Kate Elim, Lake Anna Real Estate Specialist

One of my fellow agents on Active Rain, a site for real estate professionals and read by those interested in real estate, has written a post that I'd like to share with you. 

I'm available not only to help you with all of your real estate needs in the Lake Anna-Fredericksburg area but anywhere in the country you may need help.  I have gotten to know many agents, from coast to coast, in the four plus years I've spent on Active Rain. 

Anytime and anywhere you need my help I will be there for you.

Although this is my entry for Friday, December 23, 2011, I am writing it on Tuesday, December 27th.  Four days ago a wonderful friend of mine was killed as a result of a one car accident close to her home at Lake Anna. Gail Martin was someone I met about 15 years ago and liked immediately.  Gail has been the most active person I have probably every known.  She has lent her time and energy to so many organizations and individuals that it is almost impossible to keep track of them all.

As much of a shock as Gail's death was, my reaction has been a huge surprise to me.  I knew how much I liked and enjoyed Gail through the years but I was not prepared for the loss I have felt since her death.  I found out about two hours following the accident and have been hurting ever since.  The tears come unexpectantly and frequently.  

That, along with spending time with family members for the holidays, has precluded any thought of real estate.  My mind was only focused on responding to people and not initiating anything.

Gail's husband is in Intensive Care so the celebration will be late next week with the expectation that Bill will be home from the hospital by then.  As I help with preparations for the Celebration of Gail's life in the days ahead, I do not expect to focus very much on work.

Lindy and I cannot think of a better way to wish you a

Merry Christmas *

and a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Lindy has her eye on you.

Hopefully none of you will become concerned.  I did not dognap JJ from Susan's house. 

Honest to goodness!

I really have my own sweetie pie.

*Please click on Merry Christmas above.

THE TRUTH DOESN'T ALWAYS PAY.  I have found this to be true especially during this tough real estate market.  It was always true to some extent but a depreciating market increased the number of times I was reminded of this.

One of the backbones of many Realtors business is having a number of listings.  This is something I've heard this told many times during my two decades as an agent.  Unless you are going to work strictly as a Buyer Agent you will no doubt find truth in this statement.

Like many agents I am always interested in good listings.  Good listings mean listing that have a high probability of selling.  To get most listings it requires doing a listing presentation for the home owner(s).  I enjoy doing these.  I know what my strengths are and I know that I have a good shot at getting most properties sold.

However, some sellers do not want to hear the truth.

In fact sometimes when you tell the truth you lose the listing.  You immediately lost the ability to earn the listing commission.  I don't mind if I've lost it to someone else they feel will do a better job.  My disappointment is when my suggested list price is not considered high enough that I have to shake my head in disbelief.  I don't just grab a number out of the air.  I'm disappointed not just for me but for the seller.  Chances are they are not going to have a quick sale and no matter what they say, most do not want their homes languishing on the market only to eventually reduce them over and over again.

Someone might wonder if I come in below market value.  The answer is:  ABSOLUTELY NOT!

One recent example is a house where I suggested a sale price just over the half million dollar mark.  Instead it got listed with someone else for $599,900.  Months go by.  No contract.  Reduction.  Months go by. No contract.  Another reduction.  Still no contract.  Now it is listed below my suggested list price.  Would the owner have been better off to list lower to begin with?  I would certainly think so.  Perhaps he does too.

Could I have done something different in order to change the outcome?

Definitely! I could easily have suggested a much higher list price.  Chances are I would have gotten the listing because, in the example mentioned above, I had been called in to provide advice on fixing up the property months before it was put on the market and continued to do that up until I presented him with my suggested list price.

Did I change my business practice based on losing this listing (or any of the others)?

No!  For me it's better to lose the listing than to do that.  Real estate can be a very stressful business.  I do not believe in knowingly adding to the stress in my life.  Over-priced listings are exactly that...unnecessary stress.

Lesson learned:

Know your market inside and out.  Work at it until you are comfortable with what your gut tells you the value is and then double check the numbers to make sure you are in the ballpark. Stick with the facts and work with those that appreciate your honesty.

If you have a moment you might like to read about the latest doings of Fred "The Tree", a valued member of Myrl Jeffcoat's family.  Some of you may have read about Fred before and you will certainly want to know the latest.  Thanks to Myrl, here it is!

Be sure to let Myrl know if you have a message for Fred.

Via Myrl Jeffcoat (Real Living Great West Real Estate):

Louise Thaxton has done a great job reminding us of the reasons we should be thankful to the men and women that proudly serve our country.  Please let Louise know how much you appreciate her tribute to them.

My husband, a kind and gentle man, served 35 years in the Army and was very proud and happy to do so.  It is men and women like this that bring honor to our armed forces.  We are extremely fortunate that there are many other men and women doing the same.

It is very possible that many people do not realize that age is an unprotected class in many areas when it comes to housing discrimination.  Families with children under the age of 18 are protected under familial status.  However, there is no protection under the Federal Fair Housiing Act although I definitely believe there should be.  Fortunately, in Virginia our Fair Housing Act includes protection of the elderly. 

Friday Foto - Getting a Look at Lake Anna.  Even though we have lived here full-time for almost 19 years now I never get tired of going out on our tritoon looking at houses.  Naturally I have my camera with me when I go.  This is one of the photos I took in the early spring before the trees filled out.

Early spring is a great time to get a good look at the waterfront homes.  Although this house would be very visible even in the summer there are many others that play hide and seek depending on the time of year.  When there are hardwoods between the lake and the house the views of the house change from season to season. 

Loving Lake Anna the way I do, I don't care about the season so much.  To me, it is beautiful all the time.

I happen to love my  Google Chrome home page.  What I find special about it is that you can make it your very personal page.  One of the things that I really, really enjoy on mine are the quotes.

If you've not used Google as your Internet browser you may not have seen the quotes that appear daily.  I have found so many that I began saving some of the ones that I really like.  Reasons for liking them differ depending on the quote.  While some are funny, most are pretty thought provoking.  I'm sure you will probably realize that they are also the quotes that make the most sense to me.

If you read these daily quotes, and I don't read them every single day...just almost every single day, you probably have your own favorites which you may or may not have saved.  I, of course, save them because if I don't chances are I won't remember them.

As I was adding one this evening I thought I would share some of them and here they are:

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.
  - Aldous Huxley
 
Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion.
  - Robertson Davies
 
The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason.
  - John Cage

No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
  - Henry Adams

Illusion is the first of all pleasures.
  - Oscar Wilde

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
  - William G. McAdoo

I have learned to use the word 'impossible' with the greatest caution.
  - Wernher von Braun
 
The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.
  - Thomas Carlyle

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself.
  - A. H. Weiler

It is better for civilization to be going down the drain than to be coming up it.
  - Henry Allen
 
If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.
  - Mark Twain

There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves.
  - Albert Guinon

A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company.
  - Gian Vincenzo Gravina

I hope you enjoyed, at least some of them, as much as I have.  If you have any special quotes that you would like to share please feel free to do so if you comment below.  

The Active Rain Photo Bloggers Challenge has been a great opportunity to not only look at some of the wonderful photos entered but to also read the writings.  Some of the stories are very touching, others funny, and a fair number that managed to link their photo with real estate.

Perhaps because I have pictures on my mind I decided to post another one of mine.  Yes, I did take up the challenge with a photo I had taken in Tibet on a trip I took there in 2005.  Here is one from another trip a short time later.

This is a photo I took about three months later in Antarctica.  One of the joys of travel, especially these days when taking tons of photos is so easy with our digital companions (always at our side), is all of the photos that delight you over and over again year after year.

Every once in awhile I look through some of my photos and the memories come flooding back. That's true of the photos I've taken through 50+ years of travel and the ones I've taken here at Lake Anna.  Photography adds so much to my life.  Does it do the same for yours?