11/19/08 – News of the Day

Join Chris Bonish and Lisa Bohlen on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. for blogging training.

Have some news to share? Post it in the comments section below.

October Sales Rankings Out

Congratulations to the following individuals for their performance in October:

1. Bob Bohlen

2. Ron Sipes

3. Todd & Holly Koch

4. Andy Stersic

5. Theresa Runyan

6. Andy Karas

7. Bob Smith

8. Priscilla Watts

9. Rich Kownacki

10. Robin Love

Year-to-date rankings, through October:

1. John Bogdasarian

2. Ron & Gail Sipes

3. Todd & Holly Koch

4. Robin Love

5. Julie Fischer

6. Greg Garwood

7. Priscilla Watts

8. Rich Kownacki

9. Neal Sanford

10.Bob Smith

Thanks Julie Fischer and Pro Star Improvements

Schuyler McFall and Cassie Lahaie of Pro Star Improvements joined Julie Fischer and Dan Burke to provide breakfast for Preview Properties.com Realtors and staff this morning. Pro Star Improvements does minor and major repairs, including trash outs and winterizing for REO properties. They do anything required to bring the property up to code, including water removal and restoration, mold remediation, carpet cleaning and air duct cleaning.

Thanks all. The food served was fabulous, and the $150 in proceeds will be given to our LACASA family, a single mother with a 14 year old daughter and a 12 year old son for the holiday.

11/18/08 – News of the Day

Preview Properties.com agents and staff can enjoy breakfast sandwiches and other goodies provided by Julie Fischer, Preview Properties.com Realtor and Skyler from Prostar on Tuesday morning at the Brighton office. Your generous donations will go toward our LACASA holiday family fund.

Embracing Social Media – We had a training session last Friday titled “12 Marketing Tips and One Cool Tech Toy” – it was fun to show the attendees some of the unique and new ways we can market ourselves or our listings better. If you missed this session and are interested in a chance to see it, send Lisa Bohlen an e-mail at lbohlen@previewproperties.com or post a comment on this blog. Here’s a comment from Val Potts, Realtor at Preview Properties.com that I received on my Facebook wall on Friday afternoon following the session: “I got a request for a friend from a past client I haven’t seen in over a year!!!! Thanks for your wisdom in getting us into the new age!”

To all Brighton Preview Properties agents / employees: the back door code in Brighton has changed. You should have received the new code via e-mail. If you need the code, please contact any of the office staff at 810-220-0000.

If you have news to share on this blog I will post and include your name, moving you higher up in search engines. For example, I searched for Scott Bohlen’s name and found the blog mention listed 5th. I searched for Val Potts’ name and found a blog mention listed 13th. Help us, and yourself, get more exposure! Of course, if you would like to post something anonymously, you could always do so by adding a comment to any posting on this site.

Tim Minder is no longer a real estate agent at Preview Properties.com. If you have questions regarding his listings, please contact Jennie Gehring or Scott Bohlen.

Please support local businesses in your community! I noticed three new businesses in Brighton, Michigan this weekend:

• Pawsitively Spoiled – a full service pet shop including grooming. Purchase cute holiday pet outfits for the fashionable four legged critter in your family here.
• Pi’s Asian Cuisine opened Monday in the former Toroz Mexican Grill on Second Street near Meijer. They’ll offer Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese with an open kitchen.
• Two Brothers Coffee – not open yet, but awning is now up. Peaking in the windows, I spotted nice display cases for holding deli or bakery items.

Speaking of local businesses, Bob Smith’s client, Gwen Sommer, owns Sommer Breeze Salon & Day Spa at 8023 Grand River 48114. She is offering deep discounts on hair styling and massages. Styling/cuts for $18 and 60 minute massages (sport, relaxation or therapeutic) for $30. For more information, contact 810-225-0000 or http://www.sommerbreeze.com/.

11/17/08 – News of the Day

Scott Bohlen, Preview Properties.com’s CEO, spoke about the importance of the words we use at last Tuesday’s sales meeting. He suggested we THINK about what words we use, professionally and personally – make sure the words are:

• T = True
• H = Helpful
• I = Inspiring
• N = Necessary
• K = Kind

If you didn’t catch Mitch Albom’s column in the Detroit Free Press on Sunday, November 16 you might want to take a moment to read it. Titled “Something to remember in these hard times” it really is. Here’s a link: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811160468

NAR addresses ‘re-listing’ practice by Inman_News
ORLANDO — A white paper introduced during a National Association of Realtors committee seeks to clear up the murky issues associated with properties that are “re-listed” by Realtors.
The practice of re-listing for-sale homes — or temporarily pulling them off of the market and then reintroducing them as “new” listings — has been a controversial topic in the industry, and the white paper offers guidance for Realtors’ conduct while not mandating any new policies. To read more, go to http://www.inman.com/news/2008/11/10/nar-addresses-re-listing-practice. Adds Nancy Bohlen, Preview Properties.com broker, “local boards are expected to address this, too.”

Open Houses – This Weekend

1212 Eastoak in Fenton

Saturday, 11/15/08 from 1 – 3 p.m. hosted by Val Potts

Reduced to $70,900 2 BR, 1.5 BA condo includes basement and garage.

418 Watertower Circle in Brighton

Saturday, 11/15/08 from 2 – 4 p.m. – hosted by Priscilla Watts

$89,900 2 BR, 2 BA condo 1,050 SF with two car garage – short sale

4622 Windswept in Brighton Township

Sunday, 11/16/08 from 12 – 2 p.m. hosted by Priscilla Watts
$350,000 4 BR, 2.1 BA with 3 car garage
Would consider lease or land contract too

11/14/08 – News of the Day

Our breakfasts have generated a bunch of money so far, thanks to your generous contributions of money and goodies: $110 in week 1, $161 in week 2 and $125 in week 3 for a total of $396. These donations will go toward our LACASA holiday family effort and Gleaner’s.

The fire victims who Joette Bickel has been working with still need assistance in the way of furniture, such as bedroom dressers, etc. If you think you can help, contact Joette Bickel.

Terri Weisman from Property Mortgage shares this inspiring video: http://www.finishstrongmovie.com/

HOT LISTING – COMING SOON

Rich Kownacki will be listing this home at 3318 Lakewood Shores Drive in Genoa Township soon. It’s a 4 BR, 3.5 BA home with lake views. Fully finished lower level, two fireplaces, open floor plan and will be priced right at $239,900 (previously $349,900). That’s $76/sf. See prior MLS #27192202 for more info and contact Rich Kownacki if you have a buyer interested.

11/13/08 – News of the Day

Have news to share? Post it here as a comment.

Friday – join me at 9:00 a.m. for 10 marketing tips and I’ll show you one cool tech toy. I understand there may have been a misunderstanding that I was going to give anyone who attended a tech toy…I would love to do that but can’t afford it these days (it’s a $150 tech toy). But I hope you attend anyway. I will also share the trade show literature and little giveaway promotions I picked up with the group.

11/12/08 – News of the Day

Thanks for voting on the sales banquet. The overwhelming response was to do something like we did in January 2008, so we are moving ahead with our plans. Block out Friday, January 16 as our day for continuing education. We will have our sales banquet that evening. I’ll post the location and more specific times soon.

Some headlines today:
U.S. to simplify mortgage disclosure rules:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-11-12-mortgage-statement_N.htm

Fannie, Freddie join Citi, others trying to halt foreclosures (note – already 479 comments posted to this story)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-11-11-citigroup-foreclosures_N.htm