By Coco Clayman-Cook

It's important to make time for the things that are important to you.  Time has a way of marching by regardless of our wishes.  If we don't schedule what is most important to us it has a way of slipping to last on the list.  I have a friend who has said for years that she wanted to work out and get in shape, but it never happened. Last summer she sat down with her planner and scheduled time to go to the gym every day.  Now she is in the best shape of her life.

The first step in making time is getting a good planner.  Take a stress free time, sit down with your planner and turn to a typical week.  Begin by blocking off all of the time that you plan to work.  Next block off time spent with your family, children or significant others.  Now take a close look at the schedule and schedule time for yourself.  First schedule non productive time and then schedule productive time.  In truth it is really all productive, but often we forgo scheduling rest and recuperation time.  Don't be thrown off by the order in which I suggested scheduling your time.  It is not in order of importance, it is in order of flexibility. 

Make time for yourself and your relationships and your life will flourish.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

Google Reader is a free service that comes with a gmail account.  Google Reader helps you to create your own personal "newspaper" geared toward your specific interests.  If you see a Blog that you like you can subscribe to it in Google Reader and the blog will automatically publish on your reader whenever it posts.  This is a great way to keep track of Blogs that you enjoy.

When you access your reader it clearly displays all of the Blogs that you subscribe to but it also will offer an array of Blogs and articles that it thinks you be interested in based on your recent history on the web. 

If you haven't already sign up for Google Reader and at least subscribe to your own blog.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

We've all been waiting to see what help for home owners would be coming down the pike.  The new $8,000 refundable tax credit may not be all that we had hoped for, the $15,000 tax credit had a nicer ring to it but it was split over two years, still this is at least a jumping off point.

With the cost of owning approaching the cost of renting more and more people should be moved to buy.  An $8,000 incentive will hopefully be the straw that topples the camel's back and encourages more buyers to the market.  Let's all hope that more hope is on the way.

In the meantime it is so important that we all stay positive and roll these new policies out to as many people as they can help.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

There is absolutely no substitute for knowing your business.  You can be the nicest most sincere Realtor on the block but if you don't know your business you can't possibly do right by your clients.

It's essential to know your niche market inside and out. If you aren't an expert in your field you need to ask yourself why not!  If you aren't passionate enough about your business to be an expert in your area, you may need to reevaluate.

As a Realtor in today's market you also need to be up to date on all new legislation.  There are new programs available for home buyers that can make the difference in whether your clients can afford a home. 

There are industry wide changes that are also vital to know and understand.  I make a habit of attending workshops and seminars to keep myself abreast of all new developments.  It is an efficient way to keep up with the ever changing market while having an opportunity to network.

Knowing your business is a gift that you give yourself and your clients.  When you know what you are doing enjoy your work more.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

Virtual assistants are people you hire to work from a location other than your office.  I use virtual assistants for any task that I can benefit from hiring someone else to do.  If I don't like a task, I hire a virtual assistant.  I don't like posting blogs, it's time consuming and not a good use of my time.  So I have a virtual assistant post the blogs for me.  That way I have more time to write the blogs, which is a better use of my time.

I also hire virtual assistants to do things I am not good at and have no interest in getting better at.  I'm not good at updating databases, it's boring!  I have no desire to be better at it either, so I hire virtual assistants to update my database for me.  With all the hours that frees up I give my clients better customer service.

Mostly, I hire virtual assistants to do any work that saves me time and money.  If I can pay someone between $10 to $20 an hour to do something, it makes no sense for me to do it myself.  This includes proofreading, SEO, research and even gift buying.
We live in a great age which allows us to easily delegate work without having to provide equipment or even space.  How do you use virtual assistants?

By Coco Clayman-Cook

What is your thought of the day?  Each morning when I wake up I try to give myself a thought for the day.  Then I try to find time during the day to take a deep breath and concentrate of that thought.  I find that it centers me and helps me to stay focused.  Some examples of powerful thoughts:

Money comes to me easily and frequently.
I am a light filled being.
My work helps others.
My life is free of stress.
Abundance is everywhere.
I have every thing I need to succeed.
I am grateful for all that I have.
I am loved and appreciated.

Oddly enough the less you believe the thought the stronger it is in terms of transforming your day.  Make a thought of the day and see how it changes your perceptions and your day.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

Self talk is what we say to ourselves throughout the day.  The power of self talk can not be under estimated.  If you are having a rough day, stop for a second and consider what it is that you are saying to yourself.  Are you saying things like, "Why is this happening to me?"  or  "Why does this always happen to me?"  What you think becomes what you say and what you say becomes what you do.  If you think negative thoughts and talk to yourself in a negative way you will expect negative things to happen.  You will actually look for negative things to happen and when they do you will say, "See! I was right!"

When our self talk is negative we lose the greatest opportunity to utilize our most powerful asset, our brain.  Our brains are super computers that work ceaselessly to find an answer.  If you ask it, "Why does this always happen to me?'  It will find a reason.  If you ask it, "How can I turn this into a positive?" Your brain will also find an answer.

Consider your self talk and remember to only ask yourself questions you would benefit from an answer. 

By Coco Clayman-Cook

In the last Blog we talked about some of the ways you can protect yourself when showing property.  I shared suggestions for things you can do before viewing the property.  Here are some suggestions for things to do at the actual viewing.

1. Never wear expensive jewelry or carry valuables on you.  Keep your cell phone on you at all times, but everything else stays home or at the office.
2. Park on the street, not in the driveway.  This seems counter intuitive, but think about it.  If you park in the driveway you can easily be blocked in.  Yes, you may have to run a few steps further to get to your car but you will be better off in the long run.  Lighting is better on the street and someone would be more likely to hear you screaming on the street than on the driveway.  Psychologically, people think screaming on the driveway is a domestic issue that is not their affair.  The closer to the street you are the more likely you will get some help.
3. Never enter the property first.  Unlock the door and step back.  This is good business because it allows the client to view the home as if it is theirs (i.e. they are opening the door and letting themselves in) but it also is safer to never leave your back unprotected. Every room that you enter stand by the door.  Let them explore and keep yourself safe at the same time.
4. Lastly, leave the front door wide open for the entire viewing.  It sends a clear signal of professionalism and it means if you need to scream for help you will be more likely to be heard.

None of these safety measures is difficult or expensive but they can be life saving.  Practice them any time you are showing properties and remember to follow your instincts. If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

Showing property is a necessary element of selling Real Estate, but it means walking into empty homes with complete strangers.  There are definite ways to protect yourself during home previews if you are willing to take the steps.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Always have your charged cell phone with you and have a regular schedule of checking in to your office.  I call my office every hour, so they know if they don't hear from me something is wrong.
2. Never ever show a property without having the client come into your office first.  This serves 2 purposes, they meet your staff face to face, so you are not the only one who knows what they look like and it gives you a great opportunity to have them fill out a client information form. Get a copy of their driver's license and ask them to list references.  This isn't going to prevent you from getting someone who is a liar, but people who are liars will usually get nervous if you are incredibly professional.  Twice I have had perspective clients refuse to fill out the form before seeing a property.  They left in a huff and I considered myself lucky.  I don't know what their motives were, but if they weren't interested in filling out an information form they weren't the client for me anyway.
3. If you are showing a property during non-office hours make sure to give a friend or family member the name and phone number of the client you are meeting and set a time to check in with them.
4. Have a code word with your office workers, friends and family.  The code word should be something easily remembered and unique enough that you wouldn't normally slip it into conversation but you could if you had to.  The code word would only be used if you were in distress and needed help.  I have one friend whose "code word" is asking if her sister happened to send a fax.  She doesn't have a sister and her co-workers know if she asks this they are to call the police and have them come to her location.  It takes seconds to devise a code word or phrase and could end up saving your life.
5. Always preview the neighborhood before showing a home.  Make sure you know the area and where the nearest police are.  This will make you a more informed agent for your clients and will also help to protect you in case of an emergency.

Stay tuned for the next Blog and more safety tips.

By Coco Clayman-Cook

It is unfortunate, but in times of economic strife con men flourish.  What is worse their prey is often the people who can least afford the scam.  There is a current scam happening in Los Angeles that we all need to be aware of and make our friends, families and clients aware of as well.

Home owners are receiving letters that are worded in such a way that they appear to be from the County Assessor's office.  They are not, they are from private companies.  The letters tell the home owner they can pay lower taxes if they will pay a fee. 

The District Attorney's office is currently investigating.  If you or anyone you know has been a victim of this scam contact the Consumer Affairs Real Estate Fraud Unit, they are seeking refunds for all of the victims.