I did what I had been told I shouldn't have done:  I took 4 months off from working.  No prospecting, no follow-up, no lead generation, phone calls, emails, open houses, appointments.  Nothing.  I spent the time at home with my family, and giving myself a long and much needed break from the stress I had allowed to enter into my life.  I had been hovering on the edge of clinical depression, and hadn't had an honest good laugh in months.  But I was also lucky, and smart.  I had a busy summer, and everything closed smoothly around the beginning of September.  I set up a budget and knew that if I was careful, I would have enough money to get us through for 22 weeks (I made it 17 weeks, probably because I overspent on Christmas).

Was is worth it?  Absolutely!  My kids grades skyrocketed, my husband is more relaxed, the puppies were housebroken, my laundry was caught up and I learned that I should've asked for help when mixing cement.  I got through holiday shopping, wrapping and baking without feeling any pressure (for the first time since I was a child!).

More importantly though, I woke up on January 4th and thought, "I'm ready to go back to work."  That is a very telling thing for me, because I had been debating getting out of the real estate business.  I spent weeks trying to figure out what else I could do, and what else did I even want to do?  With no good answers coming to me, my mind kept going over the possibilities.  The ever changing schedule and inconsistent paychecks had taken a huge toll on me mentally and physically, and until that moment in time I didn't want to work at all.  I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide.  But life moves forward, and I live in a two paycheck household, so I knew I had to do something to earn a living - especially considering my husband's career in the auto industry.

It might sound funny, but one of the things that has motivated me to get my real estate career back into full swing again was my broker's decision to sell the company just before New Year's.  Our new company, Hunt Real Estate, has some excellent systems in place that I truly believe will help my business grow, and help me serve my clients better than ever before.  But this isn't about Hunt, it's about how I found myself again and started becoming the person I used to be.  Happier, relaxed, motivated.

In the face of tight finances and a lukewarm real estate market, I'm more excited than ever to be back to work in real estate.  Here I am, days after deciding to get going again, and I'm putting together my first deal after months off.  I realize that without making the decision to take the time off, and working to make it happen, I wouldn't have been any good at any job.  But with some serious downtime and inflection, I also realize how much I love this job.

Just helping out a couple of fellow 'rainers.  Hey, the good guys stick together right?

Yes, now.  You hear about how it's a buyers' market, sales are down, prices are sliding... so why is now a great time to sell?

Stop and think about what the market was like when you bought your house, and how much equity have you gained over the years.  Is most of your (assumed) equity because the market has made such gigantic gains in the past five years or so?  Did you buy your house in a buyers' market?

If you did (buy in a buyers' market), you're in an excellent position to sell in a buyers' market.  Not only are you in a position to still turn a profit, but most likely you can undercut all of your competition.  Think about this - you really want to make $80,000 profit, which would price you right along with the three houses for sale up the street and around the corner.  You could list at the same price, or a couple thousand dollars lower... and sell in three months, just the same as the neighbors.  Or, you could price aggressively, say $7000 - 10,000 cheaper, and sell in a couple of weeks.  How much would it cost you to keep your property on the market for an additional 2 - 3 months?  It's an old but familiar story that the longer a house is listed for sale, the less money you are likely to realize from it.  Factor in any price reductions taken over time, additional cost of upkeep on the property, and potential time lost from work to accommodate showings (hey, you've got to clean and turn on lights before buyers get there, right?), chances are that it will add up to pretty close to your initial price differential.

If your current house sells now, then it also strengthens your position as a buyer.  First, at allows you to write an offer contingent on successful transfer of title, as opposed to contingent on the sale of a house (no "recall notice" to worry about).  Second, you're buying in a buyers' market, you can be a little picky about your purchase, instead of feeling like you should put an offer in because the property is availalable and generally meets all your criteria (the old feelings of we'd better take what we can get or there will be nothing to get).

Even if you bought your house in a sellers' market, now can still be a great time to sell, if you price aggressively.  The trick is finding a balance point between what you need to clear and what's a reasonable price.  Mix in some inventive marketing, push your internet presence - heck, those help regardless of when you bought your current house - and you can sell.

The advice here isn't that you should automatically cut your profit.  It's that you should understand how the real estate market is fluid.  It epitomizes classic free market models:  supply and demand determine the price.  It's a little tough to sell surf boards here in Syracuse, NY.  But if you were to advertise on self-booking travel websites and in local travel agencies, and additionally offer 15% off to anyone with plane tickets to Hawaii, you're going to sell some surf boards.

Remember, this is a buyers' market - more houses for sale than buyers to buy.  It is not a dead market.  Houses are still selling because buyers are still buying.

Excellent owner occupied or investment property located in Syracuse's near east side.  Bruce St. is a residential neighborhood convenient to shopping, highways, LeMoyne College, Syracuse University, and downtown with access to Centro buses at the intersections of Salt Springs Road and East Fayette.

  This 1949 colonial - bungalow has over 1200 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths.  The lost size is 66x115 with a blacktop driveway and detached 1 car garage.

Inside you'll find a charming built in china cabinet in the formal dining room  

Wood burning fireplace in the living room

and hardwood floors in most rooms.  The second floor full bathroom has been gutted and remodeled, and the home has new vinyl windows.

Call or email Your Blue Jean Agent Sharon Wager or Paul Rolince with any questions.  Sharon can be reached at 315/488-2926 x 205 or swager@prudentialfirstproperties.com.  Paul can be reached at 315/488-2926 x 236 or prolince@prudentialfirstproperties.com.

 Check out Sharon's blog at www.yourbluejeanagent.activerain.com

Today's Syracuse Post-Standard has a front page article titled "Sellers in CNY feel a shiver".  I'm not providing a link to the article because of what it contains:  the address to a house currently listed for sale and disclosure that A) the house is vacant, and B) that the sellers (credited to the listing agent as apparently told to the reported) would consider a low-ball offer.

The article by-line "Tour of open houses across Onondaga County shows sales are slowing down" doesn't seem to be supported by the article as it has been presented in print, but truly that is not the issue I have.  I do however have to wonder what several people collectively were thinking in conjunction to the article as it stands. 

First, if the listing agent is supposed to be working in the best interest of the sellers, even given that the higher end market in the area is selling more slowly than we'd like, what would motivate that agent to announce that the sellers would consider a low-ball offer?  Are the sellers in agreement with this very public disclosure?  Additionally, why would the listing agent disclose that the sellers have already left the area?  Safety issues aside, both bits of information could be construed as pertinent to the sale of the property and could potentially be used against the sellers when negotiating.  Couldn't this be seen as an ethics violation? 

Factoring safety issues is another ball game altogether.  From the reporter's perspective, it is easily argued that she is simply reporting what was stated to her, and the editor is supporting the reporter's story be allowing it to be printed without editing.  However there should be some debate whether or not the property occupancy status should have been disclosed.  From a Realtor's perspective, we need to always be on our guard for unusual situations and be aware of taking steps for personal safety.  We run the risk of potential problems because of the nature of our business.  Meeting strangers in vacant houses on a regular basis is risky business, and we do it alarmingly often.  Let it be said though that agents worth their salt know to not disclose occupancy status to a customer.  This small step has been taken away from us in this instance.

From my own personal experience, I have had open houses where no one shows up and some where there are so many people you'd think it was a graduation party.  I had an open house yesterday in a house that is buried so deep in suburbia that it would be easier to give directions to the north pole than it was to give directions to this house.  Yet I still had 6 parties come through, and only one currently lives in the neighborhood.  That's a good open house in any market.  Although, I will concede that it was just one of an untold number of open houses in the area yesterday.

The headline and by-line of the article gives pause to local real estate agents who have been battling the negative press in regard to the general market conditions nationwide.  Our market here has sustained well while other areas have been drowning in a cesspool of lost values.  The idea that we would be able to stay above such losses forever would be folly.  A very good friend of mine, and real estate addict, posed the possibility to me of such headlines becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you're told enough times the sky is falling, wouldn't you tend to start believing it?

I've been told that I am oddity when it comes to birthdays.  I hate celebrating my birthday.  I always have.  I don't mind celebrating someone else's birthday, just mine.  I also hate telling anyone how old I am, and will avoid a direct answer at all costs.

However, I am trying to come to terms with turning a year older... (eeks! I've even admitted to three different people what my real age is!) and I have to wonder if some of my friends and family are planning something as a surprise.  Good God I hope not.  My birthday is still a few weeks away, and the birthday panic has started to really set in.  I don't want anyone to do anything for my birthday!

I can give a list of less than stellar occurrences that have happened on my birthday that generally make everyone understand why I don't like celebrating my birthday (like, burying my father).  But the real reason is that I just don't like to.  People always expect for me to explain why, and I don't like giving depressing answers, so I've decided to try a different approach.  It's called sarcasm.  Why 13 reasons?  Because it's considered an unlucky number, and my birthday has never been lucky day for me.

I don't like celebrating my birthday because:

1) It means I have to say "thank you" over and over again all day long.

2) I would have to smile.  I hate smiling.  That's why I never do it.

3) Someone would give me a gift, and I would have to write a thank you card.  And mail it.

4) If I went out to dinner the waiters and waitresses would sing an embarrassing birthday song.

5) If I went out to dinner they might give me my meal for free.

6) My kids would want pie, and I would have to be the one to make it.

7) It would give me a reason to eat a whole pan of brownies.

8) People would call me and blow my cell phone minutes.

9) I would be expected to take the day off.

10) My husband might give me flowers, which he only does when things are really, really bad.

11) I would have to come up with new ways how to answer, "So how old are you?"

12) My kids would give me gifts and I would have to take them shopping and pay for them.

13) Someone would tell me I look young for my age

To the two people on AR that I volunteered my age to (what was I thinking?!), if you even remember, I'll pay good money for your silence.  In the meantime, a very merry un-birthday to everyone else!

That is singularly the easiest and most difficult question to answer.  But what about market conditions / holidays / winter approaching?  You can't answer the primary question with those questions.  So when is the right time to list your house for sale?

The easy answer is when you're ready.  But don't give up yet.  Market conditions, holidays and seasons can affect your timing in some cases, but it still depends on when you're ready.

The difficult part is knowing when you're ready.  There are so many different factors to take into consideration.  The single biggest to consider has got to be your motivation.  What motivates you to consider selling?  Some motivators seem as though they are out of your control, such as a job relocation.  In essence, you always have a choice:  move with the job, or find a new job and stay put.  In a more realistic view, however, that choice doesn't always hold water.  The same is also true if you're unable to make your mortgage payments.  If you try to stay, are you going to end up in foreclosure?

Once you acknowledge and understand your motivation, you need to establish a time frame that works reasonably well, and has flexibility to it.  Real estate transactions don't follow a set time frame, and you need to be prepared mentally for such situations as selling too quickly, or not quick enough, or problems resulting from home inspections and appraisals. 

For many people, the main motivation isn't a need, but a want.  They want more bedrooms, a bigger yard, less maintenance, less house to clean, a better school district.  It's a little more difficult to pin down a time frame because your motivation isn't based on necessity.  It's not uncommon to hear this type of potential seller say, "I'm not going to sell my house unless I find the right one to move into."

Hold it, right there for a minute.  The next question to ask yourself as a potential seller is, "Am I in the position to be able to buy the next house without selling this one first?"  If you can, then great!  Move forward to the free parking square and take a breather.  If not, whoa!  Back up.  If you can't buy without selling, and you're not going to sell unless you've purchased... aren't you in a pickle?  How are you going to buy, if you can't buy without selling first?  Kind of like putting the cart before the horse isn't it?  Plain and simple, if you must sell, then you must list first.  Otherwise you're not gong to be able to submit a solid, reasonable purchase offer.  Sure, you can put one together, and run the risk of being bumped by another buyer.  But that assumes that the seller accepts your contingent offer, which many will not.  Sellers want their house sold, not "kind of sold".  As a seller, would you stop all marketing efforts and tell everyone, "Yes, our house is sold if the buyer can sell his house first?"

Now let's back up to our potential buyer sitting parked.  Are you sure you're in a position to buy without selling?  There's one simple step you can take to reassure yourself.  Call a qualified mortgage rep and make sure.  Let them pull your credit, give him or her your financial information, and let them tell you yeah or nay.  In fact, all potential buyers should complete this step before going to look at houses.  Why?  1)  What if you find out that you don't qualify for a mortgage at all?  2)  What if you're out looking at $300,000 houses and find out later you only qualify for $200,000?  You'll hate everything in your new lower price range.  3)  Why would you want to make sellers rearrange their schedule to accommodate your showing when you don't even know if you can buy the house?  What if your showing cost them an extra $20 for daycare and $10 in gas while they drive around for an hour with the dogs, or they spent two hours super-cleaning, when they should have been in bed because of the flu?  Don't think they should just deal with it because their house is for sale, it's just thoughtless and rude, and I'm sure you would appreciate the same consideration when your house is listed for sale.

Some time has passed, you understand your motivation, have a basic time frame in mind.  Now you need to find out how your time frame works with the current market conditions, including holidays and changing seasons.  This is when the knowledge and experience of a Realtor is going to come in handy.  And, while it may not seem like it, it is one big part of the commission you pay the broker. 

"What???" you say.  "But they can answer that in under five minutes!"  Yes, but how many years did it take them to garner the experience to know the market and its fluidity?  You want a straight up honest honor from agents, and his or her expertise can save you time and money, and that's part of what you pay for.  You might think that seasonal waterfront property won't sell when there's a foot of snow on the ground.  Well, here in central New York I can tell you honestly that yes it will!  Why?  Because the new owner wants to be able to use it as soon as spring arrives, not two weeks before it has to be closed up for the winter. 

What I'm saying is that the answers a Realtor gives you may very well surprise you, and have you rethinking your time frame.  This is going to hold particularly true with sellers that don't have a lot of time to work with.  If you must sell quickly, you're going to need an aggressive and experienced agent to get the word out about your property, be able to work any offers that come in to your advantage, and have the ability to keep an accepted contract together.

Don't think that holidays, slow market conditions, or poor weather should stop you from listing your home for sale.  Holidays and a slow market might mean that it takes a little while longer, but not necessarily.  Price and location can help or hinder your time frame, regardless of holidays and market conditions.

So when is the right time to list your house for sale?  Only you can really answer that, but don't forget to take in the advice of a local Realtor because you may be surprised at the answer.

The Bodacious Broads began as the collective brainchild of a group of woman who became friends here on AR.  We are open, friendly, encouraging, supportive, loving, loud, obnoxious,  and often raunchy group.  We don't really have a founder so much as we have mothers who gave birth to an idea.  One of our primary goals is to stay in touch with each other.

We are first and foremost a social group, and blogs should be of a social nature.  To that end, we will have several running blog posts.  Fridays will mark the changing hostess (or host) of the primary running blog, Flying Free Fridays (also known as Pantie Free Fridays).

Be forewarned that by joining this group you will be subjecting yourself to close and intense friendships, along with a fair amount of laughter, profanity, innuendos, and pictures of a questionable nature (i.e., a reflection of our lives).  There will be some tears along the way, but I can assure you they will be tears of laughter more than anything else.

Don't be afraid to join in on the fun!  If you're new to our style of blogging conversations, it may take a few days for you to get catch on where we're at.  But you'll get it, and hopefully make some new friends along the way!

In honor of Nancy's birthday, and her blog Sex and the 60 yr Old, we are having a say it with pictures night.  This is also because I saw that Leesa changed her photo, I changed my photo, and we all want to see pictures of Greg's new 'do, or is that without a 'do?

Try to keep your pics down in size, or some people will have problems downloading it.

In 1948, cars looked like , phones looked like ,

but what did Nancy look like? 

Have at it everybody, and let's have a good hump day party!

My 13 year old daughter just announced that she knows how to make millions.  Solar powered motorcycles.  Wind powered cars.  Lawn mowers that run on grass.  And she doesn't want me to post this on the internet in case someone steals her ideas and makes money from it before she gets a chance to.  So this is a formal announcement that the ideas are hers.  She already has a name for "it" (whatever "it" is), but won't tell me because it's stupid.  Personally I think she just doesn't want it posted on the internet, in case someone steals that from her too.

Which has drawn the attention of my 8 year old, who truly believes that wind powered cars already exist...  Of course, he also believes that my 16 year old reads.  Books.  Which has drawn the attention of said 16 year old, because he wants to know who we are making fun of (him, of course).

I've been declared EVIL, and even my 12 year old is closely watching the monitor as I type.  The 16 year old is bored and wants to know if I have any heroin (his idea of a fun time/joke).  And he's trying to make my 12 year believe that he dreams up ways to kill people.

You have to understand, he has a very dry, warped sense of humor.  Last week we needed to go to the social security office to get him a new card.  As we were leaving, the girls were just arriving home.  After telling them that we were going downtown and would be back in a while, 13 year old asks where are we going.  I said, "The Federal Building."  When the 12 year old asked why, the 16 year old's response was, "I have a hearing."  Why???  Because he'd been arrested in school for drugs.  The only problem is that the 12 year believed it!!!!

Going to the federal building was an experience in it's own class.  We stopped to go through security, and when the guard asked me if I was carrying any metal objects, my son points out the chains and hooks on his pants...  I set off that stupid metal detector over and over again because of a belt buckle.  16 year old walks through and they just wand him down and let him go!  Hmm... I'm an adult, clean, in a suit, acting respectably and responsibly.  He's in all black, tee-shirt, hoodie (with the hood up), pants with chains that are about 3 sizes too big around - plenty of room for an automatic machine gun or two, and they let him through???  And all he can say is, "I can hardly wait to tell Eric that I set off the alarms in the federal building."

We've come a long way from the days when I was so proud to hear them say "mommy" or "daddy".  The first words my 12 year old ever spoke were, "may I have more spaghetti please?"  That should have been a tip off to me that I was going to be in for it.  Now I'm wondering why I taught them to speak at all!