You Move Me

A recent survey (appropriately released during the month of love), showed 41 percent of Americans moved for love.  

Interesting to note that more men relocated to be closer to their sweethearts than women and more women than men regretted moving for love. Not surprising was the top reason for that regret: They were no longer with the person they moved for.

You can read about it here.

Noise & the Pandemic

Until more folks started working remotely, many people didn't pay much attention to the noise levels entering their homes.  It's difficult to stay focused on work when life sounds intrude into your home office space. 

Noise levels can actually impact resale value. The closer you live to the noise, the greater drop in resale value.  According to an article in Realtor Magazine, sellers in close proximity to an airport saw a 13 percent drop in prices, those living near train tracks saw an average discount in price of about 12 percent, and homes within a 2-mile radius of an airport saw their resale value about 13 percent lower than homes in the same zip code. 

For more information and to get some great noise reduction tips, you can read the complete article HERE.

Pantone Color of The Year 2021: A banana and duct tape

So… sometime in early December Pantone announced its 2021 Color of the Year.  At least for me, the announcement came with little fanfare judging by the month-long lapse before I decided to care enough to take a look-see.

Apparently one color wasn't enough to paint over the craziness of 2020, so Pantone choose two colors--a gray and yellow. With its unveiling, the executive director of Pantone's Color Institute, said the paint choices provided "a message of happiness supported by fortitude, the combination of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is aspirational and gives us hope. We need to feel that everything is going to get brighter – this is essential to the human spirit."

Hope is something we all need.  I'm just not sure this particular color combination will send my spirit soaring. What do you think?

To view colors from previous years, you can take a peek here.

Oh and for more fun, see how one writer compares the color duo to a "viral sculpture of a banana stuck on the wall with duct tape."

A New Year & New Promises

Well I finally dusted off the metaphorical cobwebs that have been accumulating on my real estate blog and decided to be more intentional this year. Not quite sure how that will all shake out, but everywhere I look, I see people telling me I need a word to carrying me through this new year.

Since I didn't do that in the-year-that-shall-not-be-named, I thought maybe, perhaps just maybe, I should do it this year. So my magic word is…drum roll please…INTENTIONAL. 

So since we're already three days into this new year, new me thing, I thought it might be handy to share a few tips for folks who have decided to list their house. You can read eight tips that should come in handy for you although Item #1 (thankfully) doesn't apply to my area.

8 Tips To Sell In the Dead of Winter

Candy Dishes Out The Dirt On MetroTex

Sometimes real estate groups should stay out of things they don't know anything about before they wholeheartedly support a bogus group like the Taxpayers For A Fair Pension. This is particularly true in the Dallas Police & Firefighters Pension fray.  Those who support this group clearly do not understand this issue nor support active and retired Dallas police and firefighters.

You can read about it here and here.

And you can especially read about it in Candy's Dirt, another real estate blog. Just click on the picture below…

#PoundOfFlesh #savethepension #DallasRealEstate

What Do Young Buyers Want?

Dear Home Diva,

I want to sell my home. What attracts young buyers to a home?
--Wanda Tosell

Dear Wanda,

There are many things that can entice young buyers. Here are some factors to consider:

#1…Updated kitchen and bath. Kitchen and bathrooms tend to be the most expensive to update and young buyers just don't have the money to sink into an expensive remodel.

#2...Open floor plans and big kitchens. Young buyers want for people to flow through a home. Since kitchen has become the hangout room, it's important to transition from the kitchen to the family/tv room.

#3...Home office. More and more people are working from home or bringing work home, so it's important for them to have a dedicated work space. A home office can also be used as a flex space to meet a variety of needs.

#4…Location, location, location. We've all heard that before, but for young buyers location means closer proximity to work because of high gas prices and traffic. Walkability can also be an important factor.

#5...Low maintenance. Young buyers want homes that are relatively hassle-free and require little work.

#6...Technology. These buyers care about cell service and internet capabilities as well as smart home technology.

#7...Energy efficiency. Although not a top reason for a home purchase, young buyers still want homes that are energy efficient with good insulation, windows, etc.​

​--the Home Diva

​

Play Up Your Hot Spots

One way to increase a buyer's interest in your home is to play up the "hot spots" in your house. These are spaces in your home that spark what researchers call "memorable moments." 

Features like fire places, high ceilings and built-ins increase a room's appeal.  In addition, the most popular areas of a home underscore these three elements: relaxation, socializing, and function. The more a room has of these elements, the better, according to the study. 

If you plan to do a bit of repainting before putting your house on the market, consider using a taupe color. Sherwin-Williams named its Poised Taupe as its 2017 Color of the Year.

Top 25 Best Places to Retire

And the winners are…

Forbes magazine recently announced its list of Top 25 Best Places to Retire, and the Lone Star state had three cities make the list: Grand Prairie, San Marcos and Abilene.

Grand Prairie made the list because of its booming economy, low crime, warm weather and a cost of living that is below the national average. You can read about the list here.

Finding Help Next Door

A week has passed since 12 tornadoes blew through North Texas the day after Christmas, killing 11 people and causing $1.2 billion in damages. 

The emotional toll, which cannot be calculated in dollars and cents, was visually staggering as news accounts and Facebook posts showed storm victims sifting through what remained of their lives.


In my community alone, there were 171 structures damaged or destroyed--an estimated loss of $20.4 million, according to Ellis County Emergency Management.

While my home was untouched, the tornado passed just five to six houses down from us heavily damaging several of my neighbors homes as it moved northward continuing its path of destruction. Police blockaded roads, a curfew was instituted and store-bought generators hummed for days until power was finally restored. Although not hit as hard as our northern neighbors, clean up in our southern county continues.

As a rural community, we do not have things in place for quick, efficient communication. Through that weekend, the city of Ovilla website contained no information. Other government websites provided sporadic information.

I, along with my neighbors, found more information and help through Next Door, a private social network community. I’ve never been a big fan of social networking. Sure I have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, but my use tends to be sporadic at best.

But it was there, on Next Door that my neighbors and I discovered what neighborhoods were damaged. It was there we found out who had power and when power was getting restored. It was there we could vent and receive a sympathetic response. It was there we even found out about official stuff such as the curfew.

It was also there that we found out about whose pets had gone missing. And, it was there we all rejoiced online when Kip, a shorthaired English Pointer, was finally found three days later and reunited with his family. It was there someone volunteered to do laundry for displaced families, and it was there, others searched for personal items blown away.

But most importantly, it was there where human connections were made even through the anonymity of cyberspace, making this tragic event bearable.

When Your Home Doesn't Sell

Dear Home Diva,
My house has been on the market along time. Why won't my house sell?

Sincerely, P.T. High

Dear P.T.,
There are a number things that factor in why a house doesn't sell. While some additional factors may come into play, the main reasons for a home not selling usually are price, condition and location.

While you can't move your house to improves its marketability, you certainly can work on price and condition. If buyers are not looking or making offers on your home, price could be the primary factor. No one wants to pay top dollar for a home that doesn't merit the price.

While I love their programing, HGTV has conditioned a lot of buyers to expect move-in ready, updated homes. If you're missing some of the bells & whistles buyers expect, then you need to make your price attractive to them.

In today's market in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with inventory low, homes that are priced right sell fairly quickly, so you may need to look at a price adjustment.

I would also take a step back and objectively look at your house and how does it show? Is there too much clutter? Do you need better curb appeal? Does it need a good cleaning? All these can be factors in buyers passing over your home. --the Home Diva

Keeping New Year's Resolutions

January soon will sputter to an end and with it most people's New Year’s resolutions.

According to people who keep track of those sorts of things, between 40 and 45 percent of us make New Year's resolutions. (Raise your hand if you’re like me and do that sort of thing.)

We begin our journey filled with hope, promise and commitment, but by the end of week two, only 71 percent of us trudge on. By six months end, the number drops to 46 percent. As time goes on, success plummets. It's all rather depressing.

Still, there is a bright spot in all of this. 

Researchers say that those people “who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.”

Ten times. Whew! That’s a lot–enough to make me re-think and re-start my personal, professional and organizational goals and resolutions.

It may be the end of January, but I'm resolved to start tackling my resolution list again.

And, what you might ask the Home Diva does any of all of this have to do with real estate? Why, I'm glad you asked. Whether you've always wanted to buy a home, or upsize or downsize, a firm New Year's commitment can get you on the path to achieving your dreams.

If you need to sell, now is the time to start organizing, cleaning and getting your home market ready. I've got tons of ideas on my Pinterest boards to help get you started.

If you want to buy a home, now is the time to examine your finances and start the pre-approval process. Do you need to save more? Repair your credit? Find a realtor? Again, check out my Pinterest boards for information.

Remember, if we resolve to do this, we are 10 times more likely to succeed!

The 2015 Color of the Year and My Nomination for 2016 Color of the Year

Unlike last year’s cheery Radiant Orchid that supposedly evoked optimism and sophistication, Pantone’s selection of the muted, slightly muddled Marsala as its choice for the 2015 Color of the Year was greeted with mixed reviews.

Marsala, according to the Pantone’s press release, is the color that will enrich “our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability.” Its touted as a “subtly seductive shade” that promises to draw us in “to its embracing warmth.”

Well, not so fast, Missy.

Others have failed to see its beauty, spewing out less than favorable reviews. Most notably this from The Atlantic, “Think rust, the grimy, gag-inducing type that lines corners or frat boy dormitory-style bathrooms. Or blood, the freaky dried kind whose iron content has been exposed to the air long enough to evoke a dull brick.”

Jeepers creepers, when you put it that way, I’m not sure I want that around my house. But I actually like the burgundy tone of Pantone’s 2015 Color of the Year.

More importantly, I like the name of it. Marsala. It reminds me of chicken Marsala, and, hey, what’s not to like about that tasty little dish? But I digress…

Still, it’s no secret that naming colors would be my dream job. I envision myself sitting in a fancy, schmancy corner office after traipsing around the world visiting exotic places (for inspiration) and coming up with extraordinarily creative names for colors for ordinary paint chips. And, all this, of course, while earning a bazillion dollars.

So Pantone guys and gals… I’ve already got your 2016 Color of the Year.

I call it “Taffy Tabby” reminiscent of Howard of the Shelter Cat. Here’s part of my bazillion dollar marketing campaign press release: “Taffy Tabby spins a luxurious mix of vibrant orange hues and esoteric vanilla enhanced creams evoking a fine zen-like balance between playful and serious.”

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it… why not me?

And Pantone, no need to thank me. Just pop my check in the mail.

Homes for sale in Red Oak & Selling Memories

I’ve never been much of a sentimental kind of gal. No siree, Missy. I trudge ahead, barreling forward rocketing into that great oblivion we call the future.  

I am not a looking-back-kind of gal.

So it’s a bit odd that I’ve been waxing a bit poetic and been a tad sentimental the past few days.

I recently sold a home owned by a former student of mine. At closing, she got a bit teary-eyed, and then that got the escrow officer teary-eyed. But, I (who remained dry-eyed) scurried off to locate a box of Kleenex. Finding none, I returned with a napkin I rustled up from the break room.

The sale was an emotional one for my client because it had been her first home. While she dearly loved that house, she needed to move on.

As I was driving back to the office, I made a mental note to start bringing Kleenex to closings because this (ad)venture in real estate has always been more than just selling houses. 

We sell memories, bringing the promise of new ones and new dreams.

And, at least for me, it’s a moment, a glimpse, a condensed vignette of a life moving forward with faith in the future.

I thought about my client again as I drove on down the road and realized I will always see her as that young teenager sitting on a blanket listening to Tom Petty belting out “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

But isn’t that what we do throughout our lives? We're all just running down a dream… goin’ wherever it leads…

Howard the Shelter Cat & Pet Rent

Howard the Shelter Cat snubbed my latest idea that he should start paying his fair share in rent. I thought it would be a great way to supplement my vacation fund.

As usual, he just yawned and turned his whiskers aside showing his usual indifference to anything non-food related.

It's a good thing I'm such a sap for the furry guy. Otherwise,  he'd be getting his eviction notice speedy quick.

Apparently, charging renters an extra monthly pet fee is becoming more and more the norm, according to recent news reports. That extra fee is in addition to those hefty non-refundable pet security deposits. Most landlords are charging anywhere from 10 to 50 buckeroos extra a month for the privilege of having a pet.

The extra fees supposedly help to pay for those pet walkways, parks, waste bags and other expenses related to pets.

Lucky for Howie, we don't rent. We own a home. Chalk up one more reason it's better to own, then rent.

Still, if there were some way Howie could work just a bit for his room and board…

The Home Diva Unplugged

I wanted to post something interesting… and uplifting… and perhaps valuable. 

Instead, I've been feeling slightly snarky, and that snarkiness is flowing unabated like floodwaters after a torrential rain.

Heaven help us… We've got the Home Diva here Unplugged.

And that my friends is probably not a very good thing.

No siree, Missy. It's got me singing along with Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, "Got a real good feeling something bad about to happen…"

Since I launched my ad(venture) in real estate, I marvel at the number of people who aren't very fond of real estate agents and who begrudge agents a commission. 

I'm not exactly sure where these people think I live, but apparently they think it's somewhere in never-never land where I can work for free, pay my bills with monopoly money and eat pretend food. Jeepers creepers, if that were the case, I would look a lot more like Barbie than a Cabbage Patch doll. I'm just sayin'.

I wish I could blame the public's perception on Bravo's Million Dollar Listing reality shows where agents come across as self-absorbed prima donnas appearing to rake in a ton of moo-lah while barely breaking a sweat to complete a transaction. 

Instead, sadly, real estate agents need to shoulder some of the blame for this poor public perception. Like the public, I must say I have encountered agents who fail to return telephone calls, fail to communicate in a timely manner, fail to problem-solve for clients, fail to be pro-active, fail to ensure a transaction works… fail to… 

Well, let's just generalize: Fail to do their job. Period. Exclamation Point. End of sentence.

There. I said it. Yep. Home Diva Unplugged. I never said it would be pretty.

These agents are the ones who make it difficult for the rest of us who view this as a career (not just a job) and who really do care about their clients and providing excellent customer service.

When I started this (ad)venture, I read (and was told) that 90 percent of real estate agents drop out after their first year because they under-estimated the amount of work it takes to grow a business, and they didn't realize the financial cost of getting their business up and running. The costs–office fees, MLS fees, marketing, required association memberships, lock box and key card fees, insurance, brokerage commission splits etc.–come at a hefty price.

For me, that attrition statistic rings true. I think I'm the only one left in my office who started working about the same time I did. (An interesting little tidbit, don't you think? What can I say? I'm stubborn and snarky.)

And now, if we could just get those other ones in real estate brokerage firms all across the country who fail to do their jobs to move on… Well then, I think the public overall would have a more favorable impression of real estate agents, and perhaps, I would be a little less snarky.

Perhaps.

13 Years Later Remembering 9/11

There was a time when I walked through the day in a daze.

There was a time when I couldn't and wouldn't schedule anything on that day.

There was a time when I read vignettes from the 576-page Portraits of Grief book.

There was a time when I stared at the photographs of all the first responders who died that day.

There was a time when I tried to make sense of it all.

And so as we approach the 13th Anniversary of 9/11, I realize that life has crossed over into this day bringing bits and pieces of normalcy where none existed before. There are errands to run, appointments to keep, work to do.

And yet, 13 years later, I still have not forgotten you--each and every one who perished on that day. I still hear you like ghosts whispering in the wind.

I will always remember you.

I will never forget.

Tips for buying a vacation home

Dear Home Diva,
What tips can you give me about buying a vacation home? --Ms. Summer Phun

Dear Ms. Phun,

Just like with your primary residence, you need to think location, location, location with your vacation home. If the vacation property is too far away or too difficult to get to, will you really use it? 

Experts recommend selecting a location no more than two hours away. Not only will it make it easier to enjoy your vacation home, but it also will make it easier to check on it and make repairs if necessary. According to the National Association of Realtors, beaches and mountains tend to be the most desirable locations for vacation homes.


Make sure you visit several times before you buy. Check it out during the off-season as well, so you know what the area has to offer. If you intend to rent out the property when you are not using it, consider the properties true rental potential and whether yours will provide the amenities vacationers seek. 

And don’t forget to put pen to paper and tally up the cost of not only buying the property but the upkeep as well. 

And finally, as always, find a realtor to assist you. --The Home Diva

All A Twitter About Followers

OK, I admit it. I felt a tad bit of excitement (maybe even a small flutter) when my iPhone bleeped and I saw that Top Agent Magazine was following me on twitter.

I’d like to think there was a real person sitting in one of those spectacular corner offices trolling through all the twitter feeds and landed on my latest blog post and said, “Wowie, Zowie, Kowie! Isn’t she just an amazing and insightful realtor!” (Notice I wrote “insightful” not “inciteful” although the later is probably truer.)

I’d like to think that person then buzzed the tech department and said, “Holy Moley, let’s start following this gal. She’s fab-u-lous!”

I’d like to think that person also notified the editorial department and screamed, “Stop the presses! I think we have our next cover girl right here.”

Yeah, I like to think a lot of things.

Like how I’d spend my millions when I win the lottery.

Or what I’d say to Oprah over a cup of coffee.

Or how I’d divide my time among a vast array of vacation homes.

Yeah, stuff like that.

In all likelihood, though, the real person sitting in one of those spectacular corner offices probably never even glanced sideways at my twitter feed or blog posts. 

Instead, it probably was some automated search machine scooping up key words and triggering twitter follows. It was probably just sheer luck that I happened to get caught up in their net. 

Their social media folks probably think that once someone gets a twitter following notification, that person will then return the favor. Since they have 11,200 plus followers, it appears to be working.

My social media folks are just me, myself and I. So yeah, go ahead and count me in. I returned the favor and hit the follow button. Let's see if that brings me any more followers.

In the meantime, I’m going to wait by the phone for the editorial department to buzz me even though my social media folks tell me it's a waste of time. What a bunch of killjoys.

Keeping It Real & Defining Oneself

Pretty soon I will be celebrating my one year anniversary since I started my latest (ad) venture in this world of real estate.

So let’s keep it real, Missy, and take a moment for something we all are so fond of—a little self-evaluation.

I went to an interesting seminar the other day loaded with tips on how to become a real estate listing machine. And, for an additional $900 or so buckeroos, I could sign up for a seven week dealio to improve my business life.

I wavered back and forth with the quintessential dilemma of “should I?” or “shouldn’t I?”  Right now, I just couldn’t squeeze it in with all the other stuff in my life. 

But all of that got me thinking, and jeepers creepers, we all know what happens when that happens. 

I kept thinking and stumbling over the word “salesperson.”  

I stumbled because I just don’t view myself as a salesperson, even though that apparently is the underlying definition of a real estate agent.

So that and because of my schedule, I put away my pen and didn't sign up (much to the chagrin of some of my office buddies).

I guess I’ve always defined myself differently. I view myself more as that person who wants to sit across the table from you and chat over a cup of coffee and guide you through the home buying or selling process.  That picture, at least to me, doesn’t quite fit under the traditional definition of “salesperson.”

I guess that’s because at my inner core I remain a teacher. I just changed my classroom from an industrial brick building and rows of desks to the comfort of your home and kitchen table.

Let’s see how that all works out for me in the coming year and whether that makes me a listing loser or winner.