Linda's Southeastern CT Real Estate Blog

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:44 -0500

Straight Talk on Tuesday Morning

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:08:15 -0500

Tough love with a bite of reality for Sellers in New London County serious about getting their home sold.

Back in the old days, sellers used to turn on all the lights prior to a showing. It helped their home show off it's best features and made it look light and bright for the potential buyer. I suppose it is the idea of saving energy costs that put an end to that staging idea. In fact, I've had more than one seller complain that a showing agent left on a light or two.

I'm all for saving energy but not when it might slow down your home sale. My advice is to turn on at least one light in every room prior to a showing and maybe more if your home has dark woodwork, wood paneling or is surrounded by trees that block out the natural sunlight. Finished basement areas especially should be well lit so buyers can appreciate that extra space. Plan to waste a bit of energy and assume your electric bill will be a little higher while your home is on the market. You can resume trying to save the planet once the sold sign is firmly planted.

Straight Talk on Tuesday Morning is an ongoing series for sellers in New London County who are willing to listen, roll up their sleeves, and do what they need to do to get their home sold. If your aren't serious about selling your home, then move along. There is nothing to see here.

Linda Davis has been selling real estate in Ledyard CT for 32 years. You'll find Linda's profile on her Online Buesiness Card.

Straight Talk on Tuesday Morning

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:32:43 -0500

Tough love with a bite of reality for Sellers in New London County serious about getting their home sold.

It happened again this week. An agent listed a home in Ledyard and gave it a Mystic price. I hate when that happens but unfortunately it happens quite often when agents from higher priced areas like Mystic or East Lyme don't make the price adjustment necessary when evaluating Ledyard properties.

Over the years, I've lost listings to agents who swoop into Ledyard with little knowledge of the area and list homes at grandiose prices that have little chance of selling. I'm not sure what bugs me more, agents who pull this stunt or sellers who list with the highest bidder.

Here's the typical scenario in 2009: Experienced Ledyard agent suggests a listing price of $275,000. An agent who needs map quest to find the listing, suggests a price of $300,000 and obtains the listing from the seller, who is thrilled at the potential selling price.

And the winner is... no one. Experienced Ledyard agent loses the listing. Map quest agent never sells the overpriced listing. And worst of all, duped seller doesn't sell their home that has now fallen in value to $260,000.

Sellers Beware! Be sure to consider the experience of the agents you interview. List your home with an agent that knows your neighborhood.

Here comes the straight talk: You might not like the price I give you, but I'd rather disappoint you now than let you down later.

Linda Davis has been selling real estate in Ledyard CT for 32 years. You'll find Linda's profile on her Online Business Card.

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:13:34 -0500

Straight Talk on Tuesday Morning

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:58:18 -0500

Tough love with a bite of reality for Sellers in New London County serious about getting their home sold.

This month I started to work with Jo Wood of Showhouse Ready in Gales Ferry. Jo is helping me help sellers in Ledyard prepare their homes for sale. Here's how we work: Jo goes through the house with the seller and makes staging suggestions while I follow along and take notes. It is now part of my service for select sellers. You become one of my select sellers if you have a desire to make your home "Showhouse Ready" and are willing to listen. Jo is probably going to tell you some things you don't want to hear; like removing your personal photographs, your scatter rugs, mostly everything on flat surfaces, and any extra stuff.

Speaking of stuff, I once had a listing with a bunch of stuffed bears in the family room. The home took awhile to sell. I suspect the buyers never noticed the hardwood floors or the fireplace but one buyer and their agent did take time to count the bears. Their feedback was "Do you realize there are 27 bears in the family room?"

If you become one of my select Ledyard sellers and you have bears in your family room, Jo is going to send them away until your home sells. I'm sorry but it's for your own good.

Linda Davis has been selling real estate in Ledyard CT for 32 years. You'll find Linda's profile on her Online Business Card.

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:31:26 -0500

Straight Talk on Tuesday Morning

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:45:49 -0500

Tough love with a bite of reality for Sellers in New London County serious about getting their home sold

Since I've been in the real estate business for over 32 years, I usually have a story for any given situation. One of the stories I tell most often, is the one about the sellers who turned down a $228,000 offer the first week their home was on the market because they were getting lots of showings and thought it was too early to accept $7000 less than asking price. Nine months later they sold the house for $189,000. I admit I stifled an "I told you so".

When you list your home, the very best opportunity of selling it comes in the first 21 days. As soon as your home hits the market, buyers looking in your location and price range will be calling their agent to schedule a showing. In the age where listings show up on the internet just hours after the ink on the listing agreement is dry, buyers are watching hourly for new listings to hit the market. If your home is priced right, you should get an initial flurry of showings. If it doesn't sell in the first 21 days then it might take awhile. The average "Days on Market" statistic in Eastern Connecticut is about 90 days but that's because some houses sell within 21 days and others take 5 or 6 months.

Once the first 21 days are past, only buyers new to the market will look at your home. Bernice Ross in a recent article in Inman News refers to the first 30 days as a "honeymoon period". Although I think that period is shorter than 30 days, I do agree with Bernice when she says "If you don't sell during the honeymoon period, there's a high probability that your property will be on the market for an extended period of time. You can generate additional interest with a price reduction, but it never creates the attention you receive when you first list the property."

So what's my point? On the first day of the listing period your home should be priced right and in show condition. Testing the market with a higher price for a few weeks or showing the house when it isn't quite ready is a huge mistake. By the time you reduce the price, it's too late; the honeymoon is over.

And one more thing, "Your first offer is often your best offer" so don't blow it.

Linda Davis has been selling real estate in Ledyard CT for 32 years. You'll find Linda's profile on her Online Business Card.

Who gets the best foreclosure deals?

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:02:14 -0500

It's been over a year since I wrote the blog post "Connecticut Foreclosures and Sainthood." Sadly, many more foreclosures have come on the market and I've gained more foreclosure experience. There are some great deals on homes that have been foreclosed, many of them are being sold far under market value. In some cases, with repairs and a little elbow grease a buyer can gain instant equity.

As I said back then, you must have the patience of a saint to buy a bank foreclosure. Here's the rub. I have found in many situations that first time home buyers just don't have the patience to put up with all the frustrations that come with buying a foreclosed property. Quite often, while the buyer is waiting for an answer on his offer, another offer comes in. They get mad at the listing agent. Sometimes that's me.

Today I had an agent send me a nasty email about the wait. He said it made me look bad since I represented the bank. I suggested he read my blog post "Connecticut Foreclosures and Sainthood." He didn't appreciate my sense of humor probably because he doesn't have one.

I've seen first time home buyers give up and move on before the bank finally responds to their offer. On the other hand, investors aka flippers, will wait patiently for a response. I like when my bank foreclosure listings sell and I appreciate the investors who make offers, cash in hand. It is nice however, when a first time buyer gets a great deal.

It just doesn't happen often enough.

Looking for a home or have one to sell? Linda services Eastern CT including Gales Ferry, Ledyard, Groton, Montville, Stonington, Mystic, Waterford, East Lyme, New London and Norwich. You can search for homes all over Connecticut by visiting Linda's HOME FINDER website. Linda can be reached by email at LindaCDavis@comcast.net or you can find her just about everywhere on the internet.

The Police are following me on Twitter

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:32:47 -0500

An email recently landed in my inbox with the subject line " Ledyard Police is now following you on Twitter." I admit it was a bit disconcerting. Actually, I freaked out temporarily when I realized I was one of only 3 people being followed. I ran into "Ledyard Police" a few nights later. I'm a member of the Ledyard Town Council and we were discussing the police budget. (Honestly, I don't make this stuff up.) As it turns out "Ledyard Police" was following me for all the right reasons. It seems that police departments in the area are considering Twitter as another resource to notify residents in case of emergencies.

I joined Twitter in 2007. Back then it was intimate, like the bar where everyone knew your name. Since then Twitter has exploded. When someone follows me, I usually oblige and follow back. As a result, it is often hard to find the good stuff among the noise of people I don't really know. Fortunately, applications like Tweetdeck allow me to create groups and weed out those that don't contribute to my Twitter objectives.

Like "Ledyard Police", each user has his own reason for following and being followed on Twitter. I was attracted to Twitter because of the 140 character limit. I seldom read blog posts beyond a few paragraphs. I don't need the War and Peace version of an opinion on short sales. I'm an Aries and those born under that sign are described as "Lose interest quickly - easily bored." Yep, that describes me.

Whether I'm speaking as a Town Councilor, writing a blog post or debating politics, I've always been a woman of few words, many of them an attempt to be witty. "Brevity is the soul of wit" is my mantra. I doubt I could ever write a book. I'm sure I would bore myself before the final chapter.

I don't have any expectations from Twitter as far as putting commission dollars in my pocket. For me Twitter is more of a resource for making industry connections, following breaking news and events, and picking up tips on the latest and greatest technology. I'd give it a "5 thumbs up" for meeting those expectations.

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:44:17 -0500

What kind of reputation are you building?

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:27:29 -0500

Here's a little story I tell new agents in the business. Many years ago, during a pretty good market, I listed a "cream puff" home. It was the kind of listing you love to have; perfect condition, well staged, and priced to sell. A few days after I listed the little gem, I received two offers and advised both agents to come in with their "highest and best". And they did.

Both "highest and best" offers were identical in every way. Every single way.

One of the agents was a favorite of mine to co-broke with. Carole worked hard to get her buyer the best deal, but was very professional, cooperative and accommodating. The other agent, Diane, was unpleasant, demanding, and combative when negotiating. Taking my advice, and with no other differences in the offers, the seller accepted Carole's contract knowing the transaction would go smoothly. Carole has built an excellent reputation. Her buyer won because of it.

I tell that little story now because of something that happened today. I have a condo listing located on a newer road. It isn't listed on most GPS systems nor was it listed on our MLS mapping system. I paid particular attention to make sure the written directions were very accurate but forgot to move the pin on the mapping. I made a mistake.

I use HomeFeedback.com to obtain feedback on my showings. It is mailed directly to the seller. Mark showed my condo listing yesterday and here was his feedback (his spelling, not mine):

The listing agent was either to lazy or incompetant to place the location properly in the MLS, so the buyer had a hard time finding the property.

After my blood pressure resumed normal levels (see photo), I responded:

Mark,

(I have copied your Broker on this email. If I was your Broker, I would want to know how you were conducting business.)

I can assure you I am neither lazy nor incompetent. Sachem Drive does not appear on many GIS systems nor does it appear on the mapping system for MLXchange. For that reason I was careful to give very specific directions on the listing itself.

I of course, should have placed the map point at least closer to the real location and thank you for pointing out my error. I try to help my fellow agents when I see a mistake but do it in a professional and helpful manner. Calling another agent lazy and/or incompetent is very unprofessional and probably grounds for a complaint since the feedback can go directly to the seller.

You'll find you will get a lot farther in this business if you treat your peers with a little more respect.

Linda

His response:
Feel free to cc anyone you wish. Maybe you should cc your Seller too, so they can see how you run your business and their listing.

I don't normally use my blog to rant. But he did give me permission. He's a young guy. I'm guessing he's new in the business.

What kind of reputation do you think he is building?

All names changed to protect the stupid.

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:55:13 -0600

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:34:45 -0600

Will I be on TV tonight?

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:30:32 -0600

Yesterday and today have been pretty amazing. I have received plenty of tweets, emails and facebook notifications from friends asking about tonight's Voluntown CT Extreme Makeover Home Edition show. Most who asked about it want to know if I will be on TV tonight? For those who haven't followed, I was a lead volunteer coordinator for the build of our Connecticut Castle for the very deserving Girard Family in Voluntown CT.

To answer the question: I have no idea. If you have ever watched the show, they don't spend a lot of time showing volunteers. In fact, you might even think that Ty and his design team actually build the house. HA.

The best chance of spotting my chubby face will be during the Brave Heart March at the very beginning when the volunteers show up or when Ty calls the Girard family in Orlando. I was right behind Ty during the call.

Tonight the build team with their brown coats, volunteers with their blue shirts, and the whole dang community will come together to celebrate ABC's Voluntown Extreme Makeover - Home Edition. The 42 minutes of ABC's production is only a part of the festivities.

The doors will open at 6:15 for a 1-hour "Behind the Scenes" video. I'm guessing this will be the part of the evening that volunteers will enjoy most. I expect the hootin' and hollerin' to take place during the pre-show. The Ledyard Jazz Band will be there for the warm up.

I'm using the photo above as my fat photo for Weight Watchers. I joined on Thursday. Of course, I do have on 4 layers of clothing, a hard hat and I'm wired for radio communication, but that doesn't excuse my chubby face. Sorry Chris, I don't mean to imply you are fat too. Chris Colter, of Mad Science, was my partner during the CT Extreme Home Makeover project. It was extremely cold but we did eat well.

On being selected as Volunteer Coordinator.

Local Realtors Donate Time and Monday

The Volunteers in my Computer

Thank you Volunteers

The Girard's new castle.

Built in 106 hours in freezing temperatures, snow, and then followed by over 3 inches of driving rain.

Welcome Home Girard Family. Welcome Home.

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:22:06 -0600

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:27:43 -0600

Wordless Wednesday

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:24:12 -0600

New London Ledge Lighthouse

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:45:19 -0600

I took this photo of the New London Ledge Lighthouse from the deck of the Cross Island Ferry this summer while traveling to Long Island. New London Ledge was built in 1909, one of the last lighthouses to be built in New England. It is located near the entrance of New London Harbor at the far end of Long Island Sound.

Shortly after shooting this photo, I posted it on my Eastern Connecticut Real Estate Blog and mentioned, Ernie, the resident ghost who supposedly haunts the place. I didn't notice anything spooky, but a few days later I received the "touched up" photo shown below from my friend Les Sulgrove in Des Moines, IA. I'm not sure I'd classify it as spooky or scary but it sure is interesting.

New London Harbor Light

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:00:27 -0600

New London Harbor Light, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London, CT, was the fourth lighthouse in North America. Erected in 1761, it survived the American Revolution. One of the best views of New London Harbor Light is from the ferry that travels from New London to Long Island. I imagine there are a gazillion photos of Harbor Light. It is one of my favorite shots when I travel by ferry to Long Island. I've never gotten the perfect shot but it is fun to keep trying.

Weather on the Shoreline of Connecticut

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:55:01 -0600

When winter blasts the Northeast, it is not unusual for me to get an email or tweet from someone asking "How much snow did you get?" Some ask out of concern but my friends from the South usually have another motive. Their email typically includes something about the temperature and sunshine they are currently experiencing. Their attempt to make me feel weather depressed doesn't work because I actually love snow. Getting an unexpected day off to enjoy Mother Nature at work is something I look forward to. Unfortunately for snow lovers, the shoreline of Connecticut only averages about 25- 30 inches of snow a year. Just a 50 minute drive north to Hartford and that number almost doubles. The average high temperature in our coldest month of January is around 35 degrees. Heck, I hardly ever wear a coat. In fact, I took this photo in my jammies from my back deck.

Carnac's 2009 Active Rain Predictions

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:05:41 -0600

1. In addition to their regular salary, the 100 paid bloggers of Active Rain (you know who you are) will receive a bonus equal to 2.87% of their point total in 2009.

2. Rich Jacobson will announce a new channel on Active Rain called "Active Bashing". This channel will be reserved for all complaints about Active Rain's point system. A monkey with a dart board will determine which posts will be featured in this channel.

3. A new "females only" group will debut called the "We worship the ground Jeff Turner walks on" group. Other bald men cry while men with hair suddenly flock to this post.

4. In spite of the economy, a new benchmark will be set in 2009 and an Active Rain Profile will be sold for $10,500. The winning bidder will also receive a set of Ginzu Knives.

6. After negotiating through most of 2008, Active Rain is finally sold to Twitter for 33 Million Dollars. The name is changed to CRAPPER. All Posts will be limited to 140 letters and blogging will look something like this.

7. After a dismal showing by 2008 Guest Blogger Al Gore in the Global Warming Channel, the Active Rain Gods will announce this years Guest Blogger. Bernard Madoff will post weekly in the Real Estate Investments Channel. Bernie's first words of advice in 2009 are to post early in this channel.

8. Although the readers of Active Rain didn't give him much notice, Jeff Foxworthy selects the ongoing series of The Crazy Shark Dude for his new TheRedneck Slumlord sitcom.

9. This popular post reaches 500 comments. C'mon now Carnac fans, we can do it!

10. This popular and short survey on bananas will be followed by a long survey on grapes. (Go ahead, take the banana survey. You know you want to.)

11. Rich Jacobson will give a new monthly award to the AR member who comments most on their own blog post. Since Rich doesn't have time to actually count comments for this award, tattle tailing will be encouraged.

12. With the market improving and less time to write actual words in a post, in 2009 everyday on Active Rain becomes a blogging holiday: Only photos can be posted on Mindless Monday, Thunderstruck Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Thoughtless Thursday, Funny Friday, Senseless Saturday and Serene Sunday.

13. In a special announcement, the Active Rain Gods announce that points can be traded for quality products like food and drink. Crappy posts will increase ten-fold.

14. And yes, what you have all been waiting for since 1990, Randy writes his first post!

______________________________________________

When Carnac first appeared on Active Rain in January 1, 2007, there were only about 250 quality bloggers here, the rest of the bloggers mostly wrote crappy posts. Today that number has increased to almost 500. As a result, some of you may have missed Carnac's previous words of wisdom, so I will reblog* some of it here as a review

*Reblog is AR terminology for "I'm too tired to write something fresh so let me dig into my archives or just steal someone else's blog post."

Carnac's Active Rain Blogger Advice for 2009:

1. If you aren't getting comments on your posts or your posts are not being featured, it could be that people just don't like you.

2. Before you start giving advice about blogging here on Active Rain, you should at least have a month or two experience actually writing blogs that don't suck. (Think Carolyn Kennedy.)

3.. Please don't take yourself quite so seriously. No one else does.

4. This is Active-Freakin-Rain, not Burger King. You can't have it your way!!

5. I can make fun of you if I want to. Don't make it quite so easy. I'll be back.

And just a reminder, as always pimping your blog on a Carnac post is encouraged!

You may, although you probably won't, receive a free set of ginzu knives for subscribing to my blog!

The Lost Art of Packing a Lunch

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:33:27 -0600

I'm not sure what made me think about brown bag lunches and high school. It could be that the holidays always bring back memories of growing up in Pittsburgh. Or it may have just been that genoa salami sandwich that reminded me of Labriola's, the Italian Store where my family shopped on Larimer Avenue.

When I attended Sacred Heart High School in Pittsburgh way back in the 1960's, I carried a brown bag lunch. I didn't walk up hill both ways to school but I did walk down a steep one to catch a street car. Since most of us used public transportation to get to school, we rarely had a day off due to weather. I remember there was an informal rule that if your bus or street car didn't arrive after waiting an hour, you got the day off. That almost never happened. I guess public transportation was pretty reliable back then.

My mom, like many in that decade, was a stay at home mom. One of her most important jobs (at least to me) was packing lunches and she was particularly good at it. Being Italian, my brown bag offered some hidden treasures that other brown bags didn't include, like home made biscotti, rolled cream cheese finger sandwiches, and stuffed artichokes. Leftover cold pizza made with rolled out dough from scratch was a weekly favorite and I'd often sneak a bite for breakfast. We didn't have all the pre-packaged snacks you can buy today so it wasn't unusual to find a piece of fudge or some pizzelles wrapped in aluminum foil.

You could only buy white milk at Sacred Heart High School. Soda, or "pop" as it is known in Pittsburgh, wasn't available for sale. For a few weeks one year, a bunch of us packed frozen pop in our brown bags. We discovered that by lunch time, the pop would thaw and our drink would be at the perfect temperature. Unfortunately one day during lunch, my can exploded from the pressure and the spray targeted a nearby nun. An intercom announcement declared the end of the frozen pop experiment forever. Bummer.

My son Jeff was also a brown bagger. Ledyard High School didn't resume their hot lunch program until several years after he graduated. I tried to be as creative as my mom but I'm not sure I ever reached her level of perfection. In fact, I'm sure I didn't.

I haven't thought about brown bag lunches or soaking a nun with pop for years so I paid a visit today to Ledyard High School's website and took a peek at their menu offerings. Besides the typical choices of salads, grinders, pizzas and hamburgers, there are daily specials like Nachos Grande, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and Maple Roasted Pork. The $2.50 menu seems pretty reasonable and I'm sure far better than the typical brown bag ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was pretty happy to see the return of a hot lunch program to Ledyard High School while I was on the Board of Education.

We had a hot lunch program at Sacred Heart High School. I vaguely remember macaroni and cheese and meat loaf on the menu. I never even considered buying lunch as an option. No one could pack a lunch better than my mom.

Eva Antoinette Mannella died in 1969, a year after I graduated from high school. I still love stuffed artichokes and cold pizza.

Welcome Home Girard Family. Welcome home.

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:48:54 -0600

The Girard family is home and thousands of volunteers went back to their real jobs on Monday. I served as Lead Volunteer Coordinator throughout our Eastern CT Extreme Home Makeover; a project to build a new home in 106 hours. I wrote about the journey at my Eastern Connecticut Real Estate Blog.

This week I struggle for the words to thank each of them for their contribution, whether it was a roofer who had to lay shingles in the bone chilling cold or a teacher who picked up trash in the church parking lot. It was all necessary work, performed in the worst of weather conditions, with no expectations of being recognized except for receiving the elusive blue tee shirt. Some didn't even receive that small reward as the production company ran out before the project was over. (How dumb was that?)

I have a few favorite volunteer memories. Unfortunately most of them involve a face but not a name since there was little time for introductions. I laughed with the ladies who served me lunch one day, who proudly spoke of their promotion from picking up cigarette butts, to trash detail and then food servers in the catering tent. I can't help but smile about some of my favorite volunteers who kept returning (against the rules) but wore their tee-shirts, stuck on a hard hat, and always seemed to find a job to do.

The need for the non trade volunteers picked up dramatically on Wednesday as the build team raced to complete the Girard's home on time. Calls were coming in on my walkie talkie for volunteers and trucks continued to pull up that needed unloading. With no volunteers to choose from, I only had one option left. I headed into the VIP tent and asked if anyone could help. Susie Mendenhall, the former Mayor of Ledyard, didn't hesitate. Before the day was over, Susie was muddy and wet along with others who had traded in their VIP status to work as volunteers.

I offer a sincere apology to those that were not accepted as volunteers. Over 2000 non-trade volunteers offered their time but we could only choose about 1000 to work a single 4 hour shift. Surprisingly the night shifts were easier to fill than we thought. For those that were chosen, arrived, and then told we were not accepting volunteers, I am really sorry. That was a decision made by someone not authorized to make it. Those errors were quickly corrected but not before about 50 of you were turned away.

A special thanks to the team who checked in over 1000 volunteers at Lot #10 at Foxwoods Resort Casino. The promise that "the check in tent will never blow over" was false and was heading towards Route 2 before it was snagged by a fence. Foxwoods stepped up in a big way and provided a warm bus for the check in operations.

I learned a lot about people through the hundreds of emails I received. Almost all were filled with sincere appreciation of the effort. Some were offers to donate wreaths, trees, even Tupper Ware. Others said they would come and sing Christmas Carols to the workers. I had several Santa volunteers. We were overwhelmed by donations and couldn't use them all. Please consider donating those items and services to another needy family this holiday season.

For those cynics who commented in the newspaper about volunteers seeking camera time; there were no cameras rolling in the middle of the night as the landscaping crew was laying sod in the mud with rain and howling wind. There were no cameras to show sheet rockers sleeping in their cars waiting for their work to start. Volunteers gave up personal and professional time and sponsors made significant financial contributions simply because they wanted to help a neighbor in need. Although ABC made it possible, they provided little financial support and the project is dependent on the work and generosity of neighbors and strangers.

Three weeks ago, when Conrad Ricketts, an executive producer, told the packed room at Foxwoods Resort Casino that this volunteer effort would be a life changing experience, I didn't completely understand. Now I do. After the bus moved on Friday and the Girard family was touring their new home, the build team, some of us strangers just a few weeks ago, realized the incredible journey was over. One by one we started hugging each other as tears streamed down our faces. It was a bittersweet moment. It included the joy of accomplishment, the relief of being able to return to our normal lives and jobs, and the sadness of knowing that we would probably not have the opportunity to work together again.

Welcome Home Girard Family. Welcome Home.

P.S. ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition (Voluntown CT) will air on February 8, 2009.

Eastern Connecticut Extreme Makeover - Home Edition

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:28:48 -0600

If you are on my Christmas list, your gift may be late this year. My normal holiday schedule was interrupted the morning of October 24^thwhen I received an email from Bruno Hayn of Home Designs by Bruno. The subject line was "Help I Need Volunteers". Bruno's email went on to explain that he had been contacted by the Producers of the ABC show "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition". They asked him to participate in building a new home for a local family in 106 hours.

My holidays are usually well planned, complete with shopping and "to do" lists. I hate running around at the last minute; my body doesn't function that way. You know how some people are born athletes, artists or musicians? I was born organized. And while it isn't as glamorous as playing the piano or singing an opera, that is what I can offer to a project or event.

I was at my computer when the email arrived. I immediately called Bruno and offered my help. Along with Peter Morneault, I was assigned the task of Lead Volunteer Coordinator. That's why Christmas may come late this year. The past few weeks have been filled with creating lists and attending meetings for the Extreme Makeover project, as well as running my real estate business.

I spent most of Thanksgiving Day scheduling volunteers. It was important work because Ty will be knocking on the door on December 4^th. It turned out to be a memorable day as I read through the comments people made when signing up to volunteer. That very morning I had received Seth Godin's blog post in my inbox. He talked about Thanksgiving being his favorite holiday; "For me, the holiday celebrates people who contribute with no expectation of anything in return." I wrote a little about the volunteers at my Eastern Connecticut Real Estate Blog .

Although Extreme Home by Bruno will be the "official" place to visit to volunteer, find photographs, and make donations, my blog will be more of a collection of stories about the people and events that will change a family and a community over the next couple of weeks.

P.S. Here is an inside tidbit: Bruno had never seen Extreme Home MakeOver - Home Addition before he received "the call". I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that Bruno's life has been changed forever! I think mine too!

Sometimes you don't need your clubs to get a great shot. (LOCALISM FEATURED)

Linda Davis (RE/MAX Realty Group) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:56:16 -0500

Lake of Isles, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is nice looking most times of year but absolutely magnificent during the fall. Managed by Troon Golf, Lake of Isles is located in North Stonington, CT but is just a golf ball throw away from Ledyard, home of Foxwoods Resort Casino. It offers two championship courses, one private and one public. Both were designed by legendary golf course architect Rees Jones. They have been opened since 2005 and have won several awards since their debut.

The property has all of the niceties you might expect, including a spectacular 50,000 square foot club house, good food and a pretty impressive golf academy. But to me, it is the rolling terrain, the natural landscaping, and the wonderful vistas that makes golfing at Lake of Isles so enjoyable even though my golf game is nothing to brag about. I love how the cart path winds through the deep woods and criss crosses over the 90 acre lake and wetlands areas. On a quiet day I might never come across another golfer but see plenty of deer, geese, ducks and hawks.

This year was the first year I've been a member and when I joined in the spring, I couldn't wait to see what fall had to offer. Last week I packed my camera along with my golf clubs and spent a leisurely 5 ½ hours on the course taking the best shots I could with both my camera and my driver. My score wasn't very impressive but I think I got a few good shots!

P.S. The photo is of the 16th hole of the South Course. I mostly miss the green but I do enjoy the views.

You'll find more of the shots I've taken this year at my

Lake of Isles Flickr Photo Set