Smoke in the North Valley

If you are thinking of traveling in Northern California in the next few days....be prepared for smoke reducing visability to a couple of miles. It is really bad in the Valley and all the way up to Yreka. Fires are in the Trinity Mtns to the West and in the mountains towards Lassen Park to the east. Not good, especially if you want to be outdoors.
I hope this doesn't spoil your vacation plans...but this is not a pretty sight.
Thanks,
Ron Largent
Keller Williams Realty-Redding
www.ronlargent.com
ronlargent@kw.com

Disclose, Disclose, Disclose

Owner Disclosures….Do our Sellers really understand what this means?



It use to be that in real estate, three key words were, “location, location, and location”. Still true. But, in the past few years three other words have become more and more important, and in California these words are involved in every real estate transaction. Those three words are “disclosure, disclosure, and disclosure”. Often, when talking with a seller about a potential listing, we, as agents, are tempted to “lay it on the line”, for if the seller doesn’t understand the importance of full disclosure, they could be in for some serious problems. Recently I ran across an article from another REALTOR addressed to sellers, and it kind of “says it all”. I’m including this in my training, and encourage all agents to do the same.

“Dear seller. You’re in a hurry to sell and you list your property with a REALTOR to sell “as is”. You have decided not to make any repairs. Besides, there’s a roof leak that will probably require a new roof which you are not willing to pay for. Is this really in your best interest?

Most REALTORS will ask an owner to complete a Sellers Property Disclosure Form (TDS in California). This form is completed by the owner and covers the condition of the property. Even if a property is listed to sell “as is” an owner may incur liability if he knew about a latent or hidden defect and failed to disclose it. The roof leak would definetly need to be disclosed! The disclosure doesn’t obligate the owner to pay for repairs; it just alerts the seller to potential problems and possible future expenses. Buyers should always ask for a Property Disclosure Form (TDS) prior to presenting an offer to a seller. That step confirms that everyone is proceeding with the same understanding of the property.

Disclose, Disclose, Disclose is the best way to avoid claims of misunderstanding. Any representation or guarantee about the condition of the property should always be in writing and part of the contract, relying on a verbal discussion and someone else’s memory can prove dangerous. Your REALTOR is knowledgeable in how to proceed with all phases of the real estate transaction. If there is any question about the condition of the property, he/she will encourage the buyer to arrange for a professional inspection and consider purchasing a home warranty or service contract.

Disclosure may seem automatic and an unnecessary topic of conversation, however the number of people getting sure over perceived misrepresentations increases every year, The legal process is long, involved and costly. To avoid it, remember those all important three words, disclose, disclose, and disclose.”. How can we say it better?

Keep Your Life In Balance

Life Balance…..and it might start with your eating!


Now that the holidays are over, and it’s a time for New Year resolutions, it’s not uncommon for one to hear another say, “I’m going to lose 10 lbs this year”. In fact, many of us often actually try to make some changes in how we eat, and this usually lasts until we go out for a nice “night out” that includes dinner from one of our better restaurants. In reality, our good intentions to eat well often extend to other aspects of our business and life, so resolutions may not be all that bad.

In fact, with the typical busy schedules of realtors, an orderly life that is balanced between work, family, recreation, and especially good and healthy eating is a daily challenge. Many of us will “grab a fast food meal” as we go to appointments, and might even eat it in the car. Or we will miss a meal completely and get a “coke” or “Pepsi” to hold us over. Then, when we get home, which may vary from 6 to 9 PM, we leisurely eat a full meal and then “plop down” and watch Miami CSI or the latest version of an evening soap. So much for exercise and balance this day, you might think but never say. And so it goes.

As agents progress through the various stages of success they are then reminded by other successful agents that the secret to their success is the “buzz term” these days, life balance. Not long ago I attended a seminar on this subject, and sure enough, it made sense, for over the many years that I have been in business, I had given little thought or time to putting my life both in balance, and in perspective. I often thought “the busier I am the more successful I am”, and many others that I knew and associated with felt the same way. The harder you work the more successful you will be, and on and on….kind of the key to the road to success.

In January 2004, my thinking started to change, when I was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 64. Shocked? Yes. Depressed? No. Challenged? Yes. Within days I started receiving well wishes from both close friends and others that were barely acquaintances, and with many of the thoughts, concerns, and prayers came suggestions for eating and even a lifestyle change. All of a sudden life balance started to make more sense. I started thinking more about the time I spent with my family; time I spent away from my loved ones “working”; and time, or lack of time, that I spent doing things that merely made me busy but had little real effect on my life as a whole. And, I started thinking about my whole body, what I put into it, and what I could do to start the process to either slow down the cancer or get rid of it as soon as possible. In preparation for surgery, I started one of the most disciplined eating patterns that I had ever followed. I started a daily workout that exceeded previous attempts to get “in shape” even though I had always been quite active in sports and physical conditioning activities. I started following the advice of others that had gone through similar trials, and I came home in the evenings and “relaxed” and actually forgot about the business of that day. And, I noticed quite a difference, for as the surgery drew nearer I actually felt better physically than I had for years.

Now, after a successful surgery, a serious toxic reaction to preventative chemo that put me back into intensive care, and a year of total recovery, I am back “in the saddle”, so to speak, but one major change, life balance. And I start my “balance program” with a very nutritious heavy protein breakfast, carefully watch my low calorie diet during the day, and enjoy the dinner meal that usually includes fish, and other low calorie and “healthy foods”, and I have never felt better with a lot of energy keeping me going my typical 17 hour day. And, I think constantly about all of my daily life, not just what I eat, and ask “is it in balance?” Eating right, along with all of life balance, starts with commitment, which each of us can make, and maybe today is the right time for you to make this commitment to yourself….for 2006 may be a year for you to say, “the best is yet to come”. I hope it will be for you, for it will be for me.

Training for Real Estate Agents

Training…from cradle to grave!

“If only they were trained, they could be real good agents”. How many times have your heard this exclamation, either from managers, brokers, or other agents? And, it is probably a true statement, for with the increasing number of licensees in the state, with the good market conditions, very few agents are being given the time, nor, in many instances, are interested, in really going through the training necessary to be what many consider “a good agent”.

In a recent week, I had four contracts or escrows brought to my attention by our agents that all involved other agents not being trained in the day to day procedures and process that is the reality of our business. The intentions of all were certainly good, but what these agents needed to learn to pass the state exam, or even learned after getting in the business, did not really apply to any of these instances. There was, however, one common issue to all four transactions, disclosure, and this aspect of our business is commonly discussed, but not fully trained and understood by new agents, and even some experienced agents. And, in some cases, not all brokers will subscribe to a regular training and teaching time, for it is not “their thing”. This is understandable, but not acceptable, at least to me.

Depending on how you view the business, and the various “paperwork” requirements, California, and the DRE, is either a good place to be in real estate or not such a good place. And yes, we do have more “paperwork” than many states, but we also do more business than about 48 other states. And, we do need to have good guidelines and procedures. We also need to be kept very current in all of the rulings and legal interpretations that come our way, for these, for the most part, are designed to protect our buyers and sellers, as well as us. One way to protect all is full disclosure, and this is a subject that cannot be treated lightly, or trained with anything less than 100% participation and understanding on the part of all agents. In fact, in California, this should be part of our “cradle to grave” training, for the laws and procedures are changing from year to year, and every agent should take advantage of the various classes and seminars available to be sure you are in “on the latest” when it comes to disclosure.

Another unique aspect of our business is our Purchase Contract. What use to be an informal 1 or 2 page document is now a 10 page legally binding contract. Agents may not read each paragraph word for word, but they should know the meaning and essence of every paragraph. And, this will only happen if there is training, and again, this is “cradle to grave” training, for regardless of where an agent is in terms of experience and time in the business, our contracts are frequently being changed, added to, or interpreted differently than previously, and we, as professionals, must be up on each change in the contract. This can be done by Association seminars, classroom instruction, or in the day to day training situation between manager and agent. But, it must be done, for this is a big and very important part of “being an agent”.

“I’m too old for training” is heard from time to time from the experienced and older agents, and nothing could be further from the truth. We never stop learning, and regardless of your office situation, training on the above, along with a number of other subjects, should be part of your monthly schedule. Take it upon yourself to take advantage of all of the training that is offered, for in our business, and like our business, it starts with the “cradle” and ends with the “grave”. See you at the next Board Training Seminar!

Redding 4 wheel drive for sale....

This is a great buy...especially for the 4 wheel enthusiast. $385,000 buys it all except the real estate. Largest 4 wheel shop in the North State, and serves customers from all over No. California and Oregon.
e-mail for details, photos, etc..
www.ronlargent.com ronlargent@kw.com