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mission viejo real estate agent: Coke® Or Pepsi®? - 04/15/12 03:19 PM

 
I do the shopping in the family. Feel a bit like the old commercial "I can bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan." I don't mind. Every time my husband goes to the market he comes home with such practical things as smoked trout and granulated honey....don't ask.
This week I was stocking up on soda as my son was having a "movie night" party and teenagers need lots of junk food for this. I was picking up the 12 packs of Coca Cola® and Dr. Pepper®...and noticed the reduced prices of Pepsi® at the … (89 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: I'll Write It Up....But Let Me Explain How The Bank Is Thinking - 04/02/12 06:16 PM

 
As a busy real estate agent in Mission Viejo, I work with a lot of buyers. Like other communities, we have our share of bank-owned homes. Writing offers on this properties is not like any other offer....and buyers really need to understand this.
First of all...bank properties are managed my asset managers who are not working on emotions. This is critical! They are working merely with numbers, appraisals and percentages. I would be shocked if you could find even one who had seen the home in person.
They do not know if the home smells like a Bacon truck … (25 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Do You Open Spam Email? Why Not? - 03/24/12 03:39 PM

 
 
We want to believe, don't we? This can be a good quality. Who wants to go through life suspicious and worried that at any moment we are going to be let down? This is how we develop our instincts and trust in others.
We also want to believe when we feel like our backs are against the wall. We want to believe that there is a way out, a great new job, or a cure for a health problem. When things are particularly difficult....we often want to trust in something which sounds "too good to be true."
But … (44 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Need A Rental? Protect Yourself Before You Sign That Lease Agreement - 03/07/12 06:13 PM

 
The rental market is very tight right now. If you are searching for a rental home....whether in Mission Viejo or any other part of the country....you already know this. Obviously the economy has had a direct impact on the rental market:
* New renters come into the market after a foreclosure/short sale of their homes.
* New restrictive lending rules/regulations prevent would-be buyers from purchasing.
* Recent college graduates find the job market is not welcoming them, preventing them from finding work to allow a home purchase.
* Financial hardships prevent parents/grandparents from helping with down payments and co-signing … (36 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Agressive Agents.....Pitbull vs Professional - 02/16/12 03:21 PM

 
I had a listing presentation this week. This was a good old fashioned equity seller....remember those? The ones who really cared about what the sales price turned out to be? I love those.
The seller has owned the house for over 15 years; that's a lifetime when it comes to real estate markets. Naturally he had a lot of questions about how to effectively sell his Mission Viejo home.
"How agressive are you in your representation?"
Not that unusual of a question. Buyers and sellers both want to know that their agent is going to represent them and their … (128 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: I Know That's Not What You Wanted To Hear - 02/09/12 05:55 PM

 
 
I feel like so much of my time these days is giving bad news to good people! It's tough! Buyers and sellers are getting bad news from me. But honest news.
Short Sale Sellers are hearing:
The home value is so low that they have to do a short sale The Short Sale "might" result in an income tax bill There is a sale date scheduled The buyer walked Equity Sellers are hearing:
The real value of their home, not what they wish it were The home down the street is listed 30% less because it is a … (78 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Correcting A Bad Hair Color....Cheaper Than Correcting A Bad Real Estate Deal - 01/31/12 10:58 AM

 
 
I got my hair done yesterday. At my age, and with my amount of hair, this is a long process. Base color to hide my roots, highlights to pretend it's sun-streaked, trim, style...you get the idea.
I do enjoy it though...the salon I go to is filled with friends of mine. These are women that my kids have gone to school with and clients and personel all have a great time.
Yesterday, however, one poor woman was having major color correction done. She had been "impatient" (her word not mine) and a bit "cheap" and had tried a … (48 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: I've Lost My Sweet Tooth.....How Did That Happen? - 01/21/12 03:17 PM

 
It's missing...my sweet tooth. I've always been the person who likes a little something sweet at the end of a meal. Always, always...even if I was good enough to limit myself to just one piece of See's Candy.
Another tradition? My husband and I have a tradition of going for frozen yogurt or ice cream after our favorite football team wins. This year....our San Francisco 49ers have given us lots of opportunities to go for treats.
This fall, I realized that I really had no craving for the sweet treats, and most of the time ended up grabbing a … (48 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: It's Not What You Wear....Or...How To Sell Real Estate Barefoot - 01/20/12 07:26 PM

 
 
I recently wrote a post about mistakes I've made in business. well, actually I didn't list ALL my mistakes....that would just be foolish. But I did mention one glaring example.
To be fair, it's wasn't as much a mistake as much as an omission. I omitted shoes from my wardrobe as I left the house.
Does Errors and Omissions Insurance cover this?
At first blush it seems crazy to think that someone could walk out of the house without a critical part of their outfit. But I live and work in California and the day in question was … (23 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Oops!!! Do You Run From Your Mistakes? Or Use Them To Market Yourself - 01/19/12 09:58 PM

 
 
I see no point running from my mistakes. Granted, I don't send out postcards to the neighborhood relating every horrible detail of a lost deal, unhappy clients and basic errors in negotiating.
But everyone knows we have them!
I learned very early in my sales career that humility and honesty takes me a lot further than bravado and puffery. We all make mistakes....whether out of inexperience or haste or assumptions. But it happens.
I need to share a secret with you....our clients know we've made mistakes. I use this as part of my early bonding conversations. I have … (60 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Going Down With The Ship - 01/15/12 05:05 PM

 
 
I'm sure by now you've all heard about the cruise ship with sunk off the coast of Italy. This story has grabbed my attention....I'll be taking a cruise off the coast of Italy this spring. Among the accounts of terror and heroism was a "footnote" mention that the Captain had been arrested...accused of abandoning ship.
We've all heard of the old adage "going down with the ship" but I never knew that it was an actual DUTY of the Captain. Clearly it shows cowardice and lack of care for others....but an actual prosecutable offense? I had no … (140 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Who Is The Conductor Of The Real Estate Transaction? Well....Me Of Course - 12/07/11 11:34 AM
In every transaction of every kind there is....or should be...one main point of contact. This is true in all successful ventures....
One Head ChefOne CEOOne CaptainOne ConductorMom
 And it's true in real estate.....and that person is ME!
I consider my "job" STARTING once we open escrow....not ending. This is the point when things can progress smoothly or go awry. The problems arise often because each individual person in the transaction is also an independent contractor...self-employed.
The escrow companyThe home inspectorThe mortgage brokerThe insurance brokerThe appraiser
It takes a special personality to be able to work independently. These are strong personalities but … (15 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Adjust, Rearrange, Succeed - 12/01/11 11:15 AM

 
What is the old saying? The only constant thing is CHANGE?
So true! Week by week it seems my business changes....one week it's quiet, the next everyone needs to see things instantly. Sometimes I feel I can't catch my breath.
This week I had a couple closings and some free time, so I spent it with my data base...just the two of us. Real quality time with my leads.
One of the ways I track my leads is by sales price and type of buyer or seller. For instance I have first time home buyers in a group, … (19 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: "Now I Know Why People Say It's Soooooo Hard To Buy A House" - 11/05/11 08:21 PM

 
This was the first sentence in an email from a buyer of mine. Trouble is.....it's a really smooth transaction. I had no idea she was feeling this way. That's not good.
We saw the home and had 3 days to see it a few times before we wrote an offer. We were the only offer on the table of a beautifully remodeled home, agreed to a very fair price. Equity seller who is flexible on moving dates. Buyer has excellent credit and buying well below her credit limit, with 20% down Seller agreed to our reasonable request for … (12 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Why We Should See 20 Houses In One Day - 07/21/11 01:30 PM

 
I read a post today by one of my favorite bloggers, Jared Christiansen, about why someone should not try to schedule showings for 20 homes in one day.
He expressed concern that 20 houses in one day was too many for anyone to remember and that it could be counter-productive. I have to disagree!
When an Mission Viejo Buyer sends me a long list of homes to see, I understand two things:
1) These buyers are focused2) These buyers are ready to buy
Seeing 20 houses in Mission Viejo is a big time commitment for a buyer. It's an all-day adventure. I … (90 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: "You Do What You Say You'll Do...And You Are There When You Need To Be" - 06/02/11 11:03 AM
"You Do What You Say You'll Do...And You Are There When You Need To Be"

 
It's so simple to keep clients happy! This wonderful comment came from a current seller of mine. I called to apologize for not getting them an answer on a question earlier that day.
"No problem, we weren't worried. You do what you say you'll do and you are there when you need to be."
Wow....what a great compliment. Maybe the best I've ever gotten!
I'd love to say that every client of mine feels this way....I have dropped the ball before. But this is … (17 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Step Out Of The Way....And Close The Deal - 05/28/11 12:08 PM

 
 
"This is not about you or me....and I believe our clients each want to close this transaction"
This was the statement I made to the listing agent this week. I really believed that we agents acting as "middle men" were the problem and not the solution.
We as Realtors® spend so much of our time advocating for our clients, that sometimes we can dig in too much.
No really....it's true!
Well, I'll admit it...this week I felt that I was in a peacock-feather contest with another agent....and just couldn't get past it.
The problem was there was an issue … (19 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: Face To Face With A Rattlesnake - 05/26/11 10:12 PM

 
No....I'm not talking about a short sale negotiator or a listing agent who doesn't know his listing's market value...I'M TALKING ABOUT A SNAKE!
I've spent most of my life in Southern California, but I've never happened across a rattlesnake before. And I hope I never do again.
I've been hanging at my cabin in Lake Arrowhead this week.....absolutely perfect weather for hiking. I love to hike. Not for the exercise, but just to be in the middle of the beautiful terrain.
My love came from dad. Even at 77 years old he's the only one who'll go out with … (81 comments)

mission viejo real estate agent: How Does Personality Play Into Choosing Your Mission Viejo Realtor®? - 05/24/11 05:07 PM
How Does Personality Play Into Choosing Your Mission Viejo Realtor®?

 
So you've decided to buy a new home? or perhaps sell your current home....maybe both? You need a Realtor®! So if you are in Mission Viejo, or anywhere in Orange County, you might consider calling me.
I hope you do!
But how can you tell if I'm the right agent for you? or if someone else might be a better fit. I think that personality makes a difference in how the client-agent relationship will work.
I'm not talking about hobbies and movies, we aren't dating, but I am talking … (6 comments)

 
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