A new look for the new year!

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed!

Per Jill Schlesinger, Editor-at-Large, CBSMoneyWatch.com,

"I think if you are in the market to find a house and you can qualify for a 30 year mortgage at 4%, Go Get 'Em!

It is a great time to buy a house!

If you are selling, I wouldn't wait for a great improvement. I would bang that house out and move on."

"I Got More Offers than the Agent"

I was talking with a prospective customer the other day about a home he is currently trying to prepare for the market. He was very frustrated with his last Realtor experience and commented that he had gotten more showings and offers when he had it for sale by owner then he did when he had it listed. He then went on to say that it still hadn't sold. I asked, if he had so many offers, why he still had it. His response was that none of the folks offering could get financing.

So, my question to you is... Are you better off listing with an agent and having limited showings OR would you rather handle the marketing yourself, open it for constant showings, and negotiate offers that have no merit because the folks can't afford the house in the first place? Hmmm..... sounds like an easy decision to me!

Why Spending $$ is Sometimes the Best Way to Save $$

Yet another great post from KCMBlog on why you need to hire a professional. You may think it's costing you money, but there are so many instances I personally know of where it has SAVED people money!
Click here for more.

Blessed

I have been (trying to) finish up some packaging of some Christmas surprises for my first time buyers (and some sellers!) this year as I have been here at Warren's Gate today... WOW. Lisa and I have been really blessed this year. When we first partnered up in January, we set a goal for ourselves as a team. Even in this down market, we have surpassed that goal. I am not saying that to brag but because I am so truly thankful to my past and present clients, customers, service providers, and fellow agents... without you, and the challenges (some good, some bad!) you bring to the table every day, I would not have a career that I literally LOVE. I am blessed. I get to interact and meet new people every day, I am never in the same old routine day after day, I help people achieve their dreams, I work with other people who truly love what they do (believe me, if they don't... well, they don't last long!), and the possibilities are endless for where our business can go. If my children are sick, I can be with them. If my husband has a ballgame, I can be there. (That isn't to say I'm not carrying on 4 conversations with clients via text and email the whole game, but you get my point!). I have "easy" transactions and I have hard ones, but I learn something new every single day. I'm just blessed. Did I say that already? :-)

Lisa, you are the best. Thank you for enriching my business and my life with your smile, your work ethic, and your laughter (even if it is AT me instead of WITH me). You motivate me not just to work hard but to do it the right way and for the right reasons. My only regret is that we didn't find each other sooner.

So, how can YOU be blessed this year? Did you know rates are a full point lower than they were a year ago? This means you could potentially buy MORE home for the same amount of money you were thinking you would have to pay before you got cold feet due to the media critics. Sellers, did you know your home CAN sell, and even better, at a good price? It IS possible, if you take things in perspective and have your home in top notch shape. Remember, sometimes the blessings are not the dollars at the end of the stay but the enjoyment you got out of it at the end of the day.

Again, I am blessed. Just wanted to share...