A Husband, Five Kids, A Dog And A Home...

Take a deep breath. Now read the title again. Yes, it's true. Ok... well, maybe slightly true. For all intents and purposes, my husband is still a kid, mathematically giving me six kids. Throw the three-pound beast into the mix (my teacup Yorkie), and it's a real party.

I'm not going to apologize for the dramatic entrance, but I'd like to put a few things into perspective. Real Estate is my job. My family is the air that I breathe. I'm sure that I'm not the only Realtor that feels this way, but not many will take the extra step and say out loud, what I'm about to post: I'm not available all the time.

I've had those moments when I've called a client around 6:30PM and they were not available. I've also had the same client call me after 9PM and explain that they reason that they couldn't take my call is because they were having dinner and family time. I learned a lot from that one-time experience, and I've come to the realization that if Buyers and Sellers don't sacrifice their families, neither should I.

The amount of time spent between a real estate agent and client has to be a shared sacrificed. Having this discussion early in the relationship can lead to a very successful transaction. Managing expectations can only serve to benefit all parties.

*An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.*

Some People Have No Shame...

I RARELY endorse businesses because I'm always concerned about how my good will come back to haunt me and blemish my reputation. Today, I think I'll go out on a limb and endorse Mountain Top Cookies. I'm DEFINITELY not one for sweets. As a matter of fact, I'm an absolute gym-rat. These cookies, made by Julie Feltman (owner), cause me to forget about the potential damage to my thighs and guranteed 'saggage' of the rest of my body. It's a shame and a disgrace that one can taste the butter in her chocolate chip cookies. Since misery loves company, I have ordered several pounds of cookies from Julie to share with my clients in absolute disdain for the personal consequences, all while revelling in the joys of the potential suffering of the waistlines of others. Julie and her unforgiving baked goods can be found at the Farmer's Market in Manassas every weekend. The woman has no shame. I'm not saying that you should go to the Farmer's Market and purchase a pound, or even order a batch and have theme sent to an address of your choosing (like... to your house). I am saying, however, if your mother in-law is getting on your nerves and you want to do something to get into her good graces... this may be the way to go. Otherwise, order a batch for the size ZERO chick in your office who constantly complains about needing to lose some weight. These cookies will TRULY provide her with a reason to complain and make her smile at the same time.

"RING, RING RING.... Hello, Julie? Yeah it's me again. Same credit card, same address..."

HUD Real-Estate Owned Property Portal

Did you know that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a mapping tool designed specifically for Real-Estate Owned (REO) Properties? The mapping tool is a portal that identifies properties from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA in targeted geographies.

Here's what HUD has to say about the tool:

"The REO Portal is a consolidated neighborhood listing and mapping tool to assist neighborhood stabilizers in identifying Real-Estate Owned (REO) properties from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA in targeted geographies. The portal supports more efficient disposition of REO properties to support the stabilization of neighborhoods and recovery of local housing markets by enabling a neighborhood-focused strategic approach to acquisition. Users employing HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) or other resources in the targeted acquisition, rehabilitation and/or demolition of REO properties can use the REO Portal to define target geographies and receive recent listings from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA."