Time in a Bottle

If I could have time in a bottle, I tell you what I'm gonna do..... Oh, how true this song really is. Especially when you consider balancing family time with real estate, especially now. Whatever negative rhetoric the media is saying about our current real estate market is a bit skewed. In fact, We've been so busy selling homes in the past 4 months we can hardly get a handle on everything else going on in our life. To schedule a home inspection with a professional company is almost two weeks out, which indicates a very busy time in real estate. On a personal note, if you are like me and have so many irons in the fire you don't know what to, the best suggestion I can make is take time to do what you need to without the distractions from other projects or endeavors. Recently, I've been setting the timer thanks to my kids and I have realized the benefit in doing so is far more effective than just spending quality time with my children, I also seem to accomplish a lot more in the day. I turn the 30 minute dial and don't do anything else, not even answer the phone! Distractions seem to cause 90% of the waisted time that causes frustration and aggrevation by the end of the day. So for what it's worth, put your time in a bottle and cast all your worries away! Good Luck!

New Legislation promotes Sustainable Practices

House Bill 1270 will help clarify and expand the rights of homeowners to adopt sustainable means to conserve energy. From Energy Saving devices such as clothes lines to Solar Roof Panels, residents can make changes to how they chose to consume energy within guidelines set by local Home Owners Associations. The Associations cannot deny residents the opportunity to make green choices to their homes, however the HOA's do have the power to modify the requests per Design Review Committees.

Going Green, What's it all Mean?

Going Green these days seems like the new trend in society. From cars to carpet, even television shows are promoting green episodes to get people to think about the impact they have on the planet. And how in the world are plastic bottles made from Corn?! As a Certified EcoBroker my goal is to educate people on saving energy, time and money as well as give people options to making their homes more sustainable and effecient. There is a lot of information out there and it going to take time before we are all on the same page, but like eating an Elephant we can do it one piece at a time. Did you know that most of the new home smells come from toxic paints and glues made from Formaldehide? Did you also know that most new furances are only about 50-60% effecient because the duct work is not properly sealed?


What if you could make your home more comfortable, healthy and comsume less energy leading to more money in your pocket? Would you make changes to reduce waste and resources? How about making your home more appealing to buyers in a Buyers Market with energy efficient upgrades? Fuel prices are not going down, auto manufactures are scrabbling to make high mileage cars, Solar Panel companies are as busy as ever - What's this all mean? Change is happening and it's an exciting time to be alive and whitness a revolution in consumerism/ conservation.

If you would like more information on how to make your home energy effecient with minimal costs or to give your home sale that extra attraction that says my home is the best, send us and email or call. We will help educate you on greenifying your home and answering questions that help you understand what it means to be green!

Things to live by

Words of wisdom....For you younger people my advice for the most important skills to have in life are Social, Accounting and Time Management. If you nail down these three your life will go like clock work!

Best of Luck!

It's okay to make mistakes

It okay to make mistakes, that's how humans grow intellectually. Just as long as you learn from them and don't keep on repeating the same thing. Currently, I'm re-reading the book by John C. Maxwell "Failing Forward" and it is fantastic! This book is about shaping our attitudes about failure in life and embracing the chances to make mistakes and learn from them. Most people really are products of their environment and it takes a special breed of person to not be subjected to outer influences. As for me, I have to be in a positive environment all the time. It keeps me going and reminds me that I have a purpose and that I can make a difference. Good company is good for the soul, bad company ruins good morals. Like Mamma used to say, "Junk in, junk out!" Regardless if that is food for the body or food for the soul.

With that said I'd like to thank my business partner Mike Wharton for making our company what it is today. It's not every day you find someone as dedicated to professionalism and fun to work with as Mike.

If you have any thoughts or need a little insight, send me an email.

Until then have a wonderful day!

Straight Talk in Real Estate

Since I will be shooting a television episode tomorrow I thought I would post a blog Tuesday night. I recently made a phone call to my Grandma-In-Law's neighbor with regard to asking them why they allowed their home to look so poorly compared to the rest of the neighbors (peeling paint, holes in the sophets, broken doors, oil stains in driveway, etc...). Keep in mind this is an older neighborhood with no convanents so the the owners can do pretty much as they please. The neighbors were not home so I left a message which they returned this evening. In our conversation the neighbor said they were offended by my message and what right did I have to ask about the poor condition of their home. In short, I told her that my late Grandfather who owned the home before them took very good care of the house 6 years ago and that it is sad to see what has happened to the house since then. My intention was not offend but to question why especially when money is not an object as she told me. I told her that we all have a responsibility to take care of each other, hence keeping things in check.

All to often I find that people walk around issues as to not offend anyone. Personally, I think it is better to speak honestly and frankly. Why are so many people afraid of the truth? With regard to what right I had to speaking so straight forward about the neighbors home? I care what my neighborhood looks like even if it is my Grandpa's! Although, had the neighborhood had an HOA or covanent controlled community I probably would not have needed to say anything because that is what most associations are for - keeping things in check! The lady I spoke to said she hopes I don't treat my clients the way I spoke to hear and I disagree! What type of person do you want representing you? Someone who lets things slide or a person who tackles the issues head on? Life is too short not to stand for something especially when it deals with family and your home!

Working with Good Buyers

This past week I've had the pleasure of working with several buyers. Both clients had specific needs in vastly different locations. Despite their unique choices and parameters in homes, one thing was the same, both were a pleasure to work with. Why? Because they appreciated the effort that we as realtors go through in order to find that almost perfect home (since no home is ever perfect). From searching through metrolist, finding the homes that meet the criteria, filtering the "cream puffs" from the really terrible homes advertised to look good, setting the showings and trying to make sure that the time scheduled is accurate with the amount of homes to look at, etc, etc.. Needless to say the days can be long and that's just the beginning.

What makes a good buyer? A good Agent and a common goal to constantly be informed. A well informed buyer will usually have more confidence in the process than one who is less informed in addition to being prepared to make decissions and ultimately enjoy buying a home as much as we did in selling one.

So as a realtor, to all of you whom help make our jobs a bit easier, thanks for appreciating what we do and asking all those questions because that's what keeps us going!

If you have had any good or bad experiences with buying or selling a home let us know, we would like to hear from you!

Until then, keep on smiling and have a wonderful day!