How to get rid of "Critical Reviews" on the "New Trulia Profiles"   We choose to advertise on Trulia so having our profile up to date and accurate is very important to us.   With a recent updating on Trulia, profiles changed and much to our surprise we had 17% critical reviews.   Knowing all 30 reviews were positive ones we reviewed them and noticed three of the reviews did not change the star reviews to reflect the positive written review.   Instead of the 5 star review, three reviewers did not change the automatic 1 star review to a higher amount of stars.   After contacting Trulia about the error in the star reviews they emailed us with the only way to correct the reviews.  You need to contact your client and email them how to correct their star review.   Hello Karen,Thank you for co... 08/07/2014

Crowdsource Challenge ~ Picking The Wrong Agent To Sell Your Home   As  Buyer Agents we have a tendency to be extremely critical of our MLS and the listings that are uploaded by the listing agent.  We creat portals for our clients to receive listings from the MLS.   We find ourselves quite often wondering and shaking our heads while we mutter to ourselves outloud, "What was this agent thinking about when they uploaded a photo, of a person sleeping in a recliner chair?"   Speaking of photos, why do agents hurry to enter a listing without photos?  To whose benefit is this?  Is there any benefit at all?  Buyers will skip by and look at the next listing, the one with the photos (and forget that house completely).   How about the quality of the photos?  Do buyers want to see a blurry or dark... 01/19/2014

    Building Rapport With Our Buyers Our Way Inspired by Bob Stewart's challenge:  Crowdsourcing: Scripts and Dialogues Aren't Just for Actors   We stand by the FORD way as we start building trust with our buyers. F ~ Family, we inquire about family O ~ Occupation, we inquire about occupations R ~ Recreation, we inquire about the buyers and what they like to do for fun and recreation. D ~ Dreams, we delve into their dreams and the future.     We find out the motivation of our buyers by observing and listening carefully.   We watch for the buyers signals.   "How long have you been looking?"  "Where have you been looking?" "Do you own a home or are you renting?" "If they own, do you need to sell to buy?" "Have you seen anything you like?" "What is it that you like about that house?" "How ... 08/12/2013

  Re-blogged by 0 agents       In September, my  high school class will  be celebrating it's 47th Class  Reunion.  Wow.  I do not feel old enough for this to be the 47th  year since we Graduated in 1966..(Oh how young and fool hearted we were!) This is a time  of great anxiety for many folks.  Job not as good and you would like, Gained too much weight, wrinkles appearing, hair turning gray or no hair at all. We have to keep in mind that all of us have grown older.  None of us is young....So the best thing to do is Just Enjoy...the friend that you grew up with many years ago. And remember the Good time that you had...   These reunions are good times for NOW   Ginger of Southport With warm regards     08/11/2013

The Secret is Out ... Do you know the secret? It has to do with a powerful part of your body.  This part of your body has 23 muscles and it forms your expressions. Did you know when you use it you can burn more calories by forming it into a smile?   Pretty sure you quessed the secret by now ~  The Mouth ~ It's powerful and mighty!     How do you use your mouth?     Do you tell stories, share news, pass on information or gossip?     "Did you know people share more than 16,000 words per day and every hour there are more than 100 million conversations about brands?"     Did you know  a mouth transfers words and does it more effectively than the Internet!!     Would you believe with the amount of people and content online that only 7 percent is by spread by word of mouth?     The reason for... 08/09/2013

Why you should Retire in Sunset Beach, NC Retiree's Message From a Good Friend..... As I was lying in bed pondering the problems of the world, I rapidly realized that I don't really give a rat's hiney. It's the tortoise life for me! And here is why. 1. If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal. 2. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, and is fat. 3. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years. 4. A tortoise doesn't run and does nothing, yet it lives for 450 years. And you tell me to exercise?? I don't think so. I'm retired. Go around me! God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference. Now that I'm older and wiser, here's what I've discovered: 1. I ... 07/08/2013

Another Day another Blog. I love the fact that Kerrie has given us some wonderful questions that we can use for our blogging.. I would like to address the one that is "What's the Best Way to Prepare My HOme for Sale?" This is a very valuable questions that each buyer should ask their agent.  This is a list that I have that I use in my Lisiting Presentation:    1. Price the property competitively.   2. Be willing to consider offers based on VA/FHA terms. Government terms give many buyers a head start on the ability to afford a home.   3. Allow the property to be shown with or without an appointment, just as long as the prospective buyer’s agent is present. Make sure to get the agent’s business card.   4. Whenever possible, please be out of the house when prospective buyers and their agen... 03/07/2013

  My View of MY Website in the Near Future.Did you know there is a new Do - It - All Website that only costs $99?? My blog was picked randomly and (I wished) I won a website from WebsiteBox! WEBSITEBOX is having a contest for everyone here in ActiveRain.... (We'd like to ask you, what things besides an integrated MLS/IDX search and powerful CRM would you like to have included on your website?) (So tell us, what do you wish your website did? What would be that one killer tool that you wish your website offered?) So click the link, read about the challenge, do everything, get points (yeah)What else do I need? What features and tools would I like to add to my website? My website is one I imagine will be in the near future.If I were to add some features and tools to my website I would begin... 02/04/2013

  How We Will Survive getting "Healthy in the Rain"We just became subscriber #100 in the Active Rain Group "Get Healthy in the Rain" ...Here is how I, Karen plan to survive getting healthy.Drink Red Wine DailySleep at least Eight Hours a NightGo to the Gym Daily.I didn't mention how much Red WineI always sleep more than eight hours a dayJust because I go to the gym, doesn't mean I will do anything..All kidding aside ..  Frank and I started in the beginning of November going to the gym daily and we were going faithfully every day. The holidays came, we went on vacation to Disney World, and it all seemed to go a bit down hill after the start of the new year.We were busy with clients for the first two weeks of January and left on vacation for the last two weeks.  We were bad during January... 02/04/2013

  Should we feel guilty this Christmas? Christmas for us has always been about family as it is for most who celebrate the holiday. Certainly it is a time of giving and receiving but mostly it is the time of year most people are traveling to be with family and loved ones.   This year we are not traveling to be with family, we are traveling to be with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and friends, although we've spent so much time with them over the years that they do seem like family. Humbug! you say.     Please, let me explain. Our children, Tamzen and Travis, who live in Michigan and Massachusetts respectively, each told us several months ago that they would be visiting us, with their significant others, for the Christmas holiday. Oh joy! It has been quite awhile since we have all been together on... 12/21/2012

Not so long ago... Then and Now                 We still haven't found our cd with our actual "First Real Estate" pictures from 2003 but thought a few pictures we did find on our computer would clue you into the Way We Were ... Back then..          We started out with separate pictures even though we were married and working together.  (We think the company was just trying to get more money out of us, now that I can reflect back on our newbie days.)     We were so cute when we first started in Real Estate, everyone loved eavesdropping our conversations. They always thought we were fighting, but we really weren't (we were discussing our differences, doesn't everybody?)   We were know as the "King and Queen of Open Houses". For the first year in Real Estate we hosted four open houses ever... 12/10/2012

Sunset Beach to Host Blood Drive in Sea Trail Plantation What a wonderful thing to do for the holidays. DONATE BLOOD TO THOSE IN NEED .. THE NEED IS CONSTANT THE GRATIFICATION IS INSTANT GIVE BLOOD AND YOU CAN SAVE THREE LIVESBlood is precious and YOU have an opportunity to help save a life by donating. The Sea Trail Blood Drive will be held from 9 am until 1 pm in the Convention Center.  All are welcome but registering in advance will save you from a potential wait. December 17 is the date for the Blood Drive at Sea Trail.  The hours are 9am to 1pm. Please consider making an appointment.Call 910-287-1112 to make an appointment to give blood or if any further information is needed. WALK-INS WELCOME 11/29/2012

  Sunset Beach and the Treasure of the SunsetAlmost every single evening those who live and visit Sunset Beach are blessed with some of the most brilliant sunsets I have ever witnessed in my life. It's not that I haven't viewed other sunsets in other areas, they just never seemed as peaceful and quiet as here. This is the treasure of Sunset Beach, the sunset, the peace and the quiet.  If you are ever in the area, stop by Sunset Beach, park in the parking lot of the gazebo, walk to the beach and watch the sunset. Expect the colors to delight you and to see a different sunset every time. 11/27/2012

  Happy Thanksgiving to My MomI know today is meant to be about giving thanks, being grateful and enjoying the company of friends and family but I have an ache in my heart that just won't go away ... I thought if I wrote about it maybe the ache would lessen a little.Thanksgiving is about family and darn it I'm missing My Mom today. I loved all the different food smells in the house on Thanksgiving Day when I was growing up ...I loved watching the Macy's Day Parade and having breakfast in front of the TV on snack tables ..I loved watching the March of the Wooden Soldiers and being scared of the Boogie Men..I loved having special treats like Shrimp and Stuffed Mushrooms. I loved when My Mom would let me stir the gravy and make the biscuitsDarn it, I miss My Mom today but I am so grateful ... 11/22/2012

Why choose Sunset Beach,North Carolina? Sunset Beach is known as a quiet and peaceful town with a beach that is small in comparison to others expanding three miles with a multitude of wooden pathways over the picturesque sand dunes. You won't find high rise condos on the beach, just a few shops for beach supplies, kayak and  bicycle rentals and the necessities like ice cream. If you like canoeing, kayaking and bird watching, this is the place to be. Lots of peaceful marshes and the Intracoastal Waterway to enjoy. Spend the day riding your bicycle along the shore during low tide, build a sandcastle, go sand dollar and shell hunting or just lay around reading a book. Sunset Beach is known for it's proximity to many golf courses and the Famous Grand Strand in Myrtle Beach. Restaurants, att... 11/20/2012

  Homes for Sale in Sunset Beach, NC Courtesy of Sunset Beach and Beyond Realty Sunset Beach is the southernmost barrier island in Brunswick County.Homes for Sale in Sunset Beach, NC under 300,000Homes for Sale in Sunset Beach, NC from 300,000 to 500,000Homes for Sale in Sunset Beach, NC over 500,000Homes for Sale on Sunset Beach Island, NC under 500,000Homes for Sale on Sunset Beach Island, NC over 500,000 11/20/2012

  We are officially BIPS Stewards!!Bird Island Coastal Reserve, Sunset Beach, NCBird Island Preservation Society We recently attended a meeting of the Bird Island Preservation Society to find out about becoming a Steward. The meeting was held in the home of Bill Ducker, the Chair of the Bird Island Preservation Society. This is a volunteer position where we will walk on the beach during the months of June through August providing an active and visible presence for the public. As Bird Island Preservation Society (BIPS) Stewards, we are looking for the cooperation of the public to obey posted regulations and to provide information about Bird Island. As Stewards we are asked to wear our BIPS Steward tee shirt and hat so the public can easily identify us. Bird Island can be reached by walki... 11/12/2012

Frank, My Best Friend He is the most amazing best friend  He picks me up when I'm feeling down He always has my back He deserves all my trust and love He lends me his shoulder when I'm sad He can always make me laugh He doesn't care if I'm crazy or quiet He makes me feel safe He loves me forever He is my most precious gift from God ... Thank you Frank for driving all the way from Sunset Beach, North Carolina to Largo, Florida to pick up my Red Chrysler Sebring Convertible! I Love You Forever Frank Baker ... I AM THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD!! 11/11/2012

DocuSign DID make my life easier and our vacation is booked!! Roatan via DocuSign Ink ... Our personal adventure towards booking a vacation..   We decided to take a last minute trip to visit Frank's family in Virginia Beach which is five hours north of Sunset Beach, North Carolina.  While in the car on the way Karen was researching our next vacation on her iPad.    "Oh my gosh!", she exclaimed causing Frank to almost drive off the road.  "I just found availability  for the two weeks in January that we want to go to Roatan".       For those of you who may not be familiar with it, Roatan is a small island off the coast of Honduras.  This is a very popular destination for scuba divers and snorkelers alike and Karen being a "world class" snorkeler has been anxiously awaiting an opportunity ... 11/05/2012

Doggie FacebookThe other morning as I was taking Bonita & Bella on their morning walk around the block I had an interesting and amusing thought. Most mornings we encounter at least one and sometimes more of our neighbors and their furry friends making their rounds also. There's Noel & Morgen, Sadie & Ellie, Paddy, Callie & Bosco and probably few more we haven't met. Now we don't see everyone on every trip around the block but I think I have figured out how they all keep tabs on each other. They sniff everything in their path, mailbox posts, fire hydrants, shrubs, etc.. With their extraordinary olfactory sensibilities they are able to know who passed this way before them and what they had for breakfast or if they had a bath recently. Then they usually let all those that will follow know ... 11/03/2012