It's rough out there... show your spirit

The Marin Food Bank has told us that they have an increase in demand of 1/3. Partially due to tough economic times, their donations have been down. Our office at Pacific Union Central Marin has lead a drive for P&J. Several of our agents have let their clients know that the need is great to amazing results! One agent had a client donate $5000 when he heard about the need. Others have had people give whatever they could.

By everyone doing what they can about some of the pressing needs in our community we can make a difference. Please, donate this season to someone in need. There are many organizations who would be so grateful for your help. From the arts, to basic needs donations are down throughout the country. Do what you can.

If you would like to contribute to the Marin Food Bank, send a check to

Marin Community Food Bank75 Digital DriveNovato, CA 94949

or make an online donation...https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w018053

Be proud.

It's almost time to vote...Take a look at this Robin William's classic and remember to be proud of who we are....

Coming from behind......

Real Estate...Olympics...what do they have in common.

I guess there are those people who decide to be a Realtor, and decide that all they need to do is show up. They do their job and turn in their time go home and hope it will pay off. They figure they are at the mercy of the times, they have no impact on the times. They put a sign in the yard and read the papers. When the news is bad, they believe what they read. They resign themselves to their circumstances.

There are Realtors who boast. They brag about their accomplishments. They antagonize their rivals. They stretch the truth of their ability to their clients. When the news is bad they tell their clients the news is wrong.

They show up and honor the listing in doing so.

They want the client to feel lucky to have been chosen.

There are Realtors who don't believe in giving up. They don't need to brag because it wastes time and takes the emphasis off the important thing, which is the house. They put in 200% of their effort and use creativity to promote the listing, not their own image. The news is bad, they acknowledge the news and determine to be more creative, and more tenacious. They are honored when someone selects them to market their home. They take this honor seriously.

They never give up. Never stop believing...

I was struck by yesterdays Men's 400 meter freestyle relay. I understand what its like to hear the self serving boasts of competitors. I also understand now easy it would be to slip into a fatalistic view of our business. But above all, I understand that intangible drive that comes from deep down inside that lifts you to the next level of effort, especially when other people are counting

on your performance for their success.

Thanks men's team for reminding me again... never give up.

Lift up! Strive up! Reach the goal! Bravo!!



http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194

You Tube

I am hoping there are people out there that have an opinion about this.

"You Tube" is a tool that I have considered using for my listings, in addition to the webpages, slide shows and everything else...( a long list) I use to market my properties.

My husband bought me a very cool, easy to use, point and shoot, plug in pocket video recorder. The problem is I think the photos are not up to par. I could try and be super creative.. and campy... I could try another technique... I could buy another camera with better quality or.... I could forget the whole thing. Do you have an opinion?

This keeping up with the latest is making me... DIZZY!

But that's not fair!

Buyers and sellers see this process of home negotiations in different ways. There is a lot of different approaches and I can't speak to what I believe is best for everyone. For example I have heard in the east coast it is standard for a seller to price 15% over asking and the expect to negotiate down. I know I have had clients who have bought homes in a sellers market and remember they needed to pay well over asking in order to even be in the game. All of these situations exists still and will in the days ahead. Even in the midst of the "boom" I know what felt right to me and what didn't. I'll tell you what I do not believe. I do not believe, in offering a price for a house that is high enough to be accepted, with the intent on paying 10% less in the end.I believe that Real Estate should not be treated like a game. Games shouldn't be personal and Real Estate is almost always personal. I do not believe in offering a house for less than it is worth and only be willing to accept 10% over the asking price as an offer. If you believe that the above scenarios are just fine you are not alone. But somehow, I prefer the good old honest... This is what I will take for my house..... this is what I'll pay for your house.... way of doing Real Estate. Now if we could just be sure everyone would play by our rules this all would be less stressful...but, you know how it goes, you need to be prepared for everything and everyone.

FEB 2007 VS. FEB 2008

I just looked at some every interesting statistics comparing sale bewteen February 2007 and February 2008. The upshot is homes are staying on the market longer but are still holding their prices fairly well. Take a look for yourself:

MARIN COUNTY SALE COMPARISON

SOLD PROPERTIES - FEB. 2007 VERSUS 2008

FEBURARY 2007

TOTAL PROPERTIES SOLD: 185

AVERAGE: List Price: $1,154,785 SalesPrice: $1,119,652 Days on Market: 84

MEDIAN: List Price: $ 869,000 Sales Price: $ 850,000 Days on Market: 57

HIGH: List Price: $9,980,000 Sales Price: $9,000,000 Days on Market: 471

LOW: List Price: $ 200,000 Sales Price: $ 180,000 Days on Market: 0

ADJ. AVG: List Price: $1,111,777 Sales Price: $1,081,725 Days on Market: 102

FEBRUARY 2008

Total properties sold: 121

AVERAGE: List Price: $1,231,724 Sales Price: $1,169,327 Days on Market: 100

MEDIAN: List Price: $ 810,000 Sales Price: $ 824,000 Days on Market: 91

HIGH: List Price: $10,000,000 Sales Price: $8,500,000 Days on Market: 401

LOW: List Price: $ 175,000 Sales Price: $ 138,000 Days on Market: 0

ADJ. AVG: List Price: $1,166,921 Sales Price: $1,116,391 Days on Market: 102

SEE WHAT I MEAN?!

Off topic...but on point

Today I went to the memorial service of a truly great lady. I say lady and she was, even though that title is usually reserved for much older people, which she wasn't. She was far too young to have left us. Susan was a client, but she was also someone I considered more than that. I came to love her and her family and I am deeply saddened.

Real Estate is ultimately about people's lives and the communities in which they live. Susan enriched her community, and was starting a career that surely would have enriched us all. She was on track at UCSF to become a nurse. In her name there has been a fund established to provide scholarship money to a deserving nursing student at UCSF. It is a highly worthwhile cause, in the name of someone who touched many lives. If you can send a donation to;

The Susan L. Shulman Foundation

c/o The Horton Family
14 Lower Drive
Mill Valley, CA 94941

I wrote something because I kept seeing this vision of Susan, after I heard about her passing. Some people are so vibrant that when they leave they leave traces of color and light in your mind you can't stop seeing. Anyway...

Today I pictured Susan, standing in a field of shimmering sunflowers. The sky was as blue as her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed from having finished a long run. There was a twinkle in her eye and a smile that floated across her face. She spoke softly in a whisper and said not to cry. "The day is long, the sun is warm and there are adventures to be had."

I watched as she twirled in a circle and threw back her head to laugh. She strode away with a flower in her hand, and seemed to disappear in a swirl of blue and gold.