The Stuff Legends Are Made Of!

From the KW blog:

What are the makings of a legend?

Is it vision, strategy or innovation? Is it charisma, ambition or will? And do you become a legend on purpose? Or is it an organic occurrence?

History tells us it’s all of those things. A person becomes legendary because they are remarkable over and over again. They achieve great things despite odds and become synonymous with a certain level of innovation and ambition.

Similarly, a company becomes legendary when the people who choose to be in business with them believe in the vision and achieve their own dreams through that shared belief. They share in setbacks, successes, innovations and decisions and collectively move forward because of that collaboration.

There are of course, various moments in history that illustrate this point.

A lesson in legend lore

In the book Great by Choice author Jim Collins outlines two explorers who sought to be the first in history to reach the South Pole. If you’ve read the book or heard the story, you know that one explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to get there by researching Eskimos, bringing along the right amount of time-test equipment and by taking his team 20 miles forward every day no matter the conditions. Robert Falcon Scott, on the other hand made the trek in quantum leaps on days when conditions were favorable, relied on untested equipment and “ran everything dangerously close to calculation.”

You can probably guess who made it to the South Pole first with all his men: Amundsen. Scott made it to only to find that he had been beat. He was found eight months later, frozen, just ten miles from their depot.

The moral of the story: Different behaviors cause drastically different outcomes.

Winning Behavior

We’re a resilient and competitive industry and we thrive because of it. We experience successions of successes and a slew of setbacks and there are those that are achieving great things despite odds and gaining positive momentum in a market full of obstacles. They behave like winners.

Every year, we find out who those winners are through industry-wide rankings such as the recently released REALTrends 500 Report. The findings are confirmation that our business practices are getting result and rank us accordingly. And well, let’s face it, we like to win.

We also start to see the same people show up on the list. Can we call them legends? Maybe not yet. But they are certainly on their way to earning that acclaim.

It’s exciting to see who comes out on top, who doesn’t and where we all stand. Keller Williams Realty was thrilled to see our brokerages sweep 11 categories which Inman News detailed in a recent article on their Website.

From Inman News:

“When considering productivity per office, however, Keller Williams brokerages took the lead. Of the top 50 firms with the most transaction sides per office, Keller Williams accounted for 28 and Re/Max brokerages accounted for 15. In terms of sales volume per office, Keller Williams accounted for 27 of the top 50 firms while Re/Max accounted for 12.

This year, Real Trends also ranked the top 50 firms with the largest increases in closed transaction sides and sales volume. Keller Williams dominated the top 50 firms ranked by increase in number of transaction sides from 2010 to 2011, accounting for 19 of the 50. Re/Max accounted for seven, while firms affiliated with Prudential accounted for five.

Keller Williams also made up more than two-thirds, 34, of the top 50 firms with the highest percentage increase in transaction sides from 2010 to 2011. Re/Max accounted for eight.

Keller Williams accounted for 20 of the 50 firms with the highest dollar increase in sales volume in 2011, followed distantly by those affiliated with Prudential and Sotheby’s International Realty, which each accounted for four.

Keller Williams also accounted for 28 of the 50 firms with the highest percentage increase in sales volume, followed by Re/Max at seven.

Also new this year, Real Trends ranked the top 50 firms with the largest increases in transaction sides and sales volume from 2007 to 2011. By transaction count, Keller Williams accounted for 16 of the top 50 firms in that time period, while Re/Max and Prudential each accounted for seven. By percentage rise in transaction sides, Keller Williams accounted for 31 of the top 50 firms, followed by Prudential and Re/Max at four each.

By rise in sales volume dollar count during that five-year period, Keller Williams made up just over half the list of top 50 firms at 26. Re/Max accounted for four. By percentage rise in sales volume, Keller Williams also dominated, accounting for 31 of 50 firms, followed by Re/Max at four.
Keller Williams’ lead in sales volume is partially, but not completely, due to high average sales prices in the areas in which it does business. Of the top 50 firms with the highest average sales price in 2011, Keller Williams accounted for 11, while luxury franchisor Sotheby’s International Realty accounted for 15. Re/Max accounted for four. The bulk of the rest was made up of independent, nonfranchised firms.”

Our congratulations to everyone who made the list. We are especially proud of our Keller Williams associates who continue to outpace the competition, earn more business and secure a better future for their families.

Read the original blog post at http://blog.kw.com/2012/05/21/the-stuff-legends-are-made-of/

Record Lows

 

by Michael Caputo, Starkey Mortgage
mcaputo@starkeymtg.com | 912-658-2366

The short version: interest rates set record lows this week. The ability to offer 30 yr fixed rates at 3.50% is not something we have seen before, ever.

The long version:

The turmoil in Europe has been positive for US mortgage rates for two main reasons. First, economic growth in the region has slowed, which reduces future inflationary pressures. In addition, investors have responded to the uncertainty by shifting to relatively safer assets, including US mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The economy of Greece is very small, but the increasing possibility that Greece will exit the EU calls into question the stability and the benefits of the monetary union, causing a wide range of problems outside of Greece. Bond yields in other troubled European countries have risen, creating a further drag on economic growth. People are beginning to withdraw their money from banks in these countries, increasing the risk of bank failures. Europe's issues will not be resolved quickly and will continue to influence US markets for quite a while.

Focus on the rate that is now available as opposed to rushing the buyer to act before it goes up. Few thought we would see these levels and there is no way to be sure how long it will last. Build your buyer’s confidence about the ability to secure the lowest rate ever offered while sales prices remain low. Low rate + low price = affordability.

The NFIP authority to issue new and renewal policies, as well as increasing coverage on existing policies is currently set to expire at midnight on May 31, 2012. This nonsense happened a few times in 2010 and we can only hope that everyone in DC figures out that this needs to be extended again. If you have a closing with flood insurance after June 1, be advised that this issue is on the horizon.

Cubist Home - 307 W. Duffy Street

Don’t’ judge a book by its cover.  A phrase tossed around quite a bit in real estate, usually referring to the unflattering aspects of a home.  “Pay no mind to the giant, built-in 70’s microwave.  I hear they’re coming back in style!”  Though overused – and perhaps improperly – there are times when the old saying is appropriate and absolutely necessary.  Like when a home says one thing on the outside, but then sings a whole new tune when you walk through the front door.

And that is the case with this listing.  From the curb you see a beautifully restored, Victorian, two story home that is typical to DowntownSavannah. In fact, this home is nationally recognized for its historic restoration.  With a two-floor bay window and front porch the house immediately charms you with its Southern swagger.  But once you walk you through the front door all semblance of Victorian grace vanishes, giving way to Modern curves, unexpected layouts, and large open areas filled with light and whimsy.  You can’t help but feel the “gotcha” factor this home has when you walk in.  The surprises, however, don’t end at the front door.

Abstracted, pulled, and molded, the interior of this house has been completely altered.  From the floor boards to the walls, from the kitchen to the staircase, every nook has been artfully designed and every material thoughtfully considered.  The doorways are irregular in shape.  The hand rails undulate up the staircase.  The built-in sofa hugs the curved walls of the living space.  The rooms transition from one into another like forms in a cubist painting, both opening up and overlapping.  And the final painterly touch comes in the form of a sky light at the top of the stairs that fills the home with a natural glow. 
This Modern interior succeeds where most don’t in the warmth that it exudes.  It is perfect for a single family who appreciates historical correctness and modern interpretations.  And the location couldn’t be better.  You have great downtown shopping within walking distance, and Forsyth Park is just a stone’s throw away.

For more details on this home visit: http://www.realestateinsavannah.net/307-West-Duffy-Street-a249870.html