Thought of the Day

What will you do with your extra 24 hours?

Wednesday is February 29th otherwise known as Leap Day! It doesn't come around often so here are a few suggestions to do it up big! 

LEAP at the Opportunity! February 29th is the exceptional day for girls to pop the question - whether it's asking him out on a date or to marry you, if he's taking too long then take advantage of this opportunity! There won't be another chance until 2016!

LEAP into Action! Take advantage of your extra day. Catch up on housework or get around to the to-do list that has been tormenting you. There's always something that must be done, even if it's catching up on some sleep. Don't let your extra day slip by!

Take a LEAP of Faith! Take a risk this leap day. Do something out of the ordinary, conquer a fear or do something W-I-L-D. Whatever you do this Leap Day make sure to seize the day and live without regrets!

Have a Happy Leap Day!
Nicole
:)

Funny, but true!

I'm sure the Old Woman had a buyer's agent working for her to find her perfect home!

Hiring a Homebuyer's agent takes stress out of a purchase

This article was in the London Free Press this morning.  Thought it was worth sharing!

Buying a home will likely be the biggest investment of your life, so you want to get it right.

Here are some common pitfalls you should avoid.

• Thinking you can't afford it. We've all heard the saying that "buying a home is a good investment," yet people often think they can't afford to enter this market. But if you consider the fact that although the prices of homes fluctuate with the economy, the long-term trend is normally a consistent increase. Just like investing in the stock market, a smart investor will look for investments that increase their equity over time. This means that every month when you make a mortgage payment, you're increasing your equity and this is one of the reasons you can't afford not to buy. The key is to do your research and be prepared. People also have so much more flexibility in financing today than was available even a few years ago. Whether you're working with your banker or a mortgage broker, you should seek professional advice when it comes to getting approved and obtaining financing for a mortgage.
• Get pre-approved for your mortgage before you place an offer on a home. This will help you avoid disappointment should you find the perfect home and then learn you aren't approved for financing.
• Not hiring a buyer's agent to represent you.  In addition to being the smartest financial decision, buying a home is often the largest single investment you will make and a bad choice can end up costing you thousands of dollars.  Buying property is a complex and stressful task and real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated; therefore, to make the experience less stressful you should work with a "buyer's agent", someone who has a solid understanding of the rules and who is also on your side.  New technology, laws, procedures and competition from other agents require buyer agents to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism.  Buyer's agents have a fiduciary duty to you. That means they are loyal to only you and are obligated to look out for your best interests. Best of all, in most cases, the buyer's agent is paid out of the seller's commission, even though he/she works for you. Buying a home without an agent is; to say the least, risky business!
• Not having a home inspection included in the offer to purchase.  Potential home buyers often forgo the home inspection condition in the offer, especially in a bidding war with multiple offers. The buyer is forced to forgo a home inspection because they're afraid their offer will be rejected because they have added a condition that a home inspection be performed. If you feel you must do this, you're taking the risk of not knowing the condition of the home, and this could lead to costly repairs that may have been discovered during a professional home inspection.  By purchasing a home without a home inspection, you have little or no recourse if something major is wrong with home; it's like buying a car without a safety check.If you feel you must do this, then at the very least you should hire a qualified home inspector after your offer has been accepted so you're made aware of any serious issues with the home that need immediate attention.

This article was in the London Free Press Homes Section today. Written by Rob Parker.
Read the full article: http://www.lfpress.com/homes/2012/02/23/19414971.html

Rob Parker is a registered home inspector with the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors and certified master inspector with the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors who does home inspections in the London area.  Call him at ThamesSpec Home Inspection Service at 519-857-7101, thamespec@rogers.com or visit www.thamespec-inspections.com.

LIfe Lessons from the Super Bowl

I love football ... mostly because my son, Devon LOVES football.   Football has always been a huge part of our life.  He started playing football when he was 8 years old with the LMFA Banting Bulldogs. Now he plays for Banting High School.  This fall he had the opportunity to win the Junior Football City Championship Game and then dress and play with the senior team winnning 2 city championships in one day.  I read this article and thought it was a great "Life Lesson" paralleling the Superbowl.  I shared the article with Devon and wanted to share it here too.

Enjoy!
Article from http://adamadgroup.com/

The difference between winning and losing is often fractional, but the lessons we learn from losing can be truly life or game changing.

Only one team wins the Super Bowl.

For each player on the NY Giants going to Disney World after the game there is a player on the New England Patriots going home disappointed without the joy of victory.

It's a lot like life.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.

Sometimes we win the account, the game, the job promotion, the award and sometimes we lose the very thing we want most.

Winning matters. Losing matters. But in life what matters most is what we do with our wins and losses.

When we win do we become complacent or stay humble and hungry?

People often say that success breeds success but often it breeds complacency. After a win people think they can just show up and achieve the same result, forgetting the effort, determination and mindset it took to achieve the win.

To continue winning it's essential to turn the euphoria of winning into a fire of burning desire that fuels your continuous improvement, passion, and quest for excellence.

Even more important than what we do after our wins is how we respond to our losses.

Do we give up or come back stronger?

Do we allow the loss to act like a cancer that eats away at us for the rest of our life or do we turn it into a learning opportunity that leads to our healthy growth?

I certainly know what it feels like to lose. I've lost many arguments with my wife. : )  My book The Energy Bus was rejected by the first 30 publishers. As a sales person years ago I lost as many accounts as I won. I lost too many games as a Lacrosse player at Cornell and now I watch my children lose tennis matches and lacrosse games.

Everyone loses but the key is to make the loss stand for something and in my family LOSS now stands for:

LOSS (Learning Opportunity, Stay Strong)

When we lose we ask what we can learn from this loss and how we can improve because of it. Then we stay strong and work harder to come back and try to win.

This leads to more wins in the future...and also eventually more loses...and more learning opportunities and opportunities to stay strong and develop our character.

Through this process of winning and losing we learn the greatest lesson of all:

No matter how hard we work and how much we improve there will be times when we experience the worst of defeats instead of the greatest of victories. But ultimately life is about more than winning or losing. It’s about the lessons we learn, the character and strength we build and the people we become along the way.

Whether we win the Super Bowl or not, when we realize this we will surely be a winner in the game of life!

Upcoming Job Fair - February 15th

If you're looking for a job then you might want to check out the London Job Fair being held at the Western Fair next week.  It's a great way to be guaranteed a "first interview".

More information can be found at http://londonjobfair.ca/

Quote of the Day

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'"

~Mary Anne Radmacher
      Author and Artist

February Facebook Contest

 

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I LOVE Boston Pizza so this month I'm offering a $50 Gift Card to one lucky Facebook Fan!
How can you win this prize?

It's as EASY a Pizza Pie! (haha... humor me and laugh at that!)

*LIKE my Facebook page
(click the "LIKE" button at the top of this page)

*Tell your friends & family to LIKE my page
(make sure I know you sent them because for every friend you refer, you'll BOTH receive an entry)

*Write on my wall, send me a message or just think about how nice I am!
That's all you have to do to win this month's delicious prize!

Remember, for every friend that you refer you receive another entry to the draw! Send your friends this link: www.Facebook.com/TakingYouHome!

Area real estate sales were strong out of the gate for 2012!

The London St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) said 454 homes sold in January, up 6.1% over the same month last year.

"No doubt about it, 2012 has gotten off to an excellent start," said LSTAR president Barb Whitney.

The number of new listings in January was up 3.5% and the number of active listings at month's end was up 2.7%.

"This means that, while the market remains balanced, we still have a good supply of product from which to choose," said Whitney.

The average price for a home in LSTAR's jurisdiction as of January 31, 2012 stands at $225,027, an increase over Dec. 2011 of just under 1%.

The average price for a detached home over stands at $236,191, down 2.6% from December 2011, while the average price for a condo stands at $169.069, up 12.4 % from the previous month.

Article from: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3459832

Quote of the Day

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!”
― Audrey Hepburn

Know Which Projects are Worth the Cost & Effort

Are you thinking about selling your home this year? If so you should be aware of what today's buyers are looking for in a home. It will affect what you should do to get your home ready for sale, and how you should price it.

 

A survey by the National Association of Realtors in 2011 found that buyers favor walkable neighborhoods that are close to shops, restaurants and local businesses over neighborhoods that require more driving between home, work and recreation.

According to the survey, 77 percent of the respondents said they would look for pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Improvement in public transportation was favored over building new roads.

Most buyers (80 percent) still prefer to live in a single-family, detached home as long as it doesn't require a longer commute. Although space is important to most buyers, 59 percent said they would accept a smaller home if it cut 20 minutes off the commute time.

Does this mean your chances of selling are slim if you don't have a high Walk Score? No, but proximity to a popular commercial area usually brings a higher price. Below are some home hunting tips the article mentioned.

• Proper pricing is the key factor affecting the salability of your home in today's market. Make sure you're comparing apple to apples when you evaluate the probable selling price of your home.
• The home-sale business is all about location. If you live in a neighborhood where you have to drive to get to work, school or recreation, you can't expect to sell for the same price as a comparable home that's in a desirable, walkable location.
• You can't change the location of your home, but you can appeal to today's buyers who are typically looking for a home that is in good condition that they can move right into without doing any major work.
• A common refrain heard from sellers is that there's no point in painting or changing worn carpet -- buyers will surely want to do something different. In some cases, this may be so, but many buyers don't have extra cash to pay for extensive home improvements. They may ultimately change the color scheme, but don't make them worry about making the house livable when they buy.
• It's a good idea to consult with your real estate agent before you make fix-up improvements. Review your list of preparation-for-sale projects and get your agent's feedback before starting any work.
• Get your agent's or stager's input on colors, light fixtures, carpeting, etc., so that you can ensure a positive response to your efforts. Also, watch your costs. You don't need to do a top-of-the-line paint job or use the most expensive granite for your countertops in order to sell. In fact, it will eat into your proceeds from the sale.

Some of the information in this article were taken from an article written by DIAN HYMER, Inman News®  Full article can be found at: http://bit.ly/xZPVYI