Want to dress up any ordinary picture? Go to Picnik  http://www.picnik.com and you can add shapes, text etc. I am going to use this picture on note cards to send out to my clients wishing them a Happy Halloween! This is very easy to do. It's free and you just upload a photo click create and have fun.

There is something for all seasons. You can also use this to personalize note cards for clients.

I never realized how much everything depends on being able to just go outside start the car and off you go.  With the shortage in Charlotte NC I live just outside in a town called Monroe.  I was getting low in gas yesterday so I started trying to find a station. I was not able to find one and had to come on home. I now only have about 18 miles and I am out. None of the stations around my home have any gas and do not know when any is going to be delivered. I was stuck at home all day and worked from my home.  I don't know what I would have done if I had a call from a buyer... Hopefully tomorrow some gas will come to a station close to my house. Then I will be in line for hours. One of my clients called this morning and said she had been in line for 2 hours and was just now seeing the pump. She said she only hoped that their was gas when she got to the pump..

Where were you when the world stop turning? We must never forget this day. Your thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families, and friends are greatly appericated. It was as clear as yesterday to me when I received a call from my son. When I answered the phone he said to me Mom a plane has crashed into the Twin Towers, while he was talking to me he screamed out oh no another one has hit it...

Take time today in our busy lives to remember that September Day.

As a Charlotte native I can't help but think that this is a great area to live in. We are only 2-3 hours to the NC Mountains or 2-3 hours to the NC/SC Coast.  The weather her is great, now I can say I wish we did not have the humdity, but still our winters are not bad.  Fall is my favorite time of the year. Taking a trip to the NC Mountains in October to the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the leaves change is beautiful! Pack a lunch and enjoy the day. The beach is also really nice during this time of the year. Interested in finding out more about the Charlotte Metro area give me a call at 704-219-2417 or email me at jdowning@kw.com

Visit my website for links to about the area or to search for properties: www.Downinghomesales.com

It's that time of year again... Mint Hill Madness Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 26th, 27th & 28th at Mint Hill Park on Fariview ( Hwy 218) Mint Hill, NC.

Friday night 6-10pm - enjoy live music and entertainment on two stages, rides, food, arts & crafts.

Saturday morning- The parade starts at 9:30am at Lawyers Rd & Matthews Mint Hill Rd to Hwy 218 in downtown Mint Hill. Events at Mint Hill Park start at 10:00 am until 10:00pm. Car shows, dog shows and much more. Fireworks at 9 pm

Sunday- Events are from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm . Rides, Miss Mint Hill Beauty Pagent at 1:00pm

Want more information about Mint Hill contact Judi at 704-219-2417

Thinking of moving to the area visit my website at www.Downinghomesales.com to search for properties

All of a sudden I have a new member of the family that apparently everyone who see's me even if they know me or not ask - How's business doing?   Who is business? They don't say how are you doing the first sentence out of their mouth is how's business doing?  Now before I got into real estate I didn't have a family member named business. My friends, family and people I didn't even know who ask how are you doing.  Just because the market has shifted doesn't mean the way I do business has shifted.  I just get tired of everyone asking me this.  Of course the media makes things to be worse then it really is. However  I just read today that Charlotte was Named Among Top 5 Cities Where U.S. Home Prices are Likely to Rise. Prices have started to rise and Charlotte was the second most likely city to see home prices start to rise.  Maybe Business is doing well!

One of my favorite times of the year. Finally it is starting to cool some and I love to decorate my home for fall. I try to do it around Labor Day weekend. This way I can enjoy my decorations up until the day after Thanksgiving them it time to do Christmas.  Get creative. Don't just do a little inside take your creative style outside for your neighbors to see. I like to do fall silk flowers on my mailbox. We have brick columns at the end of our driveway so I put a fall spray of flowers and leaves along with fall ribbons around each light on the columns, you gotta put out a Scarecrow, some mums a few pumpkins.

I have toparies on each side of my front door so I utilize them as well. Just get creative, look in magazines, visit your local craft stores and have fun.

With the shift in this market we need to find creative ways to make impressions on our seller or buyers. One thing I try to do is make sure if they have a pet include the pet in my marketing. For instance I had a seller whom has a beautiful cocker spaniel.  While I was taking photo's for my listing I noticed "Hunter" laying with her head so cuite on the arm of the couch. I just couldn't resist taking the picture. Then I wondered how I could use it. My first thought was to incorporate this on my flyer, but finally I came up with an idea to make a card with the picture and put Thank you in text on the front. I sent the card to the sellers a few days after we listed the home on the market and thanked them for giving me the opportunity to represent them.  They were impressed,first that I took the time to actually make the card,and that it had their pet on it.  We just need to think of even the small things to make impressions on our clients.

On no here she goes again. Draging out the fake fall leaves posing me for another picture. Oh well I'll just pretend to look relaxed like I'm enjoying this... I can tell when business is slow she try's to find ways to entertain herself. Of course I have been submitted to more magazines to win photo contest. So far we haven't gotten rich off my photo shoots but hey someone is having fun with all of this.

As a Charlotte native I have watched the city make so many changes. Real Estate is still strong here. Our market is continuing to hold up. There is so much to see and do living in the Charlotte Metro area. 

Sports with Panthers football, Bobcat's basketball, Nascar- Lowes Motorspeedway- the new IHRA drag strip located next to Lowes Motorspeedway.

Shopping: Carolina Place Mall, Southpark, Northlake, Concord Mills

Restaurants - just to many to list- visit my website for the top 100

Art, Music etc

Want to know more about the area check out my website at www.Downinghomesales.com click on the links on the sidebar

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