We See the World the Way that We Are, NOT Always the Way That it Is…

Let’s face it, we all live our lives based on our own perceptions and experiences. And, that is OUR reality! But, for some, is that TRULY the reality of what is going on in the world today?  Not necessarily. But, maybe that’s EXACTLY the way they like it! Some don’t really want to see, hear or feel the reality of the real world. And that’s how they live their entire lives – numb, unfeeling – with no sense of what is going on in or around them.  That’s how they choose to live their lives ANd, that is certainly their choice!

On the other hand, there are others that want to know exactly what’s going on.

Give me the good with the bad and let me deal with it all. I want to know what’s going on. I don’t always like want I see and hear, but it is what it is.  I must face it and deal with it.

And, who determines who is living their life the correct way?  Interesting question… with a simple answer…NO ONE! We all have the choice to live our lives the way we see fit.

We can sugar coat life’s ups and downs anyway we want to, but that doesn’t change the reality of what is really going on.

For me, I’m a big believer in saying it like it is.  And, that’s not always the popular approach.  A situation is what it is.  So, why beat around the bush? Sometimes people want to hear it, and often times people don’t! I’m not interested in forcing my opinions down someone’s throat, but if you ask, I’m going to say it the way I see it.

You know, just because you don’t say something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

And, just because you don’t choose to see something that appears to others to be right in front of us, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

And, just because you choose not to hear some type of bad news, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Your sense of reality determines how you perceive things going on around you in the world.

People’s perceptions are different and always will be.

And, that’s what makes the world go ’round!

 

 

This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR.

It is the exclusive property of, and may not be used without the written permission of Sandy Shores, Brevard County, Florida Space Coast. All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted. Copyright 2008.

 

Millionaires Pinch Pennies, Too! How Do you Think They Got That Way?

 

This article began by writing about how to save money in these tight economic times, And, I realized that pinching pennies and being a millionaire are interrelated topics.

I have known people that lived through the Great Depression. They remember it well. These people learned to pinch pennies. And many have become people of wealth, that live modestly.

When I write this list, I reminds me of things my grandparents used to do.

They bring their styrofoam coffee cups home from fast food restaurants to use and reuse them.

They wear the same pair of shoes for years.

They don’t wear a different outfit everyday..

They drive a modest car, with no car payment. 

They shop with coupons. 

They shop for items on sale.

They color their own hair.

They cut their own lawns.

They clean their own homes.

They don’t eat lunch out everyday.

They don’t buy drive through coffee.

Their habits can be closely followed.   And they have a nest egg to show for it.

It often surprises me how careless some people are with their money.  They have no regard for it. 

Yesterday, I went through the drive through at a fast food chain restaurant. My bill totaled $3.37. When I got to the window I handed the cashier $3.50.  She looked at me and said, “You don’t need your change back, do you?” Was this something new? I wasn’t sure that I heard her correctly.”Excuse me?”  She repeated, “You didn’t want your change back, did you?” “Yes, I would like my change back!”  13 cents a day is the equivalent of $47.00 at the end of a year!

Often times when my family and I are cleaning a rental house after a tenant moves out we find money on the floor.  And, over the years I have found that the tenants that had a difficult time paying their rents are the houses with the most money left on the floor,  Interesting correlation?  Maybe so, but not really. In some houses we have picked up as much as $10.00 in change on the floor! 

I can remember my grandpa telling me, “If you have no respect for money, then you’ll never have any.”

 

This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR.

It is the exclusive property of, and may not be used without the written permission of Sandy Shores, Brevard County, Florida Space Coast. All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted. Copyright 2008.

Brevard County Schools Canceled Makeup Days on Dec. 22-23 Hooray!

 

Due to Tropical Storm Fay in August of this year Brevard County School students here in Florida missed 4 days of school.  It was determined that these days must be made up.  2 of the make up days were put on the calendar for December 22 and December 23, 2008!

Parents, students and teachers were up in arms about this decision.  Many had already made their holiday plans, months ahead of the decision to make these days up on these dates.  Many had already purchased tickets to go out of town or out of the state, to spend the Christmas Holiday with their families.

Yesterday, the Florida Education Commissioner concurred with the Brevard County School Board that these days would not be required to be made up.  Today, many parents and students are thrilled to hear the news.

The concern was that students may not have the required legal number of hours for this semester in the classroom.

 

This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR.

It is the exclusive property of, and may not be used without the written permission of Sandy Shores, Brevard County, Florida Space Coast. All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted. Copyright 2008.

City of Melbourne Florida Improving our Drinking Water

 

The City of Melbourne Florida is working on an $835,000 program to improve our the quality of our drinking water.  2000 miles of underground water lines will be flushed out. The goal is to remove any unnecesary sediment in the lines. Old iron and steel lines will be removed where necessary.  The city is also looking for areas in which water flow is being restricted, so they can fix them.

Since the cleanout the city has found that the iron content has decreased by 400%.  Turbidity has decreased by 60% and chlorine levels have increased by 10%.

 

This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR.

It is the exclusive property of, and may not be used without the written permission of Sandy Shores, Brevard County, Florida Space Coast. All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted. Copyright 2008.

Consumers – How Much Info From the Media Do You Take At Face Value?

 

“What luck for rulers, that men do not think.” – Adolf Hitler (scary thought)

So often, clients come to me as a Real Estate professional,  “parroting” what they heard a friend tell them, or something they read in a newspaper or saw on TV.  Our country is media driven.  Whether we like it or not. But, many people believe what they hear. And often times the media has a very heavy slant on their stories.  Often the information provided is just NOT accurate.

“The human mind prefers to be spoon fed with the thoughts of others, but deprived of such nourishment it will, reluctantly, begin to think for itself – and such thinking, remember is original thinking and may have valuable results.”  – Agatha Christie, English Author

I read every piece of Real Estate news I can get my hands on.  Some of the information being written today is just NOT true. Some only provides some of the facts. Some of the information is right on target, informative and educational. But whether right or wrong, true or not true, so many people believe what they read and hear!

“Our opinions become fixed at the point where we stop thinking.” – Ernest Renan

I used to joke by saying that I could go without ever picking up a local paper.  But, I still knew EXACTLY what was written in it each week.  The calls that come in to our office always followed the stories of the paper for the previous week, whether right or wrong! I find that we spend a considerable period of time re educating our consumers to what is really going on in the real estate market.

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” -George S Patton, US army officer

The media loves big crowds. And, they love to feed consumers with their opinions.  What happened to reporting the facts and letting consumers make their own decisions?  Well, that seems to be a thing of the past!

“Men can live without air a few minutes, without water for about two weeks, without food for about two months – and without a new thought for years on end.” – Kent Ruth

“Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking indepently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.” – Ralph Charell

 

As a real estate professional, how much time do you spend trying to re educate your client to the what is really going on in the real estate market?

As a consumer, how much info do you automatically believe as true, without verifying the facts first?

 

This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR.

It is the exclusive property of, and may not be used without the written permission of Sandy Shores, Brevard County, Florida Space Coast. All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted. Copyright 2008.

I Was Lost Without it…

 

Tuesday was a busy day.  I had appointments in the morning, and was showing houses in the afternoon.  The day flew. At 6:00 PM I settled into my home office to catch up on paperwork. I realized I hadn’t gotten any phone calls that afternoon.  That’s unusual.

I pulled out my cell phone and nothing!  It was turned off! What? I never turn off my phone! 

Uh-oh, not good, I pushed the on switch.  Nothing!  I wondered how long it had been off.  Uh-oh.

What time did my last call come in?  I thought.  Hmmm.  I turned it off, and tried to turn it on, again and again and again.  Still nothing! Uh – oh. This is really not good!

Did I have messages?  People that called today? People expecting a call back right away?

What if there was an emergency? What if an agent was calling for a showing on one of my listings?

What if one of my tenants was calling with an emergency?

THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS REQUIRES AGENTS TO BE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT…

I spent 30 minutes trying everything to get my phone to work. This thing finally died, I thought.

I called my cell phone company.  The representative was very nice.  “Did you drop your phone? Did it fall into water?” she asked.  No I didn’t and it hadn’t. She spent 30 minutes with me, testing and retesting…and then the dreaded words, “Yes, it is the phone.  Your phone is dysfuntional.  I can ship you out a new one, but it will take 2-3 days!”

“What did you say?  I can’t be without my phone for 2 to 3 days! This is my direct line! Buyers won’t be able to reach me!  Sellers won’t be able to reach me! What if there’s an emergency? What am I going to do without my phone for 2-3 days?“

The representative probably thought I was coming unglued.  “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Mrs. Shores.”  I’m sure she was on the other line, calling the men with the straight jackets to come and take me away to lock me up in a rubber room.

Go ahead and order the new phone. What was I going to do? What choice did I have?

Being without my cell phone would be like being without my right arm! How many people were waiting to hear back from me that I didn’t know about?

I had to have a plan. I headed out the front door with my dog, Bailey to get some fresh air and figure it out. I had to make some calls.

I was dreading the next couple of days, being out of touch with others.  When I walked back into the house I reached for my phone one last time. It was still dead.  I slammed it on the counter three times.  My husband looked at me like I was nuts. “What are you doing?” “It’s already broken so I can’t hurt it.”  I slammed it on the counter 3 more times.  The welcome tone on the phone started up.  I couldn’t believe it!  The introduction music played and finished.  I looked at the phone in disbelief! I opened it, dialed it and put it to my ear.  My daughters phone, ( the number I dialed)  began ringing. “Hello?” she answered. Then the voicemail notification tone rang.  I had 4 voicemails.  I listened to them and immediately called all 4 people back, apologizing profusely for my delay in returning their calls.

My phone has been working fine since I slammed it on the counter.

My new phone arrived, by overnight mail, in less than 36 hours! I will have one of my teenage daughters set it up for me.

So what do you do, if you’re unable to return any of your phone calls?

First Time Homebuyers Are Scooping Up Deals

 

According to a study by the National Association of Realtors the number of first time homebuyers in the market today has increased since 2007.

They are scooping up deals on low priced houses in real estate markets with inventory that is plentiful. Attractive interest rates are also a large factor in their decision to purchase a home.

The median age of a first time home buyer is 30 years old. The median priced home they bought was $165,000.

First time home buyers are great candidates for home purchases because they don’t have to wait to sell another home before they can buy one.

The projection for the future is that the number of buyers in this group will continue to rise if interest rates remain low and FHA programs remain favorable.

Check your area for some great first time homebuyer assistance programs.

Are You Utilizing Your Time? This Little Guy Sure is…

This little guy caught my eye yesterday, as I finished showing houses.

I was mesmerized by how busy he was.  He was picking up nuts and burying them in various locations.  He had a plan and performed it, with each nut he found.  His focus on the tasks at hand was incredible! I imagine that by the end of the day he was absolutely exhausted, but very content with the monumental work he had accomplished this day!

This little guy stayed so focused on his daily tasks that it took him nearly ten minutes to recognize that he was being watched…

And, then I realized he may not be that unlike us…

Are you busy? 

Are you accomplishing the tasks at hand in your business? 

Do you have a plan and schedule that you follow each day to be sure that you get your tasks done?

Or are you just going through the day to day motions?

 

Do you find yourself exhausted at the end of the day?

Are you content with your accomplishments for the day? 

 

Or did you waste your time today?

 

 

Be sure to live your life like this little guy, so busy and productive that you don’t have time to worry about who’s watching you.

But, rest assured, when you are this busy, there will be plenty of people taking notice!

Happy Veteran’s Day!

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?…but Remember We’re Just Looking!

 

Yesterday, my teenage daughters and I were at the mall here in Melbourne Florida.  Our favorite store to stop by is the pet store.  We love to see the new puppy in the window.  Every one of them tugs at our heart strings.

As we were admiring this little American Bulldog, having an adventurous dream, a store employee asked if we needed help.  My quick response was, “No thank you, we’re just looking.”

Each time we go to the store, we find ourselves ‘just looking’.

I  thought of the current real estate market.  Now, more than ever, savvy buyers are spending more time  JUST LOOKING! 

I remember, in the past, we would show a buyer several homes for sale.  They would look at their favorites a second time, and typically within a day or two they’d write an offer to purchase.

Today, that has changed.  Buyers are looking at more homes than ever, that suit their criteria, since the inventory is plentiful.

And, buyers are looking at homes over a longer period of time than in years past.  They may look at a selection of homes over a 3 to 4 week period of time, before making a decision on one to purchase, if they decide to purchase today, at all.

They are also looking at their final choices more than once or twice, before they make their offer.  Sometimes they are going back to look at their final choices three, four and fives times.  Recently, I worked with a smart buyer that looked at two of his favorite home choices six times.  He studied and researched the area and market stats and trends for months before making his final choice.

Are buyers today spending more time JUST LOOKING?

Landlords and Property Managers – Do You Collect Last Month’s Rent Upfront? Be Careful if you Do!

 

I see rentals advertised all over town.  Move in with first, last, and security deposit.  Hmmm.  That’s a lot of money.  How many people can afford to do this?  But, does the landlord understand what they’re really asking for? Not always.

As a landlord for nearly 13 years I have always required first month’s rent and a security deposit from tenant’s moving in.  The security deposit is typically about $150 to $200 more than the rent amount. So, for $800 rent, the deposit is usually $1000.

Many landlords require first month’s rent, last month’s rent and a security deposit for move in. Let’s think about this for a minute.  On an $800 rental, that’s $800 first, $800 last and $1000 security. If they have a pet that can be another $200 nonrefundable FEE. So, a perspective tenant could be looking at $2800.00 to move in.  And, that’s alot of money that many people just don’t have!

I find additional problems with doing this:

As a landlord you may be potentially ruling out over 3/4 of tenants in the market. 

As a landlord you are responsible for keeping track of the last month’s rent. Often times we hear of landlords spending the last month’s rent, and it’s gone by the end of the lease term.

If the tenant remains in the home for multiple years, and the rent continues to be raised over multiple years, the last month’s rent will no longer be enough to cover that rent.

As simple as this sounds, the last month’s rent is to be used for the last month of the lease term only and NOTHING else.

Now look at this… this has not happened to me personally, but in the past, I have seen and heard of it happening to other landlords. 

     A tenant doesn’t pay their rent, The landlord evicts for non payment of rent.  There is also some damage to the rental unit.  The lease usually provides the landlord with the right to retain the tenant’s security deposit to cover the lost rent and/or damages (with proper notification to the tenant).  But, maybe there is not enough money to cover the unpaid rent and/or damages.  So, the landlord assumes that he has a right to the tenant’s last month’s rent.  Makes sense, right?  Well maybe NOT!

BE VERY CAREFUL!

This may not be the case at all. In the past, in 2 instances, I have seen landlords in a court of law, fighting for the tenant’s last month’s rent. EVEN THOUGH THE TENANT OWED THE LANDLORD MONEY FOR UNPAID RENT AND/OR DAMAGES I HAVE SEEN JUDGES AWARD THE LAST MONTH RENT BACK TO THE TENANT! (WHAT???) I have heard them say the money is to be used for the last month of the lease term, ONLY. If the tenant is not staying the last month (but being evicted), I have seen it go back to the tenant (with money still owed to the landlord!) *see note below -and check the current laws in your area. I am certain that a judge must review every aspect of each case to make a final determination.

UNBELIEVABLE, RIGHT?

So as a landlord, you may consider collecting first, last and security from a tenant moving in, collect first and security.  If you are feeling a bit uncomfortable, then increase the security deposit.  Be careful if you decide to collect last month’s rent (and read my note below*- be sure to check with a real estate attorney in your area and follow their recommended guidelines).

 

*NOTE: I am not an attorney and I do not profess to practice law. I do not know the laws in your state nor do I profess to preach the law here in Florida. So please check with a real estate attorney. Find out what they advise in your area. Be sure the you know and understand the laws here in Florida, as well as in your state.