Gary White~ Grand Rapids Real Estate, FlexIt Realty, a call or click away!

The Weather Man...says What?

He mentioned get ready for snowflakes!

This means something completely different than cold weather. It means weatherization issues.

It means checking window seals, door seals, autos for proper anti-freeze.

Second homes should be winterized if you do not intend to keep the heat on. Prepare for power outages and winterize anyway. You should think about draining the water pipes and putting RV anti-freeze in the elbows of the water pipes after draining them. Being safe is much better than a repair bill that could be hundreds of dollars.

Make sure rain gutters are clear and check your supplies of environmentally safe salt and a good snow shovel. Snow blowers should be checked and made ready. I use the opportunity in the fall to change the oil. The last think I want in a blizzard is to have my snow blower not working. This means winterizing your other items and storing them for the winter too. The lawn mower, edger, and trimmers will need some attention as well. Your toys should be winterized, like power boats, sail boats, motorcycles, bikes put up too.

Winter is our natural progression of the seasons but it does make it more enjoyable if you are ready. One last thing....don't forget your outdoor hose. It will freeze and break if any water is left in it! Cut down any plants that need to be trimmed..not much time left.

Think of anything to add to the list beside insulation, storm windows, caulking and maybe some mouse traps. Some how during colder months they figure out a way to get in!

Have a great fall and winter....enjoy the change of season with preparation.

Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan, not under contract? Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction. Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

It isn't about me....it IS about YOU!

I wrote a listing from a former client today. His words made me smile and gave me some confirmation that doing business for the client's best interest isn't just an ethical issue it the only way to have a sustained and continued business. It isn't about the Realtor® it's about YOU!

The client called me to list his home. The client said, I know I can trust you to market my home and get it sold. That has to be one of the key issues you want a client can to say to you. Clients want to know they are putting their faith and trust in someone to get the job done.

Marketing properties in our market is not business as usual, it is unusual. This requires skillsets that may not be normal to meet abnormal times.

The standards are still true however. Four issues still are the focal point of selling.

•· Location

•· Condition

•· Marketing

•· Price

Location will dictate how quickly the home will sell. Condition may not get you more money but it certainly will help you sell faster and closer to your list price. Marketing is the exposure to buyers that makes it all happen. Of course having the right price will attract buyers and help your home sell home faster. Price is last for a reason. If you did your market studies correctly you should already have your home priced correctly. Price adjustment should be make with fact and consideration of existing or preceived market changes that will have a direct impact on the sale of the property.

So it is about YOU and the choices you make in representation.

Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan, not under contract? Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction. Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

The Perfect Storm is what has happened in the real estate business and communities across the nation.

If you look at the number of agents that left, some say a good thing, but others say too bad. Some of the agents left because of the changes in the times, the technology and lack of knowledge to deal with it.

Others left the business because they were in real estate for a fast buck....they didn't know we work! Yet others left out of frustration and the slumping sales. They were concerned they would lose everything and didn't want to dip into their savings to stay in business.

This market could be classified as the perfect storm. It rose with little warning signs the crept over us like a breeze saying hello. The clouds formed giving us an advance warning that something was going to come, it was happening. Then came the high waves of foreclosures, short sales, business closings, builders making last ditch efforts to stay in business by discounting homes to pay the banks. Lenders going out of business, the filing of bankruptcies.

Those that could read the signs made preparations to ride the storm and help those that needed their expertise. Today we have a better informed public with the information exploding on Internet sites. The selection of real estate career professionals that adjusted to take advantage of the new markets have seen increases in business. Those that have chosen to do business as usual are struggling in high debt and increased overheads.

The Perfect Storm isn't about a boat it is about survival and business and client decisions that meet the needs of the current real estate market. It has always been about making the right decision which real estate company, which agent, client representation.

Now it is more about the "HOW" than the why. Families are in the perfect storm for the first time in their lives. In the 80"s S&L's went bankrupt costing people their hard earned fortunes. Today we had easy credit with lenders looking at how they could get anyone and everyone a credit card, a new car, boat and home....it was about payments. It was the transition to the two paycheck family. It was about more faster.

Now we are seeing that "More Faster" is not the best choice. Having that cushion "just in case" is a better choice. Did you know that in China workers save 30% of their income? That means they cannot sell everything they produce in their own country! Who do they ship too? US! Who holds more of our debt than any other country? China.

How would you like to own other countries? How would you like to be able to purchase what you want when you want? The difference is you cannot purchase everything you want!

Business has changed forever and those that recognized the new real estate market and methods will flourish.

What do you think about the Perfect Storm?

Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan, not under contract? Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction. Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Twitter is Dead?

Have you seen what one analysist said from ComputerWorld? Robert X. Cringely said it was his sad task to inform us Twitter is dead!

Here is your link to read about Twitter's demise!
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=F29E05C2-1A64-67EA-E4DCAB687A69EA46

It is widely believed that once a social network is large enough and Twitter is considered a "micronetwork" the spammers and identity theft artists move-in.

The article, of which I have attached a link will give you some very interesting information. Some of it is incredidable and other parts hysterical. Make your own judgement on whether Twitter is Dead.

Somebody is spending thousands of dollars so you can tweet your heart out. July saw it's largest surge to date and the Tweety Bird is still growing!

I have a Twitter account and us it sparingly. I have a facebook account that is also listed as the #1 social networking site. I have all of the accounts that are high on the hit parade and don't have enough hours in the day to run my businesses, serve clients and post on all the networks that I belong to on a daily basis.

My thoughts and yours could be very different....use what works best for your business or personal life and forget trying to use everything and be everything. Life is to short and technology is going to move whether you do or not.

Keep up with the best of the best and forget the rest. When they reach the top make your decision on market share and impact to your business, clients and personal life.

Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan, not under contract? Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction. Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699 Local: 616-784-2360
Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

We don't give it much thought about social networking and identity theft.

Maybe you should think again. We get these warning about spammers sending us emails. Think of these unwanted emails as a probe to see if anyone is home. Just like any theif they want to make sure who is there and if the target has anything they want.

I found Friday that my website or at least my company name was being used by another company. It was a subtle little method too. they removed the www. from the hyper link and make it a direct link to their site. What this did was direct traffic to them as well as my site.

Not all of us own 144 domain names but I find this happening more and more now, redirecting my domain names. One quick nudge and they are more than happy to disable the link but you don't have a clue unless you look.

Here is a link I found that may help you in your blogging efforts and give you 8 ways to protect your buiness indentity. http://www.bloggernews.net/122397

I subscribe to bloggernews.net. This is not a recommendation just one of the many sites I use to keep myself up to date on trends and issues. You might find the quote on the Nielson Report that blogging has increased 827%.

So have you considered how to protect your on-line identity? Here is one way...only use an email for your blog that is specific to the blog. It never gets past that spot if it isn't something you recognized. Make sure you preview the URL before you open an email. The name may be a cover for where is actually comes from. Identity theif people are pretty sneaky and make things look real! How do you think people give up bank account numbers. The email looks like it is from the bank. We all know they would never as your to varify your bank account number in an email but....people do!

I hope this raises your security level and enjoyment using on-line social networks.

Are YOU a licensed Michigan Realtor or Broker? Want to do more than survive? Thrive in this market, give me a call. Always confidential, just conversation, but could be the best career move you ever made!

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699

Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com