I’m sure the title has you scratching your head.  Really? Could there be anymore initials in that title?  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) put into effect their new law in regards to RRP (Renovation, Repairs & Painting) rule on April 22, 2010.  It applies to homes that were built prior to 1978 and have the potential of lead based paint.

If you’re a REALTOR®, Landlord and/or Property Manager, then you might want to listen up.  If you plan on doing any kind of RRP to an older home that you do not own, then the way you are about to do business has changed.  This applies whether you do the work or hire a contractor to do the work. You must use lead-safe work practices and follow these three simple procedures:

1) Contain the work area.
2) Minimize dust.
3) Clean up thoroughly.

If the home tests positive for lead, then you must abate the problem using the proper procedures such as notifying the neighbors, wearing a white haz-mat suit, collecting the water runoff from the power washer and properly discarding the loose paint chips to name just a few items.

The areas are squishy at best, and the EPA has even made several announcements, updates and changes to this law.  You can read the whole rule on their web site.

Like the title of this post suggests, I’m only scraping the surface of this humongous rule.  Just know that it does exist and it would be in your best interest as a REALTOR®, Property Manager and even homeowner to know more.  I’m taking the certification class in Springfield next week, and I will report back as I know more.  Because I’m sure you find this fascinating.

I recently read an article in REALTOR® Magazine about virtual staging.  In a nutshell, virtual staging is using tools, such as software, to spruce up an empty room by adding furniture or paint color to the photo.  It could be considered a little controversial by some and quite frankly, I couldn’t agree more.  I mean really, if you are “virtually” spicing up a vacant house photo with new paint colors, shiny wood floors and then adding expensive designer furniture just so that you have the literal picture-perfect property for your web advertising… uhhh…. isn’t that borderline false advertising?

However, I have been known to do a little virtual staging myself.  Except that my virtual staging is a little different than the common REALTORS® way.  I photoshop out the massive trash can in the front yard of the rental. Or maybe I will get rid of all of the all the trash strewn around a house, due to the tenant’s vacating the premises just a few hours prior to my walk through photos.  Then there is always the hanging tree limb out of the front of the house that could use a little bit of the blending tool in Photoshop.  (I’ve been known to be a perfectionist, HA!)  However, adding flowers and meticulously landscaping the property is going too far.

That’s my soapbox (or paint bucket) speech for the day.

I’m getting bombarded with calls from the US Census Bureau. (yeah, I had to spell check that word).  Their minions have been incessantly calling my office to get information about our vacant listings, our available rental properties and anything else that may have my company’s sign in the yard.  They demand to know who lives in the house and get especially cantankerous if they are having to make the call just because one of our tenants didn’t return answer the door.  I don’t blame them for being frustrated, but it does surprise me how many of them are so rude, especially when they are asking for my help.

Even with all of that aside, their phone calls (rude or not) are driving me crazy! It is my company and office policy to not give out any information regarding our residents and yet I feel obligated to help them.  However, I don’t do it.  I think before I speak.  Just because it’s the government calling, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep your sense about you.  I remain reserved and not give out the extensive info to all of their questions, just because that census worker asks.

Don’t forget, you should keep your census about you.

They are not necessarily real estate related, but not everything on this blog is.  So here are my favorite five apps that I use on my iPhone everyday:

1) Echofon Pro.  My trusty Twitter client, because I always “check-in” on Twitter.  Just not on Foursquare.

2) C25K.  Yeah, it’s an app that got my non-running tail up off the couch and I’m shooting for running a 5K, hopefully in the fall.

3) Things. This handy little to-do list app helps keep me in line and coordinates itself to sync with the Things for Mac desktop application.  It’s nice to have all my to-do list things on the go.

4) Cribbage.  Yeah, it’s good to have downtime.

5) MusicID. Have you ever been standing in the middle of the store and you hear a catchy tune on the speakers but you don’t know who sings it or what the band name is?  I have had this happen to me more often than not, but no longer do I have to scramble to remember the lyrics to Google later.  I launch this app and hold the microphone up where it can hear the music and walla! I have the song title and artists and link to immediately download it to my beloved iPhone.

So there you have it.  What are some of your favorite apps?

This week begins the National Association of REALTORS annual conference in San Diego California.  I look forward to this event every year since this is one of the best educational experience a real estate professional like myself can obtain.  Thousands of REALTORS gather together to learn the latest in technology, real estate practices, and most importantly learn from each other to better serve our clients and customers.

But are you ready to meet? Here are a few tips to make sure you don’t miss the most valuable part of this conference:

1.  Don’t be shy.  The people here are just like you, they want to learn and learn from you.  Say Hello to everyone.  Leave no one out.

2. Get up early.  There is a lot of networking going on before any of the sessions start.  Go have breakfast at any nearby restaurant by 7 a.m. and you will see floods of REALTORS sucking down the morning joe.  Doesn’t matter where, they will be there.  Never sit alone.  Suck it in, go up and say Hi, and you have just added to your referral network.

3. Wear your badge everywhere.  Yes, it may be a little geeky and not look that great with your new dress/nice suit, but everyone does it and it is a quick identifier that others will also see you and may even buy you coffee!

4. Stay up late. When the sessions are over, there are plenty, and I mean plenty of places where vendors, state associations and tweet-up’s are going on just for you.   Don’t miss a one.  Remember, the people there are just like you and want to network as well.

5. Sleep when you get home.  It is only 4 days, you can do it!  Don’t miss anything.

6.  Go to every session you can.  No sleeping in!  If you go to one and it is not quite what you thought it would be, quietly get up, and go to another one.  However, plan this in advance.  Know what you want to see to make the best use of your time.   Check out the session schedule by clicking here.

7.  Free pens.  Tempting I know.  Vendors are an important part of the conference and you must go to the trade show floor.   I have brought bags and bags of goodies from the floor so I wouldn’t have to buy a pen again.  After 15 years I strongly advise you to buy pens, quit waiting in line to play games and just go to the product booths that are really of interest.  You can spend days here, but not necessaily the best use of your time.  Plan 4 hours here.

8.  Take lots of business cards.  Let’s face it, we get bombarded with cards.  Mark them. That’s right, take one of the free pens and put a mark on the back of the cards that you need to keep.  Then when you go back home and start sorting them out, it will help you remember who is who.

9.  Don’t be distracted.  San Diego is a wonderful city with plenty to do.  Just don’t.  Stay focused for the real reasons you are here.  If you stay after the conference or go early, great, enjoy the city.  But during the conference don’t be tempted to take a day off; time is short and this is business.  You won’t have an opportunity like this for another year.  Make your business double in growth with what you learn here.  Stay focused.

10.  Friday, 2:30 to 4:00  A shameless plug yes, but come to our session, 8 Effortless Tips for Tackling Rental Property Management.   Not in property management you say?  Sometimes sessions like this one have way more than what meets the eye.  We will cover promotion in social media, advertising your listings/rental homes for free, creating a niche, and how to deal with investors.   Invest in what you sell.  Learn more about investment real estate which is a huge growing segment of our real estate industry.   Learn something new.  We are full time practicing real estate brokers who do this everyday just like.  Come share ideas with us.  We are not selling anything.  Besides, come say hi, we would love to meet you.

So make sure you look for us and I might even buy the coffee

The crowd starts to form

This is the way it should be.  People, hundreds which turned into a thousand plus standing on their feet applauding.

Here I was in the Dallas airport just switching planes to go to my next destination when I hear a few people staring to applaud.  A little unusual I would say for an airport, probably just a few rowdy college football fans coming in for the big Texas Oklahoma game.  But as the noise continued to grow louder and louder I had to go look.

As I turned the corner there they were a large group of strangers all standing looking up and making a huge raquet.  Did some rock star show up?  Better.  Bigger.

On the second level just above us walking along the sky-walk was our troops coming back from Afghanistan.  It was a moving experience.  A welcome that they totally deserved.  Everyone stopping from running to their next gate, trying to get food, sorting out where they should be, to stand at attention and give these young men what they deserve; respect.

Weather you agree with the war or not, they are there fighting everyday for all us.  They are bigger heros than any celebrity or star, and all those strangers on this day in Dallas gave them the admiration they truly deserved.

I want to thank all of those travelers who took a moment to stand up for those who are heroes. ( I just wish I had my better camera so you could have seen the smiles on the soldiers faces from the warm welcome home)

Today I began to run.  I know, I know, but I am being pushed; and dragged for that matter (by my dog).  Pushed by the fact that I am not getting any younger and constantly reminded that if I don’t get my heart in shape, well, that’s it.   My life insurance salesman/friend who has had 2 heart attacks and 9 bypasses, has said that most men in their 40′s who have heart attacks don’t make it.   Hmmmm, more life insurance?

So in the upcoming days I will try to keep up the running as I gasp for air and often stop to walk; like that makes it easier.  Everyone tells me how much better I will feel by absorbing the fresh air, the blood pumping faster through my body, and my brain clearing all those cluttered up thoughts.  I hope it is true because so far I have stressed more thinking about all the stuff I have to do, hurt my knee when it was fine prior to, and it is just not that fun.  I would rather be eating a Snickers bar and writing this blog.

But my dog is happy; she loves it.

I have just added a new category on my blog for stupid stuff that people think up that we are suppose to buy into.   First up, cat food.   Not your ordinary cat food mind you, but we are now suppose to feed the furballs in courses.  The brains at Purina have now decided that Appetizers for cats is the new rage.  You have got to be kidding.  I am suppose to feed these things a 4 course meal, probably set out the good wedding china too I suppose.

In financial times like these, appetizers for cats should not be on our shopping list.  Funny thing is, it is more expensive that tuna in a can.  I don’t get appetizers every night for dinner so you can be sure those lay around, do nothing, shed everywhere felines aren’t either.  How big of a gourmet could any animal be that licks its own butt?  Butt flavor cat food; now that I would buy.

This week I had the opportunity to meet again with Congressman Roy Blunt.  I was there for the “JDRF Promise to remember me” campaign.  At first he was very political but when the 4 year old blonde looked at him with those beautiful eyes and showed him her insulin pump, it was all over.   This disease affects these kids for life, and he once again pledged to support research for juvenile diabetes.

Now I have had a few issues with Roy over the years, but very few.   One thing that was so critical for me at this meeting was he made a point to listen and engage everyone in the conversation since there were about 20 people there.   He took interest, made sure the kids were able to speak as well, and although I know he has a tight schedule he made sure that we were not rushed and gave plenty of time to hear our talking points.

I sure wish some of the other Congressmen/women would do the same, even if they don’t agree with the cause.  I know they have a hard job, but they asked for it!

I own Martha Stewart stock.  Yes, I hear you chuckling from here.   The value of the stock is about 95% less that what I paid for it years ago.   It just is what it is.  Nothing I can do about it except sit on it, sell it, or cry.   I don’t know anyone that has some form of stocks that has not lost value in the last year or so.   It is what it is.

But for some reason when it comes to homes and decreasing values, as a real estate agent I still constantly hear, “I have more invested in this than the what you think it is worth.”  Just because you paid thousands for upgrades, additions, and personal touches that does not mean you will automatically get it back, or even profit for that matter.   We have a hard time understanding why home values have decreased but take stock prices at face value.   Your home is worth what the market will bear, that’s it.   Even if you have $350,000 in the home, it does not equate to what the home is actually worth.  Hey I don’t like it either, but it is what it is.  I paid $37 per share for Martha Stewart stock and therefore I should get at least $40 if not more because I own it.   Any takers?  Oh, by the way my stock has an upgrade feature; a beautiful new plastic sleeve to keep your certificate wrinkle free.