Marian Goetzinger Crystal Coast Real Estate NC

Did you ever eat dirt? NO? Well, then, you don't know what you're missing. My husband loves to tease our youngest grandsons who live near us. They are aged 3, 4 and five. Whenever we pick them up for a sleep-over at our house he tells them we're having dirt for dinner. They giggle and say "No, Pa, we can't eat dirt!"

Recently "Pa" had a birthday and the grandsons and I plotted. Let's make him a dirt cake. We made it together and everybody had a great laugh when "Pa" saw his beautiful dirt cake. Yummy.

First you make three round layers of cake. Any kind of cake will do. Then you layer cake and frosting in a pretty flower pot until you get almost level with the top. Trim the edges if necessary. Now the fun begins. Crumble up Oreo cookies all over the top layer of frosting. Partially bury a few gummy worms. "Plant" a few flowers, stick in the candles and get ready for some laughs.

Served best with a spade and a smile.

Happy Birthday Pa!

For the recipe for real estate call Marian at 252-422-9000 or visit my web-site at www.pineknollshoresrealty.com

Good Morning!

At 8:00 am I walked across the parking lot and past the palm garden next to my office door. I usually make it into my office and get everything set up to begin my day by now but today my dog is sick and I spent a little extra time with him. As a result I'm a little behind schedule.

I have friends who don't get up before 9:00 am. I have a personal policy of not calling customers and clients before 9:00 because I know some folks sleep later than me. But I love being a morning person.

Today (as usual) I was up, dressed and walking my dogs at 5:30 am. I'd already had a cup of coffee and moved the load of clothes from the washer to the dryer. I walked my dogs for their usual 15 minute stroll then I took off for my 45 minute run. My running time is my daily exercise and my meditation time. Since then I've fed the dogs, showered, finished the laundry, changed the sheets and placed them in the washer, unloaded the dishwasher, checked my email before turning off my computer to bring it to the office.

Now my workday officially begins but look at what all I've accomplished!

For all your real estate needs, please call me. Marian Goetzinger 252-422-9000. (You can call early.) Or visit my web-site at www.pineknollshoresrealty.com

OPEN HOUSES! They can be a great way to get some traffic moving or they can be a total waste of time. I think that when things are slow and you have a morning open it's a great way to work. Take your laptop, your cellphone and some things that you can do if nobody shows up. Then have an open house. If nobody stops by, you've had time to do some catching up so you've not lost anything and maybe people will come.

But the best way to do open houses is with groups. Buyers enjoy being able to see lots of properties in one day without having to make appointments and with no obligation. I'm happy that our local REALTOR association is planning, organizing and promoting our second annual showcase of homes. I just wish I had enough brokers to have every one of my listings open. It will be good.

Make plans to attend the Crystal Coast Showcase of Homes, March 28-29. For more info see below:

http://www.crystalcoastshowcaseofhomes.com/

I've been thinking a lot about what this country needs. If you haven't, where have you been? I know that the leaders are not going to give me a call to ask for my advice, so maybe if I blog it, it will find it's way to them.

We need to remember how to laugh. We need to have a good hearty, tears rolling down the cheeks laugh at least once a day. We need to return to a sense of humor and stop taking every little thing so seriously.

Oh, I don't mean to suggest that these aren't hard times. I have not been living in a cave. But every day there is something to make you smile and if you work at it a little bit, there are things to laugh at too. Don't make fun of others and don't laugh inappropriately, but if you can't remember the last time you had tears rolling down your cheeks or even peed your pants laughing, then you've gotten too serious.

Start with a smile. Come on. You can do it. Look at that awesome sunrise or sunset. Notice that cute little girl with her mother at the department store. Go ahead, smile at them. Turn off the news and find an old sit com and laugh. Throw the paper out without reading anything except the funnies one day. Ask your co-workers about their 5 year old's soccer game, or go watch.

LAUGH! It will nourish your soul.

Attention REALTORS! We're in this together. I have a listing. You have a buyer. My job is to sell the listing for as good a deal as I can get for my seller. your job is to get the dream house for your buyer at the best deal possible. Aren't we both trying to achieve the same goal? Can't we best serve our respective clients by working together to come to the closing table with good feelings on all sides?

Some REALTORS seem to think that the best way to 'stay close' to their buyers or sellers is to create an adversarial situation. The other agent is the bad guy and his/her client a pawn. Not true and not the way honest ethical folk treat each other. Didn't we all subscribe to the Golden Rule?

Hard times can bring out the worst in people. It can also bring out the best. I challenge each of you to stop and think before you blame and criticize. Look out for your client, but not with a kill or be kill attitude. I promise to treat you fair and kind and I hope you will treat me the same way.

PS: Today after working for weeks as the listing agent negotiating with a buyer's agent on behalf of her client, we came to an agreement! We have a deal. Congratulations Carol. You've acted on behalf of your client in a fair, reasonable and ethical manner. I look forward to sitting across the closing table from you in 45 days... and we'll all feel good about the deal.