Doesn't sound like the normal title to a blog for a reason. It isn't a normal blog.
The fact that an unseen killer lures in all of us waiting for the moment to strike is a little unsettling. What is worse is being alone when it happens.
I played another golf tournament this past week, this one like the others I play had a special meaning to me. Once you read this post you may find it will have some special meaning to you too.
Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, many of you may know the story of Gilda Radner the long time Saturday Nite Live star. Her zany skits, her wildly out there characters. Her life and mission turned serious when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The disease ended her life in 1989. What did not end was her fight.
Gilda's Club Grand Rapids,with the largest Gilda'a Club branch in Michigan located 1806 Bridge Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504.
As Louise "Punky" Edison, as she is know to friends, was talking to the crowd of golfers after the event, she was so thankful for our participation. While she was talking I was remembering back....my mother-in-law 47 years old had lost her battle with breast cancer. We were her support group. she was divorced no longer able to work, alone and young children still at home. We took my mother-in-law, her children of 11 and 14 years still in school, and the dog and cat! She was trying so hard to keep her life because of her children. We had no one to lean on. She had us and knew we would raise the children, The family wasn't able to help or maybe they didn't know how to help. This was in 1987. Things have changed today.
Louise said another statement that sobered the crowd. "It isn't "IF" you will be touched by cancer, it is when!"
Well with Gilda's Club you don't have to be in it alone. It does not matter if you are the patient, the care giver, family or a friend the Gilda's Club motto fits....Learn, Share, laugh.
All of those things are hard to do on your own. If you take the time and extend your hand their will be an understanding hand clasping yours from Gilda's Club. They are a Cancer Support Community.
Gilda's Club Grand Rapids has another motto..."in this together" with you on your cancer journey, no matter the type or stage of cancer - before, during, after treatment, longer term survivor, children, family members and friends are included too.
People gather together to learn more about cancer, share their experiences with others, and true to thier name-sake Gilda Radner, have a few laughs along the way.
Don't take my word for it, but I wished you would. Find out for yourself they have "Talk and Tours" so you can be a Gilda's Club Ambassador, invite family, friends, co-workers for a one-hour talk and tour of the clubhouse, not a fund raising event.....but if you are moved they won't say NO. It is not to twist your arm for money....it helps getting the word out about such a wonderful opportunity for people to Learn, Share and laugh in what is for many their darkest hours. Knowledge is power take the time stop by and say hello.
The "Talk and Tour" is help every Wednesday 12-1pm, lunch is provided. Please RSVP to rsvp@gildasclubgr.org
Drop by Anytime: Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday 9-12pm, 1st and 3rd Saturday 9am-1pm
Gilda's Club Grand Rapids 1806 Bridge Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504
New Member Meetings, (1st Monday 6-7:30pm 4th Thursday, 1-2:30pm) to learn more about Gilda's Club Grand Rapids programs, "when you're living with cancer or in a family with cancer".
Visit the website www.gildasclubgr.org or Call for more information LOCAL 616-453-8300 Toll Free 800-326-1419
I will have a link on my website as well. You can never have to many friends at a time when you need them the most!
Take the time, give them a call or stop by and say hello you'll be glad you did. You don't have to face cancer alone.
Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, 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. FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients' needs. 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
This past week I was involved in a transaction that seems to be a sign of the times.
Protracted buyers markets cause sellers to do strange things. Media hype, misinformation, horror stories all contribute to sellers reacting without having all the facts. I don't mean to imply they are clueless just misinformed.
Information that is served in the local media may not be the whole story. Remember the whole story might not keep a viewers attention. Ratings are a Television executives friend, just like distribution and readership is to a newspaper or listeners to a radio broadcast. Just like results are to a real estate company or agent.
Remember a real estate agent and real estate company works for their clients on commission, this is a RESULTS Relationship! That means if nothing sells or nobody buys, agents and real estate companies do not earn a commission. Seems silly to restate the obvious but with media outlets the audience is the payback. The Media can sell advertising dollars, the 
larger the audience the more dollars for advertising space or time.
The client I represented inherited the listing with another heir. I went over the market, shared existing listings and sales. Within a few days of completing of the marketing methods to expose the property to buyers, we had an offer. I presented the offer.
During the course of explaining the offer and counter-offer process I was stopped in my tracks. They looked at me and interrupted....we don't want to counter, we don't want to negotiate...we don't want to lose the buyer.
I started to explain again and again the seller stopped me. This time the seller said, look you did more than we could have hoped for in days, we were prepared to have the listing sit here for months like all the rest. My neighbor had an offer and when they made a counter-offer the buyers left. We want to sell and don't think we can risk a buyer leaving.
I let them know I understood and did not continue with explaining their options. I could have gotten them more money for the property. How do I know? The buyers agent told me! Right or wrong the buyers agent did not want to lose a sale, so the agent shared with me the top price point the buyer would go. I tried to get them to understand this but they were saturated with media hype and neighbor gossip without analyzing the facts. They heard we could get more but had more belief in the neighbor and the media.
More people are simply taking the first offer right now rather than risking a buyer moving on to the next property. When a market is saturated with available homes for sale and the absorption rates in years sellers become anxious.
Having an experienced professional is only a benefit if you are going to listen to the information being presented to help your situation.
Here is one of the first things I was taught when I came into real estate. "Any home will sell for a price". That says it all! This also means that pricing your home correctly for the market will create offers. It does not mean every offer will be acceptable or should be considered without analyzing the merit of the offer.
Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, 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. FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients' needs. 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
Labor Day travel can be a joy and peril all at the same time.
Some families travel hundreds of miles to meet with their families once a year. Others stick close to home and avoid the highways.
I have done both. I love meeting with the families and seeing people that I rarely have regular communications with during the year and sometimes longer if they don't make the reunion trip. This gives us time to catch up with each other lives.
We have started using these rotating venues to stage a weekend getaway. The locations vary and usually involve a park or camping site of some type. FYI, my wife's idea of camping is the Holiday Inn!
Traveling on busy holiday weekends can be a trip of patience. Many people are pulling boats and trailers for the end of the summer last hurrah. This means a blend of traffic, some slow, some slower and others zipping impatiently in and out of traffic. This also means danger.
As you return this holiday take a bit more precaution on the highway and waterways. Not everyone is focused on safety.
Enjoy and take a moment to share your journey with the rest of us.
"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009
Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360
Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com
Housing Markets 101 ~ knowing the market for better results.
Have you been reading the newspapers and watching local television for you housing market analysis?
Here is an example that was published in a local newspaper. The reporter used a local broker's viewpoint 
for gauging market conditions. Then the reporter added some statistics to bolster the facts to support the article and make the data match the hype of the headline.
Here is the problem for the untrained home buyer or seller. National figures do not reflect your market in most cases. The next issue is trying to make local market information match the national market figures. It is like water and oil they don't mix.
Here is the example. Local sales are up significantly over last year, stated the headline. Last year we did not have the "first time buyer" incentive with buyers trying to beat the November deadline for termination of the stimulus plan. Locally we have seen a 17% drop in home prices on average. The article headline said, home sales up and values on the rise. Both are true. Our market had more sales this month than the same time last year, we also saw a price increases. Ready the increases were based on nearly 50% of the sales being foreclosures. The price increase? How about $94.00 over last years sale average. When you know the fact the numbers are hardly headline makers.
Here is what is a head line maker....home prices have never been better, FACT. Interest rates for those that qualify, consistently some of the lowest interest rates in decades, FACT. Larger selection of homes because more homes on the market better choices to find the right home at the right price, FACT. The stimulus package ends, FACT!
So knowing the real data can help you as a seller or buyer. Career professionals watch the markets very carefully. You can imagine how an article or newscast can impact the thinking of buyers and sellers. Buyers think prices are going up, sellers think homes are selling faster and for more money. Without the real data you may miss a sale act faster on a purchase than you would normally if you had the facts.
Get the facts, hope you enjoyed Housing Market 101. If you have an stories that illustrate how not knowing or having the facts created a different outcome than anticipated please share.
Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, 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. FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients needs. 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
Decisions of the Heart ~ Selling and Buying on emotions.
When selling your home pricing decisions can be impacted by your emotions. When purchasing your buying decisions can also be guided by emotion.
Think of your real estate decisions as business decisions. This is usually the l
argest purchase or sale you will make in your lifetime.
One of the main reasons real estate professionals are hired to represent clients is for their marketing and negotiating skills. Professionals in any business are hired for their skills. Professional real estate representation can offer you the insight because of specialized market knowledge.
Many agents are known as the local experts. Most times this is more than hype, this is being represented by a area specialist. Sellers know their homes better than the agents they hire, but they rarely know the market better. Agents do not use emotions when representing their clients interests. Agents provide buyers and sellers with decision making information. Career professionals have years of specialized training and market experience. Unlike other professions real estate has people from all walks of life, education, and skill sets representing clients.
Here is some of the emotional issues that can hurt your efforts to sell or purchase.
Sellers:
Buyers:
It is one thing to test sellers and buyers with an educated offer or counter offer based on fact. It is quite another to miss a sale or purchase based on emotions. Selling and buying are not decisions of the heart. Emotions play a huge part of every purchase we make. I go more into the emotion side of purchase in my nest post. Remember contracts can go up in flames over emotional issues.
I have watched sellers and buyers make poor decisions based on emotions and miss a sale or purchase that would have allowed them to meet their personal goals. The home had all the features and benefits they were looking for only to let a couple thousand dollars stop them. Divide $5000.00 by 20 years. It comes out to $20.83. If I said to you, this home could be yours for another $20.83 per month, what would your reaction be then?
Most people get stuck on the emotion and not the business of the sale or purchase. Using a professional to help you sell and buy gives you a neutral party that can point out the advantages and disadvantages and keep it business.
Hope this helps you make your next sale or purchase a business decision and not a decision of the heart.
Do you have any example of people losing a sale or purchase because of emotions. We would like to hear about it.
Live in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, 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. FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients needs. 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
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