Dani Fox Real Estate Team

Zestimates, Shmestimates…

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How Zestimates Cost Zillow Millions of Dollars

You may or may not have heard that Zillow recently announced that they were shutting down their home buying business, Zillow Offers and laying off 25% of their workforce. Let’s break down what this service intended (and failed) to do and why this failure is proving the point that every local realtor has been saying (maybe yelling?) for years, “ZESTIMATES ARE NOT HOME APPRAISALS!”

In 2018 Zillow began their iBuying program, Zillow Offers with the intent of getting home sellers  “stress free” cash offers on their homes. Sellers saw this as an opportunity to have a hassle free process, a way to eliminate agent commissions, as well as shave time off the process. While the iBuying process is quick – it would still cost sellers 5-7% of the sale in a “transaction fee”, which is a wash, as it compares to agent commissions.

This iBuying process, in theory, would eliminate agents and open houses because Zillow would purchase the home for what they decided to offer and then they would make minimal repairs and minor renovations to turn around and sell it for a profit. While the Zillow Offer and the Zestimates would differ (because the offer will take into account the money they will be putting into the home to get it ready to go back on the market) Zillow still used their Zestimate tool in order to put together their offer. 

Well, guess what happened? They were forced to sell the houses they had bought, for a loss. Not just in some markets, but in the majority of the markets where the service was offered. In the last three months alone, they lost $420,000,000 trying to flip the homes they had purchased.  How could that happen? 

Well, their CEO Rich Barton said, “Fundamentally, we have been unable to predict the future pricing of homes to a level of accuracy that makes this a safe business to be in.” 

How were they forecasting the home prices? Algorithms. Leaving it up to technology to determine the price of the homes and market prediction. As any “boots on the ground” Real Estate Agent will tell you, pricing a home has an incredible amount of nuance. Leaving it up to a computer that has no ability to adapt for nuances in certain markets is clearly going to lead to problems. 

This whole situation begs the question, are Zestimates at all accurate? Mike DelPrete, an iBuying Real Estate analyst, was quoted saying, “This is really a toy… This is to stimulate people’s interest in property.” We’ve said it before, we will say it again – Zestimates are not a home appraisal. And Zillow says on their website, “It is a computer-generated estimate of the value of a home today, given the available data. We encourage buyers, sellers and homeowners to supplement the Zestimate with other research, such as visiting the home, getting a professional appraisal of the home, or requesting a comparative market analysis (CMA) from a real estate agent.” So it is safe to say that Zillow has proven the point for us that Zestimates are not accurate.

Other popular iBuying sites (Redfin, OpenDoor, Offerpad, etc…) are still at it and we are sure that some form of this type of home selling will remain in our current landscape. There may be situations where using a service like this to sell your home makes more sense than a traditional method. As we mentioned, it can be a very quick process. There is also the appeal of not having to have your house “show ready” during the selling process. The convenience of it cannot be argued against. Depending on the situation you are in, it may make sense for you to go the iBuying route. Seeking professional guidance is the best way to get informed and discover which selling method will be best for you. 

The Real Estate industry is changing and has been forced to evolve with the times. Despite the changes, we feel it remains true – a real estate professional that knows a local market will net sellers more money for their homes. Home valuation cannot be done with artificial intelligence – for now, it needs to be done with humans. As a Real Estate Brokerage, we pride ourselves on having a team full of local professionals that will be with you every step of the way. If you would like to read more about this iBuying topic, this is a great article that digs into the Zillow situation. We would also be happy to talk to you about the iBuying process and if it is right for you, even if it does eliminate our role in your journey. We want all of our clients and potential clients to do what is going to be best for them. 

The Real Estate Industry is Fueled by Coffee

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Here are the Best Places to Fuel Up in the Central Valley, According to the DBRE Family 

Something you may or may not know is that Real Estate Professionals drink 58% percent of all coffee consumed in the US. Hahaha… just kidding, just kidding! We do not have science backing our claim that we all have coffee coursing through our veins at every moment of everyday, only just some anecdotal evidence that would suggest we are coffee experts. So, since we are self proclaimed experts, we figured we would share with you our favorite local spots to grab a nice cup of joe. 

Our team here at Dani Blain Real Estate has a wide range of taste as it relates to their coffee shop of choice. From the neighborhood gas station, to making their own at home, and on to the old stand by of Starbucks – and more in between, we will take you through some of the responses we got when we asked about where they go to buy their favorite beverage. 

Starbucks is an easy place to love. They are easy to find, you always know that your order will taste the same from location to location, and there are plenty of options on the menu to be able to mix it up often. Lana, our Administrative Director, even has her own favorite Starbucks she likes best. The one on Caldwell and Demaree is her go-to… she loves that it has a drive-thru, its close to the office, and since everyone that works there knows her – they of course love her like we do! Her drink order is nice and simple, a hot Cafe Mocha – but when she is feeling like she needs an extra bit of some sweet goodness, she orders her Grande drink in a Venti cup, so she can ask for extra whipped cream. Genius! 

Some other teammates also called out Starbs as their favorite place to get coffee and they may have an order you can try – or shoot, you can even surprise them with their favorite drink, if you’d like! 🙂 

  • Daisy loves the Iced Shaken Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso (but be sure to ask them to hold the cinnamon and add an extra splash of oatmilk.) 
  • Before Steven Duck was a Realtor, he used to be a Starbucksf barista – so you can bet his order is not only good, but not too high maintenance for the crew member making the drink. He gets a Venti Cold Brew, Classic Syrup, and Light ice (another tip of the trade – less ice = more drink.) 
  • Jen, our Controller, likes the ever classic Iced Americano… plain and simple, just like she keeps things around the office for us. 
  • Lori is another oatmilk fan… she likes to get an Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk coffee, shaken – not stirred. (We added the not stirred part, because it was screaming to be added.)

Stepping outside of Starbucks and big chains, there are some great small coffee places here in the Valley you must try if you haven’t yet. 

  • Reece loves to hit up Vali Coffee on his way to his office with The Shawn Team at The Downtown Dream in Tulare. He says right now is the perfect time of year to try the Pumpkin Pie Cold Brew – and guess what? It is about to get a whole lot easier for him to grab a coffee from them, because they are going to be opening up a shop at the Downtown Dream! Stay tuned on their socials for more details. 
  • Odalys is a big fan of the Nitro Bike because not only can she get an amazing cup of Nitro infused coffee, but she also loves that every cup is supporting a small, local, family owned business. Her order sounds delicious – she gets an Oat Milk Latte with honey syrup and lavender… mmmm! 
  • Ruben loves him a good cold brew, and according to him, The Human Bean in Visalia does it best (they also have another location in Tulare.) Apparently, he is the ultimate expert here, because he tells us that his blood type is COFFEE (lol.) He recommends not only the cold brew, but the Java Chips and the Granitas as well, and says that the customer service can’t be beat. Go give them a try and tell them Ruben sent you. 
  • Lily runs on Iced Oatmilk Lattes and loves that Component Coffee Lab in Visalia makes a great one and also provides the perfect atmosphere to get a little work done – you should check it out, it really does have great ambience. 

A few others on our team had favorites that aren’t Sbux and also aren’t one of the mom&pop shops either. 

  • You will see Leo with a coffee in his hand almost always – but what you will notice about this coffee in his hand, is that it is a to-go tumbler from his HOUSE. Can you believe it? He makes his own coffee and he is all about it… from saving money, to making it just the way he likes it, it is a home brew all the way for him. His mainstay is a Cafe Latte with extra half and half, but he also likes to change things up from season to season. So next time you see him, ask what he brewed for his daily coffee fix. 
  • Travis’s answer was one of our favorites, because it is so perfectly him. He told us that every morning on his way out of the neighborhood, to start his day with a nice classic cup of coffee, he likes to go to the Valero in Shannon Ranch. He loves the staff and the ease of stopping in to grab and go. 
  • Ever hear the slogan, “America runs on Dunkin’?” Well, so does Matthew and a classic Iced Vanilla Latte is his old stand by. We have a feeling if our brokerage was on the East Coast, there would be way more people that had this answer – everyone on the other side of the country seems to love this place.
  • Davian is a member of the Dutch Mafia, as Dutch Bros. fans like to call themselves. He loves the customer service they provide and goes there so often he even has become friends with a number of them. He respects the way they do business and run each franchise and the way they pour into (pun intended) their employees. He also can’t get enough of this super specific drink – he gets a medium Nitro Cold Brew, 3x sweet with 2 pumps hazelnut, 2 pumps vanilla, and 4 ounces of soft top with a caramel drizzle – only on the soft top (we told you, it was super specific.) He says if you are stopping to do a Starbucks run, he’ll take a water. Haha! 

We had so much fun documenting the DBRE crew’s fav brews! Did we miss any of your favorite local places? What about the best coffee shops on the Central Coast? Speaking of, did you know that our Brokerage also serves the entire Central Coast? We have agents who specialize in this area and we love taking a break from the Central Valley heat and popping over to cool off at the coast. 

Why Choose Us When You are Ready to Buy or Sell?

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A few blog posts back we talked about the Top Ten Reasons Real Estate Agents Should Hang Their License with Us, but we would not be in business if it weren’t for our clients. While we do pride ourselves on being a Real Estate Brokerage that agents seek out and help us create the culture we have set out to establish, we also are very passionate about serving our clients and making sure we have agents who are going to go the distance and work hard for them.

We always have agents who are ready and able to assist potential buyers and sellers with all of their Real Estate needs. There are so many choices and options with over 200,000 active real estate agents in California alone, we know that chances are you know someone, or know someone who knows someone who is a Real Estate Agent. Why should you choose one of our agents over an agent with a different brokerage? Let us count the ways 🙂 

  • Did you know that agents are independent contractors and choose a brokerage to work under? We have found that the agents we attract, choose us because they appreciate and value our vision. They know we strive to always put people and relationships over the numbers, serve our team and clients well, and always do what we say we will do. The glue and energy at DBRE comes from our faith, hard work, and loving our real estate family well – birds of a feather flock together, as they say. 
  • DBRE agents are well supported. With a full team of professionals backing them up in every step of the process there is always someone who they can reach out to to find the right vendor, answer a question, or get expert opinions or advice for those tricky situations we have found throughout this current (wild) real estate market. 
  • In addition to the marketing they will do when it comes to selling your house, they also reap the benefits of our brokerage having its own marketing team that additionally markets all of the homes our agents are listing.
  • Unmatched personality and charisma… We have salt of the earth agents who are just all around great people. We are so proud of each of them and know that they choose to work under DBRE because integrity is of utmost importance to them. 
  • They support the community they serve. With multiple opportunities offered to them throughout the year to give back to their community through the giving the brokerage participates in, by working with one of our agents, you are working with someone who understands the value in giving back to the community where they work. 
  • A portion of every bought and sold home, property, or commercial space goes directly from the brokerage, directly back into the Central Valley and the Central Coast. You can read more here about all of the ways we support and give back to this community we live in and love so much.

We know there are plenty of people out there right now that are either looking to buy or sell. We hope that you now feel confident to start and end your search for the perfect real estate agent, by selecting one of our amazing agents. You can read all about each of them here or you can visit our Instagram to see some of their reviews from previous clients. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you soon – please be sure to get in touch if you would like us to help match you with one of our excellent agents. 

Top 10 Reason why Dani Blain Real Estate is the BEST Brokerage to “Hang Your License”

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In the state of California, there are currently more than 200,000 active real estate agents, according to First Tuesday Journal. All of these Real Estate Agents have many things in common, and today we are focusing on one of the fundamental commonalities: They all need to operate under a Real Estate Broker. As a small or “boutique brokerage” we really pride ourselves on being a great place for agents to “hang their license.” With over 90,000 real estate brokerages just in California, there is clearly no shortage of options, and although we may be biased, we think our brokerage is the best place in Central California for Real Estate Agents to operate.

Since we opened our doors in September of 2019 we have been working hard to create a brokerage and culture within the brokerage that serves our community and our clients with integrity. We operate under a long standing vision to always put people and relationships over the numbers. We are fueled by our faith, hard-work, and loving our real estate family well. Once you become part of the DBRE family, you will never want to leave – let us tell you the top 10 reasons why:

10. Team & Solo Agent Options

Whether you are a seasoned pro or just joining the real estate industry, we have options to meet you where you are and help you succeed. Oftentimes if you just received your license, you may be looking for some mentorship and professional development to help fast track your business growth. The Shawn Team will be a great opportunity for you if you think joining a team would be an ideal first step into Real Estate. Blake Shawn is a top 1% agent in a number of transactions, started the team in 2016 and is a great mentor and motivator. 

For teams and individual agents alike, we offer limitless growth potential by providing you the resources and support you need to do your best. Keep reading more to see what we mean. Solo agents within our brokerage have been thriving and make us so proud everyday.

9. Our Values: Service, Culture, Integrity

Our focus has always been on relationships, growing our agents and giving back to the communities we serve – all while doing real estate. We believe that serving you is meeting your specific needs. By meeting your needs, we help you succeed. When you succeed, so do we. Here, it is normal to love and be loved, we uplift one another: agents, clients, and partners alike. Here, ‘you’ always goes before ‘me’. At Dani Bain Real Estate, we do what we say we are going to do, and we always strive to do what is right. These ideals form the basis of our core values: service, culture, and integrity.

8. Giving & Community First

We have a heart for the specific needs in our community and we believe we are blessed so that we can bless others. Dani Blain Real Estate believes in giving back, so we do!  On a monthly basis we give back to groups or individuals whose mission or endeavors help make our community a better place. As a real estate family, our agents participate in many of these giving opportunities and in some cases lead the charge!

7. ALC – Agent Leadership Council and Committees 

All agents at Dani Blain Real Estate are our business partners. The Agent Leadership Council (ALC) is a select group of our business partners set apart to be actively involved in the leadership of the brokerage. Their main goal is to ensure thriving business opportunities for all who call Dani Blain Real Estate (DBRE) home. They are the guardians of DBRE’s culture that fosters growth, opportunities, and holds paramount the ideal that ‘you’ always goes before ‘me’. 

For those agents who are not serving on the ALC, but still want to speak into the Brokerages business functions and develop their leadership skills they can join one of our standing committees: Marketing/Video, Growth, and Education and Training. At DBRE there are many options for growing and being supported!

6. Brokerage Meetings

Once a month we bring the entire brokerage together to celebrate our successes from the month prior and recognize agents and team members who are thriving in the real estate biz. These meetings are not only celebratory, but also inspiring and help fuel our mission of creating a culture that is the backbone of what we do. We love our Brokerage meetings and connecting the whole team on a regular basis. 

5. Training Opportunities & Mentored Support

For both our teams and our solo agents, we have a great training program where we focus on improving skills, learning new techniques, and staying up to date on market trends and best practices. Each week we offer regular  trainings and one-on-one opportunities to help you succeed or improve where you need it. Additionally, we are happy to partner seasoned agents with new agents or those who want some coaching to achieve their goals. Our office staff, support team, and both of our experienced, licensed brokers all provide a wealth of knowledge and support all of our agents.

4. Our Marketing Team

The days of simply door knocking have evolved… we have an internal team that meets regularly to keep up with our marketing plan. We work with industry experts and have a strategic and methodical approach to market not only our brokerage, but the homes our agents are selling. Marketing is a huge piece to being a successful agent and one that takes a lot of time and expertise. Let us help!

3. Our Loyalty Program

We care about your business and want your success recognized. We also want you to be rewarded for staying, achieving your goals  and choosing to grow with us over time. Our unique Loyalty Program has been designed with options you can personalize so you get the tools you need to continue to do your business well with perks to encourage and motivate you to keep going!

2. Our ISA Team

We are the only boutique, local brokerage with a full time ISA Team that works around the clock to find solid leads for our agents. What’s an ISA? Inside Sales Associates – we have a full team of them. Having a team dedicated to helping agents find pre-approved buyers and serious sellers takes a whole load off of the agent and allows them time to focus on what they do best – buying and selling properties, rather than only searching for viable leads. 

And the #1 Reason to Hang Your License at Dani Blain Real Estate: The Team and Sense of Belonging

We feel very confident in saying we have the best agents and support staff in all of Central California. We truly function as a family and all have each other’s best interests in mind. If you enjoy a strong sense of team and belonging, we know you will love being a part of the Dani Blain Real Estate Family.

Looking to Join the Team?

If this Top 10 List has you thinking that DBRE may be the right brokerage to hang your license, then you are in luck! We are looking for outgoing, driven, dynamic individuals looking to increase your business and live a big life. We are seeking decisive, self-motivated, consultative sales leaders. Candidates should be licensed, determined, committed and high performers. Must be thoughtful, outgoing, and people-people. Only those who desire to be a super-achiever need apply. The sky’s the limit with no ceiling on your income.

Individuals who apply must:
– Have a huge heart, be happy and positive and want to help homeowners or investors have an amazing selling
and/or buying experience. We don’t tolerate negativity or gossip. We are servant leaders.
– Have strong verbal skills and love constant change in a fast paced environment that is self-reliant.
– Be results-oriented and seek an opportunity to thrive in the Real Estate Industry!

View this document to learn a little more about the kind of person who fits best with the DBRE family of agents or contact us if you have any questions.

The Agent Leadership Council at Dani Blain Real Estate

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Here at DBRE, we pride ourselves on intentionally spending time cultivating a team of dedicated Real Estate Professionals who align with our vision of serving our community and our clients with integrity, always putting people above the numbers. It is important that we have a brokerage with a culture that makes it possible to meet this goal and we have been blessed with the best. 

Today, we are going to chat a bit about one of the behind the scenes things to stay steadfast in our commitment to our Agents, team members, partners, clients, and the community at large – and that is our Agent Leadership Council. In our experience, we have seen the benefit of having a team that acts as the glue among all teams and agents for our brokerage. 

Our Agent Leadership Council, or the ALC – are the servant-leaders that meet regularly to lead and speak into the initiatives and direction of our brokerage. They give their expertise, their time and their hearts for our teams, our community and the DBRE family. As business partners, they can help assure that brokerage is being run in a way that aligns with their own personal business goals and those of all our agents. They help us structure a solid path forward as the market is ever evolving. 

Having this core group of internal experts has been instrumental in building our brand from the ground up and we are so proud of the work and dedication of the ALC team. Please take a moment to get to know who is on our ALC to get a feel for these amazing professionals.

(Profiles below are listed in order as they are pictured above from left to right)

Lori Anderson

I am the Broker Assistant here at Dani Blain Real Estate and am pursuing my Broker’s License to continue to help our Brokerage grow! Sometimes I wear many hats supporting our agents, working with our internal staff team, and working with our Broker, Dani – but I love it all. This is the best place to work and I get to be on the best team ever!

Lori Parks

Originally from Southern California, my family and I moved to Visalia in 2001 to be near family. I entered real estate as a Transaction Coordinator, assisting Realtors and mentoring with some of the best in the business. I have found my passion in Real Estate. I have the privilege to help people pursue their dreams of becoming a homeowner.

Justin Hite

I’ve grown up in the Central Valley since the age of 5. Married to my wife for 14 years, we have 4 kids and see ourselves living in Central Valley CA for the long haul.  Real Estate, business and entrepreneurship is a passion that stems from a wanting to see people achieve big dreams and be the best versions of themselves. 

Dani Blain

While I have a true passion for all things Real Estate, my first passion is Jesus. He is my Lord and Savior and in all that I do personally and professionally, I seek to glorify Him. I am blessed to have three wonderful children and four beautiful grandbabies right in the Central Valley to do life with. 

Blake Shawn

I am a relationship-driven community leader who loves God, his Family, Team, and Clients. I love mentoring newer and experienced agents to be their best selves for their families and clients. My favorite thing in the world is being a husband to Mia and a dad to our daughter Mykah Joy and son Asher James. 

Jenifer Oliphant

I am the proud mother of two, daughter Riley, son Kyle, and my doggie Posey. I love real estate, helping people, meeting people, and serving my community. It’s also very important to me to give back to my community in any way that I can.

Steven Duck

I am a dedicated Real Estate Agent who is committed to helping my clients achieve their dream through Real Estate, whether that be buying, selling or investing. When I’m not immersed in Real Estate, you can find me spending time with family, watching sports, or obsessing over my lawn.

April Martin

am the founder and Manager of the ISA (Inside Sales Associates) team and pride myself on working hard to find leads for our agents and Brokerage. We have built a bullet-proof team of ISA’s and we love fueling our agents with business. I believe people can sense deep care, even over the phone. There is a chance if you are shopping on Zillow, Realtor.com or our site YourCentralValleyHome.com , you will wind up in our care. In my free time, I am a Pastor and have a wonderful husband who cares for me and my three ‘bonus-sons’.

Being a newer brokerage, having our Agent Leadership Council help us with building the foundation of everything we do has been instrumental in our success. We are so grateful for them and their willingness to invest in our team members and agents to help everyone be successful in their business endeavors. If you are a Real Estate Agent looking for a place to hang your hat, Dani Blain Real Estate is always looking to expand our team with like-minded individuals that will fit in with the culture we have created. If you are interested in exploring the idea of joining the team, please reach out to us today. 

What Every Agent Wishes You Knew

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Whether you’ve never bought or sold a house or have done both, there are a handful of things every Real Estate Agent wishes you knew. Today, we bring you our agents’ top four! It’s our insider’s info on the reality of being a Real Estate Agent. 

An Agent will rarely sit you down to tell you the things we are about to give you the scoop on. They will chug forward, working long, demanding hours with friendly smiles on their faces because they love what they do. However, we suspect if you knew these few important tidbits things would be ever more smooth for both you and your agent! So, with the hopes of shining light into the lesser known parts of our industry (and to help you, help us the next time we work together) here are the top four things Agents wish you knew: 


#1 Choose Your Agent Wisely

We’ve said it before and we will say it again… especially in today’s market, you need a Real Estate Agent. Ideally one of our DBRE Agents. Because now more than ever, we need you to truly consider who will represent you in this monumental life decision. Don’t just pick your aunt’s, neighbor’s, son’s, wife who just got her license and is eager for a client. Now is not the time to let Uncle Ned dust off his old Real Estate license. 

This current market is nothing like any of us have ever seen before. Working with a trusted DBRE Agent means that you are working with someone who has been navigating this market the whole time ‘this market’ has morphed into what we now know it to be. Our Agents will serve you with integrity and deliver their expertise and knowledge. They also have the support of our entire DBRE team behind them.


#2 Just Because “Zillow Says” – Doesn’t Mean It’s So…

Isn’t it fun to look on Zillow and see what your home is worth? Well… unfortunately, Zestimates are kind of just that – for fun. They are often completely off base and make it hard for us to convince our clients that our expertise and actual MLS listing comps are a lot more accurate than what you see on Zillow, Trullia, etc. Zillow is not a property valuation site. Period. It works off of algorithms and online data that may be out of date or inaccurate. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we do feel this is important for our clients to be in the know about.


#3 We Don’t Make as Much Money as You Think

This is not to say that Real Estate is not a lucrative industry, it absolutely has the potential to be, but there seems to be a bit of a misconception that all Real Estate Agents make great money. There are so many variables to what an Agents annual salary looks like, not to mention that in this industry, you’ve got to spend money to make money. 

In a 100% commission based field, Agents don’t get paid until every paper is signed, sealed, and delivered. It can be after months and months of working every weekend showing homes, writing multiple offers that don’t materialize, paying for marketing of your home upfront, and… so.much.gas. Each transaction could be 100s of hours of work that agents don’t get paid for unless, and until, the transaction is finally closed. 

Things fall through, people switch Agents (this is the ultimate heart breaker for most Agents), and people change their mind. A common mindset in real estate goes something like this: a client is like a bet the Agent makes, taking a risk on you. They work hard for you to ensure their gamble pays off in the end. At DBRE we are more than this. DBRE’s Agents our servant-leaders. While each new client involves risk we believe the risk is worth it since relationships and people are so important to us. Most times we are successful because we know that when the client succeeds we do, regardless of what that looks like in the end.


#4 Trust Us… We Got You! 

We feel confident in saying that all of the Agents at Dani Blain Real Estate are salt of the earth people who know that we value putting people over numbers and taking care of our clients is of utmost priority. Plus, all our agents are backed by our entire family of agents. 

Like all industries, Real Estate can have some bad apples in the bunch, but when you choose to work with a DBRE Agent, you can trust this person has your best interests in mind and will work hard to meet your needs. 

The process could be difficult (especially in today’s market…) and it could feel like a roller coaster ride. The good thing? Your agent knows this ride well. They will brace you for the twists and turns and help you when you need to pause the ride – or ask to move on to a new one. 

And there ya have it… what every Agent wishes you knew. We hope you learned a few things and we hope all your future transactions or current ones are just that much smoother!

This post is to “pull back the curtain” on parts of the Real Estate industry you may not have known about. All of our Agents have picked this profession because they love to serve others and they are good at what they do. They value and appreciate all of their clients and gladly do all of the fun and not so fun parts of their job.

We look forward to connecting with you, working with you, and hopefully finding you the home or property of your dreams. If you have any questions about the process, about a property, or even about our brokerage, please reach out so we can help.

The Right Real Estate Team

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Real estate deals are tough, choosing your team shouldn’t be

Buying or selling a home has numerous steps and so many layers of things that need to be figured out – that it can seem like an overwhelming process to even know where to begin. The best way to determine what the next steps are for the position you are in, is to connect with a real estate professional. That step alone, can feel daunting – there are so many agents and brokerages out there, how do you make sure you end up with the right team? Well, we may be a little biased, but – we feel confident that Dani Blain Real Estate is the clear choice for all of your buying or selling needs. 

Dani Blain Real Estate opened its doors in September of 2019, but the group of professionals we opened with was already an established team. We were ready to venture into new territory so that we could expand our focus on giving back to the Central Valley Community we had all been serving for many years, as well as grow our agents to better help them achieve their goals. This brokerage was based on a straight forward vision of putting people and relationships over the numbers, serving our team and our clients well, and making sure we always do what we say we are going to do.

The process of buying or selling needs to not only be driven by someone who knows and understands real estate and the entire process, but also someone who knows and understands that this is a personal and emotional process for every single one of our clients. We pride ourselves on having a team of agents that understand that when we are meeting your specific needs and helping you succeed, that makes us succeed.

Our agents are the core of what we do. We bring agents on to our team that will fit well within our culture and they are all people who can get behind and truly embody our core values. We encourage you to meet our team and learn a bit more about our agents – you will see that they all have one thing in common: they all live in and care deeply about our Valley community. 

We believe we are blessed so that we can bless others. We built this brokerage on a foundation of finding ways to give back to this community in the specific ways it needs. We give monthly to align groups or individuals who help make our community a better place. Some of the causes we love and give support to are; Lighthouse Women’s Shelter, AMVETS, Visalia First, Young Life, and many more. You can read more about some of the causes we support here.  

Whether you are a first time buyer looking for the perfect starter home, an investor looking to grow, a newly retired couple looking to downsize, or somewhere in between, we have got you covered. Specializing in every county here in the Valley we can make your real estate dreams a reality. We want to connect with you and work hard for you. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Summer of 2020: How You Can Make the Most of It

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When we look back at 2020, years and years from now, what are the things you think we will remember? Good, bad or otherwise, there will be things that leave a lasting impression with us. Hopefully the things that will sink deep into our memories are things that made us feel good, things that made us feel connected, and things that made us feel like we were contributing to the greater good. In our last blog post, we talked about ways to help our Central Valley community through this time, but today we want to talk about ways you can create some intentional experiences for you and your family that will become a part of your forever memory bank. Things that you and your kids will be talking about decades from now with the next generations of your family when you recall these times.

As adults, it is easier for us to kind-of-know, while in the moment, the things that are going to be impactful and we have a pretty good gauge on what we will take away from an experience while we are in the midst of it. But what about our kids? Are they going to look back at this time with memories of toilet paper shortages, news briefings, and people wearing masks? Maybe… but hopefully that’s not all. Hopefully when they look back at this time they are going to remember some of the experiences you have already created for them. Maybe it’s playing board games as a family every night after dinner or putting on talent shows for their parents? Have you tried sleepovers in siblings bedrooms, having them mow a neighbor’s lawn, or leaving motivational quotes in sidewalk chalk on a local walking trail for all to see? As parents, we have the opportunity to create experiences for them that can steer their memories in a positive direction.

For the first few months of this Pandemic, most of us were in survival mode. Between adjusting to working from home or being faced with unemployment, kids transitioning to distance learning, and more Zoom calls and meetings than any of us want to think about – finding time to make these meaningful memories may have taken a back seat. But did you know that our brains are hardwired to prioritize memories with emotional content?

No doubt, this season we are in right now has created plenty of emotion filled moments. We will all remember the first time we went to the grocery store and were met with empty shelves and grief stricken looks on shopper’s faces, but we really want to focus on ways to help create positive emotion based memories so we can fondly look back at this time as well. (To read more about the way our brain may process this time, read this article.) Especially now that the kids are out of school for the summer.  We are all ready to add some “real life” fun on top of the virtual world we have been somewhat trapped in since March.

Below, check out our list of things you can add to your adventure ‘to-do’ list and join us in committing to finding ways to keep ourselves busy with a good mix of things to do at home. If you see anything missing from our ideas below, please share with us on social media!

Go Rafting!

Sunshine Rafting Adventures runs trips along the Stanislaus river and began their season on June 6th. They have outlined new procedures to ensure safe physical distancing and sanitization. Or you can try out Fresno Rafting to take a trip down the San Joaquin River. If you want to check out the Kings River, there are a number of Rafting Outfitters you can view here.

Cool Off at Wild Water Adventure Park in Clovis

With a scheduled opening of June 20th and great Season Pass deals, you may be able to make this a regular part of your 2020 adventures. Be sure to check out the new COVID-19 considerations that include required reservations and assigned picnic sites for each group to maintain safe physical distancing. For season pass info, click here.

Visit the Incredible Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno

In the early 1900s Balsassare Forestiere settled in Fresno with dreams of becoming a citrus farmer. He spent 40 years of his life excavating and over 10 acres of citrus trees all underground. This summer be sure to make a reservation for a guided tour (and bring a face mask) to see this incredible historical landmark.

Take a Float Trip Down St. John’s River

Some Visalia locals have been doing this for years… but others may have no idea how to prepare for a float down St. John’s. Read this article for some tips from a pro to plan an afternoon adventure right here in our backyard!

Buy a House!

Hahaha! No… but really, you should buy a new house and make it a home this summer! We have a ton of great homes on the market and we know the right one is waiting for you. If you decide to make 2020 the year you not only survived a Global Pandemic, but also buy a new home, our team of agents at Dani Blain Real Estate is ready to work with you. Contact us today!

7 Ways to Help Our Community Right Now

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“The times we live in bring a greater sense of uncertainty, but also an overwhelming need to help each other out.” -Joe Pacovsky

During unprecedented times like these, things can feel overwhelming and maybe even a bit scary. Here at Dani Blain Real Estate we want to encourage our clients and future clients to use a bit of time right now to lean in to what grounds you. Lean in to what makes you feel good. That may be something as simple as taking a break from social media, baking cookies, or taking a walk through your neighborhood. For some it may be doing something to give back to the community or to our friends and neighbors. Our brokerage takes great pride in doing what we can to serve and lift others up in times of need. Here is a list you can pull from – or not. Maybe you are already knocking the ‘Quarantine Game’ outta the park. If you are, please add to our list in the comments below. But if you find yourself looking for a little nudge in the right direction, here you go:

1. Help a neighbor

This seems pretty simple, but for the last two and half months we may have been operating in fight or flight mode and not looking past the moment we were getting through. But now, as things are settling in and we are all getting ready to venture into what will become normal, we can take a step back and see that there may be someone a house or two away we can help. Reach out (especially to an elderly neighbor) and see if there is anything they need. It might be a cup of sugar or a box of tissue you have on hand. Or maybe you can show them how to do an online shopping order? You could save them the delivery fee and go pick the order up for them. It can be simple, it doesn’t have to be something like committing to mow a lawn every week, it could be bringing their trash cans out for them. It could be leaving them a quick note to tell them their roses are looking great. Anyway you can connect to the people around you will be great for both you and them. Give it a try and see what happens

2. Donate Blood

Blood banks always need blood, but they need it now more than ever. Blood drives across the country have been cancelled, less people can be allowed in donation centers with COVID-19 protocols, and less people are healthy enough or willing to donate. The American Red Cross released a statement saying, “…Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions.”

And right here in the Valley, Central California Blood Center (CCBC) says, “Blood is very much an essential for our Valley people. There’s a reason why we say, “Valley people need valley blood.” As a health care operation and essential infrastructure to our community, we are open and accepting blood donors, with blood needed now more than ever.” If you are healthy and willing, making a donation now can make a big difference. Make an appointment with CCBC today right here on their website.

3. Volunteer

During this time volunteers are needed more than ever. When Shelter in Place orders were mandated, a number of industries that relied on volunteers, lost a great deal of them due to the populations that were volunteering – older adults in the high risk category. If you find yourself with time on your hands that you didn’t previously have, now is a great time to start volunteering. Right here in the Valley, our food banks have a huge need for volunteers. By visiting this link you will see a number of events that they need hundreds of volunteers for. Additionally, with so many things shifting to virtual modes these days, you can even volunteer remotely, from the safety and comfort of your own home. Check out this link where you will see a number of digital volunteer opportunities. 

4. Make a Donation

Non-profits across the country need your donations now more than ever. If you have the resources available to you, consider making a monetary donation to FoodLink of Tulare County or your local church so they can put your funds towards the greatest needs. CASA of Tulare County is also another great place here, locally that could really benefit from your support. Additionally, you could create The Valley’s very own Mutual Aid Group – almost like a virtual classified ad specifically for people who may have fallen upon hard times can list their needs (groceries, translation services, a prescription pick-up, etc…) and others can choose to answer the call. Currently the closest ones to us are in LA County and San Joaquin County. One of us could start one right here for our community in the Central Valley. 

5. Remember those working on the front lines

Think of the number of times we have gone to the grocery store, stopped in to pick up a to-go food order at a local restaurant, had a package delivered to our front door… how many times have we done those things in the last two and half months? The essential workers that have kept us going in these times have been called to the front lines in a way they certainly couldn’t have predicted. In addition to these Pandemic Heros, there are of course our healthcare workers, and first responders risking exposure every shift. What can we do to show all of them our gratitude? It depends on the resources you have available to you, but it could be calling the police station and asking if you can have pizzas delivered, or dropping off donuts at the fire station. It could also be having a little box of pre-packaged goodies and waters by your door for the people enabling your online shopping addiction. You could take an extra moment or two at the grocery store to give eye contact to the people that are ringing you up and bagging your groceries and delivering a heartfelt thank you. There are many ways to express our appreciation to all on the front lines and we think anything you do to recognize them will go a long way. Take that kindness and sprinkle it around like confetti!

6. Create Community

We keep hearing, “we are all in this together,” right? It’s true – we are all, collectively, experiencing life in a pandemic at the same time time, together – but we are also somewhat still physically apart. As humans, we all crave connection, we need it like we do food and water. It’s in our DNA – we are wired to connect. It’s no wonder some of us may be feeling a bit off kilter being socially distant from the people in our communities. Our kids aren’t seeing their friends everyday at school, we aren’t seeing the other parents we always do at pick ups and drop offs or soccer and basketball practices. This can leave us with a deficit in our “human connections bank.” So what can we do to fill them back up? We can connect virtually with Zoom, Facetime, Skype, etc… or the old fashioned way – a regular phone call, a postcard, a letter to connect with those that we normally see. 

We can also do little things in our neighborhood to create a sense of community with the people close in proximity, but that we maybe wouldn’t normally spend time with. There are a few simple things we can do to let our neighbors know we are with them in this, and uplift them in this challenging time. You could leave a little note to everyone at the mailbox. You could leave positive and uplifting notes on the sidewalk (not just in front of your house – all around the ‘hood) for people to see along their walks. You could paint, color, or print out a rainbow to display in your front window. Families in Italy started doing this when COVID-19 forced the entire country into lockdown. This simple rainbow that kids were drawing began to unite them and symbolized hope and served as a reminder that, “andrà tutto bene” (everything will be alright). People around the world have been inspired by this and you can see rainbows in windows to help remind us all that it will be good again. 

7. Take care of yourself

Just as they say in pre-flight reminders, you need to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you place it on those dependent on you. If we don’t make self-care a priority, there is no way we can help our fellow neighbors and our Valley community. Practicing good self-care doesn’t have to mean a spa day (although.. How nice does that sound?!) It really can be something as simple as taking a break from your day and stepping outside. Just being amongst nature (literally in your own backyard, or work parking lot with some trees) has been proven to lower blood pressure and help fight anxiety. You can kick it up a notch and practice guided meditation using a free app on your phone (we love Calm and Pray.com) and feel the stresses of our everyday melt away. You can journal, draw, color, take a nap, take a bath, or anything that would bring you a little joy that you carve time out for to prioritize yourself for just a small portion of your day. Give it a try and see that self care really does help set the tone for you to be your best self for others. 

The bottom line is this… all of us, collectively, are going through something that has never happened in our lifetime. None of us know how to do this “right” and there really isn’t a one size fits all right way to do life in the midst of a global pandemic. We just want you to know that we are here for you, we are with you in this together, and we are rooting for everyone as we all create our own paths through this challenging time. We would also love to hear from you… if you tried some of the things in our list, if you have ideas to add, or if you just want to give us a virtual fist bump in the name of solidarity, we will take it! Share this article on social media for us or email it to a friend and thank you for being a part of our community.

Real Estate is “Essential”

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…and we are here for you

As we all navigate the uncharted waters of life in the midst of a Global Pandemic, everyone is on the hunt for information, answers, a sense of normalcy, and maybe even a hug. It is a surreal time to be residing on the planet Earth. Over the course of the last couple of months we have all been forced to really evaluate where we were and where we want to be headed. The State of California has been under Shelter in Place orders for over two months. Reopening is now being tried, discussed, and argued, but overall it’s still far from normal. Regardless, what is the most important part of sheltering in place? Having a place to shelter, right? Which is why residential and commercial real estate were listed as part of the country’s “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce,” in a statement by the Department of Homeland Security. Does this mean it’s business as usual for our team here at Dani Blain Real Estate? No, definitely not. Does it mean we are finding new ways to buy and sell homes, while keeping people safe, and still making connections with people to help them grow – one property at a time, well… yes, yes it does. 

Our agents have quickly learned to adjust to new and changing best practices when it comes to buying and selling homes. Instead of Open Houses, we are hosting IGTV and Facebook Live tours of homes. We have upped our virtual tour game, as well as shifted the majority of our client interactions from in person, to virtual. If we have a serious potential buyer that has decided after virtual tours that they need to see a home in person before signing on the dotted line, we are following the regulations set forth by the California Association of Realtors; only one agent and two visitors from the same household are allowed in the house at a time. We are also wearing gloves and disinfecting door knobs, keys and locks, and we are of course urging clients to touch as few surfaces as possible, maintaining a minimum of 6’ of distance, and going over specifics of the home and questions before and after the showing over the phone or on a conferencing app in order to minimize time in the home. It is much different than the way we did business three months ago, but then again, we are all going about life in this new COVID-19 era in a completely different way than we did three months ago. 

Despite the challenges we are all facing, we still have people that are ready to sell and we have highly motivated buyers. With many employers shifting the way their teams are going to operate throughout the course of this Pandemic, we will see many employees remain in a work from home situation. If our homes are now also going to double as our offices, now more than ever, we need to be in a home that we love. A home that fits our needs and provides us respite during this period of unknowns and uncertainties. A home that we can make memories in, and that will serve as a backdrop to the milestones of life.  We are confident that we can match our clients with their dream homes, even in a less than dream-like situation.

At Dani Blain Real Estate, above all else, we have always put people first. During times like these, we are reminded by the hard work we have seen in our agents that this team is committed to their clients and our community. We know that we are collectively experiencing a very challenging time. We want our clients and potential clients to know that our agents are ready to help you buy or sell your new home today. We know that every real estate transaction is always something that comes with a great deal of emotion – and everyone’s emotions are a little raw these days, so our agents are here to meet with compassion and give everyone a solid dose of grace throughout the process. We will do everything in our power to keep our clients and our agents safe and healthy (both physically and emotionally,) to help make your real estate dreams come true.