real estate: Local Schools Affect Local Property Values
- 04/15/24 01:56 PM
Love them or hate them, our local school districts play a vital role in our communities. In Texas, the only way for school districts to build new schools, provide needed additions, and refurbish aging buildings, bonds must be called, have them presented to the community, and then the community votes on them. When bonds don't pass, school districts have to bring in portable buildings and make do with overcrowded facilities.
In our city, we have been experiencing unprecedented growth. Therefore, every school in our district is at or over-capacity. We desperately need to pass a school bond so we can build the … (8 comments)
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real estate: Little League Sports & Real Estate
- 01/24/24 02:17 PM
As a mother and grandmother who has sat through many, many Little League games, it suddenly hit me that there are many similarities between our tiniest of athletes and the "sport" of real estate. And, any of you who have navigated the "game" of real estate, you fully understand the ups and downs of this business. There are days we sit back and enjoy the game while there are other days that are nail-biters, overtime, and exhaustion.
Here are my observations regarding Little League sports and real estate:
⚾️CALLING THE SHOTS - We all know "those" parents/grandparents who are in the stands screaming, … (14 comments)
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real estate: ⚾️ The World Series and Real Estate ⚾️
- 11/03/23 08:47 AM
Those of us here in North Texas are celebrating a BIG win as the Texas Rangers took home the World Series Pennant. It was an exciting series and the fans are going nuts! In Texas, we always tend to do things in a big way!
Now, how do I relate this to real estate? Well, let's start with what it takes to get to a world championship and that is determination, mastery of skills, training, and most importantly, discipline. As a small brokerage owner, all of these are necessary in order to play ball in the industry!
⚾️ DETERMINATION - Wishful thinking is … (14 comments)
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real estate: An Active Rain Pumpkin Patch ~ October Challenge
- 10/31/23 09:47 AM
I waited until the final day for the Active Rain October Challenge! But alas, here it is! This is a fun challenge in so many ways because it causes us to dig into some of our old archives as well as recognize amazing people here in the Rain.
When I joined AR many years ago, I had no clue what I was doing. I was new to blogging and this platform offered me more than simply a place to grow my SEO. What I didn't anticipate was growing my own "Pumpkin Patch" of AR friends.
My first "friends" here in the Rain were … (24 comments)
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real estate: Knowing When to PIVOT!
- 10/29/23 06:49 PM
Recently, as I have been assessing my brokerage business model while studying the current market and data, I have made the decision to make a pivot. When I experienced a major, market shift back in 2009, I took the time to determine how I would survive and stay in real estate. While many were making the decision to jump ship, I decided to stay in. This required me to make some changes.
Real estate has certainly been a roller-coaster ride through the years. Those of us who have remained in the business for a decade or more, completely understand what it means … (29 comments)
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real estate: Fall ~ Change is Good
- 10/18/23 07:48 AM
As we watch the season turn, we are reminded that change is inevitable. Many people resist change and find it difficult to make the necessary adjustments. However, as we look to nature, we find the cycles of time remind us that change is a part of our lives.
For those of us in the real estate world, we fully grasp the ever-changing seasons of change. We are constantly bombarded with changing interest rates, economic challenges, employment issues, political climate, world events, and so much more. The bottom line is, nothing stays the same.
Back in 2008 when those of us were in the … (25 comments)
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real estate: Life Lessons ~ My Decade-by-Decade Roadmap
- 08/17/23 10:41 AM
Life truly is a roadmap filled with twists, turns, hazard zones, and road bumps. How we each choose to navigate this journey we call life, really does determine where we end up. I love this challenge by Anna "Banana" Kruchten and Carol Williams because it is always good to stop along the way to reflect and re-visit what has shaped us in life.
Personally, as anyone who has lived 60+ years knows, there have been many, many lessons throughout each decade of my life. I thought it would be fun to identify these lessons by the decade. Here goes:
Years 1-10
Circa 1965 - … (38 comments)
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real estate: WHAT? It Isn't About Me!
- 07/02/23 10:38 AM
A conversation I have with many new agents is reminding them that the business of real estate is NOT about them. I am not sure when the "vanity" of marketing oneself in real estate became quite, "glamour shot-ish". Many agents take to social media and the focus is on themselves. While we need to tout our expertise and how we can assist our clients, when the focus becomes self-centered, the ego of this business takes over.
I made the decision long ago not to place my picture on my business cards. I am a professional and my doctor, attorney, CPA, etc. do … (35 comments)
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real estate: A Personal Move Helps Us Empathize With Our Clients!
- 05/10/23 06:03 AM
As I begin the arduous task of packing for our move, I am reminded of what my clients go through during a transition. No matter how you slice and dice it, moving is stressful, exhausting, and overwhelming. But, as the old saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time!"
I have moved at least 25+ times in my life. Here are some of my tried and true moving tips. I call them Paula's P's:
PREPARE for the move. Gather your supplies and keep them in one place. Make sure you have plenty of packing paper, boxes, tape, … (24 comments)
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real estate: The Divine Listing Appointment
- 05/09/23 06:15 PM
Yesterday I was at a listing appointment I received from a relocation company. I met the young couple and was immediately drawn to them as they were so warm and engaging. As I walked through their immaculate home, I kept on noticing the beautiful watercolor paintings displayed throughout.
After we finished the business of the listing, I asked about the watercolors and learned that Mrs. Seller was the artist. As we visited, I found out we had a mutual artist friend who commissions her work at my home decor store. Before long, we were in her art studio sifting through her amazing … (15 comments)
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real estate: The Home Building Journey - The Land
- 04/05/23 01:06 PM
If you are ready to dive into building a new home, then you have found the right place with this series. I am currently building a new home with my husband and I am inviting you on this crazy journey. And, if you have ever built before, you understand that indeed, this is a journey.
It took us many years to finally find the right place to build our home. We needed a lot that was very wide in order to accommodate the home we wished to build. As land costs have climbed, developers are not building very wide lots because land … (4 comments)
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real estate: Home Sweet First Home
- 04/03/23 04:31 PM
I am excited about this new April Challenge about our first home-buying experiences. For me, this was many years ago and just thinking about it, brings back many memories. And, I do recall that the interest rates back then were very steep.
Back in the mid-80s, I was out of college, newly married, and working in my first career which was the healthcare/fitness industry. I had no concept about the home-buying process whatsoever! But, we knew buying was the right option.
We lived in a suburb of Dallas and in an area that was rapidly developing. New businesses, neighborhoods, restaurants, and shopping was … (16 comments)
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real estate: What? I'm to Pay You My Commission?
- 03/27/23 06:46 AM
Many, many years ago, I represented a buyer on a new construction home. This is my 3rd post in the March to a Solution Challenge. These posts for this challenge have been very interesting for us all.
In this particular situation, I was first contacted by Mrs. Buyer. She and I were in constant communication, she was the only person to actually look at the homes, and, she handled all of the negotiations. I knew that she was married, but until the day of the final walk-through, I had never met Mr. Buyer.
Closing day had arrived and I finally met Mr. Buyer … (16 comments)
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real estate: March Madness Real Estate Edition
- 03/12/23 03:33 PM
I am one of those nuts who loves this time of year regarding the NCAA March Madness. Today is Sunday Selection where we find out who the teams will be in the tournament. The teams have fought hard and it has been exciting.
As I enjoy this process, it causes me to reflect on our business of the real estate. Much like the sport of basketball, anything can happen right at the buzzer. We've all experienced the issues that pop up right before a closing that will either make or break the deal.
Also, another basketball analogy for real estate is the execution … (8 comments)
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real estate: The Appraisal that Almost Killed the Deal
- 03/09/23 05:35 PM
As real estate professionals, most of us have encountered a challenging appraisal situation. The call none of us ever wishes to receive stating the almighty appraisal came in low. This is when an agent must exercise remaining calm while also seeking alternative solutions to a difficult problem.
Here is what happened:
I was representing the Seller on one of the historic buildings on our town Square. I have sold several buildings on our Square and understand the nuances of the comps. These buildings are hard to find and pricing them correctly takes a great deal of research.
We negotiated an offer and were moving … (13 comments)
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real estate: How To Market Your Rental Property
- 02/24/23 02:26 PM
This is an excellent post regarding leasing residential property. Please take a moment to head to the original post and give her the kudos she deserves. Also, she is a new member so let's give her a nice, Active Rain welcome!
The ins and outs of property management and leasing are important to know. Anyone who desires to lease property should make sure they are paying attention to the laws and rules that govern residential leasing. And, any brokerage engaged in property leasing needs to insist on any agent involved with leases is fully trained.
Beam & Branch Realty is fully prepared to … (2 comments)
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real estate: Building a New House & Pregnancy
- 01/20/23 07:55 AM
Those of you who have ever built a new home along with those who have given birth will understand exactly what this post is about. My husband and I are currently building what we say is "the last home we will build". Time will tell.
When you decide to go ahead and build that house, the initial emotions are excitement as you determine the land or lot, choose a house plan, go through a myriad of selections, and choose a builder. Everything is fun at this point and expectations are high. This is much like when you first find out a new … (7 comments)
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real estate: I Can't Hear You! I'm Too Busy Defending Myself!
- 01/18/23 08:31 PM
Today I had an interesting exchange with a local elected official. I had hoped to meet this person to be able to discuss some concerns as a constituent. I was kind, polite, to the point, and kept the conversation private. My concerns echo many others in our community.
What I have found within our political arena are those who say things behind someone's back and the very few who will look you in the eyes and say the difficult things. I believe in the importance of going directly to a person. It's the right thing to do always.
Sadly, this individual did not … (14 comments)
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real estate: Real Estate Talk2Day ~ The Basics for Podcasting
- 01/17/23 07:05 AM
As I embark on my third Podcast show, Real Estate Talk2Day, I promised that I would share some of what I have learned in the podcast world over these past few years. I believe that podcasting is a great way to "be heard" and to share what you have learned in your area of expertise.
If you are considering doing a podcast, these tips may help you move from consideration to getting it done! There is no better time than right now to make your plan and implement a new idea. My mantra since losing my lung over 13 years ago is … (14 comments)
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real estate: It's Fall Y'all ~ Let's Deck the Halls
- 10/16/22 07:17 PM
Fall is certainly in the air and lots of Fall decor is popping up everywhere. When we think about "decking the halls", we typically think about Christmas decor. However, we can certainly bring the Fall decor to our doorsteps and into our homes for a cozy, seasonal change.
Here are some excellent Fall decor tips:
Front Door & Porch - arrange pumpkins, baskets of mums, bales of hay, and Fall-themed wreaths to create an instant, "Welcome Fall" look. Create a corner that appears natural and free-flowing. The more natural materials the better to avoid a too "crafty" appearance.
Fall Scents - Nothing says Fall … (11 comments)
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Love them or hate them, our local school districts play a vital role in our communities. In Texas, the only way for school districts to build new schools, provide needed additions, and refurbish aging buildings, bonds must be called, have them presented to the community, and then the community votes on them. When bonds don't pass, school districts have to bring in portable buildings and make do with overcrowded facilities.
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