Home, as Defined by You

Everyone's vision of home is unique. What works for you might not work for your best friend or your sister or your neighbor, or even for that person you see walking through the same open house as you are. And home is something that really does conjure up an image in one's mind. Buying a home is often the most expensive purchase people make in their lives and although it is an investment, it is filled with emotion. Because of this concept of home.

As a real estate agent, I help buyer clients find a home. And I help provide guidance, data, and even some reasons they might not want to buy, to help confirm if they do want to actually put pen to paper and write an offer on a house.

I recently re-read "The Hobbit".  Immediately on the first page, I was struck by images of home. Home for a hobbit, of course, may be different than home for you. But I wanted to share a long quote to help expand your idea of home and help illustrate this concept that home creates a vision, an image, a picture. As a buyer's agent, it is helpful if my buyer clients can help paint their picture of home for me. It helps us work together as a team to find the house that will become their home.

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, ... it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors. ... The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were teh only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden, and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.

The emotion of home comes back to Bilbo Baggins frequently during his adventures. Give me a call or email if I can help you articulate, then find, your next home.

Previewing Houses for Clients, Current and Future

I'll be honest - one of the reasons I went into real estate as a career is that I love houses. (Admittedly this is not a unique characteristic in agents; I just wanted to share.) And one of my best practices as a residential real estate salesperson is to preview houses.  I arrange to preview properties in my target geographic areas, in certain price ranges and of certain property types.  Sometimes I go for a particular buyer client, to assess whether I think they should take the time to see it themselves, or if I think it might not suit their needs so they can focus our showing times together on a better fit.  In other cases, I preview anything in a neighborhood for future clients, either as comps once those properties sell in the future or in case someone calls me and wants to know about that area.  It is helpful if I can say, "I've been in that house," or, "This is a very typical rambler in this area and price range."  And having seen a database of properties is what builds my own knowledge.

So I'm ready to be your agent, today and in the future.

On Greatness

Oscar Pistorius.  Katie Ledecky.  Aly Raisman.  Gabby Douglas.  Kimberly Rhode.  Sarah Attar.  Tom Daley.

If you have watched and been inspired by the London 2012 Olympics over the past two plus weeks like I have, these names and many more mean greatness.  Greatness for trying and greatness for winning.  Greatness for more than being there.  Greatness for being their best at that moment and representing their country, along with everyone who's ever tried hard at anything.

My favorite stories about the Olympics came from my friends Nick and Carrie who were there for about a week.  With the joy of having been part of something global where everyone is cheered for their accomplishments, they shared great moments supporting athletes.  There was the high jumper with personality and spirit and the basketball team that did not really have a chance to win.  The best part, they said, was being in the company of people witnessing all sorts of personal accomplishments.  And even some disappointments, mostly handled with grace.

Many people strive for greatness daily, at their job, as a parent, in their community, in their job search, as a student.  Most never earn a gold medal (or even bronze).  Yet they aspire to be great at what they do.

I have been considering what it takes to be a great realtor.  I have a network of close friends and colleagues who help me set goals, document plans to achieve them, and create new ways to organize my work.  I will constantly aim to be a great realtor.  I hope to have the opportunity to be great for you.

Learnings from Hosting an Open House

I have some keen insights into the world of real estate to share.  These are based on my experiences at a public open house I hosted on behalf of one of my colleagues today.

1. Don't mix paper and water in transit.
2. Putting those directional open house arrow signs up is harder than it seems (especially while wearing heels).
3. I should eat an early lunch *and* bring a snack.
4. It is great talking to neighbors.
5. Open houses are great marketing tools.

Observations From Some Broker Opens

Oh-for-three.  That's how the Broker Open Houses I attended this afternoon "batted" in agent coverage.  Being in the first year of my real estate career, I am not being judgmental.  I merely observe that if I am going to host a Broker Open House, the goal of that event is to expose my listing on behalf of my seller clients to as many real estate agents as possible.  These agents ostensibly have buyers who may want to see the property so the Broker Open House gives the agents a chance to preview without appointment and ask questions about the home as they view it.  If the listing agent is there, that is.  No agent equals no answers, no helpful tips, no "don't miss..." comments, no real selling of the house.

Adding to this gap, two of the three had not even one piece of paper, not one glossy brochure boasting about all the home has to offer.  Nothing to jot my notes on, nothing to help me remember the property.

Instead, I hope to be able to live up to this standard: Broker Open House means that I will be there and I will have professionally prepared brochures with all the home's features and benefits on hand.  Maybe I'll even serve coffee and muffins.

Herb Gardening and Household Maintenance

"Mom, I think the marigolds sacrificed themselves for the herbs," volunteered my younger daughter, Julia, as we reviewed our recently planted herb patch.  We had added 18 marigolds to provide a natural pest repellent to the only sunny corner of our yard capable of supporting herbs.  The marigolds are decimated, eaten to the stems; the basil, rosemary, cilantro and thyme are thriving.

Her observation got me thinking about home maintenance (oddly).  We plant marigolds to distract pests from the tasty herbs.  So, too, does our hot water heater contain a sacrificial anode rod of magnesium or aluminum so the rust particles attack it before the sides of the tank.  The rod will fail before the tank does, thus saving us a flooded basement.  Of course we have to inspect the tank and rod occasionally to make sure we replace the appliance before we experience that bigger flooding issue.

Even long-time homeowners can become remiss about completing basic preventive home maintenance tasks.  These chores are boring yet typically inexpensive ways to preserve the quality and functioning of your home systems and features.  Let's face it - it is not fun to change the air filter in our air-conditioning or furnace air handler and it is easy to forget.  Out of sight, out of mind.  The disposable filters range from $10 to $20 and though you should change them monthly, at least once a season try to switch them out.  Buy in bulk so you have them on hand instead of buying them individually when you need them.  I find the box of them in the utility room is a great reminder.

Bigger problems could stem from an old or wind-damaged roof.  In addition to the roof shingles themselves, even more critical to water deflection is the flashing at joints, changes in angles, edges, etc.  If you are not comfortable or capable on a ladder, it is not expensive to find a roofer or gutter expert to provide you with a brief visual inspection of the roof and flashing to determine if they need repair.  Better a couple hundred dollars on roof or flashing repair than thousands fixing water-damaged drywall, insulation and flooring.  Note in the photo: that extra edge of material just under the shingles as seen on my roof is the flashing, wrapping protectively around the wood trim.

As a real estate agent, I believe in helping people with real estate decisions whether they are buying, selling or staying, because maintaining your home while it is yours is just as important as the condition of a house during a sale.

The Role of Your Real Estate Agent

A very interesting article in the New York Times last week highlighted the roles and different styles of real estate agents.  Although the real estate market in Manhattan is obviously quite different than the greater Washington, DC, area (or anywhere else for that matter), there are some insightful comments in the article that can be useful to anyone thinking about making a move anytime soon.

The author, Vivian S. Toy, states, "A good broker can help you make sound decisions and guide you through what might easily be the most expensive and emotionally charged transaction of your life." Underlying this statement is the principle that your real estate agent should be someone you trust and someone whose advice and counsel you will accept and, in fact, welcome.  Complexities and idiosyncrasies in local markets, the myriad factors that go into selecting a home for your family or an investment property, and precise paperwork and disclosure requirements mean that an agent who is highly organized and detail-oriented is a valuable adviser.

I believe many people don't really understand the laws and ethics guiding the real estate profession.  As a newly licensed real estate salesperson in Maryland, I recently completed 60 hours of pre-licensing education before I could apply and then take a 2 hour test on Federal and State laws, regulations and codes of ethics.  Basically, a real estate agent has duties and responsibilities to their clients.  Clients are people who have signed an agency agreement with them as buyers or sellers (or tenants or landlords; I will simplify to talking about sales for now).  Customers, or the general public, have no contractual agreement with an agent.  Real estate agents still owe customers fair and honest dealings, factual information about properties, and general ministerial duties such as providing them with answers to their questions (assuming that does not interfere with their duties to their clients).

In an agent/client relationship, with a signed contract (a buyer's agent contract or a property listing for sellers), real estate agents have fiduciary duties.  These include care, obedience, accountability, loyalty and disclosure.  Confidentiality of financial and other personal information extends beyond the period of agency.  Although earning a person's trust does take time, holding these duties is a fundamental element of being a real estate agent.  As you interview new agents, be it for your first time home-buying experience, downsizing to retirement or semi-retirement, a move to a completely new part of the country or world, or moving a little closer to your children's schools or your office, spend the time to get to know them.  Observe how they listen to you, the questions they ask, the ideas they have about neighborhoods to consider, transit options, and marketing options.  Be sure to talk to more than one person before making a move.  Find the best agent for you.

As a new agent myself, I look forward to talking to you or someone you might know in the market or even considering a sale or purchase down the road.  I love to listen and plan and welcome the opportunity to help find creative real estate solutions.