listings: The many gifts of Christmas - 12/17/06 04:26 AM
It's been awhile since I've had the luxury of visiting AR.  That might have been upsetting if it were not for the fact that I've had an incredibly busy November/December.  Always a good way to approach the new year. 
Aside from a new listing that requires no staging at all (she does interior design)/ my focus has been largely the recent home that I had staged.  The holiday season is notoriously a time of few showings and little activity of any sort.  Not only did we have six offers on this house, the ultimate accepted offer was one I brought to … (4 comments)

listings: Sometimes You Just Can't Do It Right - 08/18/06 04:19 AM
Not sure if you remember my recent blog about my listing that sold for more money to a buyer brought by another agent.  I was so happy that my seller got more money than my buyer offered.  She's been under a lot of stress and was anxious to move closer to family since her husband died rather suddenly several months ago.
What a difference a day makes.  Since the offer was accepted, another agent who had brought a preliminary offer about two months ago (that went nowhere) has suggested her recent offer with the same people was never presented and insisted on … (2 comments)

listings: Yes, I Finally Got It! - 07/28/06 12:29 PM
I'm feeling particularly grateful today.  I finally took my own advice and shook off the negative stuff the local market's been throwing at me (and all of us) for the past few months.  I've always known that wearing pity party garb does nothing but invite others feeling equally downtrodden into your atmosphere, benefitting no one.  Something came over me last night, as I gave up the last vestiges of anger at losing some significant deals, therefore commissions, because of things over which I had no control.  I suddenly "got" that it wasn't personal, and as soon as I did, an absolute feeling of peace … (3 comments)

listings: And Then There Are Rentals . . . - 07/24/06 10:28 AM
As a rule I don't get involved in rentals very often. I do it from time to time as an accommodation, but recently I've been doing it as a mother.  It is indeed a challenging effort and a totally different animal. Getting in to show rentals is an art in itself, working around the tenants who often make it all but impossible, dealing with agents who sometimes take days to get back to you, showing homes in the most deplorable condition that are listed as "excellent" or "mint," with prices that are astronomical.
After weeks and weeks of this exercise we've finally gotten to … (0 comments)

listings: The Housing Market - The Fed - 07/09/06 02:53 PM
The real estate market on Long Island has been declining for months to the dismay of sellers who'd begun to look upon their homes as the golden goose or winning lottery tickets, and to the real estate agents who listed them with an expectation of having them sold within a week.  We all were spoiled . . . and we forgot.  Nothing remains the same forever.  The blazing hot selling environment had lasted years longer than many of us expected. But everyone was looking for someone to blame.  It must be the Fed, after all they were raising rates.  In the beginning the news media said it wasn't happening, the … (0 comments)