Betty's Blog

Local Industry Stats

by Betty Winn on 12/17/16

One of my excellent instructors, Chad Nanke, has a great video blog on real estate in our area. I have posted it for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to make comments. Click here to view.

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I was so intrigued by the cell phone business card holder provided by Julie Rother at OnQFinancial. I held it, placed it up to my phone trying to see how it would work. I finally bit the bullet… decided to take the risk… I pulled of the paper exposing the sticky stuff and placed it securely on the back of my cell. Then, I attempted to prop up the phone… fiddling for a few seconds until… snap! “What?” I said. Then turned my phone over to see the arc, then confidently set my cell phone down on my desk in perfect position for receiving and making phone calls.

Someone at OnQFinancial’s R&D department is a genius. Oh, and… I also put some of my business cards in the holder.

Have a fabulous day!

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The Cheese Effect

by Betty Winn on 06/30/16

There are a lot of emails going back and forth between our PAAR Board of Directors and our members of the association about becoming part of ARMLS. I understand both sides and actually have been dealing with something very similar with my business... the business of education.

You see, a company from the valley has decided to test our market with their own real estate pre-licensing course. My first inclination was "Gee, six million people in the Phoenix Valley and they want to tap our little 100,000 population." After long discussions with brokers and friends, my husband (a very clear thinker) said something very profound to me. He said "You just need to re-invent yourself."

This I can do! Becoming more diversified in my offerings is something we are always striving for. Our pre-licensing course is already more than just a class to get your real estate license. It is an experience in learning the material one needs to get licensed, yes. But it is also an opportunity for students to bond with others, breakthrough any shyness, become more confident and reach for something they truly desire... a new career in a wonderful industry that offers the possibility to help others realize their dreams and build their own self wealth.

Change is never easy. I used to work at First American Title here in the Prescott area. When I started there in 2001 everyone had this strange piece of fake cheese on their desk. Once I felt comfortable enough to inquire about this odd desk ornamented, I was told about a meeting they had all went to called "Don't Move My Cheese". I believe it was based on a book by the same title. It is about dealing with change.

The one thing I have learned in my years in business is that change is inevitable. How we deal with that change is how we define ourselves. When change occurs it is an opportunity to hon our skills, reinvent how we do what we do, become better than any competition that may come our way. It is a challenge; a personal challenge that we must all accept and become the BEST we can be in whatever field we work.

No matter which way this controversy goes, don't be caught off guard. Prepare to be the BEST! Don't move MY cheese... I already ate it!

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You may not like to do this, BUT...

by Betty Winn on 06/07/16

We all have those years where we just didn't get our 24 hours of continuing education completed. Maybe we didn't do any hours over the last two years! Or, maybe we just need one class and our license expires in the morning... we've all been there.

Now you can take the full 24 or just pick up that one class... Online! Winn School of Real Estate, LLC is partnering with Career WebSchool to offer online real estate courses.

I took one of the courses and I must say it was challenging. I, of course, passed. I also learned information I did not know before. It was worth the $19 I paid. You see, Career Webschool would have given me a free demo class to take at no charge. But, I wanted to pay the $19 and experience the course just like you will. They give you six months to finish the course. Being as busy as I am with classes and my recent listing, I was able to start and return multiple times until finishing a few weeks later.

I am offering their courses because I believe they meet my high standards. When completed, you will know the information and you will pass the final quiz.

If you need the 24 hours the cost is just $99 and individual courses are only $19. A great value. So, if you need hours and just don't have time to get them done live or maybe you'd like to try one out and give me feedback. Click here and get started! Thanks.

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Inventory Update!

by Betty Winn on 05/01/16

WOW! I just checked the single family residential inventory and it went from 947 to 1347 units in less than a month. That is impressive! It looks like the listing agents are really getting out there and doing their thing! This is wonderful news for the new licensees entering into our industry. We still need to keep informed about the new home subdivisions, vacant land and custom builders. Congratulations, we are going to have a wonderfully prosperous selling season!

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Low Inventory? Time to Reinvent!

by Betty Winn on 04/28/16

The last time I checked the stats there were only 947 single family residential listings in our entire Prescott Area Association of Realtors' Multiple Listing System. But, there were over 2000 residential vacant land listings.

We call this a Seller's Market. It is time to hone your sales skills and educate potential home sellers that this is the time to list their property.

Working with buyers may be a little trickier. With a low inventory, real estate professionals may have to change gears and become land salespersons. They are going to have to establish relationships with reputable custom builders and assist their buyers in the new construction process.

Realtors need to become experts on the new and existing subdivisions populating our landscape and make sure they register their clients with the new home developments and see them through the process of having a new home built.

There is really no bad time in the real estate industry; just different times that open up different opportunities for the real estate professional and their clients!

Good luck out there!

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Change is Good... Very Good!

by Betty Winn on 04/02/16

It has been too long since I wrote on my blog. So let’s get up to date! The school has been very busy in the first quarter of 2016. Eighteen out of twenty-one students have passed their state exams the first time. That is an 86% pass ratio.

We brought on some new instructors to help with our first ever morning pre-licensing course to complement our normal afternoon and evening sessions. The morning class students graduate this week and will take their finals the following Monday. After three months of marketing the next morning session, which was supposed to start mid-April, we did not receive enough interest to proceed. We have scheduled the next morning session for mid-August.

Our continuing education schedule for this year has been consistent with two in January and one in both February and March.

We are offering a free class in April presented by Arizona Department of Water Resources and sponsored by Empire West Title Agency. There is no continuing education credit for this class but real estate professionals sometimes need the information not just CE credit.

May brings a special CE class titled “A more detailed look at 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges”. Carmine DiFulvio of First American Exchange Company will be our instructor. Empire West Title Agency and OnQFinancial are our sponsors.

We have the six hour ADRE required Contract Writing classes scheduled monthly through June. Existing licensees can take this class along with the new licensee candidates and receive continuing education credit.

Information for all our classes can be found under the Licensing Course, CE Prescott or Contract Writing tabs.

The next step for Winn School of Real Estate is to offer online continuing education courses. We also want to present computer-based pre-licensing in the future. We are working with World Continuing Education Alliance to create and develop our first CE class. Our hope is to be live before the end of summer.

Well, that wraps up the update. Please check in once in a while and I will try to write more often.

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Don't Give Up!

by Betty Winn on 11/12/15

The students from the final evening class and final day class of 2015 are preparing to pass my final and their state exams to become licensed real estate salespeople. I received this article in my email box this morning and wanted to share it with them and with anyone trying to improve their lives. Check it out at http://confidenceandjoy.com/have-you-failed-3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Confidenceandjoycom+%28ConfidenceAndJoy.com%29

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2016 Comes with Changes... Some Exciting!

by Betty Winn on 10/23/15

It has been a while since I posted anything to this blog. Now that we are in the last quarter of the year plans have begun for 2016 which is a great excuse to write a post for the blog.

We want to expand. But, anyone who has seen our location knows there is really no where to expand, physically speaking that is. How to expand was the question at hand and the answer was to add a morning session to our schedule.

I can teach nine hours a day if I have to but I am sure that would get old, fast and the students would suffer as well as myself. So, the answer is to hire a few new instructors to take on the new session.

We are happy to announce that Jim Rouse, an associate broker with C. Marshall and Associates has stepped up to the plate and is now an instructor with our school. We have three more brokers/associate brokers who will be coming on board before the end of the year to assist with our expansion.

It is always the people that make a company anyway not the bricks and mortar. Talking about bricks and mortar, our facility, located in the Stepping Stones Community Center on 2nd street in Prescott Valley, just got a new roof and coat of paint. Now when I have to give directions to our classroom, I can just say "We are on the South side of 2nd Street... it is the large green building with the red trim." Very nice!

Once our morning session ( 9 to 12) kicks in on February 17th, students can triple up with the afternoon and evening sessions and complete their 90 hours in about 2 1/2 weeks or just stick with the mornings and complete it in 7 1/2 weeks.

Not only are we accommodating folks that need to be home in the afternoon for the children but this allows a fast tract option that is not being offered in the Prescott/Prescott Valley area.

We have also added the three Broker Management Clinics that Brokers and Managing Brokers are required to take to renew their licenses, to our growing selection of continuing education classes. Real Estate Sales people can take any one of the sessions for their Commissioner Standards credit.

Anyway, we are offering the all three BMCs on December 11, 2015. You can take all three or two or just one. And, yes I am teaching the entire nine hours.

Watch for new classes throughout 2016. I am sure that our new instructors will want to teach their passions and what a great venue to accommodate them, Winn School of Real Estate, your local real estate school.

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Local Young Boy Needs Help!

by Betty Winn on 07/22/15

I do not usually use my blog for non business related items. But, I was compelled to revise this stance when one of my students relayed a very distressing story about a local young boy who was shot in the eye with an arrow by another young boy. (this was of course an accident)

He has had one surgery and is in need of another. The specialist will not perform the surgery until payment is made first. This family is seeking donations to assist in paying for this and future surgeries.

If it is in your budget and more importantly in your hearts to help this family financially, you can do so by clicking this link www.youcaring.com and typing in the name Ty Bennett. I am sure the family would appreciate your prayers as well.

Thank you.

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