The Country Life in Southeast Oklahoma

Write Your Own Definition ~ Perfection

Write Your Own Definition ~ Perfection

 

What is perfection? When someone does something that suits me to a "T", I have a habit of saying "Perfect!"  Meaning it couldn't be any better..

 

But just like "One's man's trash is another man's treasure" implying that treasure is defined by the person that has a use for something.. perfect is defined by being perfect for you. 

 

My perfect is not your perfect.  Isn't that wonderful?  Otherwise we would all want to be married to the same person, drive the same car, wear the same clothes, and live in the same house with the same decor.  We would all want to have the same job in the same company, in the same location.  Talk about Twinkies!!! 

 

Perfection for You!  House perfection for your buyer clients...  sometimes even they do not really know what it is.  Sometimes they end up buying something totally different than they described to you and then love living in it.  It was perfect for them. 

 

Perfection makes you happy, the perfect house makes your clients happy.  The perfect house addresses their needs and desires, makes them smile on the inside, and sometimes on the outside, when they get it.  Perfection can have many facets.  A perfect house in every way except price is not perfect.  Price is one of their needs too. 

 

Have you ever tried to define perfect for different parts of your life?  Defining perfect can help you reach higher and better goals because your mind starts working on how to get that "perfect"... 

 

One quick thing I can define perfect for and I think you'll all agree.. The Perfect Real Estate Blogging Platform and Real Estate Networking Community.. of course.. it's Active Rain! 


Image courtesy of Jilles, through a creative commons license on Flickr.  Thank you Jilles for allowing it to be re-used.  

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

Bad Doesn't Alway Have to End Bad ~ The story of Blue Jeans & Bleach ~

Two things greatly affect the end result when bad comes strolling along ~ The story of Blue Jeans and Bleach.

 

I never knew anyone that had a perfect,perfectly happy life with only good things in it.  Remember that even the rose garden has thorns in it.. 

 

Bad things happen.  Some minor, some major to all of us.

 

I had one of those minor things come strolling through my day today and knowing what I know about the items involved in my story, I would have bet good hard-earned money that it was not going to turn out the way it did.   There were two things that caused the outcome to be what it was though, even against all odds.  I realized when it was over that those two things can apply to any bad occurrence. 

 

Today, I was bleaching some tea pitchers in the kitchen.  I was using 100% sodium hypochlorite ~ Chlorine Bleach ~  not diluted with any water because I was going to pour it into the dishwasher after bleaching the tea pitchers.  Somehow I bumped the glass that the bleach was in and it went tumbling down right onto my jeans. 

 

Now these are my favorite jeans and have only been worn twice. 

 

I looked down at that wet jean leg,wet with pure bleach....  and ran outside to the water faucet on the patio and started soaking it down with the water hose.  When I finished, NO BLEACH OUT, no discloration, no white.. ..  You could not tell where the bleach had wet the jeans. 

 

So, Judi, how could that possibly happen and what does this have to do with two things that help us weather the bad? 

 

The first thing is preparation for the possible bad things that can come along.  The way that we live our lives can help us prepare for, and deal with the bad or unexpected.   Insurance, Savings Accounts, etc can help us prepare for bad financial happenings.  Taking care of our body can help us heal better if something happens physically.  Our spiritual and emotional health can help us deal with the people losses that come our way. 

 

You see, I had unknowingly prepared those jeans with a barrier protection against that bleach.  In a way, I had put some insurance in place...  I'm a heavy starch kind of Southern Gal.   My jeans are STARCHED with a crisp crease down the front.   I also use a commercial presser on them.. that starch gets "sealed in nicely!  They can stand up alone after pressing...  this pair today was no exception.

 

The second thing is reaction when something happens.  What do we do when the bad happens.  Do we panic, go nuts, freeze, go into shock, scream, blame others, etc etc.. OR do we react in a positive way and try to do something to help the situation.  I immediately went to the water faucet with those jeans still on... soaking the bleach area with water.. 

 

Condition beforehand, preparation, whatever you want to call it BEFORE something happens AND reaction, action, etc immediately AFTER it happens are the two things that do affect how the unexpected bad affects us and the results that we are left with...  those jeans and bleach are a good illustration of that. 

 

So we should be trying to live each area of our lives in a way that strengthens that area (preparation).  Financial, emotional, spiritual, personal, all areas.. ANDwhen something happens, we need to remain calm and THINK..what will help the situation... what can I do to lessen the bad effects.. and do it! 

 

Oh, by the way, as the Myth Busters would say,  I do not advise that you to try this experiment at home..  just take my word for it... heavily starched clothing can prevent bleach from soaking into cloth..   AND am I glad.  


The Chlorox image is courtesy of mshea, a Flickr user.  Located with a search for a creative commons license for reuse and modification. 

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

WOW ~ I COULDA' HAD A V8! Two Types of Real Estate Agents

 WOW ~ I COULDA'  HAD A V8!  Two Types of Real Estate Agents. 

 

There are two types of real estate agents.  Which one had you rather hire to sell your home?  One type is the V8 type.  The other type is the sugary sweet carbonated type. 

 

Just like the vegetable drink delivers to you those vitamins and minerals that are needed by your body, are good for you and help your body do it's job...


The V8 type real estate agent delivers those things that are needed to sell your home ! 


· Does a CMA and is honest with you about the expected sale price of your home. 

· Tells you to clean it, declutter it, and prepare it for showing.

·  Takes good photos and puts them online. 

· Communicates well with you about what's going on with your home sale.

·  Asks you to leave the home when a showing is happening.

· Takes care of you all the way to closing.

·Etc.. Etc.. Etc.. 

 

AND  Just like the sugary carbonated drinks that you can consume..


The sugary carbonated type of real estate agent sugar-coats:  

 

· Sometimes gives sellers an artificial "feel good" sugar coated high by listing at a high price that they know is WAY above market.. Every seller wants to hear that their home is worth more money, ASK them to show where they got their numbers.

·Give you a fizzy sugar-coated line about what you need to do to our home to prepare it to sell..  Sometimes they'll tell you really don't need to worry about having it... that buyers can see past the clutter.  Some buyers can but you want to make the effort to get the most for your home and in a timely fashion... don't  by pass the clean and de-clutter! 

·Grabs just a few photos sometimes poorly taken.. 

·Are difficult to reach when you need them.  They really do not want to tell that there's nothing going on with your home.. no interest in it. 

· If you do happen to get a contract.. you're pretty much on your own and may never see them again..  they probably won't even show for closing, just ask the closer to send them a check. 

·  etc.. etc.. etc..

 

It's the little decisions in our day that comprise how that day turns out and the repercussions of it..... minute by minute.  Then there are the bigger decisions  that take us down a different road altogether.  Sometimes when we make a BIG decision, we do not know it.. we think we are making a small decision, but it turns out to have major consequences in our lives. 

 

Such is the decision of choosing the right real estate agent.  It may seem like a small decision but selling your home is a major decision AND choosing the right agent to help you sell is a part of that major decision that you are making.  


You want to choose one that delivers what's needed to get the job done and done well, not one that gives your flowery promises and a sugar high but then cannot deliver. 

 

Ask around to people that have sold their homes, ask them who their agent was and if they were happy with them... ask them if they would use them again. Then mark them as either a V8 agent or a Sugary Cabonated agent.  You want to choose that V8 agent up front and not have someone slap you up beside the head and tell you that you coulda' had a V8!

 

The "I Shoulda' Had a V8" commercials are some of my favorite commercials.. Choosing that healthy V8 being much better for you than sugary carbonated drinks. 

 


So if you're a real estate agent that is reading this, which type of agent are you.. Are you a V8 AGENT?  I am.  I'M A V8 AGENT!


Image courtesy of SkippyJon through a  search for Creative Commons-licensed content for adaptation, modification or building upon on Flickr.  

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

Technology Update: Exciting Changes to ActiveRain.com

If you've haven't seen this post, you will want to read and then play with the new Active Rain site.  

I believe the updates are awesome!  

Love the new site because in essence, it's close enough to the old site to feel familiar but new enough to be exciting with a whole new sleek look.

:) 

Via Nikesh Parekh (ActiveRain):

Hi Everyone,

I am very happy to write this blog post!

Last week, we finished the upgrade of ActiveRain.com to the latest software platform (Ruby on Rails 2.3.14) which should enable us to develop on ActiveRain much faster than previously.  This is the end of three month project.  We hit a bump near the end with site performance, but now ActiveRain is now more stable and faster than it was.  More improvements coming as we tune pages to improve pageloading and make some changes to our datacenter.

With the software upgrade, behind us, we are rolling out some MAJOR changes to ActiveRain.com.  

Change, change, grumble, grumble.  

I know no one likes change, but I hope you will appreciate these.  Well, at least the majority of these changes.  

Unlike the past, where changes to ActiveRain would just happen, now we have the new version of ActiveRain.com located at BETA.ACTIVERAIN.COM   Our goal is to allow you to play around with the new version of ActiveRain.  Collect feedback at beta@activerain.com.  Make appropriate changes.  Release to the entire site over the week or so.  

You can use beta.activerain.com just like you would use ActiveRain so that you can get a full experience.  All blog posts and comments will show up on ActiveRain.  We already know of some issues, but send them to us as you come across problems.  (We just made a fix to picture uploads)

So, in summary: go to BETA.ACTIVERAIN.COM and email feedback to BETA@ACTIVERAIN.COM 

What are the major changes you will see:

New Logo1) New Logo & Design:

  • We have cleaned up and updated the design and header of ActiveRain to bring us into 2012.
  • We also have made some tweaks to the logo to make it modernize it and also make it ring with the promise of ActiveRain as an aspirational community that is looking to connect, share and learn from each other.  We have moved the clouds & the sky to be part of the logo to represent the idealism that ActiveRain represents.  (Check out my first contest which was the Collage Competition - What Does ActiveRain Mean to You)
2) Persistent Search Bar:  The search bar is now presistent across ALL pages on ActiveRain, since search is such a core part of using the Internet.  We will be making more changes to search on ActiveRain in the near future. 
 
New Header
 
 
 
 
MyHome3) MyHome: This is where you will see the majority of the changes.  MyHome on ActiveRain has consistently been the most visited single page on ActiveRain, but was the least optimized for the core activities that we want members to engage it.  From an ActiveRain perspective, we want members to CONNECT with other members, WRITE/COMMENT, and READ.  
 
We also have made the "Activity Feed" the core content of the MyHome tab.  Over time, we will move blog post content and group posts into your activity feed as well, so you can see them all in one area.  
 
Making MyHome cleaner and more focused required us to move links around.  We have moved links up in the navigation that promote managing your profile, writing a blog post, viewing the traffic to your blog, and seeing your points.  All the links that were on the left side of MyHome should still be on MyHome.  Some of links which were used less frequently have been moved to "Blog," "Setting" or "Other."  You can click on the arrow to see all the links.
 
4) Settings: In the upper right now, you will see your name (or part of your name that are including your city & state in your name field).  When you click on your name, it will show your settings and billing information.  Only YOU will be able to see your billing information.
 
 
I hope everyone likes it as much as I like it.
 
Now, I know that change is hard (trust me I know). At the same time, we will listen to feedback before rolling out all the changes to the full site. Email your feedback to beta@activerain.com

Enjoy!
 
UPDATE: Some may get to a screen asking telling you the Security Certificate for the web site is invalid.   Everything is fine and just click through.   Our security certificate on activerain.com is not recognizing beta.activerain.com.  This is not an issue to be concerned with. 
 
UPDATE:  The ranking links ARE clickable.  We will make that more obvious.  We are also aware that the stats may not be mapping properly with the database and we are in the process of fixing that as well.

 

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

Good Tools Can Become Bad Tools When Used Inappropriately! Knives & Blogs...

Good Tools Can Become Bad Tools When Used Inappropriately!  Knives & Blogs...

I have good tools.. all kinds of good tools. Inside tools, outside tools, office tools, kitchen tools, anything that is designed to help you accomplish something could be labeled as a tool.

Some hackers use good tools to accomplish bad things.. viruses, stolen information, etc.  Sometimes politicians use the tools of their trade to benefit themselves instead of their constiuents.. 

Good tools can become bad tools in the WRONG hands or sometimes, they can become bad tools by accident. 

I had very busy morning, inspected four of my listings this morning, showed a rural property, looked at another possible listings WAY out in the country and got back abut 2 pm HUNGRY..  so decided it was time to cook.  

I've used my favorite kitchen knife UMPTEEN hundred times without a slip.. but it slipped this time AND it was very sharp.  I had just sharpened it yesterday.  

Now I'm missing part of my thumb.  Finally got the bleeding stopped, wrapped in gauze, tape and a latex glove over it to keep it dry when in the kitchen.  Sometimes a split second changes everything.. and I sure would like to back up to the second right before I sliced that potato open.  

That knife is a good tool.. I'm not going to throw it away because I slipped and cut my finger with it.  It's not the tools fault.  Obviously it's mine for not being careful enough.  

People, it's you and me and everyone else that controls whether a tool is a good tool or a bad tool, that takes in  your blog too.  YES, your blog should be a tool.  Are you going to use it wisely and accomplish good things with it?  Or is it going to be a tool of destruction?  OR are just somewhere in between the two without even thinking about whether you're using it as a good or bad tool?  

So often in the past, I've just been somewhere in between, fooling myself into believing that I accomplished good things with it, but when I gripe or rant.. it didn't accomplish any good for anyone.  We act like it makes US feel better to rant, but you know what ?  I don't think it really does.  That kind of FEEL GOOD is a fake feel good..   It's like a line in a movie that I heard the other day..

 "If that was the right thing to do, why do I feel bad now?"  

Sometimes people accomplish a lot of good with their blog posts, but then we discover that the person we thoguht we were getting to know through their blogs was not that person at all.. and the good that had come out of that person's writings became tainted.. became a bad odor and we don't want near it.  There's a very important lesson there about trust and integrity affecting how effective we can be... even with the best tools available.  

Blessings to you this week and hope you and your tools accomplish good things.. AND  OH YEAH.. watch out for those sharp objects in the kitchen - they can hurt you! 

 

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

Click Here - Subscribe to This BLOG

Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

Southeast Oklahoma Market Report. Southeast Oklahoma shows a steady decline in home sale prices throughout 2011.

Southeast Oklahoma Market Report.    Southeast Oklahoma shows a steady decline in home sale prices throughout 2011.  


Oklahoma homes sales.  According to the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS ® website,  the median price of a home in Oklahoma has declined from $111,702 in  the last quarter of 2010 to $109,791 in the last quarter of 2011.  In Southeast Oklahoma  though (Texoma  Board), the median price of a home was $88,583 during the last quarter of 2011. 

 

This reflects a steady decline in median priced homes through-out the calendar year of 2011.  The first quarter of 2011 shows a median price of $102,667 for the Southeast area.  It further dropped to $96,317 during the second quarter and then during the third quarter, we have the price as indicated above of  $88,583.   


That is a 14% decline in home prices for Southeast Oklahoma from the first quarter of 2011 through the third quarter.    We are not seeing that much of a reduction in list prices of homes and consequently the days on the market have are averaging about 155 days for the year 2011.


If you're looking for a Real Estate Agent to work with in Southeast Oklahoma (Idabel, Valliant, Swink, Sawyer, Fort Towson), call me and let's talk about it.

Image courtesy of 401K through a creative commons license search.   

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

Click Here - Subscribe to This BLOG

Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

TRUST ~ I MUST!

TRUST ~ I MUST!

Lasting relationships are built on trust.  

Trust I Must! 

I want lasting relation-ships in my life so...

  Trust I Must!    

There are different kinds of trust just as there are different kinds of relationships.  

I trust my husband. 

Trust, I must!  

I trust that he has my best interest at heart, and he does, often over his own. In this case, trust is all wrapped up in loving someone.  He trusts me in the same way.


It's often the little things that give people confidence that they can trust you in the big things and 

Trust we must!


I like to believe that my clients trust me in various areas.  I don't think I'm going to be their agent very long if they don't trust me and I can guarantee you that they are not going to be my clients, if I can't trust them..  SO

Trust I must!  


They trust me to get their home sold if they are a seller and to find them a home if they are a buyer.  

They trust that I will keep confidential information exactly so.  

Often though it is much more than that...as we interact with our clients, their personal lives are shared with us.  We know that their mom is in bad health and they are worried about her.  We know that they haven't talked to their 30 yr old son in three years.


We know... well, you know... what you know, that they've allowed you to see... and they've shared with you.  

You're not telling anyone even though it's not part of the transaction.  


They trust you.

They trust you beyond what's required for you to help them sell or buy  a home.  

At that point, they trust you to be their friend.. a true friend.  They need that or it wouldn't happen.  

Trust they must!

Trust.. it breaks my heart when for some reason, it seems that someone doesn't trust me.. Even That buyer that I sold a home to, but when they got ready to sell, they called someone else.  Was it a trust issue? God, I hope not. 

I trust my bank to take care of my money..  (Don't laugh at that one!).  

What options do we have? 

Trust I must! 


Part of that trust is wrapped up in trusting our Federal Government and the FDIC.

(Did I hear an even bigger guffaw??)  

I have to trust them.  

That kind of trust is not very solid at times but

 Trust I must. 



I trust Active Rain to be here for a blogging platform and real estate community of professionals. For ME to blog..

ActiveRain real estate agent network

As I've watched the changes over the past year or so, there were times that I wondered how the company structure was going to change.

  • Was it going to change to the point that I would feel the need to leave?   
  • Watching the staff restructuring, 
  • the ownership changes, 
  • the sometimes seemingly drive to turn it into something UN-RAIN-like 
  • But Active Rain has come full circle for me.  I believe it's going to be bigger and better than ever 
  • AND that the family-like atmosphere will remain..  
  • There's a lot of blogger nurturing, i.e. training and sharing happening here.. maybe more so than ever and 
  • I really don't want to take on the SEO etc to have a WP blog be my main blog.  

Trust I must!


I trust my children and grandchildren to be what I've taught them and expect them to be.  I know that it doesn't always turn out exactly so but I trust that in the end it will be.  

Trust I must!


Trust?  I've learned a new trust.. right here in The Rain.  With new friends... real friends... comes trust.  Trusting people to be your friend that you've NEVER met.. How can that happen?  Hopefully who you are and who I am comes out in our blogs.. sometimes that leads to phone calls, texts, emails.. you begin to feel that you know them.. trust them.  

Trust we must.

I trust my Lord to take care of me when I can't.  I believe we are to do for ourselves but there are times in life that we do not have what it takes.  

Sometimes we can't handle what comes our way and sometimes no one else can humanly help us.. it's then that I trust my heavenly Father to hold me in his hands and take care of me..  

When I leave here someday and I will.. we all will... I've never known anyone who was able to stay here forever.. I trust that He will be there and it will all be alright.  

Trust I must!


We even see trust in our animals.  My puppies trust that there is going to be food in their bowl tomorrow and they are going to receive kindness from me.  I trust them.. They are BIG puppies, weighing close to 70 lbs now, I know they are NOT going to attack me, bite me, etc..  

Trust I Must!

We are continually revealing to the world whether they can trust us.  Call it vibes, ESP, intuition or whatever.. people often get a feeling about whether they can trust someone, even when they meet them for the first time.  

It is important to come across as someone that can be trusted and then it's important to live your life in a way that backs up what you're putting out.  

So should you wear a T-Shirt that says in big letters

"TRUST ME...I'M A REAL ESTATE AGENT"?  

Not quite... that would probably have the opposite effect.  Trying too hard to convince someone that you are trustworthy usually has the opposite effect, or at least it affects me that way when I encounter someone trying too hard.

 

Trust ~ Confidence that someone will do the right thing.  Faith in someone's or something's integrity, strength, and ability to do so.  You can't invent it on the spot.  

People that others place their trust in, have reason to do so, whether it's that intuition, observance, recommendation, or a long standing friendship.  It is perhaps the most important word that others can use to describe us.  

Trustworthy..  Without trust in our lives, both giving and receiving, life would lose it's joy and peace...

Trust I Must! 


Photo Credits:  The Dr. Seuss photo is courtesy of What What it was available on Flickr under the Creative Commons Licensed Content for adaptation, modification, and building upon.. I modified and built upon it.  Thank you What What for making it available.   Some of the other photos are from Morguefile and some are mine.  This post is a submission to the ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest.  I could possibly win a prize.  Want to know about the contest?  It's going on right now.   

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

Click Here - Subscribe to This BLOG

Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

The National Youth Leadership Council ~ Idabel Oklahoma

Our Granddaughter, Chassy Barrett was selected as one of ten high school students from across the nation to travel, with their adult mentors, to Washington DC for a shadow day at the Department of Transportation.  The ten students  I Died ... Who's Next? CAPS - Community Action Planning Students - IDABEL HIGH SCHOOL, IDABEL OKLAHOMA 74745 and their mentors are all involved in Project Ignition in their respective schools from across the country. The students will explore job opportunities, be honored by the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood at a small luncheon, meet with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, and talk with Washington officials about how Project Ignition youth are demonstrating leadership in their communities through their efforts to improve driving behavior.

Project Ignition is sponsored in the schools by State Farm Insurance Company.  The groups of students at Idabel High School has formed CAPS (Community Action Planning students), their group to operate within to promote good driving habits.  One of the staged events CAPS did was "I Died Who's Next?"    This blog post details that event.

Twenty-five schools were selected to recieve a $2000 grant to implement a safe driving program at their schools.  Ten schools were selected from those 25, to receive an additional $5000 to support their participation in the national conference.   From those ten, one school will be selected as The National Leader School and will receive an additional $2500.  

We are very proud of Chassy and her volunteer community work in this organization.  It is a great honor that she was chosen as one of the ten students from across the nation to attned the Shadow Day in DC.  We are extremely proud of Idabel High School and their pro-active stance on this issue.  

Chassy and Mrs. Creda Impson, the CAPS mentor left Idabel this morning for Texarkana to take an American Eagle plane to Dallas and from Dallas to DC.  Chassy has never flown before and was pretty excited.  She has figured out that TECHNICALLY when she gets home, she can say that she has flown 4 times.. ;)

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

Friday, January 6, 2011 Random Thoughts From Idabel McCurtain County Oklahoma

Friday, January 6, 2011  Random Thoughts From Idabel McCurtain County Oklahoma

 

Yesterday, Friday January 6th was pretty quiet in terms of Real Estate calls.  It seems that sometimes there's something in the water and the phone rings constantly and then there are quiet days.  

In Real Estate, it's sort of like baling hay... you make hay while the sun shines and when there's no hay to bale, work on something else.  

Yesterday I spent the day with my hubby..  enjoying the farm that we live on, it's a good life.  

I know that the elections are important and I do vote.. but quite frankly I am sick and tired of that being the only thing on the news these days.  It seems that there is nothing else going on in the world.. or at least the media can't find it.  

Our granddaughter heads out to Washington, DC today.  She's 17, a senior at Idabel High School.  She was chosen to participage in The National Youth Leadership Council  Project Ignition Event by the Secretary of Transportation.  Blog coming up right after this one.  

It's important to me to let life move at a slower pace when it will.. helps to be rejuvenated when it gets hectic.  

Seems there's been some stirrings in The Rain lately... well I guess there's always stirrings in The Rain.  I do wish everyone would play fair and be nice, but it's not always that way.  

I am so enjoying the NBA being back in business.. thought we were going to miss out on the season altogether with all of that negotiaion stuff going on.  Oklahoma City Thunder has a great team this year.  We still watch the Mavericks but I think we'll get to see the Thunder more this year on the channels that we have via Broken Bow Cable TV.  

You know that you're gaining in years when the grandkids start graduating from high school... just don't know that I'm ready to be that old but I sure enjoy seeing the babies do well...  

I think I'll bake today... Christmas has had time to disappear. I'm ready for the kitchen to smell like fresh cinnamon rolls and bacon doughnuts...  ;)

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.
 

 

 

Why Your Home Hasn't Sold Even Though It's Been On the Market for 365 Days. #1 in a Series

Why Your Home Hasn't Sold Even Though It's Been On the Market for 365 Days.  #1 in a Series

 

I really shouldn't have listed your home..  I knew better but I did it anyway.  You're such a nice pers

on and you even got a full appraisal prior to calling me to list it.  

How could I turn  it down?  So I listed it and have worked hard to sell it.  I even had 6 showings during the year.  Yet your home has not sold. Just getting someone to actually look at it was quite an accomplishment of my descriptive terms about your home since you:

  • Part of the reason your home has not sold is because you will not allow any photos of the property to be used to market it... WHOA!  I really shouldn't have taken this listing.  I actually have had other real estate agents berate my ability to market a property because there were NO photos of the property online.  So I get slammed for working under the conditions that you insisted upon.  I know you are nervous about photos of your home being online but it is extremely difficult to explain to others that they have to TAKE MY WORD that the home is gorgeous. PHOTOS SELL. 

  • Part of the reason your home has not sold is you will not allow a FOR SALE sign to be placed on the property.  Usually the first calls that come in on a property are from the neighbors.  Sometimes they have a relative or friend that has told them to watch for something in the neighborhood to become available.  Sometimes they want to stay in the same neighborhood and upgrade to a nicer home.  Then there are the calls due to the sign because people just drive around in neighborhoods that they would like to live in, to see if there's anything available.  

  • Part of the reason that your home has not sold is you refuse to budge one cent from your price.  Yes, I know you had an appraisal done on the property and that's where you priced it but refusing to negotiate on any terms at all, not even one iota lost you that one buyer and it's was only $1,000 difference on $300,000 home.. Come on now!

  • Part of the reason that your home has not sold is you have too many personal photos hanging on the wall.  Viewers get caught up in looking at the photos and trying to figure out who lives in the home instead of looking at the home. 
 
Do you want your home to remain dead on the market?  You could have already sold it if the above points had not been part of the process of marketing your home.  Ready to sell?  Put the personal photos away, let me put a sign on the property, photos are a must, and be prepared to negotiate at least a little.    Now let's get your home sold!

Judi Barrett Southeast Oklahoma' best real estate broker Integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946

 

Looking for a home for sale in Idabel, Oklahoma?  Let me Google that for you. 

 

 

Judi Barrett, B.S. Edu.,

Broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Office Address:  RR 5 BOX 126, IDABEL, OK 74745  580-212-5946

Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere?

 

                

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Integrity Real Estate Services Southeast Oklahoma Judi Barrett Broker 580.212.5946
Real Estate Services
Our name says it all.