Ozaukee & Washington County Real Estate: December 2011

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say 2011 cannot be done soon enough.

What I thought was going to be my "turnaround year," actually ended up being days and months trickling with doubt, anxiety, and fear. I look back and wonder how I got through it knowing full well the hardships aren't over yet. I woke up this morning feeling like someone was sitting on my chest -- when will the worrying end? I've asked myself before and ask again if it is time to give up this career and take a 9-5 job I may not really enjoy but that provides a steady paycheck and health insurance.

Fast forward a couple of hours, and I'm standing in front of the frozen hash brown potato case at the grocery store. As I try to manipulate my cart so another shopper can get by me, I turn to see a past customer looking back at me. I think she was as surprised to see me as I her, and after exchanging our "hellos," she asked if my ears had been ringing. She planned to call me next week. She and her husband are getting divorced. She wants to talk about her options.

I don't know a word to describe fully the shock I felt at hearing her news. I loved working with this family -- they were kind, fun, thoughtful -- I envied the life they had. How could this be??

And I realized again as I have before, that I tend to get emotionally involved -- perhaps more than I should --  with my buyers and sellers. I can't help it. I just do. My job is more than just unlocking doors and pointing out this and that about a house. It's more than filling out contracts and a multitude of other paperwork. It's about helping people move on to the next chapter in their lives. And in order to do that, we get to know about the marriages, the divorces, the new baby, the new job, the job loss, the illnesses, and the deaths. More often than not friendships form.

Running into my past customer this morning reminded me that every one of us, as they say, is carrying some sort of burden. It also seemed to be a sign that, at least for now, I am to continue on this path of selling houses. 

Life happens, and it's really, really hard sometimes. But if part of my work involves helping ease that journey for others, I'd say I have a pretty good job.

It's always this time of year that we seem to get unusually sentimental. Perhaps it's the Christmas carols. Perhaps it's the memories of Christmases past. Perhaps it's the reflecting on the year that is almost behind us.

For me, I always think back over the buyers and sellers I've met -- not only this year, but each year that I've been in real estate. They are the lifeline of my business.

Every day I am grateful for them -- no matter the current market conditions. I say "thank you" for sticking with me, especially during these tough times. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your referrals -- they really are the best compliment I can receive.

I'm ready for another year and expect 2012 to be the best year yet. Your continued support and referrals are appreciated and valued.

Blessings to each of you in the new year ahead.

I don't think you can exist in this world today and not have at least somewhat of an idea of what social media is even if you don't use it in your everyday life. And I don't think you can be in the real estate business -- or any business for that matter -- and not have it as part of your overall marketing plan.

Today I was reminded yet again just how powerful it is and what a benefit it can be.

In the past 24 hours, I've had a great business plan template emailed to me from a fellow CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) member via LinkedIn. She posted a message and offer to share her plan via the CRS LinkedIn group I joined months ago. She gave me some much needed motivation to sit down and really think about my goals for the coming year and to get it down on paper. Time to hold myself accountable for my real estate business.

I also received some direction from a fellow ActiveRainer on direct marketing and ideas for a simple, yet effective monthly postcard program. You can't interact with this individual and not feel enthused.

Over the past couple of years, I've connected with lenders, real estate agents from my market area but also market areas around the country, home inspectors, past co-workers, and childhood acquaintances and friends. They are now all aware of what I do for a living, and hopefully we can exchange some referrals down the road.

But in recent weeks, I've also seen the not-so-good side of social media. I've seen some inappropriate posts left on Facebook by some professionals whose services I've referred out and local businesses I've patronized.

You hear it all the time -- be careful what you put out there. Watch the language and the tone. Think about how what you write could be misinterpreted by the reader. Think about how it could taint your reputation.

Sometimes I wonder if any of us really understand how far the internet stretches -- how many people now know about us. Once it's out there -- it's out there.

Use social media as part of your business plan. Benefit from it. Learn from it. But perhaps keep the angry commentary, the colorful language, and the sarcasm as a part of private conversation instead.

You found the house. It's perfect. It has the number of bedrooms you need and the updated bathrooms you were looking for. It's the perfect location in the neighborhood you most wanted to be in. So let's go take a look!

Whoa!!! Not so fast. Have you talked to a lender yet? Do you have that pre-approval letter?

If the answer is "no," there's no need to go look at that or any house just yet. Here are the reasons why.

In today's market -- and even in any market -- a seller will likely not even look at an offer unless they know you've talked to a lender and are qualified to purchase their home.

There are different loan options available. How much of a down payment will you need? Will the type of loan you qualify for allow for repairs to be made after closing? 

You could fall in love with a house you can't afford. Wouldn't it be better to know before you start looking what your price point is rather than get emotionally attached to the perfect house and then find out it's out of your price point?

It could send a red flag to your Realtor® if you opt not to get pre-approved. I'm pretty sure I've lost a couple buyers along the way because I asked that they get pre-approved before we start the search. If they refuse, I tend to wonder how serious they are about their home search. Is there a reason they think they may not get pre-approved?

Getting pre-approved is part of the overall home-buying process; it's something every buyer who is going to finance their home is going to have to complete. And it's to everyone's benefit -- most importantly your's -- to make it the first step.