I just read Ken Blanchard's book "Raving Fans" and learned much! Since it was such a great, eye-opening read, I wanted to share the "Gold Nuggets" of wisdom: Do not attempt to completely change how you currently do things in your organization. Simply add one small step at a time- The Rule of 1%...... Change how you are doing things by 1%....soon you will be creating raving fans out of your customers! I highly recomend the next book you read to be Ken Blanchard's Raving Fans..... It is a short book, and reads in a storytelling manner that is easy to follow and impacting....   No matter what business you are in, this book will help transfomr your customers into raving fans!     09/05/2009

Today I was driving some clients around the North Marysville area and saw the ominous organe and black sign that signals the end of summer and the beginning of fall. No, not all he back to school sales.....The HALLOWEN STORE's orange and black banner taunting me from the freeway! If you feel the need to go shopping for Halloween stuff in August (really?) here is where they are located: 1-5 Smokey Point exit (172nd) and turn East. Follow to the Costco/ Target/ Best Buy shopping center and turn South. The Halloween Store is located in that strip mall.   HAPPY HOLOWEEN EVERYONE! If you would like treats and no tricks, call Jim for all of your real etstae needs! Jim O'Day 425-359-2708 RSVP Real Estate jim@rsvpRE.com   08/19/2009

I was bummed when The Produce Guy in Smokey Point went out of business a few months back. I had been stopping by to get fresh, tasty apples, grapes, strawberries, peaches and corn - oh, and milk, and honey, and ice cream! The Produce Guy is a terrific businessman who always greets his customers with a smile. He is the guy who gives you some grapes to try before you buy them, or the guy who recommends the best fruit for your table..... He was always working hard to make his business a success, like we are! I was very excited to see that he was back open in a new location! Now The Produce Guy is 1/2 mile East on 172nd in Smokey Point. He is located near the sand and gravel business, and just East of the espresso stand. If you have gone by Thornberry Automotive, you just missed him on the ... 08/18/2009

 My wife took our two year old daughter to register at pre-school today. She was sooo excited to be going to meet her teacher and see her classroom. She will be going two days a week and can't wait. She already has her Dora backpack and her crayons! Seeing her so excited made me think of us Real Estate Agents. Going back to school is important for us, too! We should be so excited to learn! When it is time for classes to update our license, we should be ready to learn. Put on our Dora backpacks, grab our crayons and run for class! It really helps us stay updated, and , in turn makes us better agents. Our clients reap the rewards of our hard work and learning. I learned some great lessons from watching Kennedy today and her excitment about school: Learning can be fun- if we make it fun Sc... 08/18/2009

MARYSVILLE: Your buying power is so important these days. When a trip to the grocery store can easily set you back three bills, it is comforting to know you got the best deal in town. I have lived and shopped in town for years, and here is my list of the top places to save money on groceries:   The best: WINCO - Just cheap, quality food and u bag it yourself! Wal-Mart- A close second, with more variety and more shoppers Albertson's- Coupons and daily savings make it a great place to grab groceries! Mediocre: Safeway- Usually crowded and not great deals, sometimes the "10 for $10" deals are good Thriftway- Little more upscale, a little higher prices, but good quality Haggen's- Actually one of my personal favorites for atmosphere and rarely crowded, just $$$ Grocery Outlet- A lot of peopl... 08/18/2009

Ok, without further fanfare..... Be Proactive. Think of all the objections you can, and have an answer before you are asked Be Reactive. Call that difficult client back first. This solves two problems: It gets that task off your to do list, and makes the client feel like a priority Go the extra mile- even when you don't want to! Practice patience. Be slow to anger. Remember it is not a personal attack Ask the client for input in every step of the process, Make them feel valued. Take up smoking (OK, not really) Ask the client for solutions when problems arise... Refuse to take a listing! You know fairly quickly if it is going to be a stinker! Be willing to drop a client if all else fails! Your sanity is worth it! FIRE YOURSELF!!!! My first listing in the business three years ago was a cr... 08/17/2009

I stopped by King's buffet today in Marysville for the Sunday Seafood Brunch. I had the two little ones and My 11 year old daughter as well. Mom and my 14 year old were at the Mariner's game watching them, CRUSH the Yankees (GO M'S!!!!).... So I was hanging out with the other three and had a great brunch at the all you can eat Marysville King's Buffet. Located in an old bank right on State Street, King's Buffet welcomes hungry folks from around town. When we stopped by it was fairly empty, as we had missed the lunch rush. We arrived around 1:30 to a few families and a church group enjoying the buffet. Now I am not much of a buffet guy, as I am always concerned about germs and sneeze guards, etc...BUT this buffett was terrific. Tons of great food, great tastes, lots of variety, and somet... 08/16/2009

Sometimes clients come to you from the strangest places. The moral of this story below is this: Always watch for opportunities in every place you go! All challenges are opportunities in disguise! Our Real Estate office was having a food drive at a local supermarket. I was out front collecting food when I just happened to look up to witness two vehilces coliding in the supermarket parking lot.  I walked over to the "crash site" to see if I can help. I approach the driver who was run into.  She is shaken up and very upset. The person who crashed into her is yelling and blaming her for the accident. I call 911 and stay with the drivers. After a while, insurance info is exchanged and the police arrive. I give the driver my business card and ask for her info in exchange. I stayed in touch wi... 08/15/2009

Brandon and I enjoyed four fun filled  hours playing paintball in Arlington last weekend.  Skinny Joe's Paintball on the Burn Road in Arlington charges $30 a player for four hours of Paintball blasting fun! We had our guns, air, paintballs and protective gear all included. Skinny Joe's field is split up into four different sections. All of the fields are unique and create a great experience for the newbie or the seasoned pro. Brandon and I had a blast, even though we were teamed up against some real pros. These guys showed up in full camo, with top of the line guns and accessories that would have made Rambo jealous! As novice players we felt part of the team and had a blast. We blew through the paintballs and bought some more. Each game was about 10 minutes or so - until the last man (o... 08/14/2009

Ok, sorry to mislead you. The title was tongue in cheek. When I first started Real Estate 3 years ago, I thought I needed to read books. Gary Keller, Jeffery Gitomer and other authors filled my days. I read The Millionaire Real Estate Agent three times! The Sales Bible sat by my bed for two months and I highlighted it, read it and re-read it. Ok, after reading those books it was time for me to get started! I know it all, right? Ok, but one more book to make sure I had it figured out. If I did not know EVERYTHING, what if I looked stupid when a client asked a question? So there I was was reading just one more book. Problem was, that one more book turned into two or three. Ok, now I was ready. I knew it ALL! I hit the road running and fell flat on my face. I ran into questions I had no an... 08/13/2009

It takes a lot of hard work to be a GOOD agent Dealing with difficult people is overrated You have to be a counselor/ inspector/ adviser/ driver/ waiter/ painter/ etc... It cost$ money to be in business People want to look at homes when they want to look at homes Buyers are liars Sellers are impatient NO ONE is buying or selling right now Splits are a killer Taxes? Don't even get me started!!! Sounds like a a lot of complaining, whining, anger and frustration? YOU BET IT DOES!!   Now why we do what we do: The smile on the young couples face when you hand them the keys to heir first home! Your awesome children who like to eat and wear clothes! We get to make dreams come true every day! The freedom of being your own boss People are ALWAYS buying and selling for various reasons The small ... 08/13/2009

I hear a lot about CURB APPEAL, but what does it mean???? A buyer's first impression of your home for sale means everything!!!! You never get a second chance to impress those picky house hunters! In today's market you are competing against 30 or 40 other homes within 5 miles of yours! Similar in price, condition, beds and baths, and square footage. When they are touring ten homes a day, how can you make yours stand out? Paint is cheap! Paint your porch, trim, front door, and whole exterior if need be   Paint is cheap! Paint the inside of your home. Nothing pops like clean walls!   New hardware, new front door, new entry mat.   Clean all the windows!   No Pet smells (biggest turn off by far from my independent research)   Mow the grass. Pull the weeds... trim the hedges.   Paint is cheap... 08/13/2009

Well, in this "didifferent" market, it all comes down to generating leads. More numbers of leads is the difference between leaving the biz to work at Wal-Mart, or surviving until the sun comes out! What are you doing to generate leads today? Are you time blocking? Are you ringing door bells? Do you have something valuable to say and or give to potential prospects? Are you cold calling? Or are you calling your database and asking for referrals? If you are not doing anything, your business may be suffering. Very few of us have the wonderful position of sitting back and letting the phone ring off the hook with buyers and properly priced listings. I. for one, am really getting back to the basics and have outlined my plan. I am sharing it with all of you to hold myself accountable! I am BLOG... 05/03/2009

Recently I began publishing a monthy E newsletter called The Cash and Chips News. Included in this fun newsletter are some real gems of information, including: Angel of the Winds updates. New slots, News, Coupons Tulalip Casino news and gaming Quilceda Creek events and gaming Tip of the Month to beat the odds! How to play....... (monthly feature) How to make your $ stretch further The future of slots Blast from the Past (reviewing old slots) What are my odds? In addition, the Cash and Chips News will have a drawing for a really cool gift basket loaded wih local casino goodies! To subscribe, simply send an e-mail to CASHANDCHIPS@GMAIL.COM 05/03/2009

I drive a Chevrolet Avalanche as my real estate rig! It is the ultimate vehicle and here is why: It has 4 wheel drive and can go in any weather! It has seating for 4 adults, with plently of leg room. It is a Chevy (speaks for itself) It has a bed that can hold signs, a-boards, etc, and LOCKS It has a three section bed cover that locks in place It has locking side areas where you can store first aid kit, flashlights, flyer boxes, etc. It looks cool It lends itself to logos and vehicle wrapping It is nice inside OK, it's not perfect as it gets 18 miles ot the gallon! OUCH What is your perfect real estate rig? 04/28/2009

WOW! Some good news today. Someone pinch me! Major crime is down in our state. 9,000 low risk prisoners will no longer be monitored, as studies has shown that monitoring this low risk population makes little difference on recidivism. All sex offenders will remain a top priority and will be closely monitored.   When I hear this news story today, it reminded me of our need to be safe real estate agents. For example:   Do not meet clients at their home until you know them well Do not tour homes alone, without telling someone where you are going Always have your cell phone fully charged and on your person Have emergency supplies in your vehicle Be vigilant at your Open Houses-notice who is there If you can, team up with another agent to show a home Have clients meet you at your office first... 04/28/2009

     I recently spent a weekend with some clients who own a very reputable and ethical coin shop in Seattle. While I was there, many people were eager to sell what gold and silver coins, jewelry, and other items they had of value around the house.      It was sad to see that people were resorting to selling coins that had been in their family for generations. Some people even brought in teeth with gold fillings to sell! (Not still in their mouth, of course!). The combination of commercials on TV, the high price of gold, and our current rate of unemployment seems to have triggered a great sell off of grandma's gold!    I also read a story about the bigger name gold buying outifts- the one's that will remain nameless in this blog, but we have all seen the commercials! The report found tha... 04/26/2009

I bought a metal detector this week! I am going to be outside a lot more often, using my "coin machine" to find rings, coins, and other cool stuff under the grass at my local parks and schools. What a great way to get outside, get some exercise, get some fresh air. and have the possibility of finding some items of value. I am going to be requesting to search yards of freinds and family. What a gerat way to connect and start talking to people, building a rapport! As we al know, when the subject of real estate comes up, everyone wants to talk about our "terrible" market. I will be joining a club soon to further dive into this hobby. The club members will find out what I do (real estate) and will have questions. Talk about a great way to find prospects!   Everyone needs to get out every no... 04/22/2009

Today in the Herald, an article talked about Tulalip Tribal families developing the land just North of Donna's Truck Stop (116th Ave)... Here are some ideas the developers have for the property... Amusement Park Water Park An outdoor style mall similar to Alderwood's "face lift" Other possible commercial or retail mix ideas Wow.... Marysville is changing. Anyone who has tried to find a parking spot at the "Seattle Premium Outlets" can see that. My wife and I circled the parking lot 10 times in a Saturday before giving up and going home (hey- we saved money that day!)..   What will this new construction/ development do to or community. Well, both good and bad. Bad: traffic, traffic, and more traffic! Good: Closer shopping for us locals More tax revenue Hey a possible theme park in our ba... 09/23/2008

OK, I have done my homework on this one, folks! I think I have shopped in every grocery store in Marysville (and Arlington) that exists! The best, for prices, by quite a bit is WINCO. For example, 5 bags of the same groceries cost $50 less at Winco! Baby formula, anywhere else (including Wallmart) is $25 a can, is $21 at WINCO! Walmart is good as well, and they do have it all- from clothes to auto parts to food to tires! Albertson's is not bad either, IF you shop the sales and use your "rewards number" Safeway I cannot stand, so that is my personal bias, and please forgive me Haggen in Marysville is very nice, upscale, clean, and pricey- but is a very nice and relxing shopping experience... Fred Meyer is a popular one in Marysville Too. Like Walmart, they have everything from toothpaste... 09/17/2008