Yvette & Dennis Gardner

So often we see agents get off their game plan with "Petty Things" that end up ruining their day. A lot of it comes from getting caught up with "Water Cooler Talk" and has nothing to do with running their Real Estate Business!

Then, to make things even worse, they grab hold of the "Sweaty Things" and share them with the rest of the office. This in turn disrupts everyone else's day.

Talk about Killing Productivity!

If you are truly in the Real Estate Business and you are running a business (not a hobby), failure is not an option. However, if you have not changed your business in these shifting times failure may be the ultimate outcome.

Change is difficult, but it must come as the market changes. Expensive printed advertising has been replaced with ZERO Budget Marketing. Cash on hand and Cash flow has taken priority over "you have to spend money to make money" and new strategies have been implemented to increase revenue while reducing expenses.

If you are not sure what these strategies are or how to implement them you should ask your owner, broker or team leader. If you are not satisfied with their answers or they simply don't work, you should seek out those who do know and move your license. You see, Failure is NOT an Option!

The landscape of Real Estate has, and will continue to change. Small real estate companies are merging, being acquired or going out of business. Large franchises are closing offices and many are in financial difficulty with insurmountable debt. Most have fewer agents and have lost market share. Many will not make it through this housing crisis. House On Fire!

Most owners of these companies don't share financial data with the agents, closed book company, so the agents don't know the degree of financial trouble they are in. They simply wake up on morning and find that their company no longer exists.

In some cases you can smell the smoke and then there are flames. Some will depart at the first signs of a fire, while others will vanish in the flames. Simple question, will you be left in the flames? Is the House on Fire???

We have been asked by our local MLS to distribute this warning regarding a scam. Please also feel free to pass it on.

Columbia, SC - With so much news about economic stimulus packages and the country's economic recovery plans, consumers are hoping some of this stimulus money will funnel down to them. This is the perfect opening for con artists to try to scam the vulnerable. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) has received numerous reports of scams using the stimulus package - each with a different twist - to steal personal information and/or money.

One of the more brazen twists uses President Barrack Obama's image to persuade consumers. SCDCA has received a number of forwarded emails from alert consumers who are suspicious of the offer. The mail, featuring a photograph of President Obama, promises a free stimulus check in varying amounts of from $613.27 to several thousand dollars. Consumers are directed to another link where they must "participate in the program" in order to receive the check.

Participation requires completion of several "reward offers" such as magazine subscriptions that the consumer must purchase or a credit card which can only be activated with a purchase. Although the offers themselves may or may not be real products, the consumer will have to spend money on things they possibly didn't need, plus they will not receive a stimulus check just for participating in the program.

The Department has also received calls from consumers concerning other e-mails they have received. The e-mail claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and asks them for sensitive information such as a bank account number or Social Security number in order to process their portion of the stimulus package. Consumers should remember that the IRS or any other government agency will never contact you regarding rebates or refunds via e-mail. Additionally, the IRS will never ask you for personal information.

Another twist on this scam arrives by US mail and contains an actual check, again in varying amounts. Of course the check is fake, but it looks very real. The accompanying literature instructs

consumers to call a toll free number for further instructions. Callers are then instructed to deposit the check but to wire a certain amount back to either enter into foreclosure rescue, or if you're not in foreclosure, to purchase a foreclosure "kit" with instructions on how to use the stimulus money to buy foreclosed properties in your area. This scam is for the needy as well as the greedy, but it is a scam nonetheless.

Homeowners qualifying for mortgage assistance or restructuring under the housing portion of the Economic Recovery Plan may be telephone by their lender just to expedite matters, but they should verify that the caller does indeed represent that lender. Consumers are urged to contact the Department if they are suspicious of anything they receive that purports to represent stimulus money.

For more information, contact the Public Information Division at 803.734.4190, toll free in SC at 1.800.922.1594, or online at www.scconsumer.gov.

On Saturday, April 18^th River Falls Plantation Golf will be hosting the Terri Threet Celebration of Life & Golf Tournament. Proceeds will go to Interim HealthCare Hospice which is a nonprofit hospice serving the Upstate of SC for over 13 years. They serve patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Terri was cared for by Interim HealthCare and they helped her to achieve her goal to maintain her ability to play golf. In an effort to thank them for their services and to raise some much needed funds we are asking all who can participate or donate to please join us on the 18^th. In addition to golf there will be a silent auction, Wii Golf for all ages, raffle prizes and more. If you would like to participate or donate please contact us and we'll get the sponsor/registration form to you. Thanks in advance and hope to see you there.