Real Estate - Real People - Real Service

2011-05-02T03:15:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

“Golf Tournament”

I hope everyone knows I like to joke around and have a good time as much as the next guy. When it is of a serious nature I let you know, this is one of those times… RE/MAX’S main charity is the Children’s Miracle Network. Many offices due several events a year to raise money, some require or suggest that you donate out of each deal. We only due one event a year which I FULLY expect everyone to participate in. I understand not everyone plays golf, that is why we structured in way where everyone can participate. The flyer is attached so if you are a golfer or can get a group together your choices are obvious. If you are not a golfer you can participate by either. A) Coming to the dinner afterwards by yourself or with a quest. The cost is $40 per person, half of the money goes to the charity. There is also a raffle during the dinner so please bring a couple of extra bucks to buy raffle tickets. Very cheap way to spend some time with everyone out of the office for a good cause. B) If you are not a golfer or are unable to make it to the dinner you could be a sponsor for the tournament or make a donation… Checks are made out to “Charity Golf Tournament” and can be given to Carol, Charity or myself. Your participation is appreciated.

Enjoy the coffee,
Joe

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:"I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done."
~ Henry Ford

EVER BEEN CRITICIZED?

If you've ever had a dream - you've also had critics. It seems they show up right on cue every time that special new dream begins to form. Critics come in the form of family members, employers, friends, and associates.

Interestingly, the only opinion worth listening to is your own. The opinions of others simply reflect their own limitations - and have nothing to do with the achievement of your dreams. Just imagine how shallow the world would be today if the following individuals had listened to their critics:

Arnold Schwarzenegger's family said, "How long will you go on training all day in a gymnasium and living in a dream world?"

Mary Kay Ash's attorney advised two weeks before her first store opening, "Liquidate the business right now and recoup whatever cash you can. If you don't, you'll end up penniless."

His teachers to Ray Charles: "You can't play the piano, and God knows you can't sing. You'd better learn how to weave chairs so you can support yourself."

What Diana Ross heard her teacher say when auditioning for a high school play: "You have a nice voice, but it's nothing special."

Have a dream? Live it, pursue it, and achieve it - with a passion

Clarksburg Charity Golf & Exchange Students

2010-06-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Today is our 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament which benefits Clarksburg Baseball and Children's Miracle Network. I haven't picked up my clubs since last September so today should be interesting. A special thanks goes out to everyone who is participating or sponsoring this year. We know that times are tough and your willingness to support these two organizations is greatly appreciated. Please keep it in mind for the same time next year!

SPECIAL REQUEST - from the music department at Clarksburg High School. --- Host families are desperately needed to house visiting Chinese students from July 15 - 29. These elite students speak English and will be attending classes each weekday at CHS. They need a place to sleep & eat, transportation to/from CHS and a friendly home to learn about American culture. If you live in Clarksburg and would consider hosting, PLEASE visit http://www.clarksburgmusic.org/ to get full details and an application. We need to get these students placed before school ends on June 16.

Thank you, enjoy the coffee and have a great week. ~Lisa

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"What is more mortifying than to feel you've missed the Plum for want of courage to shake the Tree?"
~ Logan Pearsall Smith

WOULD YOU ENTER THE BLACK DOOR?

Many years ago, in a country far away, a ruthless dictator terrorized his prisoners. On their execution day, each prisoner was summoned for an audience with the cruel dictator. Standing face-to-face, the dictator gave each condemned man a final choice - to either face the firing squad - or go through the "black door."

Having experienced countless episodes of torture and cruelty already, the prisoners invariably chose death over the unknown terror that they imagined must lie beyond the "black door." Finally, the day came when the dictator himself lay on his deathbed. Curious, his inner circle of advisors asked him, "What lies beyond the 'black door'?" His answer? "Freedom!"

People are still making that choice today - choosing lives dampened by fear, rather than taking a chance on the unknown beyond the black door. That awful, scary feeling that comes from "fear of the unknown" is often just enough to keep us from breaking out into the clear light of day that illuminates our success.

The next time an opportunity presents itself, yet fear threatens to smother success, take time to understand your fear. Make a list of what you fear may happen. Write down the worst that could happen. Next, make a list of the benefits you would reap by taking positive action. When the benefits exceed the risks, the decision will become clear.

Get in the habit of setting clear, concise daily goals for yourself. As you set and achieve them, you will notice that "fear of the unknown" begins to fade. You will accomplish more in a day than you otherwise would in a month.

New Hope is Here

2010-04-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Madeira Beach, Florida where Joe and I have escaped for a quick little get away. I found the FASTEST rollerblades I have ever seen and my mission is to now find a pair in my size. I have visions of flying down Snowden Farm and Skylark. Don't worry, Mom. I will wear my helmet. The kids are still taking us in 5 different directions at once. Angela, my niece, has been a huge help in my business but even more in my personal life by helping to shuttle kids around to their activities!

We have been coming down to the west coast of Florida for some time and have seen the recession and housing market take a serious toll on the area - much worse than what we have seen in the DC housing market. Each trip over the last five years we have seen things moving backwards - unfinished condo projects, stores and restaurants closing, empty beaches… However this time down we have actually seen a small turn in the other direction. A new restaurant opened, 3-4 small retail stores have opened, Winn Dixie grocery store got a face lift and there was a 2 mile back up Saturday afternoon for people trying to get into Clearwater Beach.

This may not seem like much and there is a long way to go, especially in the housing market here, but I guess the word I would like to use is "hope." You can see that hope has returned to the area and on the faces of the people that live here. Nothing can start to get better without hope & dreams.

Enjoy the Coffee and have a great week. ~Lisa
www.facebook.com/lisa.sabelhaus www.facebook.com/sabelhausteam

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"I hit anything that's close to the plate. I don't wait for that one pitch.”- Rod Carew

PLAY BALL!

With the start of the major league baseball season, a simple success formula recently heard comes to mind. It uses baseball words, but contains plenty of success wisdom.

Which do you think is more important, a home run or a single base hit? Most of us would choose a home run - even a "grand slam" home run. Most of us were also brought up to believe that someday our "ship would come in" - that all of our success or wealth or whatever would arrive at once, in one grand port call.

Funny thing is - more ball games are won with base hits than with home runs. Most ships arrive slowly in port - guided by tiny tugboats - and only after having navigated the wide oceans through a series of thousands of minor navigational corrections.

Yes! Big wins and successful journeys occur most often as the result of daily decisions - not life-altering, once-a-year, mega-decisions. Want to lose weight? It won't happen because you vow on January 1 to do it. It will be the result of your daily decision to walk, run, or work out. Want excellent health? Your daily, even moment-by-moment, decisions to ingest only healthy foods and avoid junk are the ones that will win the day.

The same holds true for your success in business. While a master plan at the beginning of the year is important, it's really the steps taken each day that produce the results. As you face each of the very small daily decisions, be careful to make only the right choices. By day's end they'll add up to valuable progress both on and off the field.

Don't Worry - Be Happy

2010-04-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been fabulous. I love these 70 degree days. We spent Easter Sunday hiking the C&O Canal. If you have never hiked there, you need to go. It is absolutely beautiful!

Even with it being a holiday weekend, real estate was moving quickly. Of the 3 houses my clients looked at on Saturday, 2 had offers by Sunday and they were on the market for less than 1 week and in the upper 500s. It is still a very hot spring market. I expect it to continue this way through the end of the month as buyers scramble to take advantage of the tax credits. Don't let anyone you know miss this great opportunity! Call me today and I can help.

Here are a few fun peep facts:
· It takes six minutes to make one Peeps marshmallow!

· Peeps have a shelf life of two-years!

· More than five million Peeps are produced each day to keep up with the demand of the Easter Holiday!

· Peeps are the most popular “non-chocolate” Easter candy in the United States, and have been so since 1995 when they over took the jelly bean!

Enjoy the coffee and have a great week! ~Lisa

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." - James B. Cabell

THE SKY IS FALLING . . . NOT!

"The glass is half-full." "The glass is half-empty." "Looks like a beautiful day!" "I think it's going to rain." "I'm happy." "I'm depressed." "I'm an optimist!" "How can you be an optimist with things the way they are?"

OK, we all know the difference between an optimist and a pessimist - right? In some of Steven Covey's material, he states that "no one knows enough to be a pessimist." Pessimism, more often than not, is generated by inner fears, most likely fears "of the unknown." Hence, "No one knows enough to be a pessimist."

Consider the child about to learn the art of riding a bike. "I know I'm going to fall," proclaims the child - just before taking a skinned knee. After a week of practice, is the child still fearful? Once bike riding becomes second nature, i.e. once the child "knows" enough about bike riding, the fear (a.k.a. pessimism) disappears.

Just as the child's pessimism ("I'm going to fall...") precedes the skinned knee, our other pessimistic thoughts may precede our worst fears. By substituting a positive thought for a negative one, therefore, is it not possible that the action that follows might also be positive?Add to that positive thought an extra measure of learning and knowledge, and it's highly unlikely there will continue to be room for either the pessimism or the subsequent negative action. From one optimist to another, heed this advice: "Don't worry - be happy!"

Spring is Here!

2010-03-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Good Monday Morning. What a FANTASTIC weekend! I was trying not to get my hopes up since it is only March, but it was hard not to dream about summer while I was hosting an open house which was right across the street from the community pool in Clarksburg Town Center... AND I just found out that I have been invited to throw the Opening Pitch for Clarksburg Baseball's Opening Day Ceremony on April 10 at Ovid Hazen fields in Clarksburg. I will have to start practicing so I don't throw anything too lame or too wild!

The SPRING market is definitely upon us. There were over 100 open houses in the North Montgomery County area yesterday. Many sellers are pushing to get their houses on the market before the first time home-buyer credit expires at the end of April. Do you know about the $8,000 1st time home buyer credit or the $6,500 move-up credit? Many people don't even know that these benefits are available! If you or someone you know would benefit from these tax credits, please give me a call so that I can give you the details and help you achieve your real estate goals.

Spring Break starts this weekend. Yes - another 10+ days of no-school for the kids. :) Enjoy the coffee and have a great week. ~Lisa

Community Information
Companion Rabbit Care & Training - An Education and Adoption EventWhether you already have a rabbit, or are just considering adopting one, this original Washington Humane Society seminar will give you the tools you need to successfully care for and understand your pet rabbit. Meet adorable bunnies that need homes and learn how a rabbit can be the right companion for your family.We will discuss: Proper Housing, Litterbox Training, Health & Wellness, Trick Training, Bonding Instructions for multiple rabbits...Seminar fee: $20 (Adoption fees waived for rabbits adopted from this event. This offer available only to seminar participants.)Pre-registration is required. Seats are limited. Sunday, March 28, 2010 1:00 pm - 3:00 pmWashington Humane Society Behavior & Learning Center7319 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20012For registration details please contact askthetrainer@washhumane.org
4th Annual RE/MAX Town Center Golf Tournament - Monday, June 7 at Little Bennett Golf CourseSave the Date! More Information to Come...

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."- Marcel Proust
ON MY HONOR . . . !

The Boy Scouts have long espoused the same set of principles. It goes like this: "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." How simple life could be if we all practiced just that short list. Each in itself denotes a wonderful trait. When put into action, all can make the world a better place.

So, what happens between the age of scouting and age 30, 50, or 75? How is it that we turn from being a friendly 12-year-old to a suspicious, stand-offish adult? How do we turn the corner from being obedient to our elders to challenging the authority of our employers or government? Why won't we open the door for someone who can't? Did simple courtesy die with our youth?

Perhaps experience has taught us that others are not always friendly, courteous and kind. "Turn-about is fair play," we may respond. Why should we be thrifty, taking care to save for our future, when everyone around us has "maxed out" their credit cards? Reverence for all we know to be of value seems to have become the victim of political correctness. Why should we be any different?

The greatness of our country was built on the solid rock of "principles." The soft, easy life of an affluent society may be our undoing. Our forefathers had it tough. Most of us living today had a cake-walk, comparatively speaking. Our forbearers had to live their principles - or face the defeat of poverty, ill-health, and despair.

Our children can bring us back if only we will take the time to teach them those simple principles. More than teaching, we might help them practice those principles in their daily lives until habit makes them permanent. Begin while they are still playing in the sandbox. They will grow soon enough into men and women who live principle-centered lives!

New Addtion to the Team and SAVE THE DATE

2010-03-01T04:18:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning to you! Now that the Olympics are over, I am definitely ready for Spring. We have had the holidays, the snow, the games and now it is time for some warmth and lots of sunshine. I am so excited to have Angela Faustine, my fantastic niece, join the Sabelhaus Team! She arrived in Maryland this week, moved in and is tasked with making the Team a lean, mean, fighting machine. :)

SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday April 17, 2010 from 6-10pm.
CASINO NIGHT - BlackRock Center for the Arts - Germantown, MD
Food, Drink, Music, Gaming, Entertainment is all included in your $50 ticket.
All proceeds to benefit Children's National Hospital.
I have attached the brochure, but you can also click here to link directly to the website.

Can you help me? I need FANS for the Sabelhaus Team facebook page. When you become a fan, you can see all of the photos from our fun client events AND submit Reviews on your real estate experience with us. We will also post events and have contests. Just search on "Sabelhaus Team" and add the page to your favorites. THANK YOU!

Thank you again for your referrals and business. Watch for your newsletter in the mail this week and don't forget to call/email with the answer to the Trivia Challenge!! Enjoy the coffee and have a great week. ~Lisa

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide on what to do."
~ Elbert Hubbard

THROW AWAY THE BAND-AIDS!

What do Scotch Tape, Post-It Notes, and paper clips have in common? Each apparently has a different function, is made of a different material, and serves its own purpose. Oh sure, you can say they're all office supplies - and you'd be right - but look a little deeper for their common purpose.

Scotch Tape pieces are placed along the edges and on the ends of holiday gifts - for a short period of time. Post-It Notes are stuck to documents suggesting that a signature is needed, or some action be taken. Once the action is complete, the note is discarded. Paper clips hold two or more things together for a few hours or days, and are then returned to the desk drawer.

Figured it out yet? They are all just a temporary "fix" - a momentary solution to a temporary need. They are used in "reaction" to a short-term need. They are also similar to our daily personal lives. When feelings are hurt and the tears come, we automatically reach for a Kleenex. We might, on the other hand, have taken time to determine the source of those feelings and concentrated on resolving a difference before tears were necessary.

When our children misbehave, we react with a 15-minute (or 3-day) "time-out." We might have avoided that temporary fix by listening to their concerns and teaching appropriate behavior before the fact. Then, there are all the excuses we make, used like Band-Aids, to temporarily cover the flaws in our own behavior. Wouldn't a more permanent solution like performing to expectations, learning from past experience, or practicing excellence be more appropriate?

Yes, we live in a very fast-paced world. Quick solutions are the order of the day, yet we must eventually realize that we continually seem to need a fresh supply of Scotch Tape, Kleenex, or paper clips. By taking more time to look ahead, it is possible to eliminate many of the situations that require those one-minute Band-Aids. Avoid future "boo-boos." Search for, learn, and practice a more permanent and proactive life. That's right - "No more tears!"

Proof that being positive is good for you!

2010-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-022210-beingpositive.html

I like subscribing to Jon Gordon's newsletter. It helps me stay positive and maintain a healthy outlook on life. :o) Enjoy.

It's Easy to Twist Things...

2010-02-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning to you! I am SO happy that today's snow did not materialize. I have been saving my hard-earned parking spot in front of my house with 2 chairs and a jump rope, but I guess I will have to put that away now since the snow is melting... :) I wrapped up my Clarksburg High School diving coaching season Friday afternoon/evening with an 8-hour County Championship Meet. Cassidy Pickles, my graduating Senior placed 13th - her highest finish of her career! Reagan O'Leary and my daughter, Cassandra also put in great performances and represented the Coyotes very well. I am so proud of all of my divers this year. There are some super pictures on Facebook!

I am attaching a link to a great article about how the media can twist facts around, especially when it comes to real estate information. Click here to read the article and let me know what you think. I like how they refer to a term called "healthy skepticism." I am an optimist by nature so I tend to doubt much of the negativity that comes out of the media anyway.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to send us your referrals! We are building our team by adding on two additional people - Angela Faustine as my personal assistant and transaction coordinator, and Charity Moreno as a buyer and rental specialist. Diane Bernard will be overseeing the contract-to-close process as well as servicing her growing client base. Of course Joe and I are here to assist you with all of your real estate goals. We will be updating the bio section on our website soon, so check back often. I am also starting to post the Monday Morning Coffee on the website and on Facebook. www.facebook.com/lisa.sabelhaus

Have a great week and enjoy the coffee. ~Lisa

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"We stand at the crossroads each minute, each hour, each day, making choices.We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel,and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we've selected to govern our lives. In selecting that value system, we are, in a very real way,making the most important choice we will ever make."
- Benjamin Franklin

ENJOY PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP!

Remember the day you made the decision to go to college? What about the day you decided to buy that sporty red car? Surely you remember the day you decided you would get married. What about your present career path? Did you purposely decide it's what you want to do? Do you remember making a conscious decision to have three children?

Some decisions are relatively simple. You decide to buy a TV, go to the store, write a check - and it's yours. You own it! Other decisions are also easy to make, i.e. the red sports car, but carry a higher price. The decision comes quickly, but entails both a down payment and a commitment to make payments on time for several years. Again, you make the decision to buy and the car is yours - you own it!

At some point in life come decisions that shouldn't have been made, but were, as well as those you should have withheld. In high school, a day of classes skipped may have resulted in grades lower than acceptable to your choice of colleges. Later, a poor choice of friends may have resulted in a blemish on your "permanent" record. As an adult, poor decision-making not only may reduce the quality of your life, but of those you love.

Regardless, each decision made is yours to keep - you own it! You also own the responsibilities created by the decision, i.e. following a healthy lifestyle to stay trim, working two jobs to keep your commitment to the mortgage company, giving up poorly chosen friends and activities to provide your children with a happy, nurturing home life.

Every decision made can turn positive or negative, depending on the actions taken once the decision has been made. Either way - making the decision is followed by ownership of the results. Does "pride of ownership" appeal to you? Buy it, own it, love it!

Snow Delays Spring Market

2010-02-15T05:11:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning to you. With all of these snow days and the kids still being home from school, I don't know what day it is! More snow is expected this afternoon, but only a very small amount, thank goodness. There is no doubt that our massive amounts of snow and the subsequent snow piles have delayed many listings from coming on the market. Buyers have not been able to go out looking and purchasing, and sellers have not wanted to list their house and waste valuable market time if buyers could not get inside their homes. What will this mean? I am predicting that we will be getting slammed from both fronts - the buyers and the sellers. There is a lot of good news out there for everyone concerning real estate. It is a more balanced market between buyers and sellers. Most analysts agree that we have been at the bottom for several months. Interest rates are still very low and home affordability is the best it has been in decades.

On a side note, our RE/MAX Town Center office is expanding! Our build-out is almost complete and it is a great addition to our existing space right in the heart of Germantown Town Center. We affectionately call it the "West Wing" and it will have a large conference room, several offices and a cafe-style area for social events and trainings. I can't wait to show it off to everyone.

Have a great week and enjoy the coffee. ~Lisa

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be,and you keep and hold that picture there long enough,you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."
- William James (1842-1910)

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

Walk into a totally dark room. What do you see? "Absolutely nothing," you say. Now, turn on the light. Where did the darkness go? Really - where is it now? Hopefully you will agree that darkness cannot exist in the face of light.

During a lifetime, we experience many types of "darkness." It may appear in the form of discouragement, fear, hopelessness, grief, ignorance, or poverty. Yet, in every case, there is a "light" in which such darkness cannot exist.

Fear, for example, cannot exist in the face of courage. Education denies ignorance any chance of survival. Grief disappears in the presence of peace-of-mind. Discouragement ceases when hope prevails. Wealth denies poverty its chance.

No matter what form darkness takes, it cannot exist when faced with its opposite. That also means we have the ability to send darkness on its way at any point in time. No matter how overwhelming the darkness appears, it is our thoughts and our minds that ultimately control the outcome. How powerful is that?

In the words of several favorite authors: "Think you can, think you can't, either way you're right." "Your life is what your thoughts make of it." "We are what we think about all day long." Finally, in the words of Tom Bodett, from one of his Motel 6 commercials: "We'll leave the light on for you!"

Almost Tuesday Morning Coffee

2010-02-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Evening to you. I got so wrapped up in digging out and getting out of the house that I completely forgot it was Monday! With another snow storm rolling in tomorrow afternoon, most of us are betting that school will be canceled for the entire week. My Mid-West clients are scratching their heads over our area's lame snow clean-up efforts. Let's face it - we are just not good at it. You can take a peek at some of my neighborhood's snow storm pictures on Facebook. www.facebook.com/lisa.sabelhaus

I think this snow storm will delay some of the listings from coming on the market for another 7-10 days. I know that our sellers don't want to waste valuable time on the market if buyers can't make it down the neighborhood streets to see their home. As a result, I think we may see a mini-surge of new listings at the end of this month and the beginning of March.

We had a Real Estate Seminar planned for tomorrow night (TUE 2/9) in Clarksburg Town Center, but it is CANCELED due to the snow and neighborhood conditions. Enjoy the coffee and please let me know if your family or friends could use the real estate services which I provide. Have a great week! ~Lisa

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Fear knocked at the door, faith answered. No one was there."
~ Unattributed

REPLACEMENT THERAPY!

Ever received one of those emails that contains a touching message, then suggests that if you forward it to ten more people you'll receive a "special blessing" or "ten million dollars in three days"? It usually also warns that the last person who didn't forward it met some terrible fate at the hands of unknown evil-doers. Remember how that last part - the veiled threat - made you feel? You didn't think something awful would really happen, but you resented being put in the position of wondering.

We've been told many times that our worst fears are of the "unknown." An unidentified fear sends our imagination into high gear, conjuring up vivid mental pictures of dastardly plots against us. We ruminate endlessly over the possibilities. Such fear is disruptive to our well-being, and leaves us tired and wrung-out.

So, how do you handle fear? One method is to identify the fear, so that once you do, it is no longer "unknown." That also means it is measurable, and can be logically quantified. Once you know what it is, your imagination can no longer dream up worse things that it is not. Once identified, it is possible to determine possible outcomes.

Most fears will never come to fruition. Those that do are divided into two categories: those we can control, and those we can't. If we have control, we also have the ability to survive our fears, and change their outcomes. Most fall into that category.

One mother's lifelong advice to her daughter who worried too much was to replace the worry thought with another more pleasant thought. The opposite of fear is hope, which also gives us courage. The next time you experience fear of the unknown, try replacement therapy. Think positive, hopeful thoughts when fear knocks at the door. Then, when you open the door - no one is there!

Feb 1 - Monday Morning Coffee

2010-02-01T04:39:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning to you. We flew in from Florida yesterday to several inches of snow. I guess we timed that little get-away just right! My parents were wonderful hosts to our gang. It was just warm enough to squeak in a little pool and beach time and a trip to Busch Gardens.

My newsletter is going out today with the chart above from our MLS. It has some interesting statistics on year over year data. Inventory of new listings is down overall while closed and pending transactions are up – that’s good! Days on Market for new listings is also down. The Pending Sales is an interesting statistic when you consider how long it takes for short sales to close. Remember, a “Short Sale” is when an owner is attempting to sell their house for less than what they owe the bank. They must get approval from the bank in order to sell the property. Pending Sales account for many of these short sales which have been under contract for months – sometimes 7+ months! We have not seen a surge in our inventory levels yet, but the Spring Market is just heating up. If you are a seller, don't delay.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the coffee. ~Lisa
*The "coffee" is a bit that I find on the internet each week.

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"A man's reputation is the opinion people have of him; his character is what he really is."
- Jack Miner, conservationist (1865-1944)

HOW'S YOUR CREDIT?

Ever hear someone say, "I have good credit"? They are probably referring to their credit "rating" - a score bestowed upon them by creditors, banks or rating agencies. Simply stating, "I have good credit" changes nothing, nor does the statement merit the attention of creditors. Credit can only be given by others for service to them, i.e. paying them on time.

So, credit is the result of serving others - in many ways. You cannot claim education, victory, experience, success, reputation, or a suave demeanor. Each of these is a gift from others, as a result of your service to them. Friends recognize your courage as a result of your being cool under pressure. Your success is recognized by others only once you have served them well. Knowledge of your career field is recognized by others only after it's been applied to situations in the form of more service.

In the accounting world of income and expense, a debit is something paid out, while a credit is something received. Thus all credits are received from others - not by our own making. The debits - what we pay out - are our efforts, persistence, and service. How they are rated is not under our control, but is determined by those served.

Without service, there are few rewards. Yet, you've seen those who insist on getting more attention than they deserve. They feel they're being short-changed, that they are not appreciated, that they are always the victim. If you look more closely at their contributions, you are also likely to see the dearth of service they are offering.

With service, credit follows. It may be subtle or quite visible - but it always follows. Concentrate on what you have to offer and forget the rewards. Those who are served will pick up the tab!