Do the Right Thing.

KISS me I'm Going Green for the January Challenge 

This post is in direct response to janeAnnes Eco challenge for January. What am I going to do to my house to green it up? Well, for starters I have LOTS of ideas, but little money right now. So simplicity or KISS (keep it simple silly) is key for me.

TO DO's around the house:

1) Clean out the storage shed for all the pollutants in the correct manner. Yep, I've got old cans of paint, stain, and general trash that needs to go and would give me more space. Contact http://www.fremontco.com/ for recycle drop offs.

2) Check the water heater temperature. I know I have it set to high why waste the propane? And put a blanket around it. I have a coupon to Lowes! www.lowesrealtorbenefits.com

3) Clean the of the refrigerator inside and out. The refrigerator as well as any other household appliances work better and more efficiently if they are clean. So vacuum off the coils! www.wisegeek.com

A very well known lawyer in Colorado taught the first Fair Housing Class I ever took. He said "All you need to know about Fair Housing is - it about the house not the people in it - now sit down you have to be here for four hours." And the Ethics class's really aren't that different. After all, most of us have the common sense to know right from wrong. But the longer the Ethics code gets the more gray areas seem to appear. But every time I take one of these class's the instructor manages to get me thinking. They will give an example or tell a story that makes you pause and think. Which I guess is the purpose of the class. After all, my opinion of right and wrong isn't always going to mesh with others.

Recently a very thoughtful respected Realtor called to set a showing appointment on a property my office has listed. She called again the day of the showing to confirm. She called again to say they might be a few minutes early. Then she called immediately after to give me her buyer's opinion. All great stuff!

Now the disconcerting part. This thoughtful agent gave me a review of the house from her buyer's point of view. All very nice, accept for the broken pipe due to an outside faucet freezing and the condition of the pets. I won't elaborate at this moment. But I promise you have never heard anything like what I heard this morning. You have heard or experienced showing nightmares before, but nothing like this one. And for the faint of heart, the pets were not in immediate danger. But the situation needs to be remedied soon.

So what do you do when you go into a property and you find kids or pets in danger? What is the duty of the agent? What can I do to correct the situation and not cross lines of fair housing, ethics and agency law?

OK, I admit it. I really don't like going to all of those gourmet food, fancy kitchen tools, candle or any-other-excuse-to-sell-something parties. There is only so much of that stuff I need or can really use. And for the most part it's my friends hosting the party for more of my friends whom I probably just saw at the last candle party. And I admit it, I carefully recycle gifts on occasion. But if I buy more of this stuff to whom am I going to give it too? All of my friends have been there, done that and bought the expensive BBQ sauce to prove it.

Guess where I'm going this afternoon? A design it yourself purse party. But at least the purse is personal and I do have room in my closet for one more purse. It could be fun.... or not. But you know what? Every time I go to one of these things somebody asks me a real estate question. "What did my neighbors house sell for" " Do you think I will get my money out of remodeling my bathroom" "Do you have a card with you? My sister-in-laws cousins roommate is thinking about moving"

After reading Jennifer Allens post about getting settled back into Denver I'm inspired to go out and meet people and spread my smile and maybe a few business cards too. Anybody need an invite to a purse party?

For all who are new here to Active Rain, a little encouragement. While some of us have as many points as we will ever need, there are others who simply want the phone to ring, contact with the outside world. I'm very fortunate to have experienced both.

But one of the best and biggest benefits of hanging around A.R. is the help and support you get from others. When A.R. first started we had no idea how much we would learn from each other. Sure we shared and encouraged each other, swapped web site advice, exchanged farming ideas and tried to leave clever comments. But when you read a post and a spark ignites your imagination or you try a new marketing idea and the phone rings, you will know why you are spending so much time here in the Rain.

Special thanks to those of you who have shared all of your wonderful ideas with us. A special thanks to Jennifer Steck and Chrissy Harrison, and to everyone who ever shared their fortune, good nature, imagination, information, letters and advice with all of us.

To all the Newbies in the Rain, keep at it, the phone is going to ring as a direct result of being in the Rain!

Just yesterday morning I had a buyer tell me where to go and how to get there, if you know what I mean. He is a young, hot headed person who really would rather work with a man who would tell him yes all of the time. I admit it didn't make me happy, but at the same time I didn't loose any sleep over it. I'm just disappointed that I couldn't help him. But then again if I could make everyone happy I'd probably be in a different occupation .....say delivering flowers. Which I have done before, enjoyed and everyone likes to see you coming to the door. ( off the point Dena)

Today, sitting at my desk a young woman walked in with a baby in a carrier.

"You moved your desk"

"Well, yeah..........I did...... I'm sorry I don't remember your name."

"Vanessa"

Moral of the story don't give up on people. I met Vanessa a year ago when I first started with Colorado Western Real Estate. She wanted a house on property and I remember showing her just one before we ran into a small challenge. So now a year later she's ready to roll again.

Never say never, and when one door shuts another opens again.

In some ways it's hard to believe it's been a year since I joined Donna Phillips at Colorado Western Real Estate. Like everything else you enjoy, time just flies. I've learned soooooo much this year it's been a great experience in many ways. And the learning part is important, but so is the fun part. After all, if work weren't any fun you'd probably move on. Which is what I did just a year ago.

Just this month Donna and I have been in sort of a race to see who could get the most listings. Now in the 3^rd week of January we are tied at 3 each. We have both had closings this month. OK, we both like our jobs, and that is a benefit of working together doing what we enjoy!

If you know somebody on the Front Range in Colorado that is an experienced licensed broker who needs more fun in their daily life give Donna a call or visit www.coloradowesternland.com.

Thank you Donna!

Jim and Geri Barley Allstate Financial Services, llc

1515 Fortino Blvd Suite 120 Pueblo, CO 81008   719 544-4393

I'm happy to announce that Jim Barley from Allstate and I have teamed up on the Home Buyers Network. Jim and Geri are bi-lingual and are happy to help anybody who needs their assistance. We hope as a team we can help renters buy homes of their own and make sure homeowners have the financial assistance they need. Together we plan on helping our clients get the help they deserve.

If you haven't had a chance to read Donna Phillips post about Jim Cramer please take a minute to do so here. Most intelligent well informed real estate professionals already know attitude is 90% of our business. That isn't a secret is it? And the N.A.R. recognizes this and is addressing it. The information below is as useful to real estate agents as it is to our clients. Maybe we should all go out and get the book The Power of Thinking Big - couldn't hurt!  

1. Resolve to accept that the way things were for the past five years is not the way they are going to be again, at least for the foreseeable future.
2. Resolve to believe and to remember that your expertise as a real estate professional is more valuable that ever. Commit right now to educating your clients why that is so.
3. Resolve today to stop saying "Business is in the toilet" or other similar things to anyone. Misery loves company, but success attracts clients. Sure, it's slow, but exhibit the confidence in your ability to overcome these things with the accumulated knowledge and skill you have acquired through your years in the business. Clients like positive thinkers and doers and shy away from pessimists. Furthermore, I think many of us are in a collective hysteria about the marketplace. We shouldn't be because the marketplace lost touch with reality and an adjustment is and was in order.
4. Resolve to becoming an internet marketer because that is one segment of the marketplace that is still bustling and is likely to remain so.
5. Remember that interesting times' are loaded with opportunists that a smart and nimble broker or agent can exploit: Resolve to stop doing things the same old way!