Archive for January, 2009

GREEN HOMES

By Intero Real Estate | January 29th, 2009 0 Comments

Builders say demand is growing for “green” products for the home

Green products for the home are growing more and more popular with consumers, according to a group of home building industry product suppliers.

The suppliers spoke at the International Builders’ Show® this month in Las Vegas.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the suppliers said products that promote energy efficiency are still the biggest driver, but interest also is growing for water-efficient fixtures and appliances. There is also a growing demand for windows and doors that aid in improving indoor air quality, they said.

“Consumers and builders are starting to recognize the long-term benefit of green products,” said Omer “Butch” Gaudette, director of trade relations for Whirlpool Corp.

The International Builders’ Show also featured “The New American Home® 2009.” The home featured the latest in green building, construction technology and design trends, the association said.

“Builders, architects, engineers – anybody with an interest in housing construction – will be fascinated by the natural gas-powered heating and cooling system, the photovoltaic cells and the solar water heating,” said Bill Nolan, chairman of The New American Home Task Force. “Even the insulation in this home is exciting. The whole package of energy-efficiency products work together to make this a near-zero-energy home.”

For more information about the home, click here. 

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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | January 25th, 2009 0 Comments

Anything is possible…never stop dreaming…never stop trying…never stop going for it

Good Morning MOJO,

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4.  Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call.  As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful.  She was an older woman (maybe 26 and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name.  She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left.  He looked at her card, BRENDA.  He walked out only to see her start walking up the road.  Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home.  He looked harmless enough, and she accepted.  When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work.  She simply said it wasn’t possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter.  Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.  That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him.  The baby-sitter had called and canceled.  To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let’s take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed.  Finally Brenda brought him inside to meet her children.  She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, and then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?" Brenda was amazed.  Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities – just like her first husband and father of her children had done.  Kurtis was not ordinary – - – he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies.  When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him.  When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back.  The kids loved Kurtis.  At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.  Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr.  & Mrs.  Kurt Warner now lives in Arizona, where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl.  Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Hmmm…stock boy to Super Bowl.  Don’t doubt what you are capable of…make sure you are doing the things necessary to give yourself a shot when the opportunity presents itself…and make sure you are always being the kind of person great things like this happen too.  If someone can go from stock boy to the Super Bowl there is no reason our dreams can’t too…just never every give up and always do the right things!!!!!

Make it a powerful week!!!!!!


New Leadership

By Intero Real Estate | January 22nd, 2009 0 Comments

NAR welcomes President Obama and his administration

The National Association of Realtors® is welcoming President Obama and his administration, and pledge to work with him to stabilize the U.S. housing market.

“We welcome President Obama’s efforts on foreclosure prevention and agree that addressing rising foreclosures and strengthening existing home sales and housing initiatives are critical components to a housing and economic recovery,” NAR President Charles McMillan said.

McMillan says NAR will continue its focus on policies that will help get buyers into the market to reduce inventory and stabilize home prices. “This is the only way to successfully improve and sustain the housing market and the nation’s economy,” McMillan.

McMillan this month also said NAR is pleased that Congress is working to ensure that any additional Troubled Asset Relief Program initiatives or economic stimulus package include provisions that will stimulate home sales, prevent foreclosures and restore conidence in the housing market. 

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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | January 18th, 2009 0 Comments

Don’t Let Fear Stop You

Good Morning MOJO,

“When I grow up, I am going to be the President of the United States”…“I am going to be a professional football player”…”I am going to be a professional golfer”…”I am going to be a movie star”…”I am going to run my own company”. 

Remember when we where kids and anything was possible and nobody told us “no you can’t”?  So, what happened to our dreams?  Somewhere along the way we stop dreaming and start doing…and that is when it all stops…that is when our lives start to lose purpose….that is when we stop growing.  Those dreams we had as kids where like a magnet which pulled us to what we wanted in life…they made us excited to go for it everyday.  When is the last time you truly thought about what you want to be “when you grow up”?  I am not talking about growing in height, weight and age, but growing in who you are going to become.  It does not have to stop…we can breakaway and get off the hamster wheel anytime…start moving forward again like when we where kids.  We just have to take time to dream, believe….breakaway from the pack and go for it…don’t blend in…be different.

It is uncomfortable at first when you step outside of your comfort zone and get off the hamster wheel where it is safe, but if you have the courage there is still a lot more you can accomplish in this life. 

If you need a little inspiration to break free from your hamster wheel and go for it, check out this video…don’t let fear stop you: Wing Suit Base Jumping

Go for it and make it a GREAT week!!!!


More Tips for Success

By Intero Real Estate | January 15th, 2009 0 Comments

Articles offer tips for business success, afternoon slumps

Network more, reconnect with clients, and get involved in the community.

Those are just a few of the “business-builders’ that Margaret Kelly, CEO of RE/MAX International suggests in a recent article on RISMedia.com.

Here are a few other ideas from Kelley: Work with a real estate trainer or coach, update your marketing plan and try a social media site.

Kelly’s full list of ideas for 2009 can be found here.

Meanwhile, Liz Reyer of Reyer Coaching & Consulting offers some advice on how to recharge and become productive if you tend to get “fuzzy” in the afternoon. A short break to get your momentum back is all it takes, she says.

She advises that when a slump hits in the afternoon you should take a walk or stretch, drink some water and have a small snack. Other ideas she proposes: do a few lines of a crossword puzzle to get your brain fired up, chat with a co-worker, or just close your eyes.

For the full article, click here, at RISMedia.com, or here. 

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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | January 11th, 2009 0 Comments

Water!!!!!


Good Morning MOJO,

Do you know what percent of our body is water?  We BEGIN life as a fetus at 99%…when we are born, it drops to about 90%…then the average human body settles in some where around 70%.  So, from a simple physical perspective, we are all made up for the most part of water!

Let me ask you a simple question…if you had a choice to drink from a body of water, which would you prefer….a river or a pond?  Why?
Water in a river remains pure because it is moving, and it is generally agreed that the quicker it is moving, the more pure it is.   When water is stagnating, trapped, or immobile, what happens? It collects a lot of crap and becomes polluted…right?

So, what is the message we all can learn from water?  That it is critical for us to be moving fast and forward if we are interested in improving and not becoming polluted and turn into crap.  It is interesting to note that as children, we are expected to grow and improve every year mentally, physically and emotionally.  That is why we have different grades in school and you must improve each year in order to move on.

Then we graduate and what happens?  Most people stop or slow down drastically that growth process…except around the middle.  And the unfortunate thing is when we stop growing, we don’t stay the same…we actually start to move backwards year by year.  What are you doing to improve every year mentally, physically and emotionally?  Are you reacting to life or are you attacking and taking from it?  It is a choice…just continue to be a kid…have fun, learn and improve everyday.

Let’s all make a commitment to keep in action, keep moving, changing, flowing; mentally…physically…emotionally.  It is going to help purify who we are.  Let’s not turn into crap…let’s continue to get more and more pure!!!!

On a side note, be sure and drink lots of water since 70% of our body is made up of it and we don’t want it just sitting in our bodies stagnant like a dirty pond…purge the old and replenish with new fresh clean water everyday.  Like most of you, one of my New Years resolutions is to eat healthier.  There is a group of about 20 people I am doing food logs with.  Everyday we send everyone in the group an e-mail with everything you eat/drink for the day…everything.  It is amazing how much of an impact this little exercise has on what you eat and what you drink.   One of the most important things we are all making sure we are doing is drinking a lot of water.  I have been drinking about 100 ounces a day.

Make it a powerful week!!!!!


Tips for Success

By Intero Real Estate | January 9th, 2009 0 Comments

Magazine offers tips to succeed in 2009 real estate market

An article in this month’s issue of REALTOR® Magazine takes a look at the National Association of REALTORS® 2009 economic forecast and then offers some tips on how to best maneuver in the market.

NAR predicts that existing home sales will edge up 6 percent this year, after falling for two years, but the real estate market is still expected to be difficult. New home sales are expected to continue dropping, the article says. Prices overall have decreased about 12 percent from their 2006 peak, the magazine said.

You’ve undoubtedly heard these tips offered up before, but they are worth repeating. Here are a few from the article:

_ Target areas where prices that are dropping quickly. David Howell, a broker in Viriginia, says that in some areas of his market where prices were well below their peak, sellers were getting multiple offers in fall 2008. He expects the trend to continue.

_ Communicate sales to consumers. Alicia Trevino of Alicia Trevino REALTORS®, in Mesquite, Texas, praises door hangers as cost-effective way to let residents know that homes are selling in the area. At the 2008 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, she said that “people get the perception I’m the only one out there selling,” because she is one of the few people in the area to use the hangers, the magazine said. Other effective communication tools are newsletters, “just-sold” postcards and e-newsletters.

For the full list of tips on home sales, plus forecasts and tips for for-sale inventory and mortgage financing, click here.

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Monday Monring MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | January 4th, 2009 0 Comments

New Year Resolutions realized!!!

Good Morning MOJO,

Do you know the definition of insanity?  Doing the same activity over and over again, but expecting a different outcome.

As we start another new year, I know we all have these exciting, life changing, sexy goals for 2009.  Unfortunately, as I have mentioned before, for most of us they are the same goals we had last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and…  Today is only the 5th day of the New Year and I know many of us have already given up on some of those New Years resolutions/goals to have a better life, which we just committed to Friday of last week.  It all sounded great and exciting on New Years Eve, but then we had to wake up on January 1st and implement that incredibly nasty, terrifying, and ugly 6 letter word…we had to “change”.  So what happens to most of us and the reason we continue to have the same goals/resolutions year after year, is we want things to change in our life, but we are not willing or are unable to change or behavior.  For some amazing reason, so many of us actually think we are going to finally get what we want while continuing to do what we have always done.  Think about it…is that insane or what?!?!?! 

Here is an idea on how to change our habits, which will change our outcome, which will change our life.  Have you ever run in a marathon?  About 5 years ago I was training to do the San Diego Marathon when I had some foot issues on a 13 mile run building up to it, so I had to stop training.  However, when I was getting prepared for the marathon, I was doing it with Team in Training, like I am sure many of you have in the past.  You know what?  They don’t start you out with running 26.5 miles on the first day.  They start small…very small.  I can’t remember exactly what it was, but for many it was something like walking 1 to 3 miles a few times a week.  And after many months of training and adding a little bit every week, those same people who could only walk a few miles where able to run a 26.5 mile marathon.  

The key is to start small, with something that pushes you, but does not crush you.  The other key is don’t try and do it by yourself.  The reason Team in Training is so successful at getting people to run marathons and doing triathlons is they get people to start small, building confidence along the way…and they understand people are pack animals.  So they get thousands of people to do it together.  

So, if you are like me and have some exciting, life changing, sexy goals for 2009, lets commit to start small with something we know we can stick with and build up to it…and lets do it together.  Start small and find some friends, family, and/or associates we can share our goals with and do it together.  With some small consistent steps that we build on a little at time, we will be amazed at how fast we will accomplish our goals.  Just think how fast 2008 went by.  It seems like just yesterday it was January 2008.  Imagine if we had taken these small steps a year ago where we would be today. 

Happy New Year!!!!!  


Going Green

By Intero Real Estate | January 1st, 2009 0 Comments

C.A.R. launches “At home with green™” Web site

Have you checked out the new green Web site by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®?

The association launched the site, “At home with green™, as a way to focus on C.A.R.’s Green Initiative and to provide homeowners, REALTORS®, and the general public with information about how they can make their homes, offices and lives more environmentally friendly.

The Web site features an index of green resources, green terminology and key green principals.

For REALTORS®, the site includes tips about how to sell a green home to consumers, as well as information about making your office more environmentally friendly.

The site also includes information for homeowners and home buyers about:

  • Buying green homes.
  • Incentives for making homes more environmentally friendly.
  • Finding REALTORS® with green credentials, such as EcoBrokers.

The Web site also has a “Green Blog,” which can be accessed only by members of the California Association of REALTORS®.

“Housing is often one of the leading contributors of greenhouse emissions,” former C.A.R. President William E. Brown said. “It’s important to raise awareness and educate members and consumers about environmentally sound practices.”

See Also

  • Intero Real Estate Services- Find Real Estate, Property For Sale, Homes For Sale
    Intero Real Estate Services is one of the premier real estate brokerages. Find real estate, properties and homes for sale in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada and Texas.
  • CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
    The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is a statewide trade association dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate.
  • At home with green(TM)
    At home with green(TM), produced by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, offers information for REALTORS® and homeowners and home buyers about environmental issues in real estate.
  • ECOBROKER
    Welcome to ECOBROKER.com, your best resource for learning about and finding energy efficient, sustainable, and healthy homes and commercial buildings.