New Listing: Two Bedroom Condominium at Repton Place
Thursday, February 02, 2012
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Monday Morning Coffee & Inspiration: "Replacement Therapy"
Monday, January 30, 2012
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY!
"Fear knocked at the door, faith answered. No one was there."
- Unattributed
REPLACEMENT THERAPY!
Ever received one of those emails that contains a touching message, then suggests that if you forward it to ten more people you'll receive a "special blessing" or "ten million dollars in three days"? It usually also warns that the last person who didn't forward it met some terrible fate at the hands of unknown evil-doers. Remember how that last part - the veiled threat - made you feel? You didn't think something awful would really happen, but you resented being put in the position of wondering.
We've been told many times that our worst fears are of the "unknown." An unidentified fear sends our imagination into high gear, conjuring up vivid mental pictures of dastardly plots against us. We ruminate endlessly over the possibilities. Such fear is disruptive to our well-being, and leaves us tired and wrung-out.
So, how do you handle fear? One method is to identify the fear, so that once you do, it is no longer "unknown." That also means it is measurable, and can be logically quantified. Once you know what it is, your imagination can no longer dream up worse things that it is not. Once identified, it is possible to determine possible outcomes.
Most fears will never come to fruition. Those that do are divided into two categories: those we can control, and those we can't. If we have control, we also have the ability to survive our fears, and change their outcomes. Most fall into that category.
One mother's lifelong advice to her daughter who worried too much was to replace the worry thought with another more pleasant thought. The opposite of fear is hope, which also gives us courage. The next time you experience fear of the unknown, try replacement therapy. Think positive, hopeful thoughts when fear knocks at the door. Then, when you open the door - no one is there!
Boston.com: 2011 Rent Prices Are 5th Highest Nationally
Friday, January 27, 2012
According to Boston.Com the statistics concerning the rental market are backing up John's post from yesterday. Renting is definitely pricy. Check out these average asking prices in Boston's communities. That's good news for for landlords and potential sellers, but there is still a pent up demand from eagar buyers.
This trend supports our theory of a good Sprimg in real estate. As rates remain low for the next couple of years we know two things, there's still not a lot of confidence in the economy, and real estate will be pretty stagnant. That being said, hopefully there are a few spurts in between.
A Surging Rental Market
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Watertown, MA: It looks like the rental market has started to turn around in the Metro-West Area.
Starting early last year in Boston, with vacancy rates decreasing, rents started to go up. Since the fall of 2011, I have noticed the same trend outside the city itself, specifically in Newton, Belmont, Watertown and Waltham.
Unlike the rise in rents and low vacancy rated we had in the early part of the last decade, which was due to a booming economy, we are seeing the return of a stronger rental market for more than one reason. It can be attributed to both the downturn of the economy and high foreclosure rates of the past 5 years and the recent growth, although small, in hiring’s locally.
Initially, the real estate downturn which resulted in many foreclosures pushed many home owners and tenants out of their homes. Many of those who stayed in this area moved into available apartments,
Other homeowners, instead of buying up and freeing lower cost housing to first time buyers, stayed put. Tenants, unable to enter into the market delayed their home buying search.
Gradually the inventory started decreasing. However, rents didn’t start moving up right away. There was, and still is, a great uneasiness in the public eye. Many people are still unemployed and a good segment of what would have been potential renters, elected to stay at home, or even move back in with family and friends.
While the first time home buyer’s tax credits spurred a flurry of activity for about a year, it didn’t have the intended result of reviving the real estate market, and having a long term effect on the economy as a whole. While many first time home buyers took advantage of this program, it was too short lived to have a permanent effect on the vacancy rates, which continued its downward trend.
Also recently, in this area we have seen some job growth. As a result there are new people entering the area and looking for housing.
This has created a housing shortage for rental housing to The Point that rents started to increase, initially in the city, and now to the immediate vicinity. This trend should continue through the summer of 2012. Long term trends will depend upon additional job growth in our area.
Monday Morning Coffee & Inspiration: "Learning To Fly"
Monday, January 23, 2012
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY!
"When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen - there will be something to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly."
- "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach
LEARNING TO FLY!
In the 1930's and 1940's, there were numerous women's magazines. Ladies' Home Journal and Good Housekeeping were two of them. They showed women in the role of the day - housekeeping. They suggested the number of times per week the home should be dusted, scrubbed, organized, and otherwise kept spotless. They suggested ways to look good when the "man of the house" arrived home from a tough day at the office. In short, those magazines and their publishers set up an impossible regimen of expectations for their readers.
Many of us know women who have spent much of their lives trying to live up to the model housewife role prescribed by those magazines. The trouble is, many of them have (or had) dreams of their own, like wanting to write, or to travel, or to participate in the freedoms only men then enjoyed.
Today, any of us can achieve our dreams. All too often, however, we are still denied our destiny by the expectations set by others. We are bombarded by radio, TV, CD, DVD, and WWW messages that insist we follow their example, their guidelines, or their models. We allow our dreams to wither and die - waiting in line for their turn to blossom - never receiving the water of encouragement needed to grow and bloom.
What about your dreams? Need some encouragement to help you "think outside the box?" Begin by spending time with others who have already achieved their dreams. Leave your nay-sayer acquaintances behind. Read inspiring biographies. Pick up a copy of "Think & Grow Rich" or "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." If you haven't yet learned to "fly," pick up "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" or "Illusions" by Richard Bach.
As Jonathan says in the book, "Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly!"
What's Your Favorite Girl Scout Cookie
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
There's no other way to pay homage to an organization than indulge in cookies. Thanks to the Girl Scouts, we can actually make it happen. I've been asked twice to purchase boxes of cookies and fortunately/unfortunately I can't say no. So just for fun, I want to hear from you all in deciding the most popular cookie.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Housing Policy and Washington Politics
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Article From HouseLogic.com
Published: December 21, 2011
Like the Clint Eastwood movie, when it came to housing policy in 2011, Washington's actions can be characterized as the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good
While Congress didn't take any dramatic steps to help the housing market, it took some baby steps. For example, it decided to reauthorize (temporarily) the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a government program that ensures home owners in 20,000 communities across the country can get access to flood insurance. The Congress also finally agreed with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®; that keeping in place higher Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limits was good policy for home buyers.
The bad
Many really bad ideas are still floating around Washington, and they haven't been completely killed off yet. Some members of Congress are still toying around with the idea of getting rid of the tax deduction for home mortgage interest, a sure way to cause even more confusion in the housing market. Other members of Congress believe that getting rid of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be good policy, but that too could cause a further crash in the housing market.
The ugly
The Presidential debates have held the interest of the media and of the punditocracy. And while they have been entertaining, they haven't been particularly informative when it comes to the issue of housing policy. What would these Presidential candidates do about the housing market? What can they do? Fixing the mess may be difficult, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be discussed, because, let's face it, we aren't going to get our economy back on track until we get the housing market back on track.
All in all, Washington has avoided making some really bad decisions and taken some decent steps in the right direction when it comes to our nation's real estate market. But all too often, it decided to punt rather than move the ball forward in any dramatic fashion. The economy won't get better until the real estate market gets better. Time's a-wasting, Washington.
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Want to Be Featured On HGTV?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Okay, maybe I don't have those types of connections, but I know where to send you. Be On HGTV features casting calls for shows and events around the country. So be sure to keep checking for updates. I got the itch to look into it last evening when I watched an episode of House Hunters that actually featured a two-family home in Belmont, MA.
The buyers eventually purchased a two family, one that I may have even shown a few months back. It was very close to what my goals are in the near future.
But The Point is the network is looking to feature people from all over the country on their shows so be sure to visit the Links I posted to their site and try your luck!
Monday Morning Coffee & Inspiration: "Forget The Leader"
Monday, January 16, 2012
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."
- Robert Frost
FORGET THE LEADER!
On the playground of any school, and on any day, you can witness examples of children playing "follow the leader." One hops, skips, or jumps, and all the others follow. As adults, however, many of those children play a variation of that game - called "follow the follower."
On the job, they look around, see how someone else is doing their work, and duplicate the effort. What they don't realize is that their fellow employee is also watching someone else. A circular game of "follow the follower" evolves, resulting in a mediocre work force. The same can be true in marriages, education, hobbies, and sports.
Consider the story of a telephone operator in a small town. Every day she received a call from a gentleman asking for the correct time. Finally, one day, she asked the mystery caller who he was and why he called every day. His answer? "I'm the one who blows the whistle at the factory each day at noon. I like to be right on time!" The operator laughed and then responded, "Here at the telephone company, we set our watches and clocks by the noon whistle at the factory!"
Tired of playing follow the follower? Want to rejuvenate your life? Begin acting like the unique person you already are. See what everyone else is doing . . . and do something different. Strike out in the direction of your own imagination instead of theirs.
In the words of Henry David Thoreau, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."
Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 325
