I sleep with my blackberry and my dog Luna. I used to keep that a secret, but I figure now with a blog, what's the point. One of the first things I do when I wake up is check my email while I am still laying around in bed, especially when I've fallen asleep early the night before. I'm always afraid I've missed something. This morning I woke up to reading this:

Dear Adina,

Thanks so much for your prompt response. It is a pleasure to deal with someone who is so responsive and professional. I can say that anyone we ever referred to you received the same kind of response from you.

Again many thanks,

Diane Brown Harris Stevens

I wrote back to her this morning thanking her for her kind words and letting her know that it does mean a lot to me to hear these things. Being very responsive, which I am, doesn't come without sacrifice. Yes, I am the friend at brunch that leaves her blackberry on the table. My lovely and supportive friends are wonderful to me about it. I don't really ever turn off. Maybe to a fault. I try to. But it's hard. I always crack a little smile when I think how my company is called "Adina" which is me. This company is me. I mean it quite literally. Anyone else out there who built a small business from nothing knows just what I mean. And anyone in Real Estate or who works only for commission knows too. It's hard to turn off when you work on commission. Still after all these years, there is always that underlying worry for your next deal. That's what happens when you don't have a paycheck. And when the company is yours, it's your heart, your soul, your sacrifice, your time, your vision. You do what you have to do to make it work. At least in my field, my blackberry is my lifeline to pretty much everything. I keep in touch with my clients and my agents this way. I am always on it. I pretty much replace it every six month because the poor thing just can't take it anymore. I get like 300 emails a day. Never mind the texts and the calls and how many times I drop it.But I do have to thank Diane from Brown Harris Stevens this morning for acknowledging me today. Yes, it made me feel good.

Last night before I cuddled into bed with my blackberry and the dog, I sent a search to a long time client I have who now wants to buy a Condo for his son to live in with a roommate and then rent it out in the future. Believe it or not a ran a search from $390K to $750K and 63 Condo apartments came up in the database in Manhattan from lofts to two bedrooms all updated within the past 14 days. I think I will sell them something. One in particular looked really good to me down in Tribeca for $665K with a 24 hour doorman. It was a huge lofty style alcove studio that has been converted into a two bedroom. Sounds perfect for my clients young son and a roommate right now and then I would have them knock the walls down in the future and rent it out for him when his son moves out. The main focus of my company is residential rentals but from time to time I do Sales when I have a referral. This particular client sold me my company's telephone system years ago. I sold his daughters apartment for him as the exclusive listing broker last year- a two bedroom, two bathroom in Turtle Bay and now it looks like I will find this investment apartment for him. I also have a Sales exclusive right now on East End Avenue which is a great deal. It's a proper one bedroom with a dining area for only $495K in a really nice Upper East Side Doorman Coop. Believe it or not, one of the part time Doormen there is also a full time super in one of my exclusive rental buildings. I have known him for seven years now and he highly recommended me to that Seller. I met the owners of the apartment and we hit it off. So that's how I got that exclusive. I love Real Estate. I love it because you get your foot in the door by being a nice person and then you succeed because you are good at what you do. I like being a good person and it makes me feel good to be good at what I do too.