Keeping Your Brain Open To New Ideas - 03/31/11 01:40 PM
Sometimes I think as we get older our brains have filled up with so much information and ideas THERE IS NOT MUCH MORE CAPACITY for the new. Upon further reflection I think this is the furthest from the truth. We probably suffer more from cluttered brain or resistant brain than filled up brain. We need to
Keep Our Brain Open To New Ideas.
It is so easy to be closed minded as we get older. We get a been there done that attitude about ANYTHING. I remember being in a house and a younger person asking me to play the … (21 comments)
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Selling A Home Should Not Be As Hard As Flying A 747 - 03/30/11 02:56 PM
Have you ever walked into a passenger airline jet before taking your seat and looked at those controls in that cockpit, say a really large plane? Looks like it takes some training to fly one of those babies. But it made me think
Selling A Home Should Not Be As Hard As Flying A 747
On one hand we have do it yourselfers for selling the home, kits from Office Depot and For Sale By Owners. We all know it is not that easy. The other extreme we know it is not rocket science either so why do so many consumers … (12 comments)
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Another Trait Of True Friendship - 03/30/11 11:33 AM
In looking around the world for what all of us can be those lucky five or less TRUE friends we may have in life, one characteristic is they are WITH us through adversity.
Nothing weeds out the true friends from the regular ones like hard times for you. But I discovered
Another Trait Of True Friendship.
That trait would be
They LIGHTEN OUR BURDENS. Being around them, life is just a little bit easier.
They do this just so naturally. If someone is just bringing their baggage of their life over to you and ONLY ADDING to your burdens they cannot in … (12 comments)
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Avoid Being A Prisoner In Your Home - 03/29/11 05:22 PM
Reading of some in the press and also cyberspace advocating renting a home as a better choice over purchasing one, one big reason people think this way is not wanting to or having been before, a PRISONER in your home, the OPPOSITE of the American Dream. We should
Avoid Being A Prisoner In Your Home
Do this by:
Buying in the path of growth, steering clear of niche neighborhoods Buy in good school districts Get value on the purchase end, below market if at all possible Don't over buy high amenities on new construction Don't buy the biggest house in the … (18 comments)
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Two Dogs Out Dining At A Restaurant ~ It Doesn't Get Any Better - 03/28/11 08:14 PM
OK, enough of all these SERIOUS blogging topics about renting versus buying, this week's economic reports and how it affects interest rates, rants, raves, and other serious silliness. What we need is a TRUE light hearted moment.
Have you had a chuckle, laugh, or smile for your day? Well don't let the world beat you down. Your ship has arrived in FUN HARBOR. Join TWO DOGS OUT DINING in a restaurant.
They are patient and don't even get something to drink with their meal. You got to love dogs especially when they MIX WITH PEOPLE and their wacky ways. Of … (16 comments)
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Understanding When Someone Tells You MAYBE What That Means - 03/28/11 02:05 PM
WHAT DOES A MAYBE MEAN??????
There are not all that many ABSOLUTES in life. Sure in laws of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Spiritual Laws of right and wrong. But since all other times we live in such GREY AREAS you have to play the odds with what things mean and go with trends or empirical evidence. Take the word MAYBE. You should
Understand When Someone Tells You MAYBE What That Means.
I will frame this in the business world but it can be extended to your personal relationships as well but it is more dependent on really knowing that particular … (48 comments)
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Playing The Find The Fox Game - 03/27/11 04:25 PM
In analyzing organizations of people there is something called
Playing The Find The Fox Game.
It is essentially meeting people within an org chart and even if they don't have the title associated with their name they are in a position of power, authority and are the one to rely on for key decision making. With homebuyers in looking at a couple MOST often the find the fox defaults to the wife as signing off on the house, but be careful NOT ALWAYS. Sometimes it can be tilted slightly over to the husband especially with affordability and budget.
Young people often … (16 comments)
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Avoiding Mono Mania In Life - 03/26/11 12:42 PM
You've heard of mononucelosis? You've heard of Mono Lake? You've heard of Mono syllabic? Another Mono you may have not heard of is Mono Mania.
We should be
Avoiding Mono Mania In Life.
You see it with cross country or marathon runners where they forget they can't run HARD every day but need to cross train with cycling or swimming for variety and get other muscles in play and some in rest. Think of RESTING your mind as well with this kind of mix up.
Look at bloggers that blog incessantly day after day even on the same theme like … (24 comments)
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Did You Check With Your Pet Before You Got That New Home? - 03/25/11 01:32 PM
So you're at the closing table for a new home or ready to move into that rental home, apartment, or new condo BUT
Did You Check With Your Pet Before You Got That New Home?
Our four legged members of our family are just as important as school districts and childhood playmates for children. Give some forethought before that final move-in getting approval from THEM:
Large animals horses need good stalls, boarding facilities nearby, full care by someone else, partial care or on your property with enough pasture
Small animals
Zoning: Rules permitted by HOA, apartment guidelines, from the landlord? Do … (24 comments)
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You've Come A Long Way Baby, And How Content Has Changed - 03/24/11 03:14 PM
Sometimes I like to throw out there a little bit of perspective and perhaps you might call it humor in our times for our daily lives. People say all the time the world changes and then sometimes really nothing ever truly changes or nothing new really under the sun. Well arguments can be made for any of that but change, however you see it, is going on around us constantly. I write this post to illustrate this and perhaps bring a little education, perspective, and smile to your day.
First, a word from our sponsors. Well if we had sponsors. LOL. … (24 comments)
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How Are You Handling Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs People? - 03/24/11 11:17 AM
In my childhood days of watching Saturday morning cartoons I loved the characters developed in advertising for all those sugary breakfast cereals. One to me relates to difficult, irrational, or "crazy" people you might work with as clients or co-workers. So,
How Are You Handling Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs People?
Reasonably normal people are not persistently irrational but can have phases in their life of making no sense, acting crazy, out of bounds behavior with personal and financial stress.
Ways of coping with these crazy individuals:
Be calm. The gift of their nuttiness that they are giving to you … (12 comments)
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Losing Another Good One In Elizabeth Taylor - 03/23/11 05:57 PM
In the early morning hours movie actress Elizabeth Taylor succumbed to her weaker heart and is no longer with us. She was 79. I am sure all over the web, TV, and print media there will be all sorts of tributes and shows about her lifetime.
But for maybe the younger generation she did start with acting in her early years with a GREAT horse movie with Mickey Rooney. Along with her co-star later in life she had all these marriages and Liz was subject to much tabloid fodder with weight problems, illnesses and also the various husbands and romances. Also a big … (23 comments)
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Calling In Your Rescue Dog For Your Personal Energy Zappers - 03/23/11 12:28 PM
Imagine you are stuck on a mountain side in Switzerland and need help and you are looking for that Saint Bernard hound with that much needed drink for you. OK, flash forward to reality it is late in the day at your work place and you are too pooped to make another phone call. This time it is a floppy haired Golden Retriever with a backpack for you with all you need inside to get a boost. You are
Calling In Your Rescue Dog For Your Personal Energy Zappers.
What can you do to try and not be so worn out … (16 comments)
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Is Bigger Mostly Better? - 03/22/11 05:10 PM
So your question for the day in looking around your business and personal world,
Is Bigger Mostly Better?
Real estate companies claim to be #2 or #3 with agent count and closing in on the leader. Used to be people all wanted more square footage in homes at least till the empty nester stage with the children. You have 1,500 friends on Facebook rather than the average 169, aren't you special? The team awards at the Realtor award dinners show a group growing sales year over year over year. At what cost though sometimes? Four out of those five … (26 comments)
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Being A Day Late And Dollar Short With Real Estate Social Networking - 03/22/11 11:23 AM
With new things we can be early adopters, part of the mainstream crowd or flat out laggards, luddites and dinosaurs. So are you a
Day Late And Dollar Short With Your Real Estate Social Networking?
Some brokers say stop that blogging, get off Facebook, and don't even think of twittering.
While you don't have to do everything all in one day easing yourself into social networking whether writing blogs or creating Facebook business Fan pages you are engaging in social conversations to MEET people, to ENGAGE people where they are already at.
Many years ago I read a humorous blog post … (21 comments)
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Different Behavior Is Different WELL Because Of Path - 03/21/11 04:15 PM
In dealing with and working with people in both our work and personal lives isn't it irritating all those good qualities YOU have that they don't? Well before you get too high on your horse they are saying the same thing about you.
Different behavior than ours is just that, DIFFERENT. We don't have to criticize it or put an AT FAULT label on it. Certainly we can influence another but they have to change themselves to see that new behavior gives them a better life. We should realize that too and WORK ON OURSELVES.
But learn that the difference is … (20 comments)
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WINNING ~ A REALTOR Helps You With The X's And O's - 03/21/11 10:42 AM
Those that don't know the intricacies of mens college basketball and the current NCAA tournament field of 68, whittling it down to a Final Four and then a champion think it is just a bunch of above average height guys throwing the ball up at the hoop and wanting to get a basket. But there are DESIGNED plays, offense and defensive MOVEMENT so at CRUNCH TIME you have the best chance of winning.
WINNING ~ A REALTOR Helps You With The X's And O's
Diagramming the path to success is like writing on a mini whiteboard clipboard, your offense the O's against … (9 comments)
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Who You Associate With Says A Lot About YOU - 03/20/11 01:00 PM
Did you know, WHO you associate with says a lot about who YOU are?
This is no news to parents, who if they are good parents watch carefully the friends of their kids particularly in adolescence, cause if a son or daughter falls in with a bad crowd, well bad things tend to happen.
I think even as adults our associates, our relationships, our friends, our significant others we bump into it is somewhat a hit and miss affair. Happenstance sometimes. We hire someone as an assistant and they turn out to be a great friend. We have much in … (27 comments)
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Reinventing Your Blogging Voice - 03/19/11 12:53 PM
Reading a handful of blog posts recently about the blogging "voice" I thought I would throw my two cents in on the subject, in particular
Reinventing Your Blogging Voice.
I feel comfortable talking about this cause one I don't feel as guilty as some do about changing things and two, I have a very low worry about things as much as the rest of the world index. A blogging voice is your style, theme, or dominant thing you tend to wirte about. Some writers are controversial and deal in politics, religion and sex, others are strictly business with their real … (24 comments)
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Becoming A Star By Overcommunicating - 03/18/11 07:48 PM
In always thinking about STAR qualities in others in trying to pick and choose from what I view as EXCELLENT behaviors and incorporating them into my own life and steering clear of 'Charlie Sheen' type BAD behaviors, one thing I have seen is you can
Become A Star By Overcommunicating.
Overcommunicating is not being too long winded, or listening so actively you are being annoying, or spying on people or controlling them or NOT LEAVING THEM ALONE. It is not talking too loud or over them or WOWING them that you can connect with them 45 different ways with your … (17 comments)
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Loyal Dog With Injured Friend From Tsunami In Japan - 03/18/11 10:09 AM
If you are a kind person and a dog or pet lover, there is a YouTube clip making its rounds reminding us despite the human tragedy with the aftereffects of the Japanese earthquake, radiation hazard, and the great destruction caused by the tsunami,
there is also the lost and injured animal disaster.
This video shows deep in the instinct of one dog, tending to his injured friend, THE LOYALTY FACTOR and not abandoning him. We all should have such loyalty and dedication to our fellow humans and other living creatures on the planet.
By the way there are updates at this GlobalAnimal.org … (14 comments)
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You Can Eat A Cookie Monster Cupcake Every Day And Be Happy - 03/17/11 02:25 PM
I see on the calendar that upcoming on Sunday of this week we change seasons and move into Spring. The vernal equinox where the daylight and nightime are balanced with the hours. But from reading so many comments around on blooming flowers and can't stand the cold, I understand the "preference" for some change but reminding ourselves that the winter was not bad. Did you know,
You Can Eat A Cookie Monster Cupcake Every Day And Be Happy?
What I mean by that is live in the moment. Don't miss today. People keep wanting where the grass is greener (supposedly) and don't bloom … (24 comments)
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Giving Up Our Insanity Badge - 03/16/11 03:02 PM
I don't think any of our 204,000 members here is truly insane. Well, maybe a handful LOL. But for all of us in some part of our examined life we need to work on
Giving Up Our Insanity Badge
We have all heard the phrase, doing the same thing over and over with it not working, is INSANITY. Like these two mountain climbers in Joe Businessman suits on Mount Everest. Maybe they thought they were stylish. Where are the ropes? Where are the oxygen tanks? My God man, how about a decent parka do go over that $1,000 suit?
We do … (17 comments)
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Handling A Buyer Who Is A Commitment Phobe - 03/15/11 04:35 PM
I have spoken in the past when working with buyers who want to look at 100 homes over a ten month period, and end up not putting an offer in on ANY of them, either as professional "LOOKIE LOU's" enjoying your company or more often those with the analysis paralysis syndrome typically found in engineers and pilots and architects. ALWAYS putting the input together but not concluding anything. A variation tough long term buyer to work with we need to know about is
Handling A Buyer Who Is A Commitment Phobe.
Commitment to deciding means all other options are taken off … (41 comments)
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A Privacy Danger With Your GPS Enabled SmartPhone With Photos - 03/14/11 07:22 PM
One of my REALTOR colleagues sent out this TV newscast YouTube today about the possiblity of a dangerous situation you may not be aware of with your SmartPhone if it has GPS capability with taking photos, particularly for stalkers of your children.
Smartphones with GPS can record latitude and longitude information of the location a photo is taken and embed it in what is called an EXIF file or Exchangeable Image File Format. This information can supposedly be read on photos uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other photo sharing sites, Craigslist, social bookmarking site del.icio.us, and covers phones like iPhone, … (22 comments)
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God Can Put A Spider In Your Shoe - 03/14/11 12:38 PM
I have been reading of various afflictions within some who blog here of surprising bad turns of events in their lives, we have some indivduals in our real estate office with serious health issues, and we all have seen the devastation in Japan from the earthquake, aftershocks, the tsunamis and the radiation hazard.
Lots of trouble to go around on any given day. It made me think as I slipped my bare feet into my slippers by the door to fetch the morning newspaper outside on the front walkway that
God Can Put A Spider In Your Shoe.
Did I CHECK … (16 comments)
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Great Lifestyle Is About Good Thoughtful Design - 03/13/11 12:01 PM
Sometimes I think I ought to have been an architect. Good design whether it be in a commercial building or in residential promotes an emotional warm feeling in you.
Great Lifestyle Is About Good Thoughtful Design.
In touring houses with residential buyers we call it the WOW house when you hit on it. A clean fresh house, nice floorplan, nice amenities, very livable. In commercial buildings there is light, art mixed with the practical and open space. I have seen it with bridges where you can see the water visibly that it crosses from both sides.
On the opposite side I have … (14 comments)
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Know Who Your Good Eggs Are - 03/12/11 05:37 PM
Throughout your work and personal life
Know Who Your Good Eggs Are
These are your encouragers, supporters through thick and thin, are called true friends, and may be the significant other, some in the famly, friends, co-workers, maybe even a complete stranger you met one day that only was a stranger that first day. You are lucky in life if you have five and they are weeded out when you have adversity.
They are blessings, and I've always heard their philosophy in life with being patient with you as you grow alongside them with their love,
They Think You Are … (23 comments)
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The Road Less Traveled Is For NO BOX Thinkers - 03/11/11 07:05 PM
It was the poet Robert Frost who said, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." It made me think in our business directions and our personal lives to live them in the most "enriching way" that
The Road Less Traveled Is For No Box Thinkers.
The true luminaries amongst us go for the gusto. Not just out of box thinking exceeding our self imposed limitations but BIG DREAMS. BIG POSSIBILITIES. If we only knew our true potential I think it would scare us.
I read today of … (27 comments)
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Being An Effective Communicator Is A Work In Progress For You - 03/10/11 01:46 PM
Being An Effective Communicator Is A Work In Progress For You
Despite all our cool electronic gizmos for our clients and coworkers and loved ones the COMMUNICATION part is the part we are failing at miserably. We may be able to CONNECT technically between people with a voice call, text, email, chat instant message, Facebook comment, but it is in the WHAT we say, how we say it and how it is received and interpreted where we need a lot more polish. I even see in blog writing massive spelling mistakes in the text or even HEADLINES that people write. I … (49 comments)
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Market Price For Sellers Is Called Equilibrium - 03/09/11 02:35 PM
As Sellers go deeper and deeper with Days on Market with their home a few things happen. If they have offers, they see what the POOL of buyers is telling them about their home, low ball offers, offers where buyers want EVERYTHING and the kitchen sink, terms buyers want like Seller concessions, personal property they might want to confiscate like your prized pool table, inspections that need repairs fixed, how willing YOUR listing agent is willing to compromise on their commission, do you need fresh flowers in your flower bed, the lawn mowed, or from feedback new carpet, get rid of … (28 comments)
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Three Reasons You Are NOT Growing - 03/08/11 03:55 PM
They say in your business world and also in your personal life, you are either green and growing or brown and dying. Life DOES NOT let you stand still. No decisions are a decision and usually it means you have put your life in REVERSE. To be healthy and happy we need to GROW, to learn new things, to TRY new things, to interact with people also new people. Reading and reading blogs count so you get a check mark if you landed here today.
But,
Three Reasons You Are NOT Growing
Comfort - you are feeling good where you … (26 comments)
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Make That Leap To Reality - 03/08/11 11:19 AM
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,
.....the MLS was contained in paper books the size of telephone books, there was no Internet, home prices rose consistently every year, you could sell a house in under three months, the occupation of Stager was not invented yet, a tablet was something you took for a headache not a computing device...
The world keeps changing at a frenetic pace and rather than ONLY label ourselves an optimist with our outlook...
Make That Leap To Reality.
It is a good thing, except on TV reality shows that are anything but. … (17 comments)
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A Better Home Search With The REALTOR Goody Software - 03/07/11 06:14 PM
I never understand why buyers of homes, prospective tenants of rentals, investors, or land purchasers don't march up to the REALTOR office and sign up with a buyer's agent.
Instead MUCH research is done ON THEIR OWN on various websites, which while good is FAR from optimum. Sometimes the database of homes or properties searched on include out dated information.
A Better Home Search Is Done With The REALTOR Goody Software.
Part of that training and experience and paying your dues (literally with finances) is the keys to the GOODY MLS software and ALL its truly amazing search capability.
Basic search … (6 comments)
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Working With The Decadent Buyer - 03/07/11 10:12 AM
Whether it be rich dark chocolate, a hot racing concept car or luxury car, or that MANSION on the golf course or by the seaside, eventually you will be
Working With The Decadent Buyer.
Those that like the finer things in life. OK decadence is my fun word, perhaps opulence or affluent or well off would be a more kinder phrase.
First off if YOUR bank account is not flush with MILLIONS like perhaps theirs is, go with their mindset not yours. Yeah the guy is single and wants seven bedrooms and nine and half baths. Why? Yours not … (24 comments)
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Looking For Loyalty And Love Examples ~ Find A Dog - 03/06/11 07:41 PM
I am always looking around in the world for good role models for various things as well as bad role models so I don't have to learn all the lessons on my own.
It made me think, if you are
Looking For Loyalty And Love Examples - Find A Dog
Whether it is a Fido, a Fluffy, or your dog's name, dogs give so much of themselves with loyalty and love. And from the owner side, a dog lets us express so much kindness to them.
Feel that loyalty and love from our dogs. Then give that level to other PEOPLE in … (31 comments)
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Buzzword Bingo And The "New Normal" - 03/05/11 04:06 PM
I amuse myself in long meetings by picking three buzzwords out of my mind, playing buzzwod bingo and counting during the session how many times the speaker says them. You know, things like paradigm shift, the new reality, my bad, downsize, outsource, suck it up, reach out, too big to fail, etc. One of my recent time favorites is
The New Normal.
Where things have DEFINITELY changed. Look around. Houses on the market longer, average wages down, longer time out of work for the unemployed, higher deficits than ever, short sales commonplace, foreclosures MAYBE not perceived as BAD in your life as years ago.
Even … (30 comments)
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Make Yourself Into A Classic REALTOR - 03/05/11 10:33 AM
There are many things we admire in our world that we may consider classics, music, art, or even cars. Sometimes US being referred to as a classic we might think that is derogatory like grandpa, old timer, or not hip and with the times. But CLASSIC is very good, as it is vintage, like good wine. Coke CLASSIC came back remember? So,
Make Yourself Into A Classic REALTOR.
Two things, how to, and what does a classic person look like? Well you get there with professionalism, caring, staying on your A game, treating people as you would want to be treated, … (64 comments)
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Real Estate Agents Are Fast Food Workers In Drag - 03/04/11 12:11 PM
Did you know that
Real Estate Agents Are Fast Food Workers In Drag?
I first off don't mean to disparage agents or fast food workers with my comments, but just some observations in life to make a point and help us all to grow a little.
I have become increasingly annoyed at the amount of "double checking" of my food order at these drive thru places.
Oh you want fries with that? Guess what? Drive off. No fries. You ordered the plain hamburger. You got onions and mustard on it. They ask you at the Taco Bell. Sauce? Yes, Mild. Look … (33 comments)
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Riddle Me This ~ Find A Nine Letter Word - 03/03/11 12:51 PM
Occasionally in this blog posting business we need to drift away from business topics or talking about the market or trying to figure out how people tick and just have some fun in life. I was thinking about riddles. Not jokes, but riddles. They used to be a whole lot more popular long ago and today we might call them brain teasers. Clues given upfront and you figure out the solution to the puzzle. The Riddler character of Frank Gorshin or Jim Carrey in the Batman TV series or movie used riddles for fun. So
Riddle Me This ~ Find A Nine Letter … (19 comments)
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The Electronic Flyer, YouTubes, Messages ~ Getting The Word Out - 03/02/11 05:42 PM
In today's Internet age I don't think unless you are standing in front of a house with a flyer box, no one wants you handing them the flyer. Send them a link in an email or at a web site and guess what? They can print it out themselves. It is
The Electronic Flyer ~ Get The Word Out
But out where? How do you create this? How does it get out to all these places? Well luckily there are many services to assist you in this area.
Their main advantage to you is you don't need to be some kind … (25 comments)
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Have You Ever Been To A Redbud Festival? - 03/02/11 11:36 AM
I see some of the cool nature scenes upcoming around the country like the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. and think to myself what does our prairie like landscaping with many former cotton fields which are FLAT have to offer for a visitor to North Texas? Well in addition to our roadside blue Bluebonnets that are soon to be sprouting up everywhere (the State flower) along with other wildflowers, one tree that SCREAMS spring is here for at least a few weeks is the
REDBUD.
It has brilliant red or pink buds prior to the leaves turning green and if … (20 comments)
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A BIG Bozo No No ~ Taking Things For Granted In Life - 03/01/11 04:23 PM
I had this very weird problem growing up of first off seeing the world differently than those around me, which continues to this day, and secondly seeming to get along better with the adults in my world rather than my own age group. Oh well, I am who I am, but I liked pointing out lessons I learned and wisdom, not knowledge that I found, that could be applied universally to all ages. This annoyed many I told it to cause they would say like "Duh" I am stating the obvious. But in terms of people living their lives it totally … (22 comments)
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