I Paid A Visit....

To a friend, supporter and client today to say Thank You! It would have been a surprise drop in except I wanted to get it on video for Go90x (ask me about it), so I told her I was coming.



Anyways, on behalf of myself and Go Realty, I want to thank all of my supporters, friends and clients.



You know I couldn't do it without you!!

I Just Can't Get Enough! Can You??

Anyone who knows me at all knows how I struggle with my vision. Particularly, I just can't seem to get enough light. In fact, if I've been to your home signing papers to list your home, you've likely  witnessed me with my phone and flashlight app trying to see the words to read.

Well since I know I'm not alone in this world of darkness (ok exaggerating a bit here), I thought of something yesterday while out with a client looking at new construction plans on a home.

Lights. Yes, light placement. It's way more important than you think.

Most people make sure they have a light fixture and possibly a ceiling fan prewire in each room. But this client asked about adding can lights around the ceiling where her husband's office would be.

Click click. My light bulb came on. I think others might not think about this necessity when buying a home.

So there's your little Tuesday night tidbit. You can thank Janie for that. (I'm sure she won't mind if I mention her by name). I know I have my lamp out over my keyboard as we speak. But how much easier it would have been if I had asked my builder to install more lighting in my ceiling?

Cheers and good well-lit evening to ya!

My Friends Rock!!

It's all about the people. It's easy to make it about me in this business or in life. But it's not about me. It's helping others fulfill their dreams of homeownership that makes my biz all worthwhile. (See previous posts about why I like my job).

I would not be where I am today without the amazing support of my friends. (Think acceptance speech here). But really, it's true. I am just sitting here simply amazed as I think back over the years at how many people have referred friends to me, lent a hand in real estate or supported me in every day life. I mean so many people... in fact too many to list here.

So today, I just wanna share with you a few fun pics I took tonight with some of my friends and supporters in my biz. Thanks friends. You rock!!!

Top 5 Ways to Relieve Stress When You're Buying a Home

Photo courtesy of Jen Martin

Nope. I can't promise it. Buying a home is not a walk in the park.

Yes. It yields the ultimate reward of defining your personal space and finding comfort in your surroundings.

Most anyone you talk to will tell you. There will be stress involved in the home buying process. And my friends, they are right. However, it doesn't have to consume your life and rob your joy, or land you in a therapist's chair with severe panic attacks.

You see, like any stressful time in life, you can find comfort in doing activities that alleviate that stress.

!. Exercise. Yes, I said it. No, it's not January 1, but it's still ahead of the approaching beach season. See with this one, you will kill two birds with one stone. The endorphins will take the edge off of the stress and the calories burned with take the excess off of your waist line. In fact, find a simple exercise that you enjoy and you will see an instant mood boost. (Self plug for my Zumba class. Really, you should come!)

2. Sleep. I know. I'm preaching to the choir here, but sleep helps everything. I mean everything. So give it a shot. Go to bed!

3. Talk it out with other home owners. Find the positive people in your life and discuss your home "situation." You will see that even though they like had their own stressful situations when they bought their homes, they will encourage you and help you to see the other side.... homeownership.

4. Have a drink. But not too many. Hell if OBs tell new moms to have one drink to relax, I think it could apply here. I mean, try it and see. But be careful, hangovers make the stressful situation grow.

5. Talk with your REALTOR! Talk with your Realtor about your concerns and what they are doing to address those concerns. But after you do that, TRUST. Ok, that's a big one. It's a big word and a tough act to do. But trusting in the person you hired to help you
takes away some of the burdens you carry in the home buying process contributing to that stress. Don't micromanage. Talk it out and then let it go.

If you can't do some of these 5 tips, no need to worry. Homeownership will still be yours. But if you tackle even some of these, that purchase will be a lot less stressful. Trust me. And come to Zumba class!

Those 2 Words!

Tar Heels!!!!

Those 2 words can make a girl so happy that I wanna do a little minion dance.......You get the picture.

Why? Because I'm a huge fan and tonight is a huge game! It might seem that I've become less of a die hard fan as I've not been to the UNC vs. Duke game at the Dean Dome in the past few years (I had, after all, attended every one at UNC against Dook since 1995.

But no amount of life and work can get in the way of a little rivalry and the jitters it gives me before each game.

Tonight, I may have to turn on the TV while I work and allow my heart to pump to the beat of the ball on the court and to the cheers of the fans in the
stands.

I'm not there again this year in person, but I am always there in spirit. So, tonight, I say Go Heels. Beat Duke!

Little man is going to bed now with his tee over his jays!

When the sign man visits.....

Good things happen!



Congrats to Stephanie Crowder at 3541 Sugar Tree Place on the contract on her home today! She received 3 offers on the home. Sign of a healthy market with low inventory folks.

Miracles Start With Dreams

There are many reasons I joined Go Realty in January of last year, but the one called Go Gives Back didn't strike a chord with me like it should have. I admit, having financial struggles personally due to a slower economy and the birth of my boys kind of left giving back at the furtherest corner of my mind.

But this is a new year. You see this year, Go Realty partnered with Garman Homes to raise $200,000 for the Duke Children's Hospital and Garman Homes will build the 2015 Miracle House in Briar Chapel. Now, I still don't know exactly what a miracle home is. But what I do know, is that having two sweet boys of my own, and struggling for over four years with fertility challenges, hit a sweet spot in my heart and makes me excited about this special opportunity I and my clients have. 

Through the program Go Gives Back, $50 of each commission sale check from each closing on my clients' homes is matched by Go Realty for a total of $100 per sale going to the Duke Children's Hospital.

Now, I know most everyone has some experience with a child or knowing someone with a child who has spent some time at a children's hospital. I'm hoping many will join us this year in giving any gift of money you can to such a deserving group of people. 

Many parents of these children have dreams of a healthy child or dreams of a child who will survive. It may take miracle. We may not be miracle workers, but every little penny we give to such a worthy cause moves these dreams closer to reality for these hurting families.

Please let me know if you would like to donate with Go Realty to the Duke Children's Hospital. If you are not personally looking to move now, maybe you have a friend or family member who will buy or sell a home this year. Have them contact me and $100 of their sale will go to this cause.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Here's the crew from Garman Homes and Go Realty at the
big pledge reveal at the Mix 101.5 Radiothon this week for
the Duke Children's Hospital. $200,000 pledge!

Protect Your Fondest Memories

It's happened to quite a few people I know. It's happened to me. My home was burglarized. Ok it's been a year and a half ago, but I am often reminded of how lucky we were and how others fared differently with their precious memories.

When I entered my home and quickly realized something was not right, I began to go room by room to see if things were missing. When I got to my bedroom, I realized my TV was gone. I immediately panicked and ran upstairs praying that my computer was still there. As the officer ahead of me said, "Ma'am, is there supposed to be something in this space on top of your desk," my heart sank.

What was missing from my desk was my computer. Considering I work from home, not only had I lost all of my work, but all of the memories of my children from birth stored electronically on my computer. Or so I thought. A quick tearful phone call to my husband revealed he had hidden the external hard drive to the computer out of sight and reach. I quickly confirmed it was still in it's place and wanted to reach through the phone and hug him as I realized all may not have been lost.

But for others, they are not so lucky. In fact a friend who lives locally lost all of her children's electronic scrapbooks she had been working on for the past few years when her home was burglarized for the third time recently. The mean people took her laptop this time, and with it many memories she cannot get back.

I tear up as I write this post because I know how she must feel, and how she will feel when she is reminded of it upon reading this post.

My point is not to focus on the past and what happened to her, me or others I know. My point in this post is to let everyone know something to try that could preserve years of pictures and work in the event your computer is stolen.

An external hard drive......

Anyone can get one. And I would recommend hiding it up high somewhere completely out of sight and out of reach. You might also consider storing it from time to time outside of your home. Leave it at a friend's home or place it in a deposit box at the bank. Whatever you do, don't naively believe that this will never happen to you. I did. I knew my home being broken in to was a possibility, as it happens in the world most everyday. But I didn't stop to think how I might feel if all of my family's memories were stolen from me.

Go out today and buy an external drive or other way to back up your work. Or, if you want to wait until the snow clears, I think you have that time at least.

A Four Letter Word That Means So Much

I've known her for a while from Zumba class. Darah, her husband Henry, and their cute son Jonah, decided to put their home on the market in the fall of last year.

They made the decision to keep business separate from friendship and listed with another Realtor. I totally understood when Darah told me. After all, I didn't wanna hear any four-letter words travel my way if a year later, her home was still on the market. :) Not that that would happen of course.

In all honesty, I value my friendships. You see, as with any clients, I don't rest until my friends' homes sell when I put them on the market.

These guys had a change of heart this year and in less than 1 month of me putting their beautiful Woodlake home back on the market, they get to say the four letter word that will take them to their next destination. Darah said she came home from work today to this four letter word...."SOLD!"

Congrats friends! And thanks for trusting me and Go Realty to find the buyers. :)

Who knew drool and pbj stains would spawn a career?

Ok I fibbed. Just a little. For drool and pbj were just a "twinkle in my eye" when I began my real estate career ten years ago.

Have you ever been in a job you actually enjoy but you're under appreciated, under paid or down right under supported with the tools you need to build your organization in the way you had envisioned? Yes, you can relate?? OK some of you can. No worries... that's old news. 

It was that place, that point where moving forward in your career is actually more painful than the frightening, "what the hell am I thinking" move into a commission based business with no health insurance, no clients, no scheduled monthly pay check and no real vision of the future. You see, that decision was made after a year and a half of internal deliberation. "Can I do this?" I thought. "Will I succeed?"

In January of 2004, I jumped with both feet in (and with the surprising support of my husband) to pursue a bigger future. One where I had the freedom to be my own boss and set my own schedule.

I began to dream. I enjoyed the process of buying my first home and I began to dream this same dream over and over again for each one of my clients. One of my first clients I ever worked with shed tears over a decision to purchase her first home. I admit, as a rookie to real estate, and a rookie to tears during the process, I was scared. I had to help her pull it together so she could see clearly and make a decision based on her dreams. I took her through the Wendy's drive thru for a Frosty  (true story) and after she calmed down and looked at the home again through different eyes, she saw her future there with her husband. 

This isn't the only dream I've been apart of over the years. It certainly isn't the only tears I've been around to watch through the home buying and selling process. And I'm glad it isn't the only dream I've been a witness to. Each home viewing, each contract, each home inspection, each final walkthrough and each closing represents a step taken in fulfilling a dream. 

For many, the dream starts at home ownership. For others, it's starting a family, becoming a doctor, living near grandchildren, volunteering in the community or helping a son or daughter attend college. 

For me the dream began at becoming my own boss and setting my own hours. It quickly changed to helping others fulfill their dreams. and In 2008 my job as a Realtor took a different direction. Being my own boss and having a flexible schedule allowed me to stay home with my newborn baby, nurse him most of the time when I needed to, and see him through trials and tribulations with school. My next little miracle was born in 2010, and for 5 years now, my dream has evolved. 

You can say I dreamed of drool and pbj stains. And you are right. I would not change any minute of my journey and I know many of my clients would not change theirs. As they continue to spend the next days and years in their new homes, I will spend the next days and years with the family I dreamed of and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me. Thank you real estate and thank you God for my wonderful life! Dreams do come true.

It's 7 Minutes Until........

Midnight! You know what that means.... Happy Hour at Go Realty Durham!

Join us tomorrow from 4-6 for free beverages and food and see a happy seller with her newly signed contract in hand. Help us celebrate!

Hope to see some of you there!

Congrats To These Happy Buyers!!

Jason Block and Scott Stauble met with their builder yesterday to pick which trees to keep on their lot and which to cut. Their home will begin construction later this month and they are looking at a June move in.

Wish them the best as future homeowners in Crestfield in Durham! I know they are excited!

An Inspiring Client Story-A Must Read!!

I loved helping this family find their new home this year! They have had trials and their outlook on life is inspiring. I hope to have an attitude like theirs in the new year. Below is a post from Alexandra's Facebook page that I asked her permission to share:

2009 was Sam and my first Christmas together. Between out of town trips and a funeral that all overlapped, we spent it, and almost two weeks, apart. 

2010 was the Christmas that Sam asked me to be his wife, and it was our first Christmas as a family.
2011 was our first Christmas in Raleigh and our first Christmas as husband and wife. We were still reelling from the news we received from Sam's doctor the previous month.
2012 was Joanna's first Christmas. Sam was in remission after 8 months of treatment and a rocky year.
2013 was our first Christmas in our very own home in Knightdale. Sam has been at a job he loves for almost a year, and is still in remission. Our kids are happy and loved.

There has been ups, and downs, and lots of in betweens. Together we've traveled up and down the coast, to another country, and made a new city our home. We've fallen in love, gotten engaged, and then married. We've gotten pregnant, experienced miscarriage, and had the sweetest little brown eyed girl. We've sobbed when we heard the word cancer and sobbed at the word remission. We've celebrated countless birthdays, danced at weddings, and held each other through funerals.

The New Year always brings something new. Sometimes good, sometimes not. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but the love gets us through the dark days. I am both excited and apprehensive to see what 2014 brings - but ready or not, it's coming! Happy New Year, from our family, to each of you.

Happy New Year to the Shraders!

~Photo courtesy of sara davis photography 

www.saraedavisphoto.com

Set a Plan for 2014! Make More Than Just Goals. And 2013 Reflections.

It's that time again to reflect on the year as it draws near an end. Most people evaluate what they accomplished (or failed to accomplish) around New Year's. In fact, I'm going to tell you what I accomplished this year for starters. But instead of making New Year's goals or resolutions for 2014, make a plan and aspire to greater things and make them happen!

My accomplishments in the year of '13:

I moved my Zumba class from the tiny, carpeted club house in Woodcroft to Dance Theater South in Sutton Station. What a difference a larger, brighter atmosphere made. My class grew immediately. I am so blessed for the ladies (and Don when he drops in) who trust me to help them reach their fitness goals.

Speaking of fitness goals, I continued to maintain a good portion of my weight loss this year. I'm focusing not on the numbers for the new year, but instead on maintaining strength and endurance that 2013 brought.

I stepped out of my comfy zone and joined Go Realty in January. Nine years at another company got me warm and cozy in my zone. But I made the switch! And this is what birthed my next accomplishment.

Shakeitupdurham became my new blog where I post real estate related stories, life lessons and my homes for sale. You won't believe how hard it was to come up with a name for my blog!

I began to focus more on my clients and their needs and less on my company's (or my own) sales numbers. In doing so, I met some truly spectacular people. In fact, I helped one family find their new home in Knightdale. They were first-time home buyers who endured a hardship of cancer within the past few years. What a fulfilling job I have. I have really seen that through my clients this year.

My sweet, funny, cute, caring, negotiating son Owen began kindergarten this year. I have to say just getting pregnant with Owen was an accomplishment in 2007! But seeing him come into more independence and really enjoy learning and reading has made this mom proud. Beginning kindergarten was his accomplishment, but God entrusting me to be his mother is quite my accomplishment!

Becoming better at telling friends and strangers exactly what I do (real estate, amongst other things) has seen a huge improvement for me this year. Prior to my Go90x challenge, which I completed in March, I kind of just assumed people knew what I did, and of course they would want to refer their friends and families to me. Ha! I really need to remind everyone what it is I do and what makes me a great realtor. :)

I don't think I fell short in many areas this year, but as always, there is much room for growth. So I just finished making my plan for 2014. My plan is simple. Strive to meet and invest in more people. In doing so, I hope to be able to meet a need somehow in their lives. I know the people I meet in 2014 will leave an impression on my life in some way, but I want to do the same for them. And in doing so, I will also find success in many ways in my own personal life. But first, I need to give to others.

Make your plan now! Begin by envisioning what you ultimately want and break your goals down into an action plan. Here is to an awesome 2014! I know you can do it!

Does Your Insurance Cover Sewage Backup?

It's easy to believe your homeowner's insurance will cover anything that happens to your home. After all, this does help you sleep at night.

But often times random things happen to your home that could set you back thousands of dollars due to damage in floors, walls or electrical systems. Knowing you have the right coverage will save you in the long run, big time.

One of the most common causes of expensive repairs in a home is sewer backup. You may assume your city sewer system would be the responsibility of the city in the event it failed. Or your first thought may be that homeowner's insurance would cover your issue. Imagine the scene, you wake up one morning to find a mess in your home. Or you go away on vacation and your toilet fails leaving your home flooded.

Upon a phone call to your insurance agent, you come to the painful realization that this stinking issue in your home is just that.... stinky. If you don't have a sewage back up and water intrusion rider added to your insurance policy when you purchased it, you may be out of luck.

I was fortunate enough to have my agent mention this little fact and advise me to add the rider to my policy (only costing me $25 a year). This simple insurance rider saved me over $30,000 when I had quite an incident happen in my home while away on vacation.

So now you know, call your insurance agent today and make sure you have the rider.

Got Coats??

I read this on my friend's Facebook page this morning and it reminded me of a need I recently learned of....

"It's Giving Tuesday...please share the causes, charities, and ministries that are dear to you, so that those of us who are able to give can consider those you love as well."

I met a teacher last week who said she knew of at least 15 4th and 5th graders at another school (Glen Elementary) that needed coats. I imagine there are other kids at that school, my son's school and others that need coats this winter too.

So in honor of Giving Tuesday and staying warm this winter, I am asking you to consider a coat donation (new or used). 

Please let me know if you can help and I will pick them up from you to deliver to the school (s).

Thanks for helping!

Did you forget to check??? The Final Walk Through!

Closing Is Final... Inspect Your Largest Investment!

I'm sure this topic sounds dry to you, but the final walk through of your new home before closing is perhaps as important as your home inspection.

What's a final walk through? 

Well it's your last chance (you are entitled to it per the sales contract) to check out your home and make sure nothing has changed since you last saw it, before you head to sign the papers for it to become your home. 

Why is it important?

People mistakenly take the final day of closing lightly. They think, "oh, nothing bad can happen." or "if something goes wrong, my agent will take care of it." It would be nice to believe that I have superpowers to make it all better. But the reality is, when the deed is recorded at the courthouse (after you sign your papers in front of a closing attorney and pay for the home), you are accepting the home's condition at that time going forward. Meaning no warranty (unless provided in writing to succeed closing) or right to have a pre-existing repair item taken care of. 

If that reason alone isn't enough... think of the worse case scenarios... a tornado just came through and knocked down your home. Or maybe a refrigerator line exploded and your home is under water. Or remember that fire last night you saw on the news? Well it could have been your home.

I don't mean to sound patronizing, and I certainly don't expect these worse case scenarios to happen to my clients' homes, but I have had a few last minute possible fiascos resolved because of a final walk through.

Yes, last minute issues are fun to deal with. Not really! 

I once went to a final walk through on a town home in Woodcroft and the seller had taken the stove with her to Europe. I had an unhappy buyer on that day, but luckily she was able to get a new one.

In another situation, I helped my clients walk through their new construction home on the day of closing before heading to the attorney's office. We discovered a stream (not an intentional one, but one nevertheless) going through the middle of their back yard. Luckily we were able to have the builder install better drainage and a grate in the ground to catch water run off.

Don't skip the last step before home ownership. You will be happy you made the stop by home on the way to closing.

Sharing My Love Letter To Buyers

In my previous post I mention the importance of sellers writing a "love letter" to potential buyers sharing the cherished details of their homes that  buyers may not be able to learn from traditional marketing. 

If my home were on the market (which one day will be the case). my love letter to potential buyers who visit my home might read like this....

Welcome to 3231 Silver Star Drive. It might surprise you to learn that we the original owners of such a lovely home might want to part with it. I can assure you it was not a decision we made easily. You see, this is our dream home. Yes, most people envision their dream homes to be much larger with all the bells and whistles somewhere out in the country. 

But for us, as second-time home owners living on a budget friendly income, this home became our dream.

It began when I first sold this exact same floor plan to my clients in another community. I walked into the model home and quickly fell in love with the open, airy feel, 5-inch hardwood floors, luxurious master suite with tiled floor, shower and tub surround and garden tub. And oh how I loved the kitchen. I couldn't begin to imagine so much counter and cabinet space and I began to envision entertaining family and friends all in one space.

I then sold this same floor plan to a second set of clients and at this point, not being a homeowner of this home myself, became a little irritating. After learning we couldn't own this home in that community due to an overwhelming wait list for the diminishing availability of homes, we decided to build the home in Lochside, not far from the area.

So in December of 2005, we purchased our dream home after selling our first home. We had been married for four years and wanted to begin a family. We knew this home had plenty of room for us to grow.. 

Lucky for us, we were blessed with two boys! Not only have most of their "firsts" happened here, but there are many things about our home that we have enjoyed. My home office started out down stairs in the front guest bedroom with windows overlooking the front yard. Wouldn't most people give anything to have a nice office with a window that also housed a treadmill for late night exercise?

After my youngest came along, my home office and treadmill moved into our upstairs bonus room. This room also houses guests and is complete with a full bathroom.

We wouldn't settle for a home that didn't back to the woods. The views from my master bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room are refreshing after a long week of work. A few years ago my father-in-law built a playground escape in the woods for the boys. What a lot of fun times we have had with neighbors and other kids playing in the woods and hosting most every birthday party at home!

We weren't sure how we would feel about living on a corner lot, but it has been quite a perk! The road beside our home dead ends at the woods and the city installed a side walk. Not only do we avoid drivers through on the side street, but the boys can ride their gliders and bikes up and down the side walk.

But it's not just the house that has made this place home, it's the neighborhood, area and convenience to everything that has made it home.  You see we are lucky enough to have a community pool and club house within walking distance. It's not uncommon to see friendly neighbors walking around. In fact, I can walk down the street to a neighbor's home to enjoy drinks and friendship. 

But icing on the cake is being so close to the American Tobacco Trail. Accessible from Silver Star Drive  to Belgreen, the trail goes down town and over to Woodcroft and Herndon Park. Even more exciting is that Durham plans to complete a pedestrian Bridge soon for part of the trail. 

We are also close to Solite Park and Pineywood Park. I can count four grocery stores and at least four gas stations that are within minutes from my home. If I need something while cooking, I am covered. In fact, I once took a bike ride up to the Kroger on Martin Luther King Boulevard, partly via the Trail. My son's school is also right behind our neighborhood which is perfect for dropping in to have lunch with him.

My husband works at UNC and it only takes us around 20 minutes to get there. But I've been told it only takes about 11 or 12 minutes to get to Duke Hospital. This tidbit came from quite a few medical residents living in Lochside.

I could go on and on about why this place has truly been our dream home, but that would be a book. I can't begin to guess your own story or what pieces about this home make the puzzle complete for you, but I hope you find the right home for you. If this is the one, then Welcome Home! 

Ok, now that I have finished my letter, it's is probably longer than most people have the time to read. But I hope you get the idea. You can write a story of the history of your home, or a simple list of amenities, restaurants, and attractions nearby that buyers will want to know. However you angle your letter, good luck. You will stand out from other sellers because most people don't take 15 minutes to write one.

First Impressions Count!

I may have a few past clients read this and think, "you never told me that." Quite possibly your home was already show ready. But for many of you, a little help wouldn't hurt for preparing your home for the Open House. 

Open houses can be useful in getting buyers to see your home without having to arrange a showing at a set time with an agent. Sure, some buyers are preofessional open house stalkers (no offense intended to those of you who fall into this category), while others are neighbors seeing how your home may compare to theirs when they go to sell. No matter the reason someone comes into your home, you want to count it as the most significant viewing of your home to date. After all, it only takes one buyer in the door to make the sale.

Here are a few tips in making your home inviting to the open house guest:

1. Curb appeal-In the fall, sweep the pine straw off the driveway and porch of your home. In the winter, scrape the snow from the drive. And just as important, in the summer, keep your grass and flower beds well manicured and watered.

2. Put a friendly, but neutral welcome mat on the porch for visitors to be greeted at your front door.

3. Open all blinds in your home and turn on all over head lights. Not everyone is a "natural light person," but most buyers seek this out in your home.

4. Put down the toilet seats and lids. In fact, clean the guest toilet!

5. Put away dirty towels, underwear and other clothing left out by the kids.

6. Clean out the toothpaste remains in the sink and wipe down counters and mirrors. Don't forget to dust!

7. Don't overpower your guests with loud music playing. If you want to turn on soft, gentle music, that is just fine.

8. Light a candle with a soft, neutral scent. Some people are allergic to strong scents, and you don't want to send a buyer away with a migraine.

9. Bake chocolate chip cookies to leave out for your guests. Yes, I once watched cookies win over an interested buyer by making them feel cozy in the home.

10. Have flyers ready with your home's personal Web site to view the virtual tour, floor plan, school information and other important facts the buyer may want to know.

Use these tips and more to make that Sunday afternoon window shopper the buyer for your home. And remember, it only takes one.

P.S. Don't forget to leave out your home's love letter for the buyer to read. Advice on how to write a compelling love letter will appear in my next blog post.

Buying a Home is a Lot Like Having a Baby! Really???

5 ways buying a home is a lot like having a baby!

No one ever said having a baby was easy. But after giving birth to two of my own children, I can tell you there are many things people conveniently forget to mention who have been through the birthing or parenting process before.

You see, while buying a home doesn't have to be stressful (and I strive hard to take the stress out of the process for you), there are a lot of things that people who have gone before you never told you. I assure you it wasn't intentional. It's just that... well... you just never know what lies ahead!

So here are my top 5 little "unknowns" that I wish to share with anyone considering purchasing a home. 

1. No matter how much planning you do, the unexpected can happen. 

I have had the pleasure of working with many different personalities among clients and I can assure you, there are many people out there who have their acts together and have all their details in place. However, the unexpected can happen and often does. It's best to set reasonable expectations and be flexible. Some examples of the "unexpected" are: closings get delayed because of last minute financing documentation requests, final walkthroughs reveal missing appliances from the home, sellers forget to mention that they are in the process of applying for a short sale to their agent, attorney or buyers. You see, things can happen. I don't mean to scare you or sound negative. I am simply showing you the need to be prepared for things that you just can't prepare for. The good news is that once buyers settle into their new homes, they forget the "unexpected" hurdles they had to jump to get there.

2. It will require upfront money.

When you have a baby there are hospital costs, doctors fees, baby supplies, diapers and the list goes on and on. When you purchase a home, although there are some 100% financing programs available to buyers, a lot of financing programs require some downpayment in order to purchase the home. In addition to that, there are closing costs along with earnest money deposits (on average 1% of purchase price) and certain inspection and appraisal fees paid before closing out of pocket. No child is free and neither is the cost of buying a home. The great part is that your agent can help you negotiate the seller to pay some of the required costs for you at closing making the burden lighter.

3. Everyone wants to take control of the selection process but ultimately it is your home!

Ever try to chose a baby name and make the mistake of announcing some of your possibilities and receive some unsolicited advice? Well purchasing a home can bring out all the distant relatives and friends you didn't know you had. Well not quite. But everyone is so excited for you and they want to give you their opinions of why you shouldn't buy this house or why that house can't quite be worth what you are wanting to offer for it. BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. It is YOUR home! Use your gut instinct. Perhaps this home meets all of your carefully selected criteria and you know you will be happy there. This is all that matters. Perhaps the neighborhood you are looking in has homes disappearing off the market left and right before you can make an offer on them. Don't lose out on a home you love because you are afraid of overpaying for it. The bank's appraisal will assure you don't pay too much for the home.

4. It's not about winning. It's all about winning!

Pregnant mothers often get teased by society for pregnancy related hormones that often make them seem, well "crazy." They often take the small things and make them into bigger things than they need to be. Husbands, colleagues and friends may look them funny, ignore or dismiss them. Also, some people will simply take the heat because they know the moms actually care for them. After all, they are just under a lot of hormone-induced stress. Yep, you guessed it, buying a home is a lot like this gestational period. You may want to just win in an attempt to come out on top. It will get stressful. Really, anything in life worth having is stressful. People will piss you off. They will seem like they are trying to take advantage of you. But buying a home is not a game. It's not about who has the most score at the end of the day. Yes, it's about getting the best deal. But that doesn't mean there won't be some compromise along the way. At the end of the day, when you are settled into your new home you will look around and be happy. And that is winning!

5. Picking a lender, attorney and home inspector is a lot like picking a name. Well kinda.

The name selection process can be involved (see mention of it above). When you pick a name for your child, that child is likely stuck with the name for life. But more importantly, you want to select a name for your child that will perhaps mold his/her personality. In a way, you are expecting your child to "live up" to the perfect name you choose. The time will come in the home hunting process where you'll have to select important people to use along the way. The lender you choose will affect your interest rate, closing costs due at closing and your general ability to close on the home on time. Choose wisely. Take recommendations from your agents or friends. Then seek a home inspector who an agent or friend recommends is thorough. The longer the average inspection time takes the better. Ask how long the report will take to come in as you will want the report within a few days of inspection completion. A great inspector will cycle all appliances, look at the roof and climb in your crawlspace and attic. On a final note, choosing a closing attorney that will be your best advocate,should any bumps in the road happen, will be well worth the money spent. Again, ask your agent who they like to work with. Choosing an attorney who doesn't liked to be reached on the phone or who doesn't like to be "bothered" in general will not bode well for you in the long term.