Overpriced Markets

I'm sure that by the time you read this, you will have seen 2007 in the rear view mirror. But, I still wanted to wish each of you a Happy New Year with many things prosperous, whether it be in health, finances or spirituality.

When we move into a new year, we always seem to take this time to look back on the happenings of the previous year. In this case, it would be 2007.

For me, my first thought to reflect back came on December 30th, 2007. I sat down in the evening and finally took the time to look over the days newspaper. As I perused this Sunday paper, I caught myself going through more than my normal sections of Sports, Business and Life sections. I turned over page after page until a headline caught my attention.

Lo and behold (I love using that phrase, it makes me feel like I’m in the country), I come across an article on Real Estate in London. The headline was, “U.K. feeling heat of U.S. Subprime Meltdown”. The reason this headline caught my eye was my feelings that this was just another negative article written about the decline of the housing market that we constantly get bombarded with.

If you recall in my December newsletter, the Subprime market is not the issue keeping the housing market in an uproar. So, what is the cause then you ask? Ahem….I first need to clear my throat and then I need a moment to get up on my soapbox.

Okay...here goes! First off, (note: this is just my opinion) human nature has a very greedy side to it. This is not bad and this is not good. It is just a fact. We all would like to have more of what we have and in most cases, more of what we don’t have that appears to be what we want. Now, before you get a chance to say, “What is he talking about”, I will be more than happy to include myself in this very group. In fact, if you would like, you can even make me the sole member of this group.

Now, back to the point. Yes, we all seem to want more and more and the case can be shown in the housing market. Let me ask a question. Do you want to have your home rise in value? I do! And the faster it rises, the happier I will be (except for the increase in property taxes). But, is this reasonable?

First off, what makes the value of property rises in the first place? Does it just happen on it’s own? Can you force it to happen? Will it happen whether you like it or not? No is my answer to all these questions. What makes a property rise in value is the same thing you learn in economics. Supply and demand. The more people covet an item, the more opportunity there is for someone to make a buck. You only have to look back a few years to the Elmo craze to see this happen. When something is in short supply and the demand is high, the amount that will be asked for it will be way above it’s intended value.

Now, for a brief moment, I would like to take a look at the article on the U.K. Subprime Meltdown. As I read further down in the first paragraph, I come across the real story in the story. It is about a former storage room the size of a walk-in closet that is on the market for $335,000. The total size is 77 square feet (I would like to see where the couch and bed go) and it has neither electricity or functional heating that will have to be added for approx $59,000 more. For a grand total to move in of $394,000.

After I do the long division, the total per square foot is $5,117. WOW! Can you imagine standing in one spot in this soon to be apartment and looking down realizing that you are standing on a $5,000 piece of square. After doing these numbers, I wondered how much my own home would be worth if it were that much per square foot and I could get $14,066,250 for this place. My best guess is that I would be priced not only out of my home, but out of buying at all.

Not buying at all? Would that hurt the market place? You bet it would! I seem to recall that the largest group in America is the middle class. What would happen to America if the middle class were unable to purchase homes in America? You would have little movement of cash. Goods would be unable to be sold. The economy would be stale, the unemployment rate would rise and those that had purchased when the economy was moving well, would now be unable to keep their payments going. This would put more loans in default, more folks on the street, more homes in the inventory and you can probably guess it would also start the market dropping or what the media happily call, “A RECESSION”!

What does it take to keep our markets strong? What can you do as an individual? First off, when you are buying or selling, think about fairness on both sides. Are you gouging your buyers or are YOU allowing yourself to be gouged. A few years back, I was doing a cost estimate on what it would cost for a family of two adults and four children to go to a basketball game. After looking at parking, tickets (middle of the arena) and refreshments, the cost came out to an easy $200. That would be $200 for three hours of entertainment or $66 an hour. Now, as a middle class American, I don’t think I would pay this amount for anything, but many folks do. And those that sale the entertainment realize that due to our greediness to be in the midst of greatness (that’s subjective), then they can charge what the want, because if one doesn’t want it, another will.

If we are lucky, the “Blown Out of Proportion” housing market that is being seen in city’s like London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami will come back down to REALITY and the U.S. and the economy of the world can breath a bit more in 2008.

Happy New Year 2008!

How is the market doing?

It seems like everytime we turn the newspaper or the news channel, there is talk about how bad the housing market is. Seems like everyone is blaming the woes of the American Housing Market on Sub-prime loans.

The problem is not so much that there are sub-prime mortgages going into default, but the way we are perceiving them and how we as buyers and sellers react to them.To put this into place...look at the Real Foreclosure story:


The REAL Foreclosure Story…

A lot of people are nervous about what they are reading in the newspaper and hearing on TV. But how can you blame them? The media is bombarding people with reports about the housing decline and the sub-prime mortgage mess.

However, Chief ECONOMIST for the National Mortgage Bankers Association, Doug Duncan decided last week to set the record straight. In a private conversation, Doug said that people have nothing to worry about in Texas.

Some of his defenses were...
· The foreclosure problem in this country is really a story about 7 states
· The biggest foreclosure problem is in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. These are predominantly manufacturing states
· Since 2001, Michigan has lost 300,000+ jobs
· The other 4 states are California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada. In each of these states there has been significant overbuilding. 25% of the foreclosures in these states are on properties that are held by investors who were speculating
· California & Florida have been hit very hard
· 35% of the homes in the USA do not have a mortgage
· 98% of the mortgages in the USA are performing
· Only 9% of all mortgages are sub-prime
· 75% of all sub-prime mortgages are performing
· In the other 43 states, foreclosures have fallen in 2007 from 2006
Right now, our local inventory levels are half the national average and well-priced homes are selling fast. You cannot expect this type of factual information to be distributed by the news media channels. We have to be telling folks this story.
Help us spread the word...

Health and Real Estate

Have you ever rushed out of the house and as you were driving down the road, realized that you forgot to eat? Doesn't make it easy when you are leaving at noon.

Let's throw in another glitch. How about that happening and you are on your way to meet with a new client? The question is, do I go through a drive through and grab something that will stick to my ribs and my teeth or do I just tough it out?

You are not doing yourself a favor by toughing it out. Especially if you are a diabetic like me. Sometimes, you need to just stop and get something to eat.

The best advice I could give you is to either keep something with you like health bars to keep you going or call your client and apologize for being late. I personally would rather apologize than to pass out in front of them.

This brings up a thought, be honest with your clients in all things. This will come back to you in many blessings. I would rather be honest and have a client that understands than a client that is unreasonable.

So, when planning your day, plan also a time to eat and don't get caught on the low end of carb low.

And, if you need some information about some good bars to keep with you, let me know or go to http://www.nonodiabetes.usana.com/

Always give respect to Real Estate...

Here's a good one. I've run into RUDE and unscrupulous Real Estate Agents!!!!

Yep, everything you learned about integrity being at the highest degree during training is not 100% true.

This doesn't mean that all of them are that way. I guess you would also have to define what your definition of Rude and Unscrupulous is.

Let me tell you the story...rude on first.

I was looking for a home for my wife and I. You could say that my wife is the most difficult buyer that I have come across. She told me what she wanted in a home and I went at it in search. We finally agreed to purchase this cute little bungalow out in Circle C.

After we put in the offer, my wife had a change of heart. It was not the one she thought she wanted. It was in the neighborhood she wanted, the look she wanted, the number of stories (1) she wanted. The only problem is that the back yard was too visible to the other neighbors. She felt like they would be on top of her.

So, being the Real Estate Agent I was, I contacted the selling agent and pulled back the offer. I guess you could say that he was not at all happy with this action and you could hear it in his voice.

Let me tell you first off, if you do not have a final signature with a date of agreement on the contract, "There IS NO contract". Sure, this would put me in a "Darn" mode, but it is the nature of Real Estate.

All I can say is to expect things to change. Do not be rude to other agents...you never know when you are going to be sitting across the computer from them in the future and be negotiating. I can already tell you there are agents that I would prefer not to sit across from or even to share the same title of Realtor with, but that happens.

Another quick issue is that of responding to calls and e-mails. I have contacted other agents (usually the so-called maga agents) and am still waiting for some of them to get back to me. Do the business a favor and reply to all contacts that need your input. Makes it easier for business to continue. Plus, it is in the best interest of clients.

Now, how about the other word....unscrupulous!!!

I know this is a rough word, but it's the only way I can say it. So, here goes.

I was showing this one home that was an open house. The selling agent was very nice and I suspect that the other lady with her might have been the seller. Possibly a sister thing. Well, we looked and it was not a choice of my buyers.

About a week later, I was contacted about this home. I was told that if my buyer was interested, I might want to have them make an offer. The reason was that she was expecting another offer at any moment and wanted my buyer to have a chance.

Was I being told the truth? Not sure, but the house was still active for about the next month as I watched it.

This being said, don't try this tactics at home. It makes the business of Real Estate look ugly and gives us that are trying to do the right thing a bad name.

Don't help Realtor's get grouped in with the likes of Car Salesmen. Be truthful and by all means, BE HONEST!!!

Happy Selling....and buying.

Action is everything

I am currently listening to one of my favorite books. It is titled "Goals", written by Brian Tracy. For a long time, I resisted listening to someone who looked "SO" Corporate. For this reason, I feel that I had held myself back because of my previous beliefs.

One of the things he states is that, "the source of fear is childhood conditioning, usually destructive criticism from one or both parents".

I like to take this a little further. Simply put, it is not always the parents that cause this childhood conditioning. It could be your peers, your siblings, family friends and members or just someone you encounter as you grow up.

I expand on this from my own experiences that shaped my first year as a new Agent. I recall being a little boy and not wanting to leave my mother as she dropped us off at a Carnival. I wanted to go, but I was afraid of the clowns. With a lot of persuasion, I was able to get my mother to take me with her while the rest of my family attended the carnival. To this day, I have never been to a carnival.

That doesn't mean that I won't, it just that I have not had the opportunity. Plus is it not a high priority on my list of things to do in this life.

What happened though is, for years, I had an aversion to talking with people when I couldn't see their face. This even included Santa Clause. Can you imagine the hoops I had to get over as an agent? How about talking on the phone during phone duty? How about meeting new clients that I had never met before? Especially not knowing what they looked like.

I would guess that I'm not the only one that has fears that have to be overcome. And overcome them I did. I am glad I took the time to work through this issue. As I did, I realized that fear and not knowing something go hand in hand. So, if you are going to get over that fear, you are going to have to step out of the box and confront them. You are going to have to learn something about what you are fearing. You are going to have to make you way forward.

If I had one bit of advice for you as a new agent, I would tell you to make a list of all the fears you have in being a Realtor. Put down why you fear them and then take steps to gain knowledge on those issues in order to overcome them.

As FDR said during his first Inaugural Address, "The only thing you have to fear is fear itself". Fear is the the distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

So, if you can get over your fear, you will be on your way to being the Real Estate Agent of choice.

Go get em....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

My memory has faded....

Have you ever tried to remember what you did last week? Well, I have to say that doing this BLOG is the hardest thing I have had to do in a long time.

Why so? Because I have to reach back in my memory to think about what happened during my first year as a Realtor. As a Seasoned Agent, it's hard to remember what happened that far back. You could say that I now just do it and thus have sort of moved it to the back of my mind. It's the same as when someone becomes a supervisor. You sort of forget what it was like to be a worker.

So, with that off my mind, I was thinking about this weekend. Not because I'm looking forward to a little time off, but because I have an open house set up.

I seem to have some recollection issues of my first Open House, but here goes.

During our New Agent training, we were impressed upon to use all sorts of opportunities to create leads. One of these was an Open House. I like many agents new to the Real World of Real Estate had some of the same questions.

1. How do you find a home to do an Open House at. Our answers were to contact that agent of the listing and ask them if you could. So, off I went....hmmmmm....where do I do one at, and hey...does it have to be an open house from my broker?

First off, you have to decide where you want to market yourself at. Not just the area, but the price range too. If you are new, do not know the area, do not know the way buyers are and are very unsure of what to do....DO NOT DO AN OPEN HOUSE IN A HIGH END HOME!!!!!!

I say this to warn you only. People who buy and sell high end homes are looking for an agent that is not going to be needing watched. You would be better finding an area that you feel comfortable in. Such as, where you grew up. If this is the $150K range, then that is where you should start. If it is the $250 range, the begin there. You need to make yourself comfortable in an uncomfortable location.

Oh...and don't forget, you need to do Open Houses in houses listed by your Broker. It's an advertising thing for yourself.

2. Now that I've decided on the area and the house, you need to take some time to talk with the listing agent. Find out what you can about the home, it's particular attributes and anything special about the pool or the neighborhood. This will make you appear as though you know the area.

3. Make sure that you advertise it on the MLS. Place Open House Signs on the route in a few days before telling the date and time. This will help for those who drive by before the weekend. Oh...also...there are some restrictions in some neighborhoods regarding signs, so don't forget to get that information from the Listing Agent.

4. Do your research!!!! You need to do a market analysis the morning of the open house so you have the latest information. You should know what is Active, Pending and Sold in the last six months. This will help you if you have a customer that feels that this listing is overpriced.

5. Be at the Open House at least a half hour before the time. I had an open house where I was running a bit late, but was still about 15 minutes early. I didn't even have the open house signs in the yard before I had someone waiting to get in. I had to open up the house, show them around and then put my signs out.

6. If you have something to make the house smell really pleasing, like baking cooking, use it. The better the mood of the buyer, the more receptive they are to sticking around and talking with you.

7. Talk with customers to make them feel at ease, but don't over talk. There are some ways to get information without prying. You will need to learn what works best for you. I can't tell you how many times I asked for an e-mail address trying not to be invasive and then NEVER heard back.

8. Don't look at everyone who comes in the door with WOLF eyes. I hate to say it, but folks can see right through you. If you are over anxious, they will feel it and get VERY uncomfortable.

9. Don't give up....at some open houses, you are going to get a lot of traffic, some moderate traffic and others NO traffic. Then, there are the ones where nobody shows up until about 15 minutes before you are ready to take down and go home. This tends to be rough on you because you are overly bored after 3 or more hours of no activity and then it just explodes on you.

10. Just a suggestion...If you have never done an open house, look in the MLS and see who is holding one and call em up and see if they would mind you shadowing them. I know I wouldn't. The same thing goes when you hold YOUR first one. See if you can get someone to shadow you also. If they are a seasoned agent, they can give you pointers and if they are new, they can start learning how to be comfortable in this area with someone around. Tag teaming is OKAY!!!!!!

11. Now, what do you do now that you are at your first open house. Well, be pleasant. Talk slowly and don't worry if you do not get any hot leads. The name of the game is to get comfortable at all aspects of the Real Estate world and become the expert that everyone will come to know in you.

Take care and be safe.

Safety Note: Open Houses can be an unsafe environment at times. If you are feel that something isn't right, lock up and get to a safe spot. Always make sure that you are never in a position where you will not be able to exit a house if you come into an unsafe situation.

Good Luck and I hope to see you at a Closing Table someday soon.

Starting the Realtor Work!

Don't forget that your team is more than your Mortgage Lender and Title Rep. You need to create relationships with other Realtors and Vendors.

After getting my mini team together, I started to focus on getting to know vendors. Who would I call if I had an issue, such as an inspector? I had not had a chance to meet any and I wasn't sure who would do a good job at a good price. Remember that your buyer will have to pay this cost and it is a non-refundable charge.

So, what was I to do. Well, I did what any well meaning Newbie Realtor would do and I stole someone. You ask, what does he mean by this? I mean that I picked one off of a list that I located on another Realtors web page. Did I choose just anyone? Not a chance. I chose them from a Realtor that had been in the business for awhile and that I admired. This made it easier for the short term until I could get time to meet those vendors that I felt I would be needing sometime in the future.

This brings me back to another question. Which Realtors would use the vendor list from? You have to look at Realtors that are responsive to you. If they do not have the time of day for you, then beware. They also need to be an upbeat and positive agent. You learn this by meeting with them and talking. I recall an agent that had a story written about her in a local paper. It was a great article and she was portrayed as a knowledgeable and caring agent. She was also considered a mega agent. So, would you think she would be approachable? Well, I found out one day as I sat talking with her in the lobby. At first I did not recognize her. She looked more down to earth than her picture in the article. We talked for about 15 minutes and she was delightful!!!!

What I'm getting at here is you have to realize that, though you are new to Real Estate, you are no less than the agents that have been around for awhile. They are NOT unapproachable and when you really get to know them, you realize that they put there name tag on the same way you put yours on.

So, remember this as you become seasoned yourself. Welcome in those new agents with a warm smile and an offer to help them out any way you can. Don't look at them as your competition, but as friend in the business of Real Estate.

Until the next entry....keep you eyes looking forward and your feet in front of you.

Next entry? How do you market yourself when everyone else has worn out YOUR welcome?

Creating MY Team!!!!!

How do I choose a Title Company, Mortgage Lender or other part of the process!!!! This was probably one of the most difficult part of being a new agent. I not only needed to get up and started, but I also needed to know who to refer.

I knew that I was going to need at minimum a Mortgage Lender. I had the opportunity to meet various ones that my market center had hanging around. They were there to keep us informed about how the market was doing and how they could help us. My problem turned out to be, how do I know which one I would be able to rely on for my clients needs.

I finally decided to contact a Mortgage Lender by leaving a message on their voicemail and also in an e-mail. When I did not get a reply during the week, I realized that the one I contacted was not the one for me.

By this time, I was a little frustrated. I expected to be caught off guard at anytime and no Mortgage person on my team.

As I sat through another much needed class, I started speaking with a Lender that was in the same office as the Lender I had contacted. She was VERY helpful and told me that the Lender that I had contacted was out of the office for the week.

Well, that explains the non reply, but I sort of expected to at least get an e-mail reply saying they were unavailable or a voice mail that said the same.

After having a sit down with this Mortgage Lender Representative, we hit it off and I felt like I had my Mortgage Lender tied down. One last thing I needed to do was find out how responsive she was to my needs and my needs were a Mortgage for my wife and I.

She met with us both on the phone and in person and was so responsive that I couldn't help but feel that she would treat all my customers the same.

I have needed her expertise many times since our first meeting and I can tell you that she is always there for me. Whether it is replying to my e-mails or returning my calls. She is also a great fit for my team. Happy, upbeat, motivated, courteous and above all, HONEST!!!!

My next step was to find a Title person. This was what I thought going to be more difficult than finding the Lender. But, what I did was, since I felt VERY happy with my Lender, I asked her who she would recommend. She gave me a name and even set up a meeting between us.

I met with the Title Rep and we hit it off right away. There was that same bubbly personality and excitement that makes any transaction a breeze. And, she had the same qualities that my lender had....upbeat, motivated, courteous and you got it...HONEST!

In a market where there seems to be so much mistrust, it is a plus to get a Lender and a Title Rep that you can trust and that will take care of your clients.

Remember that these folks are an extension of you and if you want your business to grow, you have to have quality people to work with.

Keep the chin up and walk proud......you don't want to miss looking your next seller or buyer in the eyes.

More soon.....

Being a Newbie to Real Estate!!!!!!

Now playing..."Being New in a Real Estate office!!!!!!"

I was not sure what I was planning on writing about this time, but after meeting with my mentor this morning (yes! I have a mentor), I realized that that would be the subject.

A mentor has always played a big part of my life. I guess you could say that it began with my mother. Someone that I could look up to and ask questions of no matter how silly they were. You know the ones that always come from children...Why? And, if not my mother, then I also had 3 brothers and a sister older than I. I can recall many times asking my brother questions about math. I was good at math, but not as good as he was. I usually had that recall problem and just needed to have a good prompting to get me to say, OH YEA!!!, now I remember. Services no longer needed till next time.

As a new REALTOR (I put that in bold, because I did not feel that I had earned that title yet), I was in desperate need of a mentor. Sure, we had our lead agent, but they were not readily available as their schedule was tightly covered with Market Center meetings, new probable agent meetings and just plain ole meeting with other folks behind closed doors.

But that's okay...there was the Pier mentoring that happened every week! You would come into the meeting with a list of questions you were hopefully going to get answers to. It was a great way to connect with other agents and even find out just how small you could get as you talked about what you had done the week prior and also what you had NOT done. I always feared that never ending question! "So, how many in your database have you contacted this week?" This question always made me feel a little inadequate. Not that I couldn't contact my database, but my database was not your typical.

Then, there is the, "Did you get your 8X8's out?", "how about your touches"?

After finally deciding on a neighborhood to farm, that did not appear to be locked up by another agent, I finally got my 8X8's going out every other week. By the time I got the 7Th one out, I received a call from a homeowner. They wanted me to stop sending out my junk mail. I decided that this would be a GREAT time to say, "I apologize for offending you with my mail outs, nothing personal meant by it". What I really wanted to say was, "You can't be serious! Of all the JUNK MAIL that we get in the mail, you picked mine to call and ask to stop just ONE piece of mail!!!!". But, thank goodness, I didn't.

Now, back to getting a mentor. I recall asking about getting a seasoned agent to be my mentor. It was suggested that I contact the one I would like and ask them. I'm still waiting on a few of them to call me back!

Finally, I got hold of an agent that I respected VERY much and YES!, she was willing to give me a hand getting through the muddy waters of the New Agent Realtor muck. I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to finally meet an agent that I can rely on for my "dumb questions", even though there is no such thing. She made me feel like I was making strides. That all the hard work I was putting into this business was not going the wrong way. That I was progressing!!!

Now...back to my current mentor!!! She is not the same one that I had. Not long after getting frustrated at being just another database provider, I moved to a Market Center that was more capable of responding to my many needs. All things were going good, but I still had that need to have ONE person I could rely on when I needed.

One day during a sales meeting, it was mentioned that a new Mentor program was being established. We were introduced to this LUCKY person and were instructed to contact her if we would like to join the mentor program.

The sales meeting didn't get over fast enough before I had my hands on my e-mail and e-mailing her. I wanting to be her first "Agent in Need"! Well, guess what? I was her first agent and I am glad to say that I benefit from her every day. Not just during our meetings, but between them also. I enjoy that "Hi" that she sends each time we pass. I enjoy the cards that she sends when we are doing good. Getting cards makes me want to keep up my card mailing also. I see what an impact they are making on me. I enjoy each time we meet, because she supports me, my goals, my path. but she keeps me POSITIVE.

A mentor can make or break your career, so before you leap onto just anyone, look at whether they are going in the same positive forward motion that you want to go. Make sure that they are there to be a shoulder to sniffle on when you need it, but also there with a boot if you need that too.

Be willing to give and take...don't expect to have your mentor there 24/7, for every little need, but do expect them or someone in the MC to be able to take that call when you forget how to do a counter offer and all you need to know is if you just line through the changes on the counter/counter and have your client initial the changes.

Oh...one more note, if you work with the other agent, you can sometimes minimize the changes on an offer and keep it cleaner. This makes it easier for Title to make out what was REALLY agreed upon.

Having a mentor can be a rewarding experience that makes your career the career of choice. It makes others look at your glow and long to know how you got it and what they can do to get it also. So...as you go about your daily REALTOR tasks, don't forget to glow...you never know who might be needing that at the time you show it.

Next: How do I choose a Title Company, Mortgage Lender or other part of the process!!!!

Until then...keep your chin up and your goals in front of you......................

Orientation and stuff!!!

I can't believe the amount of stuff a new agent has to do and learn and the money here and the money there that has to be spent. When all is said and done, I think I dropped about $3K during that first week. Thank goodness my wife is still working and we had a few dollars saved up before we started my new career.

It seems like everyone is trying to be a Realtor these days to cash in on the money in the market, but is there really the kind of money that one would expect vs. the amount of money that you put out? Don't get me wrong, because there is a lot of money to earn, but you first have to lose a lot to get there.

After I finally received notification from my broker that they had my license, I gleefully bounced to the market center for orientation. There were the usual forms that one fills out about how you want to pay this and pay that and oh...how you want to get paid!!! That was my favorite form to fill out, but what it meant did not really sink in until MUCH later. Now...this is how I get paid? But, don't I have to get a customer? Aren't you guys going to help me get my customers? Aren't you going to have someone hold my hand for the first few months? Seems like the answer was not the one that I wanted. Can you say, "You are on your own unless you get yourself a mentor"!!!

I had a hard time at first with this concept, but I felt pretty good knowing that I would be getting training that would help me get into the hang of being an agent.

Oh...and while I'm at it, I also need to join ABOR (Austin Board of Realtors) where I have my wallet lightened by a bit more to the tune of over a grand. Not a pretty picture to me. Thanks to my understanding wife, I was able to work through this.

After orientation and the wallet shrinking, I was scheduled for training. Training, which also cost would take place on Thursday and Friday each week and run for 6 weeks. I would be introduced to subjects and acronyms, like Open Houses, FSBO and Database.

Database? Yep...that would be friends, family, past co-workers and anyone else that I had an address and or phone number to. My problem with my database was that it was too large for one and the majority of them were out of state. Now...I was sitting on a database that was more or less useless. After 15+ years of developing relationships, none of them were going to do me one bit of good in this new career that I just chose. More about that later.

The training turned out to be very beneficial, but at times a bit overwhelming. There were day's that I just could not get one more thing in my mind. Plus, there were other training requirements that I had to do at ABOR.

All this on Thursday and Friday and then you throw in agency meetings, sales meetings, property tours and trying to have a sort of normal life at the same time.

Not so simple!!!!

Next up...being New in a Real Estate office!!!!!!

I'm a Realtor Now!!!

As I left the testing facility, I not only felt a sigh of relief, but I felt the pride in my chest as I walked tall. I not only wanted to tell my wife that I passed, but I really just wanted to shout it out to the world.

On my way home, the sense of calm sat in as I stopped for gas and something to drink. The only thing on my mind was..."what am I going to do now". I had just spent 5 months studying, stressing and living the study material.

When I finally returned home after a very peaceful drive, I e-mailed my team leader with the good news and was told that it would take a few days for them to get my license and to contact the new agent representative and set up a time for orientation.

During the next week, I did my best to get familiar with the Austin housing market. This seemed to be a lot easier than the previous five months of constant studying and memorizing.

The funny part is, even though I passed my test and was considered a Realtor now, I did not feel like I could do anything realty wise. I had learned the stuff in the books, now it was time to learn the stuff in real life.

Still, I was a realtor on paper, but not yet in my mind.

Coming next.....orientation and I can't believe the amount of money I'm spending!!!!!

Real Estate Agent 101

I set up this blog site about a month ago and have been trying to decide what the content would be. I have finally made a decision to talk about my first year as a Real Estate Agent. I feel this is important, because the first year is a make or break year. A little understanding that you are not the only one going through your cycle is what I hope to get across.

I wish I could say that it has been everything I had dreamed of and more, but that is not the case. As I look back at it, I was close to being one of the 70% that do not make it past the first year and end up going back to an hourly wage.

A little about myself....

I decided to get into Real Estate because I needed to have a more flexible job with flexible hours. After 20 years with the Federal Government, I had had enough of fighting for a budget that was constantly getting diverted elsewhere. We would eventually get what we needed, but the hoops kept getting smaller and smaller to jump through.

I could not retire because I was still to young, so I decided that I would resign and wait until I turned 58 and collect my retirement at that time.

So, off to a world that I had only briefly worked in during my life time. A world where instead of constantly trying to justify a budget, I was constantly trying to convince people to allow me to help them sell probably the highest priced item they have ever purchased and probably the highest they will EVER purchase in their lives.

After I completed my Real Estate Courses, I sort of felt confident about my ability to pass the state exam. If the exam was anything like the study books, then I should have no problem. The only problem I had were the stories about people not passing on the first try and having to try again and again. I was not going to be one of them if I could help it, so I scheduled my test date for the day after I would complete a two day review cram course.

While waiting for my test date, I let my Team Leader for the Broker I had chosen (Keller Williams) know of the date and asked if there would be anything I could do in the meantime. I was told to relax and just study for the test. What I was hoping she would say is, "Come on down and see how things operate and get a feel for what you will be experiencing when you get your license". But that did not happen! So, I relaxed and studied and studied and studied and even through in a stress every now and then just to keep my life balanced.

On my test date, I made sure that I was at the test facility early. I did not want any reason to have to reschedule. I just wanted this part to be over with. I sat in the parking lot and with a half hour to go and looked over my books. Did I forget anything? Did I get enough sleep? Is my stomach growling because it's hungry or nervous? Can't they just open the door and let me in so I can take this test and then go and either relax or drown in sorrow.

I finally looked in my mirror and noticed that there was an open sign in the window of the test facility. Was that there when I arrived? Did they just open up early? Either way, I was going to find out and if it really was not open, then I would just have to walk around the building and relax this tension that was building.

The turn of the knob was a beautiful sight as the door swung open and inside sat a gentleman just waiting for testers like me. He put me at ease as I showed him my ID's and I signed all the papers.

I was finally directed into the testing room with instructions on how to operate the computer. I sat down and can't even begin to tell you how loud the chair was, especially since I was the only one in there so far. And it even became louder as I squirmed with each question that I answered. I answered all the questions on the National Test and then moved on through the State test. My stomach starting to ache with each question answered as I did not know whether I was going to pass or not.

I finally completed the final question and was asked to review my choices and make changes now. I have always believed that my first answer is probably the one to keep. If I start to think about them, I would then start to question my answers and then myself. So, I left them all the same and pushed the complete button. The computer did it's thing with a whir left and a whir right and then the rinse mode was over. And!!!!! So, was my testing.

I HAD PASSED!!!!! Both the State and the National test were finally behind me. Turns out that I did not really have as much to worry about as I had thought before. My score of and 80 and a 90 proved that I had studied well and all the worrying was in vain.

I was NOW a REAL ESTATE Agent!!!!

So....I thought.....More to come on my first year!!!!!