Marysville, WA

I was bummed when The Produce Guy in Smokey Point went out of business a few months back. I had been stopping by to get fresh, tasty apples, grapes, strawberries, peaches and corn - oh, and milk, and honey, and ice cream!

The Produce Guy is a terrific businessman who always greets his customers with a smile. He is the guy who gives you some grapes to try before you buy them, or the guy who recommends the best fruit for your table..... He was always working hard to make his business a success, like we are!

I was very excited to see that he was back open in a new location! Now The Produce Guy is 1/2 mile East on 172nd in Smokey Point. He is located near the sand and gravel business, and just East of the espresso stand. If you have gone by Thornberry Automotive, you just missed him on the same side of the road.

Be sure to stop by! Not only will you save money and get some GREAT produce, you are supporting local business!!

Jim O'Day

RSVP Real Estate

425-359-2708

jim@rsvpRE.com

My wife took our two year old daughter to register at pre-school today. She was sooo excited to be going to meet her teacher and see her classroom. She will be going two days a week and can't wait. She already has her Dora backpack and her crayons!

Seeing her so excited made me think of us Real Estate Agents. Going back to school is important for us, too! We should be so excited to learn! When it is time for classes to update our license, we should be ready to learn. Put on our Dora backpacks, grab our crayons and run for class! It really helps us stay updated, and , in turn makes us better agents. Our clients reap the rewards of our hard work and learning.

I learned some great lessons from watching Kennedy today and her excitment about school:

• Learning can be fun- if we make it fun
• School helps keep our life balanced
• Since we are here to server others, our learning benefits clients
• School promotes learning and growth
• School is temporary- learning is a lifelong pursuit
• Snack time is fun (Ok, I made that up- but it is fun!)
• Nap time is important for all of us!

I am excited to watch Kennedy progress through school. I should be excited about my progression to Broker as I go through school!

MARYSVILLE:

Your buying power is so important these days. When a trip to the grocery store can easily set you back three bills, it is comforting to know you got the best deal in town. I have lived and shopped in town for years, and here is my list of the top places to save money on groceries:

The best:

• WINCO - Just cheap, quality food and u bag it yourself!
• Wal-Mart- A close second, with more variety and more shoppers
• Albertson's- Coupons and daily savings make it a great place to grab groceries!

Mediocre:

• Safeway- Usually crowded and not great deals, sometimes the "10 for $10" deals are good
• Thriftway- Little more upscale, a little higher prices, but good quality
• Haggen's- Actually one of my personal favorites for atmosphere and rarely crowded, just $$$
• Grocery Outlet- A lot of people love this place, but i disagree. Not much selection or quality

The Bad:

• There really are not nay that are awful, terrible, or super $$$$$$$$$. Obviously if you are grocery shopping at 7-11 you need help!

Ok, without further fanfare.....

1. Be Proactive. Think of all the objections you can, and have an answer before you are asked
2. Be Reactive. Call that difficult client back first. This solves two problems: It gets that task off your to do list, and makes the client feel like a priority
3. Go the extra mile- even when you don't want to!
4. Practice patience.
5. Be slow to anger. Remember it is not a personal attack
6. Ask the client for input in every step of the process, Make them feel valued.
7. Take up smoking (OK, not really)
8. Ask the client for solutions when problems arise...
9. Refuse to take a listing! You know fairly quickly if it is going to be a stinker!
10. Be willing to drop a client if all else fails! Your sanity is worth it! FIRE YOURSELF!!!!

My first listing in the business three years ago was a crash course, I fondly look back at it as my "Difficult Client 101 course".I took an overpriced listing on a four bedroom home in a local neighborhood. This was after the homeowner waffled about doing FSBO... I was so excited to get the listing and went all out. Taking pictures, making a home book, welcome signs, the Perfect Flyer, and making sure the MLS was spot on!

My client fancied himself as a contractor. He had replaced several floor surfaces and counters in the home with a mismatched mess of carpet, tile, hardwoods and granite tiles. EVERYONE who toured the home during broker's opens and public open houses commented on the uncomfortable feel of the home. It just did not flow, many thought. As a new agent, how was I to tell "Mr. Handyman" that his home remodel was a mess?

Well, after a Broker's Open where I handed out envelopes of cash, cookies, sandwiches, and flyers, and a few months of little activity, I asked for a price reduction. Oh, did I mention the green water mosquito filled above ground swimming pool in the back yard? The seller did not want to reduce the price more than $500 dollars! A month later, my client was "drunk dialing" me at midnight, complaining about my service and lack of salesmanship to sell his home.

I was so stressed out, thinking I was doing 110% to sell this home and my wife stopped me. She asked me my I was giving so much time and attention to this "black hole" of a house that was not going to sell at that high price, and it that terrible condition. She was right. I called my client that day and FIRED MYSELF!!!!!!!

Man what a relief. I looked a few months later and that house was back on the market AT THE SAME PRICE and sitting. At least it was not my envelopes of cash this time!!!

I now know that we are professionals, and, as such, do not accept overpriced listings or extremely difficult clients....but if you do..............follow these rules!!!!

I stopped by King's buffet today in Marysville for the Sunday Seafood Brunch. I had the two little ones and My 11 year old daughter as well. Mom and my 14 year old were at the Mariner's game watching them, CRUSH the Yankees (GO M'S!!!!).... So I was hanging out with the other three and had a great brunch at the all you can eat Marysville King's Buffet.

Located in an old bank right on State Street, King's Buffet welcomes hungry folks from around town. When we stopped by it was fairly empty, as we had missed the lunch rush. We arrived around 1:30 to a few families and a church group enjoying the buffet.

Now I am not much of a buffet guy, as I am always concerned about germs and sneeze guards, etc...BUT this buffett was terrific. Tons of great food, great tastes, lots of variety, and something for everyone. Even the little ones had their fill of fresh fruits, breads, meats, and, of course DESSERTS!!!

My 11 year old daughter loves shrimp, so I was excited to see that many of the dishes had large amounts of tasty shrimp. She told me that the dishes were good, and she certainly had her fill of shrimp by the time we left!

Service was good, as we were seated quickly and drinks were quickly served. We would definitely go here again!

I highly recommend Kings Buffet in Marysville. They have a lunch special during the week for under $7!!!

Enjoy!

Jim

Jim O'Day

RSVP Real Estate

425-359-2708

jim@rsvpRE.com