A Fork In The Road - 2019

The direction of my life is evolving… As many of you who have followed my story know. I have had my real estate license since 2003. Ever since, I have been on a mission to become a real estate investor. Each and every decision I’ve made, from 2002 forward, stemmed from my goal of becoming a real estate investor who would one day build a beautiful property in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods of Minneapolis. How I was going to get there… I had no clue. My second goal, one I set for myself 5 years ago. “Create a self-image worth fighting for. Allowing me to achieve my goals and reach my untapped potential. Because I’m driven to inspire! To inspire through giving, caring, honesty, loyalty and as a Guardian of good.” This came from a place I could have never gone if it was not for my daughter Shay. The day she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes it change my life forever. I was given the choice to become a fighter or to hide from a disease that is out to destroy her. You all know the choice I made. You have supported me, through TeamSugarShay.com, in a way I could have never dreamed of. 2019 has been an amazing year for me. I reached goals I never thought possible. I made my dreams come true. Building the home at West49thStreet.com was a dream come true for me. Raising $30,000 this year for TeamSugarShay.com and over $83,000
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Family First – Is there any other way?

I am so excited!! My daughter Ireland is playing in the District 6, girls 10U — A Team, championship game this coming Thursday. In the last two games they have beaten not only the best two teams in our district, Edina Green & Edina White, but two of the best teams in the state for girls 10U — A hockey. There is nothing like being a parent and watching your children achieve their goals. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. The trick, this time of year is usually our busiest time of year when it comes to helping our clients win. As spring market is upon us families are getting the itch to make moves. That’s when they depend on our team to help them buy or sell their home… many times both. Like with my daughter Ireland. There is nothing like helping our clients achieve their goals. Making it all work is the trick. Ben and Erica in the picture with me were no exception. On a quest to find their first home, timing was everything. Today’s market for purchasing homes is fierce. With very little supply and huge demand there is very little room for error. Many times our client’s are finding themselves in multiple offers looking to us for guidance. It’s moments like this Diana (concierge of our team) and I never take for granted. Because we work so hard to achieve them. It’s in these moment when our family values truly shine. For me to make some of Ireland’s
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Murph, “Why The Edina and Southwest Minneapolis Local Advice Givers Podcast?”

Edina-SW Mpls Advice Givers® podcast is an entire media company, in the first place. Let me start by stating the obvious. Media companies today aren’t about serving the local community. Minneapolis or St. Paul. Their only interest (and mission) is to generate advertising revenue, and pulling national stories from the Associated Press. We, Edina-SW Mpls Advice Givers®, are here to help break that mold. It used to be that you could visit a media company’s website, or read their publication, and find stories about local entrepreneurs. Business people and leaders in the community, striving to build interesting things, solve problems and make impact. When you read these stories, you were inspired. “If he or she can do it, why can’t I?” Further, you often knew the people that were featured. Maybe it’s a parent of your kids’ friend, at the local school. Or a young entrepreneur who invented a gadget, solving a painful problem. Or a service provider, like a financial planner or local chiropractor, helping individuals, families, and retirees to live better lives. Now though, you open that publication, and it doesn’t matter which it is, only to find more ads. In the famous words of Dave Thomas, Wendy’s founder, “Where’s the beef?” And the stories that are published, aren’t even about the people in our local community, city or county. They’re from someplace we’ve never heard of. Then there is the issue of content. What has happened to the art of great storytelling? Where did the human element
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The Process Is As Important As The Result – Anxiety of the unknown…

Like a first date, you walk in, sit down and look around you… What do you see? How do you feel? What can you expect? These are all natural feelings when you’re going to meet someone new for the first time. Anxiety sets in as you have prepared, to the best of your ability but, still you don’t know what to expect. You are about to embark on the most significant journey of your life. It will symbolize your step from being a young adult to a responsible grownup. These are the feelings Brad Fisher had just before meeting us at our office. Like everyone else who is buying a home for the first time Brad had questions about the process and needed answers. Because of this, we stressed an initial one-on-one conversation which allowed Brad to walk through the process of buying a home from start to finish. Brad shares the experience of having his first buyer consultation with us: “Tim & Diana were both extremely friendly, informative, and honest right from the start. Being a first time home buyer, I didn’t know exactly what to expect with the process of buying a home, nor did I know what types of homes were realistic to find in my search area and price range. Also, during our first meeting, they supplied suggestions of lenders, home inspectors, etc… to help begin my search and answered all my questions about what to look for in these services. I walked out of my
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Look for an alternative route… Find it and you will open doors

“I can’t do this anymore. I quit!” My words as I realized the culture in my business was non-existent. Why? because I was to focused on “How” & “What” not “WHY” I thought success meant selling more homes than anyone and making lots of money. I thought it was about numbers and conversion ratios. I thought it was about systems and discipline. I thought wrong. Sure, each one of these things has a place in building a business. However, they are not what create magic. Like Walt Disney, it’s about bringing dreams to life. Over the last 18–24 months I have sought out my “WHY” and defined my purpose. Purpose before Profits I belive my purpose is to inspire. To inspire through giving, caring, honesty, loyalty and as a protector of good. Realizing and defining your purpose gives you clarity. This clarity is why I have been on a mission to help JDRF raise funds to find a cure. This clarity is why I write you as often as possible to show you I care. This clarity is why I won’t lie, in an industry full of deceit. My mission is dedicated to being a loyal advocate for you. The most amazing feeling comes over oneself when you finally realize your purpose. The feeling is how I imagine an eagle feels as it soars high in the sky. This long journey has opened new doors for me. As I walk through them you bear witness to change. For this I thank
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Approach

My Home Didn’t Sell… Now What? Question: I just took my home off the market because it didn’t sell. What can I do now to try to sell it again? Answer: Sounds to me like you may NOT have avoided “Fundamental Mistake #5” in my book “The Value-Drive Approach To Sell Real Estate.” Cancer is not treated the same as a common cold. So treating them the same because someone didn’t take time to conduct the appropriate tests or to diagnose the proper treatment, results in disaster. Yes, as you now know this happens. There is a saying in the medical community: Prescription without a diagnosis is malpractice. Yet, that is exactly how most real estate agents operate on behalf of their clients. Maybe you experienced it… The agent shows up at your home and upon arriving they conducts their sales pitch, using a flip chart or power point presentation. Maybe they sat at your table and the first thing they began to do was sell you on their “prescription” to sell your home, without first doing any kind of diagnosis to determine the best route of attack. Ask yourself, “Is this what my doctor would do?” Probably not! They would make you fill out a 7 page questionnaire, listen to your heart, lungs, ask you to breath in, breath out, push on your abdomen. While doing this they would be asking you all sorts of questions. Base on your answers they may even refer you to a specialist for
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