There have been moments that I have wondered, "why on earth am I pounding this keyboard???"
When I first joined Active Rain I felt like the tiniest little droplet of water in a huge field after a deluge. "How can I make a difference here and a difference in my business amongst all these amazing writers?"
My posts began showing up on Google right off the bat. It didn't matter how many posts I wrote or didn't write. A few months later I began receiving referrals and my cold feet warmed up like butter in a hot pan.
About three months ago I received an email that stated~
Dear Debra,
Hello, my name is Jamie and I have been reading and enjoying your blogs. I live in Colorado and have decided to move to Lake Livingston. I would like to work with you and I'm ready to buy NOW. It will be a cash sale and I have xxx$$$$'s to spend.
Thank you,
Jamie
Well wow! I was so tickled that I could hardly stand it. Within just a few days Jamie and Katrina, her daughter were sitting right in the car with me and we toured Lake Livingston. We spent two full days and viewed about 24 houses! Yikes, that was a total of about 300 miles on the car!
THE VERY LAST HOUSE WAS THE ONE! SO, WE PLACED THE OFFER.
Need I tell you that we became friends? She and I talked and talked and she seemed to know my life! Here is a lovely lady from Colorado that seemed to know me...
The seller got cold feet and backed out but Jamie and Katrina were already back in Colorado...oh my...what do we do? Long story short we found one more, I went to view it and she purchased it by Internet!
Three months later, yes, only three months later I am meeting Jamie tomorrow to list her house!
She loves it but found yet another deal she couldn't refuse!
Well, okay. So now to the new less than perfect economy, falling equity, restrictive real estate Lending Criteria, rising unemployment, and high gas prices we must deal with the threat of a missile.
FLASHBACK...THE BAY OF PIGS.
Yes, of course I was very very young but I remember the fear as if it were yesterday. We could be playing in the front yard of our modest neighborhood and a siren would sound. This was a practice run in case we were being bombed. I was required to run into the house and crawl under my bed.
The threat was so real that we had regular practice sessions HIDING UNDERNEATH OUR DESKS in our little classrooms. I can honestly say that this type of fear has affected my whole life. When you are that young you are not suppose to look into the face of death. We should not realize our mortality till much later in life.
WAKE UP WORLD.
We don't want our grandchildren to have to live through a similar time. Or, our children. Reading this news of our threat from Korea simply shakes the ground I walk on.
We should all be grateful that the sun is shining, our health is good, and we've been promised A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IN OUR GREAT USA...
It is said that today's two year olds have a pre-concieved idea that McDonalds packaged foods are so much better than the same food given to them in a plain white package. What does this mean? It means that McDonald's have made the major breakthrough of inundating our airwaves, print, Internet Ads, and signage and presence better than anyone else!
How can we learn from this? By persistance. We must choose our BRANDING AND STICK WITH IT. If we continue to change and vascillate from our original point then now one will get the point!
Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese, Pickles, Onions, On a Sesame Seed Bun!
.
Study and learn from the best. BRANDING YOURSELF AND YOUR SERVICE IS IMPERATIVE IN OUR BUSINESS TODAY.
Real Estate is GREAT without Onions! lol.
Find your niche, and stick to it! Deb :-)
Life has been crazy lately! Crazier than usual. I've been meeting myself coming and going!
But boy, did I open my eyes to AN AMAZING EVENT!
A man called my cell phone a couple of days ago. (my cell rings off my wall!) He begins to thank me for keeping up with his needs for property so diligently. He told me his name. I said, "HUH?", quietly to myself of course.
And, of course I said, "you're welcome". I had NO CLUE who this guy was!
He wanted to come and view a couple of properties I had sent him??????? (not me said Deb...to myself) One was a 22 acre tract with a home and the other was a 10 acre tract with a home.
Due to the fact that I had no idea who this man was I asked him for his email address and number since I was away from the office! It sounded good then. And, it worked.
I then scheduled the appointment with him and was totally dumbfounded where this lead had come from!
Once upon a time, Bob Stewart recommended the Market Leader Program to me. This is now VISION. Because of the intense schedule I have been keeping I just didn't get into it like I should have!
I dropped the ball with this program! For that I'm sorry and this is going to change quickly!
I did absolutely NOTHING EXCEPT TO DO EVERYTHING WRONG...
Yet, VISION STILL SENT ME A BUYER.
YES, HE IS BUYING ONE OF THE PROPERTIES. I DID NOTHING.
I discovered the gentleman's name on the VISION SITE WHEN I LOGGED IN TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WEEKS. THEY HAVE BEEN SENDING ALL MY LEADS and UPDATES DIRECTLY FROM ME! THE MAN THOUGHT I HAD BEEN PERSONALLY COMMUNICATING WITH HIM. WOWSER. WHAT A SERVICE?
I can honestly and emphatically recommend this program to all. VISION works in the background to bring so many incredible leads that my head is spinning. Contact them today and give them a try. All you have to do is sit back in your chair and learn to juggle the checks! Wow, I love it.
When you're searching your MLS have you noticed that the compensation split is being lowered too many times? Obviously there can be no price fixing...so we're all free to sell homes at whatever rate we choose. Right?
My question is...
"Why are we lowering the rates?"
For heavens sake it's more difficult to sell a house today than we've ever known it to be! It's more difficult to find qualified buyers. It's more difficult to attain financing. It's more difficult to remain within the guidelines of our FNMA/FHA/VA sources and here we are LOWERING THE COMPENSATION?????
WHAT'S WITH THAT?
If we take the stance that our services, knowledge, advertising sources, E&O insurance, license and experience are important....
SHOULDN'T OUR RATES BE GOING UP?
We should question strongly the Discount Brokers. Are they diminishing our true value?
Are you walking a tight rope by lowering the value of Real Estate Professionals position?
Introducing the greatest getaway on Lake Livingston! This beautiful estate is on 3+acres of gorgeous lushly landscaped WATERFRONT LAND.
WOO~HOO WONDERLAND! Walls of windows give you the perfect view of Lake Livingston's Bethy Cove.
Water, water and more water is your view from the main house livingroom. What a beauty!
Mature, professional landscaping surrounds the property intermingling with the natural hardwoods and Pine. Think you could maybe relax here? Me too.
Boathouse with electric lift will accomodate the largest and best! Waterfront is completely bulkheaded with custom walkways, extra decking and lots of room to play.
Beautiful still waters lead you into Trinity River for great skiing or you can continue to Lake Livingston and boat for days! Here you will find paradise on Lake Livingston. For any of your Real Estate needs and your personal viewing of this property please contact me...
Property includes main house, guest house, outdoor kitchen, 40 x 40, inside finished RV port and garage to house extra cars, antiques, etc. Property is fully fenced with two gate entrances.
Deb Brooks, Lake Livingston Real Estate Specialist
You know, I'm certain each one of us Realtors has a bag full of stories about GREAT SHOWINGS GOING BAD BECAUSE OF THE NEIGHBORS...don't we?
Most of us have neighbors. How many times have you had a next door neighbor approach you during a showing to give you their two cents?
How many times have they actually helped?
In the beginning of the summer I had a very interested party in a Waterfront listing and a strong second showing. Sitting right on the water was a second lot that was included with the sale of the home. We were walking the lot and admiring the view and out comes the next door neighbor.
Regular greetings insued. My client then asked the ten dollar question...does it ever flood here?
"Oh yes, said the man. The water has been under that house before (house on stilts) and it comes way up here when it rains a lot."
My face scrunched up pitifully and a big "HUH?" was about all I could say. I knew better.
Out comes his wife. Regular greetings insued.
The conversation resumed and the wife said, "It has not! Hubby (name withheld) you're dreaming! That water was never that high. In fact the only time it ever came over the bulkhead was back in 1996!"
THEY GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ALL OF US!
YIKES....
A REAL ARGUMENT. "YOU OLD FOOL/YOU OLD WOMAN" KIND OF ARGUMENT.
Meanwhile back at the ranch my clients and myself began to distance ourselves and headed back to the property. Quickly saying our good-byes.
After consulting with the listing agent I confirmed that the water had never been that high...but my clients...needless to say decided against the house.
I now keep my radar up and running while showing. I attempt to diminish the possibility of "running into the neighbors" as much as possible.
That's kinda like a cheap box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get! Beware of the neighbors!
EVERYTHING...that's what. Real Estate has been built by the water from the beginning of time. Water is our life blood and has many magical powers. It feeds our bodies with the very substance that supports us. Water cleanses us after a long day. Water supports life that feeds us. Water calms us by its very nature.
WE ALL WANT TO LIVE BY THE WATER!
In this new and tangled economy we are working with there are only a few guarantees. We must have a home. And, if we purchase by the water it will continue to hold a strong value in ANY ECONOMY.
Truth is....they just aren't making any more waterfront. Ask anyone where they would rather live and two thirds of your answers will include living by a body of water!
If you are considering a purchase by the water for future retirement or a second home, now is the time.
Sure we all have a race to run each day we arise into the world of Real Estate. But, what is it that is really going to make us stand apart from the rest?
Our persistence. We don't have to run faster than anyone else...
Our sincerity. We need to PROVE we mean what we say. And, stick to it.
Our ability to look out for the other person first...not our pocketbooks.
Our need to abide by our National Ethics that give us Pride in our Profession.
We MUST be able to step aside and allow another to take the paycheck if it behooves our client.
We need to place all others first and foremost.
We must learn and study and keep up with inventory and the economics involved that creates our markets.
We may not get there right away but if we keep plugging the "proper" way we "will" get there!
That's the difference between the Tortoise and the hair...
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
I did absolutely NOTHING EXCEPT TO DO EVERYTHING WRONG
Posted by 
;)
;)
