Safety & Real Estate

As you may know, I am a Real Estate Representative.  As such I find myself meeting new people all the time.  Striking up a conversation on the street, in a store on the phone or via email and most recently through text messages.  Have I ever been concerned about who I'm speaking to ?  Who I will be meeting at a property ? You bet I have, and I will always take some form of precaution.
Technology has brought about a feeling of anonymity for many.  How brave some folks are, kids even, sitting at the screen of their computer or smartphone in the safety of their home.  Some people simply have too much time on their hands.  This is when the, less than average "Joe", stirs up trouble.
We have all heard the stories of respectable Real Estate Representatives being lured, assaulted or killed in the big cities.  We never really believe something like that will happen here.  I hate to say it could happen here and  it has happened here and all Representatives should look at implementing a safety plan.
As a Real Estate Professional, our faces, contact numbers, listings, open houses and often vehicles are public information.  We're in local and regional publications and on-line, that is a potential for a lot of  people seeing us and our listings.  This is great for business, but is there a personal cost too ?
For the most part my interactions, via email or phone, with the public and potential clients have all turned out fine.  I am contacted to provide a professional service to lovely couples or genuinely good people.  However, there have been a couple of incidents that were not all professional.  This is when I implemented my safety plan and learned to actually listen to my gut, it is NEVER wrong.
Back to technology and the less than average "Joe".  Most recently someone picked up a lot of female Real Estate Rep's contact info and began texting us.  Some started out business like, wanting to see property others immediately received texts of an inappropriate nature.  Quickly these texts increased in number and in their explicit nature.  Here is where a personal toll is paid by us.  It is not fair, it is not expected it is not professional.  It makes us uneasy, uncomfortable and worried that the last person we are showing a property to could be this "Joe".  Set out your safety plan and always follow you gut instinct, it will never steer you wrong.
I sure hope they catch this texting fool.  It is a cowardly approach to harassment, but harassment it is.  

My Money

Ever since I was a little girl my parents would tell me to save my money, "you'll be glad you did someday".

I did pretty well saving my money.  I bought my first car, in the early 80's, with cash.  I didn't have a credit card until my mid 20's.  I had heeded to my folks advice that if I couldn't pay cash, it wasn't time to buy.  When I bought my first home, I had the down payment.  I find myself wondering, is this possible for my kids to accomplish today ?

I am instinctively imparting the same "Save your money" advise on to them. They don't do too bad, however, once they have enough for that big ticket item every dime is gone.  Kids today have little patience.  I am thinking it's a trend of society as a whole.

Every day we hear companies telling us to buy now, pay later.   Credit card companies automatically increase your credit limits every year, retail outlets have their own payment plans and the banks want us to utilize the equity in our home and investments to the fullest.  In 20 years so many of us have become almost totally credit dependant, impatient.

Working in real estate has brought the money issues to the forefront for me.  When I meet a new client for the first time we must discuss their budget and finances and not just the wants and needs they have in a home.  So many home buyers are uncertain where to start, so I become a pseudo credit advisor.  I am no longer surprised at how much debt folks have.  Car loans, leases, equity lines of credit, consolidation loans, RRSP loans and the current mortgage balances. 

We will scan available properties but I always send them to speak with their banks or brokers and then come back to see me.  More often than not, their budget has been amended from my first conversation with them.  The downpayment requirements and TDS & GDS has affected their purchasing power.  So often, home buyers have not even considered the monthly debt they carry could affect purchasing a home, or that those home equity loan payouts may not leave them with enough downpayment to upgrade after the sale of their current home.

Our credit poor society is starting to feel their restrictions. I have spent the better part of two years working on paying down my debt.  I still have a little way to go.  I have to say that no matter what the economy, no matter what great deals may be out there I wish I had continued to listen to my parents advise about saving my money until I could afford things.  I will insist my kids keep improving these saving skills.  *Hear that Morgan ;) *

Given the current state of the Canadian economy, which is so very connected to the faultering US,  I believe is uncertain at best.  The rising unemployment numbers coupled with rising costs of living has me worried for all of our pocket books.  So if you are lucky to have steady income, cherish it and  " Save Your Money "

Thanks Mom & Dad

A Place To Share

A Place To Share

I usually have alot to say about alot of things. I will be posting a variety of comments here. Some personal perspective stuff about life and general real estate info. The things that consume my time are kids and work.
I consider myself lucky. I have a great family and they keep me on my toes, I love my life and I'm blessed with friends that keep me smiling!
I'm a novice at blogging, so continue to check back, I'm bound to improve.

Sheri Hill,
Sales Representative

Royal LePage RCR Realty, Brokerage - Flesherton

March 21, 2010

On Being Kind...

I received an email forward the other day that I almost deleted. As I quickly scanned the screen I knew I had to read it to the end. It reminded me of a gentle lecture that I had given to my girls the day before about being kind to each other, as they would need each other for the rest of their lives.

The gist of the email was how kind and polite we are every time we deal with strangers, yet, sometimes with members of our family we forget to be kind and polite. We would never think of using harsh tones or words with those we do not know, however, we are often quick to react in a sour way with those we hold most dear.

In business we deal with so many different people, we are generous with our time and knowledge. We perform our jobs professionally and choose our words carefully in order to make our clients happy and to succeed with the task at hand.

In life our family still benefits from our knowledge, experiences and our time, yet we may be less discreet in expressing our feelings while sharing this information. I know that I often come off as preachy with my kids, rushed to get on to the next task and perhaps don't listen as closely as I ought to.

The lesson I was trying to teach my girls was totally summed up in the final sentences of this email. After reading it I realized that I can still do better where they are concerned. I will still conduct my business professionally and choose my words carefully because that's who I am naturally. My family will now benefit from a little more sensitivity and patience as the words of the email struck a chord with me.

The ending is as follows;

FAMILY : Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means? FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

August 31, 2010

Could it be the Price ?

We see them in every market, the nicely kept homes in decent communities and wonder why that home has not sold. In many cases, if a home is not selling - it's generally because of price. It has to be good value for the money. But many Sellers price their home well - and it still doesn't sell. So, what's the formula for when to reduce the price of your home and by how much?

In my experience Sellers just want to get as much as reasonably possible for their properties. Many resist reducing the price of their homes in the hope that an offer will come in that they can negotiate with. It is difficult to get an offer when the Buyers feel the home is priced out of their range, and don’t come to view it. A major factor to getting a prospective Buyer in the door is a list price that they can work with. Sellers must remember that it is the Buyer who will assist them in determining the final value.

Its time to reconsider your price when …

Your home is the highest priced home in your neighborhood or there is a wide spread between your price and other comparable homes.

Your home has been on the market a short time with no showings. If you haven’t yet exceeded the most current days on the market don’t panic yet. Have there been changes in your area? Have the number of listings in your area increased ? Is it summer holidays ? Have economics in the region changed ? or it could be the market has shifted and it might be time to think about a more aggressive price.

Your home is priced low, getting showings, been on the market a little while and it's still not selling - look at your home from a Buyer point of view. Is it clean, presentable, easy to show, etc.? Do you need more flattering pics online – take some nice shots and provide them to your agent. If not, make any changes needed and sit tight - perhaps your home might just need a little more time to sell.

Don’t smoke or have pets in your house. What does that have to do with price? Smoke and pet odours are offensive and instantly noticed when someone enters your home. It costs money to eliminate the smells from a house and Buyers will avoid it.

Your home is listed at the top end of area comparables, have no showings, or agents who "preview" and subsequently list the house next door at a much lower price - it's definitely time to adjust your price.

You decide to reduce the price - make it drastic, make it noticeable. Often Sellers want to reduce their price by a couple thousand dollars thinking that will do it. A price reduction should be noticeable enough to get the attention of Buyers. It doesn't matter if they think you are desperate to sell - the objective is to get offers!

When contemplating a price reduction, take into consideration the cost of owning this property for another 3-6 months, the benefits of moving on and any mortgages and or debt. This will lead you to a realistic “get up and go” figure.

I know alot of good real estate sales people who have done their homework and will show your home regardless of the pricing. They feel they know it's current value for their buyers and it's all based on comparables, experience and sales figures. The savy purchasers have previewed dozens of homes on www.realtor.ca and will have made similar comparisons. Your sales person will be monitoring listings and sales regularly and as a seller, it will be important that you do the same from time to time. The goal is to sell your property.