Eastern New Mexico is slowly turning a deeper shade of GREEN

Green is slowly marching Eastward over our state. Green building practices have been boasted about for years in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces. But in the East, where dairy cattle outnumber prairie dog lovers and talk of “Green” practices still brings to mind hippies, Californians, and tree huggers, consumers and builders are finally seeing the value in researching and implementing green building practices.

It isn’t just about smearing mud on the walls and saving trees any longer – those may be great ideas but today’s Green standards are based on energy conservation. The practical people of Eastern New Mexico realize this means money – more in their pockets and less spent on heating and a/c. It’s smarter building which starts in the design phase and carries through the materials, standards and waste a project produces.
I was doing some research for a client and found that we have no “Green” builders based in Eastern New Mexico. No members of Build Green New Mexico and no builders knowledgeable about the steps to take to certify their homes for energy sustainability.

A quick way to put more money in builder’s pockets would be for them to take advantage of the tax credits available to them. New Mexico offers sizeable tax credits to builders and consumers that should not be ignored. If a home achieves a Build Green New Mexico or LEEDS certification at the lowest level (There are three levels Gold/ Silver and Platinum- Emerald) The builder can get a $5.00 per sq ft tax credit from New Mexico. For example a 2000 sq ft house would get a $10,000.00 tax credit. That is in addition the federal government’s offer of another $2000 tax credit for using sustainable energy practices. If the house achieved a platinum rating, that credit could go as high as $9.00 a sq ft. and that adds up to some nice pocket change.

I don’t know enough about GREEN certifications, practices, or credits, I admit, so my first step will be to take more courses so that I know what I am talking about. A quick resource to turn to would be New Mexico’s Energy Conservation and Management Division website. They have a nice little chart with links of where to go for more information. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/ecmd/cleanenergytaxincentives/sustainablebuildingtaxcredit.htm
I do have a listing on Northglen http://fly3.505home.com/ that is probably the most energy efficient, large home on the market in Clovis. The builder is now pursuing a HERS rating to verify the air-tightness of the house. Adkin’s Construction uses a special insulation, Heat Lok 217-4, that is a polyurethane foam which has one of the highest R Ratings available. It foams up and fills every crack and gap between the studs in the walls and adds extra rigidity to the structure as well. They blow in extra insulation over the heated areas of the house so that it looks like a snowstorm hit the attic. I peeked up there and it must have been two feet thick.

When I mentioned that I was going to go after my GREEN certification I got some funny looks from some of the older agents in our office. I think they are afraid that I’ll start trapping prairie dogs humanely and telling dairymen that they should let their cows out on green pastures so they can enjoy the rest of their lives. But GREEN building practices simply make life a little better for my buyers and I’m all about that.

On the Hunt

When I was little, my father liked to collect Ocean liner and Railroad memorabilia. Every vacation, every road trip was a treasure hunt where we would stop at junk stores and flea markets, used bookstores and garage sales… anywhere there might possibly be a cup or saucer or butter pat a relative might have smuggled home from a trip long ago.

He knew just what he was looking for and while I would get sidetracked by my own little collections – at one time it was little toy cannons, then old fashioned hats, snoopy comic books, metal signs and old jewelry – Dad knew just where to find what he was looking for. He could walk straight through a store, pick up a stack of china, look at the back and know this was a rare find.

I realized last week, while hunting for a home for a member of the armed forces, stationed at Cannon AFB, that I view real estate the same way dad did his collectables. I know that the house for this girl is out there. I know she will love it when she finds it. She won’t have to settle. We might do a little haggling (Dad always did). We won’t let the seller know how dear this home is to us. That’s part of the game.

It doesn’t have to be my house. Dad didn’t always keep his finds, he sold them to finance his next mission of discovery and I now have the perfect job…. Paid Shopper, for some very big ticket items.

If I could collect houses, I would. I love the old ones and the new ones, the big ones, ugly ones and even the filthy, cat pee ones. I can envision how it will look after the new carpet is in, the Formica is gone and the hardwood is revealed. I got rid of the old hats and cannons but now I have my houses.

Every time I pull up the MLS I check for new listings, I would do it even if I didn’t have any buyers at the moment. The Clovis MLS is my personal flea market and I like to know what’s out there. I’m a treasure hunter and hopefully you are enjoying the hunt as well.

Quicksand - Dont let it paralyze you.

I don't know about you, but when work starts piling end up I tend to retreat into my happy place . Ok, it's not so happy. I turn grumpy and tired and start pointing out everyone else's flaws rather than dealing with my own.
Nothing significant gets done. Only the bare minimum of maintenance makes life bearable and prevents EPA action. Inboxes become fuller, things stagnate and growth and improvement simply does not happen.
The only way to float out of the mess I create is to pick one spot, whether it is on my desk or in my mind and force myself to focus. To accomplish ONE thing. Whether it is filing that stack of papers or taking 1 online class....deleting mail from my inbox or grabbing a washcloth and cleaning a particular dusty window sill.
Once that one thing is accomplished the light breaks through the clouds and I focus on the next ONE task and soon my office is running efficiently, my desk is clean, my transactions are organized. It is almost miraculous. If I spend the day planning how to dig myself out - more dirt gets piled on and if I'm not careful I go do something deadly like take a nap or read a book. But when I grab my spoon and start shoveling... I'm closer to the place I want to be.

Top 15 reasons I love Summer in Clovis.

The 97 degree day we had today made me think of Summer and I thought I would make a list of the things I enjoy most about Summertime in Eastern New Mexico.

15 Things I love about Clovis in the Summertime:

1. Even if the daytime temp reaches 100 degrees, every evening it will be back in the low 70’s just in time to sit on the porch and sip some iced tea.
2. Kids can play outside for hours and you don’t have to wonder where they are or who they’re with.
3. Eating shaved ice from a vendor that lets you put as much syrup on it as you want.
4. Growing my own garden and watching the sunflowers get tall. Tall enough to enter in the Curry County Fair in August and win a blue ribbon.
5. The sound of softball games in the park.
6. Sonic stays open till midnight or later.
7. Every week a different church holds a vacation Bible school. And they coordinate with each other.
8. Parents take time to sit with kids who are getting free lunches at the park.
9. Dry heat and no humidity.
10. People get out in the evenings and take walks with their families.
11. Watching fireworks over Green Acres lake from the back of a pickup.
12. The smell of fresh cut lawns. (I know that’s everywhere but I had to include it)
13. Taking day trips to Carlsbad Caverns, or Lubbock, or Amarillo, or Palo Duro Canyon, or Albuquerque or Santa Fe or Ruidoso.
14. Going Camping next to a Creek in Tres Ritos and going trail riding in Duran Canyon. Since we don’t have any creeks in Clovis – it’s a big thing.
15. Driving away from the city lights, sticking your head out the sunroof and looking at a million stars.

Bouncing in The Clovis Bubble

Well, while the rest of the world sits and waits for housing to recover, for the swine to recover, for the banks to recover.... Clovis, New Mexico is bouncing along like several other small pockets of life in this big world.

We are in a unique situation because of growth at Cannon AFB and in several surrounding industries. We actually have help wanted signs around town, people are moving in, buying their first homes, fixing up existing homes, and business is booming. We are down to 275 homes on the market in Clovis -down from over 400 a year ago -in a town of 45,000 people, and we have more people being transferred in daily.

If you like to build houses, if you are a skilled subcontractor, please come to Clovis. We need you! Give me a call 575-799-9500. I'd love to put you to work. But please don't call if you just like to develop postage stamp sized lots with identical tract houses. We have a serious need for affordable housing ($150,000 - $200,000) but there must be some way to build decent homes with decent yards in communities with something other than lots in a rectangular grid.

It has been reported to us by the government that we need 2000 new housing units to be built in the next two years, to accommodate those that are being transferred to Cannon and their families.

We need to revamp our land use plans, we have a great opportunity to build a city and I hope we don't waste it for what is most cost efficient.

I would like to see green spaces, jogging trails, playgrounds, and amenities like you see in other areas of the country. People moving to Clovis are expecting more and hopefully we will deliver.

While I am writing my wish list maybe New Mexico could give home builders a break with the gross receipts tax they charge. Paying sales tax on a home like you would a box of chocolates is not helping things.

Katharine

The Shiny Things

Have you ever been struck blind by the shiny things? Those are the things that catch your eye and inspire emotions and plans and divert you from your original purposes and goals. This isn't always a bad thing. Changes are good. You just need to be aware if it is a trap that you or your buyers fall into on a regular basis.
I was previewing a home recently for a long time customer who was moving back to Clovis after living in Dallas for a few years. I'm sure this hometown girl is a little jaded by the things the big city offers in housing but I still get enamored of the little things that make houses special around Clovis.
So anyway, Here was our conversation:
Lori: So did you go see the house on Kearny?
Katharine: Yes, It was beautiful! It has beautiful granite countertops!
(Then the truth comes out)
Lori: So does it have a big island like I like?
Katharine: Ummmm....it has granite countertops!
Lori: What about the slideout drawers, does it have the drawers like I like?
Katharine: Well, it has really pretty granite countertops.
Lori: does it have a walk in pantry?
Katharine: It even has granite countertops and a sink in the laundry room.
Lori: Does it have double sinks in the hall bath?
Katharine: Not sure, but it has granite in the hall bath too.
Lori: (Laughs) So what was the granite like?
Katharine: It was beautiful... tan with dark brown veins and some little purple flecks. It was lovely.
I was stuck by the shiny things. This isn't a new thing. This is the reason that we stage a house with Shiny things like a fancy place setting, a floral arrangement, a nice rug or fluffy white towels. To give buyers something new and pretty to look at to give them a feeling of value. Not to deceive but to enhance and ,yes, distract from some of the more mundane, maybe not so pretty things about a house.
Shiny Object Syndrome is a real problem that many agents deal with. It causes us to have to lose focus and chase after the new, the shiny, the fast computer, the cool cell phone, the best flyer template, we spend our time searching for new and better instead of getting it done with what we have. New is great, just don't get distracted and believe that one new shiny object will cure all of the clutter on your desk, make your closing happen faster, keep track of your clients and write thank you notes too.
We aren't squirrels. I was suprised that after all of the thousands of houses that I have seen and hundreds that I have sold that something silly like pretty counters could distract me but I guess I'm mortal after all.
I had to go back to the house on Kearny and call her back and go on and on about the slide out drawers, walk in pantry and decently large island, that, and to run my hand over the hard, cold, solid granite with the little purple flecks.

Promote yourself by doing your job. - Stop the vicious cycle.

As REALTORS(r) we constantly worry about how to get our name out into the public, if we are advertising enough, not enough, spending too much money or not enough.

I know that my business plan is cyclical in nature.
I get a big closing.... advertise a lot.... dont get many calls from print advertising.... get disgusted.... start just getting out there... talking to people....making contacts....answering calls....doing research...showing houses....listing houses....writing offers...making sure it all happens....closing deals...getting paid....advertise a bunch...get disgusted. And round and round it goes.

I am determined in this year not to advertise myself. I will still use print advertising because our buyers and sellers in our small town watch the monthly homes magazines to see what is on the market. I will reserve the Sunday paper only for Open House ads, which work for us, and advertise all of my listings on my website, our office website as well as making an ePropertySite for each listing. These get farmed out to various online real estate search sites like Trulia, Zillow, and Front Door. The majority of our incoming buyers come from the web or referrals from past clients.

The funniest thing that I have noticed is the more I focus on promoting myself the less customers I get. The more I focus on doing my job well, the more I get done, the better my customers are served and the more customers I have. I think that REALTORS are the only ones that judge other REALTORS by how much they advertise themselves. I see faces splashed all over the billboards and on skins on cars but being behind the scenes I see that those agents aren't doing the most business. Its the ones that are being helpful, going out of their way for people even if they don't have a guarantee of a big commission that are winning the customers for life. and that is the best promotion you can have.

For example. Take our Broker, Carolyn Spence, It was a floor call of a couple asking about Rentals. Instead of just reading them the rental list and hanging up she realized that this couple relocating because of the Air Force may not like our availiable rentals compared to where they were coming from in San Antonio and decided to actually take time with them to discuss area rentals and the benefits of home ownersip in our growing town.

They took a day and went to the lender to see what they would qualify for, they went and saw numerous houses, she took them out to lunch, they were tickled that they were new in town and had already found a friend. They were still undecided about whether to rent or buy but they knew that they had a REALTOR to trust in any event. They ended up deciding to buy and Carolyn made an offer on a house that was much less than they were approved for but much nicer that the available rentals in that same monthly payment range. They were happy not to be pressured into a bigger more expensive house and Carolyn was happy that they found something they would be comfortable in for the next few years.

Then the Clovis News Journal calls - They are doing a story on transferees opting to buy instead of rent and Carolyn shares the story. I open up the Sunday Paper and see, above the fold, this article. http://www.cnjonline.com/news/air_32857___article.html/force_home.html and Carolyn was just doing her job serving the customer - not performing with $$ in mind.

It reminds me of a bible verse. "He who seeks to save his life shall lose if but he who loses his life for my sake shall save it." Luke 17:33

I know the verse is talking about eternal life but another meaning to me is that sometimes you don't always gain the thing that you are seeking by pursuing it. Sometimes you have to walk the higher road and do the right thing for your customers and then promotion comes just because you did the right thing.

And if the only way some agents can get their face out there is to pay for it to be there, I hope it works for them. I'll just keep plugging away.

Playing with the big frogs

Clovis, New Mexico is a little pond.

I know we are short of water out here on the high plains but as far as ponds go I call Clovis a little one.

We have 42,000 people in our town and we have 125 real estate agents. We actually have 19 brokerages in our MLS that serves Clovis and Portales, NM but only 9 of those companies have more than 3 people in them. So anyway, a little pond.

After living here for 14 years and being a REALTOR here for 6 years the first thing you realize is that there are a few big frogs in our pond. It is easy to be intimidated and figure that the foothold those big time realtors have is something that can never be overcome.

They have a broad customer base in the pond and have many loyal customers on that lilypad that use them time and again.

It seems that business comes to them. Their office is the coffee shop and they seem to succeed by just being. But on our journey to becoming a big frog there are lessons to be learned. I think the big frogs in our pond are going to be suprised at how quickly we grow.

As agents we have to change with our buyers. There are always going to be buyers in our pond that use the same agents their friends and family have used for twenty years but those hometown buyers are not in the majority any longer.

Many of our buyers today are linked to Cannon AFB and are being transferred here from some major-big ponds. You might even call them lakes. Not all of them are happy about the move but they are making the best of it and settling into pond life nicely.

These families are doing research on the town before they move here. They are looking up housing, shopping, things to do in New Mexico, and restaurants before they even get here. All agents are the same size to them. They don't know reputation or quality. They only know what they see or hear from friends and the agent that wins over these customers in the agent who always answers their email, calls people back, and goes out of their way to be helpful and answer the questions that buyers have -even before they ask.

Its not enough to be a big frog anymore. The little frogs that can text, twitter, and get their listings out on the web through office websites, trulia, front door, zillow, yahoo, google earth, msn... and all of those other online resources for real estate information...are going to be the frogs that get new loyal customers that make our pond grow.

New businesses and industries coming to our town are not going to have patience to deal with big frogs with big attitudes. Committees and name dropping have no meaning to them. They are going to expect more because they come from bigger ponds and what we think are big frogs are really, pretty small in their eyes.

The moral of the story?Im going to not be intimidated by the big frogs surrounding me in my own little pond. I am going to go ahead and make a statement that can be seen around the world and bring the world to my pond. Raise the bar of expectations for your associates, dont let being new (or old) be an excuse.... Raise the bar and remember little frogs can jump high too.

The 24 Hour House

It has been a wild week.
Ive written 7 offers, had an unhappy customer for one of the first times in my 6 year career, been in 2 multiple offer situations (which caused the unhappy customer who didnt want competition) accepted two counters and almost sold a house in 24 hours.

The couple were a referral from an agent in Alaska who saw my active rain profile. They were planning on renting but came to Clovis and were unhappy with the wait for base housing and the lack of decent rentals in the area.

They gave me a call and we met at the office and looked over the 50 homes in their price range. A quick call to one of my favorite lenders showed that the payment they were thinking of making would allow them to buy something under $150,000 with today's rates. We eliminated about 3/4 of the homes in Clovis just by their pictures and left the office with about 10 we wanted to see. In the office I found out that cabinets were a big thing for the wife and they both liked clean, neat homes that weren't going to require alot of care or fix-up. Paint was fine but the husband was going to be deployed now and then and didn't want to leave his family with any huge remodel projects.

We started in the Northeast part of town in the newer subdivisions and they really liked the first home they saw. The next home needed some work, then we went into the older neighborhoods and looked at a really nice clean home on cactus that was almost too perfect (could they maintain the beautiful landscaping) and a less expensive home that had a small kitchen.

We looked at a nice home on Morse that unfortunately felt "dark" and left us remembering the pretty open floorplan we first looked at. Then we saw one more with a purple kitchen, red living room and cave like atmosphere that felt like Vegas but underground. It even smelled damp and cool.

So then we met the lender, clarified some things, and went to write the offer on that first home we saw. The seller countered quickly the next morning and they wanted to counter, counter , but something made me take a breath and wonder if this was just too fast.

There were a couple of ups and downs in the day but rarely do you decide to buy a house, find out you sold your house in Alaska, find a house, get approved, write an offer get countered and counter, counter all in 24 hours.

I didn't say anything but I didn't rush into the office to write it either. A couple of hours passed and the couple called and decided instead of counter countering they wanted to take a breath and make sure this was really what they wanted to do.

And I am glad....

Real estate professionals have this reputation for being high pressure sales people, focused on the commission instead of just simple people who love people, love houses and really enjoy helping people make the best decisions that change their lives. I never want to be that agent who pushed someone into a house they didn't really want or shouldn't afford. I want my customers to thank me a year from now instead of wish they had never met me because then they wouldn't be in this fix.

The week continues as I will find out if my other customers win the bid on the fixer upper in a nice area in town.... I find out how the inspection went on the cash sale of one of my listings (inspection is the only contingency).... I accept the counter for the home the sellers of my listing want to buy once it is in writing.....I line up leases to look at for a new contractor's satellite office who is coming into town...and I wish my active rain referral customers well - whatever they decide to do this weekend. The moral of the story is listen to that still small voice inside you, do what you know is right and remember that "sometimes your very best deals are the ones you miss". - Thanks to Brett for that quote.

Hope you have a great week.

Buying Trends in Clovis

After reading the top 6 fads that are "out" according to consumer surveys at the international home builders show in Las Vegas http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/?p=273 I thought I would give some insight on what buyers want in their newest Clovis Home.

1. Color - Nothing crazy but white walls are "out" in Clovis. Most builders are going with an eggshell sheen tan for the entire house. Flat finishes were in for a while but homeowners have found them hard to keep clean. Home sellers are painting neutral earthtones and adding splashes of color with curtains and furnishings.
2. Green Building - Eco-friendly building practices win applause from local home buyers. Energy saving features such as SIPS construction, alternative heating/cooling and less wasted space make home buyers happy. Renewable resources like bamboo flooring, glass countertops, and reclaimed materials add interest and unique features that home buyers love.
3. Fireplaces - For a while builders thought electric fireplaces were the thing and you can find them in a lot of Clovis homes built since 2000 but I have rarely found an electric fireplace that warmed home buyers hearts. Builders in Clovis need to remember to Keep it Real. A wood burning fireplace will never go out of style no matter what the Realtor magazine says.
4. Natural Materials - Keeping it real extends to the rest of the finish work in the house. Real engineered hardwood flooring is very popular and Pergo type laminate while inexpensive and better than carpet - I think will fade away. Other natural materials like granite, stone, and old Chicago brick seem to endure.
5. Less is More - Because most of our home buyers are on a budget a really great 1600 sq ft floorplan will always sell fast. The days of the 2900 sq ft homes with formal spaces are becoming less popular and buyers instead are choosing homes with more actual living areas, larger kitchens and open floorplans - but not too open. Parents still want to get away from the kids at times. 20 ft ceilings are also being thought twice about because of the high energy costs associated with heating all that air up there.
6. Bigger bedrooms - The most common complaint I hear about newer homes is that they have tiny bedrooms. Generous bedrooms and a wise use of space while still giving enough storage space creates the best mix buyers are looking for.
7. Versatility -Buyers don't like nooks in their living rooms. They want big open walls that offer choices about where to put the furniture. The dont want to have to put the tv in a certain spot so the little built in boxes are out.
8. Extras - My buyers still love the extras and can tell when builders or remodelers took the cheap way out. Think about adding some nice touches such as under cabinet lighting, nicer bathroom fixtures, and touches here and there that say you went to some expense to make this house a home.
Clovis is different than other small towns. It is growing rapidly because of our Air Force base and we see a different buyer than most New Mexico cities. Our buyers have come from more metropolitan areas and expect more than just the same way things have always been done. They are ready for local builders to bring the world to them.

Just got done reading a great Hubpage by a contractor here at Cannon AFB. http://hubpages.com/hub/Theres-Nothing-To-Do-In-This-Town From the posts that I got on my youtube video showing some new things around town in Clovis I know that there are lots of guys unhappy about being stationed here and unhappy about the lack of things to do around town. Thanks for an upbeat post saying that a place is what you make it.

There are good things happening in Clovis right now. Contractors are coming to town and things are changing. There is a great opportunity for people who want to start restauraunts, and hangouts in general for our incoming Military. I for one am so thankful that these men and women came and are calling Clovis and Portales home for the next few years. Everyone I have met has been wonderful and even when they joke about the cows, the smell, and the lack of bars, they have for the most part been positive , upbeat and as excited for our future as we have.

Here is to the future of Clovis. God Bless us Everyone.

Be a Good Bridesmaid

The Perfect Bridesmaid
After watching the movie "27 Dresses" again tonight I realized one of the reasons that I love being a real estate agent. We make the perfect bridesmaid.
When I was little I used to plan the dream wedding. I would buy Brides magazines, dream about the dress I would buy, plan the menu, design the cake, promise myself never to put my bridesmaids into a dress they couldn't wear at least twice. My husband would be amazing, I would be beautiful and we would live happily ever after.
I grew up a little, was struck by love at first sight, planned another perfect wedding, designed ugly flowered 1990's dresses, picked colors, music and caterers then ran off and eloped because I couldn't live without him another minute. I chose the marriage over the wedding and have never regretted it. Alas, I was 19 and a half and my need to pull off the perfect wedding was never fulfilled.
SO now I am 36 and instead of planning weddings, I plan happy endings. I love the thrill of the hunt for the perfect house, I love dressing up the bachelor listing to make it appealing to some couple waiting to fall in love at first sight. I love the pressure of coordinating inspections, title work, repairs, and lenders all the while making sure the couple (the buyers and the house) are still in love by the time the wedding (closing) happens. And if by some chance the couple realized they aren't quite suited... I find them a new boyfriend or girlfriend who's even better.
I'm sure I'm not the only Realtor out there who enjoys being the perfect bridesmaid, who enjoys being the hero who pulls off another perfect wedding day after day. Here is to the hero in all of us.
Katharine