Monsters Under The Bed

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Monsters under the bed.

Do you remember? You know that feeling.

The feeling that there REALLY were monsters under your bed.

Fear that would grip you, and the armor of your blanket. And if you just buried your head under your pillow they couldn’t get you.

It’s crazy how real that feels when you are a child.

And then you grow up.

And the fear of monsters UNDER the bed disappears, but the monsters don’t go away.

As adults we just find them other places. In a job loss, a failed relationship or the death of a loved one.

But here’s the beauty in it all.

The imagination of a child is vivid. Just as it conjures up monsters under the bed it can also craft magical lands with unicorns and castles made of cotton candy

So I take a cue from my girls.

When the monsters start to creep in I send my blessings to battle.

For every set back, I have 10 things to be grateful for.

For every hurt, I have any number of dear friends who will stop whatever they are doing to help.

And for every unexpected turn in the road I know God is always with me.

Want To Be Wealthy?

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5 things that will make you wealthy by Dave Ramsey plus one more from me.

  1. Have a written budget. You have to have a written game plan with money or you’re going to lose.

  2. Get out of debt. When you don’t have any payments, do you know what you’ve got? MONEY!

  3. Live on less than you make. In the house of the wise are choice food and oil, but a fool devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20.

  4. Save and invest. 100% of people who don’t save money don’t have any money saved.

  5. Be generous. Follow the 7 Baby Steps and you can be outrageously generous!

And 6. - Buy a home! Long term renting will not create wealth (actually it will but for your landlord). It can be scary but it’s one of the BEST investments you can make for yourself. And you don’t have to have 20% down - that is an old wives’ tale. And remember the interest rate on rent is 100%.

Why Isn't Your Home Sold Yet?

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Here are the three reasons your home is not sold yet.

  1. Price: buyers know the market. They have access to tons of data online and while the market is still crazy buyers are not in the mood to grossly overpay for your home.

  2. Condition: too small, too dated, too smelly, major repairs, dysfunctional floor plan, you get the picture.

  3. Location: too close to the road, in town, out of town, on a mountain, in a valley, again, you get the picture.

Two of these things you can change, one you cannot. So if your home is not selling you will need to have a closer look at and and see what adjustments need to be made.

Be The Lion

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I’ve struggled most of my life with not having a voice.

I was the kid that would shrink into a corner and avoid conflict at all cost. I felt incapable of standing up for myself to the point of destruction.

And on top of that, I’ve always been a people pleaser so my needs and desires took the back seat to everyone else.

But just the other day a dear friend reminded me that I HAD found my voice after all.

Let me tell you the story she reminded me of.

A couple of years ago we were at a women’s conference together. It was the opening session of the conference and we were in a large room with about 100+ people.

The woman speaking was presenting her original art work when suddenly she pointed to me from across the room and said she wanted me to have this painting.

I was dumbstruck.

She said God pinpointed me for this painting and that she hoped it spoke to me the way it spoke to her when she was creating it.

I love the colors, the imagery and the shofar intertwined into the image. The lion is mighty and brave. He looks after his family with fierce loyalty. And he is free.

Be the lion.

Are You Buying A house? Or Renting?

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Buying vs Renting in today’s market.

Which is better?

There are pros and cons to both. But here’s a couple of key points.

  • When you own your landlord can’t raise your rent.

  • When you own your landlord can’t put your rental on the market.

  • When you own you are building equity and wealth for YOU.

  • When you rent and the sewer line fails its not your problem.

  • When you rent you are not in a “committed relationship” with your home.

Homeownership doesn’t have to be out of reach, no matter what you tell yourself. I have great strategies and resources for first time buyers to overcome the fear of buying a home.

Saying Sorry is a Skill

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I’m sorry.

Two small and simple words but sometimes they are so hard to say AND sometimes they are so hard to receive too.

Saying sorry is a skill. You will likely learn how to say sorry (or not say sorry) from someone close to you.

I wasn’t always good at saying sorry, and truth be told there are still times it’s still hard.

BUT these two little words have a way of setting you free.

Now, they don’t erase your misstep or words spoken in anger, but they will begin to build a tiny bridge between you and that other person.

Those two little words have a way of unburdening you of your shame and guilt so you don’t have to carry that heavy load anymore.

And when you can get to the place where “I’m sorry” is the next step you might feel a lightness you didn’t feel before.

I don’t underestimate the importance of being able to say sorry and accept an apology - being able to do so is a journey in becoming your best self.

With gratitude.

Churchill Quotes

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This quote has legs!

It keeps changing for me depending on the times, but that figures because it was written by the great Winston Churchill.

Here’s a couple more famous Churchill quotes.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing, after they’ve tried everything else.”

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Keep the faith.

CO2 Detectors

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Do you have one of these bad boys installed in your home?

If you don’t, I BEG you to go to the hardware store TODAY and pick one (or two, or three) up.

As a guideline, Colorado law requires carbon monoxide detectors be installed within 15 feet of all bedrooms upon the transfer of property. But even if you are not selling your home it’s imperative that you are protected.

Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It steals oxygen from your red blood cells and can steal the life right out of you. You essentially drown without getting wet.

The weather is getting colder and folks are turning on their gas powered heating, so please don’t take a chance.

This is serious stuff. If you read just one of my posts all year, this is the one I want you to really take to heart.

With gratitude.

Let's Ready Your Home For Sale

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Just because we have a lack of inventory doesn’t mean you get to skip the key components for readying your home for sale.

Putting your best foot forward still matters and will be a direct result of a quick sale.

  • Take time to declutter. You are moving anyway so take this time to pack up the items you will not be using or needing in the next couple of months. Clear and clean surfaces matter to buyers.

  • Deep cleaning. No one likes to clean baseboards but now is the time. An unclean house is distracting to buyers and they notice everything.

  • Touch up painting or repainting. Getting rid of scuff marks and dirty walls is a quick and easy way to give your home a nice clean look.

  • Repairs. You know the ones you said you would do when you moved in The loose railing, the missing screen, the broken window pane, now is the time to get those small but important repairs done.

Always Check These Things When Buying A Home

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5 things to always check out when buying a home

  1. The roof. Two things here. What’s the condition of the roof and how many layers of shingles. If there are already two layers of shingles you will have to tear off all layers and re-roof. If there is just one layer you can probably re-roof over it.

  2. The septic system or sewer line. It is possible to have a septic issue and not know it, especially if you are buying a home that has been used as a second home.

  3. Latent moisture. Looks like an old leak, and it might be. But there still could be mold behind the wall.

  4. Water quality and quantity. Will you have enough water and is your water drinkable? Not as much of an issue when you have city water but if you are on a well its important to understand quality and quantity.

  5. Radon levels. Radon is an invisible gas that the EPA reports can cause cancer. Its has been around since the beginning of time. Some homes have very high radon levels and while it might not be a concern to you, you will have to address it when you go to sell your home.

If you have questions, hit me up!

I Am Not A Perfect Mom

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Things I am not: a perfect mom.

Things I am: someone trying my best, day in day out.

When I was pregnant with my first everyone told me that parenting was the “most difficult, yet most rewarding job you will ever have.”

This is not an understatement!

Raising humans is serious stuff! There is lots of second guessing, regrets, missteps and fumbles.

And yet, there is so much love, fun and and adventure.

So what I’ve learned in 14+ years of parenting is that you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously. Our kids have a tremendous amount of “built in grace”.

Ignorance is a Bliss

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When the 2004 tsunami hit Indonesia, Bill and I were on a cross country road trip from Colorado to Vermont.

We listened to music the whole trip and had no idea this catastrophic, world wide event had happened.

It was surreal to pick up a copy of the Boston Globe and see photos of the destruction on the front page. Watching the footage of the disaster on TV was horrifying and it felt weird, knowing this had all unfolded and we had no clue.

Ignorance is bliss and sometimes knowledge = pain.

I felt off center and disoriented. I recognize that might sounds selfish but I have no other way to describe it.

Has anything like this ever happened to you? I would love to hear your story.

Transparency and Honesty

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I lost a potential listing the other day. They decided to go with someone else which is totally okay. You can’t win them all, right?!

In this market it’s incredibly hard to price property. Homes are regularly going for over asking and often with multiple offers.

Sometimes I feel like an agent turned fortune teller, trying to predict the future for my clients.

I am a data freak. In other words, I rely on the data to guide me. So when you ask me to list your home, I am coming prepared with the facts.

What are homes selling for?

How long are they on the market?

What’s the price per square foot?

What’s the available inventory?

How much more can I add to the list price knowing the current market conditions?

At the end of the day, I told these sellers a list price they didn’t like.

I want all my clients, both buyers and sellers, to feel heard, not pressured and above all respected. But part of my job is delivering professional advice.

I can promise you I won’t blow smoke.

I will tell you the straight facts.

I value transparency and being honest.

I will give you my honest opinion on price but ultimately the list price is up to you and I will likely support it even if its over what I think is appropriate.

And I will advocate for you every step of the way. With gratitude

Multiple Offers

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This house, these sellers.

Okay a little back story here. When I first met with this lovely couple they said “we don’t want to list our house, we want to sell it”.

So we discussed the market analysis I had prepared for them and they decided to list their home below my suggested price with the intention of getting multiple offers.

And that’s exactly what happened. 6 offers to be exact and 37 showings!

We hit a couple bumps in the road along the way with inspection items but since they were under contract for WAY over their asking price, the sting of repairs wasn’t quite as bad.

And on the day of closing it was smiles, excitement and gratitude all around. As a professional in my field I can’t ask for anything more.

With gratitude.

What Are You Great/Terrible At?

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Jobs that I’m not cut out for.

Baseball umpire. Seriously, who has eyes that are that quick? I can barely get it right in slow-Mo.

TV newscaster. They have mad skills. They can have someone jabbering away in their ear and still have intelligent and clear sentences come out of their mouths.

Equipment operator. The hand and eye coordination has to be perfect or else you end up with a real mess.

Things I’m pretty good at: listening, problem solving and marketing.

What’s a job that you would be terrible at?

What’s something you are great at? (Hopefully it’s what you do!)

I Don't Want To Mess Up

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I have a deep, innate fear of “messing up”.

Whether its breaking something, forgetting something or missing something, I do what ever I can to make sure I don’t goof up.

This probably comes from being the oldest child of four and having a highly cautious personality to begin with.

From time to time, Bill will need me to operate this thing, which literally makes my heart start to beat faster.

What if I crash into the house?

What if I put it in the wrong gear and break it?

What if I can’t stop the darn thing?

“It’s just like driving a car” he says. Ugh, not even close!

But, as time has gone on, I have gotten a little more comfortable with the basic operation.

What’s something that makes you scared and nervous to try or do?

Questions About Buying A House

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All the “I don’t knows” about buying a house.

When I meet with buyers and sellers I get lots of questions.

How will you show my house?

How much money do I need down?

Who orders the appraisal?

Do I have to have a home inspection?

These are just some of the things people wonder about when buying and selling real estate.

There are so many questions; and you might even feel like you don’t even know what to ask. When you have a trusted and experienced agent to assist you they will be able to anticipate your needs before you even know you have them.

Go in eyes wide open and remember no question is a dumb question!

Mixed Tapes

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REMEMBER MIXED TAPES?

I found this when I was decluttering the other day.

One of my besties made me this mixed tape in high school.

I tried to explain this to my kids but they just don’t get it! They are still trying to figure out where the tape (think Scotch, painters, duct) fits into the equation.

I love this tape. So many great songs that really bring me back.

Remember the intense labor in making a mixed tape?

You had to plan it out so that you didn’t leave too much at the end but also didn’t cut any of the songs short.

You had to really think about the order of the songs not only for aesthetics but for time.

You had to “tend” to the tape player and not wander off for more than a 2-3 minutes for fear of messing the whole thing up.

But it was so much fun. It was a way we showed our friends how much we care for them. Hand picking songs that were representative of our friendships.

What do we do now that is equivalent to making a mixed tape?