Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Most Important Thing About Selling A Home

The most important thing about selling a home is the price that a buyer is willing to pay for it.   If the price is too high, the home may never sell.  If it is priced too low, the seller is giving the home away.  The key is to price a home around the dollar amount for what similar homes (in style, age, and condition) have actually sold.

Some things to remember if there are no offers:
  1. The selling agents, the agents representing buyers, believe the price is too high.
  2. If there are showings but no offers, the agents AND the buyers are finding homes that offer better value.
  3. If there are second showings but no offer - a minor price adjustment is in order.

Tips:
  1. There should be at least 1 to 2 showings per week.
  2. Every 10 showings should produce at least one offer.

~~~

t






Saturday, February 14, 2015

February 14, 2015

Having just watched two movies with my youngest on a snowy day with winter advisory alerts including dangerous wind chills, I relished in the moment that still all is well.

As my youngest moved on into the bedroom after the arrival of one of her best friends, I thought about how in a few hours I would have to venture out into that winter wilderness to head to the theater for the second last sold out show*.  Then I thought about how last night one of the audience members shook every cast member's hand with tears in her eyes as she expressed how the play touched her so.

It wasn't long ago when Valentine's Day was the most dreaded day to face.  But it's funny how a perspective makes a difference in feeling good or feeling bad.   Either a person can be sad that they do not have anyone in their life or a person can be glad that they are not in an unhealthy relationship.

That saying, I can do bad all by myself, just came to mind.

But if the saying was I can do good all by myself, that would be a sense of empowerment versus the defeating belief that no matter what, bad will exist.

There is a peace when self-fulfillment is not based on having a significant other.

I'm good.









*Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Karamu House


Monday, February 2, 2015

Signs A Woman Is In An Unhealthy Relationship

1.  She Does All The Planning

When a woman does all the planning of what she and "her man" are going to do for the day, the week, the evening, the weekend, their future, and their life, she is the captain (so she thinks) and the lone crewman in that relationship.  Simply, the guy is just on the boat to enjoy the cruise.


2.  She Doesn't Make a Move Until She Knows What He Is Doing

If a woman has to first check to see what a man might do before she can decide what time she will go to the store or create her five year plan regarding her education, career, and finances, she has enslaved herself.  When a woman plans her life on a man's availability, she does not have a life because she has given it over to him. 


3.  She Tosses Everything Aside to Devote Her Time and Energy With Him

A woman who tosses aside her friends, family, children, and other responsibilities is literally a woman who got her nose (and most likely her legs) wide open.  A woman's priority must be her health, her home's stability, and taking care of her family and/or other matters in her household.  When a woman gives it all up for a man for the sake of the relationship, ultimately she will have nothing when the man decides to be with a woman who he had to work for to get or when he just gets tired of being smothered.


4.  She Opens The Door

Chivalry is not dead and a man being a gentleman is not outdated.  A woman must always consider herself a lady and demand to be treated as such.
  • If the guy gets into the driver's seat while the woman opens up the door for herself to get in; 
  • If he walks behind her and waits for her to open the door to the restaurant or if he walks in before her;
  • If he orders his meal first instead of allowing the woman to first tell the server what she would like to have; 
  • If he takes the best seat at the booth (unless he needs to keep his eye on the door); 
  • If he responds to every text message and phone call while on a date; 
  • If he does all the talking about himself
  • If she puts her coat on and he doesn't assist
...then...as some folk say it... He ain't studden (studying) her.

He is either all about himself, testing her to see just what she demands or what she would put up with, or he has never learned etiquette and/or how to be a gentleman.


5.  Come Hell or High Water, She Is There

If a woman places herself in danger by traveling to his home in inclement weather; if she calls off from work or leaves her children with someone all the time to kick it at his home; if she ignores family events to sit on his couch or lay in his bed; if she takes care of things for him financially, then the guy got himself a fool for love and a fool over him.  The question comes down to...Is it love or is it obsession?


6.  Come Hell or High Water, He is Not There

Anytime a woman is not confident that the man with whom she is emotionally, financially, and intimately involved will not be there for her, then most likely she is not who he considers to be his woman.  Of course, women should be able to do things for themselves like change a tire, make a household repair, or put together a bicycle or furniture that came in the box.  But if a woman has a man that she does A LOT for, it is not unreasonable to expect that man to come when she is a damsel in distress. If a woman calls that man who is sitting at home with a way to get to her when she is stranded and comes up with a weak excuse on why he cannot come, she has given EVERYTHING to the wrong man.






These simple signs of irrational behavior are signals of severely low self-esteem.  Not only are they signs that the woman has cemented herself in an unhealthy relationship, but there is indication that she has some unhealthy mental and social behaviors and perceptions.

A healthy relationship consists of two people putting into the relationship on an equal balance.  But, a relationship is not a tit-for-tat record keeping program.  It's just about giving and receiving naturally. A healthy relationship is not when he gives her just enough of token gifts to make her think he is into her either.

Some women believe that they must do all they can to "save" a relationship or to put in the work so that the relationship will endure the rough times.  Then, some women believe that anything is better than saying she does not have someone in her life.  Although, both of these perceptions are unhealthy, the latter is definitely detrimental to a woman's time, body, mind, and soul.

My mother, widowed after happily married 53 years to my father after their several year courtship, used to tell me, "Don't you do all the loving."

When a woman does all the loving, it's safe to say she is typically loving by herself.



 tnd

Share with the women you care about - especially the ones in an unhealthy relationship and the younger females starting out.