Real Estate agents are really professionals, marketers, advisers, educators, confidants, locators, arbitrators, majordomos and sometimes soft shoulders to cry on.  Some of these are done individually and others at the same time.  Also known as (AKA) a jack/jill of all trades.

        Real estate agents are first and foremost professionals.  We must know what we are doing in order to do what we must for our clients.  We need to be int he fame at all times.  This is why the clients comes first.  We need to be educated, informed and involved in order to do what we must for a successful transactions.

        Real estate agents are marketers.  We market properties for sale on behalf of our clients.  This is not as easy as some would believe.  The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) had been the primary way to market property for sale.  Not any more!  With the advent of the Internet, marketing has taken on a whole new look.  Newspapers are almost passe'.  Most do not even bother with print ads unless the owner insists.  The reach given real estate agents to millions of potential buyers through Internet marketing makes your head spin.  Not knowing how and doing all you can on the Internet means you are not being the best marketer possible on behalf of your client.

        Real estate agents are advisors to their clients and customers.  How many questions have we been asked in our careers?  How many repeat questions?  Even once in awhile we get asked a new questions!  We cannot know all the answers.  My military experience taught me those who pretend to know all the answers are folks to stay away from.  Having a group of trusted professionals to call upon for current answers is a real estate agent's secret to success.

        Real estate agents are educators.  We must be in order to ensure our clients are informed consumers.  We must make sure we hit upon those important areas of education, or some might say wisdom, in the buying or selling process to ensure our clients are getting the best advice on their transaction.  How many first-time home buyers know what externalities are?  How many know to look for indicators of neighborhood problems?  How many know to visit a property during the day, night and on weekends to ensure they know what the neighborhood looks and feels like?  Not to mention the issues with cosmetic issues, some structural items, etc.

        Real estate agents are confidants.  Now this is an area we must approach as professionals.  We sometimes tend to give out too much personal information when doing a deal.  We must keep personal, private information to ourselves concerning our clients.  Too much information in a negotiation can hurt the seller or buyer.

        Real estate agents are locators.  Simply put, we locate homes in areas for our clients which we believe meet their wants and desires.  Especially in the case of folks moving to a new location, we are essential in guiding them to an area best suited for their family and work location.  Too far or too close seems to be the major issues in locating the right property.

        Real estate agents are arbitrators.  Sometimes we are the go betweens with couples.  Other times with lenders or other agents.  We can even be called upon to help in making decisions with the seller while representing the buyer.  A thin line to wlak to be sure, however doable.  We must always remember to keep our clients' best interest at heart.

        Real estate agents are majordomos.  Ok, you caught me.  Just being a wise guy with this one.  A majordomo is an individual who makes arrangements for or takes charge for another.  And to be sure, this is what we do.  How many times have you told your client "I'll take care of it" or some such phrase?  We do this all the time, sometimes even without articulating to our clients.  We press on for our clients and do what is necessary.

        Real estate agents are soft shoulders to cry on.  Boy howdy!  Been there and done that!!  Remember the times when you client hesitates and a property they were interested in has another offered submitted before your client made a decision?  How many alligator tears were shed?  How many times di you become a counselor and explain agent why time is of the essence?  We have to be able to change our stripes to fit the clients' needs.

        And finally, real estate agents need to be jacks/jills of all trades.  This is an unwritten rule yet one if followed can produce success again and again.  Raise you hand if you have: pulled weeds, cut grass, dusted, swept floors, rearranged furniture, packed boxes, trimmed bushes, replaced light bulbs, etc, etc.  And this is the short list.  I know some of you have been child and or dog sitters, mail collectors and bill payers.  We do what needs to be done to culminate a deal.  We are called upon to do things many believe are outside of our job descriptions.  From my point of view, this is an error which might cost you a transaction.

        So how about it, my fellow real estate agents, do you have anything else to add to this list?  If so, please do.  Then, have all the newbies in your office read this for their own edification.    

        Fenestration is, in the simplest definition of the word, the design and placement of windows in a building.  Congratulationstio Wayne Sharpe in Florida for his correct answer.

        The design and placement of windows in a building may seem to be an ordinary, common part of building an structure.  However, when dealing with energy conservation, placement of windows is most important.

        Good design leads to good function.  We know this to be true in all things we make and use in everyday life.  So too with a home's design.  Today, more folks want an open design and less box or four-square type homes.  People want to feel like they are in a grand space rather than a cave or small, cramped home with low ceilings.

        When designing a home, architects pay close attention to the orientation of the home on the property in regards to the sun.  A home facing east, will be heated by the morning sun and in the case of Texas, grilled by the afternoon sun on the western exposure.  This is why a north/south orientation helps reduce heat gain in a home.  So too does the place of windows, preventing the solar energy from coming into the space (solar gain) and warming it up.

        There is too much to discuss on this topic, however it you want more information see the links below.

                                                           Functional Fenestration INC.

                                                           Fenestration Manufacturer's Association (FMA)

                                                           Florida Solar Energy Center

                                                           National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)

        My hope is you are learning some things about energy efficiency through this quiz and can help your clients with understanding more about their property or potential property.  We have out client's interest first in our professional life and can make a big difference as educators.  So let's get right to it.

        This week's question is:

                                                What is fenestration?

         Infiltration is the introduction of outside air into the interior or a building.  Those of us who grew up in cold climates remember the cold, winter winds sneaking into our homes and making the floor cold.

        The greatest infiltration of outside air had been under the frame (sole plate) along the slab or floor of a home.  These gaps have been addressed and today, most builders use a caluk under the framing to seal any leaks caused when the wood becomes dry and warps.

        Air infiltration for a home can account for 25-40% of energy bills per year.  Blocking potential leaks is easier to do today then ever before.  With the improved methods to build homes, the areas around plumbing runs and electrical wiring can be blocked with sealants, foams and tapes.  Many builders are following the EnergyStar methods of construction to ensure a tighter home with far less air leaks than in the past.  Some builders offer ventilation checks (blower door check) and certifications prior to sale.

        Another benefit to having an energy efficient home, is your health.  An air tight home keeps out the dust, mold, pollen and other air-borne irritants.  Replace or clean your air conditioner/heater filter each month.  This improves the indoor air and extends the life of the unit while keeping it's function at peak performance.  (My experience with my wife's allergies is to replace the a/c filter every two weeks.  What a difference it has made.)

        Another cost savings is in air conditioning cost.  The tighter your home is, the less the hot air comes in the and cold air goes out.  Conditioned space is expensive so why wase energy?  Makre sure windows are caulked and doors have not loose jams.

        RECOMMENDATION:  Always ask for Energy Star-labeled products to ensure maximum energy efficiency of materials used on your home project.

        Insurance and financial services giant USAA, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas is providing FREE  calls from military personnel to their families this Veterans Day.  Under the Veterans of Foreign War's Operating Uplink Free Call Day, it is expected 120,00 call will be made.

        Internet cafes in Iraq and Afganistan, hospitals and recreation centers across the world--900 in all-- are expected to handle one million minutes of calls.  This is not a stand alone operation.

        Donations from the VFW's ladies auxiliary, business and the public have helped to underwrite this undertaking.  Anyone who would like to help can call (816) 968-1102 for donation information.

        With the downturn in the market the past year, several actions are being taken by real estate agents.  Many agents have left the business or while others are allowing their ethics to slip in order to make some transactions.  The former is preferred and the latter is unconscionable.

        When the going gets tough, as the coach used to say, the tough get going.  So in our depressed market, you have to be tough and get going.  Thus, look in the mirror for clients.

        Clients are not in the mirror, you think.  True.  However, one needs to look to ones self and your own initiative to find clients when the pickin's are slim.

        Think out of the box!  Do not follow the standard business model.  Stop with the phone calls.  good grief.  Don't you think folks are sick of phone calls from all the otehr folks out there trying to get their business, what that may be?

        Try a letter writing campaign.  Or market you areas with newsletters.  Sell yourself.  Host a whatever with a title company or a home inspector.  Send out letters to absentee landlords.  Anything but gripe and complain and pass the responsibility off to someone or something else.

        In the mirror is the answer to new and even repeast clients.  You have the knowledge, education, experience--the pwoer--to make new business opportunities. 

        Now, stop looking in the mirror---you are pretty/handsome alright. 

        Now hit it!  Get out the box!  Get creative!

        Well, participation in last week's question was thinner than the hair on Uncle Frank's head.  However, not one to be daunted easily, here we go for this week.

       Here on GREEN TEXAS - REAL ESTATE we are talking about the greening of the real estate industry, specifically energy savings, energy reduction, cost savings and cost reductions for the consumer/client.  To know what this all means requires a certain level of understanding.  This usually requires some education on the topic in the first place.  So through questions (and ansers) we all learn something about energy efficiencies relating to home building and/or remodeling.

        This week's question is:

                             What is infiltration?

        ALBEDO RATING is the measurement of the amount of light (energy) absorbed by a surface, or the albedo rating. Saying it another way: the term used as a measure of reflectivity and absorptivity is albedo. Why is this important?

        Energy, in the form of light, is heat.  This heat is absorbed into buildings and makes them warmer.  This adds to the amount of "load" for the air conditioning system.  An example is an air conditioned space, say a home, in the summer.  Anyone want to go up into the attic?  The attic space is heated by the energy (heat) in the form of light from the sun, heating up the roof and coming into the attic.

        Another way to understand this is to look at the building materials used for the roof.  Light colored roof coatings are commonly used in climates that use cooling because dark colors absorb heat and light colors reflect heat.  The more heat reflected away from the building, the less heat absorbed.  This means the air conditioning system works less and you save energy.

       Heat also accelerates the deterioration of the roofing materials.  The more heat absorbed, the faster the roofing materials will fail.  Roofing materials expand and contract as they heat and cool.  This too shortens their life cycle.  Knowing this, a homeowner can ensure their roofing contractor uses appropriate materials when either building or replacing a roof.  Roofing materials are now "R" rated to indicate their level of insulation to heat.

       There are several commerical coatings also sold to reduce heat gain, extend the life of a roof and lower energy costs.

        RECOMMENDATION:  Always ask for Energy Star-labeled products to ensure maximum energy efficiency of materials used on your roof project.

       For more information review the Washington State University factsheet.

       Insurance giant USAA has announced they are opening their doors to millions of veterans as potential customers of their insurance and financial services.  The San Antonio-based company hopes to be the provider of choice for the millions of active duty, retired and former military personnel across the nation.

        The firm, form in 1922 by 25 US Army officers in San Antonio, grouped together to take care of their own.  Previously, military personnel were seen as too risky for traditional insurance coverage.

        The changes in eligibility to join USAA opens the door for some 61 million active, retired and honorably discharged military personnel, along with their spouses, unremarried former spouses, adult children, widows and widowers.  It even includes those students in training for officer commissions.

        USAA is hoping this change in policy will add 100,000 new accounts per year for the short term.  Their staff of 22,000 will be able to handle the influx of new members, according to USAA president and CEO Joe Robles.

         USAA has always boasted it know first-hand the needs of the military and if ever in San Antonio, visitng their cmapus makes on feel like they are on a military installation.  SUAA has long be touted as one of the top employers in Texas and the US.

        As a disclaimer, my membership in USAA has been active since they opened the doors to senior NCOs (E-7 to E-9).  The services provided have been exceptional.  My son also is an employee of USAA and says they are a great company to work for.

        Please share this news with all of your clients and customers.  Savings will be realized by having all your insurance policies under on umbrella.

        With all we have to do to get a transaction to the closing table, the final walk through seems like just another step, or box to fill.  And for what?  The house still is there and the clients are anxious to get in there and call it home.  Right?  No, not so fast there young (or older) agent.  The final walk through is so important you will rue the day you failed to exercise your responsibility to your client and broker.

        It is sad to say there are some folks who will try and cheat others every chance they get.  Some thinking their actions are not improper (or illegal) and have been told everyone does it.  Just what are we referring to?

        Some owners will "trade out" appliances just before closing.  The top-of-the-line appliances are replaced with new, moderately priced ones.  No harm, right?  Wrong!  Not the appliances the buyers saw and expected to be part of the deal.  Some will do an addendum for non-realty items and list these items to be part of the contract.  Or the are added into the basic contract as the inclusions.

        When you are doing a contract it is important to double check what is and is not included in the deal.  To make sure there is no misunderstanding, put it in writing.

        We do not stop at appliances here.  Some folks have been known to remove the chandeliers, ceiling fans, window treatments and anything else not permanently attached to the property.  This is why you must do the final walk through.

        As a broker, my errors and omissions insurance is expensive enough, without an agent skipping over this step and costing me a lawsuit.  You too may feel the pain if you are not careful.

        Today's lesson: a final walk though is a mandatory step, one ignored at your own peril.