I made a movie!!

My Epic Fail.

Being a REALTOR® requires the ability to keep a lot of balls in the air, like juggling (or in this particular case, like a clown!). Working as a manager at a restaurant and managing Olympic level equestrian facilities has instilled this skill in me from way back, occasionally my juggling act turns into a circus disaster and I miss something. Sometimes it's small, sometimes it's bigger - but no matter what, these errors keep me up at night long afterwards. Here is the story of one of my most epic fails.

Recently a buyer client from out of province flew in to see some properties that we had carefully selected after FaceTime virtual viewings and many emails exchanged. He was in town for only a few days so we were packing in the viewings with what little daylight we have in Nova Scotia this time of year. Over the course of the relationship we had discussed many possiblities, some of them in very close proximity to each other... Long story short we had stopped for lunch and were discussing the NEXT property to be seen.
Buyer client - "This one looks like it's got tons of space in the basement"
Me - "oh, there's no basement, it's on a slab"
Buyer - "no really, the basement is fully finished and will be great for my media room!"
Me - *eyes widening* "no, I've been in this house, no basement!" *by now the panic is setting in, my cheeks are getting hot, I feel wobbly knees and clammy palms*
We compare printed information sheets and I had booked a showing on THE WRONG PROPERTY! Good Grief! 

Full blown panic mode now, I want to crawl under a rock and die!  I am trying to search the property on my phone, but my fingers won't work! It won't come up! I am floundering!  Attempting to quell the imminent freak out that is hurtling toward me at warp speed, we decide to go directly to the property to figure out the next step. Driving along, pretending everything is great, la-la-la, meanwhile my brain is going faster than my vehicle down Highway 101... How could this happen?!? EGAD!!!

As luck would have it we were able to get in at the last minute, thankfully my client got a laugh out of the situation but I was on the verge of falling over or losing my sandwich from the ordeal! I tell ya, I am going to be quadruple checking addresses from now on, until the last property showing I ever book as I celebrate my retirement many years down the road from now. I don't think I am strong enough to handle that kind of anxiety again, at least not in front of a client! 

Have you ever completely dropped the ball and had to maintain composure in front of someone...? Leave a comment below and share your story!

Low Ball Pitfall

Everyone wants a deal. As a consumer, you want to know that you have gotten the best possible price for the best possible product within your budget. It's easy to think that the lower you offer in the beginning, the lower the final price will be after it's all said and done. In real estate this is not necessarily the case.

Before going into any negotiation, the consumer must fully understand things like market value, current trends, historical data, neighbourhood statistics... Thinking that a low-ball offer is going to fly without this information is like boarding a rubber dingy in a storm without a life jacket or paddles. Education and experience is key.

When determining what to offer initially, you have to take into account many factors. The most common thing I hear is that "I only want to spend XX amount". While it's good to keep within your budget, a homes value is not dependent on that. Also, looking at properties outside your budget, hoping for a deal is setting yourself up for frustration.

Initial offers that are too low start the negotiation process off on the wrong foot and may insult the sellers. When you insult the sellers, they in turn don't want to negotiate with you. Therefore rather than being reasonable in their counter offer, they send back a number reflecting their bruised emotions. Remember that most sellers have sentimental feelings about their property and will react emotionally to what they feel is an insult.

On the other hand, if you come in a bit higher right off the bat, the sellers are excited for a reasonable outcome and are far more willing to 'play nice' with you, in turn countering more reasonably and the buyer gets a better price. In order to determine where that fine line between insult and excitement, the buyer needs to be educated and prepared. That's where I come in!

Although this is a pared down recap of the process, I have found it to be very reliable in most situations. Depending on the specific property, many other factors can come into play that need to be considered before drafting an offer. Call me anytime to discuss the specifics of what you want as a buyer and we can tailor a plan of action just for you! 902-680-2736

A Blog about Blogging.

To blog or not to blog... I have been having a lot of conversations lately about my blog. Why I do it, what it's about, how I started, that kind of stuff. I have come to really enjoy the process and I thought maybe a blog about blogging would be good.

(ok, now I have used the "B" word too many times and it sounds funny... blog blog blog)

I will start by saying that my first post took several days to write (in case you don't know, blogging is supposed to be quick lol). I have got it down to less than half an hour now, which is way more reasonable! Blogs are meant to be spontaneous and the topics should include current observations and thoughts. Social media is a great way that I find blog topic inspiration!

Personally I didn't think that a blog that focused solely on real estate topics would be very well subscribed. My goal is to make it more personal, it's a way for my audience to get to know me a little better. I believe it's a bridge for people to know more about me and my personality before reaching out for a meeting or starting a conversation about what I do.

Blogging is also a great way to create a better web presence and generate traffic to your website - there is a great big world out there on the internet and making a name for yourself is key in order to set yourself apart from the sea of other service providers in your industry.

Personally I like to throw in a sarcastic, dry or edgy topic or theme once in a while. This may seem counter productive in that it creates a bit more controversy with the reader. I believe as long as I am not off colour or offensive, then stirring up a reaction with people makes me more memorable, creates more reactions and in turn generates more interest. It's easy to get lost in the mix, but that's never been my style, I like to stand out!

Let me know if you have a blog yourself, or if you want to chat more about the process! I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Well behaved women rarely make history

"We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silent"
~Malala Yousafzai

 Interesting idea that makes me think back on the women I know that have made a difference, whether it be in their own pursuits or the lives of others. I have know many inspirational women over the years and it is true that the outspoken ones have had the most impact.

My mother was never the type to back down from any sort of challenge, she was and is a driving force in everything she does. While we 3 siblings were growing up, in addition to working full time as a nurse, she usually took over the sports organizations that we were part of in order to make them run more smoothly & efficiently (and more to her liking). She was the type that would never back down, especially if she was in mama bear mode and was protecting her children.

As a professional athlete in one of the only Olympic sports where men & women compete equally, women were gritty and tough as nails. Combine that with the fact that the sport was considered an Extreme Sport and very dangerous, and you get women competing with broken collar bones, broken ribs and other extremely painful ailments. If that's not tough, I don't think I understand the question.

As a girl that was raised by a tough woman, and spent most of my life in what people refer to as the "Heartbreak Sport", real estate was an easy transition and I am very excited to be doing what I love. I am often the one thinking outside the box and trying things that others won't consider. I think this winter I will continue down that path and try some new avenues & projects... Stay tuned! You never know what I will come up with next! 

Are you inspired by a strong woman?

"The Yankees Are Comin!"

The world is watching the USA today, and no country more than Canada. This election has gripped us like no other in history, as Canadians 'sleeping with an elephant' we are riveted to this unfolding of history because this election will most certainly impact us in many ways.
 
I have been getting serious inquiries from Americans over the past few months looking at what it takes to move to Canada. They are asking about immigration lawyers, asking about real estate values and even flying their entire families up to look at properties here in Nova Scotia. Our land is going to become very appealing to Americans should Trump be elected, and it could be a very good thing, perhaps.

We all know about the Cape Breton radio personality that caused a huge influx of inquiries when he promoted the island to Americans seeking refuge. We can brush it off as American curiosity... buuuut wait, let's take that one step further... since when have Americans been even remotely interested in what goes on north of their border? Heck, I have been in the US and people think Nova Scotia is "up there by Scandinavia" or "Overseas"!

I was in New Orleans, Louisiana this Feb and struck up a conversation with some other tourists over lunch. When they heard I was Canadian they whispered hastily "Is it true there's an island on the east coast that will welcome us if Trump gets in?"
Well friends yes, and I am actually a REALTOR®! 
We had a great laugh, but I could see panic in their eyes just behind the smiles. They took several of my cards home with them.

I believe it would be a tremendous boost to our economy to have an influx of new people here! Yearly projections show a population decline in the Maritimes year over year that is forecast to continue in the future. We sure could use some fresh faces here.

Before you go rattling on about Americans coming and taking over/invading, blah blah blah, remember that these are not the 'Muricans that would vote for Trump! Actually they are so against what he represents that they would flee their own country to avoid him & his hideous ideals. Perhaps we could benefit by remembering our Maritime hospitality and welcome these people to our stunningly beautiful and underpopulated land. I will tell you from my personal experience in the recent past, you may have some new neighbors of the American variety very soon! 

Call the Welcome Wagon, the Yankees are Comin'!

The Double-Double

 
The mysterious "Double End" is rarely fully understood outside the real estate world. Let's start by defining an 'end' - In every transaction there are two ends - one for the seller that lists/sells their property, and one for the buyer that actually purchases. A Double End is when the listing agent brings in the buyer that eventually completes the purchase, rather than a different REALTOR® representing each side. I want to make something completely clear here - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DUAL REPRESENTATION. A REALTOR® can't work for both the seller and the buyer, this is a conflict of interest and isn't ethically possible.

Without getting into the heavy legal ins & outs of the Real Estate Trading Act/Code of Ethics I want to clear up some common misconceptions about the process.

As an industry we are heavily regulated and audited to make sure that every single transaction we are part of is transparent, compliant and conforms to provincial guidelines.

Let's use an example for clarification - if you went to Best Buy to purchase a cell phone - the salesperson there is not working for you as a consumer, he/she will certainly assist you in finding the best product for your needs, but they are not going to negotiate on your behalf to get the most favorable terms on that product. It's a little bit the same with a REALTOR® showing you a property they are selling - he/she will provide you with all the necessary paperwork and walk you through the process of buying, but isn't going to go to bat for you in the negotiations.

If you are comfortable buying a property through the listing agent, that's totally up to you, but you should be fully aware of what that means. Many people feel fine representing themselves and many times I have brought in a buyer that purchases a property I have listed. It's all about communication, disclosure and making sure all parties know exactly what's happening. This can be a very confusing part of the buying/selling process and believe me, as a REALTOR® we are constantly taking courses on how to better serve the public on this sort of thing!

If you have questions about representation, sales, or any other real estate queries, contact me anytime! We can go get a double-double and double down to discuss double ending!

902-680-2736