Five Habits of Highly Productive Real Estate Agents
I’ll let you in on a little secret. You could take the title of this blog and replace “Real Estate Agents” with your profession and you would increase your productivity! But Real Estate is my business and time management is a real challenge that I want to address from the perspective of being a Real Estate Agent.
With so many distractions, it is a wonder that real estate agents are productive at all. Working to become a highly productive real estate agent is an ongoing process. Creating habits that produce consistent results allows you to achieve your maximum potential. Between phone calls, emails, listing presentations, prospecting calls and buyer appointments, how do I stay productive?
I keep myself focused, alert and on tract with these five habits:
- Focus on the Most Important Tasks. Be mindful to focus on income generating tasks and tasks that produce results. Schedule time on your calendar and list out everything you will work on. Number each item and work through your list. Complete what you can during your scheduled time without any interruptions or distractions (see #2). Do this every day.
- Remove Distractions. The day can quickly get away from you between the phone, email, Internet and any other interruption. Turn it all off and stay focused on your task at hand. Don’t allow yourself a quick vacation on Facebook or getting off track by answering emails. Cut yourself off from all distractions, work down your list and take a break once you are complete.
- Use Positive Affirmations. Crazy, I know but they actually do work! They can take a negative attitude and turn it around just by repeating a few constructive, upbeat words.
- Take a Cat Nap. Making time and grabbing a few z‘s might seem like an odd productivity tip, but studies have shown that feeling refreshed after a nap can significantly improve concentration and performance. 30 minutes is all it takes.
- Set Daily Goals. Wake up each morning with your goals outlined. These should be incorporated into your daily tasks. Setting your sites on a goal each day offers clarity and promotes a more sustained drive.
Here’s a bonus. Break out of the norm. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try something that makes you a little uncomfortable. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be an amazing place that offers growth potential you never believed possible. Whatever your profession, these habits will contribute to your productivity.
Until next time, Irene
Improvement on the real estate front!
After several months blogging about the Vermont towns that I know and love and after a reminder about how important your own life should be as we enter 2012 – well, it’s time to get back to business! Let’s talk about real estate.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that it wasn’t a breakout year in 2011 for residential real estate sales. In my opinion however, there was slight improvement. While the percentage increase in residential home, condo sales and second home buyers vary from county to county and town to town, the real estate market has been positively affected by the following:
- Interest rates are at a historic record low.
- Baby Boomers are nearing retirement and have the ability to snap up high end properties at lower than usual prices.
- Some people who watch the real estate market feel we won’t see further drops in value.
- Some buyers who have been on the side-lines for the past several years are ready to re-enter the market.
This does not mean that we will all enjoy easy and quick real estate transactions. Clients will be cautious, as they should be. Many home prices remain depressed and are well below their replacement value that it would take to build a new home – which is not necessarily good for builders – but good for qualified home buyers. There are great buys to be had out there and with interest rates where they are right now, the average person still has a great opportunity to own the “American Dream”.
Due to the financial hardships that many of the American people have endured in recent history and the country’s Financial Institution’s past lending policies – in my opinion a good credit score and adequate down payment are most important for your future real estate transactions. There are programs out there for first-time home buyers who qualify so if you are in the market to buy a home, it would be foolish not to look into it now.
I’m happy to live in Vermont in a 4-season resort area. I believe we will remain a strong second-home market and also a destination supported by our local tourism based partners who continue to focus on that economy and add to their year-round amenities. If you’ve been thinking about buying property in this area – well, now is the time to do so!
Until next time, Irene
For all your real estate needs in South Central Vermont, contact me at:
802-353-1983
New Shop in Ludlow
Please stop in to visit the new store for FRAME IT IN SKIS – in LaMere Plaza! Perfect place for an unusal gift or something for yourself; a bit about them below:
We are a small family owned business who love what we do. Our unique gifts and picture frames are handmade and handcrafted in Vermont out of used and recycled skis, snowboards and other winter sports equipment. Standard products include picture frames, message boards, mirrors, clocks, and wind chimes. Please visit our online store often as we will be adding more and more unique gifts along with specials and one-of-a-kind items. Please email us with suggestions and comments as we are always looking for new ideas and welcome your opinion.
Always try to recycle, reuse, and repurpose! One person’s junk is another person’s craft project!
FRAME IT IN SKIS.
3 Lamere Square (across the street from Shaws)
Ludlow, VT 05149
ph: 201.281.0854 email: gotskis [!at] yahoo.com
3 Lamere Square (across the street from Shaws)
Ludlow, VT 05149
ph: 201.281.0854 email: gotskis [!at] yahoo.com
This month’s featured town – Cavendish, VT
Cavendish, Vermont is full of surprises. Located in Windsor County and named after William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, Cavendish also includes the village of Proctorsville and saw its first settlers in June of 1769.
Cavendish is a very unassuming town. As you drive around the beautiful Vermont countryside of Cavendish and Proctorsville, at first glance you don’t realize the history and thriving businesses located here. Would it surprise you to know that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian writer, historian and Nobel Prize winner called Cavendish his home for many years?
How many times have you driven past Mack Molding, a leading supplier of contract manufacturing service and injection molded plastic parts to companies in a range of industries? Founded in 1920 and a family run business with headquarters in Arlington, Vermont, it might surprise you to know they have 1,800 employees at 10 locations with annual sales of $300 million. This is a company with no long term debt and a 5A1 D&B rating – the highest available! Learn more about them at http://www.mack.com.
Do you know where the Cavendish Canine Camp is located? If you visit their website at http://www.cavendishcaninecamp.com you’ll find an excellent description of where they are; “nestled within the green mountains of Vermont and just outside the village of Ludlow”. This wonderful canine boarding facility prides itself on the quality and conscientious care they give your pets while you are traveling or working. Their canine guests have supervised social playtime and a “quiet time” mid-day. The feline campers also get playtime to roam and socialize in their very own “cat room”.
I am so proud to live in Vermont that even three months after the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Irene I feel compelled to mention just one or two storm related items. First, if you go to their website you’ll never know how my friends at the Cavendish Canine Camp were affected by the storm. They were closed during the months of September and October and while open now, the main entrance from 103 was washed away by the storm and it is very exciting to see excavators rebuilding now!
There is another business that deserves storm-related mention; The Village Clipper in Proctorsville. While a huge section of Route 132 was being repaired by the Army National Guard, several Guardsmen came in for haircuts. Julie and Paula would not accept their money, thanking them for the amazing job they were doing for us here in Vermont.
I don’t think that you can blog about the Cavendish/Proctorsville area without talking about Singleton’s General Store. Located just past the junction of Route’s 103 and 131 on Route 131 Singleton’s is known for its Vermont smoked meats, cheeses and other Vermont products. They also have a great selection of clothing and footwear suited to this area and a sporting-goods section for all of your hunting and fishing needs.
That doesn’t tell you half the story! A family owned business since 1948 when Bud and Mary Singleton with their six kids opened Newton’s Store in Reading, it took until 1978 for them to buy the land and open in their current location. Tom Singleton joined them in 1976 with his brother John – and Sheba – their Doberman Pincer. All of the children contributed to Singleton’s but only Tom and his wife Linn remained to take over in 1999 when Bud retired. The Singleton’s take pride in Customer Service – whether it’s servicing the local’s needs or those visiting from out of state. Visit http://www.singletonsvt.com, or come into the store – you won’t be disappointed.
I love Cavendish and currently make it my home! I have so much more that I could say so I’ll settle with – come and experience what I have known and come to love! Looking forward to seeing you in town!
Until next time, Irene
This month’s featured town – Chester, VT
Chester Town Hall
Chester is an amazing town in Vermont. It is a town of churches and some of the most interesting and colorful vistas in New England. You can enjoy the quaint town of Chester with the historic Village Green and the Stone Village, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places – livable structures made from local granite.
Just a month after the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene, Chester held the 37th Annual Fall Festival on the Green, sponsored by the Chester Rotary Club. Over 60 Vermont and New England Artisans, Crafters and Food Concessions gathered in booths spread over the Green in the center of town. Mark your calendars for next year -this is a great fall event to attend!
New Businesses are opening too. The Inn Victoria expanded their business by adding a retail outlet, “Ye Olde Shoppe at Inn Victoria” which will focus on Vermont foods, Vermont made jewelry and other types of goods their guests are looking for while staying in Vermont. There is a new gallery, museum and art school in Chester as well! The Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) hosted an open house at the beginning of this month. Located on Depot Avenue across from the Jiffy Mart just off the Chester Village Green, there was a timely photographic essay of 50 images from professional and amateur photographers chronicling the destruction and rebuilding of south/central Vermont in the aftermath of the storm.
There are well established businesses also contributing to Chester’s charm. Bill Austin’s Antique Store has the largest collection of Antiques around and he refurbishes many items himself. It’s quite an experience walking through all the rooms of his store! After antiquing at Austin’s, step into MacLaomainn’s for lunch!
MacLaomainn’s is a Scottish style pub located at 52 South Main Street and Deb and Alan Brown opened their doors in 2008. Their Scottish style menu is unique to this area featuring traditional fish pie, haggis, mince and tatties and steak pie. They also offer pizza, Angus burgers, hot dogs and more! The atmosphere is just what a pub is intended to be – a community living room where everyone can feel at home.
This year the Browns added to their offerings by opening the Great Hall – a conference room, event and music hall which can seat up to 95 people comfortably and is located directly behind the pub. Their hope is that the Great Hall becomes a place where people will comfortably gather with family and friends.
Chester is a delightful town to visit and I’m sure you will discover the warm and inviting atmosphere coming from the local businesses and local people. Come see – you can’t get away from that Vermont spirit!
Chester Depot
Until next time, Irene
Land on Twenty Mile Stream Road; Close to Okemo!
First time on Market – parcel has stone wall around 3 sides, private road along the 4th side. Just look across the road (paved) to see what may be a view. Power and phone on property, Approx 800 feet of frontage on 20 Mile Stream Road – Cavendish Vermont. 199,900.00
99-Cent Store Solutions
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99-Cent Store Solution #4: Loose Cabinet Hinge
Yesterday we showed you how to handily repair drywall for $10 in case Charlie Sheen drops by your place. But back to reality. If one of your kitchen cabinets is hanging on for dear life … Read
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99-Cent Store Solution #3: Patch Drywall Hole
Yesterday’s torn-screen fix cost all of $1.98 (including an impulse purchase). Today’s is the priciest in this weeklong series—but still under $10. Read
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99-Cent Store Solution #2: Torn Window Screen
Yesterday, we shared our discovery of the 99-cent store as a practical resource for home improvement supplies. We repaired a scuff mark on a countertop for less than $3. Today, we’re going to get rid of one of life’s greatest annoyances for less than $2. Read
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99-Cent Store Solution #1: Scuffed Countertops
At HouseLogic, we love to find and share inexpensive solutions to household problems. Our five solutions this week—one a day—don’t even require a trip to your big-box home improvement store—not that we don’t love stocking up at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Instead, pay a call to your 99-cent store. Its aisles are crammed with the inexpensive (and multipurpose) wares to fix what’s ailing. Read
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Shotgun Plan for Lending Industry Woes Disincentive to Home Ownership
New government safeguards may protect investors—but at what cost to you? Proposed regulations would cripple your ability to buy and sell a home and cause property values to plunge. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
The Vermont Institute for Contemporary Arts Is Coming To Chester, VT
Written by: Joseph E. Milliken,
Publish Notes:
Valley Business Journal Chester, Vt. April, 2011
CHESTER, VT.-The Vermont Institute for Contemporary Arts(Vtica)in Chester was realized last year and is the creative dream of colleagues Robery Sarly and Abby Raeder, who have a vision to help breathe life into and enlighten the South Central Vermont arts community. “We have been living in Andover(near Chester)for over a decade and realized that somehow, something was missing from this part of the local Arts community,” Robert Sarly said in a recent interview. The center is currently being constructed at 15 Depot Street, and is currently targeting a summer “soft opening.”
Photos courtesy of Vtica
“Chester is simply essential New England… charming, with a town green and many quaint inns, restaurants, crafts and antique outlets, and great proximity to some of the finest foliage and skiing in New England,” Sarly said. “Also, all around the Chester area there are scores of brilliant artists who had come to inhabit the raw beauty of the Green Mountains and simply escape the maddening crowds.” The institute will offer exhibit space and a performance stage, as well as space for artist workshops and other support facilities to encourage and promote creativity.”Many local artists are indeed, a little like ourselves and having found God’s green acres and have settled down to creating spiritually meaningful interpretations of their lives… and ours. Created in stone, on canvas and fabric, in colors and textures that seduce the imagination and remind us of the deeper meanings of life that is all around us.”
One of the focuses of Vtica is to provide local artists the creative center to reawaken us with deeper meanings, and have assembled a wide circle of interested supporters including watercolor and acrylic artists and oil painters, sculptors and craftspeople, live performance artists, local business leaders, in keepers, restaurateurs and others. “These are the avant garde of the new creative economy that Vermont needs to stimulate a revitalization of not just art, but the broader business community as well,” Sarly said.
Another of Vtica’s focuses is to help bring people back in touch with the power and meaningful spirit of the creative imagination. “We all have this aspect buried within our hearts and souls, but it has sometimes been suppressed or forgotten in the business of our modern, materialistic life. Vtica offers us all a place to experience and learn how important the imagination can be to survive in modern life.”
Vtica will serve and assist artists and anyone interested in exploring new ideas, or to view the various works on display, see a scheduled performance or to seek available instruction. “The impact of Vtica will grow through networking with all people with an artistic sensibility, along with other galleries, museums and art schools,” Sarly concluded. “Especially those on the State of Vermont Arts Trail, that crosses through the middle of Vermont from New Hampshire to New York.
“In our own modest way, we intend to change the world for the better by bringing the creative imagination back to the heart of life experience. We will feature local, Vermont artists, but all artists will be welcome, and the cross-fertilization of contemporary art ideas and techniques from around the country and the world should make the Vtica even more exciting than a local art gallery or museum would otherwise.
“There are already many artists who satisfy the market for classic bucolic transcription; what Vtica is trying to support is more cutting edge. We intend to strengthen and make accessible the kind of artistic interests that are more reflective of the spiritual. This is a journey of self-discovery.” To learn more about the Vermont Institute for Contemporary Arts, visit their web site at www.vtica.org.
What You Should Know About Proposed Eliminations of the Mortgage Interest Deduction
Currently, the co-chairs of the bipartisan deficit committee have initiated proposals for the 2010 budget. The current budget includes the elimination or reduction of the home mortgage interest deduction. Presently, the goal of the report pertains to improving the countries current fiscal situation over the medium term. Furthermore, it aims to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability.
The original recommendations entailed savings of $208 billion over the next decade. On the other hand, recent revisions made by Democrat Erksine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson propose a zero option plan, which would eliminate tax credits for homeowners and businesses. In their revised draft, they projected cutting the deficit by $3.9 trillion by 2020. In addition, they proposed that by the year 2035 this would reduce the national percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) debt by 40%.
The current proposal indicates how the mortgage interest deduction is a nonessential. It further stipulates how other countries as Australia and Canada do not have it, yet people still buy homes. Furthermore, Simpson and Bowles assert that the mortgage interest deduction is part of tax expenditures considered unfair in draining the treasury. Therefore, they propose the elimination of all tax credits.
In the event that people do not want to accept their recommendations, they proffer a reduction. The aforementioned would include placing a limitation on the current mortgage interest deduction so that it would not exceed more than $500,000. Furthermore, homeowners could no longer apply it to a second home purchase.
Mortgage Interest Deductions Defined
Under Title 26, of U.S.C. § 16 3(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), homeowners are entitled to the mortgage interest deduction as long as they adhere to specific guidelines. These guidelines specify that a homeowner must itemize deductions. Additionally, the interest deducted may not surpass one million dollars.
Furthermore, the deductions may only involve the acquisition, construction, or comprehensive home improvement. On the other hand, despite a homeowners intended purpose or use, they may use up to $100,000 of their home equity.
Reasons Congress Should Continue Mortgage Interest Deduction
As illustrated above, the benefits of mortgage interest deductions are many. Ultimately, it provides a way for homeowners to reduce their taxable income in accordance with the interest paid on their home loan. Therefore, it serves as a huge benefit for those who own their own home.
Presently, more than ¾ of all homeowners utilize this deduction throughout their home ownership. Generally, most of the people who need it the most are the middle class. Ultimately, the reduction or elimination of the mortgage interest deduction would eliminate one of the largest buying incentives within the national housing policy.
In the end, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) asserts that removing such a deduction will affect the overall stability of the current economy and housing market. In addition, the tax policy director, Ryan Ellis with the Americans for Tax Reforms contends that any changes with the current mortgage interest deduction will lead to tax increases amounting to over one trillion dollars in 10 years.
In the Heart of Vermont ski Country
Right between Killington and Okemo ski resorts. Located just off VAST (Snowmobile Trails) there are possibilities for direct access to the trails the building features a heated garage which would be a perfect place to store and work on your sleds. It is also equidistant to echo lake and Woodard reservoir and just down the road from the Coolidge historical sites, Long Trail brewery, and the village of Woodstock this is the perfect location for year round vacation or daily life! There are 4 bedrooms, 4 large bathrooms, and an updated kitchen. Each room has individually controlled thermostat, and a propane fireplace. The building is very energy efficient! Owner financing available – this is not a drive-by – Priced to sell! $229,900.00