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Making a choice and having to go inactive.

Today is my last day of being an "active" realtor here in Sioux City. I do not want to discourage anyone from this profession. But I do pledge to inform others of the positive and negatives of choosing this as a profession. I would not recommend this career path to someone that is a single parent. Unless you are well prepared to go months of spending money before you make any. Even though I had 6 months of money saved to give this 110% it still was not enough. Before the 6 months I did this part time with another job that I did about 30 hours a week. I will be keeping myself current on my continuing education. There are great people in this profession. I am still going to keep up with AR. Now I just need to find a regular paying job. :)

August 3, 2009

Thanks again to everyone.

Here are some more thought on this.

My stats are close. There is 1 Realtor for every 298 people, (this isn't households) here in the Sioux City. If you take the surrounding area the stats do change. I do know, that not everyone with a license is active at this 100% but it is an interesting statistic.

Another thing for Newbies. It is tough if you are fairly new to an area because you are competing against those that have lived their whole life in the area. This was another big obstacle. If I were to do this over again as a single parent? I would make sure I had $ to support myself for at least 6 months, a year would be better. Sioux City (personal feelings) lacks good paying part time jobs. This could be the way to go if you can work part time with a good hourly wage and tackle RE the rest of the time. Another thing is I would do it back home were I have loads of contacts. We all know this makes a good foundation for farming. I was very aggressive when it came to marketing myself because I greatly lacked personal/business contacts. I used everything I could think of.

Good Luck to all and thanks again for the comments. AR is loaded with great people.

Posted by Michele Ott on 07/31/2009 12:18 PM

Comments (92)

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92 Comments on Making a choice and having to go inactive.

JUL

I'm sorry to see you go! Also sorry that you were unable to make it work financially. This gives us lots of freedom, but it takes nerves of steel to depend on it alone, and there is certainly an element of luck! Hope you find something fun to do for a living! We will always welcome you back if things change!!

Good luck with your future.

Karen

Good luck. It's hard with little ones without a reliable in-house source for child care.

Too bad you're not in my area. We have more business than we can handle and I provide the buyer referrals for our agents.

In fact, I'm looking for agents.

Michele - It's not the end. Perhaps you can come back to this when things are better. For 4.5 years, I did real estate part time to build my reserves so I know it can be done. Best of luck to you.

Sorry to see you go. The market really is local and some markets are better than others. It always is good to have a partner with a regular income to even out the highs and lows.

Michele, all the best to you. I couldn't have even done this job married when our children were small. You are making the right decision for your family and when the time is right, you'll be back! It gets into your blood :)

Sharon

Michelle, I am so sorry. I know it's a hard choice for you but you have to take care of your family first. I had a part-time job for the first year, and that was 16 years ago. Even now, one should always have six months saved because you never know in this economy what's going to happen. BEST of luck to you and your family.

Hi Michele. It can be very difficult for single parents so props to you for giving it a try. I hope you return when things get better.

Good luck and hang in there. It will get better.

Best of luck in whever life takes you job wise. This career is definitely not for everyone and the sacrafices that it requires are sometimes hard to justify.

Family is 1000 times more important, I am glad to see you putting that ahead of work.

You should stay "active" so you can receive referral fees for any buyers or sellers who contact you from the efforts you've already done.

I don't know how it works in your state but you might find a referral company that will allow you to place your license with them and you will not have all of the fees associated with being a "REALTOR". Just an idea for any referral business you might have.

Sorry to hear that you are leaving Real Estate. I wish you much success as you begin your new journey.

Michele, I hope all goes well for you - there's more to life than real estate. I hope you find a job that makes sense for your needs and family. God bless!!

All the best..

Michele~ We are sorry to see you leave real estate, but sometimes you have to make those difficult business decisions. Hopefully we will be seeing you in the rain anyway.

Good luck Michelle !

Most Realtors have multiple streams of income. Rental properties, part time jobs, a roommate.

It must be hard to do this alone.

Michele, there is a strategy to going INACTIVE and that would be to keep your skills up and when the market comes back you can plunge back in. Good luck to you in ALL areas. Iowa may be more hard hit than other areas of the country too.

You will look back on this and see it as just another life experience. Feel Better!

Michele: Sorry to hear this! It took me about two years here to turn a profit. It's a frustrating profession when things don't pan out. You will come back and stronger than ever!!

Best of luck to you! This can be a very tough business to break into and start to turn a profit. Good advice was given about the possibility of finding a broker to "park" your license with that does not have fees involved so that you can at least earn money through referalls.

Michelle, I feel your pain but if at all possible see if you can be a full time agent and work the other job part time to have some guaranteed income. Chances are one or two sales will pay you more than a year at the other job. Sometimes a good strategy is to be a hybrid agent and work rentals when sales are slow, they pay much quicker although not as much than sales

Good luck

It is such a challenging time right now; I feel your pain; keeping up with your CE is a good option; when the market picks back up maybe you can go active again. Good luck.

Michele, You need to do what is best for you and your family. I agree, it's very hard as I am also a single parent. I am new to this business. I lost my job 2 years ago and thought I give real estate a try. I love it but it's hard to keep a consistent income. So I fully understand where you are coming from. I do think you should keep your license active you never know when the market is going to pick up. Wish you well! Kate

You are one of many agents that are looking for stability. Real estate is anything but stable. There is a reason why "feast or famine" is the mantra.

I wish you good luck!

Michelle,

Real estate is definitely a tougher career choice than a lot of people think and very time consuming. I know that if I calculated how much I made per hour it probably wouldn't be that much. I'm also a single parent. I started in the business when my son was a year and half and my daughter was about 9. It has given me the flexibility to be with my children more and earn more than a 9 to 5 job. There are times where I have to take them to showings with me and I will have them help me by putting stamps on post cards, etc. Have you looked into working as a real estate agent assistant? That way you can learn what makes other agents successful. Also, I have known many agents who found that "sales" isn't for them and they turned to property management. All the best to you and lots of Aloha,

Michelle:

Sorry to see you go. You picked the absolute worst time to try to start this as a full-time career. Times will get better and perhaps you can attempt this again when everything shakes out. Find a good referral company and place your license there. Good luck in whatever you do.

Michelle -- I spend most of my day working with agents all over the country..and I can tell you that you are not alone. I recently lost one of my agents I have worked with for the better part of 3 years. This market is hard...this business is hard. And, this economic situation is making it harder. I wish you all the best in your new ventures!! And, if I can do anything for you, please do not hesitate to ask!!

God Bless!

Michelle, I too am a single person; I certainly understand the uncertainty and stress. I did like the idea Casey gave you about trying to be hired as a real estate assistant. It would keep you in the business and you would earn a predictable income and maybe a bonus!

Best of luck to you.

Hmmm...tough decision. There are pros and cons to working for yourself and having a regular pay check. I don't blame you one bit. It is a tough profession. So many people in the general public look at the closing statements and just think we get away with highway robbery. Good luck.

Michelle - I hope to see you back active sometime again soon. Times are tough, and you have to do what's best for you. Best of luck!

Michelle~ I am so sorry that you have to make the decision at this time. But, know that having small children is the most important thing!

That being said, you ,might consider taking your love and talent of real estate and become a real estate virtual assistant. If you are of the entrepreneurial spirit, and could work from home, you might be able to set up a nice business for yourself based on your re connections. The industry is growing, and can always use good talent!

Michelle: Since you do not have a job yet. . .why don't you do the following steps while you are looking for one.

#1 Remain Active

#2 Call your friends and your family and be honest with them. . message: I need your support, I want you to know. . please please tell me, you must know someone that is in need of real estate services. .I promise that I will work my tail off and make you look good.. . don't take a BS answer like, I don't know anyone right now. . TELL them . .I have to eat you know. . if I can depend on my family and friends to help me on my business. . who can I depend on?. . you get the point. Make them feel guilty. . that's my point.

#3 Saturday. . print a one page brochure about yourself, print a one page flier of the last two houses that JUST SOLD in the neighborhood , your business cards and this Saturday go and walk for 4 hours. . knock on doors and talk to everyone.

Hi: My name is Michelle, I just want you to know about these homes that just sold in this neighborhood and I really feel it affected every ones value for the neighborhood. Were you aware of how much the values of home have dropped in the last few months?. . get rapport. . given them you card. .and ask them, would you like a free home analysis of your home's value? There are options. .short sale maybe?

and don;t do them. .refer them out to the Realtor that is selling the most short sales in your area.

#4 Go to the MLS and find the HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOOD in your area. .where houses are selling the most. .

find an active listing and BEG the listing agent to allow you to do an open house next Sunday.

Any listing agent with common sense will agree to that. . and then prepare for the open house like you prepare for your daughter's wedding. .Friday Eve. put open house signs all over. . borrow them if you have too. .put at least 25 sign pointing to the house. . . The Saturday before, knock all the doors around the house and invite them over to come and check your open house. Go to the Dollar General Store and buy candy and balloons and prepare a pitcher of kool aid for the kids if you have too.

The important thing is to set a BUYER TRAP. .have information about the house and ALL the actives in the surrounding areas and just say. . .I have it here now, I can show you any of these properties right now. . if you are ready to purchase, I'm ready for your today. This is convenient . .and an opportunity to let your personality shine and allow them to like you.

DON'T COMMIT THE MORTAL SIN. .and let them see you hungry.

Repeat to yourself. . I deserve this and these people are lucky to find me. .

and remember. .

I use this on all my emails. .it is something I wrote for myself and guides me everyday.

"Don't pray for a miracle. . expect it! "

That is my attitude every day. .

I wish you the best Michelle

I am sorry you could not make it as well. I have been doing this for 12 years now and sometimes it has been difficult. The last 2 years I have had to learn to do things very differently then I did before. I have had lots of sales during this time, but did not actually make any money because I sepnt too much/

Michelle - so sorry to hear you are going in active. But I want to wish you the best with your future endeavors and look forward to having you back!

Hi Michelle...As Casey suggested and Marie seconded, perhaps you can find work as a real estate assistant. You may not find one agent that can employ you full time but you may be able to find 2 or 3 or even more that need help. Try rounding up five agents that need you one day a week. That might be the answer for you.

And yes, be sure to see if you can do referrals.

Please let us know what comes next for you.

Take care and good luck,

Kate

Michelle sorry to read your blog, I only wish you all the luck in the world YES in some instances after those days or when is going to close.... I can understand all you stated.

Sorry to see you go, Michelle. This is a difficult job for most of us, let alone someone without a supportive spouse or partner to help juggle the kids.

Hi Michelle: Sorry to see that your efforts were un-rewarding. The past two years have been tough on our business and a lot of part tiers looking for some easy money have dropped out of sight. Unfortunately, there are a lot of full time, hard working agents that are also struggling. Hopefully you will find a way to get back into the game down the road.

Michelle, I am going to buck the trend of comments. This business may or may not be right for you either now or in the future. That is a call from your gut. What I am going to say is not to be mean, but is to show you the possibilities of being in the same situation. I havean agent that had her baby late last year....and still had a good year last year. This year she has made over $60k NET to date. That may not be the greatest in the world but to end up a year in 6 figures in this market after having a child is amazing. She and another of my agents take their kids with them most of the time. Most would think that would kill their business, but it had an opposite affect. People empathized with them. My next agent up from her at $68k net (that is net of all expenses), has 2 children under 5.

Is it a challenge of all challenges? Sure. If you do like real estate, I would keep heavily involved in cultivating your sphere so when you do come back, the transition will be smooth.

Sorry for the tough love comments, but the outside world puts boxes around us that makes us think certain situation are not possible or realistic. I can not empathize with you being a male. I can just throw out comments from the real world. Go with your heart. It is totally OK not to like a business, if that may be the case.

All the best to you........

I HOPE ALL GOES WELL FOR YOU AND I WISH YOU THE BEST!

Michelle....keep your face out there. You never know where the winds will take you. All the best to you and all you do in Sioux City.

Michelle, good luck to you. It's never an easy decision to walk away from something you had your heart set on, but you do have to make a living for your family. It took me 6 months to get in the black and my wife thought I was crazy, as my nest egg started to dwindle. You have some great advice in all the comments above. Never forget what a great place AR is for support and I hope you stay active here!

What a timely post. So many are wrestling with this very same choice, and many of our friends and comrades have already made the same move.

It's always a very personal decision, whether to stay in or get out. No one else can really know all that goes into such a decision, Michelle. Just know that you are in good company. Take a break if you need to. You'll be missed, but we'll see you when you get back.

Each one of us has to make the decisions that are right for us and no one else can do that for us. Good luck and hope it works out exactly like you want it to.

Good luck with everything, but keep us informed about what is going in your life. I agree with Fernado but you have to do what is best. Get those referrals no matter where you wind up you can do that.

I think those decisions are tough to make. If you are anything like me, "quitting" doesn't come easy. I am sure your experiences as a realtor will benefit the next chapter of your life. Best of luck!

good luck to you. I can only imagine how hard this job would be for a single parent. 11:45 and i just got home (and it's friday). kudos to you for making an effort. perhaps right now is just not the right time but everything happens for a reason

AUG

Good Luck Michelle...I feel your pain. I too have been on the fence on whether I should try and find employment in Corporate America, the more I thought about it, Corporate America is also feeling the crunch of the market right now. I know you are aware of the unemployment rate. I agree with my fellow AR's try to stay in the business even if it's just part time. Find a small firm that doesn't charge the major fees to place your license there....just a suggestion. I know you have to do what is best for you and your family.

Hi Michelle, sorry to see you go. Maybe you can come back later when the market is better in your location. Best of luck!!

Michelle, at the very least you have leanred a lot, interacted with dozens of folks, and have a clear idea of what does and does not work for you. All valuable tools for your next job or your return to the market, whichever works for you.

The best of luck,

Michael

Michelle: I am so sorry to hear this. It sounds like you gave real estate your "all"... and to have your dream of helping others find their own dream home not become a reality for you... is indeed sad. I wish you the absolute best, Michelle. You and your family will be in my thoughts. Take care... gentle huggs...

By the way... if you need to correspond, or just have someone to listen or bounce things off of... I am a great listener. Again... take care.

Good luck, Michelle.

I have been working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week to make this go, with success. I often think if it could be possible if I had children and their schedules in tow. Very Hard.

The nice thing about this business is its flexibility, and options open to all. There are so many directions to take this job, with such diversity. Good luck! No job that has good pay potential is easy. I believe you always get what you work for..... All great suggestions above.

Good luck!

I had a tough week and year. I have really put a lot of effort into this area with a constant flow of interested buyers. Getting buyers and sellers on the same page has been a challenge. I can understand your frustration. I wish you luck in whatever you do! Much joy!

Michelle - There are a lot of areas in the same boat you are in. There are a lot of Agents also in the same boat. I was there in May myself. I know it may be hard to see right now but you will feel empowered knowing you took control of your life, your market and real estate rather than it taking control of you. The market cannot stay this way forever and we hope to see you back. I truly understand how you feel. Although I snagged my license from going inactive to listing with a referral company there are not much in the way of referrals going on either and I found myself working triple the amount taking time away from my children. I was in Crossville TN and my family and I also made a decision to move back home to Florida. At least here I have the support of family and friends but this area is no better.

I wish you much luck and success.

So sorry to hear that you have decided to leave the profession, I know the market is tough there right now. I also am a single parent with three kids and I do have to agree that it is hard to work real estate when you have only one income to rely on. Don't give up though as many have said there are other avenues, such as an assistant that give you more experience and increase your SOI while giving you a better paycheck. Good luck and don't ever give up on your dreams, you skills are valuable as JT mentioned.

Michele, It is very hard to be a single mom and be in business for yourself. I envy those in the business who have a salaried spouse, but although I'm not a single mom, both my husband and I are in the real estate business. I didn't earn a dime the first year, I was in the business, and the second year, I earned money, but not enough to cover expenses. It wasn't until my third year that I even broke even. I wish that more emphasis was placed on the economics involved in this business BEFORE agents get their licenses. We are in business for ourselves and it's a high risk business proposition. Good luck to you and I hope you find a job that you will find rewarding financially and emotionally.

I teach real estate licensing classes and I always tell students up front just how hard this business is and how they won't make money quickly.

This is truly a challenging career especially for the first 2 to 3 years. Like many of the responses said, this may not be the end for you, just a set back. It may be a time to reflect and regroup for a better start again down the road. No great career choice is ever easy. Good luck.

Best of luck to you and your family. It won't always be like this as some experienced agents have told me. Come back when things get better.

As a single man with no children, I have always admired those women who are single parents in this job. Talk about and extra weight, and a potential source of guilt about not spending enough time with your kids. Have you thought about being someones assistant? I have a team with our own server system, and i have a licensed assitant that works out of her home. She can access all data, check the calender of events and tasks, and do the work. Maybe that could work for you, but good luck to you and your family whatever you do.

Around my area, agents who need the steady, move into working for the closing companies, or front processors for the lenders, the good ones also work as the sec to the high producers, if you keep your lisc. current you can do a lot of things. good luck cheryl

I know that I couldn't do this job without the help of my parents, my husband, his parents, and the on-call babysitting available whenever I need it. I had a great 8:30 to 4:30 job before entering real estate, but I am glad that I left it. I think the idea of being someones assistant is pretty good though. Being licensed, you can do the things some assistants can't and still get some normal hours. Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

Many brokerages charge high fees of their agents but if you look around, you'll find one where there are little or no fees. Put your license there (keeping it active, even though you aren't persuing the career) and refer people to good agents whom you know, like and trust. (I'm sure you have met good and bad ones by now.) That will help pay for your ongoing continuing ed....

Best of luck to you!

I know first hand what challenges are in store for single moms entering their real estate business. When I started 10 yrs ago, I was in the midst of a divorce, unemployed, two kids to feed, and desperate to make this business work for me. I had a newly minted college diploma and no real job prospects. So I dug my feet in, took a part time job, adopted a "Did it my way" attitude and low and behold after 3 yrs in real estate I was one of the top producers for the county. So do not despair, take the advice of some of the "rainers" and figure out a way to stay in the business and you WILL be rewarded for it. There is no other business that will have as many long term benefits as real estate. Stick with it Sis...

Thanks to everyone for thei comments. Michele

I thank God every day for having a wife who is supportive (and supporting) me during these lean times. If it weren't for her I...well I can continue working as a Realtor. Best of luck to you.

Good Luck to you. RE makes me happy. :-) I cannot imagine having to make this decision. It must have been so hard. Take care and I hope you get to come back some day.

I wish you well. I know this was a very difficult decision. You can take heart in knowing you are cared for and supported. Just look at all these comments!

Why not continue on a part time basis. Get your new job and still do this. It's not like it's that busy anyway. Get a partner to handle things when you can't. Don't feel beat. Regroup.

I'm also sorry to see you make this decision, but I agree with lots of the comments made with "tough love". I wish I'd had you in my area where I could have helped train you, held your hand, encouraged you and then you could decide. I am the first to say you have your priorities right. You have to put family first.

However, were you doing the things one person suggested? Were you honestly working and ASKING for the business? Lots of agents complain about the expense of getting their name out there. It is NOT expensive to use free email newsletters which you can personalize. Yes, it takes time, but those kids go to bed at some time - hopefully fairly early.

If I can do anything to help, let me know. I'm like the others on here ... we all care about each other and this profession. I think the idea of being an assistant is excellent. Keeps you in the business, probably with some flexibility a "real job" won't give you, and I paid bonuses to my assistants when I had them.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

Joanie

I liked the agent above idea about putting your lic. at a broker who did not charge fees so you could keep it active. Being able to refer someone to a good agent you know, could earn you a nice little referral fee once in a while. You might also consider looking around to see if there are any top agents in town who would be interested in hiring an assistant. Sometimes these are hourly pay with the ability to earn a commission on top once in a while. This might be more like a real job. Good luck.

Good luck, Michele. I had to make a similar decision last year, when my brokerage closed and I didn't think it was financially possible to "start over". I am just getting back into the business again, part-time for now, and hopefully full-time in a few months. If you can find a brokerage that doesn't charge a lot of fees, remember you can still keep your license active and make money by doing referrals, or even working part time. I hope whatever you do it turns out well. :)

I understand. In 2007 I had to work in my old field more than real estate. Fortunately for me that is also consulting type work and I had a huge job offer come in from out of the blue. It kept us going for 16 months.

I have noticed a lot of agents here doing the same thing... and some of them were surprising. Good luck with your next chapter.

Michele, I have been thinking of going inactive for a long time also. But ,like you, it is hard to give up the dream and I have been fighting it. Luckily I have a very supportive spouse who makes enough to pay the bills. But I am starting classes later this month to become a legal assistant. It will probably take a year and a half to 2 years.

You are not alone. Over 40% of realtors here in Waco Texas didn't close anything in 2008. In January when yearly board dues came up about 100 out of 500 left. Companys are merging office to save money and asking agents who just have a license but don't do anything to find another company.

I think you are wise to keep your license up and continue your education. In a few years when things start improving you can just reactivate your license and "try try again!"

Michelle, this could have been the right thing at the wrong time !

I wish you the very best. It definitely isn't as easy as HGTV makes it(laughing). That is what I thought when I started. WOW... WAS I IN FOR A SURPRISE!!! I really liked Fernando's suggestions execpt being extra pushy is not my thing. There were some good ideas though. Perhaps doing 2 open houses a month to get a few buyers. You know what is best for you and your family and I always am a firm believer in trusting your instincts!!!

Love to Live and Live to Love... I sure good things will come your way!!!

I am so sorry you had to make this difficult choice, and hope that it will be the best one for you and your children. It takes time to build this business. Perhaps part time will help you add to your income and move back into real estate another time.

I would look for a brokerage that doesnt charge fees or have minimum requirements.That way you can keep you license active. Some brokarages dont require you to join the board, so you wouldnt be a Realtor, but at least you can not let your license go inactive.

Also, look for a property management job. Here in CA, you must be re licensed to do property management.Just a thought.

Work a full time job, and do RE part time. I have been doing that for quite a while. I only close about 2-3 sales a year, but at least, I make money and stay in the game.

But, I know it is easy to say for me, my kids are all grown up.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

Michelle, I applaud you for giving it a try.

Even though I had "bug" years ago when my girls were little, I knew I couldn't handle both as priorities. Over the years they were growing up I started a home-based bookkeeping service, with a number of Realtors as clients; I worked weekends as the receptionist at a real estate firm for several years; I used my education as a landlord and an investor; I started doing real estate assisting. Finally the time was right for me to jump in!

You'll find a way to utilize your knowledge and skills, and you might be back full-time in the future.

Our lives take detours often, but they can be good, too.

Best wishes to you!

I'm curious how many real estate agents are doing this and it sounds like more than a few, not that it's surprising to say the least. I'm wondering how many of you have found other things to do "on the side" in the lean times? I found something very interesting recently, even though I would not reduce my real estate business hours, but it's been a great diversification, something "up" while real estate is clearly still down. I'd gladly share with anyone that emails me. I assume this trend is not going away quite yet, though I think things are starting to bottom...

I wish you the best of luck. I would just suggest if you feel you are a real estate agent, that's what you are. There are many people in many professions that work side jobs to help ends meet. Redo your business plan to include you new job. Your new job can be a great way to build your sphere. Work on a couple relationships in your office. one referral only and one were you show and list and someone else handles the day to day.

Again best of luck

Michelle; thank you for sharing. I am just starting out AGAIN. I had my license as a single parent and let it go for the same reason. I am now 61 and alone starting all over in real estate. I have a full time day job and have not completed a transaction in the nine months I have been active. I am not giving up and have a little more money saved for dues etc. However, I certainly have my sights on making real estate a career and SOON!

AUG

best of luck, you never know that the future holds

Michelle,

I know it is a hard and heart wrenching decision to make: follow your dreams or support your family. I truly wish you the best of luck. Don't give up/get out completely. The relationships and connections you have made will pay off so you don't want to lose the momentum you are starting. As a new agent and a single parent I understand exactly how you feel. I have decided to take on a part time job once school starts to kind of leverage everything. It is hard to be competitive when you have time constraints and financial constraints against you. I am not sure how old your kids are and what family you have to help but hang in there, try to stay active. I know they have apartment locators that will hold your license, doesn't cost much and you don't have to be part of the board. I wish you the best, don't fully put it to the side. Still work it like a business until you find a full-time alternative.

MIchelle, good luck with whatever you career path you choose to follow next. I'll just echo some of the other suggestions that you try something real estate related so that you can use your knowedge base and connections and keep current 'cause the market will turn. I know the decision couldn't have been an easy one and family always does come first.

AUG

Thanks everyone.

I have tried many of the above suggestions. I have had my license 2 years this coming Oct. I started off full-time then went part-time while I worked. Then was able to do it again full-time for the last 5 months and at that time moved to a different brokerage. Which was the right choice. I hit it hard and nothing. It was very frustrating. There is only on Office here in town that will let you do referral business and I am not very fond of that agency. This town is loaded with agents, over 325 for a population of about 97000. I have lived here for 8 years which I found to be an obstacle. It is hard to compete against people that have lived here their entire life. But I knew this going in but never backed down.

I may be down but I am not out.

Michele Keast Ott