Joan Mirantz- Concord New Hampshire Realtor

This morning on my way into the office, I was listening to my FAVORITE radio station (NHPR). They were interviewing an author, Emily Yellin, about her newest book "Your Call is (not that) Important to Us: Customer Service and what it reveals About Our World and Our Lives"

She was discussing the observation that in these challenging and economically competitive times....many businesses were having to "re-visit" how they were spending their image and Marketing $$$$$. Many are reaching the conclusion that instead of telling people how good you are....you should show them, in an area where it really counts...Customer Service.

This concept applies equally to Real Estate.

In this Market....hanging on to a Customer is where it's at. People are looking for knowledge and instruction from their Agent. They are looking for someone who can guide them through what has increasingly become a frustrating, time consuming, stressful and often discouraging process. They need a counselor, a cheering section and a dispassionate voice of reason.

Our office has always stressed Customer Serviceand follow-thru such as monthly newsletters, frequent phone calling, monthly reports on listed properties and Buyer reality checks. This attitude has helped us build a loyal customer referral system.

I'm betting that many of us are finding that getting back to basics is what is keeping us in business these days. Investing of yourself, your time and your knowledge.

Good old fashioned Customer Service....the customers are passing the good word and coming back for more!

CONCORD NH REALTOR

This morning I received an email from a Client who is very involved with Dog Rescue Organizations (Ridgeback).

When I first met her she and her husband had taken in two female Rhodesian Ridgebacks that had been used as "Breeders" in an unscrupulous puppy mill. They had known no life outside of their crates and their only purpose was to have litters. When I would show my Clients property no one even knew they were there because they were so un-socialized they laid "statue like" in their crates as we walked through.

To date one has been socialized enough to be given to a good home,the second is on her way and they have now taken in a new "foster child".

She asked me to pass the word about anABC special tonight on Nightline. They will be doing an expose' on puppy mills in PA.

Hopefully there will be information on how interested party's can get involved!

It would seem that people are still finding it profitable to sell these puppies. It is up to us as Consumers to research not only the puppy we are buying....but where we are buying it from.

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This is the original email....reprinted with permision of the author.

Subject: Fwd: "Nightline" 3/27 Puppy Expose! Please Crosspost
To:
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009, 2:00 PM








Permission to cross-post.


=============
To: Rescue
Cc: Petland protest
Subject: Fwd: "Nightline" 3/27 Puppy Expose! Please Crosspost
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:10:27 -0500

FYI!


The cat is out of the bag - or should we say the dog out of the
hutch! This Friday night, March 27, ABC's Nightline will be
investigating puppy mills!

ABC Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and investigators from Nightline
travel the byways and back roads of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania -
visiting numerous puppy mills and filming Main Line Animal Rescue's
volunteers as they rescue breeding dogs and puppies from Lancaster
County's notorious Amish commercial breeding facilities.

This promises to be a very special program. If you are involved in
rescue, advocate on behalf of the millions of puppy mill dogs
interned in our nation's commercial dog breeding facilities, or if
you just simply love animals, you will not want to miss this.

Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed, on camera, an Amish breeder while touring
his facility - a first for network television. With approximately
500 dogs housed on his property, this commercial breeder speaks
openly about an industry cloaked in secrecy and suspicion - the cruel
factory farming of man's best friend.

PLEASE tell your friends, your family, your coworkers - ABC Nightline
investigates puppy mills - this Friday at 11:35 pm (Eastern Standard
Time). Please take the time to forward this to all the rescues,
shelters, and legislators in your area.

It has been almost one year since Oprah's puppy mill show aired.
That program received the highest viewer response of any Oprah Show
in years. Now we need to spread the word about this very special
Nightline. Only by educating as many people as we can, will we be
able to help these animals. And after you watch the program, please
don't hesitate to contact ABC and Nightline to thank them for casting
such a strong light on the plight of our nation's puppy mill dogs.

Bill Smith
Main Line Animal Rescue

Friday's airing of Nightline's investigation of puppy mills is
subject to breaking news. If for any reason it is not shown, it will
air the beginning of next week. Please check listings for your time
zone.

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Let's do what we can!!










.

Concord NH Realtor

Christmas was a less than elaborate celebration!

I couldn't see the point of unpacking a whole bunch of stuff only to have to pack it up again!

We hired a professional mover. We figured 25 years in the same house there was a lot of accumulation in the attic, cellar and second floor of the garage! More than our ancient bones could handle! The Mover had a 10 day free storage policy that we figured would work out well if we didn't close on time on our purchase. All we had to do is find a motel that would take the dogs!

I was exceptionally proud of the "system" I came up with. I wanted to cut down on the time it took the movers so I not only labeled the boxes for content ....I color coded them for where they went. Green tape Garage, Red the shed, Yellow the living room and Blue...upstairs.

As time went on it became obvious we weren't going to close on the new house on the 15th. We were going FHA and that part was all set, the Foreclosures Seller agreed to the reduced price. but, now the MI company was reluctant to insure the loan. Our Broker researched another Company and still no go because we had been late (in the past two years) on one Mortgage payment. So we decided to go with 20% down so the insurance wouldn't be an issue.

The increased costs meant we had to cancel the professional mover so we hired a local guy and a helper....disaster!!

It was totally overwhelming....the stuff, the trash, the running out of boxes, the running out of bags, the having to rent a second storage unit, the pure exhaustion!! It was obvious that we weren't going to be able to be out by 11:00 the next day. The Sellers offered an extension till the next evening. If we weren't out we had to give them $725.

Well....you guessed it...we were an hour and 1/2 late getting out. And had to forfeit the money. I can look back now and see all the woulda, coulda, shouldas I should have done! but..working as my own agent I was just too close to the situation, too tired and too emotional to make good decisions!

Next Installment.....on to the Red Roof Inn!

Concord NH Realtors

Now that the Home Inspection had been signed off on ....we decided it was possible to see if we could find a new home an an affordable range that our new circumstances dictated.

Since we had a closing date of January 15th we figured we had about a week to find something. If that didn't happen we were going to rent for a while. So armed with our pre-quals...we headed off into the world of foreclosures!

I can't even describe some of the properties we saw. Most were either so old or in such bad shape...they weren't worth fixing up. The others had been "rehabbed" and the work had to be undone before you could....move on!

We had been looking at smaller homes but a Foreclosure with a price reduction came up on the MLS. Situated in the Village of Pittsfield NH, a Victorian Colonial (1865) In this style house the first and second floors are usually a mirror image. This would give us the option of doing over the first floor from scratch for us and making a second apartment for income on the second.

It had high ceilings, hardwood floors,baths up and down a beautiful lot and was within walking distance to the center of town!

We decided to make an offer. I will say I was pleasantly surprised at the quick responses with offer/counteroffer. We had a heating and plumbing contractor check the systems as best he could with all shut off and meters removed. The house had been winterized, but not properly, and there was pipe damage to the tune of $7,000. We felt the cost was worth the final product.

The hang up came with the appraisal. The appraisal came in at about 20 thousand less ($75K) than agreed upon Selling price ($93K).

I sent in an addendum for a commitment extension and a new price plus a copy of the full appraisal.

And so ....the waiting game began!

Concord NH Realtor