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Williamsburg has it's fair share of confusing intersections.  There is a reason why it is fairly common. Listen in.  East of the Mississippi, metes and bounds is a common system used to define land boundaries and it is a system not know for regularity.  It is rather peculiar as is the land and those who have built upon it.  In the west the system of land division is very systematic (think about a town square) and you will begin to understand the origins of these systems if you listen to this podcast.  #missionforge

Uncle Bob inspired #missionforge when I was 11.  He was a man of Iron who saw the iron in others, me on that day.  What did he say that sparked my love of learning and sharing?  Rest in Peace Uncle Bob.  Thank you for remaining a pillar of strength and tradition.

We all know what it means to get to the bottom line.  But have you ever heard of a Top Line approach to business?  YOU SHOULD! Top line budgeting focuses on revenue.  Bottom Line budgeting looks at expenses.  If your expenses are fixed that is a waste of energy.  You need to focus on increasing revenue!

#missionforge wants you to have the conversation with your new and recent buyers about how to prepare for the eventual sale of the home they just paid top dollar for, or paid more than top dollar for.  Some strategies are to stay longer than you anticipated, additional payments, aggressive maintenance, smart additions, staying atop of trends, become a landlord, and prepare for impact.

Just as you prepare for a medical check up, you should prepare for a business check up.  I was found to have low Vitamin D levels, so I am taking measures to fix that.  Are you suffering from low vitamin P (prospecting) in your business?  What are ways you could increase your vitamin P levels in your business?

As Mission Forge turns 2, I pause to remember those who inspire me and give thanks and also remember a key component that we are all of value, all possess iron to both sharpen others and be sharpened by others.

You need to be clear on your value proposition.  The world has no way of considering your value unless you display it clearly and often.  It must be fresh and concise and pertain to their needs.  You are always applying for a job in real estate.  The resume needed should be fresh, deep and relevant to the needs of the consumer you want to work with.  How can you dial into those needs?  Take a listen.

Use of Electronic calendar:  20 reasons ways to streamline and be more productive (ie. that was easier than before). 1. Calendar can be shared with others via permissions-save time, polite, professional 2. Events can be emailed to others to act as invitation or confirmation, polite, professional, eliminates error 3. Calendar can be printed or saved to PDF-saves time and effort when documenting for taxes or other purpose. 4. Can be used to document mileage to business events-avoid redundancy, ease of use, ease of access 5. Using address of the event you can link straight to directions for the trip-safety, convenience, documentation 6. Entry of a contact phone number will let you dial straight from calendar-safety, convenience, documentation, ease of access. 7. Entry of a contact email will let you compose email straight from calendar- safety, convenience, documentation, ease of access. 8. Make notes directly after or during an event for later reference-ultra-convenient and more accurate.  Copy and paste later. 9. Import other calendars to be a part of yours-big time saver for adding other events to your calendar. See conflicts right away. 10. Sync with desktop/tablet versions for uniformity…super important—a must. 11. Reminders and alarms for events or calls/dial backs-critical step for time blockers and also to keep small and large task on target for delivery. 12. Easy to repeat events or reschedule events and appointments- 13. Add tasks 14. SEARCHABILITY--when did I meet with Jebediah?  15. Streamlining-no more appointment cards, bulky calendars, post it notes, paper scraps. 16. There is no risk of loss. Always with you.  Cloud based 17. add files to events 18. add specific calendars, listing, buyers, prospecting, pop by, sphere, etc. 19. Color coding for specific activity groups, family, personal, business 20. Gmail users can integrate email for push notifications for reservations, flights, bills due and for hotels stays.

After curing the Covid-19 Virus inside of 9 months, society needs to ask itself, now what?  What societal issue is next on the list for tackling?  Is it Cancer, obesity, homelessness, drug addiction, heart disease, autism?  Let's keep the barriers to great research low and fund what matters.  I say we collectively identify one priority topic at a time and beat the snot out of it in rapid fashion.

There is no proof of purchase when it comes to karma.  As popular as it is, the existence of karma is no more provable than the existence of God.  Both of these are massively believed in, weighing in at 90%.  This tells me that the belief in God and Karma are not exclusive and that underlying the faith we have is a desire to quell the fears caused by the unknown.  Faith and belief are powerful beacons for our guidance and survival, allowing us to create positivity and do good to one another. 

To validate someone is to support the value of their statement.  This does not mean you support the truth what is being said.  When you validate others, you also invite validation in return.  This will elevate the conversation and improve the outcome for everyone. #missionforge

#missionforge examines Farmer David Hula and his talks on growing award winning amounts of corn.  Check him out on Youtube by searching his name, or his farm, Renwood Farm.    The lessons I took away are to start with a positive attitude, do not look for the magic ferry dust, work hard and spend a lot of time among your people learning what they need.  Take time to try new things and examining how they are working.  Lastly, share with others and learn from others.  We grow better together.  #missionforge

Is the Tie a bacteria trap? A germ holder? The Virginia Governor advised to not wear a tie.  This throws me into a little chaos.  How will I send the right message, what can I wear going forward?

Mary's first words upon learning the Jesus had risen from the dead, were to exclaim, "Teacher!" It is an interesting aspect to the wonderful story of Easter.  Why of all things did she say that? Was her relationship as a student what she missed in his absence? What meaning does it have to you in your business and your life? Do you have a teacher? I am not asking spiritually, though that is an important question.  But do you have a coach, mentor, or teacher who leads you?

 Conditions matter for a good fire, but a strong business can burn brightly in any conditions. Be like the fire and combine opportunities and make things happen. 

Making small sacrifices and smart decisions creates time to reflect on the best choice for you.  Having choice creates a positive mental mindset that can cascade throughout your day and into your life.  Financially, this becomes additional savings or disposable income. Mentally, the shifts from defense mode to positive control. It starts with seemingly insignificant choices.

You choose to become a licensee in Real Estate.  You choose which firm to hang your license.  You choose to join the National Association of Realtors or not to.  I want to provide education regarding the VALUE available to those who join. Are you aware of the VALUE at your fingertips? Make the professional decision to be informed and support your professional organization and support those who support you.  

People love to ask "How's the market?"  I've never been able to answer that question in the middle of a pandemic AND during a crash of the stock market. So here is my answer to: interest rates, buyer traffic, seller traffic, showing houses, listing of houses, pending sales, closed sales and more.  I'm seeing things are still alive, although down 25-33%.  It could get worse, but will hopefully return quickly once the kink in the hose is released.

Setting the table:  Fact #1 Buyers get ghosted!  They would reuse a buyer's agent but too often ignored after closing. 88% would use you again but only 11 do?  77% of buyers are being ghosted.    The great 1 and done theory is no way to build a business.  Listing agents use a buyer's book to help create future business.  But is this ethical?  Yes, according to my interpretation of the Realtor Code of Ethics, it is. Standard of Practice 16 REALTORS® shall not engage in any practice or take any action inconsistent with exclusive representation or exclusive brokerage relationship agreements that other REALTORS® have with clients. .....not intended to prohibit aggressive or innovative business practices which are otherwise ethical .... is intended to recognize as unethical two basic types of solicitations: 1) First, telephone or personal solicitations of property owners who have been identified by a real estate sign, multiple listing compilation 2) Second, mail or other forms of written solicitations of prospects whose properties are exclusively listed with another REALTOR® when such solicitations are not part of a general mailing but are directed specifically to property owners identified through compilations of current listings ...does not preclude REALTORS® from contacting the client of another broker for the purpose of offering to provide, or entering into a contract to provide, a different type of real estate service unrelated to the type of service currently being provided ...The fact that a prospect has retained a REALTOR® as an exclusive representative or exclusive broker in one or more past transactions does not preclude other REALTORS® from seeking such prospect’s future business.  So what is a buyer book? As a service to the seller you will provide valuable information to the buyers regarding the home and the area.  Make it so good there is no way it will ever go anywhere but somewhere very accessible in the kitchen.  DO NOT heavily brand the content.  Do not be selling yourself. This is not a commercial for you or your services. It is not a solicitation.  Provide value that will help your seller by attracting buyers.  Think of a three ring binder filled with page protectors of colorful and useful content. Utilities Warranties Home specific information Schools HOA contacts Local attractions Popular events Craft breweries and wineries Restaurants Shopping Pizza delivery (leave a free coupon for a moving day pizza)