Perseverance Will Pay Off!

Our Elyria Chapter President, Tammy Koleski, was our speaker this week. Tammy has lived and worked in this area her whole life and has been working in the real estate industry with Howard Hanna since September, 2003. Beyond her outstanding record of sales with Howard Hanna, she has been named recipient of the Lorain County Realtor of the Year Award for the second year in a row.

We are all too well aware that there is financial volatility, crises even, in our economy on both a local and national level. It has certainly had great affect on the housing markets, too. Contrary to popular opinion, though, people are buying houses. These buyers, though, are coming to the bargaining table with significantly less money and much greater knowledge. It has made some significant changes in the standards normally associated with this industry. One of these changes is a marked need for perseverance and patience.

To better understand this need for tenacity in the face of turmoil in the housing market, Tammy shared with us a recent example. Two years ago, a family found their "perfect" home and listed their own home in the process. Their dream home was a perfect example of the increase in consumer knowledge and the power of this knowledge: despite the fact that the county auditor's office states that the property is "worth" over $200,000, they were able to purchase this home for just under $155,000. Their own home, during its selling period, would be put to the same tests by other buyers. It started out listed at almost $120,000 and Tammy placed numerous ads, listing it in many publications, as well as a regular schedule of showing it and holding open houses. Slowly the price was reduced, although a limit to the price reductions was established.

It is now 2 years later and this house finally closed only last week. Although it was sold at a reduced price, it was still a price that allowed this family to earn a small gain. Both their ability to wait and their patience with a difficult market allowed them to make a successful transaction through their agent. Tammy, as that agent, assisted the sellers in setting appropriate limits along with steadily marketing the property in her tried and true fashion over that two year period, hosting regular open houses, advertising in print, and providing on-line listings on all the appropriate web sites.

Your home is an investment. It may need time, like many other types of investments, to become a profitable one in this difficult market we are experiencing. With a good agent, like Tammy Koleski, you will have the on-going support you need over the long-run to market your investment to its best advantage.

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Guests of the Week

Once again, Al Zanni, of ACN, was our honored guest for lunch. Always a treat to have Al with us!

We were also honored to have Hannah, a student from Fremont St. Joseph's High School, in attendance. As part of her senior project for the year, she was spending time shadowing the daily business of IRN member Nancy Klein from That'SKincredible. She is looking forward to graduation in the very near future and will be attending Bowling Green in the fall of this year. Good luck to Hannah!

Turn that plastic into cash!

We were treated to a great presentation this week by Kathryn "Kate" Guidish, our chapter Vice President, who represents Financial Transaction Services and provides merchant services.

Merchant services?! I thought services were what merchants provided.

These mysterious merchant services are the electronic payment processes that move virtual credit and gift card dollars into your commercial bank account. If you are a seller, Kathryn has the means to provide you with a system of credit card acceptance to meet those selling needs.

Kathryn has spent a number of years in this business. It has involved extensive and continued education to both learn all the details and stay on top of the competition. Her long-term experience in the industry has provided her the skills to extensively assess the needs of her customers and Financial Transaction Services will tailor a package suitable for anyone in the business of selling.

She is also able to provide gift and loyalty card programs. From a small, independent shop that wants to try a gift card program for the holidays to a large scale retailer seeking custom printed cards and purchases tracking, Kathryn can provide a program to meet any seller's needs.

Anyone that sells a product or service, of course, is a potential customer for her. Who is her best referral?

• Any new business owner that is still in the process of planning and organization;
• The controller for a large institution, like a college or hospital;
• Independent owners of a franchised retail location;
• Owner/operators of a franchise who are "de-branding" and establishing themselves as an independent retailer;
• Service providers that are more expensive and are offering highly specialized and crucial services, like a doctor, attorney, automotive repair, accounting firm, or pharmacy;
• An existing internet business or a traditional brick-and-mortar seller who is venturing into e-commerce for the first time.

In reality, anyone we do business with is probably a good candidate for referral to Kathryn Guidish. We should all be sure to share her name with our business associates this week and in the future.

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Guests of the Week

Guests included Nancy Stewart Schneider of Stewart's Appliance on Cleveland Street in Elyria ... our regular guest star Al Zanni of ACN and a member of the North Olmsted chapter ... and Jan Beck, proprietor of Tre Sorelle Cioccolato (master of all deliciousness) and a member of the Lorain chapter. Welcome to all of our guests!

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Unity in the Community

"It's Your Turn"

30th Annual FCII Festival & Trade Show

The annual AAFRO (African-Americans for the Respect of Others) Festival is one of the biggest intercultural festivals in Ohio. The festival promotes diversity and family unity. The AAFRO Festival is an interpersonal tool that provides an opportunity to help each culture celebrate its beauty, uniqueness, and contributions to today's society and bring them all into the Iron Castle. The AAFRO Festival will have two days of events, featuring an Underground Railroad tour, recreational activities and performances, guest speakers and workshops.

IRN members have been asked by long-time friend of the program and our chapter Membership Chair, Maureen Dockrill, to make contributions either directly to the organization or through sponsorship and advertising opportunities at their Trade Show on July 10 at LCCC. Program ads or table top sponsorship are still available at this time but limited. Please contact event organizers at (440) 366-3244 to donate.

Audrey cleans...so you can enjoy!

Our speaker this week was member Audrey Lauffer, owner of Audrey's Cleaning.

Audrey has been in the residential and commercial cleaning industry for over 10 years, so she knows all about clean living! After a number of years being a company employee, Audrey chose to strike out on her own. Her business has expanded over the last few years and that forward momentum has positioned her to begin to hire and build her first staff of employees. Although she is quite satisfied with her current client base, she knows that growth is the key to maintaining her solid foundation. She looks forward to serving more clients in a wider area with greater needs for services performed.

We're always lucky when Audrey shares some of her tried and true cleaning tips with us. She had two for us this week and I suspect we will all try these out around our own homes in the upcoming weeks.

• Dusting an oil painting can be difficult with the texture and nature of the material. Using a slice of white bread and gently dabbing it on the surface of the painting will help to pick up dust and other particles that are on the painted surface. (Of course, always use caution when caring for an antique or greatly valued possession! These items should be cleaned by a professional with experience in antique art care.)
• For those with chemically sensitive skin or limited on their cleaning supplies budget, an alternative product for tub, shower, and bathroom tile cleaning is baby shampoo. Any brand of baby shampoo can be used effectively on this sort of surface for a thorough cleaning, although a little extra power in the rub and scrub may be required. It will clean, shine, and rinse away completely.

Of course, everyone would like to have a cleaning lady for their own home but this isn't always possible. Audrey's services, though, are available for occassional purchase and actually make a wonderful gift. Who wouldn't like help cleaning and putting the house in order either before or after a big graduation or holiday party? Help around the house can make the most thoughtful gift for a soon-to-be mother or a recuperating family member or friend, too.

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Our meeting was attended by several guests this week including:

• Al Zanni, ACN, member of North Olmsted Chapter IRN
• Atty. Maureen Gechter and Atty. James Koewler Jr., members of Medina IRN
• Drew Baker, FirstMerit Bank

Thanks for your participation in our meeting this week!

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Don't forget to mark JULY 11th on your Fun Calendar!

The first ever

Elyria IRN Corn Hole Playoff

will be an afternoon you won't forget!

Everyone bring a covered dish and a hearty appetite for a good time!