Malisa Spivey & Damon Crelia

Here is a wonderful list of things to do in Waco for Halloween, thanks to Kendra for typing this up! Never say you have nothing to do, because all of these activities provide something for you and the family. Get out there and support your community and most of all have fun!

List of Halloween Events and Fall Festivals in the Waco Area

Now until October 31, 2009-Kaska Family Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch

•· Bring your family and friends out to the farm for some good, clean, farmin' fun for all ages. Choose a pumpkin, get lost in our corn maze, pick flowers, ride the hayride and after dark, enjoy our haunted trail, if you're brave enough! Children's activities, Concessions, restroom facilities and free parking. Visit our website for more info!

•· $7 per person, children 3 and under are free!

•· www.kaskafamilyfarm.com

Saturday, October 24, 2009-Bledsoe Miller Fall Festival

•· 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bledsoe-Miller Recreation Center, 300 MLK Blvd.

•· This is an annual program the entire family will enjoy! All ages can participate in games, crafts and food.

•· $2.00 per person

•· Contact: 254-750-8684 or www.waco-texas.com

Saturday, October 24, 2009-Safe and Spooky Community Carnival

•· 1:00-5:00pm at Waco Convention Center

•· Join the Museum and local safety and wellness organizations for a FREE Community Carnival including trick-or-treating, games, storytelling, and more! Children may dress in costumes and are encouraged to bring bags for candy and prizes.

•· FREE!

•· www.texasranger.org or call 750-8631

Sunday, October 25, 2009-Pumpkin Event at Art Center Waco

•· 3:00-6:00pm at Art Center of Waco (1300 College Drive near MCC)

•· Come enjoy apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, various games, hot dogs & drinks for sale, a pumpkin auction & a costume contest, fun for all ages!

•· FREE & open to the Public.

•· www.artcenterwaco.org/fallfestival.htm

Thursday, October 29, 2009-Halloween Carnival at Dewey Recreation Center

•· 6:00-8:00 pm at Dewey Recreation Center

•· Children are invited to join a safe, fun-filled Halloween carnival with games, candy, and a costume contest.

•· $3 per child & all ages welcome

•· Contact: 254-750-8677

Thursday, October 29, 2009-Halloween at the Pavilion

•· Come in your best Halloween costume and join the festivities at the South Waco pavilion. Prozes for best costume.

•· 6:00-7:30pm at South Waco Recreation Center

•· FREE!

•· Contact: 254-750-8650

List of Halloween Events and Fall Festivals in the Waco Area (continued)

Friday, October 30, 2009-"Halloween" Story Time

•· 10:30 am at South Waco Library, 2737 S. 18th Street at.

•· FREE story time for children ages 3-6 years old

•· For more information contact: 254-750-5942

Saturday, October 31-Central Texas Marketplace's Trunk or Treat

•· 4:00-6:00 pm-located near Panera Bread

•· Fun & Games - Spooky Inflatables

•· Costume Contest at 5:00

•· www.shopctm.com

Saturday, October 31, 2009-Trick or Treat in the Gallery

•· 5:00-8:00 pm

•· Come & see the art work and get candy and greetings from the Staff of Art Center Waco!

•· www.artcenterwaco.org/fallfestival.htm

Saturday, October 31, 2009-Zoo Boo at Cameron Park,

•· 6:00-8:00 pm

•· Adults-$7, Kids 4-12-$5, Kids 3& under-free

•· www.cameronparkzoo.com/zooparty.html

Saturday, October 31, 2009-Hewitt's 14^th Annual Children's Halloween Party

•· 6:30-8:00 pm at Hewitt Park Pavilion

•· Hot dogs, pizza, cookies, games, and costume contest

•· For children 12 & under

•· http://www.cityofhewitt.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=173

Change Your Mindset and Thrive In 2010

(by Kendra Zadnik)

To create more business, it is not as important that you take lots of actions, but that you have identified the right actions to take. To position yourself to thrive in 2010, here are three powerful distinctions. Make some shifts in these areas and see results!

Connecting VS. Impressing

If your marketing materials and your approach in meeting new clients is to impress them with your knowledge and experience, you may be seen as one of those scary, pushy salespeople. If you show a true interest in the other person's needs and problems, you will begin to connect and build trust. The old style of marketing and promotion focused on the agent rather than the client. The new style is relationship-based. The consumer is looking for someone to trust, for someone who will listen to them and discover their needs.

We have conversations often with coaching clients who believe they need to get better at their closing skills to increase their effectiveness. Most of the time, we find they are working too hard at proving how great they are and are turning off clients because they are failing to connect. Stop working so hard and relax and just listen and connect with the potential client. It will become easier and more effective. You will get better results from listening for your clients needs and providing the services that will fill those needs.

Abundance VS. Scarcity

The mindset that business is limited and there is not enough can lead an agent to working with every potential client or prospect that comes their way. Some of this business may not be the highest and best use of your time. Stop working with the jerks. Life is too short. Stop working with people who have needs you are not qualified to help them with, such as those who want a commercial property, land, or a neighborhood outside your normal service area. Let go of these and refer them to another agent who is qualified to help them...it will be the highest dollar per hour you'll make in 2010 and the client will be better served. Stop working with buyers that are not going to buy and sellers that are going to waste your marketing dollars and cause you grief.

The scarcity mindset will cause you to make decisions that will waste your precious time. Believe that there is plenty of business for you and get choosy about working with those who fit your target market, skills and way of doing business. The universe reflects back to you the most dominant thoughts you have. Are your daily thoughts supporting the vision you have for 2010? If not, the consciousness of what thoughts you are putting out there is the first step to changing those negative thought patterns.

Fun VS. Hard Work

Don't you find it more enjoyable to do business with a relaxed, fun, loving person instead of a harried over-worked person? Taking care of yourself is a basic need if you are going to serve your clients impeccably in 2010. Take at least one day off (that means like on vacation-you don't take calls on your cell phone; someone else is covering things) every week. Schedule your 2010 vacations now. Take three-day weekends over the course of the year. If you work yourself to exhaustion regularly, you will burn out. What's more, your focus is impacted and you just don't get things done as effectively.

This distinction is also about your mindset. Do you love the real estate industry? Is your real estate practice a reflection of your values and what is really important to you? Those people who have an integrity and alignment with their core values, love what they do and have fun with it. It is not about survival and selling every day, it is about service and offering themselves to make a difference with someone else. If you aren't in that place, do some thinking about what mindset you need to shift in 2010. You'll get into the flow and find it all gets much easier.

These shifts can be scary too, because they are based on faith. Look around, though, and you'll see there are people who are connecting, having fun and have an abundantly prosperous business. If they can do it, you can do it too! You too can thrive in 2010!

What are you going to do different in 2010? Come Monday to Power Lunch to discuss more skill building tools to help you have a fantastic 2010.

Well the numbers are in and surprisingly not bad at all! A lot of Realtors will tell you that 2006 was their best year, just ask and then look at the numbers, the average sales price of a home has increased since then. If you would like to look at all the numbers or for a specific area, please visit www.mymarketreports.com

The above numbers were taken from the Waco MLS and are strictly based on residential sales only. These numbers are deemed accurate but not reliable.

Alright, Christmas is fast approaching and I am soliciting ideas for simple but heartfelt ideas for homemade gifts for past and current clients. We have done something homemade for the last 4 years and want to continue in the tradition, but we need some ideas to help the juices start flowing.

One year we made a dry erase boards, the next year we baked; cookies, chocolate covered pretzels and peanut clustes, another year we made lace christmas ornaments with the year embroidered in it, and last year we baked again. We NEED some ideas, so if all of our Active Rain Associates could help, we would gladly take the suggestions.

Thank you so much in advance for your participation. The winning idea will be sent a $50.00 Gift Certificate and hopefully tell everyone else on Active Rain that they won, free money for an idea.

All to often Realtors are compared to Car Salesman, not that there is anything wrong with a car salesman, in fact there are a lot of helpful ones, but unfortunatley there are some shysters too. The same can be said of Realtors, and that is the statement that leads to this post. I was just reading a post about qualifying buyers and it prompted me to write this blog.

Is there value to your service? Are you different than any other Realtor? Do you portray an attitude of a professionalism? Do you hop into the car and meet a client to show a home immediately after they call you? Do you have a brochure about your services, can you list all the things that you will do for this potential client? Are you good at time managment?

Are you a Doctor or a Car Salesman?

When you call your Doctor, how often do you get in right away? When your Doctor gives you a diagnosis, how often do you question his/her knowledge? Does your Doctor or has your Doctor ever came to your home for a house call? Does your doctor require extra time for your first visit for that initial consultation and questionnaire?

Why not have clients come to come to the office before you run out the door, like a Pop Tart Realtor? This is not only a safety issue, but it is a good qualifier. This enables you the Professional to educate a potential client about the home buying process, the value of your services and to build a relationship, which is KEY in this industry. It also shows this potential client that you are a professional who knows how to manage your time. Just imagine if every agent required this how many non-serious people this would eliminate, and some of our own horror stories.

Get where I am going with this? I will say it again, it is time to Raise the Standards in our Industry and make this paradigm shift.

Food for thought....What about charging a retainer? Would this ensure that the buyer is serious and that they believe their is value in your service? Would this place a higher standard on and require more Realtors to add value to their service? Is your time free? Is gas cheap? Do you like probono work?

Think about it.....how would these two suggestions change out industry?