Category Archives: Getting Shit Done

Consolation Prize

Oh my. After another week of running around and putting myself out there, I just crashed and burned. Last Wednesday, Bubs flew back East again to visit his mom and take care of bidness. I went to seven trainings, met with more lenders, caught up with old colleagues, attended a few meetups, and hosted an open house.

I went to a bday party last night for my friend K at the university. She and the hubby just bought their first house: what a cozy and beautiful bungalow in Southeast San Jose! Some of our former colleagues were at the party, so it was nice to catch up. My former department restructured recently and some peeps I know got pushed out (sadly) while others scored big time reclassifications. Good for them.

Today, I had lunch with several engineering buds from the fuel cell startup. Between last night and today, I had a good time catching up with old buds from both workplaces but truth be told, after I got home, I broke down in tears.

I don’t really know how to explain it, but some days I just really feel like a failure. Don’t get me wrong: I am genuinely and sincerely happy for the successes of my friends. More pay, higher titles, opportunities for growth. Yay! I believe firmly in the idea of abundance: there is plenty of success to go around for all of us. But at the same time, sometimes I just feel shitty. You see, I want to be around motivated and energetic people. I want to be around movers and shakers– not bc those people are necessarily better people than others, but bc I feel a commonality and relate better to professional ambition instead of family goals (my fam is too damn dysfunctional).

So at lunch today with my engineering buds… I mean, they are just so damn smart. After all, these are the guys behind the chips and batteries and electronics and wiring in all the technology that makes modern living so fucking amazing: smaller and smaller devices; automotive innovations; medical devices that detect illnesses and deliver treatments to the ill; solar panels that are taking places off grid… We are talking about serious game-changers. And then there’s me. Still treading water, still trying to find my way: still trying to make myself useful and helpful. Still trying to change lives in some/any kind of capacity. Basically, still trying to rub two stones together to create a spark. I just felt so down on myself.

Every week I talk to my dad and there is nothing new to report. He tells me that building a new business takes time and anyway, I “don’t really NEED the money.” I mean I know he’s trying to ease my anxiety and impatience, but reminding me that I’m privileged, living in a luxury provided by other people doesn’t help. It makes me feel like shit. I don’t want to be given the consolation prize for success.

I’ve been pushing myself harder lately too. I was learning so much and I was feeling more confident and more comfortable talking about loan programs and reasons to own and whatever. I had toured enough open houses to add more touches to my hosting style to make the experience better and more informative for visitors. I was consistently updating my real estate blog. I was reaching out to people telling them about the resources I discovered… and nothing. I mean, some thoughtful and supportive replies but more often than not, no response at all. Do other people care about supporting/encouraging the success of people they know?? Probably not.

Meanwhile, I also attended the DTB meetup on Friday night. Had a nice discussion with a table of strong feminist women. Followed up with two people who had just posted to the group (so they are online). No reply. 

On Saturday, I went to the skate park for lesson 3. I’m still clunky as fuck but I’m enjoying learning a new physical (vs. mental) skill. The badasses seem to be skating faster and faster at the park so I’m having to dodge people everywhere. That said, it’s amazing to witness their tricks and mad skillz.

In other news, our contractor started on our master bath expansion last week. So far, he’s been punctual, experienced, thorough, and super tidy. I’m hoping he stays reliable and good. This week after Bubs gets back to town, the plumbers will start moving the water/gas lines to accommodate the new bathroom configuration. I can say that I’m a good project manager, but too bad I’m not earning any money from it.

Incidentally, National Puppy Day also happened some time last week. I scrolled through pictures of Remy and Martin and then started bawling my eyes out again. Yup, when it rains, it pours. I’m going to the hot tub now to calm the fuck down. I really need to get my shit together before the start of a new week.

Striking a Balance

I know I say this a lot, but a lot’s been going on. Shiiit!

Work wise, this month’s training calendar at the office was especially intense. I guess the higher ups were wanting to get people into the habit of working every day during the week… I dunno. It’s been good, but I’ve been getting frustrated by the crammed training room and wonky internet connection. Half the time, the classes are supposed to be available online and on the few occasions I’ve logged in remotely, the connection doesn’t work or some component is broken (e.g. no audio) or whatever. Then, even when I go in person, the broadband is super unreliable and when we log into sites for files or contracts, we can’t access them! In the beginning, I was patient about it, but now it’s really starting to irk me. I’m going to say something to the office manager: I mean, all of us are paying monthly “business fees” to use the office, so that basic infrastructure needs to fricking work.

Meanwhile, I’m wrapping up my lender meetings. In total, I reached out to almost 30. One lender invited me to an office event with a guest speaker. I figured since it was a Big 5 bank and the talk was over lunch, there would be food and refreshments. Not a damn. thing. I was pretty surprised, but Bubs says big banks are damn cheap. Ok, that sucks. The talk itself was good: the lady was a real estate economist, so she had a bunch of insights and projections about the road ahead. I’m feeling more comfortable these days understanding and talking about the real estate market and the broader economy. In this area, real estate is def going to get tougher and tougher to crack for homebuyers at the entry-level. With interest rates going up, the amount people can afford via a loan goes down, and since housing supply is also low, there is competition among buyers. In multiple offer situations, first-time homebuyers are going to be nudged out by investors and/or people who have stronger finances and therefore stronger offers.

Speaking of harder, John made a comment the other day that he didn’t realize the inventory in Silicon Valley is so tight. That means it’s going to be even harder for newbie agents to get in the game bc there are a bunch of agents, including experienced ones, vying for a limited number of transactions. Ugh. I’m def feeling a little frustrated but I just gotta keep pounding.

Incidentally, I finally put the majority of my contacts (though not all) into my database and I crafted intro messages announcing my new career, explaining how I came into real estate, and seeking referrals to my business. I reached out to probably 150 people, and I would say I got replies from less than 15 people.  I mean, the people who replied were incredibly sweet and supportive, but still zero leads.

And one ex-colleague I knew was planning to sell his house, but he has been hard to schedule meetups with for the last few months. Honestly, I feel like he has been avoiding me. He replied to my eblast and said it was well done, but then he made no mention of his plans. I was so upset by the obvious omission of info that I started crying. That’s the hard thing about sales. There’s a TON of rejection, and when it comes from people you know and people you hope would trust you and your work, it hurts.

One of my friends tried to tell me not to take it so personally: she says that guy’s so savvy, he might be someone to just do a for sale by owner. Still, I was disheartened even if I wasn’t completely surprised. After feeling sorry for myself assuming that he just didn’t want to work with me, I gathered the courage to just ask him flat out: What are your plans? If you aren’t already working with an agent, I’d love to work together. Then no reply for a few more days. I felt so down about myself. And then he finally replied that he and the wife were holding on to the property for another year. Still, no mention that he would use me when the time came…

But that just has to be enough. All I can do is work hard, build my skills, and make the ask. I can’t force people. Ultimately, it is their choice.

So see? I still struggle with these insecurities. Despite all the desensitization exercises I have done– putting myself in uncomfortable situations, dangling myself out there, subjecting myself to strangers and old acquaintances, testing my sociability, my likability, my attractiveness, my charisma, etc.– some days it really is exhausting, and I end up feeling lame. At 40, I def feel more confident and less susceptible to caring about what other people think, but still, there will always be a piece of me that worries about being competent, engaging, and likable… I think it’s human nature, no? I try to remind myself that I’m a good person who is genuinely curious and caring and helpful. But I dunno: I could always use a few mini affirmations to persuade me that I’m moving in the right direction.

Sheesh. All these mental weaknesses are such hindrances. They set me back and cause me to lose momentum, and WHY do I allow that to happen? My managing broker (the surfer dude) is an incredibly confident guy. To the people who don’t respond and don’t offer any support, he simply says, “Who cares? You need to find your tribe. Your tribe is people who believe in you– people who want you to succeed.” I suppose he’s right. And maybe with real estate, the people you mesh with don’t necessarily have to be your friends. In other words, your friends and clients can be the same but don’t HAVE to be. Yup, overthinking it.

Last week I met with a lender and her loan officer. I talked with them about various areas where I thought we could work together. Do you hold homebuying seminars or community education events? No. Do you host open houses with agents? No. Do you want to do any co-branded outreach? No. Ok then. I mean, how are they planning to retain and/or build clientele for purchase loans? It was a total waste of time. And God, I had been back and forth trying to schedule the meeting for weeks. All for nothing. And then at my office, I don’t click with any of the other agents on a friend level. So I go into the office like every weekday and there is no connection. I mean, I like the broker and I like my coach, but they aren’t really people you would go to lunch with or hang out on weekends. Dud.

Needless to say, I’ve been feeling a little frustrated, so I am turning to my hobbies again to try and regain some perspective. Skateboarding class no. 2 was fun. I am super awkward and clunky with my kickturns. Plus, the skatepark is totally overrun by a bunch of legit badasses zooming around all over, doing their tricks and stunts… Whatever. I enjoy focusing on learning something physical. Reminds me a bit of the focus/intensity I had when horseback riding. I want to start that up again. Too many interests!

 

Fire Under the Ass

Holy crap, how is March here already? By the end of this month, we will have completed the first quarter of 2017. Say what??? Yes, we are just back from a quick vacation. Sadly, my anxiety levels are right back up to pre-vacay status. Part of the thing is, I feel like the last few months have been so stop and go. I gain momentum then life shit happens and I lose steam. Repeat. I mean, granted, that is life and there’s nothing that can be done about it. I just have to climb back in the saddle and move forward. But man, it’s frustrating bc my new line of work already has so many ups and downs in and of itself and then couple that with the rollercoaster ride outside of work and it feels overwhelming.

And then the week before our vacation, our office had a team meeting. Our CEO gave a market update presentation but also recognized three newbies for their work ethic and gumption. First, I didn’t even know there was such a recognition and then second, I wasn’t among them. And that REALLY bummed me out, bc I honestly feel like I have been working hard. Every damn day my calendar is packed! Between reconnecting with old contacts, meeting people over lunch/coffee (to plant the seed), attending trainings at the office and through multiple associations, previewing homes, studying market data, and updating my databases, I feel like I am doing A LOT. So his whole award announcement was that these ladies were unafraid. They tabled. They door knocked. They held open houses. Ok, well I didn’t do those particular strategies… my methods have been more personal and one-on-one…  plus I missed several trainings bc of Martin, Montana, Maryland, and Mexico (whoa, all Ms!). So fine. Maybe I wasn’t the top student. I think the other reason it really bugged me is bc two of the ladies kinda irk my nerves. Like the one who door knocks: she’s super LOUD when she talks and she’s just kind of annoying in her communication style. I mean, I won’t go into the various scenarios but like today: she did the “how are you” thing where instead of a question that prompts a conversation, it’s used as a greeting. Like she didn’t even bother to hear my reply. I asked how things were going and she said “going” and turned around and sat down. Huh? Anyway, just one example. Whatever. Regardless, I was bummed out.

But in usual fashion, as the end of the day rolled around, I stopped my pity party and resolved to work harder. That night and the next day, I reached out to more people, got to rescheduling that reunion for my old workplace (startup), and contacted more lenders, scheduled meetings to discuss hosting homebuying seminars. I don’t always do things by the book. Sometimes I have trouble following rules, bc I have my own style and approach. As someone who used to work in communications, I’m pretty particular about how I interact and engage with people. Yes, I overthink ALL of it. So no regrets for the work and effort I’ve put in to date. I like my style bc it feels more genuine to me, but at the same time, I know that I need to amp up some parts of my strategy. Maybe it’ll mean being more direct about asking for referrals. Maybe I will start talking about market trends and reasons for buying vs renting in more conversations… I do need to push farther and that’s a good outcome from the team meeting.

High Maintenance

I got a pretty darn slow start to the day today. Yesterday, after running around in the torrential rain and storms, going from appointment to meeting to training to meeting to whatever, I got chilled to the bone, and you know how I am with my lame constitution. So the sniffles came on and I started sneezing up a storm. Fucking A.

Then Ramona was at the groomers’ all day so by the time I got her home, she was beat, which meant that lil’ snausage snored up a goddamn storm in the bedroom last night (No, she is not sleeping in my bed.)

The good news is that I’ve finally eliminated the flea problem. Before I left for Maryland, I activated three separate flea bombs in the house AND I also released a tub full of nematodes into the backyard. J will probably say the flea bombs did the trick, but I happen to think the dual-pronged approach was the secret. Yeah I’d read online that the worms would eat the fleas and their babies. Whatever. However we arrived here, thank fucking goodness bc I do NOT need to be going around looking like a Leper.

And fortunately, my bug bites healed while I was away. I mean, my legs still look fucked up and scarred but at least the itching is gone and I haven’t scratched the wounds raw. Score one point for me!

In other body news, after I returned from Montana at the beginning of February, I used my Groupon for eyelash extensions. Apparently, this is the latest beauty rage, so I had to partake and see for myself. I just went for a partial instead of the full set, but holy crap, so damn uncomfortable! Basically, in order for her to have full access to my upper lashes (to which the extensions are glued), she had to tape down my lower lashes and that tape kept digging into my undereye area. In the end, the new lashes looked good, but shit man, bc they are fake and curl in one direction, sometimes they twist around on your normal lash and end up poking me in the eyeball. I will say, like the brow tats, it sure is nice to wake up and not spend time doing the eyeliner and mascara thing. It does look pretty natural too, just enhanced. We’re into mid Feb now and some of them are still on, but most have fallen off. As someone who wears contacts and has itchy eyes sometimes, it’s not a good fit. Fake adhesive lashes might be better. Or I’m still game for good ol’ mascara. But it was fun while it lasted.

What else. Nail polish. It looks so nice but Jesus, the chipping! We got our nails done three or four days before the funeral and after day 2, chipped. I’m almost thinking now that I’m no longer going to paint my nails bc the chipping looks so damn gauche. Today I was planning to treat myself to a pedi, but then I got into unabomber mode and decided not to leave the house. I just did them myself. The funny thing about doing my own nails… I get sloppy and shit goes all over the damn place outside of the nailbed. I don’t care. I do a scrappy job and then use a scrubber cloth after they dry to scrape away all the imperfections. That’s easier than making it perfect from the get go. A little Vix fix.

My hair is a royal mess. I was trying to grow back part of the shaved area, and those hairs are just sticking out like a grass patch. I also dyed my hair the other week using my eSalon dye… it’s something I found online and the quality of dye is definitely better in that it doesn’t bleed all over the place but after all that damn work, the color was practically the same as what I started with!! I know, I’m a fucking mess.

And then yesterday, I met with two lenders, one of whom was in a suit. We went to lunch and you know how I never use a straw bc it’s environmental extraneous? Well, twice I went to drink my iced tea, and the ice avalanched towards my mouth, causing the tea to spill all over my shirt. For fuck’s sake, am I being filmed for a bloopers show or what?! That happened TWICE before I had the wherewithal to realize I gotta use the damn straw. Ugh!!! Who can remember all these etiquette/grace school details?!?! Just let me go live in a cave.

Inaugural Open House

Now more than ever, I am feeling like there is just too much going on. On one hand, I am feeling invigorated… after all, I like to hustle. On the other hand, I am also feeling a lot of fear.

After returning to my bubble post-Montana, I hit the ground running. Lunch/dinner plans with former colleagues, evening networking meetups, trainings during the day, lender drop-ins, plus a whole lot of project management… Our master bath remodel is opening up a huge can of worms, involving meetings with general contractors, plumbers, roofers, and fireplace experts. Turns out, fixing the gas leak (which we discovered when we swapped out the water heater) will require new gas lines for the whole house which in turn will involve punctures through the roof, and actually, we’re kinda needing a new roof. Then the roofer guy also noticed dry rot and damaged wooden beams… so it’s all adding up. The biggest downside is that the new roof is the limiting factor and the roofers probably won’t get us scheduled until late March/April due to all the rain we’re getting this winter. Ah well, it’ll get done.

Meanwhile, I hit up some more banks and credit unions last week. Two duds and one meeting with a branch manager who wants to set up a subsequent meeting with her two loan officers. That meeting will be this Friday. Then, my colleague invited me to shadow an open house he was hosting on Saturday. I was super stoked but then on Friday, he ended up double-booking, so suddenly, I was set to host the open house solo! Say what??? Yup, all Friday night I looked at info about the house, including reports, other similar properties in the area, etc. I even created my own open house flyer. But shit, I had no open house road signs and the office was all out of them. And since it was my first one, I was reluctant about posting to social media and such, lest I be caught unprepared.

Needless to say, I stressed and prepared and the next morning, I got up early to preview area comps. By noon, I met up with my colleague who gave me some last minute info. Bc the property was a gated condo building, I had to post signs on the call box to NOT use the intercom (not hooked up to the unit) and to call my cell instead. I busted out my open house plastic bin filled with supplies, including sheet protectors, tape, scissors, etc. And my colleague and his hubby were super impressed. Haha, thanks to my open space days with all those damn events, I know about having a supplies bin!!

Inside the condo, I got settled (I was told to hide the knife block!!) and then off they went. Alone in the unit, I had about 30 minutes before the open house was set to start, and I started getting really stressed– mostly about my safety. Bc all of this happened so fast, I didn’t get to call a lender to ask them to cohost or anything. One of our real estate apps has a safety timer, where you set your location and if you don’t check in with the app after a certain period of time, the app notifies your emergency contact and sends out your location. So I called Bubs, who was still back East, to do a test. Um, test failed. Why? Bc I had super sketchy T-mobile cell signal in the goddamn apartment. WTF?? So then I set up Find my Friends with M and Bubs. I also had a lanyard with a safety whistle and pepper spray. Fuck man, my paranoid parents have pumped me up full of fear, I tell you. Even though it was cold outside, I decided to open the windows so people could hear me should I scream! And then I was fucking freezing. I’m telling you, this realtor shit is chock full of logistical puzzles.

In the end, only three parties visited in three hours. All Asians, and I even busted out my Chinese on the latter two. One guy was an investor and I didn’t have answers to most of his questions. I was so disappointed, and after he left, I realized I didn’t even get his contact info. Jesus Christ, I was so fucking nervous about the questions and then about my safety (not bc of him, just in general). Fortunately, bc he called my mobile at the callbox to let him in, I had his cell! So I found the answers to his questions (Owner occupied? Why selling? How much do similar units go for rent? How much is insurance?) and texted him. For the most part, two of the three parties liked the unit, but then they were turned off by the high HOA.

By the time 4pm rolled around, I was beat and I had a raging headache. But overall, I was proud of myself. I also got some ideas for more materials I want to have on hand next time (i.e. a map of the area with lots of pins to highlight accessibility and proximity to attractions/businesses, etc.).

Full Day of Research

As soon as I woke up this morning, I called my parents. I’m actually surprised I didn’t get the usual call from them on Friday or Saturday night… anyway, they are gearing up for another trip back to Asia, and honestly, my dad did not sound or look well. He is stressed.

He keeps saying there’s too much to do and he’s trying to simplify, but I dunno: I feel like it’s a year later and he still hasn’t offloaded multiple properties that were already pending last year… it’s complicated. And then when I asked him about the primary residence, again, he said the house behind them is for sale so there’s too much competition.

I repeated to him that we have limited time, and we lived and enjoyed the family home for many decades. It doesn’t have to have a high return on investment, bc it’s not an investment property. Ugh. He always agrees, but then when push comes to shove, he basically sticks with his original thinking. In other words, he verbally agrees, but then his actions don’t. It’s frustrating.

I also reiterated that he and mom need to decide where they want to live: Taiwan or the US, bc we are going to need to start researching places, esp given mom’s declining mental state. I asked if mom even likes living in Taiwan, and he said he didn’t know. See? That’s how damn detached my family is from their emotions. Everything is a pragmatic decision to the point that they don’t even recognize having preferences or wants. Argh!!

I then said I wanted to speak to mom, and as he walked the phone (Facetime) upstairs, he started to cry, saying yes, take the opportunity now to talk to her while she still knows who we are… And then my heart just kind of broke.

After all these years, I have only seen my father cry a handful of times. He didn’t even cry when his mother died. I tried to stay strong and focus on next actions. Last week, Johnny had emailed dad all this stuff about the benefits of meditation in combating dementia. I didn’t read the email, but I had seen the subject line since my dad has me monitor his email. I asked dad, and he just said he couldn’t ever rely on my brother and he didn’t read any of that. He didn’t print it out for mom either, bc she won’t be able to read and understand it. It’s true: Johnny linked to like medical abstracts and shit… I mean, I guess he’s trying to appeal to my dad’s medical background to convince/persuade him, but Jesus Christ, my father is no longer in that state. He is clearly overwhelmed.

Still, I’m glad Johnny brought up the topic, bc it is indeed true. So I told my dad that I would research meditation and yoga exercises and send them forward. I pretty much researched shit all day long: I combed through YouTube to find decent guided exercises— one in meditation and then several for chair yoga. My parents need to fucking get moving! Seriously, their isolation and sedentary lifestyle is only worsening their decline! And this is certainly a reminder that I need to get my own activity levels going…

After that research, I started looking into assisted living options. There are A LOT in this area, and I even found a Chinese community, but it’s kinda gross inside. And my dad likes shit new, clean, and fancy. I cross-referenced a bunch of sources: Yelp, Caring.com, US News & World Reports… I have a list now but shit, maybe I’ll just drop in and tour a few. Price-wise, holy shit that crap is expensive. We’re talking $7k-$9k/month and I don’t even know if that includes having to buy the property or what. Argh!! J also suggested looking a bit father out, like maybe Walnut Creek or Morgan Hill…

And then I suddenly felt so deflated. I mean, how scary to not know where to live and then to enter into a community where you don’t know anybody… My parents aren’t exactly social people, and… I dunno. Thinking about the whole thing just made me so sad. I mean, fortunately, my parents have resources, but shit, while they are rich in resources, they are certainly poor in friendships and in community. I was glad to find many of the places offering programs for dementia and Alzheimer’s, but then I was thinking: how uncomfortable will it be for dad if he has to hang out with all dementia people? Is it better then to have them buy a condo/residence and then we hire in-home care? I just don’t know, and I doubt that they even know. Then, it’s like: should they live with us? Seems unlikely and yet I worry about them finding a suitable place. And now I see the dilemmas they’ve been facing all along with my grandparents… This life shit really does come full circle, right? I’m feeling so overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, my father in-law fell multiple times last week. Then his feet started swelling and now he’s in the hospital until Tuesday. His bloodwork shows a serious infection: he received multiple blood transfusions and is now on oxygen. Before, doctors thought he had Parkinson’s bc he seemed to respond to those meds, but now they are suspecting leukemia or MDS. My mind is racing in a gabillion directions right now. I’m gonna have to start up on that meditation shit myself.

I’m so Fancy!

Man, I need to start waking up earlier. Now that I gotta dress up for work and shit, my get ready time has ballooned from ten minutes to like an hour. Holy fuck.

On Tuesday, I had my appointment with the fancy pants loan officer, the one who invited me to the country club. Shiiit, I must have changed three times, bc I was trying to style my recent Schoola items and then they felt a little too quirkly or not formal/professional enough… then I had to wear hose bc my fucking legs are still riddled in flea bites. Jesus fucking Christ. I know, that shit is never ending.

I thought our daily vacuuming and borax treatment resolved the issue, but I dunno. Our daycare client has fleas even though he’s on the flea meds, and honestly, I think bugs are coming in just whenever we go outside and come back home. I dunno.

I got that silk sleep sack (after I had to deal with those scratchy sheets at my parents’ house), and that was working pretty well (supposedly, the fabric is so tight-knit that fleas can’t penetrate. And for a few nights, I was wearing my silk long johns, but a few days later, I got new bites and holy fuck, a flea had gotten into the sleep sack. Argh!! Sleeping with the goddamn enemy! I know, I’m sure you’re feeling itchy now and getting kinda grossed out. Let me just say: Bubbey still has not gotten a single fucking bite!!! Goddamn white privilege, man. Haha! And I don’t believe any visitors have gotten bites (Please inform me if otherwise). So really, it’s just a problem for me bc of my annoyingly weak constitution and apparent allergies to bug bites. Sigh.

I will say, that sleep sack is amazing with how much warmth it adds. Silk is no games, man. Light and thin as fuck but wow, it packs a punch. That shit is going to save my ass next week in Montana.

But back to playing dress up. It’s nice to look polished and such. I’ll just need to speed up my morning routine so we can get that prep time down to something reasonable. My skin was having a shit storm earlier this month, but I’m finally getting back on a consistent routine with taking my BCP and my complexion is getting better. Whew.

Incidentally, my meeting with fancypants went really well. He totally got it! The whole symbiotic realtor-loan officer relationship? I didn’t even have to explain. He just said, yeah lady, you’re gonna have to give me way more business cards than that! I help you, and you help me! He was cool. After that meeting, I was feeling encouraged and energized, so I drove down the main strip and hit up three more credit unions and three more banks. The rest of the day was hit or miss, but at least I ended up with two agents who are definitely keen on working together. Yay!

Making Time for Fun

Now that my hustling has kicked into high gear, my calendars are starting to look a bit unruly. I have so many appointments, trainings, and events in there that I now use timeblocks to show my open lunch and dinner slots. I know, this sounds like a humblebrag. It’s not, but you know how I am about my Google calendars. I’m subscribed to two feeds for the office, so there’s a ton of shit that auto populates. Thankfully, I don’t go to everything single office activity… I go to A LOT, but not all.

For  MLK I took some time out to chill. I spent most of the day with my bud M in her neck of the woods. We grabbed lunch (she found a delicious Mexican taqueria via a walk-by– I know, I can’t even recall the last time I did that! I’m all OCD with using Yelp!). Afterwards, we hit up a Chinese foot spa… a decent spot with good ambiance and only $25!! We’ll need to patronize both businesses again.

I enjoy learning things from my friends. Even though I’m constantly researching shit for myself (J calls me the Tea Researcher– the name of a tea shop from back in the day in Shanghai) and now I also do it for my job (vetting contractors and vendors and such), I like discovering new spots from other people. I mean, sometimes people have different standards or criteria (esp with restaurants), but these two places were solid. MK also turned me on to voice-activated Phillips Hue lights, which I thought were interesting in their technological advancement…

On learning about them, I made the mistake of mentioning to Bubbey and shit, Bubs isn’t about to get behind on the home automation trend… So now we have the Hue lights, controlled by our Alexa. Sheesh. How extraneous can we be!?!?! Ah well, live it up while we can, I suppose.

Bubbey is doing well. He’s really getting into that leatherworking intensive course he’s taking in SF. He came home last week with a leather wallet he made, all hand-stitched. I was impressed. Since he started the class though, Amazon has been to the house nearly every. damn. day, dropping off leatherworking tools, materials, and supplies. The Houseboat is running out of space!

In other news, we are still meeting with contractors for the bathroom remodel, bc the job kinda takes us down the rabbit hole. The bathroom work will involve plumbing work, potentially all new gas lines for the house, and then possibly a new roof (gas lines puncture through the roof). Yup, 2017 might just be the year of the Houseboat Money Pit. And with all this torrential rain we’ve been getting, we’re lucky the drought is over but shit, I need to be reminded (really soon) of the reasons why we’re paying a premium to live here! In other words, bring on the sunshine!!

What else. My animal shelter drive is going well. It’s been great too for reconnecting with my old Rover clients. Last weekend, I made two house calls to pick up gifted goods. I reunited with Bubble Boy (Sparky) as well as Cody. In both cases, it was really nice to catch up with their mommies too. That’s the cool thing about Rover: I’ve met some really nice people. Speaking of which, my current daycare client is a legit regular. I think his parents are seriously seeking 20 days/month for daycare. If I continue with this doggie and also resume daycare with my former (whippet) client, that’s a decent small stream of “passive” income! Yup, I’ve been attending a lot of networking events lately, and shit, I want a better handle over my finances. That’s what the experts say: too often women just obsess about saving, but they don’t really think about growing their money and about passive income streams… that’s how you really build a cushion and generate wealth. More goals. More to dos!

Hustling Hard

Over the long holiday weekend, I toured a number of homes… this was good practice bc I took Bubs along on Saturday to be like a sample client and well, I learned a lot about logistics. This work is really keeping me on my toes. It’s not enough that I filter out the open houses and input them into my Google maps. Oh no, there was a whole host of deficiencies revealed with my car organization and work flow. First, my devices are like perpetually low battery. Not only am I now using an app to track my car mileage, but every real estate app plus mapping and gps sucks down the juice fast! I had a few external batteries on hand but then for some reason, my iPad would charge with one but not the other. Then, I had my devices mounted on suction cups in the car so I could use them hands free. The fucking suctions kept falling off the window or dash. Seriously, it was one thing after the other. My keys now are clunky as fuck bc I have a fob for lock boxes and then when I’m dressed up in fancy clothes, I don’t have pockets. So like my devices were falling off the dash and then my keys were in my lap but fell into that console crevice when I made a hard turn. I have my monster purse that I put under my legs when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. Then, with all the flyers and papers from the open houses, I had no file tote or anything to gather them. Bottom line: the Saturday dry run was a fucking god awful disaster.

I took Bubbey to see three places: a new construction model home (two models open) and two single family homes in more “affordable” parts of Sunnyvale. Of course, the new construction was nice, but then the single family homes were very shabby and super sketch. Both were clearly inhabited by Chinese hoarders AND they were converted to operate either as a worker dorm or as a brothel. I mean, I have seen a lot of hoarder, dirty, dingy places in my life and these two gave both of us the creeps. It was a very good reminder that location seriously matters. If you buy, squeeze yourself into the smallest place in a good hood before buying anything in a shady community. It was eye opening for reals.

I also learned a lot that day about what NOT to do as an agent holding an open house. One agent couldn’t shake my hand, bc she had just done her nails– tour traffic was slow, she explained. Another agent was super rude and distracted, on the phone handling another property matter. Sure, shit happens but she really could have been a bit more polite to people coming in. She didn’t even try to thank people for stopping by. Weird.

We only saw a few places, but by the end of these two hours, both of us were freaking exhausted. And I mean, it was very clear that I needed to implement a system!

Thankfully the next day, I got organized. Hit up Office Depot and got a portable file box plus sticky pads to replace my suctions plus plastic pockets for both console crevices. The latter is my fav so far bc holy crap, now I have a place for my keys and external batteries and I no longer have to smash my hand into that tight spot trying to fish shit out of there. I have also decided to use Google offline maps to get around the lack of service issue. Hopefully the second dry run will be a better experience for Bubbey.

Getting Down to Business

Well, I did it! I had my inaugural meeting with a loan agent, and honestly, the first one went ok! Not stellar, but ok. The lady was a very experienced pro, and we chatted for about 30 minutes. She seemed a little hurried, with appointments on both sides of mine, but she was knowledgeable and sharp. Sadly, since she was formerly an in-house loan processor for a realty office, she already had her list of go-to agents. Still, it was a worthy exercise, if anything, to break myself in. And my popcorn cone gift was decently received. Thankfully, it’s something that I can cram into my monster handbag and not show up to these meetings with a shit ton of stuff in my arms.

Afterwards, I was very relieved the meeting was over, but at the same time, I felt a headache brewing. Still, I decided that since I was already all dressed up (that shit is taking longer and longer these days bc my starting canvas is a mess and you know, the final presentation has to be fancier than before), I might as well take advantage. So, on the way home, I pulled over at another bank and did a walk-in. No appointment, and oddly, there was no service person tending to the queue. WTH? After a few minutes of awkward looking around trying to figure out the system, I had no choice but to get in line for the teller. When I told her I was a realtor looking to speak with a loan officer, she was all confused, like are you getting a loan for yourself? Guess my coach is right: realtors hitting up lenders for cross-referral business is a rare thing.

This guy was very pleasant. Right off the bat, he told me his bank is different in that it offers home loans to H1B1 visa holders, which is mostly tech workers from overseas. Still, who knew that option even existed? He also was very amenable to working together and co-hosting open houses and homebuy seminars and such. Very positive experience. Another thing I’ve learned? These officers are on call,  man. Their turn around times for pre-approvals is speedy– like hours and even outside business hours. I like that hustle.

Man, by the time I got home, I was wiped. All that mental anxiety and shit… it beats the body down! But I def patted myself on the back. Nothing more satisfying than a Vix getting down to business!

On Friday, I had another appointment with a loan officer in swanky downtown Los Altos. I had a great rapport with this lady. She was a gracious about my chintzy popcorn and then we actually sat down and did an exercise, with like some client earning x, saving y, blah, blah. Just a sample case scenario. It was so helpful! And then she turned me on to options to increase down payment. For example, for some people, they can use money from their 401k for downpayment and then pay themselves back later. Another secret, right? I think too she was quite impressed that I was just starting up and building my business and going around introducing myself to loan agents. Haha. My coach knows his shit! As I was wrapping up, her new hire came in (I had already scouted out that lady’s profile online too) and we introduced one another. My coach has mentioned before that sometimes when both sides are new, they create a strong partnership bc both parties are building their client list.

As I left there, I again wanted to keep the momentum going, so I then did a walk-in at the bank across the street. Well, I went to my car first to get another popcorn cone out of my trunk, THEN I went into the other bank. That place was a totally different, very casual and familial vibe. I chatted with two agents (though the home loan specialist was out) as well as the branch manager/VP. She was super psyched to see me bc apparently, she had just had a meeting with her staff telling them they needed to reach out to Realtors. Haha. She was super friendly and immediately suggested lunch next week when the loan dude gets back. She also mentioned having a budget for homebuying seminars and hosting community events at their branch. Yay!

So I ended the week pretty happy. Got home and hunkered down with the program: followup cards in the mail to the people I met. And the cycle continues.

I’ve been continuing touring open houses, going through exercises using the apps/tools to evaluate the market, etc. I went to lunch with some former colleagues and figured out a way to ask them to join my email list for periodic updates…. so things are moving in the prep/training up stage. I’m enjoying all the variety of work!