I was on the Minnesota DNR web site looking for something and got distracted by something else as I often do.

lakefinder

The LakeFinder app for your phone.  It  contains data for more than 4,500 lakes and rivers throughout Minnesota and the application allows you to get the information on demand with an internet connection or save it to your device for off-line access. . . which is way cool because if you go on a real vacation you will likely be far from the cell phone towers that grow in the wilderness close to Minnesota freeways.

 The Minnnesota DNR has a few apps you might want to check out before the holiday weekend.  There is one called layers that can be used to help locate the boat launch once you do find the lake.  Personally my plans include some biking and photography . . weather permitting of course. 

According to Paul DeBettignies AKA Minnesota head hunter the unemployment rate in IT (Information Technology) is less that 2%.  There is a shortage of workers. 

I attended the most excellent Minnebar conference on Saturday and all of the major sponsors have job openings. 

This is good news for the housing market.  When people have good jobs they buy houses and a whole lot of other things.  Some of the things Paul told us reminded me of the late 1990's.  I used to work in technology for a company called Analyst International and for a time  most of my job had to do with retaining talent.   

The over all unemployment rate in Minnesota hovered around 2.5% in the late 1990's.  Today we are at 5.7%.  The recession did not treat everyone equally.  The hardest hit groups employment wise were those who are under 27 or over 50. 

House

I am going to call this a public service message on how to get a real estate license.  Real estate is local so this won't be of much use to persons in other states who wish to get a license.

The great state of Minnesota requires that people who sell real estate that does not belong to them to have a license.  You do not have to call a local real estate company to get started, in fact they will just explain how to get a license and work hard to recruit you if you do get one.  Agents are independent contractors so we decide where we want to go and even though brokerages recruit like crazy they don't have to pay agents and will take almost anyone who can a mirror.  

Brokerages make money by taking a percentage of each agents commissions and agents make money by selling real estate but only after a successful closing.  Newer agents will get the smaller share of the commissions they earn,  and the broker will get the bigger share.  There are also various fees that the agent and their clients will pay to the brokerage in addition to the commission split. (I really need to recruit me some agents)

All real estate sales people have to work under a licensed broker and that is what a real estate company provides.  I have a Minnesota brokers license which means I can be my own broker.  We can not start out as brokers but have to have a real estate license for three years and then take a class and a test.  The rules and requirements can be found on the Minnesota Department of Commerce web site because they regulate the real estate industry.

The first step in getting a real real estate license is to take a 30 hour class in preperation for the real estate exam and then take the exam.  After the exam there are two more courses each is 30 hours long.   There are 90 hours of required training, split into three 30 hour courses known as course 1, 2 and 3.  They can be taken in a class room or online and prices vary.   I went to the local real estate school to take mine.  Currently they charge $295 for each course.   I have found the entire ninety hours of classes online for $229.00 .

It costs $75 to register for the licensing exam and $135 for the license once the courses have been completed.  Agents have to join a brokerage to get the license and to start selling real estate.  After attending the classes most agents will not be able to fill out a basic purchase or listing agreement but will generally charge as much as a seasoned pro. 

The big brokerages offer excellent training programs to get new agents up and running and how to sell real estate the XYZ company way and how to promote the brand.   Did you know that most agents have to pay for those signs with the brokerage logo on them?  

Brokerages require that agents join the MLS which means we join the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and can print Realtor after our names on our business cards.  Joining is about signing up and paying yearly dues.  There is more to it than that but I am already over 500 words.

I'll write another article on what it really takes to succeed as a real estate agent.  What I have to say may surprise you unless you are a regular reader then nothing will surprise you.

 Does it seem like a holiday to you?  I had to ask Google.  I think I have been self employed for too long.   As of this year I will have been ten years and I have to say they sure went fast.  After attending one of our Social Media Breakfasts where I listened to an excellent panel composed of people who are self employed I realized that I have more to offer than real estate expertise.  When I listened to them talking about marketing, social media and technology I realized how much I have learned over the past decade and how valuable that experience is.

Most Realtors are independent contractors, that means we don't get any benefits. It also means that we set our own hours and can choose where we will work.  In addition to selling real estate I pick up other contract work as needed, including writing, photography and quality assurance testing for a company that makes iPad apps and web sites.  

Being on my own has been a great teacher.  I have succeeded and I  have failed.  In the beginning one of the biggest challenges I faced was handling the ups and downs of business both financially and emotionally.  I believe that failure is part of the process and that it is our greatest teacher.  

2012 Federal HOLIDAYS

If today is a paid holiday for you enjoy the day.  I will be working today so if you would like to buy or sell a house call or write. 

cat in box

I know this is a weighty topic for new year's eve but it has been on my mind a lot lately.  For a couple of years now I have been waging a war on "stuff".  I have gotten rid of some of the stuff taking up space in my basement and have cleaned some closets, rooms and cupboards until they are almost empty. My goal is to have less but "stuff" keeps finding it's way into my home.  Some comes in through the mail, some from relatives who want to get rid of stuff and some of it I actually pay for.  Having my office in my home doesn't help either.

As a Realtor I cringe when the young home buyer wonders what they will put in a particular room.  They seem to feel as though they need to fill the space which is a rookie mistake we all make.  

I imagine them in ten years wanting a bigger house because they have too much stuff or in twenty years when their basement and closets look like mine do now. 

There is no greater joy than an empty room, or a room with little in it.  It is possible to have enough closet space. 

We spend a lot of time and money on stuff.  We work for it and buy houses to put it in and even rent storage space for the extra stuff that we don't have room for.

In 2012 I will getting rid of more stuff and I will be writing about what I got rid of and how I did it.  Getting rid of stuff isn't about storage solutions it is about having less to store. 

Do you need to get rid of stuff?  

I Wrote this for twenty somethings a couple of years ago: Mom and Dad's Basement about children who move out and leave stuff behind.

 I have not traveled much this year but was out of town for the weekend.   There isn't anything I can think of that is better for business than travel.  I got two new clients while I was gone and a couple of my home buyer clients are more interested in seeing homes that they have been in weeks.

The new listing I got while I was gone will likely go on the market this week.  No offers came in on listings but there were showings so who knows.  

Usually the week before Christmas is one of the slowest weeks of the year for my business but this year it has been the busiest and it is only Tuesday.  

Tomorrow I may write about real estate or maybe I will write about why I did not do my Christmas shopping and how I thought I would have plenty of time. 

Holiday decorations at the John Wayne Airport, Orange County CA