You may be wondering what a Best – Selling author and marketing genius like Seth Godin might have in common with a realtor from Colts Neck New Jersey, correct?

Well…..It’s a long story, and if you know me, you know that my stories usually are but I will try to make this short and painless.

Seth Godin was scheduled to deliver the keynote address in Atlanta Georgia for the Keller Williams Realty yearly convention known to all as “Family Reunion”

I was more than excited to say the least to hear Seth speak. I surely did not want to miss the author of 9 best selling books teach me how to set myself apart from the real estate pack and propel myself to “SUPER STARDOM”, well more SUPER than I already am but I digress.

I was staying on the 30th floor at the Westin hotel in Atlanta. On Tuesday February 12th, I awoke at 5:30am to find that there was NO HOT water in my hotel room. Somehow the power had gone out in part of the hotel. Not only were the boilers not working, the elevators were not working either. I was extremely upset, more so because I didn’t want to miss seeing Seth. I paced back and forth in my hotel room trying to come up with a solution to my problem. Surely Seth would give his speech to more than 8,000 Keller Williams agents and I would be the only one to miss him. Leaving without taking a shower was absolutely NOT an option for me!

Synergy is a funny thing. The stars must have been aligned on this particular day because little did I know that on the 67^th floor of the same hotel, Seth Godin himself was facing the same predicament.

What are the chances that two people unknown to one another would be staying at the same facility and find themselves facing the same exact situation?

Ok, Ok, there might be a mathematical equation that proves that the chances are not that slim  but far off enough to make my point compelling.

While Mr. Godin was concerned about how he would deliver his speech, I was concerned about how I was going to hear him give that speech.

To Find out how Seth made out click here. You will be able to visit his blog and read for yourself what transpired that fateful day.

I on the other hand did what any great and resourceful real estate agent would do. I requested a bucket,  poured cold water through the coffee machine (no coffee filter of course!) collected enough burning hot water (approximately 45 mins) to combine with the cold water and was able to take a shower, get ready, walk down the 30 flights of stairs and still make it on time to see Seth Godin live and in person.

It was completely worth every ounce of effort that was put forth on my part to be able to witness this amazing Icon on that fateful day.

Synergy, Seth Godin and Sarah Bandy a real estate consultant from New Jersey, just may be kindred spirits….just maybe

February 14^th is right around the corner. Ah….yes Valentine’s Day. The holiday celebrated around the country and usually celebrated in pairs.

With many different types of gifts exchanged with loved ones, from flowers to candy, I went on a quest to find a Real Estate related gift.

Would it be possible to combine Real Estate, Love, and a major holiday all in one?

While driving through beautiful Spring Lake New Jersey the answer was clear!

The Breakers Hotel was the perfect choice to enjoy a Valentine’s Day getaway.

From February 8^th to the 18^th you could take advantage of their Special Edition :  “Romance In Spring Lake Hotel Package”. 

The Breakers is the ONLY ocean front Resort Hotel in Spring Lake and would make the perfect Valentine’s Day Gift.

If you have been thinking about relocating to Spring Lake New Jersey, buying a New Home or simply looking into purchasing a Summer Rental, than do not hesitate to contact Sarah @ The Bandy Group.

And Remember:                                                                                

The Best and Most Beautiful Things in The World Cannot be Seen or Even Touched. They Must Be Felt With the Heart.

                                                          —— Helen Keller

 Introducing the newest real estate agents to join the Keller Williams , Jersey Shore Family.

The agents in training, 2 baby girls and 1 baby boy will be all ready to field your real estate concerns in the year 2026. Until then, proud Papa Bear, Iftikar Haq can be of service now.

Please help The Bandy Group and the entire Jersey Shore office in welcoming the triplets into our real estate community by sending well wishes their way.

If you have been thinking about building your dream home in Colts Neck New Jersey then look no further than this extremely private 4.22 acres property.

This one is a rare gem, quite possibly the closest someone will come to owning their very own road.

With no visible homes from the beginning of Hillsdale Road to the entrance of Nantone Court this serine and private property would make the perfect setting for someone looking to build an Estate.

• Offered @ $1,299,000

• Borders Green Acres

• Possible 2 Lot Subdivision

For more information or to schedule a private showing please contact Sarah @ The Bandy Group.

As I sit and ponder what the new year has in store for me on a personal and professional level, I have to take time and reflect on the past.

I don’t want to dwell on what could have been or regret my actions. Instead I want to learn and grow and hope that as the new year approaches that I will be able to take the time tested lessons and integrate them into my everyday actions.

The new year to me  represents a chance to write a new chapter in the book of life.

I am not an expert on profound wisdom or claim to be an inspiration to anyone.  I am however a realtor from New Jersey, who follows her own path and is pursuing her passion using real estate as a vehicle.

As 2007 comes to a close and 2008 is quickly peeking over the horizon, just a few of my wishes for the new year are as follows:             

• Take Action
• Laugh More & Cry Less
• Achieve Greatness (personally & professionally)
• Make New Friends
• Honor old Friends
• Get Truly Inspired
• Be Grateful

The Bandy Group would like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year and hope that all your dreams whatever they may be come true!

If you are looking for an Investment property, a vacation home or just plain looking to retire than look no further than Roatan.

Roatan forms part of the Bay Islands of Honduras. The island is surrounded by an amazing barrier reef and warm waters. Roatan has the second largest barrier reef in the world next to Australia. I have personally had the privilege of scuba diving outside the reef wall and highly recommend this as a scuba destination.

With the cold weather upon us, vacation homes are often in the forefront of our minds. If you would like more information on how Roatan living can become part of your life than please do not hesitate to contact Sarah at The Bandy Group.

We are currently working with overseas agents in Roatan to bring incredible value to our U.S. clients. You can still find a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condos for under $199,000 and beach front lots for $180,000.

With average yearly temperatures of 82 degrees it is the perfect remedy for winter blues.

• Great opportunity for an investor to own one of Colts Neck’s premier commercial properties.

• High quality construction with many upgrades is evident in the beautiful 6000 sq.ft. office building located in the heart of Colts Neck Business district.

• Property has great exposure to Highway 34 & Highway 537, Route 18 and the Garden State Parkway.

• One of a kind building with prestigious tenants makes this a Great buy.

• Special Financing Available.

• Offered @ $2,575,000

For more information or a private showing please contact Sarah Bandy @ The Bandy Group.

I just got Meme’d by Justin Smith, who just shared 5 interesting things about himself over at http://hismove.com/blog/ahhhh-active-rain-memes-are-back/, so make sure you take a peek over at his site when you get a chance, number 3 really surprised me!

What are Meme’s? If you don’t know what they are, don’t feel bad. I didn’t know what they were either until Justin showed me this link, try this.

Basically, Meme’s are a high tech version of the old fashion chain letter.  I am not one to break tradition so here goes:

For all of you that do know me, you know how hard it was for me to come up with 5 things to share with everyone. I’m basically an open book. I share my success as well as my failures. My past makes me the women I am today so I never get offended when someone wants to ask me a personal question.

After much thought and consideration I came up with the Fab 5.

1. Purple Is My Favorite Color.

Don’t ask me why Purple is my favorite color because I don’t have purple clothing, I don’t own anything Purple, I don’t have Purple art work but I just seem to gravitate towards that color. Always have since I was a child. They say that Purple is the color of Royalty, hey, maybe in a past life .

2. Halloween Is My Favorite Holiday.

I love Halloween. I’m like a big kid. I decorate the entire house. I enjoy dressing up and hosting Halloween Parties.

3. I Love When It Rains.

This is not a good thing for someone in my profession as clients do not like to view homes in the rain but I love it. I like to keep my windows open and just hear the sound it makes.

4. I’m A Neat Freak.

Not to the point where I’m OCD about it but I like things in their place. I feel that I think more clearly when things are clean and out of the way. If my desk gets cluttered which it often does than I have to put it on my “To Do List” and make sure everything is in its place. The same goes for my home.

5.  I Have An Annoying Neighbor.

Won’t take “No” for an answer. Enough Said.

Meme’s are like a game of tag. I was tagged by Justin Smith now its my turn to tag the following players:

Tim Schwartz       Century 21

Perri K. Feldman   NJ Real Estate Wire

Janis Gagliardi      Port Orange Juice

I have been asked this question so many times recently that I am completely exhausted from repeating myself.

Should You Take Your Home Off the Market During the Holiday Season????

The simple answer is that there isn’t a simple answer. Hey! Wait one minute, “You’re a Realtor”. “You’re not going to convince me to sell?”, you say…. NO I’M NOT!

I am here to tell you that I completely understand your position. Although I am a realtor, I am also a homeowner and a homeowner that has had her own home listed  in the past so I completely understand the pressure to keep a home in tip top shape for showings.

My advice is to first talk to those most important in your life, your Family. Then I would talk to your Attorney and Accountant and lastly I would talk to your Realtor. Together, I’m sure you will come up with the right answer that suits your lifestyle.

If you still need help, take the following into consideration:

1. Do you need to sell?

If you don’t and your tired of cleaning the house and have too much going on with the kids and holiday parties then I would say “Take it Off”.

2. Are you just testing the market?

If you are not serious and just wanted to see if you would get your asking price then I would say “Take it Off”.

3. Are you Relocating?

If you “Need” to move, lets say you have a job offer and you have to be somewhere within a certain time period then I would say “Keep it On”.

4. Are you unhappy with your real estate agent?

If you have talked with your realtor and expressed how you are feeling and have tried to make your partnership work and you still are not happy then I would say “Take it off”.

5. Are you in financial distress?

If time is of the essence and you have to sell because you haven’t paid your mortgage or you know that soon you won’t be able to pay or you feel that the burden of the payments are too much for you to handle then I would say “Keep it On”.

I will say this; I personally like showing homes during the holiday season. I love to see the homes in all their glory with the beautiful decorations. Whether it be for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza, I love to see all the different decorations that represent each culture and to see all the love that has gone into the children’s art work that is displayed throughout the home. 

I do believe that the people that are out looking for homes during this time of year are serious buyers.

I wish you all the best of luck. It’s a tough decision. Please feel free to contact me personally if you should have any questions about selling your New Jersey home during the holiday season.

For those of you that don’t know me personally let me share a secret with you. I LOVE COFFEE. I am a coffee fiend. Especially in the morning. I must have a cup of Mojo upon awakening and plenty more throughout the day.

My vehicle is littered with empty coffee containers, either from the Colts Neck, NJ  Dunkin Donuts or the Marlboro, NJ Starbucks.

Last year one of my clients gave me the most wonderful gift. They gave me a Tassimo. The Tassimo Hot Beverage System is not your ordinary coffee maker. It is a system that allows you to make anything from espresso, tea’s and of course regular coffee to much more complicated drinks like Latte Macchiato at the push of a button.

I absolutely love this machine! I rank it high on my list of “Can’t Live Without”. I thought I was the only one that felt that way but just like we have a large real estate community, there is also a large Tassimo community called “Inner Circle”. Come to find out that I’m not alone in my praise for this fantastic invention.

With the addition of the Starbucks T*Disc system the community is all a buzz.

So, does NJ have the best Real Estate clients?? YES! This was an awesome gift and I thank my clients for thinking of me and making me feel as though I was worth it.

So you are thinking of selling in today’s market? How do you make your home stand out from the rest?

You need a Realtor who will give you a distinct marketing advantage by either having the artistic ability to redesign the interior of your home or employ the creative services of a Certified Home Stager.

Home staging is more than the art of preparing a home for sale. It is about illusion. It is how magician Criss Angel would sell a house. It’s beyond cleaning and moving furniture around. The key word is AMBIANCE. Creating a mood and perfecting it so that the home feels bigger, warmer, brighter and most of all that it evokes a feeling of “Buy Me” to a potential home buyer.

To survive in today’s challenging real estate market, this valuable trend is almost a must. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average time on the market for stages homes is 13.9 days as opposed to 31 days for non-staged homes. Staged homes also sell for an average of 6.9% to 10% over listing price according to NAR.

The problem with selling a home is that very few buyers can visualize the potential that is hidden in the house. Home buyers are reluctant to see pass the current home owners own decorating taste or are reluctant to buy a vacant home.

Make sure to ask your realtor how they can help you leave a lasting impression on prospective buyers.