Happy Thanksgiving to my real estate clients, friends and family in Western Massachusetts and beyond!
Towns of Western Massachusetts
Giving Thanks
As we approach Thanksgiving in Western Massachusetts, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle, bustle and mania that surrounds holiday preparations. I want to pause for a moment before the grocery shopping, food preparations, intense cleaning and extended family descend upon us and reflect on what Thanksgiving is really all about.
Being Thankful.
It can be so hard to stop and remember to be thankful, especially when life isn’t going as smoothly as we hope. Financial worries, sickness, busy work schedules and the rigors of daily life can set us into a robotic spin where we forget to savor the goodness around us. I am guilty of this, although I strive to overcome that personal trait.
So I am Thankful for…
my daughters. They are lovely, smart, talented and spirited. I am so proud to be their mom.
my mom, who paves the way to goodness and generosity each day.
my sister, my first best friend.
my boyfriend, Morriss is there for me every day.
my circle of dear friends. They bolster me and love me as I am.
my work. It is a rare thing to have a career that impacts people’s personal lives in such a meaningful way. I love being a real estate agent in Western Massachusetts.
my hobby. Even though I teach dance as a job, it is really a paid hobby as it is so important and meaningful to me. It is my therapy, my exercise, my family away from home.
my condo. We love it here. It isn’t fixed up the way I want it to be (yet), but it is a lovely and safe place to raise my daughters.
my health. Aches and pains, sniffles and sneezes are all temporary. I am lucky to be well.
my cats. Their furry snuggles cheer and relax me.
my geography. I love living in Western Massachusetts.
So many things to be grateful and thankful for every day. Let’s try to remind each other to slow down and cherish these things more often.
What are YOU Thankful for?
How Much is one Short Sale Worth?
Last year I wrote this post about being hired by a woman who found me on Google while searching for a short sale REALTOR in Western Massachusetts and asked for my help with her short sale in Chicopee, MA. She had tried to hire other agents, and none of them would take the listing.
I took that listing and within six months, I had that home sold to a buyer who used me as their agent.
The seller had a friend who was also in danger of foreclosure and she gave him my name to try to sell his property, which is also in Chicopee, MA with a short sale. That home closed yesterday.
From a real estate agent’s point of view, those three closings took much more effort, time and patience than a “traditional” sale, but they were three transactions that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t say that I would help that first client.
Like everyone else, I have to earn a living, but I get paid in better ways when I am able to help with a short sale. I get paid in gratitude and satisfaction. I get paid in the knowledge that I helped someone move on to the next phase in their life. I get paid in knowing that I am, in some small way, helping with the foreclosure crisis in America.
One short sale is worth a whole lot.
photo courtesy of Rachel Kramer Bussel on flickr.com
QR Codes for Real Estate and Generation Y
Last week I was sharing my new real estate business cards with some teenage dance students of mine. I give them an annual speech on driving while impaired or getting in the car with anyone who isn’t fit to drive and always hand out my card for them to keep in their wallet for an emergency.
As they were admiring my cute new Mini Moo Cards which feature photography of Western Massachusetts scenery, several of them exclaimed, “Cool! You have a QR Code on here!”. Another said, “If I scan it where does it take me?”. Still another announced she was off to try scanning it that very moment.
This was so refreshing, as I usually have to do a lot of teaching when people in Western Massachusetts encounter my QR Codes on promotional materials. I was thrilled to see that the young generation has embraced this technology because it says to me that it will reach mainstream use eventually.
With large companies like Target using codes in their holiday catalogues and local vendors featuring them on display racks, I believe that soon most average consumers will have at least a working understanding of what QR Codes are and how they work. They may not use the technology, but if they understand why other people want to use it then they will see the benefits in using a real estate agent in Western Massachusetts who is integrating QR Codes into her marketing.
My Mobile Office Went Down Today: aka my Subaru blew up
- Image via Wikipedia
Today I am reminded of how linked my days as a REALTOR in Western Massachusetts are to my vehicle…
Yesterday my car spewed boiling hot anti-freeze onto my foot, which can’t be good. Now mind you, it is a newer car (2008 Subaru) which I purchased for it’s reputation as being reliable and safe transportation. I decided to take on the larger car payment for a new car in exchange for the peace of mind that not needing regular repairs can give. Well, as I drove with my scalded foot and the toxic stench from the anti-freeze mist, I can tell you I wasn’t feeling the peace of mind…what I was feeling was much closer to pissed off.
My mom’s husband and my boyfriend researched the symptoms and it seemed that a very rare issue with the heat core had literally sprung open on my foot. Being so new and low in miles, I was keeping myself calmed with the thought that a warranty would kick in to take care of the issue. I am so cute when I am naive.
I had called the local dealership to inquire about the warranty and they told me I needed to come in for a service check to look into the issue. So this morning I drove my toxic and bubbly Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (insert SH for ever CH and you get a better line) to the dealer in West Springfield, MA.
Problem number one: they failed to log my appointment, name or anything about the call that I made the day before.
Problem number two: the service representative kept walking away and making random phone calls without talking to me or letting me know what he was working on. Finally he calls Subaru America and is told that I am, in fact, out of warranty.
Problem number three: he asks me if I want a quote for the repair, to which I respond in the affirmative. No mechanic looks at my car, in fact, no one investigated anything outside of my diagnosis. I am not a mechanic, what if I am wrong? This issue doesn’t deter our fine customer (dis)service representative who gives me a quote DOUBLE that of what I researched.
Problem number four: DOUBLE? Really?
So I leave, of course, and just a few miles down the road the car overheats and starts to steam in earnest. The car and I were at about the same temperature at this point, so I pull over for us both to cool off. As I sit waiting for Morriss (my boyfriend) to rescue us both, I decide that I will take this time to call Subaru America and state my dissatisfaction with the circumstance. Throughout this whole visit, my good friend Jeff had been advising me and encouraging me to ask more questions and pursue the issue to the end…I took his advice.
I am greeted by Meghan who clearly payed WAY MORE attention at customer service class than the bonehead at the dealership. Meghan listens to my story with empathy, asks if I am in a safe location or need any help and then assures me that she is following up on the issue and will be in touch before the close of the day.
Next phone call is to a mechanic at a private shop that I trust who quotes me a price that is more than half what the dealer quoted….can you say scalping boys and girls? I thought you could! This mechanic also asks if he can, get a load of this, actually look at the car to determine if my guess is correct before ordering parts.
Within two hours of speaking with Meghan, she has left me a message stating that Subaru America cannot use a warranty to help me out, but will assist me with partial repair cost reimbursement.
So, what I will share with you is this:
I hate the local Subaru dealership and will NEVER EVER use them for so much as an oil change BUT,
I remain a happy Subaru owner as I feel that the company stood by their product and was determined to regain my trust, loyalty and business in a tangible and responsive way.
Meanwhile, I was unable to do several tasks that I needed to do today including reading a water meter for a closing next week. A reliable car is a must have for a busy real estate agent in Western Massachusetts. Lucky for my clients and I, my iPhone was working just fine, so I ran business without too many hitches today, even with the car troubles. My mobile office (aka my car) is schedule for repair next week, when I will be reminded yet again how much I use it and need it to function as a REALTOR.
Thank you Morriss and Jim, and Jeff and Meghan, and my mom and Chris Allen of Allen Afforable Auto Repair in Southwick, MA who will get my business because he is ethical and reliable.
