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“Top of the mornin’ to ya!” A Tribute to Bill Hestwood

Sometimes we encounter people in our lives who just make our day better. You may not know how they positively affect your day, you just know that they do.

50860291_2276886669011769_1677707705780797440_n Bill Hestwood was one of those people. He would sit quietly doing his work, but he’d smile when you looked at him. He’d toil around in his files, answer his phone, sometimes gently grumble at his computer, but then someone would walk in the door, and in his booming voice, say, “Howdy, Bub!” 

Everyone was Bill’s friend. It was hard to not be. He made it easy to like him. Through reflection this week, it became more evident why.

He just “was.” He didn’t try to be positive and optimistic, he just was. He didn’t try to be helpful and available to our agents, he just was. He didn’t join Kiwanis because it would help his business. He didn’t referee because it would land him clients. He didn’t golf or play bridge for the networking opportunities. 

His involvement with his community, colleagues, family and friends was because he thoroughly enjoyed doing those things. There was no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive. He was there simply because he wanted to be. He was happy. He just was. 

Many times over the years, we’ve turned to him for help. It may have been helping a new agent with paperwork, attending a closing, or seeking advice. He would never flaunt his knowledge or his experience, but it exuded from him in a quietly confident kind of way. 

60637080_10156273466922717_1924206886899417088_oAnd for us, knowing he had over 50 years in the business and was still going strong with writing contracts, showing houses… still making a go of it… we felt comforted somehow. He made us feel like we would make it, too. To be in his presence felt reassuring, but not on a conscious level. He just had a way of lifting a room by merely being in it. 

Bill taught us a lot about what living a good life should be, even though like everything else, he never talked about it. He led through example. He would call Jan on the phone while at work just to check in with her. It didn’t matter that he had just seen her, or that he would be home soon, he wanted to talk to her. His love for her radiated through him. 

57418985_10219084511411542_3660451062734651392_oHe was also so proud of his children and grandchildren. He absolutely loved seeing them, sometimes driving hours just to catch a quick game. He would come in on Mondays to tell us about fishing or hunting with “Son Jeffrey” that weekend. Or how the grand kids performed in their latest event.

I never heard him say the words “I can’t”, and he very rarely complained. He was the hardest worker during our office Earth Day Clean-Up, refusing to quit until the job was done. He’d come in dirty and dripping wet from placing flags in bad weather, say “How are you this fine afternoon?”, and get right to work on his deals. 

He taught us to never stop learning and growing. He was the only person in our office who showed zero fear about doing Facebook Live, and not only did he do it without hesitation, but he crushed it. Technology wasn’t his friend, but he figured out a way to get along, happily writing his first Facebook comment just a few weeks ago. 

I once asked him on a frustrating day how he managed to stay in this business for as long as he had, how he dealt with the ups and downs, the frustrations, and unkind people, and he said, “Well, Sunshine, you just do.” 

1781856_10152793244242717_2155189675105608046_oAnd this is how Bill lived his life. No matter what came his way, he was always moving forward, looking ahead, seeing the positive, the happiness, and the genuine. Sure he had rough times, but he didn’t dwell on them. They didn’t keep him down. He just kept going, rising above, and being the best he could be. He didn’t teach this to all of us through lecturing, he taught this through living. And live he did.  

We will miss you, Bill.  Job well done, our friend. 

William (Bill) Hestwood 9-27-35 - 10-23-19

Thinking about moving? We Can Help!

thinking about moving we can help

My husband and I have been thinking about moving. It’s been a really hard decision. We love our house, our yard, our neighborhood, and especially our neighbors. We built our house to meet our needs, and it still meets our needs ten years later.

So why move? Well, basically, I’m sick of driving. We live outside my kids’ school district, so between school, practice, piano lessons, work, and everything else, all I do is drive. And it’s only going to get worse over the next seven years.

Continue Reading →

Know Better? Do Better.

Know better DO BETTERI recently completed a Master Gardener course, and I can honestly say I feel less like a “master” now than I did before I started. I still say plant names wrong. I still don’t know what to prune when. And I still can’t identify different trees. But do I actually know more than I did before? Yes. But now I also know how much more there is to learn. My basic knowledge is just the beginning.

This is true in every profession. And that’s scary.

Think back to your first year in real estate. Were you excited? Yes. Nervous? Probably. Worried you’d make a mistake? Absolutely. But going on appointments, having daily interactions, and handling situations allowed those feelings to lessen. You gained experience and knowledge.

Over the years I’ve learned a few things. Sometimes my buyers love a house that I don’t, so I allow them to share their thoughts first. I’ve learned that my tiny phone screen isn’t the best way to read- and react to- counter offers. And I just can’t go back to taking my own photos after hiring a professional that first time. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I’ve upped my game. And now that I know better, I do better.

This is something we should strive for every day. We aren’t always going to know everything, and we aren’t always going to handle every situation perfectly. But once you learn from something, improve on it next time. Do better than the day before.

Over the course of a career, our work ethic improves. Our knowledge base increases. Sales techniques sharpen, and marketing ideas change. As long as we are willing to learn and grow, our business will follow. Does this mean we need to keep raising our standards? Absolutely.

Do you know better? Then do better. Always.

Know Better? Do better. 

What is TRID? Real estate changes are here.

Major changes and overhauls have been taking place in most professions. The medical field has changed significantly over the years, insurance benefits and policies have been restructured, and the education field has revamped teacher evaluations, curriculum, and more. It’s just a fact of life right now. And real estate isn’t immune.

Since the passing of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, lenders, title companies, appraisers, and Realtors have all been dealing with major changes. Most of the changes have merely been annoying, and some have caused a bigger hit to the pocketbook for buyers and sellers, but nothing has been as drastic as the changes that recently took effect October 3rd, 2015.

What is TRID?This latest set of reform, known as TRID, is causing major delays for real estate clients. What is TRID? TRID is slowing the buying process by forcing our lenders and title companies to scramble, interpret gray areas, and create new computer programs. And, like most changes thrown upon us, there is nothing we can do about it.  The best thing to do is to let you know how these changes affect you. Continue Reading →

Why Hire a Realtor?

Why Hire a RealtorMy husband and I went to a comedy show the other night, and the opening comedian was talking about how Home Depot has managed to “con” people into thinking that they can do home improvement projects on their own when really they shouldn’t do anything on their own. He said we are all crazy to think that just because we get some help at the store and watch a few YouTube videos, we should all remodel our own houses. He said, “You didn’t even buy your own house on your own, so what makes you think you can do work on it by yourself?”

I know why we try to do things on our own- it’s to save money. Rarely does it save us time, but it usually saves us money.  Why doesn’t it save us time? Think about it: Someone who does a certain task every day is going to have better equipment, more expertise, and more experience which allows them to do things in half the time. Continue Reading →

Are you working with a Top Tier or Bottom Tier Realtor?

The other day while sitting in a closing with one of our agents, the wife of the seller asked when the title company moved in to their newly built building. Her husband, who owns a cement company, replied, “They moved in right after they didn’t use me for the concrete work.” I laughed probably harder than I should have. That response was awesome!

How nice would it be when someone says to me, “When did the Johnson’s put their house on the market?” to reply with, “Right after they didn’t ask me to list it for them.” Or “Did you hear that Mary just bought a house?” and I say, “Yeah, I heard that right after she didn’t use me as her agent.”

I’m not saying that I expect everyone to use me for their real estate needs. I realize that a lot of people know multiple Realtors. So it isn’t that someone chose someone else to work with, it’s more about who they chose to work with. Continue Reading →

Realtors Keep Secrets – Even From You

 

My parents have never been into gossip. My dad sold life insurance for 40 years, and as a result, knew a lot of secrets. He knew when people were diagnosed with serious illnesses, when people were divorcing, and when a baby was on the way. When something would happen in our small town, he always knew about it first, but never said a word. When the rumor mill started and the story would change over and over, he kept quiet. He still knows a lot of secrets, and he’ll never tell them. He learned, as have I, that keeping your mouth shut is a very powerful tool in business.

Here’s why Realtors keep secrets:

Buying or selling a house is a very emotional experience. During this process, nerves are frayed.  Without a doubt, sensitive situations arise. Because we know this, we know the number one way to combat it is to keep our mouth shut and our ears open. Telling too much information will ruin deals. My dad always told me that it wasn’t our business to tell someone else’s business. If I’m working with you, only you and whoever you tell know about it. If you want to tell people you found your dream home, tell all the people you want. They won’t hear it from me. Continue Reading →

Renegotiating an Accepted Offer

Negotiating You're Doing It WrongA real estate transaction is full of surprises. You never know what will arise. Renegotiating the piddly stuff after an accepted offer is a bad idea.

I recently listed a home that is an estate. The home itself is a little rough, but it’s structurally sound, has a nice floor plan, and has beautiful property. We priced it with all this in mind. We had a ton of showings right away, and we received an offer within a couple days of listing it.

After some negotiating, we had a signed, accepted offer. The agreement was a couple thousand under list price, some closing costs were kicked in, and the buyers would pay for all inspections. The buyer, being a contractor, did the home inspection himself. Following the inspection, he decided he wanted to start renegotiating the accepted offer. Continue Reading →

Prepare Your Home to Sell

Prepare Your Home To SellLast weekend, my husband and I hosted a party for his teaching staff at our home. He’s been wanting to do it for five years, and this year I finally relented. But I had a couple requests- new flooring and fresh paint. With two boys and three animals, our nine year old carpet had seen better days, and my walls had been tormented by light saber wars and bouncing balls. It took me three weeks to get the new flooring ordered and installed, the walls painted, new trim installed, and the dust explosion cleaned up.

It was a lot of work! And on top of the inside needing some improvements, the outside needed some attention, too. Landscaping is my hobby, but this summer I’ve been so busy with work that I hadn’t been able to weed as aggressively as usual. Bushes needed trimmed, plants needed pruned, and weeds pulled. I spent two days outside working on just that. For about ten minutes before the party, my house was absolute perfection. It was the best it had ever been, and the best it will ever be again. I looked at my husband and said, “If we ever want to sell this house, now is the time. This is what a house needs to look like to get the highest dollar.”

This weekend, I scheduled showings for three buyers. I showed twelve houses in one day. Guess how many of those houses were show ready? Three. And I’m not talking about houses that are $20,000 and need TLC. I’m talking about lakefront homes and homes on large tracts of land. So what does a show-ready home look like? Here’s a list: Continue Reading →