Irregardless...it was a fun "girl's night" out



Dinner with Marlene at The Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh, NC

 Last night I had the pleasure enjoying a fantastic meal with a friend who is also a real estate client of mine. I met Marlene when I joined the Raleigh Delta Zeta Alumni Chapter in the mid 90's. We became friends first, then when it was time to sell her townhome in Cary, she called me. I sold it for her & sold her a new home in Cary. Then a few years later she called again to sell that home for her & help her buy her dream home on the other side of Cary. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when she called a while back to talk to me about selling the dream home and maybe moving to Briar Chapel (it's in Chatham Co, but so close to Chapel Hill, that has a Chapel Hill address) or Downtown Raleigh!

Marlene's Original Dream Home in Cary

A few months ago we attended an event featuring local chefs at Briar Chapel, the neighborhood where she is considering building a home. They had set up local chefs in each of their models, so as you toured the models, you sampled a culinary delight. At each house they had a drawing for a gift certificate to the restaurant where that chef works. To my great surprise I won the gift certificate to The Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh. Which both Marlene & I agreed was the best of the bunch. And, that was saying a lot, as the others were quite delicious.

Fast forward to last night. Marlene & I finally were able to get our schedule to sync up so we could enjoy our "girl's night" out. When we arrived at The Irregardless Cafe, we were shocked at how full it was, and I was left wondering if I should have made reservations. As it turned out, they were hosting Science Cafe Raleigh. The topic that night was Livability & Sustainability in the Triangle. Perfect for a real estate agent & client who is considering purchasing a home in downtown Raleigh.

Last night was a great example of why I love what I do.  Working with friends who become clients or clients who become friends is one of the best parts of my job.  It is those times that I get to combine work with pleasure.  I have heard some agents say that it is unprofessional to socialize with their clients.  To each his own.  Personally, I feel that trust is the most important element of any relationship.  When clients get to know who you really are, beyond the business persona, then they can really begin to trust that you will take care of them like you would a friend or family member.  Once that happens you become a valuable asset to them, someone they want to work with any time they buy or sell a home and they feel comfortable about referring you to their friends & family.

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In case, you are like us and hadn't heard of Science Café Raleigh. It is a monthly event where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can participate in topical discussions with leaders in the fields of science and technology. Hosted by local Sigma Xi chapters and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, these monthly talks are located in coffee shops, bars and restaurants around Raleigh and promote discussion of science in an informal community setting.

Visit http://naturalsciences.org/programs-events/science-talks for a schedule of upcoming events.

Gina Gilliam and Gilliam & Associates Realty are in today's News & Observer

Article on the Gilliam & Associates Realty Nashville Flood Relief Drive
I organized during the summer of 2010.

In 1985 a picture of me & my friends on the Pirate Ship ride from opening day of the NC State Fair, was on the front page of the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper.  You can imagine the delight that Saturday morning when friends and family started calling, asking for my autograph.  The famousness of it all!

25 years later I felt the same excitement all over again as I read, "pulling together for a cause" by Christa Gala.  Her article was on the front page of the Real Estate section of the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper.  Once again there was my picture, with an article about the Gilliam & Associates Realty Nashville Flood Relief Drive I organized.  This time instead of phone calls, I got shout outs on facebook.

They say it's not what you know, but who you know.  I am lucky enough to know some amazing people, not least of which is Christa (Chrissy) Gala, who made both opportunities to be in the paper possible.  As you look at the picture from 1985, that's me at very top left, and the girl sitting next to me is Chrissy.  (She was the one who wanted to ride the Pirate Ship that day.) 

 In this picture from the 1985 NC State Fair, I am at the top left,
Chrissy is sitting next to me.

Gilliam & Associates Realty Nashville Flood Relief Drive

We are accepting all donations, the need in Nashville is tremendous.

The following are in greatest need:

* Laundry Detergent
* Toilet Paper
* Diapers of All Sizes (baby & adult)
* Baby Wipes
* Feminine Hygiene Items
* School Supplies
* Standard School Attire (Metro Schools require students to wear solid colored collared shirts with khaki, black or navy pants)
* Socks of All Sizes (baby, kid & adult)
* Underwear of All Sizes (kid & adult)
* Bedding (sheets, mattress pads & pillows)
* Towels
* Surplus Building Supplies (tools, drywall, tile, lumber, work gloves, masks, etc.)
* Painting Supplies (paint, brushes, rollers, painter's tape, drop cloths, etc.)
* Non-perishable Food (soup, crackers, pasta)
* Clean-up Supplies(mops, brooms, heavy duty work gloves, masks, sponges, squeegees, scrub brushes, plastic gloves, bleach, all-purpose cleaner concentrate, trash bags, paper towels and cases of bottled water)
* Hygiene & Personal Care Supplies (shampoo conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.)
* Sunscreen

Why help? Nashville, TN was hit with 18" of rain in one weekend. Homes were flooded with 4'-6' of water in many cases. People in our neighboring state are in the process of rebuilding their homes & lives. In many cases without the assistance of insurance. This was a 500 year flood that hit many homes that were not even near water, so they didn't have flood insurance.

When you have 4'-6' of water in your home, you have to trash everything. The clothes, furniture & appliances are trashed, the floors, drywall, insulation, etc. need to be replaced. This is what thousands of families in the Nashville area are facing. Many are living in homes that have striped down to the studs.

We can help! Gina Gilliam, of Gilliam & Associates Realty , has arranged for UPS Freight to donate a 28' truck. Jerry Gala, of Apex Autoworks, has donated an office space in his building for the collection & storage of donations. Once the donated items are collected, UPS Freight will drive them over to Nashville, TN & deliver them to the organizations that will distribute them to the charities.

All you need to do is gather the items you are donating & bring them to Apex Autoworks (1800 North Salem Street, Apex, NC 27502) between 10 am -3 pm, M-F until August 20th.

If those times don't work for you, contact Gina Gilliam at (919) 274-4462 or gbgilliam@earthlink.net to schedule an alternate day & time.

Alone we can not do much to make a difference, but together we can change lives! Drop off your donations TODAY!

Part 1 of a 2 part series: The Beauty and The Beast

Part 1 ~ The Beauty

This June marks the 16^th year I have been a Realtor. That realization gave me pause, as I thought about all the homes I have shown over the years. Needless to say, I have seen a lot of houses. Some of them were breathtakingly beautiful. Others made me want to call for an exorcism.

Homes can be attractive either because of their architecture or their decorating. The Best, are those that cause you to fantasize about putting a for sale sign, in your yard as soon as you get home. On more than one occasion I have called my husband to announce we will be moving soon, as I have found the PERFECT home. Don’t worry Dear Reader, because taste in homes & décor is so personal, the homes that cause me to drool don’t always excite my buyers. And I would never talked a buyer out of buying a home that I wanted for me. Not to mention the quality details that get me hot & bothered in a home are often ignored by buyers. I got over the shock that not everyone appreciates quality (enough to pay for it, at least) a long time ago.

Signs of quality in a home are always in the details. It is the smallest of items that separate the cream from the milk. To find it you will need to look up. What do the ceilings look like? Is there crown moulding? If so, what size is it? How many pieces does it contain? How detailed is it? I love going to old homes, the ones with 10’ + ceilings and intricate crown moulding. It reminds me of the “Painted Ladies” in my original hometown of San Francisco. Look down at the hardwood floors. Do they have a Rosewood inlay? I have seen some amazing hardwood and marble floors. The kind of floors that you don’t want to put a rug on top of because they were designed to be admired, like a piece of art.

I know you are thinking, what does the Kitchen & Master Bath look like? Because these two rooms are most important to buyers, just look at any survey, or ask any agent. Who cares, I say. What?! Yes, I said, "Who cares!". Why? Because all nice homes have nice Kitchen & Baths, it’s a given. Nobody who gets the details right, gets those two rooms wrong. Let’s look at the spaces that tell you what you need to know. The forgotten spaces…like the area that you pass through on your way in from the garage. Is there a bench? Does it have a place for you put your shoes, keys, book-bags, purse, jackets, etc.? I love the ones that have a seat with a top that lifts to reveal storage. What about the laundry room? Does it have cabinets for storage? Is it big enough? The best ones of these have a laundry chute and a pass through cabinet to put the folded clothes and linens in once they are clean.

Okay enough about what I appreciate in a home. What are some of your favorite features? What would you do, if money was no object, to your home? Replace your hollow doors with solid ones? Add working transoms above the doors in your home? Add built-in bookcases or window seats? Okay, your right these are more of my favorites, so enough about me…tell me what you would do…

Part 2 ~ The Beast, coming soon…

Happy Mother's Day!

This the day we reserve to give thanks to the women who gave birth to us. And/or those took us into their heart, giving us a special place where they can nurture, and love us in the way only a mother can do. Blessing to all the women who have given life, or made a life, for a child.

Momma's Prickly

Okay, I know it is only May 4th and the true Dog Days are months away, but our AC went out upstairs on Sunday. It's been in the 80's the last couple of days, which isn't as bad as it will get when you live in the South. But I'm spoiled, and once it goes over 80 inside my house, I start getting what my husband lovingly refers to as "prickly." I know it's bad when he starts warning the animals to stay away from my office. We both work from home which can be a blessing, or a curse depending a variety of things like how much sleep I have gotten, how hot it is inside the house, how busy I am, etc. You get the idea. Luckily for us, he is a builder and has "connections." This afternoon the HVAC guy came out to the house and fixed the problem. The house is cooling down as I type. After a good night's sleep I will be back to my charming self tomorrow.