Gregus Group Blog

The ultimate kitchen and bath showroom is in Albuquerque, NM!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:24:36 -0500

I recently wrote about making upgrades to my bathroom and I mentioned MVV kitchen, but I failed to mention The Dahl Plumbing Kitchen and Bath Showroom located right here in Albuquerque, NM.

If your clients are looking to remodel their homes they need to take a look at Dahl's Showroom before they do anything. Your clients will design their homes around plumbing fixtures they find in this showroom. Dahl plumbing has every type of toilet, sink, shower head, and vanity that you can think of. Even if you are not looking to make any upgrades to your home it is worth stopping by the Dahl showroom to see what is available in the plumbing industry.

I must have spent an hour looking at everything in the showroom, and the Dahl showroom helped me narrow down the sinks and faucet that I wanted in my home. You'll be walking around saying, "oh...wooow, I want that shower in my house!"

Trust me on this one, if you are looking for a showroom to go to, go to the Dahl Kitchen and Bath Showroom. You'll feel like you are in an HGTV showroom.

The showroom is located at 1500 CANDELARIA NE, ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87107, or call (505) 345-8587.

Christopher Rivera

Think about making some home repairs or upgrades?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:07:07 -0500

I recently decided to do some work around the house, but immediately knew I would need some outside assistance. I am not exactly a skilled craftsmen, I can rip the walls down and paint, but other than that I am more of a destruction guy than a handy man. Thus, when I decided to update my bathrooms I knew I had to call a specialist.

I called MVV Kitchens, a locally owned and operated company here in the Albuquerque area, and they did a terrific job fabricating and installing my new countertops. I saved a ton of money not getting granite and my countertops look really nice! I finally found a company that I can recommend to other agents.

If you are working with clients who want to make bathroom upgrades have them give MVV kitchens a call. No, I did not get paid to say this!

MVV Kitchens (505) 720-8845, ask for Mona.

Hope you are all staying busy,

Christopher Rivera

What can you get in Albuquerque for less than $250,000?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:49:37 -0500

12221 Yellowstone Rd NE Albuquerque, NM

Click For Listing Website

Click For Interactive e-Tour

Enjoy your home grown apples, peaches, and grapes while you sit and relax under your covered patio. This is a 1611 Square foot home with 3 bedrooms, 1.75 bathrooms, two living areas, and a wonderful backyard. It was completely remodeled, and has been extremely well maintained. Come take a look at this home and you will not be disappointed! Oh yeah, did I mention the new roof?

MLS# 647692
$239,900
3 Bedrooms Bed, 1.75 Bathrooms Bath
12221 Yellowstone Rd NE
Albuquerque NM, 87111

Christopher Rivera
EXIT REALTY OF ALBUQUERQUE
505-977-3537
ChristopherRivera@exitabq.net

Facebook or Myspace?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:00:40 -0500

I was having a conversation with other agents in my office and many of them seemed to think it was okay to be on either Facebook or Myspace, but one agent seemed to think Facebook was more professional. Not knowing the difference I opened a Myspace page because I knew some family members had their own pages, and I would have a chance to have some on-line friends. However, my nephew made me reconsider my new-found on-line-profile.

My nephew told my that Myspace is not for old people, and he said that my ripe age of 27 was too old to be on Myspace. After looking for many of my "real" friends, who are my age, but not on Myspace I moved to Facebook. The only difference I see on Facebook is the plain look.

On Myspace, I have music, background pictures, moods, games, comments, and videos. Facebook does have that plain feel to it but more of my "old" friends are on Facebook. But Myspace and Facebook both seem to be a congregation of moods and comments. "Chris is hungry," "Chris is bored," "Chris is going to the movies," "Hey Chris let's go to the movies," "why are you hungry?" Well, you get the picture.

Maybe we should all have Myspace pages to feel young again, which would allow us to understand the younger generation. We can have a Facebook page to have discussions with out professional peers in our professions. But then I think about ActiveRain and the other hundred blog spots.

All I know is that I have more friends on-line then I ever had in "real" life, and I communicate with family and friends across the globe. One down side is I am no longer tan and can't tell you how the weather is outside anymore, but at least I have all my on-line clients and friends!

I am curious about how many people are on Myspace or Facebook. So how many of you use either Facebook or Myspace?

Have a nice day everyone!

Christopher

How was your first quarter?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:20:08 -0500

Now that the first quarter of the work year is over, how did everyone do? Are you seeing sales increase in your area? Did prices increase or did they decrease?

I am curious how all of the various markets did, and I am curious as to how they did compared to other cities and states.

Share your info here.

Christopher

What will you do when you get sick?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:20:58 -0500

I am sitting here at home with a sore throat and a steady cough. I have been here for about 4 days and have not made it into the office during my down time. It started off as a runny nose, presumably from the high juniper count here in NE heights, and then it turned into horrible sinus pressure. Now it is an all out cold with a cough.

You are probably wondering, "why hasn't he gone to the doctor if he is so sick?" Well, I did go to the doctor and I received a prescription for my congestion, but the worst part was how much I paid out of pocket sans insurance. It was easily $300 after all was said and done. $300 was probably cheaper than paying a monthly fee for health insurance, but what would I have done if it was much worse? A broken leg, broken arm, both need numerous tests, emergency fees, x-ray exams, and other costs that would easily stack up. I am lucky that it is just a cold, but the worst part of my cold came when the doctor's office asked me, "who do you use for insurance?"

When I answered "I am self-employed and I do not have insurance," they responded with an, "okay" and a nod of the head. Almost like they felt sorry for me, the sniffly man standing in front of them. At that moment I recall saying, "I don't need health insurance because I never get sick!" Well, here I am sick and forced to learn a valuable lesson...everyone needs health insurance, because we will all get sick, and it is hard to pick and choose when we do catch that bug.

What will you do when you get sick?

If you a self-employed, how will you protect yourself before you get sick?

Do you know of any plans out there designed for the self-employed individual?

Maybe you have a story of when you were sick and didn't have health insurance?

Other agent keeps calling my clients?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:23:45 -0600

I recently had a transaction and the buyer's agent kept calling my clients directly to ask them questions regarding the transaction. My clients would call me after the agent called them, and when I called the other agent they would just say, "sorry I thought I was calling your number." After the third call they had to know they were calling my seller directly.

I did not make a fuss over it, but what should I have done?

What would you have done?

Christopher

6 Candidates: Whats your vote, why?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:18:48 -0500

I know the majority of people are going to vote between Obama and McCain, but if you don't know there are several other canditates to look at when making your choice this November. Like I've stated in previous blogs, I'm not all too happy with my choices and hate the liberal and conservative extremes. There are plenty of us out there who might find a common ground within both parties but our system really isn't set up for a strong third party. With my dissatisfaction, I'm thinking about choosing one of the other 4 candidates. I guess if you really want change you have to submit your vote saying such.

I know that many people will say I'm going to throw my vote away but maybe if enough people vote for a 3rd party, we'll one day have a choice other than Democrat or Republican.

Here is a link to follow if you want to see all off the candidates websites. Check out www.votesmart.org and click on the candidates. I've already linked it to the appropriate spot.

Anyone going another route with there presidential choice or do you feel pretty good about McCain and Obama?

Eucalyptus for your home!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:54:19 -0500

Eucalyptus leaves have several useful functions for your home and I always keep some handy. I personally like having it around for the nice clean smell but there are several other uses for it.

Eucalyptus is great for aromatherapy which can be a great little touch for those selling there homes. Also, did you know that Eucalyptus is a great bug repellent. In a New England Journal of medicine report, Eucalyptus oil repelled mosquito bites for 120.1 minutes. You can also hang Eucalyptus leaves next to windows for a great fly repellent. Do you have any pets? You can place Eucalyptus leaves under your dog or cat beds as both a insect repellent and a also to keep their beds smelling great.

Go to your fresh flower shops and buy it on its own. It's a great way to add some green, keep those little critters away and and a great fresh sent!

Pros Ranch Market Albuquerque

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:23:28 -0500

If your looking for a great place to eat and shop then Pros Ranch Market is a great place for you. Pros Ranch market features a variety of different departments including a hot foods, produce, bakery, meat market, groceries, and a tortilleria.

The "Cocina" or "Kitchen" serves delicious ready to eat Mexican and Latin American dishes. You can get fresh soups, tacos, steaks, enchiladas and more. Sit down and eat right inside. Great drinks include "aguas frescas" or "fresh waters" which include drinks like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, horchata, pineapple, and more. Plus you can even get fresh veggie drinks made to order.

Their grocery store has a variety of departments. Fresh meats and and sea foods, vegetables and fruits, plus you can get your every day needs you'd find at any other grocery store. They have a huge tortilleria making fresh tortillas and tamale masa. Have a sweet tooth? The bakery will impress anyone with delicious cakes, flans, sweet breads and cookies. Grab a quick treat or buy for a special occasion.

I make my way there anytime I'm in the area just to get a fresh Agua de Horchata drink, a taco, and slice of flan for dessert.

Location: 4201 Central Avenue NW, Albuquerque, NM 87105

Tel: (505) 833-1765

Thanks for NOT being an understanding client!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:00:04 -0500

I helped a client purchase his first home and delivered keys last week. He was always a little difficult when it came to requests and the way he would speak to me but more so when it came to getting the mortgage broker all the appropriate documents needed to get him to the closing table.

We finally got closing approval after 2 extensions and my client conveniently went on vacation for a week. How perfect. 7 days later we closed but we had troubles as far as funding is concerned. As we are all aware, Houston was hit by natural disasters and this just happens to be where he was getting his money. The people working for the bank down in Houston grabbed all their files from their unusable and storm ridden office and moved to a hotel room that had electricity. All this just to get their clients approved.

It took about 5 days after our closing date to get funding. I kept him updated to the reason behind the delays which of course was out of everyone's hands. Last week I go out of my way to pick up the keys from title and deliver them from work. His remark:

"it only took you a week to get me keys"

Thanks...

Anyone want to get into PRINTING MONEY with me?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:39:37 -0500

Is that the message we are receiving from our leaders. When we run into financial problems, when companies and consumers are irresponsible, hey, no worries, we'll just print MORE money!!!

I really don't like the idea of inflation and I definitely don't believe by producing more money we'll solve our problems. I won't pretend, or have you believe that I have the solutions to our problems but like solving a multiple choice problem in college, usually there are a few that stick out as bad ideas, and I feel this is definitely one of them.

It's not getting any easier out their in our industry and I don't see this helping! Hey, I have an idea though, if you're a little sort on cash let's just print some more. Why should we be responsible human beings when there are cool machines out there that that make more $$$$.

Who says money doesn't grow on trees?!?!

Let me help you waste MORE time! ;)

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:48:14 -0500

Who's been fired from a job? Luckily I haven't... but I ran across this website of plenty of people who did. It's probably just another portal to more time wasted but don't blame me for any addictions. Some scandalous stories sure to keep you interested. Check it and let me know what ya'll think! The website is called SimplyFired. com

This is for all us AR latenighters who just can't fall asleep~

ACTIVERAIN! Why did you move your logo and member numbers?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:48:38 -0500

AR, I took so much pride in designing my little blog image Header. It's not all that but hey, I obviously took time to do it. You know what I mean, the image with my company logo on top of this blog with the words "Hola &

Bienvenidos". I even made an nice little spot to showcase your ActiveRain Logo and kept colors that would let my visitors easily read how many members there are and how many there are online.

Is this a permanent thing and should I get back to the drawing board. Is this just something that's happening to me and just a fluke individual problem? Did I not get or miss the email stating such changes. Please oh please let me know! :)

NEWS, HYPE, FEAR, ultimately isn't the homowner responsible?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:23:11 -0500

There is a lot that I'm sure I'm missing, and by all means, please let me know. But with all the scares, the news, the hype and fear, where did the responsibility of the homeowners go? I'm sure there are exceptions but ultimately didn't the homeowner agree to buy there home at the terms given by the mortgage professional?

Did they not know how much there monthly payments would be and how much they could comfortably afford?

I'm not trying to defend these government backed loans or irresponsible lending institutions but if people were more responsible they wouldn't purchase a $300,000 home which was at the top of there qualification, rather they would buy a home for $225k or 250k, lowering there monthly payments. Wouldn't responsible consumers make for a stronger economy? Once again, there are always exceptions but how many foreclosures are due to consumer's lack of budgeting, buying more than they can afford, use of credit when they can not afford to pay it back, buying vehicles they don't need, eating out every night, etc.

Maybe now, when times got rough, more homeowners would have some breathing room and not as many would be facing hard times.

e-ink! How will this change Realtor Flyers?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:05:51 -0500

I saw this interesting cover for Esquire Magazine which uses e-ink. Basically it jazzes up the way paper advertisement is by adding some electronics to it. Obviously this is just the beginning of something bigger to come but it is really interesting to see how one piece of technology will trickle down to hundreds of different business.

I believe this cover is a little thicker than your standard cover but like memory cards, this will likely become thinner and thinner every few months.

Can you imagine the day we all have our TAKE ONE flyer's using e-ink. By then we might have multiple photo sideshow's, mapping options, and who knows, maybe it will be a wi-fi, or evdo connected flyer that can instantly contact us.

The future is just around the corner! Check out the video.

247 + Cats in one mans home.... YUCK!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:51:46 -0500

I was up watching Animal Planet last night and saw an old episode of Animal Cops. They were in a metropolitan area of Detroit and had a few complaints about some bad smells and wild cats around a home.

When the Animal Cop went to investigate, they looked around the house and peeked through the windows and saw about 10-15 cats which they said was just too many for 1 home. They knocked and spoke to the

homeowner who gave his permission to go back and remove the animals a few days later. The homeowner stating that one cat had a litter and it got out of control and that he was not able to keep up with them.

Two days later and after two days of work, the animal control officers had taken out 247 cats. YES 247! There were some left in the attic that they couldn't reach but they left some traps to get the last of them. I just don't understand how someone could live in a home like this. Wouldn't the owner be sick? There was feces everywhere, cat hair, urine, torn furniture, and even a dead cat.

Could you imagine trying to sell this home.... I don't think so.

This video link below goes to Animal Planets page but oddly enough the commentator says only 90 cats but I think he was speaking of the basement only as this is just a small clip from the show. I looked around on line just to see if I somehow confused 247 for 90 (ha) but I found plenty of other blogs out there talking about this story affirming the 247 cat number.

Beware, this can make your stomach turn!

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Realtors selling to Realtors...argggh...lol!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:52:59 -0500

I know it' been a slow market lately and it is such a relief to have someone make an offer let alone show your listings but GEEEEEZ, sometimes I just can't handle some other Realtors.

Ok, I'm not trying to be mean because it's sometimes actually funny. I've just noticed an increase in other agents keeping me on the phone trying to sell me the home when I'm not buying it. I have no problem with someone mentioning a few points that they would like me to take special note of, like a possible incentive, or that sellers are going to get a professional cleaner, etc, but enough is enough sometimes.

I know most everything I need to know just by looking at the MLS and showing the home. If I need anything above and beyond, I promise I'll ask. Please don't feel the need to be gimmicky with me like telling me "lets make this happen man", or "what else could they need", or "c'mon man, you can make it happen". Ha ha, like I said funny but tiresome all the same!

How to get clients?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:11:57 -0500

One of the things we always have to work towards is keeping business coming through our doors. Our line of work can be scary as there is never a promise that our business will be the same today as it is next month.

We all live in such different markets and I thought it would be interesting to read what AR members do to get business now, and keep business coming in the future.

I've been actively working the Internet scene and probably get the majority of my business this way. I'm comfortable doing this and it's been successful for me. Apart from my personal website, I use lead generating types of web marketing but always wonder if there is something better just around the corner. I'm not a big fan of mailings as they've never been successful for me yet cost me a fortune.

What techniques, services, etc do you suggest to get business now and keep it going in the future?

Active Rain BONUS Points

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:01:28 -0500

This might be a lazy questions but how do you acquire BONUS points through Active Rain?

I know that's not what AR is all about but I've noticed some people with incredible Bonus points yet I have no idea how it works. Your advise and suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!!

What do you think of McCains VP choice?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:51 -0500

I'd never actually heard of Sarah Palin until I heard John McCain chose her as his VP choice. I haven't made my decision on who I'll be voting for but I'm not sure this helped McCain in my eyes.

Do you think Americans would feel comfortable with Sarah Palin as our president in the event that John McCain could no longer perform his duties? How does everyone think this will effect McCains chances? I'd like to hear both pros and cons!

Dressing down!?!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:01:05 -0500

First impressions are important and I try to dress professionally, but will definitely ease it down once I've established a relationship.

It's hot here in New Mexico and I've made it a habit to wear sandals along with dress clothes (lol). I've always been back and forth on the dress up or layed back look. Funny enough, last month, the father of a client of mine went out of his way to mention how he noticed I wear sandals when we go out and view homes. I thought I was busted but oddly enough he said this shows him that I'm comfortable and confident enough to wear what I want which made him appreciate and trust me even more... Hey, who knew!

Why can't Realtors take pictures?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:31:09 -0500

With the accessibility and ease of technology, why is it that Realtors still add listings to the MLS without at least 1 photo? I know, it can be requested that we do not add photo's to the MLS but I've NEVER been asked this personally by a client. Is it a case of laziness or forgetfulness? Wouldn't they want to impress their clients by showing all they have done including taking photo's?

Now, what about those of us who do take photo's. Congrats!....but wait, why oh why do some Realtors take the pictures they do? Hey, I'm not a photographer but I always insist on taking clean well lit pictures. Why? So that the 80% plus buyers who begin their home search on-line get the best idea of the home I'm listing. Every time I log in to search for homes, I'll get images that are extremely blurred, taken in the dark, of a corner of a wall, of the cat in the house, half filled by the Realtors finger, multiple shots of exactly the same thing, or yesterday, one of the blue sky which had a caption saying "beatiful New Mexico skies". LOL, oh my gosh, that was too funny to handle, if your going to take a scenic shot, by all means feel free to do so, but please make it relavent to the home.

Seriously, most the clients I work with will immediately skip a home if there is no photo and that statement in itself should be reason enough to take a reasonably, viewable, relevant photo!

How to use AR correctly?

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:10:50 -0500

I've been using AR for just over a year now. I really hadn't used it much until the past 4-6 months when out of the blue, I received an email message from someone asking me to do a Listing Presentation for them. I really was somewhat confused because I'm not sure how she found me on AR or why she ultimately chose me. At that time I wasn't even on the first page under Albuquerque (the city I live in) and I really hadn't written too many blogs. Hey, I wasn't complaining though, I joined this in hopes of expanding my Real Estate business but never truly expected to receive any activity through it.

Recently I've been actively writing and responding to Blogs. I really enjoy doing this, and it's horribly ADDICTING! (Yes AR, you are both awesome and terrible. I love logging in and hate how much time I spend here...LOL!) But I'm really curious to know how others use AR and how they gear it towards aquiring new business.

How do you use Active Rain and what advise do you give to help make AR work better for me? Thanks in advance!

Who should I sue?....hmm, the Realtor!

Barbara Gregus (Exit Realty of Albuquerque) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:19:18 -0500

Why oh why do we do what we do?

My Broker was talking to me about a potential lawsuit that might be aimed at one of our agents. A large peice of land that one of our agents helped sell had come into question. The land (which had been sold 3-4 times before over the last few years) was ruled by the city that it could not be subdivided. I guess all sales prior, had up to now, had incorrect and inapproprieately authorized.

Anyhow, not get in to too much detail, when the current owner found out he could not subdivide the land (which is why he had purchased it), he no longer wanted the land and wanted his money back. He went back to the Title company as the city had advised, and they admited to commiting the error. But check this, they advised him to go after the Realtor.... why... because he has E & O insurance.

Even though all the information that our Realtor collected both from the city and Title company show records that the land had no problems and zoned/authorized to be subdivided, the finger gets pointed to Mr. E & O. The client isn't even upset at the Realtor, he just wants his money back and right now the easiest path is through the Realtor.

Why oh why do we do what we do?