Falling Short

Short sale, pre-foreclosure, and foreclosure, are all too common phrases/words in the real estate market today.  More and more people, and families are finding their homes they once thought to be affordable, very unaffordable.  There are a myriad of reasons for homes going into default, and every situation is inherently unique.  While it is very unfortunate that this many homes are going into default, there is something we as Realtors, potential buyers or sellers can do to stop homes from going into foreclosure.  That is right, go back and read that line, there is something (not always but sometimes) that we as Realtors, potential buyers, or sellers can do to help.  Imagine people helping people stop the devastating process of foreclosure?  Sounds like a pretty simple idea…people helping people.   A short sale not only does less damage to your credit, but also stops the process from being dragged out any longer.  So, as you sit on the edge of your seat you are probably wondering, what is the answer?!?  The answer is simple, educate yourself.  Educating ourselves can help move along these short sales quicker, preventing homes from foreclosure, and get buyers a great deal on a home, while helping the seller sell their  distressed property!  The short sale process for a seller and Realtor can mean an abundance of paperwork, deadlines, and more paperwork.  Also, many buyers are put off from buying a short sale home, fearing that it will take too long, need too much work, or never go to settlement.  We in the real estate industry need to keep up on all the latest short sale trends, understand the short sale process, know the Equator system inside and out, be diligent about getting paperwork in on time to the bank, and to not let ourselves be bullied by banks.  Dealing with a short sale home is by no means easy, but it does not have to be impossible.  I am not a short sale expert, but with every short sale deal I complete I learn something, and it makes that next deal so much easier.  I have taken the time to learn the process, and in turn educate my buyers, sellers, and other Realtors so they too understand the process.  While a seller coming up short on their mortgage is devastating, it can become a great bargain for the right buyer.  So, buyers please do not shy away from short sales.  Below I will highlight what I believe to be the most important aspects for buyers, sellers, and Realtors when it comes to the short sale process.  What are your thoughts/experience when it comes to the short sale process?  Please share any insight, as it can only help!  Enjoy each day!

Realtors

*Keep in constant contact with the bank when negotiating.

*Learn something from every short sale deal.

*Learn the Equator system.

*Be diligent about meeting all deadlines from the bank.

*Educate yourself in the form of classes, webinars, and articles or books.

Sellers/Buyers

*Interview the agent before you choose.  Pick a Realtor who is well versed in the short sale process…it will only make life easier for everyone!

*Educate yourself about the process by asking your Realtor questions.

*Sign and complete all paperwork ASAP when requested by the bank, or your Realtor.

*Be patient…if you choose the right Realtor, and  are on top of your paperwork the deal SHOULD go through.

Growing kids…shrinking home?

Sometimes a large family is in the cards, but a large, or larger house is not.  Fear not!  It is a very popular line of thinking that you outgrow your house, or your first home is only a starter home.  However, with the economic crisis in our country, massive layoffs, and high unemployment it is time to rethink the space in your home.  Instead of trying to create more space, work with what you have, using organizers, bins, and more creative ways to store all of your “stuff”.  Some of the major problem areas for families can be closets, shared bedroom for kids, kitchen, playroom, and bathrooms.  I frequent a few stores for storage solution ideas, regularly scour websites for ideas, and sometimes buy an organization magazine or two for ideas.  This past weekend I spent a few hours organizing closets, and realized that I can now fit so much more stuff in them.  They were not really filled to the brim, they just gave off that illusion.  So, with some $12 organization bins, and a trash bag I set out to conquer these closets.  Not really to my surprise, a lot of the stuff in there was trash, or Goodwill worthy.  Therefore, before you think you have outgrown your home, take a look at the stuff in the home, grab a trash bag, buy some organizers, donate what is not being used to charity, or have a yard sale.  It is amazing the space you will create.  Also, this is a great idea not only if you are planning to stay in your home, but for those who have truly outgrown their home, and are looking to put their home on the market in the near future.  Nothing says “buy me” like a clean, neat, and well-organized home.  If you have outgrown your home in the South Jersey area please feel free to contact me donnarichardson@comcast.net or 609-760-5874.  If you are just browsing, check out the websites below I listed for some organizing ideas, and please comment and let me, and other readers know your favorite way to stay organized.

Kids Room Storage Solutions:  http://www.houselogic.com/photos/rooms/kids-rooms-storage-ideas/slide/taking-advantage-of-corners/#taking-advantage-of-corners

Closet Organizers http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-organize-your-closet.htm

Bathroom Organization http://www.hgtv.com/topics/bathroom-organization/index.html

Kitchen Organization http://www.simplebites.net/best-kitchen-organizing-tips-via-twitter/?doing_wp_cron=1326911411

 

Blahh Blahhh Blahh

The term “Winter Blues” is a common reference to seasonal depression that occurs in many members of society.  However, for many of us the thought of winter does not trigger depression, but just a mild feeling of “blah”.  After the beautiful fall leaves are done turning, and falling from the trees we have the excitement of Thanksgiving, Christmas (and Hanukkah and Kwanza), and NYE.  With the aforementioned comes parties, present giving, family holiday gatherings, trips to visit friends and relatives, vacations, and just the excitement of the season.  Then right after the new year you are greeted by January, February, and March.  These could easily be the three most detested months in the whole calendar year.  Nonetheless, they do not have to be dreadful, detested, or boring by any means.  So, I have tried to come up with a few tips and tricks to beat the winter “blah” feeling, and actually enjoy these three months. Also, even if you do not get that “blah” feeling maybe there will be something on the list you have not tried in the winter.  I hope you enjoy the list, and please comment below with your way to beat the “Winter Blahs”!

*  Take up a winter sport whether it be ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, or cross-country skiing.  Bundle up and head outside for some crisp fresh air.

*  Running, walking, and biking are three sports that are very popular outdoor activities during the warmer months.  If you are a regular exerciser,  but head indoors in the winter, make it a point to get outside 1-2 days a week to exercise.  You will get some much-needed fresh air, and Vitamin D.

*  Plan your vacation for Jan, Feb, March instead of during the hectic months of November or December.  That way you have something to look forward to after the holiday season.

*  Make your New Year resolutions goals instead of resolutions.  Carefully craft a plan of how you are going to achieve those goals, day by day, or week by week.  Goal setting, and focusing will keep you occupied during all of those days spent indoors during the winter.

*  If you have the time, and money sign up for something you have always wanted to learn/do.  Instead of spending those cold days curled up in front of the TV, get out and learn something.  Sign up for a knitting class, scrapbooking, kickboxing, yoga etc…  It will motivate you to get out of the house when all you want to do is lay under the blanket.

How clean is your desk?

I have tried somewhat to stick to Feng Shui principles of decorating when it comes to my office at work.  However, I have greatly failed in one aspect, organization.  According to Feng Shui an organized office boosts productivity.  My desk caught my eye as it came to my attention yesterday that January 9th is National “Clean off your desk day”.  Well, what a better day than yesterday to do some research and read up on how to stay organized.  One of the reoccurring themes in all of the articles I read is having a place for everything.  If you buy organizational items it will be much easier to keep everything in its place.  So, a trip to the Container Store, or Ikea may be in my near future.  Also, throwing away, or shredding unnecessary, and unused items is key to decluttering your office space.  I can definitely relate to the fact that often times things get shoved in a drawer, closet, or folder when in reality they should be thrown in the garbage.  One of my brainstorms to avoid clutter will be throwing away junk mail, or quickly read mail as soon as it is received, filing paperwork twice a day, and throwing away items I no longer need/use.  I have included a few links below to include tips for organizing your office, and a short article on Feng Shui and organization.  I hope your 2012 is off to a great start, and that organizing your office will be one of the ways you make this your best, most productive year ever!  Please share ideas/tips below on how you stay organized.

Feng Shui http://www.ergoindemand.com/about_feng_shui_and_office_organization.htm

Organizing your desk http://www.stylelist.com/2012/01/09/clean-desk-day_n_1191445.html

Declutter by Going Green http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/decluttering-office-organizing#fbIndex2

HGTV Organization Tips http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/quick-tips-for-home-office-organization/index.html

 

 

New year new home!

I have heard the phrases “I just do not have a knack for decorating”, or “I never know what to put where…and what colors to use” many a time.  I myself am far from an interior decorator.  However, I do have the luxury of seeing many homes, and grabbing little ideas here and there.  Nonetheless when it comes to my own home I often look around and think…hmmm what am I going to do when I decide to remodel?….or How should I decorate this room?  The internet is a great resource for all things decorating.  Althought there a few catches with looking for ideas on the internet, it can be time consuming, and you run the risk of forgetting that truly awesome website and never finding it again.  So you ask, where am I going with all of this decorating, and internet idea talk?  Well, the purchase of my Ipad in September has opened up a whole new world of Apps and possibilites.  One day I was fiddling with it, and stumbled across this great App called Houzz.  Houzz is a gold mine of decorating, and remodeling ideas.  All you have to do is create an account, and then begin your search.   You can store all of your favorite rooms, or ideas in your ideabook to reference at a later time.  Some of the rooms are way over the top, and only found in million dollar homes, but there are smaller, everyday rooms as well.  Trust me when I say it is truly an awesome site for anyone looking for ideas for their home.  I am including a link below for those interested.  Also, please comment on the blog and share your home decorating/remodeling websites that you love and frequent.  Sharing is the only way we will all learn and grow!  Hope your 2012 is off to a healthy, happy, and prosperous start.

http://www.houzz.com/

NYE Family Style!

This will be the 4th year in a row my three adult children spend NYE celebrating together.  In the previous three years they would gather with their significant others, and children for a sleepover at my house since my husband and I go down to the beach house to celebrate in peace and quiet.  However, this year they all have their own homes large enough to accommodate everyone for a night of fun.  They typically celebrate with the kids, and then once they put them to bed they have drinks, order some pizza, and play some board games until the ball drops.  It is a nice low-key, inexpensive way to celebrate, and no one has to worry about drinking and driving, getting dressed up, or finding a babysitter.  I always get to hear the stories of how much fun they had, and who drank a little too much and made a fool of themselves (there is always one in every group!).  I am just glad that they have not bought into the hype of NYE, and found a nice tradition to keep in place for years to come.   So, when planning your NYE extravaganza plans, think seriously about starting a nice family and friends tradition of an at home party.  If you do it right, and surround yourself with those you love it can undoubtedly be a fun-filled night with great lasting memories.  Please post comments below on you make your NYE special, and what traditions you have started with your friends and family.  Maybe someone will get an idea for a fun night from your comment!  Here is to a healthy and prosperous 2012!

GOAL setting NOT Resolutions!!!

Now, I first need everyone reading this article to promise to be 100% honest with themselves.  Lying to yourself will get you nowhere fast!  How many of you have stated out loud, or written down time, and time again a New Years Resolution (or 2, or 5, or 10)?  Just as I thought, everyone raised their hand, including myself.  No one is perfect, but there is a way to end this perpetual cycle of failure.  This year instead of setting resolutions, I want you to set GOALS.  Sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and write down your goals for 2012.  After you write down your goals, I want you to go through each goal and come up with a game plan for how you are going to achieve those goals.  For instance, I will use weight loss as an example since that is a goal for many in the new year….

GOAL:  Lose X amount of lbs.

1.  Wake up early to go to the gym before my day starts 5 days a week

2.  Lift heavier weights and push myself to exhaustion when I lift.

3. Do at least 45 minutes of cardio.

4.  Eat dessert/sweets on once a week

5.  Eat as clean as possible, lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and minimal processed carbs.

6.  Drink lots of water everyday.

So, as you can see anyone can write down they want to lose weight.  However, actually setting a goal, and writing down how you are going to achieve that goal can help you get closer to achievement, and further away from failure.  The aforementioned is just an example of a game plan for losing weight (everyone’s plan will be different).  Thus, if you know you need to go to the gym, eat healthy, drink water, etc… you have actions that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve your goal.  No actions=failure! 

So, I challenge you before the new year of 2012 to sit down, write down your goals and plan for achieving them.  I am more than certain 2012 will be a great year if you set goals, and stick to your plan!

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” Denis Watley

Deck the Halls!

Today my daughter, a fellow Realtor from my office (and friend), and I enjoyed the homes on the Moorestown Cook’s Tour.  For those of you who are not familiar the Moorestown Cook’s Tour it is put on every year around Christmas time and displays a handful of beautiful Moorestown home’s decorated for the Christmas season.  All of the money raised through the event this year will benefit the Maternal Child Health Expansion at Virtua Memorial Hospital.  Every year I go I tend to look more at the houses and what they have to offer (a curse of being in real estate), more so than the beautiful Christmas displays.  However, this year I tried to focus more on the decorations and realized a lot of them are not so hard to recreate.  Some of the easier decorations were oranges with cloves and ribbons wrapped around them, apples made into candle holders, and a bowl filled with candles and magnolia leaves.  These decorations made me begin to think that maybe this whole holiday decorating thing was not just for the professionals after all.  So, I started to scour some websites  to get some ideas (for next year of course…because a lot of these “crafty” projects require some time), and found that I could easily become less Clark Griswold, and more Martha Stewart come Christmas time next year.  Check out below for some helpful crafts and websites.  Also, leave a comment, or a link to a website, to give others ideas on how you DECK THE HALLS during the Christmas season.

Mantle Ideas: http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/15-glowing-holiday-mantels/pictures/index.html

Wreath Ideas: http://www.hgtv.com/window-treatments/index.html

Christmas Tree Ideas: http://www.bhg.com/christmas/trees/christmas-tree-themes/#page=1

Easy Christmas Crafts: http://www.marthastewart.com/275615/easy-christmas-crafts

Merry Stressmas!

Two of my wonderful children have an interesting inside joke between the two of them when the holiday’s get stressful.  Instead of saying Merry Christmas, they say Merry Stressmas!  However, I believe “Stress”mas can really describe this time of the year for too many of us.  Furthermore, there are tips and tricks that we in this technology riddled age can employ to help us stay focused, more organized, and as close to stress free as possible.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are going into the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza season with joy, happiness, and anticipation of many wonderful days spent celebrating with friends and family.  Below are just a few apps that may make the upcoming holiday season a little brighter, and move along with fewer bumps and hiccups.

My Xmas Cards http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-xmas-cards/id464728883?mt=8 order real Christmas cards from your phone directly to your front door!

Letters to Santa Claus http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/letters-to-santa-claus-kids/id403661108?mt=8 kids write a letter to Santa and get a response…they can write as many letters as they want.

Gift Plan http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gift-plan/id395091924?mt=8 especially good for Christmas, but equally as awesome all year round!  Keep track of everyone on your list, sizes, what you previously bought etc…  A MUST HAVE!

Epicurious Recipe and Shopping List http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epicurious-recipes-shopping/id312101965?mt=8 leave the pen and paper at home!  Everything you need to shop at the grocery store for your next party!  Also a great year round app.

**PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AT THE BOTTOM WITH YOUR FAVORITE APP TO STAY SANE AND ORGANIZED DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON**

 “Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”
– Oren Arnold

Give Thanks!

I know you have heard it time and time again to be thankful for what you have because your worst day could easily be someone else’s best.  However, I am going to once again reiterate that point.  There is no better time of year, or holiday for that matter, to reflect on why you should be thankful.  I know many families are busy preparing meals, getting their house clean for a myriad of guests, or traveling.  However, unlike Christmas there are no gifts to buy, or wrapping of presents to be done.  So, take a brief moment to sit down with family and friends on Thanksgiving (meal time would be ideal), and take 10 minutes or so to go around the table and have everyone say something for which they are thankful.  I am sure a lot of that roundtable discussion will bring laughter, and maybe even some tears.  A popular phrase in this day and age is “I am busy”, “I forgot”, or “I just don’t have the time”.  However, the aforementioned are all just EXCUSES.  Sit down on Thanksgiving and make the time.  Some of you may be reading this and say to yourself you have nothing to be thankful for because you are sick, lost your job, have a sick child, a job that leaves you no you time etc…  However, finding the silver lining in life is essential to leading a happy and fulfilling life.  I hope you all have a wonderful, and joyous Thanksgiving full of food, laughter, and joy!

P.S.  please start off the giving of thanks by posting what you are thankful for below…I will start…”I am thankful for my large, wonderful, often crazy family that has supported myself and each other through good times and bad…may we have many more years together!