Griselda's Blog

Charlie doesn't know what to do with our new neighbor...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:44:34 -0600

We just moved into a new home in Lake Cynthia, in the Town of Miami Lakes. Charlie and I found out the other day that in addition to turtles, fish, and ducks, our new neighbors include a few iguanas. This is a huge one!

Look at Charlie's neck. It is double its normal size. I believe he was just trying to get a good look at the iguana but keeping his distance just in case he had to run inside!

Come to the Festival Of Lights in Miami Lakes!

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:31:37 -0600

Festival Of Lights of Main Street - Town of Miami Lakes

This year’s Festival of Lights will take place on Saturday November 28, starting at 6 pm. The Lighting Ceremony will start at 7:00 pm.

Come and enjoy the holiday music and activities for the whole family!

When: Saturday, November 28 2009

Starting at 6:00 pm

Where: Main Street – Miami Lakes

Happy Holidays!

It is time to start fishing!

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:45:19 -0500

“Father Knows Best” – 7^th Annual Fishing Tournament

Once again, it is time for the Town of Miami Lakes' “Father Knows Best” fishing tournament.

This fun “catch and release” fishing event will take place June 20^th, on the shores of the Graham Dairy Lake. Prices will be awarded to the first fish caught, the most fish caught, the biggest fish caught, the smallest fish caught, the youngest fisherman, the oldest fisherman, and the best father and child team.

Where? Graham Dairy Lake

When? Saturday June 20^th, 2009 – from 7:30 am to noon

How much is the price of Admission? FREE!!!

Pre-registration is required to participate, and the deadline to register is Thursday June 18^th.

Please register via e-mail by emailing the Town of Miami Lakes:

mlcac@miamilakesfl.gov

Or register via phone by calling:

Katya Lysak at 305-364-6100 extension 138

Have Fun!

Macky and Charlie: The Dynamic Duo

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:17:55 -0600

Well, these two had not seen each other for a few days. The reunion was so "dynamic", and exiting that both were exhausted after a couple of hours of non-stop running and playing. I took this picture with my phone camera after both basically collapsed on this bed.

After a while, Mackie moved to his own bed, leaving Charlie to enjoy his purple beanbag. The peace lasted only a very short half an hour or so.

Then it was time again to run amok around the house. What a happy dog life they have. They are both a blessing to our family and to each other. We nicknamed them "The Dynamic Duo", and considering the amount of energy they both have, the name seems very appropriate!

BTW, if there are no pictures of them playing is because our cameras are not capable of taking such a picture. Do you remember that cartoon of the Tasmanian devil "Taz"? remember how fast he would move? well, these two are faster than Taz. So imagine! :-)

Come to the 2nd Annual TASTE OF MIAMI LAKES FESTIVAL !

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:19:17 -0600

2nd Annual TASTE OF MIAMI LAKES FESTIVAL

When? Saturday FEBRUARY 28TH, 2009 - Between 11 am and 9 pm

Where? MAIN STREET - TOWN OF MIAMI LAKES

Come and enjoy great food! The Taste of Miami Lakes Festival is an event that brings together fantastic food, live music, arts and crafts, children's face painting, a fashion show, and more, all in a day of fun for everyone. And most importantly, admission is FREE!

Check the official "Taste of Miami Lakes Festival" website.

See you there!

A Miami Lakes home at a fantastic price!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:32:53 -0600

Great opportunity to own a large and gorgeous home in the Town of Miami Lakes, Florida.

15470 NW 82nd. Court - Miami Lakes, Florida 33016

*** Offered at $ 499,000 ***

Located in the gated community of Royal Palm Estates, this property is close to the main expressways that connect South Florida: just a few blocks from 826 and I-75, and minutes from the Turnpike, I-95, and 836.

It offers 24 hrs security, the comfort of a large one-story home, and the privacy of a corner lot.

Features:

- Home - 3,283 sq.ft

- Lot - 10,600 sq.ft.

- 5 bedrooms

- 3 and 1/2 bathrooms

- Tiled floors throughout

- French arched windows

- Decorative fireplace

- Vaulted ceilings

- Formal Dining

- Gourmet kitchen with two ovens (one is a built-in wall oven)

- Breakfast area with bay window overlooking pool

- Master bath with double sinks, bidet, roman tub, and separate shower

- Central A/C

- 40 feet by 12 feet covered patio (under home roof, could be easily enclosed if desired)

- Pool with fountain

- Two car garage with tiled floor, insulated doors, and split A/C

- Paved circular driveway

- Accordion Shutters

If you would like more information regarding this property, or if you have any questions about the real estate market in the Town of Miami Lakes, please give me a call or send me an email. I'll be glad to help you.

Your Miami Lakes real estate agent,

A New Addition to the Family

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:36:27 -0600

I want to introduce the new addition to our family.

My daughter just adopted a 6 month old puppy named Macky. He is a mix and we are not sure what the mix is. But the result is pure sweetness! Macky is adorable, and Charlie, our 2 year old Schnauzer/Poodle mix loves him.

Here he is. Macky is mostly white with some very cute black spots. He is so sweet and well behaved the whole family fell in love with him immediately, including Charlie. The only thing I don't like about him is that he sheds a lot. But nobody is perfect, right?

And here below is Charlie in his crate taking a nap with Macky. As you can see in the second picture, Charlie found out that Macky can be used as a pillow.

September - a month filled with musical events at the Town of Miami Lakes!

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:42:32 -0500

Miami Lakes has that small town feeling to it that makes it so endearing. This is just one of the reasons many want to call it home. It also offers varied opportunities to its residents to enjoy cultural events totally free of charge.

September brings a month-long celebration named “Renaissance 2008."

Every weekend of the month will offer opportunities to enjoy art and live music.

These are just some of the planned events:

Saturday 6 – 7pm – Car show, Banjo music, Barber Shop Quartets, at Main Street

Friday 12 – 8 pm – Square Dance at the Community Center

Saturday 13 – 7 pm – Concert by Barbara Goleman’s Jazz Band “Sounds of the 40’s” at Main Street

Friday 19 – 7:30 pm – Folk Music at the Main Street Theater

Saturday 27 – 7:00 pm – Hip-Hop, Art exhibit and contemporary dances at the Community Center

Isn't this great? Enjoy!

Where is that music coming from?

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:50:17 -0500

FROM MIAMI LAKES' MAIN STREET, OF COURSE!

Miami Lakes is a great town with a wonderful sense of community, and Main Street is its heart.

It is always nice to take a walk along Main Street and find a musician or a group playing some great tunes. This coming Saturday and the next one are going to be such days with musical entertainment scheduled to play at the Main Street Gazebo in the corner of Main Street and New Barn Road.

Saturday August 23rd – music by the Cachet quartet from 7 to 9 pm

Saturday August 30 – guitarist Nicolas Marks from 7 to 9 pm

Enjoy and have fun!

A Snapshot of our area's Real Estate Market - Finding the story behind the numbers...

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:31:32 -0500

Sometimes, numbers and pictures speak louder than words. So I want to share the "picture" that I got today from the MLS.

The following is a TWO-DAY snapshot of the activities that took place in the real estate market for our Area 20. This includes the Town of Miami Lakes and other adjacent areas such as Hialeah, Palm Springs North and Country Club of Miami.

This data is for all residential properties, single-family homes as well as condos.

Total homes for sale in Area 20 as of today: 2,297

New listings: 44

Pending: 11

Back on the Market (previously under contract that didn’t close): 11

List Price revision: 86

So how do we interpret these numbers?

These numbers tells us that just in the last two days, 44 new homes were added to the market. We also find out that 11 properties went pending (under contract). However, since 44 homes were added to the market and only 11 went under contract. This means that we are adding more properties to the already huge inventory of homes for sale. So there is more coming in than what is going out. Or put in other words, we have a much higher offer than demand, and Economics 101 tell us that's good for the buyer, but not for the seller. That's why we call this a buyer's market. Also, it tells us that the pressure is on the seller to lower asking prices. And there's more of this below.

Another thing we find out is that 11 properties that were under contract (pending) didn’t close. That's what Back on the Market means. This could be the result of many different problems. But one issue that is becoming more common lately is that buyers who were initially pre-approved with a lower down payment are suddenly required to come up with a higher amount and they simply can’t afford it. Mortgage Lenders keep changing the rules on a daily basis and it is making the trip to the closing table more difficult for many people.

In these two days there were 86 price revisions. These days, a price revision usually means price reduction. These numbers are telling us that for each new home that entered the market there were almost two that reduced their listing price. The pace of price reductions seems to be accelerating. No one knows when we will hit bottom, but prices are definitely going on a downward direction, at least for now.

For other interesting numbers specific to the Town of Miami Lakes see my current Market Report by clicking here.

Market Report for the Town of Miami Lakes - Florida

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:30:45 -0500

These are the current numbers for the Town of Miami Lakes:

Single-family homes

Total Homes for sale: 182

Homes sold in the last 6 months: 40

Pending sales (under contract): 22

Condos - (includes Town-homes and Villas)

Total Homes for sale: 200

Homes sold in the last 6 months: 26

Pending sales (under contract): 15

The number of homes for sale continues to be very high in relation to the ones that are selling. This is particularly true for condos, which are selling at a slower pace than single-family homes.

There are many different ways to measure the real estate market, and even more ways to interpret them. I just entered another post with some statistical data of the last two days for our area. Those numbers offer another interesting view of what is happening in this market.

foreclosure, forclosure, forclosur...which ones do you use?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:29:31 -0500

Search terms, that is. With all the exposure real estate agents are having to foreclosures, you’ll think we would have learned how to spell this term by now. But no, that’s not the case. Just look at our MLS and you'll find at least a couple of variations. Missing the first “e” seems to be a favorite one. So including these misspellings in our searches is almost a given.

"Foreclosures”, “short-sales” and “pre-foreclosures” are terms that have entered most everyone's vocabulary by now. The media talks about them…writes about them and analyses them. We talk about them at the office. Our customers ask for them.

Some areas are more affected than others. But it seems that here in Miami-Dade County no area or neighborhood is "foreclosure" free, including Miami Lakes. I believe that in one way or another most real estate is affected by the "foreclosure" wave that we are going through. I also believe that we are where we are because of greed. The kind of greed that fueled mortgage fraud and that made real estate speculators out of people who didn't even know how to calculate their own mortgage payments. Everyone wanted to get rich...quickly!

Numbers relate information in a way that often seems devoid of emotion. But many emotions rush to my head and to my heart when I read the statistics below. I don't think they need any commentary. They do speak for themselves.

Miami-Dade County Mortgage Foreclosure Filing Statistics

Year                   Filings

2002                  14,567

2003                  11,605

2004                   9,606

2005                   7,829

2006                   9,814

2007                  26,391

2008                  20,508 (from January through May)

Pictures are even harsher than numbers. They bypass our rational thoughts and hit you with not much warning! Just look at the picture below.

This map shows an area of Broward County, Florida. Each black hammer symbol represents one property in the process of foreclosure. This is a beautiful gated community built around a huge lake.

It is a very sad picture.

But it is what it is. We need to face it and work with it.

By the way, there is a new study done by Harvard University that points at the current housing slump as the worst in the last 50 years. You can download it from this website. The whole version of the report is over 40 pages and covers a lot of interesting information. You can also opt to download only the parts of the report you are interested in.

"Father Knows Best"

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:52:16 -0500

“Father Knows Best” is an annual fishing tournament that’s becoming a family tradition. The event takes place in the Town of Miami Lakes, at Graham Dairy lake. This year it’s scheduled for June 14th, from 7:30 am to noon.

This popular fishing tournament will award prices for the first fish, biggest fish, smallest fish, youngest fisherman, oldest fisherman, most fish caught, best fishing team (father and child), and best overall fisherman. This surely sounds like a lot of fun!

The deadline to register is June 12. For more information, and to register for this event e-mail mlcac@miamilakes-fl.gov or call 305-364-6100, ext. 138.

I mendioned in previous posts other events like the Senior Games, and the Poker Walk. Our town is always building community by regularly offering activities such as these. Just one more reason for anyone to want to call Miami Lakes their "home."

My First Meme, and it's a Super 8!

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:11:10 -0500

Until a few days ago I had never heard the term "meme", and now I'm supposedly writing one!

Bonnie Westbrook tagged me to write this "meme" thing. I hope I got it right, because here it goes...ready or not

1. Who's your favorite musical artist?

There are so many artists that I listen to depending on my mood... I listen to The Beatles, Elton John, Mozart, Pavarotti, Julio Sosa, Bobby Darin, Bon Jovi, Andrea Bocelli, Carlos Gardel, Billy Joel, Sarah Brightman, Barenakedladies, Paul Simon, Rosemary Clooney, Joan Manuel Serrat, Frank Sinatra, CCR, Mina, Enya, Elvis Presley, La Lupe, Johnny Cash, Loreena McKennitt, Edith Piaf, Dean Martin, Maria Callas, and the list could go on...

But if I have to choose just one, then "the one" has to be Elton John...no wait! It has to be The Beatles! Well, I don't think I can decide between these two, or is it five? Both (the five of them?) are at the top of my list!

2. Who is your favorite artist?

One of my favorite artists is the graphic artist M.C. Escher. I find Escher's creations endlessly fascinating. His pieces often play with perspective and symmetry. It seems as if he is playing games with us. I believe his work shows this artist had a great imagination, a good math education, and a very good sense of humor. Do you recognize some of these?

3. Who is your favorite blogger?

So many great bloggers...and only one choice? I have at least 30 I could mention. But if for some reason I was able to read only one, the blog I would read is TLW's. She is full of energy, sincere, and has a great sense of humor. TLW's posts are always a lot of fun to read. Sorry Broker Bryant, I have to choose your wife...but you are my second favorite! ;-)

Here is the lovely lady herself!

4. If you could meet anyone (alive or dead), who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them?

Florence Nightingale I simply admire this lady for everything she accomplished in her life. She was a pioneer in many fronts, including medicine and math, at a time when women where expected to just get married and produce children. She was definitely a courageous woman by any measure. It would be wonderful to be able to meet her.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A chemist. I don't think I really understood what chemists did but from an early age that's what I wanted to do. We had a friend in the family who was a chemist and that's probably where the idea came from.

6. What is the most interesting piece of trivia you know?

I'm usually inclined to remember what my daughters call "gross stuff." Do you know this one?

There are some types of tape worms that use humans as their host (this means they live inside your body) that can grow as long as 30 feet! I've seen some of these really long creatures inside huge formaldehyde jars. This kind of tape worm is commonly called in Spanish "la solitaria" which I believe it would translate as "the loner." Because only one of these parasites will grow inside each host. Other worms don't mind company. But this one wants you all for themselves...

When you have one of these "solitarias" inside you they basically eat everything you do. As they grow you become hungrier and hungrier but the solitaria is eating your food, so you become thinner as time goes by (don't be surprised if one of these days somebody comes up with the "Solitaria Diet").

So the longer this worm remains inside its host the larger and longer it grows, and it can live inside you for years...

Are you hungry yet?

7. If you could live in any point in history what would it be and why?

I would choose the present time. It could be fascinating to make short visits to other points in history. But this is my time and I’m happy to be living in it.

8. What is the most interesting job you have ever held?

One of the most interesting jobs I had was working on a market research project for the Argentinean Consulate.

I was a student at the time and this was a summer internship. I learned new things and met many interesting people. It was also a time when we were just starting to use the Internet for research, even if it was not as friendly as it is today. It took a lot of work to get where you wanted to go and to gather the information you needed. There was no world wide web (WWW) at the time.

My daughters went with me to all the places I needed to go to and they also accompanied me when I had to conduct interviews. Then we would go home and have some summer time activity and I would work on the project at night when they were asleep. It really didn't feel like work. The three of us had a lot of fun during those summer months…

I'm done

So here they are. If you are in this list you've been tagged!

Denise O'Dell

Sharon Paxson

Charlene Sandoval

Dale Baker

Peggy Edwards

April Hayden-Munson

Elaine Manes

Roberta LaRocca

Miami Lakes' Poker Walk Event - A Success!!!

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:11:27 -0500

Poker Walk nets $ 13,000 for charities!

The Poker Walk is organized by the Zonta Club of Miami Lakes. It took place on April 26 and it raised $ 13,000. This money is going to be divided between C.H.A.R.L.E.E. and Casa Valentina.

C.H.A.R.L.E.E. is a foster care agency serving abandoned and neglected children in the Miami-Dade County area. Casa Valentina cares for young women who are moving out from foster care but do not have the means to be independent.

The Poker Walk is a fun, annual event. Attendees draw poker hands by walking to various homes at Loch Lomond, Miami Lakes. In addition to playing the poker game there's good food, drinks, games, door prices and the opportunity to socialize with neighbors and friends . This year the grand price for the winning poker hand was $ 500.

Zonta Club of Miami Lakes plans to continue hosting the Poker Walk event in the coming years, and we know next year is going to be even better!

Congratulations to all Zontians who directly or indirectly contributed to the success of this event!

Town of Miami Lakes - Senior Games 2008

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:31:34 -0500

The Town of Miami Lakes Senior Games for 2008 will take place April 25-26 at Barbara Goleman Senior High School.

Miami Lakes is a fantastic city that offers many opportunities to have a great time while getting to know your neighbors. And this is event is one of them.

This is the second annual Town of Miami Lakes Senior Games. It is hosted by the Miami Lakes Elderly Affairs Committee. The competition will include basketball, tennis, golf putting, table tennis, run and walk races, and many more activities for everyone to enjoy and have fun.

To obtain registration forms please call the Town Hall at 305-364-6100 or visit the town website.

Taste of Miami Lakes Festival

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:37:07 -0600

The Main Street Merchants present the Taste of Miami Lakes Festival. This fun event will take place on March 29th from 11 am to 9 pm in Town Center.

This is an opportunity to taste the varied foods offered by Miami Lakes restaurants and vendors. The program includes lots of fun activities for kids and the whole family. There will be arts and crafts, musical performances and a fashion show. Have fun, be there!!!

Town of Miami Lakes - Part 2: The Lakes

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:25:10 -0600

In my previous post about the Town of Miami Lakes I posted some pictures showing one of the characteristics of this city: its lakes.

According to the Town's official website, there are a total of 23 lakes. Some of them are: Lake Glenn-Ellen, Lake Patricia, Lake Hilda, Lake Adele, Lake Carol, Lake Cynthia, Lake Elizabeth, Lake Katharine, Lake Sandra, Lake Sarah and Lake Suzie. Each one of them is surrounded by homes that take full advantage of their location.

These wonderful lakes add charm to the city, and they bring peace and beauty to our surroundings.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. If you watch closely, in the picture above you can see a couple of ducks enjoying the lake as well!

Worried about Max

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:24:45 -0600

I took Max to the vet yesterday to have a couple of warts surgically removed. The thing is that after the procedure the doctor discovered Max has a large lump in his neck that went unnoticed by us. Max has so much skin and fat around his neck we didn't feel it.

Well the thing is the doctor took a sample and sent it to the lab. We will not know the results until next week. But I'm worried. I'm usually the one who doesn't worry until the moment I see the train coming at me. But now I am truly worried, mostly because the doctor told me it didn't look good.

Max is my baby. Even though we also have a one year old dog named Charlie. Max has been with us for almost 9 years. He goes everywhere I go. He is always following me. He is the first one to come to the door when I get home, and the one next to it when I leave. It is incredible how much love he is capable of giving.

I love you Max!

My town has been hickjacked on AR and now I'm a ghost!

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:13:54 -0600

Once in a while I like to see if there are any new AR members from my Town. So yesterday I clicked on “Miami Lakes” , where I am the featured agent, and to my surprise, the original page was gone…Gone as “not there”...as “there was something else in its place.”

HELP!!!

My Town has been hijacked! Where is it? Where are all the pictures I uploaded to Localism months ago? Where is the post I wrote about Miami Lakes? Where are all the agents that were listed there? Where am I???

I've sent emails to AR support but didn't get any answers yet. It gets worst. Just now, another agent whose information also disappeared with the missing pages sent me an email. She tells me that this "disappearing act" has been going on since last week and she claims to have sent various emails to AR support that have gone unanswered.

What is going on? I know mistakes happen. But this seems so surreal I feel like something else might disappear at any moment ...

Miami Lakes - Part 1 : A great Town!

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:47:42 -0600

The town of Miami Lakes is located in the Northwestern part of Miami-Dade County, Florida. This city has a small town atmosphere and it’s about 6.5 miles. The streets are lined with trees, and as it should be expected, there are indeed many lakes here.
This prosperous town is the project of former Florida’s governor Bob Graham and his family. It was incorporated in the year 2000, and now it has approximately 27,000 residents. It has many green areas, parks and sidewalks that make it easy to go for a walk.

Location, location, location! The Town is near expressways such as the Palmetto (826), I75 and the Turnpike. This fact and its closeness to Broward County make Miami Lakes a strategically convenient place to live in a time when traffic has become a nightmare for many South Floridians.

Miami Lakes is a town that has something to offer to everyone. The schools are excellent. There is a great Community Center that offers free classes for seniors and children. The city has is own newspaper, The Miami Laker, that offers information on everything local. There are clubs and associations that allow and encourage much interaction within the community. One of them is the one I belong to, the Zonta club. There is a Civic Association that helps maintain and improve the city. The Civic Association is also responsible for the organization of various events, such as the Veterans Parade. There is an active Chamber of Commerce that is an asset to the business community and to the community in general. For those who favor the "greens" there is a Championship Golf Course at the Don Shula's Hotel and Golf Club. There is also a good variety of excellent restaurants. There are various shopping centers and then there is Main Street. At Main Street you can just go for a walk, or do your shopping. You may want to stop by the ice cream shop or you might meet a friend for coffee or a for a drink.

Margaritas anyone?

You also may decide to see a movie, or have dinner, or both... Main Street offers a range of amenities and entertainment. It is the heart of the Town.

Miami Lakes Real Estate: there is an offer of homes that varies in size and in style, from the small condo to the luxurious residence. The city is also known for its town home communities, and most of these have been developed around lakes. Many single family homes have wonderful views of lakes, like those below. They have access to the lake and some have mini beaches on their backyards.

If you are thinking "What a great place to live in!"

You are right!

Miami Lakes IS a wonderful city. I should know. I live, work and play here. It’s been my home for the last 8 of the 28 years that I have lived in Miami.

Are YOU behaving like a professional or are you behaving like yourself?

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:39:11 -0500

OK, OK...which one is it? let me think...

Do you really have to choose? I believe you don’t.

I recently wrote a post on graphic signatures. Searching the subject landed me on a blog where there was an interesting comment. It said that using graphic signatures would give our prospective customers a bad impression.

That got me thinking. Can we behave like ourselves and as professionals at the same time?

What is it to “behave like a professional”? I am asking the question as it refers to real estate agents. The way I see it, professional behavior includes many aspects, and the following are essential:

1) Education and information – this includes polishing up skills, getting as much education as possible in all areas that relate to our business, and keeping up to date with changing information and technology.

2) Develop areas of expertise – we cannot be experts on everything. We specialize in certain geographical areas and on certain types of real estate, such as condos or single family homes. For example, I sell real estate in the Town of Miami Lakes, and in the adjacent areas of Palm Springs North, Hialeah and El Doral. But I will not take a listing in an area I don't really know much about, such as Miami Beach, or Miami Shores. In that case I would refer the sellers to another realtor who specializes in the area and can help them better.

3) Work diligently - doing what we are supposed to be doing to achieve our customer’s real estate goals of selling or buying property. This includes carrying out all the work that needs to be done in a timely manner (filling/submitting paperwork, marketing, follow-up, doing home searches, previewing listings, researching, etc., etc.). We need to do what we promise we would do. It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver.

4) Respect customers – for me to respect other people is to treat them, as I want to be treated. So this includes acting with integrity, honesty, and taking their wants and needs into account. It also includes the three items above, because I owe it to my customers to be as educated and as informed as possible and to work diligently to attain their goals. And it includes many other aspects such as maintaining constant communication with them, keeping them informed of any market changes, etc..

5)    Respect yourself – same definition as above. I have to be honest with myself and I also have to take into account my own needs and wants.

6)    Respect everybody - including agents, brokers, title agents, appraisers, inspectors, buyers and sellers represented by other agents, and anybody else involved in the transaction. Same definition of respect as above.

7)    Demand respect from everybody - these includes all sellers, buyers, agents, brokers, and every other person involved in the transaction. Same definition of respect as above. I demand to be treated with the same consideration as I treat others.

Now, as you see, my definition of behaving like a professional doesn’t include being impersonal, boring, faceless, humorless, dull or somber. I am human being, and I want the world to know it, particularly my customers. I have my wants and needs, and I have my own taste too! Do I want to impose it on my customers? NO. I respect theirs and they respect mine.

I have found that letting my personality and my own taste show through little things here and there allow me to enjoy what I do much more. At the same time, it seems that customers feel more at ease realizing that they are dealing with a real person. Does it mean that if you enjoy dirty jokes you are going to tell one to the sellers at the listing presentation? Well, a little common sense goes a long way…

But behaving professionally doesn’t mean that you can’t be yourself (or if you are too wild, a milder version of yourself?).

I am not less of a professional because I choose to cover my agenda with a purple folio. It serves the same purpose of any other agenda, and I enjoy using it!

Saying something funny at your first meeting with customers? Why not? A good laugh will usually make everybody more comfortable. You don’t have to be a stiff, and don't be full of your self either!

Relax. Be yourself. People can smell a fake right away, in the same way they can identify authenticity.

And by the way, I also believe you can use colorful pretty signatures. I don’t think they take anything away from your professional behavior. Not a little bit.

COLORFUL/GRAPHIC/ANIMATED SIGNATURES WELCOMED!

Offending comment - feel free to delete

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:07:44 -0500

A blogger at AR was offended by the following comment I posted on her blog:

“Excellent comments! There’s a constant negativity being fed to the public. That’s why it’s so important to educate buyers and sellers to approach this market from their own personal circumstances, and not from the angle that the media brings to it.”

This blogger deleted my signature (even though she reposted the comments), and said that she considered this as “comment spam.”

At the time this was a new term for me. So I posted again and asked, a bit confused and embarrassed at the same time, to see if I could understand what had happened.

The answer I received was that signing with a graphic signature “ says ‘I am more important than your post and I want everyone to know it’.”

WHAT? How is it possible to come up with such an interpretation??? I must be more powerful than I think I am, to be able do all that with a single copy and paste of my first name… oh my!

Anyway, I did my research about comment spam. Even if I was not familiar with the term itself, I immediately recognized various cases I’ve seen as comment spam. For example, posting a blatant promotion of your self, business, websites, or blogs, instead of a real comment. Another example is embedding links on the signatures or the comment itself, or adding a phone number or email address to the signature.

It makes sense to call these examples "comment spam." But to say that my comment fell under the same category as those examples above seems to be stretching the definition a little bit too far. I guess this blogger can call “spam” anything she doesn’t personally like, and she obviously dislikes graphic signatures as the one I included. But I don’t have to agree with her definition.

And I don’t.

I usually have a good sense of humor. And, usually, I don't waste my time with stuff like this. But lately I find myself a bit moody. Don't know exactly why. I also have hot flashes...Mmmm...It must be the market, dam it! ;-)

So I said to myself, should I be gracious and leave this woman to her own “spamic deliriums”? Or should I make one more comment. Just to get it out of me. I couldn’t resist, so I made a comment.

This is what I wrote:

“(her name) thank you for all the links. I believe that now I have a clear idea of what constitutes comment spam. I already knew it, only I didn’t have a name for it before. Making comments with links to your own website or blogs is no doubt disrespectful and obviously one of the varied examples of comment spam.

However, I still fail to see how the signing of a first name by itself could be considered comment spam. My first name was written in cursive colored letters without any links added, nor any other self-promotional material such as a phone number or an email address. I also don’t understand how you can interpret that I was saying ‘I am more important than your post and I want everyone to know it’ just because I signed my first name.

But then again each person sees things differently and you are entitled to your opinions and interpretations as well as I am entitled to mine. I realize that when I visit a house I am a guest, and that I am expected to adhere to the customs of the home I’m visiting. So if I find those customs too restricting or exasperating I may respectfully excuse my self and leave. I guess the same logic applies to blogs. So Thank you and good bye. “

I almost added "If offended, feel free to delete" at the end of my post, but I knew she would delete this post anyway. AND SHE DID!
Now since this is MY BLOG, I can do whatever I want. So here it goes!!!

Does your dog get scared when there’s thunder? What about fireworks?

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:45:33 -0500

Max, our 8 year-old yellow lab, is terrified of both. We live in Miami Lakes, Florida, and during the summer we have thunderstorms almost every day. We live in a one-story home with lots of windows and sliding doors, surrounded by palms and other trees. When there’s a thunderstorm, sometimes it feels like we are sitting outside in the middle of it. So imagine how this makes poor Max feel! (just in case you are wondering, we do have accordion shutters to protect us from hurricanes).

Since the time Max was a little puppy he started to shake as soon as he heard thunder or fireworks. I didn’t know what to do. But I knew I didn’t want to give him any medication to calm down. So I covered a sofa with a blanket and put Max on it. It worked. Even though he kept shaking, I could tell he felt safer there. Eventually he would relax. He would cuddle up and look half his size, and he would stay on the sofa until the storm passed, or the fireworks stopped. Then when he thought it was safe again, he would jump off and look for me or another family member. Kind of letting us know everything was fine.

Well, over the years we have used the same "therapy" to deal with Max's anxiety when a storm approaches or fireworks start. Actually, I’ve seen that this sofa/blanket remedy seems to work faster now than it did years ago. Now Max relaxes just a couple of minutes after jumping on the sofa and making himself comfortable. The bad thing is that Max has learned to associate the rain with the thunder, so now even if it is just raining he gets all shaky and goes to the sofa!

It was only recently that I talked to the vet about this, because we were at the office when a storm started and Max went crazy, shaking all over. The vet was very glad that we had found a way to calm Max down. He told me that this problem is extremely common and that many dogs become very destructive during storms and some even hurt themselves.

It seems though that Charlie, our seven-month Poodle/Schnauzer mix, doesn’t mind storms or fireworks for that matter. He doesn’t act any different when there’s thunder. He did not have any problems with the 4th of July fireworks celebrations either. So it seems Max will not need to share the sofa after all. I’m sure he is happy about that!
Here is Max on the sofa. This picture was NOT taken during a storm.

HELP!!! Questions about blogging????

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:23:43 -0500

I just wrote my first blogging entry, and it's a mess! When I entered it had paragraphs and it looked really nice, clear and neat. But after it's posted it shows as a big chaotic one paragraph! Don't know how to fix it. Help please? Couldn't find instructions in Active Rain. I'm pretty sure there are instructions somewhere but haven't found them. Thank you.