Bill Risser, Author at The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

About Bill Risser

Bill Risser is Vice President, Digital Strategy of Chicago Title Agency in Maricopa County. You can find him at ChicagoTitleArizona.com and on Twitter at @billrisser, that is, when he's not on a local golf course with his son, at the movies with his wife, or tending to one of his four fantasy leagues (NFL, MLB, PGA, and NASCAR).

Far Too Many to Thank

December 26, 2016 By Bill Risser

13 days.

I will miss my 17th anniversary with Chicago Title Agency of Maricopa County by 13 days, because on January 1st, Cindy and I begin a new adventure in Tampa/St Petersburg Florida.

I will be working with the Fidelity National Title – Tampa District operation. My role will be similar to the one I developed nearly six years ago here in Arizona. Education, training and consulting with real estate professionals will be my primary focus as I work with the FNT sales operation. I am happy to remain in the Fidelity National Financial family, but it is tough leaving the Chicago Title group in Phoenix. I have worked with amazing people since January 2000, both at Chicago Title and in the real estate industry. I am going to attempt the impossible by thanking as many as I can in this post.

Let me start with the PhoenixRealEstateGuy team. Nick Bastian, Shar Rundio, and Dean Ouellette thank you for allowing me to use your wonderful forum to share my message.

So, in the best chronological order I can muster, heartfelt thanks to:

Dwayne Prince and Bob Fortney for taking a chance on me. I had no experience in the industry when they hired me as a Sales Executive;

Jim Sexton for welcoming me into his John Hall & Associates office when all I could offer was donuts;

Bob Fortney and Laurie Milne for doing the unimaginable by making me a Branch Manager in 2001 after one year in sales;

Ari, Barb, Staci and Monica, the Metro Center escrow team that helped me learn the business and gave me a chance to earn their trust and respect;

Judy Powell and Alan Costley for their mentorship and continuing to take my calls;

Richard Klein for walking me through title issues and always finding a way to close the deal;

Steve Stevens, the best facilities manager ever for always caring about our branch and making us feel like we were his only responsibility;

Cindy Bennett for teaming up with me when we opened the Gilbert Branch in 2002;

Theresa Alberico for deciding to return to Chicago Title after a lunch with Cindy and me at Serrano’s in Gilbert;

Cathy Desso for joining her best friend Theresa in our new Gilbert location and never failing to make me laugh;

The many Owners and/or Brokers that trusted us with their team and their clients like Tom and Diane, Sandra and Bob, Dale and Matt, Jason and Kala, Del, Kathy, Kerry, Carmen, Tom, Bart and Jay to name a few;

Lisa Capes for bringing sales professionalism to the branch;

Lisa Christenson for filling the void left by Cindy’s retirement and her undying love for the Cubs;

Anna Everts for your intense desire to grow the branch and for insisting I sign up for Facebook, even though I balked and then insisting I teach Facebook to your agents;

Nick Bastian and Calie Waterhouse for not heckling me or ripping me online at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce social media presentation;

Jay Thompson for replying to a tweet in 2009, which led to many more things, including the creation of the Real Estate Tech Tank (RETT) in the vacant office next to the Gilbert Branch;

Shane Hollenback for saying hello at WordCamp and the incredible NASCAR experience;

Nick Bastian, Dean Ouellette, Shar Rundio, Jay Thompson, Kristin LaVanway, Shane Hollenback, Phil Sexton, D. Patrick Lewis, Dru Bloomfield, Irene Hammond, John Wake and others I know I am forgetting for the warm conversations and knowledge sharing that defined RETT;

The entire REBarcamp PHX crew for all of the hard work to bring this fresh and unique event to Phoenix agents. Hope to be back for the next one;

Justin McHood for making think so far outside the box it hurt;

Patti Counce for spearheading the idea that led to the creation of the role I now hold. Her ability to build support within the Admin team was crucial and so is her friendship;

Laura Amada for seeing the value of creating the position and being the first operation in the company to do so;

Susan Rains for keeping the numbers straight and always making feel warm and welcome;

David Miller for sending me to that CCIM social media class in Chicago with Todd Clarke and for seeing the value and relationship building opportunities of social;

Eric Wolfe and Dave Tornell for introducing me to progressive commercial brokers;

Everyone that sent prayers, thoughts and love during my cancer journey;

Our IT Guys, Nick Miller, Austin Premiere and previously Rick Geiger for putting up with an Apple loving, Google using dude in an Exchange environment;

The WCR crew that valued our relationship, including Tricia, Lyn, Kathleen, Kathy, Carli, Michelle and Stacey;

Lisa Tyler and Diana Hoffman for the one event tryout in Las Vegas that turned into a two your tour with the National Escrow Admin team;

Jill Bright, Becky Erickson, Brian Peitz, Shawna Hovis-Mayer, Jenn Zandell, Aerin Jacobs and all the past Sales Executives for calling me their “tool,” a term of endearment, I think;

Dana Crone, Alan Costley, Lalena Piro, Cathy Moreno, Dawn Woods, Jeanne Murphy, Stephanie Fife, Melissa Cocanower, Dewayne Huffman, Judy Powell, Jennifer Langford, Alan Costley, Terri Blackmun, Michelle Owens, Alyssa Perry and all of the past Branch Managers doing the difficult job of escrow. Without your support, I could not succeed;

Holly Mabery, Evan Fuchs, Paula Monthofer, Gary Nelson, Beth n James Adams, Mary Roberts, Lori Doerfler and the rest of the crew outside Phoenix I now call friends for warmly welcoming me into the circle of volunteers that rock Arizona and the suite at State Convention.

Matt Consalvo for allowing me to work in close collaboration with ARMLS;

Barb Freestone for her support and the opportunities to work with the Arizona Association of REALTORS, especially when she assigned a topic I had never presented before;

Gene Urban for the deep conversations and for magically sneaking me into his office for presentations;

Janet and Tonya at SEVRAR, Rebecca at SAAR, Diane at PAR and Roger at WeMAR for all of your support;

All of the local guests on The Real Estate Sessions podcast. Jay and Holly kicked off the show 17 months ago that now approaches 80 episodes;

And a huge thank you to my wife Cindy and our son Kevin, for understanding when hours were long and stress was high. Their support was critical.

So thank you all for helping and guiding and mentoring and laughing and agonizing with me through the last, nearly 17 years. I look forward to continuing these relationships online (what a concept! Building and maintaining relationships online!) in the years to come.

Lastly, we have room for guests in our new home. We can’t wait to show our Arizona friends around our new hometown of St Petersburg. Whether you prefer gators or manatees, we look forward to your visit!

What Happens in Escrow When Buying a Home?

April 7, 2015 By Bill Risser

What Happens in Escrow When Buying a Home

Buying a home is an exciting time, but the steps you need to take to finalize your transaction can sometimes be confusing or even frustrating. The safe and efficient transfer of real estate involves a number of steps. Title searches are performed, inspections and appraisals normally take place, a variety of documents are prepared and signed, and the actual transfer of funds is organized and completed. In addition, issues that might arise during the process are addressed and resolved. This activity then leads to the closing.

The first step in determining which home you will buy is to find a REALTOR and lender to help you estimate what you can afford and ensure you have the cash for a down payment and closing costs. Once you determine your budget, find your dream house and have your offer accepted by the seller, the countdown to the closing begins. Timing is crucial in a home closing. You can shop around to select a settlement agent to handle all of the closing details, or you can ask your real estate professionals for a recommendation. Once you’ve selected a title company and escrow officer, he or she will direct the closing process.

The Escrow Process

Now, all of the behind-the-scenes work starts. A title professional will search and examine the public records for information related to the title of your prospective home. This search provides information about liens or debts of the current owner and can identify warnings of title flaws that should be resolved before the property can change hands.

After resolving any title “clouds,” the escrow officer is ready to prepare the closing documents, which outline the fees associated with the closing for both the buyer and seller.

By the time you are ready for your closing day, all of the behind-the-scenes work has been completed. Your escrow officer will help explain the content of many of the documents you will then sign. Once the signing is completed and the proper documents are recorded, the house is legally yours!

After closing, while you’re unpacking boxes, the escrow officer sends the funds to pay off the seller’s lender, gives the seller their proceeds check, and disburses checks to all of the parties who provided services in connection with your closing.

Generally, you don’t have to be involved in any of this because your escrow officer coordinates everything.

In our next installment, we will cover how title insurance protects your investment, or, in other words, your new home.

Let Me Eat Cake

May 20, 2014 By Bill Risser

Friday was the 4th “3 month appointment” post chemo. All clear. The math adds up to 1 year since the chemotherapy ended. 1 year. Wow.

Now the appointments are spaced out 6 months apart. Sweet.

It really feels like much longer than a year. Staying busy at work and home helps. Always looking forward rather than in the rear view mirror helps more. During the surgery or therapy, the word cancer is in your mind every day. In fact, you wonder if it will be with you every day for the rest of your life. Fortunately, it does go away. I have gone weeks without thinking about cancer or the trials it put me and my family through. That is a great thing.

It’s been an interesting 12 months. Each appointment and the accompanying lab work and scans always bring a touch of apprehension. Symptom free before it was found, I know the cancer can return the same way. At least that’s the way I look at it.

I have physical reminders of the journey. CIPN, or chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy is my constant companion. The fingers are nearly back to normal, but the feet may never get there. I’ve talked about this before, but everytime I move my feet it feels like there is a mud mask that needs to be cracked off. That’s the best explanation I can come up with. It doesn’t stop me from walking daily or on the golf course. You get used to it, and it could be way worse.

I discovered the Colon Cancer Alliance and the Undy 5000 last November. Run a 5K in my underwear? Absolutely! Kev ran with me while Cindy took the pictures. It was a blast and we raised over $1000 from friends and family. It will be an annual event for us. The CCA is a great organization dedicated to helping patients and their families cope with colon cancer. They also promote screenings since colon cancer is easy to detect, and when caught early, is often treatable. A quick hop onto my soap box. If you are 50, get scoped. If you know someone 50 or older, ask them if they have been scoped. If you have a family history, check with your doctor. You may need to be scoped as early as 35 (sorry Kev!). The procedure is not nearly as bad as some say. Better yet, there are two outcomes. One, you are clear and good to go. The other is they catch it early and save your life. It’s a win win, so get scoped!

I also know Cindy and Kevin went through a lot as I underwent surgery and the “therapy”. I’d like to think this past year has been easier for them. Kevin was able to focus more on school and work. Cindy could worry less, but still asks how I feel or how are the feet doing? But really, other than the pre-appointment nerves, we’ve come a long way in a year.

What’s next? 4 more years to the finish line. We’ve got this.

Piece of cake.

Elephants, Ants and Gelato

May 14, 2013 By Bill Risser

Finally.

My therapy is complete. I have no more “dates” with the healing orb. No more “accessing my port”. No more “lost days”.

I do have many things to come. Scans every three months for the next year. A colonoscopy in September. A return to my regular exercise routine and a dramatic change in my diet. All stuff I am ready and prepared for.

8 months ago, the process I just finished seemed overwhelming. How do you do it? How do you eat an elephant? Most of you know the answer. One bite at a time.

That philosophy was key for me and my family. Don’t get too far ahead of things. Stay positive. Don’t worry about things out of your control. One bite at a time.

Oh yeah, and rely heavily on support from your army of ants. You know the ones. The ones that think they can move that rubber tree plant. You all know who you are. Your comments, calls, drop bys, thoughts and prayers were critical in keeping my attitude moving in a positive direction.

I really wish I could name everyone that had a kind word or a hug or had a surprise show up in the mail or sat with me during a treatment or… well you get the picture. As I have said in past posts, thank you for all of your help.

I do want to name Dr Dobrusin. He is my family practice doc that told me last summer to “get your colonoscopy and I won’t do the prostate exam.” 3 weeks later, getting scoped quite possibly saved my life. Early detection is the key for colon cancer, and a colonoscopy is not nearly as bad as it sounds. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor. If you are 50+, get scoped! If there is a history of colon cancer in your family, get your colonoscopy earlier. Check with your doctor to determine when your exams should begin.

So why do I mention gelato in the title of this post? I had to give up gelato, more specifically, Frost Gelato during my treatment. Neuropathy made it impossible to eat or drink anything cold. Each treatment put me another week closer to the moment I could visit Frost for my Alpencaramel/Tiramisu combo. Last week, that moment arrived. I felt like Norm in Cheers as Cindy, Kev, Leah and I walked into the shop. Hugs from the owners and lots of questions about how I was doing. More importantly, I enjoyed my first gelato in nearly 6 months.

Having something as minor as my next gelato helped keep me going. My friends and colleagues from Phoenix and around the country were also important to my successful completion of my therapy regimen. Finally, my family was crucial. They took care of me, sat with me, put up with me and my down moments, and shared in my successes.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey via TPREG. Thanks Jay for sharing your platform. I would like to ask for one more favor. Do not be afraid and get your check-up. If the worst is found, attack that elephant, rely on your ants, and find your “gelato” that keeps you moving to your own personal finish line.

By the way, I’m here and I would be honored to help.

Jay’s Note: Thank YOU, Bill, for sharing your journey. You’ve taught a lot of people a lot of different things — not just about cancer, but about life, and how to win at it. I’m off the heart meds that kept me from getting scoped, so I’m up!

And Down The Stretch They Come!

March 29, 2013 By Bill Risser

And Down The Stretch They Come!

I love that call in at the Kentucky Derby every spring. One day, I will make it to Churchill Downs and be there live. Yep, it’s on the bucket list.

Bucket list… hmmm… file that away for a future post.

I’m writing this post on March 27th. Today, I started Therapy No. 11. After the pump comes off Friday, only 1 to go. If that ain’t the home stretch, I don’t know what is!

So, here’s how things went today.

Alex, I’ll take “Best Laid Plans” for $500. The answer is “You can’t have your treatment today”

I buzz in with “What is are my blood counts too low?”

Correct. Crap.

I have planned out my entire April and part of May on the assumption that the final treatment ends on Friday, April 12th. I have to have my treatment today! Dr Mendonca, my rock star oncologist, and my wife Cindy, calmly listen to me describe the 7 appointments that will need to be cancelled and the fact that I have the SEVRAR Golf Tournament on Friday and I really, really want to be done on the 12th.

Cindy reminds me that my health comes first and my therapy trumps anything else. She’s right. I know it. I just don’t want to accept it.

Dr Mendonca asks me about my worsening neuropathy. My feet feel as if the bottom 1/2 inch is numb, but the rest is extra sensitive. I know it makes no sense, so let’s just say my feet are jacked up and everytime they touch anything like carpet, concrete or the sheets, it does not feel good. A more recent development is in my hands. My fingers feel as if there is no blood flow to anything above the second knuckle. They are cold and they are super sensitive. Finally, I still have not had any drink with ice since October 23rd due to the pain swallowing cold drinks.

Dr Mendonca suggested that we could skip the Oxaliplatin portion of my therapy. I have already taken 10 full doses and by skipping it this time, I can get some neuropathy relief and the low platelet and white blood cell counts are not as critical with the 5-FU drug on it’s own. And I can stay on track to finish on 4/12. Did I mention how much Dr Mendonca rocks?

So, I sit here at home, instructed to avoid crowds due to my reduced immune response. That means a lot of work fine-tuning my AAR Spring Conference Power Sessions (blatant plug) and I can get some serious work done on an iBook I am developing for our Commercial/Builder Services team. It could be a whole lot worse.

I’m sure I will continue posting here about my journey as long as Jay allows. After April 12th, I do not see my doctor for three months. They will do a scan and we look at the results hoping for a clean scan. One year post surgery in early September, I will get a follow-up colonoscopy. (Sidebar – If you are 50 or over, have you had your colonoscopy yet? What are you waiting for!! Go!!!) All of this continues in some fashion until we hit the magic 5 year mark.

I wish I could individually thank everyone that sent me a note, article, cookies, food of the month subscription, a bag full of healthy stuff to eat, thoughts, prayers, or just a kind word when we met at an event. I hope I thanked you at the time. You will never know how much every one of these gestures helped me in keeping a positive attitude and pushed me through the initial uncertainty, the surgery, and finally my therapy, i just used this CBD oil and feel great even after surgery.

Finally, there is no way I get to this point without Cindy and Kev. Each has their own style. No need to detail them here. Let’s just say they are both extremely effective. I love you two as big as the sky and I am so grateful you are in my life.

And down the stretch I come, the finish line in plain sight. Sweet.

Far Too Many to Thank

What Happens in Escrow When Buying a Home?

Let Me Eat Cake

Elephants, Ants and Gelato

And Down The Stretch They Come!

Who is The Phoenix Real Estate Guy?

Recent Posts

Search TPREG