Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions

Imagine - five bedroom home, 2500 sq ft, on beautiful 2.4 acres, new roof, recent updates for only ----

$219,000!!! and within 15 minutes of downtown Tallahassee, Florida!

4223 Louvinia Drive MLS #198336

Yes, it is a Short Sale - bank is a local lender and price pre-approved. The staff has been very responsive and will be timely in reviewing offers received.

Recent upgrades include:

• Roof - 2008
• Kitchen Stainless Steel Appliances - 2007
  
• Kitchen Granite Countertops- 2007
  
• Water Heater - 2008
  
• HVAC - 2007
• Interior painted

Separate Living Room/Dining Room and a Family Room with large stone fireplace, this is the perfect house for a family with kids-- plenty of room to let them run!

This is house is move in ready - just waiting for that family to walk in the door!

Call if you have any questions -

I received a lead to help a Captain in the US Army buy a house in Tallahassee in preparation for his return to the states. He is attending Florida State University's Law School in the fall, and wants to get his new home lined up and closed before he gets here.

Yeah!!! What a great assignment! I love the opportunity to help someone buy real estate who has been defending us in the war in Iraq. Little did I realize as I got started what a challenge it would be to take on the responsibility to be his eyes and ears on the ground in Tallahassee... oh my!

What if I miss something? Some detail that to me doesn't mean much, but to him means a lot...? Or he hates the neighborhood? Or it's too far a drive?

I've shown a fair amount of real estate before, but I never really appreciated how much there is to evaluate, see, touch and smell before this situation.

We can't talk by phone, but we have exchanged many emails and I sent him a long list of questions at the beginning to get a sense of what he needed, wanted, and his style choices. After we reviewed about 25 different houses, we hit on one yesterday that he really likes and put in a contract. I'm STILL worried that I missed something...

I've been by the house twice & taken extra pictures to send to him. I may be a worry wart, but I am committed to quality service and I want my customer to be satisfied. It's hard to read if he's half-way around the world!

Good news is he owns several rental properties, is a knowledgeable buyer and knows what he's looking for... bad news, he's never been to Tallahassee.

So, we'll see if he gets this house. I just know he'll LOVE Tallahassee... but... will he also love the house?

Anyone else having this experience?

Returning Phone Calls!

This has always been a pet peeve of mine so to speak, since early in my career working for the Attorney General of Florida. I learned quickly that as a public servant, no matter WHO CALLED, a return call was expected. I took that lesson to heart

and strived over my 25 years in various public positions to return phone calls of everyone that called me, or have someone get back to them within 24-48 hours.

Now that I'm in the private sector, I am amazed at the number of people that don't return phone calls. To their detriment!

For example, I received message on my cell phone a couple of weeks ago from a woman in another town looking for a commercial property. All she left on the message was her name and number. But, in my normal practice of returning calls and promptly as possible I called her within about 30 minutes of her message. After about 20 minutes of conversation and getting the gist of what she was looking for we agreed on a plan and just before she hung up she said:

" Wow, I left six messages with realtors in your town this week. You are the first one to return my call."

Just yesterday I was calling real estate sales personnel around town to setup appointments for my client who is really interested in some high end condominiums in Tallahassee. After leaving very specific messages about the reason for my call, I have yet to hear back from two of them. And these are in buildings with multiple units available.

Either this whole real estate downturn is a hoax, which I sincerely doubt, or people just don't get the value in returning phone calls. I can give you many examples in the real estate industry, the lobbyist industry, and others.

So friends, get in the habit of returning those calls. As soon as possible. You never know when that next call is the one that seals the deal.

Just as people have different styles of learning -

• some learn best by hearing the material,
• some by seeing, and
• some experiencing or practicing,

people also have different means of coming to decisions about major purchases.

This is especially true for first time home buyers who have never been through what can seem to be a complicated and daunting process, plus the biggest, most costly purchase of their lives.

We are most effective as real estate agents when we listen closely when asking them about what they want, make sure we prioritize, according to their priorities, the items they want in their new home, and then do our best to find them THAT house, their DREAM house.

Having done the heavy lifting, all that's left is to provide them with the courage to say YES!

Now you may be asking yourself "why would I be providing them with their courage"? For first time buyers of real estate, that first house can be pretty intimidating...loan rates,surveys, title insurance. Kind of like the first time you buy a car. You don't know what what's in store the first time aound, but after that it's no big deal!

And the higher the price tag, the BIGGER the fear can be! So, by being confident, organized, having details handled and always ready to answer any question, (no question is stupid by the way AND - it's OK to say you DON'T know, you'll find out!) you can calm their fears and smooth the path to a decision. Some buyers will still be a little slow to decide, some will decide immediately, and some will look to you for help in making their decisions, looking for that courage for the biggest decision that most people ever make with their finances. The better we do our jobs of providing the home of their dreams with the most professional manner possible, the easier it is for our buyers.

And in THIS Market - with all of the choices, shame on us for NOT providing this service to everyone who walks in our door!

So your assignment, if you choose to accept it - is to offer the most professional support, advice and information your clients can get in your service.

Good luck.

October - the month of color, cooler weather, ghouls, goblins and the Great Pumpkin (thank you Charlie Brown!). Only a couple weeks away from one of childhood's favorite treats: Halloween!

This Halloween three organizations in Tallahassee have partnered for a uniquely green event: The LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts, Sustainable Tallahassee and The Network of Young Professionals are co-sponsoring "The Green O'Ween Halloween Bash!"... a Halloween party that includes a live band, art exhibit, awards for great costumes, and yummy hor'deuves, all items totally made from recycled materials (well, not the food, and not the band...)!

The art items are being made by local high schools students who will compete for awards, and their art will be on exhibit in the art gallery.

All three organizations are supportive of sustainable practices, in fact the LeMoyne facilities are located in two historic buildings that are planned for renovation using green building practices- neat- YES!

Funds from the event will go to The LeMoyne Education Fund which provides quality art education experiences for Tallahassee students, families and adults, and Sustainable Tallahassee.

So come join the PARTY! What a great way to let the goblins and ghosts handle the financial crunch for the night while we dance, mingle and make new friends.

Friday, Oct. 31st - 8 pm - 11 pm

125 N. Gadsden. Attendance is limited to the first 300 and reservations are going fast... so make yours today!

The link below will take you to the Green O'Ween site and you can purchase your reservation ... no paper for us... and get additional details. Your $25 reservation ($30 at the door) gets you your first drink, admission, plus hor'deuves. Cash bar for the rest of the evening.

GreenO'Ween Halloween Bash