MAY 2015 S. SAN DIEGO

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Executive Agent of the Month

Inside Features: Courtney Cameron Realty Executives Dillon Tracee Denby RC Realty of San Diego John Moran Premier Executives Real Estate

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Taking care of our REALTOR partners and their clients

®

When you work with imortgage, you get a lender invested in your success because our success comes from your referrals and repeat business. You have our full attention. We’re working to earn yours with outstanding customer service and a loan that satisfies your clients’ needs for a competitive rate, great terms and a fast closing.

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858.602.6608 jeremy.patterson@imortgage.com NMLS ID 262395 7777 Alvarado Rd., Suite 701 La Mesa, CA 91942 Rates, terms, and availability of programs are subject to change without notice. Licensed by the Dept. of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act CRMLA 4131040. Corporate NMLS ID 174457. All rights reserved. 04012015. * Source: Mortgage Executive Magazine 2014. ** Ranked by unit volume for 2014. Source: Marketrac Lender Profile Report 2014. © CoreLogic. *** 2014 Survey results from independent, third-party Eliant Survey System.

contents

Southern California’s Publication for the Real Estate Professional

ExecutiveAgent

Magazine

May, 2015

S. San Diego

Editorials

Cover Story

Overcoming Fear

Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 366-3349 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Web: www.EAMag.net

28 - Steve Cook:

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

32 - John Boe:

The Power of Choice

30 - Matt Bowman: Quality Deals

City of Hope..................................35

06 - Stacy Holder:

Greenpath Funding.........................11

Now What?

imortgage....................................2

08 - Dirk Zeller:

i Photography Studio...............14 & 23

Dog Days of Summer

Kinecta Federal Credit Union............25 Mike Ferry......................................15 PWAOR..........................................10 The Termite Guy.............................24

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Veterans United ..............................36

Suzanne Kropf

Executive Agent of the Month

12 Courtney Cameron

Marketing Director: Frank Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Photography: i Photography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Writers: Lalaena Gonzalez–Figueroa, Shannon Hartsoe, Haley Freeman, Steven McReynolds

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Tracee Denby

John Moran

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© Copyright 2015 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

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E XECUTIVE AGENT

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MAGAZINE

Written by Haley Freeman

JOHN MORAN

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lifetime entrepreneur, John Moran has a record of building successful businesses for himself and happy results for his clients. Today he is the coowner and manager of Premier Executives Real Estate

in Murrieta with a new branch in Rancho Bernardo, where he is recognized as one of the top one percent of Realtors速 in California.

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John’s first business success manifested in a yacht maintenance company, which he sold to a competitor before turning his attention to real estate. He sold his first house in only three days, and during his first year in the business, he sold 42 homes. After distinguishing himself as a top producer, John approached his friend and owner of Premier Executives in LA, Daniel Garcia, about opening an office in Murrieta.

With his winning attitude, John has developed a team of thriving agents. “My motto is, ‘Losing is not an Option.’

I started out playing baseball when I was a young kid and even played in the Little League World Series. I’ve always believed that I am a winner. You have to have that mindset, even if you fall short of your goal. I believe you have to dream big and be goal-oriented. I’m very passionate and aggressive about success.”

John shares the wisdom of his experience, “Be a professional at your job. Build rapport with the people around you – if you try to do everything on your own, it’s going to be difficult. I want to make every transaction as smooth as possible for my clients, and I update them on a weekly basis. I aggressively tell the truth to my buyers and sellers – good, bad or indifferent. I think those are the things that separate me from others.”

Early in his career, John learned from the coaching he received from Mike Ferry. “He would help me out to make sure I was maintaining my numbers. I invested in workshops and retreats where I learned to track my numbers and do what I said I was going to do.”

As a team leader, John guides new agents, passing along the fundamentals of his success. “I tell agents I mentor that to succeed, they have to be in the business and keep a disciplined schedule. Learn your scripts. And you have to be able to look ahead and duplicate your processes and numbers day in and day out. One of the things I like about mentoring people is that they also hold me accountable to my numbers.”

John is truly a master at his craft, which is reflected in his finely honed processes. “When I meet a new client, I ask very specific and direct questions. Then I outline what they are looking for and do my research. This way they know that I’m listening to them. I search everything in the market and compile the best choices. I show clients five houses or less with the features and benefits they said they

wanted. If they say no to all of them, then we come back and have a discussion. I want to know what we missed.

With sellers, I want to understand where they are going and when. I ask how motivated they are to sell on a scale of 1 to 10. Then I do my research, and we price the house to sell within their specified time frame.”

John credits his extended team of professionals with helping him to deliver his transactions so seamlessly.

Denise Baldonado is his transaction coordinator who “gets everything signed on time and allows me to be a salesman. Jeremy Patterson at imortgage does an outstanding job of prequalifying and updating clients.”

His elite team also includes: Kate Botterell at Heritage Escrow, Fred Willis at Stewart Title, George Mills at A Better Look Home Inspection and Black Knight Termite & Pest Control. “Having a core team that is all on the same page gives me more control of my business. My affiliates are priceless.”

John believes in working hard and playing harder. He remains a passionate fan of baseball and has coached Temecula Youth Baseball for the past five years with his son, Connor. “My lovely wife, Audrey, and I love to travel with Connor. We have a lake house at Havasu and we love boating. We also have a motorhome and like to take our dogs, Sunny and Mason, along with us.”

In this changing marketplace where over 80 percent of buyers start their home search online, John believes that the human touch still reigns. “I still believe in the value of meeting people face-to-face, letting them know you understand them and then delivering great customer service.”

John Moran Premier Executives Real Estate 29970 Technology Dr., Ste. 214 Murrieta, CA 92563 Tel: 951-764-5227 Email: John.Moran468@gmail.com Web: www.PremierExecutivesRE.com CalBRE # 01292968

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Now What?

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he scariest day in your investing career is undoubtedly the first time that your contract gets accepted.

You spend all that time making calls, talking to Realtors®, knocking on doors, driving through neighborhoods, etc. At night, you are reading and researching all the creative ways to make offers and how to negotiate.

You have a stack of business cards of all the people you have met in the past few weeks. There are title companies, attorneys, Realtors®, mortgage brokers, hard money lenders, and tons more. You are ready. You have this thing figured out.

You aren’t worried because you know how to put out risk free offers with contingencies to protect yourself.

You have nothing to worry about!

You are sending out offers every week and you know that the one that gets accepted is right around the corner.

You know that you negotiated that contract well and it’s absolutely going to be accepted.

Guess what? It is. You just received that phone call telling you that the offer has been accepted or the buyer has said “OK. What do we do next?”

Now what? You are probably filled with panic. What were you thinking? You can’t possibly do this deal? You don’t have money to put down. What if you lose the deposit? What if you can’t find financing? What if you missed some of the problems with the house?

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That is probably the scariest moment of your entire career. There is no book, tape or video that can prepare you emotionally for that first yes! But use that energy in a positive manner. Don’t forget everything you have learned. You just follow a system that works. If you don’t have one of your own, ask someone that does. Use your mentor or find a mentor.

Our first yes was all backwards. We made so many mistakes, but we got the deal done in the end, which is what is important afterall isn’t it? We did learn quickly though that we needed to have a system in place for our deals so that we didn’t go through that again. We needed a simple step-by-step plan that could repeat over and over again, time and time again.

Now, we go through our checklist. We have several depending on the type of deal. One for wholesales, one for rehabs, one for properties to hold. The key is to simplify it. If you don’t know the answer, just find someone who does and call them. There are tons of people willing to help and tons of products to get you through.

Stacy Holder and Heather Seitz began their real estate investing career with absolutely nothing! They learned to leverage other people’s time, money and resources to purchase over $2 Million in real estate in their first 8 months.

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Dog Days Of Summer

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he dog days of summer are upon us. I think that expression came from the way dogs can lounge in the summer sun. They relax as if there isn’t a care in the world. It’s easy for us to lounge as well. I often see lounging in two ways:

1. We lounge in our improvement of skill because we are so busy.

2. We lounge in our performance because we don’t work with the focus and intensity we did earlier in the year.

Let’s look at each one of these ways.

We are too busy. We have buyers and sellers coming out of our ears. We are running from morning until night.

We often are out of balance with our family because we work too many hours. We are more focused on the business than we are on them. We also are behind in the improvement and developing of our skills. This focus goes out the window.

Don’t ever forget! The property sale we make today is temporary. The money we earn from it is gone shortly.

The client, because we fail to follow-up long-term after the close, is gone.

Statistics tell us that 80% of consumers don’t go back to their previous Agents for one simple reason. The Agents never called them again after the sale. The sale for most Agents is temporary, but the skill acquired through the follow-up process would be permanent. The ability to replicate business through the long-term connection with past clients is a skill. This skill is often never cultivated because we are too busy. We get in the dog days of summer and forget the fundamentals of sales. We don’t adhere to the details for building a long-term business.

The present pressure squeezes the skill of practicing our scripts and dialogues out of the way. It’s easy to get out of the routine and never get back on track. It’s easy to become indifferent. We tend to be indifferent to qualifying the prospects because there are so many. We also tend to be indifferent to getting price reductions from over-priced sellers. We can be very indifferent to the many steps we need to insure success. (What short cuts are you taking now that you know you shouldn’t?) It’s easy to drift along in life. We just go with the flow of the river, drifting down it because right now the river is fast moving. We can drift along for a while; get out of practice and out of shape to be able to paddle hard. The river will slow down sometime. Are we prepared for the slowdown? Will we have the conditioning to paddle hard, long, and fast when it does? The truth is, we can’t drift our way to the top in peak performance. If we talk to the most successful people they didn’t drift their way to the top!

Work intensely, then take time off. Be intense in the game and out of the game with your down time. I am 100% for time off. I am sure that for years I took more time off than many Agents. The difference was the intensity and focus when I was at work. There was no drifting at work. Are you 100% focused at work? Are you completely in the game with intensity? Think of racecar drivers. Can they drift while in the cockpit? Drifting would cost them their life. Do we have that kind of intensity of focus for a few hours a day? I would submit to

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you if you did, the income you earn and quality of life would radically change. There is a time to drift, but it is not at work. We all must be in the moment. Let me give you a few steps to help you be more in the moment.

• Establish a routine: Show up at the same time to work daily. Do the same activities at the same time. Don’t just allow the day to happen. Plan for the outcome you want. Apply yourself in your routine to create that outcome. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said, “Plan your work then work your plan.” The routine you set will enable you to achieve success. When I started in real estate, I established that at 7:00 a.m. I would begin work. I still do that today. It is very hard for me not to be in my office at 7:00 a.m. working with intensity. What does your routine need to be? When do you need to be at work? When do you need to practice skills? When do you need family time or workout time? These all need to be in a routine.

• When you are not 100% focused, get there or get out. Too often Agents are half at work and half at home.

We are at work thinking we have shorted our family. We are at work in body only. My advice is go home. Go home and focus 100% on your family. We have all been in this unfocused position. We feel like a piece of saltwater taffy. When they make taffy, they tug and pull it until it gets mixed and smooth. Getting pulled between work and home accomplishes nothing.

I realized many years ago that for me, Friday was a tough day to stay focused. I would have put in four focused days in a row. I truly dreaded Fridays because I was maybe at 70 – 80 % effectiveness. The difference between incredible success and mediocre performance is a couple of percentage points. I was mediocre at best. The choice to get out on Friday changed my mental attitude, my expectations, and the results. The year that I went from a 5 1/2 day workweek to a 4-day workweek, I had my largest increase in commission earned ever! Get focused or get out!

Don’t let the dog days of summer affect the outcome for your year. It’s easy to let off the gas if you got off to a great start. Don’t coast into the finish line. Make sure you are investing in your skills daily.

We all need to be better today than we were yesterday!

Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. He’s the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. You can get more information by visiting www.RealEstateChampions.com. © 2008, Dirk Zeller. All rights reserved. For information contact FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com; http:// www.FrogPond.com.

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E XECUTIVE AGENT

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MAGAZINE

Written by Haley Freeman

COURTNEY CAMERON Success on her own Terms

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ourtney Cameron is a savvy and hard-working young woman who has enjoyed early and ongoing success as a Realtor®. She is a valued agent at Realty Executives Dillon, where she has earned a sterling reputation for quality service.

A second generation Realtor®, Courtney began working with her father handling the online support of his California real estate practice while she was still in New England. “I could name every zip code in San Diego County before I ever moved here,” she says.

By the time Courtney moved to California and acquired her license in 2006, she had gained significant experience in the business.

“I was fortunate to get in at the bottom level and really learn. At any given time, I was managing 40 or 50 listings.”

Courtney assisted with a high volume of REO properties during the distressed market.

“I did a lot of those open houses,” she says, “and I met an investment group who wanted to start buying distressed properties. They started with one or two a month and eventually purchased over 100 properties from me over the course of seven years. In 2012 I went independent at Realty Executives Dillon, including rebranding myself under my married name, and completely excelled in my business.”

Courtney has always had an interest in real estate, and she bought her first home in Boston when she was only 21 years old. “I understood even then that the key to long-term wealth is real estate.”

Realty Executives Dillon provides Courtney with the support she needs to handle a high volume of business and still achieve a good work-life balance. “My broker, Terri Dillon, is wonderful. She’s a self-made woman who raised three children while building and maintaining a high-volume real estate business.

All three of her children work in our office now in different capacities. She understands the importance of balance in work and family life, and the support she shows to her agents is immeasurable. The office staff, affiliates and other agents in the office are all committed to each other’s success. My motto is ‘Quality over Quantity.’ We have a great group of agents, and I’ll be the first to reach out to another capable agent if needed. I always give 110 percent to my clients, and I have three little girls who need me too, so I make it a point to remain mindful of that.”

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Courtney prides herself on being both accessible and communicative. “If I don’t answer my phone, I will call right back. Being a good communicator means listening first and talking second. For the first five years of my career, I primarily worked with buyers. I understand what buyers are looking for, which makes me a good listing agent. I can help sellers stage their property, and I can anticipate what their challenges will be.”

Real estate is Courtney’s first and only career. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” she says. “I love the flexibility to be there for my children. I love that every day is something new: a different house, a new set of clients and agents, and fresh challenges to overcome. I am always learning. I can never say I know everything. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, something surprising happens.”

In addition to their three children, Courtney and her husband, Artie, have what she describes as a “zoo” of rescued dogs and cats. They recently acquired two Great Dane puppies. “One of our favorite things to do is go to the beach and let the dogs run and the kids play. We also like to travel. I spent several years of my childhood living in London, England and was very fortunate to be able to travel the world at a young age. I want that for my children and so, once a year, we go away to a city or country where we’ve never been before. The best learning in life is done just by living – exploring and seeing places first hand.”

Artie is a member of law enforcement who helps Courtney with her business and is working on getting his real estate license. Their goal is to someday work together as a husband and wife team. In the meantime, Courtney assists many local law enforcement personnel with their housing needs.

“I’ve learned to be successful, but on my own terms. It’s possible to give quality service and still preserve time for your family. I truly love what I do, and I think that resonates when people meet me.”

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COURTNEY CAMERON Realty Executives Dillon Serving San Diego County Tel: 619-947-3516 Email: cc@realtyexecutivesdillon.com Web: www.SDPropertyShop.com CalBRE # 01766250

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YEARS ATTEND THIS YEAR’S SUPERSTAR RETREAT AND JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF INCREASING AGENT PRODUCTION!

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Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTOR速 to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

I Nominate: Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Address____________________________ _____________________________________ City, State, Zip_____________________ _____________________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________ Submitted By: Fax/Email Nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Tel: 949.366.3349

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Cover Story

Executive Agent of the Month

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Investing in Your Dreams® Written by Haley Freeman - Ian Wiant Photographer

S

uzanne Kropf is a leader among her peers and in her community, known for her personalized service, cutting edge marketing, tenacious negotiating and passion for helping sellers and buyers fulfill their dreams of home ownership. Suzanne is a top-producing agent,

specializing in the Poway Unified School District with an emphasis in Poway and Rancho Bernardo. Her passion for real estate and Poway shines.

Suzanne made her home in San Diego in 1985 after earning her degree in marketing and finance from Northern Arizona University. She went to work as a financial analyst for General Dynamics, Convair Division, preparing financial analyses and presentations on cruise missile performance for the directors of engineering. “It wasn’t quite as exciting as my career is today, but it gave me great experience with financial analysis and presentations that I still use in real estate.”

She began her second career in real estate 15 years ago, and has worked in the same Rancho Bernardo office, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (formerly Prudential California Realty), since she started. The exceptional training she received as a new agent helped her to establish a strong foundation. Living in the Rancho Bernardo and Poway communities for the last 30 years, Suzanne is a top-producer by sales volume and has built a reputation as the neighborhood real estate expert. She has earned the prestigious Chairman’s Circle Diamond Award every year since 2005, an elite designation to the top half of one percent of all Berkshire Hathaway Sales Associates Nationwide. Suzanne has sold $45 million in homes each year for the last three years, and on average sells her listings in 56 days for 97 percent of the list price.

Consistency is one of Suzanne’s defining characteristics. Through up markets and down cycles, she invests in her marketing and sticks to her business plan. “I’ve been very involved with the local community for many years and have remained consistent with my marketing and advertising. One of my favorite things is to go to a seller’s home for a listing interview and have them pull out one of my notepads or several of my market update postcards. I love it when they say, ‘We see you everywhere. We feel like we know you; we’ve been getting these for years.’”

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Suzanne’s consistent investment in her marketing sets a distinguishable standard. Her frequent advertising across all mediums keeps her “always in the back of Poway families’ minds.” Every ad is a piece of her marketing machine. “When a home first comes on the market, the first impression is important. I hire a professional stager and photographer to best capture the uniqueness of each property in the best light possible.” Suzanne utilizes the photos in glossy, color flyers at the curb, weekly advertisements in the local newspaper, and direct mail to thousands of families in her niche. Her easy-to-remember

websites, www.PowayHomes.com and www.4RBhomes. com, are continually updated with her new listings.

“I’m grateful for all of my amazing clients who have referred me to their friends and neighbors. Every year I host a client party at my home to show my appreciation for their support. I’m fortunate to have strong relationships with the families I’ve worked with and who have become clients for life. I’ve enjoyed assisting them in buying and selling to meet their changing needs over the years.”

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Success Earned Through Consistency Suzanne’s consistency is also about her personalized, hands-on service. “When a client hires me, they get me.

I’m proactively involved to build open, honest communication with my clients.” She personally holds open houses nearly every weekend for her listings, and is enthusiastically committed to excellence in every interaction.

“Clients have said that my patient, hand-holding approach

expert. She is the proud mother of three, who all attended schools from kindergarten to high school in the Poway Unified School District. Her two daughters both graduated from USC and her son will graduate from Poway High School this June. Throughout the years, she has been an enthusiastic supporter of the local schools, helping to raise funds for athletic and music programs. She is also a great supporter of the Poway Center for the Arts. “The theater is only a few miles from my home. I have served on the foundation, and assisted in bringing quality performances to our community.”

Poway, also known as the “The City in the Country,” attracts families with its top-notch education system and 55 miles of hiking trails. “Poway is a great place to live, work, and play.” Notable activities in Poway include hikes at Lake Poway and Potato Chip Rock, Saturday morning farmer’s market and steam locomotive rides at the Old

Pam Florich combined with my tenacious negotiating experience calms them in the stressful situation of buying and selling their homes.”

Suzanne’s dedicated and proficient team is essential to her consistent delivery of exceptional service. Her assistant, Pam Florich, brings 25 years of real estate experience to the group and her buyers’ agent, Jan Dunlap, has been on Suzanne’s team for 10 years. Jan holds a B.A. degree in Psychology and Social Work with a background in counseling and education. Jan’s Midwest background provides a strong work ethic and her business practices have earned her the respect of her clients. “My passion is working with sellers and Jan’s passion is working with buyers. We make a great team.” Suzanne’s love for Poway shines. Her 30-year active involvement in the Rancho Bernardo and Poway communities distinguishes her as a local real estate

Jan Dunlap Poway Park, expansive golf courses and exciting performances at the Poway Center for the Arts. Half of Poway is preserved as dedicated open space nestled in rolling hills, and families enjoy proximity to beaches, mountains and deserts with year-round sunny weather.

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Suzanne with her three children Born and raised in Minnesota, Suzanne brings her Midwestern values with her to her California home and lifestyle she loves. “I grew up in a small farm town, and this area is similar in many ways. When you go to the grocery store, everybody knows you. I love how rural this community feels. I grew up near a lot of lakes where we were always boating, fishing and waterskiing. My home here is near Lake Poway, and three to four days a week, I hike the trails around the lake. I also love beach hiking.

Hiking is my big stress reliever. I recently achieved one of the goals on my bucket list – hiking Machu Picchu.”

Suzanne’s record of repeat business clearly reflects the quality of her representation. “One of my favorite experiences is when I sell a house and years down the road, the buyer becomes the seller and calls me to represent them.

Having the opportunity to sell the same house two and three times is the highest honor. It’s satisfying to have the trust of the people I work with.”

Suzanne plans to work and live in Poway for a long time. Her goal is to be in the Top 10 agents (currently #11 based on sales volume) in San Diego with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. “I think there is plenty of business out there for everybody,” she says. “My team and I are focused on working hard to provide the highest degree of integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism. I am grateful for all of my current and past clients and referrals. I feel blessed to have this opportunity to be successful in real estate, in this incredible place with our beautiful weather. Every morning I wake up excited to begin the day in my office, knowing that I have found my passion. For me, it’s not work – I do it because I love it!”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Suzanne Kropf Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 16969 Bernardo Center Dr. San Diego, CA 92128 Tel: 858-395-7325 Email: SuzanneKropf@hotmail.com www.PowayHomes.com www.4RBhomes.com CalBRE # 01261875 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

INSURANCE SERVICES

More than just a mortgage Help clients protect their assets – and save You know that Kinecta Federal Credit Union offers some of the most competitive rates in today’s mortgage market. But what you may not know is we also offer a full suite of homeowners’ and property insurance products through Kinecta Financial & Insurance Services. By comparing top-rated carriers, we find the right coverage at the most competitive prices to fit your clients’ needs.

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Call 855.444.9823 to speak with a Kinecta mortgage professional.

Insurance products offered through Kinecta Financial & Insurance Services, LLC., subsidiary of Kinecta Federal Credit Union. California Insurance License #0E24631. Insurance products: 1) are not NCUSIF insured; 2) are not obligations of or guaranteed by the Credit Union or any affiliated entities; 3) involve investment risk, including possible loss of value. Insurance products not available in all states.

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E XECUTIVE AGENT

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MAGAZINE

Written by Haley Freeman

Tracee Denby ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Serving Others From The Heart

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racee Denby is a vibrant member of the Mira Mesa community and a real estate professional who is a valued addition to the family of agents at RC Realty.

With a background in banking and mortgage, Tracee first worked in real estate assisting her husband. When they realized that she was better suited to the business than he was, she obtained her license and took over his business. “Before I started working in real estate full-time, I had been a stay-at-home mom for a while and very active volunteering at my daughters’ school and fundraising. My heart is in serving people, so real estate was a great fit for me,” Tracee says.

Tracee’s compassion for people who are going through the inevitable highs and lows of a real estate transaction makes her an exceptional advocate. “Buying real estate is such a big financial commitment and one of the most stressful things we ever do in life. I always compare the experience to having a child. I tell clients that it will be a lot like labor pains. No matter how easy it starts out, at the end it all gets a little crazy. But that’s normal. We’re a team.

I’m the coordinator, and I’m here to make it all as easy and stress-free as possible. In the end, it will all be worth it.”

Tracee obtained her license during the difficult market in 2008. Her positive outlook helped her to see challenges as opportunities. “I went out and worked hard, did open houses and did whatever I could to help people get out from under their financial burdens. You have to work with the current market trends. I think 95 percent of life is attitude – it’s what we believe and what we teach our clients to believe that makes our reality.”

Another lesson she took away from the distressed market was the importance of guiding clients to housing choices that are within their means. “My goal is to always help clients know their numbers. When they get preapproved, I want them to really think about what is comfortable for them so they don’t have financial stress later. I want them to have the home of their dreams, but also to buy one that is not financially straining.”

Tracee continues to cultivate her positive spirit by reading books and surrounding herself with positive people. “This has a huge impact on me as a person. I work with a great team in my office and also network with wonderful agents outside my office. I have developed great friends in different areas of the industry. It’s all about building quality relationships, in my opinion, and connecting with more people who can help your clients.”

Known to friends and coworkers as “Tenacious Tracee,” she is a solutions-focused agent who doesn’t take no for an answer. “I work with all types of people in all types of situations. Whatever a client is going through in life, whether it’s a death or divorce or job change, I remind them that this is temporary, and we will work through it together.”

Tracee has found a happy home for her business at RC Realty, where the culture is to treat everyone like family.

“We’ve been at the same location for 40 years, and people in the community know us for our professional service and down-to-earth treatment of clients. We have a great team who knows what’s going on in our industry and are very conscious of helping clients to get the best return on their dollar.”

Real estate allows Tracee to stay close to home, where she can remain involved with her 14 and 16-year-old daughters. “Everything I do is for them. I work hard to give our girls a better life. I love to volunteer and sponsor the local schools and to encourage our youth and invest in our future leaders.”

Tracee has teamed up with the Mira Mesa Heroes, a nonprofit organization that “sponsors Beautification Days around Mira Mesa. We started doing a community service called ‘Curb Appeal Improvement.’ I find home owners who are in need of a helping hand with their yard and donate for supplies. Mike Davis coordinates kids from Mira Mesa High to help us clean up yards for the elderly. We love giving back to our community, and it is a blessing to help our neighbors.”

“In our community, we all look out for each other. I know my neighbors, and they know me. My real estate sign says ‘Helping you to achieve your American Dream of home ownership.’ I feel my best when I’m helping someone else achieve their goals.”

Tracee Denby RC Realty of San Diego 8250-B Mira Mesa Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92126 Tel: 858-566-6160 – 858-220-5566 Email: HomesByTracee@gmail.com Web: www.HomesByTracee.com CalBRE # 01848551

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Quality Deals ’ve been meaning to write this article for quite some time on real estate investing advice, and those who have heard me speak in the last couple of years have already gotten an earful of this. This topic isn’t about a neat investing technique or new idea, but about a mindset.

It’s my mindset and one that I believe will make many other people successful.

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What are quality deals? They’re real estate deals that contribute to the advancement of your goals. They get you moving in the direction that you want to go. Many investors start buying homes with no idea of what they really want to accomplish with investing. As a result, they buy anything that looks like a deal and, all too often, get pulled in directions they never intended to go.

Back in 1998 when I took my first step into real estate investing, I was given strong real estate investing advice by others around me who believed you had to be a dominant force in your market to make real money. They stressed doing as many deals as possible and beating out the competition. The world around me was saying that the person who does the most wins. More real estate deals lead to more profits which ultimately leads to greater success – all going hand-in-hand.

Your goals should drive your decision making. For example, a person who needs money today and buys a property to keep it as a rental is contradicting or not fulfilling the original goal. Rental properties will not reap quick, fast cash today. Let’s say your goal is to free up your time so that you can do other things important to you. If you only want to work 20 hours a week and are taking on deals that require 40 hours a week, you’re not doing quality deals. You’re focused on quantity.

As a newbie, I took the advice to heart and did over 100 deals in my first two years. I was proud of my real estate investing accomplishments and knew many around me were impressed with my successes. However, when I stopped to look at the big picture, I was doing a lot of deals and making more money than ever before, but I had little control elsewhere. My time wasn’t my own and the deals truly controlled me. In short, I wasn’t living a life that felt fulfilling.

We need to make sacrifices to achieve the success that we desire, but need to be careful not to sacrifice the important things in life. If you are pursuing investing to achieve a better quality of life, focus on quality deals and not quantity.

I’ve talked with many investors across the country and always ask what draws them to real estate investing. The answers vary, but typically can be summed up in one sentence, “I want a better quality of life.” Over my years of investing, I have come to realize that QUANTITY does not lead to QUALITY. My advice, if you want real estate investing to provide you with a good quality of life, you need to pursue good quality deals, not a good quantity of deals.

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Since 1998 Steve Cook has flipped many hundreds of houses as an active Baltimore-area real estate investor.

Steve’s unique specialty is the “flipping homes 1-2 punch”, a proven system of real estate investing that powerfully combines wholesaling and rehabbing houses.

Also the founder of www.FlippingHomes.com, Steve is dedicated to helping others in this thriving online community succeed through understanding and aggressively applying his time-tested, step-by-step approach to flipping real estate. Get FREE weekly tips from Steve Cook and other house flipping experts at www.flippinghomes. com

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Written By Steve Cook

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EA

Overcoming Fear Written By Matt Bowman

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was driving down the road the other day with a friend of mine putting up some “WE BUY HOUSES” signs.

I mentioned to my friend that it was kind of funny that I often got e-mail or phone calls from students of mine who are actually afraid to put up these signs. They feel that people will stare at them or they will get into trouble.

I have got into the habit of riding down the road and whenever I find a good spot for a sign, pulling over if I can or simply pulling over as far as I can to one side of the road, putting my flashers on, hopping out and jamming a sign in the ground, then hopping back in my van and continuing on down the road. (Yes, I’m the idiot you had to slow down and change lanes to get around! Don’t hate me! I’m trying to run a business here!) I have even done this with a police officer behind me. As long as you are not violating any laws or local regulations, you have nothing to worry about. (Of course, you need to check with your local code enforcement to check on local regulations regarding the use of these signs, which I already had.)

Now this is easy for me to do now, but when I started out doing real estate deals and using signs, I was nervous about going out and putting up signs, as well as a lot of other things. Why is this? I know that by just putting up a sign, I can make anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000! I have learned that the things that we are most afraid of are the things that we need to take a close look at and find out if the fear is keeping us from something good or something bad.

It had been sitting empty and broken down for years. I did all the “tough” work of inspecting the property, estimating repairs (I went so far as to go to home improvement stores with a list and price every item, then call all the local contractors and ask how much they would charge for each tiny little aspect of the rehab), finding the owner through tax records, figuring out what I could offer, etc.

I then got the phone out, sat down on my bed, got out my notes on the property and stared at the phone. I rehearsed in my mind over and over what I was going to say and how I was going to pitch the deal. And I stared at the phone.

I went back over my numbers and all the research I had done to confirm what my highest offer could be. I knew where I would start as an opening offer. Heck, I even knew some slick negotiating tactics that would get the owner to name a price first. And I stared at the phone.

After 2 and a half hours, I set the phone aside and thought, “OK, I’ll give it a little more thought and call tomorrow.” My mind instantly relaxed and said to me, “Good boy. Now go watch some TV and have some potato chips.” So I did. (Hey, who was I to argue with my brain?)

The next day, against my brain’s advice, I decided to get out my notes and phone again. To make a LONG story short, after about hour and a half of staring at the phone again, I thought to myself, “This is so stupid! What the worst that can happen? The guy says no?”

Fear has its place in our lives. Fear keeps us from doing many things that would harm us. However, it also keeps us stuck in our “safe”, secure little world, never to go out and try something new and unfamiliar that may be far better for us than anything we are currently doing to keep ourselves “safe and secure”.

I picked up the phone and dialed the number. After the first 2 rings my brain said, “Well, I guess he’s not home.

Hurry up and hang up before you annoy him if he really is there!” Just as I was about to set down the phone, someone answered!

When I was getting ready to do my very first deal years ago, I was looking at a house that needed to be rehabbed.

I fumbled around telling the man that I had noticed his vacant property and was wondering if he might be inter-

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ested in selling. He excitedly answered that he would and had been wanting to get rid of it for some time! What the heck had I been afraid of???

If you can overcome your fear of the unknown and simply take some steps towards getting a deal, I can guarantee you it will be a downhill slide once you get over that initial “hump” of fear! The rest of that deal went so easily for me! Even when I had trouble getting the deal to go through, it was fun because it was a learning experience!

The hard part was just talking to the owner!

squash that fear and move beyond it. It will be REALLY uncomfortable the first time, and maybe even the second time. However, if you can make it a habit to push through the fear, the other side is a lot better feeling than the mere “comfort” of inaction!

Matt Bowman, www.reitoolbox.com, is a full time investor who started investing in 1997. After several attempts to get started in creative real estate investing, he found his niche in sandwich lease options.

Fear is good if it is protecting you. However, if it is keeping you from bigger and better things, it is time to ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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The Power of Choice

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n aviation, the word “attitude” is a term that refers to the angle that the plane meets the wind, if the wings are level with the horizon and whether the aircraft is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his or her aircraft is in serious trouble. And likewise, any leader who fails to control their thoughts and take responsibility for their attitude runs a similar risk with their organization.

As a sales manager, you not only set the pace for your sales team, but you’re responsible for setting the tone as well. For better or worse, the leader’s attitude is contagious and permeates throughout their organization.

Positive, upbeat companies are always led by positive, upbeat managers. While we’re not always able to control our circumstances, we can and must control how we respond to life’s difficulties, setbacks and challenges. We have a choice about how our day is going to be.

How often do you talk to yourself and what do you say? Research in the field of psychology indicates that the average person maintains an ongoing mental dialog, or “self-talk,” of between 150 to 300 words per minute.

Unfortunately, not all of these thoughts are positive.

In fact, it has been estimated that of the thousands of thoughts we have each day, approximately 40 percent of them tend to be negative and self-critical in nature. Most of us are generally unaware of this negative background chatter, let alone its sabotaging effect on our emotional state, performance and well-being.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for

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they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

-- Anonymous Earl Nightingale, cofounder of the Nightingale-Conant Corp., concluded that life’s “strangest secret” is that you become what you think about all day long. If you want to know where your predominant thoughts lie and what you believe, look at what you are experiencing in your life.

Your thoughts are creative by nature and express themselves through your emotions, which in turn, drive your actions. Everything you say both positive and negative is in fact an affirmation and reflects your belief. Whatever you think, feel or say about your life today is the scaffolding that builds the events you will experience in the future.

Affirmation And Positive Self-Talk William Shakespeare said, “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” The first step in the process of changing your belief system is to monitor your thoughts and the next step is to control them through the power of choice. Once you become conscious of the critical aspects of your internal dialogue, you can choose to reframe your negative thoughts by substituting affirmative statements.

World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation and recognize the impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance. They use the power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety and increase their expectation of achievement. To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple, encouraging and stated in the present tense. By repeating an affirmation over and over again it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind.

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POWER Do affirmations really work and can they propel a person to greatness? As a teenager beginning his boxing career in Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay would frequently affirm, “I am the greatest of all time!” While many considered him boastful and few took this eightynine pound, twelve year old seriously, Mohammad Ali used the power of affirmation to become the greatest boxer of all time and arguably the most recognizable sports figure in the world.

Henry Ford was right when he said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t - you’re right.” Your belief system, like your computer, doesn’t judge what you input; it simply accepts it as the truth. The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to use your power of choice and take control of your thinking. It’s a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort.

Action Plan: Here are some suggestions to help you have a good day every day.

1. Establish the habit of getting up early.

• You’ll See It When You Believe It, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer • The Power Of Positive Thinking, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale • Think and Grow Rich, by Dr. Napoleon Hill • Psycho-Cybernetics, by Dr. Maxwell Maltz 3. Take a few moments to consider the upcoming activities of your day. Visualize events flowing. See people accept your ideas and your day unfolding in a harmonious and productive way. This is a good time to verbalize your affirmations.

4. Take time for some physical exercise.

5. At noon, take a 10-minute mental break to relax and replenish your energy.

John Boe presents a variety of training and motivational programs for meetings and conventions. John brings over twenty years of experience as an award-winning sales trainer to the platform. Copyright© 2005, John Boe. All rights reserved. For addition information, contact the Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com; http://www.frogpond.com.

2. Upon rising, read or listen to something positive and inspirational. Clinical studies indicate that our mind is most receptive to suggestion during the first 15-minutes upon awakening. Here are some books that will help you start your day off on the right foot.

• How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling, by Frank Bettger • The Magic Of Believing, by Claude M. Bristol

Written By John Boe ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only.

Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for.

If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance.

800-826-HOPE

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WE LIVE TO CURE CANCER. Science saving lives. cityofhope.org/bmt

11/25/13 6:02 PM

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WE’RE LOCAL As part of this community, we are dedicated to educating local veterans on the power of their VA home loan benefit. We invite all current and past military members to attend one of our free monthly seminars.

Visit SanDiegoVU.com/events to register for an upcoming seminar.

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Veterans United Home Loans of San Diego is a VA approved lender; Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs or any government agency.

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