Eileen Schreiber, ABR, EcoBroker, Flagstaff, AZ

It's been very smooth sailing for my First Time Homebuyer in Flagstaff. He and his wife found a great home they can afford, and from the minute we presented the offer, we have all felt - "ahhh, this is one of those that is meant to be!" Our offer was accepted, he qualified easily for his VA Loan, inspection went well... home free!

When you think you have experienced all the glitches, a new one rears it's head. It's been almost three weeks and the VA could NOT get an appraiser to accept the assignment! Two appraisers down....

The clock is ticking. We are a bit on edge. But oh joy. The third appraiser said yes, we can breathe again.

Day One. Day Two. Day Three. The appraiser does not call to make an appointment. The VA tells the lenders that the property has been assigned.

Day Four.

I used to be an appraiser and I know there are precious few qualified for VA Appraisals. I called the Lender and asked, "In an off-chance, is the Appraiser Jane Doe?" YES! She's the one who apparently has accepted the assignment.

Well hush my puppies, that is my old boss. As a Realtor I know I am not allowed to speak to appraisers about home values, but nothing stops me from asking her WHY SHE ISN'T MAKING THE APPOINTMENT!!!

Hmm. That old phone number doesn't work. Maybe she changed her company name, I can't find anything close to her name and address in the phone book. The phone number on the order form also doesn't work and there is no email address. ????

My Buyers are getting close to panic.

OMG. Isn't she a Friend of mine on Facebook? FACEBOOK? And lo and behold, she is. In one swift little internet move I find her profile which has her email address and contact her. She responds right away and we soon discover there is a problem with the VA Portal. Thirteen telephone conversations and 26 emails later, Problem Solved!

While I use Facebook mostly for fun, this was a happy way that Facebook actually saved a deal and allowed my Buyers to start breathing again. I know they are grateful for that.

Yipppeee!

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My first-time Home Buyer is the type who, within weeks of searching for her home, knew more about the market than I did. Each night after her two boys were in bed, she sat at her computer researching EVERYTHING about Flagstaff, Arizona properties. She made lists of townhomes, single family homes and manufactureds. She had plus and minus columns. She met with her lender and found out about every first time homebuyer program. When that lender didn't give her excellent service, she switched to one who did.

So, I love her.

We have spent months together trying to find the one, affordable home in Flagstaff that made her heart sing. Her husband said - if you like it honey, I love it. We have wanted her to like it. It's been tough and often disappointing.

Then we found it. Just perfect. The one! Great shape, wonderful loving touches.. home.

We offered, they countered, we accepted. What an absolutely happy time! After months of searching, many disappointing moments and exhaustion, THE ONE!

And then, the appraisal. We knew the appraisal was going to be tight, and we all believed we would have to regroup to make it work. But in the end, I could see that the Sellers would not be able to do it. If they sold at appraisal, we would have to go into a short sale. We had no time.

I couldn't bear the thought of my beautiful first timer losing this house. It was one of those nights where you go to sleep with a knot in the pit of your stomach, dreading the inevitable conversation you must have in the morning. There was no way to avoid it. Ugh.

In the early morning I checked the MLS. And there it was. A BIGGER and NEWER home offered at the same price as the one that was about to slip through our fingers. Could this be true?

Rather than call my sweet client with only bad news, I was able to say - Hey, OK, this one isn't going to work but let's see this other one today, what time can you make it? She was so overwhelmed and confused that she just followed my lead. In a rush to make an unexpected home viewing, she didn't truly have time to process that she just lost her dream home.

This truly is a happy ending.

She loved it, we offered, they accepted without a counter, we are in escrow and there will be no problem with the appraisal. This home is 400 sf bigger than the last!

We are all shaking our heads with happy disbelief at the perfect timing of this journey. With so much gloom and doom, hardship and negativity trying to infilitrate our lives (so it seems), it's wonderful to know first hand that there is opportunity for positive, marvellous and seemingly miraculous surprises.

The debates about marketing strategies on Active Rain are intriguing. One person's surefire marketing, contact and followup formulas are the "Oh I would NEVERs" for others.

Absorbing the variety of our heartfelt opinions, and experiences, is a daily remindeer of a core belief. This core belief has allowed me to start my real estate business at a difficult time, and honestly, do better than I dreamed.

Core Belief.

We are not competing for listings or buyers. I am not in direct competition with any of you for business.

OK, I can see you now. The eyerolls, the "yeah rights", the chuckling of what on earth is she smoking? Competition is the essence of Real Estate! If you get the listing or the buyer, I don't! It's that simple! ZERO SUM!

My beliefs have a spiritual basis, but can be easily expressed in non-spiritual language. I will try to use all language to make the underpinnings of this belief clear.

1. In life, I am never competing with anyone, simply because there is always enough for all of us.

2. The cacaphony of qualities that make me, me, meld into unique vibrations, frequencies, or better yet, meld into a Me Beam of Light.

3. You, too, have a distinct cacaphony of You qualities that sends out vibrations, frequencies, or a unique YOU beam.

So really, we are each our own distinct lighthouse sending out our own unique beams.

4. The people who feel, see, and respond to your beam don't register mine. Those who see mine don't truly register yours. Oh, they might see or feel or respond to all of ours in an instant, but "my" people are attracted to me and my beam, and "your people" are attracted to you and yours.

And remember, there are enough people for all of us.

5. My job in life, and in Real Estate, is to shine that light, beam that becaon, build and decorate and improve that Lighthouse, or symphony, or melding of my unique vibrations, to the utmost. Shine, exude, beam, send out... ME... to the best of my ability in every minute. Be more of me all the time.

6. Your job is to shine, beam, exude, exalt, send out... YOU.

7. In doing that, we are making ourselves more visible and findable and welcoming to the people who are attracted to us.

This type of belief puts the responsibility of my life and my business on me, and takes out the stress of competition.

8. If I'm not attracting clients, it may not be that I'm doing anything wrong, as much as it may mean I am not tuned in as best as I could be to what makes me, me.

9. Without that level of self-awareness, I can't exude, beam, send out, vibrate my uniqueness in the most clear and noticeable way. Maybe I am listening too hard to you, or listening to nothing in particular, not focused at all, and therefore standing there like an old but beautiful lighthouse lost in the fog, in the periphery of the crowd.

The lighthouse is always there, forever plugged in and ready to go. It's up to me, or you, to make it shine.

10. Shining me is enjoyable. It doesn't have a formula or a right or wrong. I will never do it perfectly. I can tell you what I do, but your formula and special mix of things that work for you will never look just like mine. I can say it "should" be enjoyable for you to shine You, but maybe you like a certain level of misery in your life and do better staying a bit miserable. That's what makes each of our beams attract different people.

My lighthouse is the Eileen Lighthouse and Eileen people fill it and come to it. Yours is the You lighthouse, filled with people who think mine may be nice, but yours feels more like home.

And remember, there is always enough for all of us.

If you are feeling attracted to Flagstaff, Arizona, please visit my website, www.TheFlagstaffWebsite.com, which is always beaming out Flagstaff Homes by neighborhood, price and golf community! If you are a Flagstaff Market Observer, please see the Flagstaff Daily Market Report.

In January of 2009, 38 Single Family Homes, Condos and Townhomes were sold in Flagstaff and surrounding areas. (Data source is the Northern Arizona MLS and does not include For Sale By Owners).

The average price of our sales was $335,000 while the average price per SF was $174.00.

In the final quarter of 2008, the average price per sf of condos and townhomes only was $175.77, while the average price per SF of single family homes was $183.63. If we combine the two, the average price per SF of homes, condos and townhomes in the fourth quarter of 2008 was $179.7. (This does not include manufactured homes!)

In January of 09, the average price per SF of total sales dropped 3.3% from the last quarter of 08 (while the last quarter of 08 does not include manufactured homes)

Interpretation?

Sales in Flagstaff Arizona will be posted daily (or almost daily) on www.TheFlagstaffWebsite.com. We will have to watch this first quarter in order to see whether prices are dropping, or if this is an indication that we have stabilized. January is considered "slow" or "slower" season for Flagstaff. I am starting to receive more calls and inquiries on my website than in November and December, which, I am sure we all hope, is an indication that the 09 Buyers have come out and are starting their search.

For personalized reports reflecting comparables for a particular neigborhood or home, contact me! For a PDF of this report, please see The Flagstaff Daily Market Report

Based on information from the Northern Arizona Association of REALTORSr , Inc. (alternatively, from the Northern Arizona Association of REALTORSr, Inc. MLS) for the period (date) through (date). This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Northern Arizona Association of REALTORSr or its MLS. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

The Flagstaff Daily Market Report now reflects all sales of Single Family Homes, Condos and Townhomes in Flagstaff and surrounding areas.

For the Market Watchers amongst us!

The Market Report also includes weekly summaries.

For all Flagstaff Properties. For Flagstaff Golf Properties. For Affordable Flagstaff.