Archive for June, 2008

Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | June 29th, 2008 0 Comments

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

Good Morning MOJO,

George Carlin is not someone who immediately comes to mind when you think of motivation and inspiration…when you think of MOJO.  However George Carlin is someone who figured out how to be incredibly successful at doing something he loved…making people laugh.  My guess is George Carlin had a pretty awesome life…  George Carlin died last week at the age of 71.  Here are his words of wisdom…this is pretty awesome!!!!!

George Carlin on aging! 

(Absolutely Brilliant)

IF YOU DON’T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED, DO AS I AM DOING AND SEND IT ON.

George Carlin’s Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG 

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them.’

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.

4. Enjoy the simple things. 

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

And if you don’t send this to at least 8 people – who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!! 

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!

"Things will come to those who wait, but only those things left over by those who hustle"  Abraham Lincoln

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Intero Story Video: Intero Story

Intero Foundation Video: Intero Foundation

Intero Resorts Video: Intero Resorts 

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Home sales increased more than 18 percent in May

By Intero Real Estate | June 26th, 2008 0 Comments

C.A.R report also shows median price of existing home dropped

The May home sales report from the California Association of REALTORS® is out this week and shows that home sales grew 18.1 percent in May compared to the same time period last year. The report also shows that the median price of an existing home dropped 35.3 percent from May 2007.

C.A.R. says closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes reached 423,700 in May at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate. That sales figure represents how many homes would be sold during 2008 if sales kept up with May’s pace throughout the year.

“Home sales exceeded 400,000 last month for the first time since early 2007. While this is a welcome sign for the market, it was due in part to the large share of distressed homes for sale in many parts of the state,” C.A.R. President William E. Brown said.

The statewide median price for an existing, single-family detached home was $384,840 in May, a 35.3 percent drop from May 2007, C.A.R. reports. C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young says the drop reflected the impact of the market’s large number of short sales and foreclosures.

According to the report, the 10 cities with the highest median home prices in the state in May were:

  1. Los Altos, $1,710,000
  2. Burlingame, $1,700,500
  3. Saratoga, $1,506,500
  4. Mill Valley, $1,475,000
  5. Los Gatos, $1,350,000
  6. Newport Beach, $1,250,000
  7. Cupertino, $1,172,500
  8. Santa Barbara, $1,066,000
  9. Rancho Palos Verdes, $950,000
  10. San Carlos, $900,000
To see the full report, please click here.

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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | June 22nd, 2008 0 Comments

Wake up to the opportunities of life

Good Morning MOJO,

There was a study done recently which determined 68% of people miss out on opportunity simply because they are not awake to it. Did you read that clearly?  They are not awake. Most people are in a coma of routines and habits.  We almost have to be…it is a badge of honor in our society to see who can get the most done in a day.  We over stimulate our lives with so many tasks and errands that it becomes necessary to be in a robotic state of “doing” to ensure everything on the to-do list will get accomplished.  We are in a society obsessed with more…more…more.   Unfortunately, when we do this, we are blind to the opportunities circling around us every minute of everyday.  . 
 
So, what are we to do? We can break through this negative behavior of living by making a conscious effort to become more childlike – not childish – but, childlike.
 
Find amazement with things again!!!!
 
Did you know that NASA cannot duplicate the flight pattern of a dragon fly? Did you know that a butterfly’s life span is two days – and that they are never babies? They go right from the cocoon to an adult butterfly? Did you know the more pollution in the air the more brilliant and bold the sunsets? Did you know that baby zebras recognize their mom’s by the positioning of their stripes – and the stripe patterns are never duplicated! Isn’t it amazing that alligators lay their eggs at different levels in the ground.  And this action determines the gender of the newborn alligator? Isn’t it amazing that it is impossible to be mad and laugh at the same time? Isn’t it amazing that you can cause a grown man or woman with a tough exterior to melt like butter when you say, “I love you.” Isn’t it amazing that young children who just meet each other can play like they are lifelong friends within a few seconds?

 

These facts may seem insignificant. However, the habit of thinking on such things can do amazing things for you. It can cause you to wake up and notice the abundance of wisdom, love, and miracles that are found in every day life!
 
Just imagine what your life would look like if you called on your natural risk-taking ability. Imagine what your business would look like if you cultivated your childlike thinking. Imagine what your relationships would look like if you were willing to really love!
 
Let this be your wake up call to the amazement of life. It just might cause you to be aware of the abundant opportunity waiting for you in your business and in life!

Make it a great week!!!!

"Things will come to those who wait, but only those things left over by those who hustle"  Abraham Lincoln

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Intero Story Video: Intero Story

Intero Foundation Video: Intero Foundation

Intero Resorts Video: Intero Resorts 

Intero Boot Camp Video: Boot Camp

Intero Locations: Intero Offices

Monday Morning MOJO Blog: MOJO


Terabitz unveils upgraded Web platform

By Intero Real Estate | June 18th, 2008 0 Comments

Blefari says upgrades allow Intero to engage customers better and faster

Intero Real Estate Services Founder, President and CEO Gino Blefari has offered up praise for the recent Website platform upgrades announced this week by Silicon Valley-based Terabitz. 

Terabitz said the platform allows consumers to browse search results in an online “rolodex.” The results can be viewed in a list or on a map. The platform also allows users to add community information, points of interest and housing data to their search results in one click.

“The Terabitz Website platform is key to our market leadership,” Blefari said. “By combining powerful technology and rich data in an innovative, consumer friendly interface, Terabitz has enabled us to engage customers better and faster than ever before.”

Terabitz CEO Ashfaq Munshi said the company’s goal is to provide the sort of innovation and user experience consumers find on sites like Trulia and Zillow to real estate brokers.

“With this latest release, we’ve surpassed that goal with features that fundamentally improve the home search experience,” Munshi said.

Intero announced in April that its offices would utilize the Website platform by Terabitz.

For more information about the Website platform upgrades, click here. 

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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | June 16th, 2008 0 Comments

Nothing shapes our life more than the commitments we choose to make. Our commitments develop us or they destroy us, but either way, they define us. Tell me what you are committed to, and I will tell you what you will be in twenty years. We become whate

Good Morning MOJO,

They are stuck in infancy, remaining in diapers and booties.  The reason is that they never INTENDED to grow up.  You have to WANT to grow, DECIDE to grow, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GROW, and be PERSISTENT in growing.

Nothing shapes our life more than the commitments we choose to make.  Our commitments develop us or they destroy us, but either way, they define us.  Tell me what you are committed to, and I will tell you what you will be in twenty years.  We become whatever we are committed to.  Unfortunately, many are afraid to commit to anything and just drift through life.  Others make half-hearted commitments, which leads to frustration and mediocrity.  There is a difference between commitment to something and just doing it.

To change our life, we must change the way we think.  Behind everything we do is a thought.  Every behavior is motivated by a belief, and every action is prompted by an attitude.  So, be careful how you think…our life is shaped by our thoughts.  Here is an example of that:

  • Imagine riding in a speedboat on a lake with an automatic pilot set to go a specific direction.  If you decide to change direction and go the other way, you have two possible ways to change the boat’s direction.  One way is to grab the steering wheel and physically force it to head in the opposite direction from where the autopilot is programmed to go.  By sheer willpower you could overcome the autopilot, but you would feel constant resistance.  Your arms would eventually tire of stress, you’d let go of the steering wheel and the boat would instantly head back the way it was programmed to go.

This is what happens when we try to change our life with willpower…we say “I’ll force myself to eat less…exercise more…quit being disorganized and late.”  Yes, willpower can produce short-term change, but it creates constant internal stress because we haven’t dealt with the root cause.  The change doesn’t feel natural, so eventually we give up…go off your diet, quit exercising, stop showing up on time and stop keeping organized.  There is a better and easier way than forcing the change…change the way we think.  Change always starts first in our mind.  The way we think determines the way we feel and the way we feel influences the way we act. 

So, how do we change the way we think?  There are two parts to doing this.  The first half of this mental shift is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are self-centered and self-seeking.  Babies by nature are completely selfish.  They think only of themselves and their own needs.  They are in capable of giving…they can only receive.  That is immature thinking.  Unfortunately, many of us never grow beyond that kind of thinking.  The second part is to start thinking maturely…which focuses on others, not ourselves.  Thinking of others is a sign of maturity.

Make it a GREAT week!!!!

"Things will come to those who wait, but only those things left over by those who hustle"  Abraham Lincoln

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Intero Story Video: Intero Story

Intero Foundation Video: Intero Foundation

Intero Resorts Video: Intero Resorts 

Intero Boot Camp Video: Boot Camp

Intero Locations: Intero Offices

Monday Morning MOJO Blog: MOJO


NAR: Home sales may increase over next few months

By Intero Real Estate | June 12th, 2008 0 Comments

Improvement expected for second part of year

The National Association of Realtors® says the next few months could bring a modest gain in home sales. The group also says that an improvement is forecast for the second part of the year, as more consumers are able to tap into affordable mortgages.

NAR reports that the Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in April, increased 6.3 percent to 88.2 percent, compared to 83 in March.

Pending sales contracts are increasing in places where prices are dropping significantly, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR.

"Bargain hunters have entered the market en masse, especially in areas that have experienced double-digit price declines, but it’s unclear if they are investors or owner-occupants," Yun said. "Sharp price reductions are leading to a quicker discovery of price equilibrium points. The West is already seeing year-over-year gains in pending contracts."

Yun said mortgage interest rates will increase steadily, but still remain historically favorable, NAR reports. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages this week averaged 6.32 percent, the Associated Press reports.

Find the full NAR article here.


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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | June 9th, 2008 0 Comments

To have a quantum leap at almost anything in life and really have a significant impact, it is not going to be the result of trying to do everything. It is going to be the compounded result of doing only the most important activities over and over again…

Good Morning MOJO,

Is what you are doing today building on what you did yesterday or are you starting from scratch…again? So often we are jumping from one thing to another, to another, to another but never getting any significant results….never getting ahead. Why? Because we are spreading ourselves to thin.

To have a quantum leap at almost anything in life and really have a significant impact, it is not going to be the result of trying to do everything. It is going to be the compounded result of doing only the most important activities over and over again…we need to do fewer activities more frequently. If we do those few, most important activities consistently over and over again, at some point we reach the tipping point…we will explode into a quantum leap. It’s all about K.I.S.S.

Why is it so hard? Because we have to do it over and over and over again for long periods of time with what appears to be little or no results. But if we have the discipline to stick with it, all of a sudden out of no where, one day we will have a radical breakthrough. The hard part is not to quit when we feel like we are running into a brick wall with no results…not quitting when we are having a breakdown. Because when the wall comes down, it won’t come down one brick at a time, but the accumulation affect of hitting it over and over again will bring it tumbling down all at once. It will happen when we are exhausted and beyond wanting to quit. We will hit it again and BANG!!!!

Think about this: All the individual activities we do in our life to accomplish our goals represent one piece of paper. What most of us do is have a bunch of different activities going on trying to stack each of them (piece of paper) on top of each other to create a quantum leap. Unfortunately, the Quantum leap never happens…why? Because there is no accumulation affect…no compounding. Lets say we are working your ass off 10, 12, 15 hours a day, 7 days a week…doing all of those different activities. In the end, even if we are doing 50 different activities (50 pieces of paper), that stack of paper is only going to end up ¼ of an inch high. Consider this….figure out which activities are the most important and stop doing the rest. Spend all of our time doing just those few important activities. When we do this, we are compounding our activities…folding the piece of paper instead of stacking individual pieces. Check this out…as I said 50 individual pieces of paper (individual activities) is ¼ of an inch high. Instead, take 1 piece of paper (one activity) and do it over and over again 50 times (folding it 50 times). How thick do you think your stack will be? 5 inches…a foot…20 feet…1000 feet…a mile…100 miles…1000 miles…100,000 miles…1,000,000 miles? It will actually be tall enough to touch the sun…89,000,000 miles. Now that is a Quantum Leap.

Do the important, not the urgent activities and make it a great week!!!!!

– Keep It Simple Stupid. Getting what we want in life is not complicated, but it is difficult…it involves doing the important activities, not the urgent ones. The difficult part is being disciplined enough to do those important, not the urgent activities consistently…and doing them over and over again until we have a Quantum Leap…a Breakthrough.


Mom, daughters working together

By Intero Real Estate | June 5th, 2008 0 Comments

Daughters follow mother into real estate business

SFGate.com recently published a story about the mother/daughter/daughter team of Intero’s Pat Kalish, Jane Kalish and Judy Kalish Blond. 

The team spoke to the reporter at Intero’s Menlo Park office, where both daughters said they never intended to follow their mother’s career path, the report said. Pat has been in the business for more than 30 years, the article said, and now mostly sells homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Los Alto. Jane says helping her mother in the real estate business when she was younger made her move into the industry easier because she knew many agents, the story said.

“I was born into a good reputation,” she told the reporter. “That’s quite a bonus.”

According to the article, the three work together to make sure the needs of their clients are met, but they also want to ensure that each of the women can “sustain herself independently.”

The article also discusses the extra effort the Kalishes bring to the job. For instance, the article says Pat bought backyard toys for the son of one of her clients after the family bought a new home. The three also deliver wine and plants during the holidays, the article said.

“We try to make personal contact with all of our clients at least once a year,” Pat Kalish said in the article. “I’ll stop in and say hi or go out for coffee.” 

You can find the full article here.

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Monday Morning MOJO – Small changes neccessary to get what you want in life

By Intero Real Estate | June 1st, 2008 0 Comments

I have finally found it…the magic formula for adding years and perhaps decades to our lives…the magic formula which will increase our quality of life forever. Are you interested in knowing what it is?

Good Morning MOJO,

I have finally found it…the magic formula for adding years and perhaps decades to our lives…the magic formula which will increase our quality of life forever.  Are you interested in knowing what it is?

  • With just these few small changes and spending 1 hour a day doing it, you will significantly increase your quality or life.  Will you do it? 

  • With just these few small changes and spending 1 hour a day doing it, you will extend your life by years…perhaps decades.  Will you do it? 

  • With just these few small changes and spending just 60 minutes a day doing it, you will get to spend years or perhaps decades more with those you love…your spouse, your kids, your grandkids.  Will you do it? 

  • With just these few small changes and spending just 60 minutes a day doing it, you will be the example to your kids, grandchildren and all of those you love.  By your example, you will positively impact the way they live their lives and help them to live better and years longer.  Will you do it?

I don’t need to tell you because we all know what the magic formula is, but as simple as it is, most won’t do it.  Most people won’t make some small changes and spend just 60 minutes a day to save their life and the lives of those they love.  So, if we won’t make some small changes to save our life and the lives of those we love, imagine how hard it is to make some small changes to get the other things we want in life. 

Like our health, in most cases it is not that what we need to do to get what we want and increase our quality of life is this radical change, but it is usually just slightly different than what we are doing today.  Unfortunately, change is like the plague and most people will avoid it at all cost…no matter how small  Also, changing to make things better does tend to take a bit of effort, while staying the same or slipping back doesn’t….at least that is what we think. The reality of it is staying the same or slipping back does take effort…a lot more effort.  It just does not take immediate effort.  It will get forced on you in the future.  I guess God just wound us that way…the good things in life are a choice and bad things are a circumstance of not making a choice.  I guess the fear of losing what we have or being disappointed if we fail is a stronger motivator than the joy of winning and getting what we want in life.  So, most people live life by the status quo.  Unfortunately, what most people don’t get until it is too late is that you can’t stand still in life.  Either you are moving ahead…changing and getting better every day, or you are slipping back…but we are never staying the same.

Imagine if we would just practice what we preach to your kids, how amazing our lives would be.  Could you imagine telling your kids…

  • ”Just stay the same…don’t go for it and try to improve”

  • “Don’t take any chances or you might get disappointed…play it safe and just go with the flow”

  • “Remember those that play it safe and never change always get ahead in life”

  • “Eat whatever you want an don’t exercise…no big deal”

  • “I know your homework is hard and you don’t want to do it…don’t worry about it”

  • “Watch as much TV and play all of the computer games you want…reading, playing outside and spending time with your friends a family is over rated”

It is just hard and in most cases almost impossible to make those small changes, but you can do it.  Just don’t put it off until tomorrow, start today.

Oh yeah…if you don’t know what the few small changes and 1 hour a day are, it is exercising 1 hour a day, eating healthy and start taking our own advise…the advise we give our kids.  Check this out…if you exercised just 1 hour a day while listening to an audio book on your iPod about personal or professional growth and development, you would burn 182,500+/- calories and listen to 50+/- books on personal and/or professional growth and development every year. Think you would look different…think your life would be better in a year if you did this?

Make it a great week and go for it!!!!!  We only have one life…there are no second chances to try it again. 

"I outwork them and outthink them…so I intimidate them and beat them"  Tiger Woods

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Intero Story Video: Intero Story

Intero Foundation Video: Intero Foundation

Intero Resorts Video: Intero Resorts 

Intero Boot Camp Video: Boot Camp

Intero Locations: Intero Offices 

Monday Morning MOJO Blog:Monday Morning MOJO

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