joellen strangerthorsen: Build Relationships -- Talk to Your Client
- 01/31/09 07:37 AM
Many agents today are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. I know some have come up with catchy slogans, spent thousands on glossy magazine ads, walked many miles knocking on doors, etc. I'm here to tell you those things work the agents have received a decent return on their investment and I encourage them to keep doing it. However none of those things will retain a client. Those things are your foot in the door. In order to stay in the house you have to develop a relationship and a big part of any relationship is communication (just … (5 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: A New Year – Fresh Start, New Outlook
- 01/01/09 06:13 AM
I have to admit it; these past few months have been very trying. The house values are tumbling, foreclosures are rising, more and more people are losing their jobs -- the picture is bleak. I have let it get to me. I lost my drive, I stopped posting to my blogs, I stopped prospecting, I haven't taken floor duty, and more than once I thought about giving up my license. My mind went "out of business." I was tired of hearing the ads stating "it's a great time to buy a home." Even though it is a great time to buy … (5 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: 14th Annual Plant & Garden Fair this Weekend, Mount Dora, FL
- 11/01/08 02:52 AM
Central Florida top growers will be on the lakefront in downtown Mount Dora this weekend to present the 14th Annual Mount Dora Plant and Garden Fair. In addition to plants and trees the Fair offers garden antiques, festive flags, unusual containers and a wealth of free advice on gardening in Central Florida. The event features orchids, native plants, butterfly-attracting perennials, herbs, roses, camellias, begonias and a wide variety of rare and unusual tropical plants. At last year's fair I picked up a pinwheel jasmine, cat whiskers, penta and firebush for my garden. (All still thriving thanks to the expert advice I … (4 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Free & Green; 1st Lake County Green Fair Held Today
- 11/01/08 02:36 AM
The First Lake County Green Fair presented by the Lake County Green Team will be Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wooton Park in Tavares, FL. The Fair will feature educational programs and displays that highlight best practices in environmental issues. Fair exhibitors will offer sustainable choices or information about reducing adverse environmental impacts in several categories, including health, transportation, residential construction, landscaping, energy and household products. The Green Fair will offer live entertainment by The Forefathers, Won-Ta-Nara and the Ruth King Band in addition to a children's scavenger hunt, a dragon boat mini-regatta and vehicle displays. … (2 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: 24th Annual Mount Dora Crafts Festival – October 25th & 26th
- 10/24/08 11:42 PM
Festival season in Lake County officially kicks off this weekend with the 24th Mount Dora Crafts Festival held along the downtown streets of Mount Dora. The Crafts Festival is a nationally ranked juried event with over 330 artisans and vendors. The rainy weather should be clearing by late morning and a crowd topping last year's 200,000 is expected. The festival offers a wide variety of crafted items including categories in jewelry, clay, fiber, leather, metal, wood, and glass. The festival also offers photography and floral. One of the most popular items every year is the pussy willow and dried florals. The … (2 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Your Vote is Important -- Lake County Early Voting Open Now
- 10/24/08 02:22 AM
Early voting for the November 4, 2008 General Election has begun. Early voting started Monday October 20th and will continue through November 1st. Hours of operation are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day. Early voting will not take place on 10/26/2008 (Sunday). Any registered voter wishing to vote before Election Day may vote at any of the locations below. Please remember to take signature and picture identification with you to vote. If you have any questions please call the Office of Emogene W. Stegall, Lake County Supervisor of Elections at 352-343-9734 or visit the website here. Cagan Crossings Community … (1 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Buyers, what a REALTOR® does for you (Part 3)
- 10/03/08 01:29 PM
Up to this point I have met with the buyers, viewed properties with them, researched those properties, presented an offer to the seller's agent or seller and negotiated the offer to reach a legally binding Contract for Sale and Purchase. (See Part 1 and Part 2 to this post.) Once the contract is signed the specifics of the contract have to be met. Usually there is an inspection period. It is during this time period when the buyers hire a home inspector to perform an inspection, an inspector to perform a wood-destroying organism inspection and any other inspections the buyers require. … (0 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Buyers, what a REALTOR® does for you (Part 2)
- 10/03/08 01:21 PM
At this point I have met with the buyers, viewed properties with them, researched their choices and presented an offer to the seller's agent or seller. (See Part 1 of this post.) The seller usually has a day or two to consider the offer. Sometimes the seller will accept the offer as presented but more often than not there is some type of counter offer and negotiation. During negotiations I work to reach an equitable deal for the buyers as the seller's agent is looking to negotiate the most equitable deal for his/her seller. The price is not the only point … (0 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Monday October 6, 2008 – Deadline to Register to Vote
- 10/03/08 01:12 PM
This Monday, October 6 is the deadline to register to vote in Lake County, Florida if you want to vote in the November General Election. This is the perfect time to update your registration if you have moved as you must vote in the precinct in which you reside. The County Administration Building at 315 W. Main St. in Tavares will be open on 10/4/2008 (Saturday) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM to allow voter registration in room 144. Additionally, the Lake County Elections office at 1060 E. HWY 50 (Kmart Shopping Plaza) in Clermont will be open on 10/4/2008 (Saturday) from … (3 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Bay Street Players Opens 34th Season with Driving Miss Daisy
- 09/25/08 03:54 PM
The Bay Street Players opens the 34th Season September 26, 2008 The Bay Street Players will open their 34th Season this weekend with a four week run of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Driving Miss Daisy at the beautifully restored 1922 historic State Theatre in downtown Eustis. Rounding out the 2008-2009 season is: Nuncrackers (The Nunsense Christmas Musical) The Full Monty A Man For All Seasons and Oklahoma! Enjoy an evening out with the Bay Street Players. For more information contact the box office at 352-357-7777 or visit their website by clicking here. Interested in buying or selling a home in … (0 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Buyers, what a REALTOR® does for you
- 09/25/08 03:01 PM
Lately I have met with quite a few buyers who don't want to work with a REALTOR®. The reasons are varied but they all really boil down to one fact, the buyer thinks they can buy a house without representation and get a better deal. Let me put value into what a REALTOR® can do for the home buyer. Buying a home is more than locating a house, making an offer and then paying for it. Although that is possible, there are details that should not be overlooked. As buying a home is a lengthy and involved process I will break … (1 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: What is the Difference?
- 09/25/08 02:43 PM
Buying or selling a home? Are you going to hire an agent or a REALTOR®? Do you know the difference? A real estate agent is a person who has taken courses to become licensed to represent consumers in real estate transactions. Every state has different requirements to meet prior to becoming a licensed agent in that state. You can be a licensed real estate agent and not be a REALTOR®. There are agents out there who are not REALTORS®. These agents are qualified to represent you in a real estate transaction however they are not a member of the National Association … (0 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Ice House Theatre, Mount Dora, FL Opens 61st Season with Crimes of the Heart
- 09/13/08 12:40 AM
The Ice House Theatre located in Mount Dora, FL opened its 2008-2009 season September 12 with Crimes of The Heart by Beth Henley, winner of a 1981 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play centers around the three Magrath sisters; Lenny, Meg and Babe. Lenny is almost thirty with diminishing marital prospects, Meg is back in town after a failed singing career and Babe, the youngest is out on bond after shooting her husband because she doesn't "like his face." Crimes of the Heart runs from September 12 thru October 5, 2008. See The Orlando Sentinel Article. The Ice … (1 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Get Out and Vote -- Early Voting Open in Lake County, FL
- 08/15/08 03:16 AM
We have reached a time I thought we would never reach. The primaries are here in Florida. Of course we are all aware of the big race for the White House, but in addition to the all important nominations for President of the United States there are primary races for many local government positions. I will not tell you who I favor in any race. I don't think this is the platform for expressing my political views. I will tell you that you need to get involved. I think our voter turnout is dismal and I personally would love to see … (0 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Lake Idamere Park -- A Hidden Gem
- 08/12/08 01:55 AM
Located at 12335 County Road 448 just on the shores of Lake Idamere sits a boundless playground and dog park. The 43-acre lakeside park was officially opened in December 2006. I only discovered this park during the summer of 2007 when a friend set up a play date for our children. I have to say I was impressed the first time I went and we have been back often. Last year when we first went there was an issue that the only restroom facilities were port-a-potties. I am happy to report I discovered restroom facilities had been added when we visited … (5 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: No Keys -- No Show
- 07/30/08 01:43 AM
One Saturday I was setting appointments to show several houses on a Sunday. It was going rather smoothly, several houses were vacant so no appointment time was necessary and those that were occupied were easily accessible. Then I called on a vacant pre-foreclosure home. I told the other agent who I was and asked for showing instructions on the house. He told me I couldn't show it. Now I was expecting him to tell me there was a contract and he hadn't updated the system yet. No, he told me he there was no key. A little dumbfounded I figured he … (23 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Going Green; Our Parents Are Trendy?
- 07/29/08 11:51 PM
I was having a conversation with a friend the other night lamenting the ever increasing prices of groceries. As we delved into the various steps we had been taking to save a few pennies here and there we got onto the topic of the latest trend of "Going Green." We both have been a little more vigilant about turning off the lights when not in use, pushing the A/C up a degree or two and impressing upon our children the need to not be wasteful. We have grouped errands together to conserve gas and we spend a little more time at … (3 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Back to School! and how it compares to house hunting
- 07/29/08 07:01 AM
Was that a collective groan I heard? Do you remember a few short months ago when you wondered what you were going to do all summer? The end is near... Lake County Florida School is back in session August 18, 2008. It is time to go hunting for those incredible deals on school supplies. This is my children's favorite part of back to school. (That is until I inform them that they do not need a new backpack, pencil box, lunch box, or pair of scissors because last year's is still perfectly good. - there are needs and there are wants.) … (0 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: Hello, You didn't return my phone call to show your listing!
- 07/29/08 01:11 AM
As I was setting appointments to show homes the other day I had to leave messages on several agents' voicemails. No big deal as most returned my call within 30 minutes and got the appointment set. However one agent didn't return my phone call. Normally I would have persistently called him back until he responded. However I had pulled the listing for my clients several days prior and in the time between me pulling it for them and them deciding to look at it, the listing had expired. I made the assumption that this agent may have lost the listing and … (9 comments)
joellen strangerthorsen: I've been away...
- 07/28/08 10:12 AM
It seems like an eternity ago I put off writing and commenting on Active Rain. I found myself spending a lot of time here and as luck would have it I ended up taking on some new clients and a couple other obligations. Something had to give. I've checked in regularly and have been reading others' posts without comment. Did you know Active Rain is a great place to research issues related to real estate? In working with my most recent clients I used several tips regarding FHA loans, short sales and bank owned properties. I successfully closed the transaction and … (8 comments)
Northeast Lake County Real Estate Information including market conditions, homes for sale, buyers and sellers guides, local interests and events in Eustis, Mount Dora, Tavares, Howey-in-the-Hills, Sorrento, Astatula and Mount Plymouth
Many agents today are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. I know some have come up with catchy slogans, spent thousands on glossy magazine ads, walked many miles knocking on doors, etc. I'm here to tell you those things work the agents have received a decent return on their investment and I encourage them to keep doing it. However none of those things will retain a client. Those things are your foot in the door. In order to stay in the house you have to develop a relationship and a big part of any relationship is communication (just … (5 comments)
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