Category Archives: Work

Full Cup

OMG, December is back. Another full year comes to a close and honestly, all the days just keep passing faster and faster. Next thing, I’ll be 65 years old with a head of grays!!

Let’s rewind just a tad: November was a crazy month. H and I were all set to close on our San Mateo townhouse listing, the second deal with a couple referred to me by my good friend T. The sale of their very nice townhome had its challenges. Sure, the owners had poured tons into this stunning end-unit, with thoughtfully-selected, high end elements and design. Unfortunately, the home sat at a busy intersection (4-lane streets) and on top of that major ding for buyers, the fire station was directly in front.

Needless to say, we prepared a strong marketing plan and got hundreds of visitors through the open house. In the end, we even received FIVE offers. The numbers were right on track with what we anticipated through our price research, and that was of course, still below seller’s expectation.

Nonetheless, they wanted to proceed. Long story short, a strong buyer represented by a flat-fee discount agent scored the win. I warned that working with a discount agent would have its complications but the clients wanted their number. So fine… we proceeded with the sloppiest, most frustrating buyer agent team ever… All was actually moving along swimmingly until suddenly, not.

The day after the original expected close of escrow, the sellers went from 0 to 100 on the “fed up” scale in a flash. There were threats of canceling the transaction, threats of legal action, constant insistence that they “need to be made whole” etc. In the end, we closed 5 days later (including the weekend) and Jesus Christ, for the level of escalation, extra calls, messages, negotiations, and work, it was totally moot.

But the good news is we got ‘er done. Too bad a blossoming work relationship ended with a bad taste. That’s the thing with people: they can still surprise you with their irrationality. Sigh.

Oh well, I only lost like five years off my life. SMH. The stress had gotten so high, I was nauseas for days and couldn’t sleep, no appetite, lost weight in a week. I got totally wrecked, not to mention the strain on my relationship with my biz partner. Live and learn, I suppose. I’m glad it’s done, and as J reminds me: none of the verbal accolades/affirmations are needed bc “that’s what the money is for.” I mean, come on, throw me a bone since I busted ass for you!! Whatever. I know deep down, we did a great job on this deal. Whether the client acknowledges, is their thing. For sure, I’ll make some tweaks for next time. Kaizen, baby!

So now we’re into mid-December, and I am actually blogging from Taiwan. Yup, here for my annual pilgrimage to see the parentals. This time I came solo, bc Bubs is taking care of Benny, whose hind legs no longer work. In most other regards, Benny is doing pretty good– deaf but still tracking us, still eating/drinking/pooping regularly. Unfortunately, getting him upright from lying position puts extra stress on this thighs and butt, so there ARE more accidents indoors now, but at least his stool is dry and we’ve managed. Sorry, probably TMI with the biohazards.

Day 1 in Taiwan went pretty well. This trip, I decided to change up my strategy. In the past, I was always very minimalist with my packing. Everything I transported had to fit into my carry-on, so my toiletries/amenities got stripped down to the bare minimum. This time, I opted for the opposite. Screw the carry-on only. I planned to check a bag, and more importantly, I was going to have all the amenities for that killer 13+ hr flight in economy. Yup, in anticipation of entering the Heart of Darkness without my Bubbey buffer, I needed to have my cup totally FULL, like overflowing in order to survive the next 10 days in Nagler’s Cove. Seriously, I gave it a lot of thought. In the past, going bare bones meant I slept like shit on the plane, my skin got dry and itchy, and then I would just arrive exhausted, tired, and super irritable. That served no one. Maybe Operation Full Cup would improve my comfort and resilience?

I’m now at Day 2, and I have to say, I’m feeling pretty good re: jet lag. It’s possibly too early to say, but I am hopeful that I finally cracked the code. If you’re curious, here are the components of my maximalist strategy:

  • Sleepopolis Jet Lag Calculator to establish a rough guide, combining lightbox exposure with sleep schedule shifts a couple days ahead of the flight.
  • large blanket
  • compression socks and slippers
  • J travel pillow
  • eye mask
  • non-skinny pants/jeans
  • moisturizer and water bottle
  • Bose noise-cancelling over-ear headphones (there was a sick/crying baby directly behind me!)

On arrival and after customs/immigration, I also used my travel towel to squeeze in a quick free shower. No one else used this amenity, so it was clean and ready. Special s/o to Bub for the discovery!

To my surprise, I was able to last the entire first day, touching down at 5am Sunday and going to bed after dinner around 7pm. Let’s see how I feel as the trip progresses.

Banner Year for Work

It’s been another long stretch… As much as I love and miss blogging, it’s been a challenge sitting down to get my thoughts down. The biggest hurdle these days? I’m rusty with my writing. When I used to blog regularly, I would go through my days, jotting down notes and ideas for later blog posts. It’s as if my brain at that time was super nimble: it gathered experiences and held on to details with the intention of revisiting them for a story or processing them very quickly soon after. What can I say, I’m totally out of the flow these days. And well, I’m now a “woman of a certain age,” as my friend P likes to say.

The good news is, I’m having a banner year at work. And don’t get your hopes up or anything. I am still very much the same person. No monster revelations or breakthroughs, i.e. nothing has changed all this time while the blog has been silent regarding my value system: I remain and forever am a workaholic. You probably are NOT surprised. I probably would have wanted some improvements/changes given the years of therapy, all the self-help reading I do, plus just ageing over time. But nope. I continue to define my value and my worth through achievement/work. Work is my purpose and my identity. And now that business is FINALLY strong, I can’t deny the feeling of pride and sense of accomplishment. Indeed, the success fuels my tank like nothing else. It really sparks an old flame inside me. In my glory days, I was the best, and goddamn, I missed that feeling… as far back and as deeply buried as it was.

Tbh, there were two eras that I considered “glory days.” First was high school when I juggled a gazillion extracurricular activities and I was “on track” for achievement and success in life. My second “glory days” era was probably when I worked at the government environmental agency. After a series of shit jobs, this place was paradise. Great compensation, low stress, camaraderie, strong mission, short commute… I was in my heydey “work hard, play hard” mode. I was fit, athletic, relatively stylish, my skin was under control, J and I bought a house, we had our pups, we traveled. Of course, things later changed, and then I was disgruntled, our marriage was on the rocks… Goddamn the shift happened fast.

Anyway, back to present day. Yes, this is a record year for me. That said, we are in Silicon Valley, and I remain a very small potato. Like half of a fingerling. Just a nub of a small potato. Seriously. But if I compare me with only myself (apparently, that’s what I’m supposed to do), I am still pleased. I’ve worked really hard in real estate these past nine years, and it’s nice to feel the confidence that comes with competency, skills development, and quite simply, seasoned time in the saddle.

The other positive shift about this year has been my clientele. All of my deals this year have been either past clients or new biz referred by past clients/good friends. It has definitely been a game changer over my usual client mix, which used to include a lot of randos– people who responded to an online ad or came through an open house. While I’ve handled those deals fine, the level of trust upfront totally creates a different relationship and dynamic. It’s no longer people trusting their friends/colleagues/internet advice over that of me, their agent. When I’m introduced by referral, there is an immediate acknowledgement that I am an expert and that I have experience/guidance that matters.

This dynamic has been instrumental in reducing stress/frustration. Don’t get me wrong: there are still very challenging and stressful days, but the intensity is a step or two lower, thank goodness. And somehow this year, the clients are also more my type and my speed. Like they are my tribe in terms of how they process information, how they communicate, and how they get shit done. OMG, it’s an amazing feeling when there’s a synchronization. I cannot appreciate it enough!

Outside of my work obsession, next is of course Benny. Well, it’s been a lot of ups and downs with Benny. But right now, he is on the upswing and looking good. I still brush him daily (and vacuum daily). I joke to everyone that I spend all my money on Benny and my skin. Yup, he’s our boat and I’m just thrilled to have landed on a relatively simple program now that works for him.

As for my face, I completed a course of Accutane in August 2024 and despite lingering side effects with my vision/dry eyes, it was worth it and I am grateful to finally have clear skin again (Only a few short stints of clear skin in the past THREE DECADES of battling bullshit cystic acne!). For now, all is good. I’m in the process of tweaking my skincare routine with topicals/at home products to target crows feet and crepey eyelids, but I consider the skin stuff a “hobby” that falls under my “internet research” umbrella. Dog care, skin care, house hacks. Shrug.

In other news, Bubbey is continuing with his “semi-retirement” status. His cooking has ratcheted up to a super high caliber. I mean, the breadth of cuisines plus how fast he can whip shit together. It is nothing short of amazing. Many of my friends do not have spouses as skilled in the kitchen, so I try not to brag. But shit, his meals taste way better than eating out.

Skills mastery, I tell you! He like goes to the library and comes back with a stack of books and new recipes to try for the week. My home life feels incredibly indulgent in that sense.

And it’s been a real blessing being able to go for walks together, eat lunch, spend time. Bubs is also continuing with his leather work and laser etcher and 3D printing. Sometimes he creates key chains, placards, bags that I can use for work. I feel like we’re in a good phase where he’s got several hobbies and we’re overall both in a good headspace– able to focus on our individual things but also have the overlap in schedules to do activities together. Yes, everything in the outside world continues to be in turmoil, but I feel very lucky to have a safe and comfortable home with my Bubs and Benny.

Work Update

This year, work started off slowly. But unlike in years past, many of our clients this year actually came through referral or sphere of influence, which is a whole different ball of wax. First deal of the year was our handyman’s daughter and husband. From the get go, they trusted us (we didn’t have to compete again other agents), and wowee, these clients read my emails, listened to my suggestions, AND followed detailed instructions on getting prepped for the market. And, I have to say, the couple was on the same fricking page with each other. You have no idea what a rarity/luxury that is.

TBH, I was really starting to wonder: how are so many people married to one another AND raising kids together? Bc so many of my past couples could NOT agree on even basic choices like new build vs. old construction, small yard or big yard. I know, I know: there are all sorts of personalities out there and all sorts of relationships. Somehow people are making it work, so I should be less judgy. And maybe it’s just a reminder to myself that I’m very picky about the hard things/challenges I take on. I’ve already mentioned how I have an aversion to inconvenience. It’s not to say, I won’t do difficult things. I just limit exerting extra energy to very few things: work, marriage, and then to a more selective extent: family and friendships. I’m sure it helps too that above all else, I am a doer, so I cannot be in limbo/inaction for any lengthy period of time. Gray areas? Nope. Friendship drama, nope. Tedium of travel, nope. I suppose this does narrow my world rather quickly. Then again, the way I see it, I have to do uncomfortable things all the time for work. Don’t give me added homework on top of that.

So back to my work update. My second client of the year was another referral– a lovely couple, actually even MORE on the same page than the first family! In contract 12 days after we met. It was awesome. And even when there were hiccups in the road, whereas most of my other clients would have grown stressed or anxious or emotional, nada. This couple took EVERYTHING in stride and their case even involved a special circumstance where several 20-30 yr veterans in the biz said it was a new problem they’d never encountered before! Behind the scenes, I lost sleep over it (surprise, surprise), but neither buyer even batted an eye. I was so lucky.

After those two, a few other transactions closed, including one that was THREE years in the making. Yes, it took THREE years bc like I said, the couple was on different pages for EVERYTHING. And we scoured eight different areas in three different counties. In the end, they are happy so all’s good. But I’m glad we got it done. In fact, they just moved into the new house this past weekend. Since then, I had a few other buyers and sellers… closed and done. Whew.

And then, there was that ONE headache of a listing: it had started off incredibly speedy and smooth. We had sold their neighbor’s home for a record high a few months earlier, so the couple reached out. In one week, they signed with us, moved out, AND handed over the keys. Literally, DAY 1 of construction prep (just minor updates), the contractor stepped on plumbing in the attic and triggered the fucking fire sprinklers all over the house. Yup, in a matter of minutes, three levels of a home in great shape, got deluged, er “trashed” as J liked to remind me. Needless to say, from that point on, we were trying to rebuild trust and recover. The two-week delay in the construction schedule landed us at the start of Trump’s tariffs war. Stock market tanked. Market response was quiet, dead even. A month later, the sellers moved back in and took the home off the market. Yup, months of work wasted. Ultimately, they still want to sell, but we’ll see if they decide to come back to market with us. Sigh, that was a huge dud.

So now I’m in summer. I’ve got a couple of buyers who are ready. One is a very picky cash buyer. After four months, I found them a house that ticked nearly all their boxes, but they suddenly got cold feet. I mean, Trump and his world chaos is def fucking things up. Still, these are the times when you can’t be half-hearted. Either shit or get off the pot. They already have regrets for missing out on a home in my neighborhood where they previously insisted the space was too small, only later to decide it actually wasn’t…. Sigh. It’s gonna be a process.

The other buyer family I met through an open house. They are the FIRST buyers to ever respond to my open house follow up email by clicking on a link to schedule an appointment/consultation. Turns out, they are Taiwanese (her family lives ten minutes from my parents in Kaohsiung) and spent some time in Rockville/Bethesda, of course our ol’ childhood stomping grounds. They seem pretty straightforward so far, and yesterday, we saw something they liked. I’m hopeful.

In less exciting news, I finally killed my CRM/Database platform. I had been paying out of pocket for the platform for two plus years, as features slowly dwindled. Finally, I bit the bullet and moved everything to the in-house Compass platform which is free. Meh, it’s a constant fight again chaos trying to keep the database organized. Let’s just hope I don’t switch brokerages anytime soon.

Year of the Snake

Wow, so much has happened in a mere three months. Obviously, politically, I’m super disappointed and disillusioned. I tried so hard after the defeat to understand where the hell the Dems went wrong. So many places it seems… even among people I know, they criticized the messaging, the key platforms, the lack of strategy… I dunno. I honestly didn’t see it coming, and I was very blind-sided by the results. Most people I know are taking a break from the news now, but it’s terrifying see how quickly the new Napoleon is implementing his changes.

In other news, after my Accutane stint that ended in late August, I’ve still been battling side effects. Several months after treatment ended, my dry eye is as bad as ever. I’ve resorted to wearing eyeglasses again. For some reason, though the ‘tane got me clear, I now have dark circles under my eyes. I was having eye twitches and headaches. My body was really starting to break down. Thankfully, my PCP is a superstar and after adopting a couple of her recommendations, the latter two symptoms have mostly subsided now that we’re into February. The dry eye is the remaining hurdle, but it seems excessive computer time exacerbates the condition.

Work for 2025 is off to a slower start than last year. A few listings in the pipeline and 3 buyers who say they are “committed” but their actions show otherwise. I’m tiring of this business. It still gets me up every morning, but the people part is exhausting. Maybe J is right: going into the investment/flipping side of things would allow me to shine in my project management abilities while decreasing exposure to buyers’ fickle emotions and common family dysfunction.

I had a Lunar New Year party last week that was a fun distraction. I stole some new decorating ideas from Instagram and Pinterest and purchased a table rod– an assembly that towers over the dining table. It’s a surprisingly easy concept where a metal rod arch clamps to the table, allowing you to dangle lanterns, flowers, lights, etc. overhead. I’m happy with it. For the food, we made dumplings, following one of our OG recipes from our days in Shanghai (circa 2003) and rice cakes. Then, we supplemented with vegetable sides from a local restaurant. The spread turned out great, and in just the right portions. Next month after the weather starts to warm and dry, I’ll resume my monthly Mahjong Mastermind. It’s been so long, I may have to re-watch the tutorial!

What else. My buds P & C are coming up later this week from Long Beach. Thankfully, Southwest has direct flights from LGB to SJC which makes things so much easier. I was motivated to clean out my home office FINALLY to make room for them. I put up my floating book shelves, hung my uke, got a new upright stand for my zither… all little things but Jesus, everything had been sitting around collecting dust for years.

Speaking of the zither, I started playing it again. I’m working on a couple of old folk songs. I have to say, the phone app guzheng tuner is a lifesaver. J recently found a “Harps of Asia” concert at Stanford that featured music with the guzheng along with its counterparts from Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. The concert was surprisingly good, and now I’m feeling re-inspired to attend more live music events at Stanford and to play my instrument with more regularity.

The Lodge

At the end of April, J and I tried out a new type of destination. We hit up Carmel Valley Ranch, which is a golf club/resort kind of spot. With its luxurious pool/hot tubs plus on-site animal farm, massive vegetable garden, and beautifully manicured grounds, it was hard not to fall in love. I subsequently spent much of spring/summer dreaming of ways to get back to that environment again. Unfortunately, Benny’s mobility issues took months of troubleshooting– all the way until late September, when the monthly injectable Librela finally started to take effect (third month) and coupled with prednisone (the universal magic pill) tweaked to the right dose, we got him stable again.

In early October, we felt ready to try two things: a new overnight dog sitter (recommended by a neighbor on Nextdoor) and a new lodge/golf resort escape. Enter the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. The thing I’m noticing about golf places— they are so much better maintained. Not just with the grounds, but I mean the rooms, the lobby, the common areas… The architecture/decor/style may be a bit old school or dated, but the upkeep is impeccable. We were only there for two nights, and I submitted an offer during our stay, but it was a pleasant albeit brief getaway. We rented e-bikes and toured the neighborhood, got on a nice paved trail riding by the pastures… scenic and quiet. The next day, we went on a short hike. We hit up Earthbound Farms and a few other local food spots. Walked around sleepy downtown Carmel. We had a nice time and a welcome respite from the week-long heat wave. Meanwhile, Bentley did fine as well. The sitter is probably in her 30s-40s, and I have to say, it’s nice to have someone who’s mature and well, how to say, seasoned by life to handle responsibilities. Bentley seemed calm and comfortable when we returned so all in all, a successful trip. The icing on the cake would have been if my clients beat out 42 other offers to win a house in Palo Alto, but apparently, that’s too much to ask for these days. 🙂

Learning Rampage

I’ve been on a learning rampage lately… First, my real estate license is set to expire this year in November, so naturally in true VG fashion, I downloaded all the course materials in March and started EARLY with the classes. There were about 14 classes/45 hours of credits. Anyway, I started in spring and then wrapped everything up with the quizzes and tests in July. So now my license is renewed for another four years, woo hoo!

After I finished with that, I came across a free registration to an online senior pet summit. Even as a kid, I’ve always had a fascination with dogs and horses. I used to read all the sections in the Encyclopedia and also borrowed books from the library about grooming, care, diet, and training. Since Bentley is now 11, I thought the summit was especially timely. It was so interesting and covered a broad spectrum of topics from diet/nutrition to physical therapy/massage to nail trimming (so much more important that I ever thought) to euthanasia. It was soo good, and I came away with lots of new tips.

Meanwhile, here’s the update on Benny. Since the start of the year, his hind legs started getting very weak. The vet initially tried a combo of meloxicam and methocarbamol, but that didn’t help. We went off of it and just slowed down our walks. Then in April, we went to Carmel Valley Ranch for a few days, and Bentley really started to struggle with the uneven terrain. A few times, he lost his balance while pooping, which of course, is a full-blown Code Red. As soon as we returned to town, we went back to the vet. She wanted to try the methocarbamol/meloxicam mix again. Did it again and also added physical therapy/laser treatment. The PT recommended that we change out his harness, bc turns out the Easy Walk cuts off their front legs’ forward extension (covered in the Pet Summit!). I also tried doing more massage. No real improvement still.

We then tried Gabapentin, and that actually resulted in ataxia (back legs imbalance), so it was meant to treat possible pain and stabilize his mobility, but the dose was so high that it made things worse, and he was stumbling around all over the place. Backed off the gabapentin. then went to prednisone… of course all these meds are trying to attack the problem from different modes, like muscle relaxants, pain relief, nerve pain, arthritic pain, etc… The pred, which he was on before when he had the TWO autoimmune diseases, was also too high and resulted in stomach ulcers and diarrhea. Cut the dose on that…

Needless to say, it’s been a very bumpy ride. Now we are on the fifth med called Librela, an injectable monoclonal antibody for arthritic pain. The vet said that we may need two doses to see any changes. Right now, no real improvement unfortunately, but we’ll try again with the second dose next month.

Yes, the process has been super frustrating. But we are plugging along. The hind end harness and stroller are helpful.

Btw, I just came across this article last night. I wasn’t in full frame of mind looking at it in bed, but this morning, I listened to the audio and then it had me crying inconsolably. I know what’s to come sooner than later, and it’s going to be serious heartbreak. I just hope I can maintain awareness and perspective to do what’s right for Benny when his time comes.

Shit Week, Big Day

I had two closings slated for this week. Both deals were moving along swimmingly… the first one closed Tuesday, after the Memorial Day holiday. All done, everything smooth, all parties THRILLED. And then the seller didn’t get her wire proceeds. On Wednesday, the first wire was sent back to escrow… some issue with the For Credit To. The second one went out, and Thursday morning that bounced back again. My seller was freaking out: she was on the phone with her brokerage, the escrow company… Never happened to me before. The brokerage rep said all the instructions on the second wire looked perfect, and she was perplexed that the Federal Reserve sent it back. The escrow company then escalated to their accounting department. A third iteration was made. Meanwhile, I was feeling so frustrated. People have no idea the amount of work that happens behind the scenes shepherding all the details along. You get to the end, and all is beautiful and then this kind of shit crops up literally ruining the entire deal in one late fumble. All the client will remember now are the two days of stress when she didn’t get her money. All week I’ve been sleepless, frustrated by the pieces where I have no control. I started inquiring all the details for Plan B in case that third wire bounced back again. Could it be a glitch with the Federal Reserve (happened many months ago)? Should we try a different account to deposit the funds? If we went the route of a check, could a courier deliver to any branch and staff there make the deposit? How soon would the funds be available? All Wednesday afternoon and night, I’m making calls and mulling over the details. THANKFULLY, Thursday morning the funds finally arrived. First fire extinguished.

The second deal was supposed to close on Wednesday. Due to two of the three buyers being out of state AND the lender requiring all three to sign on the same document (no counterpart signing allowed), we had a notary sent out last Friday. After the signing, she was supposed to drop off the package to FedEx on Saturday, so it would be back in San Jose first thing on Tuesday morning after the holiday weekend. First, she dropped it off on Tuesday, so we didn’t get it until Wednesday. Second, she did a shit job stamping her notary acknowledgement page, meaning the rubber stamp was half-ass and completely illegible. When the escrow officer realized the stamp was not valid, she reached out to the notary to re-stamp and FedEx another page back (another day lost). The notary didn’t get back to her until the afternoon, and on top of that, the notary was on vacation out of town. Yup, FML. So that meant, all three buyers needed to re-sign with a different notary. Long story short, bc of this half-ass bullshit first notary (I mean, you have TWO jobs: stamp the files and drop off at FedEx), we were looking at a one week delay in closing, with financial consequences. I was so pissed; my buyers were so stressed and upset… again, we got to ONE DAY before closing with a very smooth deal and then shit hit the fan.

For the second deal, we had the buyers and a new notary hustle to re-sign. The second notary shared a scan of the signed file showing the clear stamped acknowledgement. The FedEx arrived this morning, and the lender is slated to fund shortly. Fingers crossed, this will get through the finish line later today. I can’t help but be a bit gun shy due to the random hiccups from this week, but it’s now as far along as we can take it.

In other news, after this very stressful week, I’m very happy about the unanimous Trump verdict. Wow, finally, there is no confusion or disagreement about his role in all this chaos. I’m disappointed that he can still run and he can still serve, but for now, what a day to feel some relief and redemption and faith that NOT all is lost.

Dipping the Toes

I took a bit of a hiatus from the blog… work got busy and I dunno, I just got out the cadence of writing/blogging. I’m told too that no one blogs anymore. Turns out it’s too long of a medium (TLDR) or whatever. People don’t have time for your wordy bullshit. Whatevs. I’ve never been one to follow what’s trending anyway. For example, I got into SATC like ten years after the series started. Same with rollerblading. And I still wear my low-rise skinny jeans even though high-rise mom jeans are the thing. So sue me.

Anyway, the thing about my blog is that it’s more for me than for others anyhow. I happen to like having a collection or history of my life stories and experiences… and I enjoy the catharsis that comes from writing. It helps my brain process and declutter. So that’s why I’m jumping back in. I’ve missed it.

So let’s see: what’s happened since I last left. I’m still in real estate. My parents moved back to Taiwan full time around 2021. The last several months, business for me has been tough. Interest rates jumped from the low 3s to now 7s, and that’s certainly done a number on the slowbo buyers (my specialty) who took too much damn time trying to find THE perfect house or wanting to score THE perfect deal.

I dunno how I get stuck with these people. I’ve always been a very strong driver, where getting things done trumps all other things for me… so even though I relate very well to the careful and cautious, strong-attention-to-detail type of clients (trained up with my dad after all), they also drive me craaaazy. I try to be very blunt with them: I tell them this market isn’t for everyone. You’re not going to check off all the items on your wishlist. If you can’t move fast and accept a higher-than-normal level of risk, please have the sense to drop out and wait for a different market. Know yourself. Maybe that’s the problem though. People don’t really know themselves, I guess.

Needless to say, after many months of activity but limited wins, I was feeling incredibly tired and frustrated. A few weeks ago, I made a change. A new opportunity cropped up where my Chinese friend/agent partner split from her biz partner, and she needed someone to join her, especially on listings. Up until now, I was primarily working with buyers. In a competitive market though, where each home receives multiple offers, it’s tough to pull out the W. If you work the seller/listing side, you have a higher chance of closing the deal, bc the seller is the fixed side of the transaction. So, I made the move. It wasn’t easy bc I have a lot of loyalty to my former team and brokerage, but like I said, getting things done trumps all else in my book. So, despite the awkward and difficult conversations, I couldn’t be stopped.

Since the move, things have been swinging up. Part of it is that buyers are getting motivated again now that summer is coming to an end. The other part is that my new partner is very savvy and entrepreneurial. In the last ten days, I’ve had a lot of activity: listing appointments, new buyer consultations, offer submissions, a closing, etc. I’m back to feeling optimistic, if you can imagine that.

In other news, I am continuing with therapy. It’s cut back now to once a month, and I feel like my issues are pretty ingrained but the awareness helps and certainly, I appreciate having a sounding board. I am going back to brainspotting to see if that can help dislodge some of my deep-set thoughts/attitudes.

I am trying to be a little more balanced with my life too. It’s very hard for me to get out of my work mode/zone, but I am going on more trips/getaways. Nothing excessive– a weekend here, a few days for a trip to Bend over July Fourth holiday, etc. but it’s a bigger deal for me than you think. I am my father’s daughter after all.