I’m not supposed to say “Merry Christmas” anymore because it isn’t PC. I started to climb up on my high horse, but then realized, “Well, yeah. If we assume that to say “Merry Christmas!” means that I’m attempting to force the majority of humans into a Christian mold then they’re right and we should give it a rest.”
But what if we just accept the spirit of the thing, instead of thinking so much all of the time? But maybe that’s just easy for me to say, not really being a member of any organizational religion. I called up some of my non-Christian friends and asked them if they feel insulted or coerced or bad when somebody smiles and waves and wishes them a Merry Christmas (or Easter, or Valentine’s Day…………) Neither the Buddhist nor the Taoist nor the Jew nor the atheist nor the agnostic feel insulted at the words “Merry Christmas!” They accept the motivation and ignore the details. It’s sort of like if I was Swedish I could still enjoy the fireworks on the fourth of July, right?
Do you detect some week before Xmas punchiness? Yes, you do. I’m tired of the stress, I’m tired of the buying, I’m tired of planning, I’m tired of thinking about the money I’m spending, I’m tired of Carols and cards and thrice-accursed commercials. (I had already cursed Christmas commercials thrice by the end of October. No telling what the count is by now.) I’m tired of thinking about it and I’ll be glad when the day is over.
I’ve forgotten what Christmas is all about.
But wait a minute! When I was a kid I started counting on December 26th. “365 days until Christmas.” Seriously – I always knew exactly how many days it was until next Christmas. So what the heck? I’d better figure it out before the ghosts come and take me on some strange trips.
(I know exactly what happened, actually. I blame Christmas for things that aren’t its fault. Christmas didn’t create horrible memories – horrible people did. Chance did. Bad luck did. Crap happens and there’s a 1 in 12 chance that it will happen during The Season. If I insist on associating that song or that smell with this happening pretty soon I’ve ruined the whole thing. So then I overcompensate by buying too much stuff, trying to make up for the fact that I’d rather be in Belize.)
But what about the good memories? I’ve been on this planet for 52 Christmases. There’s gotta be something to get twinkly about, right? There’s gotta be a grin or two back there someplace! There are. I’ve just gotta pull my head out of my attitude and see it. There are lots more grins and giggles than there are icks. LOTS more. OK. Like what?
I love the idea of celebrating the birthday of one of the world’s great teachers, and I really love “Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards All.” I love the children’s Winter programs. They do crack me up, those poor little kids up there on the stage. I love the tree. I love the lights. I love to give sparkly presents. (I hate to wrap them, but they’re sure pretty when they’re done.) I love the feast, and I especially love that I now have help cooking it. I love people’s attitudes this time of year - we really are nicer, I think. I love seeing the “Feed The Hungry” bins overflowing. I love the excitement on the grandchildren’s faces when they come over and see a new present under the tree. I love Ralphie.
I believe that the great leaders of all religions taught the same thing: Be nice. Be good. Do your best. Keep your priorities straight. Love another. Take care of the weak and feed the hungry. Do the right thing. We are all brothers and sisters, and what hurts one of us hurts all of us. Respect the Earth. At its best, Christmas embodies these concepts and gives us a season for embracing them.
So there’s the secret. I have to quit concentrating on the things that are nails on a blackboard to me, and make room to see and appreciate the things that are special to this time of year.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
bizarre
It’s weird being human. Life itself is odd, and then we increase the lunacy by choosing a profession with a structure that is inherently bizarre.
We work a job where we often don’t get paid for our time and expertise. I think that every professional in the world should work on a commission basis, just like us. Lawyer? You don’t get paid if we don’t win. President? Not a penny until everybody has something nutritious to eat. Doctor? I’ll write a check when I’m healthy. Airline? Pound sand until I’m on the ground, on time, holding unbroken luggage. Think of the difference THAT would make in the world!
If we do manage to get paid, we get paid the same amount no matter if the deal goes along slicker than a greased pig or if it takes months of blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights. Sometimes I make $1,000 an hour, sometimes it’s more like 10 cents an hour.
We work a job where we have no idea when we get up in the morning what’s going to happen that day. A day with a clear calendar at 8 AM might see me writing 6 different offers, we might see 6 deals go south, or I might get a nap. There’s just no predicting.
If we work with a buyer, we usually expect to get paid by the opposing side, which is weird. To explain to a buyer how it could happen that they might get to write us a check (for taking good care of their best interests and probably getting them an awesome deal) is viewed as some sort of nasty betrayal. Truly bizarre!
And then, on top of being human and a REALTOR®, we decide to practice in Arizona - the Wild West and land of Article 26. Article 26 allows a licensee to write contracts. I seem to remember being told (back in the Dark Ages at pre-licensing school) that Arizona is the only state that does allow it. Can you imagine trying to work a deal where you had to wait for an attorney to write the offer and addendums and BINSR? I don’t even want to think about it – I needed a simple letter from an attorney 2 weeks ago and finally got my hands on it last Thursday. Being totally at their mercy would make me crazier.
Sometimes I think that being a REALTOR® is like herding cats (The buyer cat, the buyer cat’s agent cat, the seller cat, me usually as the seller’s agent cat, the lender cat, the underwriter cat, sometimes the asset manager cat, the title examiner cat, the home inspector cat, and the title officer cat who is also trying to herd everybody.) through a maze of thousands of carefully arranged dominos. I want the dominos all to fall precisely at the right time, but these damn cats keep getting their own ideas and it’s illegal and probably bad business to hit them.
Or, being a REALTOR® is like riding a roller coaster. Our income depends on the above dominos falling in an orderly and controlled fashion. This requires that so many other people do their job competently, but how and when they do that job is out of my control. If just one of those people drop the ball or discover a defect in the property or the title report I go from scooting along happily looking forward to a nap straight into crisis mode, in about point-2 seconds. (And yes, I do wave my hands in the air and scream, just like on a roller coaster. It’s great therapy, and the grandchildren find it to be eminently amusing. Try it sometime.)
What about when one of those cats is totally incompetent? Or to be kind, they’re perfectly competent in their own stomping grounds but today they aren’t there? What if that incompetent cat is the agent on the other side of the deal? AND what if in the midst of doing your job and selling the property you agreed to pay him half of the commission if he would bring you a buyer?
I got an offer from just such a guy.
He didn’t include the On-Site Wastewater treatment or the well addendum, both of which were necessary. When I included them with the Counter offer he got confused and twitterpated and defensive.
He did, however, include office-generated addendums that I had never seen, insisting that I disclose an alphabet soup made up of stuff that I have never heard of. When I countered with, “Sorry. We don’t need these stinkin’ addendums” (or something along those lines) he informed me with tears in his eyes that he wouldn’t get paid if they weren’t filled out to his Broker’s satisfaction. This paperwork is necessary and required in Brokerage Far Away. He counseled his buyer to refuse to sign my counter if we wouldn’t do his very important disclosures, which did not have an “I dunno.” option.
I talked to his Broker and beat him with my credentials and finally convinced him that we’re not hiding anything, we just honestly don’t know what those things are and I’m not going to allow my Seller to fill out a disclosure when I don’t know what it’s talking about. He relented and that’s all fine, but we wasted 12 days in the process and my Seller doesn’t have 12 days to waste.
In the normal world out there, we get to pick who we work with. Not REALTORS®. If an agent brings me an offer or my buyer falls with in love with a listing, I work with whatever agent I get. AND they get half of the money, whether they do a good job or whether they just keep running around lighting unnecessary fires that I have to put out. Strange.
For fans of the totally bizarre, what about the short sale that’s in escrow, ready to close, docs are being signed at title as we speak and the bank finalizes the foreclosure, literally 1 hour before the short sale would have recorded? AND then puts it back on the market for $30,000 less than they would have gotten from my buyers 6 weeks ago? Sheesh. Bizarre. And stupid, and makes me pull out and dust off my conspiracy theories in trying to make sense of it.
REALTORS® are a strange breed, to be able to deal with this sort of uncertainty. I think back on all of the agents that I’ve known in the past 24 years. I guess that 1 out of 100 are still active. Especially lately, it’s bizarre and it’s hard, this business of ours. In spite of all that we’re making it work.
I told an agent today that 3 things are required to make it in real estate in a tough market. Success requires talent, luck, and hard work. I think that the agents without all 3 of these have washed out, and today we’re left with the cream of the crop. That’s awesome!
So give your favorite REALTOR® a pat on the back. We’re smart, we’re tough, we’re flexible, we’re brave, and we’re proud of what we do! We are the few, the strong, the REALTORS®!
We work a job where we often don’t get paid for our time and expertise. I think that every professional in the world should work on a commission basis, just like us. Lawyer? You don’t get paid if we don’t win. President? Not a penny until everybody has something nutritious to eat. Doctor? I’ll write a check when I’m healthy. Airline? Pound sand until I’m on the ground, on time, holding unbroken luggage. Think of the difference THAT would make in the world!
If we do manage to get paid, we get paid the same amount no matter if the deal goes along slicker than a greased pig or if it takes months of blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights. Sometimes I make $1,000 an hour, sometimes it’s more like 10 cents an hour.
We work a job where we have no idea when we get up in the morning what’s going to happen that day. A day with a clear calendar at 8 AM might see me writing 6 different offers, we might see 6 deals go south, or I might get a nap. There’s just no predicting.
If we work with a buyer, we usually expect to get paid by the opposing side, which is weird. To explain to a buyer how it could happen that they might get to write us a check (for taking good care of their best interests and probably getting them an awesome deal) is viewed as some sort of nasty betrayal. Truly bizarre!
And then, on top of being human and a REALTOR®, we decide to practice in Arizona - the Wild West and land of Article 26. Article 26 allows a licensee to write contracts. I seem to remember being told (back in the Dark Ages at pre-licensing school) that Arizona is the only state that does allow it. Can you imagine trying to work a deal where you had to wait for an attorney to write the offer and addendums and BINSR? I don’t even want to think about it – I needed a simple letter from an attorney 2 weeks ago and finally got my hands on it last Thursday. Being totally at their mercy would make me crazier.
Sometimes I think that being a REALTOR® is like herding cats (The buyer cat, the buyer cat’s agent cat, the seller cat, me usually as the seller’s agent cat, the lender cat, the underwriter cat, sometimes the asset manager cat, the title examiner cat, the home inspector cat, and the title officer cat who is also trying to herd everybody.) through a maze of thousands of carefully arranged dominos. I want the dominos all to fall precisely at the right time, but these damn cats keep getting their own ideas and it’s illegal and probably bad business to hit them.
Or, being a REALTOR® is like riding a roller coaster. Our income depends on the above dominos falling in an orderly and controlled fashion. This requires that so many other people do their job competently, but how and when they do that job is out of my control. If just one of those people drop the ball or discover a defect in the property or the title report I go from scooting along happily looking forward to a nap straight into crisis mode, in about point-2 seconds. (And yes, I do wave my hands in the air and scream, just like on a roller coaster. It’s great therapy, and the grandchildren find it to be eminently amusing. Try it sometime.)
What about when one of those cats is totally incompetent? Or to be kind, they’re perfectly competent in their own stomping grounds but today they aren’t there? What if that incompetent cat is the agent on the other side of the deal? AND what if in the midst of doing your job and selling the property you agreed to pay him half of the commission if he would bring you a buyer?
I got an offer from just such a guy.
He didn’t include the On-Site Wastewater treatment or the well addendum, both of which were necessary. When I included them with the Counter offer he got confused and twitterpated and defensive.
He did, however, include office-generated addendums that I had never seen, insisting that I disclose an alphabet soup made up of stuff that I have never heard of. When I countered with, “Sorry. We don’t need these stinkin’ addendums” (or something along those lines) he informed me with tears in his eyes that he wouldn’t get paid if they weren’t filled out to his Broker’s satisfaction. This paperwork is necessary and required in Brokerage Far Away. He counseled his buyer to refuse to sign my counter if we wouldn’t do his very important disclosures, which did not have an “I dunno.” option.
I talked to his Broker and beat him with my credentials and finally convinced him that we’re not hiding anything, we just honestly don’t know what those things are and I’m not going to allow my Seller to fill out a disclosure when I don’t know what it’s talking about. He relented and that’s all fine, but we wasted 12 days in the process and my Seller doesn’t have 12 days to waste.
In the normal world out there, we get to pick who we work with. Not REALTORS®. If an agent brings me an offer or my buyer falls with in love with a listing, I work with whatever agent I get. AND they get half of the money, whether they do a good job or whether they just keep running around lighting unnecessary fires that I have to put out. Strange.
For fans of the totally bizarre, what about the short sale that’s in escrow, ready to close, docs are being signed at title as we speak and the bank finalizes the foreclosure, literally 1 hour before the short sale would have recorded? AND then puts it back on the market for $30,000 less than they would have gotten from my buyers 6 weeks ago? Sheesh. Bizarre. And stupid, and makes me pull out and dust off my conspiracy theories in trying to make sense of it.
REALTORS® are a strange breed, to be able to deal with this sort of uncertainty. I think back on all of the agents that I’ve known in the past 24 years. I guess that 1 out of 100 are still active. Especially lately, it’s bizarre and it’s hard, this business of ours. In spite of all that we’re making it work.
I told an agent today that 3 things are required to make it in real estate in a tough market. Success requires talent, luck, and hard work. I think that the agents without all 3 of these have washed out, and today we’re left with the cream of the crop. That’s awesome!
So give your favorite REALTOR® a pat on the back. We’re smart, we’re tough, we’re flexible, we’re brave, and we’re proud of what we do! We are the few, the strong, the REALTORS®!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Revolution
On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark. But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground. An inner revolution is taking place.
Certain individuals are being called to a higher light. It is a silent revolution. From the inside out. From the ground up. This is a Global operation... A spiritual conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet. You won't see us on the T.V. You won't read about us in the newspaper. You won't hear about us on the radio. We don't seek any glory. We don't wear any uniform.
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world. Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice. We go undercover. We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit, we care only that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street. We give a quiet nod and continue on our way. During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs. But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the 'Conscious Army'. We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts. We follow with passion and joy.
Our orders are from the Central Spiritual Intelligence. We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking. Poems - Hugs - Music - Photography - Movies - Kind words - Smiles -Meditation and prayer - Dance - Social activism - Websites - Blogs -Random acts of kindness.
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents. 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' That is the motto that fills our hearts. We know it is the only way real transformation takes place.
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined. Our work is slow and meticulous, like the formation of mountains - it is not even visible at first glance. And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century. You don't have to be a highly educated person or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart, embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings. Be the change you want to see in the world. Nobody else can do it for you. We are now recruiting. Perhaps you will join us, or already have....All are welcome... The door is open.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Certain individuals are being called to a higher light. It is a silent revolution. From the inside out. From the ground up. This is a Global operation... A spiritual conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet. You won't see us on the T.V. You won't read about us in the newspaper. You won't hear about us on the radio. We don't seek any glory. We don't wear any uniform.
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world. Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice. We go undercover. We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit, we care only that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street. We give a quiet nod and continue on our way. During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs. But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the 'Conscious Army'. We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts. We follow with passion and joy.
Our orders are from the Central Spiritual Intelligence. We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking. Poems - Hugs - Music - Photography - Movies - Kind words - Smiles -Meditation and prayer - Dance - Social activism - Websites - Blogs -Random acts of kindness.
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents. 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' That is the motto that fills our hearts. We know it is the only way real transformation takes place.
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined. Our work is slow and meticulous, like the formation of mountains - it is not even visible at first glance. And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century. You don't have to be a highly educated person or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart, embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings. Be the change you want to see in the world. Nobody else can do it for you. We are now recruiting. Perhaps you will join us, or already have....All are welcome... The door is open.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
It's hot out there.
It’s official. It’s hot out there. We high desert dwellers look forward to the evening when it cools off, and plan our days around avoiding the hottest hours. During the summer I get up at 5 AM and then observe the Mexican tradition of siesta. This is a good plan, unless some non-siesta-er makes the phone ring.
We who live here know about the heat and how to stay safe when it’s an oven outside, but what about our clients and guests?
I got a call this morning from some people wanting to go walk property. “Can we meet you at noon on the Hillside Drive parcels so that you can point out the corners?”
“Yeahhhh……No. Temperatures are getting to over 100 degrees by 10 AM, so I’m sorry, but until September I will only walk properties before 8 AM or after 7:00 PM. I will point at the corners from the road, but if you want to walk it will have to be either early or late.”
They had never thought about the heat. They don’t come from here, so what was second nature to me is something that never occurred to them.
What about the foreclosures and other vacant houses? Many of them are buttoned up tight with no cooling going, so walking into them is like opening your oven door when the biscuits are done.
We want to make a living, so we do end up showing property to people who don’t have a history with heat and dehydration. They don’t get that these human bodies of ours can start to shut down after just a few minutes in intense heat.
Since some of us don’t really understand, we need to watch out for each other. How do we do that?
We start by being aware, and by being smart.
The warning signs of possible trouble are: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps, and dizziness. Signs of BIG TROUBLE are: skin hot to the touch, flushing and redness, absence of sweating, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, strange behavior, hallucinations, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure, and coma. (Well, great. Three quarters of the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion are behaviors that I see my clients exhibit every day when they’re considering buying or selling real estate. I guess we’ll have to rely on absence of sweating, right?)
If you see any of these signs in yourself or others, this is not the time to dither around making a judgment call. Dial 911 immediately. My son the paramedic explained to me something that I did not know. There is often no charge for an ambulance call. If you are taken care of by one of the municipalities’ or the County ambulances, the charge is paid by your tax dollars at work. (No, I’m not sure about Sedona.) It’s only if you get one of the private companies that the patient is responsible for paying. No matter - if there’s a possibility of a problem, get help and don’t haggle about which ambulance shows up. These things can go from “maybe I should be worried” to life-threatening very quickly, and for somebody to die or be damaged over an ambulance charge is ludicrous.
So how do we avoid this nice day in Arizona suddenly turning into one of the worst days of your life?
Always have a cooler in your vehicle filled with ice packs and lots of water. (I met a REALTOR® in Ehrenberg who handed out frozen washcloths – that was Heaven.) If somebody is in trouble you will need to cool them down while you wait for the medics. Get them into the A/C or shade immediately, and then slap some ice packs on the groin and armpits. (Snort. Every guy that read this just flinched. Maybe I should say “Gently place some ice packs………?”) Get their shirt wet and have somebody fan them. DO NOT dump a cooler of ice water over their heads – that could put them into shock. The key is tepid to cool water, not freezing cold water.
Dehydration is also big trouble, just as big as heat problems. The two often go hand in hand because if we don’t drink enough water then we don’t sweat and then we get too hot. ALWAYS bring plenty of water and make people drink it – they might not know to do so. (There’s that cooler again.) If you’re drinking beer or coffee or tea or some of the energy monster drinks, know that these do not qualify as liquids. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, which eliminate moisture from the body – these drinks add to the problem rather than alleviate it.
Since I’ve lived in this country all of my life, I have gotten overheated and I have been dehydrated. I knew when I was too hot because I felt, well, too hot. The mistake that I made was in thinking that if I ignored it it would go away. No, I should have dealt with it the second I realized, but I was stubborn (Mike had told me that it was stupid to take that hike.) and pretty soon I was in trouble. If you want to read the story it’s at
http://realestateaccordingtocarolanne.blogspot.com/2009/08/yesterday-was-mikes-and-my-6-th.html
I don’t know if it’s true or if it’s an old wive’s tale that if you get heatstroke once you’re more susceptible to it in the future. I am certainly more aware and reactive, but I don’t know if I’m more susceptible.
A doctor once told me that if you’re feeling even slightly thirsty you’re already in the first stage of dehydration. The day that I got dehydrated, at first I didn’t really know what was going on. I was taking my Broker classes in Phoenix during the summer, operating on the thinnest of shoestrings. I forgot my water bottle and didn’t want to pay a buck for water out of the vending machines, so I just sat there in class thirsty and thirstier. I felt suddenly very crappy, and it just kept getting worse. Now that I know what being dehydrated feels like I slam lots of water immediately. I always improve amazingly quickly.
Please, my friends. Be aware, be the voice of reason, be the bearer of water, and be the dialer to 911 if necessary. Let’s take care of each other and let’s be careful out there.
We who live here know about the heat and how to stay safe when it’s an oven outside, but what about our clients and guests?
I got a call this morning from some people wanting to go walk property. “Can we meet you at noon on the Hillside Drive parcels so that you can point out the corners?”
“Yeahhhh……No. Temperatures are getting to over 100 degrees by 10 AM, so I’m sorry, but until September I will only walk properties before 8 AM or after 7:00 PM. I will point at the corners from the road, but if you want to walk it will have to be either early or late.”
They had never thought about the heat. They don’t come from here, so what was second nature to me is something that never occurred to them.
What about the foreclosures and other vacant houses? Many of them are buttoned up tight with no cooling going, so walking into them is like opening your oven door when the biscuits are done.
We want to make a living, so we do end up showing property to people who don’t have a history with heat and dehydration. They don’t get that these human bodies of ours can start to shut down after just a few minutes in intense heat.
Since some of us don’t really understand, we need to watch out for each other. How do we do that?
We start by being aware, and by being smart.
The warning signs of possible trouble are: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps, and dizziness. Signs of BIG TROUBLE are: skin hot to the touch, flushing and redness, absence of sweating, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, strange behavior, hallucinations, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure, and coma. (Well, great. Three quarters of the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion are behaviors that I see my clients exhibit every day when they’re considering buying or selling real estate. I guess we’ll have to rely on absence of sweating, right?)
If you see any of these signs in yourself or others, this is not the time to dither around making a judgment call. Dial 911 immediately. My son the paramedic explained to me something that I did not know. There is often no charge for an ambulance call. If you are taken care of by one of the municipalities’ or the County ambulances, the charge is paid by your tax dollars at work. (No, I’m not sure about Sedona.) It’s only if you get one of the private companies that the patient is responsible for paying. No matter - if there’s a possibility of a problem, get help and don’t haggle about which ambulance shows up. These things can go from “maybe I should be worried” to life-threatening very quickly, and for somebody to die or be damaged over an ambulance charge is ludicrous.
So how do we avoid this nice day in Arizona suddenly turning into one of the worst days of your life?
Always have a cooler in your vehicle filled with ice packs and lots of water. (I met a REALTOR® in Ehrenberg who handed out frozen washcloths – that was Heaven.) If somebody is in trouble you will need to cool them down while you wait for the medics. Get them into the A/C or shade immediately, and then slap some ice packs on the groin and armpits. (Snort. Every guy that read this just flinched. Maybe I should say “Gently place some ice packs………?”) Get their shirt wet and have somebody fan them. DO NOT dump a cooler of ice water over their heads – that could put them into shock. The key is tepid to cool water, not freezing cold water.
Dehydration is also big trouble, just as big as heat problems. The two often go hand in hand because if we don’t drink enough water then we don’t sweat and then we get too hot. ALWAYS bring plenty of water and make people drink it – they might not know to do so. (There’s that cooler again.) If you’re drinking beer or coffee or tea or some of the energy monster drinks, know that these do not qualify as liquids. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, which eliminate moisture from the body – these drinks add to the problem rather than alleviate it.
Since I’ve lived in this country all of my life, I have gotten overheated and I have been dehydrated. I knew when I was too hot because I felt, well, too hot. The mistake that I made was in thinking that if I ignored it it would go away. No, I should have dealt with it the second I realized, but I was stubborn (Mike had told me that it was stupid to take that hike.) and pretty soon I was in trouble. If you want to read the story it’s at
http://realestateaccordingtocarolanne.blogspot.com/2009/08/yesterday-was-mikes-and-my-6-th.html
I don’t know if it’s true or if it’s an old wive’s tale that if you get heatstroke once you’re more susceptible to it in the future. I am certainly more aware and reactive, but I don’t know if I’m more susceptible.
A doctor once told me that if you’re feeling even slightly thirsty you’re already in the first stage of dehydration. The day that I got dehydrated, at first I didn’t really know what was going on. I was taking my Broker classes in Phoenix during the summer, operating on the thinnest of shoestrings. I forgot my water bottle and didn’t want to pay a buck for water out of the vending machines, so I just sat there in class thirsty and thirstier. I felt suddenly very crappy, and it just kept getting worse. Now that I know what being dehydrated feels like I slam lots of water immediately. I always improve amazingly quickly.
Please, my friends. Be aware, be the voice of reason, be the bearer of water, and be the dialer to 911 if necessary. Let’s take care of each other and let’s be careful out there.
Friday, June 10, 2011
What are some housing hot-buttons that can get your home sold, stat? Did you know that it helps to have a Trader Joe’s market nearby? There’s so much information on the web these days about how to stage a home and create compelling curb appea, that you might think you know all you need to on the subject. Just when you thought you’d mastered the matter, we thought we’d brief you on 5 more things that can get your home sold, some or all of which might never have occurred to you.
1. Your neighbors. Most homeowners contemplating selling their homes understand the importance of well-kept neighboring homes. Many a buyer has pulled up to an amazing house, viewed it, and left shaking their head with woe because they just can’t cotton to buying the place on account of the shoulder-high weeds, car in the yard or crumbling ruins of the house next door.
On the flip side, your neighbors themselves - not just the homes, but the people - can actually help sell your home. Many homeowners know people who want to live in their neck of the woods; this is one reason many seasoned real estate professionals hold their listings open to neighbors and send out postcards to neighbors announcing the listing - the neighbors might know people who are interested in your home! Also, neighbors who are out and about chatting with each other, laughing and playing with their kids, mowing their lawns or painting their fences, or even who just offer a smile and helpful area knowledge to the buyer-to-be they pass on the street can make a very favorable impression on prospective buyers.
It’s a good idea, if and when you decide to list your home for sale, to touch base with neighbors you know and let them know; it’s in their best interests to get good new neighbors, so they might be able to go the extra mile in showing the neighborhood’s biggest asset - themselves - off to its best advantage.
2. The right sights, smells and sounds. It’s no news flash that the view of a used car lot; stinky foods or animal smells; and the siren song of a fire station next door could be deal-killers. What might surprise is some of the right sights, smells and sounds that can help seal the sale of your home. My experience has been - agents, chime in here! - that the more natural beautiful sights, smells and sounds are, the more favorably they’ll be received by the largest population of prospective buyers.
For example, playing a soundtrack of classical musical is fine, but will cause some skeptical buyers to wonder what noises you might be trying to cover up - especially if you’re in a condo or other potentially thin-walled property where neighbor noise might be an issue. On the other hand, birdsong can be attractive to some buyers. Artificial air fresheners? Not so much. The scent of the jasmine or lavender that grows in your yard? Even allergy victims can appreciate that.
You might be desensitized to the amazing views of trees, mountains or even water outside your window, but pulling back the curtains so prospective buyers can see for themselves is an absolute must.
Home buying is a multi-sensory experience - visual staging of the property itself is no longer just a plus, it’s a must. Homes which create pleasant impressions that fire on all of a buyer’s sensory cylinders definitely have the edge on their competition.
3. Your dog. The New York Times ran a piece a few months ago about sweet, well-behaved dogs (and cats!) who reportedly helped sell their owners’ Manhattan apartments. In a departure from the conventional wisdom that dogs should be removed and every trace of their presence erased from the home during showings, the article featured several buyers and brokers attesting to their belief that the presence of a particular cat or dog “help[ed] sell a property by making the place seem warmer or more appealing.” And I’m sure you’ve all heard me tell the story of the San Diego buyer who fell in love with a tract home listed at a price higher than all the nearly identical comparables he’d seen and wanted to make a full-price offer immediately - so long as the deal included the dog!
Definitely consult with your agent before you decide to implement leaving your dog at home for showings as part of your plan. I’m a dog lover, and would be concerned that someone might inadvertently let one of “my girls” out, if I left them there while my house was being shown; as well, would-be buyers or their agents may have allergies your pet could set off. Lately, it seems like I’ve seen many brokers attempting to capture the best of both worlds by making sure that the family pet or even the broker’s own pet is captured in a charming tableau in 1 or 2 of the listing pictures, even if they’re not present at the home during showings.
4. Your happiness. Video and even written love letters that extoll all the virtues for which you love your neighbors, your neighborhood and your property are contagious to buyers. I’ve seen sellers help buyers see their homes through their own loving eyes by posting videos on YouTube and including the link on the listing flyer or even by putting a binder containing a letter plus menus and flyers from their favorite neighborhood restaurants, dry cleaners and other local merchants out on the counter during showings.
Wide-open curtains that let light stream in, light and bright paint and decor colors and other home features that science has proven make residents more happy and functional also create this thought process in a buyer’s mind: “Hmm, these people seem happy here. I could be, too.”
Similarly, indicators that you invested a lot of love in your home by keeping it in immaculate order and pristine condition, by tending a well-cared for kitchen garden, lovingly furnishing and making comfortable (if not overly customizing) your kids’ rooms, all create the feel that a home was happily lived in - it’s like staging your home with a life well-lived, not just paint and tile.
5. The freeway or subway you thought was too close. There is such a thing as a freeway or elevated train tracks being too close to your home; if your place rattles or roars, for example, every time the train passes, chances any buyer will view that as a selling point are pretty slim. However, homebuyer attitudes toward being located near freeways and subways or bus lines are a-changing. Every upward click of gas prices renders buyers a tiny bit more interested in a location that is more commutable.
Where yesteryear’s buyers were all about the posh exclusivity of far-out suburbia, today’s buyers are more interested in financial and ecological efficiency and convenience. I’ve never heard so many homebuyers looking to own homes that will allow them to ditch their cars entirely as I have in recent years!
What might once have been seen as too close to the freeway has gotten a new spin lately, as a highly convenient, commuter-friendly location.
1. Your neighbors. Most homeowners contemplating selling their homes understand the importance of well-kept neighboring homes. Many a buyer has pulled up to an amazing house, viewed it, and left shaking their head with woe because they just can’t cotton to buying the place on account of the shoulder-high weeds, car in the yard or crumbling ruins of the house next door.
On the flip side, your neighbors themselves - not just the homes, but the people - can actually help sell your home. Many homeowners know people who want to live in their neck of the woods; this is one reason many seasoned real estate professionals hold their listings open to neighbors and send out postcards to neighbors announcing the listing - the neighbors might know people who are interested in your home! Also, neighbors who are out and about chatting with each other, laughing and playing with their kids, mowing their lawns or painting their fences, or even who just offer a smile and helpful area knowledge to the buyer-to-be they pass on the street can make a very favorable impression on prospective buyers.
It’s a good idea, if and when you decide to list your home for sale, to touch base with neighbors you know and let them know; it’s in their best interests to get good new neighbors, so they might be able to go the extra mile in showing the neighborhood’s biggest asset - themselves - off to its best advantage.
2. The right sights, smells and sounds. It’s no news flash that the view of a used car lot; stinky foods or animal smells; and the siren song of a fire station next door could be deal-killers. What might surprise is some of the right sights, smells and sounds that can help seal the sale of your home. My experience has been - agents, chime in here! - that the more natural beautiful sights, smells and sounds are, the more favorably they’ll be received by the largest population of prospective buyers.
For example, playing a soundtrack of classical musical is fine, but will cause some skeptical buyers to wonder what noises you might be trying to cover up - especially if you’re in a condo or other potentially thin-walled property where neighbor noise might be an issue. On the other hand, birdsong can be attractive to some buyers. Artificial air fresheners? Not so much. The scent of the jasmine or lavender that grows in your yard? Even allergy victims can appreciate that.
You might be desensitized to the amazing views of trees, mountains or even water outside your window, but pulling back the curtains so prospective buyers can see for themselves is an absolute must.
Home buying is a multi-sensory experience - visual staging of the property itself is no longer just a plus, it’s a must. Homes which create pleasant impressions that fire on all of a buyer’s sensory cylinders definitely have the edge on their competition.
3. Your dog. The New York Times ran a piece a few months ago about sweet, well-behaved dogs (and cats!) who reportedly helped sell their owners’ Manhattan apartments. In a departure from the conventional wisdom that dogs should be removed and every trace of their presence erased from the home during showings, the article featured several buyers and brokers attesting to their belief that the presence of a particular cat or dog “help[ed] sell a property by making the place seem warmer or more appealing.” And I’m sure you’ve all heard me tell the story of the San Diego buyer who fell in love with a tract home listed at a price higher than all the nearly identical comparables he’d seen and wanted to make a full-price offer immediately - so long as the deal included the dog!
Definitely consult with your agent before you decide to implement leaving your dog at home for showings as part of your plan. I’m a dog lover, and would be concerned that someone might inadvertently let one of “my girls” out, if I left them there while my house was being shown; as well, would-be buyers or their agents may have allergies your pet could set off. Lately, it seems like I’ve seen many brokers attempting to capture the best of both worlds by making sure that the family pet or even the broker’s own pet is captured in a charming tableau in 1 or 2 of the listing pictures, even if they’re not present at the home during showings.
4. Your happiness. Video and even written love letters that extoll all the virtues for which you love your neighbors, your neighborhood and your property are contagious to buyers. I’ve seen sellers help buyers see their homes through their own loving eyes by posting videos on YouTube and including the link on the listing flyer or even by putting a binder containing a letter plus menus and flyers from their favorite neighborhood restaurants, dry cleaners and other local merchants out on the counter during showings.
Wide-open curtains that let light stream in, light and bright paint and decor colors and other home features that science has proven make residents more happy and functional also create this thought process in a buyer’s mind: “Hmm, these people seem happy here. I could be, too.”
Similarly, indicators that you invested a lot of love in your home by keeping it in immaculate order and pristine condition, by tending a well-cared for kitchen garden, lovingly furnishing and making comfortable (if not overly customizing) your kids’ rooms, all create the feel that a home was happily lived in - it’s like staging your home with a life well-lived, not just paint and tile.
5. The freeway or subway you thought was too close. There is such a thing as a freeway or elevated train tracks being too close to your home; if your place rattles or roars, for example, every time the train passes, chances any buyer will view that as a selling point are pretty slim. However, homebuyer attitudes toward being located near freeways and subways or bus lines are a-changing. Every upward click of gas prices renders buyers a tiny bit more interested in a location that is more commutable.
Where yesteryear’s buyers were all about the posh exclusivity of far-out suburbia, today’s buyers are more interested in financial and ecological efficiency and convenience. I’ve never heard so many homebuyers looking to own homes that will allow them to ditch their cars entirely as I have in recent years!
What might once have been seen as too close to the freeway has gotten a new spin lately, as a highly convenient, commuter-friendly location.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Have you heard the one about a homeowner foreclosing on a bank?
It happened in Florida, involving a North Carolina based bank.
Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some poor Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank.
It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple.
The couple said they paid cash for the house.
The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple had never had a mortgage bill to pay to anyone.
After the hearing, Bank of America was ordered by the court to pay the homeowners' legal fees.
How did it end with bank being foreclosed on? More than 5 months after the judge's ruling, the bank still hadn't paid the legal fees. The homeowner's attorney did exactly what the bank tried to do to the homeowners. He seized the bank's assets.
"They've ignored our calls, ignored our letters, legally this is the next step to get my clients compensated, " attorney Todd Allen told CBS.
Sheriff's deputies, movers, and the Nyergers' attorney went to the bank and foreclosed on it. The attorney gave instructions to to remove desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets and any cash in the teller's drawers.
After about an hour of being locked out of the bank, the bank manager handed the attorney a check for the legal fees.
"As a foreclosure defense attorney this is sweet justice" says Allen.
Allen says this is something that he sees often in court, banks making errors because they didn't investigate the foreclosure, and it becomes a lengthy and expensive battle for the homeowner.
It happened in Florida, involving a North Carolina based bank.
Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some poor Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank.
It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple.
The couple said they paid cash for the house.
The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple had never had a mortgage bill to pay to anyone.
After the hearing, Bank of America was ordered by the court to pay the homeowners' legal fees.
How did it end with bank being foreclosed on? More than 5 months after the judge's ruling, the bank still hadn't paid the legal fees. The homeowner's attorney did exactly what the bank tried to do to the homeowners. He seized the bank's assets.
"They've ignored our calls, ignored our letters, legally this is the next step to get my clients compensated, " attorney Todd Allen told CBS.
Sheriff's deputies, movers, and the Nyergers' attorney went to the bank and foreclosed on it. The attorney gave instructions to to remove desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets and any cash in the teller's drawers.
After about an hour of being locked out of the bank, the bank manager handed the attorney a check for the legal fees.
"As a foreclosure defense attorney this is sweet justice" says Allen.
Allen says this is something that he sees often in court, banks making errors because they didn't investigate the foreclosure, and it becomes a lengthy and expensive battle for the homeowner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
