When I had my own company and then later, when I merged with Coldwell Banker, it has always been my business model to create a TEAM to work with. Whether a small company or a giant, like Coldwell Banker, I feel that if you work with a TEAM it maximizes your efficiency and productivity. Our team, the McCaffrey Professionals of Coldwell Banker, is comprised on 12 individuals. They are as diverse as they could be. Some have been in the business for 15+ years and some are brand new. I have team members who have corporate experience, medical backgrounds, past teachers, a psychologist (I tease the group that he is just there to evaluate the rest of us) and they range in age from 22 to 70+. Each team member brings a different perspective to each and every situation.Continue Reading

My advice…get your home inspected, even if you are not planning on selling.  Think of it as a wellness exam. You will get a good understanding of how your home works and what maintenance it needs going forward. Think of it as a checkup for the health of your home. EVERY home has issues of which the owner is not even aware. A complete “checkup” including septic ($400) will run you about $1200. The other alternative is, if you think you might have a specific issue (like I did with my electrical system)is to  get it evaluated by a tradesperson. You should PLAN on spending $3000+ each and every year on your home. This year it is repointing the chimneys for my home AND doing some tree work. Ignoring and postponing maintenance projects will only allow the home to deteriorate further and cost you more in the long run.

Since I do NOT like surprises, I always advise my clients to at least get a thorough septic inspection. I get pushback from Seller who say, but I have it cleaned every 3 years. It is NOT the same thing. The items that come up the most during building inspections are septic issues, electrical issues, decks, water quality and mold. In the past year, I had an electrician do a complete evaluation of my own electrical system. Every outlet had reverse polarity, mice had had a field day with some of my wiring and my house wasn’t even grounded. Many of my clients have found mold in their attics. This is not as scary as it sound but wouldn’t you like to know if your family is being exposed? Well contamination is an issue about 50% of the time. You should be testing your wells annually, but who does??

Pre Inspections is a question that agent have been debating for several years. I get asked this question by Home Owners occasionally myself. Most Sellers have a mental budget of how much they will spend getting the home ready for market. It is generally between $5000-$10,000. Just as you wouldn’t take your car to be sold without a good detailing, you shouldn’t think about marketing a home that hasn’t been well prepared. The Realtor will advise you on paint choices, getting the windows washed and things like that. Your REALTOR can not advise you on hidden and structural defects. These WILL come up in an inspection. While your Realtor will help you to “DETAIL” your home, the inspector is the “MECHANIC” who will make sure it is in top structural/mechanical shape.

For recommendation for who should inspect your home and your septic call me at 203 994-3666.

Maybe you are one of those business owners who have yet to discover the importance of networking. A recent study of over 26,000 businesses reported that 91% of those polled thought networking played a significant part in their success while a staggering 41.4 % reported that networking accounted for 80% or more of their sales. I fall in to that second category. Do I have your attention yet as to how important learning to network affectively is to your bottom line??

Networking is a learned skill. You need to observe others, get advice from those who are successful at it, read, go to seminars and most importantly practice. You need to commit time, energy and money into networking, Many have the perception that networking means going to a big meeting, handing out business cards and asking for business. If that is what you have been doing it is no wonder you are not getting the results you would like.Continue Reading

One of my newest team members said something very profound at a listing presentation that I took him on this evening. I had joked with the owner that he should go into real estate. He said he could never be a salesperson. My new agent responded with, “Realtors do not sell homes. They allow Buyers to Buy.”

I had always said that we actually are Counsellors and that is what we call ourselves on the McCaffrey Team. I believe that we give buyers and sellers the information they need to make good housing choices. I believe that we are problem solvers and transaction managers. We help our clients manage the stress involved in the transaction. We believe that we sell lifestyles not houses.
Continue Reading

In the past I have been stressed to the point of being hospitalized with panic attacks. Looking in the “rear view mirror”, I have only one person to blame this on..myself.  In recent years, with a lot of reading, meditation and sometimes counselling I have a new approach to life and stress reduction. First, let me say, that moderate stress is a good thing. It is a motivator and gets you moving. It is when you lose perspective that it becomes so destructive that it clouds responses, relationships and damages your health. Here are my 9 tips on how to look at and manage stress.Continue Reading

I don’t know why I am so fortunate to meet intriguing people. Recently, at one of my BNI (Business Networking International) meetings I met a gentleman who was there just to substitute for one of our regular members. He spoke about mentoring kids o that they understand that they have the power to chart their own destinies. It was about empowerment. This is a theme that is near and dear to my heart as I was given the CT Youth Leadership Award from the University of CT many years ago for my years as a 4-H Leader. Of course, I needed to learn more, and so I sat down with the founder of this non-profit organization to find out what he does but more importantly WHY.

Continue Reading

Did you purchase your condo during the height of the market?
Has your family or your lifestyle changed?
Do you feel that there are no options out there for you?

I am here to tell you that I deal with these situations almost on a weekly basis and you DO have options. When you feel totally stuck, it is hard to move forward and see the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the things that I enjoy most about what I do is to talk people through their options. Each scenario is different and thus each solution is unique to the circumstances.

Are you staying local?
How is your credit?
Do you have ANY equity in the condo?
Can you afford to carry both the condo and a new home?
Are you employed?
Do you have other assets…401K, Savings, parents, etc.?
What is your current interest rate on your mortgage?
What other debt do you have?
What are you long term financial goals?
Are you a Veteran?

As you can see, there are many, many combinations of goals vs. financial ability. I have counselled many couples and individuals recently on how to get unstuck and move forward.Continue Reading

When I am mentoring new agents or counselling agents who are disappointed or discouraged, I am often asked, “What should I do?”. They are actually asking “How do I get Started?” or “How do I get unstuck?”. My answer is obnoxiously simple to both questions. I tell them, it doesn’t matter. Just do SOMETHING. I give them buckets of options but the bottom line is it doesn’t matter what they do just that they do something.

Do you know people who research everything? Those who need to have all of the pieces before they can begin? I tell them STOP SHARPENING THE SAW AND START CHOPPING WOOD.Continue Reading

Every quarter my team does their “PLAY BOOK” for the upcoming three months. After evaluating the result and metrics of the preceding quarter, I ask them, “What are your going to STOP doing?,” This can mean one of two things…DUMP OR DELEGATE.

We do many tasks and spend a lot of money on things and activities that are either not producing income or are not adding to our efficiency. They also tend to accumulate over time and something that worked 2 years ago may not be as effective as it once was. I recently got rid of a virtual tour program that I had on auto payment even though my new photo plan includes it. I also downsized my monthly Zillow exposure from $1000/month to $250/mo. Continue Reading