Written in response to How often do you check your e-mail (which didn't seem to have anything to do with e-mail)

WRITTEN TO OTHER AGENTS

I can understand what you are saying and thinking but I've lived on both sides of this.

Real Estate is a business, so I treat it like one. You call any business after their posted hours and they will not be picking up the phone. What do customers do when the don't reach them, move on to the next one. If I lose a customer or client due to my "hours" it's ok.  Think about it?  If I have someone upset about my posted hours and expectations and they want to violate that, they will do that later on too.

That's what happens in real estate most of the time.

I never could get realtors that weren't 24/7 realtors, until someone asked me: "Is there anything I can do at 6PM that I can't take care of in the AM?" NOPE

So why do I need to take a call from you (the other agent) at 6PM? I have a family I'd rather spend time with, sorry. You're not even 3rd on my list of people I would want to hear from. What could you possibly need that can't wait?

Now that I am one of those "after 5:30" people. It's about living my life and running my business. My business has INCREASED since then.... and you're (figurative) still the same place on my list of people I want to hear from.

Just in case:

1. God
2. Family
3. My Client's Family
4. Business
5. Everyone Else

Are there times I stray from this, absolutely! If I get an offer, schedule a late appointment, ect, then I'll call or text at least. If you (other agent) followed directions, I will get the offer and be able to respond immediately, if you sent the offer to my Broker. I'll see it when I get there I guess. Too bad.

Life's too short to be at YOUR beck and call. What did your post have to do with e-mail by the way? Am I arrogant? maybe, but my Family comes before my business.

When you run a business that is 24/7 like that, you become a slave to the business. Eventually, something else suffers. So the real question is what is suffering in your life due to all the stress you have when an agent doesn't call you back?

As a side note, what about weekends?

Did you know that it costs Truet Cathy $500 Million Dollars for closing on Sunday?  Chick-fil-a is a top a lot of lists as most successful.  Truett has Faith,  I do too, ... DO YOU?

Sometimes you hear a message that just changes your perspective so much so that you need to share it with someone.  For those that are curious, I am a Christian, and the message of Jesus' Love is definitely worth hearing, but that's not what I am talking about here.  I did hear this message as a sermon, but it transcends a good Sunday message, so much so that I felt it was worth blogging about it in an area that Realtors and consumers both could read. 

First, some background on my week.  I'm working on a big announcement about being a RichLife Advisor.  Basically, by aligning myself with the RichLife organization, I'll holding myself to a standard that says that my prorities are:

1. God
2. Family
3. YOUR FAMILY
4. Business

You'll notice that YOUR Family jumped up to number 3.  I've always practiced my business this way, but now I'm just formalizing it.

In addition, my Operating Principal (the owner of my Franchise) handed me a book called, "Noticer" that has helped me look at the bright side of things even when things are down.

So I am pumped up about life and real estate most of time, but it's still a struggle.  

Fast forward to Sunday.  Our Church, Victory World Church is part of an 1800 Church unification project to have one prayer. This week's message is God is... UNLIMITED.  (Those of you who are non-Christians, continue on).  There's several things that he went into about how we have dominion over sin and can perform the works of Jesus.

He ended with the story of a young man diagnosed with Polio who could not walk.  His Mother would place him in a box and push him around the home. As she kept him with him, they would listen to Christian talk radio.   As he grew up he heard messages about faith and overcoming odds and how God heals.  He eventually had enough faith and began to rock the box until he fell out.  The first few times his Mother would scold him and then put him back into the box.  One day his mother left for a quick errand and he was able to rock himself out of the box.  He started to climb up some furniture to try and stand while a small voice said, "Keep Going."  He was standing up when his Mother walked in, shocked.  The man later became a successful business man. 

Finally, Pastor Dennis Rouse closed with another story that I think we've all been waiting for.

He brought out a jar of crickets with the lid on.  He began to talk about how people act when they drive a convertible.  They put the top down and they begin to smile and play music and really enjoy themselves and that is like our life.  Most of us in the Real Estate industry are driving around with the top up on a sunny day.

He then showed the crickets again and took the top off of the jar.  Not one cricket jumped out.  In fact, they not only had learned that there is no escape, but they had learned not to try.  In addition, many of the other crickets would pull down the cricket getting to the top of the perch.  

That's a lot like small business owners right now.  Sure it is tough, sure you will hit your head trying to make it, but the lid isn't always on the jar and you don't have to LIVE like it is.

If you're reading this than you are on the internet.   No doubt you have seen the multitude of real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow and others.  Although, Realtor.com is "OUR" site they still believe the same thing that all the other sites believe, including Active Rain, and that is, that the information should be available and free and easy for consumers to get a hold of.

Some go further and even suggest that there might not need to be a Realtor, after all, you can get all the data you want on the internet.

I truly love this! 

I find it ironic that most of these companies have high "worth" but are struggling to monetize all that data.  Why should Realtors pay.  It's our time and effort that goes into getting the listing and putting on the MLS so that  Zillow and many other can grab it and try to remove us from the picture only to have turn around and pay them for it again.

I have three words for companies that want me to pay for this:  L  O  L

I think it's hilarious, so much so, let's run through it one more time.

"So you are telling me that you have taken my data and generated interest in it and now you want to sell it back to me."

There's not enough money at any of these companies to beat a great agent in the hyper local arena. Sure, I'm going to play the game, my seller's property will definitely be on these sites, I'll answer the questions, I'll link back to my site. 

However, they won't be getting money from me until the actually bring real (not stolen or borrowed) value to the table for me or my clients.

 

If you do a search for short sales you'll find every overnight guru and million dollar system that you could ever want.  Everything from sweaty guys who wear oversized suits to cowboys.   One thing you won't find is a resource site for REAL Estate Agents (and others).  Even here on Active rain it's just people blogging and copying and pasting the information on their blog.

ShortSalePros - is a website created in the same vein as REOPRO - a site dedicated to the professionals working this market and trying to offer help.  I won't be satisfied until you can go to the site and find contact numbers for loss mitigation departments and have the right and useful forms.

The site is built from the easy to use NING site.  If you've never seen it, it's like a really nice version of myspace.  In any case the content we are looking for is:

• Contact numbers for loss mitigation departments
• Best Practices for Short sales
• Reviews of Negotiation Companies
• Investor Strategies - pros and cons
• Documents Required for a Short Sale and best practices for those
• Lead Generation Techniques

So please join, it's free.

Become a Short Sale Pro Free !

I'm sure this issue is far from even scratching the surface.  If our NAR thinks that Google is a scraper site (not sure how they even know what a scraper site is, if they think this) then advertising and interacting on social media is going to cause a lot of issues. So while Association's leadership is at Amazon looking for FaceBOOK, let's cover what rules they THINK are good one.

Here's some key pointers on what you need to be mindful of

• Real Estate Commission rules apply to all media.
  
• In Georgia - All Advertisements require the firm's name and telephone number... OH and it's not supposed to be larger than yours... OUCH!   Be sure you know what an advertisement is...
  
• Ad cannot be misleading... Think "TITLES!"
• Can't discriminate - You're probably thinking about color, but you need to be worried about AGE!
  
• Under supervision of Broker

For Specific Properties

• Owner's Permission to Advertise - did they approve that you tube video?
• Broker's Name equal or larger in size

Of course, the rules are just stuff that is written down, unless someone calls you on it. 

So what are some real rules when using social media - real meaning, the ones you should actually pay attention to.

1. Never post something that your "MAMA" wouldn't approve of.
2. Don't post about specific people.
3. Pictures of you at the lake may be really "HOT" but might not be the best thing to associate with your Real Estate Profile.
4. Don't make enemies.. they could report you for breaking the "RULES."

Guest blogger: Beau Henderson, with Fiduciary Capital:

 

When cash values are insecure, real estate is a smart place to put your money. If you don’t own a home, that’s the perfect place to start. Buy the best house you can afford—and the “afford” part is critical. Particularly when you are buying a home at least partially as an inflation hedge, it might be tempting to invest as much money as possible into your new home, i.e. buy the most expensive house you can manage. However, be sure to take into consideration your income, your debt, your savings and – most importantly – your spending habits. It’s only smart to invest in a house that that will hold or gain value, and foreclosure tends to have a negative effect on that. So, especially during times of layoffs, a good rule of thumb is to make sure you’ve got the financial reserves to keep you afloat in case of a sudden emergency or job loss.

 

One of the best parts of home ownership is the mortgage tax deduction, which, depending on your tax bracket, can reduce your effective mortgage expenditures by as much as 30 cents on the dollar. Also, if possible, get a fixed rate mortgage. That means that no matter how long you live in the house, if you don’t refinance, your housing expenses will remain the same. And the best part: while housing prices can rise and fall, as they’ve recently demonstrated, housing investments are overwhelmingly stable. Over time—and that’s key, the long term part— the value of houses almost always keeps up with inflation and generally exceeds it, and every mortgage payment you make is like putting money in your savings account.

 

Of course, buying the right house in the right place is important in making a sound investment. Before going after that house, find yourself a savvy real estate agent and broker who have the knowledge and skills to guide you toward the best possible investment.

 

Beau Henderson is a certified senior financial planner and a authorize 1031 Intermediary.  His office is in Gainesville and he can be reached at 770-540-9142.

With eight years’ experience shaping the financial futures of more than 2,000 clients, Beau Henderson combines an expert knowledge of the industry with an exclusive understanding of the market. And that’s a winning combination for your investment strategy.

A Forsyth County native and graduate of the University of Georgia, Beau majored in finance and psychology. After spending two years as a Regions Bank loan officer, Beau felt drawn to financial planning, a career that would allow him to use his expertise to help his clients toward lifelong financial security and success. A Registered Financial Consultant, Beau is currently Vice President of Financial Planning and Senior Financial Advisor with Fiduciary Capital based in Gainesville, Ga.

 

 

 

Awesome model home style Roswell short sale. This home would have sold for the MOST in the neighborhood if the situation was different. Their loss is your gain! Check out this great video technology too!

I've been creating videos of my short sales to help dispell the myth that short sales need work.  This short sale in Powder Springs is a great example of a home that is move in ready.  Also check out the cool video technology!

Byron Barron with Certapro painters is one of the more dynamic individual at the Chateau Elan Networking Elites BNI group.  We meet every Thursday in Hoschton, GA to grow our business and Byron drives all the way from Dahlonega to see us.

Byron's military background no doubt allows him to be, by far, the most trustworthy painter I've ever had the pleasure of using.  He and his crew will do what they say they will!

Visit Byron online.