Kimberly Wilson REALTOR Douglasville, GA Real Estate Specialist

There's alot of talk these days about agent safety. I've noticed that as the economic crunch goes on, crime is on the rise. Being near the metro Atlanta area, the daily news is full of tales of robbery, home invasions and the like. Recently, a couple in the metro Atlanta area robbed three different real estate agents within 2-3 days. Why? Agents are not being as safe as they should be.

I know there are many 'macho' men reading this and thinking that "This is for the women." Did you know that statistics show that more MEN are actually killed in robberies than women? So Listen Up!

Living and working in Dawsonville, GA is not like "the big city". Crime here is very low, and I could easily forget to be a safe agent. However, crime can occur anywhere at any time and you should always practice personal safety.

Here are some tips I learned at a recent safety class:

• Be alert! Know what's around you, and if you feel uncomfortable in a situation you should get out! I always say you should 'go with your gut'. If it feels like the twilight zone, it very well may be!

• Always, and I say ALWAYS, meet potential buyers at your office. Introduce them to someone else, make a copy of their ID, and have them fill out a Customer Information Sheet. You could take this opportunity to go over the Buyers Brokerage Agreement with them and ask them to take it home and bring it back to you signed upon your next meeting.

• Don't hold an Open House alone. In what other line of business do we advertise to the general public that we will be alone at a certain address, at a certain time? It's like saying to criminals.."I'm here, come get me!". Find someone to sit the open house with you. If your seller pressures you, just tell them it's company policy for an agent NOT to sit an open house alone. They will have to wait until you are able to schedule someone to be with you.

• Develop a code distress signal with someone in your office or a family member. If you feel scared or intimidated, simply inform your customer that you need to make a quick call and say to your contact person " I'm at such and such address and I forgot the red folder. "

• Always drive your own car, and let the customers follow you. A man, a woman or even a couple can be a threat to you once you have them in your car, and they can control you. Remember to NEVER park in front of their car. Let them pull into the drive ahead of you. Park on the street if you must.

• When showing the home, don't lead them. Stay behind them, and let them explore the home in front of you. Always keep yourself between them and the exit door.

• Avoid going into areas where you could become trapped such as basements, attics, or small rooms.

• Most importantly, have a plan for personal safety and be prepared to use it!

Personally, I do not feel comfortable carrying a gun. And if you do, make sure you have a license to do so and that you know how to use it! I have always carried a stun gun in my pocket, but I realize that to use such a device requires the perpetrator to be right upon you. It's safer to have something that reaches out at least 8-12 feet.

I recommend Pepper Spray. NOT MACE! Studies have shown that mace is not effective on people under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. The chemical agent of Pepper Spray will automatically close the eyes of someone, even if they did not feel the pain. So, even if they still want to come after you, they will not be able to see. You can purchase large or small canisters of Pepper Spray. The one I use goes on my keychain, which usually remains in my hand when I am out of my car. The canister types come with clips that you can easily attach to your belt or pants. These also come in handy when walking or running. Pepper spray is effective on dogs and other animals. If you are unsure about which Pepper Spray you should purchase, check with your local Sheriff's Department Safety Officer for a recommendation.

Don't take chances, no sale is worth risking your life!

Kimberly Wilson, Your Available Dawsonville Real Estate Agent! Looking Out For Your Safety!

It's hard to believe, but 2008 is coming to an end. As we look ahead to 2009 with anticipation and excitement, we also may find ourselves wondering where the time has gone!

I believe that nothing is ever lost. Time is not lost, because what has passed lives on and gives us wisdom. Someone asked me yesterday why people wait until they are 'old' to make life changing decisions, and why don't they do the smart things earlier? I say it's never too late to make your life better. This is not a dress rehearsal. You must make the most of every moment and never look back, only look ahead!

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Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.

It carries over no balance from day to day.

Every evening, the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do? You would draw out every cent, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. It's called TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever to this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you.

Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back. There is no drawing against ‘tomorrow'.

You must live in the present on today's deposits.

Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask the person who just avoided an accident.

Treasure every minute that you have! Remember that time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow, a mystery.

Today is a gift,

that's why it's called the present.

Have a Safe, Happy, and Properous New Year!

This is for those of you who, like me, have suffered a loss in your life. Maybe your loss was years ago, and you still feel sad during this 'Season of Joy'. For me, it was to be my only child. I lost him on December 14, 1999. A close friend of mine lost her father-in-law suddenly about 2 weeks ago. And this week, our County Manager's mother-in-law passed away from a sudden illness. My dear friend and 'partner in crime', Julie, is feeling a tremendous loss this year without her mother, who passed away earlier this year. I hope this blesses your heart, as it has mine.

My first Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees, around the world.

With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away your tears.

For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear.

But the sounds of music can't compare with the

Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring.

For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart.

But I am not so far way, we really aren't apart.

So be happy for me dear ones, you know I hold you dear.

And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.

I sent you each a memory of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious than gold.

Love was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other like my father said to do.

I can't count the blessings of love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away those tears,

Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Last year I attended a seminar where we were asked to quickly write down all the uses we could think of for a paper clip. They offered $20 to the person who could think of the most uses. The winner had a list of 12 things he thought of. Then, they asked us to group together in teams of 4, and together make a list of uses for a paper clip. The winners each received $20. The winners had a list of 44 things! Of course the idea was to teach us the benefits of brainstorming. This lesson I took to heart and have used it in my business ever since.

Some time ago, a few agents in my office decided to set aside Tuesday mornings for a brainstorming session. I'm amazed at the ideas that made it to paper! I encourage you if you have never tried this to set one up and experience the results for yourself.

Speaking of brainstorming...I feel like that's what Active Rain does for me on a daily basis. To me, it's the encyclopedia of real estate compiled by the best minds in the industry. I am so grateful to be a part of it!

I am also excited to have the next couple of weeks to work on my 2009 plans. This year, I'm not traveling or attending any family events. My family spent Thanksgiving together, and we went our separate ways for Christmas. So, while the rest of you are cooking turkeys, opening presents, and waiting in airport terminals I will be sitting here at my desk planning and arranging my 2009 schedule.

There are several new items I plan to implement to increase my business. Going back to the basics and farming and doing newsletters is one. Creating time blocks for prospecting is another. What I would like to know is:

How was your 2008? Were there specific things that you added in 2008 that you had not done before that increased your business? (If 2008 is not a good year to compare to, then use another year.)

I believe that no matter where you live in the good ole' USA, the Internet is the predominant force in marketing and produces the most results. If you agree with this, then:

What internet site do you feel generated the most response for you in 2008?What do you plan to do different in 2009 in regards to your Internet presence?

What new ideas do you plan to use to not only make it through 2009, but to excel in spite of the 'recession' ?

and finally...

What did you try consistently in 2008 that did NOT produce the desired results, and that you will be deleting from your plan for 2009?

Are you reading this and thinking that you have put off writing your own business plan, and the end of the year is upon us? There's still time! Just remember "People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan! " Take some time for yourself and let's do it together!

What an interesting weekend! So much happened to get my mind on 'speed dial' I debated on my topic this morning.

On Saturday, the sentencing for Brian Nichols was completed. Brian Nichols was convicted of the Fulton County courthouse shooting THREE YEARS ago. I'm not even going to get into the aspects of the trial or the who's or why's of the entire ordeal or why he should or should not have gotten the death penalty. My attention to the outcome and the reason I became glued to the TV to watch as the sentences were read was to see Brian Nichols reaction to it all. I watched his facial movements, expressions, hand gestures, and where he was staring with his cold, dark eyes.

Of course I wondered what he was thinking. Was he sorry? Was he remorseful? It was hard to tell. So I let my mind wonder back many years ago and saw a little boy named Brian Nichols. He was about 5-6 years old. He loved his mom, riding his bike, and school. He was as excited about life and growing up as any 5-6 year old boy could be. Even as a teenager, he could never in his wildest imagination dream that one day he would be sitting in a court room with hundreds of people and thousands more watching him on television to see if he would live or die by the hand of the law. Sitting there, he must have felt like the most hated person in the world. He sat straight and upright. I wondered if he was wishing he could crawl under the table and hide like the little boy he once was. As I sat there watching, I began to feel empathy for Brian Nichols and wondered "where did it all go wrong?" He made a mistake, then another, and another. Does he wish he could go back in time and change things? My thoughts turned to my own life, and I realized how many hundreds of mistakes I have made. No, I never killed anyone or committed heinous crimes. But I have made many mistakes that could have resulted in much different outcomes in my life. I began to be thankful that if given the chance to have a "do over", I believe I would end up pretty much where I am right now in my life. Maybe a little more successful and healthy, but no real dramatic changes.

Then they led him away from the courtroom in cuffs and chains. And I'm not saying he didn't deserve to lose his, but there was just something about watching someone else lose their freedom that made me SO PROUD that I still have mine! I spent the rest of the weekend feeling grateful for my opportunity to live, work, and be free in spite of my mistakes!

By the time I watched the 60 minutes piece and heard the doom and gloom reports for 2009 & 2010, I was mentally in a state of success 'in spite of', and it has not phased me at all. I plan to make 2009 the best year of my career, and I know that I will succeed..as will you!

Join me to Rise and Shine in 2009! And, in the wise words of General Douglas MacAthur..."There is no security on this earth: there is only opportunity."