Max basically taught me everything I know about real estate. When to lie, when to hint at the truth, when to take a long walk around the truth and kind of back into it, and finally, when to actually tell the truth if she can still recognize it from 30 yards. These are all very subtle nuances of the real estate profession that take decades to really fine tune. Max is so good she almost has a sixth sense about real estate: which buyers are going to really buy, which one’s are lookie loos, which sellers are just testing the market, which ones are going to be a major soul-sucking pain in her butt. It’s remarkable!

Anyway, I have to congratulate Max on her second hip replacement, which went without a hitch this past week. She’s really looking forward to climbing stairs again, and getting back to selling something other than slab ranches and land! Go Max!

Posted: April 30th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

I’ll never forget the day we went down to the Guinness people to pick up her reward and get her photographed for the book and all. We had to stand in line behind some pretty bizarre folks!

We all ended up chowing down on this mile long hot dog – yumJ

The award brings with it a small annuity that sure helps with our skyhigh heating bills in Squamskootnocket.

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none

I think of everyone in my family, I am closest to my aunt Maxie.

She lives across the street from Harvest and I (in fact, some nights, after one sip of white zin too many, I end up crashed out at her place, not mine, but that’s another “blog” I suppose) (Harvest is giving me a dirty look) (she’s 18) (she doesn’t drink) (can you imagine?)

Anyhoo, Maxie Kanadoo, at age 93, is the official OFFICIAL Oldest Living Realtor in America as certified and guar-an-teed by the Guinness Book of World Records. We just could not be prouder of her.

Posted: April 19th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

Squamskootnocket, which means “Soaring Eagle Over Land of Nothingness”, enjoys the usual proud history of oppression and domination of the white man over Native American tribes. One of those tribes was the “Kanadoo” tribe, of which of course I am a proud (though distant, mom is Swedish) relative. The Kanadoo tribe was special because we came up with the concept of listing and selling real estate, which was really just land in those days. In fact, “Kanadoo” (which has been translated both as “Dancing Bear of the Full Commission,” and “Screech Owl of the Quick Close”) realtors were famous for selling ALL of the land to (whoopsie doodles!) the white man. Oh, well.

Posted: April 15th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 3

I’ve been a realtor since the day I was twenty-one (38 years ago!! Crazy, I know!!)  I work with my brother, Dickie, who is my boss. I never understood why my mother, Big Jean, made him the boss. I think she always loved him more than me just because he was the boy. Anyway, it’s not fair. It’s grossly unfair, actually, since I’m the only one who ever visits her and brings her hooch out there at the Final Rest where she’s living now. But never mind. I’m bigger than all of that. I won’t dwell on the negative.

Anyhoo, I decided to start this website because I like to be cutting edge and since this “Internet” thing is so new and hot I thought I’d beat the crowds and start up my own. Actually, I’m not quite sure how it all works but the way I do it is I dictate my thoughts to my daughter Harvest (here she is in a lighter moment)

 who types into a computer, and my words bounce into space and back to anyone who wants to buy or sell a house in the Squamskootnocket area. Oh dear, Harvest is laughing at me. But this is nothing new:)

She’s telling me to focus…OK.

I started this website, or blog she tells me it’s called, to talk about what it’s really like to be a realtor, to share some true life stories, and to start my new column: “Ask Ginger!” which has already had a few installments! It’s just like Dear Abby but instead of asking me what you should do about your husband wearing baby clothes, you get to ask me why your house won’t sell, or why you haven’t heard from your realtor in weeks, or why, since your house is a castle, you can’t get $50,000 over asking. The usual questions.

Anyhoo, I’m just thrilled that Madonna took some time out of her busy yoga/reinvention/keeping up with the Brangelinas to create something as fun as this, aren’t you? I can’t wait to hear from all of you and answer any questions you may have, as well as of course continue to fill you in on the story of my life as well as slices-of-realtor-life as things happen.

Posted: April 9th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

 If you ask me, this whole cyber-world is a little wacky but hey, good for Madonna for coming up with it! She hasn’t done a tour in a while I see but she seems to have created something with some promise, anyway.

Posted: April 8th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none