GMAIL and Real Estate

This morning Gmail has announced that they are updating, streamlining and just plain making gmail better so we can work more effeciently. I have used gmail since the beginning before most people even knew what google was. As I got into the real estate business in 2004 I had a lot of people tell me that to be more professional I should use an address that fit my company name or indicated I was in real estate such as leanntherealtor@abcrealty.com but I thought why would I want to do that. To me it just didn't make sense. It's like making business cards and handing them out to thousands of people then changing your phone number or address. If I ever left this abcrealty company this email would no longer be something I would be able to use and changing any of your information when you move to a different brokerage is going to cost you time and money. GET GMAIL!! I've had the same address and moved one time and never had to try and get my clientele to change my address, you know you are going to lost some contacts when you do this. Don't do it! Don't change your cell phone, don't change your email. My email has been investinutahtoday@gmail.com for some time and if I move it will stay the same. I think any gmail account can say your are professional and it will not seem to your clients that you aren't. The changes they are making will only benefit your business by keeping MORE organized and allowing you to find conversations and attachments more easily. They will always be cutting edge so I think in the future we will see more features that will help us in our business. Thanks Gmail for making my life easier everyday. I love YOU!

This is NOT the way it is supposed to be

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1024219334
This is the way it is in a lot of cities in the country and maybe the world. We all have to do something. This is not a government problem to solve, they are and will continue to only make a bad situation worse. We all have to step up, buckle down, and help our neighbor. I believe we can get through this if we rely on God and our own sweat. Hang on Friends!

Is Real Estate Picking Up?

This weekend is the St. George Parade of Homes, and we have been seeing a lot of activity leading up to it. Investors are coming into town and seeing the good deals out there. A lot of activity on the office REO bus. Newscast have even been featuring that bus and people are calling wanting to get in on the deals. I have been trying to let my clients know that right now it the time to get off the fence and make the offers. We will not see pricing like this again and it won't be long in my opinion before they start to go up again. Besides interest rates are fantastic right now, when we will see under 5% - who knows! But we are seeing it today for sure and that is not something you have to guess; it is real! 2009 is going to be a great year for purchasing that first home, for buying income producing property, or to move up into your dream home. I would love to help. Call me for market information, home pricing, and you can link to the Washington County MLS through my website: leannwalters.yourkwagent.com

Renter Update

Finally got a call from the renters. They are in California, the woman's mother had had a stroke. By the time I got the call notifying me why the rent had not been paid (what a coincidence that the stroke and payday happened on the same day) it was the 9th and she said the mom was getting better, should be home in a couple of days, and they would be back here in a couple of days too. Now, it has been 4 days more and I have a sneaking hunch that the rent money is gone. SO, it is a couple of weeks before Christmas and I'm really thinking eviction is the thing to do. Oh, and I found out when I called his work looking for them that he'd been laid off a couple of days before payday. One thing I do know is I have better things to do. So management company is sounding better all the time.

Sunday and Renters

On Friday (yes the 5th) it was payday for some people. My renters for example get paid on the 5th and the 20th. Now, I would really like to know if anyone else out there has this kind of a problem and have you decided yet that it is time to turn your property over to a management company so the frustration will be gone. Yes, it would cost a little more, but this is really getting to me. So anyway, on the 5th, friday, I went over to collect the rent and my tenants car was not home. I thought they must just be at town, cashing their check (they always pay cash). Later, still no car. Saturday, still no car and no one home. I'm getting upset that they have maybe gone to Mesquite or something and are spending the rent money! Saturday night I put a For Sale sign on the front yard, 'cause if I sell the place I could put that money into a little bigger nicer place. (the rental is paid for) Anyway, here it is Sunday night and they are still not home. SO, instead of mad, now I'm getting worried. It just is crazy.

Today I went to church and had a wonderful experience listening to others talk about their gratitude for all the blessings of life. Doesn't matter how tough things are there is always something to be grateful for. I love the saying "be kind to all you meet, for everyone is fighting some kind of battle." We are in this together. This economy is tough, but we still live in the best country with still so much opportunity. If we look around and show thanks for what we have I believe that the Lord will make sure we have enough. He is waiting for us to have complete trust
in Him. Let down the guard and the defense and let Him in.

Business Plan

Just spent the morning with Dave Jenks from the Keller Williams. He was in St. George and gave about 40 agents a class on putting together our 2009 business plan. It was an awesome insight for me. Yes, I've heard before about how to write a BP, but the KW method just put a whole new light on it. It is really truly focused on "vision" not just numbers. I am able to see it and write it now and make it personal and make it a challenge and fun, not dragging and kicking all the way to the lead generation hour that I used to hate. I think when I can see it broken down like we did today and see that it is really my own creation it will put a whole new light on my success for the coming year. It is going to be a good year.

UPDATE

I just spent a few minutes with a client who walked into the Coral Springs office. She is looking for a second home and investment property. They are here from Salt Lake. I talked to her about the advantages of buying in this market and she had a lot of gloom and doom (things she'd heard) - oh and her mother had a condo in Bloomington Hills that she couldn't give away. I asked if the condo in question was on the market and she said no, so I asked is she trying to sell it on her own as a FSBO? No, she really hadn't tried selling it for a couple of years now. SO, I just get the feeling that sometimes people are just talking and repeating things they've heard someone else say 'cause they don't have an opinion of their own. Sometimes I do the same, but I try to keep it zipped if I know I don't know. This is a good market! St. George is THE place to buy right now, and there are just as many articles out there to back that as there are negative ones. The people that are not ready to buy are going to have the awful stories to fall back on and use as excuses, and in a few years they will kick themselves when they say "if only we had bought back in 2008!" it is going to come back around and I'm going to do what I can to take advantage NOW, not later!