Resolutions

It's a new year!  We have high expectations of 2015 as 2014 was so crazy.  As you can imagine, many of my resolutions are health related.  We are busy people... both working full-time (more than full-time) with a 4 year old and a baby on the way.  Sometimes we look at each other and say "Let's order [Moe's, Jimmy John's, McAllister's Deli, Zoe's Kitchen, etc]."  It isn't as good for us as home-cooked meals, obviously, and it isn't great for our wallets either.  So cooking at home is my top priority.  It's only been 5 days, but we are doing it, and it isn't as difficult as I imagined.

The key for me is to reuse leftovers.  Last night it took me 15 minutes to make burrito bowls (including clean up) because I used leftover sirloin from the night before.  I've made our menu for the entire month.  We live near lots of grocery stores, but there are a few items that I can only get at Whole Foods (like Wes' favorite organic and low-sodium Chipotle Ranch Dressing and Stonewall Kitchen BBQ sauces and marinades).  I have been buying things from WF in bulk so that I only have to go there once per month, and I always end up showing homes in that area anyway.

A few friends have been interested in what we eat.  Sodium limitations are 2000mg per day.  This is actually higher than the American Heart Association recommends (1500mg) for all Americans.  We eat way too much sodium in this country.  If it's low in fat or calories, it is a sure bet that they have upped the sodium.  Check out some of your food.  It's awful.  We have been in a dinner club for four years, and the ladies have been so sweet about making sure that Wes can eat what they prepare each month.  I've promised for ages that I would post some of the recipes that I use, so I'm finally getting around to that.  And sometimes I cheat by making Wes have 0mg sodium oatmeal for breakfast so that we can save those 650mg for dinner.  My brother's girlfriend is a registered dietitian and says this, "You have money in the bank (2000mg) and it is up to you how you use it, you just can't carry it over to the next day."

This is what our menu looks like for this week (we are two days in):

Sunday

Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze

We used organic grass-fed sirloin in place of filet.  I served it over mashed cauliflour (with low sodium chicken broth, parmesan cheese, garlic, and unsalted butter) with a side of green beans.

Monday

Steak Burrito Bowls 

I used the leftover sirloin and heated it on the stove with no salt added black beans, frozen instant brown rice from whole foods, frozen organic corn, a dash of taco seasoning, and a touch of organic mexican blend cheese.  I served it over a bed of organic greens and topped with Chipotle Ranch dressing.

Tuesday

Glazed Salmon with Rosemary

The recipe at the link is for orange glazed salmon, which looks delicious.  Unfortunately I have to write a contract at 4 and have a listing appointment at 6, so dinner prep will be up to my husband. Years ago I found the perfect glaze for almost all meat (from Wed's recipe below).  We love it on salmon.  It's equal parts mustard (deli or yellow) and maple syrup with a dash of rosemary.  He knows how to glaze the Salmon in this and will make brown rice and green beans from the freezer for sides.

Wednesday

Maple-Glazed Stuffed Roast Pork

This is my favorite holiday recipe.  It's the same glaze that we use for the salmon above.  We replace the pork tenderloin with a turkey tenderloin as it is lower in sodium.  We use low-sodium chicken flavor stove top stuffing with organic granny smith apples.  A simple side of green beans are enough.  It's SO GOOD and so simple, but it makes me feel fancy!

Thursday

 Broccoli Quiche

 My mom was an amazing cook.  Unfortunately my brother got all of those skills.  Quiche was one of my favorite things that she made, and thankfully I can follow a recipe pretty well.  We will add a little bit of low-sodium turkey bacon as well as spinach, green pepper and mushroom to this recipe.

Friday and Saturday

We have an event this weekend that will cause us to eat out on Friday and Saturday nights.  Wes has learned to ask for no salt in preparation of his meal and to ask for everything on the side (this gets him a funny look when something is supposed to have fancy cheese melted over it).  He is always proud of himself at the end when he uses only a fraction of the sauce/glaze/dressing/etc. provided.

Sunday

Turkey Sloppy Joe's

Another favorite from childhood, but this one is completely reworked.  It uses no-salt added ketchup and bbq sauce instead of the Manwich brand sauce.  There are veggies hidden in there for the little one.  I'm really excited about this recipe.  And Wes will be able to have two sandwiches if he wants and still be within his limits, which always makes him smile.  It's really difficult to find low-sodium bread products, but King's Hawaiin is lower in sodium than anything else we have found, so we keep a few versions of their rolls in the freezer (dinner rolls, sub rolls, hamburger buns).

*I'm going to cook double the turkey and have a ground turkey meal the next day as well*

With a baby arriving in less than 8 weeks, I'm hoping to prep some freezer meals over the next few weeks.  We'll see if I get around to it or not.

Insanity

Last I wrote, my friend attended an awards ceremony with me since my husband was sick.  Little did we know that his "illness" was a symptom of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).  He went into the hospital on 3/10 for some swelling and chest pressure/pain.  He came home 12 days later with an external defibrillator, a new diet, and the hope of healing.

It was a whirlwind that I'll never forget- and never fully remember.

Things seemed normal that Sunday night.  We had cleaned out the garage that day, and then got ready for bed.  He tossed and turned, and finally got up to go watch TV in his office.  Around 1:30am, he came in to tell me that he wasn't feeling right and was going to go to the ER.  I half-heartedly asked if he wanted us to come, knowing that he would want E to sleep.  I didn't fight him, rolled over, and went back to sleep.  Here are the text messages from that night:

Me, 3:46am: Update?
W, 4:48am: I am ok... doc thinks it's edema... too much water in my system... just need to take med to lower the fluid level.
W, 6:32am: Just running all the tests... there have been a lot of trauma patients this morning so I am waiting behind them... I should be home soon.
W, 6:58am: Nevermind. They want to do more cardiac tests.  They think I got a virus with my chest congestion and they want to do more tests.

I called him at that point, and he promised that he would be home in the afternoon.  Around 11:30am he mentioned that his heart was a "little large."  I freaked out.  I called his parents who were in Brazil to tell them what I knew, and I brought E to my dad's.  My husband didn't want me at the hospital since he said that nothing going on was a big deal and he would be on his way home before I got there.  Clearly those docs were excellent communicators, right?!  I cancelled my appointments, and sped to Lexington Medical Center.

Around 1pm, he lost pulses in his feet.  His legs turned completely white up to the knees.  He was in excruciating pain, and it took what felt like forever for anyone to worry.  Dr. Norton, the vascular surgeon, came to check on him.  He was excellent.  He was concerned about blood clots, but thought the chances were very low due to Wes' age.  Even still, they prepared Wes for radiology so that they could take a look.  What "take a look" means, I'm not sure.  Cameras?  I don't know.  It was around 5pm when they rolled him up to radiology.  The radiologist told me that it would take 20 minutes if there was nothing, and an hour if they found something.

Two hours later, while I was waiting by myself in an empty radiology ward, a nurse walked by and I asked what was going on.  He didn't know.  Some dear friends arrived with dinner for me, and my dad came with my laptop and car charger.  At that point, the radiologist came out to tell me that Wes' legs were full of clots and that they didn't know if they could save him.  His heart wasn't functioning the way it needed to be, and was spitting out clots.  There was a lot more to it, as you can imagine.  The medicine they had him on to break up the clots can cause a stroke, but a clot can cause a stroke if you don't take the medicine.  It was awful.  One of the very worst moments of my entire life.  I remember clearly saying through tears, "We have a three year old.  You just have to save him."

Wes made it through surgery and they rolled him up to the ICU.  Crazy things of all crazy things, his nurse had gone to our high school.  He had a new job and it was his last night at LMC, but it was so nice to have a friendly face in all this.  The nursing staff that took care of us was amazing.

Wes was on morphine while his body broke up the clots.  He had nerve damage in his feet from the clots for a few months, but it has since cleared up.  He was in and out of consciousness.  I was, thankfully, allowed to stay by his side.  My brother was in his third year of medical school, and my sister-in-law was a cardiac care nurse for 10 years, so we called both of them more than we should have!  My brother told me to write every single thing down.  Keep notes from all of the doctors.  Date them.  It was really good advice, though now I know that the cardiologist at LMC kept us mostly out of the loop. My sister-in-law knew how bad an ejection fraction of 20 was, but never told us.  I was blissfully ignorant to the danger that Wes was still in.

There's so much more, and these are just the highlights.  In August, Wes had a device implanted so that he could get rid of the external defibrillator.  Eating a very low sodium diet is getting more normal to us.  I don't wake up every morning and wait for Wes to stir to make sure he's alive.  There is a long road ahead, and he'll never be back to "normal," but God allowed me to witness miracle after miracle and I'm so thankful.

money, money, money, money... MUN-AY!

So "awards season" is over for me.

My husband attended the Regal Awards for the Greater Columbia Home Builders Association with me.  It was mostly attorneys and bankers, only a few agents, but we had a good time.  A husband of a fellow agent did ask why we get awards just for doing our job.  It made me laugh.  He's exactly right.  But in real estate it's all about production.  Why should someone use you instead of someone else?  There are 4,000 agents in the Midlands.

Last night was the Circle of Excellence event for the Central Carolina Realtors Association.  My husband has been really sick, so I brought a friend.  I brought home a Platinum award.  Super humbling since so many people in that category have been selling since the 80's and others are basically famous in this area.  But the experience was eye-opening.  I didn't consider how weird this industry is until seeing it from someone else's point of view.

1.  BIGGEST ONE: Many agents, including me, have become desensitized to the faux pas of discussing money.  I grew up knowing that it was a topic to be avoided (along with politics; religion got a pass since my dad was a pastor).  When working with a client, I know how much they are qualified to spend, their salary, and they know my commission since it is listing on their closing statement.  My income is a calculation.  A percentage of sales price is the gross commission.  Gross commission - company take = my income.  Then we are awarded based on the amount of commission that we make, so it isn't exactly a secret.  The difference between me and every other agent in the room is the percentage split with the company that varies from brand to brand.  So people will call and say that I should work for their company because I'll make 10%, 20%, 30% more.  Everyone talks about money.  Weird, huh?

2. It is an aged industry.  I am the youngest agent in my office and one of the youngest full-time, top-producing agents in the Midlands.  At 29, I'm not exactly a baby.  Nationally the average real estate agent is 56 years old.

3. Out of 4,000 agents in this area, there are only a few who make a good living at real estate.  The awards room was mighty small.  Nationally, the average agent makes $22,000.  Could you live on $22,000?  Especially with self-employment tax, dues, marketing expenses, etc.

It was fun to get all dressed up at these events.  I'm blessed to work for the same company as some wonderful, wonderful people.  I hope that I won't ever believe that this success has anything to do with me.  I have been blessed, and I'll continue to serve my clients to the best of my ability.  I'm so grateful.

Those who can't do...

try to sell Real Estate?

That's how I fell into it.  I had a business degree, customer service and contract experience, loved real estate, and was competing with PhD's for every job in a down market.  But it is also the career-of-choice for many of your favorite reality tv stars.

Reality shows about this industry have a growing audience and remain popular (as referenced in this Wall Street Journal article).  But not just real estate reality shows feature real estate agents.  Just on an early cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County alone, there are four real estate agents (that I know of).  So I guess it goes like this: create your own clothing line, put out a cheesy song, and sell real estate.

courtesy of tvguide.com

What caused thoughts about this random topic?  Tonight I watched the "Southern Charm" preview episode.  I'm always interested to see how SC will be portrayed nationally on these types of shows.  It is usually less than flattering.  To my surprise Cameran Eubanks (remember her from Real World: San Diego?) is unemployed and decides to start selling real estate.

This industry is scary every single day.  Maybe they have huge reality television salaries and don't actual have to sell.  Each day I wonder, When these deals close, will there be more?  Will we have another dip and people will stop buying/selling?  I absolutely love what I do.  Each day presents new and exciting challenges.  Would I recommend it?  Never, but then again I have a huge aversion to risk and thinking about commission-only pay gives me hives.  But I wish her the best of luck in her new career!!

Is anyone else planning to watch this show?  Hopefully it will be better than "Welcome to Myrtle Manor" and "Party Down"!

Pet Peeves and other stuff

WARNING: Wordy with no pictures.

I am pretty laid back.  Try not to sweat the small stuff.  If there isn't a hard deadline involved, I'm not going to freak people out.  For instance, the South Carolina sales contract gives a 10 business day due diligence period.  In that time you are allowed to have inspections and verify any important information (square footage, schools, and restrictions are a few good examples).  There are agents who will start emailing me three days into the due diligence period asking if I have the repair requests ready for them.  Why, man?  Why?  If you are asking, you probably have your clients in a huff waiting.

I always tell my sellers in the beginning that buyers have ten business days for inspections, etc.  I'm not going to bother them until that tenth day.  They aren't doing anything wrong by taking those days.  If it's ready before then, awesome.  But many good inspectors take a full week to get you on their schedule.  If they find an issue with the HVAC system or the roof or any number of things, those are more inspections to schedule.  I've never gone over a contract deadline.  If you do in the case of repair negotiations, you are accepting the house as-is (buyer) or agreeing to do all requested repairs (seller).  It's dangerous, and one of the most important ways that agents need to protect their clients.  The sales contract lays out a specific timeline, and it's always the same (unless crossed out, changed, and initialed).

Ok, so on to the pet peeve thing.  Here it is: All I ask is that people take responsibility for their mistakes.  Many people either make excuses or shift blame.  Have some sense of personal responsibility.  If you mess up, it isn't the end of the world.  Say it, pay up whatever the damage is, hopefully learn from it, and move on.  Is that so hard?

I made a deal with myself when I started in real estate.  I promised myself and God that I would always do the right thing.  In all cases if I make a mistake, I pay for it.  I don't go around making tons of mistakes, and I've never made the same one twice.  One that comes to mind is when a freezer was repaired on the day of closing.  It didn't have time to freeze so that the inspector could make sure it was repaired properly and we went to closing anyway.  I should have advised my buyers to wait on closing until we were sure the repair was complete.  It was still broken the next day, so I paid for the repair.

You'd be surprised how many agents don't work this way.  I hear all the time, "I won't cut my commission, I never do."  Well dude, if you messed up and it's going to cost your clients money, you should cut your commission.  I probably take responsibility that isn't mine on occasion, too.  I'll never be rich, but hopefully people will know that I have their best interests at heart.  And I'll always be able to look myself in the mirror and hold my head up high at the grocery store.  It never fails that I run into clients when I go in my pajamas.

Morals of the story:

1. Don't stress unnecessarily
2. Take responsibility
3. Do what is right
4. People will remember

Phew.  (as I jump down from my soap box.)

Oh Happy Day!

...Oh happy Day-ay... when Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)... he washed my sins away...

Thinking of Sister Act 2 now, right?

It is a happy day in this house because Jesus washed our sins away, yes, and because we finished our purchases for the living room.  I am a happy girl.

We loved our former sectional, though the light "linen" color wasn't working so well with a toddler and a dog.  That was my spoken excuse, but the real one is that I was ready for a change.  It happens every so often, and five years with the same sofa is a record for me.  I've promised my husband that these leather sofas will stay for at least seven years, and I know I can keep my promise.  They are my new boyfriends.  I've been sitting on them since they arrived, testing out each cushion to see if that will be "my spot."  I have been doing my office duties from the living room couch.
 

The sectional is now living in my husband's office.  He feels like a sardine, but I can't bear to part with it.  We may move someday and have a living room AND a family room, or a bonus room, or any number of rooms that our little ranch doesn't have.  I don't want to get rid of a perfectly good sectional and need to buy a new one.  So that's the plan for now.  We'll see how things look in a month.

You may remember when I posted about what we were purchasing.  I get an idea and run with it until it comes to life.  That is how every room in our house has been decorated, good or bad.  We stayed pretty true to the mood board with one minor change.  Let me explain- while I have been working on my house, I was also re-furnishing (is that a word?) a sorority house at USC where I'm the housing and facility advisor.  I had found the perfect rug.  A 9' x 12' flatweave beige and navy stripe.  I wanted it for my house AND for the sorority house study.  Sadly Overstock sold out.  So the sorority house is getting the flatweave beige and navy stripe, and my house is getting a navy and ivory stripe.  Though the lighter color would probably be better for college girls than my baby girl, the rug is only 8'6" x 11'6" and was too short to be able to slide out chairs in the study.  I'm armed with five gallons of Scotchgard to three-year-old-proof it.

My day started out not great.  I had a continuing ed class and I went to the wrong location.  Rookie mistake.  So I got to spend the day working on things that I really need to get done, and looking at my newly mounted television (Geek Squad came this morning) and my new living room setup. 

So what's left?

1. Paint walls greige and paint trim white

Valspar's Oatlands Subtle Taupe courtesy of involvingcolor.com

 2. Add gallery wall around the television

courtesy of Pinterest.com

3. Paint frames navy and enlarge photos of E for them

courtesy of etsy.com

 4. DIY a coffee table that is large enough for the space (thinking a rectangular dining table from CraigsList with these legs and a barnwood top like the one pictured)

courtesy of cityfarmhouse.com

5. New window treatments (thinking bamboo shades with navy drapes)

courtesy of room-polish.blogspot.com

Tradesy Valentine

Some might find it boring that I pick out my gift AND my husband's.  #1. I handle the finances and know how much to spend and #2. He is an admitted terrible gift-giver.  He is the most loyal, generous, selfless, steady person you would ever want to meet (my grandmother says he is like a rock, strong and steady).  I'm so blessed to have him as a husband, and he is an amazing father.  The one thing he isn't is thoughtful.  He isn't the "bring home flowers," "plan a romantic date," "pick out something you'll love" kind of guy.  So I plan our special dates and I buy our gifts.  He loves me, and I like to focus on the things that he IS.  He does buy flowers for E each year in trying to teach her how she should be treated.  This year she asked for daisies and is so excited.

In my recent search for shoes for an event, I came across the site Tradesy.com.  How did I not know about it before?  Things that have been worn once or twice, or are brand new but can no longer be returned, are listed for sale.  Behold my valentine's day gift:

courtesy of lyst.com

for a cool 68% off.  Don't mind if I do!

And a gift for the husband? A gun rack.  In early March we will be moving out so that our hardwood floors can be refinished.  When we move back in, the large guest room will turn into Hubby's office and the current office will go back to being a guest room.  He's already picked out the perfect spot for the rack.  All of our guns are locked and stored safely.  With a three year old who is curious about everything, we are crazy careful.

 courtesy of ebay.com

In the words of E, "Happy Balentime's Day to you.  Now can we decorate the tree?"

Professional: 2013 In Review, 2014 Goals

This post will just be about work, I'll write a personal one later.  I am so thankful to all of my friends who have supported me and who trust me enough to refer their friends and colleagues.  I am also thankful for my clients.  To buyers, helping you all find the perfect place to be a haven is an honor.  To sellers,  you have the toughest job (leaving for showings,  keeping your home perfect, waiting for the right buyer) and I'm always thankful for the opportunity to help you move on for whatever the reason is.   To the greatest builder in town who trusted someone with a lot of drive and a little experience,  I'm thankful for you.  I love my job, and I feel so blessed to be able to do this for a living.

I can't forget that I panicked for months that I would fail.   I still panic sometimes.   Every sale could be my last.  There is no guarantee and no safety net.   I applied for every administrative job in Columbia in 2010.  Someone knew better!

It's been an amazing year in all areas of my life.  I don't have time to write blog posts very often, but that's a good thing.

Today I ran the numbers for 2013.  They are as follows:

I'm in 45th place out of over 2,000 agents in the MLS for sold volume.  WHAT?!?  This blows my mind.  45 might not sound very impressive, but as far as I know, everyone above me has their own agency, a team of agents, or an assistant at the very least.  Then there's little ol' me!  I'm amazed.  God is so good.

The rest of the numbers: #1 in my office, #5 out of agents with offices in Lexington, #9 in ERA Statewide, and #237 in ERA Nationwide.

2014 Goals:

1. Hire an assistant.  I'm running myself ragged.  I'm going to lose the great thing that I have going if I don't get some help.

2. Stay in the top 100.

3. Get my broker's license.

4. Get my own website, a logo, do more (and better) client mailings (Starbucks gift cards?)

5. Write a thank-you note to each agent that I work a deal with.

6. I need to under-promise and over-deliver.  Not everyone needs everything that minute.  It's ok to take two days to send a listing presentation as long as I set the expectation that way.

7. Set expectations correctly.  I had a few clients call at 11pm or even 1am for things that were not emergencies.  I need to set boundaries for my own sanity.  I'm not going to be the right agent for everyone, and that needs to be ok.

8. Go paperless.  Be more tech-savvy (electronic signatures, etc).

9. Educate myself.  Learn more about construction, HUD properties, short sales, staging... I'd love to learn it all.

Sweet Insanity

It probably wouldn't work for anyone else, but our life works for us.

My dearest friends who have seen how much hard work goes into real estate success don't know why I do this.  My job would be easier if I didn't love it.  I might be able to say no a little more often.  I might not have bags under my eyes.  I hope that I would be skinnier... probably not, but I tell myself that I would be.  Because I love my job I don't mind the sacrifices that it takes to be good at it.  I try to make sure that the sacrifices are mine and not my child's.  I don't mind getting up early for a Saturday morning showing so that I can be home for breakfast.  Or picking E up from school and going back out to write a contract after she goes to bed.  My husband is a superstar dad and he's the key to making it all work.

I just took a class for top producers about setting boundaries and managing time.  It was 8 weeks long and included many other topics, but those were the most important to me.  The cream of the crop from my company was there, many people bringing decades of experience to the table.  Each week we were challenged to get listings, buyers, and contracts and we got one point for each.  At the end of the 8 weeks there was a winner.... and it was little ol' me!!  I couldn't believe it.  My dad always says that he can't be arrogant about his success because he is very average, God is just very good.  I like that philosophy.  Yes, I work very hard, but with only three years in this business I know that it couldn't be anything but a blessing from above.  I am very average... not a genius and not a real estate barbie.

I haven't been on here in quite some time and there are a few reasons for that.  First- It's been an amazing year.  I have beautiful people in my life who trust me to take care of them when it comes to buying and selling.  I'm so very thankful for them.  This summer three of my dearest friends purchased homes and two former clients sold homes (one in 1 day, one in 19 days).  It was my honor to be a part of their process.  Second- I'm working on balancing out my life.  Being present wherever I am- at work or at home.  It's going well, but doesn't leave much time for updating this.

My 28th year is coming to a close in a few days.  Though the dents in my forehead could use a little botox and my buns could lose a few pounds, I don't mind getting older.  I met all of my goals for 28 and I have exciting goals for 29.

-Continuing taking off one weekday per week as a special day with my baby girl.
-Lose 40 pounds... and keep it off
-Cook at home four nights per week (I'm thinking that a crockpot will be part of this)
-Become debt free except for our house (we are getting close!)
-Finish renovating the house
-Get my Broker's license (I'll be taking the class in November and December)
-Meet the CCRA Platinum level for sales again in 2014 (I met the goal for 2013)
-Of my 45 closed sales so far in 2013, 19 were personal referrals.  In 2014, I'd like to raise that number to 25.
-Close 55 sales in 2014.
-Remain in the top 100 of sales agents in the Midlands... top 100 out of 4,000

Those should keep me busy.  Happy Wednesday!

Kate

School, Schmool

You may be surprised how many people tell me that good schools are not in their criteria for a home.  The goal when selling is to make your home appealing to the largest pool of buyers.  Not everyone likes stainless steel appliances, but right now most people do.  Not everyone wants a move-in ready home, but 87% of buyers do.  If your home has 1960's harvest gold appliances and the need for many updates, the pool of buyers that are going fall in love at first sight is mighty small.

from uglyhousephotos.com

However, an unpopular appliance color and the need for general updating (two small examples) CAN be remedied.  School districts and lot location are here to stay.  District lines may be redrawn, or your neighborhood could experience a revitalization, but those things are rare and often take years.  Location, Location, Location isn't an empty saying.

If you don't have kids, even if you never plan to have kids, please do yourself a favor and research schools when buying a house.  Many of the folks that will look to purchase that home from you down the road will care about schools.  I have a listing right now that was purchased by a bachelor.  He is now married with two kids and they can't sell the house because of the poor location and undesirable schools.

Your real estate agent isn't going to be able to "steer" you, but he or she will likely tell you where you can go to get informed.  I tell my clients to visit greatschools.org.  It ranks schools by test scores among other things.

So buy that house with the ugly wallpaper in the fantastic district over your dream home zoned for crummy schools.  You will be thankful that you did when you need to sell.

Dream Home Series: 121 Triami Path

Every few months I'll see a home that I wish we could buy.  Could we rush to get our home on the market for an old charmer in an established neighborhood?  Or an incredible lake deal?  So I've decided to write blog posts about these homes when they come up.  You might decide that we have very different taste, and that's ok.  I like unconventional homes with charming detail.  Cookie-cutter neighborhoods are not for me.  Hopefully you'll at least find my choices interesting.

The property to start the series is 121 Triami Path, Lexington, SC 29072.  At 2500 sf listed for $290,000, it certainly isn't the largest home that you could get for your money.  However, it's in a great location, zoned for fantastic schools, and it sits on 2.27 acres.  3 bedrooms, 3 full beautifully-retro baths.  It was built in 1976 after all.  Throw in handscraped hardwood floors and a saltwater pool, and I'm sold!

Charming... love the vines.  And I'm a sucker for painted brick.

Seriously??  Could be straight out of a magazine

Look at those floors, y'all!

To view more photos of this beauty, visit Trulia.  This home is listed and marketed by ISave Realty and Randal Longo.

What do you think of this home?  Love it, or is new construction more your thing?

Living Room Revitalization

My poor husband.  Every few years I get tired of certain rooms and completely redecorate.  We've lived here for four years, and I'm still trying to find my groove.  The living room was the most recent victim.  So far I've purchased two new floral side chairs (marked down to $179.99 from $229.99 at World Market), brought a pedestal side table in from the office, found throw pillows at Target and Etsy, purchased a new rug on sale from Overstock, and bought 2 16" x 20" frames from Etsy to go between built-ins and windows.  Here is the layout that I've been envisioning:

The back wall is all windows and a door to the backyard.  The front left corner is where the built-ins meet.  The front right side is open to the dining room/foyer. 

We still need:

-two leather couches
-new coffee table
-mount TV above fireplace (mirror above FP is moving to E's big girl room)
-two chicken man (Ernest Lee) paintings for above the paino

We love our Haverty's sectional, but it is too light in color for a two-year-old and a golden retriever.  It's had a five year run, and is so comfortable that two of our good friends have purchased the same one.  We machine wash the cushion covers about every two months, but it should be done once a week.  They get gross from little grubby fingers!  I need something that will just wipe off and be able to stand up to childhood.

What do you think of this?

Dad's House

I've mentioned a few times that my dad and his family moved to town this spring.  We couldn't love having them nearby more.  They headed north for spring break to get their other home on the market, meanwhile we took advantage of the beautiful weekend by hosting a BBQ on their patio.  We ate around the fire pit, then roasted mallows for s'mores and a good time was had by all.  We only went inside to use the restroom... a good thing because there isn't any furniture.

They moved here with the bare minimum.  There's no sense in paying to move bulky items that you don't love, so beds and the dining set were all that made the cut.  Everything else was CraigsListed or brought to Goodwill.  Genius idea!  I have so many clients move all their junk into their new home and then start purging.  So much easier to do it the other way around.  Now they are having a decorating contest.  He gets to decorate the "man cave" in the basement, and she gets to make the main floor living room her own.  His first purchase?  A monstrosity of a television.  I can't wait to see how this real-life "Design Star" works out.

Not that I don't trust that he has great taste, but I've never seen him decorate anything.  I've been having fun bugging him about what he's going to purchase.  I created a Pinterest board of things that I thought he would like- just in case.  I already promised that he would host the 2014 Super Bowl party after everyone saw the 70" tv on their way to pee, and I'm sure that there are many more patio parties in the future, so he needs to get those orders in for furnishings.

1. Larry Sectional from Overstock $1899.99
It's a giant sectional for a giant room.  Measures 123" wide by 86" deep
2. Autumn Skies II from World Market $139.99 (my housewarming gift to him)
3. 8' x 10' Rainbow Multi-Stripe Rug from Overstock $179.99
A bright, masculine rug that will hide the coke stains that are surely in its future.
4. Pillows from Etsy $48.00
I thought these would bring all the colors together.  They were vetoed for being too "girly."
5. Henry Coffee Table from World Market $348.00
This rustic table calls for to put up your feet, and drink rings would just add to the character.
6. Lattice Detailed Writing Desk from Overstock $349.99
The room will double as my dad's home office.  This large 54" x 26" cherry desk will fit right in.
7. Dexter Navy Armless Chair from Overstock $223.99
Large, comfy chairs are necessary for my gaming husband and brother.

Some navy drapes to keep glare out and a few more pieces of wall art would make the room complete.  It's going to be a great place for weekly Duck Dynasty dinners!

Big Girl Room

Changes are happening in our house!  My baby will be 3 this summer, and since she could somersault out of her crib, it was time to upgrade her room.  We could not get her to stay in her converted crib-to-toddler bed, so we had to try something new.  Since we turned the fourth bedroom into an office for my husband, we have had an extra full bed lying around.

I love a steal, so I hit up TJMaxx, Target, and World Market one Saturday morning to see what I could find.  TJMaxx had a beautiful white Cynthia Rowley Quilt with pinks, purples, greens, and teals ($39.99).  E calls it her "pity flower banket" or "pretty flower blanket."  Target had fuchsia sheets with white polka dots ($20), some white quilted shams ($18.99 each), and the perfect teal woven accent pillow ($24- steep, but it was perfect... even my husband said so!).  World Market had a gorgeous 30" x 40" floral canvas in the clearance section ($59).  I had picked up a headboard in February in anticipation of the room redo ($20).  My nickname of "spraypainting queen" was well-earned.  You should have seen me in the backyard with my Kilz spray primer and Rustoleum white spray paint.

Other items we have collected/repurposed include: E's great-grandmother's old white desk (free); a large mirror from over the fireplace in the living room where the TV will be mounted (cost $30 five years ago); my childhood bookcase, dresser, and nightstand (free plus cost of white paint); a wooden headboard from the Junior League of Columbia's annual rummage sale ($20 plus cost of white paint); two printed Bible verses to put in white Walmart frames (prints $8 on Etsy, frames $13).  If you spray paint as much as I do, you need one of these:

I am THRILLED with how E's room is coming together.  I've asked if I can snuggle with her a couple of times when putting her to bed and she says, "No Mama, I go seep."  She loves her bed, and the fact that her doll has her own pillow.  Picture a tear rolling down my cheek for my baby girl who isn't a baby anymore!  Pictures to come when I'm finished.  If the rain would go away so I could paint, I would have made more progress by now.  My to-do list looks like this:

1. paint wooden headboard
2. set up full size bed, including safety rails
3. hang large canvas over dresser
4. print, frame, and hang prints over bookcase
5. paint mirror for over desk (currently silver and in living room)
6. paint old bookcase (currently silver... I know, I know)
7. paint old nightstand (currently brown and in guest room)
8. purchase bedding
9. purchase black-out curtains

Thing I learned today: Color is spelled "Fuchsia" not "Fuschia."  Named after scientist with last name Fuch.

Act a Fool

What do you do when you are going to meet your favorite bloggers and want to make an impression?  You dress as a dog... and a toddler... and them!  Three friends and I went to see Sherry and John from Young House Love last night in Charlotte, and we dressed foolishly in the name of fun.  Thankfully we came up with the idea the day before the book signing, so I didn't have enough time to get embarrassed.  We are all pretty normal: two teachers, a jewelry salesperson, and a real estate agent.  Three of us are moms of toddlers.  But most of the people in the audience with us didn't get the joke and thought we were insane.  Ha!  Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?

I've been reading YHL since Oct 2008.  We closed on our 1970's brick ranch that month, and I typed "brick ranch renovation" in the images section of google.  A picture of their little house popped up, and the rest is history.  I've been reading faithfully for years, and watching the "comments" section grow from averaging 10 in 2008 to THOUSANDS these days.  I'm rarely ahead of the curve on things.  YHL and Ebates are my two wins.

The Petersiks fascinate me because they let readers so far into their lives. They are witty and creative and a little bit awkward- my favorite quality.  Though we only spoke with them for a minute, they were as kind and down-to-earth as I had imagined.  I wish that I would have said something about how much I have enjoyed reading their blog for the last four years, or thanked them for putting so much work and so much of themselves into something that they share with the world.  I wasn't that eloquent.  What did I say instead? 

I told them that we dressed up to get a pic with them on the blog (at the time it seemed like it would explain the crazy outfits?), and that my husband said my "Burger-eyed boobs" would do the trick.  Seriously, I kept covering the dog nose with the book and all you could see were dog eyes on my boobs.  Oops!  After looking at the pictures, I'm crazy embarrassed.  I wore dog ears, y'all.  See for yourself:

"Sherry", "Burger", "John", and "Clara"

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

... I mean less debt, less problems.  Money stuff makes me uncomfortable.  As a commissioned salesperson, I had to get over that, or at least push down the discomfort.  This is my first real money post.  I've seen tons of bloggers post them, and I find it fascinating.  Don't expect fascination with this one!  I know that many of my friends are very, very financially responsible.  Let's just say that we are working on building a solid foundation in the area of money.  This is a little bit about our journey as we strive for "financial peace."

When our little girl was born in 2010, we didn't have any credit card debt.  Over the next 18 months we went crazy with cards.  I was just getting started in real estate (a business in which it takes money... or at least credit... to make money) and our little girl had allergies and special (expensive) dietary needs.  We were sending out more than we were taking in each month and it was the most stressed I've ever been in my life.  Thankfully we were never forced to make a late payment on anything.

In early 2012, we were in a position to begin crawling out of the hole that we had created.  We made tithing from gross income our first priority.  My husband got a new job in May, and along with a pay increase, he began working mostly from home.  Going from an 88 mile daily commute to working from home is a job benefit in itself.  It was an answer to prayer.  We refinanced the house in June lowering our payment by $300/mo. Isn't it crazy that lowering our interest rate from 5.5% to 3.5% can save $300/mo??  As I closed sales, we paid down the car and worked on the credit cards and student loans.  Eventually we were in a position to put money into savings.  Now having more than an "emergency fund" in savings is something that we are proud of.  We aren't near the "6 months of expenses" mark yet, but we are on our way.   In 2013, we feel like we have a solid financial foundation for the first time in years.

We read Dave Ramsey's book, but we don't follow it perfectly.  Liquidity is important to us.  For that reason we paid off all of our credit cards except for one.  It is a federal credit union card with a 7% interest rate.  We don't want to dwindle our savings to pay it off, or we would end up using cards for emergencies and starting the vicious cycle all over again.  We also sold our 10 year old vehicle and financed a used car with a 1.99% interest rate instead of purchasing with cash.  We would rather have money in our savings account than a very small car payment and being cash-strapped.  We are paying the car down at an accelerated rate, making sure that we never owe more than it is worth. This approach may not work for everyone, but it is working well for us so far.  Living within our means has brought such a feeling of freedom!!

The success has carried over into my business.  On Tuesday at ERA's annual award's ceremony, I received a President's Award for a high volume of sales.  In the second month of 2013, I already have enough volume in closed and pending sales to qualify for the President's Award again next year.  WHAT?  Blessings overflowing.

Powder Room is getting a Face Lift

The two dead pine trees near our driveway came down today!!  Each day that I walked out to a branch-free car I felt like I had dodged a bullet.  I'm breathing a bit easier now and item #1 on our 2013 list is complete.  We were very, very happy with Professional Tree Service of Lexington.  They promised to leave the yard cleaner than they found it, and indeed they did.  We have 26 more pine trees that we hate, so we'll definitely be using them again in the future.

I've added another item to the 2013 list: The 1/2 bathroom.

Like the other baths in our home, it needs to be gutted.  It hasn't been touched in 43 years.  Though it isn't as offensive as our guest bath (green tile, sink, tub) and the master bath (powder blue tile and sink), the sink doesn't work well anymore and the grout on the floor remains stained no matter how much I scrub it with a toothbrush.  I'm over it!  This will be our first foray into hanging sheetrock.  I'll keep you updated.

This is what it looks like now:

Over the last few weeks we purchased a new vanity, mirror, lighting fixture, and faucet. We are going to dip into my giant stash of Lowe's "clearance" tile for the floor. I can't wait to get started!!

1. Oval Bronze Mirror 2. Pendent Light w/ Crystal Shade 3. Oil-Rubbed Bronze Faucet

4. Crystal Acrylic Knob 5. Espresso Vanity 6. Almond Porcelain Floor Tile

 

On an even more exciting note, my dad is closing on his house in town today!!!  We are so excited to have he and his family 7 miles away instead of 1,000... not only for the free babysitting but also because we love them :)



Get a Survey!!

I have people ask me all the time if they should get a survey when buying a home.  Most cost between $350 and $400.  If there is an old plat on file with the county, many buyers would like to keep a few dollars in their pockets by not ordering a new one.

I try to help clients make their own decision by give examples of what can go wrong if you don't get a new survey.  Yesterday I added a great story to my arsenal.  One of my current clients is a family member, so I told him that he should get a survey... other clients get to make their own decisions, but I tell relatives what to do :)  When the survey came back, we found that a brick parking pad was extending over the neighbor's property line by 1.2'.  The current owners hadn't had a survey completed and had no idea that there were boundary infringements.  The person they had bought the home from used the parking pad for boat storage and it didn't appear on the plat that is currently sitting at the county office.

Let's just say, for example, that this client of mine had opted out of having a survey and the next-door neighbors decided to sell.  If those buyers had a survey completed, and they probably would because of the age of the area and boundary issues on Lake Murray, my family member would have been responsible for the removal of the infringing parking pad... even though it was built three owners ago.  A parking pad is a very, very small issue in the world of boundary infringements.  It could have been much worse.  Do yourself a favor and get a survey!!

AOTM

One letter different and would be America's Next Top Model (HA!).  It has finally happened.  After four months in second place, I hit the jackpot in December.

I have a parking spot right in front of the door of the office for the month, and I'm headed to lunch with the Broker-In-Charge of our office today to celebrate.  I am a giant nerd for being so excited about this.  There are some incredible agents in our office who win month after month, so it's fun for a newbie like me to get into the mix.  My goal was to win it once to make sure that I was keeping up with the "top producers."  The Lexington ERA Wilder Office is the #1 office of the #1 company in the Midlands based on sales volume, so it's kind of a big deal.  Squeaked that one out of 2012, huh?

Ps. Agent of the Month is based on production.  Points for pending sales, points for new listings, points for closed sales, etc.

House Projects!!

There is no project that I love more than a house project.  I think it is important to beautify your nest.  The place you choose to live says so much about you... and our home has not been a great reflection of us over the last four years.

We fell in love with our 1970's brick ranch because of its charm and character.  We were in our early 20's, and most people our age were purchasing "starter homes."  Knowing that these can be difficult to sell when you are ready to upgrade, we opted for a home that we could grow into.  Our 2200sf home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths has been great.  However, it has zero curb appeal.

The outside of the house was peach brick.  U-G-L-Y.  In November, we finally had it painted a beautiful "Mountain Smoke" gray.  We couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.  The new painted started to make everything else look shabby, so we are rolling down the tracks in the reno train.  in December we had the wood soffits replaced with vinyl vented soffits.  It looks so fresh and clean!  We have years of projects ahead of us, but here is what we hope to accomplish in 2013:

1. Cut down dead pine trees (we have gotten the estimate, and they should be down by the end of the month)

2. Replace old front door with stained Mahogany door (It was on backorder.  It will go up in February)

3. Refinish Hardwood floors in dark walnut shade

4. Replace landscaping according to design that we got in July

5. Replace 1970's wooden windows with vinyl windows

We have kitchen and bath projects to do along the way.  We'll see what we have the time and money to complete over the next 12 months!!  I'll keep you updated.