Failure is the key to success! Not the failure itself, but the lessons and strength that you take from it.
Today is my 40th birthday and it has made me reflect on where I am in my life.
Rewind to my 30th birthday, which freaked me out! It wasn't the number that got me; it was where I was in my life at the time.
I had been a Realtor for a year. I took every phone time, held open houses for other agents, contacted my sphere, sent out mailers, and was completely out of money! I had sold a few properties, but not enough to cover all my expenses. I had exhausted any savings and was not married, so no "dual income" or help. So I wasn't where I thought I should be at that stage of my life: married, owning a home, having a fulfilling career, and maybe even kids.
I had decided to go to work for a production builder and had 18 interviews in six months. No one wanted to hire someone who had no sales experience. I waited tables to pay the bills and came up with a long term plan.
I got a job selling new Hondas! I learned to present, demonstrate, negotiate and close. All the skills I knew that I would need one day to sell new homes. I worked at the dealership for two years and gained lots of valuable experience.
In that time frame I also reconnected with Mr. Right, got engaged, bought a new home, and got married. I now had love and support in my life and someone to share the ups and downs with. Now that I had taken the pressure off of myself, I was able to move forward in my life and enjoy it more.
After two years selling cars I got my dream job selling new homes and haven't looked back since!
All the valuable experience I gained as both a Realtor and a car salesperson have made me very successful in new home sales. I worked too hard to get there so I wasn't going to squander my opportunity!
I took my "failure" and turned it into a plan. It was a huge life lesson for me.
Today as I turn 40, I look around at the love and success that I now enjoy and don't let my age put any extra pressure on me.
Let's hope I feel the same way at 50!
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
Facts About Aquamarine:
Aquamarine is light blue, blue-green and dark blue. The color is determined by the amount of iron. Top quality Aquamarine is transparent. It has a hardness of 7.5.
Aquamarine will fade if it is stored in the sun.
Aquamarine is often heat treated and commonly irradiated.
Aquamarine is mined around the world. It is primarily found in Brazil, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and USA (Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, and Vermont).
For the 16th and 19th year of marriage, Aquamarine is the anniversary gemstone.
It is traditional to present Aquamarine to new brides to help them be faithful and true.
Aquamarine Mystical Properties & Lore:
Some healers use Aquamarine to remind their clients of an ocean of love and mercy. By doing so, they say it helps ease depression and grief. It also is said to reduce tension and worry. Other healers use aquamarine to aid in clairvoyance.
The term "aquamarine" translates to sea water.
Aquamarine is said to re-awaken love in long-married couples and signify the making of new friends.
Aquamarine symbolizes happiness and understanding.
Legend states that aquamarine is good for curing hiccups!
Historically, one would wear aquamarine in earrings to bring love and affection. Aquamarine is used as a symbol of beauty, honesty, and loyalty.
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
One of historic downtown McKinney's best kept secrets is Goodhues Wood Fired Grill. It has a unique, warm and cozy atmosphere and provides a fine dining experience for any occasion. The service is always excellent, you will often run into friends and neighbors, and it has a historical charm to it.
We went there recently to celebrate my father's birthday. The food was delicious and we enjoyed ourselves in their relaxed atmosphere.
Goodhues features a Texas pecan and mesquite wood fired grill. The woods create a deep wood grilled flavor from the smoke to steaks, fish, chops as well as fresh vegetables, scallops, shrimp and lamb.
But the New American Cuisine goes well beyond the grill. Many of the new dishes, as well as the favorites, are pan seared, broiled or braised to provide maximum flavor, using homemade stocks, olive oils, and vinaigrettes for sauces.
Think of Goodhues to celebrate any special occasion or corporate event. They can handle parties of 10 up to 150. Their special events department can work with you to arrange a custom menu and assist in the planning. We had a Realtor dinner a couple of years ago that was a huge success in their private room.
Plan your next good time at Goodhues!
Goodhues is centrally located just 1 mile east of Highway 75 in McKinney.
General Manager-Josh Hill
Executive Chef -Fritz Montgomery
For Reservations Call-972.562.7570
204 West Virginia Street, McKinney, TX 75069
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
Lucky bamboo is believed in Asian cultures to bring you success and wealth.
The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which
stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them, "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
Canada has more lakes that the rest of the world combined.
Canada is an Indian word meaning Big Village.
In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.
In Calama, a town in the Atacama Desert of Chile, it has never rained.
In eighteenth century England, women's wigs were sometimes 4 feet high. These remarkable headdresses were dusted with flour and decorated with stuffed birds, replicas of gardens, plates of fruit, or even model ships.
In eighteenth century English gambling dens, there was an employee whose only job was to swallow the dice if there was a police raid.
In England, in the 1800's "pants" was considered a dirty word.
Ireland is the only place where windmills turn clockwise.
Sea side homes are painted bright colors so they can be easily seen from the sea.
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
The Fishes (February 20 to March 20)
Traditional Pisces Traits:
Imaginative and sensitive
Compassionate and kind
Selfless and unworldly
Intuitive and sympathetic
Adaptable and imaginative
The Shadow...
Escapist and idealistic
Secretive and vague
Weak-willed and easily led
Neurotic and obsessive/compulsive
Overly self sacrificing
Relating...
Pisceans possess a gentle, patient, malleable nature. They are capable of deep feeling and great sensitivity (though they tend to learn early on to be cautious about this). They have many generous qualities and are friendly, good natured, kind and compassionate, sensitive to the feelings of those around them, and respond with the utmost sympathy and tact to any suffering they encounter. They are deservedly popular with all kinds of people, partly because their easygoing and affectionate natures. They are never egotistical in their personal relationships and give more than they ask. They are intensely loyal and home-loving and will remain faithful once in love. Disillusioned Pisceans tend to escape into the arms of Bacchus, the god of alcohol, and sacrifice themselves beyond where they can recover from.
Likes 
Dislikes
Famous Pisceans:
(yes I'm a Pisces too!)
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
I work hard to match families with their new dream home! I work well with Realtors and other professionals in my field. New home sales professional for over ten years.
I love what I do for a living! I am a Home Builders Association Certified Sales Professional.
I have been successfully selling new homes for over ten years in the DFW area. I work in Melissa Texas for DR Horton Homes.
I enjoy matching people with their dream home! It's fun to help people through the construction process and build a community from the ground up!
I have the utmost respect for Realtors, having been one myself, and understand the value and expertise that they can add to the home buying process. I am very outgoing and like to make the home buying process as stress free as possible!
On a more personal note. I am married to a great guy named Jay who is very loving and supportive. We have two spoiled Golden Retrievers named Bailey and Baxter. They are a constant source of entertainment for us.
I moved a lot growing up and have lived in England, Ireland, Canada, Ohio, Puerto Rico, and Texas. I have recently become a US citizen, have lived in Texas for 23 years, and love all of the opportunities that it offers!
Hunter's Creek is a Shaddock Development located just 7 minutes north of McKinney in Melissa Texas.
New homes start in the $150's. We offer 42" kitchen cabinets, gas appliances, 100% brick, ceramic tile floors, and much more!
Hunter's Creek offers spec homes that are ready for move in or we can build on the lot of your choice!
Please stop in and visit soon. I'll always have cold bottles of water for you and your clients and air conditioned models for you to recoup and regroup.
"As the owner of Robert E. Hafer & Associates, a company that specializes in new home sales training, I've had the pleasure of working with thousands of new home salespeople. When Lara O'Keefe asked me to endorse her I considered it an honor. Lara is that unique salesperson who walks her talk. Simply put Lara is one of the best salespeople I have had the pleasure to work with. She listened to me and then went out and made it happen - not just some of the time - all of the time. I know Lara as a special individual with a positive can-do attitude, who accepts responsibility and makes things happen with little oversight or direction. I highly recommend Lara to any company seeking these qualities in an individual."
--- Bob Hafer, Owner of Robert E. Hafer & Associates
"I've had the privilege of working with Lara as both a business partner and a client. My husband and I built our David Weekley home prior to me entering real estate, and Lara was our sales consultant. Lara saw us through the entire process - from selecting our lot through moving in to our new home, and it was an incredibly smooth transaction thanks to Lara's professionalism and her commitment to helping us. We couldn't have gotten through it without her. And, as a Realtor, I've had the pleasure to work with Lara to do the same for my clients. She is simply amazing at her job!"
--- Audrey Reed, Realtor, Keller Williams
"Lara, you are a great sales person. From the business side, your marketing creativity and drive is tremendous! You're creative in communicating the positive features of your homes and community. Plus, you are a true team player and are unselfish with your marketing ideas. Secondly, you bring a lot of experience from living abroad that allows you to naturally build rapport with people. Your interest in serving your client and helping to meet their needs shows in your attentiveness. It's always a pleasure working with you."
--- Henry Morales, Sales Consultant, DR Horton Homes
"Lara is a driven, creative consultant who keeps the needs of her client foremost in her mind. She has an attention to correctness of detail and brings a level of quality to the experience that is equal to her passion for success."
--- Leah Burgdorf, Senior Sales Associate, David Weekley Homes
"Lara is a 'think outside the box' type sales professional who is consistently creating new innovative solutions to help her customers, clients, real estate agents and her other colleagues. When she's working with someone, she gives it her heart and soul and makes things happen quickly and effectively without hesitation. She goes to bat for you as the client and goes above and beyond the call of duty. Lara is definitely the sales professional of choice when I refer my clients to a builder!"
--- Robin Kuklenski, Realtor, Keller Williams
"Lara is one of the most knowledgeable, hard-working, on-site reps I have ever had the pleasure to work with! She is not afraid to take charge and help you get your buyer through the process seamlessly. I look forward to my next opportunity to work with her!"
--- Sara Braden, Sales Consultant, DR Horton Homes
"Lara is an exceptional salesperson. The thing that makes her stand out is her marketing ideas and promotions. She always has new and creative ways to get new clients in the door."
--- Erika Klingenberg, Lead Sales Consultant, David Weekley Homes
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