Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor: November 2007

The Cyber Monday Marketing Myth began with the 2005 shopping season to create media frenzy and brainwash the masses into thinking they should be sitting at work spending money instead of doing their job.  As it turns out there is no basis for calling Cyber Mondayanything other than media hype.  Looking back at on-line sales for 2005 cited data the shows the first two Mondays in December were actually busier then Cyber Monday.

So... With Black Friday behind you and Cyber Monday approaching are you finding the bargains?  From what I have heard and seen Black Friday may be one of the biggest Bait & Switch  campaigns in history.  Although the advertising really isn't deceptive it can be called misleading.  Looking at all the fantastic Door-Buster Bargain closely you'll notice fine print disclaimers noting - Quantities Limited! and No Rainchecks!   Reading between the lines it looks pretty clearly like teaser deals to lure you into the store hoping you spend your wad on something else.

The wisest thing you can do the holiday season is remain level headed and think before you spend.  It will be more fun to start the new year with a smile instead of a lingering debt from excessive shopping for quickly discarded items.

If you are in the market for a new home now is a great time to begin your search.  During the coming winter months less buyers are looking at homes and you may find a better deal instead of waiting for the prime spring market to arrive.  Give me a call or drop me an email if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory.

Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455

Just stumbled into this video and thought it might bring a smile to the face of all the fitness fanatics as you beat yourself up over the calories consumed on Thanksgiving Day and will most likely continue to devour in the coming months.    Tis the season to be Jolly....   Enjoy your workout! 

I will continue to run around New Haven County this winter but feel free to contact me if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory.  Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455

Today's race marks the second anniversary of my latest fitness routine that has me logging hundreds of miles on my quest for improved fitness and weight reduction.

On Thanksgiving morning in '05 I woke to a fresh inch or two of snow that made driving a bit treacherous on the way to the Turkey Trot.  That year my event was the 2-mile fitness walk. After the enjoyment of participating in the fun I decided to take up running because there are more running then walking events.

In 2006 I trained and competed in several 3.1 mile races.  My goal for the year was to be ready for my longest run at  The Madison Turkey Trotwhich is a five miler.  No snow that year but the weather was worse. Heavy Rain and gail force winds coming off the chilly water of Long Island Sound made the 40's feel frigid.

The third time was a charmer.  Today after the early morning fog lifted the bright sunshine felt like a summer day.  The beautiful weather brought out a record number of participants this year.  At start time the esitmate was 2700 people were signed up for either the 5 Mile Run or 2 Mile Walk.  I have always been known as a person of dependably consistency and my running certainly reflects that trait.  Last year in the cold rain my clock time was 45:37 for a race pace of 9:07 per mile. This year in 60 degree sunshine my race pace remained 9:07 minutes per mile.

I'm always running around the New Haven County so if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory just remember to google  Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor.

Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455

Home buyers are often confused as to the role a real estate agent plays in making their dream of homeownership a reality.  With the vast resources on the Internet in this day and age many feel they can "go it alone" to gather data and educate themselves.  But... Why?

The answer is usually because they are in the early stage of considering a move and don't want to feel pressured or waste an agents time. Since most real estate and mortgage professionals are paid by commission it is true that unless the prospect ends up at the closing table we are not earning any money. A true pro will take the time to understand the needs of his prospective client and never apply pressure for a quick buck.  Each time I sit to down with a new person it is like a deposit into the bank,  it offers no immediate cash but somewhere down the road it will payoff.  Earnings may be a direct result of our initial consultation or could be from the referral of a friend that is considering the purchase or sale of a home. 

Tools are readily available to help the self-educated buyer calculate mortgage payments and qualification ratios.  They can scan sites like Realtor.Com to find listings of homes in any given town.  Yes, many of them may already be under contract but it allows prospects the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the inventory and asking prices.

So... Why sit down with an agent?   Simple,  Free information to help you!   My buyers consultation offers a wealth of data neatly contained in a binder for you.  My questions are asked rhetorically at the first meeting so you'll know what you need to consider.

That's it - Meeting over and you are free to go!  You walk away with all you need to contact me when you'd like to take the next step. You will also have some knowledge to guard against a few of the pitfalls that those "going it alone" often stumble through. 

What's in it for me?  As I said earlier, each new prospect is like money in the bank.  I am quite confident in my ability to cut through the confusion of real estate and within a short period of time can explain the benefits of working with a buyer's agent.  If the purchaser decided to buy in my territory chances are pretty strong that I'll be the guy giving them a congratulatory handshake at the closing table. 

Anyone looking for real estate along the Connecticut Shoreline or elsewhere within my territory give me a call or drop me an email.  Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor is always ready to work.

Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455

The Madison Turkey Trot is coming around for the third time since I started my latest fitness routine. Over the years my workout was typically confined within the walls of a gym and cardio work was never much of a priority.  Oddly enough when I began my real estate career my exercise routine suffered for a few years as I fell into the all work trap.

In the fall of '05 as my weight crept up to a new high I began walking with one of the women in my office and our goal was the completion of the two mile walking race at the Turkey Trot.  Well that Thanksgiving morning didn't work out as we'd planned.  The first snowfall of the season left a few inches of ground cover and Jane slid off the road before the race. Shaken but otherwise uninjured her car was towed away and she returned home with rattled nerves. 

By the next year my site was set on the 5 mile race.  Throughout the year I ran and competed in several 5k ( 3.1 mile ) races building up to "The Big One".   Dave Parcells ( yellow rain gear ) was the race announcer as I crossed the finish line after the five mile run in the heavy rain, 30 mph winds and chilling forty degree temp.  Six months later the King of Tampa Bay died 8 miles into a marathon swim competition in Tampa Bay.

Not sure what to expect this year but I imagine the mood will be somber as so many people reflect on memories of Dave.  We never really consider at the start of any event that we may not live to finish.

Thanksgiving is a week away and traditionally marks the start of another season of holiday non-sense.  The holidays were once a festive time to enjoy gatherings with friends and family but as the years pass they become more commercialized and more annoying.  Tis the season to walk on eggshells so as not do offend some overly sensitive fool. 

For those that are not up to date this is the year of the offensive HO.  Maybe you remember the backlash Don Imus received when he poked a joke at the wrong batch of girls... well... He's Back

Today I noticed Santa needs to beware.... people may get upset if they hear a Ho-Ho-Ho. 

Yes.. The politically correct world is laughable and I still tend to ignore the rules of the masses.  As people frantically run around the shopping malls swiping little plastic cards to further their financial demise they might get offended by some quy stuffing cash into the little black kettle and saying Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays - Can anyone justify calling Christmas offensive?

Last night as I posted my thoughts I realized I was about to reach that point level only achieved by a small group of members.  At the beginning of the year when I accidentally ran into ActiveRain the ten thousand point barrier seemed like a daunting task...... Ten months later this post pushes into six figures.

My mind began to wonder... How many member reach 100k?   After a little research I found that I would be a somewhat historic member of the group...  Member number #100 to reach 100,000 points.  As a dozed off I was clueless as far as what to post for this big one.

Woke up this morning with the idea of selecting 2 songs I like that were released during the last 50 years.  Anyone that follows my blog is most likely aware my musical taste is well rooted in the Classic Rock of the 60's and 70's.  When Disco came along I was one to say Disco Sucks.  While the years continued on into Grudge and all that Rap Crap my ear happily stayed behind. 

Selecting songs from each year turned out to be a little difficult.  Over time we all hear the classics from decades past and selecting songs was fairly easy.  Seem my brick wall was 1988.  Don't think I was alone in the realization that late 80's music was pretty bad.  Many of the artists I enjoy must have also noticed because they went back to work in the early 90's.

In the mid nineties I decided I had aged enough and stayed with my musical collection of the day. I'll leave space for the younger crowed to enlighten me.  Was there any decent music for Classic Rockers to enjoy during the last dozen years?   Feel free to link in the comment section and include the year it hit the charts...

How much information should we share?  I'm not talking about marketing techniques that help sell homes or prospecting ideas that bring in new clients.  I'm wondering about deep down personal information. 

Recently I have been playing around on Facebook.  The system has many features I enjoy.  A few friends play scrabble so once or twice a day my turn comes up and I spend a few minutes challenging my mind to find a long lost word.  There is also a "Music Junkie" application that is an on-line variation of name that tune.  My musical taste is entrenched in Classic Rock so I was surprised to find so many modern day artists whose names I have never heard.

Facebook also has many features that require information I am wondering if I should share.   On the surface the questions seem innocent enough, your musical tastes, movies you like and so on but they also probe deeper for details.  Some applications compare you to other friends to match you up based on likes and dislikes.  Other programs are designed to dig into you psychologically showing detailed intelligence or personality traits.  Whether your a super-smart nerd or cool dude is it wise to have so much detail out there.

Is Facebook innocent fun or are they gathering information to compile highly detailed profiles for targeted marketing?   Any thoughts are welcome.