I know we all want "customers for life", but how are we going about cultivating those customers?Direct mail, newsletters, holiday cards, recipes etc are all nice, and provide some value (of differing degrees) to our buyers and sellers.Being a true resource, to me, means encouraging your customers to call you for ANY real estate related need.   If they have a question about their insurance, call me, I referred you to the insurance agent, and  I will gladly make a call to the agent to help you understand your insurance. Need a landscaper? Call me.  Need a handyman? Call me.  Need a pet sitter? Call me...You get the gist - this way, anytime they think of any home related item they need help with, I want them to call me first, and I can help them with finding the best service provider.Or as... 12/03/2007

I'm working with a condo buyer, who is very specific as to where he would like to live (good), unsure about how much he REALLY wants to spend (not good), but still motivated.I previewed two listings today, in the Jacksonville Beach market, and found both of them to be terrific deals!  One is a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhome, east of A1A, for UNDER $295K, which is fabulous.  It has a tiny yard, and a separate laundry room.The other is an OCEANVIEW condo, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, that has ocean views from the kitchen and one bedroom. This one is UNDER $250K!  This second one is a real diamond in the rough, and the ocean views are straight thru the relatively new Ocean Park, so the view will be there.  It's a good neighborhood, and about 1.5 blocks from the beach.I'm hoping he'll be interested in ... 11/28/2007

I'm researching laser/electronic measureing tools, and figured I'd ask the experts on A/R.Who has purchased these, and what brands?What positive/negative feedback do you have about yours?Recommendations as to which one to buy?I"m most concerned about accuracy for room measurements for MLS listing purposes, and being more efficient with measuring rooms. 11/27/2007

I've got a 77 year old listing, which is actually very cute, and in pretty good shape for a house of such an age, close to the beach.  Roof, plumbing, A/C, and electrical have all been upgraded over the past 12 years.  There, is however, a noticeable sag in the center of the house. It is off-grade, but I see no places where a person older than a 2 year old could fit between to inspect the crawl space. I showed it for the 4th time yesterday, to a first time homebuyer.  She brought friends, her financee's parents, and her grandmother.I've been upfront about this not being the ideal home for a first time homebuyer, particulalry since the seller will not do any repairs, aside from the mandated 1% in WDO damage.Everyone was pretty negative about the house, for her, and I encouraged them all ... 11/18/2007

I realized again today: I'm lucky!I've started going to Wednesday morning breakfast with a few associates, and the owner of the place called me "Lucky Lady" a few weeks ago for reasons I no longer recall.As I walked out the door this morning, I realized over the past few months, the following lucky events have happend to me:I've won a $1,000 personal chef night at a tradeshow. (Need to figure out how best to utilize!)I won a $75 gift card on our weekly caravan last week.I won a 4 bottle wine basket at a charity event last night.Think about what GOOD or GREAT things have happened to you over the past few weeks and share the good feelings! Time for me to buy a lottery ticket - wish me luck! 11/14/2007

 Hello everyone, Thank you for visiting me again. Here is the next installment of my "F.S.B.O. Tips"  You can check out  previous tips below: Part 1. Evaluate You Home Part 2. Make Repairs Part 3. Outside The Budget    Inside These Walls: The Next Seduction  Just like the exterior of your home, the interior of your home is   equally as important , and you should prepare to spend a good   chunk of time fixing up the inside.    1. The easiest way to make your home more appealing is to  thoroughly clean it—yes, even the windows—and to eliminate  the clutter especially “personal” clutter". It is difficult for people  to picture themselves in a house that is heavily decorated with   your teddy bear and Lenox collections along with numerous  photos of all your family and friends. Such décor s... 11/12/2007

I'm working with a buyer client, who believes now is a great time to buy. He knows which condo communities he's interested in, and which ones he is not.I've been trying since Friday to get in touch with a seller whose listing is in MLS with a flat-rate listing broker.   The listing agent has made it clear via MLS comments and conversations that all offers are to be directed to the seller, not him.The seller lives outside the immediate Jacksonville area, and does not have an answering machine or a fax machine.  I actually had to call my buyer yesterday and tell him I had not hear anything yet, because I have not had the opportunity to TALK to the seller about the verbal offer. My frustration is this turnaround - potentially, we could have already gotten through a first and possibly secon... 11/11/2007

I'm taking a the morning off, inspired by another poster today (thanks for the idea, Lisa Spalding!) and it just occured to me that I can get caught up with "being involved" and "doing things".For example, an informal group meets on Wednesday mornings for breakfast and to chat. Sometimes it's positive, but more often it's not. I've been about 3 times, and when I thought about going this morning, I just decided to say no.Yesterday, I attended a positive networking event (if you are in the Jacksonville area, you need to check out Networth, on the web at www.networthjax.com), and a chamber of commerce event last night, so I'm active, and those were good opportunities for me to meet new people and see how I can help them.What are you spending your time doing? Are you actively working on or ... 11/07/2007

Beautiful Jacksonville Beach will be filled with visitors this weekend due to the Sea & Sky Spectacular. The Blue Angels will perfrom at 3pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday, so traffic to the beach and along 3rd Street will be heaviest just before and after those times.Have a great weekend! 11/03/2007

Here's a quiz I recently read in 1200 Great Sale Tips for Real Estate Pros, published by NAR:Assign the number that applies to you for each statement.  Then total your numbers for a composite score that will reveal how well you're juggling life's demands.Rarely=0, Sometimes=1, Frequently=2I say no to unrealistic requests from clients __I say no to unrealistic requests from family __I say no to unrealistic requests from my boss and colleagues __I keep my committment to exercise and healthy eating __My family would say I give them my undivided attention and patiently listen to them __My clients, boss and colleagues would say I'm focused on what I do __My doctor would say I watch my health, what I eat and drink, and how much I exercise __I go to sleep at night feeling I haven't shortchange... 10/08/2007

Here are the numbers of active property listings, those under contract, and sold properties for Single Family Homes in Jacksonville Beach, FL for the month of September 2007:                             Active     278 active listings for Single Family Homes (no condos)                             Pending    17 pending  (there is a contract and inspections/financing have been done)                            Sold         5 sold (prices ranged from $165,000 to $1,850,000)Roughly, this translates to 8% of active listings going to sold during the month of September 2007.Let's see what the numbers looked like in September 2006 to see what the true impact is.                            Active     142 active listings for Single Family Homes (no condos included)                             Pend... 10/02/2007

Upcoming city sponsored events in Jacksonville Beach, FL Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - 10/6/07  8a-12noon5 K beach walk, run or bike to celebrate life and breast cancer survivorship. Funds benefit the American Cancer Society's programs of education, patient services, advocacy and research.  Walk starts at the Sea Walk Pavilion. More info:  http://www.cancer.org/docroot/par/PAR_2_Making_Strides_Against_Breast_Cancer.asp5th Annual Buddy Walk - 10/13/07 9a-1pmDown Syndrome Association public awareness and fundraiser for programs to benefit children with Down Syndrome. One mile walk on the beach, music, clowns, inflatables.  Located at Sea Walk Pavilion.               More Info: http://www.dsaj.org/Beaches Fine Arts Show - 10/20/07 10a-5p & 10/21/07 11a-5pmArt exhibitions at Latham... 10/01/2007

Many years ago, I had a sales manager in television who LOVED football analogies.  I can still hear him saying, "What are you going to do to make this quarter the best it can be?" (Thanks, Raymond!)This thought occured to me during the Florida/Auburn game the other night.  Watching the Gators in the first half was sometimes painful, and the relentless officiating had the fans booing calls.  Now, we don't necessary have "officials" in our business, but if you consider home inspections, title issues, unyielding buyers or sellers, those might be OUR officials (aside from FREC, etc).Watching the Gators in the second half was almost like watching a completely different team.  And, the team's performance in the 4th Quarter, specifically the last few minutes, was amazing.What was the differenc... 09/30/2007

I've recently noticed a slew of listings coming on the market in short sale positions - for example, a recent condo conversion, east of A1A, a unit that sold last year for $392 is back on the market at $259K - this is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, and I know most of the buyers of these units were investors who got in on the tail end of the market. I was curious as to what the rest of the state is seeing, as I know there was more condo construction in other areas - and how other realtors are handling short sales? 09/26/2007

I've recently noticed a slew of listings coming on the market in short sale positions - for example, a recent condo conversion, east of A1A, a unit that sold last year for $392 is back on the market at $259K - this is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, and I know most of the buyers of these units were investors who got in on the tail end of the market. I was curious as to what the rest of the state is seeing, as I know there was more condo construction in other areas - and how other realtors are handling short sales? 09/26/2007

Want to live on the Atlantic Coast; need and want a new condo. I just wrote and posted an article on my website that about Valencia, a wonderful new community located in Jacksonville Beach.It is sure hard to find ocean front property that may not be subjected to good old Mother Nature's hurricanes. There is never a guarantee that a storm will not hit a particular area- take the tornado that hit Brooklyn NY in the summer of 2007; who would have thought, but it sure seems wiser to pick a geographic area that has historically been less prone to these storms. The following is the beginning of the article. If you are interested in reading the full article, just use the link at the end of the page. :Homebuyers looking for Atlantic beachfront property are considering the Jacksonville Fl area b... 08/19/2007

Every Summer the the Jacksonville beaches features moonlight movie series at the Sea Walk Pavilion. The movies are free for all to come just bring your lawn chair and blankets. There will be concessions available if you get hungry or thirsty. The moves run Friday nights from 9PM-11PM. After a long week this is a great way for families to get together outdoors and relax.  The line up of movies this year are:May 25, 2007  GhostbustersJune 1, 2007 The King and IJune 8, 2007 Forrest Gump 05/24/2007

With a growing number of beautiful condominiums and a changing water front, Jacksonville Beach real estate is booming. The beach can be reached through any avenue with parking at the end making fun in the sun even better. A fishing pier in the middle of the beaches area is the perfect place to catch fish or take a stroll at sunrise or sunset soaking up the natural beauty. Jacksonville Beach zip 32250 provides wonderful views and is a great place for your next real estate purchase.   04/11/2007