.  The buyer's agent kept calling me about a mirror that was removed from the bathroom.  The mirror was not in the contract, but she recalled a conversation that had taken place AFTER the deal was bottom-lined regarding the sellers' furniture.  The sellers had agreed to sell a few pieces that would … (18 comments)

WHY DO THEY NEED MY INFORMATION TO MAKE A COMMENT??? - 07:53 PM
Call me suspicious.  Call me a cantankerous old goat.  Call me fed up with SPAM.I am no doubt all of the above, but for good reason.  I'm suspicious of web sites that need my name, address, home phone, business phone, date of birth, sex, and often more just to post a comment on a community web site.  I just posted a comment to a post about a local vendor and the system wouldn't accept my brilliant writing until I registered.  O.K., I'm used to that.  O.K., I'm game.  I'll register.  Goodness knows I know the Internet routine by now that I … (8 comments)

SO, THE LETTERS ARE WARN OFF OF MY KEYBOARD. SO WHAT?? - 08:30 PM
I learned something very interesting about one of our agents this evening.  While discussing a new development, he went to my computer to pull up the address of the project since we had a dispute about the location.  He sat at my computer and froze.  "You don't have any letters on your keyboard", he sputtered.  "They're just warn off", I said.  He was almost paralyzed because without looking at the keyboard, he couldn't type.  "Where's the "M", he asked.  By this time, I was feeling mischievous and answered, "It's next to the "N".  Thwarted, he started studying the keyboard and, for … (10 comments)

IF THEY TELEPHONE ME, THEY'RE MINE. - 08:53 PM
I said those very words to an agent I was meeting with last week about referring some buyers.  We were having a nice meeting and I forgot to unplug the phone.  Normally, I unplug the phone when meeting with anyone so I can give my full time and attention to my guest, agent, client, lender.  But, I forgot and the phone rang. I instinctively picked it up and answered, "This is Lenn".  O.K.  I know I should say "Homefinders.com", but old habits are hard to break and when I worked in a big real estate office the desk person would transfer … (3 comments)

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