Blog To You!

Happy New Year Everyone! It’s time to get things in order for 2008. I’ve just finished writing all of my personal, family, financial, and business goals and it’s a bit overwhelming but I’m motivated to get started!

If one of your goals is to buy or sell a home this year the best advice is to plan ahead. So many people wait until they list their home to get it ready for sale. And many buyers wait until they are ready to start their search to determine what they want, what they can afford and in what area they wish to live. These are big decisions that warrant a big plan.

For Sellers:

1. Find a great Realtor   Your Realtor is a great place to get advice on how to plan ahead and what you can do before you list your property to get top dollar. (We are happy to assist you months in advance and provide you with great tips for free!)
2. Declutter   This can take a long time if you’ve lived in your home for many years or if you happen to be a big saver of “stuff”. Decluttering is similar to spring cleaning. Go through those closets, your pantry, and cabinets and get rid of the “stuff” that’s weighing you down. This is worth doing even if you aren’t selling your home. 
3. Organize   After you declutter and determine what things in your home are staying, it’s time to organize what’s left. Filing, stacking the cans in the pantry, organizing your garage, and getting those closets straightened up are important parts to staging your home. (We’ve got lots of tips for this!)
4. Make it sparkle!    Now that everything is in it’s place, get your home “white glove clean”! Even down to the baseboards and up to the ceiling fans! Don’t forget the patio, front entry, and garage too! Make it sparkle.

For Buyers:

1. Find a great Realtor     Sit down with your Realtor and just chat about your lifestyle, occupation, and future goals with regard to your home. This step will lead you to some answers that will help you in determine the next steps.
2. Find a great Lender     Your mortgage should be taken seriously and your Realtor should have several references for you. Find a lender that you are comfortable communicating with and that you trust will communicate all of the necessary information to your Realtor and all parties to the transaction. Your Realtor has worked hard to develop relationships with a short list of lenders so start there in your search for the right one. 
3. Determine where you want to live     Often times buyers are unsure of the location they would like to live in and spend many hours, days, weeks and months driving around with their Realtor only to change their mind again. Take stock of your needs and wants. Find a city or area that works with your lifestyle and narrow it down as much as possible. You want to enjoy the house hunt not make it a chore for your family by dragging them all over the place.

There are many more things to do in preparation for buying and selling a home. I’m ready to meet with you to provide you with clear direction or just to chat about your concerns. Be Prepared and have a great home buying or selling experience. It’s worth the extra effort!

Have a great 2008!

Every time I turn around there is some natural disaster or unexpected event happening to me, someone I know or to people on the other side of the continent. Those fires occur every year in a new part of the US not to mention hurricanes, tornados, and floods. And what about the regular things that happen to all of us every day like getting robbed, or losing your wallet, or getting sick. What about going on vacation? That’s always the time when something unexpected happens and you need a phone number or policy information.

What I’m getting at is that I finally woke up and smelled the coffee! I got organized for all of these crazy things that life throws at me every day. And I did it with The Be Prepared Book. I use it for everything. I back up the data for soft copy storage, I have a hard copy with my parents for emergencies and I have one at my home for every day use. This book has a place for everything including my doctors, investments, friends, personal goals, collectibles, domain info, and so much more. Just last week I took it with me to my will and trust attorney and it made the meeting go quicker with less billable hours to me in the end. All because I had all of my personal information, contacts, and assets at hand.

I’ve never seen a book like this before but I feel like it saved me and my family many times. So if you think it’s something that would work for you or help organize you, I highly recommend it! As with anything like this it takes some focused effort to get it all into the book but you’ll be so happy you did. Can you imagine having everything at your fingertips if you had just seconds to leave your home in a fire? This book would be a lifesaver during such a difficult time. Find it at www.TheBePreparedBook.com It’s inexpensive and worth it!