Curious about something....

Procuring Cause-let's rumble..

2008-06-20T18:21:00Z

I was looking through my ignored April 08 issue of Realtor magazine and came across this "Code of Ethics Fallacy" little article on pg 33. It says "Common misconceptions about NAR's Code of Ethics can lead to unnecessary disputes with fellow practitioners. Example: procuring cause.

Misunderstanding: Showing a property proves procuring cause and entitles you to a commission if your buyer purchases the home.

The REAL story: Procuring cause is a complex issue. You're telling me? Appendix II to Part 10 of the Code and Arbitration Manual gives a basic definition: "the uninterrupted series of casual events which results in the successful transaction."

Is "series" defined as maybe more than one casual event? It is clear the events need to be uninterupted.

I've seen this talked about off and on but never walked away with a very clear idea.

I know that some of you might have actually found a class on this? What are your thoughts. I have a specific scenario I could share, but think actually it would come down to mediation. Can't buyer agency be better nailed down?

Your Thriving Office

2008-05-10T16:49:00Z

Just when I thought I had seen everything, along comes a great idea. It is a CD called "Your Thriving Office". It contains 2 each 39 minute tracks, "busy" and "very busy". Just put either track on a continuous loop and create the illusion of a dynamic office. It says "don't let the sounds of your doorbell, dog, baby (or worse yet), silence, ruin that major sale!"

"Make your office sound like a large, busy and successfull company. When the phone rings, just press "play". Your callers will hear background voices, phones, computers, faxes and more. Build instant credibility."

Not sure how you can build "instant credibility" when you are already lying about the size of your office. I thought it was kind of cool until they threw that line in. Mind you, being a one woman office, I thought about it for a brief moment.

Has anyone seen this? It is in a real estate software catalog I just received. For $59.99 it would be cheaper than hiring help. lol

Deep thoughts......

2008-03-18T18:40:00Z

But not by Jack Handey.

I was thinking recently about a trip we took to Wales a few years ago. I was able to see a sight I have thought about several times since. I saw what was probably a Border Collie rounding up sheep in a pasture. It was amazing to see and I was just mesmerized by it. I had never seen this before.

My cousin, Paul, was showing my husband and I a spot on a large hill that had some ruins, it wasn't a castle or anything, but it was something to climb up to and look at. About halfway, the air got too thin for me so I stopped along the fence row and rested.

Paul and my husband continued on up he hill, I noticed the air was getting thin for them too as they were loosing their momentum but they would rest and keep climbing. I started looking around as I was high enough on the hill to see for miles, but what caught my attention was this large group of sheep being pulled into a circle by this dog. The farmer was giving him direction through some simple commands but the dog was doing all the work.

I stood there and watched that, forgetting I really wanted to climb to the top. I didn't care about the top now, I was so enjoying the scene I was seeing. The dog was constantly working those sheep, never resting, he had a mission which he accomplished. He was able to see the sheep into their pens. Then he rested, but was still ever watchful.

It has been said that life is not just a destination, but a journey. We forget that. At least I do. When Paul and my husband came down off the hill, they were telling me how "cool" that was. I said "I know, that dog was a workhorse, that was so neat to watch". They asked me "what dog?" When I told them what I saw, my husband was envious that he was busy climbing and never got to see what I described.

Moral of the story? You tell me.

Asleep at the wheel

2008-03-10T15:51:00Z

I think the market has slowed down enough for some that they have not even bothered to put themselves on "cruise".

It is so frustrating dealing with LA's who do not return calls, check their emails or even answer their personal cell phone.

I had questions that were not answered on the Sellers Disclosure recently and started last Friday to contact the LA to no avail.

We need to remember that as Listing Agents, we represent and work for, THE SELLER. Be available, be courteous and most of all DO YOUR JOB. Sorry for yelling.

I understand sometimes we get tired, this is when you pull over and rest for awhile. But don't go so numb that you fail to produce a pulse.

We could probably all write a collective book on the frustrations of dealing with LA's who list and hide. I am so thankful for the agents I have worked with over the years that still love this business and work their tails off. They are priceless!

How long??

2008-02-18T15:20:00Z

I am wondering how long you show your "sold" listings on your website? This question has come up for me because I purchased a property last August to flip this year. I purchased it from another agency and it is still showing "sold" on her website.

Now, I will be totally rehabing this property because it was in very poor condition and hope to get it on the market by summer. Problem is, it is still showing on their website so everyone will see what I probably paid for it, at least ball park. It may not be a problem in a larger city but in mine it is a problem.

Why would you leave a listing on your site that long? Who does it benefit? Certainly not the buyer who may want to rehab and flip. You are wondering why I don't just ask her to take it off? Because I know it will be left on longer if I do.

The candle

2008-01-21T15:55:00Z

Maybe you have see this before, it was new to me and I wanted to share

it with you..

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all
physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for
the100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a
dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win.

All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over
a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy
cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around
and went back......every one of them. One girl with Down's Syndrome
bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better."

Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone
in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.
People who were there are still telling the story.
Why?
Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life
is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is
helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our
course.

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another
candle"

Sleep on it?

2008-01-10T17:16:00Z

My first reaction to see the advertising of the new HGTV show, "Sleep On It", was a sarcastic, "oh great".

I had to watch. I have watched only one and of course, they spent the night in the house of their possible dreams and changed their mind. This is all we need with a current bout of "fence sitters" to have yet another day to decide.

Commit people. Look at the house, see if it has a freeway nearby, spiders, ants, neighbors. Drive through the neighborhood, do some homework for crying out loud. Remember you can't pick your neighbors, they come with the house, but they could possibly move someday. It's possible.

Take all the time you want, make an informed decision. Then sleep on it. But I guarantee you, none of my sellers will let you spend the night in their house before you decide. You wouldn't do that either if you were selling. It makes a great tv show, but it is not reality in my neck of the woods.

Now, fence sitters, the fences are coming down. IAWTP