Mid-Year Summit Wows Franchisees

If you missed the MYS, you really missed out ". . . I felt the MYS was the best HVA meeting I have attended. I really got more out of this meeting than any other." --  Jim Lutz, Metro Investment Properties  "It's always helpful to get a cross section of the country in one place to realize what's happening on a national level, and share experiences." -- Cal Wilkins, The Real Advantage  "The networking by far was the greatest teacher." -- Diane Maldonado, PeyMax Properties  "This was the best convention or summit I've ever been to." -- Bob Pilz, Take Too Enterprises The MYS provided plenty of networking opportunities. It was clear from the beginning that the 2007 Mid-Year Summit was going to be unlike any that preceded it. HVA Corporate had been planning for months to make several big announcements -- new programs and initiatives we couldn't wait to share with franchisees. So by the time everyone arrived at the Marriott, the atmosphere felt more like Christmas Eve than a summit! For those of you who couldn't be present at the MYS, the highlights of what we shared with franchisees: New Finance Programs -- Attract more investors and first-time home buyers with the new Investor Loan Program and the revamped Owner Note Program! New Web site -- A new Home Page that's user-friendly, easy to navigate, and evenly focused on selling, buying, attracting investors, and recruiting new franchisees! New properties listing feature -- You can now list assignment properties on the HVA Web site! (Be careful. This may be temporary, and you need to follow the guidelines).   New advertising intiatives -- UG moves! New testimonial spots feature an animated UG. The new UG -- and his new "We Sell Luvly HousesSM" tagline -- will also appear on new outdoor boards and print ads. The Roundtable luncheon offered discussions on a variety of relevant topics. If you don't already feel like you missed a lot, you also should know that this year's breakout sessions provided some of the top-rated MYS events according to attendees. The Top Buyers Panel, led by David Hicks and featuring Tim Herriage, Jennifer Raney Investments; Ben Ahern, Bartelli Properties; Bob Stieferman, Stieferman Investments; Diane Maldonado, PeyMax Properties; and FSMs Ernie Hughes, Holly Puig, Stuart Miller, and Alan Stewart; was a huge hit. During the seminar, attendees learned how these franchisees find the right Buyers to add to their staff, and how hiring dedicated Buyers has impacted their bottom line. Bob Stieferman shared that adding two Buyers to his staff enabled him to double his goal of 30 buys for 2006.    The Selling in a Buyer's Market seminar, featuring a panel of franchisees -- Chas Carrier, C&C Residential; Greg Justice, MJS Holdings; James Roche, Stieferman Investments; and Mike Maldonado, PeyMax -- along with FSS staff Larry Louwagie and Mike Blatney, brought everyone up to speed on what these franchisees have done to become our Top Sellers for the year to date, despite the challenges present in the market. They explained their strategies for building an investor base, developing a rent-to-own program, and effectively targeting first-time home buyers. They also discussed the benefits (and necessity) of having a dedicated Seller on staff. And all panelists agreed that taking a loss on inventory over six months old will enable you to buy properties that can more than make up the difference. The Profit Makers Panel. The Profit Makers Panel featured four franchisees -- Mike Maldonado, PeyMax Properties; Tim Risley, Front Door Properties; Rickey Williams, WFI; and Mark Mattlage, Cal Mat Properties -- who revealed that their net profits were well into the upper six figures, with one on track to break seven figures in net profit this year. During the panel discussion, we learned that these high-profit franchises have several things in common:  All employ Coordinators. All employ Buyers who focus solely on buying properties. All employ Sellers who focus solely on selling properties. This year's summit also featured top-notch keynote speakers, who were all very well received. Blanche Evans, editor of Realty Times, told the group in no uncertain terms that the time to buy is now, while the other investors are "sitting on the sidelines." Philip Campbell grabbed the audience's full attention when he said, "Money may not buy happiness. But it buys a lot of cool stuff." In his presentation, Never Run Out Of Cash, Campbell explained that getting a handle on where your business stands financially can help you avoid problems down the road. He said the goal of every franchisee should be to know the answer to the following questions: What are my cash balances right now?   What do I expect my cash balances to be six months from now?   By far, the most energetic presentation was delivered by Bryan Dodge. One of Dodge's core philosophies is the idea that every single person has the responsibility to set goals. He explained that setting goals helps you achieve success, because in setting them, you: Become better organized, Focus your creativity and energy, and Improve communication with the important people in your life.  Bryan Dodge Another important lesson Dodge imparted was the idea that success cannot materialize without sacrifice. He said that everyone will experience either "the Pain of Discipline, or the Pain of Regret. . . . If you are easy on yourself, life will be hard on you." So if you're one of those feeling the Pain of Regret for not having attended the MYS, pull out your written list of goals (you do have one, right?), and add the following: I will attend the Annual Convention in December I will attend the 2008 Mid-Year Summit I will make the most of every opportunity to network, to learn, and to make my business a success! . . . Questions on any of the new finance programs? Contact John Bachmann at 972.761.0046, ext. 130. For details on any of the new marketing initiatives, contact your Regional Marketing Manager (RMM). For information on any of the other topics covered at the MYS, call your Franchise Systems Manager (FSM).