Can the CannedIf you've got a drip marketing campaign in place (and, lets face it - I know ALL of you do!), then you are probably sending out pre-written postcards and letters to your prospects, clients, SOI, and past clients.These letters and postcards were probably generic enough for you to use on a broad audience.  (I know that each of you has re-written the standard letters that came in your Top Producer, House Values, and Rainmaker accounts, making sure that they reflect things specific to your area and unique to your style of real estate.)  In spite of this, all of your buyer prospects get placed on the same campaign.  Same goes for your seller prospects.  This is fine but I'd just like to suggest something... Sometimes, you need to can the canned text! Case Example:You have a cli... 09/13/2010

Oh, To Be Young and Easy!Late nights at the club...  Breakfast at 3 a.m....  Mini-mini skirts...  Hot guys...  And nights filled with - Wait!  That's not the "young and easy" I meant.  (Must be my head playing tricks on me.  My brain talks with a mind of its own sometimes.) I was actually talking about kids! If you've ever had to deal with little kids, you know how frustrating they can sometimes be.  They get into everything.  They question you incessantly.  They never sit still (not even in their sleep).  On the flip side, they can easily be mollified with stickers, a juice box, and a 25¢ box of crayons.How many things can we, as adults, say so easily satisfy us?  Not many.  Your past clients, though, can be just as easily kept happy and satisfied with your service.  Those same people ... 09/09/2010

September Newsletter Topic:  Leads, Listings and the Art of Social Media MarketingMy September newsletter is heading out the door (the computer door, that is!).  Tomorrow is the day and if you're not on my mailing list, you're going to miss it! This month, I'm discussing marketing to your leads, marketing your listings, and getting started on social media marketing. If you're not already on my mailing list, Join My List Now! I look forward to talking marketing shop with you! ~Renae - Market 4 Real! _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your li... 09/07/2010

Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)!I have a son who turned 15 this year.  For those of you who are parents, isn't it funny how fast they grow up?  I mean, one night, I was sitting on my living room floor playing Scrabble with my mother while my husband slept upstairs.  The next morning, I went into labor.  That afternoon, I had a beautiful little boy.  I remember it all vividly.  (My mom beat me 3 games to 1.)  And now, he's 15!  I can't remember what I did yesterday but I remember that day.These past 15 years seem to have flown by.  We've added 5 more children during that time.  We graduated from one Ford Thunderbird sports car to a minivan and an SUV.  We moved to a new city and state.  And we bought a 4 bedroom house.  That house purchase was 5 years ago and that time, too, seems to... 09/06/2010

All In Favor of Year-Round School, Raise Your Hand!That sounds just awful, doesn't it?  That I want my children to be in school all year long?  But the sad, sad fact is that I do.At the end of last school year, I remember thinking, "Thank you, Lord, for summer vacation!  No more homework.  No more projects.  No more shuttling them here, there, and everywhere."Now that summer vacation is coming to a close, I find myself thinking, "Thank you, Lord, that school is getting ready to start again!  I can get back onto a schedule.  I won't have to listen to the constant arguing between them all day long.  And, most importantly, I won't have to hear the whine of 'I'm BORED!' anymore."Maybe what I need is a happy medium.  Instead of having 2 months off during the summer, they would get 2 weeks he... 08/18/2010

Has Life Gotten In Your Way? Have you ever been forced to be away from something you love against your will?  You know that feeling of wanting to get back to it as soon as possible?  That's how I've felt for the last 9 months. We all know the expression "Life sometimes gets in the way."  Well, in my case, life definitely got in the way. It got in the way of my children being healthy (ask me one day about the twins going into the hospital the week before Christmas and not coming back out until March). It got in the way of operating my business the way I had planned. It got in the way of me being healthy (ask me one day about unexpected surgery - it isn't much fun). I've missed a lot of things over the last nine months.  We missed celebrating holidays like Christmas, New Year's, and Valen... 08/13/2010

Cleveland Real Estate - 12613 Darlington Ave. ( Garfied Heights, Ohio ) ...More information at www.cjharrington.com or Call (440)336-0612 LinksTEAM CJ's SITEPhoto GalleryDescriptionHandicapped accessible with ADA bathroom, well maintained-recent interior paint-ramp, deck-furnace, central air-hot water tank-electrical panel-replacement windows-appliances. Easy access to I-480 and shopping.For more information...CALL... (440)336-0612Or visit our website at www.cjharrington.com for real estate information across Cleveland, OH.Search Homes for Sale, Information on Foreclosures Listings, First Time Homebuyer's Guide, Tips on the $8000 Tax Credit, Home Value Report & Evaluation, New Construction And much more...FeaturesBedrooms: 3Bathrooms: 1Year Built: 1947Lot Size: 40x130Garage Size: 1Schoo... 02/15/2010

Cleveland Real Estate - 12613 Darlington Ave. (Garfied Heights, Ohio) ...More information at www.cjharrington.com or Call (440)336-0612 LinksTEAM CJ's SITEPhoto GalleryDescriptionHandicapped accessible with ADA bathroom, well maintained-recent interior paint-ramp, deck-furnace, central air-hot water tank-electrical panel-replacement windows-appliances. Easy access to I-480 and shopping.CALL... (440)336-0612Or visit our website at www.cjharrington.com for real estate information across Cleveland, OH. Homes for Sale Search Access, Information on Foreclosures Listings, First Time Homebuyer's Guide, Tips on the $8000 Tax Credit, Home Value Report & Evaluation, Homes for Sale Search Access, And much more... FeaturesBedrooms: 3Bathrooms: 1Year Built: 1947Lot Size: 40x130Garage Size: 1School D... 02/08/2010

Teaching Them To Praise The Lord - At An Early AgeI read a post recently written by Loreena Yeo called If You Teach Them, They Will Learn. She talked about teaching her young son to love the Lord.  When I read that post, it made me think of my own children and my goals for them.We regulate their music so they only listen to songs that are appropriate for their ages. Remember this song? Oh be careful little ears what you hearFor there's a God up aboveLooking down on you with love.Oh be careful little ears what you hear! The other verses are: Oh be careful little eyes what you seeOh be careful little mouth what you say This picture is of our youngest when we were on our way home from church one day.  They are 17 month old identical twin boys, praising the Lord.  We were listening to 95.5 ... 08/26/2009

Ok, Should I Jump For Joy Or Start Crying?  School Is In Session in Garfield Heights, Ohio!I have a dilema.  School is back in session in Garfield Heights, Ohio!  We now have a high school student who started yesterday, a middle school student who started today, and 2 pre-school students who start on Monday.  For the most part, all of them are excited about returning to school (good for us!).  Our eldest son has no feelings about school one way or another other than that he has "a lot of goals to accomplish this year so I have a lot of stuff to think about" (probably not so good for us).One thing I noticed while driving my son to and from high school today was the number of drivers who were speeding. I just wonder sometimes...  Do people remember what a school speed limit is?  I... 08/26/2009

Real Estate Marketing Series Welcome to the fourth installment in my Real Estate Marketing Series, "5 Ways to Market to Your Leads to Grow Your Real Estate Business."  In the first installment, we discussed 5 Things To Do To Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business.  That was basic information, things that all real estate professionals should do on a regular basis but if you're just starting out or need a business boost, that's the post you should start with. Next, we covered 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business.  Then, we talked about 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Listings.  This time, we're going to discuss some unique ways to make your listings stand out from the crowd!  So let's discuss 5 Ways to Market to Your Leads to Grow Your Real Estate Business! 5.  Are you ... 08/26/2009

Real Estate Marketing SeriesWelcome to the second installment in my Real Estate Marketing Series, "5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business."  In the first installment, we discussed 5 Things To Do To Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business.  That was basic information, things that all real estate professionals should do on a regular basis but if you're just starting out or need a business boost, that's the post you should start with.  This time, we're going to get even more involved with ways to make you stand out from the crowd!  So let's discuss 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business!5.  Door knock (and leave something seasonal) Let's face it...  Most agents are NOT door knocking.  (I've mentioned this before!) It is time consuming and doesn't often yield the results y... 08/15/2009

Friendly Video Rental Service in Garfield Heights, Ohio is right around the corner!If you like to watch movies at home, then you've undoubtedly rented videos from time-to-time.  Depending upon where you rent, the service can be anything but welcoming.  Well, all that has changed with York Video, a friendly video rental service in Garfield Heights, Ohio.York Video may not be as big as many of the more well-known video rental services, such as Blockbuster, but they hold their own.  From timely new releases to old favorites, kids movies to documentaries, you'll find what you're looking for here.  But that's just the general information about this store. What I really wanted to tell you about is their friendly service!Each time I visit York Video, I've been warmly greeted by the cashiers.  ... 08/05/2009

Hiring a VA is a Lot Like Potty Training when you think about it. Typically when I write posts about my family, I start off by saying that I've got 6 kids.  That usually gives people quite a jolt so I like to say it first so that everyone can digest it and then get the shock out of their system.  (Yes, they're all mine.  Yes, they're all by my husband.) One of our children is 2.5 years old.  He doesn't want to grow up - EVER. We had to forcibly remove all the pacifiers from the house in order to get him off of them.  We had to remove all bottles from the house in order to get him to drink from a cup.  We have to force him to put his own clothes and shoes on.  He wants to be carried around.  In spite of the fact that we have 1 year old twins, he insists that HE is the baby. (Just ask him... 08/05/2009

As of 9:08 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 30, 2009, I am officially no longer cool.  I know - it's a shocker!While talking to our 14 year old about the Garfield Heights Middle School 8th Grade Dance, I started talking about what he was going to wear. He wants to wear a suit (a NICE one, Mom!).  He wants his Dad to take him (NOT you, Mom!).  He does NOT want me taking pictures outside or showing up at the dance to take pictures of him (only in the house, Mom!).  I look at my husband and calmly asked "What's HIS problem with me tonight?"  Instead of letting his Dad answer, Kennyth pipes up with "Because you are SO not cool and I don't want people to know!"I suppose that should have hurt my feelings, huh?  I suppose I should have come back with something snarky like "Right back atcha, bub!"  ... 05/04/2009

Below you will find Garfield Heights Ohio market statistics for active and pending listings from the first of the year and closed sales for the month of April. The "spring" market had a much slower start than last year, with concern on the part of buyers over jobs, job stability, and losses in the financial markets. The $8000 2009 home buyer tax credit has motivated first time buyers to purchase, but for those who want to move up or downsize it has been a bit more challenging. If you are thinking of selling in the near future, make sure your home is ready for the market and consider your price very carefully as it will be critical to the successful sale of your home. SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN GARFIELD HEIGHTS OHIO # of active listings 339 avg. sqft. 1297 avg. price per sqft $65.39 avg. mar... 05/01/2009

Below you will find a comparison of closed sales between first qarter 2008 and first quarter 2009.  All information is obtained from NEOHREX and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.       JAN'08 FEB'08 MAR'08 JAN'09 FEB'09 MAR'09 GARFIELD HTS.                 # CLOSED 25 22 34 23 12 22   AVG. PRICE $52,624 $46,233 $36,163 $41,937 $24,092 $45,893   AVG. SQFT. 1311 1202 1317 1297 1198 1206   AVG. PRICE PER SQFT $40.13 $35.36 $27.61 $30.07 $17.85 $26.07   % TO LIST PRICE 92.82% 90.74% 84.12% 83.39% 66.13% 91.56%   AVG. MARKET TIME 127 155 160 173 111 156   If you would like to buy or sell a home in Garfield Heights, or in the surrounding communities, please call me at 440-263-7496, or you may want to visit my website for more specific information on the communities I service: Brecksville... 04/01/2009

Tuesday Tech Tip: Screen Capture Have you ever wondered how bloggers make those great-looking screen shots?  You know - when they show you exactly where on the page the specific item is located or exactly what to do, step-by-step?Well, thanks to Tuesday's Tech Tip, now YOU can do it too! Here are a few options, some free, some not, for you to give a whirl.  If you've used them, I'd love to hear your experience with the service.  If you decide to give one of these a try, please let me know which you tried and how it worked out for you! Happy Screen Capturing!   Prt Scrn - on keyboard - absolutely Free! In the upper right corner of your keyboard, there is a button that says "PrtScn" which accomplishes this very thing. It copies the screen to your clipboard.  You can then paste it into Win... 03/31/2009

We've had nice weather lately in NE Ohio, haven't we?  I mean, REALLY nice weather.  Highs in the high 50s or low 60s.  Sunny skies.  It is almost as if we are in the beginning stages of Spring! But wait!  We live in Ohio.  In NORTHEAST Ohio.  Where we typically still have cold weather and snow for Mother's Day in May.  Yes, it stinks to live in an area where it is cold so much of the year but that's the way it is here.  And if you've lived here for more than a couple of years, you know that and are used to it. I hate being cold.  My husband and I have often discussed moving to a warmer climate.  I mean, we've talked about it ALOT.  And yet, here we still live. But you know what?  It's what I'm used to.  All that sun and warm weather in March.  That I'm NOT used to.  I don't like it.  I... 03/20/2009

Alright, so here's the story... My husband and I bought our house in Garfield Heights, Ohio about 4.5 years ago.  We love our house - absolutely love it!  It sports 4 bedrooms, 1 full bath and 2 half baths.  At the time, we had 3 children.  Our sons were 9 and 6 and our daughter was born right after we moved in.  In the last 4 and a half years, we had 3 more children.  Our son who is now 2, and 10 month old twin boys. Needless to say, we've pretty much outgrown this house.  (That's probably an understatement, you think?) So in full disclosure, we're tired of the cold and snow.  Used to it, mind you, as a result of living in NE Ohio for so long but tired of it nonetheless.  Wouldn't it be nice to move to warmer climates, my husband pondered.  Like, to Florida, he says. Today I think, hey... 02/03/2009