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orange county real estate agent: "I'll Handle It" - 03/09/12 04:34 PM

 
Most consumers realize that this is a very complicated real estate environment. Any buyer who has written an offer on a short sale knows this. Any seller who has received a low-ball offer knows this. But what they often don’t see....is how their agent handles it all.
“I’ll handle it”
This has become one of my favorite statements. Why is it my favorite? Because I love being able to put my client at ease...isn’t that why they hired me? To handle things? There is no virtue in showing uncertainty!
Do you remember learning to ride a bike? … (13 comments)

orange county 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)

orange county real estate agent: Uh Well, Yes I Am The Same Person Who "Sold" You The House......The One Underwater Today - 01/26/12 03:38 PM

 
Yes.....I've been working in real estate long enough to have lived through some boom and bust. As a result, some of my buyers are underwater today, and along with lenders, we are the face of the industry. But blaming us? I'd rather you didn't.
I had a shocking phone call yesterday. I was making some phone calls to past clients to check in with them, say "hi" and of course....ask for referrals.
Although I do become quite fond of my clients when we are working together, it's still a business relationship.
I almost always end the transaction on a … (39 comments)

orange county 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)

orange county 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)

orange county 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)

orange county real estate agent: Home Sellers....Is Your Agent Just Going To Make It Up In Volume? Be Careful When You Choose Your Orange County Real Estate Agent - 08/30/11 07:43 PM

 
I have had Orange County listing clients over the years who have come to me AFTER having worked with another agent first. Often they feel that they didn't get the attention they deserved/needed. And just as often it's because they chose an agent based on marketing.
"I see her signs all over the place""I saw his ad on a billboard""They handle this community"
They are the big guys, the fat cats, the mega-agents. But if bigger is always better, then why are they calling me?
Large teams have large overhead. Salaries and staff to take care of....they need the … (24 comments)

orange county real estate agent: Short Sales And Other Delays - 06/14/11 04:23 PM
We have all heard about the delays and long waits attached to short sales, but that's not the only transaction which can cause frustration for our buyers.
BanksCourtsLLCsTrusts
All these entities are parties to transactions these days which can, and do, cause delays. Often the buyer hears "flipper" or "bankruptcy" and expect a fast and fair response to the offer, but I am now 10 days and counting waiting for a Trust Committee at a bank to respond to our offer, and I'm seeing more of this.
Banks:
Banks come into play in short sales of course, and we've come to expect … (4 comments)

orange county 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)

orange county 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)

orange county 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)

orange county 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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