I just read a blog about meeting "a prospect" at a vacant property.   WE do NOT do that in our office. We"C I T O" them (Come into the office) before we go out to show them property.  There have been many bad things to happen to agents in North Carolina and I am sure that it is the same across the country.  We had a robbery go wrong last year and an agent was killed.  That has put us all on edge.  WE have a plan in place, that if we feel uncomfortble when out showing...WE call the office and ask for the "Tim MilamFile".  That is the danger alert signal that YOU need help.  The agent that answers the phone..gets as much Information from the agent who feels in danger.   WE are taught to give address " of the house we are going to see and see if the appointment has been set". The agent t... 08/29/2015

 This is what we start with.  Handpicked grapes from the yard.  I boiled them down till we could squeeze them.  We had  about 11 cups of juice. Recipe calls fore 5 cups of juice and 7 cups of sugar and a pat of butter.  cook after it boils for 2 minutes.  Pour in sterilized jars and seal ...Then wait for the pop..     This is what it looks like before we squeeze the grapes..    This is the end product. WE finally ended up with 10 jars of wonderful jars of Muscadine Jelly for friends and family. So tickled to be thru.  This will be a wonderful addition to our lauder... Have a wonderful evening.. Ginger of Southport..   08/27/2015

Thanks Debbie... I am so glad that you did a contest for us to work with.  I always enjoy the challenge. The three things that I have picked to grow my business: 1.    EDDM  - Every Door Direct Mail.  This is a good way to send and blanket an area with you Media.I do this when I am in search of a listing in a certain location.  It is with the United post office and is fairly inexpensive.  EDDM.com 2.   I plan to hold more open houses.  I think that I want to try a new approach to the Open Houses and that is to Ofer Money and no food.  This is working in our area.  You Hold the oPen house and I do not have the be there.  Just have the agents to unlock the door with the Key Pad and leave a card.  There is a sheet to fill out to give fed back to the seller.  Then YOu draw for the Money.  I... 08/26/2015

Fresh PEACHES......into Peach Preverves!  And then the canning of the peaches in to preserves...Yummmm.. This is who we are.  We love to pick and can the wonderful vegetables and fruits that we grow or  is provided to us.Our Son in Law brought us a box of beautiful, lucious, ripe peaches yesterday.  We have eaten all  that we can and know that the next step is to save them. That means canning them into preserves. The preserves we cook with out a recipe.  We do this by smell and the consistancy of the syrup. When we feel that they are thick enough, we put them up in sterilized jars and wait patiently for the lids to "pop".  Meaning that they are sealed.  Our peach preserves could last for 3 to 5 years....if we did not eat them before then.. They are " de...lic...ious"   to say the least.... 08/21/2015

 I have just sent an email out to my listing because we have the Fall Tab that will be printed in the next 3 weeks. This Tab has a shelf life of about 3 months and will be in the resturants, grocery stores, novely stores etc.  So we get right much Bang for our Bucks on this one. I have learned through past experience, these 2 truths. 1.  If you have a property listed for sale and you have showings but NO offers, the your property is 5% over priced! 2.  If you have a property listed for sale and you have NO showings, then your property is 10% over priced! This keeps holding true, on and on and on until you get to the price that the property will sell for.  The buyer dictates the Market.  Do you have a guide of some sort like this in your marketplace? AS a result of the email I sent out t... 08/15/2015

 A great day today.  Business is Great.. I had a listing appointment yesterday morning and another one yesteday afternoon.  Took one for sure and think that I will get the next one in a day or so..  And guess what!  Got another one this afternoon and another one on Friday.Seems like our sellers are wanted to do the right thing and price their property as it should be priced.It's a GREAT DAY at COLDWELL BANKER SEA COAST ADVANTAGE in SOUTHPORT, North Carolina. Hope YOU have a GREAT and productive day also..   08/12/2015

  This is such a great idea and everyone can do this. YOu get this great feeling in your heart when you do something for someone else and it is not expected. It can be as simple as letting a car get in line that is stuck on a side road; smiling a someone with a frown on their face; letting someone get in line in front of you when they have only one or two items and you have a basketful. I sit in the evenings and make afgans for the folks in our local Nursing Center,  I make up to 50 a year.  They are simple and made to fit someone in a wheelchair. They are simple to make and only take about a week to make.  When finished, I will go down the hall and find someone that does not have much in their room.    I will greet them and tell them that I made this just for them.     They will say to... 08/12/2015

  Today would have been My Mother's 99th Birthday. She was born on August the 11th, 1916.  She was a wonderful, loving gracious person that I miss each and every day. I look in the mirror in the morning and see my Mother looking back at me.. I hear a phone message that I have recorded and hear My Mother talking.. Does this happen to YOU?  Do you see your parents in YOU. I am loving it today..  Happy BirthDay  Edna Virginia Snead Willis..  I Love you and always will.. Your Daughter 08/11/2015

As a young person, our family would watch TV on Saturday and Sunday evenings....Mama would pop ..popcorn and we would sit around and watch the Ed Sullivan Show.  We would see the new performers enter into the entertainment arena.  I remember seeing Stevie Wonder doing the finger poppin thing and also the Jackson 5.  Elvis with his gyrating hips..and of course the BEATLES! Shirley Temple was my favorite.  I would watch "The Good Ship Lolipop" and dance along with her.  Then there was that "Masked Man on the White horse"....and then the Ape Man that swung from the vines... We would play outside till dark and come in when Mama would call out "Dinner's Ready" "Come in and wash up". I miss those Happy, Carefree Days of youth. If you have Memories that you would like to share, please do!! Gin... 08/08/2015

 Wonderful Fig Tree in a Neighbors Yard..These are luscious Figs that we will make preserves tonight  The Tree is loaded and many are still ripening.  This bush is about 12 feet tall and the figs are about the size of a small pear. These are the biggest Figs I have even seen in  my life..I wanted to show these to Janice Zaltman.  Janice...Do you see them?? Most Delicious... 08/06/2015

  My wonderful husband picked another batch of figs for us to can tonight..Just got through.They are not as stiff as the batch we did last week. They are so easy to do and our grandchildren just love them on hot buttered toast. It is a "Family thing" and everyone gets into the process of picking, cleaning, chopping and adding the sugar and lemon.. Fun day..     08/05/2015

Today is a wonderful Saturday and Jimmy and I are taking off to spend time with our Grandchildren.  WE usually work 24/7 and we think we need a break.  First thing we had to do was to go to Walmart and buy the School Supplies and other items needed for the start of the School Year. (Must say we dropped a bundle for 3 of them)  Lots of fun to say "if you need it , get it"..) Lunch in...and then to the beach.  AFter the beach, we will come back to house and rest for a bit and then off to Putt-putt! Then a few movies in the evening...and that will complete a festive exacting day with the grandchildren. Hope you are enjoying yours too.Ginger of Southport  08/01/2015

 Hi All,Need your help desperately.  I have a strong buyer who wants to buy a Manufactured home on 5Acres of land and I am having a hard time getting a lender to loan him the money.  Do you have any experience in a situation like this.  He is a young, first time buyer who is a very hard worker and can certainly make the payment. BBandT are a possibility but I have also heard of a USAA.  I do not have any knowledge of it. So help if you can, Ginger Harper of Southport NC~Coldwell Banker SEa Coast realty.800-346-7671gingerharper@seacoastrealty.com 08/01/2015

 Hi All!Checking on some different ideas  and wondering how to get Linking points in Active Rain.  I have worked on this for an hour or so with no success. I must be doing something wrong. I know that some of you are laughing at this old dog learning new tricks.  But at least I amwilling to learn. Always trying to learn something new.  That keeps it exciting.. With warm regards, Ginger Willis Harper 08/01/2015

 WEDNEDAY!  Hump Day!  Today is another great day. Started out with a clear, sunshiny morning drinking coffee with hubby then off to work.Yesterday, a potential seller called me to come back  to list her property.  So I put a listing into the computer and emailed it out to all of the agents in the area so that would have the first hand information of the property. I think it is important to get the newest listings into the hands of the top producers early in the morning. Never know when that buyer will come through the door..and what you sent to them is exactly what they need.   This may be the one..Hope that you have had a successful selling day too..Ginger of Southport 07/29/2015

There is only one APP that means that much to me and that APP is the HotSpot App that is on my  Galaxy 5 Samsung Phone. I learned of this App this past Spring, when traveling with my Brothers to see an elderly Uncle in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  I knew that I had some work to do on the computer and thought that it would be so "cool" to be able to get on the computer and do a listing contract for a seller.  In talking with my techy Brothers, they asked if I had a HotSpot...I replied that I did not know.  They look at the phone and informed me that I REALLY DO! Therefore, they got it all set up for me to be able to do my work while going down the Highway at 75 MPH.  I was able to check in on the family, read my emails, respond back to folks that needed my response right away.. I thought I... 07/29/2015

 At this moment, my husband is in the neighbors yard, (at Neighbor's request) picking figs so that we can do some fig preserve canning tonight.Wow...am I excited!Worked all day. Two listing appointments and now home to can.  Do you realize the work that goes into the canning process?Actually, I love it and we do enjoy doing this together. Wish I could share them with you.Ginger  of Southport  07/28/2015

 To all  of my Active Rain friends...I have been trying so hard for the past 3 months to get some answers regarding leads and how to get them.It is hard to know where to spend your money and do the right thing.Home.com is one of the places that I am trying to get set up with to receive leads on my listings.I am also trying to do this with:  Realtor.comListhub.comtrulia.comzillow.comcoldwellbanker.comto name a few. Would love it if you could offer any suggestions. Ginger of Southport  07/23/2015

 I wanted to run this by you all  to see how you feel about it. An agent in our area, is having Open Houses and this is how it works. He will have 4 houses Open and the requirement is that you go into the houses with your lock box and leave your card on the counter. This Open house will go on for 4 hours.....say from 10 to 2.  After that time, he will  draw 4 cards from the agents that went to preview the house and give away $100, $50, and 4 $25 gift cards. Would that go well in your area? It is working here.. Ginger of Southport 07/21/2015

The Front Porch.  Tomorrw there will be at least 50 people enjoying the Entertainment and the Food.There is NOTHING like the 4th of July in Southport NC.The waterfront...Our view from the porch.. Naturalization Ceremony in Southport on the Waterfront. Our Home Decked out for the 4th of July.  This is also Big Jim's home in"Under the Dome".... Looking out from the Front Porch.. The festivities have started.There are bands playing on the waterfront..as we speak.  They are bands from all over.Have you ever heard of the Embers?  They will be here for the fireworks on the 4th.The park is set up with crafts from all over.  They folks are showing their finest.  You can get some really great buys in the park.Wish you were here...come if you can.Ginger of Southport 07/03/2015