Some ordinances just don’t make sense.

Recently, the lovely municipals in the little-known city of Walworth, Wisconsin, decided they need to crack down on the car congestion in this bustling town of 2,000 residents. They changed the rules on visitors who need to park their cars, but nary a sign or public notice can be found … this is where my tale begins.

My boyfriend lives in an apartment complex in Walworth. One day last month after a visit, I came out to my car to find a little yellow tag with a violation for parking in the apartment complex parking lot. OK, there weren’t any signs, but I get it. The parking lot is for residents and even though I’d parked there many times before, it was time for them to let me know I had overstayed my welcome. Warning #1.

So, I parked my car on the street. There were no signs stating I couldn’t, so I did. The next day, I came out to my car to find another ticket. Apparently, you cannot park your car on the street between the hours of 4 and 6 a.m. So, I paid the $50 and asked the clerk at the police station, "Where should I park?" Her reply: "Good question, I don’t know."

Recently, I relocated. It was local, it happened fast and it was exhausting.

I relocated my home office from my
basement to my main living area. This involved a dozen trips up and
down a very narrow, winding staircase to move my phone and computer
equipment, hundreds of files, books, software on CDs and more.

Not fun, but the move was necessary. My
nanny, who watched my three young children, just gave birth to her
first child–a beautiful baby boy. So she is temporarily off-duty,
recuperating and entering motherhood, while I am working and playing
her "fill-in" until she returns. To do this, I need to be on the main
floor of my house so I can keep an eye on my 2 1/2-year-old as I work
and also watch for my other two young children when they come home from
school.

I have been in my new environment for about one month now. I am enjoying the interaction with my children and am admittedly more tired at the end of the day since my schedule has become more robust. I am getting used to the change and I have done this before, but something is not quite right.

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If you enjoyed reading this, you might like:

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• Free relocation services for young professionals

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Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

Every time I connect with a customer service department:

I am bracing for the worst and hoping for the best; 

After I punch in my account number and answer questions that are predetermined;

I am bracing for the worst and hoping for the best.

When I go to Wal-Mart on a Sunday afternoon at 2 pm:

And see that the back lot may be my only option;

I am bracing for the worst and hoping for the best.

When I have to squeeze a million things into the day:

And the nurse’s office at school calls to tell me my child does not feel well;

I am bracing for the worst and hoping for the best.

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Easter is traditionally a time of year that landmarks a "heating up" in real estate markets across the United States. We have sprung forward and are pushing toward sunny days and warmer weather in most of the country. 

While your children are on spring break, you may have considered taking the time to travel and perhaps even house-hunt in a locale you are considering relocating to. You might be starting to think about what you need to do to get your house ready for sale.

Today, we are going to provide you with some excellent resources, for traveling and for house hunting with kids in tow during this spring break.

First, if you are going house hunting away from familiar territory, you should get an area tour from a local real estate professional. You also should know how the city you are considering ranks compared to others in the country, in terms of safety and crime. Peace of mind is a great thing, and especially important if you have children.

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There is a lot of attention paid lately to prospective home buyers who are sitting on the fence. They may be the consumers who have their pre-approval letter in hand, waiting for that "great deal." They may be the determined minority who won’t settle for less and have the money in the bank to sit and wait for "the house of their dreams."

And then there are the rest … those wannabe first-time home buyers, those renters who are yearning for homeownership but are uncertain they can attain a dream that seems impossible.

Then take into account all the news surrounding subprime mortgages and mortgage programs going by the wayside. If you are a renter or a young Generation Y’er looking to break into the homeownership market, do you really understand what an increase in FHA limits means? Can that truly help your personal experience?

I have a unique angle. I am able to look through the first-time home buyer lens as a renter, as a past homeowner, as a single mom and as a minority. I have to tell you that the consumers you think may have a shot at homeownership do not believe they have a chance.

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If you enjoyed this post, you might want to read:

• Dr. Martin Luther King would understand the dream of homeownership
• Shirley Boulter Davis gives her advice for first-time home buyers in Dallas, Texas
• What first-time home buyers should consider when buying a home

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Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

Last Friday, Atlanta was hit by a tornado as 130-mile/hour winds made a 6-mile-wide path of destruction in downtown Atlanta. This was the first tornado ever to hit the downtown area. The tornado ripped up trees, caused damage to buildings and littered residential streets.

So far, there are two people reported dead while a few dozen have been injured. Hayden Manswell, a Connect2Agent membership consultant and Atlanta-area resident, was busy cleaning up his house in the wake of the tornado. We are grateful he was able to report to the office today that he and his family are OK. They did have a large window blow out and some exterior property damage. Their home is also currently without power.

If you are interested in helping the citizens of Atlanta, please visit the American Red Cross website, where you can find information about donating relief funds online or over the phone.

If you found this post to be informative, you might want to read:

• How you can help with disaster relief for the wildfires in Southern California
• Homeowners: Do you have enough homeowner’s insurance coverage?
• Eight factors to consider before deciding not to purchase disaster insurance

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

As the media continues to infiltrate the homes of prospective home buyers and sellers with negative words–of the current state of the market and the real estate professionals who work it–and in light of a recent post I read that helped to educate those who feel uncomfortable admitting to their profession, I feel the need to say, "Hey, real estate is a great profession for single moms."

In what other field can you work where you help fulfill people’s dreams? In what other field is the cap on your income unlimited, but instead the sky is the limit? In what other business can you not only learn new things, daily, about your field, but also about other industries as well? Hmm … I can’t think of one off the top of my head, but I am biased.

I am biased, because I am a single mom of 2 school-aged children and a 2 1/2-year-old, and I have worked in the real estate industry for the past 15 1/2 years. I have managed to work from home for the past 7 years while raising my children, and this is all because I work in the real estate industry.

I have met other women who are single moms and chose this industry because of the income potential, the flexibility and the excitement of learning new things every day. While the market has been tougher the past few years, they do not regret their choice and wouldn’t change their career path.

I have spoken with real estate agent teams who consist of single moms–agents who are at the top of their game and compete and win business from other high-caliber agents in their local real estate markets. I have yet to hear one say they have made a mistake in their career path and wish they had chosen something else.

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If you enjoyed this post, than you might want to read:

• How do you find a real estate professional to work with?
• Do the right thing: Don’t make your real estate agent work for free

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

This is the final segment in our true-life tales of first-time home buyer stories, as experienced by Connect2Agent employees. If you missed the first two posts in this series, make sure to check out Part I and Part II.

This segment focuses on what our Connect2Agent employees learned from their experiences as first-time home buyers and what they would do the same next time. They were asked, "What would you do exactly the same from the first time you purchased a house?" Their answers are below.

Jennifer–Office Manager

Staying in the price range I set for myself and not buying higher, just because the mortgage company would approve me for more.

Joyce–Sales Manager

We had saved enough for a 15% down payment before we bought the house–which helped build equity immediately. We bought a very small, low-priced home that didn’t need any work to speak of and the little redecorating we did hardly cost us a thing because the rooms were so small. It was small, but suited our needs because we were a busy, working couple with no children. Because we did not buy beyond our means, we were able to save significantly more for our next upgrade and again keep our payments down to a reasonable monthly payment.

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If you missed yesterday’s post about Connect2Agent employees’ first-time home buying experiences, you might want to check it out here.

This is Part II of a three-part series on purchasing a house for the first time. I asked the staff at Connect2Agent to give their insider opinions on the home buying process and let me know what they would have done differently if they had a second chance and what they will do differently the next time they purchase a house.

Teri–Membership Consultant

I am now in my second home. My first home was purchased in Spring, TX. If I could do it again, I would have let the Realtor do more of the work and worrying. … Also, I would research the area much better for growth, crime, etc.

Jennifer–Office Manager

I definitely would get an inspection. At the time, we didn’t have a lot of extra money so we opted to pass on the inspection. I don’t recall my agent ever cautioning us about not getting one. As it turned out, about 1 1/2 years after buying the house it was discovered that the furnace had a cracked heater exchange. Who knows how long it had been there?

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Tales from the Connect2Agent crib is a monthly feature that will showcase feedback from Connect2Agent employees on real estate topics that are of interest to real estate sellers, buyers and homeowners. 

This month’s topic is for first-time home buyers. Homeownership is one of the most important goals in life for many people. Even though a home purchase is a business purchase, it is also a very personal decision. I asked the employees of Connect2Agent to tell me about the first time they purchased a house. 

I wanted to know:

• What would you do differently?
• What would you do exactly the same?

The responses were enlightening. Our employees were earnest in communicating their experiences and trying to assist future home buyers. 

Today, we’ll discuss what Connect2Agent employees would have done differently when they purchased their first house. Here are their stories.

Laura–Customer Service

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