We love our pets

You might already know that my mom was in town for our annual Client Appreciation Party on November 10. It was also her birthday, and Rick surprised me by flying her down. She was here for 10 days, and we spent a lot of time running around to various shops and eateries - things she can't experience in my hometown of Boone, Iowa.

As we were going from place to place, she commented many times about how so many people have dogs - big dogs - and they take them everyplace. I told her one of the things that makes Austin Austin is that people enjoy their pets.

Well, yesterday I was cleaning out my stack of magazines - you know, the ones you subscribe to because you just know you'll read them, but then you end up with a whole stack that you haven't read, then you feel bad for wasting money/paper/etc? One of those for me is Austin Monthly. Don't get me wrong - I always like the content - I just don't always get it read.

One of the issues that I have kept around was the Pet Lovers Bible edition. It is several months old, and I just got around to reading it. The information and resources included in the article are great - and I figured I'd post it here for those of you who are interested.

Now I'm not sure if Austin Monthly is going to be so happy about this - so it could disappear without notice (read: download it NOW or it may be gone!). I'm hoping that providing the above links to their website along with subscription information will help.

So, enjoy the article. Consider subscribing to the magazine. And for heaven's sake - clean up after your pet! ;)

A new resource for homeowners

Brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS®, HouseLogic is full of tips and tricks to help maintain and improve your home.

Check out the site for all kinds of information - decorating, drainage, improvement, maintenance, tax benefits and tons of other stuff.

Questions about what you see? Give me a call!

By the way, who is the next person you know that could use my help buying or selling a home or condo in the Austin area? Please, don't keep me a secret!

Funny stuff....

You know how you can just be minding your own business, and then you see something that just makes you laugh? This is one of those things....

Now, I'm not sure if this is just a great marketing idea or a random fluke. Thoughts??

Black Friday is almost here

And there are some fantastic deals to be had. I myself am about to head to San Marcos to the Tommy Bahama outlet, where they have 50% off the entire store. Now that's kinda exciting.

If you're a techie, check out this site for the Black Friday offers at many retailers.

One thing to remember, though. It's not a good deal if you can't afford it! With credit card interest rates creeping into the twenties even for the best customers, all the savings can be quickly eroded should you not pay that bill off within the grace period (those are shortening too, by the way).

Enjoy! And - be good!

Holiday times....

Can you believe this week is Thanksgiving??? Wow! We're nearly to Christmas then to 2010 - amazing how time flies.

This year has been a fascinating one - lots of changes - all for the better.

One of the things I really enjoy about this time of year is making fun stuff for friends and family. This year I have been an embroidering fool. Bookmarks, polos, table covers - mostly for our new company Cardani Group, REALTORS®. We use these items as gifts and thank yous.

Recently I posted a status update on Facebook saying I was going to make some applique sweatshirts for my mom for Christmas. I got a few emails saying "ya right"....so here's the proof!

This photo is the front of the first shirt:


This is the back - centered just below the collar:


I'll post some photos of the second shirt soon....trying something "fancy" on the back. Keep yer fingers crossed for me!

The November Newsletter is available!

Check out the latest edition of my monthly newsletter.

Have you RSVP'd for the Client Party next week? We're looking forward to seeing you there!

If you've been on the fence...it's time to B U Y

This just in....the First Time Buyers Tax Credit has been extended...and enhanced to provide a credit for existing homeowners who have owned their homes for 5 years.

Who do you know that needs my help to make a residence change right now? With historic low interest rates, a relatively flat market, and now this additional tax credit - waiting shouldn't be an option!

More details.....

We are very pleased to report to you that the House of Representatives passed legislation today to extend and expand the current first-time homebuyer tax credit. The House action follows the Senate's approval on Wednesday and we anticipate President Obama will sign the bill in very short order.

The bill extends the current $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit (which was due to expire at the end of November) through April, 2010. It also includes a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified move up buyers and increases the borrower income limits for both credits to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for couples.

Homebuyers will qualify for the full credit as long as they have entered a binding contract by April 30, 2010 and they close the transaction by June 30, 2009. The tax credit is limited to homes with a purchase price of $800,000 and below. The bill also includes anti-fraud language that gives the IRS the authority to do greater oversight during the processing of the return.

In addition, the legislation waives the recapture provision for members of the armed forces who are called on extended duty. These members of our military and uniformed services, who are out of the country for at least 90 days, will also be eligible to use the tax credit upon their return through April 30, 2011.

Voting Day is coming up....

...and there are a few propositions that are of particular importance to property owners in Texas.

You already know I'm not a big politics guy. Especially given the state of "politics" in our country at this time. HOWEVER, it IS important for you to voice your opinion on changes that impact you - especially when you are well informed and have made your opinions based on actual facts vs. scare tactics (but we won't go there today!).

Check out this article for information on the propositions important to Texas property owners. And, if you feel compelled, consider donating to the Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee. Find out more here.

TREPAC is important to at least be aware of. For many years I had no intention or desire of knowing what TREPAC was all about. I thought they were some messed up organization that promoted people I probably didn't want to be part of promoting. What I have discovered is that TREPAC supports candidates and policy that protects the rights of individual property owners in the State of Texas. If you own property, or want to own property - you need to be paying attention to the organization.

And most importantly - GO VOTE!

My customer service story - Part IIG

Ok....so after the grocery store incident, I made my way over to ABoR and enjoyed two fantastic classes instructed by a top notch national instructor (I'm not putting her name here because I don't want her to be associated with the rest of this entry!) on Social Networking, The REALTOR® Code of Ethics, and how to adjust my company's policy and procedure manual given this new social networking world we're in. Great classes. Only 30 people there - that might be the topic of my next post!

Anyway, at the end of the day I went home, traffic a little heavier than normal but no big problems. Took a bit of a nap (let's be honest, I'm not used to getting up at 6 a.m. and engaging my brain until 4 p.m. non-stop!). Then we decided to head to Best Buy to look at laptops and iPod stuffs. When we were done with that we were going to figure out what to do for dinner. In the car on the way to the store, we decided pizza sounded good. I pulled out my iphone and did a google search for the pizza place we wanted to order from. It's one of my favorites - but not as good as Casey's Pizza back home!

I found the site, but couldn't get a phone number to come up for the local store. Thankfully Rick was able to. So I called the store, and asked them what their specials were. They were two large two topping pizzas for 19.99. I asked if they had a special that included a specialty pizza - she said yes, one specialty pizza and one large two topping pizza for 21.99. I said perfect - let me figure out what specialty pizza we want and I'll call you back.

So we fired up the iphone again and looked at the specialty pizzas. I settled on the Smokehouse bacon and something or other - that came from the menu I pulled up on the iphone. Rick wanted the two topping to be Canadian bacon and mushrooms. So I called back and someone else answered....here's how it went.

PG (phone guy): Thank you for calling ABC Pizza (name changed to protect the...well, anyway), would you like to try two large two topping pizzas for 19.99

ME: No, but I'd like the one large specialty and one large two topping pizza for 21.99

PG: Sure sir - are you Chad Cardani at 2523 Carlow?

ME: Yes I am (wondering why they know this and thinking it's creepy - but a sign of the times apparently)

PG: Ok great. Is this pickup or delivery?

ME: Pickup (we're too cheap to pay someone to deliver it)

PG: Ok, what would you like as your specialty pizza?

ME: The Smokehouse Bacon and something or other (again, directly from the menu on Ricks' iphone that was in my hand)

PG: Gosh I'm having a really hard time hearing you - these phones are terrible. Would you repeat that?

ME: Sure. I want the (repeated it....THREE TIMES)

PG: Ok sir, sorry about that, it's really hard to hear. (in the background - HEY Sheila - is asjas;liasdglkasf asdljhasd asdl;hfasd asdjhk ) I couldn't tell what he was saying. Phone was hard to hear on. :)

PG: Ok sir, that will be $26.00 plus $2.00 for tax.

ME: 26 PLUS 2 for tax?

PG: Yes.

ME: How is that? The special is 21.99 for blah blah blah....

PG: Yes, but the Smokehouse Bacon blah blah pizza isn't a specialty pizza anymore, so I had to create it for you, and that adds more toppings (apparently that is what he was talking to Sheila about"

ME: But it says it is a specialty pizza online

PG: Well that's online - we're on the phone

ME: Uh...ok...so you're telling me there are two different menus?

PG: Yes sir.

ME: And you can't honor the online menu because we're on the phone?

PG: Yes that's right.

ME: And you weren't going to tell me there was a problem, you just created the pizza and added extra dollars to the special for me?

PG: Yes sir.

ME: Wow....so you can't fix this problem?

PG: No.

ME: So you want me to pay extra because I'm on the phone and not online?

PG: The pizza you want isn't a specialty pizza anymore

ME: But it says it is online

PG: But we're on the phone

ME: Ok....well I guess I'll figure out something else for dinner.

PG: Uh....ok....as;lk asd;lkjhasd asdlljhsad (he said something as I was hitting the hangup button.

WTH is that??? Really??? I realize we're talking about a couple bucks - but really? Wouldn't it have been better to make the pizza I asked for and not charged extra? So instead we wasted 5 minutes? And instead of keeping a happy customer and giving up those two extra bucks, they got NOTHING?? (And this bad PR!)

Since we were in the grocery store parking lot, we went in looking for something to eat. Low and behold they have take and bake pizzas...for 5 bucks. We got an onion, some lemons for water, ice cream, frozen fruit bars, and had a great conversation with the friend we ran into, for far less than the pizza stores price.

Now - here's a quick update. As I sat down to write this I pulled up the pizza stores website so I could find the name of the specialty pizza. It's not there. Apparently when you're using the mobile interface they haven't updated the site to show the current offerings.

Ya - I know the right thing to do would be to contact them and let them know there's a problem. And the right thing to do last night was to give me the pizza I asked for at the specialty pizza price.

I'm hearing my moms voice saying "Two wrongs don't make a right"....

Good thing she's in Iowa... ;)

My customer service day

I think it's kind of odd that I spend so much time learning and growing and attempting to help others learn and grow, all in an effort to provide world class customer service.

Let me tell you a story about my customer service experiences today.

Since we had a shift in temperatures over night, I set my alarm pretty early to make sure I would be able to get up to the Board of REALTORS® with plenty of time to get settled for class. Turns out I got up there around 7:15 a.m. for a class that started at 7:30. So I had this though - run by the local grocery store (it was not HEB) and get a bottle of wine as a welcome back gift for Sally who will be back in the office next week.

I walk in the store and find the wine...then I walk up to the front to check out. There were three people in line ahead of me - so I went looking for another check out - but at that time in the morning there is only one line open. Makes sense. I went back and got in line. By that time I was the 5th person in line. Then I notice there is no checker there. It looked like she had to run over to the customer service counter for something. Then she came back, and immediately turned around and left again and made a copy. Four other employees walked by. All of them looked at us. Nobody helped us. I stood there wondering if anyone was going to say something. Nobody did....so i went to the managers office and asked - with a little more volume than regular conversation - if it would be possible to get some help - because there were now seven of us in line and NO CHECKER.

The manager came and apologized, saying she was sorry her checker had left. When it was my turn - she apologized to me as well. I smiled and said thank you for taking care of us - but that she needed to know that the four other employees had walked by, noticed a problem, and done nothing about it - and to me, that was an even bigger problem. She seemed to agree....I went on my way.

The wine was a hit and I enjoyed a great day of learning with some of the best agents in Austin.

Stay tuned for part two....