Well, it's Wednesday and I've made it halfway through the week. It's a tough task for many of us to get this far but don't worry about me, I'm doing alright. I assume everyone has made it passed their Thanksgiving food coma at this point. I just came out of mine yesterday (not really, but that's what it feels like) and realized that Christmas is going to be here before we know it. I will be spending my holiday with family down in Buenos Aires, Argentina and I couldn't be more excited about it. Onto the weeks activities...
I am working with a client who is looking for a place in Oakland. Recently, she found a place she liked but wasn't sure how safe the neighboorhood was. We decided that the best way to find out was to knock on some doors and see what the neighboors have to say. She set out that very day and started knocking on doors, good for her! it turns out that she met a bunch of very pleasant people during her door knocking and it made her feel much better about the property she was looking at. She also made her way down the street to talk to some of the local businesses, all the while getting a great amount of information about the area and even some other areas in Oakland that she might like.
After hearing all of this I realized that neighboors love to talk about the area that they live in. They are full of information and they know a lot more about certain areas than I do. I need to be open to listening to everyone and even make it a priority to just get myself out there and talk to people. Shouldn't be too hard to do right?
That's it for today. I hope everyone has a great week!
Conor
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thanksgiving
Well it's Monday and everyone is back to work it appears. I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday, I know mine personally was very relaxing. I ate lots of food and played a horrible round of golf. The company on the golf course was great, my game was not.
From what I have learned so far, this time of the year is the most important time you can spend working as a real estate agent. Not many people are buying houses right now but this is a great time to keep in touch with people and set yourself up for the upcoming year. With that in mind I would like to formally invite all comers to a Santa Photo day at our office. Info below...
Santa Photos (Free!!)
Where: Coldwell Banker Danville
When: Saturday December 6th, 2008 from 10am to 1pm
Why: Because who doesn't want a photo with Santa?
I hope to see many people there!
On the photo note, one thing I do like about the holiday season is getting cards with family photos. It's always nice to hear from people that I haven't seen in years and at least get an update on how the family is doing. Always fun as well, is looking back at the photos your family has sent out in the past just to compare how funny you looked a few years back.
That is it for now, no witty banter today, just the facts and well wishes during this Holiday Season.
Conor
From what I have learned so far, this time of the year is the most important time you can spend working as a real estate agent. Not many people are buying houses right now but this is a great time to keep in touch with people and set yourself up for the upcoming year. With that in mind I would like to formally invite all comers to a Santa Photo day at our office. Info below...
Santa Photos (Free!!)
Where: Coldwell Banker Danville
When: Saturday December 6th, 2008 from 10am to 1pm
Why: Because who doesn't want a photo with Santa?
I hope to see many people there!
On the photo note, one thing I do like about the holiday season is getting cards with family photos. It's always nice to hear from people that I haven't seen in years and at least get an update on how the family is doing. Always fun as well, is looking back at the photos your family has sent out in the past just to compare how funny you looked a few years back.
That is it for now, no witty banter today, just the facts and well wishes during this Holiday Season.
Conor
Monday, November 17, 2008
Training
Sorry I haven't posted for a few weeks but I have been busy with formal training. This is my first day back in the office after a solid 2 weeks of sitting in a classroom and learning about everything real estate. I would love to say that it was an epic 2 week adventure filled with stories and comaraderie, but alas, it wasn't. Either way, I am glad to be back and posting, hopefully I will have a good story after this week.
*Random Real Estate Joke*
Joe walks up to St. Peter's Gate on his way into heaven. Before he can go in, he gets stopped at the gate by God. God says,
"Joe, we have been doing things a little bit different lately. Today, I am going to give you a tour of heaven. Tomorrow, the devil will give you a tour of hell. After you have seen both places, you can make a decision on where you would like to go."
Joe agrees and walks with God through heaven. On his left he sees crystal clear lakes filled with 78 degree water perfect for bathing. On his right he sees men and women in long white robes playing gorgeous melodies on harps. In front of him, he sees an endless line of fluffy white clouds and he is immediately at peace. Joe tells God that he is happy in heaven and doesn't even need to see hell. God responds by telling Joe that everyone has to see both places so they can make an informed decision.
So the next day Joe walks into hell lead by the Devil. On his left he sees an open bar with gorgeous women holding drinks for him. On the right he hears music by his favorite band being blared throughout the grounds and in front of him he sees baseball being played nonstop.
The next day he goes back to God and says, "I can't believe I'm going to say this but God, I think I want to stay in Hell."
God grants him his wish and the next day he shows up in Hell. He arrives in Hell only to find fire where there was a bar, nails on a chalkboard coming from the right and people doing jumping jacks in front of him. He is very confused and finds the devil, only to ask "Devil, what happened to everything I saw yesterday?"
The Devil responds, "Well Joe, yesterday you were a prospect. Today, you're a client."
P.S. Don't get the wrong idea because working with me wouldn't be like that!!
*Random Real Estate Joke*
Joe walks up to St. Peter's Gate on his way into heaven. Before he can go in, he gets stopped at the gate by God. God says,
"Joe, we have been doing things a little bit different lately. Today, I am going to give you a tour of heaven. Tomorrow, the devil will give you a tour of hell. After you have seen both places, you can make a decision on where you would like to go."
Joe agrees and walks with God through heaven. On his left he sees crystal clear lakes filled with 78 degree water perfect for bathing. On his right he sees men and women in long white robes playing gorgeous melodies on harps. In front of him, he sees an endless line of fluffy white clouds and he is immediately at peace. Joe tells God that he is happy in heaven and doesn't even need to see hell. God responds by telling Joe that everyone has to see both places so they can make an informed decision.
So the next day Joe walks into hell lead by the Devil. On his left he sees an open bar with gorgeous women holding drinks for him. On the right he hears music by his favorite band being blared throughout the grounds and in front of him he sees baseball being played nonstop.
The next day he goes back to God and says, "I can't believe I'm going to say this but God, I think I want to stay in Hell."
God grants him his wish and the next day he shows up in Hell. He arrives in Hell only to find fire where there was a bar, nails on a chalkboard coming from the right and people doing jumping jacks in front of him. He is very confused and finds the devil, only to ask "Devil, what happened to everything I saw yesterday?"
The Devil responds, "Well Joe, yesterday you were a prospect. Today, you're a client."
P.S. Don't get the wrong idea because working with me wouldn't be like that!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Poop in Pants
October 31st
I went into Oakland today to check on another property that was going through a foreclosure. My job was to go in there to check and see if the property was occupied. I was to report my findings back to the bank that owned the property.
I got to the house around 11 Am and knocked on the door hoping someone would answer it. When no one answered I went to the side of the house to see if any lights were on or if it appeared that people were living there. I saw some movement in the house as well as some lights on. Since I had my answer that people were in fact living there, I started to walk away when a big guy came running out of the house asking not so politely what I was doing in his yard. There were a few curse words thrown in for good measure. I explained why I was there, stood there nervously, and to my relief, he just walked away.
I ran to my car.
I went into Oakland today to check on another property that was going through a foreclosure. My job was to go in there to check and see if the property was occupied. I was to report my findings back to the bank that owned the property.
I got to the house around 11 Am and knocked on the door hoping someone would answer it. When no one answered I went to the side of the house to see if any lights were on or if it appeared that people were living there. I saw some movement in the house as well as some lights on. Since I had my answer that people were in fact living there, I started to walk away when a big guy came running out of the house asking not so politely what I was doing in his yard. There were a few curse words thrown in for good measure. I explained why I was there, stood there nervously, and to my relief, he just walked away.
I ran to my car.
**Update** I have posted some pictures of the house described in the story.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Odd Smells
This past Saturday I was driving around Oakland checking out some homes in the area. The price of some homes in the Oakland are are pretty low right now because of the market, so I have actually started to look for a place that I can buy. I really love the Oakland area and have decided that I would like to stay there for the forseeable future.
I walked into one house down in Rockridge, pretty close to the bart station, and was overcome by the smell of cigarette smoke. Hey, if you want to smoke in your own house, you have every right to do it; but since I am not a smoker myself, I had a little trouble taking it all in. Either way, it was a cool little house and I wanted to check it out anyway. I zipped through the house saw what I needed to see and hopped back in the car. Apparently the smell from the house had followed me into the car. It was so strong, that I felt like it was in my hair, on my jeans, on my shirt, you name it. I rolled all the windows down in the car and headed onto the freeway, all the while enjoying the fun experience of not being able to think because of the helicopter type noise coming from one open window in a car. Hey, I would have loved to open all of the windows but a giant paper storm would have happened and I didn't want to be that guy on the freeway who no one wanted to drive behind because who knows what was going to come out of the car next...
*Random tangent*
Have you ever been driving down the freeway and your car starts smoking or leaking? Even though you are well aware of what's going on, people zoom up beside you and give you a look to check out the idiot who obviously has a piece of junk car. I hate when this happens.
Long story short, I spent the rest of the day pretending like I was yawning with my arms in the air while I non chalantly turned my head to the side to smell myself. I definitely smelled for at least 2 hours and I'm pretty sure my fake yawn didn't fool anyone. That being said, who wouldn't want this professional selling their house?!
I walked into one house down in Rockridge, pretty close to the bart station, and was overcome by the smell of cigarette smoke. Hey, if you want to smoke in your own house, you have every right to do it; but since I am not a smoker myself, I had a little trouble taking it all in. Either way, it was a cool little house and I wanted to check it out anyway. I zipped through the house saw what I needed to see and hopped back in the car. Apparently the smell from the house had followed me into the car. It was so strong, that I felt like it was in my hair, on my jeans, on my shirt, you name it. I rolled all the windows down in the car and headed onto the freeway, all the while enjoying the fun experience of not being able to think because of the helicopter type noise coming from one open window in a car. Hey, I would have loved to open all of the windows but a giant paper storm would have happened and I didn't want to be that guy on the freeway who no one wanted to drive behind because who knows what was going to come out of the car next...
*Random tangent*
Have you ever been driving down the freeway and your car starts smoking or leaking? Even though you are well aware of what's going on, people zoom up beside you and give you a look to check out the idiot who obviously has a piece of junk car. I hate when this happens.
Long story short, I spent the rest of the day pretending like I was yawning with my arms in the air while I non chalantly turned my head to the side to smell myself. I definitely smelled for at least 2 hours and I'm pretty sure my fake yawn didn't fool anyone. That being said, who wouldn't want this professional selling their house?!
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Premise
Hello Everybody!
My name is Conor Dunn, and I am a real estate agent. 2 months ago I made the leap into the unpredictable world of selling and buying houses, and I could not be more excited about it. I work in Danville, CA at Coldwell Banker on a team with my father Mark, and over the course of the year, I will be keeping a diary of my experiences, both good and bad (hopefully more good than bad.) With my introductions out of the way, I will share a quick story from a few weeks ago and be on my way...
Tuesday, October 7th.
I got up early on a Tuesday to make my way out to Antioch, CA. The reason for the visit was to check on a bank owned property (REO) that had been through a foreclosure a month earlier. Our job, as a real estate team, is to try and sell this property on behalf of the bank. I was there on that particular day to check the status of the house and just get a general feel of what we would be trying to sell.
As I pulled up to the property, I noticed some tape on the windows and a yard that hadn't been kept up in quite sometime. I have since learned that when owners know they are about to get evicted, they suprisingly stop caring about the house the live in. As I opened the door, I was treated to the wonderful smell of cigarrette smoke combined with rotten milk and cat pee. As I tromped through the house holding my breath I almost slipped out of my shoe because it was stuck to the floor. Did the owners have a maple syrup fight in the entry way? The world may never know. After that, 3 bedrooms, 3 disasters. Bedroom A had writing all over a blue walls that had been half heartedly painted recently. Bedroom B had a matress in it and clothes thrown everywhere. Lastly, there was some sort of explosion in the Master Bedroom. It appeared that a chicken had exploded in the Master Bedroom. Well either that or someone put an M80 into a pillow, because there were feathers everywhere, floor to ceiling feathers. I made my way out of the bedrooms and into the kitchen. I ran through the kitchen as I covered my mouth guarding from the rotten food smell. I thought I had escaped nausea until I ran into the garage. There was a water leak that had soaked every piece of junk the tenant had, and the smell was overwhelming. As I fought the urge to pass out, I diligently finished up my inspection of the home and headed to my car,but not without almost stepping on a dead rat in the driveway. Apparently the smell of the garage was too much for him. Being a real estate agent is the best.
Conor
My name is Conor Dunn, and I am a real estate agent. 2 months ago I made the leap into the unpredictable world of selling and buying houses, and I could not be more excited about it. I work in Danville, CA at Coldwell Banker on a team with my father Mark, and over the course of the year, I will be keeping a diary of my experiences, both good and bad (hopefully more good than bad.) With my introductions out of the way, I will share a quick story from a few weeks ago and be on my way...
Tuesday, October 7th.
I got up early on a Tuesday to make my way out to Antioch, CA. The reason for the visit was to check on a bank owned property (REO) that had been through a foreclosure a month earlier. Our job, as a real estate team, is to try and sell this property on behalf of the bank. I was there on that particular day to check the status of the house and just get a general feel of what we would be trying to sell.
As I pulled up to the property, I noticed some tape on the windows and a yard that hadn't been kept up in quite sometime. I have since learned that when owners know they are about to get evicted, they suprisingly stop caring about the house the live in. As I opened the door, I was treated to the wonderful smell of cigarrette smoke combined with rotten milk and cat pee. As I tromped through the house holding my breath I almost slipped out of my shoe because it was stuck to the floor. Did the owners have a maple syrup fight in the entry way? The world may never know. After that, 3 bedrooms, 3 disasters. Bedroom A had writing all over a blue walls that had been half heartedly painted recently. Bedroom B had a matress in it and clothes thrown everywhere. Lastly, there was some sort of explosion in the Master Bedroom. It appeared that a chicken had exploded in the Master Bedroom. Well either that or someone put an M80 into a pillow, because there were feathers everywhere, floor to ceiling feathers. I made my way out of the bedrooms and into the kitchen. I ran through the kitchen as I covered my mouth guarding from the rotten food smell. I thought I had escaped nausea until I ran into the garage. There was a water leak that had soaked every piece of junk the tenant had, and the smell was overwhelming. As I fought the urge to pass out, I diligently finished up my inspection of the home and headed to my car,but not without almost stepping on a dead rat in the driveway. Apparently the smell of the garage was too much for him. Being a real estate agent is the best.
Conor
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