Real Estate is more than selling houses.

Real estate is about more than just selling houses. It is about community and a better life for everyone who lives within it. Being a real estate agent takes dedication to that community, not just making money. As agents, we live within the communities where we work and building it up is as important for our own families as it is for those who have less than we do. It is an investment in our town, our neighbors and our families.

New agents must make a name for themselves and there are ways to do that and help people at the same time. Joining clubs and organizations can not only help build your business, but will also help build your reputation as a community leader. If you only join to help you make money though, people will be able to tell, so you have to mean it. Join something that actually means something to you.

Here is a list of organizations for those agents who wish to help out.

  • Boys and Girls club
  • Boy Scouts or Girl scouts
  • Coaching team sports
  • Historical society
  • Board of Realtors
  • Local politics
  • American Legion
  • American Veterans
  • Red Cross
  • Crisis centers
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Volunteer for hospitals, fire stations, food banks, Food kitchens or even toy and food drives

All of these and many more are great ways to give back to your community and make connections at the same time.  ZMG Construction is a perfect example of giving back to the community. They are involved in several organizations, like AMI Kids, which helps troubled youths, as well as the Boy Scouts of America. From Crime Stoppers to CECO, an education center for disabled children, ZMG leads by example. It is precisely this kind of giving back that makes for a really good company. Some of these organizations can be a lot of fun and everyone needs a little bit of fun in their lives. Enjoy the experience and make new friends.

Helping your community to be more sustainable is also a great way to give back. After all, you live there too and want to make sure that it is preserved for future generations. You can suggest ways for your clients to “green their home” and make it more attractive to buyers. Upgrading outdated appliances is a great way to start, as well as “heat as you go” water heating system. If they are going to replace a floor before selling, suggest that they use bamboo for a wood floor. Bamboo is much more sustainable than regular wood as it grows much faster than trees.

No matter what way you decide to join in, make a difference. People will notice that and your business will see the difference as well with more referrals. You will feel good about what you are doing and be successful at the same time. Your reputation will grow and people will know that you have roots in your community as well as a deep feeling of responsibility for it.

 

 

Fashion and me

I have a problem with high fashion because it doesn’t have anything for the everyday woman. Although, more and more we are seeing full figured women modeling clothing for women who have had a few kids and still want to be stylish. The big fashion magazines haven’t really caught on yet, because I rarely see a model on the front cover that I can relate with. Consequently, I don’t buy those magazines. I cannot figure out why they don’t understand that there are more of us full figured women then there are skinny ones. We spend more money per year then the other demographic does, so why do they keep ignoring us? This woman is tired of not being represented by the fashion moguls. Get with the program people, we are here and you are losing money by not serving our needs.

That is all for this rant today. =)

College books

Well we found a place to order my nieces college books online. She will be able to visit one of their many stores when she gets to school, if she needs anything else. I am sure that she will, the professors always add something or another, but with any luck she is covered. I am so proud that my niece is going off to college. It makes me feel a little bit old though. Seems like yesterday, she was a little thing playing in my closet and trying on my shoes with her little feet. I think I am going to tear up now.

Helping your community

Ever since I was a teenager I have had a passion for helping others. When I was in Junior High, we had to do community service and it taught me something more about life. Life can be very difficult for people and giving them a little bit of help and hope for the future is very important. There is a community outreach program that I really like. It is the sing for hope program that uses art and artist to help raise money and also to help children through artistic self expression. For kids, this is very important if you live in an inner city area without much hope of leaving it.

I have been to areas like this and a lot of times the kids just need a little attention to explore what it already there, so they can tap their own inner resources and help themselves. Many times these kids have single parents who work multiple jobs and are unable to give them that attention. Many singers and artists volunteer their time and resources to help these kids find and reach undiscovered talent.

These same artists also volunteer their time to perform in healthcare facilities for the patients, visitors and staff, bringing joy and hope to them as well. Projects like this are wonderful for communities and bring people together. Anyone can join and help out. Those who have a talent for teaching are most welcome as well. If you can play an instrument and are willing, you can make a difference in a child’s life. Our children are our future. Helping them is very important. Passing along knowledge for future generations is imperative. I am going to donate both time and resources to this worthy program and have my kids help as well. There is no reason for them not to learn the life lesson I had when I was a kid.

Dental practice for sale

I got to help my cousin evaluate a dental practice for sale. Believe it or not it was a lot of fun and I learned a tremendous amount about the process. The practice wasn’t very far away from here and this means I learned a lot about my area as well. There were things I didn’t know about the demographics for this area, which was really cool to find out. I found a few online courses for the classes that I want to take. Now I just have to find out about the credits and funding for it. I cannot believe how much I am looking forward to this! I am really excited!

Build your own Cob home

I am glad that these skills are coming back today. Learning to build a cob home is relatively easy and is amazingly cheap to do. If your friends help you, they learn new techniques that are really helpful to them as well. It is a very green way to build and is very sturdy in comparison to some of the materials that are used today for most wood frame houses. I have been studying this for a while now and would really like to try it someday. I may start with a cob outbuilding for my property, or something like that. We shall see.

A little fun

Have you ever been to a psychic? I have and they can be a lot of fun. A small fair came into town a couple of days ago and we walked around it for a few hours this morning. They had a fortune teller tent, so my friend Sally and I decided to go in and see what she had to say. It was enlightening. I had my Tarot cards read and then she looked at our palms and gave us all kinds of information about ourselves. I thought it was totally cool.

When we got home, I decided to look up psychics online and do a little research. They are a lot more popular then they used to be. You can get readings from lots of different sources and ways. From phone calls to online tarot programs, there is no limit to it. I didn’t realize that this kind of spirituality had gone mainstream. I think it is really cool though. I will have to get my cards read more often, because the woman who did it, hit the nail on the head. Everything she said was true. I am definitely encouraged to try it again, that is for sure.

Space

picture
Picture from the Hubble Telescope

I found this for the kids. They love seeing pictures from space. We like to visit the NASA site a lot too. They have a section just for kids, to play learning games all related to science. I think it is a great interactive tool for teaching them. I hope you like the pic as much as the kids do.

Sad day

I don’t usually write about stuff that is on the news, but today I have to. Today so many children died in a shooting at an elementary school, as well as several adults who were trying desperately to save those children. My heart goes out to the parents and families who have been devastated by this tragedy. I cannot imagine what it is like to have to bury your child and I hope that I never find out. I know that it has to be the hardest thing anyone ever has to do. For these families, this holiday season should have been exciting and fun, but now will never be the same again. Those children were still babies, just little kinder gardeners. When my little guys got home, all I could do was hold them and cry. I cried for the children and for the mothers who’s arms are now empty. I can only pray that God holds them in his loving embrace and comforts them while they grieve over this tragic loss.

Prayers
Thoughts and Prayers

Green printing

The green printing I found recently really has me happy that there is another company taking responsibility for the carbon foot print they leave behind. Using recyclable products is also a great way to help the environment. My kids are always trying to think up ways to be more green. They learn so much about it in school these days that you cannot help but become and advocate for green living.

We even have our own compost bin to use for our garden. There are separate bins for plastics, aluminum, glass and paper. The kids have become fanatics about making sure the right product is in the right bin. The boys always help take them out to the road on pick up day too. I never have to ask them. It is really great!