Rick Hogue - REALTOR

BOLD is an acronym. As if we need another acronym but for me this one resonates and has brought my business to an even higher level. It means Business Objective: a Life by Design.

How would it make you feel if tomorrow morning you could wake up and have your life become a canvas that you can control by painting it the way you see it evolving. Well that is how I see this program. 8 weeks of homework, affirmations, scripts, exercises, and maybe enough time for a potty break and a quick lunch. All starting at 8:30 in the morning and lasting till 3:30 in the afternoon. This program by the fantastic trainers of Keller Williams International is one that you do not want to miss. Believe me I thought about not going to it and I am so glad that Holly (my wife and partner) and I discussed it.

Jason Edwards is one of the most upbeat instructors I have had in the Keller Williams training system. Not to say that others are boring, because they are not. Jason just puts himself and his dog Chug! into this program from the get go. Every week we would see Dianna Kokoszka in videos and read from her journal. Every week we would make phone calls to perfect strangers and ask them for their real estate business or call real estate agents and ask them to look at what our company has to offer.

In all I guess I made over 900 calls during this class to new people and to old clients using scripts designed to help me build a stronger business. With the guidance of Jason Edwards as our leader, and did I mention Chug!?, we worked through tough times and experienced some very big increases. Not sure if ours was the highest but it sure was great with numbers of contracts and listings soaring each week. Everyday I put my CD in the car and listen as Dianna Kokoszka reads affirmations to me, helping to promote me and what I do for a living.

Also our accountability group has hired Jason Edwards to work with us to keep the BOLD going in our group. Our assignment for this week is to read The Vortex and be ready for our coaching call on Friday and I am happy to say I am 3/4ths completed with this task. Larry Gatti, Noel Harris, Niki Fuller and myself comprise this band of BOLD Adventurers and we look forward to getting together every week.

Look for further updates as our group dives in head first to this great adventure.

Oh, did I mention that I will CAP on Tuesday the 31st of August, which happens to also be my anniversary of 20 years to my lovely bride Holly. Capping means that I have sold 2.3 million dollars in real estate for the year and means that all transactions after this are virtually 100% payout to me less a $25 accounting fee to KW. I also do not start my CAP over till January 1, 2011. I am so excited. Thank you BOLD. Till next time remember, there is an abundance of everything in the world ready for you to ask for it, just be sure you take responsibility for what you ask for and start sculpting your life by design.

It is hard to think that we are now into the 9th month of the year and that temperatures will start declining very soon. But this weekend is about getting together with friends, having the last swim of the year and football. In Louisville we have fans that follow both UK and UofL. Both teams got off to a great start winning their first game of the season. Congrats to both teams on their first wins of the year. Holly and I have guests coming on Monday for a potluck dinner and games so that will be lots of fun

This week will be full of home showings and working with new and old clients. My schedule looks pretty full with showings on Tuesday for homes in Eastern Louisville, to downtown, to Shepherdsville. Should also get word on a couple of closings and I have an appointment to talk to a new couple about a listing their home. I am also shooting for getting all of my clients on a buyers agreement to show my commitment to them as well as the reverse.

I am also preparing to go to class for CDPE and look forward to finishing that course up too. As things come about I will keep you abreast.

For now just keep looking for homes on my website http://www.louisvillemls.pro or find out what properties are doing in your area by going to propertybyrick.com to get a monthly updated market analysis.

It was a very good weekend last weekend and I hope to repeat it this weekend. On Saturday I had a couple of people come through to see Latania but both needed to work on a few things before we can get them into a house. However on Sunday in the first hour and a half I had 9 couples come through. Two of them came through 3 times each and I wrote a contract on the house that day and another Keller Williams agent from the Highlands office wrote one. By Tuesday at 12:45 my client had an accepted offer on the house and we hope to close before the 17th but it may be as late as the 28th. We have to wait and see on the moving of his money seeing as it is a cash deal.

This weekend I am having one for Karen Kraft on Ridgehurst Lane from 2-4 on Saturday. I am late in getting this part on the site so I will just tell you a little about it. The house has over 2300 sq ft of AG space which includes 3 full baths and 5 bedrooms, a nicely laid out kitchen with granite counter tops, a custom deck on the rear, manageable back yard, and a 2 car garage. In addition this home has another 1200 sq ft in an unfinished basement. All this for $245,000. Hope you will consider this one for your short list to see and if you would like me to show it to you call me at 502-649-3431.

Sunday I am revisiting a home that is listed with Jackie Schaeffer and before this week the house was at $529,900 The price was just reduced to $499,500. This house is amazing. From the foyer you can go left or right to the formal dining room or to the formal living room with pocket doors to create an intimate sitting area. Hardwood floors carry you to a massive great room with a wall of windows and flooring of Burber carpet. Included is a large gas fireplace and cafe doors leading out on to the back deck. To the left of the great room is the large eat-in kitchen with all built ins and a 3 season room on the back. Cross back to the hall and go to the 3 car garage, or a half bath or on down the hall to the master suite which is enormous and has a master bath with jacuzzi, separate shower, and walkin closet. The room also has several windows and doors that open to the 3 season room as well. The flooring is carpet in the master with inlaid tile and stain glass in the master. On the opposite end of the house are 2 more bedrooms with a jack and jill bathroom with separate vanities for each. This is what is known as a split ranch. But wait, we aren’t finished. If you go downstairs there is a large family room with cafe doors leading out to a lower patio. It has off white carpet, built in book cases, and a fireplace. To the right is an area ready for your pool table with another room to the rear for relaxing or it could be turned into an exercise room. Down the hall is an office that is 11′ by 12′ and at the end of the hall is another oversized bedroom with windows and walk in closet.  if you go straight ahead from the stairs coming down from the main floor you go to a door that opens to an area that is roughly 30 x 14 for storage and has another door that leads to another area about the same size with french doors and a work room for lawnmower, storage, hobby and crafts, or anything you want it to be. All I can say is wow what a very big house at approximately $100 per square foot. Total living space excluding all of the storage and garage is 4950. This is a one of a kind deal you do not want to pass up. Come see it on Sunday the 7th from 2-5 or call me for a private showing. The address is 17103 Ash Hill Dr., Louisville, KY.

Today I am holding an open house for a truly spectacular new construction home in Longwood in Goshen Kentucky. Over 3700 square feet of finished space plus a 2800 square feet in an unfinished walkout basement. From the grand entrance way to the private study with fireplace to the chefs kitchen with granite countertops, this house is excellent. Come out and see it today. The address is 13203 Wellington Way. You do not want to miss this one. With a $40k customization fund or 4.25 fixed rate interest this just sweetens the pot for this beautiful home by the people at Paragon Homes. Are you trading up? We may be able to work something out for you on a trade as well.

Thank you to all who attended my open house experiment. I will announce the winner of the Heine Brothers $25 gift certificate on New Years day in another post.

I do believe that this was a great experiment and the homeowners were ready for us to do this. We sent out over 340 invitations, Walked and saw over 100 homes and maned the homes for an average of 3 hours a day. I do have some changes for the times of each open house that I will make the next time but I am already thinking about the next one and getting several agents involved in running something like a telethon but make it a open home athon with 5 open houses per day in 25 subdivisions during a 5 day period. Who is game to do that with me? I bet I could even get a couple of builders to offer us new homes to show at great prices and maybe get a couple of vendors to help us promote this by giving us items for drawings as giveaways.

Just some thoughts. I am ready for the next adventure!!!

Oh just as an after thought I did get 4 buyers and a listing during this showing experiment. Hum I may be on to something Watson!

This Sunday I will be hosting an open house for Kendy Darling off Fegenbush Lane in Woodhaven Place Subdivision. This house is only 4 years young and has so many features it is hard to describe. 2169 SF AG plus another 1100 in an unfinished basement. Formal dining room large vaulted gret room with gas fireplace, 3 bedrooms up and 2 baths up plus a half on the first floor. the master bedroom has vaulted ceilings too and a large walkin closet. 2 car attached garage and a well landscaped yard that is low maintenance are all pluses. So you might think that this house would go for 120 to 130 per square foot which would put it in the 250 to 275 range, but this one is a real bargain at only 189,900.00. I have toured the house and it has fresh paint and new carpet so it is move in ready. Wait till you see the beautiful windows in the great room. Come by and see me at 6900 Woodhaven Place Drive on Sunday and see what I mean. I want someone to put an offer in on this house this weekend, so bring them to me.

I turned my info into KREC today and the testing center had not sent over the test results as of yet. KREC stated they normally send the info out on Wednesday or Thursday so I should be able to call to get my license number on Thursday afternoon so that I can go to GLAR to sign up for the association. Everything is coming together but man are the schedules hectic at this time and Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away.

I am going to have Holly work on getting my packets together tonight and hopefully I can start sending out my info after Friday when I get back from WV.