Dawsonville, GA

Last year I attended a seminar where we were asked to quickly write down all the uses we could think of for a paper clip. They offered $20 to the person who could think of the most uses. The winner had a list of 12 things he thought of. Then, they asked us to group together in teams of 4, and together make a list of uses for a paper clip. The winners each received $20. The winners had a list of 44 things! Of course the idea was to teach us the benefits of brainstorming. This lesson I took to heart and have used it in my business ever since.

Some time ago, a few agents in my office decided to set aside Tuesday mornings for a brainstorming session. I'm amazed at the ideas that made it to paper! I encourage you if you have never tried this to set one up and experience the results for yourself.

Speaking of brainstorming...I feel like that's what Active Rain does for me on a daily basis. To me, it's the encyclopedia of real estate compiled by the best minds in the industry. I am so grateful to be a part of it!

I am also excited to have the next couple of weeks to work on my 2009 plans. This year, I'm not traveling or attending any family events. My family spent Thanksgiving together, and we went our separate ways for Christmas. So, while the rest of you are cooking turkeys, opening presents, and waiting in airport terminals I will be sitting here at my desk planning and arranging my 2009 schedule.

There are several new items I plan to implement to increase my business. Going back to the basics and farming and doing newsletters is one. Creating time blocks for prospecting is another. What I would like to know is:

How was your 2008? Were there specific things that you added in 2008 that you had not done before that increased your business? (If 2008 is not a good year to compare to, then use another year.)

I believe that no matter where you live in the good ole' USA, the Internet is the predominant force in marketing and produces the most results. If you agree with this, then:

What internet site do you feel generated the most response for you in 2008?What do you plan to do different in 2009 in regards to your Internet presence?

What new ideas do you plan to use to not only make it through 2009, but to excel in spite of the 'recession' ?

and finally...

What did you try consistently in 2008 that did NOT produce the desired results, and that you will be deleting from your plan for 2009?

Are you reading this and thinking that you have put off writing your own business plan, and the end of the year is upon us? There's still time! Just remember "People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan! " Take some time for yourself and let's do it together!

First of all, a BIG shout-out of Thanks to Kimberly Wilson for her constant encouragement. She really is the one that got me blogging. One of my first attempts in this arena dealt with something very near and dear to my heart. Family pets, or the current rash of "Displaced Family Pets". Well here we go again, old softie has some more pet friendly information to share with you. The Dawson County Humane Society held another one of their fund raisers this past Sunday, Pet photos with Santa Clause. My wife Lynda was the photographer for this event, she normally takes pictures of small children at Day Care Facilities and Pre-Schools. But Sunday was different, Lynda & I do not have children, so on Sunday our little family of rescued dogs were to have their "special moment" with with Santa.

I know that our Nation and Industry are on hard times, and I know how difficult it is for our local Humane Society to raise the funding to financially support all of the great work and dedication that it takes to successfully run an animal rescue shelter. But when you see the great photos of all of the family pets with Santa, it is absolutely heart warming. I have included pictures of our three (Ruby, Petey and Sweet Pea) with Santa as well as my parents, Richard and Cathy's little chihuahua Buster. We could all use a little help to put smiles on our faces this holiday season, I hope our little family of furry creatures has done just that!

If you have any extra Christmas money that you could contribute to the Dawson County Humane Society, it will be very much appreciated http://www.dawsoncountyhumanesociety.org/ .........................." Merry Christmas"

What an interesting weekend! So much happened to get my mind on 'speed dial' I debated on my topic this morning.

On Saturday, the sentencing for Brian Nichols was completed. Brian Nichols was convicted of the Fulton County courthouse shooting THREE YEARS ago. I'm not even going to get into the aspects of the trial or the who's or why's of the entire ordeal or why he should or should not have gotten the death penalty. My attention to the outcome and the reason I became glued to the TV to watch as the sentences were read was to see Brian Nichols reaction to it all. I watched his facial movements, expressions, hand gestures, and where he was staring with his cold, dark eyes.

Of course I wondered what he was thinking. Was he sorry? Was he remorseful? It was hard to tell. So I let my mind wonder back many years ago and saw a little boy named Brian Nichols. He was about 5-6 years old. He loved his mom, riding his bike, and school. He was as excited about life and growing up as any 5-6 year old boy could be. Even as a teenager, he could never in his wildest imagination dream that one day he would be sitting in a court room with hundreds of people and thousands more watching him on television to see if he would live or die by the hand of the law. Sitting there, he must have felt like the most hated person in the world. He sat straight and upright. I wondered if he was wishing he could crawl under the table and hide like the little boy he once was. As I sat there watching, I began to feel empathy for Brian Nichols and wondered "where did it all go wrong?" He made a mistake, then another, and another. Does he wish he could go back in time and change things? My thoughts turned to my own life, and I realized how many hundreds of mistakes I have made. No, I never killed anyone or committed heinous crimes. But I have made many mistakes that could have resulted in much different outcomes in my life. I began to be thankful that if given the chance to have a "do over", I believe I would end up pretty much where I am right now in my life. Maybe a little more successful and healthy, but no real dramatic changes.

Then they led him away from the courtroom in cuffs and chains. And I'm not saying he didn't deserve to lose his, but there was just something about watching someone else lose their freedom that made me SO PROUD that I still have mine! I spent the rest of the weekend feeling grateful for my opportunity to live, work, and be free in spite of my mistakes!

By the time I watched the 60 minutes piece and heard the doom and gloom reports for 2009 & 2010, I was mentally in a state of success 'in spite of', and it has not phased me at all. I plan to make 2009 the best year of my career, and I know that I will succeed..as will you!

Join me to Rise and Shine in 2009! And, in the wise words of General Douglas MacAthur..."There is no security on this earth: there is only opportunity."

Lets start with how the REAL Estate commission actually breaks down.
Real estate agent commissions or realtor commissions are fees paid to the
listing (representing the house for sale) and selling (representing the
buyer of the house) agent at the close of a real estate sales transaction.
These fees can vary from one real estate deal to the next, or real estate
agency, or market region. Realtor commissions are usually determined by the
real estate office, agency, or market region.
Commissions are shared between the listing and selling (buyer) agents.
Furthermore, the "house" or real estate agency for each agent gets a cut. An
average commission breakdown as follows:

House sales price: $200,000
Commission percentage: 6%
Total commission: $12,000 (6% of $200,000)
Listing agent percentage: 3% (of $200,000) = $6,000
Selling agent percentage: 3% (of $200,000) = $6,000

But each of the agents will not actually pocket $6,000. The real estate
agency still needs to receive its percentage of the commission.
Real estate agents and brokers need the agency for different reasons.

The real estate agent needs the agency since it is illegal for a real estate
agent to represent buyers or sellers in a real estate transaction without
first signing with a broker's agency.
The real estate broker needs the agency since it is expensive and difficult
to perform as a solitary broker without the overhead, i.e., advertising,
marketing, phone, desk, and so on, that the experienced agency provides.

The real estate agency provides many necessary services for both agent and
broker. Of course the broker can start his or her own agency beginning at
$10,000-$20,000. As a small business owner, the broker agency can look
forward to start-up costs that include physical location and building costs,
liability insurance, broker and association dues, state employee costs and
taxes, small business taxes, and so on.

In return for this service, the agent gives the agency a part of his or her
commission (agency fees) depending on the agency commission structure. The
average commission structure between agent and agency varies. For example, a
commission split between agency and agent could be 50/50, 60/40, 70/30, or
80/20 depending on the experience and value that the agent brings to the
agency.
So, instead of the agent receiving the full $6,000 in the above example, his
or her commission may actually be $3,000 (50/50 split, agency gets $3,000)
for a novice agent, or it could be $4,800 (80/20 split, agency gets $1,200)
for a seasoned agent.

Typical Net Profit Scenario:
Let's say Mary's buyer purchases a $150,000 home. The total commission paid
is 7%, with 4% to the listing broker and 3% to the selling broker. Mary's
broker is paid $4,500. Mary's entitled to 50% less an 8% franchise fee. Mary
receives $2,070. From that, Mary pays her overhead expenses of 22% and puts
away 30% into savings to hold for payment of social security, federal and
state income taxes. Mary has made $993.60 net profit.

If Mary closes only one transaction a month and works a typical 40-hour
week, that makes her net hourly wage about $5.78 for the month. If she
closes two deals a month, then Mary makes about the same as the aisle clerk
at The Home Depot.

You get what you pay for. Paying a discounted (in the business referred to
as cut-rate)
commission will often get you a sign in the front yard and placement in the
Multiple Listing
Service, but little additional assistance and effort from your agent.

Realize that agents and real estate companies put up their own funds to
market and advertise your home. Marketing and advertising costs money -- the
lower the commission, the less incentive for an agent to put up his or her
own money to market your home.

Incentive plays a very important role in sales. A "full service" agent
earning a full commission will often "drop everything" to handle any
challenges that come along - an agent earning a smaller discounted
commission
does not have that same incentive.

Incentive is also important to the buyer's agent. Since there are almost
always two agents involved in every sale, they split the commission
according to the listing agent's instructions. One agent is your listing
agent. The other agent is the buyer's agent. When your listing agent dropped
his or her commission, did they also reduce the commission that will be paid
to the buyers' agent? If so, you won't find as many agents willing to show
your house - they'll be showing houses that offer a more customary
commission to the buyer's agent.

Finally, negotiating ability is an important skill in a listing agent. Would
you be willing to put your faith in an agent who can't even negotiate his or
her own commission to be earned, which they only earn if they bring it to
closing.
I hope this didn't bore you to badly, but thanks for listening.

WHEN? Now is the time. Now is the best time. To BUY..that is!

WHY? Interest rates fell sharply last week to a little over 5% ! That, combined with the fact that many sellers are desperately trying to sell their homes before the new year starts- the prices are terrific!

HOW? All of Dawson and Lumpkin County qualifies for the Rural Development Loan Program! Don't just assume that no one is buying and that you can't either. This government backed program is terrific and can help you buy a home with little or no money down!

What? What should you do now? Don't hesitate! Call me today and let's see if we can help you get a great deal on a home of your own!

Where? I have properties available in Forsyth, Dawson & Lumpkin Counties, from under $100,000 to over $375,000.

Don't listen to the media's doom and gloom predictions. News reports on Black Friday should have shown you that things are not nearly as bad as they led you to believe. There were literally millions of shoppers spending money, all over the United States. And while everyone else is settling down to their shopping lists, and planning their family affairs..get a jump start on 2009 and make the most important move you can make for your financial future.

I'm just a phone call away... The first move is yours!

contact Kimberly Wilson, your Dawsonville Real Estate Specialist 404-543-5384