kathy mcgraw: Is it a good time to sell land in Riverside County? - 02/28/11 12:24 PM
I get asked this question a lot from sellers of land in the Whitewater area of Riverside County, CA.  A couple years ago I told all the people that contacted me how much the value of their land lots had gone down, and if they didn't need to sell to hold off.

 
 
 
 
 

 

That was in 2008-2010. Now here we are in 2011 and people are again asking me if it's a good time to sell their land. My answer before was if you didn't have to sell, then I would suggest waiting. … (8 comments)

kathy mcgraw: A Lesson on the small things-remembering the details - 01/05/11 02:01 PM
Today I had to get the thermostat replaced in my house as  somehow the connections werent working properly  and  the heater wouldn't turn on.  There was a lesson learned while watching the repair man, one for everyone.  While watching the repairman I was reminded that forgetting about the small things can make all the difference in the world for the successful completion of a job.

 
The small things; how many times have we remembered the big things, but somehow forgot the small things?  The repairman today called and asked what size thermostat it was.  He wanted to get a … (8 comments)

kathy mcgraw: An Open Post to My friends and Clients - 12/31/10 01:30 PM
As 2010 is about to end, and a new year begin I wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you! 
 
Thank you to all the people that have touched my life in one way or another.  Thank you for all those that have shown compassion to others as they delt with challenging times, health issues, or even the death of a loved one.
 

 
 
 
 
I can't say I am upset this year is over, but when I look back I can indeed see the good things that happened as well as the bad.
… (19 comments)

kathy mcgraw: When you blog with a heart, you meet others with a heart ~ *Holiday Miracles* - 12/14/10 03:01 AM
The New Year of 2010 started off for me the same as most years, full of hope and optimism for the year to come. I had just ended a very difficult year with an increase in business, and resolutions to other challenges in my life, I had no reason to envision that in just a few short weeks a seemingly endless cycle of loss would start. Big losses and small, some that ripped my heart out, and some that any other year might have seemed big but this year were mere inconveniences. Amazing how loss can change our perspectives.
 

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kathy mcgraw: Something to Do at that Open House or When You want to make a Difference - 10/09/10 08:38 AM
We all have slow times in our business, and some of us more than others lately. But what do you do with this time? How do we help families other than getting them into new homes? I know this community, and I know that it is a caring one. So many people have supported each other, and shared their hopes, dreams, and sorrows together. Well, I want to share what I am doing today to help.
 


 
 
 
Tomorrow on October 10th, 10-10-10 the second annual one day Twitterthon to Stop Child Sex Trafficking will be occuring. … (6 comments)

kathy mcgraw: An Almost Wordless Wednesday: When what you do just isn't good enough - 09/01/10 07:21 PM
In any job or any activity we try to do the best we can.  But what happens when we mess up?
I love photography, looking through a lens and trying to capture just the right moment, or just the right scene. There are so many variables in choosing what is good, what is best or what we will settle for. Photography can teach this lesson, the lesson that things don't have to be perfect to be enjoyable or acceptable.
The picture here was supposed to be of a wild raspberry.  But as you can see the raspberry didn't turn out … (18 comments)

kathy mcgraw: An Almost Wordless Wednesday - 08/04/10 01:40 PM
I have never been able to not say anything on these Wordless Wednesday Blog Posts.  This time I am sharing a photo taken during my most recent trip to the most northwest part of the lower 48 states- Neah Bay in the state of Washington.
 

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kathy mcgraw: Real Estate Agents Also Have Lost Their Homes to Foreclosure - 08/02/10 02:19 PM
Real Estate Agents sell Real Estate, and most of us have a mortgage on our own homes.  A mortgage that is paid through our earnings from selling homes.  Money that is earned from working, just like our clients.  But when people aren't buying homes or land then it affects our ability to pay our bills  and our own mortgages.  I know as I lost my home in January after a 2 year fight.
 
"I am writing this as I sit in a half empty house, scratches and bruises over my hands, raw from work they aren't used to, a body … (36 comments)

kathy mcgraw: One day after new FTC Guidlines: Are you in Compliance? - 12/02/09 01:44 AM
Writing 2 AR posts in one day, now that's a new novelty.  But I felt compelled to remind my friends here on Active Rain about their testimonials, and recommendations. I was just looking at someones profile and the testimonials look like the canned ones that come with many template sites. 
As of yesterday, Dec. 1,2009 the new FTC Guidelines for Bloggers went into effect.  There IS NO grace period for compliance.  You have to be truthful in all your testimonials (no canned ones that come with some sites) and be able to substantiate them, in other words prove that you sold … (16 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Lil Devil and Lil Angel- Oh my Gawd They did it again! - 10/15/09 04:47 PM
Oh my...I only came on here to read a few things, and one thing I read just jumped out at me, and the Lil Devil threw his sock away and has been jumping up and down ever since. 
Why?  What is going on this time?
We all have heard about the new FTC Guidelines.  Several Blogs on here were written, some better than others.  But what the Lil Devil noticed were a few of the comments, uh oh here he goes:
 
Lil Devil- Will you quit acting like you are so superior!  And if you really want us to … (54 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Almost Wordless Wednesday Kathy Style #6 - 09/30/09 02:23 AM
Busy people often times rush through life without taking time to see the little things in life.  A quote by Throeau is on my desktop to remind me every day, "It is not what you look at that matters, but what you see". And this is what I saw one morning. I am reposting it here, as originially I put it on Rocket Moms, a group of Women Writers in their Photography Group.
Yesterday I got to San Diego about 9 am and it was foggy out. My daughter told me to look at something out the window, and here was … (24 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Almost Wordless Wednesday: Stupidity - 07/16/09 02:43 AM
"Stupid is as stupid does."  Yesterday I read about a Real Estate Agent in Washington that did several Burglaries after telling homeowners he had clients that wanted to see the home. He would make the appointments for when Sellers weren't at Home then steal their valuables and pawn them.  The Rationale "to supplement his income in this economy." 
I've always said that not all Real Estate Agents were ethical, intelligent, or mature, guess this is an example of that.  Another thing I read this morning was an Agent in Florida was arrested foranother crime.
 

 
People are people regardless … (12 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Lil Devil and Lil Angel: Passionate about Kids - 06/22/09 12:39 PM
I am writing on a Real Estate Network because my profession is Real Estate. The Members of this network are involved in Real Estate in some form or another, and many times I've read about how passionate people are about Real Estate, but that's not my real passion, it's what I do, but not what I am most passionate about.
Right now the Lil Devil is fuming ....but it's not about Real Estate.  This is one of those times where the Lil Devil has completely silenced the Lil Angel.  In fact all parts of my personality are integrated when I think of … (14 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Lil Devil and Lil Angel- Unequivically too much - 06/01/09 05:18 AM
How do I start this without just coming out and saying "Get over yourself"?  You're making a name for yourself all right, but what name is it, probably not the one you envisioned.  There have been a lot of chances for people around the country to see you, both on your Blog and other Social Media Sites, and in person.  So what image have you given? 

 
It's been a few weeks that the Lil Devil has been behaving himself, guess he finally had something to do other than watch what others were doing :) How to win friends … (36 comments)

kathy mcgraw: An Almost Wordless Wednesday- Serenity begins with Location - 05/27/09 05:01 AM
Recently one of my online friends was saying that she had a hard time sitting still and just "being". Sometimes  location is the culprit, and sometimes location is the answer.  Sometimes it's hard to just sit and "be" with the TV or radio blasting, kids running around, and family and business demands needing attention.
But when we change our location and get rid of the distractions it's easier to find peace. We can sit and just "be" enjoying the world around us while harvesting the strength of nature. It's all about desire, location, and commitment to self.   Serenity comes from … (22 comments)

kathy mcgraw: An Almost Wordless Wednesday- Word Association Communication - 05/19/09 06:26 PM
When we think of something we are using our own experiences, and our own visuals to conquer up an image for that word.  Many times misunderstandings can occur if two people have a different visual (definition) of something.  Take the State of California, what do you think of, what picture is in your mind when you hear someone say they live in California?  Our own experiences are what we use to see the world, and to communicate with each other.  But often times your world isn't someone else's world, so try to find out where they're coming from first, then communication … (17 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Lil Devil and Lil Angel-Get off the Computer - 05/18/09 03:30 AM
Have you ever had someone ask you a question that you didn't really know the answer to, so you just kind of hummed and hawed?   I don't know about anyone else, but I find it takes a lot of time to keep up with everything online.  I know that there are some people that spend a lot of time online, and then they write how they've had so many transactions, it just doesn't jive.  Even the best multi-taskers still need to get off the computer to show houses.

I was asked how some people seem to be online all day, … (20 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Almost Wordless Wednesday Kathy Style- Similar or Different - 05/12/09 04:09 PM
When we look up or look down, we see things that we might not normally see.  Hopefully we all take a few minutes to experience something new.  Look at the picture below...did you notice that both of these flowers have different shades of purple?  This is true with so many everyday" things" in life...we think they are alike on first glance, but on closer inspection we see they're not.  We are all unique yet the similarities are what helps us build relationships.  Take the time to enjoy the differences while appreciating the similarities :)  That's the beauty of diversity.
 

… (20 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Lil Devil and Lil Angel: Dysfunctional and Boring Relations - 05/11/09 06:18 AM
Today is Monday, another Monday after a Holiday.  Well, I'm not sure it's a holiday but it sure is a day that gets a lot of hype, and all over the social networks people were posting Have a Happy Mothers Day.  You know, you read it as many times as I did, and many of you probably spent some time with extended family....and if you're reading this you survived.  Yes, sometimes spending too much time with some people, "survival" is the only thing we can hope for.
 

 
             Extended family.....
 
Aunts and Uncles, maybe a step-dad or … (16 comments)

kathy mcgraw: Lil Devil and Lil Angel : Online Connections - 05/04/09 08:21 AM
Participating and writing online, in any form of Social Media, has it's benefit and of course the flip side is consequence.  Look around you at the sites you're on, and how many of the people you know are on these sites?  We read each other, support each other, joke around, send recommendations, and we also  judge and condemn each other too.  You don't think so......well, you're sadly mistaken.  It's Human Nature, right or wrong, good or bad. 
 
This past week the Lil Devil has seen a few things online from different connections.  It's just amazing how some people forget that no matter … (42 comments)