Stephanie's Blog

8/29/2009
28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 9:00-11:00
185 River Street, Keene- 11:00-12:30
175 River Street, Keene- 11:00-12:30
9 Schult Street, Keene- 10:00-12:00
494 Rte 123, Stoddard- 11:30-1:30
7 Skyview Circle, Keene- 11:30-1:00
67 Forest Street, Keene- 1:30-3:00
48 Mountainview, Chesterfield- 1:30-3:00
14 Barrett, Keene- 11:00-1:00
44 Robbins Street, Hinsdale- 10:30-12:00
870 Keene Road, Winchester- 1:00-3:00
 
8/30/2009
2 Startling Street, Keene- 2:00-4:00
28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 1:00-3:00 (also on Weds 4:00-6:00)
 

Just 15 minutes ago I dropped off my daughter at school for her first day of Kindergarten. She was one of the ones who went inside holding hands with an old preschool friend, no tears at all. Behind her was a sweet little girl who's first day truly was her first day at the big school, since she hadn't attended preschool before. She clung to her mother and was the last to enter the building following a long trail of 5 year old children all attending their first day of Kindergarten.

A milestone. I thought.

But was it a milestone for my daughter as much as for me?

I left this morning with wobbly knees and welling up tears followed by a happy little smile. Happy that my daughter was able to get over the separation anxiety she'd had the first four years of her life. Happy that she was proud to be a Kindergartener. Happy that she was such a sweet and kind friend to her classmates.

Then I remembered how I'd felt on my first day of Kindergarten. I was one of those children much like that teary little girl, afraid to go and reluctantly walked into the school building with a hole in my heart created by the feeling of loss as though my mother had deserted me by sending me to that terrible place. I was afraid of my teacher who would put her hands on the children's shoulders and rattle them up if they misbehaved. I

All these emotions came before me this morning as I chose not to go inside for "Parent Tea" with all the other parents as they do on the first day of the schoolyear. I suppose I could have gone in to celebrate and chat with the other moms but I didn't. I wanted to remember more about that day 28 years ago. The first day of Kindergarten is a milestone for everyone. For me, because I don't remember the details of that day, I was able to connect to that little girl who was tearfully led into the building. I remember what that first day felt like, and so many mornings after that.

Call me emotional but I think I've crossed a milestone today. I wanted to write about it because I know so many other parents are experiencing these emotions this week as their son or daughter begin their first day of Kindergarten, or preschool, or high school or college. So this is what it's like to be a parent!

I'm a cusper, born in between the X and Y generations and I've been in real estate for 8 years now. I wanted to share some of the reasons I chose to work for who I work for as insight to Brokers seeking to hire agents in this demographic.

Why did I choose to work for Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group? Here are my reasons why...

 I wanted to be at the core of the information stream in the region.

Because BHG Masiello has its own in-house title, mortgage, insurance and marketing I now have access to changes going on in today's fast changing world right at my reach.

Because the company is a large one, I have access to other agents and their expertise when navigating through challenging transactions. While I have my niche (short sales and working with first time buyers), each agent has theirs and we can help each other much easier when we work for the same company. That rapport is so crucial to success time and time again.

Because we are now affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens, the fastest growing innovative real estate franchise around, I have even more access to information about new marketing strategies, access to key people such as the franchise's CEO Sherry Chris through social media platforms, and access to top marketing tools updated regularly on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Because I embrace change, diversity and the use of social media, I appreciate that the head of our company "gets it" as well. This is empowering and also encouraging because I receive their support rather than their attempts to stop my use of social media as real time information streaming to potential clients.

Because I seek to constantly learn in my environment, Better Homes and Gardens provides multiple opportunities daily for me to learn and expand my knowledge base so that I can use that new knowledge to help my clients.

There may be benefits for me to work elsewhere, but right now I'm well placed and if I were a Broker I would be trying to reach out to the Gen X&Yers as new talent because we have ACCESS to a lot of social groups by nature of just being the age we are.

www.stephaniejacques.com

8/22/2009

50 Montiero Dr, Winchester- 10:30-12:30

8 Kapper Dr, Winchester- 1:00-4:00

23 Kapper Dr, Winchester- 1:00-4:00

28 Owens Dr, Swanzey- 9:00-11:00

154 Walpole Valley Rd, Walpole- 2:00-4:00

94 Kennedy Dr, Keene- 11:00-1:00

142 Rte 9,Sullivan - 11:00-1:00

8/23/2009

37 Base Hill Rd, Keene- 9:30-11:30

28 Owens Dr, Swanzey- 1:00-3:00 (also on Weds 4:00-6:00)

Saturday 8/15/09

50 Monteiro Dr, Hinsdale            1-3

17 Hillcrest St., Hinsdale             11-12:30

185 River St, Keene                   11-12:30

175 River St, Keene                   11-12:30

46 Arlington Ave, Keene             12-1:30

28 Skyline Dr, Keene                 10-12

28 Owens Drive                         9-11     (also: 8/16/09   1-3   &  8/19/09  4-6)

www.stephaniejacques.com

8/8/2009

67 Forest Street, Keene- 10:30-12:00

8 Kapper Drive, Winchester- 1:00-4:00

23 Kapper Drive, Winchester- 1:00-4:00

21 Wheelock Street, Keene- 9:00-11:00

59 Nelson Rd, Harrisville- 11:00-1:00

28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 9:00-11:00

8/9/2009

28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 1:00-3:00 (also on Weds from 4:00-6:00)

58 Valley Park Drive, Chesterfield- 10:30-12:00

There will come a day when we need more agents in this industry, again. True, those of us still around selling real estate are thrilled to see the number of agents in our region has greatly reduced, but before long we will be seeing new agents entering our field and some may actually be doing alright.

Who will do alright in the new world of real estate evolving around us? I believe it will be people who can produce real-time real estate transactions and communicate with clients at a speed we've never before experienced.

It is my own experience that a certain demographic of clients this past year has demanded speedier responses as they seek the answers they need from whatever source will be the quickest.

As we evolve into the Generation Y era of first time buyers, the agents best able to connect with this demographic will likely strengthen their business.  There will always be a need for honest, reliable and experienced agents so I don't see that changing at all, but the roles we plan may shift a bit from the know-all do-all agent to becoming more of a process counselor.  For so many who have never navigated through the waters of their first real estate purchase, this will help them sort out the emotions from the business portion of purchasing their first home.

www.stephaniejacques.com

8/1/2009

28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 9:00-11:00

34 Robbins Rd, Fitzwilliam- 11:00-12:30

1031 Rte 9, Chesterfield- 10:00-11:30

15 Base Hill Rd, Keene- 12:00-1:30

8/2/2009

38 Sweeney Rd, Keene- 10:00-12:00

104 Lat Lane, Swanzey- 11:00-1:00

28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 1:00-3:00 (also on Weds 4:00-6:00)

6 Prentiss Lane, Walpole- 10:00-11:30

I feel almost sick admitting it, but the truth is I think I love short sale transactions (working on the listing side of course.) They're a challenge, they're a lot of work and time, but I get them and I understand them now and ...of course there is always a level of risk that they won't close YET I still enjoy working with a short sale.  I love the partnership I have working with the sellers on their short sale, and I love the efforts they place into helping me sell their home. This is not easy work for anybody!

After thoroughly screening the seller to understand as clear of a picture as I can, I make my decision on whether or not I should list the property.

By experience, and I've been burnt before, it's important to say "no" when I see that:

1. Either the seller is not capable of handling such a complicated and draining transaction or

2. The position of the loan is such that it will foreclose before I am able to sell it or

3. The primary and secondary loans are held with lenders who are uncooperative from the start

Though I haven't had the experience of working with many higher end short sale properties, I've certainly seen quite a few of the properties below $200K who were great candidates for short sales.

The key is to not fear the bank and to know what you're after before making contact with the seller and their bank each step of the way. It's also important to be open and honest up front with the seller and the bank. I always keep in touch with the bank, let them in on showing feedback received and do regular price reductions until the fish begin to BITE!

www.stephaniejacques.com

Some sellers are choosing FSBO over listing to avoid paying a commission. Problem is they often owe too much on their home and are trying to save a dollar. They may choose to pay a flat fee just to be in the MLS, but don't receive any representation from the agent at all.

Why are they doing this?

Bottom line is "their bottom line"

Homeowners are stuck between owing too much on their home and trying to become their own salesperson / negotiation / transaction manager in the meanwhile to try and save themselves money.

Keene, NH had a HELP-U-SELL business in it's community 2 years ago and they didn't make it. Sellers were coming to The Masiello Group angered they had spent time, energy and money into listing their home in the MLS with HELP-U-SELL and they didn't get anywhere. Shortly after the business was started, it closed it's doors.

The profession of selling real estate is a full time business requiring experienced professionals who pay to keep up their credenials, keep up with the changes in legislation and have access to others in the industry as this is a "connections" business. The more an agent has connections and networks and support, the more value the agent brings to a seller.  That commission is well earned.

Today's market has left me working longer and harder than ever to keep transactions together. When everyone's goal is the same- buyer wants the house, seller wants to sell it- but a ton of red tape gets put in the way, my job is to navigate us through it.

If a seller wants to try it on their own first then come to me, I can't change that, especially for those who need to do it first in order to understand the complexity. I would likely be one of those people if I wasn't in the business of real estate, myself!

I specialize in short sale transactions, which are some of the most complex sales to navigate through these days- no kidding, ask my husband when he sees me at the end of the day working through difficult "puzzles" in my head on how to surpass the new red tape imposed upon my client, but I get them through it.  Short sales are not for the weak at heart, but they are an act of survival, and an act of looking out for the client's best interest.

Trying to sell FSBO to avoid paying a commission will only complicate it down the road if the client comes to an agent desperate to get out of a potential foreclosure situation, having to face a short sale.