I really loathe this quote. It’s such a downer and so cynical - never mind that it’s so true. It doesn’t begin to lift my spirits or offer any hope. And hope is what we in the real estate world need, especially these days.

Whether or not you agree with the government’s October bailout program, it is, in fact, a reality. Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac are going to be working with delinquent homeowners to get them back on track so they can keep their homes. JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp and Citicorp are also falling in line to offer mortgage loan modifications to those who qualify.

Qualify - therein lies the rub.

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Aside from price, home buyers customarily have a laundry list of “needs” they would like to see fulfilled when purchasing a new home. Certainly there are those common factors, such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, garage size, etc. There are often community desires as well, like high-ranking schools, reasonable taxes and accessible shopping, to name a few. During the years, these amenities have remained fairly constant.

The new millennium has brought to light an additional necessity: broadband availability.

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It’s just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, the beginning of what I call “Family Season.” Thoughts turn to gathering together with relatives and friends around a full and festive meal. It’s a time for preparation, not only inside but outside of your house as well.

This time of year, the outdoors hosts a number of wonderful aromas and experiences. There’s nothing like stepping out on an autumn Saturday morning to be met by the cool, fresh air that has the crispness of a Granny Smith apple. It can be invigorating and motivating. Here’s where you can spend some free time with your family and tackle some of those yard chores you’ve been putting off.

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I’m a Baby Boomer, born to parents who lived during the Great Depression. My mother was a very young girl during the Depression’s early years; my dad was in his late teens. Each walked away with different perspectives.

My mom always considered her family poor, living in rural Fargo, ND. My dad grew up in somewhat better circumstances on the island of Saint Croix, in the Virgin Islands. He was a Danish citizen until the U.S. purchased the islands in 1927 and he came to the States.

Marrying after World War II, they lived simply in Chicago in a one-bedroom apartment until I came along. My sister followed a couple of years later.

We were a family of modest means that thought nothing of eating leftovers. We were taught to throw garbage (litter) in trash cans and to pick up after ourselves in public places. Our week off of school in April was not referred to as “Spring Break,” but Clean-Up Week. Kids from our block got together to sweep sidewalks and curbs and eliminate trash. We were even given a certificate from the City of Chicago for our contributions.

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It’s been 25 years since my first experience as a home buyer. We were thrilled to find a house that was in our price range, met our family needs and was in a desirable neighborhood. My recollection of that purchase may be somewhat rose-colored, but the biggest concern I remember having was whether the owner was going to accept our offer, and if we had any competition. As it turned out, both of those were non-issues.

Jettison to today’s home buying situation. My newlywed daughter and her husband are living in the home he has owned for several years prior to their marriage. Recently they began looking at larger homes outside the city limits with a few acres of land. I got a call from her after they made an offer on a house, in which she expressed her anxiety over the whole process.

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When you’re putting your home on the market for sale, you do your best to make it attractive to a wide variety of buyers. You get rid of the clutter, clean, repair and paint to the point where you ask yourself, “Why wasn’t I motivated to do all this for myself and my family?” (That’s a whole other topic.)

After all this hard work, you’re feeling good about your accomplishments and know your home is ready for showing. Just then you look out your front window and notice several small mounds of earth sticking up in your lush, meticulously manicured lawn. You scream - if only in your head - and dash out of the house.

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“Change is inevitable,” or so the saying goes. The very young often balk at change. They have a need for consistency with defined boundaries. Young people seem to embrace change. Their desire for new and exciting events appears unquenchable. Middle-aged people struggle between seeking change and battling life’s changes, over which they have no control. The elderly are often frightened by change and long for days past when they felt more certainty in life.

Understanding that there’s no stopping change can make dealing with it much more palatable. For the past 10 months, the airwaves have been filled with promises of change from our local and national politicians. Each has his or her own idea of what will be beneficial and effectual change.

Voters will have an opportunity to decide whose “change package” they wish to support on November 4. But let’s keep in mind that the day after the election will show little signs that anything has changed. Many of us will still wake up next to the same spouse. Lunches will still have to be made for our children before sending them off to school. Paying the rent or mortgage and utilities will need to be done on a timely basis. Some will still be unemployed and others will trot off to the same job, like it or not.

But what about the change in the here and now?

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My children are all grown, so I’m not dealing with their Halloween makeup, costumes and accessories anymore. However, I still enjoy greeting children at my front door with their bags held out in eager anticipation of the candy I’ll give them. As a participant in the tradition of “Trick or Treating,” I am very conscious of the children’s safety as they come and go from my front porch.

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The Internet is an integral part of real estate today. Technology can be used from the house-hunt up until the final days you close escrow. If you manage your real estate transaction with technology, you will be able to manage your time for other important things - like work, play and most important, family.

Let’s explore time management with technology, shall we? Read the rest of this entry »

 Posted by Rebecca

Most people think of their real estate agent as a one-time advisor. They assume a real estate agent can only help them with the pre-care of their real estate purchase. Once the sale is consummated, that’s pretty much the end of their relationship with their real estate agent. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Choosing a good real estate agent is the difference between real estate urgent care and routine real estate aftercare. Read the rest of this entry »

 Posted by Rebecca