9 Ways to Appreciate Your House Just as It Is

Whether you've been letting your home improvement to-do list get the best of you, or are finding yourself comparing your real-world home to professionally styled and photographed ones, it's natural to get a little down on your home from time to time. Luckily, feeling content at home is something available to everyone, no matter the size or condition of your space. By working your way through these nine suggestions, you can gain a deeper appreciation of your house, just as it is today.

1. Consider what first drew you to your home. No matter where you live, there was likely something that attracted you to your house when you first saw it. Was it the sunny yard, charming porch, original wood floors? Once you are living in a place, it's natural to focus more on home improvements, but taking a moment to recall your favorite things about your home can put things in perspective.

2. Use your senses. If you're getting down on your house, it can be hard to find anything to appreciate — but using your senses, you can zero in on the pleasures of home. Take a quick sensory tour of your home and note anything positive: the cozy comfort of your couch, the smell of coffee brewing, the feel of a fluffy rug between your toes.

3. Contrast it with not-home. Imagine you've just been on a long trip, and you are arriving home for the first time in weeks. You close the door behind you and take a deep breath. What are you most looking forward to about being home in that moment? Think about the ways your home comforts and supports you.

4. Think beyond the visible. Is your rent or mortgage affordable, allowing you to live within your means? Is your home near your best friend's house, a lovely park or your favorite café? Is it quiet? Are your neighbors nice? There are many factors that you may not see when you look around but that are just as (or more) important than the space itself.

5. Consider what visitors like about your home. When friends come over, do they comment on how welcoming and relaxing your house is? Is it great for parties, intimate chats, or barbecues on the lawn? Pay attention to what others have to say about your space.

6. Look at the living things. Be sure to count the people and furry friends you share your home with among your blessings. Does the light in your home make it easy to grow that windowsill herb garden? Does owning your own home or having an accommodating landlord make it possible to share your space with furry friends? Do your kids love jumping on that squashy old couch?

7. Look out your windows. Do you have a view of your private garden, a bustling city street, a beautiful tree? Do you have a favorite spot where you like to sit and daydream, simply gazing at the clouds outside?

8. Look on the bright side. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to turn what could be a negative into something good. A small space may feel cramped, but it also uses fewer resources, so it's naturally greening your lifestyle.

Sharing a home with extended family may be trying at times, but it's undoubtedly providing memories you will cherish for many years. If something has been irking you, try to think of an upside.

9. Consider what your home allows you to do. Whether you love to cook, entertain, read, watch movies or play with your kids, focusing on the activities you enjoy at home can help take the focus away from that never-ending list of improvements. In fact, using your home more is one wonderfully simple way to appreciate what it has to offer.

Looking for real estate services? If you, or a friend or relative is looking for a new home, commercial building or lease, have them give me a call at (714) 584-5509, or send me an email at frank@resusa.org. There are a variety of listed and unlisted opportunities for investors and first time home buyers alike. Let me know how I can help. 

Mythbusters: Top Selling Agents/Brokerages Are the Best Choice to Sell your Home.

I received a call from a woman named Stacey out of the blue one afternoon. Her call started out with an inquiry about a cute little 2 bedroom 2 bath condo walking distance from downtown Brea California that I had listed and had just recently sold. I was about to explain that we had just finished closing escrow on that unit and was about to ask how I could help her find another opportunity when she asked a question I didn't expect. Stacey wanted to know how long it was on the market for before it was under contract to be sold.

This question was the last one I expected to hear. Stacey didn't want to know about buying the condo I had just sold, but how I was able to sell it so fast. Stacey and Sam lived in the same complex one building over from where my listing was. As it turns out, they too decided to sell their condo and hired the agent that was canvassing their neighborhood. They like that his "top producing" team sold more than 1,600 homes in 20 years, and they liked it even better when he promised that he could sell their home fast and for top dollar. That decision is when the nightmare began.

Stacey was 4 months pregnant with their second child. They needed an extra bedroom for the new baby and Sam didn't want his wife to have to climb stairs while juggling two children. They explained to this "top producing" agent that they bought the condo at the top of the market and needed to get everything dime they could out of it to put down on a new larger home. They also had the clock ticking with her due date. The agent explained that he could get the job done, but they would have to do everything he recommended in order for his plan to work and for him to deliver on his promises of getting top dollar. That seemed reasonable, and coming from a competent (so they thought) top selling agent, it is the right thing to do.  So, Sam and Stacey agreed to follow his instructions so they could sell fast and for top dollar.

Step one of the agent's strategy was to make the condo as appealing as possible, so they asked this young couple to move themselves, along with all of their furnishings, out of their home so it could be professionally staged and shown 24/7. The agent explained that they would be supplying furnishings and decorations that would help the condo show well and stimulate offers. Moving them out he explained would eliminate scheduling issues because of the baby.

The only way Sam and Stacey could pull this off was to move back into her parent's home and fill her parent's garage with everything they owned.  After moving in with her parents it was a slow adjustment for both of them, especially after being married and away for so long. With a second child on the way and a granddaughter to play with, Stacey's mom was ecstatic and both of them knew she could use the extra help. Thirty days turned into sixty days. Then calls started going unanswered. After being on the market for over 6 months with no offers, they decided to fire their "top producing" agent and move back home since the baby was already born.

After Stacey finished the story, she asked again - "how long did it take you to have your listing under contract." I told her that we hit our average timeframe of 10 days and closed escrow 30 days after that. She marveled as to how I could get such great results selling the same condo. That's when I had to share this mythbuster with her.  Believe it or not, picking a great agent doesn't start or even end with how many "units" or homes they sold.  Case in point, I have 40 years experience as a rehabber and am more involved in building custom homes now than selling new and used homes retail. On the surface, it doesn't look like I sell many homes and possibly am only part time. The facts are, I am full time and typically have a standard sale under contract in 10 days.

As you can see, measuring agent quality and likelihood of achieving good results will never be reflected in total units sold. This is just another tactic by the high producing groups. The numbers look impressive, and you figure, well if they could sell so many homes, they must be better at selling homes than the others. As you can see with this example, it's not the the number of homes they sold that counts, but the speed in which the asset was sold, combined with achieving a high list vs. sold price ratio that delivers the best yield for the seller.

Look for an agent that you feel comfortable and can trust first. Then, explore their skill sets first. The good ones will become your family's realtor for life.

Happy hunting!

Frank

Looking for real estate services? If you, or a friend or relative is looking for a new home, commercial building or lease, have them give me a call at (714) 584-5509, or send me an email at frank@resusa.org. There are a variety of listed and unlisted opportunities for investors and first time home buyers alike. Let me know how I can help.