Sharon Terrazas

Logging in to my AR account, I am shocked that my last blog entry was back in September!

I am saddened by my lack of commitment to blogging and then I realize that I am committed to so many things that it is dumb to beat myself up about it. I have been so busy trying to keep a company alive, selling real estate, being a single mom, and trying to get healthy, that something had to give. So last month I decided to sell my company. It was a gut wrenching decision that looking back on, I do not regret. At the end of the day, my family, my wallet, and my health was suffering. I lost myself in the last two years of developing a start up company. I turned into a lunatic who worked non stop and who didn't know which direction to head next. While doing so, I forgot about what was truly important to me. My husband has been relocated to North Carolina which left me to be the single mom to my two boys. That stress alone was reason enough to move on. What finally made me decide to sell my company was that I was sacrificing everything, my marriage, my credit, my kids, for what? I realized that at the end of the day no one cared if I could buy groceries or if I hadn't spent more then 3 hours that week with my kids. It is time I look out for myself and get back to what I do best. I am a great Realtor. I work hard for my clients. I listen to their needs and then put together a plan of action to get them what they need. Despite a tough year personally for me, I had record breaking sales and earned a lot of commissions. The problem is that with rising overhead costs and advertising expenses, all of my income went to expenses and Laura brought home nothing. So, for 2009, I am looking ahead to the future. A future that has me spending quality time with my sons, long trips with my husband, and a stress free life of just having a career sans financial pressures of keeping a company alive. I am very proud of what I have accomplished over the past 2 years. I built a name and a business from nothing. I do not have regrets for setting out to do something and accomplishing it.

I do have words of wisdom for any agents who think they might want to start their own company.

1) Get tough skin- When it is your baby, it is hard not to take criticisms personally and to listen to viewpoints other than your own.

2) Start with a lot of capital-If you don't have at least 50% of your yearly budget already in the bank, don't bother starting. Loans for small businesses are tough to get and without capital, you won't make it a day.

3) Do your homework-research all of your options (franchise vs independent), your competition, and your target customer and staff. Without it you might as well be trying to sell soup in Las Vegas in July.

I received a gut wrenching email today regarding Steve Brown's catering business. As I am sure most businesses are, Steve is feeling the pinch of the economy. As one of my friends, Connie Hipp says, "If Steve had back a 10th of what he gives to the community the business would be just fine. He continues to give with a very big heart."

Please help spread the word if you can.

Fundraiser to Benefit Steve Brown Catering

Sunday, September 28, 2008

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Waterfront Park

$15.00 All-You-Can-Eat
Area restaurants and merchants participating

This fundraiser is just a small way to thank Steve for all he has done for the community over the years.

You can check out Steve Brown Catering here.

For those of you who don't know, Steve Brown's Catering is a cornerstone in Beaufort. The cookies are amazing and beyond the food (which is great by the way) Steve has and continues to go above and beyond to support those in need and this community.

Join me in saying thank you to Steve Brown and lending a hand to a business that we need to keep in Beaufort.

Talking with another real estate broker yesterday, I heard the broker say "the phones have been kind of quiet, showings have slowed and buyers have apparently disappeared." I looked at recent sales in Beaufort from August 1-today.

I looked at residential homes in Beaufort, Mossy Oaks, Port Royal, Burton, Lady's Island, St. Helena, Dataw Island, Fripp Island, Harbor Island, Northern Beaufort County, and Jasper County including Ridgeland. 71 homes in 6 weeks isn't much to talk about, but it could be much worse. We live in a community of about 45,000 people. The great thing we do have is that we do not have one type of buyer. We have military, retirees, professionals such as doctors, lawyers, vacation home buyers, and investors. We do not rely on one type of buyer or industry to spur our local market.

To give you an idea of what is selling here is the breakdown:

100,000-200,000=38 sales

200,000-300,000=13 sales

300,000-400,000=10 sales

400,000-500,000=2 sales

500,000-600,000=3 sales

600,000+=3 sales

While the average and median days on the market has fallen, it is evident that homes in the 100,000-200,000 are what people are buying right now. Interest rates are coming down, but guidelines for lending are hard to navigate. To search all area homes for sale visit www.BeaufortExperts.com

Great, thanks to Money Magazine, everyone now knows what I do! Beaufort was recently one of 6 of the best places to retire. I am not near retirement age, but I certainly chose Beaufort for many of the same reasons talked about in the article. Read the article here.

We are surrounded by so many types of water, the ocean, the marsh, the river, and the Intercoastal Waterway. We are a boater's paradise, which is how many of our visitors find us on one of their coastal trips up the ICW. Others stop along the way and hang out on one of our many sandbars for libations and social networking.

If you have ever looked at a topographical map of Beaufort County you are likely to get lost in the sea of green as we are fortunate to have some of the area's best golf courses designed by major players.

I am not a history buff either per se but I do find it quaint and charming to walk along Bay street and see buildings from the 1800s or walk along a cobblestone road that many before me have traveled. Beaufort is one of those towns that successfully has found a way to mix progression and growth with preservation of history and culture.

I thought today that I am truly fortunate that I get to live here. Many choose where they live because of their job or family. We are fortunate that we get to choose to live here because we WANT to. There is a wooden sign in a local real estate office that fits me exactly. It says, "I wasn't born in Beaufort, but I got here as soon as I could." If I ever have to leave, trust me I will go kicking and screaming.

It is that time again, when thousands converge upon Beaufort to get a little something we might take for granted-SHRIMP! Every year the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce put on a great time over two days filled with shrimp boats, entertainment, vendors, shopping, restaurants eager to test their shrimp recipes, as well as a 5K run/walk. This year, Advanced Real Estate Company is a jumbo shrimp festival sponsor again.

Last year we had a money booth. You know the kind where you step into a booth for a certain amount of time and try to catch as much money as you can. Well, this year we will not have a money booth, but you never know what we might come up with to get your attention.

We are looking forward to seeing you there and we hope you will stop by and say hi!

You can read more about the festival here. Register for the 5K shrimp run/walk here.