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McCourt Real Estate Blog

Thank Goodness for Freedom!

May 22nd, 2009 5:02 PM

Hater - By Maya Angelou

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all
their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least.
Nothing is ever good enough!

That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your
blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle
seeing you blessed...

It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be
like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them!
Right?

You never know what people have gone through to get what they
have...

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they
don't know my story...

*May you tell your story and the story of our great country. Tell the tale of the many men and women who sacrificed so that we could dream big, do more and make a difference.* Dreaming big over here at McCourt Real Estate. Hope you'll connect with us!

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Your positive thought real estate agency -
we're you're #1!

Posted by Caren McCourt on May 22nd, 2009 5:02 PMPost a Comment (0)

Preparing your Home for a Vacation

May 16th, 2009 9:28 PM

You have probably spent a great deal of time planning your vacation. You have researched hotels, you found the best price on airfare, you arranged a rental car and you might have even planned out an itinerary. There is one important detail that you have probably forgotten. Have you planned for the security of your home while you are gone. Empty houses are a magnet for thieves. If you would like to make sure that everything is still in your home when you get back, there are some steps that should be taken.

Make Your Home Look Lived In

The most important thing that you can do to keep your home safe is to make it look like you never left. Don't leave obvious signs that you are on vacation. Have a friend or a neighbor come by and pick up newspapers, mail and door flyers. Also leave some lights on inside your home. Nothing says this house is empty than a house with no lights on. You can buy timers relatively cheaply these days. Buy a couple of timers and program lights , TVs' and radios to come on at usual times. Avoid leaving answering machine messages saying that you are on vacation. Also check your voice mail occasionally to keep your mail box from filling up. It wouldn't be hard for a burglar to do a reverse search on your address and get your phone number. Lastly, if you plan on being gone for a long period arrange for someone to cut your lawn.

Make Your Home Physically Secure

Make a thorough security sweep of your home. Check all windows, door locks and deadbolts. Do not assume that a criminal could not enter that third story window. If you keep spare keys outside of your home, do not leave them in obvious locations. Keys located under flower pots, under door mats or even in cheap artificial rocks are not secure. Also be sure that you call your alarm company if you have one. Tell them you will be on vacation and give them a contact number for a friend or neighbor.

Prepare To Be Robbed

No matter how many precautions you take, you could still be robbed. Prepare for the worst by making an inventory of all of your valuables. It will be a big help when you need to settle up with your insurance company. If you have a camcorder or can borrow one, take a video inventory. Store the tape in a safe place such as a safe deposit box. If you have large valuables, etch your drivers license number into them. It will make them much easier to identify if they wind up at a local pawn shop.

Nobody expects to be a victim of crime, but it does happen. By taking a little time to protect your home you can greatly reduce your chances of being a victim or make it easier to recover from a burglary.

For more security information, visit the Locksmith Directory

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_C

Posted by Caren McCourt on May 16th, 2009 9:28 PMPost a Comment (0)

7 Tips to Real Estate Agents' Success

May 9th, 2009 5:41 AM

With over 2 million real estate agents according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), becoming a successful real estate agent takes more than just a license and a knowledge of current laws and regulations.The first year drop out range estimated to be from 40% to 80% demonstrates that many real estate agents are not as successful as they could be and research suggests that 90% give up after 3 years. The following 7 tips may help you avoid becoming one of these statistics.

First and Foremost YOU are a business. Real estate agents work for a broker, but are independent, commissioned sales people. This means that you are a small business and must run your practice as a business. Again, remember you are a small business owner.
Embrace a Planning Attitude. If you don't have a plan, then you are on some else's plan - usually the successful real estate agent's. During the last 10 years, what I have learned as a performance improvement consultant or coach is that most people place more value in planning a trip to the grocery store or a vacation than planning their lives either professionally or personally.
Research Your Market Plan. Since you, as the real estate agent, are responsible for your own expenses, do your research specific to your marketing plan within your strategic plan. Time spent in constructing your marketing plan is definitely well spent. NOTE: Remember a business plan usually is data driven, while a strategic plan identifies who does what by when.
Establish Sales Goals. Using your strategic action plan, establish sales goals. If you are new to this industry, it may take 6 months before the first sale. HINT: Use the W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. criteria for goal setting.
Create a Financial Budget. Budgeting is critical given the up and down of this volatile market place. Your financial budget should plan for your marketing costs, any additional costs such as education and your forecasted income.
Make Managing Yourself a Priority. Building a business is not easy. You must learn how to manage yourself especially in the area of time management, ongoing real estate business training coaching continuing education units, and personal life balance. Real estate is said to be a 24/7 business much like any small business. However, it is important not to lose sight of your personal life including family, friends, physical health, etc.
Find a Mentor or a Real Estate Coach. Going it alone is not easy. Take the time to find a mentor who can help you steer through some of the known obstacles and help you during the "peaks and valleys." If you have the resources, you may wish to hire a real estate coach or an executive coach who specializes in small business help and sales.

Being an incredible sales person and entering the real estate market does not guarantee similar sales success. However, these 7 tips may help you avoid many of the pitfalls by not being one of the four real estate agents who quit within one year or one of the nine who give up after 3 years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leanne_Hoagland-Smith

Posted by Caren McCourt on May 9th, 2009 5:41 AMPost a Comment (0)

Ask A Realtor - What's Really Going on in Texas Real Estate

May 2nd, 2009 7:39 AM

I'm a member of our local Permian Basin Board of Realtors. To cal myself a "professional realtor" means that I'm not only licensed but I possess special certifications to be a Realtor in Texas.

Recently, the Texas Association launched a campaign called - Ask A Realtor. Here are some facts about Texas Real Estate that I hope you'll find helpful:

What's Really Going On In Texas Real Estate?

Texas is a place like no other, and that includes our real estate market. Texas has steady home value appreciation. Sales prices in places like California, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona have had rapid rises and drops in values, while Texas prices have remained relatively steady.

From December 2007 to December 2008, Texas increased jobs by 1.5% while during the same time the national unemployment rate rose 2.3%. Midland, Texas unemployment is still the lowest in the state!

Texas homes are affordable. People come here because their housing dollar buys a lot more. That’s why Texas is the most “moved-to” state in the country for the fourth consecutive year.

“In Texas, we’ve been fortunate to avoid many of the negative effects of the recession so far, but it’s clear we’ve not dodged them all,” said Brooke Hunt, president of the Texas Association of Realtors. “The question we’re all asking ourselves now is, ‘Will it hit us as hard as other places and when can we expect it to recede?’ ”

By account of the economic pundits, the answers to those questions appear to be, “No,” and “Soon.”

For example, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas issued a report recently that cited the negative impact of the recession in the first quarter of 2009 for Texas. However, it also noted that the state’s long-term prospects remain healthy, primarily due to continued job growth, a fast-growing labor force, and a low cost of living and doing business.

Part of that low cost of living is, historically, Texas families have had more real estate buying power than those in other states. Data from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University shows that, over the last four years, real estate markets in Texas have remained affordable. That’s one reason Builder Magazine cited Texas’ five largest cities as its top five “Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009.”

Job growth is also central to a healthy real estate market. Though Texas’ unemployment rate has increased in recent months, the Texas Workforce Commission shows it has been below the national average for 25 consecutive months and remains so today. In addition, the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University cites the diversification of those jobs across many industries as an attribute of the Texas economy – one it did not enjoy in prior recessions

Hunt described another reason for Texas’ enduring real estate market: “In 1997, some criticized Texas as old-fashioned and out-of-date when we enacted one of the strictest home equity lending laws in the country. In fact, many folks wondered why Texas Realtors insisted on an 80 percent cap,” referring to Texas’ law that consumers can only borrow up to 80 percent of the value of their home through a home equity loan.

“What they didn’t understand is that we want Texans to be homeowners for life,” continued Hunt. “It’s a good thing that we didn’t follow suit with other states that allow homeowners to borrow as much as 125 percent of their home’s value in a home equity loan. Turns out many of those loans contributed to the national mortgage meltdown that we largely dodged in Texas.”

Posted by Caren McCourt on May 2nd, 2009 7:39 AMPost a Comment (0)