Linda's Southeastern CT Real Estate Blog

Sometimes having a blog can be a temptation to find things to complain about.  You know what I mean....you get bad service at your local restaurant, from tech support or at the post office and now you have a platform to air your gripes. After seeing numerous negative posts here about our competition, I'd like to take a moment to thank them: 

"In the real estate business, my competitors are as valuable as my friends.  My friends are too polite to point out my weaknesses, but my competitors are attentive, direct, and are eager to take my place if I don't do my job.  They keep me working hard and on my toes.  They inspire me to find new ways to improve my services.  If I had no competitors, I would be less professional and efficient.  I am better for the discipline they command of me.  I respect and salute them.  They have been good for me."   - Author Unknown 

A very special thanks this holiday season to the following real estate agents in Connecticut:

Ann Carpenter - Heritage Properties - Niantic, CT - Ann is a favorite of the team as she is always a pleasure to co-broke with!

Randy Conradi - Prudential - Mystic, CT - Randy sold 2 of my hardest to sell listings this year and although we had a few bumps along the way, he remained a true professional throughout the transactions.

Jason and Carrie Pope - Heritage Properties - Niantic, CT - Jason and Carrie sold one of my listings.  After the contract was negotiated and signed, I discovered I made an error on the commission listed in the MLS.  I emailed them explaining what happened and they graciously agreed to take less than listed, (even though I told them that I would understand if they didn't).  I won't ever forget their generosity and professionalism. 

Cheers to you Ann, Randy, Jason, Carrie and all my fellow real estate professionals (and competitors) in Eastern Connecticut.  May we all have a prosperous 2007!!

Linda Davis recently performed with Kenny Rogers in the Ledyard, CT Foxwood Casino's Fox Theatre.  So for one evening at least there was more than one Linda Davis in Ledyard, CT.  One of my team members happened to be at the casino that week and captured the photo.  Of course, she sent it around to everyone in the office suggesting that the boss was entertaining at night in her spare time.

I don't know a lot about the other Linda except that she performs with several of the other big country names like Reba McEntire.  I've run across the "other" Linda Davis before.... 

Way back in 1995, I started my very first real estate website in Eastern Connecticut.  I eagerly applied for the obvious domain name (URL), www.LindaDavis.com.      OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, it was taken by you know who.  I was really disappointed.  In fact, I still am.  But she obviously isn't going away anytime soon, so I think the chances of me ever recapturing that name are pretty slim.  For now I hope her name brings her fame and fortune.  Me too!

Talking about about domain names got me thinking about a few real estate agents I know who have a few domain names  - over 200 to be exact.  Seems like a few too many but I'm sure they have their reasons.  I have about 25 domain names which I use for a bunch of different sites.  Some names I have because I don't want anyone else to have them - seems selfish, I know.  I host most of my domain names over at Go Daddy. Angus pointed me in that direction a very long time ago.   Looking back on the early days, I'm sorry I didn't capture some of the obvious good real estate names - but who knew when Al Gore invented the internet it was going to turn out to be a winner!

Congratulations!  YOU have been named Time Magazine Person of the Year!   Really.

Just think...instead of waking up to the announcement that some politician has won, instead it is YOU.  And as Drudge reports tonight...."YOU were named TIME magazine 'Person of the Year' Saturday for the explosive growth and influence of user-generated Internet content such as 'blogs', video-file sharing site YouTube and social network MySpace... You -- YES, YOU -- beat out candidates including Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, China's President Hu Jintao, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi... YOU, YOU, YOU.... "

Congratulations Active Rainers!!!   Let's all take a bow!   We did it!!

Leigh Brown memed me today.  It's all part of the first Active Rain Meme.  I'm supposed to tell you 5 thingies about myself and then meme 3 others.

I've selected Brett Ellis, George Souto and Angus Woodbury as my memers. 

1.  I appeared on the Evening News with Dan Rather and was interviewed about a Gypsy Moth invasion in Connecticut.

2.  I love politics!!!  I  am a local elected official and served as campaign chairman to our current mayor. The photo on this blog is my photo taken with Governor John Rowland of CT who is now in prison. Really.  (Ok, I could have used the one with Laura Bush but that wouldn't have been nearly as funny.)

3.  I have attended 11 Clay Aiken concerts and consider myself a "Claymate".  (No snickering please.)

4.  I am the leader (affectionately knows as Mom) of the Cyberprofessionals - a technology group who meets twice a year, around the country.  (Membership info at the CP site linked here.)

5.  I will be speaking on a panel at the Annual RE/MAX Convention in March about .....you guessed it...BLOGGING FOR FUN AND PROFIT!!!

Bill Gates, in his book called "Business at the Speed of Thought" said "How you gather, manage and use information to serve the needs of your customer will determine whether you win or lose in your business."   I happen to think Bill Gates is a pretty smart guy.  I know he has more money than I do, so I try to pay attention to what he has to say.

Whether you are a single agent or have a team, whether you use Top Producer, Online Agent, Outlook or something else for contact management, you should spend some time each week on your database.  You'll need a system of categorizing your contacts. I have a number of categorize in my database which is shared by my whole team:

Clients:  Clients are anyone who we have done business with and collected $$$$.  I also include my "sphere of influence in this catagory.

Prospects:   Prospects are people we hope to do business with in the future.   This list includes:

     CMA prospects - anyone I have completed a CMA for including those "thinking" about putting their home on the market. 

    Orphans - those people who bought my listings. They will most likely be ignored by their own agent so I adopt them.  When it comes time to sell their home, they will remember me because I will be in touch.

   Movers and Shakers - Political leaders, Organization leadership from groups like the Rotary, or Chamber of Commerce. 

Leads:  This category is used by team members for their active leads including those from the internet.  Each team member has a field of their own so they can sort by categories under their own name.

Family and Friends:   They should be on your mailing list too!

Out of Area:   These are clients who have moved out of the area.  Because I live in a military community, this category is a great source of referral business and I keep in touch several times a year.

I have other categories including attorneys, appraisers, mortgage professionals, home inspectors etc. as well as local agents and out of area agents.  I also have a category called vendors, for people like painters, cleaners etc. 

We include the obvious under each contact:  Address, phone numbers, email addresses.  And maybe the not so obvious like birth dates, children's names, favorite dessert, pets names etc.  How do we get this information?  For all of our clients, we send a VIP form in a self addressed stamped envelope. I'd say we get 95% of these returned.

The notes section under each contact, is where I tell each person's story and comment on recent phone calls or correspondence.  For instance, I like to send my clients articles they may find interesting.  I make a note of it in this section. 

As I develop my business plan and more specifically my marketing plan each year, I decide what I am going to send to each group in my database.  I plan how often I am going to make contact, whether by mail, phone, email or in person. 

The overall benefits of having a well organized database are many, including efficiency, time savings and continuity in communications. 

My database is my future business.  I try to take good care of it.

                                                The very best recipe for a party in the whole world  - Dog Food Dip!!

Ok, I admit I felt silly writing a recipe as a blog but hey, tis the season and all that stuff, (and there is a recipe group!!) so here I am with a recipe that you can make in advance and be the hit of your next party!  I guarantee it!!!!

I made this dip for a large Christmas party last year.  People kept asking me for the recipe so I finally just started making copies on the copy machine during the party.   When I first made it, I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about since it is just a simple mixture of beef and cheese.....but, a day later, it was awesome!!!   And simple. 

It looks like dog food, hence the name.  People stopped using the chips and just used a big serving spoon to mound on their plates.  An amazing phenomenon!  I promise it will be the hit of the party.  And you will be a hero!!

Serve with your favorite corn chips like scoops!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Pounds lean ground beef, 1 onion chopped, 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, 1 pound processed cheese food, cubed (Velveeta), 1 (12 ounce) jar sliced jalapeno peppers, drained.  (I used half a jar)

DIRECTIONS:

Place lean ground beef and onion in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.  Cook until beef is evenly brown and onion is soft.  Drain and turn heat to medium low. Pour in soup.  Mix in cheese and and desired amount of jalapeno peppers.  Cook and stir until all ingredients are well blended, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

Reheat the mixture in a slow cooker, mixing in about 1 Tablespoon of water to thin if necessary, before serving.

Enjoy!!

                                                                                                        And the winner is........ME!!!!

                                                                       Well, not really...but I feel like a winner!  

The bad news is that I had a really tough time picking a winner. I had lots of entries!!!  And a bunch came pouring in at the last minute!!   The good news is, as a result, I had to read them over and over to make a decision.  When I volunteered to judge this catagory, I had no idea what a treat it would be....and what a great geography lesson too!!  It was quite evident how much Active Rainers love their home towns and the areas where they live.   Speaking of love...I learned all about The City of Brotherly Love.  Be sure to visit the whole series. If there was ever a contest for Best Actor in a Blogging Series, Jeff Belonger would take the emmy!   And I learned there is a crazy little woman on Active Rain just crazy about her city!

From there I traveled from Florida to New Hamphshire, then to the mountains and the shoreline. Quite literally from sea to shining sea.   But the winner....ahem, ahem...."Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam, la la la la la la la la......is....

Kristal Kraft.  I loved "Want a home where the buffalo roam" because of the way it combined a region, real estate and some fabulous photos.

              Congratulations Kristal!!!!

Here's a great book that will help you learn about yourself and others.  Great material for an office meeting!  

THE BOOK OF QUESTIONS asks 265 questions which will enable you to explore your fundamental values and beliefs.  Some of them explore "value-tested hypothetical situations."

To understand what this book is all about, lets try QUESTION #72:

If you could have free, unlimited service for five years from an extremely good cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, masseuse, or personal secretary, which would you choose?

or how about Question #41:  Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire; after saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item.  What would it be?

Head on over to Amazon - for $6.95 it is well worth it!