McCourt Real Estate Blog

Defining her Mark in the Real Estate Industry

“What I love about this career is that it enables me to meet new people and build lasting relationships for continued business“, says Kathy Jones, Realtor and Office Manager for McCourt Real Estate Services. Based on her response and without looking at her title, one might think that she might be in the PR industry or show business but what she actually does is to ensure that each aspect of the McCourt Real Estate business is handled smoothly. “I am the liaison between our company’s agents and their clients”, she adds.

Prior to joining McCourt Real Estate Services, she worked as a Central Checkout Operations Manager at HEB for 11 ½ years. Transferring to another industry is a challenge because of the differences in the business but Kathy found that, “the basis of the business is still the same. You still deal with people daily and you always have to give them outstanding service if you want to keep doing business with them for life.” She has also worked as an Office Manager for another real estate firm in the past and she loved it. Her ability to always stay calm, keep a level head and communicate and handle people and situations well brought her to this industry. “It was like coming home. Now that I have gotten my Real Estate License, I feel I am a greater asset to our office, AND I can move to the next level of my Real Estate career.”

There are so many realtors in the country so what makes Kathy stand out? It lies in the added value she provides. “I provide value and benefit to our clients by listening and responding immediately to their needs. The client will always be placed first and treated as if they are our only client.” She is loved for eleven things: her caring nature, integrity, genuineness, excellent communication skills, knowledge, ability to follow through, keen eye for details, the fact that she enjoys making people happy, the ability to defuse situations, her calm attitude, and not giving up until all avenues are exhausted. People will always find it easy to deal with her because she puts utmost importance on the clients’ needs. Aside from taking good care of them, she also has a deep understanding of the consequences when things go wrong. “If you have a client that becomes disgruntled and begins questioning your integrity, it can lead to loss of business.” This is why Kathy feels that it is very important to provide outstanding service. “They need to know and feel that the person helping them fulfill their home-buying dreams will make this a memorable experience.” Now don’t be surprised that people ask for her all the time. Her excellent customer orientation skills definitely leave a positive mark in the real estate industry!

If you want to buy a new house and enjoy the process of doing so, you’ve got to give Stacy Gonzalez a call. Stacy admits that the things that she loves with her profession is “the smile and enjoyment of a new family buying their new home; the gratitude from families growing into their second home and the satisfaction that clients get when they have to sell their home and all they have to do is sign because all the leg work has been done for them.”

Stacy’s interest in realty grew after she and her husband sold their first home. She then worked in one of the top real estate firms in Midland. Now, she works as a Midland Realtor where her primary responsibility (towards the clients) is “satisfying their wants and needs when it comes to buying or selling their home.” She also adds, “I make selling the “Tall City” an enjoyable experience.” Her experience in the Midland real estate firms helped her grow in the industry. One of the best things that brought her to where she is right now based on experience is her superb communication skills. “There are actually several skills I’ve learned in the past that helped me get here, however the one that stands out is communication and the importance of having communication with one person. It is the same as with any career you need to have communication with your client or you’re not doing your job. In the real estate industry, if you are not directly talking with your client and you have an assistant or someone else handling the paperwork with you then there’s a probability of having miscommunications and dissatisfied customers.” This job is definitely not? easy but Stacy can handle it because “there is not anything that frustrates me; I enjoy the opportunity to work with every client one on one.”

So why choose Stacy? What makes her different from other realtors? Two things – no stress buying/selling and the virtual tour. Buying a house can be very stressful and Stacy knows how to deal with it because she knows what’s important for her customers, giving them a piece of mind when buying a new house. Her 360° virtual tour is also another interesting factor that makes Stacy stand out. “The 360° virtual tour is the only tour that captures the entire room, all 4 walls to give viewers a look at the entire room. Also you click on arrows to move and enter into another room instead of clicking on the next picture. The difference between a 360° virtual tour and other virtual tours is the other virtual tours use a panoramic shot and only capture half maybe even ¾ of the room. With my tour the sellers are charged the same amount and get a higher quality virtual tour to help sell their house.” Imagine, you no longer need to travel to see a home and all you have to do is visit her website, StacyGonzalez.com to check how this works. “This definitely makes selling the “Tall City” a different experience,” says Stacy.

Her customers choose her for her attention to detail, support, providing them the newest way of selling or buying a home, being the only one in the area giving a virtual 360° tour of the home, , being family-oriented, her passion to help people, her enjoyment in meeting new people, her knowledge, communication, dedication to the client, and most importantly, for her honesty. “Honesty is the main priority that every person wants and that’s what I give. If negotiations do not benefit the client then they will be the first to know and get my help in every step of the way. When you work with me, you get my undivided attention to every detail so everyone is involved and is happy with the outcome.” Stacy is also realistic because she understands the consequences of being unable to deliver, when things go wrong. “When things go wrong the worst happens. The client doesn’t get their new home or have the satisfaction of selling their home. Time gets wasted for everyone involved forcing all parties to start over and lose time and money in the long run.” Her skills and knowledge will surely help someone find that special property in the Tall City.

We have a happy, sweet spirited office!

Wanted:  Happy People!

I wish I could shout it from the roof-tops.  In a time when the weather is overcast, 'doom and gloom' of pending recession is on everyone's lips, when layoffs are on the mind, and even some creepy people are getting ahead - it's tough to just walk around and say "think positive thoughts".

I hope this uplifting article will brighten your day.  And, hope that you'll consider working WITH or FOR a real estate agency where happy thoughts run free! >>

It's true - I'm seeking happy, positive people who are seeking a happy, positive environment.

If you're tired of the 'doom and gloom' and if you feel like whatever you focus on you create (so therefore, you will not focus on lack or recession - who wants to create that?).  Then, give me a call. email me, buzz me or tweet me!

"Everything changed the moment I began thinking big."

Advice shared from a person whose net worth grew from $250,000 to $6 million who knew that the more people you serve, the bigger your income. In a tough market, it's easy to get pulled into the cycle of constantly negative news.   We hear it too.   And, our real estate agency CHOOSES NOT to participate!   We all voted "YES" to be positive people and we are looking for other positive thinkers! Right now we are hiring agents.  If you are interested in learning how you can cash in on our "agent friendly" concept, you need to pick up your telephone and give me a call.  Confidential.

Today mark's the inauguration of our 44th President.  As an Air Force brat and and active supporter of country, it is a time to remember the truths that we hold evident - as a country, as a citizen and as an individual.

Many consider "home ownership" in their list of the pieces that fulfill their pursuit of happiness.

Here are some helpful tips if you are looking at securing your first home...

Before You Look at Your First House

Experienced home buyers know that one of the first-steps in beginning a successful search for a new house is taking a hard, objective look at finances. Determining how much money you can dedicate to the purchase of your new house affects almost every aspect of buying a new home - including how we write the offer, which mortgage programs you will qualify for, shopping for the best mortgage loan and which homes are truly in your price range.

Here are the questions that each home buyer should ask: How much cash is available for a down payment? The amount you have available for a down payment will affect what types of loans for which you can qualify. Learn more. Am I ready to write a check for the earnest money? Earnest money is a cash deposit made to a home seller to secure an offer to buy the property. This amount is often forfeited if the buyer decides to withdraw his offer. How much additional cash will be available to pay for closing costs? There are certain standard costs associated with closing the sale of a house. These fees are split between the buyer and the seller, as spelled out in the sales contract. Learn more. What is the maximum monthly mortgage payment that I can afford? Most lenders will use the 28/36 rule to determine the maximum mortgage payment you can afford.

The 28/36 Rule
No more than 28% of your gross income can be applied to your mortgage, real estate taxes and insurance. And no more than 36% of your gross income can be applied to your mortgage expenses plus your regular debt expenses (car payments, credit cards, other loans, etc.).

The tree has been placed in recycling.  We've shopped all the great New Year's sales to get those tubs that we needed to store our decor away nice and neat!  Christmas cards are down along with the holly and the ivy.

Now, that all the Christmas decor is away we can see the walls again and we're not sure we like what we see.  Whether you're looking to buy, looking to sell, looking to invest or just want a fresh new look for 2009....you may have considered painting your home.  Here's a few tips to consider.  You might not be selling your home this year but planning for it in the near future is never too early!  Do you have a child graduating this year?  Giving birth?  Some kiddos going from elementary to high school?  Whatever the life changing event, those are often the events that spur us to either upsize or downsize our home.  Looking forward the next few years...buying or selling a home may not be as far away as you think!

Should you paint?
There are many factors involved in marketing and selling your home. You can't control most of them. The curb appeal of your home plays a big role in the sales process, and it's one of the things you can have direct control over.  You'll never get another chance to make a first impression of how your home looks from the street. If your home exterior needs new paint, potential buyers might not even get out of their car to come in and look.  Putting fresh paint on your home, both on the outside and the inside, is usually the one thing you can do that pays off the fastest.  You'll get more buyers looking, and they'll like what they see more, translating into a better chance for a quick offer at a higher price.   

Try to stick with light, neutral colors. These seem to resonate best with buyers.  A fresh coat of light beige on interior walls will freshen up your home and make it more marketable.   

Simply put, new paint is usually the most profitable improvement you can make when getting your home ready for sale.  So unless your paint is already in like new condition, you probably should paint.    

We're full into our start for January, "the month of resolutions"!

What have YOU resolve to do this month?

Many homeowners, use this as a time to get their homes and lives organized.  I know I saw many people taking down Christmas lights this past week and that was a good thing given that our weather quickly became colder for this week and it looks like Thursday may our only warm moment for the week.

You might be looking at some of your neighbors wondering why their lights are still up and shining.  For some, their religious beliefs warrant that the Christmas celebration still continues until the "Feast of the Three Kings" which is today, Tuesday, January 6th, 2009.  Some celebrated this feast, or the Epiphany, this past Sunday while some are full on honoring the traditional day which is 12 days after Christmas.

In Philippine tradition, children on the eve of the Feast of the Three Kings hang socks by the windows and on bannisters of staircases, for gifts.  For many cultures and Catholic communities around the world, the Christmas season is not complete until Epiphany or Twelfth Night, when tradition says the three kings, or wise men, came with gifts for the newborn Jesus.

In fact, Jan. 6 used to be the day when gifts were exchanged and children opened presents ---- before Santa Claus took over the holiday. Even today, in Spain, children put out shoes stuffed with hay for the Three Kings' horses, so the wise men will leave gifts in exchange for the hay. And in Mexico, children still write letters to the wise men, sending the notes up in a party balloon on the evening before Epiphany, when gifts are found on their beds the next morning.

For food lovers, though, the most important part of the Jan. 6 celebration may be the cake, called a king cake in New Orleans, a rosca de reyes in Spanish and a galette des rois in French. In any language, all these cakes have a small charm, coin or figurine tucked in the dough, though the style of the cakes differs. (Excerpt from article by Ruth Marvin Webster).

So, happy feast of three kings day to everyone observing and honoring the celebration today!  I happen to believe that anything that can keep the Christmas spirit with us a little longer and make it a little more meaningful, to all, is a good thing!