After much deliberation and consultation with my elder cats, Odo and Lucylou, a new whirlwind has entered my home. Her name is Cocoa Brown, which is an amalgamation of Cocoa Chanel, for the cunningly streaked, blended and fashion forward fur colors and Jackie Brown, the Quentin Tarantino film with a feisty heroine. She is fearless, inquisitive and gets into everything! 

She has doubled in size since I got her, learned that water can be really, really wet and that Odo and Lucylou won't play with her if she stalks them and chases them down the hallway. Balls are lots of fun but feather toys are even better.

My other cats, who are equally photogenic are currently hiding from the purrparrazi so they will appear at a future date. They have begged off as there appear to be way too many dogs lurking around Active Rain lately:-)

A regular part of my initial consultation is my buyer orientation. We talk about their needs and expectations, the state of the market, what I can and can't do for them, etc. This is one of the most important services I offer to my clients. If they come in for buyer orientation, my odds of getting an offer accepted and getting to closing increases many-fold.Much of the orientation is done with anecdotes. I tell them about pitfalls others, including me, have encountered in the past. We talk about availability of funds at closing, that the signing does not equal the closing, why we do walkthroughs, etc. I do not discuss all of the particulars of the purchase and sale until we actually write one because there's so much to absorb. Information is broken into digestible parts with opportunity to review later. Everyone always gets opportunity to ask as many questions as they wish so that they feel very prepared.

While this was originally a first-time homebuyer concept, if the buyer hasn't bought in many years, running through the basics, especially the all-important closing date, is a necessary review. Many buyers don't remember that they don't get their key upon signing, even if we've just sold their house recently.

Forewarned is a fore-armed. Some real estate professionals seem to lead a charmed life and have transactions close smoothly without any pitfalls. However, I find that it's been a fact of my business that usually stuff happens, unexpectedly and inconveniently. If I had a crystal ball, I would find out what it was in advance, but I don't. So I do the next best thing and inform my clients that there's usually one item, we don't know what it is, but I will help them through it when it comes up. I usually go over common complications that can occur at any time between inspection and closing right after writing up the purchase and sale so that no one is caught off-guard, which prepares the buyers and sellers to expect the unexpected. My brokerage has an automatic 10 day extension built into the purchase and sale which I use to introduce the topic to my clients.Many times, when I tell my clients that we've hit a speed bump, they are pretty calm and remind me that I told them something might happen so they were emotionally prepared and it usually passes pretty quickly.

Once this process is put into practice, transactions began to go much more smoothly. Buyers panic less often when they know what's going on and that what is happening is not going to kill the purchase. They also draw comfort from the fact that whatever glitch is occurring has happened before and that their representative has experience in trouble-shooting it.

Listing agents are having a rougher time moving listings this year and sometimes, it's not just the price, it's the circumstances of showing and the aftermath.

Let's talk about feedback, which is probably more important this year in the aftermath of extended market times. Make it as easy as possible for the showing agent to give you feedback by providing complete information. This includes a picture of the house, address and MLS number-and-send the feedback form along within not more than 72 hours of the showing. One agent in my marketplace enters everyone who responds into a drawing for a gift certificate. The fax cover sheet also announces the winner of last month's prize.

Recently, an assistant send me a request for feedback on a listing with no picture or MLS number on the email, so to provide feedback I would have to take the whole address and paste it into MLS since I saw over 40 houses last week and this may or may not have been among them. More than one agent requested feedback 2 weeks after the fact by telephone. Do you know how many houses are out there and how many people call me saying that the house had 4 bedrooms and 2 baths? 

Receiving a feedback call while I am still out with my clients is almost as bad as receiving one 2 weeks later. This tips my clients and me off to the fact that someone is desperate to make a sale and it will cost you.

Some listing agents also get insulted when asking for feedback and I mention the odor or wall colors needing to be neutralized. If you don't want to know what I really think, please, PLEASE don't ask. It makes me more reluctant to respond to request for feedbacks when I receive flack for bringing up something that should have been addressed before the house went on the market.

In summary, keep feedback requests property-specific, relevant, timely and brief. Check expectations at the door and be considerate of the showing agent. Not all will reply, but following the above suggestions should hopefully increase your response rate.

I'm sure that many agents have stories about awkward times when out with buyers because, no matter how careful you are, somebody in the house you're planning to show occasionally does not get the message that you are going out there.

One of my oddest was the teenager who never woke up. My client and I met to go out to look at homes in the Sumner and Edgewood areas of Pierce County. The first home had a great view of Mt. Rainier and sat on a big piece of land across from a horse pasture. We opened the door in the middle of the morning and after I called out a few times, we began going through the house. A door was closed and we opened it, only to close it quickly as it was clear someone was fast asleep in there. We tiptoed out after looking at the rest of the home and returned to my office. My buyer decided to write up the home and it was on to the inspection. The teen was there again, fast asleep. Same for the appraisal. I began thinking that I needed to write into an addendum that the teenager needed to be removed prior to closing since no one wanted to find out that he came with the house!

On another occasion, I did write that "Llamas, chickens and other livestock to go with/or be removed by seller" into the Purchase and Sale. The house my investor was purchasing had a barnyard full of animals but I think what most freaked him out was the Great Dane on the property. Impressive in size, the dog was taller than hip level for me and reminded me of a small pony. He was very gentle in disposition and never barked. He was, however, very, very big and my buyer, not being accustomed to animals was always uncomfortable so we wrote the addendum in order to reassure him that the dog wouldn't be there when he took possession of the property.

What's your wackiest story? I'm sure there are lots to go around!

I was just checking into my favorite real estate blog because a friend recently emailed asking where I went and noticed I have neither posted nor commented in 3 MONTHS! That, in the blogging universe, is an eternity and I noticed my stats have dropped (not surprisingly as others have continued keeping up their blogs while I went off to rehab, got over my dts, etc.)

The fact of the matter is, I was spending a lot of time on A/R for a very intensiver burst and commenting frantically everyday for a while, over-extended, then slipped off. Don't know if this happens to many (and since I see so many of my favorite bloggers have done a bazillion posts since then, am wondering how those who are more balanced keep themselves from falling into the morass.)

If you've been blogging for a year or more, what is your approach to staying balanced and on-message? How do you work your blog life and keep it from overwhelming the rest of your business?

The Alpaca Association of Western Washington is celebrating its 9^th year of Alpacapalooza, described in its press release as "Three Days of Peace, Love, and Livestock" which will be held in the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington, this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 30-April 1^st.

Free to all, this event is open to the public on Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm and then on Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm.  Whether you are a fan of alpacas or just curious about these interesting creatures, you are sure to enjoy this event.

Alpacas look like a cross between llamas and lambs with a fluffy head and body. They are closely related to llamas, both coming from the Andes of South America. Alpacas are raised for their fleece, which is turned into wool for garments and other useful items. The fiber has a soft quality not unlike cashmere.

There will be craft demonstrations including fiber arts competitions, halter and fleece shows, unusual items to buy, and a fashion show. They will also be collecting food items for Northwest Harvest.

If you'd like to know more about these interesting creatures or Alpacapalooza, visit www.alpacawa.org

(Thanks to Shirley Thom and the Alpaca Association of Western Washington for permission to use photographs and additional information on the event.)

To All of My Fellow Animal-Friendly Associates and Friends:

I've had this bookmarked on my computer for a long time now. If you can remember to click on it, you can, with the assistance of the sponsors, provide food for homeless pets around the country at the Animal Rescue Site.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

 Of course, part of the reason behind this is that they hope you will support the sponsors who offer all kinds of pet merchandise. I've never been spammed by anyone and have used clicked once a day on the button provided to get food donated. It's a nice thing to do and it's totally free so if you're looking for one simple thing you can do to help the animals, bookmark the page and click daily!

Here are some situations occur that got me thinking about additional ways small business practitioners  need to protect their data, based upon personal experiences.

Several years back, I received a solicitation call from a guy that assisted on a home inspection performed by my home inspector. He had just gone into the mortgage business and was calling all of his old employer's clients to solicit business in his new line of work. Upon calling the home inspector, I found out that none of his employees were required to sign a non-compete or agreeement of confidentiality. Based upon the possibility for misuse, it seems wise to impose these on even minor employees who have regular access to your client lists.

In co-marketing arrangements with a Realtor or Mortgage Broker, it is wise, if you are using a pooled mailing list to define how the list will be used, and if the arrangement ends, terms for cease and desist of the use of the list by both parties.

MLS requires that real estate practitioners in my local area leave business cards at the homes that they show. I was recently spammed by a home inspection team because I showed the property they were later inspecting. I feel very strongly that the information was improperly obtained and complained to the home inspector and let them know that I would never use them, but beyond approaching the MLS, how do we prevent such abuses from occurring? Fortunately there are already guidelines in place on my local MLS governing misuse of data obtained from within the MLS, but this is a new wrinkle.

One of the inevitable and enjoyable parts of my job is visiting other people's pets. Whether I'm previewing a home or going on a listing presentation or doorknock, I enjoy the opportunity to interact with all of the furry friends along the way. One of the best ways for me to interact with a pet owner is through their pet so I try to befriend the resident cat or dog just as much I try to befriend their human.

Dogs are usually very friendly. I make decisions on making contact based upon breed and temperament. Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are among the teddy bears of the dog world. They are usually good natured and very, very big. The way they are most likely to harm you is to knock you over by throwing their weight at you. Certain breeds like Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds and Rottweilers look fearsome and have bad press mostly from scary movies with no basis in fact. Some of these dogs are dangerous, but some are also, like the retrievers, very gentle and approachable. It depends upon how they were raised.

All animals, be they dog or cat, should be approached carefully and respectfully. Addressing them in a friendly voice, I always put a hand out to be sniffed first. Since their eyesight isn't as good as ours, smell is the most important thing. I gently extend my hand slowly to let them get a good sniff. It usually takes a while as they then pick up the scent of my cats, who rubbed it in pretty good, then reach to give them a pet on their cheek or the top of their head.

Barky dogs are actually the most likely to bite and they are usually the little breeds. Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and Jack Russell Terriers are all really excitable breeds and, if they aren't well-disciplined, may take a nip at you. Most of the time, it won't really hurt but you should always be a little bit careful when approaching them. If they start barking backwards, when they bark, step back, and bark some more, they really don't feel comfortable yet. I usually ignore them at that point and interact with the humans for a while. Some will quiet down and come back to make friends. Others continue barking and must be put in another room.

Be considerate of cats. Nearly every cat's motto is "Change is Bad" and most react to a stranger by scooting under the bed or around the corner. The brave ones will peek out from a safe place and watch you interact with their human. Pretend you don't see them. This is counter-intuitive, especially when they gradually become more visible. I always resist the urge to say hi to any kitty until they actually walk up to me since it makes them feel more in control of the situation.

If the sign or the agent comments say to beware of a runaway cat, I enter with caution, entering with my knee first, to block the cat from making a dash for the door. My former office had a policy of caravanning with so many agents around, the cat got out. If this happens, it is best to get in front of the cat and scoop them up before they know what's happened. My fellow agent was approaching it from the sheep herding perspective so she would have had quite the long trip before she caught up with kitty. 

If you can develop confidence in working with people's pets, you may receive the unexpected reward of new friends both human and furry as you conduct your business.

 Losing data sucks. Losing your entire database, all of your files and templates is a disaster. Backing up your computer can be one of the things we think of last, like flossing our teeth or eating the right mix of fruits and vegetables, but if you've been in the business more than 5 minutes and your database is residing on your pc (or Mac) take the time to back up your computer regularly or take advantage of online storage for your database and files. Tempting fate with the blue screen of death is very risky since as our hard drives fill up, the chance of a failure increases, and if that happens, you have a strong possibility of losing your data.

If you don't have a geek in residence, you should take the time to either cultivate someone who will come in and take care of your computer on a regular basis (this is aimed at the forgetful/successful/busy agent) or set up with an online data storage company like Carbonite, a new option I just discovered. (There are other companies, but this came bundled with my MSN Money software and was incredibly convenient to set up.) Carbonite, once installed, just sits and works in the background, backing up new files as they are created, no fuss, no mess.

We've all heard about spyware, viruses and spam, oh my. Several years ago when I did not update my anti-spyware software as quickly as I should, my browser (Internet Explorer)  was hijacked. Suddenly, no matter where I wanted to go, I was going somewhere else, like porn sites and other wierd stuff. Yech! Eventually, I figured out that the malware (the name for all bad software installed on your computer with malicous intent had uninstalled my anti-spyware program and thrown it in the trash. Yikes! I quickly made my way to the site and reinstalled the software. If all this stuff sounds hard and scary, get someone to take care of your computer for you or update what you've got regularly.

Do it yourselfers: Download.com (if you haven't found it already) is an outstanding resource for all kinds of software. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you've probably got most of the software you need on your computer already.

Hiring a Geek? Have them help you automate your backups or just schedule them to do the backups, while they're defragmenting your hard drive. Defragmenting is important because it makes it easier for the disc to find the file you're seeking. This is important because your computer will run smoother. Anti-virus, anti-spyware software should be run weekly at a minimum. Your geek can set these programs to run automatically when you're away from your computer.