Jenny Stoddard

We are all looking to get ahead. We want good press, we want great referrals, we want hassel free marketing. Well........

Good Luck.

The beauty of Karma is, when you are a nasty person, you better watch your back. But also, if you are a good person, rewards will come your way.

Recently I talked to some other blogs and business owners. We talked about effective advertising, monetizing advertising, etc.

And simply put, get over yourselves. When it comes to business, a little good goes along way. There are some that will gauge success by the pennies that are spent putting ads up, pay per click, etc. on others sites, or receiving these minor sums when those on your site are lucky enough to be chosen.

You may earn $50 bucks a month making someone pay for advertising on your site. Or you can look incredibly successful running 7 or 10 free ads on your site. You can trade with other businesses, give the world the perception of success while giving others a chance to promote their businesses as well. Remember, there is never a reason that beside you and your advertisers, no one should know which ads are paid for or not. I love that there are some of us that think we don't need a perception of success, because we are successful, and then there are others that know, perception is everything, everyone can use better and improved mojo. No one person has it all, yet.

What charity, fundraiser, non-profit doesn't want free advertising? You can trade banners, ads, (not links, because no one sees them). Allow those companies to refer people to you as you refer people to them. Yes there are the big shots that have hundreds of thousands of followers, that command more than a mere trade. Leave them alone. Let HP or Microsoft pay the big money and give your business a great platform by being seen on 5 or 10 additional sites that aren't your own.

I guess what I am getting at is, don't get too big for your britches. Give another business a hand up, let those around you refer you, let them know who you are and what great things you can do. Allow those around you to really feel good about their realtor and their business.

There are a lot of good marketing tools and then there are alot of marketing tips and tricks. But as my father used to say "Nothing will replace, good business. Make sure when they think of good business, they think of you."

This might just be my two cents, but when a lot of us get wrapped up in new platforms and technology, we often forget about business fundamentals.

So, less than a week ago I was shocked by the recent snow. ( I knew better) And now I am off to another announcement.
Yesterday I was equally shocked by the 65 degree weather. Yes, that was a 6 then a 5. For March in Montana, that is down right June weather.
So the question of the day is what do we get from Montana? (Frankly what a stupid question)
And the answer would be, beautiful mountains, emerald trees, cold but sparkling lakes. What we also get is snowshoeing and mountain biking in the same week.
Really, you can never be bored here?
In the summer, the small towns have that storybook charm, then in the winter, the weather definitely keeps you on your toes.

A little indecisive are we? Then frankly, Montana is the place for you.

Well, yes I live in Montana, and yes you would think that we would still be expecting more and more snow. Frankly I have a few, a very few, memories of snow in June or the 4th of July.

But, no matter how long I have lived in Montana, I am stilled surprised that this very morning it is snowing.

We have had months without snow and the last 2 weeks have been in the 40's and 50's. For Montana, in February, that is down right tropical. So what if the rest of the country has had snow lately, our tulips are coming out of the ground. Yesterday, I was contemplating how soon I could throw down seed. Wow, I really am slipping.

The stimulus bill has fried my brain and I have lost all logic, appearantly including the understanding of when it should snow in Montana.

Well...... enjoy!

So, I try to stick strictly to blogging, but have decided to highlight one of my listings every month. This town house has 2 bedrooms 2 & 1/4 baths, office nook, kitchen, dining and living combo. The association pays for exterior maintenance, garbage, water, exterior insurance, snow removal and lawn maintenance. This is totally maintenance free living right in Hamilton. Home offered at $179,000. There are two pictures below. If you would like to see more, try the virtual tour at http://www.exite-listings.com/etour.html/TOURID/9586

So,

So, the stimulus package does not offer the $15,000 credit that I had hoped, but it doesn't mean it isn't a good time to buy or to make some money.

Yes interest rates are low, but lending criteria is still tight. One alternative would be seller financing. I know quite a few people that make their living off of seller financing/private lending. What they do is carry the contract for the buyer and get paid interest like a standard mortgage except the seller is the "bank" so to speak. Now, some property owners don't mind lending because if the buyer forecloses, the lender/seller can turn around and resell the same property over and over. Now this will only work if the seller obviously has the cash to loan or owns the property outright, but it is a good alternative to conventional lending.

Again, don't get into a private contract if you cannot afford the property. No good will come out of that situation.
Items to remember when considering financing the buyer.

1. If you don't want to hold a 20 or 30 year contract, you can amortize the contract over 20 years with a balloon in 3 or 5 years. Just like your local bank can.

2. Always have a lawyer write the contract and oversee the negotiation with your Realtor. No, matter how smart you think you are.

3. Private Financiers usually can charge more interest then your typical bank or mortgage.

4. You might want to discuss the ability for the buyer to borrow more money against the property from a third party with your lawyer. You don' want a buyer to default and then you owe the 3rd party lender.

Seller financing isn't always the answer, but it is an option. And it might just be a way to extract money from your property instead of listing for a year or more.