Hawaii Real Estate | Hawaii Relocations | Hawaii Home Buying & Selling

You know, many would think that when others have a positive attitude towards business, and life in general, is a means to try and trample over those without regard to how they affect them. That is not so and the positive are not weak in nature to begin with.

I have long since learned that a positive outlook doesn't mean I just follow others around and keep in tune with the "Joneses" but to be direct and honest WITH regard to my intent that in doing so I am not affecting others in a negative way. On the flip side, I am keeping healthy boundaries and don't let others cross that line. Being assertive and direct with a meaningful tone by the way.

There are those that have ulterior motives to hurt when telling people the ‘truth' and those that just need to be straightforward with the only intent of others respecting them for their honest opinions.

In other words, there's a right way and a wrong way of doing things.

My mom used to try and pound that into my head from ‘kid time'.  I used to think that telling people something they didn't want to hear would hurt them. Not so in the real estate business. We HAVE to be straightforward in this business so our client's have a clear understanding of the market, the process and the end result.

Same goes for online communication and connections. I'm one of ‘those' that will try and avoid ‘unnecessary' conflict. Do I care how long someone has been doing something?  I think I would rather identify how the quality of work and the sincerity of the person is compared to ‘how much' or ‘how long'. And without personal interaction of some sort (telephone, face to face) the typewritten word may sometimes portray obscenity and ill disregard to another.

There is a right way and wrong way of doing things and to not give a ‘shirt' about another and how I may affect them may just be chalked up to self centeredness.  So, I'll just continue with what's good for me......which by all means may not be the same for you....but with all good intentions that I'm not affecting anyone in a negative manner.

Signing off....

Being Positive Doesn't Mean We Let THEM Walk All Over Us

There are things that each individual will connect with for inner strength. Those awesome niche's in ones inner being that tell them that they are 'all right'.  The stillness to catch my breath in ever moving time and the objects that just may give me a reason to believe.

I find those wonderous things in a crashing wave and a rustling wind about my face. I find these things in the beauty of a bloom. Take time to reflect, to catch your breath and regroup if need be......and gain that strength to just move on. 

Take a moment.....................

You ever have one of those days that just doesn't start out great? Well, today was one of those days.

I'm one of those agents that has to do everything correctly; down to correcting typos or mistakes. ESPECIALLY when it comes to property addresses.

So, today I make a call to a Management Company for an Association and end up getting yelled at for asking to redo a 2006 approval for a deck that had the wrong complex name (about 20 miles in the other direction)

I questioned the fact that they wanted to just line it out and initial it.  Taking something like this to the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting to get an after the fact building permit may/may not fly.

But this is what we got....a crossed out and initialed property complex  .......by fax.

Sometimes titles go to their head.

Okay, so on with the rest of the day. Help an agent do a flow chart for an investor and then, a gentleman walks in and hands me a bouquet of flowers.

I actually confused him with a home inspector that came in on Friday too but he had rushed out again.

It clicked! He walked into our office this past Friday for a rental and we didn't have what he was looking for. A single family home with 1400 sq/ft or more on the Mililani Mauka side of Mililani. He was just here for the weekend to look for property and then he had to fly back to the mainland and move his family here.

Bottom line, I pulled up a few rental listings, he calls and then asks me if I could possibly pull up the maps to the three appointments he made. Sure thing! And off he goes....until he walks in this morning.

A small act of kindness...and when I least expected it an appreciation and kind gesture ....

Just when I needed it. 

Funny how the universe works.

What goes around comes around.

Today is February 23, 2009: When I opened my front door this morning, this is the view that peeked through the rooftops and beckoned me to snap a shot.  Funny how the little things in life can really make a difference in how your day will go. Ah.... the mind...the thinking and how one approaches each and every day.

I dare not let any moment of the day pass without acknowledging every little thing I am grateful for.

A rising sun on the east

Different colors and hues

A hint of the new day 

Rising between colors of blue.

If there is anything in this life of mine that I am truly grateful for

Is waking every morning and living the day; and sleeping well at night.

What's that saying that when one door closes another opens? I firmly believe that no matter what kind of situation or circumstance the bottom line for a positive outcome will always be because of "ALL IN THE MANNER OF HOW I HANDLED IT".

After working so hard on getting every contingency met and getting ready to close the buyers backed out last week. My hard work and effort and my seller's heart and soul firmly set in getting all the details done for his move and then the bomb drops. There was no solid answer why and from the beginning of that "mess" I chose to just accept it and move on.

I can't make anyone tell me why.

Easy for me to say and do when my sellers life was turned upside down right?  Wrong. I have always been one to get a little emotionally involved with my clients. Why? Because it's the personal touch and caring that make each transaction just a little more special and rewarding. It's the caring that goes into each and every client that brings heartache or joy and puts me in the class of "being human".

In this case I really had to be strong for the both of us and immediately put it back up on the market and within hours started receiving calls. I have to keep going even when things looked bleak. It can only change around if we put forth the effort.

Within that cooling down period ......I showed property to my buyers (different clients) for a couple of days and we got our contract accepted this morning. A beautiful family buying their first home and eyes sparkling with high hopes that everything will work out just fine.

There are ups and downs and all arounds; joyous cries and tears of sorrow.

Mystery, doubt and fear;  for we know not what life will bring us tomorrow. 

Rewarding beyond a doubt;  It's caring and going above and beyond

A fine line between caring or not; Of losing that common bond.

Of Being Human.

Most Realtors® have the ability to change like a chameleon at every situation, circumstance and turn. There are NO two transactions ever alike and we learn from each and every one.

When one door closes another opens. It's the gift of positive energy. 

Will you look through the cracks?

Wow...amazing how I feel so relieved from just coloring those boxes in at the poll center in my neighborhood this morning! A misty kind of morning to fit well with the mystery of the anticipated outcome of our election process.

In the meantime, while all the hoo haaa was going on the last 21 months during the campaigning I was out there keeping the balance with my work and family life. In my mind, soul, heart and being I have come to learn that balance will always be key to my success in all areas of my life.

You see, I believe success starts from within and with that in mind I carried through this last year focusing on what I need to do to keep afloat in spirit and of course in my business. Last December we had curve balls flying from all directions. The year started with my family keeping a positive outlook. My husband kept telling me that we need not worry.

"Because good things happen to good people," he said. And he added, "And we're good people."

Let go of fear, worry, hypothetical situations and all that comes with the "what ifs" and just DO IT.

And we did.

• My business started slow the first half of the year but was steady.
• The last half a year has been grand and I am ending the year at a higher level than last year.
• My son finally got his VA approval for school and he is comfortably settled in to studying after a long two year process of once again establishing his residency here and getting ready to start school.
• My daughter is continuing at the same college after finally deciding that her dream is forensic science.
• My husband was settled in his new job two months after his company closed this past January nationwide...and he's happy.  
• My dog Shadow is stable with her blood platelets at a normal level.
• Blogging on  brought me half of my clients this year from my blog and my website (which by the way..is directly linked to ActiveRain for all I've learned to MAKE my website findable)
• My mom is going to be 81 years old come Januaryand 2008 at 80 years old was well spent! (still working, golfing, Las Vegas twice and more!)
• We made it through the second year of no smoking. So what if we put on an extra 10 pounds and can't get rid of it, right? January 13th will make two years after 30+ of smoking.
• I voted this morning and no matter what the outcome I will support our Mayor, our President and others that are chosen. Acceptance.

Don't you think that looking for all the positives around me helped?

Relief after the 'storm'.

No matter what the situation or circumstance I have to be prepared to handle it. Life ALWAYS has curve balls thrown at us to test us and to give us grand learning lessons in this big game of games.....called LIFE.

We can either let it suck the energy out of us or deal with it. Always keep in mind that there IS something to be learned.

Needless to say, this has been one big week for me with many learning lessons.

• Signing was tentatively set for Thursday morning but loan docs were not drawn yet.
• Escrow from the closing the week before sent my clients refund check and closing documents to the wrong address.
• Ear Infection? Went to the doctor Thursday afternoon only to find out.......
• That I have strep throat and this topped everything off everything for a busy week.
• Late Friday afternoon the loan docs came in but won't be ready for signing until Monday but client is unavailable due to military stuff.
• Repairs finally completed and home is ready to do final walk through.
• Scheduled Open House today and had to have another agent cover for me.
• Yard man scheduled for mom's yard yesterday and I had to beg him to do 'something' in the drizzling rain until he finally gave up at noon to pouring rains. (mom's yard really needed work....again)

So what are my learning lessons?

• No need to fret, worry, nag, rant or rave. There are things that happen that are NOT in my control and I need to just accept that.
• What I do have control over is MYSELF. And I have no energy to waste anyway lol.
• I can reschedule, get help and continue on with transactions & open houses.
• My body says rest. Needless to day, I literally HAD to and though feeling crappy it feels good to ....blog.
• My husband can take care of me (wait on me) and listen to my whining "I don't like being sick". That got old quick :)
• That it's time to get off the pc....because I just used the little energy I had to write this :)

Have a good Sunday and a wonderful upcoming week!