What do you tell your seller about their first agent? Are there times that you know the initial listing agent quite well and know that they are very good agents? When that happens what do you say?There have been a few times when I have been asked to list a house that had been listed by an agent...

02/28/2008

Call Seller Directly - Here's the Phone Number

22 Comments

Are you finding that there are agents that input listings along with all information the buyer needs to go and purchase a home on their own.Evidently they are doing this for a reduced commission as they are not providing full service to the seller. That's fine. It is the arrangement they have m...

02/27/2008

I Finally Came Home - 235 Photos Later (Part 3)

8 Comments

Make believe I am still chugging down Route 522 heading to Lake Anna and home. What would I be seeing along the way?Perhaps it is another lonely looking barn, no longer providing the shelter it once did. These are the sights that capture my attention as I drive along Route 522. I love the roll...

02/26/2008

Do You Have What it Takes?

12 Comments

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman caught my attention last night with her latest post. Do You Value Long Term Potential Clients? My answer: A resounding yes. They are the very foundation of my business. Sally posed the questions Do you work with long term leads? What's in your Potential Client agen...

02/25/2008

ONLY $18.95 an Acre - Have I Got a Deal for You

6 Comments

Looking to invest in some property? Don't have much money? Well, I can sure help you.For the mere sum of $18.95 you can have your very own place to call home. You may not be able to get there but you certainly can look at it...at least at night. The view may not be the greatest and you may be...

02/23/2008

Voting in Virginia

5 Comments

On the way to Connecticut to visit my mom, I took a few minutes to cast my vote. Virginians had their primary almost two weeks ago and the turnout was terrific. Voting, for my precinct, was held at the Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department on Partlow Road. It is the same place where I've been ...

02/22/2008

Ever Look For Savings?

15 Comments

Recently we needed ink cartridges for one of our printers. As I was in the Fredericksburg area I stopped in Staples. They had the products I needed and home I went. Later, while on the computer, I decided to check out the same products on officedepot.com to compare prices. The difference was ...

02/22/2008

My Male Magnet

5 Comments

Women of all ages, if you are looking for a little attention from men of all ages there is one surefire way to do it. I absolutely guarantee success. #1 solution of all time...Simply buy a Toyota Prius. (Perhaps Marilyn Monroe standing over the grate may vie with this for first place. If you l...

02/22/2008

Rainer Named 2007 Educator of the Year by VAR

3 Comments

Just wanted to share the good news and to congratulate our esteemed fellow REALTOR®, Matt Rathbun, for being named 2007 Educator of the Year by the Virginia Association of REALTORS® (VAR).Below is the article as it appears in our latest issue of Bulletin, from the Fredericksburg Area Association ...

02/19/2008

Competitor is not a Four Letter Word

3 Comments

Why are we sometimes leery to use the word competitor?REALTORS® are competitors. If we weren't we would not survive in this profession. Team members are competitors. They join together, work together for the common good but they are competitors. If they are first string you better believe the...

02/18/2008