It is a heartwarming experience to walk into a business for the first time and to be made to feel like you have always been part of the family.  That is what it is like at Garaffa’s Pizza.  To be fair, I have known the owner Ricky Garaffa for a number of years.  But as I watched the staff’s interaction with the customers, I realized that everyone was made to feel that way.

I have long believed that everyone has a story, and that story gives you authentic glimpses into their life.  It is obvious that Ricky believes that too.  He is a master at getting other people to share their story, and is quick to share his as well.  His story is one of service and encouragement.  As long as I have known him… some 15 years at least, he has been a person who will readily sacrifice to help someone in need.

Owner Ricky Garaffa

Is that the reason that Garaffa’s Pizza is successful?  It probably plays a part.  People like and trust other people who are genuine and caring.  So maybe it is an affinity for Ricky and his family that so many diners joined us the last time we were there.  But, it DEFINITELY is not the only reason.  The food is incredible.

We love pasta and pizza in my family. So, the first time we patronized Garaffa’s Pizza it was mostly because I wanted to see my old friend, and to support his business.  That changed the moment my wife and son took the first bite of their pasta.  I saw frozen faces and heard, “Oh my gosh” around a mouthful of food.  That sauce… that sauce is divine!  We eat a fair amount of Italian dishes, and expected another “ok” sample of pasta. Were we ever wrong.  There was nothing run of the mill about this sauce!

Ricky shared that the sauce is a Sicilian recipe passed down through his family.  It is a recipe which he cooks for hours to get the batch just right.  Well Ricky, you “nailed it.”

Instead of pasta, I had the pizza.  Yeah.  Well thanks for ruining that for me.  I love pizza, and have always been perfectly content with pizza available from establishments near my home.  Not anymore.  If I were playing a word association game and you said pizza, I would say Garaffa’s!  Loved it.

Folks, I encourage you to check out this local family business.  Tell Ricky I sent you.

Photo credit: B. Edmisten Photography

Seven years!  It took seven years, but Tina and John have been kicked down, scrambled back to their feet, and punched life in the throat.  Those are my words, not theirs.  But as I ponder their story that is the mental picture I draw.

Back in 2005 Tina and John had no clue what life was about to throw at them.  They suddenly faced a situation in which their daughter got sick, and for quite some time they didn’t know what they were facing.  Trying to determine what was happening in their precious daughter’s life was a grueling time.  Finally came the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS,) an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system.

Then came the medical bills that led to severe financial difficulty, and ultimately their home was foreclosed on.  From there they moved into a rental home for the next three years, and began the financial rebuilding process.

Maybe you would think at this point the path would become a bit easier for them.  Not so.  Life has a way of being cruel sometimes, and Tina and John can attest to that fact.  John’s grandmother passed away, and when they returned from the funeral trip, they found a for sale sign in the yard.  The house they were renting was also being foreclosed.

Home Sweet Home

They never gave up, and never quit fighting.  In fact, as part of the fight and rebuilding process, they took the Dave Ramsey class Financial Peace to become better educated on how to manage their finances.  And here they are seven years after this all began, and they are proud homeowners again!

I can’t tell you how proud we are to be a small part of their story.  Instead of our usual donation to a local school as part of our Teacher Affinity Program, we will be making a $250 donation to the MS Foundation that will be used toward the goal of finding a cure for this disease.

Welcome home!

Persistence again wins the day!  Kristin and Garrett knew home ownership was a goal they were striving for, and made some serious sacrifices in order to save money for that purpose.  They are a GREAT testimony to when you put your mind to something and are willing to sacrifice for that cause, that you can achieve your goals.

They also learned that in the world of real estate, not all people are created equal.  The seller was extremely slow to respond and difficult to work with.  But patience, diligence and a bulldog attitude won the day!  Congrats to Kristin and Garrett!

In their honor, we will make a $250 donation to Lewis and Clark Elementary School as part of our Teacher Affinity Program.

It was evident when speaking with Brandon that the time had come for him to turn the page to a new chapter in life.  This new chapter included moving away from the private and secluded setting in which he now lived, to a more social setting near Fredericksburg.  The one thing standing in his way was getting his home sold.

I suspect, that in his wildest dreams, Brandon never suspected that in just three short days we would be telling him to start packing.  But that is exactly what happened.  Brandon’s home had multiple offers and was under contract, for more than the listing price, in only three days.

During discussions with Brandon about our Teacher Affinity Program, he expressed a strong support for King George High School.  In his honor, we will make a $250 donation to King George High School as part of our Teacher Affinity Program, and we will donate $100 to the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank to feed the hungry.

Kyung at the closing table

Kyung is perhaps one of the most persistent individuals I have met throughout my career.  Not only is he persistent, but he is also laser focused and detail oriented.  That came to light the very first time we met him, and carried throughout the time we were searching for homes together.

Unlike many, who wish to put themselves back into the social scene with it’s hustle and bustle, Kyung was looking for a private oasis to call his own.  The perfect house at the perfect price would prove itself elusive.  So elusive in fact, that it took many months of research, viewing homes, and making offers to find it.

Kyung had set a goal of being a home owner by the time he was 30 years old.  His persistence and dedication paid off.  Our team just left the closing/settlement table where he was handed the keys to that private oasis.  And NO, he has not yet reached the age of 30!

Thank you to Jason Wetherell for referring Kyung to us.  Thank you to Kim Thagholm at Alcova Mortgage for a job well done, and to Michele Freemyers who is ever the consummate professional at Ekko Title.  You all played a part in helping Kyung achieve his dream!

In honor of Kyung, we will make a $250 donation to King George High School, his school choice, as part of our Teacher Affinity Program, and $100 to the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank to feed the hungry.

Over the past week I heard about a lot of people who experienced frozen and broken water pipes in their home.  So, I took the opportunity to catch up with contractor Ray Milano of 9 Hammers Home Improvement to ask some questions.  I asked Ray about how to prevent freezing and broken pipes, and what to do if it does happen.  Typical of his nature, Ray was more than accommodating with his time and answers.  Check out his tips and advice below.

If your pipes bust, it is caused by water freezing and when frozen, ice will expand causing a pipe to crack. Water supply lines are typically copper, CPVC, Pex or polybutylene. The most common crack are found in CPVC and copper as these two are the least flexible of the supply lines mentioned.  The most common locations for pipes to freeze and crack are located in areas closest to the outside cold temperatures. Pipes that are in exterior walls of the home, in crawl spaces or in the ceiling of garages are the most common places to have issues.

There are many ways to reduce the risk of frozen supply pipes. First, locate faucets, shower and toilets that receive water supply through pipes located in cold zone areas. When outside temperatures drop below freezing for long periods of time, pipes and water temperatures will also drop. To reduce the risk of freezing water, keep the water moving through the pipes. This can be done by maintaining a slow drip through the faucet/fixture. Make sure both hot and cold water maintains the drip.

For toilets, one easy way is to place a thin plastic card under the edge of the flap in the bottom of the toilet tank. This will cause water to slowly and constantly drain into the toilet bowl. The concept is moving water won’t freeze.

If your pipes do freeze and create a leak, turn off the main water shutoff valve.  Water is still in the pipes when shutoff. You can drain the lines by opening up the faucets. Air will go into the pipes through faucets located in high locations and water will drain through the lower faucets. This will reduce the amount of water that will continue to leak from the crack.

Sometimes in life there are things that anchor you in a good way.  When I tend to think of an anchor, I tend to think about being anchored in my faith.  But, being anchored can sometimes be a bad thing too.  That is the scenario as it pertains to Becky and a parcel of land off of Catharpin Rd in Spotsylvania County.

Becky and her former husband owned this particular parcel of land since the early 1990’s.  This lot represented the last tie to her ex-husband, and as a result it anchored her to an old life, and kept her from total freedom in her new life.  She had moved on in virtually every way, with the exception of this piece of land that they jointly owned and need to remove from their life.

But let’s back up and see how we got here.  Becky and her husband had lived on the property for some time, and later rented a mobile home on the property.  As sometimes happens, the tenants destroyed the mobile home.  It was destroyed to the point that it became uninhabitable.  During this time, a divorce happened and Becky alone now had the carrying costs of the mortgage on the land, with no rental income to help out.

The result of the turn of events began to paint a bleak picture for Becky as it pertained to this property.  She was carrying the costs of the mortgage, had no rental income, and the property had an uninhabitable mobile home that could potentially have to be removed for the property to truly be marketable.

One day a friend suggested that Becky call us.  The referral came with a ringing endorsement from Brenda like this, “If anyone can get it sold they can, and they will be honest with you about sales information.”

We did list and sell Becky’s land.  But don’t think the sale came easy.  In fact, it came at a cost… well at least to Ruthie (you can picture me having a suppressed grin here). While walking the property to install the sign and determine the key characteristics of the land, Ruthie encountered a huge bed of seed ticks. I believe Ruthie refused to get back in the car she had driven to the property for three days!  (You should hear Ruthie tell the story about finding and removing the ticks!)

When asked about her story, Becky makes one thing very clear.  The day we closed on this property, the anchor line was cut, and Becky experienced total freedom from her old life.  We congratulate Becky on now being able to move on to the next phase of her life and wish her nothing but the best to come!

But, that isn’t the only great thing to come from this.  With the closing of this transaction, in honor of Becky, we have made a donation that will provide 300 meals to help feed the hungry in our community.

“That is someplace I love going because everyone is so laid back, and not in a rush.  It’s just so comfortable.” That was what my son Logan said as we came out of Hooked tonight, and I couldn’t agree more.  Interestingly, without some prompting from my wife and son, I probably would have never gone into Hooked for the first time.  Now we have been several times, and it has quickly become one of my family’s favorite businesses around town.

Having been there multiple times, a couple of things have become readily apparent.  First, I have yet to walk in the door and not be cheerfully and sincerely welcomed.  The cheerful attitude doesn’t stop at the greeting, but continues throughout the entire customer experience.  I have  watched and listened to how the staff interacts with customers, and these folks display a sense of service and care that is uncommon.  It is heartening actually.

Secondly, it is amazing what you can find here.  Which begs the question, what do you go to Hooked for?  Just about anything.  Seriously, just about anything you have in mind, especially of a vintage nature, you are likely to find here.  Our favorite things include the various mediums of music, including records, cassettes, and more.  Boots?  Yeah they have those.  Decorative items?  Yep, that too.

I asked about the inspiration for the store.  The answer was simple and authentic.  “I just gathered a bunch of things that I am interested in and offered them in one place.”  “I then figured out a lot of other people like these things too.”  Yes, yes they do.

Oh, and don’t forget to say hi to Sgt. Pepper, the bulldog who idly rambles about the store making everyone feel welcome.  If you are so inclined to pet and rub on Sgt. Pepper, this delightful critter will stay as long as you are willing to continue.

If you are downtown with a little time to spend, I would highly encourage you to check out this store.  Perhaps, like my family, you will find yourself… Hooked.

I love hearing people’s stories.  Everyone has a story, and I am immensely curious about people.  So, it wasn’t uncommon yesterday while consulting with a couple about selling their home, that I delved into their story.  What was a little surprising was the passion I uncovered while listening to their story.

We were sitting at their kitchen table, and had just wrapped up our conversation as it pertained to selling their home.  My business partner headed off to take some photos of the home for later reference.  I mentioned to the homeowners that I am curious about people and their stories, then asked them what they see as a driving purpose in their life.

Without hesitation the husband began telling me what drives them.  The short answer to the question was family and their faith.  But he talked about their faith with such a passion that I couldn’t help but smile and lean into the conversation.  Their faith is definitively different than my own, but their passion is just as strong.  Their passion actually is stronger than most when it comes to their faith and their church.

As I listened, I realized that as soon as they mentioned their connection with the LDS church, many people would have mentally and emotionally disconnected.  Those same people would have missed the beauty of their story.

The conversation was intriguing, and compelling.  A common thread that wound its way in and out of the dialogue was a love of family, honor and excellence.  The conversation illuminated some points about their life that helped me understand who they are, and not just what they are trying to accomplish with the move they are making.

This should remind me, and you, that everyone has a story if we will only listen.  There is so much more to people than the super small snapshot we have of them at this specific moment in time.

One of the things that irritates me is the “strategic” marketing pile of manure that is thrown at real estate agents everyday.  I get a countless number of emails each day from companies that claim their mission is to make me a better marketer.  Most of them are just plain laughable with their tips and tricks to essentially dupe the public into doing business with you.  The truth is that many real estate agents fall prey to these strategies, and ultimately end up lowering their professional reputation.

A few days ago this was a headline in one of those emails: “Snapchat for Realtors.”   That headline was followed by this statement: Snapchat appears to be the next generation of social networks to seriously focus on for your real estate marketing initiatives.

This is nothing but malarkey.  I work hard to stay on the cutting edge of technology marketing as it applies to helping my clients buy or sell a home.  What I refuse to do is buy into stupid ideas that take my eye off of the mission of doing what is best for my clients.  So, no worries people.  Those of you who choose to do business with me won’t have to worry about receiving photos of who-knows-what, that you can only see for three seconds in Snapchat.

But really, I equate this idea to that of selling fishing lures.  My father-in-law was in the fishing lure business by the way… some of the best hand-tied spinnerbaits and buzzbaits you will ever use.  But I digress.  Anyway, fishing lure companies know that it is more important for them to catch the imagination of the fisherman, than how well the bait actually works.  The fisherman are buying the lures, not the fish.  Real estate agents are trained to be a type of fisherman so to speak.

It is unfortunate, but precious few agents recognize that who they are is much more important that what tech gadget they are employing to catch people.  People want to do business with people they like and trust.  No trust is earned by pestering clients with Snapchat.

Here is the take away from this.  Choose your real estate agent, and any small business person based on who they are.  Their character is one of the most important things you can consider.  Ask yourself how they see you.  Are you just a fish on the line, or are you someone that they will value and want to build a relationship built on authenticity and excellence?