So, today I had the rare opportunity to break my usual morning monotony by meeting a good friend of mine, Cory Lebovitz, for coffee(Big Surprise that we would get coffee!). Cory is the founder of the non-profit organization Cause and affect Network (or CnA). I wanted to tell you about CnA and all the big things he and others are doing through it, but, rather than cheapen what CnA stands for by trying to tell you myself I'll let Cory tell you in his own words.
Not a bad idea, huh? But, good ideas are only "good" if they are implemented. That's a fact that Cory has embraced with an unrivaled zeal. Take, for example, The Hallows Eve Diversion, a idea put into action by Cory and many others through CnA. The Hallows Eve Diversion is a simple but profound concept:
"What if your holiday was someone else's hope? Is there a chance that a holiday celebration of fun and treats could become a movement of compassion? Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in America, and soon it will become one of the greatest expressions of support for those who are in need in our community. This Halloween, let traditions of old be replaced and renewed as you give way to a new tradition: The Hallows Eve Diversion. In 2007, the first ever Hallows Eve Diversion was inaugurated in Lawrenceville, GA. Over 150 people volunteered to help with collecting non-perishable food for a local Co-op, and this led to 2500+ local homes being visited and over 15,000 items being collected in one night. Almost all of this work was done by high school and college aged students." ,Cory Lebovitz
In it's second year(2008), in excess of two hundred and fifty college and high school students gathered together on Halloween night to help collect food for the homeless within our community. Instead of getting all dressed up to go to the best Halloween party, they put on their best costumes and went door to door through Lawrenceville collecting non-perishable food to give to the Lawrenceville Co-op. Sacrificing their normal fun-filled, self-focused, sugar-saturated, Halloween routines they were able to collect over 30,000 food items for the Lawrenceville Co-op. That's not too Shabby, is it?!
Masses of Costume Clad Volunteers Show Up to Help Out
It's amazing the things that can be accomplished and the lives that can be changed when you just care about people. So if you want to get involved and help change the world you live in, you can make a donation here, or, get involved by volunteering at the next available opportunity. I'll keep you posted!
I think we could all learn a lot about finding our cause and sticking to it from Cory. If you would like to hear more of Cory's story you can find his contact info here.
As always feel free to call or email me with any questions.
I originally posted this at WhatIfRealty.com but I thought it might have some relevance here as well. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Tired of the "Me Monster" Salesman?
You know what I'm talking about. That salesman(Real Estate Agent, used car, computer, appliance) who really isn't interested in you or what you need AT ALL. Unfortunately the industry seems to be overpopulated with these self-absorbed creatures that I like to call the "Me Monster Salesman". Take a look at this video and see what famous comedian, Brian Regan, has to say about these "Me Monsters".
Cracks me up. It's very funny the way Brian puts it but it's no fun at all when you are dealing with the "Me Monster Salesman". When you are trying to buy your first or next house you should always be represented by somebody who has YOUR best interest at heart. Not someone that's just using you to get their next paycheck.
While I can't do anything about the plethora of annoying salespeople out there, I can promise you that I and the rest of the What If? Realty/Diamond Dwellings Realty family have you and what's best for you as our number one priority when you are working with us. So whether you need to sell your house, buy a house, or both, give us a call and let's see how we can serve you.
I had the pleasure of meeting with a friend for coffee this morning(I love coffee). We talked for close to 2 hours. It was a very uplifting conversation. Alex has some very exciting things going in his life. You can read about some of them on his Blog. I personally would highly recommend you check it out. You might be blessed by it the way I was.
Alex just landed an internship with Crown Financial Ministries Where he will be working mostly in their marketing department. Starting next week he's going to get to travel to Switzerland where they are having an international Crown leadership conference. That sounds like no fun at all!
Needless to say Alex is extremely excited about his internship and his positive energy in the face of an Economic Recession is inspiring to me. It's just nice to see somebody getting out there and doing the things that they want to do IN SPITE of all of the bad news we are hearing these days. Maybe we could all learn a lesson from my friend Alex. Check him out and Be Blessed. While you are there make sure to check out his Portfolio.
I'm very proud of my brother and sister-in-law. They are both hardworking people who love the Lord and all those around them. They have one beautiful daughter and another miracle on the way. They are just terrific people and I love them. They are both 25 years old. Martin(my brother) works as a Cafe Manager at Seattle's Best inside Borders Bookstore and Kristen works for a local church organization.
Needless to say, with a 2 year old running around and baby # 2 on the way, their life together is filled with excitement and adventure. Not the least of which is they just bought their first house.
Ok it's not the biggest house in the world. But, it is the beginning of a new piece of their lives, and, the amount of love and affection that will fill this house is greater than any amount of square footage. They got a really good deal on it, but, when they first got it, it needed a LOT of work. So they hunkered down and got to work. The house looks GREAT! It truly is a beautiful place to raise up their two kids now. I can't adequately describe to you how happy I am for them. The house is just about finished after much hard work and they are gearing up to move in. Living the Dream.
Kitchen Before
Kitchen MOSTLY After
Martin and Kristen may not be financially rich(yet!), but, they are living a RICH LIFE. Of that there is no doubt.
So it's true that this is a Bad market for some. But, for some, for YOU it's a great market to start your new life in. It would be my pleasure and my honor to help you and serve you in any way. Let's talk about your new life and your dream home and the many programs that still exist for first time home buyers.
I stumbled across this quote this morning while I was drinking my coffee, checking my facebook, and listening to "Ave Maria" by Maria Callas. As I read it, it struck me how true this actually is.
Here is the quote:
"...gradual change is usually more fruitful in the long run than is forced, ultra-aggressive upheaval. Undertaken wisely, steady transitions cultivate authenticity, groundedness, and virtues--like patience, compassion (for self and others), and perseverance. All these qualities improve your probability of success when, ultimately, you do figure out how to actualize your personal vision." Marsha Sinetar.
When I look back at my life and through the lives of most that I know and even through my old History books, I see this truth displayed time and time again. It seems especially relevant to us in the tumultuous times. Sometimes it's as if we expect the economy to just pop back in the blink of an eye. Maybe we expect our new President, Barack Obama, to fix it all within minutes of his inauguration. But the reality is, that we are going to have to come together and work as a unified body to fix this. It will take time, but, in the long run it will be much better than any "Quick Fix" we could come up with.
Do you owe too much on your home and have a lack of equity? Are the Realtor fees a little too much for you to swallow? Do you have too much other debt to consider selling your house? Approaching foreclosure?
It seems like these terms and phrases are becoming more and more prominent in the every day dialogue of Americans. Times are tough for MANY people, it's true, but, there are some things you can do if you happen to find yourself in one or all of these unfortunate categories.
First you could take a long hard look at your Budget and see where you've been fudging a little bit and some things you could cut back on or cut out altogether. The difference might just be enough to get you through some of these tough months. OR you could use the difference to reduce the price of your house. In this crazy economy it may be just the thing you need to get your house sold.
Don't have a written budget? Maybe setting one up would help you find out exactly where you're over spending. If you're not sure on how to set up a budget there are some excellent resources on-line that are free and can get you started down the right path. Here's a good source. Also consider enrolling in a budgeting class held in your community. If applied properly a budget can help you get out from under a lot of that debt you may have built up over the years.
Try Flat Fee Listing. It's important to have your house properly marketed by a professional. It makes it "Findable" so to speak. Statistics show that most house sell through Realtors. If your house isn't in the MLS then for the most part nobody knows it exists. Now, there's a whole lot more that goes into marketing a house PROPERLY than just putting it in the Local MLS. We do all of them here at What If? Realty flat fee listing service AND tell you how to get the amount you spend up front BACK. But that's a whole different post. Just know that by paying a little up front, and, much less than normal on the back end you can reduce the price of your house significantly. Ask me how.
You could also consider a Lease-Purchase situation. It's not perfect but it is a solution for a lot of people right now. By putting someone in the house that will pay you rent NOW and buy the house in the future you free up most if not all of the money you were paying to the mortgage company. We can help you with this as well.
Whatever the scenario we would love to help you in any way we possibly can.
Where has it gone? With all of the Gloom and Doom in the media about the economy and the housing market it seems like Buying a house is no longer the exciting adventure it was just months ago in this SAME COUNTRY. It's almost as if buying a house is a chore. Like it's every-one's responsibility to "Go Buy a House" so that we can get ourselves out of this mess. With more pushy sales people than ever yammering in your ear about "how much money you could make if you bought this one", it's almost impossible for a home buyer to just go out there and find their Dream Home. Where's the Magic in that? Maybe it's time that we Bring Back the Magic so to speak.
After all, there ar few things more exciting than Buying Your First Home. Picking out the perfect house, decorating it the way you always wanted to, having people over for the first time, meeting new neighbors, first Holiday Season. It truly is Magic. What about Empty Nesters buying their first home after the kids leave? Or a family relocating from another city because somebody got a big promotion at work. Newly-weds moving into one place for the first time. That's magic.
So the good news is that, even though much of the real estate industry and most of the media seems to have lost sight of what it really means to settle in to a new home, there are still some of us out there who really believe that it's one of the most exciting things you could ever do. I believe much of this beautiful ActiveRain community falls into that category. So maybe our mission of 2009 is just to Bring Back the Magic.
So, through much conversation with my broker, I have decided that to get my feet off the ground I'm going to chase after the FSBO market. I work with our flat fee program, WhatIf?Realty(which is a division of Diamond Dwellings).
So once again I need your help. I don't know how to find, contact, start a dialog, or follow up with FSBOs. Please help me figure this out! I need all of your expertise and helpful advise. I don't want to flop after working 3 years to get my license. Thanks!!!!!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
blessed by it the way I was.
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