Melissa's WV Real Estate Blog

Tangled 'Lines'

Melissa Nottingham, WV Real Estate Agent (Coldwell Banker Advantage) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:09:04 -0500

Have you ever wished that your words were like a fishing line?

Ever cast your line only to find that it ended up far from its intended target? Perhaps dangling from that low hanging branch you were so sure you could avoid? I would imagine that anyone who has ever gone fishing has had this happen at least once.

This can happen with our words as well.

Have you ever had something come out of your mouth that you wished you could reel back in quickly, before anyone noticed? It seems that sometimes our mouths work much, much faster than our brains. We hear our own words spill out of our mouths and then wish immediately we could take them back. . Perhaps it wasn’t even the words that were the problem, maybe you just used a tone of voice that was much harsher than you intended. I bet anyone with children can relate to that. Maybe we’ve had a bad day or are just in a rotten mood for whatever reason.

Unfortunately, once the words are out, they’re out. Dangling from that tree for all the world to see. You can’t reel it back in. Your bad day doesn’t really matter any more. So how do we avoid situations like this? What do we do if we slip up and say something in the heat of the moment that could have been worded differently or was better left unsaid at all?

I would love to hear from some of you on how you avoid these situations, or how you have handled it if you’ve found yourself in this situation in the past.

Need some advice from the Experts!

Melissa Nottingham, WV Real Estate Agent (Coldwell Banker Advantage) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:28:30 -0500

I would like some advice from some of the professional stagers here on Active Rain. I am a REALTOR® and I often try to give advice to sellers and potential sellers on how to spruce up their homes before putting them on the market. However, I am getting my own home ready for market right now and I'm afraid that my objectivity might be a bit compromised. So maybe if I tell you what we have done so far, you can help me decide if I'm missing something. So far we have:

1-Updated 1 bathroom and will do the other.

2-Replaced all worn carpet/flooring.

3-Repainted every room except one (which I am going to do) using neutral and/or appealing colors.

4- Will give the house a thorough cleaning and keep it that way.

5-Tried to increase 'curb appeal' by cleaning siding and eliminating outdoor 'clutter'.

6-Eliminated indoor clutter.

There are probably a few smaller things that we have done over the past few months that aren't coming to mind right now. But if any of you would be willing to give me some pointers as to what I can do in addition to what I have already done, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Melissa.

A "Feel Good" Moment

Melissa Nottingham, WV Real Estate Agent (Coldwell Banker Advantage) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:30:10 -0500

I had a 'proud mommy' or 'feel good' moment yesterday that I wanted to share. I was doing my usual morning mad rush to get myself and my 2 children ready to set out for the day. Suddenly, my daughter rushed into my room and in a panic said "mommy, mommy a bird just flew into our window and now he can't fly!" My family and I are all animal lovers and have 'rescued' many over the years. However, considering the time crunch I was in, all I could think was 'boy, I sure don't have time for this now.' But then I looked into my daughter's eyes...they were filled with tears. That was all it took. I told her that I would try to think of something while I finished getting dressed. I came out about 10 minutes later and was shocked to discover what my 2 children had done. My son, who is 8 years old, had found a large box, made sure it had 'air holes' in it, folded a towel into the bottom of the box and all the while my daughter is outside guarding the bird and trying to figure out how to pick it up without hurting it. They were determined that they were going to take this bird to the sitter's with them because they knew it would be vulnerable to the neighbors cats. So that is what they did.

You might be wondering why such a small thing was such a 'feel good' for me. To me, it is proof of 2 things:

1) My children are growing up. They are getting more independent and smarter and developing a sense of what is important to them.

2) I have already, at least to some extent, instilled in my little ones a very basic yet very important principle: The appreciation for life in all shapes and sizes and a willingness and eagerness to care for other creatures.

Are you wondering what this has to do with real estate? Maybe nothing. Maybe if I tax my brain I can think of a clever way to link the 2. I'd rather keep it simple and ask "How can you be successful at anything, be it real estate or life in general, if you don't have that basic sense of caring?

My first post EVER..Hello fellow newbies!

Melissa Nottingham, WV Real Estate Agent (Coldwell Banker Advantage) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:47:37 -0500

I am brand spanking new to Active Rain. I have spent the last couple days doing my profile and reading LOTS of posts. I even got up the nerve to make a few comments! (Go me...Go me..LOL). I guess the next thing is to get REALLY brave and *gulp* submit one of my own. I'll keep it short...Hello All! What a great site! I've learned a lot just in the few days I've been lurking....errr reading :) Now...if someone can tell me what to do if I'm already addicted? LOL Any advice will be greatly appreciated.