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It is always the people that make the difference.

I have just returned from a quick trip to Orlando for the National Association of Realtors annual conference.

Yes!
Yes! (Photo credit: LesleyLambert)

There are a number of reasons why I felt it was important to leave Western MA to go to this event (my first NARannual):

 Real Estate Training and Education

Networking with other real estate agents

New Real Estate Marketing Ideas

New Efficiency

Tools for REALTORS

New Technology in Real Estate

I am happy to say that I accomplished all of that, but those items were not the thing that made the difference.

It is always the people that make the difference.

On my first day I visited with some old friends and met a couple new ones as they organized the RE BarCamp NAR event that happened immediately before the official conference.  A BarCamp is an un-conference where peers gather to share knowledge in a free flowing, spontaneous manner.  I always learn more at these types of events than at any other.  After helping organizer, Debbie Kirkland, with poster making and planning there was the pre-BarCamp meetup.  I was thrilled to be able to meet so many great agents that I have been online friends with for years.  The crowd was filled with friends that I had yet to officially meet, but those hugs didn’t feel like a first meeting!#rebcnar

 

Day two was the RE BarCamp event and with an estimated 400+ people in attendance, it was a large one!  I loved helping to set up, organize and facilitate sessions.  Right off the bat I got to meet one of my first Twitter friends, Dave Chomitz.  Dave is a Canadian REALTOR and when I started video years ago, he gave me many great tips.  Meeting him was a highlight!  I also got to meet Steve Babbitt, of Rochester NY.  Steve helped a client of mine find their home in Rochester, but this is the first time we officially met!

The first session I facilitated was a discussion on going paperless and we had a great discussion with lots of experience sharing and great input.  This session solidified that one of my top goals on my 2013 business plan will be to complete the process of going paperless (I started this journey two years ago) and to learn to use one of the great new transaction management tools available to me.

I sat in with Todd Carpenter on a Facebook Pages session and got some great reminders on content ideas, shared a few of mine and got the best tip of the conference from Todd (thanks Todd!).  Nope, I won’t tell…you should have come!

Another lively session was a large group discussion about video.  I love to create videos, but haven’t been doing as many lately.  This session confirmed that I need to add more video into my marketing plan for 2013 and gave me some great ideas on what I want to do.

The day wrapped up with a social hour and the discussions continued.  I also continued to meet more people…such an exciting thing to finally hug someone you have been friends with for so long.  The social hour was followed by a gathering of the TwitterQueens for dinner and that was beyond a great time.

The next morning my roomies, Debbie Kirkland, Chris Griffith, Kevin Hattaway and I had our own private BarCamp roundup.  Between running the event, volunteering to keep session on track and the fact that there were 10 rooms going at a time….we had all missed a lot!  This session in our jammies over coffee gave me quite the “to do” list, but was also just a great time with great friends.

Gear night at Universal- nice Gobo!
Gear night at Universal- nice Gobo! (Photo credit: LesleyLambert)

Next up was the trade show “Expo” .   After a great visit with Bill Lublin (thanks for everything Bill!), I wandered the aisles of vendors and met more amazing people.   I am always filled with such a feeling of gratitude and sheer luck that I found so many amazing mentors, cheerleaders and friends all over the world.

The Expo gave me a few more 2013 business plan items, along with the requisite bag full of promotional items and sore feet.  I will say that the highlights of the Expo were: seeing Nicole and Reggie Nicolay (way too long since I had) and a wonderful discussion with the sparkly-eyed Brad Anderson of Zillow.  Brad is one of the first people I connected with in social media and he helped me out many times in my early days…he is every bit as sweet in person and I am so glad to have gotten to know him better.

I won’t (continue) to bore you with the fine details of my trip, but I will tell you this:

Certain people are brought into your life for a reason, I think we can all agree upon that.  What you may never have considered is the route that brings you together.  I am here to tell you that the people you meet and befriend via Facebook, Twitter, etc. can be just as big a part of your world as those you meet at the supermarket or school pickup.  I got to spend the entire time with my great friend Debbie Kirkland and she is always telling people how she wouldn’t know half of what she knows now if it weren’t for people like me that she met on Twitter in the early days.  I will tell you that I only know one thing for sure:

It is always the people that make the difference.

So, would I leave Western MA again to attend a future NAR Annual event?  You bet I will…there are more people (and some of the same ones again) to learn from, give hugs to and have fun with!

Here are some of the people I mentioned above:

 

With that, I have some special thank you’s:

Debbie: for organizing, instigating, being real and being loving.

Chris: for making me laugh, being the best roomie, sharing your wealth of ideas and being a wonderful friend.

Kevin: for carting me around, great discussions, riding roller coasters and having fun.

 

 

 

 

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163 Elizabeth Ave, Westfield, MA 01085 – Renovated Ranch Home for Sale


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Like brand new & affordable! Completely renovated home w/new roof, siding, windows, doors, septic, landscaping, bathroom & gorgeous updated kitchen. Lovely backyard w/new deck & landscaping & large garage. Don`t miss this one – it is lovely!

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Headed to National Association of Realtors Conference

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Tomorrow I will be hopping on a plane to head to Orlando, FL for the National Association of Realtors conference.

It is by no means my first real estate conference, but it is my first NAR National conference and I am very excited! Realtors from all over the world will be converging on Orlando for a week of networking, learning and maybe a bit of fun, too!

While it is certainly fun to head to Orlando during the first cold snap in Western MA, there is an important reason that I attend these types of events: to grow as a professional.

This is my 24th year in real estate and I think one of the main reasons I have lasted this long is because there is always something new to learn. I think that is exciting and I want to remain on the cutting edge of well trained real estate professionals.

It is a key part of my marketing plan for my clients that I regularly add more to my took kit. Each learning experience brings home a new tool to enhance the experience of my clients or to speed up the sale of a home. The other agents that I will be spending time with are the leaders in the industry from all over the country and they will gladly share their tips and expertise in exchange for some of mine.

I have no doubt that this will be an outstanding experience and I can’t wait to see what new techniques I can implement next week because of what I will learn!

Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief … Keep Housing Recovery on Track!

Tax
Tax (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

CALL FOR ACTION!

Congress will soon return to session and they will be discussing a housing issue that could affect almost one-quarter of all real estate transactions – the expiration of Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief.

Why is this so important?
Homeowners shouldn’t be forced to pay tax on money they’ve already lost with cash they never received – and never will receive.
~More than 20% of current homeowners with a mortgage owe more on their homes than the current fair market value.
~Transactions not completed by year-end could become taxable in 2013, despite a borrower’s reliance on this tax relief.
~The housing market, while recovering, is still fragile enough that this tax relief will be needed in 2013 and possibly beyond.

“Without action before the end of the year, millions of families who hold distressed properties could face a hefty tax bill for trying to modify their mortgage or to seek a short sale through their lender. Even those facing foreclosure will find themselves forced to pay a “foreclosure tax” if Congress doesn’t act.  This is because the amount of debt forgiven by the lender would be considered “phantom income” to the borrower even though they never receive any payment from the lender. No taxpayer should be forced to pay tax on money they’ve already lost with cash they never received. We need no new obstacles that might throw the housing recovery off track.”

This quote is from the call to action at the National Association of REALTORS site. They have issued this brief to outline the issue:

If you agree that this tax relief should continue, please take a moment to send that message to your representatives here.

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You turned your clocks back, but did you check your smoke detectors?

Smoke detector
Smoke detector (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Daylight savings time has ended and the relentless reminders on all forms of media have gone, too.  Did you know that it is recommended that you check your smoke alarms and change their batteries at the same time?

“Smoke alarms save lives. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.”

This advice is from The National Fire Protection Association, which is a great site giving advice and reminders about smoke detector safety.  Here is a guideline of great reminders they provide:

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