I've been dealing with quite a bit of frustration of late. Some of you might have noticed that I haven't been around much these last few weeks. I've been dealing with a lack of inspiration that has all but killed my creative juices. I really needed a break, so what did I do? I took a walk in the park. There are things that people love about the area they live in, no matter where it is they live. I love being outside. Yes, I'm one of those guys that loves to be close to nature. You might have guessed that if you saw some of my family photos. We're usually outside doing something. So it's just natural for me, when I'm starting to feel frustrated with things, to feel the need to get outside. That's what I did today. This is Kirby Park. This park was originally designed by the Olmsted Broth... 11/08/2007

I sell Real Estate in the Wilkes-Barre, PA area. Our Association of Realtors, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association of Realtors, is very much a reflection of our market. To put it frankly, it's about 7 years behind the times and doesn't at all grasp the importance of the internet to anyone buying or selling a home in Northeast PA. I've often wondered about the functionality of it's systems when the website looks like this. I was concerned. I believe in and love working in my market, so I felt that I needed to help somehow. But how? This last week, I joined the technology committee. Yes, that's right, I joined a committee. Now, if you don't know me, and most of you don't, then you wouldn't have any idea that I can't stand bureaucracy in the slightest. The thought of being on a committee m... 11/03/2007

That's a great question, huh? It's one that I ask myself all the time and this song, by Casting Crowns, answers it so well for me. You see, I struggled for years with feelings of insecurity and lack of self-worth. Maybe it was a result of my rough childhood. Maybe it was the result of never having a good example of what a real man was in my life. Who really knows the extent of all of these things in our lives? They affect us, for sure, but they don't have to define who we are or who we'll become. This song inspires me on so many levels that it's hard even to explain it's impact on my life. Play the video now and make sure you have the music playing, then read the rest of this blog.    Who am I? I am the father to three beautiful, intelligent and loving children. I don't get to see them ... 11/03/2007

That line was a great one from the hit movie, Jerry Maguire. I loved that movie! You might have looked at the title of this blog and thought to yourself, "Here's another money hungry Realtor out there trying to strike it rich". That couldn't be farther from the truth. I was reading a great blog post by Lola Audu today. The blog talks about people who got into Real Estate looking to strike it rich. Some people did just that, but that's not the reason I got into the business. I got into Real Estate for much more personal reasons. As Lola pointed out, those who work hard will survive and yes, even thrive in this business while those who are merely here for the money will fall to the wayside or move on to the next thing they think will make them a ton of money. Do you remember the movie, Je... 10/12/2007

I'm probably a bit late on the change, but I needed some technical learning for getting my ribbon to stick!! I have it right now, so I've gone pink too for Breast Cancer Awareness month. While I don't know anyone with breast cancer, I do know plenty of people with cancer and I can see that it's a rough thing to go through. I have a lot of respect for anyone who's going through or has gone through the processes involved with this disease. May God bless them all!!I looked up a couple of things that are happening in Pennsylvania for Breast Cancer Awareness. Check them out. You can read about the Business and Professional Women Tunkhannock Local group, which will have it's first annual "Dinner of the Angels" to benefit the American Cancer Society and breast cancer research within Luzerne Co... 10/12/2007

Selling a home usually entails getting rid of, for lack of a better word, some junk. This can be handled in a variety of ways, from kicking it to the curb to hiring a service to remove it for you. I'd like to share something I use that's absolutely free and takes very little effort on your part to make happen. It's called Freecycle.                                   Freecycle is an internet based swapping system, designed to make getting rid of your usable "junk" much easier to deal with. It's a community, like AR, so you have to sign up to be a part of the local group in order to post anything. Go to www.freecycle.org to find the group closest to you and sign up for a free membership. For example, my area is Wilkes-Barre, PA and we have our own group. I'm sure your area has at least on... 10/09/2007

I had a rough day today. I guess you could say that it's the accumulation of a few rough weeks with one particular transaction that I have been dealing with. The transaction started out just fine. I had a customer come to look at one of my listings and decided to use me to buy another property. The truth of the matter is that the customer only looked at a few houses and decided to buy this one quickly. He wanted to be able to get into the house before his children started the school year, so we planned on a quick process. He told me that he was in the process of refinancing his home in NY and would be using the proceeds for his downpayment and would be getting a loan for the rest. I talked to the broker and he assured me that they would be able to do everything in time, with no problems... 10/05/2007

Getting people to call me back is a huge pet peeve of mine. I spend most of the day every day with my Bluetooth buzzing in my ear as I try to get through the day on one charge. I have sign riders with my name and number on them so people can call me directly. I'm not in the office all that much, so I need people to call me on my cell phone in order to communicate with them. This leads me to my question, "Who's answering your phone?" I got a call yesterday from another Realtor in the Wilkes-Barre area. I had called her and left a message on her main office line (they don't have individual mail boxes) that I needed to get into a property she has listed this weekend. When I got the call, I answered the phone as I usually do when I can't see who's calling, "Hello, this is Andrew Trevino". T... 10/04/2007

I've been thinking about Halloween as the time draws closer. I've lived in many different areas of the country and have seen a few Halloweens in my time. I loved Halloween as a child, mostly because of the candy, but maybe a bit because of the excitement that it brings. All of my childhood memories of Halloween are good ones, the innocent kinds where we ran around until way too late trying to get as much candy as possible and somehow eating half of it by the time we got home. I had a stomach of steel back in those days! I moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA in January of 2001 and have seen a few Halloweens here, both with my children and without, so I've noticed that Halloween here is different than anywhere I've ever lived. Halloween isn't just a night of going door to door, mooching candy off o... 10/03/2007

When I first heard that phrase, I shrugged it off as the result of a bad transaction between the agent and his client at some point. Then I heard it again, and again, and again. I still have to fight the urge to argue the point. After all, I have great clients and I have no issues with them. Or do I, really?I've learned that the phrase is true more often than it's not. It's part of most people's nature to embellish sometimes. Whether it's because the person wants to impress someone and their reality just isn't that impressive or because they don't want to let someone down, it still ends up the same way. The truth comes out in the end and some sort of repair needs to be done in order to fix the damage done by the lie. I can't tell you how often I've gotten to the week of closing and had ... 10/03/2007

Weekends are my Prime Time. They're usually the times when I make my money because that's when my clients are ready to look at houses. The majority of my clients are from the NY and NJ markets and are looking to move to Wilkes-Barre, PA or the surrounding areas. This makes my weekends sometimes a hectic, fast-paced tour of up to 30 houses with up to 4 clients. I have to be organized and I plan accordingly, sometimes 2 to 3 weeks in advance. It's crazy sometimes, but I love what I do. I'm a Realtor. Inevitably, I get sign calls on the weekends. My clients aren't the only buyers in town looking at my listings. The phone call usually goes something like this: Buyer: "I'm sitting in front of the house you have for sale on so and so street. Can I see it right now?"Me: "I'm sorry, I'm with a ... 09/30/2007

I have to laugh at myself. I really do, because there's nothing else for me to do about it. I received a sign call this morning on my cell phone from an out of state buyer who drove in to Wilkes-Barre for the day and wanted to see one of my listings. I told the gentleman that I was going to be busy all day long with other clients, so he asked me to see if I could find someone else to let him see this listing. I told him I would see what I could do and I tried to call a few other agents from my office to see if anyone could let him in since the house was vacant. I couldn't get anyone on the phone to help, so I called him back to explain that I had nobody to let him in, but that I would be available after 7pm to show him the house if he wanted to wait for me. He agreed, so we made arrange... 09/30/2007

Yes, it's true! This home is off the market. This was one of the most looked at houses on my website, www.wilkesbarrehomesales.com. It was literally viewed over 1000 times since I put it on the website. I'm almost sad that I sold it...almost. If you are looking to sell your home in the Wilkes-Barre area, contact me right away. I can get you the exposure you need to sell your home so you can move on to whatever it is you'd like to do next in life. If you are looking to buy a home in the Wilkes-Barre area, I'd love to help you in your search and am confident that I can find one that's right for you. Contact me today!!This is what you missed...You have to check this house out if you're looking for space. Over 2000sf of living space with a full unfinished basement. This house is so well mai... 09/28/2007

I still remember the day I got the call. I was at my desk in my home office when my cell phone rang. I answered it, not recognizing the number and I heard a voice not unlike my own grandmother's voice when she was still alive. "Is this Andrew Trevino?" "Yes", I replied, "What can I do for you?" "This is Theresa Haymond. I would like you to sell my home, if you have the time." she said. Astonished, I said, "Well, of course I have the time. Can you tell me a little bit about your home and why you want to sell?" I was thinking to myself, "And how you came across my number." but I didn't ask that right away. She proceeded to explain that she had lived in her house for almost 35 years, her husband had passed away 10 years ago, the house was just too big for her to care for any longer and she... 09/28/2007

I haven't been in Real Estate all that long, a little over 2 years now, but I've seen a lot in that time. I'd have to say that overall my experience has been a positive one. I have helped a few families to find a new home. I've helped a few families sell an old one and I've helped a few investors find some property that will show them a return on their investment. I've met some great people along the way. I have clients who have now become great friends. I've met Realtors who have helped me along my way, for which I will always be grateful, and I've met some other professionals in other aspects of the business who have made things much smoother for me and those I work with. To them I am extremely grateful as well. When I got into Real Estate, I had a sort of Utopian idea about how Real ... 09/26/2007

Wilkes-Barre, PA is a little over two hours from New York City and NJ both. Houses in our area are dirt cheap compared to those markets, so more and more people are getting squeezed out into our market from those other markets. Add to that the fact that I speak Spanish and have assisted quite a few people from NY and NJ in their efforts to relocate to the Wilkes-Barre area and you can probably imagine that I have dealt with quite a few different mortgage brokers and lenders.  I have worked with some great mortgage pros, who have made the transaction move along as if it were a finely tuned machine. I really love working with those guys and gals because they make my life easier. They are the ones who answer the phones when I call. They send me updates to let me know where we stand and are... 09/24/2007

A while back, while we were in the midst of the gloom and doom forecasts for the Real Estate market, I posted a story about a hot dog vendor that was a great parallel for today's Real Estate market. I admit that my skill at writing a blog was a bit unpolished at that point, so the content wasn't that exciting. I've learned a few things since then. While reading Rosario's post today about the 20/20 special to be aired about the Real Estate market, I realized that maybe I should pull this story back out and repost it again with some polish added. I also realize that I sell homes in the Wilkes-Barre, PA market, which might be different from your market, but the concept remains the same no matter where you are. Enjoy...I was in the retail business for a few years (over 14 to tell the truth)... 09/23/2007

I have had two instances over the last three weeks where I was representing buyers in their attempts to buy properties and the seller has decided, at the last minute, not to sell. I am amazed that someone could get to the week before closing and decide not to perform the contract that they negotiated and signed weeks before. This leads to some interesting situations and can have several outcomes, including being sued for Specific Performance and being forced to sell the property. I've found that this situation was caused in both cases by the selling agent not fully comprehending (or turning a blind eye to) the seller's intentions in selling the property. In one case, the seller was going through a divorce and wanted to sell the property without the spouse finding out about it. The probl... 09/22/2007

I have to say that I was utterly amazed today by what I was told by a mortgage broker. I have a sale pending and very close to closing. The sale is with an out of state client who brought his own out of state mortgage broker with him. I generally don't like dealing with out of state mortgage brokers. I know that it can be done right by someone out of state and the distance shouldn't matter, but I have had nothing but trouble with out of state mortgage brokers. My general complaint is the lack of communication I get from them and this sale is falling right in line with others I've had in the past. My client came to me while looking at one of my listings in Wilkes-Barre, PA, but decided to buy another house from another broker. I prefer it this way anyway, so I gladly wrote the contract a... 09/19/2007

I have a client who wants to buy a house. He took my advice and did his homework first. He got his pre-approval done and was set to buy a house. He went on to my website, http://www.wilkesbarrehomesales.com/, and looked at some of the homes I sent him to check out. He even picked a few of his own to see and gave me the list to make the appointments. It was when he got into town and we had a chance to sit down and talk that I realized he didn't have a strong grasp on the whole process, so he asked me to put it all into an e-mail for him so he could review it when he needed a refresher on what was going on. I thought to myself, "Boy, if I had to do this with every client...". Then I realized that there are probably a whole lot more people out there who don't understand the whole process. ... 09/19/2007