I've been on board with this whole Social Media thing for awhile now. I'm a believer. I enjoy it. And I have reaped some benefits from it. Until now......I recently posted something on Facebook that has really come
back to       me in the rear....

   No, I did not badmouth some client who then saw it and got angry or hurt. No, I did not disclose any personal information about a client. And no, I did not post anything that would embarassingly haunt me for the rest of my life. What I did was worse....much worse...

   In an effort to promote an amazing product and share information that I just knew my friends would love to know...I robbed myself of a recently discovered guilty pleasure. After a long, hard day yesterday, I stopped by the store to pick myself up a little treat. To my horror and dismay, they informed me they are ALL OUT of

   WHAT??? "How can this be," I ask. The manager informs me that word had gotten out and people were swarming the store and stocking up.

   Oh word got out alright....I know I alone introduced several people to this amazing find of mine. The nerve of these people...to heed my recommendation, go buy this delectable treasure and then continue to buy it all up!

   Sorry folks, but from here on in, you might just be on your own...

   And for those who dare to doubt the impact of social media....watch out! It works...sometimes too well!!

Today the Indianapolis Colts won the AFC Championship Title!!! And they are now Super Bowl bound!!! And, of course, this means my real estate career is about to flourish!!!

Here's how the theory works....It starts with a little nod to the Pittsburgh Steelers who happens to be the team of a very close friend of mine. I'm personally not a fan but I try to be supportive of her team (when it has no impact on the Colts). The 2005-2006 season, Steelers went to the Super Bowl and won. The following season, the Colts went to the Super Bowl, Sunday, February 4, 2007 - and won!      

2007 was, to date, my best year in real estate. Coincidence? I think not!

Fast forward to the 2009-2010 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the reigning Super Bowl champs. And now, the Colts have clinched their spot in the Super Bowl! Am I premature in making proclamations of victory - for them and myself? Nope, not if you follow history. The Colts and I are in this together! And I thank them for an amazing jump start to my business this year. 2010 will be the BEST it's ever been!! Thanks Indy!  :)

Seriously, how do you get the address for your listing WRONG??? I'm sure we have all made the occasional typo here and there when entering a listing in to the MLS and had to quickly edit the listing (been there, done that!), but to get the address wrong??? Really???

I've griped before about how my subdivision has been titled incorrectly by other agents. Even the residents don't always get it right. But getting the street name wrong is just....well, WRONG!

People are trusting us with one of the most important and stressful aspects of their finances- helping them sell what is likely their biggest investment. I think the LEAST we can do is advertise the correct address!

When all else fails, email the listing to your client and/or to a fellow agent. (BTW - Agent gets a free pass if they did send to their client and the client didn't pick up on it either! LOL) When you've looked at the same thing for so long - entering it in to the MLS, posting on your website and other sites, creating the flyer, it can be easy to overlook errors after awhile. So let a fresh pair of eyes review it for you. I would rather my client point out a mistake just after posting the house then having my listing expire and the incorrect information out there for all to see forever. Won't be hard for the next agent to come along and explain one thing they can do better than the previous agent to sell the listing...Hey, I can post your correct address!

   Yesterday I had a rather interesting conversation...I was visiting with a Director of a local business who had, from what I gathered anyway, her Marketing person on speaker phone. The conversation was regarding marketing ideas, utilizing social media, etc. When they were discussing print marketing, they were talking about being extremely careful to use pictures which would represent all races, genders, age groups, etc. And apparently when this business held their Grand Opening event, one of the owners led a prayer before the event. The marketing person mentioned that this was a "no-no." She said as long as we are talking about this kind of thing...he needs to not do that again. They then discussed how the business handled being open for its first Christmas and whether or not it was ok that they had a Christmas tree, do they need to have decorations for all varying holidays...on and on. The marketing person knew I was in the room and said "Well, as Dawn knows being in real estate with the Fair Housing Act...you can't say Merry Christmas." Huh? I told her I was fairly certain that the Fair Housing Act did NOT prevent me from saying Merry Christmas to my clients. I wouldn't list a house on the MLS saying - This house is great for Christmas parties...but I believe I can wish someone a merry Christmas." She, however, felt fairly certain that we are not allowed to do that. And ended with saying, Well, I wouldn't

     So this brings to me my question - am I wrong? Is it ILLEGAL to wish a client Merry Christmas? There was a great featured post - "Politically Correct or Just Sincere?" which highlights opinions on saying Merry Christmas versus Happy Holidays. And I see and understand the millions of reasons why a person would use one phrase over another. But this not about just being politically correct. If she had simply stated, you may not want to do that so as to avoid alientating some people, then I could understand her viewpoint (whether I agree or not is irrelevant, I would have understood the point she was trying to make). But there is a rather huge difference in possibly alienating someone versus violating the Fair Housing Act and risking your license, business, livelihood...

     And I guess I can save the discussion for whether or not the business owner had a right to say a prayer before his event or not for another post another day... :)

Yes, you read the title right...FREE Lunch today until 2:00pm (or until the food runs out) at
Mom & M's on Main Street located in Rolesville:
207 North Main Street
Rolesville, NC 27571-9300
(919) 562-9339

On the menu:
Barbecue Pork on the grill
Black-eyed Peas
Collard Greens
Cabbage
Hush Puppies

Don't miss out...hurry over today, enjoy an awesome FREE lunch and
wish Frances well on recovery with her hip!

Happy New Year's everyone! This sure is a great way to start it off!!

And the really good news is....their coffee ROCKS!!!  

I was very pleasantly surprised. The customer service is wonderful and friendly (Jennifer was a joy to chat with) and unique, to say the least. I have never before been asked to try my coffee before leaving to make sure I liked it - WOW! The coffee is smooth and has no bitter after-taste (whew!)! And I also have to point out that while the coffee is nowhere near cold or even just luke-warm, you can actually drink it right away and not have to wait half an hour for it to cool off.

I give this great new local business two thumbs up!!

Jennifer informed me that there will be events throughout the summer. So stay tuned as I promise to keep you all posted!

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 6:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday: 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday: closed

     Don't fret my little Rolesville home owner wannabe's...there are still homes for sale in my amazing town! Ok, it isn't MY town in the sense of me owning it. (Despite my dreams...or hallucinations, whichever you care to think of them as.) But as my previous posts have probably already indicated, I have such a great sense of pride in my little town. This time of year brings it out even more in me. Christmas decorations hung on the street signs. Santa in the Park. Christmas tree lots on every corner.

     Ahhh I digress...but you get the idea. If you want to be a part of this wonderful community, you have your choice of 78 homes to choose from! Prices range from $119,000 to $1,250,000. Of the 78 homes currently for sale, 29 are new construction.

     And, of course, if you are thinking of moving to the Rolesville area, be sure to give me a call!

     This home is ideal for entertaining! Step in to the foyer withgleaming hardwood floors. The kitchen flows in to formal dining room, breakfast area AND family room! The kitchen features a center island with bar overhang for extra seating, stainless steel appliances, a gas range The large family room has a ceiling fan and fireplace. The master suite is an amazing retreat offering crown molding, ceiling fan, his and her closets and a great sitting room! Also features private bathroom with dual sinks, a relaxing garden tub and separate shower. Generous-sized secondary bedrooms. And that is not all! Step outside on to the beautiful screened-in porch with ceramic tile floors and hardwood celing and enjoy the view of the large, FLAT, private backyard!

Square Feet: 2932                                                       
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 2.5
Acres: .38

List Price: $284,900

    


                       The Annual Rolesville Christmas Parade will be Sunday, December 6th starting at 2:00pm. The parade will start at the corners of Young and Main Streets. The parade will be complete with floats, the marching band and chorus from Wake Forest Rolesville High School and their award winning football team. This is an event the whole family will not want to miss!!

   Immediately following the Parade, Santa will dash over to the park for the beginning of our Santa in the Park series!! He will be there on Sunday from 3:00 - 5:30pm. Parents, bring your cameras so you can take pictures of your children giving their wish list to Santa!

   You can also catch Santa in the Park on the following dates:

Tuesday, December 8^th                           6:30 - 8:30

Friday, December 11^th                             6:30 - 8:30

Tuesday, December 15^th                         6:30 - 8:30

Friday, December 18^th                             6:30 - 8:30

Sunday, December 20^th                           4:00 - 6:00

Monday, December 21^st                         6:30 - 8:30

Tuesday, December 22^nd                        6:30 - 8:30

Wednesday, December 23^rd                  6:30 - 8:30                                            

   I've never been known for my culinary skills. I rarely ever cook. But baking....ahhhh baking....that's just a different animal. I love to bake! I love to eat the ooey-gooey batter of the things I bake. I love the smell of my house after I have baked. And I love sharing my baked goodies with others!

   A few years back, in an effort to expand my horizons, I looked up recipes for a different kind of cookie. You know, other than the traditional chocolate chip, which is still my favorite, by the way. Anyway, I came across a recipe on Cooks.com for Butterscotch Pudding Cookies. I gave it a shot and WOW! I suddenly had a "specialty!" I often get reuqests, ok sometimes demands, to bring them to parties and gatherings.

   While this is in no way my way of saying, make them yourselves, I thought I would share the recipe for those who may be too far away to share with the cookies themselves. So here goes...again the recipe was originally taken from Cooks.com and I am posting my version of it (original recipe had nuts. I do NOT like nuts in my cookies!! Interrupts the whole tasting routine.)

        3 1/3 cup all purpose flour

        1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

        1 1/2 cup butter, softened

        1/2 cup granulated sugar

                                                                         1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

                                                                         3 eggs

                                                                         3 cup butterscotch chips (just use the package)

                                                                         1 cup brown sugar

                                                                         1 package of butterscotch instant pudding (or package and a half; recipe calls for 1 package 6 serving size. The 4 oz package serves 4. I've made both ways and both are good!)
                                                                        

Mix flour and baking soda. Combine butter, the sugars, pudding mix and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Then stir in chips. I do save some chips and like to sprinkle them on top of the cookie dough. (Batter will be stiff.)

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (Drop a few teaspoonfuls in to mouth.) Here's where I add chips along the top of the dough (and insert some into mouth.) Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!!!