What does it mean to be accountable?  Recently, a life and business coach advised me that there is very little difference in the way we run our lives and the way we run our business.  So what does that mean and how do we show others we truely are accountable in our lives as well as our business practices.  I found a company called Total Accountability.  This company is only for individuals that are proud to deliver quality service and are accountable to their clients.  I think this could be a great help to Real Estate Agents as well as lenders, who are proud of what they do and want to show others.  Go to www.total-accountability.net to see what it is all about. This is really exciting for those in our business who want to show they are above the rest and proud to be in Real Estate!

Be sure to let me know what you think!!!!

Unfortunately I haven't been very good about blogging.  Since the beginning of the year I think I wrote only one or 2 blogs.  One of those blogs was about my New Year Resolutions.  I just read it again......Hmmmm, not doing so well.  In fact I'm doing down right terrible.  When I wrote about my resolutions I thought if I tell the world about it, I'm sure to do it.  Well, human nature stepped in and I find even telling the world won't make me stick to something.  On the other hand I did follow through on a few things.  On the business side, I am working my business better and I am at work early each morning.  Personal goals included exercising and eating better.........both of which I can honestly say I have succeeded at.  I have lost a few pounds and my cardio is much better.  I feel good about this!!

Now that I am at the end of July, more than half way through the year, I am revisiting my resolutions to see what I can change or improve before the end of the year.  Still an improvement over ignoring something I wrote 7 months ago.

Along with multitudes of Americans, and, for that matter, people all over the world, I've made some great New Year's Resolutions.  They say (whoever "they" are) to make sure you follow through on a Resolution one should let as many people as possible know what you've resolved to do.  So I've decided to include my Active Rain Community.

Ok, here it goes. 

Realtor Goals: 

1.I resolve to plan each day the night before.  Write my plans down, and be ready to check each item off as I complete it.

2. I resolve to get up early every morning and be at my desk working by 9:00.......I tried earlier but found I just can't fight the fact I'm a night person and would rather start work later and work on into the evening than to get up earlier.  No getting up at 5:00 A.M. for me.

3. I resolve to follow plans that are in place, not get distracted, and not make excuses.  If I realize I've failed at any point, I will treat each day as a new opportunity to start over......even at day 364.

4. I resolve to remain optimistic about the market and my abilities to turn it into a success (with all the negatives out there, this should be quite a challenge).

Personal Goals:

1. Exercise more and get into shape.  I did join a club and now I work out 2 to 3 times a week.  Not great but more than before.  My goal is not to just lose weight, although losing 6 or 7 pounds wouldn't hurt.  I want to improve my energy and my general health.

2. Eat less meat and more vegetables and fruits.  Drink more water. 

 Ok not great goals, but ones I can live with.  So far I am working out.  I generally eat ok, but junk food from the holidays is still on my mind.  I need to get away from sweets. As for work, I moved my office away from my house and back into my company's office building.  I try to go in each day and find I've been much more productive.  Now I just have to work on keeping lounge potatoes from visiting my office while I'm trying to work......

Hmmm,  a great subject for another blog.

This is one of the biggest weekends all year in the city of Riverside.   Each year the downtown Mission Inn is decorated with millions of lights and the festival begins Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  They are estimating there will be tens of thousands of people there this year for the largest atendance ever.  In fact I've been told Good Morning America will film the event this year.  Various other TV stations from around the area will also be there.  This is a huge event.  In addition to the lights on the Mission Inn and mall, there will be an ice skating rink, horse drawn carriage rides, music, food and much more.  If Friday is too much of a crowd the event will continue throughout the holiday season.  Families can see the lights, skate or walk the mall every day or evening.  You'll find more activities on the weekends, but everyday is great for a visit.  So don't hesitate.  Come and be part of the Festival of Lights.......You'll be glad you did!

One of the first things I learned in real estate is that there are an enormous variety of ways to spend your money on this business.  As soon as you get your license, there is someone there trying to sell you something.  At first I spent a lot of money on what I thought were must haves.  I know I must be one of the most gullible people out there and each time I think I've learned my lesson, I spend on something new.  I bought post cards, personal brochures, talking house, leads, calendars, note pads, and training, training, training.  I can't believe it!!!  Thank goodness I've sold enough to pay for all of this.  Sometimes I feel like this is an expensive hobby instead of a business.  And I have to blame myself for all of it. 

So why am I even writing about this?  First of all, to admit once and for all that I've spent way too much money on things I don't need.  Second, to warn others, newer agents, not to get caught up in buying things to improve business. In reality the answer is, create a plan and work it.  And third, perhaps if anyone else has done the same thing, they can write and commiserate with me.  Then we can make a pact not to spend another dollar without thoroughly thinking it through.  A 24 hour cooling off period would be good.  If you still think you need the items or service after 24 hours, chances are it is a good purchase.

So, if anyone out there wants to admit to being gullible like me, and spending too much on business stuff you don't need.  Or if you've had bad, or even good, experiences with what you bought, write and let us know about it. 

Considering the way this Real Estate market is, with prices falling, difficult mortages, cautious buyers and the media putting it's own slant on everything, I find myself reflecting on what it means to buy a home.  Traditionally, buyers had a goal to find a place to call their own.  A place where they could paint the walls any color, have pets, plant trees, and maybe even raise a family.  I remember when my husband and I went out to purchase our first home, we looked for the perfect home for our needs within the price we could afford to pay.   We knew what we could afford and looked within that price range.  Our goal was to find a "home" that would be safe and secure, and a great place to raise children.

We did not go from house to house looking for the cheapest house that would be best to flip in a few years.

It's sad the way things have changed.  People don't have a sense of neighborhood where they will stay, build close  friendships, and raise their children. 

 Current buyers are so affraid real estate values will fall, many have stopped shopping for a home, the American dream.  I can't say I blame them.  No one wants to find out they own something worth less than what they paid.

The ironic thing is that as a society we constantly buy things that are worth less the minute we get them home.  The biggest example of that is when we buy a new car..........the  minute we take it off the showroom floor it loses thousands of dollars.  Yet Americans do it every day of every year.  Most individuals will do it over and over again, never thinking there is anything wrong with it.

At least in real estate, if you buy a home that loses value, it will gain it again in a few years.  Too bad the same isn't true for automobiles.

I know many people have had great luck with short sales.  And I know I haven't really given it a fair chance, but I hate short sales.  This is why; I've  had 3 different buyers try to purchase a short sale home and all 3 transactions have given me trouble. Here is what happened.  On the first short sale the process took so long my client got impatient.  But he stuck with it.  We went into escrow (big mistake) did a home inspection,  and found some major plumbing problems.  Since this was an "as is" property, my client felt it was too much to pay for in addition to other repairs that were needed.  So he backed out, and we initiated the cancellation.  The agent either refused to have the seller sign to return funds, or maybe the seller refused.  We almost went to small claims court a month later when they finally released the earnest money.  For the second short sale, I had learned my lesson and held my client's money until the bank approval of the sale.  In this case it took so long for the lender to respond that my client lost interest, and, once again, backed out.  At least I was still holding his check so that was much easier.  The third time everything was going very well.  The lender holding the first lien responded very quickly, then we waited for the second lien holder.  They took their sweet time and, in the end, refused to accept the deal sayingeven though they were getting a small sum, they weren't getting enough.  Now the way I understand it, if the property goes to foreclosure the lender in second position loses everything.  It didn't make sense that they would want to lose everything, but here we are.  We are in fact still working on this deal two weeks later, and maybe we will come up with an answer.  The cog in the wheel is the second lien holder. 

If nothing else I've learned some important tips.

1. Advise your clients this could take as much as 6 to 9 weeks for the lender to approve.

2. If there are two different lenders involved the lender in 2nd position could stop the entire process.  Try to work with just one lender on a short sale.

3.  Go the the 2nd lien holder first.  If they don't accept, it doesn't matter what the first says.

4. Hold the buyer's check in the file or your broker's file until acceptance.  That way the buyer is assured of getting their money back in case of a cancellation.

 

This is a great time to buy. 

I've said it before and will continue to say it.  Find a daring agent who isn't afraid to search, then negotiate a great deal and you can buy the perfect home for your family and your budget.  Thanks to the media, everyone is afraid prices are going down..........well they are.  But if you are paying rent and have a good income, you are losing money every single month anyway.  Stop worrying about losing on the value of a home.  You are already losing.  Don't waste any more time.  Find that great deal today. Some properties are going for so low, it is unlikely the market average will ever get that low. 

With the money you will save it is definitely a great time to buy!

Riverside, CA is a great place to live.  If you take time and look around you will find there is something for everyone.  As for Riverside Real Estate, I love the older sections in the downtown areas of Riverside.  In fact I've included many pictures of downtown Riverside homes on my web site www.verashomes.com.  If you want to see some of the flavor of Riverside please visit my site. You will see many homes were built in the early 1900s with styles that include both Victorian, Bungalow, and cottage.  The streets are tree lined and feature old street lamps.  Each neighborhood has it's own way of celebrating the holidays throughout the year.  Some are subtle and still others have huge ornamentaion for every holiday in the year.

If old is not your style there is no worry because Riverside homes include the very modern too.  You can find anything from a two bedroom starter to a 5000 square foot estate complete with gorgeous views of city lights and mountains.

In addition to real estate, a visitor to Riverside will find an active arts community, Universities, great restaurants, parks and much more.  You can't beat the weather either.  Riverside is centrally located between the coast and the mountains.  Where else can you surf in the morning then snow ski in the afternoon. 

If you are ever in town, don't hesitate to give me a call!

Last weekend I went to visit my brother in Quartzsite, AZ.  It was a true eye opener.  For those of you who don't know, Quartzsite is the destination of thousands of snowbirds every winter.  They arrive with their campers, trailers and variety of other RVs to camp out in the warm desert until the chill of winter passes from their homes, then they head home again.  Quartzsite is a sleepy little town for most of the year with only about 5,000 year round residents.  Most of the town and surrounding areas are taken up with RV parks that remain empty until the snowbirds arrive starting in the fall.  What struck me about Quartzsite are the plans for growth and industry that the city is planning.  New restaurants, grocery stores and other small businesses are trickling into town bringing more year round residents.  When I was there I saw the first organized housing project going up.  With all these indications of growth and the inexpensive land, I am thinking this would be a great place to research further for investment potential. 

 Yes, it is desert, but it grows on you.  The air is clean, sunsets are gorgeous, and the night skies are lit with a million stars.  Believe me, the place grows on you!