Vegas

Hello all,

"Vegas"

Is where I will be the next 5 days, Mark is in charge while I am out. As always, "When the boss is here draft beer, when the boss is away Grand Mainer" 

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains."

 

~ Emilie Cady 

 

"Sometimes the littlest things in life are the hardest to take. You can sit on a mountain more comfortably than on a tack."

 

~ Anonymous 

 

GREAT AND SMALL! 

 

We see Big Things and Little Things, using a filter called Perspective. While our personal Perspective is useful in analyzing situations and actions in a meaningful way, it has the potential to be a detriment, denying us alternative and refreshing outlooks and solutions. 

 

Sometimes we get confused about What Is Important. All our lives we are programmed with a Perspective that tells us what we believe is the best course of action. We’re told that we should focus on achieving Big Things, especially in highly competitive professions and fields. But how exactly are we supposed to reach the Top Of The Mountain if we cannot even clear the pebbles along the way? And what happens if you reach the mountaintop and you find that it’s lonely and that there’s nowhere else to go? 

 

We either pay too much attention to the little things and get tripped up along the way, OR we don’t pay enough attention to the little things and get tripped up along the way! We focus so hard on reaching the mountain top that we forget how important it is to do the Small Stuff well. 

 

Becoming accomplished at the Small Stuff will eventually change your perspective so you’ll appreciate how truly important your achievements are. Suddenly, there are no more mountains and no more pebbles. You assail each problem and task with the same enthusiasm, effort, and success. Your perspective has changed, and you realize that you better pay attention to the Small Stuff, because really, it’s ALL Small Stuff. 

 

Charles Simmons summarized it perfectly: "Life is made up of little things. It is very rarely that an occasion is offered for doing a great deal at once. True greatness consists in being great in little things." Here’s to a job well done! 

"10% + 8% = 18%"

Hello all,

"10% + 8% = 18%"

I have talked about this with a couple of agents one on one but I am seeing it come up more and more so I wanted to throw it out there. In "most" areas prices began to stabilize mid/late 2009, stayed flat in 2010, small increase of 2%-3% in 2011 and it looks like we had around 5% in 2012. In 2009-2011 we were dominated by REO'S and short sales, typically the clients were getting those properties at 10% below market value. Hopefully they put a little elbow grease in, carpet, paint... and brought it up to snuff. If you factor in the 8% or so increase in values we should have a good amount of future clients. I am going to use one of Lisa's clients as an example because it is, well, easier for me...

Clients purchased 12672 Piedmont Trail Rd April of 2010 for $350,000 with a $10,500 seller subsidy, short sale.

Clients sold the same property after putting a nominal amount of money in for $375,000, no subsidy in January of 2012. House would probably sell for $389,000 today.

Clients took their profits and purchased 654 Chesterton St in the Kentlands for $517,000 with a $10,000 seller subsidy. This was a normal sale but needed a little work, they put hardwoods on the main, carpet and paint everywhere else. 

Clients have put this on the market Thursday at $569,000 and there are two contracts in, they will be buying a single family. 

The point I am getting to is if you are looking for business this is a great place to start. You need to spend a little time and effort in MRIS looking around but it could pay great benefits. If you search on neighborhoods for the short sales and REO'S then do a market analysis to what the property is worth now you could send a great marketing piece. 

Dear Mr & Mrs Homeowner,

I was doing some work in your neighborhood and I see that the values have come up the past couple of years. Being you purchased your home 123 Main St as a short sale the equity in your home could be substantial. Rates remain low so it might be a good time to think about moving up! If you would like a free market analysis on your home feel free to contact me at...

This is a contact sport... 

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

 

"If someone wrote a book about your life . . . 

would anyone want to read it?"
 

- TV Recruiting Ad (U.S. Navy)

FICTION OR NON-FICTION?

 

Fast-forward your life 20, 30, even 40 years. Now . . . imagine someone writing a book of your life story. Think of the possibilities. Would it be motivational, a mystery perhaps, or even science fiction? What about reference, a novel, true crime, short story, or an expose? Would it be found in the children's section of the library, the reference section, or under biographies?

 

Wow - the possibilities are endless. The good news is - YOU are the lead character, and get to make all the choices! Close your eyes and visualize how it would read. Assume that the author is an unrelated third-party who knows every detail. That's a scary thought, isn't it?

 

If the chapters were written in chronological order, which ones would make the best reading? Undoubtedly, the ones from age 12-20 would provide some interesting material. From 20 to 40 would be excellent transitional chapters with lots of "Ah-ha!"s and course changes. The final chapter may be the most revealing, however. Think how many readers like to skip to the end to see how the book ends.

 

If you could skip to the end of your own book, how would it read? Summarizing the entire book, would you say it was a thriller, a shocker, a spell-binder, a tragedy, a romance, or an inspiration?

 

Your life is a book waiting to be written - write it well!

Golf Tournament

Hello all,

"Golf Tournament"

Before anyone makes a joke I understand it is not exactly golf weather... Attached is the flyer for our 7th annual golf tournament to benefit Children's Miracle Network and Clarksburg Baseball (the little guys and gals). As many of you know this is an event that is near and dear to my heart, last year we raised over 10K for the charities and our goal for this year is 15K! This is the one and only charitable event we do each year so I would really like to see as many of you get involved as possible. There are several ways:

Play Golf- Foursomes are now forming, all of the information is on the flyer.

Party Bus/Bowling- Instead of stumbling off the party bus this year participants will be invited to tip toe down the bowling lanes! Groups of 4 are now forming for a tournament, prizes for the top three groups.

Come For Dinner- Join the golfers and bowlers back at the club for dinner, awards and raffle. Cost is $40 per person.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken." 

 

~ James Dent

 

THE DOG DAYS! 

 

The quote for today seems appropriate during these hazy summer days of sweltering heat and high grass. It's so easy to picture the perfect summer day and how we might just lie back in the hammock, or take the family to the park. Unfortunately, it's just about as easy for us to picture all the responsibilities we would be ignoring to take just such advantage of the day. 

 

However, don't forget that your physical and mental well-being are also your responsibility, and if you ignore those, you simply won't be able to successfully fulfill your other obligations. Corita Kent said, "Love the moment and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries." 

 

Take time out to do something really important - taking time out - even if it means "pretending" the lawn mower (computer, mobile device) is broken. Step back, reevaluate your priorities, and let things fall back in line. "I could have had my presentation done ahead of schedule if we hadn't taken that Sunday drive," becomes "I gave the best presentation of my life because I really cleared my head on that Sunday drive." 

 

There's room for everything you love in your life - your work, your family, your interests. An imbalance in any of these can have a negative impact on the others, so beware and be aware of your priorities. If it's time to devote attention to the (seemingly) "little things," so be it. Don't miss your golden opportunity for a beautiful moment because it seems so small you don't even perceive it. 

 

Wonder at the sun shine, feel the breeze blow, listen to the birds sing, because "life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by day, in all the thousand small, uncaring ways." (Stephen Saint Vincent Benet)

February Training's

Hello all,

"February Training's"

We talked about this in the sales meeting but I wanted to make sure everyone was on board with this. Starting this month we will have two training's a week for the first three weeks of each month. 

On Tuesdays from 10-11 Ella will be training us on the Remax systems and our systems, this month:

2/5 - Leadstreet 201, Aspen Hill

2/12 - Mainstreet, Park Potomac

2/19 - Wolf Connect & Remax U, Germantown

Please RSVP to   Ella.Ladas@gmail.com if you will be attending.

Our Thursday training's this month: 

2/7 - Hutton & Patt will have a CE course from 9:30 - 12:30 in Germantown, MD Fair Housing (1.5) & Solving Sellers Issues (1.5). To sign up for this please go to:

Rempower.com

2/14 - Counselors Title will be holding Case Studies in Aspen Hill from 10:30 - 12:00

2/21 - Carrie Mann & Eagle Bank will be holding a financing class in Potomac fro 10:30-12:00

Our sales meeting this month is 2/11, 11:30-1:30 "That's Amore" in Rockville.

In the future you will be seeing the schedule for all of the training's  in the Wednesday Memo and they will be uploaded to WolfConnect.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe

 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"You can't keep blaming yourself. Just blame yourself once and move on." 

 

~ Homer Simpson of Fox Television's "The Simpsons" 

 

THE BLAME GAME! 

 

Ever made a mistake, or failed at what you set out to do? Here’s some big news that you should already know: You’re not alone! 

 

How many times have you kicked yourself in the pants for screwing up? Fessing up to your mistakes is a mark of maturity, self-confidence, and even progress. Whether admitting it to yourself or acknowledging your fault to others, you know that you simply must pick up from that point, regroup your efforts, and with any luck, not make the same mistake twice. 

 

Cicero wrote, "Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error." We could add that only an idiot persists in his blame. Acknowledge your fault, but once is enough. How will you ever feel competent if you can’t manage occasional mistakes? You’re human, right? So is everybody else, and they will understand. 

 

Don’t dwell on your mistakes, or you’re just making another mistake! You’ll garner more respect if you fail, admit your failure and then avoid another error. Anyone engaging in constant self-blame or over-willingness to accept blame is perceived as weak and ineffectual. 

 

Remember that the winner is the one who made the next-to-last mistake! You and your competition will continually experience challenges that will be managed skillfully or be mishandled. Make sure that your last effort is carried out capably! 

 

Think of your life as a series of games or matches in a long sports career, and consider Bill Vaughan’s words: "In the game of life, it's a good idea to have a few early losses, which relieves you of the pressure of trying to maintain an undefeated season." Nobody wants to lose, but nobody wants to be expected to win every time, either! Be realistic in your expectations, modest in your failures and gracious in your victories!