It's All About ME!

When I decided to write a weekly Real Estate blog, my main concern was having a steady stable of interesting topics to cover. As it turns out, there is no shortage of topics to write about. I have learned this from the many suggestions received from friends and colleagues in the last couple of weeks. As I was sifting through several ideas for today's entry, I asked my 13 year old son which idea he thought best. He suggested I write about myself since this is a new endeavor and many readers may not know much about me. Bright kid. Wish I had thought of that.  So here it is – my blog about me.

I am relatively new to Real Estate, but not to sales. My sales career spans 15 years now, and has included heavy industrial goods, insurance and financial services, wholesale fuels, and now property. Before that, I was in banking and accounting. You could say that my background is varied, and I think it will serve me well in my current profession.

My wife of 18 years is a local girl – Christy Asbill Takacs. She is the Assistant Principal at Yeso Elementary and teaches reading also. We have two great kids; Addison - the aforementioned 13 year old, and our daughter Aubrey, 10. We have lived in Artesia for 17 years now and, though we have had many opportunities to leave, we choose to make our permanent home here. It just made sense that when I wanted a career change that was tied to my love of sales and a desire to stay in the town we love, Real Estate emerged as the right choice.

Now, I am an Associate Broker with Century 21 Home Planning. Building a Real Estate business from scratch takes time and patience. My family, my experience, and my faith equip me to meet the challenge. It's an awesome time to be a Realtor, and I am thankful for the opportunity.

Some things you might be curious about, or maybe not – I'm going to tell you anyway:

• Takacs is a Hungarian name, not Greek. It means “weaver” in Hungarian.
• I'm originally from Ohio and I love the Cleveland Indians and Browns, so my entire life has a sports-shaped hole in it.
• I grew up in Los Alamos and attended NMSU where I met my lovely wife.
• I believe I can be a repeat champion on Jeopardy, but I'm too chicken to prove or disprove that to myself by actually going on the show.
• I don't like it when people call me “chief” or “boss” and I don't see the attraction of air shows – bad stuff always happens at them.
• I play drums - not well - and my life-long dream has been to be the drummer in a touring rock band. Making money would be a bonus, just to tour and play music would be enough.
• My favorite movie of all time is Raising Arizona.

On a serious note; Please call me, email me, tweet me, friend me, whatever - if you need the services of an energetic, dedicated, current, and innovative Realtor. I would LOVE to be your agent. Here are the many ways to contact me:

575.308.1087 Cell

575.736.0021 Office

Scott@c21hp.com Email

http://www.facebook.com/Scott.Takacs.Realtor Facebook Page

http://twitter.com/scott_sells_4u Twitter

http://associates.10915029.eco.century21.com/ Website

What's Up? (Or Down)

The question I get asked as a real estate agent over and over is; “What's the market like in Artesia these days?” The second most asked question is; “Where is the market going in the next few years?” If I knew the answer to both of those questions, I could make a killing in the coming years. The problem is that I don't know where the market is going. If anybody tells you they do – run away. They are about to give you an opinion, and then probably ask for your money based on that opinion.

Given that the nation as a whole, and certain areas, in particular, have seen dramatic decline in property values over the last couple of years, Artesia has been relatively unscathed. However; we have seen our own property value “recession” lately and it is unpleasant. While our home values have not suffered the break-neck plummeting which has been seen in some areas, there has been a softening of the market and it's prices here in Titletown. As to the reasons for the pull-back in home values, I can only give my educated opinion – there it is again – that word.

The good news is that it seems that prices have stabilized and that activity is picking up. Real estate will always be a place where Americans want to place their money and trust. It may never be the short path to riches that we were lead to believe throughout much of this decade, but it's still a tangible asset with real potential for growth.

More than that, real estate is the dream of home ownership for most Americans and Artesians. Young couples and families dream of having a place of their own someday and that will never change. It's why I chose to make it my career in this great city. I am optimistic about the future of Artesia. That's why the new planned housing development on 26^th street across from Walmart is, in my opinion, a positive sign.

Trilogy Homes http://artesianewhomes.com/ celebrated the opening of their sales office with a ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremony on Friday October 15. The first phase of the three-phase development is called “Traditions.” These are entry level, semi-custom homes. I am hopeful for the success of this venture. The success of this venture is hopeful for Artesia.

Agree?  Disagree?  I want to hear from you either way.   Add a comment or send me an email and let me know what you think. I look forward to musing on all things real estate in Artesia.

Scott Takacs – All real estate. All the time.