REAL ESTATE GIRL

Monday, January 9, 2012

Women Are Bit*hes, Men Are Professionals

Happy New Year! I thought I'd start this New Year out by writing a blog about something that seems to be running rampant in the real estate industry and what has become the cesspool of unprofessional, egotistical men who basically talk down, degrade and treat strong, aggressive, confident women Realtors® inferiorly. For example, here is an email I received just recently from a Broker of Record of all people. I had written to him to simply ask for his help with one of his agents after I had submitted an offer for one of my buyers.

"I spoke to XXXX . Your offer was presented . It was rejected . XXXX told you what the seller was willing to take on this property . ( that is a counter offer )

On a side note , did you ever hear the saying that you catch more bees with honey than vinegar. I would suggest for your customer's sake you try honey . I would suggest you change your attitude and your dealings with me and my agents or get one of your associates to represent your clients when it comes to my office .Your approach doesn't help you or your clients ."

Do you think this Broker would have written this type of e-mail to Donald Trump or Warren Buffet? Do you think any "man" would have ever said to Donald Trump or Warren Buffet that they should use honey to "catch more bees?"Do you think he would have demanded either of these two confident, powerful, aggressive men to"change their attitude?" Of course not. It's just a way for this particular man to treat a woman with as little respect as he can and to make him feel more powerful! It's disgusting and pathetic is what it is. I have news for this Broker, my clients hire me for those very characteristics that you would like for me to change. When buying or selling a home, a client needs someone on their side who is confident, strong and who is an expert negotiator be it man or woman! They do not want someone who is meek, timid or is afraid of their own shadow or someone who bows down to someone just because "he" tells her to. Go crawl back under the rock you live under Mr. Caveman!

Don't misunderstand this blog though. I am an extremely confident and strong professional woman and when these type of men treat me this way, I put them in their place, stay focused and complete the task in front of me. I don't allow this type of ignorance hinder me. The purpose of this blog is to create awareness to what is still going on in the world of business today.

How about just doing your job no matter what gender you are dealing with and do your job to the best of your ability. Dot your i's and cross your t's. Keep your personal feelings to yourself and focus on your client. If a man is intimidated by a woman Realtor® he is dealing with than perhaps he should get out of the business altogether because women are here to stay and we are smart, professional, strong, determined, and we are Realtors®, lawyers, doctors, surgeons, astronauts, astrophysicists etc and we have our own minds, opinions and can speak for ourselves and match wits with the best of them. And one more thing for those men who just love to put professional women down or call them names like bit*hes. One day you will have daughters if you do not already and one day that daughter will grow up and hopefully become a strong, professional, determined, aggressive woman who will have her own values and opinions and I am quite certain that you would not at all like if some man just like you spoke to your daughter the way that you speak with me and other professional women just like me. So, get your act together and learn some manners, give the same respect that you give to your buddies and want for yourselves, to all women no matter what their stature. This is after all 2012.

I would love to know your thoughts on this topic. If you would like to share your experiences, please do so.

Renee Porsia is a REALTOR® Associate Broker with RE/MAX Action and published author. If you would like to read more articles by Renee Porsia, or are interested in selling or buying a home in the Philadelphia, Bucks or Montgomery County areas, visit her website at www.reneeporsia.com or contact her directly at 215-669-0589 or in the office at 215-358-1100 (ask for Renee). You can also follow Renee on Twitter @reneeporsia

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

"Brian Buffini Destroyed My Career"

"Brian Buffini destroyed any chance at a career I may have had" is one response an agent posted back in February of this year after reading this article http://mattgosselin.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/why-brian-buffini-is-ripping-you-off/written by: Matthew S. Gosselin.

So, I thought it might be a good idea and a good way to start out the week to find out what the masses would say about Brian Buffini and his coaching system now that the real estate market has so drastically changed in so many ways. Does it work for every agent? Has it become antiquated in the new world of texting, Skype, Facebook, and Twitter? Does it need revamping?

I myself was a member at one time and absolutely loved his system. It seemed so obvious. In my professional opinion though, I still think the system offers great motivation and probably works best for new agents as well as veteran agents who need to reboot and kick themselves in the butt.

What are your thoughts on Brian Buffini's coaching system?

Renee Porsia is a REALTOR® Associate Broker with RE/MAX Action and published author. If you would like to read more articles by Renee Porsia, or are interested in selling or buying a home in the Philadelphia, Bucks or Montgomery County areas, visit her website at www.reneeporsia.com or contact her directly at 215-669-0589 or in the office at 215-358-1100 (ask for Renee). You can also follow Renee on Twitter @reneeporsia

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

A Listing Agent's Dirty Little Secret?

I'm constantly hearing "I called the agent on the sign to show me the house because I thought I had to" so I figured it was time for me to write about Buyer Agency, what it is and why it's so very important for buyers.

What's the first thing people do when they make the decision to buy a home? They start looking on the internet for homes and they look for for sale signs while driving. Once they see a home that's in the area they want to live in and meets their criteria from the outside, they do what comes naturally to them which is to call the agent who's name is on the sign or they call the number listed in the advertisement and that's exactly what the seller's agent wants buyers to do but it's exactly what buyers should never do. But why?

It's actually quite simple really and actually makes sense if you think about it for a second. The home owner took the time (hopefully) to meet with REALTORS® and hired one to put their home (list) on the market and so the home "owner" has their "own"REALTOR® (representative) representing their interests. The home owner always wants the "highest" price (more than anyone has ever gotten) they can get, well what do home buyers always want? It's a big stretch to answer but right, the buyer always wants to get the home for the "lowest" price (free). Ok, so if the home owner's REALTOR® is busy "negotiating" the highest price for the home owner, who is busy "negotiating" the lowest price for the buyer? Nobody, which is where buyer agency (buyer representation) comes into play.

If a buyer wants the "best" possible deal they can get they surely won't be able to get that with the home owner's REALTOR®, thus the need for their own REALTOR® aka abuyer's agent. Why? Because a REALTOR® can not serve two masters. I personally feel that their should be a disclosure on for sale signs which warns buyers of their right to their own representation. It should say "I was hired by the owner. You have the legal right to hire your own buyer agent to protect you. Anything you tell me, I will use to hurt you when I tell the home owner". The link for the Consumer Notice (Consumer Notice) should also be posted on the sign. Unfortunately, these things are not posted on signs and many listing agents never mention any of this to buyers who call them off of one of their signs for their listings.

Making buyer's aware of their legal right to have their own representation is required by

the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELA) and yet so many consumers still have no idea that they shouldn't call the listing agent on the for sale sign or why. It's such a travesty.

Simply put, many listing agents do not like buyer agency because whenever a buyer uses a buyer's agent instead of them, they have to split the commission with that buyer so instead, they just keep their mouth shut thereby taking away the buyer's rights.

One listing agent's secret is every buyer's loss. Don't let this happen to you. Do your homework and know your rights before you pick up that phone to call that listing agent.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Candy Apple Cookie Pops-A Fun Back To School Treat

Prep Time: 60 minutes
Total Fun Time: 90 minutes
Makes 18

Ingredients:

9 pretzel sticks
red meltable candy wafers
green fruit chew candies (such as Jolly Ranchers)
brown mini chocolate candies
18 round sandwich cookies (such as Oreos) (such as M&Ms)

Kidstructions:

1. Snap the tips of 9 pretzel sticks into 1/2-3/4- inch pieces & set them aside.
2. Flatten several green fruit chew candies & snip them into 18 leaves, as shown. Shape the leftover candy into 18 mouths & set all the pieces aside.
3. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Insert a popsicle stick into 18 round sandwich cookies by gently pressing each cookie between your fingers as you slide in the stick.
4. Melt a 14-ounce bag of red meltable candy wafers in a microwave-safe container according to the package directions (do not overcook the wafters; the heat will cause the cookies to fall off the sticks when you dip them).
5. Working in batches of five pops or less, dip each cookie pop into the melted candy until well coated, then transfer it to the parchment paper. Alternately, you can spoon and spread the candy onto the pops. If needed, reheat the candy wafers as you work.
6. While the candy coating is still wet, add a pretzel stem and a fruit chew mouth & leaf to each pop as shown. Let the treats cool completely, then finish them by attaching brown mini chocolate candy eyes with vanilla frosting.

Renee Porsia is an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Action and published author servicing Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery Counties. If you would like to read more articles by Renee Porsia, visit her at www.reneeporsia.com. If you would like to comment on this article or share your own real estate story, please do so and don't forget to sign up to receive any new important real estate articles that I post.

Courtesy of Disney familyfun.go.com

Related articles

7 Important Homeowners Insurance Tips Every Home Owner Should Know

When was the last time you contacted your insurance agent about your homeowners insurance? Most home owners never contact their agent until a tragedy occurs and by then, it may be too late. Do you know what exactly is covered for your home? More importantly, do you know what is not covered?

Today, take some time to call your agent and review your policy with him/her. Not only will it give you peace of mind but the next time tragedy strikes, you won't be left wondering if something is covered or scrambling to find your policy. Here are some important tips for you to talk with your insurance agent about.

1. Do you have flood insurance?

You can't add it when you hear that danger is approaching. Best to make sure you have it well before anything should happen. You could lose everything in a flood. There are limits to how much flood insurance you may be able to get though and it's not available everywhere. Talk with your agent today about this very important feature.

2. Have your valuables appreciated over the years?

Do you have jewelry, collectibles, antiques or art? When was the last time you had them appraised? If they have appreciated and you haven't made the necessary changes to your policy, your company may not reimburse you for the full value.

3. What home improvements have you made?

What have you done to your home lately? Have you added an extra bathroom, a garage, a new kitchen, expanded the back of the home or put in a new basement? Well, if you have made any of these improvements your home may be worth more now and your policy needs to be updated to reflect the new value.

4. Discounts add up.

Do you have your car insurance with your home owner insurance company? Do you have a security or fire alarm? These features could add up to savings. Ask your agent if they have any discounts that you may qualify for.

5. What's changed in your life?

Have you recently divorced? Did you receive the house in that divorce? Make sure your ex's name is off of the policy. Did you add someone new to the home? Make sure to add those individuals to the policy. Talk with your agent about any life changes you may have had.

6. Can you rebuild?

If a natural disaster occurred today would you be able to rebuild your home from the ground up? Costs have gone up for everything. Do you have enough coverage to pay for everything you will need to rebuild? Even though home prices have gone down, materials and labor have gone up. Here is a replacement cost estimate worksheet courtesy of Marshall & Swift. https://www.accucoverage.com/hlp/AccuCoverageWorksheet.pdf

7. Are you paying too much for your policy?

It never hurts to check out the competition. Sometimes we get lazy and don't bother to compare policy prices. See if another company may be better for your wallet. But make sure that you are not giving up important coverages in order to reduce your cost each month.

I hope these quick tips will help. Keep in touch with your insurance agent. Ask him/her if they have a news letter that they send out each month. If so, ask to get on that list so that you can keep up with any new changes that can affect you. After all, you have invested a lot of time and money in your home, shouldn't you protect that investment? Don't wait until it's too late.

Renee Porsia is an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Action and published author servicing Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery Counties. If you would like to read more articles by Renee Porsia, visit her at www.reneeporsia.com. If you would like to comment on this article or share your own real estate story, please do so and don't forget to sign up to receive any new important real estate articles that I post.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Philadelphia Market Statistics For 19135

Courtesy Of : Renee Porsia 215-669-0589

RE/MAX Action Realty-Horsham 215-358-1100

Monthly Statistics for the Date Range Selected

Date	Units Listed	Listed Volume	Listed Average	Pended	Units Sold	Sold Volume	Sold Average	Average DOM
Sep 2011	7	678,865	96,980	1	2	194,500	97,250	22
Aug 2011	55	6,007,334	109,224	26	18	1,699,800	94,433	66
July 2011	62	6,631,330	106,956	27	26	2,445,100	94,042	94

Totals:	124	13,317,529	107,399	54	46	4,339,400	94,334	80

Inventory Accumulation for the Last 12 Full Months


Current Inventory *	Inventory Volume	Current Average	Average Monthly Sales**	Inventory Accumulation ***
232	27,239,484	117,411	22	10

*Current Inventory is based on the actual available properties on the date this report was created.

**Average Monthly Sales is the average sales for the last 12 full months

***Inventory accumulation (in months) = Current Inventory Units / Average Monthly Sales

Pricing Details of Sold Units for the Date Range Selected

Minimum Prices	Maximum Prices	Average Prices
Original List Price : $18,000	Original List Price: $189,900	Original List Price: $104,681
Sold Price : $18,000	Sold Price: $163,000	Sold Price: $94,334

Inventory Accumulation figures are only calculated when Report End Month is the current month

Market Statistics Criteria Used
Date Range:	7/2011 to 9/2011
Price Range:	$0 to $9,999,000
Property Category:	Residential
Area:	19135

Philadelphia Market Statistics For 19154