The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines BRAND as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design (or combinations of them)" to identify certain goods and services. So, naturally, branding means the marketing strategy to accomplish the goal of product/ service recognition. For example, when we see a hot air balloon on a real estate sign, we instantly recognize that it's a Re/Max brokerage. A checkmark on a shoe is instantly recognized as Nike and the golden arches as McDonald's. Re/Max and other companies spend millions of dollars in "branding" and reinforcing their names in their marketing strategies.
There a few crucial points in this article, What Is Branding written by Laura Lake on About.com regarding Branding. I will mention them, then expand it for our use here on Active Rain.
Point #1: In your Branding campaign, you must understand the needs and wants of your targeted consumer. Point #2: Branding is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions. Some of which you can influence, some you cannot.
So how does Your Blog becomes Your Brand?
Your writing/ Your style Your blog defines "you", your knowledge, your style and your personality. The more you participate in writing effective blogs, the more readers know you, brand you and can eventually "coin" you. Perhaps find a powerful closing at the end of every blog. Make it the same for every blog. You might even want to use familiar logos like the way, Ms. Jennifer Allan of Denver, CO real estate ends her blogs with her Sell with Soul logo. Katerina Gasset of Wellington, FL real estate ends her blogs with her contact information, listing information and disclosures. She repeats this in every blog. That is Her style. Lenn Harley's exquisite maps. Teresa Boardman's phenomenal local photos. Gary Wortal's complimentary photos that go so in tuned with the topics he writes about. There are much more worth mentioning. But you get the picture. (Check these blogger's Active Rain sites. Worth spending a few minutes to understand this topic.)
Your blog can really be your BRAND. So, make the most of it!
Your blog's appearance, look and feelshould be similar across your point of contact with the public. With the help of Brad Carroll, you can now customize your blog in his article, Active Rain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com. Take the opportunity to set up a customized header, background and use colors of your website. This brings familiarity when readers of your blog visit your site. I noticed that many Active Rainers have not updated their Outside Blog feature of Active Rain. Shame on you if you haven't already done that. It is another opportunity to increase search engine visibility, so you need to put a high priority in setting it up soon. If you don't know this, you can access your Outside Blog through your Active Rain administrative panel (left column) right under My Ads. Everyone on Active Rain has an outside blog: http://YourUserName.ActiveRain.com.
I proudly serve and sell real estate in the northern suburb cities of the Dallas metroplex. If you are thinking about selling your home in neighborhoods of Frisco, Plano, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Little Elm, Prosper, Celina, Richardson, Dallas M-Streets, Dallas White Rock Lake area and other surrounding areas and more importantly, want to work with a local area expert, contact me immediately.
It is a competitive market, hence it is important that you choose to work with the realtor who knows these communities like none other. I employ a systematic market approach in selling your home - an intentionally unique proposal that most real estate agents do not use. If you care to be on your way to a successful closing, contact me immediately to see how different my proposition will be.
Contact: Loreena Yeo Realtor/ Broker of 3:16 team REALTY (214) 783-2210 loreena@loreenayeo.com
Note: All contents are original except where noted. Consider subscribing to my blog. It is my intentions to bring you good blog contents that will make you feel that it was worth your time to subscribe.
It is not a secret that selling in today's market if you live in "most" of America will be a challenge. Some markets are tougher than others. I sold my rental property a year ago in yet another tough market - Norman, Oklahoma. But my objective was clear: to get this condo SOLD - once and for all and put it on a page of my history book.Like most sellers today, the odds against my success were high. I would not be telling the truth if I didn't mention that yes, I was a little fearful with my market and of my competitors. Buyers of condominiums are not readily available and it in February that I had put my property on the market: the timing factor.
If you knew Norman, Oklahoma at all, it is a university town. My alma mater - the University of Oklahoma. The Spring semester had already started and most students move back home in the Summer until school starts back in the Fall. So, clearly I had some time factor stacked against my sale. I employed the best Realtor® in Norman, Patrick Moore. Patrick understands the college town real estate. He is not a pushy salesperson and he is very respectful of my opinions (if you know me by now, you know I have too many!). Together, Patrick, my husband and I did the impossible: Sold this condo in 30 days when others took over 180 days.
So how did I sell my property in 30 days when others took over 180 days?
I took 4 important steps, which I believe made that a successful transaction:
Remodeling:
After 4 years of renting, it was clear that the property was not in its best shape. I did what other Sellers did not want to do: pour in more money into this thing you no longer want to own. I did not want to give Buyers any chance to say "I like this, but......" I DON'T believe in "ifs and buts". So, I put in new tiles to replace the laminate flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms. Brand new carpet to replace old wooden parquet floors the rest of the property. I repainted the entire condo with a coat of fresh new paint. Just with these major changes, the property already scream "Buy me, buy me" when compared to my competitors.
You see, my understanding of my objective is very clear. I give no reason for buyers not to make a "slam dunk" decision. I study my competition and I make sure I come out the top of the list. With Patrick's help, we went to see 4 other properties that afternoon - researching what they are asking with what are featured in the property.
Staging:
Screaming "Buy me, buy me" is not enough for a tough over-achiever like me. I honestly didn't think it needed staging given the condition of my property based on its price (which I will discuss later) when it was stacked against the competition. But I needed to help the buyer make a no-brainer decision. So, I staged it. Yes, it was the only staged property among those available. I believe that Staging is the cream of the crop. In some markets and at some price points, they are not an option. You MUST stage them. Very successfully, this vacant cold condo looks homely and it was the key for any parents who would want to purchase a cozy "home away from home" for their child. I understand this mentality.
Pricing:
All the above would not be successful had I not priced it correctly. Fortunately, or unfortunately (however you want to look at it), when I made the decision to re-carpet, re-tile and re-paint, I did not figure the cost of these maintenance into my equation. Why Did I Not? How could I? That's what most Sellers reactions would be. However, being a Realtor® myself, I understand how Buyers make the decision call. When you buy, you would almost expect carpet, flooring and paint on the walls unless it's a rehab property. If the conditions were not good, as a Seller, you would almost always get penalized for them. If they were acceptable conditions, then okay. However, if they were fresh and newly installed, it just almost makes them feel good about their purchase.
Like I had mentioned before, my objective is clear. To sell this property to the first buyer that walks in. I give no reason not to make this no-brainer decision. I priced it $3,000 less than my next competitor, who didn't have new flooring and new paint. I priced it $6,000 less than my "similar" competitor who had new flooring. In terms of percentage, this $3,000 is almost 8% less. However to me, having to risk that $3,000 "loss" upfront was very little when compared to my property sitting in the market for over 6 months (my mortgage payment would be more than $3,000).
So, after the remodelling, staging and pricing, I let my Realtor® do his duty - to sell it for me. True enough, I received a phone call from him 3 weeks after we went on the market and an offer came in shortly after. I also want to mention that I got an offer $1,000 less than listing price. Not bad. Not bad at all.
I believe 4 crucial steps contributed to my phenomenal success: Placing the property at the top of the market condition, staging it to place it over the top, pricing it attractively to help the buyer make the decision. The final and most important step is that I have a very competent Realtor® who understands his market and provided me with all necessary information to make an informed decision. After all, like it or not, Realtors® are only facilitators to the transaction. The ultimate decision: success or not lies in the hands of the Seller ie me. Only I can control the outcome of my sale and I exercised it.
Well, after reading this blog, there is no secret at all to selling in 30 days when others took over 180. The hard fact to swallow is that the market is more competitive and it takes much more to sell. The only real secret is if you, the Seller wants to accept the reality of the market. (I meant this is a humility voice).
I proudly serve and sell real estate in the northern suburb cities of the Dallas metroplex. If you are thinking about selling your home in neighborhoods of Frisco, Plano, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Little Elm, Prosper, Celina, Richardson, Dallas M-Streets, Dallas White Rock Lake area and other surrounding areas and more importantly, want to work with a local area expert, contact me immediately.
It is a competitive market, hence it is important that you choose to work with the realtor who knows these communities like none other. I employ a systematic market approach in selling your home - an intentionally unique proposal that most real estate agents do not use. If you care to be on your way to a successful closing, contact me immediately to see how different my proposition will be.
Contact: Loreena Yeo Realtor/ Broker of 3:16 team REALTY (214) 783-2210 loreena@loreenayeo.com
Note: I blog about the home-buying and home-selling process. All contents are original and where necessary are correct for the local North Texas real estate market conditions. Consider subscribing to my blog. It is my intentions to bring you good blog contents that will make you feel that it was worth your time to subscribe.
Every parent was right when they said, "Having a baby changes everything". Well, most of you who has known me here for a while has seen me from being the regular Realtor(R) who's just stepping foot in this big, big world of real estate, who read about my blogs about my pregnancy and my little hiccup towards then end and once a while, my squeezed opportunities of sharing my precious photos of my son, Boomer. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by just like that.
As I get got home from my vacation, my next priority project is my Boomer's first birthday party. No matter how many leads I could work on, it is his 1st birthday party that has my eye on. Yes, my sweetie pie is turning BIG 1. Just a year ago, he was still growing inside me and today, he has learnt from opening his big brown eyes, to smiling, to crawling, to clapping and giving me High Fives. Wow, what an achievement for both Boomer and I.
My husband and I have decided to write a letter to Boomer - one from each of us as a gift from us. We plan to scrapbook these letters and save them until the last of us pass on. He will receive a bounded scrapbook of birthday letters from each of us, sharing and pouring our hearts to him. I thought this would be a very genuine idea - something that I hope he would treasure as part of our legacy to him and something that no birthday gifts could come close to.
My letter would be private and personal. But today, I am sharing with you my prayer for my son. I hope that you too, would spare a minute or two to say a prayer for him on his soon-1st birthday.
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for Boomer. This year has definitely flown by and as I watch him grow, I could almost feel your outpouring love for me as your child too. Having Boomer has really taught me more about your unconditional love. No matter what the day may bring, just a little twinkle in his eyes could set my heart on fire.
May you continue to guide me to direct Boomer on the righteous path. May he get to know and love you with all of his heart. May he become ALL that you have intended for him to be. May my sweet, precious Boomer accomplish your will in his lifetime.
Please protect him wherever he may be. I am still learning to release him as your child, not mine. I will promise to treasure all the years you will give us as mother and son. Thank you for nudging me, realigning my priorities in anticipation for Boomer. You are a great God who knows what's best for both of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for taking your time to read this. It really means alot to me.
He was a tiny baby - not weighing much more over 5 lbs.
Boomer - almost 11 months later!!! Some people say that he's almost half my size.
Everything good will eventually come to an end. So does vacations. It is an awesome trip we took as a family together - the three of us (for the first time) since Boomer was born almost 11 months ago. Prior to that, my husband and I used to take very cool vacations - to Africa, to Asia and beyond. Our vacation this time has been pretty different. Our schedules revolved around Boomer having one good nap during the day so that it becomes a great day for all of us. Gone are the days where we were out on vacation from breakfast till dinner. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed ourselves, discovered us as a family unit (more important) and had a great time.
We travelled to China (Guangzhou) on the 10th of August. We visited my side of the family and managed to visit my Grandfather's birthplace. Our family called it our ancestral home. My father and uncle plan to rebuild the house someday for better comfort with today's basic amenities such as electricity and water. One day it will happen. Then, my parents and our family took a trip to picturesque Guilin, China. Those water painting of mountains and rivers are indeed real. I never imagined seeing it for myself. Now, those water paintings mean alot to me now. Next, we visited Dalian (a city in North China) where my husband's sister and her family lived. It was a different experience from the south (Guangzhou area). The food is different, the people is different and the language is different. The only common ground was that they looked Chinese.
My last stop - Beijing, China. The Olympics ended by the time we arrived Beijing. According to some locals, the tickets were very expensive and even with that, they were not readily available. So, we watched the closing ceremony on TV. Had we been there, the fireworks grand finale would have been spectacular. We visited the Great Wall of China - an awesome site with rich Chinese history dating back several hundred years. They estimated that the Great Wall was approximately 4,000 miles long even though no one really knows. There are several "entrance" sites to the site such as Badaling (most visited by tourists), Mutianyu (a little further than Badaling) and Simatai (the most preserved section of the Great Wall). Me, being me - I chose to visit the Simatai area, of course. It was a wrong move. It was treacherous hike to say the least and with 2 children (mine at 11 months and my sister's at 4 year old), it sure wasn't not a pretty sight by the time we got up to one of the towers. Nevertheless, being up there will be one of my most memorable history I'd ever remembered. At that moment, I was proud to call myself Chinese. The hike was bad, I cannot imagine needing to lug bricks and mortar to build this thing. Just one word, Wow!
We also visited the Forbidden City - the Imperial palace of China from the mid-Ming to the end of the Qing dynasty. It served as the home of the Emperors for almost 500 years, 980 buildings and covers 180 acres. Now, that's some real estate for you! It took us over 1 1/2 hours to walk from one end of the palace to another - with no stops. And another 1 hour around the block and still no end in sight. So, we decided to hail a cab.
Next best thing Beijing has to offer - shopping heaven. It was a blast. I became an expert negotiator by the end of Day 1, I had to make another trip back out to the Silk Market to get more of the spirit. I really didn't care what I was buying anyways. They were all good stuff. Being Chinese and being able to speak Mandarin, I think I got my stuff alot cheaper than other tourists. Don't be surprised that their listing price vary from one tourist to another by ALOT! In the end, it was all good. So, if you want some tips on how to bargain at the Silk Market in Beijing, just give me a call!
I can conclude my trip without mentioning the night markets in Beijing. Surprisingly, the shops and stores close fairly "early" - by 10:30pm or so. Beijing is still not the biggest city in China, Shanghai tops the list. Over 17 million people call Beijing home. To curb the vehicles on the streets of Beijing, the city of Beijing regulated for "odd-numbered and even numbered" vehicles. So, if you owned a car with the last number being an even number (ie. 2,4,6,8 and 0), you can only be on the streets every other day. My husband tried a silk worm (see photo) and I took many photos of the weird food served as delicacies in China. Do not view these pictures if you have a weak stomach.
Okay, enough said. Let my pictures tell the rest of my story.
We made it to the Great Wall of China!!!!
The Infamous Forbidden City
More of Beijing below:
Yes, I get to see this too - the Bird's Nest
A church in Beijing
The buildings in Beijing are HUGE!
A park near the Forbidden City
Wangfujing Street - a tourist heaven and with night market
And now, see these photos at your own risk. I'm not responsible for your not wanting lunch today!
Sea horse (50 yuan per stick - ie not cheap)!
Fried bullfrogs
Fried sea horses
Centipedes
My dear husband trying his fried silk worm. He said it tasted hard on the outside and mushy on the inside.... Yikes!
Now, how could you forgive me if I didn't share this most precious photo?
Note: I enjoy blogging about real estate and about my personal experiences. If you enjoy what you read and if you enjoy photography, consider subscribing to my blog. It is my intentions to bring you good blog contents that will make you feel that it was worth your time to subscribe.
This trip to China has really been an awesome experience. In fact, it has been down right unimaginable with all the places I visited and the special treatment I got wherever I went. So, naturally I'm feeling as if I was the Empress of China.
Well, it kicked off with hotel accommodations at 5-star hotels and resorts. Bell hoppers to attend to my needs so that I never have to lift a finger. Even waitresses at restaurants would play, entertain and babysit my Boomer while I have meals in comfort. I ate great Chinese food to my heart's content. Even chauffeured driven BMW 7-series car rides in the streets of Beijing. Did I mention shopping was a blast too?
For one hundred American dollars, you get almost seven hundred Chinese Yuan (Chinese currency). Can you see how far it can stretched? As an example, breakfast at a local restaurant cost no more 50 yuan (less than $7 - for the price of 1 American breakfast here) for 4 adults. At the right locations, you can buy export quality merchandise for a fraction of the cost which we pay in the US. Everything we buy in the US is made is China anyways. My USD 200 went really far. I bought so much "stuff" including stuff I didn't need. I'm done with Christmas shopping, by the way!!!
I had manicures and pedicures all vacation long. I never even need to wash my own hair. Hair saloons are everywhere and pampering services such as these cost next to nothing. Did I say I even had a hair perm too? That was an experience in itself.... I had my hair suspended for this perm for over an hour..... I LOVE my new look.....
Can you see why I really don't want to leave? I highly recommend China as your next vacation spot if you aren't quite sure where to head next. I promise you, it's an eye-opening and at times, in awe experience.. (Hint, hint: You must have the right connections).
My vacation is almost coming to the end. Check out my other blogs of my visit. Last and final blog about my vacation to come soon. Stay tuned.
Note: I enjoy blogging about real estate and about my personal experiences. If you enjoy what you read and if you enjoy photography, consider subscribing to my blog. It is my intentions to bring you good blog contents that will make you feel that it was worth your time to subscribe.
The highlights of Vacation China 2008 on Week 2 was to visit this breath-taking city of Guilin in GuangXi province. Guilin is a city which thrived on tourism. People all over the world come to see the beautiful mountains and rivers. No words can really described that 4-hour river cruise we took on the LiJiang River. I have never seen something this beautiful. This time, I could not capture the magnificent and the majestic mountains in my photos. Descriptions below the photos.
Note: I enjoy blogging about real estate and about my personal experiences. If you enjoy what you read and if you enjoy photography, consider subscribing to my blog. It is my intentions to bring you good blog contents that will make you feel that it was worth your time to subscribe.
Click on the "Subscribe" button at the top right corner of this page (right above my photo).
I accomplished the reason for my trip on the third day. I have always wanted to visit my grandfather's birthplace, the house he grew up in and the roads he played in when he was a little kid. I could only dream for a day like this and when it happened right before my very eyes, I could only soak it all in - in peace. My parents had visited this place twice and again, I have only been able to hear stories. But this time, I get to experience it for myself. There is no words that can describe my feelings.
My grandfather was born around World War I and by his late teens/ early 20s, he left China and followed his father-in-law to Malaysia to make a better living for his young wife and son. My grandfather became a laborer in the construction industry. One day, he fell from the second floor and hurt his back. From that day on, he switched careers and became a jeweler. Not long after he arrived in Malaysia, his wife and son which he had left in China drowned in a boating incident. My grandfather later remarried to my grandmother.
During my grandfather's lifetime, he managed to only go "home" twice. Once in 1983 and another in 1988. When communism took over China, most of the family communication was impeded and only recently did my father rekindled his relationship with his cousin, my uncle (below). During this 10 days that I've spent with my uncle, I have totally enjoyed his hospitality. In China, it is almost given that you need to fight to pay for the food bill. It's courtesy. Going dutch is definitely a no-no.
Cost of Living in Taishan, China An average Chinese earns about $1500 - $2000 yuan (ren min bi - Chinese currency). So did my uncle. In fact, my uncle had to hold two jobs because he had to take care of his mother. Yet, every dinner he tries to foot the bill. Our average lunch bill cost around $100 (less than USD 20) for the 5 of us. Our dinner bill cost around $250 (around USD 40). Our first dinner in Taishan, my uncle's place cost about $1000 ( USD 150) for 14 adults on a 12-course dinner. It is cheap by our standard, but if you earned only $2000, you could not afford to eat out, let alone buy dinner for your out-of-town family who came to visit.
Yet my uncle and aunt chose to do that. They told my parents how grateful they are to my grandparents when they were alive. Whenever my grandfather could, he sent money back to them for additional spending so that living became easier. They could hardly afford rice, salt and just basic necessities. When my grandfather went back to visit them, my grandfather bought them a color TV, rice cooker and of course, for my cousin lots of t-shirts, shorts and sneaker shoes. My aunt told me how proud my cousin was when he got those shoes. He even very candidly told his friends, as he was parading around the village to ask their grandpa to buy it for them. It was known that my grandfather had also purchased their apartment unit for them so that they did not need to pay rent. Yes, they were that poor.
My uncle in China. One of the most humble & friendly person you'd ever meet.
My aunt lived a tough life. Her father was viewed an opposition to the communist party in China. Her family was separated and her father was sent to jail. In order to get her father out of jail, they had to pay a hefty fine (something they didn't have) and at the same time, my aunt - being the oldest child of the family had to wear a big tag around her neck when she leaves her house. The tag labelled her as a child to a family member who had opposed the government. "So don't try it" mentality. My aunt also had to enter the Communist military to pay off her father's debt. Needless to say, my aunt is a strong woman and seen many things during her lifetime. She paid off the last penny of her father's fine and that day, she too became a free woman. One of her most remembered jokes was about a "Made in China" joke. As she was practicing some military exercise, she threw a grenade at the "enemy". It didn't explode. When she went to check on it later, it said, "Made in China"...... and she said that was the reason. (Implying of low quality).
Why this a humbling experience for me?
My grandfather's house is not much bigger than a big room separated into three tiny areas: a family room, kitchen area and a bedroom. My grandfather (the oldest of the siblings), his 3 other brothers and parents slept in this bedroom, . They were so poor that my 2nd granduncle ran away from home and became a son to another family in the next village.
There is no a/c, no heater, no water and only gas lamps to light the house. It was over 100 degrees that day when we visited the house. I dont know how my grandfather could have survived the elements. I bet there must be lots of mosquitoes too. My aunt told me that when my grandfather visited the house for the first time in over 50 years, she had to cycle my grandfather in a bicycle. My grandfather cannot walk too far because of his injury from his early construction days. My uncle and aunt were so poor, a bicycle is all they could afford. It must have been a treacherous ride for both my aunt and my grandfather. Yet, my grandfather managed to visit this homeland twice after he left. He really didn't have intentions to never return; all he wanted was to make a better living, save alot of money and return. But the tragedy and Communism took over China, his "short-term" move became a lifetime decision.
Because of my grandfather's move, my father and I have a much better life. I am grateful to what my grandfather had done for me in his lifetime. He instilled good character in me and I wear them proud. It is because of my grandfather's hardwork and savings that gave me the chance to come to the United States for an education that I otherwise wouldn't have. With education, I am of equal to an American. Today, I know I had it easy. This country accepts me like one of her own. What more can I want?
Thank you, Grandpa. I miss you very much and I will see you again someday.
[Background information about photos: Everyone that lives in this village ie Lo Tong Villege has the same family name. We are somehow related to one another. I thought that was kinda cool.]
The houses in my grandpa's village
Kitchen
Bedroom
Roof top view of the village and beyond
Back portion of my grandpa's house
The infamous outhouse
Views of my grandpa's village
Door to the main gathering of the village (separate building). My father told me that this is the place where good and not so good things happen. When they farm their crops, they bring it all here to disperse. When someone did something bad, this courtyard becomes the courtroom too.
Restored architecture of the village courtyard.
I've finally made it to my grandpa's house. I'm so delighted.
Note: I enjoy blogging about real estate and about my personal experiences. If you enjoy what you read and if you enjoy photography, consider subscribing to my blog. It is my intentions to bring you good blog contents that will make you feel that it was worth your time to subscribe.
Click on the "Subscribe" button at the top right corner of this page (right above my photo).
I had intentions to blog as I travel from cities to cities. Well, let's just say that that plan just remains as well intentions. Vacation is actually ALOT of work. More than my normal typical days working..... We get up early, walk all day then come back after a good dinner. By the time I put Boomer down, I've been too tired to think, let alone blog.
So, here's a review of what I did in the first week:
We arrived Guangzhou (South China) on Monday August 11th. Spent our first night in a hotel near the airport, awaiting my parents' arrival the next morning. We greeted them at the airport and took a bus to Taishan - a city where my grandfather was born and raised. (Await my humbling blog as I visit my grandfather's birthplace). There I met my Uncle for the first time. It was an instant connection because my grandfather had always sent pictures of my siblings and I to this uncle.
Taishan is a fairly large city, located in Southern China, in the GuangDong province. Much bigger than Frisco, Texas. Its population is 1 million people and it's located approximated 140 km west of Hong Kong. This city sleeps late. Most businesses close after 10:30pm and restaurants past 2 or 3am. The best part of Taishan for me was the FOOD. I love DIM SUM and we could feed 6 adults with less than USD 20. We thought it was heaven on earth for the 10 days we spent in Taishan. The chinese cooking is spectacular..... yummy to say the least. We told my uncle, no dogs or cats for dinner though. He laughed. Shopping is great too. I bought a lot of stuff for less than USD 100. Everything I want in the US I can get in China - it came from here anyways. What a mark up we pay over there!!! [Map from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Location_of_Taishan_within_Guangdong_(China).png]
Let my pictures speak for itself:
Having a good time in China
The locals purchase fresh produce and groceries in a local wet market. It was an eye-opening experience.
We ate and ate and ate until we dropped. And it still cost so little.... Dim sum for "brunch - breakfast and lunch!".
Taishan's buildings from my uncle's roof top view.
The landscape of China has definitely changed over the last decade. It is now filled with motorized bikes.
Shops in Taishan city center
The local Home Depot
Stay tuned for the 2nd week vacation and my grandfather's village blog highlights. We visited a breath-taking city called Guilin and I promise you that the pictures will be awesome. You will wish you really had come along too.
The Heaven rejoiced while fellow Active Rainers and those who knew her wept.Karen George has returned to the Lord recently. Sometimes, as humans we have too many questions to ask. Why? Why a life taken so soon? We'd never understand and as we save this and many more questions we have for the Lord, saying that there are these to be answered when we do get THERE. But I bet, as Karen walks the streets in heaven now, she is happy, she is contented and most of all, she is at peace. Her sweet smile.
My go-to bible verse when things go not in my intended direction is:
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with ALL of my heart. Lean not on my own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct my path.
Today, this scripture seems so fitting. The bible also teach us to Not worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything.
I never knew Karen like I do some of you. But she has impacted my life just like she has many fellow Active Rainers. Karen never knew me. But someday she and I will meet when my time is up. In the midst of my bed rest with my pregnancy last September, I read all of Karen's blogs. From her lessons in SEOs, to her personal challenges of her fight with breast cancer, Karen has touched my life and she didn't even know it. I also didn't get a chance to tell her "Thank You" in this lifetime.
My Active Rain lead generation has sky rocketed because of the tips and blogs Karen wrote. I took over 16 hours to read her blogs - every single one of them and many more to implement and clean up my tags and house keeping tips on my blogs. It was a real Active Rain challenge in itself but the results were spectacular. I wrote a blog about the summary of what Karen taught about SEO - Increase Your Rankings (House Keeping Tips). It was just short of a featured blog.
This blog isn't about me, but about Karen. About her love to share with others. About how she had touched so many lives and didn't even know it. But she does now. And she's smiling down on us. Active Rainers.
Patricia Harris of Celtic Realty in Dunedin, FL wrote about her blog about her sadness about her business flourishing when others around her are losing their homes. She and her agents are in business because of others' misfortunes - short sales and foreclosures. Patricia has a big and kind heart and she feels for her clients. We need more Realtors® like her.
We are in deed in a tougher economy now. Many people had lost their homes due to layoffs, perhaps over-bought in homes thinking that salaries will catch up to it, took on an adjustable rate mortgage thinking that they will refinance before the rate re-adjusts (but life happens and it became a low priority). Many people, not only in Florida but across the country had bought houses because interest rates were very low and there were lots of sub-prime loans out there. Frisco TX real estate where I work is no exception.
I feel sad about some sellers' situations. However, we as Realtors® should focus on applying our skills and knowledge in getting our sellers through the short sales and foreclosure process, instead of mopping with them about their situations. It is a fact that the value of their homes did not hold up. It is a fact that their homes are worth less than their loan balance. It is a fact that sellers cannot make their payments the past few months. These are all facts but instead of focusing on things we cannot change in the past, it is time to concentrate on getting out of uglier situations.
I feel that short sales and foreclosures are horrible. I never wish it upon anyone. But if it does happen, I want to say, it is not the end of the world. There is more to life than there unfortunate situations. I am usually more concerned about the family's emotions going through these troubled times. I know that as long as families stay in tact, they can weather this. I know it may sound easy to say, but it is just money. If you lose it, all you have to do it to go out and find it again. But do not let banks, short sales and foreclosures take your families away. Marriage and emotions should be top priorities. And yes, as Realtors®, as much as we apply our knowledge and we are not counselors, that will be where the focus is while walking the client through this tough and difficult time.
As another word of advice to Realtors®, short sales and foreclosures are a whole different ball game. Help the clients where you can. If you are not knowledgeable enough, refer it out to your local area short sales and foreclosure specialists. These people are facing a real problem. They do not need you to stumble your way, blind-folded hand holding them through this process. They need experts in this field. You could work with the agent hand-in-hand.
A competitve real estate market to buy and sell in Frisco, Plano, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Little Elm, Prosper, Celina, Richardson, Irving and surrounding areas. Hence work with the realtor who knows these communities like none other. I also employ a systematic market approach to evaluate homes unlike most realtors. If you care to be on your way to a successful transaction, contact me immediately. Ask me about the attractive deals in these areas. For no fluff, down-to-earth real estate advice.
;)
Links;)
Tags (Tag Cloud);)
Archives
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines BRAND as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design (or combinations of them)" to identify certain goods and services. So, naturally, branding means the marketing strategy to accomplish the goal of product/ service recognition. For example, when we see a hot air balloon on a real estate sign, we instantly recognize that it's a Re/Max brokerage. A checkmark on a shoe is instantly recognized as Nike and the golden arches as McDonald's. Re/Max and other companies spend millions of dollars in "branding" and reinforcing their names in their marketing strategies.
Posted by 
If you knew Norman, Oklahoma at all, it is a university town. My alma mater - the University of Oklahoma. The Spring semester had already started and most students move back home in the Summer until school starts back in the Fall. So, clearly I had some time factor stacked against my sale. I employed the best Realtor® in Norman, 
My last stop - Beijing, China. The Olympics ended by the time we arrived Beijing. According to some locals, the tickets were very expensive and even with that, they were not readily available. So, we watched the closing ceremony on TV. Had we been there, the fireworks grand finale would have been spectacular.
Well, it kicked off with hotel accommodations at 5-star hotels and resorts. Bell hoppers to attend to my needs so that I never have to lift a finger. Even waitresses at restaurants would play, entertain and babysit my Boomer while I have meals in comfort. I ate great Chinese food to my heart's content. Even chauffeured driven BMW 7-series car rides in the streets of Beijing. Did I mention shopping was a blast too?
For one hundred American dollars, you get almost seven hundred Chinese Yuan (Chinese currency). Can you see how far it can stretched? As an example, breakfast at a local restaurant cost no more 50 yuan (less than $7 - for the price of 1 American breakfast here) for 4 adults. At the right locations, you can buy export quality merchandise for a fraction of the cost which we pay in the US. Everything we buy in the US is made is China anyways. My USD 200 went really far. I bought so much "stuff" including stuff I didn't need. I'm done with Christmas shopping, by the way!!!
I had manicures and pedicures all vacation long. I never even need to wash my own hair. Hair saloons are everywhere and pampering services such as these cost next to nothing. Did I say I even had a hair perm too? That was an experience in itself.... I had my hair suspended for this perm for over an hour..... I LOVE my new look.....
Can you see why I really don't want to leave? I highly recommend China as your next vacation spot if you aren't quite sure where to head next. I promise you, it's an eye-opening and at times, in awe experience.. (Hint, hint: You must have the right connections).
Taishan is a fairly large city, located in Southern China, in the GuangDong province. Much bigger than Frisco, Texas. Its population is 1 million people and it's located approximated 140 km west of Hong Kong. This city sleeps late. Most businesses close after 10:30pm and restaurants past 2 or 3am. The best part of Taishan for me was the FOOD. I love DIM SUM and we could feed 6 adults with less than USD 20. We thought it was heaven on earth for the 10 days we spent in Taishan. The chinese cooking is spectacular..... yummy to say the least. We told my uncle, no dogs or cats for dinner though. He laughed. Shopping is great too. I bought a lot of stuff for less than USD 100. Everything I want in the US I can get in China - it came from here anyways. What a mark up we pay over there!!!
I never knew Karen like I do some of you. But she has impacted my life just like she has many fellow Active Rainers. Karen never knew me. But someday she and I will meet when my time is up. In the midst of my bed rest with my pregnancy last September, I read all of Karen's blogs. From her lessons in SEOs, to her personal challenges of her fight with breast cancer, Karen has touched my life and she didn't even know it. I also didn't get a chance to tell her "Thank You" in this lifetime.
Patricia Harris of Celtic Realty in Dunedin, FL wrote about her blog about 
.png){kind=link}
