Check out my new Motorola RAZR!

I finally broke down and bought a new phone today. My old one lasted almost 4 years, but I am glad to finally be rid of it! Between the Phone, Palm and iPod, I'm going to need a utility belt to carry all the stuff around with me.

Wednesday - Hump Day

The fog and ice were bad again today. Kyle had a 2 hour delay from school, that kid will never get a summer vacation at the rate they are going now.

Had lunch with an old friend and talked about real estate, he is considering a new property and has enlisted my help. Went to Rob's in Brookville, it was good as usual.

Working with a listing in the City of Dayton that is under contract. AARRGGH!!! The new rules for selling residential properties are driving me up a wall. The online form has changed in the past two days since I printed it and sent it to the other brokerage. The city needs to get on the ball and make this easier to work with.

Dana and Joyce are going to visit her grandfather tonight, so Kyle and I are getting ready to head out and get something to eat. Not sure what we are going to get, maybe Mexican at Fiesta Charra in Eaton.

It's Friday and it's cold!

It was 6 degrees below zero when I got up this morning to take the dogs out. As much as I like the snow, I will be glad to have some warmer weather, you know, something in the 30's.

I'm back on my soapbox about Firefox vs. Internet Explorer. I can't stand the constant issues we have with our business because we have to use IE to access the Dayton Area Board of Realtors website. Security issues and updates seem to be taking more and more of our time. If you are tired of IE and it's issues, and don't have to use IE, click on the Firefox link below and download a great browser for free.




Have a great week-end!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Tons of stuff going on in real estate for me right now which is a good thing. My team is really starting to come together and we are planning a First Time Buyers seminar for two different dates in March. If you know anyone who is interested in purchasing their first home and not sure where to begin, have them contact me and I will give them all the details.

With all the snow comes snow removal. Seems like whenever I have a free moment I'm taking the dogs out or shoveling more snow. Kyle is glad to be out of school, but I think they are going to cancel their Spring Break to make up the days. Poor Dana has to be at work no matter how bad the weather is since she works in a hospital. Our office has actually been closed the past two days for weather related issues.

Here's some shots of me and the boxers relaxing and trying to get warm. No wonder they are so tired, being so cute all the time!

February Already???

Where is the time going? So far this year seems to be flying by. Met with a new client last night then Dana and I met her father at Mimi's at The Greens in Beavercreek for dinner. The food was good, but the Strawberry Lemonade was the best.

Here's a few shots of what going on at our house tonight. Kyle is playing a flight simulator on his PS/2 and Winston is watching him.

More Photos For The Same Low Price!

I promise not to turn this into a dog BLOG, but who can resist taking pictures of their canine pals when they are this cute!

Sorry I haven't posted more frequently. I just spent the majority of this week in continuing education classes that all Realtors must do, and had to work my business during breaks and the evenings. I'm glad the classes are over, that's all I'll say about that.

Welcome Winston To Our Family!


Meet the newest member of our family, Winston! We just got him today from a Boxer Rescue in Milan, Indiana. He is a two year old Brindle and he and Holly are getting along very well and have been playing ever since we got home. He seems to be adjusting just fine and is sitting here in the office with me while I enter this post.

Holly is ready for Santa!

Not a lot to write about today, too many things going on and not enough time to get it all done before the holidays. I did want to share this picture of Holly laying under the tree last night. She is much bigger this year compared to last year.

Sadie is doing great!

I got a wonderful phone call Saturday from the person that adopted Sadie, the stray dog that showed up at our house this past July! She brought me up to speed on how she is doing and thanked us again to taking such good care of her.

She is in the Cleveland area and appears to have spoiled her rotten (isn't that what you're supposed to do?). We talked about how hard it is to imagine someone just dumping a wonderful dog like that. But, the important thing is that she has a great home and is getting lots of love and attention.

She promised to send some pictures and keep in touch with us. We are happy that such a caring person has Sadie as part of her family. I will post pictures as they come in!

Holly Turns 1










It's hard to believe, but our little girl is already a year old! My how she has grown since we got her last year. What a wonderful addition she has been to our family!

Train Show Junkies

What a great way to spend a day with my son and my dad!

Last week-end was the big Hara Arena Train Show, and I think I was as excited as Kyle. My dad was able to attend the show with us this year and we had a really great time. After walking around the show a few hours, my dad joked that maybe he should move the boat out of his wood-working shop and put up his old American Flyer HO set. Kyle loves the boat, but would love the trains even more.

Kyle spent some of his hard earned money from being the cleaning service for our office. He bought a set of Amtrak Passenger cars as well as another Amtrak car (I can't think of the name of it but I think it's a Super Liner or something like that).

We got there a bit early ( I thought it started at 9:00, but that was for the vendors) so we went to Bob Evans for Breakfast to kill some time. I'm glad we did considering the high cost of food and drinks at the show! If you don't live in a state where Bob Evans is located, you are missing out on a real treat.

There was quite a large turnout, and a lot of vendors from all over the place. There were even more displays this year which was great, but only one Lionel set-up in the whole place. N scale seemed to be the layout of choice this year, which is great since that is what Kyle is now collecting. We were pleasantly surprised to see the largest Lego train set-up in Ohio. I hadn't seen Lego represented at the show as a display before and it was really cool, a lot of work went into it (and money!). Kyle has a Lego train set at home and is constantly building new cars and engines.

I'm glad that Kyle got to see the show and spend some of his money. I think he appreciates things more knowing that he earned the money, and the importance of saving (not buying on credit!) for something special.

When Sugar Waffles Explode

Kyle had his first marching band parade a few weeks back for the West Alexandria Octoberfest. I knew he was excited because he brought his trumpet home a few days before to practice! The band sounded really great, and they all seemed to be having a good time. Makes a former band geek like myself proud when he sees his son in his first parade. We stayed for the festival looking at the different booths and talking to friends. After lunch, we decided that we would get a bag of sugar waffles and split it between the three of us. Kyle had never had one before, and when he took his first bite, it exploded into a hundred pieces, powdered sugar flying everywhere (we are happy to report no innocent bystanders were injured by the exploding sugar waffle). Kyle thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. We all got a good chuckle out of it.

If you linked here from my website, you may have noticed the FireFox links. I have been using FireFox for about a year now, and love it. It's fast, reliable, and free, what more could you want? I challenge each of you reading this blog to click on the FireFox logo and download the latest version and try it for a week. You won't regret it!

What were you doing this past Saturday?

My wife and I participated in the Breast Cancer Awareness walk in Downtown Dayton this past Saturday. Although the morning started off a little cool, it turned out to be a nice day and there was a great turn out for this event. Thanks to everyone that showed up and raised money for this event. Let's hope a cure is found soon. To all of the sponsors and organizers of the event, you did a terrific job!

We spent part of the day Sunday morning going out with Brian & Carrie Reed. Dana had never been to their new home so she got the grand tour. Then we headed out to breakfast. It was nice to have some carbs for a change, Dana and I both got a pancake with our meal, it was a real treat! I spent part of the afternoon watching 'Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle'. Brian warned me that the last 20 minutes were really bad. He wasn't kidding, this has got to be one of the worst movies ever made. It had a few moments, but there's and hour and a half of my life I'll never get back. If you have ever seen this movie, or shut it off half way through, then you know what I'm talking about. It was as bad as the movie 'Half Baked' which I must admit, I didn't see all the way through because it was so bad I turned it off after the first 15 minutes. I glad Brian loaned it to me instead of paying for it.

Have to get back to work for now. Have a great day!

Real Estate market slowing? Hardly....

With all the talk in the media about the slow down in real estate, I've been asking myself lately where it is happening? I have been busier than I ever have, and continue to pick up new clients on a regular basis. Sure, statistically this time of year is a little slower, but I have been lucky to be picking up business that others are passing up. I also ask how many people in the media sell properties for a living to really know what they're talking about. Enough said.

I also had an experience this week where a client wanted to use my services and time, but not sign a contract to represent her in the purchase of her new home. She was adamant that I was going to do research for her, spend time driving her around to look at properties, possibly work with a builder, and let her have the right to cut me out of any deal at her discretion. I think she was rather shocked when I told her that as a Real Estate Professional, I didn't do business that way, and since I provide all of my clients with full service, I work off of a contract for those services. We agreed to dis-agree and parted company. Life is too short.

We have had several new agents join our firm in the last week, and are continuing to have agents call or drop by to find out about what we have to offer. We expect to see quite a jump in our roster this winter as agents look at their current brokerage and benefits and weigh that against what we offer. It's a very exciting time to be part of Exit Realty Partners!

Have a great week-end everyone, and I'll post more next week.

An Old Friend Stops By For Lunch!

No, I'm not calling Gene Seiber old by any means, but he did stop by last week to drop off a book and have lunch with me. It was good to see him, and I think he was impressed with what we have accomplished in our offices in such a short period of time. I think our music server blew him away (yes, it is cool!).

Our business is growing rather quickly, both in listings and new agents. Exit recently announced offices in Fairborn and Beavercreek. We are excited to see these offices coming up.

I have been spending a lot of time working on some new technologies that we will be putting into place in the first quarter of next year. I unfortunately cannot share with you what those technologies are, and it's killing me. All I can say is if you are a Realtor working at Exit Realty Parters, hold on for the ride of your life, it's going to be incredible!

My real estate business continues to gain momentum and doesn't seem to show any signs of slowing down. I have a new agent coming to work with me as a buyers agent and interviewed another potential agent yesterday that is just completing her classes.

Kyle and Dana are doing well. We are on the South Beach Diet and giving up carbs has got to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. Now I know what smokers must go through when they quit. But, I have lost some weight and we are working out a few nights a week as well. I feel better and am starting to notice my energy level increasing. Wish us luck on this!

No, the MLS won't support Firefox...

I recently sent an email request to the DABR MLS to ask them when they will support Firefox. I was politely told that they will ONLY support Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher and have no plans to support anything else. That really got me steaming.

I'm going to be forever locked into using IE to access the DABR MLS. Before I continue, let me tell you that I am not a Microsoft or Bill Gates basher. I use Microsoft Publisher and Access on a daily basis and enjoy using them. But I also use a lot of other programs that are not written in Redmond. I use OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office, I use Firefox instead of IE (with the exception of accessing the MLS) and I use Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop almost daily.

An agent in our office was having fits this week because he had a virus on his machine that he could not get rid of. After countless hours we finally got it cleaned up, but it was an ordeal. One he (and I) probably wouldn't had to have gone through if he was using Firefox. I'm thinking he may be a convert now.

Back to the MLS. Realtors in general are fairly technologically challenged when it comes to computers. Oh, I have met a few that have really impressed me with what they are doing, and when I see a Realtor using a Mac, I know they 'get it' when it comes to thinking outside the box. But even the Mac users have to rely on IE if they want to access the MLS. It's a shame. Most use a Windows PC and just take for granted that all the security issues are a part of doing business. Wake up people, there are alternatives! You just have to look for them!

If you are a Realtor using Firefox or Safari as your web browser and would like to see a change, I suggest emailing the board on a regular basis until the decide to accept the fact that something else does exist, and it's better than what they currently have.

Some Random Ramblings...

I'm fighting the start of a cold and not feeling that great. Kyle and Dana both had it, so I guess it's my turn.

Dana headed out to Phoenix early this morning to visit her brother and take him out to dinner for his birthday. It's sort of become a tradition for her and something she really looks forward to doing. Her great-aunt Faye usually goes with her, but Faye had back surgery recently and didn't feel like making a long flight like that.

I'm listening to a Stevie Ray Vaughn CD while I write this. Such a talented artist taken from us way to early in his life. I've been listening to one of the classical radio stations in the car lately, I think it's 88.1. I really enjoy it, it does take my mind off the days activities if only for a moment. With all the rain we've had the past few days it really improves your spirits to listen to something different like that. If you live in the Dayton area, I challenge you to listen to 88.1 FM for a week during your normal commute time and see if it doesn't improve your mood.

Another thing I enjoy is going to the home page of Bill Atkinson and look at the nature photos he has posted. Many of you might recognize his name from his work at Apple Computers. Well, he's also a professional photographer and has a very user friendly web site to share his work with folks out there in cyber space. I go there a few times a week when I need a short break and can't get away from my desk.

I'm getting ready to start a conversational Spanish class towards the end of the month. It's hosted by my firm and is open to any licensed Realtor. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I never took Spanish in school and as a ham radio operator, I've always had a fascination with languages. Dana speaks some Spanish, she can still say The Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. I'll have to keep you posted and see how it goes.

Have a great day!

David

I am a Happy Camper!

For those of you who know me at all, you know I love Apple Computers. I'm not a Mac bigot, I just think they make wonderful products that are ahead of their time. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Well, if you know anything about the history of the Macintosh, you have heard of Guy Kawasaki. I wrote him an email the other day and he responded to me. Guy was an Apple Fellow and the best evangelist they have ever had. I was re-reading his book 'The Art of the Start' and noticed he mentioned something about boxers (the dog kind) and sent him a brief message asking about his boxer and telling him about our boxer, Holly. I also asked if he had any plans to write any books on how technology can influence the real estate industry. Here's what he wrote:

David,
Thanks for your email. Unfortunately, our boxer died one night. It was very sad. I hope you enjoy yours. No books planned right now, and I don't know much about the application of technology to real estate. I don't think there's a magic bullet. You just have to pound on people, work with those who "get it," and hope that it spreads.
My best wishes to you!
Guy

OK, it may not mean much to those of you who are Realtors reading this who think a fax machine and a cell phone are 'Cutting Edge' technology. But, for those of you reading this who 'get it' as Guy said, you realize that change is imminent. It's going to happen. Why not be a leader in this area instead of a follower? Do you embrace technology or fear it? Will you have to be dragged into the information age kicking and screaming?

One of the things we have been dealing with at Exit Realty Partners is getting agents to understand that we are a technology-centric company. We embrace it. We know how to use it effectively, and we implement it. Many of our competitors are focused on the fact we don't pay for print advertising. Well, that's true, we don't. We would rather focus our time, energy and money on tools and training on a medium that is the future of this industry. Information presented in a timely manner is what is important. When the price of a home changes, can you go back and reprint all your adds and magazines hoping to accurately reflect the price? I don't think so. With electronic media, you can.

So as I try to evangelize to my fellow Realtors out there, get ready for the revolution that is happening. You can be part of it and the future, or fade away into the sunset wondering what has happened.

Our Luau was a Big Success!

We worked so hard getting ready for it, it's hard to believe the Luau is over already. We had a great turn out, and thanks to everyone who came to see the office, help us celebrate, and enjoy the food and goodies we had. I think a lot of folks were surprised to see how beautiful the place really is, and all the systems we have implemented. I personally want to thank all of my clients that came by, as well as Angela Richardson and Kristen Schilder who hadn't seen the place since two days after we moved in. I think they were more surprised than we are at how it turned out. A special thanks to my sister Lori for bringing a planter and flowers to help us celebrate. Most important, I want to thank my wife Dana for all her Love and support while we launched this venture. I couldn't have done it without her. And my son Kyle, who now says he wants to become a Realtor and work with me when he grows up. Don't grow up too fast!

I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to post more items here lately, but my business has really picked up again and I have had more than my share of 16 hour days lately. Plus, Kyle started 6th grade last week (yeah!) and I have been working with him, making sure homework is done, forms are signed, etc. I think I dread the start of a new school year more than he does.

I have also started a new policy of offering my clients a 5% listing on their primary residence or single family investment properties that they work with me on. If you or anyone you know is considering selling their home in the near future, please let them know that I can save them a substantial amount of money vs. the 7% listing agreement other agents are now charging. Since my costs are considerably lower by being associated with Exit Realty Partners, I pass that savings onto my clients. Also, if you are a licensed Realtor or someone who is thinking of a career in Real Estate, why not give me a call or send me an email and see what Exit Realty Partners has to offer you? We offer a starting commission split of 70/30 as well as the chance to earn residual income that can put you at 100% or more on each closing you complete. As you can see by the photos were are not a Web MLS type company as some firms are saying we are. We are a full service brokerage and have over 4,400 square feet of office space for our agents to work in. We don't charge monthly desk fees, and offer free long distance and high speed internet connections for our agents. Exit was started in 1996 with the focus on the agent, not charging them fees. Exit only makes money when you make money. I wish I had this opportunity when I was first licensed instead of paying so much of the money I EARNED back to the brokerage!

Stop by our office at 7649 North Main Street, Dayton, OH 45415 and take a tour. See what the future of Real Estate looks like today.

Aloha! It's a Luau!

Exit Realty Partners is having it's Grand Opening Luau on Saturday, August 26th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. There will be music, free food & drinks, door prizes and Limbo & Hula Hoop contests that should be a lot of fun.

We have worked really hard to get the office ready, and now it's time to relax for a day and have some fun with family, friends & clients. We hope to see you there.

Exit Realty Partners is located at 7649 North Main Street, Clayton, OH 45415. Our office number is 937-898-8500.