Preparing for the Year to Come

Trying to be a successful real estate agent, you are faced with many circumstances out of your control.  We are all taught the harder you work, the more successful you will become.  Coming up in the corporate world, this appeared to be true.  Real estate is quite a different animal in the respect that you have to work extremely hard for several years before you even start reaping the rewards.  And when I say work hard, I mean every day.  It would help if the economy, something I have no control over, would cooperate!  In the beginning of my career as an agent, and even to this day, it is sometimes hard to stay positive during the down times when I am not doing as much business as I would like.  But in this business, you have to stay focused and positive and keep at it no matter what, and in the end it will pay off. 
Christmas and the New Year holidays are fast approaching and as a real estate agent in coastal North Carolina, this time of year signals a slow down in real estate sales which usually lasts until at minimum the end of March.  These times used to be so very hard for me to take.  I'd question my ability as an agent and my career choice, but once the season started up again, I fell was back in the ring and understood why I enjoy selling real estate and helping people so much.  So now that I have become a more experienced agent, I use this time to prepare myself for the New Year; take aim at what I want to accomplish and put a plan in place to achieve my goals in helping buyers and sellers achieve theirs.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and see you in 2014    

Purchase Process Should Be Positive

In my opinion, home ownership is very important and a great source of pride and joy.  Because it is such a wonderful thing, as a real estate agent I believe the purchase process needs to be a positive experience as well - sort of like a prelude of good things to come.  This is not always possible as the purchase process has become somewhat complicated with demanding lenders, confusing paperwork and sometimes difficult negotiations.  What I try to do is take one step at a time and without drama handle each issue and solve each crisis as it presents itself.  It also helps to prepare buyers and sellers for what to expect, and things to consider when dealing with issues to keep them from turning into larger, stressful problems.  Purchasing a home is a collaboration of sorts, between people working toward the same goal (for different reasons) and if you are smart and remain realistic about what is important, it should be a successful, stress-free, positive experience and good start to the next chapter of your life.

Home Trends to Get Bolder in 2014

Home Trends to Get Bolder in 2014 

Real Estate Agents Bring A Lot To The Table

The internet has changed the way business we business, and in fact has made many jobs obsolete.  With the abundance of real estate information available online, one would expect the need for real estate agents to dwindle but actually the opposite has occurred.  The number of agents was definitely diminished by the crash in the market, but according to the National Association of Realtors, 89% of buyers retained an agent in 2012, up from 69% in 2001; On the seller side, just 9% sold a home without using an agent, down from 20% in 1987.  There are some good reasons why real estate brokers still exist.  

 

Generally speaking, REALTORS* bring a lot to the table. They bring their knowledge, but maybe more importantly, they bring their insight and experience.  Since the crash in the real estate market, not only have lenders tightened their standards, but real estate transactions have gotten much more complicated and continue to do so.  Agents can match you up with local lenders who have successfully worked through circumstances similar to yours.  They can negotiate tricky contracts and will guide you through the real estate transaction, all the while looking out for your interests and making it as stress-free as possible.

They also have special insight into neighborhoods and specific communities that you cannot get from a website and can introduce some options that you would not have known existed had you not been working with an agent.  For example, a buyer I worked with was looking for a vacation home and asked to see available homes in a particular neighborhood.  After listening to what his wants were and getting to know him better, I finally got him to look at a home in a different community that I thought might be a better fit.  I was pretty sure he would love the community and I knew that one home in particular, had a great floor plan.  I finally got him to agree to see it, and he and his wife purchased that home and are extremely happy with their choice.

Another buyer was sure he could find a home and navigate the real estate process on his own and really just wanted me to get him into the houses he had chosen.  Again, after listening to him and getting to know what he was looking for, I showed him some options that he did not know existed, but really fell in love with.

In closing, do not under estimate the importance of a real estate agent and what they bring to the table.  Do your homework on the internet and be as familiar with your target market as possible. Then find an agent that you can work with and commit to them.  They will surely be committed to you and will positively impact your real estate experience.

A Thanksgiving Tradition That Lasts All Year

Do you have special Thanksgiving traditions that you save up and perform on that day?  My husband kind of started one a few years ago.  Before partaking in the Thanksgiving feast, we go around the table and each say why we are thankful for one another.  The first time my husband did it, he said he was thankful for my mother!!!  The family was in shock!  My mother and I started to cry!  You see my husband is kind of a prankster and always joking, so no one expected something so sweet to come out of his mouth.   It's amazing how such a small show of love and appreciation can have such an impact.  I don't think any of us will ever forget that day.

If you'd like to do something on Thanksgiving Day to make it even more special, you don't have to wait until that day to prepare.  Begin the tradition any time you think of it and carry it on throughout the year...Read more.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Creative Ideas for Updating Your Kitchen

If you're like me, every once in awhile I get the urge to redo something in my house either by doing something simple like rearranging furniture or painting a new color on my walls, to something more drastic like a remodel.  My kitchen has been on my mind for some time as my cabinets need some attention and the hardware should be replaced.  My kitchen table and chairs are quite old, and while I still love them, it might be time to rethink the entire layout of my kitchen and also my dining room - maybe combine them...or something to make it more efficient while ensuring it remains a comfortable space that fits the style of my home.  This article on creative ways to refresh and modernize the kitchen is a good starting point no matter what style kitchen you have.  Continue reading

Tips for Downsizing to a Smaller Home

There are many reasons why people choose to downsize.  Maintaining a larger home is a lot of work, can be costly, and requires more furniture and "stuff".  Sometimes it's hard to part with those things that we lovingly purchased and collected.  But if you think of it in a positive light, it can be a good thing.


When I moved from my larger home in New York to my "retirement" home (do I look retired?) on the coast of Brunswick County, North Carolina, I had only seen my house once before making an offer to purchase it.  The first time I saw my new home as its new owner, I cried!  I was afraid my king size bed and bedroom furniture that I loved would not fit in the master bedroom.   As it was, I had put a substantial amount of furniture in storage and there was still furniture everywhere.  I went to Lowes Home Improvement store and purchased a book "smaller spaces" and realized that although in New York, I had a wonderful great room that spanned the width of my home - great for company I thought - the reality was that we rarely used the entire room.   So maybe moving to a smaller, cozier space would not be so bad and would actually be a more efficient use of space...  Read more