For all my friends who are forever talking about Downton Abbey…

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Did you know that it is a castle in Real Life?  Click here to check out this great slide show on HGTV.com and get to know the real inhabitants of this beautiful Castle…true modern-day aristocrats: George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, and his wife, Lady Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon.  According to HGTV.com, Lady Fiona is a historian and has written a biography of her predecessor Lady Almina, an English heiress and a former Countess of Carnarvon. Almina, whose wealth and status helped to preserve the family estate through troubled times, serves in part as the basis for Downton Abbey‘s Lady Cora.  In addition to the slide show, there are 5 video on the Castle – click here to watch more!

Now let’s talk about your Castle…what are your home ownership dreams?  What does your Castle look like?  Let me help you find your Castle…click here to search the listings on my website and let’s talk!  Have a home to sell?  I can help with that too, click here to see the current value of your home!  Not sure you are financially ready?  The Shanley Team at Inlanta Mortgage is more than happy to review this with you….just click here and complete the application.  There is no obligation and you’ll know exactly where you stand.

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Vicki Reed

Dinner and a play…for $24!

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the annual University of Indianapolis Dinner Theater production of “I Hate Hamlet” and you still have the chance to go!

At a cost of only $24 per person (over 60, additional discounts available!), February 22-23, 2013, Dinner at 6:45 p.m., Performance at 8:00 p.m. in the Schwitzer Student Center Dining Hall.  Good Food and Great Entertainment:

I Hate Hamlet

A young and successful television actor relocates to New York, where he rents a marvelous, gothic apartment. With his television career in limbo, the actor is offered the opportunity to play Hamlet onstage, but there is one problem: he hates Hamlet.

We have been attending these dinner and performances for years and have always enjoyed them, reality is that this is less expensive than dinner and a movie!  It is a student production, from the direction to sets, dinner and servers…take a chance and enjoy a great evening!

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Vicki Reed

Is your Realtor serving you?

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As I work with Buyers, I’m often baffled by the lack of information on listings…you know, the Multiple Listing Service or as it is know in Indy, the Broker’s Listing Cooperative (BLC) or just MIBOR (Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors).  Information from this source is what feeds the internet…Trullia, Zillow, Realtor.com and a host of others…95% of Buyers find their next home ONLINE!  Are you certain your agent is getting your home online in the best possible way?

In addition to active properties, I am often trolling the expired listings in specific neighborhoods that my clients are interested in…who knows, it may be the perfect home for my Buyers and the Homeowners may still be interested in Selling!  I recently found an expired listing in the mid $200,000 price range, over 2,500 square feet and the agent had only 8 pictures of the living area, nothing upstairs, backyard and no virtual tour…and you wonder why this property never sold?

When considering who to hire when Selling your home, ask a lot of questions, not just about what they do to sell homes in general, but specifics!  How many pictures do you use?  Do you use a virtual tour?  Do you work with a lender partner?  Besides putting a sign in my yard, what will you do to sell my home?  ASK THE QUESTIONS!  Remember, YOU are hiring ME to represent you in the best possible way in the sale of your biggest asset!

The BLC allows for 24 photos AND a virtual tour…how many photos has your agent put on your listing?  The quality of those photos?  It is not necessary for your agent to hire a professional photographer, we’ve been in the business a while and understand the best way to take photographs and are generally quite good at it.  There are only 500 characters available for describing you property, but we want to make everyone count!

What about information packets in the home?  I always create a packet of information with the sales disclosures, a list of upgrades and features of the home, school, church and shopping information.  This same information is uploaded to the listing.  I also add a stand-up display for the home flyer along with bottled water and snacks for prospective buyers.

I want to Sell your home, I will work to serve you.  I am part of the Number 1 Real Estate Company in the Nation, you not only have me working for you, but every Keller Williams agent in the country.  Click here for videos about my service…then call me!

BDWFMwOCEAEeHw_

Vicki Reed

 

When was “you’re welcome” replaced with “no problem”?

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As a Realtor, I spend a lot of time out and about…coffee shops, restaurants, even drive-thru’s and have made a startling discovery…when I say “thank you” to someone for a service provided the standard answer is no longer “you’re welcome” or even “my pleasure“, it has been replaced with “no problem”…really?  My friend Don Allen of Union Savings Bank and I had this discussion over a recent breakfast and he made a comment to the wait staff about it and it went right over their head!

This happens frequently when a service has been rendered.  I don’t actually think that I create a problem for someone providing a service, I believe it is part of their job. When somebody says “no problem” or “not a problem” then it makes me think that person really did think that my request for customer service was a problem, and it’s irritating.  Saying “no problem” suggests that the customer was a potential problem and – thank goodness – things turned out okay. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to think of myself as a potential problem customer or an interruption or a disruption or a hassle.

Sure, some customers always seem to have a problem. And some customers may not always approach with the respect deserved. They may let their emotions get the best of them, or may even let their bad moods impact their interaction, but the customers are not the ones getting paid to do a job.

We have jobs and careers because of our customers/clients, tasks and everything else we may be working on can wait. So, the next time a customer/client says “thank you”, say “my pleasure” instead.  If that doesn’t feel comfortable for you, stick with the tried and true “You’re welcome.”

As a Realtor, I try to always respond with “my pleasure”, because it truly is “my pleasure” to make certain that my clients have the best possible experience whether Selling or Buying (or both) a home with me.  Who do you know interesting SELLING a home…BUYING a home…or INVESTING…in real estate in the next 30 days?  Let me treat them the way a Client should be treated!

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Vicki Reed

Who’s your Valentine?

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Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.   An estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Interested in the backstory of the holiday?  The History Channel website has a couple of great articles on The Legend of St. Valentine, History’s Romantics, Great Romances, and yes…even the St. Valentine Day Massacre for those, like me who find the Prohibition Era fascinating  (Got to love The Untouchables right…Costner, Connery, DeNiro, Garcia…LOVE IT!)

IMDB has a list of movies to celebrate the holiday, The Hallmark Channel has Be My Valentine and Hallmark Movie Channel is playing a selection of Love movies this week.  I admit, I paid to see the movie Valentine’s Day in the theater…I was hoping for a Valentine Day version of Love Actually (fantastic flick set at Christmas…you just have to see Hugh Grant dancing his way around 10 Downing Street!) and was sadly disappointed…but I have to admit there have been times in my life that I truly identified with Jessica Biel’s character and her disdain for the holiday!

Who’s your valentine?  Who are your favorite past valentines?  Do you love the holiday…or hate it?  I would love to hear from you!

Happy Valentines Day Wallpapers (41)

Vicki Reed

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Ways to Say “I love you” all the time:

  1. Say “please” with your requests.
  2. Meet a person’s eyes when you speak to them.
  3. Say “thank you.”
  4. Say, “I trust you”.
  5. Speak kindly to everyone..
  6. Cheer proudly for your kid always.
  7. Keep a confidence.
  8. Discipline in private.
  9. Let your “no” mean no.
  10. Let your “yes” mean yes.
  11. Ask, “Do you want to talk?”
  12. Listen. Listen. Listen.
  13. Be ready to be there.
  14. Make free time.
  15. Allow mistakes.
  16. Laugh out loud and often.
  17. Ask, “How can I help you?”
  18. Give and respect privacy.
  19. Welcome your child’s friends.
  20. Say, “I’m proud of you.”
  21. Set boundaries.
  22. Set attainable goals and expectations.
  23. Say, “I’m sorry,” and ask forgiveness when wrong.
  24. Tell the truth.
  25. Say, “I don’t know” when you don’t.
  26. Smile.
  27. Ask, “How do you feel about…?”
  28. Give freedom.
  29. State limits and consequences clearly and implement consistently.
  30. Acknowledge feelings.
  31. Ask for ideas and suggestions.
  32. Celebrate success.
  33. Cry when you are sad.
  34. Explain why you are angry.
  35. Accept responsibility.
  36. Use a soft voice.
  37. Hug often.
  38. Make “I love you” the last thing you say every night.
  39. Say, “Good morning!” cheerfully every morning.
  40. Accept no excuses, bargaining, or whining.
  41. Keep your promises.
  42. Say “I love you.”

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Great Post by IndyKW on the strength of our market! NOW IS THE TIME!!!

IndyKW's avatarindykw

REALTORS®: 2012 A STRONG TURNAROUND YEAR FOR INDIANA HOUSING MARKETS
Statewide, market activity and home prices better each month of 2012 than the year before

(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – The monthly Indiana Real Estate Markets Report today released by the state’s REALTORS® also provides year-end data which shows that 2012 was a strong turnaround year for Indiana housing markets.

Statewide, there were 8,531 more homes sold in 2012 than in 2011 – a 14.7 percent increase year-over-year. The median price of all 66,516 homes sold in Indiana last year was $118,000, which is 4.5 percent more than the median price of all homes sold in 2011 ($112,900). The average price of all homes sold last year was $140,043, which is a 3.6 percent increase over 2011 ($135,183).

“Housing markets in Indiana have decidedly turned the corner away from the worst of the recession,” said Karl Berron, Chief Executive Officer of the…

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How’s your attitude?

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Myself and other Indy Realtors have just completed the 4th step of a program called BOLD (Business Objective, Life by Design), over seven weeks, BOLD conditions agents with powerful mindset exercises, language techniques, and business-building strategies.  How’s your attitude?  With the things I’m learning, I’ve come to realize that while I put forth a positive attitude to the outside world, I don’t always feel it inside…BOLD is changing that in me and I’m excited about what I am becoming…a more positive, dynamic person as well as Realtor!

Do you believe in the Power of Positive Thinking?  The superpower of negative thinking is that it has a stronger impact than the positive. In fact, negative impact of setbacks in your work is three times as powerful in affecting motivation than positive progress. It’s just easier to remember the bad stuff that’s happened to you during the day than the good.

Why is it that our brains have a such a negativity bias? The reason is simple: They’re wired to pay more attention to negative experiences. It’s a self-protective characteristic, we are constantly scanning for threats from when we used to be hunters and gatherers. But such vigilance for negative information can cause a  downward spiral and a negative feedback loop that does not reflect our realities.

Fortunately, we aren’t doomed by our natural disposition towards negativity. What’s amazing is that we have the ability to break out of that negative feedback loop and we can actually rewire our brains to think positively and that is what BOLD is doing for me!

So tell me…how’s your attitude?  What are your steps to changing?  Don’t you feel that working with a strong, confident, positive Realtor who will work hard to create the best home buying or selling experience for yourself and your friends and family?  I am the best and will work hard to create those great experiences….call me and let’s talk!  I am Vicki Reed, and I’m BOLD!

positive-thinking

Vicki Reed

Ready to List your home FOR SALE???? NOW is the time…

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Are you someone who believes Spring is the “buying season”?  Many homeowners wait until Spring to list their homes for sale. Here are five reasons why NOW is the time:

1.) Demand Is High

Homes are selling at a pace not seen since 2007. The most recent Existing Home Sales Report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed that annual sales in 2012 increased 9.2% over 2011. There are buyers out there right now and they are ready to BUY your home!

2.) Supply Is Low

The monthly supply of houses for sale is at its lowest point (4.4 months) since May of 2005. The current month’s supply is down 21.6% from the same time last year. Historically, inventory increases dramatically in the spring, increasing your competition. Selling now when demand is high and supply is low may help you get your best price.

3.) New Construction Neighborhoods are popping up EVERYWHERE!

For the last several years, homeowners selling their home did not have to compete with a new construction projects in their area. As the market is recovering, more and more builders are jumping back in. These ‘shiny’ new homes will again become competition as they are an attractive alternative to many BUYERS.

4.) Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase Slightly

The Mortgage Bankers’ Association has projected mortgage interest rates will inch up approximately one full point in 2013. Whether you are moving up or moving down, your housing expense will be more a year from now if a mortgage is necessary to purchase your next home.

5.) Timelines Will Be Shorter

The dramatic increase in transactions caused many challenges to the process of buying or selling a home in 2012. We waited for inspections, dealt with last minute appraisals and prayed that the bank didn’t ask for ‘just one more piece of paper’ before issuing the mortgage. There are fewer transactions this time of year. That means that timetables on each component of the home buying process will be friendlier for those involved over the next 90 days.

NOW is the time to contact me to list your home!  It is a great time to make the move!  Not sure you can get another mortgage?  Visit my website and complete a FREE, NO OBLIGATION Pre-Qualification from The Shanley Team at Inlanta Mortgage.  Not in the Indy area?  I can help you with that too!  We have great Keller Williams Realtors EVERYWHERE, let me make an introduction for you!

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Vicki Reed