Along with the upside of being a real estate agent and writing for a national web site such as About.com, there is also a downside. It's easy for consumers to find my telephone number. I could remove my cellphone number from my website, but what's the point? I want people to be able to call me. Especially home buyers and sellers in Sacramento.
Sometimes short sale buyers call me because they are frustrated with their agent or the way their transaction is going. It's hard for them to understand that a) as a REALTOR, I can't interfere in another agent's transaction and b) I don't know the laws and specifics to their state. I get calls from all over the country.
An agent called from the Midwest a few days ago. She left her phone number without leaving a message. I figured if it was important enough, she'd call back. Not only do I not return calls from people I don't know and have no reason to call -- they could be telemarketers, for all I know -- but I rarely call long distance.
That's because, believe it or not, I don't subscribe to a nationwide calling plan for my phone. I use T-Mobile's unadvertised regional plan, which gives me 3,000 minutes anywhere in northern California and Nevada. It costs $49 a month. That saves me about $2,000 a year. Over 10 years, that's $20,000.
When I travel, I pay roaming charges, but those fees amount to about $10. For me, it doesn't make sense to pay for a plan I rarely use. I guess I'm the odd duck out when it comes to cellphone plans, but it works for me.
Well, the agent in the Midwest did call back. The reason for her call was to ask me how she, as a brand new agent, could reach out to other agents in her community and perhaps network or form a support group. At first blush, I wondered why she was asking me that question. What did I ever write to inspire such a query?
Then it dawned on me. Of course. She should join the Active Rain community. Duh. I sent her a link and encouraged her to sign up. Active Rain is an invaluable resource for new agents and veterans alike. I receive emails and phone calls from Sacramento home buyers and sellers who read my blog on Active Rain and my outside blog at LandParkBlog.com. It's the best thing going on the web today!
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout Sacramento. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available in bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
Interesting post i do have a good cell plan and think it saves me money. Strange how we use different approaches to achieve the same goals
Hi Elizabeth~ I wholeheartedly agree with you. ActiveRain is wonderful in so many ways. I have learned more in here than anywhere else. By the way, I enjoy your articles on about.com You do such a great job!
Hey Elizabeth,
I have a good plan and sometimes it seems I can not even use what I am paying for......maybe I need to be busier!!!!!!
Hi Elizabeth... Since New Hampshire is a small state, we get a lot of folks coming up from MA. It is important to have nationawide long distance in this case! However, it is great you can keep your costs down in this fashion.
Some days my cell gets used over 100 times. . if I didn't have unlimited call. .I will paying trough the nose.
Good for you Elizabeth....we have to look at how we can keep our expenses down that's for sure.
Patricia Aulson/Portsmouth NH Real Estate
You're getting jipped... i was on T-Mobiles plan for ONLY $39 a month, not $49 and it covered all of Texas and a 6 state radius going up, AND the first incoming minute was FREE. I had free nights and weekends nationwide though, so that's when I returned those calls....
But, now I have vonage, and get free long distance on that phone.
Hey Donna: Isn't everything in Texas cheaper? <<ducking and running>>
Actually, I think I get free evenings but I turn off my cell at 7 PM. I run about 2500 minutes a month, and I'm on the phone all the time.
Great idea to have her join the ActiveRain community. There is more accessible collective tribal knowledge dwelling in the heads of ActiveRainers, than most any place else I can think of in the real estate industry. We're a real estate "think tank.
Elizabeth
No kidding about those telemarketers and the whole world getting your number. I can usually tell from the area code where it is coming in from. Sprint has a great service for $99 that allows you all the long distance, unlimited calls,text, and web. Since I cold call and do everything from my mobile it winds up being like 5500 minutes plus a month, and the incoming ones.
That was really nice of you to reach out and help her getting into some support like activerain. Then again, that's the quality of person you are, and it's no wonder because of that wonderful personality why the whole Sacramento County and beyond to the rest of the country has come to take stock in you. That great smile helps too my friend.
Hi Elizabeth, I think on the calling plans you have to pick the one that just makes sense for your patterns, plus you get the savings as you stated. My plan has rollover minutes from the previous month, so I built up a good buffer with them. Plus I have the data for the iPhone. Great you pointed that lady to Active Rain.
I have always had nationwide calling and never thought about the possibility of not having it. I bet someone would calculate my usage to see the cost difference.
Hi Elizabeth ~ I don't know what we'd do without a long distance calling plan! As relocation specialist here in Raleigh almost everyone we call is from out of town/state! We use vonyage at home and Verizon for our cells. Well worth the price for business and personal usage.
Hey, you won't believe this but I just received my T-Mobile bill on Saturday. Low and behold, I exceeded my minutes last month. 3,052 minutes. First time that's ever happened. What are the odds? But still, the fees are less than a nationwide plan costs. It might behoove me at this point to upgrade. :) I'm not about to stop yakking.
We have AT&T, which includes long distance and roaming at no additional charge. BUT they drop calls way too often. Doesn't make a very good impression with clients that don't have AT&T themselves. ;)