Sam's Blog

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Soaring Gas Prices! Time to rethink what we do.

Gas prices soaring again!
 



gasprices

 
This sign says it All!
 
With the soaring gas prices, we all have to work smarter in regards to our driving habits and work habits.  Here are a few ideas that you might not have thought of yet...
 
1. Carpool whenever you can and wherever you can.  It can be fun and safer too.  Just offer to drive this time and ask if you can ride with them next time!   Take initiative to suggest first to get the ball rolling!
 
2. Get all of your buyers pre-approved before you start riding them around town.  Now, more than ever with the credit tightening, you cannot afford to ride people around until you know they are financially able AND that they have a strong desire or urgent need to buy now.
 
3. Get a car with better gas mileage or make sure yours is tuned up and that your tires are inflated properly for better miles/gallon performance.
 
4. Give your prospects some listings to drive by on their own and then ask them to let you know the ones that they want to walk through.  Then you can schedule appointments to show them just those listings.  This will save you a ton of gas and time!
 
5. Advertise for buyers by saying that "With gas at $3.50/gallon, it is costing you around $.15/mile just for the gas alone so if you are commuting 50 miles, (one way) a day, you are spending around $300/mo for gas so maybe you need to think about moving closer to your work."  Then promote your listings in areas where you would expect there might be workers commuting long distances to work. 
 
6. Plan your day better to maximize your trips by combining things on the same side of town.  Make sure to prioritize with less driving around in mind.
 
7. Communicate on an office whiteboard, trips across town or to neighboring towns that people are planning for the day/week so others can see where opportunities are to carpool or help drop off something or to put up a sign, etc.
 
8. Think about mailing vs. personal delivery of papers that you might need back from your clients.  The higher price of postage is a concern but if you do the math, you might find that it is a whole lot cheaper just to drop it in the mail.  THIS WILL SAVE YOU A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TOO!!
 
Back in the early 1980's I carpooled to Wagram, NC  from Laurinburg, NC  to J. P. Stevens which was only 10 miles one way with as many as 4 other riders!  If I remember right, I only put around 5000 miles on my car per year back then and I did it for 4 years!  It was inconvenient at times but was worth the effort.
 
We have to think about how we can save and I am sure we can save a lot if we take the time to do it.  Maybe the higher gas prices will help us change our driving habits and then maybe we can wean ourselves off our dependency of foreign oil!
 

Sam Thompson,  PHH Mortgage

Senior Advisor - Helping you GROW your business!

www.activerain.com./luckydog1 - SC

www.activerain.com/luckydog2 - NC

http://samthompson.phhmortgage.com/

www.myphhmortgageadvisor.com/

 

 

8 comments • Sam Thompson • April 21 2008 09:14PM

Comments

I heard tonight that the price of oil has gone up again to $117 per gallon (record breaking) and gas was at a record breaking $3.51/gallon (I saw it at $3.55 on my way home).  I traded my SUV in and got a cross over that is much easier on gas.  I already get my buyers prequalified and I already plan my day and do things in order so as to minimize my mileage.  I even plan my personal trips around my work trips so as to maximize my gas mileage.  I promised myself I wouldn't move again until my son finished school, but with 27 miles each way daily trip to my office I wonder...
Posted by June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker (Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.) about 1 year ago

June.. I'll take your $3.51 a gallon.. I haven't seen that price for a while.  I live in Cromwell, CT and the LOWEST price here is $3.69.

What gets me is that ALL the groceries are also going up because of the gas prices.  So all of us are getting hit twice.

 

Posted by Valerie Osterhoudt, ABR ~ Cromwell, CT Real Estate ~ 860.883.8889 (Johnson Real Estate, Inc.) about 1 year ago
Try diesel... $4.09/gallon.  But, there are rumors that there is a bubble in oil pricing.  it would be fun for it to pop.  Of course, a stronger dollar would help, too.  
Posted by Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) about 1 year ago
SAM!  THAT is TOO FUNNY!  Great Tips!
Posted by Eleanor Thorne 919-649-5057 Cary Mortgage Loans (First Financial Services, Inc) about 1 year ago
Now, that was funny ! Great tips for all of us ! I have already starting doing some things to conserve. Our gas hear for low grade is $3.37 and your shoe, for mid it's both shoes and $3.67 for High Octane it's $3.89 both shoes, feet, socks, arms, legs, and your sanity !
Posted by Melissa Grant - Real Estate Coordinator Offering Virtual or On - Site Services (Virtual Office Systems) about 1 year ago

Like the idea of touching on communting time awareness. thanks for the tip.

Bonner

Posted by Bonner Thomason CRS, ABR, GRI, e-Pro (Keller Williams Realty) about 1 year ago

i still see a great deal of gas guzzler's pulling up to the pumps.

many years ago we had a real crisis complete with long lines, and i mean loooooooooooooooooooong lines and maximum purchases.

Posted by Jay Beckingham (Allied Home Mortgage Capital Corp.) about 1 year ago

I Like #5 I'm going to use it since all of my listings are in Downtown Denver

Thanks

Posted by Jane Wallace CRS, Denver Real Estate (Distinctive Properties, LTD) about 1 year ago

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