You will get a laugh out of this, too bad it is so true! For those of you who are not Realtors, this will give you some insight!
Thank you to Andrew for this!
Year-End things to do December 29, 2007
The end of the year always fills me with optimism for the year to come. I see the fresh, blank calendar pages, just waiting for me to plan my successes. My birthday is at the end of the year too, so I feel like I can really start fresh with every new year. This year, I have set many of the same goals as I usually do, things that are quite typical like lose weight, get rid of debt, be more organized and advance my career.
I am sure that many of you have the same types of goals for 2008. Maybe this will even be your year to buy your first home, or sell your current home and move up from where you are living now.
Here are some ideas of things to do to prepare you for the New Year:
Review the past year– what was successful? what didn’t quite work? How can you make 2008 better?
Start gathering your tax information, April 15th will come sooner than you think.
Get your free Credit Report, everyone is entitled to one free, and it is a good time to do it if you haven’t already this year.
Plan the next few months, go ahead and put important things on your calendar or planner right now. I have already scheduled all of my weekly sales meetings, prospecting time, and mailings to be sent next year!
Make your doctor and dentist appointments, so that you won’t forget to do it!
Clean out your office– all those 2007 files can be put into storage to make way for all the new 2008 info.
While you’re at it, now is a great time to de-clutter your home too! Sell it on EBay or even better, donate them to charity!
Review your savings account, 401k, investments and BUDGET for 2008. Review any debt you may have and make a plan to get it paid off.
However you spend you New Year’s Eve, I hope that you have a wonderful, and safe time. I will be reflecting on the past year and planning a very successful 2008!
Different cultures, different ideas on how homes should be built December 20, 2007
Realtor magazine reports that builders are starting to take different cultures’ opinions into account in designing layouts for their homes. Builders are listening when Asian buyers say that it is bad feng shui to have the stairway lead right to the front door, they say that it allows the luck to run right out. Some builders in the South and West are building homes with more bedrooms that are smaller, so that Hispanic immigrant families can stay together, as is their tradition. Many Hindu families would prefer that their home faces east and has the kitchen in the center. I have actually seen this in my office, when a couple only wanted to look at homes facing east. Some Indian buyers refuse to buy a foreclosed home because they believe it is important to buy a home where the previous owners had been happy and prosperous. Because America is such a melting pot, it is important to take different cultures into consideration.
Cool Site alert! December 18, 2007
This is a pretty cool website, especially if you have kids. Puzzle Maker allows you to make your own puzzles like crosswords, word searches and many others. You can put in your own words or clues and it is very easy to do. My kids love it when I make a word find for them. Just a little bit of fun on a cold winter’s day!
Indiana’s Best Buy Schools report released December 17, 2007
Last week the Indiana Chamber of Commerce released it’s annual report on the best high schools in the state in comparison to the tax dollars they use. They take into account ISTEP, SAT, and Advanced Placement scores as well as gradutation rates. This year’s report also included charter schools for the first time.
Meteor Shower, Anyone? December 13, 2007
Meteor showers are pretty neat, especially if you have the will to brave the elements and stay awake into the wee hours of the morning to see them. Perhaps as you come home from a late night, you can catch a glimpse. Well, the “best” meteor shower is coming this week, so grab your warm blankets and gallons of coffee, and look towards the sky for a great show. Thursday night and into Friday early morning will be the time to check out the Geminid meteor shower.
Some meteors may be visible as soon as it gets dark (I hope so for the sake of my kids) but the intensity will be up around 10pm and reach its peak by 2am. It’s going to be cold out there, so be sure to wrap up, a quick check of the weather shows it will be below freezing!
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a house, no, it’s a condo! December 11, 2007
A new trend in homes is coming out, and I thought this article about it on MSN.com was quite interesting. These appear to be traditional, single family detached homes, but they are actually condos. As with a condo, the home is maintenence free. Lawncare is taken care of, as well as the exterior of the home. There are several different options in how these can work, but typically, the buyer would actually be owning very little in this situation. In come cass, you would own the building, but not the land. In other states, it may be that the buyer owns everything from the flooring (i.e. Carpet) and paint inward. The actual floorboards and drywall are owned and goverened by the condo association. There are pros and ons, but if this option looks good to you, give me a call and I would be happy to help you find your own free-standing condo.
Open House today, come check it out! December 9, 2007
Today from noon-2pm, Open house at 1078 Liberty Drive in Linden Square. Located just west of the intersection of 10th (100 N) and Raceway. Beautiful 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home, in a great neighborhood. Very nice patio, open, bright floorplan. View the listing here, then stop by to see this gorgeous home.
White House to help Mortgage Mess December 6, 2007
The treasury is set to unveil plans to help with the current mortgage crisis by freezing interest rates at the lower “starter” rates for 5 years on some loans. Adjustable rate loans are about to reset, and many borrowers are about to find out that they can no longer afford the payments on their home. To help with this impending doom, President Bush is expected to announce the plan today.
With so many borrowers owing more on their home than it is worth, there is a huge risk of foreclosures. Adding to this burden with a re-adjusted ARM is enough to send many over the edge.
