from Tim Burrell:  When you move, all the networks you had at your old home are gone.  When you come to the Triangle, you need to get someone help you get re-established and give you the connections and tips that make life easier.  A short story will illustrate the point.

I renewed my drivers license yesterday.  When I drove up to the Division of Motor Vehicles office, I could see the line extend out the door, where 8 people were standing in the sun in 94 degree heat.  Inside the line snaked back and forth twice along the length of the the waiting area just to get to the first contact with a government representative.  One those waiting got past there, there were rows of chairs, all full, that they had to wait through.  Once they worked their way to the front of the chairs, when their number was called, they could actually start the process of getting a new license.  It would take hours for the those who do not know the system to wait through the line.  The new laws about Homeland Security make the process much more difficult and time consuming.

I had an appointment.  I went past those sweating in the sun, skipped the snaked line, when to the desk, got the next number, bypassed all the chairs, and went to the next available examiner.  From the time I parked my car to the time I walked out of the office with the new license was 28 minutes, most of which was taking the test and waiting for my picture.  The trick is to know how the system works to make it as easy as possible on you.  In this case, the trick is the appointment.  It is unfortunate that the Division of Motor Vehicles does not tell people that it is much easier with an appointment.

When you deal with families that move into town that need to re-establish their life all the time, you learn the ways to make their lives easier.  Drivers licenses is one example. Dealing with Utilities is a second example.  School information and procedures is another.  Special needs and medical requirements is a fourth.  Connecting to religious organizations is a fifth.  I could go on and on. 

When I started in real estate, Realtors had value because they knew the homes for sale. Now,  I put all of those on the Internet for everyone to see.  The value of service, and a broad range of service,  is much more important today.     

By the way, you can find what you need for a drivers license in Wake County by clicking here .  It has the basic information, not the tips that come with experience.  If you want more general information about other parts of driving, go to http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/