My New BFF's

My entrance into the Ulster County real estate market has been a huge success to date. We are building Farm 17 (picture below) which is set to sell in a month, and we have just finished Cottage 37, which is set to sell the first week of January. One of my too-often-repeated is that I came to Woodstock and Saugerties, and sold $1,000,000 of real estate myself before I even knew where the grocery store was. Above is a picture of my new BFF. Her name is Joan and she owns Coldwell Banker Village Green Real Estate, which owns 30% market share in Ulster County. She started out, on her own, in the early 90's and has now built a real estate business with more than a 1/2 dozen offices in towns like New Paltz, Windam, Woodstock, Stone Ridge, etc... She has completely embraced us a business.

You got to remember the lack of support I've experienced in Sullivan County when I was just getting started to really understand how much I appreciate her efforts for us thus far. In Sullivan I was never offered open houses, no marketing money, no marketing strategies, no special treatment even as we exploded with creativity and sales. I not talking down about Sullivan - damn, I love this county, and love what it has provided me and what I have given back to her - but it was determined effort, a lonely effort. As an entrepreneur who specializes in making lemonade out of lemons, the lack of marketing strategy support forced us to become our own best salespeople, since I knew our homes were a viable product and idea in the marketplace. the lack of support forced Catskill Farms to become serious marketeers, and it turned out we had a real knack for it, and it wasn't too long after that our sales doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled, and maybe we pay one sales commission a year over here. We do our sales ourselves - Actually, we do everything ourselves - we buy land, we develop land, we design homes, we build homes and we sell homes.

But now that we hope to get started in Ulster County, while building the same amount of homes in Sullivan. And we've been welcomed in Ulster with open arms - which we should, cause christ, give me a break, we are a big deal and are totally capable of making people some serious dough. But the contrast, the tale of two counties from our vantage, could not be more different. Joan, the owner, who has 60+ agents, administrators, helpers and assistants, yet there she was, in the pouring down rain, putting up direction signs, carrying in bottles of wine, orchestrating a very well-attended open house - even more impressive considering the house is kind of 'out there' and the weather sucked - it poured all day long.

You got to understand - I've sold 100 homes in Sullivan, invested $32,000,000 in this community and not an open house or realtor sponsored event ever. Oh well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and we are strong strong strong.

A catered event at our finished Cottage 37, so show the local real estate pros what we do, and how it feels up close and personal.

It wasn't long before the whole place was packed with women - that Joan likes to surround herself with accomplished women, for sure. Nary a man in sight. And everyone was so happy to see each other. It was kind of amazing and you could see why she is so successful - people enjoy working for her.

And another bad 'one-liner' I like to use is 'our homes are so finished at the end of the job that even the clocks on the appliances are set correctly!" Oh well, not everyone can be David Cross.

And then Farm 17, and my new Jeep Grand Cherokee ride (thanks to our 14 new 2011 clients for helping out with that).

Just got a great big super classy gift basket from Region General Store from Matthew and Sarah of Cottage 36.

It's all coming together so nicely it almost brings tears to my eyes. I said almost.