Julie Press-Raese, LLC Realtor, ARB, CRS, GRI

Tonight as I watch the Packer/Bear game I wonder how everyone will do tomorrow. It sounds like

it will be a very emotional day for those who will go in to work for the last time.

If you happen upon this blog and want to give us an idea of how you are doing, many would love

to get your perspective on this. It just seems to be happening at such a bad time of

year. Although, is there a good time of year for a major plant closing?

We rang bells on Saturday for the Salvation Army and found people to be generous this year.

Even with the tough economic times, people were friendly and giving.

It just goes to show you what a great city we live in.

People really do care about one another. I'm glad for that. It will be needed in the near future!

We will get through this tough time, togheter....I just know it!

This coming week, December 23, 2008 will be a date in history for our area. It is the official closing

of the GM Plant in Janesville, WI. This plant has been a huge part of the lives of many in our area for

100 years. We are now going to be heading into uncharted territory. What is it going to mean

for us and our community. There are many opinions. There are many fears.

What do I believe? I believe we are a very strong community. We are going to be ok.

It may take some time, but we will make it together. I am home here. I am not leaving, nor are many

strong people. We will get through this tough time together. I am sure of it.

I will continue to blog how this process goes. It may help many people going through similar situations in

other area. Please feel free to comment. I look forward to working together to a happy ending!

I just want to say that the media has totally got the world by the ear (or other body part, your choice).

Yes, I would like to make it through the day without feeling like the sky is falling, without hearing that

the sky is falling (and how quick).

Did you know that consumers are calling to inquire about refinancing their homes. Yes,

something good is happening out there. We all still need to live. Young and old still need to have

a roof over their head. Home ownership is still preferred over renting. People will still have get married,

transfer from area to area, have children, become empty nesters, get divorced and/or die. Simply said,

we all need a place to live.

Let's concentrate on finding a silver lining in this whole mess. Maybe we will become less wasteful and

kinder to each other. Would that be so bad??

Our area has been hit this year with several disasters. We got the announcement that the plant would close in 2010 sometime in May. Then we lived through a devastating flood that consumed a large part of our city and county. In late summer, the GM announcement came that the closing would be moved up to December 23, 2008, right before Christmas. If this is not enough, the national economy is in bad shape as well, the stock market pummeled. How do we move forward from here?

I believe this is a starting point. Maybe we're at the bottom. I have lived in Rock County my whole life. I'm not going anywhere. We are strong and will survive. It's time to show our confidence in our area by trying to maintain our local businesses. It's going to be a tough Christmas for most. The uncertainty is the worst part. I have many sellers who need to have their home sell. If we all pull together as a community, maybe we can have this turmoil end sooner than later.

I'd be happy to hear from other folks who've survived a large devastation in their local economy and how they survived. I'm up for the challenge!

Would you believe I had a closing this week with a buyer who never physically looked at the inside of the home?

Huh?

This buyer had been in an accident and was physically disabled. She was unable to get inside the house.

Her husband went through and said it looked exactly like the virtual tour that they had seen earlier.

What did I do? I spent an hour taking about 95 photos of this great home and making it look as I saw it. I thought it was a bit long, but I needed the extra photos to make the tour special.

So what's the point? The point is: In a market where there are more listings than sales, what do we do to have our listings stand out. We know that 82% of buyers look for their new home on-line. Doesn't it make sense to make a special presentation to promote the best of your listing.

After my experience last week. I now know for sure it makes a difference.