Brian Buffini’s 100 Days to Greatness Class and Turning Point Retreat 2007
I recently completed Brian Buffini’s “100 Days to Greatness” course at my office, Century 21 Carole White Associates. I am thankful and very grateful to Carole White and her daughter Deirdre, who were our mentors and who decided this would be a great course for our careers in real estate.
We met once a week at our office for about an hour-and-a-half for 14 weeks. At first I thought, “ oh wow, what a commitment,” but after viewing the video of Brian speaking and listening to what his belief is in the referral business, I said I have to do this! I just started my second year in the business and I am enthusiastic and ready to learn, however I felt I learned all the laws and regulations after getting my license, but where do I go from here? I was on my own in this big competitive world of real estate!
Brian’s course taught me how to build a referral business of people whom I know and trust. I started my list and went from there –he encourages personal notes, follow-up phone calls and what he calls, “pop-bys.” I love to write notes so that was easy, he supplies you with all the materials to do your mailings each month for a nominal fee. I learned not to be afraid to ask in this business for a referral and to be assertive with calling and following up with customers. I’ve also enjoyed stopping by friends and neighbors with small gifts of appreciation. My referral business has grown and I am still working on my leads and following up with calls and mailings each month. I have gotten away from the traditional advertising in newspapers and the expense of traditional mailings.
I would encourage anyone to attend his retreats which were motivational and inspiring to hear him talk, he has a sense of humor and a gift in public speaking that is unforgettable! I hope I can attend every year to keep my career and professionalism on a steady track. If you want additional information check out the website: www.buffiniandcompany.com, and get ready to soar!!
Preparing for that open House–Tips for Cleaning the Garage
Posted by: Maureen Hayes RossiPosted on: Thursday, at 6:06 am
Categories: Curb Appeal, Home Selling, Curb Appeal, Home Selling, Curb Appeal, Jamaica Plain, Home Selling, Uncategorized
“Honey, the garage needs to be straightened out for the open house next weekend!”
O.K., so what does “Honey” do now?
For folks selling their property, a scenario like this one and the question of how to prepare the whole property for showing (including the garage if you have one) is common. Often, homeowners use their garage for additional storage so cleaning it up and preparing it for a public showing can indeed be a huge undertaking.
Let’s break it down into manageable steps.
Take out the car, lawn mowers, bikes, assorted sports equipment, gardening tools, snow implements, etc.
- Sweep the floor, wash the windows. Decide on the items returning to the space. Before refilling put items into 3 piles:
- return to garage or shed items that you will keep
- give away/return to “real” owner
- sell or consignment shop.
Will you be purchasing or making storage shelves or bins?
Organize items returning to the space that are similar, sports together, tools on another wall, etc. If you are moving this is the opportunity to box and label.
Well done!
Now, step back and decide if the exterior needs attention. Do the gutters need to be cleaned and have leaves removed? The doors working properly, hinges oiled, does the outside need a paint job or touch up? Provided you have followed these steps, you have now taken care of a very valuable asset to your property–and are ready to showcase it to he world….
Is it West Roxbury or is it Roslindale–Zip Codes vs. Deeds
Posted by: Lisa SullivanPosted on: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Categories: Home Buying, Home Selling, Main Streets, Zoning, Zoning, Main Streets, West Roxbury, Home Buying, Home Selling, Roslindale
Did you ever wonder why some homeowners in West Roxbury have a Roslindale zip code? In the mid-1800’s, there were post offices established in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. After more people settled in these areas some residents decided that they needed a post office of their own. They asked the U.S. Postal Service to establish a new post office, but in order to do this they needed a name and permission from the closest postmaster. A manufacturer by the name of John Pearce suggested that they name it after Roslyn, Scotland because it was similar to that area, the name Roslindale was formed.
In 1879, a new post office was established near the corner of Florence Street and Cummins Highway. There boundaries were determined by the post office which is why your deed could say West Roxbury but your zip code could be Roslindale. Approximate boundaries are determined by the post office delivery routes. If you wanted to look up and get information on your deed you can go to www.FreeRecordsRegistry.com
About Zoning in Boston
Posted by: Deirdre WhitePosted on: Tuesday, at 12:46 pm
Categories: Zoning, Zoning, Zoning, West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale
What is zoning? How could it or does it affect me?
These are common questions asked by City of Boston homeowners, which I will try to address in as simplified a manner as possible. Zoning regulates the uses that can be applied or the type of building that can legally be erected for privately owned buildings and land. Zoning codes were first established in 1964 within the City of Boston to regulate privately owned land. This means that every homeowner in the City is affected by zoning codes.
Zoning was originally intended to protect the “character” of a neighborhood by forbidding the development of incompatible property uses. For example, zoning would not allow an auto body shop to be built within a residential neighborhood. A by-product of zoning is that it can support the health of a residential neighborhood and sustain value.
Zoning may come into play when you want to add an addition on your existing property. It answers the question “ What can I build and where?” Zoning addresses building types & sizes, density, height and land uses throughout the city. If a proposed project does not fall within the existing zoning guidelines, owners and/or developers can request zoning relief through the Zoning Appeals Process which is overseen by the Zoning Board of Appeal which is within the jurisdiction of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). This process can take months, sometimes years, to successfully navigate and there are no guarantees! An experienced zoning attorney is highly recommended to assist a homeowner that needs to go through the process.
The Zoning process is an on-going one. All areas of the city are broken down into zones. Each section of the City has it’s own zoning maps and guidelines. Not all areas of the city have the same codes by which they must abide. Zoning can be more or less restrictive depending on the character of an area within a particular “zone”. For example, historic neighborhoods generally have more restrictive zoning codes, whereas, neighborhoods close to transportation may allow more density.
The City of Boston typically works closely with the local communities to determine appropriate zoning codes for a particular area. For example, Roslindale is currently going through a re-zoning process is now working with city officials to formalize new zoning guidelines and an accompanying zoning map.
I have personally been through the Zoning Appeals Process and have first hand experience of the journey. It is not a process for the feint of heart! This is the forum where neighbors can become adversaries and friends can become foes. At times, it can be a very intimidating experience but it can be also more entertaining than a movie!
Feel free to comment here and tell me of some of your war stories. They will be educational for all of us!
First Impressions Matter When Selling Your Home
Everyone loves to drive up to an attractive entrance. This can set the tone for a potential buyer’s first impression–the time when you really want to “Wow” them. Here are some suggestions for creating “curb appeal” for both the urban and suburban dwellings.
Make sure the sidewalk and parking areas are free of any litter. If there is grass or shrubs they should be trimmed or shaped in a uniform manner.
When walking up to the entrance, is there an area that can be beautified with a planting container or small sculpture? If it is all “hardscape” (hard scape is considered to be items such as asphalt, concrete, granite, marble and brick) just think of placing even a small table or shelf in the area to put a plant or sculpture on, even use it as a place to put down items you may be carrying. There are some classic items such as a crisp flying flag that might help improve your home’s curb appeal.
Have the doorway and threshold as well as knocker or doorbell been painted, polished or washed? These are your first impressions being created whether it is an urban studio condo or suburban 3 bedroom home.
Always ask yourself what are your guests may be thinking?
Welcome to Rehubbub.com. The Beginning…
Posted by: In his book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Dr. Stephen Covey discusses the importance of being open to and aware of the occurrence of paradigm shifts as fundamental to the creation of successful habits. He further describes these mental shifts in perception simply by asserting that when new information comes in that was not available before, it may cause you to see things differently–often quite suddenly. This is the power of a paradigm shift.
Recently, I’ve experienced a profound paradigm shift relating to my career as a real estate professional, and it has most definitely triggered a change–really a transformation–in the way I see things. This shift in perception, brought about by the introduction of new information that was not available before, is, in fact, the driving force behind this blog.
O.k., so what is this “big shift” you may ask. What event took place that was so impactful that it changed the way I think about my business? How has my thinking changed and what effect is that going to have on the way I practice real estate? What the hell am I talking about?
These are all fair questions that I will attempt to answer here:
First, the Internet has grown up and is beginning to deliver on its’ promise of changing the very structure of how we communicate with one another, and recently these dramatic changes are occurring at an accelerated rate. Dubbed Web 2.0, this is not your father’s Oldsmobile–err Internet. The Internet, as a system of systems, has recently gone through an extraordinary metamorphosis–and it is effecting change in all areas of commerce and communication in a massive way.
Fundamentally speaking, the real power behind Web 2.0 is that it puts the end-user squarely in charge and creates a much purer form a democracy than previously existed where every person has the opportunity to be heard on a dizzying array of platforms. What this means is the “old top-down model” of business is itself on its way out. The print newspaper business is a perfect example of this. For more than 100 years, the executives and editors of the local news publication decided for us what was important news for us to know and what wasn’t. They were the gatekeepers of information who controlled the flow and distribution of content. Now, with Web 2.0, we are seeing the rise of an army “citizen journalists“–also known as bloggers–who are taking ownership of the news gathering and decision-making process and, in that process, disintermediating the traditional approach to news gathering and dissemination.
So, what’s this have to do with the practice of helping people buy and sell real estate?
EVERYTHING!
Changes the way we market ourselves….
Changes the way we market our inventory….
Changes the way we communicate with our clients and customers and other real estate professionals…
Changes the way we interact with vendors…
Changes the way we manage the transaction…
Changes our business model…
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