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Beach To Beacon #5032

August 10, 2011 By

All summer long during my Tri for a Cure training, people would ask, “Are you doing the Beach To Beacon?” And I would always say NO NO NO! It’s SO hard to get in to and I just don’t like running THAT much. And I did the B2B before, it’s fun, but hilly. I’m good.

Then comes a text Thursday night “April, my friends sister can’t make it from the west coast to do the B2B, want her bib?” My legs are saying, “April, please don’t.” but my mind is like “YEEAAA!! Let’s do this!” I was still on my tri high as I text back “YES!”

I was so super nervous to run this. 6.2 miles is a lot and there are so many people watching I could NEVER stop to walk like I did before. But, it turned out okay and I am SO glad I did it! This race really is super fun and how ofter can you say that you have run with runners of such prestige. (In all honesty, Micah Kogo, the winner, could have run the course twice before I finished. HA!) I saw many things while I was running for 1 hour 5 minutes and 15 seconds. Here are some of the highlights:

  • I’ve never run a mile so fast. There are so many people pulling you along and you are so excited to be a part of something so big you just run. I felt like I was pacing myself – however, I think I ran my first mile in like 8 minutes. EEEKK!
  • People wear some crazy things at this race. I saw teenagers dressed up as superman, complete with capes and an S painted on their bellies. Guys wearing mullet wigs (they must have tossed them at some point because it was a warm morning). I even saw pictures of guys dressed up as smurfs.  But what takes the cake is this – I got passed by a guy running INSIDE of a lighthouse on wheels. Now THAT will make you feel like a slow runner.
  • I finally experienced the infamous Cape Elizabeth Football team. I had heard the rumors: they’re loud, they hog the road, you’ll never get around them. There were not as many as I thought but they were SLOW runners. I was able to pass them on the right. Somehow they ended up behind me again and I had to pick up the pace in fear of being trampled. Later I heard from a friend that someone in the crowd had yelled to them “It’s great that you guys are sticking together like a team but you need to pick up the pace!”
  • Thank you to all the people along the route who make the ”Showers of Power”! It wasn’t a scorcher Saturday but the sun was very warm. I think there were about 5 “make shift” showers and I made my way through each and every one of them. Along the lines of water, DOUBLE thank you to all the volunteers at the water table along the route. It is super difficult to drink water from a cup while you run, but what you do manage to get in your mouth is WONDERFUL! The rest usually ends up over my head and keeping me cool.
  • Running with that many people, you are bound to “run” into some characters. While running the second mile, there were two very loud, very funny guys behind me. They would make comments about EVERYTHING they saw. If there was a house for sale, they would yell “I’M GONNA BUY THAT HOUSE!” If there were a group of people standing at the end of the street, they would yell “WE LOVE TRUNDY ROAD!” and the people would scream. It was hilarious. And then they saw a fire engine and one of them said to the other, “At that fire engine, we walk” and the other said “How about every time we see something red, we walk – like stop signs” HA!
  • I know from working for the Town of Cape Elizabeth, that the citizens have a love/hate relationship with the B2B because of the inconvenience it poses on some of the residents. However, there were SO many people along the route cheering us on, you would have never known. You almost feel like an Olympian when you come off Old Ocean House and turn on to 77 and head towards Shore Road. There are SO MANY PEOPLE! And they all have signs and they are yelling. I even heard a couple “GO THERESA’S!” (First thought- ‘OH! That’s ME! YAY!’)
  • The Beach to Beacon is like ”Old Home Days”.  For every one person you are trying to meet up with at the finish or starting line, you will run into five other people you have not seen in FOREVER! I had a facebook friend run to catch up to me just to say hi during the first mile. SO NEAT!

Despite being very nervous to run that much, I truly am excited that I did it and will totally try to get in next year. Maybe I will even beat this years time and possibly get in under an hour……WHO KNOWS! :)

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TRI FOR A CURE – #454

August 2, 2011 By

This was my second year participating in the Maine Cancer Foundations Tri for a Cure. Before I start telling you how wonderful it was, I need to thank Loni Graiver the owner of my real estate company, The Maine Real Estate Network, for being an endurance sponsor and getting us in this amazing event. Without that, I may not have ever participated in this event. THANK YOU!

This weekend was FAB-U-LOUS! Last year was great but there was something extra special about this year. I can’t totally pin point it. But here is my list of ultimate high lights.

  • As of 8/1/2011, the Maine Cancer Foundation estimates it raised OVER $1 million! And ALL the money stays in Maine! STUNNING!
  • I am a super competitive person so I wrote last years time on my arm for motivation. I beat it by 5 minutes this year. SO STOKED!
  • Saturday at packet pick-up, it was SO SO SO windy, and the water was SUPER choppy. Sunday, the day of the event – calm, warm and sun-filled.
  • I saw SO many girls that I have not seen in FOREVER! And I saw them on the run route! How cool is that? We were able to say hi and cheer each other along.
  • I got into the food tent immediately after the race. Last year, half the food was gone and I was S.O.L. This year, I feasted on pineapple, strawberries, brownies, blueberries and my fav – VITA COCO!!! I was in HEAVEN! Thank you Whole Foods.
  • I also got into the massage tent. Signed in and laid down. It felt AMAZING too. Thank god for those massage therapist and the fact that they were not afraid of touching a sweaty, sea salty body. I LOVE THEM!
  • I could not wear my iPod this year. I rely heavily on music to add that extra push when I get slow and ready to hit the wall. But most importantly, it tunes out my extreme panting. However, this year we would risk disqualification if we had one. To my surprise, I didn’t need it. I was able to tune out my breathing and really listen to the crowd cheering me on. The random “GO APRIL!” was so great to hear. I will also never forget this guy on Shore Road after Fort Williams. I was going up a small hill and he yells “DIG INTO THAT HILL 454! YEEEEAAAAAA!” He pumped me up so much and I remember just flying the rest of the way to transition.
  • Along the subject of music, whomever was playing the Rocky theme music going up the stairs at Bug Light Park and the people at the corner of Broadway and Benjamin Pickett blasting the tunes - I LOVE YOU! TOTAL motivation.
  • Along the lines of Rocky, whoever wrote “YO ADRIENNE!” on Route 77 across from Rudy’s, YOU ROCK! It made me think of that scene in Rocky IV when he is trudging through the snow in Russia.
  • The volunteers at the Tri for a Cure are always amazing! In the water, I got off track because I could not see the buoy I was looking for due to massive amounts of kayaks. However, one lady came kayaking right over to me and put me on track. I WAS SO MAD that I had got off course, that I used some VERY colorful language (not directed towards the volunteer of course) and the lady just says “You look great! Keep up the good work!” How sweet is that?
  • The Maine Real Estate Network had a booth like no other this weekend. We gave away Tony’s donuts, coffee, reusable bags, hot dogs, lemonade, ice cream and so much more. People donated SO MUCH MONEY for our services. I think we doubled our amount from last year. And it will all go to The Maine Cancer Foundation! YAY!

It is hard nail down all the wonderful aspects of this weekend. It makes you feel so wonderful to be a part of something SO HUGE! When I tell people I am doing a triathlon, they immediately go into the “How long is it?”, “What activity do you do first?” “Wow that must be really hard” and I totally get caught up in all of that. Like I said, I am SO competitive and I always want to do my best; however, the TRUE REASON we are there is for cancer. We are there to help raise money for this wretched disease that takes FAR to many lives each year. When you are on that course and you see a woman with a survivor shirt on, you want to celebrate the fact that she is on this course. She has beat cancer and she is killing it in this race. And it’s not just a road race – it is three grueling events that even people who have not battled cancer can do. I was reminded of this many times on the race. I looked at my arm at last years time as motivation, but seeing a survivor was the real motivation.

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How To Choose A Realtor

July 27, 2011 By

Tonight I got home early after a botched attempt at running the 5k route for the Tri For A Cure during a thunder storm and received a text from a buyer client we helped last spring with the purchase of his first home. He says, ‘my buddy signed an agreement with a Realtor but it’s TOTALLY not working out. What does he do? I tried to get him to work with you but his mother-in-law hooked him up with some guy who lists million dollar properties but doesn’t seem to have any time for his $150,000 budget.’ First thing I thought was YIKES! Neither one of these guys (Client or Realtor) really took each other for a test run.

On our way to get a new cord for my laptop, my husband and I pondered the question for a bit. If you didn’t know a Realtor, how would you find one? A lot of times your parents will want to step in and tell you who to work with. This could

April & her very first client Dawn

work; however, would you let your parents go school shopping with you once you hit high school? (Only if they were paying, right?) It’s like what the The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff said in the infamous song, Parents Just Don’t Understand, ”I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips”. Your parents, all though ALWAYS looking out for your best interest, may not know what you are looking for in a house and/or HOW to look for it. They most likely bought their house 20+ years ago on a one page contract (or even a handshake), it cost them $25,000 for a 3 bedroom home and if the furnace broke in the middle of the winter, the previous owner was obligated to fix it. Clearly times have changed. However, take their suggestion as option number one. And then move on.

Option two: Ask your friends who have already bought a house recently. This may be one of the best options you have. Your friends will be able to warn you of all the issues they had and also brag about how wonderful or (EEEK!) how horrible, their Realtor was. They will tell you how they got a fabulous deal or had the sellers pay their closing costs. They will tell you how quickly their Realtor got back to them and what tools he or she used to get them the best deal on their new home. As a Realtor, we love referrals, so this will ALWAYS be our fav option :)

Option three: Go to a few open houses. Pick up the Sunday paper and pull  out the Real Estate section and check out some open houses in your price range; however, check out the Realtors too. Did they have good signs/directionals to get to the house? Did they greet you at the door? Did they follow you around the house? Did they provide treats or water? Did they make you feel welcome or did they hover over you? I think you get where I am going. After a while you will see how these Realtors work and if you like their style, they may be a good option for you. REMEMBER: They will be SELLING your new home one day.

Now that you have three options, (your parents recommendation, your friends Realtor, and your open house pick) Go meet with them. They should provide you with a new buyers packet that tells you about them and also with many legal forms from the State of Maine. They may have you sign a couple of things per their company’s policy too; but do NOT sign a Buyers Agreement with any of them until you are ABSOLUTLY certain you want to work with them. Maybe even go out on a couple of showings with them to see what there style is. You do not want to end up like my clients buddy and stuck with the wrong choice.

All Realtors want business; however, we want the relationship to work for you. I would love to say that I am the Realtor for everyone but I am probably not. So shop around! You are going to be talking with this person multiple times a day and hanging out with them quiet a bit. You don’t want to dread this.

 

 

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Why Buy A Multi-Family?

July 22, 2011 By

Ever drive down the street and say ” I wonder what it would be like to own multi family?” Well, I am going to tell you how FABULOUS it can be (Especially in Greater Portland – Hint: SMCC, USM, New England College)

Don’t get me wrong, being a landlord is NOT for everyone. If you flip out over scuffed walls in the hallway or if a call in the middle of the night because the furnace died totally puts you out, you may want to pass on owning income property. However, if you don’t mind these things and you want some extra cash in your pocket each month then take notice: there are opportunities right in your neighborhood.

Since we work with a lot of first time home buyers, one of our first questions to them is always, “Have you thought about owning a mulit-family?” They usually say that they have teetered with the idea but don’t really see any huge benefits. As a first time buyer, here are a couple of reasons why you TOTALLY want to buy a multi:

1. It can potentially cut your mortgage in half or eliminate it all together. How? Rent from the other units. This means less money out of pocket for you.

2. Tax benefits. There will be MANY write offs from owning a multi because the whole building is an investment for you. Need to replace a water heater or a window, you will be able to write it off. Of course, you will want to work with an accountant to figure out specifics.

3. Homeowners have become tenants. With the housing market changes, foreclosures are rampant and many people who have lost their homes still need a place to live. I know, you’re thinking, if they can’t pay their mortgage they can’t pay rent. YES THEY CAN! Their mortgage was probably twice or even three times the amount of going rents and they will be okay to swing that.

Are you totally convinced yet? I know, not everyone will be and that is okay. However, you may be missing out on an FABULOUS way to earn extra money each month and invest in your future in ways that you can’t with the stock market or even a savings account. Buying multi’s is extremely addictive (like getting a tattoo – well so I have heard, I don’t have any tattoos!) Once you buy one, you are going to want more. Once this happens you may want to consider a property management company; but your retirement is going to be locked down if you keep buying and holding on to them.

Again, if you want to know of multi’s that are available in the Greater Portland Area, let me know. Would love to help you make your first investment towards your future!

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I am a Social Realtor

June 24, 2011 By

YES! This totally means that I am a social butterfly! Don’t you see me fluttering around from hot spot to hot spot? More like #SMBME to #METweetUp to charity 5ks and Open Houses.

All kidding aside, the real estate industry has TOTALLY changed. When I got my license almost 6 years ago, the market was just about to burst and begin its downward spiral of change, change, change! All I could do was adjust, keep up and most importantly, GET CREATIVE!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend an afternoon seminar called The Social Connection put on by The Boston Globe. It was about the importance of Social Media and Real Estate and the fine line between selling and being insightful. Too often we see business’ SELL SELL SELL on facebook and twitter and what do we as consumers do? We block, unfollow or dislike them. Who wants to go onto a fun social media outlet where many people catch up with family or high school friends and just get sold stuff all the time? As business owners, or in my case, real estate professionals, we’ve got to keep our posts insightful, educational and fun! In order for me to keep growing my business, I need to be top of mind with my friends and the community. If I get blocked, that won’t happen.

The keynote speaker was Matthew Shadbolt (@Corcoran_Group) from the Corcoran Group in New York. The biggest points I took from him were “Helpful stories always win and you need to OWN THE NEWS FEED”! I totally think that my helpful stories can be about real estate; however, not about helping people buy one of my listings. However, switching it up and letting people know about great community events is always good too!

Another thing that Matthew said was that the future is not necessarily going to be about the box sitting on our desks, but the device we hold in our hand or in our pocket. Tell me that’s not a change from 6 years ago!? Back then (sounds like so long ago, MEH!) the laptop was HOT! HOT! HOT! Now, it’s the smart phone and iPad. This all tells me that I still need to keep up and stay creative because technology, along with the market, is still changing at a pace that can totally sweep you off your feet if you don’t pay attention.

I love social media. I really think that I have found a great balance with my posts. I try to keep our fan page, The Cohen-Tracy Team, fun and helpful to all that “like” us and my personal page is pretty much just that, personal. I do promote my business sometimes; however, its really about keeping in touch with friends. Yesterday really brought me back to my #SMBME blog post about listening and being human. As complicated as social media sounds, its really quite simple: don’t sell and be insightful.

 

 

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Tri for A Cure

June 15, 2011 By

So like last year, The Maine Real Estate Network will be an Endurance Sponsor at the Maine Cancer Foundations 4th annual Tri For A Cure - an all women’s triathlon that raises money for cancer research and education in Maine. This means you will get to enjoy an AMAZING event and also meet some of the fine agents at our company! Our company’s Owner and Designated Broker, Loni Graiver, who lost his father to cancer in 2008, says he sponsors this event because it feels wonderful to be apart of an event that can raise over $1 million in a single day – and it all stays in Maine.

As an athlete, I am very grateful that Loni decided to sponsor this event. As Realtors in his company, we have the opportunity to compete. Participating in a triathlon is an idea I have always tossed around. Now, I am a returning athlete and I have signed up for another tri later in the summer. I guess you could say I’m hooked.

Last year I was able to raise a little over $1500 for the Maine Cancer Foundation. This year, my goal is to hit the $2000 mark. If you would like to donate to my goal, that would be FABULOUS and most appreciated.

Participating in this event allows me to do two things that I enjoy very much: working out and giving back. We sometimes become so busy in our careers that we don’t get to do either so I am very fortunate to be able to stay in shape and give back to the Maine Cancer Foundation and BONUS! Have a great time doing it! I train with fellow Realtors in my office and we just have a blast. It’s a great way to spend my summer :)

 

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#SMBME – Listen & Be Human

April 26, 2011 By

I love attending Social Media Breakfast Maine each month. The topic is always different and the presenters are local Maine business’ who let you know how they are making social media work for them.

This month, Amy Vintinner from Seabags ( I am totally getting a custom bag made for Lenny and I’s five year anniversary this summer! SO COOL!) and CC Chapman, author of Content Rules were there to speak about why content in social media is so important and how to engage your followers/clients/peers. Basically, we need to listen to what people are looking for and be human when delivering what they want.

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Welcome to the World Wide Web!

April 20, 2011 By

www.thecohentracyteam.com is FINALLY alive and KICKIN’!

We have struggled with various types of websites throughout the last couple of years, but never thought it was super important because all three of us are so connected on Facebook (Linda Cohen, April D Cohen-Tracy, Lenny Tracy). However, for as many people we have connected with on Facebook, it clearly was NOT enough. People were Googling us and not finding a way to contact us or any of our listings. Just at our point of MEGA frustration, in walked Nathan O’Leary and Meg Stiffler from Mainely SEO.

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Credit, Debt and FICO Scores

April 1, 2011 By

When was the last time you looked at your credit report? Did you know that 1 in 6 people have an error on their credit report? Here are a few tips and facts I took away from a local training I went to this week taught by Birchwood Credit Services.

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Spring Real Estate Market in Maine

March 21, 2011 By

Despite the snow, the Maine Real Estate Market is heating up!

With the warm weather last week and the melting snow, buyers are ready to start house hunting again. We just put a listing under contract FIVE DAYS after it went on the market. SIMPLY FABULOUS!

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