JL's Columbia SC Real Estate Blog: December 2009

 As I stand up from the closing table at the end of each transaction, I always have two very distinct feelings.

1- I am always happy for a job well done and a successful transaction. There are few things that you can do in this business that feel better than helping everyone get to where they need to be.

2- I always feel as if there was more that I could have done for my clients. I spend a lot of time educating them, preparing them, and protecting them from themselves and outside forces. But when I reach the end of the road, I always feel as if I could have done more. I could have sold the house faster, I could have found the right new home sooner, or I could have taught them a few more tricks of the trade.

 Maybe you think this shows a lack of self confidence, I can assure that's not the case. I am confident in my ability to provide my clients with competent service, but I am a perfectionist of sorts. If everything goes right except one little thing, that one little thing will be my immediate focus and I will try my best to be sure that it never happens again. Most of them are completely out of the control of myself or my clients, but I still want to cure the cause.

 Maybe I should just shake the feeling and learn to relax, but then how would I get better? It's just part of my process to improve my ability to represent my clients and after all, the devil is in the details so you better pay attention. I like to think that this feeling will never go away, because the second you stop attempting to improve your service, you never will again. And my clients deserve better.

Columbia, SC Homes for Sale in Cooper's Pond

 Look for Columbia, SC homes for sale in the Blythewood area, then I suggest you take a look at Cooper's Pond. Cooper's Pond in a new home community located on Rimer Pond Road in Blythewood, SC. With close proximity to I-77 and 277, Cooper's Pond is a short ride to Fort Jackson, within 30 minutes of downtown Columbia, SC, and only minutes away from Northeast Columbia and all the shopping and dinning you could want.

 With a wide variety of floor plans and available elevations, you're sure to find a home in Cooper's Pond that perks your interests. Homes are available from local builders, Essex Homes and C&C Builders. These attractive homes are available in vinyl and brick front and come with a wide variety of options and upgrades to help any buyer customize their home or they can choose one of the homes for sale that have already been built.

  The Home shown to the right in the Essex Homes model home. It's the Sandhill floor plan with five bedrooms, 3 full baths, a sitting area in the master, formal dinning, large eat in kitchen, and just over 3,500 square feet. The Sandhill starts at $195,000 for now.

 Homes for sale in Cooper's Pond start in the $150's for around 2,000 square feet and go up to the high $250's. With these prices it's easy to see why Cooper's Pond has quickly become one of Blythewood's best selling communities and continues to see great activity. So if you're looking to buy a new home in the blythewood area, then you certainly take a look at Cooper's Pond.

Columbia, SC Homes for Sale

A quick explanation- The picture above was taken at Sesquicentennial State Park in Northeast Columbia, SC. The park is located just off of Two Notch Road, a main thoroughfare in Northeast Columbia making it both easy to reach for locals and easy to find for those traveling from out of town. Sesquicentennial State Park offers, boating, hiking trails, walking trail, jogging trails, bike trails, fishing, and camping. Admission to the park is $2 a person and is well worth it.

A quick explanation- The picture above was taken at Rivierfront Park in Columbia, SC. The park is located just off of Huger Street in downtown Columbia, making it easy to reach from all sides of town. It's an excellent place to take a walk and enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, or just waste a little time enjoying the day. Riverfront Park is open year round and admission is free making the price just right.

 Recently while reading an article that caught my eye on teh front page of Yahoo, I made a discovery about the state of South Carolina. Recently Livesciance.com did a study to determine a rank for all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine the happiest states in America.

 The study used a couple of data sources to distinguish each area and make a complete list. So where do we South Carolinians rank against the rest of the nation? We came in at number 8 in the nation, making us the 8th happiest state in America.

 So, I guess if you were ever wondering if you would be happier in another state, here's your opportunity to find out the chances if you will be.

 You can read the full report here and see where all 50 states and D.C. stacked up. Columbia, SC Homes for Sale.

 I've noticed a trend in this business as well as life in general that I really just don't like. There seems to be a concentrated effort to develop a dislike for competition, and frankly I don't get the point of the perceived problem. It starts off early on with young people these days to push them towards the belief that no one ever really loses.

 The fact of the matter is that at some point in the life of everyone it's highly likely that we will all fail at something. BIG DEAL! You just have to suck it up and get over it, then get back in the fight or pick a new one. THAT'S LIFE and no one ever said it would or should be easy.

 The other day I read a story from a while back where a high school basketball team beat another team by a score of 100 to nothing. There was such an outcry over the issue that the winning coach was fired, because his team showed poor sportsmanship by defeating the other team by such a great score.

 Is it bad for the team that lost the game by so much, sure it is, but should the winner be punished? I think sportsmanship is a great thing and that everyone should be a gracious winner and show class. But, I also remember my Grandfather telling me that no one likes a sore loser. At some point you just have to accept the fact that there are people out there who want the same thing that you do and they are willing to fight for it. Are You?

 I personally think that competition is a fantastic concept, and I love it. I thrive on it and I get more excited about a listing appointment when I know that there are other Realtors who are after the same listing. Not simply because I want to be them, but I like the competition and I want to win.

 We compete from birth and it has to be untaught rather than taught to us. We competed with our siblings for are parents attention and we competed with our classmates for our teachers attention as well. It's just what we do right from the start.

 Now there seems to be so much emphasis put on the belief that competition is wrong and we should just all get along so we don't hurt the feelings of anyone. Now I'm not saying that you should rub it in the face of anyone that you won, like I said be a gracious winner, but I certainly think that you should be willing to chase after anything that you want and make every effort pass through any obstacle. That's called competition.

 Frankly, if you don't like to compete, then real estate is likely not the best business for you in the first place. There's still a lot of it out here, and unfortunately there are those that hate the fact that their competition exists. It's good for consumers though, and it will keep you on top of your game.

 Without competition, how will you ever truly measure your success? Sure we could all just take turns getting a listing or a buyer as they come, but why force those that are willing to beat the bushes to settle for mediocrity?

 I hear a lot and read a lot from "experts" who constantly make determinations about the market of today based on their experience from the past. Traditionally, making predictions based on the past is a good way to gauge what may happen. But you better take notice of the key word in that last sentence "what MAY happen". There are no guarantees and no one can truly predict the future. That's why you've never seen a news report that reads "psychic wins lottery."

 In times like these, with all due respect, all bets are off and there's really no one that knows what will happen. Take ten experts, ask them how to fix the market and when it will turn around, and they will give you ten different answers. It's because they don't have a clue and like the rest of us they are taking shots in the dark.

 There are no Realtors in the business that were practicing during the Great Depression, and even if there were, times have changed so much it still wouldn't help them. So while we like to track past market statistics in order to make an educated assumption as to what we will face in the future, it doesn't always mean that our assumptions will come true.

 In 1861, America went through the Civil War. In 1914 there was World War 1 and in 1939 there was the start of World War 2. Following this time line of history, we could assume that every 40 to 50 years we have a catastrophic war, but right now we're past due. I don't need your history lesson here, I know that I didn't mention Vietnam, Korea, the first Gulf War, Afghanistan, or Iraq. I just used these for a loose example.

 The fact is that when you study history, there are many things that are possible. There are many cycles to life that simply never came back around. So, I don't believe that anyone whose in the market today really knows where it's headed, and I think it's time that we accepted that fact. The only thing we can do is prepare the best that we can and seize every opportunity that we can. And the second you think that you know what's going to happen, that's when life throws you a curve.

 I want to first say that I do feel for the people who have purchased a home that is now worth less money than it was at the time of closing. We have seen this situation over and over again nationwide and I think there is no state that has not been affected in some way by the housing crisis. However, these are not the people I wish to discuss in this post.

 I have noticed a lot of would be sellers and home owners out there who say that they have lost money and really haven't. These are home owners whose homes are currently not worth what they would have been at the height of the market 4 or 5 years ago but they are still not upside down. In fact they have a decent amount of equity in their homes and they would make a profit off the sell of that home.

  The fact of the matter is that there are lots of home owners out there who would have made more money on their homes if they chose to sell them during the boom. However, I don't think it's fair to say that they lost money, because the money itself was never physically there. It was not a part of the original deal and it was never realized through any sell of the home.

 Frankly, if you have good equity in your home and can still make a profit off of it, you should be happy about that rather than focusing on what you could have had. What if you lose the rest of your equity and you are upside down in the loan, that would be much worse than not making as much profit as you once would have.

Columbia, SC Real Estate

 10- If you say you are going to do it, then DO IT! - There are more than enough people in this world that will toss out any hollow promise that their mouth can make, so don't add to the confusion. Provide the service that you promise and you will always stand out. If you tell a client that you are going to do something, then be sure you do it and that they don't have to ask if you did.

9- There is no excuse for poor performance.- If you want to ensure that you will lose listings and buyers, then don't do a good job. You will drop them like flies and you will no longer have to deal with them. While of course everyone has issues in their lives, your clients shouldn't suffer because of them.

8- Be prepared.- When you're not on appointments, then prepare for future appointments. Know your market and be ready when opportunity presents itself.

7- Be professional.- That doesn't mean that you can't have a sense of humor or that you have to be a complete stiff throughout the process, but you need to be a professional first. No matter how many homes your client has bought or sold, you should be the most knowledgeable in the crowd and you are their to provide them with a service, so be sure that they know you are the professional in the equation.

6- You have to advertise.- At some point your career you may have enough of a costumer base that you can simply focus on referrals and let the business come to you. I assure you that takes a while so unless you're incredibly blessed at the beginning of your career, then you're going to have to spend a little time and money advertising. Businesses that succeed rarely do so through luck or by mistake, but many of them have managed to succeed through their advertising efforts. Watch what the successful agents in your area do and focus your advertising accordingly.

5- If you're not ready to fight, then don't throw the first punch.- It's no secret that in this day and age there is a reduced number of buyers and sellers out there making a run at the market. That doesn't mean that you can't succeed, you certainly can, but you will have to work for it. There will be lots of competition out there from your fellow agents who remain in the business and you have to be willing to compete for the business.

4- Ask for the business.- One of the easiest ways to get business is also one of the most overlooked techniques in real estate. ASK FOR THE BUSINESS. It's rare that people will simply volunteer to work with you, so you need to let them know that you want to work with them.

3- Your reputation is GOLD, protect it as such.- There is nothing in the world worth ruining your reputation. You can spend years building a solid reputation as good person and a fair businessman, and in one breath you can blow it all. So, don't go there, if a situation seems questionable, think about the future of your business rather than the current state of your bank account.

2- If you were wrong, then admit it.- If you are wrong in a situation, and you will be at some point, then you have to be willing to swallow your pride, cast aside you ego, and do the right thing by admitting that you were. Your clients will respect your ability to tell the truth and even if they don't, it's still the right thing to do, so you better do it.

1- There is no replacement for education.- Learn everything that you can about this business. From marketing and advertising, to sales techniques, and your local area. The possibilities to study aspects of real estate that could help your business are truly endless, you just have to be willing to learn. The second you decide to stop learning, you put yourself and your clients at a disadvantage, and you make the decision that your business will stop growing.

 Finally a reason to celebrate the genius that is our Government!!!! I knew it was only a matter of time before they wore me down and managed to show that they truly get what is important to so many Americans. This time they have struck a nerve and are poised to get right to the heart of the matter that will put us as a nation back on track to reclaim our supremacy.

 Just when I was ready to give up all hope on Congress after what I have seen from them in my lifetime, they have made a believer out of me and all our problems seem to be a breath away from under control. According to the news they are now planning on passing a bill that will not allow only college bowl game to use the title "National Championship" unless it results from a playoff. That's right, the U.S. Congress is poised to take down the BCS and ensure that college football has a playoff system rather than bowl games where some team always has the complaint that they were cheated by not being given a true shot at the title.

 This story quickly reminded me of why I rarely watch the news anymore and why I really don't like Congress. With all the problems that are currently facing our nation, we have to take valuable time for our civil servants to stop doing something useful and get involved in college football. I mean we are only at war, in a recession, have a housing crisis, and a huge unemployment rate, but really all these things can wait. We need a college football playoff system.

 Barring the fact that I wouldn't mind seeing a playoff system at some point, do we really need Congress involved? Find something better to do with your time! Try to actually solve and issue or two that will help the people who had to put you in office. Not since the Congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball have I thought more that Congress should just go ahead and give up. If this is the leadership we have, then we just have no right to complain about the shape the world is in. Try hard to fix your situation as an individual, because you are certainly not getting any help from those that represent you. Unless of course you are a TCU fan, because they may have been a little cheated by the BCS this year.