Austin Property Talk

Austin Real Estate Wrap-Up

Im reading a book by Robert Cialdini about the "weapons of influence."  One of the major weapons of influence is scarcity and/or artificially imposed deadlines. 

In the real estate market, we've recently gone through one of the biggest time periods of scarcity in recent memory, in dealing with the impending expiration of the first time and repeat home buyer tax credits.  By imposing a final deadline (scarcity) for receiving the $6500-$8000 the government did a great job of giving the industry an artificial boost.  

I personally helped a handful of people who moved quickly to make sure that they were under contract before they lost the chance to take advantage of the opportunity.  These are people who had been considering buying and/or selling at some point in the next 12-18 months but decided to do so prior to April 30th to cash in on the incentive.  You can see this phenomenon reflected below in the Austin real estate market data through May 2010.  

Through April, the number of pending contracts and closed sales increased dramatically while the days on market required to sell a house decreased monthly.  Some of that change can be attributed to the natural (seasonal) sales cycles of the real estate market, but much of it is a direct result of the artificially infused buyer/seller motivation.  

You can also see that things slowed down a little bit in May which is typically one of the strongest months of the year.  It is going to be very interesting to keep an eye on how the data varies year over year in the months of July, August and September.  Since a buyer looking to take advantage of the tax credit must close before June 30th to maintain eligibility, the numbers will continued to be slightly skewed through June.  After June, the numbers will be more representative of the health of the real estate market in general. 

Over the past three weeks, I have seen a significant drop in buyer activity on my listings and in speaking with other Realtors in other areas, the experience has been the same across the board.  Most anyone who was going to buy a house and close prior to June 30th, did so before the end of April in order to take advantage of the extra incentive offered. 

We are all crossing our fingers and hoping to see an infusion of late summer buyers hit the market in the next few weeks now that school is out and people are aiming to be moved by the beginning of the next school year.  Only time will tell.

Endless Education

As you probably know by now from reading my newsletters and keeping up with the goings on in my world, I put a high value on personal growth and continuing education. 

I know some Realtors who have been in the business for years and years who do the bare minimum necessary to renew their license every couple of years.  That doesn't necessarily make them bad people, nor does it make them bad Realtors.  There are a lot of things that cannot be learned in a classroom or by reading a book. 

Still, I feel both a personal and professional obligation to my clients and colleagues to be on top of my game.  For me that means days and weeks in the classroom learning new techniques, approaches and keeping my finger on the pulse of the real estate industry.  In that way, I can provide the best service and the most updated knowledge possible to those whom I work with on an ongoing basis. 

I've blogged before about spending weeks at a time holed up in a classroom at the Austin Board of Realtors earning various designations (accredited education).  I have also served on the Professional Education and Development committee at the board for the past couple of years.  I feel strongly about education and renewal.  Maybe its my school teacher mother finally rubbing off on me.

My most recent undertaking is a nine week "spaced" training called the Leader's Choice program.  The Leader's Choice program is aptly taught by renowned real estate trainer and speaker Mark Leader. 

Each Friday for the past six weeks I have learned something new about business development, networking, client communication, and good ol' fashioned face to face sales technique.  This is the type of training that I have never experienced before, mainly because it is a major challenge to one's comfort zone and has forced me to do things (usually involving the telephone) that I don't typically enjoy doing.  But what do they say, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  I exaggerate, its not that bad but it does require you to expand your horizons and challenge routines which is a good thing.   

Many of the techniques and approaches that I have learned have already been put into place in various parts of my business helping me to stay in control.  I look forward to continue to expand upon my new awareness in becoming the best Realtor and the best version of myself that I can be.  

Zip Line Adventures

I'm a little bit tardy in actually posting this, but over the Memorial Day weekend my family went zip lining to celebrate my Dad's Birthday which is actually today.  Kind of confusing, I know.  The last couple of years, instead of doing the traditional dinner and gifts we have had an experience to celebrate his birthday.  Last year we went on a wine tasting tour in the hill country - this year it was zip lining in Wimberley, TX.   My parents had previously zip lined through the Jamaican forest on a trip with my dad's company.  My Dad told us not to expect that it would be exhilarating but that we would enjoy ourselves nonetheless. 

We reserved an the earliest time in order to beat the heat.  They started us off on what they call the "bunny" run which is similar to the tamest slopes when snow skiing.  We gradually worked our way up to the longest and fastest lines culminating in the "Big Kahuna" which spans 900 feet and provides for speeds up to 30-40 mph they say. 

Before you start, they give you the whole spiel about how the lines will support weight up to 5000 lbs and that all of the gear is rigorously tested for safety.  I never once even half considered that I was in any danger. Looking back on it though, when you are soaring hundreds of feet above the canyon supported by a couple of straps, a pulley and a one inch line, I probably should have given it a bit more caution  Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.  

It was a lot of fun.  There were a couple of back to back runs where I got going pretty darn fast.  Since you are out in the open and flying through the sky with very little to use as reference for how fast you are going, you really dont realize it until you go to stop.  The last couple of lines on our way down went through the trees and using the foliage and the ground as a reference, you understand you are going much faster than you thought. 

I put together a brief video of our experience.  The last part of the video I asked one of the guides to hold the camera for me while he went down.  They wouldn't let us do that ourselves but he said they do it for people all the time.  I think it turned out pretty good.  If you want more information just google zip lining and Wimberley for the website.  

March 2010 Status Updates

I just spent the time reviewing (cutting and pasting my March Facebook and Twitter updates) as promised in my previous post at the beginning of the year.  March was definitely filled with less personal updates and more quotes and inspirational messages; many coming from the books that I've been reading.  

It was a little bit harder to choose what to highlight this month because I committed myself to tweeting every day in the month of March.  That led to a much higher volume than I am used to.  

By using Hootsuite, I was able to spend some time each morning loading up the messages that I wanted to send for the day.  It is a much more efficient way to send out tweets.  Then over the course of the day, I will supplement those messages with some updates of interesting things going on during the day. 

Here is a link to my March 2010 Tweets and Status Updates.  

You can find the links to my social networks on the left of this page. 

My twitter accounts are RyanFrance and ATXRealEstate

The Three Foot Putt

I just recently heard someone analogize the steps of goal achievement to the 3 Foot Putt in golf.  For instance, let’s say you know that the best chance you have to improve your golf score is within the “short game.”  Your inability to consistently score from within close range is what is preventing you from taking your game to the next level.  If you a golfer, you know what I mean.  

There are a couple of considerations.  In fact you can probably make a long list, but in most cases, the best place to start is most likely with the 3 foot putt.  Those 36 inches cause golfers more frustration than anything else on the course.  Just imagine if every struggling golfer practiced the three foot putt to the point of extreme confidence, before (and this is key), moving back to six feet and ten feet and so on.  I’d imagine that competence would shave 3-5 strokes off of your average golfer’s game.  Consistency and predictability.  Trouble is, the three foot putt isn’t sexy.  Yet, at the end of the day, the three foot putt counts just the same as the 300 yard drive. One. 

This year my focus is on the three foot putts; a short list of consistent and predictable daily activities put into place over 40 day cycles helping me to form strong habits, ultimately taking me to the next level personally and professionally.  

What are you working on?

February 2010 Status Updates

I've really neglected my BLOG over the past 3 weeks or so as I've turned my attention toward finishing some other major projects.  For those of you who read on a consistent basis, I apologize.  My time has been spent elsewhere - classes, trainings, clients and such.  However, I'm recommitted to making this a place of value and consistent communication.  Here is the compilation of my February Status Updates as promised in my previous post a few weeks ago. 

I just finished cutting and pasting to put this list together and it really is a fun way to look back on the month and relive the activity.  That's the great thing about social networks is that they allow you to build a virtual journal of experiences lived. 

Our Snow Day in 2 Minutes (2/23)

I'm the first one to roll my eyes at the people in Austin that get all hyped up about a potential "snow day,"  school and work closures.  There is always a big build up for the Winter Weather Watch and it rarely, if ever materializes. In fact, I saw on the news today that there have only been 15 measurable snow accumulations in Austin Texas since 1898.  That's eighteen, not nineteen.  So you can see how rare it is for us to have any significant snowfall.  Today, surprisingly, was one of those days.  Ironically, this comes right on the heels of a Sunday when the temperatures reached almost 80 degrees. Just goes to show you how fickle the Austin climate can be sometimes.  In any event, I had to chronicle our "Snow Day."  Enjoy my video of Our Snow Day in 2 Minutes.

Mobile Work Environments

I posed the question on Facebook yesterday afternoon:

For those of you who aren't stuck in an office all day long, where is your favorite place to work, to be creative, to be productive?

I posted that question from my Blackberry while I was working at Starbucks and waiting for an appointment.  I was a bit surprised at the volume of responses that I received.  It was pretty cool.  The power of social networks - ask and you shall receive. You can see those answers (click here).  If we aren't yet friends on facebook - add me.

I am fortunate that more than half of the work that I do can be done from a remote place or what I like to call "mobile work environments."  Some of my favorite places to go are coffee houses, the library, hotel lobbies, the gym and sometimes picnic tables outdoors on a nice day.  For some reason I find that when I take myself out of my normal circumstances and surroundings that the ideas and creativity just starts to flow.  Ideas come like drinking out of a fire hose. 

Some of the best ideas that I have had recently that I feel are going to have profound effects on my business and my life have been captured while waiting to meet business partners at various Starbucks for some reason.  Its strange, maybe its the energy of the place or the coffee aroma but I get into deeper levels of thinking and understanding.

I fully understand why novelists have to go to remote or varying locations when its time to sit down and write or finish a book.  You eliminate the normal distractions and free yourself up to be creative.  (well I don't know about Starbucks - that place can get pretty loud) but it works for me.  

What works for you? 

I thought it would be fun to look back at the end of the year and at a chronological summary of what went on during each month while it actually happened.  Similar to keeping a detailed event journal, but a lot less effort. 

I've decided that I will save what I think are the most relevant Facebook and Twitter status updates and post them in a single post at the end of each month.  Its kind of the Cliff's notes version of the month from start to finish.  Eventually it will become the electronic summary of the year as a whole.  This should be fun. 

So here we go with the January edition - a little late because I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with it.  Click on the social media icons on the left hand side of this site to become part of my networks. - Ryan

First Newsletter of the New Year

It's the time of the month again.   My first Newsletter of the New Year has been printed and posted.  I'm adding some new fun things to the mix this year.   If you haven't yet been introduced to my newsletter, its a variety of interesting tidbits, short stories, personal stories and the occasional Austin Real Estate article.  Mainly it's just a fun top keep in touch with friends, family and clients on a regular basis. 

I always post a copy of my newsletter on my Blog by the middle of the month.  However, I make sure to mail out a copy the first week of the month to an exclusive list of subscribers.  If you are not a subscriber to my newsletter and would like to be, shoot me an email - ryan@stonehavenrealty.com. 

Or, you can access my Newsletter Archives.  Enjoy!

36 Books to Read in 2010

 I have a plan to read these books this year. Some I have read before and are worth reading again each year.  For those of you that are keeping score at home, that is 36 books (one not pictured because I already lent it to someone).  It looks like a lot, but its only 28 pages a day (9975 total). In fact, Chances are very good that I will surpass this now that I think about it.  The books on the bottom row will take priority over the novels on the top.  I usually am working on 3 at a time.  Books read:  Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin.  Reading:  The Purpose Driven Life, First Things First and Camel Club. If you click on the picture to the left, it will take you to an interactive bookshelf on shelfari.com - pretty cool.

2009 The Year that Was (in pictures)

CLICK THROUGH TO SEE ENTIRE ALBUM

30 Days to Becoming an Early Riser

Needless to say this time of the year there is a lot of talk about resolutions, goals and creating better habits for the new year.  I was actually surprised recently to read that only 14 percent of all people actually set some sort of resolution or goal for the New Year.  I was not surprised, however, to read that typical lifespan on those resolutions that are set is only 3 weeks.   Sad but True.

Ill have to admit that I’ve fallen into that latter category before on many occasions.  Not from lack of ambition, but from lack of follow through.  I always take the time to put together a set of goals for the new year or any part of the year for that matter. Once the excitement subsides and it becomes nothing but honest intention and hard work, sometimes I stray from the path.  Ultimately I end up batting about .500 - probably better than most people but not the standard Id like to set.  

Again, I have a detailed 2010 Personal Success Plan for persistent growth and accomplishment.  However in an effort to get better results this year, I’ve decided to give myself intermittent 30-day focus challenges that coincide with those goals. 

It’s kind of like a 30 day free trial just without the trial part.   I’ve carefully chosen actions that I know will bring huge benefit this year if I take the time to form them into habits.  I’ve made a non-negotiable agreement with myself to stick with each for 30-40 days until they are ingrained in my daily routine.  

My initial challenge for the New Year is to become and Early Riser – to join the 5:00ish club.  So for the first 30 days of the New Year (rain or shine, weekday or weekend), I will set my alarm for 5:15am, allowing myself 15 minutes to shower and be ready to start my day by 5:30.  At 5:30 I will begin my Smart Start Morning ritual (more to come on that later) which will help put me in the right frame of mind for a successful day.  An added benefit is that I might be able to end my day a little bit earlier too (appointments notwithstanding).  I’ve done this previously but left out the non-negotiable concept and wouldn’t you know it, the snooze button got easier and easier to push over time.   

This challenge also comes with bonus challenges.   The first thing that I will do each morning is to read a chapter from The Purpose Driven Life.   I’ve read the book a handful of times before but it’s been a few years.  There are 40 chapters in the book and since these two challenges essentially go hand in hand, perhaps this first challenge of the New Year will be a 40 day challenge.   If I haven’t ingrained the habit after 40 days then it’s going to be a long year ;)

Stay tuned . . .

The Power of a Decade

It’s amazing how much things can change over the course of one year, much less 10 years.  I’ll have to admit , until recently, when I started to see the various countdowns of the decade on TV stations, I hadn’t given much thought to the fact that 2009 was indeed the end of the decade. 

Over this past week Kristin has spent some time chronologically sorting boxes of pictures that have been neglected for a while.   From time to time, she will call me in and ask, “when was this?”   And we will sit there and try to hash it out, basing our rationale on hair-dos or Christmas presents in the pictures etc . . . It’s a real inexact science, but the truth is that some years are just more memorable than others.   That got me to thinking about how my life really did change over the past 10 years.  When you think about the fact that 10 years is a full third of my life to present, it is pretty profound.  I woke up on New Year’s Day 2000 half way through my Sophomore year at the University of Texas.   

Just to give some context of the impact of a decade, can you even remember what was “normal” pre-9/11?  In the year 2000, American Idol was still two years away from debuting.   The New England Patriots were coming off of a 5-11 season having finished 4^th or worse in their own division 3 years in a row.  The Dow Jones closed at 11,497 on 12/31/09 (more than 1000 pts higher than it would 10 years later).  Tim Tebow was in his 3^rd year at Flori . . . ., I mean in Middle School (seems like he’s been at Florida that long).  Google was fresh off of Beta Testing.  Mack Brown was just the guy who followed John Mackovic and National Championships weren’t even a figment of the imagination.  When you reflect on that, you realize just how much can over that period of time.

I’ve been extremely blessed over the past decade, having had the chance to play in the 2000 College World Series and win the National Championship in 2002.  I graduated college in 2003 and was given the chance to chase my dream of playing professional baseball the following spring with the Houston Astros.   The Horns won the National Championship in January of 2006, the same year that I started a new career.  I purchased my first home in 2008 and was engaged a few months later.  I married the love of my life this past year – and only after only a decade’s worth of dating.   Those are just some of the highlights but an amazing 10 years it has been.  

Maybe I’m just getting older but for some reason I woke up this morning with a new appreciation for what the New Year brings.  Not because I’m looking to bury this past year.  In fact, quite the opposite, it was a fabulous year of personal and professional growth.   Its just that I have a peaceful feeling that 2010 is going to be the best year ever and I cannot wait to attack it with passion. 

Back to School

I spent the better part of last week in class with 40 other central Texas Realtors, taking the first step toward earning my GRI designation.  You may have seen those funny little 3 or 4 letter acronyms on Realtor's business cards or email signature blocks and wondered to yourself what the hell they were.  

Well, GRI stands for Graduate Realtor Institute.  I equate it to graduate school for Realtors.  Its a step toward gaining extra expertise and knowledge to further help me guide and consult with buyers and sellers.  It is geared mainly toward agents who have been in the business for 3 years or more.  There are many other designations that professional Realtors pursue over time (hence the acronyms) but the GRI is where most start the extra education process.  

To achieve the GRI designation, a Realtor must attend and complete 3 separate 30-hour courses.  Yep, that makes for a long 4 days. However, in my opinion, you cannot go wrong with investing in continuing education, especially if you plan on sustaining success in any given career path. 

Given the time of the year and the typical slow down of business right before the big Holiday, I figured it would be a good time to get the first class under my belt.   What I didn't know was that I was going to gain 3-4 pounds in the process.  Each day, there are 2 breaks (morning and afternoon) and a lunch break.   These breaks are all "sponsored" by local businesses who want to partner with Realtors.  And, they all bring their little goodies - I'm talking cookies and ice cream and brownies - you name it.   Those things are hard to resist, especially when you are trying to stay awake and need a little sugar fix.  

I was joking to Kristin that an unintended benefit of attending this course was that I remembered how extremely thankful I am that I have chosen a career that provides me with freedom.  This past week I felt like I was stuck in corporate America.  I had to sit at a desk and follow instructions for 8.5 hours a day.  I couldn't use my cell phone, I got a short break in the morning, an hour and lunch, a short break in the afternoon, all the sweets I could handle in the "break room," it was dark when I left and I had to fight rush hour traffic.  

All in all though, I really enjoyed the course and I look forward to attending the next one.  Id really like to get all of the course work knocked out in the coming year.