texas: Good tenants are priceless
- 03/17/13 12:54 PM
Lease management is one of the many potential income producers available through having a Real Estate license. It can be an absolute nightmare. It can also be good money. The difference is in how carefully you qualify and screen the potential tenants. As the Economy flexes again, we find ourselves facing the possible need to return to the property management mode we had sworn we would NEVER do again. Never is a very subjective term in Real Estate. When faced with means to an end like paying the bills, it can become a nebulous term. Back to the task at hand. When finding a well … (6 comments)
texas: Flowers are a gift
- 03/17/13 12:40 PM
Whether you get flowers by the bouquet or the bunch, they are a plus in your life. Look at the artistry in each one. The colors and the fragrance add to the package deal When we put the flower bed in the photo in, we went to the nursery to find some cheap bushes. These were on clearance as they had little foliage and it was the height of the summer heat. As we planted them we added some extra love and sort of stuffed them into the rock hard soils. We had no idea what color they would be or if they … (1 comments)
texas: Importance of Leadership
- 03/17/13 12:22 PM
Tonight we attended a fiftieth wedding anniversary party for the military leader of Ralph's unit of the National Guard. Many of the men he served with attended the party. Various degrees of crust could be detected in these now senior men. They told stories about their experiences and it was easy to see that they had great love and admiration for their past leader. The military has a special way of selecting officers who bring out the best in everyone. It is essential that men be committed to follow the instructions given by those in charge. No matter what the business you engage in, … (2 comments)
texas: Professionals make all the difference
- 03/16/13 01:34 PM
Last Saturday we had a GOOD showing. This agent was professional to the extreme. We had worked with her in the past, so having her elect to show our house was a treat. We saw the difference in her approach from the entry hall. She actually SHOWED the house. With distinct emphasis on the positives, she displayed all the pluses, opened closets, drapes and used closing words. "Which of these cabinets would you use for your glasses, plates...etc" She was clearly letting this young couple try on the house for size and their comforts. By the time we saw them again, when they came … (3 comments)
texas: Depersonalize
- 03/16/13 12:32 PM
There is the word that we flat did not see the importance of when we put our house up for sale last year. Several people told us we needed to depersonalize. We thought we had. When you live in a place it is difficult to see it objectively. Your stuff is special to you and when you acquire that stuff, you get it little at a time so you do not notice when things get crowded. Clutter distracts! It takes a prospects attention off the features of the house. As agents we see it every day, but those houses are not ours. Ours … (1 comments)
Well after struggling through last year and being on the market 9 months with no success in selling we went back on the market in February. Several folks looked the home over and made a couple of ridiculous offers. Then finally a competent agent showed up with a precious couple who love the home and were willing to make a good offer. The inspection was done yesterday. The inspector was competent and found the usual laundry list of nicky little items that they are required to find but fortunately we had already fixed the important things. So we got … (4 comments)
texas: Perspective
- 03/13/13 09:17 AM
Today's wake up call came in the form of chain saw noises. Our next door neighbor had decided to rid themselves of the slowly dying HUGE oak between our driveways. Over the years the tree has been the resting point to many migratory birds and hosted nests for many including our favorite, woodpeckers The problem with the tree has been the fact that it has dropped huge limbs on and around both driveways. With the roaring March winds there was concern that damage could happen if a large limb hit either house. Even with all the good reasons to bring the old oak down, it was … (6 comments)
texas: Unexpected leaks...
- 03/11/13 09:27 AM
After almost sixty years between us, we are always surprised when challenges we have not had before come up. Recent inspections on a sale showed a leak under the dishwasher. The water was running out of the brick outside the house. The inspector did not move the dishwasher to look underneath . Instead he suggested that the prospective buyers have the area under the dishwasher inspected, looking specifically for wood rot. Ominous thoughts went through everyone's heads. The question also arose about why the renters who were there did not report a water problem. The idea that the dishwasher could have been running water … (1 comments)
texas: Wild Thing!
- 03/03/13 11:10 AM
Last night when I went out to the trash can, I noted that a new furry thing had been added to our patio. After an initial "what the" response I decided that the Wild Thing needed to leave. I spoke to him or her in my finest opossum screech . He responded by running his nose into the base of the barbecue pit. Ouch! I gave him a little time to regain his composure. Wonder if possums get embarrassed? He began to lope slowly toward the back fence. I followed at a distance to be sure that an exit was in fact achieved. … (8 comments)
texas: Back on the Market!! After two months of hard work!!
- 03/03/13 08:04 AM
February 15th after two plus months of scrutiny , scrubbing and addressing every angle of the house we want to sell, we pushed the appropriate buttons on the computer and flooded hyperspace with the information that there is another home to consider. After a dismal nine months last year we decided to take a break from living in model home conditions. While we were on hiatis, we studied and tried to look objectively at the house. The result was ten weeks of hard work. Lots of little projects evolved into many larger projects and lots of money spent. Now we are preparing new market materials … (9 comments)
texas: The importance of new photos!!
- 03/03/13 07:40 AM
A few weeks ago a local home builder offered a free photo shoot to all the agents who would come preview their newest model homes. We went. The models were beautifully presented and the photographer took four shots of us in various poses. The new photo (on the right)takes the place of the eight year old one we had professionally done before we left Durango. When compared side by side they are both definitely us but there the similarities end. If you passed us on the street the old photo (on the left) would not help you recognize us. The purpose of using photos in … (2 comments)
texas: Laying a Pathway
- 03/03/13 07:28 AM
As we began our New Year, it seemed to make sense to take a close look at what has worked in building our business over the past years. The most important thing is to do something. Doing nothing is a guaranteed non producer. The what's are pretty predictable. The how's you approach your ways vary and periodically someone comes up with innovations that help break the cycles and add excitement to the mundane. Reading continuously is a must. It leads to the innovative and keeps those brain cells crackling. Getting out and engaging with the world is another must. Someone once said in our … (1 comments)
texas: If the phones aren't ringing,we know where they are today!!
- 03/03/13 01:29 AM
If your phones are not ringing and you are wondering where all the people are... We know! In our neck of the woods they are all at the car wash! The weather has been dristy to downright ugly for weeks. Today is the second bright sunny day in a row and everyone including ourselves has decided to get a fresh start. The weather feels like spring and although it is a month or so before it actually will be, feels like will do just fine for now. Having a clean car gives us a different perspective. I am willing to bet that the average consumer will … (2 comments)
texas: Moms, you never have too many.
- 03/03/13 01:27 AM
When my eldest son departed for college one of his friends called with an unusual proposal. He asked if he could rent the vacant room. He had been to the house frequently over the years and his situation was different. His family had sent him to the US after some traumatic events transpired in Iran, where he had been born. They sent him to live with an uncle here. The uncle had recently received notice that he was being transferred to Indonesia. Our soon to be star boarder did not want to move as he was enjoying high school here. He had just conquered the … (3 comments)
texas: A well oiled machine!!
- 03/02/13 11:31 PM
After our recent visit to the Rodeo we realized that during its eighty year tenure as one of Houston's finest attractions, it has become a well oiled machine that runs year round. In short it is a many faceted jewel and the efficiency with which it is run is a pleasure to behold. From the parking lot to the individual events there are committees planning, executing and fine tuning the experience. There are a lot of take away lessons from our time spent there. The first was that lots of people can work in harmony if they are focused on a common goal The second was … (2 comments)
texas: Volunteers make the world go around!
- 03/02/13 11:23 PM
We just embarked upon a daunting enterprise. Some friends and past clients, experienced a heart wrenching loss, in August of 2011. In the early morning hours a fire reduced their 5000 sq ft, Nationally award winning Goslin-Nix Training stable barn and indoor riding arena to ashes. They also lost 14 horses to the inferno. With no insurance, they have been fighting to exist and to continue their life's work. Ralph and I decided that we would undertake putting together a Benefit to raise funds for them to rebuild. The last benefit I was involved with was many years ago when the goal was building hike … (2 comments)
texas: How does the history (on MLS) serve the seller?
- 02/22/13 12:02 PM
How does the history of a house serve the seller! Who do we work for? Now there is a source of confusion. Obviously we work for our customers, but the transaction originates from what we sell. The listings are said to be the life blood of our industry. The listings come from the owners of the houses. Now. Lets talk about the owners rights. We have had a crash course in being sellers since we put our house on the market last February. We learned some up close and personal lessons through the five offers that we had from that. The first of December we took the … (8 comments)
texas: Have you painted a birdhouse lately?
- 02/16/13 09:26 AM
The problem with bird houses is that they require regular maintenance just like people abodes. My favorite one needed a complete over haul. It had begun to look quite seedy. Ralph took it down and placed it on our patio table for renovations. He has created a new bottom for it and it is waiting for paint. While it was apart, he found two LARGE wasp nests within. One came complete with a large lethargic red wasp. Pesky non paying boarder? Within the boundaries of the current construction was a porch with extremely intricate benches, and other flower oriented stuff. It has a lot of … (5 comments)
texas: Good Advice? Good Money after Bad?
- 02/12/13 08:18 PM
We always advise potential sellers to take a good look at the house they plan to put on the market. Look with Complete objectivity is what we tell them. Not possible when the house is where you live! So..... We always help them with our famous "Yellow Pad." We decided to take a slice of our advise on our personal home and recently we started at the curb with that same yellow pad we use with our customers. We tried to sell this place last year but we weren't honest enough with ourselves. Soooooooooo....... One of the things that stuck out was … (8 comments)
texas: 50 Garlic Soup!
- 02/11/13 10:44 AM
There is never a good time to feel less than totally healthy. This time of the year seems to offer challenges. Having been a chicken soup fan for many years, last week I found a new favorite way to break the grip of sniffles. My sinus system ran completely amuck. I took antihistamines and drank more water than usual. We even went to get my favorite chicken soup in hopes of stopping my nose from running. Then as if by magic, a recipe for the above named soup came across my email. I read it with interest and decided that no self respecting germ or … (12 comments)
Author Bio: Ralph and Jeanne are long time Real Estate BROKERS dedicated to helping good folks buy homes and land in Durango Colorado and the Surrounding area.
Lease management is one of the many potential income producers available through having a Real Estate license.
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