By: Lindsay Noll

At least once a month, he says he could sell our house and asks if I’m ready to move. He could have sold it three times this month…right, Justin? I have no doubt in my mind. Truth is, we would both rather help our clients find homes than do it ourselves.

When booking a hotel, the number one requirement…wifi “in case we need to write an offer or an offer is submitted on his listing.” 

“I Got a Guy” for everything from who to order flowers from to the best coffee shop in town as well as contractors, plumbers, painters etc. 

Our cars have high mileage…130,000 miles to be exact. I watch my husband drive our street like a tennis match back and forth back and forth while “finishing up calls” on his way home. For fun, he drives through neighborhoods. He happily gives tours of Fort Wayne to potential new residents and is a huge advocate for the city of Fort Wayne.

It’s tough on me seeing “Other Signs.” I get defensive when I find out friends, family or people I know used “another realtor.” It’s especially difficult when they live on our street and I have to drive by the sign daily. It puzzles me when after selling three homes on our street in less than a day they would use someone else. He can’t and won’t sell them all. Being married to a realtor for 15 years, I am learning there are other agents who will do a great job. We sometimes need to humble ourselves and appreciate the competition.

Unpredictable: My husband leaves the house with “no appointments” scheduled for the day and says “I might be home early around 3 or 4,” but “Things came up,” “I was putting out fires,”  “We had two referrals I needed to call by the end of the day,” and “Clients called right at 5 o’clock when I was leaving the office,” so “I won’t be home for dinner.” Unpredictability is teaching me flexibility, grace and proper expectations.

Some may say that being married to a realtor means you have no weekends. I’m happy to say that because we have an amazing team and clients, we do have weekends and vacations where we spend quality time together. After all, love is spelled T-I-M-E. It has taken a few years, but he is intentional about putting our family first.

He builds Character and Strength through relationships observing his patience as he walks alongside people at their best and at their worst. During stressful large purchases, he is energized and focused. He spends hours on the phone understanding, negotiating, advocating, empathizing and counseling. 

Proud: I pass his real estate sign in town, and I snap a selfie with it. 

Good Conversation: Many conversations revolve around the local housing market. My husband is constantly learning and educating himself on the market. This equips me for these everyday conversations. When we could be watching television at night, we are usually at our kitchen island planning the next client party, discussing business strategy or revisiting the latest Buffini podcast. There is no lack of conversation or busyness running our own business.

Serve others on a daily basis. Above all, running a business gives our hearts an avenue to serve. It provides the means to meet unique and interesting people, commits us to providing the most basic need of housing and build a sense of community where we live and serve people with the best version of ourselves. I see the behind the scenes work my husband puts in on a daily basis to be the best he can be for his clients. To ultimately serve them in a way that he can “put his name to.” He spends countless hours studying, being coached and mentored, reading, analyzing and improving his business. Real Estate is not a part time job to him. 

My Favorite, Fun: I get to see the smile and enthusiasm he has when he makes the phone call to say “You got the house!!” Priceless. We’ve driven to clients homes at 11:00 at night, rang the door bell, and celebrated in person with adrenaline flowing and glasses clinking. Toasting to another American Dream being lived out right here in Indiana makes every moment worth it.

This is George, our 'CEO' - 'Chief Errand Officer!' He's a retiree after 35 years at a telephone company up in Warsaw and 11 year sales rep of Wilders Unlimited! He's been married for 52 years to his wife, Jane. She's the president of their neighborhood association, Autumn Ridge, and has served with Habitat for Humanity for the past 15 years. She also hosts a monthly bridge at her house, of which George steers clear of! In his spare time he loves to golf!! 

Charity is awesome. She was made to serve others, and cannot see herself doing it any other way than with real estate right now! She grew up in a smaller town in Indiana, attending Lakeland Highschool in Lagrange. She went on to play basketball for St. Francis. It was at St. Francis that she met her husband, who played baseball at the time. Together they have 2 kids, a 3rd grader and a kindergartener and an adorable 2 year old miniature goldendoodle named Rizzo! 

Real estate wasn't the first thing she did out of school, she did some recruiting for financial advisors and some college coaching. She came to real estate in 2012, where she learned, from Brad, how to believe in herself and gain confidence to make the switch to a job with no salary. She loves being a trusted advisor to those she meets as she helps them through one of the biggest decisions of their life. She loves to serve people by walking them through the whole process while getting to know them.

She does say at times things can get weird when you walk into some homes -- one such time was when she entered a darkened home, heard a noise, but could only see a very large covered birdcage, and had no idea what was inside. Right now the job is a little emotionally difficult, with so many buyers on the market, it's hard to watch people get attached to their 'dream home,' only to have 10 other people put offers down on the same home. By the end, though, everyone does find the house that was truly meant for them! 

This career has been great for her, because she thrives in a team environment. She enjoys being in a room full of likeminded people, collaborating together, and helping pick someone up when they're down. On a personal level, she's the trustworthy ear on the team. She's great with problem solving and is a great leader, willing to listen and bounce ideas with. 

Get in touch with Charity! 

Alan grew up in Ohio, has spent much of the rest of his life in Fort Wayne! He graduated from Leo Highschool and went onto Western Michigan University for Advertising with a Marketing minor. After school, he went to work at his dad's medical company for awhile in sales! After a few years there, he was ready for a change and went into logistics where he was a broker, expediting shipments for 3 large auto makers. 

He says he has always loved real estate, so when it was time for another career change, he followed his heart right into working with The Noll Team, where he's been for nearly 3 years. He loves the relationship building amongst the team and with clients that come with the job. 

He's been married almost 3 years to his wife, Kelli, who works as a nurse at the Dekalb ER. Together they have a 3 year old charcoal lab, Ellie. In his free time, Alan enjoys Indy cars and travels around to the races. When asked what special thing he brings to the team, he says besides a receding hairline, he brings a high attention to detail with a 'jack of all trades' kind of skillset! 

Get in touch with Alan! 

As you might've seen, we recently took a team trip to Ted's Market! What started out as a grocery store was converted over 500+ days ago (as they post up on a chalkboard for passerby's still in search of groceries) into a restaurant, beer hall, wine bar, and coffee bar! 

In their all-age beer hall, they feature a wide variety of craft beer on tap. During lunch hours, they offer house made soups, salads, and sandwiches. In the evening they add on pizzas and burgers! They have a couple different 'feature nights' like Taco & Trivia Tuesday, Pitcher & Pizza Wednesday, Food Truck Thursdays, and brunch on Sunday's! They have a wine bar downstairs that's a relaxed environment (21+) and a coffee bar in the main entrance serving locally roasted Utopian Coffee! 

Owner Brian Hench says outside of the craft beer, his favorite thing about Ted's the community aspect they have created. They try to draw family and friends out for a good time. "Come up here with a group of friends to enjoy the night. This is a place for neighbors to come and hang out. The best way to enjoy it is to plan to spend an hour or two.  Eat some good food, drink some good beer, and hang out for the evening." 

If you haven't, swing up North for an evening, you won't be disappointed! 

Tiffany grew up near Fort Wayne - Huntertown to be exact, and is a graduate of Carroll Highschool! Right now, in addition to working with The Noll Team, she serves at her local church! She's been married for 8 years to her husband, Eric, and they have an adorable dog named Boomer. 

Prior to working with the team, she worked for a couple nonprofits. She came to the team having known the Nolls for a long time, and started off 7 years ago doing some market/PR work. For the first couple of years, she just filled in wherever the team needed her, but now she sells houses full-time. She's always ready and willing to take up whatever the team needs, such as the meticulous process that helps a house go from "pending" to "closed." 

She thoroughly enjoys the relationships that come from selling a home. It allows her to reconnect with old friends and educate first time homebuyers. At one point in her life she was a coach, and the mentoring that came from coaching is similar to the mentoring that comes with buying a home. She doesn't consider her clients as clients, but rather as friends and family. Tiffany likes to make people laugh, it can really put people's mind at ease. There's always something that can go wrong in real estate, and it's so much easier to fix when you're on a friendly level with whom you're interacting with! 

Her strengths come in that she's really good at presenting the facts to her clients, but when it comes down to it, the client has to make the decision to buy. She said the challenge comes in trying to separate emotions from the transaction. 

Tiffany said through the years she's found loads of weird things in different houses from bats to a tub that no one could possibly fit into to inappropriate door knockers! One of her less favored experiences came from a time when she entered into a home to take some marketing photos, set off the alarm, and found out the hard way that she was in the wrong house!! 

Get in touch with Tiffany! 

This past week we took a trip to Ted's Market to give a little market update!

Your home is one of your most important assets.  Homeowners insurance is meant to be a valuable tool for protecting that asset.  It's downright overwhelming if you were to create a list of all the ways your home could be damaged.  Even more troubling is that all homeowners insurance policies are not created equal.

One risk homeowners face is water damage from the backup of drainage/sewage systems or the failure of a sump pump (often referred to as Water Backup).  Water Backup is not a covered feature on a standard policy but a quality policy can extend coverage.

Here are some of the reasons we have heard why this type of loss "will never happen to me."

1 – Our sump pump won't fail, we have a backup system.

A backup system is a must for homes with a basement.  However, sump pumps can fail, blockages can occur or your system can be overloaded creating damage.

2 – I do not have anything in my crawl space or basement.

The cost to have a restoration company remove water and dry out your space alone will quickly approach thousands of dollars.

3 – I do not have a basement.

Floor drains and toilets are also areas of risk in which water/sewage can backup.

4 – If something happens I'll just clean it myself.

Water damage, structural drying, mold and sewage remediation is not something to be taken lightly.  Your home is an important asset, a professional restoration company is needed to keep it that way!

5 – My builder said our basement/crawl space does not need a sump pump.

See answers above.  To be blunt, if there is damage, is the builder willing to show up and restore your home and contents?

Not sure you have this coverage?  Enlist the help of an independent agent.  Coverage amounts vary by carrier but typically range from $5,000 to $100,000.

Joel and Jeremy Hyde

Colligan & Company

colliganandco.com

Visit The Noll Team Business Directory below for Contact Information.

Established in 1929, Colligan & Company is an insurance agency that serves families and businesses throughout Fort Wayne and the surrounding communities.  We create value for our clients by our local presence, by creating independent solutions, and by being a trusted advisor in a competitive industry.

The morning is starting early for you today. Just as you get up and look at your phone, Showtime is notifying you of a showing request for today at 10:00 am. What? The kids aren’t even out of bed! It is the first weekend your house is on the market! You cleaned and had everything ready for pictures three days ago, but life happened between then and now. Dinner dishes are still in the sink from the night before. The dog needs let out and fed. Your kids reliably pace themselves with snails through their entire morning routine. How will you confirm the showing, get everyone ready for the day, aaaaand get the house ready for its “One Shining Moment”?

You are not alone. Welcome to the “Mom Squad.” If you have children and are selling your home, you know your minivan can hold a lot more than the 8 passengers for which it was originally intended! At The Noll Team, we’ve helped hundreds of mom just like you get their homes ready to sell and strategize for showing days. You can do this!

Top Five List for Managing Showings with Kids:

1. Before listing your home, pack up your closets. This not only helps make less “stuff” available for the children to scatter about the floor but also exposes baseboards and creates a sense of space and organization throughout your home and in your closets. This is also a good time to color code boxes packed in each of your children’s rooms with duct tape. When you move into your new house, put the corresponding color of duct tape on the door of each child's room so movers quickly know where to deliver the boxes.

2. As you prepare for your first showing, designate one bin of toys per child for them to continue to play with throughout the showing process. Encourage responsibility by assigning each child the task of picking up his own toys before each showing. All other toys can be organized in the attic, garage or storage to be re-introduced after the move. Your children will develop a new appreciation for old toys, and you will keep your sanity!

3. Just before each showing, utilize television for its baby-sitting skills, and allow the children to watch their favorite show in the living room while you prep. Or, put the kids in the car (In seatbelts! With the car on! And the garage door open! Safety first!) with a few books while you do your last-minute vacuum and run through. During these last five precious minutes, file papers from school in the circular file, wipe crumbs from the counter, straighten up beds, and lastly, pick up miscellaneous debris that magically appeared on your otherwise organized counter.

4. During your first week of showings, cut yourself some slack, and go out to dinner at a kid-friendly restaurant. Suggestions include McCallister’s, Tucanos, which happens to be our kids’ first request, Red Robin, O’Charleys, Chick-Fil-A, complete with a play gym, or every child’s favorite, Zesto! Chances are, you will have multiple showings during dinner time. Keeping meals out of the kitchen prevents unwanted aromas from permeating your home. Alternatively, if you want intentional scents to welcome guests “home,” throw a roast or chicken in your slow cooker, or bake some fresh cookies or bread. You can purchase premade cookie dough to quickly make some delicious treats to sweeten up your guests. The price they offer for your home may even reflect your generosity!

5. Lastly, make a list of fun activities to do as a family during showings.  Here are a few ideas to get you started: Visit a park, the zoo, Skyzone, Science Central, or even a friend! Find a local sport to participate in like golf, bowling, or walking the Fort Wayne trails. For a longer adventure, consider a Tin Caps game, a movie, or a tour of DeBrand Chocolates. With the kids, create memories at a painting funspot, Yo Yo Yogurt, a playground, or Mocha Lounge.

Just like our homes, our lives are constantly under construction. Having someone like Buffini and Company to walk along side us has helped us build the foundation of our business. Check out this recent article from a national publication that highlights our leader, Brad Noll & our awesome team! We Love To Serve!

Here is the article: https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/leveraging-one2one-coaching-advantage/

This is March! This is Indiana! This is the best Team of Realtors you can find to serve you and your Fort Wayne, Indiana referrals. We love March Madness... but we love our clients and advocates a whole lot more! Today the Tournament begins!

“We are no longer hoopin’, but we’re still ballin’”
-Walter Bond

Our Team is Key

"Antique Skeleton Keys have a strong heritage and provide a pinnacle tool for the real estate business.  My grandfather gave me his set before he passed in December of 2016.  My grandfather, Miz Lehman, had owned a real estate business in a small Indiana community for over 55 years.  There are not many possessions in my life that I hold in high regard, except these keys.

There was a time when the locals never locked their doors.  Overnight, there came a time in history where locks were put on doors.  I had the privilege to ask my grandfather if this was a threat to his business.  As we all go through life, there are disruptors, challenges, hurdles, and obstacles.  The lock on the front door was a threat to his business.  

To me, not only do the keys represent the perseverance he had but the symbol that there will always be challenges.  He not only survived, he thrived.  I have great respect for the man Miz Lehman was and the legacy he built.  Our team leverages the mental and physical image these keys provide.  

One of our core values is to have an appreciation for where we’ve come from and honor those who came before us.  My hopes and dreams are the ancestors of my grandfathers hopes and dreams.  This is KEY to our success and those we serve!"

— Brad Noll, The Noll Team