Savannah Real Estate

A huge part of being a successful real estate agent has to do with getting yourself out there. There are many ways agents do this … pictures on billboards, on park benches, on business cards, on refrigerator calendars, postcards, etc… Those are a few literal ways to get your face into the community but one of the most important pieces of networking for a successful agent comes in the form of a thank you. Make your clients remember you so any time a conversation comes around to real estate they automatically mention your name in a positive way. Client begets client … when you express your appreciation to a client after a closing, they are going to talk about you. How do you add more ideas to your arsenal of wine basket and hand towel thank you gifts? Check out these ideas …

1. Grocery run … contact the ladies who own Grocery Grabbers and purchase the staples for your client. You can have their fridge filled with very little effort and a fat return on the gesture!
2. Take stock … investigate the cost of having an inventory created for your client’s new home. There is a local home inventory company you can call and discuss services. They have many options and what a great gift for hurricane country!
3. Cookies for the kids … have the ladies at Two Smart Cookies put together a box of treats for your clients with kids. Everyone loves cookies and their cookies are the best!
4. Smoke Detector Details … contact the fire department serving their neighborhood and arrange for smoke detectors to be installed at no cost. It’s true … the fire fighters will come out to your home and install smoke detectors for free. What a nice way to say you want your clients to be safe in their new home.
5. New Address … one of my favorite things include pencil and paper so don’t be surprised when I suggest some new stationery or notepads with the client’s new address. A neat twist on the note card idea is a phone pad with the address printed on the bottom. You can also get return address stickers printed for them to go with the stationery. Great gift!

Add these fresh ideas to your thank you gift grab bag and be sure your clients are talking about you… now and in the months to come. They will always appreciate you remembering their transition into a new home.

Owning a home requires lists. I like lists so that’s how this post is organized: by lists. If you are a new home owner, grab a pencil and pad of paper and take notes so you too can be a yellow-sheet loving list maker! There are several things your home, your largest investment, will need to have done monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually. It is probably easiest to pull out your calendar and mark specific days with meaning (like daylight savings or family birthdays) and make sure you remember to do these easy but very important things to keep your house in the best shape possible.

Let’s start with monthly …

• check your air filters and change if necessary … keeps the dust down and the air conditioner happy!

Something quarterly …

• clean out the gutters … make sure no leaves and twigs are blocking the way for water to drain from the roof … sitting water is bad

• check windows and doors for proper sealing … this measure can save money in upcoming heating costs
• deep clean your fridge and your oven … keep the kitchen fresh

How about twice a year …

• check those fire detectors … change batteries whether you need to or not

• check the fire extinguishers … if they need to be replaced or recharged do it now
• check the roof for any missing shingles or tears in the surface … it is also a good practice to check the attic for leaks while you are at it

And then once a year …

• have the chimney swept
• check the garage door for wear and tear and give it a little extra lube job while you are looking at it
• have your heating and air conditioning unit properly serviced to avoid any major unit disasters on the coldest night of the year or the hottest summer day because that’s when they break down
• checks door and window joints if they need a little WD-40 or parts replaced

The same way you should be have your teeth cleaned and go in for routine physical check ups … your house needs some attention too. Keeping this list organized and handy may help you avoid costly and disastrous home repairs down the road. Happy House Grooming!

I know that you can trick or treat in apartment complexes and condos but owning a home is a different Halloween experience. It occurs to me when we are out every year on this festive holiday to dress up and ring doorbells for free candy, how important this sense of community has become to my children. They insist we visit certain neighbors, “mom, we can’t skip Mr. Bernie’s house!” The neighbors wait for my girls to show up … why? Because we have so few children in our cul-de-sac and surrounding houses. My children are adopted grandchildren and nieces for some of our neighbors. You can have this sense of community in an apartment complex surely; however, there is something about sitting on your front porch next to your jack-o-lantern and planning your trick-or-treat adventure in the neighborhood where you always celebrate this spooky holiday. My girls will grow up with a sense of permanence in this house. It will be a place where they know they can always return. You can’t do that in an apartment because apartments might sell or the rent may get too high or the landlord might throw you out! The investment in a house can settle even the spookiest creatures. It is more than financially fixing yourself to establish equity in property … sometimes it is about Mr. Bernie who saves a little extra candy for those little monsters in his life. And for those little monsters who one day can look back and remember fondly the years they went trick-or-treating in their neighborhood.