business: NOT a lazy Saturday
- 06/26/10 11:39 AM
I'm happy about that! I'm just about to leave the office after working almost all day. There were counters to write an offer to write and calls to return. I work best in my office and it's free floor time, I have always encouraged our agents to take advantage of that and they do many times. After a post tax credit lull, it's BUSY and I'm riding this pony as long as it lasts! Yesterday however I took most of the day off sort of, I went to Idaho City to spend time with a friend, everyone who went with me … (0 comments)
business: I did a war whoop in the office yesterday!
- 06/23/10 07:42 AM
Last fall I started an email relationship with an overseas buyer. It's been an extremely slow process but yesterday I got a signed contract back from him! After checking the office for civilians I let loose with my celebratory war whoop (kind of a western thing). I learned several useful factors about international buyers from blog posts here, HG TV and Bernice Ross's column in Inman News. The contract he signed (#3) was very simple and direct. Business has improved in the last week and a half after a scary lull at a normally busy time. The action is in every sector … (0 comments)
business: Welcome JoFay!!
- 05/14/10 11:15 AM
We have new administrative assistant!! Our last one left for a full time property management job our previous one to that had retired. We stumbled around for a week or so with my beleagured cousin/assistant Sandi trying to keep us going. Our longtime bookkeeper/agent Lark MacKenzie finally got it into the heads of the ownership of this agency (my partners and I) that being a real estate secretary is as specialized as being a legal secretary. There's a lot to the job. We carefully didn't dump it all on JoFay the first day although I think she could have muddled through it … (0 comments)
business: "Oh Lord, What Have I Ever Done" and so on
- 03/03/10 01:26 PM
Apologies to whoever wrote this song, one of my favorites. I am sooooo swamped - I showed my former full time team member, Daniela, a house tonight. I really wish I could hire her back but I am swamped sporadically and she needs full time employment. She is going to college and doing well and this is the best thing for her but...... there are days when I REALLY MISS HER! I am working toward retirement and so don't need to take on an assistant but... there is business out there that I'm blowing off. There are worse problems, right? … (4 comments)
business: Party time!
- 12/22/09 01:57 AM
This time of year has a lot of "party" activity. Last Saturday night was the end of 1 each weekend for Carl and I. I belong to two Realtor associations and each has a party, Carl's company has one and ours has one. Sorry to say but ours was the only fun one. The others were all "they came they ate they left". A lot of money and time was spent on the partys but the fun part was left out. Especially in our profession we need to remember how to have fun and do it! We have done a variety … (6 comments)
business: Are We Trustworthy?
- 10/16/09 05:51 AM
Twice in the last 24 hours this has come up. Another realtor told me about her experiences with clients who up front told her that they didn't like or trust realtors and would do the transaction work themselves so it would be done right. It made for a difficult convoluted transaction that may or may not close (of course it was a repo and of course they were first time buyers and of course they had lots of outside advice). But somewhere along the way the buyers advisors felt they got the shaft in a real estate transaction. Maybe they did! Then … (3 comments)
business: AUDIT TODAY!!!!
- 09/10/09 02:31 AM
We're having one of our regular state audits today. For you non-realtors, the states in which we do business audit our transactions and books as we have a fiduciary duty to our clients - we handle other people's money. I'm not worried about my older tranactions, but the last week's are in chaos! I have been working with a client who writes two offers at once on quite a few properties. These are mostly low offers so are getting countered and rejected which makes a lot of documentation. AND I've been extrememly busy with other clients - ie meeting with one, … (0 comments)
business: Cars and Real Estate
- 07/01/09 02:33 AM
Last night we bought a car! After a year and a half of non consumer consumption we did it! Things are better, savings are replenished etc and I need a reliable car! One salesperson I talked to asked how I'd managed to put 153000 miles on my 2000 Ford Focus. I'm a realtor in a rural area - that's the answer. The process was interesting to me. My husband had said "just go buy a car - that's what you do". But that isn't what he did when we bought our boat I pointed out. He had resaearched and searched on … (2 comments)
business: Where's the positive Friday guy?
- 05/15/09 10:58 AM
I should have bookmarked his blog. I count on positive Fridays. It really helps to focus for a few minutes on only the good things that happened during the week. The habit is engrained now so here goes: Monday I got a CHECK! Tuesday we had free that's right FREE continuing ed. Our board decided to give us something tangible for our money. Thanks Payette and Washington County Board of Realtors! I got a good offer on one of my listings on Thursday. My sales are progressing well. My business life feels normal! (circa 2003) I showed quite a bit this … (6 comments)
business: Mud Season is here and I couldn't be happier!
- 02/11/09 10:02 AM
Maybe it's because I spent 10 years in the carpet business and have no carpeted rooms in my home, but I am glad to get rid of the snow and especially the ICE and have good old mud. The Treasure Valley (border area of Idaho and Oregon NW of Boise) is high desert so the mud won't last long. In fact the farmers will be out in the fields in the Sunny Slope area SW of Boise any time. AND ARE WE EVER READY FOR SPRING! Renewal, hope, flowers, sunshine, love, romance, enthusiasm, all things that will help our area and … (0 comments)
business: An upside of downsizing
- 12/05/08 02:33 AM
I have been discouraged lately because I have had to take the step of reducing my valued teammember Daniela from a licensed full time person to an unlicsensed very part time assistant. That was a toughie but necessary. HOWEVER yesterday I continued my calendar/gift handouts and I realized that instead of being conscious of the money clock ticking when I had either of my helpers with me as in the past 3 years, I could take my time and visit with the past clients one on one. That is a plus! Yesterday I did a big loop through Nampa, MIddleton and … (4 comments)
I'm happy about that! I'm just about to leave the office after working almost all day. There were counters to write an offer to write and calls to return. 
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