Glenville, NY

It was late August & the closing was 2 days away. My buyers were excited to get into their new home & start tackling some cosmetic updating projects. Then Mother Nature, wearing the cloke of Tropical Storm Irene, paid our region a visit. While my professional concern laid with a listing surrounded in trees, I got the call from one of my buyers, "Brenda! There's like 8 trees ON the house!!!!". So I swiftly assumed the role of "fire fighter" (we agents are constantly putting out fires!), offered the buyer some encouragement, and took a deep breath.

My husband (the type who takes a drive in big snow storms) didn't skip a beat when I asked him to join me and check out this reported damage. So off to the nearby home we drove. Now quite honestly, I didn't know what to expect. Anyone who saw any of the news coverage from this area knows we were hit hard by Irene but in the midst of it, we had no idea what was really happening.

My jaw is still recovering from the drop it experienced upon our arrival. My buyer was NOT exaggerating and one of the biggest trees I've EVER seen, along with others, rested on the back AND side of his intended purchase. YIKES!! "Now what?," asked the voice in my head as I'd never had this situation on my desk before. So, after letting my buyer know that I now understood the challenge ahead, I reminded him that he had planned to remove those trees and more importantly, we would get through this.

The next call was to the seller's agent who is the eptiome of Poker Face! I encouraged him to visit his listing soon and follow up with me after. Wish I couldn've seen his reaction first hand!!

SO... 2 months & 5 days later, after far too many details to relive or burden my reader with, my buyer sat at the closing table and got keys in hand. We joked that if they ever had a daughter they should name her Irene!

Last weekend they invited me to visit. What a treat! The home is better than ever and except for a stump or two, evidence of Irene's visit is nowhere to be found. See what happens when we all keep focused on the goal and work together???

If you're in the market for a new home and want an agent who does the right thing for the right reasons, call Brenda Mayette! She gets the job done!!

How can February break possibly be almost over? I've seen many Facebook posts calling for a "re-do". I know I have strugged with carving out some quality time with the kiddies vs. balancing work demands and of course, trying to accomplish something on the homefront too. But alas, there arent' enough hours in the day! At the end of the day -- & vacation -- though, quality family time is what matters. As we savor the last couple of days of Feb Break here are some ideas for Schenectady County activities that'll keep everyone happy:

* Maple Ski Ridge DOES have some snow! Close to home and inexpensive. Check out www.mapleskiridge.com for current conditions and more information.

* Take in War Horse or Alvin & the Chipmunks this weekend at everyone's favorite theater, Scotia Cinema. At $4.50 for adults, $3.00 for children, and refreshment prices that won't break the bank, you can't go wrong! Visit www.scotiacinema.net for show times.

* How about some exercise? The Schenectady County ice rink offers 2 hours of public skating on most days & is another bargain at $4.00 adults and less for children. Rentals are available. Go find those muscles you forgot about! Visit www.schenectadycounty.com to access the facility page for the schedule.

Schenectady County has loads to offer!! There are certainly more ideas where those came from. What's YOUR favorite, Schenectady area, family-friendly activity???

I wish I could write some eloquent piece on the economic & political intertwine that is our gas prices. Unfortunately (or maybe it IS a blessing!), I don't know enough about that to even try. So, I only have one thing to say.... "OUCH!!!!!"

Wondering what's REALLY happening in the Capital Region's real estate market?? Here are the latest stats from the Greater Capital Association of Realtors. Of course, this information is for our region as a whole... Individual communities had their own experiences. Remember, a professional Realtor is your best resource to know what's really going on in the housing market.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aLyqp0o0J34

Ready to buy or sell in Scotia-Glenville or beyond? Brenda is the key to success!

It's been awhile since my last post and well... that's another topic for another blog. This post jumped to the top of list because, quite simply, it deserved to & I hope I do it justice as to why. A family in our area lost their home to a fire on Friday evening. What started out as just another day, anticipating another post-holiday weekend complete with to-must- dos and to-want-to-dos quickly turned into a life changing event. With everyone at their respective Friday evening activities, a quick stop home to let the dog out turned into that dog's safety net. The owner found smoke and well... without knowing all of the details, the bottom line is that in a very short amount of time, they lost everything. So now a family of 5 is homeless. It's terrible to hear it happen to anyone but it hits a bit harder when it's someone you know. They're fine though and can replace "stuff" with time. Thankfully no one was harmed... including the dog!

I was fortunate to be called upon the resource to help them find a home while they rebuild. Let's face it, there were plenty of agents to choose from & I'm grateful they thought of me. It reminded me that helping people truly is a reason why I'm in this business (and that, I know, has been topics of other blogs...). In reaching out to other agents if a rental could bend a bit with the "no pet" restriction, I've been met with kindness, helpfulness & timeliness (makes me wonder why that can't be a regular standard of practice).

SO MANY things have been swirling around my mind in response to this event & I truly could get lost in many tangents. So without any organization to the path of my point, here are some things that have been pulled into the forefront:

* Remember, "don't sweat the small stuff"

* Be grateful for & find the good in each & every day

* Do something nice for someone just for the heck of it... don't wait for an awful event to be "called into action".

* Rest assured that there ARE good people out there & you mean something to so many more people than you realize!

Things happen for a reason and often, we'll never know the exact reason. For me this event helps to strengthen a relationship, feel good about my chosen profession, reinforce my choice in our community, and reflect on why today is called the present - because it IS a gift! Treasure it!!