Does anyone remember when real estate on the internet was new? - 03/30/09 09:23 AM
I am continually amazed by the ease of marketing properties, agents and brokerages online these days.  I remember when most agents were still saying the internet would never last, it would replace REALTORS and that the general populace would never go there first!  Hmmmmm...I am so glad that I was progressive thinking back then and bought my first website even though most of the agents I worked with thought I was insane!  Okay, now I ask the question..."Who is insane???"
Back in the day (man I am sounding like some old codger lecturing the whipper snappers!) you pretty much had three … (3 comments)

Nothin' like fresh air and sunshine to sooth the soul... - 03/29/09 01:29 PM
It is a gorgeous day in the Texas Hill Country!  Yesterday I blogged about licking my wounds after being told I basically wasn't good enough to handle a listing.  Ouch...that kind of feedback hurts!  I generally handle negative feedback well, I have learned to let it roll off my back as my Mom and business partner has taught me to do.  I thought a lot about why that call bothered me so much yesterday because I am one of those people who is compelled to analyze where things went wrong and how I can learn, grow and get better from each … (3 comments)

A "bad" market equals new housing starts, new development and increased property values??? - 03/27/09 09:57 AM
First let me start with a caveat...I am a Texas REALTOR who does business in the Texas Hill Country and we are very fortunate that we have not been exposed to some of the tragic fallout of the economic woes that plague many other markets.  With that being said I wake up this morning curious about what defines a "bad" market.  I have been invited to a Broker/Agent coffee in a couple of weeks being hosted by a developer (who I used to work for) announcing the grand opening of their latest (4th) upscale gated community in a rural/resort market.  I … (2 comments)

If you ain't learnin'...then you ain't livin'! - 03/25/09 11:25 AM
I have never been a member of the MENSA society, but that hasn't stopped my desire for education.  I admit it, I have an addiction (besides shoes), I am an education junkie!  There, I said it...and yes I am aware that there are 21 step programs for people like me.  But I prefer to work out my issues in a classroom...whether I am a student or a teacher, it is simply a natural high for me to learn.  I can learn any way you can think of...classroom, online, correspondance, self taught...doesn't matter, but my favorite setting is still the classroom.  I believe my … (1 comments)

I am really diggin' this gig! - 03/24/09 09:49 PM
I am an only child and they tell me that means that I am a combination of the first born, the middle child and the baby of the family all rolled into one package.  I am the mom of an only child and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  Jordan is a great kid and since he was 11lbs 2oz at birth, he will always be an only child!  Where is this going you ask?  Well I have heard it said through the years that having one child is easy and having two children is easier...I always thought that … (3 comments)

Laundry, dirty dishes, raised toilet seats, pets and sick kids...not in your listing photos please! - 03/22/09 02:11 PM
Ahhhhh....ugly listing photos!  We have all seen them, heck you may be one of the guilty agents who has taken them and worse yet...actually had the audacity to publish them for the world to see.  Let's face it, the days of being able to take a crummy photo of your latest listing (notice I said "A" crummy photo) and just have other agents who take equally crummy photos see it,are long gone.  Now you take a photo and it better not be just one, it better be a plethora, and whammo your photographic skills or lack thereof is plastered all over … (7 comments)

"brush your teeth, don't take dorky pictures and don't buy truckstop curios!" - 03/21/09 04:00 PM
Some say that the definition of "mixed emotions" is watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your new Mercedes...I am facing a new breed of mixed emotions this spring break...the parental kind.  My son started middle school this year which was a big change and to make matters more challenging he went from a small Christian private school to a larger public school.  I have had some adjustments to make and I think all in all, Jordan is adjusting better than I am.  I have never been an overbearing or overprotective parent because as my friends and family tell me, … (3 comments)

Negative vs. Positive isn't just for batteries... - 03/20/09 09:14 AM
  it's for people too!  We are surrounded by positive and negative in every aspect of our daily lives, yet much like the power housed in a little double A battery, we often fail to realize the power that we possess with respect to these two energies.  My Dad used to tell me that every day is a series of choices: good ones, bad ones, right ones, wrong ones, happy ones, sad ones, and yes, positive ones and negative ones.  The anomily seems to lie in the fact that so many choose bad, wrong, sad and negative choices everyday...day after day.
… (2 comments)

The benefits of good communication. - 03/14/09 10:34 PM
Have you ever heard of Toastmasters International?  It's funny...you only get one of two responses when you ask that question.  One is "What do they do, toast bread?" and the other is "I've heard of that, been a member or would like to try it."  I learned about Toastmasters early in my life, in fact it was in middle school, because my parents were both Toastmasters.  They belonged to a club in San Antonio that met at lunchtime, so in the summer when I was out of school, they would take me with them to the meetings.  This was my first … (2 comments)

My "WHY" inspires me! - 03/13/09 09:23 PM
I was taught a long time ago that when you set out to do something, you have to determine your "WHY" that thing or person that motivates you at your core to succeed at what you are setting out to accomplish.  For the past 12 years my "WHY" has been my son Jordan.  He is a true gift from God and inspires me every day with his great attitude, his sense of humor and his heart for people.  He is compassion in the form of a young boy who is part Boy Scout, part trombone player, part golfer, part photographer, part … (6 comments)

RECESSION??? This Texas REALTOR refuses to participate!!! - 03/13/09 07:24 AM
Am I the only American who is sick to death of having the doom and gloom, the sky is falling, we are all gonna die and the earth is gonna blow up message of the media crammed down their throat every day?  I seriously doubt that I am. 
Why is it that every time a "recession" hits our country...which, by the way, we usually bring upon ourselves...everyone reacts like it is the first time this has ever happened and that the great depression part deux is upon us and that we need to start hoarding string, used tin foil and rubber … (2 comments)

Rain Rain, come and stay!!! - 03/12/09 10:25 PM
There is nothing quite like the beauty of the Texas Hill Country in the springtime and I am hopeful that we will be in for another lovely spring season in 2009.  Our Hill Country has been suffering a bad drought, one of the worst in history.  The lakes and rivers of our region are parched and the grassfires started by fools throwing cigarettes out the car window are a daily occurance here.  We have had rain for two days now and it is simply glorious!  The grass is getting greener, water is standing in the roadside drainage ditches and the levels … (4 comments)

Agents should read real estate forms...no, really, they should! - 03/11/09 10:07 AM
One of the first lessons my late father ever taught me was to always read something and make sure you understand it before you sign it.  The first result of this lesson came as a major frustration for a finance manager at 9:00pm on a weeknight at the local Hyundai dealership in 1987.  My then husband and I were buying our first brand new car together and after selecting the car we entered the den of iniquity also known as the finance manager's office.  The place were they judge you, frighten you and then make you sign mountains of paperwork much … (5 comments)

The glamorous life of a broker/owner. - 03/10/09 10:22 AM
I find it most curious that for my entire career the role of broker/owner appeared so glamorous.  I always mingled with these well heeled folks who had "the title" after their name and I could only imagine that they had a staff, a maid, a butler, a driver, a chef, a personal assistant and someone to walk their dog.  NOT!!!!  Oh wait a minute, their business card didn't say broker/owner, it said American Idol star...silly me!
Actually, the truth is that I said for years "I want to earn my broker's license, but I don't want to use it...for THAT!!!"  I … (0 comments)

but you don't get paid to do that... - 03/07/09 10:06 AM
I have heard it said that some people are born leaders and others are trained to be leaders.  For me, the jury is still out on that statement, but I think maybe it's a little of both.  I learned leadership from my Mom who I am blessed to have as my business partner in real estate...who am I kidding...she is the reason I am in real estate!  From my earliest memories she was running the PTA and heading committees in church...she was born a leader. 
I watched my mom climb the ranks of Women In Business and become president and be … (5 comments)

Do you like you? - 03/06/09 11:29 AM
Accountability.  Responsibility.  These are good qualities to possess.  But do we take them too far?  Some might argue that there are way too many folks in the world who have very little of none of these qualities and I am inclined to agree with that.  I am not a 100% professional at being accountable and responsible, but I come darn close.  My challenge with these two qualities is being too hard on myself. 
My friends and peers get on my case (lovingly, of course) and tell me, "Jeani, you are way too hard on yourself, you need to lighten up!"  And … (5 comments)

What is your mindset? - 03/05/09 09:22 PM
I had the honor of spending the day in the presence of Steve Morris, the founder and CEO of EXIT Realty International today.  About 150 broker/owners and agents gathered to spend a day with Mr. Morris who provoked us to rethink our profession, rethink our market and rethink our approach to both.  If you have never heard Mr. Morris speak, he gives a less than typical presentation and if you have spent time with him you know what I am talking about.  It is more like casual conversation and wise counsel than someone speaking at you.  I found myself engaged in … (3 comments)

If Real Estate is your Profession...Politics is your Business! - 03/04/09 11:09 AM
I AM A Texas REALTOR!  I am also a strong and long time supporter of our Political Action Committee.  TREPAC (Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee) is the largest PAC and grassroots group in the Lone Star state and we are well known around the capitol and our opinions are often sought out by the powers that be.  Basically, most legislators in Texas do not want the REALTOR Party opposing them.  The REALTOR Party you say...Yes, that is what we dubbed ourselves a few years back.  REALTORS who are not actively engaged in the governmental and political affairs aspect of our … (0 comments)

the ladder climb... - 03/03/09 09:34 AM
I have often said that "Life is a Journey, Not a Destination" and now I am beginning to grasp the true meaning behind that statement.  It is a sentiment that bears repeating because from day to day, the best laid plans and goals every once in a while just take an unexpected turn.  I started in real estate as a child moving from coast to coast with my parents.  Dad was an engineer and Mom was a homemaker and Dad's career moved us often.  I was mistaken for a military brat more than once and even though my Dad was Air … (8 comments)

Ask A Texas REALTOR! - 03/02/09 05:27 PM
I AM A Texas REALTOR!  It says so on my license plate, so it must be true!  This is a cool campaign that our State Association started a few years back to instill some pride into our industry in the Lone Star State.  Since we are a independent, proud and different bunch here in Texas, the I AM A Texas REALTOR trend hit and stuck.  It wasn't long before we rallied the Texas Department of Transportation for our own custom license plates and low and behold, in 2006, we got 'em!  I always introduce myself as a Texas REALTOR, in fact, … (0 comments)