More than Meets the Eye on TMOM!

The following is a blog just posted on TriadMomsonMain.com... enjoy!

Growing up I had several friends whose moms didn’t “work." Back then that meant that they didn’t work a public job. I remember thinking of my own mom and the hours she pulled teaching, working towards her graduate degree, often working part-time jobs on weekends - all the while shuttling my brother and me everywhere, fixing supper every night, etc. I would automatically think of these stay-at-home moms and snort derisively, thinking it must be nice to be so privileged. Even once I finished school, I still looked at SAHMs and marveled at such a calm, peaceful existence.

This went on for years. Then I had my first child.

After six weeks at home with my precious, perfect, beautiful son, I was ready to go back to WORK just so I could RELAX! Diapers, bibs, blankets, Babywise… I was exhausted! I thought I’d be able to “sleep when the baby sleeps,” but had I done that, when would the diapers be laundered? Who would wash the pump parts? Who would make sure the burp cloth matched the bib which had to match the blanket?

I’m getting carried away here, but my point is that there is A LOT more to being a SAHM than meets the eye. The same could be said of being a Realtor. My mom (the same multi-tasking, job juggling, on-the-go-dynamo mentioned above) worked for me a while back as my assistant. After just a few hours at work with me, she was blown away by what all goes into this business. If I am at lunch with a friend, she will comment that my phone dings, rings, and beeps every 10 seconds. When my children are in bed and my husband wants to tell me about something interesting that happened that day, he usually has to wait until I “call one more client” or send “just one more email”.

Just as a SAHM sleeps in, has a contented child who independently plays all day, and chats with friends while doing her nails, Realtors drive fancy cars everywhere, stick pretty signs in yards, and smugly wait for the offers to start rolling in so they can count their money. WRONG!

My day can go anywhere from breaking someone’s heart by telling them a deal is dead, to cleaning a toilet in a home that has been left vacant too long. I start every day with a to-do list, but rarely does my day go according to plan. Imagine walking out the door with your daughter, all dolled up for church in her pretty dress and matching tights, and then… well… poop. Literally. It’s sort of the same thing in mine and Lisa’s worlds. It’s 10 am, I’m congratulating myself on having already returned four phone calls, put out signs for my upcoming open house (and cleaned the counters and swept the stoop…), carried on contract negotiations on two homes via text, when SPLAT… a neighbor calls to tell me that water is seeping under the garage door of a home owned by some clients who are on vacation and unreachable. YIKES.

Make no mistake, I love my career and know that Lisa feels the same way. But, just as SAHMs don’t sit around all day watching soap operas, we don’t just daydream that a home will sell or a customer will find the perfect home. We agonize, strategize, and categorize constantly.

One of my goals for this year is to make my clients more aware of what I do daily. Oftentimes I assume my clients know that I am working hard for them. But if you don’t see us working first-hand, we can’t expect you to know! You hire us to do a job because you trust us, but we must make a better effort to communicate to you just how hard we are trying. I have lost sleep worrying about my son’s happiness and my daughter’s health, but I have also lost sleep brainstorming ways to work out a seemingly impossible real estate situation. It isn’t a 9-5 job by any means. This is probably why some of the best agents I know were once SAHMs!

Ultimately, I truly believe real estate is a calling. We get so involved in our client’s lives, from family to finances to faith, that it can seem overwhelming at times. There are moments when, just as I often did those first few weeks after both my children were born (and still do, occasionally!), I simply have to step outside, take a deep breath, and thank God for the chaos. Truly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ultimately... None of that Matters!

Lisa and I recently had a wonderful Clemmons home go under contract. Without going into specifics, I'll just say that the contract price is significantly lower than what we expected. Even now, I can't quite grasp how it is selling for what it is. It's just defying the supposed data and market trends.

So why did the sellers take the offer?  When I first saw the offer, it was even hard for me, as the professional, to be objective. I thought "yeah, right"!  I had gotten word from another agent that an additional offer was coming, so we were confident we could wait for that one and it would be much better. The next day it came in, and it was within striking distance of the first one. What???  Then, I got a verbal offer from an out of area agent. I usually don't even listen to verbals but was thinking someone would have to throw us a bone. Guess what?  It was between the first two!

My point in saying all of this is that we can analyze, strategize, and categorize all we want, but BUYERS determine value. You must work with your Realtor to determine the most beneficial market value and aggressively market, but honestly, you are still at the mercy of the market.

So why do I use a Realtor if they aren't even right???". Mr. Consumer, I hear ya I hear ya... that's a different post, but how many unrepresented sellers do you know in this market getting three offers in one week??

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...