What's the worst thing that could happen to an East Sacramento agent? Or to any real estate agent, for that matter? Well, apart from rolling over a guard rail in the rain. Over the last week, 2 vehicles at different locations slid off the freeway while going around a curve and landed on the road below. They survived, thank goodness.
We've had so much rain and wind in Sacramento; it's like an obstacle course driving through East Sacramento and Land Park -- swerving to avoid downed tree branches, blown over trash cans and unemployed real estate agents angrily stomping in rain puddles.
The worst thing that could happen to an agent is to be out showing property and discover that the eKey doesn't work or the lockbox won't open. I am all too familiar with that bzzzzzzzZZZT sound when the lockbox malfunctions. If the lockbox won't open, it's generally due to one of two things. Either it's on a timed access and I'm there at the wrong time or I've punched in the wrong code on my eKey.
Once I had a camera crew from Good Day Sacramento shivering in the road at 6 AM waiting to film one of my homes in Land Park. It slipped my mind that I could not open the lockbox prior to 8 AM, so I had to drag the seller out of bed to come over and let us in. Ever since that episode, I generally make an extra key for my listings, which I tuck away in my car's console.
But I never want to be in the position of showing homes in East Sacramento or anywhere else in Sacramento and discover that my eKey won't work. There are dead spots in Sacramento where cellphones don't receive reception.
The problem I've had lately is that sometimes I can't update my eKey through a wireless connection. For some reason, which only tech gods understand, a BlackBerry Bold is not designed to be used as an eKey without using another device that pairs with it. This fob converts the Bluetooth to infrared. But it's another device I have to carry around. And it has a battery. To change the battery, I need a special screwdriver, and the screw is very tiny. One of these days, that battery is going to die on me at the most inopportune moment. It's a stupid solution.
There are 3 things I can't live without. And it's not necessarily life, love and the pursuit of happiness. It's my eKey, MLS access and my cellphone.
I spoke to Supra eKey about this problem with my BlackBerry and its 9B25 wireless network coverage error. Supra said I should remove the battery from my BlackBerry and put it back. Sure enough, that solved the problem. Because I can get an update code only from Supra's website between wireless synchronizations. But I don't want to have to take apart my phone every morning. That's idiotic.
Since I'm the type of person who always has a back-up plan B, I guess I will have to buy some other type of display key and pay an extra monthly subscription fee for access to Supra's lockboxes. I could buy an extra phone, but that doesn't solve the potential dead spot problems. One of the benefits of eKey access is I can check showings of my Sacramento short sale listings and immediately follow up. So, I think I need both services. But it seems sort of silly.
Of course, it beats going over a guard rail in the rain.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
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The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
All of the accidents sound awful! We had a very rainy December here in New Orleans. In fact, we had the most rain in a single month in recorded history!
Hello Elizabeth, well I'm still not sure if you went over a guard rail. I think not....you were talking about other people. Nice description of technology being the obstacle instead of the solution. You write well and I enjoyed your adventures of the past couple of days. I felt I was right along with you.
We've been hearing about your bad weather on the news. Sounds pretty bad for some folks.
I have had the eboxes not open several times recently. Kind of embarrassing in front of our client.
Somebody, Jeanean, we're gonna have to get together.
Jeff: I can't imagine anything worse than canceling a tour because of an eKey problem. It would be awful. Ack.
You know Elizabeth, I bought a Palm with the intention of uploading the ekey component - then changed my mind, just had a feeling. Six months later my Palm had a memory failure and was replaced under warranty. I had to wait 7 days and go back to using my old phone. If I had the all in one - I would have been a bit more complicated. I don't care much for the look and feel of the new key we have in Sacramento - although I do like the built-in flashlights.
Elizabeth...With todays technology one would think these problems could be solved in a simple fashion...too much to hope for, right? At least you have a plan B which is never a bad thing. Hope your weather clears soon because your rain is giving me alot of snow as it passes eastward.
Because I live in bummble a rural area, I have elected to continue to use my ekey that I pay for access. So long as I make sure it's updated I don't get that nasty buzz sound unless it's the lockbox gone bad (which has happened to me).
The lockbox thing is just so annoying. It is pouring right now in SoCal . . . I wonder if we'll be showing any property today?
Hi Elizabeth, We have some Sentrilock boxes, when their battery goes out you can call on you cell, but the cell doesn't work, and you can't get the lockbox off either....they are nice, but a little bit of a pain too. Honestly, I think an old fashioned back-up key is a great idea, but if it's not your listing, it sometimes makes it really difficult!
Stay dry, and keep the greasy side down :-)
Elizabeth: Not being able to get into a lockbox is maddening. Of course, right up there was the fact that my Blackberry phone lost all of my prestored contacts/phone numbers yesterday. GRRRR!!!!
Elizabeth - The problems you talk about with e-keys, and other technological snafus reminds us that sometimes when things are made "simpler" they actually become more difficult or complex! Hang in there - as I know you always do!
Hi Elizabeth... I can't tell you how many time I have forgotten to update my Supra key and had to call in for a code... I know it's my fault for forgetting to sync, but it just makes me insane.
Elizbaeth - I have a Blackberry Tour and it automatically syncs itself every morning. I've never had a problem with it. BUT - I have to get in the habit of making extra keys. I have yet to do that. The other day we were really lucky because an agent showing one of our listings went to lock a house and broke the key IN HALF. Good thing we had a spare in the office!
I have a Treo still and it is still working fine. I do not know what I'll get when it quits. I don't want to carry two items with me, the phone and a device to get in boxes. We do face challenges in this work!
Just what you don't need is to worry about accessing properties. We have had the NAR supported sentrilock and very few issues.
Lockbox, schmockbox, we don't use lockboxes much in my area of L.A. and if there is a lockbox it is not Supra. On the other hand the Valley area agents all use Supra and we fumble around to try and borrow a key because it is not worth it for us to pay for one for the odd time we are showing houses out of area. I can sympathise though, I think.
I also hate it when that box won't open. But, thankfully it usually does. My problem is with each improvement comes more learning and initial inconvenience. Work can be a pain at times.
From the desk of David Dee,
Elizabeth, I had several occasions where the ekey ran out of battery. It's frustrating, especially when you don't have the charger with you.
I've returned several Supra LBs because they got STUCK. eKey works fine; carrier is stuck in the box. Or shackle won't unlock. The more electronic things get, the harder they are to use. Ironic!
I like Christianne's idea of making extra keys. Good thinking!