Amie Varney - NH Real Estate

Come learn more about Lyme Disease

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:50:46 -0700

Having children has been the most rewarding and hardest jobs I have ever done. After receiving an email from a fellow Mom in my community about this, I had to help get the word out about this. Her three children have all been infected with Lyme Disease, one severely.

Since ticks are a daily nuisance here in Rockingham County, it is a part of life that I want to be more informed about and learn how to prevent Lyme Disease from infecting my family. I was glad to hear that the middle school that my son goes to has been extremely supportive of this woman and helped make adjustments for her sick son that she said "went above and beyond". I was brought to tears when she said that the teachers sometimes went to her house to tutor him when he was too sick to attend school. It made me proud to be part of this community and grateful to have 3 healthy children of my own. Please pass this information on to all.

Let's help this Mom get the word out about this epidemic. Should you have any friends that are politically connected, perhaps you could forward this to them as well.

Thank you all - hope your day is great!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354, 109 Calef Hwy (Rte 125)

Epping, NH 03042

603-490-8799 cell, 603-679-5654 x3920 office

UNDER OUR SKIN:

An eye-opening documentary about Lyme Disease that will surely get under yours

Free showing at Stratham Cooperative Middle School April 23, 6:30-8:30

If you have Lyme Disease, want to support someone who is infected, or would like to understand the controversy surrounding diagnosis and treatment of this epidemic, please attend a free viewing of the award-winning documentary, UNDER OUR SKIN, on April 23rd from 6:30-8:30 at the Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, New Hampshire.

A dramatic tale of microbes, medicine & money, this eye-opening film investigates the untold story of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic larger than AIDS. UNDER OUR SKIN is a powerful look not only at the science and politics of the disease, but also the personal stories of those whose lives have been affected and nearly destroyed. From a few brave doctors who risk their medical licenses, to patients who once led active lives but now can barely walk, the film uncovers a hidden world that will astound viewers.

This movie will educate Seacoast families as they ponder how best to protect their loved ones from the proliferation of infected ticks in Rockingham County. It will prompt questions one might ask if bitten by a tick or diagnosed with Lyme. It may also motivate viewers to urge elected officials to support federal legislation that broadens the diagnosis guidelines and increase research and education funding for Lyme. Visit http://www.underourskin.com/watch.html to see the movie trailer. For more information, call Julie Hall, Kensington Elementary School Enrichment Coordinator, at 603-772-1739.

Need house for another buyer in NH...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:21:15 -0800

Hopefully, the 3rd time will be a charm today. I am sitting in my office looking at MLS and realizing that I have 4 buyers looking for properties and nothing to see. We have exhausted MLS. So, I have a bit of a brainstorm and if you have read my past 2 posts today, you understand. Why not post a blog looking for the right house for them? So here I am, again today!

Have buyer looking for house...can you find them one? This client is looking for a house in Strafford or Rockingham County, NH. Preferably in the middle of Portsmouth and Northwood. They need 2+ bedrooms in the under 200k range and don't want to buy a house that needs lots of work. If you are the owner of such house or know someone that is, have them call me.

We can make an appointment for me to visit your home at your convenience and answer all of your questions. Whether you want to just get a CMA on your home, need help negotiating a short sale with your bank, or think this may be a perfect fit for my client, let's chat! I will assist you with all your real estate needs.

They are pre approved and ready to move, just waiting for the perfect house, maybe it is the one you are in right now!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

Need house for Strafford County NH buyer, please help!

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:08:33 -0800

If you have a house or condo to sell in Strafford County, NH or know someone that does, have them call me. I have a buyer who is looking for a 2+ bedroom condo or house in the 70-125k range.

Rochester, Strafford, Milton area is most desirable. Give me a call and I will come look at your house and give you a realistic view of the market. I will not tell you what you want to hear in order to get your business, I will shoot straight.

Don't wait for the holidays to be over, he is ready now! Call me and I will answer all your questions!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

Calling Plaistow, NH condo owners...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:57:32 -0800

Have you thought about listing your home but are putting it off after the holidays or until the market rebounds? I don not have a crystal ball to see into the future but I do have something else that is precious in this real estate market...

I have a buyer looking to purchase a garden style condo in Plaistow, NH. He wants a 3rd floor unit and there are currently none available. Interested in selling? I'd love to help.

Call me today and we can talk about it! No nonsense, no smoke. I will tell you what you're place is worth and help you sell it!! Don't believe everything you hear on the news...there are buyers out there looking and your house may fit the bill.

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Direct Line

603-490-8799 Cell

Long time, no blog...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:52:20 -0700

Long time, no blog. I know, it's just so hard to fit everything in. I had one busy summer which did end up with 3 closings in September (who said people aren't buying houses?) so there is a reason why blogging had to take a backseat, or in my case, "get out of the car and I'll pick you up later".

Since I had children, I have been juggling work/family/household management yet not quite keeping it all in balance. Being a bit OCD (my friends may say I am more than a bit), I like everything in it's place. Unfortunately for me and many other "control freaks", life doesn't always line up that way.

I recently started reconnecting with old friends on another website and it has been so good to hear how things are going for them. I don't want it to take up too much time and realized that if I can fit that in, I must also get back to the Rain to keep in contact with my colleagues and clients/customers. So here I am, trying to get a little more balance in my life and work, wish me luck as I start over once again...

NH Buyers Buying in Their Comfort Zone

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:09:55 -0700

I have been in real estate for 10 years now and I have noticed many things about buyers and sellers through those years. When I began, the market in southern NH was growing rapidly. New construction was everywhere and the prices were great for first time home buyers. My first sale was $99,900 and the buyers offered an even $100,000 and beat out their multiple offer competition.

In the next few years, the prices rose and demand was high. Many people made a handsome profit on homes they only spent a few years in. As a matter of fact, those people I sold that first house to, sold it for $230,000 about 5 years after they purchased it. Houses sold the day they went on the market and buyers were most times competing for them. These buyers were spending the maximum amount that the banks were qualifying them for and the sellers were many times doing the same after they sold.

Fast forward to today and what I am finding with buyers is that they are much more cautious, learning from the mistakes of those before them and spending considerably lower than they are qualified for. Many times their mortgage payments equal what they are currently paying for rent. They don't want to take any chances with their hard earned money and are prepared to rent out these homes when they outgrow them in the future should the real estate market not be favorable for them to sell.

These smart buyers of today are out there and they are buying, I know because I am working with them. They are buying in their comfort zone and are teaching us all some very valuable lessons, the same lessons that my grandparents learned. They have, early on, distinguished the difference between want and need. They are buying homes that meet their needs now and saving their money to get the things they want later on.

Bravo to all you buyers, I enjoy every day that I work with you!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354

Epping, NH 03042

603-490-8799 cell

603-679-5654 x3920 office

Making a difference...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:29:40 -0700

In this occupation, you make money when you sell houses. No sales, no paychecks. I have given much thought to the possibility of another career. I have spent many hours weighing the pros and cons, I have even interviewed with different companies. I had concluded that I am good at what I do and I am able to schedule most of my family activities around my job and right now this works for me.

I will be honest, I have never been in love with my job. There are aspects of it that I enjoy and some that I don't. It isn't what I planned when I was young and in college but being a Mom was always what I really wanted to be and I figured that since I had my kids young, there would always be time to find a job later on that I loved. I am big on wanting what I do to make a difference and I guess I never felt like what I did mattered all that much. Yes, I work hard. I spend weeks, sometimes months with one customer and assist them in finding their home but Realtors are a dime a dozen. I never felt like what I did was anything special. I try my hardest to do the best for my client and hopefully they will remember me when someone else needs an agent or when they move on themselves. I do try to keep in touch with them after the closing and send them cards here and there but I always feel like I'm not doing enough. Life is busy and even though I plan to stop by and check in on them every once in a while, something else seems to be more of a priority. I am a bit of a perfectionist so I will admit that I may be being a little hard on myself.

My manager asked me to come into her office the other day to show me something. It was an email from a client of mine that had closed the day before. He was a first time home buyer and this transaction was a nail biter to the very end. He was unbelievable, doing everything he needed to do in record time. He was thorough and truly a pleasure to work with. Here is what his email said:

"I want to express to you how awesome it was to work with Amie Varney and how lucky I feel to have had her on my side every step of the way during my home buying process. I've worked with 3 or 4 other agents before her, and had to walk away because I started my search in a new location and/or I was dissatisfied with their help. Amie has been everything I was looking for in an agent. I was having some poor luck getting offers in on houses before they fell under agreement, as I was always looking for a deal and searching in the lower end market, so when I found a house on a Wednesday night some time back, she had a showing scheduled for me the very next day, on Thursday and I placed an offer. That next morning, Friday, we were informed that there were 2 other offers, so we adjusted and ended up having our offer accepted. I never would have had a chance had Amie not acted so fast. We ended up having to change our financing to a renovation loan because of some work that needed to be done to the house and this brought on a terrible nightmare of paperwork and headaches and hoops to jump through and forms to fill and a very short time frame to do it. Despite the odds, we pulled it off, but it wouldn't have been possible without Amie's constant assistance and guidance. I didn't feel like I was just another customer to Amie, rather she really took on a vested interest in my success, all the way to the final closing, which (insert huge sigh of relief here) was yesterday.

I'm a demanding customer and was disappointed with all the previous agents I worked with, yet Amie exceeded all my expectations. I wish I could do more than write this letter to express my gratitude for her and all her effort. She is a true asset and I'm grateful to have been working with her. I will recommend her to everyone I know from here on out."

So I guess I am making a difference after all. Maybe I stick with this, after all I'll need to be around when all those referrals start coming my way.

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

Busy with Real Estate

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:25:42 -0700

It's been weeks since I spent anytime here in the Rain and that is because I have been busy with REAL ESTATE, yes folks, you heard it here! This NH Realtor is busy. Yes, prices are down but buyers are still buying. They are more cautious and very well informed, they take their time in deciding the best home for them, they are putting down more money and having to prove that they can afford it, but THEY ARE OUT THERE!

They are buying every type of home in every price range. True, there are more in the lower price ranges but remember, the sellers are also buying and they are either moving up or downsizing so your home may fit in there for some of them. Keep the faith, your house will sell, it just may not be that instant gratification that we have all become accustomed to in this part of the world.

If you are looking for someone to sell your home or if you want a buyer's agent, call me. I would love to help you in that next phase of your life!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO BOx 354

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

NH Seller's Seminar

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:21:04 -0700

Are you ready to sell your NH home? Are you considering it but have lots of questions you would like answered? Perfect timing! Join us May 8, 2008 at 7pm for a Seller's FREE Seminar. There will be information from professionals on:

- Stategic Marketing to Sell

- Staging to Win the Buyer's Heart

- Current Financing Guidelines

- Title and Survey Issues

- Home Inspections

- Home Warranty Sales Boosters

- Savvy Seller's Using Buyer Concessions

Listen and learn how this can help you get top $$$ in today's challenging market. Join us at Prudential Verani Realty, 109 Calef Highway (Rte 125), Epping, NH for a most informative evening. Refreshments will be served and there will be a door prize!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

Rte 125, Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 cell

amie.varney@verani.com

Being Upside Down on Your House...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:35:43 -0700

Having a father that was in the car business when I was growing up, I learned all the language. When you go to buy a new car and are trading in the older one (that you are still making payments on), many times you will be "upside down". This means that you owe more on your current car than it is currently worth.

In today's NH real estate market, we are seeing more and more folks "upside down" with their real estate. If the seller has the ability, they are coming to the closing table with moneyto pay off the difference, if not, we are working with what is known to be a "short sale".

The mortgage company has the final say in approving a purchase and sale on a home with a sort sale. It may take a little more time than your typical closing but in the end it is a "big burden lifted off many homeowners shoulders".

If you are finding yourself in such a situation, give me a call, I'd love to help! I will work diligently with you to find the best solution for both you and your mortgage company (or companies) and try to make the process as smooth as possible.

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354, Rte 125

Epping, Nh 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

My Best Friend's Birthday

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:10:49 -0700

Today is my friend Anthony's birthday. I am older than him by 6 days and when we are 80 I am sure he will still let me know that I am older than him! He is a joker and always keeps me laughing. Happy Birthday, my friend, enjoy your day!

I heard one time that if you have one or two true friends, to consider yourself lucky. Well I have two, Anthony and Heather. Not to say I don't have other friends that are dear to me but they are the ones that I can call at a moments notice and they will drop what they are doing to talk, listen or give me a pep talk. Maybe they are my two most cherished friends because I met them in college and it was the best time of my life. Maybe because we were kids when we met and together we became adults? Or maybe because God put these angels on earth for me to find and take along my journey called life.

Whatever the case may be, I consider myself fortunate to be able to call them my friends. I can't imagine what life would be like without them and hope that when we are all in our 80's and 90's we are still laughing at things we did in college. Still teasing each other about old boyfriends and girlfriends, SGA elections (who carried who?) and making fools out of ourselves.

What is a true friend? To me, true friends make you laugh, even at yourself. They tell you the truth, even when it hurts. They are the only ones that you allow yourself to be vulnerable around, they pick up where you left off no matter how long it has been, they wish the best for you, they believe in you even when you may not believe in yourself. True friends are people who make you smile even in the worst of circumstances.

I hope all that read this are as lucky as I am to have such great friends!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354, Rte 125

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 office

603-490-8799 cell

NH Buyers Seminar

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:25:52 -0700

Prudential Verani Epping is holding a free Buyers Seminar on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 6:30pm at our office located at 109 Calef Highway (Route 125) in Epping. There will be brief presentations from a mortgage officer, a home inspector, a moving company, a title company and Realtors to answer all of your questions about the home buying process. Stop by for some information and light refreshments, we look forward to seeing you!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354, Rte 125

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

Spring has finally sprung...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:55:35 -0700

Monday I drove out of my garage and saw a gorgeous sight, my crocuses. There are more than last year (I love how bulbs multiply) and the daffodils are beginning to emerge as well. Spring has always been my favorite season, maybe because I am a spring baby or more so because I HATE winter. I don't like to be cold (my brother in law teases me and says I would be cold if I was sitting on the sun). With the exception of building a snowman with my kids, I spend most of the winter indoors, unless of course I go to Florida to escape this nasty weather. I guess I'm not much of an advertisement for New England, or maybe I am in the majority who put up with winter to be able to enjoy the beautiful spring, summer and fall? Yeah, that's it!

When I had my house built 5 years ago, I started gardening. I had the basic builders landscaping and wanted so much more. I pretty much started from scratch. I kept a few of the bushes that the builder put in and then added. Each year I add more perrenials and either extend my bed area or create a new one. It is something that I am very proud of but it is also very therapudic. I look forward to getting my hands dirty and a trip to the Nursery is tops on my list of things I love to do. My husband, children and family members know that for Mother's Day all I want to do is work in the garden and get as much manual labor out of them as I can. Forget going out to brunch or dinner, buy me a new tree and help me plant it. My first Mother's Day here, I planted a crabapple tree in memory of my Nana. We lost her just a couple of days after the foundation went in here and her last home was at Rockingham County Nursing Home, I can see it from my back yard. The flowers are a fushia color (her favorite colors were green and fushia) and I added tulips around it this year. I think she would be pleased with it. When the tulpis bloom it is like she is smiling down from heaven on us.

This hobby really comes in handy during the busiest time of the year for real estate. Through the craziness of showing property and doing CMA's, negotiating contracts and listing presentations, it is nice to take a few hours off and enjoy nature and remember the good things in life. It rejuvenates me and makes me a better Realtor, advisor, friend and mother.

HAPPY SPRING!

P.S. These pics are from last spring!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

PO Box 354

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 Cell

World Series Champs win in more ways than one...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:29:27 -0700

Opening Day is huge here in Red Sox Nation but after a World Series Championship, it is especially fantastic. All the pomp and circumstance surrounding it makes it somewhat of a holiday for many. From the banners to the rings, the Boston Pops playing the National Anthem and the Fly Over but the one part that stands out in my mind and brought me to tears was the Ceremonial First Pitch being thrown in by Bill Buckner.

As all Red Sox fans know, he took the blame for the 1986 World Series loss and had to endure years of ridicule because of it. As he came in from the outfield to a standing ovation, the applause got louder and louder. Wiping away tears, he threw a strike to former teammate and Red Sox great, Dwight Evans. It seemed fitting and also showed what class Buckner has as well as the management of the Red Sox.

Johnny Pesky proclaimed the start of the game with "play ball" and the day ended with a victory by our beloved Red Sox. We are happy to have our team home once again. We are looking forward to a great 2008 and send a huge thank you to our Sox for all the beautiful memories from 2007 and all the years passed!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

Epping, NH 03042

603-679-5654 x3920 Office

603-490-8799 cell

Who says it's a buyers market?

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:10:13 -0700

I was just involed in a multiple offer situation and unfortunately, my client did not have the acceptable offer. He is in a back up position but it really shows that if a seller has aggressively priced their home, they will get acceptable offers. It also begs the question, "Is this a buyers market?". Not for the buyers that lost out on this house and many others that are priced to really sell! Contrary to many reports we are hearing on the news, there are buyers out there ready, willing and able to buy and there isn't a heck of a lot of inventory out there for them. Now remember, these buyers are ready, willing and able but they are also smart. They know what homes are selling for and aren't willing to overpay. They will wait for the right one to come along, perhaps it is your house. Perhaps you have been waiting for good news to list? Well I am here to tell you that good news, it is time to get the house on the market. If you are already listed, perhaps it is time for a change in price or maybe you need to do some minor repairs or paint? Do it, take new pictures and get buyers in there. Remember to always have your home ready to show to capitalize on those buyers that drive by and want to get in right away! Call me if you need to list, I am happy to give you a CMA with an aggresive pricing strategy.

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

Epping, NH

603-679-5654 x3920 office

603-490-8799 cell

A city girl in the country, who would have guessed?

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:32:36 -0700

I grew up in Everett, Massachusetts, a city about 10 minutes north of Boston. I walked to school and when I was selected to be in a program for smart kids in the 4th grade I had to take the MBTA bus to that school. I was a tomboy for the most part and growing up in the projects made me tough. Or perhaps it was having uncles that were closer to my age and acted like older brothers, teaching my sister and I lots of bad habits like swearing, fighting, etc. They liked to blame it on the projects but the more I think of it, I learned all my "Best" stuff from them. Anyway, back to Everett. Anything that you needed or anyplace you wanted to go was within minutes of home.

My grandmother and grandfather moved to North Sandwich, NH when I was young. It was a 2 1/2 hour ride from Everett and as far as I was concerned there was absolutely nothing for a kid to do there. When I would visit for my week during the summer we would have to drive for almost an hour to shop. Luckily, Brad (my uncle who is 5 years older than me but I was not allowed to call him "uncle") would usually take me to Funspot or someplace else cool while I was there but this involved a pretty good ride to get there as well. I will say that the highlight of my time there was being able to swim at Squam Lake and it was worth all the time in the car as I was a fish.

My other grandparents had a cottage in Fremont, NH. I spent a large chunk of my summers there from the time I was born. There were lots of summer people that we would see every year and we had lots of fun with all our summer friends. As I got older, the summer people started to sell their cottages and the people buying them were converting them to year round residences. It got to the point where we were the only ones left. We had friends that lived there year round but we were all getting older and they had jobs, cars and friends outside of Beach Street. We had only ourselves and our cousin and the 3 of us got BORED! I mean, what the heck did they do around here? It is so desolate up here. I could NEVER live in the country, I would be so bored.

Fast forward ten years and my parents just relocated back from California and are living in the cottage. They end up buying a house in Fremont. My husband and I are looking into buying a house in the Everett/Malden area and what is in our price range doesn't appeal to me. I don't want a multi family because I don't want to be a landlord. I can't believe the price of houses in southern, NH. We can buy a single family home on an acre of land for the same price as a 2 family in Everett. The area is really growing and we can handle a commute to work if it means having a nice house, I am pregnant after all and it would be so nice to have a house with a yard. It took some convincing to get him to agree to look but as soon as we walked into what became our first house, that was it for my husband. And the city girl was moving to the country. Against everything she ever thought she would do and she LOVED it. I made friends, Rte 101 enlarged to a 2 lane highway, we were 20 minutes to the mall and before I knew it, I had 2 babies to chase around all day. There was plenty to do in New Hampshire.

It's funny but I rarely leave N.H. unless it is on a plane to my next vacation. When I do go to Mass., I find myself in a rush to get home, where there isn't any traffic and things are a little more calm. Who would have guessed that this girl is all country now? Not me, not in a million years!

Take good care of your customers or someone else will

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:12:37 -0700

I got an up call on floor time Wednesday from a woman asking if a property was available. It was a co broke listing. The woman I was speaking to told me that she had seen it available online and then heard it was not available and didn't understand. I asked her some questions and found out that she and her boyfriend were working with another agent and were not happy with her. She said they were not in a Buyer Agency with her and was she obligated to stay with this agent. I explained that she could work with whomever she wanted and then she asked if I could get to the bottom of whether or not this house was available. I told her I would investigate and get back to her with my findings. I hung up with the customer and called the listing agent.

The house is bank owned and the bank has accepted an offer on it but the paperwork hasn't been sent back from the bank yet so that is why it is still active in MLS. I asked if the bank would consider back up offers and the listing agent said that they wouldn't look at another offer unless the first one fell through. So, I gave my info to the listing agent and asked her to call me should things fall through. I now called back the customer and explain this to her and she says thank you and how I have given her more information in this conversation than the agent that she has been working with for the past month or so. She explains that she is buying a house with her boyfriend and that she may have him call me. I get her email address and tell her I will email her my contact info and she or her boyfriend can call or email me with questions.

The next day I receive a call from the boyfriend thanking me for speaking with his girlfriend and asking questions about the market, etc. His biggest gripe was that the houses he was interested in seem to be going U/A before he can get in. I let him know that he has more competition in the 150-200k price range and that it is spring and more and more buyers are coming out. He tells me he would like to find out about a few other homes and I tell him to email me and I will get the scoop on those.

Here is the beginning of his email to me: "Thanks for taking the time to speak with me on the phone today. Not sure if my girlfriend said anything, but she thought I should "get some things on the table" with our next realtor and I thought I would take her advice.... I guess what's important to me is hearing back quickly when I have a question, and setting up showings quickly if I find a house I want to see."

Come on now! Is this not the business we are in? Showing properties and answering calls in a timely fashion should not be something that sets me aside from another agent but in this case apparently it did. These are young adults who are pre approved and ready to buy. So they aren't buying a million dollar home. Who does their first time around? Don't they deserve great customer service regardless of what they are looking for? Don't you want to be the one who sells them their first house? I do! I want them to associate the thrill of finding that home and making home ownership a reality with ME! Because if I work hard for them and they are happy, in the end, who are they going to be calling when it is time to move on to the next phase in their lives? ME! Being part of this process is a gift to me!

When I get back to my office I read through his latest email and make a few calls about the 3 properties he is interested in. I email him back the info. The next email I get from him says "Thank you very much for your efforts so far, I'm already glad we're working with you!"

So, take good care of those customers because if you don't, I or someone like me will!

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani Realty

603-679-5654x3920

603-490-8799 Cell

One more thing to do...

Amie Varney (Prudential Verani Realty) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:10:21 -0700

Ok, so after months of listening to my mother talk about Active Rain, I finally gave in and joined. She had a customer contact her directly because he found her online and that's when I said "O.K.". Now I am sure that I will get lots of useful information from all of you out there and implement some of it into my own real estate business but my biggest question is "where will I find the time for one more thing?" I am a mother of 3. From 7am until about 10pm, I am typically non stop as many mothers are. I am not one of the fortunate ones with a cooperative spouse so I try daily to do it all. In addition to this job that I wouldn't trade for all the money in the world, I am a real estate agent. Having parents in the business is what "sucked me in" but being able to juggle the craziness of motherhood is what has kept me here. Oh and did I mention that I am also somewhat of a clean fanatic with a 3000 sf house which never seems to be looking the way I prefer.

So I may have a bit of OCD when it comes to certain things (OK, everything that I do) but where in the world am I going to find the time to blog? Not only that, start talking computer and I start to go into convulsions. I don't know a ram from a watt or a twitter from a domain. It's all greek to me! Yes, once I sit down and do it, I will probably be blabbing, I mean blogging my little heart out. If my grandmother can do it I am sure I can too, right? But she has a bit more time than I and she is a natural writer so lots of people will want to read what she writes. Everytime I turn around, Mom is blogging or reading someone else's blog. How do I fit it in to my schedule? It's kind of like trying to eat something that doesn't come from a drive thru on Saturday afternoon after you finish with your morning clients in Manchester at 1pm and are heading to meet your afternoon clients in Somersworth at 2pm.

So, here I go and I may regret asking for it. Tell me what advice you have about the subject and how I can learn to use this medium to improve my business and give better support to my customers and clients without letting it get to be too much? Will I be working smarter or harder?

Thank you in advance,

Amie Varney

Prudential Verani

603-679-5654 x3920

603-490-8799 Cell