Stephanie Jacques

8/29/2009
28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 9:00-11:00
185 River Street, Keene- 11:00-12:30
175 River Street, Keene- 11:00-12:30
9 Schult Street, Keene- 10:00-12:00
494 Rte 123, Stoddard- 11:30-1:30
7 Skyview Circle, Keene- 11:30-1:00
67 Forest Street, Keene- 1:30-3:00
48 Mountainview, Chesterfield- 1:30-3:00
14 Barrett, Keene- 11:00-1:00
44 Robbins Street, Hinsdale- 10:30-12:00
870 Keene Road, Winchester- 1:00-3:00

8/30/2009
2 Startling Street, Keene- 2:00-4:00
28 Owens Drive, Swanzey- 1:00-3:00 (also on Weds 4:00-6:00)

Just 15 minutes ago I dropped off my daughter at school for her first day of Kindergarten. She was one of the ones who went inside holding hands with an old preschool friend, no tears at all. Behind her was a sweet little girl who's first day truly was her first day at the big school, since she hadn't attended preschool before. She clung to her mother and was the last to enter the building following a long trail of 5 year old children all attending their first day of Kindergarten.

A milestone. I thought.

But was it a milestone for my daughter as much as for me?

I left this morning with wobbly knees and welling up tears followed by a happy little smile. Happy that my daughter was able to get over the separation anxiety she'd had the first four years of her life. Happy that she was proud to be a Kindergartener. Happy that she was such a sweet and kind friend to her classmates.

Then I remembered how I'd felt on my first day of Kindergarten. I was one of those children much like that teary little girl, afraid to go and reluctantly walked into the school building with a hole in my heart created by the feeling of loss as though my mother had deserted me by sending me to that terrible place. I was afraid of my teacher who would put her hands on the children's shoulders and rattle them up if they misbehaved. I

All these emotions came before me this morning as I chose not to go inside for "Parent Tea" with all the other parents as they do on the first day of the schoolyear. I suppose I could have gone in to celebrate and chat with the other moms but I didn't. I wanted to remember more about that day 28 years ago. The first day of Kindergarten is a milestone for everyone. For me, because I don't remember the details of that day, I was able to connect to that little girl who was tearfully led into the building. I remember what that first day felt like, and so many mornings after that.

Call me emotional but I think I've crossed a milestone today. I wanted to write about it because I know so many other parents are experiencing these emotions this week as their son or daughter begin their first day of Kindergarten, or preschool, or high school or college. So this is what it's like to be a parent!

I'm a cusper, born in between the X and Y generations and I've been in real estate for 8 years now. I wanted to share some of the reasons I chose to work for who I work for as insight to Brokers seeking to hire agents in this demographic.

Why did I choose to work for Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group? Here are my reasons why...

I wanted to be at the core of the information stream in the region.

Because BHG Masiello has its own in-house title, mortgage, insurance and marketing I now have access to changes going on in today's fast changing world right at my reach.

Because the company is a large one, I have access to other agents and their expertise when navigating through challenging transactions. While I have my niche (short sales and working with first time buyers), each agent has theirs and we can help each other much easier when we work for the same company. That rapport is so crucial to success time and time again.

Because we are now affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens, the fastest growing innovative real estate franchise around, I have even more access to information about new marketing strategies, access to key people such as the franchise's CEO Sherry Chris through social media platforms, and access to top marketing tools updated regularly on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Because I embrace change, diversity and the use of social media, I appreciate that the head of our company "gets it" as well. This is empowering and also encouraging because I receive their support rather than their attempts to stop my use of social media as real time information streaming to potential clients.

Because I seek to constantly learn in my environment, Better Homes and Gardens provides multiple opportunities daily for me to learn and expand my knowledge base so that I can use that new knowledge to help my clients.

There may be benefits for me to work elsewhere, but right now I'm well placed and if I were a Broker I would be trying to reach out to the Gen X&Yers as new talent because we have ACCESS to a lot of social groups by nature of just being the age we are.

www.stephaniejacques.com

8/22/2009

50 Montiero Dr, Winchester- 10:30-12:30

8 Kapper Dr, Winchester- 1:00-4:00

23 Kapper Dr, Winchester- 1:00-4:00

28 Owens Dr, Swanzey- 9:00-11:00

154 Walpole Valley Rd, Walpole- 2:00-4:00

94 Kennedy Dr, Keene- 11:00-1:00

142 Rte 9,Sullivan - 11:00-1:00

8/23/2009

37 Base Hill Rd, Keene- 9:30-11:30

28 Owens Dr, Swanzey- 1:00-3:00 (also on Weds 4:00-6:00)

It's still a buyer's market here in Keene, NH. Our average Days on the Market period is almost double where it was last year and there is a little over 12 months listing inventory. Buyers have a wonderful selection of property and, if timed well, they can view a property with enough time to think about it and compare to others to secure a solid decision.

Taking time to think about it doesn't always benefit the buyers, however, when competing offers come in on the property. But what's the likelihood of that happening in this type of market?

It happens quite frequently in the niche market I work with. The first time buyers are competing against a large pool of other first time buyers and investors alike. They have to assess a property completely and determine their decision making strategy quickly.

If the property has just received a reasonable price reduction where the buyers are now seriously considering the property, others are too. This is a time when making a quick decision (after the seller has reduced their price) could secure the buyers the home of their dreams. Oftentimes a buyer loses the opportunity to purchase the first home they ever fall in love with because they were not well guided through the decision making process at this point.

As a buyer's agent, I let buyers know from the start that if they sense the home they see is right for them and they are getting excited about it, it's their cue to make an offer. I'll often write up a tentative offer with them at that time so they are able to take it home to become "acquainted with" the process of making an offer.

My goal is to have the first time buyer well versed in the process so that time is saved when the right property comes along and they need to make that quick decision. My goal is to have the buyer ready to give me their offer terms over the phone so that I can write up the offer and email it over to them for signatures and they know exactly what that 5 page contract means. They even know where to sign!

**This blog was written with my most recent first time buyers in mind. Congratulations to the Leagues for well navigating themselves throughout their entire first home purchase!

Follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/keenenhrealtor if you're a first time buyer in Keene. I'm happy to help guide you through the process of buying your first home so that you feel you are an educated decision maker!

www.stephaniejacques.com