We are home from the best Relocation Directors Council Meeting ever!

San Diego was the perfect backdrop for our spring meeting, learning sessions and networking with people from around the world. We had a busy two days with jam packed fun and learning!

Our morning panel discussion purpose was to provided our members with insight about where we are headed in the real estate market, financing issues and understanding all the factors that contribute to employee’s reluctance to move and how we can work collaboratively with all the service providers to meet these challenges. Our panel was made up of Pam O’Connor, President/CEO, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Linda Hawkins, President, Winkelmann Realty, Freda Ingram-Brown, Senior Vice President, Relocation, Bank of America, Denise Nicco, Director of Relocation, PG&E Corporation, Janelle Piatkowski, President, Cornerstone Relocation, Tom Colucci, Director of Real Estate Services, Mobility Services International, Michael Nasr, Vice President, Director of Client Services, Countrywide, Allison Basley, CIG Marketing Director, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Very interesting discussion and comments from panel and attendees around the room.

In the afternoon our panel topic was, New Sources of Revenue. Our panel presenters were Teresa Howe, Coldwell Banker, John D’Ambrogio, Rubloff, Jan Harbor, Crye-Leike, Patricia Pollard, Coldwell Banker United, Sharon Michnay, Halsted Properties. Many great ideas were presented and comments from the floor. Fresh new ideas on how we can network and grow our business in today’s real estate market.

Later in the afternoon, we have Roundtable Sessions on topics from; Client Relocation Policies and Challenges that are Being Faced Today, Transparency of Communication and Expectation of Vendors of Corporate Clients, Third Party Relationships in Today’s Market, Internet Leads Management Structure and Staffing, Web 2.0 - Social Media, Absorption Rate Calculations, Procedures for REO Programs, Surviving in a Down Market, The Process of Short Sales, Challenges with the NEW ERC BMA form, Managing Inventory-Third Party Perspective, How to Get your Foot in the Door with Third Party Companies. Great great information and sharing from each table of presenters and participants.

Every meeting we all walk away with such great information and time spent sharing with one another. Learning what is happening in our real estate relocation world and how we can better serve the client. I personally appreciate every member and the hand that has been extended to make me feel welcome and such a part of RDC.

Here’s a note from two very important people with RDC…..

“In all our years in relocation there has never been a time where this segment of the business is as important to our company’s bottom line as it has been in 2008 and will be in 2009. As a group, we can support the needs of our brokers by continuing to perform and build business opportunities through our relationships with corporate and relocation management clients. In addition, we have members willing to share their proven ideas for generating new revenue.”

-Maggie Kiesow, 2008 RDC Past President and Judy Gray, 2009 RDC President

Posted By: Tammy Carroll

Wow! Finally something is being said nationally about the problem with obtaining Jumbo Mortgages. This credit lock-up has really adversely affected Buyers from purchasing houses in the over $550,000 and has caused a significant problem with absorption rates for these homes in our Williamson County Market. Check out this must read article for Realtors, Sellers and Buyers alike!

Locally, we have been hugely affected in our upper end market. Just look at the jump in Absorption Rates since June of 2007! They doubled in 16 months (June 07 to Oct 08) , then doubled again in 6 months from Oct 08 to April 09.

Lets hope that with some National attention being paid to this problem, the banks will find a way to responsibly loosen up the credit lines for responsible borrowers!

Posted By: Charlene Kimmel

Over the years I have always thought about how I enjoy meeting new people and getting to know them. You just never know where your paths may cross or have crossed in the past. My favorite part of serving in my position is, meeting new corporate clients and sharing Nashville with them. Nashville is an awesome place to live work and play and it has been evident in our past relocation clients that have moved to town. I’ve had the honor to partner with many people around the city while helping clients fall in love with Nashville just as we have. Janet Jones is one of the people I just love to work with. She is an awesome lady and one of the best people I know. I’m proud to call Janet my friend!

Bob Parks Realty and Apex & Robert E Lee Moving and Storage has had a partnership for several years and have gotten to know one another well while serving our clients. I love the story Janet tells in her travels as well; click here to read about her travels.

“Janet and her son, Chris partner with many corporate clients to provide the best service. Janet and Chris have moved several of our Bob Parks Realty offices and have done a great job. We appreciate their high standards and work ethics while building relationships helping people”!

Posted By: Tammy Carroll

May is my favorite month in Portland, Tennessee. If you don’t know about Portland, Tennessee, let me fill you in. I have lived in Portland, TN all of my life. Portland is a community of 10,046, and growing, located in northern middle Tennessee; 5 miles south of Kentucky, 35 miles north of Nashville,Tennessee, which is the State capital.

Now that you know where we are, it’s Strawberry Time in Portland, that’s why May is my favorite month – of course, it’s my birthday month as well. This month is our annual Strawberry Festival, May 8-16, 2009. This Saturday, May 16, 2009, the city will shut down, streets will be blocked off, for our Strawberry Festival. The day will start out with a 5K run, and then, pancake breakfast, Hwy 52 longest yard sale, antique car show, carnival, parade, music, and of course, STRAWBERRIES! You can visit PortlandTn.com for a list of all the events.

I ate my first strawberry of the season last week. I even put a few quarts in the freezer for the winter months – they probably won’t last until then. Of course eating that first big juicy red strawberry brought back memories of my grandmother and how she would always make me a Strawberry shortcake for my birthday! We have strawberry patches where you can pick your own or buy them already picked. So bring your family, walking shoes, and lawn chairs for some old-fashioned family fun in Portland on Saturday, May 16, 2009.

You know, there’s a lot to offer in Portland, TN, so I’ll fill you in on more in the future, but if you’d like to know more about my wonderful city, please contact me.

Posted By: Beverly Cannon

In keeping with our “spring greens” theme, the next stop on the Tour is the 2009 Tennessee Polk Salad Festival, held in Harriman on Saturday May 9th.

You may remember the song “Polk Salad Annie”, and have wondered “What in the world is Polk Salad?”. Basically a weed, Polk Salad (aka Polk Sallet) is actually poisonous in the growth stages beyond it’s infancy (it produces purple berries and grows to over 5’ when fully mature). Many “country folk” have enjoyed it and have learned (the hard way I guess???) not to harvest shoots over 7 inches for consumption.

The festival will be held in Historic Downtown Harriman, “The City That Temperance Built”. Harriman is in Roane County, just east of the Cumberland Plateau and nestled in the rolling mountains outside Knoxville. It’s a straight shoot out I-40 East from Nashville (2.5 - 3 hours).

Celebrations will commence at 10 am at the Harriman Riverfront Park. This old fashioned festival will feature games, sack and three legged races for the kids, a cooking contest, horseshoe tournaments, live bluegrass music by Wild Blue Yonder, and The Gene Horner Fiddle Shop Band, and craft and concession vendors (I wonder if there is a “Polk Salad” based fair food?)

AND OF COURSE…. The Pageant, where Miss Polk Salad 2009 will be crowned from a group of lovely contestants who will compete for this year’s title and the $400 first place prize! Anyone 16-30 can enter, so give them a call down at the Rocky Top General Store, to sign up!

For more info, Click Here.

Hope to see you there!

Posted By: Dawne Davis

You know, after living in our homes for a while, do you ever want to change things around but can’t “see” the room any different? I want to change my den around but can’t figure out how to move the furniture around. But I know when a Professional Stager walks in, they would be able to fluff it around in no time flat. Take something from one room, put it in another and mix it all up. I’m thinking about having a friend of mine do just that. Kathy Fix (pictured) is a Professional Stager who works in the Nashville Middle Tennessee area and has helped people from all over town. She does a great job of working with what people already own to create a different look, clear out and spruce up. She has helped several relocation clients and friends around town. Bob Parks Realty suggest we stage homes when putting on the market to help them sell quicker. Below is homestaging advice from Kathy Fix, owner of Staging Dreams.

“With the amount of inventory of houses on the market now, it’s more important than ever that your house outshine the competition and one of the best ways to accomplish that is to STAGE IT! By clearing out clutter, rearranging furniture, and neutralizing colors a seller can present a more attractive product to potential buyers. Buyers aren’t interested in buying your stuff, and don’t care how cute those photos of your kids are. They are looking for a great house that they can make their own, so don’t distract them with how your personality fills the house.
When a home is professionally staged it looks bigger, newer, and better maintained, leading to quicker sales and better sales prices. I just had a vacant house I staged in Smyrna get a contract within one week of staging and it closed in less than 30 days. STAGING WORKS! With multiple levels of staging services starting at less than $100, can you afford not to stage? ‘The Investment in Staging is always less than your first price reduction.’”

Posted By: Tammy Carroll

Within the next 10 years or less light emitting diodes or (LEDS) will surpass CFLs as the predominate lighting source. Research is ongoing to perfect the product before an entire house can be illuminated with LEDs that are more cost effective than CFLs. Currently LEDs are being used in smaller appliance’s such as holiday lighting, flashlights, and landscaping, to name a few. The national research cooperative that is testing LEDs say the savings on electricity from computer chip LEDs will be a very important factor in attaining the government mandated energy efficiency standards by 2010. LEDs could account for approximately 30 percent of savings. One or two cities have replaced incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs in all traffic signals resulting in a significant amount of savings to tax payers. Many local electrical coop’s are going to test LEDs independently on some outdoor lighting, realizing that they are still in the experimental phase but are quickly improving.

Posted by:Bob Cunningham

Eileen George, Broker for Bob Parks Realty in Summer County has been involved with a group called, “Positive Like Minded People” for about 90 days now. It has been so exciting to hear the stories that are being told about the people attending these sessions. Have you ever thought about going to a “get together” with No agenda? No plan? No leader? Well, hang on!! The “PLMP” folks have got us beat.

Eileen’s comments about the current groups are fun to hear about! See what you think………

I’m back to discuss the impact of Positive Like-Minded People (PLMP) throughout our community. We have hundreds of members now and groups meeting in Portland, Franklin, Gallatin, Goodlettsville, Hendersonville, and Cookeville and beyond. This in itself speaks volumes for the desire to surround ourselves with positive upbeat people and communicating it wherever we go.

On April 29th we will commemorate our ninety days since we started in Starbucks, Gallatin. Please help us celebrate by posting something on your face book “status” for day using the word “Positive”. We can make a difference one person at a time with one word at a time leaning towards the end result of creating a better world for all of us.

Click Here to post your thoughts about this movement.

Let’s watch what happens and I’ll report again after this experience. Thanks for choosing to make a positive contribution… Eileen

Posted By: Tammy Carroll