About Rock County, WI

How many of you have helped build a Habitat home? It really feels good to participate in such an important event.

This weekend our local Habitat Home was given to the new family. This was a home that our office took upon ourselves to fund as part of the 100 year Coldwell Banker anniversary. While raising the money necessary to start the build we also go involved in the building process.

While attending the NAR convention in New Orleans, my husband and I went to help for a day as well. The habitat homes under construction there were amazing as well and the need never ends.

So, I challenge you to find a Habitat build either in your local area to help with or while on vacation. These homes are built world-wide so you won't have trouble finding one.

If you're a women and you think..there is nothing I can do to help?? You are wrong. While in New Orleans, I learned to side a house. It was really fun to learn how to do house building techniques! There are even women builds.

So get out there and help someone get into a home. It's the right thing to do!

I just finished reading Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath

This is an interesting read that allows you to figure out your top 5 strengths and allows you to concentrateon making those strengths stronger rather than concentrating on your weaknesses.

I am Achiever, Adaptability, Positivity, Strategic and Woo. After looking at these 5 strengths, I'm feeling a little bad as the last few months have not been very positive and I've missed the boat on adapting to the housing market. Not that I haven't been trying. I just needed to step back for a minute.

Now that I know I have been my worst enemy, now I can concentrate on expanding what I know!

It's a great read. It brings light to what you thought about your self and some new info that will make sense. So why concentrate on your weakness?? Go for your strengths. I challenge you to find out what they are!

I am currently working on 3 short sales. For whatever reason, I've not had the opportunity to actually go to a closing yet on a short sale. Usually it was the client who just gave up and refused to cooperate.

I really wonder how long the short sale will be so prominent in our area and fear it may be around for quite awhile. Why?? With GM and the bankruptcy scare, it will have a new effect on many of the home owners in my area.

While the short sale is a difficult process and takes patience and hard work to get together, it can be a correct choice for many. I takes more time and energy than a traditional sale. It is interesting how we have taken on the role of problem solver in yet another way. Any one who is willing to work on a short sale on behalf of a client is truly looking out for the best interest of that client. But they need to be willing to take it all the way. I currently have one in place that could have been sold over 6 months ago if the process had been handled correctly.

This is a difficult time for many sellers and is important for us to truly find a way to help! But no matter what we do, we need to do a good job with it.

If you know of someone who is in this position and doesn't have a clue how to deal with it, call!

It seems to be a better option than letting the home go into foreclosure and all that goes with that. Many people still don't know or understand the process so get the word out!

This week has been interesting. If I thought it was tough out there...I didn't dream of this one.

I set up a showing on a property and took my buyer over.

When we got there, two young men were standing outside, near their parked car. I figured they were there to let me into the house, but they said to go ahead in as it was vacant. They weirdly watched us go into the home.

It was not vacant. It was a trashed mess (as they are many times and I can deal with that). All the lights were off and doors closed. I struggled with finding the light switches as there were clothing items hung over the switches. We didn't need to spend a lot of time there but wanted to look through all the rooms. So we made it to the doorway to the basement. Again, no light in the basement nor in the stairway. Once I found it and was half way down the steps I notice a 200 pound Rottweiler at the bottom of the stairs growling at me!! We quietly backed up and out of the basement and proceeded to quickly leave the home where we encounter the two young men just waiting watching us as we leave. These lovely young men purposely sent us in that mess to see what would happen! While I would have loved to tell them what I really thought, I didn't. We simply walked to our vehicles and left. My thought was if there were willing to risk my life in the house, they would probably not hesitate to do the same outside the house.

Moral of the story? Is any listing that important? I called the listing agent and told her to fire that listing! Good grief..I would not want that liability hanging over my head. People are really weird!

Other Moral of the story? Stay safe and be aware of your surroundings. I would never have thought someone would purposely do something like that...but they did. It ended ok this time. You just have to be very careful in this business!

Love thy neighbor as yourself, but choose your neighborhood. ~ Louise Beal

Isn't that the truth! There are some great neighborhoods to choose from. If you are coming from

most any city around the Janesville area you will find more house for your money. I truly

believe we may end up being more of a bedroom community where people live affordably but work in

the outlying areas. It's only a 40 minute drive to Madison or Rockford. In most any neighborhood

your have convenient access to I-90 to get to your destination.

The market is starting to heat up with first time buyers. Set up a time to meet with a good Realtor to

start the process. I sit down with buyers and really find out what they need and want. From there

I can show how buyers don't have to look at all 650 homes that are on the market in Janesville.

There is a good chance that a buyer can find exactly what they are looking for in the Janesville area

and pay the lowest price we've seen in years...and get $8000.00 back at the end of the year.

It doesn't get much better than that!