Sigh. I wish I hadn't missed checking off the "email me" box.

Lookit, Jefferson, pal, buddy, generally fine fellow - everybody doesn't have to be deferential and self-effacing all of the time. Some people do, and that's fine.

While I appreciate your interest, sort of, how about you have your style, I'll have mine, and we'll call it good, OK?

And, if Trulia doesn't like my style, well, that's really fine, too. Again, I'm a volunteer. With fifteen years and a lot of home sales under my belt.

Now, going off on tangents is one thing, fifteen, twenty messages at a time basically kills a thread, don't you agree? Here's Lisa Jones, trying to get a word in edgewise, and what do we do? Shout around her, that's what.

I think that the regulars in an establishment have a greater obligation to maintain the attractiveness of the business for the rest of the paying public. What's been going on all too much is that we're blocking the front door being rowdy, when all people want to do is step inside.

Mack,

I'm confused ... You write things like this:

>> According to me, these threads should provide value to readers, not provide a venue for personal communication.

>> Trulia does not exist for the purpose of bringing novelty into your life.

>> All I ask is that you remember that there are other people checking in and that some of them are in search of actually useful information.

And I broadly agree with these points. There are times when any of us will go off on little tangents if only to keep it light and not be strictly "on topic" all the time. Clearly, you are more than capable of providing helpful accurate information to consumers that are asking for assistance. That is obvious and anyone here would likely agree that you are a seasoned professional that has been around the block and then some.

But, then you write other things, that show a hard edge that isn't helpful to the consumer and less likely to be well-received. I would imagine that you might agree that the delivery of a message is perhaps more important than the message itself?

So ... why then write stuff like this:

>> Sure, I'll have my pigeon fly it on over to you. (different thread/post)

>> Now, of course, there are some lame agents. Here's a little secret: DON'T HIRE THEM

>> etc (I would provide more examples but I'm reasonably confident that there's no need for additional specifics)


My intent in writing this is not meant in any way to be a personal attack. But I would request that you consider a moment of reflection - in that your contributions here could be SO much more valuable, if you might "dial it back a notch".

Thanks and regards,

Try an email to Emily


"Most of you should have real, actual friends to talk with and argue with." Yawn.....

rib, reporting you doesn't not express the reasoning behind the complaint.

Lookit - regardless of my hotheaded responses, many of you guys actually make a valuable contribution. But this isn't an exhibition of it. Let some things be. Let people raise the dead posts. Realize that agents are going to go YOU NEED ME WITHOUT ME YOU'LL DIE A MISERABLE DEATH ONLY I CAN SAVE YOU CALL MEEEEE NOWWWW!!!!!

Don't worry if YOU'VE been over the topic a hundred times - Trulia does not exist for the purpose of bringing novelty into your life.

Every time I see this dam headline, I keep thinking that somebody is actually going to have something useful to say.

Most of you should have real, actual friends to talk with and argue with.

And please note that I am not taking this time to please you regulars with my posts. You guys - no offense - are not my target audience. If you're entertained, that's fine by me. Since you probably already know it all, you guys can place fact-checker for all I care. All I ask is that you remember that there are other people checking in and that some of them are in search of actually useful information.

You know where to find me if you feel the need to discuss the matter further.

Mack,

I have seen communication between participants on threads ever since I first began on Zillow some three years ago, and it really hasn't been much different on Trulia the seventeen or so months I've been posting here. While your intentions may be noble, quite frankly to some your aggresive monitoring of the issue only adds to the problem. If you don't like what's going on, then click on the word report at the bottom of the post.
Simple as that.

Mack, I'm not sure what value there is in rehashing the same old stuff over and over.
It seems that what happens when people ask this question or (one of the many variations of it) is that (most)realtors say the same thing over and over again - we are valuable, we do so much, use us, you NEED us, feel free to contact us, blah, blah, blah. Some realtors say these are the steps you can take to do it on your own but proceed with caution and then (some) non-agents say of course you don't need a realtor, save the money. Then usually what happens is some agents get their dander up (did I really just say that?? What the heck is a dander, anyway?) and start getting defensive and the next thing you know, you got what happened below.
This has been repeated over and over on many many threads. The exact same pattern.
This IS a legitimate question but I think it has already been answered quite thoroughly. I have a lot of respect for a lot of you guys. Perc, I get the impression you have something of value to add.
But can we all think of something new and fresh to add to the perennial questions of should we use a Realtor or not, a full service or not, are we worth it or not, do people see our value or not, are we just a bunch or self-promotors or not, etc.

I understood the According to you the first time. We just do not agree, the Hire a Realtor you see as having value I do not, the talking to people and having discussions I see as having value you do not....

I get it..What I don't understand are your insults and don't you have something better to do crap...

Your opinion is important for people to be aware of so they can decide it's value for themselves so I honestly hope you keep sharing it and assist people however you feel it should be done.

Me, I'm not that interested in your take on things or what has value according to you cause half the time I don't think you even know what Forum you're in..simple as that.
But I'm willing to admit others may find value in your comments so I'm actually glad you share them and hope you always do so......

Let's just agree we disagree

According to me, these threads should provide value to readers, not provide a venue for personal communication.

Many of these questions are, in fact, timeless - and Trulia should hope that a new batch of readers comes through periodically for information.

This thread is now totally useless, since nobody in their right mind is going to wade through thirty posts thinking that things will get better - that there will eventually be some actual useful information here if they did deeply enough.

If you really don't have anything better to do with your time, then I apologize.

Thanks for your opinion Mack..........................................

According to you I guess Agents can dig up old questions to repeat Hire a Realtor over and over but non-agents should not use them to express their opinions or have any conversation..

And yet, a blog would be the perfect place to have this discussion.

Percolator
So glad to hear you'll hang around and as far as "I know I have much more to learn than I have to offer" none of us is half as smart as we think we are or half as ignorant as others claim...

The opinions/views of consumers about their experiences with Agents, perception of Agents, buying/selling process can only help us all understand what is most important to us...Services needed, Services provided....

That's important in my not so humble opinion, and with that same unhumble opinion maker I have concluded Trulia can be/is a better place for Agents and Consumers if people like you share/speak up.............

Thanks and looking forward to hearing what you think or know or wish was better explained..........

Perhaps eventually if more like you help, Trulia will become a more civil and informative place for Consumers to inform themselves in preparation for what may be the largest Financial decision/obligation of their lives......Now wouldn't that be a good thing?

Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement, Dunes. I will stick around. FYI I know I have much more to learn than I have to offer, but I will try to do both.

@Rockinblu

You have to be careful posting on ActiveRain as a Non-Agent/Consumer...The Realtors are not use to it and it throws all their timing off on the back-slapping process..It will most likely be days before another Agent posts on that blog to get the BS (Backslapping) process restarted ; )

@Alan..You are your own personal Marketing program, I just like the message/honesty enough to want other consumers to see it... Youse a good Realtor, now if I could just bring you back from the Darkside long enough to see the Mayor pro...awwww nevermind ; )

@Percolator...I hope you stick around and contribute to the Forum, I have no doubt it would be better for it....
..Help Alan and Rockinblu cancel out my idiotic comments so it will be better.....

Wow, I love this question, so many anwers. I think you need to call a few of your local top agents and have them give you their sale presentations so that they can answer that question. This is always crystal clear after I make my presentation.

In this market you really need a professional assisting you and marketing your property. Simply placing it in the MLS is just not enough. You need to remember that the listing agent is the one representing your needs and interests.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks Dunes. I trashed it up. lol

Dunes - my own personal marketing department.

Percolator and Rockinblu

I think you may appreciate this New Alan May Blog
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1374860/a-little-mutual-resp…

Gosh Mack, with all due respect I think you are mistaken about what went on here.

I still think my original post was relevant and valid and haven't seen any substantive rebuttal to it at all. Your very recent post about "Agents know more than you do about marketing houses" is a valid opinion, certainly a true one, and something anyone who might be deciding how to sell their house can consider.

I castigated no one for their opinions and would not do so. Just for their personal attacks. And I was the one attacked for "reviving" this thread.

I appreciate your considered apology though, if I am in fact one of those it was directed toward.

Agents know more than you do about marketing houses. That's first, and foremost. They know more about the local customs, making the home accessible to other agents, presenting the home in its best light to the public, holding open houses, and negotiating the deal.

Now, of course, there are some lame agents. Here's a little secret: DON'T HIRE THEM.

Hey Mack,

No harm. No foul. Apology accepted.

PM, surely you can post whatever you want. Heaven knows, everybody else does.

But, I'll tell you, the bickering is tiring to read, because really - nothing anybody has to say here is of any use to anyone (not to mention of any interest to me) if it doesn't help to answer the question at hand.

And, you know what, a lot of these threads that are old and boring to you are actually of interest to some people, and wasting valuable space castigating people for reviving them - even if they're primarily motivated by self-promotion - is annoying, insulting, and a waste of everybody's time. Including yours.

Would it hurt anybody's feelings if we respond in such a way that new readers might actually gain some useful information from clicking on the question?

Again, I apologize for shoving people around indiscriminately.

Who posted that agents are not worth the commission? Please advise where that is written.

Also, I never knew that when a question was asked only one opinion was expected. I had always thought differing points of view were valuable, and I believe my posts reflect that.

Here's a belt-high fastball being posted: "What does listing agent do for you?" That's a setup for PRECISELY a "rah-rah, hire a realtor" response! In fact, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR.

To go a step further, what ISN'T BEING ASKED FOR is how agents ARE NOT WORTH THE COMMISSION.

to RIB: I apologize, in re-reading, that doesn't reflect my opinion.

Percolator:

Thanks for your continued politeness and professional discourse.

I do have a thick skin -- that's why none of those posts have bothered me enough to respond in kind (which would have been real low hanging fruit, BTW).

I also find it ironic that those have have had their "hot buttons" admittedly pushed and respond to that with personal insults are the ones telling others they need a thicker skin!

Percolator,

I just read some of John's previous posts. I guess we all have a hot button. People responding to old posts seems to be one of his, and he really doesn't seem to discriminate between pros and non-pros with his sarcasm. My insinuation that he may was probably off base, and for that John, I apologize. And yeah Percolator, tough skin required here. lol

As I promised I will ignore the parade of insult and ask again, politely:

1) If your answer was not an ad hominem, how was it helpful or germane to the issue?

2) What in my first post was wrong or irrelevant?

I realize you do not like my suggestion because it is in conflict to your personal interests, and I suggest it riled you up so much because your expertise has you know it to be true. That is usually the case in "attacking the messenger" situations.

Answer those two questions if you can. Continuing with insults as you have or ignoring it altogether will tell me that the above paragraph is spot on.

"Not only do you not answer the questions I respectfully asked, but you respond with "you had your 15 minutes"? Your petulance is shocking to me, especially for a professional posting under his own name. If that is the way you hope to convince folks here to list with a Realtor... well I might question that strategy. There is room for polite disagreement on this important topic, if you want to proffer that. However, from this point forward I will not reply any further to your insults."

Attack - insults? You need to grow thicker skin. If you consider anyhting I said an attack or an insult you should continue to stay in your place of residence in the dark.

Sarcastic at best, which the original post was.. noting how quick and on the ball the answer was. I do not believe your post was a response directed to a "timeless" question, I think you saw someething in your area and answered it.. 18 months after it was posted.. not having a clue it was posted that long ago. And I busted your chops about it.,

Wipe the tears, stop shaking, sit down.. the big bad man will not respond any further.

"rockinblu, since you're "just looking," I'm not sure that anybody cares about your opinions either"

"Let's focus on making this a good resource for people who are honestly searching for answers, and keep the stupidity at a minimum, shall we?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mack,

In my opinion your remarks above are really unworthy of you, or sadly I've been mistaken about you. Also, in case you're wondering, my opinion on Percolator responding to an old post wasn't a re-packaged answer of yours. When I posted I noticed only then that you had just posted a few minutes prior. I might add that your opinion on price in a market that's all about price is rather astounding to me. I can't imagine how many deals have been made or lost over 3%.


"Agents have as much right to "rah-rah" as non-agents have to, well, do whatever it is that y'all do. But getting involved in the righteousness trap is simply self-serving, whichever side you take."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You said it.

Now to bring this back on topic, our last listing agent put the house on the MLS, and put a beat up sign in the yard. Verified the square footage. Took some photos which he didn't use after comparing his to Mrs. Rockinblu's, and personally showed the house on about three occasions. After three months he delisted the house while we were away on vacation emailing us a release form. That's what our last listing agent did for us. Our only other one went above and beyond the call of duty.

Now for any interested lurkers trying to decide the same thing as Sandy was who may come upon this thread, below are two links. The first is on choosing an agent, and the second on doing a FSBO. Good luck on whatever you decide.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/12/i_ve_got_my_fin…

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/08/thinking_about_…

Mack, I just noticed that my five blogs have over 6000 views. I guess a few people might have cared enough about my opinion to at least click on the blogs.

rockinblu:

Thanks for your support and kind words, as well as the anecdote showing what I suggested can work.

Sorry that your support resulted in your post also being insulted and called "stupidity". That was undeserved.

And yes, I will stick around. I find the rancor motivational, and I have always believed if you present your opinions and facts politely and with conviction people learn to trust you. That's the approach I will take.

As for my original post: (as rockinblu points out) it was a suggestion that had not been made in the thread. Why should it not be offered? And why would it not work?

Mr. Sacktig:

Not only do you not answer the questions I respectfully asked, but you respond with "you had your 15 minutes"? Your petulance is shocking to me, especially for a professional posting under his own name. If that is the way you hope to convince folks here to list with a Realtor... well I might question that strategy. There is room for polite disagreement on this important topic, if you want to proffer that. However, from this point forward I will not reply any further to your insults.

John,

I wonder if an agent/broker would have answered this question with a re-packaged agent rah-rah post such as some of the previous ones on this thread, if you would have greeted her/him with such a facetious remark. Now I'll be a little facetious myself. Nice way to welcome a new Trulia Voices Member. However, it seems that since Percolator probably is not a Realtor that you might want to make it clear that non-pros whose answers do not fit an agent/broker's agenda are really not welcome here. BTW, you accused Percolator of repackaging answers when in fact I didn't see one previous answer on this thread suggesting "if you are willing to use that extra 1/2 of the commission to price your house more aggressively -- that is probably the best way to move your house fast in this market." That's exactly what I did, and that's why I gave Percolator a thumbs up. It worked for me.

Percolater,

Welcome to Trulia. I thought the quality and balance of your first post was excellent. I hope you stick around, and I have a feeling you don't have to be told to not be intimidated by bullying tactics. The fact that you're responding to an old question is "meaningless," and I also believe that the topic is current, and will be for a long time. While Sandy is probably no longer reading this thread, there are untold others that may be with the same questions. Thanks for your input.

Surprisingly, these are timeless questions, and new visitors to Trulia might have an interest in seeing useful answers.

Realistically, an agent doesn't provide any value at all by just being an agent - there are people who specialize in industrial properties, for example, who would not be able to add a dime's worth of value to you.

Since there are about eleven trillion books on the subject of "How To Sell Your Home," and many of them are written by real estate agents, reading two or four of them might be better than reading whatever thirty- or sixty-second pitches we could come up with.

However. Over 2/3rds of home sellers elect to hire a full-service agent than to go it alone.

Always list your house with an agent. You must have all the disclosures and advise in order to have protection and the agent will take some of the liability off of you. You will probably get a better price even after paying the commission because when you sell For Sale By Owner buyers think they can get a steal of a deal from you.

There are lots of great agents who work for flat fee companies. Many offer the total array of full services. The problem with using them is that agents from traditional companies may choose to not show your house to their buyers.

1) You had your 15 minutes.

2) To repackage the same answer as others 18 months after the inital post would make the post irrelevant.

"To which of have doubts of the rating's validity"? Sorry I do not understand that, you will have to translate. Also I am sure you noticed you can't rate your own posts, if that is what you alluding to.

Answer these two questions please:

1) If your answer was not an ad hominem, how was it helpful or germane to the issue?

2) What in my first post was wrong or irrelevant?

Thanks.

Yes, It does. People like honest answers. Which is why I answered with a short post over a year ago.

Attack? Please, don't flatter yourself. And yes I see that "someone" rated it helpful. It is kinda weird that "someone" rated that response helpful. To which of have doubts of the rating's validity.

Nice ad hominem. I am sure that approach gets you plenty of clients.

It's a topic that is timeless, don't you think? Someone already rated it helpful.

But I guess you have no relevant rebuttal so you attack a meaningless issue.

Hi Perc -

Nice, quick answer to that post dated March 21, 2008.

Hi Sandy.

I am sure you noticed that most of the folks advising you to hire a realtor are in fact agents. I am not questioning their motives -- in fact I am confident they all genuinely believe that they provide a service worth the very large commissions. But it is worth noting.

My opinion: If you are considering not hiring a realtor to keep more of your home's market value, that is a somewhat risky decision. *BUT*, if you are willing to use that extra 1/2 of the commission to price your house more aggressively -- that is probably the best way to move your house fast in this market.

You will need to do more work, that is for sure, and definitely need to do your homework too. But if you are priced 3% under the market your home will sell, realtor or no.

Just my 2 cents.

The biggest and best reason to list with a broker/agent is so that the property gets marketed properly. Many sellers do NOT realize that many times Buyers agents bring Buyers to the property because of direct marketing a listing agent does on behalf of his Seller. A Buyer often times will see a property that the Buyers agent may never bring to the attention of their client. But because of the extensive marketing, advertising and hard work of a listing agent, the Buyer sees the property. At that time the Buyer will make his/her agent aware of the property and their interest known. This is what your paying a listing agent for. Not the MLS, but the exposure beyond the MLS.

I advertise my properties on about 25 different sites beyond the MLS to gain attention for my Sellers. I'm not worried about Buyers Agents bringing Buyers, in fact that's my goal! Get the property exposed so the Buyers can see it. If the Buyer has to tell their agent about the home then I've done my job! The listing agent's job is to get the home exposed so a Buyers Agent can sell it. Make the door open and close like a turnstile at an amusement park! this is what the listing agent is supposed to do.

When you hire a flat rate discount broker you'll pay an up front fee (usually in the thousands) and only get your home on the MLS. Then you are typically responsible for 'Open Houses', signage and anything else. the MLs doesn't sell homes the way it used to do a few years ago. You have to be more savvy than that. Have you noticed companies like Foxton's and Help-U- Sell companies going out of business? Guess why? Because they are discount brokers who only offer discounted services. The old adage still rings true: You get what you pay for!

By the way, I have a listing where my current Seller spent $4000.00 on a 'Flat rate' Broker and got NOTHING except her pocket picked for $4K. Now I have it listed. In less than 60 Days I have two offers and thousands of bonafide web hits to share with my Seller to prove the marketing I'm doing on her behalf. Do you think she's happy now?

See the link below to get a small idea of the property that was listed with a 'Flat Rate' broker who only made my seller $4,000.00 broker.

There is a different with flat fee services. I cannot speak on behalf of them all but in my experience they just list the property. They don’t market the property as a traditional agent would. In fact they make their money in many cases whether the seller sells or not.

On the other hand a listing agent will market the property. During the transaction they are involved during crucial times keeping the transaction together. Keeping a transaction together takes time, energy and cooperation. The ball can be dropped at any moment delaying the process, but they keep it moving.

Sellers think their attorneys will keep the transactions alive but we know better. Attorneys get paid when there is a closing and in many cases when there is no closing. Only the agents involved in the transaction call the appraiser, the bank, the title companies, the city inspectors, the attorneys, etc all the time.

Most importantly listing agents open the doors to buyers and potential buyer’s agents.

Yes the buyer agent brings the buyer but you should be aware that the listing agent brings buyers and sell their own listings quite often. Let’s not forget the seller’s agent has a very special relationship to the listing. First, when marketing the property they spend money out of their own pocket or their brokers pocket to advertise. They invest in the sale of the property and have the motivation to sell the property themselves. If they find the buyer they don’t have to split the commission. Let me rephrase that “they make more money if they sell their own listing”.

A buyer’s agent does not have the option, opportunity or choice of making more then what is offered. In my book choose an agent and list. You will have a very motivated friend and partner.

I would bring my buyer to preview such listing out of respect to my buyer and the Realtor code. However I will have to prepare myself to do the job of a listing agent and buyer’s agent all by myself. Given that I would not expect or get any help.

I'm a little troubled that many of the answers here seem to have answered only the first part of the original questsion. I would like to see answers to the second part: why pay a listing agent a commission, when it is the buyer's agent who brings the buyer. That is, why not get on the MLS through a flat-fee, while still offering commission to buyer's agents?

Sandy's question was not about FSBO. It was about flat-fee MLS. Buyer's agents, will you or won't you bring your buyers to a home for sale that will pay you the same commission you would get from a "traditional" listing?

Thanks.

Quality buyers/traffic is what sells a home. A flat fee commission may turn away agents with that potential buyer. A fair/good commission is going to help you steer buyers your way since the cooperating split will be more of an incentive. I don’t sanction this type of cherry picking real estate agents fall pray to, but it is an informal approach many agents adopt.

Positively speaking, at least you know what you are doing if you offer an attractive commission with a traditional broker. It’s like teasing a flesh eating tiger to eat a yummy steak. In the end, it all boils down to how fast do you need to sell in this sellers market?

The most important service an agent offers is maximum exposure!

Statistically, 80% of homes sold, are sold by agents.

Many things-- I am currently marketing a home in Ridgewood 1.65 on N. Pleasant - As you know the level of transactions that take place in RIdgewood- I'm sure you would agree most homeowners in Ridgewood are quite savvy and understand the significance of being represented by a professional. Check this weeks Ridgewood News:Friday's real estate section. For starters, your home would not be in there with a flat fee. Also check http:// http://www.bparkes.com for a list of some services. I would be glad to work with you- As I have worked in two of the more successful Ridgewood Brokerages- I know what is offered, needed and how the local market works. I'm sure you know it is a unique market. What school? Remember it is what YOU NET!! Too often people are worried about what the brokers fees are- One should not be penalzed for geing good at what one does-it is a very expensive line of work to be in -the cost is very high-- the sellers concern should be about what they are going to net-period. Hope this helps.

Brian

M broker allows me to take listing BOTH ways, either flat fee paying a buyer's agent commission or traditional "X"% listing. It all depends on the agent, I provide everything to my seller whether they pay me full price or flat fee. The level of service is what you should be looking for.

Dear Sandy,

Beyond the numerous advantages of listing with a seasoned professional who knows the neighborhood, who works with a reputable full service firm, being listed with that agent adds credibility to your presentation. When agents see a partial service listing company representing you as the seller, they see trouble ahead - the seller, rather than a professional handling the transaction, lack of training, limited market knowledge, reduced commission structure and much more on the negative side. One wrong move by an unqualified representative can cost you far more money than what you save in commissions - the only reason to utilize an under-qualified firm/agent.

When You list with true real estate professional who provides full service You get a numerous amount of benefits. First off, You get professional marketing which is key in this market, You get a quality CMA to ensure YOu price your home correctly to allow for it to sell for the most money possible. YOu get someone getting You feedback from the showings that occur so that You know what the buyers are saying about your house. You also get skileld contract negotiation & great representation. A good real estate agent will put more money in your pocket than they will charge You for your home will sell faster which means less mortgage payments & will sell for more than if you go at it alone or with a company that simply enters your home into the mls & walks away. Remember, You wouldn't go to court without an attorney, don't go for sale without a realtor!

Deborah,

So what you're saying is ...

Even though a skilled agent has a blackberry, laptop, air card, etc .. .. they can't do the job because they work for a limited service company.??


-

I completely agree w/ Marc. I have a blackberry, and a laptop w/ a T-Mobile acct and broadband access (air card). I like my laptop in my car for full screen capabilities. When I can't reasonably carry my laptop, I use my blackberry. I use my laptop while waiting in the lobby of an office for a closing, in my car while waiting for a buyer for a showing appt., or an appraiser, or an inspector, etc.

I also don't sleep much.....as it is currently 3am. I learned how to be an effective road warrior long before I became a real estate agent....and that was without a laptop.

I respect and value my client's time. There are times when my blackberry is off and I don't have my laptop....but, whenever I can multi-task, or grab down time and make it productive I do.

Sandy....I actually generated this post in response to the recent direction the thread has taken....

But........as you consider your options in choosing a lsiting agent.........time management, effectiveness, multi-tasking, are additional skills worth evaluating in addtion to those already covered on this thread. Limited service companies cannot offer this level of service and availability.

Best of luck to you, Sandy.