A Personal Note

One of my favorite sayings is, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." and I say it a lot lately. You know I decided to leave the franchise I was with and I made the change, carefully, and prayerfully. I choose to hang my license with a company rather than start my own, because I am a great agent, but I am not interested in the day to day business of running a firm. I find it paradoxically deadly dull or terrifying, always one or the other. 4 Seasons Homes and Land, Inc, a small local upstart, with super talent is a good fit for me with my renegade marketing ideas.

The sheer work of changing firms bogged me down for much of March, taking care of my current listings (of which every single one made the move with me - thank you for the vote of confidence). I didn't take on any new business, but in April my market started selling, and so I've been working as hard and as fast as possible for weeks on end, but it's exciting! I've increased my business, which means properties I've listed are selling and I have buyers and together we're riding this comeback wave. This spring I'm taking on a few new listings.

Is this really a comeback? That remains to be seen, and I'll tell you the prices are staying low. More properties are selling, but they're selling for less than they have in the twelve years I've been in the business. But as people press in to grab up the bargains, the tide will rise, and so will the prices. The real estate market is always driven by supply and demand.

But I said this was personal, so let me digress,this business allows me the opportunity to create a win-win. Twice this week I've sat at the closing table and gotten huge Thank Yous from my buyers and from my sellers and the closing attorney and let me tell you - when I have smiles all around the closing table, that makes it all worthwhile. Taking things from contract to closing is harder now than ever, I have Joe Stumpf's list, with 88 problems that might arise during the closing process and the last four problems I've had aren't on his list. So working for that pay check, the one that might or might not be coming makes the payoff in dollars and cents less attractive than ever. Realtors who came into the business with a pure profit motive have gotten out. I believe you've got to love this business to be successful at it. I help people to sell property that isn't working for them anymore and I help people find a place to call, home.

I was fortunate to work for The Real Estate Book for nearly 3 years during the transition period when the market was so unstable and I learned a few things besides how to take a good real estate picture. I learned how to showcase listings in print and online, I learned how to market property far and beyond the MLS. I met nearly every single Realtor in Polk and Rutherford Counties and drafted marketing material and wrote ad copy for quite a few. This was invaluable experience, and as the print ad business began to dwindle I dipped my toes back into real estate and rediscovering how much I love the business. This year, finding my passion and creative energy at an all time high, I have immersed myself whole heartily.

Anyone who knows me knows I tend to stay busy. I get up early and get creative, it's 7:30 on a Saturday morning and I've been up a couple of hours. But I'm playing, and I am living the good life. Yesterday morning I grabbed the Ladybug 2,000 (my new Sport Vacuum cleaner with the shoulder strap) and ran up on the mountain to spiff up a cabin for a showing. While I was there I put up one of my new signs, set the heat pump to 85º, spiffed up the cards agents have left on the counters, left some brand new flyers on the counter and made sure we were ready to show. It was fun, being out on the mountain early in the morning, seeing the wild blueberry bushes that are sprouting all around the tree where my sign is. What fun! Then I rushed home to put together my closing package and to burn Transaction CD's for my buyer and my seller and my office, then I went to town to close, by the office to take my closing packages in, and left there for a little shopping. Came home in time to build most of a CMA and met clients on Cherry Mountain at 6. I visited with them until 10 then came home and fell into bed happy as can be. Today, I don't have to work this morning, but I want to! This weekend I am answering the office phones and so I'm spending some time on this chilly morning blogging, listening to some great training videos, and catching up with the work left on my desk. I am enjoying every day, very much, Namaste and wow  -- God is good.

That's it for now, it's a beautiful day here in Golden Valley, I'm having a good time and I hope you are, too.