real estate license: Surround Yourself with Winners - 04/11/16 10:15 PM
To be successful, you need to surround yourself with winners.  It’s so important that positive energy, positive thinking and positive attitudes become part of our careers.  I just fired an accountant.  He was young, a procrastinator, and extremely disrespectful.  It didn’t take long to realize he was absolutely not what our team needed!  The problem was that it became a long, arduous task to get rid of him.
 
If you surround yourself with winners from the beginning of your real estate career, you can save yourself a myriad of headaches.  There were a couple red flags with this guy, and … (1 comments)

real estate license: Yesterday Was My Birthday - 04/10/16 08:12 PM
Yesterday was my birthday, and it was a bit of a turning point as well.  I turned 67, but that was no big deal to me.  I figure once you’re over 65, it’s just another year.  It was, however, a day of realization.  Owning a real estate school, teaching the real estate classes, and being responsible for paying all the bills is something I didn’t think I’d ever be doing at 67.  No matter the reason, many of us Baby Boomers are still working.
 
Yesterday was my birthday, and for me, having originally retired at 56, I am pretty amazed … (3 comments)

real estate license: Spring is a Time of New Beginnings - 04/06/16 10:59 PM
Spring is a time of new beginnings, so can you guess what direction this blog will head?  Sure you can!  Spring – new beginnings – new starts – new life – new heart attitudes – new life directions.
 
If Spring is a time of new beginnings, and I think most people would agree that it is, perhaps some of you are thinking about new beginnings in your professional life.  Sometimes our professional lives can’t be separated from our personal lives because we spend so much time in each realm.  Practicing real estate isn’t a job – it’s a chosen lifestyle, … (1 comments)

real estate license: Sometimes You Just Have to Jump In! - 04/03/16 12:46 AM
It’s nice if we can plan, but sometimes you just have to jump in!  Life throws too many curve balls for us to think that we can plan our destinies or our future, and life will go according to those plans.
 
Many people have told me over the years that they had intended to do something different with their lives than they were doing at that time.  I wanted to practice real estate law.  While working with attorneys, the thought was always there.  Finally, I went back to school at  42, intending to eventually go to law school.  After taking … (3 comments)

real estate license: It’s Always Sunny in Pensacola - 04/03/16 12:17 AM
I woke up this morning thinking even if it’s raining, and it’s been raining a lot, it’s always sunny in Pensacola.  What makes it sunny in Pensacola when the sun may actually be hiding?  That question can be answered very easily.  It’s all about heart attitude.  Even when the weather is miserable outside, I get to do what I love best!
 
It’s always sunny in Pensacola because of you, the students.  It’s always sunny in Pensacola because you come into a class, you smile a little nervously, you keep your head down filling out the forms, you say very little … (0 comments)

real estate license: Things Sure Are Different Today! - 03/31/16 10:51 PM
Things sure are different today.  Let me take you back to 1983 for just a minute.  When I first became licensed, MLS listings were presented in a book once a month, which was as thick as a Webster’s Dictionary.  We relied on these books to see what was on the market, so in addition to them, the MLS printed out thinner supplements twice a month that showed solds, pendings and expireds.  If we wanted to send information to a prospect, we blackened out pertinent agent information and photocopied the listings by taping each one to a sheet of paper.
 
Every … (2 comments)

real estate license: Let’s Make it a Career! - 03/29/16 09:04 PM
Lots of people want to “try” selling real estate, but I say let’s make it a career!  I’ve never heard anyone say they were going to law school or medical school to “try” practicing medicine or to “try” practicing law.  I don’t understand why some people think they can just “try” practicing real estate.  Don’t they realize it’s a profession, a career, not a job?
 
Admittedly, the practice of real estate is not as expensive to begin as doctors, lawyers and accountants.  These professions require lots more education, a greater investment in money, and a whole lot more time to … (2 comments)

real estate license: A Recipe for Success - 03/20/16 07:58 AM
 
A recipe for success can include anything from hard work to great personalities.  Someone’s recipe for success could be dedicated daily cold calling or weekly walking certain subdivisions.  Someone may have a penchant for mailers, newsletters, emails, or brochures.  A recipe for success can come in all shapes and sizes.
 
I suppose if you were to ask ten people to describe their recipe for success, you might get ten different recipes, all with some of the same ingredients.  After all, there is more than one way to make a pie.  Maybe it’s safe to assume one’s recipe for success … (0 comments)

real estate license: What Did You Do Last Week? - 03/20/16 07:39 AM
 
What did you do last week?  I started the week out with 16 people from all walks of life, who took our accelerated one-week real estate class.  We actually had 15 students, but then at 9:00 a call came in from a young man who wanted to start immediately, and he made it in before the first break.  The room was full at that point, and the first day is always challenging as we get to know one another.
 
By Tuesday the flow was going smoothly.  Sickness began creeping in and around the class, coughing was heard, sneezing was … (0 comments)

real estate license: How Our Class Works - 03/16/16 09:13 AM
I get many questions about how our class works.  People wonder how we can fit so much information into 6 days.  My first answer is one bite at a time.
 
Here’s how our class works:  Monday is the first day.  My husband opens the class while I complete registrations and collect money.  Everyone is a stranger to everyone else, and this first hour is crucial in setting the stage for what we hope will become a team effort.  By the way, Monday is the absolute pits!  Most students know zero about real estate, and Monday jumps right into the real … (2 comments)

real estate license: Failure - 03/12/16 06:52 AM
Many years ago a wise broker gave me permission to fail.  He was spot on when he said, “Failure can increase your success.”  Of course, back then, I never believed him.  I didn’t understand how failure could increase anyone’s success.  Failure is not winning; failure is losing.  Failure represents the opposite of success.
 
Over the years, however, call it age, call it earned wisdom, call it what you will, but I now understand the strength of his words.  You see, I was usually successful listing and selling real estate, but I was a failure in other areas of my life.  … (3 comments)

real estate license: Daytime Classes vs. Evening Classes - 03/07/16 08:45 AM
Let me start out by explaining we do not offer daytime classes that run more than a week.  We offer our One-Week Fast Track Class and every other month we offer our Evening Real Estate Class that runs for three weeks.  I sometimes get asked which is better, daytime classes vs. evening classes?  Sometimes prospective students will ask if there is a difference in the instructors or a difference in the curriculum.
 
Daytime classes vs. evening classes – it all depends on your situation.  Our one-week daytime class is not for everyone, and it isn’t necessarily an easy class, but … (0 comments)

real estate license: Why Would You Ever Want to Sell Real Estate as a Career? - 03/07/16 08:22 AM
When I broke the news to Mom that I was getting a license, her question to me was, “Why would you ever want to sell real estate as a career?” She went on to give me a litany of reasons why I should stay in my chosen profession as a paralegal.  When she finally came up for air and gave me a chance to talk, I looked her squarely in the eyes and said, “Ma, I have to do this for myself and my girls.”
 
Ma was an Italian woman from the Boston area, and Dad was just a good … (1 comments)

real estate license: Change Your Life in One Week! - 03/07/16 07:59 AM
If someone had said, “Hey Lady, you can change your life in one week,” I probably would have reacted the way Elaine used to react on the Jerry Seinfeld Show when she hit the guys with both hands, shoving them back and saying something like, “Get outta here!” 
 
Being gullible is one of my weaknesses for sure, but believing someone can change your life in one week is hard for even me to believe.  So, why would I choose it for my blog?  I chose it because it most definitely seems too good to be true!  Our one-week fast … (0 comments)

real estate license: Blogging - 03/06/16 09:18 PM
Blogging is a labor of love for me.  I enjoy blogging, but sometimes I don’t really see the advantages of it.  I’m glad people read the blogs I post here, and I wonder if our real estate school will benefit from all the blogging.
 
Sometimes blogging is actually enjoyable.  It’s an arena that allows me to spout off about subjects that affect our school, and it’s an arena that allows me to actually teach some of the principles I’ve attained over the years.  Blogging isn’t done for my benefit, however; it’s done for yours.
 
We are a new real … (3 comments)

real estate license: Back to the Nitty Gritty! - 03/03/16 09:00 PM
 
Time off, time away from home, time spent for vacation, time doing things not normally done and time away from work – all are great diversions, but sooner or later, it’s back to the nitty gritty!
 
Coming back to the nitty gritty is our way of balancing our lives.  We work, we tire, we reach goals, we need a break.  Diversions come into our lives and we take advantage of them, but sooner or later, it’s back to the nitty gritty.  Those diversions keep us from suffering “burn out” and “burn out” is not our friend.
 
Practicing … (0 comments)

real estate license: Family - 02/26/16 01:22 AM
If you are reading this blog on Wednesday, March 2nd, I am traveling from Illinois back to Florida. I was in Illinois for two weeks to help my younger daughter with her children as her husband travelled and as she recuperated from surgery. It was an interesting two weeks because it allowed me to experience and to appreciate how many people handle their careers while juggling family obligations.
                                                                                                
Family is important. As a matter of fact, in many people’s hierarchy, family priority comes second to God and above business and church. Family didn’t take first place in my younger life. Unfortunately, … (0 comments)

real estate license: Being in Florida - 02/24/16 10:44 PM
One never appreciates what they have until they don’t have it anymore.  Florida is one of the best places to live as far as I am concerned.  We’re in Florida for a reason.  Visiting Illinois in February is an interesting experience.  When I got here, the temperature was in the 60’s.  The first few days it stayed relatively mild.  By the end of that time, we had snow on the ground, and the 30’s were here. 
 
Being in Florida spoils us a bit.  The weather may change from clear to cloudy to rain, but we very rarely get shut down because … (1 comments)

real estate license: When is Blogging Too Much? - 02/23/16 09:59 PM
I regularly blog three times a week.  Sometimes I ask myself when is blogging too much?  Do people really read these blogs?  What good can come out of blogging?
 
Time over time, someone will mention to me something they read in my blog.  When we first began our school, our IT guy advised me to blog regularly in order to increase our rankings with Google searches.  At first, it was a nuisance to me and every time I blogged it was a chore.  Somewhere along the line, though, my attitude changed.
 
Blogging is healthy and it gives me a way to express my … (54 comments)

real estate license: Working for Something I Believe In - 02/22/16 08:51 AM
As I write this blog, I’m working for something I believe in.  I am in Carbondale, Illinois visiting with my younger daughter and her two daughters.  Sarah’s husband is on a business trip, Sarah recently had surgery, and I am here doing what I love most – being her Mom and their Nana.  The second thing I love most is teaching real estate.
 
Working for something I believe in is so much easier in today’s technology!  I no longer practice real estate.  Instead, God gave me the most wonderful gift of being able to teach what I know to others who don’t … (0 comments)