Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Seeking Your Ideas and Perspective - Planning for 2012 and Beyond

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:49:03 -0500

If you don't mind, I'd love to hear some input and perspective from you. I have a number of decisions on my mind with our company, and I would welcome any helpful advice/direction. Please note that I said "helpful". :) I'm editing this opening paragraph now that I've finished writing the rest of the post and I realize that some of the stuff I wrote below seems a little disjointed. Hang in there if you can.

Here's the thing: I've been selling homes full-time in Austin for 15 years as of this month. I started my own brokerage just over 7 years ago. We've had some very good years (thankfully, 2011 was one of them) and a couple of very lean years, too. As we begin another year, my business partner and I are evaluating things to try to determine the best direction for ourselves and our company. I find myself going back and forth between two extremes: big-time company growth vs. streamlining, saving money, and focusing on my own sales.

We're paying way too much for office space, so we're likely moving down the hall to a smaller, much less expensive space. Most of our agents work from home, so it seems silly to pay for a large space with lots of barely-used desks. This downsize in physical office space will save us $1700/month, so that's a no-brainer. We will be moving.

I could use some of the savings for additional marketing/branding, I suppose. Again, I'd have to think about the most effective use of these dollars. I've used just about every type of print and internet marketing technique over the years, and it seems that the internet is the only one that makes much sense, outside of handwritten notes (not a joke). Again, I welcome your input.

We have a nice system in place for the leads from our website, and a relatively substantial number of new prospective buyers sign up every day. I would love to increase our conversion rate for these leads, since I worked so hard to get the traffic in the first place. It seems that this would probably entail more accountability, and a different system, although I have no idea how much this might cost to design and implement. I could focus on SEO, but since we're getting ample traffic, perhaps the site needs a re-design to maximize its effectiveness? Here's our primary website: http://www.austintexashomes.com

I DO offer something that seems to be in short supply based on my conversations with agents: I care. I genuinely care about the people who work for us, and I am available pretty much any time to answer questions or provide advice. I've never been involved in a lawsuit or mediation of any kind, because we really try to head off problems before they grow into full-fledged legal issues. I value honesty and integrity, which might be a hindrance to substantial growth, although I'd like to think otherwise. Maybe I'm not cut-throat enough, and I'm okay with that.

There's no easy way to say this next part, so I guess I'll just be blunt. I promise it's not sour grapes, just an observation. I have seen other local companies grow to 50 agents and beyond with seemingly less to offer, other than possibly bravado and aggressiveness on the part of the managing broker/owner. I don't begrudge them their success, and I'm sure I could learn something from their recruiting efforts. Having interviewed a few agents who went to work elsewhere, only to be disillusioned, I just can't bring myself to over-promise to agents. Yes, we have leads. No, I can't tell you how many to expect, nor do I want agents who are dependent on me or the company to produce all or most of their business.

I haven't instituted minimum production standards for our agents, partly because it struck me as disingenous, since I wouldn't have been given a chance with my original mentor/broker if these were in place, but I think I was a great addition to his team for 8 years. It reminds me of the classified ads I used to see for Dell Computers that required a college degree and 2-4 years of experience, when the CEO was a college dropout. That being said, I don't think I want very many brand-new agents, partly because of the time commitment involved in training. What are your thoughts on minimum standards for sales production?

I've managed up to 20 agents in the past, and I think I could handle a lot more (40-50+), under the right circumstances. Namely, if I weren't so dependent on my own sales to provide the vast majority of my income, and if the agents were at least somewhat self-sufficient. I recognize that this sounds obvious.

I guess the bottom line is that I am torn between building an actual business that can provide income for me on its own vs. continuing to grow my personal sales. I am now 41 years old. I don't think I want to drive people around showing houses (even if they're nice houses) when I am 60 or 70.

I need a plan.

Feel free to chime in below with ideas. I'm all ears.

Thanks for reading!

Photo credit:Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr.com Creative Commons license

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If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can also visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com. If you're interested in social media training, visit 210 Consulting. Thanks!

How to Get Over 100 Comments on Your Blog Posts - The Sequel

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:46:27 -0500

A couple of years ago, I wrote a post called "How to Get Over 100 Comments on Your Blog Posts - A Retrospective". It was featured, and it received a lot of attention, then it was hijacked by my friends, and it ended up getting over 3,000 comments. At some point, it wouldn't load anymore, which is why I didn't include the link. Since I don't have access to that one, it's not a great teaching tool when I'm working with newbie bloggers. With that in mind, I decided to write another one, in an effort to illustrate which of my posts have received the most attention within this community.

(In case you were wondering, yes, that's the typewriter I use to compose each and every post, while seated in a patch of clover.)

To date, I have 73 posts that have topped the 100 mark on comments, including the one I mentioned above.

I am thankful to each of my 1,935 subscribers, and to the AR staff for paying more than my fair share of attention to what I write, and perhaps most of all, I am happy to have received just over 44,000 comments on this blog since I started back in August 2007.

So, without further ado, what types of posts bring the most comments? Here are the categories which seem to garner the most remarks, at least for me:

This last group of posts got tantalizingly close to reaching the three-figure mark, but fell a little short. :)

How much disloyalty will you accept as an agent? My relocation buyer experience - 91

I Toured the New Localism Today! Here are my initial impressions - 94

Sign of the Times? A new experience for this real estate veteran - 90

ActiveRain Gathering in Austin Yesterday - The 20th Anniversary of my 18th Birthday Party! - 92

I am writing TWO offers today! (Pssst! One of them even came from Localism) - 92

Is it a boy or a girl? Our big news - FIND OUT RIGHT HERE! (Photos, too) - 95

Just a Few Suggestions that Might Help - Real Estate Sales Tips - 94

"Sounds Like a Good Problem to Have" - Results from ActiveRain - 93

Are ActiveRain Points Fun? Absolutely! Are They Critical? Not Really - 97

How Soon Is Too Soon? Handling Inquiries From "Early Bird Buyers" - 95

Please help me find a new next-door neighbor (or move in yourself!) - Special offer for both agents AND consumers - 92

Extra Transaction Fees for Clients - An Open Forum for Discussion - 95

The Deal Closed In Spite of You, Not Because of You - 91

So there you have it. I hope this list or the categories are helpful to you. If you're new to ActiveRain, or if you have any questions that I can answer, feel free to call or email anytime. I can be reached at 512-796-7653 (cell) or via email at jason@austintexashomes.com.

Thanks for reading!

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A Few Thoughts on Influence

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:16:15 -0500

It seems as though I hear more and more these days about the notion of "influence", both from sites like Klout and from various industry lists (Most Influential, etc.). My intent with this post is not to discount or disavow any such influence, but to provide some food for thought.

There are plenty of people I can point to throughout the course of my life who have served as good influences on me and my character. Of course, I also had a few that were...less than helpful.

When it comes to my own personal influence, there aren't that many areas that concern me. Here's a sample:

Am I influencing my wife and kids in a positive way? As a father of four, there are few things more important than the mental and physical well-being of my children. I love them all dearly, and I am fascinated to watch them grow and develop into really interesting people. I teach them about our faith, our love for one another, and how to relate to the world at large. I am incredibly thankful that I've been blessed with a wife who does a stellar job as my partner in this regard. I tell each of them that I love them...daily (yes, even my teenage son). I want them to know that I am always available to talk, and my love is unconditional.

Am I influencing my friends to trust me? I sure hope so. I like to think of myself as a very loyal friend, although I'm certainly not perfect. The people that I see on a regular basis are important to me, and I care about how they view me.

Am I influencing my clients to remain loyal, and to send their friends and family to me? Without this particular influence, I wouldn't make a living selling homes. I've been doing this for 15 years now, and 2011 was my best income year since 2006. Why is that? Well, part of the reason is that I focused on my clients and on providing the best possible service that I could muster for them. This has always been important to me, but I was more intentional about it this year.

Am I influencing the world? This is a tough question. I've seen examples of small actions that have long-lasting effects. Like the "butterfly effect" or the tried-and-trite ripples in a pond, we often don't really know what kind of impact we have on the lives of those around us. I've also had more obvious influence on three of my friends who credit me with saving their lives. Since I can't leave that last sentence hanging with no explanation, I will say that I talked two of them out of suicide (one on multiple occasions). The other told me that he was inspired by my 2010 weight loss and changed his lifestyle dramatically.

The bottom line is this: All I can do is try to be obedient to God and attempt to provide a good example for my friends and my family. THAT is the influence that matters to me.

Thanks for reading!

Photo credit: raspberreh via Flickr.com

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Selling a Home? Here are Some Factors that you CAN Control

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:48:52 -0400

When you’re trying to sell your home, there are things that you simply can’t change. If you bought in an awkward location, there’s not much you can do about that now. If the plan isn’t as functional/modern as most buyers would prefer, this is something that may cost too much to remedy. You also can’t really control which buyers are in the market at any given time.

However, there are three big items that you can and DO control:

Price
Condition
Agent

Pricing: This is a biggie. Make sure that you give this part some sincere thought. You and your listing agent don't dictate the market - buyers do. In fact, one definition of market value is the price that a ready, willing, and able buyer will pay for your home.

A solid agent can provide a comparative market analysis (CMA) that should give you a good idea where to begin when pricing your home to sell.

Also, give some thought to where the "breaking points" are with the homebuying audience. In my local market in Austin (and probably elsewhere), $200,000 is one such breaking point. What that means is that there are a lot of buyers looking UP TO $200,000, but NOT over. If you price your home at $202,500, you are hurting your chances of selling. Price it at $200,000 or $199,999 if you want to use the retail psychology trick. Either way, it's a big mistake to go just over one of these breaking points. Your agent should be able to help with this, too.

TIP: If possible, go with your agent to see a couple of the homes that you will be competing with nearby. This will allow you to see what potential buyers are seeing, and it often gives you a much better sense of how your home stacks up.

Condition: As I alluded to above, you probably don't want to spend a fortune remodeling your home, but you do want it to show in the best possible light. Getting good photos, staging, cleaning the carpet, and painting if needed are all inexpensive ways to improve the condition. If you have repairs that you already know are needed, do them now. If buyers notice them, they tend to assume that the home isn't well-maintained. I guess the best advice I can give here is to get your house in the best possible condition with your budget. This WILL make a difference when you're competing with other places.

Agent: I would like to tell you that this is the single most important part of the equation, but it's probably not. Price, condition, and location will largely dictate whether or not you get offers. That being said, if you have an agent who isn't reachable by phone during reasonable hours, or who is unpleasant or difficult to deal with, or who doesn't really make an effort to present your home well, this will hurt you. Additionally, make sure that you really like your agent, because you will likely be spending a good deal of time talking to him/her. Ideally, you want someone who can get you the maximum exposure for your home, and who is reasonably experienced and good with technology (at least the basics). Friendliness and honesty are two characteristics that are critical. You aren't paying your agent to tell you what you want to hear; you're paying him to tell you the truth.

There are a number of other intangibles that are part of the formula for home sales success, but these are the ones that you can affect. "Location, location, location" still applies, but these are probably the next three in line.

Thanks very much for reading!

Photo: Diana Parkhouse Creative Commons 2.0

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How to Properly Leave a Brokerage - Am I wrong to expect a call?

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:35:27 -0400

I have intended to write about this topic for several months, and today I stumbled across it on my "blog topics" list. There's no time like the present, right?

As the broker and owner of my company, I have seen a number of agents leave over the years. Sometimes, the feeling is mutual and I think they are really saving me the trouble of doing it for them. Other times, I am sad to see them go. Either way, I often wonder why some agents feel the need to sneak out rather than calling me or speaking to me face-to-face.

I have never once exploded in anger at the office for ANY reason - I just don't find it to be productive. I have never made anyone feel uncomfortable for leaving when they speak with me directly about it. Additionally, I haven't ever tried to talk anyone out of leaving, because I figure by the time they speak to me, the decision has already been made.

So, I am left to wonder why certain agents have felt the need to leave without a word, note, or phone call. Recently, we had a small issue with our corporate license that required a trip to the TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission) to fix. During the visit, we realized that one of "our" agents was no longer our agent at all. He had moved his license without notifying us in any way. I had another girl who left me a note on my desk, and one who sent me an email. On another occasion, I had a lady who left with no notice or notification whatsoever. To this day, I haven't heard from her, although I know she is still actively practicing real estate here in Austin.

I have coined my own term for this over time. When agents leave in this manner, they are not just burning the bridge. They are "blowing up the bridge" entirely, much like in this video.

For those who have left on good terms, I always tell them that the door is open should they wish to return, simply because they took the time to speak with me. Because of this policy, I have had two of them return, one in the past week.

When I left my previous broker, who is much like a surrogate father to me, I had a tough time telling him, but I did it in person. We had eight years of history together, and it never crossed my mind to do it any other way.

I realize that we are all self-employed independent contractors, but it seems as though simple respect and courtesy should come into play. I am more than fair with the agents who work with me, and I truly care about all of them as people. I am also not driven strictly by money, and this is reflected in the way that I train, support and befriend my agents. You can ask anyone about this, even those who have left.

Am I wrong to expect agents to leave in a halfway dignified manner?

For any agents who may be reading this, if you are considering leaving your current company, I would beseech you to be upfront when you go, rather than skulking away into the night. You will feel better for it. Sometimes, this may require you to take a "big boy" or "big girl" pill, but it is simply the right thing to do.

However, I must also admit that if an agent is willing to leave on these terms, I am almost certainly better off without them, because they are likely to treat their clients even worse.

Thanks for letting me vent a little bit on this topic.

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The Real Estate Mystery

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:35:36 -0400

I've been selling homes full-time in Austin since 1997. I've trained dozens of local agents, and coached many others around the country. As a broker and owner of my own independent real estate firm, I've helped with hundreds of transactions. Through my online networking efforts and "in person" conferences, I'm thankful that I've met hundreds (maybe thousands) of agents.

Why do I mention this?

Well, it's pretty straightforward. Having encountered agents and clients of all types, I've noticed one trend:

Real estate is neither as easy as clients think, nor as hard as agents think.

Allow me to explain:By and large, I think the general perception from the public at large is that we real estate agents have it pretty easy. Show a home or two, help with some paperwork, then coast into commission town. I'm oversimplifying things, of course, but I know that I'm not far off here. I wish it were true that my job was that simple. It involves being really patient and diplomatic even in the face of major adversity, often from your own colleagues. Sometimes, clients aren't loyal. Often, lenders make mistakes that jeopardize sales. Frankly, there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to real estate sales, and a lot of juggling has to occur.

Having said that, real estate isn't rocket science, either. When agents are struggling (I've been there), it's easy to blame outside factors:

"The economy is in the tank."

"Banks have tightened guidelines, so no one can get a loan anymore."

"The media won't quit talking about how bad things are."

Believe me, I've had the same thoughts myself at times, but the bottom line is this: In any given market on any given month, people are buying homes. They might be buying fewer homes than they were 5 years ago, but there is business to be had everywhere.

If you're a consumer reading this post, know that most agents work hard and a solid number of us are good at what we do and conduct business in a professional manner. If you're an agent, grab your share of the pie. The pie may not be as large, but neither is the number of people who want a piece anymore. Too much analogy?

There's the paradox as I see it, and of course it's just my opinion. I've always found it interesting how different the perspective is from the outside vs. the inside of our industry. In my own naive way, I think it's probably the opposite of how doctors are perceived by others ("Wow, being a brain surgeon has to be a really hard job.") compared with their self-perception ("Brain surgery ain't hard."). Alright, in fairness, they probably don't say "ain't".

What are your thoughts? I welcome your feedback.

Photo: rrenzoo Creative Commons 2.0

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Despite What You May Have Heard, Some Realtors Do Have Integrity

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:16:17 -0400

When dealing with real estate clients, one of the more difficult objections to overcome in the real estate industry is the fact that we are often perceived as predatory and unprofessional. If I had a nickel for every time I heard this phrase, "I haven't had very good experiences with REALTORS®", well, I'd have a whole lot of nickels.

My response? "Neither have I."

However, over the past couple of years, I am happy to report that I have rarely run across the types of agents who have traditionally given all of us a bad name. Yes, there are some who are still out there, but I get the feeling (I have no data to support this assertion) that many of the truly bad agents were driven out of business by the economic downturn we experienced here in 2008 and 2009.

As the broker and co-owner of a smaller independent real estate agency, I've trained dozens of agents on the sales process. I have tried to build my own business on a cornerstone of integrity and honest dealings, and I expect nothing less from my agents. If I have a client who's considering buying a property that seems like a bad decision, I say so. Conversely, if I see a buyer about to pass up the deal of a lifetime, I want them to recognize this, too.

Why?

That's an easy answer, and hopefully it's a common-sense one as well. If I do my job correctly, my clients will want to come back to me with all of their real estate needs. They'll also send their family, friends, and co-workers to me. Good service isn't always altruistic. It's good business, too.

Another reason that I strive to provide the best possible service is this: I will likely be called upon to help my buyers when they're ready to become home sellers later. If I helped them get the best property in the first place, it makes my job that much easier down the road. Again, not just a nice move, but helpful to my own bottom line also.

The best agents I've encountered are those who are good communicators, and unafraid to say, "I don't know, but I'm sure we can find out." There's no shame in not having encyclopedic knowledge, as long as you're willing to expend the effort to get the answer, right?

At any rate, my overarching point is that there are still plenty of "good guys" when it comes to real estate sales. And by "guys", I mean both men and women, just to clarify. Don't be frightened by any negative stereotypes that you've seen portrayed on TV or movies. Just because you had a friend or family member who was burned before, it doesn't mean that it will happen to you, unless of course you use the very same agent, in which case you're kind of on your own, eh?

I do have a couple of pointers which come in handy, if you're a consumer looking for a real estate agent:

Make sure that your agent sells homes full-time. Part-timers probably don't have the necessary experience or skill set to help if things get dicey during the transaction. Full-time agents have probably seen more scenarios in their career, and they can finesse things better.
This is a big purchase for you, so dump your agent if he/she makes you uncomfortable. You'll be spending a lot of time with this person. If you get a weird feeling, move on.

I could go on, of course, but those two items strike me as supremely important to mention.

I hope you find the agent of your proverbial dreams. Thanks for reading!

Photo credit: contemplativechristian - via Creative Commons (found on Flickr)

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"Ahem...Excuse Me! Are you even listening to me?" One of your most important sales skills

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:38:11 -0400

Before you decide to skim this post which may appear at first glance to merely be a story about a local restaurant, please know that it has a valuable real estate message.

I took my family to Red Lobster on Sunday after church. As always, the food was great, but the service was not exactly perfect. For some reason, I have noticed a disturbing trend these days with wait staff - they DON'T WRITE STUFF DOWN.

Is this supposed to impress me somehow?

"Wow, honey, did you notice that the guy didn't write down any of our complicated order? I mean, there are five of us here. If he gets it right, I think we should double his tip."

Actually, I usually tip very well, because I used to be in restaurant management in the mid-90's, so I know how hard the average waitperson works. However, when my order is messed up, I get more perturbed if they didn't write it down. It makes me assume that they weren't paying attention.

Listening is a critical sales skill for ANY service provider, and the same goes for us in the real estate and mortgage industries.

About 6 years ago, I got my very first sale over the $1 million mark. Thankfully, we have had a good number of them since. I blogged about the entire story once, but I don't need to provide lengthy details here in order to make my point. The buyers had worked with me several years earlier, then "put things on hold", then re-surfaced in 2002. It turns out that they had worked with two other agents for long stretches of time, while searching for the perfect place.

They told me that they had always found me to be trustworthy, so they returned to let me assist them. I managed to find the right home on their first visit, and they closed on that home for $1.2 million the next month.

What did I do differently?

I WROTE DOWN her list of needs/wants. Believe me, it was a long list. After combing through all of the listings, it was apparent that there was really just one place that would work for them, and it turned out that I was correct.

I have had countless buyers tell me something along these lines during my career:

"The last agent we tried to work with didn't pay attention to us. She showed us what she thought we would like, rather than what we really wanted to see."

I am happy to state that I have built my business over the past 12 years by being a good listener. Pay attention to your clients! It pays off. I tell home buyers the same thing when we are actively looking - I will honor their criteria until they tell me to make a change. If we begin looking at properties and it becomes obvious that they can't find what they need, I present options. They can raise the price range, or they can change the area of town. Usually, it is the former, but I let THEM dictate this decision.

I have mentioned this quote in the past, and I don't know the source, but I have never forgotten it:

God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much as we speak.

Don't be the pushy fool who loses an "in hand" client by showing them the wrong homes. LISTEN (and write it down) and reap the benefits!

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Perception Is Reality in Our Industry, Too

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:16:10 -0400

I started a small marketing company in 1996, leaving behind the fascinating and glamorous world of retail and restaurant management. I was 25 years old, and I was tired of working for someone else. Much of our focus for my fledgling venture was on selling marketing and printing services to real estate agents. I quickly realized that many of our customers were making really good money, and some (most?) of them weren't even that sharp. Real estate couldn't be rocket science, right?

Right.

The truth is, real estate isn't all that difficult, as long as you understand a few key concepts, namely:

It's an emotional decision when someone buys a house, whether it's their first or their 51st home.
People want their agent to communicate with them....often.
It's important to be flexible. Things don't always go as you might think they will.
It's critical not to take things personally. Some "clients" will take advantage of your time and expertise. Period.

But I digress. I have a larger point I wanted to make here.

I was thinking about the current apparent upswing in our market, at least here in Austin, and the old advertising and marketing adage certainly applies to our industry:

Perception Is Reality.

What does this mean, though?

Well, in the world of marketing, it means that whatever your potential customer or client perceives to be the truth becomes the truth about your business. If you're considered to be reputable and service-driven, your business will likely grow accordingly. Conversely, if your company is known to be filled with ripoff artists, I'm sure you can guess what your long-term prospects will be.

There's one thing that I've witnessed for years in this business, and it's intriguing to me. I'll do my best to explain it within the confines of this post. Basically, our economy is simpler than pundits would have you believe. I don't intend to simplify it to the point of inaccuracy, but local and national economies often rise and fall based on one simple item: Perception.

If people think that the sky is falling, they retreat into their home and stop spending money. This applies to real estate, perhaps even more than the majority of other industries. I saw this most clearly in the wake of 9/11, when just about all non-necessary moves were put on hold for months. The stock market fell precipitously as well. Why? Perception. The infrastructure of our country wasn't destroyed, but people were understandably afraid, and it sent shockwaves through the economy.

Conversely, when the home buying public perceives that "things are getting better or "the market is picking up steam", they begin to buy again, or even to invest in property (side note: you might as well invest in real estate - it's better than any bank return out there today). When people spend, it magically gets better. Amazing, huh?

I'm not the type of real estate broker who always tells my friends and clients that things are going well. We've made it through a really rough patch and survived a downturn, and we're not out of the woods yet. Old-school real estate training taught me to always say, "Great!" when asked about how the market is going. I can't do that. I can now say, however, that things are truly busy for me right now, and I hope it continues.

Thanks for reading!

Photo credit: Aristocrats-hat via Flickr.com

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Some Suggestions for New Abbreviations - Do you LOL often?

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:29:06 -0400

Disclaimer: This post is in no way meant to be taken seriously. It is not a judgement of others or their methods of writing or commenting. It is just for fun. If you are offended by it, then you are probably too uptight. Please do not worry about what others think of you, and don't bother to change anything that you are doing. Life is too short.

For years, I have watched various abbreviations for laughing out loud evolve, including LOL, ROTFL, ROTFLMAO. It's funny to me how long this last one is, since it actually seems harder to type than just saying "you made me laugh". I am guessing that there are others that I don't know, since I am 37 years old and I rarely text message anyone.

I have never been comfortable using these abbreviations myself, since I am rarely actually laughing out loud when I am reading here. Maybe I should write "ISC", for "I slightly chuckled", which is more likely for me. Occasionally, I do actually laugh really hard at something I see, and I make a point to say so, but typically without the abbreviations. I have used "HA!" and the smiley sideways face :) to convey that I am making a joke if it is not obvious. Text is not a perfect method of communication.

I suppose I just feel like a liar if I use (or overuse) the standard LOL notation, especially if I am sitting stone-faced at my computer screen. I guess what I am saying is that you can be sure that if I use this, I really mean it.

There are some new laughter abbreviations that I would like to suggest such as:

IALSHTICBRN, which is "I am laughing so hard that I can't breathe right now."

LVYN-MFAHFTEL - "Laughing very hard now - my face actually hurts from this extreme laughter."

MSH,SMML,INAB - "My stomach hurts, stop making me laugh, I need a break."

NYDI-IWMP - "Now you've done it - I wet my pants."

Here is some suggested shorthand in case you happen to get angry with someone online, but you don't want to go to the trouble of getting into a full-blown debate with them:

ICBYST - "I can't believe you said that."

YSRBAOYFTLCYM - "You should really be ashamed of yourself for that last comment you made."

D,TWRUF - "Dude, that was really uncalled for." (this one is for men only - you can substitute W for Wow or L for Lady if you like)

IHY - Figure this one out.

Last, this is something that will help us all, especially when you are commenting on the same general group of blogs over and over again:

IAICAWTBGOYBP.ICHSIBM.GJ - "I am in complete agreement with the basic gist of your blog post. I couldn't have said it better myself. Good job."

So, I think we can all agree that these new symbols will make life much easier for everyone. I look forward to seeing them on the boards soon!

Thanks for reading this. I welcome your congratulatory comments below!

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Please Consider Helping This Family in Crisis

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:21:03 -0400

In the past, those of you who read my blog have all been very attentive and considerate when I've posted about people who were suffering or in need. I hope to impress on you today how urgently your prayers and/or support are needed in this case...

For as long as I can remember, I've been sensitive to the pain of others, especially children and the elderly. Now that I am a father of four, three of whom are girls, it's very difficult for me to see kids suffer. A local friend of ours posted on Facebook about some friends of hers (the Strodes) who are living in a nightmare right now. Their 4-year-old daughter was badly burned while they were trying to have a nice family evening with S'mores at their home, and her recovery will be a long one. This family actually lives very near the ActiveRain headquarters, in Kent, Washington.

Here is a letter from the Strodes themselves to their friends about the accident:

"Many of you know, and some may not, that we had a terrible accident at our home last night (Saturday). After an awesome family day of summer shopping and yard work Dave and I and the kids all spent dinner on our back patio and then decided it would be a wonderful night for our first s'more campfire. We waited and tried and tried for twenty minutes to get this fire going. We tried everything. Paper, kindling, wood, pine cones. Dave decided to get some sort of fuel to the fire. He added some and nothing. He added more and the can caught on fire causing a huge flash fire towards Tommy, Brooklyn, Addison and I. Immediately there were screams I saw Brooke's hair on fire and scooped her up and patted her till the fire was out. Dave had already run Addie inside to the sink as her hair and clothes were on fire. By the time I got into the house, maybe 30 second later, there were still flames. I grabbed her and patted her down with a towel on the kitchen floor. Dave scooped up Brooke as I sat with Addie on the floor. Tommy saw all of this and was screaming and crying. Dave called 911 and the paramedics were there withing just a couple of minutes. They took Addie immediately tot he ambulance and started working on her. The second set of paramedics to Brookie. I was able to kiss Addie goodbye and the shut the door telling me they were having her airlifted to Harborview. Dave took off with Brooklyn in her ambulance as they thought they were taking her to Mary Bridge.

Ray and Sally arrived about 20 minutes later. Sally took care of Tommy and our foster son (who had been sleeping peacefully the whole time in his room). Ray took me to Harborview. On the way Dave called me from the ambulance told me Brooke was sleeping soundly in his lap and they decided to keep the sisters together and take Brooke to the same hospital as Addison.

Fast forward to today (Sunday). Brooklyn's burn were superficial. She was discharged this evening and went home with Grandma Sally. Addison is in the Burn Pediatric ICU. She does not look like Addie. She is swollen from her burns but mostly from all the fluid they give burn victims. We will know more tomorrow. They had to intubate her, she has a feeding tube, her face, ears, hands and arms are all burned. For now they tell us that her burns are worse on the wrists. They think her face should heal on it's own. She is sedated. She can wiggle her precious little toes when asked.

This has been Dave and my hardest trial by far. While we would never question who God is and His almighty work we are asking "why?" We know there is no answer. Our beautiful babies have been hurt. Dave feels awful and needs to know that I love him with all my heart. He is the best daddy. We don't understand any of this. It's a nightmare that replays over and over in our minds.

This was a horrible accident. It took 2 seconds to change our entire lives.

Please pray for a quick recovery for Brooklyn. They say she will be as good as new soon. She was running around the halls being her sassy self all day. Please pray for Addie. She is in pain. Pray for wisdom of her doctors. Pray that we can see our sweet little girls face the way we remember it soon.

We have faith in God. We know He is the great physician, He works ALL things together for good. But our hearts are broken.

Dave and I love all our children so very much. We were called to be parents. We have been blessed with our children and we know they are our gifts from God.

Sincerely, The Strodes"

You can read blog posts about Addison's progress by her family at this site:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/addisonstrode

(There are photos there as well, but I didn't feel comfortable sharing those publicly without their permission.)

If you would like to donate to help defray the cost of Addison's stay in the burn ICU, please make checks payable to Addison Strode and mail to the following address:

Addison Strode Medical Fund

PO Box 5847

Kent, WA 98064

If there are any questions or issues with making a donation to this account, please email Giancarlo & Tamara Papini at papinig@gmail.com.

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One of My Most Active Days in Ages, and it had Nothing to do with Real Estate

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:29:24 -0400

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Today was a pretty long day, frankly.

All morning, I watched my four kiddos while my wife ran some errands. At noon, we went to McKinney Falls State Park (about 30 minutes from our house) to meet some friends from my 10-year-old daughter's girl scout troop. Despite the fact that it's located about 5 minutes from the Austin airport, it felt like we had traveled to another state. Densely packed with towering shade trees, it was like driving into a forest. Now that I think about it, I guess it was EXACTLY like driving into a forest, because it WAS a forest.

We were planning to take our travel trailer yesterday for the first time ever, but the wind was too strong, and one of the main warnings I was given when I purchased it last year was, "Never drive it in strong winds, because it could pull you off the road." Um...I'll wait then. So, the inaugural trip will have to wait. I do think we'll return to this particular park because it's both inexpensive and very close to home, which are great benefits while we're learning the ropes.

We had a great time all afternoon, and we went on a hike to a large pond near what appeared to be a lot of volcanic rock. Later, we heard that two snakes were spotted during our visit, one black (water moccasin?) and one white. I'm thankful that I didn't know about that when my three daughters were playing in and near the water.

The troop leader helped the girls to find a hidden "treasure" via something called geocaching, which basically means looking for a box with trackable items inside via GPS coordinates, then exchanging them for items you bring along. It was fun, and the box was found without too much difficulty.

Our two-year-old girl was pretty worn out from the short hike, so I carried her back to the car, which was a workout in and of itself.

Lest you think our day was over, it was just getting started. We went directly to a birthday party for a 4-year-old girl who is friends with our 5-year-old daughter. We spent about 4 hours in the general chaos and girliness at our friends' house, then returned home. I don't think I've seen my kids that dirty in a long time.

I have a feeling that they will sleep very soundly tonight. I bet I will, too. :)

Thanks for reading!

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Austin, Texas Named "Best All-Around City" on List of 10 Best Places to Buy a Home

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:38:34 -0500

Having lived in the Austin area since 1988, I'm not surprised when I see our city making national "most desirable" or "best" lists, and a recent list from Walletpop.com is no exception.

On the list entitled, "10 Best Places to Buy a Home", Austin placed at #1 overall, garnering "Best All-Around City" honors.

Although we've experienced a tougher economy in recent years, Austin has weathered the storm quite well compared with most cities and local markets around the country, and for that I'm thankful. Since we've all been inundated with negative messages from the media about the "national housing market" (which is a myth - all markets are local and some are even hyperlocal), I feel like part of my job is to educate Austin -area residents about how good things really are here in this area.

More praise about Austin from the Walletpop.com article:

Texas' capital and a great college town, Austin is beautiful and the 12th-most-affordable American metro area. Job growth from 2000 to 2010 was 14.1%, according to Trulia; unemployment currently is 7.1%, compared with 9.8% nationwide. The city's population is growing too. These positive indicators are expected to continue in the coming decade. Fortune 500 companies abound here; it's home to more than 2,000 tech companies. Home prices are reasonable for the $73,747 median family income and let's face it, nobody does BBQ better than Texas.

To read the entire article, visit http://www.walletpop.com/2010/12/31/10-best-places-to-buy-a-home-in-2011/.

Photo credit: JDN via Flickr (Creative Commons 2.0)

If you're thinking of buying or selling a home in the Austin, Texas area, or if you have any questions, please feel free to call me anytime at 512-796-7653 (cell) or email me at jason@austintexashomes.com. You can also visit our Austin real estate website at http://www.austintexashomes.com. Thanks!

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Pleasantly surprised to be dealing with a good agent

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:22:48 -0500

I hate to say this, but I guess I've grown accustomed to mediocrity in our business. Below average is often the norm. It seems like most tranactions that I've handled over the past year or two have been with agents that seem less-than-interested in making a good impression, or even in making the deal work.

The past couple of weeks, I've been very pleasantly surprised to be dealing with a broker who is, simply put, easy to get along with and pleasant. Why is that a surprise, rather than business as usual?

I've been to a good number of real estate conventions and gatherings over the years, and the people I meet almost always seem amicable enough, friendly and outgoing. There's really no reason to think that they would be difficult when conducting business, but for some reason, these friendly folks turn serious and inflexible when there are sales to be made.

Dealing with this particular broker (whom I may name later, once the deal is funded) has been a breath of fresh air. He is invariably upbeat yet laidback, which is probably partially just his personality and partly from his own experience as a business owner dealing with hundreds of transactions over the years. We work well together, and it barely even seems like work.

One of the biggest differences can be expressed in one word: COMMUNICATION

When I call him, he is available or quick to respond. I give the same courtesy to him. Thankfully, I haven't felt he need to screen his calls, because he doesn't belabor every point, and he's not rude in expressing them. I would actually recommend that his clients use him again.

Along with this good agent/broker I've been fortunate to have terrific, motivated clients on both sides of the deal. No drama. No weird personalities. No odd requests at the last minute.

Kinda feels like 2006 again.

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Fairways of Blackhawk - Pflugerville, TX - Market Report for January 2011

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:07:47 -0500

As an eight-year resident of the Blackhawk area and a 16-year resident of Pflugerville, I like to keep an eye on the market values here in our neighborhood. When the toll roads first opened in the fall of 2006, the prices started trending upward, then they flattened out somewhat, with some tough economic factors at play. Since the fall of 2010, the market has been very active again in this area. As a fellow homeowner in Blackhawk, this stuff is important to me, too!

Currently, there are 5 resale homes available on the MLS in the Fairways, with an average asking price of $235,760. The average square footage for these homes is 2,700, for an average price per square foot of $88.55.

Presently, there are 4 homes under contract in the subdivision, with an average listing price of $212,075 and an average square footage of 2,706, yielding an average price per square foot of $78.85.

In 2010, there were 23 sales closed within the Fairways of Blackhawk. The average listing price was $225,468, and the average sales price was $216,678, which means homes sold for 96.1% of the asking price. The average square footage was 2734 s.f. for these.

OTHER AREA NEWS:

Located at the southwest corner of the intersection of the aforementioned toll roads (45 and 130) and about a half mile from Blackhawk, Stone Hill Town Center will eventually have over 1,000,000 square feet of shopping and entertainment. Home Depot, Best Buy, SuperTarget, Verizon Wireless, Mattress Firm, Chick Fil-A, Bealls, Rack Room Shoes, Dick's Sporting Goods and several others are open now. In May 2011, a new Cinemark theater and a 24-Hour Fitness are slated to open as well.

HOW TO REACH US:

If you are a consumer living in another area around Austin and you are interested in seeing the trends in your particular neighborhood, please don't hesitate to contact me, and I can create a custom report for you. All of my contact information is below.

If you are considering selling your home in the Fairways of Blackhawk (or anywhere in the general Austin area), please feel free to give me a call. I would love the opportunity to help you get it sold quickly. Also, You can visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com. You can also reach me anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653 or via email at jason@austintexashomes.com. Thanks for checking out this brief analysis!

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Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Seeking Your Ideas and Perspective - Planning for 2012 and Beyond

How to Get Over 100 Comments on Your Blog Posts - The Sequel

HUMOROUS POSTS

REAL ESTATE INSTRUCTIONAL POSTS

POSTS ABOUT ACTIVERAIN (including tutorials and milestones)

SOCIAL MEDIA/BLOGGING POSTS

POSTS ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE

PERSONAL STUFF

INSPIRATIONAL POSTS

OTHER

A Few Thoughts on Influence

Selling a Home? Here are Some Factors that you CAN Control

How to Properly Leave a Brokerage - Am I wrong to expect a call?

The Real Estate Mystery

Despite What You May Have Heard, Some Realtors Do Have Integrity

"Ahem...Excuse Me! Are you even listening to me?" One of your most important sales skills

What did I do differently?

God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much as we speak.

Perception Is Reality in Our Industry, Too

Perception Is Reality.

Some Suggestions for New Abbreviations - Do you LOL often?

Please Consider Helping This Family in Crisis

One of My Most Active Days in Ages, and it had Nothing to do with Real Estate

Austin, Texas Named "Best All-Around City" on List of 10 Best Places to Buy a Home

Pleasantly surprised to be dealing with a good agent

Fairways of Blackhawk - Pflugerville, TX - Market Report for January 2011

OTHER AREA NEWS:

HOW TO REACH US: