Kathleen Smith Personalized Real Estate Services

FREE!!

Anytime an agent can gain exposure for free, its a huge plus. I list my rentals on point2agent which distributes for several websites free. Craigslist is the favored method because it works so well.

Today, in my e mail box I received another great free website to list rental properties. http://www.rentquickly.com. This is a new site and is actively seeking agents and landlords to list their properties. The name says it all. Once they begin to receive a lot of listings this will be a great site. The name rent quickly will be a easy find for anyone conducting a search for rental property quickly. I hope many of you will take advantage of this. We can always use another free place to attract attention to our listings. In Rhode Island you cannot list a rental property on the MLS. This makes it difficult to gain exposure and to find free exposure. For obvious reasons agents do not want to list rentals on pay to use sites. Because the commission is not enough to pay for several website ads, gaining another place to list free is extremely welcome.

Thanks,

Katie

When I turned 45, I began to wonder if I was making any difference in someones life. I spoke to many women who all stated that they went through the same thing. Some had a desire for knowledge and returned to college. Others wanted to make a change and either changed careers or moved to a new home. It is a feeling that something is missing. For me, I want to know that I am doing something to help and make a difference. While I tried to make myself feel that real estate really will make a difference, I still could not believe that it had anything to do with me. I was just the middleman. Then, today, I received a call from the mortgage company that we use and was told that my clients credit was great and he was approved. I quickly called to tell him and he was so thankful. His excitement made me feel so wonderful and gave me the motivation to work harder and help those who would normally not be able to receive a mortgage. I loved that excitement in my clients voice and would love to hear that over and over. When working 100 hours or more with little action, I need all the encouragement I can find.

Thanks and have a great election day!

Hi,

I received this from a mortgage company president that we work with. He knows how much we value our computers in this business and has forwarded this to everyone that he knows asking that we do the same. I thought I would post this for everyone to read. Thanks!

Kathleen Smith

Weichert Staff,

Hi All, I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus! I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!! Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP. PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS! You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it. If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classi fied by Microsoft as th eost destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US!

Brian Faye New England Mortgage.

I am wondering if there is anyone out there that feels the same way about the National/Local Association of Realtors as I do. I feel that the dues are far too much and in return we receive nothing worthwhile aside from the MLS. Joining the MLS without the association seems like something that is not allowed. I wish I tried to join just the MLS without both the National and Local Association of Realtors. I am also hoping that this blog will not bar me from renewing if I have to.

I thought because I was taught throughout the class how important this association was that I would barely be able to sell without it. I find now that it is nothing more than a large bill that must be paid. Everything offered cost more money. Yes, they offer core classes and classes that are interesting but so do the real estate schools. I am hoping that I am wrong and someone can tell me why this is a must have among real estate agents. I know that we have a local page called RIliving and this offers visitors to the site a chance to find a home and agent but as far as this is concerned, there are many sites that do the same without charging. As a new agent it is very difficult to gain access without going broke. I know that this was not the best time to enter a new career but I know too that I will succeed and will be able to become one of the more helpful agents if only I could afford to without losing my shirt.

It would please me to see others that want more for their money and who strive for answers from the current association. We could get together and create a new name and charge for its use. How about Realestator? or Propertor? Creating more assiciations would cause competition and a price decrease.

Just a thought

Katie Smith

Specializations in Realestate

Real estate is something we enjoy doing and for this reason many remain in the field despite the difficulty in earning a living. One thing many of us enjoy is specializing in areas we are comfortable and knowledgeable with. For me, unique and historic properties are my favorite. I am also experienced and knowledgeable in working with homeowners whose home failed to sell when listed with another agency. I have seventeen years of experience in this area and love the thrill of discovery. When I am able to pinpoint the reason a home remained on the market after the expiration of the contract I feel I have achieved success.

I began my love of historic homes in 1989 when working with an architect whose business was disassembling historic property that was slated for demolition. He, along with his crew, would go to the site, take the home down piece by piece and number each and every thing that was salvageable. The pieces of the home are placed in large barns on his property and sold to buyers who've chosen a piece of land. Once the permits are in place the crew transports the pieces and reconstructs the home on a new foundation. There are of course new things added that complete the home but it is so amazing to watch. This architect was on "Sunday Morning With Charles Kuralt." Once I worked in his home which was renovated on its original foundation I was hooked. Horse farms are something I love. I rented a horse farm for a few years and cared for a rescue horse, Freckles. She was magnificent. My goal is to earn enough money to purchase a farm and begin a rescue agency in our area. I will always sell real estate but have this special feeling for all living things and want to ensure that animals have a sanctuary in which they can live in peace. I would feel as though I lost my niche if I were to give up my specializations and hope this does not happen any time soon. I would love to hear from others that specialize and know if they too feel that they are now forced to take what they can get or if they are holding out for the areas they love.

I wish everyone a great fall and winter season and hope and pray that the housing market is good to all of us.

Katie