Another year is coming to an end.

Another year is coming to an end.  It seems like a perfect time to make some important changes. But last year’s New Years resolutions decided to hang around a bit longer. We will talk about that later! But not to worry, a new year is right around the corner. How exciting, the joy of New Year’s Eve, the anticipation of the New Years countdown, the champagne, the first kiss of the year, the comradery of friends and family welcoming the new year, and of course, the same old New Years Resolutions.

With that said that, if you feel compelled to make New Year's resolutions, here's some tips to help you make them work:

• Focus on one resolution, rather several and set realistic, specific goals. Losing weight is not a specific goal. Losing 10 pounds in 90 days would be; Do your research and make a plan
• Don't wait till New Year's eve to make resolutions. Make it a long process, every day for 30 days.
• Take baby steps. Many people quit because the goal is too big requiring too much effort and action all at once;
• Have an accountability friend, someone close to you to whom you have to report;              
• Celebrate your success between milestones. Don't wait for the goal to be finally completed; celebrate when you feel like you accomplished part of your goal.
• Focus your thinking on new behaviors and thought patterns. You have to create new neural pathways in your brain to change habits; think your way to success. Meditation and prayer are great ways for this.
• Focus on the present. What's the one thing you can do today, right now, towards your goal? Write your daily goals down first thing in the morning or before you go to bed.
• Be mindful. Become physically, emotionally and mentally aware of your inner state as each external event happens, moment-by-moment, rather than living in the past or future. Slow down and appreciate life's little moments.
• And finally, don't take yourself to seriously. Have fun and laugh at yourself when you slip, but don't let the slip hold you back from starting again. Start back immediately.

There are also several reasons why we dont meet our New Years Resolutions, but the main ones for me are...

• Thinking “there’s always next year”
•  I have a whole year, I’ll start next month

Your reasons may be completely different than mine. The point is to acknowledge those reasons to find out how to overcome them.

The challenge that most people seem to have is giving up to soon and knowing theres always next year! But thats part of the problem, who knows if we will get to be around next year?  For me, I always put myself in the mindset of “now”. Next year may not come, the time is here and now. One month, one week, one day  passed is one to many wasted and I have no time to waste. We only get ONE life to live and we dont know for how long, so let’s do this thing! Lets make ourselves proud!! We can do anything we set our minds too!! ANYTHING!! Good luck to us all!

Advice NOT to take when selling your home.

SO You’ve made the tuff decision to sell your house. Congrats! Now brace yourself for the onrush of “been there, done that, you must do this” advice. It will come from just about everyone who’s ever bought a house, sold a house, or binge-watched three straight seasons of "Love it or List it"

Let me give you my own little piece of advice: Don’t take everyone’s advice! While friends, family, and the occasional stranger love to "become" the expert on how to best sell a home, their 2 cents worth could end up costing you thousands. Consider the source and remember there's always 2 sides to every story.

Leave it up to the experts, you know the people that actually do this stuff for a living. Their advice is worth taking!

Sell your house "as is"

This is most likely the worst advice you can get. It opens the door up for a few things from the buyer. First, it gives the impression that you will consider low ball offers because well, your broke and need to sell! Secondly, its a big red flag that there's a possibility of potential "big" problems with the home. It tells the buyer right off the bat "there's issues with this home." Because buyers shop online first, this is a huge risk your taking. Lastly, it tells the buyer exactly what your saying which is I will not negotiate repairs. Is this really the impression you want to give?

For more good advice always ask the experts! Contact me anytime! Contact me here!

Should you sell your home in the winter months?

Should you keep your home listed during the winter months?

People who look at homes during the fall & winter months are more serious buyers! 

Therefore, if you want to sell and you wait until the spring, you will be missing a significant number of serious buyers. Because of the inclement weather, there are less casual buyers and those who are shopping for a home in the wintertime are generally serious. The fact that many people do not want to sell in the winter is an advantage to the “winter home seller” as there are less homes on the market therefore less competition. This reduced supply also means that sometimes buyers who must purchase in the winter may end up paying a little more.

There are many good reasons to sell your home in the winter Here are my 5 top reasons to keep in mind when considering selling your home in the winter.

1. Builders have really cut back on new construction inventory homes during the fall & winter, so buyers are forced to buy pre-owned homes.

2. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money.  This could allow you to sell high and buy low!

3.You can sell now for more money, and arrange for a delayed closing or extended temporary lease back (extended occupancy) until early next year!

4. Even though your house will be on the market, you still have the option to restrict showings during the days you would prefer not to have people in the house.

January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs.  Since transferees cannot wait until spring to buy, you need to be on the market during the holidays to capture that market!

5. Some people must buy to reinvest "tax free exchange funds" for tax reasons!

Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in the spring, there will be less demand for your particular home.  Less demand now means more money for you!

Buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the winter months which means less competition for you!

Dont just hire an Agent that will "list it and forget it." Hire one that will truly market your home! If you need help selling your home in the Kentucky, Louisville, Hardin County area simply click the button below to contact us. We specialize in selling homes for the most amount of money with the fewest days on the market. Remember we dont make MONEY unless we SELL your home.  Contact me here!

How to find happiness during the holidays instead of stress and fear.

The air is getting crisp and the days are getting shorter. The early days of fall are the first signs of excitement and splendor to come. There are also many dynamics that can make the holidays stressful: stress due to putting together the perfect family celebration, holiday bills, losses due to divorce or death in the family, social pressures, more to-do list, deadlines etc

.

When you’re struggling with the pressures of the Holiday season here are some things that can help you.

• Set limits: Decide how long you can stay at a party or your parents’ house, and stick to your plan. Know your limits.
• Set a daily calendar: Try to plan your day to balance activities when you are with others and activities when you are alone. Also, maintain a consistent sleeping schedule to make sure you’re at your best physically and emotionally.
• Cope ahead: Preparing for the worst-case scenarios can help when tackling challenging work or family gatherings.
• Meaning: Discover your very OWN meaning for the holidays by asking yourself what you appreciate most (such as making your grandmother’s favorite recipe or going for a walk in the park you enjoyed as a child) and make sure that you focus on it.
• Choose people and places to spend most of your time with that add to your overall mental well-being, rather than deplete and challenge it. You can withstand difficulty for short periods of time, but prolonged periods of stress can quickly compromise your mood and physical being. Its ok to be selective about who and where you spend your time.
• Take care of you:  connect with others; rest; and find enjoyment in your activities: make time for exercise.

What would it feel like to focus more of your thoughts on what is good in life? If you have time, consider keeping a gratitude journal, writing down a few lines each day.  Reading just a few sentences from your journal before you go to bed and when you wake up can help you to focus on the good in your life. As a way to communicate within the family, some people create a “gratitude bowl” where everyone in the household jots down things they are grateful for on a slip of paper and places them in the container. Read a few of the slips out loud each day when you’re together at meal time or post a note on the refrigerator. My family does this ever year and we always enjoy reading what we wrote from the years before.

Navigating the holidays on top of all of the other daily activities on a normal day can be very stressful. Giving thought to what is truly important for you and your family, can open up opportunities for you to have a less stressful and more satisfying season.

From my family to yours,  Happy Holidays!

www.christinawaldeck.com

3 important things someone selling their home should know

The 3 most IMPOTANT things to know when selling                                              your home

1. Make sure you are selling at the right price

I know it’s very difficult to sell your home for less than what you bought it for a few years ago. It’s even harder if you’re upside down on your home loan.  But you can’t insist on unrealistic price if you want to sell your home quickly for the most amount of money. To find the right price, you can check other homes for sale in your area, check web sites like Zillow, or get an appraisal. An educated seller always does better selling their home than the uneducated seller that doesn't do his homework. Dont just guess what you think it should be priced at.

Although you can’t compete with banks that are selling foreclosed homes, you’ll be in a much better position to compete against other sellers who aren’t as flexible on price. Statistics show that after a home is on the market over priced for 6-12 months, that is when sellers finally listen to what their Realtor has been telling them all along. A GOOD agent will not tell you what you want to hear but instead will tell you the facts of what it will take to get your home SOLD.

2. Improve your home over all appeal

First impression means a lot, and for your home the name of the game is curb appeal and staging. If you’re a fan of HGTV Curb Appeal, you’ll know exactly what I mean. The goal here is not to spend a lot of money to improve your home, rather you’re trying to do inexpensive things (that may require some sweat equity) to improve the appearance of your home. You want your home to look better than other houses in the area and in a “move in ready” condition. That may require painting, new flooring or few makeovers. Hire an agent that gives you suggestion rather than telling you what you want to hear. 

3. Effectively market your home

Gorgeous photographs, video walk-thru, perfect floor plans—buyers want it all. You need an agent who can develop a full-blown marketing plan, including social media. People are doing so much more research ahead of time, going through listings online, and weeding out properties before they see them.  That’s especially true of millennial first-time buyers, who have grown up with information on demand. So make sure you hire an agent that is "hip" to social media and the internet. All agents aren't created equally.

Summary,  the secret sauce for selling your home faster for the best price is based off the 3 most important principles in real estate: Pricing, Marketing, and Presenting. The first 3 points will help you present your home in the best possible condition. New landscaping, new paint, new floors, and a vacant property will always get your house sold faster than your neighbors.  Chances are very high that your neighbors are not using professional video walk through's to market their home. If they are, make yours look better. Hire an agent that uses personal video walk throughs to market on Social Media. It will push your house to the top of the local buyer’s lists. Also addressing pricing and the importance of getting it right the first time. If your list price is more competitive than your neighbor's homes, you can expect to sell before they do.

Dont just hire an Agent that will "list it and forget it." Hire one that will truly market your home! If you need help selling your home in the Kentucky, Louisville, Hardin County area simply click the button below to contact us. We specialize in selling homes for the most amount of money with the fewest days on the market. Remember we dont make MONEY unless we SELL your home.

Contact me here!

Beautiful new home forsale

What should you do first when wanting to buy a home?

Do I need good credit to buy a home?

                                                 Do I need good credit to buy a home?

Your credit history determines what loans you will qualify for and the interest rate you will pay. Lenders get your credit history by obtaining your credit score.

A credit score provides an easy way for lenders to numerically judge your credit at a point in time. It shows them how likely you are to repay your loan in a timely manner. The better your history appears, the more attractive you become as a loan customer.

• Better credit scores lead to better rates
• Lower scores do not automatically disqualify you
• As your credit information changes, your score changes
• Any changes such as new credit can also lower your score

Do I need perfect credit?

Absolutely not. Lenders aren’t looking for consumers with “perfect credit.” If you feel you’re ready for home ownership, you may be continuing to rent unnecessarily instead of building equity in the home of your dreams. And the longer you put off buying a home, the longer it will take to build equity. It’s easy to apply for a loan. I can recommend my preferred loan officers to you who are aimed specifically at first-time homebuyers.

How can I improve my credit score?

Some people need outside help, others don’t. Here are a few things you can do:

• Cut back on unnecessary expenses
• Apply the savings to paying off debts
• Pay off and close multiple credit card accounts

Paying off your debts will generally improve your score within a few months. Keep this goal in mind and work toward it diligently.

Sign up for my weekly updates   Search for your new home here!

What should you do first when buying a home?

What should you do first when buying a home? Get Prequalified and Preapproved for credit for Your Mortgage
Before you start looking for a home, you will need to know how much you can actually spend. The best way to do that is to get prequalified for a mortgage. To get prequalified, you just need to provide some financial information to your mortgage banker, such as your income and the amount of savings and investments you have. Your lender will review this information and tell you how much they can lend you. This will tell you the price range of the homes you should be looking at. Later, you can get preapproved for credit, which involves providing your financial documents (W-2 statements, paycheck stubs, bank account statements, etc.) so your lender can verify your financial status and credit. We can help you with our preferred list of lenders. Click on the link below and fill in your info to be contacted. We are here for you!
http://hardincountylistofhomes.gr8.com

Preparing Your Home For Sale Is Crucial

Selling a home is not as simple as picking up the telephone, calling your local real estate office to speak with an agent, and it will be ready for the market, unfortunately. There are several things that should be examined before selling a home. A great Realtor should be able to point out during a walk-through of your home items that should be corrected or repaired. Items such as painting, cleaning, and de-cluttering are just a handful of low cost preparations that can be made, prior to selling a home.

The first impression is crucial when selling a home. By not preparing your home for sale, this can often lead to a poor first impression and also can cost you thousands of dollars in the long run. Take the extra time and effort to prepare your home, you’ll be glad you did.

Click on the link to recieve your FREE copy of "Everything a seller should know before listing their home."http://hardincountylistofhomes.gr8.com

5 things your Realtor wont tell you, but I will!

5 things your Realtor wont tell you, but I will!

“You can Negotiate a lower commission.”

On average, 5.4% of each home sale price goes to brokers' commissions, according to real estate research firm Real Trends. But the rate varies depending on your area. You probably know that the commission comes out of the seller's proceeds from the sale and is split evenly between the buyer's and seller's agents. What you may not know is that commission is not a fixed rate, says Christina . When you're selling, interview a few agents to get an idea of the going rate in your area, then, before you commit to one realtor, see if any will lower their fees, says Christina. Typically, the higher the value of the property, the more bargaining power you'll have, but it never hurts to ask. Just be sure a agent offering you a low commission rate isn't planning to dock the commission paid to the buyer's agent. "If your broker advertises a fee less than what buyers' agents normally get, buyers' agents are less likely to show your house," says Christina


“If you want to sell this place for the best price, you may need to make some changes.”

You might assume that your agent will tell you what to do to make your home more marketable, but some don't bother. "I see many houses for sale that are cluttered or have a dead bush out front or peeling paint in the bathroom," says Christina. "Unfortunately, some agents think it's better to get a house on the market, and maybe sell it for less, than to risk offending clients with constructive criticism." Bottom line: If your agent doesn't initiate this conversation, you should—and you should be receptive to his suggestions. Even if your house is in great shape, there are probably small things you can do to improve it. If your realtor doesn't have any thoughts on the topic, or you feel he just doesn't care, it might be time to get a new realtor.


“That garage your dreaming of? It might not happen.”

 "Real estate agents tend to be positive, rather than naysayers and deal-killers," says Christina. So if you tell your broker a house would be perfect if only you could add a deck, garage or pool, he's probably going to say those are great ideas—and may even make some suggestions of his own. But a good agent will advise you to check with the local zoning office to make sure those alterations are allowed before you make an offer. Don't trust a agent who tells you he knows for a fact that you can make a major structural change.


Real Estate isn't always a great investment: 


If you are buying real estate as an investment, then the income from the property must be able to carry all the costs, including the mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, utilities and an extra 10 per cent for maintenance and repairs. This may also require a down payment of up to 25 per cent of the purchase price. If the income does not carry the costs, then you are speculating that the price will increase over time, which is a dangerous assumption.


Open Houses benefit the agent: www.christinawaldeck.comchristinawaldeck.com

In many cases, the only one who benefits from open houses are agents. They meet potential buyers, who may not be interested in your home, but who may become potential buyer clients of other homes that the agent knows about. There are also risks of people stealing valuables when they are inside your home, often by coming in pairs; one to distract the agent while the other goes through the drawers. When the open house is only open to other agents, then there is a stronger likelihood that the people coming will actually have clients who are potentially interested in your property. If you do permit an open house, ensure that all of your valuables, including computers and CDs, are locked away or removed during the open house.