I knew this day would ROCK ..if I could get that Hubcap thingy!

Background story:

Last week I came roarin' around the corner of 4th and Hulman -- headed to Coldwell Banker -- and HIT the curb... HARD. 

I thought "Check that tire when I get in the parking lot."  But -- I pulled in, grabbed my bag, my laptop, my purse, my coffee, -- and forgot to look at the tire.

Got home.. got back on the computer doing a little work, Matt walks in and says "You're missing the center cap on your tire."

"Crap!  I hit that curb at 4th and Hulman and forgot to check it!"  Drove back to 4th and Hulman-- cap has walked off...

This is what I had:

This is what I needed:

E was not happy about waiting.. I told her "Give me five minutes!" We leaned against the car facing the front entrance of Baesler's with the subject vehicle in our peripheral vision. 

...We had just walked out of Baesler's moments ago with a few things for breakfast tomorrow and SMACK it hit me in the face -- there was a car JUST LIKE MINE with 2 missing center caps on the passenger side.. Could it be?  Might there be one surviving cap on the driver's side?  YES!  There was JUST ONE! 

Well, if they've already lost three.. maybe they'll take 10 bucks for the fourth.  It's worth a shot!

E was already nervous.  "No Mom!  Don't ask.  Let's just get our groceries and go home!"

...So we wait.

Everybody walked out of Baeslers and towards that car.. I tried to size them up ... imagine negotiations.

Not all of five minutes later a friendly looking girl in a Harley Davidson shirt carried her one grocery bag over to the car.

"We got her!"  I said outloud and grabbed E's arm.  She resisted, so I had to drag her just a little bit as I ran.

"Mam!"  She turned and looked at me.  (I know the feeling when some stranger comes up to you in the parking lot and begins her question with "Mam"..  I wish there was a better way..)

"I've got a crazy question for you.."

"Well, I've got a crazy answer!"  (Oh good, she's a sport!)

"That's my car over there.. identical to yours, and I'm missing one hubcap."

"I'm missing one hubcap too!" She said and pointed to the front driver's side wheel.

"Actually you're missing 3!" I walked around to the passenger side, "You don't have any over here!"

Then I pointed out the center cap on the "one good wheel" and blurted it out.

"Would you sell me this one for $10..."

YES!!!  We shook on it .. I was so happy I tried to give E a high five.. but she practically backed into traffic to avoid me. 

So instead I asked her take our picture!

Her name is Ally.. and she's a great girl!!

There IS something to be learned here..

Don't be afraid to go for it!  **  Always keep your eyes open!  **  Don't buy parts from the dealer!

Let's not "gravel" about Easements.. ok?

What have I been preoccupied with of late..

Easements and Private Road Agreements

(You have to say it like "Eeeeeeeeasements" ..so that it hangs in your ear for a while.)

Imagine this:

Houses numbered 1-9.  I list house #8.  We find a buyer.  She's a veteran - just returned from Iraq. 

The house is near the end of a Private Road.  The title company won't insure the access to this house because there is no easement on file at the County Engineers office.  (Insert my best "bear growl" here...)

An easement allows someone to access their property thru another persons property.  In this case house #1 allows houses # 2-8 to drive across a small portion of their property to get home.  House #2 allows #3-8.. and so on. 



(In the course of all of this I have found out that an easement to someone's home CANNOT be denied.  A judge will order the property owner to grant an easement to the needy homeowner.) 

BUT, who has time to wait for a judge?  We have a VET who needs to get in her house so....



I'm off to get some easement docs signed on this beautiful summer day.

Matt and the girls came with of course.. it sounded like something we could have fun doing together, right?

There were some nice neighbors.  We got to hold this baby duck and the homeowner let E name it.  Put on the spot to quickly name a duck before we moved to the next house.. E blurted out "QUACKIE!"  And the owner said.. "Quakie, it is!"

Of course shortly thereafter the girls had to use the restroom so Matt drove off to take care of business and left me to hoof it.



This is the exact spot I tweeted about the sequence and the easement docs!

Hmm, did I get all the names?  It's almost hard to believe considering 2 of the deeded homeowners are deceased, one is in a nursing home several counties away, and one land owner is possibly the most cantankerous, full-of-it, eccentric person I've EVER met.. BUT man... I would LOVE to hear more of her hair brained stories (..even though I probably won't believe a word of them.)



(Not actually her.. but you she gives you an idea..)

....Yes!  I got all the signatures.  (Except from the deceased.. although for a minute there I thought the title company was going to push me on those.  Geesh!)

What's the lesson in this story for YOU:  Do you live on a Private Road?  Do you NOT have a Private Roadway Maintenance Agreement -- be it however vague or generic?  Is your road NOT maintained by the county?  Does your title policy exempt your access to your property?  Do you have a deceased relative listed on your deed?



If you answered YES to ANY of these questions.. Check on it BEFORE you list it -- Call me I'll try to help.  It will save you some time and a headache or two later... not to mention white rock is HARD on your realtors strappy leather sandals!

All three of these stories are TRUE and all PAINFUL on some level..

Real Estate is endless.. If that key didn't shut off at 8 or 9pm we would be making appointments in the wee hours of the morning.  I KNOW I would.. Infact, I'd think that was GREAT because I could show houses while the kids were sleeping! 

And that's just not right, is it?

If only I could make all my phone calls in the wee hours.. while the kids are sleeping..



Yesterday afternoon I was  driving down Ohio Blvd.  I had just gotten some gas and picked up drinks for the girls and me to take with us as we were headed out to see Daddy. 

I dialed up a client.. ...just before G decided to give E (what MUST have been) the-most-painful-pinch-of-E's-life.

I'm explaining a Rural Development Loan to my client on the phone and E lets out a classic horror film scream from the back seat.  

I reached back and swatted the "pinchee" aka "the screamer." But I am horrible at landing a swat on anything in the back seat -- while trying to drive and talk on the phone.. so I had to try this a couple of times with no success.. just then I hear a "Toot-Toot." Huh? I look up and see a fellow realtor ..waving at us from her SUV perched above. 

Last week our cat caught a bird.. we stumbled upon this after the cat had already devoured half the thing.. the girls and I just stood there watching what he did with it next... Actually the girls stood there with dropped jaws while I was on the phone with a client quietly trying to shew them away with mere hand signals.. I have no real "shewing authority" while on the phone.. I hung up and said to them "Well, let's think of this as a science lesson."  Then I pulled them away from our backyard visual of natural selection.

(This is our cat.. Jelly Bean.  Last summer I took 2 baby squirrels to the Animal Hospital on S. 7th.. I think they both survived!)



It may have been that same day last week that I was again on the phone talking business.. G was trying to move me from the dining room to the living room.  I was appeasing her and giving her the shhh signal with my finger on my mouth.. She lead me into the living room, I continued my phone conversation.  She motioned for me to sit on a wooden rocker we have in there.. I did.  (Insert FART noise!!)

The kids have a stellar whoopie cushion collection.



The phone and the kids -- the combination of -- is still one of my biggest stressers.. Am I crazy?  Are they?  Do they HAVE to scream when I'm on the phone?  Do I HAVE to react as if they've just poked my client in the eye with their DS stylus?

I'm going to HAVE to initiate some "phone free" time at home.  Can it be done?.. I still have to get my brain wrapped around the logistics.  But it is my SUMMER GOAL!






  

We didn't leave town.. but we still had a nice time.  (Minus the LIFE LESSON I had to teach myself before lunch..)

I woke up and jumped out of bed way before everybody else.  'Was certain the day would start early because it would  be PACKED with sooooo many great things.. PLANNED for us to do.

Got my shower first.. so I could be ready.  It was 8am.

Everyone else stayed in bed till after 9...

Ever since we've said "I do" Matt and I have had this conversation:

Me: What are we going to do today/tomorrow?

Matt:  I don't know.  We'll play it by ear.

(I am not a fan of playing-it-by-ear.  I'm a fan of writing things in a notebook and checking them off.)

So as they woke up one by one.. we started playing it by ear.

And it took a little bit for me to get over  "not necessarily having a plan"   ..and just enjoy the fact that we were together.  Ever-so-often a little girl's voice popped up with "Happy Birthday Mommy!"  And Matt leaned over to kiss me (except for early on when I was sulking.. ) 

You know what did it for me?  Realizing it's Memorial Day.  How ungrateful and childish I must look ...thinking I needed to have a planned-out-day..  How many soldiers or their families would give anything to play-it-by-ear today with their loved one? 

I'm embarrassed that I had to remind myself of that at my very new and ripe old age of ... Oh, so you wanna know what we DID do?

He made cupcakes!  They blew noisemakers.  One of them gave me a magic wand!  We lunched with family, grabbed a coffee whenever we wanted, walked the park, visited more family...We even threw shopping in there for a little bit.

These are them.. Funfetti with sprinkles ala girls!



Playing it by ear turned out to be fun.  At my new and ripe old age.. I will try to practice (what virtue is necessary here?)  Patience? The ability to relax?  (Can the ability to relax be a virtue? ..It should be!)  ...I will try it.  ...I can do this! 

 



Don't let yourself get in this position...

Since about 10:30 this morning I am feeling 10 lbs lighter!

HOW? 

I dumped my email account! 

I had over 7000 (SEVEN THOUSAND) emails.  (Maybe not much in some circles..)  

But they were weighing me down..  My email life was in a jumble.. PURCHASE AGREEMENTS and COUNTERS coming in between OLD NAVY SALES and WEIGHT WATCHER RECIPES.

So, how do you JUST -- DUMP over 7000 emails? 

Step One:

Each page on my email account is 50 emails.  I deleted aprox a dozen pages of UNREAD emails.  (I always open anything important ..so I was comfortable doing this.) 

You can select unread emails and then delete them by the batch. This took only a few minutes and took me back to about January in my account.

Step TWO:

I deleted or created a folder for each subject that the pertinent emails were pertaining to.  :)  (That is the "read" emails that went back to aprox January.)

Step THREE:

I convinced myself that if I haven't looked at it in 5 months -- I don't need to keep it.  ...Or else I'll have to use my charm and telephone wit to get another copy of it one day.

Step FOUR:

It took me less than an hour to delete all those thousands of emails

-- and I was entertaining Gina almost the whole time! 

Just select a page at a time ..it takes less time than you think.. TO LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD!!

Pizza, Presents, Poitier, Pasta with Prom, my People, and Proverbs (..not in that order.)

Poitier
I got to spend a little time by myself -- in my own house -- Saturday afternoon.. It was reminiscent of my days at home with Mom and Dad.. They'd leave for a little while and I would TOTALY pamper myself by indulging in a pint of Haagen Daz (I was an ice cream snob in those days..) Perrier (whatever..) and a movie rental.  No kidding.. those three things.. I did it as often as I could.. I was waaay young.. had nothing better going on.

So, yesterday when my husband and daughters went out to do some "secret shopping" I jumped in the bed, flipped on the tv, and came across...

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!

YES!  I've never seen this movie in it's entirety.. 

And I still haven't.. I'm to the point where both fathers have decided they are not in favor of this marriage but the mothers are about to encourage the kids to go for it anyway  ??? (Maybe..) Don't ever tell me what happens!  ...There WILL be another opportunity for me to catch this... one-of-these-days.

Pasta with Prom
I left the movie to join my family for dinner.  We were once again treated to the fashion show that is "Dinner before Prom in Terre Haute."  ..we have fun with that. 

Proverbs
It's Mother's Day.  Breakfast in Bed, fru-fru outfit (on me.)  Kids in sweet dresses.  Husband lookin' handsome.  Sermon is from Proverbs 31.

At one point I lean over to my husband and admit... "This sermon is a little uncomfortable on Mother's Day."

It's alot to live up to, a checklist of the perfect woman.

Then I got it.. and I was thankful for it. 

The pastor didn't say this but I realized afterwards.. When the kids don't live-up-to-what-I-want-them-to I don't walk away and start humming Cee Lo Green songs.

I will continue to be a better Momma, a better wife, daughter, woman-at-large.. and I will continue to receive great big helpings of mercy when I miss the mark.


Presents
G can NOT hardly keep a secret... she tries.. but it usually goes this way:

"I got you something for Mother's Day.  I won't tell you what it is.. but you PUT IT IN THE GROUND AND IT GROWS!"

How sweet!! (Now where do I have the space to grow WATERMELONS in the backyard??)

My People

Pizza
Final thought:

We usually get the thin crust pizza at Monicals.. but Dad wanted to try the thick crust.. YUM!!!

Pepperoni and sausage pan pizza from Monicals ROCKS!

Loans that have typically taken 30 days to close are now taking a little longer.. I have talked to lenders who say there are so many loans in the pipeline right now -- it is slowing things down.

With that being said, grass stops for no man does it?... Nor do weeds.

Buyers have asked me if they can PLEASE cut the grass at the house they are about to buy.. or pull some weeds.

Sometimes it's hard to tell them...

No. 

Don't touch the house until you close on it. 

Don't cut anything...

pull anything...

scrape anything...

paint anything...

or -- for that matter -- wash anything on-or-in the house until you close on it.

Of course you know you don't own it -- BUT, you are about to own it... None-the-less, until we close, the complete responsibilty for maintenance, risk, loss, utlitilies, anything related to the property and it's ownership belongs solely to the seller.

Besides that -- what if something happens and we don't close?

Sometimes it's hard to watch when a seller isn't taking care of things the way you want them to.

My advice is -- don't look, don't drive by it, don't think about it... (easy for me to say, I know.) 

You know, there is a PENALTY for making any kind of change to a piece of property you don't own without permission.. it falls under tresspassing.

I'll tell you how I know that..

A past client of mine had an accepted offer on a house here in Terre Haute.  Cash.  11k.  The house had a covered (not enclosed) patio on the back. 

Shortly after the offer was accepted, I get a call from the listing agent. 

He was a little "freaked out" when he told me that my client was building an addition on the back of his listing.

What?  I couldn't believe my ears.. My client had just asked me if I thought it would be ok to purchase lumber for an addition they wanted to make.  I had said "Sure.. but keep your receipt incase -- for some reason -- we don't close."

I was at home.. I piled the kids in the car and headed over to see for myself.

I took the alley so as to get a good view of the back of the house

Sure enough.. there sat about 8 ladies in a semi circle in the back yard facing the house.. watching their men hammer away on an enclosed patio.

With a lead foot I drove straight home and called my broker.  That's how I learned this type of behavior ..allthough seemingly harmless to this buyer of mine  ...was/is considered tresspassing to a seller.

So don't temp yourself.  Wait till you close!! You will enjoy working on your new home SO MUCH MORE after you officially own it!

(BTW I called my buyer immediately and asked them to stop working on the house.. I spoke to the wife... Her response was "You told me I could buy the wood!"  My response was "I did NOT tell you you could nail it to the house!!")

Catchin' up as it's been a few days...

Hey!  Did you run in the Indy Mini today?  So many of us Hautians do.. I was thinking we should have a Pre-Mini in Terre Haute on the weekend before the Main Event.... Fun idea? 

Aww I didn't do the mini.. but I did just get in from my 3mi in the 'hood.

Did you happen to hear the news...??  I didn't get a chance to post it on FB but several of my fellow agents did. 

Our office pended 100 (ONE HUNDRED) sales in the month of April. 

Wow! 

That's HUGE!! 

Pended sales are contracts that were accepted and signed by both the buyer and the seller. 

So now ...guess what us peeps at Coldwell Banker are gonna do...?

C'mon ONE guess is all ya get...

(...Like we need a reason! Ha!  We celebrate the fall bdays, the spring bdays, ..we celebrate the start of our sales meetings!!) 

But what a GREAT reason this one is!!!

(*Another good sign the market is on the up and up... I'm hearing there are a few new agents being hired.  I just got an offer from a "newbie" this past week.  A very well written offer I must add...)

So, if you were at the Indy Mini .. Cheers to you!  ...And I'll repost my earlier FB status update as you probably would have missed it...

Going to an Open House this weekend?

3 words of advice:

1.) Go in to as many as you can.  I know you've looked at alot online but a house can appear completely different in person.

2.) Play your cards close to your chest with the agent at the open house.. They are the listing agent and it's a good idea not to spill the beans about which features your in love with.  (But it's ok to leave your phone number... I promise they will NOT sell it!!)

3.) First thing this coming week.. go get pre-approved.  If you decide to make an offer you will have more power behind you and will look more attractive -- right off the bat -- to the seller.

Have a great weekend!!

(Final Note:)  KY Derby is about to start.. I am cheering for Bodemeister  ...There I've got it in writing incase he wins!!

I am not COMPLETELY anti - Dave Ramsey

You know Dave Ramsey?


Assumedly nice guy, formerly bancrupt, financial guru.. making millions.


I listen to his radio show..  Churches teach his financial theories during the work week.  I really do like him ..I just disagree with him about ONE thing...


Listen to me when I tell/write you.. "DO NOT FOLLOW HIS ADVICE IN REGARDS TO YOUR CREDIT SCORE."


Ultimately your credit score will improve if you pay your bills on time and get that balance down -- as he advises.


BUT!  Lack of attention to a credit score WILL make it hard for you to do other things (unless, of course, you're Dave Ramsey and you have millions in cash to do whatever you want.)

You will pay higher insurance rates on auto and home policies.

You may not get a job you want when your potential employer runs a credit check.

Not to mention you will not get a mortgage with a good interest rate if you have a low credit score.  Dave's not worried about that -- because he wants you to pay cash for your house. 

Grrrrr!!!!!!! 

Don't feel guilty about putting a mortgage on your home! 


Of course don't bite off more than you can chew...

YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE ALL THE MONEY THE BANK IS WILLING TO LOAN YOU.

Use your head.. follow Dave's advice.. it's good stuff.. but (I beg you) guard your credit score.. It's too valuable not to!

Taking my kids to the office.. The DANGERS and the DELIGHTS

You know why kids are so quick to learn techno stuff?  B/c they aren't afraid they'll hurt anything.  They'll press whatever buttons they want.. they don't know it might destroy a small village.

Meanwhile.. 'Know why I'm afraid to take my kids to the office?  I'm afraid they'll destroy something!

The kids playing "Weather Girl" in the back conference room.

They're cute and they're fearless.. 

My co-workers are the best group of people --bar none-- anywhere! 

AND MY KIDS LOOOOOVVVVEEEE THEM!

And that brings me to danger #1.. The kids can't decipher between "nice people" and "hard working professionals."

Example.. My broker has an open door policy.  My youngest finds that very inviting... and she's a talker!

Let's see... Danger #2.. The kids get too comfortable with the office stuff. 

Example.. One of my co-workers has a "junk food drawer" or as my kids call it..."the second drawer on the right!"

Is it possible I could think of one more?.. Danger #3.. The kids make NOISE!

Example.. "Mom!! She said I couldn't have that!"  "Mom!!  She hit me!"  "Mom!! She won't give me that!"  "Mom!! Can I have a drink?"

I get very nervous...  (but can't look nervous.. b/c that makes the kids sound louder..)

HOWEVER...  Thru all the "sushing" and the "stay here while I go to the copier" and the "stop doing that or you won't be able to watch TV tonight!" ...I'm doing something that I absolutely will NOT be able to do in only a few months.  I'm (actually) enjoying something that I will -- in only a few months -- think about in the middle of the day ...and wish I was still doing.  The kids are getting out of the house and finding out what grown ups do.. what Mommy does, and on some days what Daddy does.  I get to have my arm around their little waists while I talk to a client on the phone.  I get to watch them create highlighter art and post it booklets.  (Danger #4.. they go thru A LOT of my office supplies!) 

It may be b/c I'm the Momma and I'm blind to what others think about them.. b/c I find them sooo irresistible.. but gosh darn it.. I really do think the delights out weigh the dangers.. but the dangers drive me cccrrraazzzzyyyy!!

As long as I can keep them from monopolizing the receptionist or bugging my broker.. I've got a few more months/weeks of sweetness ...and then (oh shoot!) ....I'm on my own. 

How to be an amatuer runner

And when I say "amatuer" -- I almost mean PRETEND.

I never in a million wild dreams would have pictured myself as a runner -- not even in my youth.. as a little girl who only played outside from sun-up to sun-down, I STILL was never one to "wear myself out"  ..running made my side hurt ...so I avoided it.

BUT one day ('bout 10 years ago) an idea so novel entered my (by this time) sedentary brain.. I just came out and asked myself "Why CAN'T I do it??"

I lived in Farrington Grove and I went for a walk.  Got to the start of one block and challenged myself to run to the end of it.. NO stopping until I got there.  I would WILL myself to the end of the block.. arms flailing.. breathing extremely loud.  (I still don't concern myself with "form" :)

One block led to two, led to three, ...and now (no kidding!) 3 MILES.

I run through my neighborhood, mapped the route with my car.  I've been doing this on a fairly regular basis (most of the time taking the winters off) for 8 years.

No doubt about it -- the best weight loss aid there is.

PLUS a great way to meet my neighbors!  There's a lot of waiving going on, smiles, hello's. 

I think it's a great way for people to come to know me.  Every-once-in-a-while I stop for a conversation.. get a chance to tell people what I do..

Tonight, through the music in my ears, I thought I could hear my name.. I turned around and it was a little group of kids that know me from Erin's school.  It's a great pick-me-up to get these waves and hear my name called out.

It's also a great fount for funny stories.. of late these stories are mostly about the neighborhood dogs.  There's a pitbull that sees me coming everytime.  No matter where she is in her yard, she runs toward the fence as if her hairs on fire!  Barking and growling at me.. she never jumps over the fence (but, I REALLY think she could and just doesn't know it.) 

Well, one day I was headed towards her yard.. so I am thinking about her, with my music in my ears, wandering if this might be the day she realizes she can jump over the fence..  I hear the barking/growling out of the corner of my eye I see the dog ..SHE'S OUT OF THE FENCE!  I -- screamed -- bloody -- murder ...then I realized it was not her ..it was a dachsund I look up and the owner is standing in front of me.  She's yelling at me "She won't bite!!"

I have said that I run as if I'm running on the moon... I'm REALLY VERY slow...

Last week I was running by this REALLY VERY elderly looking gentleman standing there with a dog on a leash (a dachsund btw.) He says something to me but I can't hear over my music.  I take the bud out of my ear..

"What's that?" I ask. 

"You need to run a little faster!"

You know, no matter what you do.. you will have a critic!

One last thing.. Running gives me a great opportunity to THINK.  I suggest everybody give it a try.  Start with one block.  I like to listen to music.  I change it up -- but right now it's Need to Breathe, a couple of Adelle songs, Nelly, an obscure song that Matt found for me a couple of years ago called "Gasoline" unfortunately it's not on Youtube or I would add it here.. I love that one. 

Here's a Need to Breathe song that I like to run to.. The songs don't have to be fast.. they just have to be enjoyable.  The time your running doesn't have to be hard.. make it what you want it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXW2I68IXE

I hardly remember how today started.  I know I pulled into the parking lot at my office and thought.. I've done well.. both kids are dropped off and now I've got a few moments to get things done.  From there.. it gets foggy.

LUCKY NUMBERS

Yesterday I wrote an offer for a client.  She wanted to incorporate her lucky numbers into the offer...

"I would like the offer to be 85,034.22"  She said.

"I've never written an offer with cents," I said, "and I'm not real comfortable with that."

Well, it turns out that the Bears won the SuperBowl in '85.  Walter Payton's number was 34.  And there's another important guy that wears the number 22.

"Ok,"  I say, "What if we offer a whole number and ask to close on May 22nd?"

She said that would work b/c apparently the Bears are red tagging/shirting this 22 guy.

So, I give the offer to the seller's agent.  We are aware there is another offer on this house and they are in a counter situation.. but the seller's agent say he likes our offer and will present it to his client along with the other counter.

Today was a long day.. but the last client I spoke to -- only a few minutes ago -- by phone  -- was this girl with the LUCKY NUMBERS.

I said I was sorry to have to tell her that her offer was not accepted.  The counter offer was $1000 more and even though the seller's agent thought our offer had other things in it that were better for his client.... the seller chose to accept the other counter.

Without missing a beat my client responds:

"The Bears won the Super Bowl in the 85 season ..but the year was 86."

Imagine that! 

I'm learnin' as I go!

See these eggs?  I found them today while scrounging up old plastic eggs to hide for the kids. 

Amazingly, I managed to find 35 that were given to us by different grandparents.  (Thank you...they REALLY came in handy today!)

However, these 8 eggs... I remember buying them 4 years ago for my little preschooler.  She was going to have an Easter Egg Hunt at school.. her first year of preschool.. first Easter Egg Hunt at any school.. maybe even first hunt ever.. we DO shelter these kids!

She was to bring 8 eggs with her name on them for the teachers to hide and then hunt, hunt, fun, fun... Yay!  (See how I put the heart on the "I"?  I thought it made them EXTRA special...)

Would you have known to put candy in the eggs?

I really don't remember that being anywhere on the paper...

But, ALL the other kid's eggs had candy in them. 

The little kids went outside, hunted for their eggs, brought them back into the classroom, opened them up, ate their innards (candy), and had an Easter Party.

Woops..

This year I knew to put candy in Gina's school eggs.

(These are not them.. these are from today... we put change and candy canes in their eggs for the "Home Hunt."  It was either that or steal from their baskets..)

We learn as we go! 

We learn to put the candy in the eggs..

We learn what the kids will and won't eat..

We learn what pushes our husbands buttons..

We learn the best way to negotiate with other realtors..

We learn how to be successful..

We learn what habits are harmful..

We learn how to be a better believer..

AS WE GO!
(Or were you born knowing all this stuff?? ...That would just not be fair!)

The best laid plans...

I am sitting across from this little group.. It's 12:05am.. Matt's Birthday. 

The girls and I have an entire day planned starting at 8:00am.. We've been giggling about it and susshing each other and clapping our hands when we think about it ...for the last 24 hours.  They were certain that they would be going to bed early tonight so they'll be able to get up when we need to ..to start Daddy's birthday. 

Well, it took longer than I thought to go to the grocery store, put things away, get things out, make some of those dishes we wanted to give him..

In the meantime they were watching a movie and fell asleep.. Now here they lay.. after midnight..

Happy Birthday Matt! 

Not saying I've been known to exaggerate ..or blow a little smoke ...but "cute kitchen" can be a relative term. 

Housekeeping issues can be sticky ...I sometimes feel like I have to sugar coat things.. or walk softly.  I can empathize people -- believe me!

But two things that cause me trouble if I exaggerate or sugar coat them:

(1) The price I think you will get for your house --

 (2) What I think about the market we are selling in --

It's tempting when I'm looking into my seller's sweet, puppy dog eyes.. to say "Wow, this is nice!  Start packing this will sell fast!  Where do you want to price it?  Oh definately, I agree!"  But...

My broker puts it this way "I'd rather tell you now what I really think you will get for your home than put the wrong price on it and try to explain to you later why it hasn't sold."

With that in mind... Lately I have been talking about our local housing market in a very good light.   We are improving and the future is looking good -- infact, RIGHT NOW is looking good!

Not everyone believes me... (Wha??)

The following is a conversation I had on Linkedin the other day with someone who (it appears) has not spoken with a local Realtor about our market. 

I am not "blowing smoke" with this guy.  I quote him what's actually going on at our office. I really am expecting some great sales this year!  I hope I got thru to "SF"  but he sounds pretty indoctrinated with the negative stuff we are constantly being fed from other places....

Linkedin Convo from the Linking Terre Haute Group:

Debbie Hill • I'm experiencing GOOD THINGS connected to our local housing market. What's your experience? 'Just came out of a sales meeting where Brian Conley gave us great info about our LOCAL Real Estate market. If you have a house that could be priced between 100k and 250k NOW is the time to put it on the market. Our iventory is LOW in this price range!

SF • So long as the banks keep refusing to lend, you'll have very few buyers in that price range. The rise of rent/lease to own is the only good thing happening in the Terre Haute real estate market.

Debbie Hill • Hi S! So great to get a comment on my topic! Although, I really must respectfully disagree with you and here's a couple reasons why.. Our inventory in the Terre Haute MLS is the lowest it has been in 10 years.. GREAT time for buyers to buy. I just met with lenders from Terre Haute First Fiancial and they confirmed a USDA loan that can be had by a borrower with as low as 600 credit score. I have not experienced the banks refusing to lend. It has taken a little longer to get a few loans closed but we're ok with that. Rates are LOW.. really LOW. Thankfully Terre Haute is a "Market All It's Own" and buyers can take advantage of our stability.

SF • I don't disagree that it's a buyer's market and rates are really low. But 600 is still higher than the 520 it was a few years ago for FHA, and most of Vigo County is ineligible for USDA loans at 600, making 620 the de facto score for a buyer in Terre Haute. Generation Y (aka the Millennials) are screwed and will continue to be for 20+ years unless some reform happens at the Federal level. See: http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/education-planning/studen-loan-debt-bomb-threatens-us-housing-market

Debbie Hill • The mortgage business definately needed some correcting and although it does make some buyers with scores as low as you say ineligible for a mortgage, sales are not suffering. As of this moment 2:25pm on March 28th there are 68 pending sales on the board -- that's JUST AT COLDWELL BANKER! I can vouch that a good number of those are Generation Y'ers!

(This isn't me.. just a HAPPY Realtor!!!)

Check out this site: http://www.conleyappraisals.com/VigoCountyResidentialMarketStudy
This is great information about our MLS compiled by Brian Conley.. Call me and I'll go thru it with you!