Achieving Feng Shui

Achieve Feng Shui In Your Home

If you take the time to dig into the philosophy around Feng Shui, you'll understand that it doesn't come off as esoteric as one my think. It's based around the simple practices to make

 a home feel healthier and a lot more organized. It also helps you to connect to your home, in a way that can affect your mood and well-being. Feng Shui is as common as "spring-cleaning," or decorating to make a home feel much more comfortable.

This ancient Chinese tradition can be incorporated into your own home. It can be done in a modern holistic approach, while still honoring the age-old traditions that come with Feng Shui.

 It's not about transforming the structure of your home, but instead making it to evolve into a space that refreshes your home - and in turn your health. The following Feng Shui tips will do a little more than just bring some harmony into your home, they can potentially increase the value of your home's selling price.

Let's get into to the best Feng Shui decorating tips for your house below!

1. Slow Down Your Home's Energy Flow:

The back door and the front door have a direct line of sight, that means the energy in the home, or the chi, will flow through the home too fast. Instead of it going straight out of the back

door, you want it to undulate throughout the whole home in a graceful and even manner. The best way to slow down this flow is to place a pattern rug on the floor in front of the front door,

add artwork on the walls or add a round entry table to the foyer space.

2. De-Clutter Your House:

Decluttering your home may seem like an obvious enough solution, we can all be guilty of letting our content accumulate in our home, that may not have a specific function. Clutter is more

than just unappealing visually, it's an anchor for the energy in a home. An excessive amount of clutter can stop you from having clarity of thought, and even weigh you down emotionally.

Feng Shui isn't focused on having a perfectly styled home, but instead, provide a happier and healthier environment. Be sure to have the correction organization throughout your home.

From paying bills, to recycling content, and even something as simple as a designated spot for your keys. It'll help you feel less frazzled and feel more efficient in your day to day routine.

3. Front Door Path Must Be Kept Clear:

The front door in a home is an important factor to Feng Shui. It's the main portal through which the energy from outside will enter into your home. You want to make sure the energy flows

 uninterrupted through the front door, without "metaphorically" running into a wall. Keep your front door area free of clutter and consider installing a mirror near the front door. This can

 hold the meaning that you are expanding the energy in the space, which in turn expands the opportunities within your life - and prevents you from feeling limited.

4. Balancing the Five Elements:

Whether present physically, or symbolically, the five elements you can find in a home are earth, fire, wood, metal, and water. The fire element can be brought into a home with warmer tones,

 or physically through a fireplace and burning candle. You want to ensure there is a balance between all of the elements. People can easily be drawn to an element that can cause an imbalance

 in their life. For example, if a person were to find themselves rather aggressive, they'd want to avoid a large amount of fire elements - such as a bright red wall. If a person is lacking motivation

in their life, it'd best suit them to add more fire elements. Look at the elements within your home in a symbolic manner and see what you need to change to create a more balanced emotional life.

5. Remove Any Negative Symbolism:

From books to traffic signs, symbolism bombards us daily. In everyday life, we are guided by the symbolism that surrounds us, which is enhanced even more so within our homes. An intimate

 environment represents an individual's fears and challenges. If you have trouble finding clarity, see if you have a lot of stuff cluttered in your home. If you have low self-esteem, check to see

 if mirrors are hung too high, which equates to you never measuring up. If you find yourself unable to get out of the single life, do you surround yourself with single decor? I.e. single vases,

 single chairs, single person in pictures/art. Figure out the challenges you face on a daily basis in your life and look at the symbols the content in your home hold, to understand what changes

 need to be made. 

6. Maximize the Natural Light:

Natural light can make a person much happier and more positive. You want to enhance as much natural light in a home as possible, which can be done by placing mirrors directly across from windows to help reflect the light throughout your space. 

If you or someone you know have any questions regarding Real Estate, please don't hesitate to message or call me. I'm here to make the process an easy one for you.

Why Rent When You Can Buy

Why Rent When you can Buy!

Home ownership rates are the lowest they have been in the last 50 years. Yet, a large portion of Americans are still renting properties, instead of enjoying a home of their own.

 Consumer reports believe this is an issue because of a buyer's lack of trust in their ability to purchase. It is still a long-standing notion that a buyer needs 20% towards the cost of the home in order to move forward, but this isn't true. With countless down payment assistant programs, and closing cost roll-ins, a home owner could move in with as little as a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Which is a huge difference in the time it takes to save up to make the move.

With interest rates at an all-time low, home ownership in today's market is a great investment. The money saved over a mortgage's lifespan can result in tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds. That's more money in your pocket today. Don't wait to buy when interest rates soar again. With low interest rates, that means your monthly mortgage payments are at a significantly lower cost, as well. With such a heated housing marketing, rental prices are soaring, and statistics are constantly showing that home ownership can be equivalent to your rental rate each month, if not less. Why get stuck in a small 2-bedroom apartment, if you can move into a home a pay a monthly rate that is the same, and get a 3-bedroom house with a great backyard?

There is also a fear that a home can keep you "stuck" or "rooted" to one place, without an easy transition out if you decide to move. Although the future of the housing market isn't easily predictable from location to location, you can always discuss with your agent about buying a home in an area that has a strong turn-over rate when a home hits the market. The equity builds up when it comes time to selling is going to be far more beneficial, than if you put money into a rental and decided to move. The money from selling the property can be used to purchase a new home. With renting, there would be no additional funds to transition into a new place.

Now imagine if you were renting a home for $2000/month. If your landlord is renting to make a profit, think how much less you'd be paying on a monthly basis towards your mortgage, if the home was yours. Then you wouldn't be paying a landlord to profit from you, you'd be paying a reasonable rate, and get to call the property your own. Discuss with Me and a lender the steps you need to take towards home ownership, you might be happily surprised about the type of home you can afford to move into.

From "I DO" to #SOLD

FROM "I DO" to #SOLD

Newlyweds are saying "I do" to each other and equate to over half of first time home buyers that are also saying "I do" to their dream homes.

 It makes sense! When you put two hearts together, the time comes to find a home to nourish that love. A home that brings two of your places together, and makes it one. If you and your spouse are ready to fall in love with the perfect house together, here are five tips to make sure the process goes smoothly, and you come prepared.

1.     YOUR WEDDING BUDGET: Your wedding is a one-time event that shouldn't be less than what you'd imagine. It's a beautiful time to put all your dream pieces together. However, it's best to sit down and find out ways you can shift the budget to help with your down payment for a home, if you plan to purchase. The average couple spends a little over $20,000 on their wedding. Even a savings of $5000 from your wedding budget can help with owning the perfect home.

2.     WEDDING GIFTS: Wedding bliss comes with wedding gifts. Let's admit, one of our favorite times during the wedding season is all the gifts that come pouring in! Have any friends or family pitching in cash? Save that to put towards your down payment. And depending on the generosity of your gifts, you can even open an account dedicated to your down payment, that friends and family can gift to.

3.     GET PRE-APPROVED: One of the least brought up conversations in relationships is the credit and financial history of your soon-to-be spouse. Get together with a lender to go over both of your histories to know what needs to be done to put you guys in a position own together. In some cases, only one person can get approved, while the other can't. If you want to put both of your incomes toward the cost of the house you want, talking to a lender early on can ensure you are prepared to make the right moves.

4.     THE RIGHT AGENT: That's where I come in! For starters, I can connect you with a lender to ensure you guys are being watched over from the best recommendations. And it's an absolute joy to take the stress out of buying a home for my newlywed couples. We all know how stressful, although joyous, a wedding can be. To then jump into buying a house shortly after, well, it's certainly a lot to get through. But I can guide you through all the steps to make sure you end up with a house you love. Just think of me as a wedding planner, but for homes.

5.     NOW THERE'S TWO: Although some spouses are a match made in heaven, loving and adoring the same exact things, often that's not the case with most couples. You still are your own persons and have your own tastes. This is where the first step to comprise really begins. Spending a good bit of money on a place you both will love and call home. A happy marriage starts with a happy home, so be sure you both are considerate of each other's wants and needs in style and location, so you both are happy with the home you end up getting.

DON'T REPLACE YOUR AGENT WITH THE INTERNET

DON'T REPLACE YOUR AGENT WITH THE INTERNET!

With the influx of new technology and web based solutions, it isn't a surprise that everything is moving fast into the era of the internet. From sites like Uber to Grubhub, we generally can pull up our phones or laptops to order what we want with ease. And with every industry being revolutionized by technology, the same methods are "attempting" to be applied to the real estate industry. 

We could all agree that the simplification of the process through paperwork would be much appreciated by agents and buyers/sellers alike; but the attempt of replacing the agent by sites like Zillow and other third party resources, can lead to a snowball affect of disaster. Think about real estate being smack dab in the middle of fast food and a doctor. You can use your mobile device to quickly place your order for a $20 meal, but when it comes to getting a surgery, you'll want to put that phone down and visit a professional. Now think of your real estate agent being in the middle of all of that. You can use your devices to look for a home, look at market data the way you look at WebMD, knowing not to take it too seriously because you need a real professional's input, but it's fun and gives you a general idea of what to expect. But there in lies the issue, the data online is an oversimplified version of what goes into the process of buying and selling. The same way it oversimplifies medical diseases and surgeries, you'd still expect to get a professional's diagnosis.

Although a real estate agent isn't quite like a doctor, the industry in it's legalities, contracts, and processes is similar in the sense that it needs to be taken seriously. Looking for a house online and wanting to put an immediate offer on one can be exciting and fun, but the issues that require a professional's guidance comes after the initial contract is written up and the hard work comes into place to actually make the home your own. Same for sellers, if you decide to put your home on the market and want a website that will give you an automatic offer, how do you know you're not being taken advantage of in the price? But most importantly, how do you know you're not being taken advantage of in other aspects of the contract? Because there is a lot more to the sale of the home then just agreeing on a number. 

The next time you're digging through public sites for homes for sale, and getting instant home valuation estimates, keep in mind that this is a simple process to give you an idea of your market. A very general idea. But after you've found the perfect house, or after you've decided that the numbers make some sense for you to sell, call ME and I can make sure to give you a more detailed look into the market and assist you through the full process, not just the exciting first parts. Because it's going to be in the middle of a contract when the lending is falling apart, or negotiations can't be made on repairs and emotions are at an all time high, that you are going to wish you had put down your laptop and had an agent fighting for you by your side. Use the internet, have fun with it's amazing resources, but don't let it replace your agent. We aren't in an age, just yet, where technology can do everything a professional can.