Selling homes in sunny Miami, Florida, means I get to process a lot of documents.  An awful lot.  This would ordinarily mean that I am using a lot of actual paper.  But I try to be responsible and go digital whenever possible.

Just tonight I emailed a listing agreement to one of my sellers and sent it using Transaction Desk.  It's a tool made available to us by the Florida Association of Realtors (also known as FAR to it's members).  Of course, I sent myself a copy as well.  As I was reading the copy I received I noticed a little Go Green, Go Paperless image and it caught my eye. 

It allowed me to see what an impact we are having by using tools such as this one to go green.  I thought it was neat l that it showed actual pages saved as well as CO2, water and trees saved.  It made my small gesture viable.  It wasn't so small any more!

The program also allows the documents to be signed digitally and be returned to me so we can keep everything totally paperless. 

Nice going FAR & Instanet! 

This Friday Prudential Florida Realty will be hosting it's "Sunshine After Dark" event to benefit the Sunshine Kids organization.  Sunshine Kids was formed to help kids with cancer.

Our Sunshine Kids event “Sunshine After Dark” is set for Friday, November 13, 2009 at 7pm. The event will be held in Pinecrest, at our first floor office space-which will be transformed to a chic lounge for the event.

We will have wine, appetizers and a wonderful silent auction with fabulous prizes.

The tickets for "Sunshine After Dark" are $25.00 in advance and $30.00 at the door.  One hundred percent of this goes to Sunshine Kids.  Prudential is footing the bill for all the expenses and we've had gracious donations for the raffles.  Yay Prudential and sponsors!

We are also selling tickets for a 1 in 1,800 chance for a new 2010 Mercedes Benz C Class. Tickets for the car drawing are $50.00 per ticket. Sweet!

Get excited about having a great time and supporting a wonderful cause!

Prudential Florida Realty is committed to the kids.

What: Sunshine After Dark

When: Friday 11/13/09 at 7pm

Where:  Prudential Florida Realty 11525 S. Dixie Hwy., Pinecrest, FL 33156

Cost:  $25 in advance, $30 at door

Please contact me at 305.975.3842 if you wish to attend.

Did you catch the similarity to Joan Jett's classic, I Love Rock 'n Roll?  No?  Well please humor me and say you did. =)

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts will be performing at Miami's Ribfest tomorrow.  Also performing will be another classic act, Blue Oyster Cult.  I happen to know that some people are spending Saturday in Homestead just to see them perform.

You can get your Rock 'n Roll fix on Saturday and come back on Sunday for a little Country.  Tracy Lawrence and Chuck Wicks will be the headliners on Sunday.  Now, I've fallen behind on current signing sensations, but even not knowing who he is, Chuck has a smoky look in his eyes that makes me want to head to Homestead on Sunday for some ribs!

So, head on over this weekend.  There will be lots to do and plenty to eat.  Visit the Miami-Dade parks site for RibFest to get more information.

What:  Miami RibFest

When:  Sat. & Sun. 11/8 & 9

Time: 11:00am - 10:00pm on Saturday, closes at 6:00 on Sunday

Where:  Homestead Air Reserve Park (268 St. & 122 Ave)

Cost: $15, kids under 10 FREE.  Ribs extra =)

After a 17 year absence, the "Wings Over Homestead Air Show" is back.  The event hasn't been held since Hurricane Andrew tore through Homestead in 1992.

Headlining the event are the world-famous Thunderbirds.  The Thunderbirds are the U.S. Air Force Demonstration Squadron, known world wide as one of the most elite jet fighter performance teams.

In addition to the Thunderbirds, the event will include biplanes, rocket cars, supersonic jets and more.  In addition to the performing aircraft, many vintage warplanes will be on display for up close and personal viewing.

The event is totally FREE and parking is free too.  You've no excuse for not having something to do this weekend. =)  The show is the military's way of thanking the local community for their support of our troops and veterans.

Where: Homestead Air Reserve Base (Go East on 288 St. Approx 1 mile East of Turnpike)

When: Sat. & Sun. 11/8 & 11/9

Time: Doors Open at 9am and close at 3pm. Event lasts longer than 3pm but you must arrive by 3:00

Cost:  FREE

Visit the Wings Over Homestead site for additional information.

I like to share when I find something extraordinary. 

I purchased a pdf editor a few months back that has made my work so much easier.

Do you work selling REO's that want their own forms to be used?  Want to avoid having to hand write them?  Especially the all-important legal description which is easier to copy & paste using a computer.  This software I found creates fields so you can fill in previously non-fillable pdf files.

Do you wish you had an MLS input form that you could fill out on the PC instead of by hand?  This software will take care of that too.

Did you ever get a fax in your e-fax that was missing one of the pages in the middle and didn't want to request that the whole 30 pages be refaxed to you?  No worries.  Ask for just the missing page and then insert it in the middle with this software.

Did you ever get a scan from a client in a tif format but everyone you're working with wants only pdf format?  Don't bother your client to figure out how to scan in pdf format.  You can convert it lickety split with this.  This amazing software converts tiffs, , jpegs, bmps, gifs and other formats into pdf files.

Did you ever get an email from a client who can only scan one page at a time and wondered what to do with 17 pdf files other than printing them all and scanning them yourself into one file?  This software will merge all 17 files into 1.  Click, click, click, select.  You're done!

Did you ever get a pdf e-fax that you want to forward to someone but don't want to send the whole thing? (for instance, the cover page which was meant for your eyes only).  This software will split a file into 1 or more pdfs.  Are you liking what you hear?

Did you ever want to rotate one of the pages in a pdf because it was sideways and you don't to have to keep hitting ctrl, shift +?  This baby will take care of that too.

But wait.  There's more!  There is so much more that this software can do that I haven't used yet that I really think you should check it out.  In case the benefits I've listed above don't cover your particular situation.

And best of all, it's not going to set you back several hundreds of dollars.  It only costs $19.99.  I paid 50% more for a software that only fills in fillable pdfs.  Nothing more. If I came across a pdf file that was not fillable I was stuck.  That's what led me to look for something better.  I'm so glad I kept looking.

So what is this amazing software called?  PDFill PDF Editor.

This thing is amazing!  I find myself using it at least once every day.  It has made my work so much easier since I bought it.  I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to save time and aggravation.

Sometimes midwifery is how a Realtor starts her day.

I woke up around 2:00am to check on our preggo terrier.  She was OK and nothing yet, so I went to check my emails.  Just a little later I hear her panting and when I got there she had given birth to the first pup and cleaned him up already.  I was impressed!

Here's our Lola after a couple of pups.  She's up to 3 now and has been at it for a few hours.  I wish I knew how many more might be coming.  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Pretty soon I will be finding homes of a different kind than I usually do: a loving home for these cuties!

Dear Two-Timing Tina,

Thanks for being unfaithful to me.  I'm not angry.  Instead, I'm thrilled.  Why would I be thrilled to find out that you were seeing another REALTOR® behind my back? Because it was the epiphany I needed.

You see, I've known for a very long time that I should be working only with buyers who sign an exclusive buyer brokerage agreement.  But I had grown complacent and kept putting it off.  Getting buyers to sign these requires that I make adjustments to my routine.  It requires some effort.  I have to show my prospective buyers the benefits they will gain by working with only me.  In order to accomplish this, they need to come into my office for a complimentary buyer consultation.

I've been so busy that instead of scheduling the free consultation when a new buyer called me, I would just get the property details and schedule a showing.  Deep down I knew this was not the way it should be.  But I kept telling myself I was too busy to do it otherwise.

Then you came along.  Asking to see an $80,000 foreclosed home.  The fact that this is well below what I usually work did not matter.  You had a need and I wanted to fill it.  So I picked up HUD keys, printed detail reports, drove by neighborhoods to check them out for you and reported back to you diligently. 

For one reason or another, we were not able to meet face-to-face for 10 days or so.  But I continued my diligent work for you.  We spoke on the phone, texted back and forth, and stayed in touch .  All seemed well. 

Then yesterday I confirmed our appointment, gathered the documents and set out for our first F2F meeting.  I arrived at the property to see that another REALTOR® was there showing it to his client.  I said hello to them and waited for your arrival.  After 10 minutes I decided to call and make sure you were not lost.  I put two and two together when the other agent's client reached in her pocked for her ringing phone.

She was you! 

You were her! 

You looked over at me and asked, "oh, is that you calling me?"  Was that when it hit you that you had scheduled appointments with two agents at the same house, at the same time?  I've known two-timers before, but this was my first dealing with one with a faulty scheduling system.

I don't think my surprise showed on my face.  And my well chosen words were not rude, although after leaving, I thought about it and chastised myself for not giving you a good talking-to.  You needed to know what you did was wrong.  But that didn't matter to me at the time.

What did matter was that your actions pushed me to making a realization which will serve me well in the future.  You were the straw that broke the camel's back.  I am no longer working with buyers who don't come to my office for our consultation and sign the buyer brokerage agreement.  No ifs, ands, or buts. 

Please continue on your merry way and know that our brief encounter fared me well.  And the next buyer who calls me will know all the wonderful things he'll be gaining by working with me exclusively.  Because I will make sure I tell him.

Yours truly,

No longer your agent.

I've always liked to work to music.  The right music can help me focus.  It brings me to that state of receptiveness and keen alertness that I find crucial to getting my work done more effectively.

At the office, I work in an open space and can hear everything that is going on around me.  It can be very distracting.  I sometimes find myself jumping into conversations just because I overheard something plus we're all friendly like that.

As fun as it can be, it's not very efficient to work like that.  I have headphones that I keep at my desk and today I wanted to listen to music that would help me focus and get my work done.  The local radio stations play online but I don't want sing-along songs and talk radio that engages me.  Not now anyway.

I searched online and found a great site.  It's Groovera.com  Right now I am listening to their Jet City Lounge channel.  I'm the worst person to put into words what I am hearing.  It's some wort of techno, jazzy, bluesy thingiwhatsit.  The bottom line is that it is super mellow and lays in the background as I do my work.  It acts as a sort of white noise to cancel out the goings on around me and keeps me focused on the task at hand.  And I can still hear my phone when it rings. Try it!

The sunshine was streaming through the many windows as he made his way to the piano.  When he sat down and set his fingers to the keys I stopped what I was doing and looked his way.  He smiled at those of us there and asked if anyone had a favorite song. 

My cousin translated and asked my aunt in Spanish for a favorite tune.  She responded in her sometimes nonsensical way since early Alzheimer’s set in.  We told the Piano Man she didn’t have a favorite and anything he played would be fine.  He smiled again and started off with the classic “It’s Impossible.” 

We had been the only ones in the sunroom until his music started.  The song, expertly played, let the regulars know it was time.  Slowly the room filled.  Some were pushed in on their wheelchairs.  Others walked in assisted by their walkers.  They all came in with a purpose: to sit and enjoy what was a regular part of their routine at the facility.

My cousin pointed folks out to me as the beautiful music continued.  There was the woman who hung her head low and never looked up.  At first I thought she was sleeping but when she reached up to scratch her chin it became evident to me that she wasn’t.  Did she no longer care what went on around her?  Her aide sat beside her protectively, like a guardian angel.

Then my cousin pointed out the elderly man making his way to the front seat right next to the piano.  He wasn’t the patient.  His daughter whom he pushed in a wheelchair was.  The irony tugged at my heart.  My cousin explained that he would soon start singing along to all the tunes Piano Man was playing.  Sure enough, in no time they both were.

When “New York, New York,” started we all sang along.  There were at least seven of us there who considered ourselves New Yorkers, even though fate had led us south many years ago.

For over an hour he kept us enthralled with his music.  When he started playing some classic Cuban ballads almost all of us joined in, my Dad surprising my cousin with his quite melodious voice.  There were a few I had assumed were anglos who joyfully sang “Cielito Lindo,” and proved me wrong.

Even my teenagers, whom had asked how long we were going to stay, didn’t seem to mind that our planned hour had passed long ago.  The camaraderie continued along with singing, sometimes off key, laughing, clapping and an occasional tear.

It occurred to me that the man playing the piano wasn’t paid.  He did this because he enjoyed it.  He actually lived in the facility.  It wasn’t just an “old folk’s home.”  There were some who were terminally ill in one wing.  Others, like my aunt, were just there for rehab therapy after surgery.  And others, like Piano Man, could take care of themselves but preferred to do it in a place like this and lived in their own little apartments upstairs.

I looked around and saw the many residents who were accompanied by their loved ones.  It was heartwarming to see.  A room full of strangers brought together for 90 minutes by someone who used his special gift to bring joy to people.  We figured he must have been a professional in his day.  He was that good.

As dinner trays started rolling by, guests started leaving.  Piano Man wasn’t offended.  He did this every day and expected it.  We chatted with him for a bit and then went to say our goodbyes to my aunt in her room.  As we were leaving the girls let me know that they were disappointed that I had never pushed them to learn the piano.

We have a saying in Spanish.  “Nunca es tarde, cuando la dicha es buena.”  It boils down to “it’s never too late.”  I guess I better start looking for a music teacher.