Kathleen's Blog

"Don't believe the hype!" The words from Public Enemy's hit song title rang true once again last week when the Commerce Department reported the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the 3rd Quarter. As you can see from the chart below, GDP rose by 3.5% for the first gain in a year and the strongest re...

Economic Update for July 13, 2009 Pending home sales show a sustained uptrend, rising for four consecutive months with very favorable housing affordability and a first-time buyer tax credit boosting activity, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forw...

Principles of negotiation.  Books have been written about it.  Speakers travel the world lecturing about it.  Millions have been spent trying to uncover the secret.  For some, it will remain an abstract principle they will sadly never master. A few weeks ago I had the chance to speak with a fello...

 I see many people rush right into the "concept" of becoming a Realtor. They get a license and they hang their shingle with all the hopes and dreams of becoming the next big thing. They just know from the start that where others failed, they will succeed. Where "lazy" people were not motivated en...

The Wave of REO's and Foreclosures Inventories of unsold homes are expected to rise in the up-coming months as lenders begin to push a growing backlog of repossessed homes up for sale -- often in communities already awash in distressed properties. Builders have cut back drastically on the product...

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when wesings "Silent Night". Age 5 I've learIned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either. Age 7 I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. Age 9 I've learned that just when ...

Marketing studies show that it costs companies nearly five times as much to get new customers than it does to keep the ones they already have. During tough times, companies have to fight even harder to attract and, more importantly, to keep your business. This means you suddenly have more power t...

Before you file your taxes this year, don't forget about the $7500 tax credit for first-time home buyers, which was enacted by the 2008 American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Act. Designed to help stimulate interest in the housing market, this temporary provision provides a first-time home buyer...

Influencing Others What Everyone Should Know Dale Carnegie's classic book, How to Win Friends & Influence People*, was first published in 1936 and has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Carnegie's book is a primer for how to be truly likable, genuinely kind, and lovingly followed.Somewha...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - 11:35 AM CDTAustin recession-proof?Austin Business JournalAustin was named third on the Forbes.com list of the top 10 "Recession-Proof Cities" in the United States.To create the list, the magazine looked at the 50 largest U.S. metros, examining key measures, such as unemp...