There’s a Change in the Weather. . .

Well, the elections are over, and no matter how you voted, change is coming. The weather is changing, the political landscape is changing – and after a rocky ride this fall, the outlook for loans, financial matters, jobs, etc. is definitely changing. Some changes will be good, and some will be not so good.

So many people abhor change, but when you stop to think about it, change is the one real constant in our lives. It starts when we’re born, and never ends as long as we’re alive. Babies start with a routine that’s intense. Just when the new parents think they’ll die from lack of sleep, baby begins sleeping through the night (actually about five hours at a stretch, but it seems absolutely heavenly after getting up every two hours)! Then solid food is introduced, and there’s a big change in mealtimes. No longer a baby, the toddler decides one day that one nap is fine each afternoon, thank you very much – no need for two. Suddenly your little person is off to pre-school, then Kindergarten, and then the roller-coaster ride of elementary, middle and high school. The really big change lurks right around the corner when that darling baby leaves for college. Change has been the one constant in that child’s life, and that’s true for almost everyone.

So, learn not to fear change, but, instead, learn to embrace it. While not every change is good, change keeps us on our toes, so to speak, fresh and ready for whatever is to come next

I’ve noticed that by really concentrating on thinking positive, and reminding myself each day to take some time to think good thoughts, not only my attitude has improved, but so has my business climate. I’ve had a few more clients call, and so my life has changed – again – while making additional work fit into each day. It’s exhilarating, exciting, and a bit scary. But wouldn’t Life be dull if we always knew what was going to happen the next minute, the next hour, or the next day? Sure, sometimes our days are humdrum, but that never lasts long. Good old Change is there to see that it doesn’t. And I, for one, am glad!

Remember, change your outlook – change your life!

CHANGE YOUR OUTLOOK -- CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Change Your Outlook

Welcome to the newest blog from Dona Pearce, owner of Pearce Virtual Solutions. With all of the gloom and doom pervading our society these days, I decided to revitalize my blog. I’m not going to stick my head in the sand and hope for something better. Instead, I’m going to do what many people do when things are bad – put a positive spin on the subject. That’s what you’ll be reading about in this blog and in any future blogs from me.

Now, I’m way too mature to be a Pollyanna, so this won’t be something that you feel will give you a cavity because of its extreme sweetness. Not at all. There are no fairy tales here. I’m a realist, but I’ve also turned into a positive thinker over the years (hey, who says you can’t get smarter as you get older?).

For instance, the media loves nothing more than scaring us as much as possible. And right now, they’re beside themselves coming up with frightening stories and scenarios. They love the ‘what if’ in life, especially if it has fright value. What can we do? Well, first of all, don’t buy into the ‘what if’ hook, line and sinker. Temper it with common sense. Yes, the world’s financial picture is scary, but it’s never as bad as the picture painted by the media. In this age of instant information, there’s often TOO MUCH information and it’s always at our fingertips.

Someone, somewhere, has money and needs your help, your product, your business solution, your creativity, your enthusiasm. Use this down time in your business to find them. A slower time is also a great time to invest in free (or nearly free) software education. You’ve been meaning to learn (insert your choice of software program here), but you just haven’t had time. However, it could boost your business if you make time. So, do it! Whoever said, “there’s no time like the present” sure knew what they were talking about.

Now, I challenge you to put on your thinking caps, push the fright factor into the background, and see how you can put a positive spin on YOUR situation.

Change your outlook – change your life!

GET IT SOLD!

Mr. and Mrs. Client have signed the listing contract on the dotted line. Now comes the time when you need to market, market, market to get this property sold, put a check in your pocket, and wow your clients with a quick sale.

Everyone connected with real estate knows that the best-looking, best-staged homes sell the fastest. Your clients now need to think of their home as a property to be disposed of in the shortest amount of time. It is difficult for homeowners to come around to this way of thinking, especially if the home they are selling holds many special memories. However, it is crucial that homeowners separate themselves from the property and put themselves in sales mode, and you need to be the one to educate them about this very important fact. This is a crucial part of your marketing efforts.

Clients need to understand that ‘home’ will soon be a lovely new property that they will buy in the near future. While memories may tie them to their existing property, they need to remember that memories are always with us, and can be talked about and remembered anytime we want. They need to think of their present home as a house, a property that is on the market and that will soon belong to someone else – a temporary place of residence.

How do agents communicate that information to clients? Some use professionally made videos that show ‘before’ and ‘after’ scenes of what de-cluttering and de-personalizing do for a property. Some have handouts that emphasize the most important steps to take to make the property appeal to the largest number of buyers, and that they leave with the clients as a reference tool. Some, unfortunately, do nothing to educate clients on how to sell in the least amount of time.

Do you have a sure-fire method for helping your clients make their home more saleable? If not, and if your listings are sitting on the market longer than they should, consider having a frank talk with your clients. Remind them that buyers love paying for empty space and like to think this property will be THE ONE as they walk up to the front door. Your clients need to clear counters, open curtains and drapes, replace burned-out light bulbs, clean and straighten all closets, get rid of pet smells, make sure pets are removed from the property during showings, clean dirty carpets, and make sure the house smells great. I once walked through a house that looked like it had been burglarized – there was ‘stuff’ everywhere, tossed on any available surface – but the crowning blow for me was when I narrowly missed stepping on a dead mouse in the garage. I couldn’t get out of that house fast enough! If that was what the homeowners didn’t mind potential buyers seeing, I wondered what it was I wasn’t seeing. It was not a very appealing thought.

Not everyone has the know-how to communicate this important selling advice to their clients. Those properties sit and sit on the market, while the clients whine about why their house isn’t selling and what is our agent doing to make a sale happen? If you don’t educate your buyers, who will?

In the current buyers’ market, with recession fears still hovering about, the most appealing homes sell the fastest. If your buyers can’t figure out how to make their homes look more like model homes, and you’re having trouble communicating this important information to them, consider introducing them to a home staging specialist. Use any edge you can find to make the property one that has potential buyers exclaiming, “I can see myself cooking in this kitchen!” Or, “This would be the perfect family room for us!” You, and your buyers will be very happy with those results. The old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is never truer than when buyers are house hunting. When your clients’ property is turnkey ready and sells quickly, your reputation will grow as the agent who gets results.

Wondering about how to create a handout for clients that tells them how to make their house ready for the market? Work with a virtual assistant (VA), like me! I can create one for you that is informative and attractive. All you'll need to do is keep copies on hand to give to your clients when you secure the listing. Overwhelmed with creating a flyer and the information it needs on it to make people look twice? Let your virtual assistant write the copy and design the flyer. Not sure just what other use you can make of a virtual assistant? Is the term still foreign to you? Visit www.PearceVirtualSolutions.com and educate yourself. Or, call me at (563) 321-8675 and we'll discuss how working with your own VA can take mundane, but necessary, tasks off your hands while you network and acquire more listings -- and more sales.

Whole House Inspections - Are They Necessary?

You’ve been searching a long time for the home of your dreams, and now, there it is right in front of you. Your furniture and personal items have already been moved into the space -- in your mind’s eye -- and you can’t wait to sign on the dotted line and make the place yours.

However, before you are swept up feeling that you have found the house that was meant to be yours and yours alone, remember this old British saying: “You can’t tell a book by its cover.” The house may be beautiful, look wonderfully inviting, and exude charm. But all of that charm may be covering an outdated electrical box, or one with major faults, or a water heater that’s about to give its last gasp, or other problems that may not be as major, but that will still tarnish some of the shine you see when you gaze at your potential new home.

What’s the next step, then? Be sure to have a whole house inspection, and write it into the purchase contract as a stipulation for closing the deal. The benefits are numerous and far outweigh the cost that is usually between $250 and $500. The biggest benefit to you, as the buyer, is that you’ll feel you really know what you bought, and you won’t have any nasty, or expensive, surprises. You wouldn’t buy an outfit without first trying it on to make sure it fits. Nor would you buy an expensive car without driving it first to make sure it’s comfortable and that it has all of the features you require in a vehicle. So why, then, would you buy a house – the biggest investment many people will ever make in their lives – without having an inspection?

A whole house inspection gives you:

Information
Leverage
Peace of mind

INFORMATION
A qualified inspector can be found at www.ashi.org. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) was founded in 1976. According to ASHI’s website, “This is North America’s oldest and most respected professional society of home inspectors. ASHI’s goals have always been to build customer awareness of the importance of a quality home inspection and enhance the professionalism of home inspectors.”

Out of curiosity, I listed my zip code for a list of home inspectors that are ASHI members, and in a radius of 100 miles of my home, 24 names popped up. Your agent can also provide a list of inspectors, but make sure you get several names so that you can make your own decision on who to hire. If you choose a name from the ASHI website, you’ll have a certified inspector.

The information gleaned from a whole house inspection can be invaluable. You’ll learn so much about the house, and you’ll have a much better idea, once the inspector has finished, of the workings of your new home.

LEVERAGE
If you’ve put a stipulation in the purchase contract for a whole house inspection, you’ll have a way to void the contract if something is found that is a huge flaw. For instance, if your inspector finds a major defect and you no longer want to purchase the property, you’ll be able to terminate the contract and get your earnest money back. If there are problems that you feel you can live with once they’re corrected, you’ll have the ability to go back to the seller and request that those problems be solved at the seller’s expense.

PEACE OF MIND
Having a whole house inspection gives you the chance to do more than just ‘kick the tires’ of your new home. It makes you aware of the status of the big stuff (electrical system, furnace, water heater, plumbing), and provides peace of mind knowing there aren’t any potential problems that will arise and catch you unawares after you’ve purchased the property.

No house is perfect. Even brand-new homes have their flaws, but most flaws are correctible. An inspection provides you with a list of those flaws, thereby arming you with the knowledge to make an informed decision about one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. Having a whole house inspection is something that every buyer should have. With a whole house inspection, you’ll be able to buy yourself peace of mind, and you can't put a price on that!

Pearce Virtual Solutions Blogs

“I Resolve to . . .”

Here we are, facing a brand-new year full of brand-new (or maybe not so brand-new) resolutions, determined, as always, to turn those resolutions into actions. Some of us will succeed while others will think, after a few months, “well, next year. . .”

For those of us who are determined to make things different in 2008, what are some of those resolutions we’re so determined to keep? Make more money? Be more successful? Lose weight? Join a gym? Change our eating habits? Help others?

Wait. . .what was that last one? Help others? What. . .?

Yes, folks, help others. Surely that isn’t a foreign concept for many. Yet, in this rat-race world, many of us complain that while we’d like to help others, there just isn’t time. That thought is just wrong, wrong, wrong. Did you know that, in addition to helping others by physically volunteering at a pre-determined time and place, that you can virtually help others by logging onto your computer? You can become a virtual volunteer by checking out ServiceLeader.org. As a virtual assistant, I took to volunteering virtually like the proverbial duck to water.

Many of us volunteer because we have pet projects that we want to see succeed. We believe we’re put on this earth to help make a difference. Those are terrific reasons to get out and get things done. This world and its inhabitants need all the help that can be given. Yet, with so many people working at full-time jobs, and at such a hectic daily pace, volunteering is sometimes the last thing people think of doing when they have a free moment or a few hours of time to fill.

But, volunteering should be high on everyone’s list of things to do. Why? It seems that volunteering is linked to better health. In an excerpt from an article by the Corporation for National and Community Service, “volunteering can improve longevity, lower depression rates and reduce the rate of heart disease.” WOW! Did you ever think that doing something for nothing could have such desirable benefits? For those of us who volunteer on a regular basis, whether on-site or virtually, this is a valuable perk. And for those of you who have been thinking of volunteering, but just haven’t done anything about it yet, this is the impetus you need to get up and get started. Just think – you’ll make a difference for someone or something, AND you’ll be healthier, both in mind and body, for taking the time to make a difference.

There’s no shortage of places to volunteer, or groups to help. What’s your interest? Start there and then Google to see the volunteer possibilities available. For instance, if you go to Google and type ‘volunteer for the homeless,” Google will find 556,000 possibilities!

The old excuse of, “I’m too busy – I just don’t have time to volunteer” won’t wash in this day and age. The time is always there – you may just have to learn to budget it better.

So, while the year is still young and fresh, resolve to make a difference in some way today. You’ll get so much benefit from volunteering, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to start. You’ll feel good because you’re making a difference, and you’ll be healthier, too. It’s a win-win situation for EVERYONE!

Pearce Virtual Solutions * P.O. Box 1436, Muscatine, IA 52761 * (563) 321-8675