Why can't I put my iPhone down?

I started out with one of the bigger ones. Cell phones, that is. Not the ones with the over-the-shoulder bags, or one of the Zach Morris from Saved by the Bell ones, but it was large.  I can't even remember the name of the phone company, but it was across the road from the Florence, Ky mall back in the late 90's. Ameritech?? Anyhow- back then, I never remembered to bring it with me. I remember getting a flat tire on the expressway at 2 a.m. (after my shift at Jillians) and of course, I didn't have it that night.

Things have changed so much.

I started texting. A few years ago I  made the big move to a smart phone and had a blackberry. This was life changing. Instant email notifications. Internet in my pocket, all day long. I am not sure if this is good for my type of personality or not.

I have found that there are two types of people. Those who have dozens of unopened emails in their inbox, or those who immediately open every email, no matter who it is from. I am the latter. I don't miss an email, and I usually respond to the emails that come in at all times of the day. (I do draw the line when I am with friends or family at dinner... I will not be one of those unengaged people who misses out on real life due to my phone) No texting while talking to another person! How rude.
Fast forward to 2010- Verizon finally got with the program and has the iPhone and I splurged and bought the new 4S. I already had the iTouch and LOVED it, so I knew the iPhone was a better match for me than my dear old Blackberry. In my line of work, contracts and Hud statements need to be viewed on the run and the BB wasn't cutting it. I kept finding myself emailing my husband and his Droid from my Blackberry in order to view the contracts if I got them when I wasn't at home. This was unacceptable for an immediate email opener so I had the obligation to buy the iPhone, right? It wasn't a frivolous purchase. It was essential...for work.

 Side note- I love the quality of pictures and Facetime. My heart skips a beat just thinking about it. The video is great for capturing precious moments and milestones that my son is making... ok, so even without the work stuff, it has some luxurious qualities that I am thoroughly enjoying. I digress... and my question is as follows...

Is it bad that I can't go anywhere without it?  It sits on my lap more than my toddler.

I have mixed emotions about it. I know it is important to stay connected for my business as this is something I take pride in. Being available to my clients and quick to respond to problems and questions. Am I missing out on life though? I am not the only one, and I know I am not the worst. I can turn it off and leave it alone for a few hours at a time. I definitely have friends who can't do that. I am conflicted. Where was the class on balancing life, family, work and your iPhone? I saw an interview of Amy Poehler recently who was saying that she thinks when her children reach college age, that they will probably take a course called "Eye Contact". So true.

I'm Selling My House....In The Spring.

Even if you are not a Realtor,  real estate is a topic that comes up in conversation regularly. Think about it. Did you hear a family member talking about a recent move, a future move, or getting the house ready in order to move, over the holidays? I did. I heard someone talking about it at Quatman's in Mason last week. I heard it in the locker room at the gym I frequent. Ummmm, frequent is a strong word. Lets say I heard it in the locker room at the gym I took a spin class at yesterday.

Real estate is the topic everyone likes to weigh in on, that everyone feels they are an expert on and that is actually socially acceptable to speak about in public. So why does everyone seem to agree that the time to sell is not the winter months but is in the spring? It is a common misconception that you shouldn't bother with selling your house in the winter. Let me share a few reasons why this is a great time to go against the grain and put your house on the market now.

1. Inventory of competition is lower, so your home stands out better to the serious buyers. Your odds of selling go UP during the winter.

2. One of the highest percentages of "Listings Sold" to "Listings Taken" occur during the winter months.

3. People stay at home more in colder weather and online searches go way up. With today's technology and a certain expertise in online marketing (from yours truly) the chances of selling faster increase greatly.

4. Decreased demand on lenders, appraisers, home inspectors, movers and other vendors during this time can cause your closing process to go much more smoothly than at other times of the year.

5. January is traditionally the biggest transfer month, and corporate transferees, who need to buy a home now, CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SPRING. You might miss out on some great buyers if you are sitting around drinking hot coco waiting for baseball season to start. They can't buy your house if it isn't for sale!

While the yard might not be as beautiful and the showings won't be as frequent, the buyers who are out there looking at your home in January and February are serious. If you put your house out there at the right price, it could sell fast and you could end up looking for your new house...in the spring.

Hello- my name is Brianne and I am a Real Estate Agent

As this is my inaugural blog, I feel like I need to explain why I feel my words might be of interest to anyone out there. For today I will keep it simple. There are not very many of us out there. Young(er) real estate agents, that is. The average age is about 50 for most real estate agents. I know when I bought my first house, I used one of those older agents. While he was a dependable, knowledgeable, trustworthy guy, he didn't have a cell phone, a gps, or even an email address at the time. All things that would have greatly helped our communication and in the end, probably would have helped me find my house faster.

I want to let everyone know that there are some of us out here. Some of us who respond to texts, who understand that buyers have already virtually toured most homes prior to wanting to physically visit them, and who appreciate technology and all it has to offer buyers and sellers in today's market. I closely watch local and national market issues and plan on offering insight to different aspects of this topic that everyone already has an opinion on, but is continuously changing. I hope that it will inspire buyers and sellers to not be afraid of the economy, the mortgage process, and most definitely not just settle and use that agent your parents used 25 years ago.