Grace Under Pressure. - 01/31/08 11:06 PM
An individual came into our office today. He was not a client. He owed us money and was very angry with everyone, mouthing a lot, name calling, and acting just plain foolish. When these situations arise I always try do dig deep down inside, and pull out all that good stuff … (17 comments)
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All our Cats Have A Job. No Slackers Allowed. - 01/30/08 09:00 PM
We live in the country. Therefore our 4 cats (sometimes more) are "Kuntry Kats" and as such, we expect them to earn their keep around our little ranch which is appropriately named KAT Ranch meaning the Khris And Trey Ranch after my wife and yours truly.
Now I need to preface by saying we … (2 comments)
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1800 South College Ave , Bryan Tx 77801 - 01/29/08 10:47 PM
… (2 comments)
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How Did we Do It Before E-mail? - 01/28/08 11:26 PM
This week I have really realized how important e-mail is to our profession. Mainly to me... it is in communicating with clients. In the past we had to call clients at their jobs to keep them posted. This probably irritated their bosses and staff.... with the agent constantly calling and calling to update. … (15 comments)
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How is you Office Staff? - 01/27/08 09:05 PM
No doubt one of the keys to success in a real estate firm is a quality staff including your receptionist, and other employees. There is nothing more important than a friendly voice greeting potential clients and making them comfortable. First impressions count when shopping for a home And when shopping for … (16 comments)
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Is now the time to Get into Real Estate Sales? - 01/27/08 10:27 AM
I remember this same question coming up from an individual in the mid 80's when things didn't look so promising for agents...and particularly so for new ones. I thought about it. What did I tell that person back then?......Well I am not absolutely certain, but I believe it went like this:You know … (23 comments)
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Does Your Chamber of Commerce Work Hard for You? - 01/27/08 10:03 AM
We're excited about a Good year in our area!
Our Chamber of Commerce does a great job! After attending the Annual Economic Outlook Conference put on by our local Chamber of Commerce this week, I certainly came out of it revitalized and motivated. They do an OUTSTANDING job...and I emphasize outstanding, each year … (0 comments)
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408 Rock Spring Ct. , College Station , Tx. , 77845 - 01/27/08 09:19 AM
Wonderful New Patio Home by Classic Homes
Spring Meadows Subdivision
MLS #44822 Approx 1973 sq. ft. heated 3 BDR. 2 Baths
Perfect for retirees or anyone seeking to size down without sacrificing quality.Elegant finish and decor throughout. Minutes to Pebble Creek Golf and Country ClubQuiet Cul-de-sac settingShort drive to Medical services http://www.csmedcenter.com/Convenient to the … (0 comments)
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Rambo Lives! Yes! - 01/26/08 09:53 AM
My wife and I went to see the new Rambo , last night. Rambo is as bad as ever, tough dude! I noticed this time however that Sylvester spent more time behind the machine gun and the boat motor than he did hand to hand combat and he seemed a little … (18 comments)
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Short Seller - 01/26/08 09:02 AM
The word now-a-days is " Short Sale"
Well I have been a short seller for years. That is right. I used to be 5'-9''. Now I am 5'-8 1/4''. It is a known fact ...people get shorter as they grow older.
I certainly have!
On a serious note I understand the concept of … (12 comments)
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Renewed Aggie Basketball Faith - 01/26/08 08:41 AM
When I saw the Basketball team's rating after the loss streak they have experienced recently I told myself to stop being negative about the team, and think positive. They were still up there in the ratings, so I figure the experts know more than me.....give them a chance.
The word around our … (4 comments)
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A Referral a Day... Means Your here to Stay - 01/25/08 12:14 AM
Doesn't matter if your an individual or an agent, referrals are one of the cornerstones of a good balanced real estate business portfolio. These can come from various sources including friends, relatives, other agents, other firms, franchise connections, relocation companies, and others. But hopefully most are from satisfied past clients who are either talking … (7 comments)
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Welcome to our new Property Manager! - 01/24/08 11:39 PM
We are really proud to announce that Mary Derkowski has joined or company as our property manager.
Welcome Mary!
Mary Derkowski began her career in 1983. Mary had the privilege to manage and lease a diversified portfolio in excess of 1000 properties. During the foreclosure wave in the early 90s she was fortunate enough to … (2 comments)
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What is Deductible on Taxes for Real Estate Agents? - 01/22/08 10:48 PM
There are agents who actually believe the following is a deductible item for income tax purposes. What Do you say?Manicures.I don't like arguing with anyone on something like this..... but on tax issues you can't afford to be wrong.There are other items that agents have told me they write off on taxes, like dry … (10 comments)
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1205 King Arthur Cr. , College Station , Tx. 77845 - 01/22/08 10:13 PM
Wonderful One Owner 1970's home located in College Station just minutes from Texas A&M University.
Have you got students needing housing while attending the University?
Take a look!
Fun Place!
3 or 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths, @ Dining, Large Den, plus a loft area, a 2 car attached garage, and 2 porch rooms.Study could serve as … (6 comments)
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New Agents can Teach the Teacher a Lot - 01/22/08 11:28 AM
Funny how roles can inadvertently be reversed in the learning process... the teacher can become the "taught."Every Tuesday for the last 10 years we have held a special training for newbies in the office. My business partner and I have always felt this is an extremely important weekly session that enables … (6 comments)
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Can Peace Be found on Board a Tractor? - 01/20/08 07:33 PM
Today I decided to pick up on several projects at home and forget work for a few hours. I forgot how much I like playing mechanic. My tractor equipment needed working over so I sharpened blades on the bush hog, greased all the fittings, oiled rusty stuff, and so forth. Then fired … (16 comments)
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Change is Good ...But not just for it's Own Sake - 01/20/08 11:00 AM
One of our political office candidates recently took this stance. And he was right about one thing... all of the Presidential candidates talk about Change.
Now I am all for change. But it has got to be based on logic and good common sense...not just because someone says I need to. Show me.
As … (5 comments)
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Why Forclosure is like a Bad Divorce - 01/19/08 08:54 PM
Foreclosure is never really over when it's over. It is like a Bad Divorce I have seen a bad divorce drag on for 20 years. Fighting ,bickering, more lawsuits...
In forclosure ...Just because the mortgagee has gotten his collateral back and resold it, doesn't necessarily mean case closed. Some of the … (8 comments)
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Are Things picking up? - 01/18/08 11:10 PM
I seems that way at our office this week. The phones were ringing a little more, and my emails were full every morning.. Plus some of our relocation companies were needing BPO's and actually some listings and live buyers suddenly appeared. I realize the 30 year interest year rates are pretty good and … (10 comments)
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Aggies Learn a Lesson in Lubbock - 01/17/08 12:10 AM
I really felt for the basketball team tonight. I know the coach had been on them about working on defense after the last game, but they really dropped the ball in that area tonight. They have been on a roll this season and I hope this was an eye opener for … (5 comments)
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Cover Your Ears Boys and Girls.... - 01/15/08 11:55 PM
My wonderful wife gave me just what I asked for Christmas this year.
A New:
You see I promised a young agent in our office if he would hang in there in real estate until a certain date, I would take guitar lessons from him. Had to keep my promise. He teaches classical guitar and … (12 comments)
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Quarterly Taxes Due Today ....Just Do It. - 01/15/08 09:58 PM
Can't remember the last time I had a year when I didn't have to pay quarterly income tax payments. Just goes along with self employment. Now I will confess that there have been years when I wasn't able to get them in as fast as I should, and had some penalty to pay. … (7 comments)
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We have been at Cruising Speed For 15 Years - 01/15/08 12:06 AM
That is a long time to go without refueling! You see our real estate cycle has been at cruising speed for about 15 years now. Wow! that is a about twice what typical up-down cycles are supposed to be according to the knowledgeables in Real Estate forecasting.
For the longest time it seemed … (4 comments)
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Playing Fetch With Labs - 01/13/08 10:36 AM
If you own a Lab, then you already know that playing fetch is just as important to a Lab as eating, sleeping or running. If you don't play fetch.... then your dog most likely is suffering some kind of deprivation syndrome. I have all kinds if things that propel the item … (9 comments)
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What will happen in our Rental Market? - 01/13/08 08:13 AM
We are definitely in a dynamic period in the real estate industry. We all have to be prepared to change our vision, our methods, and our expectations ....no more just cruising and reaping the benefits. Not going to happen in 08'.There is more apartment construction going on in Bryan-College Station. With … (7 comments)
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Passing the Buck, Missing Business, and Looking Dead - 01/12/08 10:09 AM
Do you ever feel sometime in this business with all the tools at our disposal, that sometimes we have gotten a little lazy.? I know....I know it is a fast past world and if you blink the universe can change. So we have to keep up with it all. But sometimes … (15 comments)
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Windows of Opportunity and Finding Faith in our Profession - 01/11/08 11:44 PM
Every time I run up against a negative situation in the line of duty, it seems there is always something or someone who comes along and restores my faith in my fellow agents. You see I have always operated on the principal that no mater what, at the end of each day, … (7 comments)
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Working With Multiple Offers - 01/10/08 11:43 PM
Recently we have had to deal with this situation more and more....... Multiple offers coming in on a listing. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how one looks at it. Regardless it is a good feeling for a listing agent to know that something is about to … (12 comments)
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Texas A&M Listed in Top 25 in Value in Colleges - 01/09/08 10:53 PM
It was announced today that Texas A&M was listed in the to 25 Best Values in colleges today in the United States. In other words IT IS A PRETTY GOOD DEAL. You know that is really significant for the University and the community. And in the great scheme of things it is probably more … (3 comments)
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Are you getting nervous about the Presidintial Primaries? - 01/07/08 10:11 PM
I have seen a lot of Presidents. The first one I remember is Eisenhower. And yes I was caught up with the rest of the country with the John Kennedy movement, even as young as I was at the time. I grew up and learned to read and don't feel the same … (24 comments)
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Ever Been To a Re-Gift Party? - 01/06/08 10:24 PM
A Lot of our friends were not able to get together for various reasons during the holiday season this year. Everyone's timing was off. We all wanted to get together and decided to wait until after New Years past to do something when it was more convenient for all. So we … (10 comments)
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Does spelling really matter in the Bolg Universe ? - 01/06/08 07:27 PM
Should I worry about spelling errors on Active Rain?I asked myself this question one day when I was worried about several words that weren't being caught by spell-check, and I just knew they were wrong. Should I worry about it? Personally I hate it when people try to act like they are … (16 comments)
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Go Aggies! - 01/06/08 11:44 AM
The Texas Aggies Basketball team did it again this week and pounded LSU 79-53. The Aggies made it to #10 in the rankings this week and it has been said this has been one of the best starts A&M has had since the 1920 era.
Let's all get behind them now … (2 comments)
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Getting Organized for 2008 - 01/06/08 11:04 AM
There is treasure to be discovered at home if you look. I cleaned off my dresser at home this morning and found some more business hiding in that pile of stuff. . Scrunched up scribbled on scraps of paper. There must have been 20 to 30 of them. You know... they are … (5 comments)
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Can Real Estate Sales or Home Building be in Your Genes ? - 01/04/08 09:59 PM
Is real estate a family affair for you?
Historically my family has been involved in real estate and construction in Bryan-College Station Texas for 70 years. My Grandfather was a teacher at Texas A and M and built homes on the side in the 30's. My Great Uncle began building in the 40's and … (5 comments)
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Need a Horse Facility Business? - 01/03/08 11:32 PM
1332 State Hwy 14Kosse, Tx.Equestrian Facility with LandListed at: $750,000.
This Equestrian Facility includes 4 dressage areas, 200 stalls, a residence, RV hookups,a guest house, and a bunkhouse. It annually hosts USEA and USEF recognized horse shows. All this and more on 100 +acres near Bremond and Kossee, Texas. This is a fantastic … (5 comments)
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Peepers the Parrot thinks it's still Christmas - 01/03/08 10:52 PM
Yep. As I have bloged about before...Mr. Peepers, the African Grey parrot loves the Christmas Season. He has seen and heard a lot this year including listening to Bing Crosby sing Christmas Tunes over and over, two family Christmas events, and this weekend he will experience a third rescheduled late Christmas event at the … (5 comments)
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Have You Ever Been Involved in a Bidding War? - 01/03/08 10:38 PM
We have all heard that from time to time certain areas of the country experience high demand and buyers pay more than they should. I know this was occurring regularly a few years ago. Recently I experienced this for the first time myself. The final deal was almost 2 times asking … (6 comments)
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Year End Stats are In on Our Market Area - 01/03/08 08:33 PM
Looks like our year end stats for local agents are in and the numbers can be confusing. Basically they say our total number of units closed in 07 were down by over 2%. However the average sold price is up and the total dollars sold is up. What is happening? Pretty … (2 comments)
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It's official. We've reopened our Property Management Division - 01/03/08 12:11 AM
For 25 years I was involved in property management. We owned and operated both for ourselves, and investor clients. About 3 years ago I said that's it . We are done . No More. Done.Well we are back at it! We have just hired one of the top property managers in … (4 comments)
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World Record at Texas A&M - 01/02/08 11:56 PM
Has anyone out there ever seen a world record set by anyone?
When I was a teen Dad took me to a track and field meet at A&M. Back then not many folks went to those meets but on this day there were a few extras. What was unique was that Dad indicated … (2 comments)
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Realistic Contracts Result in Real Closings. How's your Dancing? - 01/02/08 11:16 PM
It has always amazed me the different approaches agents take when working with their clients. Recently an agent delivered an offer to our firm. It was on an investment property and was from a purchaser that had never viewed the property, or even seen current income/ expense data. Now I can deal with … (4 comments)
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Take a different approach in 2008. - 01/01/08 01:42 PM
The same old ways of selling real estate don't work anymore. Well...at least not all the time. We all are getting educated fast. The markets are changing all around the USA. Some areas are doing way better than others but it would certainly be foolhardy for anyone to assume that their area is immune from all … (9 comments)
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