real estate: Keep Working On It, Until You MAKE IT WORK!
- 05/16/11 05:15 AM
Keep working on it, until you make it work! I think this will be my new mantra...in real estate, and in real life! This morning I was updating a CMA for an upcoming listing. I researched and tweaked...adding this...taking out that...until I came up with numbers that made sense to me. And that I'm pretty sure will make sense to my sellers tomorrow evening! This is a very cool house (watch my blog for photos later in the week), and I am SO EXCITED about listing it!! Just then, one of my cats jumped up on my lap. I looked down … (10 comments)
As real estate agents, we never know where our next client will come from. I know I may be over-simplifying here, but these methods of securring business just don't make me want to hop out of bed in the morning: ~ Capturing the lead ~ Converting the FSBO ~ Going after the Expired listing ~ Begging Asking for referrals
I'm especially uneasy with the last one. I refuse to beg/pester/annoy anyone for referrals. If I do my job well, then I feel confident my family, friends and past clients will remember me if they know someone who has a real estate need. And here's where the Golden … (20 comments)
real estate: Saving For A SUNNY Day Is Much More Fun Than Saving For A RAINY Day!
- 01/21/11 05:31 AM
When I started my real estate career several years back, the first stop after getting my license was the bank. I decided that each commission check would be divvied up amongst 4 different accounts (yes, my previous career was in Accounting): Checking - Household Checking - Real Estate Savings - Taxes (for those pesky quarterly tax estimates we self-employed folks need to pay) Savings - Rainy Day account (for those pesky months when no commission is coming in) Then today as I was reconciling all of them (isn't online banking the best?!), I realized that "Save for a rainy day" … (6 comments)
real estate: My Son Made Me Do It!
- 10/25/10 11:28 AM
Facebook has put me in touch with out of town relatives, keeps me in touch with my kids (even when they're in the same house!) and most recently, brought me a new client. Who also happened to be my high school sweetheart, once upon a time!
"Fred" and I met when we worked at the same store. We dated, grew up and grew apart. He eventually married "Marge", who also worked at the store, and I eventually married "Raymond". We'd all run into each other throughout the years, the last time being in 1993, when my son was still in … (8 comments)
real estate: And to think, it all started with a "Thank You!"
- 12/08/09 11:37 PM
Before becoming a REALTOR®, I searched my heart (and the internet) to see if it was "ok" to be somewhat shy and still be a great real estate agent. I googled: "introverted real estate agent". That search lead me to the "Sell With Soul" book & philosophy...and my life was changed forever!! Not only am I a pretty darn good real estate agent (thank you very much) while keeping my personality intact, I'm now sitting in a beachfront condo in Florida...with my friend & mentor, author of that life-changing book, real estate guru Jennifer Allan!! After emailing Jennifer to thank her for writing such an eye-opening book, I found myself becoming her part-time virtual assistant, doing some admin functions for her … (4 comments)
real estate: North Olmsted, OH Real Estate Housing Market Activity ~ October 2009
- 11/09/09 01:46 AM
Hope everyone had a wonderful October, with more treats than tricks! Life has been good in the Gabriel household. Kitties are fighting less (yay!), we've had one birthday and 2 more coming this week. My son turned 17 last month, and got his driver's license. I held my breath when he made his first solo drive home last week, but he's doing very well! My daughter will turn 20 this Wednesday. That poor girl has never received a birthday card in the mail on her birthday - it's Veteran's Day and there's no mail delivery. So I'll be driving to Kent State on … (2 comments)
Without further ado, here is the housing market update for North Olmsted, OH for the month of September 2009:
I'm very pleased with the activity in my hometown, as well as the other Cleveland, OH suburbs Our office is buzzing, and it's so much fun to watch after the past couple of "challenging" years. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you next month. Happy Halloween everyone!!! … (1 comments)
real estate: North Olmsted, OH Real Estate ~ Who's Buying What?
- 09/27/09 03:21 AM
As promised in an earlier post, I'll update the North Olmsted housing market every month. In the meantime, I decided to take a look at what the summer of 2009 looked like here in my home town. Who's buying what? Houses, condos, lower priced homes, high-end properties? North Olmsted actually doesn't have a lot of homes in the $300k and up range, and only one sold since June 1st at $332,000. Surprisingly, it was only on the market for 59 days. That seller must have been very pleased, considering the average days on the market for the past several months has been 4 1/2 … (4 comments)
If you have been following my weekly housing updates for North Olmsted, you may have been asking yourself, "What happened to the past 2 weeks???" Well, life happened. The kids went back to school (one in college, one a junior in high school), business picked up considerably (yay!!) and I've had "cat issues". You really don't want to know about that one....trust me. But if anyone wants a cute little, slightly assertive, probably-best-as-an-only-pet kitty, drop me a line. Ok, so I'm just kidding. I love her to pieces and would miss her terribly. … (1 comments)
My series of tips for home buyers has concluded. Did you get a chance to check them out? If you have anything to add, please let me know! I'm always open for suggestions on how to make the homebuying and selling experience better for everyone! Bye for now!
5. Don't try to be a killer negotiator. Negotiation is definitely a part of the real estate process, but trying to "win" by getting an extra-low price or by refusing to budge on your offer may cost you the home you love. Negotiation is give and take.
I've seen it happen on both sides. A buyer will lose the house they really want because they feel the sellers … (0 comments)
Once again, please take what the media reports with a grain of salt. As you can see, houses are selling! Please keep me in mind if you need help with buying or selling a house...I'm here to help! Thanks much, and have a great week!
Once again, please take what the media reports with a grain of salt. As you can see, houses are selling! Please keep me in mind if you need help with buying or selling a house...I'm here to help! Thanks much, and have a great week!
… (0 comments)
real estate: Top 10 Tips To Take the Stress Out of Homebuying!
- 06/05/09 08:25 AM
Buying a home should be fun, not stressful. As you look for your dream home, keep in mind these tips for making the process as peaceful as possible. 1. Find a real estate agent who you connect with. Home buying is not only a big financial commitment, but also an emotional one. It's critical that the REALTOR® you chose is both highly skilled and a good fit with your personality.2. Remember, there's no "right" time to buy, just as there's no perfect time to sell. If you find a home now, don't try to second-guess interest rates or the housing market … (3 comments)
real estate: First-time Home Buyers - $8,000 Tax Credit for Down Payment!!
- 05/12/09 07:20 AM
First-time Home Buyers - $8,000 Tax Credit for Down Payment!! This was just announced today - and it's HUGE!!! Daily Real Estate News | May 12, 2009 | Tax Credit Can Be Used for Down Payment Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on Tuesday said that the Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down payment.Previously, most buyers wouldn't receive the funds until after they filed their tax return, and that deterred some people from using the credit. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® has … (2 comments)
real estate: I'm finally going on a Honeymoon!!!!
- 04/14/09 12:14 AM
Is this post real estate related? No, not really...except to say I'll be ON MY HONEYMOON the 2nd weekend of June in case someone needs me!! Actually, it will be our 4th anniversary, but we never did have an official honeymoon. He'd just moved here from Kentucky and funds were a tad tight. Then each year thereafter, well...you know how it is. "Life" gets in the way sometimes. Then last night he said, "Pick a place. Any place." Well, we have a huge Amish population here in Ohio, and I've always wanted to spend some time in "Amish country". The shopping, … (5 comments)
real estate: Everything happens for a reason!
- 04/13/09 10:49 PM
That case of mistaken identity I wrote about recently? Well, I thought I'd post a follow-up. I did get the listing (it's on tour today!!), and they are wonderful folks! They're really counting on me to help them, and I'd love nothing more than to bring them a great offer! When we met, it was like we'd known each other forever! And they're convinced I'm their good luck charm. Interestingly enough, because of how I came into their lives...and my name! I jokingly said, "No pressure there!!"
My seller has been given some bad (and some good) advice from past … (8 comments)
real estate: The New "Old-Fashioned Way"?
- 03/21/09 04:45 AM
Ok, I'll admit it...I was dragged kicking and screaming into the world wide web 10 years ago. But I still called 411 to get phone numbers and looked up addresses in that big, white, now-almost-obsolete book that sits in the living room, under the telephone. Yes, I also still have a phone that PLUGS IN to the wall. Imagine that!!
So I had to chuckle this morning when I asked my husband, "What are your plans for today?" Hubby: "I'm going to plot a route to some estate and moving sales." His hobby is "sale-ing". Me: "Would you … (8 comments)
real estate: The 10 Unhappiest American Cities?? Bah!!
- 03/10/09 09:21 AM
Ok...how many of you read this in today's Daily Real Estate News? 10 Unhappiest American Cities No sun, no jobs and lots of foreclosures. This can be a recipe for unhappiness. Not surprisingly, some cities whose residents struggle with lots of these issues also have high levels of suicide, clinical depression, divorce and violent crime.BusinessWeek.com ranked 50 of the largest metros based on their misery and depression levels. The depression scoring is based on insurance reporting. The rest of the rankings come from the National Assembly of County & City Health Officials, FBI crime reports, the U.S. Weather Bureau and the … (6 comments)
real estate: These just may be the "good old days"!
- 01/15/09 02:30 AM
So I woke up this morning thinking about interest rates. I know, "get a life, Sue". But besides my family (both the 2 and 4 legged members), this is my life. And lately I keep hearing about how bad the interest rates were in the 1980s. So I did a bit of research, and found the highest rates in 1981...ranging from 16% to 21%. Wow, those numbers seem beyond comprehension to me! Then I started wondering what those numbers meant to our housing budget. I chose 18% as an average rate from "the good old days". Take a look at your … (11 comments)
I like to write about life...real estate, parenthood, my neighborhood...and just about anything else that seems to move me at the time!
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Keep working on it, until you make it work! 
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