Michael Martine a blog coach extraordinaire poses the question "Why do you blog?" on his blog today. I was surprised at how many responded "Just for fun".
I get a kick out of the consumer contacting me but for me this is about supporting my business. So what do you think? Blogging for fun or business?
These statistics were compiled from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of REALTORS® data on 09/10/2007 at 11:45 p.m. This data is reflective of homes which were listed on the MLS; private sales are not included. Information was obtained from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information should not be used to determine the value of any property. Photos are for illustration purposes only and do not necessarily represent current or past listings.
These statistics were compiled from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of REALTORS® data on 09/09/2007 at 9:30 p.m. This data is reflective of homes which were listed on the MLS; private sales are not included. Information was obtained from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information should not be used to determine the value of any property. Photos are for illustration purposes only and do not necessarily represent current or past listings.
How does 505 divided by 2 equal 575? When NM splits into two area codes. NM, one of the few states with just a single area code, will be adding one new area code (575) starting October 7, 2007. For the first year, calls will be automatically re-directed but after October 7, 2008 it will be mandatory to dial 575 for the areas that have changed.
505
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Gallup, Los Lunas and Farmington will be keeping the 505 area code.
575
Roswell, Taos, Clovis, Hobbs and Truth or Consequences will be switching to the new 575 area code.
This will affect all landlines (wired) and cellular (wireless) numbers. While I feel for the business owners who will be affected by this change, this is a good sign for NM. It means we are growing and the additional area code will allow the telecommunication needs to keep up.
One company, 505 Southwestern , based their name on the area code. An Albuquerque based company making Chili products has stated it would not change their name if our area code changed. Fortunately, we don't have to test that theory out as 575 Chili doesn't have the same ring as 505 Chili does!
Just because you're new, doesn't mean you have to look it.
When I was starting out, I showed amazing confidence and was never once asked how much experience I had. But to have confidence, you need to have knowledge.
Know your market
Preview everything in your area. Go on tours or go on your own--just preview. Don't just preview your own office's listings, but preview other listings as well. If your town is big, just focus on a small section. Previewing around where you live is key, and I will explain more about why in a bit.
Hot Sheets
Read them daily. Know what home prices actually go under contract and what prices end up expired. What is the average DOM or price per sq. ft? If someone asks you what homes are selling for in say, Blue Jupiter, you can respond, "The average sale price is $135 a sq ft." Boom! No hesitation on your part.
Here is where focusing on the area where you live is good. You will be at the store, post office, library, school, soccer game, etc., and someone will ask about prices. Make sure you know your market. You live there so you should know it without having to look it up.
Listing Presentations
Practice your listing presentation. Try it with a flip chart, booklet, laptop, or from memory. If something just doesn't feel right, change it until it flows smoothly. Practice on your partner, family, a colleague, the kids, or the cat. You don't want to practice on the homeowner.
Buyer Consultations
Again, practice. Try different styles of gathering the information you need to find your buyer the best home. Interview them using a checklist, ask about their lifestyle, and take free-form notes. Have a buyers book with information about mortgages, utilities, escrow, FAQs, etc. Again, practice on your family, a colleague, or the kids. The cat might not be responsive enough for this one, though. Find a style that works for you and then practice it.
Contracts
Study them thoroughly. I read my contracts so that I can summarize the key points on each page without looking at them. Have a copy of all the basic forms (listing contract, purchase agreement, sellers disclosure, lead paint, etc.) everywhere. Keep a set in your dayplanner, a copy on your PDA, and a set in the car and your purse or briefcase. Read them whenever you are waiting at an appointment, when it's slow during an open house, or while the kids are in ballet. Read them every day. Know them!
Practice filling them out. Print out an MLS sheet and write an offer on it. Then write the listing contract for it as well. Have someone in your office look it over for you. Do this once a week until you're comfortable with the forms.
When a new form comes out or one gets updated--no matter how long you have been in the business--study it and practice filling it out.
Net-outs
After filling out the purchase agreement and listing agreement on the house you pulled from the MLS, do a net-out for both the seller and the buyer. Do these by hand. You will not always have access to a computer for using one of the title companies' online calculators. You need to be able to do these on the kitchen counter of a vacant house while filling out the purchase agreement.
Open Houses
Go visit open houses and see how other agents are doing them. Some will be very bad and some will be superb. You will learn something from each one. Go to several on one weekend, making sure to visit different agencies.
Now you can take this experience to make your open houses superb, and, from seeing others, you will gain a level of confidence by doing your own.
With enough practice, you will come across as the knowledgeable professional agent that you now are!
12pm-7pm - New Mexico Wine Festival. Sample wine from more than 20 New Mexico Wineries. Cost - $10 Adults.
Tuesday 09.04.07
7pm-Midnight - Play Xbox and Wii on the big screen at Hunab Hookah Lounge, 232-0223. Cost - Free 18 and older only.
Wednesday 09.05.07
10am - Book signing and talk with Corey Recko, author of Murder on the White Sands: the Disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain. Cherry Hills Library. Cost - Free
The cost is $550 for each segment or $2000 for all four segments if signed up in advanced.
The course will be presented at the University of New Mexico, with field trips and hands-on projects at various sites, communities and ecovillages around the city and state for the last two days of each Dimension.
If you are unable to attend the sessions, there will be an opening event for the public.
This talk will encourage environmentally responsible design and development.
September 8th 2007, 11am-1pm at the Auditorium at the UNM Conference Center, 1634 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM.
Suggested Donation is $5
7-9PM- Cooking with Claus at Le Cafe Miche. Oysters Rockefeller start off the class and for dessert fresh blueberry creme brulee. Wines with each course. Cost - $34.
Wednesday 08.29.07
11AM and 3PM - Enchanted Skies at Lodestar Planetarium. Travel the universe in 3-D and learn about the NM sky. Cost - $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children 3-12.
Thursday 08.30.07
11AM and 3PM - Mystery of the Nile at the Lockhead Martin Dyna Theater. Cost - $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children 3-12.
Friday 08.31.07
7:30PM - Mystery Cafe. Currently Playing, "The Mother Lode". Enjoy this original interative mystery dinner theater located at the Sheraton Uptown. Cost - $38 for a four- course meal and show.
Saturday 09.01.07
1-4PM - World Peace Cafe at Shakyamuni Buddhist Center. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a home-made dessert. Cost - Varies.
Sunday 09.02.07
10AM-7PM - Pedal Boats at Tingley Beach Enjoy a cruise around the pond. Rentals are available for 2 and 4 seaters. Cost- $8/10 for a half hour $12/14 for an hour. Drivers License or Credit Card required.
Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque • NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217 Albuquerque Real Estate Email Ashley
No photos, or the few that are being used, are very bad photos. There should be no people or pets in them. They should not be fuzzy or dark. They should not include closeups of the a/c unit, light fixtures, or the toilet. Speaking of toilets, we really don't need to see them. If the photo can't be angled so as to not include them, then at least shut the lid!
Unless there is a security reason, there should be the maximum number of photos your local MLS will allow. Ask your agent to provide a full customer sheet with the photos. Or search any site such as your local board or real estate company to see what the photos looks like.
Limited Showings
Restricting your showings to 10am-7pm shouldn't cause too much of a problem. Even asking for an hour or two of notice should be fine. Only allowing your home to be shown a couple of days a week or a few hours a day is going to cause your house to be skipped over. Asking for a day's notice, unless there are tenant rights, will move your house to the bottom of the pile.
No Lockbox
Unless you have a luxury home, not having a lockbox is the same as putting a "GO AWAY" mat on your front porch. With over 7000 homes on the market, agents don't need to wait for you or your agent to meet them at the house.
Poor descriptions
"4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Great home that won't last."
This description isn't going to cause a stampede of eager buyers to your home. Again, ask your agent or search the Internet to view the description of your home.
Over-Pricing
This is not the time to be "testing the market". Price your home correctly right from the start, or you will be chasing the market down until your home expires. Have your agent prepare a CMA and absorption report.
If your home has expired and you are ready to put it back on the market, give me a call to discuss my marketing plan, which includes a comprehensive Internet presence. If you are not in the Albuquerque area, please search Localism for an Internet-savvy agent or contact me for a recommendation.
Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR® 9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque · NM 87111 Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217 Albuquerque Real Estate Search Albuquerque Homes no registration required Email Ashley
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Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Alice Beaird - My maternal great-grandmother
Albuquerque Home Market Report
Albuquerque Home Market Report
505
Just because you're new, doesn't mean you have to look it. 
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Albuquerque is hosting the USA's first complete sustainability training programs in the world, based on the 
Monday 08.27.07
Photos
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