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Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group

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So what is YOUR definition of a "LICENSED" or "PROFESSIONAL" repair????

07-15-09
Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group
Here are a few of my favorite mistakes seen on contracts about items requested to be REPAIRED by the seller:
  • The house is to be professionally cleaned
  • Carpets to be professionally steam cleaned
  • HVAC to be serviced by a licensed contractor
  • Roof repairs to be repaired by a licensed roofer
  • Plumbing repairs to be fixed by a licensed plumber
OK, that's enough.....as this list could go on forever. So what is the problem with these lines. Did you catch it?

OK, let's add a couple of questions for you.
  1. What does the word "Professional" mean?
  2. What does the word "Licensed" mean?
As Realtors we should all know the answer to these two questions as we are "Professionals" and we are "Licensed". But, does that mean that we are good real estate agents? Well, does it? So the same concept goes to the rest of the world. Do the words professional and licensed mean that you are going to get what you wanted in the items requested on the contract? Maybe....maybe not. Based on what was written above, you will find out either prior to closing during your walk thru or after closing when the buyer calls you up with a disaster created by a trade.....or items that were not actually done by a trade. Some items repaired are Greek to most of us, and when we see a receipt that the item was repaired or replaced, we assume that this is correct.

A couple of recent examples:

  • Thermostat and timer to be replace in the dishwasher. The agent assumed it was done as the dishwasher went through its cycle. What ended up the case was that the "Licensed Professional" made a call that repairing a damaged wire would fix the problem, but the dishwasher later would not work....and you can figure the disaster that was created from this.
  • A house was professionally cleaned and professionally steamed cleaned. We get to the house and their is dust on the window sills, art niches, baseboards, shower floor, tub. A professional was hired. Our agent saw the person arrive, so we can not dispute the fact that cleaning did not occur. They also brought by a rented steamer for the carpets, so we can not claim that the carpets did not have steam cleaner on them. Was the house professionally cleaned and steamed? Yes. Was it a disaster? Yes.
  • HVAC was hired to have the HVAC serviced. Buyer moves in and on day 1 (ONE) the secondary drain lines drips water. The primary drain was not flushed. Upon contacting the HVAC contractor they stated that their policy is not to flush the primary drain on a service unless they see water dripping from a secondary drain line. They are now on my black list.
So how do you get around this?

It is much simpler than you thing. Merely designate what professional is to do a given item. Yes, there is some liability thrown on your shoulders, but our job is to be a fiduciary for our clients and do what is in THEIR best interest. There is a shot that your suggestion may backfire, but I have never had a situation where an item backfired and the trade did not remedy the situation. The professionals want my business and I want satisfied clients.

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So How Long Does It Take to move furniture out of a house.....if the seller is moving to Europe?

07-15-09
Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group
If you do not know, you may be get into terrible trouble. If either your buyer or your seller is involved in an international move, be prepared for major time contingencies.

International moves require an entirely different set of rules in packing requirements that require substantially more time than a move across the country. All items are boxed and or crated (depending if delivered by ship). If a crate is labeled "BOOKS" and this crate is opened and there is something in the crate that is not books, that crate or the shipment may be either held or sent back. Thus, international movers are extremely diligent and thorough as to how every item is packed.

The last house that we sold as an international transfer took 6 1/2 days to move. Though the time may vary from one shipper to another, this process is extremely important for anyone to know. If one is expecting a 2-3 day process and has the closing set accordingly and the other party has their mover set according, a disaster is imminent. My rule of thumb on international moves is 7 days. Thus, when a seller is starting their moving process, I budget that all will be done 7 days thereafter. Many movers are very optimistic in their moving schedule. Most will quote a 3 day process. I have never experienced an international move overseas where a mover was able to accomplish this time period. I am not saying it has not occurred, but I have not seen this reality in my 28 years in the business.

The 6 1/2 days was getting me to sweat a bit, as the house had to be professionally cleaned and the carpets steamed cleaned that day. Because of this occurrence I am comptimplating changing my time period to 8 days; but this is the longest period I have ever experienced. The really ironic part is that the seller was an international shipper.....not in moving furniture.

If you have not had the experience of watching the moving process of an international mover in process, it is quite an experience. It is the most thorough....detailed moving process I have seen from domestic movers. Rarely have I ever seen a scratch made on wall or any debris left over after a move.

Thus, be careful when going into contract with a seller or even a buyer and budget this time frame into the contract.
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Steiner Ranch, Austin: CONCERT IN THE PARK; AUGUST 22nd; The Participants

07-15-09
Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group

The merchants and businesses of Steiner Ranch are pleased to announce the second annual Steiner Ranch Concerts in the Park Summer 2009 event in celebration of the families and community friends which make Steiner Ranch an excellent neighborhood to work and live. Other than THE BARTLETT REAL ESTATE GROUP OF KELLER WILLIAMS, below is a list of other profit and non profit organizations involved in the Concert. Go to www.SteinerRanchConcerts.com for more details.

Spend an afternoon with the entire family and enjoy fun and games, concessions, local business exhibits, and get your groove on with the sounds of live local music by Lost in Austin and the Vandargrift Drill Team, Band, and Cheer.

Steiner Ranch Concert in the Park – Summer 2009

Saturday, August 22

Steiner Ranch Town Square Community Center

Corner of North Quinlan Park Rd. & Country Trails Lane

Steiner Ranch, Austin, Texas

5:30 – 9:00pm



Business/Organization

Vista Ridge Shopping Center

26-MUSIC

Vista Ridge Dental

Steiner Orthodontics

Wild Basin Fitness

Villari's Martial Arts of Texas

Children's Center of Austin

Rising Stars Pediatric Dentistry

The Market

Thai Harmony

Shops at Steiner Ranch

Wag-a-Bag

Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts

Cups & Cones

Lakeside Pizza & Grill

Steiner Dental

Fion Wine Pub & Bistro

School in the Hills

Steiner Primary Care

Steiner-Based Businesses

4 Points Business Association

Sugar & Spice Catering

Lending 360

Karin Wilkinson Strategies

Taylor Woodrow

Artisan AV/Bennett Technologies

Steiner Ranch HOA

Flowerscapes

Games 2U

Rooms U Love

Freedom Boat Club

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools

A Home for Art

Steiner Tees

Studio 563

Gene Arant/Keller Williams Realty

Kimberly McLaughlin/Keller Williams Realty

Solar Community

Longhorn Village

Apricot Lane

Water District 17

IFIT 150

UT Golf Club

Landers Premier Flooring

Lexus of Austin

The Marketing Wrangler & Company

All American Pest Control

Steiner Steakhouse

River Place-Based Businesses

Four Points Family Chiropractic

Pigtails & Crewcuts

J.W. Tumbles


River Place Country Club

Wells Fargo - Austin Four Points

Entertainment & Administrative Support

Lost in Austin

Hiduke Consulting

April Harper Art

Non-Profit Organizations

Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts

Steiner Cares

Dress 4 Success

Atlas 4000

Hill Country Bible Church

River Ridge Elementary

Vadegrift High School

Media

Peel, Inc.

Hill Country News


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Your friends are preparing your EPITAPH; What will it say?

07-10-09
Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group
Just found my LIFETIME PERSONAL & BUSINESS PLAN I did in 1982 with a major homebuilder. What a great find!

At 22 years old, I was not too excited about making a lifetime plan.....Heck, I was just out of college and planning the rest of my life was never brought up in college. This has the typical lifetime plans questions that are asked over and over at different ages in your life. It's pretty cool to look back on it to see where I stayed on course and where I veered.

The personal questions asked when I will be married, when I will have kids, where and when I would want to end up living and where and when I would end up retiring, and other questions related to typical personal goals. These are pretty tough questions to answer, but oddly, alot of these goals became a reality. I wanted to be married at 30...but it end up being 28 and the marriage is stronger than it was then; have one child...I had one wonderful child who is now in college. I was supposed to retire this year....ooops. Live by the beach...sort of on that one. I used to live in La Jolla CA, but not on the beach, so that one is still out there for the taking.... Honestly, my lifetime goal was then and still is today to be a beach bum. Could of done that one at 22 and called it a day........ So why did I not do it then?

The business plan was the atypical lifetime business plan......what to you want to be in your life....how much money to plan on making....and saving at age 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. This is where I really screwed up (veered) I was basing my thoughts and desires of a 22 year old and not thoughts and desires of a person much older. I had come very very close to my goals (wellllll, until the market collapsed) at age 50. I factored for inflation and even factored very well for my child's education thinking I had it all figured out. Well I missed a big component. As we get older we tend to want more. But why?

Then there is the very last question, which is one of the toughest questions to answer. I left this one blank back then and am pondering over the answer as I post this blog. I don't want answer what people may anticipate or expect, but answer it totally truthfully to who I am. So truthfully, 28 years later the line is still blank. It is a question that the answer is really a question of what is the meaning of your life.

So I am merely posting a short little line noted below that was written 28 years ago.....by someone pretty wise. The easy part is reading it; the tough part is to answer it, honestly.
  • You die.
  • Your friends and family get together and decide to put an epitaph on your tombstone.
  • What will it say?
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How does HOW YOU RANK benefit your client?

07-09-09
Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group
Boast about your accomplishments; but, also, ask yourself: what does my accomplishments do for my client?

I often state that we were ranked in 2008 as the #2 real estate group in the city of Austin by the Austin Business Journal. Many others throw out something similar, such as they were number one in their office, their city....whatever. Well that is all fine and dandy, but does the client really care? Maybe, maybe not. It does tell them that you are successful and that he is not hiring a bozos, but does it really tell him what it does for them personally? I don't think so. Perhaps it grabs their attention.....but it does not answer the big question, what are you going to do for me?

So I like to break down stats community by community on what we actually do for a client's neighbors. So I nail it down by the community. One of the communities we farm is called River Place on Lake Austin. In River Place I note we have sold over 1000 homes and had, in 2008, 44% of the listings sold. On top of that our buyer's agents sold 23% of our own listings. This is powerful data that tells the seller that we are not only the most dominate agent in the neighborhood, but we actually sell a sizable percentage of our own listings. If you are new, you can just use your company stats until your personal stats start building up.

This tells the seller that we are not just going to throw a sign on the property and pray that it sells. So when you start throwing data out to clients, stop and rethink how a prospect thinks. What is in it for me? If the stats that are thrown out do not reflect that you are by far the best choice to use, you may want to rethink the way you format the successes you have tailored for an individual seller or buyer. Just a thought to end my day...........
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