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On a Personal Note
Two weeks ago, Zillow invited me to speak at their Zillow Forum 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. I spoke to approximately 700 fellow Premier Agents on how to build & sustain a high volume real estate practice as an independent agent, as opposed to one who has a team of agents working for him. As many of you know, it's me, myself, & I helping clients buy & sell homes in the East Bay.
A highlight of the event was the opportunity to chat with Spencer Rascoff, founder & CEO of Zillow Group. He, my colleague Stephen Beard, and I are pictured here. In addition to talking shop with Spencer I had the good fortune to meet many incredible agents & all around nice folks from far & wide across America and to absorb some amazing & inspirational presentations from industry leaders.
I came away deeply impressed by Zillow's mission, corporate ethics, and commitment to partnership with us, the agents "in the trenches." I am really excited by the prospects of putting to good use in the service of my clients, many new tools Zillow just announced.
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Win a Free Coffee Card
It’s easy to win! Find the quiz question inside this newsletter, then email me your answer. Each month, all correct entries have an equal chance of winning.
- Last month’s question: October refers to what number in Latin?
- Answer: The number 8. October was originally the 8th month in the Roman lunar calendar, which had only 10 months?
Congratulations to Last Month's Winner: Jonathan Fischer
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Thank You Friends!
Welcome new clients and Thank You to friends who’ve trusted me to work with you, your friends, family and coworkers. Special thanks this month to...
Raul Mendez, Ryan & Vanessa Cutler, & Jesse Coronado
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In your very own country, right now, there are thousands upon thousands of millionaires. They didn't get there by winning the lottery or getting a golden parachute. They got there by working steadily, saving patiently, and investing wisely.
The gradual accumulation of wealth without over spending has given them a comfortable lifestyle and a healthy bequest for their children.
At the root of that wealth is home ownership. With low interest rates, and growth in real estate values, a home can easily be the foundation to a family's future financial stability.
If you know someone who’s renting, help them be smart. There are many ways to buy a first home, and even if they can't afford the perfect home yet, any home can be a leg-up on a life of financial stability.
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Consumer Report
When Should You Stop Renting and Buy?
Often this is about choice: Can you afford what you want, or would buying put you in a home, neighborhood, or financial position you don’t like?
But sometimes buying, even if it’s not the perfect home, could be a good financial decision. This report can help you—or someone you know—evaluate the choices.
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"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses."
~Alphonse Karr
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1st Time Buyers Are Welcome to Call
If someone you know is thinking about buying their first home, call me and hand them the phone! I’m happy to patiently answer all their questions!
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Reminders are nothing new. We've been tying strings to our fingers, wearing bands on our wrists, carrying worry stones, and counting Rosary beads for centuries.
The purpose of these tools is to tie a physical sensation to a thought in order to induce the thought whenever you feel the sensation.
Here's a special use of one of these tools that I read about from Michael Hyatt. He says that he puts a stone in his pocket to remind him to give thanks. Every time his hand contacts the stone, he says he gives thanks for whatever is happening at that moment. He literally looks for something to be grateful for.
Why is this valuable? Because the act of consciously expressing gratitude measurably improves our lives! Significantly.
Studies into gratitude conducted by Dr. Robert Emmons at UC Davis offer us the following food for thought:
- Participants who kept weekly gratitude journals exercised more and reported fewer physical ailments than non-participants.
- Participants who kept gratitude journals made more progress toward important personal goals.
- A daily gratitude exercise for youth resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, attentiveness and energy.
- Participants were rated as more generous by their social networks.
As we rush headlong into the holiday season, why not give this tool a try? Find a smooth stone, then ‘program’ it by thinking of things you are grateful for. With each thought, rub the stone. This will become a trigger. As you carry it, touch it and it will remind you to express gratitude.
Let me know how it works for you!
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My Advice...
“How much does it cost to hire a real estate agent to help us buy?”
If you’re a home buyer, the services of most real estate agents are free to you. Why is that? It’s because the seller’s real estate brokerage pays the fees of the buyer’s agent. In other words, the seller pays for the services of their own real estate broker, and then that broker compensates the buyer’s agent who brings a successful offer.
This is known as a cooperating broker agreement and it’s what makes the residential real estate market go around. The alternative is that sellers would have to rely on one agent alone to work with hundreds of buyers to get an offer. Instead, their agent will market to the buyer’s agents (as well as looking for new buyers) to bring qualified offers.
That makes buyers the real winners here! You don’t have to pay your real estate agent, and they’ll still work as hard for you as if you were paying them a king’s ransom. They need you to be qualified, knowledgeable, and prepared to make an offer when you find the right home!
If you or any of your friends are first time home buyers, please connect with me, so that we can get the ball rolling! *|LIST:PHONE|*
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November Quiz Question
How many days are in November during a leap year?
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Gifts under $10 They'll Actually Use!
The holidays are just around the corner. Now might be the time to start thinking about ordering a few online gifts. Here are some ideas:
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A hobby-themed or jewelry thumb drive/USB drive. USB drives come in themes! Fill it with photos, reports, or other electronic data of interest to your receiver.
A subscription to a paper magazine. There's still something satisfying about flipping through pages. Google ‘magazine subscriptions.’ Buy a copy from the store, then put their subscription notice inside.
 Google cardboard 2.0. Everyone gets a kick out of these inexpensive ‘glasses’ that let you experience 3D immersion using your own smart phone.
A book of brain teasers or other puzzles. These are inexpensive keepers for those in your life who love to figure things out.
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Infectious disease stress ball. Who doesn't love a stress ball next to their computer? This one is different. Google 'disease stress ball.'
Themed or decor salt & pepper shakers. You can find these online in just about any theme. They make surprisingly useful and personal gifts.
 Texting gloves. Talking with your fingers is challenging when it’s cold outside! These come in a huge array of styles and colors.
Specialty baby trees or seeds. Give a seedling or the actual seeds for a coffee tree or chocolate tree. These will take a while to mature (years!), but will be a gift they remember. Google 'organic tropical seeds.'
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See you next month!
Please call me or forward this email to friends in need of real estate help.
~ Thank you!
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