Ozaukee & Washington County Real Estate

Dear Mrs. Buyer,

I received your voicemail the other day that you and your husband wanted to buy a house in Ozaukee County. You said you found me on the internet, liked my bio, and were excited to work with me! You left your number, saying you looked forward to hearing from me. I was out and about putting up some "open Sunday" signs and thought it'd be best to call you when I got back to the office -- much easier than trying to talk while driving.

About 20 minutes later, I called the number you left but got your voicemail. I left a message letting you know I would be happy to help you and your husband. I didn't hear back so I tried you again the next day. Left another message and, after not hearing back again, made a third attempt to connect. Still nothing.

So I'm just curious -- what happened?? Did you find another agent in the 20 mintues between you leaving a message and me calling you back? Did I not return your call fast enough? Were you teasing me?

I admit, I got a little giddy when I got your message. You see I've set some pretty ambitious goals for myself this year, and receiving a message like yours the second week of the year -- well I just couldn't help but get a little excited!

I guess I would have just appreciated you taking the time to call me back and let me know what happened. Or you can send me a message. My email address is as easy to find as my bio is.

I certainly hope everything is okay and wish you and your husband well in your home search. And if you still want to work with me, I'd welcome the opportunity. But please call only if you really want to work with me. It's just not nice to tease.

With today being a legal holiday, our office is closed.

Nonetheless, I made the decision to come in and get some work done. I seem to be more productive when I'm at the office versus working at home, and with us being closed, I knew the interruptions would be minimal.

I think I got here around 9:00, and the phones have been going CRAZY!! Four hours of steady calls. Sweet way to start the new year and the sort of interruption I would take any day.

Seems there is a renewed sense of optimism this year -- a feeling that things are going to make a turn for the better.

I'm glad I decided to work from the closed office today.  I was able to finish up my 2012 business plan, make some calls to a few sellers, send market updates to a couple other sellers, and update my 2012 budget. Quite a productive day.

And the sound of a ringing phone can do amazing things for one's attitude and optimism. Here's to an outstanding 2012 -- for all of us! 

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.

It's Friday and I decided to start my day at Starbucks. Brought my laptop with me to get some work done before heading into the office where things can get a little hectic.

While I don't frequent this place as much as I used to or would like to, apparently I'm here enough for the employees to greet me by name as I enter the door and prepare my drink without having to ask what I'll have. That kind of service never gets old.

What made today's visit even sweeter was having the barista hand me my usual chai tea one size larger than I typically get (and asked for today). "Just felt like making you a venti today."

Sweet!

And as I sit here reading through and writing some blog posts, I can't help but do it with a smile on my face. Providing service with a smile and a genuine "How are you today?" will always bring the customer back. It makes them feel special -- like they matter.

It's a reminder to me to provide service with a smile to all of the buyers and sellers I encounter in my day-to-day work. Doesn't matter what might be going on at home or in another transaction; everyone deserves to be treated like they're special and to know they matter.

Go surprise someone with a little extra chai today!

I was out on tour yesterday looking at some new listings with some colleagues when we stopped at a house listed by a co-broke. After walking through the house and hearing a little bit about it, conversation turned to how things were going in the world of real estate. And soon it turned into a discussion of some scams that are occurring in our area.

I've heard and read about mortgage fraud, forged documents, and outright dishonesty about pre-approvals. But because I like to believe I live and work in an area that is somehow exempt from these sorts of activities, I listened with my jaw dropped as this agent told us of two recent scams she found herself involved in. My colleagues and I were stunned -- how do we deal with these situations?

I'm not sure yet what the answer is to that question, but yesterday served as a reminder that while we are each other's competition, we are also each other's best allies.

The more we communicate and work with each other, the better we can protect our buyers, sellers and ourselves from falling victim to one of these scam artists. And the more likely we will succeed at putting these ruthless activities to rest.

I recently wrote a couple blog posts, What I Ask of My Buyers and What I Ask of My Sellers. Time to turn the table on me. Here's what I ask of myself --  my check list of what I owe my buyers and sellers.

Be Honest-- Tell the truth about the current market conditions. If your house is priced higher than the market can handle, I will tell you. I will provide you with the feedback we receive from private showings and open houses, whether it's positive or negative. If your expectations of what you want in a house is not in line with your budget, I will tell you. If you need to consider a house that's not as updated as you might like, I will tell you. If you need to consider other communities to better fit your budget, I will tell you.

Be Commited -- When I begin working with you, I am committed to getting you to the closing table. As long as you share that same goal, I will commit myself to working with you and making that happen.

Show Compassion -- In this market especially, there are tough stories to hear. Job loss, divorce, bankruptcy, unexpected medical bills...I have yet to "get used" to hearing your stories. It's my job to help you through these difficult times, to listen and to show support.

Don't Judge -- Do. not. judge. This goes along with "show compassion." It's not for me or anyone else to pass judgment on why things are the way they are. It's my job to work through those and help you move on to the next chapter in your life.

Be Patient -- We're a few years into this buyer's market, but it is still difficult to swallow the effect this has had on a home's value, especially when it's your home. Sometimes it takes a little time to accept that. Sometimes it takes a while to understand the importance of pricing a house compellingly to get it sold. I'm willing to stick with you and help you sift through the statistics, the feedback and the industry reports to get you the best price we can in this or any market.

For buyers, the choices can be overwhelming. You don't know until you actually start looking at houses how overwhelming the process can be. I understand. And I will be there to answer your questions, to show you the houses you want to see, and to help you each step of the way once an offer is written.

Keep You Informed -- I will keep you informed of current market conditions, of new listings, of homes that have sold, of changes in financing requirements, of interest rates. I'll let you know of inquiries we receive on your home and of feedback we receive. Communication is key.

I guess you could call this my pledge to you. My reputation is on the line with every buyer and seller I work with, and so I do everything I can to help you reach your goal of buying or selling. Together we can do this. Working as a team, in any market, we will see each other at the closing table.

Sometimes it's best to just forget about it.

Forget about the challenging home inspection. Forget about the low-ball offers. Forget about the whining co-workers. Forget about the failed well test. Forget about the seemingly endless "The buyers really liked the house but they decided to write on something else" comments.

Forget about the seller's pressures to "Bring me an offer!" Forget about the buyer picking apart the living room wall paint color and the kitchen cabinet handles. Forget about the expired listing. Forget about the feelings of failure. Forget about the frustration. Forget about the negative economic reports.

Forget about the pile of bills. Forget about the IOUs. Forget about the car with 175,000+ miles on it that keeps making that weird noise. Forget about the pressure you inflict upon yourself. Forget about the pressure others are putting on you.

For just awhile, forget about all of it.

Take some time -- a couple hours or a day -- to just relax and enjoy the scenery. Recharge yourself. Remember and focus on the good things. Know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Know you are doing the best job you can do. Know all will be alright.

So here we are. December 31. The end of another year.

I've been reading countless reflections and resolutions throughout the day on Facebook and in other blogs. And now I can't help but look back over the past twelve months and think about how far I've come. Or not.

I remember being fired up a year ago about 2010. It was the year I was going to get myself out from under a pile of debt, move to a place I wanted to call home, reach a level of sales production I had never reached before, and take a couple trips I had been wanting to take. I get a rock in my gut when I realize I didn't achieve any of those goals. And I have to ask myself why. Why was my overall sales production so "off?" Why am I still living in a place that isn't home to me? What have I learned?

1. Walk away from a seller who wants to list their house higher than the market can handle. It is simply not worth the time and effort.
2. Walk away from the buyer who will not meet with a lender and get a pre-approval letter. If they aren't willing to talk to someone and find out exactly how much they can afford, how serious are they?
3. Walk away from the buyer who chooses to, time and time again, write low-ball offers. I understand some buyers want to try and low-ball on a property. But if this strategy continues regardless of how many times they lose out on a property to another buyer, it sends me the message that they are not serious about buying and it is time for me to move on.
4. Walk away from anyone who is negative or blames others for the situation they are in. We all have our moments of needing to vent, but if that negativity becomes the norm for someone, it tends to "rub off."
5. Walk away from anyone who complains and complains and complains and chooses not to take any steps to make a change. I really do believe we are all ultimately responsible for where we are in our lives. If you're not happy, do something about it.
6. Stay focused on the goals. Even if you can't see how a goal could ever be achieved, trust that the "how" will be shown to you in some way. There is always a way.
7. Have faith.
8. Stay hopeful.
9. Don't EVER listen to anyone who tells you your goals are too ambitious. You know what you want and what is important to you. Go for it. 
10. Believe. Believe that you deserve all that you want.

Here's to a new year, new opportunities, and a list of achievements to look back on one year from today. Bring on 2011!

I'm not sure what to say about this video clip, except Enjoy. For a few minutes, forget about the stress, the bills, the economy -- and just smile.