lake zurich...and beyond

My MSN homepage is set up to include my horoscope ~ and today my horoscope is especially GOOD ~ take a look: 

Today's Virgo Horoscope for Jan 25, 2008

Long-term investments, especially those involving real estate, could pay off at this time, dear Virgo. If you've been thinking of buying or selling a home, this is the time to do it. All signs are that your patience and faith in yourself are likely to bear fruit, so at least one of your longtime goals should bring success right now. Also, if you have been considering investing some money in your house, such as remodeling or building additions, start planning today.

Do you think NAR has branched out and is now writing horoscopes? Or is today my lucky day?

Do you remember how annoying it can be to make telephone call after telephone call to cancel and set up your utilities, phone, cable, internet and similar services when you move? You almost need to set aside one whole day and plan to have the phone glued to your ear while you listen to bad, staticky elevator music.

If that sounds like a fun way to spend your day, then there's no use reading the rest of this post. But, if you would like an easier and more convenient option, try this on for size.

A few years ago I stumbled across a service that takes some of the pain out of this part of the moving experience. It's called MoveUtilities. On their website, you can shop and compare rates and services for most of your local home service providers. It is an online one stop shop...so you waste less time on the telephone enduring long hold times and confusing service options. Simply enter your address and zip code and MoveUtilities will present your options. You can even sign up for services online, get mover's quotes, and fill out your change of address form (no trip to the Post Office necessary). Pretty cool.

Have a happy move!

As an agent, I often read and hear stories from other agents who have had, shall we say, less-than-positive experiences with former (or in some cases, current) clients. It got me thinking about all of my former clients and how I felt about the relationships that were formed during the process of working together. This process of reflection prompted me to go through my database and evaluate all of my contacts. Should they stay on my list, or should they go?

I'm happy to report that when I went through my list of past clients, I was reminded how much I actually liked working with them. I do keep in regular contact with my past clients, not because I feel that I should, but because I really want to. You see, during the process of working together, I form a bond of shared experiences with my clients. I learn about their hopes, dreams and fears, about their children or parents, about the home they grew up in. I'm a part of one of the most important purchases of their lives. It's a job I take very seriously, but also one which I love, and a core belief of mine is that it should be as enjoyable a process as it possibly can be. Maybe that's why it can be so fun...and rewarding.

I also realized that there are people that I have met over the years, who were on my contact list, who I simply did not want to work with. They were added to my contact list because that's what I was taught to do when I became an agent. The truth is, they were people that I didn't form a connection with or feel good about working with for whatever reason. So, I made the decision to delete them. Life is too short to spend it with negative, demanding or unpleasant people.

My past clients are a treasure. A wealth of learning experiences for me, a history of shared laughs, shared meals, and shared challenging times, too. We worked so well together because we worked together, as a team, to meet a common goal. And we decided to have fun along the way. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

With so much negativity about the real estate market in the news, buyers might be inclined to think that they will be able to:

Get a fantastic below market value deal-of-a-lifetime on their new home!

The reality is, I haven't seen many sellers giving away their homes. While it is true that the upward push on real estate values of a few years ago has come to a screeching halt, sellers have a bottom line, too. They are (more often than not) unwilling or unable to give away their homes (imagine that) and will simply refuse offers that are too low or seen as unreasonable.

Regardless of the fact that it is a buyer's market, the seller is still in control...

they don't have to sell you their home unless they want to!

Now, I know there are some sellers who must sell no matter what and who will be willing or will have to take a loss, particularly if they purchased within the past few years and need to sell now. But this is the exception, not the rule.

Does this mean that you won't get a good deal on your new home? Of course not! There are plenty of great houses being offered at wonderful prices and you have lots of choices. As your real estate agent, I will do a comparative market analysis of the home you are considering so that you can make an educated and informed decision about what is a fair price to pay for the property. Together we will devise a strategy that will both meet your financial goals and have the best chance of getting you into the home of your dreams.

By the way, the same principles apply when working with a new construction builder. Here, however, you can sometimes get more creative! For example, recently I closed a deal where my buyers were able to get the builder to rent back the property for up to six months for use as a field model. This enables my buyers to have a six month cushion in which to sell their present home...while being paid rent each month! In monetary terms, this incentive is worth up to $18,000.00 and gives my buyers tremendous peace of mind.

For a real estate transaction to work well, both parties must feel that they are winning. Everyone has different needs so negotiating to that win-win will be different for each transaction. For one seller, it may be about getting top dollar; for another seller the closing date is of greater importance. In the case of the builder in my example above, closing prior to the end of the year and having the funds to build a new model while still having use of the current model was key to getting the deal together. The builder wins, my buyer wins. See how that works? As a buyer, you will have your own criteria and I will negotiate hard on your behalf to achieve your personal win-win scenerio.

Please don't jump into the real estate market and purchase a new home because you've heard all the stories in the news and think you'll get that fantastic below market value deal-of-a-lifetime on your new home. Purchase a home because it is the right time for you to do so both financially and emotionally...and because you've found a home you love and plan to live in for a long time to come.

The Multiple Listing Service is designed to promote information sharing among real estate professionals in northern Illinois. Through the MLS, real estate brokers exchange offers to cooperate with one another in the sale of a property and arrange for the fee to be paid to the broker who procures the buyer of a property listed for sale by another broker.

Do the multiple listing services promote your home directly to the public? No, they do not.This is a common misconception. Another misconception is that all that is needed to sell a home is to place it in a multiple listing service. These misconceptions have resulted in sellers turning to fee for service companies who will place their home in the MLS for a relatively small fee. If the MLS is the only place where your home will be advertised, then how will it be advertised directly to the general public?

Unfortunately, MLS does not stand for Magic Listing Service. Trust me, if that's all it took to sell a home I would save thousands of dollars and a lot of time and effort on all that other marketing and advertising I do. In reality, it is simply a tool, one of several, that is used to promote your home.

The truth is, buyers find the home they will purchase through several different avenues: the internet, web sites, real estate agents, for sale signs, postcards, referrals from friends, publications and open houses, just to name a few. Don't forget blogs! The rule of thumb is: maximum exposure = maximum results. And only full service real estate agents can offer the kind of exposure your home needs to sell in today's market.

Don't be fooled by the smoke and mirrors. Hire a full service real estate agent like myself to handle all aspects of the promotion and sale of your home. You do want to move, don't you?

I've tried several things over the past few years in an attempt to make myself stand out from the crowd of hungry sharks, er...real estate agents. What I've learned over the past several months is that consumers want information, not gimmicks. Thus, the birth of my new "motto" of sorts:

"If you want information instead of another refrigerator magnet, you've come to the right place!"

One of my goals for 2008 is to concentrate on providing real estate information to the consumer: something they really need, want and are actively looking for.

While I've never been one to send out refrigerator magnets, I have mailed out notepads and given away moving boxes and other little tokens of appreciation to my clients and potential clients. Are these things gimmicks? Yes, they are! A gimmick is "an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, esp. one designed to attract attention or increase appeal" as defined by dictionary.com. So I am guilty as charged.

I've been blogging since last March and one thing has become crystal clear. I have gotten more business and more website traffic from providing information than I ever got from giving away notepads or moving boxes. The consumer has spoken...they don't want "stuff" they want information.

I, for one, intend to give them what they want.

Now one question remains...is a blog a gimmick?

Those of you who read my most recent post know that I am going to be purchasing a puppy this year. It occurred to me while doing my research that the process of selecting a breeder is similar to the process of choosing a real estate agent. Here are the similarities:

• I asked people I know for recommendations
• I searched the internet and breeder websites for more information
• I looked for a breeder that provides service before, during and after the sale of the puppy
• I read references/testimonials from past puppy purchasers
• I have spoken with the breeder many times and asked tons of questions

Most buyers or sellers of real estate will go through a similar process:

• They will ask friends, neighbors or colleagues for recommendations
• They will search the internet and real estate websites for more information
• They will look for an agent who provides service before, during and after the sale
• They will read references/testimonials from past clients
• They will speak or meet with an agent in person and ask tons of questions

During my research, one thing became very clear. I would not, under any circumstances, purchase my puppy from a puppy mill. For those who don't know what a puppy mill is, it is defined as "a large scale dog breeding facility that operates under substandard breeding conditions." Dogs who are bred in puppy mills are usually "kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions and do not receive adequate food, water or veterinary care."

Puppies acquired from puppy mills tend to have issues not typically found in puppies acquired from reputable breeders, such as genetic health problems, behavior problems and socialization issues. In addition, the puppy may be sold as a purebred dog, when in fact it is not. You are paying a high price (have you seen the prices of puppies these days?) and not getting what you paid for. Finally, there are no guarantees...you buy the puppy and you never hear from the so-called breeder again.

In real estate, there are plenty of agents who deal either in very high volume and/or provide substandard service. Buyers and sellers who don't do the research or ask enough questions before they choose an agent run the risk of choosing someone who will not properly represent them. The agent or company may treat them like a number because they deal in volume; selling many properties each year. As a result, the client may not receive adequate service before, during or after the sale. In short, the client may not get what they paid for...a "healthy" transaction and quality representation.

Are high volume agents and discount real estate brokers the puppy mills of the real estate business? That's not for me to say. It is certainly possible to have a good experience with both high volume agents and discount real estate brokers just as it is possible to purchase a healthy puppy from a puppy mill.

Buying a puppy, and purchasing or selling a home, are very important decisions that you will have to live with for many years. Are you willing to take that risk?

I'm not a high volume agent and I'm not a discount broker. You can rely on me for quality, personal and professional representation before, during and after the sale...in Lake Zurich and throughout the Northwest Suburbs of Illinois.

I've been tagged for a MeMe by Smart Girl Shannon Lefevre, and from what I understand, that means I'm supposed to write 5 things about myself so you can get to know me better. This is a tough assignment! Writing about real estate is pretty easy, but writing about myself, not so much.

Okay, here goes...and YOU better watch out...YOU could be next!

1. I don't like my middle name. It's Sue. Just Sue. As in Kelly Sue...say that with a Southern accent and you'll get it. My father's family was from West Virginia, and his name was Ben Ray. I guess I should consider myself lucky, it could be worse, LOL.

2. Speaking of my father, Ben Ray Walker, he died when I was only five years old. He was a police officer and was killed in the line of duty. Earlier this year, all of the evidence was released and my sisters were able to obtain the police reports, photos and other documents. So we finally know what really happened that day and not just what was reported in the newspapers. Because of this, I know what my father's last words were. No child should have to grow up without their father, or any parent for that matter. You always have a missing piece of yourself, you always wonder what if, and if you're only five, it's sad to say, you barely remember him. It's a true tragedy, but I will see him again someday...of that I am sure.

3. I'm married to my high school sweetheart. I met my husband, Brian, when I was just 15 years old. I saw him across the lunchroom and asked my best friend, Shannon Ryden (now Beckman), if she knew who he was. Then I said..."that's the man I'm going to marry." Seriously, I really said that! Shannon and I devised a plan for me to meet him and the rest is history. We've been married for 20 of the best years of my life and have two boys, Nick (17) and Jake (14). Life is grand.

4. I had a horse named Tonco when I was a kid. I loved to urge Tonco into a full gallop across the fields...I almost always rode bareback, too. I loved the reckless out-of-control, free feeling this gave me. Nowadays, parents would require full body armor, helmet and pads before letting their kids do this! Back in the day, all my Mom said was: "be home before dark."

5. We're adopting a baby this year. No, not a real baby, a puppy baby! (Had you going though, didn't I?) We have placed a deposit for a cute fluffy little creature that will be under 10 lbs fully grown. A girly girl dog. Would you expect anything less from me?

So that's all folks! Five things you didn't know about me and now you do! Now I get to tag 3 others to do the same...Hmmm, let's see...how about:

Jonathan Mitchell

Judy Greenberg

Lisa Ryan

I'm looking forward to reading all about them, aren't you?