Hi everyone.  It has been a while since my last post and I thought I would borrow the office computer for a while to write a story about a memory. 

First, yes, I did say borrow the office computer.  I am very hard on all of the equipment that I own.  I drop my cell phone several times each week and wonder why people on the other end say that my voice keeps fading.  I just dropped my lap top at a clients home several nights ago, and wouldn't you know it, it didn't like that so it stopped working.   I apologized to it and said that it was an accident, but to no avail.  It wouldn't listen to me.

Now, I am faced with having no method of communication, no way to research properties or to see what the competition is doing.  But, it is what it is and we all move forward.  After all, it will be repaired within one month.  Ouch...

So here I am, writing a blog about memories.   The reason that I am doing so is because I really was feeling quite sorry for myself with the impending delay in communicating with others because of the fall.  But then I began thinking about my grandchild.  About how adorable she is and how happy I am to have her as my screen saver on my cell phone.  I then remembered, while looking at her photo, that I could attach most of the important sites to my phone and be able to be a part of the real world, despite the loss of the lap top.

Then it hit me.  We will get through this life despite ourselves and our opposition to change and to trials.  We are in the biggest trial of our Real Estate Lives right now, and to be quite honest, we are going to experience growing pains because of it.  Growth in our own attitude towards life.  Growth in our ability to cope.  Growth in the method of selling and listing homes.    And on-and-on it goes.  We will grow if we allow our self to.

The choice is ours.

Make it a great day and I'll see you at closing.

Larry Stanul

Emotions are like the wind, they change regularly and with that change comes attitudes that can sometimes affect the decisions that we make every day.  Whether good or bad, our actions and decisions are usually the direct result of the mood that we may be in at any given time.

Have you ever worked with a client who, for whatever the reason, had mood changes that were so baffling that you didn't know how to react?  One minute they are happy and filled with anticipation on finding the perfect property only to have that happiness and hope turn into despair and frustration? 

I recently had the opportunity to work with a beautiful family in the search for their next home.   After several showings of a half a dozen homes or so, the decision was made to write an offer on the home that was most suited for their needs.  Now, keep in mind that this couple has lost two other properties by having a home sale contingency on the offer.  Not having their home sold, another offer came in on those other homes and forced them to either remove their home sale contingency, or to walk away.  Not having the confidence in the sale of their home, they elected to walk away and watch their dream home disappear.  

The stage is set, the home that far exceeded the other homes that they lost has been discovered and the offer is made.  Their anticipation was evident and we all were very pleased at our discovery.  The offer is submitted only to have the listing agent call and state that another offer has been made by another agent who also felt the home was worth the offer.  The owner of the property, who happens to be the lending institution, has given each prospect the opportunity to re-visit their offer.  The bank informs the listing agent that the highest and/or best offer will be accepted.  I immediately call my client to inform them of the situation.  I urge them to raise their offer and to even remove their home sale contingency.  After conferring with each member of the family, they decide that they really want this home and are determined that they are not going to lose another home.  Their offer is increased, the home sale contingency is removed and they even move the closing up by 15 days making the banks carrying costs a little less. 

We submit our adjusted offer and wait.  And wait...  and wait somemore.  Thursday turns into Friday.  5 pm comes and goes and still no resolve to the offer.   After contacting the listing agent, I find that the bank has to take the offers to a group of bankers to review and decide on one of the two offers.  Monday will be the day that the decision is to be made.  Or will it?

After contacting my clients, their hope of getting their dream home turned into frustration at not have a resolve before the long weekend ahead.  This frustration turned into disappointment in a 15 minute phone call and the happy couple soon turns into strangers who, for reasons of attitude, changed by their emotion into one of anger.  They began making comments like, I don't want the home any more.  I feel that it is not meant to be.  I don't care if they take my offer or not and on and on. 

I had all that I could do to assure them that this is normal operating procedure and all good things are worth the wait.  I told them that we gave it our best shot given the circumstances and also tried to tell them that I too was disappointed in the delay.

My point here is this.  We need to be more than Realtors with many of our clients.  We need to be good listeners... good sounding boards for them to bounce off their attitudes and frustrations.  In other words,  Counselors in their time of challenge.   What you say and do in this critical time of the process could make or break any deal. 

Are you a good listener? 

Larry Stanul

The title of this blog is from an award winning song by John Lennon.   When you come right down to it, truer words could never be spoken.  Life does in fact get in the way of our plans.

Today is a day like any other.  I am sure that many of you got out of bed and began your day like every other day in your life.  Bathroom stop, think about the days activities, say good morning to family, or in the case of a single person, your pet, or if alone, just meditate on the days coming events.   In my case, I am thinking about an offer that I recently wrote and as with many of my offers, another offer on the same home on the same day is presented to the buyer.  So I find myself biting my nails wondering if I did a good enough job in convincing my client to offer more than my competitor' client did.  Go figure, the market is slow for over a year and homes are sitting for even longer.  My client and I find the perfect home and wouldn't you know it, another offer at the very same moment. 

That's Life.   Frank Sinatra made a song very famous talking about it.   Listen to the lyrics of it and you will soon realize that life is full of ups, downs, sideways and maybes.  Yes and no, now or later. 

How do you react to the set backs of your life? 

This blog today is not to educate.  Not to advise.  Not even to entertain.  No, I am writing this today to talk about life and all that it offers all of us. 

As in many of my prior blogs, I write of being positive; glass half full; good attitude and the like.  I am here to remind all of us to get up each and every day with an attitude of happiness. 

I am a movie goer and sometimes quote a great line that some other person wrote for the movie to give it that wow factor.  To tug on your emotions and feelings so that you leave the theater with that statement on your mind.  In the ending of Tombstone, Val Kilmer, playing the part of Doc Holiday, tells Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell, that there is no normal life.  There's just life. 

You need to find your happiness in whatever that may be.

Don't let life get in the way of your plans today.   Take it one step at a time.  Take everything in stride and choose to be happy.  I find that when I have a good attitude, I make those around me happy too.

Enjoy life.  It's the only one you will ever have.  Make the most of it.    Happiness cannot be found in gold, riches or success.  It is from within. 

Have a great day.

Larry Stanul

I am amazed at the amount of client inquiries that are surfacing of late.  The phone doesn't stop ringing and the amount of interested buyers are coming out of the woodwork.  I for one am extremely happy about the turn of events from a year ago. 

It seems that there are a number of reasons for this increase in buyer activity.  I, in my opinion, think the reason cannot be attributed to just one event, but rather to a combination of events.   Stimulus???  Perhaps.  Low interest rates???  Perhaps.  Lower prices on all existing inventory???  Maybe.  How about buyer and investor confidence?  How about the simple fact that most believe that an asset such as real estate will have value despite economic times?  Seems there is more optimism being reported by our news casters of late.  There are more people talking up the opportunity that now exists in our country.

Confidence...  this, is what I believe to be the reason for the recent surge in activity.  Now, don't get me wrong, one month of activity does not set a trend.  It is a beginning point however.  A start to whatever lies ahead.  Our entire financial system is based solely on consumer confidence.  Let's help make this confidence happen by our attitude and by what we say and do.   Let's take this opportunity and make the best of it.  Talk up the benefits of home or investment purchases at this time. 

I was watching the Today show yesterday and was pleased to hear what was said by a well-known personality.  She said, for those of us who don't have any money after all expenses, try to get out from under your debt load.  But, for those of us who have been blessed and have good disposable income, go out and spend some of the money.  Take those who are less fortunate than you out to dinner, a movie or whatever.  Help our economy.  Remember, big begets big.  By this I mean your spending habits will help our situation more than you may think.  The more money you spend, the more workers hired or not laid off and hence the additional money earned will eventually wind up in our economy by those individuals spending also. 

I am not suggesting that we all go and spend foolishly as if there were no tomorrow.  Rather, think about what you can and cannot do. Do what you can to help stir this economy.  It is catching and there are more and more reports about a recovery looming just around the corner. 

I for one, am gearing up for one of my best springs since I began this career 6 years ago.  Are you?

Larry Stanul

I recently was asked to set up a showing with a lead from RE/MAX Lead Street.  Our companies way to distribute inquiries from the Internet.  I was pleased to oblige and immediately called the Lister to set up the showing request. 

I was somewhat amazed to hear the response from the listing agent.  Seems the first mortgage holder has allowed this property to be marketed as a short sale.  There is a second mortgage on the property also with a very nominal balance owed.  The property has had several offers which, according to the listing agent, are all very good offers considering the circumstances. 

I was a little stunned when the the listing agent told me the story of this property.  Seems the second mortgage holder will not release their position unless 2/3 of the balance owed be paid with the proceeds of the sale.  The first mortgage holder has refused to pay this much out of proceeds and has offered a 7% payout. 

Now, neither bank is agreeing to the terms of the other lender and hence, the home will be going into foreclosure within the next several days. 

Can you believe this?   Nationally, statistics given by Re/Max state that short sales yield the lending bank 70% of their loan proceeds.  Foreclosures yield a whopping 40%.

What are they thinking???

Can anyone help me with this behavior?  Has this happened to you and is this the norm with a depressed sale condition?

Thanks in advance for your clarification.

Larry Stanul 

Hello and welcome to another Sunday.  For those of you who never have open house, this will not mean anything to you.  For those of us who once again, feel that the open house is a good way to show your home, here we are.

After a one year sebatical, I am again opening my homes to show the public just what this property looks like.   I have changed a number of things with my preparation to show the home however.  The first, and probably the most controversial, is the fact that I no longer advertise the property in the local newspaper.  This was very difficult for me to do as I used to spend in excess of $30,000.00 annually for newsprint and other printed media.  This is a new era and I think the impact of newsprint has outlived its price/value ratio.

Now, internet marketing, opens on local MLS sites, opens on Re/Max.com and other real estate sites is where I place all of my energy.  Also, don't forget the placement of the signs.  Very critical point and one that may hurt your open if the signs are not placed in the right locations.

My question to all of you is this.  How many of you feel like I do about media advertising?  How many feel that open house still works, or better yet, is beginning to work once again?  Or, am I all alone in this tool of marketing my homes?

I would love some feedback and some help in this matter. 

Thanks and have a great Sunday.

Larry Stanul

I was reading another forum the other day and came across a piece that so moved me that I knew that I needed to post it here for all of us to see...  many of us to remember, but most importantly, for us to digest and use in our daily walk of life.

Have you ever worked with someone who, because of life itself has become hard and course?   A person who not only made you feel inferior but one who also was demeaning in their tone of voice?  I have and it is not a pretty picture.  The mood that I was left with after our conversation was one of anger and hurt.  Now, I am a big boy and I am supposed to be able to let water run off of my back and move on with life.  And to a great degree, I always do.  But there was a hole left in me the day or the moment just after the conversation. 

We need to remember that whomever we talk to, whatever we say to someone will have a lasting effect on some of us.  Maybe a deep hole, maybe a gouge, maybe just a scratch, but a hole none-the-less.

I have been trying to be possitive with most of my posts here because the times that we are in dictate this from me.  Not all is lost just because our economy is not doing as well as we may be accustomed to.  So, I try to lift the hope and spirit of all of us.  I hope that it has worked to at least some of you. 

So, here it is...  the story that I was talking about.  It meant something to me and I sincerely hope that it will move some of you also.  Move you to always remember that we are all in this scheme of life together.  None of us will ever leave this life alive and we all need to treat others, no matter how inexperienced or inept they are, with respect and with an attitude of our peers, clients, friends and lovers too. 

I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

By Michael Josephson
When I confronted my daughter after she hurt another child with a mean comment, she cried and immediately wanted to apologize. That was a good thing, but I wanted her to know an apology can't always make things better.

I told her the parable of Will, a 9-year-old whose father abandoned his mom two years earlier. Will was angry, and he often lashed out at others with hurtful words. He once told his mom, "I see why Dad left you!"

Unable to cope with his cruel outbursts, she sent him to his grandparents for the summer. His grandfather's strategy to help Will learn self-control was to make him go into the garage and pound a two-inch-long nail into a four-by-four board every time he said a mean thing.

For a small boy, this was a major task, and he couldn't return until the nail was all the way in. After about ten trips to the garage, Will began to be more cautious about his words. Eventually, he even apologized for all the bad things he'd said.

That's when his grandmother stepped in. She told him to bring in the board filled with nails and instructed him to pull them all out. This was even harder than pounding them in, but after a huge struggle, he did it.

His grandmother hugged him and said, "I appreciate your apology, and of course I forgive you because I love you, but I want you to know an apology is like pulling out one of these nails. Look at the board. The holes are still there. The board will never be the same. Your dad put a hole in you, Will, but please don't put holes in other people. You're better than that."

Have a great and productive day. 

Good news.  I just heard on the Today show that this spring may be the best spring in real estate sales in over three years.  That mortgage rates may fall to as low as 4%.  Wouldn't that be a blessing for all of us?

Let's not make holes.  Let's do this together.  Team, Team, Team.

Larry Stanul

May the sun always shine in your face and wind always be at your back.  May the sun never set on an unhappy event in your life and may it never rain on your parade. 

Wouldn't this be a wonderful way to live our lives?  Always sunny weather.  Never any hardship or stife.

I know I would love it.  Or would I?  Would I then never appreciate the good times?  Would they become so mundane that they would be second nature to me and go unnoticed?

I remember several years back, while visiting a very good friend of mine.  She and her husband lived in Sarasota, FL.  And on an island no less.  Wonderful memories of our visits with them.   Any way, my wife and I were jogging one beautiful winter morning.  The reason that I mention winter is for those who have not visited Florida in the Winter, you don't know what you are missing.  Warm, dry, sunny weather.  Love it.

Anyway, back to the rest of the story.  We were passing an old man and as is our MO we always say good morning to everyone we meet.   He looked at us and didn't say a word.  We said a few more words to him.  They were, "isn't this a beautiful place?  The ocean here to our left, the causeway here to our right.  Beautiful sunshine above.  What could be better?"  His response was somewhat surprising.  He said to us, "That ocean looks no more like water to me than a plowed farmers field in fall.  I see it everyday and I am so used to it that I don't notice it anymore." 

How sad.  Living in paradise and he thinks it's not better than a farmers plowed field.

This story has so many valuable lessons for me and if you think about the story, for you as well.

For those of us who have been in the Real Estate Profession for many years, you have experienced the sun shine.  You have experienced the good times.  Now, times, they are a changin.  We need to change with them.  But, I promise each and everyone of you who make the commitment to change with our times, that the sun will shine again.  That the wind will once again be at your back and that the rain will never fall upon your face.  And I promise, you will appreciate those times much more than in the past.

We all need reality to set in from time to time.  This is that reality check.

Take care and A HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU.

Larry Stanul

As I sit here watching "Meet The Press" this Sunday morning, I am amazed at some of the comments and verbiage that is being used in this economic crisis.  There are words such as:  Crash, Panic, Hysteria, Fear, Trepidation and many more that are causing to some degree, the current lack of confidence in our economic system. 

I have felt for many years now, our news media, as good and necessary as they are, have over the years Created the News rather than Reported the News.  And there is a difference. 

It reminds me of a story that goes something like this.  And please forgive me to any of you who really know the entire story if I get some of it wrong. 

An older man who was blind had a hot dog stand that he owned.  He had been in business for many years and while he never got rich, he was able to support his family in a modest fashion.  As the years passed, he continued to sell his hot dogs and never once raised his prices.  He sold and sold and sold his hot dogs.  People loved his product for a variety of reasons but one of them was because he had a good dog for a very fair price. 

Now, one day his son came home from college and was a very learned man.  He was educated and being young, believed many of the articles that were being written in newsprint and other forms of media.  One of the articles that he read and believed was a basic principle of economics.  Every product has a price point and in order to make more money, you need to either sell more product, or increase your price, or both. 

He told his dad that he needed to increase his prices so that he could begin to enjoy a better quality of life.   After all, higher prices equate to more profit and more money for you dad.   Now remember, dad was blind and couldn't read the newspapers and therefore never new about such things as price point marketing and P & L statements.  All he new is that he made and sold Hot dogs and paid his bills. 

He, being a good and loyal father, dedicated to his family, began to listen to his educated son and believed that his son knew what he was saying.   He raised his prices.  Now, after increasing prices, sales were the same for several weeks but then gradually began to fall.  He asked his son what to do as now his daily income was falling a little.  The son said, dad, your profit margin is not what it should be, you need to once again raise your prices.  Dad listened to his son again and raised his price one more time.  This time, the amount of hot dogs sold dropped dramatically and many of his daily customers found another hot dog stand and began buying from a variety of other vendors. 

Soon, the old man had to close his stand as he didn't have enough money to pay his daily rent for his vendor station. 

He made one major mistake.  He listened to his educated son, who had all of the good intentions to help his father, but lacked the common sense to let a sleeping dog lie.  The father, as long as he ran his own business, doing well enough to support his family for years, began to listen to another, panic and finally fail.

Sound familiar?

We all need to go about our business daily as if we know how to generate business and maintain our client base.  Report optimistic news about the opportunity that exists right now.  And never portray the panic that is being reported on all of our news media at this time.

Turn off your TV's ... don't listen to all of the reports about a looming crash... 

Do you want to be a part of the solution, or a part of the problem?  The choice is yours.

Larry Stanul

With the ever increasing trauma in the financial world, there are more and more individuals who are beginning to panic.  They are pulling their money our of the market with standing orders to sell all of their stocks.   At least this is what national headline news is saying.

It is true that there is more concern and panic in our economy than we have had in a long while.  Another announcement is that GM may be filing for bankruptcy.  Just heard it 5 minutes ago.

I have always been a very staunch supporter of the free economic system.  Supply and demand economics will always work themselves out and will insure a balance of price, quantity and quality.  Well, that was the plan.  Seems that over the past several decades, we have tried to manually adjust some of the key areas of this supply and demand equation.

Now, I am not an economist and am not trying to stir emotions to the point of boiling.  I am only reporting what I am hearing so that I may better understand just what is happening.

With all of the scare in the stock market, doesn't it make perfect sense for anyone you talk to to once again look toward real estate as a safe, long term way to save money.  Granted, the real estate value has eroded along with stock prices.  Or have they?

When companies like GM announce they may file for bankruptcy, what does that do to the piece of paper that has your name on it and reads, One Thousand Shares of General Motors Corporation.   Par Value, $25.00?  If you said that it is worth the paper it was written on, you are right.

Now, take that home that was purchased in any town USA.  Your property is tangible.  It is real and yes, the value has been on the decline.  But, it still has a value.  If you are not forced to sell due to other financial hardships, that real estate will have value today and in the future.  It is a safe investment.  We got ourselves into a real jam with the greed and availability of home ownership, just as with other avenues of investment.  But with real estate, there will always be a value.  Something.

I know that for a long time, we allowed ourselves to be lulled into thinking that real estate will always be worth more tomorrow than today.  We now see that this may not always be the case.  We call this decline in values a Market Correction.  Just as in stock market terms. 

Market correction can be a good thing.  I know that it is hurting many people who have become overextended due a variety of reasons.  Always remember however, that we all need a place to live.  Our home will always have value.

This market has allowed many of us to once again re-connect with our clients, peers and circle of friends and family.  Not as a social gathering alone, but as a time to help, counsel and offer suggestions for a solid plan to get past this time of trial. 

If you take the time to help those around you in the area of expertise that you all possess, you will yield rewards that are not measured in currency alone. 

A piece of mind that we did our share to help get through this time of trepidation.

Good luck.

Larry Stanul